were then present in the said House William Holiday and Helen his Wife as also Sarah Lofnam Daughter in Law to the said Defunct and some Servants and Children in the House besides Charles Loflin and Helen Loflin Children to the said Defunct which are now all alive And most of them were summoned to the following Assizes at Downe Patrick and there deposed solemnly before the Bench the several Circumstantials of the said Apparition Which Apparition was thrice repeated in the same Evening to the said Thomas Donelson And how he was horribly frighted thereby and violently drawn out of the said House before their Eyes though they struggled Hard to detain him And that he was carried up and down over Neighbouring Hedges and Ditches And that her last Words to him were That she would trouble him no more if he did faithfully prosecute the Cause of her Death which she still ascribed to the Blows which she received from the said R. Eccleston and K. Higgison The said Thomas Donelson did accordingly repair to his Landlord the next Justice Mr. Randal Brice who brought their several Examinations to Sir William Franklin in Belfast-Castle where was also present the Earl of Longford Which said Depositions were carried to Dublin and there recommended to the special Care of Judge Iohn Lindon who was to come down the next Assizes of Downe And the said Trial and Examination of the Witnesses were then mannaged at the said Assizes by Mr. Iames Macartny Counsellor in the behalf of Charles Loflin the Plaintiff to the Admiration of all the Bench and of the Company there in my Sight and Audience So that the Matter was most notoriously known and believed through the whole Country Nor was there any Cause of suspecting any Fraud therein they being all plain honest Neighbours well known to me and my Parishioners in the Parish of Druâ—nbeg in the County of Downe and in the Province of Vlster When you send to Mr. Baxter pray send my best Respects desiring both his Prayers and yours as we most heartily recommend his continual Labours and yours to the Blessing of the Most High In whom I Rest Your Cordially Affectionate Cl. Gilbert Belfast Aug. 24. 1691. § II. Whereas many wonder that the Devil can get down and up Childrens Throats such great things as the Nails and pieces of Iron and Brass as I have to shew a rude Story of that Pious and Excellent Phisition Foelix Platerus makes me think it possible Two rude fellows had at meat a Custard before them he that first tasted it found it Scalding hot and dissembled it to draw the other to it who presently so scalded his Mouth with it that in Wrath and Revenge the next Spoonful that the other did eat he forced the Spoon down his Throat Which being in his Stomach cast him into fear But they both being shortly after again together eating he felt a great pain in the rectum intestinum and put his Hand to his Fundament and pulled out the Spoon and put it into his Companions Dish The passage of this Spoon through all the intestines seems harder than most of the Witchcrafts mentitioned This confirmeth my Suspicion that my Dear Friend Mr. William Hopkins case before mentioned was but a Mistake and not a Witchcraft and that he might have swallowed in his Meat a piece of a Flesh-prick and think it was a Bone and forgot it though I could not persuade his Wife and Neighbours to believe it I rather think the conceit than Witchcraft shortned the good Mans Life § III. And I will not spare my self while I mention my Friend though some will deride it it may profit others to tell you a small Story of the Devils power on my self When I lived in Ludlow Castle at 16 and 17 years of Age the Chaplain to the Council being my Tutor I that had been ensnared before in the pleasure of old Romances was strongly tempted to the Love of Cards and Dice The first overcame me a few Months Having no skill at Tables I agreed with the best Gamester in the House Mr. Richard Harrison Clerk of the Kitchin who died old not many years ago in Barbican at the Earl of Bridgwaters to teach me for a price When I did but know when the Game was lost by the loss of all my Men after a Game or two they told me my Game was lost And laught at me for not giving it up other Skilful Gamesters looking on I told them I would see the end first They derided me and Mr. Harrison said I will lay you ten Shillings to Six-Pence I laid down my SixPence and he his ten Shillings When I had cast the Dice ten times I had wone the Game They stood amazed and told me that if I had not had the same cast of the Dice all the ten times that I had no other could have got my Game An Atheist will laugh at this as Fortuitous But I perceived that it was the Devils Temptation to draw me to be a Gamester And I gave Mr. Harrison his Ten Shillings again and never plaid more I mention this to tell some Ladies and others of great Note that are Ensnared in the Love of that vile Time-wasting Sin of Cards and Dice and Stage-plays that the Devil hath great power in ruling that which they call Chance And that it is a greater Sin so to waste precious Time than they are aware of Besides the vile corrupting of their Affections * He might have nam'd more * Which is proved of many Witches * Suffolk and Essex Books Printed for and sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower End of Cheapside near Mercers Chapel THE English Nonconformity as under K. Charles II. and K. Iames II. trul stated and argued In Quarto A Treatise of Knowledge and Love compared In two Parts 1. Of falsly pretended Knowledge 2. Of true saving Knowledge and Love In Quarto The Glorious Kingdom of Christ aâ—scribed and clearly vindicated against the bold Asserters of a future Calling and Reign of the Iews and a thousand Years before the Conflagration and the Assertors of the thousand Years Kingdom after the Conflagration Being an Answer to Mr. Tho. Beverley In Quarto A Reply to Mr. Tho Beverley's Answer to my Reasons against his Doctrine of a Thousand Years Middle Kingdom and of the Conversion of the Jews In Quarto Of National Churches Their Description Institution Use Preservation Danger Maladies and Cure Partly applied to England In Quarto Church Concord Containing 1. A Dissuasive from unnecessary Division and Separation and the real Concord of the moderate Independâ—nts with the Presbyterians instanced in ten seeming Differences 2. The Terms necessary for Concord among all Churches and Christians In Quarto Against the Revolt to a Foreign Jurisdiction which would be to England its Perjury Church-Ruin and Slavery In two Parts In Octavo Mr. Richard Baxter's penitent Confession and his necessary Vindication In Answer to a Book called The Second Part of the Mâ—schiefs of Separation Written by an unnamed Author With a Preface to Mr. Cantianus de Minimis c. In Quarto The Scripture-Gospel defended and Christ Grace and free Justification vindicated against the Libertines c. In two Books c. In Octavo Cain and Abel-Malignity that is Enmity to serious Godliness that is to an holy and heavenly state of Heart and Life c. All by Mr. Richard Baxter Books Printed for and Sold by Iohn Salusbury at the Rising Sun over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill AN End of Doctrinal Controversies which have lately troubled the Churches by Reconciling Explication without much Disputing By Richard Baxter In Octavo A Rational Defence of Nonconformity Wherein the Practice of Nonconformists is vindicated from promoting Popery and ruining the Church imputed to them by Dr. Stillingfleet in his Vnreasonableness of Separation Also his Arguments from the Principles and Way of the Reformers and first Dissenters are answered and the Case of the present Separation truly stated and the Blame of it laid where it ought to be And the Way to Union among Protestants is pointed at By Gilbert Rule Minister of the Gospel In Quarto The Harmony of the Divine Attributes in the Contrivance and Accomplishment of Man's Redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ c. By W. Bates D.D. The Duty and Blessing of a Tender Conscience plainly stated and earnestly recommended to all that regard Acceptance with God and the Prosperity of their Souls Whereunto is added two Sermons opening the Nature of Participation with and demonstrating the Necessity of Purification by Christ. By T. Cruso In Twelves
that shall make a perfect Cure that you shall need come to me no more then he gave them a Bag to hang about the Youth's Neck and Powder to take in White wine for one weeks time Order was given by him when the Youth had worn the Collar about his Neck for a while the Youth should take it off himself and burn it but Mr. Elson the Boy 's Master took off the Collar after it had been on two Days and a Night and shewed it to some to inquire whether it were not a charm there being nothing in the Collar but a Paper with this writing Callen Dan Dant Dan Dant Callen Dan Callen Dant Mr. Elson kept the Paper by him after 't was taken from the Boy 's Neck about eighteen Weeks not suffering it to be applied again being told that it seemed to be a meer Charm and the Boy being ask'd if he were content to have his Fits again rather than have a Cure from the Devil who would not cure his Body without greater prejudice to his Soul than his Bodily Distemper could be reckoned he very readily answered he would rather choose to have his Fits again and would leave himself to the Hands of God for his Disease or Cure When this Distemper left him for the Eighteen Weeks he returned considerably to his Senses and Memory beyond what he had before particularly to be able to sort Wooll at his Trade which he had not been able to do in a Year and quarter before About the Sixth Week of these Eighteen the Father went to Mr. Gibs again and told him how the Note was taken off and that several had the sight of it Gibs then said If the Fits do return again he will be worse than ever and at their return he should be able to do him no good His Fits at the return were indeed far more terrible than before and much of another kind than those of other Persons in the Fallen-sickness And these Fits did return to him about 18 or 19 VVeeks after they ceased upon a Shrove-Tuesday Mr. Elson inquiring into the time when they returned said it was when he threw