The author of this volume was trained from infancy in the Roman Catholic Church, which caters to a certain weakness in human nature--the desire for a mediator. There is a sense in which the desire for a mediator is lawful and pleasing to God. To the man who, on the one hand, has any conception of God; on the other of his own unworthiness, a mediator is necessary, and this need of man is provided in the "man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all." (1 Tim. 2:5.) But the doctrine of Rome does not encourage one to face even the God-appointed Mediator alone and unsupported. The Virgin Mary and other saints of lesser degree must be sought between man and Jesus Christ. In fact, the whole Roman system of priesthood is but the interposition of human mediatorship between man and God.

      On this account the author was led to kneel for hours before the image of some saint hoping thereby to gain the favor of the saint so that he would carry his request before that God whom the Roman theology had put so far away from his hungering heart that he dare not approach him through the name of Jesus Christ as the only mediator. Above all he sought the Virgin Mary, in whom he fancied a womanly, motherly love and tenderness, such as he had found in his own mother; and he doubted not that she would take him into her tender compassion.

      The superstitions and idolatries of the Roman Church held him in bondage without the faintest hope of deliverance till he emigrated from Germany to this country, at the age of fifteen, where his surroundings were [3] more favorable for enlightenment. In the course of time he came under the influence of Professor T. E. Allen, then of Lavergne, Tenn., who devoted much time to teaching him the way of the Lord and deeply impressed upon him individual responsibility to God and as to how he regarded his word, and dealt with it and convinced him that he could not screen himself behind any priest or church, but that he must answer to God as to whether he believed him. This greatly disturbed him concerning his religion, for he did not know whether he believed it or not. Later on he came under the influence of Dr. J. M. Gooch who made no particular effort to convert him from Roman Catholicism, but took especial delight in discussing, among other things, religious questions with him and in presenting objections to Catholicism. He soon became deeply conscious of the fact that he was too grossly ignorant of the Bible to make any defense of his position. Having been thus humiliated, he resolved to make thorough preparation to meet all attacks made on his religion. So he began reading and studying the Bible as never before. At first he did this that he might be able to meet successfully the attacks of his adversary This purpose soon gave way to an intense desire to know the truth. He now gave it a fair hearing, disposed neither to accept nor reject blindly, but after faithful examination. Hence he "searched the Scriptures"--gave attention and painstaking diligence to investigate what they say concerning Christ and salvation through his name. This honest purpose, candid hearing, and diligent examination of the testimony finally brought him to the faith which the gospel requires. The conviction expressed itself in action on Sunday, April 14, 1895, when he confessed his faith in Christ and was baptized into his name.

      The diligent search for the truth did not cease when [4] he was baptized, it was only begun. He has made it the great concern of his life. In this volume the reader will find a clear statement of some of the things that he has learned. I bespeak for him the attention which his talent and the importance of the subjects discussed command.

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