an House eternal durable Riches and Righteousness Rivers of Pleasure for evermore there only is a continual Day a Light that suffers no Darkness a Sun always shining an everlasting Summer a long Eternity Bliss and Happiness This is easily demonstrable to any one that knows the present World and can but see the Skirts of the Holy Land the very Borders of Heaven Were it not Wisdom for us them to leave off Building with so much Anxiety here to take down our Scaffolds and get a Jacob's Ladder and climb up to that place of Angels to send our Hearts before us and cast our Anchor safe within the Veil and choose that other World for our Portion and think and speak of it and provide for it and account it as our own and pack up all our last Cares and Passions for it that whilst we live upon Earth we may have our Conversations above and then we shall be eternally safe from Hell beneath But especially at the approach of any unkindly stop or period in our worldly Comforts whether it be a black Night or a cloudy stormy Day or an ill Winter or Poverty or Shame or Sickness or Death let us then take the advantage of the opportunity and look up as high as the Firmament and further even beyond the Starry Orbs and say with our selves In those Countries in that World is no Night or Darkness or Sickness or Sea or Hell let us scorn to grovel here as we have done Let us pack hence our best Goods and be gone let that be our Home and the Lord of that Country our Father and let us live heavenly holily humbly as becomes Citizens of that heavenly Jerusalem the Metropolis of both Worlds 4. Let us live by Rule as those Coelestial Bodies all do even the Rule prescribed us by our Maker and fitted to our Natures and conducive to the Ends of our Being And this without stragling aside deviation or error on the one hand or the other without intermission or passion or weariness or any thing that may disturb our Motion I know as our Natures are more excellent than the Stars so we are upon greater Disadvantages upon the score of Sin that hath so enfeebled our Spirits and emasculated the Courage and Vigour of our Piety that as long as we live we shall be apt to flag but then let it be considered that our God hath offered to accommodate us with all the excellent Helps of the Gospel and the Assistance of his Spirit and therefore in the strength of these let us go on from Day to Day in the exactest Course of a Religious Piety making no considerable Blot or Faulter if possible in the whole Series of our Life or if that through the fraility of Human Nature may not be done let the Blot be presently washed off by the Tears of a sound Repentance and then by that means all the crookedness of our former ways being made streight let us take care for the time to come to move upright steady and streight according to the excellent Rules prescribed us in the Laws of God and Life of our Saviour Let us try not only to keep pace with the Sun but to out-vie all the Stars of the Firmament and let it be accounted no Disgrace to be thus watchful and curious about the keeping of our Orbs and observe our due Postures and modelling our Actions but rather our greatest Excellency and Glory Slight those who say amidst their sickly Healths Thou liv'st by Rule What doth not so but Man Houses are built by Rule and Common-wealths Entice the trusty Sun if that you can From his Ecliptick Line becken the Sky Who lives by Rule then keeps good Company 7. Of the Extensiveness of the Heavens The Stars and Firmament the expanded Sky and all the Hosts of the Aetherial Orbs speak expresly unto all the Nations of the Earth that there is a God to be worshipped and with such a Worship as becomes his Infinite Excellency Their words are so loud they may be heard to all the Ends of the World Then let us consider 1. WHether the most dark and distant Nations of the Earth have taken Notice of this Rule heard this Voice 2. What they have understood by it 3. What they might understand 4. What Inferences we may deduce from the whole for our own Vse 1. Whether the darkest Nations have heard this Voice Answ Yes Their Sound hath gone out to all the Ends of the World And it is very easily made out For 1. They had no other Bible to read in than that of Nature and this of the Heavens was the most legible Page in the whole Book They were without the Written Law but they were not without this Natural Light They had neither Moses nor the Prophets nor Evangelists nor Apostles and therefore whither else should they go but to the Word writ upon the Book of the Creation the Divine Handy-works in the Make of the World Rom. 1.20 2. We find them confessing it making use of this Book reading studiously amongst the Stars poring with an inquisitive Eye upon the Heavens and Firmament to gather some Scraps of a Religious Philosophy and trace the Principles of a Spiritual Divinity Seneca when he hath placed the Wise Man walking to and fro by the Contemplation of his Mind amongst the Stars Illic demum descit saith he quod diu quaesivit illic incipit Deum nosse And in the beginning of his Book of Natural Questions having undertaken some Philosophical Account of the Heavenly Bodies we find him no where in such a Rapture of Divinity as upon that Thesis Nisi ad haec the Study of Divine Things the Contemplations of the Heavenly Bodies c. admitterer non fuerat operae pretium nasci O quam contempta res est Homo nisi supra humana se erexerit Nay more than this they had generally the Original of all their Theology from the Firmament Their Gods were amongst the Stars nay the Stars were their only Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Even the Egyptians themselves are accounted to have lead the way to this Superstition And for this Reason it was chiefly that their several Priests Prophets and Magi amongst the Egyptians Chaldeans Assyrians Persians c. were so well skilled commonly in the Curious Arts of Astrology and Divination which have been since derived and diffused from them to us and the rest of the World Their Hermes Tresmegistus Ptolomy and Haly being Authors of great Request still with our Astrologers and Prognosticators 2. What did they learn from hence Truly a great deal more than some Christians learn from Nature and Revelation both I speak not of all the poor dark Heathen World but of some who were more serious and contemplative amongst them who took more Pains than their Fellows And I dare safely say that tho' their Eyes were dim and the Light they saw by but like the obscure Twilight or the first Dawning of the Morning
that they might well School and Catechise some of our old Professors Grey-hair'd Christians for Seven Years together It would be too large a Task now to tell you what Lessons they learn'd from the Contemplation and Study of these Things Their Books of Moral Philosophy writ by Aristotle Plato Cicero Seneca Isocrates c. where they preach'd in our Pulpits were enough to fill some Number of Years with Sermons strong enough for our Auditors of the Lower Form And convictive enough to shame the Major part of Christians among us into Blushing and Confusion Read over but the Roman Twelve Tables Plato's Republic the Laws of the several Heathen Nations about Religion Sobriety Justice c. And you 'll find Reason to fear lest the Queen of the South and the Inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon the Greek Scythian and Barbarian will escape better some of them at the Day of Judgment than many of Christendom that have both the Books wide open before them all the Days of their Life Rom. 2.14 15. 3. What might they learn Answ All the Articles of our Christian Creed and all the Precepts of our Christian Religion except those which refer to the Cause and Cure of our Misery viz. The Fall of Adam and the Intercession of the Second Adam That there was a God one only Supreme Maker of Heaven and Earth Infinite in the Attributes of Wisdom Power Truth Justice Mercy worthy to be worshipped with a Holy Life Prayer Praise Obedience and a pure Heart and Affection one that had a Good Will to save us one that would reward us with excellent Rewards or Punishments according to our Actions in the other World All this and more than this they might have discerned by their Glimmering Light of Nature in only the Frontispiece of Heaven if they had but used their Eyes And so much many of them did not only learn but teach and make a publick and stout Profession of it to the World The Existence of One Supreme God the Divine Governance of the World the Immortality of the Soul a Mediation between God and us and almost all the Moral Duties of the Law in Substance the Distribution of Rewards and Punishments after this Life distinct Places and Times of Worship Priests and Priestly Maintenance and Attonements and Purifications and something like the Dedicating of their Infants to God by Baptism with secret Devotions and Family-Worship as well as that which was publick in the Temples All these and much more were adopted into the Body of the Heathen Religion and excepting only some few Articles of our Creed referring to the Trinity and especially the Business of our Redemption and the true Notion of our Two Sacraments and it may be the Resurrection of our Bodies it were not very hard to make out all the rest of our Religion demonstrable by the meer Light of Reason The invisible Things of GOD from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the Things that are made 4. What Practical Deductions may be made from hence How great is God A Contemplation of the Heavenly Fabrick will directly lead us to this Point viz. an admiration of the Divine Eternal Power of the Godhead For Rom. 1.19 That which may be known of God is manifest to all the World for God hath shewed it to them He hath shewed his Face in the Glass of his Works and his Features there appear so glorious that 't is a Wonder it doth not fill our Apprehensions with a pregnant and awful Conceit of his Infinite Majesty and Power The Splendour of the Divine Attributes gives Shine to all the World So that now all the Inhabitants of the round World have Scope enough for Spiritual Contemplation and the Exercise of their Rational Faculties and the Turk and Pagan both have a Book large and voluminous enough being wide open before them to employ all their Studies in all the Days of their Life Who that considers a while the Nature of that God that made the Heavens how he must stretch his Compass over the whole Vniverse how he must mete out the Heavens with a Span and comprehend the Dust of the Earth in a Measure and weigh the Mountains in Scales and the Hills in a Ballance and take up the Isles as a very little thing and measure the Waters in the Hollow of his Hand and make the Clouds his Chariot and ride upon the Wings of the Wind and climb up to the highest Orbs and extend every Globe with the present Thought and hang not only the Earth but the Heavens upon nothing and this in the exactest Order and Perfection that no remarkable Fault shall appear in 6000 Years in any part of all this magnificent Building Who that considers a little the Nature of the Supreme Architect shall not be ready to cry out with the Psalmist Psal 8.1 9. O Lord our Lird how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth who hast set thy Glory above the Heavens O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth 2. What little low worthless Creatures are we That God who is the Author of such excellent Handy-work that dwells in that inaccessible Light in such a glorious Palace who can make Heavens at his pleasure and garnish them in a moment and fill the whole World with the Beams of his Glory should yet place his Affections so much on such little silly things as we are Psal 8.3 When I consider thy Heavens the Work of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Shall I speak my Opinion freely in this Matter I do conceive that one great Reason why God hath laid out so much of his Excellency and bestowed so much of his Infinite Wisdom and Power upon the Creation of the Things that are above us especially the Heavens over our Heads was on purpose to astonish proud Man into a Religious Admiration of his God and an humble Detestation of himself For that 's the very Frame and Temper which disposeth Man for the Impressions of Religion and the Exercise of a devout Affection Isa 66.1 2. Thus saith the Lord The Heaven is my Throne 3. A due Consideration of the Creation of the World and especially of the Heavens belongs unto us all Os homini sublime c. If God doth preach to us by these Things that are seen and thereby reveal to the World the invisible Properties of the Divinity then we ought to hearken to this Voice and make some good use of their Language The Curious Spectator looks up to the Heavens and examines every particular there Quidni quaerat Scit illa ad se pertinere Tunc contemnit domicilii prioris angustias Seneca And as he goes on what is all the distance from the utmost Coasts of Spain to the Indies But a Voyage of a very few Days if thou sail with a good
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
of it Catesby and the rest posted into Warwickshire and began an open Rebellion being joyned with about Eighty more and so Trooping together broke open the Stables belonging to Warwick-Castle and took thence some great Horses Thence into Worcestershire and so to Staffordshire where they rifled the Lord Windsor's House of all the Armour Shot Powder c. But being pursued by the high Sheriff of Worcestershire and his Men who rush'd in upon them both the Wrights were shot through and slain with one Musquet-Bullet the rest being taken were carry'd Prisoners to London being all the way gaz'd at revil'd and detested by the common People for their horrid and horrible Treason and so at last they receiv'd the just Guerdon of their Wickedness See a fuller Account in Bishop Carleton's Thankful Remembrance of God's Mercy III. In the Reign of King Charles the First 1. Sir John Temple Master of the Rolls and one of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council within the Kingdom of Ireland and who was Father of the present Sir William Temple relates in his History of the Irish Rebellion in 1641. and which History was first Printed in London in 1646. there in P. 16 17 and 18 sets down that the first Plot for the Rebellion carried on with so great Secresie as none of the English had Notice of it before it was ready to be put in Execution and that on the 22d of October 1641. In the very Evening before the Day appointed for a Surprizal of the Castle and City of Dublin Owen O Conall a Gentleman of an Irish Family but one who had been bred a Protestant and who had been drinking that Evening came to the Lord Justice Parsons there about Nine of the Clock and acquainted him with a Conspiracy for the seizing upon His Majesty's Castle of Dublin and the Magazine therein the next day but he did then make such a broken Relation of a Matter that seem'd so incredible in its self as that his Lordship did then give but very little Belief to it at first in regard it came from an obscure Person and one he conceived somewhat distemper'd in Drink but in some Hours after O Conall being somewhat recover'd from his said Distemper was examin'd upon Oath before the Lords Justices and his Examination gave such a particular Account of the Conspiracy and the Conspirators therein that caused the Lords Justices to sit up all that Night in Consultation for the strengthning of the Guards in the Castle of Dublin and likewise of the whole City and for the seizing of the Persons of the Conspirators that the Execution of the Plot was thereby prevented and otherwise the Castle of Dublin had been the next day in the Possession of the Rebels of Ireland and all the Protestants in Dublin had been the next day massacred The Papists planted the Soveraign Drug of Arminianism here in England on purpose to promote Divisions among us and endeavoured to Advance Arbitrary Power and inflame the Puritans as the Author of the History of Popish Sham-Plots from the Reign of Queen Elizabeth tells us out of a Letter sent to the Rector of Brussels And Cardinal Richlieu sent over one Chamberlain hither who for four Months had Consultations with the Jesuits how to stir up the Scots and foment our Broils as may be seen in Dr. Heylin's Life of Archbishop Laud and Habernfeild's Plot c. Or to speak in the very Words of the late Learned Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Barlow When King James slept with his Fathers and was Translated to a better Kingdom out of the reach of Popish Conspirators their Designs slept not they prosecuted their Plots and Conspiracies to Ruin our Church and Establish'd Religion as much in Charles the First as in his Father's time and at last it came to this Issue that other Means failing the King and Arch-Bishop must be taken away This was discover'd by an Honourable Person Andreas ab Habernfeild to the English Embassador Sir W. Boswel at the Hague and by him to the Arch-Bishop and by him to the King and the Original Copy of the Discovery being found in the Arch-Bishop's Library after his Death was then publish'd and is in print in many Hands and among others in mine In the mean time adds my Author the Civil Wars began and our Popish Conspirators are first in Arms and the bloody Rebellion and in Ireland murder'd above 100000 Protestants in cold Blood without any Provocation given but to kill Hereticks which according to them was Lawful and Meritorious And farther when in Process of that fatal Rebellion carry'd on by English and covertly by Popish Rebels that good King was taken and a Council of Priests and Jesuits sitting in London signified the Condition of Affairs here to a Council of their Confederates at Paris and they transmitted the Case to Rome from whence Directions and Commands were return'd back again to London in short it was determined that it was for the Interest of the Catholick Cause that the King shculd die and accordingly their Council of Priests and Jesuits in London voted his Death This saith the same Reverend Author is now notoriously known to be true and in print publish'd to the World by Reverend and Learned Person who if any shall call him to Account for it is so convinced of the Ttuth of what he writ that he publickly offers to make it good viz. Dr. Du-Moulin Canon of Canterbury in two Books written to the same purpose See more in Bishop Barlow's Book called Popish Principles c. inconsistent with the Safety of Protestant Princes The Irish Papists when they had promised to furnish his Majesty with 10000 Men for the helping of him against the Parliament did not but endeavour'd to cut off the King's Army there by Force and Treachery and employ'd Commissioners to Rome France Lorrain and Spain to invite a Foreign Power into England See Fowles Hist of Rom. Treasons and the Lord Orcery 's Answer to Peter Welsh About 30 Priests or Jesuits were met together by a Protestant Gentleman between Roan and Diep to whom they said taking him to be one of their Party they were going to England and would take Arms in the Independant Army to be Agitators The Romish Priest and Confessor is known who when he saw the fatal Stroke given to the King flourish'd with his Sword and said Now the greatest Enemy we had in the World is gone When the Murder was cried down as the greatest Villany the Pope commanded all the Papers about the Queen to be burnt Many intelligent Travellers told what Joy there was in the English Convents beyond Seas and the Seminaries upon Tidings of the King's Death Benedictines were afraid lest the Jesuits should get their Lands and the English Nuns contended who should be Abesses the Fryars of Dunkirk were jealous lest the Jesuits should engross all the Glory to themselves Du-Moul Answer to Plul. Angl. And tho' the Papists during the Civil Wars flock'd to the King's
