,transcribed from the #ahaf ,brightly   
and ,childs edition by ,david ,price1   
email ccx#jgdpglaf4org                  
,,substance                             
,,of ,a                                 
,,sermon                            ,,on
 ,,the ,,bible ,,society1               
,,preached ,,at                         
,,beccles1 ,,october #bith1             
,,and ,,at                         ,,st4
 ,,mary',s ,,church ,,bungay1           
,,on ,,friday1 ,,dec4 #ast1 #ahae4      
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,second ,,edition4                     
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,f4 ,,cunningham4  ,a4
 ,b4                        ,,rector    
,,of ,,pakefield1 ,,suffolk4            
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,bungay3                               
,printed by ,brightly and ,childs2      
,,and ,,sold ,,by ,,gowing1 ,,lowestoft2
 ,,seeley1 ,,london2                    
,,conder1 ,,ipswich2 ,,asten1 ,,bungay2 
,,and                                   

,,cattermole1 ,,beccles4                
99 99 99 99 99                          
#ahaf4                                  
,price six pence4                       
99 99 99 99 99          ,,sermon4       
,,mark xvi4 #ae4             ,go ye into
 all the world1 and preach the ,gospel  
to every                                
creature4    ,,this was nearly the last 
command of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus
 ,christ1  addressed to his disciples3  
and to it was annexed in another gospel1
 a  promise1 which shows that this was  
not only intended as a commandment  for 
that period1 but for the present day4   
8,lo ,i am with you alway0 7he  said at 
the same time7 8even unto the end of the
 world40  ,the command  then extends to 
as long a period as the support is      
promised to be  continued1 i4e4 to the  
end of the world4    ,in placing myself 
therefore as an advocate for a society1 
the purpose of  which is1 the           
distribution of the word of ,god1 ,i    
have not thought that ,i  could choose a

 text which more strongly and           
persuasively urges upon you a  zealous  
promotion of this great work1 than a    
command so directly laid  down upon this
 subject1 and to the fulfilment of which
 such large  assistance is promised4    
,for what is the gospel which the       
disciples of  our ,lord are commanded to
 preach8  ,the ,gospel in its strictest 
sense is  good news2 it is all that good
 news of happiness now1 which is        
promised  in the ways of religion1 and  
of salvation hereafter4  ,the gospel    
which is  here recommended is all the   
communication of ,god to man1 which has 
been  made to us in the holy            
,scriptures4  ,it conveys all the       
information which  man has of his       
condemned state by nature before ,god1  
and points out at  the same time a      
prospect of a full propitiation for his 
sins in the death  of ,jesus ,christ4   
,it offers to sinners1 to all who are   
weary and heavy  laden1 a free          
invitation to come1 without any merit of

 their own1 to  receive the benefits of 
,jesus ,christ's death2 it affords to   
those who are  assured of their         
salvation1 a measure by which they can  
determine whether  their hope of        
salvation be reasonable1 or whether it  
be founded upon  their own delusions2 it
 gives us a standard for every duty1 an 
encouragement for every exertion1 a     
wanting against every sin2 and whilst   
on the one hand it declares that        
8without holiness no man shall see the  
,lord10 on the other it testifies that  
8there is no condemnation with ,god  to 
them which are in ,christ ,jesus1 who   
walk not after the flesh but after  the 
spirit40  ,such is the gospel which we  
are commanded to preach to  every       
creature1 and which is unfolded to us in
 the word of ,god4    ,i cannot in a    
,christian congregation for a moment    
suppose that any  command of our ,lord  
can be disputed2 ,i need1 therefore1    
scarcely feel  that it is necessary to  
do much more than to take for granted   

