the first appearing of this Star wee were all in peace and seeming serene tranquility but indeed as was fore-mentioned such a peace as justly rendred us setled on the lees of carnall security Even as if this Star had been sent among us in speciall to fore-warne us of our present too loose security and therefore future ensuing infelicity if not speedily prevented by true and unfained repentance For it first appeared as I said the 18 of November the day after the annuall memoriall of Queen Elizabeths of ever most famous memory most happy inauguration to the Crowne of England the day when we began to enjoy the liberty of the Gospel and deliverance from that former most formidable yoke of Romish Egyptian bondage and slavery under bloody Babylonish and terrible conscience-curbing task-masters and which so blessed liberty we have now in a good and great measure enjoyed at least these three-score yeares And this I say seemed most particularly to bee delineated out unto us by this notable Comets appearing just on the next day to the 17 of November as if the Lord would thus have expostulated with us O England ungratefull and unfruitfull England thou hast now these sixty yeares by my free favour and bounty enjoyed my Gospel of pure peace together with the sweet and amiable peace of this my Gospel but hast beene all the while but little the better if not far the worser by it Well though I confesse I know not what I could have done more for England my choyce vine my pleasant plant then I have done having so hedged digged and dressed it yea and watered it with the dewes and drops of heaven and now that I expected it should have brought me forth sweet grapes of faith and pure obedience it hath contrariwise brought forth the wilde grapes of sin and rebellion though I say it deserves like the fruitlesse Fig-tree to be cut down and not suffered to encumber the ground any longer yet out of my meer mercy and indulgence to England I will let it alone one yeare of patience more and onely shake my rod over it with this prodigious apparition and celestiall signe of my just displeasure as a premonition thereof to move it to repentance which if it cordially fall upon well and good if not whereas all this while I have been severely whipping and scourging other neighbour-nations especially her sister Ireland to make England if it might be wise by others woes my leaden-heeles of long-sufferance patience and compassion shall be found to have Iron-hands of wrath without remedy and then I will doe my work my strange worke and bring to passe my act my strange act and when I begin I will also make an end The Lord timely open the eyes of Englands understanding that shee may see yet in this her day the things that concern her eternall peace left hereafter they bee everlastingly hid from her A second warning-piece worthy our serious notice of Gods gracious longanimity and patient forbearance toward us notwithstanding our pertinacious provocations and refractory rebellions towards him may be this A prodigious-birth and monstrous Man-childe borne in Old-bride-well about October 3. 1633. having two heads two A man-Childe born in old-Bridewell precinct having two distinct Heades two Hearts two armes the Stump of another growing-out from the back Shewn to King Charles y Queen Anno Dom 1633 Buried October the 3d BEhold good Reader here a monstrous birth To damp thy sinnes delight and marre such mirth A Man-childe born in most prodigious sort Which for undoubted truth thou mayst report Two distinct heads it had and eke two hearts Two arms whence grew a stump In other parts Like other children What may this pâ—â—tend Sure monstrous plagues doe monstrous sinnes attend The sinnes of Heads in government abus'd The sinnes of hearts opinions false infus'd And broacht abroad to raise up foes and factions And Armes and Armies to confound with fractions Dis-joynted States like stump-like Ireland Whiles brothers thus 'gainst brothers lift their hand This surely God seemes hereby to foretell That having Plagues must hideous Sinnes expell hearts two armes and a stump beside This childe was borne of poor parents inhabitants in that precinct Which foresaid Birth being so marvellous and prodigious a Monster in nature was carried and shewed to King Charles our Soveraigne and his royall consort the Queen who greatly astonisht at the sight thereof most graciously and charitably sent the poore woman the mother of it five pieces to refresh her in her present poverty and weaknesse Now whereas peradventure some may here object and say Why doe you count this such a wonder which is as the Naturalists and Philosophers affirme and write but a deficiencie and weaknesse of nature Whereunto I answer This is an objection indeed but of a meere naturalist and carnall man who is willing only to look upon externall and secondarie causes not considering the wonders and operations of Gods hands David could say that a man in his ordinary naturall and well-composed generation is fearfully and wonderfully made how much more terribly and wonderfully when the Lord is pleased to frame such