7. No more, for the Generality of them, than other Perfons, farther than by enquiring before hand, or fpeaking what's most likely, and fuch Tricks Only fome have been known to do fuch Things as must be effected by the Devil, and therefore have contracted to him accordingly.

Q There's a young Lady who is courted by feveral Gentlemen; but ber Affections are chiefly towards a Person who makes no outward Pretenfions, left thereby it may fruftrate both their Defigns. Query, Whether he ought to entertain the faid Pretenders, fince foe does it only to amufe fome about ber, without any Intention of baving them? Or what other bonourable Courfe can fhe take in this Matter?

A. She may entertain them with all the Freedom and Refpect that is neceffary; but fhe ought not to give them the least Encouragement of a Defign to marry them, because it may prove of ill Confequence as to their Uneafinefs, and Malice may thereby ground fomething that may be prejudicial to her Ho

A. 'Tis not Quantity that conftitutes Individuality, but Individuality is that which is fo in its felf, and divided from any thing ele by a last Divifion; or that which is compounded of a determinate Matter, and Form, is Individuality. (S. T. Aquin. 1. a. q. 30. 4. c.) and fuch is a Piece of Rock, which in it self is yet a Rock, for there is nothing wanting to make a little Rock, as truly a Rock, as a great one; Quantity or Magnitude are not concerned in this Question.

Q. Why does a drown'd Man swim with his Face downwards, and a Woman with her Face upwards?

A. They both Swim with their Faces downwards, as has been very often obferv'd, for the Bowels being full of Water, and lying not fo near the Backparts as the Foreparts, they poize and draw the dead Party upon their Bellies, unless on fome extraordinary Accidents.

Q. A Gentleman has two Preferments proffered him, to be a Dancing-Mafter, or a SchoolMafter, the Revenues of both are equal, and he is equally accomplifh'd for the Performance of each, whether of these two Profeffions are

more

more eligible? the Party is refolved to be led by your Judgment, and therefore his Preferment being ready, a Speedy Answer is defired.

A. Dancing, and all other fuch Accomplishments feem to carry a greater Value with them, than they really have, not that we fuppofe them Troubles, or without their Ufe; and we fhould yet have a much greater Efteem for 'em, if too great Expence of Time was not required to attain them. Yet the Advantages of the Mind exceed thofe of the Body, being more Noble and Great, as coming nearer to GOD, and therefore the Ends to attain 'em, ought to be preferred; if we lay the Thoughts of another Life afide, yet even in this, Learning is more durable, for a learned Man may be wife and ferviceable in old Age, when an old DancingMafter lofes his Apprehenfions, and begins to fee he has loft his Time, or at least been too profufe and lavish in't, as indeed that Imploy does neceffi tate him to it. 'Tis the Hap pinefs of a rational Being, to know the beft Things, and to fpend as little Time as poifible in impertinent, unneceffary Studies; for when the Account is made up, it will be afflicting to fee the Total amount to nothing but Cyphers, or which is worse, the Stock turn'd Debtor.

Q. Whether we may not be lieve all Revelation to be an In. vention? And whether the Man who wrote the Book intituled, The three grand Impoftors deferves not to be commended?

A. I have heard of one of the fame No Religion with the Querift, who being present where a Spark pretended he'd demonstrate there was no God, told him, that if he'd make his Words good, he'd immediately give him five Hundred Guineas -fo willing was he to get rid of that troublefome fomething or

other within him, which would not let him disbelieve it, and fo gladly have let the Reins loofe to all his Pleasures nor did he stick to acknowledge, that this was the Reafon of his Offer. The Querift must not take it amifs if he's rank'd with those here mentioned, for we are ready to prove, and confident we can do fo, that he who denies Providence and Revelation, does by unavoidable Confequence, deny any fuch Being as GOD, as he who denies any luch thing as a rational Animal, would deny that there's fuch a Creature as Man.

So

But

that tho the Deist be a prettier Name, there's in Effect no Difference but in Name betwixt him and the Atheists What little Reason we have to question the Veracity of Divine Revelation, we have, we hope, Volume II. p. 501, 502, &c. fufficiently evinc'd the Querift defires to know, whether the Author of The three grand Impoftors, of the fame Opinion with himself, ought not to be admir'd for his Courage and Judgment in that Undertaking? We answer with, we hope, as much Juftice as Indignation, That if there ever was such a Monster, he well deferv'd to be curft and abhorr'd

by

by all who pretended to be Christians, or fo much as Jews, to be burnt here, and damn'd in Hell hereafterthe laft of which undoubtedly he was, without Repentancewhich GOD grant to all that tread in his steps, before they come to that place of Tor.

ment.

