Virtues, fince, without that, a Man must This Speech was received with a Mur- To SYLVANUS URBAN. MR Martin in his Bibliotheca Tech C D nologica afferts, in his Difcourfe of Ontology, that the Existence of the Soul is a mere Ens Rationis, or Phenix of On- E tologifts; which brought to my Mind the following Relation. Acertain young Woman living in Bristol was taken ill of the Small Pox: Her Mother attended her in her Illness; her Father was a Clergyraan, living more than 20 Miles from the City. One Night her Sifter, who was at her Father's, being in bed, heard the Voice of her Mother lamenting herself upon the Death of her Daughter. This much furprized her, knowing that her Mother was then as far as Bristol. When the aroje in the Morning; her Father, feeing her look much concerned, ask'd her what was the matter with her? Nothing, fays fhe: Her Father reply'd, I am fure fomething is amifs, and I must know what it is. Why then, Father, fays fbe, I believe my Sifter Molly is dead; for this Night I heard the Voice of my Mother lamenting her Death: Says her Father, I heard the same myself, and her Voice feeni'd to me to be in my Study. Soon efter, the fame Morning, came a Meffenger with Tidings of her Death. The deccas'd was brought to her Father's to be buried, and after the Funeral, her Mother relating the manner of her Daughter's [LL F G H nefs, and that as foon as her Daughter was dead, he being weary with watching, and tired for want of Sleep, lay down in her Cloaths, and dream'd that he was with them telling her Grief for the Lofs of her Daughter. This Jurprized them; and asking the Time, it appeared to be much the fame in which they heard her Voice. The young Woman was buried April 1, 1726. Her Sifter who heard the Voice is now liv ing in Bristol, and is ready to (atisfy any Enquirer of the Truth of this Fact. What I defire is, that Mr Martin, or any of thofe Perfons who efpoufe his Principle, would by your Means inform me, how this Fact is to be accounted for, and how thefe Texts of Scripture are to be underflood 2 Cor. xii. 2, 3. Luke xxiii. 43. Phil. i. 23. without admitting the Existence of Souls as feparated from the Body. Painfwick, Your humble Servant, Gloucefterfhire, Feb. 12, 1738-9. John Walker. N. B. BRISTOL being a very large City, this Letter-writer bould have inferted a Place of Enquiry: He ought also to bave affirmed, in the ftrongest Manner, that the Father and Daughter were awake, when they heard the Voice, because, as the Relation is now circumftanc'd, many will conclude that they were both in a Dream as well as the Mother. Mr URBAN, HAT Papifts ought to be excluded a Proteftant People, is agreed; but that Some confcientious Papifts there may be, and I hope there are. But there is but too much Ground to fuppofe, as to great Part of them, that if they have a Service to do for Mother Church, they can fwallow Sacraments, not only without Scruple, but with Merit. They have Abundance of Maxims to help them over fuch little Difficulties. Either the End confe crates the Means, or the Nullity of the Orders and Miniftrations in the Church of maining as they were, partaking of them is no more than eating a Bit of common Bread, and taking a Sip of ordinary Wine. Or, if the Scruples of a Popish Confcience require it, a Difpenfation from the Pope or his Commiffioners may be procur'd. For what will they not grant Difpenfations for, who canonize Murderers for Martyrs, and celebrate for Saints the vileft Miscreants? But even fuppofing that the Test- Alt had, in Time palt, kept Papifts out of Places, and can do fo as effectually for the future, yet, as it keeps Proteftant Diffent. ers out too (contrary to its original Intention, according to Mr S. K. himself) if any Teft, equally lafe and effectual again!t Papifts, can be fubftituted in the Room of it, I hope even Mr S. K. will be added to the Number of the Advocates for the Repeal of it. And fuch a one has been long fince propos'd, tho' he has never happen'd to find it. What it is I need hardly mention, when I have faid, that in neither House of Parliament is a Papift to be found, though to the Members of either of thofe honour able Affemblies the Teft-Act extends not. For if there are Laws which effectually exclude Papifts from Seats in