forsake all my Sins I am willing to give Glory to God in taking Shame unto myself I acknowledge myself a guilty Malefactor and judge myself worthy of the just Condemnation of the Righteous Judge of all the Earth XV. I hope I am one whom God hath taken into Covenant with himself because he hath bestowed upon me the Fruits of the Covenant because he hath circumcised my Heart to love him and hath put his Fear into me and hath wrought an universal change in me and hath given me a new Heart and a new Spirit XVI As for my Affliction that lieth upon me though it be in itself very heavy I much more desire the sanctification of it than the removal I earnestly labour to learn all those Lessons which God teacheth me by Affliction XVII Faith is the Condition of Salvation Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved And this is his commandment that we should believe in his Son Jesus Christ. Now I find nothing so hard to me as to believe aright Yet I must and will give Glory to God and say Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Thus I have according to the Apostle's Exhortation endeavoured to give a Reason of the Hope that is in me Thus far Mr. Edm. Calamy 18. Mr. Albyn's Evidences for Heaven which take in his own Words viz. Some Observations upon my own Heart which I humbly hope are true Evidences of a Work of saving Grace and that my Soul has a real Interest in Jesus Christ and I desire to deal plainly sincerely and truly as in the presence of the Heart searching God in this great and weighty Work of Self-Examination humbly and heartily imploring the Grace and Assistance of God's most Holy Spirit therein 1. I desire every day to attain unto a most clear and distinct Knowledge of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost with all their Properties and Attributes and to have more high and reverend Thoughts of him and to be more enlarged in Thankfulness in Heart and Life for my Creation and Preservation but especially for my Redemption 2. I desire a true sanctified Knowledge of the whole Will of God and the full Latitude of every Commandment 3. I heartily desire and endeavour to yield constant and chearful Obedience to every one of his Commandments and particularly I endeavour to consecrate the Sabbath Day in the Service of God only and I embrace all opportunities besides that I conveniently may to hear the Word of God Preached and to Read and Meditate on it in private and I would not willingly omit any opportunity for coming to the Table of the Lord nor neglect Praying in my Family or alone in private in and by all which Ordinances 't is the unfeigned Desire of my Soul to enjoy true Spiritual Communion with God through Jesus Christ and that every Grace of God may by them be strengthened in me and evdry Sin and Lust mortified and though I do most miserably and sinfully miscarry in the Performance of every Holy Duty being continually haunted with many sinful Wandrings and Indispositions of Heart for which I unfeignedly humble my self 'twixt God and my own Soul confessing the same and Judging and Condemning my self for them in his Presence yet through the infinite Mercy and Bounty of my gracious God through Jesus Christ I feel and experimentally find some sensible Abatements of the one and a comfortable Addition to the Strength of the other 4. I do desire and in some poor Measure endeavour constantly to watch and observe the Actings and Motions of my own Heart and would not allow of any sinful Project or Design whatsoever to be contrived and harboured therein and am more careful to keep my Heart from contemplative Iniquity then to order my outward Actions to the Liking and Approbation of Men. 5. I desire to know the Duties of every one of my Relations and conscientiously to walk in all of them to Magistrates Ministers Parents Wife Children Servarts and all others and in reference to the present Distractions of our Land I humbly desire that the Lord would be pleased to set up such a Magistracy as I may with a good Conscience yield chearful Obedience to all its Lawful Commands and such under whom Religion may flourish the Power of Godliness be countenanced and the Government of Jesus Christ be erected and submitted unto for the Effecting whereof I pray that God would cast out the Spirit of Errour Prophaneness and Divisions that is almongst us 6. For the Duties of my particular Calling I desire faithfully to discharge the same and pray that God would give me such a Measure of Grace and true Heavenly Wisdom as that I may not be carryed away with Covetousness Ambition or Deceitfulness on the one hand nor with Pride Idleness or Presumption on the other but that I may conscientiously Labour diligently in my Calling so as to provide for my Family and that I may have to give to him that needeth Praying that I may be kept from all those Sins and Temptations that do attend my Calling at any time 7. I do often tho' with much Frailty and Weakness reflect on my own ways acknowledging before God and bewailing my own Miscarriages and beg Pardon for them and all my secret unknown Sins through the Merits of Jesus Christ and still desire the Lord to keep me from the Deceits of my own Heart and from all the Temptations I do or may meet with in reference to the Sins of the present evil Times And in my Judgment and Affections so far as I know my own Heart I would rather loose all my outward Comforts and Accommodations then sin against my God by a sinful Submission to any unlawful Injunctions for the Preservation thereof and pray thatas the Lord hath hitherto I hope in some good measure kept me so he would still preserve me upright in Heart before him and unspotted in Life before Men and that if I should be called thereunto he would give me Grace and Strength to make publick Profession of my Resolution to persevere in well doing and to keep close to my Duty whatsoever Sufferings I meet withal and that the carnal Reasoning of my corrupt Flesh and Blood which I find to be exceeding strong and often assaulting of me may never prevail over me to make me sin against my God on whose Promises I desire above all other things Grace to rest and commit my self to his gracious Providence to take care for me and mine rather then to use and sinful means to secure or provide for my self or them 8. In all Streights and Difficulties I meet with in my Calling and in all Hazards in my Estate by Sea or otherwise I first of all make my Addresses to the Throne of Grace for Strength and Courage to trust and relie upon the faithful Promises and gracious Providence of God and for Direction and Assistance for the conscientious using of all lawful Means for the managing of my
