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been disturbed, and it may be distressed, by long being conversant with such criticism. But at the same time these thoughts are addressed not especially to the Learned, but emphatically to the Thoughtful of all classes—to the earnest truthful student whatever be his stage of scholarship—and every one of such will here be put in possession of such outlines of the case as may be necessary for forming a just judgement upon it, or at least of substantially the same means for so judging as the writer himself has. Implicitly indeed there may readily be traced many references to the opinions of many individuals and societies, of these and of other times, but explicitly there will be none designedly: it being desired to present the subjects herein treated of unencumbered by the prejudices almost invariably accompanying names and denominations, individual and ecclesiastical.
May the holy spirit guide us into all necessary Truth, and guard us from all considerable Errour, for jesus christ's sake. Amen.
20 September, 1841.
