The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-05-26 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL. AUXILIARY BIBLE SOCIETY

The annual meeting of the subscribers and friends to
the above society was held hst evening at the Concert-
hall, Lord Nelson•street. The attendance was not so
numerous as on former occasions. The Rev. Dr. Byrth
occupied the chair. and an the platform were the following
clergymen and other gentlemen : —The Rev. Mr. Davies,
the Rev. Mr. Hampton, the. Rev. Dr. Raffls, the Rev.
J. Kelly. the Rev. J. B. Owen, incumbent of St. Mary's,
Bilston, &o. After prayer had been offered up and
several passages of scripture read,

• Cl
The CFI AIRM.tN said that his observations would be
few, as the secretary and other gentlemen would bring
forward statements and details in which, no doubt, they
would all be interested. It was impossible for any one
who had for a long time been connected with the British
and Foreign Bible Society, not to feel deeply interested
every time he was present at one of those meetings. It
was a society having in view one of the noblest of objects,
and had had to encounter some of the most severe
struggles, and that it had struggled on, and still
prospered was no small proof that it continued to receive
the divine blessing. He believed, as did all its promoters,
that when its objects shall have been carried out, the na-
tions of the world would be provided with the word of
God, each man reading in his own tongue in which he was
born, that the world should yield a spiritual increase, and
that all the people should praise Him who had thus
blessed them. It must appear a wonderful thing to every
reflecting mind, that an object such as that sought be to
obtained by means of the British and Foreign Bible Society,
was so long in engaging the attention of members of the
Christian church ; but in that respect it seemed to be ii the
same condition with other societies, whose objects were of
a similar nature. The age in which they lived had given
birth to most of them. This had been called by some
the age of great societies ' while it had been called by
others the age of little books. It might at least be desig-
nated the age of mechanical invention, as machinery had
been brought to operate on those operations connected
with the purposes of social life ; and it might be called
likewise the age of Christian associations. (Hear.) The age
of societies for promoting the best interests of man, by
bringing him into connection with the meanswhich enabled
him to know God, and to act upon the principles laid down
in His holy word. And while the society whose objects they
were met to promote, was contemporaneous in its origin
with many other societies, he believed the union of them
all ca'culated to effect that which the Lord commanded,
and that the Christian public would be as it had been to
the present day, willing to lend assistance to them ail.
(Hear, hear.) There was, perhaps, one feature in the
British and Foreign Bible Society, on which he
might dwell for a moment. It seemed td be
the only society, so far as present experience bad
shown, in which it was possible for Christians of all
denominations to unite, and to which they could, without
distinction of sect, give their cordial support. (Hear,
hear.) It compromised no man's privileges—it judged no
man's faith—it offended no man's prepossessions—its
scone was ample enough to engage every man's affections,
and he could regard its triumph without being in the
least degree effected by the anprehensicy that its victory
was inconsistent with any object he ought himself to en-
tertain. (Hear.) He spoke of Caristian men—it was with
regard to them, and for them alone. he ventured to say
that the British and Foreign Bible Society, properly con-
templated, possessed those principles in which they
might all unite. There might be cordial harmony amongst
parties, as each individual who united with them, and
who was part of the great machinery, might reserve his
own private opinion, being nei.her called on to defend
them against assault, nor required to assail the opinion of
his neighbour. (Hear, hear.) Surely that must be re-

• garded as a great distinction. He bdieved philosophers
would think so, and he knew a large portion of the Chris-

tian community not only thought so, but acted upon the
principle, as they had c,rale forward without distraction
to take a part in the objN7ts sought to he attained by the

their attention on a matter which by some might be deemed
common-place, but he did hope that there, as well as

crease. If other s',cieties came forward and occupied
fields in which they laboured, they could make use of the
British and Foreign Bible Society to give their labours
effect, and command success, and they stood in the posi-
tion of being ready to assist them without distinction.

He believed that in so doing the blessing of God would
rest on their labours, not only because the object was one
which he approved, but because that blessing would be
further extended in answer to the prayersand thanksgivings
of those who would avail themselves of their efforts. • He
concluded by calling on the s-cretary to read the report.
The Rev. Mr. DAVIES then read the following
report :

The British and Foreign Bible Society still holds on its noble
course. Its receipts last year amounted to .e101,305-15s, being
an excess over the previous year of £3,550 4s. 2d, Its issues
amounted to 1,441,651, being 525,840 copies more than in any
previous year. The total issues of the Society have reached

above alluded to-

and alarming forebodings.
Your Committee have again this year the pleasing task of
reporting that the operations of the Liverpool Auxiliary Bible
Society continue to furnish eround for gratitude to• Almighty
God for his blessing, by which its funds are increased and its

labours extent

pressed his fear that Bible meetings of late had been si-
milarly neglected. The reverend gentleman proceeded to
canvass the objections of some who objected to the con-

atitution of this society, which he showed to have been
the parent of all other societies for spreading Christianity,
inasmuch, as by spreading abroad the scriptures, it gave to
every man the only sore foundation of religious doctrines.
He proceeded to offer several interesting facts, to show
the usefulness of the society, and showed, amongst other
things, that in the forty-one years during which it had
existed, it had circulated six times as many copies of the
Scriptures as had been done by all the nations of the world
in 1800 years preceding. It had now produced transla-
tions into 1.)6 different languages. The society had this
year circulated a million and a half of Bibles, principally
at home. In Manchester, where their ordinary circula-
tion was about 10,000 per annum, and which had
gradually risen to 20,000, the circulation iii one month
recently was twenty thomand : and in the six months
ended 31st March, the extraordinary number of 60,680
had been circulated in that town. In France, their circu-
lation bad risen last year to 130,000, in Holland and
other countries they bad an increase, the only decrease
being in Belgium. The reverend speaker concluded a
most effective speech, by detailing several interesting
anecdotes, showing the beneficial' effects of Bible reading,
at the close of which he was loudly cheered.
A collection was then made, after which the Rev.
George Osborne moved the next resolution, congratu-
lating the society upon the increase• of their funds, and
the society's usefulness during the past year.
Several other gentlemen afterwards addressed the
meeting.