I shall presently send you chapter I, with suggestions &c.Expanded:et cetera

Perhaps, when you read them, you wishwill wish to say with Richard III, in Cibber's version of ShakespeareEditorial Note: Colley Cibber, who was an English actor, theater manager and playwright, adapted Shakespeare’s play Richard III, making some major changes.: "Off with his head; so much for — J. H. W."

Nevertheless, as usual, I shall give you my unvarnished counsel; & then, as usual, you will do as you please.

First of all, let me say: I marvel at the deterioration your book has undergone in these reprinted pages. I should suppose a cyclone had struck the leaves, and knocked them into unwonted corners.

It would be for my pec [?] Unclear or illegible uniary benefit, perhaps, to advise you to get out such a new edition, & let me beg away at its punctuation &c. &c.; but as a friend I decidedly advise you against it. Better let your volumes stand as it is. Too much change looks like vacillation. It might be well to go carefully over the vol. completed 4 years ago, (& somewhat modified by a change of chapters since that day;)but and make occasional changes therein; but the chapter I have now been over is distinctly inferior to your older edition.

If a few things are to be added, better make a new book, like Unity of Good.

If marginal headings are needed, I think I could arrange them in the old plates; though of course for that I should have to consult with Mr. Wilson.

Nevertheless, though this is my most earnest & friendly opinion & advice, I have been over this 1st chapter, & said my critical say. on the backs of such sheets as required it.

Through the words [*]Archival Note: The following text is circledsee over[*]Archival Note: End circled text, pointing to such [*]Archival Note: The following text is circlednotes[*]Archival Note: End circled text, & through the [*]Archival Note: The following text is circlednotes[*]Archival Note: End circled text themselves, I have drawn a cross X, — not to indicate that I hold a different opinion, but to show prevent the typesetter from making a blunder, & setting these critical comments as part of your book. These comments are solely for your help, & when you have read & considered them, which I trust you will carefully do, you can put your pen through them as ruthlessly as you please.

You will understand that I do not write them — the criticisms — for the sake of argument, or to pitch into your theories, but solely to do my full duty, & then leave you to use or reject my suggestions as you please. As you know, I do not accept your philosophy of the universe; neither do I accept orthodoxy, or any of the current forms of Christianity, as held in churches, either heterodox or orthodox. My very outspoken comments do not proceed from my own views, for I am as much of a C. ScientistExpanded:Christian Scientist as I am a Baptist or Catholic; but I have carefully considered the relation of one one paragraph to another in your chapter, & tried to show where the contradictions are to be guarded against; & to those I have sharply called your attention,– not for the sake of hearing your reply, for I don't care for that, but to thoroughly fulfil my duty as your punctuator. &

The long passage about 3 imaginary persons, — a mechanic, Baptist, & hydropathist, — ought not to appear. It does not read like yourself, & is utterly unfair, except [?] Unclear or illegible possibly in the 3dCorrected:rd point.

The marginal c summaries are made (J. F.B.'s?) very bunglingly. Such notes should be very brief, & generally made up of nouns, not verbs &c; & above all, the I should not appear in them, though it is entirely proper in the book itself.

If you wish to avoid contradictions (having in mind the comments by your Western lawyer, of which you spoke the other day) there are a few phrases which should be either modified or suppressed. E.g. it will not do to quote Jesus as saying "Thou shalt have no other [?] Unclear or illegible  Gods before me," — a phrase not to be found in the whole New Testament, but one purely Jehovistic. The phrase man & the universe is self-contradictory. If the universe is all (as the word implies) how can there be a universe plus something else? Nor should personal be confounded with physical. Spirit may be personal, but not physical[*]Archival Note: The following text is circled.[*]Archival Note: End circled text Physical & personal are not synonyms, in any respectable literature, except in a very narrow & limited sense, which you have outgrown.

Many more such suggestions I have made in their proper places.

As you requested, I have marked no special change on the Classification page; but you will find pinned to it an important criticism in your use of the word Classification, which is not the word you want.

You request me not to change your ideas in any sentence[*]Archival Note: The following text is circled.[*]Archival Note: End circled text I never do that, if I know what your meaning is. If I have changed your meaning anywhere, it is because I fail to catch your idea; but let me say frankly that several of your sentences convey to me no meaning whatever, perhaps because some word is omitted, or wrongly copied.

In closing this long lecture, I will say again, that you had better trust your reputation, here or abroad, to your older edition, with such changes as a careful reading might support, than to issue such a book an edition as this 1st chapter indicates.

When the Archbishop asked Gil Blas to criticize himEditorial Note: This is a reference to the 18th century novel Gil Blas by Alain-Rene Le Sage., & G. B. took him at his word, & did so, then the Archbishop waxed very indignant. So it is apt to be with criticism; & in this case, you may be the Archbishop, & I may be the Gil Blas, whom your indignation over his frankness may lead you to wish him drowned in the Red Sea, along with Pharaoh & the host of the bothersome EgyptiansEx 14:15 ¶And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: Ex 14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. Ex 14:17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. Ex 14:18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. Ex 14:19 ¶And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: Ex 14:20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. Ex 14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. Ex 14:22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Ex 14:23 ¶And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all
Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. Ex 14:24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, Ex 14:25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. Ex 14:26 ¶And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. Ex 14:27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Ex 14:28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. Ex 14:29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Ex 14:30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. Ex 14:31 And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses. .

I speak & write & criticize (in the sheets) as somewhat standing in place of the great public. When great criminal lawyers have a case on hand, a ticklish case, the lawyers on the same side argue with one another in their private offices, before going into court, & try to deal with each other as they think the opposing lawyers will deal with them & their witnesses, so that they may be posted at all points. So you see, I am acting as your counsel, & putting you on your guard beforehand.

In numbering the

J. H. W.

pages, I have made some change in their order, as you suggested, trying to put under the subhead of Science, Theology, & Medicine certain passages (especially one long one) which seemed to belong there.

[*]Archival Note: There is a line drawn across the page here

23 hours = $11.50Editorial Note: $11.50 in 1890 is equivalent to $369.84 in 2022.

[*]Archival Note: There is a line drawn across the page here