you put your Endeavours that Christ his Religion may be brought again unto a chast and simple Purity For what should be desired of all Godly Hearts than that all things by little and little should be clean taken away and cut off which have very little or nothing in them that can be referred wholly to Edification but rather be judged of the Godly to be superfluous 8. Bishop Latimer speaking to the Clergy saith How think ye by the Ceremonies that are in England oftentimes with no little Offence of weak Consciences continued more often with Superstition so defiled and so depraved that you may doubt whether it were better for them to tarry still or utterly to take them away Have not our Fore-Fathers complained of the Ceremonies of the Superstitions and Estimation of them In Concione ad Clerum 9. Bishop Vsher then Mr. Vsher when a Commission was granted by K. James to Sir Arthur Chichester then Lord-Deputy of Ireland to Assemble the Irish Bishops and others together to consult about the Reduction of Ireland to the same Ecclesiastical Government of England but willing them to consult with Mr. Vsher about it and do nothing without his Approbation Bishop Vsher I say finding by accident his own Name in the Commission by glancing upon a letter which he saw laid down in the Window by a Bishop whom he went to visit communicated the same to Dean Hill his Good Friend and a Devout Man desiring his Prayers to God for him in that Obscure Case and hearing what the business was when the Assembly was summoned made his Appearance and being demanded his Consent to what they had agreed upon he replied That the Matter concerned more than himself for said he if I had all Mens Consciences in my keeping I could in these Disputable Cases give Laws unto them as well as unto my self but it 's one thing what I can do and another thing what all other Men must do c. Adding The Kings and Queens of England imposed those Ceremonies that thereby they might decline the charge of Schismaticks wherewith the Church of Rome laboured to brand them seeing it did appear hereby that they left them only in such Doctrinal Points wherein they left the Truth Again Hereby they would testify howfar they would willingly stopp to win and gain them by yielding to meet them as far as they might in their own way But saith he the Experience of many years hath shewed that this Condescension hath rather hardned them in their Errours than brought them to a liking of our Religion this being their usual Saying if our Flesh be not Good why do you drink of our Broth c. See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 286. 10. Dr. Wilkins afterwards Bishop of Chester a Man of as great a Mind as true a Judgment as eminent Vertues and of as good a Soul as any I ever knew together with the Lord-Keeper Bridgeman setting up for a Comprehension of the Dissenters and a limitted Indulgence towards others got Sir Matthew Hale Lord-Chief-Baron on their side who after several Meetings and Conferences with two of the most eminent Presbyterian Divines and Heads were agreed upon the Lord-Chief-Baron put them in form of a Bill to be presented to the next Session of Parliament CHAP. XLV Retractations of Censorious Protestants LEwis du Moulin Doctor of Physick being in his last Sickness visited by Dr. Burnet and admonished of the foul Language used in his Books against Dr. Stillingfleet Dean of Pauls Dr. Durel Dean of Windsor Dr. Patrick Dean of Peterborough c. desired Dr. Burnet to ask them pardon in his name and when he spake of the Dean of St. Pauls he expressed much Sorrow and shed some Tears and upon their motion sign'd this Recantation following As for my Books in which I mixed many personal Reflections I am now sensible I vented too much of my own Passion and Bitterness and therefore I disclaim all that is Personal in them and am heartily sorry for every thing I have written to the defaming of any Person I humbly beg God and all those whom I have so wronged pardon for Jesus Christ his sake and am resolved if God shall spare my Life never to meddle more with such Personal things and do earnestly exhort all People as a dying Man that they will study more Love and mutual Forbearance in their Differences and will avoid all bitter and uncharitable Reflections on one anothers Persons And as I earnestly pray those worthy Men of the Church of England to have Charity and Tenderness for the Dissenters from them so I beg of the Dissenters that they would have a due Regard and Respect to those of the Church of England Of many of whom I say now Let my Soul be with theirs and that all true Protestants among us may heartily unite and concur in the Defence and Preservation of the holy Reformed Religion now by the Mercy of God settled among us And that Men of all sides may according to St. Paul's Rule Cease to bite and devour one another lest we be destroyed one of another and that whereunto we have already attained we may walk by the same Rule hoping that if any Man is otherwise minded in some lesser things God shall either reveal that to them or mercifully forgive it through Jesus Christ into whose hands I commend my Spirit and desire to appear before God in and through him Who gave himself for me and the refore do now study to learn of him to be meek and lowly in Heart and to love all the Brethren as he loved me This is Sincerity of Heart I Sign Lewis du Moulin Octob. 5. 1680. See his last Words p. 12. Mr. John Child having written a Book called The Second Argument for a more firm Vnion amongst Protestants where he fell foul upon the Nonconformists was thereupon smitten with Remorse and to one Mr. H. C. coming to visit him taking up the Book in his Hand began to read where he saith The greatest number of Disseners do hold Principles dangerously heretical and most abominably abusing the most Holy God c. But before he could end that Paragraph being under extream Agony of Mind and weeping bitterly put the Book from him and spake to this effect viz. I have represented those Calvin's Principles beyond whatever they conceived strained their Opinions beyond their Intentions and drawing such Consequences as never were in their Minds And striking his Breast with uch Anguish said These words lie close I shall never get over this I write in Prejudice against them calling them a villanous Body of People which was unjust Professing that be could not repent and with a very grim Countenance said I shall go to Hell I am broken in Judgment when I think to pray either I have a Flushing in my Face as if I were in a flame or I am dumb and cannot speak or else I fall asleep upon my Knees all the Signs of one whom God hath left
Innuendo's to the then King of England never considering adds he that if such Acts of State be not allowed Good no Prince in the World has any Title to his Crown and having by a short Reflection shewn the Ridiculousness of deriving Absolute Monarchy from Patriarchal Power he appeals to all the World whether it would not be more Advantageous to all Kings to own the Deerivation of their Power to the Consent of willing Nations than to have no better Title than Force c. which may be over-powered But notwithstanding the Innocence and Loyalty of that Doctrine he says He was told he must die or the Plot must die and complains that in order to the destroying the best Protestants of England the Bench was fill'd with such as had been blemishes to the Bar and Instances how against Law they had advised with the King's Council about bringing him to Death suffer'd a Jury to be pack'd by the King's Sollicitors and the Vnder-Sheriff admitted Jury men no Freeholders received Evidence not valid refus'd him a Copy of his Indictment or to suffer the Act of the 46th of Edw. 3. to be read that allows it had over-ruled the most important Points of Law without hearing and assumed to themselves a Power to make Constructions of Treason tho' against Law Sense and Reason which the Stat. of the 25th of Edw. 3. by which they pretended to Try him was reserved only to the Parliament and so praying God to forgive them and to avert the Evils that threatned the Nation to sanctifie those Sufferings to him and tho' he fell a Sacrifice to Idols not to suffer Idolatry to be established in this Land c. He concludes with a Thanksgiving that God had singled him out to be a Witness of his Truth and for that Good Old Cause in which from his Youth he had been engag'd c. His EPITAPH ALgernoon Sidney fills this Tomb An Atheist by declaiming Rome A Rebel bold by striving still To keep the Laws above the Will And hindring those would pull them down To leave no Limits to a Crown Crimes damn'd by Church and Government Oh whither must his Soul be sent Of Heaven it must needs despair If that the Pope be Turn-key there And Hell can ne'er it entertain For there is all Tyrannick Reign And Purgatory's such a Pretence As ne'er deceiv'd a Man of Sense Where goes it then where 't ought to go Where Pope and Devil have nought to do His CHARACTER There 's no need of any more than reading his Trial and Speech to know him as well as if he stood before us That he was a Person of extraordinary Sense and very close thinking which he had the Happiness of being able to express in Words as manly and apposite as the Sense included under ' em He was owner of as much Vertue and Religion as Sense and Reason tho' his Piety lay as far from Enthusiasm as any Man's He fear'd nothing but God and lov'd nothing on Earth like his Country and the just Liberties and Laws thereof whose Constitutions he had deeply and successfully inquired into To sum up all He had Piety enough for a Saint Courage enough for a General or a Martyr Sense enough for a Privy-Counsellor and Soul enough for a King and in a word if ever any he was a perfect Englishman 9. Mr. JAMES HOLLOWAY MR. Holloway declared That Mr. West proposed the Assassination but none seconded him That he could not perceive that Mr. Ferguson knew any thing of it and HOlloway said It was our Design to shed no Blood He being interrogated by Mr. Ferguson's Friend Mr. Sheriff Daniel whether he knew Ferguson he answer'd That he did know him but knew him to be against any Design of killing the King 10. Sir THOMAS ARMSTRONG HE had been all his Life a firm Servant and Friend to the Royal Family in their Exile and afterwards He had been in Prison for 'em under Cromwel and in danger both of Execution and Starving for all which they now rewarded him He had a particular Honour and Devotion for the Duke of Monmouth and push'd on his Interest on all Occasions being a Man of as undaunted English Courage as ever our Country produced In his Paper he thus expressed himself That he thanked Almighty God he found himself prepared for Death his Thoughts set upon another World and weaned from this yet he could not but give so much of his little time as to answer some Calumnies and particularly what Mr. Attorney accused him of at the Bar. That he prayed to be allowed a Tryal for his Life according to the Laws of the Land and urged the Statute of Edward 6. which was expresly for it but it signified nothing and he was with an Extraordinary Roughness condemned and made a precedent tho' Holloway had it offered him and he could not but think all the World would conclude his Case very different else why refused to him That Mr. Attorney charged him for being one of those that was to kill the King He took God to witness that he never had a Thought to take away the King's Life and that no Man ever had the Impudence to propose so barbarous and base a thing to him and that he never was in any Design to alter the Government That if he had been tried he could have proved the Lord Howard's base Reflections upon him to be notoriously false He concluded that he had lived and now died of the Reformed Religion a Protestant in the Communion of the Church of England and he heartily wished he had lived more strictly up to the Religion he believed That he had found the great Comfort of the Love and Mercy of God in and through his blessed Redeemer in whom he only trusted and verily hoped that he was going to partake of that fulness of Joy which is in his pesence the Hopes whereof infinitely pleased him He thanked God he had no repining but chearfully submitted to the Punishment of his Sins He freely forgave all the World even those concerned in taking away his Life tho' he could not but think his Sentence very hard he being denied the Laws of the Land On the Honourable Sir Thomas Armstrong Executed June 20. 1684. HAdst thou abroad found Safety in thy Flight Th' Immortal Honour had not flam'd so bright Thou hadst been still a worthy Patriot thought But now thy Glory 's to Perfection brought In Exile and in Death to England true What more could Brutus or just Cato do 11. Alderman CORNISH TO make an end of this Plot altogether 't will be necessary once more to invert the Order in which things happened and tho' Mr. Cornish suffer'd not till after the Judges returned from the West as well as Bateman after him yet we shall here treat of 'em both and so conclude this Matter Cornish on his Tryal is said to have denied his being at the Meeting and discoursing with the Duke of Monmouth Which they 'd have us believe
rise up in Judgment against you My Lord I profess my self a True and Obedient Son to the Church of England to that Church wherein I was born and wherein I was bred Prosperity and Happiness be ever to it And wherein it hath been said That I have been enclined to Popery If it be an Objection worth answering let me say truly That from the Time I was One and twenty Years of Age till this Hour going up Nine and forty I never had thought in my Heart to doubt of the Truth of my Religion in England and never any had the boldness to suggest to me the contrary to the best of my Remembrance and so being reconciled to the Mercies of Christ Jesus my Saviour into whose Bosom I hope shortly to be gathered to enjoy those Eternal Happinesses that shall never have end I desire heartily the Forgiveness of every Man both for any rash or unadvised Word or Deed and desire your Prayers And so my Lords Farewel Farewel all the Things of this World Lord strengthen my Faith give me Confidence and Assurance in the Merits of Christ Jesus I desire that you would be silent and joyn in Prayers with me and I trust in God we shall all meet and live eternally in Heaven there to receive the Accomplishment of all Happiness where every Tear shall be wiped from our Eyes and every sad Thought from our Hearts and so God bless this Kingdom and Jesus have Mercy upon my Soul After this he prayed twice and with a low Obeysance took his Leave submitting to the Block The Relat. of his Execut. 113. Archbishop Laud made this his last Speech on the Scaffold Jan. 10. 1644. GOod People this is an uncomfortable time to preach yet I shall begin with a Text of Scripture Hebr. 12.2 Let us run with patience the race c. I have been long in my Race and how I have look'd to Jesus the Author and Finisher of my Faith he best knows I am now come to the end of my Race and here I find a Cross a Death of Shame but the Shame must be despised or no coming to the Right of God Jesus despised the Shame for me and God forbid but I should despise the Shame for him I am going apace as you see towards the Red Sea and my Feet are now upon the very brink of it an Argument I hope that God is bringing me into the Land of Promise for that was the way through which he led his Prophets but before they came to it he instituted a Passover for them a Lamb it was but to be eaten with sour Herbs I shall obey and labour to digest the sour Herbs as well as the Lamb and I shall remember it is the Lord 's Passover I shall not think of the Herbs nor be angry with the Hand that gathers them but look only to Him who instituted that and governs these for Men can have no more power over me than what is given them from above I am not in love with this Passage through the Red Sea for I have the Weaknesses and Infirmities of Flesh and Blood plentifully in me and I have prayed with my Saviour that this Cup of Red Wine might pass from me but if not God's Will not mine be done And I shall most willingly drink of this Cup as deep as he pleaseth and enter into this Sea yea and pass through it in the way that he shall lead me But I would have it remembred Good People that when God's Servants were in this boisterous Sea and Aaron among them the Egyptians which persecuted them and did in a manner drive them into that Sea were drowned in the same Waters while they were in pursuit of them I know the God whom I serve is able to deliver me from this Sea of Blood as the Three Children from the Furnace And I most humbly thank my Saviour for it my Resolution is now as theirs was then they would not worship the Image the King had set up nor will I the Imaginations which the People are setting up nor will I forsake the Temple and the Truth of God to follow the Bleating of Jeroboam's Calf in Dan and in Bethel And as for this People they are at this Day miserably misled God of his Mercy open their Eyes that they may see the right way for at this Day the Blind lead the Blind and if they go on both will certainly fall into the Ditch For my self I am and I acknowledge it in all Humility a most grievous Sinner many ways by Thought Word and Deed and I cannot doubt but that God hath Mercy in store for me a poor Penitent as well as for other Sinners I have now upon this sad Occasion ransacked every corner of my Heart and yet I thank God I have not found among the many any one Sin which deserves Death by any known Law of this Kingdom And yet hereby I charge nothing upon my Judges for if they proceed upon Proof by valuable Witnesses I or any other Innocent may be justly condemned and I thank God tho' the weight of this Sentence lie heavy upon me I am as quiet within as ever I was in my Life and tho' I am not only the first Archbishop but the first Man that ever died by an Ordinance in Parliament yet some of my Predecessors have gone this way tho' not by this means For Elphegus was hurried away and lost his Life by the Danes 3. and Simon Suabury in the Fury of Wat. Tyler and his Fellows before these St. John Baptist had his Head danced off by a lewd Woman and St. Cyprian Archbishop of Carthage submitted his Head to a persecuting Sword Many Examples great and good and they teach me Patience for I hope my Cause in Heaven will look of another dye than the Colour that is put upon it here and some Comfort it is to me that I go the way of these Great Men in their several Generations and also that my Charge as foul as it is made looks like that of the Jews against St. Paul Act. 25.3 for he was accused for the Law and the Temple i. e. Religion and like that of St. Stephen Act. 6.14 for breaking the Ordinances which Moses gave i. e. Law and Religion the Holy Place and the Temple v. 13. But you will say Do I then compare my self with the Integrity of St. Paul and St. Stephen No! far be that from me I only raise a Comfort to my self that these Great Saints and Servants of God were laid at in their times as I am now and 't is memorable that he who helped on this Accusation against St. Stephen did after all fall under the very same himself Yea but here 's a great Clamour that I would have brought in Popery I shall answer that more fully by and by In the mean time you know what the Pharisees said against Christ himself If we let him alone all men will believe in him venient Romani