the Paper that haâ— been about the Youth's Neck into the Firâ— and burnt it unwilling to keep such a thing any longer This Gibs hath the general repute of a VVizard and his Father before him The Youth hath a long time been utterly deprived of the use of his Reason and is clothed and otherwise used as a meeâ— Natural and his Fits so dreadful that Persons are afraid to behold him After the return of his Fits he was puâ— to one Yoe's in St. Thomas's where hâ— wrought at his Trade of VVorsted-combing and some means were used for his Fits which he pretended to have some Skill in curing whose Means were used about a Month without any success then and therâ— being at his VVork and some signs appearing of an approaching Fit they set him oâ— a Stool thence he fell in a Fit and brakâ— his Leg the main Bone in two pieces another Bone in many pieces Then he waâ— brought home to his Father's House and the Bones being set the Chyrurgion said iâ— he should have another Fit his Cure would be impossible he lay about a Month oâ— five VVeeks very free from Fits till his Bones were so well knit that he could walk abroad with Crutches which he did for a while and then his Fits returned in the same manner as before his Bone was broken After his Leg was well recovered he was carried to Mr. Pridham of Morchard he prescribed Means which he hop'd would do him good if there were any alteration by the use of his Pills which he then gave him to carry with him and take when he came home but before the Pills he had ordered a Vomit to be taken in the working of which they thought he would die Then they gave him the Pills which after they had stay'd above an Hour in his Stomach he vomited them up as they were taken which were put up again in the Box and shewed to Mr. Pridham who said If they had been given to a Child of two Months old they would have been digestâ—ed in half an Hour Upon hearing the whole he said certainly there is something extraordinary in the case Being asked if he could do him no good he said he did not question but he could but being a Minister he feared he should lose his Benefice by Peoples saying he was a VVhite-VVitch The Youth's Mother apprehended that Mr. Staddon drop'd some such words that her Son was bewitch'd or possess'd or somewhat to that purpose who went through a Course of Physick with the Youth and found nothing did answer Expectation For some Years the Youth hath been much prejudiced in his Speech sometimes he cannot speak at all but is as one dumb for a VVeek or Fortnight together He speaks plain enough between but when be hath the Dumb Fits he can hardly move his Tongue in his Mouth and he is generally so deprived of Reason that he is clad and otherwise used as a meer Idiot This Narrative was taken in the beginning of April 1688. Memorandum The Youth continues in the same condition till this 27 th of September 1689. XIII Tho' I collect much written heretofore I must not transcribe other Mens Books I here desire the Reader to read in Dr. Sinclare's Book called Satan's Invisible World among 36 Histories the X. called The Devil of Genluce where he will find such another Case as that of the Devil of Mascon where the Spirit besides other Acts oâ— Molestation and Violence for a long time continued familiar talking to Men before so many Witnesses as leaveth the truth oâ— the History unquestionable XIV The Hanging of a great number oâ— Witches in Suffolk and Essex by the discovery of one Hopkins in 1645 and 1646 iâ— famously known Mr. Calamy went along with the Judges in the Circuit to heaâ— their Confessions and see that there werâ— no Fraud or Wrong done them I spake with many Understanding Pious and Credible Persons that lived in the Countries and some that went to them to the Prisons and heard their sad Confessions Among the rest an old Reading Parson named Lowis not far from Franlingham was one that was Hanged who confessed that he had two Imps and that one of them was always putting him on doing Mischief and he being near the Sea as he saw a Ship under Sail it moved him to send him to sink the Ship and he consented and saw the Ship sink before him One Penitent Woman confessed that her Mother lying sick and she looking to her somewhat like a Mole ran in to the Bed to her which she being startled at her Mother bid her not fear it but gave it her saying Keep this in a Pot by the Fire c. and thou shalt never want She did as she was bid shortly after a poor Boy seemingly came in and askt leave to sit and warm him at
