by reading Isa 53. 24. Lyra Immanuel Tromelius Paulus Riccius Lud. Curetus were converted Jews 25. R. Hakkunas Ben Nehunia was Converted by Occasion of the Miracles which he saw I am Hakkunas one of them that believe and have washed my self with the Holy Waters and walk in those right ways being induced thereunto by Miracles Hottinger out of Suidas c. 26. Elias Levita before his death became a Christian and with thirty more Jews receiv'd Baptism but upon what Occasions and Inducements I cannot learn A. C. 1547. Alsted 27. Eve Cohan was Converted by occasion of reading the New Testament which she found in the Chamber of her Dancing-Master in Holland but being threatned and ill-treated by her Mother upon it marry'd her Master came over into England and was Baptized at London about half a score Years ago 28. J. Sul a Turkish Chaous was born in Constantinople and for his Dexterity in managing Affairs was imployed by the Grand Seignior in the Ambassies once in Venice once into Russia and once to the Emperor of Germany where he resided at Vienna eighteen Months He had also Thirty three Gallies under his Command This great Man was by one of his Father's Slaves who attended ordinarily upon him much and frequently importuned to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God the only true Prophet greater than Mahomet J. Sul for a long time refused to hearken to him and sharply rebuked him for speaking to him of that Matter and when yet the Slave would not be silent but he did oft beat him kick him and caused him to be Bastonadied for his Importunity all which the Slave endured with much Patience and told him that tho' he should kill him he would not be silent concerning the Matter And it pleased God that at last some special Providence concurring he was induced to believe that indeed Jesus Christ whom the Jews Crucified was the Son of God and now alive in Heaven having all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him And hereupon he took up a secret Resolution within himself to forsake his natural Country and his Father's House and to fly to the Christians to learn the Law of Christ and to make an open Profession of his Name that so his Soul might be saved in the great day of the Lord being convinced that all the Pleasures and Enjoyments of this World whereof he had a large Portion could not make any Man happy here nor deliver him from Death nor bring him to the Assurance of obtaining Glory in the World to come But that owning the Name of Jesus Christ by Faith and Obedience would procure all this After he was convinced hereof and thereupon fully resolved to go into some Christian Countrey he was two whole Years before he could contrive and find out a way how he might escape with Safety For had he been discover'd he by their Law was to be burnt alive This made him the more wary at last God's Providence so order'd it that he got Safe into Smyrna and from thence to Leghorn At Leghorn he was honourably entertain'd by one of the great Duke's Cousins who would have had him baptiz'd but because he was recommended to the Arch-Bishop of Paris and was to be conducted thither by some that came with him from Smyrna he excused himself and rejected that Favour At Paris he was receiv'd with much Respect as a Person of Quality and lodged in St. Lazaro a place appointed for entertaining and Instruction of Proselites who were bountifully there entertain'd The Priest that was to instruct and fit him for Baptism would have imposed upon his Belief and Practice in these things That Christ is in the Host That an Agnus Dei hath a Divine Virtue in it That the Crucifix is to be worshipped That the Pope is a Saint and Christ's Vicar That Saints and Images are to be respected in the Worship of God But in these Points he did so argue with them that they could not convince him and therefore were forced to let him alone And he was much troubled to find himself yoaked with Men of such a Belief so that he had thoughts of returning to Constantinople if the way had been open to him Whilst he lay under these Temptations Providence so order'd it that he fell into Acquaintance with two Arabians who were become Protestants By their means he got notice that there were besides the Papists among whom he was other Christians in Paris whose Faith and Worship was free from Superstition and a way was contriv'd how he should be brought into Acquaintance with them for under pretence of walking abroad to take the Air he shifted himself of the company of those which attended him from St. Lazaro and went with the Arabians to the House of a Protestant and was made acquainted with the Protestant Ministers in Paris who took special Care of him for the space of Forty three Days In which time they instructed him diligently in the Truth which also he did heartily embrace But great Search being made for him and they not being able to protect him from the Power of those who would have taken him into England where he arrived March the last and was entertain'd kindly and after 2. while had Means of Subsistence provided for him and was committed to the Care of Mr. Durie and Mr. Calandrine who took a great deal of pains in instructing him in the Principles of Religion and in observing his Conversation And in Process of time when he had gained a competent measure of Knowledge which he greedily drank and had given good Evidence of the Soundness and Sincerity of his Faith he was put upon making a Consession of his Faith which was written in French and being translated into English was publickly read to the whole Congregation It was subscribed thus J. Sul Chaous the Slave of my Lord Jesus Christ. After which the Minister that was to Baptize him asked him Whether he did not renounce before God and that Gongregation the Mahometan Sect He answer'd Yea He did renounce it utterly Q. Do you desire to make Profession of the Christian Faith and to be baptiz'd in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost as a Disciple of Christ A. Yea It is my earnest desire Q. Are you resolved in the future Course of your Life to submit to all the Ordinances of Christ c. A. Yea It is my sincere Resolution After this he was Baptized by the Name of Richard Christophilus Jan. 30. 1658. in the Church of St. Paul Covent-Garden See the Printed Narrative at large or Mr. Clark 's Abridgment of it in his Examples Vol. 2. c. 23. p. 120 121. c. 29. One Richard White a Smith of Wilden-Hall was a prophane Atheistical Man and believing that there was no Devils in his Cups would wish he could once see the Devil if there were such a Thing and that suddenly he changed his Life and became a Prosessor of Zeal
any other Hand I was resolved to go on with it as being fully satisfied that a Work of this kind must needs be of Great Use especially to such pious Minds as delight to observe the Manifestations which God doth give of himself both in his Works of Creation and Providence the former are sufficient to render those who have no other Instructers inexcusable as we are taught by the Apostle Rom. 1.20 And the Excellency of the latter consists in this That they are the real Accomplishments of his written Word So that to Record Providences seems to be one of the best Methods that can be pursued against the abounding Atheism of this Age For by Works of Providence the Confession of a God and the Truth of his Word have been extorted from those very Persons who have boldly denied it Memorable is that Passage of Aeschyles the Persian in Traged who relating his Country-mens Discomfiture by the Greeks gives us this Observation That when the Grecians pursued them furiously over the great River Strymon which was then frozen but began to thaw he did with his own Eyes see many of those Gallants whom he had heard before maintain so boldly that there was no God every one upon their Knees with Eyes and Hands lifted up begging for Mercy and that the Ice might not break 'till they got over The Scepticks of this Age may possibly call such a Passage in Question but what can the most obdurate Atheist say to those Providences about the Jews which were so clearly foretold in the Scriptures and part of 'em are visible to their own Eyes Is not this sufficient to convince them of the Being of an Omniscient God that the Sacred Scriptures are his Revealed Will and that Christianity is the only true Religion We doubt not but those Men who are able to hold out against such a convincing Demonstration will flout at this Undertaking and expose it all they can but they may remember the Conquest which Truth made over their great Champions my Lord Rochester Sir Alan Broderick and Sir Duncomb Colchester all mentioned in the following Work Providences which merit their Thoughts and may serve to stop their Mouths To Name all my Authors would be tedious in the Front of the Book and the more unnecessary because the Reader will find most of them cited in the Work itself Which I believe will not be either unprofitable or unpleasant to any one that reads with Judgment nor unsatisfactory to any that reads without Prejudice I pray my Reader 's Candour if any particular Relation be not reduced to its proper Head or if there be any Repetition of the same Story without necessity or any other Error of the Press that is venial I crave that I may have but due Grains of Allowance made to me as are commonly made in such Cases For I am at least Forty Miles distant from the Press and cannot with any Conveniency to my other Concerns attend the Ingress of it into the World I grant the Work is not Omninibus numeris absolutum in every respect answerable to the first Proposals but so are almost all the Undertakings of finite Reason upon some Account or other short of the first Intentions To be perfectly Wise is the Property of God Almighty For my part I am very sensible of the Depths I have here taken upon me to fathom and do declare openly to the World That the Ways of God are unsearchable and his Footsteps cannot perfectly be traced He doth so tread upon the deep Waters and sometimes flies upon the Wings of the Wind and hides himself in Clouds from common view employing Spirits for his Angels and Flames of Fire at other times for his Messengers For so I think we may justly invert the Order of our common Translation that I declare freely my Comment is infinite short of my Text and my Paraphrase doth not and cannot reach my Subject And indeed who can by searching find out the Almighty to Perfection If some studious and skilful Reader would cause this Book to be Interleaved and add some New Heads of his own and make a Supply for the Defects of the Old Ones it might in process of time be made exceeding useful for Common Places In the mean time I desire my Reader only to look over all these Secondary Causes and little Instruments that are moved here below and look up to and fix his Eye upon the Spring and Original Wheel that gives Motion to all the rest And if there be any thing within the Cope of our Horizon that will give Satisfaction to the Brain on Man this will certainly do it And if it do not the next Step is a sinful Curiosity and dangerous and whatsoever is more than that comes of Evil. From which Evil the God of Heaven deliver us all Amen WILLIAM TURNER A Practical Introduction TO THE History of Divine Providence Being the Author's MEDITATIONS On On The Being of a GOD. On The Works of Creation and Providence On The Existence of a Separate Soul On The Ministry of Angels And On The Future State c. I. The Being of a GOD. NOtwithstanding the Being of a GOD is laid down as the First Principle of our Faith and Religion own'd acknowledged and believed by all yet because in this debauched Age there want not some Monsters that question this Article and are ready if not with their Tongues yet with their Hearts to deny the Lord that made them I shall by way of Introduction to the following History of Divine Providence 1. Prove That there is a God I confess I konw not any that I suspect guilty of profess'd yet since there want not Arguments to implead too many at least accessary to Pratical Atheism I go thô sadly to my ABC to lay down the First Rudiments of Christianity 1. Then I may prove it from the Book of Nature Come thy ways unbelieving Atheist and turn over this Great Volume of the Divine Creation see what a Bible Nature herself presents thee with unclasp'd and open'd the Letters for the most part capital and legible that he who runs may read a God in every Leaf in every Line in every Creature Go gaze a-while at the next little Fly or Flower or but Spire of Grass thou meetest with see the curious Workmanship Artifice Wisdom and Power there is discernable in the make of it and resolve me what Man with all his Wit and Skill is able to make the like to exceed or equallize it Job 12.7 8 9. Or if that will not do take but one of thy Fellow-Beings Man into a studious Disquisition dissect him in all his several Parts tell his Bones his Nerves Veins Ligaments with all the Branches Postures and Vses of them Trace his Nourishment from his Hands to his Teeth to his Palate to his Stomach to his Guts and Milkey Veins to his Liver to his Vena Cava to the right Ventricle of his Heart thence into the Vena Arteriosa and so
here neither the Ancient Fathers of the Church have started the Notion before me Dr. Day in his Lectures cites Justin Martyr Tertullian Cyprian and Lactantius making use of this Comparison I humbly acknowledge this Article of our faith is without a bottom past Human Fathom 'T is storied of St. Augustin that he endeavoured to sound it He walk'd abroad to that purpose at last came to a River-side musign with himself and labouring to conceive it At length not far off a little Child appeared unto him very busie on the Bank He had made forsooth a little Hole and with a Spoon which he had in his Hand was lading of the Water into the aforesaid little Hole St. Augustin draws nearer to him demands of the Child what he was a doing Father quoth he my purpose is to unlade this whole River into this little hole you here see Augustin That 's impossible c. Child No more will you be ever able to bring to pass that which you are about And with that the Child vanished I relate not the Story for a certain Truth The Thing itself in absolute Consideration is true viz. That 't is as impossible for us to conceive the Blessed Trinity as with a little Spoon to unlade a great River into a little Hole The present Emblem may serve a little to take off our Suspicions of the Impossibility and Absurdity of the Trinity of Persons in One God It is not sufficient to Expound the Thing itelf all the Three Persons are represented under this Notion FATHER The Lord is a Sun Isa 60.19 SON Mal. 4 2. And Vide Margent Luke 1.78 And Mat. 17.2 Rev. 1.16 HOLY GHOST He shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Lead you into the Way of all Truth Multa sunt quae dici possunt sed sufficiat fidelibus pauca de Mysterio Trinitatis audivisse Aug. In die judicii non damnor quia dicam nescivi Naturam Creatoris mei si autem aliquid temere dixero temeritas poenas luit ignorantia veniam promeretur Id. 3. Of the Divine Glory and Vnsearchableness He that goes about to stare long upon the Sun or approach its Light and dive deep into the Nature of it may as Democritus stare himself blind before he can make any near approaches to it 'T is not easie to bear the Influence of the Sun for one whole Day suppose we could possibly be so long under the immediate and direct Emission of its glorious Beams tho' upon the Earth It will burn combustible Stuff at the distance of 1000000 Miles should it stand still and neither remove away nor be tempered with other cooling Elements Consider this a little seriously and apply it The Glory of God is such an amazing Wonder that as the Father saith In hac mortali vita quicquid ad nos usque pertingit aliud nihil est quam exiguus quidam rivulus ac velut parvus magnae Lucis Rivulus Naz. vide Act. 26.13 1 Tim. 6.16 So that when we go about to search into the Divine Nature we must stand off and know our distance and assume modestly to our Thoughts and acknowledge the Depth of the Mystery and cry out with the Apostle Rom. 11.33 c. O the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out For who hath known the ind of the Lord Or who hath bee his Counsellour Or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again For of him and through him and to him are all Things To whom be Glory for ever Amen Sure I am thô we ought as much as any thing in the World to study the Nature and Properties of that God we are concerned with and account it one of the first Points of True Wisdom to acquaint our selves with that Almighty Being we have to do with and to pray for more Light and Grace that we may be able in due time to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the Love of God which passeth knowledge Yet in our highest Attainments on this side the Veil we shall know but in part and prophesie in part our utmost Skill will not be sufficient to comprehend the Infinite God in the Embraces of our Finite Conceptions And we shall as soon be able to climb the Sun and stare with open Eyes upon that great Luminary and comprize all is excellent Rays and Influences within the Limits of our narrow Bosom as by searching to find out and trace out the Almighty to Perfection Est in Deo quod percepi potest est plane si modo quod potest velis Sicut videre est in Sole quod videas si hoc velis videre quod possis amittas autem quod potes videre dum quod non poes niteris ita ut in rebus Dei habes quod inelligas si intelligere quod potes velis Caelum si ultra quam potes speres id quod potuisti non poteris Hilar. Psal 145.3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his Greatness is unsearchable I am loth ro leave this Abyss of Meditation Pardon me Reader if I strain Courtesie a little in the Case This Infinite Being is the Fountain of our Blessedness and therefore notwithstanding his excellent Majesty can be cooped within no Bounds nor scaled by any Human Apprehensions to the Height nor fathomed to the utmost Depth by any Line of Human Reason yer 't is pleasant to behold him through the Lattices and spend our deepest Thoughts and Admirations upon his Glory and if we cannot comprehend him let us stand and wonder And cry out with longing and importunate Desire Oh! when shall the Veil be taken off our Eyes When shall the Apartment that separates us be taken away When shall we come to know as we are known But Oh! when shall our finite Natures be exhaled and drawn up with this Sun and our Souls drawn up into his boundless Glory and we eternally blessed in the warm Embraces of his Divine Love In those Flames of pure Affection for ever and ever To think now of this unsearchable God the most infinitely good and glorious Being in the whole World whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain whom Angels all admire and adore the Nature of whose Glory we cannot now grasp with our most expanded Thoughts That this God shall first pardon our Sins and then sanctifie our Natures and shortly send his Angels of fetch our Souls up to that Heavenly Choire where we shall be cloathed indeed with the Sun and tread the Moon under our Feet and look with a holy scorn upon the little silly trifling Comforts of the sublunary World This is enough to make our Faces smile now at every Beam of Light and Mercy darted upon our Souls from that Divine Countenance to make our Hearts dance within us To fill us with an
and Wisdom must this God be that stretched out the Heavens like a round Canopy and hung it over this lower World in so exact and circular a Figure that no inequality can be found in it 3. Of the Situation of the Heavens ALL this Great Body hung with an innumerable Number of Stars and Planets each Body big enough to make a World of all this hung upon nothing no material Arches no visible Pillars to support it Nothing but the Power of him that made it It surpasses Human Skill the Wit of all Men in the World to hang a little Ball or an Egg-shell in the Air without somewhat material to support it God hath not only hung the Earth but the Heavens also upon nothing What cannot the God of all the World do Let him but speak the Word and he can make a World stand without Pillars His Word is enough for a World to stand upon and shall poor sneaking Man be afraid to venture upon his Promise He spake the Word and the World was created he spake the Word and the Heavens were stretched forth over the empty places He may speak the Word Ten thousand times and Man shall despond and be afraid to venture out any further than he can stand upon his own Legs If St. Peter step forth upon the Sea at the Voice of his Saviour he begins to sink And if the Sinner do but essay to trust upon the Word of the Almighty when no outward supply is ready at hand his Faith fails him and he sinks into Despair So long as we have Money in our Pockets or a Remedy in sight we can keep our Feet but in Poverty Distress and Danger all the Promises in the Gospel sealed with the Word and Oath of a God are not Ground enough for Man to set his Foot upon 4. Of the Stars and Planets WHich deserve to be considered 1. As many How many I know not You have heard the Phrases As the Stars of Heaven for multitude and as the Sands upon the Sea-shore Used promiscuously sometimes one sometimes the other Astronomers have long ago reckoned up 1022 of them that are visible and 't is concluded those that are invisible are far the greater number Psal 147.4 He telleth the Number of the Stars and calls them all by their Names If the Stars of Heaven be so numerous what are the Inhabitants that dwell beyond I grant 't is a little Flock that goes to Heaven compared with the many many damned Souls that go to Hell but as God said to Abraham Gen. 15.5 Look now towards Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them c. The number of them that stand about the Throne is ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands stand before him Rev. 5.11 He sheweth Mercy to thousands of them that love him and keep his Commands And let not any think that amongst so many Children God will forget or overlook any of them he knows them all and will lose none of them He calls his own Sheep by Name and leads them out John 10.3 He counts our wandrings puts our Tears into a Bottle the very Hairs of our Head are all numbred There 's not a Word in our Mouth nor a Thought in our Heart but he knows it altogether Such Knowledge is too great for us it may put us into wonder and strike us with an awful Reverence of the Divine Omnipotence and Wisdom Consider then a little Sinner how many thy Sins are how many the Mercies of God bestowed upon thee how many Invitations thou hast had to Repentance and how many Repulses thou hast given to the Messages of Heaven and withal how if they were ten thousand times ten thousand more God knows and remembers them all and then say with Job 9.2 How should Men be just with God 2. Their Greatness Indeed they seem little to us because they are a great way off Distance of Place gives Disadvantage to the Prospect but he that saith they are no bigger than they seem is as wise as that Philosopher that thought the Sun was no bigger than his Head The Learned and most Skilful Astronomers do generally conclude it for a demonstrative Truth that the least Star in the Firmament is bigger than the Earth we live upon And yet these so great Bodies are carried so high supported only with the Hand of the Almighty let not the penitent Sinner then say can God raise me up from the Grave of Sin from Things below and set me up on high and bring me safe to Heaven Thô thou liest now among the Potsherds sunk deep into Sin and Misery yet God is able to lift thee and thousands more and carry thee as upon Eagles Wings and set you as Stars in Heaven there to shine for ever and ever 3. Distance from one another especially the Planets and from the Earth The Moon is next to us Mercury next Venus in the third place the Sun fourth Mars the fifth Jupiter the sixth Saturn highest the Fixed Stars above them all Were they all in the same Orb they would move together at the same time and make no Distinction of Day and Night of Winter and Summer or not so much as would serve for our Necessities And should they be all so low as the lowest or should he that holds them there let them fall thence by the reverse of his Decree or the withdrawing of his constant Providence they would soon set this World on Fire and send us off the Stage and burn the Universe into a Scroll Should God draw back the Hand of his Omnipotence but one moment the Stars would fall upon our Heads and make this whole World into a Hell in the twinkling of an Eye How necessarily do we depend upon the Divine Mercy for our Safety and Security every Hour we live More ways than one than a thousand doth he keep Death and Destruction from us Let us consider a little this excellent Favour So many Globes as big as Worlds and most of them far greater hanging over our Heads all the Days of our Life and we still walking safe under them how much methinks do we owe to the Power and good Providence of God for saving our Lives in such imminent Danger Were those excellent Bodies subject to the like Irregularities as we are apt to go out of their place to leave their Orbs to disobey the Will of him that made them as Man generally is what a dangerous Condition should we be in Damocles who sat down to Table at a Feast with a naked Sword hanging over his Head with a Horse-hair had no such reason of an awful fear upon him as we have if he that govern'd the Stars were a Man and not God 4. Their Light Which is so great in all that if but one of the Stars or Planets except the Moon which hath none but borrowed Light were not kept at a distance from us they would certainly dazle our weak Eyes into
