Religio jurisprudentis, or, The lawyer's advice to his son in counsels, essays, and other miscellanies, calculated chiefly to prevent the miscarriages of youth, and for the Orthodox establishment of their morals in years of maturity / per Philanthropum.

A Prefatory Line TO THE READERS.

POssibly (Sirs) the very Title of this brief Rapsody of Senti∣ments and Opinions of a Ju∣risprudent (or Man of Law) may disgust the Pallats of some kind of its Perusers; who presume, that a Person of that Character, commonly is little or nothing acquainted with, or at least ties not himself up to the Rules and Practises of real Virtue and Religi∣on (and I wish there were not so much weight in that Objection) whereunto I hold it here both reasonable and sea∣sonable to make you this Reply, ss. that admitting de facto, such a violent Presumption, be tantamount to an half proof of the Point; yet that de Jure,

it ought by no means to be the Case or Condition of one, that in sano Sen∣sensu, is a Jurisprudent, or Sage of the Law; of the Truth whereof, we have a renowned President on Record, a∣mong some others, viz. of that incom∣parable and Religious Jurisprudent lately deceased, Sir Matthew Hales, Lord Chief Justice of England, in his Moral Considerations, and other as Learned, as Religious Suggestions of his in print. But we use the Jurispru∣dent Word in a larger and more indefi∣nite Sense, than applicable to the Pro∣fessor or Practiser of the Municipal Laws of our Realm; as the true Eti∣mology thereof imports. ss. A Man of Sense or Prudence, a Man of moral Conduct, that distinguishes well be∣tween, and judges well of Right and Wrong, for generally the Mobile, or Vulgar (we truly say) non Distinguit; but the Proverb saith, as the Bell Clinks, so the Fool (or Jurisimprudent) thinks. To the intent and purpose, therefore, that by relation to the Councels or Es∣says, and other Missellanies herein, af∣terwards

exerted, it may more fully and particularly appear, that an im∣moral, or irreligious Person, young or old, Puny or Ancient, is neither a Man of Law, Prudence, nor good Sense, and to represent in several fun∣damental particulars; the Character and Complexion of such an one, as all In∣tellectual voluntary Agents ought to be, and to obviate, and anticipate, as far as may be, the Epidemical Miscar∣riages that happen to less thinking and considerate ones of all Ages and Sexes in this Conjuncture of time especially, and to incourage all Actings for the reason of the things, and consequently to smooth our Path through this Wilder∣ness of the World, unto the Land of pro∣mise, which is, or ought to be in our constant Prospect, is the Tenour and Effect, true Scope and Drift of these ensuing Suggestions of Philan∣thropus; which he violently presumes, and heartily hopes will be acceptable unto all Mankind, until fuller and fur∣ther Discoveries and Auxiliaries be ex∣hibited, pro bone publico; by more

learned and elaborate Heads and Hands than is pretended to, or own∣ed by,

SIR,

Your well meaning Man of Law, Philanthropus,