into the Lungs and so into the Arteria Venosa and thence again into the left Ventricle of the Heart and so into his Arteries and Veins and whose Body at last I speak not of the dreggy part of Nourishment But what should I talk of the Whole Man take but one of his smallest Parts his Eye see its variety of Colours warry glassy and chrystalline Humors consider the Ends and Uses of them the one to defend the bordering Parts from driness to break the Brightness of Objects continually flowing in and to greaten the Representations of them the other to prepare Nourishment for the Chrystalline and to give to passage for the Species to the Retina that it may refract them from Perpendiculars the last to receive and collect the Representations of Things See its Muscles six in number the first to lift the second to press down the third to move the Eye inwards the fourth outwards the two last to rowl and which it about to the outward and inner Corner See its Nerves a seeing and moving Pair those to carry the Faculty of Seeing with the Species from the Brain or the Visible Represeatation of Things to the Brain those to stir and move them to and fro See its Coats the Tunica Admata fastning the Eye to the Socket the Scleretica divided again into the Cornea and Choroides and Retina all which have their particular Uses Consider their Situation in the most eminent place like Watchmen in long Sockets for the better Safeguard sake Consider the Eye-lidsof how soft a Coat they are made left they hurt that tender part how loose to shut and open that they may be in a constant readiness to cover it from harm or danger how eminent in place to overshadow the Picture and render it more illustrious Consider how between the Musâ—es and sundry Vessels there is Fat interspersed left for want of Heat and Moisture the Motion of the Eye should be hindred And lastly take Notice of that little portion of Flesh placed at the great Corner of the Eye spongy to liquor it but placed over a Hole which goes into the Nose-Bone to stop a continual Weeping Consider these things and withal that the Hundredth part hath not been told thee And say if the Finger of a GOD be not plainly discernable in all this Take some time now and then to know thyself and view but the Contexture of thy Body how thou art trusted with Bones and Sinews how curiously thou art wrought in every Part in every Limb and speak the Truth if a wiser Hand than thine than any Creature 's be not concerned there 2. If thou distrustest thy own Judgment ask thy Neighbours If thy own Convictions be not sufficient in the Case we will give thee leave enough to consult others Go ask thy Fathers and they will tell thee and thy Forefathers thy furthermost Ancestors and they will account to thee what God did in their Days and in the Old Time before them Nay enquire of the Nations round about hee Spain and Turkey and the barbarous Tartary the wild Africans and ignorant Americans and they will all confess with one Mouth this undeniable Truth That there is a God 'T is a Universal Dictate of Nature implanted in all Breasts inserted in all Common-wealths of as large a Spread as Reason and Mankind in the World Rom. 1.19 3. From Miracles Prithee Reader answer me whether or no those Wonders in Nature which we call Miracles be nothing else but a meer Lye and Forgery If not then how comes the World to be so generally imposed on How comes not only the Christian but Jewish Religion to be confirmed and ratified in so fixed a posture as they have been amongst Men Or what makes our Scriptures and Annals and Books of History so big with them If yea then I hope they speak a Divinity and a supernatural Power concerned in the performance of them If it be indeed certain that is constantly reported among us for a Truth That Nature's Bounds are sometimes broken and the ordinary Method of Things and Actions is crossed and turned quite another way if ever the Sun stood still or Angels were seen in an Embassy from Heaven if ever God appeared in a flaming Bush or talked with Man in Clouds and Thunder if ever Sin were immediately punished with a Shower of Brimstone if ever Diseases were cured with a Word and the Dead raised to Life by a Groan or Prayer if ever Blasphemies were smitten with present Vengeance and those who have denied or palpably injured the God of Heaven have smarted immediately for the Guile and Sin as our own Age and Country if we will not deafen our Ears and wink with our Eyes will afford us now and then a notorious Instance I say if these Things are so resolve me who it is so able and bold as to transgress the Laws of Nature And I am sure it can be no other than a God Consider these Things raise up thy Thoughts into an admiration of Him with that Heathen King Nebuchadnezzar when he saw the Children saved in the burning Furnace Dan. 4.23 This Knowledge of God is insufficient to save and bless us Here 't is true we may know so much as will reader us inexcusable but yet not enough to instruct and edifie us unto perfect Salvation In the Scripture we may take a more deliberate View of him we may acquaint our selves better with him we may see him look through the Lattices and commune with his Church in a free and familiar way entertaining a Patriarch in solemn Discourses appearing in Visions in Dreams by Prophets by Vrim by Oracles to his Children and People Having briefly proved the Being of a GOD I shall next prove that GOD is a Spirit I hope I need not spend time here in proving the Existence of a Spirit That there are such Things in Nature i. e. immaterial Beings Substances naked of any Matter or Corporeal Parts invisible to the Eye undiscernable to the Touch without Flesh and Bones as ordinary Creatures have Beings hidden from our outward Senses either filling or traversing the World unseen unobserved for the most part by our weak Intellectuals is so certain a Truth attested by the whole Bulk of Holy Writ by a â—ong Train of History and Tradition both amongst Jews Heathens and Christians by the Suggestions of our own Souls the very exact Character and Pourtraicture of immaterial Spirits that I need not now employ my Pen to enlarge upon this Subject only I shall prove that GOD is a Spirit 1. Because he is the Father of Spirits Heb. 12.9 He it is who is the prime Parent of all such Spiritual and Immaterial Substances out of his Bosome did they all come ripened to that Maturity and Perfection of an Existence in the World 't was he made the Angels and Man little lower than them breathing into his Nostrils a more sublime and defecated Substance than any could be squeez'd out of his
dreggy Body and outward gross material Part And what must he be then but a Spirit himself 2. 'T is impossible he should be made up of Matter and material Parts when he is the Creatour of the whole World For how should a Body be able to stand and fix his Presence to a particular Place when he must be present at the making of every particular Piece and Member of the Creation and that in a short time if not in an Instant A Body we know must be circumscribed limited to a Space so far it may take up and no further here it may be and not there or there and not here at the same time But God at the make of the World must stretch his Presence to a wide if not immense Capacity â—â—e must be able to climb the Sun and fathom the Depths to walk about the Spheres and pierce the thicker Bodies he must search those Beings he makes within and without must see the outward shape and the inward form And what can this be but a Spirit 3. He searcheth the Hearts and knows the Thoughts afar off Those outward Cases we wear those thick Covers of our Bodies do not hide us from his Knowledge Jer. 17.10 His Eye walks to and fro upon the Earth scanning the Actions of Thoussands with a Glance in a Moment turning over the whole Book of the Creation which his own Hand wrote and folded up and reading any Page and Line with a single Cast of his Omniscience And what is this but a Spirit 4. He is invisible Exod. 33.20 He said Thou canst not see my Face Job 1.18 God may please sometimes to pourtray himself and shadow out his Excellency to us with a visible Form may appear in a Flame or mask his Glory with a Cloud but never come in his own proper and genuine Dress If he speaks to us 't is but a borrowed Lisping from our own Faculties if he be seen by us 't is but in a Coat borrowed from some of his Creatures Job 5.37 No God himself as he is in his own Nature pure and sparkling Essence is not obvious to our Senses never was caught by the Hand Eye of Ear of living Men and therefore is a Spirit and to be worshipped in Spirit and Truth According to our Apprehensions of God's Nature so are commonly our Devotions to him and indeed this is founded upon a sound Maxime sc That as God is in his own Nature so he requireth a suitable Worship a Worship correspondent to those Properties he hath he is good and therefore would have us do and be good And so in whatever Attributes are given to him if they are communicable to the Creature he is to be imitated by us Be ye Followers of God as dear Children like your heavenly Father And therefore as God is a Spirit so he requires such a Worship God's Motto in this respect is the same with Solomon's My Son give me thy Heart A pure Aim after God's Glory a sincere Compliance with our Duty an upright pursuance of Holiness and Piety are the Whole or the Mâ—rrow of our Religion We should not only bring our Lips our Hands our Knees our Ears or Our Bodies to our Devotions but as the Psalmist My Soul follows hard after thee And Psal 62.1 Truly my Soul waiteth upon God Reader 't is certain when we have to do with God a Spirit an immaterial Substance we have not to do with a Man like our selves but a Quick-eyed Being Omnisciency itself a God all Sight that seeth within as well as without us Methinks such a Thought should strike us with an awful Reverence of his Majesty Such a Meditation as the Psalmist takes up Psal 139.1 might seize us with a filial Dread and possess our Hearts with Trembling in our daily Comportment before him it might awaken our Affections to go hand in hand and move joyntly with our ordinary Duty Inward Religion is the only acceptable Devotion to the Father of Spirits and therefore no running now to Mount Guizem no matter now for travelling to the Old Jerusalem no matter for running to the Stalls for a Kid or Hetfer to the Altar with an Offering or Sacrifice No matter now for these Ceremonies Washings Cleansings c. used by the ancient Jews Touch not taste not handle not and all the pompous Trade of a Ceremonious Worship once enjoyn'd to the Old Church and now imposed by the Antichristian is now an illegitimate a base-born Service usurp'd by Sacrilegious People who make it no Crime to steal from Christ's Prerogative and put themselves instead of him Head of the Church 'T is true we may and must Worship yet with Hand and Knee we may yet attend upon a Font and wash in Water and wait upon a Sacramental Table we may eat Bread and drink Wine as Signs and Seals of spiritual and abstruse Mysteries But these are derived to us by a Divine Institution they come with a Mandamus from God himself and we have so few Ceremonies besides except those which are natural and serve lively to express the inward Motions of our Hearts and so much inward spiritual Devotion is required with them That our Religion may deservedly pass under the Title of Spirit and Truth Learn we then to put an evenness of proportion between our outward and inner Man To compose not only our Shape and Visage but our Heart and Soul to the Knowledge and Presence of an All-seeing God Learn we to call upon our Spirits and summon our Affections when we address our selves to the Father of Spirits Think what a thin pure subtile spacious Nature the Sun and Light are of how they pierce through the Air dart their Beams through the Clouds pierce the Windows and shine into our Houses Chambers the Corners of our Habitations and think God Almighty is a purer a finer a more spiritual Substance and therefore can see through us scan our Thoughts and try our Reins afar off Heb. 4.12 13. II. Meditations on the Works of Creation and Providence 'T IS the Prerogative of Human Nature that we have not only a lofty Figure and Visage but Intellectuals too far superiour to all the Bruitish kind And this Endowment bestowed upon us by him that made us for very wise and good Ends Not to be more ingenâ—ously wicked and dishonest to immerge our selves deeper in the Concerns and Pleasures of a Material and Sensual World but to live above it My Design then in these Meditations having already proved the Being of a God is to climb a Jacob's Ladder to satisfie a little the Curiosity of my Nature to inform myself first of all and then my Fellows so far as soberly and modestly I may with all the Phenomena of the Aetherial Region To acquaint myself and others with the outward Face of Heaven first of all and all the visible Furniture of the outward Court those glorious Spangles of Stars and Planets those fiery Meteors and other strange Exhalations and Vapours
store Clouds cool by heat and Baths by cooling boil Who hath that vertue to express the rare And curious vertues both of Herbs and Stones Is there an herb for that O that thy care Would show a Root that gives expressions And if an Herb hath Power what have the Stars A Rose besides his Beauty is a cure Doubtless our Plagues and Plenty Peace and Wars Are there much surer then our Art is sure Thou hast hid Metals Man may take them thence But at his Peril When he digs the place He makes a Grave as if the thing had sense And threatned Man that he should fill the space Even Poysons Praise thee Should a thing be lost Should Creatures want for want of heed their due Since where are Poysons Antidotes are most Thy help stands close and keeps the fear in view The Sea which seems to stop the Traveller Is by a Ship the speedier passage made The Winds who think they rule the Marriner Are rul'd by him and taught to serve his Trade And as thy house is full so I adore Thy curious Art in Marshalling thy Goods The Hills with health abound the Vales with store The South with Marble Norths with Furs and Woods Hard things are Glorious easie things good Cheap The common all Men have That which is rare Men therefore seek to have and care to keep The healthy Frost with Summer Fruits compare Light without wind is Glass Warm without weight Is Wool and Furs Cool without closeness shade Speed without pains a Horse Tall without height A Servile Hawk Low without loss a spade All Countries have enough to serve their need If they seek fine things thou dost make them run For their offence and then dost turn their speed To be Commerce and Trade from Sun to Sun Nothing wears Cloaths but Man nothing doth need But he to wear them Nothing useth fire But Man alone to shew his Heav'nly breed And only he hath fewel in desire When th' Earth was dry thou mad'st a Sea of wet When that lay gathered thou didst broach the Mountains When yet some places could no moisture get The Winds grew Gard'ners and the Clouds good Fountains Rain doth not hurt my Flowers but gently spend Your Honey drops Press not to smell them here When they are ripe their odour will ascend And at your Lodging with their thanks appear How harsh are Thorns to Pears And yet they make A better Hedge and need less Reparation How smooth are Silks compared with a stake Or with a Stone Yet make no good Foundation Sometimes thou dost divide thy Gifts to man Sometimes unite The Indian Nut alone Is Cloathing Meat and Trencher Drink and Kan Boat Cable Sail and Needle all in one Most herbs that grow in Brooks are hot and dry Cold Fruit's warm Kernels help against the Wind The Limon's Juice and Rinde cure mutually The Whey of Milk doth loose the Milk doth bind Thy Creatures leap not but express a Feast Where all the Guests sit close and nothing wants Frogs marry Fish and Flesh Bats Bird and Beast Sponges Nonsense and Sense Mines th' Earth and Plants To shew thou art not bound as if thy Lot Were worse than ours sometimes thou shiftest hands Most things move th' Vnder-Jaw the Crocodile not Most things sleep lying th' Elephant leans or stands But who hath Praise enough Nay who hath any None can express thy Works but he that knows them And none can know thy Works which are so many And so compleat but onely he that owes them All things that are though they have sev'ral ways Yet in their Being joyn with one advice To honour thee and so I give thee Praise In all my other Hymns but in this Twice Each thing that is although in Vse and Name It go for one hath many ways in store To honour thee And so each Hymn thy Fame Extolleth many ways yet this one more A Compleat History OF THE MOST Remarkable Providences BOTH OF Judgment and Mercy Which have happened in this Present Age. c. CHAP. I. Concerning the Appearance and Manifestation of God Himself in the World DEsigning to Treat in this Book of that most Noble Exercise of the Divinity The Government of the World and of that only so far as it is Remarkably the Operation and Effect of the Infinite Supream Being it will not be Improper in the first place to enquire If ever this God hath made any Visible Manifestation of himself in Form or Figure to the World If ever any Man saw him in any Material adequate shape and lived Or if he hath not what should be the Reason that He never strikes our senses with his Essential presence that he hides from us in the Retirements of an Invisible and Spiritual Majesty leaving us to search out his Footsteps and read the marks of his Boundless Properties in the Works of Creation and Providence We are told indeed in sacred Scripture of his frequent Appearance to Abraham Gen. 12.7 to Isaac Gen. 26.2 24. to Jacob Gen. 28.10 c. to Moses Exod. 3.2 c. But all these Apparitions come to no more then this that these persons were struck either with the outward sight or inward sense of the signs of the presence of something Extraordinary that they could resolve the cause to be nothing less then the great God And besides the Conviction was intended no further primarily then themselves and so far it was effectual and there it rested They were convinced and believed and obeyed And tho their Faith and Obedience was design'd for a strong Argument to draw their Posterity after them yet when the Freshness of these Stories were worn off the following Generation called for fresh Evidences and repeated Miracles and the Marks of a singular Providence or else they were in danger of lapsing backward into down-right Infidelity and Disobedience again And therefore though it hath pleased Almighty God at sundry times and in divers manners to make himself known to the world yet we may safely conclude upon these Two Points as certainly True 1. That no meer Man in this world did ever see God as he is in himself and live John 1.18 1 John 4.12 Not Abraham not Isaac nor Jacob nor Moses they but saw his back-parts the Signs of his Presence the Effects of some particular Attributes and no more 2. That it is impossible for Man in a state of Mortality to see him Exod. 33.20 Thou canst not see my Face that is my Essence for there shall no Man see me and live And the Reason is plain and easie if we consider The Glory of that Infinite Majesty is enough to crack our weak corruptible Bodies and astonish our senses and strike us into a Dissolution or Confusion 2. The present Weakness and Sinfulness of Humane Nature 1 Tim. 6.16 God only is said there to have Immortality which no Man can approach unto whom no Man can see And besides all this the Intuition or Vision of God is
reserved for the Reward of our Faith and therefore 't is unseasonable now we must wait for it till we have done our work and are got safe into the other World and then we shall have purer Intellectuals and more refined Souls and more Glorious Bodies fitted up on purpose and disposed for such Ravishing Glory and such a Transcendent Object Obj. It is said Gen. 32.30 Jacob called the Name of the place Peniel for I have seen God face to face and my Life is preserved Answ Still I say Jacob saw not God in his Essence but in some visible Representation and that not adequate to the Nature or Glory of God but far beneath it For the shape of a Man is no more the excellency of God than a Rush-candle or a poor silly Glow-worm to the Noon-Sun nor so much neither All the ways of God's Appearance and Manifestation in the World that I can think of may be reduc'd to these following Particulars 1. By a Voice only as in the Case of Adam and Eve Gen. 3.8 9. of Noah Gen. 6.13 c. of Abraham Gen. 12.1 7 ch 13 14. 2. By a Vision as he did to Abraham Gen. 15.1 to Balaam Numb 24.4 16. to Samuel 1 Sam. 3.15 to Nathan 2 Sam. 7.17 1 Chr. 17.15 to the Prophets frequently These Visions are sometimes called Trances as in the Case of Balaam Numb 24.4 where the man seem'd to fall into a fit of Extasie with his Eyes open v. 16. He is said to exercise Two of his Senses Hearing and Seeing and both of them with his Eyes open Peter Acts 10.10 is said to fall into One of these Trances where he both heard a Voice and saw a Vision S. Paul Acts 22.17 affirms of himself That whilst he was praying in the Temple he was in a Trance Cornelius Acts 10.3 is said to have seen a Vision evidently viz. an Angel of God coming to him but with such a Glorious appearance that seeing him he was afraid and said Lord what is it c. S. Paul quite contrary to Balaam in the Vision mentioned before fell to the Earth and heard a Voice And though at first he saw a Light shining round about him yet afterwards we have Reason to believe that his Eyes were shut for it is said Acts 9.8 Saul arose from the Earth and when his Eyes were opened he saw no man and he continued three days without sight 3. By Angels in the shape or form of men as One Angel is said to find Hagar by a Fountain of water Gen. 16.7 c. Two appear to Lot Gen. 19.1 2 c. Three to Abraham Gen. 18. Many to Jacob Gen. 32.1 24. An Angel appeared to Moses in a Flame of Fire out of the midst of a Bush Exod. 3.1 2. c. And yet 't is said God called unto Muses out of the midst of the Bush saying I am the God of thy Father c. 4. By Dreams As to Abimelech Gen. 20.3 to Laban Gen. 31.24 to Jacob Gen. 31.11 But here likewise there was often the Appearance of an Angel as in the last Instance of Jacob and Mat. 1 20. and c. 2.13 19 c. an Angel appeared to Joseph in a Dream 5. By Angels in a Pillar of Cloud and Fire as Exod. 13.21 c. 14.24 c. 6. By such Works either of Creation or Providence as must necessarily be accounted the Effects of Infinite VVisdom and Power and can be supposed to proceed from no other Being in the VVorld but One of Unlimited Attributes that both Knows and VVills and acts in such a way as none can do but he that hath all the VVorld at his Command and all the diverse Classes of the Creatures at his back I meddle not here with that Universal Character that Idea of the Divine Nature which is impressed upon the Mind of all Mankind by him that made us Our Creator it seems would not suffer us to come out of his Hands till he had instamp'd his own Mark upon us But this I insist not here upon because that Impression was made upon the inward Tables of the Heart for the use of the Man himself And 't is so soyl'd with the Corruption of our Nature and Men are often so resolved upon the Trade of sinning and so exposing themselves to the Displeasure and Judgment of him that made them that they take no delight in Reading and Acknowledging this Divine Inscription Nay some are so set against it that they do all they cam to blot out the Characters and expunge them clearly out VVhen men are once arrived at this Degree of Obstinacy 't is a hard matter to deal with them Our utmost Aim and Design here is to present the world with such a Scheme of Divine Providences so strange and so true Relations put into a method and marshelled under their proper Heads that if our Scepticks and Atheists would but read what follows in this book and come to a fair Examination and Consideration of the matter they would find themselves so over-power'd with Evidence and so pinch'd with the strength of Arguments and Attestations that they must either honestly surrender up the Cause and acknowledge the Footsteps of the Divinity very plain and legible in the curious and wonderful Transactions of Providence or else very stoutly and impudently fly in the Face of all History Sacred and Profane Ancient and Modern Civil and Ecclesiastick Foreign and Domestick and very foolishly and dangerously encounter not only the Reason of all the World besides but their own Consciences too and even the Common Senses of Many VVise and Good Men. In short God hath manifested himself to us Inwardly and Outwardly by imprinting the Notion of Himself upon our Hearts and discovering his Excellent properties to us in his works the one legible to our Reasonable Minds and Consciences the other to our Common Senses And what more could we wish a God to do Bur if after all men will resolve to wink at the Light within and without too they are worthy in plain English neither of the Reason nor the Sense they are endowed with and the Curious VVorks of Divine Providence are drawn in vain to such dull Souls that are sunk down so deep into the Brutish Nature and almost choak'd up with the Thick Fumes of meer Flesh and Blood The God of heaven that Governs the VVorld with so much VVisdom and Goodness and Power and Constancy give a blessing to the Contents of this book and shew himself a little in every Chapter of it to every particular Reader with the like efficacy and brightness and kindness as he doth in all the various Scenes of Providence in his Government of the VVorld CHAP. II. Concerning the Appearance of Good Angels FOR those that will admit the Testimony of Sacred Scripture it will be easie to satisfy such That Good Angels do exist and are exercised in the Affairs of this Little World as in the Case of Hagar Gen. 16.7 c. of Abraham Gen. 18.
