the Press and very curious and attentive in Reading and Marking them In all my Conversation I have not met with such a Walking-Library except the late Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Barlow 33. Dr. Rich Blackmore my Contemporary and Colleague at Oxon now living and one of the College in London was in his first Years the most eager and diligent Student that I ever knew sitting up at his Book 'till Twelve One Two and sometimes Three a Clock in the Morning and then lying down only upon his Chairs 'till Prayer-time 'till his Health broke and he was constrained by necessity to retire into the Country to repair himself by Physick CHAP. XLIX Remarkable Instances of Contempt of Wealth JAcob 's Vow That if God would be his God and allow him Bread and Water c. Our Saviour's Poverty St. Paul 's Contentedness and the Community of the Primitive Christions are well known and in truth the very Intention of the Doctrine of the Gospel is to draw us off from a Love of the World to the Love of God and a fond Affection of Secular Riches to a diligent Enquiry after the Kingdom of Heaven so that it is no wonder if we find sometimes the Spiritual and Heavenly Temper of Christians so great and strong and vigorous as quite to conquer and triumph over all their little Cares and Concernments about the present Life 1. Origen was a great Contemner of worldly Wealth inuring himself to Cold and Nakedness never wearing two Coats nor Shooes nor taking care for the time to come with any convetous desire sold his Books especially of Humanity for Two-pence a Day to be allowed him for his Maintenance with which he was content Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist Dr. Cave's Prim. Christ 2. Lactantius was so far from seeking after Riches that he died poor 3. St. Augustine would neither buy either House or Land but any thing that was given to the Church he would not refuse except Inheritances offered by those who had poor Children Parents or Kindred judging it unfit to alienate them in such Cases for he would often say That it were much better to bestow Legacies than Inheritances on the Church Clark Ibid. 4. Gregory the Great could never read those words Son remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things c. without horrour and astonishment least having such Dignities and Honours as he had he should be excluded from his Portion in Heaven Ibid. p. 99. 5. Luther when he reflected upon the Favours and Presents bestowed upon him by Princes and Gret Personages fearing least they might be a Bait to draw him to an inordinate Love of the World broke out into these pathetick Expressions Valde protestatus sum me nolle ita satiari That is I protested stoutly that I would not be satisfied with worldly Welfare for my Portion Ibid. p. 144. 6. St. Bernard going to entr himself into a Monastery of the Cistertians perswaded Four of his Brethren to leave the World and all their worldly Preferments and to joyn with him in this Retirement which they did and accordingly taking leave of their Father seeing their youngest Brother Nivard a playing with other Boys and Guido the elder bidding him Farewel Brother Nivard behold said he we leave to you all our Earthly Possessions He presently answered You will take Heaven and leave me Earth this is no equal Division Afterwards he himself took leave of his Father and followed them Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 104. 7. Thomas Aquinas was so great a Contemner of worldly Honours and Wealth that when Promotions were offered him his usual Answer was Chrysostomi Commentarium in Mattheum vellem I had rather have Chrysostom 's Commentary on Matthew Idem in Vit. ejus 8. Constantine the Great was so averse from all Superfluities that upon Festival Days and when he entertained Strangers he was fain to borrow Plate of his Friends to furnish his Cupboard Idem in Vitâ ejus p. 2. 9. Arch-bishop Vsher's Father having left him a good Estate in Land finding that he must have involved himself in many Suits of Law before he could attain to the quiet Enjoyment of it to the interrupting of his other Studies he gave up the Benefit of it to his Brothers and Sisters suffering his Uncle to take Letters of Administration for that end resolving to cast himself upon the good Providence of God to whose Service in the Work of the Ministry he had wholly devoted himself not doubting but he would provide for him yet that he might not be judged weak or inconsiderate in that Act he drew up a Note under his Hand of the State of all things that concerned it and Directions what to do about it 10. Sir Matthew Hale had a Soul enlarged and raised above that mean Appetite of loving Money which is generally the Root of all Evil. He did not take the Profits that he might have had by his Practice for in common Cases when those who came to ask his Counsel gave him a Piece he used to give back the half and so made Ten Shillings his Fee in ordinary Matters that did not require much time or study If he saw a Cause was unjust he for a great while would not meddle further in it but to give his Advice that it was so if the Parties after that would go on they were to seek another Counsellor for he would assist none in Act of Injustice if he found the Cause doubtful or weak in Point of Law he always advised his Clients to agree their Business 11. Mr. John Janeway upon his Death-bed had these words The World hath quite lost his Excellency in my Judgment O! how poor and contemptible a thing it is in all its Glory compared with the Glory of that invisible World which I now live in the sight of And as for Life Christ is my Life Health and Strength and I know that I shall have another kind of Life when I leave this I tell you it would more incomparably please me if you should say to me You are no Man for this World you cannot possibly hold oput long before to Morrow you will be in Eternity I tell you I do so long to be with Christ that I could be content to be cut in pieces and to be put to the most exquisite Torments so I might but die and be with Christ. Oh how sweet is Jesus Come Lord Jesus come quickly Death do thy worst Death hath lost its terribleness Death it is nothing I say Death is nothing through Grace to me I can as easily die as shut mine Eyes or turn my Head and sleep I long to be with Christ I long to die See his Life 12. Miles Coverdale Bishop of Exeter flying beyond Sea in Queen Mary's Reign his Bishoprick was reserved for him till his Return and then sundry times proffered him but he would by no means accept thereof but chose rather to live a more private Life yet not of Action for he
Fires with Red Wine and gathering the Bones together to include them in Urns which they placed in or upon some sumptuous rich Monument erected or that purpose The Custom of Burning the dead Bodies continued among the Romans but until the time of the Antonine Emperors An. Dom. 200. or thereabouts then they began to Bury again in the Earth Manutius de leg Rom. Fol. 125 126. They had at these Burials suborned counterfeit hired Mourners which were Women of the loudest Voices who betimes in the Morning did meet at appointed Places and then cried out mainly beating of their Breasts tearing their Hair their Faces and Garments joyning therewith the Prayers of the defunct from the hour of his Nativity unto the hour of his Dissolution still keeping time with the Melancholick Musick This is a Custom observed at this day in some Parts of Ireland but above all Nations the Jews are best skilled in these Lamentations being Fruitful in Tears Tears that still ready stand To sally forth and but expect Command Amongst these Women there was ever an old aged Beldam called Praefica Superintendint above all the rest of the Mourners who with a loud Voice did pronounce these words Ire licet as much as to say He must needs depart and when the dead Corps was laid in the Grave and all Ceremonies finished she delivered the last Adieu in this manner Adieu Adieu Adieu we must follow thee according as the course of Nature shall permit us To Mourn after the Interrment of our Friends is a manifest Token of true Love Our All-Perfect and Almighty Saviour Christ Jesus wept over the Grave of dead Lazarus whom he revived whereupon the standers by said among themselves Behold how he loved him The Ancient Romans before they were Christians mourned Nine Months but being Christians they used Mourning a whole Year cloathed in black for the most part for Women were cloathed partly in white and partly in black according to the diversity of Nations These Examples considered I observe that we in these days do not weep and mourn at the departure of the Dead so much nor so long as in Christian Duty we ought For Husbands can bury their Wives and Wives their Husbands with a few counterfeit Tears and a sour Visage masked and painted over with dissimulation contracting Second Marriages before they have worn out their Mourning Garments Babilas the Martyr appointed to be buried with the Bolts and Fetters which he had worn for Christ Mr. Barker 's Flores It was Lewis the Second of France who when he was sick forbad any Man to speak of Death in his Court Mr. Barker 's Flores Abraham see how he beginneth to possess the World by no Land Pasture or Arrable Lordship The first being is a Grave So every Christian must make this Resolution The first Houshold-stuff that ever Seleucus brought into Babylon was a Sepulchre-stone a Stone to lay upon him when he was dead that he kept in his Garden Beza saith of a Sickness he had at Paris Morbus iste verae Sanitatis mihi principium fuit That Disease was the beginning of my true Health And Olevian to the same purpose of a Sickness he had said I have thereby learned more of Sin and the Majesty of God than I ever knew before As also Rivet said In the space of ten days since I kept my Bed I have learned more of true Divinity than in the whole course of my Life before Mr. Barker 's Flores Socrates the Night before he was to die would learn Musick because he would die learning something Chetwind's Hist Collections We can never be quiet till we have conquered the fear of Death The sight of Cyrus's Tomb struck Alexander into a dumps But when Grace prevails Death hath lost his Terror Aristippus told the Mariners that wondred why he was not as they afraid in the Tempest that the Odds was much for they feared the Torments due to a wicked Life and he expected the Reward of a good one And it was cold Comfort that Diogenes gave a lewd Liver that being banish'd complained that he should die in a Foreign Soil Be of good chear wheresoever thou art the way to Hell is the same Feltham Resolves p. 42. Queen Ann the Wife of King Henry the Eighth when she was lead to be beheaded in the Tower espying one of the King's Privy-Chamber she called him unto her and said unto him Commend me unto the King and tell him he is constant in his course of advancing me for from a Private Gentlewoman he made me a Marchioness from a Marchioness a Queen and now that he hath left no higher Degree of Worldly Honour for me he hath made me a Martyr Baker's Chron. Hen. VIII Philip King of Macedon walking by the Sea-side got a fall and after he was risen perceiving the Impression of his Body upon the Sand Good God said he what a small parcel of Earth will contain Us who aspire to the Possession of the whole World That Great Man Hugo Grotius near his Death professed That he would gladly give all his Learning and Honour for the Integrity of a Poor Man in his Neighbourhood that spent Eight Hours of his Time in Prayer Eight in Labour and Eight in Sleep and other Necessaries and unto some that applauded his marvellous Industry he said Ah Vitam perdidi operose nihil Agendo But unto some that asked the best Counsel which a Man of his Attainment could give he said Be serious sabina a Roman Matron being condemned to die for her Religion fell in Travel and cried out And one said to her If you cry out thus now what will you do when you come to the Stake She answered Now I cry out because I feel the fruit of Sin but then I shall be in comfort as suffering and dying for my Saviour Mr. Barker 's Flores CHAP. CXLIII The Last words of Dying Men as also their Last Wills and Testaments WE are apt to make Enquiry after the Last Speeches and Sentiments of Persons when they are going out of the World because we then believe that their Exes are open and their Judgments 〈◊〉 and they dare net tell a Lye for Fear or Affection when they are going to appear before their Judge and commencing state of Eâ—ernily The Last Words so far as we can understand by Records 1. Of Ignatius I am God's Corn I shall be ground to Meal by the Teeth of Wild Beasts and he found God's white Bread Dr. Cave 's Prim. Christ Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Of Dionysius Arâ—â—pag He with Eyes and Hands lift up to Heaven said O Lord God Almighty thou only begotten Son and Holy Spirit O Sacred Trinity which art without beginning and in whom is no Division received the Soul of thy Servant in Peace who is put to Death for thy Cause and Gospel Ibid. viz. Clark 's Marrow c. 3. Epiphanius dying said to his People of Salamia God bless you my Children for Epiphanius
own Accusation since he was not ignorant they had enough already to do his Business and therefore he did not design to fret his Conscience at that time with answering Questions After which his Libel being read the Court proceeded in usual manner first asking him If he had any thing to say for himself before the Jury closed His Answer was He owned it all saving that part of having Designed the King's Death and desired all present to believe the words of a Dying Man he never directly nor indirectly intended such a Villany that he abhorred the very thoughts of it and that he blessed God he had that Reputation in the World that he knew none that had the Impudence to ask him the Question and he detested the thoughts or such an Action and he hoped all good People would believe him which was the only way he had to clear himself and he was sure that this Truth should be one day made manifest to all Men. He was again asked If he had any Exception against the Jury He answered No but wished them to do as God and their Consciences directed them Then they withdrew and returned their Verdict in half an hour and brought him in Guilty The Sentence followed For him to be taken from that Place to the next Room and from thence to be Drawn on a Hurdle betwixt Two and Four of the Clock to the Cross of Edinburgh the Place of Execution and there to be Hang'd Drawn and Quartered He received his Sentence with an undaunted Courage and Chearfulness Afterwards he was delivered into the Town-Magistrates Hands they brought to him two of their Divines and offered him their Assistance upon the Scaffold which he altogether refused telling them That if they had any good Wishes for him he desired they would spend them in their own Closets and leave him now to seek God in his own Way He had several Offers of the same kind by others which he put off in like manner He was most serious and servent in Prayers the few hours he lived as the Sentinels observed who were present all the while The Hour being come he was brought to the Place of Execution where he saluted the People on all sides of the Scaffold and after having refreshed himself with a Cordial out of his Pocket he was supported by two Men while he spoke to the People in these words GEntlemen and Brethren It is for all Men that come into the World once to Die and after Death to Judgment and since Death is a Debt that all of us must pay it is but a matter of small moment what way it be done and seeing the Lord is pleased in this manner to take me to himself I confess something hard to Flesh and Blood yet blessed be his Name who hath made me not only Willing but Thankful for his honouring me to lay down the Life he gave for his Name in which were every Hair in this Head and Beard of mine a Life I should joyfully Sacrifice them for it as I do this And Providence having brought me hither I think it most necessary to clear my self of some Aspersions laid on my Name and first That I should have had so horrid an Intention of Destroying the King and his Brother Here he repeated what he had said before to the Justices on this Subject It was also laid to my Charge That I was Antimonarchical It was ever my Thoughts That Kingly Government was the best of all justly executed I mean such as by our Ancient Laws that is a King and a Legal Free Chosen Parliament The King having as I conceive Power enough to make him Great the People also as much Property as to make them Happy they being as it were contracted to one another And who will deny me that this was not the Just constituted Government of our Nation How absurd is it then for Men of Sense to maintain That though the one Party of this Contract breaketh all Conditions the other should be obliged to perform their Part No this Error is contrary to the Law of God the Law of Nations and the Law of Reason But as Pride hath been the Bait the Devil hath catch most by ever since the Creation