and independent critics, or treated them as insignificant, and worthy of
little more than a passing word of pious indignation. At the same time,
therefore, that I endeavour, to the best of my ability, to decide these
questions by evidence and argument, in opposition to mere ecclesiastical
authority, I refer readers desirous of further pursuing the subject to
works where they may find them discussed. I must be permitted to add,
that I do not consider I uselessly burden my pages by references to
critics who confirm the views in the text or discuss them, for it is
right that earnest thinkers should be told the state of opinion, and
recognise that belief is not so easy and matter-of-course a thing as
they have been led to suppose, or the unanimity quite so complete as
English divines have often seemed to represent it. Dr. Westcott,
however, omits to state that I as persistently refer to writers who
oppose, as to those who favour, my own conclusions.

Dr. Westcott proceeds to make the accusation which I now desire to
investigate. He says:

"Writers are quoted as holding on independent grounds an opinion
which is involved in their characteristic assumptions. And more than
this, the references are not unfrequently actually misleading. One
example will show that I do not speak too strongly." [87:1]

Dr. Westcott has scrutinised this work with great minuteness, and, as I
shall presently explain, he has selected his example with evident care.
The idea of illustrating the vast mass of references in these volumes by
a single instance is somewhat startling but to insinuate that a supposed
contradiction pointed out in one note runs through the whole work, as he
does, if I rightly understand his subsequent expressions, is scarcely
worthy of Dr. Westcott, although I am sure he does not mean to be