Cromer Ladies' Bible Association

“ When your associates were at Nice last July, they heard of a very respectable man, a small farmer, who had just been released from the dungeons of the neighbouring Villa Franca, where he had been spending six months in a vault sunk in the rocky cliff below the level of the sea, for the crime of reading the bible to his wife, under his own tree on a Sunday. The gentleman who told them this fact, assured them also, that though P–’s affairs had suffered from his imprisonment, he was not a man to be daunted, nor was he likely to waver in his faith, or in his practice of studying the scriptures. ”

“ In no way, perhaps, could a grant of bibles be better bestowed, than amongst these well-disposed mountaineers, who may be in danger of losing the christian standing they have acquired under the influence of a most devoted minister, if they are not assisted to keep up their knowledge of the word of God which he so successfully laboured to infuse. ”

“ Very different is the effect of conversing with the well-taught peasantry of Scotland. You are aware that the scriptures are circulated with difficulty in the Austrian dominions. In Prague, once the seat of biblical study, and whence issued one of the very earliest printed translations of the bible, a bookseller told your associates that the Bohemian bible was a prohibited book ”

“ We possess a small depôt of Dutch and French testaments, for the use of foreigners under such circumstances, and have occasionally found them acceptable. Our local position also calls for our unremitting efforts to enlighten our fishermen, whose lives are so often in jeopardy. The precariousness of their situation is an argument to which persons of this class will be found peculiarly accessible, when pressed to acquaint themselves betimes with the way of salvation. ”

“ Many parents were desirous to avail themselves of the opportunity of providing bibles for their children, and even some solitary old couples who could not read themselves subscribed, that they might have a bible in the house for their neighbours to read to them.
The young people were generally found eager to subscribe. All the girls (but one) of one school gave their names as soon as the plan was proposed to them, and several having supplied themselves with bibles, continue as free subscribers, and take much p. ”

“ It is however pleasant, when such a desire is expressed. Thus on one of our districts being lately revisited with a view more especially to the promotion of free subscriptions, a fisherman came forward with his twopence a month, saying. “May a blessing go with it; and perhaps even that, may be the means of saving one soul.” A poor woman too, on giving her offering, said to the collectors, “If I have to work ever so hard, I will have the penny ready when you come again ”

“ And the number of our subscribers for bibles or testaments since the establishment of our association, in November, 1827?
II. How many families are there in our districts?
How many of these have we visited this year?
What number of persons can read in these families visited, and how many are supplied with bibles?
Could we ascertain the number of persons above six years old, who cannot read at all, in each of our districts?
III. Are we alive to the feelings and interests of those with whom we converse? ”

“ W. continues to evince most strikingly the power of the bible to give comfort and support in the greatest need. She said to me,—‘What would have become of me, had I been born in a heathen land, without a bible to rest upon?’”
A gentleman, who was looking after some crews that had been wrecked in the storm of Sept. ”

“ In the Sardinian dominions, the case is far different, and it ought to teach us to value our own privileges, when we reflect on the sufferings still endured by others, in their adherence to the testimony of Jesus. ”

“ We may premise that in our note of the first year, (1828,) we find the need of the society indicated by the fact, that in one outlying district, a poor woman had lately given three shillings for the tattered remains of a bible. The announcement of the formation of our association, and of the facility which it afforded for obtaining bibles, was received with pleasure throughout the neighbourhood. ”

“ And do we encourage good order, neatness, and economy, amongst our poorer neighbours?
VI. Do we try to interest all our subscribers in the dispersion of the scriptures in foreign parts?
And are we careful not to discourage even the poorest from p. 31enjoying according to their very limited means, the privilege and blessing of contributing to so good a cause?
VII. Are we vigilant to uphold, and zealous to assist and to encourage each other in the work before us? ”

“ The place has had a constant, though small supply, but there would be a much larger demand, were it not for the lamentable want of education. Perhaps the discovery of such a state of things may prove in some instances one of the indirect benefits of bible visiting. The effects of the bibles and testaments already distributed, were in some instances happily observable. Many were shown me which had been purchased from the society, and some appeared to have been p. 19used and valued as we should wish. ”

“ The people are less willing to surrender their bibles to be burnt by the priests, if they have paid a sum of money, however small, for their purchase. In some few instances, the Roman Catholic priests themselves have been willing to promote the sale of the scriptures. Amongst the countries which your associates most desired to see provided with the scriptures, should any opportunity offer of aiding the p. ”