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is but a small part of those, no lefs correct Works, which he had prepar'd for the Prefs. The reft will Speedily follow, if encourag'd by the fuccefs of this, which from the Usefulness of the subject Matter, and jour Favour towards it) I have no room to doubt.

Gentlemen, tis on your Goodnefs that I must depend, for the furtherance of this Work, as alfo for your Pardon, and candid Acceptance of this Addrefs, from him, who, with the highest Refpect and Veneration, fubfcribes himfelf,

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Your very humble Servant,

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Tho. Ellis

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HE Reader is here presented with fome Remains of an Excellent and Judicious Perfon, whofe Name is generally well known by those many Useful and Practical Difcourfes, which he printed in his Life time'; and the good Acceptance which his former Writings have met with from Perfons of all Ranks, will help to recommend the following Discourses, which the Reader may be affured are the Genuine Works of the fame Reverend Author, and fuch as were defign'd by him for publick View.

In thefe, as well as in his former Wri tings, the Author has given us a Taft of his good Skill in making Things plain and eafy Perfpicuity, and good Senfe, were the things he had chiefly in view in all his Compo

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Compofitions, as beft accommodate to his principal Aim of making them useful to the meaneft Reader: And though fometimes he may seem to stoop too low in Condefcention to their weaker Capacities; yet, on that score, it is prefum'd that his Difcourfes may be as Inftructive and Edifying, and do as much good, as thofe which do carry greater Beauty and Ornament in Compofition and Stile, though nothing more of true Piety and Sense, along with them; and yet we may venture to fay, that nothing is wanting to our Author in all the good Qualities of a Chriftian Writer, to recommend his Works to the more Judicious and Impartial, and to render them very useful to the World. But that which doth fo pe-, culiarly recommend them is, that admirable ftrein of Piety and Goodness which run through the feveral parts of them. He plainly lets us fee not only his Skill and Judg ment, but his thorough Feeling and Experience of those many excellent Truths which he has handled; fo that we may truly fay of him,, that he was blefs'd with this pcculiar Privilege, of letting his Reader into the Secrets of his heart, as well as into the ftrength of his Arguments.

He endeavours all along to fet Religion in the clearest and beft Light, and makes the most agreeable and rational Reprefenta

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tions of it; frequently expofing thofe Doarines which ascribe too much, or too little, to humane Reason, fuch as either render Religion very harfh, or less amiable, to Creatures endu'd with Reason, and FreeWill, or fuch as endeavour to fuit and adapt it to the corrupt Inclinations of Men. But above all things, the vindicating Religion in general, and oppofing the Scepticifm and Infidelity of the prefent Age, was that which he had more carefully in view, and which he hath done to very good purpofe.

That Reproach and Contempt which is poured on Religion by the Deists, and other Sceptical Perfons, gave no fmall Difturbance to this good Man; therefore fet himself to oppose them with all his Might, and compos'd feveral excellent Treaties to that purpose. Befides his little Book, call'd the Gentile Sinner, writ in his younger Years, and which hath been fo well receiv'd in the World; he hath publish'd fome other Books, to vindicate the great Truths of our Religion, and to expofe the Folly of Atheism: He publifh'd one upon the latter Subject, demonftrating the fame to the Capacity of the moft Unlearned Reader, as it is truly fet forth in the Title Page of the fame Book; and in the Preface to it, he ob1erves,

That

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That the abounding of all forts of Wick*edness and Prophanefs, and the great Indulgence People give every where to them"felves in all manner of Vice and Vanity; "their deriding of ferious Piety, mocking at a conscientious Strictnefs, and Regularity of Life, and even glorying in their own Sins, which they know to be against "the plainest Laws of God, and threatned "by him with no less than Eternal Dam"nation; feem'd to him a most evident

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Sign, that Men do not really believe that "there is a God, and therefore thought "Discourses against Atheism very needful: "And till Men were thoroughly convinc'd "that there is a God over them, though poffibly by force they may be kept from doing fome forts of Evil, they can never be reform'd, or perfwaded to be good.

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Discourses against Atheism have employed many learned Pens, and the Arguments produced against it, are usually fetch'd from the Fountains and Treasures of Philofophy, which are generally too abftrufe and diffi cult for Men of ordinary Capacities to understand: But because our Author observ'd that fuch wicked Principles began to spread among the ordinary fort of common People, and that many were infected and poifon'd with them, he purposely composed his Treatife against Atheism for their Use, be

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