,transcribed from the #ahbg ,j4         
,hatchard and ,son edition1 by ,david   
,price1  email ccx#jgdpglaf4org         
,a                                      
,,letter                                
,,to                         ,,the      
,,right ,,hon4 ,,lord ,,bexley1         
,,containing ,a                         
,,statement ,,made ,,to ,,the           
,,committee                             
,,of ,,the                      ,british
 and ,foreign ,bible ,society1          
,,as ,,to ,,the                         
,,relations ,,of ,,that ,,institution1  
,,with                                  
,,france1 ,,the ,,valleys ,,of          
,,piedmont1 ,,switzerland ,,and         
,,germany4                              
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,by ,,francis ,,cunningham1 ,m4 ,a4    
,,rector ,,of ,,pakefield1 ,,suffolk4   
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,london3                     ,j4       
,,hatchard ,,and ,,son1 #ahg1           
,,piccadily4                            

#ahbg4                                  
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,london3             ,,ibotson ,,and   
,,palmer1 ,,printers1 ,,savoy ,,street1 
,,strand4          ,,preface      ,the  
circumstances which have given rise to  
the publication of the  following letter
 are briefly these3--,at the departure  
of the ,author for  the continent1 in   
the month of ,april1 #ahbf1 he tendered 
his services  generally to the          
,committee of the ,british and ,foreign 
,bible ,society2 and  received from that
 body the power of disposing of a       
certain number of  copies of ,bibles and
 ,testaments1 at any opportunities which
 might present  themselves to him on his
 journey4  ,of this power he availed    
himself2 and1  on his return to ,london1
 in the month of ,december1 he went to  
the  ,committee to give an account of   
the trust which had been committed to   
him4  ,whilst he was doing this1 it was 
natural that he should add to his       
statement a few observations1 connected 

with the objects of the  ,institution   
itself2 and more especially1 as various 
errors1 into which it  was charged with 
having fallen1 had become the subjects  
of public  discussion1 both in ,scotland
 and in ,england4  ,these observations  
,lord  ,bexley1 one of the              
,vice-,presidents of the ,bible         
,society1 then occupying  the ,chair of 
the ,committee1 requested1 in the name  
of those over whom he  presided1 might  
be communicated in writing2 and1 in     
compliance with this  request1 the      
following statement was sent4    ,after 
some delay1 the author1 at the          
suggestion of several friends1 has  been
 led to make it public1 hoping that it  
may supply to the supporters  of the    
,bible ,society new motives for         
earnestly and generously persevering  in
 their efforts to promote the           
circulation of the ,scriptures2 and1 to 
the assailants of that ,institution1 an 
answer to some of the charges  which    
they1 in his apprehension1 have hastily 

and unwarrantably brought  forward4     
,the ,author can only hope this document
 may be a means of forwarding the       
interests of the ,bible ,society--an    
,institution1 which1 in his mind1       
whatever may be the evil resulting from 
the circulation of the apocryphal       
books1 has sown the seed of more        
important benefits to mankind than even 
the ,reformation itself4                
99 99 99 99 99    ,pakefield1 ,april #e1
 #ahbg4          ,a  ,,letter1  c4      
99 99 99 99 99          ,,my ,,lord1    
,in compliance with a wish so kindly    
expressed by your ,lordship1 ,i shall   
now endeavour to communicate in writing 
the substance of what ,i took the       
liberty of stating in the ,committee of 
the ,british and ,foreign ,bible        
,society4  ,the observations there made 
chiefly respected the state of  religion
 on the continent of ,europe--especially
 as connected with that  institution    
whose ,committee ,i had the honour of   
addressing2 and they were  exclusively  

such as had been suggested to me during 
a journey of eight  months through the  
various countries1 to which it was my   
endeavour to  draw the attention of your
 ,lordship and the ,committee4    ,i    
must beg leave1 however1 to preface this
 brief and inadequate statement  by two 
or three observations4    ,in the first 
place1 ,i must intreat that if this     
written document should  not be found   
precisely to correspond in expression or
 detail with the  address to the        
,committee1 the difference may be       
ascribed1 not to  intention1 but to a   
defect of memory4  ,that address was    
altogether  extempore2 and my           
recollection of particular expressions  
,i may have  employed1 is very          
imperfect4    ,in the next place1 ,i    
wish to have it understood1 that        
although ,i should  not have committed  
this statement to the press1 except at  
the wish of  some members of the        
,committee of the ,bible ,society1 ,i1  
myself am alone  responsible for the    

facts and opinions it contains4  ,it was
 highly  satisfactory to me to discover 
that many of the views taken by myself  
of  the subjects upon which ,i spoke1   
corresponded with those of a large      
proportion of the ,committee4  ,in other
 points1 ,i might not be so  fortunate  
as to agree with that majority4  ,but1  
whatever might be the  amount of that   
agreement or disagreement1 ,i desire    
alone to be made  responsible for the   
contents of this paper4    ,i must also 
be permitted to say that1 in this       
communication1 a few names  and         
particulars have been suppressed1 which 
,i did not hesitate to produce  to the  
,committee4  ,it is obvious that        
circumstances which might safely be     
named within walls1 from which they were
 not likely to escape2 might  produce   
inconvenience1 if published and         
circulated upon the continent of        
,europe4    ,i shall now proceed to give
 the substance of what ,i ventured to   
offer to  the ,committee4    ,my first  

visit was to ,france1 where ,i remained 
almost continually  journeying for      
several months4  ,it was a satisfaction 
to me to arrive at  ,paris in time to   
attend the annual public meeting of the 
,bible ,society4  ,i can truly say that 
the meeting was in the highest degree   
interesting4  ,the character of the     
reports1 especially those of the        
,ladies' and  ,mechanics' ,society--the 
attendance of so many ministers of      
religion--the  introduction of extempore
 speaking--the feeling of warmth and    
zeal which  seemed almost universally to
 prevail--left me no doubt but that a   
deep  interest pervaded the minds of    
large numbers on the subject of the     
circulation of the ,scriptures4  ,i     
afterwards visited many of the          
auxiliaries1 great and small1 of the    
,society in different provinces1 and    
the hopes formed at the meeting at      
,paris were not disappointed4  ,it      
happened to me to pass through one small
 village in a very solitary  situation  

