Alciphron, Or The Minute Philosopher

A

ADVERTISEMENT.

THE

HE Author's defign being to confider the freethinker in the various lights of atheift, libertine, enthusiaft, scorner, critic, metaphyfician, fatalist, and sceptic, it must not therefore be imagined, that every one of these characters agrees with every individual free-thinker, no more being implied, than that each part agrees with fome or other of the sect. There may poffibly be a reader who fhall think the character of atheist agrees with none: But though it hath been often faid, there is no such thing as a fpeculative atheift; yet we muft allow, there are several atheists who pretend to fpeculation. This the author knows to be true; and is well affured, that one of the most noted writers against christianity in our times, declared he had found out a demonstration against the being of a God. And he doubts not, whoever will be at the pains to inform himself, by a general converfation, as well as books, of the principles and tenets of our modern free-thinkers, will fee too much cause to be perfuaded that nothing in the enfuing characters is beyond the life.

As the author hath not confined himself to write against books alone, so he thinks it neceffary to make this declaration. It must not therefore be thought, that authors are mifreprefented, if every notion of Alciphron or Lyficles

is not found precisely in them. A gentleman, in private conference, may be supposed to speak plainer than others write, to improve on their hints, and draw conclufions from their principles.

Whatever they pretend, it is the author's opinion, that all those who write either explicitly or by infinuation against the dignity, freedom, and immortality of the human foul, may so far forth be justly said to unhinge the principles of morality, and destroy the means of making men reasonably virtuous. Much is to be apprehended from that quarter against the interefts of virtue. Whether the apprehenfion of a certain admired writer,* that the cause of virtue is likely to fuffer lefs from its witty antagonifts, than from its tender nurfes, who are apt to overlay it, and kill it with excefs of care and cherishing, and make it a mercenary thing by talking fo much of its rewards: whether, I fay, this apprehenfion be fo well founded, the reader may determine.

Libros