that it is  one of the great leading    
duties of every ,christian1 to spread   
abroad this  gospel1 or in other words1 
to promote the circulation of the       
,scriptures4  ,what can be the objection
 to circulating the simple word of ,god8
  ,is it  that some work ought to       
accompany it1 in order to protect1 or   
give it a  right application8  ,the     
command of our ,lord has no limitation  
of this  kind4  8,go0 says my text 8and 
preach the gospel20 7this gospel which  
the  apostles have delivered down to us 
in the ,scriptures17 8go and preach it  
to every creature40  ,is an objection   
started that all the word of ,god  ought
 not to be circulated1 that some part of
 it is needless1 some  unintelligible8  
,we have in answer to this1 the words of
 an apostle1 who  declares to us that   
8all ,scripture is given by inspiration 
from ,god1  and is profitable for       
doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1  
for  instruction in righteousness40     
,thank ,god that very few have started  

the  notion1 that the ,scriptures alone 
should not be spread abroad1 and it     
seems to me wonderful that any should   
presume to determine1 that what ,god    
has sent forth for the salvation of     
mankind1 is not sufficient for that     
purpose1 or would1 without the          
assistance of the works of fallible men1
  lead his creatures into error4  ,as   
,christians then1 we must admit that    
the ,scriptures should be universally   
circulated4  ,we are also called upon   
to circulate them as members of a       
,protestant church2 for we must not     
forget1 that in distinction from those1 
from whom we as a church  dissented1    
that the great maxim upon which our     
fathers acted1 and for  which so many of
 them gave up their lives1 was 8that the
 ,bible1 and the  ,bible alone is the   
religion of ,protestants40  ,as         
,protestants therefore  we are called   
upon to circulate the word of ,god4  ,as
 members also of the  ,church of        
,england1 we are bound to engage in the 

same work4  ,our church  has called     
herself the daughter of the ,bible4     
,this was the holy origin  from which it
 was all its boast to have sprung4  ,our
 church certainly had  its origin at a  
time1 when1 of all others in this       
country1 the ,bible was  the best       
understood1 and was the most simply     
interpreted2 it was  constructed        
moreover by men who with their blood1   
sealed the commentary  which they made  
upon the ,scriptures1 when they compiled
 the liturgy1  articles1 and discipline 
of our establishment4  ,whether then we 
come to  the consideration of the       
question of distributing the sacred     
,scriptures  without note or comment1 as
 ,christians1 as ,protestants1 or as    
members of the established ,church1 we  
must admit that it is our duty1  our    
high and bounden duty to do it2 and1 as 
the apostle said1 8,woe is me  if ,i    
preach not the gospel10 so we must say1 
,woe is me1 if ,i do not1 as  much as in
 me lies1 seek to give the ,bible to    

every creature4  ,the  question now is1 
what are the best means to effect this  
end8 and this1 ,i  venture to suggest1  
is the ,british and ,foreign ,bible     
,society4    ,i shall endeavour to      
establish in the first place as a       
principle1 that it  is only by a system 
of co-operation of all parties that the 
work of  universally distributing the   
,scriptures can be effected4  ,let us   
look to  a fact upon this point4  ,in   
our own country1 a society was          
instituted1  about a century since1     
which is now called the ,bartlett's     
,buildings'  ,society1 or ,society for  
promoting ,christian knowledge4  ,the   
object of  this society was to          
distribute the word of ,god over the    
world1 and to  promote the preaching of 
the gospel4  ,this society is confined  
to our own  church1 for it admits no    
members who do not give good security   
that they  are churchmen4  ,the object  
of this society was as pure as possible2
 the  administration of that branch of  

it at least which has been employed in  
the circulation of the ,scriptures1 has1
 as far as ,i know1 continued           
faultless2 but the operations of the    
whole society have been necessarily     
contracted1 because it was confined to  
the church4  ,the effect produced  by   
this society may be seen by examining   
the result of an hundred years'  trial4 
,it was found about twelve years since1 
that in many villages of  ,england1 the 
,bible1 except in the churches1 was     
hardly known2 within a  mile of its     
depository1 not one half of the families
 were in possession  of the word of     
,god2 and in this diocese it was        
calculated1 that ten  thousand families 
were without a ,bible4  ,at this period 
the principle of  the co-operation of   
all parties1 who took the ,bible as the 
basis of their  religion1 began to be   
understood1 and the ,bible ,society was 
formed1 which  admitted all subscribers 
of whatever denomination into its ranks2
 the  most astonishing results have thus