so it continues to this day with us Pride caused our first Parents to fall from the blessed Estate wherein they were created they aiming to be Higher and Wiser than God allowed which brought an Everlasting Curse on them and their Posterity It was Pride caused God to Drown the Old World And it was Nimrod's Pride in building Babel that caused that heavy Curse of Division of Tongues to be spread amongst us at it is at this day One of the greatest Afflictions the Church of God groaneth under That there should be so many Divisions during their Pilgrimage here but this is their Comfort that the Day draweth near whereas there is but One Shepherd there shall be but One Sheep-fold It was therefore in the Defence of this Party in their Just Rights and Liberties against Popery and Slavery At which words they beat the Drums To which he said They need not trouble themselves for he should say no more of his Mind on that Subject since they were so disingenuous as to interrupt a Dying Man only to assure the People he adhered to the True Protestant Religion detesting the Erroneous Opinions of many that called themselves so and I die this day in the Defence of the Ancient Laws and Liberties of these Nations And though God for Reasons best known to himself hath not seen it fit to honour Us as to make us the Instruments for the Deliverance of his People yet as I have lived so I die in the Faith that he will speedily arise for the Deliverance of his Church and People And I desire all of you to prepare for this with speed I may say This is a deluded Generation veiled with Ignorance that though Popery and Slavery be riding in upon them do not perceive it though I am sure there was no Man born marked of God above another for none comes into the World with a Saddle on his Back neither any Booted and Spurr'd to Ride him not but that I am well satisfied that God hath wisely ordered different Stations for Men in the World as I have already said Kings having as much Power as to make them Great and the People as much Property as to make them Happy And to conclude I shall only add my Wishes for the Salvation of all Men who were created for that end After ending these words he prayed most fervently near three quarters of an hour freely forgiving all Men even his greatest Enemies begging most earnestly for the Deliverance of Sion from all her Persecutors particularly praying for London Edinburgh and Dublin from which the Streams run that Rule God's People in these three Nations Being asked some hours before his Execution If he thought not his Sentence Dreadful He answered He wished he had a
himself under this Representation as 1 Kings 19.11 12. to Elijah in a still small Voice Qu. only the whistling Noise of a calm Air But Acts 2 2. to the apprehension in the sound of a rushing mighty Wind. I have one thing more to remark upon this Meteor as tending very much to set forth the Glory of God and that is its divers Uses and Effects 'T is a wonder that such a thin tenuious invisible Body as that is should serve for such divers and excellent Purposes Consider them and wonder It carries all the Fowls of the Air which would be no more able to fly without it than the Fishes of the Sea to swim without Water it bears up the heavy Clouds and fans purges and transports them from place to place so that we say truly as Psal 18.10 That the Divine Glory doth ride upon the Cherubs and flies upon the Wings of the Wind It is a faithful Messenger in the Hand of the Almighty to bring Tokens of Kindness or Judgments to a People One while Flies and Caterpillars innumerable Frogs and Lice Plagues and Pestilential Infections another while Quails and Manna Flesh and feather'd Fowl Rain Plenty and Prosperity In short it fans our Lungs and walks to and fro through our Nostrils every moment and we are not able no breath without it And yet this so useful so necessary so common a Creature we cannot see we cannot comprehend In God we live move and have our Being he is within us and without us and we know him not And no Absurdity in all this 4 I might add to these Storms and Tempests not as specifically different from them but yet such as may require a Consideration by themselves I mean those more violent Irruptions of Wind and Vapours or other watry Exhalations commixed as either by their suddeness or violence or surprizing and contrary Motion seem prodigious or prove hurtful to us These are sometimes so dreadful that they overturn Trees Houses Cities over-run whole Countries with a Deluge of Waters drowning or swallowing up the Inhabitants rending sometimes Rocks asunder and carrying them into the midst of the Sea sometimes dividing parcels of Land from the Continent and carrying them into the Ocean for Islands of which Histories are full of Examples All that I shall remark upon this Particular is that as the Storms are of God's sending so they are subject to his Government Nah. 1.3 4. The Lord hath his way in the Whirlwind c. vide Psal 107.25 26 27 29. And Psal 148.8 The stormy Wind fulfilling his Word You know the Story Mat. 8.23 24 25 26. 27. But that which I drive at in these Quotations is this That he who rules the raging of the Sea and stiâ—leth the violent Storms of the Wind and Waters is able also to appease the Madness of a People to bush the Noise and Tumult of the World into a deep Silence to turn our Spears into Pruning-hooks and our Swords into Plough-shares to give us instead of a Storm a Calm in our own Breasts in our Houses and Families in our Churches and Nations Had not we best then in such Cases arise from ouâ— sleep every one and call upon his God as Jonah 1.4 5 6. And if our Lord seem to sleep too let us go and awaken him in good earnest and say Lord save us or we perish And then he that keepeth Israel and never slumbers nor sleeps will arise and scatter our Enemies and shew himself mighty in our Salvation upon the Ungodly he will rain down Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest This shall be the Portion of their Cup. Psal 11.6 For the righteous Lord loveth Righteousness his Countenance doth behold the upright 5. Hail Rain Snow and Frosts c. I will not stay now to shew the particular Usefulness of all these in their Kind Order and Seasons not if I cared to spend time upon it have I Skill to do it perfectly Something might be said which perhaps every one is not well sensible of concerning the Wisdom as well as the Power and Goodness of God in using such a diverse Method in Manuring of the Earth and Nursing of Sublunary Bodies I shall conclude this with only that emphatical Exhortation of the Psalmist 147.12 ad finem Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Zion For he hath strengthned the Bars of thy Gates He hath blessed thy Children within thee He maketh Peace in thy Borders And filleth thee with the finest of the Wheat He sendeth forth his Commandment upon Earth His Word runneth very swiftly He giveth Snow like Wool he scattereth the Hoar-frost like Ashes He casteth forth his Ice like Morsels Who can stand before his Cold He sendeth out his Word and melteth them He causeth his Wind to blow and the Waters to flow He sheweth his Word unto Jacob His Statutes and Judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation And as for his Judgments they have not known them Praise ye the Lord. 6. To pass over Eclipses Conjunctions and Rain-bows c. I shall instance only in Extraordinary Signs and Apparitions as that of Angels appearing to Arbaham to Lot to Jacob to Manaoh to David to divers others the extraordinary Chasms of Light in the Heavens at our Saviour's Baptism his Transfiguration his Ascension the Cloud and Pillar of Fire to the Israelites the Darkness at our Saviour's Passion the Holy Ghost in the Likeness of a Dove the Apparition exhibited to Saul to St. Stephen the Revelations of St. John the Prodigies before the Destruction of Jerusalem Armies conflicting in the Air with a Thousand more such Wonders which I list not to relate particularly I confess they are often mixed with false incredible Relations yet not therefore all to be rejected Our Saviour hath given us warning to expect some such Mat. 24. and Acts. 2.19 20. and every Age almost is Witness of some Miracle or other of this Nature thô not so many as many would believe Even Heathen and Mahometan History as well as Christian give Suffrage to this From the whole we have this Lesson intimated to us viz. If the outward insensate Heavens that are neither endued with Sense nor Reason but are of a bruitish Nature declare to the World the Glory of God what would be expected from us Men to whom all these Creatures are given but as Servants If these mute sensless Things preach so expresly the Glory of him that made them what should not Man do who tho' he lives in place below them yet is endowed with an Excellency far above them God himself sometimes appeals to them for Testimony against us to upbraid our Disobedience Hear O Heavens and give Ear c. All the Host of the Inferiour Heavens keep their place and observe the Laws of their Creation the very Clouds and Winds obey him only Man is an unruly undutiful disingenuous obstinate Thing that will neither keep his Orb nor serve the Ends of
his Creation nor attend his Master's Will nor pursue diligently his own Happiness Tho' our Feet are upon the Earth our Heads reach above the Clouds and we are near a-kin to the other World and have very great Concernments beyond the Stars and yet that we should let our Affections sink into the Earth and our Souls incline so strongly towards Hell For shame Sirs let us set forth the Glory of God a little better in our Generations than commonly we do Let us vie here upon the Earth by the Excellency of our Conversations with those twinkling Lamps that shine over our Heads let it never be said to our Disgrace that these sensless Creatures glorifie God better in their place than we Let our Faces our Graces outshine the Sun Let Men look on the Humility Honesty Sobriety Charity Piety and Patience of our Lives and give Glory to Him that hath given such Graces unto Men. And let these Graces never be darkned with any unworthy uncristian Practices let us appear glorious to the World and no Hypocrisie or Apostacy ever pull down our Professions or lay our Glory in the Dust It 's possible we may meet with strong with close Temptations O let not our shining Stars fall from Heaven nor Let our Moon be turned into Blood and then we shall be shortly removed from Grace to Glory and shortly shine like Stars in the highest Heavens yea as the Sun in the Firmament for ever 1 Cor. 15.41 As we shine in Grace now so in Glory hereafter 6. Of the Continuation of the Heavenly Bodies DAY unto Day uttereth Speech and Night unto Night sheweth Knowledge q. d. one Day informeth another and one Night gives in fresh evidence to another to prove the truth of it Not a Day nor a Night passeth over our Heads but the Heavens preach this Sermon to us We have a continual Rehearsal of this Doctrine from Age to Age from One Year to another from the beginning of the World to this present time This Preacher is never silent this Exercise never over All that I can think necessary to be said upon this particular may be referred to two Heads I. The Wonderfulness of this Continuation II. The Practical Lessons we should learn from it I. Wherein the Wonder of it lies 1. In the multitude of the Bodies concerned We observe of Mechanical Instruments made by the Hands of Men that an Engine consisting of very many Wheels or very many Motions or other Parts are the most difficult to be kept in order An Orchard with many Trees or Gardens with may Herbs and Flowers require more Culture and Dressing or some will decay A Society of many Members is apt to disorder 'T is a harder Task to manage a Nation than a Family The Hosts of Heaven are Thousands and the Appurtenances relating to them more and yet all keep still their appointed Courses We have lost none of the Stars out of their Orbs since their first coming there Some People tell us of some new ones as that in Cassiopea which was first discovered in the Heavens about the beginning of the Reformation what Salvo to give for that I know not it may be it was there before but not discovered But however 't was a Case extraordinary and no prejudice to the Order of the rest we have lost none of our Seasons Day and Night Summer and Winter have kept their times the Sun its Revolutions the Moon its due Changes the Stars their proper Periods and exact Motions the standing still of the Sun in Joshua's time and the going back of it on Ahaz Dial are miraculous Instances and not to be parallel'd other Ages 2. The Greatness of them Small Bodies are easily managed and apt to motion but great ones move slowly according to the course of sublunary Nature But they in the Aetherial Orbs are of so vast a bigness that that Consideration doth mightily accumulate and greaten the Wonder That the Sun Moon and Stars all of them so big should move continually without disorder or period is an Accent upon the Miracle 3. The various Qualities they are of and the different Motions they make do yet raise the Wonder to a higher strain to keep all one Motion especially if all of one Nature were not so very much But to move from East to West from West to East from North to South from south to North again as some of them do and this continually is an augmentation of the Wonder 4. Without Period Flowers wither Trees rot Stones decay Man dies the very Face of Things below will shortly cease to be and another succeed The Day dies and so doth the Year and Stones and Castles here decay every thing here is weary of Motion The Apostle tells us The whole Creation groans But here is groans and dies only what is a-kin more nearly to Heaven and borders upon that Court is of a more lasting Constitution or a more constant Motion of a more perpetual Duration Since the Fathers fell asleep all things of that kind relating to the upper Regions continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation 2 Pet. 3.4 7. For the Heavens are by the same Word of God by which they were created kept in store reserved unto Fire against the Day of Judgment 5. Without Interruption No faulter in their Courses no breach of Continuity in this long space of time Nothing hath been able to stop these great Bodies in the progress of their Motion or intermit the Exercise of their Vertues and Operation 6. Without Error or Mistake or Deviation Tho' great and many and various in their Qualities and incredibly swift in their Motions yet have they committed no remarkable Fault in all this Tract of Years and Revolutions They have all kept close to the Path chalk'd out for them by their Creator and have never leapt out of their Orbs. Nothing hath been able to tempt them from the faithful Execution of their Offices and Employments Who hath ever beckâ—n'd the Sun out of the Firmament or pusht the Moon out of its place Or made the Stars wander into strange Courses Or amidst all their divers Motions mingled them into Confusion or Disorder When was ever Day and Night jumbled together or the Seasons of the Year reversed or the Order of the Coelestial Bodies turn'd backward Illic justo foedere rerum verterem servant sidera pacem II. Practical Inferences Learn we then 1. To hold on from Day to Day from Night to Night in the excellent Offices of a Christian Life let Day to Day utter Speech and Night to Night shew Knowledge of our continual Goodness Mankind is born with his Eyes higher set than all the rest of the Creation besides his Looks are by Nature more sublime and lofty Let us look up earnestly towards those lucid Spangles those sparkling Globes over our Heads and use our Eyes to some good purpose Let us make thence some Practial Deductions for our Imitation at least Emulation and scorn
