2. For my own part, it was not only the
claim which my vocation has upon me, the duty of diligently preaching
the Gospel which, as a bishop, I owe to the Church, that has led me
on. My eagerness to write has increased with the increasing
numbers endangered and enthralled by this heretical theory. There
was a rich prospect of joy in the thought of multitudes who might be
saved, if they could know the mysteries of the right faith in God, and
abandon the blasphemous principles of human folly, desert the heretics
and surrender themselves to God; if they would forsake the bait with
which the fowler snares his prey, and soar aloft in freedom and safety,
following Christ as Leader, prophets as instructors, apostles as
guides, and accepting the perfect faith and sure salvation in the
confession of Father and of Son. So would they, in obedience to
the words of the Lord, He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not
the Father which hath sent Him St. John v. 23., be setting
themselves to honour the Father, through honour paid to the
Son.