monster were of the highest form of our refined Familists and very active in maintaining their party and in reproaching some of the Elders and others who did oppose their errors These things are so well knowne in New England both this and the former relation that the reverend Teacher of Boston hath made use of them in publike and have beeu testified by so many Letters from thence to friends here and also published in a printed large relation with all the circumstances by Mr. Thomas Welde a worthy Minister then of New England now in Old that the truth of these things is unquestionable Riches bring troubles Policrates bestowed five talents for a gift upon one Anacrion who for two nights after was so troubled with care how to keep them and how to bestow them as he carried them back againe to Policrates saying they were not worth the paines which he had already taken for them A just reward of covetousnesse Calipha King of Persia having filled a towre with silver gold jewels and precious stones and being in warre with Alanus King of the Tartarians was so hated of his owne people for his covetousnesse and base keeping backe of their pay as that he was taken by Alanus in his own City committed to prison in the aforesaid towre Alanus speaking thus to him If thou hadst not kept this treasure so covetously but hadst distributed it amongst thy souldiers thou mightst have preserved thy self and City now therefore enjoy it at thine ease and eate and drink thy fill seeing thou hast loved it so well And so he dyed in the midst of his Riches Gods Mercy The weapons of Gods Artillery are turned into the Rain-Bow a Bow indeed but without an Arrow Bent but without a string with the back towards Heaven as if we rather shot at God by our sinnes then hee at us by his Judgements Gods Infinitenesse God is a Circle whose Circumference is every where and whose Center is no where A Prophesie sulfilled Whitguift the last Abbot of Wellow in Lincolnshire would often tell his friends that he should live to see the dissolution of Abbeys and all such Religious houses for that hee had read the Scripture over and over but could finde no foundation for them there but I finde said he this in the Scripture that whatsoever is not of Gods planting shall be pluckt up which accordingly came to passe here in England in his dayes The different dispositions of men A Father that had three Sons was desirous to try their discretions which he did by giving to each of them an apple that had some part of it rotten the first eats up his rotten and all the second throwes all his away because some part of it was rotten the third drawes his knife and picking out the rotten eats that which was good This may not unfitly be compared to three sorts of men in our dayes concerning the diversity of opinions in these times some swallow all good or bad others cast all away right or wrong the wisest sort try all things and keep only that which is good Affection marres judgement If the Faux of our Concupiscence give fire to the Gunpowder of our Appetite 't will blow up the parliament-house of our Reason Five pound lost for want of faith A reverend Minister of this Land that had many Children whom he would many times aske what Callings they had most minde to one of his younger Sons would alwaies say that he would be a Merchant Alas child replyed his Father I am a poore man and shall not be able to give so much mony as that Trade requires but still the boyes minde was to be a Merchant It hapned one day that this Minister and his Wife were invited to a Knights house to dinner where there were some Londoners of the Knights friends the same time whereof one as they sate at dinner asked if any at the Table knew of ever a hopefull boy of honest Parents that were willing to be a Prentice the Minister desired to know what Trade that gentleman was of who told him that he was a Merchant O Sir said the Minister you Merchants require so much with your Prentises that t is not for poore men to thinke of putting a childe to your trade 'T is true said the Merchant we usually have good sums with our Prentises but for my part I would take a boy that were religiously bred with a small matter I pray Sir replyed the Minister what do you meane by a small matter why said the other I would take such a childe as I have spoken of with twenty pound though we seldome take any under seven or eight score pound well after dinner this good Minister singles out his Wife who had well observed the Merchants offer and said to her La ye wife here 's providence this Merchant will take our boy with twenty pound yea quoth his wife you are ever talking of providence providence t is a goodly peece of providence indeed pray how should we come by twenty pound the poore man sneakes away with a flea in his eare not willing to tempt his wives patience any further with his discourse about providence towards night the Minister and his wife tooke their leaves of the company and went home where they found a Serving-man who desiring to speake privately with the Minister delivered him a paper sealed up with a token in it from his Master which the good man opening found in it fifteene twenty shillings peeces he goes immediatly to his wife and shewes her what the gentlemen had sent them telling her that she had lost five pound clearly for