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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84383	Pseudochristus: or, A true and faithful relation of the grand impostures, horrid blasphemies, abominable practises gross deceits; lately spread abroad and acted in the county of Southampton, by William Frankelin and Mary Gadbury, and their companions. The one most blasphemously professing and asserting himself to be the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God who dyed and was crucified at Jerusalem for the sins of the people of God. The other as wickedly professing and asserting her self to be the Spouse of Christ, called, the Lady Mary, the Queen, and Bride, and Lambs Wife. Together with the visions and revelations, to which they did pretend their ways of deceiving, with the names and actions of sundry persons deceived by them. As also their examinations and confessions before the justices of the peace, their imprisonment, and their tryal before the judg of assize, at the last assize holden at Winchester, March 7. 1649. Published for a publique benefit and warning to every one to take heed to himself, that he be not deceived by the errors and deceits of these present times. / By Humphry Ellis, minister of the word in the city of Winton.	Ellis, Humphrey, d. 1676.	1650 (1650)	Wing E579; Thomason E602_12; ESTC R206414	57,353	63

to deny her to be his Wife to keep company with other women for all which evils he was at length and that very deservedly excluded by the Congregation to which he belonged I will now leave William Frankelin a little till having said somewhat also of his Companion and Partner in wickedness Mary Gadbury I may declare how they came acquainted and what were the ways of deceit here practised by them This Mary Gadbury is a married woman about thirty years of age her husbands name is James Gadbury who as her self saith about seven years ago forsook her and with a servant he had went away from her into Holland whither as her self also saith she went to him about five years since but stayed very little time with him since that she hath neither seen him or heard from him but with a daughter she hath lived ever since asunder from him in London The place of her living as she hath declared hath chiefly been in Watling street in London though as I have heard she hath of late much shifted her habitation from place to place her employment hath been to sell small Wares as Laces Pins Bandstrings and other trifles for Gentlewomen For the manner of her living I have but little on certain grounds to declare She pretends for her self that she hath been long time affected to Religion and to have been a frequent hearer of the Word of Mr Sedgwick and Mr Case in times past but of late chiefly of Mr J. Goodwin and Mr Jesse I have seen a Petition directed to the Judg of Assize in her behalf subscribed with the hands of divers men and women who as I suppose live in or near Watling street the place of her living declaring her to have been of honest conversation to have lived in good repute and religiously among them But I have heard others reporting otherwise concerning her as if she had been noted in times past to have been of a vicious lewd light behaviour She hath acknowledged concerning her self that by one of her neighbors she was accused before the last Lord Major to keep a naughty house but of these things concerning her living I have nothing upon certain information to write but leave it to others by farther enquiry at the place of her habitation to satisfie themselves if they desire it concerning her And now let me declare how these persons came acquainted and engaged together in their sinful employment and undertaking here in this Country for this let me acquaint the Reader That Mary Gadbury having been first committed to Bridewell was some few days after sent for thence by the Justices to be committed to the Common-Goal at which time being examined she was more free then formerly to declare her self and besides what was taken by the Justices as her Examination and might serve them for their proceedings in Law with her she was willing also to make farther discovery of the Visions Revelations and Voyces which she pretended unto and therein of the way of their acquaintance together the occasion of their coming together into this County and the things here done by them which she did in a Discourse of at least two hours long and which I who was then and there present took from her in writing as nigh as might be word for word This voluntary and free Confession of hers I shall now make use of as that which will furnish me with matter to carry on this Relation faithfully herein reporting the things I then received and wrote from her the whole of it in the order she delivered it I shall not transcribe for it would be teadious to the Reader so to do and many things therein are very impertinent to such a Relation as this is but I shall select out of it such things as are material disposing them also into such a method as I have proposed to follow in this Discovery Concerning her first acquaintance with William Frankelin she declared in that her Confession That it was by means of a woman who lived in the house with her that this woman told her concerning William Frankelin that she having been at his house she saw him there embracing a man whom she called a Devil but he reproving her for it said it was not so but he was one beloved of God and farther declared to her concerning him that she had seen such a man who had been in such a condition of misery as she had never known any to have bin in the like but one who had destroyed his body by shooting himself and that from this man viz. William Franklin she had heard very sweet things Upon this she desired of that woman to bring the man she so spake of unto her by whom also he was brought unto