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WHILE YE HAVE LIGHT, BELIEVE IN THE LICHT, THAT YE
MAY BE THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT. JESUS CHRIST.
BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED, THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT
OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD. PAUL.

NORTHAMPTON: Printed by T. DICEY & Co.
And fold by BUCKLAND, MATTHEWS, SOCKET, and Ass, in
LonJon; and SMITH, Sheffield.

M,DCC,LXXXVII.

[Price ONE SHILLING and SIX-PENCE.]

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PREFA CE.

THE prevalence of truth and righteousness

is doubtless an object of great importance; nor is the former any lefs neceffary to the latter, than both are to the welfare of mankind. If controverfy is of any use, it is because it tends to bring truth to light, It too often unhappily. falls out, however, that the parties themfelves are not the first who are convinced by each others reafonings; but on the contrary, are as far, and perhaps farther afunder, when they leave off, than when they began: this is not very difficult to be accounted for, though it is much to be lamented. Perhaps there are very few controverfies wherein there is not room for mutual conceffions. The backwardness fo generally difcovered to this ly writers, and the determination that too commonly appears on both fides to maintain at all events their own principles, have given much disgust to many readers, and made them almost ready to defpair of edification by reading controverfy.

But though it must be granted that fuch conduct affords a just ground of difguft towards a writer, yet there is not the fame reafon for being difgufted with controverfial writing. Whatever be the prejudices of the parties, and their rigid adherence to their own opinions; if a controverfy is carried on with any good degree of judgment, truth is likely to come out between them; and what avails it on whofe fide it is found, if it is but found? The obftinacy of the writers is a

fin, but it is a fin that belongs to themselves; the reader may get good notwithstanding this, fufficient to repay him for all his trouble.

For my own part, I never imagined myself infallible. I all along thought, though I at the time could fee no mistakes in the piece I had written (if I bad, I fhould certainly have corrected them); yet no doubt other people, who would look at it with different eyes from mine, would difcern fome; and I trust it has been my defire to lie open to inftruction from every quarter. It would be the shame and folly of any man, efpecially of one of my years, to act otherwife.

I will not pretend to be free from that Spirit which easily befets a perfon engaged in controverfy but thus much I can fay, I have endeavoured to read each of my opponents with a view to conviction; and it becomes me to acknow

ledge that I have not been altogether disappointed. There are fome paffages, which, if I had the piece to write over again, I should expunge, and others which I fhould alter: I should endeavour in fome places to be more explicit, and in others more upon my guard against every appearance of unkind reflection. There are alfo fome other leffer matters which I fhall acknowledge in their place. Fuftice requires me to Jay thus much; but as to the main fentiment endeavoured to be established, notwithstanding what has been written, I must say it appears to me unshaken. If in my judgment that had been overthrown, the attention of the reader should not have been calied upon by the prefent reply.

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