the most plausible objections which have been brought against it, though advanced with great confidence, and frequently repeated, have been fairly and solidly confuted. Such a view would make it manifest, that the enemies of Christianity have not generally behaved as became fair adversaries, but have rather acted as if they judged any arts lawful by which they thought they might gain their cause. And yet, notwithstanding their utmost efforts for above a century past, they have really been able to say but little against the Christian religion, considered in its original purity, as delivered by Christ and his apostles, or to invalidate the solid evidences by which it is attested and confirmed.

For these reasons it hath been judged, that a short and comprehensive view of the deistical writers of the last and present age might be of great use. And as the course of my studies hath led me to be conversant in several of those writings which have been published on both sides in this important controversy, it was urged upon me, by some persons for whom I have a great regard, to undertake this work. There was one great objection, which hindered me for some time from attempting it, and which still appeareth to me to be of no small weight, and that is, that as, according to the plan that was formed, it would be necessary to give an account of the answers published to the books I should have occasion to mention, this would oblige me to take notice of some of my own. I am sensible how difficult it is for an author to speak of his own performances, in such a manner as not to intrench upon the rules of decency. If he give a favourable character of them, this will be interpreted as a proof of his vanity, any appearance of which is usually turned to his disadvantage. And on the other hand, if he should make no mention of his own books at all, where the nature of the design in which he is engaged makes it proper for him to mention them, this might perhaps be censured as a false and affected. modesty. It is no easy matter to keep clear of these extremes ; and, for this reason, it would have been a particular pleasure to me to have seen this work undertaken by another hand; but as this hath not been done, I have chosen rather to attempt it myself, than that a work, which I cannot but think might be of real service, should be neglected. It cannot be expected, that a distinct notice should be taken of all the writers that have appeared 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 use. A view of the principal of them, or, at least, of those who have made the greatest noise, may be sufficient. And the design is not to give an historical account of the authors, or of their personal

characters, but to give some idea of their writings, which alone we have properly to do with.

The method proposed, and for the most part pursued, is this: The several writers are mentioned in the order of time in which they appeared. Some account is given of their writings, and of the several schemes they have advanced, as far as the cause of revelation is concerned. And great care has been taken to make a fair representation of them, according to the best judgment I could form of their design. Some observations are added, which may help to lead the reader into a just 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 some of the most remarkable, or such as have come under the author's special notice. And very probably some have been omitted, which might well deserve to be particularly mentioned.

This may suffice to give a general idea of the following work; at the end of.which there are some reflections subjoined, which seem naturally to arise upon such a view as is here given. Observations are made on the conduct of the deists in the management of the argument. And the whole concludes with a brief representation of the evidences for the Christian religion, and its excellent nature and tendency.

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 design 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 considerable omission I had been guilty of in making no mention of Mr. Hume, who was looked upon to be one of the most subtle writers that had of late appeared against Christianity. About the same time was published, a pompous edition of the works of the late Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, in five volumes quarto, the last three of which seemed to be principally intended against revealed, and even against some important principles of what is usually called natural, religion. Some persons, for whose judgment and friendship I have a great regard, were of opinion, that, to complete the design which was proposed in publishing the View of the Deistical Writers, it was necessary to take a distinct notice of the writings of Mr. Hume and Lord Bolingbroke: and that in that case it might be of use to make more large and particular observations upon them, than could properly be done where a number of writers came under consideration. This produced a second volume, which, though it had the same title with the former, viz. A View of the Deistical Writers, yet differed from it in

this, that it did not contain strictures and observations upon a variety of authors, but a large and particular consideration of the only two there examined, viz. Mr. Hume and the late Lord Bolingbroke, especially the latter. And this was judged necessary, considering his Lordship's high reputation as a writer, and that there are scarcely 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 strength of reason and vivacity of imagination he was master of. And as I then thought I had finished the design, that volume ended with an Address to Deists and professed Christians, which appeared to me to be a proper con

clusion of the whole.

But after the second volume was published, some letters were sent me, relating both to that and the former volume, which put me upon reconsidering some things in them, and making farther additions and illustrations, which I thought might be of advantage to the main design. These were thrown into a Supplement, which made up a third volume, and was published separately for the use of those who had purchased the two former.

It gives me some concern, that this work is become so much larger than was at first intended, which I am afraid will prove a disadvantage to it, and disgust or discourage some readers. But I hope favourable allowances will be made, considering the extent of the design, and the variety of matters here treated of. I believe it will appear, that there are few objections which have been advanced in this controversy, but what are taken notice of in the following work, and either sufficiently obviated, or references are made to books where fuller answers are to be found.

