vigorating Affiftance of Grace, must foar the Flight to Blifs. Why then should we ftray from these clear Paths? Or why follow the bewildering Flame of Fancy and private Opinion, rather than the joint Lights of Reafon, clear Revelation and Nature.

We need not doubt, that speaking of the Lights of Nature and Reason, as Guides to the Truths of Religion, will bring upon the Author thofe Darts of Calumny usually thrown against all, who seem to put any Weight upon these certain Helps ta Knowledge. They will fay that he does it, being a Stranger to the Spirit of God and his Gospel, and wraped up in the hood-winking Veil of Carnality! For this is the Coverture under which, those mistaken People in dangerous Safety secure themfelves, from the most powerful Efforts of Reason and Truth.

Ir the Gospel be a Light revealed, it was given furely to enlighten the Understanding, and not to contribute to the eclipfing it yet more, than the Fall of Nature did, by dark Opinions of the Almighty and his Works.

Do We know a Standard whereby to measure the Value of the moral Precepts of the Gofpel, but that of Reafon, Experience, and the Nature of Things? And did not those Precepts fquare with that Rule, there would be a manifest Inconfiftence in the Works of God:-Since all his Works, as well thofe of Nature as of moral Purport, bear a certain and known Analogy to one another. Wherefore, if the moral Precepts of the Gospel, did not answer to the Standard before-mentioned, thefe Confequences muft unavoidably follow. Either fuch inconfiftent Precepts must bring the Veracity of the Gospel in Question, and incline

us

us to diftruft its being the Word of God.-Or, if we could believe it to be of divine Original, the Mind would be unavoidably carried into a more dangerous Extream by leading to Doubts of the Omnipotence of eternal Wisdom. For the visible Things of God, difcerned by their known and approved Nature, would fo manifeftly jarr with Precepts of any other Caft or Purport, that they could never be adhered to by any Creature in his Senfes.

How ungenerous therefore is thofe Gentlemen's Cenfure, against all that do not square with the Standard of their Opinion, with refpect to religious Principles. The Extreams invovled in their Opinion to this Point particularly, must be refolved into Error. For,-Either the Mind, by the Violence of confufed Ideas, must be kindled to fuch a præternatural Flame, as to bury our Intellects in the Ruins it makes,-Or we must be cold, ftupid, and uninspired by any Portion of enlivening Grace, and swallowed up in the Darkness of mere Carnality!--The Justice and Generofity of the Censure, are equal.

Most of their Tenets are of such Nature, that we should in Charity conclude the Generality of their Followers, and indeed Teachers themselves, to be Strangers to the Doctrine they embrace: And particularly the Moravians.-Otherwife it is hard to think that Reafon could bear fuch a Weight of Dregs. For their Principles feem rather to contradict Reafon and Revelation, than to outfly them: As may be seen fufficiently proved in the first Appendix.

BUT to avoid the Difagreeableness of dwelling longer here on the Abfurdity of their Opinions, and to come more pointedly to the Use of Introductions, and the Authors Intention by this, let

us, notwithstanding the Length it is already stretched to, yet pray the Reader's Patience a Minute more. And that to prevent Mistakes, and ill-natured cavilling.

IN Page 254, where, fpeaking of the Doctrine of the Trinity, we have faid--That every King in Europe is very Man, of very Man, because his Father that begot him was fo;-the Reader is not to understand, that Chrift is very God of very God, exactly in that Senfe. For every Son of a human Father, is a diftinct Being, fubfifting of a feparate Effence from, tho' of the fame Nature with, the Father that fo begat him. But this we are by no Means to apprehend with respect to Chrift and his Father. We are to conceive the Perfons of the Godhead are distinct, yet are not three diftinct Effences, or feparate Beings, of the fame Nature; but three diftinct Perfons, actuated by, and fubfifting from all Eternity of, the fame intire undiftinguishable and felf-fubfifting Unity of Effence, Being, and Nature. Wherefore every A& afcribed peculiarly to every one Perfon of the Trinity, is with Regard to Confent, the Act of the Whole; but with Refpect to the Diftinction of Perfonages; fuch Act is properly that of the Perfon, to whole Peculiarity of Office, it is properly afcribable. And this we should take Care to confider justly, when we either speak or think of this MYSTERY; then the Mind can never know Perplexity in this Point; tho' it must be ever deprived, whilft in the Flefh, of a clear Knowledge of it.

THE Reader fhould likewife understand, that in speaking any where through this Work of Piety and Virtue, it is not meant that those Principles are effective of any defirable End, by a mere Performance of their several Acts. But they are con

fidered

fidered to be only fo, when the Mind is warmed and outstretching to a Love of fuch Acts from a Senfe of Duty; when the Soul is dilated by the Influence of fomething foreign to our Nature, which we must ever apprehend to be the Spirit of God, inclining our Will to conform with his; when we do not doubt of their Efficacy, but are certain, when performed with a due Senfe of our own Weakness, they will pleafe; and that by applying for it with humble Spirit and due Endeavours, it will be granted: And when thefe Things are not only fubfcribed to, in Form, but in Practice; not in Act but in Spirit; then it is that we must understand Christian Piety and Virtue to be really and effectually fuch. Then it is that the Knowledge of the Head, mends the Heart, and the Rectitude of the Will, influences our Lives. And in this Senfe only has the Author spoken of Piety and Virtue as Means of, and neceffary to, Salvation.

He also hopes, that none will be ill-natured enough to be angry, because he has not efpoufed this or t'other Sect of CHRISTIANS; or this or t'other Party, Sect, or Divifion, of PROTESTANTS; by keeping up at all Events to the strict Senfe of All the Tenets of fome one of them. But this indeed was not his View, nor the Rule by which he was refolved to conduct himself; haveing first determined to affert as orthodox Principles, only fuch as he apprehended to be agreeable to Scripture, Reason, and the Nature of Things; and only fuch to be erroneous, as he believed to be contrary to, or deviating from, thofe TESTS of Truth and Error, without Regard to any Sect or Party. This being his defigned Standard, you will fay that when he adhered to what fome hold, and oppofed what others as ftrenuously espouse, it

was

was not with an Eye to favour the one, or offend the other; and he believes none can reafonably be difpleafed at thofe Things.

As to the Performance of the Work with refpect to Diction, Style, and Method, the Author is fenfible of many Things, which he could wifh were now in his Power to alter: Yet thefe are for the moft Part rather literally erroneous, than fentically; and of which fome are marked in the Errata; others left to the Reader's Indulgence. Nor are those Errors altogether of the Prefs, but many of them his own Miftakes through Hurry and Inadvertency: For notwithstanding that laft Summer and Autumn, he had fome Months Refpite from Business, yet, as all the Work (except a Sheet or two) was printed long before, but the Publication ftopped on Account of a particular Engagement of his to that Purpose, with his Printer in London (as hath been already offered in Adververtisements by him as his Apology to Subscribers) he had, during that Time which gave him Leizure to look through it, only an Opportunity of seeing fome Things that gave him Pain. He means, that he had only an Opportunity of seeing some Things which efcaped the Prefs and himself, without being in his Power then to amend. But indeed, as before observed, they are chiefly Matter of Expreffion. For he is not yet fenfible of any erroneous Sentiment, but if ever he be, the afferting fuch, could not give the Pleasure he will have to retract. And he fhall thank the friendly Hand that points out his Errors, with the fame Spirit that he intended to fhew thofe of others.-He has indeed the Confolation to think, that none will fo foon pardon his Faults, as thofe that are best able to discover and correct them. And to them

alone