a fearfull and wonder-striking birth in the womb of his creature so contrary to nature And did not the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe the fountaine of wisedome and understanding yea far more wise then all the Naturalists and Philosophers that ever were or will be tell his Disciples who curiously questioned the cause why that man mentioned in the Gospel that was borne blinde from his mothers wombe was so made by God that the Lords mighty power might be manifested in him And although it cannot be denied but that sometimes such monstrous births are produced by defect of nature yet it s as true that frequently the Lord is pleased to cause such monstrous productions from his creatures as predictions and forerunners of some fearefull judgement to come for sinne For otherwise God could have given power as in an ordinary way he does to have brought forth to perfection But t is confest clearly by that wise and famous Historian Iosephus foâ—ementioned at the beginning of this Treatise who there brings in that strange and unnaturall birth of the Cow which brought forth in the Temple of Jerusalem a Lamb instead of a Calfe and which he there introduceth as one of the fearfull forerunners and signes of Jerusalems ensuing misery and desolation to which prodigious birth this also me thinkes may fitly be a paralell and justly be taken for a fearfull prediction of wrath to come if not prevented by timely repentance And why may wee not yet farther consider even with particular application this monstrous birth to this effect That God by these two heads two hearts two armes and a stump of another in this child might let us now see his hastning judgements and wrath on our Kingdoms of England and Ireland wherein hath beene too manifestly seen
â—RODIGIES Apparitions or Englands Warning Pieces â—eing a Seasonable Description â—y lively figures apt illustration â—â— many remarkable prodigious fore-runers apparent Predictions of Gods Wrath against England if not timely prevented by true Repentance Written by J. V. Are to be sould by Tho Bates in ould Bâ—â—â— by Ralphe Markland neere the 〈◊〉 PRODIGIES and APPARITIONS OR ENGLANDS Warning-Pieces HIstories doe report and make mention of Tamberlane that famous Warriour and great scourge of the Turke as he was termed that in his battels especially in his intended siege and assault of a City or Towne his custome was first to hang out a white flag or banner in the sight of the Besieged thereby intimating to them his tender of mercy and favourable-quarter to them if they would instantly yeeld and submit to his mercy But if that would not serve but that they resolved to stand it out against him and put it to the hazard of warre then hee hung out a red flag in token that now there was nothing but death and destruction to be expected upon their refusall of his profered favor and mercy to them Even so Almighty God the great and supreme Sovereigne of all Nations and Kingdomes and the most terrible heart-tamer and wonder-working-wonder-working-King of all Kings who with the word of his mouth and breath of his nostrils is able to subdue the mightiest Kings Kingdoms and people and to cast down al strong holds and mightiest mountaines before him as those Heathen Kings Nebuchadnezar and King Darius freely confessed Yet I say though he be so mighty and terrible a God when hee is provoked to wrath by the sinnes and transgressions of a nation or people he never punisheth but he first admonisheth and heerin like this foresaid Tamberlane before hee intends the ruine of a Nation or a Kingdome he first holds out the white flag of his profered grace and mercy on their true repentance and hearty reformation from their evill courses and conversation but if this will not worke kindly on them but they wil obstinately and stubbornly stand out and refuse his mercy and proffered grace and favour then at last he hangs out his red-flag of wrath and confusion and sodainly consumes his proud and rebellious opposers all insolent and incorrigible sinners who have thus made themselves uncapable of mercy and compassion and are so become as combustible stubble in the presence of a terrible and angry God who as a consuming fire devoures them as in a moment For as the Prophet sayes who is able to stand before or to dwell with everlasting burnings Now this mercifull course of our mercifull God in thus hanging out first this white-flag of favour and mercifull premonitions which is the thing mainly intended to be described in these following figures and ocular-Emblemes of prodigious portentious and apparitions before he inflicteth severe punishments on his sinning Servants The Lord useth to manifest unto them divers waies but most especially and most remarkably these two waies Either by his Prophets and faithfull Preachers declaring his word and will to his people as Ionas in Ninevie and all the Prophets else to the people of Israel in their constant proclaiming mercy to Penitents but judgement and wrath to obstinate sinners and refractorie transgressours Or else by sending prodigious signes and wonders