I propose this term to lecture on the Epistle to the Romans, in itself an enormous subject. To deal properly with it would need not merely a longer term than this, but many terms. Even however in this unusually short term I hope that by rigorous selection of topics we may be able to get some substantial hold of the Epistle; and, owing to the peculiar position which it holds among St Paul's Epistles, even a very imperfect study of it will yield more instruction than a somewhat less imperfect study of, I believe we may say, any other single Epistle of St Paul would have done.

In this case, perhaps more than usual, the benefit to be derived from attending lectures must be proportional to the time and care spent upon the subject by members of the class in private work. The utmost that a lecturer can do is to supply suggestions which can be verified and followed up at home.

One question that often has to be discussed can here be dismissed at once—that of the authorship. There is practically no dispute among different schools (unless it be in Holland) that St Paul wrote this Epistle, or at least the greater part of it: some would except the last chapter, or the last two: but the bulk of the Epistle may be treated as confessedly written by the Apostle whose name it bears.