O F CRITICISM, TENDING то ILLUSTRATE SOME FEW PASSAGES IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES UPON PHILOSOPHICAL PRINCIPLES AND AN ENLARGED VIEW OF THINGS. Σφράγισον τὸ Βιβλίον ἕως καιρᾶ συντελείας, ἕως διδαχθῶσιν πολλοὶ, Seal the Book, even till the time of the completion; till many fall LONDON, PRINTED BY J. NICHOLS, RED LION PASSAGE, FLEET STREET; AND G. G. J. AND J. ROBINSON, PATER NOSTER ROW. MDCCLXXXVIII. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND THE LORD BISHOP OF LONDON. MY LORD, PARDON the Liberty I now take in addreffing this Work, to your LORDSHIP; notwithstanding I have the Honour of being fo much more acquainted with other excellent Perfons on your LORDSHIP'S Bench; and might either have availed myself of the Benefit of their Friendship: or have forborn to prefix any Dedication at all, on the present Occasion. But the very Truth is; that these Sheets were begun to be written, immediately after, and almost solely in Confequence of, a very defultory Converfation, the Summer before laft; in which your LORDSHIP was pleased to exprefs a Wish, that fome few Observations, I then chanced to make, on the true Rendering of the Greek Text, of fome Parts of Holy Scripture, should be further purfued, and be communicated to the Public. From that Hour I determined to put together in this Form, what had till then been concealed as a Subject merely of Meditation, in my own Breaft. And these Obfervations and Conclufions, are now, at last, on that Account, Dedicated to your LORDSHIP, with much fincere Refpect. The Ideas I had entertained, of the Vaftness of the Information contained in Sacred Writ, beyond what appears upon an ordinary Perufal, or from the Translations given in the Verfions in common Ufe; which had long made the ftrongest Impreffions upon my own Mind, in confequence of much Study and Reflection; may perhaps be fomewhat Useful to Others: and they are now, therefore, with real Pleasure, committed to the Patronage of One, whofe great Object it ever has been, to promote every good Work; and to forward whatsoever 7 may may tend to the Enlargement and Elevation of the human Soul. Least, however, there should chance, amongst these Obfervations, to be any fuch as your LORDSHIP may not entirely approve; I Think it my Duty to declare to the World, that by far the greater Part of the Contents of this Volume, were never once mentioned to your LORDSHIP: (the Hints flung out in that fhort Conversation, to which I refer, relating only to a very small Portion indeed :) and that I neither pretend to have, nor with for, your LORDSHIP'S Sanction, or that of any Perfon living, further than a Conviction arifing from the cleareft Evidence, and the Force of Truth, shall demand Affent. The fame Spirit of Enquiry, that led me to investigate Matters of Antiquity; and caufed me to venture into the World my Obfervations on Ancient Castles; and that has alfo induced me to investigate certain Subjects of Natural Hiftory, with unwearied Labour, for many Years; (the Refult of which, if my Life is fpared, I may perhaps fome time or other offer |