in the centre of ,france1 where three   
associations had been  formed--one of   
children1 another of young women1 and a 
third of the  population at large4  ,in 
this village1 under a very pious and    
able  minister1 ,mr4 ,duvivier1 it was  
interesting to observe to what an extent
  education had gone hand in hand with  
the circulation of the word of ,god4    
,some of the children in the school     
repeated1 as a ,sunday task1 not less   
than two hundred verses of the ,new     
,testament4    ,with many of the larger 
auxiliaries of the ,society1 ,i was     
particularly  gratified4  ,in some      
districts the circulation of the        
,scriptures was very  considerable4  ,in
 others1 much still remained to be done4
  ,the ,protestant  ministers were the  
general agents and protectors of the    
institution2 and1  there were many of   
them full of activity4  ,two collateral 
benefits of the  ,bible ,society were   
particularly obvious in ,france1--in the
 first place1  the truly valuable object

 which it supplied to many pious1       
active1 and  benevolent minds1 which    
powers might have been otherwise        
unemployed3 and  in the next place1 the 
rallying point which it afforded for the
 really  pious of all classes4  ,it is  
difficult to say to what an extent the  
society has enlarged the efficiency1 and
 strengthened the union of the          
religious body amongst the ,protestants4
    ,such was the influence of these and
 other circumstances on my own mind1    
that ,i often found occasion to observe 
to my fellow travellers1 that1 if  ever 
,i had doubted the benefits of the      
society1 those doubts must now  have    
vanished4    ,amongst both ,catholics   
and ,protestants much good has been     
accomplished by  the ,british and       
,foreign ,bible ,society4  ,by means of 
one of the most  active agents of this  
institution1 the late ,mr4 ,owen1 the   
society was  regularly established      
amongst the ,protestants4  ,and1 amongst
 the  ,catholics1 even where the ,bible 

,society has not been able to obtain any
  regular establishment by means of our 
agents1 a large number of ,bibles  and  
,testaments has been distributed in the 
schools1 hospitals1 and  prisons1 and   
amongst the population at large4  ,i    
have seen the ,testaments  of this      
society in various important schools2 in
 the hands of the sick1  and in the     
wards of the hospital4  ,i have known   
them carried to the  infirm and the     
dying by those who are so emphatically  
and justly called  the ,surs de la      
,charit4  ,i had myself also the        
happiness of distributing  five hundred 
copies of those so kindly committed to  
me by the society in  a prison          
containing upwards of four thousand     
individuals4  ,we cannot  believe that  
these various gifts have been made in   
vain4  ,much of the  fruit will be      
discovered only on the great day1 when  
the secrets of all  hearts shall be     
disclosed4  ,but in the mean time no man
 can follow the  course of the ,bible   

without perceiving the benefits         
resulting from its  circulation4  ,in   
one instance1 ,i cannot but doubt that  
the conversion of  a large body from    
,popery to ,protestantism1 in a city in 
the south of  ,france1 has been         
materially assisted by the operations of
 this society4    ,there are yet two    
points in connexion with ,france1 on    
which ,i feel it  necessary to trouble  
the ,committee4  ,in the first place1 ,i
 have a debt of  justice and gratitude  
to render to ,professor ,kieffer1 your  
society's  agent at ,paris4  ,i will    
here say nothing on the subject of his  
opinions  with regard to the            
distribution of the ,apocryphal books1  
except that1  whether he is right or    
wrong1 he has found many both good and  
wise men on  the continent and          
elsewhere1 who agree in the views which 
he has adopted4  ,with respect to his   
religious orthodoxy1 which ,i understand
 has been most  unjustly called in      
question in this country1 ,i feel it    

right to say1 that  no one who knows him
 can entertain a doubt4    ,as to       
talents1 diligence1 vigilance1 and zeal1
 as an agent of this  society1 he has   
few equals1 and can scarcely have a     
superior4  ,as a man  of business1 of   
regularity1 vigour1 and dispatch1 he is 
very  conspicuous--and those who know   
the immense deficiency of business-like 
habits on the continent1 will know how  
to value such important qualities  in   
the agent they employ4    ,the other    
subject respects the decision of the    
,british and ,foreign ,bible  ,society1 
as to the distribution of the           
,apocryphal books4  ,it would be  unjust
 to deny that1 when the question        
concerning the rejection of these  books
 was first proposed to the ,bible       
,societies in ,france1 they almost      
unanimously declared their strong       
preference for ,bibles with the         
,apocrypha4  ,in the ,lutheran1 which is
 the smaller part of the  ,protestant   
church of ,france1 this preference      

still1 to a considerable  degree1       
prevails4  ,but among the members and   
ministers of the ,reformed  church1 and 
especially those who felt the real value
 of the word of ,god1  ,i was rejoiced  
to find1 how few dissented from your    
late resolution4  ,and  ,i feel assured 
that1 when the question comes to be     
presented to  continental churches in   
all its bearings1 and the danger is     
shown of thus  commingling error with   
truth1 their grounds of opposition will 
be  removed2 and they will feel it their
 duty to pursue the same course as  that
 in which your society has so wisely    
taken the lead4    ,it remains only with
 regard to ,france1 that ,i should take 
the liberty of  urging upon the         
,committee the duties of the most       
strenuous and  affectionate             
co-operation4  ,it is impossible not to 
consider the general  state of the      
,protestant churches as much advanced   
during the interval of  five years when 
,i before visited them4  ,the political 

