Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Imidazole-Based Drug
Discovery
Shikha Agarwal
Department of Chemistry, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur,
Rajasthan, India
Series editor
Ruben Vardanyan
Elsevier
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ISBN: 978-0-323-85479-5
Numbers in parenthesis indicate the pages on which the authors’ contributions begin.
Dinesh K. Agarwal (35, 133, 291, 323), Department of Pharmacy, PAHER University,
Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Shikha Agarwal (1, 35, 133, 167, 195, 263, 291, 323), Synthetic Organic Chemistry
Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur,
Rajasthan, India
Nusrat Sahiba (35, 133, 167, 195, 263, 291), Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory,
Department of Chemistry, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Ayushi Sethiya (1, 35, 133, 167, 195, 263, 323), Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory,
Department of Chemistry, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Jay Soni (1, 35, 133, 167, 323), Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of
Chemistry, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Pankaj Teli (35, 133, 167, 263, 291), Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory,
Department of Chemistry, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
xi
About the authors
xiii
xiv About the authors
xvii
Acknowledgments
xix
Chapter 1
1. Introduction
In the 1800s, the chronicle of heterocyclic chemistry was initiated with the
progress of organic chemistry. Presently, more than 70% of organic chemis-
try journals and other publications are based on heterocyclic chemistry [1–3].
Heterocyclic moieties play a prestigious role in science. Among the heterocy-
clic functionalities, nitrogen-based heterocyclic compounds, i.e., imidazoles,
play an important role for mankind. They have immense importance in chemi-
cal sciences, biological sciences, and material science for nonlinear optical ap-
plications and catalysts in synthesis [4–7]. Several imidazole nuclei containing
naturally occurring compounds are found in nature, viz. histamine, biotin, pilo-
carpine, naamidine A, cyclooroidin, agelastatin, etc. (Fig. 1.1).
Imidazole was first synthesized in 1858 by Debus, who isolated deriva-
tives from three-component compounds like dicarbonyl, aldehyde, ammonia,
or its salts [8, 9]. After this reaction, many syntheses were demonstrated after
1858 allowing access to various imidazole derivatives. Imidazole has specific
characteristics, i.e., it is planar, a five-membered heterocyclic molecule which
constitutes three carbon atoms and two nitrogen atoms at the first and third
positions. It is soluble in water and a highly polar compound due to the pres-
ence of dipole moment. It has an amphoteric nature, i.e., it works as an acid
as well as a base. This property is explained by resonance interactions, which
increase the basicity of two nitrogen atoms and make electrophilic and nu-
cleophilic attacks feasible. The resonance structures of imidazole are shown
in Fig. 1.2 [10].
Imidazole comprises a huge area of research in pharmaceuticals due to its
ability to treat numerous harmful and dreadful diseases. It can be a ntibacterial
of bioactive imidazoles. A review by Fan et al. [37] was focused mainly on the
tubercular activity of imidazole. Jay and coauthors represented the synthesis
and biological profile of imidazoles [38]. Pardeshi et al. prepared a review on
different synthetic approaches of benzimidazoles [39]. Prajapat et al. provided
a complete outline of recent progress of benzimidazole-based compounds
in the whole range of medicinal chemistry [40]. Due to a wide range of ap-
plicability, there has been increasing interest in the development of efficient
methodologies for the synthesis of imidazole derivatives. This chapter covers
the literature from 2005 to 2020, presenting the diverse synthetic strategies of
substituted imidazoles.
Imidazole and its derivatives Chapter | 1 5
Monosubstituted
imidazole derivatives
Disubstituted imidazole
derivatives
Trisubstituted imidazole
derivatives
Tetra-substituted
imidazole derivatives
SCHEME 1.2 Synthetic route of mono-substituted imidazole based ketone and dioxolane
derivatives.
FIG. 1.6 Synthesis of tri-substituted imidazole using benzil, aldehyde, and ammonium acetate.