Parliament, the fame Laws, applied by Parliament, would as effectually exclude them from all other Offices whatfoever. And as the facramental Teft is not infifted on as a Qualification for the higheft Trufts in the Kingdom, thofe of the Legiflature itfelt, no Realon can be given, why it thould be requir'd as a Qualification for an inferior Office. I might add, if there be fo little Una nimity among ourselves, what is more likely to unite us, than the repealing of an Act of Parliament, which, at least, keeps out of the Service of the Government more of its real Friends than of its most avow'd and dangerous Enemies? By the Repeal of which, among other good Confequences, a Number of good Subjects may come to be admitted to the Enjoy ment of their natural Rights; by being depriv'd of which, they are, without the cait Reason, render'd infamous to their Fellow Subjects and Brother Englishmen. SIR, A B D F Clergy, who are chiefly aggrieved thereby, for not uniting vigorously for that End; and of encourrging, as far as in me lies, the Profanation, &c. because I have recounted many fearful Confequences it occafi ons, as fo many Reasons why the Clergy Jhould petition for a Repeal. But I hope it will not be thought inconfiftent in me more particularly to examine his Animadverfions. a The Propofition he fets out with is a Noftrum, viz. that Uniformity is the greatest Beauty in Nature, &c. This is, no doubt, felf-evident Maxim; but alas! how is the Beauty of Nature fullied by that monftrous Variety seen thro' all her Works! What exquifite Beauty would appear in one bright, blazing, perpetual Day; or even in one uniform Abyfs of Night, more than in all the ungrateful, unequal Viciffitudes and Revolutions of Light and Darkness, Clouds and Sunshine, Winter and Spring, Summer and Autumn, with their innumerable, various Attendants and Products! Were Birds all of a Feather, Beafts all of one Shape, Size, and Colour, and human Faces caft all in one Mould, &c. &c. &c. what a Surprifing and delightful Acceffion would this Uniformity make to the Beauty and Order of the Creation! But fo confiftent is he, that by Uniforomity, in the next Paragraph, he does not mean Uniformity, but Conuttency, Congruity, and fomething thae ftands oppofed to Abfurdity, which, I fuppofe, must be Propriety; all which, I humbly conceive, may ftand independant of Uniformity. Few Ages, he fays, produce fuch heroick Characters,which, notwithstanding, he very modeftly adopts; whilft he calls J. O a falle Patriot, and a falfe Brother; fince, tho' Teft-Acts ought to be repeal'd, he cannot, he acknowledges, that the Corporation and or will not, fee that the Diffenters ought to Pub for it, that Confequence having fo cvident a Connection with the Premises. And how has that confiftent Diffenter proved, that they ought; or how has he refuted any one of my Confiderations, but by curtailing them, and then sporting himself with the mishapen Forms; and, by advan cing and reiterating a Poftulatum or two, which never will be granted him? How confiftently must be left with the candid Reader. "My firft Confideration is, that we now Fore-fathers diflented, and which alone fully enjoy all, for the Sake of our can justify our Diffent, and are therefore no more concerned in the Repeal than the reft of the Nation. And is not that, at leaft, a collateral Reason for our quiet Submiffion? Hath be fhewed the contrary? Or can DISSENTERS not to push for the REPEAL. can be make the World believe, that the pushing Diffenters act herein from Motives purely religious? My next Confideration is, that thefe vebement Strugglings infer a greater Odium the Diffenters than the Acts themselves. The Acts infer no real Odium. I gave not the leaft Intimation that the former had made them odious in my Eyes. No, they have oft excited my Pity: never my Indignation. But the World will judge, and you know, Sir, does judge, that their principal Motives are of an afpiring, ambities, avaricious Nature. And every A D Bady, but this confiftent Diffenter, fees, that when I mention the World judging them, I exclude from the general Idea an nex'd to that Term, Diffenters of every Denomination. But it cannot be Ambition, because it is only an eager Defire to have an Opportunity of exercifing their