The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-07-12 00:00:00

lIRTTISH AND FOKEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

The annual meeting ot this truly catholic' society wits
held on Monday evening last at the National school-
room, where there was a very numerous attendance.
Tn. Rev. T. Greece' was in the chair, and on the
platform wire C. F. Arden, Esq., and Revs. R. C.
Marriott, J. Ground. G. B. James (deputation), J.
Ashton, A. Griffin, W. Lewis, Rev. R. S. Ashton beiag
also in the room.

The meeting wu opened with singing, and prayer
by the Rev. W. LZWII3, alter which the Chairman
called on . _

Mr. C. F. ARDEN to read the report of the Weymouth
branch. It appeared that the receipts had been
£266 Us. lid., the espenditure £l2 6t. 31., and the
amount remitted to the Parent Society £254 e. 81.
Bev. J. AskITOIS, missionary from Calcutta, showed
that missions in India had been greatly indebted to
the Bible Society.
The Rev. G. B. JAIIIB, rector of Hatford, Harts,
said he society'. work was one in which, sink-
ing minor eifferenc. a, they could all agree.
[hey bad to speak of • alight deficit., the income
I.ail only reached £189,000. which was about
£1,200 lees than leek year, arising from • falling
off in the legacies. The Bible Society is
putting Bibles into circulation at the rate of two
millions and • quarter every year, while, before
the Bible Society was established, it is believed,
there were only about four or five millions of copies of
the Bible in circulation. God was able to bless
His word to the salvation of soul., and this
I-rge circulation, they hoped. was the foundation
of a great work among men. Before the society was
established, the Bible was only in about 50 languages,
but now, with the assistance of the roiadonaries, there
ate 195 different translations. The Bib!, Society, and
the missionary societies, were twin sisters. The Church
klission.ry, the Wesleyan Society, the London Ilia-
sionstry Society, the Baptist Missionary society. the
Gospel Propagati.m gaiety, all depended in whole or
in part upon the Bible Society for their Bible, so that
the work of the Society was world wide. They believe
the Bible was necessary, becalm it was able to mate
men wlee unto salvation. Bishop Crowther, from the
The Bev. T. GARAY= said he had been thinking
bow wonderfully God's Providence was displayed in
the work of the society. They could see how God
brought light from darkness. The confusion ot tongue*
at Babel had been the foundation of the work of the
Bible Society. He considered the fact of the Bible
being in dead laneuages was • guarantee against its
being corrupted. The necessity of translating the Scrip-
tures brought missionaries to give such study to the
Bible 'hat it brought them also closely lute contact
ert.li the meaning of the Divine Spiiit, and formed •
good preparation for the missionary work. It was also
of great important* that they should have a society
where all the denominations were represented, and
none could favour their individual views. He would
rather entiust the work of • new translation of the
Bible, if it were needed, shich be did not believe, to the
c .mmittee of the Bible Society, than to the combined
Convocations of York and Canterbury—(hear, hear).
He hoped the idea of a new tranaletion was one of those
dark cloud* that we see so much of, but which soon pass
away. As to education, we must take care that the
Bible is the topetone of any new system of education.
He was not afraid of the Secularists, and believed that
the smallest denomination of Christians would be able
to toes them all in • blanket., and to them out of the

land, and it would not be any loss. —(h-e.r). Education
must be bas.td on relision, and he lamented that there
was not sufficient oonflAence in the Scriptures to enable
the different religions denominations of Ciiiistians to
appoint a committee, and draw up a Ptlltement of the
foundati3n truths of Revelation that all °mild agree
upon, and which could be the basis of a catechism. He
regretted the tone in which the Scriptures were spoken
of in the houses of Parliament, where it was said it
was dangerous to teach them, and also lamented the
spirit, which said, 'Oh I leave the Bible in the schools,
for they will do no harm." He believed that oltildren
multi undenttand the great fundamental truths of the
Trinity in Unity, the doctrine of .alv.tion by blood
shedding. &a., as well as the greatest philosopher. lie
did not know how they sere to teach literature in their
schools without the Scriptural. In conclusion he
.aborted them to read the Bible and study it prayer-
fully. He prayed that in every age God's Word might
run and he glorified.
The collection amounted to C 9 Ss.