A VINDICATION OF THE SVREY DEMONIACK as no Impostor OR A REPLY to a certain PAMPHLET Publish'd by Mr. Zach. Taylor called The Surey Impostor With a further clearing and confirming of the Truth as to Richard Dugdale's Case and Cure By T. Jolly One of the Ministers who attended upon that Affair from first to last but replies only as to Matter of Fact and as he therewithal is more especially concerned To which is annexed a brief Narrative of the Surey Demoniack drawn up by the same Author for the satisfaction of such who have not seen the former Narrative In all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in imprisonments in tumults in labours in watchings in fastings by pureness by knowledg by long-suffering by kindness by the Holy Ghost by love unfeigned by the word of Truth by the power of God by the armour of Righteousness on the right Hand and on the left by honour and dishonour by evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true c. 2 Cor. 6.4 to 11. London Printed for Nevill Simmons in Sheffield Yorkshire And sold by G. Conyers at the King in Little Britain London 1698. THE PREFACE AS I am well assured and many can witness that the Surey Affair was at first laid before me by a special hand of Providence without seeking it or my Self in it So was I by the same Hand of God led through it from first to last It is also apparent to several both in City and Country that a Narrative of the Case and our Carriage in it was called for by Persons of great Note in order to their Satisfaction That thereupon I drew up my short plain Account thereof extracted out of my Minutes all along according to mine own certain Observation and others credible Information When it was urged that it would not satisfy unless there was Proof and that upon Oath as to Matter of Fact I was necessitated for the clearing of the Truth and of our Selves to gather up Informations which are Printed and the Affidavits before such as were unprejudiced and would administer an Oath in the case As to the Printing of the Narrative at all the Sollicitations of several Worthy Persons were the occasion and the Reflections in a certain Book call'd the Devil turn'd Casuist I confess did hasten it's Publishing but I did not consent to the Publishing of it as all but according to the Authentick Copy and with the Approbation of several noted London-Ministers their nominated Therefore I must not undertake in vindicate the Printed Edition as it 's published much less every particular Passage in it I must leave that to these who are immediately concerned The Typographical Errors and the not adding of the Errata's will be easily excused as to the Editor by the ingenuous As to the substantial part of the printed Narrative concerning Matter of Fact I must still own it however Tho it doth not so much affect me whether it prove a Possession and so a Dispossession or no for my main ends are very much attain'd through the good Hand of God upon us as I humbly hope Not but that I humbly conceive it was a Possession and so a Dispossession or as the Ancients call it an Obsession That the Ancients own'd Possession under the Term of Obsession is plain from Justin Martyr in oratione ad Gent. p. 88. Cyprian p. 70 and 166. Edit Pamel The Centuriators 4th Cent. p. 419 440. and Origen on Mat. 17.21 owns fasting and praying as the means of dispossâ—ssing If any ask what those ends were I answer that the miserable Creature might be delivered from the lamentable Malady which he was under whether Spiritual or Corporal and by what means lawful soever to be used It 's evident that this end is attained for as to his bodily Condition he 's heal'd and better I hope as to his Spiritual Condition Another great end was that we might take the opportunity to serve the saving good of those Multitudes that resorted to the Meetings upon this occasion However that it might be a Testimony for God and against the Impenitent this end we hope is in some measure attain'd also Whilst we approve our Hearts to the All-seeing God and appeal to him as All judging let none be censorious nor judg before the time lest attempting to step into his Tribunal they hasten and aggravate their own Judgement Yet are we of those who acknowledge our Infirmity as well as profess our Integrity before God and Man Veniam petimus dabimusque vicissim That we did drive at such holy and blessed ends the Sermons preached on the occasion will manifest which Sermons my Reverend and Ingenious Neighbour Mr. R. W. thought might be more to Edification than the Discourses in the printed Narrative Which Sermons may see the Light if it be judged convenient and be desired In all this we are greatly concerned to look to our Hearts and see what Spirit we are of to look to our way and how we walk in it that we be led by sound Judgment rather than fond Affection by unfeigned Faith rather than foolish Fancy in these things Far be it from any to shut their Eyes against the Evidence and to harden their Hearts against the Power of Truth which some may be tempted unto from a Spirit of Envy against the Persons concerned if not from a Spirit of Malignity against the good ways of God Others may be