suffer Let mee say Lord thou art mercifull to me this case might have beene mine Blessed bee thy Name for ever Something long have I stood upon this because I am sure this is a Lesson which all monstrous and mis-shapen births though dead yet speake for the Instruction of the Living I will dispatch the other more briefely which may seeme to bee peculiar to this one in respect of the shape thereof The twinnes you see are males brothers had they beene borne alive To love as brethren is the duty of Christians a Duty frequently remembred by the Apostles and powerfully pressed To love is to have one soule in two bodies One not so much by union of essence as by combination of Affection And lo here a fit resemblance of this mutuall duty As fit as lively almost as can be devised Here are all the parts and members of Consultation and operation for two persons onely here is one body one brest one belly the brest the seat of the heart the belly of the bowells One I say not in the Identity of substance but in the conglutination of externall parts from brest to belly whether one heart one liver one community of Intestines is more than wee could see though all reason indeed giveth them to be two throughout in all parts yet you see so two in one that had they lived to the yeares of expression wee might well have expected from them united hearts intire affections and more than Sympathie each to other as to himselfe Surely these are not more neereâ—y conjoyned in brest and belly than Christians ought to be in heart affection These two were one body Christians are one spirit though severall bodies and soules yet one and the same spirit diffused into all to enlive and quicken all Nor would it have beene more prodigious for these Twinnes suppose they had lived to bee men to have quarrelled and contested one against another than it is for Christians to quarrell and contend specially to live in the minde of irreconciliation To these Twinnes had they quarrelled a man might have sayd you are one body To Christians a man may well say You are one spirit why doe you wrong one to another Was that an Argument in all reason fit to compound the supposed differences of these And shall not this bee able to perswade peace nay love among Christians Mee thinketh it should Nay I am sure if this doe not prevaile the faultie person shall one day smart for it perhaps when Repentance for it will come too late Wel I have now acquainted you with my thoughts I have shewed to you how this Birth though dead yet speaketh Truth it is Faith alone hath eares to heare these Lessons these Instructions Nature is deafe and Reason dull in these occasions A brutish man knoweth not neither doth a foole understand Faith quickneth the Vnderstanding to apprehend the Will to believe the Affections to take pleasure in these Meditations Which Faith since it is the gift of God let us now turne our selves to him with hearty devotion desiring him to bestow upon us the gift of Faith and all graceâ— by which wee may learne to make an holy use as of all his Workes in generall so of this and the like in speciall to the glory of his Name and the eternall comfort of our owne soules through Iesus Christ our Lord. To whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit Three excellent Persons one glorious God bee ascribed all Honour and Praise now and for evermore Amen FINIS Oâ— fâ—pcuâ—ae Rom. 1. â—0 Psal. 19. 2. Exod. 14. Ios. 10. Psal. 111. 4. ZeKeA GNaSaH LeNâ—PhLeAo Thall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conceptio est actio uterâ— cum â—â—â—ris â—t famina sâ—mon foecundum ab coexcipitur misceâ—â—r â—ovetur ejusque vis ad proprisâ— munuâ— exequendum excâ—â—atur Dan. Sennert Med. li. 4. part 2. Sect. 4. cap. 4. Vide Seâ—nertum capite de partutardo Qui ex historiis consirmat partum nonnunquam differri ad mensem 13 14. 15. 18. 20 23. 24. Haeâ— rara inquit et pene miraculosa sunt acciduntque procul dubio ob semen debilâ— uterâ—que calorem â—anguidum quib â—â— de causis et saetus tardius absolvitur et expâ—ltrâ—â— faculâ—â—â— langâ—et Partus prater-naturalis est triplex Diâ—â—icilis Nulâ—us et Caesareus Difficilis ut in Agrippis Quibus nomen indi tum est Authore Gellio Noctium Aâ—â—iâ—arum lib. 16. ca 16 eo quod in â—â—scâ—ndo non caput sed pedes primi extiterans sâ—il â—t Agrippâ— dicantur ab â—gritis diâ—e et pedibus Cum potius ab agritâ—dine partus qui non tantum â—â—t ex pedibus sed ex â—aâ—ibus praeserâ—im tamen ex mole corporis obvtrsa et exitum ambiâ—nte proâ—t patet ex Sonner to cap de partu difficili praternaturali Partus Nullus dicitur quoties infant excludi nequeat frustraque conâ—tâ—r misera parturiâ—ns sâ— ipsam oâ—ere suo liberare et expâ—dire â—ortuâ— nimirum foetâ—s