of many of the most learned and best men, that ever lived.

This shews not only a wicked and perverse temper of mind, but a degree of forward and indecorous pertinacity, that ought not to be countenanced by any lover of mankind.

Argumentative investigation is one thing; but ignorant declamation and ridicule is another.

The miraculous facts of revelation, one might suppose, would have led every serious mind to believe, that human wisdom could not have devised the plan of the Gospel; and that the prudent and cautious mind, however darkened by the doubts and objections of men of the world, would at least have waited with some degree of patience, till the understanding should be farther opened, by the fulfilment, or failure, of the facts foretold, as taking place before, and preparatory to, the second coming of Christ. That awful and important period is approaching. The express declarations of Omniscience, as contended by the friends of prophecy, are fast fulfilling. In the mean time, as has been observed by an able writer, "let critics and learned men of all kinds, have full liberty to examine the sacred books, and let us be sparing in our censures of each other-let us judge nothing (rashly) before the time, until the Lord come, and then shall every man have praise of God. Sobriety of mind, humility and piety, are requisite in the pursuit of knowledge of every kind, and much more in that which is sacred."* But this rational principle, ought not to lead us to

• Hartley.

countenance any person in abusing sacred things, and misrepresenting important facts, whereby the ignorant may be deceived, and the searchers after truth be led out of the way. However, it may justify critical examination and free inquiry, it cannot support the vicious mind in reviling serious things, ridiculing as visionary, facts and principles established by the experience of ages, or palming on us dogmatical assertions for serious truths.

To enter into a minute and candid disquisition of any and every subject, which interests the welfare of our fellow men, as rational and accountable creatures, and that with boldness and decency, is the part of a noble mind; but to treat those things as jests and fables of children, which, in the contemplation of his opponents, are considered as involving infinite and eternal consequences, is inexcusable, and will admit of no palliation.

If the most important communication should be made to an unlettered Englishman, in the Greek language, it would not be thought harsh to say, that he did not understand it, though he had been in the habit of hearing Greek spoken ever so long; and an attempt by him to explain the communication, without having endeavoured to learn the language, would be thought little short of idiotism. Why then should a man be countenanced by the public attention, in his animadversions on any subject of which it does not appear, that he has ever entertained one just idea; not even of the language of its authors? How comes it to pass, that in every other science, except that of religion, it is necessary to become a learner, before it is expected to be understood. Principles, axioms, and definitions,

must be settled and established, before men will form conclusions, or adopt decided sentiments on important subjects of civil or moral obligation: but, as to revealed religion, every vain sophist and pretender, not only undertakes to give an opinion on its all interesting doctrines, but even dogmatically to deny and contemn its essential, well attested facts and historical occurrences, which have stood the test of the severest and most critical examination. At the same time, these pretenders to knowledge, have never given themselves the trouble of inquiring into the A. B. C. of religion, the alphabet of the Divine Scriptures.

What is there in the nature of revealed religion, when compared with other sciences, and the present degraded state of human nature, that a man should comprehend all its great and important truths, without labour and investigation, whilst most subjects, even of human knowledge, are not to be obtained but by industrious application, with all the aids of learning and experiment?

It is my present design then, to make a few observations on the work before us, in a manner that may serve as a trial of its merits by the rules of com- ' mon sense, and to this the author ought not to have any reasonable objection, as all his pretensions to celebrity are founded on the assumption of that title.*

Indoing this, I shall confine myself to a few essential facts of the Gospel, on which all the rest depend, and which are denied and ridiculed in this pamphlet. I shall examine the arguments attempted therein, (if

Referring to a well known publication of his, previous to the deciaration of our independence, entitled, "Common Sense."

any of them can deserve so respectable a name) independent of the artful language in which they are dressed; and endeavour to expose the falsehoods made use of to give a sanction to impious and delusive sophistry.

The object being to Convey rational and honest information, on a subject all-important to the everlasting interests of my fellow-men, and not personal fame or reputation to guard the young and uninformed from the dangerous vortex of infidelity, I shall feel myself at perfect liberty, in the prosecution of this design, to draw knowledge from every source-to borrow from any treasury, that I shall consider more productive than my own; and where I find superior abilities and greater extent of information than I can pretend to, I shall not only use the ideas of such authors, but their language, if thereby the great end of my undertaking may be promoted; I mean a conviction of the truth, in the minds of those, into whose hands it may fall.