The Urim of conscience to which the author has had recourse for plain answers, in his own particular case (as every man living ought to do in his) to four questions of great weight and importance, viz. 1. who and what art thou? 2. where hast thous been? 3. where art thou now going? 4. whither art thou going? : together with three select prayers for private families / by Sir Samuel Morland.

THE Second Question. (Book 2)

Q. Where hast thou been? (Book 2)

Answer.

Alas! I do not well know where: Nor how: Nor when: Nor what I have been doing.

Of my Infant-days I have no Knowledge or Remembrance, but admire God's infi∣nite Goodness, who, I verily believe, sends his blessed Angels to watch over young Babes, and tender Infants, who, of all o∣ther living Creatures, are the least able to help themselves.

Ejaculation.

Thou, O Lord, art he, who took'st me from the Womb: And thou hast been my hope, ever since I hung upon my Mothers Breasts.

In the Morning of my Life, for several Hours, I stood idle in the Market-place, with others of my Companions, pleasing my self with childish Toys and youthful Vanities.

In my more mature Age, though I had frequent Calls and Invitations to labour in God's Vineyard, yet nevertheless I rather chose to gratify my own roving Fancy, and satisfy my vain Curiosity, in ranging Abroad, and making enquiry into the Cu∣stoms and Manners of foreign Countries, and then to enter into the secret Intregues and mysterious Transactions of my own; where I had opportunity to hear, see and observe many things, which must be bu∣ried in Oblivion.

And here, I must acknowledge, I met with no small variety of Cares and Trou∣bles, Fears and Jealousies, Crosses and Dis∣appointments, and found my self at the brink of many a deep pit, and steep preci∣pice, and in great danger to have perished, without a wonderful preservation and de∣liverance.

Besides all this, I leave it to Men of grea∣ter Wisdom and Experience to consider,

how hard and difficult a thing it is, to be entangled with the Cross-purposes of pub∣lick Affairs, and yet have leisure to mind that one Thing necessary, The Salvation of our Souls; with which all the Riches, Ho∣nours and Pleasures which this World af∣fords, are not worthy to be laid in the Ballance.

Ejaculation.

Remember not, O Lord, the unaccoun∣table Follies and Vanities of my Child∣hood and Touth, nor the innumerable Transgressions of my riper Tears. Blot out of thy Remembrance, the many Brea∣ches of solemn Vows and Promises by me made in Times of Danger and Sickness, or any prevarications with the God and Father of Mercies, and the hazarding my Soul's Eternal Welfare and Happi∣ness, for the sake of a few sinful and short∣liv'd Pleasures.

Methinks this World does not unfitly resemble a Theatre or Stage, whereon eve∣ry Man presents himself, Acts his Part, and so makes his Exit.

But in all the various Passages of his Life, and frequent shifting of Scenes, the Devil, and his Agents, are always at hand, to di∣sturb and hinder the Actor in his perfor∣mances, both of Religious and Moral Du∣ties, and at last to carry him off the Stage, with Eternal Dishonour and Disgrace.

It will not be difficult to trace his Clo∣ven-Footsteps, from the first Creation to this present Time.

Having beguiled our first Parents, he re∣solved to mischief their two Sons: First, by polluting Cain's Offering, and laying Sin at his door; then by urging him to be wroth and angry with his Maker, for not accepting it. And lastly, by provo∣king him to break all the Bonds of Na∣ture, and to become his own Brother's Murtherer.

This done, he proceeds to tempt the Old World to the Commission of gross and enormous Impieties, till God destroyed them with a Deluge.

After the Flood, when Noah's Posterity was multiplied, the Devil turned Archi∣tect,

and drew a Design for the Children of Men, to build a Tower in the Plain of Shinaar, whose top was to reach to Hea∣ven, from which he himself had so lately fallen.

When God had dispersed those Buil∣ders, by the Confusion of Languages, he took upon him the Office of an Infernal Prophet, Priest and King, instructing his Disciples and Followers, to forsake the Worship of the True God, to yield Obe∣dience to all his Commands; and to erect Altars, plant Groves, and to offer Sacrifice to Devils, under various Forms of Beasts, Birds and Creeping Things. And so great was his Malice, that he would not spare that Grove of Oaks, at or near the Plains of Mamre, which the good old Patriarch Abraham had planted, and made use of as an Oratory, orselect place of Divine Worship for himself, and his numerous Family; but caused it to be converted to Idolatrous Uses, till such time as Constantine the Great took care to have the Heathen Altars and Images demolished by the Bishop of Jeru∣salem, and those of Palestine, and a Christian Church erected in their stead.

It would be endless, to make enquiry into all the Actions, and various Forms of Worship among the Men of the Old Gentile World, and Heathen Idolaters: Or to make an Enumeration of the Names of their respective Idols. I shall only en∣tertain the Reader with a brief Narrative, of what I have collected out of a late Traveller of no small Credit amongst us, which may give him some light into the Practices of former Ages.

There is (saith my Author) a King∣dom in the East Indies called Tunquin, where some of the Inhabitants worship four Gods, whose Names are Rauma, Betols, Ramonu and Brama, and a Goddess called Satis∣bana. Others of them hold Transmigration of Souls, and have a great Veneration for a certain Hermit called Chacabout, one of the greatest Impostors that ever was in Asia.

A third Sort, have great esteem for one Lanthu, one of the greatest Magicians of the East: That Impostor's Disciples having given it out, that his Mother carried him in her Womb, without losing her Virgi∣nity, for the space of Seventy years, which,

I am apt to believe is a Mock the Devil puts upon our blessed Saviour's being carried Ten Months in the Womb of a Virgin.

It is the Custom of the Tunquineses to Adore three things: The first is the Hearth of their Chimney, made of Three Stones. The second is an Idol, which they call Ti∣ensa, the Patroness of Handy-Crafts. The Third is the Idol Buabin, which they im∣plore before they build their Houses.

They likewise present Offerings to Trees, Elephants, Horses, Cows, and almost all kinds of Animals.

Besides all this, they have great Venera∣tion for two Magicians, and one Magicia∣ness: The first Magician foretells future Events: To the second, they have recourse in all their Sicknesses. And sometimes af∣ter several Apish-tricks, he himself, together with the sick Party, and those who brought him, do Homage and the Devil, and the sick Party's friends present him and the Devil, with an Entertainment of their choisest Meats.

But if the sick Person, after all their Of∣ferings, do not recover, his Friends and Re∣lations,

with as many Soldiers as they can get together, discharge their Guns and Musquets three times, to drive away his Devilship from those parts.

Sometimes the chief Magician (Thaybou) being consulted, and finding that the Di∣stemper arises from the Souls of the Dead, he, or his Brother Thay-phouthouy, finds ways to draw to him that Soul that is the Author of the Disease, and then shuts it up in a bottle of water well stopt, till the Party be cured, afterwhich he breaks the Bottle, and lets that Soul loose to go about its business.

The Magicianess Bacoti, keeps con∣stant Correspondence with the Devil, (to whom, if she has a Daughter, she offers her as soon as she is born,) and if any Mother happen to lose a Child, she makes her Ad∣dress to this Magicianess, who, by the beat of a Drum, pretends to Summon the Soul of that Child, and tell the Mother, whe∣ther its Condition in the other World be Good, or otherwise.

When the Moon is in an E••clipse, they believe it is assaulted by a Dragon, and therefore they make a hideous noise with

Drums, Trumpets, Bells and Musquets, till the Ecclipse be over, and then make great Rejoycings for having conquered that mon∣strous Creature.

It is very wonderful to consider, what cruel Tyranny the Devil exercises over many of the poor Idolatrous Indians.

Some he makes to carry their Arms over their Heads, during their Lives, which cau∣ses certain Carnosities to breed in their Joints, that they can never bring them down again.

Others he makes to stand upon one Foot, holding a Chaffing-dish in one hand, and with the other pouring out Incense, as an Offering to their God, fixing their Eyes all that while upon the Sun.

When the Inhabitants of the City Malde, in Bengala, on a certain Day go out of that City, great Numbers of them hang them∣selves by the flesh of their Bodies upon iron Hooks, fastned to Trees for that pur∣pose, till the weight of their Bodies tear∣ing away the Flesh, they fall off themselves to the ground; and which is almost incre∣dible, not a Drop of Blood issues out of

the Wounds, nor the least bit of Flesh is left upon the Hooks, and within the space of two Days they are cured by the Bramans.

