EORGE the Second, by the Grace of God, King the Faith, &c. To all to whom these Prefents fhall come, Greeting. Whereas James Buckland, James Waugh, John Ward, Thomas Longman, and Edward Dilly, Citizens and Bookfellers of our City of London, have by their Petition humbly reprefented unto Us, that they have pur. chafed the Copy-Right of the WHOLE WORKS of the late DOCTOR ISAAC WATTS, and that they are now printing and preparing for the Prefs new Editions with Improvements of feveral of the feparate Pieces of the said Doctor faae Watts. They have therefore most humbly prayed Ús, that We would be graciously pleafed to grant them our Royal Licence and Protection for the fole printing, publishing, and vending the faid Works, in as ample. Manner and Form as has been done in Cafes of the like Nature; We being willing to give all due Encouragement to Works of this Nature, which may be of publick Ufe and Benefit, are graciously pleased to condefcend to their Requeft, and do therefore by thefe Prefents, as far as may be agreeable to the Statute in that Behalf made and pro vided, grant unto them, the faid James Buckland, James Waugh, John Ward, Thomas Longman, and Edward Dilly. their Executors, Adminiftrators, and Affigns, our Royal Privilege and Licence, for the fole printing, publishing, and vending the faid Works for the Term of fourteen Years, to be computed from the Date hereof, ftrictly forbidding and prohibiting all our Subjects within our Kingdoms and Dominions, to reprint, abridge, or tranflate the fame, either in the like, or any other Volume or Volumes whatsoever, or to import, buy, vend, utter, or distribute any Copies thereof reprinted beyond the Seas, during the aforefaid Term of fourteen Years, without the Confent and Approbation of the faid James Buckland, James Waugh, John Ward, Thomas Longman, and Edward Dilly, their Executors, Adminiftrators and Affigns, by Writing under their Hands and Seals first had and obtained, as they and every of them offending herein, will anfwer the contrary at their Peril. whereof the Commiffioners and other Officers of our Cuftoms, the Mafter, Wardens, and Company of Stationers of our City of London, and all other our Officers and Ministers, whom it may concern, are to take Notice, that due Obedience be rendered to our Pleasure herein fignified. Given at our Court at St James's the 21ft Day of March, 1758. in the 31st Year of our Reign. By His Majefty's Command. W. PITT OR, THE RIGHT USE of REASON 1 N THE INQUIRY after TRUTH. WITH A Variety of RULES to guard against By ISAAC WATTS, D. D. The FIFTEENTH EDITION. LONDON: Printed for, J. BUCKLAND, T. CASLON, T. LONGMAN, M.DCC.LXXII. то Sir JOHN HARTOPP, Baronet. SIR, Tis fit the Publick should receive through your Hands what was written originally for the Affiftance of your younger Studies, and was then prefented to you. It was by the repeated Importunities of our Learned Friend Mr. John Eames, that I was perfuaded to revife these Rudiments of Logick, and when I had once fuffered myfelf to begin the Work, I was drawn still onward far beyond my firft Defign, even to the Neglect, or too long Delay of other preffing and important Demands that were upon me. It has been my Endeavour to form every Part of this Treatife both for the Inftruction of Students to open their Way into the Sciences, and for the more extensive and general Service 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 proposed the chief Principles and Rules of right Judgment in Matters of common and facred Importance, and pointed out our most frequent Mistakes and Prejudices in the Concerns of Life and Religion, that we might better guard against the Springs of Error, Guilt and Sorrow, which furround us in our State of Mortality. You know, Sir, the great Defign of this noble Science is to rescue our reasoning Powers from their unhappy Slavery and Darkness; and thus, with all due Submiffion and Deference, it offers an humble Affiftance to divine Revelation. Its chief Business is to relieve the natural Weaknesses of the Mind by fome better Efforts of Nature; it is to diffuse a Light over the Understanding in our Inquiries after Truth, and not to furnish the Tongue with Debate and Controverfy. True Logick is not that noify Thing that deals all in Difpute and Wrangling, to which former Ages had debased and confined it; yet its Difciples must acknowledge alfo, that they are taught to vindicate and defend the Truth, as well as to fearch it out. True Logick doth not require a long Detail of hard Words to amufe Mankind, and to puff up the Mind with empty Sounds, and a Pride of falfe Learning; yet fome Diftinctions and Terms of Art are neceffary 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 fopolite and knowing an Age, every Man of Reafon will covet fome Acquaintance with Logick, fince it renders its daily Service to Wisdom 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 Composure in Proportion to the Improvements of your manly Age. But when you shall please 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 so far anticipated the prefent Zeal and Labour of, SIR, Your moft Faithful, and Obedient Servant, London, Aug. 24 1724. I. WATT S. |