alone By what has been said of these three Members we may reasonably suppose that the rest are not ill match'd And as in the search of the Secrets of Nature we illustrate the more obscure by the more evident so here we may by those I have been able to get some account of ghess at the Excellence of the rest the greatest part of which will not accept of any pecuniary Gratuity at all This Society being composed of such pious and generous as well as learned men I wonder what they could propose to themselves who endeavour'd to tempt and perswade them to forsake the first Undertaker on a poor mercenary Consideration Could they imagine that such men would be guilty of so much Baseness as to forget that Obligation they had enter'd into for I am inform'd they obliged themselves never to engage in the like Design for any one else never to desert Mr. Dunton Could they have so weak an Opinion of that Worth they courted as to press an Action upon it which must necessarily fully all its Glories and make it of no value But these men had nothing in their Thoughts but the supplanting their Neighbor in his right they would else have foreseen the Answer they without doubt receiv'd That if it were an Immorality nay Injustice for another though never concern'd with Mr. Dunton to interfere with his design because it was entirely his own Project how much more ungenerous would it be for them who have enter'd into a Friendship with him to betray that Trust he had reposed in them when he might had it not been for the Esteem and Value he had for their Iustice and Parts have engaged those that perhaps would have proved more generous The vast Offers that have been made them with no Success shews that Mr. Dunton knew his men very well he would never else have had the Courage through all Difficulties and Oppositions to have persu'd the Design till in spight of all Obstacles he established it which if he had never done there had been no Motive for Interloping few being willing to quit the Paths of Just and Right where no Advantage invites Nor is it to be wonder'd in our Age that when he had rais'd his Project to a Staple Commodity others have endeavour'd to rob him of his Profit when they were at no Charge to bring it to perfection who would not perhaps have regarded it if it had been first proposed to them Thus I am confident few Booksellers in Town would have given Ten pound for the Copy of The whole Duty of Man before it had been printed at all yet now there is none but would give an Hundred pound for it They whose Timerousness hinder them from venturing upon any thing themselves are alwaies very eager to pursue what another with success has undertaken But these interloping Gentlemen were extreamly deceiv'd when they made their Applications here where they alwaies found men that knew the Obligation and Value of their Word better than to forfeit it for that which they never osteem'd that is a little mean Lucre and trifling Interest Having thus given the World an hasty Sketch of the Qualifications of the Members I shall return to their Undertaking It would I believe be superfluous to dwell upon the Antiquity and easie Method of teaching by Question and Answer since Cicero in his Tusculan Questions approves of it as the most useful and ancient And Plato practis'd it nay we find in the Tenth Chapter of the first Books of Kings that the Queen of Sheba went to prove Solomon with hard Questions I shall therefore say no more for the Proof of its Antiquity since every one that considers it must soon observe how much it will contribute to the improvement of Knowledge when all the several Heads of the Nation at least all those that love Enquiries are busied to find out the most difficult and least-understood things for the Society to resolve which could no other ways be effected but by Quaeries and Answers The Design being form'd into these methods I have describ'd and the Society now establish'd it was â—…ecessary that they should have a certain time and place of meeting together for their mutual Conversation but chiefly for consulting altogether on every Answer before it was permitted to be published Smith's Coffee-house for the convenience of its situation in the middle way of all their Abodes was the first place agreed on for this and Friday the day but finding that House too public by the great number that flock'd thither on purpose to hear and see the Athenians that being appointed for the reception of all the Quaeries the Society thought fit for the greater Privacy to remove to some other place since their Modesty never aim'd at their own Personal Glory in their Performances as is evident by their concealment of their Names all along with so much Regret to all those whose admiration of what they had writ would not let them think it sufficient to converse only with