TREATISE, &c. VOL. I. ON THE RECORDS OF THE CREATION. Mundum esse conspicimus, Deum esse credimus; quod autem Deus mundum fecerit, nulli tutiùs quàm ipsi Deo. August. de Civ. Dei. A TREATISE ON THE RECORDS OF THE CREATION, AND ON THE MORAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE CREATOR; WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE JEWISH HISTORY, AND TO THE CONSISTENCY OF THE PRINCIPLE OF POPULATION BY JOHN BIRD SUMNER, M.A. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. FOURTH EDITION, CORRECTED. LONDON: J. HATCHARD AND SON, 187, PICCADILLY. MDCCCXXV. PREFACE. SEVERAL years ago, Mr. Burnett, a Scottish gentleman, among other instances of distinguished munificence, which have rendered it impracticable to comply with his own earnest wish of keeping his name concealed,* bequeathed premiums of the sums of twelve hundred and four hundred pounds, for two Treatises upon the following subject: "The Evidence that there is a Being all-powerful, wise, and good, by whom every Thing exists; and particularly to ob * A more detailed memoir of this gentleman has been prepared by Dr. Brown, Professor of Divinity, and Principal of Marischal College in Aberdeen; and is prefixed to his Treatise on the same subject, to which the premium of twelve hundred pounds was adjudged. VOL. I. B |