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rectly about half a million of adulterated Bibles, was that of having studiously concealed from the public the manner in which their funds were employed. Mr. Drummond then proceeded to enlarge on the evil of circulating the Apocrypha. Under the former dispensation, GoD had at sundry times, and in divers manners, spoken to the fathers by his prophets; and the bu sh which burned and yet was not consumed, the dumb ass speaking with man's voice, or the voice of GoD heard amidst the thunders of Mount Sinai, proclaimed aloud that the LORD reigned a prophet among his people. But now that he had offered up his own body on the tree, and had entered heaven as the high priest of his people, he no longer manifested himself as in times past, but had left one little volume as the revelation of his will, uutil, as he had appeared as prophet and priest, he should coine to reign as prophet, priest, and king. It was this volume of inspiration which had been adulterated by the Apocrypha; and it was with assisting in its circulation out of funds provided for the distribution of the Bible, that the British and Foreign Bible Society was charged. He confessed that the Report which had been read was of so Anti-Apocryphal a character, that his hostility was much disarmed; but still he thought it did not go far enough, and that some pledge ought to be required of the Parent Society that no misapplication of their funds should take place in future. In the course of the discussions on the present subject, various extraordinary facts had come to light, and it appeared that the Society had been employing various agents, such as Van Ess and Keiffer, with large salaries, without giving the slightest intimation in their balance-sheet of such an employment of the funds. The honourable gentleman made other remarks to the same effect, and concluded an eloquent speech amidst the cheers of the Meeting.

The Chairman then proceeded to put the motion, that the Report should be printed, when a considerable show of hands having been twice made, both for and against it, the Chairman expressed his opinion that the Ayes had it.

"The Rev. Daniel Wilson was then introduced as the Representative of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and proposed a Resolution intended to meet the feelings of the Surrey Society, without opposing the Parent Society, to the effect that, considering the frailty of human nature, it became the members of the Surrey Society to exercise a watchful care over the administration of the Parent Society. The Rev. Gentleman deeply deplored the division which had taken place in a Society, in which at one time nothing but the voice of love and concord had been heard. He regretted that the same feelings had not prevailed at the present meeting, which distinguished the former meetings of the Guildford Society, when all had been peace, and union, and harmony. For the High Sheriff, who had felt it his duty to animad

vert on the conduct of the Parent Society, he entertained the highest respect, in common with every individual who knew his talents and could appreciate his virtues. But he begged the Meeting to bear in mind, that most of his censures fell not on the present, but on former Committees of the Bible Society. True, the names of three-fourths of the Committee remained from year to year the same, but still they were re-elected, and therefore we ought to forgive the past, where the Committee had erred, and hope the best for the future. The Committee had now listened to the voice of the country, and had consented to adopt Anti-Apocryphal Resolutions, which had been adopted, with much approbation, at the last General Meeting of the Society. The Committee ought not to be suspected of acting with bad faith, and they could no longer circulate the Apocrypha, without violating the pledge they had given to the public. He, therefore, exhorted the Meeting to feel that charity which hopeth all things, believeth all things, and beareth all things-to remember the frailty of human nature, and how difficult it was for large bodies in all respects to act with perfect wisdom and consistency. He trusted no further interruption to the harmony of their proceedings would this day be made, and he turned with pleasure to the contemplation of the good the Bible Society had effected. They had contributed, directly or indirectly, to the circulation of 5,000,000 copies of the Scriptures. He had also the pleasure to state, that the prospects of the Society, in different parts of the world, were most brilliant. The Rev. Dr. Marshman, who, after an absence of thirty-five years, had returned from India, for the recovery of his health, and the Rev. Mr. Thomason, who had been absent seventeen years, assured him that the prospects of Christianity in the East were glorious. If this, then, were the case, he exhorted the Members of Bible Societies to make renewed exertions in the great cause of the Bible. The Reverend Gentleman was loudly cheered during the latter part of his speech.

