that unhappy Gentleman, Mr. Blount, with a pretence to vindicate his Murther of himself, because his deceased Wife's Sifter refused to be marry'd to him; by all the Topicks and Arguments of Reason and Philofophy. Which is such an Undertaking, as I am confident was never heard of before, to prove, that a Man may very gravely and Philofophically kill himfelf, if a Woman, whom he ought not to marry, will not be his Wife. It is ftrange to fee, that Men should think it fit to vent fuch things as these in the Face of the World: but this discovers the Reafon and Philofophy of thefe Men, and is a fit Preface to fuch a Book. This Wisdom defcendeth not from Above. Behold the Men in their Principles and Practices, the demure Pretenders to Humane Reason, and Moral Vertue, and the Enemies of Revealed Religion !

We are fallen into an Age, in which there are a fort of Men who have fhewn

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fo great a forwardness to be no longer Christians, that they have catch'd at all the little Cavils and Pretences against Religion; and, indeed, if it were not more out of charity to their own Souls, than for any credit Religion can have of them, it were great pity but they fhould have their wifh for they both think and live fo ill, that it is an argument for the goodness of any Cause, that they are against it. It was urged, as a confirmation of the Chriftian Religion, by Tertullian, that it was hated and perfecuted by Nero, the worst of Men: And I am confident, it would be but fmall Reputation to it, in any Age, if fuch Men fhould be fond of it. They speak evil of the things they understand not; and are wont to talk with as much confidence against any point of Religion, as if they had all the Learning in the World in their keeping, when commonly they know little or nothing of what has d been

been faid for that against which they difpute. They feem to imagine, that there is nothing in the World, befides Religion, that has any difficulty in it but this fhews how little they have confidered the Nature of Things, in which multitudes of Objections and Difficulties meet an obferving Man in every Thought. "And after all, Religion has but one fault (as they account it) which they have been able to discover in it, and that is, that it is too good and vertuous for them; for when they have faid all they can, this is their great quarrel against it; and (as it has been truly oblerved) no charity lfs than that of the Religion which they defpife, would have much care or confideration for them.

Thus have fome Men difhonoured Religion by their Lives; fome by an affectation of Novelty; fome by invalidating the Authority of Books relating true Miracles and Prophecies,

and

and others by forging falfe ones fome again, by their too eager and imprudent Difputes and Contentions about Religion, whilft from hence others have taken the liberty to ridicule it, and to difpute against it, but fo as to expose themselves, whilst they would expofe Religion. And thus has the clearest and most neceffary Truth been obfcured and de spised, whilft it has been betrayed by the vanity and quarrels of its Friends, to the fcorn and weakness of its Enemies.

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However, in all their oppofition and contradiction to Revealed Religion, I find it afferted by these Men, that Atheism is fo abfurd a thing, that they question whether there ever were, or can be an Atheist in the World. I have therefore here proved, from the Attributes of God, and the Grounds of Natural Religion, that the Chriftian Religion must be of Divine Revelation; and that this ď 2 Reli

Religion is as certainly true, as it is, that God Himself exifts; which is the plaineft Truth, and the most univerfally acknowledged of any thing whatsoever. And because there is nothing so true or certain, but fomething may be alledged against it, I fhall befides difcourfe upon fuch Heads as have been most excepted against : In which I fhall endeavour to prove the Truth, in fuch a manner, as to vindicate it against all Cavils; though I shall not take notice of particular Objections, which is both a needless and indeed an endless labour, for there is no end of Cavils: but if the Truth be well and fully explained, any Objection may receive a fufficient Answer, from the confideration of the Doctrine against which it is urged, by applying it to particular Difficulties; as one Right Line is enough to demonftrate all the variations from it to be Crooked.