confirmation Therefore if any take in hand to frame A miracle in Saint or angels name If any mortall creature vndertake His power that makes the earth and heauens quake If Sathan and his Ministers endeauour To worke strange wonders this beleeue that neuer Can any miracles bee truely done But by the power of God and Christ his Sonne To which eternall maiesty and power Ascribe we till the worlds last ending howre Till Sunne and Moone decay past date of dayes All honour glory Worship endlesse prayse Sa Rowlands And take of them those gifts himselfe did giue If all the Monarches that the earth containes All Kings and Princes with their noble traynes Were to a royall feast assembled all To make some wedding most maiesticall Yet were that presence very meane and base Vnto those guests that Gallile did grace As thus with men the Sonne of God did dine The bloud of grapes the sad-heart chearing wine Began to fayle which blessed Mary seeing Spake thus to him in whom all things haue being They haue no Wine knowing his power could graunt A ful supply in needes extremest want Sixe earthen vessels there were standing by As the Iewes custome was to purifie Those pots of stone our Sauiour Christ did will Vp to the brimme with water they should fill And to the Gouernour present the same Which instantly true perfect wine became He ignorant what power the same had made Vnto the Bridegroome thus in priuate sayd At the beginning men present the best And worst at last vnto the well-fed guest But contrary to vsuall custome thou Set'st forth the worst and kep'st the best till now This was the first of wonders Iesus wrought Euen by the power that formed all of nought Which miracle at marriage he began To show himselfe true God and perfect man As man to eate with men he did encline As God he turned water into wine A Leaper is clensed the Centurions seruant healed Peters wiues mother cured of a Feauer diuers dispossed of Deuils the windes calmed with rebuke two men possest of Deuils and beeing cast foorth they enter into Swine Math. 8. DEscending a most hie cloud-checking hill From painefull preaching of his Fathers will To saue those soules which hell for sin did clayme A Leaper met him and himselfe did frame In humble manner falling at Christs feet With such due worship as to God was meet Oh Lord he cryes of health the onely meane If so thou wilt t is thou canst make me cleane T is in thy power and in no power but thine Most blessed Iesus to my helpe incline The Sonne of God no sooner heard the crie Of this poore wretch plagued with leprosie But in his mercy of which none doe fayle That aske by faith Faith euer doth preuayle Replyed thus and did his sute fulfill Because thou saist I can I say I will Then toucht him with his holy hand most pure And absolute he wrought a perfect cure So to the Priest to offer being sent As Iesus into Capernaum went Came a Centurion and besought him thus O Lord my seruant lyeth grieuous Pain'd with a palsie Iesus did reply When I doe come I le cure his maladie The Captaine answeres Lord that paines forbeare I am vnworthy that thou shouldst come neere The place of my abode great Heauens King That hast thy seat where Cherubins doe sing Speake but the word I know thy onely breath Can heale my seruant and giue life in death For I my selfe that at thy fauour stand By power impos'd haue souldiers at commaund I bid one come he comes another goe A third doe this and they performe euen so When Iesus heard his faith our Sauiour sayes In peace doe thou depart and goe thy wayes And as thou hast firmely beleeu'd on me So I le extend my grace and doe for thee To Peters house then did our Sauiour goe His god-like power by myracle to show Whereas the mother of th'apostles wife Subiect as others in this mortall life To frayle diseases lay with griefe opprest Of Feauer fits most painefully possest Her Iesus with his healing hand did touch And presently her healthfull state was such That she arose praysing the King of Kings And ministred vnto them needfull things When glorious Phaebus with his shining light Was drawne to West at the approching night They brought to Iesus many wofull wights That were possest with Deuils and foule sprites Which with his powerfull word he did expell And sent them to their Habitation Hell With his Disciples then forsakes the shore Betakes himselfe where stormy tempests roare Where ship is tost with hazard vp and downe And raging waues doe ouerwhelming drowne Where great Leuiathan in deepes doe sayle And all the rest that swimme with finne and tayle Doe keepe their watry common-wealth together There in the great extreames of foulest weather The frayle Disciples all amazedly Expected nothing but to drowne and