feeling of the  ,protestants appeared to
 me a good deal improved2 and the       
government in  general of ,france has   
done much to deserve their confidence   
and  gratitude4  ,the ,protestants      
themselves seem to me much more sensible
 of  the state of decay in their church2
 and are in proportion desirous of its  
restoration to life4  ,it is true that  
heterodoxy of a very deplorable  kind   
has1 to a considerable degree1 crept    
into the universities of that  country4 
,but ,i was often struck by observing1  
that when some of the  clergy taught in 
those universities1 entered upon the    
discharge of their  pastoral office2 and
 it became their direct object to       
withdraw the  profligate from sin1 and  
lead the miserable to comfort--to       
confirm the  wavering1 to meet the wants
 and wishes of our fallen nature1 to    
assuage  the sufferings of an awakened  
conscience1 and supply a strong refuge  
in  the hour of death1 they have been   
compelled to desert their own ground1   

and seek1 within the enclosure of       
orthodox and evangelical religion1 the  
weapons of their warfare1 and the means 
of consolation and of joy4  ,i was      
delighted indeed to find some of those  
who had been instructed in the          
,neological school1 among the most      
zealous promoters of the truth as it is 
in ,christ4    ,i shall next beg of the 
,committee to pass on with me from      
,france to  ,italy4  ,to the northern   
parts of this country1 however1 my visit
 was  alone extended2 and there ,i found
 the same obstacles to exist against the
  free circulation of the word of ,god1 
of which other travellers have          
complained4  ,one exception however may 
be stated1 and that with regard to  a   
people whose cause has excited a warm   
and most honourable interest in  this   
country--the ,protestant inhabitants of 
,piedmont4  ,they1 in common  with the  
other ,protestant subjects of the ,king 
of ,sardinia1 are now  permitted to     
receive books of every kind1 on payment 

of duty1 and1 on the  condition that    
they are neither sold1 lent1 nor given  
to ,catholics4  ,this  concession came  
at a time of peculiar importance2 as it 
facilitated the  introduction of the    
large grant of ,bibles lately made by   
this society to  the ,protestant        
inhabitants of the vallies4  ,and ,i    
learned from the  principal agent of the
 ,bible ,society in those quarters1 that
 they had  received nearly #ejjj #f     
,bibles and ,testaments from different  
institutions4  ,these grants are of     
greater value at this moment1 when the  
,vaudois ,committee in ,london is so    
wisely and assiduously labouring to     
establish schools of various kinds in   
these vallies4  ,i am requested to      
present the cordial thanks of the       
ministers of the ,vaudois church to this
  society4    ,the next point to which  
,i would call the attention of this     
,committee1 is  ,geneva4  ,the character
 and services of the ,bible ,society in 
that city  have1 it appears to me1 been 

grievously misrepresented in some of the
  recent publications in this country1  
on the subject of the ,apocryphal       
controversy4  ,from the fact of the     
society in ,geneva not discovering much 
zeal for the distribution of the ,geneva
 version of #ahje1 of which the         
orthodoxy was called in question1 the   
consequence has arisen1 that the        
friends of that version have gradually  
seceded from the ranks of the           
institution4  ,and1 let it be recorded  
to the praise of the society at         
,geneva1 that1 when the great mass of   
the continental ,bible ,societies were  
anxious1 by establishing counter        
resolutions of their own1 to manifest a 
spirit of resistance to the             
,anti-,apocryphal resolution of the     
,london  ,committee1 the ,geneva        
,society opposed this measure1 and      
publicly  manifested its fidelity       
towards the ,british and ,foreign ,bible
 ,society1  and its lively gratitude for
 the favours bestowed upon it through a 

series of years4  ,assisted by powerful 
auxiliaries1 and especially by  that of 
,satigny1 under the administration of a 
most enlightened and  devout member of  
the church1 ,m4 le ,pasteur ,gaussen1   
they are doing much  for that part of   
,switzerland1 and supplying an example  
on the continent1  of sending money for 
the distribution of books in remote     
parts of the  world4  ,of two           
individuals1 occupying distinguished    
posts in that  society1 ,i must say a   
few words4  ,its president1 ,m4 ,vernet1
 is a person  who has experimentally    
felt the value of the ,bible1 and       
manifested1 in  circumstances of deep   
trial1 his confidence in its            
instructions and  consolations2 and the 
secretary1 ,m4 ,gautier1 is an          
individual in whose  friendship as a    
,christian1 and zeal as a member of this
 society1 ,i have  found much cause to  
rejoice4  ,that the ,committee is not   
framed upon a  more comprehensive and   
generous principle1 is to be regretted2 

but it  labours assiduously and         
successfully as to the great object for 
which it  is brought together4    ,the  
,bible ,society of the ,canton de ,vaud 
has acted upon the principle of         
securing to itself a permanent income1  
for the perpetual distribution of  the  
,holy ,scriptures1 independent of new   
contributions--by funding its  capital4 
,this measure has displeased many       
individuals in the ,canton2 and  has    
probably assisted to give birth to other
 societies in ,lausanne and  its        
neighbourhood1 acting upon a different  
principle4  ,i speak from  pretty       
accurate knowledge of that ,canton1 when
 ,i say1 that the state of  religion is 
very remarkably improved in it4  ,it is 
impossible that any  one who reads the  
religious publications of the day should
 be ignorant of  the severe measures    
adopted by the government of the ,canton
 de ,vaud1  within a few years1 to      
prevent religious meetings1 and         
otherwise obstruct  the course of true  

religion4  ,but the advancement in      
piety1 and  especially amongst the      
members of the ,established ,church1 is 
not a little  conspicuous4  ,i can truly
 say1 that ,i visited no place where the
 spirit  of religious enquiry was more  
alive1 and where the taste was more     
extended for simple biblical reading4   
,the severity of the government has  in 
a great measure relaxed4  ,the piety of 
the people has increased4  ,is  it      
unfair to consider as one of the        
instruments of this improvement1  that1 
in addition to the number of ,bibles    
before in circulation there has  been   
circulated1 by the ,bible ,society of   
that place1 #ae1jjj copies of the  word 
of ,god1 amongst a population of        
#afj1jjj persons8    ,as to the newly   
revised edition of ,osterwald's ,bible1 
published at  ,lausanne1 it is          
impossible not to condemn in it both the
 deviations from  the original1 and the 
employment1 in what are called the      
improvements1 of  a great deal of       