her At his first coming unto her he spake some words which were then dark unto her but some what of God she apprehended so sweet in them that an Eccho sounded in her to what he said At his departing she said to him My love is with me and he answered to her My Peace be with you And after that he was departed and she gone to bed and waking after her first sleep she was full of joy and singing so was also the woman who lay there with her who had brought this William Franklin unto her This their singing was heard by a neighbor who coming to them said they were Witches Hitherto the occasion concerning her first acquaintance with William Franklin out of her own Confession What so deeply engaged these persons to one another after this their first and so sudden acquaintance is next to be discovered Concerning which we will again have recourse to Mary Gadburies Confession and the Relation she made therein of several Visions Revelations Voyces which she pretended to had and received In that her Confession she declared that she hath had certain Fits which she cannot call Convulsion Fits nor knows how to express them which would set her whole body in a trembling and shake the bed wherein she lay and continue upon her some times from two a clock at night to seven in the morning Her first taking with such a fit was upon a Sabbath day about twelve a clock at night which came so violently as it set her whole body on trembling working to her fingers ends and that so strongly as if she should have been strangled by it at which time a voyce spake forth from her and said It is the Lord it is the Lord but she could not say it was her own voyce At which time clapping her hands together she had brought to her remembrance a Scripture which she never heard before as she can remember The trees shall clap their hands for joy Then the voyce that spake within her before spake again Babylon is fallen is fallen And then it said further There shall be no King but the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And further again Rejoyce O daughters of Sion break forth into singing It said

Town and Countrey were some shaken some wholly seduced by these her deceits It would be tedious to the Reader and that which would cause this Relation wherein I desire and shall indeavour all possible brevity quickly to swell into a considerable volume should I proceed to relate what was declared by this blasphemous woman while she was thus by her selfe at Andover venting her blasphemies in the severall conferences between her and sundry particular persons who came to see her and to have and had discourse with her It shall therefore content me and I hope it will my Reader also to declare what passed between this seducing woman and those that being seduced by her did hearken to her and follow her in these her waies of deceit and blasphemie and the way and course taken by her which by the permission of God and through the efficacy of Satan was effectuall to the seducing of them That large confession of Mary Gadburies so oftentimes before mentioned I shall now again have recourse unto and make use of it as that which will sufficiently furnish me with matter to carry on this part of my relation In that her confession she declared that while she was at the Star in Andover while as yet William Franklin was with her and not gone upon his journey towards London as is before related she was one night so taken as a woman in travail and with such paines so coming and going as throes of a woman in that condition but that the paines she now indured were more painfull then those of women in that condition which she could well tell having had the experience of both At which time of her paine the same voice mentioned before to have spoken to her in the former visions spake this now again Shall I bring to the birth and not give strength to bring forth All that night wherein these pains and this voice came thus unto her she was very ill with them and all the day following also which was the Sabbath day wherein divers came to hear VVilliam Franklin speak somwhat unto them the day after being Munday VV.F. went to London after whose departure she began to declare that she had seen the Lord Christ in the person of a man and this amongst others she declared in particular to Mr. Woodward which Mr. Woodward was then Minister of Crooxeaston a village some few miles distant from that town of Andover and to Edward Spradbury which Edward Spradbury is by his profession a Clothworker living in Andover and to him she also declared concerning the pains before mentioned then continuing upon her how great they were and that she should never have rest till she were delivered of what she travailed withall Thus farre already her confession But before I go further in it it will be necessary I give some information to my Reader which may serve to clear his understanding somwhat concerning what here already is and what further is to be related to him The Reader is therefore here to understand that these pains and travails which this deceitfull woman doth thus pretend unto if any such paines there were and that these were not things altogethe feigned by her she pretends also to be of God and to be for some spirituall and not for any naturall birth and she seems to take ground for this from the speech of the forementioned voice unto her concerning it but how wickedly and blasphemously that saying of the Lord by his Prophet concerning Sion his Church and concerning the birth of Christ the man-child and of all his people raised and borne together vertually with and in him in his Resurrection Esa 66.7 8 9. according to that of the Apostle Ephes 2. he hath quickned us and raised us together with Christ is here I say sinfully wickedly blasphemously applied and assumed by this blasphemous creature to her selfe making her selfe thereby to be