take up a Pin he appeared to her and told her that Follet was the cause of all her Troubles and so left her Hitherto I have given you as exact an Account as I could get from them as to the time That which follows I set down without observing the Circumstances of Time or Order of Action because I can learn no certainty of it from them but the Matter of Fact is truth Often when they were gone to Bed the inner Doors were flung open as also the Doors of a Cupboard which stood in the Hall and this with a great deal of Violence and Noise And one Night the Chairs which when they went to Bed stood all in the Chimney-corner were all removed and placed in the middle of the Room in very good order and a Meal-sieve hung upon one cut full of Holes and a Key of an inner Door upon another And in the Day-time as they sate in the House spinning they could see the Barn-doors often flung open but not by whom Once as Alice sate spinning the Rock or Distaff leapt several times out of the Wheel into the middle of the Room upon which she said she thought Follet was in it She had no sooner said the Words but she saw Follet ride by to Sir William York's House about some business with him relating to him as a Justice with much more such ridiculous stuff as this is which would be tedious to relate See the whole Story in Mr. Glanvil's Saducis Triumph p. 499. 2. The Story of the Devil of Mascon is notorious who a long time disturbed the Quiet of Mr. Perrheaud and his Family by tumbling about the Chairs throwing down his Brass and Pewter drawing the Curtains of his Bed walking about the Chambers whistling singing talking familiarly to them sadling the Horse in the Stable with the Crupper towards the Horses Head sometimes disturbing them at their Devotions answering Questions put to them and telling them things far off with many ludicrous Fits and disputing with a Papist Officer of the City and whirling him oft about and at last cast him on the Ground and sending him home distracted with the Wages of his Curiosity is sufficiently attested by the Honourable Mr. Robert Boyle who prefixt an Epistle to it owning it a an undoubted Truth being acquainted with the Author Mr. â—errheand as was also his Brother the Earl of Orkny and Dr. Peter Durmouling Prebend of Canterbury all which have believed it and attested the truth of it Besides could it be counterfited and never contradicted since the first Publication of it in a City where many of both Religions had leave to croud in at certain Houses where they were certain Witnesses what was spoken and acted by their sporting Devil Historian Discourse of Apparitions and Witches p. 16. 3. The Story of the haunting of Mr. Mompesson's House in Wiltshire is famons and Printed in part by Mr. Joseph Glanvil Mr. Mompesson is yet living no melancholy nor conceited Man the truth not doubted of by his Neighbours within this Month I spake with one of them an Attorney who said that the Noises heard the visible moving about of the Boards before their Faces and such like were all undoubtedly true and the thing unquestioned by Mr. Mompesson who to his great Cost and Trouble was long molested by it and his Neighbours and those that purposely went thither to see it Notwithstanding that when some unbelievers went from London to be satisfied nothing was done when they were there for as God oweth not such Remedies to Unbelievers so Satan hath no desire to cure them Ibid. p. 41. 4. In May 1679. Sir William York being from home there was a great Noise made by the lifting up of the Latch of the outmost Door which continued with great Quickness and Noise for the space of two or three Hours 'till betwixt ten and eleven it Clock in the Night his Lady then being at home with few Servants apprehended it to be Thieves and thereupon they went to the Door and spake to them and afterwards winded a Horn and raised the Town and upon the coming in of the Town the Noise ceased and they heard no more of it 'till May following And then Sir William being at London the same Noise was made at the Door as before for two or three Nights together and then they began to believe it to be occasioned by some extraordinary means This was heard alike by twenty several Persons then in the Family who looking out at the Windows over the Door heard the Noise but saw nothing About a Month after when Sir William had returned from London he being in Bed and his Lady ready to go in he heard the same Noise again which held about half a quarter of an Hour and then ceased and began again several times that Night the same Persons being then in the House also and taking the same care to discover it At the end of this knocking there was as if it were a thrusting with a Knee only more violent These Noises continued with some variation to the great disturbance of the whole Family 'till such time as they thought of removing from the House and Sir William's Attendance was required at the Parliament in October following But from that time they were never heard more Glanvil's Saducis Triumph p. 509. CHAP. LXXXVIII Satan Hurting by Charms Spells Amulets c. I Do not mean here that the Devil hath always his desired Success upon the Souls of Men in these things but through the Permission of Almighty God he is able and oftentimes doth strange and wonderful Actions upon the Vse or Application of Charms Amulets Spells c. on purpose to amuse the World and tempt Mankind to leave the ordinary natural lawful or scriptural Methods and address to him in a way of superstitious or foolish Devotion And I desire the Reader to consider soberly with himself in cases of this nature what Cause within the Cope of meer Nature or within the Bounds of that which is lawful just and good such Effects as I shall mention hereafter can be attributed to Lei him Read and Pause and tell me seriously whether the Effects following are to be fathered upon the Cause in sight or whether there be not something behind the Curtain latent to our Senses that is the Author and if so Whether a good or evil Spirit at least a Spirit and then let him proceed to draw Inferences accordingly which any Man of Sense and unbiassed in Judgment may easily do 1. Bodinus relates how himself and several others at Paris saw a young Man with a Charm in French move a Sieve up and down More 's Antid against Atheism p. 164. 2. And that ordinary way of Divination which they call Coskinomancy or finding who stole this or spoiled that by the Sieve and Sheers Pictorius Vigillanus professeth he made use of thrice and it was with success Ibid. 3. A Friend of mine saith Mr. H. Moor told me
from their very Enemies The Prodigies of our Saviour's Crucifixion procured a free Confession from some of his Enemies that certainly he was the Son of God See more Instances 1. Polycarp when first apprehended was pitied by many of his Enemies that so holy honest and aged a Man should be put to death After his Prayer at the Stake the flame framed it self in manner of a Vault or Sail of a Ship with the blustering Blasts of Wind so that it touched not the Holy Martyr's Body which sent forth a fragrant Smell like Frankincense but the cruel Persecutors thereupon call'd for a Tormentor to thrust him thro' the Side with a Spear which being done Blood issued out so abundantly that it quenched the Fire to the Astonishment of all Beholders Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist. 2. Dionysius the Areopagite being aimed at by the Idolatrous Priests who envied his Success in the Ministery with his gracious Lustre and Radiancy of Countenance abashed and so affrighted his Adversaries that they fled away Ibid. Some say that by the order of Sisinnius the Prefect of Gaul being thrown to wild Beasts they would not tear him put into a hot Oven it would not burn him at last was condemned to Decollation Ibid. 3. Justin Martyr seems accomplish'd by the Divine Providence to make a stout Apology to the Heathen Emperors for his Christian Brethren by passing first through all the famous Schools of the Heathen Philosophers by which means he was enabled and fitted to attack them with their own Weapons which he did ingeniously and couragiously and effectually in his Plea to Antoninus Pius c. Ibid. 4. Tertullian was raised in a seasonable time by God Almighty to plead the Cause of his Church against their Adversaries and slanderous Accusations for he ingeniously shew'd them that they never intended any Stirs or Rebellions against the Empire it being the Frinciple of the Christians to pray for all Men and render Good for Evil and whereas they were slander'd for murdering Infants how can that be saith he when their Custom is to abstain from all things strangled and from Blood c. Ibid. By his excellent Apologies he prevailed with Severus to favour the Christians 5. Cyprian vindicates the Christians from the Scandals charged upon them in his time by telling them that the Publick Calamities were not owing to the Christians but to the Idolatry of their Enemies that they were long before prophesied by Christ and the Heathens had no reason to expect any better than Famine Wars and Pestilences for their Wickedness and Cruelty in shedding so much Blood of the Christians Ibid. 6. Lactantius wrote seven Books of Institutions in the Behalf of the Christians against the Gentiles 7. Athanasius being accused by the Miletians to the Emperour that he had imposed a Tribute of Linnen Garments upon the Egyptians and had gathered the same it pleased God that Alipprius and Macarius two Presbyters of Alexandria happen'd to be present who easily wip'd off this false Charge afterwards he was accused that he had sent a Sum of Gold to one Philumenus to take away the Emperor but he easily clear'd himself of this too At last he was taxed that he had broken the sacred Chalice and cut off the Arm of one Arsenius that was slain and kept it for an Instrument in Magick Arsenius was a Presbyter who for some great Fault had hid himself Athanasius finding it difficult to clear himself in this Case employ'd one of his Deacons to enquire out this Arsenius who with some difficulty found him out which so satisfy'd the Emperor Constantine that he clear'd him and sent him back with Commendations to his Office requiring that this Epistle which he wrote upon this Score might be read in the Church to the Terror of his Adversaries Yet he was after some time effectually prosecuted by his Restless Adversaries and injuriously deposed Ibid. 8. The Arians prevailing for the Banishment of Basil Bishop of Caesarea and the writing being brought to Valens the Emperour to sign the Pens would not write the least tittle tho' often tried and when the Emperour being mad with rage endeavour'd still to confirm the Edict his Right Hand was struck with a great Trembling so that at last being terrified with these Judgments he tore the Writing in pieces Ibid. 9. Mr. John Husse who was condemn'd by the Council of Constance for Heresie was acquitted in a solemn Letter from any such fault in his Doctrine by the Bishop of Nazareth who was appointed and deputed by the See of Rome to be Inquisitor of Heresie in the City of Prague Martyrol p. 549. and more than that was commended for his Life and Conversation by the Testimony of no less than 54 of the Nobles of Moravia in a Letter written by them in his Behalf to the Council of Constance Which Letter and the Names of the Peers See Martyrol p. 386 387. 10. Edwond Everard Esq being an Agent in the French Court for the English Militia by Acquaintance and Discourse with the Lady Gourdon Sister to the Marquess of Huntley in Scotland then in a Popish Convent at Paris and with Collonel Richard Talbot and Peter his Brother Titular Arch-Bishop of Dublin got some small glimmerings of a grand Design on Foot for the publick Settling of Popery in England dissolving the Parliament or at least raising a Misunderstanding between them and His Majesty for Relieving the Catholicks in Ireland for killing His Majesty and setting up the D. of Y. coming over into England and making an Essay towards the Discovery of it at Court was by Malice and Arts of his Enemies falâ—ly Accused and sent to the Tower and there kept a close Prisoner four Years and never in all that time called to a fair Hearing yet at last when the Plot broke out by other Instruments and Means which God in his Wisdom produced and made use of He was Released from his illegal Confinement and brought upon the Stage as an Innocent Person and had Liberty granted him to Accuse his Accusers Anno Christi 1679. It were an endless Task to recount over the many Instances that are in the World even within ken of the present Generation of Persons who have been one while Afflicted Disgraced Fined Imprisoned c. as Persons not fit for common Society among their Fellows who have been afterwards received into Favours preferred to Places of Trust and Honour dandled upon the Knee of a benign Providence and died in the Vogue of the World good and honest Men. 11. Dr. Vsher wanted not Enemies who sought to scandalize him to King James under the Title of a Puritan which was very odious to the King in those Days hereby to prevent his further Preferment but God so order'd it that it proved an occasion of his Advancement For King James being jealous of him upon that score by reason of the Eminency of his Learning fell into Serious Discourse with him and thereby was so well satisfied in the Soundness of
and the Romans will come and take away both our Place and Nation Here was a causeless Cry against Christ That the Romans would come and see how just the Judgment of God was They crucified Christ for fear least the Romans should come and his Death was it which brought in the Romans upon them God punishing them with that which they most feared And I pray God this Clamour of venient Romani of which I have given no cause help not to bring them in For the Pope never had such a Harvest in England since the Reformation as he hath now upon the Sects and Divisions that are amongst us In the mean time by Honour and Dishonour by good Report and evil Report as a Deceiver and yet True am I passing through this World Some Particulars also I think it not amiss to speak of And first this I shall be bold to speak of The King our gracious Sovereign hath been also much and â—eed for bringing in of Popery but on my Conscience of which I shall give God a present Account I know him to be as free from this Charge as any Man living and I hold him to be as sound a Protestant according to the Religion by Law establish'd as any Man in this Kingdom and that he will venture his Life as far and as freely for it and I think I do or should know both his Affection to Religion and his Grounds for it as fully as any Man in England The second Particular is concerning this Great and Populous City which God bless Here hath been of late a Fashion taken up to gather Hands and then to go to the Great Court of this Kingdom the Parliament and clamour for Justice as if that Great and Wise Court before whom the Causes come which are unknown to the many could not or would not do Justice but at their Appointment A way which may endanger many an innocent Man and pluck his Blood upon their own Heads and perhaps upon the City 's also And this hath been lately practised against my self the Magistrates standing still and suffering them openly to proceed from Parish to Parish without Check God forgive the Setters of this I beg it with all my Heart but many well-meaning People are caught by it In St. Stephen's Case when nothing else would serve they stirred up the People against him and Herod went the same way when he had killed St. James yet he would not venture upon St. Peter till he found how the other pleased the People But take heed of having your Hands full of Blood For there is a Time best known to himself when God above other Sins makes Inquisition for Blood and when that Inquisition is on foot the Psalmist tells us that God remembers but that 's not all he remembers and forgets not the complaint of the poor that is whose blood is shed by oppression v. 9. Take heed of this 'T is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God but then especially when he is making Inquisition for Blood and with my Prayers to avert it I do heartily desire this City to remember the Prophecy Jer. 26.15 The third Particular is the poor Church of England It hath flourished and been a shelter to other neighbouring Churches when