Sixteen SERMONS Preached in St. Mary-le-Bow-Church, London; At the Honourable Mr. BOTLE'S LECTURES, in the Years 1711, and 1712. With large Nores, and many curious OBSERVATIONS. By W: DERHAM, Canon of Windfor, Rector Mala impia confuetudo eft contra Deos difputare, five animo id fit, The FIFTH EDITION, more Correct than any of the former. TC LONDON: Printed for W. and J. INNYS, at the 01-12-37 J. A Rickarta Bury TO THE Most Reverend Father in GOD, THOMAS, Lord Archbishop of CANTERBURY. The Surviving TRUSTEE of the Honourable May it pleafe Your Grace, 1 May juftly put these LECTURES under your Graces Patronage, their Publication being wholly owing to You: For having the Honour to be a Member of the ROYAL SOCIETY, as well as a Divine, I was minded to try what I could do towards the Improvement of Philofophical Matters to Theological Ufes; and accordingly laid a A 2 Scheme Scheme of what I have here published a Part of, and when I had little else to do, I drew up what I had to fay, making it rather the diverting Exercises of my Leifure Hours, than more ferious Theological Studies. This Work, (although I made a confiderable Progrefs in it at firft, whilft a Novelty, yet) having no Thoughts of Publishing, I laid afide, until your Grace, being informed of my Defign by fome of my Learned Friends, both of the Clergy and Laity, was pleased to call me to the unexpected Honour of Preaching Mr. Boyle's LECTURES: An Honour I was little aware of in my Country-Privacy, and not much acquainted with Perfons in high Stations, and not at all, particularly, with your Grace. So that therefore as it pleased your Grace, not only to confer an unfought profitable Honour upon me (a Stranger) but also to continue it for Two Years, out of Your good Opinion of my Performance, in fome measure, anfwering Mr. Boyle's End; fo I can do no less than make this publick, grateful Acknowledgment of your Grace's great and unexpected Favour. But it is not my felf alone; but the whole LECTURE alfo is beholden to your Grace's kind and pious Endeavours. It was You that encouraged this noble Charity, and affifted in the Settlement of it, in the Honourable Founder's Life-time; and fince his Death, it was You that procured a more certain certain Salary for the LECTURERS, paid more constantly and duly than it was before*. These Benefits as I my felf have been a Sharer of, fo I fhould be very ungrateful fhould I not duly acknowledge, and repay *It may not only gratify the Reader's Curiofity, but al fo be of Use for preventing Encroachments in Time to come, to give the following Account of Mr. Boyle's Lec tures. Mr. Boyle, by a Codicil, dated July 28. 1691. and annexed to his Will, charged his Meffuage or Dwelling-House in St. Michael's Crooked-Lane, London, with the Payment of the clear Yearly Rents and Profits thereof, to fame Learned Divine in London, or within the Bills of Mortality, to be Elected for a Term not exceeding Three Years, by his Grace the prefent Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (then Dr. Tenifon) Sir Henry Ashurst, Sir John Rotheram, and John Evelyn, Efq;. The Bufinefs he appointed thofe Lectures for, was, among others, to be ready to fatisfie real Scruples, and to anfwer fuch new Objections and Difficulties, as might be started: to which good Answers had not been made. And alfo, To Preach Eight Sermons in the Year, the first Monday of January, February, March, April and May and of September, October and November. The Subject of thefe Sermons was to be, The Proof of the Chriftian Religion against notorious Infidels, viz. Atheists, Theifts, Pagans, Jews, and Mahometans, not defcending lower to any Controverfies that are among Chriftians themselves. But by Reafon the Lecturers were feldom continued above a Year, and that the House fometimes flood empty, and Tenants brake, or failed in due Payment of their Rent, therefore the Salary fometimes remained long unpaid, or could not be gotten without fome Difficulty: To reinedy which Inconvenience, his prefent Grace of Canterbury procured a Yearly Stipend of 50l. to be paid Quarterly for ever, charged upon a Farm in the Parish of Brill, in the County of Bucks Which Stipend is accordingly very duly paid when demanded, without Fee or Reward. |