Mr. Hitchin
Greenock, 27th August 1850
My Dear Sir,
I had purposed to see you about this time, having expected to be at Frankfort to attend the great Peace Congress[1] there, an object in which I feel much interest. Things so turned out that my more immediate duty seemed to be that I should at this period occupy my time in Scotland, in pleading, as I am doing, for Spain and Portugal, and those other countries connected with them in language.
Last week I spent a day with Mr. John Henderson in the neighbourhood of Glasgow, and whom you probably know personally, or at all events by name. He is the gentleman who has laboured so much in the Sabbath cause.
Mr Henderson gave me to read the copy of a letter addressed to you by W. Marriott, dated Basle, the 15th inst. In that letter it is stated that Mr. W. (I suppose Mr. Weimar) circulated Bibles with the Apocrypha in them, and printed at the expense of the B. and F. Bible Society. This statement appears to me very singular, and if true is certainly greatly wrong, considering the delicate position of the Bible Society on this point. It would seem that you had stated to Dr. Marriott that Mr. Weimar was at liberty to circulate Bibles with the Apocrypha, as he was not an agent of the Bible Society. That the Society Bibles are sold at places where Bible with the Apocrypha are also sold, but not its property, is I believe true, and understood by the Society, but considering that Mr. Weimar was so much or nearly altogether employed by the Society and paid by him is a different case, and I should not think the Society would authorise or tolerate him to circulate these Apocrypha Bibles. How Bibles were issued, with the Apocrypha at the expense of the S. I do not understand.
It is further stated that Mr. Weimar circulated Bibles having in them Lists of the Epistles and Gospels, with Saints Days including the Days of the Virgin Mary, and also that the Confession of Augsburg was bound up in the Bibles he circulated. Surely these things were wrong and highly so.
It appears by the letter before me that you declined entering on proper inquiries in this matter so as to ascertain the nature and whole extent of the evil. I am not fully aware of the various circumstances connected with this concern, but as far as I do see into them, I think it was a pity such investigation was not gone into, and the evil forthwith corrected.
I hope you have seen it good to attend to his present letter and within the period mentioned which will end to morrow.
I am here you see in Scotland where this Apocrypha concern is not yet forgotten. I thought I could speak with perfect confidence and to the purity of the Society on the point, but not so, if Dr. M's statements are correct. Please write to me on this.
I shall be returning to London before long, and shall necessarily have some conversation with Mr. Brandram on the subject, as this is not the first communication from Mr. Henderson respecting it, and the matter should be fully understood and settled.
I called on Mrs Trueman the other day in Newton Place, Glasgow, but she had just left.
With kind regards to all your family, believe me,
Yours Very Truly,
James Thomson.
[1] Third General Peace Congress, 22-24 August, 1850, organised by Quakers. (BM)