qui nisi vel medicamentis expeâ—â—atur vel Chirurgi opera exeraâ—atur mortem eâ— misâ—riam maâ—ri â—â—â—â—tatur Partus Casareus Casari nomen fecit Ille enim qui primus Caesâ—riâ— noâ—â—â—â— adeptus est ab eâ— dictus fertur quod câ—so matris utero natus fuâ—rit Gâ—sâ—res quod ex utero excisi sunt nomâ—â—antur ipsaque illa actio dicitur partus Caesareus Ex his plâ—riqâ—e mortui nonnulli vivi idque quod rarâ— accidit matre superstâ—te et revalescente a Stature This is sometimes Giant-like otherwhiles Dwarfish and Pigmey-like Sometimes beyond sometimes beneath and short of the ordinary usuall and common stature of mankinde and as it thus falleth out in respect of the whole body so somtimes in the parts One or 2 parts of the body being of a different proportion bigger or lessâ—r than the rest b Number of parts The strangenesse here is in defect or excesse Defect when one or both hands or feet are wanting Such was that woman which wee saw heere the last yeere who wanted hands and supplied the want of them in many particulars by her feete Excesse of number Such was that Gyant mentioned â— Sam. 21 20. who had on every hand sixe fingers and on every foote sixe toes foure and twenty in number Hitherto referre those whom the Greeks do call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such was Hermaphrodiâ—â—â— the sonne of Mercury and Uenus iâ— we may give credit to the â—â—tation and composition of his name c Multiplication of severall births is rare â—wins are not frequent in our colder climat much lesse the multiplication of Birthâ— yet such we finde recorded See Seâ—nertus cap. de Gâ—mâ—llorum generatione who out of Aristotle Pliny and some Moderne Authors dâ—tâ— shâ—w the certainâ—y of this Notorious and in the mouth of every man is that story of Margarâ—â— Sistâ—r to Earle Floris the fourth as Heilin relateth it writing of Holland who being of the age of two and forty yeeres brought forth at
wanting in what I conceit may not be unprofitable to the countrey wherein I live Read then these notes And if thou count not this halfe houre ill bestowed thou wilt I trust I desire thou wouldest pray for him who if thou love the Lord Iesus in sincerity prayeth for thee that thou maiest prosper and be in health even as thy soule prospereth Farewell Plimmouth Octob. 30. 1635 Heb. 11. 3. Being dead yet speaketh AS the Word of God so the Workes of God are for our Doctrine and instruction The works of Creation teach us saith Saint Paul Gods eternall power and God-head The works of his providence are not behind hand with us and therefore saith the Holy Prophet Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge True this is in the ordinary and common workes of providence But much more remarkable in those that are extraordinary when either the course of Nature is hindred as the Sea and Sunne stopt in the midst of their Carrier or altered as when the Sunne went backe-ward in the daies of Hezechiah Touching which saith the Psalmist Hee hath made his wonderfull workes to be remembred or as the words stand in the Originall and the Greeke translation A memoriall hath he made to his wonderful works id est Hee hath ordained and commanded that they should be remembred Good reason that where God with his fiâ—ger pointeth forth something in speciall to the sonnes of men they should follow it with the Eye of the body till the eye of the soule viz. the understanding spirit have thence received some instruction Not onely the other Creatures but also the Sonnes of men are otherwhiles made the object of these wonderfull workes of God Or if you had rather call it the subject matter on which he stampeth the markes of his Providence either in hindering or in altering the Ordinary course of Nature sometimes in the conception sometimes in the births of our expected and desired issue Conception I count the naturall and proper worke of the wombe in receiving retaining and ripening the seed for the Birth The wombe is by the hand of God sometimes closed up that it receiveth not as in the case of Abimilechs family Gen. 20. sometimes opened or rather loosened that it retayneth not as in the case of Abortive and untimely births Sometimes weakened that it ripeneth not the birth either not at all or at least not within the just time And all these doe teach us the presence of Gods Providence Well may wee say The hand of God hath beene there It is hee that thus hath hindered the worke of the wombe and withheld the blessing of a good Conception So for the birth Birth I must call that which properly and from the Latine we might call Parturition This doth God by the hand of his speciall providence hinder sometime in part sometime in whole So that whereas all times of the womans