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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63937	A compleat history of the most remarkable providences both of judgment and mercy, which have hapned in this present age extracted from the best writers, the author's own observations, and the numerous relations sent him from divers parts of the three kingdoms : to which is added, whatever is curious in the works of nature and art / the whole digested into one volume, under proper heads, being a work set on foot thirty years ago, by the Reverend Mr. Pool, author of the Synopsis criticorum ; and since undertaken and finish'd, by William Turner...	Turner, William, 1653-1701.	1697 (1697)	Wing T3345; ESTC R38921	1,324,643	657

were admitted into this Order but such of the Nobility as were in all the number of 150. the chiefest of them being Sir Lancelot Sir Tristram Sir Lamrock Sir Grawine and others These were all Recorded for Knights of great Renown and had not King Arthur's Valour been most transcendent each of them might have passed fpr no less than a Worthy tho' they must fall short of the Deeds of King Arthur of whom it is written that in one Battle against the Saxons with his own Sword named Callibourn he slew 800 of them England's Worthies by William Winstanley p. 10. 8. Lucius Hiberius the Roman Legate demanded of him a Tribute for Britain which he not only deny'd but also threatned to have a Tribute from Rome as appeareth in his Letter sent unto the Senate where I find it thus written in an old Manuscript Vnderstand among you of Rome that I am King Arthur of Britain and freely it hold and shall hold and at Rome hastily will I be not to give you Truage but to have Truage of you For Constantine that was Hellen's Son and other of my Ancesters Conquered Rome and thereof were Emperors and that they had and held I shall have yours God's grace And accordingly he set forward against Lucius Hiberus who with great Power and vain Confidence came Marching against him where after a long and Bloody Fight the Romans were Discomfited their General killed and his slain Body sent to the Senate for the Tribute of Britain ibid 9. Mr. Broughton was exceedingly Courageous and Bold and free in inveighing against Popery Jesuitism among the Papists and Jesuits and also Judaism among the Jews As once more especially at the B. of Mentz's Table where also diverse Jesuits were present with whom he Discoursed so freely and sharply against the Papacy as Anti-Christian and against the Blindness and Wickedness of the Romanists that the Protestants who were present with him were afraid that would have endanger'd both himself and them At another time being in one of the Jews Synagogues at the time of their Servce where their publick Minister Read and Prayed in a strange and uncouth Tone one of the Jews as he came out said unto him Did not our Minister Sing like an Angel No saith he he Barked like a Dog and so called for a Dispute with him where they had long and much tugging 10. He was once Travelling here in England and being in his Inn a Royster in the Room next to him was Swearing horribly and at no measure in went he boldly to him and Who art thou saith he thou Wretch who darest thus to Blaspheme and Profane the Glorious Name of the great God And some other like words which he set on with so great an awe and boldness that the Roarer became calm and took his sharp reproofs especially when he came to understand who he was in very good part In his Life p. 4.7 11. It was the saying of one who suffered in Queen Mary's Regn. I was an honest poor Man's Daughter never brought up at the University as you have but I have driven the Plow before my Father many a time I thank God yet notwithstanding in defence of God's Truth and in the cause of my Master Christ by his Grace I will set my Foot against the Foot of any of you all in the maintenance of the same and if I had a Thousand Lives they should go for payment thereof Fox Matyrol 12. If I had a Hundred Bodies said Mr. Hawks I would suffer them all to be torn in pieces rather than Abjure or Recant ibid. 13. Mr. Rothwel called afterwards by the Devil in a posessed Person Bold Rothwel being recommended to the Lady Bowes for a fit Minister to be employed in the North in the Bishoprick of Durham after his first Days Labour there for Tryal being well liked of by the People and returning afterwards to the Lady Bowes he told her he would go she replied tho' for their sakes she was glad yet she was afraid to send him understanding that they were of a fierce Disposition and having never heard the Gospel might deal unkindly with him He answered Madam if I thought I should never meet the Devil there I would never come there he and I have been at odds in other places and I hope we shall not agree there See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 70. 