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hood of man is not to remairi a merely pious aspira–
tion, must become a book accessible to all.'
'A copy of the Scriptures, as faithfully translated
as scholarship can render them, is one of the few
things that change hands in this modern world of
which it can be said without qualification that the
giving is good and the gift perfect.'
The specimens of 590 different tongues in the
preceding pages graphically illustrate the extent of
our translation work.
From depots in nearly a hundred principal cities
in the world, by means of the Society's 1,000 col–
porteurs, and by the co-operation of many mission–
aries, about 10,000,000 copies of Scriptures are
·circulated each year, bringing the total circulation
since its foundation to about 375,000,000.
The Society has made the Bible the cheapest and
most accessible of books. It supplies the over-seas
missions of almost every Reformed Church with the
Scriptures which they need.
It
co-operates with
the missionarie in preparing the versions ; it prints
the editions, bears the loas
in
volved in their sale at
reduced rices, and pays the carriage of the volumes
to the
f~rtnest
mission-stations. Its popular editions
supply the Sunda -schools and home missions of
nearly every Christian denomination, and all the
varied agencies of religious and philanthropic
activity.
The world-wide spread of education is raising
up millions of new readers every year. The vast
modern movements of emigration create linguistic
needs which no other institution can meet. The
triumphs of Christian missions involve ever-in–
creasing claims upon the funds of the Bible Society.
On the whole, out of every .f:1 which the Society
spends in producing and distributing the Scriptures,
it is receiving back less than 8s. as the proceeds of
sales. The Society stands in urgent need of more
generous support from lovers of the Bible, so that
it may continue its sacred mission.
Gifts may be sent to the Secretaries, British and
Foreign Bible Society, 146, Queen Victoria Street,
London.
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