Q. Why could not the Magicians of Pharaoh bring to pass the Wonder of turning Duft in. to Lice, as well as they did the Three Wonders before?

A. The Rabbins have a pleafant reafon for't: They tell you, that the Devil's Power (with which one would wonder how they became fo well acquainted) extends to the production of no creature fmal ler than a Barley-corn. But to leave that among the reft of their ridiculous Fables, we fay, 'twas for no real internal Difficulty in one of these things, more than another, but because GOD was then pleas'd, of his own good Pleasure, to ftop the power of the Devil, from proceeding any further; that neither the Jews might be ftumb. led, nor the Egyptians (till they had farther perfifted) entirely hardened; from whofe Mouths this Miracle drew that plain Confeffion," This is "the Finger of God:-Unlefs we'll add, that to mortify the Devil, and evince GOD's Power over him, he would not in this Inftance fuffer him to produce fo inconfiderable a Creature.

own

Q. Whether did the Apostles know fuficiently their Salvation, before Chrift died, and rofe again? VOL. III.

4. Though the Question be oddly propofed, we fuppofe by the Word Sufficiently, that the Querift wou'd ask our Judgment, whether they knew aright the way to Salvation, or enough of the Christian Faith to bring them to Heaven?. We anfwer, that we fee no reason to the contrary ;for though they were not fo well skill'd in the Mysteries of Faith before the Defcenfion of the Holy Ghoft, as afterwards, yet they knew, at least, much more than all thofe Holy Men in the Old Teftament, who lived before our Saviour came into the World; and not only knew more, but abating the leffer Infirmities of human Life, liv'd accordingly. Now, if those Father's knew the way to Happinefs, and obtain'd their End with much lefs Knowledge than the Apostles had, it follows the Apoftles were in a better, rather than a worse Condition.

Q. What was the more immediate caufe of Sodom's Overthrow? Whether it was not their Attempt against the Angels?

A. When a Veffel is full, one drop more will make it run over- That laft abominable Wickedness and Impenitence, after they were struck blind, did, no doubt, fill up the Measure of their Sins, and make 'em ripe for Divine Vengeance.

Q. Whether Pharaoh were a proper Name, or only fignificant of the Royal Station among the Egyptians?

A. From the long Continuance of that Name through fo many Ages, and comparing it C

with

with others like it, we think it moft probable that it was both : First, a Cognomen from fome Accident or other affixed to one of their Emperors, who being in high Esteem amongst 'em for his Prudence, Valour or Virtue, it might afterwards be taken up by his Succeffors, for his and their own Honour, and the more to ingra, tiate themfelves with the Peo. ple, as we find in the Cafars and Auguftus's of the Romans and perhaps in other Inftances. Q. Whether the Stratagem of Zophyrus were fit for Imita

tion?

A. By no means, and upon no Account. The Story is,that he cut off his own Nofe, Ears, and Lips, and having thus frightfully mangled himself, fled to the Babylonians, whom his Mafter had long befieged in vain, pretending 'twas he had fo ufed him; by whom being believed, and made their Governour, he foon after found means to betray them and their City to Darius; wherein 'tis a Question, whether he were more cruel to himself, or falfe to thofe who trufted him, neither of which feems to deferve Imitati. on or Commendation. 'Tis true, Darius highly esteem'd him for the Action, and he had reafon, fince he had not many Subjects who would endure fo much pain, and fuch a lafting Difgrace for him, to purchase him fo eafie a Victory: But after all, trufted he was by thofe People, and breach of Trust looks very ill, whatever be the Occafion; a Trayter is like a Spye in the Court or Camp of an Enemy, a

fort of neceffary Evil; but fo is a Hangman, as well as both the others, whofe Office and Character there are very few would be proud of.

What's the reason that a Wound in any part of the Body by a gnawn or chaw'd Bullet, proves incurable?

A. Ifit be really fo, the reafon may be, because the roughnefs of the Bullet, and its many unequal Edges, tare and jag the Flesh in fuch a manner, that 'tis impoffible it fhould ever clofe again, or admit of any Cure again, befides Amputation.

Q. Why a Snake cut in feveral parts, will, if the pieces be any thing near, joyn again, and become found and whole, Querift having lately feen it?

the

A. We fuppofe, if the Querift had not feen it himself, he would ne'er have believ'd it; and he must not take it amifs, if we defire the fame Liberty and it will be time enough to enquire into the Reason of the thing when we are once fure of matter of fact, which we are the more inclined to doubt, becaufe of the Company it comes in, as may be feen by the following Query fent by the fame Hand.

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