Dear Sir, you know Matrimony is a facred Tye, and therein I must be faithful: but if this Project takes, let the delicious Man affure himself he can ask nothing on this Side that Obligation, which fhall not be granted with all the Warmth which Love and Gratitude can beftow; but remember that I am a Maiden, and that he who fteals Sweet-meats must always leave the Clofet-door as faft as he found it, and an Artist at a Picklock can do his Business without spoiling the Wards. Anfw. The Question is to refolve, How her Gallant could perform the latter part of the Question: To which we Anfwer, by forbearing any Attack upon the Fort, till he has got the old rich Commander in it: For the words, nothing on this fide that Obligation, feem to be reftrictive, and bind not on the other Side the Obligation. As for picking of Locks, &c. 'tis a nice fort of Felony, which we defire to be excus'd from fitting Judges on; only thus much, if to the Words, I am a Maiden, were added the Emphatick now, the Riddle is made plain. Queft. Whether it be lawful for a marry'd Man to kiss his Neighbour's Wife, out of real Refpect and Affection? Anfo. Yes undoubtedly, out of Respect none will deny, and if not real, fo much the worfe, out of Affection too, for we are to Love our Neighbour. 'Tis To río, no Sex excepted, or mention'd; but it must be an honeft Affection and Respect, tho' we may thus Love our Neigh bour's Wife, we mayn't Cover our Neighbour's Wife. The Affection hou'd be pure and innocent, as was that of the Primitive Chriftians in their Kifs of Peace, and if either the Caufe or Effect of what's mention'd be otherwife, we ought to forbear it. Queft. Whether a Lady being in Love with any Man, it be lawful for her to ask his Confent? Anfw. Yes, yes, poor Creature, it's hard to ftarve out of Civility, for want of asking Meat when we are hungry. But if he has no Friend in the World to speak a good Word for her, if he can't fo much as write neither, let her fhow him the Athenian Mercury, Vol. 5. N. 13. Qu.6. and that's a much handfomer way than downright coming to the Point, as thofe are accounted more Genteel Beggars, who trudge about with their Papers and Recommendations, than fuch as. ply in Bedlam Walks, with Pray Mr.- for God's Sake beftow the Gift of one Farthing. Queft. I defire the speedy An fwer of this Question: Frve Years ago I marry'd a Gentlewo man only for her Vertue and Beanty, which she yet retains to the higheft Degree. A Friend to us both being very melancholly, and near raving mad with Disorder of Mind, I prefs'd to know the Occafion; he tells me he is paffionately in Love with my Wife, and without Enjoyment fhall lay violent Hands on himself, because his Torment feems insupportable: Confidering he is my Friend, I ought to affist him, confidering he is my Wife, I ought not; yet I Cc 3 bave have given my Leave, and he purely to oblige me, yields, the' with much Reluctancy, and defires it may be deferr'd till we have your Opinion. Whether it be a Sin in one, or all three, and if a Sin, as undoubtedly it must, whether it's not better to commit it, than for our good Friend to ufe Violence, being the former may be repented of, but the latter, according to Holy Writ, must be his inevitable Damnation? Anfw. If ever a Story had the Air of a Romance, this certainly has, (and indeed there's a Novel extant much, like it. But if really true, fure they are all three raving mad as well as one of 'em, for that's the most charitable Opinion we can have of the Matter: It's plain the Man is no Fool that writ the Letter, and yet we can hardly think one who wou'd be fuch a Contented Beast, cou'd be capable of writing at that rate; therefore we rather fufpect 'twas the Spark himself, or the cunning Somewhat of a Wife that indited it. But if there be any Thing of Sincerity or Truth in the Bufinefs, (fince as to his Wife's admired Virtue we muft beg his Pardon) we anfwer what fure none doubt but themfelves, that fuppofing the Spark in any Hafle or Ne ceffity of killing himself, which it feems he is not, for he can ftay ftill he hears our Answer, better he thou'd do fo, than all Three be guilty of wilfully pondred Adultery, a damning Sin as well as Mursher. If he's really fo mad as reprefented, get him chain'd, tho' we doubt Bedlam wou'd not be fo fit for him as Bridewell. Queft. Whether Chrift defcended actually into Hell, O? whether Hell in the Creed be taken for the Grave? Anjw. These are