The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-11-05 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

BIBLE NOCIETY.

Yesterday, the twelfth anniversary of the British and Foreign
Bible Society was held at the fig; pasta Ilan. The meeting was
very itumeroua. and of the highest respectabilitg.
At twelve o'clock the Right I lonourable the LORD ATOR took
the Chair, and the Rev. Mr. isLog (one of the Secretaries) hav-
ing read the Betinig, which described the flourishing state of the
Society. and densile.l minutely the various efforts a hich were made
for the diffusion of religion, and consequent benefit of mankind,
but which were not so prosperous as could be desired_
Lord BEI T. E Y rose to move that it lie received. He wan glad
to see the Chief Magistrate of the City of London filling the Chair
upon such an occasion. It was impossible that he could be placed
kJ IT more dignified Situation. !laving spent the rest of the year in
the discharge of important public dude*, he could not close it In •
manner inure becoming and mote praiseworthy, than in thus paying
homage to the principlcs of the Christian religion, and in forwarding
the ends of • society, the object of which was the general circulation
of that stated volume in which they were contained. There was
tine observation contained in the Report, the importance of which it
was impossible not to feel, he meant the present circumstances of the I
society. which he was sorry to see from the Report appeased to be I
somewhat on the decline. This, he trusted, arose from causes merely I
temporary, not from any want of feeding, or any want of conviction of j
the unportance of the Institution. The effects already produced were
very considera'ile. A great deal had been done. Twelve years back,
when It was first proposed, no one would have thought that the
sum of 500,0110 f. would have been collected for such an object,
and not leas than five million copies of the sacred Scripturesdis-
tributed. Though much had been effected, it was but a small
put of what remained to be done. if the number of inhabitants I
on the face of the Khios amounted. as had bean calculated, to one
hundred nallion souls, what had been hitherto achieved was Lit
a tonsil proportion to what remained. The Scriptures, in conse-
quence of the efforts of the various Societies established for their
propagation, had been translated into no less than a hundred and
fifty different la Ravages. One of the greatest difficulties was
thus ?dread, surmounted. This, however, could be considered
only in the light of mere preparation and though the sires pro.
duced hitherto did not, perhaps, come up to the idea of those woo
forms d too sanguine expectation', they were not fur that reason
to relax in their efforts. The London Missionary Society was esta-
blished ten years back. For along time the effects arising from it
were scarcely vuilrle, hut the illumination broke forth at once, and
in their own time they had before them the example of a whole
nation embracing the doctrines of Christianity. He maintained this
fact t v shcw, that, however discouraging the Report might appear.;
they should not relax in their support. The beneficial results of
such Institutions could not be felt in a moment. The Noble Lord,
after some further observadons, concluded by moving that the Re-
port he agreed to.
Mr. Sheriff Baoww seconded the motion. He regretted that
the defalcations in their yearly reports bad taken place ; but he
could not believe that it arose front any want of real in the support
of so very laudable and valuable an iostitution. lie was sorry to
say, that from such cause it might have originated; and he was the
more sorry to say it, front the circumstance that as our domestic
privation% had decreased, our exertions to promote the Scriptures
in foreign countries had prevented the receipts of the year from
equalling what they were, when public feeling was more strongly
stimulatsd to this pions object Ile trusted, however. that in the
city of London, the British and Foreign Bible Society would ever
flourish. lie knew en institution more worthy of support. In
promoting the circulation of the Scriptures, they promoted that
which, next to the light of the sun, was the greatest blessing that
mankind could enjoy. Ile was sorry to find it maintained from the
millit that it west unsafe to put the sacred volume into the hands of
all indiscriminately, without comment. This was riot a time for ar-
gument. otherwise he thought it would be no difficult matter to re.
lute rich an assertion in a manner that could not be answered. As
a public character, and upon such an ocer don ea this, he felt it his
duty to protect against such principle, and he could not but lament
that it ever was promulgated. The Chief Magistrate of the city of
London, and all who filled a simile: situation, were peculiarly in.
terested in the propagation of the Scriptures, as it tended to destroy
both vice and ignorance, and thereby to make, in some WICTIELIT; a
sinecure of inch. office.

e regret that front the relative position in which the Worthy
Alderman stood, we could hear his observations but very imper-
fectly. The motion was agreed to.
Mr. FAVELL observed, that although it had fallen to his lot to
have attended many meetings at which his Lordship had presided,
he recollected none more -honourable to his Lordship, none more
honourable to the city of London, than to see his Lordship tilling
the chair in the Egyptian Hall, at a meeting having for its object
the wide and general diffusion of the Sacred Scriptures. There
were many considerations shich rendered such a meeting of the
first importance; the h.dy volume itself was the first of these con-
siderations, from the hopes and truths, and religious lessons which
it inculcated; and second to these was the consideration, that aa
Chief Magistrate of Police, the lessons of the volume whose disse.
m nation they wished to encourage, would form the best preen-
cite to those crimes usually committed in a large, wealthy, and die-
s:dote metropolis, like the city of London. Such an institution
w a, if he might be allowed the comparison, like what the Excise
cal'ed the Preventive Service. Though much had been done, and
n • still be done, towards the reformation of criminals, it would
he much better if such efforts were rendered unnecessary, by
the general diffusion of moral and religious feeling. Of the good I
produced by such meetings he would mention one instance, which
he bad on the authority of Mr. Hughes. It was that of a person i
who attended the meeting of a Hilda:Society for the express purpose
of picking pockets. He law it written up in the piece of meeting—
.• Thou shalt nut steal ;" be heard the speeches delivered on the
ocessioa ; his conscience was arrested, and be left the place de.
termined to reform. This he hoped we, not a solitary instance.
The Chief Magistrate of the City of London would be neglect.
ful of his dote and honour if he did not give support to such
illsti!Illi01116 increase of population rendered the increase
of Churches necessary ; but of what use would Churches be, if
the people had not an opportunity of reading in them, and hear.
ing expounded the Sacred Scripts:es. It was a curious fact,
that in the dark ages there was one-third more churches in the
City than at present; but the people were shut out trim the pt.
natal of the Bible, and therefore bigotry, superstition, and all
uncharitableness pr_•vaiied. Though the institution was not sup.
ported as it might. much bad still been done. Peace and good-will
to all men was the great principle of the sacred volume; and surely,
in proportion as that principle became generally felt and acted
upon, in the same proportion would the happiness of mankind ad.
ranee. The Hoe. Uendenan concluded by proposing the following
Resolution:—

