By Rev. W. GRANT, Halkirk.
THE following brief summary of events brings us back to the year 1812. The names of two prominent men, Dr. Andrew Thompson and Mr. Robert Haldane, were honourably associated with these events, and of them some information is added.
The British and Foreign Bible Society, which originated with “Mary Jones and her Bible,” was supported in its noble work by many friends in Scotland. The Bible, without note or comment, was the only book which its Directors were empowered to circulate. Until 1812, the scriptures were published intact by this Society. In 1813, the “Apocrypha” was included in Bibles sent to the Continent. This grieved and shocked many in England, Scotland and elsewhere, who adhered to the Old and New Testaments as the divinely inspired word of God, and would not add to or take from. (The Apocrypha consists of non-canonical books. It contains the secret doctrines of the gnostics, and others of unknown origin and authorship. In them there are things wickedly false and inconsistent with the oracles of God.) The great Apocrypha controversy began. Efforts were made to get the Society to return to its former principle, but the Directors would not listen. They attempted to justify their conduct by such arguments as that Roman Catholics might more readily buy the Bible if the Apocrypha was included.
Dr. Thompson and others faithfully fought a battle against the Society’s erroneous and unprincipled action, but without success. Unhappily, some, who at first associated with Dr. Thompson, in the day of battle faintly turned back. They expressed satisfaction with certain half-measures to which the Directors pledged themselves for the future, and wished all further allusion to the past to end. To Dr. Thompson, this seemed nothing short of a dereliction of the first duty which man owes to the gracious Being Who, in giving us a revelation of His will, has entrusted us with a talent which we can never do enough to guard from injury, and to preserve untarnished and entire as it reached us from His hands. Fellowship with known and vital error is a partaking in sin. He was reproached and misrepresented by some, but he saw a principle at stake, which as a Christian and Protestant minister, he was bound to vindicate and maintain. It was a severe strain on his health, yet he visited London in an attempt to undo the evil.
A few days before Mr. Robert Haldane died, he intimated a wish that an account should be written of the Bible Society controversy. He thought that it would be useful to preserve such a record that Christians might better understand the immense importance of the subject as it involved the Divine authority of the Scriptures. The discovery of the insertion of the Apocrypha in the Bibles sent abroad was made in a remarkable way. It is recorded as follows: “In August, 1821, Mr. Robert Haldane was in London, and called at the office of the British and Foreign Bible Society to make some enquiries with reference to an edition of a French Bible which he had himself financially helped to publish. On the following day he returned for his umbrella which he forgot the previous day, but regarded this as the leading of Providence, as that day he was asked to join a sub-committee which was then in conference with Dr. Pinkerton in regards to the French Bible. To his surprise he discovered that the Apocrypha had been appended to this edition, and that an 1817 edition also had the same contamination, although his contribution to its cost had been made under repeated pledges that it should not contain anything but the pure Word. The President got as great a surprise as Mr. Haldane, and upon enquiries it was found that in several editions the Apocrypha was intermingled with the Holy Scriptures.” The fact that Unitarians were among the Society’s members added to the difficulty.
The outcome was the founding in 1831 of the Trinitarian Bible Society by a company of godly evangelists, for the circulation of Protestant and uncorrupted versions of the Word of God. Upholding the doctrine of the Trinity, no Unitarians are allowed on to this Society’s platform, neither are Modernists. Two small Societies in sympathy appeared in Scotland, one in Edinburgh, and the other in Glasgow. These became in 1860 the National Bible Society of Scotland. This Society had a constitution similar to that of the Trinitarian Bible Society, issuing the Authorised version only. It received hearty support until it recently changed its constitution, thus opening the door for other versions to be issued. This retrograde move grieved many loyal friends, and as a result they are now supporting the Trinitarian Bible Society with whose constitution they are in agreement. We are happy to find that increasing support is now given by sympathisers in different denominations in Scotland.
Dr. Andrew Thompson
Dr. Andrew Thompson was born in Sanquhar, Dumfries-shire, in 1779. It is recorded of him that he was not long in college when it became evident that he was the subject of the saving work of the Holy Spirit, which is a necessary qualification for the work of the Ministry. He was afterwards a minister in Perth, and in 1817 he removed to New Greyfriars Church, Edinburgh, and latterly to St. George’s Church, Edinburgh. In the General Assembly he endeavoured to keep the Ecclesiastical constitution pre-eminently in view, and denounced the union of secular and ecclesiastical offices, and took no public part (on principle) in party politics. He was editor of the Christian Instructor, and took a very active and helpful part in the abolition of the slave trade.
For some time before his death he seemed to be aware of its approach, but busied himself as formerly in the path of duty, saying, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work.” He died on 9th February, 1831, after returning home from a busy day in the work of the Lord.
Mr. Robert Haldane
Mr. Robert Haldane was born in 1764 in London, and died in Edinburgh in 1842. He inherited a large estate at Airthreg (near Stirling). He spent some years in the Navy. In 1793 he experienced a spiritual awakening. He wrote as follows: “As to religion, I contented myself with that general profession which was common and so worthless, and that form of godliness which completely denies its power. I endeavoured to be decent, and what is called moral, but was ignorant of my lost state by nature, as well of the strictness, purity and extent of the divine law. While I spoke of a Saviour, I was little acquainted with His character, the value of His sufferings and death, the need I stood in of the atoning efficacy of His pardoning blood, or of the imputation of His perfect obedience and meritorious righteousness, and of the sanctifying influences of the Eternal Spirit to apply His salvation to my soul.”
He was led to rest in the merits of the Glorious Redeemer, who cried from Calvary’s cross, “It is finished.”
Mr. Haldane made good use of the wealth he inherited. He spent £70,000 for charitable purposes, including the distribution of the Bible, and the educating of three hundred ministers. His visits to Geneva brought him into close friendship with Dr. Caesar Malan and Professor M. Gaussen. He was instrumental in the conversion of Dr. Merle D’Aubigné, the historian.
In supporting the Trinitarian Bible Society, we are endeavouring to continue the work in which these men so zealously laboured.