 been obtained4  ,this society has      
distributed1 in the course of eleven    
years1 nearly one million four  hundred 
thousand ,bibles and ,testaments2 and   
the ,bible has been translated  and     
printed1 in whole or in part1 in        
fifty-five different languages or       
dialects4  ,by this fact we may see the 
comparative power of the two  societies2
 and also it is manifest1 that a        
society1 even carried on by  the largest
 and most opulent part of the community1
 could not effect  the object intended2 
and that therefore no society1 made up  
of only one  class in the country1 could
 accomplish the great work which it is  
our  hope to perform4 #f    ,now        
conceive a man contriving some great    
work which he hopes will be a  national 
blessing2 which will cure the diseases1 
or lessen the sorrows of  his           
countrymen1 and which work requires the 
exertion of all his  countrymen to carry
 into effect4  ,would he stop short in  
his design1  because he might1 by       

bringing all parties to bear upon the   
common object1  unite them in that      
object4  ,would he say1 ,my object is   
indeed of the  highest importance1 but  
,i cannot consent to unite all parties  
in it1  because the union of all        
parties1 although for a good purpose1   
would be  an evil8  ,would he say1 for  
example1 ,i cannot bring all a country  
together to build an hospital1 or to    
erect an infirmary1 because by doing    
so1 ,i should make peace amongst        
discordant neighbours1 or ,i should heal
  political breaches8  ,would he not    
account the union1 even the partial and 
temporary union of all parties1 to be in
 itself a great benefit8  ,would  he not
 be glad1 if by any influence1 and      
especially by a good influence1  he     
could lay to rest the evil spirit of    
bigotry or malevolence8  ,he would      
surely say1 ,my plan has in it two great
 benefits3 in the first place1 by       
bringing all persons together1 ,i shall 
be enabled to effect my purpose2  and   

secondly1 ,i shall unite those persons  
between whom discord and  rancour       
prevailed4    ,it is just in this way ,i
 would reason about the ,bible ,society4
  ,we have a  great work to perform1 a  
work which1 as ,i have shewn1 can alone 
be  effected by the co-operation of all 
parties4  ,we are bound to this work  by
 the most solemn and unequivocal command
 of our ,saviour4  ,but now the         
question arises1 whether to effect this 
great point1 we may admit of an  union  
of all parties to accomplish it8  ,an   
unprejudiced person would say1  this    
union is an additional motive for my    
exertion4    ,but opposers have said1   
that by all parties being brought       
together1  ,christians have been led to 
feel less distinctly the points upon    
which  they disagreed1 and that thus    
great evils have arisen amongst         
,christians  in general1 and to the     
,establishment in particular4  ,i will  
now then  endeavour shortly to examine  
the effect of the union of all parties1 

which is produced by this institution1  
upon ,christians in general and  upon   
the ,church4    ,what1 in the first     
place1 has been the effect upon the     
general body of  dissenters8  ,but a few
 years since1 within the recollection of
 many of  us1 the consequences of a     
thoroughly dissenting spirit1 in        
politics and  religion1 were to be seen4
  ,no temper was then preserved1 either 
on the  side of the church1 or the      
dissenters4  ,each party was employed in
  discovering all that was objectionable
 in the other3 little evils were        
magnified--particular faults            
generalized3 a spirit of envy and hatred
  reigned in the meetings of men1 who1  
as ,christians1 might have taken  8sweet
 counsel together40  ,now1 this is      
certainly not the case4  ,both  amongst 
churchmen and dissenters1 a considerable
 abatement of hostility  has taken      
place4  ,whilst1 on the one hand1       
churchmen have1 in general1  fulfilled  
more carefully the duties of their      