"Thu this meeting, desirous of feeling deeply sensible that no
good will ever be duue by these institutions without the blessing of
Almighty God, earnestly recommend to every member of the So-
ciety theduty of special and ceaseless prayer, for the growing pros-
perity of this and every other auxiliary of the Bible Society."
The Rev. hi eoitog PATON expressed the great pleasure he felt
in seconding the resolution just proposed. The principles it con-
tained had his full approbation, because those principles were con-
ducive to one of the highest and best services which this or any
other meeting could render to their less etilighteried fellow-aea-
tures. The Miring influence alone could guide men properly; sod
when the filming considered the east harvest and amount of mints
and ignorance which still prevailed, every one interested in the
happiness of mankind must naturally wish to see them diminished.
Their total eradication could not be effected, but touch had been
done for their diminution, and much still remained to be done.
Surprise had been expressed that the effects produced by Bible
Societies were not more apparent and snore extensive... They
who argued in this manner should mender that population had
greatly increased, and that it *as likely a proportionate in.
crease of crime would be the consequence ; that we were now in
time of peace—that peace naturally produced idleness, and idle.
nese moduerd crime. There were no armies or navies to give occu-
pation to a euperahundurit population, and thus angrinees of mind
was thrown louse on the pulsiie as large. This was no reason tier
withdrawing their support from such institutions. It might as
well be contended, that because murder and robbery were preys.
lent, a Magistesey was useless and should no longer be supported.
As well might they say that the 31strates of the City should be
disrobed of their Alder:11311h: gowas because vice existed in the me-
tropolis. The sane: argument applied to the distribution of the
Scriptures as to the support of a -Magistracy. If the exieteece of
evil was not entirely prevented, it was at least rendered lees_ gene.
cal. The moral regeneration which they contemplated could not
be effected at once: it emu be gradual. It was nut to be con-
cluded, because crime existed. that no good bad been effected by
Bible Societies. Crimes at d delinqueneies were brought before
the public front their very nature, from thee necessity of punisbine
these, while moral reformation went on in secret. But. he would
ask, lead no good been eacted ? Fe'- an answer to this question he
would appeal to three sources—their shire, their chapels, and
eintrches, and their prism a. With respect to the churches every
person must have (deterred that the new ones, as soon as opened ;
were completely filled ; it was difficult to procure a seat. A great
moralimprovement had been effected amongtheir seamen. Thereon
no class of subjects more to he ssteemedteertheir bravery soil services,
but until lately theirmoral improver:lent was not attended to. At pre.
rent, n this res peer, there was te great and visible change for the better.
Ile might also Appeal to the present state of the various prisons.
They were now Wenuse places of reform, and through the intieence
eat the Sean! Scriptures, and the exmions of a benevolent Lady,
who was an ornament to lies sex, there was no doubt that the
progress of reform would edrance wi h rapid strides. The Res.
tientlemao, after a wean eulogium on that estimable and eminently
useful lady, Mrs. Fry, conelseled by recommending the meeting to
wipe off, by their liberal contritiutions to-day, the little spot that at
present closeted the fair leer of the metropolis.
The rennet Um was agreed to.
:lir. A Iderniau V tie AIM ES said tee MSC for the purpose of pro-
hosing a resolution elect he ti been put nese his hand.. lie ',teeth"
ere content himself with congneulating them on the efforts
that lied beast hitherto made; hut, ass Magistrate of that City, he
felt it his duty to say a few wools with respect to this Institution.
Though the prospect held out by the Report was teat suflenrreng
I as teigtit have Leen deserved, still they were not to be discuuraged.
Though the great and important work of contributing to the
cireelation of the Scriptures might seem in some measure to be
going back in one place, it might at the saute time be snaking
pear advances in another. Otte object to the Institution was, that
the Scriptures being very generally disseminateele it had this-dote
brewer in sonic treasure useless. They who made such an eb-
eettion meet be wily ewperliei dly acquainted with the objects of
the Brined' and Foreign Ihible Society. It was never intended,
as the eery name imported, that their exertions should be eoutined
to this country only. Whatever might be the case here, he should
ask whether, the population of Ireland, nearly seven millions of pea
pie. were in a satisfactory state ? Let them look at the milliotis of
Ilesitsens who *ere subject to the British dominions, and be would
ask, whether st:tc haring subdued them, they mutt not feel it