A COMPLEAT HISTORY Of the MOST Remarkable Providences BOTH OF Judgment and Mercy Which have Hapned in this PRESENT AGE EXTRACTED From the Best WRITERS the AUTHOR' 's own OBSERVATIONS and the Numerous RELATIONS sent him from divers Parts of the Three KINGDOMS To which is Added Whatever is Curious in the Works of Nature and Art THE Whole Digested into One VOLUME under Proper Heads being a Work set on Foot Thirty Years ago by the Reverend Mr. POOL Author of the SYNOPSIS CRITICORUM And since Undertaken and Finish'd By WILLIAM TVRNER M. A. Vicar of WALBERTON in SUSSEX Recommended as useful to Ministers in Furnishing Topicks of Reproof and Exhortation and to Private Christians for their Closets and Families One Generation shall praise thy Works to another and shall declare thy mighty Acts. Psal 145.4 LONDON Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Raven in Jewen-Street MDCXCVII TO THE Right Reverend FATHER in GOD JOHN Lord Bishop of Chichester My LORD THE Dedication of Books to some Worthy Persons seems to be very natural For tho' Men of Great Abilities and Fame may appear in the World without any such Patrons to make Way for their Admittance yet we that are in a Lower Sphere stand in need of a Person of Figure and Value to give some Countenance to such Undertakings 'T is to you My Lord I therefore make my Application whose Genius according to what I have heard and from that short Conversation I have had with you I judge suitable to the Toyl and Greatness of that Province you are called to Preside over This is a Work I acknowledge if faithfully Discharged may perhaps offend and exasperate some and if not impartially Executed the God of Heaven will be Displeased and your own Conscience be Disobliged But I come not here so much to be your Monitor as with this small Present a Token of my Spiritual Fealty to bid your Lordship Welcome into our Diocess Where I pray you may do much Good and enjoy many Good Days and at last in God's good time may be removed to a better place I am My LORD Your most Humble Obedient and Faithful Son WILLIAM TURNER TO THE Courteous Reader THE Work I have undertaken is so difficult and obnoxious to Doubt and Error so slippery and obscure that it must be confest by any Man of a solid Judgment that I have been bold to make an Adventure upon such a Subject But the Genius of it being so generally acknowledg'd it will admit of much Candour and Alleviation from all Men of an honest Principle and sober Understanding 'T is true I have scaled the Mountains and scrabbled above the Clouds and open'd a little the Curtains that hid and separated the Secrets of Heaven from Common View and sometimes likewise have dived into the profoundest Secrets and Depths of Nature and at a distance look'd into the Divine Councels and made Enquiry into the Affairs of the other World but with so much Modesty and so little Pragmaticalness that it will not be easie for any but a man of a contentious Spirit to find out Matter to accuse me of If there be any that will take upon him to be my Adversary I challenge him to outvy me and if he can as I question not but he may find out new Matter and a better Method I shall thank and commend him for his Industry But if Men can only pick out a single Paragraph or particular Circumstance and nibble at it with their Teeth and bawl loud with their Tongues and proceed no further 't is a poor Game for a Man of good Sence to play at But I hope this Book will not meet with any Reader of this Tribe But if it do I desire and entreat him to go on with my Observations to the end and put all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and strange Appearances of Providence Nature and Art into one Text and meditate seriously upon them and try to solve all the Difficulties of them and give us one more System of Philosophy that may give a full Satisfaction to Humane Reason in these Things to the World's end What I have done was undertaken with a Probity of Intention and managed with such a Competency or Portion and Pittance of Reason and Prudence as I was endowed with And no Man is answerable for more than he hath receiv'd I have been true and just to all Parties Jews and Gentiles and the Church of God to Protestants Papists Dissenters of all sorts so far as I know never daring wittingly and willingly to tell a Lye in the Cause of God or for Gods ◠Glory And no Body can in Justice tax me for Partiality in that Point for the Discourse must always suit with the Text and a History of Providence must be as extensive as the Subject itself And it is plain that the Divine Care and Government is spread over the whole Creation God commands his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall upon just and unjust and therefore I resolved at the first Enterprize of this Work Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agentur I 'll make no difference but speak Truth of all Men that the Sun shines upon and the Divine Providence is concern'd with Let those little Narrow-Soul'd Christians that appropriate their Faith and Charity to a Canton live in a little Corner of the World by themselves they are hardly worthy to enjoy the Benefit and Influence of an Universal Sun and Gospel and Government For my part I have long ago challeng'd the Epithet of Catholic so far as 't is lawful and commendable But else I protest against a real Heretic or Schismatic as unworthy of Catholic Favour and Communion As to the Work itself 't is of no dishonourable Original all the Historians that ever writ almost have given a Touch upon it both Ethnic and Christian many Christians have made Essays upon it but none more particularly that I know of than Mexico Camerarius Pontanus Delrio Dr. Beard Dr. Tho. Tailour Mr. Clark Mr. Mather c. And of late in our own Church and Nation Dr. More Mr. Glanvile and Mr. Baxter c. I have tried what I could to comprize the Substance of all in a little room and given my Reader the Extract of my Collections here in one Volume and to them have added my own Observations and other Relations never before in Print For which I stand Indebted and Obliged to several Friends and some worthy Personages who have given in their fresh Informations and Encouragements to this Undertaking from divers Parts of the Three Kingdoms A Work of this Nature was set on Foot about Thirty Years ago by Mr. Pool Author of the Synopsis Criticorum but or what Reason I know not it was laid aside and nothing has since appeared on that Subject but a small Essay written by Mr. Increase Mather Rector of Harvard Colledge in New-England to invite some others to go on with the Work and finding that 't was not attempted by
