Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-30

! e'hhu" aS lue ilBilcst authority. wien
you want TO cultivate the mind and the
thought Of the world and purify its
quality till the last leaning toward sin
has been stopped, you must look TO the
Bible.
MOURNING.
The speaker said he saw before him
many Signs OF mourning many whose
garments showed that to them the light
Of the house had gone out. To such,
with wrecked hopes and comfortless, he
spoke Of the Bible as the best ethical
standard-" the laws Of Heaven for the
life on earth. -
"And when all earthly interests are
escaping your grasp. said the Bishop
IN concluding, land death looms up be-
fore you IN all its awfnlness, if you can
truthfully murmur, In my Fathers
house are manv mansions you will fall
asleep as quietly Us a babe"
REPORT or THE SECRETARY.
The secretary here read his report:
The following is n summary of opera
tions in 1887 and 1888: Bibles put into
circulation in the year ending March 90
/ 1883. 1900 vOlumcs-Si, ,476.71 Bibles
/ put into circulation IN the year ending
/ April 1, 1887, 10, 900 volumes So, G03.G
/ Increase, ,. 800 yolumcs-SS73.
This work was done at Richmond De
/ postOry and by colportors Of the society
and by colportors and ministers of CO.
| operating churches in the following
named counties and cities-yiz Rock
/ ingham, Lee, Smyth, Washington,
/ Wythe, Pulaski, Brunswick. Norfolk,
Caroline, Essex. DInwiddie, Prince
/ George, Isle Of Wight, Chesterfield,
+ Southampton, EockbridQe, Goochland,
Pittsylvania, Northampton, Hanover,
Louisa, Luneuhurg, and cities Of Rich
mond and Manchester.
Grants or gifts to very destitute Sun-
day schools and persons. 800 volumes
| $lUj.47
To pay the expenses Of this work there
was received
From public collections IN Richmond
and other cities aud tOWns............ Z 2f1 =
luIiNdual subscribers ......... ........... - 90
Auxiliary societies. Observation-Disclosures. - 4j
Protestant Episcopal churches in Nir-
clnia-.... .............. ~ e2
Presbyterian churches i'm Virginia....... 2lS e
Methodist churches in ngnia.......... 43l 20
si.2,6 -
Bequost Of Miss NJ B. Herring. ........... 800 %
Total OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES q
Which is in excess Of donations and
beluests of last year by S4S9. Is.
The receipts from sales Of Bibles this
year .-....... s., ,l32 20
Iho receipts from sales Of Bibles last
ircreaso. .........................f SO 80
current expenses last year..............S - 2,
Current expenses this yesr.............. bi9 u
Decrease. .........................s l35 67
The impression has prevailed in some
quarters that the Virginia Bible Society
is q local institution, mainly benciting
the people OF Hichmond and its vicinity.
The following facts viii show how false
such an impression IS
The society has expended more in
supplying Bibles to the people of
buchanan and Lee the most distant
counties of the State than 1t has in the
city OF richmond.
OF the 81, ,27G. r. received in donations
this wear 1896. c. over one half was re-
ceiycd from churches and individuals of
Richmond, while the grants made TO
persons in the city, including inmates OF
the penitentlary, was S2j.G2.
Da. HoGE.
When the secretary had concluded,
DR.. Read introduced Rev. DR.. Hoge,
who came forward and said:
81 am reminded again tonight that
these anniversaries are great religious
cpochs in the history Of the city.
He then referred TO the formation Of
the society, and showed how the Amcri-
can Bible Society had grown out Of two
local societies one of Philadelphia and
the other Of Virginia.
lie then alluded to the Bible and said
that Christian men and women should
not be satisfied until they had put the
precious gift in the hands of all. The
Bible lies at the basis o. American juris-
prudence at the foundation of the Con-
sttution- and yet if is in danger Of re-
ceiyiuc less practical assistance than any
other work, because no one denOmna-
tion is charged with It's distribution,
and therefore there is great risk OF its
being forgotten by all. Being the
foundation Of everything, it is strange
that only about 81, 200 was paid out IN
Virginia during the past twelve months
for the distribution of the Bible.
Coming 10 the main point OF his re
marks. DR.. Boge said he hoped that 100
men IN the house could be found who
would be willing toeive five dollars each.
If thcv could the collection TO be taken
up would be a good one. He had been
promised, he said, that he would have
Rev. Or. Cooper to stand by him and
assist him in his appeal, but he had re-
ccived note from that gentleman du-
ring the evening which said that he could
not be present, but his best wishes would
be.
DR.. Hoge was about to retire when he
was told that Dr. W. W. Landrum (whO
was occupying the front pew with his
wife) was present in DR.. Cooper's stead.
DIR. Hoge said he had not known that,
or he would have stopped talking sooner,
and. in fact, might not have had any
thing to say at all, He hoped that DR..
Landrum would second the appeal which
he had made TO the congregation.
DIR. Landrum arose, and turning TO
the audience. said that he had nothing
TO say. He had not known some three
hours before that he would be able to be
present. While the secretary's report
was being read, he was panied for mo-
ment, he said, when he did not hear the
Baptist denomination read out as dona-
tjDe to the Bible fund. but the pain was
onlv momentary when he remembered
the fact that $1,000 lad been raised IN
his Church for the distribution of the
Bible. and other missionary work during
the wear. His Church had plan OF It's
own. but what had been done did not
come I'D to his idea Of what should be
achieved.
Dr Landrum spoke of the revolution
izing power Of the Gospel, and said that
the world will have to be turned upside
down because it is wrong side up, and
the world will 60 round and round until
il falls in the sun, and We will assume
the image of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ.
A collection was then taken up. and
CantAinF. w. Cunningham sang" When
~ I,o,.s ara GoinO By " after which the