Recovery of the true old Method of Baptifm in future Generations, in the feveral good Men of different Parties among us; who feem to me not much indifpofed to restore it hereafter, but will not eafily, I believe, be brought to renounce either their Baptifms or Ordinations on fuch Accounts, that it grieves me forely to obferve the Obftinacy of the Baptists in this Matter; I hope Time, and farther Confideration, may bring them to a better Difpofition. However, if I can recover that Society for promoting Primitive Christianity, which I am endeavouring, [See Pag. 610-619, prius,] I fhall faithfully lay before them Mr. Heywood's Arguments, and do what I can that thefe Matters may be throughly examined and fettled, for the Satisfaction of all good Chriftians hereafter.

Page 486, Line 11, of the fecond Part, read Liberty; or in the Words of the Conftitutions vi. 20. Such as lays no Compulfion in Things pofitive.

ners.

Page 52, Line 8, of the third Part, read ManI except alfo, that bloody Northern Light feen at London, by fuch as were early enough up on Tuesday, October 2d, at 4 in the Morning; which was very affecting and frightful.

Page 55. Line 14, add,

Nor must we forget that much later large Ball of Fire, with its long fiery Tail, that paffed fwiftly over a great Part of England, and probably, of Scotland alfo, July 22,. 1750. It appeared at Solway Firth, near Carlisle, and almost perpendicularly over that City: It was alfo feen at Newcastle,

Coventry, and Bristol; as our News-Letters tell us. But it more particularly was feen at about 15 or 20 Degrees Elevation, at Normanton, and Wefton, in Rutland; and was very frightful there, to those who faw it, and particularly to Sir John Heathcote himfelf. It also paffed almoft perpendicularly over Ramfey, in Huntingdonshire; as my Nephew Mr. Thomas Whifton, who is the Incumbent there, informs me; according to which Direction it must have paffed over Cambridgeshire, Effex and Kent alfo; tho' the Time of Night it paffed by, which was before Twylight was down, or the Stars vifible, with which its Courfe might have been compared, and the Suddennefs and Swiftnefs of its Paffage, have prevented I fear, fuch good Obfervations as are neceffary to the Determination both of its Altitude and Magnitude. However, I doubt not, but it ought to be efteemed one of the remarkable Signals of thofe terrible Judgments of God, which are now begun, and more are approaching.

Page 58, Line 28, add,

We have alfo had two more Earthquakes in England very lately, both of confiderable Extent; the former has been already mentioned, Pag. 216, of this 3d Part, from the Daily Advertifer of Aug. 29. It was about 6 o'Clock in the Morning, and reached to a Circle of about 40 Miles in Dia

· meter.

The other Earthquake was much more confiderable; it happened on Sunday, Sept. 30, and extended alfo about a Circle of 40 Miles Diameter, from near Nottingham, and Lincoln, Northward,

to

to Northampton, and near Huntingdon Southward. Whether it extended any Way farther, I have not yet heard. It was very remarkable at Bourn in Lincolnfpire, as the News informs us. 'Tis however certain, that at Okebam in Rutland, while Dr. Newton, of Oxford, was in his Sermon there, the People in the Gallery were fo fearful of the Church's falling upon them in the Earthquake, that they ran out of the Church, and obliged the Preacher to come out of the Pulpit. I was at that Time at our Baptift Meeting, at Morcote, in the fame County, when Mr. Pennay, the Baptist Minister at Lincoln, was in the Pulpit; but I cannot fay, that I either felt the Shake, or heard the Noise; which yet, I afterward heard fome others of the Congregation did; tho' I was informed of it as a great Earthquake, by almost every Body else out of that Meeting immediately.

N. B. Altho' I have felt fo little of the late Earthquakes myself, I fhall take this Opportunity of describing that known one Sept. 8, 1692. which I felt moft diftinctly. I was then Fellow of ClareHall, in Cambridge, and in my own Chamber two Stories high, in the South-Weft Corner of that College, and at my Studies. It was about two/ o'Clock in the Afternoon; I do not remember to have heard any Noise, but felt the Shake so plainly, that I directly perceived it to be an Earthquake; whereupon I ran down onc Pair of Stairs, into the combination or common Room, where the Mafter and fome Fellows were fitting at a Table. I said haftily, "Mafter, there is an Earth“quake;"

quake;" He faid, he thought that fome Dog was under the Table; but he did not think of an Earthquake. However, I made no Stay there, but ran down the lower Stairs into the Court, and as I ran, I diftinctly faw the College move backward, and forward, in the Way of Vibration. But by that Time I got into the Middle of the Court, which was not large, I perceived the Shake to be over. Yet could the whole Duration be hardly lefs than a Minute, and an half, which is the Time Mr. Ray allots for its Duration also.

N. B. Dr. Stukeley, in his late most excellent Paper of the Philofophy of Earthquakes, takes Notice of one Thing, as moft highly remarkable, as it most certainly is, viz. that in the late London Earthquakes a proper Providence appeared diftinctly and directly miraculous. I fhall give the Reader his own Words. Pag. 33, 34.

86

"But whether our Conjectures upon this impor

tant Subject be well founded or no, it certainly "becomes a Chriftian Philofopher, whilft he is "investigating material Caufes, to look up and re"gard the moral Ufe of them. For in Reality,

every Thing, the whole World, was ultimately "for that Purpose made. When we fee fuch a "kind of Spirituality imprefs'd on mere Matter, "as this amazing Property of Electricity, it "fhould kindle in us a high Ambition of affert

ing, and exerting the infinitely fuperior Value, "and Powers, and Excellency of the fpiritual Part of us, deftin'd to an immortal Duration.

¢¢

“ And,

"And, of all the great and publick Calamities, "which affect us Mortals, Earthquakes claim "the firft Title to the Name of Warnings "and Judgments. None fo proper to threaten, "or to execute Vengeance upon a guilty People. "Nor has any other, those annexed Terrors, fo "much of the unufual, the unavoidable, the fud"den and the horrible Apprehenfion of being "crush'd to Death, or buried alive. And when "in our own Sight, these rare and extraordinary "Phænomena appear, it cannot but be a Leffon "to us, to do our Duty towards that great Being, "who, by a Drop of Water, can produce Effects "fo prodigious.

"That Earthquakes proclaim themselves to "Mankind in this Light, is further deducible "from this Obfervation, the ninth in our Recapitulation of Circumstances; that they are pecu"liarly directed to great Cities, and Maritime Towns, thofe Nurseries of Wealth, Luxury, and "of all the Evils naturally flowing therefrom. It "would be 'childish to rehearse from old Hiftory, "or modern, a Proof of it; we have no other "Notices of them. Look upon these two Shocks "we have here felt; we own that Hampfted-Heath, "and Finchley-Foreft, and Kennington-Common were "affected with it; yet it is notorious that London was the Center, the Place to which the Finger of "God was pointed.

"And this leads us, in the third Place, to con"fider the Ufe and Purpose of thefe magnalia nature, and Prodigies of the Agency of mate