Rev A Brandram No.
Kingston, Jamaica, 23rd January 1836
My Dear Friend,
I stated to you in my last the arrangements Mr. Wheeler and myself have before us, in fulfillment of the wishes of the Society has to our being in each other's company for some time. The first sketch for our operations was given up, in consequence of facilities arising nearer home for accomplishing our object. In the neighbourhood of Kingston and Spanish Town we have found openings for forming several Bible Associations, and these institutions I always consider in every point of view the chief part of our work, and that which brings more particularly into view the West India features of Bible Society operations. In addition to this we have had opportunities of being together in Kingston in different meetings of the Committee of the Jamaica Bible Society.
Lastly we planned an excursion into the Parish of St. Thomas in the East, in order to revive things there, and to add to the number and efficiency of our Bible Associations in that quarter. This excursion being over it was intended that Mr. Wheeler should leave Jamaica for Hayti, and the Islands to the Eastward of it. But on the 13th instant Mr. Wheeler was taken ill of fever, and though that has left him, he is not yet sufficiently recovered to set out in his tour through the numerous and interesting islands that lie before him. He is at present at Amity Hall Estate – a place I formerly mentioned to you, and I expect him here in a few days. He will not write by this Packet, as the shortness of its stay here precludes people in the country from knowing of its arrival in sufficient time to forward letters to Kingston to go by it. But for this illness Mr. Wheeler would have sailed this day according to our calculations.
In what I have said about you will see the manner in which we have occupied our time since the date of my last letter. The success of our labours is encouraging; the desire to obtain the Bible by the Apprentices increases, our subscribers are numerous in many places, and not to be despised in the others: and in short the Bible bids fair to pay a visit to every negro's house in the Island, and there to take up its abode permanently as an ephod for daily use. May God effect this object of our fond and encouraged hope. Our prospects, I say again, are cheering, and scarcely a cloud but one is seen to dull and discourage our expectations. That cloud, strange as it may appear, seems to arise from Earl Street.
I now give you some extracts from letters I have lately received from our Bible friends in the country; and these will show you how our affairs stand, and how they move, in various lights.
"In the business of our Parish Bible Society, [says one correspondent,] I regret to say, we have made no further movements. I saw Mr.__________ last week, but could come to no conclusion. Indeed the chief reason of my addressing you today, is to urge you, if you can, to take the matter into your own the vigourous hands, or nothing will be done, and no preparations made for the public meeting. To my sorrow I shall be unable to take any active share in the Society, but I think it right to inform you, that having before me the prospect of leaving the Island in a few weeks, for six or eight months, a variety of preparatory engagements entirely occupy my time and attention."
Another correspondent writes as follows: – "I fancy that in the course of another week all the subscriptions for Bibles will be filled up. There are upwards of 300 subscribers in my congregations, and I do not think there are cases enough of Bibles at Black River to supply the wants of the Parish. I took occasion in my sermon on the New Year's Day from the text, 'Lay hold on eternal life,' to allude to the claims of the Bible Society, and to urge upon the people the propriety of getting the Bible into their houses, one and all, as the best way to commence the New Year; and told them, that it would be an era in their lives, when everyone would see a Bible in their houses. There are numbers who have been enlightened through the simple perusal of the Scriptures. During the days of oppression and ignorance, there were many whom I taught to read in the Sunday schools, but who had no other guide, I may say, than the Bible; for what was one sabbath's sermon in three weeks to avail in the blessed work of reformation which has taken place among them, had it not been for the New Testaments which they used to study, I was going to say, by night and by day many of them, especially the Grossmonde congregation. I have heard them say over and over again, numbers of them, that having been awakened in the first instance by the preaching of the word, they were afterwards drawn on to know the will of God simply by reading the Scriptures. I here mention the gospel of John as more frequently referred to by them. I take not a little comfort in knowing that almost 500 of my people will soon have a copy of the whole Bible in their houses. The married people's names I have promised to enter in my own hand writing and those of their children, which appears to please them much. I hope to be able to do something among them toward subscribing for the perishing millions who have not the word of God, and I trust that in this the Lord will favour us with his blessing."
The third correspondent thus writes: – "I am sorry that you still think of going to the continent of South America, contrary I am sure, to the remonstrances of all your friends. Why leave Jamaica where you have so much to do? – and where you have been so well received? I am most decidedly of opinion that you have had your share of the difficulties and fatigues of America, and that someone of the younger agents should proceed to that country, and leave you to manage us in Jamaica. I am sure very few succeed so well as you have done in obtaining the concurrence of persons of such various characters and opinions as to be found among the members of the Bible Society in this Island. But I suppose you have already made up your mind on the subject which renders it quite useless to reason with you. I am sure however Mrs. Thomson will be on our side, and she will be a powerful auxiliary. You will have our prayers, that the Lord may direct you in this matter."
"In reply to your query, I will give you the following information, which I trust will convince you that I have acted according to the criterion of wisdom to which you refer. I attended the Committee of the Trelawney Society, and got satisfactory arrangements made in reference to Auxiliary Associations. On the same day I called on Mr. Knibb, (with whom I met Messrs. Burchell and Dendy,) and invited him to assist me in forming the Hampden Association. To this he readily assented, and on the day appointed came up with Mrs. Knibb and Mr. Robinson. It was an interesting meeting, the church being nearly full of people above and under, and both Mr. Knibb and Mr. Robinson addressed them with much effect."
"My time at present is so much occupied that I cannot make out an exact statement of the New Testaments distributed among the Apprentices, but I will do so, as soon as my annual letter and other pressing business is finished; at the same time I shall inform you, as you desire, of everything regarding them of an interesting nature. – I should have mentioned to you above in its proper place, that the proceeds of our first month's subscription to the Bible Association was – Twenty Pounds."
The first of these extracts is written by the Rev. Mr. Zorn, the superintendent of the Moravian Missions here; the second extract is by the Rev. Mr. Hylton, and the third my the Rev. Mr. Blyth, all of whom a good and zealous friends of our Society. – I do not know that I should make any comment on what they have said, and probably it is better to leave you to make your own comments, non- note-and-comment-man though you be.
Turning now, at the conclusion of this letter, to my poor self, I would say, as I said before, that I know not well what to say. I was foolish enough in my last, to signify that I was wiser than you, in regard to arrangements for this Island. I am sorry to say, that I am not yet quite cured of this foolish fancy. Perhaps a little more time may make me better, and if so I shall inform you. –You say in your letter of the 30th October as follows: –"I think that you hardly have the correct idea when you imagine that Agencies are considered by us as burdens. I think our one and common feeling is, that if there be a prospect of circulating the Scriptures judiciously with a fair and reasonable expectation that they will be read we should think that, quite apart from pecuniary returns, the expenditure wisely and fitly incurred in each and every country you have named. But the question to be solved is, what is the amount of distribution, probable distribution, that would justify an experiment being made."
I feel disposed enough to gainsay this statement of your views; for I have named among other parts, the Island of Jamaica, and I think facts have shown you the prospects here in regard to distribution, come up to, and greatly go beyond, what you here say would warrant you to keep up an Agency: and yet you say – No; and your further add, as you have done by enactment, that you will not even adventure half an Agency in this case. Now judge where the truth is.
Pray, my dear Brother, excuse this freedom of writing, and believe me, though it seems otherwise, that that I am very respectfully yours, and also affectionately.
James Thomson.
P.S. Your letter of the 30th of Nov. arrived on the 13th instant.