Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-07-18
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS.

The following extracts from the Tenth Annual Re
port Of the Bible Association oI Friends in America
ral a. the Annual Meeting held the 18th of Apr
last, will be read with interest 10y every friend Of orio
aud the Bible II appears that The Society has print,,
'nco its formation 900 Bibles, aud 40 Testaens
The receipts tor the past year nrc s3,l5l %.
"ln reviewing the operations of the raren
Institution, AS well as the Auxiliary Associa
iions, for the past year, the Managers rcgrc
that they cannot report a larger number o
Bibles disposed of. They would hope tha
this does not proceed from any dlmlnu,lol
of the esteem entertained for this sacred vol
umc, or of the benefits which are conierre,
by the possession and dligent use Of It's in
valuable contents. The labors of most O
the Auxllories have been confined, ncarl,
exclusively, we believe, to the supply Of ;h,
members Of our own religious Society, whicl
has of necessity been u circumscrbed field
u action.
ain the formation Of the Association, th,
important object was undoubtedly the first
aimed at, but it was also in contemplation to
widen the sphere of our bcncvolence, anu
embrace all the destitute, by whatever reli
glous name they were distinguished.
"The Managers cannot but fear, that Il
degree Of indifference, respecting the objects
OF the Association, has come over many Of
our members which il yielded TO, will have
all unhappy influence on themselves, and b,
prejudlclal 10 The society where they dwell.
IL our sympathies and benevoIence are moi
kept in active operation, they are soon blunt.
ed and become dormant so likewise, If the
wants Of The Society, which are annually oc
curing, are not duly searched out. aud a
remedy applied, they rapidly multiply, and
the lapse OF few years may find us i'm a
situation little better, as to the relative sup
ply Of the Holy Scriptures, than VIC were
when the Association commenced its labors
"Thc spirit Of Christian benevolcnce is Il
motive to action, which never rests satisfied
in selfIndulgence, while n brother appeals to
il for sympathy. II is sufficient to secure It's
aid, that distress or poverty made known Ia
it, and that it lies within its power to relieve
it. u considers the blessings Of Providence
ms gifts in trust for the afflicted and the nee.
dy and MS II prizes the moral above the
physical well.belng Of our nature, the strong
est appeals which can be made to its sympa.
tines, are those that have for their object lhc
religious Improvement of the human race
When We narrow the circle, on behalf oil
which the appeal is made, to that community
" bIch concentrates within itself our strong
est aud tcndcrcst affections, and with the
condlion Of which, whether prosperous o.
adverse, the welfare oi ourselves and Of oui
children are identified, how much do we add
to rs moral fotcc!
While. however the members Of our own
religious community have a primary claiml
on our aid. and II Is our imperative duty 4 II
contribute according Ia our means, toward. II
,"'n'sbng thcm with the holy scriptures, on II
bcnevolencc mus, not stop here There is II
numerous class of professors with Friends II
aud thosc who arc te.cerd"d from mcmbcr,
u the Socrty, Who a'e ia, the prop,r oh
Jccis oi our care: and besides these. tbcr II
are the broad and general ubhrnt on oil
Christian charity, winch would head ~, To- g,,, II
, copy oi that best oi all b, ,oks " all who
II
"Thero is reason to b. II, W, ,ihp, some auN II
iaries have relaxed ia then labVrs, aud al Il