British Foreign Bible Society


British Foreign Bible Society - Letter

The Parish Magazine of August 2004 for St Mark's Church (Wyke) has devoted its centre pages to the 200th Anniversary of the Bible Society or to give it its full title 'The British and Foreign Bible Society' founded in 1804. Although a number of organisations already existed in the 17th Century for the systematic dissemination of Bibles, this was the most famous and influential of all Bible Societies. Similar societies were quickly established in Scotland (The Edinburgh Bible Society in 1809), Ireland (The Hibernian Society in 1806) and throughout Europe and the Western World. Today there are but a few countries that do not possess an established society. A little known early specialist Bible was the "Bib'lia Pau'perium" (Bible of the Poor), produced in the Middle Ages and consisting of a number of pictures of Biblical subjects accompanied with appropriate accompanying text.

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Here is a letter from October 1844 showing
some of the work of the Society

Letter posted - stamped 22 October 1844, addressed to: Revd Elijah Hoole, Secretary to the Wesleyan Missionary Society,
Bishopsgate, St Within
At a Meeting of the Sub Committee for General Purposes held at the Home of The British and Foreign Bible Society Oct 14. 1844

Sam Mills in the Chair
Read a letter from the Rd. E. Hoole dated London Sep25 referred to this Sub Committee with reference to the Expenses incurred by the Wesleyan Missy Society in preparing a translation of the Scriptures into the Caffre Language, - the Character of which had been satisfactorily ascertained by the Editorial Sub Committee - - -
Resolved it be recommended to the General Committee to grant the sum of £1,000 to the Wesleyan Missionary Society towards the expenses incurred by them during the last 14 years in obtaining translations of the Scriptures into the Caffre tongue.
/ Extracted from the Minutes /
John Jackson
Apr. for. Socy

My dear Sir,
I have much pleasure in transmitting the above resolution. It will require confirmation of our Council on the fourth Monday of the month before it can be acted upon but I do not hesitate to send it to you now.
I can assure you that your replies to Mr Joustle's enquiries have afforded us very great satisfaction - and they will sanction the above resolution. We shall mark her of those among the friends of the Society. I propose sending a copy among others to the Bishop of Norwich; and I should be much obliged if you could give me a little additional information about the "Clicks". The Bishop lately made some enquiries upon this point, which I was not in a condition to meet.
With every best wish, to dear, to
Yours faithfully,
A Brandraum.
Secretary.

click on photo to see an enlargement


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