It may still be a wonder how so heavy a book, written upon a subject in appearance so little instructive or diverting, should survive to three editions, and consequently find a better reception than is usual with such bulky spiritless volumes; and this, in an age that pretendeth so soon to be nauseated with what is tedious and dull.  To which I can only return, that, as burning a book by the common hangman, is a known expedient to make it sell; so, to write a book that deserveth such treatment, is another:  And a third, perhaps as effectual as either, is to ply an insipid, worthless tract with grave and learned answers, as Dr. Hickes, Dr. Potter,[3] and Mr. Wotton have done.  Design and performances, however commendable, have glanced a reputation upon the piece; which oweth its life to the strength of those hands and weapons, that were raised to destroy it; like flinging a mountain upon a worm, which, instead of being bruised, by the advantage of its littleness, lodgeth under it unhurt.

[Footnote 3:  George Hickes, D.D. (1642-1715), born at Newsham, Yorks, and educated at Oxford.  He visited Scotland with his patron, the Duke of Lauderdale, in 1677, and was presented by the St. Andrews University with the degree of LL.D.  Became Dean of Worcester in 1683, but lost that office at the Revolution, for not taking the oaths.  The nonjuring prelates, in 1693, consecrated him Bishop of Thetford.  Dr. Hickes was a profound scholar, and well versed in northern literature.  Among his works may be named, “Institutiones Grammaticae Anglo-Saxonicae et Maeso-Gothicae,” “Antiquae Literaturae Septentrionalis Thesaurus.”

John Potter, D.D. (1674-1747), born at Wakefield, and educated at Oxford.  In 1707 he published a “Discourse on Church Government,” and eight years later became Bishop of Oxford.  On the death of Wake, in 1737, he was appointed to the Archbishopric of Canterbury. [T.S.]]

But neither is this all.  For the subject, as unpromising as it seemeth at first view, is no less than that of Lucretius, to free men’s minds from the bondage of religion; and this not by little hints and by piecemeal, after the manner of those little atheistical tracts that steal into the world, but in a thorough wholesale manner; by making religion, church, Christianity, with all their concomitants, a perfect contrivance of the civil power.  It is an imputation often charged on this sort of men, that, by their invectives against religion, they can possibly propose no other end than that of fortifying themselves and others against the reproaches of a vicious life; it being necessary for men of libertine practices to embrace libertine principles, or else they cannot act in consistence with any reason, or preserve any peace of mind.  Whether such authors have this design, (whereof I think they have never gone about to acquit themselves) thus much is certain; that no other use is made of such writings:  Neither did I ever hear this author’s book justified by any person, either Whig or Tory, except such who are of that profligate character.  And, I believe, whoever examineth it, will be of the same opinion; although indeed such wretches are so numerous, that it seemeth rather surprising, why the book hath had no more editions, than why it should have so many.