a very important fubject in England for difputation; but at thofe critical junctures of time, the main pillars of the flate were shaken and unfettled: The legiflative powers were at variance, lords againft lords, commons against commons. In this ftate of fluctuation, each branch of the legiflature ftill had hopes that matters would come about at last, and settle per manently in its own favourite central point. Then, a political conteft on the fubject of an hereditary or revolutional king might have been carried on by the different parties, with fome colour of reafon, because the people in general had room to judge, that the Supreme tribunal of the nation, whofe voice gives the law, and whofe peculiar province it is to afcertain and fix the right, had not as yet fully proclaimed the legal fovereign. In like manner, contrary opinions are ftrenuoufly, eloquently, and confcientioufly contended for, in the great fenate of the nation, until at length the act patles, which ultimately decides the long contefted point, and joins together the pro's and ren's by the common tye of law, which, from the univerfal acquiefcence of the legiflative powers, becomes unexceptionable and irrefragable.

To thefe preliminary remarks, I fhall beg leave to add a retrospect to primitive christianity. The civil deportment of the first chriftians will help confiderably to elucidate this matter. Their doctrine we pretend is our creed, and their prac tice furely is worthy of our imitation. They were born, lived, fou, ht, and died under the reigns of Tiberius, Claudius, Nero, Domitian, and other pagan emperors of Rome. They bore ailegiance to their respective fovereigns, and was it ever known that before plighting

NOTE.

The power and jurifdiction of parliament is fo tranfcending and abfolute that it cannot be confined, either for caufes or perfons, within any bounds. Coke, 4 inft. 36.

Parliament is the place where that abfolute defpotic power, which muft in all governments refide fomewhere, is entrust. ed by the conftitution of these kingdoms. It can regulate or new model the fucceffion to the crown. It can alter the efiablithed religion of the land. It can change and create afresh, even the conftitution of the kingdom, and of parliaments themfelves. It can do every thing that is not naturally impoffible. True it is, that what the parliament doth, no authority upon earth can undo. Blackfine, 1 b. 2d. ch. 3d fec.

December, 1775.

their troth, and engaging in the military fervice, they made it a point of confcience or chriftian duty, to examine whether the ruling prince was rightfully eftablished? Whether Auguftus under whom Chrift was born, or Tiberius under whom he was crucified, were justifiable or not, in climbing up to the imperial dignity on the ruins of the Roman commonwealth and liberty? Not long before this period, the royal race of Judah, which the lord himself had chofen, loft the Jewith fceptre, which, by the over-ruling providence of the fame Almighty Being, had been transferred into the hands of infidels. Chrift himself was the most humble, the most contented, the beft fubject upon earth; whilft he preached up the ftricteft obedience to the divine ordinances, he gave Cafer his due, whom he acknowledged to hold fovereign power under Gol, by whom kings reign. He never amufed nor flattered the people amongst whom he was born, with the hopes of the reftoration of the houfe of Judah, or of any change of government more favourable to true religion. He openly declared that his kingdom was not of this world, and therefore he left the world as he found it, under the wife difpofal of the Supreme, who gives and takes away crowns and fceptres, and transfers the rights and privileges of earthly fovereignty, in fuch a manner as is molt conducive to his own great purpofes. He never meddled with hate affairs: He fled from royalty when offered to him, nor would he pronounce judgment on a difputed point of property that was propofed to him. In fhort, he left all thrones, itates, and courts of judicature upon earth, in the full and ample poffeffion of their refpective prerogatives, powers, and offices. His apofiles made an open avowal of the fincerity of their hearts in this refpect, by ftriaAly enjoining fubjection to the higher porers, prayers, fupplications, acts of thanksgiving, as for all men, fo more effecially for kings, and those that are in authority under them, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honefy. Tim. 2. 1. 2. Still hoping that the Almighty, who holds in his hands the heart of the king, would direct the councils of the state, and the execution of the eftablished laws, to the general welfare and tranquility of the people, the great end for which all laws were originally intended.

