left to every one's Judgment, how far he has Occafion, within his own Cure, for fuch • Affiftances as thefe, to co-operate with his own Paftoral Labours.

I AM not without Hope, that when this Method of doing Service to Religion is known and confider'd, Perfons who are of Ability, both among the Clergy and Laity, will be difpofed to become Subfcribing Members, or occafional Contributors, for the bet< ter Support of the Society in carrying on the Work, and to make the good Effects of it more and more extensive. And fo commending you, and your Labours, to the Bleffing of God, I remain,

SIR,

Your faithful Friend and Brother,

EDM. LONDON.

N. B. This Book, and the Bishop of Sodor and Man's plain Account of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, may be had by all the Correfponding as well as Subfcribing Members, upon the Terms of the Society for promoteing Christian Knowlege, who meet every Tuesday, at their Houfe, in Bartlett's Buildings, Holborn.

THE

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

F the following Effay doth in any measure anfwer its Title and Defign, the Reader muft know, that it was, through the divine Direction and Bleffing, owing to a fhort, but very entertaining Converfation, which the. Author, and fome other Gentlemen, had with the Honourable General Oglethorpe, concerning the Condition, Temper, and Genius of the Indians in the Neighbourhood of Georgia, and thofe Parts of America; who, as he affured us, are a tractable People, and more capable of being civilized, and of receiving the Truths of Religion, than we are generally made to believe; if fome Hindrances were removed, and proper Measures taken to awaken in them a Sense of their true Intereft, and of their unhappy Condition, while they continue in their prefent State.

And though this may be thought a very difficult Work, yet God, who would have all Men to be faved, and to come to the Truth, as it is in Jefus, hath, purfuant to his gracious Defign, made all Men capable of receiving fuch a Measure of Chriftian Knowledge, as will be fufficient for their Salvation.

Accordingly, fome Inftances may be given of Heathens in the darkest Corners of the Earth, who have, even at this Day, been awaken'd

and

and converted, by the Bleffing of God upon the Labours and Converfation of fome very moderately learned, but pious Perfons. These honeft and well-meaning Chriftians, by their good Examples and Patience in explaining the great Truths of the Gofpel, have engag'd Men of very brutish Paffions, and fuch as before, were fuppofed to be of an unconquerable Ignorance, not only to acknowlege the true God, and his Son our Lord Jefus Chrift but alfo join with them in endeavour ing to convince and convert others. And how this Grain of Muftard-feed may grow, and increase, and fpread, God only knows:-But bleffed are they that have fown it!

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As to this Performance, the Author will fay little in its Defence; it is called an Effay only; and, indeed, it was finish'd amidst other Bufinefs of Moment, which hath occafioned fo many Defects in it, that he has been sometimes ready almost to wifh it had not gone abroad. But he hopes thefe Defects may fet fome better Hands at work, to perfect what hath here been attempted. And if even that Good be done by it, the Author will be very thankful to God, for having enabled him, in any measure, to promote a Work of fuch Importance, as is the Salvation of Souls, which Jefus Chrift hath purchafed with his moft precious Blood.

There have been, 'tis true, many excellent Books published, which gave a larger and morė learned Account of the Chriftian Religion: But then fome of these have been written in a Style above the Capacity of the lefs Learned; and others mixed with Controverfies, improper for fuch a Work, as being too apt to distract the Minds of both Teachers and Learners, and to divert them from attending to the great and faving Truths of Christianity,

It

It will easily be feen, that the Author's Design doth not lie this way; he has taken what care he could, to give no Offence to any ferious Chriftian, who may have different Sentiments from himself; and to express his Thoughts in Terms fuited to the meaneft Capacity.And, indeed, he hath failed of his Purpofe, if the Truths, here recommended, have not been made plain even to the Understanding of an Indian, who fhall be defirous to learn the things that concern his immortal Soul, and is difpofed for eternal Life.

His chief Aim was to follow the Example of our great Mafter, by giving Inftructions fuitable to the prefent Neceffity and Strength of fuch as were to receive them.

And if this fhort and plain Attempt may but ferve for a fort of Index, or Common-place, of the Heads that are proper to be infifted on, and which may be more largely explained, it is to be hoped it will be of fome Advantage to fuch Miffionaries, or others, who fhall think fit to confult it.

Had this Effay been intended for the fole Ufe of Heathens, many Things might have been omitted: But when one fees, even amongft the Profeffors of Christianity, of almost all Denominations, too many, who, with refpect either to Knowlege or Practice, are not much better than Heathens,--who understand not why they are called Christians, or what Need they have of a Saviour; but, as the • Apostle describes the then Pagan World, are without Christ, expecting no Benefits from his Sacri⚫fice, and therefore without Hope, and without God in the World:Upon this mournful Confideration, "it was thought proper to add many Things, which, through the Bleffing of God, might be of Ufe to ⚫ awaken fuch miferable and unthoughtful People."

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With refpect to the Manner of the Performance; As the HOLY SPIRIT, by, Mofes, did not begin the Hiftory of the Creation, nor St. Paul the Converfion of the Gentiles, with Proofs of the Being of God, fuppofing, that every Man, who had the Ufe of Reason, would acknowlege, that there muft of Neceffity be fuch a Being;it was not thought neceffary nor convenient to begin these Inftructions with fuch Proofs, which might confound, and have often stagger'd, the Faith of fimple Men.

There may be in the Chriftian World Atheists, at leaft fuch as would with there were no God, to punish them for their wicked Lives:But we have no certain Account, that there are any fuch amongst the Heathens: The very Hottentots, who are fuppofed to be the dulleft of Mankind, even these, as we have been informed by thofe who have been amongst them, do very naturally appeal to One who is above those who injuriously treat them.And we have been lately told, that fome of these very People have been awaken'd and converted to the Chriftian Faith..

The Proofs of the Chriftian Religion, made ufe of in this Eflay, are not founded upon fuch Arguments as are above the Capacities and Reasonings of plain and unlearned People,but upon what they know and feel within themselves;-Upon the Corruption of human Nature;-Their Proneness to Evil;The Fears that attend fuch a fad State; And upon the Experience of their own utter Inability to deliver themfelves out of this State of Bondage Arguments which every thoughtful Man, though never fo unlearn'd, if awaken'd, feels the Force of.

And fuch Convictions as these will very naturally lead Men to defire, and confequently close

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