When all is said that I can say the one half will not be told you But this I will be bold to promise if I do not make it out by sober Reason to any Man of a sober Mind and reasonable Spirit a Man that is humble enough and impartially willing to believe Truth to be Truth that the Rewards are 1. Great 2. Certain I say Reader if I make not this out by sober Reason to be very credible then say either first that the whole Business of Religion is back'd with but a cold Encouragement or which would be more favourable that I am very unskilful in the Managery But I do hope so to explain the Matter as to convince you That the Joy beyond is worth our seeking thô it cost us much more than is required from us And if it prove upon our serious enquiry to be both Great and Certain exceeding great and very certain then I hope it will add Courage to our Religion and Strength to our Devotion and we shall be willing to work harder in Consideration of our Wages I remember St. Augustine tells of himself That going about to write to St. Hierom that very Day on which Hierom died as it proved on a sudden he saw a Light breaking into his Study and perceived the Room perfumed with a fragrant Smell and heard a Voice as he thought O Austin what art thou going to do to put the Sea into a little Vessel when the Heavens shall cease from their perpetual Motion then and not till then shalt thou be able to understand the Glory of Heaven unless thou come to feel it as now I do We are Reader upon a great Disadvantage in this Case we cannot conceive the Glories of another World which we never saw especially of such a World as that is whilst we dwell in such a place as this is But more especially yet if we live in Sin and belong to the Kingdom of Darkness then 't will be hard indeed If we not only walk with our bodies on this Earth but stoop low with our Souls towards Hell then the great Gulf between will make the Prospect darker to Heaven and we shall find it difficult and even impossible to see so far with such weak Faculties The natural Man understands not the Things of God For in order to the Discovery there is requisite the Grace of Faith as well as Natural Knowledge and if Mens Hearts are not disposed to believe it all the Wonders of the Future Glory told with the greatest Demonstration of Natural Reason will signifie no more than the fine Description of a Utopia or the World in the Moon and Men will be as far from seeking after it as if they look'd upon all as a Romantick Fiction Well Reader think of it how you please I shall begin I. To tell you That God doth mean great Rewards for them that love him And this I shall shew from several Topicks 1. The Preparation that hath been making 2. The Place 3. The Riches of the Place 4. The Company 5. The Sufferings of good Men for it 6. The Author and Design 1. The Preparation for it We are wont to guess the Greatness of a Solemnity Feast Triumph Building any extraordinary Work by the Preparations that are made afore-hand in order thereunto whereas little Works require little Preparation If this Rule be worth any thing we have this Argument here The first Stone of this Building was set from Eternity the Counsel was taken up before the Foundation of this World was laid Our Saviour was intentionally provided before we had actually sinned nay before Adam was actually created 1 Pet. 1.20 Thus the chief Corner-stone was provided from Etenrity God who saw before-hand that Man after his Creation would not stand before he put him into the World provides a Remedy for his Fall and this Remedy not provided without the concurrent Assent of all his Attributes Wisdom Power Truth Justice and Mercy And as he selected Christ so early for our Messiah so he chose us to Salvation in and through him Ephes 1.4 Besides consider what a brave World he made for Man before he created him what Powers and Faculties he created him with what a Paradise he put him in and there set him down vested with Righteousness and Holiness in order to his Happiness All the Creatures besides were but Attendants to wait upon Man Man for God Observe here a Messiah provided from Eternity for Man in case he should fall the Mercy of Election contrived before-hand for such as would accept it a whole World provided filled with variety of Creatures all excellently and wonderfully made and put in admirable Order and at last Man a little Being usher'd upon the Stage with the Songs of Angels for Job 38.7 Those Morning-Stars sung together at this Solemnity All this lower World was but a Theater for Man to act in a Preface to Eternity and Eden's a Type of Heaven and Man design'd thither in the Sequel of his Journey for as yet he was but upon his Journey just entring his Sojourning State No sooner scarce was Man come hither but he fell soully and exposed himself and Posterity to the Danger of Hell for ever From that time to this hath God been laying out himself for us by Providence Promises Threatnings Judgments Mercies variety of Dispensations diversity of Administrations by Law by Gospel by Angels by Men by Prophets by Apostles by his own Son by his Holy Spirit by Circumcision and Passover by Baptism and Eucharist by ordinary Means by extraordinary Miracles by such manifold Methods all tending to our Salvation and conducive to our future Glory that it would fill a Volume enough to cloy you to enumerate the Particulars of them The whole Frame and Furniture of this wide vast Universe all the Lustre and Transactions of Divine Providence for these many Thousands of Years ahve been but so many several preparations subservient to the State of Happiness and Glory hereafter nay Hell itself the Infernal Tophet ordained of old was made for this vâ—â—y purpose for a Prison or Dungeon to remove those wicked Men and Devils into which are unfit for this State of Glory and would be offensive and troublesome to the Good if God should do violence to his Justice to admit them there All things work together for good But neither is this all we ourselves are prepared for this very thing 2 Cor. 5.5 He who hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God He hath not only made the Elect but predestinated redeem'd called justified and sanctified them for this purpose and so hath created some Vessels of Silver and some Vessels of Gold of Honour and Glory in order to it Our Sins after Repentance and Pardon are but like the cold stormy and cloudy Days of Winter which will make the Summer more welcome and pleasant and he that knows how to bring Good out of Evil hath fetch'd Honey out of this Lion to whom much is
was at some pains to enquire into the truth of it and found the means to get the present Lord Duffus's opinion thereof which shortly is That there has been and is such a Tradition 20. The following Account I received November last from Mr. Alexander Mowat a Person of great Integrity and Judgment who being Minister at the Church at Lesly in the Shire of Aberdene was turned out for refusing the Oath of Test Anno. 1681. He informs That he heard the late Earl of Cathnes who was Married to a Daughter of the late Marquess of Argyle tell the following Story Viz. That upon a time when a Vessel which his Lordship kept for bringing home Wine and other Provisions for his House was at Sea a common Fellow who was reputed to have the Second-sight being occasionally at his House the Earl enquired of him where his Men meaning those in the Ship were at that present time The Fellow replied at such a place by Name within four Hours Sailing of the Harbour which was not far from the place of his Lordship's Residence The Earl asked what Evidence he could give for that The other replied that he had lately been at the place and had brought away with him one of the Sea-mens Caps which he delivered to his Lordship At the four Hours end the Earl went down himself to the Harbour where he found the Ship newly arrived and in it one of the Seamen without his Cap who being questioned how he came to lose his Cap Answered that at such a place the same the Second-sighted Man had Named before there arose a Whirl-wind which endangered the Ship and carried away his Cap The Earl asked if he would know his Cap when he saw it He said he would whereupon the Earl produced the Cap and the Seaman owned it for that which was taken from him This is all the Information which I can give at present concerning Transportation by an Invisible Power 21. One Instance I had of one Allen Miller being in Company with some Gentlemen having gotten a little more than ordinary of that strong Liquor they were Drinking began to tell Stories and strange Passages he had been at But the said Allen was suddenly removed to the farther end of the House and was there almost strangled recovering a little and coming to the place where he was before they asked him What it was that troubled him so He Answered he durst not tell for he had told too much already 22. The Devil appeared to a Dying Man and shewed him a Parchment very long Written on every side with the Sins both of words thoughts and deeds of the Sick Man and said unto him Behold thy vertues See what thy Examination shall be To whom he Answered True Satan but thou hast not set all Thou shouldst have added The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin And he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved Chetwinds Hist Collect. 23. Luther relates of himself that being at Prayer contemplating how Christ hung on the Cross and suffered for his Sins there appeared suddenly on the Wall a bright shining Vision and therein appeared also a glorious form of our Saviour Christ with his five wounds stedfastly looking upon him as if it had been Christ himself corporally Now at the first sight he thought it had been some good Revelation yet presently recollected himself and apprehending it some jugling of the Devil For Christ appeareth unto us in his word and in a meaner and more humble form like as he was humbled on the Cross for us Therefore said he I spake to the Vision in this manner Away thou confounded Devil I know no other Christ than he that was Crucified and who in his word is Pictured and Preached to me Whereupon the Image Vanished which was the very Devil himself And in like manner said Luther further A Gentlewoman a Virgin not far from my House at Wittenburg lay very sick to whom also appeared a Vision after this sort following She beheld as she thought a Glorious form of our Saviour which she was ready to have Worshipped and fall down before but I being sent for presently repaired to her and saw the Vision also as in the form of Christ I admonished her seriously that she should not suffer her self to be deluded by the Devil whereupon upon she raised up her self and spit upon the Face of the Image and instantly the Image was changed into a great ugly Snake which slid to the Gentlewomans Bed and bit her by the Ear so there stood drops of Blood upon the Ear which trickled down and thereupon the Snake vanished This I beheld with mine Eyes said Luther with divers others that stood by Luther's Coll. p. 144. 24. There was in Scotland one an Obsessus carried in the Air several times in the view of several Persons his Fellow-Soldiers Major Henton hath seen him carried away from the Guard in Scotland sometimes a Mile or two Sundry Persons are living now 1671 that can attest this Story I had it from sir Robert Harley the Son who Marryed Major Henton's VVidow as also from E. T. D. D. 25. A Gentleman of my Acquaintance Mr. M. was in Portugal Anno 1655 when one was Burnt by the Inquisition for being brought thither from Goa in East-India in the Air in an incredible short time CHAP. IV. Concerning the Existence and Appearance of Separate Souls THat the Souls of Men do not expire with the Breath and Vital Vnion or fall into a deep Sleep never to be awaked till the General Resurrection according to the Opinions of some Drowsy People whose Reasons at present are asleep in their Bodies is a Truth I think easily evincible out of the Topicks of all Religions that make any Noise and Figure in the World out of the clear Text of Sacred Scripture and from the very nature of our Souls as they now are and act in the Body whilst in union with it Mr. Stevens in his late Sermons upon the Parable of Dives and Lazarus tells us that one of the Fathers calls the Good Angels Enocatores Animarum the Callers forth of Souls and such as shew them Paraturam Diversonii the preparation of those Mansions they are going to Hence says he we observe when good Men are dying they are often in silent Raptures and express a kind of impatience till they are dissolved And why because they spiritually see what they cannot utter as did St. Paul when he was wrapt up into the Third Heaven There is a kind of a Draught presented to them by their Guardian Angels of those Transcendent Joys they are almost ready to enter in possession of and therefore long and pine till they are conveyed into that place of unspeakable Felicity These Heavenly Spirits succour and support them under their Pain and Sickness and when their Souls are stormed out of their Bodies they encompass and embrace them soaring through the Regions of Evil Angels into Heaven 'T is said that Lazarus
give him them both my Goldsmith and my Medal vanished away together by your awakening of me Being arrived at Nismes and having not forgot his Dream he went to walk in the City till such time as Dinner was ready and passing up and down he went into a Goldsmith's Shop to ask him whether he had any Rarity to show him whereupon the Goldsmith answered That he had a Julius Caesar of Gold Monsieur de Peirese asked the Price of it he answered four Crowns which thing did fill the mind of that great Person both with Joy and Admiration as well for that he had found a Rarity which he had long very much fought for as also for the surprizing and strange manner whereby it came to his hand Ibid. 32. I have heard the late Monsieur Cameron a Person whose memory will be ever Blessed in our Churches say that he had from the mouth of Monsieur Calignen Chancellor of Navarre a Man of singular Virtue a memorable Passage that befel him in Bearne He went into a certain Town in the Countrey either for Diversion or for some Reason relating to his Health for he did not acquaint me either with the place or the occasion of the Journey one Night as he was asleep he heard a Voice which call'd him by his Name Calignon hereupon waking and hearing no more of it he imagin'd that he had Dreamed and fell asleep again a little after he heard the same Voice calling him in the same manner which made a greater Impression upon him then before So that being awaken'd he call'd his Wife who lay with him and told her what had happen'd so that they both lay a wake for some time expecting whether they might hear the Voice and whether it would say any thing more to them At last the Voice awaken'd him the third time calling him by his Name and advis'd him to retire presently out of the Town and to remove his Family for that the plague would rage horribly in that place within few days to which he added that it was very well that he followed this direction for as much as within few days after the Plague began in the Town and destroy'd a great Number of People This was certainly an Angel that spake to him who by the favourable and benign Providence of God drew him out of that danger which otherwise had been unavoidable For whether the Plague came by the Infection of the Air or by the Communion of some Infectious Persons or whether some Sorcerers and Witches as they say they sometimes do had resolv'd to diffuse their Infectious Poisons in that place it was that which did not exceed the Knowledge of an Angel Now if these Blessed Spirits which are appointed as a Guard of Pious Men in obedience to Gods Command do sometimes by speaking give them such Advertisements they also by the same command may convey the same Notices to them by Dreams The History of the last Age doth so fully attest the Truth of that of Lewis of Bourbon Prince of Conde that we cannot reasonably doubt thereof A little before his Journey from Dreux he Dreamed that he had fought three Bâ—â—els successively one after another wherein he had got the Victory and where his three great Enemies were Slain But that at last he also was mortally wounded and that after they were laid one upon another he also was laid upon their Dead Bodys the event was Remarkable For the Marshal de St. Andre was killed at Dreux the Duke of Guise Francis of Lorrain at Orleans the Constable of Montmorency at St. Dennis and this was the Triumvirate which they say had Sworn the ruin of those of the Religion and the Destruction of that Prince at last he himself was slain at Bassac as if there had been a Continuation of Deaths and Funerals Ibid. p. 120. 33. Zuinglius A.C. 1525 when the Mass was Abolished at Zurick being attach'd by a certain Scribe or Notary before the Bench of Senators which then consisted of 200 concerning the Real presence of the Sacrament debated the point with him and one Engelhard a Popish Doctor that day But some of the ruder sort repining demanded some Example out of the Scripture to shew that those words This is my Body were not spoken Parabolically Hereupon he began to revolve all things yet no Example came into his mind but a few Nights after Zuinglius Dreamed that he contended again with the Scribe till he was weary and at last was so dumb that he could not speak whereupon he was exceedingly troubled But after a while a Moniter came to him from above who said O thou sluggard Aâ—ise Why dost thou not Answer him with that which is Written in Exod. 12. This is the Lord 's Passover Immediately he awaked and leaping out of his Bed examined the Text and the next day disputed it before the whole Assembly which was entertained with such Approbation that all were satisfied And saith he the three next days we had the greatest Sacraments that ever I saw and the Number of them that look'd back to the Garlick and Flesh-Pots of Egypt was for less then Men thought they would have been Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 150. ex Zuingl 34. Famous Salmsius intending to see Rome was Admonished in his Dream that if he went he should not return alive and had he gone probably he had not as being one that had so much provoked the Papists by his Learned labours especially in his care of Publishing and Polishing Nilus and Barlaam two eager Enemies of the Papal Monarchy Vita Salmas per Anton. Clem. Salmas Epist praefixa 35. Pope Innocent the fourth Dreamed that Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincoln came to him and with his stast struck him on the side and said Surge miser veni ad Judicium Rise wretch and come to Judgment after which Dream within a few days the Pope ended his Life Simps Ch. Hist cent 13. p. 449. 36. Mr. Thomas Tilson Minister of Aylesford in Kent gives this strange Relation in a Letter to Mr. Baxter 1691. Reverend Sir Being informed that you are Writing about Witchcraft and Apparitions I take the Freedom tho a stranger to send you his following Relation Mary the Wife of John Goffe of Rochester being afflicted with a long illness removed to her Fathers house at West-Mulling which is about Nine Miles distant from her own There she died June the 4th this present Year 1691. The day before her departure she grew very impatiently desirous to see her two Children whom she had lest at home to the care of the Nurse She prayed her Husband to hire a Horse for she must go home and dye with her Children When they perswaded her to the contrary telling her she was not able to sit on Horseback she intreated them however to try If I cannot sit said she I will lye all along upon the Horse for I must go to see my poor Babes A Minister who lives in the Town was
Who upon the Eighth day of July 1657. went from this to a better World about four of the Clock the day before he Died a Matron who Died a little before and whilst living was Dear to Mr. Vsher appeared to him in his sleep and invited him to Sup with her the next Night He at first denyed her but she more vehemently pressing her request on him at last he consented and that very Night he Died. Dr. Stern's Dissertatio de morte p. 163. 14. I have also the fullest assurance that can be of the Truth of this following Narrative A Person yet living was greatly concerned about the welfare of his Dear Father and Mother who were both shut up in London in the time of the great Contagion in 1665. Many Letters he sent to them and many hearty Prayers to Heaven for them But about a fortnight before they were infected he fell about break of day into this Dream that he was in a great Inn which was full of company and being very desirous to find a private Room where he might seek God for his Parents Life he went from Room to Room but found company in them all at last casting his Eye into a little Chamber which was empty he went into it lockt the Door kneeled down by the outside of the Bed and whilst he was vehemently begging of God the Life of his Friends fixing his Eyes upon the Plaister'd Wall within side the Bed there appeared upon the Plaister of the Wall before him the Sun and Moon shining in their full strength The sight at first amazed and discomposed him so far that he could not continue his Prayer but kept his Eye fixed upon the Body of the Sun at last a small line or ring of black no bigger than that of a Text Pen circled the Sun which increasing sensibly eclipsed in a little time the whole body of it and turned it into a blackish colour which done the Figure of the Sun was immediately changed into a perfect Death's head and after a little while Vanished quite away The Moon still continued shining as before but whilst he intently beheld it it also darkned in like manner and turned also into another Death's head and Vanished This made so great an Impression upon the beholder's mind that he immediately awaked in confusion and perplexity of thoughts about his Dream and awakning his Wife related the particulars to her with much emotion and concernment but how to apply it he could not presently tell only he was satisfied that the Dream was of an extraordinary Nature At last Joseph's Dream came into his thoughts with the like Emblems and their Interpretation which fully satisfied him that God had warned and prepared him thereby for a sudden parting with his Dear Relations which answerably fell out in the same order his Father dying that day fortnight following and his Mother just a Month afterwards These Eight Relations the Transcribed out of Mr. Flavel's Treatise of the Soul 15. The Lady Rich gives this Relation of Mr. Tyro Minister from his own Mouth About seven weeks before his Death when there was hope of recovery he told me he had something to tell me that he had not imparted to any body and expressed it thus When I was one Evening returning to my Lodging then at Vngar from this House being then in a good Degree of Health and in a serious frame meditating by the way I heard a Voice say You shall dye and not pass your five and thirtieth year of Age. Which Voice Astonished me greatly and looking round about me seeing no body put me into great Consternation and Sweat all over me such as I never felt tho I dare not compare it to drops of Blood yet I cannot express how dreadful it was You know Madam my Principles and that I am no Enthusiast and how cautious I am as to Revelations But I am sure this was no Melancholy Fancy But an Articulate Voice After I had a little recovered my self I begged of God to discover to me if this were from him or a Delusion from Satan but still the Impression remained t ho I sought God by Prayer most part of that Night and you may remember in my next Visit I told you I should dye shortly but I did not tell you of the Voice I heard And then he added This is my Five and Thirtieth year of my Age in July next I shall be so old And many other Expressions he added which is too much for a Letter but he Died in January 1630. Hist Disc Appar Witches p. 199. 16. The Lady Ware 's Chaplain dreamt that such a day he should dye but having forgot it almost till the Evening before Supper there being thirteen at Table according to a fond conceit that one of these must soon dye One of the young Ladies pointed to him as the person He remembring the Dream fell into some disorder but being reproved for his superstition he said he was confident he was to dye before Morning It was Saturday Night and he was to Preach next day he went to his Chamber in perfect health sate up late prepared his Notes for his Sermon and the next Morning was found Dead See Mr. Parson's Sermon at the Earl of Rochester's Funeral 17. Sir Matthew Hale had some secreet presage of his Death saying that if he did not dye such a day he should live a Month longer and he died that very day Month. Nov. 25. See his Life by Dr. Burnet 18. It was observed that several Omens preceeded the Death of Arch-bishop Laud as the falling down of his Picture in his Parlour the Arms of his See the sinking of the Lambeth Ferry-Boat with the Arch-Bishop's Coach-Horses and Coach-Men to the bottom of the Thames Dr. Heylin in his Life and the Author of the Breviate of the Life of Arch-Bishop Laud p. 35. 19. One James Oxenham of Sale-Monachroum in the County of Devon a Gentleman of good worth and quality who had many Children one whereof was called John Oxenham a young Man in the Vigour Beauty and Flower of his Age about twenty two six Foot and a half high pious and well qualified this young Man falling Sick two days before his departure there appeared the likeness of a Bird with a white Breast hovering over him Attested by Robert Woodley and Humphrey King who justified it to the Minister of the Parish being examined by him at the appointment of Joseph Laud Bishop of Exeter this Person died Sep. 5. 1635. He was no sooner Dead in this Manner but the same Apparition did again shew it self to Thomazine the Wife of James Oxenham the younger a Woman of unspotted Life about eleven a Clock at Night And she died to the comfort of all about her Sep. 7. 1635. Attested by Elizabeth Frost and Joan Tooker who were examined by the same Minister Not long after Rebeccah Sister of the aforesaid Thomazine Aged about eight years about eleven a Clock at Night was presented with
Hastings about Three Years ago where when the People were in great Poverty and suffer'd much by Scarcity of Money and Provisions it pleased God that an unusual and great Showl of Herrings came up the River by which the Inhabitants were plentifully supplied for the present and the next week after a Multitude of Cod succeeded them which were supposed to have driven the former into the River before them by which means the Necessity of the poor Inhabitants was supplied unexpectedly to Admiration 6. And this very Year 't is very observable when Money is at a low ebb amongst us and People every where muttering and complaining of the baseness of the old Coyn and the slowness of Coyning new Money c. God hath sent us in his Gracious Providence such a plentiful Harvest that not only the Farmers and poor People but even the Fields themselves to use the Psalmist's Phrase seem to laugh and sing 7. One Mr. Norwood late of Deptford a serious Christian being low in the VVorld and having several small Children his VVife then lying in was extreamly discontented at the Poverty and Straits of the Family the poor man pinched with this double Distress VVant of Provision and Peace too and belng unwilling to trouble his Master who was a Meal-Man and had relieved him formerly in his Troubles retires to Prayer opens his Case to God Almighty begs earnestly for a Supply returns home to his VVife and finds her in a pleasant Temper who ask'd him If any body had been with him Telling him That some body who would not tell whence he came had brought her Five Shillings This extreamly affected and chear'd the good man that he was free to speak of it in all Companies as occasion offered it self and at last mentioned it to the very Person a Minister Mr. J. J. that sent it who professed that being in his Study at that time upon a sudden and warm Impulse of mind he was put upon it 8 Another time his VVife was reduced to great Necessities for want of Shifts c. and was disturbed as before the good man goes the next Lord's Day to Church was Invited to Dine and Sup with a Friend said nothing of these wants but at going away the good VVoman of the House put him up Shifts for his VVife and Children and I think saith my Relater for himself too and ties up some money in one of them These are both Attested by one Mr. John Lane of Horsly down Lane in Southwark in a Letter dated July 3. 1695. and subscribed by several other hands of St. Olives Parish 9. Another person one Atkins formerly of Oxford lately of St. Olives in Southwark being brought to low Circumstances and so straitened with Poverty that they had neither Bread nor Drink nor Candle nor money to buy with the Wife grew impatient and the good man endeavoured to satisfie her with recounting over their former Experiences of Gods Goodness to them c. told her they would go to Prayer and beg for a supply he had not been long at his Devotions but a person knocking at the Door ask'd for Mr. Atkins but not willing to stay for his coming left Five Shillings with the woman for him not telling who sent it nor did they ever know his Name to this day which so wrought upon the unbelieving Wife that she was mightily affected with it and laid the consideration of it deeply to Heart This is likewise Attested by the aforesaid Author Mr. John Lane c. 10. A. C. 1555. betwixt Oxford and Aldebrough in the County of Suffolk when by unseasonable Weather a great Dearth was in the Land a Crop of Pease without Tillage or Sowing grew in the Rocks insomuch that in August there were gathered above one hundred Quarters a Quarter being 8 Bushels and in Blossoming remained as many more This is related by Mr. Speed and by the Author of the World Surveyed and others for a very great Truth CHAP. XXII Strange Instances of Consolation and Protection in Dangers MAN's Extremity we use to say is God's Opportunity and no doubt but one great Reason why God chuseth rather such Seasons to appear in is to give a clearer Demonstration of his Power and to shut out all others that may put in for a share of the Glory as Co-rivals with Him He will not give His Honour to any of His Creatures which they would be apt to challenge if God should put forth himself too early for their Relief and Assistance when they think they can stand upon their own Legs I. Personal Deliverances and Comforts c. 1. Polycarp being Conducted to the Theatre in order to his Suffering Martyrdom was Comforted and Encouraged by a Voice from Heaven Be of good Chear O Polycarp and play the Man The Speaker no Man saw but the Voice was heard by many of us said his Church at Smirna in their Epistle to the Brethren of Pontus Clark's Marr. of Ecclesi History 2. A brief Account of Mr. Roswell 's Tryal and Acquittal About the same time Mr. Roswell a very worthy Divine was Tryed for Treasonable Words in his Pulpit upon the Accusation of very vile and lewd Informers and a Surry Jury found him Guilty of High Treason upon the most villanous and improbable Evidence that had been ever given notwithstanding Sir John Tallot no Countenancer of Dissenters had appeared with great Generosity and Honour and Testified That the most material Witness was as Scandalous and Infamous a Wretch as lived It was at that time given out by those who thirsted for Blood That Mr. Roswell and Mr. Hays should die together and it was upon good Ground believe that the happy deliverance of Mr. Hays did much contribute to the preservation of Mr. Roswell though it is very probable that he had not escaped had not Sir John Talbot's worthy and most honourable Detestation of that accursed Villany prompted him to repair from the Court of King's Bench to King Charles II. and to make a Faithful Representation of the Case to him whereby when inhumane bloody Jefferys came a little after in a Transport of Joy to make his Report of the Eminent Service he and the Surry Jury had done in finding Mr. Roswell Guilty the King to his disappointment appeared under some Reluctancy and declared That Mr. Roswell should not die And so he was most happily delivered Bloody Assizes 3. Origen mightily Encouraged the Martyrs of his time visited such as were in deep Dungeons and close Imprisonment and after Sentence of Death accompanied them to the place of Execution putting himself often in great Danger thereby he kissed and embraced them at their last Farewell so that once the Heathens in their Rage had stoned him to Death if the Divine Power of God had not marvelloussy deliver'd him and the same Providence did at many other times Protect and Defend him oven so often as cannot be told c. Ibid. 4. Augustine going abroad to visit his Churches was laid
