tion, even with regard to those that are accounted the clearest as well as the most important articles of what is usually called Natural Religion; and to inspire me with the highest thankfulness to God for the Gospel Revelation, which has set these things in the most glorious light. This is what I have endeavoured to shew; and if what I shall offer on those heads can be any way instrumental to excite the same sentiments and affections in others, and to heighten their esteem for the Christian Revelation as contained in the Holy Scriptures, and to make them more careful to improve it to the excellent purposes for which it was manifestly designed, I shall not grudge the pains I have taken, but shall count myself happier than any worldly advantages could make me. This work has grown upon my hands much beyond my original intention. But when I was once engaged upon this subject, I was not willing to treat it in a slight and superficial manner; and yet several things are laid aside which I had prepared, and which would have enlarged it still more. The materials of the first part were alone sufficient to fill a large volume; and therefore I designed to publish it separately. But some judicious friends were of opinion, that it would be better to lay the whole before the public in one view. This I have ventured to do, voluminous as it is, and hope the importance of the subject, as well as the great extent of it, will be admitted as an apology. To the whole is fixed a Preliminary Discourse on Natural and Revealed Religion, which I believe will not be thought an improper Introduction to a work of this nature. In treating of the subject proposed, I have sometimes found myself obliged to differ from persons for whose learning and judgment I have a great regard. And though I am not conscious to myself of having made any wilful misrepresentations of things, yet it is very probable that in the course VOL. I. b of so long a work I have committed mistakes, which will need the indulgence of the reader. As a book of this kind must unavoidably contain a great number of quotations, I have not thought it necessary in every instance to give the words in the original language, though I have frequently done so; but have, to the best of my ability, always given a faithful account of their sense. Great care has been taken to make the references to the quotations particular and exact, that any man who pleases may the more easily have it in his power to examine and compare them. After I had brought the following work near to a conclusion, I met with a book written by the late learned Dr. Archibald Campbell, professor of divinity and ecclesiastical history in the university of St. Andrews, which I had not seen before, intituled, "The Necessity of Revelation: or, an Enquiry into the extent of Human Powers with respect to Matters of Religion; especially those two fundamental articles, the Being of God, and the Immortality of the Soul;" published in 1739. As the design of this treatise seemed in some measure to coincide with what I had in view, I read it over with great care, and must do him the justice to say, that he has treated his subject with great learning and diligence. But the method he makes use of is so different from that which I have pursued, that the one does not interfere with the other; nor has it occasioned any alteration in the plan which I had formed. I have however in several places added marginal notes referring to the Doctor's book, either where I thought it contained a fuller illustration of what I have more briefly hinted at, or where, as sometimes has been the case, I happened to differ from that learned writer. Not to detain the reader any longer, the plan of the following work is briefly this: That there was an original Revelation communicated to mankind in the earliest ages, for leading them to the know ledge of God and Religion, some vestiges of which continued long among the nations: that in process of time, through the negligence and corruption of mankind, Religion in its main articles, and particularly in what related to the knowledge and worship of the One true God, became in a great measure defaced, and overwhelmed with the grossest superstitions and idolatries: that this was the state of things even in the most polite and civilized nations, and all the aids of learning and philosophy were ineffectual and vain: that therefore there was great need of a new Divine Revelation from heaven, to set the great principles of religion in the most clear and convincing light, and to enforce them upon mankind by a Divine authority in a manner suited to their vast importance: that accordingly it pleased God to do this by the Christian Revelation, which was fitted and designed to be published to all mankind, and was accompanied with all the evidences of a Divine original which were proper to procure its reception in the world: that to prepare the way for this, there had been an extraor dinary Revelation several ages before, which though immediately promulgated to a particular people, was in several respects of use to other nations, for checking the progress of idolatry and polytheism, and preserving the knowledge and worship of the One true God in the world, when it seemed in danger of being extinguished. From all which it appears, that God never left himself without witness among men: that his dispensations towards mankind have been conducted with great wisdom, righteousness, and goodness: and that we, who by the favour of God enjoy the benefit of the last and most perfect Revelation of the Divine Will which was ever made to mankind, are under the highest obligations to receive it with the profoundest veneration, with the most unfeigned gratitude and thankful admiration of the Divine Goodness, and to endeavour to make the best use and improvement of it. Man, in his original constitution, and the design of his Creator, a religious crea- ture. Not left at his first formation to work out a scheme of religion for him- self. It is reasonable to suppose, and confirmed by the most antient accounts, that the knowledge of religion was communicated to the first parents of the human race by a Revelation from God, and from them derived to their descen- dants. God made farther discoveries of his will to Noah, the second father of mankind. Tradition the chief way of conveying the knowledge of religion in The first religion of mankind was not idolatry, but the knowledge and worship of the one true God. Some vestiges of which may be traced up to the most an- tient times. A tradition of the creation of the world continued long among the nations. The notion of one Supreme God was never entirely extinguished in the Pagan world; but his true worship was in a great measure lost and con- |