Storms have driven upon them But alas now 't is in a Storm it self and God only knows whether or how it shall get out And which is worse than a Storm from without it 's become like an Oak cleft to shivers with Wedges made out of its own Body and at every Cleft Profaneness and Irreligion is entering in while as Prosper speaks L. 2. de Contemptu Vitae c. 4. Men that introduce Profaneness are cloaked over with the Name of Imaginary Religion For we have lost the Substance and dwell too much in Opinion and that Church which all the Jesuites Machinations could not Ruine is fallen into Danger by her own The last Particular for I am not willing to be too long is my self I was Born and Baptized in the Bosom of the Church of England established by Law in that Profession I have ever since lived and in that I come now to die This is no time to dissemble with God least of all in matter of Religion and therefore I desire it may be remembred I have always lived in the Protestant Religion established in England What Clamours and Slanders I have endured for labouring to keep an Uniformity in the External Service of God according to the Doctrine and Discipline of this Church all Men know and I have abundantly felt Now at last I am accused of High Treason in Parliament a Crime which my Soul ever abhorred This Treason was charged to consist of these two Parts an Endeavour to subvert the Laws of the Land and to overthrow the True Protesant Religion established by Law Besides my Answers to the several Charges I protested my Innocency in both Houses It was said Prisoners Protestations at the Bar must not be taken I can bring no Witness of my Heart and the intentions thereof therefore I must come to my Protestation not at the Bar but at this hour and instant of my Death In which I hope all Men will be such Charitable Christians as not to think I would die and dissemble being instantly to give God an Account for the Truth of it I do therefore here in the Presence of God and his Holy Angels take it upon my Death That I never endeavoured the Subversion either of Law or Religion and I desire you all to remember this Protestation of mine for my Innocency in these and from all Treasons whatsoever I have been accused likewise as an Enemy to Parliaments No I understand them too well and the Benefit that comes by them too well to be so but I did mislike the Misgovernments of some Parliaments many ways and I had good Reason for it For Corruptio optimi est pessima the better the Thing is in nature the worse it is corrupted And that being the Highest Court over which no other here have jurisdiction when 't is misinformed or misgoverned the Subject is left without all Remedy But I have done I forgive all the World all and every of those bitter Enemies which have persecuted me and humbly desire to be forgiven of God first and then of every Man whether I have offended him or not if he do but conceive that I have Lord do thou forgive me and I beg forgiveness of him and so I heartily desire all to joyn in Prayer with me O Eternal God and Merciful Father look down upon me in Mercy in the Riches and Fulness of all thy Mercies look upon me but not till thou hast nail'd my Sins to the Cross of Christ not till thou hast bathed me in the Blood of Christ not till I have hid my self in the Wounds of Christ that so the Punishment due to my Sins may pass over me And since thou art pleased to try me
about the Judgment of Sodom to Jacob to Moses to Balaam to Joshua Gideon Manaoh Elijah to our Saviour often and to his Disciples to Philip to Cornelius to St. Peter So that we may upon the whole conclude safely that Angels are Ministers ordinarily employed about the Concernments of us Men especially for our Salvation 2. That they have a Love for us upon the account of the similitude and resemblance of Nature The great Difference is our Souls are younger Brothers born last and put in Prison for the time Both Spirits both immortal both intelligent both able to exist and live and act without the help of a dull Organical Body both active busie Creatures and both accomplished in the Fruition of the same God the Father of Spirits and therefore no wonder if these Angels thô of a different Species from the Separate Souls of us Men have a dear Affection for us The truth is our Souls are here upon their Probation for Eternity and so long as they have any Time to spend and the Sentence is not passed upon them the Angels of both Worlds are Competitors for them and the Rivalry is importunate and the Soul is courted with much eagerness and contention on both hands The Angels of the bottomless Pit tug hard and bid fair for the greatest part of Souls and no doubt but all those who are immersed deep in Flesh and prefer the ditty Pleasures of Sin to the Light and Purity of the blessed Spirits will all fall to the share of those impure fiends A Man cannot be at his Duty but a Devil is at his Elbow If he goes to Church Satan will meet him there too Job 1. Jesus himself shall not escape without an Assault and after extraordinary Devotion also And as they that are against us are many so they that stand our Friends are many too Psal 68.17 The Chariots of God are Twenty thousand even Thousands of Angels In short the Soul of Man is a Wager staked down between these two divided opposite Armies and the Battle is strong and the Victory doubtful III. The Angels assist in our Second Birth and therefore we may reasonably expect that they will not be wanting in our Third likewise They help on our Conversion and they rejoyce at it Luke 15.10 There is Joy in the Presence of the Angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth The Angel of the Lord appeared to Cornelius Acts 10.3 7. In a word Heb. 1.14 Are they not all Ministring Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sent forth to Minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation It is generally agreed upon by all Religions in the World that every Man hath a Guard appointed him of the Angelical Host to be the Guide of his Actions and the Preserver of his Life Menander the Heathen Poet saith That every Man from his Nativity hath his peculiar Daemon assigned him for his Conduct The Egyptians and some of the Platonics assigned Three Many Christians as well Jews as Mahometans are of Opinion That every Man hath some One or more for that purpose However 't is we have great Reason to believe that our God and Saviour hath provided better for the Concerns of our Salvation and allows us a stronger Guard for our safe Convoy through the Temptations and Dangers of this World than the Devil hath to seduce and ruine us And if the Angels as some believe take us at the First Gate of our Nativity but especially at the Second of our Regeneration the Birth of Grace is it probable that they will be wanting to us at the last our Birth of Glory 4. It is but very meet that the Man should have some such Assistants ready at hand to receive the Soul upon its going out of the Body and carry it to its place of Eternal Abode tot he Mansion and Company it is appointed for And that because 't is so in all other the like Cases When the Man is born out of the Womb into the World there must be some of those People present that are already Inhabitants of that World When the Man is Regenerate and Born anew there must be some Members of the Church acquainted with Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Matters to receive it out of the World of Nature into the Assembly of the Church and at the Birth of Glory 't is very requisite also that there be some of those Spiritual People which belong to that place ready to embrace and introduce it to the whole Society of departed Spirits We may not be incorporated into any Society or admitted to any Court without some such Friends related to that Society or that Court to introduce and bring us thither And we may assure our selves that when once these souls of ours are dismissed out of these Earthly Mansions emancipated from the Body and dispeopled out of this World and have left off to converse with Corporeal Beings the Change will look mighty strange and amazing and the naked Spirit will be at first very modest and unskilful to appear immediately and intrude hastily and without Company into that Spiritual Corporation Why thô we grant that the Soul upon the pulling down of the Corpreal Prison is cloathed with a much greater Light and Intelligence and knows more and seeth more clearly into the Affairs of the Spiritual World than ever it did when it only peeped through the Key-hole of the Prison-door yet still it 's the first time it ever appear'd upon that Ground or ever saw such People and its Acquaintance being so new its Introduction is more necessary And besides I doubt not but as long as the Soul is on this side Canaan the Enemy is at his Heels whilst not possess'd actually of the State of Bliss the Evil Spirits challenge him for thier own and threaten to Arrest him and carry him to their own Home And again we find 5. The Proposition true in Fact the Angels attend Lazarus and carry him to the Bosom of Abraham We find the Angels attend at the Ascension of our Saviour into Heaven We find abundance of Stories of this Nature in Modern Ages of Dying People sublimated to that pitch and their Souls so elevated and refined that they have seen the Spiritual Harbingers and Guard prepared for them before the House of Clay was pull'd down or themselves turn'd out God doth sometimes whether for the sake of the Soul itself to chear it with a Cordial or for the sake of us that remain alive put Dying Men sometimes in a Rapture and present them with a Scene of Spirits arrayed in Light and Glory For this Cause Tertullian calls the Angels Evocatores Animarum the Callers forth of Souls and such as shew to them Paraturam Diversorii the Lodging and Entertainment provided for them And thus the Souls of wicked and good Men are both called out and conveyed away I 'll give you one Instance or two Gregory the Great tells of a Boy ill Educated by an ill Father of a vicious
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
first place I cast mine Eyes upon was that Famous Text John 1.1 In the Beginning was the Word c. I read part of the Chapter and was suddenly convinced that the Divinity of the Argument and Majesty and Author of the Writing did exceedingly go beyond the Eloquence of all humane Writings My Body trembled my Mind was Astonished and I was so affected all that day that I knew not where I was or what I did Thou wast mindful of me O my God according to the Multitude of thy mercies and calledâ—st home thy lost sheep into thy Fold Ibid. p. 117. 16. The Lord was pleased sweetly to unlock Mr John Januways â—art by the exemplary Life and Heavenly and Powerful discourse of a young Man in the Colledge whose heart God had inflamed with Love to his Soul he quickly made an attempt upon this hopeful Young Man and the Spirit of God did set home his Counsels with such Power that they proved effectual for his awakening being accompanied with the Preaching of these two Famous Worthies Dr. Hill and Dr. Arrowsmith together with the reading of several parts of Mr. Baxter's Saints Everlasting Rest Now a mighty alteration might easily be discerned in him he quickly looks quite another Man He is now so much taken up with things above the Moon and Stars that he had little leisure to think of these things only as they pointed higher See his Life 17. Whilst Mr. Robert Bolton was a Student in Oxford he had familiar Acquaintance with one Mr. Anderton a good Schollar but a Papist yea a Priest He taking notice of Mr. Boltons Excellent parts and outward wants took the advantage to perswade him to go over with him to the English Seminary in Rome where he should be furnished with all necessaries and have Gold enough This motion Mr. Bolton accepted of and a day and place was appointed where in Lancashire their County they should take Shipping and be gone Thither Mr. Bolton repaired at the time appointed but Anderton came not Mr. Bolton having escaped the Snare returned to Oxford where he fell into the Acquaintance of Holy Mr. Peacock by whose means it pleased God to bring him to a sight of his Sins and to unfeigned Repentance for the same but by such a way as God seldom uses For he ran upon him as if a Giant had taken him by the Neck and shaken him to pieces laying before him the dreadful Prospect of his Sins which lay so heavy upon him that he reared for anguish of heart and oft rose out of his Bed in the Night through the disquietness of his Spirit Was assaulted with great and foul Temptations horribilia de Deo Terribilia de fide the Buffetings of Satan and thus continued for many Months till at last his grievous pangs in his New Birth produced two admirable effects in him First an invinceable courage in the cause of God Secondly a singular dexterity in comforting the afflicted Consciences Ibid. 18. Galiacious being a Noble Spaniard however of Noble Birth and Living in Naples was perswaded by his Kinsman John Francis Caeserte to hear Peter Martyr then a publick Preacher in the City of Naples was content for once to do it more out of Curiosity then a desire to Learn Peter Martyr at that time was showing out of 1 Cor. 2.14 The Weakness and Deceitfulness of the Judgment of Mans Reason in Spiritual things and the Power and Efficacy of Gods Word in those Persons in whom the Lord works by his Holy Spirit which he illustrated by this Comparison If a Man said he should see Men and Women Dancing together a far off and hear no Instrument he would Judge them Mad or Foolish But if he come near and hear the Musick and marks their measures and motions answerable thereunto he will then not only delight to see them but feel a desire in himself to bear them Company Even so many Men when they behold in others a sudden and great change of their Look Apparel Behaviour and whole course of Life at first they will impute it to Melancholy or some Foolish humour But if they look nearer and begin to hear and perceive the sweet harmony and consort of Gods Spirit and Word in them then they change their Opinions and begin first to like them and that Alteration in them and afterwards feel in themselves a desire to imitate and to be of the Number of such Men who forsaking the Worlds Vanities walk according to the Rule of the Gospel that they may come to true and sound sanctification This comparison by the Grace of God wrote wonderfully upon Galiacious insomuch as from that hour he resolved to forsake his former Pleasures and Practices and wholly set himself to seek out true happiness Ibid. 19. In the Reign of Queen Mary whilst Dr. Sands afterwards Arch-Bishop of York and Mr. Bradford were Prisoners in the Tower there was one Bowler a perverse Papist that was their Keeper who used them very Churlishly but by their loving and astable Carriage and Conversation he at last began to mislike Popery and to favour the Gospel yea he was so far at last wrought upon that on a Sabbath-Day when others went to Mass he carried up a Service Book a Manchet and some Wine at which time Dr. Sands Administred the Sacrament to Mr. Bradford and him And so Bowler became their Son begotten in their Bonds See the Life of Dr. Sands at the end of my Martyrol Ibid. 20. Matthias Vessinbechius a Lawyer Student at Lovain coverted by seeing the sufferings of a Poor Godly Man of that place Ex. Melch. Ad. 21. The Father of a Prodigal left as his Death-Bed-Charge to his onely Son to spend a quarter of an hour every day in retired thinking His Son did so and at last began to think of Religion When this once seized upon his thoughts his meditations encreased so he became sleepless that Night afterwards restless and at last Religious See a larger Account of this in Dr. Anneslys Sermon of Conscience Publisht in the Morning exercise at Cripple-gate 22. About the Year 1556. In the Town of Weissenstein in Germany a Jew for Theft that he had committed was Condemned in this cruel manner to be Executed He was hanged by the Feet with his Head downwards betwixt two Dogs which constantly snatcht and bit at him The strangeness of the Torment moved Jacobus Andreas a Grave and Learned Divine to go to behold it Coming thither he found the poor wretch as he hung repeating Verses out of the Hebrew Psalms wherein he cryed out to God for Mercy Andreas hereupon took occasion to counsel him to trust in Jesus Christ the true Saviour of Mankind The Jew embracing the Christian Faith requested but this one thing that he might be taken down and be Baptized tho presently after he were hanged again but by the Neck as Christian Malefactors suffered which was accordingly granted to him Mel. Adam invit Ja. Andr. 23. Johannes Isaac a Jew was converted