Influenced by this doctrine, the primitive chriftians fought courageouily under the banners of their respective pagan fovereigns. Their holy paltors never difcountenanced their civil allegia:

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never made any critical ftrictures upon thofe edicts, by which fovereigns proclaim to their fubjects the plenitude of their power and prerogative. They never afforded to the established government, a handle to charge them with difaffection, or disloyalty, much lefs to accuse them as incendiaries in the state. It was never known that the chriftians of the firfl ages fuffered perfecution on this account. On the contrary, Jufin and Tertullian in their Apologies, challenge the fovereign powers to produce one inftance of difaffection, difloyalty, confpiracy, infurrection, or riot, in the whole body of chriftianity: and they fairly fhew that chriftians from their religious principles, and from their offering up fervent prayers to Heaven, for the emperors and all in authority under them, during the celebration of their facred myfteries, must be the most faithful, the most loyal, and the very beft fubjects under every eftablished government in the world, let its political form, or its religions creed be what it may, Such was the demeanour of this holy body of people, at a time when Paganifm was the established form of worship; when forfeiture of goods and chattels, profcription, banishment, tortures, and death, were the punishments inflicted on every avowed profeffor of chriftianity, when put to the trial of his faith. They heartily wifhed and prayed indeed for the propagation of the Chriftian religion, but they left the legal establishment of it entirely to the almighty power and wildom of the Creator, who belt knew when and how to accomplish his own great defigns. And let it be well remembered, that tho' Chrift and his apostles had the elements under command, they worked no miracles to overturn the ftates and empires of the earth, or to alter the adminiftration and form of any eftablished government, into a fyftem more equitable, or more favourable to true religion. They did not think that the truth of chriftianity could authorize them to make use of any unlawful means, fuch as breaking faith with the established powers, to fupport and promote it. And yet it must be allowed, they had greater feelings for the interefts of true religion, and a more profound knowledge of it, than the poor Roman catholics of Ireland can pretend to. In fhort, the primitive chriftians under all the aforefaid hardfhips, bore true and faithful allegiance to the pagan government by law eftablished; they knew their allegiance was perfectly compatible with their re

ligious principles, nor was it a point of confcience amongst them previously to examine whether their refpective Cafars or Sovereigns had been rightfully placed on the throne of the Roman empire.

Here I cannot forbear to anticipate a little, and to apply what has been faid to the caufe I have in hand. If fuch was the civil deportment of the primitive chriftians who had the apoftles and their immediate fucceffors for their teachers; why may not the prefent Roman catholics of Ireland, born as well as their fathers before them, under the Hanoverian fucceffion, with equal fafety of confcience, fwear allegiance to his most gracious majefty king George the third, a Christian prince, a mild governor too, as far as laws made in times of anger and diftruft (not by him nor by the Georges his predeceffors) will allow him to be; whilt their perfons, goods, and chattles are fecured by the fword he bears; invefted as he is with the executive power by the fanction of the British ftate, which claims peremptorily and uncontroulably a right to fettle the fucceffion of the British crown, and by the act of fettlement has fixed it in the protefiant line of the royal race, for the general tranquility of the British state, fo long before involved in blood, and all the horrors of civil war: why may not, I fay, the Irish Roman catholics fafely take an oath of civil allegiance without any concern about, or regard to the fuppofed juftice or injustice of those revoIutional measures and principles by which one king was depofed, and another placed on the throne of the British empire?

After this preamble, which I think was neceffary, to fet the new parliamentary oath in a proper light for fair and impartial examination, I thall proceed to difcufs the whole matter contained in the teft, and to try it by thofe very arguments which are objected by fame fcrupulous Roman catholics.-I fay fcrupulous, becaufe in the first place, I am certain thofe objections do not fpring from any difaffection or difloyalty to the king's moft gracious majefty; and 2dly, because the whole contents of the formulary of the oath, are confined within a sphere fo circumfcribed as not to allow the leaft inroad to be made upon the pure catholic Chriftian faith, fuch as it is preached and catechiftically taught in all parts of the chriftian world. A fcrupulous confcience may therefore be at reft, as our holy faith, fuch for example, as the pope's Spiritual fupremacy and jurifdiction over the whole fheepfold of Chrift, is entire

