this to be written upon his Tomb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was able to do all things Monstrous Ambition Mr. Baker 's Flores 79. Similius being buried in the Cares of the Court and living rather for his Emperor's sake than for his own caused this Inscription to be put upon his Tomb. Here lies Similius an Old Man of Seven Years of Age. 80. Adrian appointed this to be his Epitaph Adrianus Sixtus hic situs est qui nihil sibi infoelicius in vitâ duxit quam quod regnaverat Here lies Adrianus Sixtus who never thought any thing so unhappy to him in his Life as his Reigning Mr. Barker 's Flores 81. I have read of the People called Sicyonians that they would have no Epitaph written upon the Tombs of their Kings but only their Names that they might have no Honour but what did result from their Merits Mr. Barker 's Flores 82. Earl Morton put this Epitaph upon John Knox his Tomb. Here lieth the Body of that Man who in his life-time never feared the Face of any Man Mr. Barker's Flores 83. Semiramis ordered this to be written upon her Tomb. If any King stand in need of Money let him break open this Monument Hereupon Darius ransack'd the Tomb and found within another Writing Hadst thou not been unsatiably Covetous thou wouldst never have invaded thus the Monument of the Dead And so went away ashamed Mr. Barker 's Flores 84. On Sardanapalus's Tomb by his own appointment was written So much I had as I eat and drank Chetwind 's Hist Collections 85. A Monk bestows this Epitaph on Wickliff The Devil's Instrument Churches Enemy Peoples Confusion Hereticks Idol Hypocrites Mirror Schismes Broacher Hatred's Sower Lyes Forger Flattery 's Sink who at his Death despaired like Cain and stricken by the horrible Judgment of God breathed forth his wicked Soul to the dark Mansions of the black Devil-Whereby God's Children may learn not to regard while they live the Malice nor to expect after their Death ought else but the slanderous rancour of the wicked Speed's Hist p. 622. 86. One John Child a Gentleman Hunting in the depth of Winter in Dartmore Forest in Devonshire lost both his Company and his Way in a bitter Snow and to preserve himself from perishing with extream Cold he killed his Horse and crept into his Bowels for warmth and wrote the following Verses with the Blood He that finds and brings me to my Tomb The Land of Plinistock shall be his doom That Night he was frozen to Death and being soon after found by some Monks of Tavestock Abbey the Abbot of Tavestock having caused him to be decently buried got that Rich Manor See a Book called Mankind displayed Some Remarkable Epitaphs now to be found in Westminster Abbey Stepney Churchyard and the New Burying-Place in Bunhill-Fields the last of which was inclosed with a Brick-Wall at the sole Charge of the City of London in the Mayoralty of Sir John Lawrence Knight Anno Dom. 1665. And afterwards the Gates thereof were built and finished in the Mayoralty of Sir Thomas Bloudworth Anno Dom. 1666. Here lies waiting for the Resurrection of the Just Mary late Wife of John Merrion who died Nov. 25th 1693. in the 26th Year of her Age. From my sad Cradle to my Sable Chest I found few Days of Joy or Months of Rest My Race was short yet tedious ending soon For suddenly my Sun did set at Noon I groan'd for Rest and fell asleep at Even So when I wak'd behold I was in Heaven Weep not dear Husband do not weep no more Because I am not lost but sent before Here lieth the Body of Mrs. Dorcas Bentley the Faithful tender Wife of Johathan Bentley Citizen and Watch-maker of London who lived much desired and died much lamented Aug. 3. 1693. My Dear Thy zealous care to serve thy God And constant Love to Husband dear Thy harmless Heart to every one Remains still tho' thy Corps lie here J. B. Mary Morris died Novemb. 13th Aged Three Quarters of a Year and Nine Days 1695. If I cou'd ever write a lasting Verse It shou'd be laid Dear Saint upon thy Herse Ah beauteous Blossom too untimely dead Whither Oh whither is thy sweetness fled Where are the Charms that always did arise From the prevailing Language of thy Eyes Here lies Interred the Body of Mr. Edward Bagshaw Minister of the Gospel who received from God Faith to embrace it Courage to defend it And Patience to suffer for it When by the most despised and by many persecuted esteeming the Advantage of Birth Education and Learning all Emiaâ—â—t in him as things of worth to be accounted loss for the Knowledge of Christ from the Reproaches of pretended Friends and Prosecutions of professed Adversaries he took Sanctuary by the Will of God in Eternal Rest 28th of December 1671. Here also lies the Body of Mrs. Margaret Wife of Mr. Edward Bagshaw who departed this Life 20th of February 1692. Here the Wicked cease from troubling and here the weary be at rest Here the Prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the Oppressor Upon a Stone adjoyning to Stepney Church is writ Of Carthage great I was a stone Oh Mortals read with pity Time levels all and spareth none Man Mountain Town nor City Therefore Oh Mortals all bethink You whereunto you must Since now such stately Buildings lie Buried in the Dust An Odd Epitaph on Will. Wheatly Whoever treadeth on this stone Pray now tread most neatly For underneath this stone here lies Your honest Friend Will. Wheatly Here lieth Interred the Body of Mary Wife of Captain Malachy Simons Mariner who departed this Life the 29th of June Anno Dom. 1677. Aged 50. Rest thou whose Rest gives me a restless Life Because I 've lost a kind and vertuous Wife I 'll visit thee and when I leave this Light Come spend my time in the same Cell at Night Till then farewel farewel I cannot take A final leave until thy Ashes wake Here lieth Interred the Body of Dame Rebecca Berry the Wife of Thomas Elton of Stratford Bow Gent. who departed this Life April 26. 1696. Aged 52. Come Ladies ye that wou'd appear Like Angels fair come dress ye here Come dress you at this Marble stone And make that humble Grace your own Which once adorn'd as fair a Mind As ere yet lodg'd in Womankind So she was dress'd whose humble Life Was free from Pride was free from Strife Free from all envious Brawls and Jars Of Humane Life the Civil Wars These ne'er disturb'd her Peaceful Mind Which still was gentle still was kind Her very looks her garb her meen Disclos'd the humble Soul within Trace her through every Scene of Life View her as Widow Virgin Wife Still the same humble she appears The same in Youth the same in Years The same in low in high estate Ne'er vex'd with this ne'er mov'd with that Go Ladies now and if you 'd be As fair as great as good as
her in the bewitching of Peter and John Newman At another time she was carried to a Meeting in the Night to a green place near Marnhull as she was then told where were present Ann Bishop Eliz. Style Mary Penny and some unknown to her Then also an Image in Wax was Baptized by the Devil in the fore-related manner by the Name of Ann or Rachel Hatcher one of Marnhull as she was then informed After the Ceremony was ended they had Wine Cakes c. She likewise confesseth that she was at another such Meeting where twelve Persons were present many of whom were unknown to her but she took notice of one lame Man in blackish hair among them and of the Devil as before She saith that after their Meetings they all make very low Obeysance to the Devil who appears in black Cloaths and a little Band. He bids them welcome at their coming and brings Wine or Beer Cakes Meat or the like He sits at the higher end and usually Ann Bishop sits next him They Eat Drink Dance and have Musick At their parting they use to say Merry meet Merry part and that before they are carried to their Meetings their Foreheads are anointed with greenish Oyl that they have from the Spirit which smells raw They for the most part are carried in the Air. As they pass they say Thou tout a tout tout throughout and about Passing back they say Rentum Tormentum and another word which she doth not remember She confesseth that her Familiar doth commonly suck her right breast about Seven at Night in the shape of a little Cat of a dunnish Colour which is as smooth as a Want and when she is suck'd she is in a kind of a Trance That she hurt Thomas Garret's Cows because he refused to write a Petition for her That she hurt Thomas Conway by putting a Dish into his hand which Dish she had from the Devil she gave it him to give his Daughter for good hansel That she hurt Dorothy the Wife of George Wining by giving an Iron slate to put into her Steeling Box. That being angry with Edith Wats the Daughter of Edmond Wats for treading on her foot she cursed Edith with a Pox on you and after touched her which hath done the said Edith much harm for which she is sorry That being provoked by Swanton's first Wife she did before her Death curse her with a A Pox on you believes she did thereby hurt her but denies she did bewitch Mr. Swanton's Cattle She saith that when the Devil doth any thing for her she calls for him by the Name of Robin upon which he appears and when in the shape of a Man she can hear him speak but his Voice is very low He promised her when she made her contract with him that she should want nothing but ever since she hath wanted all things Taken before me Rob. Hunt The Witnesses were Thomas Conway of Wincaunton in the County of Somerset Mary his Wife Edward Wats of Wincaunton in the aforesaid County 11. Anno 1664. Christian the Wife of Robert Green of Brewham in the County of Somerset Aged about thirty three years being examined before the aforesaid Robert Hunt Esq made this confession as follows That about a year and a half since she being in great Poverty one Catherine Green of Brewham told her that if she would she might be in a better condition and then perswaded her to make a Covenant with the Devil Being afterwards together in one Mr. Hussey's ground in Brewham Forrest about Noon Catherine called for the Devil who appeared in the shape of a Man in blackish Cloaths and said somewhat to Catherine which Christian could not hear After which the Devil as she conceived him told the Examinant that she should want neither Cloaths Victuals nor Money if she would give her Body and Soul to him keep his Secrets and suffer him to suck her once in twenty four hours which at last upon his and Catherine Green's perswasion she yielded to then the Man in black prickt the fourth Finger of her Right hand between the middle and upper joynts where the Sign yet remains and took two drops of her Blood on his Finger giving her four-pence-half-penny with which she after bought bread in Brewham The he spake again in private with Catherine and Vanished leaving a smell of Brimstone behind Since that time the Devil she saith hath and doth usually suck her left Breast about five of the Clock in the Morning in the likeness of an Hedg-hog bending and did so on Wednesday Morning last She saith it is painful to her and that she is usually in a Trance when she is suckt She saith also that Catherine Green and Margaret Agar of Brewham have told her that they are in Covenant with the Devil and confesseth that she hath been at several Meetings in the Night at Brewham Common and in a Ground of Mr. Hussey's that she hath there met with Catherine Green and Margaret Agar and three or four times with Mary Warberton of Brewham that in all those Meetings the Devil hath been present in the shape of a Man in black Cloaths at their first coming he bids them welcome but always speaks very low That at a Meeting about three Weeks or a Month since at or near the former place Margaret Agar brought thither an Image in Wax for Elizabeth the Wife of Andrew Cornish of Brewham and the Devil in the shape of a Man in black Cloaths did Baptize it and after stuck a Thorn into its Head that Agar stuck one into its Stomach and Catherine Green one into its Side She further saith that before this time Agar said to her this Examinant that she would hurt Eliz. Cornish who since the Baptizing of the Picture hath been taken and continues very ill She saith that three or four days before Jos Talbot of Brewham Died Margaret Agar told her that she would rid him out of the World because he being Overseer of the Poor he made her Children to go to Service and refused to give them such good Cloaths as she desired And since the Death of Talbot she confessed to the Examinant that she had bewitcht him to Death He died about a year since was taken ill on Friday and Died about Wednesday after That her Mother-in-Law Catharine Green about five or six years ago was taken in a strange manner One day one Eye and Cheek did swell another day another and so she continued in great pain till she died Upon her Death she several times said in the hearing of the Examinant that her Sister-in-Law Catharine Green had bewitched her and the Examinant believes that she bewitcht her to Death That a little before Michaelmas last the said Catharine Cursed the Horses of Rob. Walter of Brewham saying a murrain on them Horses to Death Upon which the Horses being three all died Taken before me Robert Hunt 12. In 1665. Margaret Agar of Brewham in the aforesaid County
that time as he told his Son a very wicked Boy 21. John Evelyn shewed us at the Royal Society a Note under Mr. Smyth's Hand the Curate of Deptford that in November 1679 as he was in Bed sick of an Ague came to him the vision of a Master of Arts with a white Wand in his Hand and told him That if he did lie on his back three Hours viz. from ten to one that he should be rid of his Ague He lay a good while on his Back but at last being weary he turned and immediately the Ague attacked him afterwards he strictly followed the Direction and was perfectly cured He was awake and it was in the Day-time 22. A Dutch Prisoner at Woodbridge in Suffolk in the Reign of Charles II. could discern Spirits but others that stood by could not The Bell tolled for a Man newly deceased The Prisoner saw his Phantome and did describe him to the Parson of the Parish who was with him exactly agreeing with the Man for whom the Bell tolled Says the Prisoner now he is coming near to you and now he is between you and the Wall the Parson was resolved to try it and went to take the Wall of him and was thrown down but could see nothing This Story is credibly told by several Persons of Belief Dr. Hooke the Parson of the Parish has often told this Story of which I know many more particulars 23. Vavasor Powell saw several Apparitions See page 8. of his Life As concerning Apparitions of a Man 's own self there are sundry Instances some whereof I shall here set down 24. The Beautiful Lady Diana Rich Daughter of the Earl of Holland as she was walking in her Father's Garden at Kensington to take the fresh Air before Dinner about Eleven a Clock being then very well met with her own Apparition Habit and every thing as in a Looking-Glass About a Month after she died of the Small-pox And 't is said that her Sister the Lady Isabelta Thinne saw the like of her self also before she died This Account I had from a Person of Honour 25. Mrs. E. W. Daughter of Sir W. W. affirms that Mrs. J. her Father's Sister saw her self i. e. her Phantome half a Year before she died or a quarter of an Hour together She said further that her Aunt was sickly Fourteen Years before she died and that she walked Living i. e. her Apparition and that she was seen by several at the same time The like is reported of others 26. Mr. Trehern B. D. Chaplain to Sir Orlando Bridgman Lord Keeper a Learned and sober Person was the Son of a Shoe-maker in Hereford One Night as he lay in Bed the Moon shining very bright he saw the Phantome of one of the Apprentices sitting in a Chair in his red Wastcoat and Head-band about his head and Strap upon his Knee which Apprentice was really a Bed and asleep with another Fellow-Apprentice in the same Chamber and saw him 27. When Sir Richard Nepier M. D. of London was upon the Road coming from Bedfordshire the Chamberlain of the Inn shewed him his Chamber the Doctor saw a dead Man lying upon the Bed He look'd more wistly and saw it was himself He was then well enough in Health He goes forward in his Journey to Mr. Steward's in Berkshire and there died This Account I have in a Letter from Elias Ashmole Esquire They were intimate Friends Thus far Mr. Aubery CHAP. V. Revelation of secret or future Things by express Voice BY this Title I do not mean any Declarations Discoveries Confessions or Predictions made by any Person living but only such as are uttered either with only an audible Voice alone or with a Voice proceeding from some Phantasm or Apparition either in the likeness of some deceased Person Friend or Relation or of some Ghost dressed up in the Figure of some Animal that we are generally acquainted with as the Serpent to Eve the Ass to Balaan c. Histories are full of Testimonies and Instances of this kind to enquire after all would be a wild Chase and nauseous to the Reader as well as laborious to the Writer We will call a few out of many for a Specimen which will give such a lustre to the Theme we are upon that will certainly run us up in our Meditations and Searches to Digitus Dei the Finger of God as having a signal stroke in all such Voices and Occurrences as cannot with any shew of Reason be imputed or ascribed to any Inarticulate Inorganical Irrational Being which yet appears to be the only Immediate Instrument they proceed fro◠1. In Jerusalem before the Destruction of it by Titus Vespasian at the Feast of Pentecost the High-Priest entering into the Temple to offer the usual Sacrifices which at that time God regarded no more there was a sudden Noise heard and a Voice immediately following it which said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us depart hence Gaffarella's unheard of Curios Part 2. Ch. 3. out of Josephus Besides we know that our blessed Saviour had by express Words Predicted the same dismal Calamity to that place and People with a particulat notation of the Time when it should happen viz. before the then present Generation should be passed away 2. An Inhabitant of the Town of Guilford in Surrey who was possest of some Copy-hold Land which was to descend to his Children or in default of such Issue to his Brother dies having no Child born And his Wife apprehending her self not to be with Child which her Husbands Brother asked her immediately after his Brother's death she told him she believed she was not but afterward proved to be Which when she knew she went by the instigation of Neighbours to her Brother and told him how it was with her He railed at her called her Whore and told her That she had procured some Body to g et her with Child knowing that such a Field must be Inherited by the Posterity of her Husband but her whoring should not fool him out of the Estate The poor Woman went home troubled that not only her Child should lose the Land but which was worse that she should be thought a Whore However she quieted her self and resolved to sit down with the loss When her times came she was delivered of a Son he grew up and one Summer's Night as she was undressing him in her Yard her Husband appeared and bid her go to his Brother and demand the Field which she did but was treated very ill by him He told her That neither she nor her Devil for she had told him her Husband appeared and bid her speak to him should make him forego his Land Whereupon she went home again But some time after as her Brother was going out of this Field home-ward the dead Man appears to him at the Stile and bids him give up the Land to the Child for it was his Right The Brother being greatly frighted at this runs away and not long
after comes to her and tells her she had sent the Devil to him and bids her take the Land and so gave it up and her Son is now possest of it His Name is Mat. he lived in the Service of Mr. Reading's Brother for some Years but he has forgot his Sir-name though he knows him very well Related in a Letter of Dr. Ezekias Burton to Dr. H. More Mr. Glanvil's Saducism Triumph p. 417. 3. Dr. Bretton late Rector of Ludgate and Deptford lived-formerly in Herefordshire and married the Daughter of Dr. S. This Gentlewoman was a Person of extraordinary Piety which she expressed as in her Life so at her Death She had a Maid that she had a great kindness for who was Married to a near Neighbour whose Name as I remember was Alice Not long after her death as Alice was rocking her Infant in the Night she was called from the Cradle by a knocking at the Door which opening she was surprised at the sight of a Gentlewoman not to be distinguished from her late Mistress neither in Person nor Habit. She was in a Morning Gown the same in appearance with that she had often seen her Mistress wear At first sight she expressed very great Amazement and said Were not my Mistress dead I should not question but that you are she She replied I am the same that was your Mistress and sook her by the Hand Which Alice affirmed was as cold as a Clod. She added That she had Business of great Importance to imploy her in and that she must immediately go a little way with her Alice trembled and beseecht her to excuse her and intreated her very importunately to go to her Master who must needs be more fit to be employed â—he answered That he who was her Husband was not at all concerned but yet she had a desire rather to make use of him and in order thereunto had several times been in his Chamber but he was still asleep nor had she power to do more than once uncover his Feet towards the awakning of him And the Dr. said That he had heard a walking in his Chamber in the Night which till now he could give no account of Alice next objected That her Husband was gone a Journey and she had no one to look to her Child that it was very apt to cry vehemently and she feared if it awaked before her return it would cry it self to death or do it self mischief The Spectre replyed The Child shall sleep till you return Alice seeing there was no avoiding it sorely against her will followed her over a Stile into a large Field who then said to her Observe how much of this Field I measure with my Feet And when she had taken a good large and leasurely compass she said All this brlongs to the Poor it being gotten from them by wrongful means And charged her to go and tell her Brother whose it was at that time that he should give it up to the Poor again forthwith as he loved her and his deceased Mother This Brother was not the Person who did this unjust Act but his Father She added That she was the more concerned because her Name was made use of in some Writing that related to this Land Alice ask'd her How she should satisfie her Brother that this was no Cheat or delusion of her Fancy She replyed Tell him this Secret which he knows that only himself and I are privy to and he will believe you Alice having promised her to go on this Errand she proceeded to give her good Advice and entertained her all the rest of the Night with most heavenly and divine Discourse When the Twi-light appeared they heard the Whistling of Carters and the noise of House-Bells whereupon the Spectre said Alice I must be seen by none but your self and so she disappeared Immediately Alice makes all haste home being thoughtful for her Child but found it as the Spectre had said asleep as she left it When she had dressed it and committed it to the care of a Neighbour away she went to her Master the Doctor who amazed at the account she gave him sent her to his Brother-in-Law He at first hearing Alice's Story and Message laughed at it heartily but she had no sooner told him the secret but he changed his Countenance told her he would give the Poor their own and accordingly he did it and they now enjoy it This with more Circumstances hath several times been related by Dr. Bretton himself who was well known to be a Person of great Goodness and Sincerity He gave a large Narrative of this Apparition of his Wife to two of my Friends First to one Mrs. Needham and afterwards a little before his Death to Dr. Whichcot Some Years after I received the fore-going Narrative viz. near four Years since I light into the company of three sober Persons of good Rank who all lived in the City of Hereford and I travelled in a Stage Coach three days with them To them I happened to tell this Story but told it was done at Deptford for so I presumed it was because I knew that Dr. Bretton lived there They told me as soon as I had concluded it that the Story was very true in the main only I was out as to the place for it was not Deptford but as I remember they told me Pembridge near Hereford where the Dr. was Minister before the Return of the King And they assured me upon their own knowledge that to that Day the Poor enjoyed the piece of Ground They added That Mrs. Bretton's Father could never endure to hear any thing mentioned of his Daughters appearing after her death but would still reply in great anger That it was not his Daughter but it was the Devil So that he acknowledged that something appeared in the likeness of his Daughter This is Attested by me this 16th of Febr. 1681. Edward Fowler This Narrative was sent to Dr. H. More from Mr. Edward Fowler Prebendary of Gloucester Glanv Sad. Triumph p. 419. 4. These Relations seem strange indeed but was it now as strange that Constantine the Great praying earnestly to God should see the sign of the Cross figured in the Air with an Inscription in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hoc vince by this overcome And yet Eusebius Reports it in these words While the Emperour was thus earnestly praying unto God and besought him that he would reveal himself to him and that he would assist him in his purposes and resolutions while he was thus earnestly at his Prayers a divine and wonderful Vision appeared unto him which was scarce credible if himself had not related it But seeing this victorious Emperour did with an Oath confirm it to be true when he related it to me who intended to write his History long after when taking notice of me he admitted me to familiar Conference with him who can doubt of the Truth of his Relation which even then was seen and admired
speedy approaching of his final Destruction Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 32. 8. John Knox to the Earl of Morton who came to visit him in his Sickness said my Lord GOD hath given you many Blessings Wisdom Honour Nobility Riches many good and great Friends and he is now about to prefer you to the Government of the Realm the Earl of Marr the late Regent being newly dead in His Name I charge you use these Blessings better than formerly you have done seeking first the Glory of God the Furtherance of his Gospel the Maintenance of his Church and Ministry and then be careful of the King to procure his Good and the Welfare of the Realm if you do thus God will be with you and honour you if otherwise he will deprive you of all these Benefits and your end shall be Shame and Ignominy These Speeches the Earl call'd to mind about nine Years after at the time of his Execution saying That he had found John Knox to be a Prophet Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 322. 9. The same Knox a day or two before his Death calling Mr. Lindsey and Mr. Lawson to him the two Preachers of the Church said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly you have some time seen the Courage and Constancy of the Laird of Graing in the cause of God and now that unhapyy Man is casting himself away I pray you go to him from me and tell him that unless he forsake that wicked Course that he is in the Rock wherein he confides shall not defend him nor the Carnal Wisdom of the Man which he counts half a God which was young Leskington shall yeild him Help but he shall be shamefully pull'd out of that Nest and his Carcass hung before the Sun meaning the Castle which he kept against the King's Authority for his Soul is dear to me and if it were possible I would fain have him saved Accordingly they went to him conferr'd with him but could by no means divert him from his course But as Knox had foretold so the Year after his Castle was taken and his Body was there publickly hang'd before the Sun yet he did at his Death express a serious Repentance Ibid. p. 323. 10. How Mr. Dod by a secret Impulse of Spirit went at an unseasonable time to visit a Neighbour whom he found with a Halter in his Pocket going to hang himself and by such a seasonable Visit prevented his Death See elsewhere in this Book 11. Dr. Bernard in the Life of Arch-bishop Vsher tells us That the Bishop himself had confessed in his Hearing that oftentimes in his Sermons he found such warm Motions and Impulses upon his Mind to utter some things which he had not before intended to deliver or not to deliver with so much Briskness and Peremptoriness that he could not easily put them by without present Expression and Delivery I remember not the Doctor 's words but of this nature were those remarkable Predictions of his concerning the Massacre in Ireland and his own Poverty c. which because I have not Bishop Vsher's Life by me written by Dr. Bernard take out of Mr. Clark Upon the Suspension of the Statute in Ireland against the Toleration of Papists Preaching before the State at Dublin making Application of that Text Ezek. c. 4. v. 6. where the Prophet by lying on his Side was to bear the Iniquity of Judah for 40 days I have appointed thee saith the Lord each day for a year This saith he by the Consent of Interpreters signifies the time of 40 Years to the Destruction of Jerusalem and of that Nation for their Idolatry and so said he will I teckon from this Year the Sin of Ireland and at the end of the time those whom you now embace shall be your Ruin and you shall bear this Iniquity wherein he prov'd a Prophet For this was delivered by him A. C. 1601. and A. C. 1641. was the Irish Massacre and Rebellion and what a continued Expectation he had of a grat Judgment upon his Native Country I saith Dr. Bernard can witness from the year 1624. Clark in his Life Dr. Bernard I remember makes this Remark upon that Sermon that it was the last the Bishop wrote at length and it was dated with a particular Notion of the Day and Year He foretold likewise his own future Poverty when he was in his greatest Prosperity and spoke before many Witnesses 1624. repeated it often afterwards that he was perswaded that the greatest Shake to the Reformed Churches was yet to come In short as I said before he often acknowledged that sometimes in his Sermons he was resolved to forbear speaking of some things but it proved like Jeremiah's Fire shut up in his Bones that when he came to it he could not forbear unless he would have stood mute and proceeded no further Ibid. 12. Mr. Hugh Broughton in one of his Sermons 1588. when the Spanish Navy was upon the Sea and Men's Hearts were full of Fears of the Event Now saith he the Papists Knees knock one against another as the Knees of King Belshazzar did and News will come that the Lord hath scatter'd that Invincible Navy Fear ye not nor be dismay'd at these smoaking Firebrands In his Life p. 2. 13. Bishop Jewel crossing the Thames when on a sudden at the rising of a Tempest all were astonished looking for nothing but to be drowned assured Bishop Ridley that the Boat carry'd a Bishop that must be burnt and not drowned In Bishop Jewel's Life 14. Mrs. Katherine Stubs after she had Conceived with Child of a Daughter three or four Years after Marriage said many times to her Husband and others That that Child would be her Death She was delivered safely within a Fortnight and was able to go abroad but presently after fell sick of a Burning Quotidian Ague of which she died See her Life 15. Impulses Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq Oliver Cromwell had certainly this Afflatus One that I knew that was at the Battle of Dunbar told me that Oliver was carried on with a Divine Impulse he did Laugh so excessively as if he had been drunk his Eyes sparkled with Spirits He obtain'd a great Victory but the Action was said to be contrary to Humane Prudence The same fit of Laughter seiz'd Oliver Cromwell just before the Battle of Naseby as a Kinsman of mine and a great Favourite of his Collonel J. P. then present testified 16. King Charles the I. after he was Condemn'd did tell Collonel Thomlinson that he believed That the English Monarchy was at an end About half an Hour after he told the Collonel That now he had an Assurance by a strong Impulse on his Spirit that his Son should Reign after him This Information I had from Fabian Philips Esq of the Inner-Temple who had good Authority for the Truth of it I have forgot who it was 17. The Lord Roscomon being a Boy of Ten Years of Age at Caen in Normandy one day was
pass by an Instance I have from a very honest Man in the next Parish who told me it himself That his Wife being big with Child near her Delivery he buys half a Dozen of Boards to make her a Bed against the time she lay in The Boards lying at the Door of his House there comes an old Fisher-woman yet alive and asked him whose were those Boards He told her they were his own She asked him again For what use he had them He replied For a Bed She again said Intend them for what you please she saw a dead Corps lying on them and that they would be a Coffin which struck the honest Man to the Heart fearing the death of his Wife But when the old Woman went off he calls presently for a Carpenter to make the Bed which was accordingly done but shortly after the honest Man had a Child died whose Coffin was made of the ends of those Boards 27. I shall tell you what I have had from one of the Masters of our College here a North-Country-man both by Birth and Education in his younger Years who made a Journey in the Harvest-time into the Shire of Ross and at my Desire made some Enquiry there concerning the Second-sight He reports That there they told him many Instances of this Knowledge which he had forgotten except two The first one of his Sisters a young Gentlewoman staying with a Friend at some 30 Miles distance from her Father's House and the ordinary place of her Residence One who had the Second-sight in the Family where she was saw a young Man attending her as she went up and down the House and this was about Three Months before her Marriage The second is a Woman in that Country who is reputed to have the Second-sight and declared that eight Days before the Death of a Gentleman there she saw a Bier or Coffin cover'd with a Cloth she knew carried as it were to the place of Burial and attended with a great Company one of which told her it was the Corps of such a Person naming that Gentleman who died Eight Days after Those that have this Faculty of the Second-sight see only things to come which are to happen shortly thereafter and sometimes foretel things which fall out Three or Four Years after For instance 28. One told his Master that he saw an Arrow in such a Man thorough his Body and yet no Blood came out His Master told him that it was impossible an Arrow should stick in a Man's body and no blood come out and if that came to pass he would be deem'd an Impostor But about five or six Years after the Man died and being brought to his Burial-place there arose a Debate anent his Grave and it came to such a height that they drew Arms and bended their Bows and one letting off an Arrow shot thro' the dead Body upon the Bier-trees and so no Blood could issue out at a dead Man's Wound Part of a Letter written to Mr. Aubrey by a Gentleman's Son in Straths-pey being a Student in Divinity Sir I am more willing than able to satisfie your Desire As for Instances I could furnish many I shall only insert some few attested by several of good Credit yet alive 29. And first Andrew Mackpherson of Clunie in Badenoch being in sute of the Laird of Gareloch's Daughter as he was upon a day going to Garloch the Lady Garloch was going somewhere from her House within kenning to the Road which Clunie was coming the Lady perceiving him said to her Attendants that yonder was Clunie going to see his Mistress One in her Company replied and said If you be he unless he marry within six Months he 'll never marry The Lady asked how did he know that He said very well for I see him saith he all inclosed in his Winding-Sheet except his Nostrils and his Mouth which will also close up within Six Months which happened even as he foretold within the said space he died and his Brother Duncan Mackpherson this present Clunic succeeded I have heard of a Gentleman whose Son had gone abroad and being Anxious to know how he was he went to consult one who told him that that same day 5 a Clock in the Afternoon his Son had married a Woman in France with whom he had got so many Thousand Crowns and within Two Years he should come to see Eather and Friends leaving his Wife with Child of a Daughter and a Son of six Months of Age behind him which accordingly was true About the same time two Years he came home and verified all that was soretold 30. One Archibald Mackeanyers alias Mackdonald living in Ardinmurch within 10 or 20 Miles or thereby of Glencoe and I was present my self where he foretold something which accordingly fell out In 1683 this Man being in Strathspey in John Mackdonald of Glencoe his Company told in Balachastell before the Laird of Grant his Lady and several others and also in my Father's House that Argyle few or none knew then where he was or at least there was no word of him then here should within two Twelvemonths thereafter come to the West-Highlands and raie a Rebellious Faction wh ich would be divided among themselves and disperse and he unfortunately be taken and Beheaded at Edinburgh and his Head set upon the Talbooth where his Father's Head was before him Which proved as true as he foretold it in 1685. thereafter 31. There as a young Lady of great Birth whom a Rich Knight fancied and came in sute of the Lady but she could not endure to fancy him being a harsh and unpleasant Man But her Friends importuning her daily she turned melancholy and lean Fasting and Weeping continually A common Fellow about the House meeting her one Day in the Fields asked her saying Mrs. Kate What is that that troubles you and makes you look so ill She replied That the Cause is known to many for my Friends would have me marry such a Man by Name but I cannot fancy him Nay says the Fellow give over these Niceties for he will be your first Husband and will not live long and besure he will leave you a rich Dowry which will procure you a great Match for I see a Lord upon each Shoulder of you All which came to pass in every Circumstance as Eye and Ear can witness 32. Near 40 Years ago Macklend and his Lady Sister to my Lord Seaforth were walking about their own House and in their Return both came into the Nurses Chamber where their young Child as on the Breast At their coming in the Nurse falls a weeping they asked the cause dreading the Child was sick or that she was scarce of Milk The Nurse replied the Child was well and she had abundance of Milk yet she still wept and being pressed to tell what ailed her she at last said Macklend would die and the Lady would shortly marry another Man Being enquired how she knew that Event she told
