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THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND

CHARLES JAMES

LORD BISHOP OF LONDON,

THE FOLLOWING LECTURES

ARE

WITH HIS LORDSHIP'S PERMISSION

MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED,

BY

THE AUTHOR.

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PREFACE.

LITTLE need be said by the Author on the present occasion, after the observations made in submitting the former volume of this work to the public eye. His object has still been to unite the internal with the external Evidences, and to impress them upon the hearts and consciences of men.

It is with no affected diffidence, however, that he has ventured to appear at all in such a cause as the Christian Religion, the dignity and importance of which are best appreciated by those who have most maturely considered so great a question. If he shall only have

so far succeeded as to stimulate others to pursue a line of argument which has been but little attended to, compared with its real magnitude, it will be no small satisfaction to his mind.

The Author enumerated, in the preface to the former volume, the writers whom he had chiefly consulted in that division of the course. Many of these have continued to furnish him with material assistance in the present. He needs scarcely mention other well-known productions which he has called in to his aid, on the subjects connected with the internal Evidences. Baxter, Bennet, Dewar, Doddridge, Dwight, Jonathan Edwards, Fuller, S. Jenyns, Bishop Law, Archbishop, Newcombe, Miller, Scott, John Scott, Owen, Simpson, Skelton, Bishop J. Taylor, Wilberforce, are names familiar to the theological student. To those he would add, the Lord Bacon, for the extraordinary thoughts which he has borrowed from that great master of

reason.

The principal new works which have fallen

under his notice since the publication of the former volume, are those of the present Bishops of London and Winchester, and the late Bishop of Calcutta,-whose treatise1 is full of important matter, and seems far less known than it deserves-Messrs. Bowdler, Dr. T. Brown, Channing, Dick, Gerard, Hampden, E. G. Marsh, Taylor, Sheppard, Shuttleworth, Pye Smith, &c.

To these names he has peculiar satisfaction in adding that of an American writer of singular talent, with a good deal of the mind of our Bishop Butler, Mr. Verplanck, whose work abounds with deep and original thoughts."

In foreign divinity, the writings of Pascal have supplied him again with valuable matter. Nor can he avoid mentioning the production of M. Frassynous; which, abating some parts where the corruptions of his church have affected the strength of the argument, deserves to rank amongst the first works of the day.

2

'Dr. James' Semi-sceptic.

A reprint has not yet been made of this masterly work. * Défense du Christianisme,

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