Readiness of the Poor to contribute to the Foreign object

parish of Clayton, though of circumscribed extent, and with a population not exceeding 300 souls, enjoys all the advantages and all the blessings of a well- ordered Bible Association. The excellent clergyman of that parish thus writes:-" Had not a resource of this nature been within our reach, the earnest applications we have received, could not, as far as I am aware, have been answered to the satisfaction of the parties, with respect either to time, or the most convenient price of the books....... Every day convinces me, that, in accomplishing the establishment of a Bible Institution among the poor people of this place, I have done more towards promoting their best happiness, than would have been effected by the most active personal exertions, unassisted by so truly valuable a support." ... Nothing more, your Committee are persuaded, need be advanced to establish the justice of the following assumption :-That the number of persons returned without the Scriptures, in any particular district, from the enumeration of families, is generally underrated; that the only means of obtaining correct information of the full extent of the deficiency, is through the means of Bible Associations ;—and that the most effectual, and therefore the best method of supplying that deficiency, is by such Associations."

vi. Many observations have been submitted in the preceding chapters, with regard to the practical application of the Seventh rule. Were it the only object of a Bible Association to satisfy the home demand, one of the most happy effects of these institutions would instantly cease. The labouring classes, might, indeed, be supplied, but they would be deprived of the means now provided for manifesting their interest in the cause ;-a cause which attracts by its simplicity, and retains its hold on their affections by the unequivocal evidence of its beneficial results. Nor is it too much to assert, that no part of our population would more unfeignedly lament the adoption of any measure, were it possible that such should be suggested, which could restrict the operations of the Society: it is the two-fold object which constitutes its principal beauty, and secures its permanence. The following extracts will sufficiently illustrate this part of the subject.

North, West-London, 1820.—“A poor woman, who supported herself by washing, and letting the spare apartments of her little habitation, subscribed, as a free-will offering, six-pence per month to the Fitzroy-Square Association. Deeply impressed with the importance and usefulness of the institution, as her circumstances improved, she increased her subscription to one shilling per month. This she continued for three years. Unfortunately, some of her lodgers, in whom she had placed too much confidence, went away without paying her: nearly at the same time, also, her employment was greatly reduced. In consequence of these privations, she was compelled to relinquish her monthly subscription: this she did with expressions of the deepest regret: she said that she felt this painful necessity as the greatest of all her deprivations; for she had felt a pleasure which words could not describe, in contributing her widow's mite to the blessed cause; and she had hoped that her subscription would continue to the end of her days. ... Another individual in the same district had been afflicted in her health, and was admitted as a patient into St. George's Hospital. In this situation she received a present of a Bible from a pious young lady, who visited her in her confinement. This Bible she read with devout impres sions of its excellence, and with an anxious wish to know and practise the

.....

Instances of their liberality.

will of God. Being restored to health and to her home, she felt an earnest desire to extend to other sons and daughters of affliction the support, consolation, and improvement of the divine word, and to express her gratitude by assisting to circulate the holy scriptures. Accordingly, she became a subscriber to the Bible Association; and expressed herself thus to one of the Collectors, who accidentally called at her lodgings: You are the person I wished to see; GOD has blessed me with a little work: I have just received the first shilling for it; I wish to devote it to his service.' The Collector, with that wisdom, prudence, and kindness, which should never be lost sight of, remonstrated on the occasion, and declined taking the contribution. The poor woman exclaimed, 'Oh, do not rob me of this only comfort: when distress prevented my contributing, it pierced my heart with sorrow; but > now that I can afford to give this one shilling, it feels like as if my wounds were healed.'”

·Oundle and Thrapston. For several years, an item has appeared in the Reports of the Society, acknowledging an annual remittance of nearly two pounds, from "An Association of some Poor Women, whose names and residence are unknown, of one halfpenny a-week.". The name of her, whose little contribution was blessed by the SAVIOUR's approval, is not recorded on earth; but He still sits over against the treasury, and knows and marks the motives of those who cast money into it.

Daventry, 1820.-"Two poor women, who have received their Bibles, and paid the full price, after gratefully expressing their thanks to the Society for affording them the opportunity of purchasing the Bible in such an easy way, and indeed the only way in which they could have spared the money, requested they might each be allowed to subscribe for a Bible to give away. They now pay, one twopence, the other threepence per week, for that purpose. How charity expands the heart and fills it with holy zeal! Even the cottager is capable of feeling her heavenly emotions, and shares with the noble and the rich the sacred benediction it is more blessed to give

than to receive.""