tempted unto from a Spirit of Sadducism and Atheism which now works powerfully in the Children of Disobedience or Unperswadableness Yea God forbid that on either hand we should any of us give ahvantage to the common Adversaries of the great Truths and good Ways of Christianity or that we should expose our selves and each other to humour them and make them sport If there have been any thing hereof in any who are concerned in these matters sure they have cause to be humbled for it and to take shame to themselves If any do think that we kept not within our Province let them take notice that not to succour in such like cases is to slay Mar. 3.4 We cordially pity solemnly pray for those who are not of our particular Communion as we have occasion Here was Misery so the object of our Mercy Luk. 10.33 according to that case Mar. 9.22 They cried to us that if we could do any thing we would have compassion on them and help them Other Means failing them and other Persons neglecting them A Vindication of the Surey Demoniack as no Impostor c. I Said before that I am not accountable for every thing in the Book called the Surey Demoniack so neither am I to answer all the Book called the â—urey Impostor Mr. T. hath engaged Hands enough besides now I add that through the Grace of God I shall not deal with Mr. T. in the way and manner he hath dealt with me Indeed I must now deal
not insinuate that he was the great Instrument of finding D. in the River and helping him out he owns others concernment in it as well as himself But Mr. T. doth very unjustly insinuate that F. was taught to call it a dumb Fit which D. fell into when he came out of the Water Fletcher will anon speak for himself as to this Observe also that the Gentlemen did not deny that they had been abusing D. in the Buttery at the Abby when D. in his Fit charged them with it Any one may think that Mr. T. would have let us known if it had been so So that Mr. T. hath furnished us with a further Testimony against himself Aliqando bonus dormitat Homerus As to Mr. T 's reason of that extravagant Whim as he calls it it proves but his own imagination So I may let it evaporate as an uncharitable Surmise Alas What pumping for occasions of Reflections as we see in the Instance of M. S. yet how little comes I am very loath to emprove that Hint of the near Neighbourhood of M. S. now and of R. C. before alas what Influences may wordly Interest and ill Company have upon Persons otherwise ingenuous and sober A plain representing of the Truth which I do here and all along as in the Presence of God will I hope manifest that Mr. T. is but foaming out his own Shame and that all his Falsities and Virulencies shall vanish as to us I do not wish that the guilt stain and recompence may stick upon him Should I tell him how I have pittied and prayed for him he would but scorn and scoff at it I fear as I hinted before and do what I say more than once Yea through the Grace of God I will do it till I know Mr. T. hath sinned the Sin unto Death Neither I nor any other that I know of did ever promise D. deliverance as Mr. T. is pleased to say but encouraged him from the Word of God in the way of his duty this we did and ought to do It 's not said in the Narrative that there was a Fast-day at Surey on the 24th of March 1689. I said before we had left meeting at Surey a little before for the cause aforesaid but some of us I am sure carried on that work of solemn seeking the Lord on that occasion as diligently as formerly according to the best of my remembrance I may truly and will humbly say through the Lord's help we did not let fall our Hands till we had got the Victory nor let go our hold till we had got the Blessing tho some may blasphemously call this canting I am sure as to my self I hope as to others As to the casting out of the Devil we do not know of any such gift of Miracles as to command the Devil in the name of Christ to depart and that he should immediately thereupon depart as in the Primitive Times Yet we believe that Dispossession may be and frequently hath been in tract of time according to Mat. 17.21 Even in these latter Ages as Dr. Hall Bishop of Norwich testified in his discourse with Costerus the Jesuit see his Life even among Protestants tho Dr. Heilin and such like will by no means admit it among the Non-conformists if others can give us Instances thereof we would gladly hear of them to strengthen our common Cause against the Papists I am told there is a Canon of the Convocation which prohibits the attempting this way of dispossessing Satan without the License of the Ordinary which necessarily implies that the Episcopal Clergy did believe there then was such a thing as Possession and Dispossession Yea we find in Mr. J. Bruen's Life that such a License was granted upon such an occasion I am told Mr. T. was informed of the said Cannon and thereupon reformed the first Leaf of his Preface Also as to means of dispossessing and their success now a-days Dr. Willet in Synop. Papis P. 92. owns not only the extraordinary means but this of Fasting and Prayer whereby saith he we doubt not but even in these days when it pleaseth God Satan is chased from the