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PREFACE

Si

IT feemethhard to unduly Minds, ; that God (hould keep Jntelie&ual c ouls ; fo -itrange tovthe unfeen World;of Spi;its; that^e know fo ]itt e of tftem, and that our Knowledge of them, is no more by the way of : enfe: But there is in ir, mucn of Gods arbitrary Soveraign Power, and much of his Wildom, and much of his Juftice, ancialfoof his Love.

u It pleafed hini to make. Variety of Creatures: What harmony would there be without Variety?u ere there nothing but linity, there would be nothing but God. And various Creatures , muft have a various Situation, Reception and Operations; The Kfh.es muft aot A 2 ' dwell

The Preface.

dwell in our Cities, nor be acquainted with our Affairs.

2. We here dwell in Flefh, in Bodies organized for the Souls Receptions and Perceptions, and Operations: And the Wifdom of God doth fuitably difpofe of his Communications, and give us that meafureof Light, which is agreeable to our State: The Sun muft not fliine on the Infant in the Womb , nor muft he there fee our Buildings and Tradings, and Bufinefs in the World,

3. We have Light here, that is proportionable to our work and intereft ; So much as is neceffary to our knowing of ourfelves, and our God and Gover-Tiour, and our Duty, and all thofe hopes that are our neceffary Motives thereto.

- Men that will but obterve the Operations of their Souls, may competently know what a Soul or Spirit is: And Men that

6 will but open their Eyes, and confide-rately look about them, may as certainly know that there is a God, as they can know that there is any Being: And Men that cannot but difference Moral Good and Evil, and that know the Duty of

Children

The Preface.

Children to-Parents, Subje&s to Rulers? and Neighbours to Neighbours, may know their Duty to God, snd that the performance of it fhall not be in vain : And if Men will not know all this which they may know , it is juft with God to leave them to their chofen dark-nefs, and not to know that which further might be known. It is a difmal cafe to have a Soul that will not knowitfelf, to be what it is, till utter Mifery con* vince him.

4. And the God of Lovemaketh Advantage of our nofrfeeing the World of Spirits, for ourExercife of our higher Intellectual Faculties,by a Life of Faith 5 And 4 Intuition (a Nobler fort than our prefent Eye-fight) will be feafonable , and foon enough when ripenefs hath made us ready for it. We (hall not need all the Organical parts of the Eye,which Galen admiringly defcribeth, for our Glorious fight And to fee Devils and other Spirits ordinariy , would not be enough to bring our Atheifts to the fa-ving Knowledge of God ? without which all other Knowledge is vain, They

The Preface.

that doubt of a God (the moft perfeft, eternal, infinite Being ) while they fee the Sun and Moon, and 6tars, the Sea andLand,wbuldriot KnoWhimby feeing Created Spir ts.

As to the Originals of this r 'olle<fHoii, it had its rife from my own, and other Mens need. When God fir ft au akened me, to think with preparing? ferioufnefs of my Condition after Death, I had not any obferved Doubts of the Reality of Spirits , or the Immortality of the Soul 3 erof theTruth of the Gqfpel :But all my doubts were about my own Renovation and Title to that BleiFed Life. But when God had given me peace of Gonfcience, Satan Aflaulted me with thofe worfe Temptations: Yet through Gods Grace, they never prevailed agairift my Faith : Nor did he ever raife in me the lead doubt of the Being, and Teyfe&ion of God 3 nor of my Duty to hove, Honour\ 0%,and Trufi him: For I ftill faw that to be an Atheift was to be mad.

But I found that my Fai h of Surer-mtjral Revela ion, muft be more than % Believing Man , and th&t if it ha:! rot

a firm

The Preface.

a firm Foundation,and rooting,eveii y*re Evidence of Verity, Surely Apprehended 9 it was not like to clo thqfe great works thatFaith had to do,and to overcome the World, the Flefh and the Devil,and to make my Death to be fafeand comfortable. Therefore! found that all confirming helps were u r eful 7 and among thole of the lower fort, Apparitions, and o-ther fenfible Manifeftations of the certain exiftence oi Spit its .of themfelves Invifible, was a means that might do much with fuch as are prone to judge by Senfe. The ufes hereof I mention before the Book, that the Reader may know that I write it for Tra£tice y and not to pleafe Men with the Strangenefs and Novelty of ufelefs Stories. It is nofmall number of Writers on fuch Subjects that I have reaa,it\$ near three-fcore years time from the firft occafion : And finding that almoft all the Athcifts, Sadduces and Infidels, did feem to pro* fefs, that wer3 they butfure of the Reality of the Apparitions and Operations of Spirits, it would cure them, I thought this the moft fuitable help for them ,

A 4 that

The Preface.

that have finned themfelves into an incapacity of more Rational and Excellent Arguments. And I have long feared, leit fecr t uno T ferved defe&ivenefs in their Belief of the Immortality of the Soul, nd the truth of the Scripture, is the great caufe of all Mens other de-feds : There lieth ufually the unfound-nefs of Worldly Hypocrites, where it is prevailing; and thence is the weakaefs of Grace in the bed, though it prevail not againft their Sincerity.

By which Motives I did ( though it difpleafed fome ) make it the Second Tart of my Book, called the Saints Reft : And afterward provoked by clement Writer, I rid itmu h more fully in a Book called the Unnafonablenefs of Infidelity : And after 'hat, provo^d by the Copy of a pape- ciifperfed in Oxford \ ( faid to i e Dr. Walkers ) queftioning the certainty of our Religion, and feeing no anfwer to it come from the Univerfity Men, I wrote yet more Methodically of all, in a Book called the Heafons qP .he Chriftian Religion : And after added a fmallDifcourfe called Mare

Reafom

The Preface.

Reafons for it, provoked by one that called himfelf Herbert, in which alfo I anfwered the Lord Herbert^ de veri-tate : And fince then, a namele s Sad-duce hath draun me to publifh an An* fwer to him: And in my Life of Faith, aod other Books,I have handled the fame Subject; All which I tell the Reader, that he may fee why I have taken this Subject as io neceffary, why I am ending my Life with the publication of thefe Hiftorical Letters and Collections; Which I dare fay have fuch Evidence, as will leave every v adduce that read-eth them, either convinced, or utterly without excufe.

Surely the certainty of fo great a change of our place , State, Company and Works, as Death will certainly and quickly make, (liquid poflefs every Man that hath the ufe of Reafon, with fuch ferious Thoughts, Affe&ions and Diligence , as is quite contrary to a Diverted, Carelefs, Sloathful, Worldly, Sen-fualand itupid Mind and Life.

How fpeedily (hall I fee the WorkJ that I have read of, and Preached, and

talk'd

The Preface

talfct and written of ? O ! What a difference will there be between my now hearing of frightfol Apparitions, and prodigious A&s of Spirits,andthat fight or knowledge of all their State and Affairs 5 which I fhallhave , and now am going to. The fight of Devils and Damned Divefes, and unholy Souls , will hereafter be no Rarity 5 and if my Soul muft pafs through the airy inferior Region, where thefeMiferable Spirits now inhabit, it will not be as dangeroufly AfTaulted by them, but in Triumph: For I know whom I have trufted , and into the hands of him do I commit my Spirit, who hath con-querred Death and Devils , and is now the Glorified Lord of all, and can ufe them at his pleafure. Ad thole Angels that rejoice at the Repentance of of a Lazaru* , and now are Miniflxing Spirits for his fafety, will be ready in Obedience to our Lord, to convey his Soul to Abrahams bofom: Yea, to be that day with Chrift in Para-jdife.

He

The Preface.

He that chaineth up thefe Devils, that they moleft us no more as their Malice dothdefire, will make ourpaf-fage fafe through all their envy and defiled Regions.

But feeing it is the free will of Man that giveth the Devils their hurting power, and they can do us no harm, nor make us fin, without our own confent or yielding : O! With how careful and conftantand refolved watch-fulnefs fhould we live ? And how de-fervedly may every prayerlefs ungodly Family and perfon , be left for a prey to this devourer. And indeed he hath already hurt them more by blind ng and hardening their Hearts, than a thoufand haunting Apparitions could of themfelves have done.

And when Excellent Zancby hath faid fo much to prove, that it is by hs very contiguous v ubftance , that the Devil doth work on Sou! and Body, how dreadful fhould Temptations and Sin be to us, if we would not have the very fubftance of Devils dwell in us ? And why do any think

The Preface.

it firange to read fo much of Poffeili-ons and DifpofTeflions in the Gof-pel.

Lord Jefus let me Finifli my Courfe with joy: And then receive my Spirit. Amen.

**&£* Richard Baxter.

The

The CONTENTS.

'Cfaap.I /^\P the great and weighty Vfesof V>J the Hiftories of Spirit /, and their umtfual apparitions and Actions.

Ch. II. § i. lnftance i. The Devil of Mafcon. 1 X. Colloml Bowen'j Story, in divers Letters^ 5. My Friend and Neighbour CoUonel John Bridget Story.

4. One iVLondon, yet living.

5. One at BelMt.

6. One at Ilchefteiv

7. Mr. Mompeflbrfr Story.

8. At Lutterworth.

9. MaryEllinso/Evefham.

10. One in Dorfetfhire.

11. Nathan Crab of Exeter.

12. The firange Story of the Devil ofGetl-luce, in Dr. Sindare.

13. The Witches hanged in Suffolk and Efifex.

14. The Brightling Story.

15. Lord Breghill' s Story of one at St. JamesV,

16. Simon Jones of Kiderminfter.

17. Richard White of Wilden-Hall. ".

18. Mr. Hopkins o/Bewdley.

19. ^f» In fiance now in London. 2.0. Another as ftrange.

21. Mr. White at Lambeth.

22. One from Cambridge.

23. One at Hunniton.

24. Another there.

25. Mr, Ch. HattV Story.

cfa.ni.

The Contents.

Oitfll. The firange Story of M r . May Hill, AHmfier of Beckington in Somerfetfliire. Mr. Increafe md Mr. Cotton Mather s ln~

fiances. The Story of Mr. Vzcfs Daughters at LeftO. Ch.IV* Many Hifiories few me by Dukf

Lauderdale, and one that taught a Minifter

to fpeak true Latin, and his Detection of fome

Poptjh Frauds.

Cb. V. Of Witchcraft. Inft. i.' Alexander

Benedidus, 2. Benevenius. 5. Langius.

4. Cornelius Gemma.^

5. Sidelicus, *'#Skenkuis* 6- Wolphius. 7. Sebaftian Brand-

$. Fabricius Hildanus. \ %

9. Fa?lix Platerus. jo. Hollerius.

11. Petrus Foreftus-

12. Scribonius,— Many Inftancesof the Con-cubitus of Damons mth Womtn.

13. Many [truck h Damons: Scribonius.

14. Witches raifing Storms.

15. Erafmus'/ Story; of an Apparvion that burnt the Town.

16. TheSelling ofMnds ^Lapland and Ifeland.

17. The Bleeding of wurde* d bodies.

18. ScvlhomUSSJtrarje Stpry.

ig m Mr. Farmworch 0/^ MiizQ Sacrifice to

the Devil. "'\ ^

20, JLu-

The Contents.

so* Ludovicus Vives Teftimony. %l. Zanchy's Teftimony. 22. Melancthon'* Teftimony.

%$ 9 A wonderfHistory of .Dr.Henric.ab Heer&

24. Merik Caufabone of &VTheqdMeyerne.

25. Divers Inftances from Fernelius.

26. Sir Theod. Meyerne's -prudent Judgment*

27. Gerh. Voflms'/ Teftimony.

28. Lavater.

29. Bijhop JoC Hall.

30. Cyprian, and aftrange Story \ n him from Firmilianus.

31. The New England hftances on Mrs. Hut-chinfon and Mrs. Dyer* published by Mr*

- Thomas, Weld-■ J

32. Zanchy 5 / Opinion that the Devil's Subftame is in them that they move,

33. Luther 9 / Teftimony*

34. More e/Melancthon'/.

Ch. VI. Mr. John Lewis and Mr. John Da» Vis'/ Multitudes of Inftances of Apparitions in Cardiganshire 5 and near it, of Knockers and Death-Lights.

Ch. VII. toft. I. Mr.TxKonsNarrative&om

Rochefter. 2, ^fr. Woodcock'/ Letter, and four ftrange

Stones: One of Mr.Mutl'y and one of Dr.

Lamb and Mr. Barber; and one of Mr.Her-r* imr V*^* 5 *» d °f the Oundte-mn. Ui. VIIL Of good Angels, and fome doubtful

Spmts. Inft. 1. Mr.Tzt€s Cafe. I. The JBolton Inftance.

fr The

* The Contents,

3. The Afric Bijhops.whofe Tongues were cut outl 4» Somewhat from De la Cerda. % Mr. Ketilby Woodhoufe^ Teftimony of fame faved from Sir Richard Greenvile.

6. Of the Books of Prodigies, l66z*

7. Of Lightnings tearing Churches.

8. Of Whirlwinds and Hurricanes. $< Of Mrs. BrittonV Apparition.

io- More from De la Cerda.

II. Hildanus^ ftrange Story of Lightning.

Ch. IX. Inft. i. Of melancholy Perfons Cafe.

2 . Of Enthufiafts: Inflames named,of divers forts.

Ch X 5 Other ftrange Providences obfervablepn wyfetf* on ^f C. on Tho. Giles, on J. D.

Of Death fore-told: Jnftance of Mr* Tiro, Co-lonel Rich and his Ladys Letters of it.

Of the GMtonbury-Thorn, divers Letters.

Of the Kings of England and France Touching for the Struma.

Ch.XI. A ftrange Story from Belfaft in Ireland, fully attefted in a Letter from M^.Tho. Emlin, a worthy Preacher, now in Dublin.

Ch. XII- A Dublin-Infiance, attefted by Mr, Daniel Williams, now in London.

Th£ Conclufion, Concerning Angels, and how to know bad spirits from Good; by the Matter, and their Method: And what Inftm-tnents Christ and Devils ufe in their greatejt pMick Warfare\ %

am

Of the great and weighty Vfes of thefe Hiftories of Sprits, and their unufual Appearances and Wor^s.

i

§. I. " " Have written this Colle&ion only as an /Addition to fuflkient Proofs of invifible Powers or Spirits, and their A&ions towards Men, which many in full Treatifes have already given the World ; becaufe how convincing foever thofe Difcouriesbe, Multitudes bred up in Idlenefs and Senfuality, and thereby drowned in Sadduceifm and Beitiality, never fee thofe Books 5 nor will the Devil confenc that they i'hall have fo much Wit and Care of their future State, as to make that diligent Enquiry after fuch Things as the Importance of the Matter doth require; Nor will they read them, if they have them 5 nor believe the fulled Evidence, though they aad it; pretending that of Perfons and Things fo long ago, and far orT, they can have no AfTurance, not knowing what Fallacies raay intervene.

B There-

Therefore I have chofen many near to them, both for Time and Place 5 of which, if they think their Souls worth fo much Labour, they may enquire to Satisfaction.

§ 2, Though I have taken many out of foreign moft credible Fhyficians, and fome from other Hiftorians, yet, that I may not tranfcri^e too much, I defire them that need yet fuller Information, to read efpecially Bodln and RemigiM, two Judges who condemned Multitudes of Witches themfelves, and Fad. Griliandtts, and Spr anger us, and the M.alk'% Maleficomni) and Zanchy de Angelis & Damon, and Datr&tt, Jofeph Glanvile with

Dr. Moreh Notes, efpecially the Story in the Wed of Scotland, near like that mod convincing one of the Devil of Mafcon $ and Dr, More of Atheifm } 2nd Mr. Increafe Ma-ther, and his Son Mr. Cotton Mather of New England, their two Books of Witches, of which, the latter hath moil convincing Evidence 3 and Dr. S'wcUre s a Scot.

§3-1 confefs 3 it is "very difficult to expound the Caufes of all mentioned in thefe

Hiitories: hut provec Matters of fact mud not be denied, bur improved as well as we can. And"! cpnfefs, very many Cheats of pretended Pcflefficns have been difcovered,-which hath made ton\e weak, injudicious Men think that all are fuch* Two ions of

Perkins

^Apparitions and Witches. %

Perfons have oft been found Deceivers % x. Perfons prepared and trained up pur-pofely by Papifls Priefts, to honour their Exorcifms. You may find in print the Story of the Boy ofBilfon (Vetrius, who afterwards I heard turned Quaker at Bri&ol) dete&ed and fhamed by Bp. Morton himfelfc Many fuch abroad are recorded, i. Luft-ful,Rank, Girls and young Widows, that plot for fome amorous, procacious Defign* or have Imaginations conquered by Luft: Though, I think, when they come to a F«-ror Htenmsy Satan oft fets in.

But he forfeiteth the Benefit of his own Eye-fight, who thinks that none fee, be-caufe fome Beggars counterfeit Blindnefi.

§4. Thelnftances tell us, 1. That the State, Converfe, Policy, Laws of the Aerial World, or Regions, are much though not wholly) unknown to us here. 2. And ' fo is the Natural State of the departed Souls of wicked Men, as to their having Bodies, or no Bodies, their Power, their Wits,their Motions, and Pafficns. g.Andaifo whether they be proper Devils when joyned with them, or of another Species. 4. And 'tis hard to know by their Words or Signs, when it is a Devil, and when it is a Humane Soul that appeared. 5. Yea, it is oft hard to know whether it be the Soul of a good Perfon, or a bad. 6. And confequently, what di-B % ftance

fiance there is in their Habitations. 7. Yea, and oft whether it be a good Angel, or a bad, feeing bad ones may do good deceitfully, or by Conftraint. 8. And "'tis un* fearchable to us, how far God leaveth Invi-fible, Intelle&ual Powers to Free Will a-bout inferiour things; fufpending his predetermining Motion, though not his general Motion and Concourfe. 9. Yea, we are not fully certain whether thefe Aerial Regions have not a third fort of Wights, that are neither Angels, (Good or Fallen,) nor Souls of Men, but fuch as have been there placed as Fifhes in the Sea, and Men on Earth: And whether thofe called Fairies and Goblins are not fuch.

But as all thefe, and more fuch, are unknown to us, fo God feeth it meet for us that it fjhould be fo, and we ihould not fo much as deilre or endeavour that it might be other wife.

§ $ . But we may know, (which mud fuffice us,) 1. That no Spirits can do any thing, but by God's Will or Permiffion. 2. And that God will never permit them eventually to fruftrace his Love and Mercy to his People, nor to break any one of his Promifes to them. 3 And that good Spirits are Servants, and evil Ones Slaves to Jefus thrift, our Redeemer, and (hall not frustrate his Grace and Undertaking. 4- Is

is

apparitions and Witches, j

is furely a wicked fort of Spirits that delight to do Mifchief, and that Jye and deceive Men, and that are ambitious to be woffhipped, and to have Men's Souls and Bodies in their power, and make killing and damning Men their Work: ' Fis evident that their Knowledge and Mifery hath not yet changed them by Repentance, and made them better. 5. TEH evident that they are Enemies to God, and to Jefus Chrift; for their whole Defign is againft them< and againft fanetifying, faving Work. 6. It is plain that they know that Man hath another Life to live: Their Works atteft the Immortality of our Souls, and the ^ruth of ChriiHanity, in that they malicioufly do fo much againft them: They urge Men to renounce God and Ohrift, and his Commandments and Worfhip, their Baprifm, and all true Service of God ' They urgg Perfons to fell their Souls to them, and to foriake all that tends to fave them, Their Importunity to deftroy us, ihould teach us the Need of the greateft Care and Diligence for our Salvation. 7. It feemech plain that they are now of a low and bafe Condition of Nature, in that th.ey (etk !uch fordid Employments about Graves and Corps, and multitudes of fordid, trivial things. 8. And it fcems that they dwell near us, in the Air, Earth and Sea, and not in the higher glorious Regions. 9. And it Bj is

is apparent that they have a natural Strength, and Ways of working, unknown to us, by the Wonders that they do- 10 It is very like that the howls of wicked Men now dwell with them as they muft do for ever, and are like them. 11. I think it mod likely, that when Witches, Men and Women, confefs their fil-' thy Lying with Devils, that it is done more to exercife the Lutt of the Witch than of the Devil: And that fometimes he doth it by a Body of grofs Air, and fometimes may grati-fie the Lull of one Witch on another, or on a tempted ignorant Wretch. Me that can bring a Witch in without opening the Door, can bring (uch an one (Male or Female) into another's Bed. 12. It is not impoilible that wicked Souls may carry wiih them hence their filthy Inclinations, and Defire to ufe them- 13. It is plain that Devils and wic-'ked Souls are not yet in the utmoft of their Mifery, but are referved in Chains to the Judgment of the great Day of Chrift: Such joking, and dallying, and whittling, as the Devil of Mafcon, and many other ufed, fhew this. 14. It is clear, that whether you call it [in State, or Place,"] (I think both,) the bleffed Souls and Angels are far above thefe, in a higher World or Region, and no wonder if they appear more rarely to Men 00 Earth' 15. Yet Angels can be here, and do their Office for us, without fueh Defcest as (hall abate their Joy and

Glory 1

Glory; and why not blefled Souls too, if they (hall be equal with Angels ? The Sun can enlighten every Eye here, without lo fingits higher Refidence. 16. When revengeful things are done, (as on Murderers, Defrauders, &c.) it feems to be from the revengeful Wrath of fome bad Soul, efpe-ciallywhen it is. about Money or Lands, it feemeth to fay.our of the Worldly Mind: Yet it is uncertain whether it may not be from the Juftice of God, and governing Angels, fending the Evil Spirits on fuch Errands. A Hawk and- a Hound are fitter Meffengers to deftroy,' than a Dove or a Lamb. 17. When a Genius flieweth fome Kindnefs to the Soul, (as his that I mentioned, that knocketh at his Bed's Head, and about him, after every time that he is drunk; and one that Bodln mentioneth, that was ftricken when he faid or did amifs ? J it is uncertain to us, whether it be a good Angel, or the Soul of fome former dear Friend, that procureth this Leave, to try to turn and fave the Sinner: Or whether Chrift and Angels force Satan to doit againft his Will. 18. Though the unquenchable Fire which Is to follow will fhew the utmoft Severity of God's Juftiee, there is fome figmfication of his Mercy to the Wicked, in fufpending it fo far, as to allow them fuch a Condition as many of thefe Apparitions fignifie by their. Words and Deeds. 19 Yet here is no-B 4 thing

thing to encourage their Opinion, thatsthink fuch Souls or Demons are but in via, and have Another Day of Hope, and Means to ufe, ij in poftbility of Salvation: And though many arefaid to have begged of the Living for MaiTes and Prayers, it is liker to prove a Diabolical Cheat, to promote Superfti-tion,-<;than that there is a Purgatory-State of Hopfe! 20. Thofe that ar6 tempted to think thar,-Souls are all one, .and that Individuation is only by Corporeal Matter, and that Individuation ceafetfo* at' Death, are by all thefe Examples fully confuted: Devils and wicked Souls have their Numerical Individuation, and therefore no Godly Perfon need to fear the Lois of it< Either it is gOoii or bad for us: If good, {hall the Wicked and Devils have it, and not the Godly ? If bad, why.fliould it bedefired? Angels Sre Individuals; and (hall not our Souls ?

§ 6. Thefe great Benefits we may get by the right Ufe of thefe Hiiiories, and fuch others.

i. We may learn to admire that Frame of Divine Government, that hath Creatures fo various to rule and order, and make th one beautiful Frame of all. As Toads and Serpents on Earth are not ufelefs, nor devouring Fifties., Birds and Beafts 3 fo neither are Devils, nor damned Souls, no nor their Sins, which God will ufe 5 though he will not caufe< ? %> We

apparitions and Witches. g

2I We may gather that in Heaven itfelf, there will be an orderly ©economy and difference of degrees of Superiority and of Glory, when there is fo great difference through all the World. All (hall not be equal to them that (hall fit on twelve Thrones, Judging the twelve Tribes: There are many Maniions in that Houfe, even to them that be all with Chrili.

3. We have great Caufe to be very thankful to God , that doth not let loofe wicked Spirits againft us, that they are not here our Terror and Tormentors.

4. How great a Mercy is it, that we have a Saviour that hath power over them, and hath Redeemed us from their Power , and from everlafting Damnation.

5. We may fee that the Angels of God are not ufelefs to us 5 but their Miniftry is one of Gods Means for our Prefervition, and we owe them, Love and Thanks for all their Love and Service: And it is not, through Pride or Infenfibility of this benefit, that we do not worfhip them, whom we fee not.

6. If the Devils poflefling and tormenting Mens Bodies, be (o heavy a Plague, how much worfe is it to have him the Mailer of their Souls? OJ How carefully fhould we refift his Temptations ? Every Sin that we commit, through Love to it, or by Wilfulnefs or Sloth, is worfe to us and

more

more pleafing to the Devil,than to be Tormented fo long by him. He mift of his aim at Job , when he could not by all his Sufferings draw him to Sin : Oi how T much more miferable isa Worldly, Proud, Gluttonous, Dives, Lord, Knight or Gentleman, and ienfual Youth diilra&ed with Vain Mirth and Lufl , than one Bewitcht, t>r Bodily only pofleft by Devils : And how much (hould the moft godly be afraid of Sin, and of Temptations?

7. It isa fenlible help, as to Convince Brutifts and A thrifts and Infidels, fo to confirm the heft Believers againft all Temptations, to doubt of the Life to come, and the Immortality of Souls, and the future lodgment and Retribution: And though it be our flume to need fuch helps, it is a Mercy to have them. If a Sadducee will fay ? if one did come from the Dead, or I hw fuch things, I would believe, fbould not our Faith be paft wavering, that have thefe added to the greater Gofpel proofs.

8. It's matter of Comfort to departing faithful Souls, that thefe evil Spirits that are chained up now, and not fuffered to difturb us, ftiall not hinder our pailage to Glory: If we muft pafs through the Air inhabited by Devils and Wicked Souls., Angels will Convey us, and Chrift receive us , and it (ball not be to our hurt or jbfs.

p. It

p. It fhould always keep the Souls of the Faithful in joyful gratitude , for the work of Regeneration, Grace, Juftificati-on and Salvation, which was our great Deliverance from Devils: And teach us to live as the faved of the Lord.

10. It Ihould warn all to take heed, that they be not helpers and Servants to Devils, in Tempting and Deftroying Souls; O! how many do his work, that defie his Name? All that by wicked example and fcandal, harden Men in Sin, they that Tempt People to Pride and Luft, and flefihly plea-fures. They that draw them into the Company of Vain 5 Lafcivious, Luftful, Ry-otous and Ungodly perfons : They that madly contradict Gods Word , and Cavil and Argue againfi Faith and Holinefs: They that deride and mock at the Obedience of Gods Commands, and Reproach the mod Religious by fcornful Nicknames. They that feduce them by falfe Dodrine, , and that draw them from Gods Woriliip , and they that filence neceflary Faithful Preachers, and they that diffuade Men from hearing or regarding them. Oi what an Army hath Satan, for his work of deftroying Souls.

Thefe Men fhould think, that it's greater Cruelty to deftroy Souls, than to Rob or Murder Bodies : h is fighting againil the Office and Work of Chrift that came

to

i a An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

to fave them , and againft all the Ordinan-nances and Word of God, and all the Coqrfe of his faving Mercies, and all the Defires and Endeavours of the Godly, that Long and Labour for Mens Salvation: It is to be like Devils, and do the Devils work, and by hurting others,they-more him them-fdvGs. And if Gods Mercy fhould Convert and Save fuch wretches, they cannot Convert and Save thofethat they have deceived and drawn to Sin.- And God only knoweth what thoughts they would have, if they come to Heaven , to fee or know of Souls in Hell, that they brought thither. But if they die Unconverted, and go to them , their Prefence and Torment will be the increafe of theiro^n.

ii. Thefe thoughts fhould ftir up all believers to labour to fave Souls from the Snares and lowers of Devils. O J do not fey as Caw , Am »■ my Brothers Keeper , fay not, that it is only the Work of Mini-fters: They are Guides in Chrifts Army , but you are Soldiers: You are Vowed to fight againft the Devil, the World and Fleib,and that for others, as well as for your fclves: Societies are for Mutual Helps. A Minifter is but one Man , and not an Army , and can be but in one place at once : You live among and near your Family, Neighbours and fuch as you Converfe with, and may often fpeak to them: All in your

places

places muft be Lights and Salt, to Enlighten a Dark, and lea fori a Corrupt Generation. O! You that believe the Life to come , make hafte to help poor Miferable Souls, before Death put therr pail Reine-dv , or Sin hath utterly kneered their Hearts: Do you love your Neighbours as your felves, and will fee them continue in Ignorance, World!iriefs and ^rofane-nefs, and do nothing or little to fave them ? If you faw but their Bodies in need , and fliut up the Bowels of Companion againft them, what leve have you to God , to Chrift or them ? If Chrift in Judgment will Condemn Men for not relieving Po~ dies Math 25. will it prove ieis (inful to afford no help to Souls. If you are not for Chrift, and his Works , you are a-gainfthim: If you law therm fall dc\\~n In aSwound, you would heir them up*. And if their Houies were on Fire, you would help and hafte to quench it; yea, if your Enemies Beaft fall into a Pit, you muft help him out: And do you believe a Hell, and not help Sinners ? The Devil, their Adveriary and yours, as a Roaring Lyon , feeketh Night and Day to Devour 3 A*nd will you do nothing to fave Men.

