What is a Bible society?

Chapter 8. The British and Foreign Bible Society; The Study of the Apocrypha; Rationalism and Romanism.

§ 1. The Bible Society.

Some account of the means that have been employed by our Protestant countrymen of diffusing the Scriptures may be of interest. We shall confine ourselves to one great organisation, which lies near to the heart of every enlightened British Christian, — the British and Foreign Bible Society. It was founded in 1804, to provide English Bibles and Testaments in the Authorised Version, 'without note or comment,' for circulation in the British dominions, and Bibles in other languages as opportunity should present itself. Through this strictly Protestant Society, the Bible has been carried to every quarter of the globe. It has been translated into 240 languages and dialects. To Turkey alone, the land of so many religions, the Bible is sent in thirty languages. Daily, 5000 copies are despatched in all directions from the Bible House. The English edition can be purchased for the sum of sixpence.

An interesting account of the circulation of the Bible in some Roman Catholic countries where Romanist translations drive all others out of the field, may be seen in a Report. 'The Vulgate itself is not circulated by the Society, but half a dozen versions made from it.' 'It was the reading of the Vulgate,' it is here truly said, 'which opened Luther's eyes to the truth, and brought him out of Rome. It was Wickliffe's translation of it into English, completed just five hundred years ago, which sowed the seeds of Protestantism in England.' And so Figueiredo's version is distributed in Portugal, of which the Report says, 'There is not the slightest doubt it is doing the work of the Lord, both enlightening minds and converting sinners.'

It is impossible not to trace the origin of the many Religious Societies, which have arisen within the last hundred years, to an awakened sensibility about the spiritual destitution around us. Nor can we deny that it was the Spirit of God which put the desire into the hearts of the good and holy men from whom they originated. They were begun in faith and prayer, and little perhaps did any of their founders anticipate to what a magnitude they would grow. One can hardly now, except by history, trace the origin of the Bible Society to the concern of an obscure individual, in the principality of Wales, for the pressing want of the Scriptures in that part of the kingdom. The want when made known became a palpable object, and led to the discovery that many other places were equally destitute of the Scriptures. Many were the motives that induced to a co-operation in such an undertaking. But the object, though in itself confessedly good, was only to meet the necessity discovered. For this many were associated; but when the test of that very word was applied to them — to own God in their associate character, it was discovered not only that many would not, but that they could not; for there were those associated together who did not worship the same God. Notwithstanding the question raised on this point for a moment seemed to shake its stability, yet the Society still continues, because its immediate object is answered: translations of the Scriptures are multiplied, and Bibles are widely distributed.

God is accustomed to compassionate our ignorance and to bless the endeavours of His people, so long as the light which He dispenses is faithfully obeyed; and He may have blessed these societies in removing many stumbling blocks which hindered the progress of the saints, and in leading them to a less exceptionable basis of co-operation than they had previously attained. Nevertheless, while they are societies formed on self-chosen principles, for the attainment of one particular end, and whilst they judge of their prosperity as that end is, or is not, obtained, they have not the character which the word of God requires; they fall short of that real union of brethren which is good and pleasant — good in the sight of God, and pleasant to the saints themselves. This may further be illustrated by facts. — The question raised as to prayer in the Bible Society, opened the eyes of many to perceive, that, whilst they were associated for a religious object, they were not pursuing it in a religious way. This led to a separation. And the same object was pursued by those who separated in a way of prayer, and of confessing to the name of Jesus, by requiring faith in the Trinity, as a necessary requisite to membership. The great difficulty generally understood to have been found by the pious individuals engaged in forming the new society, was the danger of forming a church. That the effort of forming a society on really Scriptural grounds had this tendency, was made very apparent by the fact of some of its first able and zealous promoters drawing back when they perceived whereunto it would grow, and that they were in that instance really acting on a principle which condemned themselves.

No one can deny that while the increase of sects goes on without apparent abatement, yet along with this there is a marked and decided tendency to union for all kinds of objects dear to the Christian. Missionary societies, Bible societies, Tract societies, Sunday-school Unions, Young Men's Christian Associations, and such like, ignore on the one hand what they recognize on the other, and aim to unite Christians as such, to accomplish results which the divisions of Protestantism have hindered. And in movements of this kind there is much that one can very heartily rejoice over. Who can doubt that there is working . a real desire for Christian fellowship, a longing for liberty beyond the artificial limits imposed by ecclesiasticism, and a yearning for greater and better fruitfulness than the strife of sects would allow? Who can doubt also that in this way the zeal of many earnest workers has been kindled, and that much has really been, and is being, accomplished? Intolerance has been softened down; sectarian rancor mitigated; and a busy activity in evangelistic efforts especially induced, which the Lord is using for blessing to numbers of souls.

We have always maintained that, as brought unto God, the Christian is bought with a price, the incalculable price of Christ's blood, and bound to glorify God in his body. As having the Holy Spirit of God, we are members of the one body of Christ even now and on earth; and no one estimating such a bond loyally and intelligently, as all profess by being gathered to His name, could consent to belong to another body, disparaging His, or yet more antagonistic to its nature, character, aims and hope. To any one rightly instructed it will soon appear that special societies for Bible or tract distribution, for missionary work at home or abroad, for training of the young or for help of the sick and suffering, are usurpations of the functions of God's assembly, or of its members as such; who are bound to do, in a better and holy way by His word and Spirit, what those societies attempt piecemeal and in a plan more or less human and worldly. Yet no fair mind doubts for a moment that in abounding grace God has deigned to bless these mixed and irregular agencies in the present anomalous and broken state of the church.

1890 25 From this brief statement it is hoped that the question may be raised in the minds of some, not whether a society be properly constituted and properly managed, but whether it is God's own means of acting; and to help to form a judgment there are some few considerations to be added. Only let it be again repeated, that in anything said here it is not intended to deny that God has blessed and owned them. But since their principle is unchangeable, if this is faulty, we are not to set down that to the society* which is only ascribable to the sovereignty of God's grace, using any means according to the good pleasure of His will.

A writer in Herzog's Encyclopaedia remarks, 'The British Society has given birth to almost all the Bible Societies in Europe and America.'

The Society has of course had many an obstacle thrown in its way. Many have been the prejudices against it. Nothing has so harassed its operations as the question of the Canon: gladly do Roman Catholics snatch at the rejection by Protestants of the Apocrypha to disparage the Bible this Society circulates. Down to the year 1822, either the Apocrypha was included in the Book issued by it for use in Roman Catholic countries, or the circulation of the same was assisted by the Society. The consciences of the Committee were roused by the Edinburgh Auxiliary to feel the evil this must work.

Since 1827 one of the Regulations has been that no part of the funds of the Society shall be applied to the dissemination of any but the canonical Scriptures; so that no colporteur employed by it carries a single copy of the Apocrypha for sale.

Amongst those Continental societies which we regret to say still circulate the rejected books, is the Protestant Bible Society of Paris.