two Queftions fufficiently distinct from each other. That Chrift did actually defcend into Hell is true, or elfe our Creed must be falle which afferts it. But fince neither that nor our Articles express what they mean by the word Hell, leaving it only in Equilibrio, and great Men are extremely divided in their Opinions concerning it, we don't think fit to conclude any thing pofitively in the Matter, only giving the different Opinions, with their Reafons Some interpret Hell only of the Grave, and it's fure enough as they tell us, that both the Greek, Latin, and Hebrew Words Hades, Scheol, and Inferi, do fignifie either the State of the Dead, or the place of the Damned, which might eafily be confounded, it being a common Opinion, and perhaps a true one, that Hell is in the Center of the Earth. Nay, even our English Word Hell may bear the fame Signification, being deriv'd from the old Saxon Hell, to cover. Those who take Hell for the Grave, tell us that 'tis only an Explanation, (tho' a dark one) or rather indifferent Expreffion of that Phrafe, dead and buried, fince 'twas not in the old Roman Creed, as Rufinus affirms, nor is it in the Nicene, only be fuffer'd, and was bury a and and the third Day be rofe again, to be father fatisfied about 'em, may fee a full Answer to it in Vol. 2. N. 8. Quest. 1. But the formal Difference of Spirits is yet a higher Task, and if it cou'd be found out by Study, 'twou'd deferve fome Time; but fince the Question is not refolvable by Humanity, we may refrain our Searches, nay tho' an Angel should come and dictate the Solution, it wou'd be unintelligible to us; All that we can lay in Anfwer to it, is this, that as it cannot be refolv'd, fo we can give our Reasons why it can. not; 1. Because a Spirit is not to be defin'd. 4. Because a Spirit is immaterial. What a Spirit is, we know not, we can as well reprefent it by a Thought as any thing elfe; but feeing we are ignorant of its Quelt. What is the formal very Being, its very ridiculous Difference of one Spirit from ano- to affign the Modifications of ther, or what individuates 'em? what we know not. Again, the Anfw. If we fhou'd go aWords Form and Individuation bout to tell every Body what neceffarily fuppofe Matter, but we mean by Individuation, per- a Spirit being immaterial canhaps we fhou'd leave'em more in not be ty'd to fuch Terms as the dark than we found 'em ; are adapted to Matter. Hence however, fince Definitions are when we ask, What is the forabfolutely neceffary in all ab- mal Difference of one Spirit from ftrufe Notions, we fhall do it not another, or what individuates only for the Satisfaction of fuch 'em, 'tis altogether as improas can understand it, but also per as to ask, What is the Au. for a clearer light in the pre- dibility of Sapors, or the Vififent Question: Individuation bility of Sounds? or plainer (then is) the Unity of any yet, what can that be which is thing with it felf, or that impoffible to be? whereby any thing is what it is. The Definition indeed is fomething dark, but we having already run thro' the different Orders of vifible Beings, and confider'd Individuation in 'em all; any one that has a mind Queft. My Wife kept Company three Months with an ill Man, by whom he received an injury, but revealing of it to me 1 freely forgave her, spar'd no Coft for a Chyrurgeon, and kept it private which Clemency, fie infulsed over, CC4 and and ftill kept him Company abroad, nay when I found it out by undoubted Witnesses, fhe again and again denied it; this incens'd me against any farther Reconciliation, and being willing to part with her privately, I gave her three Days Notice to provide her wearing Apparel, but he refus'd it till I forced her away: The next Day came two of her Friends to moderate the Matter, to whom I confented again, and received her the fame Night, but the Day following (being the 29th of last January) I was decoy'd to a Breakfaft, and in my Abfence she ran away with all my Plate; I am threatned by her Friends to be ruin'd, and do expect to be run in Debt by her, The being in Southwark, and Likewife I am afraid of a Decay in Trade, (keeping a publick Houfe:) I pray your Advice in this fad Calamity. Anfw. The firft Thing you do put her into the Gazette, declaring for Reasons beft known to your felf, that no one give Credit to her, either as to Money or Commodities, as alfo give Notice that all your Creditors (if any) do forthwith in fome