entire Elogy Ibid. 31. I cannot omit her Reverential Regard for the Lord's-Day which at the Hague I had a very particular occasion to take Notice of On a Saturday a Vessel the Pacquet-Boat was stranded not far from thence which lying very near the Shore I view'd happening to be thereabouts at that time 'till the last Passengers were brought as all were safe off Multitudes went to see it and her Highness being inform'd of it said she was willing to see it too but thought she should not for it was then too late for that Evening and she reckoned by Monday it would be shiver'd to pieces thô it remaining entire 'till then she was pleas'd to view it that Day but she resolved she added she would noe give so ill an Example as to go see it on the Lord's-Day Mr. Howe 's Discourse on the Death of our late Queen 32. She was not inaccessible to such of her Subjects whose dissentient Judgments in some such Things put them into lower Circumstances Great she was in all valuable Excellencies nor greater in any than in her most Condescending Goodness Her singular Humility adorn'd all the rest Speaking once of a good thing which she intended she added But of my self I can do nothing and somewhat being by one of two more only then present interposed she answered She hoped God would help her Ibid. 33. He that will read the Character Psal 15. and 24. of an Inhabitant of that Holy Hill will there read her true and most just Character Wherein I cannot omit to take notice how sacred she reckoned her Word I know with whom she hath sometimes conferr'd whether having given a Promise of such a seeming import she could consistently therewith do so or so saying That whatever prejudice it were to her she would never depart from her Word Ibid. 34. She had a Love to all good Men thô of a different Communion Her Esteem and Affection were not confin'd to one Party or to the Church of which herself was a Member This is the Unchristian Character of many that they hate and despise those who differ from them in the Circumstantials of Religion But the deceas'd Queen had a larger Soul she lov'd and valu'd the Image of God wherever she found it 'T is well known how frequently I may say constantly she joyn'd in the Worship of God with the Dutch and French Churches thô their Constitution and Order are very different from those of the Church of England I have been a Witness of the Kindness and Respect with which she treated English Dissenting Ministers and was present when she thank'd one of that quality for a Practical Book of Divinity which he had publish'd and had been put into her Hands This Consideration makes our Loss the greater because she is taken away who was so capable and willing to compose the unhappy Differences in Matters of Religion which she did lament and earnestly wish'd the removal of ' em Mr. Spademan 's Sermon preach'd at Rotterdam the Day of Her Majesty's Funeral 35. Those who never had themselves Experience of Want and Distress are tempted unto a neglect and disregard of the Miserable Most of the Great and Rich choose rather to lay out their Treasures on any Vanity than in Relieving the Destitute and Distress'd But this pious Queen was rich in this kind of good Works and did as willingly seek out Objects of her Charity as others do avoid ' em The Character which Solomon gives of a Vertuous Woman did most visibly belong to the deceas'd Queen Prov. 31.20 She stretched out her Hand to the Poor yea she reacheth forth both her Hands to the Needy And it might truly have been said of her what Job alledged as an Evidence of his Sincerity in the Service of God Job 29.13 15 16. The Blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caus'd the Widow's Heart to sing for Joy c. By such a Christian Practice this wise Queen laid up Treasure in Heaven Ibid. 36. Could we and those who were related to the late Queen be perswaded to walk in the Steps of her Faith and Piety we should reap more Advantage after her Death than we did in her Life 'T is a memorable Wonder that is related 2 Kings 12.21 How when a dead Man was cast into the Sepulchre of Elisha as soon as he touch'd the Bones of Elisha he revived and stood upon his feet We may hope that if the holy Example of the deceas'd Queen might touch our dead Souls they would be reviv'd and gain Spiritual Life Ibid. 37. She knew how dangerous an Instrument of the Devil Flattery is and how fatally her Station exposed her to it And she took care for nothing more than to secure herself against the danger of it I Shall never forget with what weight of Reason and sincerity of Concern I have sometimes heard this Great Queen represent the Dangers which Princes above all others are apt to run in this respect And with what Earnestness she has exhorted those about her to deliver to her the plainest Truths and with all Freedom to tell her if they had observed any thing amiss in her Conduct that she might amend it Dr. Wake 's Sermon preached at Grey's-Inn on the Occasion of the Queen's Death 38. She thought herself engag'd to labour not only her own particular but the Salvation of others You may know it you that by your Employments were design'd to her immediate Service have been so often corrected by her when over zealous for her and so negligent of God she would not admit of your Sedulities but when they were sanctifi'd by Prayer It behoves ye in the first place to serve God said she to ye that 's your first Duty I will have none of your Attendance but upon that Condition Mr. Claude's Sermon on the Queen's Death preach'd at the Hague 39. Never was Majesty better tempered with Easiness and Sweetness She knew how to be familiar without making herself cheap and to condescend without meanness She had all the Greatness of Majesty with all the Vertues of Conversation and knew very well what became her Table and what became the Council-Board She understood her Religion and loved it and practised it and was the greatest Example of the Age of a constant regular unaffected Devotion and of all the eminent Vertues of a Christian Life In the midst of all the Great Affairs of State she would rather spare time from her Sleep than from her Prayers where she always appeared with that great Composure and Seriousness of Mind as if her Court had been a Nunnery and she had nothing else to do in the World Dr. Sherlock 's Sermon preached at the Temple upon the sad Occasion of the Queen's Death 40. She was not wrought up to any Bigottry in unnecessary Opinions She was most conversant in Books of Practical Divinity of which some of the latest used by her were certain Sermons and some Discourses concerning
that had any Children whom they were willing to have taught English and to Read and Write and to learn the Catechism and where he met with a competent Number he enquired for fit Persons to instruct them a Man for the Boys and a Woman for the Girls and agreed with them as afore for a Penny or Two-pence a Week which he undertook to pay It was a great Work incumbent upon Mr. Gouge not only to have poor Children taught to Read and Write and to be carefully instructed in the Principles of Religion but the Persons of grown Age the Poor especially should be furnished with necessary Helps and Means of Knowledge as the Bible and other good Books in their own Language among which were The Practice of Piety The Church Catechism The Duty of Man with some other pious and useful Treatises of which he caused a great Number to be Translated and Printed and to be sent down to all the chief Towns in Wales to be sold at easie Rates to those that were able to buy them and to be freely given to such Poor as were not able In both these Designs through the Blessing of God upon his unwearied Endeavours he found very great and good Success for by the large and bountiful Contributions which chiefly by his Industry and prudent Application were obtained from charitable Persons of all Ranks and Conditions from some of the Nobility and Gentry of Wales and of the Neighbouring Counties and of several of that Quality in and about London as also from some of the Reverend Bishops and Clergy and from the Inexhausted Fountain of Charity the City of London led on and encouraged by the most bountiful Example of the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen to all which he constantly added Two Thirds of his Estate which was very considerable I say by all these together there were every Year Eight hundred and sometimes a Thousand poor Children Educated as afore is expressed And by his Example and Perswasions with the Magistrates in all the chief Towns in Wales he prevailed with them to maintain and bring up at their own Charges the like Number of poor Children and under his Inspection and Care He also gave a very great Number of Books afore spoken of both in the Welch and in the English Tongues to such of the poorer sort as were unable to buy and willing to read and make use of them But that which was the greatest Work of all and amounted indeed to a mighty Charge was this He procured a new and very fair Impression of the Bible and Liturgy of the Church of England in the Welch Tongue to the Number of Eight thousand One thousand whereof were freely given to the Poor and the rest were sent to the Cities and principal Towns in Wales to be sold to the Rich at very reasonable and low Prizes viz. at Four Shillings a piece well bound and Clasped which was much cheaper than any English Bible that was of so fair a Print and Paper was ever sold for See the Narrative of his Life 2. For the Highlands in Scotland The Honourable Robert Boyle Esq commiserating the Ignorance of the poor Highlanders agreed with one Mr. W. Hewsdon M. A. formerly of Edinburgh for 10 l. and the Defraying of all his Charges to make a Journey into those Parts and procure a fit Person to Translate for him the New Testament Psalter and Church Catechism into Irish who accordingly went and procured one Mr. Kirk for the purpose The Translation being finished and Printed at Mr. Boyle's Charge he with Mr. Kirk made a Journey into those Highlands dispersed the Books according to Discretion Mr. Kirk stayed there many Years 'till about a Year or two ago he died there but not 'till he had seen the great Success of the Translation and his own Pains amongst them Insomuch that tho' before they had not any Books of Religion in their own Language yet in a short time many Schools were set up and so greedy were the People to learn the Contents of these new Books that in the Schools near Port O Kirk Seventeen of the Scholars turned Masters and so bred Seventeen Scholars more for the East West and North Highlands old People redeeming their time from their ordinary Labour to get Knowledge and in two Years and a half they came ordinarily to Church with their Psalters in their Hand viz. to South-End in Kentaire to the North of Sunderland in Kaithness Backham c. where there hath been a Sermon every Lord's-Day since 1684 and a Lecture on a Week-Day There are Schools Erected for the Teaching of Latin Greek and Hebrew People very industrious to learn a great Emendation of Manners the People extreamly thankful to God Almighty for raising up such a one as Mr. Boyle to distribute his Charity among them I am informed there is a Printed Relation of this Great Work and the Success of it but not being able to procure it I am satisfied with this Account of it signed with the aforesaid Mr. Hewsdon's own Hand and attested by Sir Peter Pett 3. For the East-Indians in the Isle Formosa near China Mr. Robert Junius late of Delpht in Holland was Nominated by the Honoured and Pious Senate of the famous Expedition of the Vnited Provinces for the Conversion of the Eastern Indians and particularly in Formosa who accordingly undertook the Charge went over to the Place bestowed much Pains in laying the Ground-work and Principles of Religion amongst them so that of Persons grown up Adult in that Isle of Formosa 5900 of both Sexes gave up their Names to Christ and professing their Faith and giving fit Answers to Questions propounded out of the Word of God were baptized by him He set up School-masters to instruct others and gained Six hundred Scholars to Read and Write collected the chief Heads of Religion and composed several Prayers and translated certain Psalms into the Formosan Language this in the Northern Parts mostly but in the Southern also he planted Churches in Three and twenty Towns and promoted the Worship of the True God At last having set divers Pastors over them being grown weak and unserviceable in Body and desirous to see his Aged Mother and Native Country he returned home again This Narration is Published in Latin by Casp Sabellius and prefixed to his Book called Antidotum Ambitionâ—â— and Printed at the Charge of J. Jansonius Amsterdam and attested by several others See the Narrative published at London 1650. 4. Foro the Indians in New-England Mr. Winslow in several Relations gives this following Account First Time Octob. 28. 1646. Four of us saith he having sought God went according to Appointment to the Wigwam or Tent made of Boughs and Mats of Waaubon an Indian Governour who had given up his Eldest Son before to be Educated by the English in the Knowledge of GOD where we found many Indians gathered together from all Quarters to learn of us the Knowledge of GOD.
A COMPLEAT HISTORY Of the MOST Remarkable Providences BOTH OF Judgment and Mercy Which have Hapned in this PRESENT AGE EXTRACTED From the Best WRITERS the AUTHOR' 's own OBSERVATIONS and the Numerous RELATIONS sent him from divers Parts of the Three KINGDOMS To which is Added Whatever is Curious in the Works of Nature and Art THE Whole Digested into One VOLUME under Proper Heads being a Work set on Foot Thirty Years ago by the Reverend Mr. POOL Author of the SYNOPSIS CRITICORUM And since Undertaken and Finish'd By WILLIAM TVRNER M. A. Vicar of WALBERTON in SUSSEX Recommended as useful to Ministers in Furnishing Topicks of Reproof and Exhortation and to Private Christians for their Closets and Families One Generation shall praise thy Works to another and shall declare thy mighty Acts. Psal 145.4 LONDON Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Raven in Jewen-Street MDCXCVII TO THE Right Reverend FATHER in GOD JOHN Lord Bishop of Chichester My LORD THE Dedication of Books to some Worthy Persons seems to be very natural For tho' Men of Great Abilities and Fame may appear in the World without any such Patrons to make Way for their Admittance yet we that are in a Lower Sphere stand in need of a Person of Figure and Value to give some Countenance to such Undertakings 'T is to you My Lord I therefore make my Application whose Genius according to what I have heard and from that short Conversation I have had with you I judge suitable to the Toyl and Greatness of that Province you are called to Preside over This is a Work I acknowledge if faithfully Discharged may perhaps offend and exasperate some and if not impartially Executed the God of Heaven will be Displeased and your own Conscience be Disobliged But I come not here so much to be your Monitor as with this small Present a Token of my Spiritual Fealty to bid your Lordship Welcome into our Diocess Where I pray you may do much Good and enjoy many Good Days and at last in God's good time may be removed to a better place I am My LORD Your most Humble Obedient and Faithful Son WILLIAM TURNER TO THE Courteous Reader THE Work I have undertaken is so difficult and obnoxious to Doubt and Error so slippery and obscure that it must be confest by any Man of a solid Judgment that I have been bold to make an Adventure upon such a Subject But the Genius of it being so generally acknowledg'd it will admit of much Candour and Alleviation from all Men of an honest Principle and sober Understanding 'T is true I have scaled the Mountains and scrabbled above the Clouds and open'd a little the Curtains that hid and separated the Secrets of Heaven from Common View and sometimes likewise have dived into the profoundest Secrets and Depths of Nature and at a distance look'd into the Divine Councels and made Enquiry into the Affairs of the other World but with so much Modesty and so little Pragmaticalness that it will not be easie for any but a man of a contentious Spirit to find out Matter to accuse me of If there be any that will take upon him to be my Adversary I challenge him to outvy me and if he can as I question not but he may find out new Matter and a better Method I shall thank and commend him for his Industry But if Men can only pick out a single Paragraph or particular Circumstance and nibble at it with their Teeth and bawl loud with their Tongues and proceed no further 't is a poor Game for a Man of good Sence to play at But I hope this Book will not meet with any Reader of this Tribe But if it do I desire and entreat him to go on with my Observations to the end and put all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and strange Appearances of Providence Nature and Art into one Text and meditate seriously upon them and try to solve all the Difficulties of them and give us one more System of Philosophy that may give a full Satisfaction to Humane Reason in these Things to the World's end What I have done was undertaken with a Probity of Intention and managed with such a Competency or Portion and Pittance of Reason and Prudence as I was endowed with And no Man is answerable for more than he hath receiv'd I have been true and just to all Parties Jews and Gentiles and the Church of God to Protestants Papists Dissenters of all sorts so far as I know never daring wittingly and willingly to tell a Lye in the Cause of God or for Gods ◠Glory And no Body can in Justice tax me for Partiality in that Point for the Discourse must always suit with the Text and a History of Providence must be as extensive as the Subject itself And it is plain that the Divine Care and Government is spread over the whole Creation God commands his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall upon just and unjust and therefore I resolved at the first Enterprize of this Work Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agentur I 'll make no difference but speak Truth of all Men that the Sun shines upon and the Divine Providence is concern'd with Let those little Narrow-Soul'd Christians that appropriate their Faith and Charity to a Canton live in a little Corner of the World by themselves they are hardly worthy to enjoy the Benefit and Influence of an Universal Sun and Gospel and Government For my part I have long ago challeng'd the Epithet of Catholic so far as 't is lawful and commendable But else I protest against a real Heretic or Schismatic as unworthy of Catholic Favour and Communion As to the Work itself 't is of no dishonourable Original all the Historians that ever writ almost have given a Touch upon it both Ethnic and Christian many Christians have made Essays upon it but none more particularly that I know of than Mexico Camerarius Pontanus Delrio Dr. Beard Dr. Tho. Tailour Mr. Clark Mr. Mather c. And of late in our own Church and Nation Dr. More Mr. Glanvile and Mr. Baxter c. I have tried what I could to comprize the Substance of all in a little room and given my Reader the Extract of my Collections here in one Volume and to them have added my own Observations and other Relations never before in Print For which I stand Indebted and Obliged to several Friends and some worthy Personages who have given in their fresh Informations and Encouragements to this Undertaking from divers Parts of the Three Kingdoms A Work of this Nature was set on Foot about Thirty Years ago by Mr. Pool Author of the Synopsis Criticorum but or what Reason I know not it was laid aside and nothing has since appeared on that Subject but a small Essay written by Mr. Increase Mather Rector of Harvard Colledge in New-England to invite some others to go on with the Work and finding that 't was not attempted by
any other Hand I was resolved to go on with it as being fully satisfied that a Work of this kind must needs be of Great Use especially to such pious Minds as delight to observe the Manifestations which God doth give of himself both in his Works of Creation and Providence the former are sufficient to render those who have no other Instructers inexcusable as we are taught by the Apostle Rom. 1.20 And the Excellency of the latter consists in this That they are the real Accomplishments of his written Word So that to Record Providences seems to be one of the best Methods that can be pursued against the abounding Atheism of this Age For by Works of Providence the Confession of a God and the Truth of his Word have been extorted from those very Persons who have boldly denied it Memorable is that Passage of Aeschyles the Persian in Traged who relating his Country-mens Discomfiture by the Greeks gives us this Observation That when the Grecians pursued them furiously over the great River Strymon which was then frozen but began to thaw he did with his own Eyes see many of those Gallants whom he had heard before maintain so boldly that there was no God every one upon their Knees with Eyes and Hands lifted up begging for Mercy and that the Ice might not break 'till they got over The Scepticks of this Age may possibly call such a Passage in Question but what can the most obdurate Atheist say to those Providences about the Jews which were so clearly foretold in the Scriptures and part of 'em are visible to their own Eyes Is not this sufficient to convince them of the Being of an Omniscient God that the Sacred Scriptures are his Revealed Will and that Christianity is the only true Religion We doubt not but those Men who are able to hold out against such a convincing Demonstration will flout at this Undertaking and expose it all they can but they may remember the Conquest which Truth made over their great Champions my Lord Rochester Sir Alan Broderick and Sir Duncomb Colchester all mentioned in the following Work Providences which merit their Thoughts and may serve to stop their Mouths To Name all my Authors would be tedious in the Front of the Book and the more unnecessary because the Reader will find most of them cited in the Work itself Which I believe will not be either unprofitable or unpleasant to any one that reads with Judgment nor unsatisfactory to any that reads without Prejudice I pray my Reader 's Candour if any particular Relation be not reduced to its proper Head or if there be any Repetition of the same Story without necessity or any other Error of the Press that is venial I crave that I may have but due Grains of Allowance made to me as are commonly made in such Cases For I am at least Forty Miles distant from the Press and cannot with any Conveniency to my other Concerns attend the Ingress of it into the World I grant the Work is not Omninibus numeris absolutum in every respect answerable to the first Proposals but so are almost all the Undertakings of finite Reason upon some Account or other short of the first Intentions To be perfectly Wise is the Property of God Almighty For my part I am very sensible of the Depths I have here taken upon me to fathom and do declare openly to the World That the Ways of God are unsearchable and his Footsteps cannot perfectly be traced He doth so tread upon the deep Waters and sometimes flies upon the Wings of the Wind and hides himself in Clouds from common view employing Spirits for his Angels and Flames of Fire at other times for his Messengers For so I think we may justly invert the Order of our common Translation that I declare freely my Comment is infinite short of my Text and my Paraphrase doth not and cannot reach my Subject And indeed who can by searching find out the Almighty to Perfection If some studious and skilful Reader would cause this Book to be Interleaved and add some New Heads of his own and make a Supply for the Defects of the Old Ones it might in process of time be made exceeding useful for Common Places In the mean time I desire my Reader only to look over all these Secondary Causes and little Instruments that are moved here below and look up to and fix his Eye upon the Spring and Original Wheel that gives Motion to all the rest And if there be any thing within the Cope of our Horizon that will give Satisfaction to the Brain on Man this will certainly do it And if it do not the next Step is a sinful Curiosity and dangerous and whatsoever is more than that comes of Evil. From which Evil the God of Heaven deliver us all Amen WILLIAM TURNER A Practical Introduction TO THE History of Divine Providence Being the Author's MEDITATIONS On On The Being of a GOD. On The Works of Creation and Providence On The Existence of a Separate Soul On The Ministry of Angels And On The Future State c. I. The Being of a GOD. NOtwithstanding the Being of a GOD is laid down as the First Principle of our Faith and Religion own'd acknowledged and believed by all yet because in this debauched Age there want not some Monsters that question this Article and are ready if not with their Tongues yet with their Hearts to deny the Lord that made them I shall by way of Introduction to the following History of Divine Providence 1. Prove That there is a God I confess I konw not any that I suspect guilty of profess'd yet since there want not Arguments to implead too many at least accessary to Pratical Atheism I go thô sadly to my ABC to lay down the First Rudiments of Christianity 1. Then I may prove it from the Book of Nature Come thy ways unbelieving Atheist and turn over this Great Volume of the Divine Creation see what a Bible Nature herself presents thee with unclasp'd and open'd the Letters for the most part capital and legible that he who runs may read a God in every Leaf in every Line in every Creature Go gaze a-while at the next little Fly or Flower or but Spire of Grass thou meetest with see the curious Workmanship Artifice Wisdom and Power there is discernable in the make of it and resolve me what Man with all his Wit and Skill is able to make the like to exceed or equallize it Job 12.7 8 9. Or if that will not do take but one of thy Fellow-Beings Man into a studious Disquisition dissect him in all his several Parts tell his Bones his Nerves Veins Ligaments with all the Branches Postures and Vses of them Trace his Nourishment from his Hands to his Teeth to his Palate to his Stomach to his Guts and Milkey Veins to his Liver to his Vena Cava to the right Ventricle of his Heart thence into the Vena Arteriosa and so
forgiven the same loveth much The Forgiveness of our Sins will be an Endearment of our Affections and provoke us to love God better and delight more in our blessed Sight and Enjoyment of him 'T is true our Natures by our Apostasie are soyl'd and deformed 't is the Work of Grace to smooth and imbellish them This is the World the School the Stage where we are dressing our selves and putting on the Wedding-Garment of Holiness that at the Marriage of the Lamb and his Bride the Church we may be qualified for Happiness Christ is now washing our Souls clean by the Waters of Repentance the Graces of his Spirit and the Blood of his Cross that when we come into that heavenly Jerusalem that pure City we may be found clean all over If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me John 13.8 And Eph. 5.25 26 27. Christ loved the Church and gave himself that he might sanctifie and cleanse it And believe it that 's no light matter but it puts the God of Heaven upon infinite Charges and costs him not only many a Mercy many a Check Rod and Judgment upon us but the Graces of his Spirit the Blood of his Son the Calls of his Ministry and a continual Providence and Care for us Look over all this and say when there is such Hacking and Hewing so much Care and Concernment with Compass and Chizzel to carve the Stones of the Building what a mighty Glory is the Structure design'd for The Walls of Babylon they say were a Work of many Years I need not tell you how great or stately they were you may guess the Greatness of the Work by the Labour about it they say Three hundred thousand Men were continually employed in it for many Years From the Preparation made for Solomon's Temple the Stock left in Banco by David to that end the Gold from Ophir the Cedars from Lebanon the Thousands of Workmen about it you may guess the Glory of the Building These are but Shadows but poor Emblems to the New Jerusalem 2. The Place The very Name of it is sweet and glorious Where it lies I take not upon me to tell you 't is enough to me 't is somewhere not in Hell not on Earth but above them both therefore above the Evils of them both The Scripture gives us a large Account of the Excellency of that place above this World by excluding all the Evils Inconveniences and Disadvantages we are subject to here out of it Where-ever 't is 't is in no part of the Elementary World no not in any of the visible Orbs of the Heavens over our Heads The whole Universe is but a Scaffold to the Building to be taken down at the Last Day in order to the Commencement of that glory The Heavens themselves shall submit to the common Fate of the Universal Conflagration the Sun and Moon and all the apparent material Host of Heaven shall be dissolved and burn'd up like a Scroll into Ashes Vanity and Nothing The Elements themselves shall all melt with fervent Heat whole Nature shall stoop and a final Period be put to the Transactions of Things here and then a vast Space will be made void and empty to erect the Eternal Kingdom in What some Men guess of a Local Heaven above the Firmament I presume they have it all without Book For of the Place as well as Day knows no Man on Earth Behold the Heaven of Heavens is not able to contain the Majesty of the Great God and the Glory of his court and therefore I humbly conceive with deference to wiser Heads that one reason of taking down the Fabrick of this World then is to let the Glory of the Infinite God have free Scope and full Liberty not for his sake for nothing can obstruct his Power especially no Bars Bolts or Paper-walls and thin Enclosures of his own making but for our sakes whose Sence is finite and Faculties limited Psal 148.13 His Name is exalted his Glory is above the Earth and Heaven 'T is true we are told Psal 115.16 The Heaven even the Heavens are the Lords but the Earth he hath given to the Children of Men. But I suppose that means no more than that the Spheres above the Clouds especially the Firmament where the Sun Moon and Stars are do in especial manner shew forth the Power Goodness and Wisdom of God whereas the Earth is more immediately and directly made subservient to our use When the Scripture speaks of the last Glory it expresses it by the Name of New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwells Righteousness i. e. If I mistake not a new World instead of both And thô we find still in Holy Writ the Throne of God and the Seat of the Blessed placed in Heaven that is but a lisping Phrase a condescending Figure that God useth to express himself to Man by such means as he is aptest to understand because we look upon those higher Parts the most Noble and Glorious of the World and withal to take off our Eyes Thoughts and Affections from the drossy Sediment of this Earth that lies below to teach us that our Happiness lies not here but we must look for it out of this World 3. The Riches of the Place Which are very great And if you ask how we may know that I answer by observing what comes thence How know we the Riches of the East and West-Indies but by taking Notice of the Wealth and Commodities that are carried out of those Countries and the Reports of them that have been there 1. The Riches that come thence What is there here that hath the Name of Goodness writ upon it which came not first from that Fountain The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Every Beast of the Forest is his and the Cattle upon a Thousand Hills 'T is his Sun that shines upon our Heads and his Earth that is under our Feet and his Air that we draw with our Health and his Rain that makes our Fields fruitful the very Essence Existence and Excellence of this World and all Things in it are derived from that Original Whatever Things are beautiful strong wise good pleasant desirable these all are but Drops from that Ocean Every good Gift comes from above our Health Wealth Life and Learning are but lesser Tokens sent us out of that Country What have we here that is delightful or of any Account with us which is not there in a much more eminent manner In short here 's a Dungeon there 's a Paradise here we live we sin we die like Children of Men there we shall be as the Children of God like Angels glorified Creatures Here 's a World of Confusion Disorder and Discomfort there 's a Kingdom and Crowns for every Head Crowns incorruptible and full of Glory You may guess the Fruits of Canaan by the Eshcol the Cluster of Grapes that comes thence the Glory of Heaven by the little Beams that are darted hither
