} } Like a large mountain, whose lupendous height, A. That you're defeated in your search of bliss, Q. Gentlemen, I defire your opinion of the following passage of Scripture, Luke xxii, ver. 36. He that bath no (word, let him fell his garment and buy one ; which seems to contradict the other passage in Matth: xxvi. ver. 52. They that take the sword, shall perish with the fword? A. As the latter shews us, that the true fpirit of the Gospel is abhorrent of the least tincture of revenge, productive of no other fruits than the peaceable fruits of righteousness; fo the former is a kind of emble. matical command, which hieroglyphically, as it were, pre-fignifies the terrible perfecutions that were approaching, so terrible indeed, that it would be ne. cessary for the Christian to purchase a sword at the expence of his very garment, would his religion but permit the use of it. Q. Gentlemen, what's the meaning of these words, compel them to come in, part of the 234 ver. the 14". chap. of St. Luke, which Monsieur Arnould, that famous de fender of transubftantiation, brings in for persecution ? A. The words belong to a parable of a banquet ; and fure it is not culomary to compel men to a feast, d ܐ ܝܐ feast, any otherwise than by perfuafion, by carnest, by Sollicitous persuasion. As the parable represents the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles, so that expression refers to the latter only. And if persecution bc there commanded, from that and the former passages, it follows, that the Gentiles only are the objects of persecution: Whereas with regard to the undiscriminating feverity of the Romish church, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither bond nor free. In Gal. ii. 14. we read, Why compelleft thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? Where the context very clearly shews, that this compulsion was no otherwise than by example.. But tho popery will admit of no other compulsion or contraint than that of persecution, yet God acquaints us with another fort, for his love constraineth us. Q. In Gen. i. we find that beasts were made before man ; in Gen. ii. Man seems to have been made before beasts. Your reconciliation of the matter ? A. The sacred bistorian observes the order of time in chap. i. but treats of things more promiscuously in the 2". When therefore it is said, at ver. 19 Out of the ground the Lord formed every beast, doc. and brought them unto Adam, the meaning is, that be firit form'd every beast, and after that Adam was created, brought them to him. Q. Whether there is any such thing as ftarry influence on sublunary bodies, abstracted from that of heat and light? A. To the twofold influence you mention, we may add a third, namely, that arising from the reciprocal gravitation of all bodies into one another ; whence the original of tides. Q. What is the final cause of mountains ? Ă. Their final causes are as various as they are excellent. They are useful for the production of springs and rivers, for the generation of metals and minerals. They defend the vallies from the feverities of the wind, from the inclemency of the weather. They afford us a great variety of both nutritive and medicinal plants. They give both Melter and entertain ment to many living creatures that inhabit there : They are very agreeably ornamental to the earth, on account of their plealing, their delightful prospects. Since therefore these fuperAuities of the globe, (as they have been thought by some ) are so beautiful, so useful, how becoming an exclamation this, As manifold are thy works, O Lord, so in wisdom shaft tbou made them all ! Q. Whether the invention of gun-powder has done moff good, or burt ? A. Most good undoubtedly. For as it is very useful on several accounts, without any mischievous effects attending it; fo in war it self, where it is most destructive, it is rather a preserver than destroyer of men, fince in our modern accounts, we meet not with such proportional numbers Nain in battle, as we read of in ancient histories. Q. Reading the last weekly bill of mortality, 1 fat one Among the casualties planet-struck. I desire you would tell me the cause of this accident, and after what manner if effets the sufferer ? A. There is really no such thing ; but the searchers, those ignorant old women, give it in fo, when they fansie the cause of death ariseth from a blast ; which, were it so, that is not from any planet, but a malignant air, and rarely, if ever, does that terminate in death: The truth is, when those women know not what to make of a distemper, they give it in by some mysterious name, never known to physicians. Q Tour opinion, whether 'tis poffible to mend a bad memory, or, if ’ris, by what means it may be effected ? Whereby you'll prove to those a kind assistant, far difans. a 07 But memory does seldom want repairs, When care and diligence attend affairs. Q. Some time since I was dangerously ill, at which time a flannel gown, which I wore on my wastcoat, sparkled with five, and crackled like sticks a burning, but this continued no longer, after pullid off, than whilft it was warm? Geriblemen, I defore your opinion hereof. A. This case, thó' very extraordinary, and almost incredible, we are so much the more apt to believe, fince a gentleman of our society, once observ'd the fame in his shirt, when he was in perfect health. And besides, we have been inform'd, that a gentlewoman once wearing two flannel petticoats, and at night, pulling them off one from another, had constantly for about three weeks together seen, as it were, a flash of fire coming from between them, tho' there was a candle lighted in the room. At that time a sister, very dear to her, lay sick of a diftemper, of which the dy'd; and the gentlewoman faith, that after her death, nothing of that appeard ; from whence the; and some others, may be apt to conclude, that it is a thing ominous, and wrought by fome fupernatural power, to give us a warning of some friend's death, and indeed it is no easie matter to give a good natural reason for it. We may only suppose, that flannel being apt to receive, and keep within it felf fome nitro-fulphureous particles, which may exhale out of the bodies of fome people at certain times, there may be, at least, a fufficient quantity of them, to give some fort of light or flame, when they come to be put in a due motion for it, Q. I am a single perfor, and can live in England indifferently well, tha' of yo trade or eftare. I understand so much of navigation, and some other parts of the mathematicks, that I believe I could provide for my self better in India, though withoirt friends. I have a great inte clination to take my fortune in foreign parts, tho' 'I have *no friends in the world to do for me bere or there'? Pray give me your advice, and yore'll oblige your most humble Servant, T. G. A. We A. We wou'd advise you to continue in your own country, where, tho' you have no friends, you are better known than in the Indies, and have, copfo quently, more reason to hope for encouragement; tho's if you have made any considerable progress in the arts you mention, we believe you sufficiently qualified to provide for your self either at home or abroad, and may therefore successfully follow the dictates of your own inclination. Q. Gentlemen, Four of us were at the fair lately, since a dispute bath arose amongst us, which we could not det cide, then we laid a wager, and agreed to stand to Apollo's fentence, it was, which was the most foolish phew in the fair ? A. Doubtless your selves, by your wise controversie. Q. Celinda I love, Her affections to move, Because I want cath, (A pox o' that trash,) Consider the age, If a wife you wou'd get, Bid farewel to your wit, A. Poor ! } |