THAT HAVE APPEARED IN ENGLAND IN THE LAST AND PRESENT WITH OBSERVATIONS UPON THIEM, AND SOME ACCOUNT OF THE ANSWERS THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED AGAINST THEM. IN SEVERAL LETTERS TO A FRIEND. THE FIFTH EDITION. BY JOHN LELAND, D.D. TO WHICH IS ADDED, AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING A VIEW OF THE PRESENT TIMES, WITH REGARD TO RELIGION AND MORALS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT SUBJECTS, By W. L. BROWN, D. D. PRINCIPAL OF MARISCHAL COLLEGE, PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY, AND PRINTED FOR T. CADELL JUN. & W. DAVIES-W. CREECH, AND MDCCXCVIII PREFACE. N° man that is not utterly unacquainted with the ftate of things among us can be ignorant, that in the laft, and especially in the prefent age, there have been many books published, the manifeft defign of which was to fet afide revealed religion. Never in any country where Chriftianity is profeffed, were there fuch repeated attempts to fubvert its divine authority, carried on fometimes under various difguifes, and at other times without any difguife at all. The moft noted writers on that fide have been at liberty to produce their ftrongeft objections; thefe objections have been retailed by others; and many feem to take it for granted, that Chriftianity hath received very fenfible wounds by the feveral attacks that have been made upon it, and that they have greatly hurt its credit, and weakened its authority. But whofoever will be at the pains impartially to examine thofe of the deiftical writers that have hitherto appeared among us, and to compare them with the aufwers which have been made to them, will find, that upon a nearer view they are far from being fo formidable as fome have been apt to apprehend. And fince there are few that have leifure or patience for a particular inquiry into the feveral writings which have appeared in this controverfy, fome judicious perfons, who with well to the intereft of our common Chriftianity, have been of opinion, |