means he should be delivered from such unrighteous Governours and be sooner sent home to his Heavenly Father Justin M. 4. John Picus Mirandula was of a chearful Countenance and of so composed a Mind That he was scarce ever seen angry Clark in his Life 5. By reason of our strange and wonderful Courage and Strength saith Lactantius new Additions are made to us for when the People see Men with infinite variety of Torments torn in pieces and yet maintain a Patience unconquerable and able to live out its Tormentors they are convinced what the Truth is that the Consent of so many and the Perseverance of dying Persons cannot be in vain nor that Patience it self were it not from God could hold out under such Racks and Tortures Thieves and Men of a robust Body are not able to bear such tearing in pieces they groan and cry out and are overcome with Pain because not endued with Divine Patience but our very Children and Women to say nothing of our Men do with Silence conquer their Torments nor can the hottest Fire force the least groan from them Dr. Cave out of Lactant. 6. Justin Martyr by the force of such Arguments turned from being a Platonic Philosopher to be a Christian I thought saith he it was impossible for such Persons to live in Vice and Luxury c. Apoâ— 1. c. 50. 7. Liâ—sâ—â—â— to 〈◊〉 of his Friends who minded him on his Death-bed of his Stoical Philosophy whose Principle of Patience was Fate and Necessity made Answer De mihi Christianem Patientiam Give me the Christian Patience 8. Reproaches said Luther are my Meat and Feeding I am afraid of Praises glad of Slanders and Reproaches 9. Socrates was observed Semper eodem incedere vuleu to go Abroad and return Home with the same composed Countenance he bore the outragious peevishness of his Wife with great Patience calling her his School Mistress c. 10. Dr. Sandes his Stable being Robb'd and an Inventory taken of all his Goods and he set on a lame Jade and carried through London in scorn at Bishopsgate a Woman throwing a Stone at him hit him so full on the Breast that he was near falling from his Horse to whom he mildly said Woman I pray God forgive thee See his Life by Mr. Clark Page 8. 11. Cassianus tells of a Devout Gentlewoman desirous to exercise the Vertue of Patience that came to Athanasus upon that score to advise with him who at her Request placed a poor Widow with her so VVayward Cholerick Peevish and Insolent that she gave sufficient occasion for the practice of Patience S. Franc. Sales Introd 12. Bishop Bonner gave this Testimony of Cuthert Sympson's Patience I say unto you That if he were not an Heretick he is a Man of the greatest Patience that ever came before me for I tell you he hath been thrice Rack'd in one Day in the Tower and in my House he hath felt some Sorrow yet I never saw his Patience broken Fox Martyrol 13. 'T is said of Calvin and Vrsin that they were both Cholerick by Nature yet had so learned the Meekness of Christ as not to utter one Word under the greatest Provocation unbeseeming Religion Joh. Flavel 14. Greenham that Saint of ours can lye spread quietly upon the Form looking for the Chyrurgeons Knife binding himself as fast with a resolved Patience as others with strongest Cords abiding his Flesh carved and his Bowels rifled and not stirring more than if he felt not while others tremble to expect and shrink to feel the pricking of a Vein Bish Jos Hall Medit. c. 15. I never heard saith Dr. Walker speaking of the late Countess of Warwick That she was blamed for more than two Faults by the most curious Observers of her Disposition and Behaviour viz. Excess of Charity and Defect of Anger For as to the latter though I confess saith he she could not rage and storm and discover her Anger as some Persons do who verisie the Saying Anger is a kind of Madness for her sedate compos'd serene Mind and sweet and amicable Disposition was scarce forcible to what was so conttary to her Nature yet would she make deeper Impressions of her Displeasure for great Faults than those who appeared most furious like a still soaking Shower which will wet more than a driving Storm and therefore it was observed that if any Servant had been faulty they had rather have passed the Gantlet of their Lords most furious Expressions than have once been sent for to their Lady's Closet whose Treatment was soft Words but hard Arguments against their Faults and like that silent Lightning which without the Noise of Thunder melts the Blade and singeth not the Scabbard her Reproofs were neither the frightful hissing nor the venom'd Sting but the penetrating Oil of Scorpions Dr. Walker in her Life Page 114. 16. Bishop Cowper's Wife being a froward Woman she lest her Husband should prejudice his Health by his over much Study when he was Compiling his famous Dictionary one Day in his Absence got into his Study and took all the Notes he had been for Eight Years a gathering and burned them whereof when she had acquainted him he only said Woman thou hast put me to eight Years Study more See the Treatise call'd Mankind Displayed CHAP. XXX Remarkable Prudence THough the Simplicity of the Dove be an excellent Grace in Christians yet we are required to joyn with it the Wisdom of the Serpent the one removes away our Gall and Sting and makes us inoffensive to others the other gives us Brain and Prudence to save our selves and this is the more necessary because of the Enemies and Dangers we have to encounter with And in Truth though the Divine Providence is sufficient to Guide and Protect and Provide for us yet we are no where commanded to lay a side the Man to illustrate the Christian Piety makes us shifty for the Honour of God Charity for the good of our Neighbours but Prudence tells us We must not be quite careless at home nay the very Substanâ—e of our Religiou requires us to love our Neighbours as our selves and therefore presupposeth a Care of our own Preservation before our Care for the welfare of others But yet so that Self alone must give place to a Society of Men which is made up of many particular Selves and the Glory of God is not to truckle to our Temporal Felicity See some Instances 1. Mr. Tindal living with one Mr. Welch in Gloucestershire as Tutor to his Children Discoursing about Matters of Religion sometimes in the House and being answered by Mrs. Welch Such a Doctor is worth 100 l. per Annum and such a one 200 and such a one 300. And is it Reason think you that we should believe you before them He replied nothing at that time because he saw it was in vain to make a personal Answer where the Authority of his own Person was of so little value and therefore fell upon
the Devil Nay he used to stop his Ears at the ill Speeches of Hereticks and shunn'd the Places where they were uttered Clark's Marr. of Eccl. History 2. Origen was sometimes necessitated to frequent the Lectures of one Paulus a famous Heretick at Antioch being both kindly entertained by the same Gentlewoman in the same House yet would he never be perswaded to join with him in Prayer detesting his Heretical Doctrine ibid. 3. Athanasius was so great a Lover of Truth and Orthodoxy that he alone resisted stoutly all the Devices and malicious Contrivances and Opposition of the Arians insomuch that it was said of him One Athanasius stood firm against all the World He was often falsly Accused often forced to Fly often Deposed and as often Escaped The Magicians and Soothsayers in Alexandria in Julian's time acknowledged that they could do nothing in their Art except Athanasius were removed out of the City ibid. 4. Basil being attacked by fair Speeches and Promises of Preferment from Valens the Emperous to turn Arian answered the Messenger Alas Sir These Speeches are fit to catch little Children that look after such things we are otherwise taught by Sacred Scripture and are ready to suffer a thousand Deaths rather than suffer one Syllable or Tittle of Scripture to be altered when Modestus the Prefect ask'd Know ye not who we are that command it No Body said Basil so long as you require such things to which he answered Know ye not that we have Honours to bestow upon you whereunto he replied They are but Changeable like your selves Upon this the Prefect in a Rage threatned to Confiscate his Goods to Torment Banish or Kill him Basil answered As for Consiscation he had nothing to lose for Banishment Heaven only was his Country and for Torments one Blow would dash his Body in pieces and for Death that was the only way to set him at Liberty The Prefect told him He was Mad I wish said he that I may be ever so Mad. The Emperour being acquainted with this Carriage of Basil went to Church next Morning with Design to disturb him but seeing his Reverend Carriage he was so convinced that he made a large Offering which yet Basil refused as coming from an Heretick ibid. 5. Epiphanius was semper acerrimus Hereticorum oppugnator i.e. always a very brisk Opposer of Hereticks ibid. 6. St. Augustine was called Hereticorum Malleus i.e. the Hammer of Hereticks Disputing often with the Manichees Donatists Arians and Pelagians and commonly in his Disputations making use of Notaries to write down the Arguments and Answers on both sides to prevent mis-reports and herein was very successful So many things were dictated and published by him so many Disputations held in the Church so many things written against Hereticks and so many Books of Sacred Scripture Expounded by him that a Studious Man all his life long can scarely know and read over ibid. In his latter Days he looked over all his Books and wrote two Volumes of Retractations and complained that some Ministers had gotten and divulged some of his Books before he had perfected them ibid. 7. Theodosius senior having called a Council upon occasion of the Arian Heresy the Emperour retired into his Closet fell down upon his Knees before God humbly beseeching him to reveal the Truth unto him and to assist him in finding it out then perusing every ones Opinion and seriously weighing it in the Ballance of the Sanctuary he condemned and tore in pieces all those Creeds that derogated from the Unity that is in the Blessed Trinity allowing and highly commending the other Clark in vitâ Theodosii 8. Pomponius Atticus neither would tell a Lye nor could endure one Text. Officinum 1138. 9. Bericus the Abbot that dwelt in the Wilderness of Thebais was never heard to swear an Oath never to tell a lye never to be angry never to speak an idle word ibid. 10. Hor the Abbot is said never to have told a lye never to have spoken evil to any Man ibid. 11. The late Countess Dowager of Warwick was exact in Word and Deed she never forfeited her Title to the Privilege of Peerage to be believed upon the honour of her Word which was as Sacred as any Oath and as good Security as many Bonds No inconvenience to her self would make her Recoil or Flinch from the Obligations she had brought her self under by her own Mouth Yea she had such an abhorrence of a dishonourable Recess from express or but intimated promises that it would render her esteem of such Persons exceeding cheap and mean who by little Arts and Shifts would lose and free themselves from their Engagements and disappoint the Expectations they had raised in others to save the Charges accounting their Money spared a very poor and base redemption of their Reputation She abhorr'd a Lye and used modesty to give this Testimony to her self You know I dare not I will not Lye And her Lord knew this so well that though he were positive enough yet would never persist if there happened any contest against whatever she affirmed peremptorily And a Lye was the foulest blemish any could stain themselves with in Converting with her and the most unpardonable fault a Servant could contract to whom she used to say Tell me the Truth and I can forgive you any thing Yea she feared the very shadow of a Lye Dr. Walker in her Life p. 90. 12. Sir William Fitz-Williams was a Man of so great Veracity that that grand Word On mine Honour was Security enough for a Kingdom and the only Asseveration he used It was his privilege that he need not swear for a Testimony and his renown that he would not for his Honour Lloyd's Worthies p. 549. CHAP. XXXVII Remarkable Friendship A Young Gentleman with whose Father I had held an uninterrupted Correspondence for near thirty Years but was lately Deceased wrote yesterday a Letter to me challenging as heir to his Father the Inheritance of his Correspondence tho' at a great distance building upon that Text Thy own Friend and thy Father's Friend forsake not And in Truth a solid Friendship founded upon Virtue and sincere Religion is one of the greatest sweetnesses of this Life and rarely to be found in the World A David and Jonathan a Gregory and Nazianzen a Cranmer and Cromwel a pair of true Friends among Men are seldomer to be found then a Club of Knaves or a herd of Bruits agreeing together 1. Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea for his great Love to Pamphilus was Sirnamed Pamphilus 2. Basil the Great at Athens fell into acquaintance with Gregory Nazianzen and joining Studies together they continued in firm amity all their Life after Clark's Marr. of Ecclesiastical Hist. 3. Theodoret and Cyril after a breach healed between them were mighty loving each to other ever after Ibid. 4. S. Bernard seeing a want of Ministers in his Country and burning with a Zeal to Save Souls resolved to set on the Work and seeking one by
of near three Months till the return of the Mayor into the City Besides his great Care to supply the Want of such as came to him for Relief he had a special Respect to poor House-keepers and Trades-men such as were unwilling and ashamed to make their sad and necessious Considition known He bequeathed thus his Will I give to all the Poor of this City and Country that receive Pay of Parishes and also to those that dwell in Alms-houses five Shillings to each of them to be paid at my Burial I give to one hundred more of poor People ten Shillings apiece to be given to such as my Overseers shall think to have most need the honest Poor to be chiefly regarded I give to the Poor of Lime where I was born and to tho Poor of Guernsey where I was new-born five Pounds to each place I forgive all the Monies owing to me if it be under the Value of twenty Shillings to each I give more to fifty poor People of this City and County twenty Shillings each to be appointed by my Overseers Ibid. 11. Mr. Richard Greenham was eminent for his Charity to the Poor In a time of Scarcity when Barley was at ten Groats the Bushel which in those days was an extraordinary Price he by his Prudence brought it to pass that the Poor had it sold to them for four Groats the Bushel by every Husbandman in the Town and thus he effected it There were about twenty Plough-holders in the Town all whom he drew to Agreement among themselves to hire a common Granary and therein to lay up Corn for the Poor some more some less So that some laid up one Coom some a quarter some three Cooms and himself laid in five Cooms all which was delivered out to the Poor at a Groat a Peck One day in the Week was appointed for all the Poor to come and served in at which time every one received according to their Charge Where there were but two in a Family they received one Peck a Week and so more according to that Proportion Only no Family had above three Pecks a Week He kept but two Beasts himself that the Poor might have his Straw and when other Men sold their Straw for two Shillings a days thresh he sold his for ten Pence Tho' his Bushel was bigger than other Mens yet he would often charge his Man not to strike off all the Corn. Yea his Charity was not only extended to the Poor of his own Parish but to others also As he rode abroad if he had seen a poor Boy at a distance from him he would send him some Money by his Man Whensoever he rode by the Castle of Cambridge the Prisoners would never ask him for any thing for if he had any Money in his Purse they were sure to have part of it 12. The Right Honourable Mary Countess Dowager of Warwick as a Neighbour was so kind and courteous it advanced the Rent of adjacent Houses to be so near situated to her nor only her House and Table but her Countenance and very Heart were open to all Persons of Quality in a considerable Circuit and for the inferiour sort if they were sick or tempted or in any distress of Body or Mind whither should they go but to the good Countess whose Closet and Still-house was their Shop for Chyrurgery and Physick and her Self for she would visit the meanest of them personally and Ministers whom she would send to them their Spiritual Physicians But as her Love to God was the Soul of her Religion so the Exuberancy of her Charity towards those who needed her abundant Liberality was the conspicuous Crown which beautifieâ— all her Sweetness and Goodness towards Men for in this she was forward I bear her Record to her Power yea and beyond her Power for she would even anticipate her Revenue and Encoms rather than want wherewith to be liberal S. Jerom placed in the highest rank of the Praises of his admired Paula that she not only made her self poor to relieve but died in magno Aere alieno And I am sure it used to be said of our Excellent Lady That was the Lady that would borrow Money to give away She would not live poor in good Works to die rich yea though she had chosen Executors in whom her Heart could trust as safely as ever her Husband 's did in her yet she would make her own Hands her Executors and they were very faithful to her inlarged Heart But to be more particular When she had in her Lord and Husband's life-time a separate Maintenance or Allowance settled by Marriage-Articles she was pleased to ask me my Opinion concerning the quota part What Proportion one is obliged to consecrate to God of our Estates And when I told her it was hard if not impossible to fix a Rule which might hold universally but the Circumstances must be considered in which Persons stood their Qualities their Encoms their Dependences necessary and emergent Occasions inevitably occurring But she persisting to urge a more particular Answer as to her self what would be fit and becoming her to do I not being ignorant of her Circumstances I must bear my own Shame in acknowledging the Straitness of my own Heart told her I supposed a seventh part But before I could suggest the Reasons she preventingly replied She would never give less than the third part And she kept her Resolution to the full and with Advantage laying aside constantly the third part for charitable uses and would sometimes borrow of that which remained to add to it but never defaulk from that to serve her own Occasions though sometimes pressing enough When she came to the Possession of so large an Estate as her Lord bequeathed her for her Life she in good measure made it true what a great Person was reported to say That the Earl of Warwick had gave all his Estate to pious Vses Meaning thereby that he had given it to this Noble Lady who would so convert it And 't is a great Truth which I have had from her own Mouth that all the Satisfaction she took in it was the Opportunity it afforded her of doing Good And I have heard her earnestly aver that she should not accept of or be incumbred with the greatest Estate in England if it should be offered her clog'd with this Condition not to do Good to others with it But some may say were her Eyes as open as her Hands did she not scatter it as carelesly as prosusely Nothing less her liberal Soul devised liberal Things I will point at some few of many There are some Objects of real Charity which are not so to vulgar Eyes or Purses on whom she would confer and whom she would surprize with noble and suitable Assistances thus she struck deep drew an whole Bag at once but made no noise Some scarcely to any but my self and it may be had not been to me but to ask my Judgment whether it
might be reduced to the account of Charity to give to such and such being in such Circumstances For she was never less tender of their Modesty than compassionate of their Necessity and was more sollicitous for their Pardon than their Thanks for helping them Foreigners who fled either to preserve their Religion or to embrace what they were convinced of to be the Truth A great many young Scholars of hopeful promising Parts whom she wholly or in good measure educated at the University allowing some thirty some twenty some ten some eight many five Pounds per Annum and some others who had more assistance less Abundance of young Children which she put to School in the Neighbouring Towns I cannot say how many but a very great number all that were poor and willing to learn Nay that could be perswaded to it whose Schooling she did not only pay for but gave them both Books and often Cloathing and not only near home but as far as Wales contributing nobly to that pious Design of that good old Man and indefatigable Promoter of it Mr. Gouge so amply attested by a Cloud of Witnesses beyond Exception to rescue Wales from its remaining Ignorance and Demi-Barbarism Many Ministers of both Denominations as well Conformists whose Livings were so small as not to yield them a Subsistance as those who had none at all Many occasional Objects of Charity which you may surely conclude failed not to ply at those Stairs where 't was seldom Low-water And though she was sometimes imposed upon and deceived by those that neither needed nor deserved that she gave yet this did not discourage her from giving again for she said She had rather relieve ten that only appeared meet Objects and were not than let one go unrelieved that was so indeed For though they deceived her in her giving God would not deceive her in accepting what was sincerely done for his Name sake Lastly the Poor which she fed in great numbers not only with Fragments and broken Meat but with liberal Provision purposely made for them She was a great Pitier yea a great Lover of the Poor and she built a covenient House on purpose for them at her London-Seat as they had one at Leez to sheluer them from Rain and Heat whilst they received their Dole and when she was at London with her Family had in her absence whilst no House was kept at Leez a kind of House kept for their sakes alone That is twice a Week good Beef and Bread provided for the Poor of four adjacent Parishes and hath taken order in her Will to have the same continued three Months after her decease and by the same Will hath given an hundred Pounds to be distributed to the Poor of Braintree Felsted Little-leez and Much-Walthan at or shortly after her Funeral Dr. Walker in her Life p. 108. 13 Sir Matthew Hale as we have said already gave the tenth Penny of all he got to the Poor but besides that he took great care to be well-informed of Proper Objects for Charitities And after he was a Judge many of the Perquisities of his place as his Dividend of the Rule and Box-money were sent by him to the Goals to discharge poor Prisoners who never knew from whose hands their Relief came It is also a Custom for the Marshal of the King's-Bench to present the Judges of that Court with a piece of Plate for a New-years-Gift that for the Chief-Justice being larger than the rest This he intended to have refused but the other Justice told him it belonged to his Office and the refusing it would be a Prejudice to his Successors so he was perswaded to take it But he sent word to the Marshal That instead of Plate he should bring him the Value of it in Money And when he received it he immediately sent it to the Prisons for the Relief and Discharge of the Poor there He usually invited his poor Neighbours to Dine with him and made them sit at Table with himself And if any of them were sick so that they could not come he would send Meat warm to them from his Table And he did not only relieve the Poor in his own Parish but sent Supplies to the Neighbouring Parishes as there was occasion for it And he treated them all with the Tenderness and Familiarity that became one who considered they were of the same Nature with himself and were reduced to no other Necessities but such as he himself might be brought to But for common Beggars if any of these came to him as he was in his Walks when he lived in the Country he would ask such as were capable of Working Why they went about so idly If they answered It was because they could find no Work he often sent them to some Field to gather all the Stones in it and lay them on a heap and then would pay them liberally for their Pains This being done he used to send his Carts and caused them to be carried to such places of the High-way as needed mending But when he was in Town he dealt his Charities very liberally even among the Street-Beggars and when some told him That he thereby encouraged Idleness and that most of these were notorious Cheats He used to answer That he believed most of them were such but among them there were some that were great Objects of Charity and prest with grievous Necessities and that he had rather give his Alms to Twenty who might be perhaps Rogues than that One of the other sort should perish for want of that small Relief which he gave them He loved Building much which he affected chiefly because it imployed many poor People Dr. Burnet in the Life of Sir Matthew Hale p. 90. CHAP. XXXIX Remarkable Charity and Liberality in Giving EVery Man is but a Steward under the Great Lord of Heaven and Earth of those good things of this Life which he enjoys the best use we can of make them is to do good with them either for the promoting of God's Glory or our own and others Benefit and accordingly we are to give up our Accounts hereafter To spend all upon our own Lusts is Folly and Impiety To give all away without Prudence and Discretion is Madness To give willingly and wisely is good Christianity But in all our Givings we must have an especial care that our Intention be honest and our Ends right for he that gives only to get Praise among Men doth but make an Idol of himself and sacrifice to his own Vanity and for so doing shall receive no other reward but our Religion doth furnish us with better Examples 1. Cyprian immediately upon his Conversion distributed all his Goods amongst the Poor and afterwards being Bishop of Carthage commanded the Care of the Poor to his Presbyters and was himself of a mighty liberal Disposition towards the Exiled Brethren Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist Cyprian receiving joyfully the Sentence of Death bids the Pro-consul discharge his Office duly