10 Imidazole-based drug discovery
produced high yields (81%–95%) in 120 min. The catalyst was reused up to five
times without any loss in catalytic efficiency [55] (Fig. 1.7, Method 1).
Afterward, synthesis of 2,4,5-tri-substituted imidazole derivatives was done in
the presence of PMO@ILBF4 (1.0) (3.5 g) as a catalyst at 80 °C for 2 h [56]. Various
catalysts were used for the comparison with PMO@ILBF4(1.0) such as MIP nano-
reactors, N-acetyl glycin, urea-ZnCl2, DABCO, rGO-NiO-NC, etc. The catalyst was
reused for up to six runs with excellent yield, 99% [57] (Fig. 1.7, Method 2).
A simple, fast and environmental benign method was reported for the
preparation of 2,4,5-tri-substituted imidazole derivatives in the presence of
Imidazole and its derivatives Chapter | 1 11
FIG. 1.8 Synthesis of tri-substituted imidazole derivatives under various reaction conditions
[64–81].
FIG. 1.9 Synthesis of tetra-substituted imidazole using benzil, aldehyde, ammonium acetate, and
aniline.
14 Imidazole-based drug discovery
3. Imidazole hybrids
Over the past years, five- and six-membered azaheterocyclic compounds have
received considerable attention due to their important applications from phar-
macological, industrial, and synthetic points of view. Imidazole (and its benzo-
derivative, benzimidazole) and other heterocyclic derivatives are core scaffolds,
widely present in many classes of drugs (of natural or synthetic origin), display-
ing a large variety of interesting biological activities (antimicrobial, antifun-
gal, antiinflammatory, antihypertensive, antineuropathic, antihistaminic, etc.).
Synthesis of highly substituted fused imidazole-containing 5,5 and 5,6 fused
bicyclic heterocycles has been described.
Imidazole and its derivatives Chapter | 1 15
FIG. 1.11 Synthesis of tetra-substituted imidazole derivatives using various reaction conditions [88–97].
4-((4-(4,5-diaryl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenoxy)methyl)-1-substituted-1H-
1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized from the reaction of triazole-substituted aryl
aldehydes and 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds in the presence of ammonium acetate
and acetic acid under reflux conditions. The compounds exhibited good antibac-
terial and antifungal activity (Scheme 1.18) [101].
A simple, efficient, and one-pot reaction has been described for the synthesis
of benzo[d]imidazo [2,1-b]thiazoles by the condensation of aromatic ketones,
NBS (N-bromosuccinimide) and 5-(biphenyl-4-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine
in the solvent system of PEG-400 and water under microwave irradiations at
80–85 °C, and it gave excellent yields (94%–98%) of products in short reaction
times (11–14 min) (Scheme 1.19) [102].
“Banias is situated at the foot of the Heish, in the plain, which in the immediate vicinity of
Banias is not called Ard Houle, but Ard Banias. It contains about one hundred and fifty
houses, inhabited mostly by Turks: there are also Greeks, Druses, and Enzairie. It belongs
to Hasbeya, whose Emir nominates the Sheikh. On the north-east side of the village, is the
source of the river of Banias, which empties itself into the Jordan at the distance of an hour
and a half, in the plain below. Over the source is a perpendicular rock, in which several
niches have been cut to receive statues. The largest niche is above a spacious cavern,
under which the river rises. This niche is six feet broad and as much in depth, and has a
smaller niche in the bottom of it. Immediately above it, in the perpendicular face of the rock,
is another niche, adorned with pilasters, supporting a shell ornament.
“Round the source of the river are a number of hewn stones. The stream flows on the
north side of the village, where is a well built bridge, and some remains of the ancient town,
the principal part of which seems, however, to have been on the opposite side of the river,
where the ruins extend for a quarter of an hour from the bridge. No walls remain, but great
quantities of stones and architectural fragments are scattered about.
“I went to see the ruins of the ancient city of Bostra, of which the people spoke much.
