CHAPTER VI. FOURTH DECADE OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY. THE THIRTY-FIRST YEAR OF THE SOCIETY, EXTRAORDINARY success attended the Bible Society this year; as we find reported, "the largest issue of the Scriptures-the largest amount of contributions -and some of the brightest evidences of usefulness of the Scriptures." Everything was encouraging in the Biblical field, indicating the blessing of Almighty God. The Society's agent, at Paris, M. De Pressensé, reported his issues of 62,194 copies of the Scriptures, offering a mass of interesting correspondence regarding the progress of the saving knowledge of Christ, in the countries around France. 66 Dr. Pinkerton reports: We have, during the past year, issued to our correspondents in the surrounding nations, 37,935 copies of the Holy Scriptures. Of these, 15,111 were for the Roman Catholics; 21,307 for Protestants; and 1,517 for both with Jews." His correspondence shows the progress of the Bible cause in Switzerland, and many parts of Germany, among those who had obtained the Scriptures from his depôt at Frankfort. The Protestant Bible Society at St. Petersburgh displayed increasing energy, having put into circulation this year 16,908 copies of the Scriptures. The agency at Stockholm shows the issue of 14,657 copies during the year, aided by various auxiliaries. The Danish and Norwegian Bible Societies continued their course with active zeal in their various provinces. Small Bible Societies were now formed at Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent; and the Netherlands Society issued 10,934 copies of the Scriptures this year. Spain, Portugal, and Italy were almost closed against the Bible, by the Romish priesthood; yet individuals in Italy and Spain were excited to enter upon the work of translating and circulating new versions of the New Testament. Bible operations were still carried on at Malta, from which 9,387 copies of the Scriptures were issued in the year, many of them to various religious societies at Beirout, Alexandria, Cairo, Tunis, and Algiers. Corfu, Syra, Smyrna, and Constantinople contained depôts for Greece and Asia Minor; and the Scriptures were being translated into Greco-Turkish and Modern Greek, by the Rev. Messrs. Leeves and Lowndes, missionaries. But we cannot detail the numerous places to which the copies of the Word of God were sent in various languages. The New Testament, in the Armenian language, was printed at Moscow, for distribution at Shushi; and other important operations, with the Persian version, were carried on by missionaries at Astrachan. The work of translation and revision of the Scriptures was carried on by the Bible Society at Calcutta ; and there were issued from the depôt, this year, 17,113 copies of the Word of God. Calcutta, however, sustained a serious loss in the decease of Dr. Carey, after about forty years labour in translating the Scriptures. The Committee in London sincerely lamented his removal, as his services had been inestimable. Their "memorial" regarding him will be read in his "Memoir," see Part III. The Madras Bible Society report the printing of 15,000 copies of the Tamil New Testament, and 5,000 copies of the first volume of the Old Testament; and the issues amounted to 15,112 copies. The Rev. B. Bailey returned to Madras, taking 5,000 copies of the Gospels in the Malayalim, printed in England; together with 250 reams of paper for printing the other parts of the New Testament, and 1,250 reams of paper voted for the printing of the Tamil Scrip tures. Similar activity was shown by the Bombay Bible Society; and 500 reams of paper were granted for the printing of 8,000 New Testaments in Maráthí, and 2,000 copies of the Gospels and Acts, and 1,000 copies of the Psalms. The Bible cause was carried on with zeal in the Cingalese, at Ceylon; at Singapore and Batavia, by the Rev. S. Dyer and the Rev. Mr. Medhurst, of the London Missionary Society. These and Mr. Gutzlaff aided Dr. Morrison in circulating the Chinese Scriptures; and valuable improvements in the art of printing being made by Mr. Dyer, he was authorized to print 500 of the Gospel by St. Matthew. The Missionaries had before received authority to print 15,000 copies of the New Testament. But the bright prospects thus opening for China, were partially clouded by the death of Dr. Morrison; of whom the Bible Society published a "Memorial," which will be found in his "Memoir," Part III. The Manchou New Testament was nearly printed, at St. Petersburgh; and the Rev. Messrs. Stallybras and Swan, in Siberia, having translated the New Testament into the Mongolian, were proceeding with the Old Testament. The Rev. Mr. Judson, American Missionary, translated the entire Bible into the Burmese language. And the Missionaries of the Church Society translated the New Testament into the language of New Zealand. The Rev. John Williams brought to England his translation of the New Testament into the Rarotongen, and 5,000 copies of it were printed here by the Bible Society. The Rev. Mr. Freeman, aided by his fellow-missionaries at Madagascar, having translated the New Testament, made good progress with the books of the Old. The Bible Societies in New South Wales and Van Dieman's Land continued in operation; and this cause was advanced at the Mauritius, Sierra Leone, and especially in several languages in South Africa. Negro Emancipation was anticipated by the Bible Society, and a special fund was raised, amounting to £15,007 18s 7d., for the supplying of a copy of the New Testament with Psalms to every Negro able to read on Christmas day, 1834. For this purpose, 73,695 copies were sent to the West Indies, to meet the wants of rejoicing Negroes. These copies were an addition to the Scriptures circulated by the Bible Societies. 66 The American Bible Society was vigorously combining its exertions to spread the Scriptures, not only in the United States, but in Canada, Mexico, South America, France, Russia, Greece, Africa, Bombay, Ceylon, Burmah, Java, China, and the Sandwich Islands." The receipts of the year were 88,600 dollars; and its issues 110,832 copies of the Scriptures. The Bible Societies in British America were active in its several provinces, particularly in Canada. The domestic proceedings of the Bible Society were most important this year, both in its British and Foreign relations. The amount of grants this year was £37,983 18s. 9d; in which were 21,250 Bibles, and 64,000 Testaments for schools and the poor in Ireland. The issues were from the Deposi tory 240,634 Bibles, and 284,888 Testaments, total, 525,522; and on the Continent, 20,509 Bibles and 107,573 Testaments; a grand total of 653,604 copies of the Scriptures. The receipts of the year, including the Negro Fund, and £11,695 12s. 9d. from the executors of the late H. Cock, Esq., were £107,926 1s. 9d. The Thirty-first Annual Meeting was held at Exeter Hall, May 6, 1835; when the large and |