want of Faith To be sensible that we are dead is a signe of life An eminent Minister who was a famous instrument of converting many Soules to God was wont to say that for his own part he had no other evidence in himselfe of being in the state of Grace then that he was sensible of his deadnesse A passage of providence There was another very godly Minister whose meanes were so small that oftentimes he was in great want of necessaries for his Family one morning being Market-day his wife came to him as he was at his study and frowardly enough ask't him for some mony to buy their weekly provision the poore man answered that he had not one penny she cryed out then you and your children must starve for ought I know the Minister replyed that he hoped God would provide for them and perswaded his wife to send her maide into the Market what to doe trow cryed she except she had mony howsoever let her goe said her husband the wife replyed her maid should not goe without mony the good man urged his wife againe and againe to let her maid goe into the Market with her hand-basket as she was wont to doe at which importunity she sent her maid as formerly to make their markets but without one penny of mony the wench to satisfie her Master went up and downe
Service-booke and Ceremonies pleasing to Papists When Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown bloody Bonner Bishop of London was deposed and clapt up in prison a friend of his comming one day to visite him he asked how the world went abroad and what kinde of Service the Protestants used in Pauls and other Churches his friend told him that they had the Masse still meaning the Booke of Common Prayer and Organs and Coaps and Surplices and Singing-men and the like nay said Bonner if they taste of our Broth I doubt not but ere long they will eate of our Beefe A Butcher of Norwich Churched A Butcher of Norwich being dangerously goared in his bowels by a Bull lay a long time before he could be recovered but being at length cured he sent to the Minister of his Parish to desire that thankes might be given to God in the Congregation for his great deliverance the Minister was so devout an observer of the Booke of Common Prayer and of Bishop Wrens injunctions that he would not use any other prayer then what that Booke afforded and so when the man was come into the Church he turnes to the forme of Thanksgiving for Womens deliverance from the paine and perill of Childe-birth which he made to serve the turne for that time and so the Butcher was sufficiently Churched A gracious providence A Minister seeing some of his Parishioners shooting at Buts upon a Lords day went to admonish them to forbeare telling them the danger of prophaining that day some of them cryed out That the King had granted liberty for that and other Sports and they would take it the Minister replyed that though the King dispensed with it yet the Law of God forbids it saying that we ought to obey God rather then man shortly after many Articles of Inconformity were exhibited into the Ecclesiastical Court against this Minister and amongst the rest that he said He cared not for the Kings Lawes and this was subscribed under the hands of two of those principall Archers Upon this a Commission was sent downe with Commissioners Proctors anâ— a Notary to examine Witnesses upon the place about these Articles some few dayes before the speeding of this Commission one of the forementioned Archers lying upon hâ—s Death-bed and much troubled in minde could not be satisfied till he had spoken with the Minister who comming to him he desired pardon of him for the great wrong he had done him in setting his hand to a false accusation saying in the presence of many Neighbours that he was so threatned by the Apparator and others that he was forced though against his Conscience to doe as he did but the other Witnesse that had subscribed this dangerous Article as 't was made and possibly in those times might have proved so he stands to what he had done and said he would sweare it upon all the bookes in England but when the Commissioners were come to Towne and ready to fall upon the businesse his heart began to smite him and taking an honest neighbour with him came to the Minister cryed him mercy and denyed that ever he had heard him speake such words this being knowne to the Prosecutors and Commissioners they put up their Pipes and away they went like Knaves as they came A pretty waggish trick Three Cambridge Schollars sitting up late one night at Cards in their chamber he who had won the others money began to complaine that it was late and time for them to give over his Companions urged him to play still but he pretending to be very weary would play no more but goes away to bed his fellowes continued playing still hand to hand who when they perceived the other Schollar to be fast asleep they put out the Candle drawing the window curtaines so close that no light at all could be seene and on they went with their Game sometimes wrangling and sometimes chafing so loud that they wak't him that was at bed who looking up and perceiving no light askt them if they were mad to play in the darke but they were so earnest in their play that they seemed not to minde him whereupon he sits up in his bed asking them seriously whether they could see to play