in Hell long ago if it had not been for thy Mercy O Lord I pray thee to keep my Parents in thy Truth and save them from this Infection if it be thy Will that they may live to bring me up in thy Truth O Lord I pray thee stay this Infection that rageth in this City and pardon their Sins and try them once more and see if they will turn unto thee Save me O Lord from this Infection that I may live to praise and glorifie thy Name but O Lord if thou hast appointed me to die of it fit me for Death that I may die with Comfort and O Lord I pray thee to help me to bear up under all Afflictions for Christ his sake Amen These are some of his dying Expressions The Lord shall be my Physician for he will cure both Soul and Body Heaven is the best Hospital It is the Lord let him do what seemeth good in his Eyes Again It is the Lord that taketh away my Health but I will say as Job did Blessed be the Name of the Lord. If I should live longer I should but sin against God Looking upon his Father he said If the Lord would but lend me the least Finger of his Hand to lead me through the dark Entry of Death I will rejoyce in him An hour and an half before his Death a Minister came to Visit him and asked him John Art thou afraid to die He answered No if the Lord will but comfort me in that hour But said the Minister How canst thou expect Comfort seeing we deserve none He answered No if I had my Deserts I had been in Hell long ago But replied the Minister which way dost thou expect Comfort and Salvation seeing thou art a Sinner He answered in Christ alone In whom about an hour and half after he fell asleep saying He would take a long sleep charging them that were about him not to wake him He died when he was twelve years three weeks and a day old 15. Anne Lane was born of honest Parents in Colebrook in the County of Bucks who was no sooner able to speak plain and express any thing considerable of Reason but she began to act as if she was sanctified from the very Womb. She was very solicitous about her Soul what would become of it when she should die and where she should live for ever and what she should do to be saved when she was about five years old I having occasion to lie at Colebrook sent for her Father an old Disciple an Israelite indeed and desired him to give me some account of his Experiences and how the Lord first wrought upon him He gave me this answer That he was of a Child somewhat civil honest and as to Man harmless but was little acquainted with the power of Religion till this sweet Child put him upon a thorow Inquiry into the state of his Soul and would still be begging of him and pleading with him to redeem his time and to act with life and vigor in the things of God which was no small Demonstration to him of the reality of Invisibles that a very Babe and Suckling should speak so feelingly about the things of God and be so greatly concerned not only about her own Soul but about her Father 's too which was the occasion of his Conversion It was the greatest Recreation to her to hear any good People talking about God Christ their Souls the Scriptures or any thing that concerned another Life She continued thus to walk as a Stranger in the World and one that was making haste to a better place And after she had done a great deal of work for God and her own Soul and others too she was called home to rest and received into the Arms of Jesus before she was ten years old she departed about 1640. 16. Talitha Alder was the Daughter of a Holy and Reverend Minister in Kent who lived near Gravesend She was much instructed in the Holy Scriptures and her Catechism by her Father and Mother but there appeared nothing extraordinary in her till she was between seven and eight years old About which time when she was sick one asked her what she thought would become of her if she should die She answered that she was greatly afraid that she should go to Hell Upon this seeing her in such a desponding Condition a dear Friend of her's spent the next day in Fasting and Prayer for her After this she had a Discovery of her approaching Dissolution which was no small comfort to her Anon said she with a holy Triumph I shall be with Jesus I am married to him he is my Husband I am his Bride I have given my self to him and he hath given himself to me and I shall live with him for ever I am going to Glory O that all of you were to go with me to that Glory With which words her Soul took wing and went to the Possession of that Glory which she had some believing sight of before She died when she was between eight and nine years old about 1644. 17. Susanna Bicks was born at Leyden in Holland Jan. 24. 1650. of very Religious Parents whose great care was to instruct and Catechise this their Child and to present her to the Minister of the Place to be publickly instructed and Catechised It pleased the Lord to bless Holy Education the good Example of her Parents and Catechising to the good of her Soul so that she soon had a true Savour and Relish of what she was taught and made an admirable use of it in a time of need as you shall hear afterwards That which was not the least observable in her was the ardenâ— Affection she had for the Holy Scriptures and her Catechism in which she was thorowly instructed by the Godly Divines of the place where she lived which she could not but own as one of the greatest Mercies next the Lord Christ O how did she bless God for her Catechism and beg of her Father to go particularly to those Ministers that had taken so much pains with her to instruct her in her Catechism and to thank them from her a dying Child for their good Instructions and to let them understand for their Encouragement to go on in that Work of Catechising how Refreshing those Truths were now to her in the hour of her distress O that sweet Catechising said she unto which I did always resort with Gladness and attended without Weariness She laid a great charge upon her Parents not to be over-grieved for her after her Death urging that of David upon them while the Child was sick he fasted and wept but when it died he washed his Face and sat up and ear and said Can I bring him back again from Death I shall go to him but he shall not return to me So ought you to say after my Death Our Child is well for we know it shall be well with them that trust in the Lord. She had
for his People That God would provide for them a Pastor after his own Heart He was a Man of such a moving Eloquence that the Bishop of Carthage hearing him Preach Two Days together in his Church could not refrain from Tears rejoycing that God had given to his Church in those afflicted Times such a worthy Instrument of his Glory Ibid. p. 95. 4. Austin would have a Preacher so long pursue and press the same Point until by the Gestures and Countenances of the Hearers he perceived that they understood it and also intended to practise it 5. Jerom was called Fulmen Ecclesiasticum the Churches Thunderbolt And surely Ministers should take the same liberty to cry down Sin that Men take to commit Sin Isa 58.1 6. Athanasius was said to be both an Adamant and a Loadstone for in his private Converse he was very affable and courteous drawing all Men to him even as a Loadstone doth Iron but in the Cause of God and his Truth he was unmovable and unconquerable as an Adamant 7. Of Luther it was said Vnus homo solus totius Orbis imperium sustinuit That he alone opposed a World of Enemies 8. It s recorded of Father Latimer that he preached twice every Sabbath even when he was of a very great Age and that he arose to his Studies Winter and Summer at Two a Clock in the Morning Act. and Mon. 9. 9. Bernard hath these Words If I deal not plainly and faithfully with your Souls Vobis erit damnosum mihi periculosum Timeo itaque damnum vestrum timeo damnationem meam si tacuero It will be ill for you and worse for me the Truth is ye would be betray'd and I should be damned if I should hold my Peace 10. Peter Chrysologus was eloquent and very powerful in his Sermons to the People and very holy in his Conversation whereby he won many to embrace the Truth Ever before he penned any thing he used with great ardency and humility to set himself by Prayer to seek unto God for Direction therein CHAP. LIX Reverence to Learned or Good Men. THere is such a Majesty in Wisdom and Goodness that they beget at least a secret Veneration in all Sensible Persons Barnabas and Paul were on this score worshipped at Lycaonia for Gods one under the Notion of Jupiter the other of Mercurius and Sacrifices were preparing for them The Lacedemonians finding it their Interest to corrupt Philopaeâ—en with Money were yet so possest with a Reverence of his Virtues that none durst venture to attack him And we are told that certain Pirates came to Visit Scipio that worthy Conquerour of Africa worshipped the Posts of his Doors laid their Gifts at his Thresholds went hastily to kiss his Hands and so over-joyed they departed And 't is not long ago since a wild Bravo of our own Nation the late Earl of Rochester acknowledged That even in the midst of his wild Paroxysms he had a secret Veneration for a Good Man 1. Valens the Emperour coming to Church on purpose to disturb Basil Bishop of Caesarea in his Holy Offices was so convinced and struck with an awful Opinion of him by observing his Reverent Behaviour that he made a large Offering instead of doing him any hurt which notwithstanding Basil refused as coming from an Heretick Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Gregory Nazianzen when Valens the Emperour entred his Church first astonish'd him and afterward by discreet Conference deterr'd him from his Cruelty yea reclaim'd him from the Arrian Faction tho' he afterwards relaps'd again Ibid. 3. Fulgentius being recalled from Exile by King Hilderic was received with such great Devotion by the Africans as if he had been peculiar Bishop to every City every where met with Tokens of Joy yea their Love was so great towards him that a Shower of Rain falling they held their Garments over him to keep him dry Ibid. p. 94. 4. Poggius Secretary to the Council of Constance writing to a Friend concerning Hierom of Prague saith thus of him I profess I never saw any Man who in Discourse especially it being for Life or Death that came nearer to the Eloquence of the Apostles and Ancients whom we do so much admire It was a Wonder to see with what Words with what Eloquence Arguments Countenance and Confidence he answered his Adversaries and maintained his own Cause insomuch as it is to be lamented that so fine a Wit had strayed into the way of Heresie if that be true which was objected against him When every Article of his Accusation was read publickly and proved by Witnesses they asked him Whether he had any thing to object But 't is almost incredible how cunningly he answered and with what Arguments he defended himself He never spake one Word unworthy a good Man So that if he thought in Heart as he spake with his Tongue no Cause of Death could have been found against him neither indeed was he guilty of the least Offence At last he concludes that he was a Man that deserved everlasting remembrance Ibid. p. 129. 5. Luther hath this Testimony given him by Melancthon Pomeram is a Grammarian I a Logician Justus Jonas an Orator but Luther is All even a Miracle amongst Men whatsoever he reads or writes pierceth to the very Soul and leaves wonderful Stings in the Hearts of Men. And this from Vrbanus Regius Talis tantus est Theologus Lutherus ut nullo secula habuer nt similem semper mihi Magnus fuit at jam mihi Maximus est vidi enim praesens audici quae nullo calamo tradi possunt abseneibus Ibid. p. 169. 6. Cassander for his Learning was so respected that he held a Correspondence with most Learned Men of all Perswasions Roman Catholicks Lutherans and Calvinists was sent for more than once by the Emperour to assist in reconciling the Differences that were then arisen with large Overtures for his Encouragement 7. William Tindal hearing of a Juggler amongst the English Merchants at Antwerp that by his Magical Art could fetch all kind of dainty Dishes and Wine from what place they pleased and let it presently upon the Table before them with many other such-like Feats desired of some of the Merchants that he might be present at Supper to see this Juggler play his Pranks which being granted the Juggler came and with his wonted boldness boasted what he could do but after much Labour Toyl and Sweating being able to effect nothing he openly confessed That there was some Man in the Company which disturbed and hindred all his doings Clark's Eccl. Hist p. 167. 8. Vrbanus Regius was dearly beloved by Ernestus Duke of Brunswick and esteemed as his Father insomuch as when the City of Auspurg A. C. 1535 sent to the Duke desiring him to return Regius again he answered That he would as soon part with his Eyes as with him And at his Return from Auspurg when divers of his Nobles asked him What new and precious Ware after the Example of other
Affairs 9. My Heart doth truly rejoyce and bleS God when I see or hear of the Courage of his faithful Ministers or other private Christians in opposing or withstanding the Storm of these wicked Times and upon serious deliberate Consideration I had abundantly rather suffer with them then enjoy Peace and Prosperity upon the sinful Terms of these wicked Times 10. I most of all desire and delight to hear such Preaching as is most searching and that gives most plain and practical Directions for the leading of a holy Life 11. I have the highest Esteem of and most affection are Love to those in whom I see the most hopeful Signs and Fruits of a Work of Grace in their Hearts 12. I endeavour to shun and avoid all loose and vain Company and Associate my self with those that are more solid and prositable in their Conversation for Religious Advantages 13. I humbly and heartily desire the gracious Assistance of God's most holy Spirit to discover unto me the true and real worth of my own Soul and that of all other Evils I may be preserved from Errors and Mistakes in this Business of such Weighty and infinite Concernment 14. I have often heard in many Sermons divers distinguishing Characters of true saving Grace and upon serious Reflection upon my own Soul I find that my Heart doth not totally condemn me in any of them but that God hath wrought some real tho' weak Impressions of them in me for which I humbly desire more and more Strength and Ability to Praise him in Heart and Life 15. Notwithstanding all which wherein I have truly so far as I am able exprest the Truth yet fear and tremble least my own Heart should deceive me herein and tho' I daily beg of God a renewing of an Addition to Spiritual Strength yet desire to rely only upon the free and rich Mercy of God through the All-sufficient Merits of Jesus Christ for the Pardon of my Sins and Salvation of my Soul desiring to receive him upon his own Terms as my King Priest and Prophet Mr. Albyn sent these his Evidences for Heaven to Mr. Calamy with this Letter Mr. Calamy I Humbly entreat you to Peruse and Consider the Particulars afore-written and to afford me your Judgment in Writing under your own and some other godly Ministers Hands subscribed thereunto Yours in all Christian Obligations B. A. London July 4th 1650. To which Mr. Calamy returned his Answer I Am verily perswaded from infallible Grounds out of God's Word that whosoever can own these fifteen Particulars above-mentioned in Truth and in Sincerity is a true Child of God and shall certainly inherit everlasting Life Edm. Calamy Minister of God's Word in Aldermanbury We whose Names are under Written are of the same Perswasion with our Reverend Brother Mr. Calamy above Written John Fuller Matth. Newcomen These Evidences for Heaven were delivered to me by the very Person who Transcribed them from Mr. Albyn 's own Writing which he kept by him to his Death 19. The Heavenly Instructions senthy Mrs. Lydia Carter in several Letters to her Relations which being Writ whilst she was very Young deserve a place under our present Head of Extraordinary Zeal and Devotion The Letters were Five in Number and were Directed to Benjamin Carter Jeremiah Carter her Sister Child her Aunt Child and to her Sister Desborrow all of Chesham in Buckingham-shire Mrs. Lydia Carter's Letter to her Brother Benjamin Carter Loving Brother WHen you consider how Priscilla expounded the Way of God more perfectly unto Apollos I hope you will take in good part the sincere and cordial Wishes of a weaker Vessel Providence hath set our Bodies at a great Distance yet how near and dear you are unto my Soul the Lord knows whose eternal Welfare I as vehemently desire as my own and should be unspeakably glad if as we have lain in one Mothers Belly and Bosom together we might also lie down in the same Divine Embraces of infinite Love Brother I know not whether I shall ever see your Face any more not that I speak in respect of present Sickness but in regard of the uncertain brevity of Life Man giveth up the Ghost and where is he Oh that same Expression And where is he hath often put my Soul into a wondering Frame because the Scripture saith after Death cometh Judgment Brother I humbly and ingeniously confess that I am less then the least of all those who look Heaven-ward yet that I am a bruised Reed or as smoaking Flax I cannot deny But oh Brother I would have you a tall Cedar in Religion a Pillar in the Church of God a valiant Champion for the Truth one that may attain unto the full Stature of a perfect Man in Christ. Brother believe me I blush at these Scriblings of mine yet how fain would I write unto you seeing I cannot speak with you that I might put you in mind of Eternity of Eternity that little Word of the greatest Concernment But when this thought first entred into my Heart I bewailed oh I bewailed mine own Ignorance Unbelief Inconsideration and want of Zeal and I thought you might justly smile at my forwardness in exhorting you who am so unable myself and might say Who is this that darkneth Counsel with Words without Knowledge Yet because the Widow's Mite was kindly accepted of by Christ Brother do you vouchsafe a benign Aspect upon this weak Attempt otherwise you will discourage a young Writer quite Indeed I want skill to write my Words and Words to express my Mind What shall I say Oh would to God the grave and gracious Counsels of that holy Man now in Heaven might always sound in both our Ears Shall I wish he were alive again that we might be blessed with his Fatherly Admonitions and Instructions concerning that one thing necessary Or may not we be known to be the Spiritual Children of our Father Abraham if we walk in the Steps of his Faith though he knows us not being Dead Alas alas I am sure I may speak it of my self tho one should arise from the Dead it would be nothing available unless God did bring my unsensible and unteachable Heart under the powerful Convincements of his Word which is a more sure Word of Prophecy then a ghostly Relation unto which we are all bound to take good heed Brother search the Scriptures for in them you shall find eternal Life and they testified of Christ I profess unto you I know nothing in all this World worth the knowing but a Crucified Christ and to be fully perswaded upon unquestionable Grounds of a saving Interest in him Undoubtedly the pale Horse is prancing up and down in the World upon which Death Rides and we know not how soon he may have us under his Feet But that we may escape out of the Hands of that Horsemans Page Rev. 6. ver 8. that we may so live in Christ that Death may be an Advantage to us that we may so walk in
the Faith that we may have this Testimony in our own Consciences that all our Ways and Paths are well-pleasing to the Lord our great Soveraign that we may so even so run as to obtain an immortal Crown at last though the Righteous shall scarcely be saved and that we might be found upon Mount Sion with the Lamb among the Sealed ones of God is the earnest and daily Prayer of Your loving Sister Lydia Carter Mrs. Lydia Carter's Letter to her Brother Jeremiah Carter Loving Brother Jeremiah YOU are a young Man and you read of the young Man in the Gospel concerning whom it is said Christ looking upon him loved him I think that was but a common Love because of some hopefulness of more good or of less discovery of more evil in him than in many others The Lord knows that I do most tenderly love you as a Brother in the Flesh but oh how much more should I love you as a Brother in Christ Now that you may have a share in the Soul-saving Love of Christ that you may be more intimately acquainted with the deep Mystery of the Gospel that you may consecrate the Flower of your Youth to God that you may fly all Sins incident to your present State that you may be sensible of continued Mercies that you may improve all Opportunities and Abilities which you have received from God for God that you may earnestly contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints that you may follow the Lord fully in your Generation and that you and I with all our Relations may one Day sit down in heavenly places together with Jesus Christ is the uncessant Prayer of Your very Loving Sister Lydia Carter August 10. 1655. Mrs. Lydia Carter's Letter to her Sister Child Loving Sister Child YOU are a Mother 't is a Blessing yet but an earthly Blessing Children are certain Cares uncertain Comforts Now that you may bear Christ in your Spirit as you have born Children in your Body that you may have further Experience of the preserving Love of God which passeth the Tenderness of Maternal Affection Isai 49.14 15. that you may always enjoy the Light of God's Countenance that you may be strengthned with all Might according to the glorious Power of God in your inward Man unto all Patience and Long-suffering with Joyfulness that you may by your heavenly Conversation adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ that you may be counselled and comforted by the sweet Influences of the Spirit of Grace and that you may be one of those who shall be caught up in the Clouds together with all the Saints to meet the Lord in the Air and befor ever with him is the fervent Prayer of Your very Loving Sister Lydia Carter Mrs. Lydia Carter's Letter to her Aunt Child Most endeared Aunt WHom I love in the Truth and not I only but also all they that have known the Truth Grace be with you Mercy and Peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in Health even as your Soul prospereth I have no greater Joy than to hear that all the Lord's People walk in the Power of Godliness shewing forth the Praises of him who hath called us out of Darkness into his marvelous Light It is true I have need to be more fully instructed of those who have attained unto a full Age and by reason of use have their Senses exercised to discern both Good and Evil yet as one who hath obtained this Grace of the Lord as to be faithful in a few things I shall not be negligent to put you in remembrance of these things tho' you know them and are established in the present Truth That which the Lord expects at our Hands is that we should walk worthy of him who hath called us unto a Kingdom that we should live unto the praise of his rich Grace who hath so freely poured out his Soul unto Death for us Dying Love justly merits an humble holy thankful and fruitful Conversation Truly we live in a crooked and perverse Generation Satan hath his Seat in every place great is the subtilty of Sin the deceitfulness of our own Hearts the power and malice of our Spiritual Adversary it nearly concerns us therefore to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure before we go away from hence and be no more Aunt My continual and fervent Desire is That we may be every Day more and more enlightned into the Depths of Special and Distinguishing Love and that I may be helped forward in my Faith and Joy in the Holy Ghost by your Experiences is the Prayer of Your Affectionate Cousin Lydia Carter My Love unto all my Cousins praying that they may be blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in the common Saviour Mrs. Lydia Carter's Letter to her Sister Desborrow Loving Sister Desborrow THat we should exhort one another daily consider one another and provoke one another unto Love and Good Works is the Exhortation of the Scripture and such Counsel as I desire might be written upon your Heart and mine Sister You are now entred into the World with me but that an abundant entrance may be administred into the Kingdom of God unto us both that we may with Mary choose the better part which shall never be taken from us that we may grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ that we may not be weary of Well-doing that we may approve our Hearts unto God in all manner of Holiness that we may be filled with Spiritual Graces suitable to our Relations and Conditions that we may persevere unto the End that we may have the Sence of God's Love kept alive and warm upon our Hearts that we may bring forth much Fruit proportionable to the precious Enjoyments of Divine Mercy that we may make it our Business to praise exalt and glorifie him who hath abundantly loved us in his Son that we may have a continual Eye upon him who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith that we may earnestly strive to attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead and that we may learn Christ love Christ and live Christ is the restless Desire of Your very Loving Sister Lydia Carter Your Husband and you shall not be forgotten by me in my Pleadings at the Throne of Grace Farewel These Letters were all sent me by her own Son who received 'em from his Father a little before his Death He also sent him the following Letter and Directions for the Management of his whole Life which being full of pious Instructions may properly come under this Head His Letter was this following My dear Child THY Master's Letter to me last Week gives me great Encouragement to think that if please God I live I shall receive a great deal of Comfort from thee he writes so fully that I profess I never read more written concerning any one in my Life of thy
of parting with Possessions for Christ's sake are applied by St. Hierom to the Words of Solomon Prov. 11.24 There is that scattereth and yet encreaseth because saith he they receive an hundred fold in this World This saith he I am resolved on 't is want of Belief and nothing else that keeps Men from the Practice of this Duty Could this one Mountain be removed the lessening of our Wealth that Alms-giving is accused of Could that one Scandal to Flesh and Blood be kicked out of the way there is no other Devil would take the unmerciful Man's part no other Temptation molest the Alms-giver And let me tell you that you have no more Evidence for the truth of Christ's coming for all the Fundamentals of your Faith on which you are content your Salvation should depend then such as I have given you for your security in this point Arch-bishop Tillotson tells us in his Sermon upon Acts 10. v. 38. That to do good is the most pleasant Employment in the World It is natural and whatever is so is delightful We do like our selves when ever we relieve the Wants and Distresses of others And therefore this Virtue among all other hath peculiarly entituled it self to the name of Humanity We answer our own Nature and obey our Reason and shew our selves Men in shewing Mercy to the Miserable when ever we consider the Evils and Afflictions of others we do with the greatest Reason collect our Duty from our Nature and Inclination and make our own Wishes and Desires and Expectations from others a Law and Rule to our selves And this is pleasant to follow our Nature and to gratifie the importunate Dictates of our own Reason So that the Benefits we do to others are not more welcome to them that receive them then they are delightful to us that do them We ease our own Nature and Bowels when ever we help and relieve those who are in Want and necessity As on the contrary no Man that hath not divested himself of Humanity can be cruel and hard-hearted to others without feeling some Pain in himself There is no sensual Pleasure in the World comparable to the Delight and Satisfaction that a good Man takes in doing good This Cato in Tully boasts of as the great Comfort and Joy of his old Age That nothing was more pleasant to him than the Conscience of a well spent Life and the remembrance of many Benefits and Kindnesses done to others Sensual Pleasures are not lasting but presently vanish and expire But that is not the worst of them they leave a Sting behind them as the Pleasure goes off Succedit frigida cura Sadness and Melancholy come in the place of it But the Pleasure of doing good remains after a thing is done the thoughts of its lie easie in our Minds and the reflection upon it afterwards does for ever minister Joy and Delight to us In a word That Frame of Mind which enclines us to do Good is the very Temper and Disposition of Happiness Solomon after all his Experience of worldly Pleasures pitches at last upon this as the greatest Felicity of Human Life and the only good Use that is to be made of a prosperous and plentiful Fortune Eccl. 3.12 I know that there is no good in them but for a Man to rejoyce and do god in his Life And a greater and wiser then Solomon had said That it is more blessed to give then to receive Thus far Arch-bishop Tillotson I now proceed to Instances of present Retribution to the Charitable 1. St. Alban whom Mr. Fox in his first Tome mentioned amongst the Martyrs who suffered for the Name and Cause of Christ having received a poor persecuted Minister into his House was by his godly Life and gracious Exhortations so wrought upon that he turned from Heathenism to Christianity and at last suffered as a Martyr for the Truth of Jesus Christ as Beda and others write of hâ—â— His kindness to a poor persecuted Minister was recompenced not only with his Conversion to the true Religion but likewise with the honour of Martyrdom 2. St. Austin having set forth the mercifulness an liberality of Constantine the Great saith Bonus Deus Constantinum magnum tantis terrenis implevit muneribus c. God gave Constantine that merciful Prince more Wealth than Heart could wish for his bounty to the Poor Aug. de Civitate Dei l. 5. 3. Dr. Hammond in his forementioned Treatise mentioned an ancient Story out of Cedrenus of a Jew who upon reading those words of Solomon Prov. 19.17 He that hath pity on the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again resolved to try whether God would be as good as his word thereupon gave all that he had but two pieces of Silver to the Poor and then waited and expected to see it come again But being not presently answered in that Expectation grew angry and went up to Jerusalem to expostulate with God for not performing his Promise And going on his way found two Men a striving engaged in an unreconcileable Quarrel about a Stone that both walk together had found in the way and so had both equal right to it but being but one and not capable of being divided they could not both enjoy and therefore to make them Friends he having two pieces of Silver doth upon contract divide them betwixt the Contenders and hath the Stone in exchange for them having it he goes on his Journey and coming to Jerusalem shews it the Goldsmith who tells him it was a Jewel of great Value being a Stone fallen and lost out of the High Priests Ephod to whom if he carried it he should certainly receive a great Reward He did so and accordingly it proved the High Priest took it of him gave him a great Reward and withal sharply reproved him for questioning the truth of God's Promise bidding him trust God the next time 4. The Story of Tiberius the Second is pertinent to this purpose which take in the Words of that Reverend Person before-mentioned in his Sermon at the Spittle This Tiberius was very Famous for his Bounty to the Poor insomuch that his Wife was wont to blame him for it and speaking to him once how he wasted his Treasury that way he told her He should never want Money so long as in obedience to Christ's Commands he did supply the necessity of the Poor And presently see how Providence ordered it Immediately after he had given much this way under a Marble Table which was taken up he found a great Treasury and news was brought him too of the Death of one Narses a very rich Man who had given his whole Estate unto him 5. Famous is the Story of that charitable Bishop of Millain who as he was Travelling with his Servant overtook some poor People who begged an Alms of him whereupon he asked his Man what Money he had about him who answered Three Crowns which he commanded him to give