Bostra must not be confounded with Boszra, in the Haouran; both places are mentioned in
the Books of Moses. The way to the ruins lies for an hour and a half in the road by which I
came from Rasheyat-el-Fukhar, it then ascends for three quarters of an hour a steep
mountain to the right, on the top of which is the city; it is divided into two parts, the largest
being upon the very summit, the smaller at ten minutes walk lower down, and resembling a
suburb to the upper part. Traces are still visible of a paved way that had connected the two
divisions. There is scarcely any thing in the ruins worth notice; they consist of the
foundations of private habitations, built of moderate sized square stones. The lower city is
about twelve minutes walk in circumference; a part of the four walls of one building only
remains entire; in the midst of the ruins was a well, at this time dried up. The circuit of the
upper city may be about twenty minutes; in it are the remains of several buildings. In the
highest part is a heap of wrought stones, of larger dimensions than the rest, which seem to
indicate that some public building had once stood on the spot. There are several columns of
one foot, and of one foot and a half in diameter. In two different places, a short column was
standing in the centre of a round paved area of about ten feet in diameter. There is likewise
a deep well, walled in, but now dry.
“The country around these ruins is very capable of cultivation. Near the lower city are
groups of olive trees.
“I descended the mountain in the direction towards the source of the Jordan, and
passed, at the foot of it, the miserable village of Kerwaya. Behind the mountain of Bostra is
another, still higher, called Djebel Meroura Djoubba.” [Burckhardt’s Syria, pp. 37‒42.]
From Conder’s Modern Traveler I also draw a sketch of other travelers’ observations on
the place and the surrounding country.
“Burckhardt, in coming from Damascus, pursued the more direct route taken by the
caravans, which crosses the Jordan at Jacob’s Bridge. Captains Irby and Mangles left this
road at Khan Sasa, and passed to the westward for Panias, thus striking between the road
to Acre, and that by Raschia and Hasbeya. The first part of the road from Sasa, led through
a fine plain, watered by a pretty, winding rivulet, with numerous tributary streams, and many
old ruined mills. It then ascended over a very rugged and rocky soil, quite destitute of
vegetation, having in some places traces of an ancient paved way, ‘probably the Roman
road from Damascus to Caesarea Philippi.’ The higher part of Djebel Sheikh was seen on
the right. The road became less stony, and the shrubs increased in number, size and
beauty, as they descended into a rich little plain, at the immediate foot of the mountain.
‘From this plain,’ continues captain M., ‘we ascended, and, after passing a very small
village, saw on our left, close to us, a very picturesque lake, apparently perfectly circular, of
little more than a mile in circumference, surrounded on all sides by sloping hills, richly
wooded. On quitting Phiala, at but a short distance from it, we crossed a stream which
discharges into the larger one which we first saw: the latter we followed for a considerable
distance; and then, mounting a hill to the south-west, had in view the great Saracenic
castle, near Panias, the town of that name, and the plain of the Jordan, as far as the Lake
Houle, with the mountains on the other side of the plain, forming altogether a fine coup
d’œil. As we descended towards Panias, we found the country extremely beautiful. Great
quantities of wild flowers, and a variety of shrubs, just budding, together with the richness of
the verdure, grass, corn and beans, showed us, all at once, the beauties of spring,
(February 24,) and conducted us into a climate quite different from Damascus. In the
evening we entered Panias, crossing a causeway constructed over the rivulet, which flows
from the foot of Djebel Sheikh. The river here rushes over great rocks in a very picturesque
manner, its banks being covered with shrubs and the ruins of ancient walls.’
“Panias, afterwards called Caesarea Philippi, has resumed its ancient name. The
present town of Banias is small. Seetzen describes it as a little hamlet of about twenty
miserable huts, inhabited by Mahomedans. The ‘Castle of Banias’ is situated on the summit
of a lofty mountain: it was built, Seetzen says, without giving his authority, in the time of the
caliphs.” [Modern Traveler Vol. I. pp. 353‒6.]
