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F I refer it; so that, in many cases, a mistake of this kind will not affect my object. Some will think that I have done wrong in ascribing the Philofophumena to Origen ; and in quoting the treatise against Noetus, as if it was the work of Hippolytus, though in this Beaufobre has done the same before me. But the former I really think bears the marks of an age as early as that of Origen, and the latter I have not quoted for any purpose in which either the writer, or the exact date of the work, is concerned.

I must also apprize my readers of another circumstance relating to my references, which is, that they will often find evidence as strongly in favour of any particuiar proposition under some other head, as that which they will see in the place where they will most naturally look for it. But having, as I imagined, a superfluity of evidence for every thing that I have ad. vanced, rather than tire the reader with a multiplicity of quotations of one kind, in any one place, I contrived to intro

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duce feveral of them under other heads, to which they likewife bore a relation. As to thofe perfons, therefore, who are not fatisfied with what I judge to be fufficient evidence, on any article, I would wish them to fufpend their judgment till they have perufed the whole work; as it is very poffible that they may be more ftruck with those authorities which they will find in fome other place.

To give as much perfpicuity as I poffibly could to fo complex a subject, I have given particular attention to the arrangement of this work. For this purpose I have made many divifions and fub-divifions in it. On this account it was not easy to prevent the occurrence of the fame confiderations in different places, and I took the lefs

to avoid it, because the views of things that are repeated are of particular importance, though never that I know of exhibited before, fo that I wished to imprefs them on the mind of the reader.

Before

Before I close this preface, I must apprize my readers, that I have introduced into this work, every thing of which I could make any use from any of the publications in my late controversy, as I there informed them that I should do. They have, therefore, before them all that I have been able to bring together, as materials from which to form their own judgment. And having done my duty with respect to them, let them do the same with respect to truth, and to themselves.

THE

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