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TO

SIR JOHN HARTOPP, BART.

SIR,

I

T is fit the public fhould receive through your hands what was written originally for the affiftance of your younger ftudies, and was then prefented to you.

It was by the repeated importunities of our learned friend Mr John Eames, that I was perfuaded to revise thefe Rudiments of Logic; and when I had once fuffered myself to begin the work, I was drawn still onward far beyond my first design, even to the neglect, or too long delay of other prefling and important demands that were upon me.

It has been my endeavour to form every part of this treatise both for the inftruction of ftudents, to open their way into the fciences, and for the more extentive and general fervice of mankind, that the Gentleman' and the Christian might find their account in the perufal as well as the Scholar. I have therefore collected and propofed the chief principles and rules of right judgment in matters of common and facred importance, and pointed out our most frequent miftakes and prejudices in the concerns of life and religion, that we might better guard against the springs of error, guilt and forrow, which furround us in every ftate of mortality.

You know, SIR, the great defign of this noble science is to refcue our reafoning powers from their unhappy flavery and darkness; and thus with all due fubmiflion and deference it offers a humble affiftance to divine revelation. Its chief bufinefs is to relieve the natural weakneffes of the mind by fome better efforts of na

ture; it is to diffufe a light over the understanding in our inquiries after truth, and not to furnish the tongue with debate and controverfy. True Logic is not that noify thing that deals all in difpute and wrangling, to which former ages had debafed and confined it; yet its difciples muft acknowledge alfo, that they are taught to vindicate and defend the truth, as well as to fearch it out. True Logic doth not require a long detail of hard words to amufe mankind, and to puff up the mind with empty founds, and a pride of falfe learning; yet fome diftinctions and terms of art are neceflary to range every idea in its proper clafs, and to keep our thoughts from confufion. The world is now grown fo wife as not to fuffer this valuable art to be engroffed by the Schools. In fo polite and knowng an age, every Man of Reafon will covet fome acquaintance with Logic, fince it renders its daily fervice to wif dom and virtue, and to the affairs of common life as well as to the sciences.

I will not prefume, SIR, that this little book is improved fince its firft compofure, in proportion to the improvements of your manly age. But when you shall pleafe to review it in your retired hours, perhaps you may refresh your own memory in fome of the early parts of Learning and if you find all the additional remarks and rules made fo familiar to you already by your own obfervation, that there is nothing new among them, it will be no unpleafing reflection that you have fo far anticipated the prefent zeal and labour of,

SIR,

Your most Faithful and

LONDON, Aug. 24th 1724..

Obedient Servant,

I. WATTS.

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