the Sion there mentioned But strange it cannot be thought that having set up this W. F. to be the Christ and applying to him what is proper to Christ and her selfe to be the Bride the Lambs wife the Spouse of Christ she should now thus apply and assume to her self what concerning Sion and the true mysticall Spouse and Church of Christ is delivered in the Scripture Here also is further to be knowne that this foolish woman was usually wont as wickedly to apply to her selse in these her falsly pretended travails that speech of the Apostle Gal. 4.19 saying in generall that she did travail in birth till Christ were formed in them to those with whom she conferred and in particular when she perceived any one like to be wrought upon and seduced by her then would she pretend her travail to be for such a one who being at length wholly wrought upon and seduced by her it must be ascribed to her travails as an effect of them that must be the person for whom she was in travail and such a person the spirituall birth now brought forth by her according to this is that which she hath thus declared of her paines and travells to be understood by us But one thing I may not omit here fit to be inserted evidenced by a Constable when the businesse concerning the pretended travails of this woman and her spirituall birth was examined and heard before the Judge of Assize viz. that he heard from Edward Spradbury that this woman had been in travail and was delivered and asking of what she had been delivered it was answered of a Dragon and what she was so delivered of her Lord and Christ had slain it on the bed Hence I suppose it was that so strong a report was somtime raised and carried about the Countrey as if this woman had been in some reall travail and had been indeed delivered of a Serpent or some such monstrous birth But let us now return to the course of our Relation and for the carrying of it on have recourse againe to the large confession of that woman declaring therein her dealing with sundry particular persons and the seducing of them Edward Spradbury is the first that by any circumstance I can find was seduced by her and gave credit to her blasphemies and though I cannot learne by what meanes he was wrought upon by her yet I perceive he stuck not long at the businesse but was quickly perswaded to follow her in her deceits to believe according to what she had asserted VVilliam Franklin to be the Christ and with many blasphemous expressions to declare him so to be unto others also and to serve this woman as a very active instrument for seducing of other persons for thus it followes in the Confession That Edward Spradbury riding that way went to M. VVodwards at Crooxeason and there told Mr. VVoodward's wife what he had heard this woman to say viz. of her having seen Christ in the person of a man but that Mrs. VVoodward not induring to hear of it said I do think it is

reckoned it unnaturall and unkind to them insomuch that W. Fr. returning the Saturday on the Munday and Tuesday following both he and his companion having this of their sinfull practise by Mr. Rutlie related to them who endeavoured also to declare to them from the word of God which they little regarded how sinfull it was they were warned by him to depart and with all speed that might be to be gone out of his house at which time of their being thus warned to depart divers strange and blasphemous expressions came from W. Frankelin saying That he knew his Maker and his Maker knew him and he was one with his Maker and now they charged Mr. Rutlie as if he were another Pilate thus persecuting of them thus receiving the scandall of the world against them There being now no longer abode for them at Andover and M. Gadbury having told this W. Frankelin upon his returne of Mrs. Woodwards invitation it is now very acceptable to them and they bethink themselves of accepting of it and going thither accordingly on Tuesday December 11. departing from Andover they arrive at Crooxeason where they are very welcome to Mr. VVoodward and his wife have their entertainment there in his house for about the space of six weeks til by the Justices Warrants they were sought after and apprehended as you will afterwards understand Mrs. VVoodward as M.G. hath confessed had been told concerning the wife and children of VV. F. but she did not then regard it looking now upon the principle of God in the creature what had been revealed to her Thus with these persons it is nothing to lay aside naturall relation and affection to desert yea to run away from wife and children yea in an adulterous way to keep company together and to lie with one another if something of a Vision or Revelation may be pretended though herein be enough to discover such visions and revelations to be of the Devil and not of God when occasion shall be given by them and encouragement also to persons to walk in such sinfull practises so manifestly contrary to the Word and Will of God Being now setled in their fresh quarters at Crooxeason where they are sure to have free quarter having made so good an exchange by removing from an Inne to a private and that a Ministers house being I say here setled VV. Frankelin declares that it is revealed to him that this place where they now were is the wildernesse appointed for the nourishing of the woman a time times and half a time here he staied a moneth and after that went again upon another journie to London And now what was done at this place and what visions revelations voices this M. Gad. pretends at this place to have received also I shall make some discovery of from her own confession She declared in her confession that one night of her being at Crooxeason awaking after her first sleep she felt a weight upon her breast as if it had been a stone of a load weight and she said The former travail brought forth Mrs. Woodward and this seemes