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A. For the firft Queftion, fuch a Marriage must be lawful, if the confent of Parties be publickly teftify'd in the best manner they are able to do it. Nor can the Church require more than is poffible, of any Perfon, having provided for ordinary cafes, but leav ing fuch extraordinary to the prudence of her Governors.

A. We fhou'd fay he had done | could be guilty of fin, fince they like a Jew, were there not too know not the Laws either of God many who wou'd fain be called or Man? Chriftians, that are often guilty of as ill, or bafer Actions. For his falling in Love, as he calls it, with both of thefe one after the other, 'tis fuch a Love as Brutes have for the whole Herd, a very Heathen having defin'd Love better; that as often as our Mind carries us to that which is good, 'tis Love; o therwife Concupifcence: But nothing can be faid to be good, which leads a Man into Wickedness, Mifery, Calamity, and Repentance. For this Termagant Ifraelite, tho' we can't fuppofe he values the Laws of our Saviour, yet he might have had fome respect to thofe of the Country where he lives, at leaft of common Truth and Honefty, which is planted in the Hearts of all Mankind. However, all he can now do is to marry the firft, as he is oblig'd by more than Promife, and fince he can't the 2d too with out vent ring the fwing, to provide for her, whom he has ruin'd, as well as the Child, of which he's the ungracious Father.

Q. A Perfon of Quality has a Servant, a Gardiner, that was born deaf and dumb, another had a Maid Servant that lay under the fame misfortune: However they were marry'd and have several Children that have all their Senfes. Pray refolve thefe following Queftions concerning 'em.

1. Whether the abovefaid Ma trimony was Lawful, according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England?

2. Whether if it should happen that thefe Perfons should break any of the Ten Commandments commit Rebellion, or break any of the Laws of the Land, they

To the second, they can't be, we conceive, oblig'd by any Law, which they have no notice of, nor canpoffibly attain it. Thoughfomething of the Law of Nature muft be written in their Hearts, fince they are reasonable Creatures, as well as others. And if they improve this well, God is able to let 'em know more by ways beft known to himself, though perhaps unknown to us; fuch Perfons having had oftentimes fuch Notions as would puzzle the wifeft Man to give an account how they came by 'em; though it be confefs'd,hav ing nothing to divert their Obfervations, they have generally ftrange Apprehenfions, and very great Memories, and may be taught, we are apt to believe, many ufeful things, as well as it may be most of the Laws of the Land, which concern themfelves; and those which they know, doubtless they may break, and be liable to Punishment for't,as well as other Per fons.

QI beg the Opinion and Advice of your Society in a cafe of great importance, both to the Soul and Body of the Perfon concern'd, who is yet Vertuous and Innocent, he has the misfortune to be paffionately belov'd by a Marry'd Man, and has been

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vain to Vertue if he does not r fitt him, which it feems there s no way to do, but abfolutely to fly from him, and if London be not wide enough, fare England is, to hide her felf, which the may eafly do if the trufts but fonie one firm Friend with her removal, without taking her leave, unles he has a mind to be stopt; or gi

fo fome Years. He's parted from his own Wife on fufpicion of Adul tery, though the Cime can't be fully prov'd againfi her. The Circumftances of the Man are of fuch a Nature, and his Importunities to preffing, that it must be by fome powerful help from Heaven that the Ruine of my Friend is prevented. He preffes her earnestly to Marry him, allving any intimation of her Inten his Attempts having p・ov'd un fuccessful,and if desy'd any longer, vows to force her into fome remote place, be the Event never fo fatal: In this exigency your cha ritable advice is defir'd: If fhe were fatisfied 'twas no fin, the Cenfure of the Vulgar will give her no concern, and according to your Fudgments she'll regulate her felf in this matter.

A. We mult beg your Pardon if we believe the Perfon concern'd will fcarce ftay for our Anfwer, for if fhe's once come to Parley, and to defire the might yield, fhe has but one step more to make (it may be not that now,) towards her Ruine; and we are the more afraid our Advice will be too late, becaufe fhe's already paft Fame and Reputation, for what elle are the Cenfures of the Publick, when justly apply'd? However, if it be not now in vain, we defire her to remember that the can be no better than the prefent Wife is reputed, if the marry him who is not legally and justly feparated from his own Wife, and that fo as to have liberty to Marry another, which he cannot be, that we know of, by any but by the Supreme Authority of the Nation, which has given fuch a liberty where the Cafe has been clear and notorious: Till he can do this, or his Wife fairly dies, your Friend, (or your felf) pretend in

tion. Nor can we doubt but that if things come to extremity, the might have Protection from the Magiftrate against him; and what ever he threatens, finding the Per fons eafinefs, or weakness, he'll be a little afraid of the punishment of a Rape, and searce venture on hanging, though he would, it feems, on damnation. Though by the way, this, one would think, were enough to open her Eyes to fee what fort of Love he has for her: True Love is humble, patient, fabmiffive, even in the greatest Monarch; but there's fomething elfe, much uglier, thas too often fteals its Name, and makes it a Vizard for it's own black Face, that's furious and raging,and fet on Fire of Hell. To conclude, the now knows her danger, and we think, the only way to avoid it, which if he does, we have our End, if not, we have done our Duty.