and the Romans will come and take away both our Place and Nation Here was a causeless Cry against Christ That the Romans would come and see how just the Judgment of God was They crucified Christ for fear least the Romans should come and his Death was it which brought in the Romans upon them God punishing them with that which they most feared And I pray God this Clamour of venient Romani of which I have given no cause help not to bring them in For the Pope never had such a Harvest in England since the Reformation as he hath now upon the Sects and Divisions that are amongst us In the mean time by Honour and Dishonour by good Report and evil Report as a Deceiver and yet True am I passing through this World Some Particulars also I think it not amiss to speak of And first this I shall be bold to speak of The King our gracious Sovereign hath been also much and â—eed for bringing in of Popery but on my Conscience of which I shall give God a present Account I know him to be as free from this Charge as any Man living and I hold him to be as sound a Protestant according to the Religion by Law establish'd as any Man in this Kingdom and that he will venture his Life as far and as freely for it and I think I do or should know both his Affection to Religion and his Grounds for it as fully as any Man in England The second Particular is concerning this Great and Populous City which God bless Here hath been of late a Fashion taken up to gather Hands and then to go to the Great Court of this Kingdom the Parliament and clamour for Justice as if that Great and Wise Court before whom the Causes come which are unknown to the many could not or would not do Justice but at their Appointment A way which may endanger many an innocent Man and pluck his Blood upon their own Heads and perhaps upon the City 's also And this hath been lately practised against my self the Magistrates standing still and suffering them openly to proceed from Parish to Parish without Check God forgive the Setters of this I beg it with all my Heart but many well-meaning People are caught by it In St. Stephen's Case when nothing else would serve they stirred up the People against him and Herod went the same way when he had killed St. James yet he would not venture upon St. Peter till he found how the other pleased the People But take heed of having your Hands full of Blood For there is a Time best known to himself when God above other Sins makes Inquisition for Blood and when that Inquisition is on foot the Psalmist tells us that God remembers but that 's not all he remembers and forgets not the complaint of the poor that is whose blood is shed by oppression v. 9. Take heed of this 'T is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God but then especially when he is making Inquisition for Blood and with my Prayers to avert it I do heartily desire this City to remember the Prophecy Jer. 26.15 The third Particular is the poor Church of England It hath flourished and been a shelter to other neighbouring Churches when Storms have driven upon them But alas now 't is in a Storm it self and God only knows whether or how it shall get out And which is worse than a Storm from without it 's become like an Oak cleft to shivers with Wedges made out of its own Body and at every Cleft Profaneness and Irreligion is entering in while as Prosper speaks L. 2. de Contemptu Vitae c. 4. Men that introduce Profaneness are cloaked over with the Name of Imaginary Religion For we have lost the Substance and dwell too much in Opinion and that Church which all the Jesuites Machinations could not Ruine is fallen into Danger by her own The last Particular for I am not willing to be too long is my self I was Born and Baptized in the Bosom of the Church of England established by Law in that Profession I have ever since lived and in that I come now to die This is no time to dissemble with God least of all in matter of Religion and therefore I desire it may be remembred I have always lived in the Protestant Religion established in England What Clamours and Slanders I have endured for labouring to keep an Uniformity in the External Service of God according to the Doctrine and Discipline of this Church all Men know and I have abundantly felt Now at last I am accused of High Treason in Parliament a Crime which my Soul ever abhorred This Treason was charged to consist of these two Parts an Endeavour to subvert the Laws of the Land and to overthrow the True Protesant Religion established by Law Besides my Answers to the several Charges I protested my Innocency in both Houses It was said Prisoners Protestations at the Bar must not be taken I can bring no Witness of my Heart and the intentions thereof therefore I must come to my Protestation not at the Bar but at this hour and instant of my Death In which I hope all Men will be such Charitable Christians as not to think I would die and dissemble being instantly to give God an Account for the Truth of it I do therefore here in the Presence of God and his Holy Angels take it upon my Death That I never endeavoured the Subversion either of Law or Religion and I desire you all to remember this Protestation of mine for my Innocency in these and from all Treasons whatsoever I have been accused likewise as an Enemy to Parliaments No I understand them too well and the Benefit that comes by them too well to be so but I did mislike the Misgovernments of some Parliaments many ways and I had good Reason for it For Corruptio optimi est pessima the better the Thing is in nature the worse it is corrupted And that being the Highest Court over which no other here have jurisdiction when 't is misinformed or misgoverned the Subject is left without all Remedy But I have done I forgive all the World all and every of those bitter Enemies which have persecuted me and humbly desire to be forgiven of God first and then of every Man whether I have offended him or not if he do but conceive that I have Lord do thou forgive me and I beg forgiveness of him and so I heartily desire all to joyn in Prayer with me O Eternal God and Merciful Father look down upon me in Mercy in the Riches and Fulness of all thy Mercies look upon me but not till thou hast nail'd my Sins to the Cross of Christ not till thou hast bathed me in the Blood of Christ not till I have hid my self in the Wounds of Christ that so the Punishment due to my Sins may pass over me And since thou art pleased to try me
so cold and frigid in defending the Pope as Eccius and some like him are who seem to me to defend the Papacy rather for their bellies sake then in good earnest Yea like Epicures they seem to me to deride the Pope whereas I was serious in his cause as one that trembled at the Thoughts of the day of Judgment and from my very heart desired to be saved Ibid. p. 146. vid. Sleid. Comment c. 8. Lambertus disputing with Zuinglius about the Intercession of Saints and the Sacrifice of the Masse and being non-plus'd left his Error and gave Praise to God Ibid. p. 149. 9. Mr. Rastal Sir Thomas Moor's Son in Law was converted likewise by the clear and strenuous Arguments of John Frith which he used in some Disputations that were managed by way of Letter between Sir Thomas and Him Ibid. p. 157. 10. In Mr. Baxters Narrative of his Life p. 3. He gives this Remarkable Account of his Conversion Being says he under some more Conviction for my Sin a poor Day-Labourer in the Town had an old torn Book which he lent my Father which was called Bunny's Resolution I had before heard some Sermons and read a Book or two which made me more Love and Honour Godliness in the General He further adds in the reading of this Book when I was about Fifteen Years of Age it pleas'd God to awaken my Soul and shew me the Folly of Sinning and the misery of the Wicked and the unexpressible weight of things Eternal and the necessity of resolving on a Holy Life more than I was ever acquainted with before The same things which I knew before came now in another manner with light and sence and seriousness to my heart About that time it pleased God that a poor Pedlar came to the Door that had Ballads and some good Books And my Father bought of him Dr. Sibbs bruised Reed This also I read and found it suited to my State and seasonably sent me which opened more the Love of God to me and gave me a Livelier apprehension of the Mystery of Redemption and how much I was beholden to Jesus Christ After this we had a Servant that had a little peice of Mr. Perkins's Works of Repentance and the right Art of Living and Dying well and the Government of the Tongue and the reading of that did further inform me and confirm me And thus without any means but Books was God pleased to resolve me for himself Thus far Mr. Baxter 11. Mr. Thomas Bilney Martyr was thus converted Having heard the Speech of Jesus saith he even then when the New Testament was Translated by Erasmus understanding it to be eloquently done I bought it being allured thereto rather by the Elegancy of the Latin then the Word of God for at that time I knew not what it meant and looking into it by God's special Providence I met with those words of the Apostle S. Paul This is a True saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief Oh! most sweet and comfortable sentence to my Soul This one sentence through Gods instruction and inward working did so exhilerate my heart which before was wounded through the guilt of my Sins and being almost in despair that immediately I sound Marvellous comfort and quietness in my Soul so that my bruised Bones did leap for Joy After this the Scripture began to be more sweet unto me then Honey and the Honey-comb c. Ibid. p. 162. 12. John Picus Mirandula being of a ductile Nature and an aimable Countenance and Disposition was for some time so inveigled with the Blandishments of an Effeminate Society that he gave himself over to unlawful pleasures with them but it pleased God by the Malice of his Adversaries and the troubles which he met with by their means to awaken him from his sensual delights and to stir him up to shake off and avoid all these Provocations and Incentives to Wickedness and to chuse Celestial instead of fleshy Pleasures And laying aside his hunting after vain Glory to devote himself wholly to the Glory of God and the good of the Church Idem in ejus vitâ 13. George Prince of Anhalt when the Controversies about Religions waxed hot and Luther's Books came abroad fell to reading of them and suspecting his own Injudiciousness would often pray with Tears to God to encline his heart to the Truth saying Deal with thy Servant according to thy Mercy and Instruct me in thy Righteousness He was frequent in reading the Scriptures Ecclesiastical Histories Augustine Hierom and Lombard studied also Greek and Hebrew and discoursed with Learned Men about the Controversies And after all upon mature deliberation embraced the reformed Religion and reformed the Churches with the counsel of his Brethren within his own Jurisdiction Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 165. 14. Vergerius having been the Popes Legate in Germany after his return to Rome the Pope intended to bestow a Cardinals Cap upon him but some about him suggested that he had been so long in Germany that he smelled of a Lutheran This made the Pope to alter his purpose which when Vergerius heard was wonderfully Astonished and that he might purge himself from that Imputation he retired into his own Countrey purposing to Write a Book under this Title Against the Apostate Germans But it pleased God that whilst he read over his Adversaries Books to confute them himself was converted by them Hereupon casting off all desires of a Cardinalship he went to his Brother John Baptista Bishop of Pola and Communicated his thoughts unto him and asked his advice His Brother at first was much perplexed and bewailed his condition But after a while was perswaded by Vergerius to read and study the Scriptures especially in the point of Justification by Faith whereby it pleased God that he also saw the Popish Doctrines to be false and so they both became Zealous Preachers of the Truth to the People Clark's Exampl Vol. 2. p. 117. Sleidan Commentar p. 475. 15. Whilst Francis Junius was a Student in Lions there came a Man to him using the words of the Epicure Nihil curare Deum nec sui nec alieni That God cares for nothing And he Corroborated this with such subtile Arguments that Junius sucked in that damnable Principle and thereupon gave up himself to vile Pleasures for somewhat more than a year But the Lord suffered him not to continue longer in so dangerous a condition For first in a tumult at Lions the Lord wonderfully delivered him from imminent Death which Signal Deliverance compelled him to acknowledge a Divine Providence And his Father hearing of the dangerous courses that he took sent for him home requiring him to read over the New Testament Concerning which himself thus Writes Novum Testamentum aperis exhibet se mihi ad spectu primo Augustissimum illud Caput in Principio erat Verbum c. When I had opened the New Testament the
of it Catesby and the rest posted into Warwickshire and began an open Rebellion being joyned with about Eighty more and so Trooping together broke open the Stables belonging to Warwick-Castle and took thence some great Horses Thence into Worcestershire and so to Staffordshire where they rifled the Lord Windsor's House of all the Armour Shot Powder c. But being pursued by the high Sheriff of Worcestershire and his Men who rush'd in upon them both the Wrights were shot through and slain with one Musquet-Bullet the rest being taken were carry'd Prisoners to London being all the way gaz'd at revil'd and detested by the common People for their horrid and horrible Treason and so at last they receiv'd the just Guerdon of their Wickedness See a fuller Account in Bishop Carleton's Thankful Remembrance of God's Mercy III. In the Reign of King Charles the First 1. Sir John Temple Master of the Rolls and one of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council within the Kingdom of Ireland and who was Father of the present Sir William Temple relates in his History of the Irish Rebellion in 1641. and which History was first Printed in London in 1646. there in P. 16 17 and 18 sets down that the first Plot for the Rebellion carried on with so great Secresie as none of the English had Notice of it before it was ready to be put in Execution and that on the 22d of October 1641. In the very Evening before the Day appointed for a Surprizal of the Castle and City of Dublin Owen O Conall a Gentleman of an Irish Family but one who had been bred a Protestant and who had been drinking that Evening came to the Lord Justice Parsons there about Nine of the Clock and acquainted him with a Conspiracy for the seizing upon His Majesty's Castle of Dublin and the Magazine therein the next day but he did then make such a broken Relation of a Matter that seem'd so incredible in its self as that his Lordship did then give but very little Belief to it at first in regard it came from an obscure Person and one he conceived somewhat distemper'd in Drink but in some Hours after O Conall being somewhat recover'd from his said Distemper was examin'd upon Oath before the Lords Justices and his Examination gave such a particular Account of the Conspiracy and the Conspirators therein that caused the Lords Justices to sit up all that Night in Consultation for the strengthning of the Guards in the Castle of Dublin and likewise of the whole City and for the seizing of the Persons of the Conspirators that the Execution of the Plot was thereby prevented and otherwise the Castle of Dublin had been the next day in the Possession of the Rebels of Ireland and all the Protestants in Dublin had been the next day massacred The Papists planted the Soveraign Drug of Arminianism here in England on purpose to promote Divisions among us and endeavoured to Advance Arbitrary Power and inflame the Puritans as the Author of the History of Popish Sham-Plots from the Reign of Queen Elizabeth tells us out of a Letter sent to the Rector of Brussels And Cardinal Richlieu sent over one Chamberlain hither who for four Months had Consultations with the Jesuits how to stir up the Scots and foment our Broils as may be seen in Dr. Heylin's Life of Archbishop Laud and Habernfeild's Plot c. Or to speak in the very Words of the late Learned Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Barlow When King James slept with his Fathers and was Translated to a better Kingdom out of the reach of Popish Conspirators their Designs slept not they prosecuted their Plots and Conspiracies to Ruin our Church and Establish'd Religion as much in Charles the First as in his Father's time and at last it came to this Issue that other Means failing the King and Arch-Bishop must be taken away This was discover'd by an Honourable Person Andreas ab Habernfeild to the English Embassador Sir W. Boswel at the Hague and by him to the Arch-Bishop and by him to the King and the Original Copy of the Discovery being found in the Arch-Bishop's Library after his Death was then publish'd and is in print in many Hands and among others in mine In the mean time adds my Author the Civil Wars began and our Popish Conspirators are first in Arms and the bloody Rebellion and in Ireland murder'd above 100000 Protestants in cold Blood without any Provocation given but to kill Hereticks which according to them was Lawful and Meritorious And farther when in Process of that fatal Rebellion carry'd on by English and covertly by Popish Rebels that good King was taken and a Council of Priests and Jesuits sitting in London signified the Condition of Affairs here to a Council of their Confederates at Paris and they transmitted the Case to Rome from whence Directions and Commands were return'd back again to London in short it was determined that it was for the Interest of the Catholick Cause that the King shculd die and accordingly their Council of Priests and Jesuits in London voted his Death This saith the same Reverend Author is now notoriously known to be true and in print publish'd to the World by Reverend and Learned Person who if any shall call him to Account for it is so convinced of the Ttuth of what he writ that he publickly offers to make it good viz. Dr. Du-Moulin Canon of Canterbury in two Books written to the same purpose See more in Bishop Barlow's Book called Popish Principles c. inconsistent with the Safety of Protestant Princes The Irish Papists when they had promised to furnish his Majesty with 10000 Men for the helping of him against the Parliament did not but endeavour'd to cut off the King's Army there by Force and Treachery and employ'd Commissioners to Rome France Lorrain and Spain to invite a Foreign Power into England See Fowles Hist of Rom. Treasons and the Lord Orcery 's Answer to Peter Welsh About 30 Priests or Jesuits were met together by a Protestant Gentleman between Roan and Diep to whom they said taking him to be one of their Party they were going to England and would take Arms in the Independant Army to be Agitators The Romish Priest and Confessor is known who when he saw the fatal Stroke given to the King flourish'd with his Sword and said Now the greatest Enemy we had in the World is gone When the Murder was cried down as the greatest Villany the Pope commanded all the Papers about the Queen to be burnt Many intelligent Travellers told what Joy there was in the English Convents beyond Seas and the Seminaries upon Tidings of the King's Death Benedictines were afraid lest the Jesuits should get their Lands and the English Nuns contended who should be Abesses the Fryars of Dunkirk were jealous lest the Jesuits should engross all the Glory to themselves Du-Moul Answer to Plul. Angl. And tho' the Papists during the Civil Wars flock'd to the King's
