THE

PREFACE.

I AM fenfible that to many of my readers an apology for

this publication will be neceffary. There is, I freely own, something peculiarly irksome, and unpleasant, in a public controverfy with a perfon refiding in the fame place with one's felf, and especially one with whom we have fome degree of acquaintance, and whom we are in the habit of occafionally meeting. On this account I was forry to hear of Mr. Burn's publishing any thing against me; and though he was fo obliging as to fend me a copy of his Letters, I forbore to peruse them, till I was informed that they were much read, and made an impreffion unfavourable to the principles which I have maintained. Publications afcribed to two other clergymen of this town, the profits of the latter of which were to go to the General Infirmary (though I do not suppose that it has been this that has encouraged the trustees to undertake the new wings of their buildings) being aware of my natural infirmity, which is a too great promptness to write, I never read at all; becaufe, if I have any controverfy (except it be of a perfectly amicable nature) I prefer having it with perfons at a distance, and with whom I have no particular connection. But Mr. Burn has thought otherwise, and he has been the aggreffor.

That there is nothing in myself so particularly hostile to the established clergy, as is generally imagined, may appear from fome circumftances of my life, which (as, in a Preface, writers claim the privilege of speaking concerning themfelves) I fhall mention.

* Since the writing of this Preface there has been a fecond edition of Mr. Burn's Letters.

I had my grammar learning under a clergyman at a large public school, and though he lived to fee me write against the principles of the church, to which he himself was thoroughly attached, he retained a friendship for me, as I did for him, as long as he lived.

At Needham Market in Suffolk, where I was first fettled, the most intimate friend that I had was the rector of Stow-Market, three miles from me. We had, as it were,

but one heart, and differed in nothing but opinion.

At Namptwich, my next fettlement, the vicar of Acton, at the distance of one mile, had a room in his house which he called mine, and which I always made use of whenever it was convenient to me to spend an evening, and fleep, from home, which I never did except with him. He faid that he had never known a Diffenter before me. common love of science brought us acquainted, and I have now in my poffeffion a telescope, made with his own hands, which he gave me as a token of his friendship.

But a

At Leeds I need not fay how happy I was in the society of Mr. Michell, so well known as the inventor of artificial magnets, and for his distinguished merit as a philofopher in general. My Hiftory of Discoveries concerning of Vision, Light and Colours, fufficiently fhews my intercourse with him, and the obligations I was under to him.

When I was with the Marquis of Lanfdown, Dr. Frampton, in that neighbourhood, whofe principles in church and state were the highest, as they are called, of any man's that I ever met with, who even retained a strong predilection for the family of the Stuarts, and who retained it to his death, for fome time kept aloof from me. But a common love of literature at length brought us intimately acquainted; and at last, when his troubles came upon him, I was perhaps the only person who had his intire confidence,

and

and whom he confidered as his moft fincere friend. With fome failings, he was a most extraordinary man, and I am not forry to have this opportunity of mentioning him. In converfation, and preaching extempore (which he ufually did without preparation, from the leffon of the day) his talents. were, indeed, wonderful. I took great pleasure in hearing. him, but more especially on particular occafions, when he excelled every man that I have yet heard. He then compofed long difcourfes, and fometimes read them to me before they were delivered; faying (which I doubt not was literally true) that after reading them once with care he could deliver the whole verbatim, without notes, making only fuch alterations as occurred to him at the time of delivery. The last time that I heard him was at the confecration of a church by the late bishop of London, who had a great friendship for him. After the fervice (at which I was much more pleased than I expected to have been) he introduced me to his lordship, and we dined and spent the day very agreeably together.

In London, where at this time I spent my winters, I was happy in the friendship and fociety of fome of the most diftinguished clergymen that this country can boaft.

If liberality of fentiment be the refult of general and various acquaintance, few men now living have had a better opportunity of acquiring it than myself. This has arisen from the great variety of my pursuits, which has naturally brought me acquainted with perfons of all principles, and characters. One day I remember I dined in company with an eminent popish priest; the evening I spent with philofophers, determined unbelievers; the next morning I breakfafted, at his own requeft, with a moft zealously orthodox clergyman, Mr. Toplady, and the reft of that day I spent with Dr. Jebb, Mr. Lindsey, and fome others, men in all respects after my own heart. I have fince enriched my acquaintance with that of fome very intelligent Jews; and my

opponents,

opponents, who confider me already as half a Mahometan, will not suppose that I can have any objection to the fociety of perfons of that religion.

These facts may fhew that, notwithstanding my avowed hoftility to what is called the church, I have no particular enmity to the established clergy, and that I am not disposed to molest them, if they do not moleft me; nor, while controverfy is conducted in a fair and open manner, will this circumstance make any unpleasant difference between me and any man. I am at this day in habits of great intimacy with several of my opponents, and I have no objection to meet any of them, numerous as they are, if they have no objection to meet me. Mr. Burn would not have entertained fo frightful an opinion of me as he expreffes, if we had been better acquainted.

One reafon for this publication is to fhew those who will hear reason, what strange misconceptions have been taken up by well meaning people (for fuch I take Mr. Burn to be) who are governed by prejudice, and who, through that influence, will not take proper pains to inform themselves of the truth of what they hear generally propagated, concerning those whose religious principles they difapprove. What he advances in thefe Letters, void of all foundation as it is, is such declamation as I am informed is continually founded from the pulpits of the churches, and other places of worship, in this town, and indeed in many other parts of England, as well as by the preachers in the freets (to whom, however, I am a fincere well-wifher) reprefenting me as the declared enemy of revelation, and a fetter up of reafon in its place.

Indeed, I think myself pretty well off when I am not exhibited as an abfolute Atheist, as I have been in several publications, particularly a very late one, intitled Theodofius, the writer of which reprefents Mr. Silas Deane, as declaring upon his death bed, that he derived his atheistical principles,