The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-07-26 00:00:00

DORSET MIDSUMMER ABBIZEB.

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NISI PRIUS COURT.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

Scarcely had the intense twat of Tu.sclay last been
abated by the sudd n breeze and the few drops which
threatened a thunder-shower, wben the public meeting
of the Bible society was held in the National School-
room, bielcombe liogil, and this being one of the fi at
of such me-tinge int -tided by the Rector since his
return, a wears' interest might have been expected
therein. But the heat, and perhaps also the fact that
the public meeting woe not held in the same week as
the sermon WAS preached. or some other cause, led. to
the meeting being • small 'ue, the double room being
scarcely mare than half full.
On the platform were the Rev. Talbot GA:gave*
(rector), in the chair, Rev. W. Lewis, Mr. R. if.
Slit, Rev. John Stephenson, R.D., and the Rev.
Richard Perkins, deputation.
The hymn, commencing "Oh Word of God
Incarnate," was first sung. and prayer was offere 1.
The Rxcros called on air. ELM, the treasurer, to
read the report, which was of such a favourable
character as to shore that the smallness of the moving
to-night, whi. h he eery much regretted, was not to be
token as a mark of decay of their interest in that
greatest and most glorious of MI our societies, the
Bible Society.
Mr. R. if. littcrr read the following account :
Receipts: Balance of last accoone 18s, 7,1. ; collection at
mewl mese b45..C4 13.. 91; collectira at Meleetuta Regis
0 "trek £lB 12s. 64.: collection at St. John's Church,
AU; Abhutebory Association (free). £215.. 94. ; Chickerel
Awelation Ores contribution), a 17.. 10.; Rsdipole
Aseeciat.on (free). ls.; Lad-es Association (free).
in 21. ; rates et deteuttories, £4717.. 11. ; abscriptious
as per lot, £55 18s. 7d.; P,rtlan I As ociatudi (free con.
tribution), £lB 15s. 71., Sr. Peter'. £8 12... W. John's
£lO 31. 74. ; Upieey (free contribution) 4:28 19t. caber.
ties at Wyks t.10nr,., LS is. 101. ; tots!, 1153 13.. 81.
Payments: July, 1879. petty disbursement £1 114. 10'.:
salaries of depositories. and expenses of sales, printing,
rket. £l3 10 . 61.; retorted to Perrot Society on Intrchase
account, £l6 his. 61.: ditto on free swoons. £153; Bowel
Association, remitted on free arc toot, £2Blos. :B'. John's,
P ditto, CIO 3s. 74. ; balance, is. 31.; t
£9153 13s. 84. Biles at dip aitorl..:—Bibles, 531; Testa.
meets end portions of B.ripturs. 213, total 714.
This report, said Mr. allot, was so fee satisfactory
in that it showed an increase of about £25 in the sum
remitted, over that of last year.
Rev. J. STIEPRIN3O3 e .Id these who had been in the
habit of meeting here know we had had the privilege
of pleading for this society for many years post Its
charming simplicity attractel his own mind— the
spread in all languages of the world of the blresed
Word of God. We know what it is as our daily com-
paoion, and esprei aly in our hour of need, and,
therefore, we have the greatest inrerest in its spread.
Bishop Anders in gooks of the translation of one text
in • distant Indian laoguage, and the first ray of Bible
truth sent into r that 1 old was—" I will arise and go
to my Father." Let them think not only of one text,
but of the wb Is of the B .olt being given to other lands.
1881 is • specially interesting year from the completi•-n
of the new version ; he would not say a word for or
avant that version; but it we. a blessed thing in this
time of pressure for attention to be directed to this
blessed Book. If the min.la of Christian people are
fixed on the Bonk, to read it with studious care and
prayerful attention, we shall have CAWS to thank God
for the new version. He was very glad to stand there
and speak on behalf of a cause he had so long so ne ir
his heart. (Applause.)
The Else. RICHARD PIBEIN3 recalled that it is joist
509 years aga since God took to Himself ills dear
servant Wield, who had translated tile Book from
Genesis to Revelations, and wirse words were—" Great
is the truth, and it shall prevail." A hundred years
ago Voltaire died, who devote-1 his printiog.preas
to attempting te destroy the influence of the Bible,
and who said when dying—" I believe but in
one hundred years Christianity will be deal and
forgotten." Which is the mere likely to be fulfilled,
the words of Wield or of Voltaire? Why ! their own
society have issued 91 000.000 copies of the Ward of
God, with American Bible Societies, 155,000,000
have been printed and circulated. Of the New Testa-
meet revised WI less than 1,250,000 copies had been a ad
already. And as to the printing trees of Voltaire, it
