The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-06-26 00:00:00

PA.LESTINE EXPLOGATION FUND.
Mitir V Ike " 01,T11,.."

Sta.—An accidental glance over the 7; in the an.
(non of 1065 having been the means af making the
miter acquainted it alit the formation of this association,
he is induced to hope that a letter in your journal on
this subj 4 et may t the titles& tttt of some of your
numerous readers. There is no possible explanation to
the fact that this association is languishing for lack of
funds except this: that the British public is 1111..,e of
its very existence ; for it is utterly incoueeivable that a
natlon whose 4/111111:1i inimme is t:000,000,000, and whose
annual savings are Rds 000,000, can be aware of a hat
this association is designed to accomplish, and yet allow
it to be netually gasping for breath.
For it unmet be alleged that we, AR a pisople, are indif-
ferent to the Bible. The greater part of a million ster-
ling net unman is subscribed by us to the t Intuit, the
Wesleyan mid the Nonconformist Missi.innry Societies,
the Tract. and the British and Non igo Bible See:A:ties.
Yet while oil these societies are based 00 a helief in
the Bade, while it filets owe busily oreopied in construct-
ing hypothetier.l ergatuents for the disproof of its inspi•
ration, and while it is quite within ilie range of prebalii•
lily that RUM, 4.f the Badical traditions will be solved
lay the opstations of this association, even in the coarse
of a very few months, yet the total amount centrihuted
to its funds lay the British pea e between the I 4t•if July
and the list of December, IEOB, wss 011iV £907 151 Ilk
There is. however. One fect—butt it is the only one—
that can atiord the devout Christian solos satisfaction
ander these circumstances. It is this; that the leading
iree-thinkers of the day are not to be found in the list
of eontributors at sit ; at least I nave not Ic cvii able to
discover their noose. Her Majesty the Q leen, arch•
bishops, bishops. elergruten, ministers of various denotn•
it:alone ate there ; but of Free•thiekers not one, as far
an I sin aware. Tens Of thoosands are sexually sub-
scribed to societies whose object Is the promotion Of
science; And here their names may be seen, especially
where the indirect effect is to east discredit on revelation.
It cannot, therefore. he doubt, it that if these gentlemen
believed that the efect of the Palestine explorations
would be to confirm the position they have adopted. they
would contribute to its fords. And what an appeal have
we here to the Christian ;hind, not merely for support of
the Palestine Exploration Fund, bat for self-denial in
order (lint its operatiuns may be not simply carried oat
in the course of years, but rapidly accomplished.
Are we not all "our brothers' keepers ?" And does not
the eviingelical Christian possess that inward conscious-
ness of the tenth of revelation, to which no external
, evidence can lend any force? This is not the ease with
the b'ree-thinker. I have known ii hide, both men and
women—and infidelity is on the increase amongst the
latter, and woe to the nation whose mothers are infidels
—1 have known such people, with tears in their eyes, ex-
taint, '0! that I could believe." Many of this class will,
I feel morally certain—every Christian is boned to be
thus persuaded— be brought to see and to embrace the
truth when the evidence which the Palestine Exploration
Association is now occupied in collecting shall be coni-
pleted. Cen any Christian, then, be "pure from the
blood of souls" who neglects to himten the time (and in
England alone our mortality is -150,000 per annum) when
this evidence shall be furnished ?
But there is another aspect of this matter which must
not he lost sight of. Thought Free•thinkers do not sup-
port this association, they do not fail to ridicule the
•• Believer " for his indifference to the foundations of his
faith ; or to employ the fact css the evidence of fear on
the part of the Christian for the safety of his need.
'• If," say they, " Ile does know of the existence of this
association, he is afraid of its discoveries—for es abody
they do not support it. If he is not aware of its exist-
ence, he ought to be ; and how supine he is, after all, in
everything that concerns his faith, except in so far RS it
relates to his meet or party. True, he can extort £145,000
per annum for this society; and £137,000 per annnui for
that; but this is for his party sake—not for the sul.e of
truth. Contrast this conduct with our own. If a cove is
to be explored where we believe evidence will be found
of what we regard as truth, we instantly subscribe oar
money. If a race of people is to be examined. we send
out an expedition. But when these " believers" are told
that with £lO.OOO a year for two or three years they can
ascertain all shout the history of thr ir truth —they don't
furnish the required amount! And what are we, nunieri.
i;ally speaking, or in point of wealth, to them !" Welt,
it toust be admitted, that we have been very supine Inn
nation in this matter ; that we ought to Ini've made our-
selves acquainted with the design of this association.
However, it is, happily, not too late to atone in some
measure for the pant, "Let us then, be up and doing."
F. SMITH.
Malvern.

Notices of Birth, Deaths, and Marria,tes, when dcly
anthenticat.ed,vrlll be inserted in the Observer'" free o
charge.

•
BIRTHS.
On the 21st instant, the wife of Mr. John Addison,
Dennis Park, of a daughter.

MARRIED.

On the 21st instant, at Ruston Chapel, Sedgley (by
the Rev. Wilcox), Henry Williams, late of Brierley
Hill House, Brierley Hill, to Charlotte Jemima Bates, of
Hurst-lane, Tipton. No cards.
On the 12th of May, at Ockbrook, Derbyshire (by the
Rev. H. H. Scott), the Rev. J. McGrorty. M.A.. of Mil-
ton, near Sittingbourne. Kent. to Jiii, tldr I daughter
of the late T.. lit..A, ;3o; h lt.ir.: ..,.,1!
Villa, near Slartal.b...y.
On the 23rd inst. at Victoria Rooms, Ciif ton, Bristol
(by the Rcv. L. Chapman), Louis Robert, eldest son ..f
the late Mr. Jacob Il.,bert, of Stourbridgc, to ilorrict,
daaghter of the late Mr. It 11)1. Fox, (d