time who were consulted touching the use of a Medicine the Spectre or Ghost prescrib'd of which mention will be made anon but they determined on the Negative But this by the by Till part of the Afternoon was spent all was quiet but at length he was perceived to rise from the Ground Whereupon Mr. Greatrix and another lusty Man clapt their Arms over his Shoulder one of them before him and the other behind and weighed him down with all their Strength But he was forcibly taken up from them and they were too weak to keep their hold and for a considerable time he was carried in the Air to and fro over their Heads several of the Company still running under him to prevent his being hurt if he should fall At length he fell and was caught before he came to the Ground and had by that means no hurt All being quiet till Bed-time my Lord order'd two of his Servants to lie with him and the next Morning he told his Lordship that his Spectre was again with him and brought a wooden Dish with grey Liquor in it and bad him drink it off At the first sight of the Spectre he said he endeavour'd to awake his Bedfellows but it told him That that endeavour should be in vain and that he had no cause to ear him he being his Friend and he that at first gave him the good Advice in the Field which had he not followed he had been before now perfectly in the power of the Compan he saw there He added that he concluded it was impossible but that he should have been carried away the day before there being so strong a Combination against him But now he would assure him that there would be no more Attempts of that Nature but he being troubled with two sorts of sad Fits he had brought that Liquor to cure him of them and bid him drink it He peremptorily refusing the Spectre was angry and upbraided him with great disingenuity but told him That however he had a kindness for him and that if he would take Plantine Juice he should be well of one sort of Fits but he should carry the other to his Grave The poor Man having by this time somewhat recover'd himself ask'd the Spectre whether by the Juice of Plantain he meant that of the Leaves or Roots It replied The Roots Then it askt him whether he did not know him He answer'd No. He replied I am such a one The Man answer'd He hath been long dead I have been dead said the Spectre or Ghost seven Years and you know that I lived a loose Life and ever since have I been hurried up and down in a restless condition with the Company you saw and shall be to the day of Judgment Then he proceeded to tell him that had he acknowledged God in his ways he had not suffer'd such severe things by their means And further said You never pray'd to God that day before you met with this Company in the Field and also going about an unlawful Business and so vanish'd Mr. Glanvil's Sadducism Triumph p. 423. 4. Mr. Alexander Clogie Minister of Wigmore in the County of Hereford aged Fourscore Years published a Set of Sermons A. 16â—4 under this Title Vox Corvi or the Voice of the Raven that thrice spoke these Wards distinctly viz. Look into Colossians the 3d. and 15th Licensed according to Order London Printed by W. B. c. The occasion of it was as we are told in the Epistle to the Reader On the 3d. of Feb. 1691. about Three in the Afternoon this Reverend Divine a Persons of the Venerable Age of Eighty Years and Forty of those a laborious Teacher of God's Word in the Parish of Wigmore being in the Hall of his own House with his Wife some Neighbours and Relations together with two small Grand-children of his in all to the number of eight Persons Thomas Kinnersley one of the said Grandchildren of 10 Years of Age starting up from the Fire-side went out of the Hall-door and sate himself down upon a Block by a Wood-pile before the Door cutting of a Stick and in ress than a quâ—â—ter of an Hour return'd into the Hall in great Amazement his Countenance pale and affrighted and said to his Grandfather and Grandmother Look in the 3d. of the Colossians and the 15th with a great Palsion and Earnestness repeating the Words no less than three times telling them with a mighty Ardency that a Raven had spoken them three times from the Peak of the Steeple and that it look'd towards W. W.'s House and shook its Head thitherward directing its Looks and Motions still towards that House All which Words he heard the Raven distinctly utter three times and then saw it mount and fly out of Sight The Grandfather turning to the Text in the Bible and reading the Words Let the Peace of God rule in your Hearts c. The Child was fully satisfied and his Countenance composed again The Family to which the Raven seemed to direct her Voice were by means hereof perfectly Reconciled I doubt not but this Relation will seem incredible in an Age of so little Faith but I have not time to plead for the Credibility of every particular and strange Story that I relate Sure I am Mr. Clogie doth not Preach or Write like a Man fallen into his Dotage or like a weak and unskilful Divine 5. Dwelling at Leeds in Kent saith Mr. Batman Professor in Divinity a glowing Light like unto a quick Cole appeared at my Bed's Feet at the sudden sight whereof I was as well in doubt as afraid taking view thereof twice or thrice to the end I would not be deceived of that Appearance and desiring God's Assistance from Evils it vanished away Shortly after I was in present danger of being Slain in the House of him whom I took to be my Friend c. Not many Years after I fell into the Hands of Inconstant Men whose double Deâ—lings I referred to God and one of them was struck Blind another fell into a Dropsie a Third ask'd Forgiveness c. There happened to me in Kent also a sudden Fire in the House wherein I then dwelt so that the House was consumed to the Ground whether because before that time I greatly reproved Witchery of those that then were Suspected or for my secret Sins against God from the which no Flesh is clear I appeal before the Throne of thy most magnificent Grace c. Doâ—n's Warning to the Judgment p. 410. I could add many more Instances of this kind but having already mentioned some others in other Chapters I shall forbear lest I cloy my Reader and provoke him to a nauseate or loathing Nequid nimis CHAP. XXVII Remarkable Faith THE Graces of the Spirit of God found to be Sincere but especially in an excellent degree in Christians are called frequently in the Gospel The Earnest of the Spirit and the Earnest of the Future Iâ—heritance as if God never bestowed these
God! Oh! how am I filled with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory Oh Lord I solemnly resolve against all my Sins These are the Murtherers that would not have thee to Reign over me Original Sin the pollution of my own Nature the Sins that I have committed before I knew what Sin was have rendred me obnoxious to thy Displeasure I beg of thee that thou wouldest give them their Death's Wound I shall now meditate on the wonderful Love of God in electing some to Salvation and passing by others and wonder that I shou'd be an Object of Electing Love sure Lord thou cou'dst not have chosen one more vile than I am and one that wou'd have carried it to thee as I have done I may well wonder at thy infinite Love I considered of the Love of God in parting with the Son of his Love to die for Sinners that God shou'd contrive such a way of Salvation for fallen Man and not for fallen Angels What an astonishing amazing Love was that that Christ shou'd become Man that he shou'd be so poor as not to have where to lay his Head when he came to enrich the World Oh that sweet Expression of Christ's Love when he says I was with him when he laid the Foundations of the World yet then my Thoughts were in the habitable part of the Earth and my Delights were with the Sons of Men. That I shou'd be one of them that Christ shou'd have in his Thoughts of Love I cou'd not but cry out And why me Lord why me Oh infinite Free Grace that I shou'd be freely chosen whereas if God had but required Satisfaction for one Sin tho' but a sinful thought I must have perish'd for ever I told Christ Dearest Jesus I cannot at this Sacrament take a denial of thy gracious Presence I come to meet with God and I cannot be contented without him I bless thy Name I have often enjoyed great Delight in this Ordinance but now I would enjoy more of God than ever I would have all my Graces grow and flourish I would have my Sins utterly destroyed and rooted out O Blessed Jesus I come to thee here are my Lusts my Pride my Vnbelief my want of Love to thee the base Sins of my Nature my disingenuous Carriage towards thee here Lord slay them before thee They are unwilling that thou shouldest rule in my Soul I did in these or the like Expressions make over my self to be more entirely God's and I dare own upon review that I did enjoy Christ This did in some measure set my Soul a longing for Heaven Lord said I if a Smile of thy Love is so sweet what are the full and ravishing Views of thy Love If a Glimps of my dearest Jesus is so sweet and refreshing what will the full Visions of God be for ever But my base Heart was several times trying to draw me from God O surely a Freedom from Sin will be unconceivably sweet to me that am so continually harassed with these Corruptions She writ abundance of such MEDITATIONS and EJACVLATIONS as these but here 's all that her Husband could ever get transcribed By these her MEMOIRS and RVLES for holy Living we not only see what an extraordinary Wife she was for her Husband says she fully practis'd 'em but also the happy Effects of a regular Course of Piety for certainly never was there on a Sick-bed a greater Instance of a willing Resignation to the Will of God as to either Life or Death She would often say to her Husband O my dear 't is a solemn thing to die but I can freely leave all the World but you and at saying so she would still burst out into Tears she said at another time Sickness is no time to prepare for Death were my Work now to do I were undone for ever But I shall stop here for she needs not borrowed Shades to set her off I need do no more than refer you to these Memoirs which are all the curious Contexture of her own Brain I shall only add She was MISTRESS IN THE ART OF OBLIGING in which she attain'd that Sovereign Perfection that she reigned over all Hearts with whom she did converse In a word She did consecrate her self entirely to God and was more afraid of Sin than of Hell it self In such a loose Age as this such an extraordinary Instance may perhaps be doubted as to the Truth of it but I do assure the Reader there 's nothing inserted in this Relation of Mrs. L but what is real Matter of Fact CHAP. LII Good Husbands Remarkable HVsbands have as much cause to be good as Wives and more clearness of Reason and strength of Judgment ordinarily to govern their Passions and direct their Actions and therefore they should excel the Women not only in Prudence but in Goodness and particularly Patience And so they do sometimes as for Instance 1. Sir Nathanael Barnardiston seemed here to imitate the Practice of the Lord Jesus towards his Church in his Conjugal Love Protection and full Contentation and Delight until he became a Pattern and Mirrour of Matrimonial Sweetness and Faithfulness and as it is said by one of the Rabbins concerning Methuselah's Wife That she had Nine Husbands in One for Age and Years so I may say of this Gentleman's Lady that she had Nine Husbands in him alone for his aimable Carriage and Graces These were it is true acted while he was living but he left a Testimonial in his Will of his living Affection after his own Death over and above the Marriage-Covenants to shew his endearedness of her by his Affectionate Remembrance when he himself was gone See his Life 2. Dominicus Catalusius was the Prince of Lesbos and is worthy of eternal Memory for the entire Love which he bare to his Wife she fell into a grievous Leprosie which made her appear more like unto a rotten Carcase than a living Body Her Husband not fearing in the least to be infected with the Contagion nor frighted with her horrible Aspects nor distasted with the loathsome Smells sent forth by her filthy Ulcers never forbid her either his Board or Bed but the true Love he had towards her turned all those things to him into Security and Pleasure Lond. Theatr. p. 462. Fulgos L. 4. C. 6. p. 526. 3. Ant. Wallaeus lived most lovingly with his Wife they never brake forth into Anger or mutual Brawling their mutual Care was to please each other and by Deeds to prevent each others's Desires neither did Wallaeus fear any thing more than that his Dear Wife should die before him-for he used her not only for the Government of his Family but for his constant Companion What soever befel him in the Common-wealth Church or Civil Converse he acquainted her with it ask'd and often followed her Advice for she was a modest and prudent Woman Clark's Eccles Hist p. 488. 4. Mr. Eliot of New-England loved prized and cherished that one Wife which was given to
his Cloak and never so secret he would run upon him and use great violence to get it from him and when he could get any he rent them in pieces Sometimes he would lie along as if stark Dead his Colour gone and Mouth so wide open that he would on a sudden thrust both his Hands into it And notwithstanding his great weakness he would Leap and Skip from his Bed to the Window from thence to the Table and so to Bed again with that nimbleness and agility as no Tumbler could do the like and yet all this while his Legs grown up close to his Buttocks so that he could not use them Sometimes we saw his Chin drawn up to his Nose that his Mouth could scarce be seen sometimes his Chin and Forehead drawn almost together like a bended Bow his Countenance fearful by yawning making mowes c. The Bishop hearing of the strange Torments of this poor Child sent for him His Parents brought him and once the Bishop pray'd with him but the Boy was so outragious that he flew out of his Bed and so frighted the Bishop's Men that one of them fell into a Swoon and the Bishop was glad to lay hold on the Boy who ramped at the Window to have got out hereupon this Bishop granted a License for a private Fast in the Child's Father's House for his Help and Release and that in these Words Having seen the bodily affliction of this Child and observed in sundry Fits very strange Effects and Operations either proceeding from some Natural and unknown Causes or some Diabolical Practices we think it fit and convenient for the Ease and Deliverance of the said Child from his sad grievous Affliction that Prayer be made publickly for him by the Minister of the Parish c. and that certain Preachers namely these following Mr. Gerrard Mr. Harvey Mr. Pierson c. these and none other to repair to the said Child by turns as their Leisure will serve and to use their Discretion by private Prayer and Fasting for the Ease and Comfort of the Afflicted Richard Cestrens Griffith Vaughan David Yale Hugh Barcly Which accordingly was performed by two Godly Ministers and by Mr. Bruen with divers others yet God gave not Deliverance at that time When he was in his Fits without either understanding or knowledge of what he did or said he would often say Jesus saith for so he began all his Speeches the Devil when he comes takes away my Hearing Seeing Vnderstanding Hands Legs that I should have no Senses nor Limbs to Glorifie God withal Jesus saith if they would have cast out the Evil Spirit they should have come better provided Jesus saith some Men did think that he that Prayed had a better Faith than the other but he had not Jesus saith I have but three Devils it is like one of the Spirits will go out of me and take Counsel of a great number of foul Spirits and come again and trouble me worse Jesus saith that some Folk will say that the Witch will not look one in the face but she will look here-away and there-away c. Mr. William Hind in the Life of Mr. Bruen CHAP. XCVI Satan Hurting by Storms c. ST Paul calls Satan the Prince of the Power of the Air Eph. 2.2 And it is certain that by Divine permission he is allowed a considerable Range in that Aetherial Region for we find in the Câ—se of Job when the Lord had given him Power over all that he had 't is presently added that Satan went forth from the Presence of the Lord and in the subsequent verses we are told that the Fire of God fell from Heaven and burnt up the Sheep and the Servants and consumed them Which is by Expositors taken for Thunder and Lightning and at last there came a great Wind from the Wilderness and smote the four Corners of the House and it fell upon his Sons so that they died Job 2.13 c. Consider seriously these Stories following and believe them so far as they deserve 1. That certain Words or Ceremonies do seem at least to cause an Alteration in the Air and to raise Tempests Remigius writes That he had it witnessed to him by the free Confession of near Two hundred Men that he Examined Where he adds a Story or two in which there being neither Fraud nor Melancholy to be suspected I think them worth the mentioning The one is of a Witch who to satisfie the Curiosity of them that had power to Punish her was set free that she might give a proof of that Power she professed she had to raise Tempests She therefore being let go presently betakes her self to a place thick set with Trees scrapes a hole with her Hands fills it with Urine and stirs it about so long that she caused at last a thick Cloud charged with Thunder and Lightning to the Terror and Affrightment of the Beholders But she bad them be of good Courage for the would cmmand the Cloud to discharge upon what place they would appoint her which she made good in the sight of the Spectators 2. The other Story is of a young Girl who to pleasure her Father complaining of a drought by the guidance and help of that ill Master her Mother had Devoted and Consecrated her unto raised a Cloud and water'd her Father's Ground only all the rest continuing dry as before H. More 's Antidnote against Atheism c. 3. l. 3. 