If you cannot do what you would, do what you can*. Do but take it for your Duty and Works, for which you mull give account to God, and keep you an account

how

14 An Hiflorical Difcowfe of

how you perform it: Ask your felves what have I done for Souls this Week, or this day . ? Begin at home, and give to all an Example of Holinefs, Heavenly meeknefs, and Self-denial: Then look to your Families: OI betray not the Souls of your Children and Servants, with a. few flight good words or forms; but with Love and Diligence, Labour to make them underftand Gods Word, and the things of their Salvation, Catechize them , and help them to underftand and apply it. Keep them from ill Company , Labour to render Gods Service %o them as it is 5 Necefiary,Honourable andPlea-fint: Time is fliort, Souls are precious, Hell is dreadful: Heaven is joyful, Devils and their wicked Servants are bufie. While you have opportunity, labour to do good to all: Your Labour, if fincere, (hall not be in i 7 ain. If you want Ability, labour to increafe it, and get the help of fuch as can do better, get them to able Minifters:. Put fuitable Books into their Hands: Do not as thole Sectaries, that to fliew their Gifts are ready to intrude as publick Preachers 9 but inftead of Patient and Companionate Diligence with the Ignorant and Ungodly about them, do but exafperate them by Reproaches and Difgrace, Condefcend to the lea ft and lo.weft: Do all with Humility, and Winning Love.

Alas,

Apparitions and Witcher. t y

Alas, Satan hath a greater and more dangerous Army, to fight againft Chrift and Holinefs, and Mens Salvation, among the Great, and Rich, and Proud, and Carelefe Voluptuous Sinners, than among Witches and poflefled Bodies. He wins and undoes molt by pleafing them : If he can get them to prefer Earth before Heaven, and Wealth and Honour before^ Holinefs, and to be lovers of fleihly Pleafures more than of God # and keep them from any ferious Minifter,or Means that would waken'them and bring them to their Wits, and keep them from ferious Conlideration, and from thinking whither they are going, and how all their Care-* lefnefs, Eafe and Sin will end 5 this is k that anf \ ereth his Soul- murdering defires*

1 ^. But efpecially thefe Inftances of Satans Diligence and Malice, fhould teach Minifters how to preach,on what Subje<Ss,in and whac manner, and how to converfe perfonally with thofe of their charge: Shall the Captains in Chrili's Army fee the Devourer go away with the Prey, and do little for their re* fcue? Is ignorant, cold, jingling, contentious Preaching, meet for them that are fo greatly obliged to militate under Chrift againft the Deftroyer, and for the ever-lading faving of Mens Souls ? The Lord heal and pardon our Unbelief, and cruel want of Fitty, and our Sloth and Luke-warmnefs? for it is great and ferious

Work

16 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

Work which we undertake. But of this I refer thole that will read it to my Reformed Taftor.

O Lord give to the Chriftian World, a greater number of Wife, Humble, Holy, experienced Teachers, and fave them from thofe that hate or believe not the Do-drine, which for worldly Ends they preach 5 and that ferve the Devil in the name of Chrift, and calling themfelves the church, and their Conceits its Canon or Rule, do Preach and Rule for themfelves, their Honour, Will and Wealth, on pretence of the Welfare and Unity of the Church, and become the Trumpeters of Malignity, Perfection and Schifm, and have not known the way of Mercy,

CHAR

Apparitions and Witches. H,

CHAP. II.

Several Hiflorical Inftdnces ofApparitions^ Witches •> and marvellous convincing Works of God's Providence.

§. i. /b "jpHere are in this City of Lok-JL dou> many Ferfons that profefe their great unbelief, or doubt of the Life to come, the Immortality of the Soul, and therefore much more of the truth of the Gofpel, and Chriftian Faith, and Supernatural Revelations. But they fay * that could they be certain of Spirits, Apparitions, Witchcraft and Miracles, it would do more to convince them than the Aflernons of the Scriptures: But they take all fuch Reports to be but the effe&s of Error, Deceit, and eafie Credulity: For the fake of fuch, I have recited many Credible Inftan-ces in this Book, and my Saints Heft, and in my Vnreafonabknefs of Infidelity, and I fhall here add fome more. I doubt not but abundance of Reports of fuch matters have no better caufes than are here mentioned, even the mittake of the Ignorant i but that there are trm as well as falfe Re-

C $at$

18 An Hiftoricdl Difcourfe of

ports of fuch things, is paft all reafonable caufe of doubting.

i. I will begin with that moft convincing Inftance, which you may read in a Book,

Called, The Devil of Mafcon.

Above twenty Years ago, the now Earl Orery, then Lord Broghii, a Perfon of well known Underftanding, and not inclined to weak Credulity, told me much of what is written in that Book, and more; and faid, That he was familiar with Mr. Perreaud, a Reverend Worthy Proteftant Minifter, in whofe Houfe all was done, and had his Son for his Servant in his Chamber many years 5 and from Mr. Perreaud had the Narrative. Not long after, Dr. Peter Moulin, Prebend of Canterbury, and Son to the famous Peter Moulin Printed the Book, as having it from his Father, who had it of Mr. Perreaud: And Mr. Robert Boyle> Brother to the Earl of Orery, a \Man famous for Learning, Honefty and Charity, and far alfo from weak Credulity, prefixeth an Epiftle to it, owning it as undoubted Truth, being acquainted with the Author, Mr. Per-reaud, as his Brother was. All thefe three worthy Perfons (the E. of Orery, Mr. Boyle, and Dr. Pet. Moulin) through God's Mercy are yet living.

I hear fome report? that this Hiftory of Mafcon is denyed by foiiie, that fay, they

have

have fpoken with Come that have been at Mafcon, and knew nothing of it And what wonder if fuch things that are talkc of but a few days, be forgotten after fifty, or fixty Years : They that will not believe the Narrative from fuch Men as the Famous Peter Monltn Senior v and Dr. Peter Moulin Junior, that Printed it, and from the Earl of Orery , that told me he was Familiar with Mr. Perreand , and had his Son many years his Chamber-Servants and his Brother Mr. Robert Boyle -yet living, that hath attefied it by a Preface, may read all the Hiftory (. with many more of Witchcraft printed in French, and^ Publifhed by Mr Perreand himfelf •* And if they cannot get it, they may go to my Kinfman, William Baxter , now Schoolmafter at Newing-ton , where they may fee it.

Could it be Counterfeit, and never Con-tradi&ed in fifty or fixty years (I remember not juft the year) that in a City, (o many of both Religions for fo many Months together , might croud at a certain hour into the Room, and hear a Voice anfwering their queftions, and telling them things far off, and to them unknown 5 and Disputing with a Papift Officer of the City, and the Whirling him oft about, and carting him on the ground , and fending him home Diftra&ed, I fay, if this, and all the reft there written, fo atteited, be noc

so An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

Efficient Evidence, I know not what is.

The faidEarlof Orery, told me of many effe&s of Witchcraft or Deyils (Men carried about ) near him in Ireland, which I ftall not particularly recite, though many Witaefles were named.

This was written while they lived: Now only Mr. Boyle Surviveth.

II. My next Hiftory ((hall be that of Lieutenant Colonel Bomn, which I will give only in the words of others, as I received it. Only telling you what they are.

i. Mr. Samuel J ones, is a Man of known Learning, Piety and Honefly, though a Silenced MinUter, now living rn GUmw-ganjhire , by whofe Mediation I had the other.

2. Mr. Bedwell was alfo a Credible Faithful Minifter.

3. Mrs. Bowen her felf, either is, or lately was living , a Woman very much p^aifed for True Piety and Courage, Sifter to Colonel Philip Jones, once one of Crom-mtts Council.

4. Here is a Letter alfo from Colonel Wroth Rogers :, late Governour of Hereford, I think yet living, and a Credible perfon , though then not willing the Story fhould be published? I fuppofe his Reafons are now met*

5. I fent into Ireland in his Life-time *

to enquire what effedt it had upon him , of which I had the Letter of Mr. Samuel Foley , and Credible Perfons yet living.

6* And Colonel John Bridges then in Ireland, purpofely enquired, and could learn no more , but that he immured himfelf privately with one Servant in a Caftle, who reported that he ufed to rife in the Night, and walk about the Room p talking as to fome one with him, and more I could not hear.

7. I defired lately a Worthy Minifter in Swanfey , to enquire whether ever fince any thing had abated ,/the Belief of the Fad:, who tells me (as others do) thai it is as fully believed by thofc that were in the Houle, and others as ever.

C 3 $4

r AnHiftcr'tcal Difcourfe of

Several Letters to Mr. Richard Baxter, in relation to an Apparition in the Houfe of Lieutenant Colonel Bowen, in Gla-morganjhire, in Waks } in the Year 1655.

Colonel Rogers, the Governor of Hereford,/?/* Letter: Together with an enclosed Relation of an Apparition, &c

Dear Sir,

Y the Enclofed you will find fome-tbiog of the Bunnefs you expected from me : {h is certain and true, I have received it from very good Hands.) More there was, hot they did not think it c vnvenient to put it in Paper. _ My Requeft i>, that you will not expofe it to publick View 5 it may rather do harm than good. I know that God hath given you Wiidomj, : and

and you will make good ufe of fuch things: It may harden others. This, with the En-clofed, is all at prefent from

Tour Cordial FrienU

and Servant

Wf*r* W.Rogers.

The enclofed Relation ofthe late firange Ap~ parition in the County of Glamorgan.

IN the beginning of the late War, a Gen-•tleman of that County being oppreifed by the King's Party, took Arms under the Earl of Effexy and by his Valour obtained a good Repute in the Army, fo that in a fhort time he got the Command of Lieutenant Colonel. But as foon as the heat of the War was abated, his Eafe and Preferment led him to a carelefs and fenfual Life; inforriuch that the godly Commanders judged him unfit to continue in England, and thereupon fent him to Inland, where he grew fo vain and notional, that he was ca-fhiered the Army 5 and being then at liberty to fin without any Reftraint, he became an abfolute Atheift, denying Heaven or Hell, C 4 fiod

34 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

God or Devil, (acknowledging only a Power, as the ancient Heathens did Fate,) accounting Temporal Pleafures all his ex-

Ee£ied Heaven: So that at laft he became atefiil, and hating all civil Society, and his sieareft Relations.

About December laft, he being in Ireland^ and his Wife (a Godly Gentlewoman, of a good Family, and concluded by all the Godly People that knew her, to be one of the xnoft fincere and upright Chriftians in thofe Parts, as being for many Years under great Afflictions, and always bearing them with Cfariftian-like Patience) living in his Houfe in Glamorgan, was very much troubled one Night with a great Noife, much like the found of Whirl-wind, and a violent bearing of the Doors or Walls, as if the whole Houfe were falling in pieces: And being la her Chamber, with moft of her Family, after praying to the Lord, (accounting it (Infill Incredulity to yield to Fear,) ftie went to bed5 andfuddenly after, there appeared unto her (bmething like her Hu(-band, and asked her whether he ihouki come to Bed. She fitting up, and praymg to the Lord, told him, he was not her Hut band, and that he ihould not. He urged more earneftly: What! Not the Husband of thy Bofom ? What! Not the Husband of thy JBofcm 9 (Yet had no power to hurt her.) And (he, together with feme Godly People*

fpenc

fpent that Night in Prayer, being very of ten interrupted by this Apparition.

The next Night, Mr.MUcs, (a Godly Minifter,) with four other Godly Men, came to watch and pray in the Houfe for that Night > and fo continued in Prayer, and other Duties of Religion, without any interruption or noife at all that Night. But the Night following, the Gentlewoman, with feveral other Godly Women, being in the Houfe, the noife of Whirlwind began again, with more violence than formerly, and the Apparition walked in the Chamber, having an unfufferable Stench, like that of a putrified Carcafe, filling the Room with a thick Smoak, fmelling like Sulphur, darkening the Light of the Fire and Candle^ but not quite extinguilhing it; fometimes going down the Stairs, and coming up again with a fearful noife, difturbing them in their Prayers, one while with the found of Words which they could notdif-cern, other while ftriking them fo that the next Morning their Faces were black with the Smoak, and their Bodies fwollen with Bruifes.

Thereupon they left the Houfe, left they fliould tempt the Lord by their over-bold flaying infuch Danger, and fent this Atheifl; the fad News of this Apparition; who coming to England about May laft, exprefled more Love and&efpe£t to his Wife than

formerly 3

26 An Htftorkal Difeourfe of

formerly 7 yet telling her, that he could not believe her Relation of what (he had feen, as having not a power to believe any thingbut what himfelf (aw, and yet would ikk hitherto go cp his Houfe to make trial, bar probably will e er long, for that he is naturally of an exceeding rafli and defperate Spirit.

Jmkft,

Mr.

Mr. Samuel Jones's Letter in relation to Lieutenant Col. Bowen, together, with an inclofed Letter from Mr, Maur. Bedwell, on the fame Subjeff.

Worthy and much Honoured,

■^ST T*OU may be pleafed to remember, \f that when I waited upon you ac JL the Sheriff's Houfe, in Sat/op, in dugyfl laft> amongft your other Enquiries touching the State of that poor Country where the Lord hath caft my Lot for the prefent: you defired me then to impart what I had received by Relation, concerning the Apparitions in one Col. Bowens Houfe, and upon my return to procure you fome further Intelligence touching that Tremendous Providence. Whether it be by. Time, or Familiarity with the noife hereof, or rather, the (no lefs to be admired) Blockiihnefs of the Spirits of Men, that the Horror of that terrible Difpenfation be allay'd, I know not, but furely the thing it felf was very Stupendous, and the remembrance of it carries much Amazement with it ftill, to them that have any thing of Ten-darnels or Undemanding left them. By

the

2 8 An Hifloricdl Difcourfe of

the inclofed, from an Honeft and Godly Hand, not far from the Stage where thefe things were adled: You may underftand the Subftance of that matter, the* Party (being a Minifter of the Gofpel) perfedly knew Colonel Bswen, and hath often con-verfed with him, both before and fince his Houfe was haunted. If you are pleafed .to command any further Satisfaction herein, I fliall take a Journey my felf into the place, and endeavour to gratifie your defire, as to any further particular that you defire the knowledge of. If any publick ufe be made hereof you may conceal my Friends name and mine own, left any offence fbould betaken by fome of the Parties Relations in Parliament and Council. Of the receipt of this Paper I defire to hear with all convenient fpeed- At the Throne of Grace vouchfafe to remember your weak and wretched Brother, who yet defires to be found in the number of them that are, * Sir,

Tours in the furefi Bonds

to Honour and Serve you?

Coedrekm, Samuel Jones.

TheReafons why forbearing Names was defired, being now over (yet Mr.5. Jones (till living) I think my felf difobliged as to that Reftrainc. R B*

Mr. Maur. Bedwell/ inclosdLetter.

Dear Sir,

GLad I am of your fafe return, and gladder fhould I be to be inftrumen-tali according to my weak Capacity, of nayling you to thefe parts. I hope, if my defires are agreeable to the Lord, you will meet with feme directing Providences from him, which will anfwer all Objections.

As to Col. Bowens Houfe, I can give you fome brief Particulars, which you may credit, as coming from fuch, who were not fo foolifli as to be deluded, nor fo difhoneft as to report an untruth: What I (hall write., if neea were, would be made good both by Eye and Ear Witnefles. The Gentleman, Col Bom*j whofe Houfe is called LaticUin in GowersUnd, formerly was famous for Profeffion of Religion, but this Day is the faddeft Man in his Principles I know-living. To me, iq particular, he hath delayed the Being of the Spirit of the Lord : His Argument thus, Either 'tis fomething or nothing; if fomething, fliew me, tcil me what it is, &c and I believe he gives as little credit to other Spirits as the Sadduces. At his Houfe, aforementioned, he being then in Inland, making Proviiion for removing thither, thefe things happened. About December^ laft 3 his Wife being in Bed, a Gracious Underflanding Woman, and

one

jo An Hiflorical Difcourfe of

one whom little things will not affright 5 one in the likenefs of her Husband, and juft in his Pofture, prefented himfelf to her Bed fide, proffering to come to Bed to her, which (he refufing, he gave this anfwer, What refufe the Husband of thy Bofom; and after fome time, (he alledging, Chrift was her Husband, it difappeared: Strange miferable Howlings and Cries were heard about the Houfe, his Tread, his Pofture, Sighing, Humming,were heard frequently in the Parlour i in the Day time often the Shad-dowof one walking would appear upon the Wall. One Night was very remarkable, and had not the Lord flood by the poor Gentlewoman and her two Maids, that Night they had been undone * as (lie was going to Bed, (lie perceived by the impreffion on the Bed, as if fome Body had been lying there, and opening the Bed (lie fmelt the fmell of a Carcafe fome-while dead; and being in Bed (for the Gentlewoman was fome what Courageous) upon the Tefter, which was of Cloth, (lie perceived fame-thing rolling from fide to fide, and by and by, being forc'd out of her Bed, (he had not time to drefs her felf, fuch Cries and other things almoit amazing her, but (he (hardly any of her Cloths being on) with with her two Maids, got upon their Knees by the Bedfide to feek the Lord, but ex-treamly affaulced, oftentimes (he would, by

fome:

'Apparitions and Witches. Jt

fbmewhac which felt like a Dog under her Knees, be lifted a Foot or more high from the Ground; fome were heard to talk on the other fide of the Bed, which one of the Maids hearkening to, flie had a blow upon the Back: Divers affaults would be made by fits; it would come with a cold breath of Wind, the Candles burn Blew and almoft out * horrible Screekings, Yel-lings, and Roarings, within and without the Houfe fad fmellsof Brimftone and Powder, and this continued from fome nine at Night to fome three the next Morning, fo that the poor Gentlewoman and her Servants were in a fad cafe5 the next Morning, fmelling of Brimftone and Powder, and as I remember, Black with it, but the Lord was good: Fires have been feen upon the Houfe, and in the Fields 5 his Voice hath been heard luring his Haukes, a Game he delights in, as alfo the Bills of the Hauks. Thefe are the chief things which I dare recommend upon Credit, and I could wiih, that they, who queftion the Exiftency of Spirits had been but one Night at Lannd'm to receive Satisfaction to their Obje&ions; This continued fo violent, that the Gentlewoman was fain to withdraw to her Mothers Houfe; but her Husband coming over about iome four Months fince. his Confidence did not ferve him to lodge at Lm-wlin 7 although we have heard nothing of

trouble

'3 z An Riftcrical Difcourfe of

trouble to the Houfe fince his coming overi Sir, the Difpenfatton, as it was exceeding terrible, {o very remarkable5 and what the Voice of God might be in fuch a thing 'tis not known clearly yet: He is as Athe-iftical as ever, all his Religion, if I may call it fo, being comprifed in the acknowledging a Power, which we, as he faith * may call God, and waiting for fome infallible miraculous Bufinefs toverifie to him all the reft we own as our Religion. Sure* Sir, if ever a Blafphemer was unworthy to live, this is the Man; and certainly his Sin will find him out: He is now gone to Ireland ; let thefe things be divulged only as to the matter without names. Affitre the Gentleman, your Friend, they are very Truths 5 I have fomewhat more than ordinary for what I fay. At the firft we concluded, the Wretch had been dead, but 'twas otherwife, and therefore the more remarkable.

Tottr affectionate Brother,

to Love and Serve yot< 9

~J)8tk Maur. Bedwell.

Mtl

Mr. Daniel Higgs his Letter, concerning the Apparition in Lieutenant Colonel Bowen s Houfe.

Dear Sir x , .

AS to the Concern you commit to me about Collonel Boweh, accept of this Account.

I have difcourfed with Brother Samel Jones, who gave you the fir ft Narrative, which if you have loft, he hopes he may find the Copy of the Letter, and I ftall fend it. 'Twas one Mr. Miles, an Anabap-tift Minifter, that wrote the Letter to one Mr. Bedwett, Minifter of Swanfey, who fenc it Mr. Samuel Jones. This Miles (who fpent a Night in Prayer in Colonel Bowens Houfe, in the time of the difturbance) is gone for New England. Two Minifters more, with my felf, went to fpend another Night in the Houfe, but Mrs. Bowen was gone with her Family, and we ftayed not, but went togive her a Vifit, who related ftrange thlitfgs, but I cannot remember Cireum-ftance^s. The two Minifters are alfo gone : But fince I received lours, I have dilcoqr-fed Mr. Bowen's Maid, wfio was in the Houfe, and I judge her throughly Godly,, who doth ateeft the Truth of thefe Appari-D ■ mm4

34 An Hijhrkal Difcourfe of

lions, Noifes, &c which I fuppofe you had fully in your Narrative *, but Time hath fomewhat obliterated CiraimOances with hen I know not well (Sir) how to get greater light 9 and I muft allure you, I find not any thing out to invalidate that Report you have had, but much that confirms it. I {hall proceed according to your further Di-redion in this,or any other Concern of yours, and that with much Chearfulneis and Complacency. I commit you, and your huge Labours to our mighty and merciful Lord, by Prayer and all well Wiibes. And if you can think of any thing farther for me, o? gather any thing by Difcourfe with learned Men, vouchfafe to impart it; and imprint me (poor Worm) on your Soul before our Father. I have fomewhat treipafled by Prolixity, which becomes me not to fuch a Perfon, in fuch a Sphere: But excufe him who is

Tour afflifted

poor Brother,

Daniel Higgs.

Captain

Captain Samuel Foley's Letter concerning Lieutenant Colonel Bowen.

Worthy Sir,

TH E bed Account I can get of Colonel Bowen is this, viz* That he is little fenfible of his fad Condition. He lives in the County of Corky in a beggarly way, though he hath a fair Mate. Some Months fince, he turned his Wife and Children from him, in that fad unkind manner, that they were forced to feek Relief from feme Friends in Tough all, to help them in their Return to Wales, where they continue. Not long fince, in Difcourfe with Baronec Ingolsby, and Mr. Gilbert, Minifter of Urn-rickj from whom I have the moft part of this Relation, he faid, he would give Ten Thoufand Pounds to know the Truth about God. Tis reported he is haunted with ghaftly Ghofts and Apparitions, which frequent him. I have written to the neighbouring Minifters. and Gentlemen of my Acquaintance as effe&ually as I could, en-doting a Copy of your Letter 5 and from them 1 hope to have a more full Account concerning this poor Man. Your Letter indeed came fafe, but not till August, D s though

%6 An Hijiorical Difcourfe of

though dated in May* Sir, in any thing wherein I may ferve you, you may freely command me: But wherein I may ferve the Church of God, the beft and utmoft of my Endeavours, through the Lord's AC fiftance, fhall not be wanting. What farther fhall come to my Hands, fhall carefully be reported to you, by him who begs your Prayers, and fubfcribes,

SI*,.

Tour very Affectionate Servant,

CUmeU,Oftoh6: „ , ^ t

! 6 f g. Samuel Foley,

After this, Collonel John Bridges wrote tome owt o£ Ireland, that Bowen immured liimfelf in afinall Caftle, with one Boy 3 who faid, he oft rofe in the Night, and talked as if feme were talking with him.

R.B. III. Col-

III. Colonel John Bridges before named, wasGovernourof^mwfe Caftlefthe Lord Brooks) almoft all the time of the Warsj Afterwards he lived with us near Kedermin~ fter, being Patron of the Church, a Juftice of Peace , a Parliament Man -, And after lived in Ireland , where he furprized ( with others) DMin Caftle , and Sir Hardrefs Waller for the King, before he was called home. He was an llnderftanding Prudent Man , of Sound Judgment in Religion , Juft 3 and Honeft ? and Credible.

He and his Pious Wife have oft told me as followeth.

They formerly lived in Edfon Hall near AlceBer , where Warwickjlrire and Worcefter-Jhire joyns; a Houfe famed to be haunted : And being ufed to go into a Parlour alone for Meditation, Prayer, and to play on his Lute, once as he went in at the Portal, he was (topt and held by fomewhat invisible, till he refolved under Gods Protection, to rulh through it, and go on.

Another time in a clear Moon-fliineNight, their Maftiff Dog made fucha howling, as raifed up the Houfe : He looked out at the Window , and beyond a pale that compaf fed the Court, there flood fomething like a headlels Man, but taller: He long gazed on it, and trufting God, returned to Bed 3 And prefently the Hall Door (fail D 3 lock

38 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

lockt and Barr'd) ufing to make a great noife in the opening, having much Iron , feemed to them all to open as it ufed, and foroewhat came in, and gave three great flams, as with a Staff upon the Hall Table, and departed. They went down to fee, and found the Door lockt, and faft as they left it. Mr. Sommerfield, who fince lived in the fame Houfe, laid, that he favv nothing there.

IV. A Pious Credible Woman, yet living in London.^ lately told me oftimes, being fometime under Temptation by fome Difcontent of Mind, one day as (he pafled through 7 a Room at Mid-day, the Devil flood before her in the fliape of a Big, Black, Man, and pointed to the top of the Door , Tempting her there to hang her felf; and fo flood near a quarter of an hour,and then Va-mihed away : Which was fo far from dismaying her, that it much confirmed her againlt Unbelief, and her Temptations: Any one that will go to her here in London , may hear her Credible and Confident Report of it.

V. The Elder Countefs of Domgal, a Lady Pious, Difcreet and Credible, told me,thatone of her Husbands Tenants ( near Bdfaft or • Carkkfergm, where he was Lord) agreed with him for to.'put his Sons Life

with

with his own in a renewed Leafe of a Farm* and he paid part of the Money, and dyed' before the Leafe was made and Sealed.* His Wife Marryed another Man , and paid the reft of the Money out of her fecond Husbands Purfe,, and therefore put in his Sons Life, in (lead of her Son by the former Husband into the Leafe. The'Earl of D'onagall going into England^ and being then in the Weft, a Servant of his in Ireland, his Porter,a flout lufty Man 5 was haunted with the Apparition of the Woman's fir ft Hus-band,tellinghim,that he muft goto his Wife, and tell her that (he Ihould have no reft till his Sons Life were put in the altered Leafe : He askt why he fpake to him, and what he had to do to meddle in it ? It An-fwered him, thou art a Man fit for it, and thou (halt have no reft till thou do it. The Man delayed, and was ftill Haunted with this Apparition: He went to the Minifter of the Town , and told him of it \ who Counfelled him to tell the Woman. She iCpld him, that (he took it to be juft, that her Husband that paid mod of the Money, ihould have the benefit of the Leafe \ and, perhaps not believing the Man * delayed. This Apparition came to the porter again , and (aid, that (he may believe thee 3 go tell _ her of fuch and filch Difcourle and Actions, that were between her and me in fecret, which none elfe knoweth of: The D 4 Man

49 An Miflorkal Difcouvfe of

Man went and told her all that he was bid. She confeflfed that it was all true , and Secret between them 5 but ftill delayed, till fome trouble (I remember not what) mo-lefted her felf: In fliort, the Porter and fhe had no reft, till fhe had drawn a new JLeafe with the Name of the firft Husbands Son , and fent it into England? to the Earl of Donagal, who Sealed it; and fo altered accordingly.

VI An Ancient underftanding Pious and

Credible Man of llchefter in Somerfetjkire ,

is now in London, who the laft week told me, that he was heretofore in Melancholy Doubts and Trouble of Mind, and in that Condition, had divers fenfible Mo-Inflations by the Devil, as he lay awake in his Bed, his feet have bin lifted higher than his Head. I told him, that a Melancholy fancy might make him think fo : He added to the confident Aflertion of it, that he hath in the open day-time, as he hath gone about his Hoofe, had a blow ftruck on his face, as hard and plain, as any Mans hand could (kike, and once fo hard, that where his Nofe and Cheek joyn, it left the place black and blew ( as they call it) to the fight of all, in the fame manner , as any other would have done (with much more J .

VII. The

VII. The Story of the Haunting of Mr^ Mompeffons Houfe in Wihjhirh, is Famous, and printed in part by Mv.-Jofepb GUnvil: Mr. Mompejfon is yet living, no Melancholy nor Conceited Man : The truth not doubted of by his Neighbours 5 within this Month, I fpake with one of them an Attorney , who faid, that the noifes heard, the vifible moving about of the Boards before their faces, and fuch like, were all undoubtedly true : And the thing unqueftio-ned by Mr. Mompejfon (who to his great Coft and trouble, was long molefted by itj and his Neighbours, and thofe that purpofely went thither to fee it: Notvvithftanding, that when fome unbelievers went from London to be fatisfied nothing was done when they were there. For as God oweth not fuch Remedies to Unbelievers, fo Satan hath no defire to cure them: And it* is iikely, doth more in Apparitions by Divine Conftraint, than he is willing to do ; becaufe he is moft fuccefsful, when he is leaft known. Any one that doubts of the truth of this Story, may yet have full fe-tisfa&ion, the Witnefs being alive: But this partly belongeth to the instances of Witchcrafts, being Credibly fuppofed to be done by Witchcraft of a Drummer, as you may fee defcribed in the printed Story. I knew Jofeph GUnvik to be far enough from

Fa-

4i An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

Fanatick Credulity, who himfelf faw much of it, and puhlifht it.