"The Rev, Mr. Jerram, Minister of St. John's, Bedford Row, rose to second the motion, and went over much of the same ground as his predecessor. He said, he always had abominated the Apocrypha, and exerted himself to the utmost of his power to oppose its circulation by the Bible Society, but now that Resolations to that effect had been adopted by the Committee, he saw no reason for withholding from them his full confidence. He begged to impress on the Meeting the evil of division, and the triumph it would give to the enemies of the Bible. He would remind them that God is love, and that he that loveth not knoweth not God. He was sure that those who were going to follow him would remember this, and that his Rev. Friend, Mr. M'Neil, who would probably offer some remarks to the Meeting, while he would speak with his accustomed earnestness, would also remember the importance of conciliation.

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"Mr. Drummond again rose, and said that he would beg to offer a few remarks on the speeches of the two Reverend Gentlemen who preceded him, and he would begin by reminding the Reverend Gentleman, who had said, in reference to this discussion, that God is love,' that it is also said God is truth,' and, therefore, while love, and union, and charity are never to be lost sight of, they are never to be purchased at the expense of truth. He would also tell the Reverend Gentleman (Mr. Wilson), why he distrusted the Committee, and it was this, that they had often made Resolutions before, and as often rescinded them again. He particularly instanced a Resolution against the circulation of the Apocrypha, which had been passed after long discussions, and several special Meetings, in the year 1824, and which about two months after were rescinded at an ordinary Meeting without the slightest previous intimation.

"Mr. Wilson then rose, and inquired if the High Sheriff had been present at the Meeting alluded to.

"Mr. Drummond replied in the negative; when

"Mr. Wilson said, then he would beg to inform the respected Gentleman that that Resolution was rescinded by the consent of all parties, and that it was thought better that this should be done, in order that the Apocryphal question might be more fully discussed another day.

Mr. Haldane said he rose at the request of his Honourable Friend, Mr. Drummond, to confirm the statement he had made in reference to the rescinding of the Resolution. He begged to say that he was present at the meeting of the Committee alluded to, and that it was at the close of the day, when many Gentlemen had retired, supposing nothing was to be done, that that Resolution had been rescinded. Mr. H. stated some further particulars in corroboration of Mr. Drummond's statement.

"The Rev. H. M'Neil then rose, and in a speech, of which we regret we can give but a very imperfect outline, arraigned the proceedings of the Committee of the Bible Society. He said he took shame to himself for not having earlier investigated the proceedings of the Bible Society-for not having sooner compared the Reports with the extracts from its correspondence, which he was sorry to say, materially differed from each other. But the fact was, he was engaged so entirely with the duties of his pastoral office, in visiting his flock, and in publishing the glad tidings of salvation, that he had not had time to attend to this duty, and it was only lately that the melancholy truth had forced itself on his mind, that while the Bible Society had been an agent of much good, it had also been the instrument of much evil. It was with inexpressible pain, that he learned not only that the Bible Society had been long engaged in adulterating the Holy Scriptures, but that salaries had been given to individuals whose labours were said to be disinterested; and still further, that the Society had