Travell and labour are full of sorrow yea as the Philosopher saith Aristot. de Historia Aâ—imaliuâ— Lib. 7. cap. 9 and the Scripture it selfe in part doth confirme the same moreful of difficulty and danger than any other creatures an evident demonstration of the Hand of God visiting the first sinne of our Grandmother Eâ—ah upon all the sex whereas I say all times are full of sorrow of feare and frightfulnesse some doe receive an increase and multiplication by such accidents supervenient and unexpected dangers of births not capable of deliverance till God by the hand of speciall Art vouchsafe his gracious helpe and good assistance Of these therefore as of the former well may wee say Digitus dei It is the finger of God that hath beene here and manifested his presence by hindering the common and ordinary course of Nature in the Birth of the Wombe As in hindering so also in altering and changing the course of Nature doth God call man to an observation of his Providence Nay heere more than in any thing else doth hee shew forth his workes of wonder understand me still to speake of the Conception and of the Births of the sonnes of men What variety of strange births doe wee see and heare of Strange births wee call them more properly wee might terme them strange Conceptions for what the wombe in Conception formeth that is not usually altered in the birth What varietie I say of strange-birthes doe wee see and heare of Strange in the quantitie of stature strange in the number of parts Strange in the Multiplication strange in the Concorporation of severall births but above all most strange in quality kind altered and changed All these but especially this later sort which alter the qualitie and kinde the Latines call Monstra á monstrando quia monstrantur I would adde ut monstrent They are shewed that they may shew the speciall handy-worke of God and though peradventure deade yet speake and tell the forgetful world that God himselfe hath a speciall hand in forming and featuring the births conceived in the wombe Here by the way let mee touch upon a case of conscience or two Whether Monsters and mishapen births may lawfully be carried up and downe the country for â—ights to make a gaine by them Whether the Births being once dead may be kept from the grave for the former ends Whether the parents of such births may sel them to another For my part I would be loth to prejudice the better and morall judgements of any But to speak plainly I do make scruple of the first and therfore much more of the two later cases For if not living they are to be prostituted to the covetousnesse of any much lesse being dead when the grave calls for the bodies of all Christian births the grave I say wherein they are to be laid up that therein they may lay downe the present dishonor and thence be raised againe in glory And if the parents may not doe this how much lesse may they deliver it over to another But you will say to mee suppose them living why may they not be used to this end beeing fit for none imployment My reasons are these Our delight is to be measured by our desires nor doe I see it lawfull to delight in what may not be desired And who would desire a mishapen Birth to be the issue of his owne body Adde this all Crosses call for Humiliation and where that is expected I see not how there can bee place either for profit or pleasure to bee thought upon But to returne againe to what wee had in hand These Births as I said though dead yet speake and preach to the world the present hand of God in the wombe of the mother In all these accidents and occasions the Philosophers and physitians also who build upon the ground of Philosophy nor can well subsist without them they I say would attribute all these impeditions and alterations of Nature to secondary
A TRVE AND CERTAINE RELATION Of a STRANGE-BIRTH which was borne at Stone-house in the Parish of Plimmouth the 20. of October 1635. TOGETHER with the Notes of a Sermon preached Octob. 23. 1635. in the Church of Plimmouth at the interring of the sayd Birth By Th. B. B. D. Pr. Pl. LONDON Printed by Anne Griffin for William Russell in Plimmouth 1635. To the Curious Beholder of the former Picture Deare Countrey-man NOT the meere fiction of the over-daring Picturer doest thou here behold But if he have done his part the true Pourtraiture of the worke of God presented to the world to be seene and to be admired Two things I have to deliver to thine eare which this figure cannot convey unto thine eye First what it intendeth Next how thou maiest correct the Picture if it need amending For the first it intendeth to acquaint thee with this story In the Countie of Devon and in the Parish of the famous Towne of Plimmouth there is a Village