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mands against my fudgment, or acoufly wrought one within another cording to my Confcience, continue fome of which fhe brought to the Gen in the Church of England? tlemen, who found fo much curiofity in 'em,as he thinks exceeded the Art of man, and concluded twas done by the Power of fome Dæmon, advising her to burn Pillow, Feathers and all together, which he did, and the Child immediately thriv'd and did very well. Pray your Thoughto of it.

A. The Cafe admits no difpute -There are, we confefs fone difficulties as to Communion with a true and regular Church, when the Confcience fcruples it, tho' unjuftly, but all thofe arguments are now on your fide, and concludes as much more ftrongly as right is better than wrong. And we know not what to think of a perfons (for 'tis not fair to charge it on a Party) pleading for Peace, and Liberty of Confcience for themselves, which they won't allow to others; all that ufed to be faid of Hypocrify, Violence, the Spiit of the Gospel, &c. being di-men fruitlefly curious, or perhaps rectly against 'em. However, you to divert his own pain, or boaft ought to hazard all things, rather his power: Or laftly, it may be than act contrary to your Confci- the effect of fome task in the Naence, when fo well inform'd; and ture of a Ceremony, impos'd truit in Gods providence to make upon the Witch, without which up what you may lofe on fo good fhe cou'd have no power to hurt an Account, as he certainly will, the Child, which feems moft proone way or other,if you are fincere bable, because it was eas'd as foon in what you profef. In the mean as the pillow was burnt. while, you'd do well to make the Minifter of your Mothers Congre gation acquainted with the ftory, who must be a very ill man if he do's not endeavour to make her a better Chriftian.

A. We wou'd firft be glad to know how the Gentleman came to think of the Childs pillow, rather than any thing else about it; but if we did, we don't pretend to unriddle the Devils meaning in that, and a hundred other foolish, ludicrous, idle tricks which he plays in fuch cafes, either to make

Q. 'Tis the misfortune of a very fine and virtuous young Lady to have contrated her felf to a Gentleman, who now refufes to marry or free ber from her promife, but for what reaJon is unknown, infults over her, Q. A Gentleman ftill living, for- and tells her he fhall never marry merly a Souldier in the low Coun- while he lives, and threatens her if wies, was then quarter'd at a Town Jne do, he will jue her Husbands, I call'd Swoll, where was a fucking d fire your advice how fuch a man Child in a very trange Condition, may be oblig'd either to marry or free jor when it fuck'd its mothers Breaft, her, tho' I must confess I think fhe the Milk that came from it turn'd in-had better live in perpetual Celiba. Dirt in its mouth, jo that the cy, than make uch a man her HusNeighbours concluded it bewicht; and band, as already uses her in fuch a the Gentleman hearing of it went to manner, and whether a Gentleman the Houle, and advis'd the Mother fhould act contrary either to Reajon or fearch the pillow which the Child Religion, who foull oblige him to lar, on, accordingly he did, and Reajon by the Sword? Your answer found the feathers ftrangely and curi-is earnestly defird.

A. For

generous man (efpeciall there's any touch of Love) to too far in it, Thus much b ever he may do, difcourfe ca

A. For the Spark who ufes her and no living for Manking fo unhandsomely, he can have no much more terrible mischief excufe, and by his refufing to per- the Inconvenience which fo form his part in the Contract, he times arifes from wrefted Law actually diffolves it; for there's corrupt Judgments. We no queftion but the obligation is bin more exprefs on the pre here mutual and reciprocal, tying cafe, because there is, we one no fafter than the other. How-confefs, fo great a Tempta ever, if he'd ly and dye never fo for often, he deferves no more to be receiv'd into Favour, after fuch an indigeftible injury; and the Lady had better never to have the ly with the Gentleman, get Comfort of Matrimony at all,than Friends, and those who have t run fuch a defperate hazard to power over him to do the fa obtain it, we mean with one that reprefenting the Unfairness has fo illufed her already. Nor Immorality,as well as the unha is there any need of her asking his fomnefs of his proceedings, leave to marry any other. As for try if that way they can bring! his threating to fue her Husband to release the fair Lady out of that's not like to frighten a man Enchanted Caffle: If all of Senfe and Spirit,but rather the won't do, 'tis but Juftice to p very oppofition wou'd make him lifh his Fame, and let the We more eager. For fighting him, know what he is: (fend his E and beating him into better man-marks, and we may perhaps g ners, it might pafs in a Camp, him a fmall lift.) If this exal bu, not in a Countrey govern'd by rate him, and he falls fonl on fready Laws, which if fhe can perfon who do's it, there's prove any Damage, we fuppofe doubt but it's lawful for him will hardly deny her a Remedy. defend himfeif (tho' not to: We live not now in the days of fwer a Challenge) and if he c Kinght Errantry, nor is it a piece to give him a little Correction of Religion, as the Chivalry to the Bargain. Writers then made it, for a Chriftian Knight to chine down every foul Panim who affronted diftreffed Damfels. The Laws of our Countrey, the publick currant fterling Reafon, forbid the fame perfon to be Judge and Ex-feems to come nearest it, name ecutioner; much more if he's a the Law of Nation, or the cor private man, and a party, and mon ufages, and confent of ma this agreeable to the common kind, which appears founded Senfe of all Mankind. And in Re- univerfal Realon; but indes ligion the cafe is yet plainer,where this is very narrow, there bein private perfons are to fuffer the not many Cafes wherein all th greatest injury rather then World agree, and the Law of N do the leaft; and indeed without ture; fuppofing we think, a ftat it, we are ftili in a State of War, of Nature,and what that is, ther

