Calcutta, 15th Nov. 1809, in these terms: "We are now also sending the. Holy Scriptures, and other school books, in Tamul, to Travancore, where the Rev. Mr. Ringeltaube has lately established a mission, to which belong six little congregations. To the Christian congregation at Jaffnapatam we have likewise sent transports at different times, and more are requested, which we, however, cannot do any more gratis in our present poor circumstances." The first Danish Missionary, Ziegenbalg, (appointed about the year 1705) translated the Scriptures into the Tamulian language: the work was finished about the year 1719. By the activity of the Missionaries, two editions of the Old Testament, I believe, have been issued, and four of the New: but such was the scarcity of copies, even at the commencement of the present year, and such the situation of those very persons who had been converted to Christianity by means of the Missionaries connected with the Society in Bartlett's Buildings, that few of them were able to procure the records of their religion. In proof of this very important fact, I shall quote three letters which have recently arrived from India*. Extract of a Letter from the Rev. C. Pohlé, one of the Missionaries of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, to the Rev. D. Brown, of Calcutta, dated Trichinapoly, Nov. 30, 1809. "A Tamul edition of the Scriptures is much wanted, but we have no printing press, neither at *See also Appendix E, No. 1. Trichinapoly, nor Tanjore. At this latter place, it is very desirable that one may be soon established, for the benefit of both Tanjore and Trichinapoly Missions, as the former is so very extensive, and is only scantily, and cannot be sufficiently, supplied with the necessary Tamul and Portuguese books from the Tranquebar and Vepery printing presses." Extract of a Letter from Messrs. Kolhoff and Horst, who are also employed as Missionaries by the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge: the date is, Tanjore, Nov. 17, 1809. "There are no mission presses at all, either at Trichinapoly or at Tanjore. The Rajah has indeed a Mahratta press, but that is managed by his Bramins, and destined for the glory of his gods and the propa gation of his religion. We are in the utmost want of Tamul Bibles, and likewise of Portuguese, though not to the same extent. The number of native protestants belonging to the Tanjore mission alone, including the Tinnavelly district, amounts nearly to twelve thousand, none of whom (the native teachers.excepted) has any Old Testament, and not one, in two or three hundred, has even the New Testament. Almost all the men, particularly to the south of Tanjore, know how to read, and are very eager after books. If only every tenth person among them had a copy of the Holy Scriptures, we should soon see the word of Christ dwelling richly in them in all wisdom, and his saving knowledge spread among their heathen and popish neighbours. Our Portuguese Christians are likewise in great want of Bibles. If we had three presses, with Tamul and English types sufficient for three sheets, the one might be employed in printing the Bible in Tamul; the other, Tamul New Testaments, Psalters, and single parts of the Bible; the third, to print all the above in Portuguese. Neither Mr. Pæzold, even if he was willing, nor our brethren at Tranquebar, can supply the tenth part of Bibles and Testaments we have occasion for, though their press was to print nothing else." The Rev. D. Brown, Secretary to the Committee of the Bible Society in India, writes from Calcutta, Jan. 10, 1810, in the following terms. "The affecting situation of 12,000 native Protestant Christians in Tanjore, could not fail to impress the Committee with the deepest interest on their account. As the funds remaining unappropriated in their hands were inadequate for the purchase of the Tamul Bibles which were offered for sale; a subscription was opened for the purpose on NewYear's Day, which has been liberally supported. This will diffuse joy and gladness through a wide region, and realize some of the descriptions of Isaiah: The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.' "The inquiry suggested by the British and Foreign Bible Society, concerning an edition of the Tamul Scriptures, led to this discovery of the nakedness of the land.'" Do not these letters furnish rather singular specimens of the zeal, and unblamableness, and effee tiveness of the Society in Bartlett's Buildings? Can any man doubt, whether a new institution was necessary or not? The continent of Europe, it is well known, was in the year 1804, with respect to religious knowledge, in a state of the most deplorable degradation. In some few places, indeed, the Scriptures were to be found; and there we might recognize the church of Christ: but she sat in sadness and desolation: a famine of the sacred word prevailed on every side, and infidelity was triumphant. In illustration of this part of my subject, I may be permitted to mention a few facts, which are perhaps not generally known. Russian Bibles have been printed, one in the sixteenth century, in Poland, in quarto, which, however, was never publicly acknowledged in Russia; and of which so few copies remain, that they are considered as the greatest rarity. In the middle of the eighteenth century, a beautiful edition in folio was published at 57. a copy. In the latter part of the same century, two other editions were printed at Kiow, one in three octavo, the other in three folio volumes. These three editions may have -produced about 6000 copies of the Bible. What a disproportion to the population of Russia, which is near forty millions! "The natural result is, that Bibles are extremely scarce in Russia; so much so that people generally know it an hundred versts* off when the treasure of a Bible is to be met with †.' * Nearly 70 miles. + Extract of a letter from Sarepta: Third Report of the Bible Society, p. 32. 1 In the Russian province of Esthonia, though the people were anxious for Bibles, they were so scarce among the poor classes, that, perhaps, out of twenty families, hardly one had a Bible or New Testament *. Such was the want in Alsace, that a clergyman of that country, speaking of his neighbours, says: "Their eyes will overflow with grateful tears if they are, favoured with the present of a Bible †." The intelligence about Poland runs thus: "After much inquiry and correspondence, we met with the following editions of the Polish Bible. 1. One in the royal library of Berlin, printed at Dantzig, in the year 1632. 2. An Amsterdam edition, in 1660, in octavo. 3. A Hallish edition of 1726, in large octavo. 4. A Konigsberg edition of 1738 ‡."What a supply for Poland! "In the province of Lithuania it is greatly to be apprehended that the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, may, in the course of time, fall altogether into oblivion among the still very uncultivated inbabitants. "In the province of Lithuania there are 74churches, and 400 schools §." To avoid prolixity, I will observe, once for all, that the very warm and energetic addresses which have been sent forth by the new Bible Societies upon the Continent, and which appear in the Reports of the British and Foreign Bible Society, furnish proofs so decisive of the extreme scarcity of * See Appendix E, No. 2. First Report of the Bible Society, p. 50. |