VIII. In February, 1646. falling into great Debility by Bleeding, at the Lady Cook^s Hoofe at Milboume in Darby (hire $ I removed to Mr. Noels Houfe at Kirtyy Ma-hry in Lekefter-ftrire , where I lay weak three weeks in March, in which tin^ the Neighbours went to fee a Houfe in Latter-wonb y reported to be haunted : Multitudes ilockt to fee it, and affirmed , that at a certain hcur of the day, (tones were thrown at thofe that were prefent , which hit them , but hurt them not: And that what ever time any one would whittle, it was anfwered by a whittle in the Room; And no fearch could difcover any Fraud: What became of it after, I heard not; but it continued believed commonly by the hearers , thofe three weeks that I ftaid in that County. v

N % IX. But the certaineft and fullett Inftance oF Witchcraft that ever I knew, I fhall here give you in the words of others: Oily adding, that about twenty years ago, the tlmewhemit was doing, my worthy and dear Friend Mr. George Hopkins , the then Faithful Minifter of the Gofpel at JEvejham, told it me himfelf, and told r^e of their Care and Watchfulnels, to fee that

there

riiere were no Fraud committed in it. And the Witch was hanged at WorceFker, and the Woman her felf is yet living in Evejham, and the thing never there doubted of: But having occafion lately to inftance the fad againft fome Unbelievers, I fent to Eve-Jham, to a Godly, Credible, Friend, to fend me word , whether any doubt had in thefe years pad rifen concerning it, and to fend me fome of the Flint Stones which were voided by the Girl: Who fent me word, that there w r ere no doubt of the thing, and procured the now Minister of the place, to write me theNarrative which Iherefubjoin. And he fent me Oneftone, about the breadth of a fmall Groat, and the thicknefs of a Half-crown , which he faid, was all that is there kept of them , taken by the Majors Wife her felf, and kept by her, and therefore I muft fend it back again : Many had fent for the Stones, and fo many troubled the Houfe about them, that they threw away, or buried the reft: And Mr. Boyle told me, that the Earl of South-Hampton * Lord Treafurer , for his Satisfaction, had got a great number of them. I carryed this about me a quarter of a year, and then fent it home. But that which I chiefly inform the Reader of, is, that the thing was fo long in doing, and fo Famous, and fomany Pious,Underftanding Perfons minded it, that fufpition of Fraud was by their Diligence avoided. The

44 -An Hiftoyical Difcourfe of

The Narrative as lately fent me from moft Credible Perfons in Evefham, is as followeth.

A Bant the Month of -dpril, 1652. Mary the Daughter of Edward EUins y of the Burrongh of Evejham , in the County of Worcefier Gardner, then about nine or ten years old, went in the fields on a Saturday with fome other Children to gather Cow-flips, and finding in a Ditch by the way fidc,-.at thefaid Towns end, one Catherine Huxky ', a fingle Woman, aged then about forty years ( as is fuppofed eafing nature ) the Children called her Witch , and took up ftones to throw at her, the faid Mary alfo called her Witch, and took up a ftone, but was fo affrighted, that ihe could not throw it at her •-, then they all run away from her, and the faid Mary being hind-ttioft > this Huxley faid to her [ E!lws y you fhall have ftones enough in your— D whereupon Mary fell that day very ill, and continued fo weak and Languishing that her Friends feared (he would not, recovers but about a Month after, the began to void ftones by the urinary paflages, and fome little urine came away from her \ alfo. when fhe voided any ftone.,' and the ftone fhe

voided.

voided, was heard by thofe that were by her, to drop into the Pot or Bafon, and (he had moft grievous pains in her Back and Reins, like the pricking of Pins, the number of the ftones (he voided, was about eighty, fome plain pebbles, fome plain flints, fomevery fmall, and fome about an ounce weight; this ihe did for fome fpace , ( a month or two, or there abouts) until upon fome ftrong fufpitions of Witchcraft, the forenamed Huxley was Apprehended, Examined and Searched ( at whofe Beds Head there was found feveral ftones, fuch as thefaid Mary voided) and was fent to Worcefter , where at the Summer Affiz.es in the faid year 1652.(thenat hand)(hewas upon the Profecution of the Friends of the faid Mary, Condemned and Executed 5 upon whofe Apprehenfion and Commitment, Mary ceafed to void any more ftones 5 but for a while, voided much blackifh and muddy Sand,and alfo,in (hort time perfectly recovered, and is yet living in the Town, in good and honeft Repute, and hath been many years Marryed , and hath had feven Children 3 but never voided any ftones fince, nor been troubled with the pain fore-mentioned, Abundance of people yet living, know the Subftance of this to be true, and herMother inLaw((ince dead)kept the ftones till (he was tired with the frequent Refort of people to fee them, and the faid M#y $

and

^6 An Hiftorkal Difcourfe of

and to hear the Relation of the matter, and beg the (tones ( for though many offered Money for them, yet (he always refufed it, nor did they ever take any, but it coft them much upon the Girl, and the Profecution of the faid Huxley) and then fhe buried them in her Garden , Edward Ellins, the Father of the faid Mary , is alfo yet living , and a Man of honeft Repute, and utterly free (as alfo is the faid Mary , and all the reft of her Friends) from the leaft Sufpition of any Fraud or Cheat in the whole bufi-nefs: This was known to hundreds of People in the faid Town, and parts Adjacent, and many of them yet living, are ready to atteft the truth of it.

X. Tn 1645, in Dorfet-fiire y I lodged at a Village on a Hill, called (I think) Everjhot, in the Houfe of the Minifter, a grave Man, who had with him a Son, alfo a Learned Minifter, that had been Chaplain to Sir Tho. Adams in London : They both told me, that they had a Neighbour that had long lain Bed-rid, that told all the oc-caiion * That for a long time, being a poor Labouring Man, every Morning when he went out of his Door, he found a Shilling under his Door, of which he told no one, fo that in a long time, he buying fome Sheep or Swine, and feeming Rich, his Neighbours marvelled how he came by it:

At

"Apparitions and Witches. $f

At laft he told them, and was fuddenly ftruck Lame and Bed-rid. They would have had me fpeak with the Man 3 but the Snow covering the Ground, and I being ill, and the Witrieffes fully Credible, I forbore.

XII. I had the laft Week this following Letter fent me, from, and by moft Credible Wife and Pious Perfons of Devon five, from Exeter.

Nathan the Son of Mr. Zachens Crab y Dyer, without Weft^ate, had Convulfion and Falling-Fits about nine Years fince: He was a Youth well kno**n to the late Mr. Robert Atkins the Minifter, who thought him one very hopeful for Religion Going from one of his Meeting this Youth was firil taken, having three Fits before he came to his Mafters Houfe: His Legs failed him, he feemed to be pufh'd as if fome body tript up his Heels, and fell forth upon his Hands, but rofe agaia prefently. Some weeks after he had Falling-fits, with foaming at Mouth j thus he continued a Year and half before any means were uied fofpeded , for Witchcraft. After this, hearing of one 1 Gibs, Mr. Crab, the Father of this Youth, and his Daughter, the Youth's Sifter, went together to Mr. Gibs for help for the Youth, They went once every Week for a Month with the Youth's Water 5 the laft Week of the Month the Sifter ask'd, what Mr. oibs

thought

w 8 An Rifiorical Difcdurfe of

thought now of the Cure? (they went td him in the beginning of the Week ) he Faid, that weeks Papers of Powder would make a perfect Cure, but there would be an alteration, that he would have two or three panging fits different from the former* which things fell out as he faid. When this laft Week of the Month was over, they had a Debate, whether they fhould go td Mr. Gibs again, at length they concluded to go, and went on the beginning of the fifth Week with his Water. Gibs then told them, Since you are come to me again, I will give you that (hall make a perfedt Cure* that you (hall need come to me no more : then he gave them a Bag to hang about the Youth's Neck, and Powder to take in White*wine for one weeks time: Order was given by him, when the Youth had worn the Collar about his Neck for a while, the Youth fhould take it off himfelf, and burn it: but Mr. Eifon^ the Boy's Mailer, took off the Collar after it had been on two Days and a Night, and ihewed it iG feme, to inquire, Whether it were not a charm ? there being nothing in the Collar but a Paper with this writing,

Ca/kn Dan Dane,

Dan Dant Callen^

Dan Calkn Dant.

Mr. Elfon kept the Paper by him after 'cwas taken from the Boy's Neck, about' 4

eigh-

eighteenWeeks,not fuffering it to be applied again, being told that it feemed to be a meer Charm; and the Boy being ask'd, if he were content to have his Fits again rather than have a Cure from the Devil, who would not cure his Body without greater prejudice to his Soul, than his Bodily Dif-temper could be reckoned ? he very readily anfwered, he would rather choole to have his Fits again, and would leave him-felf to the Hands of God, for his Difeafe Or Cure.

When this Diftemper left him for the Eighteen Weeks, he returned confiderably to his Senfes and Memory, beyond what he had before, particularly to be able to fort Wooll at his Trade, which he had not been able to do in a Year and quarter before; About the Sixth Week of thefe Eighteen* the Father weat to Mr. Gibs again, android him how the Note was taken off, and tbac feveral had the fight of it 3 Gibs then faid* If the Fits do return again, he will be worfe than ever, and at their return he ihould be able to do him no good. His Fits at the return were indeed far more terrible than before, and much of another kind than thofe of other Perfons in the Fal-len-ficknefs: And thefe Fits did return td him about 18 or x<> VVeeks $£ter they ^eafed, upon a Shrove-TuejAay i Mr, -ElfoM inquiring into the time when they returned?

5 o r ln Hijlorica! Difcourfe of

(axdyit was when he threw the Paper that had been about the YouthVNeck, into the Fire and burnt it, unwilling to keep fuch a thing any longer This Gibs hath the general re-

Eute of a Wizard, and his Father before an. The Youth hath a long time been utterly deprived of the ufe of his Reafon, and is clothed, and otherwife ufed as a meer Natural j and his Fits fo dreadful, that Persons are afraid to behold him.

After the return of his Fits? he was put to one Toe's in St. Thomas % , - where he wrought at his Trade of VVorfted-comb-ing, and feme means were ufed for his Fits, which he pretended to have fome Skill in curing, whofe Means were ufed about a Month without any fuccefs 3 then and there being at his Work, and fome figns appearing of an approaching Fit, they fet him on a Stool, thence he fell in a Fit, and brake his Leg, the main Bone, in two pieces, a-Botber Bone in many pieces. Then he was brought home to his Father's Houfe j and the Bones being fet, the Chyrurgion laid, if he ihould have another Fit his Cure would be impoffible \ he lay about a Month or five Weeks very free from Fits, till his Bones were fo well knit, that he could walk abroad with Crutches, which he did for a while, and then his Fits returned in the fame manner as before his Bone was broken-After

After his Leg was well recovered, he Was carried to Mr. Pridham of Morchard^ he prefcribed Means, which he hop'd would do him good, if there were any alteration by theufe of his Pills which he then gave him to carry with him, and take when he came home : but before the Pills, he had ordered a Vomit to be taken, in the working of which, they thought he would die. Then they gave him the Pills, which, after they had ftay'd above an Hour in his Stomach, he vomited them up as they were taken $ which were put up again in the Box, and fbewed to Mr. Pridham , who faid, If they had been given to a Child of two Months old, they would have been digeft-ed in half an Hour. Upon hearing the whole, he faid, certainly there is fomething extraordinary in the cafe- Being asked if he could do him no good, he faid, he did not queftion but he could, but being a Mi-nifter he feared he Ihould lofe his Benefice by Peoples faying he was a VVhite-VVitch.

The Youth's Mother apprehended, that Mr. Staddon drop'd fome fuch words that her Son was bewitch'd or poffefs'd,or fome-what to that purpofe, who went through a Courfe of Phyfick with the Youth*.and found nothing did anfwer£xpe<5tation.

For fome Years the Youth hath been

much prejudiced in his Speech 5 fometimes

she cannot fpeak at all, but is as one dumb

E z for

/

t J 2. 4s Hiftorie&l Difcourfe of

for a Week or Fortnight together : He fpeaks plain enough between, but when he hath the. Dumb Fits he can hardly move his Tongue in his Mouth; and he is generally fo deprived of Reafon, that he is clad, and otherwife ufed as a rneer Idiot.

This Narrative was taken in the beginning of April 1688.

Memorandum, The Youth continues in the fame condition till this 27th of Septem-' far 9 l6&$. £

. XIII. Tho' I colled much written heretofore, I muft not tranfcribe other Mens Books; I here deftre the Reader to read in :'Dr. Smctare's Book, called [Satan's Invifibls Yforid\ among 36 Hiftories^ the X. called The Devil of Genluce, where he will find fuch mother Cafe as that of the Devil of Maf-■con j where the Spirit, befides other A<St$ of Moleftadon and Violence, for a long time continued familiar talking to Men, before fo many Wimeffe, as leaveth the truth of the Hiiiory unqueftionable.

XIV. The Hanging of a great number of" Witches in Suffolk and EJftx, by the diico-very of one Hopkins, in 1645- and 1646 is faiBoufly known. Mr. Calamy went along with the Judges in the Circuit, to hear their CoafeiTiQiiS, and fee that there were

no

no Fraud or Wrong done them- I fpak^ with many Underftanding, Pious and Credible Perfons that lived in the Countries* and fome that went to them to the Prifons, and heard their fad Confeffions- Among the reft, an old Reading Parfon, named Lowis, not far from Franlingham, was one that was Hanged; who confefied,that hehad two Imps, and that one of them was always

Eutting him on doing Mifchief; and ( he eing near the Sea, as he faw a Ship under Sail, it moved him to fend him to fink {he Ship, and he confented, and faw the Ship fink before him. One Penitent Woman confefled, that her Mother lying fick, and (he looking to her,fomewhat like a Mole ran in to the Bed to her, which (he being fiartled at, her Mother bid her not fear ic, but gave it her, faying. Keep this in a Foe by the Eire, &c. and thou (halt never want: She did as (he was bid, fhortly after a poor Boy (feemingly) came in, and askt leave to fit and warm him at the Fire, and when he was gone, (he found Money under the Stool; and afterwards oft did fo again, and at laft laid hold of her, and drew Blood of her,. and (he made no other Compact with the Devil, but that her Imps fuck'd her Blood£3 and as I heard, (lie was delivered. Abundance of fad Confeflions were made by them, by which fome certified, that there arp certain Puniihments that they were to E 3 under-

54 An Hiftorkal Bifcourfe of

undergo, if they did not fome hurt as was appointed them.

And in Lancajhire, long ago, many ^Witches were Gonvift.

That publifhed by Edmond Bower near 5^-lUbury, is remarkable: I refer the Reader to the printed Narrative,

XV. I will next infert a late Fa& not far off, which when a Pious Credible Perfon related to me , I defired him • to fend me the true Narrative in Writing when he came Home, and fully enquired into the matter: And he fent me this Narrative here following.

At Brightling in Suflex.

As touching the Relation of the Bright-ling Story, which is in the Subftance undoubtedly true, however fome Circum-flances of it may vary, be pleafed to take the following Account.

On Munday was three Weeks, at, or near the Houfe of Jofeph Cruttendm of jBrightlingfixi old Woman about Noon came to a Servant Girl of the (aid Cmttendens tells her, fad Calamities were coming upon her Mafter and Dame, their Houfe fhould be Fired, and many other troubles befaithem$ but tells this Girl withal, TKat if fhefpake of what (lie had told her, the Devil would tear her to pieces, other wife fhe. need not fear 3 for no hurt fhould come to her: The

fame

fame Night, as the Man and Woman lay in Bed, Dire and Duft? &c was thrown at them, but they could not tell whence it-came: They rife and Pray, during which that Difturbance ceafes^ fome fay they went to Bed again, but finding the fame trouble they are forced to rife Tuefday about Noon, Duft, Dirt, and feveral things are thrown at them again; before Night, a part of one end of their Houfe Fired; they rake it down, it flafhes fomewhat like Gunpowder 5 as they ftop'd it there, it began in another place, and thence to another, till the whole Houfe was burnt down. Some fay fome thing like a Black Bull was feen tumbling about s the certainty of that I aver not. The Houfe, tho' it burnt down to the Ground it flamed not: The Night was fpent in carrying Goods,or one thing or other from one place to anothe 3 they, I think 5 remaining moftly without Doors. Thurfday CoJ. Bmbndge (whofe Houfe the former was) being acquainted with the Man's fad Accident, bid them go into another of his Houfes in the Parilh, whither, when the Goods were brought, fuch like Difturbances were there aifo 3 the Houfe Fireth, endeavours are made by many to quench it, but in vain,-till the Goods' are thrown out, when it ceafed with little or no help. In this condition none durft let them into their Doors 5 they abide under a Huts the Goods are E 4 thrown

56 An MijtOYtcal IJiJcotirJe of

thrown upfide down, Peuter-difhes, Knives, Brickbrats ftrike them, but hurt them not; Mr. Bennet and Mr. Brad/haw , Minifters, came to Pray with them, when a Knife glanced by the Breaft of Mr. Bennet , a Bowl or Difh thrown at his Back, but while at Prayers quiet 3 they w r ere without Doors, there being very many prefeot, a Wooden Tut came flying out of the Air, by many, and came aod (truck the Man; as likewife a Horfe-ftioe,^which was by fom£ laid away, and it was obferv'd of its own accord to rife again and fly to the Man, and ilrook him in the midft of a hundred People: Upon ftri<9: Examination the Man tonfeffeth, that he had been a Thief, an^ did it under the colour of Religion* Sab* bath-day the Girl toldlier Dame the former Story of the Womans Difcourfej fhe is fent for, and Examined before Captain Collins, Mr. BmbrUge^ and (lie is fearched and watched 24 Hours: the Girl faith, fhe is like the Woman, but I think will not fwear it is the fame. This Woman was formerly fufpe<3ed to be a Witch, had to Maidftone about it, but got away, and hath lived about Barwafi fome time fince; her Name I know not: Tuefday Four Minifters kept a Faft, Mr. Bennet^ Welter ', Bradfiaw and & olden $ fince I hear not of any trouble. Tis faid they are in a Barn or Ale-houfe s while they lay without Doors* the Woman fending fome

Meal

"Apparitions and Witches. $7

Meal to a Neighbours to make Bread, they could not make it up into Loaves, but it was like Butter, and fo they put it into the Oven, but it would not bake, but came out as it wept in. This Relation came from Mr. Collins? who was an Eye-witnefs of much of it.

XVI. About twenty Years paft, when I was in the Lord Broghilh (now Earl of Ore-r/s) Lodgings in London , one Night he brought me the Report* that one of Crom-welfs Soldiers being on his Watch, near the Chappel of St: James s Houfe, fomething came towards him in an affrightening fhape, and he calling out, Stand, ftand, or I will (hoot you, at laft difcharging, it ran upon him, and threw him over the way far off; and that it had been that day Examined, and affirmed confidently; and what became of the Report of it afterward, I know not, fave that it was faid to happen oft. But on this occafion the Earl of Orery { yet living) told me, as followeth, That Colonel V&* nabks (then going for Hifpaniola, with the Soldiers that were there Repulfed and took Jamaica) had a Soldier in his Army that came out of Inland, and was under Colonel Hill, who was then in London, and would atteft this folio wing, viz* That this Soldier looked pale and lad, and pined, and the caufe was unknown: At laft he cam§ to

Colonel

5 8 An Hifiovical Difcourfe of

Colonel Hill with his Confeflion, that he had bin a Servant in England, ( as I remember ,to one that carried Stockins and fuch ware about to felljand for his Money, he had Murdered his Mafter , and buried him in fuch a place : And flying into Ireland , lifted himfelf his 5ouldier,and that of a long time, when ever he lay alone, fomewhat like a headlefs Manhood by his Bed, faying to him, {Wilt thou yet confefs i 3 And in this cafe of fear he had continued,till lately it appeared to him when he had a Bed-fellow ( which it never did before ) and {aid as before {Wilt thou yet confefs"} and now teeing no hope of longer Concealing it, he Con-feffed: And as I remember, his going to Hifpaniola was his punifhment, in ftead of Death, where vengeance followed him. ) This he offered then to bring Colonel Hill to me to atteft, (fince the Writing of this f the Earl of Orery is dead. )

XVX* Simon Jones, a Strong and healthful Man of Kederminfler ( no way inclined to Melancholy or any Fancies ) hath oft told me, that being a Souldier for the King in the War agaiott the Parliament, in a clear Moon-ihine Night, as he flood Sentinel in the Colledge Green at Worcesler, fomething like a headlefs Bear, appeared to him 5 and fo affrighted him, that he laid down his Arms foon after, and returned home to his

Trade

apparitions and Witches. jp

Trade , and while I was there afterward , which was fourteen years, lived Honeftly, Religiouflv, and without blame, and I think is yet living , which mindeth me of that which followed!, though to me not known.

XVII. When I was young, moft credible and religious perfons born \nWMm~Hallneiz Wolver-hampton in Staffordshire^ oft told me (dwelling with me in the fame Hoafe) that oneRkhard White a Smith o{Wilden*Hafl y w&$ a prophaneAtheifticalMan, and believing that there was no Devils, in his Cups would wifh he could once fee the Devil, if there were fuchathing; and that fud-denly he changed his Life, and became a profeflbrof zeal, and ftri&nefs in Religion , and told them , that in a clear Moon* fhine Night, the Devil in the fliape of a great ugly Man , flood by his Bed fide, opening the Curtains, and looking him in the Face, and at laft took up the Blanket, and fometime fmiled on him, and then was more ugly , and after a while (in which he lay in great Terror) the Apparition Vanished, and he was affrighted into the aforefaid change of Life (as Bruno is faid to be the Founder of the Order of Carthufian Fryers.

XVIIL My dear Friend Mr. Hopkins (Farther to my Faithful BrotherMr.GeorgeHopkins Minifter ajt Everjham^ till eje&ed, Aug. 24.

1662. and Grandfather to Dr. Hopkins, lately Preacher at Laurences) a chief Magi-ftrate of Bewdky, and fince a Member of the Long Parliament, oft pained as he thought with the Spleen , but not at all Meclancholy,cam§ to me at Mr. Hanbnryes y the laft time before I was driven out of the County,and as a great fecrettold me, that he was pofleiK meaning,I think BewitchtJ: J chid him,as Fanciful and Melancholy: But he without any (hew of Melancholy,affirmed, that it was certainly true:I could not ftay with him, and never faw him more. But he Jong continued ijj pain and that Conceit, and before he dyed , a piece of Wood came down into the reBttmmeJliwm> which they were fain to pull out with their Fingers His good Wife told me,it was of the length of ones finger ; And that he and they were ftre that he never fwallowed any fuch thing. The beft Men It feems may be thus Affii<ft-ed,as;M by Satan,

XVIIL There is now in London an un-derftanding, fober, pious Man, oft one of my Hearers, who hath an elder Brother, a Gentleman of considerable Rank, who having formerly feemed pious, of late Years doth oft fall into the Sin of Drunkennefs: He oft lodgeth Jong together here, in this his Brother's Ho'ufe; And whenever he is drunken, and hath flept himfelf fober, fome-

thlng

Jpparitions and Witches. 61

thing knocks at his Bed's Head, as if one knocked on a Wainfcot* when they remove his Bed, it followeth him: Befides lowd Noifes on other Parts where he is* that all the Houfe heareth. They have oft watch'd, and kept his Hands, left heftiould do it himfelf. His Brother hath oft told it me, and brought his Wife (a difcreet Woman) to atteft it; who averreth moreover, that as (he watched him, (he hath feen his Shooes under the Bed taken up, and nothing vifible touch them. They brought to me the Man himfelf, and when we ask him how he dare fo fin again, after fuch a Warning, he hath no Excufe. But being Perfons of Quality, for fome fpedal Rea-fon of Worldly Intereft, I mult flot name him.

Two things are remarkable in this In-ftance. i. What a powerful thing Temptation and Fleflily Concupifcence is, and what a hardned Heart Sin brings Men to: If one rofe from the Dead to warn fuch Sinners, it would not of it felf perfuade them.

2. It pofeth me to think what kind of Spirit this is, that hath fuch a Care of this Man's Soul, (which maketh me hope he will recover.) Do good Spirits dwell fo near us ? Or are they lent on fuch Meflages? Or is it his Guardian Angel ? Or is it the Soul of fome dead Friend, that fuffereth, and yet, retaining Love to him, as Dives to

his

0 i r An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

his Brethren, would have him faved ? God yet keepeth fuch things from us, in the dark.

XIX. There is now in London a Youth, (the Son of a very Godly Conforming Minifter,) vyho reading a Book of that called Conjuration, coming to the Words and Anions which the Book faid would caufe the Devil to appear, was prefently very defirous to try, and defirous that the Apparition might be accordingly. He came to me in Terrour, having before opened his Cafe to a Parifh-Mi-nifler, and affirmed to me, that the Devil hath appeared to him, and follicited him with a Knife to cut his Throat, and told him, hemuftdoit fuddenly, for he would flay no longer. I told him how fafe he was, if he truly repented, and begged Pardon through Chrift, and would refolvedly renew his Baptifmal Covenant, and renounce the Devil, and live as truly devoted to God and our Redeemer: And I have heard from him no more, but muft not name him.

This (hews what Power Satan gets, if Men do but confent: For I had a very Godly Friend, that a Week ago told me, that he read Cornelim Agrip\>d% Occult a Fhilofophia ,. and read the fame Words that he faith will raife Devils, but with oo Defire, but a Detection of Succefs,

and

and of the Book, and nothing appeared t© him.

XX. Mr. Samuel dark hath publifhed the Apparition to Mr. White of Dorchefter, Af-feflor to the TFefiminft.er-Afkmbly, at Lam-beth. The Devil, in a light Night, flood by hisBed-fide: He looked a while whe* ther he would (ay or do any thing, and then laid, If thou haft nothing elfe to do, I have % and fo turned himfelf to deep. Many fay it from Mr. White, himfelf.

XXL This following I had from one of unqueftionable Credit.

Amongft other things, I called to Mind a Story fent me in a Letter from Cambridge, that Week it was done, in i66i> or 1662. and I did verily believe, and do ftill, that Mr. Illingwrth fent it me, but he could not refled its however, Mr.-Cooper hearing it told it was a great Truth, he heard Mr. Franklin, a Minifter of Wood-Rifwg, in this County, twelve Miles from this City, Father to the Child, tell it to Sir Philip Wood-houfe. Mr. Franklin (his Character, farther than that of a Minifter of the Church of England, I cannot give you) was then Minifter of a Town (whofe Name I know not) in the Ifle of £/j, and upon this Account which I fhall tell you, removed to Wood* Rifmg in this County.

This

64 An Hiftorkal Difcourfe of

This Man had a Child, to which a Spirit often appeared at his Father's Houfe 5 and grew fo bold and free, as very ordinarily to come in whilft Company was in thd Houfe, and Franklin }n the Room, and fit down by the Boy. At due Years, about the Year 1661, or 1662. he Was bound an Apprentice to a Barber in Cambridge, (or at leaft with him as a Probationer.) One Night the Spirit appeared to him in the ufuai Habit of a Gentlewoman, and would have perfuaded him to go home again,asking him what he did there ? &c The Boy, after fome Treaty, replied, He would not go. Upon which, he received a great Blow oil the Ear, and grew very ill, but rofe. Being and continuing ill, his Matter prefently horfeth, and rides to acquaint his Father, In the Forenoon of that Day, the Boy fitting by the Kitchin-fire, his Miftrefs being by, fuddenly cries out, O Miftrefs! Loo^ Then s the Gentlewoman. The Woman turns to look, fees nothing; but while her Head was turned, hears a Noife as of a great Bok on the Ear; turns, fees the Boy^bending down his Neck, and he prefently died. A-bout the fame Hour, fo near as they could guefs, the Mafter was fitting at Dinner in the Ifle of Ely* with the Father: The v Appearance of a Gentlewoman comes in, looking angrily ? taking a Turn or two, difap-peared*

Thus

I Thus I remember the Story came, ia three Days after it was done, to me. \

Mr-Cooper this Afternoon confirms it, as heard by him from Mr. Franklin himfelf: Adding, the poor Man was fo affe&ed, that he feemed almoft ftupid.

XXIII. From a credible Perfon I had this following Account.

In the Year 1665. Elizabeth Brook§r 9 Servant to Mrs. Huron olHonyton, in the County of Devon, as fhe was ferving in Dinner one Lord's Day, fuddenly felt a pricking, as of a Pin, in her Thigh, but did not think there could be any fuch thing 5 yet looking, fhe found indeed that a Pin was there, got within her Skin, but without drawing any Blood, or breaking the Skin, or making any hole or fign at all * and it was got fo far within her Fle(h, that (he could hardly feel the Head of it w r ith her Finger, but yet fhe did plainly enough perceive that it was a Pin 5 fo it continued the remaining part of that Day. The next Day (lie felt but little pain: The Tuefday fhe was much pained, and the Pin wrought fo far into her Fle(h,that (lie could no longer feel k with her Fingers. The WUntfday (he went to Exeter, that fhe might have the Advice of Mr. Anthony Smith, a Chirurgeon thete, of great Reputation. He, upon examining the place ; would oot believe that 4ny Pin was F there,

there, there being no Skin broken* no Swelling, nor any other thing by which he might perceive the leaft Token of any fuch matter. However, upon her confident* and conftant affirming there was a Pin, he made an Incifion •, and fearching with an Inftru-meni, at length found the Pin, and took it out: It was a little crooked, and of the larger fort of fmall Pins- He prefently made Applications for the Cure of the Wound, which in about three Weeks time was erTe&ed.

The Day before this happened, the Wq-man had an unknown Perfon asked a Pin of her, which the denied her, but did not fuf-pe&her. And another Woman, Agnes Ri-chardfon, who was fufpe&ed, was angry with her, for blaming her about Mifcarriage in an Errand that (he fent her on.

A true Relation from Honyton, in the County of Devon, com cerning Witchcraft*

Hsjngfion upon Tomes, Sept. 6, 16B1I

A Bout nine or ten Years fince, in the Hcufe of Mrs. Hieron, of BonytM,

Widow, there happened this ftrange In-iaoce of Witchcraft following-

Thi?

