Rev A Brandram No. 20
Grenada, March 23, 1833.
My Dear Friend,
My last letter to you was from Trinidad, and was written so soon after my arrival there, that I could give you no information as to Bible Society concerns in that island. I am sorry to say, that even now I have very little to communicate on that subject. I stopped just one week in Trinidad, although I had made my calculations for being two or three weeks there. I found, however, that things were in such a state, partly from the peculiar nature of the place, and partly from the present agitations in the island, that nothing could be done in the way of forming a Bible Society. From these considerations I gave up making any attempts, and resolved to leave the island by the first opportunity that should offer, for Grenada. From Barbados I had previously written to Mr. Fletcher, desiring him to find out a proper person to act as salesman of the Scriptures. This I found he had done ; and the only thing that remained for me to do was, to carry the arrangements made with this individual into fuller effect. This I accomplished, and thus established there a permanent public sale of the Scriptures—an object which I consider of some importance. To give more publicity to the sale, and to follow our Lord's directions in preaching from the house-tops, so far as we can, I inserted advertisements in the newspapers. Trinidad is, so far as language is concerned, in the same state in which Jerusalem was at the time of our Lord. The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin prevailed there at that time, and in Trinidad the English, French, and Spanish prevail. Our advertisement therefore in order to give proper effect must needs be in these three languages; and in these the languages accordingly it was inserted.
According to my intention already mentioned I seized the first opportunity of leaving Trinidad. An opportunity soon occurred, and I left out island late on the evening of the 4th instant, and arrived here in Grenada early on the Monday morning of the 7th.
In Grenada, I am happy to say, I have found a counterpart to Trinidad. I have met with a very friendly reception here in my endeavours to form a Bible Society; and I think I may say, that in no island I have yet visited in this quarter have I had a better reception at my commencement. I hope the results will correspond, and that you will find Grenada one of your best Auxiliaries among these islands.
I was happy to find that the rector of St. George's, the Capital of the island, was very friendly to our object. The Rev. J. C. Barker, the gentleman I now speak of, looks upon the Bible Society as an institution that every individual may and should encourage, whatever other object of a religious nature he may be engaged in; and he rejoices, too, that God in his providence has raised up and smoothed a common ground and platform, where all lovers of the Bible may meet and congratulate each other on their common faith in the word of God, and can join together in friendly and active endeavours to put it into the hands of all. Mr. Barker has fully verified these his sentiments to me, by giving me every aid and encouragement in my attempts to form an Auxiliary Society here. Mr. Barker is from Wales; and how could a minister from that country act otherwise than in friendship and cordiality towards an institution, which may be considered as having taken its rise, if not in, at least through means of, his native country? The present desire of the Welsh to possess the sacred Scriptures will and should be mentioned to their honour, wherever the British and Foreign Bible Society is named, and its operations felt. May God fill them all with a true and rich knowledge of his holy Word, and of the blessed Gospel which it unfolds! I know you will join me in this prayer for the Welsh ; and let us add to it another prayer, namely, that all nations may also be blessed similarly and speedily.
You see how the Welsh have drawn me, and I you, away from Grenada; but let us now both return. You are already aware that the Wesleyan missionaries in every place I visit are friendly to our objects, and most willing to promote them. So have I found it here. The Rev. Mr. Fidler has encouraged and helped me all he can, and his services have proved very useful. Among his own flock, also, I have found many favourers of our Society. I called upon the Roman Catholic clergyman here, and invited him to help us, or at least to join us. He refused, however, to unite with us, but professed himself most friendly, to the circulation of the Scriptures among his own people, but restricted himself to their own version and edition. I cannot help noticing here the good effects produced on the Catholics indirectly by the Bible Society, inasmuch as they have been induced thereby to encourage the reading of the Scriptures, under certain circumstances and limitations. So we found it in Mexico, as you are aware. Let us be fully assured, that by and by these adjuncts of "certain circumstances and limitations" will fall off, and the word of God will be read in its own native simplicity and purity. On every hand, in truth, we have reason to rejoice, and grounds for believing that our labours are not in vain; and let him that glorieth glory in the Lord.
The Welsh, you saw, led me away from Grenada a little ago, and now you see the Roman Catholics have done the same. But our withdrawment and digressions have been, in both cases, I hope, lawful, and not unprofitable. I promise now, however, not to digress again till I finish my letter. I have already told you that I met with a ready reception here in my proposal to establish a Bible Society in this island. When the friendly disposition towards our object had been seen, we resolved on calling a public meeting; and this accordingly we did, by advertising our purpose in the two newspapers published here. The day we fixed for our meeting was the 18th instant, and the place of our assembling was the court-house, which was most readily conceded to us for this purpose.
Soon after my arrival in the island I called on Sir James Campbell, the governor, and noticed to him what I had in view in visiting the island. He at once expressed his readiness to promote our objects. From what I had heard of Sir James's friendly disposition towards objects of this nature, I thought I would venture to invite him to honour us with his presence at our public meeting. This he willingly assented to, and took the chair on the occasion. The meeting was not numerously attended, yet there was a respectable number present, and among them a few ladies. When we were met, the usual circumstances of a meeting took place; several resolutions were proposed, seconded, and adopted, and different individuals addressed the meeting on the object of the Society which it was proposed to form. The Society was accordingly formed; and at the close of the meeting a subscription paper went round, and a pretty fair sum was put down — somewhat exceeding the amount subscribed at the meeting in Tobago, of which I wrote you in a former letter.
During our meeting, we were gratified and encouraged by an offer in writing, on the part of the publisher of one of our newspapers, of inserting the notices and advertisements of our Society, and of doing all our printing business, free of expense. This was very friendly, and may contribute not a little to the advancement of our cause here. Along with this you will receive a copy of the paper referred to, containing an account of our public meeting. I may also add, that the publisher of the other paper has recommended our object once and again, and is likely also, I believe, to give a statement of the occurrences at the meeting.
You are well aware that one of my objects in every place I visit is to make arrangements for a public and permanent sale of the Scriptures, and to give due notice thereof by public advertisements. This I have done here. Soon after the advertisements appeared, a person confined in jail sent an earnest request for a French Bible. This was forthwith sent him, and, as he was unable to pay for it, it was given him gratis.
Believe me My Dear Friend,
Very Truly Yours,
James Thomson.
P.S. On May 4th. instant I sent off from Trinidad per the Coriolanus on small case containing 14 Apocrypha Bibles which I found there in the Wesleyan Mission Store. Mr. Fletcher does not know when or how they came. J.T.