pleasure to fome to fee infolence answered by infolence, and fophiftry by fophiftry; but, alas! truth is no gainer by fuch a mode of defence as this.

It was not till after the publication of the two preceding parts of this work that I had an opportunity of reading Dr. Ofwald's treatife; for though I had promifed the author of the Remarks on my publications, to procure it immediately, upon his recommendation, a variety of purfuits prevented my giving any attention to it. I am forry that my opinion of this performance fhould differ fo much from that of this ingenious writer, and indeed from that of many other perfons whom I much refpect.

As to Dr. Reid's Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Senfe, I frankly declare, that, excepting a few incidental things, foreign to his general object, I do not find in it a fingle obfervation that is new, and at the fame time juft. The only effect of all the pains that both this ingenious writer, Dr. Beattie, and Dr. Ofwald

have taken with the fubject, appears to me to have terminated in nothing, befides beclouding and puzzling a business, which, in the main, Mr. Locke left very clear, and far advanced.

But I am most aftonished that any perfon fhould write upon the fubject of the human mind, without taking notice of fo capital a performance as that of Dr. Hartley; who, beginning where Mr. Locke left it, has raised a fyftem that is equally amazing for its fimplicity and extent. For my own part, I do not hesitate to rank Hartley's Obfervations on Man among the greatest efforts of human genius; and, confidering

the

great importance of the object of it, I am clearly of opinion that it is, without exception, the most valuable production of the mind of man.

Time is neceffary to the general underftanding of every work of great depth and merit, as was most remarkably the cafe with Newton's Principia. I have no doubt, however, but that the time will certainly come, M when

VOL. II.

when the general principles of Hartley, as well as of Locke, will be fully eftablished, and when every contrary hypothefis will be forgotten.. If they be remembered at all, it will be with aftonishment, that, appearing after fuch a work as Hartley's (which was published so long ago as 1749) the least attention fhould have been given to them.

I cannot conclude this introduction without recommending to my readers the prefent bishop of Carlisle's Appendix to his Confiderations on the Theory of Religion, for a fuller account of the fcripture doctrine of the state of the dead, than is given in Chapter I. Section V. of this volume.

PART

PART III.

THE

DOCTRINES

O F

REVEALED RELIGION.

S the Jewish and chriftian religions have been proved to be founded on à feries of revelations of the will of God to man, the history of which is recorded in the Old and New Teftament, it behoves us to examine these books with care; taking it for granted, that they contain truths of the greatest importance to our happiness.

In this part of my work, therefore, I propofe to exhibit, with as much fidelity and diftinctnefs as I can, all the general knowledge

M 2

knowledge that can, with certainty, be collected from thefe books, which are ufually, and very defervedly, termed fad. I fhall be careful, however, to keep as far as poffible from all controverfy, and fimply recite what appears to me to be contained in the fcriptures, juft as I think I fhould have done if I had never heard of any controverfy upon the fubject. Every thing that has been the subject of much contention and debate, I fhall referve for another work, which will be appropriated to a view of the corruptions of chriftianity.

As I divided the fubject of natural religion into three parts, the first containing what we are able to learn from thence concerning God, the fecond concerning our duty, and the third concerning our future expectations, I fhall adhere to the fame general divifion in this part of my work alfo; by which means it will be more eafily and diftinctly feen what additional, what fuller, and clearer knowledge, we receive on these important fubjects from divine revelation.

CHAP