Amazed all, each did his Art employ, Tofing CREATION with exceffive Joy. Q3. Whether Fornication thing fignified) vulgarly used in may be favourably efteem'd a ve-an evil fence (fee Vol. III. p. nial Sin ? 32,33. Objections about the Ca4. None but Papifts ever lumny of the word Informer) and thought it fo, or fuch who the like may be observ'd of wou'd fain think all Sins venial; Profeffions and Employments which they themfelyes are good and honourable in themguilty of. 'Tis true, in a lelves, but often abus'd, and ienfe all Sins are venial, or this in the Cafe of Informatipardonable, that is, upon Re- on: What shall we think of a pentance; and all damnable Perfon who profecutes another without it, or deferving infi- upon a Cafe of Slander, Murnite punishment; becaufe they ther of a Friend or of a Friend or Parent? have a fort of infinitenefs in Without doubt our Haters of 'em, as being committed against Information wou'd not think it an infinite Being: Nor does at all fcandalous, tho' here's this make all Sins equal as to but a particular Member of a their degree, internal turpitude, Body Pulitick concern'd; much or malice, tho' it does as to more is the Cafe enhanc'd, the Object; according to which when the Fundamental Conftituthere will be Infinite Punish-tion of the whole is endeaments, as for Duration, for all vour'd to be fupplanted; for it Sins not repented of and par- alters not the Cafe as to the doned, tho' differing in Degrees Action, whether a Republick or intenfenefs, proportionable falls by Ignorance or Malice, to the Crimes committed. 'tis down when fallen, and the advantages to its Enemies are the fame. Hence it is indifputably evident, that 'tis an Indication of Ignorance or Ignorance and Rebellion,or both, to give fuch Informers as are inftrumental to the Happiness 4 This is a very rude fort of a Body Politick, the Epiof Question, and carries a thets of Bafe, Little, Scandagreat deal of Malice and Igno-lous, or fuch like. A common rance in the very face on't; and Informer, in the Eye of the Law, plainly fhows which fide the is he who meerly for Lucre or Queriit wou'd take, if he was Malice doth profecute vexatious, to be an Informer. But it may Indictments, Informations and be confider'd, that words of actions, upon penal Statutes, good or indifferent fignification without regard to the State and have been (afterwards by fome Government, and the Reformation abule or evil appearing in the of the Offenders. And of this Q. Whether an Informer is not as much a Rogue now for informing against thofe Vices that the Law now takes hold on, as be was for Informing against the Diffenters formerly. when they met together contrary to Law? as thofe Maggots to Flies agen, of the fame Species with thote whence they are first produc'd. Q. How many Arts and Sciences may a Man by diligent Study be capable of attaining? A All Arts and Sciences, Nay, more than all, and yet none at all. The meaning of this feeming Riddle is only thus much That the fort were those who were molt active heretofore in Informing against Diffenters, &c. meerly for Lucre, Malice and Faction; for the Diffenters Practices were not Offences in their own Nature, but accidentally fuch, as contradictory to fome pofitive Laws of the Nation. But the Cafe is now much alter'd, and thole who Inform for Suppreffion of fuch Nature of the Soul appears to abominable Wickednefs as are be capable of infinite Improve fuch, both in their own Na- ment, or itill new Advances in ture, and in their Conlequen-Knowledge, which fort of inces, do no more than what e-nnite Capacity, is one part of very Heathen State wou'd that Image of GOD after warrant for his own Preferva- which Man is made. Accordtion--But alas, The Englifhingly he's not only capable of Bravery and Vertue are come to understanding all the Arts and a low Ebb, when its Members Sciences already invented, bit Start fuch Objections as would of more than all; nay, a Thouhave it abfolutely drain'd! fand times more, cou'd any Some through an ignorant, o-fuch be. He's capable, I fay, ver-bufie Spirit (to give 'em or has a Power of understandno worfe Character) wou'd ng 'em all, had he lime or introduce fuch Meatures as Opportunity for doing fo; but wou'd render them and their he does not Actually under Potterity miserable, if yet tand to Perfection any one there were not fo.ne publick, Art