My Lord, I repeat it again, I am convinced you have been deceived. Were you a known enemy to the church, or even a suspected one, doubtless it would be highly gratifying to your Lordship and companions, to accomplish the object to which you solicit my concurrence. At present, the church is far too strong for her combined adversaries; the contest is unequal. Confident, I am, there is none but an enemy could have advised this:—an enemy, with whom it is far more dangerous to treat than to fight; therefore let her take a friend’s advice, for once, and stand upon her guard. Let her be true to herself, and the gates of hell shall never prevail against her.
In point of strength, therefore, to establish herself, and to resist her numerous foes, it is impossible that the church can be any gainer by your Lordship’s heterogeneous society; on the contrary, it is perfectly evident that she would be extremely injured; in as much as she is deprived of more than three-fourths of her natural strength, which is given by your Lordship to the general mass of her avowed enemies. A standing majority of dissenters is constituted against her. Nor can I devise one argument sufficient to tempt her, unshielded as she is, by want of discipline and good government, to throw away that natural defence which God Almighty has given her, and trust to the liberality and protection of those who threaten, and are daily compassing her destruction.
Nor is the church more likely to gain any thing to her dignity by her new associates, than to her interest. It is prophesied in scripture, as a comfort to the church, that one day she should have “kings for her nursing fathers, and queens for her nursing mothers.” Your Lordship holds out nothing of this sort in your society. It cannot be denied that a few nobility are found in your list, and some other folk of high rank, but of such a description as we should not have expected to find there. But, my Lord, as it is not the mere presence of a nobleman that can make the company which he honours with his presence, either creditable or polite, so I presume at once, that I am not required to consider your association as a creditable one, merely because I find at its head your Lordship, and a few other respectable names. For when I cast my eye downwards to the motley list of subscribers, I find such names as can certainly reflect no credit upon the church. There I recognize the dissenting teacher, the Methodist preacher, the preaching blacksmith, &c. who can make but awkward nurses of the church. But one thing is plain, that although our credit will be no gainer by the company you propose, it is not so with them. If we may take their account of themselves, their doctrines and communications have hitherto been confined chiefly to the inferior ranks. If your society succeeds, it will be a society for “bettering their condition;” a thing to them, it may be presumed, by no means unpleasant or ineligible. The scriptures promise to none called Christians but in the church; and history proves that none but the church have enjoyed the splendor and favour of princes. If, therefore, these several denominations have not, and cannot procure, the nursing of kings and queens, is it to be wondered at that they should be glad to share the partiality of a nobleman or two? the benign influence of some wandering star?
Moreover, as it is notorious that several liberal friends of rank have strenuously defended the dissenting denominations of Christians against the one established, but scarcely any have been persuaded to quit their connection with the church, and honour the meeting-house with their presence; it would not be an easy thing for those several denominations to prove their connection with their friends in the church, were it not for the opportunities afforded them by societies established upon “liberal basis.” Here, indeed, it is with all the members, as the proverb goes, “hail-fellow well met.” All is unity and charity, and Christian benevolence; and every thing that is good! Here is realized the pretty hand-in-hand frontispiece to the Christian Ladies Pocket Book, 1803. In sweetest harmony we view the preaching shopman and the British peer; the Methodist, and Baptist, and Independent, the Antinomian, &c. &c. &c. and a venerable Bishop of the Church of England. But, my Lord, if it be fact that few men of opulence, and fewer still of rank, frequent the conventicle or meeting-house, although several are well-known supporters of the cause; if men of influence and consideration, who continue to revile the church, still think proper to remain nominal members of her communion; till I am favoured by your Lordship with a better reason for this strange inconsistent behaviour, I am satisfied with this; that her society is that, which in spite of calumny is to be preferred, that still, in their sober moments, even men of the world do think it more creditable to be accounted members of our venerable church, than a subscriber to the meeting-house; they proceed as if they adopted the idea of the gay king, and thought that the church was fitter for gentlemen than the conventicle.
