The British and Foreign Bible Society

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STERLING SILVER SAUCE LADLE, London, 1785
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ANTIQUE STERLING SILVER WINE GOBLET. GILDED INSIDE. W. HUTTON LONDON 1898 278GMS
19 Jan 2012 at 3:07am
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Arthur H. Beavan continued his survey of philanthropy in Imperial London, published in 1901, with this look at the British and Foreign Bible Society:

The British and Foreign Bible Society, Queen Victoria Street, was established in 1804, the object of this wonderful organization being the circulation of the Scriptures.

To such good purpose has it fulfilled its mission, that since its inauguration it has distributed over 160,000,000 copies of the Scriptures, which it prints in over 400 languages and dialects, representing the speech of seven-tenths of the world, and it is keeping pace with the extraordinary demand and vast increase in the circulation of the Bible that is taking place.

In the twelve months terminating March 1900, its output reached the amazing total of 5,047,000 copies, a bulk absolutely without precedent.

Of that huge mass, over 30 per cent, or 1,521,000 copies, were in English or Welsh.

The penny English New Testament is a notable case of the low price at which the Society can sell the Holy Writ.

Since it was first brought out in 1884, over 7,000,000 copies have been issued at a loss of £25,000, as it cannot possibly be produced at its selling price.

These figures prove that there is not much truth in the recently-spread report that Bibles are "going out of fashion."

In the Society's invaluable library are versions of the Scripture in all tongues, rare copies of first or early editions, copies of the Bible in ancient manuscript, important commentaries, catechisms, books of travel and topography and maps, besides grammars and lexicons referring to the arduous task of translation.

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