National Republican., 1874-05-11
AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY,
INTERESTING FlCTS RELATIVE TO 4
NATIONAL BESEFOEEHCE

INTERVENING FlCTS RELATIVE TO
NATIONAL BETEFOEEHCE
AuAlF CENTURY OF HIsTORY-TTIs OR
GANIzATION. PURPOSE AND PLAN u
oPERATIOS-FIFTEES MILLION DOLLAR
EXPENDED IN CIRCULATING THE SCRIP
: 4TREs-THIRTY MILLION BIBLES Dis
TR1RIyTED-BIBLE FOR THE BLIND.
In view Of the approaching anniversary of th
American Bible Society, which is to be held I
the Hall OF the House OF Representatives on ne1
Sabbath night, the following glance At the organ
zation, purpose and plan Of operation Of thi
powerful agency Of good will prove Of much in
terost to the Christian public. Fhlrty-thre
years ago the anniversary Of the society was hell
in the old Hall OF the House Of Representatives
There is not, perhaps, within the broad domal'
Of this nation, or of the civilized world. nmonl
the almost numberless institutions, association
and enterprises established beneath the tutelago
philanthropy, benevolence or religion; one Whiei
shares so largely the esteem and confidence OF tn
Protestant public as the American Bible Society
This is go for potent and prominent reasons
Spd Se66eCGs Se
tion, but is most RsSuredly SO because Of tn
esteem In which the millions Of civilization hol,
THE BIBLE
To them n IS not only the great "leveller Of hu
r1anitV,h the genius OF all true CIVILIZATION an
the Inspiration Of literature, science and art, bu
Il is to each, individually, Gods message OF love
borne by bright, winged spirits which hover con
and carry the safety-iaRip Of truth in advance t
illume the way. To the masses OF Christendon
It is the eyer-noeded eomphss which each carrie
Si @ DSTh
from beneath whose lids, morning and evening
fresh blessings ore taken, and with each unfold
fore With Gems 0f truth polished In tho crucibi'
of everyday experience: Tho Bi6le is the ,e ac
knowledged author OF all civil and religious 10
erty the patron Of all institutions founded In th'
Interests Of Justice the fountain from whicl
streams Of blessings have flowed throu9 9hout al
OhTstendGm in the past ana t6s S% Sueeieh
EThe general distribution OF the hoie,' say!
Chancellor Kent, ais the most efectual way tC
Alt Tie general system OF morals; 70 give efficacy
to the lust precepts Of International and munich
pal law; to enforce the observance OF prudence
femperauce lustice, and fortitude; and to improve
Ali The relations Of social and domestic life"
considerations like these forcibly illustrate the
value Of the influence exercised oy this institu;
cherishing its work as powerful element in de-
terminiDg the future character and history of the
Il is not strange then that this great national
agency, which has for
ITS SOLE PURPOSE
the circulation Of these holy scriptures, "cithoUt
NOTE or comment" should be the natural develop
lie whose free institutions have beneath their pill
lars the rocks Of eternal justice quarred from this
bible mine. ,-
apparent in the early history Of this country,
when owing to the impending struggle for inde-
pendence, the importation Of books and other
publications from Great Britain was vigilcntly
prevented by the Colonial Congress. As early as
iT77 the attention of this body was called to the
increasing want for greater number Of copies OF
the Scriptures, and IL aScertatned upon inTes-
tigation and reported by the committee 'that the
proper types for printing the Bible are not TO be
had in this country, and that the paper cannot oe
such casualties as to render any dependence on II
altogether improper" The committee recon-
mepded that the Government should take imme-
diate steps to import tceRty thousand copies from
Holland Scotland or elsewhere.
The Conversational churches and other &c
clesiastical bodies OF the State Of Massachusetts
memOrialized Congress on this subject again in
1890 praying especially that the publication of
any edition or translation Of the Bible in America
before it should be fully inspected and approved
should be forbid. This was owing to the fact that
Robert Aitken and Matthew Carey, of Philadel-
pha, had in progress the publication OF the Scrip
lures which were given TO the public in 1893
Bible societies were in existence at as early
date as l7sT in London and ITs2 in Paris. These
societies had their
ORIGIN IN THE UNITED STATES
in 1893, when the first society was instituted In
the city Of Philadelphia This was at once fol-
lowed by similar organizations in Connecticut,
Massachusetts and New Jersey in 1909. in New
York in 1910 and others in various sections Of the
country until in ISIS between so and GO societies
were in operation.
