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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	best_a	course_n	great_a	161	3	2.0924	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26888	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 histories of apparitions, operations, witchcrafts, voices &c. / written, as an addition to many other treatises for the conviction of Sadduces and infidels, by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1691 (1691)	Wing B1214; ESTC R13061	111,630	274

and Significations of future things Twelve Years ago there was a Woman in Saxony that never learnt Letters and yet when she was acted by the Devil after Torment she spake Greek and Latin of the future Saxon War Sixteen Years ago there was in the Marke a Girl that when she pull'd Hairs from Cloaths they were turned into Mark-Money which the Girl devoured with long and loud gnashing of Teeth and those Figures or Shapes of Money sometimes suddenly snatcht out of her Hands were true Money which are yet kept by some and after the Girl felt great Torment But she was delivered from all that Disease after some Months and yet liveth in Health But frequent Prayers of Godly Persons were made for her and other Ceremonies were purposely omitted Thus Melanchthon CHAP. VI. Mr. Jo. Lewis a Learned Iustice of Peace in Cardigan-shire with the Testimony of Dr. Ellis and Mr. John Davis about the Dead Mens Lights the Knockers and Apparitions MR. I. Lewis being a Justice of Peace and a Man of Learning at the time when under Cromwell and Harrison the Reading and weak Parsons were cast out and Itinerant Preachers set up that turned four or five Parishes into one of their Circuits and did little but Preach and shut up the Doors where they came not and by ignorant decrying Superstition Forms and Ceremonies set up Error Anabaptistry and unjust Separations He being greatly grieved for these Confusions wrote largely to me about them whereupon and on more such Instances I wrote my five Disputations of Church Government Liturgy and Ceremonies And Mr. Lewis joined with me in a design to have begg'd Money in Pity to Wales to have set up a Welch Colledge at Shrewsbury and his Notices about Apparitions came in but on the by at my request But tho' I dismember his Letters with regret by casting away the main part that was well worth the reading and all my Answers to them yet it would be so unsuitable to insert such Matters in a History of Spirits that if any of his acquaintance blame me for it they must accept of this Excuse He is known by published Books of his own Part of Mr. John Lewis's First Letter relating to Spirits and Witches Most Worthy Sir I Have now another Motion to you as to that passage in your Vureasonablenese of Infidelity where you shew the meaning of the Spirit as to Humane Learning c. and those 29 Considerations for the page I cannot cite because I have not the Book at this very instant because it is in the midst of the Book and not so discernable to all Readers I could humbly beg of you to get your Printer and Stationer to print them apart in a few small Leaves for there is nothing generally that is more mistaken among us than that and I see the publishing here but so much of them in this kind would do infinite good here and I would my self be at charge of buying and dispersing many scores of them And because of that Copious Satisfaction you give of Spirits than which there cannot be greater convincements against Infidelity and Atheism I could afford you several strange Instances from these parts but I shall trouble you only with two Since the time I received your Letter there happened in my Neighbourhood this following A Man and his Family being all in Bed about after Midnight awake in Bed he could perceive a Light entring a little Room where he lay and one after another of some a Dozen in the shape of Men and two or three Women with small Children in their Arms entring in and they seemed to Dance and the Room to be far lighter and wider than formerly they did seem to eat Bread and Cheese all about a kind of a Tick upon the Ground they offered him Meat and would smile upon him he could perceive no Voice but he once calling to God to bless him he could perceive the whisper of a Voice in Welch bidding him hold his peace being about four Hours thus he did what he could to awake his Wife and could not ● they went out into another Room and after some Dancing departed and then he arose yet being but a very small Room he could not find the Door nor the way to Bed until crying out his Wife and Family awaked Being within about two Miles of me I sent for the Man who is an honest poor Husbandman and of good Report And I made him believe I would put him to his Oath for the truth of this Relation who was very ready to take it 2. The Second if you have not formerly heard the strange and usual appearance of Lights called in Welch Dead Mens Candles before Mortality This is ordinary in most of our Counties that I never scarce heard of any sort Young or Old but this is seen before Death and often observed to part from the very Bodies of the persons all along the way to the place of Burial and infallibly Death will ensue Now Sir it is worth your Resolution whether this may proceed from God or no it is commonly imputed to the Igneous Air of the Counties But