were admitted into this Order but such of the Nobility as were in all the number of 150. the chiefest of them being Sir Lancelot Sir Tristram Sir Lamrock Sir Grawine and others These were all Recorded for Knights of great Renown and had not King Arthur's Valour been most transcendent each of them might have passed fpr no less than a Worthy tho' they must fall short of the Deeds of King Arthur of whom it is written that in one Battle against the Saxons with his own Sword named Callibourn he slew 800 of them England's Worthies by William Winstanley p. 10. 8. Lucius Hiberius the Roman Legate demanded of him a Tribute for Britain which he not only deny'd but also threatned to have a Tribute from Rome as appeareth in his Letter sent unto the Senate where I find it thus written in an old Manuscript Vnderstand among you of Rome that I am King Arthur of Britain and freely it hold and shall hold and at Rome hastily will I be not to give you Truage but to have Truage of you For Constantine that was Hellen's Son and other of my Ancesters Conquered Rome and thereof were Emperors and that they had and held I shall have yours God's grace And accordingly he set forward against Lucius Hiberus who with great Power and vain Confidence came Marching against him where after a long and Bloody Fight the Romans were Discomfited their General killed and his slain Body sent to the Senate for the Tribute of Britain ibid 9. Mr. Broughton was exceedingly Courageous and Bold and free in inveighing against Popery Jesuitism among the Papists and Jesuits and also Judaism among the Jews As once more especially at the B. of Mentz's Table where also diverse Jesuits were present with whom he Discoursed so freely and sharply against the Papacy as Anti-Christian and against the Blindness and Wickedness of the Romanists that the Protestants who were present with him were afraid that would have endanger'd both himself and them At another time being in one of the Jews Synagogues at the time of their Servce where their publick Minister Read and Prayed in a strange and uncouth Tone one of the Jews as he came out said unto him Did not our Minister Sing like an Angel No saith he he Barked like a Dog and so called for a Dispute with him where they had long and much tugging 10. He was once Travelling here in England and being in his Inn a Royster in the Room next to him was Swearing horribly and at no measure in went he boldly to him and Who art thou saith he thou Wretch who darest thus to Blaspheme and Profane the Glorious Name of the great God And some other like words which he set on with so great an awe and boldness that the Roarer became calm and took his sharp reproofs especially when he came to understand who he was in very good part In his Life p. 4.7 11. It was the saying of one who suffered in Queen Mary's Regn. I was an honest poor Man's Daughter never brought up at the University as you have but I have driven the Plow before my Father many a time I thank God yet notwithstanding in defence of God's Truth and in the cause of my Master Christ by his Grace I will set my Foot against the Foot of any of you all in the maintenance of the same and if I had a Thousand Lives they should go for payment thereof Fox Matyrol 12. If I had a Hundred Bodies said Mr. Hawks I would suffer them all to be torn in pieces rather than Abjure or Recant ibid. 13. Mr. Rothwel called afterwards by the Devil in a posessed Person Bold Rothwel being recommended to the Lady Bowes for a fit Minister to be employed in the North in the Bishoprick of Durham after his first Days Labour there for Tryal being well liked of by the People and returning afterwards to the Lady Bowes he told her he would go she replied tho' for their sakes she was glad yet she was afraid to send him understanding that they were of a fierce Disposition and having never heard the Gospel might deal unkindly with him He answered Madam if I thought I should never meet the Devil there I would never come there he and I have been at odds in other places and I hope we shall not agree there See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 70. 14. King Charles the I. spending one Sunday in a serious debate of the Lord Strafford's Case in the Morning with the four Bishops of London Durham Lincoln and Carlisle the Arch-Bishop of Armagh not being there but Preaching in the Church of Covent-Garden as he used to do was sent for by a particular Order from his Majesty The Bishop descended from the Pulpit and told the Messenger that he was then as himself saw employed in God's business which assâ—on as he had done he would attend upon the King to understand his Pleasure See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 297. 15. In like manner Sir Thomas Moor sent answer to King Henry 8th when a Messenger came to call him from Mass as is elsewhere spoken of in this Book CHAP. XXIX Remarkable Patience THE Patience of Christian Confessors and Martyrs in the early Ages of the Church was a Potent Argument to persuade many of their Adversaries that they were bore up with somewhat more than the Principles of mere Philosophy or the stiffness of a depraved Nature and that the Christian Religion furnished them with a better Assurance and a clearer ground of Confidence in their Cause than was obvious to a common Age or to be found in any other System of Religion in the World and therefore it cannot be amiss to enquire what Examples of this kind we can meet with 1. Ignatius to the Church of Trallis exhorting them not to refuse Martyrdom useth these Expressions From Syria to Rome I had a Battle with Beasts as well by Sea as by Land Night and Day being bound by Ten cruel Leopards Soldiers which the more Benefits they receive at my hands became so much the worse to me but I being exercised and now well acquainted with their Injuries am taught every Day more and more to bear the Cross yet hereby am I not Justified Would to God I were once come to the Beasts prepared for me which I wish also to fall upon me with all their violence c. Vid. Dr. Cave's Prim. Christ Clark's Mar. of Eccl. Hist c. 2. S. Hierom Reports of Melania That her Husband lying dead by her she lost two of her Sons at the same time but she instead of bursting into a Passion fell down and said Lord I shall serve Thee more nimbly and readily by being eased of this weight which thou hast taken from me Dr. Cave's Prim. Christ 3. When Lucius one of the Primitive Martyrs for speaking in behalf of one of the Christians that he had very hard measure was Condemned forth-with he heartily thanked his Judge for it that by this
Heart and used to be reciting them when they went about their Work A. C. 1548. They were Translated into English Verse and much Sung by all who loved the Reformation Dr. Burn. Hist Reformation 6. Hierom relates of the place where be lived You could not go into the Field but you might hear the Plow-man at his Halelujahs the Mower at his Hymns and the Vine-dresser singing David 's Psalms Dr. Cave's Prim. Christianity It would take up a great deal of time to recount over the many Instances of Persons singly or Families conjunctly using this Exercise of Devotion many Persons on their Death-beds some in Prison and others at their Execution have cheared themselves with this Exercise and have taken a mighty Pleasure even in the midst of their Troubles and most bitter and heavy Afflictions to ease their Minds and give their Devotions full Vent and Play by singing Praises to the God of Jacob Tho' I know very well that the Children of this World who have no comfort but in things of this Life cannot dance to nor well digest without some Scoff or Censure this Musick 7. Dr. W. Johnson in the Story of his Deliverance at Sea tells us That after his second Shipwrack upon the Coast of Norway being got upon a Rock to save their Lives they betook themselves to their old Remedy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Prayers the Danes with them first began their Devotions who having sung one of Luther 's Psalms fell to their Prayers and then saith the Doctor me sung one of our own Psalms and as long as I was able to speak Prayed with the Company Dr. Johnson's Deus Nobiscum p. 34. 8. In the Life of Mr. Herbert writ by Isaac Walton if I mistake not we are told of a Gentleman of good Estate who after his Travels came home with a Resolution to devote the remainder of his time to a close and spiritual Devotion and the Method which he pitcht upon was to Sing over David's Psalms every four and twenty Hours which was so ordered that while some were refreshing themselves and attending upon the Necessities of Life others should continue in the Chappel and keep on the Devotion To this Society Mr. Herbert who was a Man both Devout and Musical joyned himself for some time I have not the Book by me but the Relation may be seen in Mr. Herbert's Life before his Poems 9. Thomas Hudson Martyr in Queen Mary's Reign after walking abroad for certain days openly in the Town crying against Popery at last returned home and seting himself down on his Knees having his Book by him read and sung Psalms continually without ceasing for three Days and three Nights together refusing Meat and other talk to the great wonder of many Fox's Martyrol 10. George Eagles Martyr likewise in the same Reign when he was drawn on a Sled to Execution had in his Hand a Psalm-book wherein he read very devoutly all the way with a loud Voice till he came there Ibid. 11. Five Martyrs in Canterbury viz. John Lucas a young Man Ann Albright John Catmer Agnes Snâ—th Widow Joan Soale Wife when the Fire was flaming about their Ears did sing Psalms whereat the good Knight Sir John Norton being present wept bitterly at the sight Ibid. 12. Mr. John Denly being set in the Fire with a burning Flame about him sung a Psalm but being interrupted by occasion of a Fagot thrown in his Face which made him bleed he left off and clapt both his Hands on his Face Truly quoth Dr. Story to him that hurled the Fagot thou hast marr'd a good old Song at which Mr. Denley still in the Flames resumed Courage put his Hands abroad and sung again Ibid. 13. St. Augustin speaking of the time when he was Baptized at Milan professeth That the sweet Musick and Melody of the Church provoked his Affections so far that the Tears run down his Checks and he was mightily pleased with it Confes l. 9. c. 6 7. 14. St. Hierom speaking not of the universal Church in solemn Assemblies but what the company of the solitary Virgins were wont to do of their own accord in his time saith That in the Morning at three six and nine a Clock at evening and at Midnight they sung Psalms only on Sunday they went into the Church Bullinger 's Decads 15. The first Act of Uniformity in King Edward the Sixth's Reign gives leave for the using of any Psalm agreeable to the Word of God Which Act is not annulled by any subsequent Act but rather confirmed by those which have followed 16. Te Deum's are in Fashion all over Christian Europe at least the Protestant and Popish Churches at this day See more of the Singing and religious Musick of other Churches in my History of all Religions 17. Mr. John Bruen in singing of Psalms had his Spirit so ravished with Joy that his Heart would even spring and leap in his Body was so affected with Praising of God that he took the word Hallelujah for his Motto See his Life in Mr. Clark's second Volume of Lives p. 176. 18. Mr. Peacock after his great Afflictions being at last joyfully delivered and comforted a three Chapter read to him Rev. 19. Rev. 21. Rom. 8. Oh! saith he they be glorious Comforts Will you have any more read said his Friends yea saith he a Psalm if you please and named the 23d one beginning to read it he desired that it might be sung one asking Will you sing yea said he as well as I can The Psalm being sung and then John 17. being read Blessed be God said he I am a Thousand times happy to have such Felicity thrown upon me a poor wretched Miscreant c. See his last Conflicts by E. B from the Copy of Mr. Rob. Bolton 1646. 19. Mrs. Katherine Stubs on her Death-bed sang Psalms with a sweet and pleasant Voice and desired that the 133 Psalm might be sung before her to Church and desired that there might be no Mourning for her See her Life 20. Mr. J. Janeway on his Death-bed cries out thus Come help me with Praises yet all is too little come help me all ye mighty and glorious Angels who are so well skill'd in the haavenly Work of Praise Praise him all ye Creatures upon Earth let every thing that hath Being help me to Praise God Hallelujah Hallelujah hallelujah Praise is now my Work and I shall be engaged in this sweet Work now and for ever Bring the Bible turn to David 's Psalms and let us sing a Psalm of Praise Come let us lift up our Voice in the Praises of the most High I will sing with you as long as my Breath doth last and when I have none I shall do it better See his Life CHAP. LXIV Persons Remarkable for Good Discourse OVR Saviour hath told us we must be accountable for every idle word and the Apostle hath exploded all corrupt Communication and requires strictly of all Christians that their Speech be season'd
the Reign of King James Dr. George Abbot Arch-bishop of Canterbury being a Hunting in a Park and shooting at a Deer his Arrow by mischance glanced and killed a Man upon which Fact it was much debated whether by it he were not become irregular and ought to be deprived of his Archiepiscopal Function as thought against his Will having his Hands embrued in Blood but Dr. Andrews Bishop of Winchester standing much in his Defence as likewise Sir Henry Martin the King's Advocate gave such Reasons for the mitigation of the Fact that he was cleared from all Imputation of Crime and thereupon judged Regular and in State to continue in his Archiepiscopal Charge Yet himself out of a Religious Tenderness of Mind kept that Day of the Year in which the mischance happened as a solemn Fast all his Life after Sir Rich. Bak. Chron. p. 446. 7. The Constables coming to serve a Warrant upon Mr. Thomas Tregoss for Preaching publickly one of them mere violent and furious than his Fellows whilst he reasoned with Mr. Tregoss holding the Mittimus in his Hand sunk down in the place seeming at the present to be dead but by the diligent Endeavours of those about him he was brought to himself again whereupon he departed without executing the Warrant And that which made this the more remarkable was for that this Constable was a lusty strong Man and never fainted in all his Life before And though they came again some Days after to execute the same Warrant yet had they not power to carry him to Prison for which as it was reported the other Constable was fined at the next Session See his Life 8. One Mr. Burgess late Minister of Graffam in Sussex being put to some trouble at his first coming to that place through the unkindess not to say dishonesty of some Neighbours made a Journey London for the better securing himself in the possession and returning home came late to the outward Skirts of the Parish where being apprehensive of Danger partly by reason of the great Darkness of the Night and partly by reason of the Waters and Ditches which are thereabouts somewhat formidable to a Stranger he did by some secret Ejaculations earnestly beg of God so to direct and preserve him in the way that he might not miscarry before he got to his own then a new Home and presently a Light shone about him to his great surprizal and comfort and did accompany him closely as the Pillar of Fire did the Israelites either going before him or surrounding him for I dare not be positive through the defect of my Memory 'till he got safe to his own House This hath been attested to me by his own Son an honest sober Man now living at Graffam and one Mr. Cockrill a near Neighbour who saith He heard Mr. Graffam the elder often speak of it with wonder 9. A pious Gentlewoman yet living when a Child fell into a Pond where she was like to perish a Man who was left alone in the House reading of a Book was suddenly so troubled though he knew not for what that he could read no longer upon which he walked out saw a Straw-hat swim upon the Pond and by and by the Child rise to the top of the Water he catches hold of the Child drew her out and so saved her Life Clark's Exam. Vol. 1. C. 83. 10. Mr. Sam. Fairclough one Evening after a Day spent with his Wife in Fasting and Prayer on her behalf being then great with Child and she walking abroad to meditate on the Promises of God fell over Head and Ears into a Pond heard a great Shriek goes out hastily to the Pond finds his Wife after twice sinking and laying sudden hold upon her before the third time saved her Life and Health and Little One with which she was pregnant without any hurt See his Life CHAP. LXXXI Persons strangely fitted for Great Employments 'T IS weak Evidence and Proof of the Divine Conduct and Government of the World to observe the strange Methods sometimes used in the Accomplishment of Men for Weighty and Sacred Offices to see the Turns of Providence the suprizing Catastrophes the removal of Difficulties the opening of Doors unexpectedly to make way for some Persons to Studies and Employments in Church and State 1. How strangely are things wheeled about by Providence Not what we or our Parents but what God designed shall take place Amos was very meanly employed at first but God designed him for a more honourable and comfortable Calling Amos 7.14 15. David followed the Ewes and likely never raised his Thoughts to higher Things in the Days of his youth but God made him the Royal Shepherd of a better Flock Psal 78.70 71. Peter and Andrew were imployed as Fisher-men but Christ calls them from that to an higher Calling Mat. 4.18 19. To be Fishers of Men. Pareus when he was Fourteen Years old was by the instigation of his Step-mother placed with an Apothecary but Providence so wrought that he was taken off from that and fitted for the Ministry wherein he became a fruitful and eminent Instrument to the Church James Andreas was by reason of his Fathers inability to keep him at School designed for a Carpenter but was afterwards by the perswasion of Friends and assistance of the Church-stock sent to Stutgard and thence to the University and so arrived to a very eminent Station of Service to the Church A Master-builder Oecolampadius was by his Father designed for a Merchant but his Mother by earnest Entreaties prevailed to keep him at School and this Man was a blessed Instrument in the Reformation of Religion Flavel's Divine Conduct p. 80. 2. Mr. Ben. Johnson was first bred in a private School near St. Martin's-Church then in Westminster-School under the Learned Mr. Cambden afterwards admitted into St. John's-College in Cambridge where his Continuance was but short for his Maintenance failing he was fain to return to the Trade of his Father-in-Law who was a Bricklayer He was one who helped in the Building of the New Structure of Lincoln's-Inn where having a Trowel in his Hand he had a Book in his Pocket that as his Work went forward so his Study went not backward Some Gentlemen pitying that such rare Endowments should be buried under the Rubbish of so mean a Calling did by their Bounty Manumise him freely to follow his own ingenuous Inclinations England's Worthies by W. Winstanley p. 342. 3. Dr. Donne first of Hare-Hall in Oxford then removed to Cambridge thence to Lincoln's-Inn at last he went to Travel with the Earl of Essex to Cales and thence to Italy and Spain Returning home he was chief Secretary to the Lord-Keeper Elsemore and marrying with the Lady Elsemore's Niece Daughter to Sir George Moor for which he was discharg'd of the Secretary's place which he held and cast into Prison by his incensed Father-in-Law But being set at liberty again by occasion of a Discourse upon the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy he
