the angel makes to the dwellers on earth to
give glory and worship to the Creator of heaven, earth, sea, and the
fountains of waters.

{123}

But the dulness of hearers and incapacity to understand the doctrine of
Scripture are not the only obstacles those will have to contend against
who undertake to preach "the [oe]onian gospel." There are the
interests and attractions of the present world, which, since the love
of them is necessarily disturbed by the announcement that the world to
come offers what is much more to be desired, operate, sometimes it may
be in a manner which is not suspected, in hardening the heart against
listening to and receiving that gospel. I think that in this way only
can it be accounted for that the passages of Scripture which
unequivocally declare the salvation of all men are comparatively
unattended to, whilst belief is generally expressed in those supposed
to be of opposite import. I am apprehensive that on the same accounts
the arguments by which I have endeavoured to show that the latter
passages admit of being interpreted consistently with the others, will
receive little attention.

There exists, moreover, in the present day so long-standing and so
general an inability to discern the inner and true sense of Scripture,
"the letter which killeth" having been preferred to "the spirit which
maketh alive," that it has become a matter of much difficulty to
comprehend and explain the terms in which the gospel in its entirety is
therein proclaimed, and either to give, or to receive, instruction
which may conduce to an intelligent acceptance of it. {124} In
addition to which there prevails a tendency to rely on traditional and
formal doctrine, and to assign to it an authority co-ordinate with that
of Scripture, although as having had its origin at times when primitive
faith and knowledge had in great measure declined, and "the mystery of
iniquity" was already working, it cannot but be mixed with a human
element of untruth. This tendency, which appears to be attributable to
a consciousness of inability to form an independent judgment of the
truths of Scripture, operates at present in creating a prejudice
against all attempts to go beyond the boundaries by which Scriptural
knowledge is assumed to be circumscribed. Nevertheless, regarding it
as a duty to employ the opportunities and the ability which God has
given me in making such an attempt, I have endeavoured to place the
doctrine of the s