Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1728 edition. Excerpt: ... preface. 1' seems to be a prevailing Opinion, that Deism gets Ground among thinking and virtuous Men i notwithstanding many excellent Trails that have appeared of late. in 'Defence of Christianity, by bringing together the external Evidence there is for it, and supporting it against the Exceptions that have been made to that Evidence It muft needs be very fit for 'Believers to consider, what may be the Causes of so strange and threatning an Appearance; since the being thoroughly appriz d of the Cause of the. Growth of Infidelity, can alone direU us to the best Method to prevent it J am sensible, there are some, who will think much Enquiry about this Matter altogether needless-y satisfying themselves with resolving the Growth of Deism into God's delivering Men up to a reprobate Sense, who don't care to retain the Knowledge of him in their Minds. "But I must take Liberty to fay, that these Ter sons entirely mistake the Enquiry; which is not about the Growth of Deism among careless, scoffing, and visions; but among thoughtful and virtuous Men r-i t Iam sensible too there are others, who instead of going further into this Enquiry, will do nothing more than inveigh against Liberty, the Glory of the Age we Uve in) and the Inquisitiveness and Freedom of Debate which it has introduc'd, to the gr'eat Advancement of Learning and Virtue, among us. It must be allowed to these Declaimers, that Men, who don t think at all about Religion, will not be Deists: But neither will they be Believers. They may indeed have the Faith of a Stone that is, no Disbelief of any Thing) or the Faith of a Parrot (that is, Words without Ideas) but cannot have the rational Faith of a, Man, that is, a Belief of the Agreement or Disagreement of Ideas foundid on what they...
