Rev A Brandram No 79
Montreal, 16th February 1839
My Dear Friend,
In commencing this letter, I beg leave to notify to you the holding of the Annual Meeting of the Montreal Bible Society. Monday, the 4th Feb instant, was the day appointed for the meeting, the hour was seven in tin evening, and the place one of the largest churches in this city. I am happy to inform you, that that large place was filled and crowded on this occasion, and I may add, with interested spectators and hearers; that is to say, with persons to all appearance feeling an interest in the great Bible object which brought them together. But I speak correctly too, when I say this was an interested assembly; for who is not an interested person in the effects of a Bible meeting?
The platform was well supplied with ministers representing the different churches in this place. There were only two representatives wanting. One of these from the body that honours the Scriptures the least, or rather tramples upon them, and the other from that which honours them the most. This riddle you can explain at your leisure; and I would only here add, that there was little wonder that the absence of the former of these bodies, but it is most wonderful, and I may say most inconsistent, that a Bible Meeting should not have a ministerial representative from a church in which the Scriptures are more read in public than in any other in all Christendom. I hope both these churches noticed will be converted to the right way in due time; and they will to a certainty be both converted in this that a particular, and the Bible and Bible meetings will convert them.
The crowded audience referred to, listened with the closest attention to the several speakers till a late hour, and testified their approbation in a collection of thirty pounds, or 120 dollars. I may here put in also, that the immediate and closest friends of the Bible Society were much gratified for some days after the meeting, by hearing from various individuals o the audience, their expressions of satisfaction with the meeting, and cordiality in its great object. I notice these several circumstances, as descriptive of the state of your Bible Society here; and I may well say, you have obtained a broad and firm standing in this community, which will never be altered, I trust, except by increase.
Our report is just leaving the press, and I shall avail myself of a certain liberty I have of transmitting you a few copies by post. You will find much in this report to interested, and will be glad to see that in the midst of war, we have made such progress in the way of peace. Our motto is, "Peace, peace, to them that are far off, and to them that are near." I send you a newspaper in which you will see a short account of our public meeting, drawn up by are worthy friend the Rev. Mr. Curry, whom I mentioned to you as the companion of my form our Bible tour in this mission.
You will see that we had with us the Rev. Peter Jones, an individual of course well known to you in several respects. We were all much interested in his accounts of what God had done for his poor countrymen, the Indians of this territory; and by means, as he well pointed out, of the Bible.
Before I leave off speaking of the Montreal Bible Society, it is but right I should specially notice the manner in which the Committee meetings are attended. There is always a good, and I may say a large assemblage, and every body present seems to feel much interest in the concerns that are treated of. I may add also, that the meetings have been frequent and have therefore claimed a considerable share of the time of those who attend them. Altogether the standing and the prospects of the Montreal Bible Society are very encouraging. Blessed be God for the same, and may He who has brought us to this state, increase us from year to year and honour us greatly in the advancement of his kingdom.
In my letter to Mr. Hitchin No. 28 I enclosed a Bill for sixty pounds sent me from Perth, Bathurst District, upper Canada. That sum was for books, and I now give you the invoice I got along with the bill. They wish for [see below].
They say, "we should like these books sent out as early as possible, directed to Ward J. Bell, Perth, Upper Canada, care of Messrs B. Hart & Co., Montreal. We should prefer their being shipped direct to Montreal, as if unloaded at Quebec we should be put to some extra expense." They will of course cause them to be insured. If any money remains after accounting the order, you may mentioned that they can put in a few copies more of the English 4to Bibles, say not however to exceed in all 18 or 20 copies of that description.
This invoice will you please fulfill notwithstanding what I have said about what I may call perhaps my depot here, as mentioned in my letter No 76. Of that letter, I may here mention that I sent a copy of it, with some additions consisting of extracts from the minutes of the committee meeting held here relating to some of the statements made in the letter.
I have heard it regretted here by different persons, that so few copies of your last report were sent to this society. And now, though the Bible year is far advanced, they still beg me to write you for 30 or 40 copies of the same last year's report of 1838.
The noticing of this brings to my mind, that I had regrets expressed in the American Bible Society House in New York on this same subject, that you had sent there but few reports, Brief Views &c., and they indicated clearly, that they would be glad to receive more, and could use them to advantage.
I know not whether I should venture to ask you for a set of your reports, and of your extracts, and of your Bible pamphlets, for our Bible library here. But certain I am, that if you would send us than we should feel greatly obliged by your kindness.
By the way the mention of these pamphlets reminds me, that I have heard our Mr. Jamaica Tinson say, that he had begged these pamphlets bound up, and that Mr. Jackson said and wrote in answer to the petition – Yea, but that the fulfillment was – Nay. Be kind enough to notice this to our good friend beside you, why am sure will be glad to oblige Mr. Tinson on the matter referred to, as in all others within his reach.
The Jamaica letter, containing a view of Bible Society operations there, was sent off to you from hence some time since, and will very soon I trust be in your hands. In referring to an order for Bibles, in that document, from one single parish in Jamaica, then (October) in your hands, I believe I have said 4500 instead of 2400. The order I referred to is from Mr. McMurray of the Manchester Bible Society. Please look at that order and correct my letter by it.
All your letters for me in future (until further advice) please address direct to Montreal, instead of sending them to the American Bible Society House, New York as before desired. The Post Office arrangements I find admit of this. I formerly desired that letters should be sent to me only by the New York Packet ships. But, they may be sent by them, or by the steamer, as may be most convenient. I may here mention that there is a regular post between this and Halifax, so that you could also send in this way, should you at any particular time think it desirable, say in forwarding a duplicate. But New York affords the quickest and best transit for letters from England to Canada, both lower and upper.
Mr. Jackson's letter to Mr. Wilkes, dated I think of September, concerning the employment of Mr. Dupuis, was somehow overlooked, by its coming here when Mr. Wilkes was absent. Mr. Dupuis has been spoken to, and is to begin his operations as a Bible vender in a few days.
Soon after I came here, I wrote letters to all the 16 auxiliaries, to which I wrote from Jamaica under date 12 September. From some of those I have received answers, and of a very satisfactory nature. One I received lately was from Frederickton, New Brunswick. It is from the secretary of the Bible Society there "Henry Fisher", and he tells me, that the Rev. W Temple, whose name stands as secretary in your last Report, has not resided in that quarter these 17 years. Please to interchange these names in your next Report.
In a few days I intend to set out on a long tour over the Upper Province, going to Toronto, and to places west of it, as far as societies exist at present, or maybe formed, should materials and circumstances be favourable.
I remain, My Dear Friend,
Very Truly Yours,
James Thomson.
