THE INTRODUCTION. IN NTRODUCTORY Sheets are kind of Viftoes, which do not only lead to the Building, but direct the Sight to an earlier Profpect.-They seem to demand, with a kind of Authority, their prefatory Place. And tho' it be a Doubt what their Utility may be; yet to fupport their Eftablishment they have at least Prescription to plead. WHATEVER be their Utility; or however Juftice fhould over rule this Sanction of Prescription, we shall not fay; fince there are sufficient Reasons to call for fuch here, tho' there never had been the like before :-Namely, To give the Author an Opportunity of faying fomething, at leaft to alleviate, if not prevent, public Cenfure. -His Attempt of a Subject fo much above his Years, Abilities, and Opportunities for Knowledge; and fo foreign, if not oppofite to the Business he is bred to; demands fome Reafon against any Charge of Prefumption, which he would be other wife liable to. Artless Truth carries with it a kind of felf-evi dent Power to please; and therefore he knows not a better Apology, than what a fimple Detale of the accidental Incidents that fole him into an Author, may give. THE Facts are briefly thefe. Being confined near 13 Months to his Room by an Hurt in his Leg; he amused himself, during the Intervals of this Confinement that gave Refpite from the Bu finefs of his Profeffion, with running off several excurfory Scraps in Profe and Verfe, as Fancy ftruck, or occafion offered. And this motley furcharge he frequently threw by, after unloading, the yet purging Brain.-For as Amusement was his only Motive, he found that Variety gave most Pleafure, and to please comprehended all his Views of Gain. THUS roving in Thought, unfixed, and guiltlefs of Defign, he, according to Phrafe, killed Time, left it fhould opprefs him. He wantoned in the Strayings of Fancy, like him, whom the Poet in the following Lines, compares to a playful Boy, that careless of his Footing, follows every flying Bird, throwing after them Stones and Clods without any determined End to his many Attempts; An paffim fequeris, Corvos teftâqu' lutoque, BUT as he chanced to know a good Deal of Moravian and Methodist Principles; and because he knew them, difliked; this Diflike (contrary to the ufual Caufes of Excitement) induced him to dwell longer on that Subject, than his Defire to change, allowed him on other Things. He therefore roughly sketched off, the following Lump in the Form it now ftands; exclufive of the Appendixes and fome additional Amendments fince made. Nor did it then efcape the ufual Treatment of his Scraps; it was thrown by; but through Accident was feen in fome time after by a judicious Friend, who thought favourably of it; and advised him to lay it for Perufal before certain Gentlemen of the Church, who are not lefs remarkable for the Endowments of a well im proved Understanding, and an happily difpofed Mind, than they are for the Dignity of their Stations. THIS must be thought fufficient rest to swell. the ufual Vanity of a young Writer. He believed. the kind Report, and did as advised; nor was he disappointed; having met with more Favour and Encouragement, than even fuch his Vanity could expect. He profecuted the Defign in the Manner that most of his Friends on that Occafion must know; until he brought it to what the Reader may now find it. WE faid he disliked the Principles of our modern Spiritualifts. Indeed, whoever knows their Doctrine muft.-Yet fuch Things are to be expected; fince we know not an Age or Nation that ERROR, divided into its feveral Tribes, and diftinguished by their several Surnames of ENTHU SIASM, IDOLATRY, SUPERSTITION, &c. &c.. had not Footing. They are the fame reigning Generation now, that they were a thousand Years ago; and have only changed their Shape, but not their Nature. For altho' their Form of Government be fometime changed; yet, they scarcely ever know Abatement in their Power, or Diminution in the Extent of their Dominions. All Nations of the Globe, in more or lefs Degree, know and have known their Sway; and only vary like their Fashions, as the Peoples Humours change. Yet, THIS can be no Reason, fince they are Evils, that not only every Nation, but every Member of Community, fhould not endeavour to weaken, this worthless, tho' ancient, Family's Power, prevent their Growth, and reftrain their Licentiousness. A 1 A DOCTRINE then is fcarcely known where Of those that naturally draw on the former, none more confpicuous than oppofing LOVE to FEAR in all A&ts pious or moral,-Its Teachers hold that the Mind cannot be poffeffed of both at the fame Time; but that, like the Pellets of a Pot-gun, they muft explode each other for How erroneous fuch an Affertion must be, is quite obvious; and we can fcarcely think how that Point can be fo miftaken. For Love and Fear are not only tollerable to the Mind at the fame Time, but concomitant:Yet, christian Fear muft not have the leaft Taint of any Thing fervile or defponding.-To reafon upon this Point here, which must be clear to every think- ing Creature, would be needlefs and therefore im- IT feems a Misfortune that Men are so liable to differ in their Thoughts of Religion. But it yet heightens the Misfortune, as well as Surprise, to find the Chriftian Syftem, which is fo clearly laid down, lacerated by this perverfe Difpofition. A Man must commit fome Violence on his nobler Faculties, who mistakes, at least, the Effenti- allities of the Chriftian Religion. The Error (of this Nature) muft intrude with a kind of Rape on the Senfes.-Yet, as this Facility to doubt and change, even in our own Opinions, as well as to the most favourable Light, whilst we yet maintained an inviolable Integrity of Principle. WE find that our Intellects are naturally diverfified as our Conftitutions; that there is fome prevalent Caufe, either by the Appointment of God in the ordinary Courfe of his Providence, and Difpofition of Things, by the Variety of Proportion the Compound of our Humours and Complections, by the Influence of something foreign, fubfifting by his Power as we do ourfelves, or, laftly, (which we should take to be the trueft) by fome Jecret Means, caufed for fome Special End by the Almighty, and known only to him. Who knows but the Divifions, even in religious Matters, which are occafioned by this Variety of Thinking in Mankind, are at least permitted, to prevent worse Confequences, by the Effects arifing from those? LET us expand the Mind, and look through Life, to view the State of Mankind with Respect to religious Opinions; all adhering to their refpective Communities, with a Zeal frequently more fierce than the Dignity of Reafon (that Stamp of Humanity) can allow. LET us only view the the cardinal Syftems of Religion, and the many Sects thofe are divided into, (together with the Subdivifions of each Divifion) and we will be induced to think, that from their Contrariety in Principle, a World of Religion might be created. They are like the four radical Principles of Nature, and their Divisions and Subdivifions only fo many proportionate Compounds of the Whole. SINCE We have feemed to think, that these Divifions may be permitted by the fupreme to prevent worfe Confequences, by the Effects these feemingl b unfortun |