Garden the Devil appeared to him in the shape of a Black Boar but he slighted him and so the Demon Vanished away Another time as he was sitting in a certain place on his Stool there was a great stone over his head in the Vault which being stayed up Miraculously whilst he Sate there so soon as he was up immediately it fell upon the place where he Sate being sufficient to have crushed him in pieces if it had light upon him Clark's marrow of Eccl. Hist p. 145. And again a young Man about Wittemberg being kept bare and needy by his Father was tempted by the Devil to give himself to him upon condition to have his wish satisfied with mony and thereupon an Obligation was made by the young Man VVritten with his own Blood and delivered to the Devil But presently after he began to decay in his Health so that the thing being suspected he was brought before Luther and Examined who at last made confession of the whole matter upon which Luther calling the whole Congregation together where he Prayed with so much Earnestness and Affection that the Devil was at last compelled to throw in his Obligation at the VVindow Ibid. 11. It is credibly reported that the Devil in the likeness of a faithful Ministers at St. Ives near Bosâ—on in Lincolnshire came to one that was in trouble of Mind telling her the longer she lived the worse it would be for her and therefore advising her to Self-murder An eminent Person still living had the Account of this matter from Mr. Cotton the Famous Teacher of both Bosâ—ons He was well acquainted with that Minister who related to him the whole Story with all the Circumstances of it For Mr. Cotton was so affected with the Report as to take a Journey on purpose to the Town where this happened that so he might obtain a satisfactory Account about it which he did Some Authors say that a Doemon appeared in the form of Sylvanus Hierom's Friend attempting a dishonest thing the Devil thereby designing to blast the Reputation of a Famous Bishop 12. Melancthon in his Epistle to Hubert Languetus saith Twelve years ago there was a VVoman in Saxony that never Learnt Letters and yet when she was Acted by the Devil after Torment she spake Greek and Latin of the future Saxon VVar. Sixteen years ago there was in that Market a Girl that when she pulled Hairs from Cloaths they were turn'd into Mark-mony which the Girl devoured with long and loud Gnashing of Teeth and those Figures or Shapes of Money sometimes suddenly snatcht out of her Hands were true Money which are yet kept by some and after the Girl felt great Torment But she was delivered from all that Disease after some Months and yet liveth in Health But frequent Prayers of Godly Persons were made for her and other Ceremonies were purposely then omitted Thus Melancthon Epist l. 2. p. 550 551. 2. In Modern times we have a Multitude of Instances as 1. John Winnick of Molseworth in Huntingtonshire being Examined April 11. 1646. Confessed as follows having lost him Purse with Seven Shillings in it for which he suspected one in the Family where he Lived he saith that on a Friday while he was making Hay-bottles in the Barn and Swore and Curs'd and Rag'd and wisht to himself that some wise Body would help him to his Purse and Money again there appeared unto him a Spirit in the shape of a Bear but not so big as a Coney who promised upon condition that he would fall down and Worship him he would help him to his Purse He assented to it and the Spirit told him to Morrow about this time he should find his Purse upon the floor where he made Bottles and that he would then come himself also which was done accordly And thus at the time appointed recovering his Purse he fell down upon his knees to the Spirit and said My Lord and my God I thank you This Spirit brought then with him two others in the shape the one of a white Cat the other of a Coney which at the command of the Bear-Spirit he Worshipped also The Bear Spirit told him he must have his Soul when he dyed that he must suck of his Body that he must have some of his Blood of seal the Covenant To all which he agreed and so the Bear Spirit leaping up to his shoulder pricked him on the head and thence took Blood After that they all three Vanished but ever since came to him once every twenty four hours and sucked on his Body where the Marks are found And that they had continually done thus for this twenty nine years together That all these things should be a meer Dream is a conceit more slight and foolish then any Dream possibly can be For that receiving of his purse was a palpable and sensible pledge of the truth of all the rest And it is incredible that such a series of Circumstances backed with Twenty Nine years Experience of being sucked and visited daily sometimes in the day time most commonly by Night by the same three Familiars should be nothing but the hanging together of so many Melancholy Conceits and Fancies More 's Antid against Atheism l. 3. c. 6. 2. To that of John Winnick it will not be amiss to add a more late and more notable Narration concerning one Ann Bodenham a Witch who Lived in Fisherton-Anger adjacent to the City of New Sarum in the County of Wilts who was Arraigned and Executed at Salisbury 1653. He that has a mind to read the Story more at large he may consult Edmond Bower But I shall onely set down here what is most material to our present purpose partly out of him and partly from others who were then at the Assizes and had private Conference with the Witch and spoke also with the Maid that gave evidence against her This Ann Bodenham it seems concealed not her skill in foretelling things to come and helping Men to their stolen Goods and other such like feats that the more notable sort of Wizards and Witches are said to pretend to and to practise Amongst others that resorted to her there was one Ann Styles Servant to Rich. Goddard Esq of the Close in New Sarum sent by Mr. Mason this Goddard's Son in Law he having a design to commence a Law-suit against his Father to Learn of the Witch what would be the event of the Suit Who being asked by the Maid who had three Shillings to give her for her pains she took her Staff and there drew it about the House making a kind of a Circle and then took a Book and carrying it over the Circle with her hands and taking a green Glass did lay it upon the Book and placed in the Circle an Earthen Pan of Coals wherein she threw something which burning caused a very noisome stink and told the Maid she should not be afraid of what she should then see for now they would come they are the