entered into close connection with men upon the Continent, who were not Christians-who were Infidels, Deists, and Neologists→ who were not only not possessed of the Holy Ghost,-but were against the Holy Ghost-who were not only averse to pure Christianity, but were the persecutors of Christians! It was with pain that these disclosures had been forced upon him; but he found that the Bible Society had been in the habit of holding up to admiration such men, that they had refused, in many instances, to hold connection with foreigners abroad, who were known to be Christians, and avowed that they refused connection with them, because they were under persecution-thus joining with their enemies in treating them as the first Christians, and our Lord himself was treated as the filth of the earth, and the offscouring of all things. It was distressing to his feelings to mention these things, and the thought of doing it so pressed upon his heart, that he trembled when he entered the Hall. But a friend who sat near him, pointed to the niotto which hung opposite to him"Be just, and fear not." From these words he got comfort, and he now came forward to discharge a conscientious and imperative duty which devolved upon him. The Reverend Gentleman then went into various details, and produced various documents in proof of his allegations. It appeared that Professor Keiffer had received an annual grant of 2101., and Professor Leander Van Ess, a salary of 3607., and still their labour had been represented as disinterested. It appeared that there were also other agents who received salaries, and doubtless were entitled to them; but still these salaries were conceded and lumped under the general charge of expense of printing Bibles! But he confessed that while these things pressed heavily on his mind, as they were calculated to give occasion of triumph to the enemies of the Bible, he felt that they were as nothing when contrasted with the false translations which had been sanctioned by the Society, and which had been sent into the world in some cases with infidel prefaces. The case of the Strasburgh Bible was particularly instanced, where a Bible had been published by an Infidel Committee, in connection with the Bible Society, and a preface had been added ridiculing the Holy Scriptures, and treating them in a manner in which no translator would have treated Sophocles or Homer. Other circumstances were detailed in a very impressive manner by the Rev. Gentleman, and he concluded by expressing the pain he felt at being obliged to bring these things forward. It was an easy thing, he said, to sail with the stream, but to stand up for a principle, to oppose those who were friends, and to have nothing but a sense of duty for one's support, was a very different thing. He felt it, however, to be a duty, and having discharged it, he would now propose as an amendment to the resolution, that "The Guildford Society do, for the present, withhold its funds from the Parent Society;" and having done this, he committed the cause to God.-(Loud cheering followed.)

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"The Rev. Mr. Dodsworth rose to second the amendment, but was interrupted by the Chairman (Mr. Pallmer) who said that he begged to decline putting the amendment, as it had not been submitted to him, as Chairman. previous to the Meeting.(Considerable disapprobation.)

"Mr. M'Neil said he bowed to the authority of the chair.

"Mr. Drummond protested against the conduct of the Chairman being considered as a precedent for the next Annual Meeting.

"Mr. Wilson again rose and begged to say a few words in reply. He gave credit to the Rev. Gentleman for his upright and honourable intentions, but he confessed he could hardly restrain his feelings, when he heard the agents and Committee of the Bible Society treated as men not only without the HOLY GHOST, but against the HOLY GHOST.-(No, no,from Mr. M'Neill.) Then,' said Mr, Wilson, if this be denied, the greater part of my cause of complaint falls to the ground. For the Committee, if not all spiritual men, were so generally.'

"Mr. M'Neil rose to order. He thought it was too much for the Rev. Gentleman first to misrepresent his meaning, and then to argue as if every point was given up on that misrepresentation being contradicted. His statement did not affect the character of the London Committee, but charged them with employing improper agents abroad-with patronising false translations, and with adding notes and comments of an improper nature to their foreign translations.

"Mr. Wilson resumed, and proceeded to argue upon the impropriety of condemning the London Committee unheard, and to state some facts which he thought threw a doubt on the opposite statements. But these being contradicted by some of the Gentlemen on the platform, Mr. Wilson replied that the Meeting saw there was a disagreement as to facts, and therefore recommended them to suspend their judgment.

"The Rev. Mr. Dodsworth stated a number of facts illustrative of the charges brought forward by Mr. M'Neil and Mr. Drummond, and concluded by expressing the regret which he felt at being obliged to express so strong an opinion against the administration of a Society which had so long held a distinguished place in the estimation of the religious public,

"Mr. Bainbridge, as a Member of the London Committee, said that so many things which were false had been stated, that he thought it unnecessary to say much. However, in reference to Mr. Owen's conduct at Geneva, he would merely say that it was impossible for the Society to employ the Christians there as agents of the Bible Society, because they were under persecution, and they employed, therefore, those whom they could get.

"Mr. Haldane said that he rose to make some observations on some of the statements of the preceding speeches, and particu

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