Page images
PDF
EPUB

PREFACE.

T

HE Character of Mr. Addifon and his Writings, for Juftnefs of thought, Strength of reafoning, and Purity of style, is too well establish'd to need a Recommendation; but their greatest Ornament, and that which gives a Luftre to all the reft, is his appearing, throughout, a zealous Advocate for Virtue and Religion against Profaneness and Infidelity. And because his excellent Difcourfes upon those Subjects lie dispersed among his other Writings, and are by that means not fo generally known and read as they deferve, it was judg'd to be no unfeafonable Service to Religion at this A 2 time,

time, to move the Bookfeller to publifh them together in a distinct Volume; in hopes, that the Politeness and Beauty peculiar to Mr. Addifon's Writings would make their way to perfons of a fuperior Character and a more liberal Education; and, that as they come from the hands of a Layman, they may be the more readily receiv'd and confider'd by young Gentlemen, as a proper Manual of Religion.

Our modern Scepticks and Infidels are great Pretenders to Reason and Philofophy, and are willing to have it thought that none who are really poffefs'd of thofe Talents, can eafily affent to the Truth of Christianity. But it falls out very unfortunately for them and their Cause, that thofe perfons within our own memory, who are confefs'd to have been the most perfect Reafaners and Philofophers of their time, are also known to have been firm Believers, and they, Laymen; I mean Mr. BOYLE, Mr. Lock, Sir ISAAC

NEWTON,

NEWTON, and Mr. ADDISON: who, modeftly fpeaking, were as good Thinkers and Reafoners, as the best among the Scepticks and Infidels at this day. Some of them might have their particular Opinions about this or that point in Chritianity, which will be the cafe as long as rien are men; but the thing here infifted on, is, That they were accurate Reafoners, and at the fame time firm Believers.

Mr. BOYLE, the most exact Searcher into the Works of Nature that any Age has known, and who faw Atheism and Infidelity beginning to fhew thenfelves in the loofe and voluptuous reign of King Charles the Second, purfu'd his Philofophical Enquiries with Religious Views, to establish the minds of men in a firm belief and thorow fenfe of the infinite Power and W.dom of the great Creator.

This account we have from one who was intimately ac

Dr. Burdet.

quainted with him, and preach'd his fuA 3

neral

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

P. 22.

Life, neral Sermon: 'It appear'd to 'thofe who convers'd with him in his Enquiries into Nature, that his main defign in that (on which as he had his own eye moft conftantly, fo he took care to put others ⚫ often in mind of it) was to raise in himself and others, vafter thoughts of the Greatnefs and Glory, and of ⚫ the Wisdom and Goodness of God. This was fo deep in his thoughts, • that he concludes the Article of his Will, which relates to that Illuftrious Body, the Royal Society, in thefe Words: wishing them a happy fuccefs in their laudable Attempts, to difcover the true nature of the Works of God; and praying, that they and • all other Searchers into Phyfical Truths, may cordially refer their At⚫tainments to the Glory of the great Author of Nature, and to the Comfort of Mankind.' The fame perfon alfo fpeaks thus of him, He had the profoundest Veneration for the great God of Heaven and Earth, • that

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

• that ever I obferv'd in any perfon. • The very name of GOD was never mention'd by him without a Paufe and a vifible Stop in his Difcourfe. And, of the ftrictnefs and exemplarinefs of the whole courfe of his life, he fays, I might here challenge the whole Tribe

'

Ibid.

P. 9.

• of Libertines, to come and view ⚫ the Usefulness, as well as the Excellence of the Chriftian Religion, in a • Life that was entirely dedicated to it. Against the Atheifts, he wrote his Free Enquiry into the receiv'd Notion of Nature (to confute the pernicious Principle of afcribing Effects to Nature, which are only produced by the infinite Power and Wisdom of God;) and alfo his Essay about final Causes of things Natural, to fhew that all things in nature were made and contriv'd with great order, and every thing for its proper End and Use, by an all-wife Creator.

Against the Deifts, he wrote a Treatife of Things above Reafon; in which

« PreviousContinue »