the reader is presented with the outlines of the lives of those eminent laymen, who have distinguished themselves by their zealous exertions in defence of the chriftian religion. The account commences foon after the important era of the reformation, when there was a general freedom of religious inquiry ;and many of the great men, who are the fubjects of these biographical sketches, lived at a time when the deifts exerted all the force of fophiftry and delufive reafoning, to overturn the facred edifice of revealed religion. The narrow limits of this work will not admit of giving a particular narration of the various incidents of their lives, or a difcriminating characteristic of their peculiar virtues and defects. The principal object is to exhibit one prominent trait, by which they were distinguished, namely, their full coviction of the truth of christianity; notwithftanding they might differ widely from each other in their view of particular doctrines,

they were all fully agreed in this important point.

Though these sketches are principally defigned to bring into view those eminent laymen, who have written in defence of the christian religion, a number of others are inferted, who have been celebrated for their attachment to the caufe of christianity, their fuperiour abilities, or uncommon benevolence. A larger number of others might doubtlefs be found equally deferving a place in this felection; but the brevity of the work, and the difficulty of procuring fuitable materials, must form an apology for this omiffion.

In order to prevent any mifreprefentation of the design of this compilation, it may be proper to inform the reader, that these great names, and the teftimonies they have given of their firm belief of the truth of chriftianity, are not adduced to justify a reliance upon human authority, to establish the divinity of the chriftian fyftem, but the evidences of revealed religion are ftill fubmitted to, and boldly challenge, the ftri&teft fcrutiny, by the known and established rules of right reafon. Unbelievers," fays a celebrated writer, attempt to make profelytes to infidelity, by

preffing upon the minds of the unlearned in fcripture knowledge, the authorities of Voltaire, Bolingbroke, Hume, and other deistical writers. It is proper that young perfons should be furnished with a ready answer to the arguments in favour of infidelity, from the high literary character of those who profess it." For, befides the strong evidence for the christian religion, there is probably a balance in its favour, from the number of great men who have been convinced of its truth, after a serious examination of the fubject.

Whilft genius and learning have often been perverted, to ferve the cause of vice and infidelity, it must afford exalted pleasure to every serious believer in the christian religion, to see men of the greatest natural and acquired abilities, devoting their fuperiour talents to the defence of the facred truths revealed in the scriptures. They may well a dopt the following beautiful lines of Cowper on this occafion.

"Philofophy baptiz'd

In the pure fountain of eternal love,

Has eyes indeed; and viewing all the fees,
As meant to indicate a God to man,

Gives him the praise and forfeits not her own. Learning hath borne such fruit in other days On all her branches; piety has found

Friends in the friends of fcience; and true pray'r
Has follow'd from lips wet with Caftalian dews.
Such was thy wisdom, Newton, childlike fage!
Sagacious reader of the works of God,

And in his word fagacious. Such too thine,
Milton, whose genius had angelic wings,
And fed on manna! And fuch thine in whom
Our British theme is gloried with just cause,
Immortal Hale! for deep discernment prais'd,
And found integrity, not more than fam'd
For fanctity of manners undefil'd."

Cowper's TASK