afterwards; and fo we are apt to believe it must be in the firit Animals; whereas the fineft Glaffes! which are fometime fince brought to an almoft incredible and milaculous Perfection, can't difcover actual Seeds in Seeds, or Kernels in Kernels; though if there were any fuch thing as an actual Leaf, or fo much talk'd of Atom, they might, one would think, Le difcovered by them, fince they have shown us, not only Seed, but even new Animals in many Parts of Matter,where we never luipect fmalleft Animals themfelves, whereof our naked Sight can take any Cognizance. As for the Parts of Matter, be they how they' will, finite or infinite (as there are almoft Remonstrances on both fides,and 'tis of no great Concern if Men are Scepticks in fome Points of Philofophy, fo they are but firm (not Dogmatical) in what's of greater Moment, it we can't conceive how it fhou'd joftle it self into an Animal, any more than into a World; it being much more eafie for Stones to leap out of a Quarry and make an Efcurial, a Versailles, or a Tchilmanaar, without asking the Architect's leave, or calling for the Mafon with his Mortar and Trowel to affift them. Nor feems it neceffary or Rational, that the first Seed of every Creature fhou'd formally include all thofe Seeds that fhou'd be afterwards produc'd from it, fince 'tis, we think, tufficient that it fhou'd Potentially in-ed them, and even in fome of the clude them, as Abraham did Levi, or as one Kernel all those indeterminate Kernels, that may be thence afterwards rais'd; the firit Seeds being doubtlefs of the fame Nature, with those that now exift after fo many thousand Years; First, the Order of Time making only an accidental Difference, which if we don't grant, we must run into this abfurdity, that every thing does not produce its like.makes, we think, no great AlterA Bird a Bird, or a Hofe a Horfe, ation in the Thing; for if thefe which would be to fill all the Parts are not all feminal, we are World with Monfters, which Na- ne'er the nearer. Nay, at beit an tures does fo much abhor. But abfurdity feems to be the Confeevery Seed or Kernel, for Exam-quence of this Hypothefis, beple, does not actually, and for-caufe if thole Parts are infinite, mally contain all the Seedsor Ker-and includes all fucceffive Genenels, which may be at any times rations of Animals, it would, we afterwards produced from them. think, follow, that the mumber of A Kernel has indeed, as we have Animals too, fhould be infinite; found by Microscopes, a pretty nay, the Number of any Infect, afair and diftinct Delineation of ny Animal; and instead of one, the Tree and Branches, into which we fhould get a thouland Infinites, it may be, afterwards form'd, by and 'twould be firange too, if they the Fermentation of its Parts, and fhould not, fome of them, Legreaaddition of fuitable Matter, as in ter or lefs, than one another. that Tree are Potentially contain'd all the Thousands and Millions of Kernels, and fo of Trees, that fhall or may be thence rais'd For that pleafant Fancy, that all the Seeds of Animals were di ftin&ly Created at the beginning of Timeand Things, that they are KK minględ mingled with all the Elements,that bove twenty Archbishops and Biwe take them in with our Food, Shops of the Church of England, and the He and She Atoms either fince the Reformation who have fly off or ftay as they like their exprefly afferted that Rome is BaLodgings; we hope there's no bylon, and the Pope Antichrift. need of being ferious to confute And the Homilies themselves do it. And we may ask of this, as not obscurely intimate the fame. well as the former Hypothefis, 'Tis the avow'd Faith of all the what need of them, when the Foreign Protestant Churches, and work may be done without them? has been fo in all Ages: The poor The Kernel, as before, contains Waldenefs, the Bohemians, and the the Tree; the Tree, a thoufando- Followers of Wickliff here in Engther Fruits, and ten thousand land, held the fame. But Argu Kernels. The first Animal feveral ment is the beft Authority; and others, as have been discover'd by 'tis thus argued, that he is the Glaffes in the Inftance the Querift great Antichrist.'Tis granted mentions, and as many of them as that the dyneiper, the 44Nature can difpofe of, and pro- verfary, that exalts himself against, vide fit Nouribment for, are pro-and in the Seat of God, is the duc'd into what we may call atu-fame with this artixe‹‹ &, or Anal Being, in Comparison to what tichrist, Chrift's Vicar, or rather they before enjoy'd. If the Querift his Rival in the World. But fhould go on to afk us, whether this Man of Sin, this Son of Perthefe imperfect Creatures have all dition, if any where in the World, diftin& Souls, while lurking yet is to be found at Rome, all the in their Parent; we answer, there Marks the Holy Spirit gives, exis, we think, no need of