THE BIBLE LEADS.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 151, 23 September 1926, Page 3

THE BIBLE LEADS.

STILL THE BEST SELLER IN THE WORLD. I One of the most convincing proofs of man’s perennial interelst in religion is the steady growth in the circulation of the. 'world’s greatest textbook of religion. If the Bible were not read the demand for i't would show a steady falling off, and the .result would be that fewer copies would he 'printed. For many years, however, new editions and new translations have been issued annually and new languages have been added to't'he large list of tonguet? in which the sacred word has been sent forth to the ends of the -earth. 'Last year the American Bible Society issued two and a half million mere volumes of th/e Holy Scriptures than in 1924 and nearly a million and a half mo-r-e than in any previous year. Other Bible Societies and many individual publishers .still rank the Bible as the “best seller? and report larger sates, than ever before. The American Bibl-e Society, which issues the Bible and portions in more than 150 languages, used more Bibles in mission lands than at home; yet its increase in the home field amounted •to 735,855 more copies than in 1924. When one turns to the report from foreign fields he finds that the most notable progress was made in lands which are said to be most opposed to the Christian religion. For instance. China is in revolution and ith-ere has developed organised opposition to Christianity; yet the China agency of the American Bible Society us/=d 4.075,853 volumes in 1925. Add to these figures the product of the British and Scotch societies and -it ils found that over 11,000,000 volumes were circulated in China alone. Russia also has been looked upon as a land of opposition, yet government permission was recently given to print copies of the Scriptures on government presses and the American society is now busy at