yet a spacious Field to turn me in having to deal with a Tribe of Men that have as much Faith as Goodness and perhaps little more and yet being to handle a Point wherein God himself hath taken care to obviate the Scruples and Infidelity of Ill Men more than in the former case where Self-Interest disposeth them to a Belief The Devil in the Serpent tempting Eve the Evil Angels sent among the Egyptians Psal 78.49 The Devil in the case of Job 's Affliction Job 1.17 19. of our Saviour Mat. 4. of the Demoniacs up and down in the Gospels c. One would think were enough to startle these Infidel Bravadoes into at least a modest fear and humble silence and suspension of Judgment But because they are so obstinate we shall here muster up a Legion of Devils to attack and out-face their Confidence and let them look to it and consider well with themselves in due time how they will be able to stand to the adventure of such a Conflict I shall not stay to tell all the Stories at large that I meet with but give a short Epitome of them enough to satisfie any People of an unbiassed Judgment and clear Intellectuals And if at last they do not surrender up their Faith I shall be ready to say as John 10.20 Themselves have Devils and are mad 1. Among the Antients we have several Stories of such Apparitions and Spectres 1. When Cassius and Brutus were to pass out of Asia into Europe and to transport their Army into the Opposite Continent and horrible Spectacle is said to appear unto Brutus in the dead of the Night the Moon not shining very bright and all the Army being in silence a black Image of a huge and horrid Body standing by him silently is said to offer itself to Brutus his Candle being almost out and he musing in his Tent about the Issue of the War Brutus askt what Man or God he was The Spirit answered O Brutus I am thy Evil Genius and thou shalt see me again at Philippi Brutus replied I will meet thee there then The Spirit disappeared but according to his Promise appeared again in the Fields of Philippi to Brutus the Night before the last Fight Plutarch in Vit. Bruit p. 1000. Camerar Medit. Hist l. 4. c. 2. The same Cassius in the very same Battel in the Field of Philippi is reported by Historians to have seen one in the shape of Julius Caesar of a more than ordinary height coming towards him on Horse-back with an angry Countenance and a forc'd Gallop to strike him which struck such a Fear into him that he turned back upon his Enemies and soon after killed himself Camerar ibid. l. 4. p. 289. 3. The like befel Cassius of Parma a renowned Poet who followed the side of Brutus and Cassius say Acron and Porphyrio being Colonel of a Regiment of Foot His Masters being dead he retired to Athens where Qu. Varus sent for that purpose by Augustus slew him But Valerius Maximus adds That whilst he was at Athens one Night being overwhelm'd with cares he thought that he saw a very great Black Man with long Hair and his Beard uncombed stand before him who being asked what he was answered I am the Evil Spirit Cassius affrighted with that fearful Countenance and so fearful a Name called aloud for his Servants ask'd if they saw such a Person come into his Chamber or go out they all swore they saw none VVhereupon he laid him down and began to take some rest but the same Phantome appeared again and so awaken'd him that he called for a Light and charged his Servants not to leave him Between this Night and his Death there passed not many Days Idem lib. 4. ex val Max. 4. Dio of Syracuse before he was killed by those that conspired against him sitting one evening very Pensive and Solitary in his Gallery a sudden Noise made him lift up his Head and looking towards the other side of the Gallery he espied a great Woman of such a Face and Dressing as one of the Furies is represented with sweeping the place upon which in great Amazement he called his Friends and wish'd them to stay with him all Night fearing the return of the Spectre A while after a young Son of his in a Transport of Passion threw himself headlong from the Top of the House and was killed Plutarch in vit Dion et ex eo Camerar medit Hist. l. 4. 5. Cornelius Sylla being in the Countrey saw an ill Spirit that called him which in the Morning he told his Friends made his Will Seal'd it in the Evening and the Night following died of a Feaver Aged Sixty Years Camerar Ibid. l. 4. Wanley's wonders c. Book 6. 6. Xerxes had a Spectre appeared twice to him in his Sleep stirring him up to make War upon the Grecians and the last time with a pair of burning Tongues in his Hands as if he would have put out his Eyes because he opposed the Counsels of War Ibid. 7. Julian the Apostate the Night before he was declared Emperour told his Friends that as he reposed himself there stood before him as it were a Genius or Familiar Spirit saying to him in pretty rough Terms Julian I have a long time without making any ado waited at thy Lodging-door desiring to make thee Great sometimes I have gone away as if no reckoning had been made of me if now thou reject me tho many are of the same mind to advance thee I will take my leave and go away very sorrowful For the rest mark this well that I will not tarry much longer with thee And a little before he was kill'd in the War against the Persians the same Genius or Demon appeared to him again all ragged and filthy to look upon with a horn of plenty in his hand covered with a Linnen Cloath walking very sadly a-long by the Hangings of his Tent. Amm. Marcell l. 20. Camerar medit Hist l. 4. Lavater de Spectr c. 12. Wanley's Wonders of the little World Book 6. p. 612. 8. Curtius Rufus being come into Africa with the Governour being yet of little Credit or Reputation walking one day at Noon in the Portico or Gallery before his House a Woman greater and fairer then ordinary appeared to him whereat he was abash'd but she said to him I will foretell thee thy Fortunes thou shalt return to Rome shalt be advanced to great Office shalt be chosen Proconsal and Governour of Africa and shalt die in that Dignity Plin. Secundus lib. 3. Epist. Camerar Ibid. Wanley c. Ibid. 9. A Woman pretending to have the Holy Ghost proved a Witch and did many VVonders She had a gift of Prayer and did Baptize and Administer the Lords Supper in the ordinary way c. Epist Firmil ad Cypr. 75. p. 238. This is much like the story of Magdalena Cracia c. 10. To come nearer to our own times as Luther was once walking in his
words she used and so calling Belzebub Tormentor Satan and Lucifer appear there suddenly Arose a very high VVind which made the House shake and presently the Back door of the House flying open there came five Spirits as the Maid supposed in the likeness of ragged Boys some bigger then others and ran about the House where she had drawn the Staff and the VVitch threw down upon the ground Crumbs of Bread which the Spirits picked up and leapt over the Pan of Coals oftentimes which she set in the midst of the Circle and a Dog and a Cat of the VVitches Danced with them and after sometime the VVitch looked again in her Book and threw some great white Seeds upon the ground which the said Spirits picked up and so in a short time the VVind was laid and the VVitch going forth at her back Door the Spirits Vanished After which they VVitch told the Maid that Mr. Mason should demand Fifteen Hundred Pound and one Hundred and Fifty Pound per Annum of Mr. Goddard and if he denied it he should Prosecute the Law against him and be gone from his Father and then he should gain it VVith which message the Maid returned and acquainted Mr. Mason The same Maid being sent again to her from the same Party to enquire in what part of the House the Poyson was that should be given her Mistress Hereupon she took her Stuff as before and making therewith a Circle the VVind rose forthwith then taking a Beesome she swept over the Circle and made another and looking in her Book and Glass as formerly and using some words softly to her self she stood in the Circle and said Belzebub Tormentor Lucifer and Satan appear There appeared first a Spirit in the shape of a little Boy as she conceived which then turned into another shape something like a Snake and then into the shape of a shagged Dog with great Eyes which went about in the Circle and in the Circle she set an earthen Pan of Coals wherein she threw something which burned and stank and then the Spirit Vanished After which the Witch took her Book and Glass again and shewed the Maid in the Glass Mrs. Sarah Goddard's Chamber the colour of the Curtains and the Bed turned up the wrong way and under that part of the Bed where the Bolster lay she shewed the Poyson in a white Paper The Maid afterwards returned home and acquainted Mistress Rosewel with what the Witch had shewed her in a Glass that the Poyson lay under Mistress Sarahs Bed and also spoke to her that they might go together and take it away When the Maid was another time sent to procure some exemplary Punishment upon Mr. Goddard's two Daughters who yet were unjustly as it seems aspersed with the suspicion of endeavouring to Poyson their Mother in Law The Witch receiving the VVenches errand made a Circle as formerly and set her Pan of Coals therein and burnt somewhat that stunk extreamly and took her Book and Glass as before is related and said Belzebub Tormentor Lucifer and Satan appear and then appeared five Spirits as she conceived in the shape of little Ragged Boys which the VVitch commanded to appear and go along with the Maid to a Meadow at Wilton which the VVitch shewed in a Glass and there to gather Vermin and Dill and forthwith the Ragged Boys ran away before the Maid and she followed them to the said Meadow and when they came thither the Ragged Boys looked about for the Herbs and removed the Snow in two or three places before they could find any and at last they found some and brought it away with them and then the Maid and the Boys returned again to the VVitch and found her in the Circle pairing her Nails and then she took the said Herbs and dried the same and made Powder of some and dried the Leaves of other and threw Bread to the Boys and they Eat and Danced as formerly and then the VVitch reading in a Book they Vanished away And the VVitch gave the Maid in one Paper the Powder in another the Leaves and in the Third the paring of the Nails and which the Maid was to give her Mistress The Powder was to put in the young Gentlewomens Mrs. Sarah and Mrs. Ann Goddard's Drink or Broth to rot their Guts in their Bellies the Leaves to rub about the Brimbs of the Pot to make their Teeth fall out of their Heads and the paring of the Nails to make them drunk and mad And when the Maid came Home and delivered it to her Mistress and told her the Effects of the Powder and the other things her Mistress laughed and said that it is a very brave thing indeed But yet she had the discretion not to make use of it This Powder was shewn at the Assizes so that is could be no Fancy or Dream together with a piece of Money that she received of the Spirits which one of them first bit and gave it to the VVitch and then the VVitch gave it to the Maid The Hole also in her Finger was then shown out of which Blood was squeezed to subscribe a Covenant with the Devil as you may see in the Fourth and Last bout of Conjuring the VVitch performed in the Maids presence For she being advised by Mr. Goddard's Houshold to go to London she went to the VVitches first before she quitted the Countrey who being made acquainted with her Journey asked her whether she would go to London High or Low To which she replied what do you mean by that She answered if you will go on High you shall be carried to London in the Air and be there in Two Hours but if you go a low you shall be taken at Sutton Town 's End and before unless you have help But before the Maid departed the VVitch earnestly desired the Maid to live with her and told her if she would do so she would teach her to do as she did and that she should never be taken Then the Maid asked her what she should do She answered you shall know presently and forthwith she appeared in the shape of a great black Cat and lay along by the Chimney at which the Maid being much affrighted she came into her own Shape again and told her I see you are afraid and I see you are willing to be gone and told her if she was she should say so and not speak against her Conscience and the Maid replied she was willing to go and not dwell with the VVitch Then the VVitch said she must seal unto her Body and Blood not to discover her which she promising to do she forthwith made a Circle as formerly she had done and looking in her Book called Belzebub Tormentor Lucifer and Satan appear Then appeared Two Spirits in the likeness of great Boys with long shagged Hair and stood by her looking over her Shoulder and the VVitch took the Maio's Fore-finger of her Right Hand in her Hand and pricked it with
Brugis for W. Thackery at the Angel in Duck-Lane Let part of France and part of Germany and Spain look to it for they either offensively or defensively shall batter themselves or some other People and in as much as it is gotten into Capricorn I pray God keep the Dominions of Great Britain in Peace because under Capricorn is the North part of Sotland for it is much to be feared the Scots may once more Rebel against England c. And at last I shall now conclude with this Astrological prediction that within this five years all Europe shall go near to be up in Arms. Multi multa sciunt sed nemo omnia Thus far my Author too truely 12. A Neighbour and Friend of mine in Shropshire with whom I have had several discourses about the Lawfulness and certainty of Astrology always asserted the Lawfulness of it because he saw nothing but what was natural in it but confessed the uncertainty of it in many cases as others have done before him not through default of the Art but the Weakness and Unskilfulness of the Artist And he mentioned some particular Instances of his own Experiments wherein he had hit upon the Truth as particularly when one Captain C. near Salop had lost a Horse out of his Stable he was sent for and desired to cast a Figure which he accordingly did and gave such a particular description of the Man that had stole him and the way he was gone that by Virtue of his Directions the Horse was presently found His other Instances I remember not but he was reputed an honest Farmer a good Neighbour and a very facetious Man I suppose he is stil lliving 13. Prophesies Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq to pass by the Prophesies of Holy-Writ the Prophesies of Nostraedamus do foretel very strangely but not easily understood till they are fulfilled The Book is now common In a Book of Mr. William Lilly's are Hieroglyphick Prophesies Viz. Of the great Plague of London expressed by Graves and Dead Corps and a Scheme with II ascending the Sign of London and no Planets in the XII Houses Also there is the Picture of London all on Fire also Moles creeping c. Perhaps Mr. Lilly might be contented to have People believe that this was from himself But Mr. Thomas Flatman Poet did affirm that he had seen those Hieroglyphicks in an old Parchment Manuscript Writ in the time of the Monks 14. There is a Prophecy of William Tyndal poor Vicar of Welling in the County of Hertford made in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign I have seen it It is in English Verse two Pages and an half in Folio It fore-told our late Wars I know one that read it Forty Years since 15. Before the Civil-Wars there was much talk of the Lady Ann Davys's Prophesies for which she was kept Prisoner in the Tower of London She was Sister to the Earl of Castlehaven and Wife to Sir John Davys Lord Chief Justice in Ireland I have heard his Kinsman Counsellor Davys of Shraftsbury say that she being in London I think in the Tower did tell the very time of her Husbands Death in Ireland Thus far Mr. Aubrey CHAP. XII Of ORACLES ALL that I propound to my self under this Head is to shew not what Illusions and Impostures were used by the Priests to Cheat the poor Votaries with that Addressed to them much less to vindicate them from the Frauds of Ambiguity and Vanity but to evince this That by them God Almighty permitted sometimes Things otherwise Secret and Future to be made known and this by the mediation of invisible Spirits as the Agents that some Responses were given by Oracles which could not be imputed to the Artifice of a Mechanical Statue nor yet to the Wit of the Priest that officiated As for Instance among the Heathen Oracles for such only I mean this place 1. The Oracle of Delphos the most Famed of all other being consulted for a Resolution of this Question Who was the most happy Man The Answer was made Phedius who died but a while before in the Service of his Countrey The same Question being sent a second time by Gyges one of the greatest Kings in those days of all the Earth viz. Who was the happiest Man next to Phedius The Answer was made Aglaus Sophidius This Aglaus was a good honest Man well stricken in Years dwelling in a very narrow Corner of Arcadia where he had a little House and Land of his own sufficient with the yearly Profits thereof to maintain him plentifully with ease out of which he never went but employed himself in the Tillage and Husbandry of it to make the best benefit he could in such manner that as it appeared by that course of Life as he coveted least so he felt as little Trouble and Adversity while he lived Plin. Nat. Hist l. 7. c. 46. 2. Julian the Apostate Op. p. 181. Ep. 38. makes frequent mention of Oracles in his time particularly in an Epistle to Maximus the Cynick concerning whose Trouble he had by another though at a great distance Consulted the Oracle and received an Apposite Answer Doctor Tenison against Hobbs The Doctor adds also that which is to my purpose viz. I cannot prevail upon my Mind to think that the Priests had no Assistance from Daemons 3. Extracted from the Miscellanies of Mr. Aubrey Hieronimus Cardanus Lib. III. Synesiorum Somniorum Cap. XV. treats of this Subject which see Johannes Scotus Erigena when he was in Greece did go to an Oracle to Enquire for a Treatise of Aristotle and found it by the Response of the Oracle This he mentions in his Works lately Printed at Oxford and is quoted by Mr. Anthony à Wood in his Antiquities of Oxen in his Life 4. Concerning the Oracles of the Sybils there hath been much Controversie and many Discourses spent but after all we have little of their Writings to rely upon excepting only those of the Cumaean Prophetess and those especially which are Recorded by Virgil yet that very same Year that Jerusalem was taken by Pompey it was noised abroad in the World That Nature was with Child for the People of Rome of a King that should Reign over them Whereupon as Suetonius writeth in the Life of Augustus the Senate being affrighted made Order That none Born in that Year should be brought up They who had Wives great with Child promising themselves some hopes thereupon took care lest this Decree of the Senate should be carried to the Treasury The same Year P. Cornelius Lentulus was stirred up therewith conceiving some hopes for himself as both Appian Plutarch Salustius and Cicero in his third Oration against Cataline testifie c. The Verses of the Sybils which gave occasion to these Thoughts and Counsels were these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
his Son who was then scarce ten Years of age that he should always propound and set before him the Thirty-sixth year of his Life as the utmost he should ever attain unto which neither he nor his Father had gone beyond and his Son never reach'd unto for Robert Devereux his Son and also Earl of Essex was beheaded in the Thirty-fourth year of his age So that his dying Father seemed not in vain to have Admonished him as he did but to speak by Divine Inspiration and Suggestion Cambd. Annal. rer Angl. Part 2. p. 277. 5. Philip de Mornay L. du Plessis was in Paris upon black St. Bartholomew's-Day when News was brought him that the Admiral was slain he leaped out of his Bed and whilst he was putting on his Cloaths he felt an extraordinary Motion in himself which caused him to say God will deliver me out of this danger and I shall live to see it revenged On the contrary Monsieur Rameny his Tutor presently answer'd And I shall die in it both which came to pass Clark's Examples Vol. 2. p. 552. 6. Mr. John Carter sometimes Minister of Belstead in Suffolk having long studied the Book of the Revelations some of his Friends ask'd him what he thought of the Future Estate of our Church here in England You shall not said he need to fear Fire and Faggot any more but such dreadful Divisions will be amongst God's People and Professors as will equalize the greatest Persecution Herein we have found him a true Prophet Ibid. 7. It may seem happily incredible to some to relate how many Years agon Dr. Vsher L. Primate of Ireland confidently foretold the Changes which since are come to pass both in Ireland and in England both in Church and State and of the Poverty which himself should fall into which he oft spoke of in his greatest Prosperity Some took much notice of the Text on which he preached in St. Maries in Cambridge Anno Christi 1625. Upon the late Coronation-Day out of 1 Sam. 12.25 If you still do wickedly you shall be consumed both you and your King Others of the last Text he preached on at Court immediately before his Return into Ireland on 1 Cor. 14.33 God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace as in all the Churches of the Saints IN his application he spake of the Confusions and Divisions which he was confident were then at the Doors Ibid. 8. A. C. 1624. He spake before many Witnesses and oft repeated it afterwards that he was perswaded that the greatest stroke to the Reformed Churches was yet to come And that the time of the utter Ruin of the Roman Antichrist should be when he thought himself most secure according to that Text Rev. 18.7 When she shall say I sit as a Queen and shall see no Sorrow c. Ibid. 9. When in the Reign of Queen Mary Dr. Sands was forced to fly out of England he was oonvey'd to the House of one Mower a Master of a Ship at Milton-Shoarâ— and and when the Wind served he took his leave of his Landlord and Landlady who had been married eight Years and had no Child and when he took his Leave of the Woman he thank'd her kindly for his Entertainment and gave her his Handkercheif with an old Royal of Gold in it saying Be of good Comfort e're an Year be past God will give you a Son and it came to pass according For when there lacked but one day of a Twelvemonth she was brought to Bed of a fair Son Ibid. 10. A. C. 1601. Popery much increasing in Ireland and there being too much connivance at them Dr. Vsher preaching before the State at Christ-Church in Dublin gave them his Sence about that Toleration boldly applying that Passage in the Vision of Ezek. ch 4.6 Where the Prophet by lying on his Side was to bear the Iniquity of Judah Forty Days each Day being appointed for a Year signifying the time of Forty Years to the Destruction of Jerusalem whereupon he added From this Year will I reckon the Sin of Ireland that those whom you now embrace shall be your Ruin and you shall bear this Iniquity which accordingly came to pass at the end of the Forty Years viz. A. C. 1641. in the late Rebellion and Massacre in Ireland affected by those Papists that were then connived at See his Life in Dr. Bernard 11. About the Year 1544. There was in Scotland one Mr. George Wiseheart a Man of Admirable Graces and singularly Learned who first Preached in Ross then in Dundee where to the great Admiration of his hearers he went over the Epistle to the Romans till at the Instigation of the Cardinal one Robert Misle a chief Man in that Town inhibited him from Preaching and required that he should trouble their Town no more for he would not suffer it And this was spoken in the Publick Congregation Whereupon Mr. Whiseheart musing a space with his Eyes lift up to Heaven after a while looking sorrowfully upon the Speaker and People he said God is my Witness that I minded never your trouble but your comsort Yea your trouble is to me more dolorous than it is to your selves But I am assured that to refuse Gods word and to chase from you his Messenger shall not preserve you from trouble but shall bring you into it For God shall send unto you Ministers that shall neither fear Burning nor Banishment I have offered you the Word of Salvation with the hazard of my Life And now ye your selves refuse me and I must leave mine innocency to be declared by my God If it be long prosperous with you I am not led by the Spirit of Truth but if unlooked for troubles come upon you acknowledge the cause and turn to God who is Gracious and Merciful and if you turn not at the first warning he will visit you with Fire and Sword And so he came down from the Pulpit and went out of the Town And whilst he was Preaching up and down in the Countreys News was brought him that the Plague was broken out in Dundee which begun in four days after he was prohibited Preaching there and raged so extreamly that it 's almost beyond credit how many dyed in twenty four hours space c. The Cardinal very eagerly sought Mr. Wisehearts Death and for that end caused a Letter to be sent unto him as if it had been from his familiar Friend the Laird of Kinnur desiring him with all possible speed to come unto him for that he was taken with a sudden Sickness In the mean time he had provided Sixty Men Armed to lye in wait by the way to Murther him The Letter being brought unto him by a Boy who also brought him an Horse to ride on Accompanied with some honest Men his Friends he set forwards on his Journey But as he was riding stopping on a sudden and musing a while he turned back and said to his Friends I will not go I am forbidden of
them plainly that as they came both into the Room she saw a Man with a Scarlet Cloak and a white Hat betwixt them giving the Lady a Kiss over the Shoulder and this was the Cause of her weeping All which came to pass after Macklend's Death the Tutor of Lovat marry'd the Lady in the same Habit the Woman saw him 33. One Instance I had from a Gentleman here of a Highland Gentleman of the Mackdonalds who having a Brother that came to visit him saw him coming in wanting a Head yet told not his Brother he saw any such thing but within 24 Hours thereafter his Brother was taken being a Murderer and his Head cut off and sent to Edinburgh Many such Instances might be given 34. Diembrooke in his Book de Pete gives us a Story of Dimmerus de Raet that being at Delft where the Plague then raged sent then his Wife Thirty Miles off And when the Doctor went to see the Gentleman of the House as soon as he came in the old Chair-woman that washed the Cloaths fell a weeping He asked her Why said she My Mistress is now dead I saw her Apparition but just now without a Head and that it was usual with her when a Friend of hers died to see their Apparitions in that manner tho' never so far off His Wife died at that time 35. Th. May in his History Lib. 8. writes That an old Man like an Hermit Second-sighted took his Leave of King James the First when he came into England He took little notice of Prince Henry but addressing himself to the Duke of York since King Charles I. fell a weeping to think what Misfortunes he should undergo and that he should be one of the miserablest unhappy Princes that ever was 36. A Scotch Noble Man sent for one of these Second-sighted Men out of the Highlands to give his Judgment of the then great Favourite George Villers Duke of Buckingham as soon as ever he saw him Pish said he he will come to nothing I see a dagger in his Breast and he was stabb'd in the Breast by Capt. Felton Thus far I am beholding to Mr. Aubrey's Collections 37. Before the Battle at Philippi began two Eagles sought in the Air between the two Armies Both the Armies stood still and beheld them and the Army was beaten that was under the vanquished Eagle See Appian's Hist Part 2. Lib. 4. Sect. 2. 38. 'T is commonly reported That before an Heir of the Cliftons of Clifton in Nottinghamshire dies that a Sturgeon is taken in the River Trent by that place 39. Thomas Fludd of Kent Esq told me That it is an old Observation which was pressed earnestly to King James I. that he should not remove the Queen of Scots Body from Northamptonshire where she was Beheaded and Interred For that it always bodes ill to the Family when Bodies are remov'd from their Graves For some of the Family will die shortly after as did Prince Henry and I think Queen Anne 40. A little before the Death of Oliver Protector a Whale came into the River Thomas and was taken at Greenwich Foot long T is said Oliver was troubled at it 41. When I was a Freshman at Oxford 1642. I was wont to go to christ-Christ-Church to see King Charles I. at Supper where I once heard him say That as he was Hawking in Scotland he rode into the Quarry and found the Covey of Partridges falling upon the Hawk and I do remember this Expression farther viz. And I will swear upon the Book 't is true When I came to my Chamber I told this Story to my Tutor said he That Covey was London 42. The Day that the Long Parliament began 1641. the Scepter fell out of the Figure of King Charles in Wood in Sir Trenchard's Hall at Wullich in Dorset as they were at Dinner in the Parlour Justice Hunt then dined there 43. When the High Court of Justice was voted in the Parliament-House as Berken-head the Mace-bearer took up the Mace to carry it before the Speaker the top of the Mace fell off This was avowed to me by an Eye-witness then in the House 44. The Head of King Charles I.'s Staff did fall off at his Tryal that is commonly known 45. King Charles II. went by long Sea to Portsmouth or Plymouth or both an extraordinary Storm arose which carried him almost to France Sir Jonas Moor who was then with his Majesty gave me this Account and said that when they came to Portsmouth to refresh themselves they had not been there above half an Hour but the Weather was Calm and the Sun shone His Majesty put to Sea agian and in a little time they had the like Tempestuous Weather as before 46. The Gloucester-Frigot cast away at the Lemanere and most of the Men in it the Duke of York escaping in a Cockboat An. 1682. May the fifth on a Friday 47. When King James II. was Crown'd according to the antient Custom the Peers go to the Throne and kiss the King the Crown was almost kiss'd off his Head An Earl did set it upright And as he came from the Abbey to Westminster-Hall the Crown totter'd extreamly 48. Mr. Hill at Shellen in Herefordshire in 1648. after saying God bless our Gracious Soveraign he puts the Cup to his Lady to drink at which a Swallow flew in at the Window and pitch'd on the Brim of the Earthern Cup not half a Pint and sipt and so flew out again This was in the Presence of Parson Still Major Gwillim and two or three more that I knew very well The Cup is preserv'd here still as a Rarity See Mr. Aubrey 's Mscellanies for a larger Account 49. When King James II. was at Salisbury Anno 1688. the Iron Crown upon the Turret of the Councel-House was blown off 50. I did see Mr. Chr. Love beheaded on Tower-Hill in a delicate clear day About half an Hour after his Head was struck off the Clouds gathered blacker and blacker and such terrible Claps of Thunder came that I never heard greater 'T is reported that the like happened after the Execution of Alderman Cornish in Cheapside Octob. 23. 1685. 51. Anno 1643. as Major John Morgan of Wells was marching with the King's Army into the West fell sick of a Malignant Fever at Salisbury and was brought dangerously ill to my Father 's at Broad-Chalk where he was lodged secretly in a Garret there came a Sparrow to the Chamber-Window which peck'd the Lead of a certain Pannel only and only one side of the Lead of the Lozenge and made one small hole in it He continued this pecking and biting of the Lead during the whole time of his Sickness which was not less than a Month when the Major went away the Sparrow desisted and came thither no more 52. Sir Walter Long 's Widow of Dorset in Wilts did make a solemn Promise to him on his Death-bed that she would not marry after his Decease But not long after one Sir Fox
this will be such a powerful and full Conviction that that Promise of an Vniversal Call will be speedily fulfill'd for since the Gospel is now planted in America the fullness of the Gentiles is almost perfected perhaps wholly since it can hardly be show'd where the Gospel has not now been preach'd in the whole Gentile World We mean by Gentile one that is not a Jew the whole World being distinguish'd into Jew and Gentile by the Apostles and downward 7. It will much help you in Prayer at this day says the Ingenious Mr. Hurst in his Sermon in the last Morning Exercise if you will look into the several Menaces ptonounced in the Book of the Revelations against Babylon and observe which of them are in part Executed which are now Executing which of the Trumpets we are under and which of the three Woes are now Executing c. By this we might conclude the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet near and the Kingdoms of the World e're long are like to be the Kingdoms of Christ Look says this Author to Promises made to the Church for her Deliverance when you hear of or enquire after any great News among the States and Kingdoms of the World among which the Churches of Christ sojourn and among which the Saints of God have and still do suffer It needs not a particular proof that there are many express Promises that the Church shall be deliver'd that there is a fixed time for the Beginning Progress and full Accomplishment of these Promises that their Accomplishments shall be gradual and such as will clear it self and tho' we cannot say when the full accomplishment to a Day or a Month or a Year yet by comparing Transactions and Occurrences with Promises we may without doubt discover somewhat of the Promise made good to the Church for which we ought to praise the Lord and all the rest of the Promises shall be fulfill'd and for this we should earnestly pray to the Lord. He further adds Compare the great News in the present Revolutions with the Times God hath been pleased to make known to us in his Word By this you may discern what Encouragement and awakening Considerations are given to us to pray and praise our God for what is already done and for what is doing and what e're long is to be finish'd Here is work for learned Men for Ministers for Understanding Saints There are in the Revelations two distinct Numbers mention'd which were they clearly unfolded would enable us as very wise Christians to receive seek and improve the great News that is abroad in the World The first Period is that Rev. 9.15 They i.e. the four Angels bound at Euphrates i.e. the Turkish power were prepared for an Hour and a Day and a Month and a Year i.e. for Three Hundred Ninety Six Years and a very little more Now from One Thousand Three Hundred in which Osman or Ottoman was Elected King of the Turks they have been the Destruction of the Christians and were to be until Three Hundred Ninety Years were expired till One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Six which will in likelihood end their Empire and how great Hope of this now This calls us to pray for their Ruin The second great Period is of the Forty Two Months i.e. One Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Years the time the Beast was to prosecute the Church and then the Beast was to perish i.e. the Papal Kingdom shall be destroy'd Now these One Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Years in likelihood began about Four Hundred Seventy five or somewhat sooner and by this Account you may suppose the News you still hear of both Turk and Papacy will encourage you to hope for a speedy Deliverance of the Church from both It will be worth your while to read those excellent pieces of Mr. Joseph Mede who wrote his Key of the Revelation above Threescore years ago in Latin I cannot say whether it be Translated into English having always kept my self to the Latin Copy but 't is a thousand pities it should be confin'd to Latin a Book fit to be publish'd in all Lauguages Of Mr. Jurieu's Accomplishment of Prophesies translated out of French into English Of a Nameless Author newly Written in French and Translated into English Printed lately under the Title of A New System of the Apocalypse c. I commend to you who would know the Importance of publick News how to pray and praise God on hearing it How to wait for Deliverances to read diligently those Books in which are greater and better News than any Pacquets then all Gazzetts or Coffee-Houses can yet afford to you when you have read these Books then Long for One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Six or One Thousand Seven Hundred and hope if you live to that day to hear Mahometanism in the Turkish Empire destroy'd with that Empire Wish for One Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty Five or One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty and remember I do not pretend to Prophesie but I do dismiss with a conjecture that between this time and that you 'll see great Deliverances to the Churches of Christ and as great Distresses and Judgments executed on the Anti-Christian Kingdom it may be the total Ruin of that Kingdom which was to last but One Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Years and I think will have out-lasted that Period before One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Thus far Mr. Hurst CHAP. XVIII Strange Convictions or Conversions THE methods which God takes for the Conviction or Conversion of Sinners are so various and sometimes so surprizing that one would wonder what it is that is so poinant upon the Minds and Consciences of Men that doth so effectually prick the hearts of some whilst others remain in their old Ordinary Temper unshaken and obstinate And 't is certain 't is somewhat like a Flash of Lightning or some ray of the Divine Power Darted by the Spirit of God into the Souls of Men an Arrow of the Almighty a Beam of special Grace directed to a Particular object by the Wisdom of Heaven And 't is worth our Notice that Arch-Bishop Tillotson tells us in his Sermon upon Luk. 15. v. 7. That they who are reclaimed from a Wicked cause are many times more Thoroughly and Zealously good afterwards Their trouble and remorse for their Sins does quicken and spur them on in the ways of Virtue and Goodness and a lively sense of their past Errors is apt to make them more careful and conscientious of their Duty more tender and fearful of offending God and desirous if it were possible to redeem their former Miscarriages by their Good Behaviour for the future Their Love to God is usually more Vehement and burns with a brighter Flame for to whomsoever much is forgiven they will Love much And they are commonly more Zealous for the Conversion of others as being more sensible of the danger Sinners are in and more apt to commiserate their case remembring that it was once