Abilities in a Sphere equal to the most exalted of their Neighbours. And may not that he fairly fo conftrued? Hath it not been fe confrued in all Ages? Or what more than that (except the Disgrace and Ruin of one great Man) have the Mock-Patriots been pushing at all these Years? It is granted, that nothing can be more reafonable than that Perfons, born equally free, and equally contributing to the Support of the Government, and the Peace of Society, fhould equally enjoy, &c. and I wish the Legiflatare thought fo too, and that the Times would bear it; but till then, I think it & equally reafonable, that we should reft contented with fo large a Foffeffion of Liberty, thefe few only excepted who may be fubject te Penalties; to whom, I doubt not, juitable Relief will always be aforded. I heartily wish the Government may never want firm Friends; but I hope it will be granted, that his Majefty, and thofe at the Helm, are the best Fudges of our Importance to the Ends Government. Let us not run before we are called. G My third Confideration is taken from our fuppofed Ignorance of the Divine Will. In this Cafe, a Poffibility, or Suppofition, that it may be the Will of God, that Diffenters from the national Church fhould have an Occafion, by fome evident Self-Denial, to tetify to the World the Sincerity or Confcientiousness of their Diffent from human Inventions. And is an equal Poffibility on the other Side as good an Argument for an alti've Duty, as mine is for a paffive one? Ga- H goes on no other Ground, when he perfaades the Jewish Council to refrain from the Apostles, and let them alone. And even Jew would not retort, that an equal Poffibility on the other Side could justify their perfecting them. And I appeal to every maliel 77 judicious Reader, whether a greater Degree of Light, or Probability, be not requifite, on pious, or even on prudential Grounds, to jutify our doing a thing, than is fufficient to vindicate our forbearing. fitions of Divine Providence; this contit As to my Fourth, concerning the Interpoent Diflenter affirms, that Providence interpofed no otherwife than in fucceeding the Endeavours ufed. But how confiftent that is with Truth, I appeal to the Hiftomand, what, or whofe, Endeavours, conries of thofe Times; and beg Leave to decurr'd to the Indulgence granted in 1672, which, Mr Neal fays, put a Period to the or to the Toleration in 1688: The latter of Profecution of the Proteftant Diffenters folves it into the Alwife Providence of from the penal Laws; and very justly reGod *. And, speaking of the former, he loufly interpofed, the Difpenfing Power faith, that if Providence had not miracumust have been fatal, &c. † What did the Diffenters do in either of thefe Cafes? They had petition'd, Year after Year, for laxation of the penal Laws; and whilst about them: But when they had, of a long they did fo, they were girded ftill clofer Time, ufed no other Endeavours, that I read of, than committing their Caufe to God, then it was that Providence wrought glorious Revolution, which was brought out Liberty for them, Need I mention the fonable Death, which, at once, in Effect, about by a Train of Wonders; or that fearepealed the Schitm-Bill the very Day it commenced, and defeated the hopeful Scheme laid to bring in the Pretender ?" And are any Diflenters in this Age fo enlightfuperintending, and interpofing in, the Afen'd as to reject the Belief of a Providence fairs of Kingdoms and Churches, independently of human Efforts? a Re As to his laft Remark, I confent that the of the fame Mind. *Neal's Hiftory. Vol IV. p. 551. Which leads me to add a 6th Confideration, and that is, I believe, all the Means in their Power will not be found effectual to procure it. Though, I doubt not, the Day is coming when it will be done; yet, I am perfuaded, A the harder they push for it, the farther it will fly from them. Yours, &c. J.O. N° 105. From Common Sense, Feb. 3. Printed by Purfer in White-Friers. Of the Army, and Barracks lately erected. B THIS Nation, for fome Ages, held the Balance of Europe. If the Weak were oppreffed by the Strong, to us they had Recourfe for Protection:- If an afpiring Prince began to disturb & World, [it is] we [who] check'd his Courfe, and fet Bounds to his Ambition; this was before we