_I have not much to say of this Poem, before I leave it to the_ Mercy _of the Reader. There's no need of looking far into it, to find out that the direct_ Design _of a great part of it, is to Serve the_ Cause of Religion _and_ Virtue; _tho' 'twas necessary for that End to dispose the_ whole _in such a manner as might be agreeable to the_ Tast _of the present Age, and of those who usually give such sort of Books the_ Reading. _If there be any Thoughts in it relating to_ Poetry, _that either are not known to_ all Persons, _or are tolerably_ ranged _and_ expressed, _the Reader is welcome to 'em for_ Over-weight: _If there are too few of these, I yet hope the Pardon of all_ candid Judges, _because I've done the best I cou'd on this_ Argument. _I can't be angry with any Person for ranking me amongst the_ Ogylbys; _my Quarrel is with these that rank themselves amongst_ Atheists, _and impudently defend and propagate that_ ridiculous _Opinion of the_ Eternity of the World, _and a fatal_ invincible Chain of Things, _which, it seems, is now most commonly made use of to destroy the_ Faith, _as our_ lewd Plays _are to corrupt the_ Morals _of the_ Nation: _An Opinion, big with more_ Absurdities _than_ Transubstantiation _it self, and of far more_ fatal Consequence, _if receiv'd and believ'd: For besides its extremely weakening, if not destroying, the_ Belief _of the_ Being _and_ Providence of God, _it utterly takes away any sort of_ Freedom _in_ Humane Actions, _reduces Mankind beneath the_ Brute Creation; _perfectly_ excuses _the greatest_ Villanies _in_ this World, _and entirely vacates all_ Retribution _hereafter. One wou'd wonder with what Face or Conscience such a_ Sett _of Men shou'd hope to be treated by the Rules of_ Civility, _when they themselves break through those of_ Society, _and_ common Humanity: _How they can expect any fairer_ Quarter _than_ Wolves _or_ Tygers; _or what Reason they can give why a_ Price _should not be sett upon their_ Heads, _as well as on the_ Others; _or at least why they should not be securely_ hamper'd _and_ muzzled, _and led about for a_ Sight, _like other_ Monsters. _'Tis the fatal and spreading_ Poyson _of these Mens_ Examples _and_ Principles _which has extorted these_ warm Expressions _from me; I cannot with_ Patience _see my_ Countrey ruin'd _by the prodigious increase of_ Infidelity _and_ Immorality, _nor forbear crying out with some_ Vehemence, _when I am giving Warning to all honest Men to stand up in the_ Defence _of it, when it is in greater and more eminent danger than it wou'd have been formerly, if the_ Spanish Armada _had made a Descent amongst us: I don't speak of these things by distant_ Hear-say, _or only from our publick_ Prints, _but from my own_ Knowledg _and little_ Acquaintance _in the World, and therefore others must have observ'd much more, and cannot but fear, that if things go on as they now are, without a greater_ Check, _and more_ severe Laws _against these wide and contagious_