pray proceed. I had rather at present be Hearer than Speaker, and from what I have heard of your Difcourfe already, am convinced I am not fit to be your Advocate. I am indeed too much of Crito's Opinion to do you much Service on this Head.

Is it fo? fays PHILANDER; then I had better turn Querift in my Turn. I have no other Answer to give, but the Power of God, and what Crito has mention'd already, the wonderful Motion of Spirits, which if he will not allow me, I am not able, I own, to bring Proof for. But pray what is the Reason, Friend Crito, you cannot be fatisfy'd with what has fatisfy'd fo many Thoufands? Is there any thing too hard for an Almighty God? Cannot he that made us, and the Heavens, bring us into them, let their Distance be ever fo great, or inconceivable ?

I can very fafely, anfwer'n CRITO, confide in the Power of God to make me happy when and where he pleases; nor shall any Uncertainty of the Seat of Happiness ever ftagger my Faith, the leaft that is, in this Point. But yet it would be fome Satisfaction, methinks, to know the where, or to be even able to guefs at fome probable Place for it.

There is no doubt, fays PHILANDER, but
B 3

fuch

fuch Knowledge would be very agreeable ; but why should we call in queftion the common Notion, unless we were able to produce a better? We know the Scripture frequently speaks of Heaven, and always fpeaks of it as a Place above us,

It does fo, fays CRITO, and no doubt it is fo; but whether above or below the Stars it does not fav. Had the Scripture plainly pointed out the Seat of it, that Part I mean, that is the Seat of Happiness, you had had none of my Queries about it: But here the Sacred Oracles are dumb, or I am deaf and cannot hear their Language; nor does Philofophy feem to offer the least Affistance, We can look into Heaven an almost incredible Way, but can fee nothing in it excepting the Heavenly Bodies, with very large, but apparently defolate Spaces between them: And if above all these you place the Imperial Heaven, the Distance, I own, to me is fo amazing, that I am aftonish'd whenever I think of it. And what after all, if all beyond our Sight should be but fimilar to what is in it! our optick Glaffes feem to fhew it is fo! And if this be the Cafe, where are we then Philander!

Where indeed! cry'd PHILANDER; I am loft in the infinite Space! How could you, Crito, lead me fuch a Flight, without

giving me any thing to reft my Feet on? And you, Theophilus, how could you leave me thus, in a Flight that must tire the fabulous Eagle of Jove?

I am apt to think, fays THEOPHILUS, that Jove's fabled Eagle could never have carried his Godship half so far. The Heathens must think the Creation very narrow, to provide their Gods with no better Conveniencies, as well as their Gods to be very poor Gods, to ftand in need of fuch pitiful Carriers. In how much grander a Light does the Scripture fet forth the Almighty! -But Philander I fee is tired, and wants Refreshment.

It is time indeed, fays PHILANDER, to think of Supper, and fee, the Servant is coming to give us Notice of it. But But yet Philander is not fo much tired, as not to be willing to refume the Journey to morrow Morning, if Theophilus will but agree to bear him Company.

As to that, fays THEOPHILUS, I would even attend you to Night, but that it is too far advanced for us now to make any great Progrefs, for which Reafon, I think, we had better reft for this Time, and take tomorrow the whole Day before us, when I will meet you in the Arbour precisely at Eight for that Purpose.

B 4

Well

Well propos'd, fays PHILANDER, come, Gentlemen, let us walk in.

DIALOGUE II.

WEL

as

ELL, Crito, fays PHILANDER, they walked out of the House in the Morning towards the Arbour, I am ready now to take the other Flight, if Theophilus was but come to bear me Company: And he is for the most Part fo exact to his Appointments, that I am not in any great Fear of him.

You have no Occafion, fays CRITO, for fee, he is there before us. As foon as the ufual Salutations were over, how did your laft Night's Journey, Gentlemen, says THEOPHILUS, agree with you ?As for my Part, fays CRITO, I have taken the Journey fo often, that I do not find myself in the leaft fatigued with it: And Philander tells me he is ready to refume it, if his Friend Theophilus will but attend him.

Why truly, Says THEOPHILUS, could fuch Journeys be taken in Fact with as much Eafe as we take them in Thought, the Distance of Heaven need not fo much difturb us. Was it ever fo far, we might be there in the Twinkling of an Eye.

I am fo well convinced, fays PHILANDER,

that

that Thinking is not Motion, that I begin to question whether Motion quick as thought is poffible; but yet I think it may be very fwift, and that of Light in particular is fo, to fuch an amazing Degree, if we may credit the Mathematicians, that if Crito will but allow we may move as quick as Light does, I fhall not dispair of reaching the Gates of Heaven, though ever fo far remov'd from mortal Ken.

I shall not, fays CRITO, enter the Lifts on that Head. The quick Motion of Light is undoubtedly very furprizing, and that of Angels for ought I know may be as quick.

I thank you Crito, fays PHILANDER, you

邀

have hereby put me in mind of a good Affiftant. Juft fo does Milton describe the Angel Uriel as defcending from the Sun on a Sun-beam.

Not fo faft, good Philander, cry'd CRITO, will any Philofopher trust to poetick Authority? The Paradife Loft as a Poem perphaps is matchlefs, and contains in it many juft and noble Sentiments, and this may poffibly be one of that Kind, though Milton's faying it is not quite a Proof of it.

I did not bring it, fays PHILANDER, as a Confirmation, though I cannot but own I was pleas'd with fo good an Authority.

You feem to me, fays THEOPHILUS, to

be