Rev A Brandram No.58
Kingston, Jamaica, 27th January 1837
My Dear Friend,
My last letter to you of the 16th November, finished, as you would perceive, the notices of our Bible Society concerns for the County of Cornwall in this Island for the year 1836. A retrospective view of the whole county was then also set before you, as to the wishes and the efforts of the people generally in that portion – the third part of our land, in regard to the purchase and possession of the Holy Scriptures. May God grant that the gratifying exertions made in this matter, may be attended with blessed effects never to end. – You will see by the request made for 4000 Bibles that we calculate on future distributions.
Leaving Falmouth and Cornwall, I entered the parish of St. Ann's, and our county of Middlesex. Previous to my entering this parish I had written to the various Ministers in it from whom I expected immediate help, apprising them of my intentions soon to be with them, and of my wish to form there a parish Bible Society similar to those formed elsewhere. On the 25th November a public meeting was held in the Court House at St. Ann's Bay for the end just mentioned, and our Society was accordingly formed, after being advocated by the presence and the speeches of Ministers and persons of different denominations. There was a large assembly present; and I might truly say, where it a propriety so to speak, that the house was full inside and out.
I have, I believe, on several occasions noticed to you the good order exhibited generally or universally by our Bible Society audiences in the West Indies, and the interesting close attention of the people to the great objects set before them. In the public meeting at St. Ann's Bay this was not, all through, the case. After moving and seconding our first resolution, it was of course proposed from the Chair to the meeting for that approval. Upon this, a considerable murmur and noise commenced. We endeavoured to bring all into quietness, but without effect for some time. At length silence was half restored, and we began our second resolution, thinking that the Speaker's voice would produce order, and which accordingly it did, though not instantaneously. Well, the mover finished, and the second reading having begun and ended, the Chairman proposed this second resolution to the meeting, when lo, and behold, up got the noise again, and as loud and general as before. We poor platform people, and those near us, were all in wonderment as to what could be the cause of such an unusual occurrence. For the noise was chiefly from the middle of the room onwards to the end. The Chairman tried to lecture the audience into order, and some others of us did the same, but we could not produce the effect desired. After talking and waiting for a good while, being obliged to begin our third resolution amidst a half commotion still continued. The Speaker's voice once more brought about order, and the third resolution was moved and seconded. At the Chairman's suggestion, we forbore putting the resolution, having perceived once and again before, that this gave rise to our troubles. We therefore passed the resolution among ourselves privately, and proceeded to the next, in the midst of all order and quietness. In the same manner we passed the remaining resolutions, and all went on quietly to a close, when the meeting broke up in peace.
We went to our homes, about why and the cause of this commotion we could not one of us divine. Next day however there was light thrown upon the subject. And what was the cause of the settlement, and the ebullition, do you think? Why cause enough, and something more. The people had got it into their heads, put there by somebody or not, as the case might be, – the purpose and object of our meeting, was, to lengthen the Apprenticeship, and to bind the people, forsooth, for yet Seven Years longer. Was not this cause enough think you for commotion among an audience consisting chiefly of Apprentices? When we asked the people to hold up their hands in approbation of our resolutions, they thought we asked them to give a show of hands to signify their consent and acquiescence to be bound for a period of Seven Years more. The noise therefore arose from dissatisfaction with this feigned proposal of hours. "Don't hold up your hand," said many voices to many ears, "but if you do, you agree to be bound for the seven years more." Thus and thus did those who thought they were fully initiated in our wicked designs call out to those who had not heard of it more than we ourselves, and dissuade them from acquiescence; and then there was the pulling down of hands held up, and all the talking and talking about it, and all the talking that this gave rise to; and hence all our commotion and disturbance. We heard that some persons not themselves instructed in the Bible, and not willing that others should be instructed in it, had put this lie into the people's mind, and two or three accidental circumstances seem to lend an apparent confirmation. [Some said, but that might be a lie too, that Satan himself was there embodied, not with a black face as we feign him, but with a white one; and that he was most active with his tongue from place to place among the audience persuading the people that our whole and only plan was to lengthen out the Apprenticeship. I did not see, not hear, nor know this διάβολος myself, but some acquainted better with that place than I was gave me the number of his name; and some time afterwards this number was given to the public in the newspapers. It was not however given by your agent, whose duty it is to avoid entering into a railing accusations.]
