The Pleiad

THE following compilation was drawn up
from the writings of several eminent Divines,
of different persuasions, at a period when
atrocious attempts were made, in every pos-
sible manner, to strip Christians of every
persuasion of the blessings and promises of
the Gospel, by undermining the stability of
Revelation, and thus withdrawing at once
the only sure stay of their happiness in this
world, and of their hopes of a better. Its
object was to present, in seven successive
Tracts, a series of triumphant arguments
for the truth of Christianity, in a shape
which might generally be understood, and
easily circulated.

The labour was, I own, of a humble de-
scription. But it was not, on that account,
an inglorious one. For, surely, it is not
without honour to be even a door-keeper in

the house of God. To the serious attention of the Clergy, in particular, such an office is peculiarly entitled: as, if the theory of the Deist be true, then indeed is their preaching vain.

Before I proceed, however, to give a slight introductory account of the original works or their authors, * I would offer a short view of the train of argumentation which they jointly constitute.

LELAND, in the Summary attached to his View of the Principal Deistical Writers of England, of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, has powerfully exhibited the general mischievousness of Deism as a sys

tem.

In reasoning upon the chief miracles recorded in the Old Testament, no one has surpassed the energy, or the conclusiveness of LESLIE'S Short and Easy Method with the Deists.

DODDRIDGE's Three Sermons, on the External Evidences of the New Testament, are universally characterised as compositions evincing the utmost clearness of arrange

ment.

* These Introductory Notices will be found prefixed in succession to the respective Abridgements.

Böcker

The Pleiad: A Series of Adbrigements from Seven Distinguished Writers on the ...