BRITISH & FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY

Hokitika Guardian, 1 May 1930, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY

ADDRESS AT TOWN HALL.

There was not a, very large attendance at the Town Hall last night, when Rev. David Calder, 8.A., General Secretary for New Zealand of the Worldwide Society, delivered a very interesting address on the work which has been performed since the foundation of the Society some 126 years ago. Mr D. J. Evans,' Deputy-Mayor, occupied the chair, and introduced the reverend Speaker. Mr Calder’s address opened with some interesting details of the foundation of the Society in England early in the 19th. century. i\i those days • there were few books for the reason that printing was so costly, and at a meeting in 1802 it was found that Wales had. no printed Bible. This fact led up to a meeting in 1804 in London when the Society was founded with -ft. ..'Vision ■ for a world-appeal through of the .ChurciieS. Upon that foundation the Society was fostered and - grewj.td th/p enormous dimensions it Has reached to-day, and the expansion .is still increasing. Just what has been accomplished was conveyed in the following' record ;of :the'. work. Wnen five-years old, the Society sent out 9 'volumes per hour; at 50 years this had increased to 156 per hour; at the centenary the output whs 650 per hour ; and at the 125th year the number had advanced to 1301 volumes per hour. ..Tthe grand tot.al for the life of the Society had been 397,237,7.95 Volumes. These were issued in 618 languages, apd so gradually, the work was penetrating to all parts of the Christian world.

Mr Calder said the Society worked on a seven fold principle, in that'(l) the Eible .was issued without note or comment; (2) it was available for all; and (3), to each in his own language; (4) at" a price ,the poorest .could pay ; .(§);; free for. all mission‘.iwbrL ; (6) sold to| the natives through local salesmen (colporteurs) and (7) the work was carried on with the help of the prayers of all well-wishers: The speaker went on to speak in detail of the great special work performed, and how active an agent the spread of the Gospel was in the success of missionary work. The flow of funds had been satisfactory, and was maintained at an increasing level which enabled v the work to advance likewise. He tributed what was done here in the raising of. funds, ..and thanked the ladies who had collected year by year to aid the •valuable work.. The Society was nowplacing -Bibles-'in- all the- impia of the leading hotels.:A sample of the book was produced, and copies were being distributed to four hotels here, free, .the only obligation on the licensee being to see that the Books were cared for-properly. Many lmd been so distributed, and he had it from the Secretary .of the Licensed - Victuallers’ Association at Wellington, that the work of. ; the Society was greatly’appreciated. ._ At the. close of an address extending over an hour and a f quarter, the llevd. Hayward-moved a vote.of thanks to the lecturer. this wjis . seconded by, Revd. Knowles-Smith aiid supported by Rev. Nelsori-Wriglit; who made aplea for the Bible in Schools. . The motion was carried amid applause, and aeV.'i.owledged by Mr Calder, the proceedings terminating with a . vote of thanks to the chair.