Spirit he struck the Door with a vehemency as if he had knock'd upon it with a hammer to signify his dislike of the matter If he took an ill Book into his hand to Read the Spirit would strike it that he might lay it down and so likewise would hinder him from Writing and Reading over-much Bodinus enquiring whether he ever saw the shape and form of the Spirit he told him that whilst awake he never saw any thing but a certain light very bright and clear and of a circular Figure but that once being in Jeopardy of his Life and having heartily pray'd to God that he would be pleased to provide for his safety about break of Day amidst his slumberings and wakings he espied on his Bed where he lay A young Boy clad in a white Garment tinctured with Purple and of a Visage admirably Lovely and Beautiful to behold This he confidently affirmed to Bodinus for a certain Truth H. More Antid against Atheism Edit 2d p. 245 c. 2. Ruffinus in his Ecclesiastical story reports that one Theodorus a Martyr told him that when he was hanging ten hours upon the Rack for Religion under Julian's Persecution his Joynts distended and distorted and his body exquisitely tortured with change of Executioners so as never Age could remember the like he felt no pain at all but continued all the while in the sight of all Men singing and smiling for there stood a comely young Man by him on his Gibbet which with a clean Towel still wip'd off his sweat and poured cool Water upon his Limbs wherewith he was so refreshed that it grieved him to be let down So far Dr. Joseph Hall Socratis scholasticus adds that Ruffinus had Acquaintance with this Theodorus and discoursed him upon 't to whom he said he was so comforted and confirmed in the Faith thereby that the hour of Torment was unto him rather a delectable Pleasure than a doleful Pain Socrat. Schol. Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 16. 3. Edwyn King of Northumberland then a Pagan being by himself alone and Solitary there appeared to him One who said I known well the cause of thy heaviness what wouldst thou give to him that would deliver thee from this fear I would said Edwyn give all that ever I could make And what said the other if I make thee a mightier King than any of thy Progenitors Edwyn answered as before Then said the other What if I shew thee a better way and kind of Life than was ever known to any of thy Ancestors Wilt thou obey and do after may Counsel Yes said he with all my Heart Then the other laying his Hand on his Head said When this Token happens unto thee then remember this time of thy Tribulation and the Promise that thou hast made and the Words I have spoken and so he vanished out of his sight But afterwards being over-born by the Counsel of his Nobles he deferred to perform his Promise Afterwards being struck at with the envenom'd Sword of a certain Ruffian sent by the King of the West-Saxons to assassinate him but escaping by the interposition of one of his Servants who received the Sword through his own Body being himself wounded only with the Sword 's Point with which Wound he lay long Upon Recovery he goes against those West Saxons promising Jesus Christ upon Victory to be Baptized Which tho' he obtained yet still he was slow to be Baptized Only he left off his Idolatrous Services and heard Bishop Paulinus Preach 'till the Bishop came to the King at a fit Season and laying his Hand on his Head ask'd him if he remembred not that Token upon which he was presently Baptized and destroyed his Idols with their Altars Clark's Exampl and Martyrol c. 4. When Theodosius Jun. sent his Army under Ardubarius against the Persians and for the Relief of the Persecuted Christians and the Citizens were sad and heavy fearing the Event of the War a Company of Angels appeared to certain Christians in Bythinia that were travelling to Constantinople and willed them to be of good Cheer and to Pray and put their Trust in God and then to expect confidently the good Success and Victory of Ardubarius For God had sent them as Governors and Sovereign Captains of that War Idem 5. Cotterus accounted by Comenius as a Prophet of Silesia and persecuted stoutly by the Emperor's Praefect was A. C. 1628 entertained by Adam Pohe a Sadler of Sprattovia for half a Year gratis till the time of his Imprisonment The next Year Adam falling Sick and Lame his Nerves shrank up and was confined to his Bed for half a Year A Day before the Emperor's Commissioners came to reform the Town as they called it a Young Man appeared by his Bed-side in white Cloathing saying Adam this is the Day wherein God hath decreed to take Vengeance on this City Arise Go in the name of the Lord put on thy clothes and with thy Wife and Young Daughter fly away make hasie upon which he recovered and escaped Hisi Prophet p. 22. 6. Cutbert Symson Deacon of the Congregation in London in Queen Mary's Reign being imprison'd in the Stocks the Day before his Condemnation about Eleven of the Clock toward Midnight heard one coming in first opening the outward Door then the Second then the Third and so looking into the said Cutbert having no Candle or Torch that he could see but giving a comfortable Brightness and Light joyful to the Heart and saying Ha! unto him departed again Fox Martyrol 7. Samuel Wallace of Stamford in Lincolnshire a shoe-maker having been 13 Years sick of a Consumption upon Whitsunday after Sermon 1659 being alone in the House and reading in a Book called Abraham's Suit for Sodom he heard somebody wrap at the Door upon which he rose and went with his Stick in one Hand and holding by the Wall with the other to see who was at the Door where he found a proper grave Old Man with Hair as white as Wool curled up and a white broad Beard of a fresh Complexion with a fashionable Hat little narrow Band Coat and Hose of a Purple Colour pure white Stockings and new black Shoes tied with Ribbons of the same colour with his Cloaths without Spot of Wet or Dirt upon him though it rained when he came in and had done all that Day Hands as white as Snow without Gloves Who said to him Friend I pray thee give to an Old Pilgrim a Cup of thy small Beer Samuel Wallace answering I pray you Sir come in To which he replied Friend call me not Sir for I am no Sir but yet come in I must for I cannot pass by thy Door before I come in Wallace with the help of his Stick drew a little Jug-Pot of Small-Beer which the Pilgrim took and drank a little then walked two or three times to and fro and drank again and so a Third time before he drank it all And when he had so done he walked Three
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
a Pin and squeez'd out the Blood and put it into a Pen and put the Pen in the Maids Hand to write in a great Book and one of the Spirits laid his Hand or Claw upon the Witch whilst the Maid wrote and when she had done writing whilst their Hands were together the Witch said Amen and made the Maid say Amen and the Spirits said Amen Amen And the Spirits Hand did feel could to the Maid as it touched her Hand when the Witches Hand and hers were together writing And then the Spirit gave a piece of Silver which he first bit to the Witch who gave it to the Maid and also stuck Two Pins in the Maids Head-cloaths and bid her keep them and bid her be gone and said also I will vex the Gentlewoman well enough as I did the Man in Clarington Park which I made walk about with a Bundle of Pales on his Back all Night in a Pond of Water and could not lay them down till the next Morning All these things the Maid deposed upon Oath and I think it now beyond all Controversy evident that unless she did knowingly forswear her self that they are certainly true For they cannot be imputed to any dreaming Fancy nor melancholly Now that the Maid did not forswear herself nor invent these Narrations she swore to many Arguments offer themselves for Eviction As first that it is altogether unlikely that a sorry Wench that could neither write nor read should be able to excogitate such Magical Forms and Ceremonies with all the Circumstances of the effects of them and declare them so punctually had she not indeed seen them done before her Eyes Secondly if she had been so cunning at inventing Lies she could not but have had so much wit as to frame them better for her own Advantage and for theirs by whom she was imployed or told so much only of the truth as would have been no Prejudice to her self nor any else to have it revealed For in brief the case stood thus her Mistriss either had or feigned her self to have a Suspicion that her Two Daughters in Law Mrs. Sarah and Mrs. Ann Goddard complotted to poison her Hereupon this Maid Anne Styles was sent to the Witch upon pretence to know when this Poysoning would be and how to prevent it and at the Second time she consulted her the VVitch sent her to the Apothecaries to buy her some white Arsenick and bring it her which she taking told her she would burn it and so prevent the poysoning of her Mistress The buying of this Arsenick was the great occasion of the Maids flying for it coming to the knowledge of the Two Sisters how they were suspected to endeavour the poysoning of their Mother and that they had bought an Ounce and half of Arsenick lately at the Apothecaries they to clear themselves from this Suspicion made diligent Enquiry at all the Apothecaries Shops throughout Sarum and at last found where the Poison was bought Hereupon the Maid was desired by her Mistriss to go away and shift for her self to avoid that trouble and disgrace that might come upon them if she should stay and be examined before some Justice VVhile she was upon her Journey Mr. Chandler Son in Law to Mr. Goddard hearing how his Mother in Law was in danger of being poysoned and that a Servant of hers that had bought the Poison was fled he forthwith with another Man made after her overtook her near Sutton had her there into an Inn where she confessed what has been above related VVhich Confession I say cannot be any feignment or forged Tale but certain Truth it making nothing for the Parties Advantage or their that imployed her but rather against them and mainly against her self when as if she had confessed the buying of the Arsenick with the purpose of preventing her Mistress being poysoned by the help and skill of the VVitch or VVise-VVoman it might have gone for a tolerable piece of Folly and could not seem so criminal and execrable as these other Acts do Nothing therefore but a guilty Conscience and the power of truth did extort from her this impartial Confession which thus every way touches her Friends her Self and the VVitch Thirdly that her Compact with the Devil was no Fable but a sure Truth and if that be true there is no reason to doubt of the rest was abundantly evinced by the real effects of it For after she had delivered the Piece of mony above-mentioned and the Two Pins to Mr Chandler she said she should be troubled for not keeping these things secret For the Devil told her so long as she kept them secret she should never be troubled but now she said having revealed them she feared she should be troubled At her Recovery of the first Fit she fell into both Mr. Chandler and William Atwood the man that went with him saw a black Shade come from her whereupon presently she came to herself Again she was so strong in her Fits that Six Men or more could not hold her and once as they were holding her she was caught up from them so high that her Feet touched their Breasts As also at another time about midnight she being miserably tormented and crying out the Devil will carry me away she was pulled from them that held her and cast from the low Bed where she lay to the top of an high Bed with her Cloaths torn off her Back and a piece of her Skin torn away The Candle in the Room standing on the Table was thrown down and put out at which time there being a little Boy that was almost asleep but with this noise being affrighted had no power with the rest to go out of the Room stayed there and saw a Spirit in the likeness of a great black man with no Head in the Room scuffing with the maid who took her and set her into a Chair and told her that she must go with him he was come for her Soul she had given it to him But the maid answered that her Soul was none of her own to give and he had already got her Blood but as for her Soul he should never have it and after a while tumbling and throwing about of the maid he vanished away And that which the Boy heard and saw was no Fancy of his own but a real object of his Senses the Witches condition in another Chamber at the same time does not obscurely argue for she was then seen with her Clothes off in her Fetters running about like mad and being asked why she ran about the Room she replied she could not keep her Bed but was pulled out by violence and being asked the Reason why she replied pray you what is the matter in your Chamber Nothing said they but a Child is not well To which she answered Do not you lie to me for I know what is the matter as well as your selves But to return to the maid from whom we may draw further
Arguments relating also to the Witch as that when the maid had not for many days and nights together taken any rest and being then under most grievous hurryings and tortures of the Body the Witch being brought into the Room where she lay the Design unknown to her and the time of her entring yet so soon as the Witch had set one Foot into the Room she gave a most hideous glance with her Eyes and shut them presently after falling asleep in a moment and slept about Three Hours so fast that when they would have wakened her they could not by any art or violence whatever as by stopping her Breath putting things up her Nostrils holding her upright striking of her and the like The Witch also declared her unwillingness that she should be wakened crying out O pray you by no means awake the maid for if she should awake I should be torn in pieces and the Devil would fetch me away bodily And a further Evidence that this sleep of the maid did some way depend upon the Witch is that so soon as the Witch had gone from under the Roof where she was the maid wakened of her self and so soon as the maid awakened and was at ease the Devil as she said having gone out of her Stomach but doing her no violence only making her body tremble a little the Witch began to roar and cry out The Devil will tear me in pieces These things you may read more fully and particularly in the Narration of Edmond Bower who was an Eye-witness of them Fourthly and Lastly her Behaviour at the Assizes when she gave Evidence against the Witch was so earnest and serious with that strength of mind and free and confident Appeals to the Witch her self that as I was informed of those that were Spectators of that Transaction it had been Argument enough to the unprejudiced that she swore nothing but what she was assured was true And those Floods of Tears and her bitter Weepings after Sentence was passed on the Witch and her bewailing of her own wickedness and madness and professing her willingness notwithstanding if it might be done without sin that the VVitch might be reprieved may further wash away all suspicion of either fraud or malice Nor can the Witches denying even to her Dying Day what the maid swore to enâ—â—vate her Testimony For the maid tells the whole truth as it was even to the hazard of her own Life which the Witch indeed denies but for the saving of hers And it is no wonder that one that would bid a Pox on the Hangman when he desired her to forgive him at her Death should lye and impudently deny any thing to save her own Life I think it might be evidently evinced that she was a Witch from what she undoubtedly both did and spake As for Example from her shewing of the Maid in a Glass the shapes of sundry Persons and their Actions and Postures in several Rooms in her Master's House whither when she had returned from the Witch she told them punctually what they had been doing in her Absence which made Elizabeth Rosewell one of the Family profess that she thought Mrs. Bodenham was either a Witch or a woman of God Besides what happened to her in reference to the Fits of the Maid which has been already insisted upon are shrewd Suspicions of her being a VVitch As also what she boasted of to Mr. Tucker's Clark concerning a Purse that hung about her Neck in a green String that she could do many Feats with it and that if he would give her half a Dozen of Ale she would make a Toad spring out of it Her Confession to Mr. Langely of Sarum that she lived with Dr. Lamb and learnt the art of raising Spirits from him which she confessed also to Edmond Bower to whom also she acknowledged her skill of curing Diseases by Charms and Spells that she could discover stoâ—en Goods and shew any one the Thief in a Glass and being asked by him for the Red Book half wrote over with Blood being a Catalogue of those that had sealed to the Devil she denied not the knowledge of the Book but said it was with one in Hampshire She also professed that she used many good Prayers and said the Creed backwards and forwards and that she prayed to the Planet Jupiter for the curing of Diseases She also acknowledged she had a Book whereby she raised Spirits calling it a Book of Charms and said it was worth Thousands of other Books and that there was a particular Charm in it for the finding of a Treasure hid by the old Earl of Pembroke in the North part of Wilton Garden To another Party she being ask'd by him whether there were any Spirits she made this Reply that she was sure there were and confirmed it to him by several Passages of late and particularly by that of one forced to walk about all Night with a bundle of Pales on his Back in a Pond of Water which is mentioned at the end of the Fourth Conjuration above recited She did also highly magnifie her own Art to him venturing at Astrological Terms and Phrases and did much scorn and blame the ignorance of the People averring to him with all earnestness and confidence that there was no hurt in these Spirits but that they would do a man all good Offices attending upon him and guarding him from evil all his Life long But certainly her ragged Boys were no such who discharged the maid from keeping the Commandments of God and told her they would teach her a better way as she also confessed to the same Party Add unto all this that this Ann Bodenham was searched both at the Goal and before the Judges at the Assizes and there was found on her Shoulder a certain Mark or Teat about the length and bigness of the Nipple of a VVoman's Breast and hollow and soft as a Nipple with an hole on the top of it Dr. Moor's Antid against Atheism l. 3. c. 7. 3. In 1645 there was a notable Discovery of several VVitches in Essex and among others one Elizabeth Clark was one of whom because we have occasion to speak elsewhere we shall therefore pass her over here in silence Anne Leach of Misley in Essex was another concerning whom see the Story in short in the Chapter of Satan's Permission to hurt the Good in their Estates Also Hellen the VVife of Thomas Clark was another and Daughter to Ann Leach This Hellen was accused at the same time Richard Glascock's VVife of Mannintree deposed that there happening some difference between Edward Parsley's VVife and this Hellen she heard Hellen say as she passed by their Door that Mary their eldest Daughter should rue for it whereupon the maid instantly fell sick and died six VVeeks after Edward Parsley her Father confirmed the same and said he did verily believe Hellen Clark was the cause of her Death who being her self examined confest that about Six Weeks before the
against Heresies saith That some in his time had the spirit of Prophecy to foreknow things to come they saw Divine Dreams and Visions Ibid. 3. Cyprian in his 4th Epistle sets down this Vision with a Respect to the Persecution then raised by Aemilianus President of Egypt Paternus c. There was saith he an aged Father sitting at whose Right Hand was a young Man very Pensive and Sorrowful with his Hand on his Breast on the other Hand another Person with a Net in his Hand as threatning to catch those Men that were about him Whilst Cyprian was wondring hereat he seem'd to hear a Voice saying unto him The young man is sorrowful because his Precepts are not observed he on the Left Hand danceth and is merry for that hereby occasion is given him from the Antient Father to afflict Men. This was long before the Persecution happened Ibid. Cyprian faith he was by another Vision admonished to use a Spare Diet and he sparing in his Drink Ibid. 4. Valens the Emperor fully purposing to drive Basil out of Cesarea was warn'd by his Wife to desist for that she had been troubled with dreadful Dreams about him and their only Son Gallates was desperately ill at that time in the Judgment of the Physitians and this she imputed to the ill Design of the Emperor against Basil Valens hereupon sent for Basil saying thus to him If thy Faith be true pray that my Son die not of this Disease To whom Basil answer'd If you will believe as I do and bring the Church into Vnity and Concord your Child shall doubtless live The Emperor not agreeing to this Basil departed and the Child presently died Ibid. 5. Antonius Physitian to Augustus was admonished in a Dream by a Daemon that appeared to him in the form of the Goddess Pallas that altho' Augustus was sick yet he should not fail to be present in the Battle which was next day to he given by Brutus and Cassius and that he should there abide in his Tent which he would have done but by the Physicians deep Perswasions to the contrary For it came to pass that the Enemy's Soldiers won the Tents where questionless they had slain Augustus if he had been present there So upon this Dream he prevented his Death won the Day and remain'd sole Monarch of the Roman Empire and under his Reign was born the Saviour of the World Mexico's Treasury of Antient and Modern Times Book 5. C. 25. 6. Quintus Curtius declares in the Life of Alexander That when he laid Siege to the City of Tyre he being intreated for Succour of the Carthaginians who said they were descended of the Tyrians concluded to raise his Siege as despairing of ever surprizing it But in a Dream a Satyr appear'd to him after whom he follow'd as he fled before him into a Chamber his Interpreters told him that it was a sure Sign he should take the City if he pursued and continued the Siege which fell out to be true Idem ex Qu. Curtio 7. Katherine de Medicis Queen of France and Wife to King Henry the II. dream'd the day before the said King was wounded to Death That she saw him very sickly holding down his Head as he walked along the Streets of Paris being followed by an infinite number of his People that lamented for him Hereupon she most earnestly intreated him with wringing Hands and bended Knees not to adventure in the Rank of Tilters on that Day But he giving no Credit to her words the last Day of Feasting for the Marriage of Madam Margaret his Sister to Emanuel Philibert Duke of Savoy entred the Lists of Honour and running to break the Lance against a bold and worthy Knight the Count of Montgomery happened to be wounded of which wound the King died soon after Aged about 40. leaving his Kingdom sadly mourning for him Ibid. l. 5. c. 25. 8. His Son King Henry the third three days before he was murdered at St. Clou beheld in a Dream all his Royal Ornaments viz. his Linnen Vesture Sandals Dalmatian Robe Mantle of Azure Sattin Crowns Scepter and Hand of Justice Sword and gilt Spurs all bloody and soil'd with the Feet of Religious Men and others and that he was very angry with the Sexton of St. Dennis And though good Advice was given him to stand upon his Guard yet so it fell out that he could not avoid the fatal Chance Ibid. 9. Calphurnia Wife to the Adopted Father of Caesar having dreamed That she beheld Caesar slain and massacred gave him notice thereof but he in despite of the Dream went jocundly to the Senate next day where he found the sad Effect and Consequence of this Dream Ibid. Mr. Chetwind in his Hist Collections gives us the Account more at large thus viz. Caesar in the fifty sixth year of his Age was slain in the Senate Seventy of the chief Senators conspiring his Death he having the Night before when a Question was asked What Death was best answered The suddain and not propensed His Wife dreamt that Night That he lay dead in her lap and Spurina warned him to have heed to the Ides of March and a Note was given to him going to the Senate discovering the Conspiracy which he began to read but was interrupted and died with it in his hands 10. Bradwarain in his Preface to his Learned Book de Causa Dei tells us of a Dream he had in the Night when he was about his Book in Confutation of Pelagius he thought he was caught up into the Air and Pelagius came and took hold of him to cast him down head-long upon the Earth but he prevailed against him after much strugling and cast down Pelagius so that he brake his Neck and he lay dead upon the Earth Whereby he faith he was much comforted and strengthened Mr. Barkers Flores 11. Thomas Wotton Esq of Bocton Malherb in Kent Father to the Famous Sir H. Wotton a little before his death dreamed That the Vniversity-Treasury was Robbed by Townsmen and poor Scholars in number Five and wrote this Dream the next day by way of Postscript in a Letter to his Son Henry then of Queens Colledge The Letter dated 3 days before out of Kent came to his Son's hands the very Morning after the Robbery was committed The Letter being Communicated by Mr. Wotton gave such Light to this Work of Darkness that the Five guilty Persons were presently discovered and apprehended Dr. Plat's Nat. Hist of Oxfordsh c. 8. p. 47. 12. Astyages last King of the Medes saw in his Dream a Vine springing forth from the Womb of his only Daughter and at last so Flourish and Spread out it self that it seemed to overspread all Asia The Sooth-sayers being Consulted about it answered him That of his Daughter should be born a Son that should seize on the Empire of Asia and divest him of his Tertified with this Prediction he bestowed his Daughter on Cambyses an obscure Person and a Foreigner When his