3. Let us add says the same Author to these that of Cuinus and Margaret Warine Whilst this Cuinus was busie at his Hay-making there arose suddenly great Thunder and Lightning which made him run homeward and forsake his Work for he saw six Oaks hard by him overturned from the very Roots and a seventh also shattered and torn in pieces He was forced to lose his Hat and leave his Fork or Rake for haste which was not so fast but another crack overtakes him and rattles about his ears Upon which Thunder-clap he presently espied this Margaret Warine a reputed Witch upon the top of an Oak whom he began to chide She desired his Secresie and she would promise that never any injury or harm should come to him from her at any time 4. This Cuinus deposed upon Oath before the Magistrate and Margaret Warine acknowledged the Truth of it without any force done unto her several times before her death and at her Death See Remigius Daemonolatr lib 1. cap. 29. Remigius conceives she was discharged upon the top of the Oak at that last Thunder Clap and there hung amongst the Boughs which he is induced to believe from two Stories he tells afterwards The one is of a Tempest of Thunder and Lightning That the Herdsmen tending their Cattle on the brow of the Hill Alman in the Field of Guicuria were Frighted with who running into the Woods for shelter suddenly saw two Countrey-men on the top of the Trees which were next them so Dirty and in such a Pickle and so
again and again that they would not fail to remember him in their Publick Assemblies and Private Duties At last he tells us that before this Desertion he had prayed very earnestly and vehemently that God would deliver him from the World being froward and dissatisfied with his Condition troubled in his Thoughts and weary of the World whereas he should have prayed for Submission and Patience See the Narrative Printed by himself at London 1676. 2. Mary Cook executed for the Murder of her own only Child 1670. declared that the occasion was a great Discontent which she had conceived in her Mind grounded upon an apprehension of exceeding unkindnesses of Relations to her tho' she had never been undutiful to them alledging her Relations slighted her she was weary of Life and afraid the Child should come to want when she was gone See the Narrative 3. One Tho. Holt of Coventry a Musician having Nineteen Children and a Competent Estate but not a contented Mind fearing Poverty made a Contract with the Devil and on Feb. 16th 1641. after a very Tempestuous day and mighty Wind which blew down several Houses and Reeks of Corn and Hay was himself by one in Humane shape at Night after he had called to his Wife for Pen Ink and Paper to make his last Will killed in his Bed whilst his Wife almost at her Wits end was calling her Neighbours and there found by them in a wretched manner with his Neck broken to their great astonishment after his Death they opened a Chest which he would never suffer his Wife or any Child to look in whilst living wherein they found Gold up to the top as they thought but upon touching of it it fell at to dust This was attested and published by one Lawrence Southern of Coventry Anno 1642. And tho' it may seem incredible to a Reader of ordinary size yet compared with many other Relations as that of Young Sandie mentioned before who received Money from the Devil and lost it again before Morning c. it is not so very strange CHAP. CXXXI Divine Judgments upon Idleness and Evil Company I Put Idleness and ill Society together because they are near a-kin one to the other and both of them give an occasion to vitiousness The one betrays us more immediately to the Snare of the Devil and the other by the Mediation of his Agents exposeth us with a greater violence and a stronger Torrent than the Corruption of our own single Natures In Idleness our own Hearts are in danger of being too hard for us but in ill Company they meet with their Seconds to abet them And when several vitiated Natures meet together like so many dry sticks they are easily enkindled with a little Fire and blown up into a great Flame and therefore seldom do any good Effects or Consequences follow upon such precedent Causes 1. The Egytians made a Law that he that could not shew by what means he maintained himself should be put to Death Plut. Laert. in vita Periandri 2. St. Augustine tells us of Alipius his dear Friend who went to Rome to study the Law where there were usually those Gladiatory Pastimes wherein Men kill'd one another in sport Alipius could not be perswaded by his Companions to see those Sports They oft desired him but by no means would he go At last saith St. Augustine by a famillar Violence they drew him to go Well saith he I will go but I will be absent whilst I am there I will not look on it He went but when he came there amongst others he shut his Eyes and would not see any of those Sports till at length there was a Man wounded at which the People shouted He heard the shout and would see what was the matter he looked about and seeing the wounded Man he desired to see a little more Thus saith St. Augustine he grew at last not to be the same Man as he was when he came thither For after that time he desired to see it a second and third time and at last he came to be not only a Companion of those that went thither but would be a Guide to them and one of the forwardest till it pleased God by a mighty hand to deliver him from this Vanity Let those amongst us that adventure to go to the Meetings of Hereticks out of Curiosity to see and hear learn Wisdom by these Examples Vid. August Confess and Clark's Examples c. 3. Mat. Hunniades King of Hungary when one brought him a Wooden Coat of Mail wherein was not one Ring wanting a Work of Fifteen Years commanded him to Prison for Fifteen Years more to expiate for so much Time and Parts mispent Author of Education of Young Gentlemen 4. Few or no Beggars are found in China for a young Beggar hath the Whip The whole Country is well Husbanded and though the People are generally great spenders yet they first get it by their hard Labour Idle Persons are much abhorred in this Country and such as will not Labour must not eat amongst them for there are none that will give Alms to the Poor If any be Blind they are put to Grind in Horse-Mills If Lame Impotent Bed-rid c. the next of their Kin is forced to maintain them if they be not able the King hath Hospitals in every City wherein they are sufficiently provided for Sir Tho. Herb. Travels P. Pil. 15.3 5. The Lacedaemonians brought up their Children in Labour from their Infancy whereby it grew into a Proverb That only the Lacedaemonian Women brought forth Men. Alex. 6. The Cretans brought up also their Sons from their Childhood in daily and difficult Labours lest when they grew Old they should think it was not unseemly to waste themselves in Idleness Idem 7. The Gymnosophists to reclaim their Scholars from Idleness Enacted a Law that Young Men should neither eat nor drink any day before they had given an Account to the Elder what Work they had done that Morning Idem 8. Amasis made a Law that the Egyptian Youth should no day eat and Food till they had run One Hundred and Eighty Furlongs Judging them unfit either to eat or drink till by honest Labour they had deserved it Diod. Sic. 9. The Aethiopians anciently accustomed their Youth daily to fling great Stones or Darts that thereby they might understand that Man was born to Labour not to Idleness Alex. ab Alex. 10. In the City of Casan in Parthia an Idle Person is not suffered to live amongst them 11. Sir Philip Sidney as one writes in the extream Agony of his Wounds so terrible the sense of Death is adds my Author requested the dearest Friend he had living to burn his Arcadia Will. Winstanley's Worthies p. 219. 12. I have read formerly that Mr. Abraham Cowley on his Death-bed made it his Request that this Poems called The Mistress might undergo the same Fate be burnt Mr. Herbert on his Death-bed commended his Poems to the Press 13. And I
and at last sacrificed his Right Hand for but tampering a little this way 'T is ill jesting with God and our own Consciences who will neither of them be mocked 17. Berengarius tried this and therefore though he retracted his Doctrine against Transubstantiation he relapsed again and retracted and relapsed again or rather returned and repented finding no Peace for his Conscience whilst he had not Truth in his Possesston CHAP. CXLI Great Effects wrought by weak means IT is pleasant to observe how God delights to shew his Power by using weak and contemptible Instruments and to werk â—â—eat Effects by little secondary Causes to make a World by speaking a Word or two to punish and subdue a slout-hearted Pharaoh with Frogs and Lice and Locusts and Darkness to baffle a Giant-like People in Canaan with a handful of Men to make the Walls of Jericho fall down and the Peoples Hearts quail with only a Shout and the Noise of Rams Horns to overthrow the two great Religions of the World Judaisin and Pagan Idolatry with the Foolishness of Preaching and the Piety and Patience of Confessors and Martyrs to turn Sinners Thoughts into a Case of Knives or a Nest of Wasps or Serpents to sting and torment them with 1. The Duke of Arcos Viceroy of Naples under the King of Spain having imposed many Gabels or Taxes both vendible and eatable at last imposed a Gabel upon Fruit also which more irritated and offended that Multitude than all the former Whereupon by the publick Cries and Lamentations of Men and Women they daily solicited the Viceroy as he passed through the Market-place to ease them of the said Burthen they used also the Mediation of others and not prevailing they were ready to raise a Mutiny Which so affrighted the Viceroy that he promised quite to take off the said Gabel but delaying to do it some of the enraged People one Night but fire to some Powder in the Market-place where the said Gabel was exacted and blew it up There were also from Day to Day bitter Invectives and fiery Protests against the publick Officers fixed up in sundry Places of the City The Viceroy being alarmed thereby often assembled the six Precincts of the City to consult about this Business But they were divided some perswading him to ease and please the People others advising him to Repair the Toll-house that was burnt down and continue the Gabel saying That they were but a few Tatterdemallions that had made that Noise Besides divers of the great Men and Merchants of the City had advanced upon the said Gabel above 600000 Crowns and were to pay 85000 Crowns of annual Rent This was noised abroad and the Report went That if this Tax was taken off there would be a new one set upon â—orn and Wine Whereupon the enraged People protested That they would never endure the same and whilst these Discontents were hot July 17. 1647. this Occasion suddenly presented it self A young Man of about 24 Years old being spritely pleasant and of a middle stature in Linen-Slops Blew Wastcoat and bare-foot with a Mariner's Cap on his Head happened to be in the Market-place His Profession was to angle for little Fishes as also to buy Fish and carry them about to sell He was vulgarly called Massianello and being naturally Crafty he observed the general Murmurings of the People and so went up and down to the Fruiterers Shops and advised them That meeting together the next Day in the Market-place they should tell the Country Fruiterers That they would buy no more gabelled Fruit. Upon this he listed many Boys under him to the number of Two Thousand giving every one of them a little Cane in their Hand Against a great Festival that was approaching a Feast that used to be made by the Boys and meaner fort of People in the Market-place he gathered to the number of Fifty Thousand Upon this Success the number of People encreased exclaiming aloud against their Oppressions protesting to pay no more Gabel crying out Let the King of Spain live and let the ill Government die Massianello being thus attended with his Boys and an infinite Company of loose People who were now armed with Pikes and Partizans he leaped up on a Table and with a loud Voice cried Be merry my dear Companions and give God Thanks that the Hour of your Redemption draws near This poor bare-footed Fellow as another Moses who freed the Israelites from Pharaoh's Rod shall redeem you from all Gabâ—ls Peter a Fisherman redeemed with his Voice Rome and with it all the World from Satan's Slavery to the Liberty of Christ Now another Fisher-man which is Massianello shall release Naples and with it a whole Kingdom from the Tyranny of Gabels c. Nor to effect this do I care a Rush to be torn in pieces and to be dragged up and down the Gutters of Naples let all the Blood in my Body spin out of these Veins let my Head skip from my Shoulders by a fatal Steel and be pearched in this Market-place on a Pole yet I shall die contentedly and gloriously It will be Honour enough to me to think that my Blood and Life perish in so glorious a Cause In short he afterwards brought the Viceroy to an Agreement but after some time falling into a Frensie by either Excess of Wine or Watching and Cares died See more in the printed Narrative or Clark 's Examples 2. The Inhabitants of Myons a City of Jonia were so pester'd with Gnats which were bred in a muddy Pond near them that they were constrain'd thereupon to leave the City and fly to Milerum This I read many Years ago when a Student in the University but took no care then to Record my Author 3. Luther by his Preaching and Disputing baffled the Arguments Arts and Power of two very potent Enemies the Pope and Emperor and procured a happy Reformation in the Church 4. Francis Spira was punished in this World for his Apostacy with the keen Reflections of a guilty Conscience and many others besides Our own Thoughts may be sufficient to make a Hell of 5. Some have been convicted of Murder by the Barking of a Dog the Flight of Birds the Shaking of Leaves Anacreon was choaked with a Grape-stone Adrian with a Gnat others with the Excrements of Birds flying over their Heads An Acquaintance of mine dislocated her Thigh-bone with only turning a Custard at the Fire and died upon it 7. This very Year a Woman near Hanmer going over a Hedge was hung to Death with her Head-string catching accidentally in the Sticks as was related to me by Mr. Henry of Broad-oak in Flintshire CHAP. CXLII Remarkable Passages relating to Sickness Death and Funerals WHat was long since decreed in Heaven God hath sent Warrants to execute on Earth Semel mori For us once to die Then be acquainted with Death betimes for through acquaintance Death will lose his Horror like unto an ill Face though it be as formidable as a