first place I cast mine Eyes upon was that Famous Text John 1.1 In the Beginning was the Word c. I read part of the Chapter and was suddenly convinced that the Divinity of the Argument and Majesty and Author of the Writing did exceedingly go beyond the Eloquence of all humane Writings My Body trembled my Mind was Astonished and I was so affected all that day that I knew not where I was or what I did Thou wast mindful of me O my God according to the Multitude of thy mercies and calledâ—st home thy lost sheep into thy Fold Ibid. p. 117. 16. The Lord was pleased sweetly to unlock Mr John Januways â—art by the exemplary Life and Heavenly and Powerful discourse of a young Man in the Colledge whose heart God had inflamed with Love to his Soul he quickly made an attempt upon this hopeful Young Man and the Spirit of God did set home his Counsels with such Power that they proved effectual for his awakening being accompanied with the Preaching of these two Famous Worthies Dr. Hill and Dr. Arrowsmith together with the reading of several parts of Mr. Baxter's Saints Everlasting Rest Now a mighty alteration might easily be discerned in him he quickly looks quite another Man He is now so much taken up with things above the Moon and Stars that he had little leisure to think of these things only as they pointed higher See his Life 17. Whilst Mr. Robert Bolton was a Student in Oxford he had familiar Acquaintance with one Mr. Anderton a good Schollar but a Papist yea a Priest He taking notice of Mr. Boltons Excellent parts and outward wants took the advantage to perswade him to go over with him to the English Seminary in Rome where he should be furnished with all necessaries and have Gold enough This motion Mr. Bolton accepted of and a day and place was appointed where in Lancashire their County they should take Shipping and be gone Thither Mr. Bolton repaired at the time appointed but Anderton came not Mr. Bolton having escaped the Snare returned to Oxford where he fell into the Acquaintance of Holy Mr. Peacock by whose means it pleased God to bring him to a sight of his Sins and to unfeigned Repentance for the same but by such a way as God seldom uses For he ran upon him as if a Giant had taken him by the Neck and shaken him to pieces laying before him the dreadful Prospect of his Sins which lay so heavy upon him that he reared for anguish of heart and oft rose out of his Bed in the Night through the disquietness of his Spirit Was assaulted with great and foul Temptations horribilia de Deo Terribilia de fide the Buffetings of Satan and thus continued for many Months till at last his grievous pangs in his New Birth produced two admirable effects in him First an invinceable courage in the cause of God Secondly a singular dexterity in comforting the afflicted Consciences Ibid. 18. Galiacious being a Noble Spaniard however of Noble Birth and Living in Naples was perswaded by his Kinsman John Francis Caeserte to hear Peter Martyr then a publick Preacher in the City of Naples was content for once to do it more out of Curiosity then a desire to Learn Peter Martyr at that time was showing out of 1 Cor. 2.14 The Weakness and Deceitfulness of the Judgment of Mans Reason in Spiritual things and the Power and Efficacy of Gods Word in those Persons in whom the Lord works by his Holy Spirit which he illustrated by this Comparison If a Man said he should see Men and Women Dancing together a far off and hear no Instrument he would Judge them Mad or Foolish But if he come near and hear the Musick and marks their measures and motions answerable thereunto he will then not only delight to see them but feel a desire in himself to bear them Company Even so many Men when they behold in others a sudden and great change of their Look Apparel Behaviour and whole course of Life at first they will impute it to Melancholy or some Foolish humour But if they look nearer and begin to hear and perceive the sweet harmony and consort of Gods Spirit and Word in them then they change their Opinions and begin first to like them and that Alteration in them and afterwards feel in themselves a desire to imitate and to be of the Number of such Men who forsaking the Worlds Vanities walk according to the Rule of the Gospel that they may come to true and sound sanctification This comparison by the Grace of God wrote wonderfully upon Galiacious insomuch as from that hour he resolved to forsake his former Pleasures and Practices and wholly set himself to seek out true happiness Ibid. 19. In the Reign of Queen Mary whilst Dr. Sands afterwards Arch-Bishop of York and Mr. Bradford were Prisoners in the Tower there was one Bowler a perverse Papist that was their Keeper who used them very Churlishly but by their loving and astable Carriage and Conversation he at last began to mislike Popery and to favour the Gospel yea he was so far at last wrought upon that on a Sabbath-Day when others went to Mass he carried up a Service Book a Manchet and some Wine at which time Dr. Sands Administred the Sacrament to Mr. Bradford and him And so Bowler became their Son begotten in their Bonds See the Life of Dr. Sands at the end of my Martyrol Ibid. 20. Matthias Vessinbechius a Lawyer Student at Lovain coverted by seeing the sufferings of a Poor Godly Man of that place Ex. Melch. Ad. 21. The Father of a Prodigal left as his Death-Bed-Charge to his onely Son to spend a quarter of an hour every day in retired thinking His Son did so and at last began to think of Religion When this once seized upon his thoughts his meditations encreased so he became sleepless that Night afterwards restless and at last Religious See a larger Account of this in Dr. Anneslys Sermon of Conscience Publisht in the Morning exercise at Cripple-gate 22. About the Year 1556. In the Town of Weissenstein in Germany a Jew for Theft that he had committed was Condemned in this cruel manner to be Executed He was hanged by the Feet with his Head downwards betwixt two Dogs which constantly snatcht and bit at him The strangeness of the Torment moved Jacobus Andreas a Grave and Learned Divine to go to behold it Coming thither he found the poor wretch as he hung repeating Verses out of the Hebrew Psalms wherein he cryed out to God for Mercy Andreas hereupon took occasion to counsel him to trust in Jesus Christ the true Saviour of Mankind The Jew embracing the Christian Faith requested but this one thing that he might be taken down and be Baptized tho presently after he were hanged again but by the Neck as Christian Malefactors suffered which was accordingly granted to him Mel. Adam invit Ja. Andr. 23. Johannes Isaac a Jew was converted
