You have the Satisfaction of percieving from the Report of the Board of Managers, that the prosperous and promising State of our affairs continues to evince the laudable and beneficial Manner in which they have been constantly conducted.—

We have to regret that the pleasing Reflections and Anticipations suggested by these auspicious Circumstances, are mingled with the Sorrow which the recent Death of our late worthy and beloved vice President1 has caused and widely diffused— Our Feelings are the more affected by it, as the Benefits we have derived from his meritorious and incessant Attention to all our Concerns, have constantly excited both our admiration & our Gratitude—

As the Course of his Life was uniformly under the Direction of true Religion and genuine Philanthropy, it forbids us to doubt of his being in a State of Bliss, and associated with “the Spirits of just Men made perfect.”—2

Notwithstanding this Consoling Consideration his Departure will not cease to be lamented by this Society, nor by those of his other Fellow Citizens, on whom his patriotic Services, his exemplary Conduct, & his disinterested Benevolence have made correspondent Impressions—

But the Loss we have sustained by this afflicting Event, should not divert our Thoughts from Subjects which bear a Relation to the Design of our Institution, and consequently to the Purpose for which we annually assemble.—

[Illegible] It may not ^therefore^ be unseasonable to remark, that the great objects of the Bible, and the Distribution of it without note or comment,3 suggest sundry Considerations which have Claims to attention.

Christians know that Man is destined for two Worlds— the one of transient, and the other of perpetual Duration; and that his welfare in both depends on his acceptance and use of the means for obtaining it, which his merciful Creator has for that Purpose appointed and ordained.— Of these inestimable and unmerited ^and unmerited^ Blessings, the greater proportion of the human Race are yet to be informed, and to that End we are communicating the same to them exactly in that State in which by the Direction and Inspiration of their Divine author, they were specified and recorded in the Bible which we are distributing without Note or Comment.

As these gracious Dispensations provide for our Consolation under the Troubles incident to a State of Probation in this Life,4 and for our perfect and endless Felicity in the next, no Communications can be of higher or more general Interest. Wherever these Dispensations become known and observed, they not only prepare Men for a better World, but also diminish the number and Pressure of those Sufferings which the corrupt Propensities and vicious Passions of men prompt them to inflict on each other; and which Sufferings are of greater Frequency and amount than those which result from other causes.

Time and Experience will decide whether the Distribution of the Bible without note or comment, will have any and what Effect on the Progress of the Gospel. Hitherto nothing unfavorable to this Course of proceeding has occurred; and the Expedience of it continues to derive a strong argument from its Tendency to decrease the Inconveniences which usually attend the Circulation of discordant Comments.— Whenever questionable opinions relative to any Scripture Doctrine, meet with Zealous Advocates and with Zealous Opponents, they seldom fail to excite the Passions as well as the mental Exertions of the Disputants. Controversies like these are not always conducted with Moderation and Delicacy, nor been uniformly consistent with Candor and Charity. On the contrary, the ardor with which the Parties contend for victory frequently generates Prejudices; and insensibly renders them more anxious to reconcile the Scriptures to their Reasonings, than their Reasonings to the Scriptures. The Doubts and Perplexities thereby disseminated are not favorable either to those whose Faith is not yet steadfast, ^n^or to those who from Temperament or Imbecility are liable to such Impressions.—

These Remarks however are far from being applicable to those excellent and instructive Comments, which have been written by Authors of eminent Talents Piety and Prudence; and which have been recieved with general and well merited Approbation—

It is to be regretted that Comments of a very different character and Description, have caused Errors to germinate and take Root in Christian Countries.— Some of these were fabricated by Individuals, who finding that they could not carry their favorite Propensities and Habits with them through the “narrow way”5 prescribed by the Gospel, endeavoured to discredit Christianity by Objections which exhibit stronger marks of disengenuous than of correct and candid reasoning— By artfully and diligently encouraging Defection from Scripture and from scripture Doctrines, they gradually introduced and spread that contempt for both, which in the last Century was publicly displayed in impious Acts of Profaneness, and in dreadful Deeds of Ferocity. These Atrocities repressed the Career of Infidelity, and Infidels thereupon became less assuming, but not less adverse.—