a very beautiful young Gentleman did win her Love so that notwithstanding her Promise aforesaid she married him She married at South-wrax-hall where the Picture of Sir Walter hung over the Parlour-door as it doth now at Dracot As Sir Fox led his Bride by the Hand from the Church which is near to the House into the Parlour the string of the Picture brake and the Picture fell on her Shoulder and crack'd in the Fall 53. The Night before the Fight in Glinsuly in Ireland a Woman of uncommon Stature all in white appearing to the Bishop of Clogher admonished him not to cross the River first to assault the Enemy but suffer them to do it whereby he should obtain the Victory That if the Irish took the Water first to move towards the English they should be put to a total Rout which came to pass Ocahan and Sir Henry O Neal who were both kill'd there saw severally the Apparition and disswaded the Bishop from giving the first Onset but could not prevail upon him 54. Near the same place a Party of the Protestents had been surpriz'd sleeping by the Popish Irish were it not for several Wrens that just wakned them by dancing and pecking on the Drums as the Enemy were approaching For this reason the wild Irish mortally hate these Birds to this day 55. When King James II. first entred Dublin after his Arrival from France 1689. one of the Gentlemen that bore the Mace before him stumbled without any rub in his way or other visible occasion The Mace fell out of his Hands and the little Cross upon the Crown thereof stuck fast between two Stones in the Street Thus far I 'm beholding to Mr. Aubrey's Collections 56. Of Fatalities of Families and Places Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq The L. Chancellor Bacon says As for Nobility in particular Persons It is a reverend thing to see an antient Castle or Building not in Decay or to see a fair Timber Tree sound and perfect how much more to behold an ancient Noble Family which haâ—h stood against the VVaves and VVeathers of Time For new Nobility is but the Act of Power but ancient Nobility is the Act of Time But Omnium rerum est vicissitudo Families and Places have their Fatalities according to that of Ovid Fo rs sua cuique loco est 57. Sturton the Seat of the Lord Sturton was belonging to his Family before the Conquest They say that after the Victory at Battaile William the Conqueror came in Person into the West to receive their Rendition that the Lord Abbot of Glastenbury and the rest of the Lords and Grandees of the Western Parts waited upon the Conqueror at Stourton-House where the Family continues to this Day 58. Sir William Batton of Tockenham Baronet the Father told me that his Ancestors had the Lease of Alton-Farm 400 l. per Annum in Wilts which anciently belonged to Hyde-Abby juxta Winton four Hundred Years Sir William's Lease expired about 1652. and so fell into the Hands of the Earl of Pembrooke 59. Clavel of in the Isle of Purbec in the County of Dorset was in that place before the Conquest as appears by Dooms-day Book The like is said of Hamden of Hamden in Bucks Their Pedigree says that one of that Family had the Conduct of that County in two Invasions of the Danes Also Pen of Pen in that County was before the Conquest as by Dooms-day Book 60. Contrariwise there are several places unlucky to their Possessors e. g. Charter-house on Mindip in Somersetshire never passed yet to the Third Generation The Manner of Butleigh near Glaâ—enbury never went yet to the Third Generation 61. Bletchington in Oxfordshire continued in the Family of the Pauures for about 300 Years 62. Fatality of proper Names of Princes e. g. John hath been an unfortunate Name to Kings All the Second Kings since the Conquest have been unfortunate 63. London-derry was the first Town in Ireland that declared for the Parliament against King Charles I. and for the Prince of Orange against King James II. It was closely besieged both times without effect The King's Party were once Masters of all the Kingdom except London-Derry and Dublin and King James had all in his Power but London-Derry and Iniskilling 'T is certain that there are some Houses unlucky to their Inhabitants which the Reverend and Pious Dr. Nepier could acknowledge 64. The Fleece-Tavern in Covent-Garden in York-street was very unfortunate for Homicides there have been several kill'd three in my time It is now 1696 a private House 65. A handsome Brick-House on the South side of Clerken-well Church-yard hath been so unlucky for at least Forty Years that it was seldom Tenanted and at last no body would adventure to take it Also a handsome House in Holbourn that looked towards the Fields the Tenants of it did not prosper several about six 66. Periodical Small-Poxes The Small-Pox is usually in all great Towns But it is observed at Taunton in Somerset-shire and at Shirbourne in Dorsetshire that at one of them at every Seventh Year and at the other at every Ninth Year comes a Small-Pox which the Physitians cannot master This Account I had from Mr. Tho. Ax. It were to be wish'd that more such Observations were made in o ther great Towns Platerus makes the like Observations in the second Book of his Practise P. 323. He practised at Basil 56 Years and did observe that every Tenth year they died of the Plague there See Capt. J. Graunts Observations of the Bills of Mortality at London indeed written by sir William Petty which in a late Transaction he confessed for the Periodical Plagues at London which as I remember are every Twenty-fifth year Thus far I am beholding to Mr. Aubrey's Collections 67. Corps Candles in Wales Part of a Letter to Mr. Baxter Sir I am to give you the best satisfaction I can touching those Apparitions Corps Candles which do as it were mark out the way for Corpses to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes before the Parties themselves fall sick and sometimes in their Sickness I could never hear in England of these they are common in these three Counties viz. Cardigan Carmarthen and Pembrooke and as I hear in some other Parts of Wales These 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our Language we call Canhwyllan Cyrph i. e. Corps-Candles and Candles we call them not that we see any thing besides the Light but because that Light doth as much resemble a material Candle-light as Eggs do Eggs saying that in their Journey these Candles be modo apparantes modo disparantes especially when one comes near them and if one come in the way against them unto whom they vanish but presently appear behind and hold on their Course If it be a little Candle pale or bluish then follows the Corps either of an Abortive or some Infant if a big one them the Corps of some one come to Age If there be seen two or three
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
with shame See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 296. And another Lady Wife to the Lord Mordant confirmed by occasion of the Jesuit's absenting from the Disputation and sending his excuse that he had forgot all his Arguments tho' he had them before as ready as his Pater Nâ—ster as he believed through the just Judgment of God because he had undertaken to Dispute with so worthy a Man without License of his Superiour Ibid. p. 278. 4. One Mr. Charles Langford in a Book Published by him called God's wonderful Mercy in the Mount of woful Extremity A. C. 1672. Tells us that for near Forty Years he had been Buffeted severely by Satan who had left no Stone unturn'd to do him all the mischief that he could For the space of Forty Years saith he or thereabouts hath it pleased the Hand that took me out of my Mother's Womb to train me up and lead me along in this uncomfortable Wilderness of Temptation tho' I cannot say that in all these Years he hath left me to the violence of Spiritual Conflicts for then the Burthen had been too heavy for Flesh to stand under so long Yet must I needs say my clearest Day all that time was but clark and however I seemed to others in point of Comfort outwardly sure I am my Soul enjoyed not her rest nor could I ever say I was all that while more than a Prisoner of hope still subject unto Bondage and not discharged of the Debt nor delivered from my Fears It was but a hard shift that I made to hold up my head when I was at best my worst cannot be expressed until now at last that God for whom I waited in the way of his Judgments and from whom were my Expectations in the use of appointed means all this while came and was found of me when I look'd not for him and delivered me from my strong Enemy set my Feet upon a Rock and Established my goings I can say by experience Now I know there is a God and now I know there is a Devil Such have been the Delusions cursed Injections of Blasphemous Thoughts and dreadful Temptations wherewith he hath endeavoured to â—ll my Soul till the day the Lord by his great power delivered me out of his Hands That I have cause to know him and to make him known as I am able to the World In short tho' he had been tempted to Murder his Wife and made Provision for it and she knew it yet she still performed the duty of a faithful Yoke-fellow and upon April 16. 1669. a day for ever to be Solemnized as Glorious and Honourable by me his poor Creature They are his own words she going on in her constant course of Prayer after she had given the Lord his Holy and Reverend Titles using Moses's Arguments brake forth into these words My Father my Father What wilt thou do with my Husband He hath been speaking and acting still in thy cause Oh! Destroy him not for thine own Glory Oh! What dishonour will come to thy great Name if thou do it Oh! Rather do with me what thou wilt On Rather Do what thou wilt But spare my Husband c. He that is pleased to stile himself a God hearing Prayer and in most of his great works delights to advance his own power by using small and unlikely means after long tarrying and in a time when I looked not for him came now and owned his own Ordinance crowned the Cries and Faith and Patience of a poor Woman with such success that my praise shall be continually of him The proud may scorn but the humble shall hear thereof and be glad That roaring Lion mine Adversary the Devil that old Serpent that red Dragon that unclean Spirit that Liar that false Accuser Murderer Appollyon Abaddon even now when he thought himself almost settled in the Possession of his long sought Dominion and that there was no casting him out of my Soul which he had abused making it his Dung-hill whereon he laid all the fifth of Hellish Thoughts and Abominations that he could now was sent to his own place by my dear Lord Christ who broke the Doors of Brass and rescued me from the Rape of Hellish Furies c. See the Book writ by his own Hand p. 53 54. c. 5. When I was Minister of Shipley in Sussex a certain Man of another Parish on a Lord's Day after Evening Service came to me and desired to speak with me about some particular Case of Conscience I think it was concerning the Sin against the Holy Ghost after some discourse upon the point he told me that he had for many Years been haunted with doubts and great fears about his Salvation and could enjoy no comfort but at last unexpectedly as he was at his Loom for he was a Weaver by Trade a certain Text of Scripture was suggested to his mind by he knew not what secret Impulse and thereupon all the thick Fog which he had so long laboured under was scattered and the Room was filled with Light and he enjoyed a great Serenity and Peace and Comfort afterwards 6. Mrs. Polsted of Bednel Green for a great while was in great Darkness and Deserted It prevailed even to the uttering of words dreadful to her Friends But drawing near to her end she desired my Sister Dunn to stay with her that Night she died and to close her Eyes She lay by her upon the Bed when she spake to her thus O Mrs. Dunn it is a dreadful thing to be separated from Christ for ever for ever Yes so 't is says her Friend but I am perswaded it shall never be your Portion She fell into a kind of a Slumber and a little after spake Mrs. Dunn Christ is come let us haste to meet him let us haste to meet him She ask'd her if she had now closed with Christ yes said she I stick to my first choice I stick to my first choice What shall I render to the Lord What shall I render to the Lord And so died praising the Lord. 7. Mrs Charlton once told me That after a Desertion of about Eight Years she had such a Floud of Spiritual Joy that when she walk'd in the Streets they seem'd to her Pav'd with Gold for a Fortnights time and she was fain to beg of God to stay his Hand Her Body being not able to bear it 8. Mr. Nutkin of Okingham told me That once after near Fifty Years Profession upon a Day of Thanksgiving observed by himself upon a recovery from Sickness and to beg a Sanctified use of Health restored on a sudden a dark Cloud fell on him that all his Profession had been Hypocrisie That Day and the Night after which he passed without Sleep it continued and he was so held down by the Temptation he had not power to look into his Bible The next Day he thought thus Have I been so long acquainted with the Lord and shall not I dare to look into his
he stood fair for the Pontifical Chair upon the death of Pope Paul III. and the Party for him had gain'd almost a sufficient number of Suffrages he seemed little concern'd at it and did rather decline than aspire to that Dignity Yea and when a full number had agreed and came to adore him according to the ordinary Ceremony he receiv'd it with his usual Coldness and that being done in the Night he said God loved Light and therefore advised them to delay it till Day came upon which the Italians among whom Ambition passes for the Character of a great Mind looked on this as an unsufferable piece of Dulness so the Cardinals shrunk from him before day and chose de Monte Pope who reigned by name of Julius the III. His first Promotion was very extraordinary for he gave his own Hat to a Servant that kept his Monkey and being ask'd the Reason of it He said He saw as much in his Servant to recommend him to be a Cardinal as the Conclave saw in him to chuse him to be Pope See Abridgment of the Hist. of the Reform l. 2. p. 121. And it is remarkable that notwithstanding he had such an humble Opinion of his own Parts yet he behaved himself so wisely at the Council of Trent that it raised his Esteem much and moved the Conclave of Rome to a Design of promoting him to the Popedom Ibid. See more in the Chapter of present Retribution to the Humble and Modest. CHAP. XXVI Persons strangely admonished of Sins or Dangers WE have to deal with so gracious a God and one so concern'd for our Welfare and Salvation that he seldom lets his Children run into Dangers without giving them a previous Notice and Admonition of it Thus the Persecution design'd by Herod against our Saviour was notified to Joseph in a Dream and withal a way directed for his Escape S. Peter was told plainly before-hand of Satan 's Defire to sift and winnow him Judas o his Temptation and all the rest of the Apostles of their stumbling and Offence And indeed all the Christian Disciples had fair warning of the Dangers that awaited them in the World after our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven and therefore they were to fore-arm themselves with Prudence and Innocency c. How S. Paul was admonished by Agabus of his being bound at Jerusalem See Act. 21.11 12. 1. We do elsewhere relate in this Book how a Gentleman in London whensoever he was drunk was continually molested with a Noise over his Head as he lay in his Bed c. 2. Some few Days before the Duke of Buckingham's going to Portsmouth where he was stabbed by Felton the Ghost of his Father Sir George Villiers appear'd to one Parker formerly his own Servant but then Servant to the Duke in his Morning-Chamber-Gown charged Parker to tell his Son that he should decline that Employment and Design he was going upon or else he would certainly be murder'd Parker promised the Apparition to do it but neglected it The Duke making Preparations for his Expedition the Apparition came again to Parker taxing him very severely for his Breach of Promise and required him not to delay the acquainting his Son of the Danger he went in Then Parker the next day told the Duke that his Father's Ghost had twice appear'd to him and had commanded him to give him that warning The Duke slighted it and told him he was an old doting Fool. That Night the Apparition came to Parker and said Thou hast done well in warning my Son of his Danger but tho' he will not yet believe thee go to him once more however and tell him from me by such a Token naming a private Token which no Body knows but only he and I that if he will not decline his Voyage such a Knife as this is pulling a Knife out from under his Gown will be his Death This Message Parker also delivered the next day to the Duke who when he heard the private Token believed that he had it from his Father's Ghost yet said that his Honour was now at Stake and he could not go back from what he had undertaken come Life come Death This Passage Parker after the Duke's Murder communicated to his Fellow-Servant Henry Ceely who told it to a Reverend Divine a Neighbour of mine from whose Mouth I have it saith Mr. Glaenvil in his Sadducism Triumph p. 410. 3. A Gentleman in Ireland near to the Earl of Orory's sending his Butler one Afternoon to buy Cards as be passed a Field he to his wonder espy'd a Company of People sitting round a Table with a deal of good Chear before them in the midst of the Field And he going up towards them they all arose and saluted him and desired him to sit down with them But one of them whispering these Words in his Ear Do nothing this Company invites you to do He thereupon refused to sit down and immediately the Table and all that belonged to it were gone and the Company are now playing and dancing And the Butler being desired to joyn himself with them but he refusing they fall all to work but he refusing to work with them they all disappeared The Man runs strait home and was no sooner entred his Master's House but down he falls and lay some time sensless but coming to himself again he related to his Master what had happened The Night following there comes one of this Company to his Bed-side and tells him that if he offer'd to stir out of Doors the next day he would be carried away Hereupon he kept within but towards the Evening having need to make Water he adventured to put one Foot over the Threshold several standing by Which he had no sooner done but the espy'd a Rope cast about his Middle and the poor Man was hurried away with great swiftness they following after him as fast as they could but could not overtake him At length they espy'd a Horseman coming towards them and made signs to him to stop the Man whom he saw coming near him and both ends of the Rope but no Body drawing When they met he laid hold on one end of the Rope and immediately had a smart Blow given him over his Arm with the other end But by this means the Man was stopt and the Horseman brought him back with him The Earl of Orory hearing of these strange Passages sent to the Master to desire him to send this Man to his House which he accordingly did And the Morning following or quickly after he told the Earl that his Spectre had been with him again and assured him that that day be should most certainly be carried away and that no Endeavours should avail to the saving of him Upon this he was kept in a large Room with a considerable number of Persons to guard him among whom was the famous Stroker Mr. Greatrix who was a Neighbour There were besides other Persons of Quality two Bishops in the House at the same
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
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
forsaken and hardned Another time to Mrs. N. How deplorable a thing is this that I who have preached so much of the Glory of another World should now be deprived of it all You will as surely see me damned as you now see e stand here And again being prest to publish his Repentance for his Book that had caused him so much Trouble he answered I have thought sometimes so to do but I am so confused and confounded in my Mind that I know not what to do I can do nothing to purpose Again with a deep Sign said The black Tokens of Reprobation are upon me I cannot stoop to the Sovereignty of God I would be above him In short he drew three Papers of Recantation written with his own Hand The first of which begins thus That it is a Dishonour to the Church and Clergy of England to have such an one that hath no more Wit so little Justice Reason and Conscience plead for them that the Author of this Libel is worthily so represented appears by divers base false devillish and most scandalous Passages therein contained They are represented as a People weak and phantastical and not rendring a tolerable Reason for their differing from others which is a devillish stroke made by a black blow to assert the Nonconformists have no kind of Order in sending forth their Ministers that Preachers run on their own Head upon a phansiful Supposition that they are able to Preach or at the most have but the Consent and Connivance of a few weak Persons is a Devillish Lie as thousands can witness to say it is a true State or the Case being truly thus as we are able to make it good is a Lie if possible more than damnable c. After which he miserable destroyed himself Octob. 13. 1684. See the Narrative attested by Tho Blunt and Ben. Dennis and printed May the 7. 1688. CHAP. XLVI Good People extreamly Afflicted and mightily Comforted THE sharpest Afflictions often befal the best of Men not only Outward and Temporal but Inward and Spiritual insomuch that they are ready sometimes to cry out with our Blessed Saviour Eli Eli Lama-Sabachtheni God withdraws his glorious Countenance and Satan shews his ugly Visage and all this on purpose to rouse and startle a secure World and convince us that it is no very easy matter to get to Heaven and that 't is the safest way to work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling Besides it serves to shew the Sincerity of the poor deserted Christian for in such cases the Man is mightily humbled and confesseth all his Sins and strips himself stark naked of any Merit or Conceit of his own inherent Righteousness and freely acknowledges that he hath none else to fly to for Succour and Consolation but God only 1. Mr. Tho. Peacock Batchelor of Divinity and Fellow of Brazen-Nose Colledge in Oxford in his Illness was strangely Afflicted and as strangely comforted as may be collected by these Despairing and Comfortable Expressions of his in the time of his Visitation compared together 1st His Despairing Expressions were such as these ' I thought I had been in a good Estate but I see it now sat otherwise for these things my Conscience lays against me First I brought up my Scholars in Gluttony while I was talking they did undo themselves And further I did unadvisedly expound many places of Scripture many times at the Table and for these I now feel a Hell in my Conscience Again I have procured my own Death by often eating like a Beast when I came jostling up and down to my Friends in the Country and now I see before my Face those Dishes of Meat wherewith I clogged my Stomach Sin Sin Sin I am uncapable of Prayers A damnable wretched c. O! how woful and miserable is my Estate that thus must converse with Hell-hounds The Lord hath cursed me I have no Grace I was a foolish glorious Hypocrite it is against the Course of God's Proceeding to save me he hath otherwise decreed he cannot I can put my Trust in God no more than a Horse I desire to believe no more than a Post than a Horse-shooe I have no more Sense of Grace than these Curtains than a Goose than that Block O! O miserable and woful the burden of my Sin lieth heavy upon me I doubt it will break my Heart Comforts They are nothing to me hold your Peace do not trouble your selves idly you vex me your words are as Daggers to my Heart To one saying Good Sir endeavour to settle your Mind he answered Yes to play with Hell-hounds I cannot desire Grace I can as well leap over the Church I fear to be damned for my Sins I cannot so much as name Jesus I had rather be in the Fire than here Cursed be the day when I took Scholars c. 2d His Gracious and Comfortable Expressions As O if God! O God give me a Spark of Grace c. O if God would give me a drop O if I had O if it would please God! I had rather than any thing in this or other three thousand Worlds I thank God he hath began to ease me O I love your Company to Dr. Aiery and Mr. Dod c. for the Graces in you O God reconcile me unto thee that I may taste one dram of thy Grace Being put in mind of that place Isaiah 45.8 11 c. he lift up his Eyes saying Take heed be not too bold look to the Foundation Lord grantme the Comfort of the Deliverance c. Blessed be God! blessed be God! blessed c. I am a thousand times happy to have such Felicity thrown upon me a poor wretched Miscreant Lord Jesus unto thy hands Lord receive my Soul Lord lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon me and be merciful unto me Then very weak he repeated the Lord's-Prayer twice his Belief once with a strong Voice and so slept in the Lord. The last Conflicts and Death of Mr. Tho. Peacock Published by E. B. 1646. 2. See the Story of Mrs. Joan Drake and her great Afflictions together with her subsequent Comforts in the foregoing Chapter Of Earnests of a Future Retribution of Mr. Honywood and others in the Chap. of Doubts strangely Resolved 3. Mr. Paul Baynes on his Death-Bed had many Doubts and Fears upon him so that he went out of the World with her less Comfort than many weaker Christians saith my Author Mrs. Harris Dr. Harris's last Wife though a pious Woman yet was much afflicted and delivered up to the Buffetings of Satan and such hellish Temptations that the ablest Divines were at their Wits-end to answer them and her poor self was put even beyond herself But as her Husband would often say The Difference is not great whether Comfort come a little before Death or an hour after Death See Dr. Harris 's Life 4. Mr. Richard Rothwell that bold Divine that often encountred the Devil with a Courage extraordinary yet was