[Apparitions and Wit chef. 6j

This Widow Huron, aPerfon of good Quality, kept a Mercer's Shop, and (I think) doth to this day, in Honyton. She had a Maid-Servant, Elizabeth Brooker by Name, who fold Small Wares in^a Stall before her Miftreffes Door. On Saturday^ which was their Market-day* a certain Woman of Honyton Town came to the faid Elizabeth Brooker, (felling Wares at the Stall aforefaid 5 ) and asked her for a Pin. The Maid readily gave her a Pin from her Sleeves but this Pin did not fatisfie, fhe would have a Pin of a bigger fort, out of a Paper which hung up to fell. The Maid told her, thofe Pins were not hers to give, fhe mult ask her Miftrefs; and when fhe had Orders, (he would give her her Defire. The Woman asked her again, and again j and Elizabeth did as often deny. The Woman went away in a great Fume and Rage, and told die Maid, fhe fhould heat farther from her* fhe would eer long wiih fhe had given her the Pin fhe defireds with many threatning Speeches, which the Maid took little notice of, (though the Woman was of an ill Report) Now, the next Day being the Lord's Day. while her Miftrefs and the Family were at Dinner, and Elizabeth Brooker waiting at the Table, on a fud-den the Maid gave a very great Cry, and told them, fhe had a Pin thruft into her Thigh* which few of the Family did believe, know-F z ing

ing there was no Perfon in jhe Room Be-fide her felf, and the Family, who all fate at Meat, (lie only (landing to attend them. Her Miftrefs arofe from Table, and Mr. Samuel Bier on s Wife, (who was then living.) She was forced to go to Bed ^ they fen t for a Midwife of the Town, who had skill in Sores and Wounds: She faw there had been fome fmall Hurt in the Skin, but the Pin was out of fight ^ and feeling fo as to* underhand what it was, or exaftly where, the Midwife applied her rare Plaifter of Ve-#/Ve-Turpentine all that Night, and many other things the next Day, but the Pain was ftill the fame. On the Tuefday they ad-vifed with Mr. Salter, a skilful Apothecary in the Town* who advifed them well, whofe Couniel they followed, bur all in vain. On Wedxefday, the fame Week, they, with great Trouble and Fain, brought her to Exeter, and lodged her at Mr. John jfifoppws, a worthy Minifter of the Gofpel, Who lived in Gaudies-Lane. They called me to her, to advife what to do to eafe her Paim Idefigned a Suppurative Cataplafm, but^nbthing would fatishe the Maid, but cutting of it out^ which was (omewhat difficult? becauie it was hard to find the place exadtly, where to make the Incifion, but the Courage of the Patient did greatly promote the Operarion. i made a large jaci-fion, according to the leogch of the Mufcks■;

and

and though I could find no fign of the Pin upon the firft Incifion, yet by putting my Incifion-knife obliquely, I felt the Pin, and brought it out, near an Inch within the C#-tk$ and upon that there was great Eafe, and in fifteen Days the Sore was whole-This Operation was performed in the pre-fence of Mrs. Hoppw, Mrs. Gold, Mrs- Ford, and many worthy Perfons, of good Reputation- And I dare prefume, If this Paper be fent to Hokypon, to Mr. Samuel Hieron, Minifter of the Gofpel, he will have it fuf-ficiently attefted concerning the firft part of the Story, and none can tell the fecond pare better than my felf, who performed the Operation : And the Truth of that I give under my Hand this 6th Day of September, Anno Dom, 1 68 1.

Anthony Smith,

Chyrurgus Kingston*

XXIV. One born in the fame Town, now living in London^ in a Journey, Anm 166^ lodged at an Inn in Culmfiock* in the fame County. He went to Bed between Ten and Eleven of the Clock, and foon F 3 fell

70 An Hiftorkal Difcowfe of

fell afleep, not having any Apprehenfions concerning the Houfe or Chamber. When he awaked, he found himfelf laid out in the Floor, at fome diftance from the Bed, by the fide of a Table, the Bed-Cloaths, &nd his own Wearing Cloaths, all upon him, juft in the fame manner as he laid them when going to Bed $ having nothing at all under him, by which he got an ex-tream Cold 5 and befides, his Leg and Arm next the Table were forely bruifed. Being awake, he be^m to think where he was, but foon recolleded himfelf, and by the Light of the Moon, which then lhone very bright, he difcerned the Bed; and putting on the Cloaths upon the Bed, laid him down again, and flept the remaining part of the Night very quietly. Soon after his being in Bed this fecond time, the Town-Clock ftruck Twelve. He never was out of his Bed in his Sleep before or fince; and foon after he came to underhand that the Chamber was reputed to be haunted.

Mn

apparitions and Witchesl yi

Mr. Charles Hatt's Letter, concerning an [fouje being haunted at Kinton, in Wotccfterlhire, in the Tear \66j.

Worthy Sir,

According to your Defire, and iby Pro-mife when I was with you about a Fortnight fince, with Mrs. WUfon, concerning a Man's Houfe in Kimon (fix Miles from Worcefter) being forely troubled, about the latter end of the Year 1667. to the beft of my Remembrance, viz..

I living at Benington, near -4»fter> itt Warwickshire ■, Workmen come from Kin* ton, acquainted me of an Houfe forely haunted, naming the Perfen to me, (which I have now forgot.) I being defirous to fee or hear fuch things, went to the faid Houfe-, but finding only a Maid there a fpinning, I asked for her Mafter. She told me, the Spirit (to the beft of my remembrance (he called it fo) had boxed him a-bout the Ears, as he fate by the Fire, over againfther* upon which, he cried out, and went away to a Son's of his in the faid Town, a little before I came. I coming to the faid Man, defired him ta come home. F 4 He

J % An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

He feemed unwilling, telling me how he was abufed by it, and that in the Night ic Would often pull him out of the Bed, and did fo torment him, that he was a weary of his Life. But getting him home* he fate him down about the fame place, neat the Fire, and I fate over againft him, difcourfing how he was troubled. He told me, feveral had been with him? as the Minifter of the placd, (to mybeft remembrance.) They bid him pray, pray: But he found no Relief I told him , I knew no other way than by feeking to the Lord, and not to fpeak (lightly of Prayer. He told me, I might hear it before I went. I had not been long , but there was a great Noife in the faid Room ;5! of Groaning, or rather Gruntling, like a Hog, and then gave a lowd Shriek- Here it is, faith the Man. I was much concerned upon the bearing of it $ fo recalling my felf, I defired to go to Prayer in the next Room, where the Man ufed to lie. By this time many of the Towns-People came in, and were at Duty. A-bout the middle of Duty * the aforefaid Noife came, as I thought, lowder, and juft by me * however, I then was not concerned. Afterward, having fome Dit courfe with the Man about a Month after , I heard from him, that it did no more trouble 'him,'' nor to his Death.

He

He lived, as I remember, two Years after. This is the beft and trueft Account I can give. I reft,

SIR,

Tour Qhriftian Friend to command^

Oinf.m^ Charles HattV.

POSTSCRIPT.

SlR,

I Spake to my Lady Rich, concerning a Voice that Mr. Tiro heard, acquainting him of hi$ Death. If you remember, I told you of him, and you defired an Account of it. He was a Nonconformist Mr-nifter, of Vnger, in Effhx: My Lady will fend you the Account of it. This Mr. Tiro had an extraordinary Love for you.

rale, GH.

CHAP.

74 An ffiftorkal Difcourfe of

CHAP. III.

MR. John Humphreys, brought Mr. May Hill to me 5 with a Bag of Irons , Nails and Brafs, vomited by the Girl. I keep fome of them to fhew: Nails about three or four inches long, doubled crooked at the endj and pieces of old Brafs doubled, about an Inch broad, and two or three Inches long, with crooked edges: I defi-red him to give me the Cafe in Writing, which he hath done as followeth: Any one that is incredulous, may now at Becking-ton receive Satisfaction from him, and from the Maid her felf.

In the Town of Bectyngton^ by Froome itl Somerfet-Shire , liveth Mary Hill , a Maid of about Eighteen years of Age, who having lived very much in the Negled of her Duty to God, was fome time before Michaelmas laii paft was Twelve-Month , taken very ill, and being feized with violent Fits, began to Vomit up about two hundred crooked Pins. This fo Stupendous an Accident, drew a numerous Concourfe of People to fee her: To whom when in her Fits, foe did conftantlyaffirm,that ftefaw a-gainft the Wall of the Room * Wherein

flie lay, an old Woman named Elizabeth Carrier , who thereupon being Apprehended by a Warrant from a Juftice of Peace, and Convi&ed by the Oaths of two Per-fons , was committed to the County Goal.

About a Fortnight after , flie began to Vomit up Nails, Pieces of Nails, Pieces of Brafs, Handles of Spoons, and fo continued to do for the fpace of fix Months and upwards: And in her fits, flie faid there did appear to her an old Woman, Named Mm?*

gery Coombes , and One Ann More 5 who alfo

by ? Warrant from two Juftices of the Peace, were Apprehended and brought to the Seflions held at Brewton for the County, and by the Bench committed to the County Goal: The former of thefe dyed as foon as flie came into Prifon, the other two were Tryed at Taunton Alfizes, by my Lord Chief Juftice Holt , and for want of Evidence, were acquitted by the Jury. The Perfons bound over to give Evidence, were

SufannaBelton, and Ann Holland , who Upon their Oaths Depofited, that they hookt out of the Navel of the faid Mary Hill, as flie lay in a dead fit, crooked Pins, fmall Nails, and fmall pieces of Brafs, which were produced in Court before the Judge, and from him handed to the Jury to look upon them. Whereupon Mr. Francis Jejjk, and Mr.chri-ftopher Bnwer declared, that 'they had feen

the

j6 An HifloYtcal Difcourfe of

the faid Mary Hill to Vomit up at feveral times Crooked Pins, Nails, and Pieces of Brafe, which they alfo produced in open Court, and to the end, they might be at certakied it was no Inrpofture, they declared, they had fearched her Mouth with their Fingers before flie did Vomit.

Upon which the Court thought fit to call for me, who am the Minifter of the Parifh, to teftiffe the Knowledge of the matter , which I did to this EfFed, that I had ken her at feveral times, after having given her alktle fmall Beer, Vomit up Crooked Pins, Nails, and Pieces of Brafs. T nat to prevent the Suppoiition of a Cheat, I hadcaufed her to be brought to a Window, and having lookt into her Mouth, I fearcht it with my Finger, as I did the Beer before ihe drank it. This I did, that I might not be wanting in Circumftantial Anfwers, to what my Lord and Court might pro-pofe.

I well remember, a Gentleman on a Saturday came to my Houfe ( Incognito ) to kaow of me the truth of the Country Report about this Maid, haying feen fomeof the Nails, &c (he had Vomited up. I told him it was very true, and if he would ftay in Town till the Morning, he might fee it himfelf, for his own Satisfaction. Which hs did, and early in the Morning, was called to fee her. But becaufe Beer was

not

not given her when (he wanted it, (he lay in a very Deplorable Condition, till paft two in the Afternoon 5 when with much Difficulty, /he brought up apieceofBrafi, which the laid Gentleman took away with him. Though before the faid Piece of Brafs came up, he told me hewasfatisfied of the Truth of the thing , becaufe it was impof-fible for any Mortal to Counterfeit her mife-rable Condition She fometimes lying in a dead Fit,with her Tongue fwelled out of her Head, and then reviving, ihe would fall to Vomiting, but nothing came up till a-bout two a Clock in the Afternoon. Nay, fo curious was he to Anticipate any Cheat, that he fearcht her Mouth himfelf s give her the Bear, held her up in his hand, and likewife the Bafon,into which (he Vomited, and continued with her all this time, without eating and drinking , which was about eight hours, that he might be an Eye-Wit-nefs of the Truth of it. Nay, further, he found the Maid Hying only with a Brother, and three poor Sillers, all young Perfons, and very honert, and the Maid kept at the Charge of the Fariih, were fufficient Teffi-monies they were uncapable of making a Cheat of it. The Gentleman I now mentioned, was, (as I afterward learnt) Efquire

Player of Caftle-Cary.

I have often wondred how it was poffible for all that Trumpery to be conveyed into

her

78 r An Hiftorical Dtfcourfe of

her Body, which at Intervals, fhe caft up* I therefore made all theObfervationl could to fatisfie my felf and others. I found that thole things which fhe brought up in the Morning J were conveyed into her Body by fome Diabolical Power, when /fhe was in Bed at Night. What induced me eafily to believe this, was, by confidering thefe following Circumftances.

i. That it was only in the Morning, that ihe Vomited up Nails, &c. and fcarce did any thing in the Afternoon.

2. I found by Enquiry, that fhe always flept with her Mouth open, and could not help it, and when afleep, fhe could not be awaken'd either by calling, jogging or pulling of her, for fome confiderable time i though at the fame time, fhe fetcht fuch deep and painful Groans, as if fhe were awaked, and fenfible of her fad Condition.

3. For my Farther Satisfa&ion , I got fome at my own Charge to fit up at Nights with her , and watch her Mouth, and to fee it was kept clofe fhut. Whilft this was 3one,the Vomiting of Nails ceafed,and that for thirteen Nights Succeffively 7 but when it was neglected, flie would be fure to bring up fomething of Nails, or fome fuch ftuft. I then had her lodged at a Neighbours Houfe 3 to fee whether her Vomiting of

Nails

Nails would totally ceafe,but it did not. For coming one day to my Houfe, to refrefli her felf, (he had not bin there two Hours, before (he began to be itl, we immediately gave her iome Beer, and (he Vomited up a great board Nail. Some time after this, flie threw up a great piece of Brafs, which I faw followed with much Blood, and (he being extreamly weakened with driving* and falling into a Fit, I caufed a Woman to open her Mouth, who took out as much Blood, as (he could hold in the hollow of her hand.

After the Affizes afore-mentioned was ended, and (he was turned home, (he grew worfe than ever,by Vomiting of Nails,Pi£ces of GlSfs, &c. And falling one day into a Violent Fit, (he was fwelled to an extraordinary bignefs, fomeBeer being given her* fhe throws up feveral Pieces of Bread and Butter, befmeared with aPoyfonous matter, which I judged to be white Mercury. This fo much affrighted the Neighbours, that they would come no more near her. So that one day, (he being taken defperate ill, I was fent for to pray with her , and Compaffio-nating the Deplorablenefs of her Condition , I at laft refolved to take her into my own Houfe, where in fome (hort time, the Vomiting ceafed 5 though for fome fpace, her Diftorting Fits followed her. But, blef-

fed

go An Hifiorkal Difcourfe bf

fed be God, is now, and has been for a confiderable time laft paft in very good health, and fit for a Service,;

April 4 . May Hill Mmifter of Beckington, 1691. In the County of Somerfet.

II. They that will read Mr. Incruf* Mathers Book, and efpecially his Sons, Mr. Cotton Mathers Book of the Witchcrafts in New-England , may fee enough to Silence any Incredulity that pretendeth to be Rational.

Mr. Emlin a Preacher now in DubHnitoli me the Story of the Bewitching of two Gentlewoman , Sifters to Mr. Pacy, now a Pious Juftice in Left oft in Suffolk^. He and his Sifters now Married, are all yet living: They were ufed much like thofe in New-Englandy mentioned by Mr. Cotton Ma* ther y ~ being Children then about nine and eleven years old : But Iunderftand that the Story is in Print, and it is alfo in M. 5. from Judge Hale himfelf, who Condemned the Witch , ( which no Man was more backward to do, without full Evidence.) A Lady of my Acquaintance, hath it under his Hmd* Therefore I forbear the particulars: Only one odd paffage that Mr. Emlin told me I (hall recite. A Godly Minilrer yet living? fitting by to fee one

of the Girls in her fits, fuddenly felt a force pull one of the Hooks from his Breeches.* And while he looked, with wonder what was become of' it > the Tormented Girl, Vomited it up out of her Mouth: Any that doubteth of this Story, may be fatisfied of Mr. Facy, and both his Sifters yet living, and may know all the Evidences and Orcumftances which I pafs over.

char

S z r An Wftorkal Difcourfe of

:

C H A P. IV.

Inflames fentme from the tyu^e of Lauderdale; {More in other Letters #f his I gave away^ and fqme Books of Forreign Wonders he fent me)

SIR,

IT Is Fad that the Saddncean, or rather A-theiftical denying of Spirits, or their Apparitions fhould fo far prevail; and fad-der, that the clear Teftimonies of fo many Ancient and Modern Authors fhould not convince them* But why fbould I wonder, if thofe who believe not Mofu and the Prophets, will not believe though one fbould rife from the Dead ? One great caufe of the hardening of thofe Infidels, is, the frequent Impoftures which the Romamfls obtrude on the World in their Exorcifmsand pretended Miracles. Another is the too great Credulity of fome who make every thing Witchcraft which they do not under-ftand: And a third may be the Ignorance of fome Jodges and Juries, who condemn Silly Melancholy People upon their owo Cohfeffion, and perhaps, (lender Proofs.

None

None of thefe three can be deny'd, but it is impertinent arguing to conclude, that becaufe there have been Cheats in the World, becaufe there are fome too credulous, and fome have been put to Death for Witches, and were not, therefore all Men are deceived. There is fo much written, both at home and abroad, fo convincingly, and by, fo unqueftionable Authors, that I have not the Vanity to add any thing, efpecially to you: But becaufe you have defired me to tell you the Story of the Nuns at Loudutt and fome others, I (hall firft tell you of a real PofTefflon near the place I was born in 5 next of difquietings by Spirits (both which I had from unqueftionable Teftimonies) and then I ihall tell you what I faw at Loudnn 7 concerning that which I do not doubt to call a Pretended Pofleifion, fure I am a Cheat. About 30 Years ago, when I was a Boy at School, there was a poor Woman generally believed to be really pofleiled. She lived near the Town of Duns in the Mers ; and Mr. John Weems then Minifter of Buns (a Man known by his Works to be a Learned Man, and I knew him to be a GodlyHoneft Man) was perfwaded fhe was poffeifcU I have heard him many times fpeak with my Father about it, and both of them concluded it a real Poffeffion. Mr. Weems vifited her often, and being convinced of the truth of the thing, he, with fome G % Neigh*

84 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

Neighbour Minifiers, applied themfelves to the King's Privy Council for a Warrant to keep Days of Humiliation for her. But the Biihops being then in Power (would not allow any Fafts to be kept. I will not trouble you with many Circumftances, one I iliall only tell you, which I think will evince a real Pofleffion. The Report being fpread in the Countrey, a Knight of the Name of Forbes, who lived in the North of Scotland, being come to Edenborough, meeting there with a Minifter of the North ^md both of them de-iirous to fee the Woman,the Northern Minifter invited the Knight to my Father's Houfe (which was within Ten or Twelve Miles of the Woman) whither they came, and next Morning went to fee the Woman. They Found her a poor Ignorant Creature, and feeing nothing extraordinary, the Minifler fays in Latin to the Knight, Nondum audi-*vimm Spiritum loquentem^ prefently a Voice

comes out of the Womans Mouth, Andis

loquemen?^ aitdis loquentem : This put the Minifter into fome amazement ( which I think made him not mind his own Latin) he took off his Hat, and (aid, b%iferj6*tur Bern pec-catoris: the Voice prefently out of the VVomans Mouth (aid, Dk peccatrkis^ die pec-catrkis ; whereupon both of them came out of the Houfe fully fatisfied , took Horfe immediately and returned to my Father s Houfe at Thrrlefiane Caftle in Lauderdale,

where

where they related this paffige. This I do exa&ly remember. Many more Particulars might be got in that Countrey, but this Latin Criticifm in a moft Illiterate Ignorant Woman, where there was no pretence to difpoffeffing, is Evidence enough, I think-Within thefe 50 or 40 Years there was an unqueftionable Poffeffion in the United Provinces, a Wench that fpoke all Languages, of which I have heard many Particulars when I lived in the Low-Countries, but that being Forreign I will not infift on it. : As to Houfes difquieted with Noifes, I fliall tell you one that happened fince I was a Married Man* and hint at more, which if you pleafe, I can get you authentically at-tefted.

Within four Miles of Edenborough, there lived an Aged Godly Minifter, one that was efteemed a Puritan 5 his Son now Minifter of the fame place, and then ordained his Affiftant. Their Houfe was extraordinarily troubled with noifes, which they, and their Family, and many Neighbours (who for divers Weeks ufed to go watch with them) did ordinarily hear. Ie troubled them moft on the Saturday Night, and the Night before their weekly Ledure-day. Sometimes they would hear all the Locks of the Houfe, on Doors and Chefts to fly open-, yea, their Cloaths which were G 3 an

6% r $n Hifiorkal Difirourfe of

at Night lock'd up into Trunks and Chefls, they found in the Morning all hanging a~ bout the Walls. Once they found their bed Linnen taken out, the Table covered with it, Napkins, as if they had been ufed, yea and Liquor in their Cups,as if Company had been there at Meat. The rumbling was extraordinary: The good old Man commonly called his Family to Prayer when it was moft troublefome 5 and immediately it was converted into gentle knocking, like the modeft knock of a Finger : But as foon as Prayer was done, they fhould hear ex* ceflive knocking, as if a Beam had been heaved by ftrengthof many Men againft the Floor. Never was there Voice nor Apparition » but one thing was remarkable ; (You rnuft know, that it is ordinary in Scotland to have a half Cannon Bullet in the Chimney-corner, on which they break their great Coals.) A merry Maid in the Houfe, being accuftoraed to the Rumblings, and fo her Fear gone, told her fellow Maid-Servant, That if the Deil troubled them that Night, (he would brain him ; fo Ihe took the Half-Cannon Bullet into Bed: The* Noife did not fail to awake her, nor did file fail in her defign, but took up the great: Bullet, and with a rhreatning, threw it as ihe thought, on the Floor,but the Bullet was pever morefeen; the Minifter turned her a< way for meddling and calking to it. All thefe.

Particulars

Particulars I have had from the Mouth of the Minifter now living, he is an Honeft Man , of good Natural Parts, well bred both in Learning arid by Travel into For-reign Parts in his Youth. I was not in the Countrey my felf daring the time, but I have it from many other Witness, and my Father's Steward lived then in a Houfe of mine within a Mile of rhe place, and feat his Servants conftantly thither; his Son now ferves me, who knows it.

I could tell you an ancienter Story before my tigie, in the Houfe of one Burnet, in the North of Scotland > where ftrange things were feen, which I can get fufficiemiy at-tefted. Alfo in the Southweft Border of Scotland, in Annandak there is a Houfe called Powdim, belonging to a Gentleman called Johnfton, that Houfe hath been haunted thefe 50 or 60 Years. At my coming to Worcefier 1651 I fpoke with the Gentleman (being my felf quartered within two Miles of the Houfe) he told me many extraordinary Relations confifiing in his own Knowledge : And I carried him to my Mailer, to whom he made the fame Relations: Noifes and Apparitions, Drums and Trumpets heard before the laft War; yea, he (aid, {omeEngliJh Soldiers quartering in his Houfe, were foundly beaten by that then irrefiftible Inhabitant: (This laft I wonderM at, for I rather expe&ed he ihould have G 4 beeq

SS An Hiftovkal Dtfcourfe of

been a Remonftrator, and oppofed the Refinance :) And within this Fortnight Mr. James Sharp was with me (him you know* and he is now at London) he tells me, that Spirit now (peaks, and appears frequently in the fhape of a Naked Arm 5 But other Difcourfe took me off from further inquiry. Thefe things I tell you in obedience to your defire, but as I faid before, I defire them not to be Printed. Atheifts are not to be convinced by Stories: Their own Sences will no more convert them than Sence will convert a Papift from Tranfub-fiantiation; and Scottifh Stories would make the difaffe&ed jeer Scotland^ which is the objed of Scorn enough already.

When I was in JDorfetftire Prifoner, one Mr. Jo. Hodder, Minifter of Hauke-Church in that County, told me of ftrange Apparitions, and unqueftionable Evidences of the a&ingsof Spirits in a Houfe, yea, a Religious Houfe of that Country, of which he was himfelf an Ear and Eye Witnefs.

In Dorchefter alfo, the Son of Reverend Mr. Jo. White (who was Afleffor to the Af-fembly at Weftminfiet) told me many Particulars of that Houfe in Lambeth where his Father lived in the time of the Aflembly, which then was unquefiionably haunted with Spirits. I do w r ell remember, I dined with old Mr. White then one day, and at Dinner he told us much of it, and that that i Morning

"Apparitions and Witches. gp

Morning the Spirit called up the Maid to lay the Beef to the Fire. Of the tvvolaft you may be fatisfied when you pleafe $ and at this present, I am told, there is a Houfe at Folie-John-Park not' three miles from the place haunted with Spirits.

But I muft leave room for my Loudun Nuns, and not write a Book 5 In the Year 1637, being at Paris in the Spring, the City was fo full of the pofleffion' of a whole Cloyfter of Nuns, and fome Laick Wenches at Loudun^ Books Printed, and flrange Stories told, that few doubted it 5-and /, who was perfwaded fuel) 2^thing might be, and that it was not impoffible the Devil could poflefs a Nun as well as anorher, doubted it as little as any body. So coming into that Country, I went a days Journey out of my way to fatisfie my Curiofity. Into the Cbappel I came in the Morning of a Holy Day* "and with as little prejudice as any could have, for I believed verily to have feen fome ftrange fights 3 but when I had feen Exorcifing enough of three or four of them in the Chappei, and could hear nothing but wanton Wenches finging baudy Songs in French, I begun to fufpect a Four be, and in great Gravity went to a Jefuite, and told him, I had come a great way in hope to fee fome flrange thing, and was forry to be difappointed. He commended my Holy Cpriofity,.and after he had thought a

while,

while, he defired me to go to the CaftJe^ and from thence, at fuch am. Hour, to the Parifh Church, and I fhould be fatisfied- I wonder'd at his Correfpondence, yet gravely went where he directed me, In the Caftle I faw little, but in the Pariili Church I faw a great many people gazing, and a Wench pretty well taught to play Tricks, yet nothing fo much as I have feen twenty Tumblers and Rope-cancers do. Back I came to the NunsChappel, where I faw the J efrits ftill hard at work at feveral Altars, and one poor Capuchin, who was an Obje<5fc of Pity, for he was pofleffed indeed with a Melancholy Fancy, that Devils were running about his Plead, and con-ilantly was applying Relicks. I faw the Mother Superior exorcifed. and faw that Hand on which they would have made us believe, The names L H* S. MARl A, J OS E PH y were written by Miracles 5 <but it was apparent to me it was done with Aqua Forth) then my Patience was quite fpenc, and I went to z'Jefmt and told him my Mind freely. He dill maintained a real Poffellion, and I defired for a tryal 10 fpeak a ftrange Language: He asked what Language ? i told him I would not ■.sell* but neither he nor all thofe Devils 'iliouid underftand me. He asked if I would be converted upon the Tryal, (for I had :difcovered I was no PapifU I told him that

was

was riot the Queftion, nor could all the Devils in Hell pervert me 5 but the Queftion was, If that was a real Pofleffion, and if arty could underftand me I (hall confefs it under my Hand : His anfwer was, Thefe Devils have not travelled \ and this I re-plyed to with a loud Laughter, Nor could I get any more Satisfa&ion. Only in the Town I heard enough that it was a Cheat invented to burn a Curate (his name, as I take it, was Cupf) and the Man had been really burnt to Allies, as a Witch, but the People laid it was for his Converfion from them. At my coming to Sanmur next day, my Country-man, Dr. Duncan, Principal of the Colledge at Saumur, told me how he had made a clearer Difcovery of the Cheat in prefence of the Bifhop of Vomers, and of all the Country, how he had held faft one of the pretended poflefled Nuns Arms in fpite of all she Power of their Exorcifms, and challenged all the Devils in Hell to take it out of his Hand- This, with many more Circumftances, he told me, and he printed them to the World 3 but this is already too tedious. One^ore Journey I made to fee Poflefled Women exor-cifed near Antwerp, ^nno 1649. but faw only fome great Holland Wenches hear Ex-orcifm patiently, and belch mod abominably. So if thofe were Devils, they were windy Devils 5 but I thought they were

only

£ 2 An Hifiorkal Difcourfe of

only pofleffed with a Mornings Draught of too new Beer. Some of the Loudun Nuns, after great Refiftance and Sqaeeking, did on great importunity adore their Hoft, and the Jefrites did delire us to fee the power of Church, where, all I wondered at, was his Blafphemy,in faying to the pretended Devil, Troflratum adorabis creator em tunm quern digitis teneo. But my Paper, as well as my Di-fcretion calls for an End' Your Defire and my Obedience is all I can plead for your receiving fo long a Rabble from,

Sirj

Tour mofi faithful Friend

and Servant,

SStS Lauderdaile.

CHAP.

apparitions and Witches. 93

tip-**'--.

CHAP. V.

More Examples.

I, \ Lexander BenediUm , lib. 7. PraB* JLJL cap. 25. recited bySkenkjus, Lib.j. Obf.33. faith, that he faw two Women, Neighbours and Companions, bewitched, that were both taken with Vomiting the fame Day *• One vomited a Head-Bodkin, crooked like a Hook, and a deal of Woman's Hair, and Parings of Nails, and died the next Night. The other vomited much Woman's Hair, and pieces of Nitre, and three Lumps of Dog's Hair dried, the quantity of a Dog's TaiJ.

II. Benivenim^ cap. 8. faith, he faw and had in Cure a Woman tormented with a fwolen Belly, tolled up and down, who he thought had been hyfierical. But at laft {he vomited long, crooked Nails, and brafs Needles, and Wax, and Lumps of Hair, and bigger Lumps of Meat than any one can fwallow; and ihe dored, and prophe-fied 5 and did other things above natural Power.

III. Langiui)Lib.i. Epift.38. nameth W~ rictts Neufeffbr 9 a Husbandman, who was

tor-

94 A n HifloYical Difcourfe of

tormented in one of his Sides, and at laft felt a Nail of Iron under the whole Skin, which the Chirurgeon cut out, but his Pain ftill increafed, (o that in Impatience he cut his Throat ; and died. He nameth the Perfons who were prefent when he was opened, and they found in his Stomach j long, round piece of Wood, and four Knives of Steel, partly (harp, and partly toothed like Saws, and two fharp pieces of Iron, every one above a Span long, and a Ball of Hair.