him so well as that which hath the deepest Tincture of Malice in it and brings most Dishonour to God and most Vnhappiness to Mankind And therefore it is that tho' he plays sometimes at Push-pin and small Games the lessening of Peoples Estates blotting their Reputation and the like yet his principal aim is still to do most Mischief to the best part of Man his Soul as is too gross and evident to need any Descant or Example yet for Method's-sake observe these following Particulars 1. Dr. J. Templar gave this following Discourse in a Letter to a Friend of is concerning one Robert Churchman of Balsham near Cambridge SIR YOur desire to be acquainted with some Passages concerning the Quakers in this town obligeth me to give you the following Account At my first Settlement here I found them very busie in enticing my People to a compliance with their Perswasions in Religion This Design they did attempt to accomplish by dispersing their Papers among them Two of my Parishioners I had a particular Eye upon namely Robert Churchman and his Wife they being Persons of a very good Life and of a plentiful Estate I was under a fear that their Departure from the Church might be a means to induce others to the same Practice The first in many Discourses I had with him did manifest a very strong Inclination to the Principles of the Quakers The second was so far engaged that the Quakers did commonly report that a Principle was wrought in her As I was one Day in Conference with the said Robert Churchman I desired him that when any of their Books came to his Hand he would do me the kindness to bring them to me that we might read them over together assuring him of no unwillingness in me to hearken to 〈◊〉 soever should appear reasonable What I desired he performed not long after When I had received the Paper into my hand before I began to read I suggested to him That it would be convenient that the Person who had been the cause of his Seducement should be sent for and hear what was replied to the Contents which he willingly consented to When the Quaker was come one Branch of our Discourse was Whether the Scripture is to be owned as a Rule which the Quaker denied asserting That the Rule was within them After the Expence of two or three Hours in Discourse about this and other Matters I desired Robert Churchman to take Notice that the Quakers did not own the Scriptures for their Rule which before this Conference I and intimated to him but found him unwilling to believe It pleased God so far to bless what was spoken that the next time he met his Brother Thomas Churchman he told him of what had passed at my House and that now he was assured that the Quakers did not acknowledge the Scripture for their Rule and for his part he would not be of that Religion which doth disown the Scripture in that particular Not long after the Wife of the fore-mentioned Quaker coming to his House to visit his Wife he met her at the Door and told her she should not come in intimating that her Visit would make Division betwixt them After some Parley the Quaker's Wife spake unto him in these Words Thou wilt not believe except thou see a Sign and thou mayest see some such Within a few Nights after Robert Churchman had a violent Storm upon the Room where he lay when it was very calm in all other parts of the Town and a Voice within him as he was in Bed spake to him and bid him Sing Praises sing Praises telling him that he should see the Glory of the New Jerusalem about which time a glimmering Light appeared all about the Room Toward the Morning the Voice commanded him to go out of his Bed naked with his Wife and Children They all standing upon the Floor the Spirit making use of his Tongue bid them to lie down and put their Mouths in the Dust which they did accordingly It likewise commanded him to go and call his Brother and Sister that they might see the New Jerusalem to whom he went naked about half a Mile When he had delivered his Message that which spake within him charged them to denounce Wrath against them and declare that Fire and Brimstone would fall upon them as it did upon Sodom and Gomorrah if they did not obey and so he returned to his own House where upon the Floor of a low Room he stood naked about three or four Hours All that while he was acted in a very unusual manner sometimes the Spirit within him forced him to sing sometimes to bark like a Dog When his Brother and Sister who followed him were very importunate with him to resist it it bid him to kill them making use of these words These my Enemies which would not that I should Reign over them bring them and slay them before my Face It made him to utter with great readiness many places in Scripture which he had no knowledge of before The Drift of what was spoken was to perswade him to comply with the Quakers and it named some which live in the Neighbouring Towns About three or sour Hours being thus spent he came to himself and was able to give a perfect Account of what had befallen him Several Nights after the same Trouble returned upon him His Wife was tortured with extraordinary Pains the Children which lay in the room complained That their Mouths were stopt with Wool as they were in Bed The Disturbance was so great that he had Thoughts of leaving his House for a time and made it his Desire to be with me at mine I prevailed with him not to be so sudden in his Removal but to make some further Trial. It pleased God upon a Continuance with him in Prayer every Day in the House that he was at last perfectly free from all molestation The Quaker hearing of his Condition gave it out that the Power of God would come upon him again and that the Wound was but skinned over by the Priest Which made me the more importunate with him to keep close to the Publick Service of God and to have nothing to do with them or their Writings Which Direction he followed 'till November 1661 and then perusing one of their Books a little after upon the Tenth Day of that Month his Troubles returned A Voice within him began to speak with him after the former manner The First Sentence which it uttered was Cease thou from Man whose Breath is in his Nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted The Design which he discerned that it did aim at was to take him off from coming to the Church where he had been that Day and from hearing the Word of God It suggested several other Scriptures in order to the perswading of him to a compliance with the Quakers and told him That it would strive with him as the Angel did with Jacob until the Breaking of