preparing that we may be ready to die Therefore oh my God I humbly pray receive my Soul by thy free Mercy in Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer for Christ hath died for me and for all my Sins in this World committed My great God hath given me long Life and therefore I am now willing to die Oh Jesus Christ help my Soul and save my Soul I believe that my Sickness doth not arise out of the Dust nor cometh at peradventure but God sendeth it Job 5.6 7. By this Sickness God calleth me to repent of all my Sins and to believe in Christ now I confess my self a great Sinner Oh pardon me and help me for Christ his sake Lord thou callest me with a double Calling sometimes by Prosperity and Mercy sometimes by Affliction And now thou callest me by Sickness but let me not forget thee O my God For those that forget thy Name thou wilt forsake them As Psalm 9.17 All that forget God shall be cast into Hell therefore let me not forget thee Oh my God I give my Soul to thee Oh my Redeemer Jesus Christ pardon all my Sins and deliver me from Hell Oh do thoa help me against Death and then I am willing to die and when I die 〈◊〉 help me and receive me In so saying he died 39. Plaâ—bohon He was the second Man next Waban what received the Gospel he brought with him to the second Meeting at Wabay's House many when we formed them into Government he was chosen Ruler of Ten when the Church at Hassenamessit was gather'd he was called to be a Ruler then in that Church when that was scatter'd by the War they came back to Natick Church so many as survived and at Natick he died His Speech as followeth I rejoyce and am content and willing to take up my Sorrows and Sickness many are the Years of my Life long have I lived therefore now I look to die But I desire to prepare my self to die well I believe God's Promise that he will for ever save all that believe in Jesus Christ. Oh Lord Jesus help me deliver me and save my Soul from Hell by thine own Blood which thou hast shed for me when thou didest die for me and for all my Sins Now help me sincerely to confess all my Sins Oh pardon all my Sins I now beg in the Name of Jesus Christ a Pardon for all my Sins for thou O Christ art my Redeemer and Deliverer Now I hear God's Word and I do rejoyce in what I hear tho' I do not see yet I hear and rejoyce that God hath confirmed for us a Minister in this Church of Natick he is our VVatchman And all you People deal well with him both Men VVomen and Children hear him every Sabbath Day and make strong your praying to God and all you of Hassaunemesue restore your Church and Praying to God there Oh Lord help me to make ready to die and then receive my Soul I hope I shall die well by the help of Jesus Christ Oh Jesus Christ deliver and save my Soul in everlasting Life in Heaven for I do hope thou art my Saviour Oh Jesus Christ. So he died 40. Old Jacob He was among the first that pray'd to God he had so good a Memory that he could rehearse the whole Catechize both Questions and Answers when he gave thanks at Meat he would sometimes only pray the Lord's Prayer his Speech is as followeth My Brethren now hear me a few Words stand fast all you People in your praying to God according to that Word o God 1 Cor. 16.13 Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit you like Men and be strong in the Lord. Especially you that are Rulers and Teachers Fear not the Face of Man when you Judge in a Court together help one another agree together Be not divided one against another remember the Parable of ten Brethren that held together they could not be broken nor overcome but when they divided one against another then they were easily overcome and all you that are Rulers judge right Judgment for you do not judge for Man but for God in your Courts 2 Chron. 19.6 7. Therefore judge in the fear of God Again You that are Judges see that ye have not only Humane Wisdom for Mans Wisdom is in many things contrary to the Wisdom of God counting it to be foolishness Do not judge that right which only seemeth to be right and consider Matth. 7.1 2. Judge right and God will be with you when you so do Again I say to you all the People make strong your Praying to God and be constant in it 1 Thess 5.17 Pray continually Again lastly I say to you Daniel our Minister be strong in your Work As Mat. 5.14 16. You must bring Light into the World and make it to shine that all may see your good Work and glorifie your Heavenly Father Every Preacher that maketh strong his Work doth bring precious Pearls As Matth. 13.52 And thou shalt have Everlasting Life in so doing I am near to Death I have lived long enough I am about 90 Years old I now desire to die in the presence of Christ Oh Lord I commit my Soul to thee 41. Antony He was among the first that prayed to God he was studious to read the Scriptures and the Catechism so that he learned to be a Teacher but after the Wars he became a Lover of strong Drink was often admonished and finally cast out from being a Teacher His Dying Speeches follow I am a Sinner I do now confess it I have long prayed to God but it hath been like an Hypocrite tho' I was a confessing Church-Member yet like an Hypocrite tho' I was a Teacher yet like a Backsliding Hypocrite I was often drunk Love of strong Drink is a lust I could not overcome tho' the Church did often admonish me and I confessed and they â—orgave me yet I fell again to the same Sin tho' Major Gookins and Mr. Eliot often admonished me I confessed they were willing to forgive me yet I fell again Now Death calls for me and I desire to prepare to die well I say to you Daniel beware that you love not strong Drink as I did and was thereby undone Strengthen your Teaching in and by the word of God take heed that you defile not your work as I did for I defiled my Teaching by Drunkenness Again I say to you my Children forsake not praying to God go not to strange places where they pray not to God but strongly pray to God as long as you live both you and your Children Now I desire to die well tho' I have been a Sinner I remember that word that saith That tho' your Sins be many and great yet God will pardon the Penitent by Jesus Christ our Redeemer Oh Lord save and deliver me by Jesus Christ in whom I believe send thy Angels when I die to bring my poor Soul to thee and save my poor sinful
Tower this Son being at Sea and engaged in the Fight between a Squadron of the Parliament and the Dutch in the Leghorn-Road the Ship wherein he was which I think was the Providence was blown up and it was supposed all the Men lost about a Month or two afterwards the Doctor being at Sir John Robinson's House his Son to the great admiration of his Father and Master came at that instant to them told them that sitting on a Pole upon the Poop by the Flag-staff he was blown up into the Sea and there continued on the Pole till next day when the Dutch found him pitied him and took him aboard with them and so saved him This was related to me by the Worshipful William Garraway of Ford in Sussex Esq 7. The following Relations are to be found in Mr. Mather's Book of Providence Remarkable was that which happened to Jabez MMusgrove of Newbery who being shot by an Indian the Bullet entred in at his Ear and went out at his Eye on the other side of his Head yet the Man was preserved from Death yea and is still in the Land of the Living 8. Remarkable was that Deliverance mentioned by Mr. Janeway wherein that gallant Commander Major Edward Gibbons of Boston in New-England and others were concerned The substance of the Story is this A New-England Vessel going from Boston to some other parts of America was through the Continuance of contrary Winds kept long at Sea so that they were in very great straits for want of Provision and seeing they could not hope for any Relief from Earth or Sea they apply themselves to Heaven in humble and hearty Prayers but no Calm ensuing one of them made this sorrowful motion that they should cast Lots which of them should die first to satisfie the ravenous Hunger of the rest After many a sad Debate they come to a result the Lot is cast and one of the Company is taken but where is the Executioner to be found to act this Office upon a poor Innocent It is Death now to think who shall act this bloody part in the Tragedy But before they fall upon this in-voluntary Execution they once more went unto their Prayers and while they were calling upon God he answer'd them for there leapt a mighty Fish into the Boat which was a double Joy to them not only in relieving their miserable Hunger which no doubt made them quick Cooks but because they looked upon it to be sent from God and to be a token of their Deliverance But alas their Fish is soon eaten and their former Exigencies come upon them which sink their Spirits into Despair for they know not of another Morsel To Lot they go again the second time which falletn upon another Person but still none can be found to sacrifice him they again send their Prayers to Heaven with all manner of fervency when behold a second Answer from above a great Bird lights and fixes it self upon the Mast which one of the Company espies and he goes and there she stands till he took her with his Hand by the Wing This was Life from the Dead the second time and they feasted themselves herewith as hoping that second Providence was a fore-runner of their compleat Deliverance But they have still the same Disappointments they can see no Land they know not where they are Hunger increaseth again upon them and they have no hopes to be sav'd but by a third Miracle They are reduced to the former course or casting Lots when they were going to the heart-breaking work to put him to death whom the Lot fell upun they go to God their former Friend in Adversity by humble and hearty Prayers and now they look and look again but there is nothing Their Prayers are concluded and nothing appears yet still they hoped and stayed till at last one of them espies a Ship which put new Life into all their Spirits Their bear up with their Vessel they Man their Boar and desire and beg like perishing humble Supplicants to Board them which they are admitted The Vessel proves a French Vessel yea a French Pyrate Major Gibbons petitions them for a little Bread and offers Ship and Cargo for it But the Commander knows the Major from whom he had received some signal Kindnesses formerly at Boston and replied readily and chearfully Major Gibbons not a hair of you or your Company shall perish if it lie in my power to preserve you And accordingly he relieveth them and sets them safe on Shoar 9. Mr. James Janeway hath published several other Remarkable Sea-Deliverances of which some belonging to New-England were the Subjects He relates and I am inform'd that it was really so that a small Vessel the Master's Name Philip Hungare coming upon the Coast of New-England suddenly sprang a Leak and so Foundered In the Vessel there were eighteen Souls twelve of which got into the Long-Boat They threw into the Boat some small matters of Provision but were wholly without Fire These twelve Men sailed five hundred Leagues in this small Boat being by almost miraculons Providences preserved therein for five Weeks together God sent Relief to them by causing some flying Fish to fall into the Boat which they eat raw and well pleased therewith They also caught a Shark and opening his Belly sucked his Blood for Drink At the last the Divine Providence brought them to the West-Indies Some of them were so weak as that they soon died but most of them lived to declare the Works of the Lord. 10. Remarkable is the Preservation of which some belonging to Dublin in Ireland had Experience whom a New-England Vessel providentially met in an open Boat in the wide Sea and saved them from perishing Concerning which memorable Providence I have received the following Narrative A Ship of Dublin burdened about seventy Tuns Andrew Bennet Master being bound from Dublin to Virginia this Vessel having been some Weeks at Sea onward of their Voyage and being in the Latitude of 39. about 150 Leagues distant from Cape-Cod in New-England on April 18. 1681. A day of very stormy Weather and a great Sea suddenly there sprang a Plank in the fore part of the Ship about six a Clock in the Morning whereupon the Water increased so fast in the Ship that all their Endeavouts could not keep her from sinking above half an Hour so when the Ship was just sinking some of the Company resolved to lanch out the Boat which was a small one They did accordingly and the Master the Mate the Boatswain the Cook two Fore-mast-men and a Boy kept such hold of it when a Cast of the Sea suddenly helped them off with it that they got into it The heaving of the Sea now suddenly thrust them from the Ship in which there were left nineteen Souls viz. sixteen Men and three Women who all perished in the mighty Waters while they were trying to make Rafters by cutting down the Masts for the preservation of their Lives as
of it Catesby and the rest posted into Warwickshire and began an open Rebellion being joyned with about Eighty more and so Trooping together broke open the Stables belonging to Warwick-Castle and took thence some great Horses Thence into Worcestershire and so to Staffordshire where they rifled the Lord Windsor's House of all the Armour Shot Powder c. But being pursued by the high Sheriff of Worcestershire and his Men who rush'd in upon them both the Wrights were shot through and slain with one Musquet-Bullet the rest being taken were carry'd Prisoners to London being all the way gaz'd at revil'd and detested by the common People for their horrid and horrible Treason and so at last they receiv'd the just Guerdon of their Wickedness See a fuller Account in Bishop Carleton's Thankful Remembrance of God's Mercy III. In the Reign of King Charles the First 1. Sir John Temple Master of the Rolls and one of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council within the Kingdom of Ireland and who was Father of the present Sir William Temple relates in his History of the Irish Rebellion in 1641. and which History was first Printed in London in 1646. there in P. 16 17 and 18 sets down that the first Plot for the Rebellion carried on with so great Secresie as none of the English had Notice of it before it was ready to be put in Execution and that on the 22d of October 1641. In the very Evening before the Day appointed for a Surprizal of the Castle and City of Dublin Owen O Conall a Gentleman of an Irish Family but one who had been bred a Protestant and who had been drinking that Evening came to the Lord Justice Parsons there about Nine of the Clock and acquainted him with a Conspiracy for the seizing upon His Majesty's Castle of Dublin and the Magazine therein the next day but he did then make such a broken Relation of a Matter that seem'd so incredible in its self as that his Lordship did then give but very little Belief to it at first in regard it came from an obscure Person and one he conceived somewhat distemper'd in Drink but in some Hours after O Conall being somewhat recover'd from his said Distemper was examin'd upon Oath before the Lords Justices and his Examination gave such a particular Account of the Conspiracy and the Conspirators therein that caused the Lords Justices to sit up all that Night in Consultation for the strengthning of the Guards in the Castle of Dublin and likewise of the whole City and for the seizing of the Persons of the Conspirators that the Execution of the Plot was thereby prevented and otherwise the Castle of Dublin had been the next day in the Possession of the Rebels of Ireland and all the Protestants in Dublin had been the next day massacred The Papists planted the Soveraign Drug of Arminianism here in England on purpose to promote Divisions among us and endeavoured to Advance Arbitrary Power and inflame the Puritans as the Author of the History of Popish Sham-Plots from the Reign of Queen Elizabeth tells us out of a Letter sent to the Rector of Brussels And Cardinal Richlieu sent over one Chamberlain hither who for four Months had Consultations with the Jesuits how to stir up the Scots and foment our Broils as may be seen in Dr. Heylin's Life of Archbishop Laud and Habernfeild's Plot c. Or to speak in the very Words of the late Learned Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Barlow When King James slept with his Fathers and was Translated to a better Kingdom out of the reach of Popish Conspirators their Designs slept not they prosecuted their Plots and Conspiracies to Ruin our Church and Establish'd Religion as much in Charles the First as in his Father's time and at last it came to this Issue that other Means failing the King and Arch-Bishop must be taken away This was discover'd by an Honourable Person Andreas ab Habernfeild to the English Embassador Sir W. Boswel at the Hague and by him to the Arch-Bishop and by him to the King and the Original Copy of the Discovery being found in the Arch-Bishop's Library after his Death was then publish'd and is in print in many Hands and among others in mine In the mean time adds my Author the Civil Wars began and our Popish Conspirators are first in Arms and the bloody Rebellion and in Ireland murder'd above 100000 Protestants in cold Blood without any Provocation given but to kill Hereticks which according to them was Lawful and Meritorious And farther when in Process of that fatal Rebellion carry'd on by English and covertly by Popish Rebels that good King was taken and a Council of Priests and Jesuits sitting in London signified the Condition of Affairs here to a Council of their Confederates at Paris and they transmitted the Case to Rome from whence Directions and Commands were return'd back again to London in short it was determined that it was for the Interest of the Catholick Cause that the King shculd die and accordingly their Council of Priests and Jesuits in London voted his Death This saith the same Reverend Author is now notoriously known to be true and in print publish'd to the World by Reverend and Learned Person who if any shall call him to Account for it is so convinced of the Ttuth of what he writ that he publickly offers to make it good viz. Dr. Du-Moulin Canon of Canterbury in two Books written to the same purpose See more in Bishop Barlow's Book called Popish Principles c. inconsistent with the Safety of Protestant Princes The Irish Papists when they had promised to furnish his Majesty with 10000 Men for the helping of him against the Parliament did not but endeavour'd to cut off the King's Army there by Force and Treachery and employ'd Commissioners to Rome France Lorrain and Spain to invite a Foreign Power into England See Fowles Hist of Rom. Treasons and the Lord Orcery 's Answer to Peter Welsh About 30 Priests or Jesuits were met together by a Protestant Gentleman between Roan and Diep to whom they said taking him to be one of their Party they were going to England and would take Arms in the Independant Army to be Agitators The Romish Priest and Confessor is known who when he saw the fatal Stroke given to the King flourish'd with his Sword and said Now the greatest Enemy we had in the World is gone When the Murder was cried down as the greatest Villany the Pope commanded all the Papers about the Queen to be burnt Many intelligent Travellers told what Joy there was in the English Convents beyond Seas and the Seminaries upon Tidings of the King's Death Benedictines were afraid lest the Jesuits should get their Lands and the English Nuns contended who should be Abesses the Fryars of Dunkirk were jealous lest the Jesuits should engross all the Glory to themselves Du-Moul Answer to Plul. Angl. And tho' the Papists during the Civil Wars flock'd to the King's
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
his Judgment and Piety that notwithstanding the Opposition made by some great ones without his own seeking he was made Bishop of Meath in Ireland which just then fell void while he was in England and the King often boasted That he was a Bishop of his own making Clark in his Life 12. The Papists very rashly and hastily had Publish'd a Libel against Luther supposing he was deâ—d because he was constrained for his own safety to use caution in appearing abroad by râ—â—on of his many Enemies that laid wait for him signifying How the Devils had carried away his Body c. Which Libel came to Luther's hands two Years before he died and he reading of it thank'd God that the Devil and his Instruments were such Tools that they could not stay till his Death Pref. to Luther 's Sermons I pass over the Story of Queen Emma Mother to King Edward the Confessor who is said by our Historians to be causlesly suspected of too much Familiarity with Alwinus Bishop of Winchester of which Suspicion she purged herself and him by the Fire-Ordeal walking bare foot over nine red-hot Plough-shares without any hurt in thankfulness for which 't is said they gave each of them nine Manours to the Church of Winchester Dugdale Monast. Angl. Vol. 1. inter Addenda p. 980. 13. A. C. 1650. Anne Green a Servant-Maid to Sir Tho. Read of Duns-Tew in Oxfordshire being with Child by some one of the Family through over-working her self in turning of Malt fell in Travail about the fourth Month of her time but being but a young Wench and not knowing how it might be repairs to the House of Easement where after some Straining the Child scarce above a Span long and of what Sex not to be distinguished fell from her unawares She was three Days after conveyed to the Castle of Oxford and there Sentenc'd to be Hang'd She hung half an Hour was pulled by the Legs and struck on the Breast by divers of her Friends and after all had several Stroaks given her on the Stomach with the But-end of a Soldier 's Musket Afterwards being cut down and put in a Cossin and brought away to a House to be dissected though the Rope still remained strait about her Neck they perceived her Breast to rise whereupon one Mason a Taylor in Charity to her set his Foot upon her Breast and Belly and as some say one Orum a Soldier struck her again with the But-end of his Musket After a while they perceived a small Rattling in her Throat and then they used means for her Recovery by opening a Vein laying her in a warm Bed and causing another to go into Bed to her and using other Remedies with respect to her Senselesness Head Throat and Breast insomuch that within 14 Hours she began to speak and the next Day Talk'd and Prayed very heartily In the mean time her Pardon was sued out from the Powers then in being and Thousands of People came to see her magnifying the just Providence of God in thus asserting her Innocency of Murder She affirmed that she neither remembred how the Fetters were knock'd off how she went out of the Prison when she was turn'd off the Ladder whether any Psalm was sung or not nor was she sensible of any Pains that she could remember but which is most observable she came to her self as if she had awakened out of her Sleep not recovering the use of her Speech by slow degrees but in a manner altogether beginning to speak just where she left off on the Gallows She lived afterwards and was Married and had three Children not dying till 1659. Dionysius Petavius takes notice of it in his Continuation of the Hist of the World so doth Mr. Heath and Dr. Plot in his Natural Hist of Oxfordsh p. 193. 14. I shall only take notice further of an awful Example mentioned by A. B. Spotswood in his History of Scotland p. 449. His Words are these This Summer viz. Anno 1597. there was a great Business for the Tryal of Witches amongst others one Margaret Atkin being apprehended on Suspicion and threatned with Torture did confess her self Guilty being Examined touching her Associates in that Trade she named a few and perceiving her Delations find Credit made offer to detect all of that sort and to purge the Country of them so she might have her Life granted For the reason of her Knowledge she said That they had a secret mark all of that sort in their Eyes whereby she could surely tell how soon she looked upon any whether they were Witches or not And in this she was so readily believed that for the space of three or four Months she was carried from Town to Town to make Discoveries in that kind many were brought in question by her Delations especially at Glasgow where divers Innocent Women through the Credulity of the Minister Mr. John Cowper were condemned and put to Death In the end she was found to be a meer Deceiver and sent back to Fife where she was first Apprehended At her Tryal she affirmed all to be false that she had Confessed of her self or others and persisted in this to her Death which made many fore-think their to great forwardness that way and moved the King to re-call his Commission given out against such Persons discharging all Proceedings against them 15. There was in the Year 1649. in a Town called Lauder in Scotland a certain Woman accused and imprisoned on Suspicion of Witchcraft when others in the same Prison with her were Convicted and their Execution ordered to be on the Monday following she desired to speak with a Minister to whom she declared freely that she was guilty of Witchcraft acknowledging also many other Crimes committed by her desiring that she might die with the rest She said particularly that she had Covenanted with the Devil and was become his Servant about Twenty Years before and that he kissed her and gave her a Name but that since he had never owned her Several Ministers who were jeasous that she accused her self untruly charged it on her Conscience telling her That they doubted she was under a Temptation of the Devil to destroy her own Body and Soul and adjuring her in the Name of God to declare the Truth Notwithstanding all this she stiffly adhered to what she had said and was on Monday Morning Condemned and ordered to be Executed that Day When she came to the place of Execution she was silent until the Prayers were ended then going to the Stake where she was to be burnt she thus expressed her self All you that see me this Day know ye that I am to die as a Witch by my own Confession and I free all Men especially the Ministers and Magistrates from the guilt of my Blood I take it wholly on my self and as I must make answer to the God of Heaven I declare I am as free from Witchcraft as any Child but being accused by a Malicious Woman and
and thereupon putting off his Apparel he gave it to his Deacons wishing them to give to his Executioner 25 pieces of Gold in testimony of his Love to him and so kneeling down cover'd his Eyes and submitted willingly to the stroke of the Sword A. C. 259. Ibid. 2. Cyril Bishop of Alexandria when in a great Famine many poor People came to him for Relief gave them all he had and sold the Vessels and Church-Ornaments to relieve their Wants Ibid. 3. Ephrem Syrus upon a Famine happening at Edessa assembling the Rich Men together complained that the Poor were almost starved whilst they covetously kept their Riches by them to their future Hazard and Torment of their Souls and perswading them to a charitable Contribution they chose him for their Almoner who thereupon took their Money provided 300 Beds for the Sick and Strangers and relieved them all the time of the Famine Ibid. 4. Basil the Great in a great Famine sold his Lands and all his other Goods to relieve the Poor and stil'd up other rich Merchants to contribute and caused publick Places to be erected for their Maintenance and would often not only visit them but administer to their Necessities Ibid. 5. Epiphanius spent all his Estate in relieving the Poor Ibid. 6. Theoderet was wonderfully charitable visiting and refreshing the Bowels of the Poor Ibid. 7. Chrysotom when banished to Cucusus in Armenia had much Money sent him by his Friends which he wholly employed for the Redemption of Captives and the Relief of poor Prisoners Ibid. 8. S. Augustine was very careful for the Poor and in case of great want would sell the Ornaments of the Church for their Relief and when the Church-Stock was spent he used to declare to the People that he had nothing left wherewith to relieve the Poor that thereby he might stir up their Charity to contribute to so good a work ibid. He always kept Scholars in his House whom he Fed and Cloathed ibid. At his Death he made no Will as having nothing to bestow ibid. 9. Cyril Bishop of Alexandria used to say 't is the best way for a Rich Man to make the Bellies of the Poor his Barns and thereby to lay up Treasure in Heaven Ibid. 10. Prosper Bishop of Rhegium in France distributed his Goods freely to the Poor and was a Father to all Ages and Sexes in the City Ibid. p. 89. 11. Fulgentius just before his Death called for a Sum of Money which as a Faithful Steward he daily used to distribute a mongst the Poor willing it all to be presently divided and recited by name the Widows Orphans and Poor he allotted to every one his Portion Ibid. p. 95. 12. Gregory the Great after his Fathers Death having more Liberty to dispose of himself and his Estate gave all his Estate towards the Relief of the Poor Ibid. p. 96. 13. S. Bernard What Money he had given him whilst Young he privately gave away to the Poor Ibid. p. 95. 14. Our late most Excellent Queen Mary distributed Annually to the distressed French Protestants 40000 Pounds English Spanhemius in his Funeral Oration She sent some Thousands of Pounds into this Land to be distributed among the Relicks of those that were killed Perizonius 15. Luther was very liberal to the Poor a poor Student asking him some Money he bid his Wife give him some but she pleading Penury he look't up a Silver Cup and gave that to him Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist. p. 144. 16. John Picus of Mirandula Relieved the Poor every Day gave much Money to poor Maids to prefer them in Marriage and employed an intimate Friend to enquire out the Wants and Necessities of poor House-keepers whom he bountifully Relieved Clark in his Life 17. Edward VIth King of England in a Sermon Preached by Dr. Ridley about Charity ordered Gray-Fryars-Church to be a House for Orphans St. Bartholomews to be an Hospital and his own House at Bridewel to be a place of Correction Hist of the Reform 18. Arch-Bishop Cranmer laid out all his Wealth on the Poor and pious Uses Ibid. 19. Queen Ann Bullen ever used to carry a little Purse about her for the Poor thinking no Day well spent wherein some had not fared the better at her Hand She kept her Maids and such as were about her so employed in Working and sewing Garments for the Poor that neither was there seen any idleness amongst them or any Leisure to follow foolish Pastimes Acts and Mon. 20. King Henry IId of England Sirnamed Beauclerk was very Charitable and Merciful to the Poor and Anno Christi 1176. in a great Dearth in his Countries of Anjou and Maine he fed every Day with sufficient Sustenance Ten Thousand Persons from the beginning of April till the time that new Corn was inned And whatsoever was laid up in his Granaries and Store-houses he employed the same for Relief of religious and poor People Pet. Blesensis 21. Francis Russel Second Earl of Bedford of that Sirname was so bountiful to the Poor that Queen Elizabeth would merrily complain of him that he made all the Beggars And sure it 's more Honourable for Noblemen to make Beggars by their Liberality then by their Oppression Holy State p. 297. 22. Holy Master Bradford in a hard time sold his Chains Rings and Jewels to Relieve those that were in Want Acts and Mon. 23. George Wiseheart a Scottish Martyr forbore one Meal in three or one Day in four that he might have wherewithal to Relieve the Poor He lay also hard upon Straw with new coarse Canvas Sheets which whenever he changed he gave away to the Poor See his Life in Clark's General Martyrology 24. Mr. John Eliot went much beyond the Proportions of his little Estate in the World bestowing freely upon the poor many hundreds of Pounds and he would with a very forcible Importunity press his Neighbours to join with him in such Beneficences Cott. Mather in his Life p. 39. Roxbury the Town where he lived could not live quietly without a Free School in the Town and the Issue of it hath been one thing which hath made me almost put the Title of Schola Illustris upon that little Nursery that is that Roxbury hath afforded more Scholars first for the Colledge and then for the Publick then any Town of its bigness or if I mistake not of twice its bigness in New England Ibid. p. 66. 25. Mr. Eliot learned the Indian Tongue with some Pains and Charge Translated the whole Bible into it and several English Treatises gathered a Church of Converted Indians about Natick and another about Mashippang and above these Five Assemblies more and set Pastors over them who meet together twice every Lord's Day and sometimes solemnly set a part whole Days either for Thanksgiving or Humiliation c. Ibid. p. 97 98. 26. Giles of Bruxels Martyr gave to the Poor all that he had that necessity could spare and lived by his Trade which was of a Cutler Some he