that Evil Spirits can come by so much Knowledge as to be always so Infallible though herein I confess them very vast and be so favourable and officious unto Man as to be such seasonable Monitors of his Dissolution and to give so much discovery of Spiritual Essences and the Immortality I doubt whether they mind us so much good as this Some Wiles I confess they may have by such Appearances but it carries the Benefits mentioned with it whereas their Disappearance makes more for Infidelity and Atheism But this I leave to your Judgment begging Pardon for this Boldness in diverting you from your far better Thoughts and seeing it is my Happiness to have this little Invisible Acquaintance with you I shall omit no Opportunity of troubling you with such poor Thoughts as the Lord shall give unto me of the best Things humbly wishing as for the making up the sad Differences of Religion among us the Lord would give those in Authority to weigh that Pious and Wise Course you have proposed as to those four great Parties in the Dedication of your Saints Rest with my unfeigned Prayers for your Health and Happiness Sir Your very thankful Friend and Servant in Christ John Lewis Glaskerigg near ●laubadarnevour or Aberystwith in Gardiganshire Octob. 20. 1656. Mr. John Lewis's Second Letter AS for Apparitions I am stored with so many Instances that require rather a Volume There is that Evidence for the Candles that scarce I know any of Age but hath seen them and will depose it There is here a talk whereof yet I have not certainty that a Daughter of the Man mentioned in the last fetching Water at a Well had a blow given her and a Boy coming towards her she charged him with the blow who denyed he was so near her but bid her look upon her Father that stood not far

after and returned home to his Trade and while I was there afterward which was fourteen years lived Honestly Religiously and without blame and I think is yet living which mindeth me of that which followeth though to me not known XVII When I was young most credible and religious persons born in Wilden-Hall near Wolver-hampton in Stafford-Shire oft told me dwelling with me in the same House that one Richard White a Smith of Wilden-Hall was a prophane Atheistical Man and believing that there was no Devils in his Cups would wish he could once see the Devil if there were such a thing and that suddenly he changed his Life and became a professor of zeal and strictness in Religion and told them that in a clear Moon-shine Night the Devil in the shape of a great ugly Man stood by his Bed side opening the Curtains and looking him in the Face and at last took up the Blanket and sometime smiled on him and then was more ugly and after a while in which he lay in great Terror the Apparition Vanished and he was affrighted into the aforesaid change of Life as Bruno is said to be the Founder of the Order of Carthusian Fryers XVIII My dear Friend Mr. Hopkins Father to my Faithful Brother Mr. George Hopkins Minister at Eversham till ejected Aug. 24 1662. and Grandfather to Dr. Hopkins lately Preacher at Laurences a chief Magistrate of Bewdley and since a Member of the Long Parliament oft pained as he thought with the Spleen but not at all Meclancholy came to me at Mr. Hanburyes the last time before I was driven out of the County and as a great secrettold me that he was possest meaning I think Bewitcht I chid him as Fanciful and Melancholy But he without any shew of Melancholy affirmed that it was certainly true I could not stay with him and never saw him more But he long continued in pain and that Conceit and before he dyed a piece of Wood came down into the rectum intestinum which they were fain to pull out with their Fingers His good Wife told me it was of the length of ones finger And that he and they were sure that he never swallowed any such thing The best Men it seems may be thus Afflicted as Iob by Satan XVIII There is now in London an understanding sober pious Man oft one of my Hearers who hath an elder Brother a Gentleman of considerable Rank who having formerly seemed pious of late Years doth oft fall into the Sin of Drunkenness He oft lodgeth long together here in this his Brother's House And whenever he is drunken and hath slept himself sober something knocks at his Bed's Head as if one knock'd on a Wainscot when they remove his Bed it followeth him Besides lowd Noises on other Parts where he is that all the House heareth They have oft watch'd and kept his Hands left he should do it himself His Brother hath oft told it me and brought his Wife a discreet Woman to attest it who averreth moreover that as she watched him she hath seen his Shooes under the Bed taken up and nothing visible touch them They brought to me the Man himself and when we ask him how he dare so sin again after such a Warning he hath no Excuse But being Persons of Quality for some special Reason of Worldly Interest I must not name him Two things are remarkable in this Instance 1. What a powerful thing Temptation and Fleshly Concupiscence is and what a hardned Heart Sin brings Men to If one rose from the Dead to warn such Sinners it would not of it self persuade them 2. It poseth me to think what kind of Spirit this is that hath such a Care of this Man's Soul which maketh me hope he will recover Do good Spirits dwell so near us Or are they