Strict observance of the Sabbath was exacted from members, and specified hours were appointed for concerted prayer for all men and for the kingdom of Christ. All who were in sympathy with the purpose of the society were received; members of all confessions, merchants, day-laborers, counts and princes were alike welcome. Practical labors of love held them together for some years, but the varied elements could not be combined, and, in 1833, the society ceased to exist. It helped to prepare the way for the Inner Mission by emphasizing the common spiritual need of Christendom, by giving an example of the efficiency of the voluntary association in the promotion of a common and neglected cause, and by holding fast to the value of the church while permitting great variety of opinion among the members.
Bible societies.—The influence of the English religious spirit and method is seen in the rise of voluntary societies for printing and circulating the Bible. John Wesley (died 1791) had sought to bring back the depraved and neglected classes to Christianity. He not only preached but also made much use of the printed page. The British and Foreign Bible Society was founded in 1804, and was composed of members of all denominations. In a committee meeting of the Tract Society in 1802, Thomas Charles, of Bala in Wales, told of his country's need of Bibles, and called for the formation of a society to meet this need. Joseph Hughes, a Baptist preacher and the secretary of the Tract Society, exclaimed: "Not only for Wales, but also for the kingdom and for the world." Steinkopf, formerly secretary of the "German Christian Society" and pastor of the Savoy church in London, brought the Bible cause to the attention of the German people. The Canstein publishing institution had been at work for a century in close connection with Francke's works at Halle, but it had not succeeded in extending the circulation of Bibles beyond three million copies. The first branch of the English Bible Society was established at Nuremberg (1804), and the merchant, Johann Tobias Kiessling (1743–1824) was one of its chief supporters, an earnestly devout man. As the Lutheran Reformation began with a republication of the Bible, so this revival
