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Speaking the Truth in Love. Ephef. iv. 15.

LONDON:

Printed for T. LONGMAN and T. SHEWEL in
Paternofter-Row, and J. BRACKSTONE in Cornbill.
M. DCC. XLV.

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THE

PREFACE.

LMOST every one of these

Alays was written above

twenty Years ago, and fome of them more than thirty. The Author finds reafon to offer his fincere Acknowledgments and Thanks to Almighty God, who has preferved him, even to this Day, in the fame Sentiments and Principles of Chriftian Faith and Love, amidft the numerous Follies and Errors of the Times.

One of these Papers indeed, found its way into the World the very Year in which it was written; the very Defign

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Defign of it was to exemplify the Title of this Book, and it has been often fince follicited to be printed again: But it was delay'd for many Years, till the Author had formed a Collection of Papers of this Sort large enough to compose a moderate Volume; and the Reader will be fufficiently informed of the present Reafon of this Publication, by a mere explaining of the Words of the Title, Orthodoxy and Charity united.

By the Word Orthodoxy, the Author means all thofe Chriftian Doctrines which were generally approved in the last Age, fo far as he knows at least, by almost all the Proteftant Diffenters in the Nation; even those great Doctrines on which the Refor mation from the Church of Rome was built; and they continued fo all the time thefe Ellays were writing, and long before, in the general good Efteem of the Churches, as being con

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formable to the Inftructions of Chrift and his Apostles. It is needlefs in this Place to reckon them all up particularly, but in general they were fuch as thefe.

1. By the Fall of the first Man, he, together with his Pofterity, loft their Innocence and their Immortality, their Bodies were fubjected to Diseases and Death, their natural Inclinations were perverted from that which is good, and there was a strange prevailing Biafs in human Nature, even from its Infancy, to that which is Evil.

2. In order to their Recovery from this Ruin, there is not only a Neceffity of the Pardon of their Sins, and Reconciliation of their Perfons to God, but there is need alfo that their finful Natures be healed, and renewed by fanctifying Grace, in order to restore Men to Virtue and Piety, i. e. to the Love of God and their FellowCreatures.

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