Rules and Regulations recommended for adoption by Branch Societies. 9. That the whole of the subscriptions and donations received by this Society shall be remitted half-yearly, after deducting incidental expenses, to the Auxiliary Bible Society of —, on condition of such society granting to this the same privileges which the Parent Institution grants, in such case, to its Auxiliary Societies. 10. That the Committee shall make it their business to inquire (either personally or by means of Bible Associations) what families or individuals residing within the several districts are in want of Bibles or Testaments, and unable to procure them; and that it shall be the duty of the Committee to furnish them therewith at prime cost, reduced prices, or gratis, according to their circumstances. 11. That such persons as may not find it convenient to become members of this society shall, upon forming themselves into Bible Associations (and sending a copy of their Rules to the Committee), be entitled to purchase, at the depository of this society, under the direction of the Committee, copies of the Scriptures at prime cost, for gratuitous distribution, or sale at prime cost or reduced prices, among their poorer neighbours. 12. That all clergymen, and other ministers, within the sphere of this society, making collections in their respective congregations in behalf of the institution, shall be entitled, on remitting such collections to the Treasurer of this society, to receive Bibles and Testaments to an amount not exceed ing one-half of the said respective collections, estimated at prime cost, as shall be found to be needed by the poor in the vicinity; such return of Bibles and Testaments to be claimed within one year from the remittance of the collection. It is recommended, in all practicable cases, to supply the poor by sale, rather than by gift. 13. That a General Meeting of the subscribers be held at the in each year, when the accounts shall be presented, the proceedings of the past year stated, a new Committee formed, and a Report agreed upon, to be printed under the direction of the Committee, and circulated among the Members. 14. That, in the formation of the New Committee, the (President, VicePresidents) Treasurer, Secretaries, and such three-fourths of the other Members as have most frequently attended the Committee, shall be reeligible for the ensuing year. 15. That be President, Secretaries, and ensuing. Treasurer, Vice Presidents, 16. That annual subscriptions and donations be now entered into, and that they be also received by the treasurer, (secretaries,) and the several bankers of this town and neighbourhood. 17. That these Resolutions be published in such manner as the Committee may direct; and a copy of them, signed by the chairman, transmitted to the President of the Auxiliary Bible Society at 18. That the Committee meet the instant, at -- o'clock, and prepare, print, and circulate an address on the objects and views of this society. 3. The "Observations" on the Rules of an Auxiliary Society (see Section II. of this Chapter) are equally applicable to those of a Branch Society; and the few verbal alterations which are necessary, in order to adapt the By-Laws (see Section III.) to the design of the latter, will readily suggest themselves to the reader. Observations on the Rules. 4. When one or more individuals feel disposed to establish a Branch Bible Society in the town or district where they reside, they should proceed towards the attainment of their object in the manner described in Section IV.; only deriving the requisite assistance from the Committee of the Auxiliary Society with which they propose to connect themselves, instead of applying to that of the Parent Institution. But as it more frequently happens that the impulse is given by the District Committee of the Auxiliary Society, in fulfilling the duties prescribed by the XVIth By-Law, it may be proper to observe, that much will depend on the prudence and wisdom of their preliminary proceedings. Those individuals to whom the design is first communicated should be persons of local respectability and influence, and the object and plan of the society be thoroughly explained to them, before any measures are adopted for calling a General Meeting and establishing the society. Important as is the design, and replete with blessings wherever it has been steadily pursued, it should never be forced on the public attention, in opposition to the wishes of those who are most competent to judge of its expediency. Delay may sometimes be as much a duty as despatch, and may be rendered more profitable by the prudent circulation of full and accurate information on the subject. 5. The mode of organizing a Branch Society,-the duties of the officers and Committee,-the mode of conducting the Committee Meetings,-and the forms of the books and papers, are so similar to those already described, that it is only necessary to refer the reader to the preceding Sections. Every suggestion which may be found useful to the officers or Committee of an Auxiliary Society, is equally applicable to those of a Branch Society, who should cultivate, by every means in their power, that mutual confidence and good understanding which has hitherto characterized the various parts of the system, and facilitated all their proceedings. 6. Where the seat of a Branch Society is at a considerable distance from that of the Auxiliary with which it is connected, it may be found advantageous to the former to avail itself of the following regulation, adopted in the spring of 1818 by the Parent Society : "The Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, desirous of rendering the utmost practicable facility in furnishing Bibles and Testaments to every department connected with their Auxiliary Societies, respectfully inform the several Committees, that, where it may be found more con. Two-fold object of Auxiliary Societies. venient to have their Branch Societies supplied direct from the depository in London, they may authorise their Branches to remit their moneys and orders to the house of the Parent Institution, when they will be regularly entered to the account of the Auxiliary Society, as though transmitted through the medium of its officers." It should be distinctly understood, that this arrangement is dependent, in all cases, on the mutual consent of the respective Auxiliary and Branch Societies, between which the most perfect unanimity ought always to subsist. And it will be evident, that a statement of all remittances made, and the particulars of all Bibles and Testaments received, should be immediately furnished by the Secretaries of the Branch Societies to those of the Auxiliaries, in order that the accounts of the latter may agree with the books of the Parent In stitution. SECTION VII. GENERAL REMARKS. 