expediency, instead of considering simply, what is the Truth as declared by divine inspiration, and resolving, at all events, to follow the truth?

§ 3. It is necessary to observe, however, that there is a way of evading the force of all that has been hitherto urged;-a plan which certainly may be, and I fear in some instances has been, resorted to, for nullifying in effect, without professing to oppose, every argument that has been adduced. And it is this: to extol St. Paul's writings, and exhort men to the diligent study of them, urging at the same time (what no one can deny) the importance of interpreting them rightly, and insisting on a preliminary course of study, without which no one is even to enter on the perusal of them; and then to make this preparation consist in a thorough acquaintance with such a list of books, as even those professionally devoted to theological pursuits cannot be expected to master without the assiduous labour of several years. No plan could be devised more effectual (were it generally adopted) for making St. Paul a sealed book to all but about one in ten

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thousand of the christian world. For supposing even all the Clergy, nay, even all candidates for ordination, to have gone through this preparatory course of study, the same could not be expected of the laity, except a small portion of the educated classes. And the benefits, whatever they might be, of this preparation, would, after all, be confined to those few who had gone through it. They indeed, if they were careful not even to open St. Paul's epistles till their minds were sufficiently biassed by a great mass of human commentaries and disquisitions, would doubtless be prepared to understand them very differently from what they would have done on another system: whether better or worse is not now the question but they would not after all be qualified to expound St. Paul to their flocks, nor authorized to recommend the perusal of him; for these would be, by hypothesis, unfit to enter on the study of his epistles, or to comprehend any exposition of them. And if the principle were consistently followed up, it would soon be remarked that the mass of unlearned Christians are not duly prepared for the thorough comprehension even of the rest of Scripture; so that we

should speedily arrive at the very point so earnestly contended for by the Papists against the Reformers; viz. the inexpediency of putting the Scriptures into the hands of the people, and the necessity of leaving them to be instructed by their pastors in whatever things these should judge most profitable for them, and level to their capacities.

Am I then contending, or did the Reformers mean to contend, that either St. Paul's epistles, or the rest of the Scriptures, can be as well understood by a clown or a child as by the most learned theologian? Surely not. The highest abilities, improved by the most laborious study, are not more than sufficient for the full comprehension of the Sacred Books; but, if on this ground they are not to be opened by any who are not so qualified, who will ever become thus qualified? If a number of books be pointed out, without a knowledge of which St. Paul cannot be fully understood, it may probably be added with equal truth that these cannot be rightly understood without a knowledge of St. Paul's epistles. If we are to begin at all, we must begin somewhere; and we must, of course, begin

in imperfection. Else it might be said, that since veteran soldiers are alone well fitted to perform their part, therefore none but veterans should be brought into the field. The obvious and honest way of proceeding is, not to postpone altogether the study of any part of Scripture till we are qualified for the full comprehension of it; which on such a plan we never should be, since our minds would be pre-occupied with human expositions; but to study both the Scriptures, and the best helps towards their explanation we can obtain, simultaneously; at the same time carefully guarding ourselves against arrogantly supposing that we do perfectly understand any thing at the first glance. It is to this arrogant disposition that the Scriptures are dangerous. "A little learning" is the utmost that the generality can attain;-it is what all must attain before they can arrive at great learning;---it is the utmost acquisition of those who know the most, in comparison of what they do not know. "A little learning" is then only (and then always) a dangerous thing," when we overrate it, and are not aware of its littleness.

On the sources of some of the principal errors

which have sprung from the misinterpretation of St. Paul's writings, and the means of guarding even ordinary Christians against them, I propose to offer some more particular remarks in some of the following Essays.

For all that has been here urged I should be glad to think that there is little occasion. To offer proofs of the existence of the error in question,---such proofs as might be offered, is what could not be done with propriety. Some

of

my readers may, perhaps, regard me as combating a shadow, from having themselves never met with that depreciation of St. Paul's epistles, which I have been deprecating. I have only to hope they never may: but I fear that on inquiry they will find it but too prevalent ;---that they will even meet with some who have gone the length of proposing that no part of the Scriptures should be printed for circulation among the mass of the people, except the Four Gospels: on the ground that they contain all things needful, and that the" things hard to be understood" in St. Paul's writings would serve only to perplex and mislead them. A man who gives utterance to such an opinion, we may be sure, entertains it;