this Story concerning Charms that himself had an Horse which it he had stood sound had been of a good Value his Servants carried him to several Farriers but none of them had the skill to Cure him At last unknown to their Master they led him to a Farrier that understood some tricks more then ordinary and dealt in Charms or Spells or such like Ceremonies by Vertue of these he made the Horse sound The owner of him after he had observed how well his Horse was ask'd his Servants how they got him cured whence understanding the whole matter and observing also that there was an S. branded on his Buttock which he conceited stood for Satan chid his Servants very roughly as having done that which was unwarrantable and impious Upon this profession of his dislike of the Fact the Horse forthwith fell as ill as ever he was insomuch as for his unserviceableness he was fain to be turned loose to the Pasture But a Kinsman of the Owner's coming to his House and after chancing to see the Horse in the Grounds took the advantage of so low a Price for so fair a Gelding and bought him the Horse had no sooner changed his Master but presently changed his plight of Body also and became as sound as ever Ibid. p. 164 165. 4. The Jews use the Zizith for an Amulet against Sorceries and Preserver from Dangers Some superstitious Christian Women in St. Hierom's time wore Parvula Evangelia or short Sentences of the Gospel to the same purpose and the Papists at this Day permit the wearing about their Necks the beginning of St. John's Gospel Dr. Addison 5. The Chinese some of them invoke the Devil at this Day and use Incantations Many also in Guinea and the East-Indies wear Rings made by their Fetissero for Gods next their Bodies for Preservatives View of the English Acquisitions in Guinea 6. Martin Del-rio gives us the Relation of several Demons expulsed out of possessed Persons by the recital of the Lord's Prayer the Angels Salutation Ave Maria the beginning of St. John's Gospel The Word was made Flesh the Name of Jesus the Sign of the Cross the Apostles Creed the Rosary the Litanies of the Saints Salve Regina c. the Relicks of the Saints Holy Water Agnus Dei's pious Sentences Psalms Ringing of Bells c And is very angry with those Hereticks as he calls them who have no more Modesty or Grace than to laugh at these as superstitious Fancies Delrius Disquis Mag. L. 6. C. 2. § 3. Q. 3. 7. Most of the common Charms used by our Country-people and old Women and ignorant Quacks are nothing else but a certain Jargon of hard Words designed on purpose to cheat the Fancies of the credulous Patient into a strong Imagination and Confidence of the Effect promised as I remember a Friend of mine told me once when he was at the University he wrote on a Piece of Paper those words Barbara Celarent Daris Fario Baralipton which when he had done he chewed the Paper in his Mouth and made it in the form of a Pill and gave it to his Bed-maker an old Woman then afflicted with an Ague with this assurance That if the would take that and swallow it down it would certainly cure her Ague she did as she was directed and as my Friend told me was afterwards effectually cured 8. This which follows was not so innocent an application When I was at Oxford one Smith Apprentice to Mr. John Knibb Clock-maker still living in that City out of Curiosity went to an old Vagrant Fortune-Teller then in Town to know his Fortune he receives from her a Scroli of Paper which he was to wear under his Heel that Day and at Night to put under his Head in the Night he was disturbed with an unexpected Storm of Wind which threatned to blow down the House upon which he awaked lay sweating in Bed and dreading the Effects of it 'till near Morning when the Tempest ceasing he fell asleep and dreamed That a Coach with two or three Gentlewomen in it all in Mourning came to the House where they made a stop and one of them looks out of the Coach and invited him into them I came to the House next Day where his Master and he both told me and others the Story with some Concernment and Passion About half a Year after the young Man removes to London and there in a short time fell sick and died CHAP. LXXXIX Satan Hurting by Interposing with Melancholly Diseases 'T IS no Point of Generosity or Bravery to set upon Persons when they are infeebled with any Calamity or afflicting Circumstances yet the Devil who cares for nothing so much as the satisfying of his malicious Appetite hath this cowardly Trick with him that he takes opportunity from our Weaknesses to attack us with double Wickedness to surprize us with Assaults when Nature most fails us to countermine the Divine Goodness which is most abundant to us at such times For as Man's Extremity is God's Opportunity for shewing of Mercy so it is the Devil 's for the discovery of his Malice 1. Aug. 24. 1662. saith Mr. Baxter a Gentlewoman of London came to me secretly with her Sister an Witness Persons as commonly called of Quality and Moderation to be resolved how to expound a strange thing that had befallen her which was That as she was Praying in secret she begg'd for the Deliverance of the Church and Religion and Ministers from the dreaded Sufferings that were determined and the sad Effects of Persecution Division and Publick Dangers and it was suddenly given her as an Answer That there should he a speedy Deliverance even in a very short time She desired to know which way and it was by somewhat on the King which I refused to hear our whether it was Change or Death it being set strongly on her as a Revelation she earnestly prayed That if this were a Divine Impulse and Revelation God would certifie her by some visible Sign and she ventured to choose the Sign herself and laid her Hand on the outside of the upper part of her Leg and begging of God That if it were a true Answer he would make on that place some visible Mark and there was presently the Mark of black Spots like as if a Hand had burnt it which her Sister witnessed she saw presently and after there being no such thing before But the Woman's strange Impulse and Mark proved but a Delusion Hist Disc Appar Witches p. 181. 2. Mr. Clark gives this Account of the Sickness of Mr. Rich. Rothwell He had a Vertigo capitis Forty Fits in an Hour and every one of them accompanied with mischievous Temptations which when the Fit was over he dictated and writ down these held about three Weeks in which time he had the Advice of learned Physicians from London York New-Castle Durham and other places they all jumped in their Judgments imputing it to be much Study Fasting and inward Trouble of Spirit
years lived in great Anguish of Mind and found no Rest till Repentance and therefore afterwards Preached publickly that Doctrine which he had Abjured Church Hist Britan. 14. James Bainham A Gentleman of the Middle Temple being Imprisoned for his Religion and Rack'd Abjured his Principles and had his Liberty but he asked God and the World Forgiveness before the Congregation in those days which was in a Ware-house in Bow-Lane and immediately after he came to St. Austin's with the New Testament in his hand in English and the Obedience of a Christian Man in his Bosome and there declared with Tears before the People that he had denied God and prayed the People to forgive and beware of his Weakness Ibid. 15. A. C. 1584. Francis Spira living at Citadella a Civil Lawyer when he had received the Doctrine of the Gospel and explained it among his Friends being brought into Danger after long deliberation on both sides he publickly Renounced But not long after fell into illness both of Body and Mind and began to despair of the Mercy of God Being brought from Citadella to Padua that he might make use of his Physicians he received no Comfort and scarce took any Meat to support Nature Whereupon returning home professing himself to be Condemned to Eternal Torments for Abjuring the known Truth ended his Life Miserably Thus for Sleidan in his Commentaries He that Writes the Story at large adds That he called for a Sword to dispatch himself with that he professed that his heart was estranged from God saying I cannot call him Father from my heart All good Motions are now quite gone my heart is full of Malediction Hatred and Blasphemy against God I find I grow more and more hardned in heart and cannot stoop nor help my self Your Prayers for me shall turn to your own benefit but they can do me no good When this Friend took his Leave of him Spira said Although I know that nothing can bring any benefit to me a Reprobate but that every thing shall tend to my deeper Condemnation Yet I give you most hearty thanks for your kind Office of Love and Good will and the Lord return it unto you with a plentiful encrease of all good As he was going down he saw a Knife on a Table and running to it he snatched it up therewith to have mischieved himself but that his Friend prevented it thereupon he said I would I were above God for I know that he will have no Mercy on me He lay about eight weeks in this case in a continual Burning neither desiring nor receiving any thing but by force and that without Digestion and was like an Anatomy vehemently raging for Drink ever Pining yet fearful to live long dreadful for Hell yet coveting Death in a continual Torment yet his own Tormentor And thus consuming himself with Grief and Horror Impatience and Despair like a living Man in Hell represented an extraordinary Example of God's Justice and Power and thus he ended his miserable Life See it more largely in the History it self 16. Near akin to this is the Story of the second Spira published at London 1692. though the early publication of it together with the dreadful Contents and the natural tenderness of Relatives and Countrey-men and indeed the unwillingness of almost all People to believe things so full of Terror rendred it to the apprehensions of some scarce credible And my self at Reading of it wish'd it were not true yet upon a serious and impartial Inquiry I do firmly believe that there is more Truth in it than will be granted by many of the present Generation See the Narrative it self 17. The Story of Nightingale is generally known which Mr. Fox relates how he fell out of his Pulpit and brake his Neck whilst he was abusing that Scripture 1 John 1.10 18. A Copy of a Letter directed to me since I undertook this Work SIR FInding in one of the Mercuries a Proposal for Printing The Most Remarkable Providences c. I would according to my weak Capacity let you know That sometime since though not very long a Neighbour dying the News came while I was at Dinner and one in Company said thus We must all go and none knows how soon I out of a scoffing way made answer I was sure I should live whilst I had eat the Meat I had Before I had got one Bit of it in my Mouth I was struck quite Senseless and had much adoe to rise from the Table where I sate and did not expect ever to think of telling my blasphemous Expression to any But now meeting with a Work which may be Profitable for all but especially to young Ones I am willing to attest this the Truth of which some can testifie as I in the Presence of the Almighty have wrote Your's JOHN EREEVE London June 4. 1695. 19. There was a Woollen-Draper in Warwick who made a Profession of Religion but many times brake out into scandalous Practices Mr. Cartwright on a time walking with him in his Garden dealt plainly and faithfully with him rebuking him for his Miscarriages and shewing him the Dishonour that he brought to God and the Gospel thereby Which so wrought upon him that he presently sunk down and being carried home died within a few Hours after Mr. Clark in the Life of Mr. Cartwright 20. One John ap Howel in Queen Mary's Reign standing by William Maudon as he was reading in a Primer at Greenwich mocked him after every Word with contrary gaudy and flouting Expressions Whereupon Maudon said to him John take heed what thou doest thou mockest not me but God in his Word tho' I be simple that read it Yet went he on in his Mocking till Maudon reading Lord have Mercy upon us Christ have Mercy upon us the other with a Start said suddenly Lord have Mercy upon me With that Maudon turning to him said What aileth thee John To which he answered Nothing but that he was afraid Afraid of What saith Maudon Nothing now said the other But presently after he confessed That at the reading of those Words Lord have Mercy upon us c. the Hair of his Head stood an end with the great Fear that came upon him On the next Day he ran Mad was bound in his Bed and lay continually Day and Night crying out of the Devil of Hell c. Clark's Exampl Vol. 1. c. 199. CHAP. CII Divine Judgments upon Scoffers at other Men's Imperfections or such as Counterfeited to have them when they had them not TO Commiserate the Infirmities of our Brethren or Neighbours is a Branch of Charity which the Gospel calls earnestly for but to deride them for their Defects and Imperfections is a Point of Impiety that is founded in Pride and Arrogance and a Conceit of our own Dignity and Merit not God's Grace and Mercy For which Reason God is very angry with those that make the Defects of other Men the Object of their Irrision and Scorn as if they were
Woman After his Burial his Ghost was very troublesome in the Town to many People but especially to the Parson of the Parish who penned this Narrative c. Weinrich p. 212. 19. Eliz. Mudy for bewitching her Mistress to Death at Hadington in Scotland the Mistress Margaret Kirkwood being then hanging her self in her Chamber whilst the Maid was observed at Church to number upon her Fingers 50 or 51 and crying aloud in the presence of them all Now the Turn is done was seized on Suspicion confessed the Witchcraft and was burned for the same Invis World p. 200. It would be endless to give a particular Catalogue of all in England Scotland Ireland France Spain Germany Denmark New-England c. that have been arraigned and executed for Witchcraft Nor is it difficult to believe that those who take their own time to apply themselves to the Devil for his Assistance shall find him ready enough to call upon them in his time for a nearer and more terrible Acquaintance 20. In the Year 1645. there was a notable Discovery of Witches in Essex viz. Elizabeth Clark Ann West and Rebecca her Daughter Rose Hallybread Joyce Boanes Susanna Cock whose Mother Margery Stoakes upon her Death bed had for her Good commended two Imps to her as also Elizabeth Weed of Huntington-shire John Winnick of the same County c. all brought to the Gallows after a legal Tryal Inform. of Witches c. p. 6. 21. An. 1669 current At Mokra in Sweedland Lords Commissioners being sent down by the King on purpose to make Search and Examination there were found 70 Persons a goodly knot who were engaged in Witchery in that one Village 23 of which freely confessed their Crimes and were contented to die the others pleading not Guilty were sent to Fahluna where most of them were afterwards executed Fifteen Children also who confessed as the rest did died as the rest 36 Children between 9 and 16 Years of Age ran the Gantlet 20 more who were less were condemned to be lashed with Rods three Sundays together at the Church-door and the aforesaid 36 were also doom'd to be lash'd this way once a Week for a whole Year together The Number of the seduced Children was about 300. This is taken out of the publick Register of the Lords Commissioners Concerning the late Confederacy of Witches in New-England I have spoke already in this Book and have no more to add but this That if they be Accursed who put their Trust in Man they cannot certainly be expected to be Happy that put their Trust in Devils CHAP. CXL Divine Judgments upon Backsliders and Apostates TO shew that the Almighty God takes it mighty ill from those People that fall back from the Truth of the Gospel after they have made Profession of it there needs no more Evidence to prove it than the many Precepts and Cautions he hath given us against Apostacy and the frequent Exhortations in Sacred Scripture to Perseverance and Continuance in the Faith The Curses threatned to those that Relapse and make shipwreck of a Good Conscience add still more strength to the Evidence but the Execution of his Menaces puts it more out of doubt yet St. Peter's weeping bitterly and turning back again in a penitential way Judas apostatizing and dying in despair the poor Jewish Church living under a dismal Eclipse of the Divine Favour to this Day are Examples for our Instruction To lay down a few more 1. Mr. Bilny An. 1529. abjured the Protestant Doctrine and submitted to the Powers that then were but fell into such Terrors of Conscience that he was near the point of utter Despair and so continued a whole Year his Friends all the time endeavouring to comfort him but in vain At last through God's Mercy he found Comfort and presently resolved to lay down his Life for that Truth which he had before renounced Clark's Eccl. Hist p. 163. 