is at best fickle and subject to change We are short sighted and cannot see at first what the Effects of such Love will be And therefore what more ordinary than for Lovers to grow cold and indifferent If the Person be loved for Beauty the Small-Pox or Feaver may put an end to that Love If for good Humour Age and Sickness often alters it if for Money Riches may make themselves Wings and fly away or else any Vnkindness or unsuitable Carriage from the Person loved often alters the Affections Yet with what delight can they talk of these they love 't is hard to put them off with other Discourse Lovers think not the time long they are together Yet O my Soul I am infinitely obliged to God his Love is beyond all Expression I have ever since I was born offended him and brought Sin enough into the World with me to set me at an eternal Distance from him Yet God's great Love was such that he thought nothing too much for fallen Man He knew before ever he fixt his Love on me what I should prove how I should carry it towards him yet that could not hinder his Thoughts of Love O my Soul thou canst never do enough to testify thy Love to God There 's no fear of the Decay of his Love to thee if thou dost but carry it ingenuously towards him There can be no Defect in God all that is is on my part I have cause to bewail my former Miscarriages and now to resolve to walk more holily and humbly before God Christ he is altogether lovely there is nothing in him but what if considered may inflame my Heart with Love to him I may wonder at my self that I do no more love to talk of this lovely Jesus that I do so seldom think of him Well now let me learn something from this Reflection to fill my Soul with Love to him and to set me a longing after Communion with him O that I may for ever have him in my Thoughts whose Thoughts I was never out of from Eternity if I am not mistaken but am truly his REFLECTION III. On her Brother H 's telling her Mother that she lay at Mrs. B 's and her Mother discoursing what her Landlord said of her Febr. 2. 1679. Her Reflections on this were these viz. OH my Soul What use should I make of all this I may see how vain it is to expect Satisfaction in the Creatures when they do in so small a matter disappoint me and prove false Sure the use God would have me to make of all the Disappointments I have ever yet met with is to expect more from God and less from the Creature I see and find by Experience this I may soon expect more from them than is to be had But I never yet expected that from God that is to be had in him I find I may soon loose my good Name and Credit in the World I should from hence learn to make it my business to keep a Conscience void of offence towards God and Man that so whatever the World says or thinks of me I may still be able to approve my Heart to God and to carry it so towards all I converse with as not willingly to give them any just cause to speak Evil of me I see 't is a vain thing nay I shall be the most inexcusable of any one in the World if ever I should expect Satisfaction in the Creature For my Experience tells me it is not there to be had I no sooner promise my self Comfort in any Earthly Enjoyment but some way or other it is imbittered to me I promised my self a great deal of Comfort in Mrs. B 's Acquaintance and now I cannot go to see her without hazarding my good name Well I will now retreat back again to my former SOLITVDE and converse more with God and my own Soul I have found enough of the Vanity of Acquaintance But I never yet had cause to complain of my God The more I acquaint my self with him the better it is I should be so ingenuous in all cases to make a Spiritual Improvement of an Earthly Disappointment that so I may reap real Benefit by outward Vexations REFLECTION IV. Upon her being taken ill in the Night and thinking she was struck with Death OH my Soul thou seest what need I have to be always prepared for Death How soon can God take away Health and Life I am but Tenant at Will to my Maker and therefore I need to be ready I then began to call my self to account to see with what Comfort I could appear before God I find upon Examination and some sight of Eternity here is abundance of Sin to be repented of I dare not think of appearing before God without an Assurance of an Interest in Christ Well O my Soul what use should I make of this Providence I know not how soon I may die Death is a serious thing it is a solemn thing to appear before the Heart-searching God there to be accountable for all I have done in the body and for ever to be doomed to endless Happiness or Misery What a mad Body and Fool am I then to be so negligent in working â—â—t of my Salvation when I am sure I cannot live long The Pain I felt was great but nothing to what the Damned feel I did then bless God that it was not eternal I thought if my Pain was so sad what is it to be tormented in Body and Soul and that for ever I then considered what Sin it was that most disturbed my Peace and find it is trifling with God Well O my Soul it is time for thee now to resolve to be more serious and always prepared because in such an hour as I think not the Son of Man comes REFLECTION V. Upon her Mother's and Sister T 's saying to her She would neither make a fond Wife nor Mother OH my Soul What use should I make of all the Opinions People have of me and of their thinking I shall never be fond of any Relation Sure God hath some end in it that notwithstanding my Willingness to please all manner of Persons I cannot yet have their good word Let me now more than ever endeavour to please God I have great cause to love my Parents for under God I am beholding to them for my Being But I am not only beholden to God for my Creation but I hope for Redemption and a whole Life of Mercies that be hath continually followed me with I have great cause to love Relations but that is nothing if compared with what cause I have to love God Their greatest Love is Hatred when compared with God's Love Well then the use I should make of all this is to consider my Obligations to God I would not willingly displease an Earthly friend sure then had not Sin basely besotted me I should abhor the Thoughts of doing any thing that might displease God I should endeavour
him truly from the Lord with a kindness that notably represented the Compassion which he hereby taught his Church to expect from the Lord Jesus Christ and after he had lived with her more than half a Hundred Years he followed her to the Grave with Lamentations beyond those which the Jews from the Figure of a Letter in the Text affirm that Abraham deplored his Aged Sarah with her departure made a deeper Impression upon him than what any common Affliction could His whole Conversation with her had that Sweetness and that Gravity and Modesty beautifying of it that every one called them Zachary and Elizabeth Cott. Mather in his Life p. 57. 5. C. Plautius Numida a Senator having heard of the Death of his Wife and not able to bear the Weight of so great a Grief thrust his Sword into his Breast but by the sudden coming in of his Servants he was prevented from finishing his Design and his Wound was bound up by them nevertheless as soon as he found opportunity according to his desire he tore off his Plaisters opened the Lips of his Wound with his own Hand and let forth a Soul that was unwilling to stay in the Body after that his Wife had forsaken hers Val. Max. L. 4. C. 6. p. 114. 6. Philip sir-named the Good the First Author of that Greatness whereunto the House of Burgundy did arrive was about Twenty three Years of Age when his Father John Duke of Burgundy was slain by the Villany and Perfidiousness of Charles the Dauphin being informed of that unwelcome News full of Grief and Anger as he was he hasts into the Chamber of his Wife she was the Dauphin's Sister O said he my Michalea thy Brother hath murthered my Father Upon this his Wife that loved him dearly burst forth into Tears and Lamentations fearing least this Act of her Brother's would make a Breach betwixt her Husband and her which her Husband taking Notice of comforted her saying Be of good cheer tho' it was thy Brother's yet it is not thy fault neither will I esteem or love thee less for it c. Which accordingly he made good so long as they lived together Lips Monit L. 2. C. 17. p. 388. Pol. p. 200. Clark's Marr. c. 65. p. 291. Wanley's Wonders of the Little World p. 143. 7. Mr. Samuel Fairclough his Wife dying in Child-bed was blamed for his great Sorrow for such a pious Relation See his Life CHAP. LIII Good Children Remarkable THat old celebrated Proverb in our Church Train up a Child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it hath so much truth in it that a Good Education will either improve and meliorate the Nature of Persons or haunt them with continual Checks and Vneasiness of Thought all their Life after either they shall be made better by the Impression of early Notions upon their Hearts or smart for their Disobedience and Obstinacy For certainly a crooked Child seldom grows streight with Age and if a Plant is not flexible when young it will grow stiffer and more obdurate with time We use to Imprint the Seal when the Wax is warm and soft and Sow our Seed at Seed-time not in the Drought of Summer or the Coldness of Winter Every Body that hath Eyes takes Notice of the Rising Sun and the first opening of the Day every Gardiner and Farmer loves to see his Seeds and Grain and Plants promise well at the first And who is there so improvident among Christians as not to take notice and rejoyce in the early Product of their Instructions and Endeavours but especially to see them grateful and good in their particular Relations 1. Ant. Wallaeus attended upon his Parents so carefully in the time of their Sickness and so comforted them with Divine Consolations that at the Hour of Death they both blessed him and gave this Testimony of him that he had never offended them in all his Life Clark's Eccles History p. 471. 2. Q. cicero Brother of Marcus being proscribed and sought after to be slain by the Triumvirate was hid by his Son who for that cause was hurried to Torments but by no Punishments or Tortures could he forced to betray his Father The Father moved with the Piety and Constancy of the Son of his own accord offered himself to Death least for his sake they should determine with utmost severity against his Son Zonar Annual Tom. 2. p. 86. Xiphil in Augusto p. 60. 3. There happened in Sicily as it hath often an Irruption of Aetna now called Mount Gibel it murmurs burns belches up Flames and throws out its fiery Entrails making all the World to fly from it It happened then that in this violent and horrible breach of Fire every one flying and carring away what they had most precious with them Two Sons the one called Anapias the other Amphinomus careful of the Wealth and Goods of their Houses reflected on their Father and Mother both very old who could not save themselves from the Fire by slight And where shall we said they find a more precious Treasure than those who begat us The one took up his Father on his Shoulders the other his Mother and so made passage through the Flames It is an admirable thing that God in the Consideration of this Piety though Pagans did a Miracle for the Monuments of all Antiquity witness that the devouring Flames staid at this Spectacle and the Fire wasting and broiling all about them the Way only which these two good Sons passed was Tapestry'd with fresh Verdure and called afterwards by Posterity The Field of the Pious in Memory of this Accident Causs Hic Tom. 1. L 3. p. 113. Lon. Theatr. p. 272. Solin C. 11. p. 225. Camerar Oper. Subciscent 1. C. 86. p. 401. 4. Sir Thomas Moore being Lord Chancellor of England at the same time that his Father was a Judge of the King's-Bench he would always at his going to Westminster go first to the King's-Bench and ask his Father Blessing before he went to sit in the Chancery Baker's Chron. p. 406. Fuller H. S. L. 1. C. 6. p. 13. 5. The Carriage of Mr. Herbert Palmer towards his Parents was very dutiful and obsequious not only during his Minority but even afterwards which was very evident in that Honour and Respect which he continued to express to his Aged Mother to the Day of her Death Clark's Exampl Vol. 1. C. 23. 6. Our King Edward the First returning from the Wars in Palestine rested himself in Sicily where the Death of his Son and Heir coming first to his Ear and afterwards the Death of the King his Father he sorrowed much more for the loss of his Father than of his Son whereat King Charles of Sicily greatly wondred and asking the Reason of it had this Answer return'd him The loss of Sons is but light because it may be easily repaired but the Death of Parents is irremediable because they can never be bad again Idem
alibi 11. Bishop Vsher's Custom was to pray Four times a Day in and with his Family in the Morning at Six a Clock in the Evening at Eight and before Dinner and Supper in his Chappel at each of which he was always present On Fryday in the Afternoons there was constantly an Hour spent in his Chappel in Catechizing upon the Principles of Religion for the Instructing of his Family and on Sabbaths in the Evening the Sermon which he had preached in the Afternoon was repeated in his Chappel by one of his Chaplains See his Life 12. It is recorded to the everlasting Praise of the young Lord Harrington so famous for Piety that it was his constant use to pray twice every Day in secret twice with some choice Friends and Servants besides his Family-Duties See his Life 13. It was the Practice of Sir Nathaniel Barnardiston to pour out his Soul before the Lord in secret thrice every Day and sometimes oftner if he could gain opportunity besides his Family-Duties and Days of extraordinary Humiliation which he importunately embraced upon every occasion This I can testifie saith Mr. Fairclough upon mine own Experience that for many Years together when I was first acquainted with him I seldom visited him but if any convenient Place could be found we might not part except we had prayed together Nor was he more frequent in secret Prayer than constant in secret Reading the Scriptures See his Life 14. Mr. Samuel Fairclough upon the escape of his Child after a dangerous Fall made a solemn Vow in the Publick Congregation to give all the Tithe-Wool of the Parish to the Poor The Vow was Registred and Subscribed by his Hand and piously observed See his Life 15. Mr. Cotton Mather tells us Such was the Piety of Mr. Eliot that like another Moses he had upon his Face a continual Shine arising from his uninterrupted Communion with the Father of Spirits Indeed I cannot give a fuller Description of him than what was in a Paraphrase that I have heard himself to make upon that Scripture Our Conversation is in Heaven I writ from him as he uttered it Behold said he the Ancient and Excellent Character of a true Christian 't is that which Peter calls Holiness in all manner of Conversation you shall not find a Christian out of the way of Godly Conversation For First A Seventh part of our time is all spent in Heaven when we are duly zealous for and zealous on the Sabbath of God Besides God has written on the Head of the Sabbath Remember which looks both forwards and backwards and thus a good part of the Week will be spent in Sabbatizing Well but for the rest of our time Why we shall have that spent in Heaven e're we have done For Secondly We have have many Days for both Fasting and Thanksgiving in our Pilgrimage and here are so many Sabbaths more Moreover Thirdly we have our Lectures every Week and pious People won't miss them if they can help it Furthermore Fourthly We have our private Meetings wherein we Pray and Sing and repeat Sermons and confer together about the Things of God and being now come thus far we are in Heaven almost every day But a little farther Fifthly We perform Family Duties every Day we have our Morning and Evening Sacrifices wherein having read the Scriptures to our Families we call upon the Name of God and ever now and then carefully Catechise those that are under our Charge Sixthly We shall also have our daily Devotions in our Closets wherein unto Supplication before the Lord we shall add some serious Meditation upon his Word a David will be at this Work no less than thrice a Day Seventhly We have likewise many Scores of Ejaculations in a Day and these we have like Nehemiah in whatever place we come into Eighthly We have our occasional Thoughts and our occasional Talks upon Spiritual Matters and we have our occasional Acts of Charity wherein we do like the Inhabitants of Heaven every Day Ninthly In our Callings in our Civil Callings we keep up heavenly Frames we Buy and Sell and Toil yea we Eat and Drink with some Eye both to the Command and the Honour of God in all Behold I have not now left an Inch of Time to be carnal it is all engrossed for Heaven And yet lest here should not be enough Lastly We have our Spiritual Warfare We are always encountring the Enemies of our Souls which continually raises our Hearts unto our Helper and Leader in the Heavens Let no Man say 'T is impossible to live at this rate for we have known some live thus and others that have written of such a Life have but spun a Web out of their own blessed Experiences New-England has Examples of this Life thô alas 't is to be lamented that the Distractions of the World in too many Professors do becloud the Beauty of an Heavenly Conversation In fine our Employment lies in Heaven In the Morning if we ask Where am I to be to Day Our Souls must answer In Heaven In the Evening if we ask Where have I been to Day Our Souls may answer In Heaven If thou art a Believer thou art no Stranger to Heaven while thou livest and when thou diest Heaven will be no strange place to thee no thou hast been there a thousand times before In this Language have I heard him express himself and he did what he said he was a Boniface as well as a Benedict and he was one of those Qui faciendo docert quae facienda docent Thus far Mr. Cotton Mather 15. Mr. Henry Gearing's Covenant with GOD As I find it in his Life Published by Mr. John Shower O Most Dreadful GOD for the Passion of Thy Son I beseech Thee accept of Thy poor Prodigal now prostrating himself at Thy Door I have fallen from Thee by mine Iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a Thousand-fold more the Child of Hell by my wicked Practice but of Thine Infinite Grace Thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to Thee with all my Heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit myself to thy Mercy And because Thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with Thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at Defiance with all Thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against Thee I here from the bottom of my Heart renounce them all firmly Covenanting with Thee not to allow myself in any known Sin but to use Conscientiously all the Means that I know Thou hast prescribed for the Death and utter Destruction of all my Corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my Affections upon the World I do here resign my Heart to Thee that madest it humbly protesting before Thy Glorious Majesty That it is the firm Resolution of my Heart and that I do unfeignedly desire Grace
seeking to direct your Life after it you shall be an Inheritour of such Riches as neither the Covetous shall take from you neither shall Thieves steal nor Moth corrupt Desire with David dear Sister to understand the Law of the Lord God live still to die that by Death you may purchase Eternal Life and trust not that the tenderness of your Age shall lengthen your Life for as soon if God calls goes the Young as the Old Labour therefore always to learn to die Defie the World deny the Devil despise the Flesh and delight your self wholly in the Lord be penitent for your Sins and yet despair not be strong in Faith and yet presume not and desire with St. Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ with whom even in Death there is Life Be like the good Servant and even at Midnight he waking lest when Death comes and steals upon you you be with the evil Servant found sleeping and lest for lack of Oyl you be found like the foolish Virgins and like him that had not on the Wedding-Garment and so you be shut out from the Marriage Rejoyce in Christ as I do follow the Steps of your Master Christ and take up his Cross lay your Sins upon him and always embrace him And as touching my Death rejoyce as I do Good Sister that I shall be delivered of this Corruption and put on Incorruption for I am assured that I shall for losing a Mortal Life win an Immortal Life the which I pray God to grant you and send you of his Grace to live in his Fear and die in the True Faith of Christ from which in the Name of God I exhort you that you never swerve neither for Hope of Life nor Fear of Death for if you deny his Truth to lengthen your Life God will deny you and shorten your Days and if you cleave unto him he will prolong your Days to his Glory and your Comfort To which Glory God bring me now and you hereafter when it shall please him to call you Fare you well Good Sister and put your only Trust in God who only must help you The next Morning with a Book in her Hand she made a pathetical Speech upon the Scaffold kneeled down to Prayers repeated over the 51st Psalm prayed for the Executioner laid her Head upon the Block and ended her Life with these words Lord into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Aged Sixteen Fox Martyrol Concerning the Respect of the Jews to the Law the Mahometans to their Alchoran c. see my History of all Religions 37. I had almost forgot to make mention of the Practice of my dear Friend and Correspondent Mr. Henry spoken of in the last Chapter which I am very unwilling to omit because I would provoke myself and others to some degree of Emulation in the Case besides his Exercise on the Lord's Days mentioned before every Day of the week his Custom was every Morning and Night to Read a Chapter to his Family and Expound it distinctly and clearly and after Singing a Psalm and Prayers to appoint his Children to retire by themselves and write over a Copy of his Exposition by which means as himself once told me every one of his Children Five in Number One Son and Four Daughters had the Exposition of the whole Bible by them written with their own Hands This Custom he kept up constantly in his own House for above Twenty if not above Thirty Years together without any intermission except in Cases of Absence from Home which happened but seldom 38. Dr. Harris in all his Wills always renewed this Legacy Item I bequeath to all my Children and to my Childrens Children to each of them a Bible with this Inscription None but Christ See his Life 39. Philip Melancthon always used to carry his Bible along with him wherein he read often Clark's Exampl Vol. II. p. 336. 40. Mr. William Garaway hath told me of a certain English Gentleman a Member of the House of Commons that never came into the Parliament-House without a Bible in his Pocket which he used to consult upon occasions 41. Mrs. Catherine Stubbs was seldom seen without a Bible or a good Book in her Hands See her Life 42. John Prince of Saxony had Six Pages attending on him in his Chambers that every day read to him Six Hours out of the Bible Luther Coll. Mens p. 462. 43. Mr. Fox tells a Story of one Crow a Sea-man who being Shipwreck'd lost all his Money and Goods but put his Bible about his Neck and swam with it to Shoar Mr. Barker's Flores 44. After Ptolomy had furnish'd his Library with so many Thousand Books Aristaeus told him It was but a poor Library being without the Sacred Volume of God the Book of Books the Holy Scripture So is all Knowledge but poor Knowledge without the Right Knowledge of God revealed in his Word Mr. Barker's Flores 45. I have read of one Cramerus a School-Master who had a Scholar who had in a Writing in his own Blood promised to give his Soul on certain Conditions to the Devil which Writing Cramerus got from him and the Devil in the Night knock'd at his Chamber-door and demanded the Paper of him but he answered I have laid the Paper in my Bible and in that Page where it is written The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Head of the Serpent and take it thence Satan if thou canst And thereupon the Devil departed and left the Paper behind him and came no more Mr. Barker's Flores 46. Mr. Cotton Mather tell us in the Life of Mr. Nathaniel Mather That this young Man had a principle regard unto the Scriptures for the Subjects of his Meditations and he was very expensive of his Thoughts on the Book of God He was daily digging in the sacred Mines and with deligh he fetched thence Riches better then those of both the India's and he could say O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation every day Even in the time of his mortal Sickness he was very angry at himself if he had not heard a Portion of the Bible read unto him from day to day Once when he was near his End a good part of a day having pass'd before he had enjoyed his Meal of Scripture be said unto his Sister with some impatience Alas What an ungodly Life do I lead pray come and read my Bible to me and read me the forty ninth Psalm Indeed he read the Scripture not cursorily but very deliberately and considerately and as an effect of his doing so he could give such an account of the Difficulties in it as the most not only of Christians but of Divines too would judge an Attainment extraordinary Not long before he died he had read over all the large and great Annotations on the Bible lately published by Mr. Pool and some other Non-conformist Ministers but having dispatched those two noble Folio's he said unto one that was intimate with him Thus
be deceived but of Perseverance itself we are uncertain Discourses of God c. in the Appendix containing his Judgment in divers controverted Points p. 88. But by the leave of this learned and worthy Man how is this consistent with the Profession of St. Paul I have fought the good Fight henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown c. How with the Doctrine of the Church of England in her Articles and Homilies How with the Letters of Accord between Bishop Sanderson and Dr. Hammond which I have not leisure now to cite at large And how with the Experiences and Assurances of many Christians 1. The Apprehensions that Death drew near were very comfortable to Mr. Wilson A Gentle-woman of his Society coming to take her leave of him being about to remove out of Maidstone he pleasantly said to her What will you say good Mrs. Crisp if I get the start if you and get to Heaven before you get to Dover When another came to visit him he ask'd her What she thought of him she answered Truly Sir I think you are not far from your Father's House To which he replied That 's good News indeed and is enough to make one laugh for Joy See his Life 2. Mr. John Janeway when he lay upon his Death-bed his Mother and Brethren standing by he said Dear Mother I beseech you as earnestly as ever I desired any thing of you in my Life that you would chearfully give me up to Christ I beseech you do not hinder me now I am going to Rest and Glory I am afraid of your Prayers least they will pull one way and mine another Then turning to his Brethren he thus spake unto them I charge you all do not pray for my Life any more you do me wrong if you do O the Glory the unspeakable Glory that I behold my Heart is full my Heart is full Christ smiles and I cannot choose but smile Can you find in your Heart to stop me who am now going to the compleat and Eternal Enjoyment of Christ Would you keep me from my Crown The Arms of my blessed Saviour are open to embrace me the Angels stand ready to carry my Soul into his Bosom O! did you but see you would all cry out with me How long dear Lord come Lord Jesus come quickly O why are his Chariot-wheels so long a coming See his Life 3. Dr. Samuel Winter lying upon his Death-bed about Six of the Clock on the Lord's-Day Morning he raised himself up in his Bed and with a chearful and loud Voice called to his Wife who lay in a Bed by him saying ' Sweet-heart I have been this Night conversing with Spirits And as in a Rapture he cried out O the Glories that are prepared for the Saints of God! The Lord hath been pleased to shew me this Night the exceeding Weight of Glory which in Heaven is laid up for his Chosen Ones Saying further That he had studied and thought that he knew as much what the Glory which in Heaven was as another Man but the now saw that all the Divines on Earth were but Children in the Knowledge of the Great Mystery of Heavenly Glory which the Lord that Night had given him a clearer sight of than ever formerly he had That it was such a Mystery as could not be comprehended by the Wit of Man With many other such-like Expressions and he had his Soul so wonderfully elevated that he could not declare what he found and felt therein See his Life 4. Mr. Samuel Fairclough kept his Bed but one whole Day before his departure which he had longed and waited for and the very Day before his last Day on Earth some Company being with him he expressed how much Comfort he did then take to consider how that his Saviour had tasted Death for him and that Christ by his Resurrection had given him an assurance that he was the First-fruits of those that sleep in him telling some that stood by him That it was very much the Duty of Believers to rejoyce that Death had lost its Sting and was now disarmed and that the Power of the Grave was quite vanquished and overcome See his Life 5. James Bainham a Martyr in Queen Mary's Reign being at the Stake in the midst of the burning Fire his Legs and Arms half consumed spake thus to the Standers-by O ye Papists behold ye look for Miracles and here now ye may see one for in this Fire I feel no more pain than if I were in a Bed of Down and it is to me as a Bed of Roses Fox Martyrol 6. Robert Smith Martyr being at the Stake ready to be burned exhorted the People to think well of his Cause telling them That God would shew some Token thereof and accordingly when he was half burnt all black with Fire and clustered together on a Lump like a black Coal so that all thought him to be dead on a sudden he rose upright lifted up the Stumps of his Arms and clapt them together Ibid. Clark's Examp. Vol. 1. C. 39. 7. Mr. Robert Glover Martyr was so suddenly replenished with Divine Comfort a little before his Death that clapping his Hands together he called to his Man saying He is come he is come and so died chearfully Ibid. 8. Mr. John Holland a faithful Minister the Day before his Death calling for a Bible continued his Meditation and Exposition on Rom. 8. for the space of Two Hours but on a sudden he said Oh stay your Reading What Brightness is this I see Have you light up any Candles A Stander-by said No it is the Sun-shine for it was about Five a Clock in a clear Summer's Evening Sun-shine saith he nay it is my Saviour's-shine now Farewel World welcome Heaven the Day-star from on high hath visited my Heart O speak it when I am gone and preach it at my Funeral God deals familiarly with Man I feel his Mercy I see his Majesty whether in the Body or out of the Body God be knoweth but I see thhings that are unutterable And being ravished in his Spirit he roamed towards Heaven with a chearful Look and a soft sweet Voice but what he said was not understood With the Sun in the Morning following raising himself as Jacob upon his Staff he shut up his blessed Life with these blessed words O what an happy Change shall I make from Night to Day from Darkness to Light from Death to Life from Sorow to Solace from a factious World to a heavenly Being Oh! my dear Brethren Sisters and Friends it pitieth me to leave you behind yet remember my death when I am gone and what I now feel I hope you shall feel e're you die that God doth and will deal familiarly with Men. And now thou fiery Chariot that camest down to fetch up Elijah carry me to my happy Hold. And all ye blessed Angels that attended the Soul of Lazarus to bring it to Heaven bear me O bear me into the Besom of my
Death strike my Heart I fear not thy Stroke Now it is Father into thy blessed Hand I commend my Spirit sweet Jesus into thy Hands I commend my Spirit blessed Spirit of God I commit my Soul into thy Hands O most Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three Persons and one true and everlasting God into thy blessed Hand I commit my Soul and Body At which Words her Breath stayed and so moving neither Hand nor Foot she slept sweetly in the Lord. See her Life CHAP. LXXIX Protection of the Good in Dangers THE Divine Providence is exercised over all the Creation but more especially upon Man then other Creatures that are made subject to him For God causeth his sun to shine and his Clouds to distil with Rain upon the just and unjust But more remarkably upon those that fear God and keep close to him in the way of Duty and a close and cordial Devotion then any others For the Truth whereof I appeal to History and the Experiences of Private and good Men. 1. By Vertue of a Bull issued out by Pope Gregory against John Wickleif and signed by Twenty three Cardinals declaring his Writings to be Heretical and this Bull sent to Oxford together with letters to the King Arch-bishop Sudbury and Courtney then Bishop of London requiring them to Apprehend and Imprison the said Wickleif and they resolving to proceed against him in a Provincial Synod laying aside all Fear and Favour and going to work roundly with him in spite of all Entreaties Threatnings or Rewards god by a small matter overthrew and confounded their Devices for the day of Examination being come in came a Courtier name Lewis Clifford a Man of no great Birth and commanded them That they should not proceed to any definitive Sentence against the said Wickleif wherewith the Bishops were so amazed and crest-fallen that they became as mute Men not having a Word to answer And one that writes this Story saith further that whilst the Bishops were sitting at the Chappel at Lambeth upon John Wickleif not only the Citizens but the vise Objects of the City were so bold as to entreat for him and to stop them in their Proceedings Clark's Mar. of Eccl. Hist p. 112. 2. John Husse being condemned and excommunicated by the Pope and Cardinals for an Heretick opposed by some of the Barons of Bohemia and banished by King Winceslaus yet was entertained in the Country and protected by the Lord of the Soil at Hussinets and Preached there still 'till afterwards the Pope dying a Schism happened in the new Election at the Council of Constance whither Husse was commanded to come and make his Appearance which proved so fatal to him notwithstanding the safe conduct granted him by the Emperour for his Journey and Return Idem p. 117. 3. Henry Alting when Heidelberg was taken by Storm prepared for Death and being at the same time in his Study bolted his Door and betook to Prayer looking every Moment when the bloody Soldiers would break in to make a Sacrifice of him But the great Arbiter of Life and Death took care for his safety for Monsieur Behusius Rector of the School and his dear Friend hiring two Soldiers called him forth and conveyed him through a Back-door into the Lord Chancellors House which Tilly had commanded to be preserved from Plundering because of the publick Monuments of the Common-wealth that were kept there This House was commanded to be Guarded by a Lieutenant Colonel that was under the Count of Hoheuzollem a Man greedy of Prey who lest he should lose his Share in the Booty by his Attendance upon that place sent forth his Soldiers as it were a hunting commanding them That if they met with any Citizens of Note that under pretence of Safeguarding them they should bring them to him purposing by their Ransom to enrich himself To this Man Alting was brought who with his naked Sword reeking with Blood said to him This Day with this Hand have I slain ten Men to whom Dr. Alting shall be added as the eleventh if I knew where to find him But who art thou Such a Countenance and such a Speech by such a Man at such a time might have affrighted the most constant Mind but our Alting by a witty Answer neither denying himself to be Alting nor unseasonably discovering himself Answered as sometime Athanasius in the like case I was saith he a Schoolmaster in the College of Wisdom Hereupon the Lieutenant Colonel promised him safety who if he had known him to have been Alting would certainly have slain him But what a sad time had be that Night hearing the continual Shrieks and Groans which filled the Air of Women ravished Virgins deflowred Men some haled to Torments others immediately slain himself retiring into a Cockloft lest he should be discovered by some of those many which fled thither for Refuge At last the Colonel being remanded away thence the House was resigned to the Jesuits and so he was in fresh Danger but by a special Providence the Kitchin being reserved for Tilly's own Use he was close fed by one of the Palatine Cooks who at last hired three Bavarian Soldires to guard him to his own House Idem p. 493. The following Letter was sent me Novemb. the 8th 1696. by a Gentleman now living in London with whom I am well acquainted viz. SIR THere were three strange Accidents that befel my Son John during his abode at Chesham in Bucke some Years since which perhaps may be worth your taking notice of in your History of Remarkable Providences 1. The first was the great Danger he was once in of Drowning which hapned to him by venturing too fat upon the Groundsil just by a large Pond for a little Whisk where his Foot slipt and down he plunged and being but about eight Years of Age was not able to swim but by a wonderful Providence one Mr. John Reading his first Cosen was then at work in a Stable near the Pond who coming to see what it was made such a Plunge into the Pond found it to be my Son John strugling and sprawling for Life and almost at his last Gasp The Providence of God was signally remarkable in this my Son's Deliverance from Drowning for when his Cosen first heard the noise in the Pond he took it to be some Stone flung into the Pond and was a while resolved not to see after it as believing no harm had befallen any one But at last of a sudden it came into his Mind that the great noise which the Plunge made could not be made by a Stone he therefore now leaves his Work and runs to satisfie his dubious Thoughts and finds my Son almost Drowned when this Person with the hazard of his Life got my Son out of the Pond he could not be brought to speak the muddy and dirty Water had so swell'd him for about nine Hours time but then he came something to recollect his Senses he gave the Account of his falling