called Stone-house Viculum Piscatorium I may justly terme it a pretty little Fisher-towne for it consisteth mostly of men that live by the Sea and gaine their livelihood by the water In this village there dwelleth one Iohn Persons a Fisherman whose wife having fulfilled the usuall moneths and weekes of womens burdens upon the twentieth day of this present moneth October fell in travell and by the helpe of a second Mid wife through Gods mercy and goodnesse was the poore mother after the wearie travell of thirteene or foureteene painefull houres safely delivered of the burden A Birth not more painfull to the Mother tho very painefull doubtlesse beeing still-borne then strange and wonderfull to all the beholders The eye is not satisfied with seeing with admiration and as it falleth out in such a case soone is the fame thereof spread all abroad Towne and Countrey commeth in to see that hereafter they might as I for my part must say At such a time in such a place I saw the strangest birth in all respects that ever I saw or heard before Two heads and neckes two backes and sets of ribbes foure armes and hands foure thighes and legges in a word from head to heele so farre as the eye could discerne two compleat and perfect bodies but concorporate and ioyned together from breast to belly two in one For the second thing propounded viz. how to correct the picture if it need amendment take this When I first cast mine eye upon them lying on the table I said surely if those children had bin living Art might have caused a just separation of them for I conceived them to bee no other than two bodies joyned together in one common skin But I soone perceived mine Errour when putting my finger to feele the Collar the Cannellbone I meane that place where you see them begin to joyne together I found that they had but one breast-bone common to them both and by it as by a partition wall were their two bodies as two chambers both joyned separated joyned together in respect of the externall bulke separated in respect of the internall contents This concorporation lasted downe to the Navell or a little beneath which also was in common to them both I still speak of what the eye could see happily so soone as that string of the umbilicall vessels by which the mothers wombe supplied food and nourishment to the birth had passed the skinne it might dispart it selfe But outwardly it was one in common Whence also it was conjectured that though these twinnes might have several hearts and lungs answerable to their severall heads and neckes yet but one common Liver to them both The truth of this conjecture I leave to the Colledge of Physitians to discover that is not my profession nor will I presume to determine any thing in anothers Art onely this Obiection I have against it that supposing one common Liver it must either gird them round or be misplaced in one of them for turning brest to brest and belly to belly you ioyne the left side of the one body to the right side of the other so that I say except the liver do compasse it round it shall be misplaced in the one But to returne to the story These two twins were not more neerely ioyned in the bulk of body than they were in all parts and proportions like to one another where they were disparted so that two the likest twins that ever you saw were not more like nay the glasse cannot I thinke give a truer answer to the face than these were each to other Which I doe the more boldly affirme because having satisfyed mine eye with beholding them on the one side as they lay I caused the women to turne the other side and laying them as before face to face and foot to foot I could perceive no difference in them at all from what I had seene before One thing I forgot till it was too late which if I had remembred I verily perswade my selfe might have been done viz. To lay them one upon another The which I mention lest happily any might conceive that the ioyncture of their bodies might leane to one side more than to another I was about to aske the women whether the mother felt them living in the wombe when presently I corrected my selfe seeing each part and limbe yea and the whole body of either growne as indeed it was to a iust maturity each by himselfe had they beene sundered had been a iust birth having haire on the heads nailes on their hands and toes nay which is more except the women were much deceived they had some teeth in their head and to confesse the truth I thought so too till others that had more skil and experience perswaded me to the contrary Howsoever the children were each of them as compleat and perfect as Births use to be Vpon these grounds I corrected my selfe in my former intended question for how should they grow