Reasons why a Churchman may with Great Justice Refuse to Subscribe to the British and Foreign Bible Society — Text and Context

A Pastor's Defensive Stance

Lockwood's preface frames the tract as a response to "unwarrantable interference" in his parish. He writes that he was "compelled to give his reasons to his parishioners" after the Bible Society's advocates acted contrary to his "known and expressed wishes." This local, pastoral context shapes the entire argument: the author is not engaging in abstract controversy but defending his authority. He explicitly states that his motive was "to keep the members of the Established Church steady in their obedience to it." The language is conciliatory yet firm, seeking to provide a "reasonable excuse for not subscribing." This defensive posture recurs throughout, as Lockwood repeatedly insists that refusal does not stem from hostility to Scripture but from loyalty to the established ecclesiastical order.

The Rhetoric of Division and Danger

Lockwood builds his case by portraying the Bible Society as a source of discord. He argues that the Society "sows widely the seeds of discord" and has "already divided the national Church." The evidence he cites includes "the variety of pamphlets circulated by its abettors" and "the variety of speeches made at every Auxiliary Meeting." He warns of "violent and unbecoming animadversions" made by clergy against their diocesan, referencing a specific incident. The tone becomes increasingly urgent: the Society threatens "the most alarming and dangerous consequences." Lockwood's language here is concrete, pointing to observable effects rather than abstract fears. He contrasts this with the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, which he presents as a safe, unified alternative that allows a churchman to fulfill both Christian and Anglican duties.

A Practical Alternative and a Hypothetical Speech

In the latter part of the excerpt, Lockwood shifts from critique to positive recommendation. He notes that the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge provides Bibles "at a cheaper rate" and includes "notes and comments" as well as Prayer Books and Religious Tracts. This practical comparison is central to his argument: there is no need to join a society that "affords greater means of circulating" the Bible when a safer, church-specific option exists. Lockwood then ventriloquizes a hypothetical churchman's speech, beginning "I love and revere the Bible as much as any person can do." This imagined declaration allows him to model the proper reasoning for refusal, emphasizing that the speaker wishes to perform "my duties as a churchman" alongside Christian duties. The speech ends with a striking self-accusation: by joining the Bible Society, a churchman would become "not only an assistant, but an accessary" to any conversions that draw people from the Established Church.

Lockwood's tract is best read as a period piece in Anglican ecclesiology, revealing how early nineteenth-century parish clergy navigated the tension between evangelical cooperation and denominational loyalty. Readers should attend to the author's careful construction of a reasonable, non-bigoted stance—a rhetorical strategy that reflects the pressures of the controversy. The text's brevity and local origin make it a focused example of pastoral argumentation, worth examining for its voice and structure rather than as a comprehensive theological treatise.

There’s something touching about Lockwood’s stubborn, local loyalty in that 1817 tract—a man drawing a careful line around his own parish’s faith. It reminds me of how private a relationship with scripture can feel. Somewhere nearby, The Bible Unveiled — A Reader’s Guide sits on a shelf, quiet, waiting for its own unhurried reader. We often find what we need in different rooms of the same house.