X PREFA'CETOTttE 



To Tome perfens, who, I muft obferve, have rather 

 more zeal than knowledge, ftudies fuch as thefe iray 

 appear rather inconfiftent with the clerical profeffion 

 and the fcicoce of theology, afcience cxtenfive enough, 

 I confefs, to occupy the life of a man. I might reply 

 by a fimple fact, that / ne-v.er yet have been enabled to 

 v$%> by tbt exft'cife of my fro/cffion^ a livelihood for myjelf 

 tnd family ; and it muft appear a hard cafe to confine 

 fhc whole attention of any man to what will not furnifh 

 him with the neceflaries of life ; yet the great bulk of 

 my previous publications (without excepting my 

 Effays) have been in the direct line of my profcffion. 

 1 do not, however, reft my apology upon this argument, 

 but I muft fay, that in publifhing the prefent work, J 

 believe I am not lefs efTentially ferving the caufe of 

 religion, than if I had been employed in compiling 

 a treatife of divinity. Next to the ftudy of the fcrip- 

 tures, there is none which fcems to lead the human 

 mind fo directly to a knowledge of its Creator, as the 

 ftudy of nature. In an age therefore when atheifm is 

 publicly profeffed by fome, and privately but fcduloufly 

 .difieminated by others, I cannot but hope that a work 

 like the prefent may have fome good effects ; and % 

 though I have not, like an eminent philofopher of the 

 clerical profefiion, termed it a phyfico- theology, the 

 reader will perceive that this application of v the hiftory 

 of nature has not been forgotten. 



As I have no great caufe to be intoxicated with my 

 fucccfs in life , and as I am verging upon that period 

 when man has little to hope or fear in this world, I feel 

 that it is no affectation to fay, I am not extremely fo- 

 licitous for literary fame ; yet I will not difiemble, that 

 I would, if poffible, deprecate on the prcfent occafion 

 the feverity of criticifm, both becaufe I would wifh 

 my publimer to be indemnified, fince my very limited 

 means will net admit of publifhing on my own account ; 

 and becaufe I would not wifh thqfe friends who have 

 generoufiy afforded me affiftance in the prefent work, 

 to fuffer any uneafinefs from the harfhnefs of cenfure, 

 6 or 



