us, in

pendents out of their difficulties. And such a state of life, the Author's sphere of action must of neceffity be confined within very narrow bounds; fo he could not have been known to the world, had he not offered his thoughts to publick confideration the occafion of which was as follows.

WHEN the reverend Mr. Whiston published his historical preface to those books he entitled Primitive-christianity revived; (that were afterwards published) the publishing of which the Author thinks to have been about the year 1711. that preface happened to fall into the hands of the Author and fome of his acquaintance, who were perfons of reading, in Salisbury; and as fome of his friends took part with Mr. Whifton, in the main point controverted, viz. the fingle fupremacy of the one God and the father of all; so some were against him, which introduced a paper-controversy betwixt

them.

And as the Author's friends were by of expreffing themselves plainly and fully upon the question, but chofe rather to op

pofe each other by interrogations; fo this appeared to the Author a way altogether unlikely to clear up the cafe, and bring the point debated to an iffue. And, from this way of proceeding in the Author's friends, he was naturally led to draw up his thoughts. upon the fubject in the way that he did, as it appeared to him a more probable means of bringing the controversy to a conclufion. And this the Author did without the leaft view, or even a thought, of it's being offered to publick confideration, but only for his own fatisfaction, and for the information and fatisfaction of his friends in Salisbury, to whom then his acquaintance was confined; he having accuftomed himself, from his youth, to put his thoughts into writing, upon fuch fubjects to which his attention had been called in; not with a design to expose them to publick view, but only thereby to amuse and satisfy himself, and then commit them to the flames, which had been the cafe in many inftances. The Author having collected and arranged his fentiments on

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the forementioned fubject, as they now contain the first tract in his first volume of collection of tracts, it was expofed to the view and perufal of his acquaintance and others, fome of whom approved the performance, and thought the argument contained in it to be conclusive for the point intended to be proved by it, but others thought the contrary, and this introduced a controverfy in writing, betwixt the Author and fome of thofe who thought differently from him upon the subject, and feveral letters and papers paffed betwixt them, the tract being then only in manufcript. Whilft the cafe stood thus, one of the Author's friends intended to take a journey to London, and he with others defired the tract might be carried thither and put into Mr. Whifton's hands, for his perufal, in order to have his judgment upon it, he being then confidered as a principal in the controverfy. What was thus proposed was complied with; and accordingly the manufcript was carried to London, and delivered to Mr. hifton; who thereupon fent a letter by the bearer to the

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Author, importing his approbation of the performance, and the propriety of it's being made public; offering to have it printed and published himself, provided the Author would permit him to make fome few alterations, in expreffing the fenfe of fome few texts of scripture; which alterations were fuch as the grand point in question was not affed by this propofal was complied with, and Mr. Whiston had the tract printed and published forthwith; and thus the Author appeared in the world as a writer.

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A COMPLAINT made against the Author: namely, that he has fallen foul of the Bible, and has not paid it the deference which he ought; and, in confequence thereof, that he has dug up foundations, and greatly unfettled the minds of men. Which complaint is grounded on the Author's IV. Differtations, lately publifhed, viz: on the hiftory of Melchize dek, &c.

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