But whofoever will be at the pains impartially to examine those of the Deiftical Writers that have hitherto appeared among us, and to compare them with the answers which have been made to them, will find, that upon a nearer view they are far from being fo formidable as fome have been apt to apprehend. And fince there are few that have leisure or patience for a particular enquiry into the feveral writings which have appeared in this controverfy; fome judicious perfons, who with well to the interest of our common Christianity, have been of opinion, that it might be of real fervice to give a fummary view of the moft noted books that have been publifhed against revealed religion for above a century paft, together with proper obfervations upon them. From fuch a view, the reader might be enabled to form fome notion of the feveral turns this controverfy hath taken, how often the enemies of revealed religion have thought proper to change their methods of attack, the different difguifes and appearances they have put on, and the feveral Tchemes they have formed, all directed to one main end, viz. to fet afide revelation, and to fubftituté mere natural religion, or, which feems to have been the intention of fome of them, no religion at all in its room.

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Upon fuch a comparison between those that have attacked Chriftianity, and thofe that have written in defence of it, it would appear, that if it be really true, that deifin and infidelity have made a great progrels among us, it must have been owing to fomething elle than the force of reafon and argument; that the Chriftian religion is in no danger from a free and impartial enquiry; and that the most plaufible objections,

objections which have been brought against it, though advanced with great confidence, and free quently repeated, have been fairly and folidly con, futed. Such a view would make it manifeft, that the enemies of Chriftianity have not generally be haved as became fair adverfaries, but have rather acted, as if they judged any arts lawful by which they thought they might gain their caufe. And yet notwithstanding their utmost efforts for above a century paft, they have really been able to fay but little against the Chriftian religion, confidered in its original purity, as delivered by Chrift and his apoftles, or to invalidate the folid evidences by which it is attested and confirmed.

For these reasons it hath been judged, that a fhort and comprehenfive view of the principal Deiftical Writers of the last and present age, might be of great ufe. And as the course of my ftudies hath led me to be converfant in feveral of those writings which have been published on both fides in this important controverfy, it was urged upon me, by fome perfons for whom I have a great regard, to undertake this work. There was one great objection which hindered me for fome time from attempting it, and which still appeareth to me to be of no fmall weight, and that is, that as according to the plan that was formed, it would be neceffary to give an account of the answers published to the books I fhould have occafion to mention, this would oblige me to take notice of some of my own. I am fenfible how difficult it is for an author to speak of his own performances in fuch a manner as not to intrench upon the rules of decency. If he gives a favourable character of them,

this will be interpreted as a proof of his vanity,ina any appearance of which is ufually turned to hiso difadvantage. And on the other hand, if he fhould make no mention of his own books at all whereto. the nature of the defign in which he is engaged, b makes it proper for him to mention them; this might perhaps be cenfured as a falfe and affected modefty. It is no eafy matter to keep clear of des these extremes, and for this reafon, it would have! been a particular pleasure to me to have feen this work undertaken by another hand; but asuthisto hath not been done, I have chosen rather to atol tempt it myself, than that a work, which I cannot but think might be of real fervice, fhould be neg lected. It cannot be expected, that a diftinct notice should be taken of all the writers that have ap peared among us against revealed religion for this century past. This, if it could be executed, would. take too large a compass, and be of no great ufe. A view of the principal of them, or, at least, of those, who have made the greatest noise, may be fufficient. And the defign is not to give an historical account of the authors, or of their perfonal characters, but to give fome idea of their writings, which alone we have properly to do with.

The method propofed, and for the most part purfued, is this: The feveral writers are mentioned in the order of time in which they appeared. Some account is given of their writings, and of the feveral schemes they have advanced, as far as the caufe of revelation is concerned. And great care has been taken to make a fair reprefentation of them, according to the beft judgment I could form of their defign. Some obfervations are add

ed,

ed,, which may help to lead the reader into a juft notion of those writings, and to detect and obviate the ill tendency of them. There is also an account subjoined of the answers that were published, not all of them, but fome of the most remarkable,bor fuch as have come under the author's fpeciab notice. And very probably fome have been omitted, which might well deferve to be particularly mentioned. nooit

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This may fuffice to give a general idea of the following work; at the end of which there are some reflections fubjoined, which feem naturally to arife upon fuch a view as is here given. Ob fervations are made on the conduct of the Deifts in the management of the argument. And the whole concludes with a brief reprefentation of the evidences for the Chriftian religion, and its excellent nature and tendency.

4

What has been now laid before the reader, is taken from the Preface to the first edition: and it gives a just account of the original nature and defign of this work, which was at first intended only to make up one volume. But not long after the publication of it, I was put in mind of a confiderable omiffion I had been guilty of in making no mention of Mr. Hume, who was looked upon to be one of the moft fubtle writers that had of late appeared against Christianity. About the fame time was published a pompous edition of the works of the late Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, in five volumes 4to, the three laft of which feemed to be principally intended against revealed, and even against some important principles of what is ufually called natural religion. Some perfons for

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whofe judgment and friendship I have a great re gard were of opinion, that to complete the defign which was proposed in publishing the View of the Deiftical Writers, it was neceffary to take abdi stinct notice of the writings of Mr. Hume and Lord Bolingbroke and that in that cafe it might be of ufe to make more large and particular observations upon them, than could properly be done where a number of writers came under confideration. This produced a fecond volume, which, though it had the fame title with the former, viz. A View of the Deiftical Writers, yet differed from it in this, that it did not contain ftrictures and obfervations upon a variety of authors, but a large and particular confideration of the only two there examined, viz. Mr. Hume and the late Lord Bolingbroke, efpecially the latter. And this was judged neceffary, confidering his Lordship's high reputation as a wri ter; and that there is fcarce any of the objections against Christianity which he hath not repeated and urged in one part or other of his works, and that with a peculiar confidence, and with all the ftrength of reafon and vivacity of imagination he was master of. And as I then thought I had finished the defign, that volume ended with an Address to Deifts and profeffed Chriftians, which appeared to me to be a proper conclufion of the whole.

But after the fecond volume was published, fome letters were sent me relating both to that and the former volume, which put me upon reconfidering fome things in them, and making farther additions and illustrations, which I thought might be of advantage to the main defign. These were thrown into a Supplement which made up a third

volume,