because the Breast-Plate was fastened to the Ephod v. 28. and the Ephod to the Breast-Plate so that if he had one he had both Exod. 39.21 This Oraculous consultation with the Breast-Plate i. e. by use of the Breast-Plate lasted no longer as is generally thought then to the Captivity of Babylon See Ezra 2.63 And after that time We find not that the Jews had any use of that kind of Revelation Thus far Mr. Simpson in his Christian Dictionary Who refers us also to Moses and Aaron l. 4. c. 8. and Alsted Parat Theol. p. 454 c. Mr. Wilson Interprets Vrim and Thummim by the Light of the Knowledge of Christ by the Word and perfection of Vertue and Holy Manners But who made the Vrim and Thummim and what it was c. He thinks impossible to find out Certainly saith he it is not reckoned among the things made by Art but given by God himself to Moses to be put in the Pectoral as Lev. 8.8 And Written of Christ Col. 2.3 Dan. 8.13 Wilson in his Christ Dict. on the Word Urim c. Dr. Lightfoâ—t speaking concerning the Vrim and Thummim hath these words how did Phineas enquire By Vrim and Thummim So was Gods diection to them Num. 28.21 As Joshua the chief Commander in his time did enquire by Eleazer the Father so did the chief Commander now by Phineas the Son And both by the Judgment of Vrim and Thummim But how was that There are so many Opinions about what Vrim and Thummim was and so great Obscurity made How the Oracle was given by it that it may seem to require another Oracle to tell how that Oracle was given I shall not tire you with Diversities of Opinions I shall briefly lay down some Particulars concerning this thing upon which I my self am abundantly satisfied about it and upon which I suppose any that is not over-curious may receive Satisfaction None but know the Dress of the High Priest Exod. 28. and particularly the Breast-Plate the twelve Tribes ingraven upon them And then it is said at Ver. 20. Thou shalt put in the Breast-plate of Judgment the Vrime and Thummim By the Breast-plate there is meant as in Verse the 15th and 16th That piece of imbroidered Work four square in which the twelve precious Stones were to be set And by the Vrim and Thummim is meant the twelve precious Stone themselves which are call'd Vrim or Lights or Brightness because of their shining Lustre and Thummim or Perfections because with most exact and perfect compacture they were all set and fixt in a Plate and Border of Gold in that embroider'd Piece or that piece of Cloth of Gold The Inquiry by Vrim and Thummim was not upon any private Occasion nor by a private Man but by the Prince or Commander in chief and that in some Matter which concern'd the whole Nation This might be largely clear'd but needeth not only this I cannot but observe That till Solomon's time there is Mention and Example of this enquiring by Vrim by Joshua in this place by Saul by David but after Solomon's time no such mention Not because the Oracle then fail'd but because till David had done the Work the whole Land in the full extent God had promised namely to Euphrates was not conquer'd And therefore in those times this Oracle was stirring for the direction of the Prince or chief Commander in that Expedition or Employment There was no enquiring of any Priest by Vrim who was not inspired by the Spirit of Prophecy And hence it is that the Jews well observ'd after the first Generation after the Return out of Captivity the Oracle by Vrim and Thummim was not under the second Temple at all Because thence forward there was not any High Priest that had the Spirit of Prophecy or Divine Inspiration The Case of Caiphas was singular and it was but once Jo. 11.15 being High Priest that Year he prophesied The Emphasis and main Reason lies in that year That year when Vision and Prophecy should be seal'd that year when the Spirit should be pour'd down in so abundant measure as it was Acts 2. He being High Priest that year had one drop of that Shower of Divine Inspiration that fell that year and he prophesied But before him had there been no High Priest that was indued with the Spirit of Prophecy from the time of Nehemiah chap. 7.65 and accordingly not the Oracle of Vrim and Thummim That Oracle was not given therefore by any audible Voice from off the Ark or by rising of the Letters of the Names of the Tribes in the precious Stones that should spell out the Answer for two or three Letters of the Alphabet were wanting in those Names Nor was it by change of Colour in the Letters or Stones as is conceiv'd by some but the manner of enquiring and receiving Answer was thus The High Priest with all his Habiliments on particularly the Breast-plate with the twelve precious Stones in it upon his Breast the names of the twelve Tribes ingraven in the Stones stood before the Ark only the Veil between and so he presented the Names and represented the Persons of the twelve Tribes before God He proposed the thing that was enquired as Phineas here in the name of the People shall I go up against my Brethren and the Lord presently inspired him with immediate Revelation discevering to him what was his Mind in that case and so he told it the People as here Go up against Benjamin now again and you shall prevail Dr. Lightfoot in his Serm. on Judg. c. 20. v. 27 28. CHAP. XV. Premonitions of general Changes or Revolutions THE Governour of the VVorld though he doth whatever he pleaseth both in Heaven and Earth and with great Wisdom too and in such a manner that His Judgments are unsearchable and his ways past finding out yet oftentimes for the Conviction of Sinners and the benefit of his Children when he is upon any great Design of turning back the Course of his common Providence and changing the present Scene of Affairs he doth by some unusual Token or other give notice to the World that People may not complain of a Surprisal Thus he did when he had a design to drown the World and thus he did when he intended to burn Sodom and thus when he was in motion to bring the Posterity of Abraham into Egypt first and then to Canaan and thus before the Captivity before the Incarnation of our Saviour before the Destruction of Jerusalem But this he doth commonly by way of an especial and favourable Communication to those that are nearest to his Bosom and most in his Affections Shall I hide from Abraham that which I intend to do But sometimes likewise to the Generality of People and the whole Society concerned in the Change 1. John Husse Suffering Martyrdom at the Council of Constance A. C. 1415. told them at his Death That out of the Ashes of the Goose for so Husse in the
Translating a Book called Enchiridion Militis Christiani and when he had finished it he presented it to the Lady that he might with more Advantage to the Cause convince her that it was not his only Sentiment but the Doctrine of others also and accordingly he succeeded in his purpose and afterwards when he had Composed a Book of his own about the Sacrament and against the Mass he kept it by him for some time because he could not bear it but waited for a fitter Season for the Publication of it Clark's Eccl. Hist p. 166. 2. Mr. Henry Alting was so Prudent that his Answers were accounted Oracles yet he would never refuse to hear the Judgment of others and in cases of Difficulty he would never rest till he had searched out and made the Truth plain And in the Government of his Family he kept all so in Peace Order and Concord that this only was known That none knew what was done therein Ibid. p. 496. Arch-Bishop Vsher's Prudence appears excellent by this Story which followeth 3. A Lord's Eldest Son who from his Cradle had been trained up in Popery but was of excellent Parts and Learning was at last prevailed with by his Father to Sojourn for a while with the Learned Prelate in Drogheda The Prudent Prelate studied nothing more than how he might take him by Craft as the Apostle did the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12.16 And therefore did not presently fall into Discourse with him about his Religion but recreated himself for a time in Discoursing with him about some Philosophical Questions and School-Points in which Studies he perceived the Gentleman was well versed and took much delight in them This he continued till at last he gained so far upon his Affections that of his own accord he moved some Discourse about Matters of Religion and then finding him Studious he did not presently go about to instruct him in that Truth but sought to puzzle him with Doubts about Religion By this means the Gentleman's Conscience began to be awakened nor were his Scruples removed though he had recourse to a Monastery hard by where it was Debated so that at last he came with Tears to the Learned Primate for Satisfaction and he promised to deal Faithfully with him But saith he those whom you trust do not so for they will not suffer you to see with your own Eyes nor to understand the Scriptures but according to their Churches Commentaries Then did he advise him to go amongst them and to ask them Whether he that understood the Originals might Examine their Interpretations And to bring him word what they said Accordingly he did so and brought him word That they were divided in their Judgments Mr. Clark in the Life of Dr. Vsher p. 294. 4. Bishop Babington had a little Book containing only Three Leaves which he turned over Night and Morning the first Leaf was Black to mind him of Hell and God's Judgments due to him for Sin the second Red to mind him of Christ and his Passion the third White to set forth God's Mercy to him through the Merits of his Son in his Justification and Sanctification Clarks Exampl vol. 1. p. 540. 5. Rodulph the Emperor of Germany being at Noriberg there came a Merchant to him and complained That having left a Bag with 200 Marks in it with a Citizen with whom he had Lodged the Man now denied the same The Emperor ask'd him for his Proofs he takes his Oath of it but could produce no other Witness The Emperor bids him stay in another Room and asks what manner of Bag it was and the Man unexpectedly coming to Salute the Emperor the Emperor begins to him with the Admiration of his Hat and pray'd him to give it Him The Citizen gave it and took it for an Honour that so great a Personage would accept of it Upon this the Emperor with-draws sends a Servant to this Man's Wife desiring from her Husband to send him such a Money-Bag and withal the Hat for a Token The Woman sent it the Emperor shews it the Merchant who knew it and rejoyced at the sight Then the Emperor calling the Citizen tells him the other Man's Complaint of a Sum of Money delivered into his Custody The Citizen denies and Forswears it The Emperor produceth the Bag upon which the Citizen was confounded obliged to pay the Merchant the full Sum and sufficiently Fined besides Lips Exempl Pol. p 135. Item Lips Monit l. 2. c. 9. p. 259 c. CHAP. XXXI Remarkable Justice JVstice is so necessary a Vertue in the World that no Commerce or comfortable Conversation could be maintained without it 't is a Dictate of the Law of Nature and writ is as fair and legible Characters as any other whatsoever Yet 't is imprinted in a more Capital Letter by the Laws of Christianity so that now he that runs may read it And blessed be God tho' we have many that love the ways of Unrighteousness and consequently are tempted to pervert Justice yet many worthy Examples may be found of such who had rather chuse according to the old Symboâ— to do Justice than Save the World Fiat Justitia pareat Mundus 1. When Theodosius was at Rome after he had overcome Maximus he reformed two most abominable Wickednesses the first was this There was in Rome a huge House of Ancient Building where all the Bread that served the City was baked and most of the Rooms were under Ground round about it were Taverns and Victualling-Houses full of Harlots so that many that resorted thither either to satisfie their Hunger or Lust were by these Whores spoiled of all they had and usually so made away that their Friends could hear of them no more For by private Conveyances they were thrown into these Back-Houses and there kept to Grinding and Drudgery all their Life after It chanced that one of the Emperor's Soldiers was thus thrown into this Hole who when they would not suffer him to depart drew his Dagger and slew some that hindered his Escape so that the rest being afraid let the Soldier go and the Emperor being informed by him sent for the Millers and Bakers punished the Masters with extream Torments overthrew those blind Houses and so rid the Princely City of that shameful doing The other Abuse which he reform'd was this If a Woman were taken in Adultery they shut her up in a narrow Stew and compelled her beastly and without all shame to play the Harlot ringing a Bell whilst the thing was doing that all the Neighbours might be acquainted with it which was so far from removing the Sin that it rather increased it The good Emperor being informed hereof caused the Stews to be pulled down and wholly Suppressed and made other Laws for the punishment of Adultery Clark in the Life of Theodos 2. Charles the bold Duke of Burgundy and Earl of Flanders had a Noble Man in special Favour with him to whom he had committed the Government of a Town in
you put your Endeavours that Christ his Religion may be brought again unto a chast and simple Purity For what should be desired of all Godly Hearts than that all things by little and little should be clean taken away and cut off which have very little or nothing in them that can be referred wholly to Edification but rather be judged of the Godly to be superfluous 8. Bishop Latimer speaking to the Clergy saith How think ye by the Ceremonies that are in England oftentimes with no little Offence of weak Consciences continued more often with Superstition so defiled and so depraved that you may doubt whether it were better for them to tarry still or utterly to take them away Have not our Fore-Fathers complained of the Ceremonies of the Superstitions and Estimation of them In Concione ad Clerum 9. Bishop Vsher then Mr. Vsher when a Commission was granted by K. James to Sir Arthur Chichester then Lord-Deputy of Ireland to Assemble the Irish Bishops and others together to consult about the Reduction of Ireland to the same Ecclesiastical Government of England but willing them to consult with Mr. Vsher about it and do nothing without his Approbation Bishop Vsher I say finding by accident his own Name in the Commission by glancing upon a letter which he saw laid down in the Window by a Bishop whom he went to visit communicated the same to Dean Hill his Good Friend and a Devout Man desiring his Prayers to God for him in that Obscure Case and hearing what the business was when the Assembly was summoned made his Appearance and being demanded his Consent to what they had agreed upon he replied That the Matter concerned more than himself for said he if I had all Mens Consciences in my keeping I could in these Disputable Cases give Laws unto them as well as unto my self but it 's one thing what I can do and another thing what all other Men must do c. Adding The Kings and Queens of England imposed those Ceremonies that thereby they might decline the charge of Schismaticks wherewith the Church of Rome laboured to brand them seeing it did appear hereby that they left them only in such Doctrinal Points wherein they left the Truth Again Hereby they would testify howfar they would willingly stopp to win and gain them by yielding to meet them as far as they might in their own way But saith he the Experience of many years hath shewed that this Condescension hath rather hardned them in their Errours than brought them to a liking of our Religion this being their usual Saying if our Flesh be not Good why do you drink of our Broth c. See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 286. 10. Dr. Wilkins afterwards Bishop of Chester a Man of as great a Mind as true a Judgment as eminent Vertues and of as good a Soul as any I ever knew together with the Lord-Keeper Bridgeman setting up for a Comprehension of the Dissenters and a limitted Indulgence towards others got Sir Matthew Hale Lord-Chief-Baron on their side who after several Meetings and Conferences with two of the most eminent Presbyterian Divines and Heads were agreed upon the Lord-Chief-Baron put them in form of a Bill to be presented to the next Session of Parliament CHAP. XLV Retractations of Censorious Protestants LEwis du Moulin Doctor of Physick being in his last Sickness visited by Dr. Burnet and admonished of the foul Language used in his Books against Dr. Stillingfleet Dean of Pauls Dr. Durel Dean of Windsor Dr. Patrick Dean of Peterborough c. desired Dr. Burnet to ask them pardon in his name and when he spake of the Dean of St. Pauls he expressed much Sorrow and shed some Tears and upon their motion sign'd this Recantation following As for my Books in which I mixed many personal Reflections I am now sensible I vented too much of my own Passion and Bitterness and therefore I disclaim all that is Personal in them and am heartily sorry for every thing I have written to the defaming of any Person I humbly beg God and all those whom I have so wronged pardon for Jesus Christ his sake and am resolved if God shall spare my Life never to meddle more with such Personal things and do earnestly exhort all People as a dying Man that they will study more Love and mutual Forbearance in their Differences and will avoid all bitter and uncharitable Reflections on one anothers Persons And as I earnestly pray those worthy Men of the Church of England to have Charity and Tenderness for the Dissenters from them so I beg of the Dissenters that they would have a due Regard and Respect to those of the Church of England Of many of whom I say now Let my Soul be with theirs and that all true Protestants among us may heartily unite and concur in the Defence and Preservation of the holy Reformed Religion now by the Mercy of God settled among us And that Men of all sides may according to St. Paul's Rule Cease to bite and devour one another lest we be destroyed one of another and that whereunto we have already attained we may walk by the same Rule hoping that if any Man is otherwise minded in some lesser things God shall either reveal that to them or mercifully forgive it through Jesus Christ into whose hands I commend my Spirit and desire to appear before God in and through him Who gave himself for me and the refore do now study to learn of him to be meek and lowly in Heart and to love all the Brethren as he loved me This is Sincerity of Heart I Sign Lewis du Moulin Octob. 5. 1680. See his last Words p. 12. Mr. John Child having written a Book called The Second Argument for a more firm Vnion amongst Protestants where he fell foul upon the Nonconformists was thereupon smitten with Remorse and to one Mr. H. C. coming to visit him taking up the Book in his Hand began to read where he saith The greatest number of Disseners do hold Principles dangerously heretical and most abominably abusing the most Holy God c. But before he could end that Paragraph being under extream Agony of Mind and weeping bitterly put the Book from him and spake to this effect viz. I have represented those Calvin's Principles beyond whatever they conceived strained their Opinions beyond their Intentions and drawing such Consequences as never were in their Minds And striking his Breast with uch Anguish said These words lie close I shall never get over this I write in Prejudice against them calling them a villanous Body of People which was unjust Professing that be could not repent and with a very grim Countenance said I shall go to Hell I am broken in Judgment when I think to pray either I have a Flushing in my Face as if I were in a flame or I am dumb and cannot speak or else I fall asleep upon my Knees all the Signs of one whom God hath left
