PFREF ACk. vij

volume, and was publiſhed ſeparately for the uſe of thoſe who had purchaſed the two former.

I am now called upon to publiſh a new edition of the whole in a ſmaller letter, which reduces the work to two volumes. The chief difference be- tween this and the former edition in tbree volumes is this: that the Supplement, which before made a diſtinct volume, is now taken into the body of the work: the ſeveral additions and illuſtrations are inſerted in the places to which they reſpectively be- long: and all that related to one author is laid to- gether in a continued ſeries. To render that part of the work which relates to Lord Bolingbroke more complete, there are ſubjoined to it, the Refloczions on the late Lord Bolingbroke’s Letters on the Study and Uſe of Hiſtory, which were republiſhed in the Supplement, with conſiderable additions and im- provements, though without the political part. The General Roefleclions on the Deiſtical Writers,

together with the Summary of tbe Evidences for

Cbriſtianity, were originally placed at the end of

the firſt volume, then intended to be the only one. But now that the whole is publiſhed together in raοο volumes, it is judged they will come more na- turally in the ſecond volume of this edition; where alſo is placed the Addreſs to tbe Deiſzs and pro- feſſed Cbriſtians, which properly concludes the work; and the Reflections on the Breſent State IT bings in tkeſe Nations are added by way of Appen- diw. 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, conſi-

derin

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