Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-01-01
VIRGINIA BIBLE sOCInTT.

| VIRGINIA BIBLE G0CihIi.
The called laeeting or The Bible Society Ct
Virginia, held at ST. rauls Church, cn Tue
day evening. the $tb uiilno. Cor the purpose
# hearing from The I.ay. De- ilngo n report
| Of his late mission 70 England, was g decided
success. The Eev. George Woodbridge, d.
p, Of the Episcora! Cburch, fret Vice presi-
dent CT the Society, presided; Mr. George D.
! Fisher, Recording Secretary Of The S'cie'v,
| attended as Secretary, tr oltHcio. TIE au-
| lioncc, OF gentlemen AMI ln7jcF, was exceed
ingly numerous, and composed CHIEFLY o:
.hose oce"pyins the highest social positions.
! Among tho gentlemen present wsT9 observed
tho Right Rev. John johns, D. D., Bishop #
the Diocese OF Virginia; the Hon f NJ J..
Hunter, acting Vice President Of thu CUni''t
| crate States; Hon. John +. Trcker, Attorney
General, and Col George W. Muoford, Sccre-
| tary of State of Virginia: Hugh W. ShnBey,
Speaker of The House OF Delegates pf Vir-
cinia; q number Of the members of both Con
| rress and tho Legislature, and officers anG
| privates of the Confederate army:
The services Of the evening were COM
| mencnd by the body Of the congregation sing
irg Bishop nehsr's hymn, From Greea-
lands icy mountains" with an nccompani-
nent on tie organ By Mr.. Seib,rt, the organ
list of The church This wa8 followed by the
reading OF the second chapter of the frsf
epistlc Of Paul, the Apostle, to the Corino
thans ard this, by q selection Of collects
from the book Of common prayer, both by the
Rev. Dir. Woodbridge. As presiding officer
he then appropriately introduced the Rev.
Moses D. Hcge, b. d, second Vice President
Of the Society, who, in tic month Of Deem
Der, 1852, was sent 10y he Society Commits
sioner 10 England, To on, chase from the British
and Foreign Bible Sd.:ety . surply Of the H.ly
Scriptures for gratnitous distribution in the
Confederate army.
Dr.. lI9sn, one Of the mos! eminent and
highly esteemed ministers Of the PreshY
terian Church in virginia, commenced his
address in very urpretending manner,
merely rcnarkiag that, at q late meeting Of
| the Beard of Managers Of the Society, after
nc had u'ade 4 brief rep 1T of tic success Of
his GRAND to England, it was thought by the
Board that perhaps IN increased interest in Il .
cause Of Bible distribution might DO excited
| by more extended report frC,n him in apub
! lie meeting Of the Society, aud especially by
| his viying'an account of TIA Organization and
operations of that great Society, t.; Ehrse .nu-
| nifcenue we are indebted for the silt f three
hundred thousand Bibles, Tss.amenis, and
! portions of The Scr;ptnro. lls them explain
| ed why il had been necessary for the Society
| here to send abroad to procure Bibles; he
| next pointed cut the advantage and necessity
of orauIized eiF)rt, by mems Of Societies, for
the dissemination Of the Bible to the poor and
the hcuthen: he gave an account Of the pro-
gress Of events in Bible history, which, in the
| wear 1901, led to the establishment of the
! British and Foreign Bible Society: an account
Of the growth and wonderful operations CT that
| Society, brought down to the last year of its
present organization, its mode Of conducting
business, and even of the building in which
! its meetings are held. lie narrated the par
ticuiars;oi h;s first ia.srrse~ w;tlE the cen,-
mittee, or 1ard of Managers, called for the
purpose of receiving him; the fact Of their
declining to sell the hooks for y ich lie applied,
| but the sincere Christian pleasure whiCh
| it seemed to ciford them to make grant CT
the number supposed to 10 sufficient FOR tic
| exigency of our service lie also sI.ni;c Of
the generor course of the house cf Me.sG>
Frazer, Trenholm 4 Co. of Liverpool, in VOL
unfairly sending al the books donated to the
Society here, without cost, fro1, liverpool to
Nassau.
Finally, he spoke cf The reception and dis
| tribption of n portion Of ihis s"nriy in CUT
armies the eagerness with which Bible OF
Testament is received by cur -.avc, .c}f,
sacrificing soldiers in the fed: he character
and the conduct and the spirit OF thosc SOL
diers: and the earncs. demands daily al
dressed to, the dcpnsi;ery. by chaplains, off.
GERS and privates who testify as to what they
see of the religious feeling porynding overy
corps of every separate army. In conclu-
zion, he cited some Of his own experience and
observation az chaplain-he referred to the
sad desolations of this war-desoribed the
feelings with which be himself returned to
find hia home, like so many others, darkened
By death in his absences and beautifully de-
picted that sweet comfort which, whether in
peace or war, at home abroad, in the hospi
fal or the field is to be found only in the
blessed Book of God.
The address of DR. Hoge was, throughout,
in excellent taste. 1t abounded in touches Of
eloquenoe and deep feeling. And a.is be-
lieved that its effect upon the large and 1T
tentire audience before him was, as the Board
of Managers had anticipated, to excite an in
creased interest in the good wcrk Of distfibu>
ting the Holy Scriptures.
At tho conclusion Of HIS address the Rev. |
james A. Duncan, D. b., OF TIE MethoSist !
Episcopal Church, fourth Vice President of |
the Society, addressed the Chair as follows:
Mr.. Chairman: l arise, not for, the pur-
pose Of making speech, but simply to dis.
charge duty which am sure viii harmo.
aize with the feelings Of all who are present.