Westminster, 1816.-" An officer of this Association was called upon by a respectable-looking young woman, apparently a servant, who desired to know whether he received subscriptions for the Bible Association; and on being answered in the affirmative, she put a one-pound note in his hand. Not supposing her to be the author of such liberality, he inquired in whose name he should place it on the society's accounts. The question evidently confused her; and with some embarrassment, she asked whether it would be necessary to expose her name: the necessity of it, of course, was not insisted on; and, seemingly glad that her benevolence might escape the glare of publicity, she begged it might be accounted for as the gift of a servant; and went away, bearing in her countenance a most pleasing evidence that regret was not amongst her feelings, and leaving the individual she had entrusted with her bounty to exclaim, more from a consideration of her circumstances than of the magnitude of the gift, Verily, she hath cast in more than they all.'"

Staffordshire, 1818.-" The Rev. Secretary of the Tamworth Branch writes thus:-' It is not now that there is here and there a Bible on the shelf, covered with dust and cobwebs; but it is sought for, and it is read. The moral and the religious feelings of the people are improved. I can add one little anecdote, which occurred here some short time ago. A person gave me a small donation for the Society, with these remarks: The Bible is my source of comfort and joy. I wish others, Sir, to partake of that blessing as well as myself. I and mine are but poor; but we have been enabled, by means of this society, to obtain the Scriptures at an easy rate. These Scriptures have

Advantages of General Meetings—

taught us to be humble, industrious, and frugal. I have saved a few shillings: take them, Sir, as a small donation. This mite may, in a little degree, further the intentions of this valuable institution.'”

Southampton, 1819." It is a very pleasing fact, that seven of the Bibles supplied were purchased by the children of a Female Sunday-school, from the accumulation of little gratuities which they had received as rewards for good conduct, on purpose that they might be given to poor persons destitute of the holy scriptures. The money saved, and thus appropriated, was fiveand thirty shillings; and the act was spontaneous on the part of the children. So fine an example of self-denying benevolence, it is hoped, may not be without its use, both among the children of opulent families, and among persons of more advanced age in general."

VII. When the annual meeting of a Bible Association is held jointly with that of the Auxiliary (or Branch) Society, the following should be substituted as the Eighth Rule:-"That the Annual General Meeting of the Auxiliary (or Branch) Bible Society be considered the Anniversary Meeting of this Association; and that a copy of the Treasurer's account (as audited by the Committee), a Report of the proceedings of the past year, and the names of the Officers and Committee, be transmitted to the Secretaries of the said society, one month previous to such Annual Meeting."

The following extracts afford a gratifying evidence of the advantages attending those Meetings, and exemplify their beneficial effects on the different classes of the community :

North-West London, 1815.-" An instance has occurred of a person subscribing for Bibles to be given to each of his servants; a person who, previously to the formation of this society, as he himself stated, discredited the Bible, lost no opportunity of contending against it, and would not suffer a single copy to be kept in his house; but having heard much of the great. activity and zeal displayed in the formation of Bible Associations, he was induced to attend the meetings, and afterwards to search the Scriptures himself diligently; the result of which was, a deep conviction of the truth of the divine oracles, and of the fallacy of those arguments which he had formerly employed against them."

Ditto, 1818.-" At the General Meeting of the Edgeware-Road Bible Association, a poor woman, who had already subscribed for and received a Bible, and continued her subscription of a-penny per week, was so delighted at some interesting intelligence from Russia, which was read at the meeting, that she went the next morning to the collector, and said she would pay threepence per week in future.".... The Percy-street Ladies' Report states, That a female servant, who lately attended a meeting of a Bible Association, was so deeply impressed with a sense of her duty to do what she could' in so good a cause, that she immediately became a free subscriber; solicited her companions to contribute also; and, having succeeded with several of them, has undertaken to collect their subscriptions."

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City of London, 1816.-" Nor have the public meetings of the Associa tions been unproductive of benefit: they have served to awaken the slumbering zeal of some who attended them, have elicited friends to the institution, and abated the prejudices of those who had been unfriendly to Bible Socie ties. There is one delightful tale told, in a report from one of the Associations, of a person who went, both ignorant and careless, to the Anniversary Meeting; but retired thoughtful, and inquiring the way to heaven. From that

and Instances of their good Effects.

auspicious hour, she has been pressing forward in her religious career; to which she is an honour, by her devout and humble spirit, and by the consistency of conduct which she displays."

St. George's Association, 1815.—“A person, who had been blessed with pious parents, but had lost them at an early age, and had since forgotten their parental instructions and admonitions, living "without God in the world," was prompted by curiosity, as he passed, to step into Jones's Riding School, during the General Meeting for the formation of this Association. At that. moment, a minister was advocating the cause of your society; and addressing himself to the younger part of the audience, with such warmth as to attract his attention, he was thereby induced to hear the remaining addresses; and on leaving the place, his reflections led him to consult his long-neglected Bible: the result is, that he has become a good husband, an affectionate father, and a decidedly religious character: he is now a constant and serious attendant on the ministry of that gentleman who was, under Providence, the first instrument of awakening him from his thoughtless state; and he is also an active and zealous member of one of our sister Associations.'