their Papers There is such a desire of being known in most Writers that they all have that beginning of the first Copy of Verses in Cowly in their Heads What shall I do to be for ever known And make the Age to come my own that the Author of The whole Duty of Man was almost the singular Example of Contempt of Nominal Fame till this Learned Society put in for his Rivals in that noble Self-denial yet neither can with all their Humility avoid that Reputation the World pays even to themselves since every one imitates the Athenians of old erecting within their Minds Trophies to the unknown Worthies as they did Altars in their Temples to the unknown Deity And Mr. Swift in his Ode to this Society printed before the Fifth Supplement concludes very well How strange a Paradox is true That men who liv'd and dy'd without a Name Are the chief Heroes in the sacred List of Fame But tho' the World continue ignorant of the Names of these Gentlemen yet it is highly sensible of the Advantages it has already and is still likely to receive from their Performances into which I shall now enquire There are no greater Enemies to Wisdom and Learning than vulgar Errors and Superstition if they will admit of a distinction and are not the same as long as the first remain Men go upon a wrong Principle rejecting all that may seem to oppose that which they have received and settled within themselves as TRUTH by so reverend and awful an Authority as Immemorial Tradition which they look upon as the diligent Observations of their Ancestors a Name that has alwaies been of too great a Veneration with most Ages and by that has proved the irresistable Patron of an abundance of Absurdities especially in Philosophy And there is nothing more evident than that no man can possibly arrive to any true and sound Knowledge till such false Guides are remov'd which led him out of his way I am confident
once peruse In their unbounded Knowledge all was known Who had with Time their Race begun And still liv'd on as if they 'd Time it self survive Nature bestow'd her youthful Store so well That none could want and therefore none excell And so impartially adorn'd the Mind That equal Knowledge did inform Mankind Thus when our Fathers toucht with Guilt That huge stupendious Stair-case built We mock indeed the fruitless Enterprize Succesless Actions never pass for Wise But was the Dreadful Pile in being 't would show To what degree that untaught Age did know Who Nature's Poize unequally divide And turn'd the Globe into a Piramide While Heaven seem'd more to apprehend it than deride Strange uncouth Dialects from Heaven succeed And Universal Clouds of Jargon spread Confusions here in horrid Squadrons joyn And here King Ignorance began his Reign Old Knowledge hither bore Imperial Sway But found a strange a sensible Decay And tho' the Old Monarch seem'd to keep the Throne The Tyrant Ignorance manag'd as his own Two Thousand years the Usurper had prevail'd And on his Darling Sloth the Crown entail'd While the old drooping Monarch saw his Fate But wanted Power to save his ruin'd State Two Sons he had Youths of Angelic Birth That promis'd fair to reinform the Earth Wisdom and Learning Twins of blooming Hope That sink his Fear and all his Comfort prop. Of all his numerous Progeny these alone Remain the Hopes of his declining Throne The rest opposing his approaching Fate Sunk in the Ruins of their Father's State But these the Darlings of the Parents Age He timely rescued from the Tyrant's Rage For these he car'd for these to Heaven he pray'd To Latium one and one to Greece convey'd Inspir'd by Instinct with a mutual Rage Eternal Wars with Ignorance they wage From Athens one and one from Rome inspirâ—… The gladsome World with their own Genial Fire So Form did Chaos light the Dark expel As Athens Rome and Rome the world excell The Usurping Troops by their own Guilt subdu'd Fled from th' approaching dawn while none pursu'd The enlighten'd world new Altars gladly raise And form new Triumphs to the Victor's Praise Wisdom and Learning aged with Renown Enjoy unenvy'd an Eternal Crown Their Empire to the World's Extremes extend And Viceroys to remoter Kingdoms send Their faithful Agents through the world disperse And these we sing in our Immortal Verse These now we sing and willing Trophies raise To their just Value and their Master's Praise D. F. To the Athenian Society WHen the Mysterious Nothing first was hurld Into a Chaos thence into a World By that great Fiat greater much by far Than the strait Bounds of ancient Maxims were Which said From Nothing Nothing can appear Methinks in that great Work that mighty Change I saw the Immaterial Beings range And crowd towards the Sight as Mortals gaze At some unknown prodigious Comets blaze But when they saw the sweet the lovely Face And curious Harmony the Wonder