so cold and frigid in defending the Pope as Eccius and some like him are who seem to me to defend the Papacy rather for their bellies sake then in good earnest Yea like Epicures they seem to me to deride the Pope whereas I was serious in his cause as one that trembled at the Thoughts of the day of Judgment and from my very heart desired to be saved Ibid. p. 146. vid. Sleid. Comment c. 8. Lambertus disputing with Zuinglius about the Intercession of Saints and the Sacrifice of the Masse and being non-plus'd left his Error and gave Praise to God Ibid. p. 149. 9. Mr. Rastal Sir Thomas Moor's Son in Law was converted likewise by the clear and strenuous Arguments of John Frith which he used in some Disputations that were managed by way of Letter between Sir Thomas and Him Ibid. p. 157. 10. In Mr. Baxters Narrative of his Life p. 3. He gives this Remarkable Account of his Conversion Being says he under some more Conviction for my Sin a poor Day-Labourer in the Town had an old torn Book which he lent my Father which was called Bunny's Resolution I had before heard some Sermons and read a Book or two which made me more Love and Honour Godliness in the General He further adds in the reading of this Book when I was about Fifteen Years of Age it pleas'd God to awaken my Soul and shew me the Folly of Sinning and the misery of the Wicked and the unexpressible weight of things Eternal and the necessity of resolving on a Holy Life more than I was ever acquainted with before The same things which I knew before came now in another manner with light and sence and seriousness to my heart About that time it pleased God that a poor Pedlar came to the Door that had Ballads and some good Books And my Father bought of him Dr. Sibbs bruised Reed This also I read and found it suited to my State and seasonably sent me which opened more the Love of God to me and gave me a Livelier apprehension of the Mystery of Redemption and how much I was beholden to Jesus Christ After this we had a Servant that had a little peice of Mr. Perkins's Works of Repentance and the right Art of Living and Dying well and the Government of the Tongue and the reading of that did further inform me and confirm me And thus without any means but Books was God pleased to resolve me for himself Thus far Mr. Baxter 11. Mr. Thomas Bilney Martyr was thus converted Having heard the Speech of Jesus saith he even then when the New Testament was Translated by Erasmus understanding it to be eloquently done I bought it being allured thereto rather by the Elegancy of the Latin then the Word of God for at that time I knew not what it meant and looking into it by God's special Providence I met with those words of the Apostle S. Paul This is a True saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief Oh! most sweet and comfortable sentence to my Soul This one sentence through Gods instruction and inward working did so exhilerate my heart which before was wounded through the guilt of my Sins and being almost in despair that immediately I sound Marvellous comfort and quietness in my Soul so that my bruised Bones did leap for Joy After this the Scripture began to be more sweet unto me then Honey and the Honey-comb c. Ibid. p. 162. 12. John Picus Mirandula being of a ductile Nature and an aimable Countenance and Disposition was for some time so inveigled with the Blandishments of an Effeminate Society that he gave himself over to unlawful pleasures with them but it pleased God by the Malice of his Adversaries and the troubles which he met with by their means to awaken him from his sensual delights and to stir him up to shake off and avoid all these Provocations and Incentives to Wickedness and to chuse Celestial instead of fleshy Pleasures And laying aside his hunting after vain Glory to devote himself wholly to the Glory of God and the good of the Church Idem in ejus vitâ 13. George Prince of Anhalt when the Controversies about Religions waxed hot and Luther's Books came abroad fell to reading of them and suspecting his own Injudiciousness would often pray with Tears to God to encline his heart to the Truth saying Deal with thy Servant according to thy Mercy and Instruct me in thy Righteousness He was frequent in reading the Scriptures Ecclesiastical Histories Augustine Hierom and Lombard studied also Greek and Hebrew and discoursed with Learned Men about the Controversies And after all upon mature deliberation embraced the reformed Religion and reformed the Churches with the counsel of his Brethren within his own Jurisdiction Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 165. 14. Vergerius having been the Popes Legate in Germany after his return to Rome the Pope intended to bestow a Cardinals Cap upon him but some about him suggested that he had been so long in Germany that he smelled of a Lutheran This made the Pope to alter his purpose which when Vergerius heard was wonderfully Astonished and that he might purge himself from that Imputation he retired into his own Countrey purposing to Write a Book under this Title Against the Apostate Germans But it pleased God that whilst he read over his Adversaries Books to confute them himself was converted by them Hereupon casting off all desires of a Cardinalship he went to his Brother John Baptista Bishop of Pola and Communicated his thoughts unto him and asked his advice His Brother at first was much perplexed and bewailed his condition But after a while was perswaded by Vergerius to read and study the Scriptures especially in the point of Justification by Faith whereby it pleased God that he also saw the Popish Doctrines to be false and so they both became Zealous Preachers of the Truth to the People Clark's Exampl Vol. 2. p. 117. Sleidan Commentar p. 475. 15. Whilst Francis Junius was a Student in Lions there came a Man to him using the words of the Epicure Nihil curare Deum nec sui nec alieni That God cares for nothing And he Corroborated this with such subtile Arguments that Junius sucked in that damnable Principle and thereupon gave up himself to vile Pleasures for somewhat more than a year But the Lord suffered him not to continue longer in so dangerous a condition For first in a tumult at Lions the Lord wonderfully delivered him from imminent Death which Signal Deliverance compelled him to acknowledge a Divine Providence And his Father hearing of the dangerous courses that he took sent for him home requiring him to read over the New Testament Concerning which himself thus Writes Novum Testamentum aperis exhibet se mihi ad spectu primo Augustissimum illud Caput in Principio erat Verbum c. When I had opened the New Testament the
and Strictness in Religion and told them that in a clear Moonshine Night the Devil in the shape of a great uggly Man stood by his Bed-side opening the Curtains and looking him in the Face and at last took up the Blanket and sometimes smiled on him then was more uggly and after a while in which he lay in great Terror the Apparition vanished and he was affrighted into the aforesaid Change of Life Attested by most credible and Religious Persons near Wolverhampton in Staffordshire who dwelling in the same-House with Mr. Baxter oft told the same to him Hist Disc of Apparitions and Witches p. 59. 30. Serj. Glanvil's Father had a fair Estate which he intended to settle on his elder Brother but he being a vicious young Man and there appear'd no Hopes of his Recovery he settled it on him that was his second Son Upon his death his eldest Son finding that what he had before looked on as the threatnings of an angry Father was now but too certain became Melancholy and that by Degrees wrought so great a Change on him that what his Father could not prevail in while he liv'd was now effected by the Severity of his last Will so that it was now too late for him to change in hopes of any Estate that was gone from him But his Brother observing the reality of the Change resolv'd within himself what to do so he call'd him with many of his Friends together to a Feast and after other Dishes had been serv'd up to the Dinner he order'd one that was cover'd to be set before his Brother and desired him to uncover it which he doing the Company was surpriz'd to find it full of Writings so he told them that he was now to do what he was sute his Father would have done if he had liv'd to see that happy Change which they now all saw in his Brother and therefore he freely restored to him the whole Estate Dr. Burnet in his Life of Sir Matthew Hale y. 8. 31. Bruno born in Collogne and Professor of Philosophy in Paris about the year of Christ 1080. being present at the singing of the Office for his Fellow-Professor now dead highly reputed for his Holy Life the dead Corps sits up in the Bier and crys out I am in God's just Judgments condemn'd These words he utter'd three several Days at which Bruno was so affrighted that a Man held so Pious was Damn'd began to think what would become of himself and many more Therefore concluding there was an Hell took himself with six of his Schollars to a hideous place for dark Woods high Hills Rocks and wild Beasts in the Province of Dauphin near Grenoble and there built a Monastery having obtain'd the Ground of Hugo Bishop of Grenoble the place call'd Carthusia whence his Monks took their Name See my Book of all Religions 32. Luther tells us of two Cardinals riding in great Pomp to the Council of Constance and by the way they heard a Man bitterly weeping and wailing When they came to him they found him intently viewing an uggly Toad and ask'd him why he wept so bitterly he told them his Heart was melted with this consideration that God had not made him such a loathsome and deformed Creature hoc est quod amarè fleo said he Whereupon one of them crys out Well said the Father Surgunt indocti rapient Coelum The Unlearned will arise and take Heaven and we with all our Learning shall be cast into Hell Luther in tertium praecept See more in this Book A Relation of the wonderful Conversion of a Kentish Gentleman Mr. Studly related to me by Mr. Knight Minister intimately acquainted with him 33. His Father was a Lawyer in Kent of about 400 l. per annum who had built a very fair Mansion-House upon the Estate He was a great Enemy to the Power of Religion and an Hater of those that were then call'd Puritans His Son in his youth seem'd to follow in the same Steps till the Lord that had separated him from the Womb call'd him home which was as followeth The young Man was at London and being drunk in some Company and going in the Night towards his Lodging fell into a Cellar and in the Fall was seiz'd with Horror and thought he fell into Hell at that time It pleased God he took little Harm by the Fall but lay there some Hours in a drunken Drowse his Body being heated with what he drank and his Soul awakned he thought he was actually in Hell After that he was come to himself and was gotten home into Kent he fell into Melancholy betook himself to read and study the Scriptures and to much Prayer Which at length his Father perceiv'd and fearing he would turn Puritan was troubled and dealt roughly with him made him dress his Horses which he humbly and willing submitted to And when at that time his Father perceived he sate up late at Night reading in his Bible he denied him Candle-light But being allowed a fire in his Chamber he told Mr. Knight he was wont to lye along and read by the fire light and said that while he was dressing his Fathers Horses in his Frock and in that time of reading by the fire he had those Comforts from the Lord and Joys that he had scarce experienced since His Father seeing this means ineffectual resolved to send him into France that by the Airiness of that Countrey his Melancholly temper might be cured He went and being at his own dispose by the Lords guiding him he placed himself in the House of a Godly Protestant Minister and between them after they were acquainted and such is the Cognation of saving grace in Divers Subjects that a little time will serve for Christians to be acquainted there grew great endearment Great progress he made in speaking the Language and his Father expecting an Account from the Gentleman with whom he sojourn'd of him of his proficiency in speaking French he sent it to him but soon after had Orders to return home And the Father directing it or he intreating it the Landlord with whom he had sojourned came into England with him and both made very welcome at his Father's House He not knowing that he was a Minister At last the Father took the French Gentleman and his Son at Prayers together and was angry paid him what was due to him and sent him away Then his Father having an interest in 〈◊〉 Person of Honour a great Lady at White-Hall whose Courts he as a Lawyer kept and his Son by his now past Education accomplisht for such an employ prevailed with that Lady to take his Son for her Gentleman to wait upon her in her Coach He thought by a Court Life to drive away his Melancholy as he call'd his Sons seriousness in Religion The Lady had many Servants some given to Swearing and Rudeness whom this Young Gentleman would take upon him to reprove with that Prudence and Gravity that Sin fell down
after the several Ordinances and Priviledges of a Church-Communion The Churches of New-England have usually been very strict in their Admissions to Church-Fellowship and required very signal Demonstrations of a Repenting and a Believing Soul before they thought Men fit Subjects to be entrusted with the Rights of the Kingdom of Heaven But they seem'd rather to augment than abate their usual Strictness when the Examination of the Indians was to be perform'd A day was therefore set apart which they call'd Natootomeuhtenicusuk or a Day of asking Questions when the Ministers of the adjacent Churches assisted with all the best Inrerpreters that could be had publickly examined a good number of these Indians about their Attainments both in Knowledge and in Virtue And notwithstanding the great satisfaction then received our Churches being willing to proceed surely and therefore slowly in raising them up to a Church-state which might be comprehended in our Consociations the Indians were afterwards called in considerable Assemblies convened for that purpose to make open Confession of their Faith in God and Christ and of the Efficacy which his Word had upon them for their Conversion to him which Confessions being taken in Writing from their Mouths by able Interpreters were scanned by the People of God and found much Acceptance with them I need pass no further Censure upon them than what is given by my Grandfather the well-known Richard Mather in an Epistle of his published on this occasion says he There is so much of Gods Work among them as that I cannot but count it a great Evil yea a great Injury to God and his Goodness for any to make light of it To see and hear Indians open their Months and lifting up their Hands and Eyes in Prayer to the living God calling on him by his Name Jehovah in the Meditation of Jesus Christ and this for a good while together to see and hear them exhorting one another from the Word of God to see and hear them confessing the Name of Christ Jesus and their own Sinfulness sure this is more than usual And tho' they spoke in a Language of which many of us understood but little yet we that were present that day saw and beard them perform the Duties mentioned with such grave and sober Countenances with such comely Reverence in their Gesture and their whole Carriage and with such plenty of Tearâ— trickling down the Cheeks of some of them as did argue to us that they spake with the holy Fear of God and it much affected our Hearts At length was a Church-state settled among them They entred as our Churches do into an Holy Covenant wherein they gave themselves first unto the Lord and then unto one another to attend the Rules and Helps and expect the Blessings of the Everlasting Gospel and Mr. Eliot having a Mission from the Church of Roxbury unto the Work of the Lord Christ among the Indians conceived himself sufficiently authorized unto she performing of all Church work about them grounding it on Acts 13.1 2 3 4. and he accordingly administred first the Baptism and then the Supper of the Lord unto them Thus far Mr. Cotton Mather I shall next insert the Dying Speeches of several of the Converted Indians formerly published by the Reverend Mr. Eliot They are deliver'd to me by a Friend that brought them with him from Boston in New-England and are so great a Rarity that 't was with difficulty he procured them in New-England where they were Printed neither was there a Copy of 'em to be found in London Mr. Eliot begins thus Viz. Here be but a few of the Dying Speeches and Counsels of such Indians as died in the Lord. It is an humbling to me that there be no more it was not in my Heart to gather them but Major Gookins hearing some of them rehearsed he first moved that Daniel should gather them in the Language as they were spoken and that I should Translate them into English and here is presented what was done that way These things are Printed not so much for Publishment as to save Charge of Writing out of Copys for those that did desire them JOHN ELIOT 38. Waban was the first that received the Gospel our first Meeting was at his House the next time we met he had gather'd a great Company of his Friends to hear the Word in which he hath been stedfast When we framed our selves in order in way of Government he was chosen a Ruler of Fifty he hath approved himself to be a good Christian in Church Order and in Civil Order he hath approved himself to be a Zealous Faithful and Stedfast Ruler to his Death His Speech is as followeth I now rejoyce tho' I be now a dying great is my Affliction in this World but I hope that God doth so afflict me only to try my praying to God in this World whether it be true and strong or not but I hope God doth gently call me to Repentance and to prepare to come unto him therefore he layeth on me great pain and affliction tho' my Body be almost broken by Sickness yet I desire to remember thy Name Oh my God untll I die I remember those Words Job 19.23 to 28. Oh that my Words were now written Oh that they were printed in a Book that they were graven with an Iron Pen and Lead in a Rock for ever For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh I shall see God c. I desire not to be troubled about Matters of this World a little I am troubled I desire you all my Brethren and you my Children do not greatly weep and mourn for me in this World I am now almost dying but see that you strongly pray to God and do you also prepare and make ready to die for every one of you must come to dying Therefore confess your Sins every one of you and believe in Jesus Christ I believe that which is written in the Book of God Consider truly and repent and believe then God will pardon all your great and many Sins God can pardon all your Sins as easily as one for God's free Mercy and Glory do fill all the World God will in no wiseâ— forget those that in this World do sincerely repent and believe Verily this is Love oh my God Therefore I desire that God will do this for me tho' in my Body I am full of Pain As for those that died afore we prayed to God I have no hope about them now I believe that God hath call'd us for Heaven and there in Heaven are many Believers Souls abiding Therefore I pray you do not overmuch grieve for me when I die in this world but make your selves ready to die and follow me and there we shall see each other in â—â—â—â—al Glory in this World we live but a little while therefore we must be always
together for their Good and for the promoting of their Salvation But on the other hand as the Learned Mr. Willam's observes in his Sermon to Youth Vanity unhealed is of an improving Nature and there 's no bad Child but grows worse Sin is not a Stream that grows empty or a Root that dies by meer time God knows we have had experience of that Alas how does Villany grow with Years The Child that began with few Sins grows up to many Sins insomuch that we have some Young Men before eighteen have committed as great Sins as the Man of eighty Youth enters with lesser Sins and proceeds to grosser Sins We have many Young People that seem to abound in Wickedness as they improve in Age as if they grew older only that they may grow Viler One Sin brings on another by the lesser thou art sitted for a greater Sinful Habits are strengthned by Sinful Acts And fear and shame for Sin wear off yea are even extinguished by a course of Sin Lust may be strongly Rooted before old Age and I sear 't is so with abundance of Youths Is it not so with some of you Did not some of you blush at a little Sin and now thou canst mock at great ones Are there not some amongst you that once dared not to tell a small Lye and now you can lye all sorts Are there none here that trembled when they swere a little Oaeth and now can Swear at the Bliodiest rate and add Blasphemy and Cursing to their Oaths Sirs did not some of you feel a check for a light Act and now you can commit Fornication and Vncleanness without any inward Rebuke It was hard to bring thee to pilfer a Pâ—nâ—y and now thou canst steal Shillings and Pounds It was much ado that thou couldst endure to be Drunk in the Night but now thou canst do it openly and Glory in it Thou durst not formerly have neglected a Sermon and thou must pray by thy self but now alas poor Creature Thou canst play away a whole Sabbath and spead Weeks without Prayer without one serious Prayer Thus far Mr. Wilkins I now proceed to give Instances of Persons restrain'd from Sin 1. St. Augustine after his conversion being grievously vexed with inward conflicts against his corrupt and remanent affections to Sin intentively musing and meditating with himself what to do more then he had done Viz. By purposes vows watchings fasting c. heard a Voice saying in te stas et non stas whereupon addressing him to Jesus Christ in an humble manner by faithful and fervent Prayer he found present releif and was much strengthen'd with the grace of Gods Spirit in the inner Maâ— Ibid. 2 Mr. Dod being late at Night in his Study was strongly moved tho at an unseasonable hour to visit a Gentleman of his Acquaintance and not knowing what might be the design of Providence therein he obeyed and went when he came to the house after a few knocks at the Door the Gentleman himself came to him and askt him whether he had any business to him Mr. Dod Answered no but that he could not be quiet till he had seen him O Sir replyed the Gentleman you are sent of God at this hour for just now and with that takes the halter out of his Pocket I was going to destroy my self And thus was the mischief prevented Mr. Flavel's Div. Conduct p. 98. 3. Mr. Bolton whilst he was in Oxford had familiar acquaintance with Mr. Anderton a good Schollar but a strong Papist who knowing Mr. Bolton's good parts and perceiving that he was in some out-ward wants took this Advantage and used many Arguments to perswade him to be reconciled to the Church of Rome and to go over with him to the English Seminary assuring him he should be furnished with all necessaries and have Gold enough Mr. Bolton being at that time poor in mind and purse accepted the motion and a day and place was appointed in Lancashire where they should meet and take Shipping and be gone But Mr. Anderton came not and so he escaped the Snare See the Life of Mr. Bolton 4. Thus Basil was along time exercised with a violent Head-Ach which as he observed was used by Providence to prevent lust 5. Dela Cerda saith that Albertine a Jesuit told him that a Young Man came hastily to him to confess and told him O Sir saith he I could not stay so strange a thing hath befallen me I and my Companion were resolved in Revenge against one that had wronged me to go after him into the Fields and kill him And while I was setting my Pastol in order that I might not miss a Beautiful Young Man stood by me and asked me what I was about And when I denied to tell him he told me that he knew my purpose and disswaded me and in short did so open the suflerings of Christ for his Enemies and what Sins he had forgiven us and bound us to forgive one another That I was melted into Tears and my mind changed and the Young Man Vanished away An Angel if true Hist Disc of Apparitions and Witches p. 162. CHAP. XX. Strange ways of Promoting Salvation THE ways of the Almighty and his Dealings with particular Men as well as those of his common Providence and Judgments are so strange and filled with variety of Spiritual stratagems that we may well say of him His Paths are in the deep waters and his Footsteps are not known The Woman of Samaria drawing water and giving to our Saviour to Drink received the water of Everlasting Life from him and drank to her Neighbours likewise of the Spiritual Drink Zacheus climbing a Sycamore out of Curiosity to see Jesus Jesus saw him and invited himself to his House S. Paul was knockt down in the midst of his Sinful Career and made to do obeysance at the Feet of that Jesus he was going to persecute 1. Origen after he had been prevailed upon to offer incense in the Idol Temple being Excommunicated by the Church going into Judea being well known there for his Expositions was intreated by the Ministers at Jerusalem with much importunity to bestow a Sermon he stood up took the Bible open'd it and at the very first casting his Eye upon that Text Psal 50.16 Vnto the ungodly said God why dost thou Preach my Laws c. He presently shut the Book wept bitterly the People also weeping with him and was able to say no more After this he wandred up and down in great greif of Conscience and wrote his Lamentation Clark's Mar. of Eccl. Hist 2. S. Augustine going on a time to hear S. Ambrose was accidently rebuked by some words of the Sermon or lecture that he heard which he applyed to himself as design'd particularly against him Ibid. See the Chapter of strange Conversions 3. It is Noted by Melchior Adam in the Life of Junius how very an Atheist he was grown in his younger years but in order to his Conversion to
the Devil Nay he used to stop his Ears at the ill Speeches of Hereticks and shunn'd the Places where they were uttered Clark's Marr. of Eccl. History 2. Origen was sometimes necessitated to frequent the Lectures of one Paulus a famous Heretick at Antioch being both kindly entertained by the same Gentlewoman in the same House yet would he never be perswaded to join with him in Prayer detesting his Heretical Doctrine ibid. 3. Athanasius was so great a Lover of Truth and Orthodoxy that he alone resisted stoutly all the Devices and malicious Contrivances and Opposition of the Arians insomuch that it was said of him One Athanasius stood firm against all the World He was often falsly Accused often forced to Fly often Deposed and as often Escaped The Magicians and Soothsayers in Alexandria in Julian's time acknowledged that they could do nothing in their Art except Athanasius were removed out of the City ibid. 4. Basil being attacked by fair Speeches and Promises of Preferment from Valens the Emperous to turn Arian answered the Messenger Alas Sir These Speeches are fit to catch little Children that look after such things we are otherwise taught by Sacred Scripture and are ready to suffer a thousand Deaths rather than suffer one Syllable or Tittle of Scripture to be altered when Modestus the Prefect ask'd Know ye not who we are that command it No Body said Basil so long as you require such things to which he answered Know ye not that we have Honours to bestow upon you whereunto he replied They are but Changeable like your selves Upon this the Prefect in a Rage threatned to Confiscate his Goods to Torment Banish or Kill him Basil answered As for Consiscation he had nothing to lose for Banishment Heaven only was his Country and for Torments one Blow would dash his Body in pieces and for Death that was the only way to set him at Liberty The Prefect told him He was Mad I wish said he that I may be ever so Mad. The Emperour being acquainted with this Carriage of Basil went to Church next Morning with Design to disturb him but seeing his Reverend Carriage he was so convinced that he made a large Offering which yet Basil refused as coming from an Heretick ibid. 5. Epiphanius was semper acerrimus Hereticorum oppugnator i.e. always a very brisk Opposer of Hereticks ibid. 6. St. Augustine was called Hereticorum Malleus i.e. the Hammer of Hereticks Disputing often with the Manichees Donatists Arians and Pelagians and commonly in his Disputations making use of Notaries to write down the Arguments and Answers on both sides to prevent mis-reports and herein was very successful So many things were dictated and published by him so many Disputations held in the Church so many things written against Hereticks and so many Books of Sacred Scripture Expounded by him that a Studious Man all his life long can scarely know and read over ibid. In his latter Days he looked over all his Books and wrote two Volumes of Retractations and complained that some Ministers had gotten and divulged some of his Books before he had perfected them ibid. 7. Theodosius senior having called a Council upon occasion of the Arian Heresy the Emperour retired into his Closet fell down upon his Knees before God humbly beseeching him to reveal the Truth unto him and to assist him in finding it out then perusing every ones Opinion and seriously weighing it in the Ballance of the Sanctuary he condemned and tore in pieces all those Creeds that derogated from the Unity that is in the Blessed Trinity allowing and highly commending the other Clark in vitâ Theodosii 8. Pomponius Atticus neither would tell a Lye nor could endure one Text. Officinum 1138. 9. Bericus the Abbot that dwelt in the Wilderness of Thebais was never heard to swear an Oath never to tell a lye never to be angry never to speak an idle word ibid. 10. Hor the Abbot is said never to have told a lye never to have spoken evil to any Man ibid. 11. The late Countess Dowager of Warwick was exact in Word and Deed she never forfeited her Title to the Privilege of Peerage to be believed upon the honour of her Word which was as Sacred as any Oath and as good Security as many Bonds No inconvenience to her self would make her Recoil or Flinch from the Obligations she had brought her self under by her own Mouth Yea she had such an abhorrence of a dishonourable Recess from express or but intimated promises that it would render her esteem of such Persons exceeding cheap and mean who by little Arts and Shifts would lose and free themselves from their Engagements and disappoint the Expectations they had raised in others to save the Charges accounting their Money spared a very poor and base redemption of their Reputation She abhorr'd a Lye and used modesty to give this Testimony to her self You know I dare not I will not Lye And her Lord knew this so well that though he were positive enough yet would never persist if there happened any contest against whatever she affirmed peremptorily And a Lye was the foulest blemish any could stain themselves with in Converting with her and the most unpardonable fault a Servant could contract to whom she used to say Tell me the Truth and I can forgive you any thing Yea she feared the very shadow of a Lye Dr. Walker in her Life p. 90. 12. Sir William Fitz-Williams was a Man of so great Veracity that that grand Word On mine Honour was Security enough for a Kingdom and the only Asseveration he used It was his privilege that he need not swear for a Testimony and his renown that he would not for his Honour Lloyd's Worthies p. 549. CHAP. XXXVII Remarkable Friendship A Young Gentleman with whose Father I had held an uninterrupted Correspondence for near thirty Years but was lately Deceased wrote yesterday a Letter to me challenging as heir to his Father the Inheritance of his Correspondence tho' at a great distance building upon that Text Thy own Friend and thy Father's Friend forsake not And in Truth a solid Friendship founded upon Virtue and sincere Religion is one of the greatest sweetnesses of this Life and rarely to be found in the World A David and Jonathan a Gregory and Nazianzen a Cranmer and Cromwel a pair of true Friends among Men are seldomer to be found then a Club of Knaves or a herd of Bruits agreeing together 1. Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea for his great Love to Pamphilus was Sirnamed Pamphilus 2. Basil the Great at Athens fell into acquaintance with Gregory Nazianzen and joining Studies together they continued in firm amity all their Life after Clark's Marr. of Ecclesiastical Hist. 3. Theodoret and Cyril after a breach healed between them were mighty loving each to other ever after Ibid. 4. S. Bernard seeing a want of Ministers in his Country and burning with a Zeal to Save Souls resolved to set on the Work and seeking one by
