are known him,not through their own fault, but because the Gospel was never preached to them: Or that God would difcover his Word to them by fome uncommonMethod, as he did to Cornelius the Centurion: They do not believe the Call of God fo powerful that it cannot be refifted, fince they hold it does not deftroy Man's FreeWill, whereby he is able to turn from fin, or to pursue it; and whereas thofe who are not conver thofe that were, had a power to refufe it if they wou'd not. They think, that fince God gives Laws, to which he has added threats and promifes, that he fails not of executing according as these Laws are obferv'd or violated, fince he exhorts Men to be converted, and prajes them when they turn from their evil ways, and is angry with thofe that refufe it; it fuppofes that he gives to all Men a fufficient means to do their Duty. which of his good Pleafure, he has refolved from all Eternity to elect as his, to juftifie and fave all those who fhou'd believe in Fefus Chrift, and till death perfevere in the Faith: And on the contrary to look upon unbelievers, as rebels, and to damn them if they continued in their incredulity. This decree, they neither look upon to be election or repro bation, but the foundation of both, which God Executes in time, when he chooses for his Peopleted might be fo if they wou'd; thefe who actually believe in Chrift Fefus, and faves them when they have perfevered in the Faith: And alfo when he beholds the wicked as objects of his wrath, and damns them after they are dead in their impenitency and wickedness. The Remonftrants believing that thofe who damn'd, are fo through their own fault, fince they are not excluded from falvation, but through their own Impenitency; maintaining they might partake of the The Remonfirants hold that facrifice of Jefus Chrift, who was God does not in the Gospel require offered for all Men without ex- fuch a perfect obedience as is never ception, the fruits thereof being interrupted by any fin,, fo as to univerfally applyed to all who threaten Eternal death to thofe wou'd believe in him, without who commit the leaft fault. He which they could enjoy nothing contents himself with requiring reof it. In refpect to the Heathens pentance, which fuppofes that we who have never heard the Gof-have offended him, and does not pel, they fuppofe they will not be condemn'd for not having become, but only that of habit. They lieved what they never heard of; and that they should not be con demn'd to everlasting flames, if they made a good ufe of what light God had given them; confequently that we might fuppofe, either that God wou'd fo communicate to them the benets of our Saviour's death, that by an extraordinary grace he might fave fome of thofe who have nor. exclude all fin for the time to think perfeverance in Piety abfolutely neceffary to Salvation, yet doubt not but a Man truly regenerated may fall from that state. As to juftification, they fay God regards our Obedience, although imperfect, as if it were perfect, in confideration of the facrifice of Jefus Chrift. They hold we can never be affured, we shall be faved how holily foever we live, and therefore Athenian therefore that St. Paul commanded us to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling. Spect for him; he observing that, let it fall, and minded it no more, fhe agreeing it fhould be fo as well as be; Now another Young Lady, being in love with this Gentle man, and profeffing her felf to be wholly bis, if he will remain conftant; be taking this into con Q. Whether a Man who has by mistake married his own Daughter, coming afterwards to know it, is oblig'd to acquaint her with it, if he believe thefideration, follows the Suit. The knowledge of it wou'd occafion former hearing this, charges him ber Death; and how otherwife with inconftancy: Now your be ought to demean himself in Judgment in both cafes is rethat condition, having Children quired, which of them he should by ber, upon whom the Reproach cleave too. A Speedy Answer is of being fo born may bring a great entreated. Affliction ? A. He is not affur'd his difcovering it to her will have any fuch ill effect, but certainly knows he lives in unlawful Embraces, which he is oblig'd to quit. And why may it not be done with little or no injury to her. 'Tis plain the confequence he fears muft proceed from Grief which cou'd be caufed only through a fense of the Guilt he has lived in, or the Separation from him: The first of which the is free from fo long as the is ignorant of it, and the most unhappy part of the laft may very well be avoided by their living innocently together as tender Friends, and by parting Beds, for which they need not give an account to every one that may accidentally know it; and to fuch, as 'twill be neceffary, many handsom Pretences may be made without telling the real caufe. This way will also be best for their Children, for whofe fakes they ought to keep both the World and Them ignorant of it. QA Gentleman, being in love with a Young Lady, and baving difclos'd bimfelf to her with all kindness, the flighted him and never would own fhe bad any re A. You are oblig'd to keep to the laft, having already made your Addreffes to her, and handfomely