among them either by fearfull apparitions in the ayre monstrous births heart-frighting-voyces and exclamations oftimes unknowne from whence or by whome uttered and such like And this last course the Lord hath also frequently taken with a provoking and impenitent people in all ages and times And this is the thing which in this little Treatise is mainly intended to be declared and insisted upon Namely to shew that even of late also in these our modern times as well as in former and ancient ages we being by our sins and transgressions a greatly provoking people incensing and exasperating the high indignation and wrath of the Lord against us yet he hath among us also shewn himself to bee God that changeth not full of compassion and slow to wrath bending his bow whetting his sword holding up his arm ready to let it down yet loath to strike that so by these preparations to the blow before it falls heavie upon us we might see and shun and avoid it by our true and cordiall repentance Now in the first place I shall very briefly give you a taste and sight of what God hath done in this nature and kinde in former ages and times and so passe on succinctly to our owne times which I say is here mainly intended And first to begin with him who is the beginning and end of all things even the Lord Jesus Christ our most pretious and deare Saviour the authour and finisher of our faith that glorious Lord of life and Prince of peace who being born into the world in the dayes of an Emperour of peace Augustus Caesar then Emperour of Rome yet bringing into the world not onely peace but a sword also peace to penitent and broken-hearted beleevers and a sword of variance and revenge to proud and impenitent sinners Therefore at his birth what a most admirable and unparalel'd Starre was seen in the East so great and so miraculous a Starre as hath puzled and posed the greatest and most learned Astronomers and Mathematicians of the world A white Flag of mercy indeed yea of everlasting redemption from Sin Death and Hell if graciously accepted with firm faith and found universall obedience But a red Flag of wrath and confusion yea of horror and perdition if obstinately rejected or lazily neglected by sin and ignorance and infidelity Again a little before the destruction of that great and most magnificent Metropolis of the whole world Jerusalem I mean what fearfull and prodigious fore-warnings were sent to that Citie to foreshew them the wrath to come As first a fearfull blindnesse and stupidity of minde or hardnesse of heart the most fearfull fore-runner of wrath toward them of all the rest not to see or beleeve those wonderfull fore-warnings which God then sent among them Secondly a Comet like a sword and a bright shining light in their Temple round about their Altar in the midst of the night Thirdly a Cow which should have then been sacrificed that brought forth a Lamb in the midst of the Temple Fourthly the great and massie brasen gate of the Temple which opened of it self Fiftly fearfull and hideous sights and apparitions in the aire of mighty companies of Chariots and armed men in an hostile manner Sixtly and lastly a voyce was heard in the Temple crying out Let us goe hence With other such like mentioned by Iosephus in his famous history of the Jewes page 738. But to come neerer to our own times Are not the fearfull apparitions and signes in the heavens and prodigies on the earth
to our sorrow such divisions by two heads the King and this renowned Parliament some siding with the one and some with the other by two hearts Papists and Protestants or Malignant and well affected Christians some standing for Truth and some for Errour some for Christ and some for Antichrist some for Gospel and a holy Reformation and some for beggarly Ceremonies and Romish trash and trumpery two armes or armies for just defence in England and Scotland and a miserable and monstrous stump of an arme in lamentably torne and mangled Ireland And this use I remember our brethren in New England not long since made of another most prodigious and mishapen and monstrous birth brought foorth by a Gentlewoman of that New Plantation who had beene a maine fautrix if not originall broacher of very many most wicked dangerous damnable opinions in their Church God having declared his high displeasure therat by her so fearfull monstrous and mis-shapen birth which as a godly Minister there related had as many externall and corporall deformities in its body as she maintained diversities of most dangerous opinions Which was all of it I say testified for most true by some of the most learned and godly Pastours and people amongst them Againe have we not had many most remarkable warnings and fearfull forerunners of Gods displeasure against us for our sinns and transgressions by most hideous and horrour-striking-thunder-claps and spirit affrighting-Lightnings doing much and most fearfull hurt burning defacing and spoiling our very materiall Churches and houses in this Kingdome most manifestly giving us to understand that something surely is much amisse even in our Churches and worship