undutiful and irregular in his Conversation and therefore his Father being grieved at it left with one Mrs. Wilson a Sails-man in London 40 l. per Annum upon this Condition That if his Son did forsake his evil Courses and become an honest Man he should then give him the Estate if not he should never let him have it After the Father's Decease Mr. Baines reformed mightily and became eminently pious and devout Mr. Wilson falling sick sends for him and desires him to pray with him which Mr. Baines did every savourily upon which the good Gentleman told him of the 40 l. per Annum which his Father had left with him and so faithfully delivered up those Writings of the Agreement which had passed betwixt his Father and him And being like to leave behind him a Wife and two Children he intreated Mr. Baines to be a Friend to them And accordingly after Mr. Wilson's Death to Discharge his Trust and approve himself grateful he married his Widow Mr. Clark in his Life Here was a Son that indeed was not dutiful to his Father in his first Years that would not go when his Father bid him go but afterwards repented and went and accordingly he fared for tho' the Estate came not to him presently yet afterwards it came CHAP. LXXVI Present Retribution to the Peaceable and Quiet BLessed saith our Saviour are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth and again Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God And 't is certain a Meekness and Quietness of Spirit doth mightily contribute to the Health of our Bodies the Comfort of our Minds and a peaceable and sweet Enjoyment of the good things of this Life The Christian Religion says a learned Man Dr. Stillingfleet now Bishop of Worcester in his Sermon upon Phil. 3. v. 16. doth lay the greatest Obligations on Mankind to Peace and Unity by the strictest Commands the highest Examples and the most prevailing Arguments yet so much have the Passions and Interests of Men overlay'd the Sense of their Duty that as nothing ought to be more in our Wishes so nothing seems more remote from our Hopes then the universal Peace of the Christian World Not that there is any impossibility in the thing or any considerable difficulty if all Men were such Christians as they ought to be but as long as Men pursue their several Factions and Designs under the colour and pretence of Zeal for Religion if they did not find Names and Parties ready framed that were suitable to their Ends the difference of their Designs would make them So that 'till mens Corruptions are mortified and their Passions subdued to a greater degree then the World hath yet found them it is vain to expect a state of Peace and Tranquility in the Church We need not go far from home for a sufficient Evidence of this for although our differences are such as the wiser Protestants abroad not only condemn but wonder at them yet it hath hitherto puzzled the wisest Persons among us to find out ways to compose them not so much from the distance of mens Opinions and Practices as the strength of their Prejudices and Inclinations Thus far Dr. Stillingfleet I now proceed to Instances of Present Retribution to the Peaceable and Quiet 1. Bazil the Great after a difference had happened between him and Eusebius Bishop of Caesaria upon danger of a Persecution from Valens the Arrian Emperour went to him and was reconciled and afterwards upon Eusebius's Death was chosen Bishop in his room Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Ambrose Lieutenant and Consul of Millain upon the Death of Auxentius Bishop of that See going to appease an Uproar that was then risen about the Election of another Bishop with his excellent Arguments so appeased the Rage of the heady Multitude they with one Voice cried up Ambrose for their Bishop upon which without any further deliberation he was by the Bishops there present installed into the Office tho' at that time he was but a Catechumenist and unbaptized Ibid. Another time Justina the Empress going about to banish Ambrose the People bore such a singular love to him that they withstood her Act and hindred it and besides just at the same time a Rebellion was raised in Britain by Maximus which cooled her Spleen and broke her Purpose concerning it Ibid. 3. There is among the Advertisements of the late News-Letters a Book mentioned with this Title The happiness of a quiet Mind both in Youth and Old Age with the way to attain it In a Discourse occasioned by the Death of Mrs. Martha Hasselborn who died March 13. 1695 in the Ninety fifth Year of her Age. By Tim. Rogers M. A. c. I suppose by the Title for I have not yet seen the Book that the Author doth ascribe the healthful Crasis of the Gentlewoman's Body and the Longevity of her Life in great measure to the quietness of her Mind but for further satisfaction I leave my Reader to consult the Book it self 4. John of Times who lived a Nestors Age and more till he was three Hundred Sixty one Years old was a Man of a contented Spirit in all Conditions of Life Wanley's Wonders l. 1. c. 31. 5. Mr. Phil. Henry of whom I have made mention before was a Man of a very sedate even Temper a calm Spirit a great Peace-maker in his Neighbourhood and accordingly he lived loved and died with the universal Lamentation of People of all sorts And which perhaps ought not to be omited in the consideration after the enjoyment of a kind and loving Wife who brought him a good and plentiful Estate and seeing his Children all disposed of with his consent and to content of all Persons concerned and they walking in the Truth and mutual Love one with another and his Chhildrens Children to his great Joy and Comfort I say after all these Blessings poured plentifully upon his Head with great assurance and satisfaction about his spiritual and eternal Estate he quietly with a short Sickness of about twelve Hours continuance or not much more resign'd up his Spirit into the Hands of the God of Peace 6. Mrs. Katherine Stubs obeyed the Commandment of the Apostle who biddeth Women to be silent and learn of their Husbands at home she would never suffer any Disorder or Abuse in her House to be unreproved or unreformed and so gentle was she and courteous of Nature that she was never heard to give the Lie to any in all her Life nor so much as Thou to any in Anger She was never heard to fall out with any of her Neighbours nor with the least Child that lived much less to scold or brawl And for true Love and Loyalty to her Husband and his Friends was she the rearest Paragon in the World she lived very contentedly there was never any Man or Woman that ever opened their Mouths against her And accordingly as she lived so she died peaceably and comfortable out-braving
Chancellor Bacon saith That Imagination is next Kin to Miracle-working Faith 25. When King Charles the First was Prisoner at Carisbrook-Castle there was a Woman Touched by him who had the King's-Evil in her Eye and had not seen in a Fortnight before her Eye-lids being glued together as they were at Prayers after the Touching the Womans Eyes opened Mr. Seymer Bowman with many others were Eye-witnesses of this 26. William Bakhouse of Swallowfield in Berk-shire Esq had an ugly Scab that grew on the middle of his Forehead which had been there for some Years and he could not be cured In his Journey to Peterborough he dreamt there That he was in a Church and saw a Hearse and that one did bid him wet his Scab with the Drops of the Marble The next Day he went to Morning-Service and afterwards going about the Church saw the very Hearse which was of Black Say for Queen Catherine Wife to King Henry the Eighth and the Marble Grave-stone by He found Drops on the Marble and there were some Cavities wherein he clip'd his Finger and wetted the Scab In Seven Days it was perfectly cured 27. Arise Evans had a fungous Nose and said It was reveal'd to him that the King's Hand would cure him and at the first coming of King Charles the Second into St. James's-Park he kiss'd the King's Hand and rubb'd his Nose with it which disturb'd the King but cured him Mr. Ashmole told me 28. There is extant a true Relation of the wonderful Cure of Mary Maillard Lame almost ever since she was born on Sunday the 26th of November 1693. With the Affidavits and Certificates of the Girl and several other credible and worthy Persons who knew her both before and since her being cured To which is added A Letter from Dr. Wellwood to the Right Honourable the Lady Mayoress upon that Subject London Printed for R. Baldwin near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-lane 1664. 29. The following Letter I receiv'd from Mr. Moses Pitt with the Relation of Anne Jefferies Decemb. 3. 96. Reverend Sir I Have here sent you what I have Published of Anne Jefferies which you may if you please Reprint in your Collections only with these Additions which accrued not to my Memory or Information 'till after I had Published the same viz. That these Fairies are distinguished into Males and Females and than they are about the bigness of Children of Three or Four Years of Age. I also desire you to insert this Letter to me from my Kinsman Mr. Will. Tom who was the Person which Dined with the Lord Bishop of Gloucester when I told him this of Anne Jefferies and is a Merchant of as much Note as most in Devon or Cornwall and has been Mayor of Plimouth who knows Anne Jefferies who is still living as well as my self he sent me the Letter on my sending him one of the Books by Post I have the Original by me Plimouth May 12. 1696. Cous Pitt I Have yours with the inclosed Prints and do know and have heard that all in it is very true which with my Duty to my Lord Bishop of Gloucester you may acquaint his Lordship it 's needless for me to write to him I am Your Affectionate Kinsman and Servant William Tom. This is all I think needful to acquaint you with on this Subject I am Your True and Faithful Servant Moses Pitt 30. An Account of one Anne Jefferies now living in the County of Cornwall who was fed for Six Months by a small sort of Airy People called Faiâ—ies And of the strange and wonderful Cures she performed with Salves and Medicines she received from them for which she never took one Penny of her Patients In a Letter from Moses Pitt to the Right Reverend Father in God Dr. Edward Fowler Lord Bishop of Gloucester My LORD WHen about Christmass last I waited on you with my Printed Letter to the Author of a Book entituled Some Discourses upon Dr. Burnet now Lord Bishop of Salisbury and Dr. Tillotson late Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury occasioned by the late Funeral Sermon of the former upon the latter After I had paid my Duty and Service to your Lordship you were pleased to mind me of my having told you a wonderful Story about Seventeen or Eighteen Years since in the Company of a Kinsman of mine a Tradesman of Plimouth who also confirmed part of it from his own Knowledge and the following Narrative you will sâ—â—d to contain the Substance of what you then heard And I doubt not but I could bring several other Persons now living to justifie the Truth of what I here write Nay the Person concerned who is at this time living in Cornwall must own it and a great deal more if she could be prevailed with to speak out My Lord I thought I could if any Person alive have prevail'd with her she being the Servant that attended me in my Childhood but your Lordship may see that I cannot and therefore your Lordship must be content with what I here publish I am satisfied I was not nor could be imposed on in this Affair the Particulars having made sâ— great an Impression on me from my Youth hitherto I know my Lord that the great part of the World will not believe the passages here related by reason of the strangeness of them but I cannot help their Vnbelief Your Lordship knows the Record where it 's mentioned That the great God did marvellous things in the sight of our Forefathers but for all that they sinned yet more and believed not his wondrous Works And therefore Vnbelief is no new Sin crept into the World And moreover my Lord if Men would give themselves time to think they cannot but remember that the great God has done as great and marvellous Works in our Age both in Judgment and in Mercy as be did in the Days of old by which the greatest Atheist may be convinc'd not only of the Being of a God but also that his Power and his Goodness are as manifest now as of old and therefore it 's the Duty of all that do by personal Knowledge know any extraordinary Works or Providences of God which are uncommon to publish them to the World that the great God may be glorified and Mankind edified which is purely and truly the Design of Publishing the following Narrative ANne Jefferies for that was her Maiden Name of whom the following strange things are related was born in the Parish of St. Teath in the County of Cornwall in December 1626. and she is still living 1696. being now in the Seventieth Year of her Age she is married to one William Warden formerly Hind a Hind is one that looks after the rest of the Servants the Grounds Cattel Corn c. of his Master to the late eminent Physician Dr. Richard Lower deceased and now lives as Hind to Sir Andrew Slanning of Devon Bar. I must acquaint you Sir that I have made it my Business but could not prevail to get
take up a Pin he appeared to her and told her that Follet was the cause of all her Troubles and so left her Hitherto I have given you as exact an Account as I could get from them as to the time That which follows I set down without observing the Circumstances of Time or Order of Action because I can learn no certainty of it from them but the Matter of Fact is truth Often when they were gone to Bed the inner Doors were flung open as also the Doors of a Cupboard which stood in the Hall and this with a great deal of Violence and Noise And one Night the Chairs which when they went to Bed stood all in the Chimney-corner were all removed and placed in the middle of the Room in very good order and a Meal-sieve hung upon one cut full of Holes and a Key of an inner Door upon another And in the Day-time as they sate in the House spinning they could see the Barn-doors often flung open but not by whom Once as Alice sate spinning the Rock or Distaff leapt several times out of the Wheel into the middle of the Room upon which she said she thought Follet was in it She had no sooner said the Words but she saw Follet ride by to Sir William York's House about some business with him relating to him as a Justice with much more such ridiculous stuff as this is which would be tedious to relate See the whole Story in Mr. Glanvil's Saducis Triumph p. 499. 2. The Story of the Devil of Mascon is notorious who a long time disturbed the Quiet of Mr. Perrheaud and his Family by tumbling about the Chairs throwing down his Brass and Pewter drawing the Curtains of his Bed walking about the Chambers whistling singing talking familiarly to them sadling the Horse in the Stable with the Crupper towards the Horses Head sometimes disturbing them at their Devotions answering Questions put to them and telling them things far off with many ludicrous Fits and disputing with a Papist Officer of the City and whirling him oft about and at last cast him on the Ground and sending him home distracted with the Wages of his Curiosity is sufficiently attested by the Honourable Mr. Robert Boyle who prefixt an Epistle to it owning it a an undoubted Truth being acquainted with the Author Mr. â—errheand as was also his Brother the Earl of Orkny and Dr. Peter Durmouling Prebend of Canterbury all which have believed it and attested the truth of it Besides could it be counterfited and never contradicted since the first Publication of it in a City where many of both Religions had leave to croud in at certain Houses where they were certain Witnesses what was spoken and acted by their sporting Devil Historian Discourse of Apparitions and Witches p. 16. 3. The Story of the haunting of Mr. Mompesson's House in Wiltshire is famons and Printed in part by Mr. Joseph Glanvil Mr. Mompesson is yet living no melancholy nor conceited Man the truth not doubted of by his Neighbours within this Month I spake with one of them an Attorney who said that the Noises heard the visible moving about of the Boards before their Faces and such like were all undoubtedly true and the thing unquestioned by Mr. Mompesson who to his great Cost and Trouble was long molested by it and his Neighbours and those that purposely went thither to see it Notwithstanding that when some unbelievers went from London to be satisfied nothing was done when they were there for as God oweth not such Remedies to Unbelievers so Satan hath no desire to cure them Ibid. p. 41. 4. In May 1679. Sir William York being from home there was a great Noise made by the lifting up of the Latch of the outmost Door which continued with great Quickness and Noise for the space of two or three Hours 'till betwixt ten and eleven it Clock in the Night his Lady then being at home with few Servants apprehended it to be Thieves and thereupon they went to the Door and spake to them and afterwards winded a Horn and raised the Town and upon the coming in of the Town the Noise ceased and they heard no more of it 'till May following And then Sir William being at London the same Noise was made at the Door as before for two or three Nights together and then they began to believe it to be occasioned by some extraordinary means This was heard alike by twenty several Persons then in the Family who looking out at the Windows over the Door heard the Noise but saw nothing About a Month after when Sir William had returned from London he being in Bed and his Lady ready to go in he heard the same Noise again which held about half a quarter of an Hour and then ceased and began again several times that Night the same Persons being then in the House also and taking the same care to discover it At the end of this knocking there was as if it were a thrusting with a Knee only more violent These Noises continued with some variation to the great disturbance of the whole Family 'till such time as they thought of removing from the House and Sir William's Attendance was required at the Parliament in October following But from that time they were never heard more Glanvil's Saducis Triumph p. 509. CHAP. LXXXVIII Satan Hurting by Charms Spells Amulets c. I Do not mean here that the Devil hath always his desired Success upon the Souls of Men in these things but through the Permission of Almighty God he is able and oftentimes doth strange and wonderful Actions upon the Vse or Application of Charms Amulets Spells c. on purpose to amuse the World and tempt Mankind to leave the ordinary natural lawful or scriptural Methods and address to him in a way of superstitious or foolish Devotion And I desire the Reader to consider soberly with himself in cases of this nature what Cause within the Cope of meer Nature or within the Bounds of that which is lawful just and good such Effects as I shall mention hereafter can be attributed to Lei him Read and Pause and tell me seriously whether the Effects following are to be fathered upon the Cause in sight or whether there be not something behind the Curtain latent to our Senses that is the Author and if so Whether a good or evil Spirit at least a Spirit and then let him proceed to draw Inferences accordingly which any Man of Sense and unbiassed in Judgment may easily do 1. Bodinus relates how himself and several others at Paris saw a young Man with a Charm in French move a Sieve up and down More 's Antid against Atheism p. 164. 2. And that ordinary way of Divination which they call Coskinomancy or finding who stole this or spoiled that by the Sieve and Sheers Pictorius Vigillanus professeth he made use of thrice and it was with success Ibid. 3. A Friend of mine saith Mr. H. Moor told me
Essay Provid p. 165. Hist of Dâ—m p. 30. I have said so much of this nature upon other Subjects in this Book that I think it unnecessary to enlarge any further in this Place I am sure enough is said to convince a Reader of an ingenuous and impartial Temper and more will not satisfie a Man that is resolved upon Incredulity CHAP. XCVIII Satan hurting by False Promises or Threatnings THAT the Devil hath been a Lyar and grand Impostor we have had the Experience of all Ages from the Beginning He cheated our first Parents at his first Appearance in the World and hath proceeded successâ—â—ly to the present time to dilude all subsequent Generations and yet which is the Mischief of it Mankind is still so shallow and of so dull Intellectuals that upon the Prospect of a pleasant Bait he 〈…〉 a Surrender of his Heart and Senses and believes and acts as this great Juggler would have him 'T is 〈…〉 observe how miserably Men are deluded with his false Promises or affrighted with his deceitful Menaces and 〈◊〉 still the Tragedy is carried on and will be to the End of the World 1. Bodin tells us of a French Baron that confess'd That he Worshipped the Devil and prayed to him and had sacrificed Nine Children to him and intended to have sacific'd one of his own And he ask'd him for what he did this And he said That he promised to make him Great and yet that he never gave him any thing but had told him more Lyes than Truths This Promise of Knowledge was the old Temptation to Eve And yet Knowledge is the great Gift of our great Comforter the Holy Ghost so that there is a true comforting Knowledge which God giveth and a deceitful Shadow of it and a useless hurtful Knowledge by which Satan comforteth the Deluded It 's true Needful Saving Knowledge that is of God Many Conjurers have by the Desire of knowing what vain Curiosity is pleased with become the Devil's Slaves 2. Dr. d ee of whom we make mention elsewhere was allured by Satan with repeated Promises of the Philosopher's Stone and in comfident Expectation thereof he spent his Time Study and Estate and boasted to the Emperor of Germany of it But instead thereof he had nothing performed but a blind aenigmatical Recipe from his supposed Angels for the finding out of the Stone which was this Take common Audcal i. e. Gold purge and work it by Rlodur of four divers Digestions continuing the last Digestion for Fourteen Days in one swift Propottion until it be Dlased i. e. Sulphur fixed in a most red and luminous Body the Image of Resurrection Take also Lulo the Mother of red Roxtan pure and simple Wine and work him through the four fiery Degrees until thou have his Audcal his Mercury and there gather him Then double every Degree of your Rlodur and by the Law of Coition and Mixture work and continue them diligently together notwithstanding backward through every Degree multiplying the lower and last Rlodur his due Office finished by one degree more than the highest So doth it become Darr the Angelical Name of the Stone forsooth the Thing you seek for a holy most glorious Red and dignified Dlased But watch well and gather him so at the highest for in one Hour he descendeth or ascendeth from the Purpose This was communicated to the deluded Doctor as appears by his own Writings after earnest Prayer and great Importunity used and a serious Complaint of his Poverty at Prague A. D. 1585. And this was all he could obtain See his Actions with Spirits p. 387. 3. A. C. 1530. There was in Norimberg a Popish Priest that studied the Black-Art who coveting Riches the Devil shewed him through a Crystal Treasures hidden in a part of the City Thither therefore did the Priest go with another Companion and having digged an hollow Pit he perceived at the bottom a Coffer with a great black Dog lying by it which whilst he beheld the Earth fell upon him and crushed him to death Clark's Examp. Vol. 1. c. 8. out of Wierus 4. Thomas Sawdie mention'd in the Chapter of Satan restrain'd from Hurting received some and was promised more Money from the Devil in the Shape first of a Man then a Dog but withal was possessed by him 5. It wer not difficult to give more Instances of Diabolical IIIusions in this kind as of Dr. Fanstus of Cundligen in Germany who after he had entertained others with deceitful Banquets and cheated himself with false Hopes at last was found dead in a certain Village near Wirtemberg with his Neck broke and the House beaten down with a terrible Storm 6. Wierus saith Cornelius Agrippa after his great Skill in Necromancy and his great Learning in all the Sciences and Expectations of great things in the World upon the taking off an inchanted Collar from his Dog's Neck died miserably Witness P. Jovius I shall only take notice That almost all Witches and Conjurers live contemptibly Poor or Scandalous and die accordingly 7. But the Devil doth not always use these gross ways to impose upon Man every body will not be taken with such Baits some are of somewhat more fine Intellectuals and these are cajoled by other Methods and decoyed to their own Destruction by more plausible Devices and Temptation The Highway-man and Pyrate are sometimes Agents in the Devils Cause and Successful too and as Deputies and procurators under him propund Golden Mountains Rich Purses an easie and luxurious way of Living for a Reward to them that will be of their Society But what shameful and miserable Ends they come to I appeal to the Golden Farmer and Mr. Every the Pirate lately taken into Custody and a Thousand more who in our own Times and Nations have ascended the Gallows for their last Preferment and look'd the World in the Face with the Inscription of Guilt and Ignominy in their Foreheads 8. Yea the Devil spins sometimes a finer Web than any of these Tell but such a Lye use such an Equivocation turn with the Wind of the Age and observe which way Wealth and Preferments are disposed by the Court-Party and tack about accordingly and you shall rise higher than your Fellows live more bravely plentifully prosperously than other sneaking Vertuoso's And this Bait too often takes with Men of no solid Principle Multitudes are caught in this Net and for the time are mightily pleased with it till some unexpected Occurrence or Old Age and sad Experience convinces them that it was but a Trick of the Devil to catch Fools with and that they had better have stuck close to the Rules of a steady Piety and trusted God tho' he did not pay presently but seem'd to be asleep while he exercised their Faith and Patience They that hast to be Rich fall into Temptations and the Snare of the Devil 9. I have given no Instances of Satan's Hurting by Threatning Signs or Apparitions yet But what doth he drive at or propound