to be another travail for another birth O Lord when shall I be released of this misery at last the Voice spake unto her and what it spake was chiefly concerning two men living near Andover the name of the one being Rutlie the other Bunnie and also of a woman whose name is VVaterman these persons had much exclaimed against Frankelin and her for that he having a wife and three children should keep company with another woman and for saying that he was the Christ The Voice naming these persons said of them They have a godly zeal in them they love what thou lovest they speak not against my glory but against the old nature which is gone they see no farther then that the Voice also hid her by M Woodward to send for Rutlie and Bunnie it said of them they shal be pure they shal see me then the Voice spake forth aloud This she said was spoken with such violence in her that she feared she should have been strangled with the force of it as the voice of a man roaring out in speaking I am the Lord of Hosts JEHOVAH is my name the high and holy one I am of a pure eye a God that cannot behold iniquity I will unveil my selfe now and they shall see me face to face eye to eye It is no more the morning-star but the great day of the Lord is come Then the Voice spake directly to and of her self saying Thou shalt be clothed in a white robe which I will give thee and they shall all see thy whitenesse for I have made thee pure O grosse pride deceit and hypocrisie as it is all pure within so shall it be without thou shalt be clothed all in white a resemblance of the inward purity and I will make thee to be as a Phenix Then the Voice commanded her to speak for a thing that was in the house which was some white linnen cloth and to make her a white robe therewith which should serve onely for the present for she should afterward be covered all over with white She told Mrs. VVoodward what the Voice had said concerning the white cloth but Mrs. W. told her that she would speak to her husband to buy some Holland of seven groats an ell to serve for that use whereby it seems Mrs. VVoodward was not willing to be so easily cheated of her white cloth With this answer this M. Gadbury was much troubled yet she thought to speak no more for it but Mrs. W. being gone forth the Voice said again to her Doth she think that wil suffice the best things belong to thee but M. Gad. declaring her self loth to trouble her the Voice said If she be offended I will pacifie the offence then she called Mrs. Woodward again and asked her if she thought any thing too good for the Lord who answered no and so at length both her self and her husband gave their consent to part with the linnen cloth to her for the use she desired Thus by a fine trick of cleanly conveyance is Mrs. W. cheated out of her white cloth and M. G. by this Artificiall way of deceitfull cheating and jugling hath got her a good piece of cloth and accordingly makes her an outer-garment with it that it might shew forth her inward purity she now seeth that if she hath a mind to any thing which any of her proselites hath it is but to pretend a Voice or Vision for it and it must presently be given to her But to return to her confession wherein she farther declared that one night being broad awake she saw a white foot which the Voice commanded to rest upon her Which I suppose to be the same night wherein she had the former vision and to her sight the foot was set upon her shoulders and she saw no more of it at which time all within the

curtains of her bed was a great brightnesse by a multitude of stars that exceeded the morning star in brightnesse At that morning the Voice spake aloud in her Arise arise all ye that sleep which Mr. VVoodward hearing and supposing she had called him he arose and came into the chamber where she lay and he declared that he saw the brightnesses at his feet and at that time the Voice said That the comprehensive power of heaven A most blasphemous lie was for that instant gathered into that room and it also said All they that come before the presence of the Lord and are not pure let them tremble It was also revealed to her that it would have been dangerous for Mr. VVoodward so to have come in at that time had it not been for the forementioned message that was to be done by him In the morning she spake to Mr. VVoodward to go to Rutlie and Bunnie which he did for it seems all must be ready to serve her but they made slight of the message But the woman VVaterman she saw in a vision and that she had a great oven in her house and she had three looking glasses in the house whereof one stood before the oven A profound vision and interpretation and it was interpreted to her that these glasses were for Goody VVaterman to see her selfe in This Goody VVaterman though it doth not appear to me that she had any messenger sent to her as the two men had yet she the next Sunday going to Andover was with a great power drawne even whether she would or no to come to Crooxeason to M. Gadbury whither when she came she was in an exceeding great sweat This is in the confession and doth not this look like a piece of Witchcraft but knew not the end of her coming she stayed there all night and in the evening sitting by the fire side she said aloud O Lord that I may not be deceived She fetcht her breath short she cried out Mistresse VVoodward Mistresse Woodward why keep you me here in prison at which words M. Gadbury said that she her selfe wept exceedingly and declared concerning this Goody Waterman that she was even● rent and torn in pieces and she cried out and said O Lord how canst thou bring downe the strongest heart that is Rutlie is so high and strong yet the Lord can bring him downe and that she had fought against the Lord and now could not but confesse that it was he And thus Goody VVaterman notwithstanding her long standing off Here end those