The need Of concentration and concert of action
was at once apparent to further the purposes Of
bCncyClCncG and Christian usefulness. The sub
Iect had been publicly discussed, and in 1915 the
New Jersey Society made formal propositions to
institute a National Bible Society" con-
vention was held May s, 1916 in the Dutch Re-
formed church in Garden street, in the city of
New York, in which thirty of the local sOcie-
tics referred TO were represented. 1t was unani-
nd hat
pedient, without delay, TO establish q general
Bible institution for the circulation Of the Holy
Scriptures without note or comment" The dc
tails CT organization were all perfected and an ad-
dress issued to the people Of the States. The fol-
lowing extract from this address will betray the
noble spirit which aciuated its founders, as we'll
as the simple yet sublime object contemplated.
After grvlps the details Of the organization the
address says:
Under such impressions and with such views,
fathers, brethren, fellow citizens. the American
Bible society has been formed. Local feelings,
party prejudces, sectarian jealOusies, are ex-
cluded by its very nature. Its members are
lea gued in that and that alone, which calls up
every Lall0wed and puts down every unhGlioTed
princple-the dissemination Of the Scriptures in
most faithful where they may be required. In
such work, whatever is dignifiod, kind, vener-
able, and true, has ample scope; Ehile sectarian
iittleness and Tiyalries can find no avenue of ad-
mission. Come, then, fellow citizens, fellow
Christians, let Join in the sacred covenant.
Let no heart be cold no hand be idle, no purse re-
H..
ranks Of those whose toll is goodness, and whose
recompense is victory"
1t is thus plainly seen that the society had its
origin in the necessities for the thorough dstribu-
tOn Of the Word OF God and the affection in which
the hRbtants of o newborn republic held the
Bible. The consolidation Of the local societies
enlarged and magnihed the plans as well as the
powers Of the National society, as it served at
once the purposes Of economy and efficiency.
FOR twenty-five years from its organization the
society was UHfacOTPorGied, which fact began to
tmPcril its interests in the way OF accepting and
GispOsing OF bcquests made TO il, &c. Therefore,
On March Is, lS4l, an act Of incorporation was
granted by the State of New York. Its powers
10 purchase, hold. and convey real estate, was re-
cogniZcd by another act Of April, Is, 1852. So
@ 4as 9?iR 5 sasS 5a5t S}'SS fHly competent
The society is acknowledged to be both
BENEVOLENT AND USsEcTARIAX.
1t manufactures and disposes of the Bible for
purely Phi!anthropc and Christian purposes.
It's object is not only TO cheaper the Scriptures,
immoral sections Of the country and individuals.
Its sales are all made at the cost price OF the
Bible, and wherever the Scriptures are known to
be needed, and there exists either inability or un
Willingness to purchase them, they are provided
like the salvation Of which they teach, without
money and without price" The management Of
astical bias control, aud the Bibles II publishes
arc uEaccJIpaDiel by note or comment. The
members Of the board OF managers, thirty-six in
+ ut of Fl 5ss s eSSh yeaF T.. 0As i'uf'H 'i "H0
The scclety has two classes Of members called,
respectively, life members and life directors.
Since its organization 1t has had about nifty thou
sand such members, OF whom about forty thousand
arc now living. These memberships are obtained
by the payment OF given sums of money donated
to the society, and are accredited by engraved
certificates. Representing the Saviour IN the act
OF directing the Scrbes and Pharisees to the Holy
s'rH'nTss ST !5qs kEEns29EEisdse EEs9Es e 4P' h4IPP'
PRIVILEGES OF THE LIFE DIRECTORS AND LIFE
MEMBERS.
Each life member OF the society Is allowed to
value Of 81 aad each Efo director to the value Of
81 10. An account OF this class Of issues is Kept
prescItS5 i ! ii n tie i6fdaaT febort. The motive
which led TO the adoption q this measure will be
eesl fTQID the following extract from the twenty
sixth alIgal report: THE above regulation was
-au6ptel from 4 c6hvIGtIon that there are multi
tudes Of infiyiGpa!s u, !he eQmmuntty-orphans,
apprentices, servants, boatmen, stage-lrivers and
tie IIke-Tho have no Bibles and but few re.
liglCus privileges, and Who might 10 some extent,
be SUPPLIED y the PsthQd thus progPoss9i iSS
Volume among those who are destitute than
those who have shown such regard for that
volume as TO make themselves members and
directors Of institution which furnishes 1t for
distrIbutlon?n From this It is easy 10 see that
the object OF the board in making this arrange
ment was strictly benevolent or charitable one,
and that the books designed to be drawn out are
usually TO he Of the plain, cheap kind, which are
suitable Tor gratultOus distribution among the
persons already specified.
IN the hity-eight years during which the society
has had an existence the number ofauXiliary socie