or no and desired them for Gods sake to tell him whether there were any light in the chamber being thus earnest they answered him and said that though he had won their money he needed not to jeere them he protested that he did not jeere but was in good earnest and that if they had any light he was blinde vowing that he could not see one bit whereupon they rose from the Table and came to the bed side one of them asking him if he did not see them now nor the candle in his hand no truly said he I can see nothing at all then said the other Schollar his eyes to see too are as cleare and good as any of ours at which words the poore Schollar burst out a weeping saying that he was stone blinde and what shall become of me This is a Judgement of God upon me for spending my time in play as I have done and for being so covetous to win other mens money then he prayed one of his Chamber-fellowes to reach him his breeches which having he put his hand into his pocket and gave them all the money which he had won of them the other Schollars seeing their plot had taken so well thought good to keep their companion no longer in blindnesse but lighting their candle againe with the Tinder-box the young man forth-with recovered his sight Some mens sins goe before-hand to Judgement One Mr. W. was very busie in prosecuting an Indictment against his Minister at a Quarter Sessions for omitting the Crosse in Baptisme and being a man in high favour with the Justices he made no question of prevayling at night according to his usuall manner he fals to drinking till he was so extreame drunke that he was faine to be carried home in the morning his Wife began mildly to blame him for his acting against the Minister the day before at which hee with fearefull Oathes swore that he would soone rid the Towne of the Puritan but behold the hand of God! This wretched man as he was about to rise and having put one arme in his Dublet even as the Oathes were uttering he was taken speechlesse yea and sencelesse and so instantly dyed Lilly a grand Imposter Mr. William Lilly whom the Fools of this Generation so much flock to did in his Prognostication of 1644. positively say that Prince Rupert should not live beyond the 28th yeare of his age which he pretends to know by the Stars and affirmes with as much confidence as if he meant to be his Executioner but Rupert is now above thirty and herein Lillies wit-craft fayl'd him he that will observe his cunning Predictions and note how of the failes shall finde him a most notorious Juggeler and deceiver of the people even to the shame of our Nation
would become of the Bishop I feare me he would to Hell too at which the Bishop being confounded went his way Bishop Wrens unsufferable insolency When Wren was Bishop of Norwich and had put downe all after-noone Sermons on Lords dayes in his Diocesse it hapned that the Earles of Bedford and Doncaster with three or foure Lords more were invited to the Baptizing of the Lord Brooks Childe at Dallam in Suffolke which was to be in the after-noone on the Lords day the Noble-men earnestly desired Master Ash Houshold Chaplaine to the Lord Brcoks to preach which through great importunity he did this presently comming to the Bishops eares he sends his Apparitor with a Citation for Master Ash to appeare before him with whom the Lord Brooks went along to the Bishop whom they found sitting in state like a great Lord or Demy Pope they desired to know his Lordships pleasure to which the Bishop answered That his Chaplaine had openly affronted him in his Diocesse in daring to preach therein without his speciall License and that on the Lords day after-noone when he had expresly prohibited all Sermons within his Jurisdiction telling Master Ash that he would make him an example to all others my Lord Brooks told the Bishop That it was by the earnest intreaty of those Lords and his owne command that his Chaplaine then preached and that he hoped there was no cause of offence in the matter to which the Bishop replyed That my Lord Brook did very ill to offer to maintaine his Chaplaine in this saying that no Lord in England should affront him in his Diocesse in such a manner if he did his Majesty should know of it and that he would make his Chaplaine an example Hereupon he presently proceedeth against Master Ash in his owne Court with all violence no mediation of Lords oâ— friends could pacifie him till at last the Earle of Donâ—aster told him That he would complaine of him to the King if he would not cease prosecuting Master Ash since he preached by the Lord Brooks command and at his and othâ—r Lords intreaty hereupon the Bishop leaving the Chaplain falls upon the Church-wardens fines them forty shillings a man injoynes them publick Pennance in the Church to aske God and the Bishop forgivenesse and to confesse that their pennance was just O pride O tyranny The Doctor could not pray without bâ—oke When the Religious Lord Vere was suddenly struck with deaths arrow at Sir Henry Vanes Table at White-Hall as he sate at Dinnâ—r and carried from thence into a Withdrawing Chamber where he dyed a Grand Doctor of Divinity one of the Kings Chaplaines being there present was upon this unexpected occasion desired to kneele downe and pray with the Company the Doctor hereupon calls for a Common-prayer Booke and answer