This work was read, not only by theologians and pastors, but by intelligent laymen, to an extent never known before of a strictly theological work. And what was the ground taken by theologians of all schools? They were bound to show to the people, in opposition to this work, if they could, that this Augustinian dogma _was not_ contrary to the moral sense of mankind, and that it _was_ taught in the Bible. But not a single attempt of this kind has ever been made. This universal _silence_ is as direct a confession of inability to reply as ever was known in the theological world. All that ever has been attempted has been, to show that the theory of a preëxistent state, offered by that author, affords little or no relief, and is without scriptural authority. The words of a distinguished theologian and editor of a theological quarterly, addressed to the writer, express the case exactly: “Your brother has succeeded in throwing us all into the ditch, but he has shown us no way to get out.” That is to say, so long as the doctrine of a _depraved nature_ that insures “sin, and only sin,” in every unregenerate mind, is maintained, there is no _satisfactory_ way yet devised of proving the wisdom and benevolence of God, by the concessions of theologians themselves. At the same time, the _Conflict of Ages_, in removing the chief passage in the Bible relied on for proving that _in consequence of Adam’s sin_ the nature of all men has become depraved, has equally removed the evidence most relied on to prove that there is any such _depravity of nature_ taught in the Bible at all. This universal, tacit concession of theologians of all schools, in reference to this famous passage of Scripture, had no little influence in bringing before the public the volume entitled _Common Sense Applied to Religion, or the Bible and the People_ before referred to. In this work, the _principles of common sense_ and the _nature or construction of mind_ are by the author exhibited more at large than in this volume. And the common‐sense system of religion as thus educed is also set forth, though less completely and extensively than in this work. The laws of language and interpretation also are introduced into that work for the purpose of showing (in the second volume not yet published) that the common‐sense system is also taught in the Bible. But preliminary to this, it was seen to be important to apply the principles of common sense to prove that the Bible is a collection of _reliable_ records, of _reliable_ revelations from the Creator to mankind. It was seen also, that if the Augustinian system is really taught in these writings, _it is impossible to prove them to be reliable revelations_ from God, as is set forth at large in chapter 34 of this present volume.