American telegraph., 1851-05-27

mGetlnn
of this Society last night at the F street Presbv
terrain church was an interesting one. 1t is not
surprising that the Bible-the minutest portions
ofwhich every Sabbath form subjects of profound
thought and eloquent squisitions-should. as
a book, or rather, as Dr. .unllin remarked. The
book, form as whole the ground-w ork of the
most eloquent remarks.
The proceedings were opened by an address
from Mr.. St Clair Clark the President, who
gave brief account Of the formation of the
parent Bible Society. He stated that he was
member of the first convention which formed
that Society, which has been productive of
vast amount of good. The 10th Psalm was
read by the Rev. G. P. Hill, and prayer offered
by the Rev. VIM. S. Hamilton. The annual
report was read by the Secretary, M. II. Mil
ler, esq. Mr.. Lawrence gave striking and good
reasons why the Society should place the Bible
III the way of the traveller at our hotels, and in
our steamboats, and cars.
The Rev. Thomas H. Stockton, in his elo-
quent and attractive style, urged the claims of
the Bible to universal circulation and accent
ance. In answer to the question, "Shall the
Bible stand?'' he made many striking and elo-
quent remarks He spoke of the tests which
had been and would be applied to it. The test
OF reason, of history, of geography, of geology,
OF chronology, of infdelity. But the Bible had
stood, and would stand, for it was the work of
God; it would stand, when the material uni
verse would pass away
Nv ;,5.
forcible. He confined himself principally to
the view of the Bible as the great fountain of
hoerty and good government, especially of re-
publican government. He showed, in few
condensed remarks, that sin was the cause of
despotism; that the precepts of the Bible acted
out, "ln doing to others as we would they should
do tous," constituted true freedom. The Bible
hrst made individuals free, and then nations
lie showed that freedom and the Bible in the
Vernacuar tongue must go hand-in-hand; that
those countries only were, or had been, or could
remain free, where the people had the Bible;
that to withhold the Bible from the people was
to take away "the very sword Of the spirit"
that the people had right to go to the foun-
tain head for the waters of life and liberty, and
that no man had the right to close up this foun-
tain, and only give them the diluted and fetid
leakings from ruined and decayed aqueducts.
He held up fragment of one of the Bibles
which had been brought over by the Puritan
Fathers in the May-fower, and stated, tha,
while he was no believer in relies, that frap
ment was to him full of interesting thought
Hproclaimed ,chdt they brought, and ,chv the,
came to this Wilderness for freedom to wo,
ship God''-driven by the prosecutions Of thos
who professed to be guided by the Bible an
he warned his hearers that Protestants sboul
be awake to the fact, that the Bible and liber,
were inseparable.
On the conclusion Of the address by the Re,
DIR. Junkin, an appropriate anthem was sun
by the choir, during which collection of OF
hundred and ffty-eight dollars was made
the Society.
A resolution was passed, ordering the publ
cation of the report, which will show the oper
tions and success Of the Society.