or Science; nay, not fo good, wife Men, that have much as one individual in Phy more Pity for 'em, than they ficks as to all its Properties and have for themfelves. Effence. The Power, Nature Q. What's the Caufe of Fly-has given to quicken our Inblows, as they are commonly call'd? A. Tho' they are call'd fo by the Vulgar, who think the Flies ipit or blow 'em out of their Mouths, 'tis notorious, that they are mistaken in the End, from whence they come, they being no better nor wore than perfect Eggs, by which ll Infects (and perhaps all oher living Creatures) are proagated. Which Eggs in a duitry; the Impotence, to increafe our Modefty: Tho' in the mean time fo much Knowledge may be actually attain'd, as will ferve for the Ufes of Life, and even to make us happy beyond it And the more Knowledge we attain to, the greater and larger still our Capacity is for more, as well from a Habit of Thinking thereby acquir'd, as from thit Cognation or Relation there is nother, whence one Art ftill 4. At the first reading the Question, we fancy'd the Que plague the Universe. Nay more, the Swifs-Guards only fell their Carcaffes and Lives for the Grand Lewis; but fome of the Englife, those who have fworn to their present Majefties, and yet are in the Interefts of France, are both perjur'd Wretches and falle Tray tors, to advance the Glo (for he that still runs away, muft of Neceffity, 'till he is o rit thought himfelf at Cross-ry of the Invincible Monarch, Purposes, or just miftook the Matter, and told his Tale the clean contrary Way; but up-vertaken, be always invincible) on further Confideration we and certainly the French mult find there may be fome Ground be very ungrateful not to love for a great Part of the Suppo- thofe who fell their Confition, as to many Perions at fciences, Honours, very Souls, leaft of thofe Nations afore- and all to oblige 'em. This to mentioned, accordingly we fhow why the French Love the fhall examine the Queition fe- English: But 'tis a harder Task parately. Firit, Why the to lay why the English Hate French Love the Englifo the French-only there are We'll first give an Account fome of them are a Parcel of why they did Love 'em rufty, rugged Fellows, that and 'twas for the fame Reafon don't much fancy the Death that the Fox loves the Geefe, of a Hogg, first to be tickled, or the Wolf loves the Lambs, and then to have their Throats because they were good Prey, Cut: They don't care to be they got Money-by em: We Slaves themfelves, nor to fee took off all their old Fafhions any of their Neighbours 10, and old Lumber, and fent 'em unless they have a Mind fine new Guinea's in the Room to continue in their Bonof them. But there's yet a dage. They don't much adbetter Reafon why thy do love mire either the Faith or Hufome of the English, than manity of the French towards why they did formerly: They the poor Proteftants in their find all the World againit own Country, or the Vaudois Pem, and none but fome of the in their Neighbourhood, or English and the Turks that are their late wonderful Lovingfor 'em all the World Cur-kindness towards the English fes 'em, and prays for their Seamen in the Eaft-Indies, all Deftruction or Downfal; Lut of whom they lovingly knockt we have thole who would be on the Head when they had call'd Englife, that if ever fought 'em bravely, and cry'd they pray all, do it for their for Quarter. So much for the Property and Succefs, and French and English. For the that they may fill go on D..ch and We, 'is hoped we fhall be fooner agreed: We lov'd them, becaule they fo handfomly repaid our Old Elizabeth Kindneffes, in lending us fuch a Fleet and Army, and fending us fuch a Prince to knock off our Chains and fave us from Slavery and Damnation, and that's fo unanfwerable an Argument that the Dutch Hate us, that we néed fay no more on't. very well be heard half a Quarter of an Hour before it reach'd 'em. It was impoffible to hear it upon the first Hill, for want of a proper Eccho betwixt that and the Ser. If your Acquaintance had turn’d their Backs, and hearked from the Echoes within Land, they might have heard a faint Repe ition of it that Way. We fhall in a little Time anfwer the Question about an Eccho, which will plainly folve all Objections that feem to ob Q. When the English, Dutch, and French Fleets fought laft Year, many of my Acquaintance who faw the Battle, cou'd