conscientiously to discharge my Duty to all Relations let the Event be what it will O that I were so spiritual as to make a good use of all the Disappointments I have ever yet met with I bless God I have not promised my self Happiness in any thing in the World but have been some way or other disappointed in it God is very kind to me in it He sees how my Affections are still running out after the Creature and how apt I am to be fond of that which draws my Heart from God Now I will return to God let God do what he pleases with me I bless God for Relations and Friends but I desire to enjoy them more as God is pleased to make them a Blessing to me than for any outward Comfort I have in them O that I could love Christ more and Creatures less I see they are uncertain Comforts but in Christ is never failing Delight and Satisfaction to be had Upon a Dream she dreamt on the Nineteenth of November in the Year 1680. HER Dream in her own Words was this viz. Methoughts I was above Stairs and either something or a Voice said to me That I must in a very short time come and appear before my Judge there to give an Account of all I have done and then I should be tried whether I was sincere or no in what I did Methoughts I presently died but Soul and Body remained together 'till I were Summoned to Judgment I was extreamly concerned at this Voice and began to bethink myself what Account I could give at Judgment I could not tell whether I was really sincere or no. I began to Examine myself and thought what should I do The Day of Grace was over 't was too late to repent and the like c. and I could not tell what would become of me for ever I dreamt I went down Stairs and there the People told me I look'd like Death Aye says I so I well may when I am dead I could not tell what to do for a room to pray in to see if there were any hopes of acceptance I was so amazed and affrighted that I was almost besides myself for fear I was not siucere I then thought what Ends have I proposed to myself in the performance of Duties and could not find that I had designed any thing of Self in what I had done I was I hoped sincere though under great Fears and Amazements because of my appearing before the Heart-searching God I awaked in a great fright REFLECTION VI. Her Reflection in her own Words upon this Dream was this viz. OH my Soul What shall I now do This that was but a Dream will shortly be true I must e're long be Summoned to Judgment in a more Solemn Manner than I can now think of and there I must give up my Account before the Great GOD. If I am an Hypocrite I shall then be undone for ever Sure there is something more than ordinary in this Dream God is wonderful good and kind to me I have been very careless and negligent in the performance of all Duties God is pleased to give me one Warning more to see if I will do what I can towards an Assurance of Salvation If after all these Warnings I shall be found Christless my Damnation will be greatly aggravated my Summons to Judgment will be more dreadful than I can now think it will be When I must appear before my Judge fitting on his Throne I shall there be accountable for all my Thoughts Words and Actions before that God who knows them better than I do my self When the Sentence shall be pronounced and the Judge will stay to see it executed there will be no Repealing of that Sentence no avoiding its Execution but I must for ever then enter either into endless Joys or Torments What shall I now resolve upon I do and cannot but believe that this Day is near Die I must I am not sure of one Moments time more Am I mad then to live as I now do To be contented when I know not what will become of me for ever I now resolve through the Assistance of the Blessed Spirit to be more in the Work of Self-examination that I may not be surprized by Death or Judgment Blessed be God for bearing with me so long for giving me one Warning more before the Great Day of Judgment What wonderful Patience have I abused What need have I to be speedy and sincere in my Repentance and now do what I wish'd in my Sleep I had time to have done REFLECTION VII Upon Scalding her Foot Sept. 7. 1681. Her Reflection upon it was this which follows in her own Words viz. OH how great was that Smarting Pain I then presently considered if that pain was so dreadful what would be the Torments of the Damned If it is now so sad to have a little hot Liquor poured on ones foot what will it be to have Soul and Body tormented to lie burning in Fire and Brimstone for ever This pain though great yet is quickly over I have cooling things for it but in Hell a Drop of Cold Water cannot be obtained to cool the Tongue of the Damned tho' if that could be yet it would do but little good What doth God point out to me by all these Providences but that I should do the utmost I can to scape Hell Torments I have now time and opportunity to work out my Salvation How inexcusable shall I be if after all I should neglect so great Salvation What cause have I to admire Christ who not only died to deliver his from Hell-Torments but hath purchased such Joy and Glory for all such as durst trust themselves with him Well now what do I resolve upon Oh! for an Holy Ingenuity in my Carriage towards God! that I could but live as becomes the Redeemed of the Lord and make use of all Providences and Ordinances as God hath appointed them for Her Carriage before she Received the Sacrament IN her Sixteenth Year she had longing Desires to receive the Sacrament which she acquainted her Pastour with who told her That then she must forsake all Sin and cleave to Christ and not live in the omission of any known Duty or in the commission of any known Sin then he said She must make Religion her Business He said He hoped she made Conscience of Secret Prayer He said She knew what Paul said concerning the unmarried Woman That she cares for the things of the Lord how she might be holy both in body and spirit And he bid her observe this and he did not question but Christ would bid her Welcome and accordingly on the Sabbath-day following she went to the Sacrament but before she went she spent some time in Examination and could not find but that she had Truth of Grace And then she brake out in the following pathetical Ejaculations viz. Oh! how should the Thoughts of Free Grace ravish and fill me with Love to
of destroying herself and have had oftentimes a Knife put into her Hand to do it so that she durst not be left by herself alone and when she had considered what the Cause of it might be her Conscience did hint most her neglecting of Duties to have performed they being the Ordinances of God Thus she continued 'till two Years ago she buried her Child the which was a very great trouble to her to part with and then was she more convinced of Sin which caused her Burthen to be the greater so that she could seldom have any other Thoughts but of Desperation but the Lord keeping her by his great Mercy so that sometimes she could pray with Devotion and discerning the Lord to remove this great Trouble from her she did plainly find that those great Temptations were very much lessened the which is a great Comfort unto her Spirit Believers Experiences p. 25. CHAP. XCI Satan Hurting by Dreams That God hath made use of Dreams and Visions of the Night to awaken Men to their Duty and a Sence of the Dangers they were in is demonstrated already and it is not unreasonable to believe that the Devil can in this Case too transform himself into an Angel of Light and impose upon the Imaginations of Men by strange deluding Fancies and Idea's formed on purpose to trick their Minds into a Snare and to allure them into some Trap of either Sin or Misery that he hath laid for them 1. King James the Fifth of Scotland was a great Enemy to the Light of the Gospel which in his Days broke forth in that Kingdom viz. about the Year 1541 and out of a blind and bloody Zeal was heard to say That none of that Sort should expect any Favour at his Hands no not his own Sons if they proved guilty But not long after Sir James Hamilton being suspected to incline that way was falsly accused of a Practice against the King's Life and being Condemned was Executed Shortly after the King being at Linlithgow on a Night as he slept it seemed to him That Thomas Scot Justice-Clerk came unto him with a Company of Devils crying Wo-worth the Day that ever I knew thee or thy Service for serving thee against God and against his Servants I am now adjudged to Hell torments Hereupon the King awaking called for Lights and causing his Servants to arise told them what he had heard and seen The next Morning by Day-light Advertisement was brought him of this Scot's Death which fell out just at the time when the King found himself so troubled and almost in the same manner for he died in great extremity often uttering these words Justo Dei Judicio comdemnatus sum by the righteous Judgment of God I am condemned Which being related to the King made the Dream more terrible 2. Another Vision he had in the same place not many Nights after which did more affright him Whilst he lay sleeping he thought He saw Sir James Hamilton whom he had caused to be Executed come with a Sword drawn in his Hand wherewith he cut off both his Arms threatning also to return within a short time and deprive him of his Life With this he awaked and as he lay musing what this might import News was brought him of the Death of his two Sons James and Arthur who died at St. Andrews and Strinling at one and the same Hour The next Year viz. 1542 being overcome with Grief and Passion himself died at Faulkland in the Thirty second Year of his Age. Arch-bishop Spoteswood 's History of the Church of Scotland Clark's Mirrour Ch. 7. p. 34 35. I am not sure that these particular Instances are properly placed under this Head I leave it to my wise and judicious Reader to consider whether or no these were Divine Admonitions or Satanical Illusions Mr. Clark hath accounted them as Satanical But 't is certain the Vulgar sort of People are so fond of observing their Dreams and some pretended wise Men and Women of a superstitious Kidney do promote this Fancy extreamly and undertake to prescribe Rules for the making a Judgment upon them and by that means do no small hurt to some weak hypochondriacal and melancholick Spirits How often shall we hear them whining out their Complaints upon the Account of some late Dream in expectation of some sad Disaster or Malady that they believe with much Confidence will befall them And sometimes fretting and pining to that extremity that no Comfort will down with them 'till the Date of their Dream be fully expired And I doubt not but Comfort will down with in promoting these silly and troublesome Conceits CHAP. XCII Satan Hurting by Witchcraft ATheism and Sadducism have got such Ground in the World of late Ages that 't is no vain Vndertaking to write of Devils and the Mischief done by them to Mankind by the Mediation of a sort of People that have Familiar Communion with them To transcribe all has been writ upon this Subject by Dr. More Mr. Glanvil Mr. Baxter Scheggius Remigius Delrio Mather c. would make up a large Volume enough to confute any whose Faces are not harder than Brass and their Hearts than Iron it shall be enough to say so much as shall suffice to convince those who are industrious enough to read patient enough to deliberate and have humility and honesty enough to be serious and impartial And as for the rest Qui vult Decipi decipiatur 1. In Pinola there were some who were much given to Witchcraft and by the Power of the Devil did act strange Things Amongst the rest there was one Old Woman named Martha de Carillo who had been by some of the Town formerly accused for Bewitching many but the Spanish Justices quitted her finding no sure Evidence against her with this grew worse and worse and did much harm when I was there two or three died withering away declaring at their Death That this Carillo had killed them and that they saw her often about their Beds threatning them with a frowning and angry Look the Indians for fear of her durst not complain against her nor meddle with her Whereupon I sent saith my Author unto Don Juan de Guzman the Lord of that Town that if he took not Order with her she would destroy the Town He hearing of it got for me a Commission from the Bishop and another Officer of the inquisition to make diligent and private Enquiry after her Life and Actions Which I did and found among the Indians many and grievous Complaints against her most of the Town affirming that she was certainly a most notorious Witch and that before her former Accusation she was wont to go as she had occasion about the Town with a Duck following her which when she came to the Church would stay at the Door 'till she came out again and then would return with her which Duck they imagined was her beloved Devil and Familiar Spirit for that they had often set Dogs at
stretching out her Fingers to the full length used to swear by these Ten Bloody Bones This Woman had a Son called Stephen Maurice who was born with two Thumbs upon a Hand and he likewise marrying had several Children born in like manner with two Thumbs a-piece upon each Hand all which supernumerary Thumbs she in a bloody manner with her own Hand cut off This Woman assisted my Mother as Midwife when she brought me into the World W. T. 6. Sir Roger Mosson of Mosson in Flint-shire had a Coal-pit sunk pretty deep by some Workmen who discovered a good Mine of Coal but meeting with a Fire-damp were so affrighted that they deserted the Work At last a bold Fellow that was a notorious Swearer came and undertook to go on with it He with two or three more Men goes down into the Pit leaving the other Men near the Eye thereof whilst himself with a Candle lighted goes forward but presently was so attacked with the Fire-damp that the other Men were struck down with it in great amazement and had much adoe to recover themselves and an Engine of a vast bulk and weight that stood near the Eye of the Pit was carried up into the Air as high as the tops of some Trees that grew upon a Hill near adjoyning and the Man himself that went foremost with the Candle miserably and irrecoverably perished This I had out of the Philosophical Transactions printed some Years ago but in what Year particularly I remember not having not the Pamphlet by me at present 7. Anno Christi 1649. about the end of June there was a Soldier at Ware going with some others to wash himself in the River but finding the Water shallow he asked if there was no deeper a Place for him to swim in Some told him that there was not far off a deep Pit but that it was very dangerous and therefore advised him to take heed how he went into it To whom he answered God damn me if it be as deep as Hell I will go into it which accordingly he did but immediately sunk to the bottom never rising again but was there drowned Attested by good Witnesses Clark's Mirr c. 129. 