IV. Cornelius Gemma\ of Lovain, De Na-tur. CharaEh. Div. lib. 2. cap. 4. hath a long and marvellous Story of a Girl of Fifteen Years old, called Catherine Gkalter, fufpe<3> ed to be bewitched 5 who fell ill, Jan. 1571, and after divers Months Pain, and Fevers and Qmvulfions like the Hyfterical, and three or four Men could hardly hold her. He and Bernard a Phyfician were fent for in -dugnfi: She avoided a living Eel by Stool ; it lay as dQ^d in the Excrements at firft, but put into Water, revived: When it was dead, and kid up to keep, it vaniihed away. Then the Maid began to vomit watery Humour, (which he faw,) like Urine: For fourteen Days fhe vomited the quantity of four and twenty Pound in a Day 5 which he faw himfelf, and handled 5 and yet (he had never die lefs paflage of Urine, and (he

had

had no Swelling, and drunk fcarce one Cup of Beer or Wine. Afterward (he vomited abundance of Hair, fome longer, and fome fhort, like Dog's Hair, and this with great difficulty and pain. Strong Jadations, Convulsions, and beating her felf continued daily many Hours s. fometimes laughing, fome-times weeping, as^ Hyfierical: Then fhe vomited great flocks of Hair, with filthy Matter, fuch as is in Ulcers, and fometimes like the Dung of Doves and Geefe, and in them pieces of Wood, and thofe like new Chips lately cut off an old Tree, and abundance of Skin* like Parchment-Shavings : And afterwards, two or three Pounds a D&y, like Ink and Coals together, with long, white, hard Hair miVd, For a Week together: Afterwards fhort black and red Hair, and a virulent Humour like Dirt. In September (he vomited Membranes, like pieces of her Stomach, of a fle(hy thick Coat, with the marks of Veins, afterwards thin black ones; and after thar ? various Membranes of two hands breadth,, like a Viper's Sloughy (in the defcription of which, he is too large for me to repeat, as in various fliapes and figures.^ After this, foe vomited innumerable Stones, fome like Walnuts, like pieces broken out of old Walls, with fome of the Lime on them i In his prefence fhe vomited one as big as two Chefnuts, which firfl: fluck in her

Throat

p6 'An liiftorkal Difcourfe of

Throat, and fwelPd a quarter of an Hour, fo that (he feemed dead, without Breath andPulfe; and after that, a piece of Wood of the length and thicknefs of his Finger, and Hair; after that (he vomited a triangular Bone, whole without, and hollow within * arid after that, many Joint-Bones; and laft of all, Hair, with pieces of Glafs and Brafs. Recited by Mar. Don. Hifi. Mir. Lib. 2. Cap. i. zxidSkenkim^Lih.'j. Obf.48. That foe was cured by the Priefts' Means, doth not render the Story incredible, though there be many Deceits.

More fuch you may read in Skenkins, and of two Whelps vomited up, ibid, obf 42, 41,40,43. And Sideliw by Scholtzjus fent him the Narrative of a Girl of Eleven Years old, that vomited Chefnuts, lumps of Hair, and of raw Flelh, and a Hen's Bone of the Leg, after long, terrible Fits 5 between which, fhe played, and was well: And by publick and private Prayer was cured.

VI. Wolphius wrote to Shenkius, that near Zurickjht Devil vexed a melancholy Woman, and (ollicited her to drown her felf: She went and fate long on the Flood-gate of a Pond; at laft, by his importunity, fhe yielded, faying, [If itmuft be fo, on God's Name let it befof\ and caft her felf into the Water, where (he lay three Hours on her

Back>

dpparithns and Witches. 91

Back, and could not fink 5 and being found, and brought home, her Body was as light as Straw, and (he recovered her Health-

VII. Sebaftian Brand'J. C.wroteto &kenkius r

the Narrative of one, that after horrid Torments, vomited in one Year four hundred Earthen Chamber-pots full of Bloody be-fides vjhn went by Stool, and fifty times let blood that Year 5 lb that jhe loft a thou-fand Pounds of Blood, as this Man (a Councillor of State) profefled he knew by true Report, and his own Eye-fight. And the Blood burfl: through the Skin, and with it fhe vomited a thoufand and two hundred Worms, fome as long as ones Finger, and fome longer.

I have elfewhere cited out of Tzmtluis y the Narrative of fuch as had the like fym-ptoms as fome of thefe, and fpoke Latin, Greek and Hebrew , which they never learnt.

VIII. llon^Fabrnipts Hildanus, 1. 1. Ohfl

43. p. 202. tells us of a young Man that none of the Phyficiaas could cure, or find out his Difeafe 5 and his Parents going-co a Conjurer, he gave him a Vomit, which brought up Pins, Nails, Points of Knives, and many other pieces of Iron, which H/7^»/whimfelf faw with Admiratioo 3 and the young Man prefeatly recovered : (Jnpagpqttodamprope Urbtm Mecim.) H 1 1a >

IX. Fcelix Flat ems, an excellent pious Proteftant- Do&or at Bafil, in bis Obferva-tJOOS^ lib. *. p. 20. faith, \_A certain Exorcifi Prieft, 156o.got wealth by exorcifmg,by conjuring the Pojfejfedy in a City of Helvetia ; into whofe Hottfe coming on fome Bufinefs, I was defired by a Parent^ that was his Country-man, to turn him from this ungodly praUice ? And e-ven then one was brought in, a robufi Man, with torn Hofe, who they faid was poflefled of a Devil, and carried on their Shoulders 5 they caft him down on the Pavement of the Chamber, who profrrate on the Ground, his Feet drawn together, his Hands contorted, and, which is Orangey his Neck turned abdut, fo that his Face look'd to his back, he lay dumb and deaf like a Block. They told me that he had remained in this pcfiure and form, without Meat, Drink, or any Excretion many Days* I being ftruck with this terribly, w r ent my ways. But this {atlne Exorcifi (Prieft) that fame Year was brought to me, to Bafil, to be cured, having a pain in his Hip, that he could not walk, and he lodged with us- But when many things were ufed in Vain, at laft he confeft to me, that this befell him by the Devil: Whom when he by his Exorcifms, would have caft out of one poffeft , the Devil then, as he had done oft before , threatned him ia thefe words, in the Ger-

man f

Apparitions and Witches. 9$

man Tongue |[ Pfajf ich will dir noch den thou geben dafe du mich alfes verit eifl. 2 And at once, thruft him fo violently up to the Chimney, that his Hip hurt, hath been in this Cafe everfince.

It would be tedious to cite Learned Credible Phyfitians, that have written with full Evidence, Demoniacal effects on their Patients.

X. The Cafe elfe where mentioned, which convinced Hoilerins, an extraordinary Phyfitian, who before, derided it as Melancholy , is undeniable: Of a Girl, that while People looked on, would by fom-what invifible, be iuddenly bound to a Poft or Bed-iiead , or her Hands tyed together with Cords, Hemp, or Horfe-hair: Which Holkrm feeing, and that the band couldnot be untyed , but muft be cut, he confefled it was by an invifible or fuperna-tural Power. One can fcarce name a Man un~ likelier to be deceived, than Holkrm.

XI. The Hiftories that Pet. Forefim giv-eth us, of his own Patients and Knowledge , having mentioned elfewhere, I here forbear to recite, and many others mentioned in the fecond part of my Saints Reft.

XII. ScribomtiSj a Learned Pious Mar-ptrg Do&or of Phyfick, faith in PhyfioL

Sagarum,p. 53, &c. One of the Witches burnt at Lemgovia, confefled, that (he made Lame one of the Citizens, ( whom I will not name, being well known.) And another, with her own Mouth witnefled, thas (he killed the Confuls firft Wife, by putting Poyfonous things under the Door, on which (he fell Sick the next day, and dyed.

I will add ( faith Scribonim ) an Example which I faw myfelf, and obferved. For we muft believefthat which Experience by Example (heweth us. In this pre-fent year 15%. in the Summer, a Witch was apprehended at Wattecia , who is in a Town of the Illuftrious Princefs Barbara, Councefs of Waldecia , &c. to a Servant Maid to one of her Neighbours, for whom (he was to prepare a Coat (or Gown ) in one of the doubles of it, fowed a certain Root, which caafed as foon as (he put it on, that in her Loins, which the extremities of the Coat touched,foe was prefently the (ame hour greatly troubled, and ftraightway tormented grievoufly in all her Body. And a few days after, (he Vomited Bones like the great Teeth of a Horfe, and fmall Cockle-ihells.1 faw all theBones,! faw aCockle-fhelJ, and with my Knife I cot them, and I brake themjfo that I (hall never be made believe, that this was any Deception of the fight.

Another Teftimony I will add, which by a Credible Man 3 was feat me. Anno 1575.

Nov*

Afctf.14. from the Town of Hallenftedm the Dutchy of Brwfwick, Stephen Ralen accufed of Witchcraft, by two of his Kindred, freely, and without Bonds confefled, that from his firft Wife that was burnt with other Witches in the City of Ratelburg , he learned the Art of killing Men by Poy-fon 5 And that after being Angry with his fecond Wife, for the Sufpition of Adultery in her Child-Bed, he had given her thofe Poyfons. And that by the help of his firft Wife , be had given one Rhetobbs Poyfon, which killed him in eight days, having fallen out with him in his Drinking Frolicks. And another he killed with a Poyfon drawn from three named Aaimals: And he freely confefled, that to another , he^ laid the faid Poyfon under the Door, and as he went out over them , he prefent-ly had a pain in his right Arm , and after in the reft of his Body, with which, he was grievoufly Tortured, And he after told them, that once his Hat falling, and loft in the Water, being angry with God Almighty, and Renouncing him ( like our Bammee Tories) he gave himfelf to the Devil, and called him to him, to come to him -■> and faid, I'll be thine, and commit my felf to thee: Come to me Satan, who prefently came. He was burnt, November the 20th.

H 3 XIII

102 An Hiflorical Difcourfe of

XIII. The Concubitm of rhe Devils with

Witches ( Males and Females) hath fo full Teftimonies, as is not to be denied. St. -du~ ftin faith, DeCivit. Dei, lib. 15. cap. 23. & Sup.Gen. lib. i. q.%. It is a moft common Report, and many whofe Credit is not to be doubted of, fay and confirm, that by their own, or other fuch, they have heard it, that Sylvani and IE ami have been naught with Women. And that many Devils which the French call Duciu do daily attempt this Uncleannefs, and effe& it, is reported by fo many, that 'tis Impudence to deny it. Yea, fome Women, counted honeft, defend the pra&ice. Near Witeberg, a Merchant's Wife, that pafs'd for an honeft Woman, was ufed to admit one peculiar Concubine: And once, her Husband being from home, her Lover came^ to her in the Night; and having pleafed his Luft, in the Morning he arofe, and fate on the top of the Door, in the ihapeof aMagpye, and faid to her this Farewell 3 Hitherto this hath been thy Sweetheart , and vaniilied with the Words.] Sen-bon.pag-79.

I rather think that this was a Man-Witch, than a Devil.

The Story of Magdakna Crucia (cited elfewhere by me, and by Dr. H. More) was, faith Bodin, famous through the World, cited by many 3 who being fufpe&ed, tofave

her

her Life, went to the Pope himfelf (/Will.) asa Penitent, and confefled her Sin, that at Twelve Years old the Devil iollicked her, and lay with her, and that he had layen with her thirty Years; yet ihe was made the Ab-befs of a Monaftery, and counted a Saint* And fbe confefled that the Devil, among all the People, brought ChrifFs Body (the Wafer) to her Mouth, none feeing what carried it; whereby (he was taken for a Saint, as done by fbme good Spirit,

And faith Scribonius; St. Bernards Hiflo-

ry teftifieth, that there was a Witch, with whom the Devil oft was naught, and her Husband never perceived it.

And, faith he, many Witches in thefe Countries have of late Years confefled the fame.

And, ibid. Bodin faith of Men, [One Be-net> a Witch at Berne, a Prieft of Eighty Years old, faid, that for Forty Years he had been unclean with the Devil in the fhape of a Woman, and that unfeen fhc was his Companion, and named her Her-mione 5 and fo he was burnt.

And another Prieft of Seventy Years old confefled, that he had ufed Venery with the Devil in the (hape of a Woman Fifty Years, and fo he was burnt.

And, Anno 1573- Novemb. 14. in our

Neighbourhood, the Dutchy of Bmnfmc^

Stephen Men (before-mentioned) confefled,

H 4 that

i c4 An Hifiorkal Difcourfe of

that be haci for Seven Years been unclean with the Devil, whom he took for his Mifc 5

named Rdlfirnchfe. •. -

XIV. Abundance of credible Hiftories tell us of Men and Women ftruck and hurt by the Devil, faith Scribonms^ pag t 82,83. I will add one Example: At Marpurg^ (where he dwelt,) Anno\6q%. a young Ru-#ick that had a Devil, was by the Council of Divines brought into the Temple at the time of publick Prayers, that they might try whether they could caft out the Devil And when Prayers were ended, and he was brought again into the Hofpital, (their Bedlam,) a certain Citizen, well known to me, {landing alone by his own Chimney-fire* and feeing the Demoniack Man pafs by in the Streer, by the noife of the company; he eanreftly prayed to God for him : In the very Moment of his praying, by feme invifi-ble Genius, he had ftddenly fuch a Stroke on his Neck, as caft him down on his Face, on the Ground \ I think, becaufe that malignant Spirit would not that Men fhould pray for him that he had poffefs'd. He profefs'd that he did feniibiy perceive fcrnething like the Hand of a ftrong Man ftrike him, his Face being toward the Fire. The Man revealed It to me the fame Day., but fecredy, left it fhould caft his Wife or Children into a Bright Q SmbonW) -ibid, pag 83.

: ;. -. xv:

XV. The raifing of Storms by Witches is attefled by fo many, that I think it need-lefs to recite them. Varacelfm faith, That Devils can do it by meer Natural Caufes j and faith, that if much Aluminom Matter and Salt Peter (not throughly prepared) be mixt, they will fend up a Cloud of Smoak, even to the middle Region of the Air, which will come down as Rain in Drops.

XVI. Erafmus and others tell us of a Witch at a Town near them, (or rather, as Devil, that appeared and threatned to burn their Houfes, and on the top of a Chimney, holding a Pot of Afhes, Mattered them abroad, and prefencly the Town was burnt.

XVII. The felling of Winds in the Northern Seas towards Lapland and Ifeland, is fo commonly afierted by Mariners and Hiflorians, that I fhall omit particular In-fiances; OUus Magtius, and others, will tell the Reader of that, and more, in thofe cold parts.

XVIII. What fhall we fay to the many certain Hiftories of the frefh bleeding of Murdered Bodies, when the Murderer is brought to it, or at leaft, when he toucheth it 5 whether it be by the Soul of the Dead*

or

i 06 r An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

or by a good Spirit that hateth Murther, 0? by the Devil appointed for Revenge \ it feems plainly to be by an inviiible Spirit's Operation. I have heard perfons fo Credible give Inftances of it, feen by themfelyes, that (though it he not a conftaat Event) it is furely Credible.

The aforefaid Scribomm ubi fupra, p. 123. &c. faith, [This is done fo manifeftly, and in To many places, that to deny it is but o-pen Lies.] And he anfwers them that refer it to other Caufes only; and faith, [ I'll teftifie what I have feen, when James ab A-quaria, Patricius of Aries was dead 3 Va-lerioU , a Phyfician of great Experience , citing fome Verfes of Lucretius , of mad Love faith, In this Verfe Lucretius thinks that the Blood of a Man affected and wounded by a Beam from the Eyes, doth pafs into wounded, as the Blood of one (lain by a-a Man's Sword, falleth into him that falleth. But faith Scriboniasy I had rather Vdenola had faid, It is done by the Secret Judgment of God.

XIX. ScriboMHs,p.u6.. Fortheftrangenefs of the thing (faith he) I will bring but one Example: In the County ofLippta 21Vftenia, a Woman that had killed her Child, caft it into the next River Secretly; the Child after 3 weeks was found there by 2 Maids, and by the Command of the Magiftrates it was

put

put into the Lap or Bofom of the Mother, being inPrifon, to try whether the Carkafs would fweat Blood: Hereupon the dead Infant prefendy opened the left Eye, and weeping much, look'd on the Mother; and that Eye being (hut, Blood flowed out of it: This Example is certainly a ftupendous fign of God's Judgment: It was feen of very many mod Grave Men, and is not doubted of by the Inhabitants of that place.

XX. A Godly Minifter, Mr. Famworth, that came hither from New England (being a Nonconformist, and extream poor, dyed, as all about him faid, of meer Poverty, for want of warm Cloaths, Fire, and Food, when the Ad of Uniformity had begger'd many into extream neceflity) he teftify'd, that in America, hearing of a Sacrifice to the Devil that the Savages ufed to keep, by offering a Man to him, he went to fee them perform it 5 and he foGnd a great number about a dry Pit, and they brought an old Man bound, and by many ugly Ceremonies devoted him: And he faw the Man carried up into the Air, and quickly thrown down again dead among them.

XXL Lfidov. rives de Vtrit. fidei, lib. I, faith, That in America , it is a common thing to fee Spirits appear to Men in various Shapes day and night.

So

i o8 An Hiftorical Difcouvfe of So OIohs Magnus faith of the Ifelanderi.

XXII. I know none that hath written

better de Angelis & de Potemia D&mo-num, than Zcmchy^ who, Tom, 3 . e. 4 de Pot. Bem. iaith, [ He wonders that any fhould deny, that there are fuch Spirits as are called Hags or Fairies* as exercife Familiarity with Men, and without hurting them, come to them, and trouble them, as playing with them. I could (faith he) bring many Examples of perfons yet living, that have had Experience of them on themfelves; But hence it appeared], that there are fii<:h Spirits in the Air, and that when God permits them, they ufe their Power on us, for fport or hurt,] Read him there further.

XXIII. I have elfewhere cited the moft Credible Mtlamkthon^ faying he had feen fome, and that many perfons of his Acquaintance, had feen and talk'd with them 5; anci that the Devil appeared to his own Aunt in the likenefs of her dead Husband, with a Francifcan Fryar, and told her, (be muft hire fome Mafles to be faid for him 5 and took her by the Hand, faying, he would not hurt hers but it fo burnt her Hand, that it remained black ever after.

See Fermlius de abditis rerum Caufis^ lib. 2. c* 16. of many things that he faw himfelf, that are convincing.

XXIV. Dr,

XXIV. Dr. Henricm ah Heer, Obferv. vliu A little Girl in the ninth year of her Age, for Beauty, Education, or Birth inferior to none where flie lived , having innocently put into her Mouth a Sorrel Leaf, which was given her by a Witch that begged as the Door, to whom flie had firft given a piece of Bread, and then fome Beer, it was fcarce fwallowed by her , when fhe began to be Tortured in her Bowels, to Tremble all over, and then to be convulft, and in fine, to fwoon away, and fall as one dead» The Do&or and Do&xefs being called ( for at Vnechty where this thing happen'd in May, 1625. it is Cuftomary for both Sexes to pra&ife Pbyfick ) though they for many days Experimented the Remedies ufual in this cafe, the Child found no Relfef, but was ftili Affli&ed with very frequent and moft terrible paroxyfms. Whereupon, as the Cuftom of the Country is, they Con-fult the Exorcifts. The Prieft appointed for that work, a Capuchin had fcarce laid his hand on the Ritual, when the Child was Transformed by the Demon into fuch Shapes, as a Man that hath not beheld it with his Eyes 3 will hardly be brought to imagine. It began firft to rowl it felf a-bout, and next to Vomit Horfe-dung, Needles Pins, Hairs, Feathers, Bottoms of Thread, Pieces of glafs Windows, Nails

drawn

drawn out of Cart or Coach Wheels, an Iron Knife above a Span long r Egg and Fifli Shells. In th£ mean while, her Parents and thofe of the Neighbourhood, obferve that whenever the Witch came near the Houfe, or fo much as turned her Eye towards it , even at the Diftance of two hundred paces, the poor Child was in much greater Torment than before, infomuch, that (he could by no means be eafed of her Fit, or (hew one fign of Life, until (he was at a very great Diftance from her. This Witch was foon after apprehended,and con-feft both this, and infinite other the like Feats, for which (he was Strangled and Burnt. Being defired by a Father Jefuit, who Affifted her in her laft Agony, and at that Moment, on which depends Eternity, when the Executioner had now fitted the Rope to her Neck, that (he would diilblve the the Spell, and eafe the Child , (he faid , it was not in her Power? Becaufe the Ember Weeks were part, fince (he had Be-withtced her 5 adding, that (hould (he undo the Villanies (he had perpetrated , the Child would not fo quickly recover: For the two<other Witches, whom (he named, had alfo given her their Mortal Infections, from the EffeSs whereof, (he could not without Difficulty, and much time, be delivered- The Mother then, as in a Defpe-rate cafe , brought her Daughter to me a-

bout

bout the middle of September , and I had her with roe for fomejveeks. What I then fiw, heard and handled, becaufe I know manyPhyfitians, thofe efpecially that are Averfe to the Roman Perfwafion,will hardly believe it upon my Narrative, fo may God help me, as I (hall moft truly Relate what I faw. The day after this Unfortunate Child came into my Houfe, I took care to fend for Modefim a Capuchin, who (till lives at Liege: While he was yet fifty paces from my Chamber, the Girl fell down, as one deprived of Life; I took her for Dead : For (he had not fo much as the leaft Breath. Her Fingers and Toes, which if I had not feen it my felf, I could not have believ'd it, were fo Writhen and Convulft , that the Exterior or third joint ftuck (o hard ' unto the fecond, a thing which is fcarce poifible Naturally, that they might feem to have been fattened together with the ftiffeft Glue. I endeavoured tothruft a Golden Bodkin betwixt them 7 and after an Iron Nail, a wooden Spindle 3 &c. but all in Vain. The Mother feeing the Childs fall, for (he would never go one fiep from her, faid the Capuchines were coming. She had no fooner faid this; but they knocked at the Door: When they were come in, and had lighted the Confe-crated Taper, and the Exorcift had put en his Habit, as foon as ever he had read the

firft

firft words of the Exorcifm taken out of the Gofpels, the Girl which hitherto had lain more immoveable than ariy dead Corps, fell a (haking all over, her Fingers and Toes continuing as they were, with that Violence , that (he could not be held ftill by fix of us, by no means we could Ufe. Myfelf, who with all my Strength, effayed to hold her Head, obferved it both by my fight and feeling, to be Writhen, as by an* Opifthotonick Convulfion, together with her Neck towards her Shoulders- In the mean time, her Belly wasraifed up to a prodigious bignefs, and was nearer her Throat, than her Thighs, and that with fo great a Noife, and grumbling of hep Bowels, that all prefent could hear it at above ten paces diftance. The found was the nearefi to that which is caufed by Terap-eftuous waves under the prow of a Ship. All this while, the Child Vomited feve-ral of the above mentioned things. I begged the Exorcift, out of Compaffion to her, to forbear his Reading: Hehadfcarce pronounced the laft Syllable, when in an in-ftant, (he lay as quiet as poffible. And after he had quitted the Houfe , and was ac a confiderable Diftance off, (he undid her Fingers and Toes, and opened her Eyes > and ftraighcway flood up. And when (he had wept a little, and chid her Mother for fending for the Capuchines, though ,

ihe

flie never faw them, nor as fte hid? heard them, (he prefently began to eat, drink, and play with her equals, juft as if nothing ail d her, until, upon the Capuchines returning to do his Office , fhe was as formerly. I faw her this while caft up Feathers, Bundles of Straw, above the bignefs of my Thumb, with Pins ftuck acrote the Straws, Points wove of Thread of fe-veral Colours, and a Row of Pins fiuxk in a blew Paper , as frefh and new, as any are fold on the Pedlars Stall: In fine, every thing as the Innocent Child Affirmed* which fhe had feen in the Witches basket, when (he beged, which favours plainly of Devilifm , and which all the Philofophers in the World, are not able to folve. For by what Operation, could every thing (he had feen in the basket, be Conveyed in the fame kind and tale, into the Bowels of the Child, except the Devil hirnfelf was aflifting* But when I faw allftiehad caft ap, was perfe&ly dry, and without the leaft wet, I told the Capuchines, and federal Philofophers prefent ( for I had called many out of a defire of being the better informed) that furely our Eyes were inchanted: For that thefe things could nof pofliblycome out of her Body, For how could it be , that the pricking of fo many Pins, flhould bring up no Blood ? How could a ijbarp knife come up the narrow I Jkm

>i4 ^ Hijhrical Difcourfe of

Throat of a young Child, Without cutting the paffage ? I added, that it was myOpinion , that thofe things muft be conveyed privately feme how, from fome other place, and then by the Malicious Demon, that took pleafore to deceive us, dropt from the Childs Lips 5 into our Hands, and that I was brought to mind of a Verfe in Ovid, which I never underftood, but now lefs than ever : It is this.

jbevovet abfentes fimulacraq^ cerea fingit, . Et miferumtenues in jectir fir get acus.

Curfes the abfent,then forms waxen fhapes Runs into th' Liver needles.

The words are fpoken of Medea a Witch. But the Child her felf being immixt with us in our Debates, and of a Capacity above her years, foon refolved this Difficulty for me. Doubt not, faidflie , but that thefe things come out of me, and w 7 ith that (he, caught my Hand, and put it to her Throat.

Feel* Sir, faidflie, a Pin without a Head a coming up, and which will come out prefently. I felt, and immediately when * I thought verily I held it faft betwixt the! fingers of my left Hand within her Throat, I perceived it to be fore t Violently from me, and prefently feeing the Child a bowing to fpit, I received it in my right Hand ; md 1 have flawed it fince to feyeral iacre-

dus

dulous Perfons, andftill keep it by me, to ihew to the Curious, with Points, Feathers^ Thread, Straw, and other like Materials. In like manner, I have frequently at other s times, felt £ ,the ends of Points, while they were yet in the very Orifice of her Stomach , and while they were coming up; and ready to come out of her Mouth, all who were Curious to make Experiments, imagined they could hold the end of the point in the middle of her Throat 3 but the crafty Demon,Defeated all their Attempts. After flie had been exorcifed at Liege for fome weeks to no purpofe , her Mother had a great defire to carry her to Jm % to a Chap-pel newly Built and Confecrated to the Honour of the Blefled Virgin , and believed by the vulgar, to be very Famous for Miracles. While her Mother and Friends which Accompanied her , employed their time at the ufual Solemnities there,daily con-feffing, and receiving the Blefled Sacrament 2 bat with no effe&jthey bring theChild back to my Houfe , not one jot the better, but the worfeby a \ Hydrophobia , or as I would I rather call it, a Stygrophobia, or fearfulnefk | of moid things, fo called, very fad and Difconfolate, and Defpairing of her Life, yea, praying for her Death. She came back to me, about the midft of Autumn^ refufing not only Wine, Beer, Mead, and all Water \ butalfo boil'd Meat, and Bread fteepi I % m

in Broth or Wine, and at laft, 411 White and Wheaten Bread : I believe, becaufethe one was made with Milk, and the other with Water, as is ufual with us. For which Reafon, for forty days time, fhe lived on nothing but Apples, Raifins, Nuts, Almonds , and other Fruits proper to the Sea-fon, yet for all this, the rofie blu(h in her Cheeks was not Diminifhed, nor the Milky fnow of her Forehead. At laft for fifteen Days and Nights together, fhe took neither Meat n6r Drink. How flie could pafs fo many Days without either Meat or jDrink: I confefs my felf ignorant; but that fo it was, I do avow, and all my Family are ready with me, moft Solemnly to Depofe upon Oath. On the fixteenth day, when (he had of her own accord, askt for fome Drink, and taken it, fhe no longer refufed Food. I thought it then feafo-nable to have Recourfe to Natural Means, not Omitting Divine Exorcifms, and I prepared the Deco6tion. Ex fttga Damonum of Southern Wood, Mugwort y Vtrvene, &c. and after I had ufed her a while to that Drink, I fent her Home. In the interim, tumbling over all the Books, I could find at laft I light on Bartholomew Carrkhters, Secrets , who in the twelfth Chapter of his fecond Book 5 Defcribes a Certain Medicine, proper to this Malady. Finding this mightily Recommended in Horftitu his Medicinal

. * Epiftks,

Apparitions and Witches. nj

Epiftles,£j>i#. i. Sett. vij. in He&or Schlmds Letter to Gregory Horjlws, dated in the year 161%, I Write both to him, and to the Francfo?d Apothecary, in vvhofe Shops he faith it is fold, promising any P v ate for the unguent and prefcription. But receiving no Advice frbm them,andbeing Day and Night Sollicitous for the Childs Recovery, I topk Carricbter again into my Hand, and having much ado to underftand him, by reafon of a miftake of the Printers, who had Printed in one word, Holtz. bktter beer, which fhould have been in three f I at laft, almoft a Twelve-Month after, for want of neceflary Materials, caufed the following Unguent to be made: Take of Dogs Greafe well Diflblved and Cleanfed, four Ounces $ of Bears Greafe, eight Ounces5 of Capons Greafe, four and twenty Ounces j three Trunks of Mifletoe of the Hafle while Green, cut it into pieces, and pound it fmall; till they become moift 5 bruife together the Wood, Leavesand Berries, mix all in a Vial, after you have expofed it to the Sun, for nine Weeks, you fhall extraft a green Balfam, wherewith, if youanpinc the Bodies of the Bewitcht, efpecially the parts moft affe&ed, and the Joints i they will certainly be Cured, as hath been proved by this Child, who hath been now three years perfectly well, only on the days of the Ember-weeks , do what Ihe

118 r Jn Hiftorkal Difcourfe of

can, ihe is feized with a certain Tranfien£ Melancholy. And this is the Reafon why I have ingenuofly Communicated to the World in the Latin Tongue, the above-mentioned prefcription,concealed by others* ! and publifhed in Dutch, by Carfichter faultily.