maintained an Army: But how C hath it been fince? Our Neighbours are fo far from fuing to us for Protection, ↓ they act as if they thought we were not able to protect ourselves; and indeed whenever a Government aims to make itfelf terrible to its own Subjects, it will foon be despised by other Nations. How many Millions hath this Army D coft fince it hath been on Foot, and what Service hath it done? Their heroic A&tions may be contain'd in a Nutshel: -The Superior Officers have been sneaking and cringing at Levees; the Subalterns debauching the Country Wenches, and now and then infulting the Magistrate of a Corporation; the Soldiers powdering E themfelves for Reviews; and all have looked on quiet and unconcerned Spectators of the Affronts that have been offered their Country: For upwards of twenty Years hath the Nation been at the Charge of keeping up a great Army; and for upwards of twenty Years, have we heard of nothing but Infults and Depredations. The Journalist having obferved (what we have given our Readers in the Debates on the Army) that a Land Force makes no Friend abroad, but creates Millions of Enemies at home, and that 2. Elizabeth eary takes Notice of a late dangerous Project, and fays: If it had happened in the Days of our Ancestors, it would have thrown the whole Nation into a Ferment; but now, as if an univerfal Lethargy had feized upon us, it has not given the leaft Alarm: So that one would think that nobody had feen the Barracks lately built for the Lodging of Troops, which alrea dy begin to encompass one Part of the Town, and have very much the Air of F & G H thofe Citadels which, in arbitrary Coun tries, are erected to keep the People in Awe. When the Plague raged at Marfeilles an Attempt was made to erect fuch Buildings under Pretence that (if we fhould be vited) the Sick might be removed to thofe Places, and to prevent the fpreading of the Infection; but the Delign was feen thro', and it was wifely fufpected, that Barracks might prove a worse Plague to the Nation than Peftilence itself, by be ing afterwards turn'd into fo many Gar rifons. The Citizens of London took the Alarm, and cried out, with one Voice, that they would have no Red-Coat Nurfes; and, indeed, they might very properly call them Nuries, for, I think, from that Day to this, they have been of no more Ufe to their Country, than fo many old Women: But what would not be allowed at that Time, to hinder the spreading of a Plague, is now begun without any Pretence whatfoever, without the Authority of Parliament, I may fay, without Law or without Gospel. It hath been a Policy long practifed to build Cafarms or Barracks in conquer'd Provinces, but I hope we are not fo fubdued, by our Corruptions, as to have any Marks of a conquer'd Nation fix'd on us. However, he was a bold Man that began this Project, and I cannot help being of Opinion, that if it had happened in the Days of our Ancestors, the Director would have had very good Luck if he had died in his Bed. [The Author concludes, that it is incumbent on us to demolish these in order to prevent more, and left we incur the Fate of the Birds in the Fable, who difregarding the Advice of the Swallow, to pick up the Flaxfeed newly fown, let it grow; the Confequence of which was the Deftruction of many of them by the Nets made of it. From COMMON SENSE, Feb. 10. with REFLECTIONS. a HIS Author purfues his laft Sub. juft Cenfure on the fuppreffing Riots, and putting the Laws in Execution merely by a military Power; Topics frequently treated on in cur Collection; and which, he fays, he had, in Part, obferved fomewhere else; an Acknowledgment which juftifies the Remark in our last Magazine p. 4. what Drudgeries certain Writers are forced to undergo, to give Expreffion to worn-out Thoughts. This our Correfpondent faid, not to reflect on, but to excite Compaffion for for these Gentlemen, and to defend our collecting, after a Courfe of eight Years, fo little from them. If loofe News-Papers were treated with the fame Regard as our Magazines, if they were bought to be bound up with an Index at the Year's End, if their Authors had as many Correfpondents to oblige, it would doubtless be expected that they fhould avoid needlefs Repetitions and Prolixity; but as the Cafe is quite