Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by GOULD AND LINCOLN, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. ROCKWELL & CHURCHILL, Printers, Boston. PREFACE. N this the Golden Age of Periodicals and the reading public through a book, ought certainly to have good reasons for his course, and may be expected to give them, by way of preface to his work. I would therefore say, that the substance of what is here given on the Person and Work of Christ was laid before the readers of the "Examiner and Chronicle," a few years since, and that several of those readers expressed a desire to have the articles put into a more permanent form. The criticism of Dr. Bushnell's treatise on "The Vicarious Sacrifice" was written about ten years ago, and has been read to a number of clergymen, as well as to several classes of students in the Newton Theological Institution; whose wishes have been regarded in now committing it to the press. Though designed originally for publication, I have retained it in my own hands these many years, and revised it more than once, lest some of the language might seem to be unduly severe. But a further retention or revision of it promises no good result. This little work is intended for the people. Knowing how rapidly they read and think in the present age, and how reluctantly they go through an exhaustive discussion of such themes as are treated in this volume, I have sought to state in brief yet popular language the decisive points of the controversy, and the obvious bearing of the Scriptures upon them. If it is too much to claim that every thought has been expressed with perfect clearness, it may at least be hoped that a constant aim to do this has rendered the style quite intelligible to every thoughtful reader. No one, therefore, has reason to turn from the book for fear that it will consume a large amount of time in the perusal, or that it will tax his powers of mind unduly. Yet, • with this constant regard to brevity, clearness, and adaptation to the popular taste, has been united a strong desire to meet all the great difficulties which belong to the topics investigated. Results, if not processes, and processes when they seemed necessary to establish confidence in the results, have been given, and it is therefore believed that some who are in the high places of the field will find their faith confirmed, by looking again at the foundations on which it rests, by turning their eyes once more to the evidence that God has, in very deed, been with us on earth, and made expiation for the sins of the people. But is not religious controversy unseemly and hurtful to piety? And will not the examination of "The Vicarious Sacrifice" be likely to do more evil than good? I am compelled to reply, that a certain amount of religious controversy is unavoidable. The friends of truth cannot and should not be altogether silent, when what they hold to be the truth is assailed, and what they believe to be error is maintained and extolled, even by men of distinction in the Christian ranks. Besides, both the precept and the example of Paul authorize the servants of Christ to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. But granting that religious controversy is sometimes unavoidable, are the views of Dr. Bushnell, as set forth in "The Vicarious Sacrifice," so defective as to require criticism at this late day? If I had not believed them to be extremely defective, and at the same time attractive, I should have given this criticism to the flames long ago; for I am conscious of no inward vocation to the office of censor. But the teaching of "The Vicarious Sacrifice," if defec√tive, as I think, by denying any reaction of the Atonement upon the mind of God, is profoundly crroneous, and its influence must be even more hurtful, in many respects, than it would be if it embraced less truth and uttered it with less power. If, then, the views of that work must be opposed, |