Ejaculation.

I bless and praise Thee with my whole heart, O Lord of Heaven and Earth, for thy distinguishing Goodness and Mercy to me, the meanest and most unworthy of all Adam's Posterity, in permitting me to be Born within the Pale of the True Church, where the Gospel of Thy Son is openly preacht, and profest in the publick Assemblies: And not among Pagans, Turks, or other Infidels.

It is very remarkable, that the Devil, notwithstanding his great Power and Do∣minion over the Heathen World for so ma∣ny Thousand Years, has never yet been able utterly to deface those Principles of Right, Justice and Conscience, which the Almighty Maker has stampt upon Men's Souls, though at the same time, in most places, he has extreamly sullied them with hellish Impostures and Delusions, and Ido∣latrous Worship of divers kinds, so as to make sure of them in the main, and

always hold them fast within his Clutches.

Thus, in the foregoing Instance of the Tunquineses, the Hermite Chacabout left be∣hind him Ten Commandements, which he enjoined his Followers to observe with all manner of strictness, viz. First, Not to Kill. Secondly, Not to Steal. Thirdly, Not to defile their Bodies. Fourthly, Not to Lye. Fifthly, Not to falsify their Words. Sixthly, To restrain their inordinate Desires. Seventhly, Not to do Injury to any Man. Eighthly, Not to be great Talkers. Ninthly, Not to give way to their Anger. Tenthly, To labour to their ut∣most to get Knowledge. Besides all this, They who designed to lead a Religious Life, must re∣nounce the Delights of this Life; be Charitable to the Poor; overcome their Passions, and give themselves up to Meditation.

He taught moreover, That after this Life, there were Ten distinct Places of Joy and Torment; and that the Contemners of these Laws, should feel Torment propor∣tionable to their Offences, without any End of their Torments. That they who endeavoured to fulfil his Law, and had fai∣led in any point, should wander in divers Bodies (holding Transmigration of Souls)

for the space of Three Thousand Years, before they entred into Happiness. But that those who had perfectly Obeyed his Laws, should be rewarded, without suffer∣ing any Change of their Bodies: And that he himself had been Born ten times, be∣fore he enjoyed the Bliss that he possessed; not having in his first Youth, been illumi∣nated with that Knowledge which he afterwards attained.

Reflection.

As for his Ten Commands, and his other Instructions immediately following, one would think at first sight, that this Impo∣stor had collected them out of the Holy Scriptures, save only that there is not a Word therein that has the least regard to a Saviour or Messias. But alass! that subtil old Serpent, and Prince of Darkness, who is so perfect a Hater of the Saviour of the World, and of Humane Race, makes it his principal Care and Caution, to keep all his Subjects and Vassals from the least Knowledge of those divine Mysteries which relate to the holy JESUS.

For my part, I am apt to believe, altho' so many Ages have past since the Martyr∣dom of the blessed Apostles among the

Pagans and Barbarians, who undoubtedly converted very great numbers of them, while they lived amongst them; that some of these Converts left behind them many pious Instructions to their Children, who also left the same to their Children, and so from Generation to Generation, which, in process of time, were corrupted by Satan's Artifices, being confounded and intermingled with a great number of fool∣ish and extravagant Traditions.

Of this I shall here take the freedom to mention one famous Instance. There were, about fifteen Years since (as a Traveller assures me, who was himself in those parts) and probably are to this day living, above Twenty thousand Families, of a certain People who call themselves Christians, or Disciples of St. John, from whom they pre∣tend to have received their Faith, their Books and Traditions.

These people inhabit at present at Bal∣sara, about ten days Voyage from that place, where the River Tigris divides it self into two Arms, (the one running through the ancient Chaldaea, and the other towards Mesopotamia) in view of which stands an old Wall of about a League in compass,

which the Chronicles of that Country say, was the Ruins of the ancient Babylon, (up∣on which Wall six Coaches may go a∣breast) being made of burnt Brick, each Brick ten Foot square, and three Foot thick.

These Christians of St. John, anciently lived by the River of Jordan, where St. John baptized, and so from him they took their Name: But since the time that Mahomet conquered Palestine, although he had given them his Hand and Letter of Privilege not to be molested; his Suc∣cessors resolved to extirpate them, ruining their Churches, burning their Books, and exercising all manner of Cruelties upon their Persons, which obliged them to re∣tire into Mesopotamia and Chaldaea, and for some time, they were under the Patriarch of Babylon, from whom they separated a∣bout 175 Years since, and then removed into Persia and Arabia, and the Towns round about Balsara.

Their Creed is full of Fables, and soul Errors.

They never Baptize, but in Rivers, and only upon Sundays: But before they go to the River, they carry the Infant to Church, where there is a Bishop, who reads cer∣tain

prayers over the head of the Child; from thence they carry it to the River, with a train of Men and Women, who, to∣gether▪ with the Bishop, go up to the knees in Water, then the Bishop reads a∣gain certain prayers out of a Book which he holds in his hand, which done, he sprin∣kles the Infant three times, saying, Beesme brad Er-rabi, Kaddemin, Akreri, Menhal el Gennet Alli Koulli Kralek, which is in Eng∣lish, In the Name of the LORD, first and last of the WORLD and of PARADISE, the high Creator of all Things. After that, the Bishop reads something again out of his Book, while the Godfather plunges the Child all over in the water; after which, they all go to the Parents house to feast.

If any tax their Baptism for insufficient, in regard the Three Persons of the Trini∣ty are not mentioned therein, they give no reasonable Answer, nor have they any knowledge of that Mystery; only, they say, that Christ is the Spirit and Word of the Eternal Father.

They believe the Angel Gabriel to be the Son of God, begotten upon Light; yet will not believe the Eternal Genera∣tion of Christ as God, although they con∣fess

he became Man, to free us from the punishment of Sin; and that he was con∣ceived in the Womb of a Virgin, without the knowledge of Man, by means of the Water of a certain Fountain which she drank of. They believe he was Crucisied by the Jews, That he rose the Third Day, and that his Soul ascended up to Heaven, his Body remaining upon Earth; but withal, That Christ vanished when the Jews came to take him; and that he de∣luded their Cruelty with his shadow.

In the Eueharist, they make use of Meal kneaded up with Wine and Oil; the Wine they make with Grapes dried in the Sun, and casting water upon them, let them steep a long time, and with that they Consecrate the Cup; The Arabians (under whose Government they live) not permitting them the use; of ordinary Wine. The Words of their Consecration, are no other then long Prayers, but make no mention of Christ's Body or Blood, which they say is not necessary, because God knows their intention. After the Ceremonies are end∣ed, the Priest eats some of the Bread, and distributes the rest to the people.

All their Bishops wear their Hair long, with a little Cross wrought with a needle.

These People believe, and say, That the Angel Gabriel undertaking to create the World, according to God's Command, took along with him Three hundred thir∣ty six Thousand Demons, and made the Earth so fertile, that it was but to Sow in the Morning and Reap at Night. That the same Angel taught Adam to plant and sow, and all other necessary Sciences.

Moreover, That the same Angel made the Seven lower Spheres, the least where∣of reaches to the Center of the World, in the same manner as the Heavens do, all continued one within another; and that all these Spheres are of different Mettals: That, next the Center of Iron, the Second of Lead, the Third of Brass, the Fourth of Laten, the Fifth of Silver, the Sixth of Gold, and the Seventh of Earth, which contains all the rest.

They believe that over every Heaven there is Water, and that the Sun swims in a Ship upon that Water, and that the Mast of that Ship is a Cross; and that there are a great number of Boys and Girls to guide the Ships of both Sun and Moon:

Besides, they have the picture of a Bark, which, they say, belonged to the Angel Bachan, whom God sends to visit the Sun and Moon, to see whether they move ex∣actly, and keep close to their Duty.

In reference to the other World, and Life to come. They believe there is no o∣ther World, but where Angels and Divels, together with the Souls of Good and Bad reside. That in that World there are Ci∣ties, Houses and Churches; and likewise that the Evil Spirits have their Churches, where they pray, singing and rejoycing upon Instruments, and feasting, as in this World.