dye Those blessed eyes that watch of all things keepe Were then as God was man closde vp with sleepe Helpe master helpe the poore Disciples call Arise and saue vs or we perish all He that made wind and waue vnto them sayth Why are yee fearefull yee of little faith And then arose their frightfull thoughts asswaging And did rebuke his creatures for their raging Which instantly were calme and quiet sound As if the waters were secure like ground Causing beholders strangely to admire To reason with themselues and thus enquire Why who is this that beares such powerfull sway His very word makes wind and sea obey Being arriued on the other side Two men with Diuels met him and they cry'd Iesus that sonne of God art known to be What haue we hellish fiends to doe with thee Before the time dost thou intend preuent vs Wherefore art thou come hither to torment vs Thy power doth make vs tremble dread and doubt From our possession thou wilt cast vs out Which if thou doest thus much to vs encline Graunt we may enter yonder heard of Swine That are a feeding if we part these men Of those same hogs giue vs possession then Suffer vs as our fellow diuell sayd When he a spoyle of all Iobs substance made Then sayd our Sauiour to the Deuils goe And they into the Swine departed so Carrying them in a fury from the ground Into the sea and there they all were droun'd The Heards-men at this fight with terror runne Reporting in the City what was done How from those men that put them all in feare The fiends by Iesus dispossed were Then getting leaue of that great power diuine Into the Sea they carryed all their swine Which when they heard they all came forth to meete him And suing for his absence thus did greet him Iesus of Nazareth with one mind and heart We doe entreate that hence thou wilt depart One cured of the Palsie lying sicke in his bed the Rulers Daughter raysed a woman healed of a bloudie Issue two blind men receyue sight a dumbe man possessed
A SACRED MEMORIE OF THE MIRACLES wrought by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Written by Samuel Rowlands IOHN 10 If you beleeue not Mee beleeue the works that I doe LONDON Imprinted by Bernard Alsop and are to be sold at his house by Saint Annes Church neere Aldersgate 1618. TO ALL SORCERERS ENCHAVNTERS CHARmers Nigromancers Coniurers Magitians Southsayers Witches Fortune-tellers And all the rest of the Deuils Iuglers Whatsoeuer and Wheresoeuer MOnsters of men whose soules damnation claymes Appeare come forth and answere to your names Like Pharao's blacke Enchaunters all assemble And like vnto his drowned hoast all tremble What are the wonders that you vndertake But lying signes amazed fooles to make The meere illusions false and fained showes Which Sathans power vpon his sonnes bestowes A miracle most truely to define Is a rare worke wrought by sole power diuine Apparantly against th' instinct we finde Of any course in Natures cause or kinde And in it selfe a true worke it must be Most sensible and visible to see Not on Illusion to deceyue the eye Such as the Deuill still deludeth by Neither is it celerity of hand No Iuglers trickes with miracle will stand Actiuity containing what they doe And meere deceit the onely helpe thereto The miracles of God no such things need But are most reall true in power and deed Those wonders which the Lord himselfe hath done And miracles of Iesus Christ his Sonne All by the Prophets and Apostles wrought Doe vtterly confound and bring to nought The counterfeites of Sathan and his route Which they euen like Gods apes doe goe about And therefore when strange things to sence appeare To know the power and bee resolued cleere Whether it doe proceede from that great might Which onely worketh miracles aright Examine if in actions true esteeme It be a worke or onely so do seeme A worke that rarely is admirde of all Which for distinction sake I rare doe call Because of Gods great works some vsuall bee Which all of vs doe ordinary see As is the preseruation of mankind This euery one continually doth finde By Gods eternall counsell and decreeing In him we liue and moue and haue our being But since it is effected day and houre By his great prouident protecting power No Miracle this properly is found That with amazement doth mans sense confound For miracles haue in them operation To ouercome the mind with admiration As when our Sauiour Christ wrought miracle The holy blest Euangelists doe tell Th' effect thereof thus present did befall The people were with feare astonied all And said How can he that a Sinner is Performe the works of such a power as this Thereby insinuating there was none Could worke true miracles but God alone Vanish therefore like vapours of the night