being made that there was none present he replyed that he could not pray without a Book whereupon a Knight there present tooke him by the Gowne and forced him to kneele downe telling him that my Lord was dying and he must needs say some Prayer or other upon this he begins Our Father which art in heaven for other prayer could he say none which the Knight hearing bade him hold his peace for my Lord was dead and he was but a dead Divine who knew not how to pray He that stopt other mens mouthes had at last his own â—â—…pt with a vengeance Thomas Arundell Arch-Bishop of Canterbury a grievous persecutor of Gods people and a great suspender and silencer of his Ministers who occupying his tongue braines and Episcopall power to stop the mouthes and tye up the tongues of Gods Ministers and hinder the preaching and course of Gods Word was by Gods just Judgement so sâ—â—icken in his tongue that it swelled so bigge he could neither swallow nor speake for some dayes before his death and so he was starved choked and killed by this strange tumour of his tongue A true Slave There was not long since in the Towne of Ipswich an old man who was so extreamly base and miserable that he lived in a most sordid manner not allowing himselfe convenient necessaries either for back or belly but would walke Horses at Innes begge his victuals up and downe the Towne and weare such old rotten Canvase Jackets and Breeches as the Sea-men threw away when this wretch was dead his two Sonnes who were newly come from Sea knowing that their Father had money though he would never part with a farthing to them fell a ransaking the house and at last they found what they lookt for though the quantity farre exceeded their expectation the neighbours that came into the house with them stood amazed to see so much money in such a mans house the two Sons leapt up and downe for joy and one clapping the other on the back said Faith sirrah was not this a true Slave Cardinall Pools answer to a Figure-fâ—inger One that pretended skill in judiciall Astrologie came to Cardinall Poole telling him that he had been calculating of his Nativity the Cardinall askt him What he meant by his nativity The Astrologer answered his Birth under what Planet he was borne and what Fortunes would befall him which he said he had gathered from the Starres and Coelestiall houses Tush replyed the Cardinall I have been borne againe since then How to deale with crafty sinners The Lot when it was directed against Achan first it fell upon the Tribe secondly it fell upon the Family Thirdly upon the Houshold and lastly upon the person of Achan he hid his sinne ever till it lighted upon him So the crafty sinner is not moved when the threatning is given out generally against the Nation neither when it is given out against the City where he dwels nor when it comes to his Family till in particular it come to his Person and till it be said to him Thou art the man Sin is a shamelesse thing yee may spit seven times in the face of it before it blush A covetous man is like a Christmas Box The covetous man is like a Christmas Box whatsoever is put into it cannot be taken out till it be broken he soaketh up the waters of riches like a Spunge and till death doth come and squeeze him with his Iron graspe he will not yeeld one drop of that which he hath received 'T is hard to know a mans disposition till he be out of check 'T is said of Tiberius that whilst Augustâ—â— rul'd he was no wayes tainted in his reputation and that whiles Drusus and Germanicus were alive he feigned those vertues which he had not to maintaine a good opinion of himselfe in the hearts of the people but after he had got himselfe out of the reach of contradiction and controulment there was no fact in which he was not faulty no crime to which he was not accessary Love me a little and love me long 'T was a witty reason of Diogenes why he askt a half penny of the thrifty man and a pound of the
prodigall the first he said might give him often but the other ere long would have none to give Curst Cowes have short hornes Foelix Earle of Wartemberg sitting at supper with many of his friends it hapned that some at the Table fell into discourse of Luther and the peoples generall receiving of his Doctrine upon which the Earle swore a great Oath that ere he dyed he would ride up to the spurs in the bloud of the Lutherans but the very same night God stretched out his hand so against him that he was choaked with his owne blood Martin Luther the famous Instrument of Gods glory liv'd and dyed a very poore man Luther being very sick and expecting death though it pleased God he recovered that fit he made his Will concerning his Wife and Children after this manner Lord God I thank thee that thou wouldest have me live a poore and indigent person upon earth I have neither house nor lands nor possessions nor mony to leave thou hast given me Wife and Children them I give back unto thee nourish teach and keep them O thou the Father of Orphants and Judge of the Widow as thou hast done unto me so doe unto them Rulers should ever be at leasure to doe Justice An old Woman complaining to Adrian the Emperour of some wrongs done to her the Emperour answered he was not at leasure to heare her to whom she replyed That then he ought not to be at leasure to be Emperour where-with