Second Son the Lord Francis was likewise miserably tortured by their wicked Contrivances and his Daughter the Lady Catherine was oft in great danger of her Life by their barbarous Dealings with strange Fits c. The Honourable Parents bore all these Afflictions with Christian Magnanimity little suspecting they proceeded from Witchcraft 'till it pleased God to discover the Villanous Practices of these Women whom the Devil now left to fall into the Hands of Justice for Murdering the Innocent and to remain notorious Examples of God's Judgment to future Ages They were apprehended about Christmas in 1618. and after Examination before divers Justices of Peace who wondred at their audacious Wickedness were all Three ordered to be carried to Lincoln-Jail Joan Flower the Mother it is said called for Bread and Butter by the way and wished it might never go through her if she were guilty of that which was charged upon her and so mumbling it in her Mouth she never spake a word more but fell down and died with horrible Torture both of Soul and Body before she got to the Jail The two Daughters were Examined before Sir William Pelbam and Mr. Butler Justices of Peace Feb. 4. 1618 where Philip the youngest made the following Confession That her Mother and Sister were very malicious against the Earl of Rutland his Countess and their Children because Margaret was turned out of the Lady's Service whereupon her Sister by her Mother's Order brought from the Castle the Right-hand Glove of the Lord Henry Ross who presently rubbed it on the Back of her Spirit called Rutterkin and then put it into boyling Water after which she prickt it very often and then buried it in the Yard wishing the Lord Ross might never thrive And so her Sister Margaret continued with her Mother and she often saw her Imp Rutterkin leap on her Shoulder and suck her Neck She confest also That she often heard her Mother curse the Earl and his Lady and would thereupon boyl Blood and Feathers together using many Devilish Speeches and strange Gestures She likewise acknowledg'd That she herself had a Spirit sucking her Left-breast in the form of a White Rat which it had done for three or four Years past and that when it came first to her she gave her Soul to it who promised to do her good and to force Tho. Symson to love her if she would suffer it to suck her which she agreed to and that it had suckt her two Nights before Margaret her Sister being Examined agreed in the Confession that Philip had made of their Malice to the Earl and about the young Lord's Glove which for other Circumstances for brevity's sake I here omit 12. About the same time Joan Wilmot of Goadby a Witch was Examined by Sir Henry Hastings and Dr. Fleming Justices in Leicester-shire about the Murther of Henry Lord Ross who declared That Joan Flower told her the Earl of Rutland had dealt badly by her and had put away her Daughter and though she could not have her Will of my Lord himself yet she had sped my Lord's Son and had stricken him to the Heart c. 13. Another Witch called Ellen Green of Stathorn in Leicester-shire was Examined about that time by the same Justices who confessed That Joan Wilmot above-named came to her about six Years since and perswaded her to forsake God and betake herself to the Devil to which she consented who then called two Spirits one like a young Cat which she named Puss and the other in the shape of a Mole which she called Hiff Hiff who instantly came and Wilmot going away left them with her after which they leapt on her Shoulder the Kitling sucking her Neck under her Right-ear and the Mole under her Left in the same place after which she sent the Kitling to a Baker in the Town who had called her Witch and struck her bidding it go and Bewitch him to Death And the Mole she sent to Anne Daws of the same Town upon the same Errand because she had called her Witch Whore and Jade and within a Fortnight after they both died After which she sent them to destroy two Husbandmen named Willison and Williman who died both in ten Days these four she murâ—hered while she dwelt at Waltham When she removed to Stathorn where she now dwelt upon a Difference between her and one Patchet's Wife a Yeoman there Joan Wilmot called her to go and touch Patchet's Wife and Child which she did touching the Woman in Bed and the Child in the Midwife's Arms and then sent her Spirits to Bewitch them to Death the Woman languished a Month before she died but the Child lived only 'till next Day after she had touched it adding that Joan Wilmot had a Spirit sucking on her like a little White Dog which she saw and that she gave her Soul to the Devil to have these Spirits at Command for any mischievous purpose and suffered them to suck her constantly about the Change and Full-Moon 14. One Anne Baker a Witch was likewise Apprehâ—â—◠〈◊〉 and Examined about the same time who confessed before Sir George Mannors and Dr. Fleming 〈◊〉 of Peace That she had a Spirit like a White Dog which she called a good Spirit and that one Peak and one Dennis's Wife of Belvoir told her That the young Lord Henry was dead and that his Glove was buried in the Ground which as it wasted and rotted in like manner did the Lord's Liver rot and waste likewise 15. Margaret and Philip Flower were arraigned at the Assizes at Lincoln before Sir Henry Hobart and Sir Edward Bromley Judges whereupon their confessing themselves Actors in the Destruction of Henry Lord Ross with other damnable Practices they were Condemned and Executed at Lincoln March 11. And the rest questionless suffered according to their Deserts History of Daemons p. 140 141 c. Discov of Witchcraft c. 16. Anno Dom. 1645. There was a notable Discovery of several Witches in Essex and among others one Elizabeth Clark was accused of this horrid Crime and Informations taken against her before Sir Harbottle Grimstone and Sir Thomas Bowes Justices of Peace for that Country John Rivet of Mannintree deposed That about Christmass his Wife was taken sick and lame with such violent Fits that he verily believed her Distemper was more than natural who thereupon went to one Hovey at Hadly in Suffolk who was reckoned a cunning Woman she told him That his Wife was Cursed or Bewitcht by two Women who were her near Neighbours and that she believed she was Bewitcht by Elizabeth Clark alias Bedingfield who lived near their House and that her Mother and some of her Kindred had formerly suffered as Witches and Murtherers At the same time Matthew Hopkins of Mannintree declared upon Oath That this suspected Witch being ordered by the Justices to be watched several Nights for Discovering her wicked Practices he coming into the Room where she was with one Mr. Sterne intending not to
upon Reason p. 179. out of Mr. Gage 's New Survey of the West-Indies c. 20. 2. One called John Gondalez in the County and Town aforesaid was reported to change himself into the shape of a Lion and in that shape was shot in the Nose by a poor barmless Spaniard who chiefly got his living by going about the Woods and Mountains and shooting of Wild Dear and other Beasts to make Money of them He espied one day a Lion and having no other aim at him but his Snout behind a Tree he shot at him the Lion run away the same day this Gondalez was taken sick I was sent for to hear his Confession I saw his Face and Nose all bruised and asked how it came he told me then that he had failen from a Tree and almost killed himself yet afterwards accused the poor Spaniard for shooting at him the business was examined by a Spanish Justice my Evidence was taken for what Gondalez told me of his fall from a Tree the Spaniard was put to his Oath who swore that he shot at a Lion in a thick Wood where an Indian could scarce be thought to have any business The Tree was found out in the Wood whereat the Shot had been made and was still marked with the Shot and Bullet which Gondalez confessed to be the place and was examined how he neither fell not was seen by the Spaniard when he came to seek for the Lion thinking he had killed him to which he answered that he ran away least the Spaniard should kill him indeed But his Answers seemed frivolous the Spaniard's Integrity being known and the great suspition that was in the Town of Gondalez his dealing with the Devil cleared the Spaniard from that which was laid against him Idem p. 186. 3. The same Author adds That one John Gomez the chiefest Indian of that Town of near fourscore Years of Age the Head and Ruler of the principallest Tribe among the Indians whose Advice and Councel was taken and preferred before all the rest who seemed to be a very godly Indian and very seldom missed Morning and Evening Prayers in the Church and had bestowed great Riches there This Indian very suddenly was taken sick I being then in my other Town of Mixco the Mayor-domos or Stewards of the Sodality of the Virgin fearing that he might die without Confession and they be chid for their negligence at Mid-night called me up at Mixco desiring me presently to go and help John Gomez to die whom also they said much to see me and receive some comfort from me I judging it to be a Work of Charity though the time of the Night were unseasonable and the great Rain might have stopped my Charity rid nine Miles in the dark and wet visited the sick Gomez who lay with his Face all mufled up thanked me for my Pains and Care confessed wept and shewed a willingness to die and to be with Christ I comforted and prepared him for Death I went home streight to refresh my self was presently called up again to give Gomez the extream Unction As I anointed him on his Nose Lips Hands Eyes and Feet I perceived he was swelled Black and Blew I went home again after a small nap some Indians came to my Door to buy Candles to offer up for John Gomez his Soul whom they told me was departed and that Day to be buried solemnly at Mass I arose with drowsie Eyes went to Church found the Grave preparing met with two or three Spaniards who told me of a great stir made in the Town concerning Gomez his Death I amused at this Information desired a true Account of it They told me that Gomez was the chief Wizard in the Town that he was often changed into a Lion and so walked about the Mountains that he was ever an Enemy to Sebastian Lopez an Ancient Indian and Head of another Tribe and that both of them had two days before met in the Mountain Gomez in the shape of a Lion and Lopez of a Tyger that they fought cruelly till Gomez the older and weaker was tired much bit and bruised and died of it Lopez was then in Prison and the two Tribes striving about it I mightily wondring at this and resolving never more to believe an Indian if Gomez had so much dissembled with me and deceived me went streight to the Prison where I found Lopez in Fetters called Alguazil Major my great Friend and one of the Officers of the Town and enquired of him the cause of his Imprisonment he loath to tell me for fear of the Indians at last being pressed by me and made to know that I had received some notice of it from the Spaniards before at last told me the whole matter This struck me to the very Heart to think that I should live amongst such People whom I saw were spending all they could get upon the Church Saints and in Offerings and yet were so privy to the Counsels of Satan it grieved me that the Word I Preached did then no more good At last came twenty of the chiefest of the Town with the two Majors Jurates and all the Officers of Justice desiring me to forbear that day the Burying of John Gomez for that they had resolved to call a Crown Officer to view his Corps and examine his Death I made as if I knew nothing upon which they related all unto me viz. That there were Witnesses in the Town who saw a Lion and a Tyger fighting and presently lost the sight of the Beasts and saw John Gomez and Sebastian Lopez parting one from another that immediately John Gomez came home much bruised and upon his Death-bed declared to some of his Friends that Sebastian Lopez had killed him whereupon they had him in safe Custody That they had never known much Wickedness of those two chief Heads of their Tribes and prayed me not to conceive the worse of all for a few The Crown Officer came and found the Body all bruised scratched bitten and sore wounded Lopez upon this was had to Guatemala and there hanged Dr. Burthogge ibid. p. 190 191 192. out of Mr. Gage The following Relations are to be found in Mr. Increase Mather's Book of Providences THere have been many in the World who have upon conviction confessed themselves guilty of Familiarity with the Devil A multitude of Instances this way are mentioned by Bodinus Codronchus Delrio Jacquerius Remegius and others Some in this Country have affirmed that they knew a Man in another part of the World above fifty Years ago who having an ambitious desire to be thought a wise Man whilst he was tormented with the Itch of his Wicked Ambition the Devil came to him with promises that he should quickly be in great Reputation for his Wisdom in case he would make a Covenant with him the conditions whereof were That when Men came to him for his Counsel he should labour to perswade them that there is no God nor Devil nor Heaven nor
over-looked by their Creator with more Contempt as being more Vile than their Neighbours Our Savioar gave a Check to this Humour when he vindicated the Blind Man in the Gospel and told his Auditory the Cause was neither his Sins nor his Parents 1. Martial who was a notable Scoffer makes a Mockery at Coelius in his Epigrams who counterfeiting to be Gouty anointed himself with Oils and other things wrapping and binding up his Joints because he would have nothing to do at the Court either by Night or by Day or attend as Courtiers do upon any Great Person But in the end his Fortune so fell out that he happened to have the Gout indeed Treasur of Anc. and Mod. Times 2. Appianus Alexandrinus reporteth also of another Roman who to escape the Proscriptions of the Roman Triumviri and not to be known for what he was by such as might take notice of him kept himself close and wore an Emplaster of Velvet upon one of his Eyes which he continued for a long time After all such Search and Pursuit was passed over the Man took off his Plaister and found the utter Loss of the Eye indeed Ibid. p. 272. 3. During those Troubles of the Union or League in France it chanced that near unto a Castle certain honest Men were set upon by Thieves and robb'd in such sort that they had nothing left them but their Shirts When they perceived the Castle they went presently thither and entreated the Lord thereof that he would lend them some Assistance for the Apprehension of the Thieves in regard that he had a certain Knowledge of them and was armed with such Authority as might at least help them to their Garments again But the uncharitable Gentleman would afford them no Favour no not so much as to see them but feign'd that he had the Cholick and was unable to stir out of his Bed or to attend upon any Business whatsoever It was then the coldest Season of the Year and the Servants albeit unknown to their Master lodged these despised poor Men for that Night in a Stable whence they departed homeward the next Morning without drawing the least Courtesie that could be from that ungenteel Gentleman Now I know not whether it happened by just Vengeance of Heaven or by some natural Occasion thereto leading but he fell into the Cholick indeed and was forced to keep his Chamber for the space of Twenty Days and at last died by the violent Extremity thereof Ibid. p. 273. 4. An Abbot of Guyenne and Archdeacon in a Bishoprick was cited by the Bishop and Chapter to appear at a Visitation for Assessing of each Benefice in the Diocess according to their Faculties for the Relief of poor Parishes from whence they derived Demesnes and Rents The Abbot made Excuse saying he had a Pleurisie which was meerly false and therefore he could not be there present But within few Days after he was taken with such a grievous Pain in his Side that he kept his Bed a whole Year together and was glad to have his Side cauterized in two Places Notwithstanding which he could not recover Health while he lived Ibid. c. 14. p. 273. 5. Suibdager King of Swecia being very Covetous counterscited Deafness to the end be might hear to Requests made to him for bestowing of any Gifts For in that Country he negotiated his whole Reign by Conference with the People and not by Writing or Petition as they do to this Day But in a short time the King became both Deaf and Blind indeed Ibid. 6. I knew a young Scholar descended of good Parentage in the Franche-Comtè who was a very facetious Scoffer and Mocker and continually used to counterfeit the Gate Gesture and Behaviour of his Sister the Wife of his elder Brother descended of a very Worthy and Vertuous Family and who had brought great Estates and Means for her Portion who was Lame and as she halted so in scorn he would do the like But undoubtly by God's Judgments he chanced to break one of his Legs which could never after be recovered or brought to any Form so that he halted downright to his Dying-day Ibid. CHAP. CIII Divine Judgments upon Atheism ATheism and the Effects of it are bidding an open Defiance to all the Powers of Heaven so that 't is no Wonder if the Almighty who resides there and governs here resents the Crime with a mere than ordinary Indignation The most Renowned for Professed Ungodliness saith Bishop Fotherby are these In Holy Writings King Pharach and Antiâ—â—hus the King of Tyre and the Two Herâ—ds in Ecclesiastical History Caligula Domitian Maximinus and Julian in Profane History Prâ—tagoras Diagoras Theodoras Socrates Epicurus Bion Pherecides and Dionysius Of all whom there was not one that cited in his Nest of a fair and kindly Death saving only this last whose Damnation yet slept not but all the rest of them ended their Lives by the Stroke of God's Justice 1. Julius Caesar suffered as an Atheist Dr. Tenison 2. There are a Sect of Atheists in Turkey sprung up of late Years called Muserin i. e. The True Secrâ—t is with us Which Secret is no other than the absolute Denial of a Deity that Nature or the Intrinsical Principle in every individual Thing directs the ordinary Course which we see and admire and that the Heavens Sun Moon and Stars have thence their Original and Motion and that Man himself riseth and fades like the Grass and Flower It is strange to consider what Quantities there are of Men that maintain this Principle in Constantinople most of which are Cadi's and Learned Men in the Arabian Legends and others are Renegado's from the Christian Faith who conscious of their Sin of Apostacy and therefore desirous all Things may conclude with this World are the more apt to entertain those Opinions which come nearest to their Wishes One of this Sect called Mahomet Effendi a Rich Man educated in the Knowledge of the Eastern Learning I remember was in my Time executed for impudently proclaiming his Blasphemies against the Being of a Deity making it in his ordinary Discourse an Argument against the Being of a God for that either there was none at all or else not so wise as the Doctors preached he was in suffering Him to live that was the greatest Enemy and Scorner of a Divine Essence that ever came into the World And it is observable saith my Author That this Man might notwithstanding his Accusation have saved his Life would he but have confessed his Error and promised for the future an Assent to the Principles of a better But he persisted still in his Blasphemies saying That tho' there were no Reward yet the Love of Truth obliged him to die a Martyr Mr. Ricaut's History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire Book II. c. 12. p. 246. A great Raja a Gentile a notorious Atheist glorying to profess That he knew no other God than the King nor believing nor fearing any other Deity fitting
gone said Antipater of him Dr. Jer. Tailor 5. Hugucchio a Captain lost two Towns because he would not break his Meal Mr. Hales of Eaton out of Paulus Jovius 6. When Philoxenus the Epicure had fallen desperately sick upon glutting himself on a delicate and costly Fish perceiving he was to die calls for the remainder of his Fish and eats it up and dies a true Martyr to his Belly Mr. Hales 7. A certain Rich Citizen's Son to please all his five Senses at once allowed to the delight of every several Sense 100 l. For which end he bespake a curious fair Room richly hanged and furnished with the most exquisite Pictures to please his Eye Secondly the choicest Musick to content his Ear All the Aromaticks and sweet Perfumes for his Smelling all the Candies Preserves and Junkets for his Taste a Beautiful Strumpet to Lodge with him in a soft Bed and the finest Linen that could be bought to accommodate his Touch all which he enjoyed at one time He spent 30000 l. in three Years and swore after all that if he had three times more than ever he had he would spend it all to live one Week like a God though he were sure to be damned in Hell the next day after But by the Just Hand of God he was punished with extream Poverty and was cast off by all his former Acquaintance so that he died in misery Theat of Judgm Clark 's Examp. Vol. I. c. 61. 8. Apicius that Luxurious roman the Expences of whose Kitchen amounted to more than 2000000 of Sesterces of Gold having eaten up his Estate and fearing Poverty Poison'd himself Idem ex Senecâ Yet at the same time he had 10000000 of Sesterces left 9. Augustinus Chiessius a Banker at Rome at the Christening of his Son entertained Pope Leo X. upon the River Tibris and all the Foreign Embassadors and City-Nobles with Curious Fare dish'd out in costly Plate and on the change of every Service all the Meats Plate and all were cast into the River and new brought in for supply And all the fruits of this was that he was admired by none but Fools and his Name had hardly been mentioned at this day but to tell the World that he was the Author of this ridiculous Action Mr. Hales of Eaton CHAP. CXXIII Divine Judgments upon Drunkenness DRunkenness is a Sin that is prohibited by the Laws of God and Man and upon good reason because it tends to the ruine of a Man's Health the diminution of his Estate the mispending of his precious hours the Powerty of his Family the hindrance of his Piety and Charity the obstruction of Business the acceleration of Old Age and in fine the dishonour of God and the destruction of the Soul And therefore no wonder if we often find the Divine Vengeance follow close upon the heels of this sin as may be seen in the subsequent Stories 1. John Manlius in his Common Places p. 244. tells us of three abominable Drunkards who drank so long till one of them fell down stark dead and yet the other two nothing terrified with such a dreadful Example of Divine Vengeance went on to drink and poured the dead Man's part into him as he lay by them 2. Marcus Antonius wrote or rather spewed out a Book concerning his own abilities to bear strong Drink 3. Darius boasted of the same Faculty in his very Epitaph 4. Alexander the Great drank himself to Death and killed One and Forty more with excessive Drinking to get that Crown of One Hundred and Eighty Pounds weight which he had provided for him that drank most 5. Eccius called by Erasmus Jeccius for his Tipling being Non-pluss'd at Ratisbone by Melancthon in a Publick Disputation and over-drinking himself that Night at the Bishop of Mundina's Lodgings who had store of the best Italian Wines fell into a Fever whereof he died Jo. Man loc com p. 89. 6. Anno Christi 1556. In the Town of St. Gallus in Switzerland there was one Peter Besler who was Born at Rotmund but was now Servant to a Citizen whose Habitation was near unto St. Gallus This dissolute Young Man was much given to the Beastly sin of Drunkenness and upon Trinity Sunday which was May 21st he together with some of his Companions went to the Town of Sangall there to be merry And when they had drank freely this Young Man began to rail at and to quarrel with his Companions and using many Blasphemies against God he added this Execration also If I serve my Master any longer I give my Body and Soul to the Devil When he had staid there all Night in the Morning awaking he began to think what words he had uttered the Night before yet having no other means of Subsistance he resolved to return to his Master's Service But going out of the City when he was now not far from his Master's House a Man met him clad in black and fearful to behold who said to him Go to Good Fellow I am now ready to take that which is my Right and which thou gavest me yesterday Which when he had said taking the Fellow by the Hand who was amazed with Horror and altogether astonished he threw him to the Ground and so vanished Not long after this miserable Young Man being found by some of the Neighbours had his Hands and Feet drawn together and being brought to a Lodging he had the use of all his Limbs taken from him and so continued till he died miserably Stephen Bateman Professor of Divinity Ibid. 7. Anno Christi 1578. February 10th in the Country of Scwaben about Eight Persons that were Citizens and Citizens Sons whose Names my Author setteth down met together at a Tavern whereof the Master's Name was Anthony Huge on a Sabbath-day Morning where they drank themselves Drunk and then began to Blaspheme God and scoff at the Host who advised them to leave Drinking and to go to Church to hear the Word Preached at which they not only continued to mock but went on in their Drinking when suddenly the Devil came in among them in the Habit of a Cavalier who drinking to them set their Mouths on such a fire that these Drunkards not only became amazed thereat but also after a miserable manner were all strangled to Death Ibid. 8. At Kesgrave near Ipswich three Serving-men having been Drinking hard when they wee about to go away the Hostess by her Importunity would needs perswade them to drink the three Ou ts first viz. Wit out of the Head Money out of the Purse and Ale out of the Barrel but as she came to them with the Pot in her hand God suddenly struck her sick and speechless her Tongue also swelling in her Head so that in great extremity she died three days after Beard 's Theat 9. Two Servants of a Brewer in Ipswich drank themselves Drunk for the Rump of a Turkey and afterwards as they were strugling for it they fell backwards into a Cauldron of scalding
my Dagger into the very Body of God as far as I can Now Fortune failed him as before wherefore forthwith he drew his Dagger and taking it by the Point threw it against Heaven with all his strength Behold the Dagger vanish away and five drops of Blood distilled upon the Table before them and without all delay the Devil came in place and carried away the Blasphemous Wretch with such force and noise that the whole City was amazed and astonished thereat The other two half beside themselves with Fear strove to wipe away the drops of Blood out of the Table but the more they wiped it the more clearly it appeared The Rumour of this Accident flew into the City and caused the People to flock thick and threefold unto the Place where they found the other two Gamesters washing the Blood off from the Board whom by the Decree of the Senate they bound with Chains and carried towards the Prison but as they passed with them through a Gate of the City one of them was stricken suddenly dead in the midst of them with such a number of Lice and Worms creeping out of him that it was both wonderful and loathsom to behold The third they themselves without any further Inquisition or Tryal to avert the Indignation which seemed to hang over their Heads put incontinently to Death The Table they took and preserved it for a Monument to Witness unto Posterity both what an accursed Pastime Dicing is and also what great Inconveniences and Mischiefs grow thereby Jo. Fincel Andr. Musc in Diabol Blasph Mand. 4. Breach of Sab. l. 1. c. 35. Mand. 3. l. 1. c. 31. Beard 's Theat c. 43. 3. In the Year 1550. There lived in Alsatia one Adam Steckman who got his Living by dressing Vines This Man having received his Wages lost it all at Dice whereupon he grew so distempered in Mind wanting wherewithal to maintain his Family that in his Wife's Absence he cut his three Children's Throats and would have hanged himself but that his Wife coming in and seeing this pitiful Tragedy gave a great out-cry and fell down dead whereupon the Neighbours coming in apprehended the Man who by the Law was adjudged to a cruel Death Fincel l. 2. 4. The Turks tho' they often Game yet 't is always for nothing M. de Theo. 5. The Chinese delight excessively in all sorts of Game and when they have lost are not tho' they stake Wives and Children whom they willingly part with till they can Redeem them Sir Tho. Herb. 6. At Dâ—rmstadt Anno 1403. at the Twenty Third Tournament that was held in Germany the Gentlemen of Franconia and those of Hesse drew so much Blood one of another that there remained dead upon the place Seventeen of the former and Nine of the latter Dr. Brown 's Travels p. 175. 7. Concerning the Olympick Games of Greece at which they met from all Parts of the Country and the Pastimes of Rome see Godwin's Antiqu. and Galtruchius's History of the Heathen Gods with Mar. D' Assigny's Notes 8. It is a Capital Crime among the Japonese to Play for Money Tavernier's Collect. c. p. 4. 9. Mr. Roger Ascham School-Master to Queen Elizabeth and her Secretary for the Latin Tongue being too much addicted to Dicing and Cock-fighting lived and died a poor Man Camb. Eliz. 10. Tertullian tells of a Christian Woman who going to the Theatre was possessed by a Devil who at his casting out being asked how he durst set upon a Christian Answered I found her on mine own Ground Dr. Cave 's Primitive Christian 11. The Great King S. Lewis hearing that the Count of Anjou his Brother and Monsieur Gautier of Nemours were at Play arose sick out of his Bed and went staggering to their Chambers and taking the Tables Dice and part of the Money cast them all out of the Window into the Sea and was much moved at them Sir Fran. Sale 's Introd c. 12. Mr. Bruen of Stapleford being convinced that he and his Family had immoderately used Gaming in his House and being troubled at the mispence of time upon such Vanities when the Maid was hearting the Oven one day with great Resolution he fetch'd his Cards Dice Table c. and put them in the Oven and burnt them In his Life Here it will not be amiss to take notice of the several Laws Canons and Constitutions made to restrain the immoderate use of Gaming I. Civil Constitutions of the Roman Empire I. Since it hath been Anciently allowed to Soldiers when not employed to play at Dice the Emperor complains that all do play at that time and spend their Patrimony in Playing and therein utter Blasphemies against God therefore he Decrees That it shall be Lawful for no body to Play or to be a Spectator of those that do C. de Relig. sumpt funer Martyr in Ind. c. 14. Nay these Games were forbid to be used either in Publick or Private Dan. de aleâ c. 7. They were amerced four-fold for the Money lost in them Ascon in Divin 2. Cic. And denied Relief if wronged Pandect 11. tit 5. 2. Bishops Priests and Deacons are forbid to play at Tables or to look upon them that do play if they did otherwise they were to be thrust into a Monastery for three Years Justinian in authent Collat. 9. tit 15. in God l. 1. tit 6. leg 18. 3. In our own Nation all Dicing is generally forbidden 1 Rich. 2. Dicers punished with six days Imprisonment 21 Hen. 4. With sitting in the Stocks 11 Hen. 7. Keepers of Dice-play with three Years Imprisonment Players with two 17 Edw. 4. 4. In the State of Geneva the very making of Dice is condemned Babington on the Eighth Commandment II. Ecclesiastical Canons 1. The Canons of the Apostles so called deprive every Clergy-man given to Dice or Drunkenness unless he reform Can. 42 43. Accordingly a certain Clerk in the Decretal is found deposed for being a Dicer and an Usurer De excess Prelat c. Inter Disect Decr. l. 5. t. 31. c. 11. 2. A General Council at Rome under Innocent III. forbids Clergy-men either Dice or Huckle-bones either to play with or to be present c. De vit honest Cler. c. Clerici Decret l. 3. t. 1. c. 13. 3. Another General Council at C P. under the Emperor Justinian prohibits all in general as well Lay-men as Clerks to Play ever after at Dice under pain of Excommunication Synod Constantinop 6. c. 50. 4. A Spanish Council held at Eliberis suspends every Christian Man from the Lord's Table that shall Play at Dice or at Tables for a Twelve month Conc. Elib c. 79. 5. Two French Synods one at Rochel the other at Nimaux condemn and prohibit the use of these Games in general Babington on Command 8. 13. The Lord Fitz-Girald a little before his Death which was Anno 1580 wrote a Penitential Sonnet concerning his former Gaming which is to be seen in a Pamphlet called The Nicker nicked CHAP.