sent on such Messages Or is it his Guardian Angel Or is it the Soul of some dead Friend that suffereth and yet retaining Love to him as Dives to his Brethren would have him saved God yet keepeth such things from us in the dark XIX There is now in London a Youth the Son of a very Godly Conforming Minister who reading a Book of that called Conjuration coming to the Words and Actions which the Book said would cause the Devil to appear was presently very desirous to try and desirous that the Apparition might be accordingly He came to me in Terrour having before opened his Case to a Parish-Minister and affirmed to me that the Devil hath appeared to him and sollicited him with a Knife to cut his Throat and told him he must do it suddenly for he would stay no longer I told him how safe he was if he truly repented and begged Pardon through Christ and would resolvedly renew his Baptismal Covenant and renounce the Devil and live as truly devoted to God and our Redeemer And I have heard from him no more but must not name him This shews what Power Satan gets if Men do but consent For I had a very Godly Friend that a Week ago told me that he read Cornelius Agrip●a's Occulta Philosophia and read the same Words that he saith will raise Devils but with no Desire but a Detestation of Success and of the Book and nothing appeared to him XX. Mr. Samuel Clark hath published the Apparition to Mr. White of Dorchester Assessor to the Westminster-Assembly at Lambeth The Devil in a light Night stood by his Bed-side He looked a while whether he would say or do any thing and then said If thou hast nothing else to do I have and so turned himself to sleep Many say it from Mr. White himself XXI This following I had from one of unquestionable Credit Amongst other things I called to Mind a Story sent me in a Letter from Cambridge that Week it was done in 1661 or 1662. and I did verily believe and do still that Mr. Illingworth sent it me but he could not reflect it however Mr. Cooper hearing it told it was a great Truth he heard Mr. Franklin a Minister of Wood-Rising in this County twelve Miles from this City Father to the Child tell it to Sir Philip Woodhouse Mr. Franklin his Character farther than that of a Minister of the Church of England I cannot give you was then Minister of a Town whose Name I know not in the Isle of Ely and upon this Account which I shall tell you removed to Wood-Rising in this County This Man had a Child to which a Spirit often appeared at his Father's House and grew so bold and free as very ordinarily to come in whilst Company was in the House and Franklin in the Room and sit down by the Boy At due Years about the Year 1661 or 1662. he was bound an Apprentice to a Barber in Cambridge or at least with him as a Probationer One Night the Spirit appeared to him in the usual Habit of a Gentlewoman and would have persuaded him to go home again asking him what he did there

no not for a Benefice and your self may receive the same from me as from one that was never too Credulous nothing Supperstitious and as little Ceremonious These Secrets I dare not Father upon Satan I will not Honour him so much so much as to Ascribe to him the Knowledge of Contingent Futures I presume that of himself he cannot certainly know whether or when a Healthy Man shall Sicken nor whether or when he shall dye of his Sickness nor whether he shall dye by Sickness or by Fire or Water c. nor in an open Country especially which way of two three or more the Corps shall be brought to Church whether it shall meet another Corps in the way whether it shall pass a River by the Ford or Bridg how many stops turnings and windings it shall make Satan can have no certain fore-knowledge of all such Circumstances and more but this Candlemaker and Director of them too foresees and foreknows them all and therefore must needs be the Creator who as according to the good pleasure of his Will he hath Determined and allotted to several Nations their several Habitations Dispositions and Conditions even so as I suppose hath he vouchsafed to each of them some peculiar signs and tokens if none to some which I cannot believe and if to some more and more wonderful than to other some for my part I can give no other Reason for it but his Will This with my hearty Prayers for your self your Pious and Learned Brethren of the Association I Rest Your Friend in all kind Offices that lye in my Power John Davis Generglyn the 19. March 1656. CHAP. VII Containing several other Letters and Relations concerning Apparitions and Witchcrafts Mr. Thomas Tilson Minister of Aylesworth in Kent his Letter concerning an Apparition in Rochester this present Year 1691. Reverend Sir BEing informed that you are writing about Witchcraft and Apparitions I take the freedom though a Stranger to send you this following Relation Mary the Wife of Iohn Goffe of Rochester being afflicted with a long Illness removed to her Father's House at West-Mulling which is about nine Miles distan● from her own There she died Iune the 4th this present Year 1691. The Day before her departure she grew very impatiently desirous to see her two Children whom she had left at home to the Care of a Nurse She prayed her Husband to hire a Horse for she must go home and die with the Children When they persuaded her to the contrary telling her she was not fit