prospect of Peace or Help and yet God hath revived me thro' his Soveraign Grace and Mercy and there have been several heretofore forely perplex'd with great inward and outward trouble whom God aftr that wonderfully refreshed Mr. Robert Bruce some time ago Minister at Edinburgh was Twenty years in Terrors of Conscience and yet delivered afterwards You may also direct them to the Lives of Mrs. Brettergh Mrs. Drake Mr. Peacock and Mrs. Wight where they will see a very chearful day returning after a black and stormy night and that the Issue from their Afflictions was more glorious than their Conflict was troublesome They went forth weeping they sowed in Tears but they reaped an Harvest of wonderful Joys afterwards You have in the Book of Martyrs written by Mr. Fox an instance of Mr. Glover who was worn and consumed with inward Trouble for the space of Five years that he neither had any Comfort in his Meat nor any Quietness of Sleep nor any Pleasure of Life he was so perplexed as if he had been in the deepest Pit of Hell yet at last this good Servant of God after so sharp Tempetations and the strong Buffetings of Satan was freed from all his trouble and was thereby framed to great Mortification and was like one already placed in Heaven and led a Life altogether Celestial abhorring in his Mind all propahen things and you have a remarkable instance of mighty Joy in Mr. Holland a Minister who having the day before he died meditated upon the 8th of the Romans he cried on a sudden Stay your Reading What Brightness is it that I see They told him it was the Sun-shine Nay saith he my Saviour's shine Now farewell World and welcome Heaven the day-star from an high hath visited my Heart O speak it when I am gone and let it be Preached at my Funeral God dealeth familiarly with Man I feel his Mercy I see his Majesty whether in the Body or out of the Body God he knoweth but I see things unutterale And in the Morning following he shut up his blessed Life with these blessed words O! what an happy Change shall I make from Night to Day from Darkness to Light from Death to Life from Sorrow to Solace from a factious World to an Heavenly Being O! my dear Friends it pitieth me to leave you behind yet remember what I now feel I hope you shall find e're you die That God doth and will deal familiarly with Men. And now thou fiery Chariot that came down to fetch up Eliah carry me to my happy hold and all the blessed Angels who attended the Soul of Lazarus to bring it up to Heaven bear me O bear me into the Bosom of my best Beloved Amen Amen Come Lord Jesus come quickly And so he fell asleep See this and several other Instances in Mr. Robert Bolton's Instructions for Afflicted Consciences p. 87. and 235 c. Thus far Mr. Rogers I shall next add what dreadful Apprehensions a Soul has that is under Desertion from Mr. Rogers's own Experience and I shall give it you in his own words viz. The time of God's Forsaking of a Soul is a very dark and mournful time 't is not only night but a weeping stormy Night and it may not be unuseful to you who have it may be hitherto lived in the Beams and chearful Light of Day to know what passes in this sorrowful and doleful Night and in this Matter I will not borrow Information from others but give you my own Experience 1. In this Night the deserted Soul in overwhelmed with continual Thoughts of the Holiness and Majesty and Glory of the Lord not does in think of him with any manner of Delight acording to that of Asaph Psal 77.3 I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my Spirit was over-whelmed And in how deplorable a case is such a Soul that cannot think of its God and its Creator but with Grief and Sorrow 2. The Deserted Soul in this mournful Night does look upon God as its Enemy and as intending its Hurt and Ruin by the Sharpness of his Dispensations and this makes it to be incapable of receiving any Consolation from the Creatures for will it say to them Alas if God be my Enemy as I apprehend him to be which of you can be my Friend He is with his People ut he has forsaken me he has east me into a fiery Furnace where I am daily burnt and scorcht and he is not with me there I dare not says the mourning Person look up to Heaven for there I see how great a God I have against me I dare not look into his Word for there I see all his Threats as so many barbed Arrows to strike me to the Heart I dare not look into the Grave because thence I am like to have a doleful Resurection and what can a poor Creature do that apprehends the Almighty to be his Enemy It is a common thing to say Why do you so lament and mourn you have many Mercies left many Friends that pray for you and that pity you Alas what help is there in all this if God himself be gone Nothing is then lookt upon as a Mercy and as for the Prayers of others will the distressed Person say They can do me no good unless I have Faith and I find I have none at all for that wou'd purify and cleanse my Heart and I do nothing else but sin 3. In this doleful Night the Soul hath no evidence at all of its former Grace so that in this Night the Sun is not only set but there is not one Star appears such an one look upon himself as altogether void of the Grace of God he looks upon all his former Duties to have been Insincere or Hypocrital he feels his Heart hardned at present and concludes that it was never tender I am an Apostate if I had any share in the Intercession of the great Redeemer he wou'd not leave me thus sad and desolate O! how greatly have I been deceived that imagined my self to be an Heir of Heaven and am now seized with the Pangs of Hell 4. During this Sadness the Soul cannot think of Christ himself with any Comfort For thus it argues he will be a Saviour to none but those that believe I have no Faith and therefore he will be no Saviour to me he that is to his Servants as the Lamb of God will be to me as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah he that deals gently with them will tear me to pieces He seems to be angry and enraged against me for my Disobedience and though I have cried sometimes Have Mercy on me thou Son of David he passes away and does not regard my Cries and O what shall I do when he comes in the Clouds of Heaven when I am to stand at his Bar and to be punished as an Unbeliever 5. In this Night the Soul is full of Terror and how can it be otherwise when every
continued in London Teaching and Preaching the Gospel so long as the Strength of his Body would permit and at length being old and stricken in Years he died comfortably and peaceably in the Lord being about Eighty Years old January 20. A. C. 1568. See his Life CHAP. L. Remarkable Silence or Reservedness of Men c. As also of Retirement SOme People love to make a loud Noise in the World but they are rarely the most wise and solid for the deepest Waters are generally the calmest and the emptiest Barrels in a Sea the greatest Sound and a Dear Friend of mine now Deceased Mr. J. Tutte no impolitick or irreligious Man commended this as his last Farewel-Admonition to his Step-Son upon his Death-Bed That he should fear God and endeavour to pass through the World without making any great Noise as he went 1. St. Basil affected a solitary Life 2. St. Hierom was in love with a Monastick Life that he might have more freedom to attend his Studies with a good Library and Heliodorus for his Companion retired into Syria and afterwards Heliodorus leaving him he betook to a Wilderness between the Syrians and the Saracens where he continued Four Years in great Solitude Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 3. Bonosus Hierom's Fellow-Student having settled his Affairs forsaking his Country Parents Friends and onely accompanied with a few Books departed into a solitary Island to extricate himself from the Snares of the World and enjoy more Freedom in the Service of Christ Ibid. 4. Fulgentius a Year before his Death retired with some Brethren into the Island of Circina and there lived a most strict Life but the Necessities of his People requiring and their Importunity prevailing he returned to them and then fell into most grievous Sickness Ibid. p. 94. 5. Gregory the Great after his Father's Death having given his Estate to the Relief of the Poor betook himself to a Monastical Life first under Hilarion and afterwards under Maximianus both famous for Learning and Piety Ibid. p. 96. 6. John Picus of Mirandula Three Years before his Death retired himself from the Pleasures Profits and Honours of the World that he might live a more private Life and made over almost all his Estate in the Earldoms of Mirandula and Concordia to his Brother's Son and distributed a great part of his Money Plate and Jewels amongst the Poor Clark in his Life 7. Thomas Aquinas was called Bos or Ox by his School-fellows because he was also silent Textor 8. Mr. Samuel Daniel the English Poet being a Servant in Ordinary to Queen Anne and thereupon having a fair Salary allowed him kept a handsome Garden-House in Old-street near London where as a Tortoise burying himself in the Ground all Winter long he lay obscure some Months together that he might in Retirement enjoy the Felicity he aimed at and then afterwards he would appear in Publick to enjoy and converse with his Friends whereof the Two principal were Dr. Cowel and Mr. Cambden In his Old Age he turned Husbandman and Rented a Farm in Wiltshire nigh the Devises it is thought not so much for the hopes of Profit as to enjoy the Retiredness of a Country-life No question he pleased himself with Contentedness and Freedom from the Troubles of City and Court his Fancy being too fine and sublimated to be wrought down only for private Profit Select Lives of Worthies in England p. 338. 9. Mr. Michael Drayton another famed English Poet was very temperate in his Life and slow of Speech and inoffensive in Company Ibid. p. 341. 10. Mr. Abraham Cowley another excellent Man to make up the Triumovirate thô he took well at Court yet seems to resent the Inconveniences that attended it for he makes this his serious Wish To retire from the Buz and Noise of the City into some place of privacy where he might enjoy the pleasant Correspondence of many Books and a few Friends and one Wife and a pleasant Garden Thus he delivers himself in one of his Poems and in a Letter to Mr. Evelyn Author of the Kalendarium Hortense he declares it more at large professing that he had been then a pretty while aiming at it but was not yet arrived at that State of Mortal Happiness 11. One of the Cato's having attained to the Age of Eight and fifty Years gave over his Publick Charge and Travel in Affairs of the Roman Common-wealth and went to wear out the remainder of his Days near to Naples in a Country Village which then was called Picenum but now it is named Marca de Aâ—â—a where he maintained his Faculties and nourished himself with such Conveniences as his poor Lands and Living afforded him This Good and Vertuous Cato keeping a simple Cottage one while perusing his Books and other whiles looking to his Vines and Plants His Neighbours had written 〈◊〉 a Coal over his Door these words How happy a Man art thou O Cato because thou only knowest what it is to live in this World amongst other Men. Treasury of Anâ— and Modern Times p. 735. 12. Lucullus the Consul and Roman Captain continued at the Wars against the Parthians Sixteen Years together during which time he won much Honour to Rome many Provinces to the Common-wealth great Renown to himself and mighty Treasures for his Houses This Man after his Return from Asia to Rome found the State full of Partialities and Dissensions through the Quarrels between Marius and Sylla he resolved to leave Rome which forthwith he did put in effect causing certain places of sumptuyous Workmanship to be builded near Naples along by the Sea-side in a place now called Castello di Lupo There he made his Sojourning for the space of Eighteen Years in quite Repose and silent Pleasure free from all the Turmoils and Travails of State and in this Contentment he ended his Days Ibid. 13. Dioclesian after he had governed Rome 18 years and had attained to very old Age he gave over the Empire from whence he dismissed himself into Nicomedia with no other Intention but only to return home to his own House and there in Peace and Quiet to spend the rest of his Life and accordingly at Salon he dealt in Husbandry 12 years together After two years spent in this Retirement the Romans sent two worthy Ambassadors to entreat him to return to Rome again The Ambassadors found him in his Garden weeding his Beds of Lettis and other Herbs whom he answered thus My Friends do not you think it more honest and better that he who digged and planted these Lettis should eat them peaceably and quietly in his own House than to forsake such wholesome Fare and return to the Tumults and Rumors of Rome I have now made good proof both what it is to command and what Benefit ensueth by labouring and deliving in the Ground Leave me then to my self I entreat you in this private State of Life for I much rather affect to maintain my Life by the labour of my Hands than to be
thy sight be justified After a little Rest and Slumber she spake to her Father with much Joy and Gladness 1 Cor. 15.54 c. Death is swallowed up of Victory c. She commanded afterwards Psal 84. to her Mother saying Read that Psalm Dear Mother and therewith ye may comfort one another As for me I am more and more spent and draw near unto my last Hour Pray with me pray that the Lord would vouchsafe me a soft Death And when they had prayed with her she turned to her Mother and with much Affection said Ah my Dear Loving Mother that which comes from the Heart doth ordinarily go to the Heart Once come and kiss me before I leave you and also my Dear Father and my Sister and Father let my Sister be trained up in the Ways of God as I have been I bewailed and wept for my Sister thinking she would die and now she weeps for me Also she took her young little Sister in her Ams a Child of Six Months old and kissed it with much Affection as if her Bowels had been moved speaking with many Heart-breaking Words both to her Parents and the Children 'till her Father said to one standing by Take away that young poor Lambkin from the hazard of that fiery Sickness Give her away for ye have too much already to bear Well Father said she did not God preserve the Three Children in the fiery Furnace Citing also Isa 43.3 After a little Rest awaking again she rehersed 1 Cor. 15.42 43. Isa 57.1 2. Job 19.25 26 27. John 5.28 c. Eph. 2.8 9. and descanted pathetically upon them adding My Dear Parents now we must shortly part my Speech faileth me pray the Lord for a quiet Close to my Combat I go to Heaven and there we shall find one another I go to Jesus Christ and to my Brother Jacob who did cry so much to God and call upon him to the very last Breath and to my little Sister which was but Three Years of Age when it died c. At last after she had prayed a pretty space by herself she asked her Parents If she had angred or grieved them at any time or done any thing that became her not Craving Forgiveness of them Then she began to dispose her Books and other little things with some proportion of Prudence and after a short Discant on the following Scriptures Psal 23. Rom. 8. 2 Tim. 4.7 8. 1 Cor. 6.20 Isa 53 Joh. 1. 1. Cor. 6.11 Rev. 7. 2 Cor. 5.1 2. she concluded with these Words My Soul shall now part from this Body and shall be taken up into the Heavenly Paradise there shall I dwell and go no more out but sit and sing Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts c. O Lord God into thy Hands I commend my Spirit O Lord be gracious be merciful to me a poor Sinner And hereupon she fell a sleep Sept. 1. between Seven and Eight in the Evening having obtained according to her Prayers a quiet and soft Departure 26. Jacob Bickes above-mentioned Brother to the aforesaid Susanna was visited Three or Four Weeks before his Sister and slept most of his time 'till near his Death but so often as he awaked he gave himself to pray Upon motion made to send for the Physician he said Dear Father and Mother I will not have the Doctor any more The Lord shall help me I know he shall take me to himself and then he shall help all After Prayer Come now Dear Father and Mother said he and kiss me I know now that I shall die Adieu Dear Father and Mother Adieu my Dear Sister Adieu all Now shall I go to Heaven unto God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Angels Father know ye not what is said by Jer. 17. Blessed is he who trusteth in the Lord. Now I shall trust in him and he shall bless me And 1 John 2. Little children love not the world for the world passeth away Away then all that is in the World away with all my pleasant Things in the World Away with my Dagger which a Student had given him for where I go there 's nothing to do with Dagger and Sword Men shall not fight there but praise God Away with all my Books for where I go there 's nothing to be done with Books there I shall know and be learned sufficiently all things of true Wisdom and Learning without Books The Father telling him God would be near to him and help him Yea Father the Apostle Peter saith God resisteth the proud but gives grace to the humble I shall humble myself under the mighty Hand of God and he shall help and lift me up God hath given me so strong a Faith upon himself through Jesus Christ that the Devil himself shall flee from me for it is said John 3. He who believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and hath overcome the wicked one 1 John 2. Now I believe in Jesus Christ my Redeemer and he will not leave nor forsake me but shall give unto me Eternal Life then shall I sing Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Sabath And with this short Word of Prayer Lord be merciful to me a poor Sinner he quietly breathed out his Soul and slept in the Lord aged Seven Years August 8. 1664. Extracted out of a Pamphlet called An Edifying Wonder of Two Children Printed at London for Richard Tomlins 1667. 27. The Reverend Mr. Clark in his Works quotes a Child of Two Years old that looked towards Heaven And credible History acquaints us with a Martyr of Seven Years old that was whipped almost to Death and never shed one Tear nor complained and at last had his Head struck off 28. Of Mary Warren born in May 1651 aged Ten Years in May 1661. When this Child was about Five or Six Years old she had a new plain Tammy Coat and when she was made ready was to be carried with other Children into Morefields but having looked upon her Coat how fine she was she presently went to her Chair sate down her Tears running down her Eyes she wept seriously by herself her Mother seeing it said to her How now Are you not well What 's the matter that you weep The Child answered Yes I am well but I would I had not been made ready for I am afraid my fine Cloaths will cast me down to Hell Her Mother said It 's not our Cloaths but wicked Hearts that hurt us She answered Aye Mother fine Cloaths make our Hearts proud What next follows was written by her Father on Friday Night Octob. 4. 1661. Her Mother asked her If she were willing to die she answered ' Aye very willing for then I shall sin no more for I know Christ's Blood hath made Satisfaction for my Sins October the Fifth her Mother going softly to the Chamber-door she heard her speaking alone and she listned and heard her say thus Come Lord Jesus come quickly and receive thy poor Creature out of all my Pains
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
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
History of Britain tells us That Richard the First besieged a Castle with his Army they offered to surrender if he would save their Lives he refused and threatens to hang them all Upon this an Arbalaster charged his Bow with a square Arrow making first his Prayer to God that he would direct the Shot and deliver the Innocent from Oppression it struck the King himself whereof he Died and they were Delivered Concerning success of Prayer Mr. Baxter gives us these following Relations 1. When at Milborn in Derby-shire I was given up for dead by bleeding an Hundred and Twenty Ounces at the Nose after other Weakness and Bleedings many Years my Father and Mother-in-law dwelling in Shrewsbury the Report came to them there that I was Dead My Mother-in-law was by the Governour and other Friends exhorted to bear it patiently She presently retired to secret Prayer where she professeth that a Trembling and Concussion of her Body surprising her she felt that which constrained her to say what she did when she came forth to her Friends viz. He is not dead but shall live for farther Service And hereupon they sent a Messenger from Shrewsbury to see who found me alive and brought them the Tidings This was in February 1646. My Mother-in-law is yet living about Ninety two Years of Age the Daughter of Sir Thomas Hunkes two of her Brothers Sir Foulk Hunkes and Sir Henry Hunkes were known Soldiers for the King the one Governour of Shrewsbury and the other of Banbury Castle a while She is one that hath spent a great part of her Life in secret Prayer with great neglect of the Flesh and World and longing to die and be with Christ which she hath not yet obtained but will ere long Since the writing of this dead at 96 in full Understanding and great Holiness 2. After long Pain and Weakness reading a Latin Book of one Grehard a foreign Physician I found in him that his own Father had been cured of some of my Distempers as I then thought by daily swallowing a Bullet of purest Gold I got one of the Weight of a twenty Shilling price and swallowed it but it remained in me And hearing of a Gentleman within twelve Miles of me that lately did the like and it never passed from him but he died quickly made me take Clysters and Purges but none of them stirred it My poor praying Neighbours not then fearing the Canon which strictly forbiddeth it set apart a Day to Fast and Pray for my Deliverance and that Morning it came away after many Weeks abode three or four and they spent the rest of the day in Thanksgiving 3. In my Weakness being under Physick with Dr. Wright then living in Shrewsbury there suddenly rose upon one of the Tonsils of my Throat a round Tumor seeming to me as hard as a Bone and about as big as a great Pea or small Button half out of the Flesh and half in I feared lest it would prove a Cancer but the Doctor told me he did not think so but what it was he knew not but perwaded having first tried dissolving and dissipating means in vain to quiet it only with Gargarisms of hot Milk It increased but little but no means altered it till as I remember about a quarter of a Year after my Conscience reproved me that having had so many great Mercies upon Prayer I never gave God the Honour or Thanks of publick Mentioning them for fear of seeming to seek some Glory to my self being the next morning to preach my Lecture I obeyed my Conscience and mentioned them in the Words since Printed and Published in the second part of Saints Everlasting Rest being then upon the Proof of the Truth of the Scriptures I had before constantly felt it and too oft looked at in Galss As soon as I had Preached and spoken those Words I felt no more of it As I came out of the Pulpit I put my Finger in my Mouth to feel it but could feel nothing I hasted home to the Glass and saw that there was neither Vola vel Vestigium vel Cicatrix no Cavity Tumor Discolouring nor any sign where ever it way and I am sure I neither spit it out nor swallowed it and to the last Hour it seemed as hard as a Bone 4. Richard Cooke a Mercer in Kniver was long a Man of a pious unblameable Life and on of the chief of good old Mr. John Gross since Minister here in Friday-street his Congregation When I came to Kederminster he removed thither and took a House the next Door to me which proved Old Dangerous and so ill a Bargain as cast him into melancholy Doubts that he did not well to leave his Habitation His Father before him had long lived and at last died in Distraction taking too much hot Waters to comfort him in Sadness Nature Trouble and those together prevailed to his utter Distraction He so continued from 1642 to 1646. The best means by such as were most noted for Curing that Disease were used and all in vain My Neighbours of Kederminster resolved not easily to give over Fasting and Praying with and for him till he was recovered divers Days all seemed in vain but at last he amended and hath been recovered without any other Remedy now from the Year 1646 to this present time 1678 though not altogether of so perfect strength of Brain as before yet of competent Understanding About a Year or two ago I saw him in London and I hear he is yet alive and well 1678. 5. Thomas Giles the Son of Mr. Giles of Astley was sent to be an Apprentice in Worcester where after a Feaver he had a violent Epilepsie after much Physick in Worcester and opening his Head and all in vain hs Mother took him home with her into Kederminster his Fits were sometimes twice a day we were fain to put a Key into his Mouth lest he should bite off his Tongue At last the aforesaid praying Persons resolved to try the old Remedy of Fasting and Praying till he was recovered the first day they found no success as I can remember it was the second day while they were together Praying he was suddenly cured Hist of Appar Witches p. 187. CHAP. LXXVI Present Retribution to the Charitable Dr. Hammond in his Sermon on Deut. 26.12 13. layeth down this Proposition That Alms-giving or Mercifulness was never the wasting or lessening of any Mans Estate to himself or his Posterity but rather the encreasing of it And thereupon addeth If I have delivered a new Doctrine which will not presently be believed such as every Auditor will not consent to I doubt not but there be plain Texts of Scripture more then one which will assure every Christian of the Truth of it Consider them at your leisure Psal 41.1 2. Psal 112. all to this purpose Prov. 11.25 and 12.9 and 19.17 and 28.27 Add to these the Words of Christ Mark 10.30 which though more generally delivered of any kind
