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THE

REASONABLENESS

AND

CERTAINTY

OF THE

Christian Religion.

BY

ROBERT JENKIN,
Chaplain to the Right Honourable the EARL
of EXETER, and late Fellow of St. John's
College in Cambridge.

LONDON,
Printed for Peter Buck, at the Sign of the Tempis,
near the Inner-Temple-Gate, in Fleet-Street,
M DC XCVII.

TVIAT

ΤΟ

The Right Honourable,

JOHN

EARL of EXETER.

May it Please Your Lak pSHIP,

T

HE general Decay and Contempt of the Christian Religion amongst us, has made me think, that I could not better employ the Leifure, which, by Your Lordship's favour, I enjoy, than in using my best Endeavours to show the Excellency and the Certainty of it. And what I have done, is here humbly prefented to your Lordship, s of Right, and upon many Accounts, it ought to be.

A 2

The

The Honour and the Satisfaction which 1 have often had to hear Your Lordship Speak in the behalf of Religion and Vertue, encourage me to hope, that a Performance,

though but fuch obtain as this, upon that Sub

ject, may obtain your Acceptance. ↑ And the Name only of a Perfon of your LordAbip's Honour, and Learning, and Knowledge of the World, may perhaps be of more advantage to the Cause I undertake, than any thing I bave been able to

write.

Religion may feem, by Descent, and as it were, by Inheritance, to belong to Your Lordship's Care: The Wisdom and Piety of Your Great Ancestor appear to diftant Ages in the Reformation, which, through the Bleffing of God, was in fo great a measure, by His means, establish d in this Kingdom. And I have with joy often thought, that I could obferve the Spirit and Genius of my Lord TreaJurer BURGHLEY now exerting it felf more than ever in your Noble Family. From whence, methinks, we may prefage Hap

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piness to the Nation, and may yet expect to see a true fenfe of Religion revive, and may hope, that even in our days, Christianity, amang ft English men, fball be more than a Name, which is every where spoken againstʊodn donne of mudi

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An eminent Kertue is a Publick Good s There is a powerful and commanding Force in Great Examples, to countenance Kertue, and discourage Kice and Prov faneness to appear, a it is, base and contemptible in the World to degrade it, and thruft it down among the lower and untaught part of Mankind. Much is not to be expected from the Schools and from the Gown, under fuck. Contempt and Difcouragement. But the Great and the Honourable have it in their power to do great things; things worthy of Themselves, and for the advancement. of God's Glory Perfons of High Birth, and both by Nature and Education fitted for the Highest Undertakings, whofe Ver thes shall flourish with their Years, and add New Lustre to their Hereditary Ho->

nours,

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