paraphrastic language4  ,in speaking of 
that edition of  the ,bible1 ,i think it
 right1 however1 to bear my humble      
testimony to the  general character of  
the authors of this revision2 and to    
state my  conviction of the facility    
with which your ,committee may have been
  betrayed into something of undue      
confidence in them4  ,the gentlemen     
engaged in that revision1 were some of  
them amongst the persons in the  highest
 general estimation for talents and     
piety3 of ,professor ,levade1  the      
president of the ,lausanne ,bible       
,society1 ,i may say that a more        
faithful friend to the general          
distribution of the ,scriptures cannot  
be  found4  ,i have myself taken the    
liberty of strongly expressing my       
dissent  from him upon various subjects 
connected with the society in general1  
and  the ,lausanne edition in           
particular4  ,but ,i must be allowed to 
say to his  honour1 that1 independent of
 the labour and cost he has sacrificed  

on  this edition of the ,bible1 he has  
for a series of years sustained the     
burden of the ,cantonal ,bible ,society 
on his almost unassisted shoulders1  and
 continues to exhaust the strength of   
his declining age in giving  efficiency 
to the operations of this ,institution4 
,the next ,bible ,society of importance 
which ,i visited was that of ,basle4  ,i
 was there soon brought into            
communication with the ,committee on the
  subject of their temporary            
estrangement from your ,society on the  
ground  of the late resolution as to the
 ,apocryphal ,books4  ,i endeavoured to 
explain to the ,committee the probable  
result of the resolutions to which  they
 had come of refusing to be even the    
agents of those ,societies which  had   
resolved in no way to assist in the     
circulation of the ,apocrypha4  ,when   
they found that the decision of the     
,london ,committee was the result1  not 
of prejudice1 but of conscience1 they at
 once gave up their own  resolutions1   

and acquiesced in the proposal which was
 made to them4  ,they  passed a         
resolution expressive of their kind     
sympathy towards the ,british  and      
,foreign ,bible ,society2 and they      
undertook still to serve it as  agents2 
although1 at the same time1 they could  
not1 according to their  judgment of the
 question1 consent personally1 and for  
themselves1 to  circulate ,bibles       
without the ,apocryphal ,books4  ,i     
cannot easily convey to  you the high   
opinion which ,i formed of the          
,committee of the ,bible ,society  of   
,basle1 and of its venerable ,president1
 the ,antistes4  ,the interest  which   
they feel1 and the labour which they    
devote to the distribution of  the      
,scriptures is what ,i have never seen  
exceeded in any other place1 and  ,i can
 have no doubt1 that whatever commission
 you are pleased to entrust  to them1   
will be judiciously and faithfully      
executed4    ,it is my wish in the last 
place to say something on the state of  

,germany4  ,and here the few            
observations ,i have to offer will be of
 a somewhat more  general nature1 or1 at
 least1 less confined to particular     
societies4        ,i4  ,as to the       
question of the ,apocrypha4      ,the   
,german ,societies labour under great   
difficulty respecting the  ,apocryphal  
,books2 and the greater part of them are
 not at present  disposed to give them  
up4  ,they ground their determination in
 general  upon the following reasons4   
#ast4  ,in all cases in ,germany the    
,societies  are sanctioned by the       
government of the respective countries1 
on the  implied condition of            
distributing the ,scriptures as approved
 by the  ecclesiastical authority1 i4e4 
with the ,apocryphal ,books4  ,in some  
cases  that condition is even expressed4
  ,the ,societies could not therefore   
alter the mode of distributing the      
,scriptures1 without the permission of  
the government1 which permission they   
apprehend would not be granted if  it   

were asked4  #b;d4  ,there are in       
,germany a vast variety of moral school 
books1 the lessons of which are taken   
partly from the ,apocrypha1 and  which  
they imagine would be useless if the    
,apocrypha were taken from  common use4 
#c;dly4  ,the original principle on     
which the ,foreign ,societies  formed   
their alliance with the ,british and    
,foreign ,bible ,society was            
conciliatory4  ,the ,anti-apocryphal    
resolution they hold to be  reforming2  
and they think that no ,bible ,society  
has a right to  establish a reforming   
principle as a law to other ,bible      
,societies4  #dth4  ,the question being1
 as they conceive1 whether each ,bible  
,society shall be  permitted to bind the
 ,apocrypha together with the canonical 
books1 at  their own expence2 they think
 they may claim for the ,apocrypha bound
 up  with the ,bible1 the same liberty  
which is exercised in ,england in the   
case of prayer books bound up with the  
word of ,god4  ,a person1 they          

apprehend1 in this country may bind up  
with the ,bible he receives from  the   
,bible ,society whatever tract he       
pleases1 without forfeiting his right   
as a member of that ,society4--,some    
persons desire to retain the ,apocryphal
  books as valuable historical          
documents2 others fear the ill          
consequences  which might result from   
appearing to the ill-informed to take   
away a part  of ,scripture4--,of all    
these reasons it may be said that they  
are founded1  rather on views of        
expediency1 than conscience2 and are not
 therefore to  be put in comparison with
 the great principle involved in this   
question1  and which has directed the   
decision of the ,london ,committee1 viz4
 whether  that which is not the word of 
,god ought to be put on a level with    
that  which is4  ,i cannot but think    
that if our ,christian brethren in      
,germany  were led to this view of the  
question2 that if the writers on the    
subject1 in this country1 were to direct

 a little of the zeal for their         
instruction upon this point2 the more   
pious part of our neighbours would  be  
induced1 at no distant period1 to adopt 
the resolution which we have            
established4  ,in the meantime1 there   
are very many persons and districts1  as
 the correspondence of the ,society may 
testify1 who1 even now1 are  willing to 
receive and distribute the ,bible       
without the apocryphal  writings4  ,the 
example of these societies will1 ,i     
doubt not1 work  powerfully upon others4
    ,from all that ,i was able to learn 
in ,germany1 it appeared to me that1 to 
every class of protestants1 the         
resolution of your ,committee respecting
  the ,apocrypha will be attended with  
immense advantage4  ,great benefit may  
result1 from this resolution1 to the    
general theological teaching of that    
country4  ,a large proportion of the    
errors of the ,german divines1 appear   
to me to have originated in breaking    
down the boundaries of inspiration4     

