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8. On this foundation then, Mr. Madan confiders two points.

First, Marriage, and

Secondly, Polygamy.

1. With regard to Marriage, he fays, p. 18, "This confists in the union of the man and woman in a personal knowledge of each other;" which he fays, "Is the only Marriageordinance that we find revealed in the Scriptures. Whenever this union came to pass, though two diftinct and independent perfons before, they were to become as one. They fhall be one flesh, Gen. ii. 24, and fo indiffolubly one, as to be infeparable: what God hath joined together, let no man put afunder." Again, p. 19, "The whole is made to reft fimply and only in the personal union of the man and woman: it is this alone which makes them one flesh." And yet again, p. 24. "The business of Marriage was left (when God gave the Law) as at firft ordained, to one fimple act of union: a conclufive proof this that nothing else is of divine inflitution; confequently that nothing elfe is effential to conflitute a mar. iage in the fight of God; but that this is."

[To be continued.]

UGOLINO,

A moft remarkable STORY.

a Florentine Count, in a poem of Dante's, gives the following description of his being imprisoned, with his children, by the Archbishop of Ruggiari.

The hour approached, when we expected to have fome. thing brought us to eat. But instead of feeing any food appear, I heard the doors of that horrible dungeon more clofely barred. I beheld my little children in filence, and could not weep. My heart was petrified! The little wretches wept, and my dear Anfelm faid, Tu guardi si, padre: che hai ? father

father you look on us! what ails you? I could neither weep nor anfwer, and continued fwallowed up in filent agony, all. that day, and the following night, even to the dawn of day. As foon as the glimmering ray darted through the doleful prifon, that I could view again thofe four faces, in which my own image was impreffed, I gnawed both my hands with grief and rage. My children believing I did this through eagerness to eat, faid to me, My father! our torments would be lefs, if you would allay the rage of your hunger upon us. We were all mute that day, and the following. Quel di, e l' altro, femmo tutti muti. The fourth day being come, Gaddo falling extended at my feet, cried; Padre mio, che non m' ajuti! My father, why do you not help me? and died. The other three expired, one after the other, between the fifth and fixth day, famished as thou feeft me now! And I, being feized with blindness, began to grope upon them with my hands and feet: and continued calling them by their names three days after they were dead. E tre di li chiamai poichè fur morti: then hunger vanquished my grief!"

There is a moft ftriking Picture of this, in the Duke of Dorfet's Collection of Pictures at Nore, near Sevenoaks.

The true ORIGINAL of the SOUL.

A

CHAP. I.

The ufe of this Question.

MONG the many intricate questions, wherein the Church of God hath almoft loft itself in this laft age, there are few more difficult to know, and more neceffary to be known, than that which concerneth the Soul's original. VOL, VI.

F

The

The difficulty appears in that fo many worthies who have entered into this labyrinth, could never find a clear way out again the neceffity, in that there are fo many neceffary points in divinity depending upon this, which cannot be well cleared without it, efpecially the doctrine of Original Sin, and the Immortality of the Soul.

But fome perhaps will fay, who then fhall undertake that which no man ever yet could perform? I reply, Why should we not attempt it? They are not always the most learned men that find out the greateft myfleries: neither are they always the greatest men, by whom God bringeth the greatest things to pafs. It is God's ufual courfe to produce the greatest. effects by the moft unlikely inftruments, that the power and praise may be of God, and not of man. And I doubt not but in this controverfial age, God is about to reveal fecrets that have been hitherto hidden. And seeing many other myfteries are daily cleared, why fhould not this alfo? Seeing that God who giveth a heart to undertake, can give power to perform.

Two extremes notwithstanding I confefs are to be avoided: Curiofity and Negligence. First, Curiofity. It is ftrange how man's nature is affected to novelty. Nevertheless,

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fecret things belong to God, and only things revealed, to us and our children. Where God hath not a tongue to speak, we may not have an ear to hear: when he is fparing in revealing, we must be fparing in enquiring and if we will be Chriflians, Faith muft fatisfy where Reason cannot. And good reafon there is it fhould be fo, both for our humiliation. and trial: to humble us when we fhall fee our Reafon nonpluft, even in matters of great confequence, and to try our Faith in mounting above Reafon, when it fhall appear that we rely more upon God's word than our own fancy.

Yet is not this fo to be understood, as if we were not to feek after any thing, but that which is manifeft in the Scripture, for fo we fhall not need to feek at all. But many

things that are not mentioned in the word, are yet manifeft in the works of God. It is our duty therefore to search both. But divine things are to be fought especially in the former, and natural (as this is) in the latter, yet still comparing both together. If therefore this truth can be found in either, then it is revealed: neither can we fay, it is a fecret, until both be thoroughly fearched. And because there is a depth in both paft finding out, therefore we muft exercise ourfelves in them day and night; and never leave fearching, for things needful to be known.

[To be continued.]

An Account of Mr. Booty: extracted from Captain Spinks' Journal, and from the Records of the Court of King's Bench.

UESDAY, May 12, we anchored in Manfat-Road, with

TUES

Capt. Barnaby, Capt. Briftow, and Capt. Brewer. About fix o'clock we all four weighed anchor and failed for the island of Lufara. Friday 15, about two o'clock we saw the island, and about feven came to an anchor in twelve fathom water. Saturday 16, we [the Captains,] with Mr. Ball, merchant of Wentworth, went on fhore, in order to shoot Curlews, on Mount Strembolo. Half an hour and fourteen minutes after three, we called all our men to us, when we all, to our great furprise, faw two men running with amazing swiftnefs, and Capt. Barnaby cried out, "Lord, blefs me! the foremast man is Mr. Booty, my next neighbour in London." He was in grey clothes with cloth buttons. that ran after him, was in black. They both ran ftrait into the burning Mountain, and at the inftant was fuch a noife as made us all tremble. Capt. Barnaby faid, "I do not doubt, but it is old Booty running into hell:" and as foon as we came on board, he defired us to mark the time, and write it down in our Journals, which we did."

He

We returned to Gravefend, October 6. Capt. Barnaby then went for the reft, to congratulate them on their fafe arrival. After fome difcourfe, Capt. Barnaby's wife faid, "I can tell you fome news; Cld Booty is dead." He answered, "That we all know; for we faw him run into hell." Mrs. Barnaby related this to an acquaintance in London; and the informed Mrs. Booty of it. On this, Mrs. Booty arrefted Capt. Barnaby, in an action of a thousand pounds. It came to a trial in the Court of King's Bench. The four Captains, Mr. Ball, and all the men made oath, that they faw him run very fwiftly, and leap into the burning Mountain: that he had on a grey coat with cloth buttons, (which was brought into the Court, and exactly answered the description.) And that they all fet it down juft then in their Journals, which were alfo produced in Court, and anfwered the time when he died, to two minutes, as appeared from the Sexton of the Parish, and several others who were with him at his death. In fumming up the evidence the Lord Chief Juftice faid, "Two or three may be mistaken; but we cannot fuppofe above thirty were." So the caufe was given for the defendant.

LETTER S.

LETTER

CCLXX.

[From Mrs. E. M. to the Rev. Mr. Wesley.]

Potto, Dec. 23, 1764.

Rev. Sir,

IT

T is the daily defire of my heart to praise God for his great favours to me: and as Love is the most excellent way, may our fouls abound therein, that our joy may be full. I often find my cup runs over, and want words to exprefs my gratitude.

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