14. King Charles the I. spending one Sunday in a serious debate of the Lord Strafford's Case in the Morning with the four Bishops of London Durham Lincoln and Carlisle the Arch-Bishop of Armagh not being there but Preaching in the Church of Covent-Garden as he used to do was sent for by a particular Order from his Majesty The Bishop descended from the Pulpit and told the Messenger that he was then as himself saw employed in God's business which ass●on as he had done he would attend upon the King to understand his Pleasure See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 297. 15. In like manner Sir Thomas Moor sent answer to King Henry 8th when a Messenger came to call him from Mass as is elsewhere spoken of in this Book CHAP. XXIX Remarkable Patience THE Patience of Christian Confessors and Martyrs in the early Ages of the Church was a Potent Argument to persuade many of their Adversaries that they were bore up with somewhat more than the Principles of mere Philosophy or the stiffness of a depraved Nature and that the Christian Religion furnished them with a better Assurance and a clearer ground of Confidence in their Cause than was obvious to a common Age or to be found in any other System of Religion in the World and therefore it cannot be amiss to enquire what Examples of this kind we can meet with 1. Ignatius to the Church of Trallis exhorting them not to refuse Martyrdom useth these Expressions From Syria to Rome I had a Battle with Beasts as well by Sea as by Land Night and Day being bound by Ten cruel Leopards Soldiers which the more Benefits they receive at my hands became so much the worse to me but I being exercised and now well acquainted with their Injuries am taught every Day more and more to bear the Cross yet hereby am I not Justified Would to God I were once come to the Beasts prepared for me which I wish also to fall upon me with all their violence c. Vid. Dr. Cave's Prim. Christ Clark's Mar. of Eccl. Hist c. 2. S. Hierom Reports of Melania That her Husband lying dead by her she lost two of her Sons at the same time but she instead of bursting into a Passion fell down and said Lord I shall serve Thee more nimbly and readily by being eased of this weight which thou hast taken from me Dr. Cave's Prim. Christ 3. When Lucius one of the Primitive Martyrs for speaking in behalf of one of the Christians that he had very hard measure was Condemned forth-with he heartily thanked his Judge for it that by this

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

Imprisoned under the Name of a Witch my Husband and Friends disowned me and seeing no hope of ever being in Credit again through the Temptation of the Devil I made that Confession to destroy my own Life being weary of it and chusing rather to Die than to Live This her lamentable Speech did astonish all the Spectators few of whom could refrain from Tears The Truth of this Relation saith my Author is certainly attested by a worthy Divine now living who was an Eye and an Ear Witness of the whole Matter 16. Mr. Showers in his Discourse of Tempting of Christ saith Many Instances might be named of a sinful limiting the Power of God One among others is that of rash Appeals to Heaven expecting that God by his powerful Providence should interpose to the Decision of doubtful Cases And this Men do in the use of such things unto which some notable Effects are ascribed which they were never inabled or appointed by Nature or Divine Institution to produce As when a Person was Indicted upon Suspicion or for a Fault that was secretly committed or upon the Testimony but of one Witness he was to purge himself by Ordeal Fire or Water that is to put himself upon GOD and Appeal to Him This was allowed by some of the Laws of Charles the Great and was in frequent use in this Nation in the Saxons time Many Instances in the ninth and tenth Century may be given of this as a common Practice in the Christian World when there was not sufficient Evidence of a Man's Guilt to put him on such Extraordinary Tryals expecting some miraculous Appearance of God to vindicate his Innocence or conclude against it In such doubtful Cases they said they would go ad Juaicium Dei they would Appeal to Heaven Many ways they had of this in different Forms and several Ceremonies and particular Prayers with Fasting and Adjurations in the Names of God to the particular Element various according to the Quality of the Person whether a Freeman or a Slave that is one of a mean and base condition the former was to be tried by Fire and the latter by Water hot or cold But what Ground have we to think that if Men are Innocent the Power of God will this way preserve them or if they be Guilty that He will leave them to suffer by it It is true He appointed under the Law a draught of bitter Waters for the Woman suspected of Adultery to discover her Innocency or Guilt this was peculiarly enacted by God himself who doubtless would assist such extraordinary Procedure as was of his own Institution But it is not for us to use such Methods of our own devising and expect the like success Philip de Comines tells us of Two Franciscan Friars at Florence who offer'd themselves to the Fire to prove Savonarola to be a Heretick But a certain Jacobine offer'd himself to the Fire to prove that Savonarola had true Revelations and was no Heretick In the mean time Savonarola preach'd and made no such confident Offer nor durst he venture at that new kind of Fire Ordeal But if all Four had past through the Fire and died in the Flames what would that have proved Had he been an Heretick or no Heretick the more or the less for the Confidence of two or three Zealots Thus far Mr. Showers 17. The Persians had a Law That if a Man were accused and found guilty he should not straitway be Condemned but after a diligent enquiry of his Life and Conversation And if the number of his praise-worthy Deeds did countervail the contrary he was fully quit of the Trespass Chetwind's Hist Collect. 