Rev A Brandram No 111
Halifax, November 1,1841.
My dear Friend,
In my last letter I gave you an account of my movements as far as Pictou. On leaving that place, I hastened on to Cape Breton, making some calls on the way, and holding conversation rather than public meetings. In due time, I reached Cape Breton, and visited several places in it, though not so many as I could have wished, being restrained by the lateness of the season, and by the bad weather we had during October; and to which also I may add, the bad roads in that Island. Some new Societies, however, have been formed there, through this visit; and the work of general Bible circulation has, I trust, been somewhat advanced. Our movements and labours, blessed be God, are always promotive of good, and do with certainty always advance the kingdom of Christ: they never retard it, and are never hurtful. The state of things in Cape Breton is much improved within these few years past, both as to religion and general morals. The ministers of the Scottish Church lately settled there have done much good, by faithfully preaching the Gospel, and by circulating the Holy Scriptures; in which latter work they have been efficiently aided by the Edinburgh Bible Society.
The Roman Catholic Bishop has also had his share in the improvements that have taken place, for he has exerted himself considerably in the cause of Temperance; and much need there was for his labours in this way. Among his people, too, we have had some Bible success. At Port Hood we had some of them at our meeting, who subscribed, and intend to purchase Bibles when the supply reaches that place for general sale; and some of them are put down as members of the Committee of the Bible Society formed there. At Arichat, in another portion of the island, we had a large Bible Meeting, and full one-half of the assembly were of the same people. They all seemed pleased with the Bible objects brought before them; several became subscribers, and three persons of note among them cheerfully gave their names to act in the Committee. This is encouraging.
Let us push on with our Bible work, and we shall see that no nation, nor class of people, will prove impervious to the reception of the word of God. Oppositions, and hindrances, and retardations, we shall meet with from time to time, and from place to place; but our success is certain, and I hope not so late as we fear. Just before entering Cape Breton, I visited a Roman Catholic priest in a place called Tracadie. I had 13 French New Testaments with me; for the people there are French. These I offered to the priest for sale, at a quarter-dollar each; and he immediately bought them, and paid me. In Antigonish, as I went through, I called on the Bishop, and had a good deal of conversation with him. He distinctly said to me, that he gave his people full liberty to act as they pleased in procuring and reading the Scriptures.
On returning from Cape Breton we had public meetings at Antigonish and New Glasgow; after which I went to Pictou, and then came on to this city, where I arrived the day before yesterday. This closes the season. I bless God for His great goodness to me in all my movements during this period, in my preservations and health, and in the success He has been pleased to grant me in His own holy work.
You will find below a list of new Societies, amounting to 17 in number, which, with the 24 given before, make 41 in all formed this season.
Your letter of the 17th September reached me on the 22nd ultimo. I thank you for all its interesting and kind contents, and shall probably refer to some of them in my next.
I remain, Very Truly Yours,
James Thomson.