XXV. Mer. Cafaubon in Credulity and Incredulity in things Natural,

It cannot be deny'd, becaufe I fee Learned Phyficians are of that Opinion, and visible Effects do evince it, but that the Devil doth immifcere fe in feveral Difeafes 3 whereof Sir Theod. Mayem (whom I think, for ftrangeand even miraculous Cures, I may call the <u&fculapm of his time 3 and to do nobody wrong, he gave me a notable Inftance concerning a Maid in his Houfe, that had been bitten by a Mad Dog, which alfo dy'd of it 3 to whom, when he came in a Morning with a Looking-Glafs (to make a Tryal of what he had read, but not yet experienced himfelf) under his Gown, before he was in the Room, /he began to cry out, and told him what it was he had about him.

XXV I. Ternelius de Abdit. rerum caufii, lag. 65. faith, I faw one that by certain words would make Shapes (Spe&res) appear In a Looking-Glafs, which, whatever he

com-

[Apparitions and Witches] H§

commanded them, would prefently by Writing or by true Images fo clearly expreis, that all might be quickly and eafily under-ftood by thofe that fat by. . They heard a few Sacred words, but filthily contaminated by obfcure names, fuch as the power of the Elements, the horrid and unheard of names of certain Princes of the Eafi 9 Weft, &c.

And P. 124,12 5. he tells you how many ways, by Chara&ers,Spells,Ceremonies they work (too long to recite ) and tells you how the Bewitched are Diftorted,Torment-ed, fpeak unlearnt Languages, tell the by-ftanders their Secrets, &c: and faith, [A hw Years ago, a young Man, a Knights Son, la-bour'd of a Concuffion and a Convulfion of his Body by Fits,which did ibexagitate fome-time the Left-Arm, fometime the Right j fometimes one Finger, fometimes one L^g, fometimes the other, fometimes both 5 fometimes the whole Trunk of his Body that four Servant-men could fcarcely hold him, but his Head remained unthaken, his Tongue and Speech free, his Mind found*, and all his Senfes entire, even in the fierce-nefs of his Convulfions: He was taken at lead ten times a Day, found in die intervals, but broken with Labour. Had he not had his Underftanding and Senfes found, it would have been taken for an EpilepJie. The molt skilful Phyficians judged it a Con-

i2o An Hiftffiical Difcourfe of

vulfion kin to an Epilepfie, from a maiig: nant venemousVapor impadi in the Marrow of the Back, &c. They ufed all Remedies— but we were all miftaken in Ignorance of the true Caufe; for in the third Month a Demon was found to be the Author of all, (hewing himfelf by Voice and unufual Words and Sentences, Latine and Greek, though he was ignorant of the Greek Tongue. He detected many of the Secrets of the by-fitters, and efpecially of thePhy-ficians, deriding them, that he had by great Peril cheated them, and that by their vain Medicines they had almoft killed the Man. If his Father (a Knight of the Order of St* Michael, that wore that Image in a Gold Chain) was coming to fee him, he would far off, bid them* Let him not in, or take off his Chain. If Divine and Sacred words were read, he would tofs him and ihake him nioft fiercely.] See the reft.

And Pag. 127. £1 faw one that would #bp Blood flowing from any part of the Eody, by touching the part, and muttering a few words] So far the great Femelm: He next nameth many Difeafes that they kk Spells to Qure.

XXVII. The greateft Pbyfidan of England to divers Kings (and the chief that I have my felf ufed, and knew him to be an Honeft Credible Man.) Sir Theodore

Mayerne }

"Apparitions and Witches. \ % i

Meyerne, confirmeth the thing in queftion, but goeth the true middle way between Ignorant Credulity and Incredulity, in his late Eubliftied Praxis, Pag. 57. in a Letter to )r.Caftle, abput one feeming poflefi'd, feyin& C That Melancholy is the Seat, the

* Bath,and the Kingdom of the Devil,I well c know 5 and that that Prince of Darfcnefs c lurking under the thick Cloudinefsof that

* black Humour, immixeth himfelf in di-c vers Difeafes, and that he exciteth cruel 1 Troubles (or Storms) in divers Subje&s, < / HAVE BT MANIFOLD EXPERT ' ENCE FOVND 5 but I am not of fo

* facile a Mind, as to be (truck at the meet-

* ing of every Phantafm, though portentous % c nor is my Reafon like Wax to receive

* every Impreflion. By two

\ fig , nS • °i? kn °r W Dem0 [l i - * m night

acks. * If aperlon untaught, l&vtn&tidmm. c and without Philofophy, c fpeak in divers and ftrange Tongues, and

* nervoufly and folidly difpute of Sciences c and Arts never ftudied : And if a weighey ■ Body rapt up on high, hang

* long in the Air, * and fall * Wmb k c not with their weight. Black %*?"* °f m w ' Choler in the Spleen, Brain, Wltches '

\ Womb, may move a thoufand Symptoms, 6 which by the Ignorant, pafs for Miracles.] There liveth in this City, an Iriflh-man, who with unmoved Lips maketh a long G-

ration.

s 2 2. jfo Hiftmcal Difcourfe of

ration* and deceiveth thofe near him, as i* onefpoketo them far of.]

I my felf difcovered a notable Cheat in a Servant in my own Houfe , and many fiich are dete&ed, by which the Ignorant, Undifceraing and Incredulous, are drawn to disbelieve thofe that are moft fully proved. Read of Cheats, De Loier, a Frenchman

XXVIII. The Learned and Judicious

Cerh. Fojfius faith, de Samuele in Beverovicii

Epifi. Pdg, 203. [I know there were many fabulous ftories, and of Fraud, &c but by Men both Learned, and Quick-fighted, and Crave, and Honeft, in many Ages paft, there are reported, and at this Day remembred and told innumerable Inftances, in which it is not poflible but that with the endeavour of man there concurred, the Ulufion or Force of the Devil, a malignant Spirit Applying that which was beyond the power of Man.

XXIX. Lavater deSpeBris^ is a Book fo common and well known, (by him a Learned Godly Proteftaor Divines) that I will fuppofe the Learned Reader to have read it ? and will not recite what is therein.

XXX. Pious and Peaceable Bifliop J of. Haft liuth, Soliloq. 15. P. £3, 54. [Sataq's Preva-

lency

Jfpparkions and Witches. "123

iency in this Age is moft clear in the marvelous number of Witches abounding in all places. Now hundreds are dif-covered in one Shire 5 * and if * £## Fame.deceive us not, in a Vil- and £//**• lage of 14 Houfes in the North, are found fo many of this Damned brood. Heretofore only barbarous deierts had them, but now the Civileft and Religious Parts are frequently peftered with them: Heretofore fome filly ignorant old Women, &c. now we have known thofe of both Sexes> who profeffed much Knowledge, Holinefs and Devotion drawn into this damnable Pra&ice.

XXXI. I have elfewhere cited divers Paflages to this ufe out of Holy Cyprian; but that in the Epiftle of Finmliamu to Cyprian, Ep. 75. Pag. 238. feemeth ftrange (like that of Magdakna Crucia and others a-ijiong the Papifts.) A Woman pretending to have the Holy Ghoft, proved a Witch, and did 5 many Wonders: She had a Gift of Prayer, and did Baptize, and Adminifter the Lords Supper in the ordinary way, &c.

XXXII. This is fo like to the well known Cafe of Mrs. HutMnfon, and Mrs. Dyer in New England, with Mr. Wheeler, and the reft, in the time of Sir Henry Vmes Government, dete&ed by the Wondrous Mon-fters, that I intyeat the Reader to get the

Hlftory of all, In Mr. Tho. Weld's Book (one of their MiniftersJ called, The rife and fail of Antinomianifm and Fdmilifm in New England. ^ Though I find no proof of Witchcraft in their Cafe, there is much of Satani* cal Delufion, joined with Humane Self-conceit and Pride.

XXXTIL I have before mentioned Z-»-ehys Judgment, and his excellent Books, de Deo, de Angells , & de potentia Damo-■nmi than whom no Man hath given us a more full Teftimony in general,of Diabolical Operations: I (hall here only repeat his Opinion of the Manner of Satan's Working. He thinketh {Tom, 3. /. 4. c 10. p. 188 J that it is the very Subftance of the Devil that en-tereth into Men, and that they have Bodies qiore Subtile than the Air.

The doubt is, 1. Whether it be only o~ ther Caufes that enter by this moving of them by Devils: 2. Or whether they Operate and enter only Vinme, by fome force fent from their Subftance; 5. Or Operate by Contiguity of their Subftance it felf in Men.

1. The firft way, no doubt they work as by moving Winds, and Fire, and Water, and our Blood and Humours, and our Tempters and Enemies^ &c. but not that way alone.

2. What

& What Energy or Forte he can fend*, that is neither his own Subftance nor any other Subftance, I cannot conceive.

3. That his very Subltance enteresh into the PoflHTed, I fee no caufe to doubt -, for he can penetrate any part of our Bodies, as he is a Spirit: And if we knew that he O perate only in fome Body or Vehicle, Air* or Air and Fire mixt •, yet what part of our Bodies cannot Air and Fire penetrate: (And this Suppofition would countenance Dr. Mores Opinion, that all Spirits are the the Souls of fome Bodies). And Scripmre faith fo much of Devils entring into Men>and being in them, and being caft out of them* that I fee not how we can deny it to be their Subftance.

And how elfe ihould they move us ( be-fides by Inftruments) Is it any more wonder that Devils (permitted) can enter, than Air: Or how elfe work they on Mens Souls. I muft fay it to humble us, that I fear, that in moft Temptations that follicic our Thoughts, and our Wills, and Affedi* ons and Pailions» if not fometimes our Tongues and Hands, it is the very prefent Subftance of Evil Spirits, that by Contiguity move us, even true Chriftians when they Sin: And that it is no unfeemly thing to pray God to call Satan out of our Thoughts and Hearts* Oh that we better knew what caufe we have to fear leering

him

116 r Jn Hifiorical Difcowfe of

him in, and by yielding and cuftom togivi him advantages to tempt and rule us.

But yet his Subftantial Prefence, and his Operations are to be diftinguifhed. He hurteth not all that he is prefent withj but thofe that he hath Power to work upon, and that are prepared to receive his Operations. God himfelf doth not work Life or Grace on all that he is prefent with $ and thae what he doth, he doth it by his Subftantial I Prefence* orfaisEflence.

XXXIV. I have elfewhere cited Luther s Teftimony, and how the Devil appeared to himfelf at Cob urge : And Mdantihorii and Feter Martyr's I have cited here and elfe-where. See Pet. Martyr Loc. Com. Claf. I 0 c p. and cap. 8. §. 8. pag* 39, 40.

XXXV. The moft Judicious Credible 'Melanchthon.j in his Epiftle to Hubert Langue-tm (the Author of Junius Brutes Vlnd. con. \ Tyran.) Epiftolar., I. 2. p. 550, 551. faith,

C Though there be fometimes Natural c Caufes of Madnefs, yet it is moft certain, 6 that Devils enter into the Bodies of fome, 4 and caufe Madnefi and Torments to them, € either with Natural Caufes or without c them; for it is manifeft, that fuch perfons c are oft delivered without Natural Reme-* dies. And thefe.Diabolical Spe&acles are I oft Prodigies and Significations of future

! things;

* things: Twelve Years ago there was a 1 Woman in Saxony , that never learnt Let-c ters, and yet when (he. was a&ed by the ' Devil, after Torment fhe fpake Greek and ! Latin of the future Saxon War.

c Sixteen Years ago there was in the \Marke, a Girl, that when fhe pulPd Hairs c from Cloaths, they were turned into € Mark-Money, which the Girl devoured c with' long and loud gnafhing of Teeth 5 c and thofe Figures (or Shapes) of Money ' fometimes fuddenly fnatcht out of her 5 Hands, were true Money, which are yet: c kept by fome 5 and after the Girl felt € great Torment: But fhe was delivered «from all that Difeafe after fome Months, «and yet liveth in Health: But frequent < Prayers of Godly Perfons were made for «her, and other Ceremonies were purpofel^ «omitted.] Thus Mdanchthon.

CHAP>

C H A P. V L

Mr. Jo. LcwiS) a Learned Jttftice of { feace in Cardigatri-ftrire, with the Teftimony of Dr. Ellis, andMr. John Davis, about the Dead Mens Lights, the Knocks ers and Apparitions.

MR. J. Lewi* being a Jiiffice of Peace, and a Man of Learning, at the time, when under Cronrwell and Harrifon the Reading and weak Parfons were cafi out, and Itinerant Preachers fet up, that turned four or five Parishes into one of their Circuits, and did little but Preach, and fhut up the Doors where they came not, and by ignorant decrying Superftition, Forms and Ceremonies, fet up Error, Ana-baptiftry and unjufi: Separations^ He being greatly grieved for thefe Confufions wrote largely to me about them, whereupon, and on more fuch Inftances I wrote my five Dik putations of Church Government, Liturgy, and Ceremonies. And Mr. Lewis joined with me in a defign to have begg'd Money in Pity to W*kt % to have fee up a Welph

Coliedge

Colledge at Shrewsbury 5 and his Notices a-bout Apparitions came in but on the by, at my requeft: But tho' I difmember his Letters with regret, by cafting away the main part that was well worth the reading, (and all my Anfwers to them) yet k would be fb unfuitable to infert fuch Meters in aHiftory of Spirits, that if any of his acquaintance blame me for it, they muft accept of this Excufe: He is known by publifhed Books of his own*

Pari of Mr. John Lewis's Firft Letter > relating to Sprits and Witches.

Moft Worthy Sir 1

I Have now another Motion to you, as to that paflage in your VHreafonnblemfs of Infidelity^ where you fhew the meaning of the Spirit, as to Humane Learning, && t and thofe 29 Confiderations (for the page I cannot cite, becaufe I have not the Book at this very inftantj becaufe it is in the midft of the Book, and not fo difcemable to all Readers •, I could humbly beg of you* to get your Printer and Stationer to print them apart in a few fmall Leaves, for there is nothing generally that is more miftakea

K among

130 An Hlftorical Dlfcourfe of

among us than that, and I fee the publishing here but fo much of them in this kind would do infinite good here 3 and I would my felf be at charge of buying and difperfing many fcores of them. And becaufe of that Copious Satisfadionyou give of Spirits, than which there cannot be greater convinee-nients againft Infidelity and Atheifm,! could afford you feveral ftrange Inftances from thefe parts, but I (hall trouble you only with two. Since the time I received your Letter, there happened in my Neighbourhood this following; A Man and his Family being all in Bed, about after Midnight* awake in Bed, he could perceive a Light entring a little Room, where he lay, and one after another, of fome a Dozen in the fliape of Men 3 and two or three Women with fmall Children in their Arms entring in, and they feemed to Dance, and the Room to be far lighter and wader than formerly; they did feem to eat Bread and Cheefe all a-bout a kind of a Tick upon the Ground y they offered him Meat, and would fmile upon him; he could perceive no Voice, but he once calling to God to blefs him, he could perceive the whifper of a Voice in Welch, bidding him hold his peace, being about four Hours thus, he did what he could to awake his Wife, and could not 5 they went out into another Room, and after fome Dancing departed, and then he a-

rofe,

rofe$ yet being but a very flnaU Room-he coald not find the Door< nor tae way to Bed, until crying out, his Wife and Family awaked. Being within about two Miles of me ? I fent for the Man. who is an honed poor Husbandman,aad of good Report: And I made him believe I would put him to his Oath for the truth of chis Relation^ who was very ready to take it.

2* The Second (if you have not formerly heard ) the ftrange and ufual appearance of Lights (called in Welch, Dead Mens Candles) before Mortality: This is ordinary in mofi of our Counties, that I never fcarce heard of any fort, Young or Old, but this is feen before Death, and often obferved to part from the very Bodies of the per Ions all along the way to the place of Burial, and infallibly Death will enfue. Now, Sir, it is worth your Refo-lution, whether this may proceed from God or no -, it is commonly imputed to the Igneous Air of the Counties: But that Evil Spirits can come by fo much Knowledge, as to be always fo Infallible (though herein I confefs them very va(t) and be fo favourable and officious unto Man, as to be fuch feafonable Monitors of his Diflbluti-on, and to give fo much difcovery of Spiritual Eflences> and the Immortality , I doubt whether they mind us fo much good as this: Some Wiles I confefs they may have

by fuch Appearances, bat it carries the Be^ nefits mentioned with it, whereas their Difappeafance makes more for Infidelity and Atheifm: But this I leave to your Judgment, begging Pardon for this Boldnefs in diverting you from your far better Thoughts; and feeing it is my Happinefs to have this little Invifible Acquaintance with you, I fliall omit nd Opportunity of troubling you with fuch poor Thoughts as the Lord (hall give unto me of the beft Things, humbly wifhing (as for the making up the fad Differences of Religion among us) the Lord Would give thofe in Authority to weigh that Pious and Wife Courfeyou have propofed, as to thofe four great Parties in the Dedication of your Saints Rtfl-, with my unfeigned Prayers for your Health and Happinefs,

Sky

GUs\mgg near LUubadarnevour or Jberfjiwith in Car~ diganjbire> Qftob. 20. ■1*1*.

Tour wry thankful Friend

and Servant in Chrifi $

John Lewis.

Mn

Apparitions andWitches. j 3 j

Mr. John Lewis's Second Letter.

AS for Apparitions, lam ftored with fo many Inftances, that require rather a Volume; There is that Evidence for the Candles, that fcarce I know any of Age, but hath feen them, and will depofe it: There is here a talk, whereof yet I have not certainty, that a Daughter of the Man mentioned in the laft, fetching Water at a Well, had a blow given her, and a Boy coming towards her, flie charged him with the blow, who denyedhe was fo near her 3 but bid her look upon her Father , that flood not far off, and with that, he could fee her Father fling a Stone at her, which pafled with a mighty Violence by her Face, and the Stone was found with prints of Fingers in it 3 but no fuch thing as the Father there, neither was he at home fince the Night before 5 but certain it is , that Living Men's Ghofts, are Ordinarily feen in thefe parts, and unawares to the parties. We have in this County, feveral Silver and Leaden Mines, and nothing more ordinary than fome Subterranean Spirits 3 called Knockers ( where a good Vein is ) both heard , and after feen, little Statured, about half a yard long 3 this very inftant, there are Miners upon a Difcovery of a K 3 Vein

1^4 dn Hiflorical Vifeourfe of

Vein upon my own Lands, upon this fcore, and two offered Oath, they heard them in the Day-time. Lieutenant CJolohel Boiven I hear 5 is upon Difcovery, that what you heard, was Witchcraft 5 but he holds canting Tenents, all which minds us< the more to admire the King of Spirits, our Lord God Almighty, and that our Eyes behold hnt the leaft part of his Secrets, and Marvels; to whofe Arms and Bleffingf, I com* mit and leave you*

Sir, / pray far don this Trouble of

,; '.,p .■■

Tour very Thankful Servant ■,

Sfefe John Lewi^

M;.

Mr. JohnLewis Third Letter.

AS for the -Candles* all the parts I know of Wales 1 a$ otir Neighbouring Counties ( as I hear) have Experience of them 5 fcat whether fo frequently as here, I will learn. I fcsrce know any Gentleman or Mimfter of any ftaftding \ tat hath feea them, and a Neighbour of mine, will thortly beat Worcefier abiding f whofiath feen them often, and I will dire*54.feme to acquaint you, and upon Oath, -if need be) a very Credible Aged perfenr For my part, I never faw theC&hdles; but thofe of my Houfe have, and 6na Time^ fome years part, it was told me by them % that two Candles was feen, one little, and a great one pafling the Church way, under my Houfe , my Wife was then great with Child, and near her time, and (he feared Sfk, and it begot fome fear in u^ abdut her h but juft about a week after, fifcr" felf firft came to me ( as fomething joyed tliat the fear might be over) and (aid (as true it was) an old Man, and a Child of the Neighbour-hood paflfed that fame way tohe Buried.- This fhe and I can depdfe ■> and truly my felf efpecially, heard fome uncouth warning, before my firfi: Childs Deaths new Born, which is too large to ' K 4 relates

13 6 r An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

relate: Such warnings and noifes, are alfo here very common, and I do think there is fcarce any ( and I know it by my felf ) but before fome Remarkable Occurrences of Life , will have fome warnings, at leaft by Dreams; of which there is a kind that may be ranked with thefe Apparitions, and it was not for nought, that the Stpicksof old held Sleep , familiar e & domefkkunt omentum : You fhall learn more of me hereafter about the certainty of Candles and the Knockers.

Sir, I put you to your Penance, by thefe under Lines, they (hew I can hardly part with you , I pray God continue, aqd grant you Health and Happinefs anfwerableto the ufe you are of, for his Glory among

Sir y

Tom- wry Thankful Servant.

W&> John Lewis;

Mr.

Mr. Davis's Letter, co?icerning the Corps-Candles in Wales.

Venerable Sir,

FOr your Worth, hath purchafed you that Stile. With all due Refpe&s, you (ball hereby underftand that I am one, who fin-cerely bleflfeth himfelf, to have been much Edified by you, as being Confirm'd in fome points, and informed in others, by a piece of your Learned and Judicious Works, Termed by your felf a Supplement, which proved to me a Complement, and which was Communicated to be by my Worthy Friend, and fpccial Encourager, John Lewis Efq;, at whofe Requeft , I am to give you the beft Satisfaction I can , touching thofe fiery Apparitions, which do as it were, mark out the way for Corpfes to their wpmel* , and that fometimes before the parties them-felves fall fick, and fometimes in their ficknefs of thefe, I could never hear in England , they are common in thefe thre^

Counties, Cardigan, Carmarthen and Vem-

brook, and as I hear, in fome other part of Wales.

Thefe **tTi*u*i* in our Language, we call Canhxvyllau, Cyrth ( i) Corps-Candles h and Candles we call them, not that we do fee ^ny thing elfc befides the. Light: But be*

caufe

i^3 An Htftorical Difcomfe of

canfe that Light doth as much Refemble a Material Candle-light, as Eggs do Eggs, laving, that in their Journey, thefe Candles be modo dppdrentes] mb'So difparentes , efpecially, when one comes near them 5 and if one come on the way againft them, unto him they vanish 5 but prefently appear behind him, and hold on their Courfe. If it bealittle Candle, pale or blewifh, then, follows the Corps either of an Abortive, or fome Infant, if a big one, then the Corps of fome one come to Age, if there be feen two or three, or more, fome big, fome final! together, then fo many, and fuch Corpfes together. If two Candles come from Diverfe places, and be feen to meet 3 the Corpfes will the like, if any of thefe 'Candles be feen to turn fometimes a little oiitof the way \ or Path, that leadeth unto the Church, the following Corps will be found'.to turn in that very place, for the avoiding of fome dirty Lane, or Pla%ehr. Now let us fall to Evidence , Being about the Age of fifteen, dwelling at Ltinytdr, late at 'Nights fcm£ Neighbours few one of thefe Candles hovering up and down along the River bank, until they were weary in beholding,, at laft they left it fo, and went to Bed, a few Weeks aftef' came a proper Damfel f torn Memgomsry' SBre'^ to fee her Friends 5 who dwelleth on the other fide of thatRiver Jjfwyth, and thought to Ford the Hitter at

that

that very place, where the Light was feen 5 but being diff#adedJ>y fome lookers on, Ofbme it's mod like of thofe that faw the Light) to adventure on the Water, which was high, by reafon of a Flood : She walked up and down along the River Banls, even where, and even as the fore&id Candle did, waiting for the falling of the Water, which at laftfhe took-, but too foon for her , for fhe was drown d therein.

Of late, my Sextons Wife, an Aged Undemanding Woman, faw from her Bed, a little blewifh Candle upon her Tables end : Within two or three days after»comes a fellow in, enquiring for her Husband , and taking fomething from under his Cloak, claps it down directly upon the Tables end, where fliehad feen the Candle, and what was it, but a Dead-born Child f Another time, the fame Woman, faw fuch a-nother Candle upon the other end of the felf fame Table, within few days after, a weak Child by my felf, newly Chrifined, was brought into the Sextons Houfe, where prefently he died : And when the Sextons Wife , who was then abroad, came home, fhe found the Woman fhrouding of the Child, on that other end of the Table, where fhe had feen the Candle. On a time my felf, and a Kinfman coming from our School in England , and being three or four hours benighted* ere we could reach

home,

140 -An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

home, were firft of all Saluted by fuch a Light, or Candle, which coming from a Houfe 5 which we well knew, held his Courfe (but not diredJy ) the High-way to Church-, ftiortly after, the Eldeft Son in that Houfe Deceafed, arid Steered the fame Courfe- My felf, and my Wife in an Evening , ftw fuch a Light, or Candle coming to the Church, from her Mid-Wifes Houfe, and within a Month , flie her felf did follow : At which time, my Wife did tell me a Story of her own Mother, Mrs. Ca-tharint Wyat , an Eminent Woman in the Town of Tenby , that in an Evening, being In her Bed-Chamber, ihe faw two little Lights juft upon her Belly, which ihe a£ fayed to ftrike off with her Hand, but could not 5 within a while they vaniftied of themfelves. Not long after, (he was Delivered of two Dead-born Children: Long fithence there happened, the like in mine own Houfe 5 but to a Neighbours Wife, whom my Wife did fometimes call for, to do fome work or other and (as I credibly heard within thefe three days) to fome good Gentlewoman alfo in this very Pa-ri(h h where alfo not long fince, a Neighbours Wife of mine , being great with Child * and coming in at her own Door, met two Candles, a little, and a bigg one, and within a little after, falling in Labour, she and her Child both dyed*

Some

Somethirty four, or thirty five years bygone , one Jane Wyat my Wifes Sifter * being Nurfe to Baronet Rudds three Eldeft Children, and (the Lady Mifirh being Deceafed ) the Lady Controuler of that Hcufe, going late into a Chamber where the Maid-Servants lay, faw there no lefs then five of thefe Lights together. It happened awhile after, the Chamber being newly Plaiftered, and a great grate of Coal-fire therein, kindled to haften the drying up of the Plaiftering: That five of the Maid-Servants went there to Red, as they were wont 5 but (as it fell out ) too foon, for in the Morning, they were all dead, being Suffocated ( I conceive) in their Sleep with the Steem of the New-tempered Lime and Coal. This was at Llangathen in Carmarthenshire.

Some thirty three, or thirty four years ago, upon a Tuefday coming towards home from Cardigan , where I had been injoynd to Preach the Seffion Sermon: Incipiente adhnc creptifcdo, and as Light as Noon, and having as yet, nine long Miles to Ride, there feemd twice or thrice from behind me, on my Right fide, and between my Shoulder and my Hat, to fly a little whiti/h thing, about the bignefs of a Walnut, and that per intervalla , once in feventy or eighty Paces: At firft I took no notice of it, thinking it had been but the glimpfing of my

little

i^i An HiftoricaUDifcowfe of

little Ruff 3 for fuch then I wore, by Degrees it waxed reddifli, and as the Night drew on, redder and redder, at laft not ignis fatuus^ ( for that I partly knew ) but pwus futus ignis 5 both for Light and Colour. At length I turned my Horfe twice or thrice , to fee from whence it came, and whether it would flafh into my Face, then nothing I could fee 5 but when I turned homewards, it flafhed as before, until I came to a Village called Llwriflid, where as yet I did not intend to Lodge, though there were four Lodgings, and one of them ( five one) the next Houfe in my way , which, when I pafled by clofe, being juft againft the Door, my Fire did flafh again upon, or very near the Threshold, and there I think it lodged 3 for I few it no more. Home ftill I would go, but bethinking my felf, that fo I might tempt God, and meet a worfe Companion than my former: I turned to the furtheii Lodging in the Town, and there after a little Reft, in a brown Study ( becaufe mine Hoft was an understanding Man, and Literate, and -fuchas could, and had but lately read his Neck-Verfe in pure Roman Language ) I could not contain, but needs muft tell him of the Vifion, he the next day tofome going to the Selfions, they to others there, at lad it came to the Judges Ears, info-much , that the greateft News, and wonder

der at the then Affifes was the Preachers Vifion. To come at length unto the Pitch, or Kernel, (for I have been too long abo&t the Husk and Shell) at that very Seffions, one John William ^ U^, a Gentleman , who dwelt, and whofeSon yet dwells within a Mile of Glaslerig? fell Sick, and in his coming homewards, was taken with fuch a violent Paroxifm, that he could Ride no further than the Houfe, where I left my Fire to entertain him, and there he lighted and Lodged, died about four Days after. Ex-Abundanti ,• you (hail underftand that fome Candles have been^ feep to come to my Church, within thefe three weeks* and the Gorpfes not long after. Rutierms de Csvdez lis noftm.

Another kind of Apparition we have ,-which commonly we call T^n-nc? or Tan-wed> becaufe it feemeth ?;.;;>> This ap--peareth to our fceming in the lower Region of the Air,ftraight and long, not much unlike a Glaive, Mours or Shoots directly, and level ( as who % *ouId fay I'll hit) but far more fliowly, than Stella cadentes,or Star {hot lighteneth all the Air, and Ground where it pafleth, lafteth three or four Miles* and more for ought is known $ becaufe no Man feeth the Rifing or Beginning of it 5 when it falls to Ground, it fparkleth , and lightneth all about. Thefe before their De-. ceafe, do fall upon Free-Holders Lands ,

and

f 44 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

and you fliall fcarce bury any fuch with m* be he but a Lord of a Houfe and Garden, but you (hall find fome one at his Burial * at leaft Wife in his Neighbour-hood, that hath feen this Fire to fall on fome part of his Lands. Two of thefe at feveral times I have feen my feif, fince I Studied Meteors, and fince I wasaMinifter, andnar* rowly obferved , even till they were in the *ty*, and began to fall; butthelnterpofi-tion of Grounds, marred the Conclufion j for where , and how they fell, I faw not 5 but where I did guefs, they fell, there died in the one place an aged Gentleman , in the other, a Free-Holder too, though of a Meaner Rank- To come nearer home,

My Mothers firft Husband (for my Father Marryed her a Widdow J walking about hi3 Ground , faw one of thefe Darts, or Piles aloft, which fell down hard by him, fhone far , and fparkled round about his Body, he took it for a Warning-Piece, made his Will, and having jived in good Health, fome. four or five Months after, dyed.