He hath done it already Brother And to one that had been helpful to him in his Sickness The God that made you and bought you with a great Price Redeem your Body and Soul unto himself Which were his last words Decemb. 23. 1652. aged 68. Ibid. p. 229. 94. Dr. Will. Gouge after three days illness complained Alas I have lost three days And to a Friend visiting him I am willing to die having I bless God nothing to do but to die And to his Sister being afraid to leave him alone Why Sister said he I shall I am sure be with Christ when I die Which he did Decemb. 12. 1653. aged 79. Ibid. p. 246. 95. Mr. Tho. Gataker gave this his last Charge to his Relations Sister Son Daughter c. My heart fails and my strength fails but God is my Fortress and the strong Rock of my Salvation into thy hands therefore I commend my Soul for thou hast redeemed me O God of Truth Son you have a great Charge look to it Instruct your Wife and Family in the fear of God and discharge your Ministry conscientiously To his Sister two Years older than himself he said Sister I thought you might have gone before me but God calls for me first I hope we shall meet in Heaven I pray God to bless you He admonished his Daughter to mind the World less and God more for that all things without Piety and the true fear of God are nothing worth Advising his Son Draper to Entertain some Pious Minister in his House to teach his Children and instruct his Family exhorting them all to Love and Unity And then commanded them all to withdraw He died July 27. 1654. aged near 80. Ibid. p. 259. 96. Mr. Bolton dying told his Children That none of them should dare think to meet him at God's Tribunal in an unregenerate Estate And when some of his Parish desired him to express what he felt in his Soul of the exceeding Comforts that are in Christ answered I am by the wonderful Mercy of God as full of Comfort as my heart can hold and feel nothing in my Soul but Christ with whom I heartily desire to be And looking upon some that were weeping said Oh what a deal of do there is ere one can die Chetwind's Collections 97. Mr. Whitaker Do not complain but bless God for me and entreat him to open the Prison-door He died 1654. aged 55. Ibid. p. 272. 98. Mr. Rich. Capel Sept. 21. 1656. preached twice taking his leave of the World by pressing Faith in God That Evening he repeated both his Sermons in his Family read his Chapter went to Prayer and so to Bed and died immediately Sept. 21. 1656. He often said That if God saw fit one had better die of a quick than lingring Death Ibid. p. 313. 99. Mr. Jessey the last Night he lived cried out Oh the unspeakable Love of God! Oh the vilest Oh the vilest that he should reach me when I could not reach him And then rehearsing over and over Blessed be that ever ever ever Blessed and Glorious Majesty And when a Cordial appointed for him was brought Trouble me not upon your own Peril trouble me not Then shewing his care for the Poor Widows and Fatherless and desiring Prayers and afterwards repeating Acts 2.27 and calling for more Julip more Julip meaning more Scriptures by and by he sang this Hymn Jerusalem my heart's Delight I come I come to thee Then shall my sorrows have an end When I thy Joys shall see Then often repeating those words Praises for ever Amen Amen Praises to the Amen for ever and ever Amen After a while he fell asleep Sept. 4. 1663. aged 63. Mr. Collier in his Life and Death p. 94. 100. Mr. Brand thus Oh! my God my God what is sinful Man Worm-man what manner of Love is this Love indeed O I cannot express it Oh! let me be with thee with thee O my God! Oh! I long for Heaven Oh! welcome Death Oh! happy Death that will put an end to all my Troubles and Afflictions one Moment in Abraham's Bosom will make amends for all turn Sorrow to Joy What a dreadful Appearance will there be at the Great Day what a sad thing to be disappointed and come short of Heaven O my Redeemer liveth I have served a good Master I would not desire Life for a Moment unless to promote the Interest of Christ If God would give me my choice what I would ask I would not ask Life Nay I have prayed to God that I might die Why so said a by-stander That I may be said he with God! O my God I would come to thee Let me live with Thee As he was going to Bed with much concernedness of Mind he said There will be a Cry at Midnight Prepare Prepare Which came to pass accordingly for after going to Bed he was taken with a Vomiting of Blood and after that died Dr. Annesly in his Life 101. Mr. John Janeway for the latter part of his Life he lived like a Man that was quite weary of the World and that looked upon himself as a stranger here and that lived in the constant sight of a better World He plainly declared himself but a Pilgrim that looked for a better Country a City that had Foundations whose builder and maker was God His Habit his Language his Deportment all spoke him one of another World His Meditations were so intense long and frequent that they ripened him apace for Heaven but somewhat weakned his Body Few Christians attain to such a holy contempt of the World and to such clear believing joyful constant Apprehensions of the transcendent Glories of the unseen World On his Death-bed he thus express'd himself O help me to Praise God I have now nothing else to do I have done with Prayer and all other Ordinances I have almost done conversing with Mortals I shall presently be beholding Christ himself that died for me and loved me and washed me in his Blood I shall before a few hours are over be in Eternity singing the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb. I shall presently stand upon Mount Zion with an innumerable company of Angels and the Spirits of the Just made perfect and Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant I shall hear the voice of much People and be one amongst them which shall say Hallelujah Salvation Glory Honour and Power unto the Lord our God and again we shall say Hallelujah And yet a very little while and I shall sing unto the Lamb a Song of Praise saying Worthy art thou to receive Praise who wert slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall Reign with thee for ever and ever Methinks I stand as it were with one Foot in Heaven and the other upon Earth methinks I hear the Melody of Heaven and by Faith I see the Angels waiting