informations I had from the large confession of Mary Gadbury so often mentioned and great opposition she sometime made against them is at length deluded and brought over to them by their deceits This effect of their deceits on this woman is now the more advantagious to them they having at least seemingly been so much before opposed by her And what from the thing it selfe and the strange manner of it it now works on Mr. VVoodward the Minister in whose house these persons were entertained and who therefore was privy to all these proceedings for as I have heard himselfe relate it in his own confession before the Judge of Assize where being charged to give credit to these deceits of Frankelin and for declaring him to be the Christ he acknowledged himselfe for sometime to be much troubled not able to close with what was by them delivered that he asked of Frankelin whether he were the Christ and that Frankelin should answer that that was not the body of Christ but he had the Father as a lion Christ as a Lamb set at his brest and that he was now come to call in beleevers he farther confessed that after this being much troubled he went to his barn and there sate down where a perfect audible voice was heard by him which said unto him arise and declare what thou hast seen yet that he kept his own counsell notwithstanding and declared this to no other but that afterward Goody VVaterman comes and tells them that Frankelin was one borne at Overton and was a Seducer and in a railing manner went away from him but that they viz. Frankelin and Gadbury said that she would be sorry for it and see her errour that about foure or five dayes after Goody Waterman came againe desiring to see God in all and that the third time of her coming she sate downe on a stoole and was there the whole afternoon and at night going away she said she could not but was in prison and bondage and afterward declared to them that Satan was possessed of her but that now she was delivered and said she the power that I reproached that hath delivered me and this said M. Woodward seized so on my spirit that it caused me to entertain what I am now charged withall This of Mr. Woodwards confession I heard declared by him to the Judge and tooke it also in short hand as well as I possibly could in such a crowd of people And by this confession of his it appeares that what by the glorious things he had seen as he pretended and by the things which the persons themselves declared to him as also that of the Voice which he heard and these passages of this woman they saying she would be sorry for what she had done against them and she her self afterward making such a confession concerning them and so believing in them all this caused Mr. Woodward also to give up his Faith to them as his wife had before given him example of it And questionlesse as in the beginning the woman was first in the transgression and being deceived her selfe served Satan as an instrument to deceive her husband also so that this woman Mrs. VVoodward having been first deluded as you have read did contribute her utmost assistance to these deceivers to deale with and to prevail upon her husband to deceive him also and accordingly together they thus prevailed in it Most of these passages thus before related of the visions of M. Gadbury and concerning Goody VVaterman and Mrs. VVoodward happened in the time of VV. Franklins being at London where he stayes not long but as being herein very punctuall in his word and promise at his appointed time downe he returnes again to visit his Consort to see how their designe did thrive as also to afford what assistance he could to the further advancing and carrying of it on In all the time of his abode at Crooxeason he is very diligent not in discourses only but sundry times preaching there in Mr. VVoodwards house thereby drawing together the more company unto him And indeed by reason of the strangenesse of the report carried about the Countrey concerning these persons and the things done by them multitudes of persons now resort to Mr. Woodwards to see heare and speake with them of whom some come only for the novelty of the businesse and to satisfie themselves with the sight of such strange persons

practises to the undeceiving of others and put him also in hope that by this means some favour might be obtained by him And indeed William Franklin now at length becoming sensible of his condition and the trouble and danger which he nad plunged himself into apprehends it his best way to hearken to the advice of the Justices as the only means left him to save himself and to obtain favour And therefore doth he in answer to that advise of theirs pretend himself to be sensible of the evil of the way he had thus walked in and professeth himself at least outwardly and seemingly willing to make such an Acknowledgment and Recantation as they proposed to him hoping and expecting thereby as it appears to find favour from them This therefore of his profession being accepted of a form of a Recantation is presently by Justice Bettesworth drawn up offered to him and is in the very words of it subscribed unto by him The Recantation of William Franklin He now confesseth that he is sorry that he hath affirmed himself to be Christ and that he was crucified for the sins of all men and that there was no salvation but by faith in him and doth heartily repent and doth himself hope to be saved by the merits of Jesus Christ crucified as in the Gospel is set forth unto us and that he will openly recant from his former blasphemous Opinions and cause all that have been misled by him to the uttermost of his power to forsake the false Opinions and Delusions which he hath brought them into To this he subscribed his name William Franklin adding also thereunto these or words to the like purpose That what he professed now in this his Recantation he