shall deliver into their Hands take heed of them and cleave fast to Christ For they will leave no corner of his Conscience unsearched but will attempt by all guileful and subtle means to corrupt him and to cause him to fall from God and his Truth The Night after he had Subscribed he was greatly troubled and through Affliction of Conscience could not Sleep neither could his Mind be eased till he had procured his Subscription and tore out his Name Being Condemned to be Burned he thus said My Mind and Conscience I Praise God is now quiet in Christ and I by his Grace am very willing and content to give over my Body to the Death for a Testimony of his Truth and pure Religion against Antichrist and all his false Religion and Doctrine Ibid. p. 28. 7. In Suffolk among others there was one Peter Moon and his Wife who were Charged for not coming to Church and for neglecting other Popish Ceremonies Moon was first Examined Whether the Pope was not the Supreme Head of the Church Whether the Queen were not the right Inheritrix of the Crown Whether Christ's Body was not Really Present in the Sacrament c and being of a timorous Disposition he so answered as his Adversaries were satisfied His Wife also by his Example was drawn into the same Dissimulation and so they were dismissed But when they came home and began to bethink themselves what they had done they fell into such Trouble and Horror of Conscience that they were ready wholly to Despair And Moon seeing a Sword hanging in his Parlor was tempted to have slain himself with it which yet the Lord was pleased to prevent and afterwards upon their unfeigned Repentance to restore and comfort them Ibid. 8. Sir John Check who had been Tutor to King Edward VI. in the Reign of Queen Mary was cast into the Tower and kept close Prisoner and put to this miserable choice either to forego his Life or that which was more precious his Liberty of Conscience Neither could his Liberty be procured by his great Friends at any lower Rate than to Recant his Religion This he was very unwilling to accept of till his hard Imprisonment joyned with threats of much worse in case of his refusal and the many large promises made upon his Submission with what other means humane Policy could invent wrought so upon him whilst he consulted with Flesh and Blood as drew from him an Abrenuntiation of that Truth which he had so long Professed and still Believed upon this he was Restored to his Liberty but never to his Comfort for the Sense of and Sorrow for his own Apostacy and the daily sight of the cruel Butcheries exercised on others for their constant adherence to the Truth made such deep Impressions upon his broken Spirit as brought him to a speedy yet through God's Mercy and Goodness to a comfortable end of his Miserable Life A. C. 1557. ibid. p. 28. 9. There was one Ralph Allerton who coming into his Parish Church of Bently in Essex and finding the People idle or ill imployed he exhorted them to go to Prayers and after he had read to them a Chapter out of the New Testament for which being Apprehended he was carried before Bishop Bonner who by his subtle perswasions and flatteries so prevailed with this poor Man that he drew him to Recant his former Profession and so dismissed him But this base Cowardice of his brought him into such Bondage and Terrors of Conscience and so cast him down that if the Lord had not been exceeding gracious unto him he had Perished for ever But the Lord looking upon him with the Eyes of Mercy after he had Chastned raised him up again giving him not only hearty and unfeigned Repentance of his Back-sliding but also a constant boldness to profess his Name and Gospel even unto Death ibid. 10. In the City of Bristol there was one Richard Sharp a Weaver who being Apprehended for Religion was carried before Doctor Dalby the Chancellor who after he had Examined him about the Sacraments of the Altar so wrought upon him by Perswasions that he drew from him a promise to make a publick Recantation and the time and place were appointed for it But after this Promise Sharp felt such an Hell in his Conscience that he was not able to follow any Business and he decayed in his bodily Health and wholly lost his Colour Whereupon on a Sabbath going to his Parish-Church he pressed to the Quire-door and with a loud Voice said Neighbours bear me Record that yonder Idol pointing to the Altar is the greatest and most abominable Idol that ever was and I am sorry that ever I denied my Lord God For this he was carried to Prison and Sealed the Truth with his Blood Ibid. p. 29. 11. When Jerome of Prague came to the Council at Constance they sent him to a Town where they tied him fast to a great Block and set his Legs in the Stocks his Hands also being made fast unto them the Block being so high that he could not possibly sit thereon but his Head must hang downward where also they allowed him nothing but Bread and Water But within eleven days hanging thus by the Heels he fell very sick Yet thus they kept him in Prison almost Twelve Months and then sent to him requiring him to Recant and to Subscribe that John Huss was justly put to Death which he did partly out of fear of Death and hoping to escape their hands Yet they sent to Examine him again but he refused to Answer except he were brought in Publick before the Council and they presuming that he would openly confirm his former Recantation sent for him May 25. 1416. subborning False Witnesses to Accuse him But he so learnedly cleared himself and refuted his Adversaries that they were astonished at his Oration which he concluded with this That all such Articles which Wickliff and Huss had written against the Enormities Pomps and Disorders of the Prelates he would firmly Hold and Defend even unto Death And that all the Sins he had committed did not so much gnaw and trouble his Conscience as did that most Pestiferous Act of his in Recanting what he had justly spoken and to the consenting to the wicked Condemnation of Huss and that he repented with his whole Heart that ever he did it For this he was Condemned and Burned Ibid. p. 30. 12. Some of the Friends of Galcacius Garacciolus Marquess of Vico having promised to accompany him in his voluntary Exile but afterwards looking back and turning again to their Vomit they were Apprehended and cast into the Inquisition were they were forced publickly to Recant and to Abjure their Religion and so they became the Subject of Misery and Infamy and were equally Odious to both Parties Ibid. p. 30. 13. Tho. Bilney A. C. 1531. of Cambridge Professor of both Laws Converted Thomas Arthur and Mr. Hugh Latimer but after recanting his Principles for the space of two
over-looked by their Creator with more Contempt as being more Vile than their Neighbours Our Savioar gave a Check to this Humour when he vindicated the Blind Man in the Gospel and told his Auditory the Cause was neither his Sins nor his Parents 1. Martial who was a notable Scoffer makes a Mockery at Coelius in his Epigrams who counterfeiting to be Gouty anointed himself with Oils and other things wrapping and binding up his Joints because he would have nothing to do at the Court either by Night or by Day or attend as Courtiers do upon any Great Person But in the end his Fortune so fell out that he happened to have the Gout indeed Treasur of Anc. and Mod. Times 2. Appianus Alexandrinus reporteth also of another Roman who to escape the Proscriptions of the Roman Triumviri and not to be known for what he was by such as might take notice of him kept himself close and wore an Emplaster of Velvet upon one of his Eyes which he continued for a long time After all such Search and Pursuit was passed over the Man took off his Plaister and found the utter Loss of the Eye indeed Ibid. p. 272. 3. During those Troubles of the Union or League in France it chanced that near unto a Castle certain honest Men were set upon by Thieves and robb'd in such sort that they had nothing left them but their Shirts When they perceived the Castle they went presently thither and entreated the Lord thereof that he would lend them some Assistance for the Apprehension of the Thieves in regard that he had a certain Knowledge of them and was armed with such Authority as might at least help them to their Garments again But the uncharitable Gentleman would afford them no Favour no not so much as to see them but feign'd that he had the Cholick and was unable to stir out of his Bed or to attend upon any Business whatsoever It was then the coldest Season of the Year and the Servants albeit unknown to their Master lodged these despised poor Men for that Night in a Stable whence they departed homeward the next Morning without drawing the least Courtesie that could be from that ungenteel Gentleman Now I know not whether it happened by just Vengeance of Heaven or by some natural Occasion thereto leading but he fell into the Cholick indeed and was forced to keep his Chamber for the space of Twenty Days and at last died by the violent Extremity thereof Ibid. p. 273. 4. An Abbot of Guyenne and Archdeacon in a Bishoprick was cited by the Bishop and Chapter to appear at a Visitation for Assessing of each Benefice in the Diocess according to their Faculties for the Relief of poor Parishes from whence they derived Demesnes and Rents The Abbot made Excuse saying he had a Pleurisie which was meerly false and therefore he could not be there present But within few Days after he was taken with such a grievous Pain in his Side that he kept his Bed a whole Year together and was glad to have his Side cauterized in two Places Notwithstanding which he could not recover Health while he lived Ibid. c. 14. p. 273. 5. Suibdager King of Swecia being very Covetous counterscited Deafness to the end be might hear to Requests made to him for bestowing of any Gifts For in that Country he negotiated his whole Reign by Conference with the People and not by Writing or Petition as they do to this Day But in a short time the King became both Deaf and Blind indeed Ibid. 6. I knew a young Scholar descended of good Parentage in the Franche-Comtè who was a very facetious Scoffer and Mocker and continually used to counterfeit the Gate Gesture and Behaviour of his Sister the Wife of his elder Brother descended of a very Worthy and Vertuous Family and who had brought great Estates and Means for her Portion who was Lame and as she halted so in scorn he would do the like But undoubtly by God's Judgments he chanced to break one of his Legs which could never after be recovered or brought to any Form so that he halted downright to his Dying-day Ibid. CHAP. CIII Divine Judgments upon Atheism ATheism and the Effects of it are bidding an open Defiance to all the Powers of Heaven so that 't is no Wonder if the Almighty who resides there and governs here resents the Crime with a mere than ordinary Indignation The most Renowned for Professed Ungodliness saith Bishop Fotherby are these In Holy Writings King Pharach and Antiâ—â—hus the King of Tyre and the Two Herâ—ds in Ecclesiastical History Caligula Domitian Maximinus and Julian in Profane History Prâ—tagoras Diagoras Theodoras Socrates Epicurus Bion Pherecides and Dionysius Of all whom there was not one that cited in his Nest of a fair and kindly Death saving only this last whose Damnation yet slept not but all the rest of them ended their Lives by the Stroke of God's Justice 1. Julius Caesar suffered as an Atheist Dr. Tenison 2. There are a Sect of Atheists in Turkey sprung up of late Years called Muserin i. e. The True Secrâ—t is with us Which Secret is no other than the absolute Denial of a Deity that Nature or the Intrinsical Principle in every individual Thing directs the ordinary Course which we see and admire and that the Heavens Sun Moon and Stars have thence their Original and Motion and that Man himself riseth and fades like the Grass and Flower It is strange to consider what Quantities there are of Men that maintain this Principle in Constantinople most of which are Cadi's and Learned Men in the Arabian Legends and others are Renegado's from the Christian Faith who conscious of their Sin of Apostacy and therefore desirous all Things may conclude with this World are the more apt to entertain those Opinions which come nearest to their Wishes One of this Sect called Mahomet Effendi a Rich Man educated in the Knowledge of the Eastern Learning I remember was in my Time executed for impudently proclaiming his Blasphemies against the Being of a Deity making it in his ordinary Discourse an Argument against the Being of a God for that either there was none at all or else not so wise as the Doctors preached he was in suffering Him to live that was the greatest Enemy and Scorner of a Divine Essence that ever came into the World And it is observable saith my Author That this Man might notwithstanding his Accusation have saved his Life would he but have confessed his Error and promised for the future an Assent to the Principles of a better But he persisted still in his Blasphemies saying That tho' there were no Reward yet the Love of Truth obliged him to die a Martyr Mr. Ricaut's History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire Book II. c. 12. p. 246. A great Raja a Gentile a notorious Atheist glorying to profess That he knew no other God than the King nor believing nor fearing any other Deity fitting
and at last sacrificed his Right Hand for but tampering a little this way 'T is ill jesting with God and our own Consciences who will neither of them be mocked 17. Berengarius tried this and therefore though he retracted his Doctrine against Transubstantiation he relapsed again and retracted and relapsed again or rather returned and repented finding no Peace for his Conscience whilst he had not Truth in his Possesston CHAP. CXLI Great Effects wrought by weak means IT is pleasant to observe how God delights to shew his Power by using weak and contemptible Instruments and to werk â—â—eat Effects by little secondary Causes to make a World by speaking a Word or two to punish and subdue a slout-hearted Pharaoh with Frogs and Lice and Locusts and Darkness to baffle a Giant-like People in Canaan with a handful of Men to make the Walls of Jericho fall down and the Peoples Hearts quail with only a Shout and the Noise of Rams Horns to overthrow the two great Religions of the World Judaisin and Pagan Idolatry with the Foolishness of Preaching and the Piety and Patience of Confessors and Martyrs to turn Sinners Thoughts into a Case of Knives or a Nest of Wasps or Serpents to sting and torment them with 1. The Duke of Arcos Viceroy of Naples under the King of Spain having imposed many Gabels or Taxes both vendible and eatable at last imposed a Gabel upon Fruit also which more irritated and offended that Multitude than all the former Whereupon by the publick Cries and Lamentations of Men and Women they daily solicited the Viceroy as he passed through the Market-place to ease them of the said Burthen they used also the Mediation of others and not prevailing they were ready to raise a Mutiny Which so affrighted the Viceroy that he promised quite to take off the said Gabel but delaying to do it some of the enraged People one Night but fire to some Powder in the Market-place where the said Gabel was exacted and blew it up There were also from Day to Day bitter Invectives and fiery Protests against the publick Officers fixed up in sundry Places of the City The Viceroy being alarmed thereby often assembled the six Precincts of the City to consult about this Business But they were divided some perswading him to ease and please the People others advising him to Repair the Toll-house that was burnt down and continue the Gabel saying That they were but a few Tatterdemallions that had made that Noise Besides divers of the great Men and Merchants of the City had advanced upon the said Gabel above 600000 Crowns and were to pay 85000 Crowns of annual Rent This was noised abroad and the Report went That if this Tax was taken off there would be a new one set upon â—orn and Wine Whereupon the enraged People protested That they would never endure the same and whilst these Discontents were hot July 17. 1647. this Occasion suddenly presented it self A young Man of about 24 Years old being spritely pleasant and of a middle stature in Linen-Slops Blew Wastcoat and bare-foot with a Mariner's Cap on his Head happened to be in the Market-place His Profession was to angle for little Fishes as also to buy Fish and carry them about to sell He was vulgarly called Massianello and being naturally Crafty he observed the general Murmurings of the People and so went up and down to the Fruiterers Shops and advised them That meeting together the next Day in the Market-place they should tell the Country Fruiterers That they would buy no more gabelled Fruit. Upon this he listed many Boys under him to the number of Two Thousand giving every one of them a little Cane in their Hand Against a great Festival that was approaching a Feast that used to be made by the Boys and meaner fort of People in the Market-place he gathered to the number of Fifty Thousand Upon this Success the number of People encreased exclaiming aloud against their Oppressions protesting to pay no more Gabel crying out Let the King of Spain live and let the ill Government die Massianello being thus attended with his Boys and an infinite Company of loose People who were now armed with Pikes and Partizans he leaped up on a Table and with a loud Voice cried Be merry my dear Companions and give God Thanks that the Hour of your Redemption draws near This poor bare-footed Fellow as another Moses who freed the Israelites from Pharaoh's Rod shall redeem you from all Gabâ—ls Peter a Fisherman redeemed with his Voice Rome and with it all the World from Satan's Slavery to the Liberty of Christ Now another Fisher-man which is Massianello shall release Naples and with it a whole Kingdom from the Tyranny of Gabels c. Nor to effect this do I care a Rush to be torn in pieces and to be dragged up and down the Gutters of Naples let all the Blood in my Body spin out of these Veins let my Head skip from my Shoulders by a fatal Steel and be pearched in this Market-place on a Pole yet I shall die contentedly and gloriously It will be Honour enough to me to think that my Blood and Life perish in so glorious a Cause In short he afterwards brought the Viceroy to an Agreement but after some time falling into a Frensie by either Excess of Wine or Watching and Cares died See more in the printed Narrative or Clark 's Examples 2. The Inhabitants of Myons a City of Jonia were so pester'd with Gnats which were bred in a muddy Pond near them that they were constrain'd thereupon to leave the City and fly to Milerum This I read many Years ago when a Student in the University but took no care then to Record my Author 3. Luther by his Preaching and Disputing baffled the Arguments Arts and Power of two very potent Enemies the Pope and Emperor and procured a happy Reformation in the Church 4. Francis Spira was punished in this World for his Apostacy with the keen Reflections of a guilty Conscience and many others besides Our own Thoughts may be sufficient to make a Hell of 5. Some have been convicted of Murder by the Barking of a Dog the Flight of Birds the Shaking of Leaves Anacreon was choaked with a Grape-stone Adrian with a Gnat others with the Excrements of Birds flying over their Heads An Acquaintance of mine dislocated her Thigh-bone with only turning a Custard at the Fire and died upon it 7. This very Year a Woman near Hanmer going over a Hedge was hung to Death with her Head-string catching accidentally in the Sticks as was related to me by Mr. Henry of Broad-oak in Flintshire CHAP. CXLII Remarkable Passages relating to Sickness Death and Funerals WHat was long since decreed in Heaven God hath sent Warrants to execute on Earth Semel mori For us once to die Then be acquainted with Death betimes for through acquaintance Death will lose his Horror like unto an ill Face though it be as formidable as a
the Chapel of Lambeth House where he received his Archiepiscopal Consecration His chief Motto painted on the Walls of his House and in his Windows was that of St. John The World passeth away and the lust thereof Ibid. p. 529. 60. Archbishop Abbot preached upon this his last Text John 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that may abide with you for ever Upon the first Proposal whereof as many of his Hearers presaged his departure from them so it proved his last Farewel-Sermon For soon after he came out of the Pulpit he fell into grievous Fits of the Stone which first stopped the Passages of Nature and within a few days shut up all the Offices of his Senses To those that came to visit him who were not a few and among others the Judges being then at Sarum in their Circuit he comunicated most Christian and grave Advice insisting very much upon the Benefit of a good Conscience the Comfort whereof he felt now in his Extremity admonishing all that heard him so to carry themselves in their most private and secret Actions as well as publick that they might obtain that at the last which would stand them in more stead than what all the World could afford them besides At last with Hands and Eyes lift up to Heaven he gave up the Ghost with these Words Come Lord Jesus come quickly finish in me the Work that thou hast begun Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me Save me for thy Mercy 's sake for I put my whole trust in thee Let thy mercy be shewed upon me for my sure trust is in thee O let me not be confounded for ever Ibid. p. 550. 61. William Cooper born at Edinburgh used these amongst other Meditations in his last Sickness Now my Soul be glad for of all parts of this Prison the Lord hath set to his Pioneers to loose thee Head Feet Milt and Liver are fast failing yea the middle Strength of the whole Body the Stomach is weaken'd long agoe Arise make ready shake off thy Fetters mount up from the Body and go thy way I saw not my Children when they were in the Womb yet there the Lord fed them without my knowledge I shall not see them when I go out of the Body yet shall they not want a Father Death is somewhat dreary and the Streams of that Jordan between us and our Canaan run furiously but they stand still when the Ark comes Let your Anchor be cast within the Veil and fastened on the Rock Jesus Let the end of the three-fold Cord be buckled to the Heart so shall ye go through He expressed a great Willingness to Exchange this Life for a better which he did Anno 1619. Ibid. p. 563. 62. Andrew Willet in a Journey from London homewards had his Leg broken by a Fall from a Horse and was God's Prisoner for 9 Days together being so long confined to his Bed where his Time he spent in meditating upon the Song of Ezekiel Isa 38. his Contemplations being taken down in Writing by his Son who then attended upon him Two Sabbath-Days which happen'd in that time he spent in Conscionatory Exhortations to those who waited upon him Upon the tenth Day on occasion of a Bell tolling for one near Death he discoursed with his Wife touching the Joys of Heaven and then they both sang an Hymn composed by himself which they usually every Morning praised God with Their Spirits being thus raised they continued their Melody and sang the 146 Psalm sometimes stopping a little and glossing upon the Words by way of Self-application till on a sudden fetching a deep Sigh or Groan he sunk down in his Bed but being raised up a little he said Let me alone I shall do well Lord Jesus And with that Word gave up the Ghost ibid. p. 575. 63. Mr. Bolton falling sick of a Quartan-Ague and finding his Distemper get strength revised his Will and having preached upon Death Judgment and Hell he promised next to preach upon Heaven the only fourth and last Thing that remained but never preached more He often breathed forth these Speeches O when will this good Hour come When shall I be dissolved When shall I be with Christ Tho' Life be a great Blessing yet I infinitely more desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ He thanked God for his wonderful Mercy in pulling him out of Hell in sealing his Ministry by the Conversion of Souls which he wholly ascribed to his Glory He called for his Wife and desired her to bear his Dissolution with a Christian Fortitude and turning to his Children told them they should not now expect from him in his Weakness to say any thing to them he had told them enough formerly and hoped they would remember it and verily believed that none of them durst think to meet him at the great Tribunal in an unregenerate State Some of his Neighbours moved to him that he would tell them what he felt in his Soul Alas said he do ye look for that now from me who want Breath and Power to speak I have told ye enough in my Ministry Yet to satisfie you I am by the wonderful Mercies 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 seeing some weeping he said Oh what a deal of Doe there is before one can die The very Pags of Death being upon him after a few gapings for Breath he said I am now drawing on apace to my Dissolution Hold out Faith and Patience your Work will quickly be at an end Then shaking them by the Hand he desired them to make sure of Heaven and remember what he had formerly taught them protesting that it was the Truth of God as he should answer it at the Tribunal of Christ before whom he should shortly appear And a dear Friend taking him by the Hand ask'd him if he did not feel much pain Truly no said he the greatest that I feel is your cold Hand And then being laid down again not long after he yielded up his Spirit unto God Anno 1631. Aged 60. Ibid. p. 591. 64. Mr. Will Whately in his Sickness gave heavenly and wholsome Counsel to his People exhorting them to Redemption of Time Reading Hearing and Meditating on the Word of God to be much in Prayer Brotherly Love and Communion of Saints c. A Minister praying with him That if his time were not expired God would restore him or put an end to his Pains c. he lifting up his Eyes stedfastly towards Heavne and one of his Hands in the close of that Prayer gave up the Ghost shutting his Eyes himself as if he were fallen into a Sleep Anno 1639. Aged 56. a little before the Civil Wars began and before the sad Desolations that befel the Town of Banbury in particular Ibid. p. 599. 65. Dr. Robert Harris when
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