,the first work published by ,semler1   
who may be considered as the  originator
 of the new school of ,theology1 in     
,germany1 is entitled  8,apparatus ad   
liberalem ,novi ,testamenti             
,interpretationem40  ,the object of     
this work is to give extent to the      
powers of human reason2 and1 in         
defiance of the common notions of the   
authority of inspiration1 to            
accommodate ,scripture to the           
philosophic views of the                
author4--,subsequent  writers have      
contended for the partial inspiration of
 the ,scripture2  others for the        
unreasonableness of inspiration         
altogether1 c4 till the  dignity and    
authority of the divine sanction1 is    
wholly withdrawn from  the word of ,god1
 and critics have felt themselves at    
liberty to discuss  both the books of   
the ,bible1 and their contents with no  
other restraint  than they would feel in
 the examination of the most ordinary   
publication4  ,now the anti-apocryphal  

resolution of the ,committee will ,i    
conceive go  far to suggest for each    
man's consideration1 this important     
question--8,what is1 and what is not the
 ,bible80 and1 thus1 a primary and  most
 important question will be discussed1  
one which must stand at the  basis of   
all sound theology2 and this1 if rightly
 determined1 will assist  to bring back 
the ,german divines from the wild       
notions they have so  generally adopted2
 and the benefit resulting from this    
resolution will  probably be a larger   
distribution of the ,bible itself4  ,in 
those cases  amongst the protestants    
where the societies may refuse to act as
 agents  for the distribution of our    
canonical books1 which cases will1 ,i   
apprehend1 eventually be very few2 those
 societies may be prompted to  greater  
exertion to secure their independent    
existence2 and in the case  of most     
,bible ,societies1 it will be found that
 they are capable of doing  much more   
for themselves1 and others1 than they   

have done1 whilst they  continued to    
receive assistance from this country4   
,with respect to the ,catholic          
population any considerable distribution
 of  the ,old ,testament will           
undoubtedly be prevented by the         
,anti-apocryphal  resolution4  ,but this
 need not hinder the circulation of the 
,new  ,testament4  ,this indeed may be  
distributed in larger abundance than    
before4  ,leander ,van ,ess told me that
 he had then before him applications    
for #cj1jjj copies of the ,catholic ,new
 ,testament1 whilst he had only two  or 
#cjj in his depository2 and that he     
waited only for the direction of  your  
,society to encrease his circulation to 
a very great amount4--,i have  no       
hesitation then in offering my cordial  
approbation to those who have  supported
 the ,anti-apocryphal ,resolution of the
 ,bible ,society4  ,independently of    
every other consideration1 this         
resolution will ,i think1  speedily1 as 
well as remotely1 be attended with      

important benefit as  respects the      
advancement of real ,christian          
knowledge4    ,,ii4  ,it may be         
desirable to say a few words as to the  
,committees and  officers of the ,german
 ,bible ,societies4  ,it has been a     
subject of grief  to me1 on my return to
 this country1 to find these individuals
  reproached1 in very general terms1 as 
#8infidels1' #8,neologians1'            
#8designing men1' #8who have taken the  
offices they hold for their crafts'     
sake1' c4    ,it is true ,i apprehend   
that many ,neologians are connected with
 the ,bible  ,societies in              
,germany1--some by virtue of the offices
 they hold1 and others  voluntarily4    
,in ,heidelburg for instance the        
fundamental rules of the  ,society      
placed all the professors of divinity   
attached to the university1  ex-officio1
 upon the ,committee of the ,bible      
,society4  ,one of these  individuals is
 the professor ,paulus4  ,but from all  
the inquiries ,i was  able to make1 ,i  

could never learn that any individual in
 ,germany1  publicly holding neological 
opinions1 was an active agent of the    
,bible  ,society4  ,and how could any   
thing like an active agency be expected 
of  such individuals4  ,after the ,bible
 ,society had been formed in ,germany1  
it  soon spread very rapidly4  ,many    
,neologians1 from various motives no    
doubt1 enlisted themselves in its ranks4
  ,but what was the real history  of    
this movement8  ,the religious body were
 the originators of these  societies1   
but they were soon compelled to seek the
 protection of others  in authority1    
because the existence of societies in   
many countries must  depend upon their  
sanction2 and they were glad1 even in   
other cases1 to  make those who heeded  
not the word of ,god themselves1 the    
distributors of  it to the rest of the  
world4  ,but if1 at this time1 there are
 inactive  agents of the ,german ,bible 
,societies2 if there are even           
secretaries who  feel very little of the

 value of the ,bible1--are there no     
counterparts to  these in our own       
country8  ,we take the best we can      
get1--lament their  deficiencies1--and  
devoutly wish them better2 but still we 
prefer the  deposit for ,bibles being   
placed in such hands1 rather than having
 no  deposit at all4    ,i am able1     
however1 by a convincing document1 to   
shew what is the real  estimate taken of
 the ,bible ,society by the ,neological 
party in ,germany4  ,there is published 
at ,darmstadt what is called the ,church
 ,newspaper1  which is devoted to the   
consideration of subjects connected with
  religion4  ,the editor of this paper1 
as you will judge by the following      
extract1 is a ,neologian1 and let us    
hear the language in which he speaks  of
 the ,bible ,societies4    ,extract from
 the ,church ,newspaper of ,germany1    
,kirchen ,allgemeine ,zeitung1          
published at ,darmstadt1 ,sept4 #bhth   
#ahbf4                                  
,heading of the ,number4        8,verily