On the day following, after we had found out the matter, we talked to several persons on the market place, (for that was market day), and elsewhere, and also on the Sunday succeeding, showing what a gross mistake the people had fallen into, and how improper it was to give ear for a moment to the report in question, as of their Ministers in whose word they might have learned to rely, and who had always sought their good and never their hurt, – as if they would ever have proposed such a thing to them. It was about the Bible – the Bible – and only the Bible we said [as] we talked to them, as their own ears might have testified. They were ashamed of the whole concern, and signified that they would act more wisely in future. A reaction, I doubt not, will take place; and thus, as in all other devices of the devil, his evil designs will be made to work for the glory of God. How noble is our object! How great is He who is for us! How abortive all the wiles of the devil! Let us go on, for we shall prosper!
From St. Ann's I moved into the parish of St. Mary, lying contiguous on the Eastward. Here I had been in March and had done something in the forming of two Bible Associations. These were, on the present occasion, reminded of the object they had entered upon, and are urged to go onward. The next operation was to form a parish Bible Society here. A public meeting was held in the Court House for this end at Port Maria on the 9th of December and a Society was formed under the countenance and support of Ministers of different denominations. I wish I could have said – of all denominations in the parish; but I am sorry to say there was an exception as regards the largest, and which I need not, and shall not name. The saying of this leads me to look over all our parish Bible societies in the Island, and I am gratified in the review, in observing that none of them are in the predicament of St. Mary's, but that all of them are supported by some of the Ministers of the largest denomination referred to.
After forming this parish Society I proceeded into the interior of the country, and formed an association in one of the Scottish Missionary Stations, namely, Carron Hall, the congregation being under the Rev. John Cowan, a true Bible and Bible Society man. – Into this interior spot we found that the lie formed in St. Ann's Bay had reached. We calculated on having a large meeting, but were disappointed not a few having kept back purposely, and in order that by keeping away they might not be bound to a longer Apprenticeship. Few lies lose by travelling, but this one fortunately had; for the seven years had diminished into Four: still this was a long enough time to be dreaded. On Mr. Cowan's afterwards rallying some of the people who had stayed away, they acknowledged that it was wrong for them to have given ear to the report, but that in truth, their hearts have been broken down on hearing it, and feeling it, and that they had not courage to come. On a second trial we found things better; and here too, I trust, we shall have reaction, which will produce much good.
On finishing matters in St. Mary's, as far as he could well be carried at the time, I left that parish, and came on, to St Ann's, St. Thomas in the Vale, and Spanish Town, to this city, where I now write, and arrived on the last day of the elapsed year.
January is the time we hold our May Meetings here. We venture not of course to compare our Meetings with yours, yet we have here in the city of Kingston several interesting meetings and anniversaries calculated to remind us at least of your many meetings and great assemblages. We have about seven meetings, and probably they will increase in number as the years follow each other. This is a most wonderful contrast to former things and times here, and serves to remind us of the wonders God has wrought for us.
We all agree to set the Bible Society forward first, as the best and the basis of all. Our meeting was held on Monday last the 23rd instant, and was well supported by Ministers of various denominations. We trust good has been done, and that the notoriety we endeavoured to reduce would lead to a better understanding of our great object, and an extension of our sacred work. I send you a newspaper giving you some account of our anniversary, and notices also of other analogous institutions.
Your letter of the 28th November, and Mr. Jackson's of the 29th came to hand the day before yesterday. I notice what you say about £10,000. The error is mine, forgive me. I put in the word sterling, as all monies here are considered to be in currency unless the word sterling is written, and I overlooked the "three percent consols". The effort will not do any harm I trust, as it stands only in these two local reports, and will not appear in the Report now to be printed.
The publishing about the reduction in our prices must also be laid to my charge, and not to that of our friends. You gave us a boon, and why should it not be known. No evil will arrive from its publication I should think, but we will keep it also out of our forthcoming report. – Including for the reduction of prices, I followed not my own judgment, but was compelled to it by the impossibility of inducing our friends generally to sell at the full price, after various attempts in person and by correspondence. I exhibited what you said in one of your letters on the subject; but many and most were anxious to encourage the circulation of the Scriptures among our people by a reduced price, and they conceived that the endurance of former times, and our low estate still, justified some abatement in their favour. And this is true. Nor do I think you will ultimately lose by your concession. I think the people will gain by it, and that you also will gain by it.
I am delighted to hear of Mr. Wheeler's success in Berbice, etc. Pray do send me all the accounts you print about the same, for I shall read them with much interest. I am sure Mr. Wray will be greatly cheered by what his people are doing.
And so Mr. Simon is gone! May our end be like his, which you describe to be – "pre-eminently peace, solid peace, perfect peace."
Believe me, Ever Sincerely Yours,
James Thomson.
P.S. Your letter of the 24th October came into my hands on the 31st December: and Mr. Jackson's of the 7th December reached me this morning. – We are all looking our eyes out for the Bibles.
I send a remittance of Fifty Pounds from the Manchester Bible Society.