A little before the Deceafe of mine own Father, Aged Ninety fix, a Son in Law of his, who dwelled two Miles off, ( but up-on higher Ground ) faw fuch another fall in a Clofe behind the old Mans Houfe, which gave fuch a Light 3 chat by it, he did

clearly

clearly fee the Houfe , the Hedges, and the Oaks in the Wood adjoyning*

Sir, So many of thefe Evidences, as I faw not my felf, I received from Underftand-ing and Credible Ferfons, and fuch as would not lye , no, not for a Benefice 5 and your felf may receive the fame from me, as from one that was never too Credulous, nothing Supperftitious, and as little Ceremonious. Thefe Secrets, I dare not Father upon Satan, I will not Honour him fo much , fo much as to Afcribe to him the Know* ledge of Contingent Futures. I prefume that of himfelf, he cannot certainly know, whether, or when a Healthy Man fliall Sicken, nor whether, or when he fliall dye of his Sicknefs, nor whether he fliall dye by Sicknefs, or by Fire or Water, &c. nor (in an open Country efpecially ) which way of two, three, or more, the Corps fliall be brought to Church, whether it fliall meet another Corps in the way, whether it fliall pafs a River by the Ford, or Bridg , how many flops, turnings, and windings it /hall make, Satan can have no certain fore-knowledge of all fuch Circumftances, and more, but this Candlemaker and Director of them too forefees, and foreknows them all 5 and therefore muft needs be the Creator, who, as according to the good pleafure of his Will > he hath Determined; aad allotted to feveral Nations, the^r feve-

L r^

146 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

ral Habitations, Difpofitions and Conditions, even (o( as I fuppoie ) bath he vouch-fafed to each of them forne peculiar figns and tokens, if none to fome, which I cannot believe, and if to fome more, and more wonderful than to other fome, for my part, I can give no other Reafon for it, but his Will. This with ray hearty Prayers for your felf, your Pious and Learned Brethren of the Aflbciation.

I Reft,

Tour Friend in aU kind Offices

that lye in my Power.

^ffi 5 ' John Davis.

CHAP^

CHAP. VII.

Containing feveral other Letters and Relations concerning Apparitions and Witchcrafts.

Mr. Thomas Tilfon, Minifter of Aylefworth in Kent, his Letter concerning an Apparition in Rochefter, this prefent Tear, 1691.

Reverend S/Vy

BEing informed that you are writing £-bout Witchcraft and Apparitions, I take the freedom, though a Stranger, to fend you this following Relation.

Mary, the Wife of John Gofe of Rochefter, being affli&ed with a long Illnefs, removed to her Father's Houfe at Weft-Mulling, which is about nine Miles diftant from her own:. There ffie died, June the 4th this prefent Year, 1691, ,

L % the

148 'An Hijhrical Difcourfe of

The Day before her departure, fhe] grew very impatiently defirous to fee her two Children , whom fhe had left at home, to the Care of a Nurfe. She prayed her Husband to hire a Horfe, for (lie muft go home, and die with the Children. When they perfuaded her to the contrary, telling her fhe was tiot fit to be taken out of her Bed, nor able to fit on Horfe back, fhe intreated them however to try: // / cannot fit, faid fhe, I will lie all along upon the Horfe, for 1 muft go to fee my poor Babes.

A Minifier who lives in the Town was i with her at Ten-a-Clock that Nighr, to whom fhe exprefsd good Hopes in the Mercies of God , and a Willingnefs to die : But, faid fhe, it is my Mfery that 1 cannot fee my Children.

Between One and Two-a Clock in the Morning (he fell into a Trance. One Widow Turner, who watched with her that Night, fays, that her Eyes were o-pen, and fixed, and her Jaw fallen: She put her Hand upon her Mouth and No-flrils, but could perceive no Breath \ fhe thought her to be in a Fit, and doubted whether fhe were alive or dead.

The next Day this dying Woman told her Mother, that fhe had been at home with her Children. That is impoffible, faid the Mother, for yon have been here in Bed

■ all

Apparitions and Witches, 149

all'the while. Tes> replied the other, but I was with them laft Night, when I was a-fleep.

The Nurfe at Rochefier, Widow Alexander by Name, affirms, and fays, (he will take her Oath on't before a Magi-ftrate, and receive.the Sacrament upon it, that a little before Two a*Clock that Morning (he faw the Likenefs of thefaid Mary Gofe come out of the next Chamber, (where the elder Child lay in a Bed by it felf, the Door being left open, and flood by her Bed-fide for about a quarter of an Hour 3 the younger Child was there lying by her •, her Eyes moved, and her Mouth went, but (he faid nothing. The Nurfe moreover fays, that (he was perfectly awake; it was then Day-light, being one of the longeft Days in the Year. She fate up in her Bed, and looked ftedfaftly upon the Apparition: In that time (he heard the Bridge-Clock ftrike Two, and a while after faid, In the Name of the Father , Son and Holy Ghoft, what art thou ? Thereupon the Appearance removed, and went away 5 (he ilipp'd on her Cloaths and followed, but what became on't (he cannot tell. Then, and not before, (he began to be grievouf-ly affrighted, and went out of Doors, and walked upon the Wharf (the Houfe is juft by the River fide) for fome Hours, L 3 only

ifo An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

only going in now and then to look to the Children. At Five-a-Clock flie wens to a Neighbour's Houfe, and knocked at the Door, but they would not rife : At Six flie went again, then they arofe and let h£r in. She related to them all that had pafs'd : They would perfuade Eer (he Was miftaken, or dreamt :* But (he 'confidently affirmed, If ever 1 faw her in all my 'Life, I faw her ~thu Night.

Ont of thofe to whom (he made the

Relation (Mary, the Wife of '■ John Sweet) • had a'Meflenger came fcam MuRing that Forenoon , to let her know her ,Neigh* hour-Gaffe was dying, and' defired to fpeak with her 5 fite went over the fame day, and found her juft departing. The Mother, a> tnongft other Difcourfe,R elated to her how much-her Daughter had long'd to fe§ the Children 3 and faid flie had feen them. This brought to Mrs. Sweet's niind, what the Nurfe had told her that Morning 3 for till then , /lie had not thoughc to mention it, but difguifed it, rather as the Woman's difturbed Imagination.

The Subflance of this, I had Related to me by John Carpenter , the Father of the Deceafed, next day after her Burial: Jtily the Second:! fully Dil'courfed the Matter with the Nurfe, and two Neighbours , to whole Houfe fhe went that Morning,

Two

Two days after, I had it from the Mother, the Minifter that was with her in the Evening, and the Woman who fat up with her that laft Night: They all agree in the fame Story, and every one helps to flrehgthen the others Tefti-mbny :

They appear to be Sober Intelligent Per-fons, far enough off from Defigning to im-pofe a Cheat upon the World, or to manage a lye, and what Temptation they fhould lye under for fo doing, I cannot conceive.

Sir, that God would blefs your pious Endeavours for the Convi&ion of Atheifjs arid Sadduces, and the promoting of true Religion and Godlinefs 3 and that this Narrative may conduce fomewhat towards the farthering of that great Work, is the hearty Defire and Prayer of

Tour mofi faithful Friend^

and humble Servant^

\

Jylesford y / f Miniftsr of Aylef-

$uly6. Th0. Tilfon,-< ford, iwgfc Haid-

er. L ftoneiuKcnt.

Mr.

I "

Mr. Thomas Woodcocke'j Letter in relation to Witches and Apparitions 5 together, with four Stories inclosed therein , all relating to the fame Sub-je8.

SIR,

T Have herein fent you thofe four Stories JL I had the remembrance off, when I was ttdthyoulaft, which I have fubfcribed my Name to. But who can prove any thing Rationally to them who have not fo much Reafcn as to know their own Souls ? AH of this Tribe are of that mind, to believe siothingbut what they fee themfelves. But as Rsligio Medki fays 5 The Devil hath them In too faft a Noofe, for to appear to them would be to convert them from their Error. He rather delights to be their God than to prove himfelf a Devil, and fo torment their Thoughts too foon. They aflert and admire the Omnipotency of Matter, but in the mean time are infenfible of the fpring of Motions they are fo full of Seconds they will not own a Firft Mover; 'Tis grange Arithmetick, that two ihould not iuppofe one, and as bad Geometry to have

Grcum-

.Circumference without a Center. But I fear you will but fpend Arguments on them who are refolved not to yield to any Evidence; for it is the Intereft of their Lufls neither to believe God nor a Devil. Yet I remember a ftory of one at Cokhefler t who in a Bravado, and Defiance of the Devil, would walk in the Night to the Church-Yard, where it was reported he appeared and walked, and he met him in the flbape of a Black Dog with terrible Eyes, which brought him by Terrors into fuch a mind, that he was never quiet in his Mind till he got into good Society. Coming to Mr Shepheard's at Coin, Mr. Harhkenden ftay'd him, though Mr. Shep-heard was gone: He lodged there, and when at Prayer, the Black Dog was feen by the Manas if he would have torn Mr. NarUkendens Throat out, but lie was in his Hoiife and Duty, and neither faw nor feared s And this Man continued long in this condition, proved a moft ferious Chriftian, always had fome appearance of this Dog, as a Fly or a Flea, and various fiiages; and even at his Death, lying long tick, had

freat Peace and Vi&ory over the fear of )eath, and was fo joyful and defirous to be diflblved, that this Dog or Flea made no impreffion upon him j when had it been a Melancholick Fancy it would have been worft at fo dark an Hour, when the Humours

i>4 An Hiftorical Difcourfeof

irours are. up and the Spirits down. This Story I had alfo from Mr. Harlakenden, but it is not to be caft before fuch Swine as this Epicurean Age abounds with, who, if Chrifthimfelf was on Earth, with the.Ga-darens, would rather get rid of him, than k)fe their Herd of Hogs. But I tire you ? the Lord fupport you, and give you the Joy of Faith, the Blefled profped of Hope, and that Cordial of Love which is Granger than Death $

I am

Tour worthkfs Brother

and Servant injhe Lord,

IS?*** T. Woodcocke.

Here

Here follow the four Stories,, mentioned in the fore-going Letter.

I. Mr. Mun, Rector of Stockerfon in Ld-cefterjhire, had a Daughter married to one ^Av*Beecham^ Re&or of Br an ft on in Rutland; In whofe Houfe it was frequently obferved, that a Tobacco-pipe would move it fe!f from off a Shelf at one end of the Room 3 to another Shelf at the other end of the Room, without any Hand. Mr. Man viiir-ing his Son-in Law, took a Pipe of Tobacco in that Room, and looked for feme fuch Motion 5 but a great Bible, inftead of a Pipe, movejLit telf off from a Desk at the lower end of the Roots, and cart it felf in-to his Lap. Whereuppn he opened the Bi~ ble at Gen, 3. 15. faying, Come, Satan; III jherv thee thy Doom : The Seed of the Woman pall breast he Serpent's Head. Avoid Satan.

This Mr. Mud himielf told me, when in the Sicknefs Year, 1665. I lived in Stockerfon-Hall. I have noreafon to'fufped. the Veracity of a fober Man, a conilant Preacher, and a good Scholar.

II. Dr. Lamb > who was killed by the Mob, for a Conjurer, about 1640. met one

Morning Sir Miles Sands and Mr. Barber in

fihe Street, and invited them to go and drink

their

if6 An HiftoYical Difcourfe of

their Mornings Draught at his Houfe: Di£ courfing about his Art, he told them, if they would hold their Tongues, and their Hands from medling with any thing, he would fhew them fome Sport. So falling to his Practice, in the middle of the Room fprings up a Tree 5 foon after appeared three little Fellows, with Axes on their Shoulders, and Baskets in their Hands, who prefently fell to work, cut down the Tree, and carried all away. But Mr. Barbor ob-ferving one Chip to fall on his Velvet Coat, be flips it into his Pocket. That Night, when he and his Family were in Bed, and afleep, all the Doors and Windows in the Houfe opened and clattered, fo as to awaken and affright them all. His Wife faid, Husband, you told me you was at Dr, Lamb'* this Day, and I fear yon medled with fome-thing. He replied, Iput a Chip into my Poc \k§t. I pray you, faid (lie, fling it out, or we fhatl have no Quiet. He did fo, and all the Windows and Doors were prefently fhuf, and all quiet, fo they went to fleep.

Dr. Barbor and Major John Barbor, who

married my only Sifter, told me this Relation, who had it again and again from their JFather and Mother; and I know no reafon to doubt of the truth of it. This Mr. Bar-fw laid the firft Stone in building of Covent-tijorden*

'Apparitions and Witchesh 157 III When I was a School-Boy at Gunik

in Northamptonftire-j about the Scots coming ' into England, 1 heard a Well, in one Dohs\ Yard, drum like any Drum bearing a March. I heard it at a diftance: Then I went and put my Head into the Mouth of the Well, and heard it diftincftly, and no Body in the Well. It lafted federal Days and Nights, fo as all the Country-People came to hear it. And fo it drumm'd on feveral Changes of Times.

When King Charles the Second died, I went to the 0W/e-Carrier, at the Ram-lna in Smithfield ; who told me their Well had drummed, and many People came to hear k. And I heard, it drumm'd once fince-

IV. Mr. Harlakenden, who lived at Coht-Priory in Effkx, (where I often was, his only Son being my Pupil,) formerly the Houfe of the Earls of Oxford : Off from the Houfe was a Tomb Houfe, with a Chamber over it; his Butler, Robert Crow, and William, his Coach man, ufed to lie in that Room, Ac Two of the Clock in the Morning there was always the found of a great Bell tolling: *They affirming it fo, Mr- Harlakgnden flepc in the Evening, fo as to be awaked at One of the Clock, and lay betwixt his two Servants to fatisfie himfelf. At Two df the Clock comes the ufual Sound of a great Bell

tolling,

tolling, which put him into a Fright and Sweat, fo as he jogg'd his Servants; who awaking, feid, Hark^ Tom is at his Sport. It revived him to hear them fpeak. Upon

a particular Occafion, Mr. Thomas Shepheard, (who after went to New England,) with fome other Minifters, and good People, fpent a Night in Prayer, and had fome re-fpedi to the place* ferving God, to caft out the Devil; And from that time, never was any fuch noife heard in the Chamber.

This I had from Mr. Harlakenden's own Mouth, and his Servants, Ear-witneflTes* when I was upon the place.

It a Teftatur

Tho. Woodcocke.

CHAP,

CHAP. VIII.

Of good Angels, and fome doubtful Spirits, and their notable Anions.

THis fort of Operations is of more plea-fant Confideration than the Diabolical, and as convincing of the Agency of Superior Spirits on things below; but fo m#-ny have written of it, as maketh my farther Labour needlefi. Let them that would fee more, read Mr. Ifaac Ambrofe of our Communion with Angels, the Lord Lawrence^ Mr. Samuel Claris Mirrour, Zanchy de An-gelt*) &c.

Bodin tells us of one of his Acquaintance., that had a good Genius that would always give him notice when he did ill, by a ftroke 5 and what he fhould do when he omitted it* I pafs by old Writers.

I will mention now but thefe few.

i That of Mr. Tate in Ireland, mentioned by Mr. Clark, and Mr. Ambrofe, and confirmed to me by his near Relations that knew of it. Dr. Tate, with his Wife and Children, being flripp'd, and forced to flee for their Lives, by the Irijk, when they were

raur-*

murdering Thoufands in their Rebellion iff 1641. They were wandering in unknown places, upon Commons covered with Snow § and having no Food, and fhe carrying a Sucking Child, and having no Milk, foe went to lay down the Child to die \ and on the Brow of a Bank (he found a Suck-bottle with fweet Milk in it, no Foot-fteps appearing in the Snow of any that fhould bring it thither, and far from any Habitation 1 which preferved the Child's Life, who after became a Bleffing to the Church.

II. When Prince Rupert march'd with his Army through Lancashire, to York-Fight, where he was overthrown, the Town of Bolton made fome Refiftance in his Paflage, and he gave them no Quarter, but killed Men and Women. When he was gone, thofe that efcaped came out from the places where they lurked, and an old Woman found in the Streets a Woman killed, and a Child by her not dead: The old Woman took up the Child, and to ftill its crying, put her own Breaft to the Child, which had not given Suck* as I remember, of above twenty Years: The Child being quieted, flie prefently perceived Milk to come ; and continued to give the Child fufficient Milk, till it was provided for. I had the full Af-furance of this from my worthy Friend, Mrs. Hmt % Wife to Mr. Rowland Hunt, of

Harrow

Harrow on the Hill,;, who told me, that l(he her felf.was one that was appointed by the Commitfee to make Trial of the Cafe, ancl foe found k true, and the old -VVoman's Breafts to give the Child Milk, as was reported." "And (lie told me in 1665, that the laid Child was at that time alive, a Servant-woman in London.

. : III. Though J lay no great:firefs on the jKeports of thofe Papifts 'who corrupt Church-Hiftory by Fabulous'fixtures, yet many Hiftories of the Miniilry of Angels, cited by them out of the Fathers, are credible. Thofe. that have purged their Legends, retain a great number, Baronms, and De UCerdxy and many others, are worth the reading by the■ Judicious;, .that can dif-cern the different Probabilities. But to deny all the Eje&ing of Devils, and the V Venders mentioned by Tertiiliian,ghgen, Cyprian, Chryfoftora, Augu[line,Sidpitms, Sever us, thofe of Gregory Thaumaturgus, Martin, &c, (tho*

Tome may be^ over-aggravated •■> ) befides thofe in Hiftorians, Eufebws, Socrates, Soz.o-men, fittor Vtlcenfis, Procopins, Nicephor^ Theodoret, &c. would be unreafonable, and unchriftian Incredulity. I have formerly mentioned the African Biihops or Preachers, who all fpake well when their Tongues were cut out by the Command of the Ar-rian King: And Kiclor, *Ainaas Gaz^ans and M Procopim

\6z An Hiftorkal Difcourfe of

Trocopius (as I remember, all three) faid, : they faw them, and heard them fpeak after. But one of them faith, that one of the Bifhops was after drawn into the Sin of Fornication,' and his Speech went away again.

Tis ftrange if all the Stories in C a farm ftiould be falfe.

IV-De la Cerda {d.\th>thzt4lbertine a' Jeftit told him, that a young Man came haftily to him toconfefsjandtoldhim'O 5/>,faith he,/ could not ft ay, fo ftrange a thing hath befallen me I I and my Companion were refolved, in Revenge again ft one that had wronged- me, to go after him, into the Fields, and kill him : And while I was Jetting my Piftol in order, that I m'ght not mtfs, a beautiful young Man flood by rae, and asked me what 1 was about ? Andwhen 1 denied to tell him', he told me, that he knew my purpofe, and dijfuaded me; and, in Jhort, didfo open the Sufferings ofChrift for his Bne-mies % and what Sins he had forgiven us, and bound us to forgive one another, that 1 was melted into Tears 3 and my Mind changed ; and the young Man vanifhed away. (An Angel,

if true.;

V. HI make no Application of it to the Omfe Jn our late VVars but I knew of many ftrange Preservations. One credible Perfon- had a Bullet (hot through the felt

of

Apparitions and Witches. x 6$

of his Hat, and ftopp'd at the Lining, and hurt him not. Another had a fmali Bible in his Pocket, and a Musket-Bullet (hot into his Bible, which faved his Life.

The Story of Sir Richard Grecnviles Executions is printed already ^ by Mr. Clark; and others. To confirm it, Mr. Kettleby Woodhoufe, (Siller's Son to Juftice Kettleby i and to Walter Kettleby the Bookfeller's Fa* ther,) a fober, credible Man, then living in Bewdeley, oft told me, that he was one of the Five (or Seven) whofe Lives were faved : Being Soldiers for the Parliament and taken Prifoners, Sir Richard Greenvile commanded them all to be hanged. The firft Man being turned off the Ladder, $ new Hempen Rope brake: They fent for another, and hang'd him again* and that: brake; and, as I remember, a third. Whereupon Sir R. G. faved them all. And Mr. Woodhoufe all the while flood by the Gallows, expecting his Turn, and by this efcap'd, 'Tis like it was by an invifible Power.

VI. In i<5(52. came out divers Books of new Prodigies, moil of them as Executions on notorious Sinners, and fome as Deliverances of better Men- I read them, and enquired after the Matter of Fad 3 and I found by what Policy Satan hath perverted Hiftory, and obfcured the Honour of God's' Works., by cauiiog weak-headed> factious M i Per.fo.os'

i &% 'An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

Ferfons to over do. I found many of the Strange, things there mentioned, had fuffici-ent Proof: But the Writers dropp'd in many Circumftances and Stories, by partial Credibility, that were not true. And thisfru-ftrated the Books, and the Prodigies, by fpoiling the Credit of all the reft.

• VII. I know not what to impute it to, that Lightnings and Thunderbolts fall more upon Churches, than upon Caftles and City Stone Walls,or any fuch Buildings. Jerfey-Caitle indeed was torn with the Gun-powder, kt on fire by "Lightning, (as Heydelberg had terribly been as'a Prefage of the greater Evil following:) And what was it but an invifible Power, that there caufed the Lord's Child, that was Governor, to be blown up, and caftdown again on the Leads, without Hurt ? Angels have a fpecial Care of Infants.

The Church that my Grandmother was born near, had a Ball of Fire, by Lightning, came in at the Belfrey-window, and turn d up the Grave-iiones, and went out at the Chancel-window.

The Church that I was baptized in (High ErcsM, clofe to the Lord Newport's Houfe) had, in fuch a Storm, thfe Leads rolled up, and caft on the back-lide of the Church; C and in the War, was levelled with the Ground.) -^

The

r Apparitions aniWitches. \ 6%

The Church of Anthony in Comma!!, near Mmomh, was torn by Lightning at the time Of Worlllip, on Whit-Sunday, 1640. and People hurt, and ones Brains (truck up to a Pillar. (It is in Print) '

So was ufed much like, the Church of Wi-thkombe in Devonshire* near the fame time.

The Church where the prefent Lord Chamberlain, Earl of Dorfet and Mddkfex, his Anceftors Monuments were, was torn by Lightning that came in at the Steeple, melted the Bells, and went up to the Chancel, and there tore the Monuments in pieces. I faw pieces of the Monuments, that had fome of the Golden Letters, which a truly worthy Lady brought home, that went from Tunbridge- Waters, to fee the Church-

Many and many Churches have been thus torn, proportionably fo much beyond all other Buildings, efpecially of Stone, that I cannot but think there is fome knowing Agent that maketh the Choice, though I know not who, nor why.

Except a few Hay-Ricks, I remember not that till this Seventy (ixth Year of my Age, I have "known Lightening to have had Hurting Power on any Buildings but Churches, favevery rarely, and {mall, < as this laft Year, at Islington, it entred a Houfe, and kill'd a Woman and Child:) Nor to M 3 have

have torn any Wood but Oak, (which m Trees and Buildings 1 have feen torn where I dwelt.) But divers perfcns have been killed and fcorch'd by it. An E-rainent Knight, that I knew, is commonly faid to have been ftruck dead by it in his Garden.

VIII. Though Hurricanes and Whirl-' winds have Natural Caufes, yet I havq great caufe to think, that they are managed by fome Spirits (as I faid before of Storms) Gunpowder worketh in Guns according to its nature ? but if fome Rational Agent did not invent, make, and manage it, all its Power, would be of little ufe. I have marvelled to fee my own fmall Linnen fpred out by Servants to dry, to be fudden-ly catcht up, and carried over the Town and Steeple away, and never more heard of. Near the time when fome Reapers in the Vale bf'Evefi&m were hurt, writhen, and one killed with a Whirlwind, I was walking in a Gravelly Way in a Corn-field, there being a Lane befides me, between two Hedges ? fuddenly a Whirlwind came up the Cart-way/ cafting up the Gravelly Sand directly to meet* me ; when it came within Ten or Twelve Yards of me, I was about ftepplng out of the way into the Corn 3 to"efcape it, but it fuddenly turned 1 ' ; out

apparitions and Witches. \6j

out of the way to the Right-hand, into the Lane from me, fo as perfwaded me, that it was a voluntary Motion, dire&ed by a friendly Power ? for it went ftraight on up the Lane, and tore the Hedges and Branch-; es of the Trees on the fide of the Lane^ But thefe are fmajl eifa&s to what other fee, efpecially of the great Hurricanes at Sea in the Weft-Indies. The Spirits that Rule in the Air have great Power of the Airy Motions.

IX. Though Porphyry, and Proclusy and Jamblkw, tell us, that bad Demons wiU oft (peak for good Anions and againft bad, in Pride and Subtilty to be thought good 3 yet it is hard to think that it is not rather a good Spirit, that fpeaks for fome notable good Work, where no by-End is difcernable. As that mentioned by Mr- Glanvil and Dr. More of Dr. Brittons Wife, whofe likenefs appeared after Death to her Servant-Maid, and fhewed her a parcel of Land that was as part of her Brothers,and told her,it belonged to the Poor, and was unjuftly alienated from them 5 and bid her tell the PofTeflbr, that he muft reftore it; and gave her a Secret to tell him if he refuted : And upon the angry refufal, when he heard the Secret, he yielded arid reftored the Land to the Poos, who now poflefs it.

M 4 X. The

i58 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

X. The faid Heathen Rhiiofophers &y 9 that they are all bad Spirksjthat ieek to be i worftiiped, and that to procure it, they will feem to be Religions, but will tell many Lies for one Truth, and that lying is a chief mark to know them by. By this I fufped that there are bad Spirits that come to fpeak for the getting fo many Maffes to be faid for them to deliver them from Purgatory, and fuch Pilgrimages to be performed : And thofe that tempt the People to Pray to them and to Honour them 5 for their Services and Prayers for them, of which their Legends abound with Instances : De la Cerda concludeth his Book of Angels with JBormsof fuch Prayers: And what Office hath not fuch ? De la Cerda, lib. 2g. citeth Miraculous Appearances of the Crofs, and fo do many others, which I leave to the Readers Judgment. As alfo the Lady of Laurettas Miracles, and others inch, which many write of.

XL I think fome Rational Spirit was probably the Agent of what was written by our great Pious Credible Surgeon and Phyfician, Fabricim HildannSyQbfer. Cent.3, obf. 26. [A Noble and Virtuous Lord, -Job. a Rojle, going for his Studies to FHburg^ with two Servants, on the way, rofe a

great

great Storm, with Thunder, Lightening, and Rain \ His Servant perfwaded him to let him ride clofe to him, and cover him with his Cloaks fo joining their Horfes they rode under one Cloak: A great ftroke of a Thunderbolt ftruck down the Matter,* the Servant, and both the Horfes; the Servant and two Horfes immediately were dead : The Nobleman, by God's keeping, fcaped fafe and found, yet no hurt was feen on the Horfes, nor on the Servant, fave on his Hat, which had a great Hole; and the Head after fwelled and turned black: But on the Nobleman himfelf were all thefe Marvels 5 1. The Thunderbolt ftruck him about the Left-Arm, and there made a hole through the Sleeve of his Doublet and Shirr, and made a black mark on the Skin which remained, but without hurt-The hole in the Sleeve was fmall without and great within. 2. Thence it defcend-ed, and broke in pieces fome Coral Beads of a Bracelet which he wore on his Arm, but broke not the String. 3. Then on his Left-fide, his Sword Sheath being tyed, it melted the point of his Sword as if it had been Leads and by melting the gilded I-ron, it made a hole in the Band for its paf-fage out. 4, And on both his Ancles were black fpots like Pitch 3 and are yet visible.

Another

Another riding a Stones caft before him, his Horfe and he were caft down, but without hurt, fave the lofs of his Hearing.] Hildanm faw the Cloaths, Boots, and Sword, and had all from the Man him-fclf.

CHAR

CHAP. IX.

IN my Vnreafonabknefs of Infidelity^hzvmg many other Teftimonies of Satan's War againft Chrift and his Kingdom, I will here mention one, which elfewhere alfo I have mentioned; and that is the Cafe of melancholy, diftra&ed and Enthufiaftick Perfons, which clearly prove a Diabolical War.

I. As to melancholy Perfons: I think, few Men in England have had more advantage to know their Cafe, than I have had. I know not how it cometh to pafs, but in the Country, and in London, multitudes that are melancholy are fent by their Friends, or of themfelves come to me, imagining that I can counfel them for Soul and Body 5 fo that they have taken up a great part of my time. And in almoft all I perceive, befides their Difeafe, that a malignant Spirit, by advantage of it, doth agitate them inceflantly againft God and Jefus Chrift, and againft themfelves, as he adeth Witches to do mifchief to others. I know that the Difeafe it felf is, to the Imagination, as difquieting as a Dislocation or Lamenefs is to ajoint: But there is fome malignant Spirit that driveth it fo importunately toMif-

chief*

jj% An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

chief. They are conftantly tempted to felf-tormenting Thoughts, to defpair and cry, TJndone , undone-? and to think that the Day of Grace is part, and that they have committed the unpardonable Sin; and any thing that may keep their Minds on a tormenting Rack.

