INTRODUCTION. THE PROVINCE OF REASON IN THE INVESTIGATION OF SPIRITUAL AND EXPERIMENTAL TRUTH. "The world by wisdom knew not God."-1 Cor. i. 21. In a few observations, intended mainly as introductory to this series of works, we wish to explain what we believe to be the legitimate province of Natural Reason in the investigation of revealed truth. We feel the more impelled to this-perhaps otherwise unnecessary task — lest in the views we may advance on experimental religion, we shall be suspected of abrogating entirely the exercise of the intellectual faculties in the study and experience of God's truth, thus turning away from a most important instrument which He has given us for the purpose of weighing and sifting the evidence of its validity. The two extremes towards which writers on Christianity have verged, have been, the opponents of the system on the one hand, descanting upon the power and sufficiency of reason, as B |