Essays Never Before Published

Excerpt from Essays Never Before Published

One further remark appears necessary in reference to the same Biblical passages with which the Essays are so thickly strewed. The disintegrating criticism which has resolved the Bible into its several books, and parts of books, had scarcely begun, or at least its 'work was scarcely known in England, when Mr. Godwin died. The Bible was considered as a_ whole, and a verse from any part was deemed, alike by the orthodox-and un orthodox, as of precisely the same value' with a verse from any other part. It was with no conscious unfair ness that Mr. Godwin at times made use of texts which do not to our apprehension support his position, or that he assumes that doctrines held by one writer of Scripture were therefore and of necessity held by the rest.

That the same arguments are repeated in more than one Essay, the same passages quoted, that a doctrine is assailed again and again, may be a literary blemish which the author would have removed, had he himself given his book to the world. But, independently of the obvious reasons for not Omitting or altering, it is quite possible that the repetition of sledge-hammer blows was really intended by the writer, and that he deliberately sacrificed to force somewhat of literary grace.

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