intended by the Grace of God to stand unto By this Recantation presently a great distraction arose amongst the whole party nor can it be imagined but that they should be much confounded hereat not knowing themselves what to do ashamed so suddenly to renounce what but even now with so much con●●dence they asserted and yet how to stick to it they knew not he that was the head of their party having so soon and solemnly as it appeared disclaimed what either he of himself or they concerning him had thus asserted reckoning them to be but blasphemous Opinions no wonder therefore that they are so confounded and know not what to do Mary Gadbury when this was first shewn to her by the Justices at the very time of it looking upon Franklin with a very angry countenance demanded Hast thou done this is this thy hand At which he remaining some time silent at last answered You see what the times are Or you see what condition we are fallen into She also afterward often times professed That she should never have believed this though ten thousand had told her so had she not her self seen it That she should have layd down her life for the truth of what she had declared concerning him who did now see her self to be abused by him she kept not company with him as Franklin but was perswaded by him that that name and nature was gone that he would not be called by that name and now to see him subscribe the name of William Franklin and that also to such a Recantation made her see that she had been deceived by him Edward Spradbury when he came to the sight of it looking as angerly upon Franklin yea holding up his hand at him as if he would have striken him said Thou Villain how hast thou deceived us by thy lyes And thus he that even now was their Lord and Christ their Saviour that dyed for their sins is presently even in the same instant of time and place reckoned a Villain that by lyes deceived them So uncertain so changeable are these giddy people and upon such ●andy foundations is their whole salvation layd by them And Mr Woodward who before pretended that he saw his uncreated glory and rejoyced at it could now presently upon this say That he thought there was Witchcraft in it and supposed they were Witches Such a sudden change such a great confusion is thus on a sudden wrought among them After these things of the Examinations of these Persons and Witnesses was thus over the Justices proceeded to dispose of the persons themselves and it was thus That Mr Woodward Edward Spradbury Henry Dixon were bound over to the Assize then to appear and before the Judg to answer these and such like things they should be charged withall but William Franklin and Mary Gadbury were both of them committed to prison upon suspition of having the one two wives the other two husbands which suspition and commitment of theirs thereupon was upon very good grounds and very just for Franklin acknowledged in his Confession his having a wife and three children and there was sufficient information of the woman that she had an husband also and yet for these thus to accompany together to call one another husband and wife and as husband and wife ordinarily to lie together could not but be just ground for such a suspicion and commitment upon it William Franklin therefore having his Mittimus made is presently sent to the Common-Goal where he is received and as a Felon being thus committed upon just suspicion of Felony hath irons upon his legs and in this condition continues so fettered in prison till the time of the Assize but Mary Gadbury having so accompanied with another womans husband and besides the Charge of that suspected Felony and Adultery refusing to declare her name or condition is as a lewd woman rogue in law committed first to Bridewell the house of Correction where she lay a week and in that space several times received the Correction of the house according to the custom of it The Munday after February 4. she is sent for thence by the Justices and brought before them And having now suffered a little hardship and tasted some what of the smart of the whip the height of her spirit begins to be somewhat abated now she with abundance of tears laments her condition wherein she is and desires all favour that may be from the Justices she doth now readily answer to all their Interrogatories concerning her name her calling her husband and children her acquaintance with this man and the occasion of their coming into this Country all which was such as I have before related concerning her that therefore it may be somewhat tedious here again to relate and insert it And besides what she spoke to the Justices in answer to these and the like questions as that which might serve them in their proceedings in Law with her She was very forward of her own accord to declare such things which they because they concerned not them in their proceedings listened not much after but therein discoursing so at large as she did of her Visions Revelations Voyces I who was there by had the patience to hear her at least two hours