so pleased the King that he perswaded him to enter into sacred Orders and afterwards made him his Chaplain and attending His Majesty in his Progress to Cambridge was there made Doctor of Divinity next Lecturer at Lincoln's-Inn and at last Dean of St. Paul's Ibid. p. 380 381 382 c. 4. Arch-bishop Vsher was designed for the Law his Father intending to send him over to the Inns of Court but God who intended him for a Labourer in his own Vineyard prevented his Intentions by Death Ibid. p. 561. 5. Mr. Herbert the Divine Poet aimed a long time at Court-preferment but over-ruled by Divine Providence and the Advice of Friends at last exchanged his Silks and Lay-Sword for a Gown and Cassock and became a very serious and worthy Minister See his Life 6. Dr. Preston had no inclination to the Ministry 'till he was disappointed and baffled in his purpose of going into France in order to fit himself for the Court. See his Life 7. George Sohnius intended the Study of the Law but by a strange Providence was taken off from it as himself writes in a Letter to his Father thus WHat hath so soon altered my Resolution I shall briefly declare unto you that you may know and approve the Reasons thereof and give Thanks to God for his Mercies to us When upon the 21st Day of July I was hearing Tubertus 's Lecture of the Law and was writing what he spake before half an Hour was past I fell into very serious Thoughts for on a sudden the Excellence and Majesty of Divinity came into my Mind and did exceedingly delight me and began to stir up in my Mind such a Love to it that I could not but resolve to give over the Study of the Law and wholly apply myself to the Study of Divinity And this thought sunk deeper and deeper into my Mind and was so extreamly pressing upon me that I could no longer attend to the Lecture of the Law nor finish the Writing that I had begun so that I knew not what to do yea these Thoughts did so haunt me that I was not only averse from Reading any more Law but I abhorred the very Thoughts thereof And thus not knowing what to do I betook myself with Sighs and Tears unto God intreating him to restore to me my former love to and delight in the Law but if not that I was ready to follow his Call in any thing But yet after this whenever I returned to read any Law-Book my Heart trembled and my Eyes abhorred the Letters neither was my Mind or Will delighted in that Study Hereupon consulting with two of my Godly Friends and acquainting them with my Case they judged that I was called by God to the Study of Divinity And therefore giving Thanks unto God I have wholly applied myself thereunto Clark's Exampl p. 610. 8. Athanasius as if design'd by Divine Providence for the Bishoprick of Alexandria was first exercised when a Child in Catechising his Fellow at Play and so sitting them for Baptism upon which occasion Alexander the then Bishop set him to School afterwards made him Deacon took him for a Companion or Attendant to the Coouncil of Nice and at last wished him to the Succession which he afterwards enjoyed in the same See and did great Good to the Church in opposing stoutly the Arrian Heresie Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 9. St. Augustine having been sometimes inclined to the Manichaean Heresie and from the Sin of Concubinage in a strange manner converted to the Orthodox Faith was afterwards better accomplished for a Confutation of the Manichees in which he was very successful as in the Case of Firmus a rich Manichaean Merchant and Felix who coming to Hippo on purpose to spread his Heresie were both Converted by him and for the answering of contradictious Sinners who reproached him for his former vicious Life in which Case he told them That the worse he had been the better was his Physician who had cured him Ibid. CHAP. LXXXII Miraculous Cures of Diseases c. THE Cure of Naaman 's Leprosie by washing in the River Jordan and the Healing of them that were Sick Lame Blind and possessed with Daemons mentioned in Sacred Scripture seem strange especially to Men that look and believe no further than the common Operation of meer Nature but we would here raise Men to a higher and clearer prospect of the Divinity and try to convince the World if it be possible that the God who rules over all is not always tied to ordinary means but doth sometimes shew his Power as well as his Goodness in giving a plain Demonstration of his Mastery over all Secondary and Visible Causes 1. Irenaeus tells us in his Second Book against Heresies That in his time some by Fasting and Prayer had brought to pass that the Spirits of the Dead had return'd into their Bodies again Others cured the Sick and Diseased and by laying on of their Hands restored them to Health Clark's Mar. of Eccl. Hist 2. Dr. Joseph Hall then Bishop of Exeter since of Norwich speaking of the good Offices which Angels do to God's Servants of this kind saith he was that no less than marvellous Cure which at St. Mardene's in Cornwal was wrought upon a poor Cripple whereof besides the Attestation of many Hundreds of the Neighbours I took a strict and impartial Examination in my last Visitation This Man for Sixteen Years together was fain to walk upon his Hands by reason the Sinews of his Legs were so contracted and upon Monitions in his Dream to wash in that Well was suddenly so restored to his Limbs that I saw him able both to Walk and get his Maintenance I found here was neither Art nor Collusion The Name of this Cripple was John Trelillie Bishop Hall 's Mystery of Godliness L. 1. § 8. 3. Concerning Samuel Wallas of Stamford cured in a miraculous manner of a deep Consumption see the Chapter of the Appearance of Good Angels § 7. 4. Mariane Maillard born at Coignac in Xaintonge was lame from the First Year of her Age having a hollowness in that place where we usually perceive the Bone of the Left Thigh fall into the Hip as she grew in Years her Lameness increased insomuch that there arose a great Tumor above the Cavity of the Ischium and her Leg became above Four Inches shorter her Knee turning inwards and her Foot so distorted that the inward Ancle-hone almost supplied the place of the Sole of her Foot she lived in France 'till the Persecution drove her thence and flying first to Lauzanne and then to Germany at last she came over into England where she being a Servant to Madamoiselle de Laulan in St. James's Alley nâ—â—r the Church in St. Germain-street whereon Sunday Nov. 26. 1693 she was bespattered with Dirt by little Children as she came from the French-Church behind Leicester-Fields and followed with ill Names 'till at last she wept and complained to her Mistress of it The same Night
Hell and that such a tearm of Years being expired the Devil should have his Soul the Articles were consented to The Man continuing after this to be of a very civil Conversation doing hurt to none but good to many and by degrees began to have a Name to be a Person of extraordinory Sagacity and was sought unto far and near for Counsel his Words being esteemed Oracles by the Vulgar And he did according to his Covenant upon all occasions secretly disseminate Principles of Atheism not being suspected for a Wizard But a few Weeks before the time indented with the Devil was fulfilled inexpressible Horror of Conscience surprised him so that he revealed the secret Transactions which had passed betwixt himself and the Devil He would sometimes with hideous Roarings tell those that came to visit him that now he knew that there was a God and a Devil a Heaven and an Hell So did he die a miserable Spectacle of the righteous and fearful Judgment of God And every Age does produce new Examples of those that have by their own Confession made the like cursed Covenants with the Prince of Darkness 5. In the Year 1664 several who were Indicted at the Assizes held at Taunton in Somerset-shire confessed that they had made an explicit League with the Devil and that he did Baptize Pictures of Wax with Oil giving them the names of those Persons they did intend mischief unto 6. Anno. 1678. One John Stuart and his Sister Annabil Steuart at the Assizes held at Paysley in Scotland confessed that they had been in confederacy with the Devil and that they had made an Image of Wax calling it by the name of Sir George Maxwel sticking Pins in the sides and on the breast of it Such an Image with Pins in it was really found in the Witches Houses and upon the removal of it the Pins being taken out Sir George had immediate ease and recovered his health 7. And no longer since than the last Year viz. on August 25. 1682. Three Women who were Executed at Exon in Devonshire all of them confessed that they had had Converses and Familiarities with the Devil 8. The following Relations of the New-England Witches are to be found in Mr. Cotton Mather's Wonders of the Invisible World THE Devil exhibiting himself ordinarily as a small black Man has saith Mr. Mather decoy'd a fearsâ—â— knot of proud froward ignorant envious and malicious Creatures to list themselves in his horrid Service by entring their Names in a Book by him tendred unto them These Witches whereof above a Score have now confessed and shown their Deeds and some are now tormented by the Devils for confessing have met in hellish Randezvouzes wherein the Confessors do say they have had their diabolical Sacraments imitating the Baptism and the Supper of our Lord. In these hellish Meetings these Monsters have associated themselves to do no less a thing than to destroy the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in these parts of the World and in order hereunto First they each of them have their Spectres or Devils commissioned by them and representing of them to be the Engines of their Malice By these wicked Spectres they sieze poor People about the Country with various and bloody Torments and of those evidently preternatural Torments there are some have died They have bewitched some even so far as to make Self-destroyers and others are in many Towns here and there languishing under their evil Hands The People thus afflicted are miserably scratched and bitten so that the Marks are most visible to all the World but the Causes utterly invisible And the same invisible Furies do most visibly stick Pins into the Bodies of the Afflicted and scale them and hideously distort and disjoynt all their Members besides a Thousand others of Plagues beyond these of any natural Diseases which they give unto them Yea they sometimes drag the poor People out of their Chambers and carry them over Trees and Hills for divers Miles together A large part of the Persons Tortured by these Diabolical Spectres are horribly tempted by them sometimes with fair Promises and sometimes with hard Threatnings but always with felt Miseries to sign the Devils Laws in a Spectral Book laid before them which two or three of these poor Sufferers being by their tiresome Sufferings overcome to do they have immediately been released from all their Miseries and they appeared in Spectre then to Torture those that were before their fellow Sufferers The Witches which by their Covenant with the Devil are become Owners of Spectres are often-times by their own Spectres required and compelled to give their consent for the Molestation of some which they had no mind otherwise to fall upon and cruel Depradations are then made upon the Vicinage In the Prosecution of these Witchcrafts among a Thousand other unaccountable things the Spectres have an odd faculty of cloathing the most substantial and corporeal Instruments of Torture with Invisibility while the Wounds thereby given have been the most palpable things in the World so that the Sufferers assaulted with Instruments of Iron wholly unseen to the standers by though to their Cost seen by themselves have upon snatching wrested the Instruments out of the Spectres hands and every one has then immediately not only beheld but handled an Iron Instrument taken by a Devil from a Neighbour These wicked Spectres have proceeded so far as to steal several quantities of Money from divers People part of which Mouey has before sufficient Spectators been dropt out of the Air into the Hand of the Sufferers which the Spectres have been urging them to subscribe their Covenant with Death In such extravagant ways have these Wretches propounded the Dragooning of as many as they can in their own Combination and the Destroying of others with lingring spreading deadly Diseases till our Country should at last become too hot for us Among the Ghastly Instances of the Success which those bloody Witches have had we have seen even some of their own Children so dedicated unto the Devil that in their Infancy it is found the Imps have sucked them and rendred them venemous to a Prodgey 9. A Modern Instance of Witches Discovered and Condemned in a Tryal before that celebrated Judge Sir Matthew Hale as Printed in Mr. Cotton Mather's Wonders of the Invisible World IT may cast some Light upon the Dark things now in America if we just give a glance upon the like things lately happening in Europe We may see the Witchcrafts here most exactly resemble the Witchcrafts there and we may Judge Hale was a Person than whom no Man was more backward to condemn a Witch without full Evidence Now one of the latest Printed Accounts about a Tryal of Witches is of what was before him and it ran on this wife Printed in the Year 1682. And it is here the rather mentioned because it was a Tryal much considered by the Judges of New-England 1. Rose Cullender and Amy Duny were severally Indicted
former Tenets And so after his Death upon a solemn Citation and Process against him Sentence was given viz. That he was unworthy of the Favour of the Holy Apostolick See that he should be deprived of all his Honour Benefit or Dignity his Goods Confiscate and himself given over to the Secular Powers which was de facto done He and his Picture and Books which he had written to be burned Which was done accordingly in Campo di Fiori See the Relation of the Process sent from Rome Published at London 1624. 4. The pretended Possession of the London Nuns and the possessed Woman at Antwerp is detected and discovered by the Duke of Lauderdale in Letter to Mr. Baxter Hist Disc of Appar and Witches c. c. 4. of the Staffordshire Body discovered by Bishop Moreton who pissed through an Ink-horn 5. The lying Wonders and false Miracles wrought all over the World and laugh'd at by all wise People in the World would fill a Volume to Discourse of them in particular 6. The Supposititious Heirs Perkin Warbeck and Great Bellies made out with little Pillows c. would be tedious to insist upon 7. Hither may be referred those two Arch-Female Cheats Marcy Clay alias Jinny Fox and the German Princess famed lately for their Art of Lifting alias Cheating who at last were deservedly preferred to Tyburn CHAP. CXXXVII Divine Judgments upon Oppression Tyranny 'T IS said of Tyrants and Oppressive Persons That they shall not live out half their days Psal 55.25 and common Experience gives attestation to the Truth of it Ad Generum Cereris sine caede sanguine pauci Descendunt Reges siccà morte Tyranni Juv. Satyr 1. Adonizedeck pharaoh Abimelech Athaliah Jezabel Herod Pilate c. may go for Scripture-Examples Others follow 1. Alexander the Great after his Victories over Persia Asia India Hircania Babylon Scythia Syria Phoenicia Judaea Egypt c. grew Pound and Tyrannical witness his Murdering of Philotas one of his brave Captains who had assisted him in all his Conquests and his Father his Rewarding a Mariner that had leaped into a Lake near Babylon and swam to fetch off his Hat with his Crown fastened to it whither a Tempest had carried it off his Head as he was Rowing over it in his Galley with a Talent but causing his Head to be cut off for putting the Crown upon it to keep it dry In the midst of his Career and the very height of his Vigour and Jollity was cut off himself by Death in the Thirty Second Year of his Age and but the Twelfth of his Reign Qu. Curt. in vità Plutarch Alsted Eucyclop p. 2977. 2. Dionysius the Sicilian Tyrant who would not suffer a Barber to trim him nor Lodge with his Wives without first searching the Chambers nor speak to his People but out of a High Tower who giving his Cloak and Sword to a Boy that waited on him caused a Man to be slain for saying Sir now you have put your Life into his hands and the Boy for only smiling at it That set Damocles to a Feast with a Company of Beautiful Boys to wait on him together with Crowns and Musick c. and a sharp glittering Sword hanging over his Head tied with a Horse-hair only for saying Dionysius was a Happy Man lived with so little Security that himself took little pleasure in Life and his Subjects generally desired his Death except the Old Woman that went daily to the Temple to Pray for him lest the Devil himself should come in his room in short he was so tortured with his own Suspicions that he would not suffer any Man no come into his Chamber with a Gown on his back no not his own Son or Brother nay put a Soldier to Death for only giving his Brother a Halbert to describe a Plot of Ground to him with the Situation of it and slew Marsyas because he dreamed one Night that he had killed him Plut. in vit Dionys Invidiâ Siculi non invenere Tyranni Tormentum majus 3. Nero. that Monster of Mankind that used to go by Night about the Streets of Rome beating and abusing and sometimes throwing into Privies People that stood in his way and resisted him breaking open Shops and robbing them caused the Genitals of a Boy that he loved called Sporus to be cut off in order to the making of him a Woman killed his Wife Poppea Sabina when great with Child murder'd his Wife Octavia and his Mother Agrippina after he had committed Incest with her causing her Womb to be ript up to see where he had lain poison'd Claudius from whom he received the Empire murdered his Aunt Domitia and Antonia Claudius his Daughter because she refused to Marry him hired Conjurers to lay the Ghost of his Mother Agrippina with whom he was haunted caused Crispinus his Son-in-law by Poppea to be drowned as he was Fishing with many others of his Relations murdered Aulus Plancus after he had committed Sodomy with him Enforced his Master Seneca to Murder himself sent Poison to his other Master Burrhus Poison'd several Rich Free-men and Old Men who had been formerly helpful to him caused the City of Rome to set on Fire whilst himself goes up to the top of Moecenas his Tower tuning his Harp and singing to feed his Eyes with the Pleasantness of the Sight and afterwards put it on the Christians to give an occasion of Persecuting them causing some of them to be cloathed in the Skins of Wild Beasts and torn in pieces by Dogs others to be crucified others to be made Bonefires of to light him in his Night-sports Wishing the World might be destroyed whilst he lived that he might be a Spectator of it At last the Senate judging him to be an Enemy to Mankind condemned him to be whipt to Death through the streets of Rome upon which he ran and hid himself among Briars and Thorns and crying out I have neither a Friend nor an Enemy miserable Man that I am threw himself into a Pit four Foot deep and there desperately slew himself Sueton. in vit 4. Caligula another Roman Emperor who disinherited and slew Tiberius who was Co-heir with him compelled his Father-in-Law to Murder himself caused his Grandmother to kill her self for Reproving of him banished his two Sisters after he had committed Incest with them used all sorts of Magistrates scornfully murdered privately several of the Senators stigmatized many Persons of Quality or dismembred them and then condemned them either to the Mines or to mend High-ways or to Wild Beasts or to be sawn asunder compelled Parents to be present at the Torment of their Sons and one excusing himself he sent his Litter for him another Father he caused to be slain because he desired to shut his Eyes while his Children were tormented a third he brought home with him from seeing his Son 's miserable Death and would force him to laugh jest and be merry cast a Roman Knight to the Beasts and because he
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
of Kings Companion of the Stars and Brother to the Sun and Moon to Constantine my Brother wishes Health Or rather let us borrow Names from the Bisnagentian King who was wont to be saluted The Bridegroom of Good Luck the God of great Provinces the King of most potent Kings Lord of all the Armies of Horse the Master and Teacher of those that understand not how to speak Emperor over three Emperors Conqueror of whatever he saw Preserver of his Conquests whom Eight Parts of the World fear a Knight to whom there is none to be compar'd a Vanquisher of every one that boasts in Strength the Hunter of Elephants Lord of the East South North West and Sea All this Peter Irricus relates Are here Titles enough If you please let us add a Series of Eulogies which the Soldan sets before his Epistles in this order Omnipotent Salmander before Carthage Lord of Jordan Lord of the East Lord of Bethlehem Lord of Paradise Praefect of Hell Supremest Emperor of Constantinople Lord of the Dry Fig the Lord by whom the Sun and Moon steer their course Protector of John the first Priest Emperor King of Kings Lord of the Christians Jews Turks the God's Friend In a Style not much unlike to this Solyman wrote to our Caesar To Charles the Fifth always most August Emperor Solyman his Contemporary sprung from the Victorious and most Noble Family of the Ottomans Emperor of Trebizond and Constantinople Lord of the World and Conqueror of the Earth c. What wou'd ye have more O truly Splendid Misery O Ashes and Nothing O Vanity of Vanity Most shameful is that Ignorance when Man forgets himself to be Man Wouldst thou have an Abstract an Epitome of all Humane Life Daniel the Archbishop and Elector of Mentz in Germany in a little Book of Prayers wrote with his own Hand these Precepts of Living 1. Life short 2. Beauty deceitful 3. Money flies away 4. Empire envy'd 5. War pernicious 6. Victory doubtful 7. Friendship fallacious 8. Old Age miserable 9. Death happiness 10. Wisdom Fame Eternal That Heavenly Wisdom that brings us to Kingdoms never destitute never to be invaded eternal A Nation bordering upon the Thracians and in Customs agreeing with them has this one peculiar to themselves That when an Infant is born the Relations sitting about it weeping and wailing enumerate the Miseries which the Child is to endure On the other side when a Man dies they bury him with Joy and Exultation recounting from how many Miseries he is deliver'd Deservedly this Nation claims to it self the Applaute of Wisdom who celebrate the Birth of Man with Tears and his Funeral with Pomp and Gladness Elegantly answered Laeâ—ius that Wise Man to a certain Person saying I am Sixty Years of Age. Thou callest these Sixty answered he which thou hast not Neither what is past nor what is to come is thine We depend upon a point of flying Time and it is the part of a great Man to have been moderate Plato was of Opinion that any Man became so much the wiser by how much the more lively he considered Death Therefore he gave this Law to his Disciples studious in Philosophy that when they went a Journey they should never cover their Feet whereby that wise Man insinuated that the end of Life was always to be thought on Nicholas Christophorus Radzivile Prince of Poland affirms that in Egypt they who excelled others in Prudence and Age were wont to carry the long Bones of dead Men carved out of Wood or Ebony shew them one to another and thereby exhort one another to Contemplation They also introduce the Remembrance of Death at their Tables and conclude their Banquets with this sad Sentence Memento Mori Remember to Die Caleph King of the Tartars in the City of Bagdat upon a Festival Day which they call Ramadan being resolved to shew himself to the People rode forth upon a Mule clad in Vestments that glistered with Gold Silver and precious Stones but over his Tulipan he wore a black Veil signifying that all his Pomp was one day to be clouded by the shades of Death Justinian the Emperor being dead a Coverlet was thrown over him wherein were wrought in Phrygian Work the Essigies and Figures of the Vanquished Cities and Barbarous Kings whom he had overcome Behold the Image of Death among Pageants Scaffolds Triumphs and Victories Death plays with Empires and knocks as well at the Towers of Kings as at the Cottages of the Poor Pope Martin the Fifth had this Symbol of a speaking Picture or of silent Poesie Upon a Funeral Pile kindled and ready to burn lay the Popes Triple Crown the Cardinals Hat the Archbishops Cap the Emperors Diadem the Kings Crown the Ducal Cap and Sword with this Motto Sic omnis gloria Mundi Thus all the Glory of the World I cannot but approve the Answer of a certain Mariner who being ask'd where his Father dy'd In the Sea said he And when the other ask'd him the same Question concerning his Grandfather his Great Grandfather and his Great Great Grandfather the Mariner still returned him the same Answer Then inferred the other And dost not thou fear to go to Sea To which the Seaman waving a Reply And where did your Father die In his Bed said the other where your Father your Grandfather and the rest of your Ancestors They all said the other died in their Beds Then said the Mariner And do not you fear to go to Bed so Fatal to all your Predecessors Very Elegantly and somewhat above a Sailor's Genius John Patriarch of Alexandria who took his Name from giving Alms while he was living and in health caused his Monument to be built but not to be finished for this Reason that upon Solemn Days when he performed Divine Service he might be put in mind by some of the Clergy in these Terms Sir your Monument is yet unfinished command it to be finished for you know not when the Hour may come When the Emperor of the East was newly chosen no Person had liberty to speak to him before the Stone-cutter had shewed him several sorts of Marble and asked him of which his Majesty would be pleased to have his Monument made What was the meaning of this but only to intimate these Words O Emperor exalt not thy self thou art but a Man thou shalt die like the meanest of Beggars therefore so govern thy Kingdom which thou art to lose that thou may'st gain an Eternal Kingdom Domitian the Emperor gave a Banquet to the Chief of the Senate and the Order of Knighthood after this manner He hung his House all with Mourning the Roofs Walls Pavements Seats were all covered with black bespeaking nothing but sorrow Into this Funeral Dining-room were all the Guests introduced by Night without any Attendants By each was placed a Bier with every one his Name inscribed upon it with such Candles as they were wont to burn in their Monuments They that waited were dad in black
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.
