COLLEGE LIRPARY REASONABLENESS AND CERTAINTY OF THE Chriftian Religion. VOL. I. By ROBERT JENKIN, D. D. Lady The FOURTH EDITION, Corrected, and very LONDON: Printed by W. B. for RICHARD SARE at Grays-Inn-Gate in Holborn. 1715. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN EARL of EXETER. May it please Your LORDSHIP, HE general Decay and Contempt of the Chriftian Religion amongst us, has made me think, that I could not better employ the Leifure, which, by Your LordЛhip's Favour, I enjoy, than in ufing my best Endeavours to fhew the Excellency and the Certainty of it. And what I have done, is here humbly prefented to Your Lordship, as of Right, and upon many Accounts, it ought to be. A 2 The 78923 The Honour and the Satisfaction which I have often had to hear Your Lordship Speak in the behalf of Religion and Vertue, encourage me to hope, that a Performance, though but fuch as this, upon that Subject, may obtain Your Acceptance. And the Name only of a Perfon of Your Lordship's Hoand Learning, and Knowledge of the World, may perhaps be of more advantage to the Cause I undertake, than any thing I have been able to write. nour, Religion may feem, by Defcent, and as it were, by Inheritance, to belong to Your Lordship's Care: The Wisdom and Piety of Your Great Anceftor, appear to diftant Ages in the Reformation, which, through the Bleffing of God, was in fo great a meafure, by His means, establish'd this Kingdom. And I have with joy often thought, that I could obferve the Spirit and Genius of my Lord Treasurer BURGHLEY now exerting it self more than ever in Your Noble Family. From whence, methinks, we may prefage Happiness to the Nation, and may yet expect to fee a true fenfe of Re Religion revive, and may hope, that even in our days, Chriftianity, amongst Englishmen, fhall be more than a Name, which is every where spoken against. An eminent Vertue is a Publick Good: There is a powerful and commanding Force in Great Examples, to countenance Vertue and difcourage Vice and Profaneness; to make Irreligion appear, as it is, bafe and contemptible in the World; to degrade it, and thrust it down among the lower and untaught part of Mankind. Much is not to be expected from the Schools and from the Gown, under fuch Contempt and Dif couragement. But the Great and the Honourable have it in their power to do great things; things worthy of Themfelves, and for the advancement of God's Glory. PerSons of High Birth, and both by Nature and Education fitted for the Highest Undertakings, whofe Vertues fball flourish with their Years, and add New Luftre to their Hereditary Honours, may yet regain a due efteem to Religion, and adorn the Gofpel of Chrift. This is a proper Object A 3 for |