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liary Bible Society was held in St . Andrew ' s Hall . The Lord Bishop having taken the Chair , rose , and addressing- himself to the numerous assemblage of Ladies and Gentlemen , by whom the upper part of the Hall was completely filled , observed , that to him , the presence of so truly respectable a meeting * , called on such an occasion , appeared
preeminently calculated to impress on every benevolent mind , sentiments of the most lively satisfaction , and of the deepest interest ' j and to inspire the humble hope that th . e Almighty "would look down on their proceedings with approbation . It would be unnecessary , his Lordship said , on this the Fourth Anniversary of the Norfolk and Norwich Auxiliary Bible Society , for him to enter into a detailed statement of its
nature and objects ; he deemed it sufficient barely to remind his audience that the great principle on which the Association solely rested , was that of distributing the Holy Scriptures throughout every part of tlie
British Empire , and of the know a world . And surely theVe could be nothing more free from every reasonable objection , nothing more deserving of the public countenance and support , than this plan of rendering the conjoint efforts of every denomination of Christians instrumental to
the accomplishment of so enlightened , so important a design . The superior excellence and divine authority of the Bible were acknowledged by all ; and it was the duty ^ therefore , of every sincere believer in Chrises Religion to endeavour to diffuse the Knowledge of Salvation to the utmost extent in his power , by affectionately and earnestly uniting in an universal dissemination df the Sacred Volume . —The venerable
Chairman then took occasion to advert to the Eleventh Report of the Parent Society as affording the most gratifying as well as the most incontrovertible testimony to the truth of this assertion . His Lordship instanced , as particularly deserving the
attention of his hearers , the Letter of the King of Persia to Sir Gore Ousely , on the subject of the Society's labours , and the proceedings of the Russian Bible Society , instituted at St . Petersbnrgh under the auspices of the Emperor , in which fraternal band were to be reckoned Patriarchs of the
Greek , and Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church , besides a large proportion of the chief Nobility . And yet it was this British and Foreign Bible Society , the Bishop remarked , which had recently been made the subject of censure and reprobation , hj a
Prelate of the Church ot England—of that Church , the very foundation stones of which were , the sufficiency of the Scriptures for tlie Salvation of Mankind , and the invaluable and imprescriptible right of private judgment in . matters of religion . Jlii Lordship expressed his reluctance to
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disturb the unanimity of the truly Chim tian Assembly , which he had then the honour of addressing * , by alluding * to such attacks *; adding-, however , that the zeal which he had always felt , and ever should feel in the glorious cause of the Society would not allow him silently to pass over
any affront that was offered it , from whatever quarter it might proceed . —But it was no trifling' source of consolation to the friends of the Institution to know , that the number of its adherents increased , whilst that of its opponents diminished 5 and that with such great and continued prosperity had their noble work of charity and
benevolence been Llessed , as to encourage the hope of sooner or later seeing * every good man cordially joining to communicate the glad tiding-s of salvation to them that are near , and to them that are afar off . Mr . J . J . Gurney then read the Report , of which the following is an outline : —
The Report of the Committee of the Norfolk and Norwich Auxiliary Bible Society , satisfactorily states , that the amount of donations and subscriptions , during the fourth year has been Tcry considerable , exceeding that of the preceding by about 140 / . which have enabled them to remit to the Parent
Society , since the last General Meeting , the sum of 1730 / . 85 . Qd . and that the aggiegate amount up to the present time , of remittances to the Parent Society is 9542 / . U . lOd . The Branch Societies in Norfolk are now fourteen in number .
Duringthe last year there have been distributed , or sold to subscribers and to the Bible Associations 2383 Bibles , and 1320 Testaments ; and the aggregate number issued by the Society , since its formation is 13 , 340 Bibles and 6228 Testaments . The g-eneral operations of the Parent Institution have been marked during- the last
year , 'with nevr interest and increasing * prosperity . Numerous Bible Societies have been formed on the Contineut , and the Holy Scriptures have been largely circulated both amongst Roman Catholics as well as Protestants . In India the proceedings have
been again supported by very large donations from the British and Foreign Bible Society . —The British Missionaries at Serampore , have now extended their labours to twenty-five lang-uages , and in twentyone of these the Scriptures are in the press . In North America and Ireland tlie cause is
Supported with vigour and effect . — -During ' the last year twenty-three new Auxiliary Societies have l > een formed in England and Scotland . The whole amount of the Parent Society * s receipts during the year ending '
March 31 , 1815 , was 99 , 8941 . and the expenditure 81 , 021 / . besides very extensive engagements not yet executed . In the course of tlie year , 126 , 156 Bibles and 123 , 776 Testaments were issued from the Depository in London ; and the whofr
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724 Intelligence — -Last public Speeches of the Bishop of Norwich .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Nov. 2, 1815, page 724, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1766/page/60/
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