That when any one lies at the point of Death, three hundred and sixty Demons come and carry his Soul to a place full of Serpents, Dogs, Lions, Tigers and Devils, who, if it be the Soul of a wicked Man, tear it in pieces; but if it be the Soul of a just Man, it creeps under the Bellies of those Creatures into the presence of God, who sits in his Seat of Majesty, to judge the World.

That there are also Angels, who weigh the Souls of Men in a Ballance, and those who are thought worthy, are immediate∣ly admitted into Glory.

That Angels and Devils are Male and Female, and beget Children; and that the Angel Gabriel has a Daughter called S••••ret, who has two Sons.

That the Angel Gabriel has several Le∣gions of Demons under him, who are in∣stead of Souldiers, and others that are his Officers of Justice, whom he sends from Town to Town, and from City to City, to punish the wicked.

They hold that Christ left 12 Apostles to preach to the Nations.

That the Virgin Mary is not dead, but lives somewhere in the World, though no body knows where; and that next to her, St. John is to be the chiefest Saint in Heaven, and next to them Zacharias and Elizabeth, of whom they recount several Miracles and Apocryphal Tales. That when St. John came to be of Age, his Father and Mo∣ther married him; and also that he had four Sons which he begat upon the Wa∣ters of Jordan, and not upon the Body of his Wife. That he died a natural Death, but commanded his Disciples to Crucify him after his death, that he might be like Christ; and lastly, that he died in the Ci∣ty of Fuster, and was buried in a chrystal Tomb, brought to that City by a Miracle,

and that this Sepulchre was in a certain House near the River Jordan.

They highly adore the Cross, because, say they, we have a Book wherein it is written, That every Day, early in the Morn∣ing, the Angels take the Cross and put it in the middle of the Sun, which receives its Light from it, as the Moon does also hers: And that without these Crosses neither Sunnor Moon would give any Light, and the Ships they were in would suffer Shipwrack.

Their Festivals are Three, the one is in Winter that lasts three Days, in memory of our First Parent, and the Creation of the World: The Second in August, and called the Feast of St▪ John: The Third lasts five Days in June, during which time they are all Re-baptized.

On Sunday they do no work. They neither Fast, nor do any Penance. They have no Canonical Books, but a great number of others that treat of nothing but Witchcraft, in which they believe their Priests to be very crafty, and that the De∣vils are at their beck.

They suffer no Women to go to Church, nor any of the Laity to kill a Hen, or any

Fowl: They eat of nothing drest by the Turks, and after a Turk has drunk in one of their Cups they break it to pieces, and picture Mahomet, and four of his Parents, as shut up in Hell; and say, That all Turks are carried to the same place, to be devoured by wild Beasts.

They all pretend to Salvation, by a Pro∣mise made by God to Gabriel on their be∣half, when he framed the World. They have a great Antipathy against the blew Colour called Indigo, which they will not so much as touch▪ For, say they, cer∣tain Jews dreaming that their Laws should be abolished by St. John, told it their Country-men, which they understanding, and seeing that St. John prepared to bap∣tize Christ, in a great rage fetch a vast quantity of Indigo (in their Language Nill) and flung it into Jordan, which continued unclean for some time, and had hindred the Baptism of Christ, had not God sent his Angels with a large Vessel of Water, which he caused them to fill out of Jor∣dan, before the Jews had defiled it with Indigo; and that for the foresaid bold At∣tempt to defile the River, God particular∣ly cursed that Colour.

Ejaculation.

How long, O Lord, Holy and True, wilt thou cease to be avenged of that Prince of Darkness, for tyrannizing and triumphing over the poor Heathens, and beguiling them with his Sorceries, Witch∣crafts and Enchantments, for so many thousand Years. How long wilt thou suf∣fer that Enemy of Souls, secretly to di∣vert and please himself, by seeing such vast numbers of his Slaves and Vassals, to take more pains, undergo more hard∣ships, and to endure more exquisite bodily Torments in travelling along the Broad way, and passing through the wide Gate that leads to endless Woes and Mi∣series, than thou sufferest a great num∣ber of thine own Elect, and chosen Servants to meet with in the Narrow Way, and in their passage through the straight Gate, that leads to Eternal Life.

But to return to my Observations of the Devil's practices.

When God had covenanted with Abra∣ham, that his Seed should be multiplied as

the Stars of Heaven, and inherit the Pro∣mised Land, What Stone did Satan leave unturn'd? Or what Opportunities did he ever lose of attempting to frustrate God's gracious Designs?

His first Atchievement was to exaspe∣rate Esa•• to murder his Brother Jacob, upon whose individual Person his aged Father had so lately fixt a Blessing; and out of whose Loyns were to come forth 12 Tribes, whose Posterity were to be as innumerable as the Sands of the Sea, ho∣ping that he being once removed, the blessed Effects of all God's promises would be utterly vacated and disappointed.

When Jacob's Family were kindly received by K. Pharaoh and the Egyptians, How watch∣ful and diligent was that old Serpent, to wait for the coming of another King, whom he might incense, and so bring the Isratlites under Slavery and Bondage?

When Moses was deputed immediately by God for their Deliverance, what dia∣bolical Artifices did he use, to help the Magicians to counterfeit some of his Mi∣racles, and so to harden the heart of Pha∣raoh, and the hearts of all his Servants?

When the distressed Israelites were got out of that King's Dominions, How rea∣dy was he, upon all occasions, to improve

to the utmost the sullen Nature, and un∣thankful Disposition of that People, so as to provoke God in the Wilderness, by their frequent Murmurings and Complaints, for the space of forty Years?

When they had got possession of the Promised Land, How quickly did▪ he bring them acquainted with Baal and Ashtaroth, and the rest of the false Gods of the Na∣tions round about them, whom Joshua had not yet extirpated?

And thus they continued their Rebelli∣on, and brought upon themselves many severe Judgments, and were very often subject to the Will and Pleasure of their E∣nemies; till at last a great part of them were carried away Captive to Babylon, with their Wives and Children, and others of them ex∣pos'd to the Sword, Pestilence and Famine.

When our Saviour was born in Bethle∣hem, How subtilly and maliciously did he prompt that cruel Tyrant Herod, in his Rage and Anger, to murther for his sake, all the Male-Children in those parts, from two years old, and under?

Reflection.

But here I must entreat the Reader's pa∣tience, to permit me a while to make a pause: For certainly had that Enemy of,

throughly understood the Mysteries of Man's Redemption, by the coming of the blessed JESUS, he had neither incensed Herod to make so cruel a Slaughter in Beth∣lehem, or inspired the Jews with such ve∣hement Rage and Passion, to urge Pilate (against his own Inclination) to give Sen∣tence for his Crucifixion, which must of necessity prove so fatal to himself, and his Kingdom of Darkness.

When the blessed Jesus was gone to Heaven, and had given Commission to his Apostles to act in their several Provinces, and to disperse the Gospel throughout all Nations, How did the Devil animate and enrage the Heathen Idolaters, and Savage Barbarians, to treat them with all manner of Cruelties? And its almost incredible, how many Thousands, or rather Millions, suffer'd Martyrdom for the sake of the Gos∣pel, during the Reign of Nero, Domitian, Trajan, and the rest of the persecuting Emperors; no less than thirty three Ro∣man Bishops successively are said to have been put to Death with great Cruelties.

Now in all those Proceedings both of the Jews and Heathens against the Christi∣ans, the Devil's Malice was sufficiently e∣vident and notorious: But I must needs confess, that his great Master-piece of Ma∣lice

and Revenge was shown in After-ages, in sowing Discords and Divisions in the Church of Christ, and in animating Chri∣stians against Christians, of which, to this very day, we have sad and woful Expe∣rience: I am loth to mention any Parti∣culars, for fear of giving Offence to the several and respective Parties, but leave every good Man to his own Observations and Reflections, and to his private Prayers to the God and Father of Mercies, for U∣nity, Peace and Concord in his holy Ca∣tholick and Apostolick Church, and for the blessed Communion of all his Saints and chosen Servants, during their Pilgri∣mage in this Valley of Tears; and that he will be graciously pleas'd, in his due time, to purge out of his Church, all manner of Sin and Wickedness which now rules and reigns amongst us.

