refurrection might be commemorated on the fame day of the week on which he rofe. As therefore the eastern churches join'd iffue with the Jews, fo the difference obferv'd by the western Churches could not exceed fix days for when the 14th day after the appearance of the moon fell upon a Sunday, the Jews and both the eastern and western Churches, they all three concur'd.

But as there was a difference, tho' an inconfiderable one, between the eastern and western Churches, fo they both vindicated their respective customs from apoftolical tradition; and we fee no reason why they both might not appeal to the genuine, tho' a differing tradition: for St. Philip and St. John might very reasonably, in fo indifferent a matter, condefcend to a compliance with the jewifh converts, who abounded in the Leffer Afia, where the rule of keeping Eafter on the jewish paffover was principally obferv'd. Whereas St. Paul and St. Peter might command it to be celebrated on the first day of the week, in fuch places where the number of jewish converts were lefs confiderable.

In the year 157, Polycarpus (Bishop of Smyrna) took a journey to Rome, in order to debate the matter with Anicetus (Bifhop of Rome) and the chief prelates of the weftern church. But tho' each party retain'd their diftinct cuftoms, yet Polycarp and Anicetus received the facrament together, as a token of their chriftian charity, and parted from each other in a very amicable manner.

In the year 196, the controverfy was reviv'd with greater heat by Victor (then Bishop of Rome) a man of a different temper from his predeceffor Anicetus: for be excommunicated all the Afiatick Churches for their non-compliance with the Roman cuftom. A prelude, as it were, to the after-encroachments of that imperious fee. But as the Afiaticks maintain'd their ufage under the direction of Polycrates (Bishop of Ephefus) fo it is to be fear'd a difunion bad enfu'd, had not the fynodical letter, writ by Irenaus (Bishop of Lyons in Gaul) pre

vented (as we may reasonably fuppofe) the melancholy confequence.

In the year 325, when the famous Nicene Council (which was the first general council) was conven'd by Conftantine the Great; a council confifting of 318 bishops, and many confeffors, under Hofius of Corduba their prefident: this controverfy was finally adjusted, and the obfervance of the Roman ufage prefcrib'd to all the churches of the world. And it was fure the most reasonable that this ufage fhould obtain, fince the Afiatick cuftom was probably (as is obferv'd above) no other than a compliance with the peculiar circumftances of time and place.

And now you may eafily obferve, that the various circumftances of this relation make it highly improbable, that modern Rome fhould in this particular recede from the ufage of ancient Rome.

Q. Your reafon for the following proverb, viz. Ramsey the Rich.

4. This proverb takes its derivation from an abbey called Ramfey, which was accounted the Craefus of all our English ones; for the revenues thence arifing, according to the ftandard of those times, did amount to 7000 l. per annum, out of which there was a maintenance for fixty monks and their abbot; each monk receiving a hundred, and their abbot a thousand pounds a year. But after the diffolution of monafteries, the yearly revenue of this abbey was reduc'd to 1983 %. which discovers a very great difference in thefe eiti,

mations.

QGentlemen, from country fellows,

Who fing old rofe and burn the bellows,
A question comes-

Strephon in lustful blood all o'er
Lay with a damn'd infectious whore,
As he himself has fince made known
To friends and quacks about the town;
For to his shame, with burning pains
He is perplex'd in's back and reins,

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With

With itching great to that degree,
He cannot reft or eafy be,

And fears th' effect, left dry infection
Should prove his ruin in perfection.
Now pray refolve us, wet or dry,
Can the French pox be cur'd, we cry

?

A. Strephon's alarm'd with groundless fears.

The pox no fuch diftinction bears;
Thofe diff'ring terms which you repeat,

To conftitutions do relate;

And therefore if 'tis thus you mean,
Whether in habits dry and lean
A priftine vigour e'er obtain'd?

It is with difficulty gain'd.

Q. Whilft plagu'd with torments of a love-fick mind.

No eafe from fair Orinda's pride I find,

To your learn'd oracle, fam'd Sirs, 1 fly,

To folve the riddle of my destiny.