what I write proceeds not from any fantastick Terror of Mind but from a sober Resolution of what concerns my self and earnest Desire to do you more Good after my Death than mine Example God of his Mercy pardon the badness of it in My Life-time may have done you harm I will not speak ought of the Vanity of this World your own Age and Experience will save the Labour But there is a certain Thing that goes up and down in the World called Religion dress'd and presented fantastically and to purpose bad enough which yet by such evil dealing loseth not its Being The great and good God hath not loft it without a Witness more or less sooner or later in every Man's Bosome to direct us in the pursuit of it and for the avoiding of those inextricable Difficulties and Intanglements our own frail Reason would perplex us withal God in his infinite Mercy has given us his Holy Word in which as there are many things hard to be understood to quiet our Minds and direct us concerning our future Being I confess to God and you I have been a great Neglecter and I fear Despiser of it God of his infinite Mercy pardon me that dreadful Fault but when I retired my self from the Noise and deceitful Vanities of the World I found no true Comfort in any other Resolution than what I had from thence I commend the same from the bottom of my Heart to your I hope happy use Dear Sir Hugh let us be more generous than to believe we die like Beasts that perish but with a Christian manly brave Ambition let us look to what is Eternal I will not trouble you farther The Only Great and Holy God Father Son and Holy Ghost direct you to an happy End of your Life and send us a joyful Resurrection So prays Your Dear Friend MARLBOROUGH Old James near the Coast of Holland the 24th of April 1665. I beseech you commend my Love to all my Acquaintance particularly I pray you that my Cousin Glascock may have a sight of this Letter and as many of my friends besides as you will or any else that desire it I pray grant this my Request To William Glascock Esq Dear Cousin May 23. 1665. IN case I be called away by God in this present Employment I have recommended these few Lines to you first earnestly begging God Almighty his most merciful Pardon and yours for the very bad Example and many Provocations to Sin I have given Next I do most heartily desire you to make use of your remaining Time in bestowing it upon his Service who only can be your Comfort at your Latter End when all the former Pleasures of your Life shall only leave Anguish and Remorse If God had spared me Life instead of this Paper I would through his Grace have endeavoured to have been as Assistful to you in minding you of true Piety as the care of mine own Life could have enabled me Do not think that melancholy Vapours cause this It is God's great Mercy that by this Employment hath made me know my self for which his Name be for ever praised Lastly I pray shew these few Lines to my Lord of Portland by which I in like manner and for the sarne cause crave his Pardon wishing you both the blessed Peace and Content of a good Conscience towards God and a happy End of your Lives Your truly Loving Cousin MARLBOROUGH The Gentleman who hath communicated to us these Letters sent by the Earl of Marlborough to Sir Hugh Pollard and Mr. Glascock is a Person of Quality now living in London and if any one hath the Curiosity to be satisfied from his own Mouth about the perfect certainty of the Matters therein related if he repairs to Mr. Darker in Bull-head Court near Cripplegate he will be always ready to bring any Gentleman to speak with him for further Confirmation 3. Mr. Hobbs who was so much noted in the World for his Atheistical Writings insomuch that his Book intituled The Leviathan was condemned by the Parliament in their Bill against Atheism and Profaneness Octob. 1666. and both that and his Book de Cive by the Convocation July 21. 1683. Yet the Earl of Devon's Chaplain hath left it on Record concerning him That he received the Communion from his Hands with much seeming Devotion about two Years before his Death than which there cannot be a more express Acknowledgment of the Truth of Christianity And this methinks should daunt the Confidence of his Followers the HObbists who because he was born on Good-friday are not ashamed blasphemously to say That as our Saviour Christ went out of the World on that Day to save Men of the World so another Saviour came into the World on that Day to save them Ath. Oxon. Part II. P. 483. 4. But the next Instance of the Earl of Rochester is still more convincing who as it appears by his Funeral Sermon did with very much abhorrence exclaim against that absurd and foolish Philosophy which the World so much admired and was propagated by the late Mr. Hobbs and others which had undone him and many more of the best Parts of the Nation My Lord Rochester being awak'd from his Spiritual Slumber by a pungent Sickness as appears by his Funeral Sermon preached by Mr. Parsons August 9. 1680. Upon the Preacher's first Visit to him May 26. my Lord thank'd God who had in Mercy and good Providence sent him to him who so much needed his Prayers and Counsels acknowledging how unworthily heretofore he had treated that Order of Men reproaching them that they were Proud and Prophesied only for Rewards but now he had learn'd how to value them that he esteem'd them the Servants of the most High God who were to shew to him the way to everlasting Life At the same time continues our Author I found him labouring under strange Trouble and Conflicts of Mind his Spirit wounded and his Conscience full of Terrours Upon his Journey he told me that he had been arguing with greater vigour against God and Religion than ever he had done in his Life-time before and that he was resolv'd to run them down with all the Arguments and Spite in the World but like the great Convert St. Paul he found it hard to â—ick against the Pricks for God at that time had so struck his Heart by his immediate Hand that presently he argued as strongly for God and Vertue as before he had done against it that God strangely opened his Heart creating in his Mind most awful and tremendous Thoughts and Idea's of the Divine Majesty with a delightful Contemplation of the Divine Nature and Attributes and of the Loveliness of Religion and Vertue I never said he was advanc'd thus far towards Happiness in my Life before tho' upon the commissions of some Sins extraordinary I have had some Checks and Warnings considerable from within but still struggl'd with them and so wore them off again The most observable that I remember
her Death With some Remarkable Passages relating both to her Person and Government I Shall conclude this History of Providence with a Collection of the memorable Speeches and Sayings of our never-enough lamented Sovereign the late Queen MARY and shall here and there add some remarkable Passages relating to her Person and Government as a Noble Testimony to Religion from one whose Parts and Endowments were as high as her Dignity as if Providence would not leave the prophane Age room to say that Religion was only pretended to by the Mean and Ignorant but convince them by the Vertuous Life and Dying Breath of a Princess every way so Glorious and Great So extraordinary strict says Bishop Fowler in his Preface relating to the Queen was Her Majesty's Life even from her Youth that for the Seventeen Years of her Married State the King as he hath professed could never see any thing in her which he could call a Fault and no Man continues this Learned Author can keep a stricter Guard upon his Words than His Majesty is always observed to do Then certainly a Collection of the Memorable Speeches of such a Princess must needs be very useful and so much the more so as there are several remarkable Sayings of this Royal Person scattered in so many Books which its hardly possible for any private Person to have all of them by him and therefore a View of them all at once in a Collection from the best Authors that have writ upon this Subject may perhaps be very acceptable to the serious Reader 1. That we may begin from her Cradle The most August Queen MARY II. was born in the Sixty second Year of this Age upon the Tenth of May James then Duke of York and the Lord Chancellor's Daughter being her Parents Many and conspicuous were the Prognosticks of a true and far from counterfeited Piety that glitter'd in her and shin'd forth in the early Dawn of her Infancy For when in her tender Years she had lost an excellent Mother and under the Tuition of Persons less concern'd was deliciously bred up in a Court full of all manner of Pleasure and Voluptuousness such was always her Constancy such her Temperance and Modesty that no Example of others no Allurement of Vice no Contagion of Neighbouring-Courts could force her to go astray from the right Path. She was instructed in the Fundamentals of the true Reform'd Religion by the Bishop of London which he so happily laid and she so cordially imbib'd that she could never be shaken by any treacherous Insinuations any Promises or Threats any Punishments or Rewards choosing rather to die than never so little to recede from the Truth wherein she had been grounded After she had spent the rest of her Childhood in those Studies by which generous and illustrious Souls are rais'd to the Expectations of great Fortune and had abundantly furnish'd herself as well with Christian as with Royal Vertues in the Fifteenth Year of her Age she was auspiciously Married to William the Third of that Name Prince of Orange William marries Mary a Kinsman a Kinswoman and thus by a double Tye and a firmer Knot than hitherto the most Noble Families of all Europe are joyn'd together She for her Ancestors claims the Family of the Stuarts He the Nassavian Race She the Monarchs of Great Britain He the Governours of Germany and the Caesars themselves The Nuptial Solemnities being over the Royal Bride cross'd over out of England into these Parts together with her Husband and chose for her Seat and Residence the Hague the most pleasant and delightful place not only of Holland but almost of all Europe Where belov'd of all Men and fix'd in the Good-will of all the People propensly devoted to her for the space of some Years she so charmingly and affectionately liv'd with her Husband the best of Men and no less cordially affectionate to her not only without the least Contention or Quarrel but without the least suspicion of Lukewarmness that she might well be said to be a conspicuous Example of Conjugal Affection not only to Kings and Princes and Men in high Degree but also to private Persons After some Interval of Time when they who bare ill will to our Princes and us to Liberty and Religion and more especially to this Republick stirr'd up new Troubles in England and the Nobility of the Kingdom call'd to their Aid our Prince While he strove one way and the Winds drove another at length wafted over with favourable Gales and Wishes safely arriv'd in England and without Resistance but rather with the general Applause of the Nation and as it were born upon the Shoulders of the People came to the Royal City When afterwards he invited his dearest Consort then the Companion of his Bed now of his Kingdom to partake of the Honour offer'd him and the Dignity soon after to be conferr'd upon him and the equal share of his Fortune in the Eighty ninth Year of this Age luckily and auspiciously both Husband and Wife were declar'd King and Queen with equal Power and Authority by the common Vote and Suffrage and unanimous Consent of both Houses In the Morning she rose with the Sun and worship'd the Lord of Heaven and Earth But when she was sometimes forc'd to rise at Midnight by reason of the urgent Affairs of the State and could not afterwards sleep she commanded either the Holy Scripture or some other pious Book to be brought her If any Persons came to visit her in a Morning before she had pour'd forth her Prayers she sent them back with this Expression That she was first to serve the King of Kings If any persons were said to seek her life by Treachery and Conspiracy her Answer was That she submitted to the Will of Heaven Francius 's Oration upon the Death of the Queen 2. Such was the Sanctity of Mary's Life that King William after her Decease calling to mind her Piety towards God the Integrity of her Life and her Extraordinary Knowledge of Sacred Things brake forth into this expression That if he could believe that ever any mortal Man could be born without the contamination of Sin he would believe it of the Queen And she preserv'd herself so chast and spotless that while she resided upon Earth she liv'd the Life of the Saints even in the Hurry of the Court where there are so many Incitements to evil Grevius 's Oration on the Death of the Queen 3. We had very admirable Accounts of the late Queen from her Court at the Hague during her Abode there from most unquestionable Testimonies which made us envy our Neighbours Happiness in such a Princess who knew their Happiness as 't was impossible they should not and had an extraordinary Value and Veneration for her And since her Return to her Native Country and her Advancement to the Throne here we never knew a more eminent Exception than she was to that common Observation Minuit praesentia Famam The Fame
if those Princes were truly such as the Historians represented them they had well deserved that Treatment And others who tread their Steps might look for the same For Truth would be told at last and that with the more Acrimony of Style for being so long restrained It was a gentle suffering to be exposed to the World in their true Colours much below what others had suffered at their Hands She thought that all Sovereigns ought to read such Histories as Procopius for how much soever he may have aggravated Matters and how unbecomingly soever he may have writ yet by such Books they might see what would be probably said of themselves when all Terrors and Restraints should fall off with their Lives Ibid. 20. She did hearken carefully after every thing that seemed to give some hope that the next Generation should be better than the present with a particular Attention She heard of a Spirit of Devotion and Piety that was spreading itself among the Youth of this great City with a true Satisfaction She enquired often and much about it and was glad to hear it went on and prevailed She lamented that whereas the Devotions of the Church of Rome were all Shew and made up of Pomp and Pageantry that we were too bare and naked And practised not enough to entertain a serious Temper or a warm and an affectionate Heart We might have Light enough to direct but we wanted Flame to raise an exalted Devotion Ibid. 21. She was â—o part of the Cause of the War yet she would willingly have sacrificed her own Life to have preserved either of Those that seemed to be in Danger at the Boyne She spake of that Matter two Days after the News came with so tender a Sense of the Goodness of God to her in it that it drew Tears from her and then she freely confessed That her Heart had trembled not so much from the Apprehension of the Danger that she herself was in as from the Scene that was then in Action at the Boyne God had heard her Prayers and she blessed him for it with as sensible a Joy as for any thing that had ever happened to her Ibid. 22. The Reflections that she made on the Reduction of Ireland looked the same way that all her Thoughts did Our Forces elsewhere both at Sea and Land were thought to be considerable and so promising that we were in great Hopes of somewhat that might be decisive Only Ireland was apprehended to be too weakly furnished for a concluding Campaign Yet so different are the Methods of Providence from Humane Expectations that nothing memorable happened any where but only in Ireland where little or nothing was expected Ibid. 23. When sad Accidents came from the immediate Hand of Heaven particularly on the occasion of a great Loss at Sea she said Tho' there was no occasion for Complaint or Anger upon these yet there was a juster Cause of Grief since God's Hand was to be seen so particularly in them Sometimes she feared there might be some secret Sins that might lie at the Root and blast all But she went soon off from that and said Where so much was visible there was no need of Divination concerning that which might be hidden Ibid. 24. She was sorry that the State of War made it necessary to restrain another Prince from Barbarities by making himself feel the Effects of them and therefore she said She hoped that such Practices should become so odious in all that should begin them and by their doing so force others to retaliate that for the future they should be for ever laid aside Ibid. 25. She apprehended she felt once or twice such Indispositions upon her that she concluded Nature was working towards some great Sickness so she set herself to take full and broad Views of Death that from thence she might judge how she should be able to encounter it But she felt so quiet an Indifference upon that Prospect leaning rather towards the desire of a Dissolution that she said Tho' she did not pray for Death yet she could neither wish nor pray against it She left that before God and referred herself entirely to the disposal of Providence If she did not wish for Death yet she did not fear it Ibid. 26. We prayed for our selves more than for her when we cried to God for her Life and Recovery both Priest and People Rich and Poor all Ranks and Sorts joyned in this Litany A universal Groan was Ecchoed to those Prayers through our Churches and Streets Ibid. 27. But how severely soever God intended to visit us she was gently handled she felt no inward depression nor sinking of Nature She then declared That she felt in her Mind the Joys of a good Conscience and the Powers of Religion giving her Supports which even the last Agonies could not shake Thus far Bishop Burnet 28. In the Publick Worship of God she was a bright Example of solemn and unaffected Devotion She prayed with humble Reverence heard the Word with respectful Silence and with serious Application of Spirit as duly considering the infinite Interval between the Supremacy of Heaven and Princes on Earth That their Greatness in its Lustre is but a faint and vanishing Reflection of the Divine Majesty One Instance I shall specifie in this kind When her Residence was at the Hague a Lady of Noble Quality coming to the Court to wait on her on a Saturday in the Afternoon was told she was retired from all Company and kept a Fast in Preparation for the receiving the Sacrament the next Day The Lady staying 'till Five a Clock the Princess came out and contented herself with a very slender Supper it being incongruous to conclude a Fast with a Feast Thus solemnly she prepared herself for Spiritual Communion with her Saviour Dr. Bates 's Sermon upon the Death of the Queen 29. She had a sincere Zeal for the healing our unhappy Divisions in Religious Things and declared her Resolution upon the first Address of some Ministers that she would use all Means for that Blessed End She was so wise as to understand the Difference between Matters Doctrinals and Rituals and so good as to allow a just Liberty for Dissenters in things of small moment She was not fetter'd with superstitious Scruples but her clear and free Spirit was for the Union of Christians in Things essential to Christianity Ibid. 30. In her Relation to the King she was the best Pattern of Conjugal Love and Obsequiousness How happy was her Society redoubling his Comforts and dividing his Cares Her Deportment was becoming the Dignity and Dearness of the Relation Of this we have the most convincing Proof from the Testimony and Tears of the King since her Death Solomon adds to many Commendations of a vertuous Woman as a Coronis That her Husband praises her The King 's declaring that in all her Conversation he discovered no Fault and his unfeigned and deep Sorrow for his Loss are the Queen 's
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
which God had given to the Grandeur of her Power We have seen Tears in her Eyes for sorrow that she could not do so much as she desir'd With what Goodness I will not say of a Princess and a Queen but of a Mother did she take particular Accompts and make particular Enquiries for the succour of poor Families Ibid. 81. 'T was this Charity that made her shut her Ears against Calumny and Backbiting Never durst any one speak ill of any Body before the Queen Neither Flattery nor Calumny two of the most dangerous Pests of Sovereign Courts durst never open their Mouths in her presence Slander was utterly banish'd from her sight and hearing Lord says David who shall abide in thy Tabernacle He that is pure in his Life whose Actions are just who speaks always according to Truth who slanders not his Neighbour and who lends not his Ear to the Backbiter This is then one more Encomium which it behoves us to give the Queen and which you who had the Honour to be near her Person knew that she most justly deserved Ibid. 82. There was something admirable in the Diligence of this excellent Queen and very extraordinary in a Person of her Sex her Age and Degree For she spent every Hour of the Day to profit and advantage She was wont to rise by Six a Clock in the Morning Winter and Summer far different from most People who covetous of many Things are so prodigal of that little time which is so burthensome to 'em that they seek always to waste it Ibid. 83. The Queen concern'd herself for all those who had quitted their Country for the sake of Religion Piety and the Glory of God which she had always before her Eyes made her continually wish That Persons who had shew'd their Zeal and Affection to the Service of God might do nothing but what became the Character of that Zeal which had inclin'd ' em Let us fulfil these Wishes so just and so Christian-like The incorruptible Crown of Glory shall not be given to him that begins but to him that perseveres Let us therefore labour our Zeal and Fervency while we may to the end we may find Grace and Mercy at the Day of our Death and that we may be made Partakers of that Bliss and Eternal Glory which now the Queen enjoys That Queen who because she was a Woman that truly feared the Lord deserves far greater Praises than we have been able to give her Ibid. 84. I remember one Day this pious and pensive Princess recalling to Mind her Father who had so lately Rul'd most flourishing Kingdoms but gone astray from that Faith whch the Laws of God and Man had establish'd ever since the Reign of Edward VI. the Josiah of his Age and which his Father and Grand-Father had subscrib'd to I remember I say that being admitted into her private Chappel after she had let fall a Showre of Tears she gave Thanks to God the Supream Parent of all Things who sometimes forsook the Sons and Grand-Children of Hero's sometimes in them supply'd what was wanting in their Parents correcting the Vice of Nature by the Benefit of Grace Which when I had confirmed by the examples of herself and her Great Grand-Father James the Son of unfortunate Mary and that it was done by the same Miracle of Grace as we daily see Nature produce Gold and Diamonds out of stony and craggy Mountains and sweet Juices out of bitter Roots I added by way of Consolation of her afflicted Piety that perhaps the Father of so many Tears and Sighs would not be lost in Heaven Ibid. 85. When first the News was brought of the inauspicious but certain Nuptials of James the Father with Mary of Modina by the Mediation of Lewis not only she together with Anne her Sister with a cast-down Countenance and watry Eyes receiv'd the Tidings attended with a Deluge of Tears which Doctor Thomas Doughty then Domestick Chaplain could by no means put a stop to but our Mary also after she somewhat alleviated her Sorrow with Weeping brake forth into these Expressions worthy to be engrav'd in Cedar However things fall out said she I hope we shall preserve immaculate to God our Faith and our Religion let all other things pass away which we shall look upon as of little consequence Ibid. 86. From these Exercises of her Youth she was called to greater and higher Things and to lay the Foundations of Empire and Council under the Conduct of William Henry Her Mind being capable of Great Things beyond her Sex she profited so well by the Company of so Great a Prince not only by his Instructions but by his Example that she was taught to Reign before she could know herself I will faithfully relate what I only heard my self and therefore can attest While she staid at the Hague after the Expedition for England expecting a Wind I was admitted to the Presence of the Royal Princess and found her turmoil'd with many Cares and deep Cogitations At what time she who was never wanting in any measure of Familiarity casting a propitious Look upon the Interpreters of the Holy bible deliver'd herself in these Expressions to me What a severe and cruel Necessity said she now lies upon me either to forsake a Father whom my Grand-Mother first ruin'd hence France the Author of our Parents Calamity or to forsake a Husband my Country nay God himself and my Soul my nearest and my dearest Pledge 'T is a cruel Necessity indeed Madam answer'd I but not to be avoided Heaven not enduring divided Duty nor divided Affections Heaven that has not only joyn'd you by an Eternal Tie to William but calls you to succour your labouring if not perishing Country the Church of God your Religion and these your Batavians over whole Necks the Sword or Bondage hang. You forsake a Father Madam 't is true but who first forsook himself Nature his Children Kingdoms Religion Laws his Word and the Hopes of his Subjects who departed himself from the Government that he might serve the Conveniences of those who under the pretence of false Religions measure all things Divine and Human by their own Advantages And when I added that she was called by the Voice of Heaven from a most delightful Ease to be the Companion of William in his Cares and Toyls and unless our Wishes fail'd us to the Government of one of the greatest Empires in the World I said the very Image of Modesty itself I govern a People and wield Scepters I who only learnt to handle next the Sacred Bible Books that either may instruct or recreate the Mind then to handle my Needle Pen or Pencil or to mind my Flowers Garden or whatever else belongs to my Family-Affairs or calls off our Sex from the Contagion of Idleness And therefore be not deceived in your Opinion continued she smiling as if the Prince by his Society had instructed me in the Arts of Peace and War 'T is true after hard