What are those Follies and Vanities, nay, What are those gross and enormous Impie∣ties which are not at this day to be found within the Pale of the Church, and a∣mongst those who name the Name, and are in outward appearance Professors of the Gospel of Christ Jesus?

Here dwell Atheism, Infidelity, Pride and Vain-glory, Dissimulation and Hypo∣crisy, with Hatred, Malice and Envy. Here you

you may find the Poor oppressed by Men of Might, and innocent Lambs made a Prey to ravenous Wolves.

Here we have too often presented to our Eyes most doleful and lamentable Ob∣jects, and have one Ear filled with Slan∣ders, Reproaches, Calumnies, Oaths, Blas∣phemies and horrid Curses; and the other, with deep Sighs, sorrowful Groans, mourn∣ful Complaints, and bitter Lamentati∣ons.

Here we may observe Men, of almost all Ranks and Degrees, instead of seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness, and that one thing necessary The Salvation of their Souls; build themselves stately Hou∣ses upon sandy Foundations, and propose to themselves (that which is never to be had in this World) true Content and Hap∣piness, but still make gross Mistakes, and never accomplish their Designs: Not un∣like Arches of greater and lesser Circles, all which seem to eneline (some more some less) towards a straight Line; but none of them can truly agree, or ever be co-incident with any part of it.

Here we may find ambitious Men climbing and twisting themselves up by a Spiral Line to the top of Honour, and sud∣denly falling headlong down by a Perpen∣dicular.

Here likewise we may observe the Co∣vetous Man (whom the Lord abhors) hoarding up Gold and Silver in his rusty Coffer, that so he may lay Field to Field, Arable to Pasture, and Tenement to Lord∣ship, till he be left alone within a vast cir∣cumference, of which his Purse was the Diameter, and his contracted and shrunk∣up Soul the Center; and it sometimes hap∣pens that our Saviour's Item (Thou Fool this night, &c.) becomes his Doom, and he leaves behind him that Wealth which he never truly enjoyed, to purchase an Equi∣page for some dissolute and prodigal Heir to ride post to Hell.

A friendly Caution to those who study the Perpetual-Motion.

THE young Mechanick has no sooner learned the plain Operations of A∣rithmetick, and galloped over the first six Books of Euclid, had the sight of a Pendu∣lum-Clock, wrought a few strokes with his own hand at a Pump, or forcing En∣gine, and seen how a Water-wheel turns about the Lantern-wheel of a Corn-mill; but the very first thing he sets upon is the Perpetual-Motion, not at all doubting, but

in a short time to triumph over the old Rules of Staticks, and Ordinances of Hydro∣staticks, by making one Pound weight, descending six foot perpendicularly in the space of a Minute, to raise up the weight of two pound to as great, or greater, per∣pendicular height in the same space of time; and with the strength of a Child of 8 or 10 years old, to force up 4 or 500 Tun of Water in an hours space to any given height, above its own Superfi∣cies, and by this means to drain, or drown whole Countries: To erect Corn-mills in all standing Pools, with many such Pro∣jects, and thereby to gain to himself im∣mortal Fame, and a princely Fortune; till at last, having spent his Patrimony, and wasted his precious time, he unfortunate∣ly meets with an Ordinance of the Al∣mighty Maker, (called an Equilibrium) which pronounces the poor Projector's doom; and then he sits down in great sad∣ness and melancholly, to lament his Igno∣rance and Folly.

I have, in former days, been visited by several of those Mathematical Enthusiasts, some of whom were near Neighbours, o∣thers came, as I remember, 60 or 80 Miles from their Habitations, with a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in their mouths, desiring me to join

with them in Praise and Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for hiding those My∣steries from the learned Philosophers of the World, and revealing them to such ignorant and unskilful Persons, as they acknowledged themselves to be, and of so mean Capacities▪ As likewise to enter in∣to Indentures with them, for their Assign∣ing over to me a large proportion of their endless and unknown Gains and Profits; and this usually happened at such times when the Sun was got up to the Summer solstice, and the Worm of vain Imagina∣tion wrought within the Dura and Pia Mater of those poor Engineers; till such time, as having revealed to me their Secret of Secrets, I had prevailed with them by evincing Arguments, and Ocular Demon∣strations, (having had my self sufficient Experience of such vain Attempts) to quit their Pretensions of doing Wonders, and to repair to their own Homes, and follow their several respective Occupations.

Another Caution concerning the Philo∣sopher's STONE.

THE Well-wisher to Chimistry has no sooner pawn'd the best part of his small Substance, to purchase his Glasses,

Melting-pots, and other Utensils, and built up his Chymical Furnace, but he boldly undertakes, without fear or wit, the Trans∣mutation of Mettals; and hopes, by safe and regular steps and degrees, to come in due time to pro••ection; But after a tedi∣ous progress the poor Philosopher finds he has been rolling Sysiphus his Stone, and instead of turning his brass Pots and copper Saucepans into Golden Vessels, he has on∣ly made an unlucky Transmutation of his silver Tankard and gilt Cup into a wood∣en Can and earthen Pipkin, and out of a new Suit of Cloths, extracted an old thread-bare Coat and Breeches, pieced and patcht and torn all to rags.

The Religious and Moral Hypocrite, with the temporizing Turn-coat, propose to them∣selves great Content and Happiness, and value themselves extreamly by their skill∣ful Addresses, in winnowing with every Wind, and sailing with every point of the Compass; and which is yet more, they very much please themselves in deceiving and abusing Persons of all Qualities, Ages, and Sexes, as well the Great and Wise, as the Ignorant and Foolish, looking upon this as a noble practice, and worthy of Men of Learning and Parts. And thus

they appear a long time in Masquerade and Disguise, till by some Accident they are discovered, and then they become to all Parties, more hateful and odious than Toads or Serpents.

The Rich Glutton, (whose God is his Belly, and thinks there's no other Hea∣ven than his Pantry and Kitchin) does ve∣ry seldom leave off to gorge his Paunch with dainty Dishes and costly Meats (the Expence whereof would satisfy many hun∣gry Souls) till by his Intemperance, a Sur∣feit ends his Days, and his loathsom Car∣kass becomes a Feast for the greedy Worms.

The Drunkard no sooner sits down in a Tavern or Ale-house with his boon Com∣panions, but thinks himself in Paradise: O how he hugs and blesses himself, to see his beloved Nectar poured out and sparkle in the Glass! And thus he goes on from Morning till Midnight, till the Wine en∣flame him; but in the end, he often finds that it bites him like an Adder, and stings him like a Scorpion.

The Voluptuous Man makes bold Adven∣tures, fights desperate Duels, and compas∣ses

Sea and Land to gain a few Prostitutes, which, for a time, he esteems as Birds of Paradise, and every fresh Beauty, a Phoe∣nix; till he learns by woful experience, that they are indeed much worse than fading Flowers: And yet notwithstanding all ha∣zards, being once infected with the Plague and Leprosy of Fornication and Adultery, (unless it pleases God to open his Eyes, and convince him of his folly and mad∣ness) he seldom forbears hunting after his accursed pleasure, till rottenness enter into his Bones, and a dart strike him through the Liver.

The Theif and Robber is not without his Designs to repair his broken Fortune, or at least to better his Condition, and at last to live with great content and happiness, with his wicked Associates and lewd Strum∣pets.

This Person, upon his first admittance into the Brother-hood, no sooner meets with a few lucky Hits, and rich Prizes, but thinks himself a great Prince, and all the Inhabitants of the neighbouring Coun∣ties, his Subjects and Vassals; and bound by their Allegiance to supply him with what Gold, Silver and Jewels he pleases to call for in his progress.

But alass! how often do we see this bright Sun suffer a total E••clipse at high Noon, and the miserable Wretch hous'd in a loathsom Prison, fast bound with Fet∣ters, massy Chains and manicles of Iron; and having received his just Sentence of Condemnation from the mouth of the Judge, see him to be dragg'd from his subter∣raneous Dungeon, to the dreadful place of Execution.