retreated from the first, though we shou'd not have commended your hafte, but that we fuppole gratitude might probably have a little influenced you; and indeed, 'tis a great piece of cruelty, though too commonly practifed, to refufe or defpife a fair Lady only because she loves first. Q humbly crave your Spee dy and best Advice to the following particulars; A young Man having married a young Woman, who was well defcended, but Fortune being not fo propitious to to her, as to many others, far inferiour to her, in respect of her inward Endowments; he was left without a Dowry, which her Husband was not infenfible of; yet out of fincere love and affecti on, was willing to embrace ber upon honourable Terms; Their Marriage prov'd not a little ditasteful to his Relations, infomuch that they leave no means unattempted to fet the young Couple at variance; what he has got he acquir'd it proprio Marte, not being in the least beholding to bis Relations for it, and confideN 4 ring ringtheir daily furmifes,the Confequence whereof Ifear will provedeftructive of each others well-do ing; fhe being vertuously inclin'd, defires your advice in her Behaviour towards her Husband's Relations, in fuch a cafe; and here in you'll infinitely oblige. of what Religion its inhabitants were before that time; If it has never been called by any other name; with an account of the most remarkable changes as to its Government, and what time the Reformation began there, and the firft occafion of it? A. Altho the Ancient name of this Town was called Geneva, as we see in the commentaries of Cæfar, and fome other Authors, yet Mr. Leti tells us it bore the name ofGobenna for many ages together. The Country of the Allobroges, whereof Geneva was a Colony, be the Romans at the fame time intro duced their Laws and Religion A. This is fo common an error in Parents, that she can't much wonder at it, and tho the generality of it will not extenuate the wickedness, in respect to them, it may in fome degree make her more eafy under it. And 'tis not improbable but in time by forgiving all their unhandsome Re-ing reduced into a Roman Province, flections without feeming to refent em, and refpecting them as the Relation they are in to her hus-into the Town of Geneva, which band requires, the may convince them, if they are not perfect Mock-worms, that fuch a good and prudent wife, is a much more fuitable match to one that can maintain her, than a Golden one without thefe qualities. Yet fhou'd hot this way produce the wifht for effect, 'twill not mifs of its reward; fince 'tis natural to fuppofe, that her husband, who already loves her for her merit, will efteem her ftill more, as he finds new additions to it; tho fhou'd this allo fail, The cannot want that (atisfaction of mind which always refults from having acted wifely, and done our duty. Since our Curiosity is not only confined to great states, and be that will have a tolerable knowledge of the world, must be aquainted with its parts to know the whole; I hope I may find a favourable return to my request, which is, That you'd be pleafed to inform me about thefe following particulars of Geneva; Whether it has not formerly been under the power of the Ronans, and if so, is the reason they ftill call fome Rocks that are in a Lake over againft the Town the Stones of Niton, that is, Neptune; according to the custom of the Romans, who confecrated to their Gods all the rocks they found either in the Sea, Lakes, or Rivers. It alfo appears by divers infcriptions which still remain, that this place was the habitation of many Romans. Before it was conquered by them, the people were fuch zealous worfhippers of Venus, that Fathers of Families, without any difficulty prostituted their wives and daughters in honour of this Goddess, and practifed a thousand impurities, which were till then unheard of by theGauls,Romans,or Greeks. But afterwards it received from the Romans a more Chalte Religion, for which it is indebted to Julius Cæfar, as well as for its new Laws, and for its being made the Capital of the Province. And it at firit received Chriftianity in part, if we may credit Anfelmn, (who founded his relation from a Merk who E who writ the Hiftory of the Voyage which Charlemaign made to Geneva) by the miniltry of Dio nyfius the Areopagite. However it is, our chief Relations are from the Monks, who tells us, That the Roman Gover nour which Auguftus fent to Geneva, was called Lucius Julius Broccus, under whofe Government the Emperor granted this Town the Lordship of the Lake, which had been long difputed; becaufe, tho the Neighbouring parts Rebelled after the Death of Julius, yet they continu'd firm to the Empire. They fay, that Paradocus one of the feventy Difciples, was the firft Bishop of Geneva, where he dyed being ninety feven years old, under the Empire of Trajan, *whom Donnelus fucceeded, who had been Deacon; being Elected by the people, and confirm'd by the Pope, that he afterwards obtained a publick Church; but after his Death, the Church which confifted of 800 perfons, was without a Bifhop till the year one hundred and thirty five, when Hyginus was received amongst them, who was chofen by Pope Sixtus, without the Peoples concerning themselves