8. One Mr. Barrington a great Swearer going forth a Hunting or Hawking on a Lord's-Day or a Festival and not speeding to his Mind came to an Ale-house at Puckrych Five Miles from Ware in the way to Cambridge and called for Drink beginning to swear after his unhappy Custom saying By God's Blood this is an unlucky Day and presently after he bled at the Nose which so vexed him that he began to rail and blaspheme the Name of God swearing Passion Wounds Flesh Nails Blood and Body c. till at last he proceeded farther to bleed at the Ears Eyes Wrists joynts of his Hands and of all his Body at the Navil and Fundament in a wonderful great Quantity and Streams of Blood blaring out his Tongue in a fearful manner as black as Pitch so that no Person durst come near him This continued faith my Author till the Devil and Death made an end of him Next day the Body was laid on a Cart carried to Stondâ—n and buried in the High-way Mr. Batman in his Doom warning to the Judgment p. 418. Who saith he had it from Mr. Barrington's wife afterward married to Mr. Carington in Cambridge CHAP. CVII Divine Judgments upon Sabbath-breakers AS God requires us to Remember the Sabbath-Day so as to keep it Holy so himself Remembers them that dare to Profane it The Child that gathered Sticks on that Day among the Israelites in the early Times of the Mosaick Oeconomy was by the Order of God himself stoned to Death And as he began to shew his Severity betimes in the Punishing of this Sin so he hath continued to the present Age to shew his great Displeasure against it insomuch that I think King James was much in the right when he caused his Declaration for Sports upon that Day to be torn out of his printed Volume of Writings where it is not now to be seen 1. A certain Nobleman profaning the Sabbath usually in Hunting had a Child by his Wife with a Head like a Dog and with Ears and Chaps crying like a Hound 2. Stratford upon Avon was twice on the same Day Twelve month being the Lord's-Day almost consumed with Fire chiefly for Profaning the Lord's-Day and Contemning his Word in the Mouth of his Faithful Minister 3. Feverton in Devonshire whose Remembrance makes my Heart bleed was oftentimes admonished by her Godly Preachers that God would bring some heavy Judgment on the Town for their horrible Profanation of the Lord's-Day occasioned chiefly by the Market on the Day following Not long after his Death on the 3d. of April Anno Dom. 1598. God in less than half an Hour consumed with a sudden and fearful Fire the whole Town except only the Church the Court-House and the Alms-Houses or a few poor Peoples Dwellings where a Man might have seen Four Hundred Dwelling-Houses all at once on fire and above Fifty Persons consumed by the Flame Not many Years after this a Misfortune of the like nature befell the Town again for on the Fifth Day of August 1612. Fourteen Years since the former Fire it was again fired and all consumed except some Thirty Houses of poor People with the School-House and Alms-Houses They are blind which see not in this the Finger of God God grant them Grace when it is next built to change their Market-Day and to remove all Occasions of Profaning the Lord s-Day Let other Towns remember the Tower of Siloe Luke 13.4 and take Warning by their Neighbours Chastisements Fear God's Threatnings Jerem. 17.27 And believe God's Prophets if they will prosper 1 Chron. 20.20 Thus far Dr. Bread in his Theatre of God s Judgments p. 419 420. 4. Mr. Smythyes Curate of St. Giles's Cripplegate in the Confession and Discovery of a Condemned Prisoner executed May the 25th 1687 for Theft saith that it was his Earnest Desire That all young Men especially should take care not to mispend the Lord's-day And I do now know saith he that ever I observed any Repentance in a Condemned Malefactor who did not bitterly lament his Neglect of his Duty to God on that Day 5. Edmund Kirk Vintner executed at Tyburn July 11. 1684. for murdering his Wife in his Confession acknowledged himself frequently guilty of Profaning the Lord's-Day Vpon which Holy Day saith he I committed the hainous Sin of murdering my poor Wife Thus Sin was punished with Sin a Less with a Greater and the Greater with the Gallows and that Greater committed near the same Gallows And himself confessed That he had to his Wife asking whilst she passed by what Place that was told it was Tyburn where John Gower was lately hanged for killing his Wife O Lord how dear to me thy Counsels are but how just and terrible are thy Judgments 6. Famous and memorable also is that Example which happened at
London January the 13th 1583. at Paris-Garden where upon the Sabbath-Day were gathered together as accustomably they used great Multitudes of profane People to behold the Sport of Bear-baiting without respect of the Lord's-Day or any Exercise of Religion required therein Which profane Impiety the Lord that he might chasten in some sort and shew his Dislike thereof he caused the Scaffolds suddenly to break and the Beholders to tumble headlong down so that to the number of Eight Persons Men and Women were slain therewith besides many others which we re sore hurt and bruised to the shortening of their Days 7. The like Example happened at 3 Town in Bedfordshire called Risley in the Year 1607. where the Floor of a Chamber wherein a Number were gathered together to see a Play on the Sabbath-Day fell down by means whereof many were sore hurt and some killed Surely a Friendly Warning to such as more delight themselves with the Cruelty of Beasts and vain Sports than the Works of Mercy and Religion the Fruits of a true Faith which ought to be the Sabbath-Day's Exercise 8. Not long since in Bedfordshire a Match at Foot-ball being appointed o the Sabbath in the Afternoon whilst Two were in the Belfry tolling of a Bell to call the Company together there was suddenly heard a Clap of Thunder and a Flash of Lightning was seen by some that sate in the Church Porch coming through a dark Lane and flashing in their Faces which much terrified them and passing through the Porch into the Belfry it tripped up his Heels that was tolling the Bell and struck him stark dead and the other that was with him was so sorely blasted therewith that shortly after he died also Dr. Twiss on the Sabbath Ibid. 9. At a place called Tidworth on the Sabbath-day many being met together to play at Foot-ball in the Church-Yard one had his Leg broken which presently Gangrening he forthwith dyed thereof Eodem 10. Anno 1634. on a Lord's-day in the time of a great Frost Fourteen Young Men while they were playing at Foot-ball on the Ice on the River Trent near to Gainsborough meeting all together in a Scufflle the Ice suddenly brake and they were all Drowned Ibid. 11. In the Edge of Essex near Drinkley two Fellows working in a Chalk Pit the one was boasting to his Fellow how he had angred his Mistriss with staying so late at their Sports the last Sunday Night But he said he would anger her worse next Sunday He had no sooner said this but suddenly the Earth fell down upon him and slew him outright and by the fall thereof is Fellows Limb was broken who had been also sharer with him in his Jollity on the Lord's-day Ibid. 12. At Alâ—ester in Warwickshire upon the coming forth of the Declaration for Sports a Lusty Young Woman went on the Sabbath-day to a Green not far off where she said she would Dance as long as she could stand but while she was dancing God stuck her with a violent â—â—isease whereof within two or three Days after she died Ibid. 13. Also in the same place not long after a Young Man presently after the Evening Sermon was ended brought a Pair of Cudgels into the Street near to the Minister's House calling upon divers to play with him but they all refus'd at the length came one who took them up saying Though I never played in my Life yet I will play one bout now But shortly after as he was jesting with a Young Maid he took up a Birding-piece which was charged saying Have at thee and the Piece going off shot her in the Face whereof she immediately died for which Act he forfeited all his Goods and underwent the Trial of the Law These two I knew when I lived there Ibid. 14. At Woolston in the same County a Miller going forth on the Sabbath-day to a Wake when he came home at Night found his House Mill and all that he had burnt down to the Ground This I also saw saith Mr. Clark in his Mirror c. 115. 15. At Woolston in the same County many loose Persons kept a Whitson-Ale and had a Morris-dancing on the Sabbath-day in a Smith's Barn to the great Grief of the Godly Minister who laboured all that he could to restrain it But it pleas'd God that shortly after a Fire kindled in that Smith's Shop which burnt it down together with his House and Barn and raging furiously going sometimes with and sometimes against the Wind it burnt down many other Houses most of which were prime Actors in that profanation of the Lord's-day I my self knew these Four last Examples ibid. 16. In the County of Devon one Edward Ameridith a Gentleman having been pained in his Feet and being somewhat recovered one said unto him he was glad to see him so nimble Ameridith replied that he doubted not but to dance about the May-pole the next Lord-day but before he moved out of that place he was smitten with such feebleness of Heart and dizziness in his Head that desiring help to carry him to any House he died before the Lord's-day came ibid. 17. At Walton upon Thames in Surrey in a great Frost 1634. Three Young Men on the Lord's-day after they had been at Church in the Forenoon where the Minister press'd the Words of his Text out of 2 Cor. 5.10 That we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ c. they gave little heed thereto but whisper'd all the while as they sate went in the Afternoon together over the Thames upon the Ice unto a House of Disorder and Gaming where they spent the rest of the Lord's-Day and part of the Night also in revelling One of them in a Tavern merrily discours'd the next day of his Sabbaths Acts and Voyage over the Ice but on Thursday next after these Three returning homewards and attempting to pass again over the Ice they all sunk down to the bottom as Stones whereof only one of them was miraculously preserved but the other two were drowned These Four last are attested by good Hands ibid. Mr. Fauconer Minister of Burford near Salisbury in his Book intituled The burden of England Scotland and Ireland and stiles himself Ed. de claro vado Printed for Thomas Slater and to be sold at his Shop in Duâ—â— Lane at the Sign of the Angel relateth a fearful Example of God's Justice about the year 1635. p. 1â—4 which was this 18. A Prophane company of Young men on the Lord's-day early in the Morning went to Claringdon Park to cut down a May-Pole and having loaden the Cart with it at Milner's Bars entring into the City of Salisbury one of the Cart wheels fell into a Rut which made the young Tree in the Cart which they had stoln for a May-Pole to give a great Surge on one side which struck one of the Company such a blow on the Head that it beat out his Brains so that he presently died in the place and lay there a
the King's Absence these Penalties were inflicted upon the chief Officer whose manifest Corruptions the Hatred of the People to Men of that Profession who are apt to abuse their Science and Authority procured in Parliament to be thus punished Sir Ralph Hengham Chief Justice of the King's-Bench was Fined 7000 Marks Sir John Loveton Justice of the Lower Bench 3000 Sir William Brompton Justice 6000 Sir Solomon Rochester 4000 All Itenerant Justices Sir Richard Boyland 4000 All Itenerant Justices Sir Tho. Sadington 2000 All Itenerant Justices Sir Walter Hopton 2000 All Itenerant Justices Sir W. Sakam 3000 Robert Lithbury Master of the Rolls 1000 Roger Leicester 1000 Henry Bray Escheator and Judge for the Jews 1000 Sir Adam Stratton Chief Baron of the Exchequer was Fined 34000 Marks See the Relation of that memorable Parliament begun An. Regni 10. Richard II. p. 36 37. 2. Sir Francis Bacon Baron Verulam and Viscount St. Albans that Atlas of Learning suffer'd for but his Connivance at the Bribery and Corruption of his Servants and was by the Parliament put out of the Office of Lord Chancellor Ibid. 3. Judge Morgan who gave the Sentence of Death upon the Lady Jane Grey presently after fell and and in all his distracted Fits cried out continually Take away the Lady Jane Take away the Lady Jane from me and in this extream Distemper ended his Life Fox's Martyrol 4. June 24. 1678. Mr. Daniel Bachelor Minister told me of a Citizen of London to whom he was sent for in his Sickness whâ—n God had let loose Conscience upon him The Man repeated over all the Commandments and confessed the Sins be was guilty of against each Command such as Incest and Adultery lived in many Years The Chastity of his Servant he sollicited but was repulsed But his Master-Sin was Perjury taking false Oaths and hiring Met Knights of the Post as they are called frequently to do so The Devil led him into that Sin first as he said thus He wanted Proof for a Debt that was a just Debt and hired one of those who procured his Debt that was just in this unjust way By this he contracted Hardness of Heart and plunged himself in Villainies of that nature There were above an Hundred Actions against him when he died He fell sick on a Friday lay about ten Days under the horrid gnawings of the Worm that dieth not upon his Bed not in Distraction but Desperation crying out once in his presence I am damned for ever and added most fearful to hear Amen Amen Amen and had an Expression so blasphemous of the Holy and Ever-blessed God that for Horror I shall draw a Veil over it Yet some have Robb'd hard by the Gallows And this poor Wretch thus hung up in Chains by the Lord did not awaken sufficiently one of his Knights of the Post that came to see him while the Minister my Friend was present O take heed said he by my Example now I smart for what I have done and put you upon doing The Man in Health told him he was melancholick and was not moved He had a Charge to relate this woful Death of his to his Sister with whom he had been incestuously Wicked She gave a seemingly courteous Reception to him and seemed sensible of it The Minister my Friend when he had done his Errand coming down from her Chamber at the Door of which he had left his Galosho's missing them went up again and over-heard her say to a Companion of hers there The Fool thought I had been in earnest The Man though he had unjustly ravish'd Thousands out of Men died miserably poor This Relation was sent me by the Reverend Mr. Singleton now living in Hoxdon-Square near the City of London and is printed in the same Words I received it 5. It may not be altogether impertinent to take notice here what King Charles the I. applied to himself on the Scaffold that for one unjust Sentence which he had suffer'd to pass meaning the Earl of Strafford God had suffered the like unjust Judgment to be passed on him â—ee his Speech on the Scaffold 6. Sir P. P. in Letter to the Bishop of Lincoln saith That in the famous Marriage-Cause between Mrs. Isabella Jones and Sir Robert Carr in the Arches where Sir Robert Carr was claimed by her for her Husband though for want of full Proof of the Marriage Sir Giles Sweit the Dean of the Arches pronounced Sentence against the Marriage yet condemning Sir Robert Carr in 1500 Pound Costs to Mrs. Jones Which the Judge did because he was in Conscience convinced that Sir Robert Carr and Mrs. Jones were really married To this Sir Peter Pett in the aforesaid Letter adds I can saith he at any time acquaint you with the Circumstances of that Cause and give you an Account of the Remarkable Judgments of God inflicted on the Persons who tampered with the Witness in that Cause whereby the Marriage failed of Sentence Remains of Dr. Barlow Bishop of Lincoln p. 368. 7. The Emperor of Muscovy sent for a Judge who had taken a Bribe viz. a Goose with its Belly full of Gold commanded him and the other Judges to appear before him not discovering the least Displeasure They all appeared chearful he commanded the Hangman to be brought in and ask'd him if he knew how to cut up a Goose Answer being made very well Then said the Emperor take away that Judge and cut him up after the same manner which was forthwith done accordingly Smythy's Treatise of Restitution p. 19. who says he had the Relation from a Minister whose Brother was an Eye-witness CHAP. CXXXV Divine Judgments upon Lying and Slandering OVR Tongues are the Indexes of our Mind to signifie the Thoughts and Meanings thereof to the World if the one agree not to the other the Motions are false and the Wheels out of order What is a Clâ—â—k good for if it doth not tell the true Hour of the Day Lyars are shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven and deserve but little Favour upon Earth and some times meet with just Punishments Prov. 19.5 1. Alexander the Great having read a History out of Aristobulus wherein the Author had intermingled certain counterfeit Praises flung the Book into the River saying the said Writer deserved to be flung there himself Coguet's Polit. Disc p. 130. 2. The Emperor Trajan sirnamed the Good Prince took away from the Son of Cabalus the Kingdom of Dacia that is Transilvania and Valachia only because he caught him in a Lye and told him That Rome the Mother of Truth could not permit a Lyar to possess a Kingdom Ibid. 3. Cyrus told the King of Armenia That a Lye was not capable of Pardon Ibid. 4. Monstrelet writes That Popiel King of Poland who had ever in his Mouth these Words If it be not true I would the Rats might cat me that he was so assailed by Rats in a Banquet that neither his Guards nor Fire nor Water could preserve him from them Ibid.
