Читать книгу Speeches and Addresses of H. R. H. the Prince of Wales: 1863-1888 - King of Great Britain Edward VII - Страница 15

June 11th, 1866

The foundation-stone of the stately edifice in Queen Victoria Street, the head-quarters of the British and Foreign Bible Society, was laid by the Prince of Wales, on the 11th of June, 1866. On the ground near St. Andrew's Hill, Doctors' Commons, a spacious awning stretched over an area with ranges of seats for above 2000 persons. On the platform were many good and eminent men, most of whom – Lord Shaftesbury, Lord Teignmouth, the Archbishop of York, the Bishops of Winchester and Carlisle, the Dean of Westminster, Dr. Binney – are with us no more.

The proceedings commenced with prayer, praise, and reading some portions of Scripture appropriate to the occasion. An address was then read by the Rev. S. B. Bergne, one of the Secretaries, giving a summary of the history of the Society, and stating its objects and operations.

The Earl of Shaftesbury then formally requested His Royal Highness "to undertake the solemn duty of laying the foundation stone of an edifice which shall be raised for the glory of God, and for the promotion of the best interests of the human race." The Prince duly and formally laid the stone, and then replied to the address that had been read: —

"My Lord Archbishop, my Lords and Gentlemen, – I have to thank you for the very interesting address in which you so ably set forth the objects of this noble Institution.

"It is now sixty-three years ago since Mr. Wilberforce, the father of the eminent prelate who now occupies so prominent a place in the Church of England, met, with a few friends, by candlelight, in a small room in a dingy counting-house, and resolved upon the establishment of the Bible Society.

"Contrast with this obscure beginning the scene of this day, which, not only in England and in our colonies, but in the United States of America, and in every nation in Europe, will awaken the keenest interest.

"Such a reward of perseverance is always a gratifying spectacle; much more so when the work which it commemorates is one in which all Christians can take part, and when the object is that of enabling every man in his own tongue to read the wonderful works of God.

"I have an hereditary claim to be here upon this occasion. My grandfather, the Duke of Kent, as you have reminded me, warmly advocated the claims of this Society; and it is gratifying to me to reflect that the two modern versions of the Scriptures most widely circulated – the German and English – were both, in their origin, connected with my family. The translation of Martin Luther was executed under the protection of the Elector of Saxony, the collateral ancestor of my lamented father; whilst that of William Tyndale, the foundation of the present authorized English version, was introduced with the sanction of the Royal predecessor of my mother the Queen, who first desired that the Bible 'should have free course through all Christendom, but especially in his own realm.'

"It is my hope and trust, that, under the Divine guidance, the wider diffusion and the deeper study of the Scriptures will, in this as in every age, be at once the surest guarantee of the progress and liberty of mankind, and the means of multiplying in the purest form the consolations of our holy religion."

The Archbishop of York then invoked the Divine Blessing on the work. The Bishop of Winchester, as one of the oldest living members of the Society, expressed the grateful acknowledgments of the Committee to the Prince, for his presence among them, and for the act performed at their request. Two verses of the National Anthem having been sung, and the benediction pronounced, the meeting dispersed.

The Lord Mayor, with true civic hospitality, invited the Prince of Wales, the officers of the Society, and all who had taken any part in the ceremony to luncheon at the Mansion House. On the health of the Prince and the Princess of Wales being proposed, the Prince acknowledged the compliment in the following words: —

"I am, indeed, deeply touched and gratified by the toast which has just been proposed by the Lord Mayor, and by the very kind and feeling manner in which you have drunk to the health of the Princess and myself. It is to me a source of sincere gratification to receive again the hospitality of the Chief Magistrate of the City. I can never forget, nor can the Princess ever forget, the manner in which she was received on her first entry into London; and although she is not here to-day – a fact which I most deeply regret – I can bear testimony that she has never forgotten, and never will forget, the reception given to her three years ago. The occasion which has brought me here to-day has given me sincere gratification. I shall be happy on all occasions to do any thing that may tend, as the Lord Bishop of Winchester said this morning, 'to alleviate the sufferings of man.' But I feel sure that the work I have been enabled to perform, small as it may be, will bear testimony to the great good done to the poorer classes by a Society which has existed for so many years. Sincerely I thank you for the opportunity you have given me in coming forward on this interesting occasion, and I shall always be happy to render every assistance in my power to an institution which is calculated to render such important benefits to the world. I return my best thanks for the greeting I received this morning at the ceremony, and also for the kind manner in which I have been received on this occasion."

Her Majesty the Queen signified her interest in the proceedings of the day by sending £100 to the Building Fund, and £100 was also contributed by the Prince of Wales.

The Bible Society has, since its establishment in 1804, issued about 113 millions of Bibles, Testaments, or portions thereof. Its issues yearly are now about four million copies. The full income in 1887 amounted to £116,761; and the sum received for Scriptures sold was £104,880. The Society has aided the translation of the Bible into 280 languages or dialects.