350 
meat, I may, without offence, I trust, examine his published 
opinions, and test his reasoning. This I propose to do m the 
following memoir ; not without hope of establishing, on - 
pregnable bases, conclusions of a vei 7 chara .°*® r ; 
of satisfying, the humble believer that the assailed^ H 
Numbers 7 of the Old Testament, so far from being weak 
points ” which we must give up with a good grace, lest w 
subject ourselves morally and intellectually to the same penalty 
and the same disgrace as military law assigns 
obstinately defend a post plainly untenable, stand on the 
same broad footing as the narrative itself, and possess the 
very same claim to our acceptance. , 
4 Let me at the outset distinctly say that my faith rests 
not on a translation, nor onacopy. We may most legitimately 
discuss whether arepi^a in Greek, or firmament m English, 
adequately represents ypn j and whether certain ^words ov 
phrases have been omitted, added, or changed, by the m- 
firmity of transcribers. It is upon the original autographs of 
the inspired writers that our faith rests with absolute confi- 
dence P Yet, as He who ordained the written Word was pos- 
sessed of perfect wisdom, absolute knowledge, boundless 
resources, and could not but foresee that, to the overwhelming 
majority if human readers, this Word would be known on y 
in copies or translations, it is derogatory to Him to suppose 
that He would not provide for the potential, if “t actual, 
rectification of errors of frailty A wise mechanician does as 
much as this. He who invents and constructs an electric 
cable forecasts the perils to which it will be e H ,ose ^ d g “ ar fe * 
the metals from contact with the oxidizing water; and as tar 
as possible, the cord from the violence of anchors land grap- 
nels And surely the Allwise will do, nay hath done, no less. 
Lectiones varice are checked by the collation of many copies 
by the renderings of ancient versions, and by the citations oi 
early writers ; translations are checked by the wide dl ff“ sit » 
learning* enabling many to test tbeir correctness. < in a very 
few cases, one inspired writer appears to be | a y a ™ n °® d W £ 
another;— as when the interval between the Exode and the 
Foundation of the Temple is given as 480 years in INmgsvi 
and as a century more by the Apostle Paul (Acts xm. 18 22 ) . 
In such cases, it is doubtless lawful and worthy to examine on 
which side the evidence preponderates, and ' 
nations of the variance. Only (and this I s ^ t( ? y S A 
well as to others), in all such disquisitions let us beai vividly 
in mind that it is the Truth of God with which we have to do 
It is holv around: we must tread with unshod feet, in no 
spirit o/rfvalry, no pharisaic assumption of superiority over 
