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ENQUIRY

INTO THE

GROUND and FOUNDATION

OF

RELIGION.

Wherein is fhewn, that Religión is founded in Nature. That is, that there is a right and wrong, a true and falfe Religion in Nature: And that Nature or Reafon affords plain, obvious, certain principles, by which a man may distinguish these, and form a proper judgment in the cafe; and which an honest upright man may fafely and fecurely stay his mind upon, amidst the various and contrary opinions that prevail in the world, with regard to this subject.

To which are added,

I. A POSTSCRIPT, occafioned by the publication of Dr STEBBING'S Vifitation-Charge, that had been delivered to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Wilts.

II. A fhort Differtation on Matt. xix, 21. If thou wilt be perfect, go and fell that thou haft, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treafure in heaven: and come and follow me. Occafioned by Dr STEBBING's unjust and groundless reflexion on the author, with regard to this text, in the aforesaid Charge.

III. An Answer to a private letter, from a stranger to the author, on the fubject of God's Foreknowledge.

By THOMAS CHUB B.

LONDON:

Printed for ТHO. Cox, at the Lamb under the Royal-Exchange. MDCCXL. Price 2 s.

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THE

AUTHOR

TO HIS

READER S.

S

IRS, as a farther teftimony of my regard to your prefent and future well-doing, I have published the following Enquiry; the importance of which, I prefume, will fufficiently juftify my offering it to your confideration. For, what queftions can be of greater, or even of equal importance to men, who believe a Deity, and who live under an expectation of a future judgment and retribution than these ; namely,

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namely, what are the true and only grounds upon which intelligent beings may reasonably hope to obtain God's favour? And, what are the true and only grounds upon which vicious men, when brought to a sense of their guilt, may reafonably hope to obtain the divine mercy? ? None furely. And, as thefe are points that are controverted, at least amongst Christians, which fhews the diverfity of mens fentiments with regard to them: So I have, in the annexed papers, fhewed that there are fome plain, obvious, certain principles in nature or reason relating thereto, which every honeft upright man may fafely and fecurely ftay his mind upon, amidft the confufion and perplexity in which ignorant and artful men have involved the fubject. And this, I truft, will be both ufeful and acceptable to you, as it may help to affift and guide your understandings,

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peace

ftandings, your affections and actions aright, and also give you quiet and of mind upon your fo doing. But then, by this I expect to alarm the paffions, and ftir up the refentment of two forts of people against me, namely, the bigotted and the interested in religion. By the bigotted, I mean thofe who confider themselves in the poffeffion of truth antecedent to their enquiries about it; and this leads them zealoufly to contend for the religious fcheme they have imbibed, whether it be Judaifm, Mahometanism, Christianity, Popery, Proteftantifm, or the like; upon a prefumption that they are defending truth, and oppofing error thereby. By the interested in religion, I mean those who make the profeffion of religion chiefly fubfervient to their worldly intereft; this being a fufficient ground to them to oppofe every religious principle which ftands in the way, or is any

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