2. Lucian who had made Profession of Religion in the Time of Trajan afterwards fell from it became a Railer against it and at last was torn in pieces by Dogs Suidas 3. Porphyry being reproved for his Faults by some Christians renounced the Profession wrote against the Religion and died in despair Id. 4. Origen being perswaded rather to offer Incense to Idols than be defiled by an ugly Black-a-moor lost the Peace of his Conscience 5. Tamerus being seduced from the Reformed Religion by his Brother a Papist fell into despair and hang'd himself Theat Hist 6. 1569. One Henry Smith in the Middle Temple turning Papist hanged himself in his own Chamber Acts and Mon. 7. Latomus of Lovain once a Professor of the Gospel afterwards an Apostate made an Oration at Brussels before the Emperor Charles V. against Luther and his Followers but so foolishly that he was laughed to scorn afterwards at Lovain in a publick Lecture he fell into an open Frenzy despairing and blaspheming crying out continually that he was damned c. Senercleus in Epist ante Hist de morte Diazii 8. Arnold Bomelius a Student of Lovain and Favourer of the Gospel a Man of good Parts apostatizing to Popery fell into great Trouble of Mind and thence into Depsair and afterwards walking into the Fields with some Scholars he sate down by a Spring side drew out a Dagger and stabb'd himself Acts and Mon. 9. Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester cried out on his Death-bed That he had denied his Master with Peter but not repented with Peter and so stinking above Ground ended his wretched Life Clark's Exampl Vol. I. c. 6. 10. Mr. West Chaplain to Bishop Ridley in King Edward the Sixth's Reign turning Papist in Queeh Mary's fell into such Torment of Conscience that he pined away and died Acts and Mon. 11. Cardinal Pool was a Favourer of the Truth afterwards a Persecutor but within two or three Days after Queen Mary's death himself died in Terror Clark's Exampl Vol. I. c. 6. 12. Peter Castellan Bishop of Maston an Apostate from the Reformed Religion fell into a strange Disease one half of his Body burning like Fire and the other cold as Ice and in this case with horrible Groans and Cries died Ibid. 13. Henry the Fourth King of France after he came to the Crown turned from Protestant to Papist from Bonus Orbi to Orbus Boni though still Borbonius was first stabb'd in the Tongue by John Castile at last in his Breast by Ravilliac and so died Fren. Hist 14. One Richard Denson a Smith in King Edward the Sixth's Days encouraged a young Man then in Prison to suffer But for my part saith he I cannot burn But though he could not for his Religion he was afterwards burnt for his Apostacy by occasion of a Fire in his Shop and House Clark's Exampl Vol. I. c. 6. 15. Francis Spira is a sad Example of God's Judgment in such Cases but I have mention'd him elsewhere 16. Poor Bishop Jewel was forc'd to spend a Recantation-Sermon beyond Sea and many a Prayer and Teat
Therefore have charitable Conceit of me That I know to swear is an Offence to swear falsly at any time is a great Sin but to swear falsly before the Presence of Almighty God before whom I am forthwith to appear were an Offence unpardonable Therefore think me not now rashly or untruly to confirm or protest any thing As for other Objections as That I was brought perforce into England That I carried Sixteen Thousand Pounds in Money out of England with me more than I made known That I should receive Letters from the French King and such like with many Protestations he utterly denied England's Worthies by Will. Winstanley p. 303. 119. The Death of Henry Bullinger Mr. Bullinger falling Sick and his Disease encreasing many Godly Ministers came to visit him but some Months after he recovered and preached as formerly but soon Relapsed when finding his vital Spirits wasted and Nature much decayed in him he concluded his Death was at hand and thereupon said as followeth If the Lord will make any farther use of me and my Ministry in his Church I will willingly obey him but if he pleases as I much desire to take me out of this miserable Life I shall exceedingly rejoyce that he will be so pleased to take me out of this miserable and corrupt Age to go to my Saviour Christ Socrates said he was glad when his Death approached because he thought he shou'd go to Hesiod Homer and other Learned Men deceased and whom he expected to meet in the other World then how much more do I joy who am sure that I shall see my Saviour Christ the Saints Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all Holy Men which have lived from the beginning of the World These I say I am sure to see and to partake with them in Joy Why then should I not be willing to die to enjoy their perpetual Society in Glory And then with Tears told them That he was not unwilling to leave them for his own sake but for the sake of the Church Then having written his Farewel to the Senate and therein admonished them to take care of the Churches and Schools and by their permission chose one Ralph Gualter his Successor he patiently resigned up his Spirit into the Hands of his Redeemer dying Anno Christi 1575. and or his Age 71. 120. Mr. Haines Minister of Westminister was acquainted with a Gentleman of a very Holy Life and Conversation Which said Gentleman as he lay in his Bed one Morning a Boy of about twelve Years of Age appeared to him in a radiant Light and bid him prepare to Die in twelve Days He being surprized at it sent for Mr. Haines and told him of it who perswaded him from believing of it telling him 't was only a Fancy But within six Days he was siez'd with a violent Fever and four or five Hours before his Death the same Boy came and sate upon his Pillow and as the Gentleman grew paler he changed colour too and just as the Breath went out of the Body he disappeared This is attested by the Gentleman's Family for they all saw it and Mr. Haines related it to a Person of good Reputation from whom I received it 121. The Last Will of Mr. Henry Stubbs Deceased July â— 1678. Published at the Desire of his Widow Mrs. D. S. KNowing that I must shortly put off this my Earthly Tabernacle I make my Last Will and Testament Imprimis I commend my Soul into the Hands of God wholly trusting in Jesus Christ my dear Lord and Saviour through his All-sufficient Satisfaction and powerful Mediation to be accepted Eph. 1.6 Item I commit my Body to the Earth from whence 't was taken in sure and certain Hope of a Resurrection to Life Eternal building upon that sure Word John 6.40 Item I leave my Fatherless Children to the Lord who hath promised to be a Father to the Fatherless Ps 68.5 And to preserve them alive Jer. 49.11 Commanding them to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18.19 Item I â—xhort my Widow to trust in the Lord of whose care she hath had no little Experience and therefore should trust in him Psal 9.10 And I desire her to read often Jer. 49.11 Psal 68.5 Heb. 13.5 Item The Congregations to which I have been formerly a Preacher and that with which I now am by a special Hand of Providence I commend to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build them up and to give them an Inheritance amongst all them which are sanctified Acts 20.32 beseeching them by the Lord Jesus That as they ahve received of me how they ought to walk and please God so they would abound more and more 1 Thes 4.1 Item And for my Kindred according to the Flesh my Hearts Desire and Prayer to God for them is That they may be saved Rom. 10.1 Item And for all those yet living and who have seriously and earnestly desired my Prayers my earnest Request to God for them is That it would please him to do for them all as the Marter shall require 1 Kings 8.59 Item And for my Brethren in the Ministry my Prayer is That they may take heed to themselves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood Acts 20.28 Item And for the People my Prayer is That they may obey them that have the Rule over them Heb. 13.17 Item And for Professors of Religion my Prayer is That they may walk worthy of God unto all well-pleasing being fruitful in every Good Work Col. 1.10 11. Item And for the King my Prayer is That Mercy and Truth may preserve him Prov. 26.28 And for Him and all that are in Authority my Prayer is That they may so lead their own Lives that the People under them may lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 Item And for the whole Land of my Nativity my humble Prayer to the Lord of all Grace and Mercy is That the Power and Purity of the Gospel together with a Learned and Faithful Ministry to dispence the same may be continued and preserved therein The Last Words of those Eminent Persons who fell in the Defence of the Protestant Religion and the English Liberties both in London and the West of England from the Year 1678. to this time IN the two last Reigns many of the Flower of our Nobility and Gentry either lost their Lives or Estates or Liberties or Country whilst a Crew of Parasites triumphed and fluttered in their Ruins To see a Russel die meanly and ignobly in the Flower of his Age an Essex or a Godfry sacrificed to the insatiable Ambition and Revenge of their Enemies who yet not content with their Lives would like the Italian stab on after Death and tho' they could not reach their Souls endeavour to damn their Memories These and too many other such melancholy Instances would be
it to lye No I will not I say if he was my Lawful King I was misled in my Judgment and have committed a great Error but Lord I hope thou hast washed away all my sins in and through the Blood of my dear Redeemer in whose alone Merits I hope for Mercy I desire to be asked no more Questions Then the Minister prayed very devoutly near half an hour after which lifting up his Hands and Eyes to Heaven he quietly submitted to Death 14. Mr. John Hicks's Last Speech 1685. I Suppose the Spectators here present may expect I should speak something before I leave this Sanguinary Stage and Passage through my Bloody Sufferings by which my Immortal Spirit will be speedily transported into an invisible and eternal World and I conclude that they have different Resentments hereof Some resent them with much Joy high Exultation and Triumph others with equal Grief and Sorrow that to the one I am a most pleasant Spectacle that they behold me with high complacency and delight but to the other I am a mournful and unpleasant one and they behold me with no less pity and compassion Concerning the first I can say I freely and heartily forgive them and heartily pray that God would most mercifully and graciously prevent their mourning through Misery not only here but eternally hereafter Concerning the other I will say Weep for your own sins and for the sins of the Nation for the highest Rebellions that ever were committed against the great and eternal God lament bitterly for those sins that have been the meritorious Cause of the late terrible Judgment that which I fear will cause God to break in upon this Nation with an overflowing Deluge of Judgments which are far more tremendous and dreadful As for Sympathizing with me in drinking this bitter Cup appointed for me I return you most humble and hearty thanks earnestly desiring God to come unto you and fill your Souls with all Coelestial Comforts and Spiritual Consolations Something I must say to purge and clear my self from a false Accusation laid to my Charge as that I was engaged with Col. Blood in Rescuing Col. Mason near Boston when he was sent down with a Guard from London to York to be Tryed for High Treason and that I was the Man that killed the Barber of that City and that also I was with him when he stole the Crown Now as I am a dying Man and upon the very brink of a very stupendous Eternity the truth and reality whereof I firmly believe without any Reservation or the least Equivocation I do declare in the Presence of the All-seeing God that Impartial Judge before whom in a very little time I must appear I never saw nor conversed with Mr. Thomas Blood from 1656 till after he stole the Crown which was in 71 or 72 nor was ever engaged with him in any of his Treasonable Plots and Practices 'T is true I being involved in great trouble of another Nature of which I have given to the World a Narrative and which is notoriously known in the Country where I then lived by some that were Enemies to me for my Preaching I was perswaded to apply my self to Mr. Blood to procure by his Intercession his late Majesty's Gracious Favour Accordingly he brought me into his Royal Presence while I was there his Majesty carried it with great Clemency without expressing one word of that which I am now charged with Mr. Blood continued with his Majesty a little longer than I did then he told me that he had granted me a Pardon which I did thankfully accept of knowing it would free me from all Penalties and Troubles that I was obnoxious to and were occasioned to me by my Nonconformity Then engaging him to take out my Pardon he told me That he got it out with several others that had been engaged with him in several Treasonable Designs and Actions at which I was troubled supposing it might be imputed to me thereby yet God knows I have often since reflected upon it with great regret and dissatisfaction If Mr. Blood did inform the late King to make himself the more considerable and to bring as many of his Party as he could to accept of their Pardons that he might be rendered utterly incapable of Plotting any further Mischief against his Government or any other ways that I was engaged with him in any of his Treasonable Attempts I now appeal to God as a dying Man concerning it that he hath done me an irreparable wrong I also in the same manner do declare That I was never engaged with any Party in Plotting or Designing or Contriving any Treason or Rebellion against the late King and particularly that I was altogether unconcerned in and unacquainted with that for which my Lord Russel and others suffered and as much a stranger to any against the present King And whereas it is reported of me That at Taunton I perswaded the late Duke of Monmouth to assume the Title of King I do once more selemnly declare That I saw not the said Duke nor had any Converse with him till he came to Shipton-Mallet which was Thirteen Days after he landed and several days after he had been at Taunton And 't is as false that I rid to and fro in the West to stir up and perswade Men to go into his Army and Rebel against his present Majesty for I was in the East Country when the Duke landed and from thence I went directly to him when he was at Shipton-Mallet not one Man accompanying me from thence But hitherto as I lived so now I die owning and professing the true Reformed Christian commonly called the Protestant Religion which is founded on the pure written Word of God only and which I acknowledge likewise to be comprehended in the Articles of the Doctrine of the Church This Religion I have made a reasonable and free choice of and have heartily embraced not only as it protests against all Pagan and Mahometan Religion but against the Corruption of the Christian and I humbly and earnestly pray to God that by his Infinite Wisdom and Almighty Power he will prevent not only the utter extirpation but diminution thereof by the heighth and influence of what is contrary thereto and for that end the Lord make the Professors of it to live up more to its Principles and Rules and bring their Hearts and Conversations more under the Government and Power of the same I die also owning my Ministry Non-conformity for which I have suffered so much and which doth now obstruct the King's Grace and Mercy to be manifested and extended to me For as I chose it not constrainedly so I appeal to God as a dying Man not moved from Sullenness or Humour or Factious Temper or Erroneous Principles of Education or from Secular Interests or Worldly Advantages but clearly from the Dictates of my own Conscience and as I judged it to be the Cause of God and to have more of Divine Truth
in it than that which is contrary thereto so now I see no Cause to repent of it nor to recede from it not questioning but God will own it at the last Judgment-day If no more had been required after the late King's Restauration to qualifie Ministers for Publick Preaching than was after the first Restauration from the time of Charles the First probably I might have satisfied my self therewith and not scrupled Conformity thereto but the Terms and Conditions thereof by a particular Law made in 1662. being not only new but so strict and severe that I could never have satisfaction in my own Conscience after all Endeavours used for a Complyance therewith and a Conformity thereto To say nothing of the Covenant which I never took but the giving my Assent and Consent have been too difficult and hard for me to comply with And I very well remember that about Fourteen Years ago entring into a Discourse with Mr. Patrick Heldâ—re an Irish-man who was contemporary with me in Dublin concerning Conformity which he much endeavoured to perswade me to I urged the severity of the fore-mentioned Conditions against it and after some Debates and Reasons with him I told him I did believe they were contrived and designed on purpose to prevent our Publick Preaching and to keep us out of the Church To which he ingenuously reply'd He judged it was so For said he a Bishop in Ireland whose Name I have forgot told me the very same But though I could not wade through and conquer this Difficulty yet I censure not those that did it and I believe after all the hottest Disputes and most vehement Debates and violent Contests between Conformist and Nonconformist there are of both Parties will be glorified in Heaven hereafterâ— According to the 29th Article of the Church of England a visible Church is a Congregation 〈◊〉 Faithful Men in the which the pure Word of God is preached the Sacraments of the Lord duly administred according to Christ's Ordinance and all those things that of necessity are requisite and necessary to Salvation so with such a Church have I held the most intimate Communion and with such did I live could hold it I would not therefore be so incorporated with any Church as to exclude me from and render me uncapable of holding Communion was other Churches I was never strongly bound up to any Form of Ecclesiastical Government but that under which a pure and undefiled Religion doth flourish and that which contains and really practises Holiness and advances the Kingdom of God in the World that can I approve of and willingly live under were I to live I did approve of the ancient and present Form of Civil Government English Monarchy I am fully satisfied with and do also declare That it is not warrantable for any Subject to take up Arms against and resist their Lawful Soveraigns and Rightful Princes And therefore had I not been convinced by several things that I have read and heard to believe that the late Duke of Monmouth was the Legitimate Son of his Father Charles the Second I had never gone into