Produced by Keith G. Richardson Free _and_ Impartial THOUGHTS, ON THE Sovereignty _of_ God, THE DOCTRINES OF Election, Reprobation, AND Original Sin: Humbly Addressed To all who Believe and Profess those DOCTRINES. The Second Edition, Corrected and Enlarged. _LONDON:_ Printed for J. ROBINSON, at the _Golden-Lion_, in _Ludgate-Street._ M.DCC.XLV. THE PREFACE _I Cannot find, upon the most impartial Retrospection of the Argument, any Reason to alter my Sentiments concerning it; and as it is a Matter of the greatest Importance, 'tis hoped that those who maintain the Doctrines of_ Election, &_c. will afford it all the Weight and Consideration it deserves. But, if there be any among them, who will hear no Reason or Argument whatever, and are_ sure, only because they are sure, _I Have_ little _or_ no Hopes _to prevail with them, to give me a fair Hearing, or to think_ candidly _and_ impartially _about it. But as there are among them, some, who no doubt will allow the_ Possibility _of their being in an Error; to all such I address my self, and beseech them, as much as possible to lay aside Prejudice and Partiality; wisely considering, that many of their Fore-fathers maintained some erroneous Doctrines, with as much Zeal, and Integrity, as they their Descendants now do the Doctrines of_ Election, &_c. and yet saw Occasion to renounce them afterwards._ _There is Reason to fear, the just Liberty I have taken with the_ Doctrines of Election, &_c. may, by some, be deem'd Blasphemy against_ God _himself; but I am far from intending any such thing. These Doctrines (I think) on the contrary, are_ in them selves _nothing better than_ blasphemous, _tho' the Intentions of some who maintain them, be ever so devout and sincere: And if an Impeachment of Doctrines, which, instead of preserving_ God's Moral Character, _robs him of all that is dear and valuable, or that can render him lovely and adorable to Man, be accounted_ Blasphemy, _the Ignorance and Bigotry of those, who judge after that Manner, ought much to be lamented. It is a melancholy Truth, that where Prejudice, in favour of false Principles, has had early and frequent Access to the Mind, it too often shuts the Ear against Reason and Truth; and 'tis very hard to persuade such People to enter at all, and much less impartially, into the Merits of an Argument advanced against them; nor indeed is the Liberty of Thought on_ Religious Subjects, duly inculcated _in Religious Assemblies: For, the_ Teachers of Christianity, _tho' they are seldom averse to give us the Compliment of a_ just Liberty of thinking for ourselves, _are but too apt_ to set the Terrors of the Lord in array against Unbelievers; _tho' perhaps_ their Dissent _may sometimes be only the_ innocent Effect, _of the best Examination they are able to make. And if there be any thing worthy of Notice, in what I have advanced, I hereby intreat all, into whose Hands this Treatise may come, not to be terrified,