It cannot, therefore, be upon the notion of adding respectability to the church, that your Lordship fosters this institution: although it is evident that much respectability may be reflected upon our dissenting brethren by a connexion with the church. This they know and feel, and by their conduct avow; and certainly no man could object to see their condition improved by connection with good company, were it not that the society by which they are benefitted, must feel exactly the reverse by an association with them. The question in short must be put, who are the gainers by this new connection? The answer will direct us to the party to which your Lordship, either by chance or design, has condescended to favour, at the expence of the other.
May I crave your Lordship’s attention to consider another material point. I speak as to a true Churchman; judge you what I say. How is it likely to fare with true religion, as to purity, when your association shall be arranged and perfected according to the proposed plan? A man of your Lordship’s known integrity and serious turn of mind, cannot be supposed to be a member of the church but from conviction; upon conviction, that of all the several denominations of Christians, that established is the purest and best; of course, that all others are not so pure, and, upon the whole, are worse.
Now we read in the sacred volume, that evil communication corrupts good manners. “He that toucheth pitch,” saith the son of Sirach, “shall be defiled therewith.” Shall we not then extremely endanger the rectitude of our opinions and manners, by constant and intimate communication with all sorts of impure and erroneous religionists? Familiarity would soon lesson the deformity of the most abhorred doctrines, and daily intercourse would in time smooth the way, first with ease to tolerate, and then to favour acknowledged and pernicious errors. And this I speak, not with relation to that denomination alone, to which your Lordship belongs; it holds with all the others in common. The Socinian, for instance, charges idolatry upon the Calvinist; the Calvinist returns the charge, and accuses the other of denying his Saviour. And is it possible, that two such opposite sects can cordially unite for religious purposes, and enter into familiar friendship, without considerable danger to the purity of that creed, which each of them deems the true one? Will the Socinian deem it safe to give the right hand of fellowship to an idolator; and will the Calvinist do the same to the despiser of his redeemer? Surely not; if they meet upon such terms as shall secure to each party the purity of his faith, they must meet upon the ground of religious indifference: for if each party be hearty in his cause, and zealous for his religion, he will not only stiffly maintain it against his friend; but, if he be touched with one feeling of benevolence, he will endeavour to gain his friend to that side, which he considers as the religion of God; and then, I presume, it is evident, that all security is gone, with respect to the other’s faith; for the zeal of his friend will be perpetually assailing what he deems the truth; and, doubtless, each party will be always ready to quote against his friend, the strong words of the Apostle Paul. “What concord hath Christ with Belial?” “What part” will the Calvinist say, “hath he that believeth, with an infidel?” Whilst the Socinian with equal spirit may retort, “What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?” To speak in no hardier terms of your Lordship’s invitation into your association, than I feel by conscience bound to speak; do you not my Lord, at least, lead the clergy into temptation, a thing against which they daily pray? And is it not presumption, to trust themselves in the company of so many agreeable gentleman, who, if they be honest, must infallibly endeavour to seduce them from their first faith? The divine grace is no where promised to those who sin wilfully: and surely, it is to tempt God’s providence, to expect to come off harmless, where we know he has in general made no way to escape. My Lord, “you know your strength, and I know mine: neither our own, but given.” Nothing with me has such fascinating charms as good company; and nothing sooner would seduce me from my principles. Feeling myself, therefore, too weak to say, that it is positively out of the power of any of your friends to persuade me out of the means of salvation, or to defraud me of the all-sufficient merits and atonement of my adored Redeemer, I must in prudence, and in conscience, decline your Lordship’s invitation. I am perfectly aware that there are some chosen, favoured persons, who seem to possess much greater fortitude and spiritual strength, than I can boast, or than I judge, the bulk of mankind can pretend to; doubtless, (for charity compels us so to determine) they have by some revealed means, secured a more than ordinary measure of grace, and so can safely make a bolder flight in the thickest of this world’s temptations and trials; else, might we ignorantly ask, what concord hath a mitre with a meeting-house? Why should a clergyman of the Church, be unequally yoked with a lovely sister of the conventicle? But upon these heads, my Lord, I refer you to a certain officer of the society. Perhaps, he can resolve us how a clergyman of the church, can attend the meeting-house, without danger to his principles, or gross indecorum towards the church, and its spiritual superior. He perhaps, can shew us too, how a clergyman of the church, can securely, and without breach of trust, take his pupils to hear the harangues of those who daily revile her. This to common understandings, does not appear to be the likely way “to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines, contrary to God’s word,” which every clergyman at his ordination solemnly promises to do. It wants some clearing up. I am sure I have no such extraordinary grace, as to justify me in any such dangerous experiments; and therefore, I dare not expose myself to such temptations, as I see persons more spoken of for piety, practice every day. In short, my Lord, I confess my great fear, that frequent communication with those whom we both consider as corrupt concerning the faith, would in the end defile the purity of my own; and therefore, without presumption, I cannot join myself to your Bible Society.
