em
from the Church.--Then from Christ.--How it works.--My case, 26

CHAPTER IV.

Origin of the unhappy feeling between me and some of my brother
ministers.--Tendencies of my mind.--Rationalizing tendency.--Its
effects.--Reading.--Investigations.--Discoveries, 30

CHAPTER V.

Modification of my early creed.--Unscriptural doctrines
relinquished.--Scriptural ones adopted.--Some doctrines
modified.--Theological fictions dropped.--Eager for the pure, simple
truth as taught by Jesus.--Doctrine of types given up.--Other notions
relinquished.--Alarm of some of my brethren at these changes, 44

CHAPTER VI.

How preachers and theologians indulge their fancies on religion.--John
Wesley.--His resolution to be a man of one book.--What came of his
resolution.--His sermon on God's approbation of His works,--unscriptural
and unphilosophical throughout.--Illustrations and proofs.--And Wesley
was one of the best and wisest, one of the most honest and single-minded
of our theologians.--What then may we expect of others?--Evils of
theological trifling.--Mischievous effects of mixing human fictions with
Divine revelations, 55

CHAPTER VII.

Further theological investigations.--Unwarranted statements by
preachers.--John Foster's Essay on Some of the Causes by which
Evangelical Religion is Rendered Distasteful to Persons of Cultivated
Minds.--Introduction of similar views to the notice of my ministerial
brethren.--The reception they met with.--No Church has got all the
truth.--Most Churches, perhaps all, have got portions of it, which
others have not.--My attempts to gather up the fragments from
all.--Freedom from bigotry.--Love to all Christians.--Judging trees
by their fruit.--Reading the books of various denominations,
like foreign travel, liberalizes the mind.--I found truth
and goodness in all denominations.--Appropriated all as part
of my patrimony.--Results.--Suspicions and fears among my
brethren.--Mutterings: Backbitings: Controversy. Bad feeling, 65

CHAPTER VIII.

My style of preaching.--Decidedly practical.--Using Christianity as a
means for making bad people into good ones, and good ones always
better.--Reasons for this method.--A family trait.--Hereditary.--Great
need of practical preaching.--Folly of other kinds of
Preaching.--Littleness of great Preachers.--Worthlessness of great
sermons.--The Truly Great are the Greatly Good and Greatly Useful.--My
Models.--The Bible.--Jesus.--My Favorite Preachers.--Billy Daws