Q. On laft- Eve nine of thers befides my self went into a Church-Porch, with an Expecta tion of feeing those who should die that Tear, but about Eleven a Clock, I was fo affraid, that I left 'em, and all the nine did positively affirm to me, that about an hour after, the Churchdoors flying open, the Minifter (mbo, it seems, was very much troubled that Night in his fleets

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with fuch as fhould die that Year, did appear in Order. Which PerSons they nam'd to me, and they appear'd then all very healthful but fix of 'em dy'd in fix weeks after in the very fame order that they appear'd. The truth of which I'm very well affur'd of, baving been my felf present at fome of their Burials, and know them all: About two Months after I left Cambridge, fo that I'm ignorant of what has fince happen'd, but I'm very fure of the Truth of what I've writ, tho' unable to give any Solution of the manner of it, which I defire from your Society.

A. First, for Fact, this being fuppos'd to have happen'd fometime fince, (as we find by the date of the Letter, the Querift may by this be certain of all the reft which were nam'd by his Companions, but if he would fatisfic others too, he's defir'd to give us the name of the Church, and if not, his own, and theirs who fate up and faw this dreadful fight, yet at leaft of the Perfons who died the enfuing Year. Glanvil, if we miftake not, has a Relation of the fame Nature; however, there is a known Story at a Gentleman's Houfe in the North of England, which almoft every body there have heard, and none queftion, and which exactly agrees with that here mentioned. But after all, fuppofing the Fact to be true, how fhould we give account of what is fo unaccountable as the Tranfactions of the other World? It seems beyond the power of the Devil, or perhaps any Created Spirit, to foretel infallibly, the Death of any Perfon, except they have a particular Commiffien to do it. Known unto God, its true, are

all his Works, and there's no doubt but he orders all things, and knows what he has order'd, as well in the regular courfe of Nature, as otherwife, but why he should reveal this, or permit it to be reveal'd, we muft profefs our Ignorance, though that he has done fo, we are certain, in the cafe of Saul, Abaziah and others. However, we think 'tis a dangerous and unlawful Curiofity to rry things of this Nature, fome having, 'tis faid, fallen asleep, and their own Images gone by at fuch watchings as the Relation mentions.

QA Young Gentleman of One and twenty, poffeffed of no Fortune, marries an Old Woman, near Fifty, whom, though a PerSon of very ill Fame, for Incontinence, ill Nature, and feveral other ill Qualities, through her fly Infinuations, and cunning Vindication of her felf, and his eager defire of her Fortune, be espouses. Now fince Marriage, he has anfivered the Ill Character the world gave her, by proving a bitter and virulent Scold, alienating part of her Fortune, and difpofing of it among her Children, by contracting a great many Debts, which fhe has laid on him to pay, though there be little left to pay them with; putting Sham Bills, a great many Tricks and Cheats upon him, betraying him in all bis Secrets; and what is worse than all this, defaming him, and expofing his Reputation, dearer to him than his Life. It happens after all this, that he refolves upon parting with her, and living separately; which Refolutions, together with the occafions of them, being known, and publick, several Perfons of Worth and Integrity, convince

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courfe of Life he should have examined before Marriage, being only now concerned in what has paffed fince. If it can be had, quietnefs together is to be prefer'd before their living afunder; to effect which, he maft never Reproach her with what is paft, but be fure to give her no caufe of Paffion; and if fhe ftill remains as before, we believe, if the'll agree to it, he may leave her; or elfe he can't.

bim of berformer Lewdness | (which he did not before Marrirge believe) and inftil further into bim, That he has given no caufe to believe a Reformation in her, ever fince her Marriage with him, but on the contrary, great occafions of fufpicion, by her imprudent behaviour; which he does not charge her with, having never found her in any fuch bafenefs, or any Tendencies to it, though he is confirmed she has been very wanton in her Youth. Your Opi- Q. What was the chief Ernion, Gentlemen, is defired, whe-rors of Mamonides? And of what ther be ought ftill to live like a Ufe can the Reading of his Salamander, in the Fire of Con- Works be? tortion with a Woman he has a - bad Opinion of? Or whether at may not, with a good Confci-Spheres to be animated and living ence, live Jeparately from her, though he never found her in the At of Adultery, fince be hath allowed her all that is left of her Fortune to live on.