ly

ly out of the queftion, and confequently out of danger. For furely it is obvious to common fenfe, that the fovereign ruler of Great Britain, to whom by right obedience and true allegiance is due, is no where revealed in the facred fcripture, no more than the special nature, extent, power, and civil jurifdiction of the Britifh government is afcertained therein; and yet I cannot refrain from declaring, that were faith to be violently fqueezed into the difpute, I fhould hold it as a jacred truth, that George the third is my fcriptural king, is Chrift's king, is St. Paul and St. Peter's king, because we are expreffly commanded by our divine teacher himfelf, and by the infpired interpreters of his gofpel, to pay tribute, homage, and reverence, to him who wears the crown, who bears the fword, whofe image is flamped on the current coin of the land, and who is this but George the third ?

(To be continued.)

On Difeafes incident to Infants, (Continued from Page 662.)

This, fimple as it may feem, is a fafe and excellent medicine, wherewith I have worked wonders, by bringing back babes that were thought even dying from convulfions.

Sperma ceti is most fafe and certain in obtunding the points of the acid that stimulate fo violently, nor can you err in giving it too often, or too much at a time, though five or fix grains may fuffice for a dofe; it may be given mixed with its victuals, or in mother's milk.

Dr. Harris makes this remark:--" This I only ferioufly admonish, that all gripes, uneafinefs, and watchings of infants are certainly relieved by testaceous medicines, as pains and watchings in older perfons may be taken away, for a time, by narcotics."

Opiates with infants ought to be used with the utmost caution. I lost a fon above a year old, fuddenly killed, only from eight drops of liquid laudanum, when two drops are a fulficient dose for a babe.-Eightgrains of teftaceous powder, more or lets (for they too are very safe) three times a day, in the food, or in

to infants, to be here treated of, I fhall begin with the gripes, or cholic, becaufe painful, and molt common.-The wind cholic is an early diforder, peculiar to new born babes, attended with violent gripes, which, without fome fpsedy relief, often throws them into firong convulfions, the last effort of nature, and foon puts a period to their fhort but miferable exiftence.

The cholic pains caufe their conftant crying out for help, and repeated kicking with their feet, from the great agony they endure; hence they difcharge a deal of wind, and their ordure is green, the natural effect of an acid, mixed with yellow bile; and the convulfive twitches in the inteftines often occafion ruptures, if not death. Now for the certain remedy. Having firft injected a mild clyfter of milk, boiled on mallows, and giv. en ten grains, or more, according to the different age of the infant, by the mouth, of magnesia alba, a safe abforbent laxative, ply it with teftaceous powders, fuch as coral, crabs eyes, or even clean chalk, but every three or four days purge them off, lett they render the child coltive, a condition never proper for fuch young fubjects.

But the best fpecific against the gripes, and confequently the cholic, is fperma ceti, rubbed fine, with an equal quantity of white fugar candy, and a little powdered anife-feed added thereto.

with ten or fifteen grains of magnesia powder, or crude tartar diffolved in milk, are both fafe and effectual for their relief.

Nay, even dipping them all over in a warm bath, made by boiling a bag full of warm aromatic herbs, as mint, chamomile, &c. in foft water, then wiping their body dry, and putting them betwees warm blankets, may give fudden ease when nothing else will.

Externally this liniment rubbed all over their little bellies will fometimes give great relief. Oil of chamomile or rue twenty drops; oil of anifeed, (tilel by Helmont anima inteflinorum) juniper, or nutmegs ten drops, or three of each, when all can be had, to which add of builocks gall a fufficient quantity, mix them well together for the aforefaid use. Boerhaave recommends the green ointment.

If the infant is fwaddled, loofen it directly, to give free room; and if they were never fwathed at all, but allowed as much freedom as our puppies, it would be much better for them, as I have already fhown in a prior difcourfe on the feveral caufes of the furprising mortality of infants in our public bills, under two years of age, to be met with in the London Magazine for 1768, for which I wrote gratis deven years, and had ftill, but was fuperbly told to my face by the black king of Jerufalem, the public was tired with my pieces; on which I deter

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mined, if one would not another fhould, fo fent to all the other Magazines that would accept of them, and have been favoured beyond expectation.