grace Their Admiration lost it self in Praise Thus meaner We whose low and humble Birth Derives its Half at least from Native Earth When first the spreading Fame the Rumour run That Athens had another World begun And clear'd the gloomy shades of Ignorance And form'd new sparkling Orbs This soon employ'd each Tongue all Ears and Eyes Were full of Athens and the Enterprize But when the searching Age began to find The greater Aim the Good that was design'd Chang'd into Act and cultivate Mankind The deep Amazemeâ—…t pall'd and in its room Deserv'd Encomium's crowd and bring their Off'rings home D. T. To the Athenian Society SOON as our fetter'd Souls from Time are free All things in Heaven just as they are we see No dark Conjecture no obscure Suppose Confounds the knowledge of each hidden Cause But easie Nature's beautious Form appears Disrob'd of the thick Veil which here she wears The Chain of Causes and their Order shine And clearly shew they 're fram'd by Hands Divine Ye Great Unknown this You have aim'd at Now And tho' coy Nature flies our searching View Whilst clouded Reason's coop'd within this Cage Yâ—…t you have thus far bless'd this happy Age Whate'er the searching Study of the Wise In things divine and natural yet have found Whate'er from your own Observations rise From your sublime Retreat you scatter all around The MANY who dead in Ignorance lay Now Speak and Think reviv'd by your bright Day Before they had a meèr Promethean Frame Till you inform'd their Souls with the Coelestial Flame Go on Learning and solid Truth advance They 're Noble Subjects for such Noble Pens Let your Opposers Trifling Jests pursue They write for MINUTES but for AGES You. Charles Richardson THE HISTORY OF THE Athenian Society I AM sensible that the more Iudicious and Learned may with a great deal of Reason condemn me as guilty of an unpardonable Rashness in attempting a Province so extreamly above my Abilities as the writing the History of a Society whose Learning and Wit have justly made so considerable a figure in the World yet I must with Vanity enough own that the Nobleness of the Undertaking has born me up so far above any Apprehensions that like a Souldier who resolves on some brave Action I cast off all thoughts of those obstacles which might frighten a cooler Considerer And since 't is confess'd that to aim at Noble Ends is enough to merit Applause I had rather undergo the Severity of the Criticks who I have reason to think will not be so favourable as to forgive the Faults of the Performance for the Greatness of the Design than lose the Glory of having first offer'd at it I will agree with them that it is to be wish'd that the Great SPRAT would oblige the Age with a Second-Best History of the Second-Best Institution for the promotion of Learning and removing that Epidemic Ignorance which exercises so incredible a Tyranny over the more numerous part of Mankind From such a Pen the World might expect Satisfaction and the Athenian Society Iustice the Charms of his Stile would engage all to read and his Wit and variety of Learning give them proportionable Idea's of those Excellencies he would commend to them And indeed none but He whose Thoughts are so true and fine and whose Language so fully and clearly expresses his Conceptions or a whole SOCIETY learned as themselves can be thought capable of acquitting so illustrious a Cask with that Strength and Perfection it deserves This Consideration would not a little discourage me if I had not This to obviate the Difficulties it brings That great part of this Book shall be drawn from the incomparable Works of this SOCIETY who are indeed their own Historians and most worthy to be so for their whole design is not only to improve KNOWLEDGE in DIVINITY and PHILOSOPHY in all their parts as well as Philology in all its Latitude but also to commend this Improvement to the Publick in the best method that can
of some impotent Aspirers to the Names of Authors will say that what I have here advanc'd about him has any relish of Flattery since I have the Judgment of more than one of the greatest Scholars of the Age to justifie my Sentiments but I will not forestal what I believe they themselves may some time or other communicate to the World I shall conclude this First part of my History with the Reasons why they assumed the Title of Athenian for even that has faln under the merciless Phangs of the Wou'dbe-Critics If they had taken the Name of Lacedemonian indeed it would have looked something odd and as if it were done in spite of Learning to borrow a Title from that place which scarce ever afforded a Philosopher or any Man of Learning but the Athenians were the most curious and inquisitive People of Antiquity as that Verse I have before quoted out of the Acts demonstrates which I shall add here to the two