 were ,christ now to appear again he    
would say1 #8,woe unto you1             
,scribes and ,pharisees1 ,hypocrites1'  
for ye anxiously cling to the           
letter of the ,scriptures1 which ye     
misunderstand2 and the spirit1 of       
which ye cannot comprehend2 ye insist on
 the doctrine of a dead      faith1 but 
neglect the weightier matters of the    
law1 judgment and      mercy2 and ye    
appear outwardly pious whilst within ye 
are full of      hypocrisy and          
wickedness4  ,depart from me1 he would  
exclaim1 ye      workers of iniquity1   
projectors of heresy1 slanderers1 and   
breakers      of the peace1 ,i never    
knew you40                              
8,,on ,,bible ,,societies40    ,after   
stating some general advantages which   
might result from the  distribution of  
the ,scriptures amongst the ,heathen1   
such as 8calling into  action the       
slumbering energies of man10            
8ameliorating his nature10 and  laying  
the 8foundation of his moral            

improvement20 the editor goes on to     
mention the ordinary arguments which are
 made use of against ,bible             
,institutions in ,germany1 and which    
arise chiefly from the part which       
foreigners have taken in their          
establishment4    ,he then states some  
particular reasons which should lead his
 readers more  carefully to consider the
 mode of conducting ,bible ,societies1  
and to  greater caution in lending them 
their support and patronage1            
particularly  at the present period4    
,i now give the translation of an       
extract4        8,in the first place we 
feel ourselves constrained to assert1   
that the      dissemination of the      
,scriptures does not appear to us to be 
conducted      in a proper spirit1 and  
with proper views4  ,if we investigate  
the      character of many of those who 
distinguish themselves by more than     
ordinary activity in the cause1 it      
cannot be denied that they very         
frequently seem to possess only a narrow

 view of theology1 and      exceeding   
littleness of mind4  ,that laudable     
veneration1 which they      feel for the
 word of ,god1 easily acts in them1 in  
the absence of more      solid          
theological attainments1 as a check to  
the liberty of thought      and         
judgment1 to which ,christianity leads2 
they confound an      ecclesiastical    
system of doctrine with the ,gospel1    
they adhere with      enthusiastic      
devotedness to exterior forms1 and      
sacrifice to these      the heavenly    
spirit of ,christianity2 they seek the  
essentials of our      religion in the  
blood and wound theology #ae 7blut und  
wunden      theologie7 of former        
centuries1 and it is sufficiently clear 
that1 by      the exertions of such men1
 a blind adherence to the mere letter of
      the word of ,god is again sought  
to be brought into use1 to the great    
injury of genuine ,christianity and     
moral improvement4  ,the peculiar       
interest which ,mystics and ,pietists of

 the present day take in the            
advancement of ,bible ,societies1 and   
the connection in which they            
frequently stand with those who create  
disorders1 by dissent and               
separation from the church1 is a sign of
 the times which ought not to      be   
passed over unnoticed40    ,the editor  
next objects to the resolution taken in 
,england on the subject  of the         
,apocrypha4  ,this the editor thinks    
should be opposed1 on the  ground1      
amongst other reasons1 that two thirds  
of the canonical books of  the ,old     
,testament might with far less injury be
 withheld than one  single book of the  
,apocrypha1 for instance1 the book of   
,sirach1 c4 c4    ,i think from this    
extract it will be obvious1 that the    
,bible ,society  abroad is regarded by  
the enemies of the truth as a great     
instrument for  promoting evangelical   
religion2 and1 in spite of what has been
 said  against its agents and its       
apocryphal books1 ,i cannot but concur  

with the  ,german editor1 in his general
 argument4  ,it is my deliberate        
conviction1  that the ,bible ,society   
has been in ,germany the instrument of  
the greatest  good2 and1 if some of the 
heads of this institution have not      
profited by  it as they ought1 the poor 
at least1 in many considerable          
districts1 have  been gainers to an     
extent of which those are little aware  
who have not  carefully investigated the
 subject4    ,in another part of the    
continent1 ,i certainly found some      
persons1  professedly heterodox in their
 opinions1 who were nevertheless1 active
  friends of the ,bible ,society4  ,in  
one case1 ,i heard that the public      
meeting of a very large city2 and in    
another1 that the welfare of a  society1
 in an immense ,protestant district1    
depended upon the exertions  of persons 
of the class above described4  ,but     
could ,i fail1 in such  cases1 to thank 
,god1 who had kindly placed the antidote
 so near to the  bane1 and had employed 

an enemy of the truth as the destroyer  
of his own  principles8    ,,iii4  ,a   
point1 to which ,i must refer1 is that  
of the persecution of  religious        
characters in ,germany1 and which       
persecutions have been  represented as  
at least sanctioned by the friends of   
the ,bible ,society4  ,this statement as
 a general fact1 ,i believe to be       
utterly incorrect4  ,i  took great pains
 to investigate it on the spot4  ,i     
wish1 for obvious  reasons1 not to enter
 far into particulars4  ,but of one     
individual1 whose  history has been     
before the public1 and whose sufferings 
have been  introduced to their notice   
with a sort of tragical effect1 ,i can  
venture1  after a minute inquiry1 to    
affirm1 that his troubles arose1 not so 
much  from his simple proclamation of   
the truths of the ,gospel1 as from his  
indiscretions1 from his resistance to   
civil as well as ecclesiastical         
regulations1 and his general            
intemperance of conduct4  ,i must also  

add1  that some of the persons who      
protected that individual1 were at the  
very time active agents of the ,bible   
,society in their own country4  ,one    
simple fact will be sufficient to       
establish these statements4  ,the truths
  of the ,gospel have been and are      
proclaimed1 and are tolerated1 and even 
approved in several of the places from  
whence this individual was driven4      
,with respect to the ,canton de ,vaud1 a
 statement to the same effect has  been 
made4  ,it is certain that an angry     
feeling was excited in the minds  of    
several members of the ,committee of the
 ,bible ,society of that  district1 on  
the occasion which gave rise to the     
persecutions in that  ,canton4  ,at the 
same time1 any participation in this    
persecution is1 as  to himself1         
distinctly disavowed by ,professor      
,levade2 and certainly those  who were  
the writers or actors in this           
persecution do not appear in any  way in
 the list of the officers of the ,bible 