May God in his holy providence follow what is now published with his blessing, that it may prove of real service to the important interests of religion among us, to promote which, as far as my ability reaches, I shall ever account the greatest happiness of my life. And it should be the matter of our earnest prayers to God, that all those who value themselves upon the honourable name and privileges of Christians, may join in united efforts to support so glorious a cause, in which the preservation and advancement of true religion and virtue, the peace and good order of society, and the present and eternal happiness of individuals, are so nearly concerned.

I have nothing farther to add, but that in this as well as the former editions the whole is conducted in a series of letters, which were written to my most worthy and much esteemed friend, the reverend Dr. Thomas Wilson, rector of Walbrook, and prebendary of Westminster, in the form in which they now appear.

INTRODUCTION.

THE comparative inefficiency of controversy, for the establishment and propagation of truth, has long been a point of general agreement. The almost impossibility of supplanting the notion of an opponent by this means, has passed into a proverb; and the lists of polemical contest, in particular, resemble not so much a field of battle for the dispute of territory, as an arena for fencing, in which the antagonists practise the use of weapons for the maintenance of scanty frontiers, which are often the grounds of an endless litigation, neither admitting of decision nor appeal.

It is further observable, in theological controversy, that the acrimony which it has displayed, has generally been in inverse proportion to the importance of the points at issue; so that, what may be called the civil dissensions of divines, have ever been the most rancorous; and where the proximity of the parties has enabled them to grapple each other closely, the strife has been marked by the deadliest bitterness.

Neither of these features, however, have characterized the great preliminary discussion, on the decision of which depends the very existence of all the minor points of variance among divines. The deistical controversy may be regarded as the most momentous that ever attracted the notice, and employed the energies of the human mind. In it are involved no less than the claims of the word of God on the attention of men, the truth or imposture of the entire system of Christianity, and, by inference, of every other form of religious belief; so that the eternity of man's existence, the dignity or insignificance of his nature, the whole compass of his interests, the extreme possibilities of good and ill-all hang suspended on the issue of this mighty contest.

With these considerations, the earlier disputants, on both sides, seem to have been deeply impressed. The purer and more profound school of Freethinkers, though they had no personal joys and consolations dependent on the result of their labours, and nothing to hope from success but the insignia of victory, yet seemed consci

entiously convinced of the truth of their opinions, and not altogether insensible to the magnitude of the question. Accordingly, they wrote for the most part with seriousness and dignity; they ever maintained at least the semblance of reasoning; and even, when betrayed into sophism, they rarely seemed to lose sight of the intrinsic greatness of the subject they were discussing. It seems natural to expect, that the advocates of Christianity, whose dearest interests were embarked in the system they maintained, should conduct their part of the dispute with the most intense energy, and at the same time with a trembling cautiousness, lest a cause of such universal interest should suffer even a temporary disadvantage through any oversight of theirs. Accordingly, the writings of the earlier defenders of revelation supply some of the most invaluable models of fair and philosophical investigation of which our literature can boast. Massive learning, relieved of its cumbrousness by masterly arrangement-close and compact argument, which disdained in its progress any declamatory flourishes which could indicate a premature triumph -unassuming boldness and steadiness of purpose-the candour that scorned an unfair advantage, and the generosity that spared the fallen and the misguided-such were the attributes which distinguished, throughout the contest, these illustrious defenders of the faith. The more recent aspect of the controversy has been somewhat different. In the battle waged by philosophers, victory had plainly declared on the side of Christianity. The wretched and desperate adherents of the conquered party, have subsequently seemed to fight, not for conquest, but existence. In their desperation they have lost their discipline; and their opponents, consequently, in the security of success, have in some instances. deemed it sufficient to chastise their insolence with the appropriate scourge of ridicule.

The earlier annals of the deistical controversy have been recorded, with equal ability and fairness, by Dr. Leland, in that invaluable work of which a new edition is now offered to the public. It should not, however, be regarded as merely historical. It constitutes of itself a most masterly defence of the Christian religion. It abounds with unanswerable arguments against every species of infidelity, and confers upon its author the rank of an eminent defender of the authenticity and authority of the Bible. It will be the design of the writer, in the following introductory pages, to present a cursory, but, as far as he is able, a comprehensive view of the deistical writings which have appeared since the publication of Dr. Leland's treatise; and of those productions, on the evidences of the Christian religion, to which they have given rise. In one respect the execu