INTRODUCTION. 



HE fubjed of this pan of my work is Man, the mofl: va- 

 rious, as well as the mofl: excellent Animal on this our earth 

 who, in the difTcrent ftates he pafles through in his wonderful pro- 

 grefs, is more different from himfelf, at leafl: with refped to his 

 Mind, or principal part, than any other Animal we know. That 

 fuch an Animal is a fit fubjed for Philofophy no body will 

 deny ; but it may be thought that he does not belong to Meta- 

 phyfics, or the Firfl: Philofophy, but to what is called Moral Philo- 

 fophy. It will, however, appear, from the fubjed of the laft Book 

 of this Volume, for the fake of which all the reft of it is written, that 

 the queftion there handled belongs to the moft abftruie Philofophy, 

 and is metaphyfical in the highefl degree.— In the preceding Volumes 

 of this work, I have inquired into the origin and continuation of Mo- 

 tion, without the knowledge of which, it is evident, there can be no 

 Philofophy of Nature. In this inquiry, I have argued, I hope,fuccefsful- 

 ly, againft the Materialifts, and have fhown that Motion can neither 

 be begun nor continued by any power in Matter, but by Mind only. 

 I have alfo, in the preceding Volumes, afferted the freedom of the 

 Human Will, and have fliown that it is determined by no material 

 neceffity, nor by any neceffity, except what is eflential to every 

 intelledual nature, and is confident v/ith the moft perfed freedom* 

 In this Volume, I propofe to inquire concerning the origin of Moral 

 Evil, and to fhow that it is not only of abfolute necellity in the fyftem 

 of the Univerfe, but perfedly reconcileable with the Providence of 

 an all-wife and all-good God. — The defign, at leaft, of fuch a work 

 however lamely it may be executed, will deferve the praife of the 

 "ivife and good among us. 



Vol. III. 



* Vol. I. lib. 2. cap. 2 1 



AU 