,society4  ,two circumstances  connected
 with the measures which were pursued in
 this ,canton1 in  opposition to        
religious meetings1 are sufficiently    
remarkable and  interesting to deserve  
our notice4  ,in the first place1 the   
astonishing  progress of religion during
 this period2 and1 in the second1 the   
discovery1 during the brief continuance 
of this opposition1 of the utter        
inefficiency of intolerant measures in  
checking the progress of inquiry  after 
truth4    ,,iv4  ,a point1 which ,i must
 bring before your notice1 is the actual
 state  of true religion on the         
continent1 and more especially in       
,germany4  ,it is certainly true that   
,neology has to a lamentable extent     
taken  possession of the universities1  
the public prints1 and the higher orders
  of society4  ,at the same time ,i     
believe1 that the statements which have 
gone abroad1 of the extent of its       
prevalence1 are1 as to two points1      
inaccurate4  ,in the first place1 they  

describe only one side of the case2     
for1 if there is much infidelity and    
neology on the continent1 there is  also
 a considerable sprinkling of true      
religion4  ,and1 secondly1 ,the evil    
which has existed1 and does exist1 may  
be said to be every day  diminishing4   
,as to the first of these facts1 ,i     
could point out  individuals1 parishes1 
and districts1 where real religion is in
 active  operation2 places and persons  
altogether unconnected with those agents
  from ,england1 who have been said to  
be the only instruments of doing        
important good on the continent1 and    
which are therefore unrecognised by     
them1 and possibly unknown to them4  ,i 
could name one little knot of  parishes1
 all within a small circle1 in which are
 twelve ministers1  earnest1 orthodox1  
and devout servants of the ,redeemer4   
,i could name  another place1 where     
forty ministers were lately assembled   
for purposes  of religious and spiritual
 communion4  ,i might also allege the   

fact1 that  at different universities   
there are professors who openly1 and    
from the  heart1 confess the true faith4
  ,i may indeed affirm that1 from the   
cottages of the poor to the palaces of  
kings1 there are those who walk  worthy 
their high vocation as ,christians and  
as men4  ,the admitted evils  are every 
day diminishing4  ,the number of        
converts is increasing4  ,the  opinions 
of ,paulus and ,schulthess seem likely  
to die away with  themselves4  ,what can
 be more remarkable than the change     
which has taken  place in the kingdom of
 ,prussia1 where the leaders of the     
state and the  university may now be    
said to hold the very opposite creed to 
that which  obtained with their         
immediate predecessors8    ,there are   
two individuals1 of whom1 as connected  
with ,germany1 ,i feel it  right to say 
a few words--the one is ,leander ,van   
,ess1 the other your late  invaluable   
,secretary1 ,dr4 ,steinkopff4           
,leander ,van ,ess ,i had the happiness 

of visiting2 and ,i remained with him   
during a day1 which ,i passed at        
,darmstadt4  ,it was impossible not to  
be  prepared1 by his writings1 to form a
 very high estimate of his character    
and his labours2 and these expectations 
were1 in my case1 in no wise            
disappointed4  ,i was struck with his   
holy devotedness to his great  object1  
with his unwearied diligence1 with his  
unbounded charity4  ,he is  a man who   
rises at four o'clock in the morning to 
his daily task2 pursues  it often       
without cessation through the day2 and1 
as ,i was informed by  those best       
acquainted with his habits1 he is often 
found at midnight  occupied with his    
work4  ,he is making a new version of   
the ,bible1 which1  by the help of the  
continental ,bible ,societies1 he is    
about to print2  and1 although he holds 
the opinions of the church to which he  
belongs on  the subject of the          
,apocrypha1 he wishes this opinion to be
 no hinderance  to others2 so that they 

will1 in any way1 read the word of ,god4
  ,he is1  therefore1 preparing his     
version for publication1 in three forms4
  ,first1  with the ,vulgate printed in 
a small type at the bottom of each page1
 and  with the ,apocrypha intermixed2   
this is the form in which the ,catholics
  wish to receive it4  ,secondly1       
without the ,vulgate1 and with the      
,apocrypha appended1 for the            
,protestants of that country4  ,thirdly1
  without the apocryphal books1 for the 
distribution of our own ,bible          
,society1 if we are disposed to adopt   
it4  ,here is a specimen of that        
largeness of charity by which every part
 of his conduct is influenced4  ,so     
that1 by ,protestants and ,catholics1   
who are partakers of the same  spirit1  
he is alike esteemed4  ,the king of     
,wirtemberg has presented him  with a   
medal1 in token of his useful labours in
 his kingdom4  ,the  grand-duke of      
,baden has given him money to purchase  
,testaments4  ,and the  government under

 which he lives sanction his            
proceedings1 and one member  in         
particular of the royal family of the   
grand-duke affords him constant         
protection and assistance4  ,so that    
kings1 ,i may say1 are 8the nursing     
fathers0 of his plans and labours4  ,i  
consider this society as  privileged1 in
 no ordinary degree1 in having such an  
agent and friend on  the continent4     
,the assistance which he has already    
rendered to the  ,society has been very 
considerable4  ,he has a great work on  
his hands4  ,communications are always  
to be kept open1 letters to be written2 
and1 in  a country where there is a     
fastidiousness in receiving any         
religious  offering from abroad1 no one1
 who has not tried the experiment1 can  
judge  how much judgment1 care1 and     
delicacy it requires to bestow the gift 
without injuring the cause it is        
intended to promote4    ,the other      
individual1 to whom ,i have ventured to 
refer1 is your late dear  and honoured  