his Army judging that without this I could not be freed from the guilt of Rebellion which I always resolved to keep my self clear from And though his Father deny'd he was marry'd to his Mother I thought it might be answer'd with this That Kings and Princes for State-Reasons often cannot be fathomed by their Subjects affirming and denying things which otherwise they would not do and make even their Natural Affections to truckle and stoop thereto I exhort all to abhor all Treasonable Plots and Pretences of all Rebellion with the highest Detestation and to take the plain Text of Sacred Scripture to walk by in honouring and obeying and living in subjection to Rightful Kings and not readily to receive or suddenly to be impress'd with evil Reports and Defamations of them also not rashly to be Propagators of the same I desire God to forgive all mine Enemies and to give me an heart to forgive them which are many some mighty and all most malicious Particularly Barter of Lisael who betrayed me and proved such a Traytor to James Duke of Monmouth his old and intimate Friend I am grievously afflicted that I should prove the occasion of the great Sufferings of so many Persons and Families But this hath fallen under the Just and Wise ordering of Divine Providence as David's going to Abimelech when he proved the occasion of the Death of all the Persons Men Women and Children in the City But who shall say unto God What doest thou The care of my most dear Wife and a great many Children I cast upon God who I hope will be better than the best of Husbands unto her and the best of Fathers unto them God knows how Just and Legal Right my Wife hath unto her Estate to him therefore I commit her to defend her from the Violence and Oppression of Men particularly from a most inhumane and unnatural Brother But no wonder if he will lay violent hands upon his Sister's Estate that hath so often laid them on his own Father I die a deeply humbled self-judging and self-condemning Sinner loathing and abhorring my many and great Iniquities and my self for them earnestly desiring full Redemption from the Bonds of Corruption under which I have groaned so many Years long for a most perfect Conformity to the most holy and glorious God the only infinite pure Being thirsting for a perfect diffusion of his Grace through all the Powers and Faculties of my Soul panting after perfect Spiritual Life and Liberty and a consummate Love to my dearest Jesus who is an All comprehensive Good and to be satisfied with his Love for ever A vigorous and vehement Zeal for the Protestant Religion with a Belief I had of the Duke's Legitimacy hath involved me in this ignominious Death yet blessed be God that by sincere Repentance and true Faith in the Blood of Jesus there is passage from it to a Glorious Eternal Life and from these bitter Sorrows to the fulness of sweetest Joys that are in his Presence and from these sharp bodily Pains to those most pure Pleasures that are at his Right-hand for evermore And blessed be God that such a Death as this cannot prevent and hinder Christ's changing of my vile Body and fashioning it like his Glorious Body in the general Resurrection-day I am now going into that World where many dark things shall be made perfectly manifest and clear and many doubtful things fully resolved and a plenary satisfaction given concerning them all Disputes and Mistakes concerning Treason Rebellion and Schism shall be at an end and cease for ever Many things that are innocent lawful and laudable which have foul Marks and black Characters stampt and fix'd upon 'em here they shall be perfectly purified and fully cleansed from there where at one view more shall be known of them than by all wrangling Debates and eager Disputes or by reading all
if those Princes were truly such as the Historians represented them they had well deserved that Treatment And others who tread their Steps might look for the same For Truth would be told at last and that with the more Acrimony of Style for being so long restrained It was a gentle suffering to be exposed to the World in their true Colours much below what others had suffered at their Hands She thought that all Sovereigns ought to read such Histories as Procopius for how much soever he may have aggravated Matters and how unbecomingly soever he may have writ yet by such Books they might see what would be probably said of themselves when all Terrors and Restraints should fall off with their Lives Ibid. 20. She did hearken carefully after every thing that seemed to give some hope that the next Generation should be better than the present with a particular Attention She heard of a Spirit of Devotion and Piety that was spreading itself among the Youth of this great City with a true Satisfaction She enquired often and much about it and was glad to hear it went on and prevailed She lamented that whereas the Devotions of the Church of Rome were all Shew and made up of Pomp and Pageantry that we were too bare and naked And practised not enough to entertain a serious Temper or a warm and an affectionate Heart We might have Light enough to direct but we wanted Flame to raise an exalted Devotion Ibid. 21. She was â—o part of the Cause of the War yet she would willingly have sacrificed her own Life to have preserved either of Those that seemed to be in Danger at the Boyne She spake of that Matter two Days after the News came with so tender a Sense of the Goodness of God to her in it that it drew Tears from her and then she freely confessed That her Heart had trembled not so much from the Apprehension of the Danger that she herself was in as from the Scene that was then in Action at the Boyne God had heard her Prayers and she blessed him for it with as sensible a Joy as for any thing that had ever happened to her Ibid. 22. The Reflections that she made on the Reduction of Ireland looked the same way that all her Thoughts did Our Forces elsewhere both at Sea and Land were thought to be considerable and so promising that we were in great Hopes of somewhat that might be decisive Only Ireland was apprehended to be too weakly furnished for a concluding Campaign Yet so different are the Methods of Providence from Humane Expectations that nothing memorable happened any where but only in Ireland where little or nothing was expected Ibid. 23. When sad Accidents came from the immediate Hand of Heaven particularly on the occasion of a great Loss at Sea she said Tho' there was no occasion for Complaint or Anger upon these yet there was a juster Cause of Grief since God's Hand was to be seen so particularly in them Sometimes she feared there might be some secret Sins that might lie at the Root and blast all But she went soon off from that and said Where so much was visible there was no need of Divination concerning that which might be hidden Ibid. 24. She was sorry that the State of War made it necessary to restrain another Prince from Barbarities by making himself feel the Effects of them and therefore she said She hoped that such Practices should become so odious in all that should begin them and by their doing so force others to retaliate that for the future they should be for ever laid aside Ibid. 25. She apprehended she felt once or twice such Indispositions upon her that she concluded Nature was working towards some great Sickness so she set herself to take full and broad Views of Death that from thence she might judge how she should be able to encounter it But she felt so quiet an Indifference upon that Prospect leaning rather towards the desire of a Dissolution that she said Tho' she did not pray for Death yet she could neither wish nor pray against it She left that before God and referred herself entirely to the disposal of Providence If she did not wish for Death yet she did not fear it Ibid. 26. We prayed for our selves more than for her when we cried to God for her Life and Recovery both Priest and People Rich and Poor all Ranks and Sorts joyned in this Litany A universal Groan was Ecchoed to those Prayers through our Churches and Streets Ibid. 27. But how severely soever God intended to visit us she was gently handled she felt no inward depression nor sinking of Nature She then declared That she felt in her Mind the Joys of a good Conscience and the Powers of Religion giving her Supports which even the last Agonies could not shake Thus far Bishop Burnet 28. In the Publick Worship of God she was a bright Example of solemn and unaffected Devotion She prayed with humble Reverence heard the Word with respectful Silence and with serious Application of Spirit as duly considering the infinite Interval between the Supremacy of Heaven and Princes on Earth That their Greatness in its Lustre is but a faint and vanishing Reflection of the Divine Majesty One Instance I shall specifie in this kind When her Residence was at the Hague a Lady of Noble Quality coming to the Court to wait on her on a Saturday in the Afternoon was told she was retired from all Company and kept a Fast in Preparation for the receiving the Sacrament the next Day The Lady staying 'till Five a Clock the Princess came out and contented herself with a very slender Supper it being incongruous to conclude a Fast with a Feast Thus solemnly she prepared herself for Spiritual Communion with her Saviour Dr. Bates 's Sermon upon the Death of the Queen 29. She had a sincere Zeal for the healing our unhappy Divisions in Religious Things and declared her Resolution upon the first Address of some Ministers that she would use all Means for that Blessed End She was so wise as to understand the Difference between Matters Doctrinals and Rituals and so good as to allow a just Liberty for Dissenters in things of small moment She was not fetter'd with superstitious Scruples but her clear and free Spirit was for the Union of Christians in Things essential to Christianity Ibid. 30. In her Relation to the King she was the best Pattern of Conjugal Love and Obsequiousness How happy was her Society redoubling his Comforts and dividing his Cares Her Deportment was becoming the Dignity and Dearness of the Relation Of this we have the most convincing Proof from the Testimony and Tears of the King since her Death Solomon adds to many Commendations of a vertuous Woman as a Coronis That her Husband praises her The King 's declaring that in all her Conversation he discovered no Fault and his unfeigned and deep Sorrow for his Loss are the Queen 's
entire Elogy Ibid. 31. I cannot omit her Reverential Regard for the Lord's-Day which at the Hague I had a very particular occasion to take Notice of On a Saturday a Vessel the Pacquet-Boat was stranded not far from thence which lying very near the Shore I view'd happening to be thereabouts at that time 'till the last Passengers were brought as all were safe off Multitudes went to see it and her Highness being inform'd of it said she was willing to see it too but thought she should not for it was then too late for that Evening and she reckoned by Monday it would be shiver'd to pieces thô it remaining entire 'till then she was pleas'd to view it that Day but she resolved she added she would noe give so ill an Example as to go see it on the Lord's-Day Mr. Howe 's Discourse on the Death of our late Queen 32. She was not inaccessible to such of her Subjects whose dissentient Judgments in some such Things put them into lower Circumstances Great she was in all valuable Excellencies nor greater in any than in her most Condescending Goodness Her singular Humility adorn'd all the rest Speaking once of a good thing which she intended she added But of my self I can do nothing and somewhat being by one of two more only then present interposed she answered She hoped God would help her Ibid. 33. He that will read the Character Psal 15. and 24. of an Inhabitant of that Holy Hill will there read her true and most just Character Wherein I cannot omit to take notice how sacred she reckoned her Word I know with whom she hath sometimes conferr'd whether having given a Promise of such a seeming import she could consistently therewith do so or so saying That whatever prejudice it were to her she would never depart from her Word Ibid. 34. She had a Love to all good Men thô of a different Communion Her Esteem and Affection were not confin'd to one Party or to the Church of which herself was a Member This is the Unchristian Character of many that they hate and despise those who differ from them in the Circumstantials of Religion But the deceas'd Queen had a larger Soul she lov'd and valu'd the Image of God wherever she found it 'T is well known how frequently I may say constantly she joyn'd in the Worship of God with the Dutch and French Churches thô their Constitution and Order are very different from those of the Church of England I have been a Witness of the Kindness and Respect with which she treated English Dissenting Ministers and was present when she thank'd one of that quality for a Practical Book of Divinity which he had publish'd and had been put into her Hands This Consideration makes our Loss the greater because she is taken away who was so capable and willing to compose the unhappy Differences in Matters of Religion which she did lament and earnestly wish'd the removal of ' em Mr. Spademan 's Sermon preach'd at Rotterdam the Day of Her Majesty's Funeral 35. Those who never had themselves Experience of Want and Distress are tempted unto a neglect and disregard of the Miserable Most of the Great and Rich choose rather to lay out their Treasures on any Vanity than in Relieving the Destitute and Distress'd But this pious Queen was rich in this kind of good Works and did as willingly seek out Objects of her Charity as others do avoid ' em The Character which Solomon gives of a Vertuous Woman did most visibly belong to the deceas'd Queen Prov. 31.20 She stretched out her Hand to the Poor yea she reacheth forth both her Hands to the Needy And it might truly have been said of her what Job alledged as an Evidence of his Sincerity in the Service of God Job 29.13 15 16. The Blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caus'd the Widow's Heart to sing for Joy c. By such a Christian Practice this wise Queen laid up Treasure in Heaven Ibid. 36. Could we and those who were related to the late Queen be perswaded to walk in the Steps of her Faith and Piety we should reap more Advantage after her Death than we did in her Life 'T is a memorable Wonder that is related 2 Kings 12.21 How when a dead Man was cast into the Sepulchre of Elisha as soon as he touch'd the Bones of Elisha he revived and stood upon his feet We may hope that if the holy Example of the deceas'd Queen might touch our dead Souls they would be reviv'd and gain Spiritual Life Ibid. 37. She knew how dangerous an Instrument of the Devil Flattery is and how fatally her Station exposed her to it And she took care for nothing more than to secure herself against the danger of it I Shall never forget with what weight of Reason and sincerity of Concern I have sometimes heard this Great Queen represent the Dangers which Princes above all others are apt to run in this respect And with what Earnestness she has exhorted those about her to deliver to her the plainest Truths and with all Freedom to tell her if they had observed any thing amiss in her Conduct that she might amend it Dr. Wake 's Sermon preached at Grey's-Inn on the Occasion of the Queen's Death 38. She thought herself engag'd to labour not only her own particular but the Salvation of others You may know it you that by your Employments were design'd to her immediate Service have been so often corrected by her when over zealous for her and so negligent of God she would not admit of your Sedulities but when they were sanctifi'd by Prayer It behoves ye in the first place to serve God said she to ye that 's your first Duty I will have none of your Attendance but upon that Condition Mr. Claude's Sermon on the Queen's Death preach'd at the Hague 39. Never was Majesty better tempered with Easiness and Sweetness She knew how to be familiar without making herself cheap and to condescend without meanness She had all the Greatness of Majesty with all the Vertues of Conversation and knew very well what became her Table and what became the Council-Board She understood her Religion and loved it and practised it and was the greatest Example of the Age of a constant regular unaffected Devotion and of all the eminent Vertues of a Christian Life In the midst of all the Great Affairs of State she would rather spare time from her Sleep than from her Prayers where she always appeared with that great Composure and Seriousness of Mind as if her Court had been a Nunnery and she had nothing else to do in the World Dr. Sherlock 's Sermon preached at the Temple upon the sad Occasion of the Queen's Death 40. She was not wrought up to any Bigottry in unnecessary Opinions She was most conversant in Books of Practical Divinity of which some of the latest used by her were certain Sermons and some Discourses concerning