But, permit me, my Lord, to state a still more important objection to your proposed society, than any already mentioned. How is the purity even of the Holy Scriptures themselves to be secured, if the translation and edition of the sacred book, are to be entrusted to all the different denominations of Christians? The translation of any book, is in effect, and in a certain measure, neither more nor less, than an interpretation, or exposition of the original; for what does the translator set forth, but that which he thinks fit to consider as the sense of his original? About the original of the scriptures, there can be no dispute, except as to the genuine text; which we know is now so accurately ascertained, that variations of any importance, are very few, and have very little effect upon the essentials of religion. But of the several possible senses which may be given of text acknowledged to be genuine, there are a prodigious number; and such variety, as are capable of affording a specious proof, for the most pernicious errors. Hence it has happened, that christian princes have usually considered the translation, and printing the Holy Scriptures, as fit objects for their interference and controul. Your Lordship will recollect the history of the Rhemish Testament, and of other popish translations, and will not be ready, I should imagine, to entrust either the translating or the editing the Holy Scriptures, to the care of that denomination of Christians called Papists. You will call to mind the crafty trick practised by another party, of substituting one little monosyllable for another, for the purpose of quashing one of the strongest proofs of episcopacy, and forcing the text to speak in favour of presbyterian ordination: and, it is to be hoped, your Lordship would not wish to see a repetition of such transactions, nor be willing to confide in such translations of God’s sacred word, as might issue from the hands of that denomination of Christians, which has been guilty in our opinion of such unjustifiable liberties. But what has been, my Lord, may be again; nay, if these people sent forth their several translations, as those which, in their sincere judgment gave the truest sense of scripture; they acted at least like honest men: and who will say, that the denominations of Christians, who, in these times, have adopted all their doctrines, books, and practices, are less honest than their predecessors? And therefore, we must expect, if the power be put into their hands, that they will give us the same translations and editions of the Holy Book, as were given before! Hitherto, my Lord, all sober Christians have considered the church, and not the conventicle, as the only pillar and ground of the truth; the best witness, and keeper of Holy Writ. But when the oracles of God are forced from the hands of those who are appointed to keep them, and are thrown to a mixed multitude of contending religionists, to give them out in what shape they please, as the genuine and pure word.—My Lord, you see the consequences, as clearly as I can. And when it is remembered, that in your society, there is a standing majority against the church, what can we expert, if the plan become general, but that in time our present pure English Bible will be thrust aside, to make way for others, translated and annotated to the different tastes of Papists and Presbyterians, and all the other denominations, to which this happy happy country is laid to afford equal protection? Every different party, has now its doctrine, has its interpretation;—but then each will have its Bible too.
I shall here, my Lord, put a period to my address, not because I have enumerated all the evils, which I see must follow such projects as that you recommend; I have mentioned not a tenth part; but, because I am persuaded, that if your Lordship be decidedly averse from listening to any representation, in prejudice of your society, I have said enough to exhaust your patience. If you be inclined, (notwithstanding your present engagement to patronize the scheme,) candidly to listen to the suggestions of those who are unfriendly to it; I have said more than enough, to awaken your Lordship’s apprehensions, and to procure your patient, and very serious investigation of my objections.
I am, my Lord,