A
SHORT ADVERTISEMENT
TO THE
READER.
Courteous Reader,
You may be surprised to meet with such an abstruse theme (handled in specie by few or none), from the pen of a person in my circumstances, lying at a great distance from the Universities and centre of the kingdom, and consequently may be justly supposed to want that ordinary help of books and conference with the learned, that others may enjoy.
In the first place, believe that I am so far from affecting vain singularity, (a hateful vice in the schools as well as the pulpit), that nothing of that kind moved me to treat of the subject of the following Discourses. But for my own satisfaction I drew up the following heads, and did not resolve at the first to expose them to public view, (justly fearing the censure of presumption); but I was, by the persuasion of some serious friends, prevailed with to commit myself to the favourable judgment of the learned, (who might sooner commend my endeavours than censure my failings), rather than suppress such a fine subject, which probably might be more fully and largely treated of by others after the perusal of this Discourse. Take this pamphlet then in the rude dress that I could give; at least it may excite thy thoughts, if not to approve of what is here deduced, yet to propone of thine own a more satisfying method of explaining this remarkable phenomenon, which is the genuine design and wish of,
Sir,
Your humble servant,
The Author.