ii PREEACE.

But whoſoever will be at the pains impartially to examine thoſe of the Deiſtical 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 ſo formidable as ſome have been apt to ap- prehend. And ſince there are few that have leiſure or patience for a particular enquiry into the ſeveral writings which have a ppeared in this controverſy; ſome judicious perſons, who wiſh well tothe intereſt of our common Chriſtianity, have been of opinion, that it might be of real ſervice to give a ſummary view of the moſt noted books that have been pub- liſhed againſt revealed religion for above a century paſt, together with proper obſervations upon them. From ſuch a view, the reader might be enabled to form ſome notion of the ſeveral turns this contro- verſy hath taken, how often the enemies of re- vealed religion have thought proper to change their methods of attack, the different diſguiſes and appearances they have put on, and the ſeveral ſchemes they have formed, all directed to one main end, uiz. to ſet aſide revelation, and to ſub- ſtitute mere natural religion, or, which ſeems to have been the intention of ſome of them, no reli- gion at all in its room.

Upon ſuch a compariſon between thoſe that have attacked Chriſtianity, and thoſe that have written in defence ofit, it would appear, that if it be really true, that deiſin and infidelity have made a great progreſs among us, it muſt have been owing to ſomething elſe than the force of reaſon and argument; that the Chriſtian religion is in no danger from a free and impartial enquiry; and that the moſt plauſible

objections