Rev A Brandram - No 113
Montreal, 24 December 1841
My Dear Friend,
In my last letter I noticed I would in this return to the subject contained in my letter from Woodstock of 24 July last. That subject is the too low estimate in which the Christian and missionary public hold the Bible Society cause, and the consequent low support they give to it. This I proved by reference to the fact that during the last year £400,000 were raised among you for missionary purposes, whilst only £50,000, or one eighth, was raised for the general circulation of the Holy Scriptures. I argued that we were all wrong in this, and hence that we should repent in the case, and do works meet for repentance; and to prove my sincerity I laid down at your feet my own repentance tribute. I would, of course, have all others do the same, and not because I have done it, but because it should be done, and on the principles of sound judgment and sound policy.
As the servants of Christ we are bound to glorify God with our minds as well as with our body and means, and hence we are to labour to have and exercise a sound judgment in all our duties and services. Now we Christians believe that the Bible is able to make men wise unto salvation: that is, we believe the Bible itself, so far as visible means are concerned, is able to bring men from darkness to light. We ought therefore unhesitatingly, and boldly, and liberally to send forth this Book among the Heathen, and among all who are living in ignorance of Christ, in the sure and certain hope that God by his Spirit will work through his word to the salvation of souls, and to the advancement of his kingdom. There are we know some, I fear many, would doubt this position, and question the propriety of sending forth the word of God alone, believing that it will thus sent do no good but rather hurt. But all those who take a due and lively interest in the Bible and Missionary Cause have discarded this opinion and view of the subject. Now it is to these I would address myself, and I would say to them, Take care that there is not lurking in you something akin to this error, and which perhaps operates considerably to the comparative neglect of the Bible cause. Yes, let the Bible be sent forth, and God unquestionably will speak for himself.
Oh then let us send forth the Bible to the Heathen numerously and unstintingly. Look at their numbers. They pass before us, not in thousands, nor tens of thousands, but we count them by millions. And what has been done for them? To what extent have the Holy Scriptures been sent among them, and in these Bible Society days? Why not one million of copies have they yet received from us. And why is it so? Is it because they will not accept of them from our hands when tendered? No, for they are in truth more ready and willing to receive the Scriptures than we are to give them. Is it then because your Great Bible Society is unwilling to send them the word of God? No. Or is it that God has not provided you with translations of his word for the Heathen nations? No, not that either. What then is the cause and hindrance? Why solely this, that you have not means wherewith to send the Scriptures to the Heathen as extensively should be done, and as they will receive them. And your lack of means is owing to the misjudgment of the Christian public in this case, and to the feeble support which the Bible Society receives. Let then the eighth proportion be changed and speedily into a fourth, and then into the half, and followed afterwards, if need so require, by equality.
Thus far I have spoken of the Heathen only. But Christendom also, in nearly all its extent, is sadly in want of the Holy Scriptures. The oases are few, the desert is extensive and parched. Now I am fully persuaded that far more many done than has been done for these barrens, and that if the Bible Society had adequate means it could, even in the midst of all the present difficulties, effect a circulation of the Scriptures in these parts vastly more extensive than it has done: and there is no doubt also but that doors would open, and facilities increase from year to year. The great Iron Gates too would open of their own accord as we came up to them. The Bible cause therefore demands a great increase of its funds to enable it to plant and to sow the large and barren fields of Christendom.
But though they are few, there are some oases in Christendom, some parts in which the word of God has had tolerably free course, and is proportionably glorified. These taken together I would style for distinctions seek Bibledom. Greatly have these countries benefited by this mercy of God to them. But we cannot help seeing how much the Scriptures are still wanted in these highly favoured spots: nor does it require much discernment to perceive how greatly the Scriptures might be multiplied in their numbers in these places. Witness what took place among yourselves recently. You lowered the price of the Scriptures about two years ago, and immediately there followed a vast increase in your issues, until in alarm, through a loss on each copy, you were obliged to stop. You have again returned to the low price, but I allude to the circumstance here merely to show the wonderful readiness in the public and with the poor to obtain the Scriptures upon new facility is being offered. With this example then for encouragement, let us see what we can do towards rapidly increasing the number of copies of the Scriptures in our own favoured country, and in the other parts of Bibledom. To meet this object alone in a proper and fully practicable manner would require the income of the Bible Society to be doubled. The Royal Road, I am persuaded, to a high state of Christianity among us, is the general possession of the Holy Scriptures, and a more general attention to them with us all; and this attention will follow their distribution. The Church all over is in a low state, and chiefly because the Scriptures are not honoured by us as they ought to be.
To sum up here the demands and claims of the Bible Society I would say, that – The Heathen world loudly cries to us, "Double the income of the Bible Society." Christendom equally raises its voice, and says, "Double the income of the Bible Society". Bibledom not less but perhaps more, because of what it has tasted, cries aloud "Double the funds of the Bible Society". This would bring us say to £150,000, and when there we would not be even halfway to the Missionary mark. But when we make this attainment God will further show us what we ought to do.
But do you, or do any inquire what use could be made by the Bible Society of all this money flowing in to you yearly? The answer to this is, I may say, already given. Heathendom, Christendom, and Bibledom would well employ and take up all this supply. Are you not continually hampered in all these directions, and solely through want of means? Give you scope to go on in the circulation of the Scriptures everywhere as fast as you can, and you will see how the work will expand, and what ample sums you will require. And my argument is, that the Christian missionary public ought to bid you to go on so, offering you a carte blanche for the same, and pledging their Christianity to meet all your demands.
