It is, however, indispensable to distinguish carefully between this _particular invitation_ of yours, and _discussion_ generally. Your letter to the Trinitarian laity invites discussion in any shape which shall effectually bring the statements of both parties before the same individuals. We are now prepared to gratify your desire, and WE ACCEPT YOUR INVITATION. Our lectures, however, shall be first delivered; on this we are determined. Then, in the name of all, and in dependence upon our blessed Lord and Master, three of our body will be ready to meet you three before a public audience in this town; all preliminaries to be, of course, arranged by mutual conference. We propose, if you please, to take the three great subjects into which the controversy obviously divides itself, _viz._, 1. EVIDENCE of the genuineness, authenticity, and inspiration of those parts of our authorized version of the Holy Scriptures which you deny. 2. TRANSLATION of those parts which you alter, and in our judgment misrepresent. 3. THEOLOGY, involving those principles of vicarious sacrifice which we deem vital, and which you discard. Our proposal, then, is to meet you either _one day_ on each subject, as you please; or _one week_ on each subject, as you please: the discussion to be conducted in speeches of _one hour_ or _half an hour_ each, as you please. And now, trusting that this proposed arrangement may prove satisfactory to _you_, and to all who take an interest in this controversy, and fervently praying the great Head of the Church to overrule our purposes to the advancement of His kingdom and the promotion of His glory, I remain, Gentlemen, Yours for the Lord’s sake, February 5, 1839. FIELDING OULD. --------------------- _To the Reverend Fielding Ould._ Reverend Sir,—It would have been gratifying to us to receive from you an answer to our offer of a discussion, through the press, before being called upon to consider a proposal, altogether new, for a platform controversy.