ed all forced or fanciful interpretations of Scripture passages.
I endeavored to free Christian doctrines from all corruptions,
perversions, or exaggerations, retaining only the pure and simple
teachings of Christ and the sacred writings. I accepted only those
interpretations of Scripture, which were in accordance with the object
and drift of the writer, with common sense, and with the general tenor
of the sacred volume. I paid special regard to the plainest and most
practical portions of Scripture. I paid no regard to doctrines grounded
on solitary passages, or on texts of doubtful meaning, while numerous
texts, with their meaning on their very faces, taught opposite
doctrines. I would accept nothing that seemed irrational from any
quarter, unless required to do so by the plain unquestionable oracles of
God. I could see no propriety in Christians encumbering their minds and
clogging religion with notions bearing plain and palpable marks of
inconsistency or absurdity. And if a doctrine presented itself in
different religious writers in a variety of forms, I always took the
form which seemed most in harmony with reason and the plainest teachings
of Scripture. Some writers seemed to take pleasure in presenting such
doctrines as the Trinity, the Atonement, Salvation by Faith, Eternal
Punishment, &c., in the most incredible and repulsive forms, straining
and wresting the Scriptures to justify their mischievous extravagances.
Other writers would say no more on those subjects than the Scriptures
said, and would put what the Scriptures said in such a light as to
render it "worthy of all acceptation." As a matter of course, the latter
kind of writers became my favorites. Indeed the Scriptures seemed always
to favor what appeared most rational in the various creeds. The
Scriptures and common sense seemed always in remarkable harmony. The
doctrines which clashed with reason seemed also to clash with Scripture:
and I felt that in rejecting such doctrines I was promoting the honor of
God and of Christ, and rendering a service to the Church and
Christianity.

I was sometimes rather tried by the unwarranted and inconsiderate
statements of my brother ministers. Take an instance. A preacher one
night, in a sermon to which I was listening, said, "How great is the
love of God to fallen man! Angels sinned, and were doomed at once to
everlasting damnation. No Saviour interposed to bring them back to
holiness and heaven. No ambassador was s