they were hardly used and now in their Journey loaded with heavy Irons and more inhumanely dealt with They with great chearfulness profess'd That they were better in a more happy Condition than ever in their Lives from the sense they had of the Pardoning Love of God in Jesus Christ to their Souls wholly referring themselves to their wise and gracious God to chuse for them Life or Death Expressing themselves thus Any thing what pleases God what he sees best so be it We know he is able to deliver but if not blessed be his Name Death is not terrible now but desirable Mr. Benjamin Hewling particularly added As for the World there is nothing in it to make it worth while to live except we may be serviceable to God therein And afterwards said ' Oh! God is a strong Refuge I have found him so indeed The next Opportunity I had was at Dorchester where they both were carried there remaining together four days By reason of their strait Confinement our Converse was much interrupted but this appeared that they had still the same Presence and Support from God no way discourag'd at the approach of their Tryal nor of the event of it whatever it should be The 6th of September Mr. Benjamin Hewling was ordered to Taunton to be tryed there Taking my leave of him he said Oh! Blessed be God for Afflictions I have found such happy Effects that I would not have been without them for all this World I remained still at Dorchester to wait the Issue of Mr. William Hewling to whom after Tryal I had free Access whose Discourse was much filled with Admiring of the Grace of God in Christ that had been manifested towards him in calling him out of his Natural State he said God by his Holy Spirit did suddenly seize upon his Heart when he thought not of it in his retired Abode in Holland as it were secretly whispering in his Heart See ye my Face enabling him to answer his gracious Call and to reflect upon his own Soul shewing him the Evil of Sin and Necessity of Christ from that time carrying him on to a sensible adherence to Christ for Justification and Eternal Life He said Hence he found a Spring of Joy and Sweetness beyond the Comforts of the whole Earth He further said He could not but admire the wonderful Goodness of God in so Preparing him for what he was bringing him to which then he thought not of giving him hope of Eternal Life before he called him to look Death in the face so that he did chearfully resign his Life to God before he came having sought his Guidance in it and that both then and now the Cause did appear to him very Glorious notwithstanding all he had suffered in it or what he further might Although for our Sins God hath with-held these good things from us But he said God had carryed on his blessed Work in his soul in and by all his Sufferings and whatever the Will of God were Life or Death he knew it would be best for him After he had received his Sentence when he returned to Prison he said Methinks I find my Spiritual Comforts increasing ever since my Sentence There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus it 's God that justifies who shall condemn When I came to him the next Morning when he had received News that he must die the next day and in order to it was to be carried to Lyme that day I found him in a more excellent raised Spiritual Frame than before He said he was satisfied God had chosen best for him he knows what the Temptations of Life might have been I might have lived and forgotten God but now I am going where I shall sin no more Oh! it 's a blessed thing to be free from sin and to be with Christ Oh! the Riches of the Love of God in Christ to Sinners Oh! how great were the Sufferings of Christ for me beyond all I can undergo How great is that Glory to which I am going It will soon swallow up all our Sorrow here When he was at Dinner just before his going to Lyme he dropt many abrupt Expressions of his inward Joy such as these Oh! the Grace of God the Love of Christ Oh that blessed Supper of the Lamb to be for ever with the Lord He further said When I went to Holland you knew not what Snares Sins and Miseries I might fall into or whether ever we should meet again But now you know whither I am going and that we shall certainly have a most joyful meeting He said Pray give my particular Recommendations to all my Friends with acknowledgments for all their Kindness I advise them all to make sure of an Interest in Christ for he is the only Comfort when we come to die One of the Prisoners seemed to be troubled at the manner of the Death they were to die to whom he replied I bless God I am reconciled to it all Just as he was going to Lyme he writ these few Lines to a Friend being hardly suffered to stay so long I AM going to Launch into Eternity I hope and trust in the Arm of my Blessed Redeemer to whom I commit you and all my dear Relations my Duty to my dear Mother and Love to all my Sisters and the rest of my Friends William Hewling As they passed through the Town of Dorchester to Lyme multitudes of People beheld them with great Lamentations admiring at his Deportment at his parting with his Sister As they passed upon the Road between Lyme and Dorchester his Discourse was exceeding Spiritual as those declared who were present taking occasion from every thing to speak of the Glory they were going to Looking out on the Country as he passed he said This is a Glorious Creation but what then is the Paradise of God to which we are going 'T is but a few hours and we shall be there and for ever with the Lord. At Lyme just before they went to die reading John 14.18 He said to one of his fellow-Sufferers Here is a sweet Promise for us I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you Christ will be with us to the last One taking leaving of him he said Farewel till we meet in Heaven Presently I shall be with Christ Oh! I would not change conditions with any in this World I would not stay behind for Ten Thousand Worlds To another that ask'd him how he did now He said Very well he bless'd God And farther asking him if he could look Death in the face with Comfort now it approach'd so near He said Yes I bless God I can with great Comfort God hath made this a good Night to me my Comforts are much increased since I left Dorchester Then taking leave of him said Farewel I shall see you no more To which he replied How see me no more Yes I hope to meet you in Glory To another that was by him to the last
he said Pray remember my dear Love to my Brother and Sister and tell them I desire they would comfort themselves that I am gone to Christ and we shall quickly meet in the Glorious Mount Sion above Afterwards he prayed for about three quarters of an hour with the greatest fervency exceedingly blessing God for Jesus Christ adoring the Riches of his Grace in him in all the Glorious Fruits of it towards him Praying for the Peace of the Church of God and of these Nations in particular all with such eminent Assistance of the Spirit of God as convinced astonished and melted into Pity the Hearts of all present even the most malicious Adversaries forcing Tears and Expressions from them some saying They knew not what would become of them after Death but it was evident he was going to great Happiness When he was just going out of the World with a joyful Countenance he said Oh! now my Joy and Comfort is that I have a Christ to go to and so sweetly resign'd his Spirit to Christ the 12th of September 1685. An Officer who had shewed so malicious a Spirit as to call the Prisoners Devils when he was Guarding them down was now so convinced that he after told a Person of Quality That he was never so affected as by his chearful Carriage and fervent Prayer such as he believed was never heard especially from one so young and said I believe had the Lord Chief Justice been there he could not have let him die The Sheriff having given his Body to be buried although it was brought from the Place of Execution without any notice given yet very many of the Town to the Number of about 200 came to accompany him and several Young Women of the best of the Town laid him in his Grave in Lyme Church-yard the 13th of September 1685. After which his Sister writ this following Letter to her Mother ALthough I have nothing to acquaint my Dear Mother withal but what is most afflictive to Sense both as to the Determination of God's Will and as to my present Apprehension concerning my Brother Benjamin yet remaining yet there is such abundant Consolation mixt in both that I only wanted an Opportunity to pay this Duty God having wrought so Glorious a Work on both their Souls revealing Christ in them that Death is become their Friend My Brother William having already with the greatest Joy declared to those that were with him to the last That he would not change Conditions with any that were to remain in this World and he desired that his Relations would comfort themselves that he is gone to Christ My Brother Benjamin expects not long to continue in this World and is exceeding willing to leave it when God shall call being fully satisfied that God will choose that which is best for him and us all by these things God doth greatly support me and I hope you also my dear Mother which was and is my Brothers great desire there is still room for Prayer for one and God having so answered though not in kind we have Encouragement still to wait on him Honoured Mother Your Dutiful Daughter Hannah Hewling When I came to Taunton to Mr. Benjamin Hewling he had received the News of his Brother's being gone to die with so much comfort and joy and afterwards of the continued goodness of God increasing it to the end He expressed to this effect We have no cause to fear Death if the Presence of God be with us there is no evil in it the sting being taken away it 's nothing but our Ignorance of the Glory that the Saints pass into by Death which makes it appear dark for our selves or Relations if in Christ What is this World that we should desire an abode in it It 's all vain and unsatisfying full of sin and misery Intimating also his own chearful expectations soon to follow discovering then and all along great seriousness and sense of Spiritual and Eternal things complaining of nothing in his present Circumstances but want of place of Retirement to converse more uninterruptedly with God and his own Soul saying That this lonely time in Newgate was the sweetest in his whole Life He said God having some time before struck his Heart when he thought of the hazard of his Life to some serious Sense of his past Life and the great consequences of Death and Eternity shewing him that they were the only happy Persons that had secured their Eternal states The folly and madness of the ways of sin and his own Thraldom therein with his utter inability to deliver himself also the necessity of Christ for Salvation He said it was not without Terror and Amazement for some time the sight of unpardon'd sin with Eternity before him But God wonderfully opened to him the Riches of his Free-Grace in Christ Jesus for poor Sinners to flee to enabling to look alone to a crucified Christ for Salvation He said this blessed Work was in some measure carried on upon his Soul under all his business and hurries in the Army but never sprung forth so fully and sweetly till his close Confinement in Newgate There he saw Christ and all Spiritual Objects more clearly and embraced them more strongly there he experienced the blessedness of a reconciled State the Excellency of the ways of Holiness the delightfulness of Communion with God which remained with very deep and apparent impressions on his Soul which he frequently express'd with Admiration of the Grace of God towards him He said Perhaps my Friends may think this Summer the saddest time of my Life but I bless God it hath been the sweetest and most happy of it all nay there is nothing else worth the name of happiness I have in vain sought satisfaction from the things of this World but I never found it but now I have found Rest for my Soul in God alone O how great is our Blindness by Nature till God open our Eyes that we can see no Excellency in Spiritual things but spend our Precious Time in pursuing Shadows and are deaf to all the Invitations of Grace and Glorious Offers of the Gospel How just is God in depriving us of that we so much slighted and abused Oh! his Infinite Patience and Goodness that after all he should yet sanctifie any Methods to bring a poor sinner to himself Oh! Electing Love distinguishing Grace what great cause have I to admire and adore it He said What an amazing Consideration is the Suffering of Christ for sin to bring us to God his Suffering from wicked Men was exceeding great but alas what was that to the Dolours of his Soul under the infinite Wrath of God This Mystery of Grace and Love is enough to swallow up our thoughts to all Eternity As to his own Death he would often say He saw no reason to expect any other I know God is infinitely able to deliver and I am sure will do it if it be for his Glory and my Good in
then requested they might sing a Psalm the Sheriff told him It must be with the Ropes about their Necks which they chearfully accepted and sung with such Heavenly Joy and Sweetness that many present saiâ—â— It both broke and rejoyc'd their hearts Thus in the experience of the delightfulness of Praising God on Earth he willingly closed his Eyes on a vain World to pass to that Eternal Employment Sept. 30. 1685. All present of all sorts were exceedingly affected and amazed Some Officers that had before insultingly said Surely these Persons have no thoughts of Death but will find themselves surprized by it after said That they now saw he and they had something extraordinary within that carried them through with such Joy Others of them said That they were so convinced of their Happiness that they would be glad to change Conditions with them All the Soldiers in general and all others lamenting exceedingly saying That it was so sad a thing to see them cut off they scarce knew how to bear it Some of the most malicious in the Place from whom nothing but Railing was expected said as they were carried to their Grave in Taunton Church voluntarily accompanied by most of the Town That these Persons had left a sufficient Evidence that they were now glorified Saints in Heaven A great Officer in the King's Army has been often heard to say That if you would learn to die go to the Young Men of Taunton Much more was uttered by them which shewed the Blessed and Glorious frames of their hearts to the Glory of Divine Grace but this is what occurs to Memory Mr. Benjamin Hewling about two hours before his Death writ this following Letter which shewed the great composure of his Mind Mr. Hewling's last Letter a little before his Execution Taunton Sept. 30. 