which God had given to the Grandeur of her Power We have seen Tears in her Eyes for sorrow that she could not do so much as she desir'd With what Goodness I will not say of a Princess and a Queen but of a Mother did she take particular Accompts and make particular Enquiries for the succour of poor Families Ibid. 81. 'T was this Charity that made her shut her Ears against Calumny and Backbiting Never durst any one speak ill of any Body before the Queen Neither Flattery nor Calumny two of the most dangerous Pests of Sovereign Courts durst never open their Mouths in her presence Slander was utterly banish'd from her sight and hearing Lord says David who shall abide in thy Tabernacle He that is pure in his Life whose Actions are just who speaks always according to Truth who slanders not his Neighbour and who lends not his Ear to the Backbiter This is then one more Encomium which it behoves us to give the Queen and which you who had the Honour to be near her Person knew that she most justly deserved Ibid. 82. There was something admirable in the Diligence of this excellent Queen and very extraordinary in a Person of her Sex her Age and Degree For she spent every Hour of the Day to profit and advantage She was wont to rise by Six a Clock in the Morning Winter and Summer far different from most People who covetous of many Things are so prodigal of that little time which is so burthensome to 'em that they seek always to waste it Ibid. 83. The Queen concern'd herself for all those who had quitted their Country for the sake of Religion Piety and the Glory of God which she had always before her Eyes made her continually wish That Persons who had shew'd their Zeal and Affection to the Service of God might do nothing but what became the Character of that Zeal which had inclin'd ' em Let us fulfil these Wishes so just and so Christian-like The incorruptible Crown of Glory shall not be given to him that begins but to him that perseveres Let us therefore labour our Zeal and Fervency while we may to the end we may find Grace and Mercy at the Day of our Death and that we may be made Partakers of that Bliss and Eternal Glory which now the Queen enjoys That Queen who because she was a Woman that truly feared the Lord deserves far greater Praises than we have been able to give her Ibid. 84. I remember one Day this pious and pensive Princess recalling to Mind her Father who had so lately Rul'd most flourishing Kingdoms but gone astray from that Faith whch the Laws of God and Man had establish'd ever since the Reign of Edward VI. the Josiah of his Age and which his Father and Grand-Father had subscrib'd to I remember I say that being admitted into her private Chappel after she had let fall a Showre of Tears she gave Thanks to God the Supream Parent of all Things who sometimes forsook the Sons and Grand-Children of Hero's sometimes in them supply'd what was wanting in their Parents correcting the Vice of Nature by the Benefit of Grace Which when I had confirmed by the examples of herself and her Great Grand-Father James the Son of unfortunate Mary and that it was done by the same Miracle of Grace as we daily see Nature produce Gold and Diamonds out of stony and craggy Mountains and sweet Juices out of bitter Roots I added by way of Consolation of her afflicted Piety that perhaps the Father of so many Tears and Sighs would not be lost in Heaven Ibid. 85. When first the News was brought of the inauspicious but certain Nuptials of James the Father with Mary of Modina by the Mediation of Lewis not only she together with Anne her Sister with a cast-down Countenance and watry Eyes receiv'd the Tidings attended with a Deluge of Tears which Doctor Thomas Doughty then Domestick Chaplain could by no means put a stop to but our Mary also after she somewhat alleviated her Sorrow with Weeping brake forth into these Expressions worthy to be engrav'd in Cedar However things fall out said she I hope we shall preserve immaculate to God our Faith and our Religion let all other things pass away which we shall look upon as of little consequence Ibid. 86. From these Exercises of her Youth she was called to greater and higher Things and to lay the Foundations of Empire and Council under the Conduct of William Henry Her Mind being capable of Great Things beyond her Sex she profited so well by the Company of so Great a Prince not only by his Instructions but by his Example that she was taught to Reign before she could know herself I will faithfully relate what I only heard my self and therefore can attest While she staid at the Hague after the Expedition for England expecting a Wind I was admitted to the Presence of the Royal Princess and found her turmoil'd with many Cares and deep Cogitations At what time she who was never wanting in any measure of Familiarity casting a propitious Look upon the Interpreters of the Holy bible deliver'd herself in these Expressions to me What a severe and cruel Necessity said she now lies upon me either to forsake a Father whom my Grand-Mother first ruin'd hence France the Author of our Parents Calamity or to forsake a Husband my Country nay God himself and my Soul my nearest and my dearest Pledge 'T is a cruel Necessity indeed Madam answer'd I but not to be avoided Heaven not enduring divided Duty nor divided Affections Heaven that has not only joyn'd you by an Eternal Tie to William but calls you to succour your labouring if not perishing Country the Church of God your Religion and these your Batavians over whole Necks the Sword or Bondage hang. You forsake a Father Madam 't is true but who first forsook himself Nature his Children Kingdoms Religion Laws his Word and the Hopes of his Subjects who departed himself from the Government that he might serve the Conveniences of those who under the pretence of false Religions measure all things Divine and Human by their own Advantages And when I added that she was called by the Voice of Heaven from a most delightful Ease to be the Companion of William in his Cares and Toyls and unless our Wishes fail'd us to the Government of one of the greatest Empires in the World I said the very Image of Modesty itself I govern a People and wield Scepters I who only learnt to handle next the Sacred Bible Books that either may instruct or recreate the Mind then to handle my Needle Pen or Pencil or to mind my Flowers Garden or whatever else belongs to my Family-Affairs or calls off our Sex from the Contagion of Idleness And therefore be not deceived in your Opinion continued she smiling as if the Prince by his Society had instructed me in the Arts of Peace and War 'T is true after hard
Hunting or wearied with continual Audiences or tir'd with incessant Cares for the Good of the Republick he comes to my Chamber about Supper-time upon this Condition that I should not tire him more with multiplicity of Questions but rather strive to recreate him over-coil'd and almost spent with pleasing Jests that might revive him with innocent Mirth Ibid. 87. William might justly exalt his single Mary above all the Wives of former Times then whom no Woman greater for her Courage more Religious in her Affection more amiable in her Countenance more modest in here Habit more affable in her Discourse or who with a more obedient readiness to serve her Royal Consort whether present or absent was more his Counsellor his Hands his Ears his Eyes and every-way more assistant to him And therefore the August William told his mournful Bishops and Grandees That Mary's outside was known to them but that her intrinsick and just Value was only known to himself Ibid. 88. Queen Mary lookt upon Piety to be the Compendium the Seasoning of all Vertues and the Support of Kingdoms and therefore Religion was always her first Care and her Supreme Law as it was also to her Glorious William And therefore it was the frequent Saying of those two August Princes That neither the Guards of Majesty the Councils of Princes Emperors Legions Cities Garrison Courage of their Leaders Well-disciplin'd and Veteran Armies nor the Sinews of War any thing avail'd to the Preservation of Sovereigns or their Subjects without God's assistance Ibid. 89. She was moderate in her Dress sparing in her Train but eager and humble in her Attention Who whenever she entred the Church-doors or happen'd to sneeze in the time of Divine Service impatiently brook'd the Bowings and Cringes of the Sycophant Croud professing That in the House of God the Distinction was the same of Meanest and Highest from the most Infinite Majesty Ibid. 90. The Queen being mov'd by the untimely Death of several Illustrious Women in her Court thought it high time more familiarly to converse with Death and meditate upon Eternity And that she might always have him in her Eye besides the Sacred Books which she turn'd over more frequently than ever Alexander did Homer's Iliads she applied herself to other Books no less familiar to her which taught the Art of Dying well more especially the Treatise upon that Subject or Charles Drelincourt which she confess'd to his Son then one of her Physicians That she had read above Seven times over Ibid. 91. How many Things could I say of the Earnest Desires of our pious Queen to see extinguished or as much as could be lessened the impious Divisions too deeply rooted but first sown by the wicked Emissaries of Rome to the Ruin of her Country How averse was she from the Severity of former times which decreed the Dissenters if not to be exterminated by the Sword yet to be routed out by Excommunications and macerated by Imprisonments Fines and Banishment for the only sake of their differing Discipline free from all other the least Stain or Pestilence of Heresie or false Doctrine And how earnestly has she wish'd in my hearing that saving to the Church of England and the Bishops their ancient Rights there might be a moderate way found to consolidate the common Safety of England and the Universal Church by the Union of all Parties all Offences being remov'd all Animosity being laid aside all Passion being moderated and whatsoever on either side savoured too much of Human Invention being utterly rejected Neither if we have any thing of Prophetick in us is all Hopes of such a Union cut off in the Loss of Mary while William still remains Ibid. 92. When this most Noble Senate interposed their kind Offices of Condolement for the Death of King Charles II. by which her Father came to the Sovereignty but upon which most dark and dismal Storms threatned the Kingdom the Church and the Reformed Religion she as she was never without all the Marks of Civility after she had answered the Messengr added these Expressions That it was the Will of God through whose Providence there was no reason to despair of the Publick Safety That the best Consolation in Affliction was a reliance upon God That there was a Threatning Cloud hung over her Father's Kingdoms but that he was able to bring forth a splendid and most acceptable Cloud out of the thickest Darkness Oh Mary a true Prophetess and Words a certain Augury of what was to come 'T is now about two Years since that the Fatal News reached the Ears of the best of Queens that News more especially doleful to our Merchants that so many Ships laden with rich Goods and wealthy Treasure bound for the Levant either through Perfidiousness or supine Negligence were either sunk or burnt or yielded up to the French which penetrated so deeply to the Heart of the compassionate Queen that she could not forbear watering her Royal Cheeks before all the Standers by with a Deluge of Tears nor did she only with her Tears bemoan the Losses of those who suffered after a more than ordinary manner but also testified her sympathizing in their Misery to the Widows and Orphans that were hardly able to bear up under so great a Calamity Nor shall I ever forget that cruel Hour when going to take my leave of the Princess returning to her Country I am call'd said she to my Husband to my Native Country to my Fellow-Citizens and whither Providence leads me I must follow But when I leave this Palace I leave the Seat of my Leisure my Tranquility and Delight And first shall my Right-Hand forget itself before I will ever forget this my Belgium after so many Proofs of the Affection and Judgment of this Republick Whose Losses added she without the least Commotion of Mind whose Misfortunes and Calamities and also whatever prosperous and joyful befals it I shall look upon as my own as long as I remember my self Ibid. 93. But here my Sorrow stops my Mouth and I must put an end at length to my most bitter Memorial of her Praises But wherefore do I say an End when dying she was so much above all Praises by how much the more she approached nearer to Heaven and Eternity Ibid. THE Wonders of Nature PART II. By WILLIAM TVRNER M. A. Vicar of WALBERTON in SUSSEX When I consider thy Heavens the Work of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Psal 8.3 4. LONDON Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in Jewen-Street MDCXCVII THE PREFACE TO THE Wonders of Nature THE Impression which the Almighty hath made upon the several Pieces of the Creation and diversity of Species Figures Lineaments Properties and Curiosity of Operation discernable in them is enough to amuse and puzzle the Reason of the most Ingenious and Gigantic Atheist in the World For can any Man in
Towns were destroyed by an Inundation of the Sea which carryed several Ships above 9 Miles into the Countrey and great numbers of People and Cattle were drowned there being found when the Water fell at one place near the Sea side above 5000 People dead and every day more were found so that no account could be given of their number 31. In 1688. a Dreadful Earthquake happened at Naples in Italy which was attended with the Rage and Roaring of Mount Vesuvius On Saturday June 5 about the 22th hour happened there a Terrible Earthquake thó it lasted not long which frightned the Inhabitants out of their Houses with the Terror of inevitable destruction they betook themselves to the Piaza's and open Publick places of the City there is scarce a Pallace or a House that has not received some considerable damage the next day there was another shook which threw down many of the Houses In The Neighbourhood of Vdico a City 16 Miles distant from hence a Mountain opened and we have an account it was all Ruined and that of 6000 Inhabitants there are but few left alive and great damages in several other places 32. In the same Year and Month we have a Dreadful Account of an Earthquake and Fire at Smyrna in a Letter from an English Gentleman at Constantinople dated July 8 1688. On June 30 Between 11 and 12 at Noon there happened at Smyrna a violent Earthquake which in a Minute threw down many and shattered all the Houses in the City it reached all the Adjacent parts and Metelone and Scio where it did but small hurt about 4 hours after a dreadful Fire broke out and consumed all the Town except the Skirts and the Houses on the side of the Hill the most moderate computation of People destroyed is 5000. 33. In December following several Earthquakes happened about Naples and Beneventum but without such infortunate Accidents which attended them some Months before nevertheless that accident being fresh in memory it is not to be imagined what a Consternation the People were in and how they fell to their Prayers in several Churches the Monks in those quarters made use of the opportunity to Preach that the end of the World was at hand and for that Reason endeavoured to give Alms but the People are not now to be imposed upon as formerly when they used such ways to rear such costly Foundations that are scattered over all Europe they resolved to keep what they had not finding the Monks to make better use of their Money then they themselves could do May not these dreadful shakings of the Earth seem plainly to presage those Convulsions that happened soon after and presignifie good as well as bad events not only the happy Revolutions in these three Kingdoms but also the horrid Ruins Devastations and Miseries which the Ambition and Barbarity of the French King has occasioned lately in Christendom and which do still continue 34. Dismal was the Calamity and Judgment which befel the Inhabitants of the Island of Jamaica in the West-Indies upon Tuesday June the 7th 1692 by a dreadful Earthquake about 11 a Clock in the Morning the Earth suffered a great Trepidation which in a Minutes time was such that several Houses began to tumble down and in 6 or 7 Minutes or a quarter of an hour at most made terrible Havock and Devastation it threw down almost all the Houses and Mountains and threw them into the Sea but Port-Royal had much the greatest share in this astonishing Judgment of God the Minister of that place relates that the same Morning he had been at Prayers in the Church which he never neglected to keep up some shew of Religion amongst a most ungodly and debauch'd People and was gone to a place near to the Church where the President of the Council was designing to Dine with one Captain Buden but his House upon the first Concussion sunk first into the Earth and then into the Sea with his Wife and Family and others that were to Dine with him the Minister staying some time with the President escaped the Danger Yet soon after they found the Ground rowling and moving under their Feet Sir says the Minister what 's this He replied very composedly It is an Earthquake be not afraid it will soon be over but it increased and they heard the Church and Tower fall upon which they ran to save themselves the Minister makes towards Morgan's Port which being a wide open place might be thought securest from falling Houses but as he came near he saw the Earth open and swallow up a Multitude of People and the Sea mounting over the Fortifications he then laid aside all thoughts of escaping resolving to make towards his own Lodgings where he found all all things safe he went to the Balcony to view the Street in which his House stood and saw never an House down there not the Ground so much as crackt the People desired him to come down and Pray with them he perswaded them to kneel down and make a large Ring which they did Pray'd with them near an Hour and after seriously exhorted them to Repentance the Earth working all the while with New Motions and trembled like the Rowling of the Sea insomuch that when he was at Prayer he could hardly keep himself when he came to the Sea he saw it had swallowed up the Wharf with all those goodly brick Houses upon it and two intire Streets beyond that he walked upon the Tops of some Houses which lay Level with the Surface of the Water from whence he got into a Canoo and then into a Long-boat which put him aboard a Ship called the Siam Merchant where he found the President safe They could not Sleep that Night for the return of the Earthquake almost every hour which made all the Guns in the Ship jar and rattle The shaking of the Earth still continued with Thunder and Lightning stormy and foul Weather The morning of this day was very fair and clear affording no suspicion of the least evil but in the space of 3 minutes about half an hour after 11 in the morning Port Royal the fairest Town of all the English Plantations was staken and shattered to pieces and sunk into and covered by the Sea as to the greatest part It is reckoned there were lost 1500 Persons From St. Anns there was News That above 1000 Acres of Wood-Land were turn'd into the Sea and carried with it whole Plantations but no place suffered like Port-Royal where whole Streets were swallowed up by the opening of the Earth and the Houses and Inhabitants went down together Some of them were driven up again by the Sea which arose in those Breaches and wonderfully escaped Some were swallowed up to the Neck and then the Earth shut on them and squeezed them to Death and in that manner several were left Buried with their Heads above-ground only some Heads the Dogs had eaten Great noises and bellowings were heard some time after in