it. They actly agreeing: The Man of are not yet to much as well defin'd Sin exalts bimfelf above all that's Bodies, but rather parts of the Pa- called God; fo does the rent. There is requir'd yet a great Pope,above Kings and Empedeal, more of the Chymiftry and rors, earthly Gods: Against Mechanifm of Nature, and that in the God of Heaven, difpenfing with both Sexes, to make one or more his Laws, and fetting up others of thele fort of Infed-Beings, the in their Room.The Man of Off-fpring of Man,capable of recei- Sin fits in the Temple of God, ving a rational Soul; but when bewing, or making Oftentation of that Capacity comes in time e-himfelf, that he is God: nough to infufe it, though when that is, and wherein it confifts, perhaps he only knows, who is the Father of Spirits, as well as the Former of the Universe. So, to a tittle, does the Pope, who is plac'd upon the Holy Altar, and folemnly ador'd; nay, whom they call Our Lord God the Pope.. There was fomething which did Q. Is the Pope Antichrift? lett, in the Apostles Time, why A. If he ben't Antichrift him- this Man of Sin shou'd not immefelf, he's vilely like bim; though diately appear in the World; and we mean not fo much one fingle fomething must be remov'd or Man, as the whole Polity and Hei- taken out of the Way, before it rarchy of Rome. We have had a-cou'd be done; and something which, for fome Reafon or other, 1 Tim. 4. is as plain: marry, nor Meats, though he does Wine: Nor was his Seat at Rome, which is Babylon. Q. In what State Shall the Sun Moon and Stars be, after the Lat Day, when there fhall be no Creature upon the Earth? A. That there fhall be no Creature upon Earth, or that the Earth Thall be annihilated at the last Day, we are not to fre of them from the Holy Scriptures; perhaps the contrary is more probable. For the HeavenBodies, - deed -they, as God's Spirit tell us, fhall give heed to feducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils;ly We read infhall forbid to marry, and comthat the Sun fhall mand to abstain from Meats, &c. be turn'd into Sack-cloth, and the This have the Papis done more Moon into Blood, and the eminently than ever any Other. Stars fhall fall from Heaven; We cou'd add more Arguments but as we are fure fome of thefe from the Revelations, but Defire are only figurative Expreffions, fo firit (though we never expect it) to 'tis to be remember'd this was to fee thefe qnfwer'd; but will leave happen "Before the it here, after we have precluded an "great and terrible Day of the Objection or two, which make a "Lord, not after it; and that greater noife, becaufe of the Per- Day of the Lord, in all Profons who raisd 'em, than from bability, only the Day of his any thing of weight they have in Coming to to Fudge Ferulalem; themfelves. All who are fet up a- which was fore-fhewn, as Hiftogainst the Pope, to excufe him rians record it, By darkning of fiom being intended in these Pro- the Element, and the most dreadphecies, are Simon Magus Cali-ful and horrid Prodigies. Some gula and Mahomet, But neither of thefe can be here pointed at, therefore the former muft e'en keep his place. Not Caligula or Simon Magus, becaule both reveal'd, or appearing in the World before this Epistle great men have thought, that only this Sublunary World, as infected and depraved by Sin, shall be purified or changed by the Fire of the last general Conflagration; but that the Sun and Heavenly Bodies, being many, or moit of 'em, Kk 2 in in probability, vailly bigger than he for fuch ends as he thinks fit,ofour little Globe, and no way, that tentimes railing one, and deprefcan be conceived, touched or in-fing another unaccountably to the fected by the Sin of Man, fhall common order of Caufes and aptill remain in the fame Condition pearance of Reafon, it'sa case will as they now are: Though, we quickly be decided. That 'tis confefs, we can fearce fubfcribe to much better to be Born in this this Hypothefis, because Senfe Fortunate, though never fo 'tis faid expreily, "That poor, than to be born Heir to the the whole Creation groans and tra- greatest Eftate in the World. vails for a Reftoration; nor can we well fee how that Expreffion of whole Creation can with any tolerable Senfe be explained by a part, and the fmalleft part of the Creation only. How ever, we think neither Opinion Matter of Faith, but Curiofity rather, and therein leave every Man to his own Judgment. A. Not at all, for thefe Rea fons; as for the Story of Efdras's Q. Whether the Story of Efdraf's receiving the Scriptures which were utterly loft, and the Paffages of Sampfon's Acts, and David's worthies, the Prophets lying fo many days on their Sides, and many other things infifted on by Father Simon, befides the whole drift of the Revelation of the Old Teftament, that God fhould delight in Blood Q. Whether tis better for a and Sacrifices, be