PREFACE TO THE PRESENT EDITION. It will be seen by the Title-page that this volume is only a revised and improved edition of what has heretofore been known under the name of "Oxford Divinity." At this period in the history of a controversy which that name suggests, it is not supposed that, though the previous editions in this country and England are exhausted, there is any such demand for another as would justify the expense as a book-selling enterprise. There is a demand however, which has induced many zealous advocates of the great truths which the book maintains to desire its reprint, and which has prevailed with one of them to provide the means of perpetuating it in stereotype. The author has been much more richly rewarded for his pains than ever he had expected to be. Instances in England and at home, in which God has graciously used it as the means of arresting a dangerous progress towards the full embracing of Romanism, under the teaching of the Oxford Tracts, or of kindred works; many more instances in which it has been honored in the promotion of a greatly increased clearness, decision, and spiritual discrimination, in the holding and teaching of those great central doctrines of the way of salvation, the denial of which is the parent of all Romish corruptions of Gospel truth, have come to his knowledge, and have been subjects of great thankfulness on his part to Him who puts his treasure "in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us." But is not the work of this volume finished? Is not the controversy which gave it birth ended, or so fast expiring, and so nearly dead, that there need be no further fear of its influence? Has not its place been taken by a far more portentous evil, another Oxford Divinity, and another school of Tractarians, of a perfectly opposite character, and which, instead of promulgating only a corruption of Christianity, proclaims its virtual denial, even a vaunt ing and sceptical Rationalism, that stalks abroad on the high places of preferment in Church and university, a striking imitation of those primitive adversaries of the Gospel, to whose philosophic wisdom its central distinguishing facts and truths were "foolishness ?" We have not failed to take due notice of the rise and progress of this new school-new in certain respects; but still nothing more, in substance, that what the "evil heart of unbelief" has often raised up before, and "the power and wisdom of God" in Christ have often overcome. It is nothing more than a fresh, aspiring shoot from the decayed stock of that German rationalism, which having flourished at one time on the continent, in such pride, is now fast yielding to the revival of the Gospel. It is but an insidious form of that very Deism which, with more honest avowal of its nature and aims, sought to uproot Christianity in the times of Hobbes and Collins and Herbert and Tindal. We yield to none in our estimate of the unmixed evil, and the great danger of this new form of opposition to the Gospel; especially its barefaced dishonesty, in having for its leaders men who profess to be Christian ministers and occupy the places and enjoy the emoluments of clergymen of the Church of England. We trust that our venerable mother Church, by her righteous discipline, will cleanse herself of such dishonor. Shall indeed infidelity be allowed to speak from the pulpits of her Churches and the chairs of her universities? Shall men be allowed to preside over her great schools and venerable colleges, and live on endowments consecrated to the education of her youth in the ways of the Gospel, while they conspire together to bring into contempt and rejection all that she holds most vital and precious in the scriptures? Shall Unitarians have cause to taunt us with the boast, not only that what they call "eminent divines" of the Church of England, are avowing and propagating just their worst doctrines, but that in doing so, they have the sanction of Church-authorities and the patronage of their great University, since no decree silences-nor discipline .ejects them? For the honor of the Gospel-the honor of the Church of England among whose children the Gospel is now having such precious fruit-for the interests of true religion, wherever her influence is felt, we trust not. But because this school of rationalistic scepticism has thus arisen in the very halls where the Tractarian first appeared, and is now attracting so much attention that the remaining representatives of the latter are likely to be lost sight of, let it not be supposed that Tractarianism has no representation which need be watched, nor strength still to do great harm; that its evil doctrines are not by dangerous and zealous teachers still busily propagated; or that there are not classes and conditions of mind, wherever we go, in which its seed would find congenial soil and rapidly take root. Because it has been signally defeated on the field of argument, it is too much taken for granted that its powers of mischief have been subdued. But had the Canaanites no power to trouble Israel and lead the victorious people into idolatry, after their strongholds had been taken and their land was in possession of the tribes? "The Canaanite was yet in the land;" defeated, but not slain; restrained, but not changed. One thing is certain. The present advocates of the Tractarian system, do not think it defunct or likely soon to be so. They work it and glory in it, as a leaven that is spreading its influence; a tree that is multiplying its fruit. In a measure, we agree with them. It may be perfectly true that it has lost its first positions; that in the defection of so many of its chief leaders to avowed Popery, in spite of their strong anti-papal protestations, it has suffered great disgrace; that now we hear little of new converts to it, or by it to Rome; that the press has ceased to teem with its publications, and the magazines to make battle, in its favor or against it; that what it does, is done far more noiselessly, and secretly than formerly, far more as the sapper underground, than as a combatant in open field. And yet it may be just as true that it is still doing a very evil work; leading many souls astray; spreading a vast deal of false religion; preparing a great breadtn of ground for a future harvest of popery; educating numbers of aspirants for the ministry whose preaching will be that of "another Gospel;" yea, and planting trees of which even Rationalism, just |