to be taken out of her Bed nor able to sit on Horse back she intreated them however to try If I cannot sit said she I will lie all along upon the Horse for I must go to see my poor Babes A Minister who lives in the Town was with her at Ten-a-Clock that Night to whom she express'd good Hopes in the Mercies of God and a Willingness to die But said she it is my Misery that I cannot see my Children Between One and Two-a-Clock in the Morning she fell into a Trance One Widow Turner who watched with her that Night says that her Eyes were open and fixed and her Jaw fallen She put her Hand upon her Mouth and Nostrils but could perceive no Breath she thought her to be in a Fit and doubted whether she were alive or dead The next Day this dying Woman told her Mother that she had been at home with her Children That is impossible said the Mother for you have been here in Bed all the while Yes replied the other but I was with them last Night when I was asleep The Nurse at Rochester Widow Alexander by Name affirms and says she will take her Oath on 't before a Magistrate and receive the Sacrament upon it that a little before Two a Clock that Morning she saw the Likeness of the said Mary Gosse come out of the next Chamber where the elder Child lay in a Bed by it self the Door being left open and stood by her Bed-side for about a quarter of an Hour the younger Child was there lying by her her Eyes moved and her Mouth went but she said nothing The Nurse moreover says that she was perfectly awake it was then Day-light being one of the longest Days in the Year She sate up in her Bed and looked stedfastly upon the Apparition In that time she heard the Bridge-Clock strike Two and a while after said In the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost what art thou Thereupon the Appearance removed and went away she slipp'd on her Cloaths and followed but what became on 't she cannot tell Then and not before she began to be grievously affrighted and went out of Doors and walked upon the Wharf the House is just by the River side for some Hours only going in now and then to look to the Children At Five a-Clock she went to a Neighbour's House and knocked at the Door but they would not rise At Six she went again then they arose and let her in She related to them all that had pass'd They would persuade her she was mistaken or dreamt But she confidently affirmed If ever I saw her in all my Life I saw her this Night One of those to whom she made the Relation Mary the Wife of Iohn Sweet had a Messenger came from Mulling that Forenoon to let her know her Neighbour Goffe was dying and desired to speak with her she went over the same day and found her just departing The Mother amongst other Discourse Related to her how much her Daughter had long'd to see the Children and said she had seen them This brought to Mrs. Sweet's mind what the Nurse had told her that Morning for till then she had not thought to mention it but disguised it rather as the Woman 's disturbed Imagination The Substance of this I had Related to me by Iohn Carpenter the Father of the Deceased next day after her Burial Iuly the Second I fully Discoursed the Matter with the Nurse and two Neighbours to whose House she went that Morning Two days after I had it from the Mother the Minister that was with her in the Evening and the Woman who sat up with her that last Night They all agree in the same Story and every one helps to strengthen the others Testimony They appear to be Sober Intelligent Persons far enough off from Designing to impose a Cheat upon the World or to manage a lye and what Temptation they should lye under for so doing I cannot conceive Sir that God would bless your pious Endeavours for the Conviction of Atheists and Sadduces and the promoting of true Religion and Godliness and that this Narrative may conduce somewhat towards the farthering of that great Work is the hearty Desire and Prayer of Tour most faithful Friend and humble Servant Tho. Tilson Minister of Aylesford nigh Maidstone in Kent Aylesford Iuly 6. 1691. Mr. Thomas Woodcocke's Letter in relation to Witches and Apparitions together with four Stories inclosed

Discouragement if we did not prevail 3. But I have joyned with them more than once when we have to our great Encouragement prevailed But those Instances I promised to pretermit In summ I verily believe that I have been kept alive these forty Years but notably these thirty eight by the Prayers of many better than my self prevailing with God through the Intercession of our great Mediator VII I will add one sad Story leaving all to the Readers Judgment to warn the best to avoid Temptation and to tell them that Satan hath his wiles by Mens Sin to blast the Glory and Comfort of Deliverances In Bewdley a Sanguine strong Maid fell into strange Histerical Fits It began by Stoppage of the Menstrua I gave her Castory and Rad. Ostrutii and Sem. Dauci on Fo●estus Commendation and she began to be better But I being driven out of the Country by War and Mr. Robert Morton Dr. Mortons Father their Pastor and Phy●itian driven after me to Coventry she was left without help and grew worse than ●ver Till at last I think by a furor uteri●us ex corruptione Seminis she seemed possest by a Devil In her Fits many could not hold her she would be cast off her Bed and upon it again by a force