The Extortioner, (that Antropophagus,) swallows like a Cormorant, and digests like an Ostritch, the Pawns and Pledges, which he so greedily snatches out of the hands, and sometimes pull'd from off the Backs of Necessitous and indigent Per∣sons.

This is he who drives away the Widows Ox, and the Ass of the Fatherless: And be∣ing attended with his respective Officers, puts in execution his fatal Judgments, and at one Morcel, devours Cottages and Enclo∣sures (together with the Bodies of the Own∣ers) Farms, Fields and Pastures with all their Stocks and Effects, Tenements and Lord∣ships, with Gardens, Orchards, Coach-Houses, Stables, Barns, Out-houses, and all their Appurtenances; always watching for the Windfalls of prodigal Heirs, and

decayed Fortunes; as Eagles do after the dead Carkasses of broken Armies, never considering, That unless God have mercy upon his Soul, he does but heap up Trea∣sures against the Day of Wrath and Ven∣geance.

There is yet behind another Generation of Men, who promise themselves, above all others, to please their sensual Appetites with the true Gusto of Worldly Pleasures, having hardned each other in their Opi∣nions and Belief, That there is no God, An∣gels or Spirits, or any Real Subsistences of Depar∣ted Souls: No Heaven to reward the Righteous, nor a Hell to punish Sinners.

The Fools of old Times said only in their Hearts, There is no God, and so kept their Opinion to themselves; but the Fools of this last Age are more bold, and pro∣nounce it openly with their Mouths.

O foolish Atheists! Who has bewitch't you to outdo the Pagans, Turks and In∣fidels? Yea, and the very Devils them∣selves (who believe and tremble, while you make merry and turn all to Ridicule;) by denying the Divine Existence, of which, the Heaven above and the Earth beneath, with the Sea and all that there∣in is, (to the least Mite or Grain of Sand,

that can possibly be discerned by the best of Microscopes,) do bear evident testimony.* 1.1 Would you but retire a while into your pri∣vate Closets, (and there make use of that reason, and those Principles which were born with your Souls!) These would soon furnish you with sufficient Proofs, and evin∣cing Arguments. Mark, I beseech you, in what significant Terms a heathen Philoso∣pher rebukes you, Mentiuntur qui dicunt non esse Deum, etiamsi enim interdiu negant, noctu tamen, et sibi, dubitant! Which is hardly to be turn'd into English, without losing a great part of its emphasis. They lie, who say there is no God! for though in the day time they deny him, yet in the Night, and being alone, they doubt concerning Him.

How is it possible, that it should ever enter into the thoughts, of Men of Rea∣son and common Understanding; That those glorious Bodies of the Sun, Moon and Planets, together with that Number∣less number of fixed Stars, and those of such prodigious Magnitudes, should all be produced by meer Fortune or Chance?

Vain man would fain be wise! but which of your Leaders, who darken their Counsels by words without knowledge, can tell me, how the great Bodies before-mentioned

of the Sun, Moon, and the other Planets, are suspended in the vast Expanse, and by what extrinsick, or in∣trinsick Powers they have performed their several and respective Motions, and ser∣ved for Signs and for Seasons, and Measu∣red time, for so many thousand Years.

Is there any of you, who knows the Ordinances of Heaven, or can set the do∣minion thereof in the Earth? Which of you can bind the sweet Influences of Pleiades, or loose the Bands of Orion?

Or to come nearer to our own Ter∣restial Globe: Who is he that gathers and holds the Wind in his fists? Who is he that has bound the Waters in a Garment? Who is that has established all the ends of the Earth? What is his Name, and what is his Son's Name, if you can tell me? Which of you can give a clear Account of those black and grisly Clouds, when they seem to be rent and torn by the Thunder-Claps, as if their substance were of molten Brass; or the Lightning that shoots through the Hemisphere, and in its passage, tears and rends one sturdy Oak, and leaves another untouch't; Passes by one stately Edifice and takes away part of another, and how it should pull out massy Barrs of Iron, and again strike them into Stone

walls to the Depth of many Inches, with other prodigious Effects? Of which, I am sure, you can give but very slender Rea∣sons, No more than of the Treasure of the Snow, the Hail, or Hoary Frost? Or of Hurricanes, Deluges or Earth∣quakes.

Alas! poor dull Philosophers, the wisest of you all know not how any grass pile or the least hair of your heads grows, and yet are so presumptuous to dispute and ques∣tion Divine Providence.

O foolish and perverse Atheists, who hath bewitch't you to make mock of Mo∣ses and the Prophets, to divide our blessed Saviour and his Apostles, and to make the Holy Scriptures a meer Humane Artifice for Soveraign Princes to keep their Subjects in Obedience, and to preserve to Ecclesi∣astick Prelates, their vast Revenues, and to Inferior Priests their Tythes and Main∣tenance.

In the first place, we are as well assur'd that the Books of the New Testament, were writ by the first Divulgers of Christianity, which were soon afterwards Translated into Latin, Syriac, and other Languages, and Copies thereof dispersed, and publickly preach't in most parts of the habitable World, and so transmitted to us without

any notorious depravations; as we are sure, that in our Statute Books are faith∣fully Recorded the several Laws which have been Enacted in all the King's and Queen's Reigns, from William the Conqueror to this present Age; and much more sure, then you or any private Man can be, of the Conveyances, Hands, or Seals, of his Ancestors, from time to time, where∣by he holds his Lands and Possessions.

We have no more reason to doubt that there was a Jesus born in Bethelem, than that there was at that time a Herod at Je∣rusalem, or an Augustus Caesar at Rome: The wonderful Star that appear'd at Christ's birth, is mentioned by Macrobius: And a great E∣nemy to Christianity speaks of the coming of the Magi from the East to Jerusalem, and Julian the Apostate Confesses, the appear∣ing of a New Star, though he trifles about the manner of its appearing.

The Ecclipse at Christ's Passion was left upon Record among the Heathen.

As for the Writings of Moses and the Prophets, and for their being most carefully preserved through-out all Ages, till the coming of our Saviour Jesus! (at which time they were publickly read in all the Synagogues) we need no better Evidence,

than the universal Consent of his Implaca∣ble Enemies the Jews.

We read in the 31st. of Deuteronomy, that when Moses had made an end of writing the Words of the Law in a Book, untill they were finished, That He comman∣ded the Levites which bore the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, saying, Take this Book of the Law, and put it in the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God. (And we may reasonably judge, that the rest of the Canonical Books, when written, were also here laid up) Besides the King was to keep a Copy for his own use, 17. Deut. 18. And the Priests that were to ex∣pound the Law must needs have Copies of it themselves: So in an ordinary way it might be preserved by multitudes of Copies, some of which might escape in the hands of good and pious Men, in Ido∣latrous Times. Whence it will follow, That we have no reason to think that the Book of the Law, which was lost for a great while, and after the Captivity found by Hilkiah, and by him given to Saphan the Scribe, who carried it to King Josiah, was the only Copy of the Law that was pre∣served, 2 Kings 22. 8.

During the Captivity, those Books which were already written, were undoubtedly in

the hands of the Prophets and Priests, some of whom, as Jeremiah and Gedaliah staid in their own Land; others, as Daniel and his Companions, were carried away Cap∣tives: And we are sure that Daniel had these Books, and out of them gathered the number of Years the Captivity was to last, 9 Dan. 2. where it is thus written, viz. In the first Year of Darius, the Son of Ahasuerus, of the Seed of the Medes, &c. I Daniel understood by Books, the number of Years, whereof the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet, that he would accom∣plish Seventy Years in the Desolations of Jeru∣salem.

Josephus saith, That Cyrus was moved to restore the Jews by reading the Prophesy of Isaiah, where it is foretold 210 Years before his time, that he should be raised up for that Work.

After the Captivity these Books were kept in a great number of Copies, of which every Synagogue had one at least. In this interval, Ptolomy Philadelphus procured the Translation of the Seventy, the authen∣tick Edition of which was kept in the fa∣mous Alexandrian Library, about the Year of the World 3465. As for the Books of Moses, they were in one entire Volume long before the Captivity; and it is pro∣bable,

that the rest of the divinely inspi∣red Psalms and Prophesies that were writ∣ten before the Captivity, were laid up with them.