profession2 ,i may say1 that  on the    
other1 the spirit of dissenters has     
exceedingly changed4  ,dissenters may   
have had some well-grounded blame to    
attach1 in many  cases1 to the members  
of our church2 yet1 it is likely that   
they by no  means gave the church itself
 credit for the good which now they find
 to  be in it4  ,they thought that the  
lamp of our temple had gone out1 that   
the branch was withered which once      
produced that glorious fruit1 in the    
time of the ,reformation4  ,but now ,i  
believe that the dissenters are         
undeceived2 and that the ,bible ,society
 has tended to undeceive them4  ,they   
have seen that want of zeal1 is not the 
effect of the system1 but of  the       
individuals2 and1 as they have          
discovered this1 ,i may say1 most       
honourably to themselves1 they seem to  
have laid down the weapons of           
controversy against us1 and are engaged 
in fighting our common enemies1  in     
wielding that sword of the ,spirit1     

which is the word of ,god4  ,now the    
meetings which we have of dissenters and
 churchmen1 are not to wrangle  and     
dispute with each other1 but to take new
 pledges that we will oppose  the       
enemies of our common ,christianity2    
they are to join in consuming the       
brand1 which once might have been       
pointed against one another1 upon an    
altar of unity1 piety1 and peace4       
,but now1 in the second place1 what has 
been the effect of this union upon  the 
members of the ,established ,church8    
,it may be said1 that such  meetings    
will tend to unfix our decided          
approbation of the doctrines and        
discipline of the ,established ,church4 
,but they can know nothing of the       
nature of these meetings who urge this  
objection4  ,there is nothing in  them  
either to convert a churchman or a      
dissenter4  ,the churchman will  come   
away still a churchman2 and the         
dissenter still a dissenter4  ,no one   
church-principle1 or church-feeling2 no 

one point of doctrine1 of  discipline1  
or of practice1 will be the least       
affected1 or called in  question1 by    
attending a meeting of the ,bible       
,society4  ,the sole object  for which  
churchmen and dissenters are united1 is 
to distribute the word  of ,god2 but can
 the distribution of the word of ,god be
 injurious to the  establishment8  ,if  
we believe that the tenets of dissenters
 are plainly  contradicted in the       
,bible1 should we not then as churchmen1
 be thankful  that they are willing to  
circulate1 throughout the world1 a      
refutation of  their own system8  ,can  
the distribution of the word of truth1  
under any  circumstances1 be injurious  
to a true church8  ,to say that the     
circulation of the ,bible can injure the
 ,establishment1 seems to me an         
unwarranted scandal upon it2 and perhaps
 no notion would be more  injurious to  
the interests of the ,church of         
,england1 than that it cannot  bear     
examination1 if brought to the test of  

the word of ,god4    ,it has been said1 
that the ,bible ,society is an          
instrument of  dissenters to overturn   
the church4  ,but if so1 it is a work in
 which  the greatest1 the most wise and 
attached friends of the ,establishment  
have joined2 it has been supported by   
bishops1 and ministers1 and  princes3   
men of all parties1 and of no precisely 
similar views1 or  interests1 or        
feelings4  ,it is urged1 that remote    
evils may arise1 that  the present      
principle of the ,bible ,society may be 
departed from2 that  dissenters may in  
time preponderate1 and direct this      
instrument against  ourselves4  ,of all 
these objections1 it must be said1 that 
they are  entirely without proof1 or the
 probability of proof3 besides that we  
are  hardly1 as ,christians1 allowed to 
calculate so nicely on one side1 upon   
evils certainly remote1 and merely      
conjectural2 whilst1 on the other1 we   
have this ascertained fact1 that        
fourteen hundred thousand ,bibles have  

been circulated1 in fifty-five different
 languages4  ,it may still be  said1 all
 churchmen should join in the society   
which is attached to the                
,establishment4  ,i would urge all      
churchmen to do so4  ,but ,i would1 at  
the  same time1 persuade them to join in
 this society2--for the two societies   
stand upon different grounds4  ,the     
powers of the two societies are         
different1 their objects are different2 
the one is a national society1  and its 
operations are almost necessarily       
confined to home2 the other  takes the  
whole world for its sphere3 the one is  
doing good in the  boundary of a little 
family2 the other comprehends all the   
circumference  of the globe6 #aj    ,i  
have now then endeavoured to point out  
to you the benefit of the  principle of 
co-operation1 as proved in this society2
 its benefit in the  astonishing        
circulation which it has given to the   
word of ,god1 and in the  spirit of     
union which it has produced4  ,i have   