their justling with it A Subordination will not serve but it ariseth to a Co-ordination and Competition yea a Prelation But that I speak of is the Nobilitating of an uncertain Day upon insufficient Evidence If I should say the Thorn might so blossom by Providence as a just Hardening of the wilfully superstitious a great part of whose Religion it is to put a Crown upon Christmass-Day caring little for Christ or as a Trial of the truly Consciencious to see whether they will build their Religion upon a famous Thorn and be so tamed by it as to close with the Superstition and Profaneness of that time I say if I should speak thus it might be thought a Paradox and yet I remember your Lights in Wales which shew I think what God gives the Devil leave to do I shall content my self therefore with sending you the Relation and leave you and others better able than my self to consider of it Only this I may say that such a Providential Rarity is too low a thing to put a Divinity upon that Day And yet to make it a Divine Testimony is I think the meaning of those that are willing to make the most of it I do not say the best of it Sir I am much engaged to you for your great Pains with my Son having lately received from him your good Answers to his Assembly-Queries with his Replies For Reason is restless and it is the Misery of those who set it up too high that it can so far I do not say so well fâ—r â—is all naughâ— as far as Scripture and it jâ—rr thist for it self and they are apt to think they are sound if they be not silenced when Eâ—â—our in Practice hath much to sâ—y for it self and Errour in Opinion muâ—â—â—ore Having betaken himself to Dr. Hammond I did not command him thence thinking he being a learned Man he might get something from him especially in the matter of Original Sin about which the Doctor hath given him good Animadversions though something in them hath not so good an Aspect and he answers them also and so there is no End till God humble the Heart 'T is one Symptom of the Hereditary Disease of Original Sin that that Sin is no more acknowledged and lamented God that raiseth such Alterations in Nations and hath done so strange things of late can alter our Relations and make them contrary to themselves that they may be conformable to him And upon that Ground alone I can build that To God all things are possible With all loving and thankful Respects I Rest Your obliged Friend and Brother Will. Thomas Obley Feb. 29. 1659. Mr. John Chetwind's enclosed Letter Reverend and much Honoured Sir IN answer to your Letter these are to inform you That the old Thorn in the times of the War was rooted up and is utterly gone and as for Mr. Gallop's Graff I have enquired of a Gentleman that was his Patient and lived divers Years in Mr. Gallop's House and observed the Budding and blossoming of it who informed me that it doth shoot forth and Bud and Blossom near about that time but not upon the day but in some space after it much rather than other Thorns usually do This is all the Account I can give you of it I have no more to add but mine and my Wife's kindest Respects to your self and good Wife and that I am Your most respectful Friend John Chetwind Wells Feb. 25. 1659. Mr. Winney's Inclos'd Letter concerning the Glaston-Thorn Worthy Sir REal Love and Thanks prescribed c. These are to acquaint you that I Received a Letter from you wherein Mr. Thomas's Request to you is that the exactest and most punctual Account of the usual Story of the Blossoming of GlastonburyThorn on Christmas-day might be found out I have upon your Request searched more of it than ever I thought to trouble my self to do and have conversed with the most Ancient that I knew and was directed to and think those that are Credible they offer to aver it upon Oath what they tell me Thus one Ancient Man tells me that he hath gone on the Eve to it and he hath found it like another dead Thorn without any Blossom or likelihood to have a sudden forwardness to it only some Evidence of the Appearance of the breaking out the Buds and but an Appearance perceivable and he hath gone on Christmas-day and found the Blossoms as though it was the midst of May and gathered them and sent them many Miles and had good Rewards this the Man will depose upon his Oath At the same time this Man was at my House there came occasionally an ancient Woman a Neighbour whose Testimony I believe fit to be received who earnestly affirmed this that in the time of Queen Ann she lived with one Sir Tho. Hughes in Wells a Justice of Peace who purposely sent his men two of them to know the Truth that he might satisfie any that might make enquiry and on the Eve towards Night they found it as another Thorn only the breaking out of the beginning of Buds and staying in Glastonbury all Night to observe as near as might be the time when they began to sprout forth into a perfect Blossom they have gone again toward the turn of the Night and have found the perfect Blossom about two or three of the Clock so that at Morning they have returned to their Master with them which she told me she saw when they brought it home And another Man tells me the same Story as the first only with this variation His Father and Godfather living at Bath went the Eve's Eve and found nothing but Buds and on Christmas-day in the Morning found the Blossoms and his Father sent them to Bath to his Godfather because he went thither home to keep his Christmas And a Woman at the same time told me something much like the Second that she hath gone the Eve late at Night and witâ— a Lanthorn and Candle with her Company stayed four Hours to see if it might be the manner of the sprouting out of it and in that space saw that it Blossomed the Green-boughs the length of half the Fore-finger to the middle Joint what Mr. Gallop's Graft of this old Tree doth I shall leave you to him to be certified Both our Loves to your self and good Wife Mr. Stuks and his Wife desiring one Favour in the Close that you would be pleased to take pains to begin our Lecture the next Tuesday I have not had but one Assistant I think this seven or eight Weeks I shall be absent my self I intend if please God to be at Bristol Fair where I have some Business and pray send the word of it that I may be assured I rest Yours In all Bonds of Love Sam. Winney Glaston Ian. 21. 16â—â— I have oft wonder'd at the commonly believed Gift of the Kings of England and France to heal the Struma All my doubt hath still been of the Matter of Fact