especially the Constable who served the Warant upon them whereby they were apprehended he testified that Franklin told him concerning himself that he was Christ the Saviour of the world who dyed on the Cross for the sins of the people that he was Alpha and Omega and that he who believed in him should be saved And that when he came to serve his Warrant upon them they asked him how he durst be so bold as to come in the presence of the Lord and bid him put his shooes from off his feet for the place whereon he stood was holy ground And that at that time looking in upon them and seeing them in bed between the sheets together they checked him for being so bold as to see them there He also witnessed concerning the woman that she said of her self that she was Mary the mother of Christ who bare this Christ and that she was the woman clothed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet He also witnessed That Mr Woodward layed open to him the Image of Daniel to perswade him had he not had more grace then to believe it to be of their opinion Divers other things were also witnessed concerning Mary Gadbury as that she should say of Franklin That she had no other husband after the flesh but him nor he any other wife but her self she denyed not but another woman might lay claim to him but no one could say he was her husband but her self Other Testimonies being the same with what hath been before related I forbear to proceed in farther Relation of them Mary Gadbury having now obtained liberty to speak for her self answered That she had indeed believed otherwise concerning Franklin then now she did for she followed him not as Franklin as now she perceives him to be But as concerning her lying with him concerning which many questions were asked her of the reason of it she rebuked as guilty of adultery in it she answered to free her self from being accounted a harlot That Franklin had denyed to her that he had any wife and children and that he knew not such fleshly relation that she companied not with him as a carnal but as a spiritual man and she denyed any whoredom whatsoever forshe companied not with him for camal copulation nor was there any such between them she companied not with him in an upcivil way but as a fellow-feeler of her misery at which last word the whole Court laughed exceedingly some saying Yea we think you companied with him as a fellow-feeler indeed She having thus spoken the Judg declared with much detestation the evil of these opinions and practises That the opinions were so gross that it could not be believed any one in his wits could follow them but especially wondering at this of a Ministers being seduced by them And for what she alledged of her not lying with him as a carnal but as a spiritual man he said That so might any whore say the like and might this be allowed her pretend the like conceit to colour any adultery and whoredom whatsoever that in all this she shewed her self to be a lewd woman and that Bridewell was too good for her In fine this at length was the sentence of the Iudg concerning either of these That Franklin should lie in Gaol till he give good security for his good behaviour and that the women be committed to Bridewell and there lie till the next Quarter Sessions And though the woman pleaded that she might not be punished twice for the same offence having been before in Bridewell yet could she not get it remitted but was rather told That the punishment was too light for such a lewd woman and her offence was the greater because she so committed it under the cloak of Religion She also presented a Petition to the Iudg which though her release could not be obtained by it as she desired yet because it is an Acknowledgment of the substance of what hath been before related concerning her I shall here insert it To the Right Honorable the Lord Chief Justice Rouls and Justice Nicholls The humble Petition of Mary Gadbury lately living in Watling-street THat your Petitioner who hath ever lived in honest conversation and in good repute amongst her neighbors and all that ever knew her living religiously amongst them as they do hereby testifie for her the same by their hands hereunder written until by the means of a woman who lodged in your Petitioners house who brought one Franklin unto her who most falsly feigned himself to be Christ by whose vehement perswasions he shewing her Scripture for his false pretences your Petitioner was seduced he forcibly perswading her to believe in him and to sell all that she had and follow him as her Christ and Saviour which your Petitioner did and now she is by his means utterly undone and cast into Bridewell a prisoner there at Winchester In compassion of the premisses and your Petitioners contrition and great sorrow of heart for her said offence she in all humility humbly beseecheth that your Lordships will be pleased that she may be relieved in the same and that your Peticioner may by your charitable goodness be released out of the said prison But not able to obtain her desired liberty by this her Petition let us leave her to her sentence for Bridewell and Franklin for the Gaol and consider what was likewise done with the other parties After this proceeding with these persons Mr Woodward was called who at first denyed his owning of Franklin to be Christ but divers things were testified against him concerning it in particular Mr Musprat did there again deliver upon oath before the Judg what he had formerly testified concerning him and others of them to the Justices and he himself after many questions that passed forcing him thereto at length largely confessed what of Visions and Voyces he had seen and heard and how he had been seduced by them adding withall in answer to a question by the Iudg proposed to him That he thought there was jugling in the business The sentence at length pronounced against him was the same with Franklins That he be committed to the Gaol there to lie till he bring in good security for his good behaviour And because it was proved that it was known to him and his wife that Franklin was a married man and yet he entertained these persons in an adulterous way lying together in his house it was ordered by the Iudg That Mrs Woodward his wife be indicted for a Bawd the Indictment delivered to the Grand Iury was found by them and she not being then present to answer it he was bound to bring her in to answer it at the next Assize and as I have been well informed his living or Parsonage was by Order of the Committee afterward and that very justly sequestred from him to be given to another After Mr Woodward were Edward Spradbury and Henry Dixon called and both also appeared Dixons Examination