THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
tion has been agitated whether the whole Bible or so-called school Bibles should be used in the schools. The principal reason adduced in favor of the latter is that certain passages are objectionable because they deal with sexual relations. But these reasons are not well founded, since reading of the Bible has never been a cause of demoralization. The moral earnestness which without veiling calls things by their right names is to be preferred to a careful paraphrasing and veiling of the sense which only the more excite impure desires.
(Georg Rietschel.)
Bibliography: T. G. Hegelmaier, Geschichte des Bibelverbots, Ulm, 1783; N. Le Maire, Sanctuarium profanis occlulum live de sanctorum bibliorum in lingua vulgari seu ver-
nacula traclatus, Wiirzburg, 1662 (from the Fr. of 1651), this was reproduced in substance in Die Bibel kein Lesebuch fur Jedermann, Miinster, 1845; A. Arnauld, De la lecture de I'rcriture sainte, Paris (c. 1690); C. W. F. Walch Kritische Untersuchungen vom Gebrauch der heiligen Schrift unter den alten Christen in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten Leipsic, 1779; E. von Ess, Der heilige Chrysostomut oder die Stimme der katholischen Kirche iiber das niXtzliche, heilsame und erbauliche Bibellesen, Darmstadt, 1824; J. B Malon, La Lecture de la sainte Bible en langue vulgaire, 2 vols., Louvain, 1846; Vom Lesen der heiligen Schrift Mainz, 1846; F. H. Reusch, Die Indices librorum prohibitorum des sechszehnten Jahrhunderts, Tubingen, 1886' W. Walther, Die deutsche Bibelubersetzung des Mittelalters Braunschweig, 1889; J. H. Kurtz, Church Hi lory JS 105, 3; 185, 1, New York, 1890; the text of the bull Vnigenitus may be found in Reich, Documents, pp. 386-389, and the authoritative statement of the Greco-Russian Church in Schaff, Creeds, iii, 433-434.
BIBLE SOCIETIES.
I. British Bible Societies.
1. Precursors of the British and For-
eign Bible Society.
2. The British and Foreign Bible So-
ciety. Origin and Constitution (§ 1). Present Organization (§ 2). Foreign Work (§3). Dissensions. Seceding Societies
(§4).
3. The National Bible Society of Scot-
land.
4.
The Hibernian Bible Society.
III.
5.
The Trinitarian Bible Society.
1.
6.
The Bible Translation Society.
II.
Bible Societies on the Continent of Europe.
1.
Germany.
2.
France.
3.
The Netherlands.
2.
4.
Scandinavia.
5.
Russia.
6.
Switzerland.
3.
Bible Societies in America. The American Bible Society. Organization (§1). Constitution and Management (§ 2) Summary of Work (§ 3). Foreign Work (§4). Controversies (§ 5). The American and Foreign Bible
Society and the American Bible
Union. The Bible Association of Friends in
America.
Bible societies are benevolent associations formed to increase the circulation of the Bible and making special efforts to supply the Scriptures to those who from poverty or other causes are destitute of them. Printing the Bible or New Testament in suitable styles, translation into all important languages and even into the less important dialects, and some effective system of distribution in all accessible places are commonly regarded as essential features of the work of such societies. In some cases the books are given without price; but it is not usual to give away a large proportion. The cost of manufacture and of distribution, however, has to be provided by voluntary contributions.
The Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (q.v.), founded in London in 1698, was the first to undertake to provide the common people with the Bible. It continues this beneficent work as one branch of its publication enterprise, and has been the means of providing fairly good translations of the Scriptures in many obscure languages of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (q.v.), founded in 1701, has also done and is still doing a good work in circulating the Scriptures in connection with its extensive missions. The Scottish Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, founded in 1709, added the work of circulating the Bible to its missionary enterprises in Scotland and in America. The first society formed for the exclusive purpose of publishing the Bible at a low price seems to have been the Canstein Bible Institute, established in 1710 at Halle in Germany by Baron Canstein (see below, II, 1).
I. British Bible Societies. — 1. Precursors of the British and Foreign Bible Society: In the last half of the eighteenth century several societies sprang up in Great Britain which had Bible distribution as
part of their programme; such as the Book Society for Promoting Religious Knowledge among the Poor (1750), the Bible Society, later known as the Naval and Military Bible Society (1780), the Society for the Support and Encouragement of Sunday Schools (1785), the Association for Discountenancing Vice and Promoting the Knowledge and Practise of the Christian Religion (established in Dublin, 1792), the French Bible Society (established in London for printing the Bible in France, 1792). and the Religious Tract Society (London, 1799; see Tract Societies).
2. The British and Foreign Bible Society: These enterprises, however, did not supply the need. The Rev. Thomas Charles (q.v.) of Bala in Wales became much impressed with the need of the common folk about him, who could not obtain the Bible except by persevering effort and much self-denial; the Bible was not only scarce but costly. Mr. . . Charles finally devoted himself to find-
' j ri,&m ing some effective means of supplying
and Con- , .° , ... ,, „ . , rl J °
stitution. people with the Scriptures. At
a meeting of the Religious Tract
Society in London in 1802, he aroused great
interest by his vigorous presentation of the
need of the people of Wales. The Rev. Joseph
Hughes, secretary of the Religious Tract Society,
exclaimed, " Surely a society might be formed
to provide Bibles for Wales; and if for Wales, why
not for the world ? " This remark contained the
germ from which grew the British and Foreign
Bible Society.
The idea of a Bible Society for the world led tcdiscussion and to study of the destitution of the people. The Rev. C. F. A. Steinkopf, pastor of the German Lutheran Church in London, gave effective information of the situation in European countries. Members of the Religious Tract Society,
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