THE GREAT TRUTHS OF The Christian Religion. IN FIVE PARTS. LONDON: JOSEPH MASTERS, ALDERSGATE STREET, AND NEW BOND STREET. MDCCCLXII. 100. n. 45. PREFACE. THE substance of the following pages was printed for private circulation among friends some years ago, under the title of "Plain Truths." The book gained a wider circulation than was expected, and amongst others, it fell into the hands of the late Vicar of S. Mary Church, the Rev. Henry Newland, who strongly urged the writer to recast the work into its present form, giving at the same time many valuable hints, and offering, when the time came, to overlook the pages as they went through the press. Several delays occurred to postpone the carrying out of this plan. The chiefest and foremost were the long illness and the somewhat sudden death of Mr. Newland. After this the thought of publishing was for a time altogether abandoned, when, at the en treaty of friends, the writer began once more to prepare for press, gathering together the many memoranda which had been so kindly given by the Vicar of S. Mary Church, and at the same time begging me to undertake the task which was to have been done by my lamented friend. I beg then to commend this little manual most heartily to all Church people; especially to the use of those, forming I believe a large number, who are apt to complain that in visiting the poor they know not exactly what to say, and who shrink from venturing to explain in their own words the teaching of the Church. Here they will find the vital doctrines of the Church clearly and forcibly set forth. The book can be purchased as a whole, or in separate parts for distribution as tracts amongst the poor. My sincere hope and prayer to God is, that He will vouchsafe His blessing upon a work, humbly designed for the enlightenment of the poor and for the building up of CHRIST'S Church. Oh, that it might again be seen by men in England, (once known throughout Christendom as the "Isle of Saints,") what is ALL SAINTS CLERGY HOUSE, O GOD, THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, OUR ONLY SAVIOUR, THE PRINCE OF PEACE; GIVE US GRACE SERIOUSLY TO LAY TO HEART THE GREAT DANGERS WE ARE IN BY OUR UNHAPPY DIVISIONS. TAKE AWAY ALL HATRED AND PREJUDICE, AND WHATSOEVER ELSE MAY HINDER US FROM GODLY UNION AND CONCORD: THAT, AS THERE IS BUT ONE BODY, AND ONE SPIRIT, AND ONE HOPE OF OUR CALLING, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, ONE GOD AND FATHER OF US ALL, SO WE MAY HENCEFORTH BE ALL OF ONE HEART, AND OF ONE SOUL, UNITED IN ONE HOLY BOND OF TRUTH AND PEACE, OF FAITH AND CHARITY, AND MAY WITH ONE MIND AND ONE MOUTH GLORIFY THEE; THROUGH JESUS CHRIST Our Lord. AMEN. |