the promised Land Methinks I hear God saying to me as to Moses Go up to Mount Nebo and die there so Go thou up to Tower-Hill and die there Isaac said of himself That he was Old and yet did not know the day of his Death But I cannot say thus I am Young and yet I know the Day the Kind and the Place of my Death also It is such a kind of Death as two Famous Preachers of the Gospel John the Baptist and Paul the Apostle were put to before me we have mention of the one in Scripture-Story of the other in Ecclesiastical History And Rev. 20.4 The Saints were Beheaded for the Word of God and for the Testimony of Jesus But herein is the disadvantage which I am in in the thoughts of many who judge that I Suffer not for the Word or Conscience but for meddling with State-matters To this I shall briefly say that it is an old Guise of the Devil to impute the cause of God's Peoples Sufferings to be Contrivements against the State The Rulers of Israel would put Jeremiah to death upon a civil Account tho' it was the Truth of his Prophecy made them angry because he fell away to the Chaldeans So Paul must die as a Mover of Sedition The same thing is laid to my Charge whereas indeed it is because I pursue my Covenant and will not prostitute my Principles to the Lusts of Men. Beloved I am this Day to make a double Exchange I am exchanging a Pulpit for a Scaffold and a Scaffold for a Throne and I might add a third I am changing this numerous Multitude upon Tower-hill for the innumerable Company of Angels in the Holy Hill of Sion and I am changing a Guard of Soldiers for a Guard of Angels which will receive and carry me into Abraham's Bosom This Scaffold is the best Pulpit I ever preached in God through his Grace made me an Instrument to bring others to Heaven but in this he will bring me to Heaven and it may be this Speech upon a Scaffold may bring God more Glory than many Sermons in a Pulpit Before I lay down my Neck upon the Block I shall lay open my Case and that without Animosity or Revenge God is my Record whom I serve in the Spirit I speak the Truth I Lye not I do not bring a Revengeful Heart unto the Scaffold this Day Before I came here I did upon my bended Knees beg Mercy for them that denied Mercy to me I have forgiven from my Heart the worst Enemy I have in the World and this is the worst I wish to my Accusers and Prosecutors who have pursued my Blood that I might meet their Souls in Heaven I have no more to say but to desire the Help of all your Prayers that God would give me the Continuance and Supply of Divine Grace to carry me through this great Work I am now to do that I who am to do a Work I never did may I have a Strength that I never had that I may put off this Body with as much Quietness and Comfort of Mind as ever I put off my Cloaths to go to Bed And now I am to commend my Soul to God and to receive my fatal Blow I am comforted in this Tho' Men kill me they cannot damn me and tho' they thrust me out of the World yet they cannot shut me out of Heaven I am now going to my Long Home to my Father's House to the Heavenly Jerusalem to the innumerable Company of Angels to Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant to the Spirits of Just Men made perfect to God the Judge of all in whose Presence there is Fulness of Joy and at whose Right Hand there are Pleasures for evermore Then he kneeled down and made a short Prayer privately Then after rising up he said Blessed be God I am full of Joy and Peace in believing I lie down with a world of Comfort And then saying The Lord bless you he lay down with his Head over the Block and when he stretched out his Hands the Executioner did his Office 118. The Last Speech of Sir Walter Rawleigh MY Honourable Lords and the rest of my good Friends that are come to see me die know That I much rejoyce that it hath pleased God to bring me from Darkness to Light and in freeing me from the Tower wherein I might have died in Disgrace by letting me live to come to this Place where tho' I lose my Life yet shall I clear some false Accusations unjustly laid to my Charge and leave behind me a Testimony of a true Heart both to my King and Country Two things there are which have exceedingly possess'd and provoked His Majesty's Indignation against me viz. A Confederacy or Combination with France and disloyal and disobedient Words of my Prince For the first His Majesty had some Cause though grounded upon a weak Foundation to suspect mine Inclination to the French Faction for not long before my Departure from England the French Agent took occasion passing by my House to visit me We had some Conference during the time of his abode only concerning my Voyage and nothing else I take God to witness Another Suspicion is had of me because I did labour to make an Escape from Plimouth to France I cannot deny but that willingly when I heard a Rumour that there was no hope of my Life upon my Return to London I would have escaped for the Safeguard of my Life and not for any ill Intent or Conspiracy against the State The like Reason of Suspicion arose in that I perswaded Sir Lewis Steukly my Guardian to flee with me from London to France but my Answer to this is as to the other that only for my Safegard and nough else was my Intent as I shall answer before the Almighty It is alledged That I feigned my self Sick and by Art made my Body full of Blisters when I was at Salisbury True it is I did so the Reason was because I hoped thereby to deferr my cooming before the King and Council and so by delaying might have gained time to have got my Pardon I have an Example out of Scripture for my Warrant that in case of Necessity and for the Safeguard of his Life David feigned himself Foolish and Mad yet it was not imputed to him for Sin Concerning the second Imputation laid to my Charge That I should speak Scandalous and Reproachful Words of my Prince there is no Witness against me but only one and he a Chymical Frenchman whom I entertained rather for his Jests than Judgment This Man to incroach himself into the Favour of the Lords and gaping after some great Reward hath falsly accused me of Seditious Speeches against His Majesty against whom if I did either speak or think a Thought hurtful or prejudicial Lord blot me out of the Book of Life It is not a time to Flatter or Fear Princes for I am a Subject to none but Death