Ciod of Earth or if she wou'd ' Ise too much a Platonick to tell her I am Flesh and Blood No my Dear when you are gone I can easily part with every thing my Leave then will soon be taken of All but my self Never did any Man bid Adieu to the World more absolutely and purely and shake Hands with all Women in it than I shall do when thou art dead not but I kindly resent thy recommending that dear Saint But she and Argus have nothing to fear For tho' my Flesh is malicious enough yet I 'm as Chast as Ice and a perfect Enemy to Caterwauling I love my Daphne ' cause she pleases me And therefore only pleases ' cause 't is she And therefore in her shake Hands with the whole Sex But tho' I 'm averse to a Second Wife yet to forbid thee Marriage after my Death according to the Property of some Husbands I will not for the Holy Scripture saith The Wife is bound unto the Marriage as long as her Husband liveth If her Husband die she is at Liberty to marry with whom she will only in the Lord. If therefore after my Death thou hast a mind to Marry again as I scarce think it of thee Marry in the Name of the Lord our God but follow not the Practice of doating Widows who couple with those to whom they might more properly have given suck Neither would I have thee engage in a Smithfield Bargain What! Marry for Money or be laying new Foundations of Life now you are half way through it To lay up Goods for many Years was thought by the Primitive Christians fitter for Heathens than Christians for having seen no such thing in their Master they could not tell how it should be proper in his Servants but thou art a Rational Creature tho' a Woman and hast no need of this Advice I come next to tell thee I have made my Will wherein thou art sole Executrix that I might give at the rate I love thee from our Marriage till now I have been wrapp'd in a Circle of Obligations to thee and am so desirous to require thy Love that I am scarce contented with giving All but cou'd grutch my Funeral Expences my very Shroud and Grave that I might add to your future Store I need not press you to believe this for Men in their Last Wills and Speeches appear just as they are they here grow Open and Plain-Hearted and dare not depart with their Hands to a Lye But if you think this Will a Romance or that my Words out-love my Actions I must referr all to Death it self for then will be seen whether the Items in it come only from my Mouth or from my Heart I say I referr you to Death for the Truth of this for my Carriage in Health en't able to shew how Dear you are I have not that Fondness in my natural Temper that trumpets forth great Love and to speak my Conscience I think it unhandsome in a (k) (k) As I hinted in a Letter to the Ingenious Cl s. Marry'd State The Stork is a fond Creature and by always kissing his Mate in publick gives a bad Example to Marry'd People who have learn'd it from him Publick Wantonness is odious between Birds much more so between Man and Wife Believe me Daphne more Souls of our Youth perish this way than any other It pleases not me tho' spoken by an Emperor Give me leave by the Lusts of others to exercise mine own tho' a witty yet a wicked Speech I ever thought an intemperate Man in Wedlock differs little from a Brute for too much Billing in Publick sheweth the way to unexperienc'd Youth to commit Riot in Private Cato accus'd one before the Senate that he had kissed his Wife before his Neighbour's Daughter The very Elephants cry out against the Stork and Marry'd Wantons in this Matter who as Pliny writes make not the least Love one to another except they be covered with Bought 'T was a witty Answer of the Lacedaemouian Virgin who being ask'd in the Morning by her Friend whether or no in the Night she had embrac'd her Husband reply'd Good Words good Man not I him but he me Intimating that Fondness in a Wife was unsufferable and in a Man 't is scandalous Which makes me so little practise it Surely a Landlord may value his House without riding o' th' ridge on 't But I need not bring Arguments to prove I love tho' I am not fond seeing your Charity for me makes you say I out-love every thing Then wonder not I'm grieved at Neither am I less concern'd for the after Reflections so far as they relate to my Dear But pray forgive all my Errors and the Excess of a Love that has nothing of parting in 't 'T will if I do survive you follow thee to thy Dying-Bed 'T is there I 'll attempt to expire that I may if possible follow thee in the same Tract to Heaven where I hope to find and (l) (l) As I lately proved in a Letter upon that Subject know thee hereafter For why may not Husband and Wife that helped forward each others Salvation whose Souls were mutually dear and who went to Heaven as it were Hand in Hand there meet and return each other Thanks for those Christian Offices Holy David cheared up his Thoughts after the Death of his Child with this Meditation (m) (m) 2 Sam. 12.23 I shall go to him but he shall not return to me Which had been little Comfort if he had thought never to have known him there It will be no small Augmentation of our Complacency as I told Ignotus to find those very Friendships which we had contracted here below translated to the Mansions above when I shall see and know thee again with whom I had lived so well and slept so long in the Dust With what Ardours shall we then caress one another With what Transports of Divine Affection shall we mutually embrace and vent those innocent Flames which had so long lain smothering in the Grave How passionately Rhetorical and Elegant will our Expressions be when our Sentiments which Death had frozen up when he congeal'd our Blood shall now be thaw'd again in the warm Airs of Paradise Like Men that have escap'd a common Shipwrack and swim safe to the Shore we shall Congratulate each others Happiness with Joy and Wonder Our first Addresses will be a Dialogue of Interjections and short Periods the most pathetick Language of Surprize and high-wrought Joy and all our after-Converse will be couch'd in the highest Strains of Heavenly Oratory intermixed with Hallelujahs But I 'll stop here to let you see that my Love to your Soul is not so great as to make me forget the House it dwells in No to thy Ashes I 'll keep a Body pure and Troth inviolable for Separation shall have no place in our Union which is too great to be exampled And as to thy Burial it shall speak
of the Provincial Presidents have written heretofore unto Our Father of Famous Memory whom he answered in Writing again That they were not to be longer molested unless they had practised Treason against the Roman Empire And many have given Notice unto Us of the same Matter whom We answered as Our Father did before Us. If any therefore hereafter be found thus busied in other Mens Affairs We Command that the accused be absolute and free though he be found such a one I mean faulty and that the Accuser be grievously punished This Edict was proclaimed at Ephesus in the hearing of the great Assembly of Asia Euseb l. 4. c. 13. 6. Dr. Heylin in his Cosmography tells us That some of the Natives of America would say to some of the English at their first going over to those Foreign Plantations That King James was a good King and his God a good God but their Tauto naught 7. In the City of Aleppo a handsome French Slave a Young Man of Eighteen Years Old being tempted to Sodomy by his Master's Steward and upon his denial being threatned with immediate Death if he disputed any longer The vertuous Slave finding himself destitute of all other Remedies nimbly seized upon a Scymetar which hung upon the Wall of the Chamber and at one blow with it smote off the Turk's Head To escape Death for this Fact which was the lightest Punishment he could expect he takes an Arabian Horse out of his Master 's Stable with a design to make for Scandaroon to the English Factory there But unhappily meeting his Master upon the way he was stop'd brought back again and upon discovery of the Murther brought before the Basha by whom upon the Importunity of the Turks he was condemned to be beheaded The Slave then as brought to the Place of Execution which is a Field without the City where being come he appeared though very modest yet undaunted and fearless of Death And having prayed with much Fervour and Devotion and having particularly acknowledged his Fault and begged Almighty God's Pardon for telling his Master that his House was robbed when he met him upon the Road he was strip'd stark naked according to the Custom of that Place and discovered a lovely Body in which inhabited a more lovely Soul And immediately before his Death he did aver that he died a Christian depending wholly for his Salvation upon the Merits of our Saviour and that he killed the Steward for no other reason but to avoid being polluted by him and that he hoped God would shew some sign upon his Body to attest his Innocency and the Truth of what he said After having said this his Head was struck off from his Body and both left unburied according to Custom Many rebellious Turks were executed at the same time in the same place whose Bodies were quickly torn in pieces and devoured by a certain sort of great Dogs kept at Aleppo who were allowed no other Sustenance almost but the Carcasses of Malefactors But it was observed that none of those Dogs would touch the Body or Head of this Martyr of Chastity And which is more strange yet though this Young Man's Body lay in the Field unburied Ten or Twelve days and no other Execution in all that time and the Dogs so extreamly pinched with Hunger that they were ready to devour living Men yet they would not touch this Body And which is more Remarkable yet though it lay exposed all this time to the heat of the Sun in that very intemperate Climate yet did it not stink corrupt or change colour And this Circumstance moreover is affirmed as Remarkable that after Ten days there being another Execution in the same Place that Carcass was immediately devoured in the sight of the People But the Turks to bury their own shame were necessitated at last to dig a Grave and entomb this chaste Martyr See the Narrative Printed with License at London Anno Christi 1676. 8. The Testimony of Cublay the Emperor of the Tartars concerning Christ upon occasion of a Victory obtained by him over the Great Province of Mangi A. C. 1286. THis Day I cannot deny but that the Victory which I have obtained over mine Enemies is by especial Grace from my great God the Sun Moon and Stars abiding in this Glorious Vault of Heaven To whom I purpose to render Thanks to Morrow even in this open Field to which purpose I give Order that the Places be avoided of Humane Bodies here slain as also of the dead Beasts and decent Altars purposely erected As for the Prisoners being most part of them Christians whom I behold despoiled of their Arms shouted at mocked despised and jested at by the Jews Mahometists and others upbraiding them with their God Jesus Christ who was sometime fastened to a Cross by the said Jews for not aiding and helping them to the Victory as wanting such Power because so many of their Ensigns are here prostrated at my feet From this present hour forward I forbid all manner of Persons of what Quality or Religion soever they be to use any more such Derisions of themm on pain to be deprived of their Arms and well whipped with Rods at two several times yea on the very greatest pain beside that can be imagined And so much the rather because their God Jesus Christ is esteemed of Us to be one of the very greatest Coelestial Deities full of all Right Equity and Justice For he knowing these Christians to make War against Us unjustly being Our Subjects that never gave them occasion but revolted of themselves and adhered with Our Enemies therefore hath he permitted that I should win the Day albeit I have heard him to be called the God of Battels Over and besides this I Pardon all them that have followed my unkind Nephews Naiam and Caydve as being meerly deceived by them in making them believe they were levied for my Service and therefore I receive them again into my Protection Giving further to understand that all such as have any Prisoners they are not to offer the least harm whatsoever but immediately to set them at Liberty delivering them their Arms and all other Equipages to them belonging on pain to pass through the danger of the Army even he the proudest that shall make denial Our Charge imposed on the Christians is to Pray unto their God for Our Prosperity and to do Us Nine Months Service by taking Wages of Us in Our Instant War against the King of Nixamora who denieth to pay Us Our Tribute and strives to equal himself with Our Greatness Treasur of Ancient and Modern Times l. 2. p. 130. 9. The Testimony of Sidan King of Morocco concerning Jesus Christ in a Letter to James the First King of England WHen these Our Letters shall be so happy as to come to Your Majesty's sight I wish the Spirit of the Righteous God may so direct your Mind that you may joyfully embrace the Message I send presenting to you the means
him a thousand Blessings and God at the same time made him also taste in his Mind ineffable Consolations but above all he knew not how to express those Comforts he felt in the Holy Assemblies and particularly in those where he administred the Lord's Supper In the mean time he had daily Experience of a very remarkable thing which the rest of God's Servants did doubtless experience as well as he and that is that thô he were surrounded with an Army of Enernies who ran about and made continual Search after him to take him yet while he was in these Religious Meetings and opened his Mouth to call upon the Name of the Lord to sing his Holy Praises and to preach his Word he had commonly as calm a Mind as if he had been in a free Country and the like Tranquility he also enjoyed when he took his Pen in Hand to labour for the Advancement of God's Kingdom and for the Consolation of his desolated Church and if God shall be pleased to favour him with Life and Means to publish some Works which he has composed in the midst of so many Dangers and which he sent to the Court for to vindicate the Doctrine which he preached the Reader will doubtless be surprized that amidst so many Troubles he could be possest with a Mind so calm as to write Things of that nature but God perfecteth his Strength in the Weakness of his Children On the other hand he had the Comfort to be a Witness of all the Wonders which God did for the Salvation of his poor People he could not but admire the Graces he bestowed on so many faithful Servants which he raised up daily in an extraordinary manner who were weak and contemptible in the Eyes of the Flesh but whom he strengthned by his Spirit whereby he accompanied at the same time his Word with a wonderful efficacy and of which many from time to time sealed the Truth by their own Blood with an unshaken Constancy thô they were pleased to Honour him so far as to look upon him as their Brother and Colleague in the Work of the Lord and that they esteemed him also as a Person to whom God was pleased to give greater Degrees of Light than to many others and that he edified then by his Conversation yet he never compared the Graces which they had received of the Lord with those which it pleased God to bestow upon him but that he found very great matter of Humiliation administred to him and that he esteemed those faithful Servants of God much more excellent than himself he saw plainly that God was pleased to lay up Treasures in Earthen Vessels that it was his Spirit which made those dumb Ones to speak which drew forth Praises from the Mouths of those little Babes and which made those mystical Stones to cry out One Night as he was going towards a place which he had appointed for a Meeting as he drew nigh unto it be heard the Voice of a Person who spake in the midst of the People whereupon he drew somewhat nigher and finding that he who spoke prayed to God he fell down upon his Knees as 't is a constant usage in the Religious Meetings of France and there be heard a long and excellent Prayer wherewith he was much edified when it was ended he drew nigh to the Person that pray'd and he found him to be a young Man and a poor Trades-man to whom he said Brother if you be disposed to make some Exhortation to the People you may proceed Alack replied that poor Trades-man how hould I do it I can neither Write nor Read Some time after this young Man as he went from place to place to pray for the Consolation of the People being taken with another young Man named Compan who together with him did what he could in that kind for the Peoples support they were both of them condemned to the Gallies and suffered their Punishment boldly confessing the Name of the Lord. I have noted before that Brousson had made choice of Henry Poutant for his Guide and Companion in the Work he was engaged in who was a young Man of about Five and twenty Years old full of Zeal and Piety and of unblamable Life and who having learnt to write in the Woods while he was with Brousson he put him upon Copying his Sermons as he had done himself and to disperse them in such Places where himself could not go to preach the Gospel But as he had Copied about a Dozen and that he saw that Brousson who had declined in his Health was then sick at Nismes he told him he was very desirous to go and visit their Brethren from place to place and read his Sermons unto them which Proposal being well liked of by Brousson he recommended him to the Grace of God and so Poutant went from place to place labouring every-where for the Instruction and Comfort of his Brethren when he had got together some faithful Ones he began with the Confession of Sin then sung a Psalm after which he pray'd again the second time to implore the Aid of the Holy Spirit in the succeeding Exercise then he read some Chapter in the Scripture and some Sermon the reading whereof was followed by a warm Exhortation which he made to those that were present upon the Things which they had heard and lastly he concluded the whole with an excellent Prayer which he made with admirable servour of Spirit as Brousson found that God bestowed a particular Blessing on his Labour he told him when he returned to him That he ought to continue his Work it was what himself greatly desired but finding Brousson somewhat re-established in his Health and that he was now in a Condition himself to go and preach the Gospel in Person as he had constantly done by Writing during the time of his Sickness by sending up and down Copies of his Sermons among the Faithful he had some regret to abandon Brousson knowing the need he had of his assistance for Poutant knew perfectly well all the Country whereas another faithful Friend whom Brousson had pitched upon for his Companion and who had already been some time with him did not know it near so well but Brousson told him he had rather want his assistance than that the People should be deprived of the Edification which they might receive by his Labours and that God who knew the sincerity of his Intentions would take care of him insomuch that being separated from him after that Brousson had again recommended him to the Grace of God God hath since that time done great things by his Ministry Brousson on his part set himself again to gather Meetings but as he found himself still very feâ—ble he could not from thence forward but every Eighth Day or thereabouts exercise his Function in the mean time he found the Zeal of the People much inflamed during his Sickness whether arising from the fear they had of being deprived of
the Comforts which God gave them in Times past or that from the great Number of Copies of his Sermons Letters and Prayers which he took care to disperse amongst them during his Sickness and which had been read by Persons of Quality and other wealthy Ones who 'till that time would not frequent the Religious Assemblies the Zeal of the most Cold and the Courage of the most Fearful had been influenced and raised up it matters not to determine but Persons of Quality and others who 'till then had testified less Zeal for the Truth came now to give Glory to God in the Holy Assemblies in the midst of all the People insomuch that afterwards it was one of Brousson's greatest care to prevent the Assemblies becoming too numerous to the end they might not make too much Noise and that the People might not be exposed to too great Evils however these Assemblies made so much Noise in the Kingdom that the People of other parts where those who preach'd in Cevennes and Lower Languedoc could not go were edified and strengthned Brousson also sent as far as possibly he could Copies of his Sermons Letters and Prayers to give part of those Instructions and Consolations to them afar off which God by his Ministry bestowed upon the People of Cevennes and Lower Languedoc He was seconded in the same good Work by Papus of whom you have heard somewhat before and who was saved by Divine Providence when Vivens was killed for he had been gone but a Minute out of the Cave where Vivens was invested on him God had bestowed the Spirit of Prayer in a great degree he had before the Death of Vivens begun to labour for the Consolation of the People by excellent Prayers and this he continued after his Death and went from place to place to keep small Meetings where he read the Holy Scriptures and some of the Sermons afore-mentioned and of which he had desired Copies besides whom there was another young Man whose Name was Vzes about twenty Years old who having got together ten or a dozen of the same Sermons got them by Heart and went also to repeat them from place to place and to comfort the People by Praying amongst them But what is more surprising than any thing hitherto related is that God was pleased to raise up the young Maidens for to labour for the Salvation and Comfort of that distressed People one whereof was called Isabel Redostiere about eighteen Years old the Daughter of a Country-man that lived at the foot of the Mountain Liron and the other Pintarde about sixteen or seventeen the Daughter of another Peasant near St. Hipolite They did not take upon them to administer the Sacraments but they went asunder from Place to Place and Desart to Desart to keep Meetings where they exhorted the People out of the Word of God to be converted sanctified be zealous for God come out of impure Babylon to give Glory to God and serve him in purity of Heart according to his Commandments and to be faithful to him unto Death and at the same time edisying comforting and strengthning the People by ardent and excellent Prayers Redostiere coming to know that Broussin with some other faithful Friends that accompanied him were upon an high Mountain she came thither to see them with another faithful Maiden that was elder than herself and who usually kept her Company in whom Brousson and his Friends observed such a Character of Modesty Humility Simplicity and Piety that ravished them with admiration When she happened to be in the same part of the Country where Brousson was she would often come to see and to confer with him about Religious Matters and especially she came frequently to those Assemblies where he administred the Lord's Supper and Brousson hath always testified that she was filled with the Grace of God After this same Maiden had for about two Years laboured for the Salvation and Support of the People she was taken and carried before the Intendant who said unto her So are you one of those Maidens who concern themselves in Preaching I have replied she given some Exhortations to my Brethren and have pray'd to God with them when occasion hat served if you call that Preaching I have Preached But do not you know said the Intendant that the King hath forbidden it I know it well said she again my Lord but the King of Kings the God of Heaven and Earth hath commanded it and I am obliged to obey him rather than Men. Then the Intendant proceeded and told her She deserved Death and that she ought not to expect any other Treatment than that which others had already suffered who had been so adventurous as to preach against the King's Orders But she made him answer She was not disinay'd at that and that she was fully resolved to suffer Death for the Glory and Service of God After many such Discourses the Intendant seeing this young Maiden dispos'd to suffer Martyrdom did not think fit to put her to Death for fear without doubt least the Constancy of this young Maiden should produce a quite contrary Effect to his Intentions he therefore contented himself to sentence her to a perpetual Imprisonment where she is still in the Tower of Constance in Aâ—guemortes with several other Women and faithful Maidens The other Maiden whote Name we told you was Pintarde laboured 〈◊〉 on her part in the Work of the Lord. Brousson had several times an opportunity to confer also 〈◊〉 her and to joyn with her in many an excellent Prayer she made to God that she for the most part drew out of the Psalms and those Old Prophets which agreed exactly to the then State of the Church of God in France and which she delivered with very great fervency One Night as Brousson drew nigh to a place where he had appointed a Meeting to be in the Neighbourhood of St. Hipolite he heard her make a Controversial Sermon or Discourse with great strenuousness She oftentimes kept Meetings where she prenched the Word of God and where she made excellent Prayers and this she continued two Years or better But at last this good Maiden fell into the Hands of her Enemies also with whom the Intendant had much the same Discourse as that already mentioned with the other Maiden but finding she was also very ready to go and suffer Martyrdom he contented himself to condemn her to perpetual Prison where she is still in the Castle of Sommieres These two holy Maidens had not been long Imprisoned but that God was pleased to raise up in Low Cevennes three other Maidens who also edified the People much by their excellent Prayers One of them among the rest and whom perhaps it 's not fit I should name did many times Extempore pray for Half an Hour and Three Quarters of an Hour wherein she very pathetically brought in and applied several Texts of Scripture insomuch that at the very same time she spake to God and
called upon his Holy Name the also instructed edified comforted and strengthned her Brethren She had sometimes at Nismes four or five Meetings in a Day consisting of thirty forty and fifty Persons each 'till at last being surcharged with Labour for the People would never let her alone but followed her in the very Streets she was at last constrained to go elsewhere While Brousson wan at Nismes Monsieur Guâ—on an ancient Pastor of Cevennes and one who had Refugiated himself in Switzerland came into France again and had an Interview with Brousson in the Country not far off from the said place whither Brousson was retired because of the Noise made of his holding Meetings there as were also several others He was pleased to tell Brousson That it would have been more to purpose to go from Family to Family to instruct the People than to hold great Meetings To whom Brousson answered That he had divers times examined that matter that be had well weighed it that if be should content himself to go from Family to Family the thing would doubtless make less Noise and at the same time be performed with less Danger to himself and to the People and to all such as Preached the Gospel but that the Harvest was great and that the Number of Labourers was very few and that in the single Country of Cevennes and Lower Languedoc where God was pleased to Honour him and his Brethren to labour in his Vineyard that there there great Numbers of People who must perish for wane of Pastors that they could not edisie the Hundredth part of them if they contented themselves to go from Family to Family that it would be much better that those poor People should expose themselves to some Sufferings in this World for to be eternally happy in Heaven than to reserve the Repose and Advantages of this World and to be eternally miserable in Hell that in the mean time we should not be surprized that we are exposed to Persecutions when we would labour in the Work of our Salvation that all the Cospel does sufficiently prepare us for all that That moreover if the People exposed themselves to some Danger to go and hear the Word of God the Danger whereunto the Servants of God exposed themselves by Preaching the same was yet much more terrible but in the mean time they used all the Prudence they were capable of that when they were obliged to keep sometimes Meetings in the Cities they did it with much Caution and Circumspection but that ordinarily they kept them in the Country and in such places as were most remote from the Concourse of Men and finally that the holding of Religious Assemblies was expresly recommended to us in the Word of God to the end either that every one might give Glory to God in the Presence of his People or that the Religious Assemblies of the Faithful might be edisied supported and mutually comforted by the publick Testimonies they shall'd give of their Piety and Considence in God or that in these holy Assemblies they might partake of the Seals of God's favour and relation to them and of the Pledges of their Salvation or lastly because that was the Means whereby God was in a particular manner to be met with by the efficacy of his Spirit and wherein be communicated abundance of Grace and Consolation to the Faithful In the mean time this old Pastor would not savour of these Reasons and so would keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meetings but contented himself to see some Friends in particular But his Prudence proved to be no Fence to him for some few Days after his Arrival as he was walking in a Chamber a Roman Catholick Woman who lodged in the same House and who heard him walk having seen him through the Key-hole informed against him so as that he was taken and carried before the Intendant who after much Discourse with him presented him with a Letter of Apology which Brousson had writ to the Intendant some time before and wherein after having fully justified his Conduct by the Word of God he put before his Eyes the terrible Judgments he had reason to fear in a Kingdom where they had done such great Outrages to the Glory of God by abolishing every-where his holy Service and where they daily made his poor People suffer such great Evils when they would meet together in the Name of his holy Son Jesus Christ to meditate on his Word call upon his holy Name and sing his Praises The Intendant asked him If he approved of the said Letter Guion who was affected therewith told him Have a care that what is noted in that Letter do not befal you It was said that the Intendant asked him further Whether he did approve of Brousson 's Conduct And that he should answer He did approve of it and that if he were at liberty he would do the same himself They made him a tender of his Life if he would change his Religion But he made answer That he did not return into France to be unfaithful to his Master But they would not put him to Death publickly and therefore they carried him to the Cittadei of Mompellier and executed him by Beat of Drum to the end no-body might hear what he said before his Death And this Martyrdom happened in July 1693 and their Rage proceeded so far as to pull down the House in Nismes where he was taken which was a very good one About two Months after one Paul Colognac called Dauphine from a place near St. Hipolite a young Man about 〈◊〉 Years old began to preach the Gospel from place to place and from Desart to Desart 〈◊〉 Work he incessantly continued for three or four Years in Cevennes and Lower Languedoc But he was also taken at Nismes where he was discovered by a naughty Woman who was come from St. Giles and who having voluntarily abandoned the Truth a long time before the Desolation of the Protestant Churches in France did afterward give Tokens apparently of a sincere Repentance for her Fault It was pretended by them that this young Man was in Company when an Apostate Minister whose Name was Bagards was killed in Cevennes and who was become a notorious Persecutor leading and commanding himself the Soldiers when they searched after the Religious Assemblies and the Ministers of the Gospel for to take them dead or alive This same Apostate was an Execration to all the People The last time he had preached he pronounced an Anathema Maranacha against all such as should forsake the Profession of the Truth when for all that he did himself not many Days after become one of the first who abjured it for a Pension Wherefore all the People and even the Roman Catholicks themselves called him Maranatha it 's from a Shepherd he became a revenous Wolf who committed greater Ravage in the Sheep-fold of the Lord than his old Enemies which made some young Men transported with Zeal and Indignation as it was