Even among professing Christians and of distinct Denominations, there are not a few of distinguished Attainments and Stations, who have sedulously endeavoured so to interpret and paraphraise certain Passages in the Bible, as to render them congruous with peculiar opinions, and auxiliary to particular Purposes—

Certain other Commentators, doubtless from a sincere Desire to increase christian Knowledge by luminous Expositions of abstruse Subjects, have attempted to penetrate into the Recesses of profound Mysteries, and to dispel their obscurity by the Light of Reason. It seems they did not recollect that no man can explain what no man can understand.6 Those Mysteries were revealed to our Faith, to be believed on the Credit of Divine Testimony; and were not addressed to our mental abilities for Explication— Numerous Objects which include mysteries daily occur to our Senses— We are convinced of their Existence and Reality, but of the means and Processes by which they become what they are, and operate as they do, we all continue ignorant. Hence it may rationally be concluded, that the mysteries of the spiritual world are still further remote from the limited Sphere of human Perspicacity—

Among the biblical Critics there are some, who have incautiously intermingled their learned and judicious Investigations with enigmatical Subtleties and hypothetical speculations which tend more to engender Doubts and Disputes than to encrease ^produce^ useful Knowledge or produce real Edification.—

Additional Animadversions on this Subject would be superfluous— nor can it be necessary to examine whether an indiscriminate Circulation of Comments would merit or meet with general approbation. They who think it adviseable that Comments should accompany the Bible, doubtless prefer and intend what in their opinion would be a judicious, limited and exclusive selection of them— It is well known that, composed as this and other Bible Societies are, such a Selection could not be formed by them with requisite unanimity. They therefore wisely declined disturbing their union by attempting it, and very prudently concluded to distribute the Bible without any other Comments than those which result from the Illustrations which different parts of it afford to each other— Of this no Individuals have Reason to complain, especially ^as^ they are perfectly at Liberty to circulate their favorite authors as copiously and extensively as they may desire or think proper.7

Our Redeemer commanded his appostles to preach the Gospel to every Creature— To that End it was necessary that they should be prepared ^enabled^ to understand and to preach it correctly, and also to demonstrate its divine origen and Institution by incontestible Proofs. The old Testament, which contained the Promises and Prophecies respecting the Messiah, was finished at a Period antecedent to the coming of our Saveour, and therefore afforded no Information nor Proof of his advent and subsequent Proceedings. To qualify the Appostles for performing their important Task, they were blessed with the Direction and Guidance of ^the^ Holy Spirit, and by him were enabled to preach the Gospel with concordant accuracy and in divers Languages.— They were also endued with Power to prove the Truth of their Doctrine and of their authority to preach it, by wonderful and supernatural Signs and Miracles—

A merciful Providence also provided, that some of these inspired men should commit to writing such Accounts of the Gospel, and of their acts and proceedings in proclaiming and preaching it, as would constitute and establish a Standard whereby future Preachers and Generations might ascertain what they ought to believe and to do; and be thereby secured against the Danger of being misled by the Mistakes and Corruptions incident to Tradition.— The Bible contains these writings, and exhibits such a connected Series of the Divine Revelations and Dispensations respecting the present Condition and future State of Mankind, and so conclusively ^amply^ attested and authenti cated by internal and external Evidence, that we have no Reason to desire or expect, that further miracles will be wrought to confirm the Belief and Confidence which they invite and require.—

On viewing the Bible in this Light, it appears that an extensive and increasing Distribution of it has a direct Tendency to facilitate the Progress of the Gospel throughout the world— That it will proceed and in due Time be accomplished, there can be no Doubt. Let us therefore continue to promote it with unabated Zeal, and in full assurance that the Omnipotent Author and Protector of the Gospel, will not suffer his gracious Purposes to be frustrated by the Arts and Devices either of malignant “Principalities and Powers,” or of “Spiritual Wickedness in high Places.”—8