Page images
PDF
EPUB

It appears from a Table annexed to the Report for 1847, that there are within the UNITED KINGDOM no fewer than 3141 of such Auxiliaries, Branches, or Associations; and 521 in the British Colonies and other Dependencies. There are also more than fifty principal Foreign Societies, with their respective Branches, spreading their salutary influence over the States of Europe, all more or less effective in the distribution of the Scriptures.

It is impossible to estimate too highly the value of such means, for the purpose of carrying the Scriptures to the cities, towns, and villages, of our own country, and placing them within the reach of all who are anxious to possess the Sacred Treasure. In ENGLAND alone millions of copies have, in this way, been circulated and if the principles of our holy religion have acquired any greater influence over the public mind, unquestionably much must be attributed to the wider spread of the Sacred Volume, and a more general appreciation of its doctrines-that "Law of the Lord, which is perfect, converting the soul." But the late sales of the Scriptures at Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Birmingham, and other towns, seem to indicate that our work is only commencing.

WALES has been supplied, by means of the Society, to the extent of two-thirds of its population. The total of Welsh Scriptures, printed to the present time, is 641,590 copies; and the number sold during the past year abundantly shows that the demand for them is still increasing in the Principality, and that the zeal of the Welsh continues unabated.

The destitute condition of the Highlands of SCOTLAND demanded the special attention of the Society at a very early period; and 143,645 copies of the Gaelic Scriptures have been provided, which have been most gratefully received. So scarce had they become, that a single copy of the Bible could not be purchased for less than twenty-five shillings. During the last few years, several large grants have been made for the purposes

of the Highland districts; and from the efforts now making to promote the spiritual welfare of their Gaelic population, still larger demands for the Scriptures may be expected.

IRELAND, so painfully interesting both to the statesman and the philanthropist, has had a large measure of sympathy. The Hibernian Bible Society continues actively employed; but so inadequate are its resources to meet the wants of Ireland, that, in addition to all former grants, the following supplies of Bibles and Testaments have been cheerfully voted in the course of the past year :

To the Sunday School Society for Ireland
To the Baptist Irish Society

To the Society for Promoting the Education
of the Poor in Ireland

Copies.

36,500

1,250

500

Total. . 38,250

The Annual Reports of these and other Societies furnish much satisfactory evidence that the Scriptures are not circulated in vain. In numerous instances, the instruction communicated to the children has been rendered a blessing, not only to themselves, but also to their parents; and there is reason to believe that many, very many, have been brought out of darkness, into the marvellous light of the Gospel, by the simple perusal of the Word of God. Within the past year a system of Colportage has been commenced in Ireland, and has been carried on more or less in thirty-one counties, and promises the best results. Already, by this means, 64,000 copies have been sold. May it be the dawn of a better day for that unhappy country!

The entire number of copies which have been granted for

Ireland amounts to 1,458,484. In particular, there have been given successive editions of the Scriptures in the Irish language, some of which are in the Irish character; amounting, in the whole, to 112,473 copies of the Bible, New Testament, or integral portions. The necessity for such a work may be conceived, when it is stated, that no part of the Irish Scriptures had been reprinted since the first edition of the Bible had been brought out under the auspices, and chiefly at the expense of, the Hon. Robert Boyle, in 1686.

The EUROPEAN BIBLE SOCIETIES already alluded to, less free to act than our own, and labouring under many disadvantages, from the prevalence of infidelity on the one hand, and of Roman Catholic bigotry on the other, have nevertheless, according to their means, been very effective in their co-operation. The number of copies of the Scriptures put forth by them, in different languages, amounts to more than six millions, including those printed by the Russian Bible Society. All these Societies have had, in former years, large pecuniary assistance, or supplies of books, from the British and Foreign Bible Society; but with most of these Societies all direct intercourse has ceased, in consequence of their still continuing to circulate the Apocryphal Books. In addition to these large issues, and a variety of private grants, not fewer than 800,000 copies of the German New Testament have been furnished to some zealous individuals, for distribution; and a still larger number, both of Bibles and Testaments, have been circulated by those Agencies of the Society hereafter to be noticed.

The principal of these Foreign Societies, with their issues, are as follows:

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

The Russian Bible Society, before its suspension by an imperial Ukase in 1826, had its 289 Auxiliaries or Branches, and had undertaken the printing of the Scriptures in twenty-seven different languages; of which, 861,105 copies of the entire Bible, New Testament, or separate books, had left the press. In the Modern Russ alone, an edition of 10,000 copies of the Pentateuch, 145,600 of the Psalms, and above 10,000 of the New Testament, have been printed; when the inhabitants of the vast empire of Russia received, for the first time, a Translation of the Scriptures in their native tongue, the benefits of which it is impossible to calculate. Such was the lively interest taken in its labours, that the total grants of the British and Foreign Bible Society in its favour amount to £16,833 14s. 9d. A Protestant Bible Society was formed at St. Petersburgh, in the year 1826; which has distributed 132,464 copies. Several friends have subsequently formed themselves into an Agency in St. Petersburgh, in direct correspondence with this Society, by whose exertions the Society has circulated 195,826 copies of the Scriptures, in twenty different languages. In Finland, 50,000 destitute families have been supplied with a copy of the New Testament each, in their own language.

In INDIA, the Bible Societies of Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, and in Ceylon, have circulated 1,519,842 copies of the Bible, the New Testament, or integral portions of the sacred volume, in various languages; all of which, except the revised editions of the Tamul and Malay, and some European Versions, are entirely new translations: while, in addition to these, the laborious Missionaries of Serampore have printed very considerable

numbers in the many languages or dialects of India. The assistance afforded by the British and Foreign Bible Society, in grants of money, paper, and books, (inclusive of £27,230 to Dr. Carey and his associates,) amounts to no less than £186,278. 12s. 8d.

In CALCUTTA, measures are in progress for printing several large editions of the Scriptures, and keeping up a regular supply. With the full concurrence of the Calcutta Society, a new Society has just been established at AGRA for the better supply of the north-western provinces, under the most encouraging auspices. Supplies of paper have already been sent, and offers have been made of pecuniary assistance.

At MADRAS, it appears that neither the printing nor bookbinding departments have been able to keep pace with the demand and some most decisive steps have recently been taken to effect a more general distribution of the Scriptures, in the four great languages of Southern India-more especially among the Tamul population, which counts a far larger proportion of Native Christians than any other.

At JAFFNA, in the Island of Ceylon, where the Tamul language is spoken by a large portion of the population, active measures are in progress for a revision of the Tamul Version, and for its distribution.

For the CHINESE-comprising, probably, one-third or onefourth of the world's population, many of whom are resident within the British dominions in the East-two Versions of the entire Scriptures have been published, chiefly at the expense of the Society. Many thousand copies have been distributed among this jealous people, by means of our Missionaries in China, and throughout the Indian Archipelago; and some converts are already gathered into the Christian fold, as the consequence, and as the first-fruits, we trust, of larger accessions. But the faithful version of Dr. Morrison, like all

B B

« PreviousContinue »