1685. Honoured Mother THat News which I know you have a great while feared and we expected I must now acquaint you with That notwithstanding the Hopes you gave in your two last Letters Warrants are come down for my Execution and within these few hours I expect it to be performed Blessed be the Almighty God that gives comfort and support in such a day how ought we to magnifie his holy Name for all his Mercies that when we were running on in a course of sin he should stop us in our full Career and shew us that Christ whom we had pierced and out of his Free Grace enable us to look upon him with an Eye of Faith believing him able to save to the utmost all such as come to him Oh admirable long-suffering and Patience of God! that when we were dishonouring his Name he did not take that time to bring honour to himself by our destruction But he delighteth not in the death of a sinner but had rather he should turn to him and live And he has many ways of bringing his own to himself Blessed be his Holy Name that through Affliction he has taught my heart in some measure to be conformable to his Will which worketh Patience and Patience worketh Experience and Experience Hope which maketh not ashamed I bless God I am not ashamed of the Cause for which I lay down my Life and as I have engaged in it and fought for it so now I am going to Seal it with my Blood The Lord still carry on the same Cause which hath been long on foot and tho' we die in it and for it I question not but in his own good time he will raise up other Instruments more worthy to carry it on to the Glory of his Name and the Advancement of his Church and People Honoured Mother I know there has been nothing left undone by you or my Friends for the saving of my Life for which I return my hearty Acknowledgments to your self and them all and it 's my dying Request to you and them to Pardon all undutifulness 〈◊〉 unkindness in every Relation Pray give my Duty to my Grandfather and Grandmother Service to my Uncles and Aunts and my dear Love to all my Sisters to every Relation and Friend a particular Recommendation Pray tell 'em all how Precious an Interest in Christ is when we come to die and advise them never to rest in a Christless Estate For if we are his 't is no matter what the World do to us they can but kill the Body and blessed be God the Soul is out of their reach for I question not but their Malice wishes the Damnation of that as well as the Destruction of the Body which has too evidently appeared by their deceitful and â—â—tering Promises I commit you all to the Care and Protection of God who has promised to be a Father to the Fatherless and a Husband to the Widow and to supply the want of every Relation The Lord God of Heaven be your Comfort under these Sorrows and your Refuge from those Miseries we may easily fore-see coming upon poor England and the poor distâ—eâ—â—ed People of God in it The Lord carry you through this Vale of Tears with a resigning submissive Spirit and at last bring you to himself in Glory where I question not but you will meet your dying Son Ben. Hewling Their CHARACTERS THey were both of very sweet and obliging Tempers as has appeared in their History it being a very hard matter for their worst Enemies when they once knew 'em well not to Honour and Love ' em Mr. Benjamin the Elder reconciled the Lamb and the Lion exactly In the Field he seem'd made only for War and any where else for nothing but Love He without Flattery deserv'd to be call'd a very fine Man of a lovely Proportion extreamly well made as handsome a Meen and good an Air as perhaps few in England exceeded him His Picture is pretty like him The Younger Mr. William somewhat taller and more slender his Face fresh and lively as his Spirit being Master of an extraordinary vivacity and briskness of Temper Both of 'em Vertuous Pious and Courageous far above their Years and indeed seem'd to be Men too soon one of 'em not being Twenty the Eldest but Two and twenty when they dy'd verifying that common Observation That whatever is perfect sooner than ordinary has generally a shorter Period prefix'd it than what 's more base and ignoble 2. Mr. CHRISTOPHER BATTISCOMB HE was another young Gentleman of a good Family and very great Hopes and of a fair Estate which lay in Dorsetshire somewhere between Dorchester and Lyme He had studied some time at the Temple and having Occasions in the Country about the Time of my Lord Russel's Business he was there seiz'd on Suspicion of being concern'd in 't and clapt into the County Gaol at Dorchester where he behaved himself with that Prudence and winning Sweetness and shew'd so much Wit and innocent pleasantry of Temper as extreamly obliged both all his Keepers and Fellow-Prisoners and even Persons of the best Quality in that Town They knew how to value such a Gentleman
as Mr. Battiscomb and made him such frequent Visits in the Prison till the Place it self was so far from being Scandalous that there was generally all the Conversation and where you might be sure to meet the best Company in the Town of both Sexes Mr. Battiscomb had the Happiness not to be displeasing to the fair Sex who had as much Pity and Friendship for him as consisted with the Rules of Decency and Vertue and perhaps their Respect for him did not always stop at Friendship tho' it still preserved the other Bounds inviolable Pity is generally but a little way from Love especially when the Object of it is any thing extraordinary But after he had been there some time and nothing could be prov'd against him which could any ways affect him he was at length almost unwillingly deliver'd from this sort of happy Slavery And when the Duke landed appear'd with him and serv'd him with equal Faith and Valour till the Rout at Sedgmoor when he fled with the rest and got up as far as Devonshire where he was seiz'd in a Disguise and brought to his old Palace the Prison at Dorchester He behav'd himself there the second time in the same courteous obliging manner as he did at the first tho' now he seem'd more thoughtful and in earnest than before as knowing nothing was to be expected but speedy Death tho' his Courage never droopt but was still the same if it did not encrease with his Danger At his Tryal Jeffreys rail'd at him with so much eagerness and barbarity that he was observ'd almost to foam upon the Bench. He was very angry with him because he was a Lawyer and could have been contented all such as he should be hang'd up without any Trial and truly 't was no great Matter whether he or the rest had had that Formality or no. Mr. Battiscomb was as undaunted at the Bar as in the Field or at Execution How he demeaned himself in Prison before his Death take this following Account verbatim as 't was written by his Friends The Account given of him by his Relations HE was observed to be always serious and chearful ready to entertain Spiritual Discourse manifesting Affection to God's People and his Ordinances he seem'd to be in a very calm Indifference to Life or Death referring himself to God to determine it expressing his great Satisfaction as to some Opportunities of Escape that were slipt saying That truly he sometimes thought the Cause was too good to flee from suffering in it tho' he would use all lawful Means for his Life but the Providence of God having prevented this he was sure it was best for him for he said he bless'd God he could look into Eternity with Comfort He said with respect to his Relations and Friends to whom his Death would be afflictive That he was willing to live if God saw good but for his own part he thought Death much more desirable He said I have enjoyed enough of this World but I never found any thing but Vanity in it no Rest or Satisfaction God who is an Infinite Spiritual Being is the only suitable Object for the Soul of Man which is spiritual in its Nature and too large to be made happy by all that this World can afford which is all but sensual Therefore methinks I see no reason why I should be unwilling to leave it by Death since our Happiness can never be perfected till then till we leave this Body where we are so continually clogg'd with Sin and Vanity frivolous and foolish Trifles Death in it self is indeed terrible and natural Courage is too low to encounter it nothing but an Interest in Christ can be our Comfort in it he said which Comfort I hope I have intimating much advantage to his Soul by his former Imprisonment The Day he went from Dorchester to Lyme after he had received the News of his Death the next Day he was in the same serious Cheerfulness declaring still the same Apprehension of the Desirableness of Death and the great Supports of his Mind under the Thoughts of so sudden passing through it alone from the Hope of the Security of his Interest in Christ taking leave of his Friends with this Farewel Tho' we part here we shall meet in Heaven Passing by 〈◊〉 Estate going to Lyme he said Farewel Temporal Inheritance I am now going to my Heavenly Eternal One. At Lyme the Morning that he died it appeared that he had the same Supports from God meeting Death with the same cheerfulness When he was mounting the Ladder he smiled and said I am not afraid of this I am going to a better Place from a poor and miserable World to a Celestial Paradise a Heavenly Jerusalem I might have chosen whether I would have undergone this Death if I had hearkened to the L. C. J. but it was upon such unworthy Terms that shou'd I have accepted of my Pardon it wou'd have been troublesome to me I die a true Protestant I am in Charity with all Men. God preserve this Nation from Popery The Lord bless you all So taking his leave of them he knew after Prayer he lanched into Eternity His CHARACTER All that knew or saw him must own Mr. Battiscomb was very much a Gentleman not that thin sort of Animal that flutters from Tavern to Play-house and back again all his Life made up of Wig and Crevat without one dram of Thought in his Composition but one who ha◠solid Worth well drest and set out to the World His Body made a very handsome and creditable Tenement for his Mind and it had been pity it shou'd have liv'd in any other He wa◠pretty tall well made I think inclining to Black not altogether unlike Mr. Benjamin Hewling as He has been thought to resemble the Duke of Monmouth He was Witty Brave exactly Honourable Pious and Vertuous and if ever that Character belong'd to any Man it did eminently to Mr. Battiscomb That he liv'd universally belov'd and dy'd as generally lamented 3. Mr. WILLIAM JENKYNS HIS Father was sufficiently known and his Circumstances hard enough being seized only for his Opinion and clapt up close in Newgate where the Inconvenience of the Place and want of the Exercise he formerly enjoy'd quickly kill'd him as he used to say before his Confinement 't would certainly do if ever it happen'd Thus was he requited by that very Person for whom with Mr. Love he ventured his Life so deeply and so hardly escaped with it 'T was his inhumane Treatment which edg'd and animated his Son and the Revenge of his Father's Blood may be presum'd to have gone very far in pushing him on to engage his Life and Fortune in this Undertaking he having given Funeral Rings for his Father with this Poesie William Jenkyns murder'd in Newgate He was his Father's only Son who had taken care to have him educated suitable to his ingenuous Birth and Inclinations He improved sufficiently in all useful Learning and was
now about One or Two and twenty He and several young Gentlemen rode down from London a little before the Duke landed and were taken on Suspicion and laid up in Ilchester Gaol till the Duke himself came and relieved them He continued in his Army till the Rout when if I mistake not he got to Sea and was forc'd back again with the Hewlings or some others He was condemned at the bloody Assizes in Dorchester A Friend discoursing to him at Dorchester about his Pardon and telling him the doubtfulness of obtaining it he replied Well Death is the worst they can do and I bless God that will not surprize me for I hope my great Work is done At Taunton being advised to govern the Airyness of his Temper telling him it made People apt to censure him as inconsiderate of his Condition to which he answered Truly this is so much my natural Temper that I cannot tell how to alter it but I bless God I have and do think seriously of my eternal Concerns I do not allow my self to be vain but I find cause to be chearful for my Peace is made with God through Jesus Christ my Lord. This is my only ground of Comfort and Cheerfulness the Security of my Interest in Christ for I expect nothing but Death and without this I am sure Death would be most dreadful but having the good Hope of this I cannot be melancholy When he heard of the triumphant Death of those that suffered at Lyme he said This is a good Encouragement to depend upon God Then speaking about the mangling of their Bodies he said Well the Resurrection will restore all with great Advantage the 15th Chapter of the First of Corinthians is Comfort enough for all Believers Discoursing much of the Certainty and Felicity of the Resurrection at another time he said I will as I think I ought use all lawful Means for the saving of my Life and then if God please to forgive me my Sins I hope I shall as chearfully embrace Death Upon the Design of Attempting an Escape he said We use this means for the preserving our Lives but if God is not with us it will not effect it It 〈◊〉 Business first to seek to him for Direction and Success if he sees good with resigning our Lives to him and then his Will be done After the Disappointments when there was no prospect of any other Opportunity he spake much of the Admirableness of God's Providence in those things that seem most against us bringing the greatest Good out of them For said he we can see but a little way God is only wise in all his Disposals of us If we were left to chuse for our selves we should chuse our own Misery Afterwards discoursing of the Vanity and unsatisfyingness of all things in this World he said It is so in the enjoying we never 〈◊〉 our Expectations answer'd by any thing in it and when Death comes it puts an end to all things we have been pursuing here Learning and Knowledge which are the best Things in this World will then avail nothing nothing but an Interest in Christ is then of any worth One reading to some of his Fellow-Prisoners Jer. 42.12 I will shew mercy unto you that he may have mercy upon you and cause you to return to your own Land he said Yes we shall but not in this World I am perswaded September the 29th at Night after he heard he must die the next Morning he was exceedingly composed and chearful expressing his Satisfaction in the Will of God The next Morning he was still more spiritual and chearful discovering a very sweet Serenity of Mind in all that he said and did Whilst he was waiting for the Sheriff reading the Scriptures Meditating and conversing with those about him of Divine Things amongst other things said be I have heard much of the Glory of Heaven but I am now going to behold it and understand what it is Being desir'd to disguise himself to attempt an Escape he said No I cannot tell how to disturb my self about it and methinks it is not my Business now I have other things take up my Thoughts If God saw good to deliver me he would open some other Door but seeing he has not it is more for the Honour of his Name we should die And so be it One saying to him that most of the Apostles died a violent Death he replied Nay a greater than the Apostles our Lord himself died not only a shameful but a painful Death He further said This manner of Death hath been the most terrible thing in the World to my Thoughts but I bless God now am I neither afraid nor ashamed to die He said The parting with my Friends and their Grief for me is my greatest Difficulty but it will be but for a very short time and we shall meet again in endless Joys where my dear Father is already enter'd him shall I presently joyfully meet Then musing with himself a while he with an extraordinary seriousness sung these two Verses of one of Herbert's Poems Death is still working like a Mole Digging my Grave at each remove Let Grace work so on my Soul Drop from above Oh come for thou dost know the way Or if to me thou wilt not move Remove me where I need not say Drop from above He then read the 53d of Isaiah and said He had heard many blessed Sermons from that Chapter especially from the 16th Verse All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way but the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquities of us all Seeming to intimate some Impress made on his Soul from them but was interrupted Then he said Christ is all When the Sheriff came he had the same chearfulness and serenity of Mind in taking Leave of his Friends and in the Sledge which seemed to encrease to the last as those present have affirmed joyning in Prayer and in singing a Psalm with great appearance of Comfort and Joy in his Countenance insomuch that some of his Enemies that had before censured his Chearfulness for unthoughtfulness of his Danger and therefore expected to see him much surprized now professed they were greatly astonished to see such a young Man leave the World and go through Death as he did His CHARACTER He was a very promising and ingenious young Gentleman He had a great deal of ready Wit and an extraordinary Briskness and Gaity He was a very good Scholar had run through a course of Philosophy but his particular Inclination was to the Mechanical part of it wherein he had a very happy Genius and performed many pretty things He wrote very good clean Latin He was indifferent tall pretty thin a fair Complexion his Nose a little inclining to one side being hurt in his Infancy He led a sober vertuous Life and dy'd a happy Death at Taunton September the 30th 1685. 4. Lady LISLE HAD those Persons who suffer'd about Monmouth's Business