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
Monster yet often viewing will make it familiar and free it from distaste Walk every day with Joseph a turn or two in thy Garden with Death and thou shalt be well acquainted with the Face of Death but shalt never feel the Sting of Death Death is black but comely Philostrates lived Seven Years in his Tomb that he might be acquainted with it against his Bones came to lie in it Some Philosophers have been so wrapp'd in this Contemplation of Death and Immortality that they discourse so familiarly and pleasingly of it as if a fair Death were to be preferâ—◠〈◊〉 a pleasant Life 1. King Xerxes standing on a Mountain and having many Hundred thousand of his Soldiers standing in the Plain fell a weeping to think upon it how in a few Years he and all those gallant valiant Men must die Adam he lived 930 Years and he died Enoch he lived 965 Years and he died Methusalem lived 967 Years and he died Oh the longest Day hath its Night and in the end Man must die Maximilian the Emperor made his Coffin always to be carried along with him to this end that his high Dignity might not make him forget his Mortality Joseph the Jew in his best Health made his Stone Coffin be cut out in his Garden to put him in mind of his Ego abeo I go hence The Persians they buried their dead in their Houses to put the whole Houshold in mind of the same Lot Semel mori once to die Simonides when commanded to give the most wholsome Rule to live well willed the Lacedoemonian Prince ever to bear in mind Se tempore brevi moriturum E're long he must die I have read of a sort of People that used dead Mens Bones for Money and the more they have they are counted the more Rich Herein consists my richest Treasure to bear that about me that will make me all my Life remember my End Great Sultan Saladin Lord of many Nations and Languages commanded upon his Death-bed that one should carry upon a Spear's point through all his Camp the Flag of Death and to proclaim for all his Wealth Saladin hath nought left but this Winding-sheet An assured Ensign of Death triumphing over all the Sons of Adam I uncloath my self every Night I put off all but what may put me in mind of my Winding-sheet Anaxagoras having Word brought him his only Son was dead his Answer was Scio me genuisse mortalem I know he was born to die Philip of Macedon gave a Boy a Pension every Morning to say to him Philippe memento te hominem esse Philip remember thou art a Man and therefore must die When I was a young Man saith Seneca my care was to live well I then practised the Art of Well-living When Age came upon me I then studied the Art of Dying well Platonius in Stobelas 'T is not enough saith he to spend the present Day well unless thou spendest it so as if it were to be thy last Caesar Borgias being sick to Death said When I lived I provided for every thing but Death now I must die and am unprovided to die A Man saith Luther lives Forty Years before he knows himself to be a Fool and by that time he sees his Folly his Life is finished So Men die before they begin to live When dying then sin if you can said Picus Mirandula In Sardis there grew an Herb called Appium Sardis that would make a Man lie laughing when he was deadly sick Such is the Operation of Sin Beware therefore of this Risus Sardonicus Laughter of Sardis Commonly good Men are best at last even when they are dying It was a Speech worthy the Commendation and frequent Remembrance of so divine a Bishop as Augustine which is reported of an aged Father in his time who when his Friends comforted him on his Sick Bed and told him they hoped he should recover answered If I shall not die at all well but if ever why not now Surely it is Folly what we must do to do unwillingly I will never think my Soul in a good case so long as I am loath to think of dying There is no Spectacle in the World so profitable or more terrible than to behold a dying Man to stand by and see a Man dismanned Curiously didst thou make me in the lowest part of the earth saith David But to see those Elements which compounded made the Body to see them divided and the Man dissolved is a rueful sight Every dying Man carries Heaven and Earth wrapped up in his Bosom and at this time each part returns homeward Certainly Death hath great dependency on the course of Man's Life and Life it self is as frail as the Body which it animates Augustus Caesar accounted that to be the best Death which is quick and unexpected and which beats not at our doors by any painful Sickness So often as he heard of a Man that had a quick passage with little sense of pain he wished for himself that Euthanesie While he lived he used to set himself between his two Friends Groans and Tears When he died he called for his Looking-glass commanded to have his Hair and Beard kembed his rivelled Cheeks smoothed up then asking his Friends if he acted his part well when they answered Yes Why then says he do you not all clap your hands for me Happy is he who always and in every place so lives as to spend his every last moment of Light as if Day were never to return Epictetus most wisely teaching this Death saith he and Banishment and all that we look upon as Evils let them be daily set before thy Eyes but of all most chiefly Death So shalt thou think upon nothing that is too low nor too ardently covet any thing The Day-Lily is a Flower whose Beauty perishes in a Day There is also a Bird haunts the River Hypanis called Haemorobios or the Bird of one Day ending its Life the same Day that it begins dying with the dying Sun and travelling thro' the Ages of Childhood Youth and Old Age in one Day In the Morning it is hatch'd at Noon it flourishes in the Evening it grows old and dies But this is more to be wonder'd at in that winged Creature that it makes no less Provision for one little Day than if it were to live the Age of a Crow or a Raven To this little Animal the Life of Man is most fitly to be compar'd It inhabits by the River of Gliding Time but more fleet than either Bird or Arrow And often only one Day determines all its Pomp oft-times an Hour and as often a Moment We ambitiously desire great Names and without any prejudice to our Ears we hear the Titles of Magnificent most Illustrious Happy Pious Most Potent Most August Most Invincible the Best the Greatest What can we do more unless we should imitate Sapor King of the Persians in an Epistle which he thus began to Constantine the Emperor Sapor King
of Kings Companion of the Stars and Brother to the Sun and Moon to Constantine my Brother wishes Health Or rather let us borrow Names from the Bisnagentian King who was wont to be saluted The Bridegroom of Good Luck the God of great Provinces the King of most potent Kings Lord of all the Armies of Horse the Master and Teacher of those that understand not how to speak Emperor over three Emperors Conqueror of whatever he saw Preserver of his Conquests whom Eight Parts of the World fear a Knight to whom there is none to be compar'd a Vanquisher of every one that boasts in Strength the Hunter of Elephants Lord of the East South North West and Sea All this Peter Irricus relates Are here Titles enough If you please let us add a Series of Eulogies which the Soldan sets before his Epistles in this order Omnipotent Salmander before Carthage Lord of Jordan Lord of the East Lord of Bethlehem Lord of Paradise Praefect of Hell Supremest Emperor of Constantinople Lord of the Dry Fig the Lord by whom the Sun and Moon steer their course Protector of John the first Priest Emperor King of Kings Lord of the Christians Jews Turks the God's Friend In a Style not much unlike to this Solyman wrote to our Caesar To Charles the Fifth always most August Emperor Solyman his Contemporary sprung from the Victorious and most Noble Family of the Ottomans Emperor of Trebizond and Constantinople Lord of the World and Conqueror of the Earth c. What wou'd ye have more O truly Splendid Misery O Ashes and Nothing O Vanity of Vanity Most shameful is that Ignorance when Man forgets himself to be Man Wouldst thou have an Abstract an Epitome of all Humane Life Daniel the Archbishop and Elector of Mentz in Germany in a little Book of Prayers wrote with his own Hand these Precepts of Living 1. Life short 2. Beauty deceitful 3. Money flies away 4. Empire envy'd 5. War pernicious 6. Victory doubtful 7. Friendship fallacious 8. Old Age miserable 9. Death happiness 10. Wisdom Fame Eternal That Heavenly Wisdom that brings us to Kingdoms never destitute never to be invaded eternal A Nation bordering upon the Thracians and in Customs agreeing with them has this one peculiar to themselves That when an Infant is born the Relations sitting about it weeping and wailing enumerate the Miseries which the Child is to endure On the other side when a Man dies they bury him with Joy and Exultation recounting from how many Miseries he is deliver'd Deservedly this Nation claims to it self the Applaute of Wisdom who celebrate the Birth of Man with Tears and his Funeral with Pomp and Gladness Elegantly answered Laeâ—ius that Wise Man to a certain Person saying I am Sixty Years of Age. Thou callest these Sixty answered he which thou hast not Neither what is past nor what is to come is thine We depend upon a point of flying Time and it is the part of a great Man to have been moderate Plato was of Opinion that any Man became so much the wiser by how much the more lively he considered Death Therefore he gave this Law to his Disciples studious in Philosophy that when they went a Journey they should never cover their Feet whereby that wise Man insinuated that the end of Life was always to be thought on Nicholas Christophorus Radzivile Prince of Poland affirms that in Egypt they who excelled others in Prudence and Age were wont to carry the long Bones of dead Men carved out of Wood or Ebony shew them one to another and thereby exhort one another to Contemplation They also introduce the Remembrance of Death at their Tables and conclude their Banquets with this sad Sentence Memento Mori Remember to Die Caleph King of the Tartars in the City of Bagdat upon a Festival Day which they call Ramadan being resolved to shew himself to the People rode forth upon a Mule clad in Vestments that glistered with Gold Silver and precious Stones but over his Tulipan he wore a black Veil signifying that all his Pomp was one day to be clouded by the shades of Death Justinian the Emperor being dead a Coverlet was thrown over him wherein were wrought in Phrygian Work the Essigies and Figures of the Vanquished Cities and Barbarous Kings whom he had overcome Behold the Image of Death among Pageants Scaffolds Triumphs and Victories Death plays with Empires and knocks as well at the Towers of Kings as at the Cottages of the Poor Pope Martin the Fifth had this Symbol of a speaking Picture or of silent Poesie Upon a Funeral Pile kindled and ready to burn lay the Popes Triple Crown the Cardinals Hat the Archbishops Cap the Emperors Diadem the Kings Crown the Ducal Cap and Sword with this Motto Sic omnis gloria Mundi Thus all the Glory of the World I cannot but approve the Answer of a certain Mariner who being ask'd where his Father dy'd In the Sea said he And when the other ask'd him the same Question concerning his Grandfather his Great Grandfather and his Great Great Grandfather the Mariner still returned him the same Answer Then inferred the other And dost not thou fear to go to Sea To which the Seaman waving a Reply And where did your Father die In his Bed said the other where your Father your Grandfather and the rest of your Ancestors They all said the other died in their Beds Then said the Mariner And do not you fear to go to Bed so Fatal to all your Predecessors Very Elegantly and somewhat above a Sailor's Genius John Patriarch of Alexandria who took his Name from giving Alms while he was living and in health caused his Monument to be built but not to be finished for this Reason that upon Solemn Days when he performed Divine Service he might be put in mind by some of the Clergy in these Terms Sir your Monument is yet unfinished command it to be finished for you know not when the Hour may come When the Emperor of the East was newly chosen no Person had liberty to speak to him before the Stone-cutter had shewed him several sorts of Marble and asked him of which his Majesty would be pleased to have his Monument made What was the meaning of this but only to intimate these Words O Emperor exalt not thy self thou art but a Man thou shalt die like the meanest of Beggars therefore so govern thy Kingdom which thou art to lose that thou may'st gain an Eternal Kingdom Domitian the Emperor gave a Banquet to the Chief of the Senate and the Order of Knighthood after this manner He hung his House all with Mourning the Roofs Walls Pavements Seats were all covered with black bespeaking nothing but sorrow Into this Funeral Dining-room were all the Guests introduced by Night without any Attendants By each was placed a Bier with every one his Name inscribed upon it with such Candles as they were wont to burn in their Monuments They that waited were dad in black
and encompassed the Guests with Funeral Salutations They supped in the mean time with a deep silence Domitian in the mean time began a Discourse relating to nothing but Death and Funerals While the Guests in the extremity of Terror were ready to die for fear What then Domitian thought he had given wholsom Admonition to himself and the Senators Abraham that great Person when he by the Command of God had been forced as a Pilgrim to wander from place to place minded nothing more than the Purchase of a Burying-place that he would have to be so surely his own that he might possess it by all the Right and Law imaginable For this reason he paid down the Money demanded of the Seller Currant Money among the Merchants Nor was it enough for him that the Purchase should be publickly made he required that all the Inhabitants of the Country should be Witnesses of the Bargain Whereby that Person of high Credit intimated that nothing is more a Man's Property than his Sepulchre which he may truly above any thing else call his own according to the Example of Abraham the best of Men always reckoning it among their chiefest Cares to take care of their Sephlchres The Emperor Maximilian the First three Years before he died caused his Coffin made of Oak to be put up in a great Chest and carried along with him where-ever he went and provided by his Will that his Body should be put into it wrapt in Linen without any Embalming or Disembowelling his Nose Mouth and Ears only being filled with Quick-lime What meant that great Personage Only to have his Monument always in his sight to give him this continual Document Think upon Death that it should also further say wherefore dost thou amplifie and extol thy self wherefore doâ—t thou possess so much and covet more Thee whom so many Provinces and Kingdoms will not contain a little Chest must hold But why did he put the Lime into those hollow parts Behold the Spices that Embalmed him Maximilian that thou wert great thy Actions declare but this more especially before thy Death What need I call to mind the Bier of Ablavius who being Captain of the Pretorian Bands a Prince among the Courtiers of Constantine the Great an insatiable devourer of Gold which he thought upon more than his Tomb. This Person Constantine taking by the Hand How long said he Friend shall we heap up Treasure And speaking those words with the Spear that he held in his Hand he drew out the form of a Coffin in the Dust and then proceeding Though thou hadst all the Riches in the World yet after thou art dead a Place or Chest no bigger than this which I have here marked out must contain thee if so large a piece of Ground do come to thy Lot Constantine was a Prophet for Ablavius being cut into bits had not a piece left big enough to be buried The Emperor Charles the Fifth of Famous Memory most piously imitating that Maximiliâ—n whom I have mentioned long before his Death withdrew himself of his own accord from Publick Affairs and having resigned his Cares to his Young and Vigorous Son shut himself up in the Monastery of St. Justus in Spain only with Twelve of his Domesticks applying himself to Religious Duties He forbid himself to be called by any other Name than Charles and disclaiming with Business the Names of Caesar and Augustus contemned whatever savoured of Honourable Title This also is farther reported that long before the Resignation of his Empire he caused a Sepulchre to be made him with all its Funeral Furniture which was privately carried about with him where-ever he went This he had five Years by him in all places even when he marched against the French to Milan causing it every Night to be placed in his Chamber Some that waited on him imagin'd the Chest had been full of Treasure others full of Ancient Histories some thought one thing some another But Caesar well knowing what it contained and wherefore he carried it about smiling said that he carried it with him for the use of a thing which was most dear to him in the World Thus Charles continually thought upon Death and every day could say I have lived rising every day to Heavenly Gain Many others have happily imitated Charles the Emperor who have been used twice every day to contemplate their Coffins the Monument of their Death Genebald Bishop of Laudanum lay in a Bed made like a Coffin for seven Years together all which time he lived a most severe Life Ida a Woman of applauded Sanctity long before her Death caused her Coffin to be made which twice a day she filled full of Bread and Meat which she twice a day gave liberally to the Poor The study of Vertue is the best Preparation for Death No Death can defile Vertue He easily contemns all things who always meditates upon this That he is to die I am told of a worthy Person now living in London who keeps his Coffin by him and has done so for a considerable time Mrs. Parry an Ancient Gentlewoman kept her Coffin by her several Years she lived in the Town of Bergavenny in Wales On LIFE Life is a Dream a Bubble Ice a Flower and Glass A Fable Ashes and the fading Grass A Shadow a small Point a Voice a Sound A blast of Wind at length 't is nothing found Sc. Ambrose having received the News of his Death when his Friends bewailed him and begg'd of God to grant him a longer space of Life I have not lived as to be ashamed to live among you neither do I fear to die because we have a gracious God St. Austin nothing troubled at the News of his Death He never shall be great saith he who thinks it strange that Stones and Wood fall and that Mortals die St. Chrysostom a little before his Death in Exile wrote to Innocentius We have been these three Years in Banishment exposed to Pestilence Famine continual Incursions unspeakable Solitude and continual Death But when he was ready to give up the Ghost he cryed out aloud Glory be to thee O God for all things Aemylius and Plutarch at the approach of the Theban Exile being reported to the Magistrates of the Thebans they being in the midst of their Jollity took no notice of it At the same time Letters being brought to the Chief Magistrate wherein all the Counsels of the Exiles were discovered and delivered to him at the same Banquet he laid them under his Cushion sealed as they were saying I deferr serious Business till to Morrow But this deferrer of Business with all his Friends was that Night surprized and killed Thus Death uses to surprize those that delay while they deliberate while they muse while they deferr he comes and strikes with his unlook'd-for Dart. St. Austin a most faithful Monitor thus instructs one that promises I will live to Morrow God has promised thee Pardon but neither God nor Man has promised
Execution he was not suffered to speak to the People who much lamented his Death yet was very chearful saying Thanks be to God I am even at home And when he had prayed and made himself ready he went to the Stake and kissed it The Fire being kindled he held up his Hands and called upon God saying Merciful Father of Heaven for Jesus Christ my Saviour's sake receive my Soul into thy hands And so stood still without moving till one with an Halberd struck out his Brains Ibid. p. 178. 30. Mr. Bradford as soon as he approached the Stake fell flat on the Ground intending there to pur forth his Prayers to Almighty God for he was not permitted to do it publickly but Woodroffe the Sheriff commanded him to arise and dispatch for the People encreased and pressed upon him Whereupon as soon as he got up he embraced the Stake and kissed it put off his Cloaths gave them to his Servant comforted the Stripling that was to be burned with him and earnestly exhorted the People to Repentance Which so enraged the Sheriff that he commanded his Hands to be tyed His last Words that were audible were Strait is the way and narrow is the gate that leads to salvation and few there be that find it He endured the Flame as a fresh gale of Wind in a hot Summer's Day without any Reluctancy Ibid. p. 189. 31. Bishop Ridley and Bishop Latimer suffered together but were not permitted to speak at the Stake The Evening before their Execution Ridley washed his Beard and his Feet and bad those that supped with him to his Wedding the next Day demanding of his Brother Mr. Skipfide whether he thught his Sister his Wife could find in her Heart to be there and he answering That he durst say she would with all her Heart he professed to the thereof very glad At Supper-time he was very chearful and merry desiring those there present that went of which number Mrs. Irish his Hostess tho' an eager Papist was one to quiet themselves affirming That tho' his Breakfast was like to be somewhat sharp and painful yet his Supper he was sure would be pleasant and sweet They endured a long time in the Fire with most grievous Pains to the great Grief of the Beholders thro' the Indiscretion of those that composed the Pile burning as it were by piece-meal till at last their Souls mounted as in a flaming Chariot up to Heaven Ibid. p. 203 204. 32. Bishop Latimer when he came to the Stake lifting up his Eyes with a comfortable and lovely Countenance cried out God is faithful who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able and when the Fire was kindled O Father of Heaven receive my Soul His Blood as he was burning running out of his Heart in such abundance as if all the Blood of his Body had been gathered thither to the great Astonishmnt of the Beholders Ibid. p. 210. 33. Mr. Philpot going into Smithfield and the way being very foul two Officers took him up and bore him to the Stake to whom he said merrily What will you make me a Pope Being got into Smithfield he kneeled down and said I will pay my Vows in the midst of thee O Smithfield and kissing the Stake Shall I disdain to suffer at this Stake when my Lord and Saviour refused not to sufer a most vile Death for me And when the Fire was kindled with much Meekness and Comfort he resigned up his Spirit unto God Ibid. p. 222. 34. Archbishop Cranmer when tied to the Stake thrust first of all his Right Hand into the Fire wherewith he had subscribed to Popery crying out Ah my unworthy Right Hand So that his Hand died a Malefactor and the rest of his Body a Martyr Ibid. p. 228. 35. Bugenhagius drawing near to his End often repeated This is Life Eternal to know Thee the only true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ and so quietly departed this Life Aged 73. Ibid. p. 233. 36. Phil. Melancthon in the midst of many Heavenly Prayers surrendred his Soul unto him that gaveit Aged 63. Ibid. p. 241. 37. Hyperius falling sick of a Fever gave diverse Instructions to his Wife for the Education of his Children to his Children for the serving of God and obeying their Mother and when his Friends visited him requested them to bear Witness That he now died in that Faith which he had taught while he lived and so yielded up his Spirit to God Aged 53. Ibid. p. 265. 38. John Brentius falling sick of a Fever made his Will and therein set down a Confession of his Faith received the Sacrament exhorted the Ministers of Stutgard to Unity in Doctrine and a mutual Love always saying That he longed for a better an Eternal Life and so died Aged 71. Ibid. p. 298. 39. Bishop Jewel died praying and prayed dying His last Words worthy to be written with the Point of a Diamond never to be razed out were these A Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me Christ is my Righteousness this is my Body this day quickly let me come unto thee this day let me see thee Lord Jesus He was arrested by Death as he was preaching at Lacock upon those Words Walk in the Spirit and so carried from the Pulpit to Bed from which he never rose more Ibid. p. 311. 40. John Knox a Day or two before his Death sending for Mr. Lawson Mr. Lindsey the Elders and Deacons of the Church told them the Time was approaching which he long thirsted for wherein he should be released from all his Cares and be with his Saviour Christ for ever And now saith he God is my Witness whom I have served with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that I have taught nothing but the true and sincere Word of God I am not ignorant that many have and do blame my too great Rigor and Severity but God knows that in my Heart I never hated those against whom I thundered God's Judgments I did only hate their Sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ That I did forbear none of what Condition soever I did it out of Fear of my God who hath placed me in the Function of his Ministry and I know will bring me to an Account Now Brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you to take heed to the Flock over which God hath placed you Overseers which he hath Redeemed by the Blood of his only-begotten Son And you Mr. Lawson Fight a good Fight do the Work of the Lord with Courage and with a willing mand and God from Heaven bless you and the Church whereof you have the Charge Against it so long as it continues in the Doctrine of the Truth the Gates of Hell shall not prevail Having thus spoken and the Elders and Deacons being dismissed he called the two Preachers to him and said There is one thing that grieves me exceedingly you have
sometime seen the Courage and Constancy of the Laird of Grang. See this Passage under the Head of Discovery of Things secret or future by Impulses The next Day Knox gave Order for the making of his Coffin continuing all the Day in fervent Prayer crying Come Lord Jesus sweet Jesus into thy hands I commend my Spirit Being ask'd whether his Pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a Pain which would be to him the end of all Troubles and the beginning of Eternal Joys Oft after some deep Meditation he used to say Oh! serve the Lord in Fear and Death shall not be troublesome to you Blessed is the Death of those that have part in the Death of Jesus The Night before his Death he slept some Hours with great unquietness often sighing and groaning And being ask'd why he mourned so heavily he answered In my Life-time I have been assaulted with Temptations from Satan and he hath oft cast my Sins into my Teeth to drive me to Despair yet God gave me Strength to overcome all his Temptations But now the subtil Serpent takes another course seeking to perswade me that all my Labours in the Ministry and the Fidelity that I have shewed in that Service hath not merited Heaven and Immortality But blessed be God that brought to my Mind these Scriptures What hast thou that thou hast not received And Not I but the Grace of God in me With which he is gone away ashamed and shall no more return And now I am sure that my Battle is at an end and that without pain of Body or trouble of Spirit I shall shortly change this Mortal and miserable Life with that Happy and Immortal Life that shall never have end After which one Praying by his Bed asked him after he had done If he heard the Prayer Yea said he and would to God all present had heard it with such an Ear and Heart as I. Adding Lord Jesus receive my Spirit With which words without any motion of Hands or Feet he fell asleep aged 62. A. C. 1572. The Earl of Murray when the Corpse was put into the Ground saying Here lies the Body of him who in his Life-time never feared the face of any Man Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 323 324. 41. Henry Bullinger in his last Sickness endured the sharpest Pains for four Months with an admirable Patience caused the Pastors and Professors of the City to come to him unto whom he delivered a large Oration wherein he thanked them for their Love opened to them his Faith freely forgave all his Enemies exhorted them to Constancy and Unity commended the Care of the Church and Publick School in Writing to the Senate desired that Rodolphus Gualterus might be his Successor c. And so in the midst of his Extremities sometimes repeating the 16 sometimes the 42 and sometimes the 51 Psalms sometimes the Lord's Prayer sometimes other Prayers at the last as one going to sleep he quietly yielded his Soul into the hands of God Sept. 18. 1575. aged 71. Ibid. p. 339. 42. Mr. Edw. Deering to his Friends on his Death-bed upon occasion of the Sun shining said There is but one Sun in the World nor but one Righteousness one Communion of Saints if I were the most Excellent of all Creatures in the World equal in Righteousness to Abraham Isaac and Jacob yet had I reason to confess my self to be a sinner and to expect Salvation only in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ for we all stand in need of the Grace of God As for my Death I bless God I feel so much inward Joy and Comfort that if put 〈◊〉 my choice whether to die or live I would a Thousand times rather chuse Death if it so stand with the Holy Will of God Ibid. p. 342. 43. Boquine in the Year 1582. on a Lord's-day preached twice and in the Evening heard another Sermon then supped chearfully and after Supper refreshed himself by walking abroad then went to visit a sick Friend and whilst he was comforting of him he found his own Spirits begin to sink and running to his Servant he said unto him Pray adding Lord receive my Soul and so departed in the Lord. Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 349. 44. Mr. Gilpin finding Death to approach him commanded the Poor to be called together unto whom he made a Speech and took his leave of them he did so likewise by others made many Exhortations to the Scholars and to divers others and so at last fell asleep in the Lord Anno 1583. aged 66. Ibid. p. 360. 45. Olevian in his Sickness made his Will and by Pious Meditations prepared for Death declared that he had learned by that Sickness to know the greatness of Sin and the greatness of God's Majesty more than ever he had done before To John Piscator coming to visit him he said that the day before for four hours together he had been filled with ineffable Joy for said he I thought I was in a most pleasant Meadow in which as I walked up and down I was besprinkled with a Heavenly Dew and that not sparingly but plentifully where both my Body and Soul were filled with unspeakable Joy To whom Piscator made answer That good Shepherd Jesus Christ lead thee into fresh Pastures yea said Olevian to the Springs of Living Waters Afterwards having repeated some Sentences full of Comfort out of Psal 42. Isa 9. and Mat. 11. he often said I would not have my Journey to God any longer deferred I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And so bidding Farewel to his Colleagues and Friends in the Agony of Death Alsted asking if he were sure of his Salvation in Christ He answered Most sure and so gave up the Ghost Anno 1587. aged 51. Ibid. p. 376. 47. George Sohnius of Fribourg in Wetteraw bore his last Sickness with much Patience and with fervent Prayer often repeating O Christ thou art my Redeemer and I know that thou hast redeemed me I wholly depend upon thy Providence and Mercy from the very bottom of my Heart I commend my Spirit into thy Hands And so he slept in the Lord Anno Christi 1589. aged 38 Ibid. p. 385. 48. James Andreas born in Waibling at Wittenberg falling sick sent for James Herbrand saying I expect that after my Death many Adversaries will rise up to asperse me and therefore I sent for thee to hear the Confession of my Faith that so thou mayest witness for me when I am dead and gone that I died in the True Faith The same Confession he made also before the Pastors and Deacons of Tubing The Night before his Death he slept partly upon his Bed and partly in his Chair When the Clock struck Six in the Morning he said My â—our draws near He gave Thanks to God for bestowing Christ for revealing his Will in his Word for giving him Faith and the like Benefits And when ready to depart he said Lord into thy Hands I commend my Spirit
