2. Iiir.LE Societies on the Continent of Eu- rope.—1. The Cans/tin J ibk Institute was founded in 1710 by the Marquis of Canstein, to print and circu- late the Word of God at a cheap rate. Up to 18-13 it had circulated nearly live millions of Bibles, and near- ly three millions of Testaments. See Canstein.
2. The Nun mbt rg Bible Society was formed May 10, 1804, th'e B. and F. 15. S. contributing £100 toward its foundation. The friends of the Bible cause in Basle united at first with this society. In 1806 it was re- moved to Basle, and became the Bash Bible Society.
3. The Ratifbem (Roman Catholic) Bible Soci/ty was formed in 1805-6 under Dr. Wittmann. It was after- ward suppressed.
BIBLE SOCIETIES
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BIBLE SOCIETIES
4. The Berlin Bible Society obtained the sanction of the King of Prussia Feb. 11, 1806. It was merged into the greater Prussian Bible Society in 1814, which had circulated, up to the year 1855, about two million cop- ies of the Bible. A number of other German Bible Societies have since been established, as the Bible So- ciety of Saxon}', in 1813, which had in 1859 thirty-two branch associations ; the Bible Society of Sleswick- Holstein, since 1826; the Hessian Bible Society, and many others. Most of the German societies retain the Apocrypha in their editions of the Bible.
5. The Zurich and Wurtemberg Bible Society follow- ed in 1812, 1813, and in a few years many organiza- tions sprang up in Switzerland.
6. The formation of the Danish Bible Society took place at Copenhagen, May 22, 1814. The King of Sweden, in a full council of state, July 6, 1814, consented to be- come the p itron of the Swedish Bible Society.
7. The Russian Bible Society was authorized by an imperial ukase, Jan. 14, 1813. The Greek, the Roman Catholic, the Lutheran, the Reformed, and the Arme- nian churches were represented in this society, in or- der to spread the Bible in the entire Russian empire. In 1826 the number of branch associations amounted to 289, the annual income to 400,000 rubles, and the number of copies of the Scriptures, which had been circulated in thirty-two different languages, to 411,000. The translation of the Bible into the modern Russian, and the large circulation of this translation among the country people, aroused an opposition on the part of the Russian clergy, which soon led to the suppression of the society by the Emperor Nicholas (1826;. In its place a Protestant Russian Bible Society was organized at Petersburg, which had to restrict its operations to the Protestant population. It has existed ever since, and circulated more than 200,00(1 Bibles. The Emperor Alexander II has shown himself more favorable to the circulation of the Scriptures than his father, and the hope is generally entertained that the Bible colporteurs will soon have again free access to the members of the Greek Church.
8. In Finland a society was formed at Abo, 1812, and Norway followed in 1815.
9. The United Netherlands Bible Society, formed in 1813, soon had auxiliaries in most parts of Holland.
10. In 1818 the Paris Protestant Bible Society was authorized by the French government, and it went on in spite of great opposition from the Abbe de la Men- nais and others. Other French Bible Societies are at Colmar (founded in 1820) and at Strasburg (founded in 1816).
11. In Southern Europe, the Malta Bible Society was founded May 26, 1817, and became highly important as the station for supplying the Scriptures to various people, from the isles of the Archipelago to the banks of the Euphrates. These objects were promoted by the travels of the Rev. Messrs. Jowett, Connor, and Burckhardt. Farther detail can be found in the Re~ port i of the B. and F. B. 8. ; Owen's Hist, of the B. and F. B. S. (3 vols. 8vo) ; Timpson, Bible Triumphs (Lond. 1853, 8vo).
3. American Bible Society, "a voluntary asso- ciation, which has for its object the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in the commonly received version, without note or comment." Its centre is in the city of New York, but it is ramified by means of auxiliaries over the entire United States and Territories.
I. Organization. — This society was suggested by the success of the British and Foreign Bible Society. That society had been found to supply a great want in the mother country, and a similar association was perhaps still more needed in America. During the Revolution- ary War, such was the scarcity of Bibles that Congress in 1777 voted to print 30,000 copies; and when it was found impracticable, for want of type and paper, it di- rected the Committee on Commerce to import 20,000 from Europe, giving as a reason that " its use was so
universal and its importance so great." When this, too, in consequence, of the embargo, was found imprac- ticable, Congress passed a resolution (1782) in favor of an edition of the Bible published by the private enter- prise of Mr. Robert Aitkin, of Philadelphia, which it pronounced "a pious and laudable undertaking, sub- servient to the interests of religion." Such was the language of the Congress of the United States in refer- ence to the Bible in the year 1782. But the work of printing the Holy Scriptures went on very slowly. It did not meet the demand. Besides, the books were sold at prices beyond the reach of the poor. Other means were required to supply this deficiency. The older society in Great Britain had led the way in 1804, and kindred associations were soon organized in different parts of this country. The societies first formed were local, independent bodies, having no connection nor in- tercommunication ; they could therefore take no meas- ures to supply the destitute beyond their immediate lo- calities. The inconvenience was still greater when mis- sionary societies were formed, and the living teacher was sent to preach the Gospel in pagan lands. The remedy was first suggested by the Rev. Samuel J. Mills, who proposed uniting all Bible Societies into one centraL institution. In 1815, the Bible Society of New Jer- sey, prompted by the venerable Elias Boudinot, is- sued a circular to the several Bible Societies in the country, inviting them to send delegates to meet in the city of New York the ensuing j'ear. The New York Bible Society entered cordially into the measure. A convention was held in New York on the second Wednesday in May, 1816, composed of sixty delegates, representing thirty-five Bible Societies in ten states and the District of Columbia. Joshua Wallace, of Bur- lington, N. J., was chosen president; Joseph C. Horn- blower, LL.D., of Newark, vice-president; Rev. Lj-man Beecher, D.D, and Rev. John B. Romej-n, secretaries. Gentlemen of nearly all Christian denominations were present as members.