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19

A

DETECTION

OF THE

DANGEROUS TENDENCY,

BOTH FOR

CHRISTIANITY AND PROTESTANCY,

Of a SERMON, faid to be preached before an
ASSEMBLY of DIVINES, by G. C. D. D. On the
Spirit of the Gospel.

Thou Speakest against thy brother, thou flandereft thine own mother's
fon ;----but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
Pfal. 1. 20. 21.

By a Member of the ALETHEIAN CLUB.

LONDON:

Printed for the ALETHEIAN CLUB;
And fold by J. P. COGHLAN in DUKE'S-STREET,
Near GROSVENOR-SQUARE,

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INTRODUCTION.

MONG the many Literary Societies in qur great metropolis, for the improvement of useful knowledge, there is one, The Aletheian Club, whose principal aim is, in the most impartial manner, and without bias or prejudice, to fearch after truth in religious matters. A Sermon lately published in North-Britain, and faid to be the production of the celebrated author of the Differtation on Miracles, fell into the hands of this Society. Finding, on perufal, that it contained many things dangerous to true religion, and that the author had used the utmost efforts of art, and all the eloquence he was master of, to gild the pill, and the more fecurely communicate the poison to his readers; they thought it an object worthy their attention to detect the dangerous tendency of this Sermon, and undeceive the unwary readers; many of whom they had heard, in its native country, had received it with the highest esteem and approbation. The charge of doing this they committed to Staurophilus, one of their members, who was then refiding at some distance from London; informing him, at the fame time, of the reception this Sermon had met

with, and begging a speedy compliance with their requeft. His anfwer, in a letter to the Club, is here presented to the public. The pressing defire of his friends for a speedy anfwer hindered him from making a regular examination of the whole Sermon; he has therefore confined himself to those parts which feemed moft exceptionable in it, and productive of the most dangerous confequences. Whatever opinion Diffenters may have of the Sermon and its Detection, it is not doubted, but all true members of the Church of England, and all fincere and candid lovers of truth, will be very well pleased to fee the truths of religion vindicated from the aspersions of so dangerous

an enemy.

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DETECTION, Lc.

In a Letter to the ALETHEIAN CLUB

I

GENTLEMEN,

Received
ing Dr C-

your very kind epiftle, accompany Dr Cl's fermon, On the spirit of the gofpel, and am obliged to you for the honour you do me in referring the giving an answer to that performance to me. I have indeed, at prefent, but very little spare time for works of that kind; yet, as it is not eafy for me to refuse complying with the folicitations of my friends, and especially of those for whom I have fo great a regard as I have for you, I have endeavoured to steal a few moments from my other avocations; and herewith send you fuch obvious thoughts as occurred to me upon the fubject.

I am not a little furprised at the general approbation which you fay this piece has met with; for I own, it does not at all strike me in a light that seems to merit fo great esteem; on the contrary,

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