his right Wits and Senses conclude that all these brave and curious Beings made themselves or that they happen'd casually by a fortuitous Concourse of Atoms and little Particles of Matter accidentally jumbled together Men have lived now by Succession of Generations several Thousands of Years in the World and yet we never read or heard of any of them that ever saw a House built or a Fly made in this manner We cannot bring the Herbs in our Garden into the due Form and Mixture of a Sallad nor prevail with our Labouring Cattel to come into their Harness and draw in the Yoke nor range Soldiers into their due Order without the Exercise of Care and the Discipline of a Superiour And shall the whole Vniverse be filled with such Plenty and Variety of admirable Creatures and those Creatures made with admirable Wisdom and able to produce admirable Effects and nothing but what is common and visible and which occurs to our outward Senses contribute and concur to the making of them Fie upon such Stupidity and Bruitishness of Thought I do here present the Reader not with a Scheme of what is very common and obvious Things that we may see and hear of every Day every Way we go but the Rarities of Nature the most remarkable Particulars of the visible Creation the Archives and Treasury of this lower World the Repository of Things more strange and wonderful than ordinary And this I do on purpose to rouze and awaken the Reason of Men asleep into a Thinking and Philosophical Temper that if possible when they will wink and sleep and scorn to spend a serious Thought upon the Common Scheme of the World they may startle at Extraordinaries and wind up their Reasons a little higher upon the sight of Wonders But this is not all I aim at the Footsteps of the Divinity are so conspicuous in the Creation that methinks 't is very easie and natural for Human Reason to climb the Porphyry-Tree and ascend as it were by a Scala Coeli from Earth to Heaven from the Individuals here below to the Supreme Creator and Architect above And that Man that doth not improve his Faculties in this Case is unworthy of that Rational Soul he is endowed with And therefore I humbly request my Reader to shake himself and rub his Eyes and look about him first of all to see what Impressions of the Divine Attributes and Excellencies he can meet with upon the several Beings in the World and then fall down upon his Knees in an humble and modest Address and Adoration to the Great Wise and Gracious Creator The greatest Adversaries we have to deal with in this Case are the Wits of the Age some of Epicurus's Litter who deny all Revelation and Scripture-Evidence and take upon them to Philosophize upon the World and so professing themselves to be Wise they become Fools For I am sure the Apostle was no Fool when he tells us The invisible Things of the Godhead may be visibly seen by the Creation of the Things which are made No no themselves in the Judgment not only of St. Paul but even of the Heathen Poet will be found faulty through their Poverty of Wit and their Beggarliness of Reason Tentat enim dubiam mentem Rationis Egestas Ecquaenam fuerit mundi genitalis Origo Lucret. p. 227. And truly as Bishop Fotherby saith concerning his Athaeomastix how the Reader will be affected in the Reading of this Book I cannot tell but myself in Writing of it was no less affected than Tully in Writing his De Senectute being oftentimes so lively touched that I never found in myself a more quick Apprehension both of God's incomprehensible Majesty and Goodness and of Man's most contemptible Littleness and Baseness than by this Contemplation of God in his Creatures finding in myself the Truth of that in Tully Est Animorum ingeniorumque pabulum consideratio contemplatioque Naturae Erigimur latiores fieri videmur humana despicimus cogitantesque supera atque coelestia baec nostra ut exigna minima contemnimus Cic L 4. Acad. p. 38. The Contemplation of Nature is the Food and Nutriment of the Mind it lifts up the Soul and doth so brisk the Spirit that our Minds seem to be more dilated and spread as it were into a Paraphrase 'till at last we scorn Earth and our own Studies here as too little and narrow and fall presenly upon the Consideration of Things more Divine and Heavenly This Reader is the Design of the following Collections to glut and satiate the Mind with a Prospect of meer Nature and to administer a fair Occasion for the raising of the Soul to Higher and more Lofty and Noble Speculations the Study of Divinity and the Glories of the Vpper World which will please and make us happy without any Nauseousness for ever and ever Wonders of Nature PART II. NAture says Dr. Barrow offereth her self and her inexhaustible Store of Appearances to our Contemplation we may without any Harm and with much Delight survey her rich Varieties examine her Proceedings pierce into her Secrets every kind of Animals of Plants of Minerals of Meteors presenteth Matter wherewith innocently pleasantly and profitably to entertain our Minds There are many Noble Sciences by applying our Minds to the Study whereof we may not only Divert them but Improve and Cultivate them c. To do this we have an Unquestionable Right and by it we shall obtain vast Benefit Thus far Dr. Barrow in his Sermons against Evil Speaking We shall therefore here for Method-sake first relate the Wonders of Nature and then proceed to the Wonders of Art In relating the Wonders of Nature we shall first begin with Instances of Sympathy CHAP. I Instances of Sympathy THE Sympathy of the Simple Qualities and the Elements wherein they are found say the Virtuosi of France are the Causes of the Temperament of mix'd Bodies as Antipathy of their Dissolution 'T is they who unite and disunite those Compounds and by approximating or removing them one from another cause all their Motions When these Causes are apparent we take upon us to impute them to certain Qualities and discourse upon them with some Skill and Confidence but where we cannot by searching find out the Cause we fly to Occult Qualities that is Sympathy or Antipathy for a Refuge and Honourable Sanctuary for our Ignorance of which sort may be these that follow 1. Coral stays Bleeding Amber draws Straws the Loadstone Iron Garlick is a Friend to the Rose and Lilly increasing one the others Odour a Man's Fasting-Spittle kills the Viper Eels drown'd in Wine make the Drinker thenceforward hate it Betony strengthens the Brain Succory is proper to the Liver Bezoar a Friend to the Heart The Lungs of a Fox are useful to such as are Phthisical the Intestines of the Wolf is good for the Colick Eyebright for the Eye Solomon's-Seal for the Rupture the Black Decoction of Sena for Melancholy Yellow Rhubarb for Choler White
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
are able to discourse with her in that way will communicate any Matter much more speedily and as full as can be by Speech and she to them her Children Sign from the Breast and learn to speak by their Eyes and Fingers sooner than by their Tongues She was from her Childhood naturally sober and susceptible of good civil Education but had no knowledge of a Deity or of any thing that doth concern another Life and World Yet God hath of his infinite Mercy reveal'd himself his Son and the great Mysteries of Salvation unto her by an extraordinary and wonderful working of his Spirit as 't is believed in a Saving Work of Conversion An Account of her Experiences was taken from her in writing by her Husband upon which she was examined by the Elders of the Church they imploying her Husband and two of her Sisters intelligent Persons and notably skill'd in her Artificial Language by whose help they attain'd good Satisfaction that she understandeth all the Principles of Religion Those of the Unity of the Divine Essence Trinity of Persons the Personal Union the Mystical Union they made most diligent Enquiry about and were satisfied that her Knowledge and Experience was distinct and sound and they hoped saving She was under great exercise of Spirit and most affectionately concern'd for and about her Soul her Spiritual and Eternal Estate She imparted her self to her Friends and expressed her desire of Help She made use of the Bible and other good Books and remarked such Places and Passages as suited her Condition and that with Tears She did once in her Exercise write with a Pin upon a Trencher three times over Ah poor Soul and therewithal burst out into Tears before divers of her Friends She hath been wont to enquire after the Text and when it hath been shewed to her to look and muse upon it She knoweth most if not all Persons Names that she hath Acquaintance with If Scripture Names will readily turn and point to them in the Bible It may be conceived that although she understands neither Words Letter nor Language yet she understands things Hieroglyphically The Letters and Words are unto her but signs of the things and as it were Hieroglyphicks She was very desirous of Church Communion in all Ordinances and was admitted with general and good satisfaction and hath approved her self to the best Observation a grave and gracious VVoman They both attend publick VVorship with much Reverence and Constancy and are very inoffensive and in divers respects exemplary in their Conversation Thus far is that Narrative written June 27. 1683. I suppose no one that rightly considers the Circumstances of this Relation will make a Scruple about the Lawfulness of admitting such Persons to participate in the Holy Mysteries of Christ's Kingdom All judicious Casuists determine that those who are either born or by any accident made Deaf and Dumb if their Conversation be blameless and they able by signs which are Analogous to Verbal Expressions to declare their Knowledge and Faith may as freely be received to the Lords Supper as any that shall orally make the like Profession Of this Judgment was Luther and Melancthon Gerhard Balduinus in his Cases of Conscience Lib. 2. Chap. 12. does confirm this by producing several Instances of Dumb Persons addmitted to the Communion It 's certain that some such have been made to understand the Mysteries of the Gospel so as to suffer Martyrdom on that account 4. In the Year 1620. One that was Deaf and Dumb being solicited by the Papists to be present at Mass chose rather to suffer Death It is a thing known that Men are able by Signs to discourse and to communicate their Sentiments one to another There are about thirty Mutes kept in the Ottoman Court for the Grand Seignior to sport with Concerning whom Mr. Ricaut reports pag 62. that they are able by Signs not only to signifie their Sence in familiar Questions but to recount Stories and understand the Fables of the Turkish Religion the Laws and Precepts of the Alcoran the Name of Mahomet and what else may be capable of being expressed by the Tongue This Language of the Mutes is so much in fashion in the Ottoman Court that almost every one can deliver his Sense in it And that Deaf Persons have been sometimes able to write and to understand what others say to them by the very motion of their Lips is most certain 5. Cammerarius tells us of a Young Man and a Maid then living in Noremburg who tho' Deaf and Dumb could Read and VVrite and Cypher and by the motion of a Mans Lips knew his meaning 6. Platerius speaketh of one Deaf and Dumb Born that yet could express his mind in a table-Table-Book and understand what others wrote therein and was wont to attend upon the Ministry of Oecolampadius understanding many things by the motion of the Lips of the Preacher 7. Mr. Clark in his Examples vol. 1. chap. 33. saith That there was a VVoman in Edenburge in Scotland her Name was Ceanet Lowes who being naturally Deaf and Dumb could understand what People said meerly by the moving of their Lips It is famously known that Mr. Crisp of London could do the like 8. Borellus giveth an Account of one that lost his Hearing by a violent Disease when he was five Years old yet if they did but whisper to him he could by their Lips perceive what they said 9. There is one now living or not many Years since was so in Silesia in whom that Disease of the Small-Pox caused a total Deafness who nevertheless by exact observing the motion of Mens Lips can understand what they say and if they do but whisper he perceives what they say better than if they Vociferate never so loudly He attends upon publick Sermons being able to give an Account of what is delivered provided that he may but see the Preacher speaking tho' he cannot hear a word It is consistent with Reason that Mutes should understand what others say by the motion of their Lips since it is evident that the Lips are of great use in framing Speech Hence Joh calls his Speech the moving of his Lips Chap. 16. ver 5. and we know that Tongueless Persons by the help of their Lips and other Organs of Speech have been able to Speak 10 Ecclesiastical Story informs us of several Confessors of the Truth who after their Tongues were cut out by bloody Persecutors could still bear witness to the Truth 11. Honorichius that cruel King of the Vandals caused the Tongues of many to be violently pluckt out of their Mouths who after that could speak as formerly only two of them when they became guilty of the Sin of Uncleanness were able to speak no more this has been Attested by three credible Witnesses who knew the Persons See Mr. Baxters Church History p. 130. 12. There is lately Published in Latin a very strange Relation of a Child in France his Name was Peter Durand who
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.
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
and Books and Collections I can rest my Soul on nothing but the Scriptures and above all that Passage lies most upon my Spirit Titus 2.11 12. The Grace of God that brings Salvation c. 76. Dr. Donn on his Dying-bed told his Friends I Repent of all my Life but that part I spent in Communion with God and doing good 77. Sir Walter Rawleigh in a Letter to his Wife after his Condemnation hath these words If you can live free from Want care for no more for the rest is but a Vanity Love God and begin betimes in him shall ye find True Everlasting and Endless Comfort My dear Wife Farewel Bless my Boy Pray for me and let my True God hold you both in his Arms. 78. Mr. Herbert the Divine Poet to one going about to Comfort him with the Remembrance of a good Work he had done in Repairing a ruinous Church belonging to his Ecclesiastical Dignity made answer 'T is a good Work if sprinkled with the Blood of Christ In the Preface before his Poems 79. Mr. Tho. Cartwright the last Sermon that he made was Dec. 25. on Eccl. 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth c. On the Tuesday following the Day before his Death he was two Hours on his Knees in private Prayer in which as he told his Wife he found wonderful and unutterable Joy and Comfort and within a few Hours after he quietly resigned up his Spirit to God Dec. 27. 1603. Mr. Clark 's Martyrol p. 21. 80. Mr. Paul Baines in his last Sickness had many Fears and Doubts God letting Satan loose upon him so that he went away with far less Comfort than many weaker Christians enjoy Ibid. p. 24. 81. Mr. William Bradshaw exhorted all that came to him to lay a good Foundation for a comfortable Death in time of Life and Health assuring them that their utmost Addresses and Endeavours would be little enough when they came to that Work Ibid. p. 51. 81. Mr. Richard Rothwel foretold his own Death I am well and shall be well shortly said he to some that sent to enquire how he did And afterwards whispering one in the Ear there present said Do you know my meaning I shall be with Christ e're long but do not tell them so And after Prayer smiling said he Now I am well Happy is he that hath not bow'd a knee to Baal He called upon the Company to sing Psal 120. And in the singing of it he died An. 1627. Aged 64. Ibid. p. 71. 83. Dr. Preston the Night before he died being Saturday he went to Bed and lay about three Hours desirous to sleep but slept not Then said My Dissolution is near let me go to my Home and to Jesus Christ who hath bought me with his most precious Blood About Four of the Clock the next Morning he said I feel Death coming to my Heart my Pain shall now be quickly turned into Joy And after Prayer made by a Friend he look'd on the Company turned away his Head and at Five a Clock on the Lord's-Day in the Morning gave up the Ghost An. 1628. Aged 41. or near it Ibid. p. 113. 84. Mr. Hildersam sickening with the Scurvy in the midst of Winter on March 4. being the Lord's-Day was prayed for in the Congregation of Ashby His Son also prayed with him divers times that Day and in the last Prayer he departed March 4. 1631. Had I time to pause upon it methinks the Death of many worthy Persons happening upon the Christian Sabbath is worthy of a special Remark Mr. Hildersam had given order in his Will that no Funeral Sermon should be preached at his Burial Ibid. p. 123. 85. Dr. Tho. Tailour of Aldermanbury expressed himself thus O said he we serve a good Lord who covers all our Imperfections and gives us great Wages for little Work And on the Lord's-Day he was dismissed hence to keep a perpetual Sabbath in Heaven in the Climacterical Year of his Age 56. Ibid. p. 127. 86. Mr. John Carter likewise Feb. 21. 1635. being the Lord's-Day ended his Life with a Doxology The Lord be thanked Ibid. p. 140. 87. Dr. Sibs died Anno 1631. Aged 58. Ibid. Dr. Chaderton Anno 1640. Aged 94. Ibid. 88. Mr. Ball being ask'd in his last Sickness whether he thought he should live or die answered I do not trouble my self about that matter And afterwards how he did replied Going to Heaven apace He died 1640. Aged 55. Ibid. 89. Dr. Potter died about the great Climacterical Year of his Age being suspected to have laid to Heart the Reproaches of some thrown upon him for a Sermon preached a little before at Westminster as too sharp against Innovations in the Church Ibid. 90. Mr. Julines Herrings the Night before his Departure was observed to rise upon his Knees and with Hands lifted up to Heaven to use these Words He is overcome overcome through the Strength of my Lord and only Saviour Jesus unto whom I am now going to keep a Sabbath in Glory And accordingly next Morning March 28. 1644. Aged 62. on the Sabbath-Day he departed Ibid. 168. 91. Mr. John Dod was tried with most bitter and sharp Pains of the Strangury and great Wrestlings with Satan but was Victorious To one watching with him he said That he had been wrestling with Satan all Night who accused him That he had neither preached nor prayed nor performed any Duty well for manner or end but saith he I have answer'd him from the Example of the Prodigal and the Publican One of his last Speeches was with Eyes and Hands lift up to Heaven I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Which desire was granted him Anno 1645. aged 96. Ibid. p. 178. 92. Mr. Herbert Palmer after Isa 38 Chap. being read prayed himself to this purpose First for himself That God would heal the sinfulness of his Nature pardon all his Transgressions deliver him from Temptation accept him in Christ c. Then for the Publick the Nation King and Parliament Ministers c. For Scotland and the Churches in France New-England c. Queen's College Westminster the Country his Benefactors c. He departed December 25. 1647. aged 46. He desired his Friends not to Pray for his Life but Pray God saith he for Faith for Patience for Repentance for Joy in the Holy Ghost Lord saith he cast me down as low as Hell in Repentance and lift me up by Faith to the highest Heavens in confidence of thy Salvation The Tuesday before he departed This day Seven-night said he is the Day on which we have used to remember Christ's Nativity and on which I have preached Christ I shall scarce live to see it but for me was that Child born unto me was that Son given c. Ibid. p. 201. 93. Mr. John Cotton to Mr. Wilson taking his last leave of him and praying that God would lift up the Light of his Countenance upon him and shed his Love into his Soul presently answered