Hitherto the opponents of the Bible Society had been persons of inferior or the middle ranks in the Established Church; but now the Society was denounced by three northern prelates, in their several charges to their clergy, as pregnant with danger to the interests of both the Church and State.* These prelates-Lincoln, Chester, and Carlisle— were sufficiently replied to by various periodicals and the works of the Society, while "eight English and six Irish prelates continued to range themselves among its Vice-presidents.”† Confidence in the goodness of their cause, and gratitude to God for his continued blessing, influenced the friends of the Bible, while they celebrated the triumphs of the Scriptures in their twelfth anniversary, in a large assembly, in May. And while some of the learned English dignitaries were censuring the Society, its grand object was seen by "the Archbishop Metropolitan of the Russian Greek Church," to be "to spread among the people of the earth the salutary light of Divine Revelation; to illumine their understandings, not with earthly but with heavenly and spiritual wisdom; to form their hearts to the laws of God; and to extend and consolidate the kingdom of Jesus Christ." THE THIRTEENTH YEAR OF THE SOCIETY, 1816-1817. PEACE reigned throughout our country and all Christendom as the Bible Society entered its * Owen's History, p. 140. † Ibid, p. 148. thirteenth year. This was a season of persevering labour and great success to the Society, aided by numerous Ladies' Associations. Trade, however, was depressed in England; but the Bible Society was the instrument of blessing to the working-classes in their sufferings, by furnishing them with the Holy Scriptures. Foreign Bible Societies were increasing in number and activity, especially the Prussian, whose labours were commended by a letter directly from the King, Frederick William. This Society was liberally aided by provincial and district auxiliaries. Biblical affairs prospered in Denmark by auxiliaries in Fuhnen, Jutland, Sleswick, and Holstein. The Swedish Bible Society prospered; and September 2, 1816, the Archbishop in a letter to his clergy stated:-" In our country there are already five great Bible Societies established at Stockholm, Lund, Gothenburgh, Westeras, and Wisby. The Archbishopric is hitherto without one. I have, however, the satisfaction of announcing that a Bible Society for the same object, and upon similar grounds, under the consolatory hope of the Almighty's assistance, is about to be established at Upsala. A considerable benefaction, in aid thereof, has been promised by the justly venerated Bible Society in London." The Norwegian Bible Society was formed in the sister kingdom in Norway. Every year presented the Russian Bible Society as increasing in importance. In the Spring of 1816 Dr. Pinkerton undertook a tour, authorized by Prince Galitzin, its President, "to promote the ob ject of the institution in every possible way, by engaging proper persons to act as commissioners for effecting the circulation of the Scriptures, by visiting personally the different branch Societies already existing in the South; particularly at Moscow, Voronez, Theodosia, and Kamentz, and by encouraging the formation of new Societies, where practicable, to co-operate with the parent institution, in disseminating the word of God, in and beyond the borders of the Russian dominions." The funds for this successful tour, of about 7000 miles, were furnished by the British Society.* Dr. Henderson, in December 1816, repaired from his labour at Hamburgh to St. Petersburgh, to aid Dr. Paterson, whose health was impaired, while superintending the printing of the Scriptures in various languages. Here he was of great service in the cause of the Bible. Among the grants of this year from the British Bible Society, was one of £2000 for the purpose of enabling the inhabitants of the East-Sea Provinces to provide stereotype plates for printing Bibles in the Esthonian and Lettonian dialects, as recommended by Dr. Paterson. On his journey Dr. Paterson visited a settlement of Caraite Jews, in the Crimea, where he found a Tartar manuscript, a beautiful copy of all the Canonical Books of the Old Testament in the Tartar language, written on fine vellum paper, in the Hebrew character, comprised in four volumes, quarto, elegantly bound in red goat's leather, and * Owen's History, p. 193. 66 ornamented with gold. "Should it please God," he adds, " to spare me to return to St. Petersburgh, it may be fairly written out in the proper character, and carefully revised and put to press, with the translation of the new Testament made by the missionaries in Karas. This will furnish us with a Tartar Bible, which will be well understood among the numerous hordes of Nogay, Kazan, Turcoman, and Buchanan Tartars."* "That the Directors of the Russian Bible Society should thus unexpectedly get possession of a Tartar Version of the Old Testament, at a moment when that of the New Testament was already in their hands, was a matter not more of astonishment than of thankfulness;" as is added by Mr. Owen.† How the labours of the Russian Bible Society were regarded by His Imperial Majesty, may be understood from the fact that he presented to the Society a spacious mansion, for carrying on the Biblical business, and a grant of 15,000 rubles, towards the expenses of rendering it fit for the service; as also a grant to a similar amount, for reducing the duty on paper. New Societies were formed this year in Germany and Switzerland; and encouraging reports were received from the Saxony and Wurtemberg Societies; as they continued with zeal to circulate the Scrip tures. Some difficulties attended the Calcutta Bible Society in printing new translations of the Scriptures; but reviewing the first five years of its operations, * Owen's History, pp. 213, 214. + Ibid, p. 215. the Committee state that the Society is found to have procured from Europe, and distributed in different parts of Asia, above 3,000 Portuguese Testaments; to have printed, and transmitted for distribution to the coast and to Ceylon, 5,000 Tamul Testaments; to have also printed, and sent to Ceylon, 2,000 Cingalese Testaments; to have printed, and sent to Amborgua, nearly 2,000 Malay Testaments, in the Roman character, besides another thousand retained to accompany an equal number of the Old Testament, now in the press; to have commenced an edition of 2,000 copies of the Armenian Bible; and to have undertaken to print 2,000 copies of the Tamul Bible; 2,000 of the Hindostanee Testament in the Nagree character, 1,000 copies of the Old Testament, and 3,000 of the New Testament, in the Malay language and Arabic character, and an edition of the New Testament in the Malayalim or Malabar language and character; besides obtaining from England, through the British and Foreign Bible Society, 2,000 English Bibles, and the same number of English Testaments.” Many interesting facts were reported regarding the circulation of the Chinese Testaments among the Chinese at Java, and on the islands of the Indian seas; as stated by the Rev. Mr. Supper, Secretary of the Java Bible Society. At Colombo, a Buddhou priest was baptized in the name of Christ, having been converted to the gospel by the study of the Cingalese Testament. The Bombay "Society accepted the offer of Dr. *Owen's History, pp. 223, 224. |