Execution he was not suffered to speak to the People who much lamented his Death yet was very chearful saying Thanks be to God I am even at home And when he had prayed and made himself ready he went to the Stake and kissed it The Fire being kindled he held up his Hands and called upon God saying Merciful Father of Heaven for Jesus Christ my Saviour's sake receive my Soul into thy hands And so stood still without moving till one with an Halberd struck out his Brains Ibid. p. 178. 30. Mr. Bradford as soon as he approached the Stake fell flat on the Ground intending there to pur forth his Prayers to Almighty God for he was not permitted to do it publickly but Woodroffe the Sheriff commanded him to arise and dispatch for the People encreased and pressed upon him Whereupon as soon as he got up he embraced the Stake and kissed it put off his Cloaths gave them to his Servant comforted the Stripling that was to be burned with him and earnestly exhorted the People to Repentance Which so enraged the Sheriff that he commanded his Hands to be tyed His last Words that were audible were Strait is the way and narrow is the gate that leads to salvation and few there be that find it He endured the Flame as a fresh gale of Wind in a hot Summer's Day without any Reluctancy Ibid. p. 189. 31. Bishop Ridley and Bishop Latimer suffered together but were not permitted to speak at the Stake The Evening before their Execution Ridley washed his Beard and his Feet and bad those that supped with him to his Wedding the next Day demanding of his Brother Mr. Skipfide whether he thught his Sister his Wife could find in her Heart to be there and he answering That he durst say she would with all her Heart he professed to the thereof very glad At Supper-time he was very chearful and merry desiring those there present that went of which number Mrs. Irish his Hostess tho' an eager Papist was one to quiet themselves affirming That tho' his Breakfast was like to be somewhat sharp and painful yet his Supper he was sure would be pleasant and sweet They endured a long time in the Fire with most grievous Pains to the great Grief of the Beholders thro' the Indiscretion of those that composed the Pile burning as it were by piece-meal till at last their Souls mounted as in a flaming Chariot up to Heaven Ibid. p. 203 204. 32. Bishop Latimer when he came to the Stake lifting up his Eyes with a comfortable and lovely Countenance cried out God is faithful who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able and when the Fire was kindled O Father of Heaven receive my Soul His Blood as he was burning running out of his Heart in such abundance as if all the Blood of his Body had been gathered thither to the great Astonishmnt of the Beholders Ibid. p. 210. 33. Mr. Philpot going into Smithfield and the way being very foul two Officers took him up and bore him to the Stake to whom he said merrily What will you make me a Pope Being got into Smithfield he kneeled down and said I will pay my Vows in the midst of thee O Smithfield and kissing the Stake Shall I disdain to suffer at this Stake when my Lord and Saviour refused not to sufer a most vile Death for me And when the Fire was kindled with much Meekness and Comfort he resigned up his Spirit unto God Ibid. p. 222. 34. Archbishop Cranmer when tied to the Stake thrust first of all his Right Hand into the Fire wherewith he had subscribed to Popery crying out Ah my unworthy Right Hand So that his Hand died a Malefactor and the rest of his Body a Martyr Ibid. p. 228. 35. Bugenhagius drawing near to his End often repeated This is Life Eternal to know Thee the only true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ and so quietly departed this Life Aged 73. Ibid. p. 233. 36. Phil. Melancthon in the midst of many Heavenly Prayers surrendred his Soul unto him that gaveit Aged 63. Ibid. p. 241. 37. Hyperius falling sick of a Fever gave diverse Instructions to his Wife for the Education of his Children to his Children for the serving of God and obeying their Mother and when his Friends visited him requested them to bear Witness That he now died in that Faith which he had taught while he lived and so yielded up his Spirit to God Aged 53. Ibid. p. 265. 38. John Brentius falling sick of a Fever made his Will and therein set down a Confession of his Faith received the Sacrament exhorted the Ministers of Stutgard to Unity in Doctrine and a mutual Love always saying That he longed for a better an Eternal Life and so died Aged 71. Ibid. p. 298. 39. Bishop Jewel died praying and prayed dying His last Words worthy to be written with the Point of a Diamond never to be razed out were these A Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me Christ is my Righteousness this is my Body this day quickly let me come unto thee this day let me see thee Lord Jesus He was arrested by Death as he was preaching at Lacock upon those Words Walk in the Spirit and so carried from the Pulpit to Bed from which he never rose more Ibid. p. 311. 40. John Knox a Day or two before his Death sending for Mr. Lawson Mr. Lindsey the Elders and Deacons of the Church told them the Time was approaching which he long thirsted for wherein he should be released from all his Cares and be with his Saviour Christ for ever And now saith he God is my Witness whom I have served with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that I have taught nothing but the true and sincere Word of God I am not ignorant that many have and do blame my too great Rigor and Severity but God knows that in my Heart I never hated those against whom I thundered God's Judgments I did only hate their Sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ That I did forbear none of what Condition soever I did it out of Fear of my God who hath placed me in the Function of his Ministry and I know will bring me to an Account Now Brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you to take heed to the Flock over which God hath placed you Overseers which he hath Redeemed by the Blood of his only-begotten Son And you Mr. Lawson Fight a good Fight do the Work of the Lord with Courage and with a willing mand and God from Heaven bless you and the Church whereof you have the Charge Against it so long as it continues in the Doctrine of the Truth the Gates of Hell shall not prevail Having thus spoken and the Elders and Deacons being dismissed he called the two Preachers to him and said There is one thing that grieves me exceedingly you have
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
how Happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen sake send me Life and Death I suspect some Mistake in recording these last Words perhaps Life or Death that I may truly serve thee O my Lord God! bless thy People and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy People of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and thy People may praise thy Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake His last Words were I am faint Lord have mercy and take my Spirit He died aged 17. 108. The Lady Jane Grey by King Edward's Will proclaimed Queen of England the Night before she was beheaded sent her Sister her Greek Testament in the end whereof she wrote as may be seen under the Head of Love of the Holy Scriptures She spoke on the Scaffold thus GOod People I am come hither to Die and by a Law I am condemned to the same My Offence against the Queen's Majesty was only in consenting to the Device of others which now is deemed Treason yet it was never of my seeking but by Counsel of those who should seem to have further understanding of those things than I who knew little of the Law and much less of Titles to the Crown But touching the Procurement thereof by me or on my behalf I do here wash my Hands in Innocency before God and the Face of you all this Day and therewith she wrung her Hands wherein she had her Book I pray you all good Christian People to bear me Witness that I die a true Christian Woman and that I look to be saved by no other means but only by the Mercy of God in the Blood of his only Son Jesus Christ And I do confess That when I knew the Word of God I neglected the same and loved my self and the World and therefore this Plague and Punishment is justly befallen me for my Sins And I yet thank God of his Goodness that he hath been pleased to give me Respite to Repent in And now good People while I am alive I pray assist me with your Prayers She died 1554. aged 16. Tu quibus ista legas incertum est Lector ocellis Ipsa equidem siccis scribere non potui Fox 's Martyrol 109. Queen Elizabeth is reported upon her Death-bed but by what Author I confess I do not presently remember to complain of the want of Time Time Time a World of Wealth for an Inch of Time yet finished her Course with that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good Fight c. 110. The young Lord Harrington professed in his Sickness That he feared not Death in what shape soever it came declaring about two Hours before his Death that he still felt the assured Comforts and Joys of his Salvation by Jesus Christ And when Death approached he breathed forth these longing Expressions Oh that Joy Oh my God! when shall I be with thee And so sweetly resigned up his Spirit unto God An. 1613. aged 22. See in his Life in the Young Man's Calling and my Christian 's Companion 111. Henry Prince of Wales eldest Son to King James in his Sickness had these Words to one that waited on him Ah Tom I in vain wish for that time I lost with thee and others in vain Recreations Which puts me in mind of what Mr. Smith relates in the Funeral Solemnity of Mr. Moor Fellow of Gaius College and Keeper of the University Library viz. That he often lamented the Misery of our English Gentry who are commonly brought up to nothing but Hawks and Hounds and know not how to bestow their Time in a Rainy Day and in the midst of all their Plenty are in want of Friends necessary Reproof and most loving Admonition 112. The Earl of Strafford made this Speech on the Scaffold May 12. 1641. MY Lord Primate of Ireland and my Lords and the rest of the Gentlemen it is a very great Comfort to me to have your Lordship by me this Day in regard I have been known to you a long time I should be very glad to obtain so much silence as to be heard a few Words but I doubt I shall not My Lord I come hither by the Good Will and Pleasure of Almighty God to pay that last Debt I owe to Sin which is Death and by the Blessing of God to rise again through the Merits of Christ Jesus to Eternal Glory I wish I had been private that I might have been heard My Lord if I might be so much beholden to you that I might use a few Words I should take it for a very great Courtesie My Lord I come hither to submit to that Judgment which hath passed against me I do it with a very quiet and contented Mind I do freely forgive all the World a Forgiveness that is not spoken from the Teeth outward as they say but from the Heart I speak it in the Presence of Almighty God before whom I stand that there is not in me so much as a displeasing Thought to any Creature I thank God I may say truly and my Conscience bears me witness that in all my Service since I have had the Honour to serve His Majesty in any Employment I never had any thing in my Heart but the joynt and individual Prosperity of the King and People If it hath been my Hap to be misconstrued it is the common Portion of us all while we are in this Life the Righteous Judgment is hereafter here we are subject to Error and apt to be misjudged one of another There is one thing I desire to clear my self of and I am very confident I speak it with so much clearness that I hope I shall have your Christian Charity in the belief of it I did always ever think the Parliaments of England were the happiest Constitutions that any Kingdom or Nation lived under and under God the happiest Means of making King and People happy so far have I been from being against Parliaments For my Death I here acquit all the World and pray God heartily to forgive them and in particular my Lord Primate I am very glad that His Majesty is pleased to conceive me not meriting so severe and heavy a Punishment as the utmost execution of this Sentence I am very glad and infinitely rejoyce in this Mercy of his and beseech God to turn it to him that he may find Mercy when he hath most need of it I wish this Kingdom all the Prosperity and Happiness in the World I did it living and now dying it is my Wish I do now profess it from my Heart and do most humbly recommend it to every Mâ—n here and wish every Man to lay his Hand upon his Heart and consider seriously whether the beginning of the Happiness of a People should be written in Letters of Blood I fear you are in a wrong way and I desire Almighty God that no one drop of my Blood may
the promised Land Methinks I hear God saying to me as to Moses Go up to Mount Nebo and die there so Go thou up to Tower-Hill and die there Isaac said of himself That he was Old and yet did not know the day of his Death But I cannot say thus I am Young and yet I know the Day the Kind and the Place of my Death also It is such a kind of Death as two Famous Preachers of the Gospel John the Baptist and Paul the Apostle were put to before me we have mention of the one in Scripture-Story of the other in Ecclesiastical History And Rev. 20.4 The Saints were Beheaded for the Word of God and for the Testimony of Jesus But herein is the disadvantage which I am in in the thoughts of many who judge that I Suffer not for the Word or Conscience but for meddling with State-matters To this I shall briefly say that it is an old Guise of the Devil to impute the cause of God's Peoples Sufferings to be Contrivements against the State The Rulers of Israel would put Jeremiah to death upon a civil Account tho' it was the Truth of his Prophecy made them angry because he fell away to the Chaldeans So Paul must die as a Mover of Sedition The same thing is laid to my Charge whereas indeed it is because I pursue my Covenant and will not prostitute my Principles to the Lusts of Men. Beloved I am this Day to make a double Exchange I am exchanging a Pulpit for a Scaffold and a Scaffold for a Throne and I might add a third I am changing this numerous Multitude upon Tower-hill for the innumerable Company of Angels in the Holy Hill of Sion and I am changing a Guard of Soldiers for a Guard of Angels which will receive and carry me into Abraham's Bosom This Scaffold is the best Pulpit I ever preached in God through his Grace made me an Instrument to bring others to Heaven but in this he will bring me to Heaven and it may be this Speech upon a Scaffold may bring God more Glory than many Sermons in a Pulpit Before I lay down my Neck upon the Block I shall lay open my Case and that without Animosity or Revenge God is my Record whom I serve in the Spirit I speak the Truth I Lye not I do not bring a Revengeful Heart unto the Scaffold this Day Before I came here I did upon my bended Knees beg Mercy for them that denied Mercy to me I have forgiven from my Heart the worst Enemy I have in the World and this is the worst I wish to my Accusers and Prosecutors who have pursued my Blood that I might meet their Souls in Heaven I have no more to say but to desire the Help of all your Prayers that God would give me the Continuance and Supply of Divine Grace to carry me through this great Work I am now to do that I who am to do a Work I never did may I have a Strength that I never had that I may put off this Body with as much Quietness and Comfort of Mind as ever I put off my Cloaths to go to Bed And now I am to commend my Soul to God and to receive my fatal Blow I am comforted in this Tho' Men kill me they cannot damn me and tho' they thrust me out of the World yet they cannot shut me out of Heaven I am now going to my Long Home to my Father's House to the Heavenly Jerusalem to the innumerable Company of Angels to Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant to the Spirits of Just Men made perfect to God the Judge of all in whose Presence there is Fulness of Joy and at whose Right Hand there are Pleasures for evermore Then he kneeled down and made a short Prayer privately Then after rising up he said Blessed be God I am full of Joy and Peace in believing I lie down with a world of Comfort And then saying The Lord bless you he lay down with his Head over the Block and when he stretched out his Hands the Executioner did his Office 118. The Last Speech of Sir Walter Rawleigh MY Honourable Lords and the rest of my good Friends that are come to see me die know That I much rejoyce that it hath pleased God to bring me from Darkness to Light and in freeing me from the Tower wherein I might have died in Disgrace by letting me live to come to this Place where tho' I lose my Life yet shall I clear some false Accusations unjustly laid to my Charge and leave behind me a Testimony of a true Heart both to my King and Country Two things there are which have exceedingly possess'd and provoked His Majesty's Indignation against me viz. A Confederacy or Combination with France and disloyal and disobedient Words of my Prince For the first His Majesty had some Cause though grounded upon a weak Foundation to suspect mine Inclination to the French Faction for not long before my Departure from England the French Agent took occasion passing by my House to visit me We had some Conference during the time of his abode only concerning my Voyage and nothing else I take God to witness Another Suspicion is had of me because I did labour to make an Escape from Plimouth to France I cannot deny but that willingly when I heard a Rumour that there was no hope of my Life upon my Return to London I would have escaped for the Safeguard of my Life and not for any ill Intent or Conspiracy against the State The like Reason of Suspicion arose in that I perswaded Sir Lewis Steukly my Guardian to flee with me from London to France but my Answer to this is as to the other that only for my Safegard and nough else was my Intent as I shall answer before the Almighty It is alledged That I feigned my self Sick and by Art made my Body full of Blisters when I was at Salisbury True it is I did so the Reason was because I hoped thereby to deferr my cooming before the King and Council and so by delaying might have gained time to have got my Pardon I have an Example out of Scripture for my Warrant that in case of Necessity and for the Safeguard of his Life David feigned himself Foolish and Mad yet it was not imputed to him for Sin Concerning the second Imputation laid to my Charge That I should speak Scandalous and Reproachful Words of my Prince there is no Witness against me but only one and he a Chymical Frenchman whom I entertained rather for his Jests than Judgment This Man to incroach himself into the Favour of the Lords and gaping after some great Reward hath falsly accused me of Seditious Speeches against His Majesty against whom if I did either speak or think a Thought hurtful or prejudicial Lord blot me out of the Book of Life It is not a time to Flatter or Fear Princes for I am a Subject to none but Death