fhort Time bring in all their Bills, Bonds, Obligations, &c. to whom you now ftand indebted. Alfo for preventing other Mifchiefs, fend us in the Names of fuch Perfons, the Place where they live, and their Employ, whom you fufpect of any ill Defign, and you fhall hear further from us. As for the Words, or any other Advice, if you'll come to our Book feller, we'll affift you further. Queft. Are there Mathematicians of your Society, and if a Question in Algebra fhould be. propofed, would you answer it Analitically? Anfw. If you please to make tryal, we'll anfwer you, or own our Ignorance. Queft. Whether a Perfon concluding his private Devotions with the Lord's Prayer, is to fay Our Father, or My Father? Anfw. Read John 17. 21, 22, 23. and you'll be fatisfied that you ought to repeat Our Father. Queft. What is your Opinion of Conjuration? Anfw. There is as much Fault to be found with the exceffive Curiofity of thofe, who would know all Things, as there is with the unfufferable Stupidity of fome others, who are no way touch'd with that natural Defire of Knowledge: For as these latter, by renouncing that Accomplishment, deprive themselves of the greateft Satisfaction of Life; fo the others, being transported beyond the Limits prefcrib'd to the Mind of Man, wander they know not whither, and precipitate themselves into the Abyffes of Errors and Impieties. That of the Necromancers, who boaft, that they can command out of their Tombs the Souls of the deceas'd, that they may be inform'd of what they defire to know, is fo much the more enormous, as they have made an Art of it, call'd by them the Black Art, or the Art of Con Conjuration, a Name as ridiculous as the Precepts of which it confifts; which having no Ground but what they derive from the Capricio's and fantaftick Extravagancies of thofe Impoftors, they fufficiently deftroy themselves; fo as there needs nothing elfe to discover there palpable Vanity; no more than there is to make appear the Error of thofe, who, to confirm that diabolical Invention, maintain, there are Abundance of Effects above thofe of Nature, which are to be attributed to Souls feparated from their Bodies, especially that of foretelling things to come, and informing those who confult them ; it being confider'd, that, befides the Gift they have of Science, which is common to them with all Spirits difengag'd from Matter, they have a particular Inclination of doing good to Men, by advertifing 'em of thofe things which fo much concern 'em. But this is not only abfurd in it felf, but also impious, and contrary to Chriftian Faith, which teaching us that there are but two Places, where these Souls have their Abode, to wit, Paradice and Hell, it is to be believ'd, that thofe of the Damned are far from being in a Capacity to get out of that infernal Prifon, to which Divine Juftice hath condemn'd them, to be eternally tormented; And the Bleffed Spirits are yet more unlikely to quit their blissful State and the Joys of Paradice, wherewith they are inebriated, to fatisfe the vain Curiofities of thofe who invocate them, and for the moft Part make use of them' rather to compass the mifchievous Sorceries and fuch like Crimes which that Black Art profeffes, than to procure Good to any one; or if at any time they do any, 'tis in Order to the doing of fome greater Mischief afterwards, fuch as Superftition and Idolatry; to which thefe Spirits inclining thofe who invoke them, and requiring of 'em fuch Sacrifices and Adorations as are, due only to the Deity, it is more than a Prefumption, that they cannot be the Souis of the Bleffed, but downright Devils, who, transform'd into Angels of Light, impofe upon those who are fo willing to be feduc'd. Some are of Opinion, that as the Employments of the Devils are different, fo there is a remarkable Difference in their Natures, which depends principally on the Places of their Abode, according to which, if we may believe Orpheus, fome of them are Celestial or Fiery, fome Airy, fome Warry, and fome Terreftrial and Subterraneous; and among those the Aerial, to whom Plato attributes the Invention of Magick, are by the Students of that Art, accounted the most ingenious to deceive Men, by Reason of their more eafie putting on the groffer Parts of the Air, and appearing under what Forms they pleafe; and confequently, it is not hard for them to affume that of the Bodies of deceas'd Perfons, and, by that counterfeit Appearance, to de |