Hearts to be truly thankful Comfort my Fellow Sufferers that are immediately to follow Give them Strength and Comfort unto the end I forgive all the World even all those that have been the immediate Hastners of my Death I am in Charity with all Men. And now blessed Lord Jesus into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Our Father c. After which going up the Ladder he desired the Executioner not to be hard to him who answered No and said I pray Master forgive me To which he said I do with my whole Heart and I pray God forgive thee But I advise thee to leave off this bloody Trade The Executioner said I am forced to do what I do it 's against my Mind So lifting up his Hands to Heaven the Executioner did his Office 17. The Behaviour and Dying Words of Mr. ROGER SATCHEL who was Executed at Weymouth in the County of Dorset MR. Satchel at the time of the Duke's landing at Lyme lived at Culliton about Five Miles West of that Town No sooner had he the News of the Duke's being landed but he sets himself to work to serve him desiring all he knew to joyn with him and was one of the first that went to him to Lyme and was with him to the end But after the Rout travelling to and fro to secure himself was at last taken at Chard by three Moss Troopers He was from thence carried to Ilchester and so secured in Ilchester Gaol and at the Bloody Assizes at Dorchester took his Tryal and received his Sentence with the rest After Sentence two of his Friends came to him and told him there was no Hope He answer'd My Hope is in the Lord. After which he spent most of his time before Execution in Prayer and Meditation and conferring with many good Persons The Morning being come he prepared himself and all the way drawing to Execution was very devout Being come to the Place there was a Minister I think of that Place who sung a Psalm and prayed with them and would have some Discourse with this Person which he avoided as much as possible but he asked him what were his Grounds for joyning in that Rebellion who answered Had you Sir been there and a Protestant I believe you would have joyned too But do not speak to me about that I am come to die for my Sins not for my Treason against the King as you call it So pointing to the Wood that was to burn his Bowels he said I do not care for that what matters it what becomes of my Body so my Soul be at rest So praying to himself near half an Hour and advising some he knew never to yield to Popery he was turned off the Ladder He was a couragious bold spirited Man and one of great Reason just and punctual in all his Business and one that did much Good amongst his Neighbours 18. Mr. LANCASTER THere was at the same Time and Place one Mr. Lancaster executed whose Courage and Deportment was such that he out-braved Death and in a manner challenged it to hurt him saying I die for a good Cause and am going to a gracious God I desire all your Christian Prayers 'T is good to go to Heaven with Company And much more he spake concerning the Duke of Monmouth whom he supposed at that time to be living And so praying privately for some small time he was turned or rather leaped off the Ladder 19. The Last Speech of Mr. BENJAMIN SANDFORD at the Place of Execution HE with Nine more was brought from Dorchester to Bridport to be Executed Coming to the Place of Execution he held up his Hands to Heaven and turning himself to the People said I Am an Old Man you see and I little thought to have ended my Days at such a shameful Place and by such an ignominious Death and indeed it is dreadful to Flesh and Blood as well as a Reproach to Relations but it would have been a great deal more if I had suffered for some Felonious Account Says one to him Is not this worse do you think than Felony He answered I know not any thing that I have done so bad as Felony that this heavy Judgment should fall upon me except it be for my Sins against my God whom I have highly provok'd and must acknowledge have deserved Ten thousand times more Lord I trust thou hast pardoned them Seal my Pardon in the Blood of my Saviour Lord look upon and be with me to the last moment 20. JOHN BENNET THere was also Executed at the same time one John Bennet a poor Man but Pious and of good Report with his Neighbours in Lyme where he lived I have heard that when he was on Trial a certain Person inform'd his Lordship that the Prisoner then at the Bar had Alms of the Parish And that his Lordship should reply Do not trouble your selves I will ease the Parish of that trouble In Prison and at the Place of Execution he behaved himself so to all that many of his Enemies pitied him and would if it had lain in their Power as they said have saved him Here was a glorious Instance of Filial Affection His Son being then present offered to have died for him and was going up the Ladder if it might have been suffer'd He prayed some short time and so was translated as we have Hopes to think from this troublesome World into Celestial Joy and everlasting Happiness To conclude The Solemn Serious Dying Declarations and Christian Courage of the Western Sufferers have always outweighed with me the Evidence of those flagitious Witnesses who swore these Persons out of their Lives And I did and do most stedfastly believe that the only Plot in that Day was the same which the Almighty has at length owned and most signally prospered in the Hand of our Gracious August and Rightful Sovereign King William I mean the rescuing the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of England from a most impetuous Torrent of Popery and Tyranny wherewith they were most dangerously threatned Thus far the Author of the Bloody Assizes from whom I have extracted all the Memoirs relating to the Deaths and Sufferings of English Protestants from the Year 1678. to this Time While we are thus talking of Death and Dying I can't forbear naming the Ghostly Last Will and Testament of M. Armand It contains the real Inclinations of his Soul in all the Accidents of his Life That he was bigotted to the Roman Catholick Religion is plain by this Ghostly Will wherein he allows no Salvation out of it This Will being long I shall not insert it here but referr you to the Present State of Europe for December 1695. where you will find it recited at large Since the Publication of M. Arnaud's Ghostly Will there is come to light his Temporal Will wherein that which is most Remarkable is his persisting to acknowledge himself a Son of the Catholick Church and his bequeathing his Heart to the
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
was this One Day at an Atheistical Meeting at a Person of Quality's I undertook to manage the Cause and was the principal Disputant against God and Piety and for my Performances receiv'd the Applause of the whole Company upon which my Mind was terribly struck and I immediately replied thus to my self Good God! That a Man that walks upright that sees the wonderful Works of God and has the uses of his Sence and Reason should use them to the defying of his Creator But tho' this was a good beginning to my Conversion to find my Conscience touch'd for my Sins yet it went off again Nay all my Life long I had a secret Value and Reverence for an honest Man and lov'd Morality in others But I had form'd an odd Scheme of Religion to my self which would solve all that God or Conscience might force upon me yet I was not over-well reconcil'd to the Business of Christianity nor had that Reverence for the Gospel of Christ as I ought to have which estate of Mind continu'd till the 53d Chapter of Isaiah was read to him and some other Portions of Scripture by the Power and Efficacy of which Word assisted by his Holy Spirit God so wrought upon his Heart that he declar'd that the Mysteries of the Passion appear'd so clear and plain to him as ever any thing did that was represented in a Glass so that that joy and Admiration which possessed his Soul upon the reading God's Word to him was remarkable to all about him and he had so much delight in his Testimonies that in my absence he begg'd his Mother and Lady to read the same to him frequently and was unsatisfied notwithstanding his great Pains and Weakness till he had learn'd the 53d of Isaiah without Book At the same time discoursing of his Manner of Life from his Youth up which all Men knew was too much devoted to the Service of Sin and that the Lusts of the Flesh the Eye and the Pride of Life had captivated him he was very large and particular in his Acknowledgments about it more ready to accuse himself than any one else could be publickly crying out O blessed God! Can such an horrid Creature as I am be accepted by thee who has denied thy Being and contemn'd thy Power asking often Can there be Mercy and Pardon for me Will God own such a Wretch as I And in the middle of his Sickness said Shall the unspeakable Joys of Heaven be conferr'd on me O mighty Saviour never but through thine infinite Love and Satisfaction O never but by the purchase of thy Blood adding that with all abhorrency he did reflect upon his former Life that sincerely and from his Heart he did repent of all that folly and Madness which he had committed He had a true and lively sense of God's great Mercy to him in striking his hard Heart saying If that God who died for great as well as lesser Sinners did not spâ—edily apply his infinite Merits to his poor Soul his Wound was such as no Man could conceive or bear crying out That he was the vilest Wretch and Dog that the Sun shined upon or the Earth bore That now he saw his Error in not living up to that Reason which God endued him with and which he unworthily vilified and contemned wish'd he had been a starving Leper crawling in a Ditch that he had been a Link-Boy or a Beggar or for his whole Life-time confin'd to a Dungeon rather than thus to have sinend against God How remarkable was his Faith in a hearty embracing an devout Confession of all the Articles of the Christian Religion and all the Divine Mysteries of the Gospel saying that that absurd and foolish Philosophy which the world so much admir'd propagated by the late Mr. Hobbs and others had undone him and many more of the best Parts of the Nation He cast himself entirely upon the Mercies of Jesus Christ and the Free Grace of God declared to repenting Sinners through him with a thankful Remembrance of his Life Death and Resurrection begging God to strengthen his Faith and often crying out Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief His mighty Love and Esteem of the Holy Scriptures his Resolutions to read them frequently and meditate upon them if God should spare him having already tasted the good Word for having spoken to his Heart he acknowledged all the seeming Absurdities and Contradictions thereof fancied by Men of corrupt and reprobate Judgments were vanished and the Excellency and Beauty appeared being come to receive the Truth in the Love of it How terribly did the Tempter assault him by casting upon him wicked and lewd Imaginations But I thank God said he I abhor them all and by the Power of his Grace which I am sure is sufficient for me I have overcome them 'T is the Malice of the Devil because I am rescued from him and the Goodness of God that frees me from all my Spiritual Enemies He was greatly rejoiced at his Lady's Conversion from Popery which he called a Faction supported only by Fraud and Cruelty He was heartily concerned for the Pious Education of his Children wishing that his Son might never be a Wit that is as he explain'd it One of those wretched Creatures who pride themselves in abusing God and Religion denying his Being or his Providence but that he might become an Honest and a Religious Man which could only be the Support and Blessing of his Family He gave a strict Charge to those Persons in whose Custody his Papers were to burn all his profane and lewd Writings as being only fit to promote Vice and Immorality by which he had so highly offended God and shamed and blasphemed that holy Religion into which he had been baptized and all his obscene and filthy Pictures which were so notoriously Scandalous I must not pass by his pious and most passionate Exclamation to a Gentleman of some Character who came to visit him upon his Death-Bed O remember that you contemn God no more he is an avenging God and will visit you for your Sins will in Mercy I hope touch your Conscience sooner or later as he has done mine You and I have been Friends and Sinners together a great while therefore I am the more free with you We have been all mistaken in our Conceits and Opinions Our Perswasions have been false and groundless therefore God grant you Repentance And seeing him again next Day said to him Perhaps you were disobliged by my Plainness to you Yesterday I spake the Words of Truth and Soberness to you and striking his Hand upon his Breast said I hope God will touch your Heart He commanded me continues our Author to preach abroad and let all Men know if they knew it not already how severely God had disciplin'd him for his Sins by his afflicting Hand that his Sufferings were most just tho' he had laid Ten thousand times more upon him how he had laid one Stripe upon another
to abstain till the Evening yet was he a Person of great Liberalit to others Drex Oper. Tom. â— p. 796. 3. Theophrastus tells of one Philinus who in the whole course of his Life never made use of any manner of Drink or Food except Milk only Celi Rhod. l. 11. c. 13. p. 500. 4. Pontanus writes of a Woman who in all her Life time did never Drink either Wine or Water and being once inforced to Drink Wine by the Command of Ladislaus King of Naples she received much hurt thereby Bow Hist Med. Mir. l. 6. c. 3. p. 306. 5. There was one in Naples of the Family of Fernacelli that never Drank c. Rhod. l. 13 p. 309. CHAP. XX. Immoderate Drinkers 'T IS strange to observe how a Continuation of Acts begets a Habit and that Habit by Custom becomes so fixt and inâ—eterate that Nature it self seems at length to Challenge it as her own for which Reason the Wise Solomon forbids us to look upon Wine when it is Red when it sparkles in the Cup and Moralists to give the least Countenance to the first Principles and beginnings of any Vice for 't is much easier to Prohibit the first entrance of a fore-seen Disease and shut the Door against a Rude Guest then to Cure the Disease when it hath seized us or restrain the Exorbitant Humours of an Ill Guest when he is entred 1. In that Publick drinking before Alexander one Promachus drank 4 Congii that is 40 pound we Read the same of Protcus of Macedonia in Athanaeus Nov. Torquatus of Milan drank 30 Pints at one Draught Tiberius the Emperor stood by to see the Wonder Pliny says that he never failed of his Speech nor did he Vomit nor did he Sleep he drank most at one Draught and drank many more little ones Bonaesus as Spartianus says drank more then any Man Aurelianus said of him he was not born to live but to drink Yet he Honoured him for military Affairs He drank with barbarous Ambassadours to make them drunk and so would know their Secrets he drank what he pleased and was always Sober A certain Man drank 6 Gallons at a Nobleman's Marriage in the days of Lipsius Jobnst Clas 10. p. 312. 2. Maximinus often drank in one day an Amphora of the Capitol which is 9 Gallons our measure Capitolin p. 602. 3. Lipsius tells of one at a Noble Bavarian's Wedding that to exhilarate the Guests drank little less then 6 Congies in a short space that is 60 pound Lips Epist Misc Ep. 51. p. 456. 4. The Son of Marcus Tullius Cicero would ordinarily fetch off the quantity of two Congies at once that is to say 2 Gallons and a Quart Din. Mem. l. 6. p. 448. 