Substance of a Sermon on the Bible Society preached at Beccles, October 29th, and at St. Mary's Church Bungay, on Friday, Dec. 1st, 1815 — Inside the Classic

The Text as a Command, Not a Suggestion

Cunningham treats his chosen verse as a binding mandate rather than a historical instruction. He notes that the accompanying promise—'Lo, I am with you alway'—extends 'to the end of the world,' thereby making the command perpetual. This interpretive move allows him to present the Bible Society as an instrument of obedience rather than innovation. He does not argue from expediency or sentiment but from scriptural authority, insisting that the command 'cannot be disputed' in a Christian congregation. The sermon's structure thus rests on a single, unassailable premise: the duty to spread the gospel is timeless and universal.

The Gospel Defined Through Contrasts

Cunningham's definition of the gospel is carefully balanced. He presents it as 'good news' that simultaneously conveys humanity's 'condemned state by nature' and offers 'a full propitiation for his sins in the death of Jesus Christ.' The gospel provides both a 'standard for every duty' and a 'warning against every sin,' while also assuring believers that 'there is no condemnation with God to them which are in Christ Jesus.' This dual emphasis—law and grace, judgment and mercy—reflects the sermon's theological framework. Cunningham uses scriptural quotations sparingly but effectively, weaving phrases like 'without holiness no man shall see the Lord' into his prose to reinforce his points without lengthy citation.

A Hypothetical Reversal to Stir Conscience

In a striking rhetorical passage, Cunningham asks his congregation to imagine a foreign nation debating whether to send the Bible to Britain. He poses a series of pointed questions: 'Would an argument of a Russian, for instance, satisfy us, that the Bible should not be given to England, because the Greek, and the Georgian, the Armenian, and Roman catholic churches, could not, without danger, unite in a public meeting?' By reversing the situation, he exposes the weakness of objections based on denominational differences. The passage is notable for its specificity—naming Russian, Greek, Georgian, Armenian, and Roman Catholic churches—and for its emotional appeal: 'How should we bear from others those arguments about giving the Scriptures to ourselves, which we are compelled every day to hear?'

The Bible as National Cornerstone

Cunningham argues that distributing the Bible strengthens, rather than threatens, the established church. He calls Scripture 'the corner-stone of all that we can boast as a nation' and expresses confidence that the church 'is built upon a right foundation' and will withstand any enemy. The sermon closes with an urgent appeal: 'O let the cries and tears of the heathen, let their wants and misery, let their ignorance and sin, come up before you!' He warns that even refusing 'a cup of cold water' will be accounted for at judgment. This final section blends national pride with evangelical duty, urging listeners to give 'liberally' and to see the Bible Society's work as essential to both personal piety and national character.

Cunningham's sermon is best read as a specimen of early nineteenth-century evangelical rhetoric, where scriptural exegesis, emotional appeal, and national identity converge. Readers attentive to his use of hypothetical scenarios and his careful definition of the gospel will notice how he builds a case that is both theologically grounded and practically urgent. The sermon's brevity—under 9,000 words—makes it a compact example of how Bible Society advocates framed their mission in the years following the organization's founding in 1804.

The rain drummed on the windows that afternoon, and Cunningham’s urgent plea for Scripture’s spread felt oddly quiet beside it. After closing the sermon, I found myself wandering to another shelf, pulled by a gentler need. The same familiar voice, but softer, speaking in short, patient bursts for ordinary Sundays. Five Minute Sermons, Volume II. For Low Masses on All Sundays of the Year by Priests of the Congregation of St. Paul — Key Ideas to Explore seemed a natural resting place, less proclamation, more quiet company.