When firft we met, tho' then without defign,
My eyes on hers were fixt, and hers on mine,
The darts that flew foon kindled flames of love,
And to improve 'em, ev'ry motion firove;
Thus toucht we parted, but my evil ftar
Directed me to tread the paths of war:
When I was abfent, she her thoughts confeft
And to my friend for me efteem expreft:
Soon I return'd (for Mars was not my trade,
After I had the British camp furvey'd.)
And thus encourag'd did the nymph adore,
And pity from her tender heart implore;
She us'd all arts my paffion to beguile,
And feem'd on every word I faid to fmile;
I thought my felf on future joys fecure,
And for her fake did mighty pains endure:
But on a fudden fhe grew cold and shy,
And did with forn her former vows deny;
Surpriz'd fhe left me in a furious buff,
And faid my fortune was not large enough.
Then tell me, Sons of Phoebus, ought the fair,
On this pretence to leave me in despair?

And

And must not confcience with her honour join, 'Gainft fordid intereft to make her mine?

Lycafter.

A. Lovers in their own caufe too partial are, And oft misjudge the notions of the fair; Wreft ev'ry look, and ev'ry fmile believe Defign'd, fresh hopes of victory to give: But if the nymph has bid the fwain rely On promis'd blifs, more than the language of the eyes Or in particular, her favours fhewn, Which ought to be to none but lovers known; And he ne'er forfeited his property, By indifcretion or inconftancy: Confcience engages her, to promife past, And honour, will oblige her in the last. Q. Of my abode within fight,

Stands by day and by night,

A young lady fo charming a creature ;
All the Gods did combine

For to make her thus fhine,
And excell all her fex in her feature.
Now tell me, I pray,

What your fraternity fay,
And how I may speedily move her;

And know the just reason,
Why my love's out of season,
And I can't her flame to me difcover 2
4. Since all day and night,
She ftands in your fight,

A ftatue the furely muft be;
Get Pigmalion's pray'r

To foften the fair,

And your fortune you'll fuddenly fee.

Q. I would willingly make choice of a perfon to my wife, with whom I might rationally expect to pass away my time with much fatisfaction and ease: I have two perfons offered me, equal in age, fortune, and beauty; the one is what we call good-humour'd, and every way fit for ceconomical affairs; the other very religious, but of no parts

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for managing domeftick affairs. Now I defire to know which I may venture to make my wife?

A. As we gather from the Antithefis, that the good humour'd Lady has no great relifh of Religion, fo we would advife you to marry neither of them. Oeconomical difcretion is one of the neceffary ingredients that go to the composure of a female confort; and be a woman never fo piously addicted, fo religi oufly inclin'd; yet without a due mixture of prudential conduct, the cannot tell how effectually to inftil the fame commendable principles into her tender children, to form their practice agreeable to her own, to order their converfation aright, and train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And as their civil as well as religious behaviour claims a juft regard, as their temporal as well as fpiritual provifion demands a fhare, tho' not an equal one, fo here the pious, but imprudent, mother is utterly at a lofs; fhe often expofes her family to the derision of the world, and fometimes fo manages the things of this prefent life, as to have a fatal influence on better things to come.

And yet who would chufe a confort who will not be a fharer in his devotions as well as in his goods; with whom he cannot go hand in hand in the fervice of his Maker; who will forbid him to cry out with a pious Joshua, as for me and my house, we will ferve the Lord? Who will chufe a confort who will not allow him to allude to the joyful Pfalmift, I was glad when fue faid unto me, we will go into the house the Lord? Whofe negligence in her duty may not fuffer him to depend with fo well-grounded an affurance, that he fhall at least have a comfortable competence, tho' riches and plenteoufaefs may not be in his house.

Ufe therefore a cautious induftry (for fo weighty a concern deferves it) in the choice of fuch a wife, in whom piety and prudence meet together, in whom religion and diferetion kifs each other.

But fince a wife, as well as children is a bleffing that cometh of the Lord, addrefs your felf to heaven in fo momentous an Affair; petition the Maker, the