my Soul I cannot find my small Concern with the Duke of Monmouth doth deserve this heavy Judgment on me but I know as I said before it is for Sins long unrepented of I die in Charity with all Men I desire all of you to bear me witness I die a true Professor of the Church of England beseeching the Lord still to stand up in the Defence of it God forgive my passionate Judges and cruel and hasty Jury God forgive them they know not what they have done God bless the King and though his Judges had no Mercy on me I wish he may find Mercy when he standeth most in need of it Make him O Lord a nursing Father to the Church let Mercy flow abundantly from him if it be thy Will to those poor Prisoners to be hereafter tried and Lord if it be thy holy Will stop this issue of Christian Bood and let my guiltless Blood be the last spilt on this account Gentlemen all Farewel Farewel all the Things of the World Then singing some few Verses of a Psalm and putting up some private Ejaculations to himself said O Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit and so submitted to the Executioner September the 7th 1685. 3. The Behaviour and Dying Speech of Mr. Joseph Speed of Culliton AT the same time and place as he came near the Place of his Execution he spying his Country-man and Friend called him and said I am glad to see you here now because I am not known in these Parts being answered by his Friend I am sorry to see you in this Condition He replies It is the best Day I ever saw I thank God I have not led my Life as Unchristian-like as many have done having since the Years of Sixteen always had the Checks of Conscience on me which made me to avoid many gross and grievous Sins my course of Life hath been well known to you yet I cannot justifie my self All Men Err. I have not been the least of Sinners therefore cannot excuse my self but since my Confinement I have received so great Comfort in some Assurance of the Pardon of my Sins that I can now say I am willing to die to be dissolved and to be with Christ and say to Death Where is thy Sting and to Grave Where is thy Victory Being ask'd by some rude Soldiers Whether he was not sorty for the Rebellion he was found Guilty of He courageously reply'd If you call it a Rebellion I assure you I had no sinister Ends in being concerned for my whole Design in taking up Arms under the Duke of Monmouth was to fight for the Protestant Religion which my own Conscience dictated to me and which the said Duke declared for and had I think a lawful Call and Warrant for so doing and do not question that if I have committed any Sin in it but that it is pardoned Pray Mr. Sheriff let me be troubled no farther in answering of Questions but give me leave to prepare my self those few Minutes I have left for another World and go to my Jesus who is ready to receive me Then calling to his Friend who stood very near him said My dear Friend you know I have a dear Wife and Children who will find me wanting being somewhat incumbred in the World let me desire you as a Dying Man to see that she be not abused and as for my poor Children I hope the father of Heaven will take care of them and give thern Grace to be Dutiful to their distressed Mother And so with my dying Love to all my Friends when you see them I take leave of you and them and all the World desiring your Christian Prayers for me to the last moment Then repeating some Sentences of Scripture as Colossians chap. 3. v. 1 2. If you then c. and praying very fervently said I thank God I have Satisfaction I am ready and willing to suffer Shame for his Name And so pouring forth some private Ejaculations to himself and lifting up his Hands the Executioner did his Office The Soldiers then present said They never before were so taken with a Dying Man's Speech his Courage and Christian-like Resolution caused many violent Men against the Prisoners to repent of their Tyranny towards them some of whom in a short time died full of Horror And thus fell this Good Man a true Protestant and one that held out to the end An Account of those that suffered at Bridport and Lyme 1. AT Bridport one John Sparke who was a very Good Man and behaved himself with a great deal of Christian-like Courage to the end Being asked how he could endure those Hardships he had undergone since his being taken Says he If this be all 't is not so much but my Friend if you were to take a Journey in those ways you were not acquainted with you would I hope desire Advice from those that had formerly used those ways or lived near by them Yes says he Then said he The ways of Affliction which I have lately travelled in I had Advice many a time from a Minister who hath often told his Congregation of the troublesomeness of the Road and of the difficulty of getting through and has given me and Hundreds of others to understand the Pits and Stones in the way and how to avoid them He has been a Man used to those Roads many Years I have taken his Advice I am got thus far on comfortably and I trust shall do so to the end I am not afraid to fight a Duel with Death if so it must be Now I thank God I can truly say Oh Death where is thy Sting and Oh Grave where is thy Victory Two or three Days after his Sentence he was drawn to Execution but was very rudely and opprobriously dealt with to the Shame of those that then had the Charge over him their Rigour to him was more more like Turks than Christians Being come to the Place of Execution he prayed very devoutly but by the Rudeness of the Guards there could be no Copy taken to be said to be true He died very Couragiously and spake to them in these Words looking on the Soldiers saying Little do you think that this very Body of mine which you are now come to see cut in pieces will one Day rise up in Judgment against you and be your Accuser for your delight in spilling of Christian Blood The Heathens have far more Mercy Oh 't is sad when England must out-strip Infidels and Pagans But pray take notice Don't think that I am not in Charity with you I am so far that I forgive you and all the World and do desire the God of Mercies to forgive you and open your Hearts and turn you from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Lord Jesus Christ And so Farewel I am going out of the Power of you all I have no dependance but upon my blessed Redeemer to whom I commit my dear Wife and Children
His honour or profane this ground Let no black-mouth'd breath'd rank Curr Peaceful James his Ashes stur Princes are Gods O do not then Rake in their Graves to prove them Men. 56. Vpon the King of Sweden Upon this Place the great Gustavus died While Victory lay weeping by his side 57. Vpon Sir Francis Vere When Vere sought Death arm'd with his Sword and Shield Death was afraid to meet him in the Field But when his Weapons he had laid aside Death like a Coward struck him and he died 58. Another Here lieth Richard A Preene One Thousand Five Hundred Eighty Nine Of March the xx day And he that will die after him may 59. Another Here lieth he who was born and cryed Told Threescore Years fell sick and dyed 60. At Farlam on the West Marches toward Scotland near Naworth-Castle John Bell broken brow Ligs under this stean Fovr of mine een Sons Laid it on my weam I was a Man of my Meat Master of my Wife I lived on my own Land With mickle strife 61. In St. Paul 's was this Here lies John Dod a Servant of God to whom he is gone Father or Mother Sister or Brother he never knew none A Headborough and a Constable a Man of Fame The first of his House and last of his Name Died buryed and deceas'd the Fifteenth of May One Thousand Five Hundred and Fifteen being Whitson-Monday 62. On Mr. Burbidge the Tragedian Exit Burbidge 63. On Mr. Weymark a constant Walker in Paul ' s. Defessus sum ambulando 64. In St. Mary Saviours this Here lies William Emerson Who lived and died an honest Man 65. In the North-Country this Here ligs John Hubberton And there ligs his Wife Here ligs his Dagger And there ligs his Knife Here ligs his Daughter And there ligs his Son Heigh for brave John Hubberton 66. Vpon JOhn Death Here lies John Death the very same That went away with a Cousin of his Name 67. Vpon Mr. Parsons Organist at Westminster Death passing by and hearing Parsons play Stood much amazed at his depth of Skill And said this Artist must with me away For Death bereaves us of the better still But let the Quire while he keeps time sing on For Parsons rests his Service being done 68. On Mr. Charles Wray When I in Court had spent my tender Prime And done my best to please an Earthly Prince Even sick to see how I had lost my Time Death pitying mine Estate removed me thence And sent me mounted upon Angels Wings To serve my Saviour and the King of Kings 69. Many and sundry Opinions were conceived of Joan of Arck some judging her miraculously raised up by God for the good of France others that she was but a meer Impostor We will suspend our Judgment herein and referr you to the Epitaph which we find thus written on her Here lies Joan of Arck the which Some count Saint and some count Witch Some count Man and something more Some count Maid and some a Whore Her Life 's in question wrong or right Her Death 's in doubt by Laws or might Oh Innocence take heed of it How thou too near to Guilt dost sit Mean time France a Wonder saw A Woman Rule ' gainst Salique Law But Reader be content to stay Thy censure till the Judgment-day Then shalt thou know and not before Whether Saint Witch Man Maid or Whore 70. An Epitaph upon Sir Philip Sidney England Netherland the Heavens and the Arts All Soldiers and the World have made six Parts Of the Noble Sidney for none will suppose That a small heap of Stones can Sidney inclose England hath his Body for she it bred Netherland his Blood in her Defence shed The Heavens his Soul the Arts his Fame All Soldiers his Grief the World his Good Name 71. The following Epitaph was written upon the Tomb-stone of JOHN WHITE Esq a Member of the House of Commons in the Year 1640. and Father to Dr. Annesley's Wife lately deceased Here lies a John a burning shining Light Whose Name Life Actions all alike were WHITE 72. Mrs. Wilkinson with her Child went to Heaven from her Childbed on whose Tomb-stone a learned Doctor wrote the following Lines viz. Here lies Mother and Babe both without sins Next Birth will make her and her Infant Twins See Mr. Adams 's Sermon in the Continuation of Morning Exercise Questions and Cases of Conscience 73. Vpon Richard Howkins Here lies Richard Howkins who out of his store Gave Twenty good Shillings for the use of the Poor Upon condition his Body shoul'd ne'er be removed Until the appearing of our dearly Beloved 74. On the Tomb-stone of a great Scold was written Her Husband prays if by her Grave you walk You gently tread for if she 's wak'd she 'll talk 75. Vpon Mr. West Here lies Ned West of Men the best Well loved by his Wife But Oh he 's gone his Thread is spun And cut off by the Knife Of cruel Atropos Oh Jade Rokcy and flinty hearted Maid To kill so good a Man Take from my Wooff two Inches off And let him live again 76. On the Tomb of the Electeress Dowager of Saxony are to be seen the following Devices and Motto's I. Piety with an Heart in which some Beams from the Name Jehovah are centered with this Motto From him and to him II. Clemency with a Cloud of Dew hanging over the Land with this Motto Water is common to all III. Friendliness with a Sun piercing a dark Cloud over-against a Rainbow and this Motto He enlightens and makes glad IV. Magnanimity with a Rock upon which some Thunderbolts are darted with this Motto They don't terrifie V. Liberality with a Fountain from whence some Hands were taking out Water with this Motto So much the more plentiful VI. Patience with a Crucible full of Gold standing in the Fire with this Motto I burn but I am cleansed from my Dross or I shall come out more pure VII Pity or Compassion with a Silk-Worm beginning to Spin with this Motto I will serve you with my Bowels And VIII Humility with a Violet Flower growing in the Grass with this Motto The more humble the more fragrant Flying Post Nov. 21. 1696. 77. I find I have inserted in my Paper-book an Epitaph upon the Tomb of the Earl of Warwick in whose Death the Family was extinct Within this Marble doth Entombed lie Not one but all a Noble Family A Pearl of such a price that soon about Possession of it Heaven and Earth fell out Both could not have it so they did devise This fatal Salvo to divide the Prize Heaven shares the Soul and Earth his Body takes Thus we lose all while Earth and Heaven part stakes But Heaven not brooking that the Earth should share In the least Atom of a Piece so rare Intends to sue out by a new revize His Habeas Corpus at the Grand Assize Mr. Barker's Flores 78. I have read of a certain Prince who would have
was this One Day at an Atheistical Meeting at a Person of Quality's I undertook to manage the Cause and was the principal Disputant against God and Piety and for my Performances receiv'd the Applause of the whole Company upon which my Mind was terribly struck and I immediately replied thus to my self Good God! That a Man that walks upright that sees the wonderful Works of God and has the uses of his Sence and Reason should use them to the defying of his Creator But tho' this was a good beginning to my Conversion to find my Conscience touch'd for my Sins yet it went off again Nay all my Life long I had a secret Value and Reverence for an honest Man and lov'd Morality in others But I had form'd an odd Scheme of Religion to my self which would solve all that God or Conscience might force upon me yet I was not over-well reconcil'd to the Business of Christianity nor had that Reverence for the Gospel of Christ as I ought to have which estate of Mind continu'd till the 53d Chapter of Isaiah was read to him and some other Portions of Scripture by the Power and Efficacy of which Word assisted by his Holy Spirit God so wrought upon his Heart that he declar'd that the Mysteries of the Passion appear'd so clear and plain to him as ever any thing did that was represented in a Glass so that that joy and Admiration which possessed his Soul upon the reading God's Word to him was remarkable to all about him and he had so much delight in his Testimonies that in my absence he begg'd his Mother and Lady to read the same to him frequently and was unsatisfied notwithstanding his great Pains and Weakness till he had learn'd the 53d of Isaiah without Book At the same time discoursing of his Manner of Life from his Youth up which all Men knew was too much devoted to the Service of Sin and that the Lusts of the Flesh the Eye and the Pride of Life had captivated him he was very large and particular in his Acknowledgments about it more ready to accuse himself than any one else could be publickly crying out O blessed God! Can such an horrid Creature as I am be accepted by thee who has denied thy Being and contemn'd thy Power asking often Can there be Mercy and Pardon for me Will God own such a Wretch as I And in the middle of his Sickness said Shall the unspeakable Joys of Heaven be conferr'd on me O mighty Saviour never but through thine infinite Love and Satisfaction O never but by the purchase of thy Blood adding that with all abhorrency he did reflect upon his former Life that sincerely and from his Heart he did repent of all that folly and Madness which he had committed He had a true and