Possession of Christ's Members Pag. 57 But to limit the holy one of Israel to answer Prayers in accomplishing his work just whilst we are at Solemn Prayer were a great presumption and tempting God indeed yea would be found contrary to the ordinary Experience of those who know what belongs to the answer of their Prayers or the benefit of any Ordinance or Providence which usually comes after some time of waiting This also we take to be the meaning of those Scripture-Phrases of looking up and hearkening what the Lord will say As to what I judg in this case I shall with all plainness and modesty declare my self afterwards according to clear Scripture Warrant without any appearance of tempting the Holy Ghost as Mr. T. would charge upon us I hope we shall be found far as from tempting the Spirit of the Lord so from lying to him It 's true of some on the on hand in imposing on the holy Spirit that they may offend so on the other hand in Quenching Grieving Vexing Resisting yea denying of Him his Office Operatinons and despiting the Spirit of Grace Some would have called Caleb's other Spirit an odd Spirit as well as Mr. T. calls ours so All the Extremity D. endured his impatience and fleeing to Sir E. A. for relief must argue to impartial Persons that there was nothing of Cheat or of Popish Combiantion in the case the Effects of his Fits were sometimes so grievous that to use his own Expressions he would not for all the World wish that Misery to the vilest Creature in the World The Ministers discouragement because of the ill Frame and Carriage of of D. sometimes as to the success of their Endeavours which Mr. T. objects against us is nothing but what there 's cause for and it may be others in the like Circumstances would have thought so too As to the Lord 's giving up D. also We are but Men and so subject to like Infirmities with others yet upbraiding in this case is very unbecoming As to the trying of Physicial Means this might have been better taken by Mr. T. as our designing the discovery of the case and doing the Party good by any lawful means But things are it seems ad modum recipientis How will Mr. T. reconcile this to his cenforious charging us with an ambitious design of a Power to cast out the Devil The Physicians we consulted with were judicious conscientious Persons Licentiates by the Colledg of Physicians they honestly declined intermedling as Physicians tho they might have made considerable advantage by it apprehending that his afffliction was not mainly a bodily Disemper yet these must needs be my Tools and less sincere than Mr. Crabtree the Spider will have Poyson even where the Bee will gather Honey As to the suspicion of Witchcraft in the Family I have already
a Papistical Combination it would be a laborious loss of time on our part as his is labour in vain for I hope to cut the work shorter and to clear all fully before Mr. T. and I part if it be not done already Pag. 60 Mr. T 's scornful way of clearing us from having any hand in the supposed Contrivance is below me to take notice of neither am I immediately concerned in the matter in hand but I confess it affects me to see poor D. so beknaved and berogued when I am abundantly satisfied that the poor Man had neither so much cunning nor so little honesty as to be criminal either way Pag. 61 As to the pieces of Latin in D 's Letter to Sir E. A. we neither have any account what they were nor who testifies the same but Mr. T 's ipse idxit whenas D. himself doth not own any such thing but doth again and again disown his ever learning any further than the Nouns and Pronouns in the Accidence Poor Dugdale had no Latin at all that I can hear of neither from one or another nor doth Mr. T. at all prove that he had Mr. T 's third Argument as he calls it about the Incubi and Succubi seems only to make way for his abominable Calumny upon some slanderous Report as to the whoring of the Surey Hearers * Several Neighbours are ready to testify that they never so much as heard upon just ground that there was any such uncivil Behaviour all sorts of People coming thither on one account or other and whom we could not hinder from coming Let Mr. T. take heed of coming too near the imitating of the Heathens false Charge upon the pious Meetings of the Primitive Christians But if there were any dallying under the Hedges when they might have been better employed it 's more likely they were some of Mr. T 's Communion who might take the filthiest Actions to be less culpable than hearing a Nonconformist preach or pray As among the Papists a transgressing of God's Laws is venial when transgressing one of their own Laws is a mortal Sin Pag. 62 We must still take Mr. T 's word without any mention of his Witnesses where he speaks of an ingenious Person walking to Surey when as it 's too well known how many notorious Falsehoods he 's guilty of Surely the ingenious Person Mr. T. speaks of whoever he is is not very ingenuous to conceal his Name otherwise others might satisfy him or themselves in this matter Neither is it fair dealing to judg the poor Mother before she be heard what she hath to say for her self What wresting of the poor ignorant Woman's Words