After the Captivity the Jewish Histori∣ans relate, that the great Synagogue, (of which Ezra was President, and at which Haggai, Z••chariah, Malachi and Nehemiah assisted) compiled the Books of the Old Testament, as we have them now divided into three parts, and as they continued in our Saviour's time; (who himself refers to the Old Testament as consisting of the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms) and of each of these three parts they appointed certain Sections to be read in their Syna∣gogues every Sabbath day.

Now that their Collection contained the same Books the Old Testament now consists of, (22 in number) is clear from Josephus contra Appionem, quoted by Eusebius.

That these Books were kept with a Re∣ligious care, we have the celebrated Te∣stimony of Philo the Jew, who wrote a little after the Ascension of Christ; who saith, That a Jew would rather suffer an hun∣dred Deaths, than allow the least alteration in one Letter of the Law. And Buxtorf tells us in his Comment. Masoreth. Of their particular care, in numbring the very Letters of every Book.

In the next place, our blessed Saviour's miracles were so numerous, so openly performed, and before so many thousand Spectators, both of the Jews and other Nations, of which many were his impla∣cable Enemies, who wanted neither Lear∣ning, Subtilty nor Malice to have soon discover'd any fraudulent Practices; and those Miracles being such, as could not be perform'd by Men or Devils, or any thing less than a supernatural and Almighty Power, it being never known, since the World was created, that the Devil ever open'd the Eyes of those that were born blind, or fed so many thousands of hungry Persons with five Loaves and a few small Fishes, or with the speaking of two or three Words, raise Men out of their Graves who had been dead and buried four days, there will be lest no reasonable or plausible Pretext for any sceptical Unbeleiver to call in question his divine Power.

I do believe, that the Devil is a Spirit of wonderfull knowledge, and mighty power; and able when ever God permits him to blind the Eyes of us Mortals, and so to counterfeit real Miracles, as for a while Pharaoh's Magicians did in appear∣ance perform some of Moses's Miracles,

and that which is no small help to the performance of his Sorceries and Witch∣crafts, and other of his diabolical practices; he has undoubtedly a perfect knowledge of the Sympathies, Antipathies, and secret vertues, that are either in the Bodies of all sorts of Animals and Plants, or else in Mine∣rals and inanimate things; which if they should be publickly known or divulged, Humane Society would be very much confounded, if not utterly destroyed.

Who can give a rational accout of Straws jumping to the jett? Or the Dust of Iron to the Load-stone? Or of the needles turning to the North.

What reason can any Philosopher give, why the bark of a Tree in Peru should be a ready Cure for a Fever or Ague? Or why the Skin of an Eele or Snake should give present ease, to the violent pain of the Cramp? Or, (which is yet more wonderfull) why a small bit of Wood, being cut and taken at such a criticall hour, or minute, and being gently rub∣bed upon a fresh wound, should immedi∣ately staunch the Blood, (though issuing forth with great violence) and perform the Cure in a few hours space, (the Wound being only wrapt up close, and kept warm,) without any chyrurgical Operations.

I my self have seen and practised many strange Experiments of other kinds which I think not at all convenient here to pub∣lish: And look upon it as an effect of God's wonderful Providence, Mercy and Goodness, that the Books which Solomon wrote concerning Plants and Herbs, were concealed from, or at least not made com∣mon or publick in, future Ages. And that several Experiments, which some later and learned Authors (such as Paracelsus, Agrip∣pa, and others, have published to the World,) have either been misunderstood, or not at all believed.

As for the Miracles done by Moses, there are two things very considerable and worth our notice.

First, though the Magicians, by the Devil's assistance, did in appearance, turn the Rods into Serpents, and Water into Blood, and bring up Frogs upon the Land of Egypt; yet it is manifest that they were in no wise able to undo Moses's Miracles, or to remove any of the Ten Plagues, which would certainly have been a most accepta∣ble Service to K. Pharaoh, who had so much a do to bring his hard and stubborn heart to intreat Moses to beseech the Lord his God, for the speedy removal of the Frogs, the Flies, the Hail, and the Locusts.

Again, it is no less observable, That the Magicians counterfeited no more than two or three of Moses's Miracles; and when they attempted to proceed, they were forced to desist and confess it was the power and Fin∣ger of God: Neither was the Devil, with all his Magick-Arts, able to help them to pro∣duce so vile and despicable a Creature as a Lowse; or to give them afterwards a Receipt to cure their Boils and Blains which Moses had fixt upon their bodies, so that they were no longer in a condition to stand before Pharaoh and his Servants; nei∣ther do we hear any more of their ap∣pearance in all those Transactions; where∣as Moses went on triumphantly with his Miracles, till he had safely landed all the Israelites on the other side of the Red-Sea, and left Pharaoh, and all his Host over∣whelmed with the returning Waters, and become dead Carkasses.

Reflections.

If God should permit real Miracles to vouch diabolical Delusions, or indeed, suffer any of the Devil's Magick-Arts to stand in competition with his own Almighty works upon such extraordinary Occasions, of either revealing, or confirming any new Truth or Doctrine, it would soon over∣throw

throw Christian Religion: But we always find the contrary throughout the Holy Scriptures.

Pharaoh's Magicians were soon put to silence: Their Rods were swallowed up by Aaron's Rod: They were at a Non-plus in producing a Lowse; and at last were forced to withdraw, and disappear with shame and disgrace.

The priests of Baal, though they cut and mangled their flesh with sharp knives, and from morning to Evening made bit∣ter Cries, were not able to bring down Fire from Heaven upon their Altars.

The Sorcerer Elymas, was, by St. Paul, struck blind at Salamis and St. Peter more than once publickly baffled the famous Sorcerer Simon Magus.

So that whatever was done by Pharaoh's Magicians (which is one of the most re∣markable Instances of the Devil's power and Enchantments) or whatever was at any time after done by any of his Sorcer∣ers, does not in the least derogate from any of our blessed Saviour's Miracles, or the Miracles afterwards performed by any of his Apostles or Disciples, which did im∣mediately prove on both his, and their Testimony to be Divine; And consequently were an absolute Confirmation of our

Saviour's being the true Messias, and sent by God himself from Heaven for the Redemption of lost sinners, and opening the Kingdom of Heaven to all Be∣lievers.

This Argument of Miracles was urged by Christ himself, (who certainly knew best the force of it) against the Scribes, Pharisees, and unbeliving Jewes: And he did acknowledge, that if he had not done those things which no other Man on Earth could do, they might have had a fair ex∣cuse for their Unbelief.

In the time of Tiberius, (says Josephus, a Jew by Nation, and of a contrary Profes∣sion, and wrote his History about 86 years after Christ)

There was one Jesus, a wise Man (if it be lawfull to call him a Man) who was a Worker of great Miracles, and a teacher of such as love the Truth, and had many, as well Jews as Gentiles who clove unto him: This was Christ, and when Pilate, upon his being accused by the Men of our Nation, bad sentenced him to be Crucified, yet did not they who had first loved him, forsake him; for he appeared to them the Third Day alive again; according to what the Prophets, divinely inspired, had foretold concerning him: As they had done an innumerable

number of very strange things besides, and even to this day, both the Names and sort of Persons called Christians so named from him, do remain.

To which Attestation of Josephus, were it necessary, might be added great numbers of Testimonies from ancient Writers.

I must needs acknowledge, That our blessed Saviour's Apostles, though the greatest part of them were poor 〈◊〉〈◊〉 men, of low Birth, small Fortune, and mean Education, were by the Spirit of God, endued with the wonderful Gift of speaking strange Languages, and other miraculous Powers, that so they might be better enabled to disperse the Gospel into many remote Countries, as they after∣wards did: Namely St. Peter in Sicily, Britain and Africa, as likewise at Antioch and Rome. St. Andrew in Galatia, Bithi∣nia, and all along the Euxine Sea: St. James in Spain, Britain and Ireland. St. John in Asia, and other parts of the East. St. Bar∣tholomew in India. St. Thomas among the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Carmans, Hircans, Bachtrians the Asians, Ethiopians and Indi∣ans. Simon the Zelot in Egypt, Syrene and Africk. St. Jude in the Cities of Arabia. St. Matthias in Cappadocia. St. Mark in

Alexandria. And though St. James the Just did stay at Jerusalem, yet probably he might have some Converts of almost all Nations, who frequently resorted to that City, Parthians, Medes and Elamites, Dwellers in Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pon∣tus, Asia, and divers other places.

