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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	call_v	scripture_n	word_n	6,256	5	4.4782	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B09893	A strange but true narrative of the delusion of the devil at a late Quakers meeting, on one John Thurston. How he was seduced to turn Quaker, and possessed by an evil spirit and of a tempation he had to cut his own throat, and how he was preserved therefrom and several passages which happen'd to him in the time of his delusion / attested to by Mr. William Robinson.	Robinson, William, fl. 1678.	1678 (1678)	Wing R1725A; ESTC R185127	3,506	9

A strange but true NARRATIVE OF THE DELUSION OF THE DEVIL At a late Quakers Meeting On one JOHN THVRSTON How he was seduced to turn QUAKER and Possessed by an Evil Spirit and of a Temptation he had to Cut his own Throat and how he was preserved therefrom and several Passages which happen'd to him in the time of his Delusion Attested by Mr. William Robinson that had the Relation from his own mouth With Allowance Ro. L'Estrange LONDON Printed for D. M. 1678. A true strange and wonderful Narrative of the Delusion of the Devil at a late Quakers Meeting on one John Thurston of Kendal in Westmoreland c. SIR TO satisfie your scruple as to the Truth and Credit of this following Relation I had as much as this amounts to from Thurston himself and the Minister of the Parish affirmed the Particulars of it My house is in Browns Court in Crutchet-Friers London and my name is William Robinson IN May last 1678 at Kendal in Westmoreland one John Thurston who was very desirous to associate himself with the Quakers at their Meetings and speaking with one of them about it he much incouraged him to hold on his Purpose and accordingly he went to them when their present Speaker whose drift was to deny all Ministerial Teaching and Ordinances together with all notional knowledge gained by the use of such means and to become as if they never learned any thing and now to be taught of God within themselves by waiting upon an inward Light which as he said lies low hidden under the Earth viz. the Old man which is of the Earth earthly Thurston was immediately so taken with this kind of Doctrine that he resolved to close with them was afraid to read any good Books to hear any Preaching-Minister or to call to remembrance any thing which he had f●rmerly learned concerning God Christ his own Estate or any other subject contained in the Scripture One of them told him that Christ was as man had his failings distrusted God and many other blasphemous words At his next meeting the Speaker urged him to take up the Cross daily saying Carry the Cross all day and it will keep thee at night He urged him to hearken to a Voice within him spoke much of a Light within them Which Thurston not yet finding was much troubled desiring that he might fall into quaking thinking thereby he should attain to the immediate discoveries of God to him And accordingly shortly after as he was walking in his Chamber he began to quake so extreamly that he could not stand but fell upon his bed where he howled and cried in a terrible manner yet was he not afraid but look'd upon it as the pangs of the New birth After half an hour by degrees he ceased from howling and rejoyced that now he could witness against the Ministers of England as false Prophets and Priests of Baal All the Night after he was much troubled with Dreams about his Sins and when he awaked he perceived s●mething lighting on his Neck and giving him a great stroak which caused much pa●n and so a second third and fourth each less then other descending till it came to the middle of his Back and then he discerned something to enter into his Body and he thought he heard a Voice within him saying It is day addding twice As sure as it's light so surely shall Christ give thee light Two or three days after he still waited for more Light and walking into a field he lay down with his Face to the Earth at which time his right hand began extreamly to shake and he was in a great rapture of joy then did the power within raise him and set him on his Feet and afterwards layd him on his Back brought his Sins into his remembrance causing his Hand at every Sin to strike the ground and he heard a voyce saying Now is such a Sin mortified then was he perswaded that all his Sins were mortified at once Then rose he up and a voice asked him What he would from Heaven and it should be ●iven him then said Thurston what shall I ask It was answered Ask Wisdom in the first place he did so it was answered That his request was granted and that he should be endowed with the gift of Prophecy Presently after he went to another of their Meetings where the same person was again the Speaker with which he was more affected than formerly for that as he conceited he could inwardly witness to what he spake after him another spake in the time of whose speaking Thurston was drawn out of his Chair and thrown upon the ground where he l●y all night all which time his Body and Members were all in a kind of Epi●eptical motion being turned from his back on his belly and so back again several times making crosses with his Legs and his Hands moving on the ground as if he had been writing and ●e heard a voice saying That that writing with his hand on the ground signified the writing of the Law in his heart then were his hands moved to his head and he said that he heard a voyce Christ in thee which words he was compelled to sing forth in a strange manner and with such a voice as was not his own then it seemed that some Spirit raised him up and bid him be humble then brought him on his knees again and he heard the voyce saying Stoop low low and when his face was almost at the ground it said to him Take up thy Cross and follow me then rising he was led out of the house by the Devil at a Back door to the River and back again and then into the Town where he was drawn down the street to a door but he knew not where whereupon two of them that followed him said Whither will you go This is the Fidlers house Thurston answered be it whose house it will I am led hither and hither I must go then was his hand forced to knock at the door and the Voice bad him say Behold Christ stands at the door and knocks The Fidler opening the door he went in and taking down a Fiddle he was forced to play on it and to dance whereupon he questioned what p●wer led him to such actions and the Voice presently answered him This is not because I love Musick for I hate it but to signifie to thee what joy there is in Heaven at thy Conversions as also what Spiritual Melody thou shalt have hereafter Then was he led out of the house and carried through the Town pronouncing a Text of Scripture as he went Then went he to his own house and there by the Spirit was thrown down and forced to make Circles with his hands the Voice telling him That he was now putting off the Old man His hand also was forced to take up a stone which lay on the floor which he thought to be like a mans heart and the Voice told him That Christ had taken that stone out of his heart and given him an heart of flesh Then was he cast upon his back to the ground and the Voice said Thou shalt have two Angels to keep thee And immediately two Swallows came down the Chimney whereupon he cried out My Angels my Angels And withal he held out his hand to them expecting they should have come to him but they flew up the chimny again though the door and windows were open Then was he carried upon his hands and knees out of the doors into the street and when his Wife would have stopt him he said He must not be stopt he must forsake Wife Children and all to follow Christ Thus went he up the street thinking he bore a Cross upon his neck till some pull'd him out of the mire and dirt and by force carried him into his own house whereupon pointing at one of them he said Christ points at thee thou art a wicked woman thou hast hindred the work of the Lord. Thus he continued until the evening when many of the Quakers coming to him said Be lowly minded and hearken to the Voice within thee And so they left him his strength being almost quite spent with his restl●ssness His wife and Family going to Bed he remained alone when he began to question whither these strange Actions were Divine or Diabolical Whereupon he trembled and his Hand was forced to take up a Knife which lay by and to point it to his Throat and the Voice said to him Open a hole there and thou shalt have Eternal Life But he threw away the Knife and his Wife coming to him at her perswasion he went to bed and all the Night after he assured himself that he was possessed by an Evil Spirit And in the Morning he roared and cryed out Now the Devil is gone out of me at which instant he and his Family heard it thunder though no others heard it Hereupon he fell into Despair for a time thinking that every thing which he either heard or saw was the Devil which came to fetch him away Sometimes he thougbt that he should be taken away in a flame of Fire other sometimes that the Earth would open and swallow him Yet at last it pleased God as it seems to give him Repentance and Peace in his Conscience and did desire that a Narratiue of these things might be Published to discover the danger of the Quakers Meetings and to be a Caution to others to take heed how they go out of Gods ways and forsake his Ordinances lest falling into the Errour of the wicked they decline from their former stedfastness and least not receiving the Love of the Truth that ●hey might be saved God give them over to strong Delu●●●●s to believe a Lye FINIS