of Heaven more Familiar and Pleasant to us to think of such a Holy and Amiable Society and would make us the willinger to die As to them that say that it is enough to know that Christ is all to us and we must take heed of ascribing any thing to Creatures I Answer is Christ the less all to us for giving us his Mercies For giving us the Ministry of Angels Is he the less All to us for giving Gifts to Men for giving Comforters and Merciful Relievers to the poor For giving to Children the Love and Care of Parents Or for giving Men good Princes and Magistrates to Rule them Or for giving them Soldiers to fight for them Or for giving you Ministers to Teach you Who more praiseth their Teachers than such Objectors Will you be unthankful to your Benefactors for fear of ascribing to Creatures Will you not praise a Godly Man above a Wicked Will you not praise and admire the Glory of the Sun and Stars and the Frame of Heaven and Earth for fear of ascribing to Creatures Is the praising of a Work a wrong to the Workman Indeed this agreeth with their Doctrine who because â—aul counted all his Mosaical Legal Righteousness as loss and Dung in Comparison of the Righteousness that God gave him in and by â—hrist do therefore â—â—y that we must count all that Righteousness as Dung which â—hrist himselâ— worketh in us by his Spirit even Faith it seâ—â— which is imputed or reckoned to us for Righteousness This enticeth Men to be out of Love with Christian Righteousness when Christ hath made it our own if it be no better than Dung And to fear that some such Men have no better But they say they account Faith and Love to Christ to be Dung only as to Iustification As if God did not make all Men just whom he justifieth by Esteem and Sentence Or as if that were Righteousness that doth in no part or degree make a Man Righteous Or as if any but Christians as such are justified Or any Man were a Christian before he accepteth Christ by a Loving and Thankful Consent or Trust as his Saviour and his Teacher and his Lord and Ruler But this is a Digression which Mens talk against ascribing to Angels led me to We are not for ascribing to Angels nor to Faith and Love and Holiness the least part of the Honour proper to God or to Jesus Christ They do none of the Work of our Redeemer for us nor can we do the least of it for our selves unless as the Work of his Instruments and Agents may be called Christs Work They save us indeed but it is but as Timothy was taught by Paul how to save himself and those that heard him and we are bid to save our selves Christ teacheth us and Ministers teach us Christ Feedeth us and we Feed our selves yea he faith that we feed him And that he will for so doing say Come ye Blessed inherit the Kingdom Angels and Men do Christs Commanded Work But no Creature doth the least part of Christs own proper undertaken Work Objection But these high Thoughts of Angels have drawâ— the Papists to Idolatry in Praying to them and Worshipping them Answer It is your denying them the Honour that is due to them which is a Temptation that hardneth Papists in their Excess Must we not Love and Honour Kings Ministers and Saints though some herein run into Extreams We have many Reasons against Praying to Angels or offering them Visible Corporeal Worship Because we know not just when they are present And because it may Countenance the Heathens Demon Worship and Idolatry And because God hath appointed us no such sort of Worship But God having largely told us of their Love to us and their constant eminent Service for us he thereby obligeth us to answerable Regard Affections and Acknowledgment I have said so much in a small Discourse in Mr. Isaack Ambroâ—e his Book of Communion with Angels at his request who is now with Angels that I will not here Recite very many particular Texts of Scripture about this Subject But if you will but look in your Concordance you may see what abundant mention of Angels there is throughout all the Scripture while we hear so little of them in our Books or Pulpits It 's true that in the Old Testament time they ofter Visibly appeared than they do now But that is no Derogation to our Gospel State As it is more Spiritual than theirs that needed more Visible means so our Spiritual Benefits by them before named are greater than theirs were 1. How Familiar were Angels with Abraham who entertained them as Men till they made themselves better