foregoing Verses of the same Chapter v. 19. And they took him viz. St. Paul and brought him into Mars street saying May we not know what this NEW Doctrine whereof thou speakest is Ver. 20 For thou bringest certain STRANGE things to our Ears we would know therefore what these things mean Ver. 21 For all the Athenians and Strangers that dwelt there gave themselves to nothing else but either to tell or to hear News or rather new things This as it gave occasion to the first rise of the Design so it is enough to justifie the Title that was chose for it because the Business and end of it is to answer the Niceties and curious Enquiries into Arts and Sciences All that know any thing of History or have read any of the old Authors must be sensible that Athens was in that veneration with Antiquity that it was the only place of Study in those days and from thence was all Europe civiliz'd and taught Arts and Sciences Cicero in the Introduction to his Offices which he writes to his Son at that time hearing Philosophy there that he had the advantage of not only having Cratippus for his Master but even in Athens itself as if the place added to the facility of his Learning and he adds the reason of it because the Examples of so many wise men that had flourished in that City could not but stir him up to Emulation for there Socrates Plato Aristotle and all the great Philosophers learned and taught there were the Schools of every Sect and scarce any I might say none that were received into the number of the Wise and Learned that were not beholden for their Education to Athens Thither Anacharsis came from Scythia and was so taken with the Laws as well as Wisdom of the Athenians that endeavouring to introduce both into his own Country he was killed by his Brother and King There Demosthenes liv'd and flourish'd in Oratory and Sophooles and Euripides in Tragedy There lived Eupolis Curatinus Aristophanes though the last was born in Rhodes yet he lived there and excelled in their Dialect and Menander all Comic Poets Demosthenes was so great an Orator that he excelled not only all the Grecians but put in for the Palm of Fame with Tully himself and if he carry it not from him yet holds the Balance in equilibrio The Value the Government of Athens put upon the Learned in all Sciences afforded Encouragement to the Ingenious to improve them Both Comedy and Tragedy owe their Birth to Athens and indeed the Dramatic was more in esteem there than Epic Poetry being the more immediately useful for Man's Life Comedy correcting the Vices of it and Tragedy by Examples more powerful than Precepts stirring the Minds of Youth up to Heroic Actions and keeping Virtue in esteem by shewing its Reward and the Punishment of Vice Though 't is said of Sophocles and Euripides that one represented the Accidents of Human Life without regard to that Poetic Justice as they too often happen the other as they ought to have been The Esteem these Dramatic Poets were in may appear by two Instances one of Eupolis the other of Euripides Eupolis having writ Seventeen Comedies after the old Method with a great deal of Liberty exposing the Vices of the People was slain in a Sea-fight betwixt the Athenians and Lacedemonians Athens resenâ—…ed his Loss so much that it made a Law That no Poet should after that venture himself in the War such necessary Members of the Common-wealth that wise State thought them When the Death of Euripides was known at Athens who some say was killed by the Dogs of Achelaus there were several Embassy's dispatched to Macedon to obtain leave to convey his Body to his and their own Country but Achelaus would not part with the Treasure of his Bones notwithstanding their repeated Importunities Nay I may call the great Homer an Athenian since Athens was not the least of those Cities that contended for his Birth which are enumerated in a Greek Distic to this Sense Seven Cities strive for mighty Homer's Birth Athens Smyrna Rhodes Colophon Salamin Chios and Argos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Next to Poets we must remember Painters and Statuaries which flourished in Athens of the latter Phidias was the most excellent but consult Pliny's Natural History 36th Book and there you will find a full account of both The World was not more obliged to Athens for Philosophy Oratory and Poetry to omit Statuary and Painting just mentioned than for History as Thucydides and Zenophon may evince to omit Herodotus who only retired into the Athenian Territories from domestic Tyranny where the Muses always sound a secure Retreat and tho' he was not born an Athenian would dye one Thucydides was the best of the Greek Historians being so impartial a Writer that in the Peloponesian War which he was going to write he paid for Intelligence of the Transactions on both sides that so he might