in the republic of letters. Learning hath revived, and, probably, in fubfequent ages will eminently flourish, among the Protef tant Diffenters, fince the inftitution of those excellent feminaries in London, Daventry, Warrington, Exeter, and Caermarthen, superintended and conducted by perfons who have made fingular attainments in all the branches of polite and ufeful fcience. There is only one thing, which can prevent Religion and Learning from being, in future, cultivated with that generous affiduity, and pushed to that exalted pinnacle of improvement and perfection to which they are now advancing; and this is---that prevailing love of pleasure, that abandoned luxury and debauchery, that rage for trifling amufements and diverfions, that diffolutenefs and diffipation, which have now defcended even among the lower claffes of fociety, and threaten every thing that is truely great and good in human life, with fatal and remedilefs deftruction. I need hardly fay, that every Attempt to illuftrate our common Religion and to exhibit before men a faithful reprefentation of its divine truth and excellence, is entitled to candour. I fhall efteem all my time and labour abundantly recompenfed, if this work work will prove, in any refpect, useful to the rifing generation, and, particularly, to young perfons defigned for the miniftry. The principal happiness of my life is the investigation of truth, and the acquifition of useful knowledge. I have no other ambition, but to adorn that station which God hath affigned me, and to do all the good in it, to the cause of Religion, Liberty, and Literature, that his Providence fhall enable me to do. Bleffed with religious parents, who gave me a liberal education, happy in early life in the instruction of a* Clergyman of distinguished learning and the most amiable character, formed with a strong paffion for truth and a fervent thirst after knowledge, I hope I have in fome measure improved the advantages with which the goodness of my Creator has favoured me. It fills me with regret and shame that I have improved them no better. Tho' upon every subject I speak my own private fentiments with liberal and ingenuous freedom, yet I have charity for ALL, think every good perfon as fincere in his Religious opinions as I am in mine, deem no one a worse Chriftian *The Rev, Mr. Thomas Hunter, vicar of Weverham in Cheshire, Christian merely because he differs from me in a few fpeculative points, am difpofed to make all generous allowances for the errors and imperfections of frail humanity, and cherish a fincere affection for all my fellowChriftians of all parties and denominations. I take this opportunity of making my grateful acknowledgements to my friends for allowing me free accefs to their libraries, and generously fupplying me with any antient or modern books I wanted to confult. After I had finished my Tranflation of the New Teftament, fome of my learned friends judged that fuch a work as the prefent, might be very proper to introduce it to the world. In purfuance of this repeated folicitation and advice, I digefted into a regular feries the obfervations. I had made in the course of my ftudies, and intreat the reader's favourable and candid acceptance of them. my I am under the greateft obligations to learned and worthy friend Dr. Lardner, not only for many kind inftances of his perfonal friendship, but for the knowledge and improvement I have derived from his moft ufeful writings. I am thankful to God for raifing up a person of such distinguished erudition and worth to plead the cause of Christianity, and for continuing fo valuable, a life to fuch an advanced period. I fuftained a great lofs by the death of my learned friend the late Rev. Mr. * Alexander of Birmingham, who promised to revise my liberal Tranflation of the New Teftament, and this prefent publication---both which would have received fignal advantage from his uncommon learning, excellent judgment, and critical fagacity. The death of my father in law, the eminently learned and celebrated Dr. Chandler, who reviewed part of my Verfion of the facred writers, and into whofe hands I intended to have put thefe Preliminary Obfervations, hath deprived them of the moft confiderable part of their intended merit. I design another Volume which will confift of critical obfervations, explanatory remarks, parallel paffages from Greek and Roman authors, accounts of customs and ufages mentioned or alluded to in the New Teftament, and a list of the moft eminent authors, with the best editions of their works, who have illuftrated the facred Claffics. I have only to add, that as I have a great deal of ministerial duty Author of an excellent and learned Paraphrafe on the Fifteenth of Corinthians, defervedly recommended in both the Monthly and Critical Reviews. |