him to publish; and it was uniformly answered, that a volume of Sermons from such a man as JOSEPH MILNER must be acceptable, and must do good. To these representations he at length yielded; and the further he proceeded in his task, the more was he inclined to acquiesce in the judgment of those who made them. Having thus explained why he publishes at all, he has only further to state how he has proceeded in preparing for the press the Discourses now offered to the public. As they were originally written, not only without the smallest view to publication, but in a much shorter time than is allowed even by the most ready writers for the composition of a sermon, they could hardly fail to require many corrections. Inaccuracies, or slovenly sentences, which haste had occasioned, the Author himself, it may be presumed, would have been disposed to correct. Faults of this kind the Editor has corrected, and that not sparingly. Yet, in making such corrections, he has always remembered, that, though he might strip the style of Milner of what was negligent or offensive, he was by no means warranted to substitute another for it. He was conscious that he could not do his Author a greater in TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET, A. M. RECTOR OF HOTHAM, YORKSHIRE; THESE SERMONS, WRITTEN BY ONE WITH WHOM HE OFTEN TOOK SWEET COUNSEL, AND WALKED AS WITH A FRIEND AND A BROTHER, ARE INSCRIBED BY THE EDITOR, BOTH THAT THE KINDNESS OF A RECTOR TO THE CURATE ORDAINED ON HIS TITLE MAY BE ACKNOWLEDGED BY THIS TRIBUTE OF AFFECTION AND ESTEEM, AND THAT THE NAMES OF STILLINGFLEET AND MILNER MAY STAND ASSOCIATED IN A LASTING MEMORIAL. trifling, he has inserted them, and omitted them where it was considerable. Having thus stated the principles by which he has been guided in executing his task, the Editor will take his leave, with an earnest prayer that the blessing of the Most High may accompany this posthumous work of His now glorified servant. Parsonage, Carlisle, J. FAWCETT. |