BJ 1005 P16 1793

THE RIGHT REVEREND

EDMUND LAW, D. D.

LORD BISHOP OF CARLISLE:

MY LORD,

HAD the obligations which I owe to your Lordship's kindness been much less or, much fewer, than they are; had perfonal gratitude left any place in my mind for deliberation or for enquiry; in selecting a name which every reader might confess to be prefixed with propriety to a work, that; in many of its parts, bears no obfcure relation to the general principles of natural and revealed religion, I fhould

have found myself directed by many confiderations to that of the Bishop of Carlifle. A long life spent in the most interesting of all human pursuits, the investigation of moral and religious truth, in conftant and unwearied endeavours to advance their discovery, communication, and fuccefs of both ; a life fo occupied, and arrived at that period which renders every life venerable, commands respect by a title which no virtuous mind will difpute, which no mind sensible of the importance of these ftudies to the supreme concernments of mankind will not rejoice to fee acknowledged. Whatever difference, or whatever oppofition, fome who perufe your Lordship's writings may perceive between your con

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clufions and their own, the good and wife of all perfuafions will revere that industry, which has for its object the illuftration or defence of our common Christianity. Your Lordship's researches have never loft fight of one purpose, namely, to recover the fimplicity of the gospel from beneath that load of unauthorized additions, which the ignorance of fome ages, and the learning of others, the superstition of weak, and the craft of defigning men, have (unhappily for its interest) heaped upon it. And this purpose, I am convinced, was dictated by the pureft motive; by a firm, and I think a just opinion, that whatever renders religion more rational, renders it more credible; that he who, by a diligent

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gent and faithful examination of the original records, difmiffes from the system one article which contradicts the apprehenfion, the experience, or the reasoning of mankind, does more towards recommending the belief, and, with the belief, the influence of Chriftianity, to the understandings and confciences of serious enquirers, and through them to universal reception and authority, than can be effected by a thousand contenders for creeds and ordinances of human eftablifhment.

When the doctrine of tranfubftantiation had taken poffeffion of the Chriftian world, it was not without the industry of learned men that it came at length to be discovered, that

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