18. Eustathius a Man famous for Preaching and Holiness of Life opposing the Arrian Heresie the Arrians suborned a naughty Strumpet to come with a Child in her Arms and Accuse Eustathius of Adultery and She Swore that he begat that Child of her Body which though he constantly denied yet he was put out of his place Howbeit his Innocency e'er long was made known for the Strumpet being struck with Sickness She was in such horrour of Conscience that She confessed the whole Practice and how She was hired to slander this holy Man and that yet She was not altogether a Liar for Eustathius the Handicrafts Man begat the Child though not Eustathius the Preacher See Mr. Nathanael Vincent 's Childs Catechism CHAP. XXIV Doubts strangely Resolved and the Weak Confirmed SAint Peter was resolved concerning the Divinity of our Saviour by a Miracle which so startled him that he ●ell down at Jesus Feet saying Depart from me for I am a sinful Man O Lord Thomas doubting of his Resurrection was resolved to accept no Satisfaction in the case but by his own Senses and it was granted him as a special favour And 't is strange to observe how low God stoops many times in condescension to Human Infirmities on this Score to help their Faith and clear their Doubts meeting his Children in their own way and sometimes Surprizing them when their Doubts are at full tide and they least expect them 1. That good Gentlewoman Mrs. Honeywood under a deep and sad Desertion refused and put off all Comfort seeming to Despair utterly of the Grace of God A worthy Minister being one Day with her and Reasoning against her desperate Conclusions she took a Venice-Glass from the Table and said Sir I am as sure to be Damned as this Glass is to be broken and there with threw it forcibly to the Ground but to the Astonishment of both the Glass remained whole and sound which the Minister taking up with admiration rebuked her Presumption and shewed her what a VVonder Providence had wrought for her Satisfaction and it greatly altered the Temper of her Mind O how unsearchable are all his ways and his paths past finding ou● Lo these are part of his ways but how small a portion do we know of him Flavel's Divine Conduct p. 73. 2. Mrs. Joan Drake of Emersham in her great Temptations had a custom of turning over the Bible to put her Finger suddenly upon some Verse saying Now whatsoever my Finger is upon is just my Case whatsoever it be and my Doom But the Lord did so order it that looking upon the Verse it was always found encouraging and comfortable She was much entreated to desist but she prayed that she might do it once more promising faithfully to leave off afterwards being permitted she open'd the Bible and put her Finger upon that excellent Text without looking or reading a word Isa 40.27 c. Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord c. which being read and considered of so crossed her hopes that it made her blush Clark Exam. vol. 2. p. 357. 3. In the Life of Arch-Bishop Vsher we are told of a Lady wavering in her Religion who was resolved by occasion of a Jesuit's being disabled to proceed in a Disputation with the Bishop and leaving the place

my Dagger into the very Body of God as far as I can Now Fortune failed him as before wherefore forthwith he drew his Dagger and taking it by the Point threw it against Heaven with all his strength Behold the Dagger vanish away and five drops of Blood distilled upon the Table before them and without all delay the Devil came in place and carried away the Blasphemous Wretch with such force and noise that the whole City was amazed and astonished thereat The other two half beside themselves with Fear strove to wipe away the drops of Blood out of the Table but the more they wiped it the more clearly it appeared The Rumour of this Accident flew into the City and caused the People to flock thick and threefold unto the Place where they found the other two Gamesters washing the Blood off from the Board whom by the Decree of the Senate they bound with Chains and carried towards the Prison but as they passed with them through a Gate of the City one of them was stricken suddenly dead in the midst of them with such a number of Lice and Worms creeping out of him that it was both wonderful and loathsom to behold The third they themselves without any further Inquisition or Tryal to avert the Indignation which seemed to hang over their Heads put incontinently to Death The Table they took and preserved it for a Monument to Witness unto Posterity both what an accursed Pastime Dicing is and also what great Inconveniences and Mischiefs grow thereby Jo. Fincel Andr. Musc in Diabol Blasph Mand. 4. Breach of Sab. l. 1. c. 35. Mand. 3. l. 1. c. 31. Beard 's Theat c. 43. 