1DYERTISEMENT. 231 I must acknowledge, I once hoped that the very answers which I had given to various objections in the first edition of this Treatise, would have resolved most of the difficulties which have been sinceobjected : But many of these answers have been utterly disregarded, and those very objections again repeated. Now that such a solution of the difficultiesmay not be over.. looked again, I have greatly enlarged the index, or table of contents, so that it reaches to almost every page, and points even an unwilling eye directly to those difficulties, and the solution of them. Yet to make the subject of this treatise still more plain and easy and defensible, I have in this edition here and there interspersed a few needful observations and remarks on this subject, either in the book itself, or in the margin; which I hope may be sufficient hints to solve any old or hew objec- tions, which areor may be proposed, and to guard the reader more effectu- ally from error and mistake in these important points. It is true, I have mentioned no names, d have cited no pages, - nor in all places have f used the Very wordsof the objectors, because I would not turn this pacific treatise into a. stage of controversy: Yet 1 hope I have given the full strength. of the objection, as, well as answered it with success. But the index is so large, and particular, as will sufficiently direct an enquiry to every objection and answer. Upon a review I have written much more than I designed, and am heartily sorrow that I cannot so distinguish the additions made to this second edition, as to have printed, them apart, for the service of those who are pos- sessed of the first: But since they lie so much scattered through many pages, I humbly hopemy friends will forgive this Wrong, and permit a book which hath beenassaulted, to receivea few explications and defences for the satis- 'thetion of the world, though they may not find their own particular interest consulted therein. I do notpretend to have touched upon every opposition which is made in this supplement, against the doctrine which I. have maintained, though' I am not conscious that I have omitted any one difficulty or objection of weight and moment, which I have met with in that book, and which has not been answered before. All lesser mattem I am content to leave to the unbiassed judgment of persons of common understanding and piety. Souls impressed with a due veneration for scripture, and with a deep sense of their own sin and misery, guilt and weakness in the sight of God, will not easily be per- suaded to twist and turn the expressions of the sacred writers from their most obvious and natural sense; nor will they hearken readily to those errors, which are contrary to their just experience, as well as to the dictates of the word of God. But if any thing further berequired for the confirmation and defence of the truth, I heartily recommend my reader toa late excellent " Vindication of the Scripture Doctrine of Original Sin." I confess indeed, it bath received the shew of a reply ; but all the world sees how very few of the arguments there used, have been everanswered or regarded, sò that most of them stand in their full force still : And I cheerfully leave this cause with - that learned and ingenious friend of mine who wrote it. I hope he will think it worth his while publicly to take farther noticeof this controversy: I am well assured lie is able to support this doctrine with solid force of argument ; and he an do it with candour too, where he is not irritated by " any unreasonable airs of infallibility and assurance, by sharp reproachesof sacred and important truth, and by feeble shadows and'colours of argument, which have been often baffled and confounded." These are the things which, as he expressly informed me, gave him so just a resent- ment, and provoked his pen to some severities against thebook which he opposed, and he professes also, this wasdoneni imitation of the author of it.
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