Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1816-01-16
THE DIBLE....No. XU.

has Judged it proper TO take of Others in the tn-
ted States whose Reports have core to his hand.
This was The fourth Bible Society formed within
these states The first was at .'hadeIp Ipha--the
second in Connecticut-and t',e third at Boston.
IL was formed (ofter previous contemplation by
eight ministers and eight other gentlemen, who
met for the purpose) August so, 1902 The design
Of il was made known in an address 10 the public
in which, after mentioning the existence and +" as
tonishing success of tie British and Foreign Bible
Society" and the establishment of the others above
mentioned, ,;,the Trustees say, Though we do not
contemplate extending charity 10 distant re-
gons of the globe, yet it is ardent desire TO
supply far as may be in our power, the spiritual
wants of The poor in this District. They then oh
serve that supply to prisons, poor houses hospit-
ais, soldiers aud sailors would be both acceptable
! and beneficial and add. Such, therefore, as well
as the african and Aborgaes of our country,
when our means will permit, we intend to furnish
with the sacred volume" As motives TO excite the
liberaty of the public, in addition to what they
had before mentioned they say, g Permit to
ask you to consider seriously what charity can be
OF greater value or Importance than that to which
we invite you to contribute What more glorious
design than TO be feow-workers with God in ma
king our fellow creatures acquainted with his will,
and the way of salvation through Jesus Christi
We have in our hands communica.
ton from God himself, relating to the everlasting
interests of man: shall we not be anxious to i'm
part it to those who are destitute oft
Consider how the Bible esteemed by the an.
eient Jews and primitive christians; and in what
strain ofeulogy it was cxtoed by martyrs, confess
sors and reformersl How frequent
ly does the book of God enjon it upon US to minis
ter to the temporal wants of the necessitous2 but
how much more important is tine charity which sup
plies the spiritual need of our fellow men,"
This Society was incorporated March i, 18i0.-
BY the articles Of its constitution, as revised in
May 1911, it is provide,:, that there should be a
meeting annually on the first Thursday of May, at
which the following officers should be chosen a
President, Vice-President, Treasurer, correspon-
ding Secretary and recording Secretary, who, with
twelve other members elected at the same time,
should form Board of Trustees-that each men,
ber pay to the Treasurer annually one dollar-that
II any person paid five dollars he should be entitled
to membership for the term Of six years. if ten ,iol
lars, thirteen years. If fifteen dollars twenty years
and if twenty five dollars, member for life There
have yet been none but annual subscriptions, ex-
cept Of one gentleman who paid 25 dollars, and
thereon became member for lle-and that the
Trustees should appoint suitable person to deliver
discourse at every annual meeting, upon the de-
sign of the institution and for the collection of
contribution.
The Trustees appoint subordinate officers and
committees meet on the first Tuesday of February |
April, June, August, October and December ar
nualIy, and report their proceedings to the Society
at the annual meetings.
The contributions collected at those meetings, |
since their commencement amount to S 507 1i viz |
In 1910, S II Sa--in 1911, 5 rs 7s--in 1912, |
S AIN 1913, 80 A1--in 1Sti, 12s--in 1915, !
s i16 So
Besides these, and what has been paid by sub. |
scrbers, donations have been made to the Society
amounting in the whole (including S 151 SO ar- |
sing from the sale of Discourse delivered at the
meeting in 1914, by the Rev. Mr.. Payson, and |
printed by subscription--and the donation of 100
sterling made by the British and Foreign Bible
Society to ) t249. This donation of the British |
and Foreign Bible Society was made by authori- |
sing draft their Treasurer, at time when such
bills we're much under par. 1t was on this account
sold to a benevolent gentleman who agreed to pay
interest for the same, until the advance in
the value of bills should induce the Trustees
to call for payment. 1t has lately been settled for
at discount of only one per cent, though the cur
rent discount was then 2 f-2, and amounted with
the interest to 536 dollars. 1t became due on the
fst of January inst.
The number of Bibles purchased and distribu-
ted since the organization of the Society is 1928,
and of Testaments eos. In addition to those the
OF SAG has been laid out in Bibles at Phila-
delphia, where part of them yet reman
Over and above the distribution of Bibles in the
District of Maine, the Trustees have judged II prop
er to present so of these Bibles to female Bible
Society at Augusta, 60 to society recently estab-
ished at Kcnnebunk, and have agreed to authsr-
ze the Treasurer of the Bible Society at Phllade-
phia to send 200 to Louisiana. They have also sent