far above her strength as the Beholders Judged They shewed Needles and Pins and Cords brought to her none knew how to kill her self A Papist coming to Cure her their way she told them of his coming far off and laught at his Holy Water In her fits she would Swear Curse and Rage against any that were Religious and Hugg those that were Vicious and be merry with them Thus she continued from 1642. till 1646. or 1647. When I returned home I went to see her and Prayed once by her and came to her no more At last my praying Neighbours encouraged by their Success for others resolved to joyn with some of Bewdley to Fast and Pray by her till she was recovered While they were Praying she was usually in violent Rage and after thankt them after many days in the midst of the Day while Mr. Tho. Ware of Kederminster was Praying she fell on the Floor like a Block and having lain so a while cryed out He is gone He is gone The Black Dog is gone And she never had a Fit after But coming to our Lecture two Miles she was as uncomfortabl●●s ever cryi●● to me Oh You know not 〈…〉 〈◊〉 I ignorantly told her what ●om●ort 〈◊〉 Deliverance might give her But she continued her Self-Accusing But hear the worst She being poor many good People in Charity look'd to her in her Fits But above all one young Man as far from being suspected of any Hypocrisie Errour or Vice as any in Bewdeley was more with her than the rest And s●eing her in her Fits toss her naked Body about she being strong and comely his Lust was provoked which he exercised on her but praeterjiciendo semen which easing her for the time enticed him the more to do it oft as an Act of Wicked Compassion which did but more Enrage her Disease When frequency had hardened him at last after her Deliverance it was made known And O the Advantage that Satan got by it The sadness of those that Prayed for her So that we durst not name it as an Answer of ●rayer lest the mention should serve to a Reproach For my part I think that a Real possession was added to the 〈…〉 in punishment of their Sin He M●rryed her and professed deep R●pe●●●ce but I advised them for all that 〈◊〉 to receive him to Church Communion I have read and heard of sev●●● Persons that have ●●d notices by ●●●●ciation when ●●y 〈◊〉 die I 〈◊〉 ●●ve here but one Instance of an excellent young Man Mr. Tyro but I must confess that one of his Acquaintance affirmed to me that having been formerly of a Jocund Merry Temper he became so very serious in Religion and so fervent a Preacher in Vngar and so Zealous for his own and other Mens Salvation that he thought Melancholy might deceive his Imagination as to the Voice he was confident he heard I lay no great stress on the Instance but he professed the contrary himself and Mr. Brand extols him and Colonel Rich and his Lady well known by Mr. Strong 's Books which she published taking them in short Characters then called the Lady Elizabeth Carre did both believe him as you may see by the two following Letters And Mr. Lewis in the foregoing Letters and Mr. Davis telling me how common the forwarnings of Death are in their Countrey maketh it the easier to me to believe the words of so good and sober a Man as Mr. Tyro Colonel Rich of Stondon-Hall in Essex his Letter in relation to Mr. Tyro together with his Ladies relating to the same person SIR OUR Neighbour Mr. Hatt informing your desire to know from my self and Wife the Relation of a Providence more than ordinary with which Mr. Tyro was exercised before he came a Sick-Resident under my Roof I must therefore refer you to the Account which my Wife herewith gives you the Truth whereof I am fully satisfied which was from Mr. Tyro's own Mouth to her only when I was at London the Narrative of which she gave me at large the same Night I returned Home though I was confirmed in my Belief of it by some Discourse I had with him afterwards during his Sickness before which he and I perused several of your Tractates made publick with a joynt-pleasing Approbation especially that which is intituled The dying Thoughts also another viz. The Crucifying the World by the Cross of Christ we having a mutual satisfaction in each others Converse his Natural Parts Gifts and Grace together with his Holy Life constrained my desire and endeavours to accommodate him to his last Breath for I found him a true Disciple of Christ our Lord and Master in whom I would also be found SIR Your affectionate Servant Nath. Rich. Stondon-Hall near Ungar in Essex May 16. 1691. The Lady Rich's Letter SIR IN Obedience to your desire by Mr. Hatt to have it under my Hand what he told you of Mr. Tyro who was sent by Mr. Brand at Bishops Hall near London to Preach at Vngar in Essex and to prevent mistakes I think fit in order to your Satisfaction to give you this Account of him and therein take occasion to let you know how great an Honour and Esteem he had for you Sir I believe had you known him you would have rank'd him among those Worthies that you have help'd to Heaven for he followed you as you follow Christ. About seven Weeks before his Death when there was hope of recovery he told me he had something to tell me that he had not imparted to any Body and expressed it thus When I was one Evening returning to my Lodging then at Vngar from this House being then in a good degree of Health and in a serious frame meditating