PREEACE. v

ed, 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 ac- count ſubjoined of the anſwers that were publiſh- ed, not a all of them, but ſome of the moſt remark- able, or ſuch as have come under the author's ſpe- cial notice. And very probably ſome have been omitted, which might well deſerve to be particu- larly 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. Ob- ſervations 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 excel- lent 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 de- ſign of this work, which was at firſt intended only to make up one volumnc. But not long after the publication of it, I was put in mind of a conſider- able omiſſfion Ihad 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 publi iſhed a pompous edition of the works of the late Lord Viſcount Bolingbroke, in five volumes 4to, the three laſt of which ſe emecdl to be principally intended zoaiaft revealed, and even againſt fome important principles of what is uſua lly called natural hgioi Some perſons, for

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