The A U T H O R% PREFACE. 



us of earthly things ', how Jhall we believe when he /peaks to us of 

 heavenly things? 



I am therefore inclined to think, that neither I nor my bre- 

 thren tranfgrefs the bounds of our minifterial office, by invefti- 

 gating and exhibiting natural truths concerning the works of 

 God,- which, like his word, are Jehova's. I am rather of opinion, 

 that a fupercilious neglect of fuch truths, in this critical age, is 

 one of the caufes of that contempt, with which the Freethinkers, 

 as they arrogantly ftile themfelves, look on the minifterial func- 

 tion. 



If phy&al knowlege be not, like godlinefs, profitable to all 

 things^ yet it is fo to many, and in a certain degree to moft 

 things. A civilian, in order to a jufl folution of a point in law, 

 muft previouily have a competent intelligence of the fad; * and 

 this is not always to be had from a formal depofition, which is 

 frequently contradicted by others of equal authority; but in many 

 cafes, he may be coniiderably aflifted by a perfed infight into 

 the connexions of nature, which will teach him to reject impoffi- 

 bilities, which others would obtrude upon him for certainties 

 and not to attribute to any caufe, however plauilbly alledged, 

 what may much more reafonably be fuppofed the effect of fome 

 other caufe, though unknown. 



The utility, I mould fay the abfolute neceiilty of this fcience 

 to medicine, needs no tedious proof, the alliance between natural 

 philofophy and medicine being univerfally known, and the whole 

 materia medica being properly res phyfica. This is fufliciently 

 confirmed by our eminent phyficians, Wormius, Bartholin, and 

 Borrichius, who were alfo confummate naturalifts. But my more 

 immediate aim, is to reprefent the advantages of natural know- 

 lege to thofe who apply themfelves to theological ftudies, with a 

 view of directing others in the way to falvation. The firft know- 

 lege requifite in them, is the knowlege of human nature; for 

 grace and nature are the two great objects, which it is incumbent 



* See an ingenious piece in the Hamburg magazine, under the title of Arguments 

 on the ufefulnels of natural philofophy in the ftudy of the law, Vol, iv. p. 27. 



Part I. b upon 



