zeal for religion and liberty, which makes the memory of our forefathers fo truly illuftrious.

So long as it fhall please that God, in whofe hands our breath is, and whose are all our ways, to continue me in that relation, in which I think myfelf happy in standing to you at prefent, I trust that I fhall not fail to endeavour to imprefs your minds with a just sense of what you owe to God, to your country, and to mankind. Let it be our mutual care to derive the most durable advantage from our present temporary connection, by growing continually more established, ftrengthened, and fettled, in the habit and practice of all the virtues which become us as men and as christians; that we may fecure a happy meeting, and mutual congratula

tion in the future kingdom of our 'Lord and Saviour.

I am,

My young friends,

with affection and esteem,

your brother, and servant,

in the gospel of Jesus Christ,

JOSEPH PRIESTLEY.

Leeds, March, 1772.

THE PREFACE.

No branch of knowledge can be N° taught to advantage except in a

regular, or systematical method. It is also very convenient, both for the teacher and the learner, to have the elements of any science drawn up in a fuccinct manner; by the help of which the one may be directed in what order to explain the several branches of it, and the other may fee at one view all its conftituent parts, in their natural connection, and thereby gain the most comprehensive and distinct idea of the whole, which is alfo a great advantage for retaining it in me

mory.

It was with a view to the inftruction of youth that the following Inftitutes were compofed, and nothing more was meant, originally, than to furnish myself with an eafy method of difcourfing upon the fubjects of natural and revealed religion to the

young*

young men of my own congregation, whom I formed into a clafs for that purpose. But when I was induced to publish them, for the benefit of others, I made them a little fuller, that those young perfons who can have little or no affistance in their inquiries, might be able to read them with tolerable advantage. I fhall think myself happy if this manual be the means of establishing any of the youth of the prefent age in the found knowledge of those most important fubjects to which it is ap-. propriated. I am satisfied that no man can write, or live, to better purpose.

As my føle view in this short system was to teach the elements of religious knowledge to perfons intended for common and civil life, and not for any of the learned profeffions, I have avoided, as much as I poffibly could, thofe metaphysical and abftrufe fpeculations, which have been raised from every branch of my subject, and have chiefly confined myself to fuch confiderations as are most adapted to produce conviction in the minds of thofe

those who are not much used to clofe reflection; and I have endeavoured through the whole to exprefs myself with the greateft clearness and precifion. For this purpose I have been obliged to depart confiderably from the plan of any treatise that I have yet seen upon these fubjects.

I am far, however, from being able to promise that I fhall leave these fubjects free from all obfcurity. The mind of man will never be able to contemplate the being, perfections, and providence of God without meeting with inexplicable difficulties. We may find fufficient reason for acquiefcing in the darkness which involves these great fubjects, but we must never expect to see them fet in a perfectly clear light. But notwithstanding this, we may know enough of the divine being, and of his moral government to make us much better and happier beings than we could be without fuch knowledge; and even the confideration of the infuperable difficulties referred to above is not without its ufe, as it tends to imprefs the mind'

with