also endeavoured to shew  that this     
union has been beneficial to ,christians
 in general1 and that it  has not been  
injurious1 nor can be injurious1 to the 
established church4    ,the question of 
the ,bible ,society however1 is one1    
which in my mind takes  much higher     
ground than that of the advantage or    
disadvantage of a  particular church4   
,it takes its stand upon the            
authoritative dictate of  ,one who has  
commanded us to preach the gospel to    
every creature2 and to  whose command1  
if we will not submit1 the ,son may be  
angry1 and so we  shall perish from the 
right way3 it takes its stand upon our  
own feeling  of the value of this book3 
which feeling calls upon us to act      
vigorously  in the dispersion of the    
blessed truths which it promulgates2    
that as we  have received mercy1 so we  
should shew mercy2 that as ,christ has  
loved  us1 so should we love one        
another4    ,i will now1 however1 yet   
consider more particularly some of the  

results  which have attended the        
establishment of this society2 and the  
want of  the ,scriptures which now      
exists in the world4    ,the ,bible     
,society1 which was instituted without  
any hope of very great  extension1 has1 
in the course of eleven years1 spread   
itself not only  over this country1 but 
over the greater part of the world4  ,in
 this  country it has now four hundred  
and eighty-eight branches attached to   
it2  and in the four quarters of the    
world1 institutions similar to itself   
have been formed4  ,in ,europe forty    
different societies have been           
established3 in ,asia four3 in ,africa  
two3 and in ,america upwards of  eighty4
  ,most of the capitals of ,europe have 
a society formed in them2  and these are
 again1 as in ,england1 subdivided4  ,in
 the ,netherlands1  for example1 there  
are thirty-two subordinate societies2   
and the city of  ,amsterdam has besides1
 thirty-two associations4  ,societies   
have been  formed throughout ,russia1   

under the munificent patronage of the   
,emperor2 and1 in a part of ,russia1    
they are established in every parish1   
under the direction of the pastor4  ,the
 establishment of this society  seems to
 have formed a new ra in the religious  
history of ,russia2 for we  read1 that  
at the great meeting of the ,russian    
,bible ,society1 the first  dignitaries 
of the ,greek1 ,armenian1 ,catholic1 and
 ,georgian churches1 all  most heartily 
co-operated in this work2 none seemed to
 fear the  subversion of their own      
religion1 by the dissemination of the   
,bible2 all1  although they retained the
 opinions of their respective churches1 
yet  felt1 that in this one point1 they 
might fully and heartily join4  ,in     
,asia1 and especially amongst our own   
fellow-subjects in ,india1 the work  of 
translating the ,bible has been carried 
on with very great success4  ,the ,bible
 has there been translated1 or is in the
 course of translation1  into           
twenty-five different languages4  ,the  

,new ,testament has also been           
translated1 and is distributing in the  
language of ,china1 which is said  to be
 spoken by three hundred millions of    
people4    ,the income of this society  
has of course been very large1 to meet  
the  expenditure which has been         
necessary to these vast operations4     
,this  income has every year been       
increasing1 but as the supplies are     
made1 the  wants of the world are more  
known2 and the demand at this time1     
seems  almost to be infinite4  ,i will  
now lay before you1 some of the cases in
  which the wants of the world have been
 remarkably shewn4  ,in the  province of
 ,georgia1 where a ,christian church has
 existed about one  thousand four       
hundred years1 and where there are about
 half a million of  inhabitants1 there  
have not been found1 in two thousand    
churches1 two  hundred copies of the    
,scriptures2 i4e4 not one ,bible for ten
 churches4  ,in ,iceland1 five silver   
dollars have been offered in vain for a 

