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understood, if we remember that the Prophets alfo living in this grofs Body had the like Privilege. Elisha faw what Gebazi did being abfent; Ezekiel in Chaldea faw what was done in the Temple at Jerusalem. Besides, the Angels ftand by at the holy Affemblies, and commend our Prayers to God: as both fews and Chriftians have ever firmly believ'd: So by this it may be easily judg'd to be more credible, that the Martyrs have fome Knowledge of our Affairs, than that they have none.

4 ROME, September 22d, N. S. 1719.

Hat do

WH you think of the Honour of Saints, and use of Images?

A. We deny not, but in the Honour of Saints, and in the use of Images, the mean is exceeded by many. Wherefore we would advife People to confider whether it be not their fafest Course to direct their Prayers unto God, and befeech him that the Prayers also of the Saints for us may be accepted. Further, we would it were confider'd, whether inftead of Images, it were not better to place Tables containing fome pious Hiftory, fuch as they were which are mention'd by Prudentius in his Hymn on the Paffion of Caffianus. But truly, if in this Difquifition, ambiguous Words (which by their various Acception distract the Minds of Men) were fet afide, namely, Invocation, Adoration, Worship, Religion, Honour; and if in things themselves the indifferent were distinguish'd from the unlawful, there would be fewer Seeds of Contention.

Q. What Places reckon by the Gregorian or Roman Account, commonly call'd New-Style; and what by the Julian or English Account, call'd Old-Style?

A. The Places that reckon by New-Style are Amfterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Leyden, Harlem, Gbent, Middleburg, Bruffels, Brabant, and moft Part of the Nether

lands:

The Delphick ORACLE. Lands: Alfo Paris, Lyons, Marseilles, Bourdeaux, and all France; Lisbon, Oporto, Cadiz, Bilboa, and all the reft of Spain and Portugal; Venice and Italy: Alfo in Germany, all the Romish Electors and Princes; Augfburg, Lintz, Crembles, Wien, Dantzick, and all Poland. The Places that reckon by the Old-Style, are England, Scotland, and Ireland; all the Proteftant Electors and Princes of Germany; Copenhagen, and all Denmark; Embden, the Proteftant Cantons of Switzerland, Hamburg, Eaft-Friezland, Genoa, Holftein, Lubeck, Strafburgh, all Saxony, Riga, Leipfick, and all Sweden, only this laft Nation reckons their firft Day of January one Day before others who compute by the Julian Account: And in Mufcouy they begin their Year on the Ift Day of September, allowing no other Epocha than from the Creation of the World, which they think to be in Autumn.

Q. How long Time doth St. John the Divine mean by a Time, and Times, and half a Time. Rev. xii. 14.

A. A Time in Scripture taken fimply and without Figure, means a Year, as Daniel iv. 32. fhews in Nebuchadnezzar's feven Times, that he remain'd a Beast, which are taken for feven Years: Then Time, Times, and half a Time, or three Times and a half, are taken for three Years and a half, which being counted, will make forty two Months, or one thousand two hundred and fixty Days.

Q: When will the laft Day, or Day of Judgment come? A. As the old World had 125 Years notice, the Time in which Noah was building the Ark, of the Deluge which was to deftroy all Mankind on the Face of the Earth, excepting eight Perfons, fo to this new World has CHRIST told what Signs and Tokens fhall appear against the Approach of the last Day. thofe Days the Sun fhall be darken'd, and the Moon fhall not give her Light; the Stars of Heaven fhall fall, and the Powers that are in Heaven shall be fhaken. Mark xiii. But then Christ tells us in the fame Chapter again, But

In

of

of that Day and that Hour knoweth no Man; No, not the Angels which are in Heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. However, according to human Conjecture, it is thought by the molt Learned, that the Six Days of Labour Weekly obferv'd, doth mean and bear the Symbol of 6000 Years, that Mankind fhall endure and bear the Travels and Cares of this World; and that is confirm'd by St. Peter, who fpeaking of the Day of Judgment, notes, That one Day is with the Lord as a Thousand Years, and a Thousand Years as one Day. So confequently, the Six Days of Work, to represent 6000 Years: After which Time of Worldly Travels and Cares, then thall come our Eternal Sabbath and Reft, in the Glory of Heaven, fignified by the feventh Day's Reft: For that truly, there is no Inftitution appointed by God to Mofes, which, (befides the civil Commodity) had not alfo a spiritual Figure: And certain it is, that no Figure appears more confonant with thefe Six Days of Work, and Seventh Day of Reft, than the prefent Miseries of this World, and Eternal Sabbath hereafter. Moreover, agreeable with this Öpinion, there is a Sentence in the Houfe of Elias referv'd in all Ages, bearing thefe Words, The World Shall stand 6000 Years, and then it shall be confum'd with Fire: That is to fay, 2000 Years without Law, 2000 Years under the Law, and 2000 Years under the Gpel; If fo, and that the Meffiab was born anno mundi 4000, the Duration of the World is not above 280 Years longer; nor perhaps fo long, because for the Elects Sake thofe Days fhall be shorten'd. Mat. xxiv. 22 Therefore as the fecond coming of our Saviour is uncertain, he gives us this Caution in the fame Chapter of the last cited Evangelift, Watch, for ye know not what hour your. Lord doth come.

