An Address to Lord Teignmouth, president of the British and Foreign Bible Society, occasioned by his address to the clergy of the Church of England

In Short

Written in 1805, this polemical address by Thomas Sikes challenges Lord Teignmouth, president of the newly founded British and Foreign Bible Society, over his appeal for clergymen to join the organization. Sikes argues that while the distribution of scripture sounds pure in theory, the society's inclusion of diverse Protestant dissenters, Roman Catholics, and other non-churchmen creates a fatal imbalance. He contends that such broad coalitions dilute true doctrine, surrender the church's numerical advantage, and hand weapons to its sworn enemies, ultimately undermining the religious and political stability of the nation.

The Story

The text opens with Thomas Sikes expressing profound shock and grief upon receiving Lord Teignmouth's address inviting clergymen to support the British and Foreign Bible Society. Sikes questions how a nobleman reputed to be a friend of the Church of England could lend his name and patronage to an organization whose subscriber list includes those who labor for the church's destruction. He acknowledges Teignmouth's good intentions and the apparent simplicity of the society's stated object—disseminating the Bible—but immediately warns that good intentions can be co-opted by partisan zealotry and revolutionary spirit.

Sikes develops his argument by examining the practical composition and governance of the society. He analyzes the committee structure, pointing out that regulations establishing a mixed body of laymen, foreigners, and members of various denominations create a standing majority against the established church. Rather than uniting Christians in genuine spiritual harmony, the society forces an unnatural coalition of discordant sects. Sikes maintains that Christian unity requires a shared heart and mind, not a mere pooling of hands and purses among groups whose doctrines and public acts are fundamentally hostile to one another.

The progression of the argument turns next to the dangers inherent in distributing uninterpreted scripture across diverse sects. Sikes argues that the Bible can be, and frequently is, twisted to support error and heresy just as easily as truth. If Papists, Socinians, Calvinists, Baptists, and Quakers are supplied with Bibles, each will use them to propagate their own particular opinions, effectively furnishing rivals with arms against the established church. Furthermore, the translation and editing of sacred texts cannot safely be entrusted to a heterogeneous body without risking corrupt interpretations and unauthorized liberties.

In the final movement of the address, Sikes contrasts the numerical strength of the established church—which holds a vast majority over dissenters—with the suicidal policy of surrendering that natural defense for the sake of a fashionable, "broad-bottomed" liberality. He implores Teignmouth to recognize that he has been deceived by insidious project-makers who wish to realize the destructive scenes of earlier historical conflicts. Concluding with a firm refusal to lend his hand to sowing tares within the fold, Sikes urges the nobleman to reconsider his patronage before the established church is irreparably undermined.

How It Unfolds

• The unexpected invitation — Sikes expresses profound astonishment and grief upon receiving Lord Teignmouth's appeal, immediately questioning how a supposed friend of the church could champion a society backed by its avowed enemies.
• The Trojan horse of simplicity — Acknowledging the apparent purity of distributing the Bible, Sikes warns that deceptive associations and revolutionary spirits routinely hide behind fair-sounding public declarations.
• The danger of sectarian arms — Sikes argues that supplying discordant religious sects with bibles merely provides them with tools to propagate their own particular errors and attack the established church.
• The flawed committee structure — Examining the society's regulations, Sikes reveals that its governing committee establishes an unfair, standing majority of non-churchmen against the constitutional establishment.
• The illusion of broad liberality — Sikes rejects the fashionable notion of a "broad-bottomed" liberal basis, comparing it to an uncomfortable and dangerous mingling with inveterate foes who seek to pull the church down.
• The call for defensive vigilance — Concluding his address, Sikes urges the nobleman to abandon his patronage of the scheme and appeals to the clergy to stand their ground and protect their venerable institution.

The People

• Thomas Sikes — A deeply concerned clergyman of the Church of England who wants to protect his flock and preserve the religious establishment. What stands in his way is the persuasive rhetoric of broad-minded reformers and the seductive appeal of ecumenical cooperation. He ends up resolute in his isolation from the society, maintaining his strict adherence to church discipline.
• Lord Teignmouth — The president of the British and Foreign Bible Society who wants to promote religion and unite good men through the simple, pure distribution of the scriptures. What stands in his way are the warnings of conservative clergy who perceive his coalition as a Trojan horse. He ends up cast by Sikes as a well-meaning but grievously deceived patron of dangerous subversives.
• The Dissenters and Sectarians — Various religious groups—including Papists, Socinians, Calvinists, Baptists, and Quakers—who want to advance their specific theological interpretations and diminish the influence of the established church. What stands in their way is the historical dominance and numerical superiority of the church. They end up empowered and elevated by the new society's liberal structure.

In Its Own Voice

“Judge then, my Lord, at my surprize, to see your Lordship’s name at the head of such a list of subscribers as that enclosed to me; to find your Lordship’s patronage and protection bestowed upon every description of its enemies, and your request that I would promote their design.”

Sikes expresses his initial, profound shock upon discovering that a defender of the church is leading an organization supported by its detractors.

“If you see no harm in his becoming the patron and fellow-worker, together with Papists, Socinians, Quakers, &c. your Lordship, I am sure, will not refuse to enlighten my mind upon the subject, and prove it to me from the word of God.”

Challenging the nobleman directly, Sikes demands scriptural justification for a clergyman collaborating with theological opponents.

“What will the church say? What will four-fifths of the nation think of your Lordship’s “liberal basis,” which is treacherously withdrawn from the established church, to build up the walls of conventicles and meeting-houses?”

Sikes voices his ultimate fear that ecumenical openness acts as a betrayal that directly strengthens competing religious bodies at the expense of the national establishment.

What It's Really About

At its core, the text is an intense polemic on the politics of religious establishment and the limits of ecumenism. Sikes explores the tension between institutional survival and open-handed charity, questioning whether unity can genuinely exist among groups with irreconcilable theological differences. The argument investigates how neutral instruments, such as the unadorned text of the Bible, can be weaponized in a pluralistic society. Beneath the specific institutional grievances lies a deeper anxiety about cultural authority, social order, and the preservation of a distinct religious identity against the eroding forces of broad-based coalition.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of religious toleration, ecclesiastical politics, and nineteenth-century polemical prose will find this work fascinating. It offers a sharp, unfiltered look into the defensive mindset of an established clergy facing the dawn of modern interfaith and cooperative religious movements. Reading it feels like listening to an urgent, uncompromising voice from a high-stakes historical flashpoint, capturing the genuine terror felt by traditionalists as old institutional certainties began to fracture.

Modern readers must navigate the dense, formal prose style of the early nineteenth century and the author's unapologetically partisan defense of religious establishment over pluralistic cooperation. Sikes exhibits period attitudes that view religious dissent with profound suspicion, which can feel harsh to contemporary sensibilities accustomed to religious pluralism. Yet, for those patient with its polemical intensity, the book provides a remarkable window into the ideological battlegrounds that shaped modern voluntary societies and religious publishing.