copy of  the word of ,god2 and the case 
of a clergyman is presented1 who had    
sought  in vain to obtain a copy of the 
,scriptures1 for the long period of     
seventeen years4  ,in many parishes were
 found two ,bibles1 in others none  at  
all4  ,whatever country has been        
searched into1 whether catholic         
countries1 where the ,bible has never   
been fully circulated2 or protestant    
countries1 where once the fire of       
religion blazed with a pure flame1 and  
spread a warmth around1 which even      
reached1 and animated our own shores1   
the ,bible is now scarcely known1 or    
known only as a monument of departed    
piety1 as a relic treasured up1 of      
other1 and of better times4  ,europe    
has not suffered more political1 than it
 has religious convulsions4  ,whatever  
may have been the effect of the one1 all
 the changes of religion  seem to have  
been for the worse4  ,the ,bible1 which 
had been the support  of the only pure  
religions1 has been taken away1 and now 

these fabrics  have fallen1 or decayed4 
,i will only mention one more fact      
concerning  the wants of the world1     
which is that of our fellow subjects in 
,india1  and which may serve to give us 
an idea of heathen nations in general4  
,although1 says the correspondent of    
this society1 8we have ten presses  at  
constant work1 we have not had a copy of
 the ,bengalee and  ,hindoostanee ,new  
,testaments the last six months2 and we 
are obliged to  give away a single copy 
as soon as it leaves the press2 yet we  
have  demands from every quarter for    
copies40  ,in this state of want and    
anxiety1 are fifty millions of our      
fellow-subjects4    ,i will now say no  
more upon the particular circumstances  
of this society4  ,all its statements1  
and the account of its proceedings from 
the  beginning1 are in the hands of     
many1 and every one is requested and    
invited to examine its structure and    
operations4  ,it requires no other      
argument for its support1 to a          

,christian mind1 than the simple recital
  which its own reports unfold4  ,in    
those reports are the facts specified   
which ,i have been able so shortly to   
allude to2 and there are the            
testimonials which have been given to   
the blessed effects of this  society1   
from almost every nation1 and language  
and tongue1 and people6  ,there1 is to  
be seen1 pouring through this sacred    
channel1 the homage of  an admiring and 
grateful world1 to the zeal1 the piety1 
and the  liberality of ,britain6 and    
there1 may be seen1 how many prayers are
  continually rising up in her          
behalf1--those prayers1 which have      
success in  heaven1--those prayers1     
which will ,i trust1 bring upon our     
country the  choicest blessings1 and    
upon this society1 which has caused     
these  petitions1 a growth which shall  
continually extend till all the kingdoms
  of the earth shall see the salvation  
of ,god4    ,such is the society for    
which ,i beg to claim your support4  ,i 

would use  every argument by which you  
might be most liberally affected towards
 it1  for ,i know not of any public     
institution which has so purely and     
directly  for its object the temporal   
and spiritual interests of mankind2 ,i  
know of  no institution where so large a
 sum can be so well used1 and which no  
money can be well misused1 whilst the   
simple object of the society is  acted  
upon1 viz4 to circulate the word of ,god
 without note or comment4  ,i  would    
then call upon you by every plea1       
according to your utmost ability1  to   
give liberally towards the great        
purposes of this institution4  ,only    
let us place ourselves in the situation 
of those millions who have not  had the 
word of ,god given to them4  ,let us    
suppose1 that another nation  were now  
deliberating whether the ,bible should  
be sent to our shores2  let us conceive 
that nation1 now arguing whether some   
local attachment1  some municipal       
regulation1 some system of              

church-government1 should not  restrain 
its hands1 when it had the power and    
disposition to give the  ,bible to      
,britain4  ,how should we1 who value the
 word of ,god1 who feel  that we owe to 
it our pure religion1 and all that is   
excellent in our  manners1 and all that 
is pre-eminent in our character2 how    
should we bear  from others those       
arguments about giving the ,scriptures  
to ourselves1  which we are compelled   
every day to hear1 now that the case is 
reversed8  ,would an argument of a      
,russian1 for instance1 satisfy us1 that
 the  ,bible should not be given to     
,england1 because the ,greek1 and the   
,georgian1 the ,armenian1 and ,roman    
catholic churches1 could not1 without   
danger1 unite in a public meeting8      
,should we be satisfied1 that ,england  
ought not to have the word of ,god1     
because a ,roman catholic establishment 
might fear the prevalence of what it    
might call heresy8  ,as then we  should 
say1 what can be the evils arising from 