lively sense of God's great Mercy to him in striking his hard Heart saying If that God who died for great as well as lesser Sinners did not spâ—edily apply his infinite Merits to his poor Soul his Wound was such as no Man could conceive or bear crying out That he was the vilest Wretch and Dog that the Sun shined upon or the Earth bore That now he saw his Error in not living up to that Reason which God endued him with and which he unworthily vilified and contemned wish'd he had been a starving Leper crawling in a Ditch that he had been a Link-Boy or a Beggar or for his whole Life-time confin'd to a Dungeon rather than thus to have sinend against God How remarkable was his Faith in a hearty embracing an devout Confession of all the Articles of the Christian Religion and all the Divine Mysteries of the Gospel saying that that absurd and foolish Philosophy which the world so much admir'd propagated by the late Mr. Hobbs and others had undone him and many more of the best Parts of the Nation He cast himself entirely upon the Mercies of Jesus Christ and the Free Grace of God declared to repenting Sinners through him with a thankful Remembrance of his Life Death and Resurrection begging God to strengthen his Faith and often crying out Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief His mighty Love and Esteem of the Holy Scriptures his Resolutions to read them frequently and meditate upon them if God should spare him having already tasted the good Word for having spoken to his Heart he acknowledged all the seeming Absurdities and Contradictions thereof fancied by Men of corrupt and reprobate Judgments were vanished and the Excellency and Beauty appeared being come to receive the Truth in the Love of it How terribly did the Tempter assault him by casting upon him wicked and lewd Imaginations But I thank God said he I abhor them all and by the Power of his Grace which I am sure is sufficient for me I have overcome them 'T is the Malice of the Devil because I am rescued from him and the Goodness of God that frees me from all my Spiritual Enemies He was greatly rejoiced at his Lady's Conversion from Popery which he called a Faction supported only by Fraud and Cruelty He was heartily concerned for the Pious Education of his Children wishing that his Son might never be a Wit that is as he explain'd it One of those wretched Creatures who pride themselves in abusing God and Religion denying his Being or his Providence but that he might become an Honest and a Religious Man which could only be the Support and Blessing of his Family He gave a strict Charge to those Persons in whose Custody his Papers were to burn all his profane and lewd Writings as being only fit to promote Vice and Immorality by which he had so highly offended God and shamed and blasphemed that holy Religion into which he had been baptized and all his obscene and filthy Pictures which were so notoriously Scandalous I must not pass by his pious and most passionate Exclamation to a Gentleman of some Character who came to visit him upon his Death-Bed O remember that you contemn God no more he is an avenging God and will visit you for your Sins will in Mercy I hope touch your Conscience sooner or later as he has done mine You and I have been Friends and Sinners together a great while therefore I am the more free with you We have been all mistaken in our Conceits and Opinions Our Perswasions have been false and groundless therefore God grant you Repentance And seeing him again next Day said to him Perhaps you were disobliged by my Plainness to you Yesterday I spake the Words of Truth and Soberness to you and striking his Hand upon his Breast said I hope God will touch your Heart He commanded me continues our Author to preach abroad and let all Men know if they knew it not already how severely God had disciplin'd him for his Sins by his afflicting Hand that his Sufferings were most just tho' he had laid Ten thousand times more upon him how he had laid one Stripe upon another
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
intelligo non opâ—â— esr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. Mrs. Walker of Geneva was a very extraordinary Person her Father is of Shaff-house she lost her Sight when she was but a Year old by being too near a Stove that was very hot There rests in the upper part of the Eye so much Sight that she distinguishes Day from Night and when any Person stands between her and the Light she will distinguish by the Head and its Dress a Man from a Woman but when she turns down her Eyes she sees nothing She hath a vast Memory besides the French that is her natural Language she speaks both High-Dutch Italian and Latin She hath all the Psalms by Heart in French and many of them in Dutch and Italian She understands the Old Philosophy well and is now studying the New She hath studied the Body of Divinity well and hath the Text of the Scriptures very ready on all which matters I had long Conversation with her She not only Sings well but she plays rarely on the Organ and I was told she played on the Violin but her Violin was out of order But that which is most of all is she writes legibly In order to her Learning to write her Father who is a worthy Man and hath such tenderness for her that he furnisheth her with Masters of all sorts Ordered Letters to be Carved in Wood and she by feeling the Letters formed such an Idea of them that she writes with a Crayon so distinctly that her Writing can be well Read of which I have several Essays I saw her write she doth it more nimbly than can be imagined She hath a Machine that holds the Paper and keeps her always in Line But that which is above all the rest she is a Person of extraordinary Devotion great Resignation to the Will of God and a profound Humility Dr. Burnet's Letters p. 121. 7. The Lady Donna Olivia Sabuco being abundantly furnished with more of the Masculine Wit and Understanding couragiously imployed both her Brains and Mind in the Investigation of the Natural things and advancing in her Studies she set her Wits upon things of great use and to the end Spain and the whole World might receive some benefit thereby she wonderfully gave beginning to a new and most ingenious way of Curing And Writing a Letter to Philip II. she thus displays her Wit It is as plain as the Light of the Sun That the Antient Physick was in an Errour according as it is Read and Practised in its principal Fundamentals for that the Antient Philosophers and Physicians neither understood nor reach'd the true Nature upon which Physick is founded and from whence it draws its Original of which not only the understanding Christian Physicians may be Judges but also those that have any prospect into other Faculties being Persons of Wit and Judgment And a little after He that cannot comprehend or understand it let him leave it to others that are to come or let him believe Experience and not the Antient Physick Therefore my Petition is just that these my Followers may be approved for one year since they have tried the Rules of Galen and Hippoorates for these 2000 Years and have found the effect so inconsiderable and the ends so uncertain as it is to be seen every day and was lately observed in the past Epidemic Catarrhs Spotted Fevers Small-Pox and Pestilences c. in the Cure of which that sort of Physick is so ineffectual c. Leonardo di Capoa's Vncertainy of the Art of Physick p. 97. 8. A Woman of Kenly in Shropshire known generally by the Name of Nurse Corfield was so famed about twenty years ago for her Skill in Chirurgery and Physick that it gave occasion for a great Confluence of Persons and Patients to the Town where she lived Many People not only of the meaner sort but of the Gentry likewise for thirty or forty miles distance made their application to her insomuch that the Inns were filled with Guests and the Town turned into a Hospital and her Fame exceeded that of any other Physicians in those parts that I know of yet there were many eminently skillful and learned in that Profession I know not whether she may not be yet living in those parts 9. I say nothing of those famous Prophetesses Mary the Sister of Moses Deborah Anna Elizabeth the four Daughters of Philip St. Bridget Hildegardis Cassandra the Sybils c. Nor of those famous She-Philosophers Theano the Wife of Pythagoras and his Daughter Dama skillful in the Exposition of her Fathers dark Sentences Aspasia and Diotima the Scholars of Socrates Mantinca and Philesia-Axiochia both Scholars of Plato Nor of Gemina and Amphiclea extoll'd by Plotinus Themistis by Lactantius The Church of Rome rejoices in her Catherine which Maid alone did far excel all the Learning of Wife Men in that Age. Zenobia the Queen and Scholar of Longinus the Philosopher for her abundant and excellent skill in Literature obtained the Name of Ephinissa whose Holy Works Nicomachus hath turned into the Greek Tongue In Oratory and Poetry Armesia sirnamed Androgenia was famed so were Sappho Hortensio Lucria Valeria Capiola Corinna Cornificia Romana and Erimna Telia which were accounted Epigrammatists And in Salust Sempronia and Calphurnia among the Lawyers c. Nor do I stay to insist upon that late learned Countess of our own Nation who hath left a Specimen of her Learning and Ingenuity behind her in a whole Volume of Poems and Comedies Nor of that other famous Countess of Warwick whose Ingenious Meditations upon sundry subjects composed in Solitude for the the help of her own Devotion have been since Printed Nor the Lady Morton's Devotions published in a Volume by themselves Nor Mrs. Josceline's Mother's Blessing Nor Mrs. Vrsula Quarles who hath in short but handsomely pen'd her Husband's Life Nor would it be proper to say much of one Dorothy Lillingstone who hath left behind her a short account of her own wicked Life and Penitential Death being Executed April 7 1679. at Kennington for Murdering her Bastard Child and published at earnest Request CHAP. XXXVI Wonderful Distempers THat wild computation of the Poet Mille modi mortis c. doth not reach the number of Diseases tho' it seems to be a great Hyperbole Common Diseases are many and some of them strange enough but there are others which admit at their first appearance of no Diagnosis the Symptoms are so new or strange or complicated that they put all the Art of Physick to a stand and the Physicians to ashonishment and the Patients to surprising fears and apprehensions of Danger If Men had once got the knowledge of all Distempers they would be in hopes of baffling in time all the menaces of Mortality 1. Anno. 1577. July the 5th and 6th an Assizes was held at Oxford where was Condemned one Rowland Jenkins Bookbinder of Oxford for Seditious Words who being there Arraigned many came to bear his Cause tried and as soon
as Judgment proceeded against him there arose among the People such a Damp or Mist that so filled their Heads that the greatest part of them seemed to be smother'd The Jurors died and presently the Lord Baron Sir Roger Bell Mr. Wrinemen Sir William Babington a Justice of the County Mr. Serjeant Barbam Justice of the Assize Mr. Dolley High-Shcriff Mr. Hart Under-Sheriff with divers others sickned there Three of the Persons died at Oxford and in several other places about 200 many of them Bleeding to death Batman's Doom p. 405. 2. Schenckius tells us of several Persons who thorow sudden fear have turned perfectly Grey doth Vives Hildanus and many other Physicians 3. One Jacob Heitzman contracted a Hoariness of his Beard from his Mothers Womb she being affrighted by occasion of a Neighbours House being on Fire Schenck Obs Med. l. 1. p. 3. 4. We have known two Brothers bald by Nature the one a Toll-gatherer the other a Husbandman dwelling in Vngnrscheim Johan Stadlerus de Obs 5. We have already spoken of a Distemper that began in Poland and afterwards spread it self in Germany and other parts wherein the Hairs of the Head were turn'd into a kind of Snakes and living Vermin 6. Haly Rhodâ—han saw one that was Born with a Beard and Hair Com. ad Tex 177. Tech. Galeni Wolfius observed an Infant with as much Hair on his Breast as one of 30 years of Age. Wolf Lect. Memorab Tom. 2. p. 540. And another Bristled like a Swine 7. Many Women have been seen with great Beards Albertus Duke of Bavaria kept one in his House and I my self when a young man saw one at Oxford that was carried about for a show 8. Tincelius tells us of an Infant afflicted with a Hydrocephalon or a Watrish Tumour of the Head insomuch that when 14 days old the circumsluous Flesh had quite covered his Eyes Fincel l. de Miraculis 9. Albucacis tells of another whose Head was grown so big that the Boy neither standing nor sitting could bear it upon his Shoulders so that in few days he died Albuc l. 2. c. 1. Chirurg 10. Vesalius tells of a Girl of two years of Age at Ausburg our of whose Head was taken almost nine pounds of Water Vesal l. 1. c. 5. de hum corp fabrica 11. Many have been Born with Horns upon their Head which I pass over as not very pertinent in this place 12. Johan Baptista Modoctiensix used to be seized with a Pain of his Head every morning at Sun-rising which continued increasing till mid-day and then abated by degrees Carl. l. 8. c. 44. de Varietat Gesner and Wolfius report a Story of another of the like Nature With some the like Pain hath increased so that by Noon the Persons have been Mad. 13. A certain Hungarian Merchant who had been troubled many years with a heavy Pain in the forepart of his Head and at length with a strong blowing of his Nose drew out a Stone as big as a Bean. and so hard that no Knife could cut it Schenck Obs Med. l. 1. p. 49. 14. In the Hungarian Fever call'd Theriodes it hath been observed often that Worms have crept out of the Brains of those Persons who have died Corad c. 10. Febr. Miscellan Hungar. Thercod 15. A certain rich Nobleman aged 22 who died of an Epidemical Distemper Anno 1571. in the Town of Albourg St. Sepulchre in the Marches of Ancona being opened by the Physicians whereof the famous Nicholas St. Michael was one and Schenckius himself another there was found in his Brain a red Worm as long as ones Finger with a sharp mouth a long black and hairy Neck rolling it self divers ways touching the very Basis of his Head Schenck Obs Med. l. 1. p. 50. 16. One of Galen's School-fellows was taken at his Study with a Catochus or Catalepsis lying like a Log of Wood stiff and unflexible looking upon those that came near him with open Eyes not so much as winking being neither able to speak or move any part yet hearing and remembring some things that were spoken Galen Comment 2. in 1. pro Rhet. Hipp. c. 56. 17. Fernclius tells us of one who was suddenly struck with this Distemper at his Studies so stiff that keeping his Seat and holding his Pen in his Hand with his Eyes cast down upon his Book he seemed still intent upon his Study till being called and pull'd he was found to want all Sense and Motion Fernel l. 5. c. 2. Patholog 18. Jacotius speaks of another that he saw an old man very thin and juiceless sitting at Table with open Eyes and erect Body and his Hand reaching to the Dish as if you had seen a dead man feeding but so stiff that I could scarce move his Neck saith he Jacotius Comment ad Aplor 7. l. 2. Coaz Hipp. 19. I saw saith my Author a certain Epileptical Man who first of all was whitled about several times as it were in a Circle and then fell into his Fits Oâ—thaeus l. Obs preper 20. A certain man aged 30. from his Childhood was wont when he had gone 2 or 3 paces to turn himself about as it were in a Circle and he could not forbear doing so continually from the time that he heard the Bell ring first in the morning till he heard the Bell ring the second time at night in that time wholly alâ—â—aining from all Meat and Drink At last he was seized with Epileptical Fits in a most violent manner from which Vertiginous Motion and the other direct Fit of the Falling Sickness he was after some time delivered Schenck Obs Med. l. 1. p. 103. ex Moccio 21. A Schoolmaster 's son of Drogheda not very far from Dublin as often as Epileptical Fits assailed him was so hurried with a direct motion that he went strait forward till he met with some insuperable Obstacle that stopt him otherwise neither Fire nor Water nor the steepest Precipice would hinder his course Arnoldi Boot c. 6. 22. A certain Nun of St. Vincents of Mantua by Name Monica Grignana for several years was afflicted with these Convulsive Motions She was forced to lie in Bed sitting day and night with her Head Neck and Arms tossed about forward and backward and to move them continually as she was Eating and Drinking and if any stander by endeavoured to hold them still she fell into a Swoon Schenck Obs Med. l. 1. p. 120. 23. Platerus speaks of some particularly an Abbor who without any hurt of his Mind was forced involuntarily to Laugh and toss himself about even to the utter spending of his strength Plater de Observ propr Which puts me in mind of a Story related by Henry Stephens in his World of Wonders of a Man who being at church and seeing a Woman fall down off her Seat while she was sleeping before him fell into so great a Fit of Laughter that he continued 3 days and 3 nights without giving over 24. The Dance of St. Vitas is