This is all that is neceffary to inform the reader of, with regard to the defign of the volume that is now offered to the public. And I think myself obliged to take this occafion to acknowlege the favourable and candid acceptance the fecond volume of the View of the Deiftical Writers, as well as the firft, has met with, and the particular notice which hath been taken of the author by fome perfons of great merit and diftinction. This gives me no fmall fatisfaction, not fo much for any particular intereft and advantage of my own, though I have a moft grateful sense of the generous kindnefs that hath been fhewn me, as because it gives me reafon to apprehend, that my endeavours to ferve fo glorious a cause may, in fome degree, answer the end for which they were honestly intended. If I can be any way inftrumental to promote the facred interests of religion among us, I fhall efteem it the greatest happiness of my life. And it is a pleasure to think, that in an age in which it is too much neglected and

difregarded, there are ftill fome among us eminently distinguished by their high quality, their fortune, and figure in the world, who fhew a juft concern for religion, and whofe zeal for our common Christianity has caufed them candidly to overlook leffer differences and diftinctions. And it is to be hoped, and fhould be the matter of our earneft prayers to GOD, that all real Chriftians, who have the interefts of our holy religion at heart, will join in united efforts to fupport fo glorious a cause, in which the prefervation and advancement of true goodness and virtue, the peace and good order of the fociety, and the prefent and eternal happiness of individuals is fo nearly

concerned.

CON

CONTENTS.

T

LETTER I.

HE account given of the Earl of Shaftes
bury's writings in the first volume of the

View of the Deiftical Writers, vindicated

against the exceptions that had been made

against it. The being influenced by the hope of

the reward promised in the Gospel hath no-

thing in it disingenuous and flavish. It is not

inconfiftent with loving virtue for its own

fake, but tends rather to heighten our esteem of

its worth and amiableness. Lord Shaftesbury

feems in his Inquiry to erect such a scheme

of virtue as is independent on religion, and

may fubfift without it. The apology he makes

for doing fo. The clofe connection there is

between religion and virtue jhewn from his

own principles and acknowlegements. Vir-

tue not wholly confined to good affections to-

wards mankind, but takes in proper affecti-

ons towards the Deity, as an effential part

of it. He acknowleges that man is born to

religion. A remarkable paffage of Lord Bo-

lingbroke to the fame purpose.

LETTER II.

page I

Unfair management in the French translation

of Mr. Collins's Difcourfe of Free thinking.

Frauds

Frauds of the Deiftical Writers in their quo-

tations of authors. The parallel drawn by

Mr. Chubb between the propagation of Chri-

tianity and the progress of Methodism, ex-

amined. Reflections on the pamphlet in-

titled, Deifm fairly ftated, and fully vindi-

cated. That author's pompous account of

Deifm, and his way of fating the question

between Chriftians and Deifts confidered.

Concerning the differences among Christians
about the way of knowing the Scriptures to
be the word of God. The charge he brings
against the Chriftian religion, as confifting
only of unintelligible doctrines and useless in-
ftitutions, and his pretence that the moral
precepts do not belong to Chriftianity at all,
but are the property of the Deifts, fhewn to
be vain and groundless. The corruption of
Chriftians no juft argument against true ori-
ginal Christianity.

LETTER III.

35

Additional obfervations relating to Mr. Hume.

His account of the nature of belief defigned

to exclude reafon from any share in it. A

transcript of a paper containing an examina-

tion of Mr. Hume's arguments in his Effay on

Miracles. Obfervations upon it. The evi-

dence of matters of fact may be fo circum-

Stanced as to produce a full affurance. Mr.

Hume artfully confounds the evidence of past

facts with the probability of the future. We

may be certain of a matter of fact after it

bas

has happened, though it might feem before-

hand very improbable that it would happen.

Where full evidence is given of a fact, there

must not always be a deduction made on the

account of its being unusual and extraordi-

nary. There is ftrong and pofitive evidence

of the miracles wrought in atteftation to Chri-

ftianity, and no evidence against them. The

miraculous nature of the fact no proof that

the facts were not done. A fummary of Mr.

Hume's argument against the evidence of mi-

racles. The weakness of it fhewn. Confidering

the vast importance of religion to our happi-

nefs, the bare poffibility of its being true should

be fufficient to engage our compliance,

LETTER IV.

68

Some reflections on the extraordinary fanctity

afcribed to the Abbè de Paris. He carried

fuperftition to a strange excess, and by his

extraordinary aufterities voluntarily baftened

his own death. His character and course of

life of a different kind from that rational

and folid piety and virtue which is recom-

mended in the Gospel. Obfervations on fome

paffages in Mr. Hume's Enquiry concerning

the principles of morals. He reckons self-

denial, mortification, and humility among

the Monkfh virtues, and reprefents them

as not only useless, but as having a bad in-

fluence on the temper and conduct. The na-

ture of felf-denial explained, and its great.

ufefulness and excellency fhewn. What is