are able to discourse with her in that way will communicate any Matter much more speedily and as full as can be by Speech and she to them her Children Sign from the Breast and learn to speak by their Eyes and Fingers sooner than by their Tongues She was from her Childhood naturally sober and susceptible of good civil Education but had no knowledge of a Deity or of any thing that doth concern another Life and World Yet God hath of his infinite Mercy reveal'd himself his Son and the great Mysteries of Salvation unto her by an extraordinary and wonderful working of his Spirit as 't is believed in a Saving Work of Conversion An Account of her Experiences was taken from her in writing by her Husband upon which she was examined by the Elders of the Church they imploying her Husband and two of her Sisters intelligent Persons and notably skill'd in her Artificial Language by whose help they attain'd good Satisfaction that she understandeth all the Principles of Religion Those of the Unity of the Divine Essence Trinity of Persons the Personal Union the Mystical Union they made most diligent Enquiry about and were satisfied that her Knowledge and Experience was distinct and sound and they hoped saving She was under great exercise of Spirit and most affectionately concern'd for and about her Soul her Spiritual and Eternal Estate She imparted her self to her Friends and expressed her desire of Help She made use of the Bible and other good Books and remarked such Places and Passages as suited her Condition and that with Tears She did once in her Exercise write with a Pin upon a Trencher three times over Ah poor Soul and therewithal burst out into Tears before divers of her Friends She hath been wont to enquire after the Text and when it hath been shewed to her to look and muse upon it She knoweth most if not all Persons Names that she hath Acquaintance with If Scripture Names will readily turn and point to them in the Bible It may be conceived that although she understands neither Words Letter nor Language yet she understands things Hieroglyphically The Letters and Words are unto her but signs of the things and as it were Hieroglyphicks She was very desirous of Church Communion in all Ordinances and was admitted with general and good satisfaction and hath approved her self to the best Observation a grave and gracious VVoman They both attend publick VVorship with much Reverence and Constancy and are very inoffensive and in divers respects exemplary in their Conversation Thus far is that Narrative written June 27. 1683. I suppose no one that rightly considers the Circumstances of this Relation will make a Scruple about the Lawfulness of admitting such Persons to participate in the Holy Mysteries of Christ's Kingdom All judicious Casuists determine that those who are either born or by any accident made Deaf and Dumb if their Conversation be blameless and they able by signs which are Analogous to Verbal Expressions to declare their Knowledge and Faith may as freely be received to the Lords Supper as any that shall orally make the like Profession Of this Judgment was Luther and Melancthon Gerhard Balduinus in his Cases of Conscience Lib. 2. Chap. 12. does confirm this by producing several Instances of Dumb Persons addmitted to the Communion It 's certain that some such have been made to understand the Mysteries of the Gospel so as to suffer Martyrdom on that account 4. In the Year 1620. One that was Deaf and Dumb being solicited by the Papists to be present at Mass chose rather to suffer Death It is a thing known that Men are able by Signs to discourse and to communicate their Sentiments one to another There are about thirty Mutes kept in the Ottoman Court for the Grand Seignior to sport with Concerning whom Mr. Ricaut reports pag 62. that they are able by Signs not only to signifie their Sence in familiar Questions but to recount Stories and understand the Fables of the Turkish Religion the Laws and Precepts of the Alcoran the Name of Mahomet and what else may be capable of being expressed by the Tongue This Language of the Mutes is so much in fashion in the Ottoman Court that almost every one can deliver his Sense in it And that Deaf Persons have been sometimes able to write and to understand what others say to them by the very motion of their Lips is most certain 5. Cammerarius tells us of a Young Man and a Maid then living in Noremburg who tho' Deaf and Dumb could Read and VVrite and Cypher and by the motion of a Mans Lips knew his meaning 6. Platerius speaketh of one Deaf and Dumb Born that yet could express his mind in a Table-Book and understand what others wrote therein and was wont to attend upon the Ministry of Oecolampadius understanding many things by the motion of the Lips of the Preacher 7. Mr. Clark in his Examples vol. 1. chap. 33. saith That there was a VVoman in Edenburge in Scotland her Name was Ceanet Lowes who being naturally Deaf and Dumb could understand what People said meerly by the moving of their Lips It is famously known that Mr. Crisp of London could do the like 8. Borellus giveth an Account of one that lost his Hearing by a violent Disease when he was five Years old yet if they did but whisper to him he could by their Lips perceive what they said 9. There is one now living or not many Years since was so in Silesia in whom that Disease of the Small-Pox caused a total Deafness who nevertheless by exact observing the motion of Mens Lips can understand what they say and if they do but whisper he perceives what they say better than if they Vociferate never so loudly He attends upon publick Sermons being able to give an Account of what is delivered provided that he may but see the Preacher speaking tho' he cannot hear a word It is consistent with Reason that Mutes should understand what others say by the motion of their Lips since it is evident that the Lips are of great use in framing Speech Hence Joh calls his Speech the moving of his Lips Chap. 16. ver 5. and we know that Tongueless Persons by the help of their Lips and other Organs of Speech have been able to Speak 10 Ecclesiastical Story informs us of several Confessors of the Truth who after their Tongues were cut out by bloody Persecutors could still bear witness to the Truth 11. Honorichius that cruel King of the Vandals caused the Tongues of many to be violently pluckt out of their Mouths who after that could speak as formerly only two of them when they became guilty of the Sin of Uncleanness were able to speak no more this has been Attested by three credible Witnesses who knew the Persons See Mr. Baxters Church History p. 130. 12. There is lately Published in Latin a very strange Relation of a Child in France his Name was Peter Durand who
Happiness Death and Judgment Arch-bishop Tenison 's Sermon preached at the Funeral of Her late Majesty 41. In this Princess Authority Majesty and Humility met together That dwelt in her to such a degree that in her Presence or within her Hearing the speaking of this which I have said or any thing like this would have been exceedingly offensive But the Justice of Nations gives those Praises to the Merit of good Princes which their own Modesty would not bear An ordinary Instance may suffice for the shewing her averseness not only to Flattery but to Praise Of a Book addressed to her she said She had read it and lik'd it well but much the better because the Epistle was a bare Dedication Ibid. 42. Her Graces and Vertues were not blemished by Vanity or Affection Had that been so she would scarce have made such a Profession as this a little before her Death I know said she what loose People think of those who pretend to Religion they think it is all Hypocrisie Let them think what they will I may now say and I thank God I can say it I have not affected to appear what I was not Ibid. 43. Seeing God had determin'd this good Queen must die the Christian Manner in which she went out of the World is in some sort an Alleviation of the Grief of those whom she has left behind her who have indeed Reason more than enough to mourn but yet not as Persons without hope Ibid. 44. I will not say that of this Affliction she had any formal Presage but yet there was something which look'd like an immediate Preparation for it I mean her choosing to hear read more than once a little before it the last Sermon of a Good and Learned Man now with God upon this Subject What! shall we receive Good from the Hand of God and shall we not receive Evil Job 2.10 Ibid. 45. She fix'd the Times of Prayers in that Chamber to which her Sickness had confin'd her On that very Day she shewed how sensible she was of Death and how little she fear'd it She required him who officiated there to add that Collect in the Communion of the Sick in which are these Words That whensoever the Soul shall depart from the Body it may be without Spot presented unto Thee I will said she have this Collect read twice every Day All have need to be put in mind of Death and Princes have as much as any Body else Ibid. 46. She seem'd neither to fear Death nor to covet Life There appear'd not the least Sign of Regret for the leaving of those Temporal Greatnesses which make so many of high Estate unwilling to die It was you may imagine high Satisfaction to hear her say a great many most Christian Things and this amongst them I believe I shall now soon die and I thank God I have from my Youth learned a true Doctrine that Repentance is not to be put off to a Death-bed Ibid. 47. On Thursday she prepared herself for the blessed Communion to which she had been no Stranger from the Fifteenth Year of her Age. She was much concern'd that she found herself in so Dozing a Condition so she expressed it To that she added Others had need to pray for me seeing I am so little able to pray for my self 48. When a Second Portion of a certain Draught was offer'd her she refus'd it saying I have but a little Time to live and I would spend it a better way Ibid. 49. In all these Afflictions the King was greatly afflicted how sensibly and yet how becomingly many saw but few have Skill enough to describe it I 'm satisfied I have not At last the Helps of Art and Prayers and Tears not prevailing a Quarter before One on Friday Morning after two or three small Strugglings of Nature and without such Agonies as in such Cases are common having like David serv'd her own Generation by the Will of God she fell on sleep Thus far Arch-bishop Tenison 50. Before the Queen had exceeded the Age of Childhood when in the midst of her Play she was imitating the Dutch March with her Hands upon the Cover of a Chest and was admonish'd not to mind the Dutch the King her Uncle's Enemy but on the other side France and the Dauthin were commended to her with a Divine and Prophetic Utterance she made answer I care not for France 't is Holland I desire Not many Words indeed but certainly Prognosticating and apparently then foretelling that fame Wedlock from Heaven conferr'd upon us and upon all Europe Dr. Perizonius 's Oration on the Queen in Holland 51. She had a greater Regard to the Dignity of those on whom she conferr'd her Bounty than to her own Fame in so fruitful a Field of Honour nor would she endure it should be spread abroad how many or who they were whom she supported by her Liberality Therefore she sate by herself and four times a Year alone in her Closet carefully computed what she had formerly determin'd to give to every one She view'd the Accompts of her Beneficence herself and distributed it from those Notes to several parts of the World by Letters written with her own Hand no Body being admitted to assist her in so Noble an Office because it was not her pleasure that any Body should be concern'd in the Testimony of her Conscience This was that which the ancient Stoics so studiously inculcated but very difficulty perswaded either others or themselves to observe That Vertue was to be desir'd for its own sake without any respect of Profit Praise or in hopes of great Advancement Ibid. 52. After the Expedition for England the Queen being tyr'd out with Grief and Mourning she order'd a Lady to be sent for of approved Probity and Illustrious Quality into whose Breast she might discharge the Sighs and Afflictions which then oppress'd her And then it was that she poured forth these Expressions sad indeed but worthy to be Engraven in Gold or carv'd in Cedar That if the only thing contended for were the Right which her Birth and the Laws of the Land had given her to the Inheritance of three Kingdoms she would never assent that it should be justify'd and recover'd by Arms from her Father but that she was over-rul'd by this Perswasion alone that the Laws of her Country and the Safety of the true Reformed Religion were in apparent danger Otherwise that she would reddily and patiently acquiesce and be satisfi'd with the Fortune which she had obtain'd in this Country with the Love and good Will of all Men which was dearer to her than a Kingdom And that she could not but extol the wonderful Goodness of God toward her that tho' she spent her brittle Years in a Court besieg'd with Vice and Impiety and tho' after the Death of her Mother she grew up under a Step-Dame and a Father devoted to the Church of Rome and were little minded by her Vncle yet she had so
well imbib'd the Principles of the true Religion in her Infant Years that by means thereof she attain'd to the profounder Knowledge of it by degrees and made out her way to Eternal Salvation Therefore she consented to that Expedition neither willingly nor gladly but after a long Hesitation and vanquish'd at length by the most weighty Reasons of Duty and Piety while she apparently saw that had she not taken upon her to support whatever is valuable among Publick Enjoyments and which no good Man will loose but his Life all things would have gone to Rack and Ruine in her Country through the Ill-management of a Father led away by the Councels of his Priests Ibid. 53. A quick and ready Wit and fit for Government was admir'd in her by a great Number of Illustrious Ambassadors from Foreign Nations to whom she always answer'd without any Hesitation wisely and gravely concerning Affairs of greatest moment Nor will Albeville himself if I am not mistaken deny this to be true by whom when her Father after Fame had spread abroad the Report of her Mother-in-Laws being with Child would needs have perswaded his Daughter that he had not intention to disturb the legal Order of Succession in England nor to abolish the receiv'd Ceremonies of the English Church but that it should be of equal prevalency with the Roman Catholick Worship both as to Publick Exercise and equal share of Authority she is said to have return'd this Answer That she thank'd her Father for designing nothing of Innovation in the settled Succession of the Kingdom tho' she were well assur'd that by the Laws of the Land nothing of Novelty could be introduc'd in that Affair In Matters of Religion she abhorr'd all Violence and Persecution yet 't was her Opinion That Dagon and the Ark would not agree so equally and lovingly together in the same place tho' she would not then determine which Party was Dagon or which the Ark. Ibid. 54. In the General Consternation in the Y ar Ninety as if she had nothing of Female but Form prudently and in a short time got clear of all Dangers being in many places at once present with her Body every-where with her Mind She view'd the Camps and muster'd the Soldiers like another British Boadicia Those that were suspected even her own and nearest Relations she sent to the Tower For she acknowledg'd no Relation that was an Enemy to the Publick Welfare The Sea-Captains who had fail'd in their Duty and deserted our Men struggling with Multitude and Adverse Fortune she sent for up to answer for their Misdemeanours the Sea-men maim'd and wounded in the Engagement she bountifully reliev'd and no less liberal to the Widows of the Slain she sent some Thousands of Pounds into this Land to be distributed among the Relicts of those that were kill'd She confirm'd the Minds of the English and encourag'd 'em by her own Example She fortifi'd the Ports and Entrances into the Kingdom she reinforc'd the Fleet wiht Men of War Lastly She provided against all ill Accidents with a Heroic Providence so that the Enemy neither durst pursue his Victory nor attempt to Land Ibid. 55. For the most part therefore she rose betimes in the Morning and before all things dedicate her first Exercises to God then she applied herself to the Reading of such Books by which our Minds are either excited to Piety or adorn'd and enrich'd with the Precepts of Wisdom Then she dispatch'd such Business as offer'd itself and courteously thô a trouble to her admitted the Visits of such as in Duty came to wait on her and those Ceremonies being over she heard the Petitions and Requests of all that came after which she exercis'd her Body by walking in the Garden at what time she convers'd with such Bishops or Divines as were most eminent for Piety and Learning and greedily fed her Ears with their Discourses In the Afternoon she delighted herself in the Company and Converse of her Husband if his more important Occasions or the Wars would permit her the Opportunity of his Presence Sometimes she visited Ladies of highest Quality or else repaid 'em their Civilities nor would she disdain at other times with the same Royal Hands that but now wielded the Scepter to work with her Needle At what time also that she might not leave the least Minute unimprov'd she ordered the History of some Nation or other to be read to her And this not only when she was so empoly'd but when she supp'd privately in her Bed-Chamber or when she could not sleep in the Night-time as I was told by a most Noble Lady that attended upon the Queen for Nine Years together and was acquainted with her whole Course of her Life and when she was in Waiting had frequently herself read to her Ibid. 56. King James the Father of Mary when he came to the Crown employ'd all his Cares and Thoughts and made it his Business to Repeal several Acts which his Ancestors had made for the Support of the Reform'd Religion more especially to abolish the Law which enacted the taking of the Test which abjur'd all Power and Authority which the Pope or any other Mortal claim'd or could claim either in Civil or Ecclesiastical Matters within the Kingdom Mary openly declar'd That she could not approve his Conduct nor assent to those who urg'd that the English might be absolv'd from the sanctity and observance of that Oath nor that any one for the future was to be forc'd to it The King inform'd of this order'd his Envoy then at the Hague to make it out to Mary and perswade her that she had a wrong Opinion induc'd thereto by false Reasons and Grounds of her Father's Intentions and Meaning in that particular The Envoy taking a fit Opportunity held the Queen in a long Discourse upon this Subject bringing not a few nor those vulgar Arguments out of Scripture many Testimonies out of the most Ancient and most Learned Fathers of the Church and more than one Reason from the Knowledge of Things which Nature has imprinted in our Minds When the Queen had attentively heard him she did not answer him with a Laconism she so readily and so smartly of a sudden took to pieces the Envoy's Discourse and his Arguments refured all his Reasons with so much Judgment that when the Envoy was dismissed by the Queen he could not forbear testifying and acknowledging in the publick Hall of the Court before a great many Persons of high Quality and Dignity that he could never have believ'd there had been a Woman in the World endued with so much Understanding of the Christian Doctrine and of the Opinions urged to her upon the several Heads of that Doctrine or that could defend what she thought with so much strength and weight of Reason and fortifie it with so strong a Guard against all Assaults of open Hostility or treacherous Insinuation He added moreover That he was perswaded that this Princess could be mov'd by no