Adrian was so affected that he not only righted her wrongs presently but also ever after was more diligent to heare his subjects Causes Luthers Epitaph by Theodorus Beza Rome tam'd the world the Pope tam'd Rome so great Rome rul'd by power the Pope by deep deceit But how more large than Theirs was Luthers fame Who with one pen both Pope and Rome did tame Goe fixious Greece goe tell Alcides then His Club is nothing to great Luthers Pâ—n A Prophesie accomplished most exactly forty yeares after it was attered Spotswood Arch-Bishop of Glasgow having procured the imprisonment and coâ—demnation of one Mr. Welsch and other godly Ministers in Scotland Anno 16â—5 Master Welsch writes out of prison a Letter to the Lord Levinston of Kilsyth wherein he Prophesieth not only the utter abolishing of Episcopacy but the down-fall and ruine of that great Prelate and his Family in these words Sir I am farre from bitternesse but here I denounce the wrath of an everlasting God against him meaning Spotswood which assuredly shall fall except it be prevented Sir Dagon shall not stand before the Arke of the Lord and those names of Blasphemy that he weares of Lord-Bishop and Arch-Bishop will have a fearefull end Not one word of this is fallen to the ground for Episcopacy is now abolished there as all men know and for that part of the Prophesie which concernes Spotswood himselfe even in the top of all his honours when he had come up to be Arch-Bishop of St. Andrewes and Chancellor of the Kingdome he was cast out of Scotland and dyed a poore miserable man at London having not a six-pence of his owne to buy bread while he liv'd nor to bury him when he was dead but as it was begg'd at Court The evident hand of God lighted on his Posterity his Lands of Darfie all the conquesse he was able to make to his eldest Son Sir John Spotswood is ready to be sold and that branch of his posterity to goe a beging his second Son Sir Robert Spotswood President of the Colledge of Justice for his Treason against Scotland did dye miserably upon a Scaffold at St. Andrewes an obdurate impenitent man his Brother the Bishop of Clogher was cast out of his great estates in Ireland and in his extreame old age forced to teach Children in Scotland for his bread but being unfit for that imployment he went to London where he was long a Suitor for the meanest place in the Ministry that he might be kept from starving but could not obtaine it Learning is to be preferred before Honour The Emperour Sigismond having Knighted a Doctor of the Civill Law this new Knight presently leaves the society of his old fellow Doctors and keeps company altogether with the Knights which the Emperour observing called him foole for preferring Knight-hood before Learning saying That he could make a thousand Knights in one day but not a Doctor in a thousand yeares The ingenuity of a Scotch Colonell A Scotch-man newly come over to Utrecht and presenting himselfe to Colonell Edmunds his Country-man told him That my Lord his Father and such such Knights and Gentlemen his Cousens were all in good health the Colonell turning to the Gentlemen that were in company with him at that time said Gentlemen beleeve not one word he saith my Father is but a poore Baker of Edenborough and workes hard for his living whom this Knave would make a Lord to curry favour with me and make you beleeve I am a great man borne Truth Error elegantly compared to Tamars two twins Gen. 38. in a Sermon before the Parliament The different judgements of Professors throughout the Land shew that our Church hath Twins in her wombe so much of Truth as hath been already owned by the Parliament Zarah-like hath put forth the hand none can say but this came out first for you have marked it with the scarlet thred of a Civill Sanction yet is there a Pharez a Division or Separation as the word properly signifies whose breakings out are notoriously knowne as also his challenge of Primogenâ—ture Our hopes are that Zarah will in due time be fully borne notwithstanding this interposition and that you will say to the Party that separates in Doctrinall Principles by maintaining opinions that are destructive and prey upon the vitall spirits of Religion as the Mid-wise then did to Pharez upon thee be this breach and not upon us may it never come to be upon you may you never come to be partakers of other mens sins in so high a degree Hitherto the damnable Heâ—esies and daring Blasphemies which have been vented every where may be thought to stand on the private account of such as â—ent them but if representative England which God forbid should espouse their Crimes by over-much connivence at them the guilt would then become Nationall and too heavie for us to beare A comfort for poore faithfull Ministers As Christ and all his Apostles were poore in respect of worldly goods so for the most part the most eminent Ministers of the Gospel have been men of meane conditions as to worldly estates Martin Luther had neither lands nor houses nor mony to leave his Wife and Children when he dyed Calvins Inventory Library and all came not to six score pound Mr. Perkins dyed a very poore man Mr. Ainsworth even while he wrote his excellent commentary upon the Pentateuch had but nine-pence a week to live on Mr. Samuel Herne when he dyed left a Wife and many small Children without