imagine that there hath been nothing omitted to induce her to discover her pretended Accomplices But she hath still answered all these Interrogatives with so much Justness and Discretion and with so many marks of Sincerity That the most able Advocate in the Kingdom could not form a better Reply after fifteen days study upon the Interrogatives These are the very words of our Relations and of the Offices of Justice that have examined her She answered to every thing they ask'd her with very good sense and not without quickness of Wit she renders a Reason for her Faith and easily confounds all such as come to Pose her with Questions She hath been removed from Place to Place first to Crét then to the Hospital at Grenoble In all which Places she continues to fall into her Trances and to Discourse in her Fits They have shaved her Head and taken away all the Cloaths and Linen she had pretending she might have some Charm hid somewhere about her Nay some Priests came and exorcised her with Holy-Water as tho' she had been possessed with some Evil Spirit But to no purpose at all she is still the same Sometimes they have given way to some of the New Converts to approach her in the Day-time while she was in Prison or in the Hospital at Grenoble But they would never give leave to any of them to pass the Night in her Company nor to be Witness of what she said when she fell into her Ecstasie The last Letters say That the Rage of the false Devotees was so great against her that she could not be thought secure of her Life but for certain Persons of the first Note in tha Country who gave Orders about her All that I have here said is the naked Truth but it is not all the Truth For we give you no Particulars of what she hath either said or done There are some discreet able and unprejudiced Persons of that Country who labour to make an Exact Collection of all that is certain and well proved about her And we have most assured hopes that the Time is now coming in which it will be both safe and free to see it Reflections of Monsieur Jurieu upon the Strange and Miraculous Ecstasies of Isable Vincent p. 1. 11. One must be very dull in my Opinion saith the same Author not to see and not to feel the Hand of God and his very Finger in what happened in the Church of St. Malo's by the fall of a Thunder-bolt and in the strokes of Heaven which have burnt and beaten down so many Churches within these two last Years in this dreadful shaking of the Earth which hath overturned great Cities in Italy the Country of Antichrist and which hath caused a Trembling to the very Root of the Vatican the Seat of the Beast And lastly I see no cause why one should be so obstinate as not to see a Miraculous Token of the Will of God in those Singings that have been heard in the Air at the beginning of this Persecution Not to be touched with this Miracle Men will be wilful Doubters and yet there may be found in France above Thirty Thousand Witnesses of it Monsieur Vivens who was a Preacher in the Cevennes and held Assemblies there for the space of almost two Years brought us about Thirty or Forty at one time and we have it from his own Mouth that he himself heard these Wonderful Singings several times Now to have the satisfaction of treating this as a Fiction it is suggested by some that even in our seventh Letter of the first Year of our Pastorals we have related nothing but hear-says Yet notwithstanding would they but take the pains to read they would find that I have given the Certificates of Monsieur Maupoey Monsieur Bergeret Monsieur de la Bordette Madamoiselle de Formalagues Monsieur de Vallescure a Gentleman of the Cevennes who said he heard sung in the Air five or six Verses of the Fifth Psalm Since which I have received and have now in my Custody the Testimony of MOnsieur de la Bastide of Tourtelon Son to the said Vallescure who Attests the same thing with his Father I have also reported the Testimony of Madamoiselle de Vebron who assures me that she has distinguished in these Miraculous Singings above Thirty of our Psalms I have besides all this the Attestation of Monsieur de la Gardicolle a Gentleman of Honour who is now in this Country who hath deposed betwixt my Hands and in the Presence of five other Gentlemen all the Circumstances of these Singings he having heard them himself within Two Hundred Paces of the Town of Vigan The Truth whereof he assured me upon Oath nay with Tears in his Eyes being sensibly touched I have also the Depositions of two Inhabitants and Burgesses of the Town of Mauvezin in Armagnac who speak of it as Eye-Witnesses And last of all here is the Letter of one Monsieur de Besse written from Swisserland It is too Remarkable upon the Subject not to be made Publick Ibid. 11. The Divine Judgments upon the Jewish Nation may not iproperly come under this Head of which take this short Account The Jews which crucified the Lord of Life and wished That his Blood might be upon them and their Children presently after through the just Judgment of God had Blood to drink in full Measure There were slain in Caesarea Twenty Thousand in one day At Alexandria Fifty Thousand another day At Zabulon and Joppa Eight Thousand Four Hundred besides the burning of the Towns At Damascus Ten Thousand had their Throats cut In the Siege of Jerusalem they were so famish'd that Oxen's Dung was accounted good Meat Others fed upon old Leather and some Women boiled their own Children and did eat them Many thinking to save their Lives by flying to the Romans were slit in pieces to search for Gold and Jewels in their Guts Two Thousand died thus miserably in one Night Ninety seven Thousand were taken Prisoners at the Taking of the City by Titus and Eleven Hundred Thousand were slain As for the Prisoners some of them were carried to Rome in Triumph Others were slain in sundry Places at the Conqueror's Will Some were torn in pièces and devoured by Wild Beasts Others were compelled to march in Troops against their Fellows and to kill one another to make the Spectators Sport The Reliques of these wretched People were dispersd into all Nations under Heaven having no Magistrates of their own to Protect them but were and still are altogether at the Will and Discretion of the Lords of those Countries where they sojourn So that no Nation in the World is so vile and contemptible as the Jews In the time of Julian the Apostate leave was given to the Jews to re-build the Temple at Jerusalem but so soon as they had laid the foundations thereof all was overthrown by an Earthquake many Thousands of them being over-whelmed with the Ruines Then came forth a Fire