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as I was anticipated or prevented by earlier writers in the cause.

To fome, however, it may appear too late to oppofe any thing now to the irreligious paffages in Mr, Voltaire's writings. For they will fay he hath made a public recantation of them all; and in proof of this, they will appeal to his Letter to the King of Pruffia, in which he exhorts him, Support, by your edicts, and example, religion as a revelation derived from heaven, and founded upon a thoufand proofs; prevent the progrefs of evil, and form youth fo as to be able to withstand the impreffion of incredu lity and libertinifm;' and, after having beftowed many praises on religion for its ufefulness and importance, concludes thus, You have nothing left to

defire in this world, Sire, but the auguft title of Chriftian Hero. My wishes for your majefty have

tion there made of it is, 'It contains a fhort view of the evidences of ⚫ our religion, and an answer to objections against it. The zeal of the author is often without knowledge and difcretion.' Last year, alfo, as I think, there was advertised in the London Chronicle, The Philofophical Dictionary for the pocket, from the French of Monfieur Voltaire, with notes containing a refutation of fuch paffages as are any ways exceptionable in regard to religion: but I have not obferved in either of the Reviews hitherto, any account of its nature; nor am I even fure, though I wrote to a friend about it, whether auy fuch confutation as the title boafts of is really there attempted. If any other pieces have been published which might be fuppofed to be directed to the fame end as that which I propose, I am unacquainted with them. However, fince this fheet was fent to the press, I have learned that there were printed at Paris before the beginning of the prefent year, 'Letters from fame Portugueze and German Jews to M. de Voltaire,' in the French language; wherein the authors point out many mistakes, inconfiftencies, contradictions and mifreprefentations in what he has advanced concerning the Jews and the writings of the Old Teftament. Appendix to 41ft vol. of M. Review, pag. 562.

a more extensive object than transitory happiness. May you, Sire, give the world the magnanimous ' example of the fublime virtues of Christianity, and publicly disavow, as I do at present, those erroneous principles, and impious opinions, which will otherwife be tranfmitted with your writings to pofterity.'* But, to omit that there is reafon to question whether this letter be genuine, of which neither the place nor the time are mentioned, fince it was furnished only by an unknown D. L. to the authors of the Town and Country Magazine, who fays again, he received it from a foreign nobleman in England, but does not reveal his name, (although indeed he avers he was certain of its authenticity ;) and that there is the greater reason to make this doubt, because, according to the freshest and most credible accounts from abroad, Mr. Voltaire is bargaining from time to time with bookfellers about new editions of his works, without ever correcting, or cancelling any offenfive parts in them.— To pass further, that where he recommends religion in it, he feems to use the term in a very narrow fenfe, feeing he defines the deift, whom he contrasts with the religious man, not to be a person who denies the fcriptures; but a perfon who, 'In admitting the existence of a fupreme being, creator of the u

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iverfe, maintains that this firft being is too great, and too high, to caft his eyes down upon earth, and ⚫ attend to the works of a creature, fo mean and indigent as man;' which looks as if, under religion

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This Letter, to which I refer, was printed in feveral periodital mifcellanies, and may be read in the Scots Magazine for Nov. 1769, PP. 576, 579. where it was republished from the Town and Country Magazine.

before dark and obfcure to them, by refcuing from the exceptions, or fcorn of fceptics, fome which they have objected to, or derided, and by explaining the genuineness and authenticity of any of its parts more fully and fatisfactorily, while they proceed under the animating power of fuch religious perfuafion to abound more and more in the fruits of righteousness; (for which ends I fincerely defire, and pray for the divine bleffing upon it,) I will think my labour here well laid out, and richly rewarded, and may then be more eafy and unconcerned under the cenfures I fhall fuffer, either with regard to the motives of this work, or to defects in the manner of its performance. If not, I will at least have the fatisfaction which arifes from a confcious fenfe of having aimed well. Nor will they who may difallow or doubt this rectitude and purity of intention, deny that I have been employed agreeably to my office and profeffion.

As to the Appendix which is fubjoined, it is a defence of the credibility of the gofpel hiftory againft Mr. Voltaire's exceptions to its truth, on account of the omiffion of the murder of the infants, and the prodigies, and miracles, by Jewish and Heathen writers; which I thus confider apart, because the cavils I examine and refute in the work itself, against this or that facred book, as hath been already intimated, are fuch alone as immediately and chiefly affect its genuinenefs or authenticity.---From the firft, it was intended to have printed an appendix of another nature, concerning that falfe account of the treatment of the first Christians by the Romans, which this fame author gives in different places of his works, but efpecially in the 8th and 9th chapters of his Treatife on

Toleration; where he also pretends, that among this people, from the days of Romulus to thofe in which the Chriftians began to difpute with the priests of the empire, there was not a single instance of any perfon being perfecuted on account of his fentiments, but all religions were permitted. But as, by examining fo many paffages in his other compofitions, befides all these which were originally propofed to be remarked on in the Philofophy of History, this work hath increased under my hand to its prefent fize, it seemed more expedient to drop that defign, and the rather, because the fubject would have been completely diftinct from that which is here handled.

Through the whole, I hope, it will be found, that I have not treated Mr. Voltaire with any undue feverity and sharpness of expreffion. I am fure I intended to avoid this, whatever provocation there might be to it on many occafions, by the strongest proofs of a bigotted and blind zeal for infidelity. Far from wifhing him any hurt, I wish he may enjoy all happiness; and for this end, that he may become a firm believer of Chriftianity upon thefe rational grounds on which it challenges our af fent, and with diligence obey its holy precepts.

JUNE 30, 1770.

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