WALTER CHAMBERLAIN, M.A., INCUMBENT OF ST. JOHN'S, BOLTON-LE-MOORS, Author of "NOTES ON THE RESTORATION AND CONVERSION ISAIAH'S CALL TO ENGLAND," ETC., ETC. OF ISRAEL," "Baptizing them into the name of The Father, of The Son, and of The "And Thomas answered, and said unto him, MY LORD AND MY GOD."— "No man can say that Jesus is THE LORD, but by The Holy Ghost."- IF THERE BE ANY UNSCRIPTURAL THOUGHT IN THIS BOOK, I ASK GOD TO PARDON IT. IF ANY UNCHARITABLE WORD, I BEG MAN TO FORGET IT. IF ANY SAVING TRUTH, I PRAY GOD TO ACCEPT AND BLESS IT. 27724 "AMEN: BLESSING, AND GLORY, AND WISDOM, AND THANKSGIVING, AND HONOUR, AND POWER, AND MIGHT, BE UNTO OUR GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER."--Rev. vii. 12. ΤΟ JOHN HORROCKS AINSWORTH, ESQ., OF HALLIWELL, LANCASHIRE. MY DEAR SIR, Some time since you sent me a little book by Dr. Beard, of Manchester, entitled "Reasons for being a Unitarian," and requested me to answer it; the expense being, with your wonted liberality in a good cause, borne entirely by yourself, but left, without limit, to my own discretion. The work I now send you is intended as some sort of compliance with your wishes. Upon consideration, it seemed desirable not to occupy ourselves in replying merely to Dr. Beard, but to take the opportunity of sending out an easy volume, stating Christian, i. e., Trinitarian, truth as opposed to Unitarian error, in as plain and as concise a manner as we could. Many of Dr. Beard's boasted reasons for being a Unitarian we might have handed over justly to Trinitarian religion; as, e. g., we might have said, Trinitarianism is intelligible, real, reasonable, true, positive, permanent, etc.; but we shall both agree that on this solemn subject, affecting (as it does) the salvation of our immortal souls, appeal ought not to be to the erring powers of the unaided human mind, but to the inspired declarations of God's Word, studied by minds praying for the teaching of The Holy Ghost. I am too well acquainted with your own scholarship, and habit of patient and critical reading, not to feel it unnecessary to do more than mention the abstruse, and erudite, nature of many parts of the subject we have undertaken. And I feel assured you will be pleased that, while striving to place this book upon a sound, and substantial, foundation, I have thrown aside to the utmost all technical expressions, and hypercritical, and elaborate, references; and have written it in the simplest style I could command. |