They were meeting on a special occasion in celebration of the fourth centenary of the publication:. of the Bible in the English language. An open Bible, Mr. Phillies cedared, was the greatest itt of the Reformation, England. In September. 1538, this step was finnily taken with the ss= suing of the Royal Injunction. by which the Scriptures were made {ree to all, This was the Magna Carta of the Scriptures When the Bible was translated Into English, it immediately made its way into the life of the nation, coloured popular speech, and took possession fof the hearts and minely of English mon. The translation of the Bivle into' English was a decisive event in the national history of England, and such Wag surely worthy of com= mendation.
Mr. Phillips referred to the devoted labours of the famous Dr. Robert Morrison, of the London Missionary Society, who Ianded at Canton in 1607, Overcoming all kinds of dif-culties, "he acquired an excellent knowledge of Chinese, and assisted by William Milne, translated the whole of the Bible into Wenti, or documentary Chinese.
Mr, Phillips tendered his sincere congratulations to the representatives dt Shanghai of the British and For-ign Bible Society, and of the Ameri= can Bible Society, upon this import. fant fourth centenary, and expressed hig admiration of the fact that their organization in China should working s0 efficiently in spite of the rear "iMeultis which had to faced at the present time.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.