5. Bartholinus tells of one Pâ—â—â—us of Malta who from place to place made Tryal of his Artifice he having drank 20 or 30 Cups of Water at the pleasure of the Spectators he would suddenly restore them all by Vomit and Water running out of a Fountain he would orderly fill up the Cuâ—s as he drank them off at other times he would suddenly spout out the whole quantity at the distance of 20 Foot or more besides if the Company desired it he would not only restore the clear Water but so as that it should be of different both Colour and Taste one while Rose-water another Spirit of Wine Sack Claret White wine c. and thus he filled several Cups with several sorts of drinks at the same time He confessed that he could do this with the most ease when he was Pasting and his Stomach empty for if soon after Dinner he was called by great Persons to see this Tâ—yal he used to Vomit up his Meat before his Ventricle would be rightly disposed for the Reception of such a quantity of Water when he was to discharge himself of the Liquor he had drunk up he performed it only with the pressure of his Hand on his Stomach or Breast that he might not be suspected of Magick and to obtain Licence of shew his Art Publickly he revealed his Secret to Pope Vrban VIII at Rome to Cardinal Richelieu at Paris and to the Prince of Orange at the Hague when some suspected that the Glasses gave the several Colours he caused them first to be clearly washed with Water and to shew he had no such Fraud he not only received Glasses at the Hand of the Spectators themselves but also offered his several Vomits as well to the Taste as to the Eye of any that desired to make the Experiment Barâ—h Hist Anat. Cent. 1. Hist 39. p. 54 55. 6. And Aelian tells of a Woman too much addicted to this desire of drinking to her Eternal Infamy that not only she used to contend with her own Sex in drinking but also used to provoke Men thereunto with such success in her Bestiality that she was known to be able to drink and bear away a greater quantity of drink then any Man she could meet with Ael var. His l. 2. c. 41 p. 82. CHAP. XXI Great Fasters MR. Reynold's well observes that the long Finger of Powerful Providence is to be observed in these wonderful Effects and Doctor Willis that the Parent of Nature orders Natural Principles as to their Quantity Mixture and Operations and 't is as evident when higher Causes put asunder what Nature hath joyned together very astonishing results appear upon the Stage of Humane Nature Now to supply the Defect of Aliment it is observable that at such Times and Cases aâ— these are the Expences of the â—â—crocosm by Stool Vrine Spittle Menses and it may be Transpiration are in great measure Retrench'dâ— the Igneous Parts of the Body restrained from Excursion and a fresh supply made by the continual entrance of Breach and Air together with Pituitous Humours and a Viscous Oyl produced by a Colliquation of the Emaciated Parts but I leave it to my Reader to judge of 1. In St. Austin's days one lived 40 days without eating any thing another in the time of Olimpiodorus the Platonish for so long as he lived he neither slept nor fed but only stood in the Sun to refresh himself The Daughter of the Emperor Cloturius fasted eleven years Petrus Aponus saw one fasted 18 years Rondeletius saw one fasted 10 and afterwards became a fruitful Mother Hermolus knew a Priest who lived in Health 40 years without any thing but by sucking in the Air. One Nicholaus Helvetius Anno 1640. after that he had 5 Children by his Wife lived a solitary life and neither eat nor drank in 15 years he predicted several things that came to pass and by his austere Life made the belief of his fasting unquestionable Certain it is that the Bishop of Constantia in whose Diocess he lived went to him on purpose to see him and after diligent Observation confirmed the Truth of his Report by his Letters and for the greater certainty compel'd him to taste some food thô very little which caused him to have extream Pain in
back from a Miller Anno 1667 fasted a Twelve Month is no Wonder in comparison with the former Stories nor that of the Shropshire Maid whose Mother I was acquainted with who fasted as â—ong mentioned in the former part of this Book CHAP. XXII Children Petrified in the Womb. THE Story of Niobe turned into a Marble Statue is a Fable Children are often converted into Stones in the Womb and I would to God Men were not so in their ripe Age at least in a Metaphorical Sense but as to the Petrification of Infants it is not much more strange that a Juyce fit for Concretion should be carried to the Womb than to the Reins or Bladder or that a Spiritus Lapidificus should prevail in the one and never in the other 1. Columba Chatry of Sens in Burgundy Wise to Ludovicus Chatry by the report of Mr. John Alibaux an Eminent Physicians and who also was present at the Dissection of her went 28 years with a Dead Child in her Womb When she was dead and her Belly opened there was found a Stone having all the Limbs and exact proportion of a Child of 9 Months old This happened Anno 1582. Sennertus confesses this accident so rare that he never met with the like instance in the whole History of Physick Sennert Prax. Med. l. 4. par 2. Sect. 4. c. 7. p. 311. 2. Horstius tells of a Woman aged 37. at the time of his Writing whose Womb was all turned to Stone to the weight of 7 pound Her Spleen Globular her Bladder Stony and her Peritonaeum so very hard that it could scarce be cut with a Knife and yet this Woman lived without any manifest sign of Sickness all her life time Addit ad Donat. per Greg. Horst l. 7. c. 2. p. 663. 3. Hearnius affirms That he saw at Padua a Woman whose Breast was turn'd into Stone by this means as she lay dead that Breast of hers lay covered in the Water of a certain Spring there Ibid. p. 664. 4. Pompilius Placentinus tells of a Venetian Woman who being Poisoned by an Apple when Dead she grew so stiff and congealed that she seemed to be transformed into a Statute of Stone nor could they cut open her Belly by Knife or Sword Zacch qu. Medico-Legal c. 4. Tit. 1. p. 235. 5. The Body of a Man that was killed and cast into the River Anien having lain some time at the Root of a Tree that grew upon the Bank-side when it was found and taken up it was turn'd into Stone Titus Celsus a Patrician of Rome affirmed that he had seen it Cornman de Mir. Morc par 3. cap. 36. p. 18. 6. I my self saw a Maid born in Ireland exposed to view at Arundel in Sussex a few years ago who besides strange Moles upon her Body had a great Excressence growing between her Legs hard as Stone very bulky and weighty so that was not able to carry it about without a Truss CHAP. XXIII Accidents upon Persons Birth-Days c. I Am not sure that the Matter of Fact in all the Cases hearafter mentioned was in right Judgment so remarkable as is pretended Perhaps Persons may sometimes be too fond in the Observation of such Days out of a peculiar respect to them and at the same time pass over a hundred Accidents more worthy of Note upon other days of their Life See what follows in the end of the Chapter 1. The Poet Antipater Sidonius every year upon his Birth-day was seized with a Fever and when he had liv'd to a great Age he Died upon his Birth-Day Schenck Obs Med. 1.6 Obs 1. p. 721. 2. The like befel Johan Architectus who spent with Age Died upon his Birth-Day Ibid. 3. Elizabeth Wife of King Henry VII Died in Child-Bed the 11th of February the very day of her Birth Bak. Chron. 4. Amatuâ— Lisitanus tells of one who every year on his Birth-Day was seized with a Fit of a Fever Thom. a Veiga of another who every year had a Fever for three days and no longer Schenck Ibid. p. 721. 5. Alexander the Great was Born upon the 6th day of February and Died on the 6th day of February Alex. l. 4. c. 20 fol. 233. 6. Attalus King of Pergamum and Pompeins the Great both Died on their Birth-Days Plut. in Camilo p. 135. 7. Julius Caesar was Born and Slain on the Ides of March. Sabel l. 9. c. 4. Zuin. Thaat p. 561. 8. Antonius Caracalla the Emperor was Slain at Carris on the 6th of the Ides of April being his Birth-Day Zuin. Ibid. 9. Pope Gregory the Great was Born and Died on the 4th of the Ides of March. Zuin. Theat Ibid. 10. Garsias Great Grand-Father to Petrarch having lived 104 years died as also did Plato on his Birth-Day and in the same Chamber where he was Born Zuin. Theat vol. 2. l. 7. p. 561. 11. The Emperor Charles the Great was Buried at Aquisgrane on his Birth-Day Anno 810. Ibid. 12. Ph. Melancthon Died Anno 1560. in the 63th year of his Age and on his Birth-Day being 13 Cal. May. Ibid. 13. The Emperor Charles V. was Born on St. Matthias's Day on which day also in the course of his Life was King Francis taken by him in Battel and the Victory likewise won at Bicâ—â—que he was also Elected and Crowned Emperor on the same day and many other great Fortunes befel him still on that day Treasury of Ancient and Modern times l. 4. c. 12. p. 330. 14. Augustus had certain Anniversary Sicknesses which did return at a stated and certain time He commonly languished at the time of his Birth which was the 9th of the Calends of October a little before Sun-rise Sweton in August p. 55. 105. 15. Timoleon obtained most of his Victories on his Birth-Day which was therefore Celebrated Annually by the Syracusans Alex. ab Alex de Gen. l. 4. c. 20. 16. Philip King of Macedon had a Triplicity of Good Tidings on his Birth-Day That he was Victor in the Olympicks that Parmenio his General had gain'd a Conquest and that his Queen was Delivered of Alexander Ibid. 17. Baudinus an Abbot and Citizen of Florence Died upon his Birth-Day Coman de Mir. Mort. 18. On Wednesday Pope Sixtus V. was Born made Monk General of his Order Cardinal Pope and Inaugurated Heyl. Geogr. 19. On Thursday Henry VIII Died Edward VI. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth 20. Friday was observed to be fortunate to the Great Captain Gonsalvo and Saturday to Henry VII c. CHAP. XXIV Children mark'd in the Womb. WHEN we read the Story in Genesis of Jacob 's Success in his Pastoral Office by the help of his straked striped hazels and poplars c. we wonder at the effects and are puzzled in quest of the Cause Certainly tho' there was a special Providence concerned in the Fact yet there seems too a concurrence of inferior Nature in the Agency Imagination is strong and operative even in Bruits but much more in Mankind where Reason gives a
Which Transformation is such as might be placed among the Miracles of Nature considering the great difference there is between those two Forms Which makes a Question Whether the Silkworm becoming a Butterfly did not change its Species As certainly it would were it not that every Thing produces its like and the Silkworm deriving its Birth from the Seed of the Butterfly it is an Argument that both are of the same species The Seeds of these Worms are like Pins Heads but black and flat put between two warm Pillows or in the Sun in April Worms are produced black but small which pass through certain little Holes made in a Paper wherewith they are covered and fasten themselves on the Mulberry Leaves which are also placed on the same Paper full of little Holes upon which Leaves the best Seeds being hatch'd within five or six Days go creeping after the first Worm that gets out of her Shell these laid upon little Boards in a temperate Place a spacious and lightsome Room are entertained with fresh Leaves twice a Day White Mulberry makes finer Silk than the black in want of them Rose-Bush Leaves and Lettice are used In 40 Days it becomes grey and changes Colour four times not eating for some Days before its Change The Worm is subject to certain Diseases the Cure is removal into another Room Perfume Vinegar Wine the smell of dried Bacon c. They are to be kept clean from Flies and Pismires on Boards rubb'd with Wormwood Leaves or sprinkled with Wine All Moisture harsh Sounds as of Bells Muskets c. and strong Breaths destroy them When the Time of their Spinning draws nigh which is about 6 Weeks after their being first alive at which time they are about the bigness of a Man's Little Finger more transparent than they use to be and the Little Snout so lengthened as that it represents the form of Nose the Animal by extraordinary Motion expresses the Inconvenience it endures by reason of its Burthen Then it is cleansed oftner and there is much less given it to eat and afterward dried Branches of Birch Heath Broom or Vines are set on the Boards Then they fasten their first Threads which are course and afterwards finer in one continued Thread accompanied with the Gum which makes it stick one to another shutting her self at last up in the Clue there stayeth 15 Days till the Skin is broken Then the Silkworm breaks through its Web and comes out in the form of a white-horned Butterfly Then the Male coupling with the Female which is bigger the Latter sheds her Seed upon a clean Paper spread under her The Seed is either kept in a Box for the next Year or sold by the Ounce The Webs about 15 Days after they are compleated are cast into warm Water and there stirr'd with a Handful of Birch till they have fastened on 7 or 8 Ends of Silk which done they wind it up into Skains and that 's the Raw Silk Philos Confer of the Virtuosi of France Vol. 2. p. 402 403 c. Moufet affirms that in the Transmutation of the Worm into a Fly the Tail of the Fly is made of the Head of the Worm but that 's not likely One of the Oval Cases drawn out into all the Silken Wire it was made up of appeared to be by Measure above 300 Yards and yet weighed but two Grains and a half Rob. Boyle of Effluv p. 11. 7. Buprestis Eulprestis the Burn Cow it is of the Nature of the Cantharides causing Heat and Exulceration They cause Lust being drunk and are good against Leprosie Ringworm and Canker Salmon's Dispens p. 258. 8. Cantharides the Spanish Fly is produced from a Worm like Eruca they are Hot and Dry in the fourth Degree being Caustick Whereby they Corrode and draw Blisters are Diuretick and kill Worms They are bred from a Worm in a spungy Substance especially of the Sweet-brier Fig-tree but most fruitfully in the Ash Their Venom is most tart Johnston's Nat. Hist a. 8. c. 5. p. 248 c. Salmon's Dispens p. 258. Their Antidote is Milk or Oil and Clysters with fat Broth. 8. Cicada the Grashopper is a Creature having no Mouth only a Pipe in the Breast by which it sucks in Dew of which it lives and of which it seems to be bred for in those little Dobs of Frothy Dew which appear upon Bushes and Leaves in the beginning of Summer which are commonly called Cuckow-Spit you shall find them always in Fieri or Generation The Ancients used to eat them 10. Cicindela Noctiluca Nitedula Noctuvigila the Glow-worm hath Wings and shines in the Dark their Light is under their Wings and they likewise are said to be generated of Dew It hath a Belly with Roundles divided with many Segments in the end whereof are two Spots very light like to Fire shining most when her Belly is pressed Adrianus Junius when in Bononia drew the Liquor of them upon Paper that shined like Stars what is writ therewith in the Day may be read in the Night The way to do it is by cutting their Tails from their Bodies and taking care that nothing mingle with the shining Parts and then grinding it on a Porphyry-Stone bury it for it for 15 Days in a Glass Vessel under Dung the Parts of the Worm hanging in the Vessel and not touching the Sides Then take the Glass and put it in a hot Oven or hot Water receive the distilled Water underneath and keep it in a fine Chrystal-Glass hanging it in your Room or Chamber and it will so enlighten the Air that you may see by it Johnston's Nat. Hist cl 8 c. 5. our of Bapt. Porta 11. Cochinila the Lady-Bird is the delicate little Bird with red hard Wings and black Spots which Children play with and is an excellent Cordial a wonderful Alexipharmic and Antifebrifick curing the most malignant Feavers Small-Pox c. The Powder of its Body is a deep Purple and omits its Tincture into Water Wine and Spirit of Wine not inferior to Saffron c. Dose a Grain v ad xv vel xx Salm. Dispens p. 259. 12. Cochlea Limax the Snail They have Eyes in the Top of their Horns and pull them in when any thing comes near them and put their Horns into their Heads and their Heads into their Bodies 13. Cimex the Chink Wall-Louse Wood-Louse or Bugg haunts Beds is flat red and stinking and sucks Man's Blood greedily but is used in Physick 14. Crabro the Hornet is said to breed out of the harder Parts of Horse-Flesh as Wasps out of the softer The very Decoction of them dropt on the Skin makes it swell The Cure for the Sting is Venice-Treacle inwardly and Cow-Dung with Fasting-Spittle outwardly Salmon Ibid. 15. Culex the Gnat ariseth of Putrefaction is useless in Physick and is driven away by the Fume of Wormwood Fleabane or Sulphur 16. Eruca Brucus Tinea Agrestis the Catterpillar or Canker-Worm They are destroyed by the Fume of Brimstone 17.