dif-viate this Subject. cern the Flashing of Fire, but heard no Guns, the Spectators Stood upon a high Hill by the Sea, and others who were Thirty or Forty Miles behind 'em within Land, did hear the Guns very perfectly: Query, Why thofe within Sight at Ten Leagues Distance cou'd not hear, but thofe who were fo much farther off cou'd. Q. What's the Reafon of applying the empty Shells of fomne Shell-fifhes to your Ear, you may therem perceive a Noife like the roaring of the Sea. A. There was another Queftion fent me by the fame Hand, which the Querift may find formerly antwer'd: But to give an Answer to this, a Sound cannot proceed farther than the firit Body it meets with, all others are mock Sounds, or Ecchoes by a Reverberation, or Repercuffion of the Air; therefore the Sound meetng with that Hill whereupon our Acquaintance ftood, was nade the fitit Repercuffion which wou'd anfwer in the ext Valley to it, within Land, nd as many Valleys as it met A. Those Shells have a Gyral Conformation, not ahogether unlike that of the Ear it felf: Now the Air being imprifoned in the Turnings and Windings within, has thatpar ticular Rufhing Sound, either in forcing it elf out, or palfing from one Part thereof to another, being forc'd in by the Motion of the exteriour Air, and wandering about in thofe Meatus's, or odd Labyrinths wherein 'tis receiv'd. Q. By what Means a Rudder guides a Ship? 4. By making a fmill fort of a Stream or Current, which takes the Ship or Boat either on one fide or t'other, and turns it accordingly which way foever the Steers-man pleafes. Q. This Account is what I the laft Fit it had, cry'd out di- Courfes, that Obligation has ftin&tly, Three Times, O GOD, happened without Confent of and immediately dy'd; there was the Ladys Parents Query, Si People in the Room, Two of Whether it is in the Power of them I know, fome of them were her Parents (the Lady alfo confo frighted, that they fell into fenting) to make void this ConSwoons. Idefine your Thoughts tract, without incurring the Peof it. nalties of the Law of GOD? A. We have many Instances A. In our former Oracles we of Infants, that as they were gave our Opinion, how far dying, have lift up their Hands a folemn Contract, made beand Eyes, and have fmil'd, tween Two Persons, was Oalthough their Age incapaci- bligatory, fuppofing Perfons tated 'em to know the Ufe of at their own dilpofe; but the either Hands or Eyes, or to be Cafe is very different here, and affected with any External Ob- receives a quite contrary Anject that cou'd raise a Smile ; fwer. So long as Parents are which Inftances muit neceffari-living, they have a greater ly have their Rife from fome Propriety over their Children internal Agent: Perhaps their than the Age is generally aIntellect might have a fuper- ware of. We don't fay, that natural Illumination, to fee Parents have that Right over their Innocence, and the Hap- their Children, as to marry piness of the Condition they 'em against their own Confent, were entring into; and this the many fad Confequences of might be the Cale of the pre-fuch Marriages fhows it imfent Initance. Or elfe we shall practicable; but yet we affirm offer this Phyfical Reafon: that Children cannot difpofe When the Soul was forced to of themfelves without the leave the Body, it exerted all its Confent of their Parents. Powers at once, to the highest 'Tis very remarkable, that Degree it cou'd, even beyond when GOD permitted the its common Acting by proper Devil to exercife his Power Organs, and in the Strife for- over the Goods of Job, he flew ced that unusual Inftance. Just his Children; whence 'tis evifo an extinguifhing Candle, dent that Children are the when 'tis going out, Rallies all Right and Goods of their Paits Powers together, and emits rents; but Goods cannot difone greater Flame than it did pofe of themselves without the all the Time it had Nutriment Owners leave. Our Law has enough to fuftain it. upon this Confideration very Q. A certain Bully o' the well provided against_taking Town, has by his cunning In-away Children from Parents ftigations, drawn in a Young without their Confent, making Lady of a confiderable Fortune it Felony, tho' 'tis feldom, into a folemn Contract and Vow look'd after, but where an of Marriage, bis Way of Liv-Eitate lies in Question, tho' ing being only by Fraud and ill the Right is the fame to Beg |