3. In the Year 1550. There lived in Alsatia one Adam Steckman who got his Living by dressing Vines This Man having received his Wages lost it all at Dice whereupon he grew so distempered in Mind wanting wherewithal to maintain his Family that in his Wife's Absence he cut his three Children's Throats and would have hanged himself but that his Wife coming in and seeing this pitiful Tragedy gave a great out-cry and fell down dead whereupon the Neighbours coming in apprehended the Man who by the Law was adjudged to a cruel Death Fincel l. 2. 4. The Turks tho' they often Game yet 't is always for nothing M. de Theo. 5. The Chinese delight excessively in all sorts of Game and when they have lost are not tho' they stake Wives and Children whom they willingly part with till they can Redeem them Sir Tho. Herb. 6. At D●rmstadt Anno 1403. at the Twenty Third Tournament that was held in Germany the Gentlemen of Franconia and those of Hesse drew so much Blood one of another that there remained dead upon the place Seventeen of the former and Nine of the latter Dr. Brown 's Travels p. 175. 7. Concerning the Olympick Games of Greece at which they met from all Parts of the Country and the Pastimes of Rome see Godwin's Antiqu. and Galtruchius's History of the Heathen Gods with Mar. D' Assigny's Notes 8. It is a Capital Crime among the Japonese to Play for Money Tavernier's Collect. c. p. 4. 9. Mr. Roger Ascham School-Master to Queen Elizabeth and her Secretary for the Latin Tongue being too much addicted to Dicing and Cock-fighting lived and died a poor Man Camb. Eliz. 10. Tertullian tells of a Christian Woman who going to the Theatre was possessed by a Devil who at his casting out being asked how he durst set upon a Christian Answered I found her on mine own Ground Dr. Cave 's Primitive Christian 11. The Great King S. Lewis hearing that the Count of Anjou his Brother and Monsieur Gautier of Nemours were at Play arose sick out of his Bed and went staggering to their Chambers and taking the Tables Dice and part of the Money cast them all out of the Window into the Sea and was much moved at them Sir Fran. Sale 's Introd c. 12. Mr. Bruen of Stapleford being convinced that he and his Family had immoderately used Gaming in his House and being troubled at the mispence of time upon such Vanities when the Maid was hearting the Oven one day with great Resolution he fetch'd his Cards Dice Table c. and put them in the Oven and burnt them In his Life Here it will not be amiss to take notice of the several Laws Canons and Constitutions made to restrain the immoderate use of Gaming I. Civil Constitutions of the Roman Empire I. Since it hath been Anciently allowed to Soldiers when not employed to play at Dice the Emperor complains that all do play at that time and spend their Patrimony in Playing and therein utter Blasphemies against God therefore he Decrees That it shall be Lawful for no body to Play or to be a Spectator of those that do C. de Relig. sumpt funer Martyr in Ind. c. 14. Nay these Games were forbid to be used either in Publick or Private Dan. de aleâ c. 7. They were amerced four-fold for the Money lost in them Ascon in Divin 2. Cic. And denied Relief if wronged Pandect 11. tit 5. 2. Bishops Priests and Deacons are forbid to play at Tables or to look upon them that do play if they did otherwise they were to be thrust into a Monastery for three Years Justinian in authent Collat. 9. tit 15. in God l. 1. tit 6. leg 18. 3. In our own Nation all Dicing is generally forbidden 1 Rich. 2. Dicers punished with six days Imprisonment 21 Hen. 4. With sitting in the Stocks 11 Hen. 7. Keepers of Dice-play with three Years Imprisonment Players with two 17 Edw. 4. 4. In the State of Geneva the very making of Dice is condemned Babington on the Eighth Commandment II. Ecclesiastical Canons 1. The Canons of the Apostles so called deprive every Clergy-man given to Dice or Drunkenness unless he reform Can. 42 43. Accordingly a certain Clerk in the Decretal is found deposed for being a Dicer and an Usurer De excess Prelat c. Inter Disect Decr. l. 5. t. 31. c. 11. 2. A General Council at Rome under Innocent III. forbids Clergy-men either Dice or Huckle-bones either to play with or to be present c. De vit honest Cler. c. Clerici Decret l. 3. t. 1. c. 13. 3. Another General Council at C P. under the Emperor Justinian prohibits all in general as well Lay-men as Clerks to Play ever after at Dice under pain of Excommunication Synod Constantinop 6. c. 50. 4. A Spanish Council held at Eliberis suspends every Christian Man from the Lord's Table that shall Play at Dice or at Tables for a Twelve month Conc. Elib c. 79. 5. Two French Synods one at Rochel the other at Nimaux condemn and prohibit the use of these Games in general Babington on Command 8. 13. The Lord Fitz-Girald a little before his Death which was Anno 1580 wrote a Penitential Sonnet concerning his former Gaming which is to be seen in a Pamphlet called The Nicker nicked CHAP.