not fufficient to Man to be born Poor and Fortu-weaken its Authority? nate,or to be born with a Confiderable Eftate? A. We confefs 'tis not very ra-receiving the Sacred Books, when tional to talk of any fuch thing as utterly loft, we'll grant it to be Fortunate or Unfortunate, abstract as much an old Wives Fable, as ed from Induftry and Reafon, and any in the Apocrypha whence 'tis are fure that those things are ve- taken; and, how fairly and inry often in our own Power; and we genuouily, let any judge, comfee every day, Men ftile themselves monly made ufe of by thofe, who unfortunate, when they are indeed would overthrow the Credit of the either imprudent, or criminal, or Bible. But of this fee more in both together: But after all, it the Question of the Pentateuch. must be acknowledged there is fuch For the Paffages of Sampson's As, a thing as a lucky Hit, which we'll give the Objector fair play, fome Men have more than others, and take the very strangest of and there feems fome Foundation them (for Lyfimachus and many in Reafon for that odd Proverb others have killed Lions) which Give a Man Luck, and we fuppofe they'll readily grant, throw him into theSea. Now what that-of his killing a thousand Men this Luck or good Fortune is, 'twill with the Jaw-bone of an Afs. But be very convenient to enquire, if One Man, why not as well a and even a certain modern Philo-Thoufand as to the Force of the fopher, who was none of the best Divines, tell us, 'tis nothing but the Favour of God Almighty, Si fic om na dixiffet:) And if lo, Weapon? And we are apt to believe thofe, who fee that Weapon, and fairly confider it, would hardly be willing to try the ftrength of their Sculls against it, though not in in the Hands of Sampfon, whole it can't be faid, That as fuch h exraordinary Strength, as we are ever did,any more than we deligh exprefly told in the Scriptures,was in the Blood of Beafts, which we a miraculous Gift, nor is any thing kill for our ufe and Nourish neut too hard for God, which allo rea- nay, he affirms in the Pfalmus, ches David's Worthies, though he did not delight in Sacrifices even the ftraugeft of their Perfor- and burnt Offerings; that is, as mances, that of combating whole has been faid, for their own fakes, Armies, we have seen almost Paral-but, only as they ferved for the lell'd in Humane History. We ufe of Man, being enjoyned as have read of a brave Roman, who lively Types or Figures of the inftopt a whole Army till the Bridge eftimable Sacrifice of his own was broke under him. Nay, even Son for the fins of the World, at of a brave Irishman, who with his whofe Death all thofe legal ObHalf Pike only, has for fome time fervances were for ever abolished. maintained his ground against In the mean time, what BarbaThoufands of Victorious English (leerity, what Cruelty in the Blood of Coxes Hift. of Ireland, Part 2. why a Sheep or Ox, on which, too 'tis then may not David's Worthies to be marked, that the Priefs do as much, especially before lived, when we daily kill fo mathe Invention of Guns, and proba-ny Thousand of them for our own bly in a Pafs or Defile, where they ufe, nay, eat the Blood too, which cou'd only be attack'd in Front, they did not! What fo horrid and that not by many more cruelty in all this, unless we are to than themselves. But we'll quit deal with fome very merciful Pythis Head, left the Gentlemen we thagorean, or one of the more are difputing with, who are gene- modern Priests of the Indies, who rally very nimble in thele Cafes, think it as great piece of Barbafhould change fides, and com-rity, nay, Sacriledge it felf, to plain, that instead of too great a Miracle, 'twas now no Miracle at all. For the Prophets lying fo many days upon their fides, might only be done in Vifion. We are fure there's no Abfurdity in this, which being granted, their abfurdity vanishes. For Father Simon and that numerous heap of Objections, which he has raked together, in his Anfwer to the Bible, we meddle not with him at prefent, none of them being produc'd, (though ten to one he may fhort-rians, had the Facts been true? ly fall in our way) only add this, That 'tis no wonder a Popish Prieft fhould be against the Bible, when the Bible's against him. For God's delighting in Blood and Sacrifice, murder one of their holy Cows, as this Gentleman reckons it Cruelty to enjoyn the Sacrifices of the Old Teftament, then in ufe among the Jews. Q. Whether 'tis not probable, that Christianity was invented at the Destruction of Jerufalem? Whether the rifing of the Dead, the darkning of the Sun, and the Afcenfion of our Saviour before 500 together, had not been wor thy of Jofephus and other Hiflo And whether the Prophecies of, Out of Egypt will I call my Son; and that Christ should be born of a Virgin, be not too wrefted, and the Inconfiftency of the Death Kk 3 of |