A. Poor unhappy Youth! We fee no Remedy to his misfortune, without Mutual Confent, and then if they can both live honest, we believe they may part; yet tis to be avoided if they can bear each others fight with any fatisfaction, though they have the greateft in difference in the World; for one Day 'tis probable, if either Party is good, they may win upon the other, which when feparated, they put themselves out of a Capacity of doing, befides the bringing themselves under the Cenfure of every one. Since they married, thofe Perfons are none of his Friends, who endeavour to make any difference; and how great foever their Worth and Integrity in other things, that is neither a fign of their Goodness or Prudence; and he'll do well to avoid their Company. What was her former

A. His greatest Errors were his believing the Stars and Celestial

Beings; That God never repented him but once, and that was after the Deftruction of the firft Temple, wherein he caufed the Righte ous to perish with the wicked. That the Law of Mofes was Eternal; That Man has an absolute Free Will to do Good or Evil: That the Promises of God delivered by the Prophets, were Temporal, and fhould be accomplished in this World, when the Meffiah came; and that the Kingdom of Judah was given to Salathiel, of the Pofterity of Fechonias, after the Repentance of this laft, whereas Salathiel was the Son of Neri. Provided thefe Errors be carefully obferved, many confiderable advantages may be drawn from the reading his Works, as from his manner of ufing Hebraifms, and divers Sentences of the Jewish Doctors may thereby be understood. In Maimonides we may fee many Expreffions and Maxims of the Talmud, which are very ufeful to explain feveral ways of fpeaking in the New Teftament, L13

and

internal, as Configuration, which | ftian Princes. They have been

is proper to its Particles. For 'tis certain that all the Particles which make up a piece of Wax, are very different in shape from those which compofe a piece of Iron, therefore for distinction fake, that is call'd a fimple Figure which is external, and that Configuration, which is peculiarly effential to the Compofition of the Wax, or that by which it is what it is.

Thus alfo the Ideas of the Soul are of two forts (taking the word Idea in general, for whatever the Mind immediately apprehends) the firft Idea reprefents fome thing without us, as that of a Square, a Houfe, &c. the fecond, that fomething is caus'd within us, as Senfation, whether of Grief, Pleasure, or the like. And the laft Ideas are only a different manner of the Minds Effence, or Being, and for that reafon are call'd the Modifications of the Mind. And thus the Inclinations, or Motions of the Soul, might be call'd the Modifications thereof; for fince 'tis evident that the Inclination of the Will is a manner of the Soul's Being, 'tis not improperly call'd a Modification of the Soul, even as Motion being a manner of Being of the fame Bodies, may be faid to be a Modification of Matter.

QIs it lawful for Chriftian Princes to permit the Jews to live quiet in their Dominions, and to give them a free Toleration for their Religion?

A. Provided there is no Communication in Religion, nor Marriages with them, and that they are obedient to Civil Power, and not admitted to any Publick Of fice, they may undoubtedly be permitted to live under the Government and Protection of Chri

tolerated both by the Civil and Canon Law, and by their living amongst us, they may one day be converted to the Knowledge and Love of the Truth; befides, we ought to have fome Compaffion on them, because to them pertaineth the Adoption, and the Glory, and the Covenant, and the giving of the Law, and the Service of God, and the Promifes: Whose are the Fathers, and of whom, as concerning the Flesk, Chrift came, &c. Rom. 9.4, 5. We may alfo confider, that by their Fall, Salvation is come to the Gentiles; and if the Fall of them be the Riches of the World, and the diminishing of them the Riches of the Gentiles, how much mere their fullness? Rom. 11. 12. We must not infult over them, Nor beast against the Branches; for we are but wild Olives grafted upon them: And if God Spare not the Natural Branches, take heed left be alfo pare not thee; for blind nefs is happen'd but in part upon Ifrael, until the fullness of the Gentiles do come in, Rom. 11. And then all Ifrael fhall be faved; which must be understood of moft of them: For the Angel tells Daniel, that every one of his People shall be deliver'd,whofe Names fhall be written in the Book, Dan. 12. I. So that all the Jews, before the last Judgment, fhall be converted, and acknowledge Chrift as the true Meffiah: Yet not all without exception, but only thofe who are written in the Book of Life. By the Jews living amongst us, we may also be the more induced to acknowledge the Goodnefs of God to us in receiving us to Mercy, when he caft off his own People:

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