The distance, in time, from Mount Tabor to Caesarea Philippi, may be conceived from
the account given by Ebn Haukal, an Arabian geographer and traveler of the tenth century.
He says “from Tibertheh (Tiberias, which is near Tabor) to Sur, (Tyre,) is one day’s journey;
and from that to Banias, (Paneas,) is two day’s easy journey.” [Sir W. Ouseley’s translation
of Ebn Haukal’s Geography, pp. 48, 49.]
Among these three favored ones, we see Peter included, and his
name, as usual, first of all. By this it appears, that, however great his
late unfortunate misapprehension of the character and office of
Christ, and however he may have deserved the harsh rebuff with
which his forward but well meant remonstrance was met; still he was
so far from having lost his Master’s favor on this account, that he yet
held the highest place in the favor of Jesus, who had been moved by
the exposure of his favorite’s ignorance, only to new efforts to give
him a just and clear view of the important truths in which he was
most deficient; for after all, there was nothing very surprising in
Peter’s mistake. In pursuance of this design, he took these three,
Peter, James and John, with him, up into the high mountain peaks of
Hermon, from which their eyes might glance far south over the land
of Israel――the land of their fathers for ages on ages, stretching
away before them for a vast distance, and fancy could easily extend
the view. In this land, so holy in the recollections of the past, so sad
to the contemplation of the present, were to begin their mighty
labors. Here, too, bright and early, one of the three was to end his;
while his brother and friend were to spread their common Master’s
dominion over thousands and millions who had never yet heard of
that land, or its ancient faith. Jesus Christ always sought the lonely
tops of mountains, with a peculiar zest, in his seasons of retirement,
as well as for the most impressive displays of his eloquence, or his
miraculous power. The obvious reasons were the advantages of
perfect solitude and security against sudden intrusion;――the free,
pure air of the near heaven, and the broad light of the immense
prospect, were powerful means of lifting the soul to a state of moral
sublimity, equal to the impressions of physical grandeur, made by the
objects around. Their most holy historical associations, moreover,
were connected with the tops of high mountains, removed from
which, the most awful scenes of ancient miracle would, to the fancy
of the dweller of mountainous Palestine, have seemed stripped of
their most imposing aids. Sinai, Horeb, Moriah, Zion, Ebal, Gerizim
and Tabor, were the classic ground of Hebrew history, and to the
fiery mind of the imaginative Israelite, their high tops seemed to
tower in a religious ♦ sublimity, as striking and as lasting as their
physical elevation. From these lofty peaks, so much nearer to the
dwelling place of God, his soul took a higher flight than did ever the
fancy of the Greek, from the classic tops of Parnassus, Pelion, Ida,
or the skyish head of blue Olympus; and the three humble gazers,
who now stood waiting there with their divine Master, felt, no doubt,
their devotion proportionally exalted with their situation, by such
associations. It was the same spirit, that, throughout the ancient
world, led the earliest religionists to avail themselves of these
physical advantages, as they did in their mountain worship, and with
a success just in proportion as the purity and sincerity of their
worship, and the high character of its object, corresponded with the
lofty grandeur of the place.
The view which I have taken is not peculiar to me, but is supported by many high
authorities, and is in accordance with what seemed to me the simplest and fairest
construction which could be put upon the facts, after a very full and minute consideration of
the various circumstances, chronologically, topographically and grammatically. It should be
noticed that my arrangement of the facts in reference to the time of day, is this. Jesus and
the three disciples ascended the mountain in the evening, about sunset, remained there all
night during a thunder-storm, and returned the next morning.
Of the children of others.――This expression too is a variation from the common English
translation, which here expresses itself so vaguely, that a common reader can get no just
idea whatever of the passage, and is utterly unable to find the point of the allusion. The
Greek word is αλλοτριων, (allotrion,) which is simply the genitive plural of an adjective, which
means “of, or belonging to others,” and is secondarily applied also to “strangers, foreigners,”
&c., as persons “belonging to other lands;” but the primary meaning is absolutely necessary
to be given here, in order to do justice to the sense, since the idea is not that they take
tribute money of foreigners rather than of their own subjects; but of their subjects rather
than of their own children, who are to enjoy the benefit of the taxation.
