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INTRODUCTION.

IT is now more than three years since the first publication of The Calvinistic and Socinian Systems examined and compared, as to their Moral Tendency. Dr. Toulmin expresses some regret, that, at the time he wrote, nothing had appeared in answer to it; and seems disposed to account for this circumstance in a way that may acquit his cause of seeming to be indefensible. Addressing himself to me, he says, "No one can doubt, that the gentleman, on passages in whose writings many of your reflections are grounded, are every way equal to the contest, if they saw fit to enter the lists with you. As they have not done it, I presume they think it sufficient to leave the candid reader to judge between you and them." (p. 2.)

That these gentlemen, so far as abilities are concerned, are equal to this contest, there can, indeed, be no doubt: but, whether they be every way equal to it, is another question. It is beyond the power of any man to convert truth into falsehood, or falsehood into truth; and their silence may, for any thing Dr. Toulmin can prove, be owing to the difficulty of the undertaking. One thing is rather remarkable though Dr. Toulmin has undertaken a defence of Socinianism, yet he has cautiously avoided a vindication of the writings of those gentlemen, on which I had animadverted. Such a conduct could not have been pursued by them: if they had written, they must have entered on a defence of their writings, or have given them up as indefensible.

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Dr. Toulmin informs us, that, for his own part, "it was but lately that the piece fell in his way, so as to find him at leisure to read it." (p. 1.) This, undoubtedly, is a sufficient apology, so far as it respects himself; and if he or his colleague, Mr. Kentish, have but overturned the substance of the piece against which they have written, time and other circumstances are of small account. If the

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