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want of due Warning, or defenfive Arms, is the Intent of this Undertaking; and as I cannot pretend to extract all that can be faid upon this Head, fo my only Aim is, to furnish meaner Capacities with fuch familiar Arguments, as every judicious Chriftian ought to have at Hand, and which may be enough to guard their Reason, and baffle the Attempts of Jefuitical Affailants..

'Tis confidered, that tho' what this chiefly contains is already in Print; yet every Man's Purfe will not allow him to buy, nor his Time permit him to read, nor perhaps his Understanding reach to comprehend large and elaborate Treatifes This Method is therefore chofen, as moft likely to fall into the Hands of People of a middle Rank, and who have fome Times Leifure to read fuch fhort Tracts,and more agrecable to their Circumftances, who have more: need of fuch Affiftances; and if any A 5 thall

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fhall receive Benefit thereby, I defire them to give God all the Glory, and then I fhall think my felf abundantly recompenfed for my Pains in collecting it.

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DEFENCE, &c.

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T has been a Complaint, even from the Times of the Patriarchs and Prophets, and confirmed by the Writings and Testimon es of every Age, that Truth has met with many Enemies and Slanderers, because she was not known. At the firft opening of the Gospel by our Lord himself, the Jews try'd various Methods to hinder the Success of his Preaching. They firft derid di bim as a Man of no Family, or Fortune, as one whose Education and Circumftances could promife little. And when these were found infufficient, and He yet was confelfed to "Speak as never Man ipake;" They then ac-, cufed Him of Immorality, of being "A Friend to Pub"licans and Sinners;' and at the last they went fo high, as even to brand Him with Blafphemy and Impiety it felf.

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The Men of God who first embrac'd the Truth' of the Gospel, and were contented to be called Chriftians, every where met with the like Adverfaries, there be-ing no other Way of affrightning the People from ep-bracing the Truth, and following the Son of Gods but: by disfiguring Him and His Followers to the Multitude. But this did not weaken the Force of their Divine Pre-cepts. On the contrary, fuch Influence had they on the

Mindss

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