Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A19854
|
A brief apologie prouing the possession of William Sommers. Written by Iohn Dorrell, a faithful Minister of the Gospell: but published without his knowledge, with a dedicatorie epistle disclosing some disordered procedings against the saide Iohn Dorrell
|
Darrel, John, b. ca. 1562.
|
1599
(1599)
|
STC 6282; ESTC S114072
|
16,727
|
42
|
A BRIEF APOLOGIE PROVING THE POSSESSION OF WILLIAM SOMMERS Written by IOHN DORRELL a faithful Minister of the Gospell but published without his knowledge With a Dedicatorie Epistle disclosing some disordered procedings against the saide IOHN DORRELL Quod in religionem committitur in omnium fertur iniuriam 1599. To the right Honourable St Thomas Eggerton Knight L. Keeper of the great Seale of England S r Iohn Popham Knight L. chief Iustice of England Sir William Periam Knight Lord chief Baron of th' Eschequer and other the most reuerend Iudges of the Common Lawes of Englande MY LL. I doe not doubt but your HH haue hearde of the possession dispossession of VVilliam Summors a youth of NotinghaÌ„ but in what sence these thinges haue bene carried vnto you by reason of the manifolde varieties of reportes spred abroad it may be well doubted Wherefore to the end that your HH might take knowledge of the trueth herein and according to your knowledge by that hie authoritie deriued vnto you from her Sacred Maiestie for the gouernement of hir subiectes according to your accustomed iustice and integritie iustifie the trueth discountenance the contrarie I haue therfore presumed to preferre vnto your LL. this plaine Apologeticall treatise penned by Maister Iohn Dorrell a principall partie in this matter but published altogither without his priuitie or consent therein The maine point of the controuersie is Whether William Summers was possessed and dispossessed yea or no. Whereby there is called into question a matter of fact a greater then which can not almost fall out to bee decided among the sonnes of men namelie touchinge the malice of Satan and maruellous authoritie of our Lorde IESVS They that imagine Summer was not possessed but did counterfeit doe by consequence and indirectlie denie the malice of Satan the Soueraintie of our Sauiour in this action But if it fall out contrarie that hee was possessed and dispossessed in deed what their sinne is and what their reward shall be that blaspheme this great worke of God I leaue to the secret iudgement of the great day when they that now iudge shall be iudged Onelie hereby it is euident that so manie hie or lowe as professe them selues Christians are greatlie interessed in this matter that so much concerneth Christ their Maister and ought therefore informe them selues herein in asmuch as what soeuer is done against the Head must needes strecht vnto the Members Now euerie matter of fact as this is most vsuallie is determined by the othes of men It is therefore to bee respected what hath bene may be proued by the depositions of credible men touching this matter By coÌ„mission from the Archbish of York directed to 12. especiall persons neare to Notingham 17. witnesses were deposed who directlie proue such admitable things to be done or suffered by the saide Summer that neither Art nor Nature can compasse the like Besides these 17. the names of others to the number of 60. or thereabouts were taken in writing readie to be deposed of the same and the like But the Commissioners being wearied with examinations of witnesses seeing Summer before their faces violentlie cast into one of his sitts so as he wallowed with his body stretched out at length with an exceeding swiftnes from one ende of the rowme where they sate vnto another and being pulled by the cares and pricked with pinnes in his legg and hande of purpose to trie whether he had any feeling or not yet he remayning sencelesse and no bloud following theÌ„ they thought it needlesse to proceed any further At the same time there was seene to three of the Commissioners onely the rowme being also full of people a black dogge running about Sum. head as he laye before them snuffing at his mouth which the three Commissioners supposed to haue bene a dogge in deed and that others had seene him as well as they which was not so To this vision accordeth the speech which Som. vttered when the Commissioners willed him to declare vnto them who had perswaded him to say he did counterfeit wherevnto being interrupted as it seemed by the Deuill he stutteringlie answered That the blacke dogge which brought him the bag of golde did bidde him say so To second the trueth of the extraordinarie handling of this Som. Maister Treton Maister Brown and Maister Ivington commissioners M. Hildersham M. More and M. Brincesley all godly preachers and some of them of great renowme for learning and grauiue besides manie Gentlemen and others of good credite voluÌ„tatilie haue offred to testifie the trueth in the premisses but they haue bene reiected sharplie censured Petitions haue bene made for copyes of the allegations and depositions against this matter and for awarding of new CoÌ„missions to indifferent persons for more full satisfaction but hitherto none of these could be obteined no not much as patient audience or any iudiciall course of proceeding On the other side the bare report of Som that he did counterfeit and was instructed therevnto by M. Darrell though it bee impossible to be true without the impeachment of the othes of infallible witnesses is helde for authenticall long libells or legendis drawen thervpon which may be confuted by manifold witnesses if they might be heard But as if it were more then high treason to affirme the contrarie to that which one man relying vpon Som. relation hath auouched to the L. Archb of Canterb and it may be to your LL. other personages of hie estate to be true all witnesses without respect of their authoritie in the common wealth their learning grauitie and approued credite are scornfullie contemned or insolentlie charged to medle no more in this matter although it hath pleased hir most excellent Maiestic by one of the Gentlemen of hir priuie Chamber to giue speciall commaundement that the cause receiue indifferent hearing If the boyes wordes be of such credite that none may impugn them why should not his words sealed at other times with othes and execâ—ations be of like value After his dispossession repossession being sometimes come to him selfe he voluntarily with his own hand writinge which is yet to be seene sheweth how it came to passe that he was induced to giue out that he had bene a couÌ„terfeit not vpon any ground of the trueth but by the threates of Satan and his instruments His own wordes are these Being at Sent Iones there came vnto me a thing like vnto a Dogg and said vnto me And if I would consent vnto him say that I was a couÌ„terfeit he would giue me a bagge of golde and if I woulde not hee woulde make me be hanged or else he would teare mee in peeces And if I would I should doe any thing that I would take in hand And he would come to me like a Mouse would helpe me And there came to me a thing like a Nass and said if I would not say that I was a Counterfeit