But to return the belly of a babe is commonly laxative, and fo it should be, as being moft natural and proper, wherefore it ought to move twice a day. Their coftiveness is commonly caufed by the fault of the milk, or vifcid pap it is too often crammed with.

In tender infants, anointing the belly before the fire only with fresh unfalted butter (or as I may add with oil of wax) will be fufficient; yet wafh their backfides and thighs daily with cold water to harden the fame.

Such young fubjects are but poor patients to the phyficians and apothecaries, as not paying them well for their pains; elfe, by their affiftance, thousands might be faved in the year. Wherefore it behoves all tender mothers and nurfes, as foon as they know of it, to purchafe this ufeful Magazine, both for their own cafe and that of their ifiue, and which I doubt not but they will, as foon as they fee how eafily they may act the phyfician themselves, and that most fafely too, only by thefe my very plain and eafy inftructions; for truly my defire is not to fave money but lives: I wish I could as eafily find out a cure, as Hippocrates puts me in mind of, againft covetousness, a diffemper disturbing but too many of the profeffion, O how good and charitable fhould I make them: but alas! to all fuch Lucri dulcis Odor.

To conclude this article: fometimes the gripes are fo violent as even to fhock the beholders, when, to prevent convulfive fits and speedy death, two or three drops, and no more, of the Thebaic tincture, extracted only with water, in a little fyrup of rofes, may, nay muft, be given, was it only to abate the threatening fymptoms, and by benumbing the fenfation, gain a truce till fperma ceti or cathartics can have their defired effect, as a defperate difeafe muft fometimes have a desperate cure.

JOHN COOK.

Hiftory of Felix and Oliver, the two unfortunate Friends of Bourbon. Tranfated from the French of Mr. Diderot. T THERE were two men, who might

be called the Pylades and Oreftes of Bourbon: The one was named Oliver, and the other Felix. They were born on the fame day, in the fame houfe, and of two fifters: They were nourished with the fame milk; for, one of the mothers dying

in child birth, the other took both the children. They were brought up together, and converfed with none but each other, Their mutual love was like existence, which admits of no doubt; they perceived it inceffantly, but perhaps had never poke of it to each other. Oliver once faved the life of Felix, who piqued himself on being a great fwimmer, and was near being drowned. This action neither of them remembered. Felix has a hundred times extricated Oliver from dangerous adventures in which the impetuofity of his temper had involved him, yet he never thought of thanking the other; they returned home without fpeaking, or talking of other mat

ters.

When they drew for the militia, the lot fell on Felix: Oliver faid the other is for me. When they had ferved out their time, they returned home. More dear to each other than before--that I can't affirm; for, my dear brother, though reciprocal benefits cement friendships formed by reflection, perhaps they are nothing to thofe 1 freely call animal and domeftic friendships. At a rencounter in the army, a firoke with a faulchion was aimed at the head of Oliver; Felix put himself mechanically in the way, and received the gafh: They pretend he was proud of the fear, but for my own part I

don't believe it. At Haftenbeck, Oliver drew Felix from amidst the heap of dead that was left on the field. When they were queftioned, they related fometimes the affiftance they had received from each other, never that they had given. Oliver talked of Felix, and Felix of Oliver, but neither of himself. After they had lived a confiderable time in the country, they both, at the fame time, became in love, and both with the fame girl; but there was no rivalship between them: He who first perceived the paffion of his friend gave up his own pretenfions. It was Felix, and Oliver married. Felix, difgufted with life,without knowing why, plunged into all hazardous enterprizes: The laft was to become a fmuggler. You know, my dear brother, that there are in France four tribunals for trying of fmugglers, Caen, that the most severe of the four is Rheims, Rheims, Valence, and Thoulouse; and where a man, named Talbot, prefides, who has a 'foul the moft ferocious that nature ever produced. Felix was taken when armed, conducted before the terrible Talbot, and condemned to die, as five hundred had been before him. Oliver heard of the fate of Felix. One night he rofe, without fpeaking to his