and service of the Lord our God as I shall afterward more particularly and truly shew in our most sumptuous and superfluously huge built Churches and Cathedrall Minsters indeed farre more like Heathen Temples then Christian Churches And as an undoubted testimony of Gods displeasure heerein take first that most memorable and terrible yea never to bee forgotten example of Gods wrath deep indignation manifested by thunder and lightning against superstitious superfluous and idolatrous impieties in our Churches of England which God was pleased to manifest upon the Parish Church of Withcombe in Devonshire besides divers other Churches in other places much about the same time also which is the more remarkeable being a very faire Church and but then newly trimmed having a very fayre Towre with great and small pinnacles and reported to be one of the fairest and most famous Church steeples in all the Westerne parts of England which I have heere described and set foorth in this Figure and Embleme for the Readers better content and satisfaction Which said faire Church and steeple was most fearfully and furiously assaulted with most hideous thunder and lightning on the 21. day of October 1638. which also was so much the more admirable being in the Winter season which was the Lords Day and in the time of their Church Service or Evening Prayer still the more observable in the midst of the performance of which duties I say on a sudden there was heard most fearfull heart-damping claps of thunder much like the roaring noise or ratling reports of great A most prodigious fearefull storme of winde lightning thunder mightily defaceing Withcomb-church in Deuon burning and slayeing diverse men and women all this in service-time on the Lords day Octob 21. 1638 HEre Reader ope thine eyes and ears and heart Consider what this figure doth impart Behold and tremble to behold and see How Christ Gods Lambe a Lion fierce can be When Sin doth patience into passion turne And make sweet favour like fierce fury burne When Bethel is a baudie-Babel made God will his fair Jerusalems invade When for pure worship of his sacred name We Idol-Altars Popish-Rites will frame O how the jealousie of God doth burn All Idol-worship quite to over-turne Shall England thus pretend a reformation And yet uphold Romish abomination Surely as here God will let England know If these continue God will angry grow Canons and musket shot discharged upon which presently followed a most fearfull Fog and almost palpable darknesse all over the Church and a most strong and almost stifling Stygian stink and loathsome smell of brimstone together with a most boysterous and blustering blast of wind and clap of thunder which strucke in at the Northside of the steeple or towre and tearing through a strong wall came into the Church through the highest window and bare before it sheere away a great part thereof and with a mighty power it also strook away the Northside wall of the Church and violently battered and shook it very much passing on toward the Pulpit and in the way tooke with it the lime and sand from off the wall grating the wall much and mightily defacing it it having been but lately new whited and trimmed as aforesaid It tore away also most fiercely the side Deske from the Pulpit colouring the pulpit it selfe of a black hew and leaving it as moist as if it had been newly washed over with inke In which time there was also a most terrible and heart-astonishing lightning which did both mightily affright the people and even scald their skin with the extreame heat thereof insomuch as the greatest part of them fell prostrate some on their faces and some on their knees and some one upon another screeking and crying out in a most pittifull and patheticall manner The Ministers wife there present had her Ruffe and Linnen next her body burnt off and her body it self grievously scorched One Mistresse Ditford sitting in the seat with her had her Gowne two Wast-coats and her linnen next her body also grievously scorched Another woman frighted with this fearfull spectacle running out of the Church had her cloathes set on fire her body scorched her flesh torne on her back in a most grievous manner One Master Hill a Gentleman had his head smitten against the wall and died the very next day of it Sir Richard Reynolds his Waâ—â—iner had his head cloven his skull rent in three pieces whereof two fell in the next seat the other fell down in the seat where he sate his braines fell entirely whole into the next seat behinde him his blood dasht against the wall some of the skin of his head flesh and haire to the quantity of an handfull was carried into the Chancell his body left in the seat as though he had been alive sitting asleep and leaning on his elbow resting on the desk of his Pew with the fore-part of his head and face whole O most terrible and fearfull power of the Lord A man that sate before him in the same seat was scalded and burnt all over on that side next the said Warriner In the second seat behinde the Warriner a man was in a most grievous manner burnt and scalded all over his