You that would robbe the Lord of power and might Confounded be all Hell-hounds howle and barke And fall as Dagon fell before the Arke Idolaters that vnto senselesse things Will giue the honour of the King of Kings You Coniurers with circle and triangle That boast you can the fiends of hell outwrangle And make them come obedient at your call Herein old Sathan doth deceyue you all For is he such a friend to come at becke Or can you ouer-rule him with a checke No you are much mistaken by this way He doth misguide and leade your soules astray You that depend on miracles and signes And will see wonders ere you be Diuines Know all the miracles that Iesus wrought Confirme that doctrine his Apostles taught And they which doe relie vpon the same Within the Booke of life shall find their name Sa Rowlands TO ALL TRVE FAITHFVLL CHRISTIANS Beleeuing and beloued Seruants of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ DEere Christian soule with humble mind and thought Admire the wonders that thy Sauiour wrought The most true miracles that haue beene done By Gods beloued deâ—re and onely Sonne When he for sinnefull man without intreat Descended from Gods owne right hand and seate The mansion of the blessed Cherubins To dye on earth for our accursed sins When no inducing merite thine or mine Could thus procure his mercy to incline But when free loue his life 's free ransome cost To saue the sinners that themselues had lost Then liuing lowly in contempt and scorne Despised of the world most poorely borne With painefull trauell preaching vp and downe On shore in ship in mountaine field and towne Confirming that he taught to be diuine By many a wonderfull admired signe Euen such as the beholders did confesse The very hand of God and no power lesse Effected for so wonderfull they were That all spectators stood amaz'd with feare They saw his works to be so strangely rare So Admirable and so past compare Those that borne blind did neuer see worlds light To haue perfection giuen them of sight Dead Lazarus that lay foure dayes in graue Calde forth from thence his life againe to haue The dumbe to speake the cripples sound to goe The figge-tree cursde to dye and neuer grow The winds and seas when they outragious swell At his rebuke turne calme as any well The diuels driuen out of men to Swine The water turned into purest wine The Souldiers in the false betraying howre All strucken to the ground by Iesus power The dropsie healed and the Leapers cured His presence by the Diuells not endured His walking on vnfirme and liquid water His giuing life vnto the Rulers daughter His healing Malcus eare most perfect sound When Peters sword had lopt off to the ground And many more as those fowre holy men Which did the life of our Redeemer pen Haue registred of wonders Iewes did see Which Iesus onely wrought that we might bee Faithfull and true beleeuers in his name And in our liues expresse and show the same These Myracles for Christians may suffice Not any thing of truth in actuall deed And therefore as the Scripture warnings giue Those men that will not in obedience liue Vnto the truth but doe the same despise They shall by strong deceyuings follow lyes False Christs shall come and shall such wonders show That many will beleeue them to be so Not hauing knowledge to discerne aright Gods power true working from the wicked sprite But Christian soule most constantly abide Let not the Deuill draw thy heart aside For that which Christ and his Apostles taught And all the miracles which they haue wrought For to confirme what they had preach'd before Is all sufficient and we need no more And he thou mindfull what S. Paul doth say Within thy soules best treasurie it lay If I saith he strange doctrine should defend Nay should an angell from the heau'n descend And preach another Gospell then the first Receyue it not but hold him for accurst Remember God of his free loues intent Hath left an euerlasting testament Vnto vs all in Christ our Sauiours bloud In this alone consisteth all our good All Prophesies had hereunto relation All miracles to this gaue