There have been two different accounts of this little circumstance among commentators,
some considering the tribute money to have been a Roman tax, and others taking the
ground which I do, that it was the Jewish tax for the expenses of the temple-worship. The
reasons may be found at great length, in some of the authorities just quoted; and it may be
remarked that the point of the allusion in Jesus’s question to Peter, is all lost on the
supposition of a Roman tax; for how could Jesus claim exemption as a son of the Roman
emperor, as he justly could from the Jewish tax for the service of the heavenly king, his
Father? The correspondence of values too, with the half-shekel tax, is another reason for
adopting that view; nor is there any objection to it, except the circumstance, that the time at
which this tax is supposed to have been demanded, does not agree with that to which the
collection of the temple-tax was limited. (Exodus xxx. 13, and Lightfoot on Matthew xvii. 24.)
This inquiry may have been suggested to Peter by a remark made by Christ, which is
not given by Matthew as by Luke, (xvii. 4.) “If he sin against thee seven times in a day, and
seven times turn again, &c. thou shalt forgive him.” So Maldorat suggests, but it is certainly
very hard to bring these two accounts to a minute harmony, and I should much prefer to
consider Luke as having given a general statement of Christ’s doctrine, without referring to
the occasion or circumstances, while Matthew has given a more distinct account of the
whole matter. The discrepancy between the two accounts has seemed so great, that the
French harmonists, Newcome, LeClerc, Macknight, Thirlwall, and Bloomfield, consider them
as referring to totally different occasions,――that in Matthew occurring in Capernaum, but
that in Luke, after his journey to Jerusalem to the feast of the tabernacles. But the utter
absence of all chronological order in the greater part of Luke’s gospel, is enough to make us
suspect, that the event he alludes to may coincide with that of Matthew’s story, since the
amount of the precept, and the general form of expression, is the same in both cases. This
is the view taken by Rosenmueller, Kuinoel, Vater, Clarke, Paulus, and which seems to be
further justified by the consideration, that the repetition of the precept must have been
entirely unnecessary, after having been so clearly laid down, and so fully re-examined in
answer to Peter’s inquiry, as given by Matthew.
Seven times.――This number was a general expression among the Hebrews for a
frequent repetition, and was perfectly vague and indefinite as to the number of repetitions,
as is shown in many instances in the Bible where it occurs. Seventy times seven, was
another expression of the recurrences carried to a superlative number, and is also a
standard Hebraism, (as in Genesis iv. 24.) See Poole, Lightfoot, Clarke, Scott, and other
commentators, for Rabbinical illustrations of these phrases.
A heathen and an outcast.――This latter expression I have chosen, as giving best the
full force of the name publican, which designated a class of men among the Jews, who
were considered by all around them as having renounced national pride, honor and religion,
for the base purpose of worldly gain; serving under the Roman government as tax-
gatherers, that is, hiring the taxes of a district, which they took by paying the government a
definite sum, calculating to make a rich profit on the bargain by systematic extortion and
oppression. The name, therefore, was nearly synonymous with the modern word
renegade,――one who, for base motives, has renounced the creed and customs of his
fathers.
This conversation took place, just about as they were passing the
Jordan, into the western section of Judea, near the spot where
Joshua and the Israelitish host of old passed over to the conquest of
Canaan. A little before they reached Jericho, Jesus took a private
opportunity to renew to the twelve his oft repeated warning of the
awful events, now soon to happen after his entry into Jerusalem.
“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man shall be
betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they shall
condemn him to death. And they shall deliver him to the heathen, to
mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him; and the third day, he shall
rise again.” Yet, distinct as was this declaration, and full as the
prediction was in these shocking particulars, Luke assures us, that
“they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from
them; neither knew they the things which were spoken.” Now, we
cannot easily suppose that they believed that he, to whom they had
so heartily and confidently devoted their lives and fortunes, was
trying their feelings by an unnecessary fiction, so painful in its
details. The only just supposition which we can make, then, is that
they explained all these predictions to themselves, in a way best
accordant with their own notions of the kingdom which the Messiah
was to found, and on the hope of whose success they had staked all.
