Scaliger, Cafaubon, Drufius, Spanheim, Hammond, Lightfoot, &c. to the great advantage of Christianity, employed their endeavours in these studies; and nothing is more to be lamented, than that fo few fince their time have followed their example, and endeavoured to promote the fame fort of knowledge.

How unwearied and fuccefsful your endeavours, Sir, have been, to revive this fort of learning among us, there are many who will gratefully acknowledge, and future generations will have juft occafion to own. It is owing to you, Sir, and your instructions, that a great number of youth are now employed in endeavours, by the use of the forementioned means, to understand, and make others understand, the facred Scripture. I design not to fill an Epistle with any of the trite naufeous flattering expreffions, of which dedications ordinarily confift. Flattery is what, I know, you neceffarily hate, and, to speak your praise, I need not. All I defign is to improve the opportunity I now have, publickly to acknowledge myfelf obliged to you for all the proficiency I have made, either in the forementioned, or any other ftudies, and withal to exprefs my defire of your future greater fuccefs in your useful work.

Go on then, Sir, and may heaven still blefs you with the continuance of your health, and defired fuccefs; may you ftill be the happy inftrument

strument of making many fit for publick ufefulness, and eminent fervice to the Church of Christ, and the intereft of true Religion.

This, Sir, is the very earnest defire of

Your most Obliged

Humble Servant,

JEREMIAH JONES.

THE

THE PREFACE.

EVERY one, who makes a profeffion of Chriftianity, does thereby oblige himself to use his utmost endeavours, in all poffible instances, for the fupport, defence, and advancement of that excellent Religion; and if, in this matter, our zeal and diligence ought to be proportionable to the industry and numbers of those, who would fubvert our Religion, perhaps there never was a time, in which our zeal and diligence should be greater. Irreligion indeed, in its practice, has been the reproach of all ages, but its open and publick defence feems to be peculiar to ours. It is but of late, that men have learnt to fecure the undisturbed poffeffion of their vices and immoralities, by a profeffed difbelief of the grand maxims of piety and virtue. It is but of late, that it has been reckoned a perfection, boldly to beat down, and level, the eternal differences of good and evil. In many companies he now makes the best figure, who gives the largest proofs of his profanenefs; and he is a man of the greateft fire and wit, that dares to speak moft contemptibly of God, and his providence. It is now become a fashiona ble

able accomplishment, wittily to deride, and droll upon, facred things, and boldly to doubt and difbelieve every thing in the facred Scriptures, only because it is there.

How it comes to pafs, that profaneness and scepticifm fhould fo much abound in the prefent age, may very well deserve a serious enquiry. Among other unhappy caufes, I cannot but believe the growing disbelief and contempt of Revealed Religion, and that growth of profaneness, which neceffarily follows fuch difbelief, are very much owing to the imprudent treatment, the facred Scriptures have met with from many of thofe, who profefs to believe their infpiration. The many methods that have been taken (even by feveral of the Christian Clergy) to render the Canon of Scripture uncertain; the preferring fome forry Verfions before the Originals, and confequently correcting and altering the Originals by these Verfions; the great freedoms that have been taken with the facred text, by a groundless fuppofition of corruptions and contradictions therein, have been the unhappy means of making many reject the Revelation itfelf. The unguarded difcourfes of divers learned and ingenious men on those heads, have fupplied the enemies of Chriftianity with arguments against it, and been many ways improved by evil minds to its difhonour. These are the weapons, with which Hobbes, Spinozaa, Toland, and the club of De

Tractat. Theolog. Politic. c. 8, 9.

In his Amyntor.