known to him They were the Messengers of the great promise to him of the Numerous and the Holy Seed They Reproved Sarah for her Unbelief that they might comfort her by the promised Seed How Familiar were they with Lot when they came into his House and took him in and blinded his Enemies and told him their Message concerning Sodom and when they carried him while he delayed to depart And when they saved Zoar for his sake How Familiar were they with Iacob in his Travels and his Return when he saw them as by a Ladder ascending and descending And when one of them wrestled with him and Blessed him though he made him halt I know that many excellent Divines do that one of these called Angels was Christ. To which I say 1. If it were so that doth not deny but confirm what I am pleading for If Christ appearing made Angels his Companions it was the more for their Honour 2. But if this be true either Christ had a Body yea many Bodies before his Incarnation by Mary or not If not what were all these Similitudes of Men that did eat and drink and talk and act Were they mere â—hadows and Delusions How then could they speak and act so Potently If yea then was the pure God head Hypostatically united to these many appearing Bodies Or not Who can prove a difference save as to the Matter and Duration between his union with these and with his last assumed Flesh. And yet the Scripture appropriateth Christs Incaâ—â—â—tion and coming in the Body to the Funâ—â—â— of Time and to those last days I am â—â—th to say without proof that Christ 〈…〉 Bodies lest any should infer that there have been many Christs But if this 〈◊〉 be held it will introduce Peter Sterrâ— Doctrine as most probable that Christ as the Eternal Word 〈◊〉 God first 〈◊〉 the Noblest reâ—ted Nature abâ—â—e 〈◊〉 or as Dr â—â—ore calleth it an Eternal 〈◊〉 or as he and Iohn Turner a pâ—ime Created â—e in the priâ—â—e Matter and did unite â—â—â—â—lf to this 〈◊〉 ‑ lical Nature and by it cause all the rest And that this second Nature appeared to the Fathers by such Temporary assumed Bodies and at last assumed the Body of a Man being say some it self a Soul to it but as others assuming both
THE CERTAINTY OF THE WORLDS of SPIRITS And Consequently Of the Immortality of Souls Of the Malice and Misery of the Devils and the Damned And of the Blessedness of the Justified Fully evinced by the unquestionable Histâ—ries of Apparitions Operations Witchcrafts Voices c. Written as an Addition to many other Treatises for the Conviction of Sadduces and Infidels By RICHARD BAXTER Eph 6.12 We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual Wickednesses in high Places in Celestials Matth 8. 31 32. The Devils besought him saying If thou cast us out suffer us to go away into the Herd of Swine And he said Go. Luk. 10. 18 20. I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from Heaven But in this rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject to you But rather rejoyce because your Names are written in Heaven Heb. 2. 14. Are they not all the Angels ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation LONDON Printed for T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside and I. Salisbury at the Rising Sun near the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1601. THE PREFACE It seemeth hard to unruly Minds that God should keep Intellectual Souls so strange to the unseen World of Spirits that we know so little of them and that our Knowledge of them is no more by the way of â—ente But there is in it much of Gods â—rbitrary Soveraign Power and much of his Wisdom and much of his Justice and also of his Love 1. It pleased him to make Variety of Creatures What harmony would there be without Variety were there nothing but Unity there would be nothing but God And various Creatures must have a various Scituation Reception and Operations The Fishes must not dwell in our Cities nor be acquainted with our Affairs 2. We here dwell in Flesh in Bodies organized for the Souls Receptions and Perceptions and Operations And the Wisdom of God doth suitably dispose of his Communications and give us that measure of Light which is agreeable to our State The Sun must not shine on the Infant in the Womb nor must he there see our Buildings and Tradings and Business in the World 3. We have Light here that is proportionable to our work and interest So much as is necessary to our knowing of our selves and our God and Governour and our Duty and all those hopes that are our necessary Motives thereto Men that will but observe the Operations of their Souls may competently know what a Soul or Spirit is And Men that will but open their Eyes and considerately look about them may as certainly know that there is a God as they can know that there is any Being And Men that cannot but difference Moral Good and Evil and that know the Duty of Children to Parents Subjects to Rulers and Neighbours to Neighbours may know their Duty to God and that the performance of it shall not be in vain And if Men will not know all this which they may know it is just with God to leave them to their chosen darkness and not to know that which