BIBLE SOCIETIES 615 ety (formed in 1799), related to them the des- titution of Wales and his desire for a new edi- tion of the Welsh Scriptures, and proposed to organize a society for the purpose. One of the committee, the Rev. Joseph Hughes (Baptist), replied, "Certainly; and if for Wales, why not for the world ? " On this idea the committee acted. Mr. Hughes sent out a call for a meet- ing to consider the project, and the Rev. C. F. A. Steinkopf (German Lutheran in London) offered to gather information concerning the destitution of the Scriptures in foreign lands, while others were to collect similar facts at home. The meeting, held at the London Tav- ern, March 7, 1804, consisted of about 300 of all denominations, churchmen and dissenters, including Quakers. Dr. Steinkopf 's report dis- closed an unexpected state of things, and many influential persons present immediately lent their cooperation to the work. The society commenced operations with a subscribed fund of 700, and appointed a president (Lord Teign- mouth) and other officers, with an executive committee of 36 laymen,, of whom 15 were of the church of England, 15 dissenters, and 6 resi- dent foreigners. The Rev. Joseph Hughes, the Rev. Josiah Pratt (who was soon succeeded by the Rev. John Owen, both of the church of Eng- land), and Dr. Steinkopf were the secretaries. The fundamental law declares the society's ex- clusive object to be to promote the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, without note or com- ment, both at home and in foreign lands, and restricts the English copies, for circulation at home, to the authorized version. The mem- bers pay a guinea annually, and have a discount on Bibles. The first object was to supply Wales, for which the society at once pub- lished an edition of 20,000 Bibles and 5,000 Testaments. The society soon extended its la- bors to the continent, the Turkish empire, In- dia, and other parts of the world. Roman Catholics for a time cooperated with Protes- tants in this work ; but their society, formed at Ratisbon in 1805 for translating into German and circulating the Bible, was abolished by a papal bull in 1817; and another at Presburg, for circulating the Scriptures in Hungarian, was similarly dealt with. The Russian Bible Society, authorized by an imperial ukase in 1813, was suspended by the same authority in 1826, and a Protestant Bible society was es- tablished in its place. The kings of Prussia, Bavaria, Sweden, and Wurtemberg have been patrons of Bible societies. Such societies have been established in almost all parts of the civ- ilized globe. The British and foreign Bible society alone had in 1870 4,263 auxiliaries, branches, and associations in Great Britain connected with it, besides 527 auxiliaries and branches of the Hibernian Bible society, 1,053 auxiliaries and branches in the colonies, and numerous agencies and depots in other parts of the world. The same society has issued, up to 1872, 63,299,738 volumes, of which 3,903,067 volumes were in the last year, its entire re- ceipts in cash for the same year being 180,- 314 19*. 2rf. The society had then directly promoted the translation, printing, or dis- tribution of the Scriptures in 150 languages or dialects, and indirectly in 50 others, making 200 in all. The first Bible society formed in the United States was the Philadelphia Bible society (1808), which was followed by the Bi- ble societies of Connecticut (May, 1809), Mas- sachusetts (July, 1809), New Jersey (latter part of 1809), New York city (1810), and others, to the number of 50 or 60 before 1816. The " American Bible Society " was formed in New York in May, 1816, by a convention of delegates from 35 local Bible societies and 4 from the society of Friends, making 60 persons in all. The constitution declares : " The sole object shall be to encourage a wider circulation of the Holy Scriptures, without note or com- ment. The only copies in the English lan- guage, to be circulated by the society, shall be of the version now in common use." "Each subscriber of $3 annually shall be a member. Each subscriber of $30 at one time shall be a member for life. Each subscriber of $150 at one time, or who shall by one additional payment increase his original subscription to $150, shall be a director for life ; but [this was added in 1872] he shall not be such director when he is in receipt of any salary, emolu- ment, or compensation for services from the society." The original officers of the society were the Hon. Ellas Boudinot, LL. D., presi- dent; 23 vice presidents; the Rev. John M. Mason, D. D., secretary for foreign correspon- dence; the Rev. John B. Romeyn, D. D., sec- retary for domestic correspondence; John Pintard, LL. D., recording secretary and ac- countant ; Richard Varick, treasurer ; and 36 managers. All the original officers served gratuitously. The first paid officer was John Nitchie, agent and accountant (1819), subse- quently general agent and assistant treasurer. The Rev. John C. Brigham, D. D., assistant secretary 1826-'8, and corresponding secretary 1828-'62, was in his long service almost iden- tified with the society. The presidents since Mr. Boudinot have been the Hon. John Jay, 1821-'8 ; the Hon. Richard Varick (first treas- urer), 1828-'31 ; the Hon. John Cotton Smith, 1831-'45; the Hon. Theodore Frelinghuysen, 1846-'62; the Hon. Luther Bradish, 1862-'3; James Lenox, Esq., 1864-'71 ; Wm. II. Allen, LL. D., 1872. The Methodist Bible society was dissolved in 1836, and since 1840 one of the secretaries has been from that denomina- tion. The present secretaries (1873) are the Rev. Joseph Holdich, D. D., elected in 1849, and the Rev. Edward W. Oilman, elected in 1871 ; the treasurer is William Whitlock, jr., elected in 1840; the assistant treasurer, An- drew L. Taylor, elected in 1869; general agent, Caleb T. Rowe, elected in 1854. The society's receipts for the first year were $37,779 35, and it issued 6,410 Bibles and Testaments; for the 56th year, ending March 30, 1872, its receipts