did fall The teares of pitty quoth the Iewes Oh see How deere he lou'd affection this must be Being come vnto the deads mans house the graue He bad remoue the stone from off the caue Quoth Martha Lord he loathsome will be found For lying all this time within the ground Did I not say sayd Christ this instant hower If thou hast faith thou shalt behold Gods power Then they remoue the stone which on him lyes While vnto heauen Iesus lifts his eyes And God the Father thankfull glorified Then with a loud voyce Lazarus he cri'd Come forth at which life-giuing breath and sound The dead arose being in graue clothes bound His hands and feet a napkin on his face Amazing all with wonder were in place To see a man restor'd to life againe That did with death foure dayes in graue remayne Committed to corruptions rotten roome There to haue rested till the day of doome This sight put all beholders in great feare And many Iewes that came with Mary there Beleeu'd on Iesus giuing God the prayse Whose onely power the dead to life did rayse When all those glorious Lampes adorne the skie Were hid with sable cloudes from mortall eye And euery creature hauing vitall sprite Mourn'd at the darkenesse of blacke vgly night Perditions child whom Sathan did insence Bribed against his Lord with thirty pence The way by night with armed troupes he tooke To meete his Master towards Cedron brooke Where comming to him giues all hayle and kisse To make him knowne vnto the Iewes by this When Peter saw the villany intended His Lord most traytrous to be apprehended He champion-like did thinke to fight it out And drew his sword and valiant lay'd about With such a manly resolution than He made a crop-eare of the High-Priests man And wounded Malcus which when Iesus saw He thus reprou'd rashnesse in him to draw Put vp thy sword into the sheath againe Who therewith woundeth shall therewith be slaine By Prayer downe from my Father I could call More then twelue Legions Spirites Angelicall But how shall then the Scriptures be fulfilde As God hath in eternall counsell wilde Then Iesus healed Malcus eare so sound That there appear'd no signe of any wound With Miracle with them preuay'ld no more Then striking all vnto the ground before VVhich onely but demaunding whom they sought All falling backwards to the earth were brought No flames of lightning to amaze withall No bolts of thunder to procure them fall But that most powerfull word that spake and made Vnto this band of armed souldiers sayde Whom looke you for at which as men strooke dead They fell at once yet hardned had no dread When the most iust vniust was doom'd to dye Expos'd by Pylate to Iewes cruelty With whips tormented and by sinners scornes Reuiled spit vpon and crownd with thornes Buffeted blinded and compel'd to beare The Crosse which Christians for their badge do weare When all his sences suffre'd for the sinne Which Adams sences had offended in Whose sight did like the fruit which was forbidden For which Christs sight was blinded and eyes hidden And for his touch that to take hold consented Christs feeling was with whips and nayles tormented His smell that to the rest did liking lincke At Golgotha was choak'd with lothsome stincke His hearing that did Eues bad counsell chuse Brought Christ to heare the raylings of the Iewes His taste which eating he did sinne withall Made Iesus taste of vineger and gall When all these great and grieuous paines were ended And Spirit to his Father recommended When that great darknesse neuer seene before From sixe to nine obscur'd the earth all ore Extinguishing the sunne dayes golden eye Because that day the sonne of God did dye Wonders were wrought that did meÌ„s harts confound The temples vayle from top vnto the ground Was rent quite thorow to beholders feare Which saw that Curtaine admirable teare The sollid hardest flint and marble stones Vnder whose massie burden ground-worke grones Diuiding cleaue and into pieces fall Which were supporters to the strongest wall And monuments that in them did containe Flesh made of clay turning to dust againe The Sepulchres of Saints that resting lay From all their labours on this nere like day Did open and deliuer liue with breath The bodies were receyued dead from death In such a true perfection found and showne As if mortality they nere had known Within the holy City they appeare To manifest Gods mighty power more cleere Vnto Beholders eyes many did see Their resurrection from the dead to be Like that which when the Angels trumpe doth call Shall cause a rising vnto life of all That euer in this world since world began Haue been the ofspring of the first made man When the Centurion with his armed guard Which were the men for bloud death prepar'd Beheld the fearefull wonders that were wrought And how gainst nature things to passe were brought Day turn'd to â—ight darkned before theyr eyes The graues to open and the dead arise The vayle diuide the 〈…〉 mbling earth to quake The cleauing stones how they in sunder brake Both Captaine and his cursed crue confesse VVith inward terror of soules guiltinesse That Iesus which by Iudas trechery VVas false betray'd vniust condemn'd to dye By wicked Pylate and by their misdeed His precious wounds were opened wide to bleed VVas Gods most true and deere and onely son And hell was due for what their sins had done FINIS