1. It has been truly remarked, that "in no respect is the British and Foreign Bible Society more peculiarly distinguished, than by the facility with which it has been found to adapt itself to the circumstances of mankind, and the capability which it has thereby shewn of converting to its use whatever could forward its purposes, or conduce to its improvement." -And with equal justice it may be added, that, in the application of those diversified means, the fundamental principles of the institution have been preserved inviolate; and the system, throughout its various parts, has been founded and progressively matured with a strict observance of the singleness and purity of that object which it is designed to promote. 2. Nor will it be less evident to the reader, that the whole organization of an Auxiliary, or Branch Society, proceeds according to a clear and intelligible line, which distinctly recognises the two-fold object of their establishment:first, the adoption of measures for the supply of their local deficiencies; and, secondly, a co-operation with the Parent Society in promoting the universal dissemination of the holy scriptures. That the system detailed in the preceding sections of this chapter is calculated to effect both, has been sufficiently proved in the comparative statement introduced in the third * Owen's History, Vol. III. p. 354. Many Societies defective in their organization. division of Section XIV. Chapter I.; and it only remains to consider its practical operation in a few points, which could not, with propriety, be introduced under any of the preceding heads. 3. It will readily be acknowledged, that many Auxiliary and a still greater number of Branch Societies in the United Kingdom are susceptible of a higher degree of organization than they have hitherto received. Most of them were esta blished before the system had reached its present state of perfection; and the incessant claims on the time and attention of the officers of the Parent Institution have not left them at liberty to adopt such measures, in reference to this important subject, as the nature of the case demands. While this consideration affords an additional argument for that increase of agents which has been recommended in a former part of this work, it furnishes a powerful motive to those who occupy this responsible station, to investigate the actual state of the societies they visit, and to attend, not their General Meetings only, but their Committees, where alone this knowledge can be acquired, and the system be practically adopted. If this plan were steadily and perseveringly pursued throughout the empire, the results would be incalculably beneficial, not only in promoting the primary object of local societies, but in extending the means and increasing the usefulness of the Parent Institution. 4. But the organization of Auxiliary and Branch Societies, however important, can never supersede the necessity of a regular, or at least occasional attendance of their Annual Meetings by the Officers of the Parent Society. The advantages derived from their assistance on these occasions are known and appreciated thoughout the nation, and cannot be better described than in the following extract from the Tenth Report: "For much of that vigor which has characterized the Auxiliary Societies in several parts of the country, your Committee are authorised by those Auxiliary Societies to say, that they are indebted to the seasonable visits and zealous services of your secretaries, whose exertions during the past year, both in discharging their official and these extraordinary duties, have given them a renewed claim to the respect and gratitude of the society." 5. As it is through the medium of Bible Associations that the local wants of the district can be most accurately known and most efficiently supplied, the Committee of an Auxiliary, or Branch Society, should direct their early attention to the establishment and proper organization of those highly Mode of conduct proper to pursue towards Associations. important institutions. The mode of proceeding will be fully explained and illustrated in the succeeding Chapters; but it may not be unnecessary to observe, that the Committee, and especially the secretaries, of an Auxiliary or Branch Society, should be well acquainted with the whole system, and exercise a constant and vigilant superintendence of its practical details. At the same time, it should always be remembered, that, as no authority is assumed by the Parent Society over the internal regulations of its affiliated institutions, so none is possessed by the latter over the proceedings of their connected Associations, while they adhere with scrupulous fidelity to those principles which constitute the bond of union. Every separate establishment, under whatever designation, is an independent society, and governed by its own rules and regulations; but there is a law of kindness and mutual confidence, which, as it has hitherto been preserved unbroken, will, it is confidently hoped, always characterize the members of the Bible Society. 6. The Southwark Auxiliary Bible Society, to which allusion has been already made, has committed the supply of the local wants exclusively to the Associations connected with it, except in reference to Prisons and Hospitals and the Auxiliary Society of the County of Kent, following this example, judiciously observe, in their Annual Report for 1815: "At the request of the Committee of the Maidstone Bible Association, your Committee no longer distribute Bibles in this town, but have gladly transferred that work to the Association; fully persuaded, that, to enable the poor to supply their own wants through the medium of Bible Associations, is to impart to them a double benefit-is to produce in their own minds a more just valuation of the holy scriptures; and also to excite a sympathy of no ordinary kind with the spiritual poverty of those of their fellow-creatures who have hitherto had no access to the word and promises of GOD." 7. The attainment of this primary object, and the astonishing increase of the funds of Auxiliary and Branch Societies by means of Bible Associations, constitute a sufficient reason for recommending their general encouragement: but this, it has been well observed, "is not the only benefit likely to accrue from the general prevalence of such institutions. Their indirect effects, upon the character and circumstances of that class of the community which they chiefly embrace, are of a nature highly interesting to the patriot, the philanthropist, and the Christian. To every reflecting mind it must be apparent, that to interest the great body of the community about matters of this nature, must tend to elevate their character, by engaging their attention to noble and worthy objects; to foster the spirit of honourable independence, by placing them in the station, not |