xxxviii PREFACE. 



make no claim to possess the Eternal 

 Life "(p. 205). 



It is evident from these passages, that 

 neither the Guardian reviewer nor Mr. B. 

 W. Newton has a right conception of 

 Professor Drummond's real teaching on 

 the subject of " annihilation." It is true 

 that we may without difficulty find pas- 

 sages in this work which contain either 

 grave error, or we have sadly misunder- 

 stood the professor's meaning ; e.g^ when he 

 commits himself to the startling statement, 

 apparently put forth in order to support 

 the teaching of Mr. Herbert Spencer that 

 " for eighteen hundred years only one de- 

 finition otLife Eternalwas before the world. " 

 Now there are two (p. 203) Mr. Drum- 

 mond can scarcely feel surprised at being 

 considered by some an accomplished Ag- 

 nostic. Or when he speaks of the grand 

 doctrine of the " ATONEMENT" in so im- 

 perfect and unsatisfactory a manner, as he 

 has done (see p. 335, &c.), though carefully 

 guarded by the omnipotent "if," he has 

 laid himself open to the charge, which 



