CONSISTING OF I. LETTERS TO DR. CHANNING ON THE TRINITY. II. TWO SERMONS ON THE ATONEMENT. III. SACRAMENTAL SERMON ON THE LAMB OF GOD. V. LETTER TO DR. CHANNING ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. OF NEW ADDITIONAL MATTER. BY M. STUART, PROF. SAC. LIT. IN THE THEOL. INSTITUTION AT ANDOVER. ANDOVER: ALLEN, MORRILL, AND WARDWELL. NEW-YORK: MARK H. NEWMAN. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1846, by ALLEN, MORRILL, AND WARDWELL, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. PREFACE. THE present volume of Miscellanies owes its publication to the frequent calls made upon me to publish it. Those parts of it, (all but one Sermon), which had before been printed, were out of print, and were often called for at some of the bookstores which have particular connection with works published in this place. To print in an ephemeral pamphlet form, I deemed unadvisable; as did also my friends; and hence the collection in the present volume of several discourses and letters, written at different times, and called forth originally by some special exigency. The sentiments expressed in these various compositions I still retain, after a somewhat protracted period of investigation, study, and experience. I wish to bequeath them to all who interest themselves in anything which I write, as my legacy. I cherish a desire to give my latest testimony in respect to the views which I have continued to entertain, concerning the all-important topics of which these compositions treat. Unity is of course out of question, in a book of professed MISCELLANIES. Yet there is, after all, one point of unity, or one bond of connection, which links the whole together. The topics are such as constitute the very essence of the great questions, about which a struggle so long and arduous has arisen and been going on, in this quarter of our country. They are, moreover, vital themes of Christianity, which must have an interest at all times and in all places, No other apology is needed, for entering into a discussion of them, or for publishing the results of that discussion, in case peculiar circumstances render it desirable. I doubted, at first, whether I should divest the various compositions, included in the present volume, of all their local and temporary costume, and give them the dress of simple and absolute discussion. My deliberations on this subject ended in the conviction, that what is local and temporary will rather serve to give interest to the discussion. In fact, it constitutes so small a part of the whole, that I did not think the remodelling of the pieces in order to leave it out, was either necessary or expedient. Some parachronisms the observing reader may easily detect; e. g. I have in a few instances interwoven with what was originally addressed to Dr. Channing, facts or events which have happened since that period. It is an offence, perhaps, against the rules of strict rhetorical propriety. But it was easier, or at any rate more agreeable to my feelings, to say what I wished to say, in this way, than to load the text with cumbrous notes. The reader need not put it to the account of oversight. Any formal vindication of doing what I have done in this respect, would be a waste of time and words to little or no purpose. The Supplementary Note to Letter I., and all the Postscripts excepting that to Letter III., have been written for the present edition; and are additions to the former publications, which have cost me more labour than the original compositions. Of their value and importance, it belongs to readers to judge. In respect to the several Sermons, and the Letter on Religious Liberty, it is not necessary to say more, in this place, |