PROLEGOMENA. Xlll. 



tion of Certainty or Truth in Religion, prepara- 

 tory to giving an abstract of our Holy Religion 

 itself, but it is needless to enter largely into this 

 wide field, so often gone over before. Firstly, 

 because deep metaphysical disquisitions are not 

 understood by folks in general ; and second- 

 ly, because those who desire to enter Into 

 them either to remove doubts or to fortify them- 

 selves for controversy, may consult several able 

 works on this subject, to which I shall content 

 myself with making reference in the note inserted 

 below, which I request all metaphysical sceptics 

 to read attentively.* 



* Against the errors of the infidel David Hume, and the 

 atheists in general consult Essay on the lielalion of Cause and 

 Effect, by Lady Mary Shepherd, 8vo. London, 1824. 



Against the errors of Berkley and the Sceptics in general, 

 consult Essay on the Perception of an external Universe, by the 

 sanie, London, 12mo. 1827. 



Against the Atheistical and Sceptical Philosophers and 

 Heretics taken collectively, and against the validity of Individual 

 or Priv.ate Judgment, consult the magnificent work of Essai sur 

 V indifference en maticre de Religion, 4 vols. 8vo. Paris. Vol. 2, 

 by the Abbe De la Mennais, a work of profound acumen and 

 research . 



,^ The above works are unanswerable ; but Lady Mary, in her 

 second, has fallen into an error which I wish to correct,not because 

 the work is generally defective, but because it is generally so 

 effective and sound that one would wish to see an oversight cor- 

 rected in hereaftercoming editions. Lady Mary, afterhaving shown 

 that Christianity is conformable to sound logical argument, speaks 

 of the Catholic Religion as if it were one of the varieties, and 

 even slights some of its Doctrines ; whereas it is, in fact, the 

 parent of all the other varieties or heresies, which are defective 

 or spurious oftsprings, resulting from the errors of private judge- 

 ment — the Catholic Doctrine alone possessing the requisite 

 characters of Truth, as they are laid down and proved by De la 

 Mennais — that of having been the Truth or Belief of the learned 

 and acute and virtuous men of every age j— while heresies have 