,secretary1 ,dr4 ,steinkopff4  ,the     
present was not the first  opportunity  
,i had enjoyed of tracing the extent of 
his labour1 and of  ascertaining the    
estimation in which he is held on the   
continent4  ,it is  right to be known1  
that ,dr4 ,steinkopff1 before he came to
 ,england1 filled  an office of large   
correspondence on the subject of        
religion1 and which  gave him perhaps a 
better acquaintance with the religious  
state of  ,germany1 than1 ,i may venture
 to say1 any other individual4  ,he has 
constantly held communications with his 
successors in the important and         
influential office which he himself     
held2 and this has given1 to himself1  a
 power of judging of the exact state of 
the continent2 and1 to his  labours1 a  
degree of efficiency1 which could       
scarcely have been possessed  without   
it4  ,but when ,i speak of the value of 
,dr4 ,steinkopff to the ,bible          
,society1 it is not to any mere outward 
circumstance ,i would mainly  advert4   

,i may venture to say1 that his         
character has been one grand  instrument
 of your success on the continent4      
8,if10 said a person1 of  considerable  
influence in ,germany1 to me1 8you do   
not want ,dr4 ,steinkopff  any longer in
 ,england1 send him over here1 and he   
will find friends  enough40  ,wherever  
he has appeared1 either as the officer  
of your ,society  or as a private       
individual1 he has left a name behind   
him which1 next to  the favour of the   
,master he has so affectionately and    
devotedly served1  and the good which he
 has been the instrument of effecting   
for his  fellow-creatures1 may be his   
comfort in his hours of sickness and of 
solitude4  ,i saw none who knew him who 
were not ready to bear testimony  to his
 humility1 his conscientiousness1 his   
vigour1 his undeviating  devotedness to 
the ,society whose officer he was4  ,may
 ,god long preserve  him to assist us by
 his counsels1 and to advocate the cause
 of the  ,society1 with a voice which1  

whether at home or abroad1 has been     
rarely  heard in vain4    ,i will now   
venture1 in conclusion1 to urge upon the
 ,committee1 as the  plain inference    
from the foregoing statements1 what     
appears to me to be a  most imperious   
duty4  ,it is that of cultivating and to
 manifesting a  spirit of kindness1 of  
generosity1 and enlarged benevolence    
towards  our continental brethren4  ,if 
it be considered as an offence that we  
express our 8unfeigned ,christian       
regards0 towards many of our fellow     
labourers abroad1 ,i trust that we shall
 continue thus to offend4  ,i had       
constantly occasion on the continent1   
whilst speaking on the subject of  the  
,apocrypha to those who most materially 
differed from us1 to urge1  that1       
whereas by the new resolution of the    
,british and ,foreign ,bible  ,society1 
the ground upon which we could unite was
 somewhat narrowed1 our  temper of mind1
 our sympathy1 and love might remain the
 same2 and that1  if we could hope less 

than ever to 8reconcile all opinions10  
we might  still endeavour 8to unite all 
hearts40    ,this was the leading       
principle of our ,society in the infancy
 of its  institution2 and1 now that we  
are more matured in age1 let us labour  
not  to depart from it4  ,far then from 
advising the officers of this ,society  
to suffer themselves1 in their          
communications with the continent1 to be
  lectured into a cold1 dry1 measured   
style of writing1 ,i would exhort them  
to give vent to their warm and generous 
feelings4  ,they may1 in so doing1  err 
in the sight of those disposed to make  
men 8offenders for a word20  but they   
will better please the compassionate    
,master they serve2 they  will1 under   
the divine blessing1 cherish the        
fainting spirit of  continental         
,christianity1 and fan that spark of    
piety and zeal which is  lighted up1 ,i 
trust1 never to be extinguished4    ,i  
hope too the ,committee will be         
encouraged as to the general objects and

  operations of the ,society4  ,i am1 by
 actual observation1 more than ever     
convinced1 that1 on a very large scale1 
this institution is on the  continent1 a
 favoured instrument in the hands of    
,divine ,providence4  ,the  good which  
it has accomplished is immense4  ,the   
evils which have been  charged upon it1 
exist1 rather in imagination1 than in   
reality4  ,let the  ,committee go on to 
do what they can1 and to do all in the  
spirit of love  and generosity4  ,let   
them commit every endeavour to the      
blessing of ,him  to whom the souls of  
the multitudes scattered over the       
continent are  unspeakably dear2 let    
them be confident that the word of the  
,lord will  have free course and be     
glorified2 and that millions will arise1
 at the  last day1 to acknowledge with  
gratitude and joy the labours of this   
,society4  ,let the temper of the       
,society remain unimpaired at home2 and 
it  need not be disquieted at objections
 or assaults which will not at least    

commend themselves to the world at      
large1 by the general spirit in which   
they have been defended4  ,and may we   
never fail to repose an honourable      
confidence in the officers and friends  
of the ,society2 nor forget1 in  judging
 of others1 to take into account the    
infirmities of our common  nature4  ,may
 we feel that1 having embarked in the   
glorious enterprise of  making all men  
acquainted with the pure and            
unadulterated word of ,god1 it  is not  
for us to be checked by slight          
obstacles2 but to go forward1           
conquering and to conquer1 in the name  
of him who has loved us1 and given      
himself for us1 and who has consigned   
this volume1 as his precious  legacy1 to
 a perishing and suffering world4       
,believe me1 my ,lord1                  
,your ,lordship's very obedient servant1
                                        
,f4 ,,cunningham4    ,pakefield1        
,lowestoft1        ,jan4 #e1 #ahbg4     
99 99 99 99 99                          

,,london3             ,,ibotson ,,and   
,,palmer1 ,,printers1 ,,savoy ,,street1 
,,strand4          ,footnotes      #f   
#bcig ,bibles1 #bdcf ,testaments4    #ae
  ,the doctrine of the atonement of     
,christ1 and justification by  faith4