Had you this offer, and may God soon grant it to you, you would without delay establish more agencies general and local. Your general agencies abroad are few, and far under what they should be, and no doubt would be had you more means. See what has been done by your agent in France. See again what has been done by your recently appointed agent in British India. Has not the circulation of the Scriptures increased through his means more than seven-fold in the first year? Other agencies also might be referred to in illustration of the good that might be expected by more appointments of this kind. Two more agencies or three you greatly need in India. In these British American Provinces here you would require four agents general or local. And these would find ample employment in travelling alone for the purpose of establishing and encouraging Bible Societies all over these places. In Nova Scotia, as mentioned to you in my last letter, the circulation of the Scriptures increased five-fold during last year, and it would be easy to enlarge this to a very considerable extent. – The West Indies require two agents at least, and there is plenty of profitable work for three. Other parts also in the British and in the Foreign world might be mentioned as proper stations for agents.
You have established the sale of the Scriptures now at a very low price, and great good will follow. You sell Bibles of three distinct kinds and one shilling and sixpence each. But what would you think of reducing them to one shilling for the poor and what would follow if you did? Would not the poor among you be much earlier supplied, and would not general saturation of your Isles and of all the Empire with the Bible sooner take place? I think this would be the case; and then from all possessing the Bible you might expect, and would probably not be disappointed, a contribution more or less for the Foreign portion of your work, and even but a small yearly some from some millions of contributors would swell your funds, and enable you to advance rapidly in your grand object of supplying the whole world with the word of God.
Is allow me now a few words as to the policy, or rather want of it, in our present plans of so scantily affording the Scriptures in our missionary work. Can a missionary, or all the missionaries together convert a man, and bring him out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God? No: only God can do this. Now my humble opinion is, that were we to honour God more in his word in all our missionary enterprises at home and abroad, God would make more converts through our instrumentality. Let all missionary societies therefore, whilst they zealously and laudably urge upon their supporters the duty of missionary contributions and exertions, let them, at the same time, distinctly bring before them, and urge upon them, the claims of the Bible Society. And let the same also be done by private collectors in all their rounds. Now I fear that this is not done, both as to public meetings, and as to individuals who collect. Again should not all ministers who favour your cause, (alas that there should be any who do not,) should they not bring this subject of the general distribution of the Scriptures and more frequently before their congregations, and one and all of them make collections at the very least once every year for this cause?
I say again, for so things speak in my humble way of thinking, that our policy in these matters is not good. Wisdom, says our Lord, is justified of all her children, and he tells us moreover, that the men of this world are wiser than we. Now the policy which is of the truth and of faith would lead us, as I conceive, to place more confidence in the word of God, for the conversion of sinners on the one hand, and for building up the saints on the other. I do not mean of course that missionaries should not go forth, nor that ministers should not preach within the church. Far from it. But I mean to say, that there is existing, in all probability, a defect both in missionary societies and their agents, and in ministers and their flocks, as to the duty of circulating, and the advantages of studying, the holy word of God, which is able to make sinners wise unto salvation, and to build up the saints in their most holy faith. Our policy then ought to be grounded on strong faith in the powers of the word of God. The Moravians, we all know, laboured long in Greenland, and without any success, because their policy was wrong. When they were cured of this error, the Lord wrought wonderfully by them. Now something of the same erroneous policy is I fear in us all about the Bible, both as to the places abroad and at home. Let us change our policy, and we shall see how God will work with us. Our missionary success hitherto has been small. Let us trust to, and try more the power of the word of God. Many call this foolishness, and not a few who would not say so, act as if they thought so likewise. But unquestionably "the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." Therefore, "let no flesh glory in his presence."
Finally that, let me say to you Mariners in Earl Street, Be not afraid of the rude and boisterous sea in which you sail, nor of the currents that unexpectedly carry you out of your reckoning, nor of the gales and storms that threaten you. Take out your reefs, spread all your sail, steer with the utmost steadiness, and hasten along in full faith and hope. Fear nothing, your ship cannot be lost. Have you not a greater than Caesar on board? And does not he say to us in our timidity, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" Let not the darkness of the night, nor the fear of land ahead before the morning, induce you to take in sail. There is no land ahead, keep therefore all your canvas in the wind. Nor let the threatening clouds discompose you, for "he that observeth the wind will not sow, and he that regard if the clouds shall not reap." Hasten along then fearlessly, yet wisely: and if your ship should get into distress, or should your provisions run short, count and fully upon the sympathies of the Christian Missionary public. All will run to your relief. Your distress, or a crisis, will awaken their dormant feelings for you, which unquestionably are strong, notwithstanding all that is said above. You have never fairly put the friendship of your friends to the test. Do it then, and in this way: launch out your funds fearlessly, and in all wisdom and judgment; meet every want for the Scriptures, and fill all voids that open to you at home and abroad: and when your funds run out, call upon your friends and you will, beyond all doubt, find them your friends indeed. Issue the Scriptures, according to your 10th rule "as low as possible," and when your funds overflow, give them to the Poor still lower than it is possible to afford them, that is, under the cost. Let the Heathen, and let Desert Christendom have their every want and call upon you fully met, and not only so, but become you the urgers, and let your desires and deeds to give the Scriptures be greater than theirs to receive.
Such is the position which I think you should occupy. May you occupy it early, and may God glorify himself in you.
I hope the Committee will forgive this long letter, and the over frankness of their humble servant.
James Thomson.