a meeting of ,christians of  all the    
,russian churches1 in comparison of the 
sin of refusing the ,bible  to ,england8
 what would be the relative importance  
even of taking away an  established     
church in another country1 when the     
alternative is1 that  ,britain should   
not have the word of ,god8  ,so let us  
now reason when we  have the ,bible1 and
 a disposition has sprung up in this    
country to give  it to all the world2 so
 let us reason about our own hindrances 
in  co-operating in this work1 and the  
urgent calls of the world upon us1 for  
the dissemination of the ,scriptures4   
,we do not however give up our          
establishment1 by distributing the word 
of ,god1 we hope to strengthen and      
support it2 we hold out the best test by
 which any church can be tried1  and we 
shew our confidence that it is built    
upon a right foundation1 and  that      
therefore no enemy shall prevail against
 it4    ,is there any one here1 ,i may  
ask1 who would willingly give up the    

effects  of ,christian principles upon  
his own happiness1 or the value of      
,christian  comfort to his own heart8   
,is there any one here1 who would       
consent to  have no knowledge of the    
true ,god2 no hope in ,jesus ,christ2   
never to  witness again the peaceful joy
 of the sabbath2 never to feel the      
consolation which the gospel affords2   
when it may teach us that  afflictions  
are but the chastisements of a tender   
father2 when it points  out a hope      
concerning our departed friends1 that   
our brother ,lazarus1  that our child1  
our parent1 is not dead1 but sleepeth8  
,if then we value  these things so much 
ourselves1 let us not seek to shut them 
out from  others2 but let us on the     
other hand1 endeavour to disseminate    
them  through the whole world4  ,let us 
seek that every nation may experience1  
as we do1 the blessings of religion1 of 
peace1 of a humble submission to  a good
 government4  ,let us give them the     
,bible1 which is1 ,i may say1 the       

corner-stone of all that we can boast as
 a nation2 and then they may be  as     
wise1 as happy1 as pious1 as useful1 as 
we are4  ,o let the cries and  tears of 
the heathen1 let their wants and misery1
 let their ignorance and  sin1 come up  
before you6 and let these prevail upon  
you1 to open your  hearts1 and to supply
 them out of your abundance4  ,as you   
value your own  souls1 look upon those  
who1 not having the ,bible1 are living  
without  comfort1 and dying without the 
consolations of the gospel4  ,look upon 
them for they call upon you for help2   
neglect them not1 for to have  refused a
 cup of cold water1 will not at the day 
of judgment be  unaccounted for3 grant  
them your support and your blessings1 so
 shall you  meet them with joy1 when you
 with them1 are called to receive your  
last  eternal sentence4                 
,,finis4                                
99 99 99 99 99                          
,brightly and ,childs1 ,printers1       
,bungay4          ,,footnotes4      #f  

,the sentiments of the late venerable   
,dr4 ,,porteus1 ,lord ,,bishop of       
,,london1 are thus delivered to the     
world1 in great part as recorded by the 
bishop himself1 in his life written by  
his relative1 the ,dean of ,chester4    
8,a limitation thus absolute and        
unequivocal10 viz4 8that the sole and   
exclusive object of the society should  
be the circulation of the  ,scriptures1 
and the ,scriptures only1 without note  
or comment10 removed  from the ,bishop's
 mind all doubt and hesitation4  ,he saw
 instantly that a  design of such       
magnitude1 which aimed at nothing less  
than the dispersion  of the ,bible over 
every accessible part of the world1     
could only be  accomplished by the      
association of men of all religious     
persuations4  ,he  looked forward to    
great results from such a combination of
 effort4  ,he  entertained the hope that
 it might operate as a bond of union    
between  contending parties2 and that by
 bringing them together in one point of 