To all these may be very well added St. Paul, who though he was none of the Twelve, yet he was not the least of the Apostles; and having received his Com∣mission from Christ himself in a Vision, left Damascus, and preached the Gospel at Antioch, Seleusia, Cyprus, Pamphilia, Iconium, Lystra, Pisidia, Galatia, Macedonia, Samo∣thracia, Neapolis, Thessalonica, Beraea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Jerusalem, Illiricum, Sclavonia, Troas and Rome.

Yet notwithstanding all this, it was im∣possible that these poor Men should, at the same time, carry on any private Design of their own, being all of them sent forth as Lambs among Wolves, and foretold by their own Master (whom all, but Judas, had seen scourged, Spit on, and crucified between two Thieves,) that they should be persecuted and hated of all Nations for his Name sake, and the Gospel, (which yet at their peril they were to preach and publish) and after all sorts of Affronts,

and cruel Usage, should suffer shameful and ignominious Deaths, which they all did, as ancient Historians assures us, St. John (Christ's beloved Disciple) excepted; neither had he escaped, as one of them tells us, had God permitted the Cauldron of burning Oil, into which he was thrown by Domitian's Order, to put an end to his life.

As for St. Peter, he, for baffling Simon Magus, was, by the Command of the Emperor Nero, crucified at Rome with his Head downwards.

St. Andrew was at Patra, a City of Achaia by the Proconsul's Order, first scourged, (seven Lictors successively whipping his naked Body) and then tied (not nailed) to the Cross, to prolong his Torments, and was two whole days before he ex∣pired.

St. James was beheaded in Jerusalem by Herod Agrippa, Son of Aristobulus, and Grand-child to Herod the Great, in whose Reign Christ was born.

St. Bartholomew was first flead alive, and then crucified at Albanople in Armenia.

St. Matthew is said to be Martyred at Naddaba in Ethiopia.

St. Thomas suffered Martyrdom at Mali∣pur, in the Kingdon of Cormandel, where,

by the Brachmans, he was first loaded with stones and Darts, and then run through with a Launce.

St. James the Less was thrown down from a Pinnacle of the Temple.

Simon the Zelot is said to have suffered great Cruelties in Britain, and then to be crucified by the Infidels.

Jude suffered Martyrdom in Persia, for rebuking the Superstitions of the Magi.

St. Matthias, as is conjectured, was crucified by the barbarous people of Cap∣padocia.

St. Mark was seized on by the Alexan∣drians, at the celebration of their God Serapis, where they dragg'd him by the legs over rugged and uneven ways, till his flesh was torn, his blood wasted, his Spirits decayed and his blessed Soul expired.

To these may be added the cruel Usage of St. Paul and St. Luke.

St. Luke was by the Infidels hang'd on an Olive Tree in Greece.

St. Paul was, by Nero's cominand, be∣headed at Aquae Salvae, about three Miles from Rome, for having converted one of the Emperor's Concubines, so that she utterly refused any further compliance with his wanton desires.

One man in an Age may throw away his Life, on purpose to get himself a Name, and be famous as Erostratus, who set on fire the Temple of Ephesus, or Ravillac, who stabb'd a King of France: But for all these Apostles, and many thousands of their Disciples and Converts to throw away their Lives, and thereby to purchase nothing but ignominy and disgrace, (for alas! they were accounted as the Scum of the Earth, and the Off∣scouring of all things) it can never so much as enter into the Thoughts of any Man of Reason or Sense.

Besides, there were hardly ever commit∣ted in the World, any kind of notorious Crimes, or treacherous Designs contrived, but at some time or other, they were disco∣vered, by one or more of the Crimi∣nals: But let the ablest Historian in the World, (if he can) produce a real Instance of any of the Apostles or Martyrs, among so many thousands (possi∣bly Millions) whose cruel Sufferings for the Faith of Jesus, made them openly recant, or confess themselves guilty of any fraudulent Practises, or setting up a false Worship to deceive all Nations.

After all this, tell me, ye foolish and perverse Atheists, Who has bewitcht you

to build your Tabernacles of Happiness upon such sandy Foundations, or to sell your immortal souls to the Devil at so cheap and easy rates?

I have yet one question to ask of certain Persons, who are rightly stiled Modern Sad∣duces, and that is, For what Reason they deny the Resurrection? Or why they should at all doubt God's Omnipotence? Or once imagine, That He who made all things out of nothing, should not be able, when ever he pleases, out of some∣thing to make any thing?

How many Emblems of the Resurrection have we frequently before our Eyes? The Night lies down, and the Day arises; a∣gain, The Day departs, and the Night comes on: The Year that dies in Autumn, has a Resurrection in the Spring: The seed of Herbs, Corn and Fruit-Trees, first suffer a Dissolution in the Earth, (some for a few Days, others for a few Weeks) and then, by the Power of the Almighty Maker of all things, have a new Body gi∣ven them of the same Kind or Species.

If that be true which some have related of the Phoenix, (a thing I would rather believe, than undertake to disprove since there are so many strange things to be found among the Works of the Creation) It is a wonderful Type of the Resur∣rection.

In Arabia (say they) there is a certain Bird called a Phoenix, of which there is but one at a time, and that one lives 500 Years; and when the time draws near that it must die, it makes it self a Nest of Frankincense and Myrrh, and o∣ther Spices, into which, when its time is fulfilled, it enters and dies; but its Flesh putrifying, breeds a certain Worm, which being nourished by the Juice of the dead Carcass brings forth a new Phoenix, and when it is grown to a perfect Age, it takes up the Nest, in which the Bones of its Parent lie, and carries it from Arabia into Egypt, to a City called Heliopolis, and flying in open Day, in the sight of all Men, lays it on the Altar of the Sun, and so returns into the Country from whence it came: This done, the Priests make search into the Records of Time, and find that it re∣turneth at the end of 500 Years.

Whether this Report be true or no, sure I am, that nothing can be too hard for the Almighty.

Let us suppose, in two or three Instan∣ces, things that are within the reach of our apprehensions, viz. First, a Mariner in a Sea-fight to be shot to death, and thrown over-board, and afterwards the Flesh of

his Body to be eaten up by a great number of small Fishes, and these Fishes to be taken in Nets, and eaten by hundreds of Men, Women, and Children, of different places and abodes, and some of them to be drowned in the Sea, and devoured by o∣ther Fishes, and some to be cast into the Earth, and eaten up by Worms.

In the next place, Let us suppose a Man to die in a wide Forest or Wilderness, and part of his Carcass to be devoured by wild Beasts, part by the Fowls of the Air, and part by Flies and creeping▪ Things; and again, those Beasts and Fowls, and creeping things to die, and part of them to be eaten up by other Creatures.

Lastly Let us suppose a Man-Child born into the World, and (as 'tis believed) the Flesh of that Infant, in a few Years, to be evaporated, and new Flesh grown up in the room of the other; and let us sup∣pose this Body to live and change for the space of threescore or fourscore years, and then be buried in the Sands, (as is practised in some very hot Countries) and there remain a Thousand or fifteen Hundred Years, till such time, as it is grown perfectly dry, and fit to be made use of for Mummie; and this Mummie to be distributed into the hands of several

hundreds of Apothecaries, and each of these Apothecaries to make use of it in their physical Doses, Potions, or other∣wise, and to administer it to as many hundreds of their Patients, and each of those Patients to void the same, or any part of it, by stool and those stools to be carried away by the Scavengers, into some common place, and there mingled with the Ordours of ten Thousand other Per∣sons, and from that place taken up by the Salt-Peter Men and converted into Gun-powder, and that Powder shot away into the Air.

