BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1523, 2 April 1887, Page 3

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

EEV. MRROBJOHNS' MEETING.

One ol the largest gatherings, if not the largest, ever held m Ashburton m conneotior with the British and Foreign Bible Societj met m the Presbyterian Church on Wednes day evening. Seeing the very short time allowed for making the necessary arrange ments, the promoters may well be congratulated on the results. There were on the platform Revs Beattie, Robjohns, McNicoll, MoNeill, and Messrs Sawle and Duncan Wright. Rev. E. A. Scott entered the meeting later on. The Rev. A. fil. Beattie having been asked to preside called on Rev. A. Blake to engage In prayer, and suitably introduced Rev Mr BoDJohna to the meeting, stating that there were now 278 translations of the Bible, and that he believed all present were m full epmpathy with the great work of the Society. The Bey Mr Robjohns thon delivered his addreßß. The Maori Bible, of which 13,000 had been circulated, was now under revision. The first Sooiety agents who visited New Zetland, Beys Messrs Tuoker, Backhouse, and Brans, had also to do work m Australia, Bey Mr Baker (who visited Ashburton 2 years ago) was only appointed for six months, and it had taken some time for the Sooiety tc make fresh arrangements. He then passed on to speak of attaoks made on the Bible. Professor Newman, of University College, London, had written a book called " Phases of Faith," which were simply phases of hie unbelief, with the view of undermining confidence m the historical credibility of the Old Testament. The first appearance of the Hittites is on the occasion of Abraham burying his wife Sarah. The memorials of tbie great people' had been discovered m Asia Minor, Assyria, and Palestine, and the Bey . Dr Wright,, formerly Presbyterian missionary at Damascus, and now m charge of the 278 translations of the Bible, had written a book, "The Hittite Empire Illustrated." Had Professor Newman known what was coming, ha would nojt.-have entered on the ground he bad taken up. Every ten years or so there was a new phase of infidelity, whioh m its torn had to be floored. The speaker then went on to refer to the appalling difficulties m the way of translation. The Rev Geo. Brown, the well-known missionary, had told him that the words " Forgive us our trespasses," &c, were untranslateable into Fiji. Forgiveness of injuries was not known. They had to go round about and translate it as if it ran : " Deal not evil to us for the evil that we have dealt to others." The work of translation was not yet done. In the beginning of the century there were 30 translations ; now there were 278. There were ■limated to be yet 325. Mr R. N. Oust, formerly of the Punjaub, m his work on the *' Modern' Languages of the East Indies," bears handsome testimony to the scientific as well aB missionary services of the Society, by its translating and printing work. Yet much remained to be done. He estimates that among the 186 millions of India andßarmab, there are 385 Varieties of living speeoh. Then, *8 to the printing. This was not carried on upon the premises m London. They did print there the Bible for the blind, but they printed where they could, round the world. In Shanghai it had cost them £2000. They had recently produced the New Testament at a penny for the poor. They had £8435 ol income from investments, all of whioh wae used np m produoing one million copies ol Testaments under cost price. On one oooasion when there was a difficulty m repjoduoing an edition of the gospel of John m Galmuc (or Western Mongolian) one of the committee m London, as they were on the point of giving it up . through the want of anyone to read the type, proposed it should be photographed, and this was done. The Gospel of John had been translated into the Saibai language byElia, a native Christian, and printed m Australia. When asked for a collection for the Sooiety, the natjvas gave £64. Twenty-three of these natives offered themselves for the work of the Gospel. A lady had declared to him her belief that it was impossible to translate the Gospel of -Matthew into Mauritius Creole, a kind of French patois, but he assured her it had been, and he exhibited a copy. The following resolution waß then moved by the Rev D. McNiooll— " That this meeting sympathises with the one great object of the British and Foreign Bible Sooiety to provide the Word of God for all nations m all tongues ; and resolves to do all possible to promote its objeots m this neighborhood, and hereby appoints as officers of the Ashburton Branch : — Mr Geo. Jameson, President ; Mr David H. Brown, Treasurer ; Rev A. Blake, M.A., Secretary, and as members of the Committee, with power to add to their number— Rev A. M. Beattie, M.A.; Rev Mr Garbett, Rev T. W. Newbold, Rev D. McNicoll, Rev E. A. Scott, Mr J. W Sawle, Mr Robert Aloorn, J.P. ; Mr Andrew Orr, Mr Isaac Scott, Dr Trevor, Mr Flowers." In proposing the above, the mover remarked that unless agents of the parent Sooiety visited them periodically they were apt to settle down and forget the claims of the Society. He believed this would not be the case m the future. Mr Sawle having seconded, it was put to the meeting and carried. Rev A. Blake moved a vote of thanks to Eev Mr Robjohns. Nothing had been done Jooally since the last meeting m August, 1884, when Mr Baker gave a very interesting address, illustrated by diagrams. The Treasurer (Mr Gavin) and the Secretary (Mi Fooks) had removed from Ashburton. The large and eager audience was evidence of the interest taken, and he believed Ashburton would do its part m supporting the work ol tbi« noble Sooiety. He moved the thanks of the meeting to Mr Robjohns for his able and interesting address. Bey E. A. Scott, m seconding, remarked that on his reoent visit to the Home Country, he had Been the premises of the Society it London, the Bible House m Queen Victoria ■treet. It was a most interesting sight, anc he hoped the operations of the Sooietj would receive thn support they deserved. A oolleotion was taken, amounting tc between £2 and £3. The meeting was olosec with the Benediction.