The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-05-12 00:00:00

THE MILITARY AND :1-44 VAL BIBLE SOCIETY

This Society celebrated Its forty-fourth Anoircrsary yesterday,
at the New Argyll Rooms, Regentatmet. The company present
was eery nurnetous, and of the first respectability. Among the
more distinguished we noticed Admiral Lord Ganibier,
the Earl of linden, heed ley, Lord Rocksavage, Major-Gen.
Hall, Major Phipps, Cope terarelin, R.N., besides many other
military and naval officers.
The Karl of Konen Wing bees called to the Chair, proceeded
to the business of the day, by requesting Major Close to read the
Report of the Committee, who, previous is doing so, read lettersfrom the Archhiehop of York. the Duke of Wellington, Lord
Ilaerowle Lord Crithorpe, Lord Exmouth, and one or two other
noble individuals, expressing their regret at being, from various
causes, prevented from attending the Meeting, and containing
assurances froth seen all of the deep interest they felt towards the
Society.
The Mason lien read the Report, which entered into a variety
of details relative to the operations of the Society during the past
year. It appeared (kat in the Ina; three years no lest than 11000 co.
pies of the Bible had been distributed among the soldiers and sai-
lors, and 1,10001. subscribed by them, more than had been distri-
buted and subscribed during the last three yeah of the war. The
Society's funds were howeveyeenseleribly in array, being upwards
of. 6001. in debt, notwithstanding the Committee had, since the last
annual meeting, paid off a snot equal to that in amount. Upwards
of 4234 Bibles hail been distributed in the year then just ended,
considerable portion of which had been sent to !nein, particularly
among those men who were in the service of the East India Com.
pany. The total receipts ot the present year were 2277?. 7s. 9i1.,
exceeding these of the last by which the Committee attri-
buted to the inc.-retard number of annual stthecribers. Favourable
amounts were given of the new auxiliary branches of the Society
established at Deptford and Woolwich, and similar accounts were.
also received feint the several other auxiliaries. At Dublin, R
la-
dies' Association had been formed, under the patrot.age of lady
Norton. The Portsmouth Auxiliary had distributed 1107 Bibles
in the past year, more than 700 of which were disposed of among
the seamen at that port. The Committee expressed their thanks
to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had kindly signed
a request to the Henn:treble East India Company for pecuniary
assistance to aid the distribution of copies of the Scriptures in the
East, and they were happy to acknowledge the receipt of 1001.
from that llononrable Company. The Committee had, since the
last annual meeting, found it expedient to remove from Jenny*.
street to a house suitably fitted up, at the expense of about 001., in
Sackville-street, where they considered additional convenience
would be obtained for the purposes of conducting the business of
the Society.
lord GA7.1131E11 rose to mote the resolution that the Report then
read be approved and printed. His Lordship said, that deeply
impressed with the importance of that Society, and earnestly wish-
ing it every passible success, he readily accepted the call made on
hint, only regretting that it hail not fallen o. some more able per-
son ; but the report was so truly satisfactory that it required no ar-
gement from bito to recommend it to the acceptance of the meeting.
May our brave soldiers and sailors ever continue to receive the in-
calculable and unfailing benefits which the books that Society
sought to distribute 'intone them was calculated to confer.
Lord Renegy seconded the resolution. His Lordship remark-
ed, that one peculiarly interesting feature presented by that Society
was the early period df its institution—early. he meant, in reference
with those other encellent societies which bad lately been insti-
tuted in that, metropolis, It was iustituted 24 years before any
a...et society 'ref a similar kind, and had therefore done much im-
pamnt good to the world, especially to this country,' by stepping
forward as an example to all classes of Christians, and exciting in
them an emulation which had resulted in the formation of other
societies, whose objects were the same—that of promoting, by the
diffusion of the Word of Cud, the temporal and eternal happiness
of mankind. It was highly gratifying to consider the great bone.
tits that would be derived by teaching our soldiers and sailor, the
Christian rules of conduct ; which form the very basis of all the
social and relative duties. What order and di-cipline might we
not expect from a course of Christian regulation !
Lord Roes ssveur. moved the second resolution.
Tim Rev. W. Cueoloon tat seconded it. Ile observed, that
it must always be peculiarly gratifying to those gallant leaders,
whose hearts ever felt and submitted to the omnipotent power of
Almighty God, to know that in the day of conflict they were
marching to the battle field with men whose lives Sad made them
fit, and whose faith had made them willing to die and meet their
God. The Rev. Gentlemen then adverted to the univeral and non.
exclusive system pursued by the Society, which circumstance, he
said, made him with the greater readiness advocate the Institution.
• Major-General lists. moved the ad Resolution; and in allu-
sion to the effects of the Bible on the minds of soldiers and sailors,
he observed that it was said of Alexander of Macedon, that he was
so attached to Homer, that he kept it in his hand by day, and
under his pillow by night. They might well imaerthe that the poet
inspired hint with martial ardour, checked every rising doubt, and
braced and invigorated his energies to those deeds of valour which
had come down to us as the immortal records of his tame. And
was there not qn equal power in the Bible ? Could not
.our sol-
diers and sailors be made familiar with the important truths con-
' mined in that Sacred Volume; and were not those truths capable
of instilling into their hearts a martial and a Christian courage,
that should render them Alexanders in the fight, and more than
Alexander, in the dying hour?
Major linters seconded the resolution. He said it was very
deliOtfal, after a lapse of 24 yeses, during which time his duties
had kept him at India, to return home and find so many of his
brother Officers, employed in distributing that Holy Book among
their fellow-soldiers and seamen, which would lead them to the
Clod of their salvation. In India the Ministers of the Gospel were
unhappily few in number t British Officers were Mu:needled upon
to discharge that sacred duty. lie had ever felt it a great plea-
sure,
week after week, and month after month, in reading to the
soldiers, on the Sabbath day, portions of that book which they
were then engaged in distribening.
&vent other resolutions were moved and seconded by the fol-
lowing gentlemen :
Captain Passinger, R.N., the Rev. Hugh hl'Neale, Captain
Franklin, who said, that during Ins voyage nothing had
contributed to support hint and his men under the privations they
had inevitably tb endure so meth as the Holy Bible, the perusal of,
which malt the absence of every comfort to be unfelt, and held
them onward in their solitary course, full of hope and contented
resignetioa. The Rev. H. Bidding, front Nova Scotia, the Rev.
J. Wiuchild, Captain Pell, al.;se, the Rev. Mr. Thomas, the Rev.
Joseph Parsons, Chaplain offs he East India Service, and Captain
The two latter gentlemen having moved and seconded the thanks
of the meeting to the Noble Earl in the chair,
His lordship declared it to be his noblest privilege and greatest
honour to be 'Wowed to hive an opportunity of expressing his
opinion of the great utility of disseminating the H std or God
without eon or comment. When he looked back to a Society of a
similar nature to the one they were then celebrating, which had
been held in Dublin four years ago, at which place he had taken
the liberty to recommend the present. Society, as one worthy of
support, he little thought then what the value of that institution
was, and what his experience had since that time found it to be.
Ilia Lordship then adverted to the religious state of Ireland, and
expressed his thankfulness for the good feeling shewn by the seve-
ral British Societies towards his own countrymen ; and at the con-1
elusion, he appealed to the company to give their utmost aid to the
funds of the Societe and exhorted them all to offer up their
prayers for God's Spirit to accompany the books which they con-
tributed to send forth among the poor soldiers and sailors of their
country.
The meeting then ce.journed.