further might be known It is a dismal case to havea Soul that will not know it self to be what it is till utter Misery convince him 4. And the God of Love maketh Advantage of our not-seeing the World of Spirits for our Exercise of our higher Intellectual Faculties by a Life of Faith And Intuition a Nobler sort than our present Eye-sight will be seasonable and soon enough when ripeness hath made us ready for it We shall not need all the Organical parts of the Eye which Galen admiringly describeth for our Glorious sight And to see Devils and other Spirits ordinariâ—y would not be enough to bring our Atheists to the saving Knowledge of God without which all other Knowledge is vain They that doubt of a God the most perfect eternal infinite Being while they see the Sun and Moon and Stars the Sea and Land would not know him by seeing Created â—pirâ—ts As to the Originals of this Collection it had its rise from my own and other Mens need When God firâ—â— aâ—akened me to think with preparing seriousness of my Condition after Death I had not any observed Doubts of the Reality of Spirits or the Immortality of the Soul or of the Truth of the Gospel But all my doubts were about my own Renovation and Title to that Blessed Life But when God had given me peace of Conscience Satan Assaulted me with those worse Temptations Yet through Gods Grace they never prevailed against my Faith Nor did he ever raise in me the least doubt of the Being and â—erfection of God nor of my Duty to Love Honour Obey and Trust him For I still saw that to be an Atheist was to be â—â—ad But I fouâ—d thaâ— my Faiâ—h of Supernatâ—ral Revelaâ—ion â—â—st be more than a Believing Man and that if it had â—ot a firm Foundation and rooting even sure Evidence of Verity Surely Apprehended it was not like to do those great works that Faith had to do and to overcome the World the Flesh and the Devil and to make my Death to be safe and comfortable Therefore I found that all confirming helps were useful and among those of the lower sort Apparitions and other sensible Manifestations of the certain existence of Spirits of themselves Invisible was a means that might do much with such as are prone to judge by Sense The uses hereof I mention before the Book that the Reader may know that I write it for Practice and not to please Men with the Strangeness and Novelty of useless Stories It is no small number of Writers on such Subjects that I have read it 's near threescore years time from the fiâ—st occasion And finding that almost all the Athâ—ists Sadduces and Infidels did seem to profess that were they but sure of the Reality of the Apparitions and Operations of Spirits it would cure them I thought this the most suitable help for them that have sinned themselves into an incapacity of more Rational and Excellent Arguments And I have long feared lest secrâ—t unobserved defectiveness in their Belief of the Immortality of the Soul â—nd the truth of the Scripture is the great cause of all Mens other defects There lieth usually the unsoundness of Woridly Hypocrites where it is prevâ—iling and thence is the weakness of Graâ—e in the best though it prevail not against their Sincerity By which Motives I did though it displeased some make it the Second Fart of my Book called the Saints Rest And aftâ—rwardâ— provoked by Clement Writer I did it muâ—h more fully in a Book called the Unreasonableness of Infidelity And after that provoked by the Copy of a paper dispersed in Oxford said to be Dr. Walkers questioning the certainty of our Religion and seeing no answer to it come from the Univâ—rsity Men I wrote yet more Methodically of all in
a Book called the Reasons of the Christian Religion And after added a small Discourse called More Reasons for it provoked by one that called himself Herbert in which also I answered the Lord Herbert de veritate And since then a nameless Sadduce hath drawn me to publish an Answer to him And in my Life of Faith and other Books I have handled the same Subject All which I tell the Reader that he may see why I have taken this Subject as so necessary why I am ending my Life with the publication of these Historical Letters and Collections Which I dare say have such Evidence as will leave every Sadduce that readeth them either convinced or utterly without excuse Surely the certainty of so great a change of our place State Company and Works as Death will certainly and quickly make should possess every Man that hath the use of Reason with such serious Thoughts Affections and Diligence as is quite contrary to a Diverted Careless Sloathful Worldly Sensual and stupid Mind and Life How speedily shall I see the World that I have read of and Preached and talkt and written of O! What a difference will there be between my now hearing of frightful Apparitions and prodigious Acts of Spirits and that sight or knowledge of all their State and Affairs which I shall have and now am going to The sight of Devils and Damned Diveses and unholy Souls will hereafter be no Rarity and if my Soul must pass through the airy inferior Region where these Miserable Spirits now inhabit it will not be as