Q. Eufebius, in the 22d Chapter of his ift Book of the Life of Conftantine the Great, gives an Account of that Emperor's feeing a Crofs in the Air, or Sky, with an InJcription

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fcription in it containing thefe Words, in hoc vince, by this overcome. Pray what is your Opinion of it?

:

A. Cur Opinion is, that among the many Ways of Revelation, by which God hath been pleas'd to bring the Gentiles to the Knowledge of Chriftianity, this is one of 'em. For to make a Judgment of what may have been done in former and long ago elapfed Times, by what has been done of the late, almoft in ours, take this Story. There came News to Conftantinople, of a ftrange Apparition which was feen at Medina Talnabi in Arabia, where Mahomet the great Prophet of the Turks was buried, and to vifit whofe Tomb the Turks us'd to go in Pilgrimage, but they muft first go to Me cha, which is fome few Days Journey off, and there take a Ticket from the Grand Seignior's Beglerbeg, elfe they are not allow'd to go to Medina. This Apparition or Vision continu'd three Weeks together, which terrified the whole Country, for that no Man could difcover the Truth thereof. About the 20th of Sep tember there fell fo great a Tempeft, and fo fearful a Thunder about Midnight, as the Heavens were darkned, and thofe that were awake, almost distracted, but the Vapours being difpers'd, and the Element clear, the People read in Arabian Characters thefe Words, Ob! why will ye believe in Lies? Between Two and Three in the Morning there were feen a Woman in White, compaffed about with the Sun, having a chearful Countenance, and holding in her Hand a Book; coming from the North-Weft, oppofite against her were Armies, Turks, Perfians, Arabians, and other Mahometans, ranged in order of Battle, and ready to charge her; but he kept her ftanding, and only open'd the Book, at the Sight whereof thefe Armies fled, and prefently all the Lamps about Mahomet's Tomb went out; for affoon as ever the Vision vanifht (which was com morly an Hour before Sun-rifing) a murmuring Wind was heard, whereunto they imputed the extinguishing of the Lamps. The antient Pilgrims of Mahomet's

Race,

Race, who after they have vifited this Place, never ufe to cut their Hair, were much amazed, for that they could not conceive the meaning of the Vision; only one of the Dervifes declar'd it, and died a Martyr, Q Doth the Gospel approve of all reasonable Forms of

Government?

い

A. Yes; whether Monarchical, Ariftocratical, or Democratical. Policy of State cannot be faid to have any direct Relation to the Gofpel; for that reveals eterhal Righteoufnels, which the Heart conceives by Faith: Yet, at the fame time,, enjoyns Obedience to the civil Sanctions of the feveral Countries wherein we live. Outward Action is the Object of Policy; as treating of Property, Succeffion, Commerce, and the like, which do often vary, according to the Genius of each refpetive Nation. The Perfian Laws differ from thofe of Athens; and the Roman from both; And as a Christian not only fashions his Habit, but alfo computes the Time, according to the Practice of the Place he abides in, fo may he lawfully fubmit to their civil Inftitutions. When the Prophet Efdras was in Perfia, he decided Matters by the Laws of that People; and when in Jerufalem, according to the Jewish. In Palestine the Centurion obferv'd the Jewish in Rome the Roman Laws: So that it feems manifeft, that fuch things do not more affect or depend upon the Gospel, than do Variety of Habits and Computations. Were this important Diftinction effectually inculcated, it would not a little promote the Eafe and Reverence of the Magiftrate: For it would defeat the Attempts of fuch as project the poyfoning of the People in their Allegiance, by malicious Defcents upon Subfidies, State-grievances, Hereditaryrights, Prerogative, and Penalties. You fhall hear the Libertine Anabaptists condemning all Judicature; and the fubtil Presbyter too much idolizing the Geneva Platform; fome tickling for Princes to curtail their Reve others calling Taxes, Harpies; and fome the Publicans Racket; others prefcribing to Tythes, and

nues;

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