Q.Whether Retaliation in cafes otherwise unlawful, be not accordi to the Law of Nature?

4. 'Tis no eafy matter to kno what the Law of Nature is: T best way to difcover it is, by whi

may

ther's rule over his Children be ing, if any, the State of Nature; and this being granted, private Retaliation between any of his Children and Subjects had bin un lawful, because the cafe lay before their Patriarch, and they were not to be their own Judges,

ay be alfo fome difficulty in difwering, fome making it a State War, confequently of no Socie1, which War deftroys; others hinking with Reason, that fuch perfons miftake corrupted Nature, or Nature true, genuine and unophifticate, or indeed making their own Nature the ftandard Q. How can the Devil, when I'm of all others, fo that finding them- in bed, and all objects fout from my felves fearful, jealous, imperious, Eyes, after my having recommended Capricious, ready to fufpect all the my Jelf to God as becomes a Chriftian, world, &c. They think not only and compos'd my felf to reft, I fay all Mankind, but even God him-bow can the Enemy then affect my elf, altogether fuch as themfelves. Mind or Fancy, or infinuate bad However, even thefe are agreed, thoughts, or how can be know what that whatever the ftate of Na-I think, unless he be omniscient? ure might be, we are now linkt A. In the firft place, fee you into Societies, the very Effence don't flander the Devil, and lay of which implies a commonRight, that upon him, which is really and Reafon, fo that the part muft owing to your own Intemperance. be concluded by the whole, the But if there's nothing of that in les by the greater, in matters of the Cafe, yet it's very poffible for, Meum and Tuum; and if they re-that fubtile adverfary, if permitfute to fubmit to the Judgment ted, to infufe ill Thoughts, nor exprefs'd by Laws, they are Tray-can we fee any great difficultors of the Community,or at leaft | ty in a Spirits acting on matter, difturbers of it. Whence it follows becaufe a nobler being, and matthat whatever private Retaliati ter can never act without fome en might have bin by the Law of prior action, nor any more in his Nature, 'tis now in Communities acting as Spirit, which is as easie unlawful, because if univerfal, it as matter on matter. He may You'd immediately diffolve all then, for ought we know, convey Community. Indeed before Socie- Thoughts into the very mind, ties were form'd, if we can fup without the help of any interve pole any fuch time, there was no ning Species;but we doubt not but other way; but it's certain there lie'more often,if not always,acts on Was fuch a thing as a Patriarcall the Fancy and Spirits,and formerpower, tho' now vefted in Kings, ly receiv'd Images; and no more and tho' even there in a natural reafon to wonder why God perand ftrict Senfe, wholly impracti-mits this, than why he fuffers all able, no King in the world claim- the other mifchiefs in the world, ng by that Title, the very Jews which when we have brought on having loft their Genealogies, our felves 'tis almoft blafphemy to and feldom oblerving 'em while complain of him. As for the De they had 'em. However, the Par. vils knowing Thought, this do's. riarchal Rule is no Chimara, but not at all imply it. He may have the moft natural of Governments, a fhrew'd guess at 'em indeed by When it was practicable; a Fa- our actions, as wou'd any cunning