to that perfection of stature had they wanted life But the mid-wife and the women told me that they were living and lively some few houres before they were borne So that in all likely-hood had a skilfull hand been made use of at the first they might have lived to see the light if not to inioy it But God that gave them a life and beeing in the wombe knowing that life upon earth would have beene a burden to them provided better for them and tooke them to himselfe Thus have I given a true and I thinke a full narration of this worke of wonder which God hath shewed here amongst us And with it I am content to send abroad some few notes prepared for the confluence of people met together when this birth was layed into the earth Something me thought was fitting to be commended to them that saw it while the thing was fresh in mind and that something such as it is loe here it is Rather would I shame my selfe in being over-busie than be
causes either internall as the defectivenesse or excesse of seminall materialls or externall as the dulnesse of the formative facultie or indisposednesse of the Vessells or strength of Conceit or Imagination The Astrologer may adde another cause powerfull in his opinion to pervert and overthrow the good intentions of Nature sc. the constellations of the planets and configuration of their aspects And happily they may pitch upon some reasons for the coalition of these two twinnes into one nor doe we deny but the Philosopher may bee allowed in these his conjectures nor may hee seeme to shoot beside the marke that should ascribe it to some accident colliding and dashing these two new-formed Embryons in the wombe casting them so one upon the other as that the contiguity and overmuch closenesse of their bodies caused the aforesaid coalition so have wee seene two trees over closely leaning one upon another grow into one and covered with one barke The Philosopher I say may seeme to speake reason not so the Astrologer at least in mine Opinion Onely he and others must bee intreated to looke higher and to take notice of the speciall hand of God whose worke alone it is to sort and compound the activities of secondary causes that what by the blessing of God might have beene otherwise is now thus disposed of for ends best knowne to himselfe This is the conclusion which Religion teacheth and which it becommeth mee as a Divine to put you in minde of The Astrologer is taught to say Astraregunt homines The influence of the Starres doe rule the Actions of the sonnes of men But the Christian knoweth that regit astra Deus God over-ruleth the starres So that if wee should grant an influence in the planets and a power in the Constellations yet farre be it from us to account it fatall and inalterable No we know that God sitteth in the Heavens and doth whatsoever hee will David in the Psalmes ascribeth to his hand the framing of his body and members in the wombet Thine hands have made me and fashioned me Thou hast covered mee in my mothers wombe Thine eyes saith hee did see my substance yet beeing unperfect and in thy booke all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned or as it is in the Margent all of them written what dayes they should be fashioned when as yet there was none of them To him therefore belongeth the disposing of the materialls and shaping of the Birth Now then is God so tyed to his materialls that if there be too much for one or too little for two complete and perfect features hee can neither detract nor multiply Must his worke bee cut off with what the Philosopher â—aith of Nature Intendit quod optimum facit tamen id quod potest that is Nature intendeth perfection but beeing hindered doth what she can Let no man therefore taxe me of any excesse in religious thoughts or count it overmuch curiositie if I propound to you an observation or two grounded upon this and the like occasions Each Comet as experience hath taught men is in its kinde Doctrinal and blaseth forth something or other worthy our observation Nec in vanum toties arsere Cometae seldome are those super-terrestriall blazes kindled in vaine Men do commonly count them praenuncios belli et calamitatum fore-runners of some imminent calamities and therefore doe call upon one another to appease the wrath of God by fasting and Humiliation I shall not therefore I hope transcend the limits of my calling nor wrong the providence of God if I take liberty to say touching this strange-birth which God hath caused to blaze here amongst us and from us to the whole Countrey to say of it as the Apostle saith of the bloud of Abel being dead it yet speaketh What did or doth the bloud of Abel speake but the irreversible wrath of God against Cain in him against all