And so fell asleep A. C. 1590. aged 61. Ibid. p. 389. 49. Robert Rollock being sick of the Stone which came upon him at last with great violence set his House in Order and commended his Wife after Ten Years Barrenness then with Child to the Care of his Friends requested two Noblemen his Visitants to go from him to the King and entreat him in his Name to have a care of Religion and to persevere in it to the end as hitherto he had done and to Reverence and Esteem the Pastors of the Church as it was meet And to the Pastors of Edinburgh he made an excellent exhortation and Profession of his Sincerity he made such a Divine and Heavenly Speech as astonished the Hearers And when the Physicians were preparing Physick he said Thou Lord wilt heal me Then he prayed fervently that God would Pardon his Sins for Christ's sake and that he might have an Happy Departure and enjoy God's Presence which he had long breathed after Desired the Magistrates to be very careful of the University desiring them to chuse in his room Henry Charter and commended his Wife to their care professing that he had not laid up one Penny of his Stipend and therefore hoped they would provide for her And when he had their Promise for these things he said I bless God I have all my Senses entire but my Heart is in Heaven And Lord Jesus why shouldest not thou have it It hathbeen my care all my Life long to dedicate it to thee I pray thee take it that it may live with thee for ever Come Lord Jesus put an end to this Miserable Life Haste Lord and tarrâ— not Come Lord Jesus and give me that Life for which thou hast redeemed me And when some told him that the next day was the Sabbath he said Thy Sabbath O Lord shall begin my Eternal Sabbath The next Morning to Mr. Belcanqual praying for his long life he said I am weary of this Life all my desire is that I may enjoy the Coelestial Life that is hid with Christ in God And so quietly resigned to his Spirit A. C. 1598. aged 43. Ibid. p. 412. 50. Nic. Hemingius a little before his Death expounded the 103 Psalm with so much Fevour Efficacy and Power of the Holy Ghost that all that heard him wondred at it and shortly after resign'd up his Soul Anno 1600. aged 87. Ibid. p. 414. 51. Chytraeus before his Death made a Confession of his Faith received the Sacrament and lying sick on his Bed if any Discourse were raised about a Controversie called to them to speak out for that he should die with more Comfort if he could learn any new thing before his departure Ibid. p. 421. 52. Tossanus being grown very old and infirm laid down his Professors Place tho' with the Reluctance of the University of Heidelberg and having in his Lectures expounded the Book of Job to the end of the 31st Chapter he concluded with these words The words of Job are ended And presently after falling sick he comforted himself with these Texts of Scripture I have fought the good Fight c. Be you faithful unto the Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life We have a City not made with hands eternal in the Heavens c. And when he had made a good Confession of his Faith c. he departed quietly A. C. 1602. aged 61. Ibid. p. 430. 53. Bishop Andrews was not sick in Thirty Years except once till his last Sickness at Downham in the Isle of Ely the Air of that Place not agreeing with the Constitution of his Body But there he seemed to be prepared for his Dissolution saying often-times in that Sickness It must come once and why not here And at other times The days must come when whether we will or nill we shall say with the Preacher we have no pleasure in them Eccles 12.1 Of his Death he seemed to Presage with himself a year before he died and therefore prepared his Oyl that he might be admitted in due time into the Bride-Chamber That of qualis vita c. might be truly verified of him for as he lived so he died As his Fidelity in his Health was great so the strength of his Faith in his Sickness increased His Gratitude to Men was now changed into Thankfulness to God his Affability to incessant Prayers his Laborious Studies to restless Groans Sighs Cries and Tears his Hands labouring his Eyes lifted up and his Heart beating and panting to see the Living God even to the last of his Breath He departed this Life A. C. 1626. aged 71. Mr. Isaacson in his Life 54. Dr. Whitgift Archbishop of Canterbury Twenty Years and Five Months used these his last words to His Majesty who in Person visited him the day before he died when he could hardly be understood Pro Ecclesia Dei pro Eclesiâ— Dei c. For the Church of God for the Church of God Fuller Abel Rediviv p. 463. 55. Beza on the Lord's-day Octob. 13. 1605. rising early and calling his Family to Prayers afterwards Prayers ended walked up and down some few Paces and receiving some small quantity of Wine repaired to his Bed again demanding whether all things were quiet in the City and when Answer was made they were he forthwith gave up his Soul into the hands of Almighty God with all alacrity and chearfulness aged 86. Ibid. p 474. 56. Dr. John Reynolds on his Death-bed being desired to obviate some scandalous Reports raised concerning him by the Papists as if his Conversion were not sincere and a form of Confession being offered him to Subscribe he shook his Head called for his Spectacles and signed the Writing with his Name in very fair Characters at which they all admired because he had that Morning assayed to write but could not through extream weakness The next day he resign'd his Ghost being Holy-Thursday May 21. 1607. Ibid. p. 490. 57. Mr. Tho. Holland born in Shropshire and Regius Professor at Oxford in his old Age growing sickly spent all his time in Fervent Prayers and Holy Meditations and when his End approached he often sighed out Come O Come Lord Jesus thou Morning-star Come Lord Jesus I desire to be dissolved and to be with thee and so quietly departed in the Lord A. C. 1612. aged 73. Ibid. p. 501. 58. John Gerardus having desired the Communion to be administred to him and told his Wife what he would have done after his Death and instructed his Children and laid his Hand on his Youngest Son with those words Disce mi fili Learn my Son the Commandments of the Lord and he will provide for thee and at last turning to the Neighbours and declaring in what Faith he died he fell asleep Anno 1564. aged 53. Ibid. p. 518. 59. Archbishop Parker before his decease some space of time the better to mind him of his Mortality caused his Monument to be made of plain black Marble and to be placed in
how Happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen sake send me Life and Death I suspect some Mistake in recording these last Words perhaps Life or Death that I may truly serve thee O my Lord God! bless thy People and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy People of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and thy People may praise thy Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake His last Words were I am faint Lord have mercy and take my Spirit He died aged 17. 108. The Lady Jane Grey by King Edward's Will proclaimed Queen of England the Night before she was beheaded sent her Sister her Greek Testament in the end whereof she wrote as may be seen under the Head of Love of the Holy Scriptures She spoke on the Scaffold thus GOod People I am come hither to Die and by a Law I am condemned to the same My Offence against the Queen's Majesty was only in consenting to the Device of others which now is deemed Treason yet it was never of my seeking but by Counsel of those who should seem to have further understanding of those things than I who knew little of the Law and much less of Titles to the Crown But touching the Procurement thereof by me or on my behalf I do here wash my Hands in Innocency before God and the Face of you all this Day and therewith she wrung her Hands wherein she had her Book I pray you all good Christian People to bear me Witness that I die a true Christian Woman and that I look to be saved by no other means but only by the Mercy of God in the Blood of his only Son Jesus Christ And I do confess That when I knew the Word of God I neglected the same and loved my self and the World and therefore this Plague and Punishment is justly befallen me for my Sins And I yet thank God of his Goodness that he hath been pleased to give me Respite to Repent in And now good People while I am alive I pray assist me with your Prayers She died 1554. aged 16. Tu quibus ista legas incertum est Lector ocellis Ipsa equidem siccis scribere non potui Fox 's Martyrol 109. Queen Elizabeth is reported upon her Death-bed but by what Author I confess I do not presently remember to complain of the want of Time Time Time a World of Wealth for an Inch of Time yet finished her Course with that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good Fight c. 110. The young Lord Harrington professed in his Sickness That he feared not Death in what shape soever it came declaring about two Hours before his Death that he still felt the assured Comforts and Joys of his Salvation by Jesus Christ And when Death approached he breathed forth these longing Expressions Oh that Joy Oh my God! when shall I be with thee And so sweetly resigned up his Spirit unto God An. 1613. aged 22. See in his Life in the Young Man's Calling and my Christian 's Companion 111. Henry Prince of Wales eldest Son to King James in his Sickness had these Words to one that waited on him Ah Tom I in vain wish for that time I lost with thee and others in vain Recreations Which puts me in mind of what Mr. Smith relates in the Funeral Solemnity of Mr. Moor Fellow of Gaius College and Keeper of the University Library viz. That he often lamented the Misery of our English Gentry who are commonly brought up to nothing but Hawks and Hounds and know not how to bestow their Time in a Rainy Day and in the midst of all their Plenty are in want of Friends necessary Reproof and most loving Admonition 112. The Earl of Strafford made this Speech on the Scaffold May 12. 1641. MY Lord Primate of Ireland and my Lords and the rest of the Gentlemen it is a very great Comfort to me to have your Lordship by me this Day in regard I have been known to you a long time I should be very glad to obtain so much silence as to be heard a few Words but I doubt I shall not My Lord I come hither by the Good Will and Pleasure of Almighty God to pay that last Debt I owe to Sin which is Death and by the Blessing of God to rise again through the Merits of Christ Jesus to Eternal Glory I wish I had been private that I might have been heard My Lord if I might be so much beholden to you that I might use a few Words I should take it for a very great Courtesie My Lord I come hither to submit to that Judgment which hath passed against me I do it with a very quiet and contented Mind I do freely forgive all the World a Forgiveness that is not spoken from the Teeth outward as they say but from the Heart I speak it in the Presence of Almighty God before whom I stand that there is not in me so much as a displeasing Thought to any Creature I thank God I may say truly and my Conscience bears me witness that in all my Service since I have had the Honour to serve His Majesty in any Employment I never had any thing in my Heart but the joynt and individual Prosperity of the King and People If it hath been my Hap to be misconstrued it is the common Portion of us all while we are in this Life the Righteous Judgment is hereafter here we are subject to Error and apt to be misjudged one of another There is one thing I desire to clear my self of and I am very confident I speak it with so much clearness that I hope I shall have your Christian Charity in the belief of it I did always ever think the Parliaments of England were the happiest Constitutions that any Kingdom or Nation lived under and under God the happiest Means of making King and People happy so far have I been from being against Parliaments For my Death I here acquit all the World and pray God heartily to forgive them and in particular my Lord Primate I am very glad that His Majesty is pleased to conceive me not meriting so severe and heavy a Punishment as the utmost execution of this Sentence I am very glad and infinitely rejoyce in this Mercy of his and beseech God to turn it to him that he may find Mercy when he hath most need of it I wish this Kingdom all the Prosperity and Happiness in the World I did it living and now dying it is my Wish I do now profess it from my Heart and do most humbly recommend it to every Mâ—n here and wish every Man to lay his Hand upon his Heart and consider seriously whether the beginning of the Happiness of a People should be written in Letters of Blood I fear you are in a wrong way and I desire Almighty God that no one drop of my Blood may
ready to make a short-sighted Man exclaim with Hercules in the Tragoedian That Vertue is but an empty Name or at least could only serve to make its Owners more sensibly unhappy But altho' such Examples might a little work on a weaker Vertue that which is more confirmed and solid can more easily resist it 'T is not impatient nor uneasie but still believes that Heaven is awake that the Iron Hands of Justice will at length overtake the Offenders and by their Destruction vindicate the Honour and Innocence of those whom they have ruin'd It considers any Riddles in Providence as a curious piece of Opticks which if judged of either before 't is finished or by piece meal here an Eye and there another distorted Feature appears not only unpleasing but really dreadful which yet if viewed when 't is compleat and taking all the Features together makes a Figure sufficiently regular and lovely Who almost could have imagined without some such Reflections as these that those brave Men we have seen for some Years past pick'd out and out off one after another with as much Scandal and Obloquy as cou'd be thrown upon 'em by the ungenerous Malice of thier Enemies when the very Attempt to clear their Reputation has been made almost Capital and involved those who had Courage enough to attempt it in little less Mischief than what they themselves endured That ever these Phoenixes should rise again and flourish in their Ashes That so many great Pens should already have done some of 'em Justice and the World as much to all the rest And with how much more Joy if 't were possible would those Heroes have received their Crowns could they have foreseen their Deaths wou'd have tended so far to work up the Nation to such a just Resentment as wou'd at last have so great an Influence as we find it had on our late glorious deliverance We shall therefore here under this Chapter add the Last Words and what 's Remarkable in the Deaths of those Eminent Persons who fell in Defence of the Protestant Religion and the English Liberties both in London and the West of England from the Year 1678. to this Time 1. Sir Edmundbury Godfrey declared some Days before his Death That he believed in his Conscience he should be the first Martyr Two Anagrams there were made on this brave Gentleman which for the peculiar luckiness of 'em it may not be ungrateful to the Reader to have 'em inserted Sir EDMVNDBVRY GODFREY Anagram I FIND MURDER'D BY ROGUES Another BY ROME'S RUDE FINGER DIE He was the first Martyr for our holy Protestant Religion We shall address what has been written on this Subject not only to Posterity but to all the sober unprejudic'd Men of the present Age and so dismiss it and go on to the rest for whom he only made way after we have presented you with one of the best pieces of Wit tht the Age has yielded on Sir Edmund's Death 'T is a part of that ingenious Poem call'd Bacchanalia Well Primrose my our Godfrey's Name on thee Like Hyacinth inscribed be On thee his Memory flourish still Sweet as thy Flower and lasting as thy Hill Whilst blushing Somerset to her Eternal Shame shall this Inscription wear The Devil's an Ass for Jesuits on this spot Broke both the Neck of Godfrey and the Plot. 2. Mr. COLLEDGE NO body can doubt but that 't was now very much the Interest of the Papists to get off if possible that foul Imputation of a Plot which stuck so deep upon 'em which had been confirm'd by Sir Edmund's Murther Coleman's never-to-be-forgotten Letters Arnold's Assassination and a great deal of Collateral Evidence which fell in unexpectedly many of those who gave it being utterly unacquainted with the first Discoverers After several unfortunate Attempts they had made to this purpose after the Living had perjur'd themselves and the Dying done worse to support their desperate Cause after Attempts to blast and ruine some of the Evidence and buy off others of 'em in both which publick Justice took notice of and punish'd 'em being of a Religion that sticks no Villany to serve an Interest and certainly the most indefatigable and firm People in the World when they set about any Design especially where Diana is concern'd not being yet discouraged they resolv'd to venture upon one Project more which prov'd but too successful to the Loss of the bravest and best Blood in the Kingdom and that was to Brand all those who were the steddiest Patriots and so their greatest Enemies of what Rank soever they were with the odious Character of Persons disaffected to the Government or in the old Language Enemies to Caesar They pretended to perswade the World that after all this great noise of a Popish Plot 't was only a Presbyterian one lay at the bottom Things being thus what can any Man of Modesty say to Mr. Colledge's Protestations over and over both in Prison and at his Death that he was perfectly innocent of what he dy'd for I did deny in them say he that is before the Council and do deny it upon my Death I never was in any manner of Plot in my days nor ever had any such Design as these Men have sworn against me I take God to witness as I am a dying Man and on the Terms of my Salvation I know not one Man upon the face of the Earth which would have stood by me And lower I knew not of any part of what they swore against me till I heard it sworn at the Bar. Again All the Arms we had was for our Defence in case the Papists should have made any Attempt by way of Massacre c. God is my Witness this is all I know And in his solemn Prayer and some of his almost very last Words 'T is thee O God I trust in I disown all Dispensations and will not go out of the World with a Lye in my Mouth And just after to the People From the sincerity of my Heart I declare again That these are the very Sentiments of my Soul as God shall have Mercy upon me Thus dy'd Mr. Colledge whose Blood as he himself desir'd it might sufficiently spoke the Justice of his Cause who seem'd in his Speech to have some Prophetick Intimations that his Blood would not be the last as indeed it was not but rather a Praelude to that which follow'd the Edge of the Law being now turn'd against all those who dar'd defend it He has one Daughter yet living whose Gratitude and Generosity to those who were kind to her under the Misfortunes of her Family is at present the Wonder and Entertainment of the Court of England and whose brave Soul speaks her the true Child of such a Father His CHARACTER How great and undaunted his Courage was both his Tryal and Death testifie He was very vigorous and earnest almost to a Fault in his Undertakings But certainly there are so few who err on that hand that
which I bless God I am fully satisfied it 's all my desire that he would chuse for me and then I am sure it will be best whatever it be for truly unless God have some Work for me to do in the World for his Service and Glory I see nothing else to make Life desirable In the present state of Affairs there is nothing to cast our Eyes upon but Sin Sorrow and Misery And truly were things never so much according to our desires it 's but the World still which will never be a resting-place Heaven is the only state of Rest and Happiness there we shall be perfectly free from Sin and Temptation and enjoy God without interruption for ever Speaking of the Disappointment of their Expectations in the Work they had undertaken he said with reference to the Glory of God the Prosperity of the Gospel and the delivery of the People of God We have great cause to lament it but for that outward Prosperity that would have accompanied it it 's but of small moment in it self as it could not satisfie so neither could it be abiding for at longest Death would have put an end to it all Also adding nay parhaps we might have been so foolish as to have been taken with that part of it with the neglect of our Eternal Concerns and then I am sure our present Circumstances are incomparably better He frequently express'd great concern for the Glory of God and Affection to his People saying If my Death may advance God's Glory and hasten the Deliverance of his People it is enough saying It was a great comfort to him to think of so great a Privilege as an Interest in all their Prayers In his Converse particularly valuing and delighting in those Persons where he saw most Holiness shing also great Pity to the Souls of others saying That the remembrance of our former Vanity may well cause Compassion to others in that state And in his Converse prompting others to Seriousness telling them Death and Eternity are such weighty Concerns that they deserve the utmost intention of our Minds for the way to receive Death chearfully is to prepare for it seriously and if God should please to spare our Lives surely we have the same reason to be serious and spend our remaining days in his Fear and Service He also took great care that the Worship of God which they were in a Capacity of maintaining there might be duly perform'd as Reading Praying and Singing of Psalms in which he evidently took great delight For those three or four days before their Deaths when there was a general Report that no more should die he said I don't know what God hath done beyond our expectations if he doth prolong my Life I am sure it is all his own and by his Grace I will wholly devote it to him But the 29th of September about Ten or Eleven at Night we found the deceitfulness of this Report they being then told they must die the next Morning which was very unexpected as to the suddenness of it but herein God glorified his Power Grace and Faithfulness in giving suitable Support and Comfort by his blessed Presence which appeared upon my coming to him at that time finding him greatly composed he said Tho' Men design to surprize God doth and will perform his Word to be a very present help in trouble The next Morning when I saw him again his Chearfulness and Comfort were much increased waiting for the Sheriff with the greatest sweetness and serenity of Mind saying Now the Will of God is determined to whom I have referred it and he hath chosen most certainly that which is best Afterwards with a smiling Countenance he discoursed of the Glory of Heaven remarking with much delight the third fourth and fifth Verses of the 22d of the Revelations And there shall be no more Curse But the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his Servants shall serve him and they shall see his Face and his Name shall be in their Foreheads and there shall be no Night there and they shall need no Candle nor Light of the Sun and they shall Reign for ever and ever Then he said Oh what a happy State is this shall we be loth to go to enjoy this Then he desired to be read to him 2 Cor. 5. For we know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God a House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens to the tenth or eleventh Verses In all his Comforts still increasing expressing his sweet Hopes and good Assurance of his Interest in this Glorious Inheritance and being now going to the Possession of it seeing so much of this happy Change that he said Death was more desirable than Life he had rather die than live any longer here As to the manner of his Death he said When I have considered others under these Circumstances I have thought it very dreadful but now God hath called me to it I bless God I have quite other apprehensions of it I can now chearfully embrace it as an easie Passage to Glory And tho' Death separates from the Enjoyments of each other here it will be but for a very short time and then we shall meet in such Enjoyments as now we cannot conceive and for ever rejoyce in each others Happiness Then reading the Scriptures and musing with himself he intimated the great Comfort God conveyed to his Soul in it saying O what an invaluable Treasure is this blessed Word of God In all Conditions here is a store of strong Consolation One desiring his Bible he said No this shall be my Companion to the last moment of my Life Thus Praying together Reading Meditating and Conversing of Heavenly things they waited for the Sheriff who when he came void of all Pity or Civility hurried them away scarce suffering them to take leave of their Friends But notwithstanding this and the doleful Mourning of all about them the Joyfulness of his Countenance was increased Thus he left his Prison and thus he appeared in the Sledge where they sat about half an hour before the Officers could force the Horses to draw at which they were greatly enraged there being no visible obstruction from weight of way But at last the Mayor and Sheriff hall'd them forward themselves Balaam-like driving the Horses When they came to the Place of Execution which was surrounded with Spectators many that waited their Coming with great Sorrow said That when they saw him and them come with such Chearfulness and Joy and Evidence of the Presence of God with them it made Death appear with another Aspect They first embraced each other with the greatest Affection then two of the elder Persons praying audibly they join'd with great seriousness Then he defired leave of the Sheriff to pray particularly but he would not grant it only asked him if he would Pray for the King He answered I Pray for all Men. He
my Soul I cannot find my small Concern with the Duke of Monmouth doth deserve this heavy Judgment on me but I know as I said before it is for Sins long unrepented of I die in Charity with all Men I desire all of you to bear me witness I die a true Professor of the Church of England beseeching the Lord still to stand up in the Defence of it God forgive my passionate Judges and cruel and hasty Jury God forgive them they know not what they have done God bless the King and though his Judges had no Mercy on me I wish he may find Mercy when he standeth most in need of it Make him O Lord a nursing Father to the Church let Mercy flow abundantly from him if it be thy Will to those poor Prisoners to be hereafter tried and Lord if it be thy holy Will stop this issue of Christian Bood and let my guiltless Blood be the last spilt on this account Gentlemen all Farewel Farewel all the Things of the World Then singing some few Verses of a Psalm and putting up some private Ejaculations to himself said O Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit and so submitted to the Executioner September the 7th 1685. 3. The Behaviour and Dying Speech of Mr. Joseph Speed of Culliton AT the same time and place as he came near the Place of his Execution he spying his Country-man and Friend called him and said I am glad to see you here now because I am not known in these Parts being answered by his Friend I am sorry to see you in this Condition He replies It is the best Day I ever saw I thank God I have not led my Life as Unchristian-like as many have done having since the Years of Sixteen always had the Checks of Conscience on me which made me to avoid many gross and grievous Sins my course of Life hath been well known to you yet I cannot justifie my self All Men Err. I have not been the least of Sinners therefore cannot excuse my self but since my Confinement I have received so great Comfort in some Assurance of the Pardon of my Sins that I can now say I am willing to die to be dissolved and to be with Christ and say to Death Where is thy Sting and to Grave Where is thy Victory Being ask'd by some rude Soldiers Whether he was not sorty for the Rebellion he was found Guilty of He courageously reply'd If you call it a Rebellion I assure you I had no sinister Ends in being concerned for my whole Design in taking up Arms under the Duke of Monmouth was to fight for the Protestant Religion which my own Conscience dictated to me and which the said Duke declared for and had I think a lawful Call and Warrant for so doing and do not question that if I have committed any Sin in it but that it is pardoned Pray Mr. Sheriff let me be troubled no farther in answering of Questions but give me leave to prepare my self those few Minutes I have left for another World and go to my Jesus who is ready to receive me Then calling to his Friend who stood very near him said My dear Friend you know I have a dear Wife and Children who will find me wanting being somewhat incumbred in the World let me desire you as a Dying Man to see that she be not abused and as for my poor Children I hope the father of Heaven will take care of them and give thern Grace to be Dutiful to their distressed Mother And so with my dying Love to all my Friends when you see them I take leave of you and them and all the World desiring your Christian Prayers for me to the last moment Then repeating some Sentences of Scripture as Colossians chap. 3. v. 1 2. If you then c. and praying very fervently said I thank God I have Satisfaction I am ready and willing to suffer Shame for his Name And so pouring forth some private Ejaculations to himself and lifting up his Hands the Executioner did his Office The Soldiers then present said They never before were so taken with a Dying Man's Speech his Courage and Christian-like Resolution caused many violent Men against the Prisoners to repent of their Tyranny towards them some of whom in a short time died full of Horror And thus fell this Good Man a true Protestant and one that held out to the end An Account of those that suffered at Bridport and Lyme 1. AT Bridport one John Sparke who was a very Good Man and behaved himself with a great deal of Christian-like Courage to the end Being asked how he could endure those Hardships he had undergone since his being taken Says he If this be all 't is not so much but my Friend if you were to take a Journey in those ways you were not acquainted with you would I hope desire Advice from those that had formerly used those ways or lived near by them Yes says he Then said he The ways of Affliction which I have lately travelled in I had Advice many a time from a Minister who hath often told his Congregation of the troublesomeness of the Road and of the difficulty of getting through and has given me and Hundreds of others to understand the Pits and Stones in the way and how to avoid them He has been a Man used to those Roads many Years I have taken his Advice I am got thus far on comfortably and I trust shall do so to the end I am not afraid to fight a Duel with Death if so it must be Now I thank God I can truly say Oh Death where is thy Sting and Oh Grave where is thy Victory Two or three Days after his Sentence he was drawn to Execution but was very rudely and opprobriously dealt with to the Shame of those that then had the Charge over him their Rigour to him was more more like Turks than Christians Being come to the Place of Execution he prayed very devoutly but by the Rudeness of the Guards there could be no Copy taken to be said to be true He died very Couragiously and spake to them in these Words looking on the Soldiers saying Little do you think that this very Body of mine which you are now come to see cut in pieces will one Day rise up in Judgment against you and be your Accuser for your delight in spilling of Christian Blood The Heathens have far more Mercy Oh 't is sad when England must out-strip Infidels and Pagans But pray take notice Don't think that I am not in Charity with you I am so far that I forgive you and all the World and do desire the God of Mercies to forgive you and open your Hearts and turn you from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Lord Jesus Christ And so Farewel I am going out of the Power of you all I have no dependance but upon my blessed Redeemer to whom I commit my dear Wife and Children
late As to the Meetings I bless God I ever was at any of them and that I was any way Instrumental to the upholding of them and am troubled that I have I fear sinfully deprived my self of them and do believe if ever the Ordinances of God were rightly administred and the Gospel effectually preached it was in those Meetings that were held in Taunton the Lord bless the Seed that was there sown As to Elections of Members for Parliament I judge it my Birth-right and therefore was Industrious in it but I hope never did I am sure never intended troublesomness to any in it but especially to my Superiors I had ever a venerable and due esteem of Magistrates as the Ministers of God and they administring an Ordinance of God I also lie under a Reproach of being unfaithful to an Interest that I owned which I utterly deny and disown I pray God bless and forgive my violent Enemies that have industriously sought the taking away my Life It 's the hearty Prayer of JOHN HVCKER From Taunton-Castle a little before he suffered Sept. 30th 1685. 7. Captain MADDERS CAptain Madders at the time of the Duke's Landing was a Constable at Crewkern in the County of Somerset and so diligent and active for the King in his Office that when two Gentlemen of Lyme came there and brought the News of the Duke's Landing and desired Horses to Ride Post to acquaiut His Majesty therewith he immediately secured Horses for them the Town being generally otherways bent and assisted them so far as any called Loyal in those Times could do which was represented to the Lord Chief Justice in expectation thereby to save his Life But an Enquiry being made about his Religion and returned by a very worthy Gentleman of those Parts That he was a good Protestant an honest Man had a very good Character amongst his Neighbours O then says he I 'll hold a wager with you he is a Presbyterian I can smell them Forty Miles then surely he must die Being brought to the Place of Execution he was the last Man except one executed and he behaved himself whilst the rest were executing with great Zeal and lifting up his Hands and Eyes would often say Lord make me so willing and ready to the last And God did hear his Prayers for though he seemed to the Spectators to be somewhat unwilling to die yet at the last he died with as much Assurance and Christian Resolution as any for after his Publick Prayer he came once down the Ladder and prayed again privately then mounted the Ladder again The Sheriff saying Mr. Madders if you please you may have more Liberty He answered No I thank you Mr. Sheriff now I am ready I am willing and desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Oh! you cannot imagine what Comfort and Refreshment I have received in a few minutes my Comforts are so great that I cannot contain my self So blessing and praising of God he was translated as I hope we have no grounds to imagine the contrary from Earth to Heaven repeating Rev. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power 8. The Dying Words of Captain Kidd Executed at the same Time and Place THis Gentleman was the last executed at that time as soon as Captain Madders was turned off he began to prepare to follow and called to the Guards and those present Do you see this pointing up to Eleven that were dead before him do you think this is not dreadful to me that Eleven of Twelve of us that but a few hours since came down together are dead and in Eternity And I just going to follow them and shall immediately be in the same condition Says one to him It must be dreadful to Flesh and Blood Says he Well Gentlemen I will assure you I am so far concerned that methinks I bethink their Happiness that they should be so long before me in Bliss and Happiness But I 'll make haste to follow I am satisfied this is the best day that ever I saw The day of a Man's Death is said to be better than the day of his Birth And truly so I find it as to my Flesh for I shall be presently free from sin and sorrow I am satisfied God hath done his best for me I might have live and forgotten God but now I am going where I shall sin no more 'T is a blessed thing to be free from sin and to be with Christ O how great were the Sufferings of Christ for us beyond all that I can undergo how great is that Glory to which I am going Then taking his leave of the People then present he prayed some small time very devoutly and with seeming great Joy and Comfort the Executioner did his Office 9. The Last Speech of Dr. Temple of Nottingham at the Place of Execution DOctor Temple was one of them that Landed with the Duke and was his Chief Physician and Chirurgeon he lived in Nottingham but minding to see other Parts of the World as I have heard goes for Holland where he came acquainted with the Duke of Monmouth concerning which he thus spoke just as he was going off the Ladder Christian Friends and dear Countrymen I Have somewhat to say and not very much before I depart from you and shall be seen no more And First As to my Engagement with the Duke of Monmouth Secondly How far I was concerned And Thirdly I shall leave all of you to be Judges in Matter of Fact And so for the First As a Dying Man I now declare That when I entred my self with the Duke of Monmouth to be his Chirurgeon it was on no other Account but to serve him in the West-Indies where I knew no other Design whatsoever but to possess himself of some of those Islands until I had been at Sea two days wherein one privately told me We are absolutely bound for England and I should take it from him it was true It much surprized me but knowing no way to avoid it or to get on shore though it was at that time contrary to my Inclinations if I could have avoided it I would not let others see that I had that dissatisfaction within me After our Landing at Lyme I knew it was never the nearer to attempt my Escape the Country being so beset on the other hand if the Duke of Monmouth did win the Day I might have raised my Fortunes as high as I could expect These were the Arguments that Flesh and Blood did create in my Breast for Self-prefervation While I was with the said Duke I did him as much Service as I could and faithfully After it pleased God to disperse that Army under his Command I endeavoured to secure my self but by Providence was taken at Honiton from thence committed to Exon and after removed to Dorchester where I received my Sentence and am now as you see just going to Execution The Lord
