AUTHOR OF "THE ASSURANCE OF FAITH, OR CALVINISM IDENTIFIED WITH
UNIVERSALISM," "THREE QUESTIONS PROPOSED AND ANSWERED;"

ETC, ETC; CORRESPONDING SECRETARY FOR ENGLAND TO
THE AMERICAN UNIVERSALIST HISTORICAL SOCIETY;

ETC.

LONDON:

SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL:

LIVERPOOL: GEORGE PHILIP.

MDCCCXXXVIII.

LIVERPOOL:

RIDDICK AND KERR, PRINTERS,

BRUNSWICK STREET.

EPISTLE PREFATORY.

ΤΟ

ROBERT THOM Esq.,

MERCHANT AT CANTON,

IN THE

EMPIRE OF CHINA.

My truly dear brother,

It will occasion you doubtlessly no small degree of surprise, to have your ordinary avocations broken in upon by an address of this public nature. And, if surprised at the address itself, how much more so at the conspicuous part which, unwittingly, you have been made to play throughout the following pages.

The fact is, that having for some time past contemplated the publication of a volume, which should treat of certain momentous topics of a religious kind, not often made the subject matter of discussion; and having conceived that, by adopting the form of dialogue, I was more

a

likely to excite interest and make myself understood, than were I to have recourse to a more didactic method of composition; the only real difficulty of any consequence which I encountered, was in fixing upon the parties who should be brought forward as my speakers. To the use of fictitious names, I felt strongly disinclined. The Therons and Aspasios, the Philalethes's, the Theophilus's, and the Biblicus's, of a former day, did not happen to suit my taste. Real personages were what. I wanted. But why violate the truth of history, by representing the illustrious dead as acquiescing in sentiments, which, in their time, had not been broached; or to which, as we gather from their writings, their minds were adverse? And what right had I, without consulting them, to introduce living characters as a portion of my machinery? This was somewhat puzzling. At last it struck me, that I might, not only without offence, but even in such a way as to testify affection and respect, bring you on the stage as one of my interlocutors. And this being once resolved on, anomalous as the procedure may appear to be,—indeed, amounting as it does to a practical bull,--it was farther determined, that the conversations should be carried on by you with myself. The author of the whole was thus to present himself to his readers as merely the author of a part.

Conceiving as I do, that I am in possession of views of religion of a more-than-usually important kind; and that I am capable of maintaining these against all opposition; I have certainly acted the part of a superior and a teacher throughout these dialogues. You, therefore, are made to yield. By the arguments which I employ and enforce, you allow yourself ultimately to be overcome.

But have I, on that account, assigned to you a trifling part? Have I represented you as urging objections, of the weakness and inapplicability of which you could have reason to be ashamed? With such treatment of you, I cannot charge myself. So far from putting into your mouth feeble and ineffective arguments and objections, merely that I might exhibit my prowess in demolishing them, I have not allowed you to express á single sentiment of which the most intelligent ordinary professors of religion would not unhesitatingly avail themselves. Nay, in opposing me, the views and notions to which you are made to give utterance, are such as in the works, and from the lips, of such characters one is in the constant habit of reading and listening to. But while I employed you as an adversary, I had to remember that you are, what among the religious par excellence it is somewhat rare to meet with, a candid man. Therefore it is, that you are never made to carry your opposition beyond the bounds prescribed by fair and legitimate argumentation. You are never represented as violating conscience. On the contrary, I have sometimes made use of you, after being yourself convinced, to assist me in explaining and enforcing some of those blessed truths, which it is the grand object

Whenever it

of this book to bring under public notice. appeared to me, that a somewhat less candid and enlightened controversialist than yourself was required to the working of my plans, an imaginary Friend has been called on to supply the desideratum. By the introduction of this personage, besides, I have ensured a little more variety, as well as a more thorough sifting and development of my religious system, than if the conversations had been limited to ourselves.