fons done nothing more by their difcovery, than abolished an innocent fuperftition, or changed fome directions in the ceremonial of public worship, they had merited little of that veneration, with which the gratitude of proteftant churches remembers their fervices. What they did for mankind was this, they exonerated Christianity of a weight which funk it. If indolence or timidity had checked thefe exertions, or fuppreffed the fruit and publication of these in.quiries, is it too much to affirm, that infidelity would at this day have been univerfal?

I do not mean, my Lord, by the mention of this example, to infinuate, that any popular opinion which your Lordship may have encountered, ought

to

-to be compared with tranfubftantiation, or that the affurance with which we reject that extravagant abfurdity, is attainable in the controverfies in which your Lordship has been engaged: but I mean, by calling to mind those great reformers of the public faith, to observe, or rather to exprefs my own perfuafion, that to reftore the purity, is moft effectually to promote the progrefs of Christianity; and that the fame virtuous motive, which hath fanctified their labours, fuggested yours. At a time when fome men appear not to perceive any good, and others to suspect an evil tendency, in that spirit of examination and research which is gone forth in Chriftian countries, this testimony is become due not only to the probity of your Lordship's views, but

to

to the general caufe of intellectual and

religious liberty.

That your Lordship's life may be prolonged in health and honour; that it may continue to afford an inftructive proof, how ferene and eafy old age can be made, by the memory of important and well intended labours, by the poffeffion of public and deferved esteem, by the presence of many grateful relatives; above all, by the refources of religion, by an unfhaken confidence in the defigns of a "faithful Creator,"

and a fettled truft in the truth and in the promises of Chriftianity, is the fervent prayer of, my Lord,

Your Lordship's dutiful,

Moft obliged,

And most devoted fervant,

WILLIAM PALEY.

Carlisle,

Feb. 10, 1785.

६

PREFACE.

IN

N the treatises that I have met with upon the subject of morals, I appear to myself to have remarked the following imperfections-either that the principle was erroneous, or that it was indiftinctly explained, or that the rules deduced from it were not fufficiently adapted to real life and to actual fituations. The writings of Grotius, and the larger work of Puffendorff are of too forenfic a cast, too much mixed up with the civil law, and with the jurisprudence of Germany, to answer precisely the defign of a system of ethics-the direction of private consciences