had been purchased by a Gene-an Bible Society,
altered, and used to spread abr tad the Word of God.
In 240 languagss has the Beak been spread, and great
changes have taken place in different parts of Europe,
though some have been f.r the worse. In 1854 the
doctrine was promo' .ated of Ile I nmenlat•i Co•.c.• p-
iton, and in 1855 and 1857 the a, c the
Infallibility. N. wand r that superstition hof 01 rea I
Ia various p.rts, • ..I he referred to the suppo-ed • ision
of the Virgin Mary by a chil fat Largo. At that pl rce
a most beautiful Ronanist church had been raised, cud
among the tablets on the wall, he found this instenes of
Mariolatry—'"7o thee, 0 Mary, and to thee slone, I
owe my salvatio..." In 1856 very few pilgrims or nor e
were going up Pilate's staircase at Rome, where the
Pope had promised forgiveness of gins if anyone would
go up there repeating certain prayer,: but very many
go up now, and he was sure they would not go up with
that belief if they were careful, prayerful readers of
Holy Scripture. That WS/ the flight of stairs up which
Luther went when the words flashed into his mind—
" The just shall live by faith," and he row and fled.
But if there is superstition increasing, there is &len
impr svernent. In that earlier year, the Pope would
only allow the Protestants • church outside fise City,
while no Italian priest dared avow himself •
Protestant, and if any Italians of the Southern States
of Italy dared to poetess • copy of the Italian
Scriptures, they were cast into prison. Now there are
eight Protestant coogreptions in Rome, the old
Jesuit monastery of Jivoli had been sold by the
Government for a private honest_ and he himself
had the pleasure of addressing • Protestant Italian
congregation therein. Mr. Bruce had laboured in
Italy for 21 years, 1001 those in Rome, and tied under
him 40 colporteure, and had circulated 59,000 copies of
the World. Yet so bigoted are some of the Italians
that only two or three months ago • Houma Catholic
mob went to the Pr stestant Church at Marsala.,
stripped it, and burnt the furniture in the middle of
the road, then went to the Romanist priest, who sent
them away with his blowing, rafter praising them for
what thee had done. The Government were sent to
and issued orders to seise the ringleaders, .4,4 make an
enquiry, and promised justice should be d roe, a thing
which never would have been granted to Protestants in
Italy. When he went to Naples, they were just guff, r•
lag from the terror of the great earthquake at feeble. 17
miles from Naples, and in which 150 persona perished.
Copies of the word of God were circulated among the
survivors there, and also after the more terrible earth-
quake at Chios. They never had such opportunities of
spreading God's Word as t '-day, and aro reeking an
agent to spread it in North Africa, also one for Siberia,
a-. has been appointed in Persia, and also In
Jain,. As to China, in the famine district,
food was distributed, not only for the body.
but the Word of God, for the souls of
the people, and large numbers had asked, and been
baptised in the name of the Lord Jana Cbrist-60f1
by one missionary alone. They wonld pray foe the
blessing on His Word, on the colporteurs, and would
pray that every copy would be blessed to the salvation,
of souls In the Channel Islands the other day an
agent of the society found that there was a Amy child
very sick, stooped over the child, though fearing he
was unconscious and repeated—" God so loved the
world that He gave his own Son, that whosoever
believetb on Him should not perish, but have everlast-
ing life." He repeated this six times, and at biet
beard the words—" And —l—niner—thanked—Hini,
bat—nobody—ever—told—me—a poor—id per_ohnp.
—Thank—Him—kindly—for—me. And alertly after
that poor Awl, child went to be with Him.
Rev. W. Lams believed we could not invest time
or money on behalf of God'o cause more wisely and
with more certain hope of return than in the Bible
Society. Rev, Mr. Trafford would have come, but
bad been prevented by an appointment.
The RECTOR had occupied the chair at one annual
meetings of the Bible Society for nearly a quarter of
a century with few intermissions, and was not likely
to have anything eery new to say. But, with regard
to the increasing corruption of Romanism, instead of
Increasing in purity, he could confirm that. He had
to spend last winter in the apth of the Tyrol, where
the shrines used to have the crucifix exhibited as the
object of worship" but now they have images of the
Virgin Mazy. The pa pie, toe, have to complain of
the literature distributed by the priests; their books
used to contain some amount of Bible truth, but now
they are almost all composed of miraculous flicigkri,