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CHAPTER XXVII.

BIBLE SOCIETY, AND PRAYER BOOK AND HOMILY SOCIETY.

Contents.

I. Introductory Remarks on the Duty of distributing Bibles.-II. History of Translations of the Bible.III. Alleged Limitation of the Powers of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge.—IV. Origin of the Bible Society.-V. Its Principle of Simplicity and Comprehension.-VI. Remarks on giving the Bible without Note or Comment.--VII. Bibles in Eastern Languages.-VIII. Extension of the Society.-IX Mr. Twining's Objections.-X. Auxiliary Societies. -XI. Further Progress.-XII. Expenses.-XIII. Papal Alarms and Bulls.-XIV. Catholic Bibles.-XV. Strictures on Bible Societies.-XVI. Extravagant Speeches. XVII. Illiberality.-XVIII. Unworthy Arts to obtain Contributors.-XIX. On the Necessity for illustrating Scripture.-XX. Naval and Military Bible Society.-XXI. Prayer Book and Homily Society.-XXII. Vansittart's Answer to Herbert Marsh. -XXIII. Operation of the Society.

I. THE highest exertion of Christian charity is that which respects the souls of men. Temporal interests are important, but subordinate; and it will soon be all one, whether, during this our

short pilgrimage, we have been clad in rags or in purple,--whether we have fared sumptuously, or desired to be fed on crumbs. But he is the best benefactor, who diffuses divine truth throughout the world. He who communicates to the mind of an ignorant brother, the influence of our most holy religion, invests him in the possession of that good part which shall not be taken away from him.

Hence the duty and importance of distributing the Holy Scriptures; which are one grand means for the religious instruction of mankind. "All scripture," we know, "is given by inspiration of God; and is profitable for doctrine, and for instruction in righteousness." God, having made a revelation of his will, directed it to be generally studied: "Thou shalt write these my laws upon thy hand, and upon the posts of thy house, and they shall be as frontlets between thy eyes; and thou shalt teach them to thy children, and talk of them, in the house and in the way." The Jews literally complied with this injunction. No book was so often transcribed, or so widely circulated, as the law of Moses. Wherever there were Jews, there was a synagogue; and wherever there was a synagogue, there was, at least, one copy of the law. After the Babylonish captivity, there were Jews in every city under heaven: and Moses was read in every city. That diffusion of the Scriptures, which God enjoined under the old dispen

sation, must be so much the more intended under the Gospel, as the scheme of the Gospel is more valuable in its announcements, and more extensive in its application. God, having provided the instruments of religious instruction, has imposed on man the duty of employing them to the best advantage. He who commanded his Apostles to preach, or expound, the Gospel to all nations, must needs have intended their text book, the written Gospel itself, to accompany them. And this duty is more imperative in modern times, when the communication between countries, and the invention of printing, and the general diffusion of intelligence and education, have rendered it the more easy. That which was done, miraculously, with respect to the oral circulation of the Gospel, on the day of Pentecost, can be now humbly imitated in regard to its written circulation. A Christian ministry, besides being necessary for the performance of those functions, which they alone, by the appointment of Christ, can perform, step in to follow up these preliminary instructions, to explain what is difficult, and enforce what is plain. It is written, “how shall they believe, unless they hear; and how can they hear without a preacher?" but what advantages has the preacher, who carries his book of elements in his hand, or sends it before him, like the Baptist in the wilderness,-" A voice crying, prepare ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Philip found his way pioneered to the heart of the Ethiopian, who was reading in his chariot a passage of Isaiah. On the other hand, the preacher being a fallible, and sometimes a designing being, might with a garbled Scripture support erroneous opinions, and deliver for doctrines the commandments of men. He might, like the Pharisees of old, or the Papists of modern times, make the word of God of none effect, through his traditions. But when the Scriptures are generally circulated, every man has in his own possession the key of knowledge; and, however incompetent he may be to expound, without aid, the written word, for himself, he can judge whether the oracles of truth are fairly unfolded; whether the WHOLE Counsel of God is made known to him.

II. We are assured by Chrysostom, that by the middle of the fourth century, both the Old and New Testaments were found in the Syrian, Indian, Persian, Armenian, Ethiopic, Scythian, and Samaritan characters; and from that time, various countries, as they have been converted, have received translations of the Scriptures in their own tongues. The first Anglo-Saxon translation of the Gospels was that published by the venerable Bede, in the beginning of the eighth century; which was followed by Wickliffe's, Tindal's, and other English Bibles. The British Islands have long had Bibles in Welsh, Irish, Gaelic, and Manx; and the wants of our Indian

possessions procured translations, in the early part of the last century, into the Malay and Malabar, the Tamul and Telinga tongues. Carey, a Baptist Missionary, at a later period, translated the Bible into Bengalee.

Nor was the Bible rendered into these different languages, only for the use of the preachers, or of the rich and learned. It was the principle of the Reformation, that the Scriptures should be in the hands of the common people; and the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, acting on that principle, led the way in distributing them among the poor and the young; while it awakened the sympathies of Christians to the wants of the multitude in foreign lands.

III. In the year 1799, the notice of this Society was attracted to the scarcity of the Holy Scriptures in Wales; and ten thousand Welsh Bibles, ACCOMPANIED WITH PRAYER-BOOKS, were accordingly circulated throughout the principality. This liberal grant, however, proving inadequate to the wants of the people, an independent society was formed, for the more general dispersion of the Scriptures. It was urged, that the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, having miscellaneous objects in view, was unable to exert a competent force in this particular direction; which seemed of sufficient importance to occupy an undivided aim, in a world whose population is estimated at nine hundred millions. Be

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