prevent all of you from such ignominious Deaths and I advise you all that you never take any great thing in hand but what you have a Warrant for from the Lord I assure you I had no satisfaction in this but this I am sure that if I have done any thing amiss in it it is pardoned I bless God I have that satisfaction I die a Professor of the Church of England I desire Pardon of all those I have any ways wronged or abused as I freely forgive all those that have wronged or abused me I am in Charity with all Men. Lord have Mercy upon me and give me strength to go through these Pains and give me full Assurance now at this last moment Come Lord Jesus come quickly 10. SAMVEL ROBBINS SAmuel Robbins of Charmouth in the County of Dorset was Executed or rather Murthered at Warham in the said County He received his Sentence of Death with great Courage and not at all dismayed saying very often in Prison before If it pleased God to call him now to glorifie his Name by this Providence of his to Death he should be ready but said he I am as Innocent of any thing I have done against any man that may deserve this Punishment as the Child now unborn When he came to the Place of Execution he very chearfully declared his Innocency to the Spectators as before and so Praying very devoutly for some time he was Executed 11. Mr. CHARLES SPEAK HE happened to be at Illminster at the time of the Duke's being there which was the greatest Crime he was guilty of the Validity of his Evidence I leave to those in the West which know how far it was carried that way He was a fine Courteous loving Gentleman and notwithstanding his Youth he acted the part of an Old Christian Soldier at his Death preparing himself to undergo those Pains saying very often They were nothing to his Deserts from God Almighty but as for what I am accused of and sentenced for I hope you will believe I am not so guilty as my Judge and Accusers have endeavoured to make me If it had pleased God I should have been willing to have lived some time longer but God's time being come I am willing I will be contented to drink this bitter Cup off Being at the Place of Execution the Croud was so great that I suppose he was shorter than otherwise he would have been but alas how could it be For on every side of him as well as up and down the Town the Inhabitants were weeping and bewailing him Oh 't is the worst day that ever we saw in this Town Must this good Gentleman die here Oh! yet save his Life I am ready to die for him and the like He prayed very heartily for near an hour and sung a Psalm and so we hope was translated to Heaven there to sing everlasting Praises and Hallelujahs 12. Mr. PARRET MR. Parret was executed at Taunton if I mistake not he said he was a Londoner and a Brewer When he came to the Place of Execution he seemed a Man almost unconcerned at Death After some time he began to deliver himself somewhat low in Voice to the People and after rising by degrees he seemed more like a Minister in a Pulpit Preaching devoutly than a Prisoner just going to Execution but I being then not well could not tarry to see his End But the Character I had was That he desired all not to be faint-hearted because of their fall and to think that there was no hopes remaining He said He verily believed God would yet work out Deliverance for them and at the time they were in the greatest Extremity that would be God's Opportunity Put your whole trust and confidence and dependance on the Lord and he will never leave you nor forsake you 13. The Last Speech of Henry Boddy Executed at Bath WHile he was in Prison especially after Sentence he behaved himself mighty humble meek and was much in Meditation which was observed by several Divines especially one who attended him to his last his Name Mr. Simpson His poor Wife coming to see him at Wells and to make her Interest with some Friends if possible to save his Life but finding it lost Labour and that she could by no means prevail she died there for grief before her Husband was Executed to his great grief When he came to the Place of Execution he delivered himself to the People in these Words GOod People I am come here to pay a Debt due to Nature which every one one time or another must pay though not in this manner or nature I am condemned as a Traytor and Rebel against my King which were things I always hated and abhorred and therefore give me so much time as to deliver my self to you and what I say I hope you will believe me at this time being just going to give an Account not only for every idle word but for all things I have done since I have had a Being I was Born in Lyme-Regis in the County of Dorses and bred up a Seaman from my Infancy I have had the Honour to serve His Majesty King Charles the Second in his Wars with the Dutch and French divers times I always thought it to be the Duty of every true English-man to stand up in his Country's Quarrel with Foreigners to maintain our Ancient Privileges and Honour of our Nation I served him faithfully And as for my Undertaking now with the late Duke of Monmouth for which I am now come to suffer Death As for my Designs I am sure they were good for I did believe him to be my Soveraign's Son and Heir but if otherwise I have done amiss and am sorry and hope the Lord hath pardoned it While I was in Arms I am sure there 's none can say I have personally wronged them I desire all your Prayers for me to the last I am no Orator therefore if you please speaking to the Minister do these last Spiritual Services for me as for to Pray with me and for me The Minister being much taken with him desired leave of the Sheriff to ask him some Questions which being granted the Minister said unto him I must make bold with you but not to hold you too long before I Pray but to satisfie my self and the People on what ground you stand I mean as concerning your everlasting state Now pray resolve me a few things First Whether you do own that Doctrine of Non-resistance owned by the Church That it is not Lawful on any Account whatsoever to take up Arms against the King O Sir as to that I answer Could I have been satisfied he had been my Lawful Prince I should not have done it But said the Minister he is and you are not to be Judge except you own those things some People will hardly have Charity for you after you are dead What matters that said he would you have me now you put me so close to
are of all other most suitable sweet and satisfactory to immortal Souls And also I see that he that departs from iniquity makes himself a Prey and so many plunging themselves into the ways of Iniquity lest they should be accounted odious and vile which makes them so much degenerate not only from Christianity but from Humanity it self as if they were scarce the Excrement of either contemning even that most Noble Generous Heroick Spirit that dwelt in many Heathens who accounted it most honourable and glorious to contend for their Rights and Liberties yea to suffer Death and the worst of Deaths in Defence of the same and judge them accursed and most execrable in the World that do so and not only so but for their own Profit and Advantage have many of them enslaved their Posterity by it and are most industrious and laborious most fierce and furious to destroy them whereby they are become as unnatural as Children that seek the ruine of their Parents that begot them and brought them forth or them that lay violent hands upon themselves dashing out their own Brains cutting their own Throats hanging and drawing themselves ripping up their own Bellies tearing out their own Bowels they being in different senses Children and Members of that Body Politick they design and attempt the Destruction of and when I know not how long the Duration and Continuance of these things shall be or a Conclusion or End by God shall be put thereto who by Divine and Unerring Wisdom Governs the World why shall my Soul be unwilling to take its flight into the unseen and eternal World Where no sullied sordid or impious thing most incongruous and unbecoming Nature shall be seen and found and where I shall behold no narrow conclusive contracted Soul there habitually preferring their private before a publick good but all most unanimously and equally centre in one common universal good and where the sighs and groans and cries of the afflicted and persecuted shall be heard no more for ever I earnestly exhort all most highly to prize and value Time and diligently improve it for Eternity to be wise seriously and seasonably to consider of their latter End For by the irrepealable and irreversible Law of Heaven we must all die yet we know not how where or when Live with your Souls full of solicitude and care with a most deep concernedness and most diligent industriousness whilst you have time and opportunity and the means of Grace Health and Strength make sure of these two great things viz. 1. What merits for you a Right and Title to Eternal Life and Glory and the future unchangeable Blessedness as the Redeemer's most precious Blood and Righteousness that thereby a real Application and Imputation may be unto you by sincere Believing 2. That that which makes you qualified Subjects for it is the great work of Regeneration wrought in your Souls being renewed in the Spirit of your Minds the Divine Nature being imprest upon them repairing of the depraved Image of God in you that being transformed into his own likeness thereby in the World you may mind and savour more the things of the Spirit than the things of the Flesh Coelestial and Heavenly more than Terrestrial and Earthly Superiour more than Inferiour things And therewith have a holy Life and Conversation conjoyned that results and springs from the same as Fruit from the Root and Acts from the Habits Let all in order thereto seriously consider these few Texts of Sacred Scripture let them predominately possess you let them be deeply and indelibly Transcribed upon your Souls let them be assimilated thereunto and made the written Epistles the lively Pictures thereof Matth. 5.8 20. Blessed be the pure in heart for they shall see God Vers 20. For I say unto you except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3.3 Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God c. Gal. 5.19 20 to 23. Now the works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery c. James 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us with the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Vers 13. Wherefore gird up the loyns of your Minds c. Colos 3.1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things that are above Set your affections on things above not c. Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts c. Ephes 2.1 And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Rev. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no power Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation c. 1 Pet. 1.15 But as he that hath called you is holy so be ye c. Vers 23. Being born again not of corruptible Seed c. Psal 4.3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself c. I shall mention now no more the whole Bible abounds with these Texts with what a Renovation and Change of our Carnal and Corrupt Hearts and Natures there must be with Holiness of Life and Conversation before we can be capable of a future and blessed Immortality and of inheriting the Kingdom of God for ever and ever Amen 15. Captain Abraham Ansley 's Last Speech I AM come to pay a Debt to Nature 't is a Debt that all must pay though some after one manner and some after another The way that I pay it may be thought by some few ignominious but not so by me having long since as a true English-man thought it my Duty to venture my Life in defence of the Protestant Religion against Popery and Arbitrary Power For this same purpose I came from my House to the Duke of Monmouth's Army At first I was a Lieutenant and then a Captain and I was in all the Action the Foot was engaged in which I do not repent For had I a Thousand Lives they should all have been engaged in the same Cause although it has pleased the wise God for Reasons best known to himself to blast our Designs but he will deliver his People by ways we know nor think not of I might have saved my Life if I would have done as some narrow-soul'd Persons have done by impeaching others but I abhor such ways of Deliverance choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy Life with Sin As to my Religion I own the way and
called upon his Holy Name the also instructed edified comforted and strengthned her Brethren She had sometimes at Nismes four or five Meetings in a Day consisting of thirty forty and fifty Persons each 'till at last being surcharged with Labour for the People would never let her alone but followed her in the very Streets she was at last constrained to go elsewhere While Brousson wan at Nismes Monsieur Guâ—on an ancient Pastor of Cevennes and one who had Refugiated himself in Switzerland came into France again and had an Interview with Brousson in the Country not far off from the said place whither Brousson was retired because of the Noise made of his holding Meetings there as were also several others He was pleased to tell Brousson That it would have been more to purpose to go from Family to Family to instruct the People than to hold great Meetings To whom Brousson answered That he had divers times examined that matter that be had well weighed it that if be should content himself to go from Family to Family the thing would doubtless make less Noise and at the same time be performed with less Danger to himself and to the People and to all such as Preached the Gospel but that the Harvest was great and that the Number of Labourers was very few and that in the single Country of Cevennes and Lower Languedoc where God was pleased to Honour him and his Brethren to labour in his Vineyard that there there great Numbers of People who must perish for wane of Pastors that they could not edisie the Hundredth part of them if they contented themselves to go from Family to Family that it would be much better that those poor People should expose themselves to some Sufferings in this World for to be eternally happy in Heaven than to reserve the Repose and Advantages of this World and to be eternally miserable in Hell that in the mean time we should not be surprized that we are exposed to Persecutions when we would labour in the Work of our Salvation that all the Cospel does sufficiently prepare us for all that That moreover if the People exposed themselves to some Danger to go and hear the Word of God the Danger whereunto the Servants of God exposed themselves by Preaching the same was yet much more terrible but in the mean time they used all the Prudence they were capable of that when they were obliged to keep sometimes Meetings in the Cities they did it with much Caution and Circumspection but that ordinarily they kept them in the Country and in such places as were most remote from the Concourse of Men and finally that the holding of Religious Assemblies was expresly recommended to us in the Word of God to the end either that every one might give Glory to God in the Presence of his People or that the Religious Assemblies of the Faithful might be edisied supported and mutually comforted by the publick Testimonies they shall'd give of their Piety and Considence in God or that in these holy Assemblies they might partake of the Seals of God's favour and relation to them and of the Pledges of their Salvation or lastly because that was the Means whereby God was in a particular manner to be met with by the efficacy of his Spirit and wherein be communicated abundance of Grace and Consolation to the Faithful In the mean time this old Pastor would not savour of these Reasons and so would keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meetings but contented himself to see some Friends in particular But his Prudence proved to be no Fence to him for some few Days after his Arrival as he was walking in a Chamber a Roman Catholick Woman who lodged in the same House and who heard him walk having seen him through the Key-hole informed against him so as that he was taken and carried before the Intendant who after much Discourse with him presented him with a Letter of Apology which Brousson had writ to the Intendant some time before and wherein after having fully justified his Conduct by the Word of God he put before his Eyes the terrible Judgments he had reason to fear in a Kingdom where they had done such great Outrages to the Glory of God by abolishing every-where his holy Service and where they daily made his poor People suffer such great Evils when they would meet together in the Name of his holy Son Jesus Christ to meditate on his Word call upon his holy Name and sing his Praises The Intendant asked him If he approved of the said Letter Guion who was affected therewith told him Have a care that what is noted in that Letter do not befal you It was said that the Intendant asked him further Whether he did approve of Brousson 's Conduct And that he should answer He did approve of it and that if he were at liberty he would do the same himself They made him a tender of his Life if he would change his Religion But he made answer That he did not return into France to be unfaithful to his Master But they would not put him to Death publickly and therefore they carried him to the Cittadei of Mompellier and executed him by Beat of Drum to the end no-body might hear what he said before his Death And this Martyrdom happened in July 1693 and their Rage proceeded so far as to pull down the House in Nismes where he was taken which was a very good one About two Months after one Paul Colognac called Dauphine from a place near St. Hipolite a young Man about 〈◊〉 Years old began to preach the Gospel from place to place and from Desart to Desart 〈◊〉 Work he incessantly continued for three or four Years in Cevennes and Lower Languedoc But he was also taken at Nismes where he was discovered by a naughty Woman who was come from St. Giles and who having voluntarily abandoned the Truth a long time before the Desolation of the Protestant Churches in France did afterward give Tokens apparently of a sincere Repentance for her Fault It was pretended by them that this young Man was in Company when an Apostate Minister whose Name was Bagards was killed in Cevennes and who was become a notorious Persecutor leading and commanding himself the Soldiers when they searched after the Religious Assemblies and the Ministers of the Gospel for to take them dead or alive This same Apostate was an Execration to all the People The last time he had preached he pronounced an Anathema Maranacha against all such as should forsake the Profession of the Truth when for all that he did himself not many Days after become one of the first who abjured it for a Pension Wherefore all the People and even the Roman Catholicks themselves called him Maranatha it 's from a Shepherd he became a revenous Wolf who committed greater Ravage in the Sheep-fold of the Lord than his old Enemies which made some young Men transported with Zeal and Indignation as it was
her Death With some Remarkable Passages relating both to her Person and Government I Shall conclude this History of Providence with a Collection of the memorable Speeches and Sayings of our never-enough lamented Sovereign the late Queen MARY and shall here and there add some remarkable Passages relating to her Person and Government as a Noble Testimony to Religion from one whose Parts and Endowments were as high as her Dignity as if Providence would not leave the prophane Age room to say that Religion was only pretended to by the Mean and Ignorant but convince them by the Vertuous Life and Dying Breath of a Princess every way so Glorious and Great So extraordinary strict says Bishop Fowler in his Preface relating to the Queen was Her Majesty's Life even from her Youth that for the Seventeen Years of her Married State the King as he hath professed could never see any thing in her which he could call a Fault and no Man continues this Learned Author can keep a stricter Guard upon his Words than His Majesty is always observed to do Then certainly a Collection of the Memorable Speeches of such a Princess must needs be very useful and so much the more so as there are several remarkable Sayings of this Royal Person scattered in so many Books which its hardly possible for any private Person to have all of them by him and therefore a View of them all at once in a Collection from the best Authors that have writ upon this Subject may perhaps be very acceptable to the serious Reader 1. That we may begin from her Cradle The most August Queen MARY II. was born in the Sixty second Year of this Age upon the Tenth of May James then Duke of York and the Lord Chancellor's Daughter being her Parents Many and conspicuous were the Prognosticks of a true and far from counterfeited Piety that glitter'd in her and shin'd forth in the early Dawn of her Infancy For when in her tender Years she had lost an excellent Mother and under the Tuition of Persons less concern'd was deliciously bred up in a Court full of all manner of Pleasure and Voluptuousness such was always her Constancy such her Temperance and Modesty that no Example of others no Allurement of Vice no Contagion of Neighbouring-Courts could force her to go astray from the right Path. She was instructed in the Fundamentals of the true Reform'd Religion by the Bishop of London which he so happily laid and she so cordially imbib'd that she could never be shaken by any treacherous Insinuations any Promises or Threats any Punishments or Rewards choosing rather to die than never so little to recede from the Truth wherein she had been grounded After she had spent the rest of her Childhood in those Studies by which generous and illustrious Souls are rais'd to the Expectations of great Fortune and had abundantly furnish'd herself as well with Christian as with Royal Vertues in the Fifteenth Year of her Age she was auspiciously Married to William the Third of that Name Prince of Orange William marries Mary a Kinsman a Kinswoman and thus by a double Tye and a firmer Knot than hitherto the most Noble Families of all Europe are joyn'd together She for her Ancestors claims the Family of the Stuarts He the Nassavian Race She the Monarchs of Great Britain He the Governours of Germany and the Caesars themselves The Nuptial Solemnities being over the Royal Bride cross'd over out of England into these Parts together with her Husband and chose for her Seat and Residence the Hague the most pleasant and delightful place not only of Holland but almost of all Europe Where belov'd of all Men and fix'd in the Good-will of all the People propensly devoted to her for the space of some Years she so charmingly and affectionately liv'd with her Husband the best of Men and no less cordially affectionate to her not only without the least Contention or Quarrel but without the least suspicion of Lukewarmness that she might well be said to be a conspicuous Example of Conjugal Affection not only to Kings and Princes and Men in high Degree but also to private Persons After some Interval of Time when they who bare ill will to our Princes and us to Liberty and Religion and more especially to this Republick stirr'd up new Troubles in England and the Nobility of the Kingdom call'd to their Aid our Prince While he strove one way and the Winds drove another at length wafted over with favourable Gales and Wishes safely arriv'd in England and without Resistance but rather with the general Applause of the Nation and as it were born upon the Shoulders of the People came to the Royal City When afterwards he invited his dearest Consort then the Companion of his Bed now of his Kingdom to partake of the Honour offer'd him and the Dignity soon after to be conferr'd upon him and the equal share of his Fortune in the Eighty ninth Year of this Age luckily and auspiciously both Husband and Wife were declar'd King and Queen with equal Power and Authority by the common Vote and Suffrage and unanimous Consent of both Houses In the Morning she rose with the Sun and worship'd the Lord of Heaven and Earth But when she was sometimes forc'd to rise at Midnight by reason of the urgent Affairs of the State and could not afterwards sleep she commanded either the Holy Scripture or some other pious Book to be brought her If any Persons came to visit her in a Morning before she had pour'd forth her Prayers she sent them back with this Expression That she was first to serve the King of Kings If any persons were said to seek her life by Treachery and Conspiracy her Answer was That she submitted to the Will of Heaven Francius 's Oration upon the Death of the Queen 2. Such was the Sanctity of Mary's Life that King William after her Decease calling to mind her Piety towards God the Integrity of her Life and her Extraordinary Knowledge of Sacred Things brake forth into this expression That if he could believe that ever any mortal Man could be born without the contamination of Sin he would believe it of the Queen And she preserv'd herself so chast and spotless that while she resided upon Earth she liv'd the Life of the Saints even in the Hurry of the Court where there are so many Incitements to evil Grevius 's Oration on the Death of the Queen 3. We had very admirable Accounts of the late Queen from her Court at the Hague during her Abode there from most unquestionable Testimonies which made us envy our Neighbours Happiness in such a Princess who knew their Happiness as 't was impossible they should not and had an extraordinary Value and Veneration for her And since her Return to her Native Country and her Advancement to the Throne here we never knew a more eminent Exception than she was to that common Observation Minuit praesentia Famam The Fame
Agaric for Phlegm The Lote-Tree follows the Motion of the Sun Philos Confer of the Virtuosi of France p. 122. 2. There is observed a Sympathy between the Feet and the Head the one taking cold the other is affected between the Mouth and the Stomach between the Heart and the Hands or Wrists So that Medicines are often applied to the one for the Cure of the other There is a Sympathy between the Light and the Spirits of Men the Green Colour and the Eyes All Cordials have a Sympathy with the Heatt as Pearls and precious Stones Male-Peony with the Brain the Blood-stone with the Blood The Dog knows the Dog-killer I Query here What is to be thought of the Lions in the Tower dying at the Smell of a Handkerchief dipt in the Blood of King Charles the First 3. I would have it throughly enquired saith Sir Francis Bacon whether there be not some secret Passages of Sympathy between Persons of near Blood as Parents Children Brothers Sisters Nurse-Children Husbands Wives c. There be many Reports in History that upon the Death of Persons of such Nearness Men have and an inward Feeling of it I my self remember that being at Paris and my Father dying in London two or three days before my Father's Death I had a Dream which I told to divers English Gentlemen that my Father's House in the Country was plaister'd all over with Black Mortar There is an Opinion that loving and kind Husbands have a Sense of their Wives Breeding-Child by some Accident in their own Body Bacon's Natural Hist Cent. 10. p. 211. 4. Hither also may be referred the Effects of Imagination of which Authors have said so much A Sister of mine saith Gaffarella had the Figure of a Fish upon her left Leg caused by the Desire my Mother had to eat Fish when she was great and it is represented with so much Perfection and Rarity that you would take it to be drawn by some excellent Master Now that wherein the Wonder lies is this That when ever the Girl eat any Fish that upon her Leg put her to a sensible Pain And I had a Friend that had a Mulberry growing upon his Forehead caused likewise by his Mother's longing after them and he never eat Mulberries but that on his Forehead put him to Pain by its extraordinary Beating This other Story which I shall now relate saith he is very well known to all in Paris that are curious Inquirers into these Things The Hostess of the Inn in the Suburbs of St. Michael at Bois de Vincenne who died about two Years since had likewise a Mulberry growing upon a Lower Lip which was smooth and plain all the Year long till the time that Mulberries begin to ripen at which time hers also began to be red and to swell more and more observing exactly the Season and Nature of other Mulberries Gaffar unheard-of Curios par 2. ch 6. 5. Oysters taken out of Water will open against the Flood-time and close upon the Ebb Britan. Bacon p. 18. 6. All Concords of Musick are Sympathies And 't is observed that if a Lute or Viol be laid upon the Back with a small Straw upon one side of the Strings and another Lute or Viol be laid by it the Unison of one being struck will make the String move and the Straw fall off Bacon's Nat. Hist cent 4. 7. There is a Sympathy between the Ear and Sounds between the Spirit and the Ear insomuch that according to the Variety of Notes and Tones and Tunes the Mind is diversly affected wild Creatures are tamed Soldiers are provoked to Courage some moved to Fear and Sadness by this means The Voice of an Orator or Preacher hath a great Influence upon the Hearers according to the Sweetness Harshness Lowness Loudness Mournsulness c. of it 8. The Sympathetic Powder and Weapon-Salve magnified by Sir Francis Bacon and Sir Kenelm Digby c. is laugh'd at by Mr. Hales of Eaton and look'd upon as a fond Conceit 9. The Sympathy of Affections and Strength of Imagination is admirable when the Mind is able to presage the Death or Dangers of a Friend tho a great way off This also I found in my self For once I suddenly fell into a Passion of Weeping upon the Apprehension I took that my dear Friend was dead whom I exceedingly loved for his Virtues and it fell out accordingly as I presaged for he died about that same Hour that I fell into that Weeping Fit and we were at that time 60 Miles asunder nor could I tell certainly that he was dead till two Days after Thus to some the Death of Friends is presaged by bleeding at the Nose and sudden Sadness by Dreams and divers other ways which the Learned Poet was not ignorant of when he saith Agnovit longe gemitum praesagia mali mens Aen. 1.10 So by the Greek Poet the Soul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Southsayer of Evil The Cause of this the Gentiles ascribed to the Sun which they held to be the Soul and our Souls Sparks of that great Lamp A Platonical Conceit which he thought Men's Souls to be material we were better to ascribe this to the Information of that Angel which attends us Rosse Arcan Microcosin 10. One Faber of Buxovil in Alsatia constantly acted the Part of his pregnant Wife being taken with Vomitings and suffered those inordinate Longings that usually attend Women in that Condition his Wife all the while suffering no such Inconveniencies Miscelan Curios Med. Phys Germ. An. 2. Observ 215. 11. That this hath happen'd to some Persons in Oxford is very certain and that to knowing Ones too very unlikely to be deceived and of unquestionable Veracity whereof one of them told me That they came upon him when he little thought of his Wife and that the Pangs were very odd ones such as he never felt in his Life not like any Griping in the Guts but lying in the Muscles of the abdomen which yet he should never have thought to have had relation to his Wife had they not suddenly and beyond expectation ceased as soon as his Wife began to be in Labour Thus far Dr. Plot in his Nat. Hist of Oxfordshire p. 193. CHAP. II. Instances of Antipathy THIS is the Opposite of Sympathy arising from the Contrariety of innate and undiscoverable Qualities a secret Vnsuitableness in the Nature of one Thing to that of another where the Properties clash together and bid Battle upon a near approach of one to the other As of the Horse and Camel Elephant and Swine Lion and Cock Bull and Fig-Tree Naked Man and Adder Ape and Tortoise Ape and Eel Cantharides and the Bladder Plague and Quick-silver Plague and Arsnic Birds and Scare-Crows Things alive and Things dead and corrupted as Man and Man's Carcass Beast and Beast's Blood c. But I shall especially Instance in the Antipathies of Mankind against some particular Things 1. Cardinal Don Henrique de Cardona would fall into a