be paid by 40 shillings apiece 13. For the Marriages of poor Maids in Reading in the same manner 100 l. 14. For the Marriages of poor Maids in Newbery that have served 7 years the same Master or Mistress 50 l. 15. To set on work idle vagrant Boys in Bridewel 200 l. 16. Towards Finishing the Pinacles of the Steeple of S. Marys in Reading 50 l. 17. To be lent upon Bond with Sureties to several honest industrious poor Clothiers in Reading first for 7 years then for 3 years to others and so on gratis for ever 500 l. viz. 50 l. apiece 18. To the Clothiers of Newbery the same Sum for the like use viz. 500 l. 19. To poor industrious Merchant-Adventurers in London to be lent by 300 l. in a parcel gratis from 3 years to 3 years in like manner as before 300 l. 20. To his Brother William Kendrick and Children 2000 l. and a Gold-Ring 21. To his Sister Anna Newman of Reading 1000 Marks 22. To her Children 2000 Marks c. 23. To his Sister Alice Vigures of Exeter 500 l. 24. To her Children 1000 l. 25. To his Brother James Winch of Purley in the County of Berks and Children 1000 l. 26. To old Elizab. Kendrick his Uncle's Daughter 50 l. 27. To Tho. Newman at Delf in Holland Servant to his Partner 1000 l. 28. To his Kinsman and late Servant Sim. Gaudy 1000 l. 29. To Arth. Aynscomb Merchant then at Antwerp Shearer with him in Trade 500 l. 30. To Barney Reymes Merchant at Delf another Shearer 500 l. 31. To Mr. John Quarles who was his Master and then kept his Accompts 500 l. forgiving him also a Debt of 300 l. 32. To Mr. George Lowe Merchant and former Partner 300 l. 33. To Tho. Billingslie Son of Sir H. B. 200 l. forgiving him also a Debt of 200 l. more 34. To the Executors of Tho. Jackson Merchant 300 l. 35. To Luces van Punon of Middleburgh 50 l. 36. To Jeremiah Poets of Middleburgh 20 l. 37. To William Powle his Covenant-Servant 200 l. 38. To And Kendrick his Apprentice 300 l. and in lieu of what he had received with him 100 l. 39. To another Apprentice Chr. Packe 100 l. 40. To his House-keeper 20 l. To two of his Maids 20 l. apiece To his Drawer 50 l. to another Drawer 25 l. To his Drawers Servants 25 l. To his twelve Clothworkers Rowers and Shearers 130 l. To Bigge and Salisbury that pressed and folded his Cloth 25 l. To his Porters at the Water-side 10 l. To Packers 10 l. To his Water-bearer 3 l. To the Washer 5 l. To W. Bealde of Reading Clothier 50 l. to another Clothier 50 l. To another Clothier Tho. Newman 100 l. To John Skegmere Secretary to the Merchant-Adventurers 100 l. To R. B. a Partner 300 l. To Mr. W. T. 5 l. To Officers of the Company 15 l. For Service at 6 a Clock in Reading 250 l. the like at Newbery 250 l. to another 100 l. For a Dinner for the Drapers at his Funeral 40 l. Extracted out of the Copy printed A. C. 1625. 23. The Lady Alice Dutchess Dudley gave many hundred pounds toward the Building of St. Giles's Church the Church being finished she gave Hangings of Watchid Taffety to cover the upper-end of the Chancel and those bordered with a silk and silver Fringe Item For the back of the Altar a rich green Velvet Cloth with these three Letters in Gold IHS embroidered on it Two service-Service-Books in Folio embossed with Gold A gree Velvet Cloth with a rich deep Gold Fringe to cover the Altar on Sundays A Cambrick-Altar Cloth with a deep Bonelace round about another fine Damask-Altar Cloth Two Cusâ—ins for the Altar rickly embroidred with Gold A large Turkey Carpet to be spread on the Week-days over it A beautiful Skreen of Carved Work which was placed where the former in the old Church stood Moreover she gave a neat Pair of Organs with a Case richly Gilded Item Ver costly handsom Rails to guard the Lord's Table from prophane uses It. The Communion-Plate of all sorts in Silver and gilt for that sacred use she was at the Charge of Paving the upper-end of the Church wih Marble-stones She gave the great Bell and was at the Charge of Casting and Hanging the other five Bells She gave to the Church of Stonelay in Warwickshire as also to the Churches of Mancester Leke-Wotton Ashow Kenelworth and Monks-Kirby Twenty pounds per Annum apiece for a perpetual Augmentation to the poor Vicaridges of those respective Churches for ever She bestowed on the same Churches as also upon the Churches of Bedford Acton St. Albans Patshill divers pieces of costly Plate for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in each of them And she purchased a fair house and Garden near the said Church of St. Giles's and gave it for a perperual Mansion to the Incumbents after three Lives She also allowed a yearly Stipend to the Sexton of that Churchâ—â— Tole the great Bell when the Prisoners condemned to die were passing by and to Ring out after they were executed She likewise gave great Sums of Money for the Repairing the Cathedral Church of Litchfield and for the Re-edifying of St. Sepulchres in London All these with many more were the Product of her great Charity whilst she lived and thereby made her own Eyes her Overseers and her own Hand her Executors At her Death she gave for Redemption of Christian Captives from the Hands of Infidels One hundred pounds per Annum for ever To the Hospital in St. Giles's Four hundred pounds for Twenty pounds a year for ever For the placing out for ever of poor Parish-Children of St. Giles's Apprentices Two hundred pounds to purchase 10. l. per Annum To the Poor of the Parishes of Stoneley Kenilworth Leke-Wotton Ashow Bedford and Passhill aforesaid and also of Lichborow and Blakesley One hundred pounds per Annum And upon the Day of her Funeral Fifty pounds to be distributed among the Poor She gave to Fourscore and ten Widows according to the number of the years she had lived to each one a Gown and fair white Handkerchief to attend the Hearse wherein her Body was carried and One shilling apiece for their Dinner after that Solemnity was performed which was on the 16th of March 1668. She gave to every place where her Corps should rest in its passage from London unto Stoneley aforesaid in Warwickshire where she had a Noble Monument prepared by her self She ordered that Six pence should be given to every poor Body that should meet her Corps on the Road. She gave to Blakesley Lichborow and Patshill Ten pounds apiece to be distributed among the Poor the same day her Corps was interred to Stoneley Fifty pounds distributed the same day Thus this Illustrious Dutchess did in her Life and at her Death and doubtless for all her good Deeds she has her Reward in Heaven by God's Mercy and Christ's Merits See the Narrative of her Life
you put your Endeavours that Christ his Religion may be brought again unto a chast and simple Purity For what should be desired of all Godly Hearts than that all things by little and little should be clean taken away and cut off which have very little or nothing in them that can be referred wholly to Edification but rather be judged of the Godly to be superfluous 8. Bishop Latimer speaking to the Clergy saith How think ye by the Ceremonies that are in England oftentimes with no little Offence of weak Consciences continued more often with Superstition so defiled and so depraved that you may doubt whether it were better for them to tarry still or utterly to take them away Have not our Fore-Fathers complained of the Ceremonies of the Superstitions and Estimation of them In Concione ad Clerum 9. Bishop Vsher then Mr. Vsher when a Commission was granted by K. James to Sir Arthur Chichester then Lord-Deputy of Ireland to Assemble the Irish Bishops and others together to consult about the Reduction of Ireland to the same Ecclesiastical Government of England but willing them to consult with Mr. Vsher about it and do nothing without his Approbation Bishop Vsher I say finding by accident his own Name in the Commission by glancing upon a letter which he saw laid down in the Window by a Bishop whom he went to visit communicated the same to Dean Hill his Good Friend and a Devout Man desiring his Prayers to God for him in that Obscure Case and hearing what the business was when the Assembly was summoned made his Appearance and being demanded his Consent to what they had agreed upon he replied That the Matter concerned more than himself for said he if I had all Mens Consciences in my keeping I could in these Disputable Cases give Laws unto them as well as unto my self but it 's one thing what I can do and another thing what all other Men must do c. Adding The Kings and Queens of England imposed those Ceremonies that thereby they might decline the charge of Schismaticks wherewith the Church of Rome laboured to brand them seeing it did appear hereby that they left them only in such Doctrinal Points wherein they left the Truth Again Hereby they would testify howfar they would willingly stopp to win and gain them by yielding to meet them as far as they might in their own way But saith he the Experience of many years hath shewed that this Condescension hath rather hardned them in their Errours than brought them to a liking of our Religion this being their usual Saying if our Flesh be not Good why do you drink of our Broth c. See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 286. 10. Dr. Wilkins afterwards Bishop of Chester a Man of as great a Mind as true a Judgment as eminent Vertues and of as good a Soul as any I ever knew together with the Lord-Keeper Bridgeman setting up for a Comprehension of the Dissenters and a limitted Indulgence towards others got Sir Matthew Hale Lord-Chief-Baron on their side who after several Meetings and Conferences with two of the most eminent Presbyterian Divines and Heads were agreed upon the Lord-Chief-Baron put them in form of a Bill to be presented to the next Session of Parliament CHAP. XLV Retractations of Censorious Protestants LEwis du Moulin Doctor of Physick being in his last Sickness visited by Dr. Burnet and admonished of the foul Language used in his Books against Dr. Stillingfleet Dean of Pauls Dr. Durel Dean of Windsor Dr. Patrick Dean of Peterborough c. desired Dr. Burnet to ask them pardon in his name and when he spake of the Dean of St. Pauls he expressed much Sorrow and shed some Tears and upon their motion sign'd this Recantation following As for my Books in which I mixed many personal Reflections I am now sensible I vented too much of my own Passion and Bitterness and therefore I disclaim all that is Personal in them and am heartily sorry for every thing I have written to the defaming of any Person I humbly beg God and all those whom I have so wronged pardon for Jesus Christ his sake and am resolved if God shall spare my Life never to meddle more with such Personal things and do earnestly exhort all People as a dying Man that they will study more Love and mutual Forbearance in their Differences and will avoid all bitter and uncharitable Reflections on one anothers Persons And as I earnestly pray those worthy Men of the Church of England to have Charity and Tenderness for the Dissenters from them so I beg of the Dissenters that they would have a due Regard and Respect to those of the Church of England Of many of whom I say now Let my Soul be with theirs and that all true Protestants among us may heartily unite and concur in the Defence and Preservation of the holy Reformed Religion now by the Mercy of God settled among us And that Men of all sides may according to St. Paul's Rule Cease to bite and devour one another lest we be destroyed one of another and that whereunto we have already attained we may walk by the same Rule hoping that if any Man is otherwise minded in some lesser things God shall either reveal that to them or mercifully forgive it through Jesus Christ into whose hands I commend my Spirit and desire to appear before God in and through him Who gave himself for me and the refore do now study to learn of him to be meek and lowly in Heart and to love all the Brethren as he loved me This is Sincerity of Heart I Sign Lewis du Moulin Octob. 5. 1680. See his last Words p. 12. Mr. John Child having written a Book called The Second Argument for a more firm Vnion amongst Protestants where he fell foul upon the Nonconformists was thereupon smitten with Remorse and to one Mr. H. C. coming to visit him taking up the Book in his Hand began to read where he saith The greatest number of Disseners do hold Principles dangerously heretical and most abominably abusing the most Holy God c. But before he could end that Paragraph being under extream Agony of Mind and weeping bitterly put the Book from him and spake to this effect viz. I have represented those Calvin's Principles beyond whatever they conceived strained their Opinions beyond their Intentions and drawing such Consequences as never were in their Minds And striking his Breast with uch Anguish said These words lie close I shall never get over this I write in Prejudice against them calling them a villanous Body of People which was unjust Professing that be could not repent and with a very grim Countenance said I shall go to Hell I am broken in Judgment when I think to pray either I have a Flushing in my Face as if I were in a flame or I am dumb and cannot speak or else I fall asleep upon my Knees all the Signs of one whom God hath left
door therefore we should be watching for we know not what hour he will come My Brother John and Cousin Deb. thank you for your kind Letters I remain April 1663. Caleb Vernon After some time falling sick he earnestly desired to be Baptized I suppose being born of Anabaptist-Parents saying Father pray have you come to any Conclusion to day about my being baptized I pray Father do for indeed I cannot be satisfied and I would fain be in Christ's Fold After which being admonished and many gracious Expressions uttered he died comfortably See his Life printed An. 1665. 17. A Child of one Master Maxey of Lime when it was but Two years old would use to kneel down often and with his Eyes and Hands lift up towards Heaven seemed to be very serious in Prayer and as it grew older would often be at Prayer by it self and ask very strange Questions of its Mother concerning Spiritual Matters much beyond its Age The Mother expounded all these things as proceeding rather from childish Imitation than from any Relish or Understanding that it had of those things At last when the Child was Five years old in the midst of his Sports as he was Whipping-top on a sudden he cast away all and went to his Mother saying to her with much Joy Mother I must go to Heaven will you go with me asking her the same Question the second time His Mother answered Yes dear Child when God shall please But how dost thou know that thou shalt go to Heaven The Child answered God hath told me so I must go to Heaven for I love God and God loves me After which time he never played more About three Weeks or a Month after he sickned and died speaking much during his Sickness of his going to Heaven still asking his Mother whether she would not go with him And when his Mother asked him whether he would not stay with her here he refused rather desiring that she should go with him Master White 18. A nameless Person J. B. gives this Relation concerning her self About seventeen years since a Child of mine about six years of age when I have bid him go forth to play he hath come in again very solitary and other Children would swear and be very debaucht I would ask him Robert what aileth you why do you not go to play He would answer That he had no Fellows to play withal but such as would swear and the like and they could not be said he God's Children I would say why not Child then he would say No Mother though I am but a little way in my Book yet I have learnt that God will not pardon such Sins as Swearing I have sometimes said yes Child I hope God will pardon them else God help thy Father and God help us all Then he hath replied Mother with great Repentance God can forgive for his Mercies are great but good Mother let us forbear that which is evil And many times I had such conference with that Child who seeing me troubled about it he hath said Good Mother be content their Parents are such and they must needs learn after them I thought upon my Child's words and having before often offended God about gathering of Flowers in my Garden on the Lord's-days and the Thoughts of other Failings in my Conversation it wrought great trouble upon my Heart so that I was much afflicted in Soul considering that my Child so young should give me such Instructions which hath proved a Blessing to me to bring me home to him I did make then some doubt whether God would forgive me those Sins and about that time hearing Dr. V. preach several Sermons at O. and particularly upon that Text That we are but Sojourners and Travellers here and shewing That we are not at home therefore we must keep on the straight-way to Heaven and take heed of the broad-way which leadeth to Hell which then as also other means since did much throw me down low under the sense of Sin yet not without sometimes some Refreshments Believers Experiences p. 54. 19. Bishop Vsher at Fourteen years old was judged fit and admitted to the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper and his usual Custom was the Afternoon before to retire himself in private and to spend it in a strict Self-Examination and deep Humiliation for all his Sins wherein he had such Enlargements of Heart that a Stream of Tears flowed from his Eyes which afterwards he oft recalled to mind both as a Provocation and Censure of himself When he was elder of years there was a certain place by a Water-side whither he oft resorted sorrowfully to surveigh his Sins and with Floods of Tears to confess and bewaile them wherein he found so much Sweetness and Communion with God that he thirsted for such comfortable Opportunities and it was his usual Custom to spend Saturdays in the Afternoon in these Duties Amongst other Sins he much bewailed his too much love to Humane Learning which made him as glad when Munday came that he might renew his Studies as he was when Sabbath-day came wherein he was to apply himself to the Service of God and it cost him many Tears that he could not be more Heavenly-minded at that Age. See his Life 20. Lancelot Andrews Bishop of Winchester from his Youth declared an extraordinary worth that he was made up of Learning and Vertue in both of them so eminent that it was hard to judge which had the Precedency and greatest Interest though it was truly asserted from his Comtemporaries that there was not any kind of Learning that he was a stranger to but in his Profession admirable which was as well if not better known abroad than admired at home England's Worthies by Will. Winstanley p. 366 367. 21. Mr. Bernard Gilpin being yet a very Child gave Testimony of a future Holiness upon this Occasion A begging Frier lodging at his Father's House one Saturday Night in order to preach the next day but eating at Supper like a Glutton and drinking like a Beast in the Morning as if he had been some young Saint lately dropped from Heaven he caused the Bell to tole to the Sermon and in the midst there of blustering out certain good words he presumed to grow hot against some Sinners of the time and amongst the rest to thunder boldly against Drunkenness Young Gilpin who had but newly got the use of his Tongue having observed as it seemed the hateful Baseness of the Man by his Oversight the Night before and now hearing the Beast cry out so loud against these Crimes which himself had so lately been guilty of as he was sitting in his Mother's Lap in the Church suddainly cryeth out in these words O Mother do you hear how this Fellow dates speak against Drunkenness who was drunk himself yester-night at our House The Mother made speed to stop the Child's Mouth with her Hand that he might speak no further Mr. Gilpin 's Life by Bp. Carleton p. 2. 22. Mr.
We Preached in the Indian Tongue above an Hour the Indians attended very diligently professing they understood all that was taught them Then we propounded Questions and desired them to propound Questions to us which they readily did 1. Quest How may we come to know Jesus Christ 2. Quest Whether God or Jesus Christ did understand Indian Prayers 3. Quest Whether English-men were at any time so ignorant of God and Jesus as they These Questions being answered and we demanding If they were not weary They answering No and a time being agreed upon for our coming again Second Time Nov. 11. 1646. Meeting again at Waaubon's Wigwam we found more Indians than at the first After Prayer we ask'd them Three Questions which were thus answered 1. Quest Who made you and all the World Answ God 2. Quest Who do you look should save you from Sin and Hell Answ Jesus Christ 3. Quest How many Commandments Answ Ten. After this we Preached of God Christ Sin Punishment of Sin God's now offering Salvation to them with which some were much affected one wept much They propounded Questions to us 1. An old Man ask'd Is it not too late for one so old as I am to repent c. 2. Seeing we all come from one Father how came the English to know God more than we 3. How may we come to serve God 4. If a Man have stollen and restored again and was not punished by the Sachim Indian Governour what then Answ God's Anger 's burns like Fire against all such Sins but if he fly to God's Mercy in Christ and repent God will forgive him Upon this the Man drew back hung down his Head as smitten at the Heart and his Eyes ready to drop saying Me little know Jesus Christ else I should seek him better Third Time Nov. 26. 46. We met again found more Wigwams built the Preacher hearing that other Indians had discouraged these he encouraged them The same Week one Wimpas a Sage Indian with Two stout young Men brought his Son and Three other Indian Children to be taught English and the Knowledge of God the Two young men offering their Service for the like end and certifying that the Old Man who had asked if such a one could be saved his Wife and one of his Six Sons who were Pawaws or Charming Witches were resolved to hear the Word and seek to the Devil no more Fourth Time At the next Meeting they made Laws Decemb. 4. 1. If any be idle a Week he stall pay 5 s. 2. A Man that commits Whoredom shall pay 20 s. 3. He that beats his Wife his Hand shall be tied behind him and be punished 4. Young Men without Service shall set up Wigwams and Plant. 5. Women that cut their Hair or let it hang loose shall pay 5 s. 6. Women with naked Breasts shall pay 2 s. 6 d. 7. Men that wear long Hair 5 s. 8. They that kill Lice between their Teeth 5 s. This was to oblige the English Fifth Time Decemb. 9. 1646. After Catechising and Preaching the Indians offered all their Children to be brought up by the English complained of their naughty Hearts resolved to Keep the Sabbath c. See more at large in the Book called the Day-break in another called the Sun-shine in Mr. Matthew's Letters and concerning the great Pains and Success of Mr. Elliot and the large spreading of the Gospel amongst them II. A LETTER concerning the Success of the Gospel amongst the Indians in New-England Written by Mr. Increase Mather Minister of the Word of God at Boston and Rector of the Colledge at Cambridge in New-England to Doctor John Leusden Hebrew Professor in the Vniversity af Utrecht Translated out of Latin into English Worthy and much Honoured Sir YOur Letter were very grateful to me by which I undestand that you and others in your famous University of Vtrecht desire to be Informed concerning the Converted Indians in America take therefore a true Account of them in a few Words It is above Forty Years since that truly Godly Man Mr. John Elliot Pastor of the Church at Roxborough about a Mile from Boston in New-England being warmed with a holy Zeal of Converting the Americans set himself to learn the Indian Tongue that he might more easily and successfully open to them the Mysteries of the Gospel upon account of which he has been and not underservedly called The Apostle of the American Indians This Reverend Person not without very great Labour Translated the whole Bible into the Indian Tongue he Translated also several English Treatises of Practical Divinity and Catechisms into their Language About 26 Years ago he gathered a Church of Converted Indians in a Town called Natick these Indians confessed their Sins with Tears and professed their Faith in Christ and afterwards they and their Children were Baptized and they were solemnly joyned together in a Church Covenant The said Mr. Elliot was the first that Administred the Lord's Supper to them the Pastor of that Church now is an Indian his name is Daniel Besides this Church at Natick among our Inhabitants in the Massachusets Colony there are four Indian Assemblies where the Name of the True God and Jesus Christ is solemnly called upon these Assemblies have some American Preachers Mr. Elliot formerly used to Preach to them once every Fortnight but now he is weakned with Labours and Old Age being in the eighty fourth Year of his Age and Preacheth not to the Indians oftner than once in two Months There is another Church consisting only of Converted Indians about fifty Miles from hence in an Indian Town called Mashippaug The first first Pastor of that Church was an English Man who being skilful in the American Language Preached the Gospel to them in their own Tongue this English Pastor is dead and instead of him that Church has an Indian Preacher There are besides that five Assemblies of Indians professing the Name of Christ not far distant from Mashippang which have Indian Preachers John Cotton Pastor of the Church at Plymouth Son of my venerable Father-in-Law John Cotton formerly the famous Teacher of the Church at Boston hath made very great Progress in learning the Indian Tongue and is very skillful in it he Preaches in their own Language to the last five mentioned Congregations every Week Moreover of the Inhabitants of Saconet in Plymouth Colony there is a great Congregation of those who for distinction sake are called Praying Indians because they Pray to God in Christ Not far from 2 Promontory called Cape-Cod there are six Assemblies of Heathens who are to be reckoned as Catechumens amongst whom there are six Indian Preachers Samuel Treat Pastor of a Church at Eastham Preacheth to those Congregations in their own Language There are likewise amongst the Islanders of Nantucket a Church with a Pastor who was lately a Heathen and several Meetings of Catechumens who are instructed by the Converted Indians There is also another Island about seven Leagues long called Martha's
Heart and used to be reciting them when they went about their Work A. C. 1548. They were Translated into English Verse and much Sung by all who loved the Reformation Dr. Burn. Hist Reformation 6. Hierom relates of the place where be lived You could not go into the Field but you might hear the Plow-man at his Halelujahs the Mower at his Hymns and the Vine-dresser singing David 's Psalms Dr. Cave's Prim. Christianity It would take up a great deal of time to recount over the many Instances of Persons singly or Families conjunctly using this Exercise of Devotion many Persons on their Death-beds some in Prison and others at their Execution have cheared themselves with this Exercise and have taken a mighty Pleasure even in the midst of their Troubles and most bitter and heavy Afflictions to ease their Minds and give their Devotions full Vent and Play by singing Praises to the God of Jacob Tho' I know very well that the Children of this World who have no comfort but in things of this Life cannot dance to nor well digest without some Scoff or Censure this Musick 7. Dr. W. Johnson in the Story of his Deliverance at Sea tells us That after his second Shipwrack upon the Coast of Norway being got upon a Rock to save their Lives they betook themselves to their old Remedy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Prayers the Danes with them first began their Devotions who having sung one of Luther 's Psalms fell to their Prayers and then saith the Doctor me sung one of our own Psalms and as long as I was able to speak Prayed with the Company Dr. Johnson's Deus Nobiscum p. 34. 8. In the Life of Mr. Herbert writ by Isaac Walton if I mistake not we are told of a Gentleman of good Estate who after his Travels came home with a Resolution to devote the remainder of his time to a close and spiritual Devotion and the Method which he pitcht upon was to Sing over David's Psalms every four and twenty Hours which was so ordered that while some were refreshing themselves and attending upon the Necessities of Life others should continue in the Chappel and keep on the Devotion To this Society Mr. Herbert who was a Man both Devout and Musical joyned himself for some time I have not the Book by me but the Relation may be seen in Mr. Herbert's Life before his Poems 9. Thomas Hudson Martyr in Queen Mary's Reign after walking abroad for certain days openly in the Town crying against Popery at last returned home and seting himself down on his Knees having his Book by him read and sung Psalms continually without ceasing for three Days and three Nights together refusing Meat and other talk to the great wonder of many Fox's Martyrol 10. George Eagles Martyr likewise in the same Reign when he was drawn on a Sled to Execution had in his Hand a Psalm-book wherein he read very devoutly all the way with a loud Voice till he came there Ibid. 11. Five Martyrs in Canterbury viz. John Lucas a young Man Ann Albright John Catmer Agnes Snâ—th Widow Joan Soale Wife when the Fire was flaming about their Ears did sing Psalms whereat the good Knight Sir John Norton being present wept bitterly at the sight Ibid. 12. Mr. John Denly being set in the Fire with a burning Flame about him sung a Psalm but being interrupted by occasion of a Fagot thrown in his Face which made him bleed he left off and clapt both his Hands on his Face Truly quoth Dr. Story to him that hurled the Fagot thou hast marr'd a good old Song at which Mr. Denley still in the Flames resumed Courage put his Hands abroad and sung again Ibid. 13. St. Augustin speaking of the time when he was Baptized at Milan professeth That the sweet Musick and Melody of the Church provoked his Affections so far that the Tears run down his Checks and he was mightily pleased with it Confes l. 9. c. 6 7. 14. St. Hierom speaking not of the universal Church in solemn Assemblies but what the company of the solitary Virgins were wont to do of their own accord in his time saith That in the Morning at three six and nine a Clock at evening and at Midnight they sung Psalms only on Sunday they went into the Church Bullinger 's Decads 15. The first Act of Uniformity in King Edward the Sixth's Reign gives leave for the using of any Psalm agreeable to the Word of God Which Act is not annulled by any subsequent Act but rather confirmed by those which have followed 16. Te Deum's are in Fashion all over Christian Europe at least the Protestant and Popish Churches at this day See more of the Singing and religious Musick of other Churches in my History of all Religions 17. Mr. John Bruen in singing of Psalms had his Spirit so ravished with Joy that his Heart would even spring and leap in his Body was so affected with Praising of God that he took the word Hallelujah for his Motto See his Life in Mr. Clark's second Volume of Lives p. 176. 18. Mr. Peacock after his great Afflictions being at last joyfully delivered and comforted a three Chapter read to him Rev. 19. Rev. 21. Rom. 8. Oh! saith he they be glorious Comforts Will you have any more read said his Friends yea saith he a Psalm if you please and named the 23d one beginning to read it he desired that it might be sung one asking Will you sing yea said he as well as I can The Psalm being sung and then John 17. being read Blessed be God said he I am a Thousand times happy to have such Felicity thrown upon me a poor wretched Miscreant c. See his last Conflicts by E. B from the Copy of Mr. Rob. Bolton 1646. 19. Mrs. Katherine Stubs on her Death-bed sang Psalms with a sweet and pleasant Voice and desired that the 133 Psalm might be sung before her to Church and desired that there might be no Mourning for her See her Life 20. Mr. J. Janeway on his Death-bed cries out thus Come help me with Praises yet all is too little come help me all ye mighty and glorious Angels who are so well skill'd in the haavenly Work of Praise Praise him all ye Creatures upon Earth let every thing that hath Being help me to Praise God Hallelujah Hallelujah hallelujah Praise is now my Work and I shall be engaged in this sweet Work now and for ever Bring the Bible turn to David 's Psalms and let us sing a Psalm of Praise Come let us lift up our Voice in the Praises of the most High I will sing with you as long as my Breath doth last and when I have none I shall do it better See his Life CHAP. LXIV Persons Remarkable for Good Discourse OVR Saviour hath told us we must be accountable for every idle word and the Apostle hath exploded all corrupt Communication and requires strictly of all Christians that their Speech be season'd
Sermon in that place he and I walk'd together a considerable time before the People came he behaved himself reverently and very gravely in the Church during the Service stood up commonly at Prayers and always in my time wrote a Sermon after the Minister when the Morning-Service was ended he commonly invited the Minister to Dine with him who seldom refused and many others who either lived at distance as Mrs. Hanmer Sir Job Charleton's Daughter married to a Justice of Peace in that Country of else such as were poor and needy His Discourse homewards was sweet and spiritual at Table it was seasoned as well as his meat edifying and yet pleasant and taking never wild or inoffensive After Meat and Thanks returned they commonly I think constantly before departure from Table sung the 23d Psalm Sometime after when the Servants had dined he propounded to such Guests as he thought in prudence he should not be too free with to retire into the Parlour for a while till he had attended upon his Family repeated over the Sermon and prayed with them after which he returned to his Guests again and having entertained them with some short Discourse he retired a while himself and by and by called upon his Family to go to Church After Evening Service and Sermon ended he retired again till six a Clock then called for Prayers catechised took an account of Children and Servants of what they remembred at Church which accounts were given sometimes very largely and particularly sung a Psalm kneeled down to Prayers which consisted more of Praise and Benediction then at other times and at last his Children kneeling down before him to beg his Blessing he blessed them all and concluded the Service of the day with the 123 Psalm save that after Supper he retired for about half an hour more into his Study before Bed-time Sometimes after the publick Service ended at Church he gave some spiritual Instructions and Preached in his House to as many as would come to hear him and in his last Years when the Incumbents grew careless in providing Supplys for two or three neighbouring Churches and Chappels and the People cry'd out for lack of Vision he set up a constant Ministration and Preaching at home never taking any thing by way of Reward for his Pains unless with a purpose to give it away to those who were in greater necessities See more in my Christians Companion and History of all Religions CHAP. LXVI Remarkable Love of the Holy Scripture THE Sacred Scriptures were written for our Learning and contain in them such Doctrines Precepts Prophecies Promises Threatnings and Judgments as concern us all and therefore we are commanded to study the Law to search the Scriptures to meditate on the Word of God to make it our delight to talk of it to our Children and acquaint our selves with the Will of God And 't is good Advice which a worthy Divine gives us in this case In Reading Holy Scripture saith he take heed that an holy and humble Mind always bear thee company be humble and not proud sober and not curious study to obey not to dispute turn not Conscience into Questions and Controversies draw not all to Reason leave something for Faith where thou canst not sound the Bottom admire the Depth kiss the Book and lay it down weep over thine Ignorance and send one hearty Wish to Heaven Oh! when shall I come to know as I am known Go not without nor before thy Guide but let thine Eye be always toward the Lamb who only can open this Book and thy Understanding and then blessed is he that reads c. 1. Theodosius Sen. wrote out the whole New Testament with his own Hand accounting it a great Jewel and read a part of it every Day Clark in his Life 2. Theodosius Jun. learned much of the Holy Scriptures without Book and so reasoned of them with the Bishops as if himself had been an experienced Minister Clark in his Life 3. Origen when a Child was very inquisitive into the recondite meaning of the Scriptures D. Cave's Prim. Christianity 4. King Alphonsus read over the Bible Fourteen times with Commentaries 5. John Picus Mirandula addicted himself seriously to the study of Sacred Scripture and at Eight and twenty Years of Age wrote a learned Tractate of the Six Days Work of God and another of the Sabbath for the Publick Benefit of the Church he was mightily affected with the Elegancy of the Scriptures in their Original especially of Paul's Epistles which he preferred before all humane Eloquence whatsoever professing that the Writings of Tully Demosthenes c. were not to be compared with them he wrote much also for interpreting the Old Testament and reconciling seeming Differences he justified the Translation of Hierome against the Calumnies of the Jews He also defended the Septuagint Translation principally with respect to the Psalms Clark in his Life 6. Tho. Cromwel Earl of Essex in a Journey to and from Rome learned the whole Testament translated by Erasmus without Book Clark in his Life 7. Beza when about Eighteen Years old could say by Heart perfectly any Greek Chapter in St. Paul's Epistles 8. Cranmer and Ridley learnt the New Testament by Heart the former in his Journey to Rome the other in Pembroke-Hall Walks in Cambridge Fox's Martyrol 9. The Council of Trent because Bishops must be blameless exhorts that above all things every one keep Sobriety at his Table c. And because oftentimes idle Discourses are wont to arise that at the Tables of Bishops themselves the Holy Scriptures be read Decret 1. Sess 10. One of Bishop Latimer's Injunctions to the Prior and Convent of St. Mary's House in Worcester was thus Item That the Prior have at his Dinner or Supper every Day a Chapter read and to have edifying Communication of the same Hist of the Reformation by Dr. Burnet 11. Cardinal Pool in the Platform of his Reformation requires Bishops to have at their Tables the Scriptures or other good Books read mixt with pious Discourses Ibid. 12. We had the same Exercise in my time appointed by Dr. Tully then Principal of St. Edmond-Hall in Oxford viz. a Part or Paragraph of the Latin Testament read by some Servitor when we were at Dinner 13. Bishop Jewel had usually a Chapter read at Meals after which he would recreate himself with Scholastical Wars between young Scholars whom he maintained at his Table See his Life 14. King Edward the Sixth when very young and one of his Play-fellows or Servants being about to take something down that was above his reach took a great Bible to stand upon with a holy indignation reproved him for it some say he took it up and kissed it saying That it was unfit that he should trample that under his Feet which he ought to treasure up in his Head and Heart Fuller's Ch. Hist p. 424. 15. Hierom calls the Books of Kings his own because by frequent use and reading he had got them
