Rev A Brandram No.112
Montreal, 20th November 1841.
My dear Friend,
My last letter to you, dated in Halifax on the 1st instant, would inform you of the close of my summer tours, and this will apprise you of my being in this place, which I reached this day week.
On reviewing our Bible operations in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, during the season now closed, we have great reason to give thanks to God for all the Bible interest that has been manifested, and the Bible circulation that has been effected. My movements through all the season have been hurried, and considerably more so than was profitable to our cause, or comfortable to the traveller; but it was necessary to get over the ground, and complete, as it were, my visitation of the two provinces. I have now gone over these two places pretty generally, and have left but few parts of note unvisited. Nevertheless, my visitation has been imperfect; and to have done justice to these Provinces would have required more than double the time I have had. It will be worth your while to consider, at some future time, what further measures you should adopt in favour of your cause in these quarters, and probably I may give some hints regarding this before I finally leave this northern portion of this northern continent. I would now say, and in full conformity with what I have said more than once before, that your great Bible cause has taken firm root in British North America. It will, however, still require the husbandman's care,—that is, yours,—to make the tree to grow and flourish proportionably to the noble seed put in, which may God make to grow exceedingly!
Forty-one new Bible Societies, you will see, have been formed during the present season; it would be easy to double, and double over again, this number, and, indeed, to cover all these provinces with Bible institutions; for I have found a great readiness prevailing in favour of the Bible cause. And may I hope that it will be so covered in due time? You can best answer this, and can perhaps accomplish it.
The circulation of the Scriptures has greatly increased in these two Provinces. I have not before me the proper documents respecting New Brunswick to be able to state what the increase is, but of Nova Scotia I have, and I find that it is more than fivefold. When I was first in Halifax, and with the Committee, I urged them to write for large supplies, foolishly large as some thought; they wrote accordingly, but this large stock was soon exhausted, and there has been on different occasions since a great lack of Books, and so great as to considerably to injure the general circulation, which but for this scarcity would have been much greater than I have stated it. Orders from Branch Societies have been fulfilled only to the extent of one quarter the number requested, and some orders could not be attended to at all. Your red ink note about prompt payment about prompt payment accompanying one or more of their invoices frightened them and hindered their orderings so freely as they wished. Perhaps you will give them next time a note in some other colour to encourage them to ask frankly.
From the increased number of Branch Societies added to your Auxiliaries in Halifax and Pictou, it will be desirable in future to furnish them with a greater number of copies of your Annual Reports. They have mentioned this to me, and desired me to solicit an increased donation from you in this way. The Rev. Mr. Smith, President of the Branch Society at Upper Stewiake thus writes upon the subject to the Secretary in Halifax: "I am sorry to observe that the Annual Reports of the B and F Bible Society are now afforded us very sparingly. Last year I had to beg a copy from Mr. Black, and got the one allotted to himself. Now, my dear Sir, if you can do anything for us, be sure let us have at least one every year, or two, and so many can be spared. You know it requires an effort to keep the interest of even so good cause as a Bible Society sufficiently alive in the public mind. This labour devolves upon a minister; and you know we can neither persuade nor instruct others unless our own minds are first replenished with knowledge."
For the same reasons you will please increase the number of Reports to St. John: and be so good also as remember Woodstock, which is a new Auxiliary. Parcels and packages for Woodstock should be sent to Mr. L H Deveber, St. John, should they not otherwise have advised.
I enclose you a portion of the last Nova Scotia Bible Society Report, as much of it as I can to keep from exceeding the post office half ounce. Should you previously have got this report from Halifax, please hand the enclosed leaves to Mr. Roberts of Camberwell.
By the next packet I shall notice some alterations in the list of societies as found in your 37th Report. I shall then also send you a further observation or two bearing upon the Bible and the Missionary Cause and Funds, as I see you have printed my letter of 24th July upon this point. It is a great point, and it is desirable to make pointed reference to it in these our times. You began the subject, and I am only following it up: but I should like to follow it up, till your funds get up to where they should be, or near it. May you live long, with all your coadjutors, to witness the Bible Society in its place: or rather, if you will, may you see it though you should live short. But whether you live short or long, may you all live to and with the Lord.
I remain, truly yours,
James Thomson.
P.S. Please address me in Montreal.