Fitzroy-Square Association, 1816.—" Soon after the last Anniversary Meeting, a labouring man called on one of the collectors, stating, that he had attended there, and had been so impressed by what he heard, that he could not be satisfied in his mind till he had given his mite towards the distribution of that great book (so he called it), the value of which he so well knew. The poor man then cheerfully and modestly put down his piece of five shillings and sixpence."

Daventry, 1820.-"A lady, who was on a visit in this neighbourhood at the period of your last Anniversary, attended on that very interesting occasion. When she heard the detail of the operations of your society, and of the manner in which your funds were increased and your Bibles and Testaments distributed, by the energy and assiduity of her own sex, she felt a convic tion that it was her duty to 'go and do likewise.' Immediately on returning to her usual residence, a distance of thirty miles, she attempted to investigate the wants of the poor in her neighbourhood, and proposed to those, who were destitute of the holy scriptures, to become weekly subscribers. She was soon astonished and delighted to observe how easily the plan was adopted, and how gladly the proposal was generally accepted. In the space of twelve months she has circulated more than twenty-five pounds' worth of books; and has frequently declared, that the pleasure of the work abundantly recompensed the labour of it; and that it was more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Westminster, 1817.-"A poor man came to offer himself as a free subscriber to this Association. The meanness of his appearance astonished the collector, and he did not accept his offer. Being thus disappointed, he applied to another member, and expressed the same wish. He was asked, 'Where do you live?' He replied, Near Saffron-hill.'- You had better, then, subscribe to the Association of that district.' He said, he had been induced to make this application in consequence of seeing a printed placard, announcing the annual meeting of the St. Clement Dane's Association; and he had brought a one-pound note, not in payment for a Bible, but as a free gift. Intreaties were used to induce him to change his mind, but in vain; he would not be moved from his purpose. He said he had been at sea, and could well spare it; as he had lately received some prize-money. The collector's astonishment was still more increased, when he informed him that he was a Roman Catholic. He acknowledged that the Bible was the only book that could meet the necessities of the soul, and shewed much solicitude for the more general diffusion of it."

By-Laws of the Committees of Ladies' Associations.

It has been already observed, that the public proceedings of Ladies' Bible Societies are conducted exclusively by the Committees of the Auxiliary [or Branch] Societies with which they are connected, who should always appoint a judicious and efficient SubCommittee for this particular purpose. The form of the Annual Report, and such further remarks as appear necessary, will be found in Section V. of this chapter. When the Association is connected with a Ladies' Branch Society, the duty enjoined by the Ninth Rule is fulfilled by the Treasurer and Secretaries, who should present a copy of their Rules and Regulations to the next meeting of the Ladies' Branch.

3. The following are the BY-LAWS, recommended for adoption by the Committees of Ladies' Bible Associations :—

on the

I. That the Committee meet at — in every month, at o'clock precisely; and that as soon after that time as Members be present, business shall be commenced.

II. That the chair be taken by the President; in the President's absence, by one of the Vice-Presidents; in their absence, by the Treasurer; and in the absence of all these officers, the Committee shall appoint a person to the chair from among themselves.

III. That the order of proceeding shall be,

1. To read the Minutes of the preceding Meeting, and dispose of business arising therefrom.

2. To receive the Treasurer's and Secretaries' reports of the state of the funds, and of the stock of Bibles and Testaments on hand.

3. To call for a written report from the Collectors of each district: such reports to be taken into consideration, and, if approved, to be received, and copied into the "Report Book."

4. To receive any official communications which the Secretaries may have to make: after which, fresh propositions shall be taken into consideration.

IV. That each district, where convenient, shall have two or more members of the Committee attached to it, as Collectors.

V. That the Collectors be requested, as far as possible, to call punctually for the weekly subscriptions, every week; to solicit new subscriptions, from time to time, throughout their several districts; and to report, at the monthly meetings, such persons as they consider proper for new members of the Committee.

VI. That the Secretaries be empowered to procure Bibles and Testaments, when necesary; and report to the Committee, every month, the state of the funds, and the stock of Bibles and Testaments on hand.

VII. That the Bible Secretary stamp, or inscribe neatly, the name of this Association on the title-page of every Bible and Testament issued, and keep a regular account of all copies received and delivered.

VIII. That when any Subscriber shall have paid up the agreed price for a Bible or Testament, the Collectors of the district shall deliver to such subscriber a ticket, addressed to the Bible Secretary, specifying the description of Bible or Testament, and the amount paid; on the presentation of which the Book shall be delivered.

IX. That the Collectors of each district be requested to present a