Although fomething may be faid for all Opinions and Perfuafions, it is certain Reafon preponderates in Favour of one; and would all Men embrace, and adhere to that System which, after a fair and full Examination, appears upon the whole to be most agreeable to Truth, notwithstanding some less material and unavoidable Points of Difference, I believe we should hardly fee two Religions in the World. There can be no stronger prefumptive Proof of the Truth, and Excellency of a Religion, or of any particular Doctrine thereof, than it's free and unreserved Appeal to the common Judgment and Reason of Mankind. This is the Rule by which Christianity has ever been ready to be tried with Respect to the Authority of it's Doctrines; which, if it be sufficiently evinced, no reasonable Objection can lie again the Nature of them. Our bleffed Saviour frequently upbraids the Jews with their Perversenefs and voluntary Blindnefs, which prevented them from attending with a fuitable Regard to the many clear Proofs, and infallible Tokens he had given them of the Divinity of his Perfon and Commiflion. That nothing but Perverfeness and Obftinacy could be the Obstacles to their Converfion he fometimes takes Occafion to obferve by reminding them, that no more Sagacity, or Difcernment were requifite for their Conviction, than Men ufually discover in the Apprehenfion of

Things that fall under their conftant and daily Obfervation. Accordingly he charges them with belying their own Hearts, and refolves their Infidelity into downright Hypocrify. ye can difcern the Face of the Sky; difcern the Signs of the Times?

a

b

O ye Hypocrites but can ye not Ye Hypocrites, ye can difcern the Face of the Sky, and of the Earth; but how is it that ye do not difcern this Time? Yea, and why even of yourfelves judge ye not what is right? This Obftinacy of the Jews is indeed a lamentable Inftance of the Force of Prejudice, and may take off much from the Astonishment with which we obferve the Zeal, and Violence of Adherence in fome, to a Religion exploded as utterly ridiculous by others. There is a certain

Pride infeparable from human Nature; and Prejudices are implanted in us for wife and good Purposes; but when they rule and govern the Mind, instead of biaffing and inclining it, they abfolutely obftruct, and even fuperfede the Functions of Reason; they introduce Cavil and Sophistry into Disputation; they have Recourse to Difguifes, and Mifreprefentations; they take Refuge in Evafion; they magnify Objections; they dwell upon Plaufibilities; and, in fhort, they amplify or omit, prevaricate or speak plain occafionally; and, instead of impartially confidering the Merit of their Adverfary's Caufe, try all Artifices to make Luke xii. 56, &c.

a Matth. xvi. 3, &c.

B 4

the

the best of their own.—And if temporal Interefts are thrown into the fame Scale with these, they are altogether as fo many dead Weights against the oppofite Force of Reason and Argument.- A Man's Intereft may separate him from his Prejudices and Prepoffeffions; but their united Strength is, generally speaking, invincible. The Predominancy of fuch Principles as these, as it will account for the Zeal which Men discover for Religions differing from, and even wholly fubverfive of each other'; fo will it alfo for their feveral Attachments to the feveral Notions and Tenets which different Causes and Occafions have introduced into one and the fame. In Confequence of this, no religious Divisions have been aggravated and inflamed with more Violence and Animofity than those among Chriftians themselves.I am very fenfible it may be asked, Is it poffible to heal

and remove thefe Divifions now? Do not the Writers on all Sides talk the fame Language? And is not the Force of Prejudice, &c. retortible upon myself? To which I can only fay this, (and, I thank God, I can truly fay this,) that I do not know myself to be under the undue Influence of any Prejudice whatever;-that I was firft led into this Undertaking by a hearty Wish to see Unity

The Subftance of this Tract was delivered in a Courfe of Sermons preached before the Univerfity of Oxfords of which the two firft were published.

and

and Peace established in the Chriftian World; and a Notion that nothing at least could be more likely to contribute to this good End than an Examination of the main Points of Difference both among Chriftians, and between Chriftians and modern Unbelievers, upon Principles of plain Reasoning and common Sense; and that I defire no Regard may be paid to what is here offered, any farther than it shall be apparently conformable thereto.I do not however pretend to obviate every Cavil, or fatisfy every Scruple that may be brought from different Quarters; but fhall content myself with offering fome general and occafional Confiderations, with an hearty Defire, and humble Attempt to reconcile Infidels to Christianity, and Christians of all Denominations to the Doctrine and Discipline of the CHURCH of ENGLAND;-at leaft with a ftrong Hope to fettle and confirm her Sons in their juft Affection, and due Zeal for the fame.

With this Intent then I propose,

First, to make a rational Inquiry into the most fundamental Articles of our Religion upon a Scriptural Foundation.

Secondly, to take a View of Christianity as a practical System, with an Eye especially to fuch Doctrines as have moft perplexed the Understandings of Men, or disturbed their Consciences.

Thirdly,

Thirdly, to examine other religious Matters relative to Church Polity, and Ecclefiaftical Go

vernment.

As the Inquiries I am to make are, according to this Scheme, to be built upon a Scriptural Foundation, it will be proper in this Place to lay before my Reader the general Rules or Maxims whereby I have been directed in the Idea, and Interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, which, I trust, will readily be allowed me as fo many preliminary Truths, or reasonable Poftulata.—It is first supposed then that they are in general to be read and understood as all orher writings are, i. e. that the literal Senfe is always the true one, except where the import of the words themselves, or the nature and force of the context evidently require a figurative one. 2dly, That in the Explanation of particular Paffages a proper Regard is to be had to the vifible Tenor of the whole. 3dly, That obfcure and difficult Places are to be illustrated and explained by fuch as are more obvious and intelligible. 4thly, That the fcriptural Accounts of the Divine Nature, Perfections, and Attributes, are agreeable and correfpondent to the Ideas and Apprehenfions of the human Mind, as far as it's Capacity extends; or in other Words, that we attain to the Conception and Knowledge of facred Truths, fo far forth as they are cognisable by us,

through