perfectly find out the Truth justly suspecting that as both Parties would palliate their own Losses so if he knew the Affairs of each only from themselves he should never arrive at the Truth And it is to be wish'd that none but a man of Quality and Estate would meddle with compiling of Histories who are or ought to be above the Partiality and the weakness of being byass'd by Affection or Interest it being more below the Honour of a great man to falsifie the Truth to Posterity than to be guilty of a Lye in Conversation Xenophon too was an Athenian he took up the History of the Peloponesian War where Thucydides left off and was the first Philosopher that writ an History And 't is the Opinion of Cicero in his Book De Oratore that Xenophon in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consulted not so much the Truth of the Story as his Design of forming an Example of a Perfect Prince and Commander for he was a Soldier as well as Philosopher and Historian 'T would be endless to mention
but the Names of all those that have flourished in every Science and Art in this famous City From what I have here produc'd will sufficiently appear that since all the Arts and Learning of the old World owed their Beginning nay and perhaps Perfection too though afterward lost in the Inundation of Barbarity which from the North over-run all Europe to Athens with just Reason did this Learned Society make choice of that Appellation whose Aim it is to advance all Knowledge and diffuse a general Learning through the many and by that civilize more now in a few years than Athens it self did of old during the Ages it flourished THE SECOND PART OF THE HISTORY OF THE Athenian Society IN the First part of this History I have given you an account of the Novelty Advantage Inventor and occasion of this Noble Undertaking I have touched upon the Difficulties that attend it the Noble Daring of the first Author and lastly I have advanc'd some Reasons why this Society assumed the Title of Athenian In That I brought you to its beginning in This I shall with all the Brevity the Copiousness of the Subject will allow proceed to its Infancy and Growth and from thence pass to the Manly Performances of the Society when established Though the whole design of this Institution may be gathered from what has been said in the First Part yet I think it necessary to premise an entire Prospect of it here since that will not a little contribute to the satisfaction of the Reader by avoiding Obscurity and Confusion setting things in as clear a Light as possible and in that form which the decency of Order requires That which they first proposed to themselves was not only to answer all manner of nice and curious Questions in Divinity Physick Law Philosophy History Poetry Mathematics Trade and all other Questions proposed by either Sex or in any Language but also to give an account of the most considerable Books printed in England or transmitted to them from foreign parts and to accomplish this effectually the Undertaker resolving to spare no Charges to gratifie the Ingenious setled a Correspondence beyond Sea And tho' all this were enough to expect from the extraordinary Parts and Industry of any Society of no greater extent yet they resolving to spare no Labour proceeded farther by inserting the Conferences and Transactions of several English Virtuoso's and whatever the Genius of our Nation would relish in the Acta Eruditorum Lipsiae the Paris Iournal des Scavans the Giornali de Litterali printed at Rome the Universal Historical Bibliotheque and other learned and ingenious Essays of other Nations That so as our Merchants supplied us with the Manufactures and Commodities of all Countries we should not want that Production so much more valuable in its self and in the esteem of every wise man their Wit and Learning whatever the curious and brisk Genius of the French the Floridness of the Italian and the Industry of the German the Gravity of the Spaniard should from time to time gratifie their several Countries with this Great SOCIETY have generously and successfully imported into England and by that means made all Nations contribute to the Power and Glory of our Empire of Wit as the conquered World did of old to the Grandeur and Wealth of Rome this a far more noble Tribute and a far more exalted Glory every man in Justice therefore ought to honour them with the august Name of Patriots above most that stand blustering Candidates for it Yet farther to make their Endeavours the more satisfactory to all men this Society have all along invited every one that has any Experiment or curious Instance which they know to be Truth and Matter of Fact circumstantiated with time and place to send them to them These Experiments and Instances they not only promis'd to insert in their Mercuries but also