her Death With some Remarkable Passages relating both to her Person and Government I Shall conclude this History of Providence with a Collection of the memorable Speeches and Sayings of our never-enough lamented Sovereign the late Queen MARY and shall here and there add some remarkable Passages relating to her Person and Government as a Noble Testimony to Religion from one whose Parts and Endowments were as high as her Dignity as if Providence would not leave the prophane Age room to say that Religion was only pretended to by the Mean and Ignorant but convince them by the Vertuous Life and Dying Breath of a Princess every way so Glorious and Great So extraordinary strict says Bishop Fowler in his Preface relating to the Queen was Her Majesty's Life even from her Youth that for the Seventeen Years of her Married State the King as he hath professed could never see any thing in her which he could call a Fault and no Man continues this Learned Author can keep a stricter Guard upon his Words than His Majesty is always observed to do Then certainly a Collection of the Memorable Speeches of such a Princess must needs be very useful and so much the more so as there are several remarkable Sayings of this Royal Person scattered in so many Books which its hardly possible for any private Person to have all of them by him and therefore a View of them all at once in a Collection from the best Authors that have writ upon this Subject may perhaps be very acceptable to the serious Reader 1. That we may begin from her Cradle The most August Queen MARY II. was born in the Sixty second Year of this Age upon the Tenth of May James then Duke of York and the Lord Chancellor's Daughter being her Parents Many and conspicuous were the Prognosticks of a true and far from counterfeited Piety that glitter'd in her and shin'd forth in the early Dawn of her Infancy For when in her tender Years she had lost an excellent Mother and under the Tuition of Persons less concern'd was deliciously bred up in a Court full of all manner of Pleasure and Voluptuousness such was always her Constancy such her Temperance and Modesty that no Example of others no Allurement of Vice no Contagion of Neighbouring-Courts could force her to go astray from the right Path. She was instructed in the Fundamentals of the true Reform'd Religion by the Bishop of London which he so happily laid and she so cordially imbib'd that she could never be shaken by any treacherous Insinuations any Promises or Threats any Punishments or Rewards choosing rather to die than never so little to recede from the Truth wherein she had been grounded After she had spent the rest of her Childhood in those Studies by which generous and illustrious Souls are rais'd to the Expectations of great Fortune and had abundantly furnish'd herself as well with Christian as with Royal Vertues in the Fifteenth Year of her Age she was auspiciously Married to William the Third of that Name Prince of Orange William marries Mary a Kinsman a Kinswoman and thus by a double Tye and a firmer Knot than hitherto the most Noble Families of all Europe are joyn'd together She for her Ancestors claims the Family of the Stuarts He the Nassavian Race She the Monarchs of Great Britain He the Governours of Germany and the Caesars themselves The Nuptial Solemnities being over the Royal Bride cross'd over out of England into these Parts together with her Husband and chose for her Seat and Residence the Hague the most pleasant and delightful place not only of Holland but almost of all Europe Where belov'd of all Men and fix'd in the Good-will of all the People propensly devoted to her for the space of some Years she so charmingly and affectionately liv'd with her Husband the best of Men and no less cordially affectionate to her not only without the least Contention or Quarrel but without the least suspicion of Lukewarmness that she might well be said to be a conspicuous Example of Conjugal Affection not only to Kings and Princes and Men in high Degree but also to private Persons After some Interval of Time when they who bare ill will to our Princes and us to Liberty and Religion and more especially to this Republick stirr'd up new Troubles in England and the Nobility of the Kingdom call'd to their Aid our Prince While he strove one way and the Winds drove another at length wafted over with favourable Gales and Wishes safely arriv'd in England and without Resistance but rather with the general Applause of the Nation and as it were born upon the Shoulders of the People came to the Royal City When afterwards he invited his dearest Consort then the Companion of his Bed now of his Kingdom to partake of the Honour offer'd him and the Dignity soon after to be conferr'd upon him and the equal share of his Fortune in the Eighty ninth Year of this Age luckily and auspiciously both Husband and Wife were declar'd King and Queen with equal Power and Authority by the common Vote and Suffrage and unanimous Consent of both Houses In the Morning she rose with the Sun and worship'd the Lord of Heaven and Earth But when she was sometimes forc'd to rise at Midnight by reason of the urgent Affairs of the State and could not afterwards sleep she commanded either the Holy Scripture or some other pious Book to be brought her If any Persons came to visit her in a Morning before she had pour'd forth her Prayers she sent them back with this Expression That she was first to serve the King of Kings If any persons were said to seek her life by Treachery and Conspiracy her Answer was That she submitted to the Will of Heaven Francius 's Oration upon the Death of the Queen 2. Such was the Sanctity of Mary's Life that King William after her Decease calling to mind her Piety towards God the Integrity of her Life and her Extraordinary Knowledge of Sacred Things brake forth into this expression That if he could believe that ever any mortal Man could be born without the contamination of Sin he would believe it of the Queen And she preserv'd herself so chast and spotless that while she resided upon Earth she liv'd the Life of the Saints even in the Hurry of the Court where there are so many Incitements to evil Grevius 's Oration on the Death of the Queen 3. We had very admirable Accounts of the late Queen from her Court at the Hague during her Abode there from most unquestionable Testimonies which made us envy our Neighbours Happiness in such a Princess who knew their Happiness as 't was impossible they should not and had an extraordinary Value and Veneration for her And since her Return to her Native Country and her Advancement to the Throne here we never knew a more eminent Exception than she was to that common Observation Minuit praesentia Famam The Fame
had such Testimonies about her that pleaded she was no longer a Woman that she thereupon altered her Name and Apparel into those of a Man Cuelmanus relates this upon the Credit of a Physician in the Lecture of Anatomy Cellarius and Wolphius eminent Physicians being present Sch. Obs Med. l. 4. obs 6. p. 503. 8. That is wonderful which is told by Pontanus of a Woman who after she had been deliver'd of a Son became a Man which yet he confirms by the Testimony of Antonius Colotius the Vmbrian and saith he this fell out about Anno 1496. Donat. Hist. Mirab. l. 6. c. 2. p. 297. 9. Antonius Diuna tells of a Nun of St. Dominick's Order in the City of Vbeda her Name was Magdalena Magnoz This Woman in the 7th Year after she had taken upon her the Profession of a Nun was from a Woman turned into a Man Being hereupon expelled the Nunnery she put on Man's Clothes a Beard grew upon her Chin and she was called Franciscus Magnoz This very Francis saith he was my Client and I pleaded for him in a Cause of Rape for a certain Woman accused him that she was known by him by Violence and got with Child John Choker Fax Hist. cent 1. cap. 23. 10. Ausonius tells of a Boy at Beneventum who suddenly became a Girl 11. Bartholinus discourseth more upon this Point and shews the Possibility of it in his Anatomy 12. Dr. Burnet in his Letters relates a Story which he had from Cardinal Howard at Rome of two Nuns which were in a few Years converted into the Masculine Gender but having not the Book by me I must leave it to my Reader 's further Inquiry for the Particulars CHAP. XV. Instances of Skill in Physiognomy WHen Socrates was told by a Physiognomist his natural Inclinations to Vice and some of the Company that were then present laugh'd at the Error he very ingenuously rebuked them saying That there was more Truth in it than they were sensible of Nature disposing him strongly to those Immoralities which he had by Culture and his own Improvements conquered in great measure and corrected There is certainly somewhat in the Faces and Gestures and Aspects of Persons that may be an Index of the Mind according to that Proverbial Saying Ex Oculo Poculo Loculo cognosciter Homo but especially Oculus est Animi fenestra 1. Gregory Nazianzen by observing Julian's Physiognomy when he was at Athens his running Head wagging Shoulders rolling Eyes staring Countenance sliding and limping Pace scornful Visage immoderate Laughter c. declared That he saw not one good Sign in him but cried out Good God what a Monster the Empire of Rome doth nourish When I uttered these Words saith he I desired of God that in this Matter I might be found a Lyar. Clark's Mar of Eccl. Hist 2. Gaffarel tells us if a Man endeavour to counterfeit any other Man's Countenance and that he fancy himself to have his Hair Eyes Nose Mouth and all other Parts like him he may by this means come to know what his natural Inclinations and what his Thoughts are by what he finds in himself during the time of his making of Faces This Opinion saith he is grounded upon the Experience of Campanella who expresseth himself in these Words Cum quis hominem videt statim imaginari oportet se nosum habere ut alter hebet pilum vnltum frontem locutionem Et tunc qui affectus cogitationes in hac cogitatione illi obrepunt judicat homini illi esse proprios quem ita imaginando contuetur hoc non absque ratione experientià Spiritus enim format corpus juxta affectus innatos ipsum fingit exprimitque I always thought saith Gaffarel that the Opinion of Campanella was That a Man should only imagine himself to have the same Countenance with the other as his Words seem to mean But when I was at Rome understanding that he was brought into the Inquisition I did out of Cariosity to be satisfied in this Particular take the Pains to visit him there Being therefore in Company of some Abbots we were brought to the Chamber where he was who as soon as he perceived us came to us and entreated us to have a little Patience till he had ended a little Note which he was writing to Cardinal Magaloti When we were sate down we observed him oftentimes to make certain wry Faces which we conceived to proceed either from Folly or else from some Pain that the Violence of the Torments which he had endured put him to The Calves of his Legs being all beaten black and blue and his Buttocks having hardly and Flesh on them it having been torn from him by piece-meal to make him confess what he was accused of One of our Company asked If he felt no Pain He smiling answered No. And supposing that we had been something troubled at the wry Faces which he made he told us That at our coming in he fancied himself to be Cardinal Magalotti as he bad heard him described And he asked us withal If he were not a hairy Man So far my Author Gaffarel's unheard of Curiosities par 2. ch 6. 3. One Mrs. Powel Wife to Mr. Powel of Forrest-Hill near Oxford a Justice of Peace at that time told me about Five and twenty Years ago when I preached in the Parish That a young lusty Fellow coming to her Door for an Alms she looking sharply upon him told him He was a guilty Person upon which the Fellow run away from her to the Gate But she calling upon him to stay he turned back again and asked her In the Name of Christ who told you so She making Answer Christ whom you have Offended by your ill Actions and therefore turn back again make an ingenuous Confession of thy Crime and upon my Reputation I 'll make no Discovery of it to thy Hurt c. Upon which he returned in a very submissive manner and acknowledged That he was as I remember a Devonshire-man and coming one Night in Drink from a Fair and asking a Fellow that he met Which was the way to such a Place he answering He should follow his Nose Upon that they went to hard Words and thence to Blows till at last he kill'd the Man for which he was upon Suspicion committed to Prison but sufficient Evidence being wanting he was discharged Whereupon she advised him to this purpose Well! thou art uneasie under the Remorse of a guilty Conscience at home and therefore thinkest to allay thy Troubles abroad Assure thy self thou wilt be in danger of ill Company and fresh Temptations and more guilty by Travel and therefore do take my Advice return home use thy Endeavour to get an honest Livelihood and shew thy self as kind as possible to the surviving Relations of the murder'd Person And if thou wilt promise so to do I will give thee somewhat towards bearing thy Charges and accordingly she gave him a Crown Another Story of
to abstain till the Evening yet was he a Person of great Liberalit to others Drex Oper. Tom. â— p. 796. 3. Theophrastus tells of one Philinus who in the whole course of his Life never made use of any manner of Drink or Food except Milk only Celi Rhod. l. 11. c. 13. p. 500. 4. Pontanus writes of a Woman who in all her Life time did never Drink either Wine or Water and being once inforced to Drink Wine by the Command of Ladislaus King of Naples she received much hurt thereby Bow Hist Med. Mir. l. 6. c. 3. p. 306. 5. There was one in Naples of the Family of Fernacelli that never Drank c. Rhod. l. 13 p. 309. CHAP. XX. Immoderate Drinkers 'T IS strange to observe how a Continuation of Acts begets a Habit and that Habit by Custom becomes so fixt and inâ—eterate that Nature it self seems at length to Challenge it as her own for which Reason the Wise Solomon forbids us to look upon Wine when it is Red when it sparkles in the Cup and Moralists to give the least Countenance to the first Principles and beginnings of any Vice for 't is much easier to Prohibit the first entrance of a fore-seen Disease and shut the Door against a Rude Guest then to Cure the Disease when it hath seized us or restrain the Exorbitant Humours of an Ill Guest when he is entred 1. In that Publick drinking before Alexander one Promachus drank 4 Congii that is 40 pound we Read the same of Protcus of Macedonia in Athanaeus Nov. Torquatus of Milan drank 30 Pints at one Draught Tiberius the Emperor stood by to see the Wonder Pliny says that he never failed of his Speech nor did he Vomit nor did he Sleep he drank most at one Draught and drank many more little ones Bonaesus as Spartianus says drank more then any Man Aurelianus said of him he was not born to live but to drink Yet he Honoured him for military Affairs He drank with barbarous Ambassadours to make them drunk and so would know their Secrets he drank what he pleased and was always Sober A certain Man drank 6 Gallons at a Nobleman's Marriage in the days of Lipsius Jobnst Clas 10. p. 312. 2. Maximinus often drank in one day an Amphora of the Capitol which is 9 Gallons our measure Capitolin p. 602. 3. Lipsius tells of one at a Noble Bavarian's Wedding that to exhilarate the Guests drank little less then 6 Congies in a short space that is 60 pound Lips Epist Misc Ep. 51. p. 456. 4. The Son of Marcus Tullius Cicero would ordinarily fetch off the quantity of two Congies at once that is to say 2 Gallons and a Quart Din. Mem. l. 6. p. 448. 5. Bartholinus tells of one Pâ—â—â—us of Malta who from place to place made Tryal of his Artifice he having drank 20 or 30 Cups of Water at the pleasure of the Spectators he would suddenly restore them all by Vomit and Water running out of a Fountain he would orderly fill up the Cuâ—s as he drank them off at other times he would suddenly spout out the whole quantity at the distance of 20 Foot or more besides if the Company desired it he would not only restore the clear Water but so as that it should be of different both Colour and Taste one while Rose-water another Spirit of Wine Sack Claret White wine c. and thus he filled several Cups with several sorts of drinks at the same time He confessed that he could do this with the most ease when he was Pasting and his Stomach empty for if soon after Dinner he was called by great Persons to see this Tâ—yal he used to Vomit up his Meat before his Ventricle would be rightly disposed for the Reception of such a quantity of Water when he was to discharge himself of the Liquor he had drunk up he performed it only with the pressure of his Hand on his Stomach or Breast that he might not be suspected of Magick and to obtain Licence of shew his Art Publickly he revealed his Secret to Pope Vrban VIII at Rome to Cardinal Richelieu at Paris and to the Prince of Orange at the Hague when some suspected that the Glasses gave the several Colours he caused them first to be clearly washed with Water and to shew he had no such Fraud he not only received Glasses at the Hand of the Spectators themselves but also offered his several Vomits as well to the Taste as to the Eye of any that desired to make the Experiment Barâ—h Hist Anat. Cent. 1. Hist 39. p. 54 55. 6. And Aelian tells of a Woman too much addicted to this desire of drinking to her Eternal Infamy that not only she used to contend with her own Sex in drinking but also used to provoke Men thereunto with such success in her Bestiality that she was known to be able to drink and bear away a greater quantity of drink then any Man she could meet with Ael var. His l. 2. c. 41 p. 82. CHAP. XXI Great Fasters MR. Reynold's well observes that the long Finger of Powerful Providence is to be observed in these wonderful Effects and Doctor Willis that the Parent of Nature orders Natural Principles as to their Quantity Mixture and Operations and 't is as evident when higher Causes put asunder what Nature hath joyned together very astonishing results appear upon the Stage of Humane Nature Now to supply the Defect of Aliment it is observable that at such Times and Cases aâ— these are the Expences of the â—â—crocosm by Stool Vrine Spittle Menses and it may be Transpiration are in great measure Retrench'dâ— the Igneous Parts of the Body restrained from Excursion and a fresh supply made by the continual entrance of Breach and Air together with Pituitous Humours and a Viscous Oyl produced by a Colliquation of the Emaciated Parts but I leave it to my Reader to judge of 1. In St. Austin's days one lived 40 days without eating any thing another in the time of Olimpiodorus the Platonish for so long as he lived he neither slept nor fed but only stood in the Sun to refresh himself The Daughter of the Emperor Cloturius fasted eleven years Petrus Aponus saw one fasted 18 years Rondeletius saw one fasted 10 and afterwards became a fruitful Mother Hermolus knew a Priest who lived in Health 40 years without any thing but by sucking in the Air. One Nicholaus Helvetius Anno 1640. after that he had 5 Children by his Wife lived a solitary life and neither eat nor drank in 15 years he predicted several things that came to pass and by his austere Life made the belief of his fasting unquestionable Certain it is that the Bishop of Constantia in whose Diocess he lived went to him on purpose to see him and after diligent Observation confirmed the Truth of his Report by his Letters and for the greater certainty compel'd him to taste some food thô very little which caused him to have extream Pain in
blows first into a yellow Blossom which falling off there remains a Cod about the bigness of a Man's Thumb in which the substance is moist and yellow but as it ripens it swells bigger till it breaks the Cod and in short time becomes as white as Snow and then they gather it Purch Pilgr vol. 2. p. 1470. 35. Gum-lac comes from Trees like Plum-Trees out of which Trees comes a certain Gum which Pismires suck up and then they make the Lac round about the Branches of the Tree as Bees make Wax and when it is full the Owners come and breaking off the Branches lay them to dry and being dry the Branches shrink out and the Lac remains It comes from Pegu. Id. p. 1783. 36. The Herb Addad is bitter and the Root of it so Venemous that one drop of the juice will kill a Man within the space of one hour Ibid p. 850. 37. Sponges grow on the sides of Rocks 15 Fathom under water about the bottom of the Streights of Gibraltar Ibid. 38. The Resurrection-Tree grows in Manica which for the greatest part of the year is without a Leaf or Greeness but if one cut off a Bough and put it into the Water in the space of 10 hours it springs and flourisheth with Green Leaves but draw it out of the Water and as soon as it is dry it remains as it was before Ibid. p. 1537. 39. A Tree as big as an Oak of a middle size the Bark white like Horn-beam 6 or 7 yards high with ragged Boughs Leaf like the Bay-Leaf It beans neither Fruit nor Flower it stands on the side of an Hill in the day time it is withered and drops all night a Cloud hanging thereon so that it yields Water sufficient for one of the Gatary Islands wherein are 8000 Souls and above 100000 Cammels Mules and Goats c. The Water falls into a Pond made of Brick payed with Stone from whece it is conveyed into several Ponds through the whole Island for they have no other Water there except Rain Water The Pond hold 20000 Tun of Water and is filled in one night Many of our English that have been there attest the Truth thereof Idem p. 1369. 40. About Saffron-Walden in Essex grows great store of Saffron first brought into England in the Reign of Edward III. This in the month of July every third year being plucked up and after 20 days having the Root split and set again in the Earth about the end of September it putteth forth a whitish blue Flower out of the midst whereof comes â— Chives which are gathered in the morning before Sun-rising and being plucked out of the Flower are dried by a sort Fire and so great is the increase that cometh thereof that out of every Acre of Ground are made 80 or 100 pound weight of Saffron whilst it is most which being dried yield about 20 pound weight Cambd. Brit. p. 453. 41. The Assa-Fatida Tree is like our Brier in height the Leaves resemble Fig-Leaves the Root is like 〈◊〉 Radish-Root though the smell be 〈◊〉 paâ—e yet the taste is so pleasing that no Meat no Sauce no Vessel is pleasing to the Gusarat's Pallats where it grows except it relish of it Herbert's Travels 42. The Benjamin Gum issues from a high Tree smell and furnished with fruitless Branches the Leaves are not unlike to those of the Olive Pegu and Siam yield the best Clarks of Tree c. p. 199. 43. The Plantan-Tree is of a reasonable height the Body about the bigness of a Mans Thigh compacted of many Leaves wrapped one upon another adorned with Leaves instead of Boughs from the very ground which are for the most part about two Ells long and an Ell broad having a large Rib in the middle thereof The Fruit is a Bunch of 10 or 12 Plantans each a Span long and as big almost as a Man's Wrist The Rind being stripped off the Fruit is yellowish and of a pleasant Taste purch Pilgr p. 416. 44. The Palmeta-Tree yields a sweet and wholsome Wine by cutting or boring Holes in the Body of the Tree into which a Cane is put that receives the Sap and conveys it into Gourds It tasts like Whitewine but it ill not last above 24 Hours Purch Pilgr vol. 2. p. 1500. Vide more Numb 52. 45. The Tonal-Tree grows in New-Spain in whose Leaves breed certain smell Worms at first no bigger than a Flea at greatest about the bigness of our Lady Cows which they resemble which feeding on the Leaves are gathered by the Natives twice a year stifled with Ashes or Water and dried to Powder in the Shade Some call this Tree Tuna other the Prickle Pear bearing a Leaf of a slimy Nature and a Fruit blood-red and full of Seeds which give 〈…〉 like to Brasiletto Wood that will perish in a few days by the Fire But this Infect gives 〈…〉 â—â—â—manent Tincture and is Cochineel Sir Tho. Pope Blunt p. 75 76 c. Clark of Trees 〈…〉 pag. 201. 46. A Berry grows in Bermudas and New-England from a Plant called Red-Weed which is as Red as the Prickle Pear giving much the like Tincture out of which Berry come out first Worms which afterwards turn into Flies somewhat bigger than the Cochineel-Fly feeding on the same Berry in which we read there hath been found a colour no whit inferiour to that of the Cochineel-Fly and as to Medicinal Virtues much exceeding it Idem Sir Tho. Pope Blunt 47. Manguey grows in New-Spain it hath great and large Leaves at the end whereof is a strong and sharp point which they use for Pins and Needles and out of the Leaf they draw a kind of Thread which they use much to Sew with The Body of the Tree is big which when it is tender they cut and out of the hole proceeds a Liquor which they drink like Water being fresh and sweet This Liquor being sodden becomes Wine which being kept till sower makes good Vinegar Boil it a little more than for Wine and it makes a fine Syrup and Boil it till thick and it makes Honey Purch Pisgr v. 3. p. 957. 48. The Papiri Sedgie-Reeds grow in the Marines of Egypt whereof formerly they made Paper and from whence ours that is made of Rags assumed that Name They divide it into think flakes whereinto it naturally parteth then laying them on a Table and moistening them with the Glutinous Water of Nilus they press them together dry them in the Sun and then they are fitted for use Idem v. 2. p. 898. 49. Ananas ariseth from a Root like an Artichoke when they are ripe they shew themselves and are not above two foot high Without it is covered with a dry Rind hard and scaly within it is wholsom and pleasant and though a little of it seems to satiate the Appetite yet the Stomack likes it well and its easie of Digestion Idem 50. The Duroyen is in shape round at first opening it hath an unpleasant smell The Meat
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