which Mr. T. saith that the Dissenters must do whenas she might if she said the Words probably mean that the Devil said so whenas withal presently after she named three Popish Priests which the Demon in D's Fit had hinted to be the Persons who must help him It 's very probable by this that the Devil would have had it out of our Hands into the Priests Hands and so served his ends by them better than by tormenting D. As to the Letter mentioned in this Page I am loth to question the Fidelity of the supposed Author yet must I animad vert a little upon it In my Minutes Verbatim it 's thus Upon the 3d of September we again met at Surey on young D's account as I went to the place of meeting he gave me notice by a little Paper he put into my Hand that as his Spirit told him he must be dumb and deaf whilst we prayed immediately upon his delivery of the Note to me he became both dumb and deaf all the while the Exercise continued By this it 's plain that the meaning was as to that Exercise not that he must be so all the while we came to him this the event did evidently disprove What he means by no satifactory Answer I know not it might be satisfactory to others tho not to him who might be otherwise prepossest Pag. 63 Again there seems to be no good consistency betwixt a Passage in D's Letter to Sir E. A and that the report of a Letter to Mr. T. to Sir E. A. he only saith that they did him no good in his Letter to Mr. T. he saith those six meaning the Ministers must do him no good This looks not like faithful dealing he might say in that Fit of Impatience we did him no good but it 's more to say we must do him no good This looks liker what Mr. T. will have the Mother to say than what she did indeed say Again as to what he infers for a Confederacy there might be a Combination among the Popish Priests yet no Combination of young D. with them nor among the Family nay nor of any of the D's with the Devil sure it becomes you to have more Charity towards those of your Communion or to prosecute them if you will have them guilty of Witchcraft or Cheating The close of that Paragraph seems to be rather Mr. T 's it is so very magisterial and censorious Mr. T 's and the Letters must do him no good must not stand good by what was before observed If the Devil in one of D's Fits said that the said Popish Priests might help him and that one of them be a Doctor what is all this to the purpose of proving a Combination of any of the D's with them It rather infers as was said before that the Devil would have it out of our Hands who only sougnt the Glory of God and the Good of others to have it into the Priests Hand who served the Devil's Interest and their own Ends as we have cause to suspect as to some of them Mr. T 's telling of D's tacking over to the Popish Priests tatcheth not very well with a former Combination with them no more than his application to Sir E. A. let not us be too rigid towards such Persons in such Extremities We know not how we our selves may be tempted Pag. 64 I am perswaded that none but such as Mr. T. will judg that the Popish Priests had instructed D. all along unless it was by some secret Diabolical Means unknown to him otherwise who can think but he would have on some occasion or other in all this time confest it to some Conformist or Non-conformist Tho the Devil and his Instruments would not have it discovered yet poor D. either for fear or favour would have discovered it if he could Mr. T 's Story here of R. D. is so much upon Supposition and Imagination whereupon he founds he Belief that it deserves not insisting upon The truth of things so far as it concerns the matter in hand I have given faithfully as it 's taken from his own Mouth the Substance whereof is in the Narrative The Passage of the other Paper of some Magicial Charm mentioned in the Narrative is so plainly reported and such use is made of it the
Indeed sometimes his carriage under the Ordinances and at other times gave us some hopes towards a Change as to his spiritual Stats which would he much better to him and so the more desirable to us Yet a partial Change as to that and a perfect Cure as to his Body are signal desirable Mercies As to our Repute in the World what is that to some of us who are so near our going out of this World As he return'd from the Meeting on the Lord's Day following he had a Fit in which as some creaible Persons said who were with him he repented the Heads of the Sermon and the Proofs withal The rerurn of his Fits after many days of discontinuance must needs much exerise us but Psal 37.3 to 8. was of good use to some of us in that case Yea we were as frish to work as at first the Lord anointing us with fresh Cile of his good Spirit Psal 92. â—â— Upon the 5th of December we again met at Surey we were but two Ministers to carry on the work He told one of some private Discourse and Passages betwixt him and Sir E. A. Upon the 12th we met at the Sparth upon the said occasion We were but few the Demoniack was detain'd at home by a Fit in that Fit the Devil told him he would find him somewhat else to do then to eat Bread and Cheese with Cottom Lass at Sparth as he had done 25. Weeks before he