The account of his betrayal, ill-treatment, and disgraceful death, they
could not literally interpret, as the real doom which awaited their
glorious and mighty Lord; it could only mean, to them, that for a brief
space, the foes of the Son of God were to gain a seeming triumph
over the hosts that were to march against Jerusalem, to seat him on
the throne of David. The traitorous heads of the Jewish faith, the
members of the great Sanhedrim, the hypocritical Pharisees, and the
lying, avaricious lawyers, would, through cowardice, selfishness,
envy, jealousy, or some other meanness, basely conspire to support
their compound tyranny, by attempting to crush the head of the new
faith, with the help of their Roman masters, whom they would
summon to the aid of their falling power. This unpatriotic and
treacherous effort would for a time seem to be perfectly successful,
but only long enough for the traitors to fill up the measure of their
iniquities. Then, vain would be the combined efforts of priest and
soldier,――of Jewish and of Roman power. Rising upon them, like
life from the dead, the Son of God should burst forth in the might of
his Father,――he should be revealed from heaven with ten thousand
angels, and recalling his scattered friends, who might have been for
a moment borne down before the iron hosts of Rome, he should
sweep every foreign master, and every domestic religious tyrant,
from Israel’s heritage, setting up a throne, whose sway should
spread to the uttermost parts of the earth, displacing even the deep-
rooted hold of Roman power. What then, would be the fate of the
faithful Galileans, who, though few and feeble, had stood by him
through evil and good report, risking all on his success? When the
grinding tyranny of the old Sanhedrim had been overthrown, and
chief priests, scribes, Pharisees, lawyers, and all, displaced from the
administration, the chosen ones of his own early adoption, his
countrymen, and intimate companions for years, would be rewarded,
sitting on twelve thrones, judging the ransomed and victorious twelve
tribes of Israel. Could they doubt their Lord’s ability for this glorious,
this miraculous ♦achievement? Had they not seen him maintain his
claim for authority over the elements, over diseases, over the dark
agencies of the demoniac powers, and over the mighty bonds of
death itself? And could not the same power achieve the still less
wonderful victory over the opposition of these unworthy foes? It was
natural, then, that, with the long cherished hopes of these dazzling
triumphs in their minds, the twelve apostles, though so often and so
fully warned of approaching evils, should thus unsuspectingly persist
in their mistake, giving every terrible word of Jesus such a turn as
would best confirm their baseless hopes. Even Peter, already sternly
rebuked for his forward effort to exalt the ambition of Jesus, above
even the temporary disgrace which he seemed to foreordain for
himself,――and so favored with the private instructions and
counsels of his master, thus erred,――even James and John, also
sharers in the high confidence and favor of Jesus, though thus
favored and taught, were immediately after brought under his
deserved censure for their presumptuous claims for the ascendency,
which so moved the wrath of the jealous apostles, who were all alike
involved in this monstrous and palpable misconception. Nor yet can
we justly wonder at the infatuation to which they were thus blindly
given up, knowing as we do, that, in countless instances, similar
error has been committed on similar subjects, by men similarly
influenced. What Biblical commentary, interpretation, introduction,
harmony, or criticism, from the earliest Christian or Rabbinic fathers,
to the theological schemer of the latest octavo, does not bear sad
witness on its pages, to the wonderful infatuation which can force
upon the plainest and clearest declaration, a version elaborately
figurative or painfully literal, just as may most comfortably cherish
and confirm a doctrine, or notion, or prejudice, which the writer would
fain “add to the things which are written in the book?” Can it be
reasonably hoped, then, that this untaught effort to draw out the
historical truth of the gospel, will be an exception to this harshly true
judgment on the good, the learned, and the critical of past ages?