THE PREFACE.
THERE being already published many and good books to prove the
Being and Attributes of God, I have chosen to contract what was requisite for me
to say upon this subject, into as narrow a compass, and to express what I had to
offer, in as few words as I could with perspicuity. For which reason I have also
confined myself to one only method or continued thread of arguing, which I have
endeavoured should be as near to mathematical as the nature of such a discourse
would allow; omitting some other arguments which I could not discern to be so evidently
conclusive; because it seems not to be at any time for the real advantage of truth
to use arguments in its behalf founded only on such hypotheses as the adversaries
apprehend they cannot be compelled to grant: Yet I have not made it my business
to oppose any of those arguments, because I think it is not the best way vii
for any one to recommend his own performance by endeavouring to discover the imperfections
of others who are engaged in the same design with himself, of promoting the interest
of true religion and virtue. But every man ought to use such arguments only as appear
to him to be clear and strong, and the readers must judge whether they truly prove
the conclusion.
I
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