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Vol Knave befides, but that's all; nor Inconvenience or Conveni can he force any Thoughts into not forefeen at the time of our mind fo, but we may turn 'em making fuch promife; in fuc out again; which if we endeavour cafe we fay, our opinions are to do when waking, and are not the Perfon is at Liberty, and acceffary by our Intemperance to Obligation ceafes, and we t any fuch Illufions as he may per- we may appeal to the Confcie haps have power to inflict when and Practice of all the World, fleeping, we fhall not answer for the Truth and Juftice of this 'em, any more than if we were folution. bewitcht, which wou'd be not our from N Aged Gen fin, but our misery. Exon. man of this pl Q. Is it lawful to do that action not many months fince was ta which for fome private reafon I bave per'd with by the Quakers, be promis'd not to do, when I can do in a great meature poffefs'd w that action, and not thwart or con- their Opinions, and oftenti tradict the reafon or end of my pro- a hearer of them, which they mifing not to do it? Thus for instance, all means poffible encourag'd, a Suppofe I have promis'd my friend advis'd him to keep a Coa never to come to London, and the (which 'tis reported he reafon of his defiring this promife of have done, had he liv'd) not lo me is, because he apprehends the air fince he fell fick, and was oft to be prejudicial to my health; in the vifited by the heads of their Tril mean time I meet with a Doctor of and by them folicited to give Phyfick, and he gives all poffible afgood part of his eitate to th furance that the air is not prejudicial Fraternity (when dead) to but rather beneficial to my health, buried in their Ground, notwit Query, can I come to London with-tanding the Reluctancy of out breach of my Promije to my Wife, who endeavour'd what f Friend?

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night to alter his Refolution; h A. Tho' we'd be very unwilling juft before his Death he told he to relax the obligations of Faith that the fhould not open his W and Morality, wherein we think till 6 days after his Death. i mankind is already but too re- hort, he dy'd: The Quakers a mifs, yet we must own, in the gain came and demanded his B prefent cafe it's our Judgment dy; and as to the Will, told b that the Promife is void, becaufe wife they knew what it contain the Reafon on which 'twas made, as well as the, but however h which is,as we call it,the very Pith wife caus'd him to be interr and Soul of it, now ceafes. Nay very decently in a Church of thi farther, we are of the opinion City, according to the form c that hou'd a pofitive promife be the Church of England, and a fev made on any indifferent matter, days after, his Will was open'd for example, to go, or not to go wherein it was defir'd to be burie to fuch a place, if afterwards Phy-by the Quakers in their Ground fitians or Friends fhou'd advife, and had given them, after the De not to go, or to go contrary ceafe of his wife, 40 1. per Annum to the former Promife and Refo-having Children belides. This is lution, reprefenting fome notable a plain Relation of a rael matter of

re defir'd, and whether this proceeling of theirs does not smell rank of he fefuit, not only to gain Profeyes, but Eftates too, and whether it be not an antichriftian Injuftice to endeavour to deprive the Wife and Children, of what was justly their due? And whether Chancery may not Relieve them?

at, on which your Sentiments away a confiderable part of their Estate from their lawful Heirs? And here, firft of all, it must be confeft, this looks like Popery, for which 'tis never the better, that being the way by which they have gotten moft of their Monasteries, and had once fo great a part of England, that the Statute of Mortmain was made to reftrain A. This Inftance is no News 'em. Nor can we omit a pleato us, we having known feveral fant Story which happen'd here in fuch our felves, and have rea- England on that OccafionA fon to believe that it's an ufual very lew'd, very rich old Fellow, thing among thofe People, who when he found he was going to are certainly wife in their Gene-die in earneft, had a great mind ration, whatever they may be for to make all fure in the other Children of Light, and whom we World, and go the nearest cut to look upon as the firmeft and moft Paradice, without calling in at politick Body of men that Diffent the Half way-House-For this from our Communion; we know reafon he fent for fome Monks,that not whether we are to except liv'd near him, and like a fair the Fefuits themselves. Howe Chapman, askt 'em what they'd ver the Queftion cannot as we con take to enfare his Soul in t'other ceive, be well taken, otherwife World and (that he might not be than inclufively, as of their Dochous'd,)give it under their Hands, arines and them together; concer. that they'd take all his fins upon ring which we have been fo long their own Heads. But whether indebted to 'em, that it's almoft or no he wou'd not come up to a fhame to mention it, tho' fhou'd their Price, or they were queasy we quite forget it, which we hard- confcienc'd, bargain they could not ly fhall, they wou'd, we believe, and fo they parted: Soon after forgive us tho' in the mean which, it happen'd that fome time we muft own, that one or Monks of another Order heard of two of their Papers on that Sub-this rare Opportunity which they jet, were the civileft, and feem'd refolv'd not to let flip till the to argue the faireft of any we turn'd her bald fide upon 'em ; have ever seen from their Party, away they went then to the fick and we fhall endeavour to imi- man, and to make short of the tate them in our Anfwers, with- Story, foon agreed the matter be. out any great Inclination to turn tweem'em; this Expedient being Profelytes neither: But for the found cut, to make a fair and le prefent Queftion, to have a fair gal Conveyance of the fick mans decifion, let's at firft confider it Sins to the Ghoftly Father abftractly whether 'tis afinall Cane, Quill, or fome fuch juft and righteous Practice for any hollow Substance, was provided, party of Men, not confidering thro' which the fick-man confeffed em now as either right or wrong, all his Sins into the mouth of the to perfuade a dying Perfon to give Monk, who was to take 'em upon

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himself,