in it. The Chriftians, fuffer'd much under the Heliogabalus, who perfecuted the very Heathens at Geneva, to make them adore him inftead of the Sun which they worhipped: At their refufal he be fieged the Town, and having taken it,threw down the Temple of Apollo, and ruined almost all the Town. But one of the chief captains of Aurelianus being born at that place, obtain'd of his mafter, the re-establishment of his ruined Country, upon which account it was call'd Aureliaña, untill the death of this Emperor, after which it took again its antient Name. The Chriftians foon became fo. powerful that they divided the Town with the Heathens; and the Clergy being more at liberty, began to quarrel about the election of a Bifhop, which was at laft carryed in favour of Diogenes, whom Eleutherus fucceeded, who was Bifhop when Conftantine made a profeffion of Chriftianity, and be taking an advantage by it, perfwaded the Governor to embrace the fame Religion, and through his power entirely ruinedIdolatry: Nothing confiderable happen'd to Geneva, from that time, until the reign of Julian, who undertook by force to re-eftablish the worship of Idols; but after the death of this Prince it was foon delivered from its perfecutions. Altho this was no fooner effected, but the Bishop and Chief Citizens were divided, the Bishop pretended to have the Government in his hands, and the others elected a certain number of Magiftrates unto whofe care they remitted it;butValentinian to end the ftrife gave them another Governour. These difficulties, with what they met with from the Pope about the choice of a Bishop, and alfo fuffered under the Tyrant Maximus, caufed the ruine of Geneva, which was not again establifhed till the end of the fourth age. In the begining of the fifth age, Honorius having called his Gover nour from Geneva, gave the Government into the hands of the Bishop. Which power was not then long enjoyed by the Clergy, because the Troubles and Wars of the Empire made the people form a kind of Republick in Geneva, This Town after having been fucceffively poffeffed by the ancient houfe of the firftKing ofBurgandy fell and pay him homage for the reft that he enjoyed. This was the Foundation of the first pretention that the Duke of Savoy made to the Town of Geneva. Between the years 1 200 and 1535, there was a great many Difputes betwixt the Dukes of Savoy and Earls of Geneva, and between the Bishops and the Town, and the Earls of Geneva, being excluded, thofe of Savoy fucceeded them in all their Rights, who caufed Juftice to be adminifired at Geneva by a Vidom, or Vicount; fometime after the people again recovered their Liberty,notwithstanding the oppofition of the Duke, by a Treaty they made with thofe of Fribourg. This account we have from the Monks, tho' by fome 'tis denied that ever the Dukes of Savoy were Lords of Geneva. fell with all theGauls into the power of Charlemagn. He made a ve ry magnificent Entry into this Ci ty,and gave great privileges to the Inhabitants, permitting them to regulate their own Government to Create Magiftrates as they pleafed, provided 'twas done by the unanimous confent of the People, that the Emperor fhou'd give them no common Governour, except on fome extraordinary occafion; that no Citizen of Geneva fhou'd be compelled to go to War, and that the power of the Bishop and Ma giftrates fhou'd be dit,the firit, only regarding Spritual, the laft temporal affairs, Charlemaign going to war, the Magiftrates of the Town prefented him with two Captains, to whom he gave the Titles of Eals, one of 'em foon died, but the furvivor ftill bore the Title, and was afterwards recommended by this Prince to the Magiftrates of Geneva, who received him very refpectfully, giving him feveral Privileges and Commands in the City. The B-1532, wherein these Minifters at hops and Earls between the years 800 and coo fenfibly encreafed their Authority by many Ufurpa tions; and in the year 1647 the Empire being troubled with divers Wars, William Earl of Geneva, refolved to make his advan- Q Whether Lying be unatage of it, and by his power and voidable in a way of Trade? And craft rendered himself fole Mailer whether it be paffible to be ma of the Town, which the Bishop op nag'd advantagiously without it? pofed, but the Earl foon pacified A O fye! What a reflecting him, by giving a part of his ufur-Query is this on the honourable. pations to him. They were foon after punifhed for their unjuft Dealings, for the Eari Amadeus Earl of Maurienna, being made Duke of Savoy, beat the Earl of Geneva, who had attacqued him and forced him to yield up divers Lordships to him, The firft Publick Action that was performed in refpect to the Reformation, was an open difpute which Farel and Saunier had with fome Ecclefiatticks in the year first had the advantage, but at lait the Multitude of their Adverfaries prevailed against them, however the Reforined Religion got ground, and was at length elta blifhed at Geneva. honeft, generous Bookfellers of the whole City of London-to fay nothing of Milleners, Bankers, Lacemen, nor any other of the worshipful Budg Batchelors thereunto pertaining. But to leave jefting; God forbid but that a Trade may be manag'd as honeftly ลง |