dangerously Assaulted by them but in Triumph For I know whom I have trusted and into the hands of him do I commit my Spirit who hath conquerred Death and Devils and is now the Glorified Lord of all and can use them at his pleasure And those Angels that rejoice at the Repentance of of a Lazarus and now are Ministring Spirits for his safety will be ready in Obedience to our Lord to convey his Soul to Abrahams bosom Yea to be that day with Christ in Paradise He that chaineth up these Devils that they molest us no more as their Malice doth desire will make our passage safe through all their envy and defiled Regions But seeing it is the free will of Man that giveth the Devils their hurting power and they can do us no harm nor maâ—e us sin without our own consent or yielding O! With how careful and constant and resolved watchfulness should we live And how deservedly may every prayerless ungodly Family and person bâ— left for a prey to this devourer And indeed he hath already hurt them more by blindâ—ng and hardening their Hearts than a thousand haunting Apparitions could of themselves have done And when Excellent Zanchy hath said so much to proâ—e that it is by hâ—s very contigâ—ous Substance that the Devil doth work on Soul and Body how dreadful should Temptations and Sin be to us if we would not have the very substance of Devils dwell in us And why do any think it strange to read so much of Possessions and Dispossessions in the Gospel Lord Iesus let me Finish my Course with joy And then receive my Spirit Amen Iuly 20. 1691. Richard Baxter The CONTENTS Chap. I. Of the great and weighty Vses of the Histories of Spirits and their unusual Apparitions and Actions Ch. II. § I. Instance I. The Devil of Mascon 2. Collonel Bowen ' s Story in divers Letters 3. My Friend and Neighbour Collonel John Bridge ' s Story 4. One in London yet living 5. One at Belfast 6. One at Ilchester 7. Mr. Mompesson ' s Story 8. iAt Lutterworth 9. Mary Ellins of Evesham 10. One in Dorsetshire 11. Nathan Crab of Exeter 12. The strange Story of the Devil of Genluce in Dr. Sinclare 13. The Witches hanged in Suffolk and Essex 14. The Brightling Story 15. Lord Breghill ' s Story of one at St. James ' s. 16. Simon Jones of Kiderminster 17. Richard White of Wilden-Hall 18. Mr. Hopkins of Bewdley 19. An Instance now in London 20. Another as strange 21. Mr. White at Lambeth 22. One from Cambridge 23. One at Hunniton 24. Another there 25. Mr. Ch Hatt ' s Story Ch. III. The strange Story of Mr. May Hill Minister of Beckington in Somersetshire Mr. Increase and Mr. Cotton Mather ' s Instances The Story of Mr. Pacy ' s Daughters at Lesto Ch. IV. Many Histories sent me by Duke Lauderdale and one that taught a Minister to speak true Latin and his Detection of some Popish Frauds Ch. V. Of Witchcraft Inst. 1. Alexander Benedictus 2. Benevenius 3. Langius 4. Cornelius Gemma 5. Sidelicus in Skenkius 6. Wolphius 7. Sebastian Brand. 8. Fabricius Hildanus 9. Faelix Platerus 10. Hollerius 11. Petrus Forestus 12. Scribonius Many Instances of the Concubitus of Daemons with Women 13. Many struck by Daemons Scribonius 14. Witches raising Storms 15. Erasmus ' s Story of an Apparition that burnt the Town 16. The Selling of Winds in Lapland and Iseland 17. The Bleeding oâ— muâ—derâ—d Bodies 18. Scriboniusâ—s strange Story 19. Mr. Farmworth of an Indian Sacrifice to the Devil 20. Ludovicus Vives Testimony 21. Zanchy ' s Testimony 22. Melancthon ' s Testimony 23. A wonderful Story of Dr. Henricâ—ab Heere 24. Merik Causabone of Sir Theod Meyerne 25. Divers Instances from Fernelius 26. Sir Theod. Meyerne ' s prudent Iudgment 27. Gerh. Vossius ' s Testimony 28. Lavater 29. Bishop Jos. Hall 30. Cyprian and a strange Story in him from Firmilianus 31. The New England Instances on Mrs. Hutchinson and Mrs. Dyer published by Mr. Thomas Weld 32. Zanchy ' s Opinion that the Devil's Substance is in them that they move 33. Luther ' s Testimony 34. More of Melancthon ' s. Ch. VI. Mr. John Lewis and Mr. John Davis ' s Multitudes of Instances of Apparitions in Cardiganshire and near it of Knockers and Death-Lights Ch. VII Inst. 1. Mr. Tilson ' s Narrative from Rochester 2. Mr. Woodcock ' s Letter and four strange Stories One of Mr. Mun and one of Dr. Lamb and Mr. Barber and one of Mr. Herlakenden ' s House and of the Oundle Well Ch. VIII Of good Angels and some doubtful Spirits Inst. 1. Mr. Tate ' s Case 2. The Bolton Instance 3. The Afric Bishops whose Tongues were cut out 4. Somewhat from De la Cerda 5. Mr. Ketilby Woodhouse ' s Testimony of some saved from Sir Richard Greenvile 6. Of the Books of Prodigies 1662. 7. Of Lightnings tearing Churches 8. Of Whirlwinds and Hurricanes 9. Of Mrs. Britton s Apparition 10. More from De la Cerda 11. Hildanus ' s strange Story of Lightning Ch. IX Inst. 1. Of melancholy Persons Case 2. Of Enthusiasts Instances named of divers sorts Ch. X. Other strange Providences observable on my self on R. C. on Tho. Giles on J. D. Of Death fore-told Instance of Mr. Tiro Colonel Rich and his Lady's Letters of it Of the Glastonbury Thorn divers Letters Of the Kings of England and France Touching