wilfull and malicious persecutours of religious persons I doe not say this speaketh so bitter things but yet it speaketh something in common with the rest of strange and mishapen Births and if I deceive not my selfe over-much something in peculiar by it selfe so then it speaketh two things perhaps more but two I pitch upon not averring them both spoken with the same evidence but both truly and which is more seasonably First then this and all monstrous misfeatured Births speake this That it is a singular Mercie of God when the Births of the Wombe are not mis-formed when they receive their faire and perfect feature A Lesson truly worth the noting in this forgetfull Age Mercies that are ordinarie wee swallow and take small notice of them Such a worke as this causeth us to see what difference there is bet wixt comlinesse and deformity betwixt Perfection and Imperfection in the Body Doth any make scruple of what I say Let that man consider the discomfort of Deformitie How lyable it is daily to exprobration through the evill custome of wicked men more ready to cast it in the teeth than condole or commiserate if God hath stampt a deformity upon the Bodie Know wee not that the members of the Bodie are the Organs and Instruments of the Soul in the Service of God and man Defect or excesse must needs breed griefe because it createth trouble Consider wee this birth thus double-membred to have seene them lying upon the table to see them deciphered upon the paper might happily be thought a sight not much unpleasant But let your imagination give them life and tell mee how uncomfortable yea burthensome must they be to others yea and to themselves when as though two yet so neere incorporated that the one cannot helpe the other How should they eat sleep walke sit or satisfie nature but with much incumbrance Is it then discomfort to have a marke of deformity or dis-advantage cast upon the Births of the Womb And is it not a singular Mercie to have them born compleat in shape and feature Doubtlesse it is All reason therefore is that this Mercie of God unto us in the issue of our Loins should be acknowledged with all thankefulnesse If other Mercies why not this The Husbandman when hee hath his Corne and Wine increased when housed The Merchant when his Venture is returned The Owner when his Ship is arrived and both have made a good voiage If there be any religion dwelling in their brests will in a solemne manner confesse before the Sonnes of men the loving kindnesse of the Lord. When women have received safe deliverance from the great paines and perills of Child-birth the Church doth call them and surely it had need to call them to give hearty thanks to God And ought not this also to be remembred That the Children borne give hope of Comfort to their Parents Hope I say that a faire and well-featured Body may be the comfortable house and habitation of an Holy soule Doubtlesse it ought Doth not David intimate so much in
the afore-mentioned Psalme when hee saith I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made Mervailous are thy Workes and that my Soule knoweth right-well Know wee not that God hath just cause to blast every birth of ours if he would be extreme Partly in respect of the abuse of the Bed which though hee hath sanctified to the use of man by the benediction of the Church that so in the sober use thereof every one should possesse his Vessell in sanctification and honour yet is it too often riotously and wantonly abused Partly I say for these Abuses but specially in respect of that Originall corruption which cleaveth to the Fruit of the womb even from the first conception as the Psalmist sheweth From this gilt and filth not one of all the Race of Adam is exempted No sooner doe we receave a Being but it is accompanied with sinfulnesse In which respect who can denie but God might justly blast the body with deformity Which if hee doe not when hee might is it not a favour and so to be acknowledged Wee acknowledge it a speciall favour to the Soule as it is reason wee should that God doth exempt any from that common damnation which is due to all by Adams transgression And is it not to be confessed a Mercie to the body For why VVhen the body doth want its perfect feature when the Soule doth want the exercise of wit and reason more or lesse Is not this an effect of Sinne and so to bee accounted Doth God in this any thing more than what Iustice doth allow Shall wee say it is an act of his absolute Dominion I trow not VVhat is justly done to some is it not mercie not to doe to others Yes my Dearely beloved it is Mercie free and undeserved Mercie O that in this also as in other things I say O that men would therfore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull VVorks to the Sonnes of men Contrarily when the Hand of Iustice hath found any out when any birth of ours is brought into the world misformed and mis-featured If God hath as it were spit in the face and laid the black-finger of Deformity upon the body ought it not to bee entertained with sorrow of Heart and Humiliation Hath God written in great Letters the guilt of Sin and in a deformed body drawn a resemblance of the Soules deformity drawn it I say so that others may see and know that wee also are defiled in his sight and shall wee not blush to heare it to see it thus cast in our teeth and laid before us This for the Parties but is this all Is it nothing to you all that passe by or that come to see Mee thinkes It should Can you any of you wash your hands in Innocencie are not you also Sinners in the sight of God VVhat can you alledge why this might not have beene yours Did you prevent it by prayer I trust you will hereafter and acknowledge the justnesse of their Devotion who remember women with child but happily you have not hitherto thought upon it If so If God might have throwne the tower of Siloam upon your heads also if set a marke of his displeasure upon your births and yet hath not done it will you not see and say The Lord hath done great things for us Lord what am I that thou hast spared mee am I more holy lesse sinfull than my neighbour No no It is thy free Mercie and undeserved Favour Oh inlarge my heart to praise thy Name Heere then see and bewaile the iniquity and irreligion of this our Age at least of numbers in the same The common sort make no further use of these Brodigies and Strange-births than as a matter of wonder and table-talk looke upon them with none other eyes than with which they would behold an African monster a mishapen beast It was not thus in the better Ages of the world VVee reade in the ninth Chapter of Saint Iohn that the Disciples when they saw the man that was borne blind they come to our blessed Savior with Quis peccavit M r Who hath sinned See the Religion of those times They lookt upon sinne as the cause of defective or redundant births Truth indeed our Saviour answereth Neither this man nor his parents By which Speech of Christ wee must not thinke that they are excused from all sinne doubtlesse his parents had sinned and conceived him in sinne else had not this beene cast upon him No place for defects and deformities in the state of Innocence But why God should take the forfeiture in this rather than in his Neighbour this was meerely Ex Dei bene-placitâ— the good pleasure of God who had in this a purpose to prepare and make way for the glory of Christ in curing the man The same happily might bee said in these occasions whereof wee speake To the Question Quis peccavit Who hath sioned happily Christ who was acquainted with the Counsels of his Father might answer Neque hic neque parentes Neither he nor his Parents Not to exempt them from sinne altogether but to teach us that some other end purpose God had beside the visitation of their sin though that also we find somtimes to bemanifested when God by such occasions doth awaken the coscience to confesse secret and unbewailed sins beside I say the visitation of sin Somtimes to discover the Atheism Irreligion of many perhaps also their Covetousnesse who would rather make a benefit of such births instead of Humiliation for a Crosse teach the parents to account such births for blessings which doe prove so profitable Sometimes to prompt unto the Ministerie a word of exhortation needfull for the present state of the people A meditation which happily his text would not afford him Ex. gr This Lesson as you see is by this occasion prompted to me presented to you That you remember hereafter to acknowledge it as a Mercie when Children come into the world well-featured the members of their body in a due proportion aptly each to other corresponding neither defective nor redundant To bewaile it as a crosse from God when it is otherwise that so penitencie may provide a Remedie either of the deformity by the hand of Man or of the discomfort by the stroke of Death This Lesson I say is now presented to you and I trust will bee remembred by you And if so the Answer to the Question may goe on as it is in the words of our Saviour Neither this man nor his parents but that the works of God should bee made manifest in him To winde up this first observation in a word I noted the religion of the Disciples they looke up to sinne as to the cause of Gods Hand nor shall it misbecome us to doe the like provided alway that it bee what they forgot in our owne occasion rather than in anothers Doe I suffer Let mee say Lord I have sinned Thou art just Doth another