One Reason indeed why I have been so long ere I publish'd _this_, is pure Respect to the Civil Powers, whom I am oblig'd, as a Christian, to honour and reverence, so far as may be, without Disobedience to God. Had I hastily, and as soon almost as _Sentence_ was pass'd on me, publish'd _this_, some might have interpreted it, as an Act of Defiance and Contempt of the Civil Authority, (for there are not wanting those who will put the worst Construction they can on my Conduct;) therefore I forbore for a while: And now that I appear again from the _Press_, it is not without professing a profound Veneration for our Civil Magistracy, who, I am sure, will never think the worse of a Man for vindicating his own Innocency, or for writing in a Cause that, in his Conscience, he is persuaded is most just and good. Another Reason why I committed this no sooner to the Press, was to wait the Publication of the _Bishop_ of _St. David_'s his _Second Volume_, which he promised us last Winter. I was almost of Opinion, that, in my former _Defence_, I gave the _Bishop_ such Intimations of my sincere Belief of Christianity, notwithstanding my _Discourses_ on _Miracles_, and of the Falseness of his repeated Charge against me for Infidelity, that I question'd whether he would write again in the same Strain. If the _Bishop_ is convinced of this his grand Mistake about me, then the very Foundation of his past and future Work is shaken, and I shall hear no more of him. But whether he is certainly convinc'd of his Mistake or not, I am concern'd to go on with these _Defences_ of my self, and to vindicate the Goodness and Usefulness of the Design of my _Discourses_ on _Miracles_, against what the _Bishops_ of _London_ and _St. David_'s, and other _Adversaries_ have written to the contrary. But, before I enter upon such a _Defence_ of my self and my _Discourses_, I must make, what is proper here, a short Preface. It is well known, that I am for Liberty of Debate, and against all Persecution or Force, or Impositions on the Consciences of Mankind. But for all that, there are some _Rules_ in Controversy that we polemical _Writers_ should observe, and be oblig'd to; or, instead of discovering and illustrating the Truth we pretend to search for, we shall but the more darken, obstruct and perplex it. As,