otherwife with them, the CRAFTSMAN of Fleet-freet appears influenced rather by an envious Difpofition than just Reasons, when he imputes our Method of compiling as any Slight put on him, and when he charges us with mangling, because we quote from him what only is new to our conftant Readers. A B of their Reasoning: But we beg Leave to infer, on the other Hand, that it is not fo eafy for any Perfon, tho' as learned and judicious as Mr D'anvers, to pass a ju Cenfure on our Compilations from examining only one or two Eflays, if he be unacquainted with the Articles on the fame Heads in other Parts of our Work. This is the Point which we principally regard, in order that we may provide an agreeable Variety, give fomething on both Sides of a Queftion, tho' neglected by other Compilers, and not nauseate with Repetitions or Redundance. While we are on this Head, an Enquiry might be made on what Pretence thefe Journalists, who are continually copying the daily Papers, frequently tranfcribing Paffages, difguifing the Reflections, and ftealing the Arguments of Authors, can C account their Columns fo facred that they muft not be cited either with or without lopping them † of fuch Sentences as would be fuperfluous in our Book. As their own Practice juftifies our extracting fome of their Papers, fo the Inequality of their Writings is Excufe fufficient for entirely neglecting others. And Mr D'anvers has been fo dull, fince the failing off of certain Pens employ'd in the Craftsman, that many of his Papers in the Summer Scafon were not worth perufal. He was then obliged to Mr Galliver's Debates for fome which most deferved Notice. (See Mag. for Aug. 1738.) So that he has repay'd himfelf in part what we are indebted to him; and we promife him, if he ceafes any one Week to take from what we have a Property in, we will not do him the Honour to mention his Name. E It was, indeed, an aggravating Crime to point out (tho' modeftly as from a Correfpondent) an Inftance more proper for Mr D'anvers's Purpose than himself had fallen upon. Not to provoke, therefore, the good old Gentleman too far (fince a Houle divided against itself is Affliction enough in his declining State) instead of giving an Inftance from him how apt the Journalists are to fall upon Arguments D already treasured up in our Magazine, we fhall fhew from our Friend Common Senfe's Paper before us, that if our Readers will turn to our laft p. 7. A, B, G, they will find all that he advances in the following Paffages, only differently exprefied: "If the poor People (fays he) "mutiny for want of Employment, or "for want of their due Wages, I hope "there is a better Method of curing the "Evil than by putting them to the "Sword: Let us disband our Legions, " and cafe the Revenues of that Swarm " of Drones call'd Placemen." Again; "It will be to no Purpose to tell Men F "with Swords at their Throats, that "they are the only free People in the "World: It may frighten them, but it "will neither cure their Difcontents, nor "fill their Bellies."- We have this Sentiment in the Page referred to thus, d Body of Troops may difperfe Rioters, and G 'caufe a Face of Quiet on the People; but this is not giving Bread to the Han gry, nor covering the Naked with a Gar'ment.' The Reader no doubt will prevent us in making a Remark on this Occation, that nothing is more eafy than to produce 2 Multitude of the like Parallel Places, H we allow further, that it is the natural Confequence of the Harmony among all Writers who make Truth the Foundation • See our Obfervation 1 on An elegant Expreffion in the London Magaziners Advertisement, who therein talk much of Dr URBAN's Stupidity, but fpeil their Compliment entirely, by charging tim with the MOS T ARTFUL Management and Design. The Craft finan, Feb. 3, No. 656. On a numerous STANDING ARMY. Standing Army hath been fometimes maintained to fupport an odious Minifter in the Execution of his wicked Schemes and Projećts; tho' I am sure the prefent Advocates for military Power will not infiit upon this Argument, in Favour of their Patron, whofe Mcafures have been fo wifely conducted, and his Admi niftration grown fo popular, that they have often afferted all Oppofition and Difcontent to be, in a manner, at an End. What Reafon then can there |