SERMONS PREACHED BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, IN THE YEAR 1781, AT THE LECTURE FOUNDED BY THE LATI REV. JOHN BAMPTON, M. A. CANON OF SALISBURY. By TIMOTHY NEVE, D. D. CHAPLAIN OF MERTON COLLEGE. OXFORD: Printed for D. PRINCE and J. COOKE, J. and J. FLECHER; M DCC LXXX I. THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND HEADS OF COLLEGES; THE FOLLOWING SERMON S, PREACHED AT THEIR APPOINTMENT, ARE RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY THEIR OBLIGED HUMBLE SERVANT, T. NEVE. T HE following plain Difcourfes are fent abroad into the world merely in compliance with the injunctions of the Founder of that annual Lecture at which they were preached. With regard to the manner in which the Author of them hath discharged the truft delegated to his care, He can only fay, that with more leisure and fewer avocations, his work might probably have been lefs faulty and better finished. But he hopes the nature of his fubject is fuch and fo important, as may atone for fome defects in the execution; and that the obligation of their publication will be a fufficient apology for it. Many attacks have been made of late, not only on fome of the leading Articles of Christianity, but even on the general plan and defign of it: And these have been indeed the more dangerous, from the artfulnefs of the mode, and from the variety and fpecious |