dences of Christianity, he freely availed himself of Dr. Lardner's Credibility of the Gospel History, and Bishop Douglas's Criterion of Miracles; and the labours of Ray, Derham, and others, furnished him with many materials for his Natural Theology. When we have extracted from his Works all that is the property of others, there will remain original matter enough upon which to build a just fame of authorship and even what he has borrowed in his Philosophy and Theology, often comes from him and from its first authors as different in appearance, as gold from the hands of a skilful artist, and gold in the rugged ore. His exhibition of truth is more valuable than others' discovery of it; as in manufactures, the workmanship often costs more than the article in its natural state.

It is a just rule in criticism, always to weigh an author's end, and if that be a good one, to applaud or condemn him according to his accomplishment of it, or his failure. If it was Paley's object to give a view of our moral duties, and of the proofs of natural and revealed religion, nobody can justly find fault with his design. How far he has succeeded in the execution, we may judge by asking what prudent man, however great his abilities, would venture to run over the same ground of discussion that Paley has occupied? If our Author consulted preceding writers, it was not for the purpose of fraudulently enriching himself at their expense, but with a view to give his own work that perfection which theirs had not attained. If former productions of the kind had possessed due excellence, his would have been superfluous: for him to follow others over difficult topics without aiding himself by their labours, would have been a proud conceit, that must have precipitated him into error, and repaid his efforts with public neglect. We may estimate the value of his works by considering what would be our loss, if they were obliterated from the English language. How many, upon questions of casuistry that daily arise, would have had recourse to the "Light of Nature," the rays of which are dissipated over the surface of nine volumes! Would shallow sceptics have been patient enough to travel through Lardner's voluminous works, in order to satisfy their doubts, when the love of truth is not so deep, in most, as to carry them carefully to the end of Paley's compendious work? Would general readers have been content to pursue a detail of technical anatomy and physical phenomena, if the topics had not been illustrated and enlivened by our Author's masterly pen? In what we have said, we intend no injurious censure upon writers, from whom Paley has drawn much assistance. Persons of strong intellect, and patient industry, may find delight in Tucker. Lardner's work is a noble monument to the truth of our religion; and Ray and Derham in their days were ingenious writers, and are still sometimes useful to professional men. But the patience of ordinary readers is soon exhausted by delay, and they cannot submit to lose time in tedious research. They demand imperatively that truth be submitted to them in the clearest light, and most compendious bulk. This, Paley has done syste matically, in a beautiful series of investigation. As he has left us in private life an example that may animate the diligence and piety of every one in his profession; so he has bequeathed writings, in which all the intelligent part of his countrymen, without distinction of ranks and occupations, may see clearly unfolded the maxims of moral order, the sublime wonders of nature, the irrefragable truth and heavenly precepts of Revelation.

R. L

EVIDENCES

OF

CHRISTIANITY.

IN THREE PARTS.

BY

WILLIAM PALEY, D.D.

ARCHDEACON OF CARLISLE.

LONDON:

HENRY FISHER, SON, AND P. JACKSON,

38, NEWGATE STREET.

1828.

TO THE

HONOURABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND

JAMES YORK, D.D.

LORD BISHOP OF ELY.

MY LORD,

WHEN, five years ago, an important station in the University of Cambridge awaited your Lordship's disposal, you were pleased to offer it to me. The circumstances under which this offer was made, demand a public acknowledgment. I had never seen your Lordship; I possessed no connexion which could possibly recommend me to your favor; I was known to you, only by my endeavours, in common with many others, to discharge my duty as a tutor in the University; and by some very imperfect, but certainly wellintended, and, as you thought, useful publications since. In an age by no means wanting in examples of honourable patronage, although this deserve not to be mentioned in respect of the object of your Lordship's choice, it is inferior to none in the purity and disinterestedness of the motives which suggested it.

How the following work may be received, I pretend not to foretell. My first prayer concerning it is, that it may do good to many: my second hope, that it may assist,

what it hath always been my earnest wish to promote, the religious part of an academical education. If in this latter view it might seem, in any degree, to excuse your Lordship's judgment of its author, I shall be gratified by the reflection, that, to a kindness flowing from public principles, I have made the best public return in my power.

In the mean time, and in every event, I rejoice in the opportunity here afforded me, of testifying the sense I entertain of your Lordship's conduct, and of a notice which I regard as the most flattering distinction of my life.