wife, and went to Rheims. He waited on the judge Talbot, threw himself at his feet, and begged permiffion to fee and embrace Felix. Talbot looked at him, remained filent for a moment, and then made a fign for him to fit down. Oliver fat down. After about half an hour, Talbot pulled out his watch, and said to Oliver, if thou wouldest see and embrace thy friend alive, make hafte; he is on the road, and, if my watch goes right, in less than ten minutes he will be hanged. Oliver rofe tranfported with fury, and ftruck the judge a prodigious blow with a club, on the back of his neck, that laid him almoft dead on the floor, and then ran to the place. Down with the executioner! he cried, attack the officers! He roufed the people, already fired with indignation against thefe fhameful executions. The ftones flew about, and Felix made his escape. Oliver endeavoured to retreat, but a foldier of the band had wounded him in the fide, with out his perceiving it. He gained the gate of the city, but could go no further. Some charitable country people put him in a cart, and laid him down at the door of his cottage, the minute before he expired: He had only time to fay, wife, come near, and let me embrace thee: I die: but Felix is faved.

One evening, as we were taking our ufual walk, we faw, at the door of a cottage, a tall woman, furrounded by four mall children. Her dejected, yet refolute afpect, attracted our attention, and our attention excited her's. After a minute's filence, fhe faid to us, Behold thefe four infants; I am their mother, but I have now no husband.' This intrepid manner of exciting commiferation was well adapted to affect us. We offered our contributions, which the accepted with decency. It was on this occafion that we learned the hiftory of her hufband Oliver and his friend Felix. We have talked of her, and I truit that our recommendation has not been useless to her. You here fee, my dear brother, that greatnefs of mind, and noble endowments, are common to all conditions and all countries; that some men die obfcurely, not for want of abilities, but a proper theatre to difplay them; and that two friends may be found in a cottage, or among the Iroquois.

You defire, my dear brother, to know what is become of Felix. Your curiofity is fo natural, and the motive of it fo laudable, that we were a little fcandalifed at not having made any inquiry. To repair that fault we thought, at first,

of Mr. Papin, doctor in Theology, and restor of St. Mary's, at Bourbon; but our mother, upon reflection, gave the preference to the fub-delegate Aubert, who is an honeft jolly fellow, and who fent us the following account, on the veracity of which you may rely.

The man named Felix is ftill alive. When he escaped from the hands of the juftice at Rheims, he took refuge in the forefts of the province, with all the intricacies of which he became acquainted while he was a fmuggler. He endeavoured to approach, by degrees, the dwelling of Oliver, of whole fate he was ignorant.

In the centre of a wood, where you have fometimes walked, there is a collier, whofe cottage ferved for an afylum to the fmugglers; it was alfo their magazine where they depofited the merchandife and their arms. There Felix retreated, not without danger of falling into the hands of the officers, who followed him by his track. Some of his allociates had carried thither the news of his being imprisoned at Rheims, fo that the collier and his wife, when they faw him return, thought themfelves in the hands of justice. I fhall now relate what I had from this collier, who died not long fince.

It was the children, who were rambling about the wood, that faw him firft. While he flooped to carefs the youngest, who was his godchild, the others ran to the cottage crying, Felix! Felix! The father and the mother ran out, repeating the fame cry of joy; but the wretch was fo harraffed with fatigue and hunger, that he had not power to reply, but fell into their arms almost void of life.

The honeft collier and his wife gave him what affiftance they could: They fet before him bread, wine, and fome vegetables. He eat, and laid down to reit.

When he awoke, the firft word he pronounced was Oliver! children, do you know nothing of Oliver? No, they replied. He then related what had happened at Rheims. He paffed the next day and night with them. He fighed; and repeated the name of Oliver, whom he fuppofed to be in the prifon of Rheims; he would go thither and die with him; and it was not without difficulty they diffuaded him from that defign.

In the middle of the fecond night he took a mufket, he put a fabre under his arm, and faid to the collier in a low voice, Collier?'- Felix l'— Take thy hatchet and away Whither?'-

What a question! to Oliver-They