Transcribed from the [1817] J. Keymer edition ,
WHICH
HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED
IN
Lowestoft, and its Neighbourhood,
ENTITLED
REASONS
WHY
A CHURCHMAN MAY WITH GREAT JUSTICE REFUSETO
SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRITISH ANDFOREIGN
BIBLE SOCIETY.
BY
FRANCIS CUNNINGHAM, A.B
RECTOR OF PAKEFIELD;
And Secretary of the Lowestoft BranchBible Society.
YARMOUTH:
Printed and Sold by J. Keymer,King-Street;
SOLD ALSO BYGOWING, LOWESTOFT; PARSONS, NORWICH;
HATCHARD, AND SEELEY, LONDON.
There are many circumstances whichmight have induced a friend of the Bible Society to refrain fromnoticing a work, under the circumstances of the presentpamphlet. And, had it strictly adhered to its title, andsimply stated the reasons why a churchman might properly refuseto subscribe to this institution, it would probably have remainedunnoticed by me. It might, in that case, have been hoped,that statements which are unacknowledged would not have beenbelieved, and the reasonings of the work might have been left,without much alarm, to do their worst. But, as it has beenobserved to me, that the very circumstance of putting even themost improbable statements in print, invests them with a speciesof authority; and as there are many persons still unacquaintedwith the nature and operations of the Bible Society, and who,therefore, may mistake the boldness of assertion in this littlework for the confidence of truth, I have yielded to the advice ofsome of my friends, in attempting to reply to it. Before Iproceed, however, to this reply, I will beg leave to make asingle observation on the temper in which this attemptwill, I trust, be made.
The author of this pamphlet has, in the first page of hiswork, reprobated the “arrogant and dogmatical style”of his opponents; and, in the conclusion of it, he has calledtheir p.4measures “wicked, cruel, andunchristian.” It is my hope, that I shall not fallinto the same error. I desire “nothing to extenuate,nor set down aught in malice;” to state facts, not from themere authority of the parties concerned in this controversy, butupon that of the most authentic documents; and, should I fail toconvince my readers, it is my confident intention not at once toconclude their opinions “unchristian” and“cruel,” because they differ from my own; hard words,I may venture to say, ought not to be the weapons of our warfare,and I trust they never will be of mine. I desire toremember the declaration of our Lord, “they that take thesword, shall perish by the sword.”
I may be permitted also to add, that in entering upon theconsideration of this question, I consider myself as approachinga subject of the highest importance. When I am canvassingthe merits of an instrument for circulating the Word of God overevery part of the world, I tremble lest the ark should suffer i