endeavour to find out a Demonstration for those which the Senders could not So great is their admirable Zeal for the Good of the Public and the Satisfaction of all curious Enquirers into natural Speculations All these great Parts of this Mighty Design could not possibly be brought into the weekly Mercuries which had not room to contain the hundredth part of the Answers to those Quaeries which they soon receiv'd therefore for the speedier satisfaction of Quaerists and the publication of all these Curiosities I have spoke of they judged it absolutely necessary at the compleating every eighteen Numbers to print twelve more of Answers to Quaeries by that means if possible to obviate the Impatience of some of those who sent their Doubts and Curiosities to be resolv'd These made up one Volume to which as a Supplement that is to perfect their Design is added I mean to the four first the Abstracts of all Books of value both domestic and foreign with curious and diverting Dissertations upon several nice Subjects The fifth Supplement to comply further with their Quaerists Importunities for speedier Answers is composed of the Resolution of Doubts as the single Mercuries are What shall be the Subject of their future Supplements I shall have occasion to speak of in the third and last part of this History Though what I have mentioned already may seem the Labour of Ages yet they still went farther and we find very early their Resolution of gratifying the World with a new System of Philosophy a thing as much desir'd as wanted that of Aristotle being so false and that of Descartes so imperfect I shall say no more of this Work here because I shall have occasion to speak of it again in the third part But that the World might be fully acquainted with this whole Design they have frequently published it both in the Mercury Volumes and Supplements and any one that desires may read it summ'd up all together in their Fifth Supplement So that none can plead Ignorance that shall intrench upon their Design and Method and none can be dissatisfied that they have not a full account of so many Advantages they may reap from the several Endeavours of this SOCIETY Here it will not be improper for me to give some account of the Method they propos'd to themselves for the prosecution of their Design for that is indeed a necessary part of it That Order which Justice required they made choice of that is that those Quaeries that came first should be first answered unless a greater Good interposed as the answering any Popular Quaery that might be of service to the Government for the Public Good is granted by all men I think to be preferred to the Private Or some curious Accident or remarkable Providence that 's Matter of Fact and wants a demonstration Here too the general Advantage comes in and then 't is but fit that Particulars of less consequence should expect a little and give way Next some extraordinary Scruple of Conscience which wants a speedy Answer And for the satisfaction of such I think no reasonable
those ends of the Quaerist's Ordination viz the manifestation of his Wisdom Power Iustice c. in raising Man after his Fall when penitent and punishing him when finally impenitent Besides this Position of the necessity of Sin takes away all Sin and consequently makes the Supposition it self of God's ordaining Sin ridiculous and impossible Again If Sin were necessary 't is clear from what has been said there could be no eternal Punishment but 't is evident from the Word of Goâ—… that there is eternal Punishment thereâ—…ore c. 〈◊〉 the Tenth Mercury of the Second Volume to which the Quaerist sending some Objections not Answers in the fifth Supplement the same Member of this Society has delivered and confuted them with that evident and convincing Demonstration that nothing in Nature can be more fine The whole Dispute is too long to be here inserted and too good to be cramp'd into an imperfect Abridgement for the Soul of the Argument spreads it self through every line and is all in all and all in every part so that would do the Author of that incomparable piece whom I honour a great deal of Injustice by giving so ill a Representation of his Performance And I am sensible I shall scarce merit Pardon of him for what I have attempted in this kind above therefore I must desire the Reader not to make a Judgment of the force of this Authors Argument by what I have produced since â—… only aimed to give such a View of them as might invite those that should chance to see this rough Draught to consult the Originial where they will find them in their Life and Perfection And I am pretty confident that what I have inserted contains so much of its primitive Beauty as to provoke an Ingenious Câ—…oiosity to pursue the end I proposed But faâ—…her to enflame his Desiâ—…e I shall give â—…ome