also told what Distress Ireland was in and that Fagla nd must pay the Piper as he phcased it notwithstanding its present Security We have by sad experience found the truth of the Demon's Predictions in this and other Instances the false Prother could foretel Evil. Deut. 13.18 O that any warning any ways did awaken us That tho' our iniquity have brought us very low it may not be our ruin In his Fit upon the day following he told us of some Money to come before the messenger came by whom I sent some for their Relief the Family being taken of their Callings put to Charge and very much impoverish'd upon this occasion Upon the 20th Instant our Meeting was again at Surey upon this account We had but little Company his Fits were not so frequent and violent as formerly Several Scriptures besides those before mentioned had been insisted on at these Meetings no this occasion viz. Eph. 6.12 Mat. 17.21 1 Tim. 5.15 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15 16 Mt. 11.28 29 30 All which were directed for the sanctifying this occasion to the Family and Country that all might be sanctified to us by the Word and Prayer Not only that the Devil might be driven from the Demoniack January the 1st at Surey My brethren of the Ministry being all taken off by other urâ—ent occasions I turned this Meeting to an Exercise there being a likelyhood of a Tempta … n. As to the success of Prayers in this and other cases I took occation from Heb. 5.7 to clear the Providence of God concerning that point of the answer of … yers It was near Twelve-months we were almost Weekly employ'd upon this occasion in most solemn Prayer with Fasting some of us coming many Miles Hâ—d not some of us been long enuâ—ed to hard Service it could not have been so 〈…〉 Upon the 9th Instant we agian met at Surey as formerly Before the Exercise begâ—n 〈…〉 and plainly with the Family We had appâ—rent cause to judg 〈…〉 work did stick on their part considering how Popishly they had been brought up what profane Lives they had led Yea how 〈…〉 some of them had of their sad Case and how slow they were a consessing what might be hte Causes thereof Some of my Brethren thought it requisice yet to ceal more roughtly wiht shem the elceting some suspition of a Contract with the Devil or of VVichcract even among themselves I confess I was somewhat shy as to further proceeding lest we had not around to go upon lest we should exceed the bounds of our Calling lest we should give the man occasion of Offence yet they offering themselves to trial some trial was made and further as in ended that the thing and themselves might be cleared And in Case of grouned suspicion as to VVitcherast or Imposture the matter must be put into the Magistrates hards who is the Judg in that Case and must do as he sees cause VVe in the use of Spiritual Means are concemed so far as it is a Possession VVe would have proper means used and we would keep our place VVhatever other judge of us Upon the 23d Inslant we again met at Surey on the same occasion and in the same manner I thought the work must be wholly devolved upon me but one of my Brethren came in for my help about the middle of the Exercise I had laboured to work to me Serse upon the Youth as to his Case But alas to little purpose So that I much feared the total and find giving of him up to Satan in the worse sense The D … iâ— did 〈◊〉 him very strangly in his Fits so that he did Feats above his own Skill and Strength undoubtedly yea it 's altogether worderful that his Head was not dasht in pieces and his Spirits quite spen yet then his Body was in as good a case if not better than ever The Doubt and Distraction about our Duty in this Case did much exercise me Lâ—w Sâ—veriâ—ies being so foreign to my Spirit and Calling So that the Morning after I was pressed more than ordinary concerning it yea in some Agony about it O the wrestlings I then had more especially Upon the 6th of February we again met the Surey upon the same account I was then wholly faild by my Brethren through their other occasions as I suppos but the Lord he ped in asi the Work The Youth had been free from any cnsiderable Fit for a Fortnight so that they seem'd to be wearing off In his last Fit he further spake of things done at a distance and at the same i me when a doing Upon the 20th Instant there was again a more full meeting of Ministers at Surey upon the occasion aforesaid Tho' the D'scouragements from many others were very great I then finish'd that Discourse upon 2 Cor. 11.3 At the close of the Exercise we found the Youth some what mroe ingenuous towards us tho his Father bewrayed more Disingenuity The Youth took occasion ro confess further to me that after the aforesaid drunken Fit upon James-Tide was Twelve-month and the Dancing Humour he was then in he had the Apparition of a Man's Head all along in the way as he went to Westby hall as it 's commonly call'd the Week after When he came thither he wrought hard at the Hay and was taken with an unusual Merriness in the Evening of the same Day He made himself drunk again as he confessed and in his Drink he was transported into such an heighth of Profaneness as did astonish the By-standers