BEXLEY***


Transcribed from the 1827 J. Hatchard and Son edition, by David Price,
email ccx074@pglaf.org





                                    A
                                  LETTER
                                    TO
                       THE RIGHT HON. LORD BEXLEY,


                               CONTAINING A
                     STATEMENT MADE TO THE COMMITTEE
                                  OF THE
                    British and Foreign Bible Society,
                                AS TO THE
                      RELATIONS OF THAT INSTITUTION,
                                   WITH
                          FRANCE, THE VALLEYS OF
                    PIEDMONT, SWITZERLAND AND GERMANY.

                                * * * * *

                       BY FRANCIS CUNNINGHAM, M. A.
                      RECTOR OF PAKEFIELD, SUFFOLK.

                                * * * * *

                                 LONDON:
                   J. HATCHARD AND SON, 187, PICCADILY.

                                  1827.

                                * * * * *

                                 LONDON:
           IBOTSON AND PALMER, PRINTERS, SAVOY STREET, STRAND.




PREFACE


The circumstances which have given rise to the publication of the
following letter are briefly these:—At the departure of the Author for
the continent, in the month of April, 1826, he tendered his services
generally to the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society; and
received from that body the power of disposing of a certain number of
copies of Bibles and Testaments, at any opportunities which might present
themselves to him on his journey.  Of this power he availed himself; and,
on his return to London, in the month of December, he went to the
Committee to give an account of the trust which had been committed to
him.  Whilst he was doing this, it was natural that he should add to his
statement a few observations, connected with the objects of the
Institution itself; and more especially, as various errors, into which it
was charged with having fallen, had become the subjects of public
discussion, both in Scotland and in England.  These observations Lord
Bexley, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Bible Society, then occupying
the Chair of the Committee, requested, in the name of those over whom he
presided, might be communicated in writing; and, in compliance with this
request, the following statement was sent.

After some delay, the author, at the suggestion of several friends, has
been led to make it public, 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 Scriptures; and, to
the assailants of that Institution, an answer to some of the charges
which they, in his apprehension, have hastily and unwarrantably brought
forward.

The Author can only hope this document may be a means of forwarding the
interests of the Bible Society—an Institution, which, in his mind,
whatever may be the evil resulting from the circulation of the apocryphal
books, has sown the seed of more important benefits to mankind than even
the Reformation itself.

                                * * * * *

_Pakefield_, _April_ 5, 1827.




A
LETTER,
_&c._


                                * * * * *

      MY LORD,

In compliance with a wish so kindly expressed by your Lordship, 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
Society.  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 addressing; and they were
exclusively such as had been suggested to me during a journey of eight
months through the various countries, to which it was my endeavour to
draw the attention of your Lordship and the Committee.

I must beg leave, however, to preface this brief and inadequate statement
by two or three observations.

In the first place, I must intreat that if this written document should
not be found precisely to correspond in expression or detail with the
address to the Committee, the difference may be ascribed, not to
intention, but to a defect of memory.  That address was altogether
extempore; and my recollection of particular expressions I may have
employed, is very imperfect.

In the next place, I wish to have it understood, that although I should
not have committed this statement to the press, except at the wish of
some members of the Committee of the Bible Society, I, myself am alone
responsible for the facts and opinions it contains.  It was highly
satisfactory to me to discover that many of the views taken by myself of
the subjects upon which I spoke, corresponded with those of a large
proportion of the Committee.  In other points, I might not be so
fortunate as to agree with that majority.  But, whatever might be the
amount of that agreement or disagreement, I desire alone to be made
responsible for the contents of this paper.

I must also be permitted to say that, in this communication, a few names
and particulars have been suppressed, which I did not hesitate to produce
to the Committee.  It is obvious that circumstances which might safely be
named within walls, from which they were not likely to escape; might
produce inconvenience, if published and circulated upon the continent of
Europe.

I shall now proceed to give the substance of what I ventured to offer to
the Committee.

My first visit was to France, where I remained almost continually
journeying for several months.  It was a satisfaction to me to arrive at
Paris in time to attend the annual public meeting of the Bible Society.
I can truly say that the meeting was in the highest degree interesting.
The character of the reports, especially those of the Ladies’ and
Mechanics’ Society—the attendance of so many ministers of