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THE

REASONABLENESS

AND

CERTAINTY

OF THE

Christian Religion.

BY

ROBERT JENKIN,

Chaplain to the Right Honourable the EARL
of EXETER, and late Fellow of St. John's
College in Cambridge.

STADT

LONDON,

Printed for Peter Buck, at the Sign of the Temple,
ear the Inner-Temple-Gate, in Fleet-Street,

M DC XCVIII.

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May it Please Your LORDSHIP,

T

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 Lordship's favour, enjoy, than in ufing my beft Endeavours to fbew the Excellency and the Certainty of it. And what I have done, is bere humbly prefented to your Lordship, as of Right, and upon many Accounts, it ought to be.

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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 Honour, and Learning, and Knowledge of the World, may perhaps be of more advantage to the Caufe I undertake, than any thing I have been able to

write.

Religion may feem, by Descent, 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 measure, by His means, establish'd in this Kingdom. And have with joy often thought, that I could obferve the Spirit and Genius of my Lord Trea furer BURGHLEY now exerting it self more than ever in your Noble Family. From whence, methinks, we may prefage Hap

piness to the Nation, and may yet expect: to see a true fenfe of Religion revive, and may hope, that even in our days, Christianity, among ft English-men, 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 Difcouragement. 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 Perfons of High Birth, and both by Nature and Education fitted for the Highest Undertakings, whofe Verthes fhall flourish with their Tears, and add New Luftre to their Hereditary Ho

nours,

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