kept her uncoffin'd till seven Days were expired at the end of which time her Heat which was before so languid and obscure that it could scarcely be discerned began more manifestly to discover it self Upon which Rubbings and other artificial Helps were used which proved so effectual that in a short time they found a trembling Vibration of the Pulse afterwards she began to breathe and so at last gradually recovered all her Senses The first Thing she spake of was that she desired to see her Mother who coming to her she thus uttered her Mind O Mother since I was absent from you I have been in Heaven and Angel went before me to conduct me thither I passed through three several Gates and at length I came to Heaven Gate where I saw Things very Glorious and Vnutterable as Saints Angels and the like in glorious Apparel and heard unparallell'd Musick Divine Anthems and Hallelujahs I would fain have entred that glorious Place but the Angel that went before me withstood me yet I thought my self half in but he told me I could not be admitted now but I must go bacik and take leave of my Friends and after some short time I should be admitted So he brought me hither again and is now standing at the Bed's-feet Mother you must needs see him he is all in White Her Mother told her It was but a Dream or Fancy and that she knew not what she said Whereupon she answered with a great deal of Vehemency that it was as true as that she was there at present She took notice also of several Persons in the Room by their Names to shew she did not Dream but spoke with Understanding But for the greater Confirmation she told them of three or four Persons that were dead since she was deprived of her Senses and named each Person one of them was dead and they knew not of it before they sent to enquire She said she saw them passing by her while she stood at the Gate One whom she named was reputed a vicious Person came as far as the Gate but was sent back again another way All the Persons she named died in the time she lay in this Trance She lived about two Years after this enjoying a perfect Health and then died in great Assurance of her Salvation speaking comfortable Words and giving wholsome Instructions to all who came to Visit her It is worthy Observation That during the whole time of her first Sickness which was about a quarter of a Year she neither eat nor drank any thing besides the Juice of an Orange and the Yolk of an Egg. Attested by her Brother Dr. Atherton Physician of Caermarthen 9. Mrs. Lydiah Dunton Wife to Mr. John Dunton then Rector of Graffham in Huntingdonshire was laid out for dead several Days yet came to Life again to the great Admitation of all that saw her in that Condition This Passage was related by her Husband to a Friend of mine CHAP. XXXV Women Excellent in the Arts. WHen Amesia stood forth to plead her own Cause in the Senate the Romans sent to the Oracle to enquire what it protended to the State as if Females were no Relation to the Muses or Minerva or capable of those Improvements in Literature and the Sciences as Men are Whether they are or no I desire my Reader not to judge till he hath first perused the few Examples which follow 1. Gilberta Anglica born in Mentz in Germany where she was beloved of a young Scholar for whose sake lest the Love should come to the Ears of her Parents all Modesty set aside she put her self into a young Man's Habit fled from her Father's House and came into England with her Paramour where she gave her self to Study At length the young Man dying finding her self entred into some Knowledge and desirous of more she continued her Habit and Study as well in the Scriptures as in Humane Learning At length coming to Rome she read publickly in the Schools where she had a frequent Auditory and besides her singular Wisdom being much admired for her Sanctity and Austerity of Life she was after the Death of Leo the Fifth elected and confirmed in the Papal Dignity and is commonly called by the Name of Pope Joan. Platin. 2. Constantia the Wife of Alexander Sforza had so improved her self in Learning by her indefatigable Industry that upon the sudden without any Premeditation she was able sufficiently to discourse upon any Subject either of Divinity or Philosophy besides she was well seen in the Works of Hierom Ambrose Gregory Lactantius and Cicero Heymond 3. â—osuida was born in Germany and a Saxon by Nation she lived under Lotharius the First in the Diocess of Hildesheim She was Eloquent in the Greek and Latin Tongues and practised in all good Arts. She composed many Books not without great Commendations from the Readers one especially to her Fellow-Nuns exhorting them to Chastity Virtue and Divine Worship She published six Comedies besides a Noble Poem in Hexameter Verse of the Books and Noble Acts done by the other Caesars She wrote the Lives of Holy Men but chiefly a Divine Work of the Pious and Chast Life of the Blessed Virgin Fulgos l. 8. c. 3. 4. The Lady Jane Gray Daughter to the Duke of Suffolk a Lady of incomparable Peity and for her Years of incomparable Learning for being not past 17 Years of Age she understood perfectly the Greek and Latin Tongues and was so ready in Points of Divinity as if she knew them by Inspiration rather than by Instruction Baker's Chron. When her Master came to take his Leave of her finding her busie in reading of a Greek Poet he asked her How she could contain her self at such Studies when her Father with other Persons of Quality and Ladies were following their Game and Pleasures in the Park Sir said she they do not know what true Pleasure means I find more Satisfaction and Delight in one Page of this Book than they in all their Sports During her Imprisonment the writ upon the Walls these Verses Non aliena Putes homini quae obtingere possunt Sors hodlerna mihi cras erit illa tibi In English thus Think nothing strange chance happens unto all My Lot's to Day to morrow thine may fall And again Deo juvante nil nocet livor malus Et non juvante nil juvat Labor gravâ— Post tenebras spero lucem In English thus If God protect no Malice can offend Without his Help there 's nothing can descend This Distich was made upon her Miraris Janam Graio sermone locutam Quo primum nata est tempore Graia fuit Dr. Fell. 5. Concerning Queen Elizabeth we have spoke already in the Chapter of Rath-rip Wits I shall add no more here save only that when Mr. Doddington of Trinity-College and Greek Professor at Cambridge had entertained her with a Greek Oration and offered in Latin afterwards to speak it in Latin if she pleased she made answer Ego
extraordinary Carps Trouts Tenches Pikes c. There is that substantial large Fish called Scheiden or Silurus Gesneri larger than Pike Salmon or any of our River Fishes but the great Fishes called Hausons or Husons in Jonston for largeness exceeds all others some being 20 foot long Some think this to be the Fish which Aelian names Antacetus and speaks largely of the Fishing for them in Ister I was saith he at the Fishing places for Hausons in Schiit Island between Presburg and Comora for they come not usually higher especially in Shoals and it is much that they come so high for they are perceived to come up the Stream out of the Euxine Sea They Eat them both fresh and salted they taste most like Sturgeon It is a Cartilaginous Fish consisting of Gristles and they have a hollow nervous chord the down the Back which being dried serves for a Whip When they Fish for them they blow a Horn or Trumpet and know where they go by the moving of the Water Dr. Browns Trav. p. 154. 19. Chatagne de Mer or Sea Chest-Nuts found in Canada of New France are the most delicious Fish that possibly can be Nova Francia p. 265. CHAP. XL. Strange Serpents THere is no kind of living Creature that we have a greater Antipathy against then this of Serpents and the Reason will easily appear to the Reader upon perusal of this Chapter so that they seem to me very fit Emblems of Satans Malice and Cunning and fit Engines for that Evil Spirit to make use of in the Delusion and Destruction of Human Nature insomuch that a due consideration of the Resemblance will serve pretty well to solve the difficulty of the History of our Fall 1. The Asp Their Poison is so great that they are not used in Medecines That of Chalidonia is the most Poisonous Death straight-way following The Cure of their Poison is by Incision Cauteries Cuppings and Cocks Rumps applied c. It is like to a Land-Snake but broader on the Back their Teeth are long and full of holes which are covered with a Skin that slides up when they Bite letting out their Poison Salmons Dispensatory p. 247. 2. The Ammodite its Poison is not inferiour to that of the Asp some dying within 3 hours after the Wound received none living above 7 days The Biting of the Female is most Venemous It is a kind of Viper of a Cubit long having black spots on the Skin small lines on the Back and hard Wart like a Horn on the upper Chap and very fierce Ibid. 3. Amphisbaena It is a venemous Serpent making a Wound so small that it can scarce be discerned causing Inflammation and a lingring Death It s Body is of an equal thickness the Eyes commonly shut the Skin rough hard spotted and of an Earthly colour They go both ways Ibid. 4. The Boa It is a Serpent which goes upon its Belly and grows to be above an hundred foot long It kills not Cattle till their Milk is dried up and then it Eats them destroying Herbs It s Poison causes Tumours Swellings and Iastly Death Ibid. 248. 5 Caecilia The Slow-Worm is a Creature which has a very strong Poison If their Wound swell prick and apply a Cataplasm of Fullers Earth and Vinegar It is called the Blind-Worm but it hurts not unless provoked Ibid. 6. Cenchrus the Millet It is a Serpent about two Cubits long of a dark colour spotted like the Millet-Seed They go strait and are avoided by an oblique Motion It is a dangerous and strong Beast when it seizes its Prey it sucks the Blood whilst it beats the Body with its Tail Ibid. 7. Cerastes the Horned Serpent 'T is a yard long of a sandy colour with two Horns and Teeth like a Viper its Poison is deadly It make the patient made Eyes dim Nerves immoveable causes a pricking like Needles Ibid. 8. Chelidrus Druina Hicinus Querculus Cheresidial the Druin it s among the first Ranks of Serpents for Poison 'T is about a yard long full of Scales under which breed a sort of Flies which destroy it The Back is blackish Head broad and flat Their Captain hath a white Crown or Comb on his Head It s very smell stupifies and almost strangles Ibid. 9. Coluber the Adder is a hotter Serpent than a Snake of a dark blacker colour of about a Cubit long Their Biting causes Swelling Paleness and Swounding The Cure is Venice-Treacle or Mithredate with Wine or Juice of Rice c. Ibid. 10. Dipsas Ammoatis Situla Melanurus Causon It is a burning fiery Serpent insomuch that they that are bit thirst most intolerably and drink so much till they burst It is less than a Viper but kills sooner about a Cubit long the Head and Tail are very little small and black the other parts whitish with black and yellow sports Ibid. p. 249. 11. Draco the Dragon It hurts more by its Biting and Tail than by its Poison 12. The Haemorrhe Affodius Sabrine is about a Foot long of a sandy colour spotted all over with black flaming Eyes small Head with the appearance of Horns having Scales rough and sharp making a noise as he goes Its biting causes a continual bleeding sweat violent torture Pain in the Stomach difficulty of Breathing Convulsions c. The Cure is by Scarification c. Ibid. 13. Lacerta the Lizard is of a changeable colour and an Enemy to the Spider and Toad The Eggs kill speedily except a sudden remedy be exhibited made of Falcons Dung and Wine If they Bite they leave their Teeth behind them which cause continual aking till taken out The Green Lizard living in Meadows are not Venomous Ibid. 14. Lacerta Aquatica the Neute is Venemous and hardly dies by blows but Salt kills them presently Their Eggs are about the bigness of Pease If provoked they shut the Mouth and stand upon their hinder Legs till their Body be all white or pale by which is shown their ill Nature Ibid. 15. Pelias by Biting causes Putrification but such as is easily Cured by drinking Poisan with Oil and anointing with Balm of Perue Ibid. 16. Prester That which Junius and Tremelius think to be the fiery Serpent in the Wilderness is a hot and fiery Beast and goes panting with open Mouth of a very malignant Poison The Cure is by the Juice of Pursley and Castorcum Drunk with Opoponax and Juice of Rue in Canary Ibid. 17. Plyas the most Poisonous Asp kills by Spitting Touch or Smell wounding almost invisibly They Prick not much bigger that the stinging of a Bee without swelling it causes heaviness of the Eyes pain of the Body with some kind of Pleasure Stupidity Deafness Convulsion Vomiting and Death 'T is about a yard long ash-colour flaming and greenish 18. Regulus Sibulus Basiliscus the Cockatrice is the King of al Serpents infecting the Air round about so that no Creature can live near it It is said that he kills both by touching and sight casting forth a burning
Canons or Priests 26 poor Knights who had an Allowance for their Prayers to God and St. George of Cappadocia and a Soveraign Cuardian viz. the Kings a Prelate a Prelate of the Garter and a Chancellor viz. the Bishops of Winchester and Salisbury a Register of late the Dean of Windsor a King at Arms an Usher a College in the Castle of Windsor and the Chapel of St. George Their Garter is Blue deck'd with Gold Pearl and Precious Stones and a Buckle of Gold to be worn daily on the left Leg upon pain of forfeiting 10 Shillings their Habit is a Surcoat a Mantle a high Black Velvet Cap a Gold Collar composed of Roses enamelled Red within a Garter enamelled Blue when they wear not their Robes they are to wear an Escutchion of the Arms of St. George viz. A Cross with a Garter and a Star Eight Emperors have been of this Order 27 Foreign King c. None convict of Heresie Treason or Cowardise can be of this Order 2ly Knights of the Bath for we pass over Knights Baronets as absolute are so called from their Bathing used before they were created The first of this sort were made by Henry IV. A. 1399. They are now commonly made at the Coronation of a King or Queen or Creation of a Prince of Wales They wear a Scarlet Ribbond Belt-wise They are still made with much Ceremony too long here to be described 3ly Knights Batchelors Quasi Bas Chevaliers Equites Aurati from the Gilt Spurs usually put upon them Knights of low degree These were antiently made by Jirding with a Sword and Gilt Spurs and was bestowed only upon Sword Men for their Military Services and was reputed an Excellent and Glorious Degree and a noble Reward for Couragious Persons but of late being made more common and bestowed upon Gown-men contrary to the nature of the thing it is become of less Reputation They are made thus The Person kneels down the King with a drawn Sword toucheth him on the Shoulder saying Sois Chevalier au Nom de Dieu and the Advance Chevalier A Knight being to suffer Death is first ungirt his Sword taken away his Spurs cut off his Gantlet pluckt off and his Coat of Arms reversed 4ly Esquires in French Escuyers Scutigeri Armigeri so called because either they boâ—â— a Shield before the King or some of the Nobles in War or else because they bear a Coat of Arms or both and they are 1. All younger Sons of Viscounts and Barons all Sons of Earls Marquesses and Dukes 2. Esquires of the King s Body 3. Eldest Sons of younger Sons of Barons c. 4. Esquiâ—es Created by putting about their Necks a Collar of sses and bestowing on them a pair of Silver Spurs 5. Persons in Superiour Public Office are reputed Esquires viz. Serjeants at Law Justices Mayors Councellors Batchelors of Divinity Law or Physick High Sheriffs c. 5ly Gentlemen are such whose Parents have always carried Coat of Arms c. CHAP. IX Improvements in the Military Art THAT we may not leave any considerable Art untouch'd we shall say a little of the Advancement made in the Art of destroying Peoples Lives not by secret Plots or Villainous Poysons or Devillish Witchcraft the Sciences of Hell and the Phylosophy of Devils but in a Military Open and Hostile manner by the Art of a Public and Lawful War And this likewise seems to have received much Addition and Improvement by the Ingenioso's of the last Ages Tho' perhaps in Fire-darts the Ancients were as ingenious as we as I shall take notice afterwards 1. Frier Bacon is supposed to be the first Inventer of Gunpowder as is gather'd out of his Epistle ad Parisiensen where speaking of the secret Works of Nature and Art he hath these Words In omnem distantiam quam volumus Possumus artificialiter componere Ignem combruentem ex sale Petrae aliis which alia as Dr. Wallis saw it in a Manuscript Copy of the said Roger Bacon in the Hands of Dr. Langbain late Provost of Queen's College were Sulphur and Carbonum Pulvis concerning which after a while he further adds Praeter hac sunt alia stupendia Nature c. that is of Salt-Petre and other Matters viz. Sulphur and the Dust of Coal he could make Fire that should burn at what distance he pleased and further that with the same Matter he could make Sounds like Thunder and Corruscations in the Air more dreadful than those made by Nature For says he a little of this Matter rightly fitted tho not bigger than ones Thumb makes a horrible Noise and shews a violent Corruscation which may be ordered many ways whereby a City or Army may be destroyed the Fire breaking forth with an unspeakable Noise which are wonderful things if a Man knew exactly how to use it in due Quantity and Matter Whence 't is plain he either invented or knew Gunpowder and in all Probability it was invented here at Oxford where he made the rest of his affrighting Experiments And that out of his Works Constantine Ancklitzen of Friburg or Bertholdus Swartz and the rest of the Improvers in all likelihood might have their pretended Inventions Dr. Plot 's Nat. Hist. of Oxfordshire c. 9. Par. 40. c. 2. Thucidides saith that those that besieged the Platenensis when Engines would do no good they fell to Fireworks for casting about the Wall Bundles of Stuff and throwing in Fire Brimstone and Pitch they burnt the Wall whence arose such a Flame that until that time no Man ever saw the like Heron teacheth that in burning of the Walls after you have made a hole thorow you must put Wood of the Pinetree under and anoint them with dry Pitch and powdered Brimstone together with Tar or Oyl and set this on Fire And elsewhere he teacheth to burn with a Pot take an earthen Pitcher and bind it about with Plates of Iron on the outside and let it be full of Small-coal let there be a hole about the bottom to put in the Bellows for when the coals take Fire by sprinkling on ov Vinegar Piss or any other sharp Matter the Walls are broken Vegetius teacheth what combustible Matter must be used and he useth burning Oyl Hards Brimstone Bitumen Burnign Arrows are shot in Cross-bows into the Enemies Ships and these being smear'd over with Wax Pitch and Resin they quickly fire the Decks with so many things that afford Fuel to the Fire 3. Ammianus Marcellinus described Fire-Darts a king of Weapon made after such a fashion It is an Arrow of Cane joyn'd with many Irons between the Shaft and the Head and they are made hollow after the fashion of a Woman's Distaff in the midst of it it hath many small holes and in the very hollow of it is put Fire with some combustible Matter and so it is easily shot forth of a weak Bow for a Bow that is strong puts out the Fire and there is no means to put it out but by casting on
Arguments relating also to the Witch as that when the maid had not for many days and nights together taken any rest and being then under most grievous hurryings and tortures of the Body the Witch being brought into the Room where she lay the Design unknown to her and the time of her entring yet so soon as the Witch had set one Foot into the Room she gave a most hideous glance with her Eyes and shut them presently after falling asleep in a moment and slept about Three Hours so fast that when they would have wakened her they could not by any art or violence whatever as by stopping her Breath putting things up her Nostrils holding her upright striking of her and the like The Witch also declared her unwillingness that she should be wakened crying out O pray you by no means awake the maid for if she should awake I should be torn in pieces and the Devil would fetch me away bodily And a further Evidence that this sleep of the maid did some way depend upon the Witch is that so soon as the Witch had gone from under the Roof where she was the maid wakened of her self and so soon as the maid awakened and was at ease the Devil as she said having gone out of her Stomach but doing her no violence only making her body tremble a little the Witch began to roar and cry out The Devil will tear me in pieces These things you may read more fully and particularly in the Narration of Edmond Bower who was an Eye-witness of them Fourthly and Lastly her Behaviour at the Assizes when she gave Evidence against the Witch was so earnest and serious with that strength of mind and free and confident Appeals to the Witch her self that as I was informed of those that were Spectators of that Transaction it had been Argument enough to the unprejudiced that she swore nothing but what she was assured was true And those Floods of Tears and her bitter Weepings after Sentence was passed on the Witch and her bewailing of her own wickedness and madness and professing her willingness notwithstanding if it might be done without sin that the VVitch might be reprieved may further wash away all suspicion of either fraud or malice Nor can the Witches denying even to her Dying Day what the maid swore to enâ—â—vate her Testimony For the maid tells the whole truth as it was even to the hazard of her own Life which the Witch indeed denies but for the saving of hers And it is no wonder that one that would bid a Pox on the Hangman when he desired her to forgive him at her Death should lye and impudently deny any thing to save her own Life I think it might be evidently evinced that she was a Witch from what she undoubtedly both did and spake As for Example from her shewing of the Maid in a Glass the shapes of sundry Persons and their Actions and Postures in several Rooms in her Master's House whither when she had returned from the Witch she told them punctually what they had been doing in her Absence which made Elizabeth Rosewell one of the Family profess that she thought Mrs. Bodenham was either a Witch or a woman of God Besides what happened to her in reference to the Fits of the Maid which has been already insisted upon are shrewd Suspicions of her being a VVitch As also what she boasted of to Mr. Tucker's Clark concerning a Purse that hung about her Neck in a green String that she could do many Feats with it and that if he would give her half a Dozen of Ale she would make a Toad spring out of it Her Confession to Mr. Langely of Sarum that she lived with Dr. Lamb and learnt the art of raising Spirits from him which she confessed also to Edmond Bower to whom also she acknowledged her skill of curing Diseases by Charms and Spells that she could discover stoâ—en Goods and shew any one the Thief in a Glass and being asked by him for the Red Book half wrote over with Blood being a Catalogue of those that had sealed to the Devil she denied not the knowledge of the Book but said it was with one in Hampshire She also professed that she used many good Prayers and said the Creed backwards and forwards and that she prayed to the Planet Jupiter for the curing of Diseases She also acknowledged she had a Book whereby she raised Spirits calling it a Book of Charms and said it was worth Thousands of other Books and that there was a particular Charm in it for the finding of a Treasure hid by the old Earl of Pembroke in the North part of Wilton Garden To another Party she being ask'd by him whether there were any Spirits she made this Reply that she was sure there were and confirmed it to him by several Passages of late and particularly by that of one forced to walk about all Night with a bundle of Pales on his Back in a Pond of Water which is mentioned at the end of the Fourth Conjuration above recited She did also highly magnifie her own Art to him venturing at Astrological Terms and Phrases and did much scorn and blame the ignorance of the People averring to him with all earnestness and confidence that there was no hurt in these Spirits but that they would do a man all good Offices attending upon him and guarding him from evil all his Life long But certainly her ragged Boys were no such who discharged the maid from keeping the Commandments of God and told her they would teach her a better way as she also confessed to the same Party Add unto all this that this Ann Bodenham was searched both at the Goal and before the Judges at the Assizes and there was found on her Shoulder a certain Mark or Teat about the length and bigness of the Nipple of a VVoman's Breast and hollow and soft as a Nipple with an hole on the top of it Dr. Moor's Antid against Atheism l. 3. c. 7. 3. In 1645 there was a notable Discovery of several VVitches in Essex and among others one Elizabeth Clark was one of whom because we have occasion to speak elsewhere we shall therefore pass her over here in silence Anne Leach of Misley in Essex was another concerning whom see the Story in short in the Chapter of Satan's Permission to hurt the Good in their Estates Also Hellen the VVife of Thomas Clark was another and Daughter to Ann Leach This Hellen was accused at the same time Richard Glascock's VVife of Mannintree deposed that there happening some difference between Edward Parsley's VVife and this Hellen she heard Hellen say as she passed by their Door that Mary their eldest Daughter should rue for it whereupon the maid instantly fell sick and died six VVeeks after Edward Parsley her Father confirmed the same and said he did verily believe Hellen Clark was the cause of her Death who being her self examined confest that about Six Weeks before the
Devil appeared to her in her House in the likeness of a white Dog and that she called this Imp or Familiar Spirit Elimanzer and that she often fed it and that the Spirit spoke to her very audibly and bid her deny Jesus Christ which she did then assent to but denied that she killed the young maid She was Executed at Mannintree Apr. 15. 1645. 4. Anne West and Rebecca her Daughter were likewise of this black Society against whom Prudence the VVife of Thomas Hart of Lawford in Essex deposed upon Oath that about Eight weeks before going on Sunday to the Parish-Church about half a mile from her House being about Twenty weeks gone with Child and to her thinking very well and healthy upon a sudden she was taken with great Pains and miscarried before she came Home And about Two months after one Night when she was in Bed something fell down upon her Right Side but being dark she could not discover its shapes and that she was presently taken lame on that side with extraordinary Pains and burning and was certainly perswaded that Anne and Rebecca West were the cause of her Pains having expressed much Malice toward her and counted her their greatest Enemy Mr. John Edes a Minister deposed That Rebecca West confessed to him that about Seven Years before she began to have familiarity with the Devil by the instigation of her Mother Anne West and that he appeared in several Shapes As once like a proper young man who desired to have familiarity with her promising that he would then do what she desired and avenge her on her Enemies requiring her also to deny God and put her faith and trust in him which being agreed to she order'd him to avenge her on one Thomas Hart of Lawford by killing his Son who was soon after taken sick and died VVhereupon Rebecca told the Minister she thought the Devil could do like God in destroying whom he pleased After which she gave him Entertainment and he lay with her as a man She likewise confest to him that when she lived at Riverhall in Essex her Mother came and told her The Barley Corn was picked up meaning that the Son of one George Francis a chief Inhabitant of that Town was Dead and his Father very much suspected he was bewitched to Death and her Mother hearing of it said Be it unto him according to his Faith Mr. Matthew Hopkins deposed upon Oath that going to the Prison where Rebecca West and five others were he asked her how she first came to be a Witch who told him that her Mother and she going one Evening after Sunset toward Mannintree her Mother charged her to keep secret whatever she saw which she promising to do they went both to the House of Elizabeth Clark where they found her together with Ana Leach Elizabeth Gooding and Hellen Clark and that Instantly the devil appeared in the shape of a Dog then came two Kitlins and after them two Dogs more who all seemed to reverence Elizabeth Clark skipping into her lap and kissing her and then Kist all in the Room except her self Whereupon one of the Witches askt her Mother if her Daughter were Acquainted with the Business who assuring them of her secrecy Ann Leach pulled out a Book and Swore her not to reveal any thing she saw or heard and if she did she should endure more torments than there could be in Hell Whereupon she again ingaged to be silent They told her she must never confess any thing tho the Rope were about her Neck and she ready to be Hanged To which after she had given her absolute Ingagement the Devil leapt up into her Lap and Kissed her promising to perform whatever she would desire About halt a year after the Devil appeared as she was going to Bed and said he would marry her which she could not refuse whereupon he Kissed her but was as cold as Clay and then took her by the Hand Leading her about the room and promised to be her Loving Husband till Death and to avenge her of all her enemies She likewise obliging her self to be his Obedient Wife till Death and to deny God and Christ Jesus She confest that after this she sent him to kill the Son of Thomas Hart who died within a Fortnight and thereupon she took the Devil for her God and thought he could as God Rebecca West being likewise Examined before the Justices at Mannintree confessed that all was true concerning their Meeting at Elizabeth Clarks where they spent some time in Praying to their Familiar Spirits and then every one made their desires known to them Elizabeth Clark requested her Spirit that Mr. Edwards might be met withal at a Bridge near her House and that his Horse might be frighted and he thrown down and never rise again Mr. Edwards deposed that at the same place his Horse started and greatly indangered him and he heard something about the House Cry Ah Ah much like a Polecat and that with great difficulty he saved himself from being thrown off his Horse Elizabeth Gooding desired her Imp to kill Robert Jaylors Horse for suspecting her to be a Witch which was done accordingly Hellen Clark required to kill some Hogs of a Neighbours Ann Leach that a Cow might be Lamed and Ann West her Mother desired her Spirit to free her from all her enemies and to have no trouble And she her self desired that Thomas Harts Wife might be taken Lame of her right side after which they departed appointing the next Meeting at Elizabeth Goodings House for these and several other Notorious Crimes Ann West was Sentenced and Executed at Mannintree Elizabeth Gooding at Chelmsford and the Bill found against Rebecca West by the Grand Jury but was acquitted by the Jury of Life and Death Ibid p. 14. 5. Rose Hallybread was another of this black Regiment against whom Robert Turner of St. Osyth in Essex deposed that about eight days before his Servant was taken Sick shaking shrieking and crying out of Rose Hallybread that she had bewitched him and that he sometimes Crowed like a Cock sometimes barked like a Dog and sometimes Groaned violently beyond the ordinary course of Nature and tho but a youth struggl'd with so much strength that four or five lusty Men were not able to hold him down in his Bed and sometimes he would Sing several strange Songs and Tunes his Mouth not being opened nor his Lips so much as stirring all the time of his Singing She being examined confest That about sixteen years before one Goody Hagtree brought an Imp to her House which she entertained and fed it with Oat-Meal and Suckled it on her Body a Year and a half and then lost it She confessed likewise that about half a year before one Joyce Boanes brought to her another Imp in the likeness of a small gray Bird which she received and carried to the House of one Thomas Toakly of St. Osyths and put it under his Door after which