vast moment1 about which there could    
hardly be a diversity of opinion1 it    
might gradually allay that bitterness of
 dispute1 and put an end to those       
unhappy divisions which have so long    
tarnished the credit of the  ,christian 
world4  ,whilst1 therefore1 he remained 
firmly attached to the  original        
society1 7for promoting ,christian      
knowledge7 whose exertions1 as  far as  
its limited sphere allowed1 no one ever 
held in higher estimation1  he gave at  
the same time the sanction of his name  
without scruple to the  new one3 and the
 more he considered its object1 and the 
longer  experience he had of the spirit 
ant principles on which it was          
conducted1 the more deeply he was       
convinced that it merited all the       
support which the ,church of ,england   
could give4    8,it is now10 he observes
 in a passage which strongly marks his  
sentiments2 8it is now well known and   
firmly established1 and has  completely 
triumphed over all the attempts made to 

destroy it4  ,none of  those secret dark
 designs1 none of those plots and       
conspiracies to  subvert the            
establishment1 and devour both the      
shepherds and their  flocks1 which were 
so confidently predicted by a certain   
set of men as  the inevitable effect of 
this society1 have yet been discovered  
in it4  ,it is in fact much better      
employed4  ,it goes on quietly and      
steadily1 in  the prosecution of its    
great object1 and pays no sort of regard
 to the  sneers and cavils of its       
intemperate opponents40--,in another    
passage1  written at a still later date1
 he says1 8that he cannot but add1 in   
justice to this society1 which has been 
so much opposed1 misrepresented1  and   
traduced1 that all the important works  
in which it has been engaged  have been 
carried on with the utmost harmony and  
unanimity2 without any  difference of   
opinion2 without the slightest symptom  
of any hostile or  treacherous design   
against the church2 and without any     

other idea upon  their minds but that of
 extending as widely as possible1 the   
knowledge of  the ,christian            
,scriptures40  ,the bishops of ,durham  
and ,salisbury attended  several of     
their meetings1 and were delighted with 
the decorum1  calmness1 and good temper 
with which their proceedings were       
conducted4  ,in short1 all the          
apprehensions to which this society has 
given rise are  now found to be but vain
 terrors2 and all the prophecies of the 
mischief  and evil1 that would result   
from it1 are falsified by facts4  ,it is
  rising uniformly in reputation and    
credit2 gaining new accessions of       
strength and revenues and attaching to  
itself more and more the  approbation   
and support of every real friend to the 
church and to  religion4    #aj ,extract
 of a speech made by the earl of        
,liverpool1 on accepting the  office of 
president1 of the ,cinque ,ports' ,bible
 ,society1 ,dec4 #eth4 #ahae4    ,as a  
member of the ,established ,church1 from

 education and habit1 but much  more so 
from consideration and conviction1 he   
was particularly desirous  of promoting 
its interests1 to the utmost of his     
ability1 under this  impression he had  
recently appeared1 on a public occasion1
 as a supporter  of the ,society for    
promoting ,christian ,knowledge4  ,he   
was anxious to  extend the influences   
and advantages of that institution2 but 
he saw no  reason why he should not1 at 
the same time1 afford to the ,british   
and  ,foreign ,bible ,society every     
assistance in his power1 and evince an  
equal  anxiety to promote its success4  
,the objects of the two ,societies were 
one--that of dispersing the uncorrupted 
word of ,god2 and1 as the means in  each
 were pure1 he should always consider it
 an honour to aid them1 or  any other   
society which had the same object in    
view1 and was labouring to  effect the  
same end--the dissemination of          
,christianity over the habitable  globe4
  ,his lordship was a friend to the     

,bible ,society1 because it would       
operate where1 from national custom1 or 
prevalence of different  sentiments1 the
 ,society for promoting ,christian      
,knowledge would not  obtain admission4 
,the universality of the object proposed
 by the ,british  and ,foreign ,bible   
,society1 and its tendency to unite all 
,christians  7however divided on        
subjects of minor concern7 in the bonds 
of ,christian  sympathy and benevolence1
 gave it1 in his lordship's mind1 a     
powerful  claim to universal support4