7. A word as to Bible Societies.

One of the earliest Bible societies is that connected with the Church of England known as "The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge," which was formed in March, 1698. This Society is not exclusively a Bible Society, but ranks along with the great Bible Societies.

The British and Foreign Bible Society was formed on March 7, 1804.

In America the first Bible Societies were as follows:

1808. The Philadelphia Bible Society.

1809. The Connecticut Bible Society. 1809. The Massachusetts Bible Society. 1809. The New York Bible Society. 1809. The New Jersey Bible Society.

A printed list issued in June, 1816, mentions 128 local Bible societies. In May, 1816, thirty-five of the local societies united in forming the American Bible Society. According to the latest returns (and allowing for versions which have become obsolete), there are now in circulation versions of Scripture in 443 languages and dialects. Of these versions the American Bible Society has aided in the translation, publication and circulation of about 120.

The British and Foreign Bible Society up to March, 1905, had issued 192,537,746 copies of the Bible complete or in parts in 390 different languages and dialects.

Up to April 1, 1905, the American Bible Society had issued 76,272,770 Bibles and portions, in 116 languages and dialects. There are other denominational and special Bible societies. The large and important missionary work of the various Churches could not possibly be carried on without the generous and liberal aid of the various Bible societies.

XXVI.

THE VARIOUS AUTHORITIES AVAILABLE FOR THE DIFFERENT ENGLISH VERSIONS.

The present statement as to the leading authorities consulted in the preparation of the various English versions of the Bible is based (mainly) on Westcott, No. 114, and Mombert, No. 89.

W

XXVII.

CONCLUDING WORDS.

E have endeavoured to tell the story of the origin and history of the English versions of the Bible.

In some quarters the notion has prevailed that the Bible has come down through the ages "unchanged from the time of Christ," or from the later date of the original manuscrips of the New Testament, none of which were written in the time of Christ. That such an idea is by no means confined to the uneducated classes is clear from the Swiss Declar ation of 1675, which Westcott (No. 112, page 278) characterizes as "the most exact and rigid declaration of the Inspiration of the Bible to be found in any public Confession of Faith." It is in its material part as follows:

"Almighty God not only provided that His Word, which is a power to everyone that believes, should be committed to writing through Moses, the Prophets and Apostles, but has also watched over it with a Fatherly care up to the present time, and guarded lest it might be corrupted by the craft of Satan or any fraud of man. The Hebrew volume of the Old Testament, which we have received from the Tradition of the Jewish Church, to which formerly the Oracles of God was committed, and retain at the present day, both in its consonants and in its vowels-the points themselves, or at least the force of the points, and both in its substance and in its words is divinely inspired, so that together with the volume of the New Testament, it is the single and uncorrupted Rule of our faith and life, by whose standard as by a touchstone, all versions which exist, whether Eastern or Western, must be tried, and wherever they vary be made conformable to it." This far exceeds the statement "unchanged from the