of those profound and invincible Reasons that Discourse I mentioned in the fifth Supplement contains Some men are of opinion that there is no Science worth studying or at least satisfactory but the Mathematics because they carry such a visible demonstration along with them in all their parts that the Mind rests satisfied in the Truth and Câ—…rtainty of the Operation it has employed itself about I will agree with them that there is no greater or more 〈◊〉 Inducements to read or study than Evidence and high probability of arriving at Truth else we wander in the dark and spend our time in the pursuit of Shadows and therefore I must recommend this Dispute to the perusal of every one that loves to converse with Demonstration in Argument since there is nothing in the Mathematical Arts so self evident as this out of many If Necessity excuses external Punishments for that is the aim of the Proponents Aâ—…guments what did Christ dye for what Iustice did he satisfie what Benefits did he obtain not the preserving us from eternal Death for the Quaerist says there 's no such thing Necessity takes it away Not saving us from temporal Death for that we all suffer Not from other temporal Punishments for he owns the Good have them rather more than others Is he a Saviour to save us from nothing It can't be from our Sins because they are necessitated nor from the Devil because God has delivered us up to him that he may compel us to Sin nor to bring us to Heaven since according to him all must go thither nay Judas and all nay there 's no other place for them to go to and therefore they can't miss it And how I would fain know does this manifest God's Wisdom in the death of his SON when at this rate it undeniably follows that he died for nothing at all Tho this be enough to shew that what I have said is not without just cause yet I cannot but add another from the same Discourse it containing so much of Wit as well as Solidity and Reason If I conclude says the Quaerist Mans ways to be not of himself whereby I deny Free-will I can then the more easily forgive nay love the worst of my Enemies But replies the incomparable Author he might as well talk of a couple of Clocks loving and forgiving one another they are all wound up and must necessarily strike on without any Choice of their own they can neither hate nor 〈◊〉 according to his Notion but are determineâ—… â—…or necessitated to do either Does not the Doctrin of Free-will persists the Quaerist set men together by the Ears Nay Pâ—…rsecution it self has a share in it by perswading us that Mens ways are in themselves which makes it the more difficult to pardon them This is so ridiculous an Argument especially for him to advance that holds the necessity of all our Actions that the Author with a great deal of Justice presses it close to him in the most sensible part of men of his Principle I mean his temporal Interest Why there 's no help for 't replies this Author so the World will still believe and many a poor Pickpocket must suffer for 't whose Hand Fate shuffled into his Neighbor's Purse and Neck in the Noose before he was aware of it nay so necessarily so irresistably that it is the highesâ—… Folly in the World for him to seek to avoid it â—…ever would the Quaerist himself but live up to this noble Principle he would undoubtedly have all the Shop lifts in Town his Customers when at home and all the Gentlemen of the Road his Attendants when abroad for he could not in Conscience prosecute them and have them hang'd for robbing him which they could no more avoid than he being rob'd But it seems he 's yet to learn that there is Charity even in Justice and that the Divine Being himself as one of the Fathers says is as merciful in building a Hell as in framing a Heaven Here I cannot omit the Millenium Volume the Fourth Num. 6. tho I can say no more of it but that it was done by the same Hand and by consequence the Spirit and Life which abounds in this I have touched upon will be found in that Question and this I can assure the Reader he will find no small Pleasure in the perusal of it there is such a clearness of Thought and Expression as well as greatness of Learning and Reason for he proves it from many places of Scripture as well as the Testimony of the most ancient of the Fathers that is of the first and second Century as Papias Iustin Martyr Polycarp Clemens and afterward Iraeneus Lactantius Tertullian Methodius and still lower St. Cyprian Nepos Apollinarius Not that the words of all these Fathers are quoted in the Mercury which would take up a whole Volume as the Author observes but he affirms them to be of the same Opinion as Iustin Martyr and Methodius whose words he inserts I would also recommend those that are curious in Controversial Divinity to peruse what another Member of this Society has performed