by Heart and as it were made them his own He testifies likewise of Paula that she had most of the Bible by Heart and of Nepotian that with daily reading and meditating he had made his Heart Bibliothecani Christi The Library of Christ Clark's Examp. 16. Constantine the Great used to shew so much Reverence and Attention to the Word of God preached that many times he would stand up all the Sermon-time and when some of his Courtiers told him That it would tend to his Disparagement he answered That it was in the Service of the Great God who is no Respecter of Persons Clark in his Life 17. Charles the Great used to set his Crown upon the Bible as our Canutus sometime put his Crown upon the Rood both of them to intimate their Reverence c. Clark's Exam. Vol. 1. C. 119. 18. King Edward the Sixth was a diligent Attender upon Sermons heard them with great Reverence and penned them with his own Hand and studied them diligently afterwards Ibid. 19. The greatest delight of Queen Elizabeth was often to read the Bible and hear Sermons Ibid. 20. The young Lord Harrington was mighty attentive in hearing the Word of God preach'd or read Ibid. 21. Bugenhagius a Dutch Divine was so joyful when Luther and he and some others had finished the Translation of the Bible into Dutch that on that Day whereon they finished their Work he ever after invited his Friends to a Feast which he called A Feast of the Translation of the Bible Ibid. 22. Chrysostome preaching to his People used this Expression Get you Bibles by all means whatever they cost you you may better want Bread Light than the Knowledge of the Scriptures Ibid. ex Trapp 23. I can speak it by Experience saith Erasmus that there is little good to be got by the Scripture if a Man read it cursorily and carelesly but if he exercise himself therein constantly and conscionably he shall find such an efficacy in it as is not to be found in any other Book whatsoever Ibid. 24. Robert King of Sicily was so wonderfully affected with the Scriptures that speaking to Franc. Petrarcha he thus said of them I swear to you Petrarch that my Learning is more dear to me than my Kingdom and if I must want the one or the other I had much rather want my Diadem than my Learning Idem ex Cornel. de Lapide 25. I know saith Peter Martyr there are many that will never believe what we say of the Power of God's Word hidden in the Heart and not a few that will jeer us and think that we are mad for saying so But oh that they would be pleased but to make Trial Malè mihi sit ita enim in tantâ causâ juvare ausim nisi tandem capiantur Let it never go well with me for I am bold to swear in so weighty a Business if they find not themselves strangely taken and transformed into the same Image if they pass not into the Likeness of this Heavenly Pattern So Ephes 1.13 1 Thes 1.5 8. Ibid. 26. In all the Bible says the Reverend Mr. Burgesse in his Sermon in the Coll. Morn Exercise though it be an History of more than 4000 Years we read of but of One that was converted just before his Death And we do believe that he also did convert at his first Convincing Call Rarely do any savingly convert who do not upon their first Convictions convert St. Austin's stifled Convictions cost him dear You that will make so bold with Conscience as Spira did should expect to roar for it here as he did or hereafter to fare worse than many hope him to do They are considerable Divines who are not hopeless of his Salvation Thus far Mr. Burgesse 27. John an Egyptian Confessor whom Eusebius saw and heard tho' his Eyes were out and his Body mangled could repeat any passages out of the Old or New Testament whom I supposed saith he to be reading in a Book 'till coming near I was struck with great admiration Dr. Cave ' s Primitive Christian 28. Nazianzen professeth that he had willingly relinquished all other things for the sake of this Book Ibid. 29. Luther said He would not live in Paradise without the Word but with it he could live well enough in Hell Mr. Calamy 's Godly Man's Ark. 30. Gildas hath scarce one Paragraph in his Epistle unstored with Scripture and one of his chief Lamentations in Dioclesian's Persecution is for their Bibles being burnt in the Publick Markets Tho. Jones Sovereign of the Heart 31. Mr. Bradford to Willerton Bishop Bonner's Chaplain when he told him The People must learn all at the Priests not meddling with the Scriptures answered Then I see you would bring the People to hang up Christ and let Barabbas go as the Priests perswaded the People to do At which words Willerton was so offended that he had no lust to talk with him any more Fox Martyr 32. The Christians at the beginning of the Reformation were so in love with the Bible and studied it so diligently and used it in their Discourses and Disputations so frequently and boldly that Darbyshire Principal of Broadgates told Mr. Hawkes in Bishop Bonner's House You will have nothing but your little pretty God's Book Ibid. 33. Blesilla a devout Widow weak and sickly was never found without a Bible in her Hands S. Hierom. 34. Olympia Fulvia Morata born at Ferrara in a Letter to the young Princess of that place after getting out of the Idolatry of that Country saith It may seem incredible to you what a change the Lord then made upon my Spirit that former aversion I had to read the Scripture was then turned to have it as the greatest delight and pleasure in the World Anonym 35. One Captain Knox being a Prisoner in Ceilon in the East-Indies for near Twenty Years was extreamly pleased when he found there an English Bible which he purchased at a Rate and professeth That he never found Prayer so sweet to him as it was then See his Description of Ceilon 36. The Lady Jane Grey the Night before her Execution sent her Sister the Lady Catherine the Greek Testament in the end of which she wrote thus I Have here sent you Good Sister Catherine a Book which altho' it be not outwardly Printed with Gold yet inwardly it is more worth than precious Stones It is the Book dear Sister of the Law of the Lord it is his Testament and Last Will which he bequeathed to us Wretches which shall lead you to the Path of Eternal Joy and if you with a good Mind read it and with an earnest Heart purpose to follow it it shall bring you to an immortal and everlasting Life it shall teach you to live and learn you to die it shall win you more than you would have gained by the possession of your woful Father's Lands which if God had prospered you you should have inherited so that if you apply diligently this Book
undutiful and irregular in his Conversation and therefore his Father being grieved at it left with one Mrs. Wilson a Sails-man in London 40 l. per Annum upon this Condition That if his Son did forsake his evil Courses and become an honest Man he should then give him the Estate if not he should never let him have it After the Father's Decease Mr. Baines reformed mightily and became eminently pious and devout Mr. Wilson falling sick sends for him and desires him to pray with him which Mr. Baines did every savourily upon which the good Gentleman told him of the 40 l. per Annum which his Father had left with him and so faithfully delivered up those Writings of the Agreement which had passed betwixt his Father and him And being like to leave behind him a Wife and two Children he intreated Mr. Baines to be a Friend to them And accordingly after Mr. Wilson's Death to Discharge his Trust and approve himself grateful he married his Widow Mr. Clark in his Life Here was a Son that indeed was not dutiful to his Father in his first Years that would not go when his Father bid him go but afterwards repented and went and accordingly he fared for tho' the Estate came not to him presently yet afterwards it came CHAP. LXXVI Present Retribution to the Peaceable and Quiet BLessed saith our Saviour are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth and again Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God And 't is certain a Meekness and Quietness of Spirit doth mightily contribute to the Health of our Bodies the Comfort of our Minds and a peaceable and sweet Enjoyment of the good things of this Life The Christian Religion says a learned Man Dr. Stillingfleet now Bishop of Worcester in his Sermon upon Phil. 3. v. 16. doth lay the greatest Obligations on Mankind to Peace and Unity by the strictest Commands the highest Examples and the most prevailing Arguments yet so much have the Passions and Interests of Men overlay'd the Sense of their Duty that as nothing ought to be more in our Wishes so nothing seems more remote from our Hopes then the universal Peace of the Christian World Not that there is any impossibility in the thing or any considerable difficulty if all Men were such Christians as they ought to be but as long as Men pursue their several Factions and Designs under the colour and pretence of Zeal for Religion if they did not find Names and Parties ready framed that were suitable to their Ends the difference of their Designs would make them So that 'till mens Corruptions are mortified and their Passions subdued to a greater degree then the World hath yet found them it is vain to expect a state of Peace and Tranquility in the Church We need not go far from home for a sufficient Evidence of this for although our differences are such as the wiser Protestants abroad not only condemn but wonder at them yet it hath hitherto puzzled the wisest Persons among us to find out ways to compose them not so much from the distance of mens Opinions and Practices as the strength of their Prejudices and Inclinations Thus far Dr. Stillingfleet I now proceed to Instances of Present Retribution to the Peaceable and Quiet 1. Bazil the Great after a difference had happened between him and Eusebius Bishop of Caesaria upon danger of a Persecution from Valens the Arrian Emperour went to him and was reconciled and afterwards upon Eusebius's Death was chosen Bishop in his room Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Ambrose Lieutenant and Consul of Millain upon the Death of Auxentius Bishop of that See going to appease an Uproar that was then risen about the Election of another Bishop with his excellent Arguments so appeased the Rage of the heady Multitude they with one Voice cried up Ambrose for their Bishop upon which without any further deliberation he was by the Bishops there present installed into the Office tho' at that time he was but a Catechumenist and unbaptized Ibid. Another time Justina the Empress going about to banish Ambrose the People bore such a singular love to him that they withstood her Act and hindred it and besides just at the same time a Rebellion was raised in Britain by Maximus which cooled her Spleen and broke her Purpose concerning it Ibid. 3. There is among the Advertisements of the late News-Letters a Book mentioned with this Title The happiness of a quiet Mind both in Youth and Old Age with the way to attain it In a Discourse occasioned by the Death of Mrs. Martha Hasselborn who died March 13. 1695 in the Ninety fifth Year of her Age. By Tim. Rogers M. A. c. I suppose by the Title for I have not yet seen the Book that the Author doth ascribe the healthful Crasis of the Gentlewoman's Body and the Longevity of her Life in great measure to the quietness of her Mind but for further satisfaction I leave my Reader to consult the Book it self 4. John of Times who lived a Nestors Age and more till he was three Hundred Sixty one Years old was a Man of a contented Spirit in all Conditions of Life Wanley's Wonders l. 1. c. 31. 5. Mr. Phil. Henry of whom I have made mention before was a Man of a very sedate even Temper a calm Spirit a great Peace-maker in his Neighbourhood and accordingly he lived loved and died with the universal Lamentation of People of all sorts And which perhaps ought not to be omited in the consideration after the enjoyment of a kind and loving Wife who brought him a good and plentiful Estate and seeing his Children all disposed of with his consent and to content of all Persons concerned and they walking in the Truth and mutual Love one with another and his Chhildrens Children to his great Joy and Comfort I say after all these Blessings poured plentifully upon his Head with great assurance and satisfaction about his spiritual and eternal Estate he quietly with a short Sickness of about twelve Hours continuance or not much more resign'd up his Spirit into the Hands of the God of Peace 6. Mrs. Katherine Stubs obeyed the Commandment of the Apostle who biddeth Women to be silent and learn of their Husbands at home she would never suffer any Disorder or Abuse in her House to be unreproved or unreformed and so gentle was she and courteous of Nature that she was never heard to give the Lie to any in all her Life nor so much as Thou to any in Anger She was never heard to fall out with any of her Neighbours nor with the least Child that lived much less to scold or brawl And for true Love and Loyalty to her Husband and his Friends was she the rearest Paragon in the World she lived very contentedly there was never any Man or Woman that ever opened their Mouths against her And accordingly as she lived so she died peaceably and comfortable out-braving
Lordship I am ignorant in that she herself can best tell if she could be prevailed with so to do and the History of it and the rest of the Passages of her Life would be very acceptable and useful to the most curious and inquisitive Part of Mankind And now my Lord I think good here to put an end to my plain Relation of these very strange Passages of this Ann Jefferies's Life It 's only Matter of Fact which I have here faithfully related I have not made any Observations nor Reflections upon any one Passage I leave your Lordship to your own free Thoughts and Judgment I my self cannot give one natural Reason for any one of these Passages that happened to this poor Woman but must conclude with that great Apostle and Scholar St. Paul Rom. 11.33 34 35 36. O the depths of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out For who hath known the Mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counseller Or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again For of him and through him and to him are all things To whom be Glory for ever Amen I am Your Lordship's most Humble and Dutiful Servant MOSES PITT May 1. 1696. CHAP. LXXXIII Satan and Ill Spirits permitted to Hurt the Good in their Names SAtan hath his Name from Slandering and to shew that he is a true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and answers his Name to a Hair he hath not been wanting to reproach back-bite accuse and affix Nick-names and opprobrious Titles all along upon those People that will not list themselves under his Banner and fight under his Colours The Prophets were sufficiently misrepresented under the old Mosaic Oeconomy and the Jewish Church were accused of Treasons and Rebellions nor did our Saviour himself escape the Lash of slanderous Tongues Is not this the Carpenter And worse then that Behold a gluttonous Man and a Wine-bibber and worse yet He casts out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils St. Paul was counted a seditious and busie Man a raiser of Tumults and causer of Rebellion a Heretick Mad a Blasphemer and a Despiser of the Fathers Ordinances to use the Words of Bishop Jewel in his Apology St. Stephen one who had spoke against the Law Moses the Temple and against God himself 1. Who knows not saith Bishop Jewel after what sort our Fathers were railed upon in times past which first of all began to acknowledge and profess the Name of Christ How they made private Conspiracies devised secret Counsels against the Common-wealth and to that end made early and private Meetings in the Dark killed young Babes fed themselves with Man's Flesh and like Savage and Bruit Beasts Drink their Blood In conclusion after they had put out the Candles did commit Adultery among themselves and without regard commit Incest one with another that Brethren lay with their Sisters Sons with their Mothers without any Reverence of Nature or Kin without Shame without Difference c. Bishop Jewel in his Apol. 2. The Waldenses or Vaudois who were a sort of People that stood it out with Constancy against the Corruptions of the Church of Rome had so many opprobrious Titles bestowed upon them by the Agents of that Prince of Darkness as would almost tire a serious Reader to read over Albigenses Fratricelli's Poor Man of Lions Turlupius Sabalpius c. 3. Luther was so hateful to them of the Roman Communion that they slandered him as if he had been begot by an Incubus had familiar Conversation with the Devil was Possessed and at last was carried away by the Devil Body and Soul alive and they published the Story of his shameful Death whilst himself was yet alive 4. Calvin was so odious that the Wits of Bruxels combined together in a Knot to pour as much Satyr upon him as possibly they could introducing the Prince of the bottomless Pit as transported with Rage and Passion and threatning to plague the World with the most pestilential Monster he could procure for the Punishment of Mankind And then telling us that he had been guilty of such Villanie◠that he was Burned in the Shoulder for a Malefactor that he changed his name from Cawin to Calvin that he went to exercise the Devil out of a Person possessed and had like to have been torn in pieces by him c. I know not how now to cite my Authority for this last Paragraph the Book being gone out of my hands but I think the Title of it was Calvino-Mastix Published by the Wits of Bruxels Some gave the name of Calvin to their Dogs and others out of hatred to him abstained from the Lord's Supper Beza in vit Calvin 5. Beza and Oecolampadius and others of the Reformed Church were bespattered with most dirty and devillish Slanders in a Popish Book which I lent formerly to a Neighbour but could never recover the sight of it agen Particularly Beza was reproached as guilty of Adultery Sodomy and Obscenity 6. Bishop Hooper called a Hypocrite a Beast c. 7. And what hath been the meaning of those odious Nick-names raised in this Kingdom in this last Age amongst People and Brethren of the same Faith and Hope Puritans Phanaticks and Roundheads on the one side and Malignants Cavaliers and Papists are Popishly affected on the other side Whigs and Tories and for them that had not Zeal enough to advance to the same height of Bigottry with either Extreams but endeavoured to moderate between them and make Peace Trimmers and Time-observers And these reproachful Titles thrown about with so much Rashness and Bitterness that it broke the Hearts of some very worthy and innocent Persons particularly a Petition full of unjust Accusations being preferred against Mr. Francis Quarles by eight Men whereof he knew not any two nor they him save only by sight the first News of it struck him so to the Heart that he never recovered it but said plainly It would be his Death and accordingly it proved See his Life Writ by his sorrowful Widow Mrs. Vrsula Quarles by way of Preface to his Poetical Paraphrase upon Ecclesiastes And it is observable what Mr. Mather tells us of the Persons Bewitched lately in New-England that the Devil doth often appear before them in the Shape and Representation of some good or creditable Person whom they had no reason to suspect as he did to Isaf Chacus the Turk at London the Night before he was Baptised in the Person of Mr. Durie his Instructor to disswade and affright him from his Purpose as may be seen in the Printed Relation LHAP CXXXIV Satan permitted to Hurt the Good in their Health of Body AS the Christian Religion hath a natural Tendency to the Preservation of Health and long Life length of Days being in her right Hand according to Solomon And God almighty hath 〈◊〉 Health and Prosperity to them that live a godly Life So
sometimes one sometimes more fell into a great and dreadful Shaking and Trembling in their whole Bodies and all their Joynts with such Risings and Swellings in their Bellies and Bowels sending forth such Shriekings Yeanlings Howlings and Roatings as not only affrighted the Spectantors but caused the Dogs to bark the Swine to cry and the Cattel to run about to the astonishmen of all that heard them By these Artifices one William Spencer was drawn by them to leave the Church and to follow them whereupon at several times he fell into the same quaking Fits and lying with one of them three several Nights the last being much troubled and not able to sleep upon a sudden he heard something buzzing and humming about the Quakers Head like an Humble-bee which did sore affight him whereupon he sought to rist but the suaker perswaded him to lie still and immediately there arose a great Wind and Storm which shook the House wherein they lay which adding much to his former fear he again attempted to arise but the Quaker still pressed him to lye still perswading him to expect the Power to come which they often promised to their Proselites and thereupon he again heard the former humming Noise which more and more terrified him so that he strove vehemently to rise but the Quaker laid his Head upon Spencer's Shoulder and did blow hard like the hissing of a Goose several times towards his Face or Mouth which made him leap out of his Bed in a great astonishment crying for a Light and Guide to conduct him to a Neighbours House and upon this occasion left them altogether testisying the truth thereof to the Quaker's Face before many Witnesses the Quaker not denying it Attested under several hands Ibid. 5. A. C. 1654. A grave Minister at the earnest desire of some Friends went with John Ward and Anthony Hunter to a Meeting of the Quakers at the House of John Hunter in Benfield-side in the County of Durham where he found about twenty Persons sitting all silent And after we had sate a while saith the Minister that gave this Relation under his Hand all being mute the Lord moved me to arise and call upon his Name by Prayer I was no sooner up but my Legs trembled greatly so that it was some difficulty to me to stand but after I had Prayed a short space the trembling ceased Whilst I prayed to God as a Creator there was but little disturbance but when I cryed in me Name to Jesus Christ my Mediator God in my Nature in the highest Glory appearing and interceding for his Saints then the Devil roared in the deceived Souls in a most strange and dreadful manner some howling some sereeching yealling roaring and some had strange confused kind of humming and singing Noise Such a representation of Hell I never heard of there was nothing but Horror and Confusion After I had done Praying not opening mine Eyes before I was amazed to see about the one half of those miserable Creatures so terribly shaken with such strange violent various Motions that I wondred how it was possible for some of them to live In the midst of this Confusion one of them asked me if I was come to torment them to whom I applyed that Word Mat. 8.29 where the Devils asked Christ the same Question And whilst I spake something of Faith they declared that they were come to the Faith of Devils Jam. 2.19 who believe and tremble but he said that we were not attained to such a Faith After two Hours as we were departing out of House one of them cursed me with these Words All the Plagues of God be upon thee whereupon I return'd and Prayed for such of them as had not committed the unpardonable Sin Ibid. 6. A. C. 1656. There was one John Toldervy lately Servant to Colonel Webb living in Cornhill London who published a Book called The Foot out of the Snare wherein he declares how he was seduced by the Quakers c. Wherein he tells us that the first Principle infused into him was against the Ministers and Scriptures then against all Compliments and Greetings and Ornaments c. A short time saith he after my complyance with the Spirit that entred into me my Master coming from the Wells I reached a Stool took him by the Arm and bade him sit down William Webb not bowing nor pulling off my Hat nor calling him Master but added how doth thy Body do whereupon he answered John what is the matter where is the Servants Obedience where is the Masters Honour To which I answered my Master was the faithful Spirit c. and that all the Ministers particularly Feak his Minister were Ministers of the Devil c. Once when his Master and his company were at Dinner he took a Stool and sate down at the upper end of the Table saying that he was the Servant of the living God and had more right to the Creatures then his Master After this saith he I was resolved to be wholly taught by the Light within me and so never to sin any more and when Customers came into the Shop I durst nor ask what they wanted nor make in the Price of Wares more then one Word nor use any word but thee and thou nor pull of my Hat nor call divers of our Wares by the usual names but gave them other names which made me unfit for my Calling whereby I should live Upon this necessity and by command of the Spirit within him he fared hard feeding upon Stalks and Leaves of Cabbages he took up in the Streets pining away was put upon expectation of Revelations had several Spirits appeared before him with musical Noises and was so haunted with repeated Apparitions and contradictory Motions of the Spirit 'till at last by the occasion thereof he burnt his Leg in the Fire and became so Brain-sick with these Courâ—es and frequent Watchings together that he was near at Death's-door At last it pleased God to give him some Respite for the refreshment of his Body and the quiet of his mind upon which he wrote the Book above-mentioned the whole Narrative is tiresome and sad to relate Mr. Clark hath abridged it and I have abridged his Abridgment Ibid. CHAP. LXXXVII Satan permitted to Disturb the Quiet and Peace of Persons or Families c. THE Devil is the greatest Make-bate and the archest Beautifeu in the World setting Menâ—â— odds with one another at odds with themselves and with God to promoting Variance sometimes in our Families and Societies and sometimes in our own Breasts and this he doth not always in a clandestine way by secret Injections and temptations but sometimes by Actions palpably Diabolical wherein his cloven Foot is conspicuous and evident enough and wherein his Art and Malice is plain enough to be seen by any that have not abdicated their common Sense as well as their Reasonable and Religious Principles 1. In the 1678 on the Sunday after Twefth-day William Medcalfe and his Wife
over-looked by their Creator with more Contempt as being more Vile than their Neighbours Our Savioar gave a Check to this Humour when he vindicated the Blind Man in the Gospel and told his Auditory the Cause was neither his Sins nor his Parents 1. Martial who was a notable Scoffer makes a Mockery at Coelius in his Epigrams who counterfeiting to be Gouty anointed himself with Oils and other things wrapping and binding up his Joints because he would have nothing to do at the Court either by Night or by Day or attend as Courtiers do upon any Great Person But in the end his Fortune so fell out that he happened to have the Gout indeed Treasur of Anc. and Mod. Times 2. Appianus Alexandrinus reporteth also of another Roman who to escape the Proscriptions of the Roman Triumviri and not to be known for what he was by such as might take notice of him kept himself close and wore an Emplaster of Velvet upon one of his Eyes which he continued for a long time After all such Search and Pursuit was passed over the Man took off his Plaister and found the utter Loss of the Eye indeed Ibid. p. 272. 3. During those Troubles of the Union or League in France it chanced that near unto a Castle certain honest Men were set upon by Thieves and robb'd in such sort that they had nothing left them but their Shirts When they perceived the Castle they went presently thither and entreated the Lord thereof that he would lend them some Assistance for the Apprehension of the Thieves in regard that he had a certain Knowledge of them and was armed with such Authority as might at least help them to their Garments again But the uncharitable Gentleman would afford them no Favour no not so much as to see them but feign'd that he had the Cholick and was unable to stir out of his Bed or to attend upon any Business whatsoever It was then the coldest Season of the Year and the Servants albeit unknown to their Master lodged these despised poor Men for that Night in a Stable whence they departed homeward the next Morning without drawing the least Courtesie that could be from that ungenteel Gentleman Now I know not whether it happened by just Vengeance of Heaven or by some natural Occasion thereto leading but he fell into the Cholick indeed and was forced to keep his Chamber for the space of Twenty Days and at last died by the violent Extremity thereof Ibid. p. 273. 4. An Abbot of Guyenne and Archdeacon in a Bishoprick was cited by the Bishop and Chapter to appear at a Visitation for Assessing of each Benefice in the Diocess according to their Faculties for the Relief of poor Parishes from whence they derived Demesnes and Rents The Abbot made Excuse saying he had a Pleurisie which was meerly false and therefore he could not be there present But within few Days after he was taken with such a grievous Pain in his Side that he kept his Bed a whole Year together and was glad to have his Side cauterized in two Places Notwithstanding which he could not recover Health while he lived Ibid. c. 14. p. 273. 5. Suibdager King of Swecia being very Covetous counterscited Deafness to the end be might hear to Requests made to him for bestowing of any Gifts For in that Country he negotiated his whole Reign by Conference with the People and not by Writing or Petition as they do to this Day But in a short time the King became both Deaf and Blind indeed Ibid. 6. I knew a young Scholar descended of good Parentage in the Franche-Comtè who was a very facetious Scoffer and Mocker and continually used to counterfeit the Gate Gesture and Behaviour of his Sister the Wife of his elder Brother descended of a very Worthy and Vertuous Family and who had brought great Estates and Means for her Portion who was Lame and as she halted so in scorn he would do the like But undoubtly by God's Judgments he chanced to break one of his Legs which could never after be recovered or brought to any Form so that he halted downright to his Dying-day Ibid. CHAP. CIII Divine Judgments upon Atheism ATheism and the Effects of it are bidding an open Defiance to all the Powers of Heaven so that 't is no Wonder if the Almighty who resides there and governs here resents the Crime with a mere than ordinary Indignation The most Renowned for Professed Ungodliness saith Bishop Fotherby are these In Holy Writings King Pharach and Antiâ—â—hus the King of Tyre and the Two Herâ—ds in Ecclesiastical History Caligula Domitian Maximinus and Julian in Profane History Prâ—tagoras Diagoras Theodoras Socrates Epicurus Bion Pherecides and Dionysius Of all whom there was not one that cited in his Nest of a fair and kindly Death saving only this last whose Damnation yet slept not but all the rest of them ended their Lives by the Stroke of God's Justice 1. Julius Caesar suffered as an Atheist Dr. Tenison 2. There are a Sect of Atheists in Turkey sprung up of late Years called Muserin i. e. The True Secrâ—t is with us Which Secret is no other than the absolute Denial of a Deity that Nature or the Intrinsical Principle in every individual Thing directs the ordinary Course which we see and admire and that the Heavens Sun Moon and Stars have thence their Original and Motion and that Man himself riseth and fades like the Grass and Flower It is strange to consider what Quantities there are of Men that maintain this Principle in Constantinople most of which are Cadi's and Learned Men in the Arabian Legends and others are Renegado's from the Christian Faith who conscious of their Sin of Apostacy and therefore desirous all Things may conclude with this World are the more apt to entertain those Opinions which come nearest to their Wishes One of this Sect called Mahomet Effendi a Rich Man educated in the Knowledge of the Eastern Learning I remember was in my Time executed for impudently proclaiming his Blasphemies against the Being of a Deity making it in his ordinary Discourse an Argument against the Being of a God for that either there was none at all or else not so wise as the Doctors preached he was in suffering Him to live that was the greatest Enemy and Scorner of a Divine Essence that ever came into the World And it is observable saith my Author That this Man might notwithstanding his Accusation have saved his Life would he but have confessed his Error and promised for the future an Assent to the Principles of a better But he persisted still in his Blasphemies saying That tho' there were no Reward yet the Love of Truth obliged him to die a Martyr Mr. Ricaut's History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire Book II. c. 12. p. 246. A great Raja a Gentile a notorious Atheist glorying to profess That he knew no other God than the King nor believing nor fearing any other Deity fitting