Give me leave to tell those unbelieving Sadduces, (my life for theirs) that the Al∣mighty God, and Maker of Heaven and Earth, is able to recall every Particle, Dust or Atom of a Human Body, in any of the aforesaid Instances to its Original and proper Mass, and to form that Mass into its first Original and infant Body: As also to give that infant Body its full stature, and perfect Dimensions; and this done, from a Natural and Corruptible, to change it into a Spiritual and incorruptible Substance: And lastly, to reunite it to its own proper and immortal soul; and all this in a moment,—in the twinkling of an Eye,—at the last Trump,—and the

Voice of the Arch-angel, calling for the Dead to arise and come to Judgment.—

I must needs acknowledge, That the Disbelief of a future Resurrection, is no small encouragement to either Atheist or Libertine, to go on in his sin with great presumption: For if the Dead rise not, our Faith is altogether vain; And if this Corruptible shall never put on Incor∣ruption, nor this Mortal, Immortality; then go to, Let us Eat, Drink and be Merry, for to Morrow we die.

There are some who satisfie themselves, that God is so merciful, and so just in his Judgments, that he will never punish finite Sins with everlasting Punishments, but such Men little think how miserably they deceive themselves, while they ascribe less Power to the Almighty Maker over his Creatures, than an ordinary Potter has over his Clay and earthen Vessels: Besides, that in the Gospel Dispensation there are propos'd to Fallen Man two things, which very well counterballance one the other, both as to Time and Measure; namely, on the one side Eternal and inexpreslible Happiness; and on the other, endless and unspeakable Miseries. Now, if the Sin∣ner do voluntarily, and with deliberation choose the last of these, Volent non fit Injuria,

he has his choise and desire, and has no reason in the World to complain of any hardship, much less of any Injury done to him, it being a greater Mercy to grant Eternal Life upon a bare Repentance and Believing, during our earthly pilgrimage, than it is a Severity to inflict eternal Tor∣ment, for continuing in actual Sin, for the very same term of time.

The Author of Leviathan will, by no means admit of a Local Hell, or indeed of a Local Heaven: For the first of which he has no better Reason than this, (trusting to his own skill in Geometry and Staticks) that it cannot be either in the Cavity of the Earth, or any other body of the like magnitude hanging in the expanse; for∣asmuch as in any circumscribed Bodies there cannot be included a Bottomless-Pit, which, in sacred Stile, is sometimes called Hell: Whereas if he had considered, that our Antipodes tread as heavy on the super∣ficies of the Earth, and carry their Bo∣dies as upright towards Heaven, as any of us; and that showres of Hail and Rain in calm Weather, fall upon any part of this Terrestial Globe directly towards the Center, in a straight line; He might very easily have judged, that this Globe of Earth hanging in the expanse, by nothing

but the Almighties Word and Power, has its own proper Center, as all other Bodies of the same or greater Magnitude have; and consequently, that if underneath there were a great Cavity▪ and that Cavity fil∣led with a fluid body of Fire and Brim∣stone, the convex Superficies of that glo∣bular fiery Lake, would in every part of it be the uppermost, and the parts adjoin∣ing to its Center would be the lowest, and probably the Bodies of damned Re∣probates being thrown into this Lake, would sometimes float upon it, and some∣times plunge to and fro in it: But foras∣much as the Center of this globular Lake, would be but an imaginary point, those Bodies would plunge and move to and fro within it in Saecula Saeculorum, without finding any solid Fulcrum, or firm Bottom; neither could the most learned Philoso∣phers, or skilful Geometricians in the whole World, be ever able, by contem∣plating all their Lives, the Dimensions of that fiery Lake, and its Center of Gravity, to make any other thing of it then truly and properly a Bottomless-pit.

And if those learned Men should allow in that case, the shell of this Terrestial Globe to be no more then 17 or 18 hun∣dred Yards in thickness, and then compute

how many cubick Yards and Feet would be contained within its concave Superficies, they would perhaps find room enough, and to spare, for all the Bodies of Human Reprobates, from the first Creation to this present time, and for some Thousands of Years to come. As for the Devil and his Angels, if above six Thousand of them were crowded into the body of one Gada∣rene, a few thousands of cubick yards might very probably contain all his Infernal Legions: And as for the Bodies of Human Reprobates, they being once Spiritualiz'd, may, for ought any Man knows, be pres∣sed into a much less compass, than ours that are of a grosser substance.

Besides all this, who knows whether the Confinement of both Devils and Re∣probates, within a small compass and nar∣row space, may not rather augment and encrease, than any way lessen or diminish their everlasting Torments.

Ejaculation.

From being shut up, with the Devil and his Angels in that dreadfull and bottomless pit; and from so near a con∣junction with those infernal Finds and Furies in the Blackness of Darkness, Good Lord deliver us.

And methinks our Saviour's making so often mention of a Lake of Fire and Brim∣stone, should strike all Atheists and Liber∣tines with as great a dread and fear, as the Hand-writing on the Wall, did of old Belshaz∣zar: When they do but consider what vast quantities of sulphureous Matters have been cast out of the gaping Orifices of Mount Aetna and Vesuvius in Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples; and what horrid Noises, (as Travellers report) have been sometimes heard out of those burning fiery Furnaces, like the howlings and skreeches of some miserable living Creatures: Especial∣ly that prodigious Lake of burning Brim∣stone, which a few Years since (if we may believe Gazettes) was vomited out of one of those Mountains, and like a mighty Torrent, run along upon the ground, and so into the Sea, a whole League in length before it was extinguish∣ed.

For my own particular, if it were law∣full to make Conjectures in matters of that consequence, I should be apt to believe, that the Sun, were a Body much more convenient for that purpose; forasmuch as

First, It is a Body greater than the Bo∣dy of the Earth, by many Degrees, as is plainly demonstrable by Ecclipses.

Secondly, We have reason to believe from Sacred Writ, that at the End of the World, there will be no further use of the Sun's light.

Thirdly, According to the Opinion of the best, and most accurate Astronomers of latter Ages, the Sun is placed in the very Center of the World, (however in the Holy Scriptures that are written, as is supposed, ad captum vulgi, it is expressed otherwise) And therefore must be, of all other Bodies, the most infernal, and then one would think that place is most likely to be Hell, which is furthest off from Heaven.

Fourthly, If the Rays of the Sun, which are sent out from its lucid body at a vast distance, being contracted here below, and with the help of parabolical and eliptical Figures, become in their Focus much hot∣ter, and sooner melt down Gold and Silver, than any Culinar, or indeed, any chymical Fire, How great must we then imagine the heat of that fiery Globe to be, in its own proper body, especially if the Sun were darkned, and its glowing Rays turned in∣wards; and those few Spots which we dis∣cern on its supersicies, were multiplied till they should become an entire Cover, and be made the Blackness of Darkness for ever

and the body of the Sun made a fluid and eternal Fire by God's Almighty Power.

And now if all these things should be so, the History of Abraham, Dives and Lazarus would not be extream difficult to be explained by Interpreters.

If Telescopes help us to discover un∣known Stars, of different Lights: If spea∣king-Trumpets, or close Pipes, may be so made, as to conveigh Words several Leagues: And if Stephen's mortal Eyes could look from Earth into Heaven, and there see Je∣sus standing, at the distance of, no Man knows how many mvriads of Miles, how easy had it been for the Maker of all things, by his Almighty Power, first to translate the Bodies of Dives and Lazarus, after they were dead and buried, (as well as those of Enoch and Elias, before they were interr'd) the one to Heaven and the other to Hell? And afterwards so to clear up all the Mediums between Heaven and the Cen∣ter of the World, as that the immor∣taliz'd Eyes of Abraham and Dives might plainly see one another's Persons and Postures, and their Ears might hear each other's Voices at as great a distance, as the length of the Semidiameter of the whole Universe.

But here I must put the Reader in mind, that, in truth, all these things are meer Conjectures, And far be it from such a poor Worm as I am, to be the Broacher of new Opinions, in Matters so far above the reach of my own Understanding and Conception: For, I must ingenuously confess once more, That I am lost in a Labyrinth of Thoughts, and should I go on further, but a few steps, I should lose both my Reason and Senses, and never be able to finish this small Treatise. And therefore all I shall here add, is to beseech all Libertines to take heed and beware, how they turn plain Scriptures into meer Metaphors, or make a derision of the true Tophet, or Vally of Hinnon; least one day they hear the dreadful Voice, Go ye Cursed into the place of Torments, where the Worm of Conscience never dies, where the Fire that burns is never to be quenched, nor the Body that is burning never con∣sumed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  and