iv

EXTRACT, &c.

"primitive Fathers, as to the faith and practice of "the primitive Church-upon the Divinity of our "Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift-upon the Divinity

of the Holy Ghoft-upon the Articles of the Chrif "tian Faith, as comprehended in the Apostles' and "Nicene Creeds.

"Alfo I direct that thirty copies of the eight Di"vinity Lecture Sermons fhall be always printed, "within two months after they are preached, and "one copy fhall be given to the Chancellor of the "Univerfity, and one copy to the head of every Col"lege, and one copy to the Mayor of the city of "Oxford, and one copy to be put into the Bodleian "Library; and the expence of printing them fhall "be paid out of the Lands or Eftates given for efta"blishing the Divinity Lecture Serinons; and the "Preacher fhall not be paid, nor be entitled to the "revenue, before they are printed.

"Alfo I direct and appoint, that no perfon fhall be qualified to preach the Divinity Lecture Ser"mons, unless he hath taken the Degree of Mafter

of Arts at least, in one of the two Universities of "of Oxford or Cambridge; and the fame perfon "shall never preach the Divinity Lecture Sermons "twice."

DEDICA

ν

то

THE RIGHT REVEREND

THOMAS THURLOW, D. D.

LORD BISHOP OF DURHAM.

MY LORD,

THE appointment, which

produced the following Difcourfes, will in some degree fanction my ambition to prefent them to the public under the protection of your Lordship's Name. It originated with the Univerfity of Oxford: and interested as your Lordship is in whatever may

b

claim

claim the leaft relation to a place, where you paffed many of your early years with a Propriety of Conduct, that hath marked your Character through life, you will I am fure ac cept with Condefcenfion the efforts thus excited, to elucidate the Truth and Purity of that Religion, of which you have ever discovered yourself in Heart and Practice a warm and confiftent Friend.

I am well aware, that I have ventured on ground already taken; and that many valuable Treatises have appeared on the fubject of the following sheets. But there is a mode

riods:

and the Folios of the laft age are ill relished by the defultory readers of this. Hence it is, that fome of those publications alluded to have fallen into disesteem; as being too diffuse, and appearing tedious: digreffing in-, to extraneous matter on fome points not very material, and treating with a degree of languor others of more importance. Those on the other hand, which are comprised in the narrow limits of one or two Sermons, I conceive to be in fubftance too compreffed, to afford general fatisfaction; the Brevity requiring too many affumptions, to obviate the doubts of Sceptical enquirers. Others again, though recommending, and enforcing founded Truths

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Truths with Elegance and Perpicuity, seem rather calculated to impress the mind already perfuaded, than to obviate the Exceptions of Cavil, and fatisfy Scruple and Doubt.

Thefe obfervations have long induced me to think fomething further wanting: fomething on the fubject in form and matter clear, yet clofe and argumentative; fuch as adverting to Objections as they rofe, and thus clearing the way ay to Truth, might command affent on the affured Ground of Conviction. Purfuant of fuch defign, I have, in the fubfequent investigation, taken nothing for granted: proceeding gradually from proof to proof, and

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