That if your Father had not asked you to go you would have done it and this you did the Thursday and Saturday before the foul Fact Hundreds more you know there are as your perpetual running to Lingsted against my Mind and staying out till Ten or Twelve at Night and this you would do three or four times every Week making me wait those late Hours for you both for Supper and Bed And when I told you of the Danger of riding so late the Amends that followed was that the next Day you would do the same again or worse c. And again For Money to spend you had always equal with your Brother and as much as I thought you could any ways need or desire you never asked any Summ that ever was denied you you knew where my Spunding-Money was and went to it and took what you pleased and I never checked you for it Ten Pounds I offered you at a time and that lately and you would have none of it you had Money enough you said And so you had to your great Hurt c. Oh Freeman thou knowest thy Father loved thee but too well and that he could deny thee nothing From thy Cradle to his Day I know not that I ever struck thee saving that once when through thy unsufferable Sauciness I pulled off thy Hat and gave thee a little pat on the Head But what good did it You presently took it up and put it on again cocking it and in scorn sate in your Chair by me in a discontented posture and so continued for four or five Hours not speaking one Word c. See the Printed Narrative by it self or Mr. Clark 's Abbreviation of it 2. A certain Woman in Flanders contrary to the Will of her Husband used to supply her two Sons with Money to maintain their Riot yea to furnish them she would rob her Husband But presently after her Husband's Death God plagued her for this her foolish Indulgence for from Rioting these Youngsters fell to Robbing for the which one of them was execured by the Sword and the other by the Halter the Mother looking on as a Witness of their Destruction Lud. Vives 3. A Young Man in our own Nation as he was going to the Gallows desired to speak with his Mother in her Ear but when she came instead of whispering he bit off her Ear with his Teeth exclaiming upon her as the cause of his Death because she did not chastise him in his Youth for his faults but by her fondness so emboldened him in his Vices as brought him to this woful end Lucretius the Roman was served by his Son in the same manner who having been often redeemed from the Cross by his Father at last at the Cross bit off his Father's Nose 4. Austine upon a terrible and dreadful Accident called his People together to a Sermon wherein he relates this doleful Story Our Noble Citizen saith he Cyrillus a Man mighty amongst us both in work and word and much beloved had as you know one only Son and because but one he loved him immeasurably and above God And so being drunk with immoderate doting he neglected to Correct him and gave him Liberty to do whatsoever he lift Now this very day says he this same Fellow thus long suffered in his dissolute and riotous courses hath in his drunken Humour wickedly offered Violence to his Mother great with Child would have violated his Sister hath killed his Father and wounded two of his Sisters to Death Ad frat in Eremo Ser. 33. if he was the Author of that Treatise CHAP. CXXII Divine Judgments upon Gluttony SOlomon requires us to put a Knife to our Throat when we are at such Tables where Dainties are set before us if we be Persons given to Appetite And our Saviour hath forbid us the surfeiting of our selves And 't is certain Gluttony is a fault that not only hath a Natural tendency to the desTruction of our Health the obating of our Estates and the enfeebling of our Spirits but provokes the Indignation of Heaven As we may see in the sin of Sodom which was Pride and fulness of Bread and Idleness in the case of Job 's Sons and the Feast of Belshazzar and the Examples following 1. One Albidinus a Young Man of a most debauch'd course of Life when he had consumed all his Lands Goods and Jewels and exhausted all his Estate even to one House he with his own hands set that on fire and despairing of any future Fortune left the City and betaking himself to the Solitude of the Woods and Groves he in a short space after hanged himself Dr. Thomas Taylor C. 7. N. 100. 2. Lucullus a Noble Roman in his Praetorship governed Africk two several times he moreover overthrew and defeated the whole Forces of King Mithridates and rescued his Colleague Cotta who was besieged in Chalcedon and was very Fortunate in all his Expeditions but after his Greatness growing an Eye-sore to the Common-weal he retired himself from all Publick Offices or Employments to his own Private Fields where he builded Sumptuously sparing for no Charge to compass any variety that could be heard of and had in his House he made a very rich Library and plentifully furnished with Books of all sorts And when he had in all things accommodated his House suiting with his own wishes and desires forgetting all Martial Discipline before exercised he wholly betook himself to Riotous Comessations and Gluttonous Feasts having gotten so much Spoil and Treasure in the Wars that it was the greatest part of his study how profusely to spend it in Peace Pompey and Cicero one Night stealing upon him with a self-invitation to Supper he caused on the sudden a Feast to be made ready the cost whereof amounted to Fifty Thousand Pieces of Silver the state of the Place the plenty of Meat and change and variety of Dishes the costly Sauces the fineness and neatness of the Services driving the Guests into extraordinary Admiration Briefly having given himself wholly to a Sensual Life his high feeding and deep quaffing brought him to such a Weakness that he grew Apoplectick in all his Senses and as one insufficient to govern either himself or his Estate he was committed to the keeping of M. Lucullus his near Kinsman dying soon after Ibid. 3. Caesar the Son of Pope Alexander was one of those who much doted on his Belly and wholly devoted himelf to all kind of Intemperance who in daily Breakfasts Dinners Afternoon-sittings Suppers and new Banquets spent Five Hundred Crowns not reckoning Feasts and Extraordinary Inventions For Parasites Buffoons and Jesters he allowed Yearly Two Thousand Suits of Cloaths from his Wardrobe He maintained also a continual Army of Eight Thousand Soldiers about him and all this he exhausted from his Father's Coffers Ibid. 4. Demadas now being old and always a Glutton is like a spent Sacrifice nothing is left but his Belly and his Tongue all the Man besides is
gone said Antipater of him Dr. Jer. Tailor 5. Hugucchio a Captain lost two Towns because he would not break his Meal Mr. Hales of Eaton out of Paulus Jovius 6. When Philoxenus the Epicure had fallen desperately sick upon glutting himself on a delicate and costly Fish perceiving he was to die calls for the remainder of his Fish and eats it up and dies a true Martyr to his Belly Mr. Hales 7. A certain Rich Citizen's Son to please all his five Senses at once allowed to the delight of every several Sense 100 l. For which end he bespake a curious fair Room richly hanged and furnished with the most exquisite Pictures to please his Eye Secondly the choicest Musick to content his Ear All the Aromaticks and sweet Perfumes for his Smelling all the Candies Preserves and Junkets for his Taste a Beautiful Strumpet to Lodge with him in a soft Bed and the finest Linen that could be bought to accommodate his Touch all which he enjoyed at one time He spent 30000 l. in three Years and swore after all that if he had three times more than ever he had he would spend it all to live one Week like a God though he were sure to be damned in Hell the next day after But by the Just Hand of God he was punished with extream Poverty and was cast off by all his former Acquaintance so that he died in misery Theat of Judgm Clark 's Examp. Vol. I. c. 61. 8. Apicius that Luxurious roman the Expences of whose Kitchen amounted to more than 2000000 of Sesterces of Gold having eaten up his Estate and fearing Poverty Poison'd himself Idem ex Senecâ Yet at the same time he had 10000000 of Sesterces left 9. Augustinus Chiessius a Banker at Rome at the Christening of his Son entertained Pope Leo X. upon the River Tibris and all the Foreign Embassadors and City-Nobles with Curious Fare dish'd out in costly Plate and on the change of every Service all the Meats Plate and all were cast into the River and new brought in for supply And all the fruits of this was that he was admired by none but Fools and his Name had hardly been mentioned at this day but to tell the World that he was the Author of this ridiculous Action Mr. Hales of Eaton CHAP. CXXIII Divine Judgments upon Drunkenness DRunkenness is a Sin that is prohibited by the Laws of God and Man and upon good reason because it tends to the ruine of a Man's Health the diminution of his Estate the mispending of his precious hours the Powerty of his Family the hindrance of his Piety and Charity the obstruction of Business the acceleration of Old Age and in fine the dishonour of God and the destruction of the Soul And therefore no wonder if we often find the Divine Vengeance follow close upon the heels of this sin as may be seen in the subsequent Stories 1. John Manlius in his Common Places p. 244. tells us of three abominable Drunkards who drank so long till one of them fell down stark dead and yet the other two nothing terrified with such a dreadful Example of Divine Vengeance went on to drink and poured the dead Man's part into him as he lay by them 2. Marcus Antonius wrote or rather spewed out a Book concerning his own abilities to bear strong Drink 3. Darius boasted of the same Faculty in his very Epitaph 4. Alexander the Great drank himself to Death and killed One and Forty more with excessive Drinking to get that Crown of One Hundred and Eighty Pounds weight which he had provided for him that drank most 5. Eccius called by Erasmus Jeccius for his Tipling being Non-pluss'd at Ratisbone by Melancthon in a Publick Disputation and over-drinking himself that Night at the Bishop of Mundina's Lodgings who had store of the best Italian Wines fell into a Fever whereof he died Jo. Man loc com p. 89. 6. Anno Christi 1556. In the Town of St. Gallus in Switzerland there was one Peter Besler who was Born at Rotmund but was now Servant to a Citizen whose Habitation was near unto St. Gallus This dissolute Young Man was much given to the Beastly sin of Drunkenness and upon Trinity Sunday which was May 21st he together with some of his Companions went to the Town of Sangall there to be merry And when they had drank freely this Young Man began to rail at and to quarrel with his Companions and using many Blasphemies against God he added this Execration also If I serve my Master any longer I give my Body and Soul to the Devil When he had staid there all Night in the Morning awaking he began to think what words he had uttered the Night before yet having no other means of Subsistance he resolved to return to his Master's Service But going out of the City when he was now not far from his Master's House a Man met him clad in black and fearful to behold who said to him Go to Good Fellow I am now ready to take that which is my Right and which thou gavest me yesterday Which when he had said taking the Fellow by the Hand who was amazed with Horror and altogether astonished he threw him to the Ground and so vanished Not long after this miserable Young Man being found by some of the Neighbours had his Hands and Feet drawn together and being brought to a Lodging he had the use of all his Limbs taken from him and so continued till he died miserably Stephen Bateman Professor of Divinity Ibid. 7. Anno Christi 1578. February 10th in the Country of Scwaben about Eight Persons that were Citizens and Citizens Sons whose Names my Author setteth down met together at a Tavern whereof the Master's Name was Anthony Huge on a Sabbath-day Morning where they drank themselves Drunk and then began to Blaspheme God and scoff at the Host who advised them to leave Drinking and to go to Church to hear the Word Preached at which they not only continued to mock but went on in their Drinking when suddenly the Devil came in among them in the Habit of a Cavalier who drinking to them set their Mouths on such a fire that these Drunkards not only became amazed thereat but also after a miserable manner were all strangled to Death Ibid. 8. At Kesgrave near Ipswich three Serving-men having been Drinking hard when they wee about to go away the Hostess by her Importunity would needs perswade them to drink the three Ou ts first viz. Wit out of the Head Money out of the Purse and Ale out of the Barrel but as she came to them with the Pot in her hand God suddenly struck her sick and speechless her Tongue also swelling in her Head so that in great extremity she died three days after Beard 's Theat 9. Two Servants of a Brewer in Ipswich drank themselves Drunk for the Rump of a Turkey and afterwards as they were strugling for it they fell backwards into a Cauldron of scalding
would resolvedly renew his Baptismal Covenant and renounce the Devil and live as truly devoted to God and our Redeemer I have heard from him no more but must not name him Historical Discourse of Apparitions and Witches p. 62. 2. Dr. John Dee an excellent Scholar and Mathematician of the University of Oxford who published many Treatises for the Benefit of his Country at least Eight in number being afterwards earnestly desirous of more Knowledge and making it his serious Prayer to God to make him wiser than the rest of Mankind was by the Divine Judgment given over to strong Delusions and sadly imposed upon by the Apparition of Evil Spirits under the Disguise of Good Angelâ— who promised to help him to the Philosopher's Stone who never left him till they had dreined him of what Wealth he had so that at last he died very poor and every way miserable at Mortlack near London All Men may take warning by this Example how they put themselves out of the Protection of Almighty God either by presumptuous unlawful Wishes and Desires or by seeking not unto Devils only directly which Dr. d ee certainly never did but abhorred the very Thought of it in his Heart but unto them that have next relation unto Devils as Witches Wizzards Conjurers Astrologers that take upon them to foretel humane Events Fortune-tellers and the like yea and all Books of that subject which I doubt were a great Occasion of Dr. Dee's Delusion I might have added amongst the Miseries that befel this Doctor That he was Banished out of England out of the Emperor or Germany's Territories by the Interposition of the Pope Robbed of his Houshold-Plate by his own Sons c. Dr. Mer. Casaubon 's Relat. of Dr. Dee 's Actions with Spirits Preface 3. Edward Kelly Dr. Dee's Skryer a Necromancer of Lancashire by clambering over a Wall in his own House in Prague which bears his Name to this day and sometimes was an old Sanctuary he fell down from the Battlements broke his Legs and bruised his Body of which hurts within a while after he departed this World Ibid. 4. There was within the Memory of our Fathers saith Camerarius John Faustus of Cundligen a German who had learned the Black Art at Cracovia in Poland This wicked Wretch is reported to have led about with him an Evil Spirit in the likeness of a Dog and being at Wittenburg an Order was sent from the Emperor to seize him but by his Magical Delusions he made his escape and afterwards being at a Dinner at Norimberg he was secretly sensible by an extraordinary Sweat which came upon him that he was beset whereupon he suddenly paid his Reckoning and went away but was hardly out of the City Walls ere the Sergeants and other Officers came to Apprehend him Yet Divine Vengeance followed him for coming into an Inn in a Village of the Dukedom of Wittenburg he sat very sad and when his Host demanding the cause thereof he answered that he would not have him affrighted if he heard great noise and shaking of the House that Night which happened according to his own Prediction for in the Morning he was found dead by his Bed-side with his Neck wrung behind him and the House wherein he lay was beaten down to the Ground Wanly Hist Man 5. An Officer who was a Papist belonging to a Court of Justice came out of Curiosity to Mr. Perreaud's House and hearing that the Devil fore-told future things there and some Secrets he would needs Question him about many matters but Mr. Perreaud desired him to forbear representing to him both the sin and danger of it The Lawyer rejected his Counsel with scorn bidding him Teach his own Flock and let him have the Government of himself and so proceeded to propound several Questions to the Devil as about absent Friends private Business News and State-Affairs unto all which the Devil answered him and then added Now Sir I have told you all that you have desired of me I must tell you next what you demanded not That at this very time you are propounding these Questions to the Devil such a Man whom he named is doing your Business with your Wife And then he further discovered many secret and foul Practices of the Lawyer which shewed his dishonesty Neither was this all for in conclusion the Devil told him Now Sir let me Correct you for being so bold as to Question with the Devil you should have taken the Ministers safe Counsel Then upon a sudden the whole Company saw the Lawyer drawn by the Arm into the midst of the Room where the Devil whirled him about and gave him many turns with great swiftness touching the Ground only with his Toe and then threw him down upon the Floor with great violence and being taken up and carried to his House he lay sick and distracted a long time after See the Narrative of the Devil of Mascon CHAP. CXXIX Divine Judgments upon Gaming SPorting and Gaming is not simply and absolutely unlawful but rather a whet to cut Studies and Lawful Employments as eating drinking and sleeping moderately and seasonably rather refresheth our Spirits and makes us more fit and brisk for Care and Business But the immoderate use or abuse of them is of evil Report and tends to the dissipation of the Powers of the Soul the effeminating of the Mind the loss of Time and all the ill Effects and Consequences of an Idle and Licentious Life And therefore no wonder if God Almighty do often Punish those Persons with some visible Tokens of his Displeasure who give up themselves immoderately and without any check to such Courses In short where Games are not used with these Cautions soberly seasonably ingenuously inoffensively prudently and religiously they are naught and daugerous and there are but very few People that are careful thus to govern themselves when they are engaged in Play Voluptates ut mel summo digito degustandae non plena manu sumendae Dionys Soph. apud Philostr 1. In a Town of Campania a certain Jew playing at Dice with a Christian lost a great Sum of Money unto him with which great Loss being enraged and almost beside himself as commonly Men in that case are affected he belched out most bitter Curses against Christ Jesus and his Mother the Blessed Virgin in the midst whereof the Lord deprived him of his Life and Sense and struck him dead in the place As for his Companion the Christian indeed he escaped sudden Death howbeit he was robbed of his Wits and Understanding and survived not very long after Discip de tempor Ser. 12. 2. Anno 1533. Near to Belissana a City in Helvetia there were three Profane Wretches that played at Dice upon the Lord's-day without the Walls of the City one of which called Vlrich Schraeterus having lost much Money offended God with many cursed speeches At last presaging to himself Good Luck he burst forth into these terms If Fortune deceive me now I will thrust
declared himself Innocent caused his Tongue to be cut out and cast to them again seized upon any that stood near when he wanted Game for the Wild Beasts suborned Persons to go into the Senate-House and declare him whom he had a mind to murder as a Publick Enemy would Command the Executioner so to strike that Persons might feel themselves die Disannulled Persons Wills because they had not made him their Heir Slew many Rich Men confiscated the Estates of others levied unheard-of Taxes would with an Artificial Engine vie with the Thunder of Heaven throw up a Stone at such times saying Either do thus kill me or I will kill thee Wished all the People of Rome had but one Neck that he might cut them off at one blow At last two of the Tribunes conspired against him slew him and his Wife Caesonia and took his younger Daughter and dashed her Brains against the Walls In his Closet were found two Books one called the Sword the other the Dagger containing the Names of all those he designed for Slaughter and a great Chest stored with all sorts of most deadly Poisons Ibid. in ejus vit 5. Andronicus who Traiterously murdered the Son and Heir of Emanuel the Emperor causing him to be tyed in Sack and so drowned in the Sea then by Violence took Possession of the Empire of Constantinople and proceeded to Rapes and Debaucheries not abstaining from his own Sisters murdering most of the Nobility was afterwards besieged taken degraded despolied of all his Ornaments his Eyes pluck'd out and he upon an Asse's back with his Face towards the Tail and the Tail in his Hand and a Rope about his Neck led through the Streets of Constantinople the People shouting throwing Dung Dirt and Chamber-Pots upon him then carried to the Gallows and there hanged Beard 's Theater 6. Charles King of Navarre a cruel Oppressor and Tyrant over his Subjects as also a great Letcher doting upon a Whore which he kept at Threescore Years of Age one day returning from her and entring into his Chamber went quaking to Bed and half frozen with Cold they tried by blowing upon him with Brazen Bellows Aqua-vitae and hot Blasts to revive Nature but it happening that a spark of Fire flew between the Sheets and inflamed the dry Linen and Aqua-vitae so that in an instant his late quivering Bones were half burnt He lived in great Torment for Fifteen days after and then miserably died Ibid. 7. Julian the Apostate and Persecutor nubecula fuit citò transivit as Athanasius said of him 8. King John of England by his Exactions gathered much Money the Sinews of War of his Subjects but lost his People's Affections the Joints of Peace 9. Richard the Third and Queen Mary as they had the bloodiest so the shortest Reigns of any since the Conquest 10. The fearful Judgment by Rats inflicted upon the Archbishop of Mentz for burning up the Poor of the Country in his Barn is related before 11. Novellus Carrarius Lord of Pavia after many Cruel Murders and Bloody Practices at last falling in Love with a Virgin of Excellent Beauty and Chastity and her Parents refusing to send her to him at his Command he took her out by violence forced her to his Lust and then chopt her into small pieces and sent her in a Basket to her Parents Her poor Father carried it to the Senate of Venice to consider of the Fact and revenge the Cruelty The Venetians made War upon him seized him and hanged him up with his two Sons Beard 's Theater 12. John Pontanus and Budaeus both tell of a Devilish Fellow that for a Spleen taken against his Master for some rough Usage in his Master's absence broke in upon his Mistress bound her Hand and Foot takes her three Children carries them up to the Battlements and when his Master came first threw down one then another to the Pavement and dashed them to pieces the Father begging upon his Knees for the Life of the other he tells him the only way to Ransom it was by cutting off his own Nose The poor Father doth so and disfigured his Face strangely This Limb of the Devil with a loud Laughter tumbles down the other and last of all most desperately cast himself after Beard 's Theater c. CHAP. CXXXVIII Divine Judgments upon Hereticks Schismaticks c. BY Heresie I mean an obstinate Assertion and Defence of some Doctrine contrary to the Essential Truth of our Religion By Schism an uncharitable Separation from our Brethren upon unnecessary and unwarrantable grounds And surely if we are bound to pursue after those things that make for Peace and Vnity in our Civil much more in our Religious Societies And 't is hard to offend in these cases without incurring the Indignation of Heaven God seldom permits the Authors and Principal Fomentors of such Division to go unpunished even in this World 1. Antioch being overspread with the Arian Heresie was punished with a terrible Earthquake and Fire mixt with it which consumed Multitudes of Persons Evagr. 2. Arius himself the Author as he was easing Nature his Bowels gushed out and he died miserably Theod. 3. Simon Magus attempting to shew his Power by flying in the Air fell down and broke his Thigh and so died Isaack's Chron. p. 186. 4. Manes or Manichaeus was slain by the King of Persia and his Skin stuff'd Chaff Simps 5. Emeritus Bishop of the Donatists at a Council held at Caesarea being challenged by St. Augustine to a Disputation could not be perswaded thereto by Parents or Friends through a distrust of his own Cause tho' in his own City and in the midst of his Friends Which through the Mercy of God turned much to the Advantage of the Church Clark's Mirr of Eccl. Hist 6. Nestorius being in the Council of Ephesus summoned by Theodosius Minor was condemned to Banishment in Oasis for the Blasphemous Opinions he had vented against the Deity of our Saviour Christ was struck with an Incurable Disease whereby his Tongue rotted and breeding many Worms was devoured by them so that he ended his Life miserably Ibid. p. 87. 7. Cerinthus the Heretick being at a Bath at Ephesus the Apostle St. John seeing him called upon those that were with him to depart lest the House should fall upon their Heads and immediately after their departure it fell upon Cerinthus and his Associates and killed them Euseb Eccl. Hist 8. Montanus despaired and hanged himself Niceph. Centur. Magdeburg c. 9. The Emperor Valens an Arian Heretick was burnt by the Goths in Village leaving no Successor behind him Sozom. 10. Benchocab the Famous Pseudo-Messiah under the Reign of the Emperor Adrian who drew many Disciples after him was himself and all his Followers slain called therefore by the Jews Bencâ—zby the Son of a Lye Euseb 11. Heraclius the Emperor a Monothelite having raised great Army against his Enemies in one Night 50000 of them died and himself fell presently sick and died also
cast his Child into the Fire and the Child afterwards sicken'd and died The Leper cleansed p. 17. For this Act he was suspended again Ibid. 37. James Naylor a Blasphemous Quaker was burnt in the Tongue at Bristol 38. Jo. Collins and Tho. Reeve Ranters for calling a Cup of Ale the Blood of Christ and saying They could go into the House of Office and make a God every Morning c. were in the Old-Bailey Fined and Sentenced to Six Months Imprisonment Tho. Kendal in Drury-Lane affirming there was no God or Hell fell down dead See the Tryals Printed by B. Alsop 1651. Muggleton was condemned to the Pillory and â—ined 500 l. 1676. CHAP. CXXXIX Divine Judgments upon Wizards Witches and Charmers c. IT is worthy of a very serious Consideration That those very People who leave the God of Israel and think to better themselves by Idols or Corrivals and a superstitious Adbesion to them either the World or the Devil or any other Pretender never got any thing by such Methods but to be deluded in their Hopes and sink under the Vanity of their foolish and wicked Curiosity When did we ever see a Wizard Rich Or a Curioso Prosperous I mean a Curioso in the worst sense Or an Atheist make a Comfortable Exit out of the World I grant sometimes by the Leave of him that Rules the World and the Industry of Satan present Advantages may possibly accrew and do too often to be Worshippers of Mammon but generally when the Blot is great and the Criminal notorious God looks upon it as conducive to his Honour and necessary in point of Justice and Wisdom to strike openly and leave a Mark of Ignominy upon such gross Delinquents Read what follows and ye will agree with me in judgment 1. Concerning John Faustus Dr. d ee and Edward Kelley c. See the Chapter of Divine Judgments upon Curiosity 2. A. C. 1553. Two Women were taken who with a Tempest Hail and Frost design'd to destroy all the Corn in the Country but being found cutting a Neighbour's Child in pieces to boil in a Cauldron in order to the making of a Magical Ointment for the purpose were put to Death Beard 's Theatr. p. 419. 3. At Ihena in Germany or near it An. 1558. a Magician that had used to cure Diseases by the Composition of Herbs was for poisoning of a Carpenter whom he had a Quarrel with a little before examined before the Senate confessed the Murder and was burnt at a Stake Ibid. 4. Cleomandes a Conjurer in Rome for practising Death upon many little Children was sought for by the Parents but having shut himself up close in a Coffer and they breaking it open the Devil carried him away Plutarch 5. Piso being accused by Tiberius for bewitching Germanicus to Death cut his own Throat Tacit. Ann. 6. One Otto a Dane who by his Devilish Art used to raise Storms was at last by one more Expert drowned in the Seas himself 7. A Conjurer in Saltzburg attempting to draw all the Serpents in the Country into a Ditch and feed them there was by the old Serpent the Devil drawn in amongst them and perished miserably Clarks Exampl Vol. I. c. 8. 8. The Governour of Mascon a great Magician as he was at Dinner with some Company was snatched away by the Devil hoisted up into the Air and carried three times about the Town to the great Astonishment of the Inhabitants to whom he cried for help but all in vain Ibid. Ex Hug. de Clun An. 1437. Sir Giles Britaine Hight-Constable of France having murdered above 160 Infants and Women great with Child and wrote conjuring-Conjuring-Books with their Blood which was proved against him was adjudged to be hanged and burnt to Death Ibid. p. 37. 10. Picus Mirandula writes That in his time a great Conjurer promised a certain Prince that he would present to him the Siege of Troy with Hercules and Achilles fighting together as when alive but being at his Conjurations the Devil carried him away that he was never heard of after Ibid. 11. The Lord of Orve in Lorrain used to feast Noblemen splendidly but fraudulently with all sorts of Dainties so that at parting they found their Stomachs empty having eat nothing was often seen scourged by a Monkey sometimes lying along upon his Table and begging of the Monkey Let me alone Wilt thou always torment me at this rate At last in great Misery and Beggary he was forc'd to get into an Hospital in Paris where he ended his wretched Life Ibid. 12. An. 1530. A Popish Priest digging for a Treasure in a hollow Pit of the City which the Devil had directed him to found at last a Coffer with a black Dog lying by it which whilst he was looking upon the Earth fell upon him and rushed him to death Wierus 13. Cornelius Agrippa a great Necromancer always attended with a familiar Spirit like a black Dog his End approaching he takes off the inchanted Collar from the Dog's Neck saying Be gone thou cursed Beast thou hast utterly undone me After which the Dog vanish'd and he died miserably Clark ex Paul Jovio 14. An. 1578. Simon Pembroke of St. George's Parish in London being suspected for a Conjurer and one that used to erect Figures being questioned for it as he was before the Judge he fell down and died having some Conjuring-Books found about him Clark Ibid. 15. A Sicilian called Lyodor for using Charms and Spells transforming Men into Beasts and other Shapes doing Mischief to the People of Catania charming himself out of the Hangman's Hands being carried in the Air to Constantinople and back again c. was at last by Leo Bishop of Catania seized before all the People who admired him and burnt alive in a hot Furnace Schot Phil. Curios c. 16. Ann. Bodenham of Fisherton-Anger near Salisbury a Witch for predicting things to come helping People to stolen Goods c. was executed at Salisbury 1653. Edm. Bowyer 's Narrative 17. An. 1642. One Mother Jackson for bewitching one Mary Glover in Thames-street a Merchant's Daughter was arraigned and condemned at Newgate 18. John Contius an Alderman of Pentich in Silesia near 60 Years of Age being invited to the Mayor's Supper after the ending of a certain Controversie between some Waggoners and a Merchant gets leave first to go home to order some Concerns leaving this Sentence behind him It 's good to be Merry whilst we may For Mischiefs grow fast enough e'ry Day Going home and looking upon the Hoof of one of his Geldings he was so struck that he complained he was all on fire fell sick complained loudly and despairingly of his Sins but would have no Divine to come to him The Night he died a Black Cat opened the Casement with her Nails scratched his Face and Bolster and so vanishing away he breathed his last A violent Storm of Wind arose a Spirit in the shape of Contius appeared in the Town that would have ravish d a
