chance to suit the peculiarities of his own theological creed.
As to the doctrines contained in this volume, it is the humble hope of the Author that they are not the mere dogmas of any human school or writer, but the faithful transcripts of Scripture, and of those formularies of his own Church, which he believes in his conscience to be the least imperfect of all human documents on religion.
As to the manner in which these Sermons are executed, he will only say, that, as they have cost him far more labour than he had anticipated, so he has been much disappointed in the success of his endeavours to fit them for the public eye. It is probable that accurate and extensive readers in divinity will discover, not only great deficiencies in this volume, but also that, for the few really important thoughts which it may contain, the Author is chiefly indebted to older and abler writers. Instead, however, of endeavouring to repel this imputation, or to specify these particular thoughts, and restore them to their real proprietors—a task which would probably be fruitless--he begs once for all to state, that, anxious mainly, as he hopes, to do good, he has never hesitated to draw freely upon the resources of others, in order to supply his own great defects. He would therefore beg b