J. with whom I only leave for their Direction and Encouragement 1 Cor. 15.58 Mat. 28.20 The Lay men whom I put in Joynt-Trust are Mr. B. Mr. M. Mr. B. and plain-hearted T. H. all whose Faces I hope to see in Heaven with them I leave for their Refreshment when taking some steps about it Mat. 25.39 40 for Eternity is the place I would be for to which when gone I am but a little before and you a little behind This Lecture he kept up by his constant cost and care from Aug. 4. 1653. Monthly until Jan. 2. 1659. whereof he kept an exact Account in a Catalogue wherein he took notice of the day of the Month the Place the Persons that Preached and their Texts some hints of the Congregation both number and seriousness See his Life And having thus made use of some of his Memorials we shall add what himself said of the ' writing of them in these words The occasion of making and writing these things was a thought I had what was become of all my Fore-fathers and what what Price I should set upon one of their Manuscripts concerning the state of our Family Nation or Church of God in it 500 Years since Whereupon I resolved this Work formy Son's sake and Posterity's imitation when it may be said of us in this Generation as of Israel once in that Exod. 1.6 And Joseph died and all his Brethren and all that Generation I John Machin called by him who separated me from the Womb Gal. 1.15 to the hope of having my Name in the Book of Life and likewise to be an Embassador of my Lord Christ Jesus was in my great Master's Work at Astbury in Cheshire Anno 1655. when I first set Pen hereunto See his Life 67. Part of Mr. Richard Baxter's Last Will as I find it published by Mr. Sylvester in the Narrative of his Life I Richard Baxter of London Clerk an unworthy Servant of Jesus Christ drawing to the end of this Transitory Life having through God's great Mercy the free use of my Understanding do make this My Last Will and Testament My Spirit I commit with Trust and Hope of the Heavenly Felicity into the hands of Jesus my glorified Redeemer and Intercessor and by his Mediation into the hands of God my Reconciled Father the Infinite Eternal Spirit Light Life and Love most Great and Wise and Good the God of Nature Grace and Glory of whom and through whom and to whom are all things my absolute Owner Ruler and Benefactor whose I am and whom though imperfectly I serve seek and trust to whom be Glory for ever Amen To him I render most humble Thanks that he hath filled up my Life with abundance of Mercy pardon'd my Sins by the Merits of Christ and vouchsafed by his Spirit to renew and seal me as his own and to moderate and bless to me my long-sufferings in the Flesh and at last to sweeten them by his own Interest and comforting Approbation who taketh the cause of Love and Concord as his own Now let the Reader Judge adds the Reverend Mr. Sylvester in his Preface to Mr. Baxter 's Life whether any thing in all this can in the least infer his doubting or denyal of a fature state as some have reported 68. The Reverend Mr. John Dunton late Rector of Aston Clinton in Bucks after he had in his Last Will bequeathed his Soul to God who gave it speaking next concerning his Funeral he adds That 't is his desire that his Funeral might not be performed till Five days after his decease Which Request was occasioned by his first Wife 's lying seemingly dead for three days and afterwards coming to Life again to the Admiration of all that saw her 69. A Copy of the Will made by the Reverend Dr. Samuel Annesly who departed this Life on Thursday Decemb. 31. 1696. in the 77th Year of his Age. IN the Name of God Amen I Dr. Samuel Annesly of the Liberty of Norton-Folgate in the County of Middlesex an unworthy Minister of Jesus Christ being through Mercy in Health of Body and Mind do make this my Last Will and Testament concerning my Earthly Pittance Formy SOVL I dare humbly say it is through Grace devoted unto God otherwise than by LEGACY when it may live here no longer And I do believe that my BODY after its sleeping a while in Jesus shall be reunited to my Soul that they may both be for ever with the Lord. Of what I shall leave behind me I make this short disposal My Just Debts being paid I give to each of my Children One Shilling and all the rest to be equally divided between my Son Benjamin Annesly my Daughter Judith Annesly and my Daughter Ann Annesly whom I make my Executors of this my Last Will and Testament revoking all former and confirming this with my Hand and Seal this 29th day of March 1693. SAMVEL ANNESLY 70. Cardinal Richelieu was visited by the King in his last Sickness which saith my Author was the greatest Favour he could receive from any Mortal Man seeing that having lived altogether for his King he was to die near him and almost in his Arms. He desired in his Sickness That he might live no longer than he was able do the King and the Kingdom of France Service He expired Decemb. 4. St. N. 1642. aged 58. He was buried in the College of Sorbonne where he had caused his Monument to be built during his Life Gabriel Du-gres in the Life of Jean Arman Du Plessis D. of Richelieu p. 65. 71. Cardinal Mazarine thus expressed himself to the Queen-Mother of France before his Death Madam your Favours have undone me were I to live again I would be a Capuchin rather than a Courtier This with some others following I am not now able to cite my Authors for having taken the Abstracts out of borrowed Books several Years ago 72. Sir John Mason Privy-Counsellor to four Princes expressed himself thus Seriousness is the best Wisdom Temperance the best Physick a good Conscience the best Estate and were I to live again I wold change the Court for a Cloyster my Privy-Counsellor's Bustles for an Hermit's Retirement and the whole Life I have lived in the Palace for one hours enjoyment of God in the Chapel All things else forsake me except my God my Duties and my Prayers 73. Hugo Grotius wish'd that he might exchange all his Learning and Honour for the plain Integrity of Jean Vrich who was a Poor Religious Man that spent Eight hours of his Day in Prayer Eight in Meat and Sleep and Eight in Labour 74. Salmasius his last Reflections were to this purpose Oh! I have lost a World of Time Time that most Precious thing in the World whereof had I but one Year more it should be spent in David's Psalms and Paul's Epistles O Sirs mind the World less and God more The Fear of the Lord this is Wisdom 75. Mr. Selden to Archbishop Vsher Notwithstanding my curious Enquiries
so have some excellent Persons in this Countrey done Governour Eaton at New-Haven and Governour Hains at Hartford died in their Sleep without being sick That Excellent Man of God Mr. Norton as he was walking in his House in this Boston was taken with a Syncope fell down dead and never spake more Nor is there any Rule or Reason for Christians to pray absolutely against sudden Death Some Holy Men have with submission to the Will of the most High desired and prayed for such a Death So did Mr. Capel and God gave him his Desire for on September 21. 1656. having Preached twice that Day and performed Religious Duties with his Family he went to Bed and died immediately The like is reported by Dr. Fuller in his Church History concerning that Angesical Man Mr. Brightman who would often pray if God saw fit that he might die rather a sudden than a lingring Death and so it came to pass For as he was travelling in the Coach with Sir John Osborne and reading of a Book for he would lose no time he was taken with a Fainting Fit and though instantly taken out in the Arms of one there present and all means possible used for his Recovery he there died August 24. 1607. The Learned and Pious Wolfius not the Divine who has written Commentaries on several Parts of the Scriptures but he that published Lectionum Memorabilium Reconditarum Centenarios on May 23. 1600. being in usual Health was after he had Dined surprised with a sudden illness whereof he died within a few Hours That Holy man Jacobus Faber who did and suffered great things for the Name of Christ went suddenly into the silent Grave On a Day when some Friends came to visit him after he had courteously entertained them he laid himself down upon his Bed to take some Repose and no sooner shut his Eyes but his Heaven-born Soul took its flight into the World of Souls The Man who being in Christ shall always be doing something for God may bid Death Welcome when ever it shall come be it never so soon never so suddenly Thus far Mr. Mather God who is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him was pleased to give a Quietus est to the Reverend Mr. Hurst suddenly taking him from his Work to receive his Wages advancing him from the Pulpit to the Throne April 14. 1690. as he did the laborious Bishop Jewel who was first of the same Merton College in Oxford in somewhat alike manner from preaching at Lacock in Wiltshire now near an Hundred and twenty Years since who had said to a Gentleman disswading him from preaching then It did best become a Bishop to die preaching or standing in the Pulpit seriously thinking of that comfortable Elogy of his Lord and Master which you heard our Preacher chose for his Text at the Interment of Mr. Cawton Happy art thou my Servant if when I come I find thee doing Mr. Wells and Mr. Pledger were if I mistake not both struck with sudden Death on the Lord's-Day An Ingenious Poet of our own said in his Jambicks of the excellent Mr. Vines who went to his eternal Rest the Night after his Preaching and Administring the Lord's Supper the beginning of March 1655. Abit beata Mors Modis oportet hisce Episcopum mori And another then to the same purpose in our Mother Tongue wrote also Our English Luther Vines whose Death Iweep Stole away and said nothing in a Sleep Sweet like a Swan he Preach'd that Day he went And for his Cordial took a Sacrament Had it but been suspected he would die His People sure had stopp'd him with a Cry But his Hour was then come and so was that of the famous Mr. Hollingworth at Manchester who when at a Fast in Praying and Preaching he had as far outdone himself that Day as he used to outdoe other Ministers chang'd his Habitation here for a better having done his Work upon the irresistable Stroke of a deadly Apoplexy So was that as I have heard of the holy Mr. Ambrose So that of the laborious and much-followed Mr. Watson and we know lately of our Brother Mr. Oakes carried out of the Pulpit As was the Learned and Pious Professor Dr. Joshua Hoyl out of the University Pulpit in Oxford Death which came to him was in hast and made quick dispatch it gave one blow and down he fell Mr. Thomas Gouge died says Archbishop Tillotson who preach'd his Funeral Sermon in the 77th Year of his Age Octob. 29th 1681. It so pleased God adds this Great Author that his Death was so sudden that in all probability he himself hardly perceiv'd it when it happen'd for he died in his Sleep So that we may say of him as it is said of David After he had served his Generation according to the Will of God he fell asleep I confess continues our Author that a sudden Death is generally undesirable and therefore with Reason we pray against it because so very few are sufficiently prepared for it But to him the constant Employment of whose Life was the best Preparation for Death that was possible no Death cou'd be sudden nay it was rather a Favour and Blessing to him because by how much the more sudden so much the more easie As if God had designed to begin the Reward of the great Pains of his Life in an easie Death And indeed it was rather a Translation than a Death and saving that his Body was left behind what was said of Enoch may not unfitly be applied to this Pious and Good Man with respect to the suddenness of his Change He walked with God and was not for Good took him See his Funeral Sermon CHAP. CXLVII EPITAPHS MANY Instances of EPITAPHS in Prose and in Verse may be collected from the old Greek Poets and Historians who yet were but Children compared to the Chaldeans and Egyptians But the Ancientest President of Epitaphs must be that recorded in the Ancientest History viz. the Old Testament 1 Sam. 6.18 where it is recorded that the Great Stone erected as a Memorial unto Abel by his Father Adam remained unto that Day in being and its Name was called the Stone of Abel and its Elegy was Here was shed the Blood of Righteous Abel as it is also called 4000 Years after Mattn 23.35 and this is the Original of Monumental Memorials and Elegies 1. St. Bernard 's Epitaph made by one Adam a Canon Regular Clarae sunt Valles sed claris Vallibus Abbas Clarior his clarum nomen in Orbe dedit Clarus avis clarus meritis clarus honore Claruit ingenio religione magis Mors est clara cinis clarus clarumque sepulchrum Clarior exultat Spiritus ante Deum Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 105. 2. The Epitaph upon Bede made by one of his Scholars Hac sunt in Fossà Bedae Snacti Ossa But in the Morning this was found on his Tomb. Hac sunt in Fossà Bedae Venerabilis Ossa Ibid.
but after all to die in Peace having so many Enemies was the greatest of all Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 145. 5. Hither perhaps may not unfitly be referred a strange Providence which happened on Midsummer-Eve A. C. 1626. A Codfish being brought into the Market in Cambridge and there cut up for Sale in the Maw of the Fish was found wrapt up in Canvas a Book in Decimo Sexto containing three Treatises of Mr. Frith's the Fish was caught about the Coast of Lyn called Lyndeeps by one William Skinner when the Fish was cut open the Garbidge was thrown by which a Woman looking upon espied the Canvas and taking it up found the Book wrapt up in it being much soiled and covered over with a kind of slime and congealed matter This was behâ—â—â— with great Admiration and by Benjamin Prime the Batchelor's Beadle who was present at the opening of the Fish was carried to the Vice-Chancellor who took special notice of it examining the Particulars before-mentioned By Daniel Boys a Book-binder the Leaves were carefully opened and cleansed The Treatises contained in it were A Preparation to the Cross A Preparation to Death The Treasure of Knowledge A Mirror or Glass to know ones self A Brief Instruction to teach one willingly to die Ibid. p. 160. 6. Anno Christi 1620. There was seen by the Turks at Medina where their Prophet lies buried for three Weeks together this Apparition Sept. 20. at Midnight a great Tempest fell with dreadful Thunder when the Clouds were dispersed and the Elements clear in the Firmament was seen in Arabick Characters Oh why will ye believe in Lyes Between Two and Three a Clock in the Morning there appeared a Woman in white compassed about with the Sun having a chearful Countenance and a Book in her Hand and over-against her were Armies of Turks Arabians Persians and other Mahometans in Battel-array ready to fight with her but she keeping her Station only opened her Book at the sight whereof the Armies fled away and presently all the Lamps in Mahomet's Tomb were put out For as soon as the Vision vanished which was commonly an hour before Sun-rising a murmuring Wind was heard unto which they imputed the extinguishing of the Candles The Ancient Pilgrims of Mahomet's Race who after they had visited this Place never used to cut their Hair were much amazed because they could not conceive the meaning of this Vision only one of the Dervises or Priests a strict Contemplative Order among the Turks as the Capuchins amongst the Papists stepped in very boldly and made the following Speech to the Company to this purpose That there were never but Three True Religions in the World Three Prophets Moses Christ and Mahomet c. The Jews forsaken because they fell to Idolatry Christians forsaken their Church divided into Eastern and Western Jerusalem taken from them and Constantinople c. for committing Idolatry c. The Mahometans had erred in every Point and broken their first Institutions and therefore God had kept their Prophet from Returning Forty Years at the time prefixt c. That this was a Token of some great Troubles and Alterations That the opening of the Book signified either their own Law which they had shamefully broken or some other Book wherein they had not yet read and against which no Power should be able to prevail So that I fear saith he our Religion will be proved Corrupt and our Prophet an Impostor and then this Christ whom they talk of shall shine like the Sun and set up his Name everlastingly At which words they cried out Blasphemy and with a Warrant from the Beglerbeg they condemned him and put him to Death See this Story more at large in Mr. Knowles 's Turkish History p. 1384. This Relation was confirmed by Isuf Chaous a converted Turk who came to London about Anno 1656. Which Vision he said did much affect him but he added that the Grand Seignior commanded none should speak of it upon pain of Death See the Life of Isuf or the Extract of this Particular in the Surprizing Miracles of Nature and Art by R. B. p. 97. 7. About four or five Miles from Grand Cairo there is said to be a Place which every Good-Friday shews the appearance of the Heads Legs Arms c. of Men and Children as if rising out of the Ground to a very great Number c. Stephen du-Pleis a sober discerning Man saith he saw and touched divers of the same Members 8. A certain Jew being held the space of many Years with a Palsie was fain to keep his Bed who having tried all the Salves and Medicines and all the Practices and Prayers of the Jews was not a jot the better At length he fled for Refuge unto the Baptism ministred in the Church of Christ perswading himself for surety that by the means of this being the true Physick of the Soul he might recover his former health of Body Atticus was immediately made privy unto this his Devout Mind and Godly Disposition he instructed the Jew in the Principles and Articles of the Christian Religion laid before him the hope that was to be had in Christ Jesus and bids that he Bed and all should be brought unto the Font and Place appointed for the Ministration of Baptism This Jew being grievously taken with the Palsie was no sooner baptized in the Faith of Christ and taken out of the Font but his Disease left him so that he recovered his former Health This Gift of Healing being wrought by the Power of Christ prevailed in word among Men of these our days Many of the Gentiles hearing the Fame of this Miraculous Power received the Faith and were baptized But the Jews although they sought after Signs and Wonders yet could they not be brought with Signs to embrace the Christian Faith Socrat. Schol. l. 7. c. 4. 9. Reflections upon the Miracle that happened in the Person of a Shepherdess of Dauphine by he Reverend Mons Jurieu in his Pastoral Letter Octob. 1. 1688. You may perhaps think it very strange my Brethren that being accustomed to entertain you with all such Extraordinary Matters as relate to Religion we have not yet acquainted you with what hath happened in Dauphiné where God for so many Months past hath made use of the Ministry of a simple Shepherdess that can neither Write nor Read a Child of about Fifteen or Sixteen Years of Age to declare his Marvels and to publish his Truth The occasion of our so long silence hath been the Time and Care we have taken to be fully informed of the Reality of the Fact that so we might not build our Reflections upon false Grounds After all the Assurances imaginable we have found the Matter of Fact in short to be thus She is but a Young Girl of about Fifteen or Sixteen Years of Age her Name is Isabella Vincent a Country-man's Daughter near Saou within two Leagues of Crét in Dauphiné by Profession a Shepherdess dwelling
out of the Earth which consumed all their Engines and Instruments And last of all there fell drops of Blood imprinting upon their Cloaths Crosses with so deep a stain that they were not able to wash them out and both the same Night and the Night after was seen by them in the Air the sign of a bright Cross whereupon the remainder of them fled and returned home acknowledging That him whom their Fathers had nailed to the Cross was God indeed Theod. When the Foundation was laying there was a Stone amongst the rest to which the bottom of the Foundation was fastened that slipt from its place and discovered the Mouth of a Cave which had been cut in the Rock Now when they could not see the bottom by reason of its depth the Overseers of the Buildings being desirous to have certain knowledge of the Place tied a long Rope to one of the Labourers and let him down into it He being come to the bottom found Water in it which took him up to the mid-ankles and searching every part of that hollow Place he found it to be four-square as far as he could conjecture by feeling Then returning towards the Mouth of it he hit upon a certain little Pillar not much higher than the Water and lighting with his hand upon it found a Book lying there wrapt up in a piece of thin clean Linen Having taken it up into his hands he signified by the Rope that they should draw him up which when they had done he shewed them the Book which struck them with Admiration especially seeming so fresh and untouch'd as it did being found in so dark and obscure a hole The Book being unfolded did amaze not only the Jews but the Grecians also holding forth even in the beginning of it in great Letters In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God To speak plainly saith the Historian that Scripture did manifestly contain the whole Gospel which the Divine Tongue of the Virgin Disciple had declared This together with the other Miracles which at times were proclaimed from Heaven did demonstrate that not any word of our Lord should fall to the Ground which had fore-told the utter Desolation both of the City and Temple Socrat. Eccles Hist l. 3. c. 17. Theod. l. 4. cap. 20. Sozom. l. 5. c. 21. See the Chap. of Miraculous Cures c. CHAP. CXLIX Attestations to the Truth of Christianity from such as were formerly Enemies to it or careless in the Practice of it I Make this a particular Head because the Testimony of Friends is capable of Fraud and is often suspected as proceeding from a Principle of Flattery or Partiality or Self-Interest But the Attestation of Adversaries even in the judgment of the severest Philosophers and the gravest Judges and Lawyers is generally accounted valid and weighty as being extorted by the force of Truth it self and gives as convictive a Suffrage to the Cause as can in common Reason and ordinary Cases be desired 1. Julian the Apostate having led the Roman Army into Persia in the Winter time in a Battle against the Persians was wounded with an Arrow from an unknown Hand with which Wound losing his Scâ—ses he fell upon his Horse Neck and by his Soldiers was carried into his Tent where after means used coming to himself again and recovering Strength he called for his HOrse and Arms that he might return again into Battle but afterwards finding his Strength fail him in extream Pride he took his Blood in his Hands and holding it up to Heaven he used these Words against our Saviour Vicisti Galilaee Vicisti i. e. Thou hast conquered me O Galilean thou hast conquered me For so he used in scorn to call Jesus Christ Clark is vit Jovian 2. The Earl of Marlborough whose two most Devout Penitential Letters are herewith Published was a Person of great Understanding and Wit The Scene of his Life lay chiefly in Voyages and Expeditions by Sea whereby he made many laborious Attempts to repair the collapsed Estate of his Ancestors but it pleased not God to give him that Success he hoped for therein It is wholly unfit for any Writer to touch upon any irreligious Principles or Practices that were as Stains in his Life since he hath by his own noble Pen in the following Letters acknowledg'd them and by his most exemplary Repentance washed them off Mr. Roger Coke in a Volume of his Detection p. 142. mentions That the Fight wherein the Duke of York beat the Dutch and Opdam was blown up was the Third of June 1665. and that in this Fight the English lost the Renowned Earl of Marlborough who tho' Admiral in King Charles the First 's Time died here a private Captain But it pleased God in the Naval Expedition to work in him such a Sense of his Sins as did infinitely make amends for the former Disappointments he met with by Sea or Land The Date of his first Letter being the 24th of April and that of the second the 23d of May following will satisfie any candid Reader that the new Birth in him was accompaied with many Pangs and Efforts of great Consideration during the firmness of his Bodily Health and much transcending the low nature of poor Death-bed Repentances which are so justly suspected by our Practical Divines of all Perswasions And here it is necessary to acquaint the Reader that these two Letters of distant Dates were sent by his Lordship from the Royal Navy enclosed in other Letters to Mr. Tredewy his Lordship's Agent in London with a particular Instruction both as to that to Sir Hugh Pollard and that to Mr. Glascock that each of them was to be delivered when Mr. Tredewy was credibly informed of his Lordship's Death His Design being that his Pen should preach Repentance to the World in case he lived not to be a personal Adviser thereof himself The Publisher hereof assures the Reader that both the Letters had a happy Influence on the Lives of the two Persons to whom they were directed and that Sir Hugh Pollard having lent the Original Letter which was sent to him to Sir William Davenant to shew it to whom he pleased Sir William shewed it to the Publisher among many others and that Mr. Glascock permitted the Publisher to take a Copy of that Letter directed to him The Reader may then awaken his most serious Thoughts to consider the two following Letters A Letter from the Right Honourable James Earl of Marlborough a little before his Death in the Battle at Sea on the Coast of Holland 1665. To the Right Honourable Sir Hugh Pollard Comptroller of His Majesty's Houshold SIR I Believe the Goodness of your Nature and the Friendship you have always born me will receive with kindness this last Office of your Friend I am in Health enough of Body and through the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ well disposed in Mind This I premise that you may be satisfied that
Bird of Prey an Eye on his Knee and both Kinds Ypsilon amidst his Breast and the form of a Cross This I have read saith my Author in John Multi Vallis and Gasper Hedio in the History Synopsis after Sabellicus I have seen another Portracture of the like Monster but somewhat differing and not answering the first in all Points with the Interpretation set out in Verse Batman's Doom p. 294. 6. Anno 1531. At Ausburg a Woman brought forth three Monsters first a Man's Head wrapt in a Caul secondly a Serpent with two Legs which had a great Head like unto a Pike the Body and Feet of a Frog and the Tail of a Lizard thirdly a Pig whole in all Parts Batman's Doom p. 315. 7. In the same year a horrible Monster very wild having four Feet a Man's Head Bearded and Combed Eagles Feet Hands almost like a Lions Paws a Dogs Tail and his Body of a dark yellow colour somewhat shining was taken in the Lordship of the Bishop of Saltsburg in the Forest of Hanesberg He did fly Men's sight and hid himself in dark Corners and length when he could be neither compelled nor allured to Eat he Died for Hunger Ibid. 316. 8. Anno 1540. At Milan a Cow brought forth a Calf with two perfect Heads with Tongue Teeth Eyes and Ears but the Heads were joined together in the Nap the one a Bull 's Head the other a Cow's Head Idem ex Cardan l. 14. c. 37. 9. Anno 1543. in Flanders upon the day of St. Paul's Conversion others write at Cracovia their was Born a Child of honest and gentile Parents very hideous and horrible to behold with turning and sparkling Eyes having a Mouth and Nostrils standing out with the form of a Horn and a Back rough with Dog's Hair Ape 's Faces appearing on his Breast where his Dugs should stand Cats Eyes under the Navel cruel and currish Dog's Heads at both Elbows and Knees looking forward the form of Toads Feet a Tail bending upward and turning again crooked of an Ell long he is said to have lived four hours after he was Born and at length after he had uttered these words Vigilate Dominus Deu vester advenit that is Watch your Lord is a coming to have Died. Batman ibid. p. 537. Out of Gasper Pucer and Munster's Cosmography 10. Anno 1546. At Bitterfield a Calf was found in the Field with Man's Eyes Nostrils and Ears having his Head shaven and as it were covered with Vermilion in Mouth and Breast like a Calf his fore Legs like a Calf and his hinder like a Man and very short but both were partly Hoved like a Calf and partly Toed and Fingered like a Man which Fingers were under the Hoof and hung out severally This Monster Gasper Pucerus describeth in his Book Teratascopia Ibid. p. 346. 11. The same Author writeth That he saw in the year 1553. a Calf fearful and horrible to behold looking like a Cat having a great swelling hanging from under his Jaw long like a Bladder white and soft his Hair was black like a Dogs his Stones were of no common greatness like unto them of a Ram double Codded Ibid. p. 36. 12. Anno 1534. At Stetin a Monster was Born having this Form In the place of his Head was a deformed lump moveable as the Intrails of a Sheep in the place of one of his Ears stood an Arm in the place of the Face curled Locks like to Cats Hair and sticking thereon like the Spawn of a Pike through which beneath there appeared glassy bright little Eyes his Mouth was a very small hole without Lips his Nose little and without a Neck The other Arm grew out of his side but there was no likeness of Breast nor Back He was of no Kind his Arms and long Feet had Houghs whole Bone through without Joints Elbows and Hams his Hands and Feet tender and hanging down as it were twice broken like unto crooked and bending Claws Batman Ibid. Ex Fincelio 13. Anno 1551. Febr. 18. A Lamb was yeaned at Halberstadt with a round Head and with three Eyes three Mouths two Noses with his Ears hanging to his back ward like to Dogs Ears but which is to be accounted a great Prodigy in his three Mouths he had a great Eye greater than the other and there he put forth a long Tongue He lived one day with continual crying Ibid. Ex Fincelio p. 372. 14. Anno 1554. In Marchia not far from Regemont a Mare brought forth a Monstrous Colt having the Skin gagg'd every where hanging Breeches and Dublet cut like to the fashion of the Lance Knights Batman p. 373. Ex Fincelio 15. Anno 1556. The day before the Nones of January in Germany at a Village belonging to the Bishop of Dilling called Overhassen a Cow brought a Calf that had but two hinder Feet yet of so great swiftness that running with the Body upright he surpassed all other Calves on foot Batman's Doom p. 375. 16. The same year July 24. at Clesdorf 3 miles from Pabenberg a Cow brought forth a Calf with a Man's-head a black Beard two Mens Ears indifferently well haired likewise a Man's Breast with Dugs Idem ex Fincelio 17. The same year a Child was Born of a Woman by Copulation with a Dog having a Man's shape in the upper part but in the lower the full form of a Dog and to purge the Sin he was brought to the Pope Cardan de Varietate Rerum l. 14. c. 64. 18. Anno 1563. A monstrous Fish was cast on shore at Grimsby in Lincolnshire in length 19 yards his Tail 15 Foot long and 6 yards between his two Eyes Batmans Doom p. 391. out of Dr. Coopers Chron. 19. Anno 1577. in June was seen in London a Mare having a Colt brought from the Parish of Emeley in Worcestershire the Mare was 22 years old and Foaled such a Colt as forthwith gave Milk which my Author saith he saw adding that one Mrs. Dawson endeavouring to take away the House of the Poor Man and the Man having spent almost all that he had in defence of his own Right this abundance of Milk continually flowing from the Colt was for the time a great cherishing to him Ibid. p. 403. 20. Anno 1581. Feb. 1. One Annis Fig an Adultress of Chichester in Sussex brought forth a monstrous Child of little shape of Body trussed together the Head very great bigger than the Body the Body in compass 9 Inches the Arm an Inch long and two Inches about the Face on the Cheek and Chin the likeness of a black Beard the Legs wanted Thighs the Toes crooked Idem p. 415. 21. Anno 1680. May 19. in Somersetshire near Taunton Dean a Woman was brought to Bed of two Children They grew together side to side from the Armpits to the Hip Bone they had two Fundaments whereby to avoid their Excrements they had also two passages for their Urine yet had they but one Navel by which both were nourished while
while was not because I forgot or neglected them but that I might have the daily happiness of meditating upon them and might so imprint them in my Mind and Memory that I might afterwards answer them with all the Power and Skill I have I do therofore joyfully observe and honour that tender and fatherly Affection which you do therein express towards me and do beseech God that you may live many years and that you would still continue as my Godly Father to instruct me with your wholesome and godly Counsel and Advice for I desire to embrace Religion and Godliness above all other things for St. Paul saith That Godliness is profitable for all things I wish your Fatherhood many years of Health and happiness Your well-affected Son Edward Prince He had a particular Reverence for the Scriptures For he took it very ill when one about him laid a great Bible on the Floor to step upon for somewhat that was out of his reach He at 8 years old writ Latin Letters frequently to his Father King Henry VIII and to Queen Katherine Parre and his Uncle the Earl of Hartford c. Young Man's Calling p. 204. Dr. Burnet's Abridgment Hist Ref. Book 2. p. 2. 23. Queen Elizabeth writ a good hand before she was 4 years old and understood Italian for there are Letters extant written by her in that Language to Queen Jane when she was with Child in which she subscribed Daughter Ibid. 24. Zebertus Th. D. testifies That Delrius at 19 years of Age quoted 1100 divers Authors in divers Languages with very great Labour and Judgment in his Adversaria which he published for the Illustration of Seneca Drexel Aurif CHAP. XXIX Instances of An Extraordinary Memory WIsdom is the Daughter of Experience Memory the Repository of Experiences certainly then those have an Advantage by Nature above others who excel in this Faculty and 't is very strange that a little Cell or Apartment of Brain should be able to receive so many Ideas of Things and histories of Life without disorder and confusion as would be enough to fill a Volume of the largest Folio and yet such there are Persons of a good Commixture of Humours and a dry Brain that can carry in their Heads more than some can take in 1. Avicenna could repeat Aristotle's Metaphysicks without Book Zuin. Theat vol. 1. lib. 1. pag. 34. 2. Cineas the Ambassador of King Pyrrhus the very next day after he came to Rome both knew and also saluted by their Names all the Senate and the whole Order of the Gentlemen in Rome Solinus c. 7. p. 195. 3. Hortensius sitting at Rome in the Market-place for a whole day together recited in order all the things that were sold there their Price and the Names of the Buyers 4. Lucius Lucullus a great Captain and Philosopher was able to give a ready account of all Affairs at home and abroad Cicero Commends Hortensius's Memory for Words Lucullus's for Things Zuing. v. 1. l. 1. p. 34. c. 5. Carneades a Grecian is Celebrated for his singular Memory by Pliny l. 7. c. 24. So is Pertius Latro by Seneca and Zuinger c. 6. Antheny Walleus in 6 months learn'd by heart the whole Epitome of Pagnine Clarks Mar. of Eccles Hist 7. Antonius the Egyptian Eremite without knowledge of Letters had the whole Scriptures without Book Zuing. v. 1. l. 1. p. 33. Ex Aug. de Dectr Christ 8. Cardulus was able to write two Pages entire which any other man should read in due order or if they pleased repeat them backwards Ibid. p. 34. 9. J. Lipsius offered in the presence of a German Prince thus Set one here with a Poynard and if in repeating of Tacitus all over I shall miss but in one Word let him Stab me and I will freely open my Breast or Thorat for him to strike at Jani Nicii pina Coth 2. Imag. 1. pag. 2. 10. Pomp Gariglianus could repeat on occasion any Sentence of Plato Aristotle Hippocrates Galen Theinistius Tho. Aquinas c. Ibid. p. 69. 11. I could repeat saith Seneca 2000 Names in the same Order as they were spoken and when as my Masters Scholars above 200 in all brought each of them several Verses to him beginning at the last I could recite them orderly unto the first c. Senec. Controv. l. 1. Proaemio 12. Joseph Scaliger in 21 days committed all Homer to his Memory Wanley's Wonders l. 2. c. 2. 13. Mr. Humphry Burton of Coventry aged 83. Anno 1676. could give the sum of any Chapter in the New Testament and of the Chapters in divers Books of the Old Testament in a Latin Distich with great readiness Ibid. 14. Pontanus of Spoleto a Lawyer could recite not only the Titles but the entire Bodies of the Laws Hakew. Apol. l. 3. c. 6. Sect. 1. p. 226. 15. Fr. Suarez had St. Augustine ready by heart alledging every where as there was occasion fully and faithfully his Sentences and which is very strange his Words Strada prolus Acad. l. 1. Prolus 1. p. 7. 16. Dr. Raynold's excelled this way to the astonishment of all that were inwardly acquainted with him not only for St. Augustine's Works but also all Classical Authors Hakew. Apol. l. 3. c. 6. Sect. 1. p. 226. 17. Bishop Jewel was raised by Art and Industry to the highest pitch of human possibility for he could readily repeat any thing that he had Penn'd after once Reading And therefore usually at the Ringing of the Bell he began to commit his Sermons to Heart and kept what he had learn'd so firmly that he used to say That if he were to make a Speech premeditated before a thousand Auditors shouting or fighting all the while yet could he say whatsoever he had provided to speak Many barbarous and hard Names out of a Kalendar and 40 strange words Welsh Irish c. after once or twice Reading and short Meditation he could repeat both forwards and backwards without any hesitation Sir Fr. Bacon reading to him only the last Clauses of ten lines in Erasmus his Paraphrase in a confused and dismembred manner he after a small pause rehearsed all those broken parcels of Sentences the right way and the contrary without stumbling clark's Mirror c. 81. p. 356. 18. Murctus tells of a young Man of Corsica Student in the Civil Law at Padua who could repeat 36000 Latin Greek or barbarous Words significant or insignificant upon once hearing without any Hesitation in what order so ever a Person pleased Muretus saith he made trial of him several times and avers it to be true Murct Variar lect l. 3. c. 1. p. 54. c. 19. Francis King of France Jerome of Prague Longolius Matochites c. are mentioned as Persons of an excellent Memory by Zuinger As was also Dr. Fuller Ve ejus vitâ CHAP. XXX Instances of extraordinary Fatness c. EVery thing in the extremes in natural Bodies is an irregularity and distemper whether it be excess or defect a due
kept her uncoffin'd till seven Days were expired at the end of which time her Heat which was before so languid and obscure that it could scarcely be discerned began more manifestly to discover it self Upon which Rubbings and other artificial Helps were used which proved so effectual that in a short time they found a trembling Vibration of the Pulse afterwards she began to breathe and so at last gradually recovered all her Senses The first Thing she spake of was that she desired to see her Mother who coming to her she thus uttered her Mind O Mother since I was absent from you I have been in Heaven and Angel went before me to conduct me thither I passed through three several Gates and at length I came to Heaven Gate where I saw Things very Glorious and Vnutterable as Saints Angels and the like in glorious Apparel and heard unparallell'd Musick Divine Anthems and Hallelujahs I would fain have entred that glorious Place but the Angel that went before me withstood me yet I thought my self half in but he told me I could not be admitted now but I must go bacik and take leave of my Friends and after some short time I should be admitted So he brought me hither again and is now standing at the Bed's-feet Mother you must needs see him he is all in White Her Mother told her It was but a Dream or Fancy and that she knew not what she said Whereupon she answered with a great deal of Vehemency that it was as true as that she was there at present She took notice also of several Persons in the Room by their Names to shew she did not Dream but spoke with Understanding But for the greater Confirmation she told them of three or four Persons that were dead since she was deprived of her Senses and named each Person one of them was dead and they knew not of it before they sent to enquire She said she saw them passing by her while she stood at the Gate One whom she named was reputed a vicious Person came as far as the Gate but was sent back again another way All the Persons she named died in the time she lay in this Trance She lived about two Years after this enjoying a perfect Health and then died in great Assurance of her Salvation speaking comfortable Words and giving wholsome Instructions to all who came to Visit her It is worthy Observation That during the whole time of her first Sickness which was about a quarter of a Year she neither eat nor drank any thing besides the Juice of an Orange and the Yolk of an Egg. Attested by her Brother Dr. Atherton Physician of Caermarthen 9. Mrs. Lydiah Dunton Wife to Mr. John Dunton then Rector of Graffham in Huntingdonshire was laid out for dead several Days yet came to Life again to the great Admitation of all that saw her in that Condition This Passage was related by her Husband to a Friend of mine CHAP. XXXV Women Excellent in the Arts. WHen Amesia stood forth to plead her own Cause in the Senate the Romans sent to the Oracle to enquire what it protended to the State as if Females were no Relation to the Muses or Minerva or capable of those Improvements in Literature and the Sciences as Men are Whether they are or no I desire my Reader not to judge till he hath first perused the few Examples which follow 1. Gilberta Anglica born in Mentz in Germany where she was beloved of a young Scholar for whose sake lest the Love should come to the Ears of her Parents all Modesty set aside she put her self into a young Man's Habit fled from her Father's House and came into England with her Paramour where she gave her self to Study At length the young Man dying finding her self entred into some Knowledge and desirous of more she continued her Habit and Study as well in the Scriptures as in Humane Learning At length coming to Rome she read publickly in the Schools where she had a frequent Auditory and besides her singular Wisdom being much admired for her Sanctity and Austerity of Life she was after the Death of Leo the Fifth elected and confirmed in the Papal Dignity and is commonly called by the Name of Pope Joan. Platin. 2. Constantia the Wife of Alexander Sforza had so improved her self in Learning by her indefatigable Industry that upon the sudden without any Premeditation she was able sufficiently to discourse upon any Subject either of Divinity or Philosophy besides she was well seen in the Works of Hierom Ambrose Gregory Lactantius and Cicero Heymond 3. â—osuida was born in Germany and a Saxon by Nation she lived under Lotharius the First in the Diocess of Hildesheim She was Eloquent in the Greek and Latin Tongues and practised in all good Arts. She composed many Books not without great Commendations from the Readers one especially to her Fellow-Nuns exhorting them to Chastity Virtue and Divine Worship She published six Comedies besides a Noble Poem in Hexameter Verse of the Books and Noble Acts done by the other Caesars She wrote the Lives of Holy Men but chiefly a Divine Work of the Pious and Chast Life of the Blessed Virgin Fulgos l. 8. c. 3. 4. The Lady Jane Gray Daughter to the Duke of Suffolk a Lady of incomparable Peity and for her Years of incomparable Learning for being not past 17 Years of Age she understood perfectly the Greek and Latin Tongues and was so ready in Points of Divinity as if she knew them by Inspiration rather than by Instruction Baker's Chron. When her Master came to take his Leave of her finding her busie in reading of a Greek Poet he asked her How she could contain her self at such Studies when her Father with other Persons of Quality and Ladies were following their Game and Pleasures in the Park Sir said she they do not know what true Pleasure means I find more Satisfaction and Delight in one Page of this Book than they in all their Sports During her Imprisonment the writ upon the Walls these Verses Non aliena Putes homini quae obtingere possunt Sors hodlerna mihi cras erit illa tibi In English thus Think nothing strange chance happens unto all My Lot's to Day to morrow thine may fall And again Deo juvante nil nocet livor malus Et non juvante nil juvat Labor gravâ— Post tenebras spero lucem In English thus If God protect no Malice can offend Without his Help there 's nothing can descend This Distich was made upon her Miraris Janam Graio sermone locutam Quo primum nata est tempore Graia fuit Dr. Fell. 5. Concerning Queen Elizabeth we have spoke already in the Chapter of Rath-rip Wits I shall add no more here save only that when Mr. Doddington of Trinity-College and Greek Professor at Cambridge had entertained her with a Greek Oration and offered in Latin afterwards to speak it in Latin if she pleased she made answer Ego
Silver Sphere a most exquisite Piece of Art which ws sent by the Emperor Ferdinand to Soliman the Great Turk is mentioned by Paulus Jovias and Sabellicus It was carried by twelve Men unframed and re-framed in the Grand Seignor's Presence by the Maker of it who likewise delivered him a Book containing the Mystery of using it of which Du Bartus thus Nor may we smother or forget ungrately The Heav'n of Silver that was sent but lately From Ferdinando as a famous work Vnto Bizantium to the greatest Turk Wherein a Sprite still moving to and fro Made all the Engine orderly to go And tho' th' one Sphere did always slowly glide And contrary the other swiftly slide Yet still the Stars kept all their Courses even With the true Courses of the Stars of Heaven The Sun there shifting in the Zodiack His shining Horses never did for sake His pointing Path there in a Month his Sister Fulfill'd her Course and changing of her lustre And form of Face now larger lessor soon Follow'd the Changes of the other Moon Knowles Turk Hist p. 713. 2. The Duke of Holsteine hath order'd a Globe to be made in the City of Cottorp it is a double Globe made of Copper ten Foot and half in Diameter so that within it ten Persons may sit at a Table which with the Seats about it hangeth at one of its Poles There a Man may see by means of an Horizontal Circle within the Globe how the Stars and Sun its self out of its Center moveth of its self through its Ecliptick Degrees and riseth and setteth regularly The Motion of this Globe exactly followeth that of the Heavens and deriveth that Motion from certain Wheels driven by Water which is drawn out of a Mountain hard by and let in as it requireth more or less according to the swiftness of the Spheres Olearius Travels p. 339. 3. A. 1635. There was at Leige an English Jesuit named Linus who had saith Kircher a Phial or Glass of Water wherein a little Globe did float with the 24 Letters of the Alphabet described upon it on the inside of the Phial was an Index or Stile to which the Globe did turn and move it self at the Period of every Hour with that Letter that denoted the Hour of the Day successively as tho this little Globe kept Pace and Time with the Heavenly Motions And Kircher himself had a Vessel of Water in which just even with the Surface of the Water were the 24 Hours describ'd A piece of Cork was set upon the Water and therein were put some Seeds of the Heliotrope or Sun-Flower which like the Flower it self did turn the Cork about according to the Course of the Sun and with its Motion point out the Hours of the Day Gass in Vit. Paeiresk 1.5 p. 185. Hist Man Arti. c. 1. p. 10. 4. Galileo could by the help of a round Box held towards the Sun produce a Light that would shoot it self into a very dark Room and ascend by Degrees as a Vapour that is kinded by the Sun to the admiration of all Spectators It was a Concave Box that he used Fortes Feriae Ac. p. 123. Curious Inventions of Clock-work 5. Gaffarel tell us That he saw at Leghorn a Clock brought thither by a German to be sold which had many Rarities in it for besides an infinite number of strange Motions which appear'd not at all to the Eye you had there a Company of Shepherds some of them playing at Bagpipes with such Harmony and exquisite Motion of the Fingers as that one would have thought they had been alive others dancing by Couples keeping exact Time and Measure whilst others caper'd and leaped up and down with so much nimbleness that my Spirits were wholly ravish'd with the Sight saith he Gaffar Curios c. 7. p. 236. 6. Copernicus made an excellent Clock in which there was not only to be heard a number of different Noises occasioned by its various Motions but also most exactly to be discovered the Circuitions of all the Coelestial Orbs the Distinctions of Days Months Years there the Zodiack did explicate its Signs So performing the Circle of the Year there the playing Ram began the Spring Cancer produces the Summer Libra enriches it with Autumn and the Slothful Scorpio makes the Winter Here also the Moon changes in the Nones shines out more bright in the Ides and shamefully conceives her Conjuction with the Sun in the Kalends But those things which the Ingenious Artificer presented and as it were produced in the Scene upon the entrance of every Hour marvellously delighted the Spectators every Hour made Shew of some Mystery in our Faith The first Creation of the Light the powerful Separation of the Elements and all other intermediate Mysteries he had traced upon this Engine even to the great Eclipse that was when our Saviour suffered on Mount-Calvary to insist upon the particulars was the work of an Age the Eye that is the Devourer of such Beautiful Objects embrace more in an Hour than the Tongue is able to represent in a considerable space of time Fortes feria Acad. pag. 58. 7. A. 1571. Conraldus Dusipodius invented the most famous Clock at Strasburg Before the Clock stand a Globe on the Ground shewing the Motions of the Heavens Stars Planets namely of the Heaven carried about by the first Mover in 24 Hours of Saturn by his proper Motion carried about in 30 Years of Jupiter in 12 of Mars in 2 of the Sun Mercury and Venus in one Year of the Moon in a Month. In the Clock it self there be two Tables on the Right and Left Hand shewing the Eclipses of the Sun and Moon from the Year 1573. to A. 1624. The third Table in the midst is divided into three Parts In the first Part the Statues of Apollo and Diana shew the Course of the the Year and the Day thereof being carried about in one Year the second Part shews the Year of our Lord and of the World the Equinoctial Days the Hours of each Day the Minutes of each Hour Easter-day and all other Feasts and the Dominical Letter the third Part hath the Geographical Description of all Germany and particularly of Strasburgh and the Names of the Inventors and of all the Work-men In the middle Frame of the Clock is an Astrolabe shewing the Sign in which each Planet is every Day and there be the Statues of the seven Planets upon a round piece of Iron lying flat so that every Day the Statue of that Planet that rules the day comes forth the rest being hid within the Frames till they come out by course at their day as the Sun upon Sunday and so for all the Week And there is a Terrestrial Globe and the Quarter and the Half Hour and the Minutes are shew'd there There is also the Skull of a dead Man and two Statues of two Boys whereof one turns the Hour-Glass when the Clock hath struck the other puts forth the Rod in his Hand
the Sun is hottest if it hath little Skin on the back it is either left for cooler Tillage or plowed early in the Year The sheep-fold and Pidgeons Dung and Malt Dust is the most proper Manure for this cold Land It must not be stirred or sown very wet Wheat or Miscelan is a proper Grain and Barley for Change sometimes Pease if too wet Rath-ripe Vetches Stone-brask viz. a light lean Earth and a small Ruble-stone or sour-ground mixt with it if swardy it is Fallowed pretty late if not sheep-fold dung in Winter with some Hay-seeds will make it Grassie or else old Thatch strawy Dung Shovellings in the Spring will assist the Grass This is necessary because if not swardy when Fallowed they bring Money-wort May-weed c. This done in September October November December they fallow them as their Swards direct and if in either of the two last Months called Winter-Fallows and are never stirred at all but Sowed with Barley upon the second Earth in the beginning of Sowing because they work most kindly and will bear cold Weather better than when more finely Tilled They lye every other Year Fallow as other Land except where they fall among the Pease-Quarter and Barley following after Pease they lye but one in four Years When very poor they are Sown with Ray-Grass Trefoil c. When not Swardy enough nor callow or light enough they are streak-fallowed one Furrow Plowed and the other left to keep them from Scorching Stoney-Land is Tilled Manured and Sown much in the same manner as the Clay adding the advantage of Chalking it bearing excellent Wheat Barley Pease for some Years but according to the Proverb Chalkt Land makes a rich Father but a poor Son at last 't is only fit for Ray-Grass with Trefoil c. Sandy and gravelly light Ground hath much the same Tillage for Wheat and Barley as Clay c. only they require many times but two Plowings especially for Wheat except Weedy and then it must be stirred It 's most agreeable Grains are white red and mixt Lammas-Wheat and Miscellan and then after a years Fallow common or Rath-Ripe Barley sometimes Winter-Vetches half rotten Dung is best Twelve Loads of Dung are accounted sufficient for common Field-Acre Twenty for a Statute-Acre however that Land is Soiled first and best which is to bear three Crops some Sow Barley first then Pease or Beans and Wheat last alledging that Wheat following the Dung Year on their best Land is the more liable to smut In some places they use Chippings of Stone and Woollen-Rags for Manure Two Bushess of Wheat and Vetches two and a half of Barley Oats and Pease and a Quarter of Beans is quantity enough for poor Ground for the Richer a third part more of each they chuse constantly Corn out of a Soil of a different Nature and Rich in its kind Against Smut they both Brine and Lime their Corn or else sowred strawed Wheat To prevent Mildews they Sow pretty early or else the long-bearded Corn. Sometimes they Sow the single Cast viz. at one bought sometimes the double cast twice in a place The Hackney-Bridle is two casts on a Land at one time In the Chittern Countrey they Sow Hentings viz. before the Plow For Instruments they use the Foot and Wheel Plough Harrows of 4 5 or 6 Bars a piece each Bar armed with five Tines Mr. Sacheverel contrived a way of Howing the Earth from the Turf as soon as a little dried thereby first laying his Ground even and then Sowing it by which means the Seed fell and came up in all Parts alike and a less quantity served the turn Sometimes they use a Beetle sometimes a weighty Roll round or Octangular Mr. Sacheverel invented one neither smooth nor angled but notched deep and pretty broad some a Roll of a large diameter and weighty set the whole Length with edged Plates of Steel prominent from the Body of the Roll about an Inch and a half for the quicker cutting of Turf Dr. Plot. 22. I shall conclude this Chapter with some Observations Extracted from a new Piece Intituled An Essay upon Projects written by that Ingenuous Mr. Foe Invention of Arts with Engines and Handicraft Instruments for their Improvement requires says the aforesaid Author a Chronology as far back as the Eldest Son of Adam and has to this Day afforded some new Discovery in every Age. The Building of the Ark by Neah so far as you will allow it a humane Work was the first Project I read of The Building of Babel was a right Project The Vse of the Load-stone at Sea and the use of Gunpowder and Guns were very considerable Discoveries For Handicraft Instruments I know none owes more to true Genuine Contrivance without borrowing from any former use than a Mechanick Engine contrived in our time called a Knitting Frame which built with admirable Symetry works really with a very happy success and may be observed by the Curious to have a more than ordinary Composition for which I refer to the Engine it self to be seen in every Stockin-Weaver's Garret The Water-houses for supplying of the City of London and since that the New River both very considerable Undertakings and perfect Projects adventured on the risque of success After the Fire of London the Contrivance of an Engine to quench Fires was a Project the Author was said to get well by About the Year 1680. began the Art and Mystery of Projecting to creep into the World Prince Rupert Unkle to King Charles II. gave great Encouragement ot that part of it that respects Engines and Mechanical Motions And Bishop Wilkins added as much of the Theory to it as Writing a Book could do The Prince has left us a Metal called by his Name and the first Project upon that was as I remember casting of Guns of that Metal and boring them done both by a peculiar Method of his own which died with him to the great loss of the Undertaker who to that purpose had with no small Charge Erected a Water-Mill at Hackney-Marsh known by the Name of the Temple Mill. After this we saw a Floating Machine to be wrought with Horses for the towing of great Ships both against Wind and Tide and another for the raising of Ballast which as unperforming Engines had the Honour of being made exposed try'd and laid by before the Prince died The Project of the Penny-Post so well known and still practis'd I cannot omit nor the Contriver Mr. Dockwra who had the Honour to have the injury done him in that Assair re-pair'd in some measure by the Publick Justice of the Nation For a farther account see the Essay upon Projects Writ by the Ingenuous Mr. Foe CHAP. XII Improvements in Fowling Fishing Hunting THese are Arts both for Pleasure and Profit and therefore upon a double Score worthy an Ingenious Improvement and accordingly have had it from time to time of which I shall give only a short touch for Emulation sake and no more 1.
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the promised Land Methinks I hear God saying to me as to Moses Go up to Mount Nebo and die there so Go thou up to Tower-Hill and die there Isaac said of himself That he was Old and yet did not know the day of his Death But I cannot say thus I am Young and yet I know the Day the Kind and the Place of my Death also It is such a kind of Death as two Famous Preachers of the Gospel John the Baptist and Paul the Apostle were put to before me we have mention of the one in Scripture-Story of the other in Ecclesiastical History And Rev. 20.4 The Saints were Beheaded for the Word of God and for the Testimony of Jesus But herein is the disadvantage which I am in in the thoughts of many who judge that I Suffer not for the Word or Conscience but for meddling with State-matters To this I shall briefly say that it is an old Guise of the Devil to impute the cause of God's Peoples Sufferings to be Contrivements against the State The Rulers of Israel would put Jeremiah to death upon a civil Account tho' it was the Truth of his Prophecy made them angry because he fell away to the Chaldeans So Paul must die as a Mover of Sedition The same thing is laid to my Charge whereas indeed it is because I pursue my Covenant and will not prostitute my Principles to the Lusts of Men. Beloved I am this Day to make a double Exchange I am exchanging a Pulpit for a Scaffold and a Scaffold for a Throne and I might add a third I am changing this numerous Multitude upon Tower-hill for the innumerable Company of Angels in the Holy Hill of Sion and I am changing a Guard of Soldiers for a Guard of Angels which will receive and carry me into Abraham's Bosom This Scaffold is the best Pulpit I ever preached in God through his Grace made me an Instrument to bring others to Heaven but in this he will bring me to Heaven and it may be this Speech upon a Scaffold may bring God more Glory than many Sermons in a Pulpit Before I lay down my Neck upon the Block I shall lay open my Case and that without Animosity or Revenge God is my Record whom I serve in the Spirit I speak the Truth I Lye not I do not bring a Revengeful Heart unto the Scaffold this Day Before I came here I did upon my bended Knees beg Mercy for them that denied Mercy to me I have forgiven from my Heart the worst Enemy I have in the World and this is the worst I wish to my Accusers and Prosecutors who have pursued my Blood that I might meet their Souls in Heaven I have no more to say but to desire the Help of all your Prayers that God would give me the Continuance and Supply of Divine Grace to carry me through this great Work I am now to do that I who am to do a Work I never did may I have a Strength that I never had that I may put off this Body with as much Quietness and Comfort of Mind as ever I put off my Cloaths to go to Bed And now I am to commend my Soul to God and to receive my fatal Blow I am comforted in this Tho' Men kill me they cannot damn me and tho' they thrust me out of the World yet they cannot shut me out of Heaven I am now going to my Long Home to my Father's House to the Heavenly Jerusalem to the innumerable Company of Angels to Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant to the Spirits of Just Men made perfect to God the Judge of all in whose Presence there is Fulness of Joy and at whose Right Hand there are Pleasures for evermore Then he kneeled down and made a short Prayer privately Then after rising up he said Blessed be God I am full of Joy and Peace in believing I lie down with a world of Comfort And then saying The Lord bless you he lay down with his Head over the Block and when he stretched out his Hands the Executioner did his Office 118. The Last Speech of Sir Walter Rawleigh MY Honourable Lords and the rest of my good Friends that are come to see me die know That I much rejoyce that it hath pleased God to bring me from Darkness to Light and in freeing me from the Tower wherein I might have died in Disgrace by letting me live to come to this Place where tho' I lose my Life yet shall I clear some false Accusations unjustly laid to my Charge and leave behind me a Testimony of a true Heart both to my King and Country Two things there are which have exceedingly possess'd and provoked His Majesty's Indignation against me viz. A Confederacy or Combination with France and disloyal and disobedient Words of my Prince For the first His Majesty had some Cause though grounded upon a weak Foundation to suspect mine Inclination to the French Faction for not long before my Departure from England the French Agent took occasion passing by my House to visit me We had some Conference during the time of his abode only concerning my Voyage and nothing else I take God to witness Another Suspicion is had of me because I did labour to make an Escape from Plimouth to France I cannot deny but that willingly when I heard a Rumour that there was no hope of my Life upon my Return to London I would have escaped for the Safeguard of my Life and not for any ill Intent or Conspiracy against the State The like Reason of Suspicion arose in that I perswaded Sir Lewis Steukly my Guardian to flee with me from London to France but my Answer to this is as to the other that only for my Safegard and nough else was my Intent as I shall answer before the Almighty It is alledged That I feigned my self Sick and by Art made my Body full of Blisters when I was at Salisbury True it is I did so the Reason was because I hoped thereby to deferr my cooming before the King and Council and so by delaying might have gained time to have got my Pardon I have an Example out of Scripture for my Warrant that in case of Necessity and for the Safeguard of his Life David feigned himself Foolish and Mad yet it was not imputed to him for Sin Concerning the second Imputation laid to my Charge That I should speak Scandalous and Reproachful Words of my Prince there is no Witness against me but only one and he a Chymical Frenchman whom I entertained rather for his Jests than Judgment This Man to incroach himself into the Favour of the Lords and gaping after some great Reward hath falsly accused me of Seditious Speeches against His Majesty against whom if I did either speak or think a Thought hurtful or prejudicial Lord blot me out of the Book of Life It is not a time to Flatter or Fear Princes for I am a Subject to none but Death
Therefore have charitable Conceit of me That I know to swear is an Offence to swear falsly at any time is a great Sin but to swear falsly before the Presence of Almighty God before whom I am forthwith to appear were an Offence unpardonable Therefore think me not now rashly or untruly to confirm or protest any thing As for other Objections as That I was brought perforce into England That I carried Sixteen Thousand Pounds in Money out of England with me more than I made known That I should receive Letters from the French King and such like with many Protestations he utterly denied England's Worthies by Will. Winstanley p. 303. 119. The Death of Henry Bullinger Mr. Bullinger falling Sick and his Disease encreasing many Godly Ministers came to visit him but some Months after he recovered and preached as formerly but soon Relapsed when finding his vital Spirits wasted and Nature much decayed in him he concluded his Death was at hand and thereupon said as followeth If the Lord will make any farther use of me and my Ministry in his Church I will willingly obey him but if he pleases as I much desire to take me out of this miserable Life I shall exceedingly rejoyce that he will be so pleased to take me out of this miserable and corrupt Age to go to my Saviour Christ Socrates said he was glad when his Death approached because he thought he shou'd go to Hesiod Homer and other Learned Men deceased and whom he expected to meet in the other World then how much more do I joy who am sure that I shall see my Saviour Christ the Saints Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all Holy Men which have lived from the beginning of the World These I say I am sure to see and to partake with them in Joy Why then should I not be willing to die to enjoy their perpetual Society in Glory And then with Tears told them That he was not unwilling to leave them for his own sake but for the sake of the Church Then having written his Farewel to the Senate and therein admonished them to take care of the Churches and Schools and by their permission chose one Ralph Gualter his Successor he patiently resigned up his Spirit into the Hands of his Redeemer dying Anno Christi 1575. and or his Age 71. 120. Mr. Haines Minister of Westminister was acquainted with a Gentleman of a very Holy Life and Conversation Which said Gentleman as he lay in his Bed one Morning a Boy of about twelve Years of Age appeared to him in a radiant Light and bid him prepare to Die in twelve Days He being surprized at it sent for Mr. Haines and told him of it who perswaded him from believing of it telling him 't was only a Fancy But within six Days he was siez'd with a violent Fever and four or five Hours before his Death the same Boy came and sate upon his Pillow and as the Gentleman grew paler he changed colour too and just as the Breath went out of the Body he disappeared This is attested by the Gentleman's Family for they all saw it and Mr. Haines related it to a Person of good Reputation from whom I received it 121. The Last Will of Mr. Henry Stubbs Deceased July â— 1678. Published at the Desire of his Widow Mrs. D. S. KNowing that I must shortly put off this my Earthly Tabernacle I make my Last Will and Testament Imprimis I commend my Soul into the Hands of God wholly trusting in Jesus Christ my dear Lord and Saviour through his All-sufficient Satisfaction and powerful Mediation to be accepted Eph. 1.6 Item I commit my Body to the Earth from whence 't was taken in sure and certain Hope of a Resurrection to Life Eternal building upon that sure Word John 6.40 Item I leave my Fatherless Children to the Lord who hath promised to be a Father to the Fatherless Ps 68.5 And to preserve them alive Jer. 49.11 Commanding them to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18.19 Item I â—xhort my Widow to trust in the Lord of whose care she hath had no little Experience and therefore should trust in him Psal 9.10 And I desire her to read often Jer. 49.11 Psal 68.5 Heb. 13.5 Item The Congregations to which I have been formerly a Preacher and that with which I now am by a special Hand of Providence I commend to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build them up and to give them an Inheritance amongst all them which are sanctified Acts 20.32 beseeching them by the Lord Jesus That as they ahve received of me how they ought to walk and please God so they would abound more and more 1 Thes 4.1 Item And for my Kindred according to the Flesh my Hearts Desire and Prayer to God for them is That they may be saved Rom. 10.1 Item And for all those yet living and who have seriously and earnestly desired my Prayers my earnest Request to God for them is That it would please him to do for them all as the Marter shall require 1 Kings 8.59 Item And for my Brethren in the Ministry my Prayer is That they may take heed to themselves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood Acts 20.28 Item And for the People my Prayer is That they may obey them that have the Rule over them Heb. 13.17 Item And for Professors of Religion my Prayer is That they may walk worthy of God unto all well-pleasing being fruitful in every Good Work Col. 1.10 11. Item And for the King my Prayer is That Mercy and Truth may preserve him Prov. 26.28 And for Him and all that are in Authority my Prayer is That they may so lead their own Lives that the People under them may lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 Item And for the whole Land of my Nativity my humble Prayer to the Lord of all Grace and Mercy is That the Power and Purity of the Gospel together with a Learned and Faithful Ministry to dispence the same may be continued and preserved therein The Last Words of those Eminent Persons who fell in the Defence of the Protestant Religion and the English Liberties both in London and the West of England from the Year 1678. to this time IN the two last Reigns many of the Flower of our Nobility and Gentry either lost their Lives or Estates or Liberties or Country whilst a Crew of Parasites triumphed and fluttered in their Ruins To see a Russel die meanly and ignobly in the Flower of his Age an Essex or a Godfry sacrificed to the insatiable Ambition and Revenge of their Enemies who yet not content with their Lives would like the Italian stab on after Death and tho' they could not reach their Souls endeavour to damn their Memories These and too many other such melancholy Instances would be