And they are flrongly at laft tempted to deftroy themfelves: If they fee a Knife, they feel as if one within them laid, Now cut thy Throaty or ftab thy felf: Do it, do it.

If they go by a Water, they feel as if one urged them prefently to leap in. And often a^e they urged vehemently to hang themfelves, or to caft themfelves headlong from fome high place. And, alas i many do it. And it is fo in other Lands, as well as here. How many doth Tlaterm, in his Obferva-tions, tell us of, that near him, in Helvetia, deflroyed themfelves.

And it is to be noted, that unlefs it be God's Judgment for fome heinous Crime, it is few of the ungodly Rabble that have any fuch Trouble and Temptation $ for Satan holds them fafler by prefumptuous Unbelief, and Carelefnefs, and worldly Love, and Pleafure : But thofe that will not be fo deceived, that he cannot torment hereafter, he would torment here. Alas I divers Per-fcnshavel known thus deflroy themfelves, who I have great reafon to believe were as really Godly as any that I have known.

. But

But Satan's Advantage was in their Di£ eafe and Temper: As he can tempt a Phlegmatick Man to Sloth, and a i. hole-rick Man to Anger, and a Sanguine Man to Luft, or (inful Pleafure* fo can he a Melancholy Man to Defpair and Self-deftru-dion, and againft God.

2. And they are impetuoufly tempted a-gainftGod and Jefus thrift: They are fo haunted with blaiphemous Thoughts, to think ill of God, or to deny Chrilt or the Scripture, that they have no reft: And thefe come in at Prayer, at Sermon, at Sacrament 3 and they have no more power to keep them out\ or turn their Thoughts another way, almoft, than they have of the Thoughts of another. Yea, fomewhaturg-eth them from Day to Day, to fpeak fome ill, blafphemous word of God, or of Chrift 5 and if they yield to the Importunk ty, it prefently, as it were, faith within him, Now thou art damned : There is now no Hope. And it is much to be noted, that lee the Perfon be Religious, or not,they ulualiy are all thus tempted alike: For worldly Crofles and Difcontents do make bad People fometimes melancholy; and they alio have much of the fame Solicitations. So that the manner of their Trouble plainly tellech us, that it is of the Devil-

And yet Phyfick may do much to cure if, becaufe it taketh from the Devil that In-

ftrumenty

174 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

ftrument, or bodily Difpofition, without which he cannot do his Work.

Add it is not for nothing, that in the Go-fpel the Diftradted and Epileptick are faid to be poflefled of Devils 3 for he may caufe the Difeafe, and work by it accordingly when he hath done it.

I have oft marvelled that the Worft are not as commonly diftrafted by Sadnefs, as better People: But befides the Reafon before given, there is a peculiar Sin that bring-eth this of its Nature, and fo lets the Devil in; and that is, Overvaluing fome worldly thing , and then falling into Difcontent and Impatience at the lofs or want of it. He that breaks down his own Hedge or Wall, lets in the Trefpafler or Thief. He that cannot take God and Heaven as enough to content him, is better without his Idol, than to find Content in it. 'Tis meet that Child be left to cry, that will cry if he may not have his Will 3 and that will hurt him worfe than crying. He that will add to God's Corre<5iions, the Self Torment of finful Impatience, (hall find Satan ready to farther his Work. God is difobliged, when he is not trufted: And if we con-fent not that he do with us what he will, he will not do what we impofe upon him : His Wifdom, and not cur Fleih and Folly, muft determine of all his Way and Work. •

II. And there have been many Enthufi-afticks that Satan hath notorioufly deluded* by pretended Angelical Revelation, for fome great increafe of Knowledge: You may find many fad Inftances in Epiphanius, and other Hiftortes of the old Hereticks. And few Ages fince have been without fome fuch.

The Madnefs of John of Ley dens Munfler Rebels fhewed it; what Zeal and feeming Fortitude did their deceiving Spirit infpire them with, while by Murders they cryed up theif ntwSion? Leojnda witneffeth, that when the Flefh was pull'd orf Clipper dotting with hot Pincers, he fcarce uttered a Complaint or great regard of the pain.

Satan's Hand was notorious in the delufi-ons of David George in Holland , and of Hacket, Coppinger , and Arthington here.

The horrid Wickednefs of the Ranters here, proclaimed him to be their Teacher*

When the Quakers firft rofe here, their Societies began like Witehes, with Quaking, and Vomiting, and Infe$ing others, with breathing on them, and tying Ribbons on their Hands-And their Anions as well as their Do&rine fhewed their Matter. When fome, as propefying, walked through the Streets of Cities naked; and fome vainly undertook to raife the Dead (as Sufan Pkr-[on & Worcefter :) And ufually they difturb*

ed

ed and publickly reviled the moft Godly Minifters worfe than the rngft debauched of the Rabble did.

He that would know how manifeftly Satan ruled fuch Enthufiafts in Germany, may

read it at large in Beck*nan\ Exercltations^ and in the Life of Paracelfm, teftify'd by Opporinm, that lived with him .as his Servant, and others that were affrighted with his Drunken Rage and Satanical Con-verfe.

And how dangerous it is to defire fucfi Converfe with Angels and Spirits, as God bath not judged fuitable to our Condition herein the Flelh, the cafe of Jacob Beh-mn and Dr. Pordage here, and his Society may tell us. His chief Profelyte, Companion and SuccefTor (whofe name I sriention not for the fake of his Worthy Kindred ) condefcended to open fecretiy to me in Writing, his Judgment, by which I foon fawthat their Guide differed much from the Scripture. One of extraordinary Learning and Reputation* was a while diftra&ed by going to them, to try their Way. Some of my very much efteemed Friends have been diftra&ed, and overcome with Melancholy, by ftudying Behmen and that way. What Dr. Pordage his Do&rine was, you may fee partly in his PofihnmG^ Myftu cat Theology, publilhed by his Friend Dr. Hooker> Mr. Fowler of Reading aCCUfed him

as

as a Conjurer, and he bath publifhed his Defence in Folio, (which I may the rather mention, becaufe in it he hath made ufe of friy name againft Mr Fowler , as fpeakinga-gainft me, for our difference in explaining the Do6trine of Imputed Righteoufn£fs>) In this Defence the Dr. confefleth, that the Devil was too familiar in his Houfe (where a Society lived with him that kept their Exercifes and Hours of finging Night and Day.) He (and his Friends) pretended that he knew when good Spirits and when bad ones were about him, by Smells and Gufts, and the temper of their Senfe and Spirits. And he confefleth, that in.his great Room, the Devil appeared to him by Night in the likenefs of a Fiery Dragon that almoft filled the Room, and long con-Aided with him. And that once he made on the Brick-Wall, over his Chimney, the likenefs of a Coach drawn by Tygers, h deeply imprefled, that they were fein to ufe a Pick-Ax to cut it out of the Bricks: And that the like Impreflion was on the Glafs of his Windows,, which they could not wafh out. But all this he imputed p Everard that intruded into his Society, taking him to be the Conjurer i And he faith, that when he was gone, he appeared to him in the Night, walking in his Chamber in Boots and Spurs,

17S r An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

So that Diabolical Apparitions, and open Efife&s were confefled by him, as his Book declareth.

Among others, I think meet to add this Hiftory of fome Enthufiafticks that I have known, not as a Condemnation of their O-pinions, but of the way of receiving them.

A Country Man of inkburrough Parifli (as he faid) in Worcefcerjhire, came to me to A&on near LonJon, to tell me, that God had revealed to him the truth of that thou-fand Years Reign of Chrift on Earth 5 and he was poffeflfed with a ftrong Zeal to propa- j gate it, and I rnuft needs promote the publication of his Papers. I examined him how he came to his knowledge of it, and I found it was not by any hard Study, nor Zeal in Religion, nor by Reading any Book for it, nor by Converfe with any of that Opinion, for he had been no fuch Man, nor had come among fuch: But it was by feeming Revelation, finding him Ignorant and Enthufiaftical, I difpleaied him, by ad-vifing him to fupprefs his Papers 3 and I after heard that he turned diftraded. : . At Coventry there dwell with me in the Governours Houfe, Major Wilkje, a Scot-tifh Soldier, and a Scholar of confiderable Learning 3 he was Engineer for Fortification. He would drink too much, and had t^figns of a heated Brain, bqt no failing

of his Reafon perceivable. He confidently affirmed his conftant notice of Spirits good and bad about him 5 that he had a good Genius and in Enemy: That one Night his Enemy faid, / have torn his Liver y and that he made a Chamber-Pot full of Blood in the Morning: He was confident, that Thunder and Lightning was the Wars of Spirits, foretelling and refpecting fuch things below: He pretended to know by the Thunder and Lightning which ficie in the Wars (liould have the Vi&ory: In 1643 or 1644, about a Year and half after the Wars begun, he faid, That it was revealed to him, that the War fliouid endure three Years and an half, and the Parliament fhould Conquer; but their own Divifions fhould after keep them long unfetled. He faid, that being in Paris, in a clear Moon-fhine Night ( many Years before) being walking in his Chamber, and repeating £/*-ir^ WsVerfion of the fecond Pfalm^ ^nare fremuemnt gentes,&c. fudden/y a great noife made him look out, and he faw a Conftel-lation in the fliape of a Lion Rampant a-gainft the Moon, and while he long gazed on it, one Leg broke off, and turned to the fimilitude of a Cock, and after the three other Legs broke off And when he was in Bed his good Spirit expounded it to him, and told him, that the Moon was the Church here, and the Aflaulting Lion was N Z England^

18o An Hiftorical Difcomfe of

England^ Wales, and Ireland, by the KingJ turned againft the Church: that the Foot firft broken off, was Scotland, as a Cock, by crowing awakened the other three, and that all fliould end in Conqueft of the Af-failantS.

And his Genius taught him the Millenary Reign of Chrift, and taught him how to Expound many Texts for it 3 as drinking with them the Fruit of the Vine new, that is, in its renewed Paradife ftate? and the time of Reftitution of all things, &e. And he Expounded to* him many other Scriptures, as that the Devils Contending a-bout the Body of Mofes, was, that it might be drowned in the Basket of Bulrufhes to prevent what he was to do, &c.

How much of this was true or falfe, I know not; but I heard credibly, that after fome time he was quite diftra<aed, partly through want, and partly by a hot Brain, over-heated too oft with drinking.

What but Diabolical Delufion and Infti-gation 5 could make tenner and his Followers that were for the Millenary Fifth Monarchy, to arife fo madly as two days xo come into fuch a City, and think by Arms to conquer all Oppofers, at King Charles II. his beginning of the new Prelatical way of Church Government: Men in their Wits would not have fo hafied to the Gallows.

k

A little &fter the K. Ch. II. Parliament and Bi/hops began the overthrowing, dividing Works, which' Bartholomew day, Aug. 24. 1662. did bring to open Birth, a Gentlewoman of London came to me fecret-ly with her Sifter as Witnefs, (Perfons as commonly called of Quality and Moderation) to be refolved how to Expound a ftrange thing that had befallen her, which was. That £' asjhe wot praying in Stent , fhe € begg d for Deliverance of the Church c and Religion* and Minifters from the f- dreaded Sufferings that were determined,

* and the fad effe&s of Perfection, Divifi-' on and publick dangers 5 and it was fud-c denly given her, as an Anfwer, that there

* fliould be a fpeedy Deliverance, even in a

* very fhort time. She defired to know ' which w r ay j and k was by fomewhat on ' the King, which I refufed to hear out,

* whether it was Change or Death 5 it be-' ing fet ftrongly on her as a Revelation,

* fhe earneftly prayed, that if this were a

* true Divine Impulfe and Revelation, God

* would certify her by feme vifible fign;

* and fhe ventured to choofe the Sign her ' felf, and laid her Hand on the outfide of 1 the upper part of her Leg, and begg'd of c God,that if it were a true Anfwer,he would ' make on that place fome vifible mark 5 fi and there was prefently the mark of black ' fpots,like as if a Hand had burnt it 5 which

Nj 'her

c her Sifter witneffed,(he faw prefently, and f after, there being no fuch thing before.

I told her, that fhe had finfully tempted God, and gone out of his way into a way of her own, and God might juftly for it, give Satan power to deceive her: But ■yet, whether it would prove a Truth or a Falfhood, it was not I, but the Event that mult tell her,, and therefore that fhe mud wait in Patience and Innocency, and lay no ftrefsonfuchafign.

But the Womans ftmnge Impulfe and Mark proved but a Delufiofr

The Rofie-Crucians, and fuch as addid themfelves to find the Philofopher's Stone, have fomeof them feemed to be deluded by feme Evil Spirit; by the violence of their Defires, and the blind confidence of their Expectations, and the ill Means that ibmehave ufed: Hiftoriesof fuch are too many to be recited. Fdix PLterm, in his vbftrvat. L i. tells us of one of his Familiars, a Perfon of Honour and Wealth, a Baron, and Religious, and addi&ed to good Works, that was fo fet upon it, that he not only fo" fpent his Time and Study, but his Eftate, reducing himfelf and his Family to great Poverty $ and yet would never abate his Confidence, that he was near attaining it: And though (till fruftrate, he was dill near It: Infomuch that he laboured with the Magistrates for their Grant and

- - Powers

Power, that with the Gold he made he might build anew Bridge over the River,and I might build a Colledge for the Univerfity, &c and though he died a poor Man, and i left his Children Poor, he believed to the I laft, that he was near finding out what he I fought, had he had longer life.

to fuch deluded by Spirits, I think I may add the Comforts of many Perfons that I have known, that # long lived in doubt of their Salvation, next Defpair: And when a Deceiver hath but drawn them to change their Religion from Sound Do&rine to fome Error, they have prefently beea delivered from their Troubles, "and lived in Peace and Confidence- It cannot be from the Nature cf the New Do&rines received % for it befals divers that turn to contrary Doftrines from each other: Some that turn Papifts, fome that turn Quakers, fome A-nabaptifts, fome Antinomians, fome Millenaries, and are againft each other, yes have fudden Peace upon their change. I confefs, that the conceit of having found out a better way may do much $ and the diverfion of their thoughts to difpute may do much: As Pet . Foreftm tells us of a Melancholy Papift, that after other means ufed in vain, was at laft cured by eager difpu-ting againft the Proteftants: But when the Perfons before had no doubt of the Do» brines of Religion, but only of the ftate

N 4 cf

of their own Souls, and when they had no fuch Difputes to bring them to it, but fcdden hearing a Seducer, and when it is only Falfe Doftrine that comforteth them, when found Dofirine profefled, could not, it feemeth to be done by a lying Spirit that corpforteth Men with Evil, as God's Spirit doth with Good.

Bodin tells us of a French Baron that con-feft, that he wor(hiped the Devil, and prayed to him, and had Sacrificed nine Children to him, and intended to have Sacrificed one of his own 5 and he ask'd ,him for what he did this? And he faid, That he promifedto make him Great, and yet that he never gave, him any thing, and to make him k&ow what he, defired to k&ow, and yet told him more Lies than Truths: This promife of Knowledge Wd.$ the old Temptation to Eve: And yet Knowledge is the great Gift of our great Comforter, the Holy Ghoft $ fo that there is a true Comforting Knowledge which God giveth, and deceitful fhadow of it'5 and a yfeleft hurtful Knowledge by which Satan comforteth the deluded: Its true, Needful Saving Knowledge that is of God : Many Conjurers have by the defire of knowing what vain Curiofity is pleafed with, become the Devil's slaves-

To what fort fliall we rank thofe Men that tell Men of things flolen and loft, and that ftew Men the Face of the Thief in a-

Glafsi

Glafs, and caufe the Goods to be brought back, who are commonly called Whit* Witches: We have had fo many Credible Reports of fuch, as alloweth not Reafon to doubt of it. When I lived at Dudley, Hodg&s at Sedgky , two Miles off (even where famous William Fenner preacht) was long and commonly accounted fuch a one: And when I lived at Kedermwfier y one of my Neighbours affirmed, that having his Yarn ftolen, he went to Hodges (ten Miles off) and he told him, that at fuch an Hour he fliould have it brought home again, and put in at the Window, andfb it was; and as I remember, he (hewed him the Per-fons Face in a Glafs 3 yet I do not think that Hodges made any known Contra^ with the Devil, but thought it was an effed of Art.

CHAR

i86 An HiftoYtcal Difcourfe of

CHAP. X.

Other Strange Providences observable.

IHave, in other Treatifes, named fome Inftances of fuch Succefs of Prayer, as hath not been unprofitable tome: I will bere mention fome of them, and add fome more.

Only I will premife this Caution to the Reader, i. That it is no certain fign of the Innocency or San&ity of the Perfon delivered, that it was done by a wonderful manner upon Prayer. Nay, it is not un-afiial, for the Guilt of fome great Sin, to bring the Suffering, from which by Prayer they are delivered; and God may hear o-tfaers, for the deliverance of fuch Sinners.

2* Nor is it any certain fign of the San-ffity of thofe whofe Prayers are fo heard, (though it be a very encouraging Mercy to them,) any more than P/*ophefying 9 and Cafting out Devils, and doing wonderful Works in the Name of Chrift, Matrj* was a Proof that the Agents were not rejected Workers of Iniquity. It is the Honour of God, and the Regard which he hath to the Faith and Prayers of the DiftrefTed, or o-thers, and of the Souls that he would convince 5

vince; which thefe, and fueh likelnftances do declare.

3. And I will omit many Inftances of Perfons recovered from the Jaws of Death, juft at the Hour while we have been praying for them 5 for, though this be much to me 5 it will not be fo to the Unbeliever, who will fay, that it was not from that Caufe, but would have been if you had not prayed. And I muft confefs that I have prayed for the Life of many a dear Friend, whom God hath not recovered, but taken away.

4. Nor will I mention any one Inftance of theSuccefs of my own Prayers, or any others, when I joined with them 5 but only of fome plain, poor, humble, Godly Perfons, who ufed that fort of fervent Prayer which fome deride. For I am a very unworthy Perfon my felf, in comparifon of many of thofe poor, humble, blamelefs Perfons, whom I then had the Overfight of.

1 In general, I may fay, that I have divers times, after long disabling Weaknefs and Pain, been enabled within a Day or two to come to Church again, and go on in my Work, when my poor Neighbours have fpent a Day in Fafting and Prayer for me.

II. When ZtMlbome in Darby [hire I was

given up for dead, by bleeding about an

hundred

i$$ An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

hundred and twenty Ounces at the Nofe, after other Weaknefles and Bleedings many Years, my Father and Mocher-in-Law dwelling in Shrewsbury, the Report came to them there that I was dead. My Mother-In-Law was, by the Governor, and other Friends, exhorted to bear it patiently; She prefently retired to fecret Prayer 5 where flie profeffeth, that a Trembling and Con-daffionpf her Body furprizing her,'foe felt that which conftrained her to fay what foe did when foe came forth, (to her Friends,) viz.* Z£f e if not dead, but Jhall live for far-tb'er Serviced And hereupon they fenc a MeflTenger from Shrewsbury to fee; who found me alive J and brought them the Tidings. This Was in February, 1646. My Mother-in-Law is yet living, about Ninety two Years of Age ? the Daughter of Sir Thomas Hunkes, Two of her Brothers* Sir Foulk§ Hunkes, and Sir Henry Hunkes, were known Soldiers for the King 5 the one Governor of

Shrewsbury > and the Other of Banbury-CcL-

ftleawhile. She is one that-hath (pent a great part of her Life in fecret Rrayer* with great Negleft of the Flefo and World, and longing to dk, and be with Chrift, which flie hath not yet obtained, but will ere long. (Since the Writing of this, dead, at Ninety fix, in full Underftanding, and great Holinefs.)

dpparittons and Witcfas. xSy

III. After long Pain and Weaknefs, reading a-Latin Book of one Gerhard, a Foreign Phyfician, I found in him, that his own Father had been cured of force of my Diftetxr-pers (as I then thought) by daily fwallowing a Ballet of pureft Gold : I got one of the weight of a Twenty-Shilling-pkce-* and fwallowed it, but it remained in me 5 and hearing of a Gentleman within twelve Miles of me, that lately did the like, and it never pafs r d from him, but he quickly died, made me take Clyfters and Purges, but none of them ftirred it. My poor praying Neighbours (not then fearing the Canon, which ftri&ly forbiddeth it) fet apart a Day, to faft and pray for my Deliverance 5 and that Morning it came away, after many Weeks abode, (three or four;) and they {pent the reft of the Day in Thankfgiving.

^ IV. In my Weakneft, being under Phy-lick with Dr. Wright, then living in Shrewf bnry i there fuddenly rofe upon one of the Tonfils of my Throat a round Tumour, fceming to me as hard as c a Bone, and about as big as a great Peafe> or fmali Button, half out of the Flefh, and half in. I feared left it would prove a Cancer; but the Dofior told me, he did not think fo, but what ic was he knew not •, but perfuaded {having iirft tried diflblying and* diflipating Means

ipo r An Hiflorical Difcourfe of

in vain) to quiet it only with Gargarifms of hot Milk: It increafed but little, but no Means altered it, till (as I remember) a-bout a quarter of a Year after, my Confidence reproved me, that having had fo many great Mercies upon Prayer, I never gave God the Honour or Thanks of publick mentioning them, for fear of feeming to feek fome Glory to my felf? being the next Morning to preach my Le&ure, I obeyed my Confcience, and mentioned them in the Words fince printed and published in the Second Part of my Saints Everlafting Reft, being then upon tht proof of the Truth of the Scriptures: I had before conflantly felt it, (and too oft looked at in the Glafs.) *As fbon as I had preached and fpoken thofe Words, I felt no more of it. As I came out of the Pulpit, I put my Finger in my Mouth to feel it, but could feel nothing : I hafted home to the Glafs, and faw that there was neither VoU, vel Veftigium y vel Cicatrix r } no Cavity, Tumour, Difcolour-ing, nor any fign where-ever it was; and I am fure I neither fpit it out, nor fwallowed it; and to the laft Hour it feemed as hard as a Bone.

V. Richard Cooke, a Mercer in Kniver 9 was long a Man of a pious, unblameable Life, and one of the chief of good old Mr. John Crofs (fince Minifter here in Friday-

day-ftreet) his Congregation: When I came to Kederminfter, he removed thither, and took a Houfe the next Door to me; which proved old, dangerous, and fo ill a Bargain, as caft him into melancholy_Doubts that he did not well to leave his Habitation- His Father before him had long lived, and ac laft died in Diftra&ion. Taking too much hot Waters, to comfort him in his Sadneis* Nature, Trouble, and thofe together, prevailed to his utter Diftra&ion. He fo continued, from 1642. to 1646. The be& Means, by fuch as were moft noted for curing that Difeafe, were ufed, and all ia vain. My Neighbours of Kedermwfter re-folved not eafily to give over Fafting and Praying with and for him, till he was recovered : Divers Days all feemed in vaiii, but at laft he amended, and bath been recovered (without any other Remedy) now from 1646, to this prefent time, i6j8 9 though not altogether of fo perfed ftrengtfa of Brain as before, yet of competent Un-derftanding. About a Year or two ago I faw him in London, and I hear he is yet alive and well, 16 78.

VI. Thomas Giles, the Son of Mr. Giks of Aftky, one of the then Committee in Worcefierfoire, was fent to be an Apprentice mWorcefter. After a Fever, (as they told me,) he fell into a violent Epilepfie: After

much

much Phyfick in Worcefier, and opening his Head, and all in vain, his Mother took him home to her in Kederminfter 5 where, being a Widow, (he came to fojourn, purpofely for the Company of Godly People there. Mr. Jackson, the Phyfician of the Town, (my dear and faithful Friend, now, 1678. a Phyfician in Shrewsbury < y ) and I consulting, we ufed in vain what Means we cduld. His Fits were foirietimes twice or thrice a Day : We were fain to put a Key into his Mouth, left he (hould bite off his Tongue At laft, the forefaid praying Perfoiis refolved to try the old Remedy of Faftifig and Praying, till he was recovered. The firft Day they found no Succefs: As I retiiember,it was the fecond Day, while they were together, praying, he was fuddenly cured; and as his Mother and they that dwelt with him, told me, had never one Fit fince. Hereupon his Mother bound him Apprentice to Mr- John Alkn<> an honeft Apothecary in Kederminfter^ whom he ferved feven Years, and is now an Apothecary in St afford^ fince dead; Mr. Allen -the Phyfician, and almoft all that prayed for him,being yet alive. I was prefent at none of all thefe Days my felf. If you ask me, Why ? 1. My Weaknefs, and my publick Work much hindred me. 2.1 was worfe than they, and had not their Faith, and Fervency, and Patience •, and becaufe we have no abfoJute Promife of fuch Deliverances, I was afraid*

left

Apparitions and Witches, 19$

left if we failed and prayed fo long as they refolved to do, it would have turned to fome Reproach or Difcouragement if we did not prevail. 3. But I have joyned with them more than once, when we have, to our great Encouragement, prevailed. Bu& thofe Inftances I prornifed to pretermit.

In fumm, I verily believe that I have been kept alive thefe forty Years, but notably thefe thirty eight, by the Prayers of many better than my felf, prevailing with God, through the Intercemoa of our great Mediator.

VII. I will add one fad Story, leaving all to the Readers Judgment, to warn the befl: to avoid Temptation , and to tell them that Satan hath his wiles by Mens Sin, to blalt the Glory and Comfort of Deliverances.

In Bewdky, a Sanguine ftrong Maid, fell into ftrange Hifterical Fits: It began by Stoppage of the Menftma y I gave her Caftory and Rad. QBrmii, and Sem* Dauci on Fo-refim Commendation, and (lie began to be better: But I being driven out of the Country by War 3 and Mr. Robert Morton ( Dr. Mortons Father ) their Paftor and Phyv fitian driven after me to Coventry , ihe was left without help, and grew worfe than ever.- Till at laft I think by a furor uteri* nm ex corruptions Seminti , me feemed pof-

(eft by a Devil: In her Fits, many cotild not hold her, fhe would be caftoffher Bed, and upon it again, by a force far above her ftrength, as the Beholders Judged : They (hewed Needles and Pins, and Cords brought to her, none knew how , to kill her felf: A Papift coming to Cure her their way , fhe told them of his coming far off, and laught at his Holy Water. In her fits fhe would Swear, Curfe, and Rage againft any that were Religious, and Hugg thofe that were Vicious, and be merry with them : Thus (he continued from 1542. till, 1646. or 1647. When I returned home, I went to fee her, and Prayed once by her, and came to her no more. At laft my praying Neighbours encouraged by their Succefs,, for others refolved to joyn with fome K oi Bewdky^ to Faft and Pray by her , till fhe was recovered: While they were Praying, fhe was ufually in violent Rage, and after thankt them $ after many days, in the mid/1 of the Day , while Mr. The-. Ware of Kederminfter was Praying, fhe fell on the Floor like a Block, and having lain fo a while , cryed out, He is gone , He is gone ; The Black. Dog is gone: And fhe never had a Fit after.

But coming to our Lecture, two Miles,--(he was as uncomfortable as ever; crying to me, Oh, Ton know not how bad I ami And I

Ignoraatiy told her, what Comfort her De- k

liverance

Ilverance might give her: But (he continued her Self-Accufing. But hear the worft.

- She being poor, many good People in Charity look'd to her in her Fits: But, a-bove all, one young Man, as far from be-ingYafpefted of any Hypocrifie, Errour, or Vice, as any in Bewdeky^ was more with her than the reft: And feeing her, in her Fits, tofs her naked Body about, (he being ftrong and comely, his Luft was provoked, which he exercifed on her 5 but praterjki-endofemn^ which eafing her for the time, enticed him the more to do it oft, as an Ad: of (Wicked) Compaffion 3 which did but more Enrage her Difeafe: When frequency had hardened him , at laft after her Deliverance, it was made known: AndOtha Advantage that Satan got by it i The fad-nefs of thofe that Prayed for her: So that we durft not name it as an Anfwer of Prayer , left the mention fliould ferve to & Reproach. For my part, I think that & Real pofleflion was added to the furor ute<-rinus^ in punifhment of their Sin. He Mar-ryed her, and profefled deep Repentance i but I advifed them for all that, not to receive him to Church-Communion.

I have read and heard of feveral Perfbns

that have had notices by Revelation *

When they fliould die: I will give here

O % bm

jtf6 AnMftorkal Difconrfe of

but one Inftance, of an excellent young Man, Mr. Tyro ; but I mult confefs, that one of his Acquaintance affirmed to me, that having been formerly of a jocund Merry Temper, he became fo very ferious in Religion, and fo fervent a Preacher in fUngar, and fo Zealous for his own and other Mens Salvation, that # he thought Melancholy might deceive his Imagination, as to the Voice he was confident he heard. I lay no great ftreis on the Inftance % but he profeffed the contrary himfelf \ and Mr. Brand extols him, and Colonel Rich and his lady, (well known by Mr Strongs Books which fhe publilhed, taking them in fhort Characters, then called the Lady E#-z.abeth Carre ) did both believe him; as ^ou may lee by the two following Letters. And Mr. Lewis in the foregoing Letters* and Mr. Davis telling me how common the forwarnings of Death, are in their Coun-trey, maketh it the eafier to me to believe the words of fo good and fober a Man as Mr. Tyro.

Cot.

'Apparitions and Witches] ipj

Colonel Rich of Stondon~HaII intffcx his Letter in relation to Mr. Tyro 5 together, with his Ladies relating to the fame perfon.

j

SIR,

OUR Neighbour, Mr. H*tt> informing your detire to know from my felf and Wife, the Relation of a Providence more than ordinary, with which Mr. Tyr® was exercifed before he came a Sick-Reft-dent under my Roof, I muft therefore refer you to the Account, which my Wife herewith gives you, the Truth whereof I am folly fatisfied, which was from Mr. Tyros own Mouth to her only, when I was at London, the Narrative of which, (lie gave me at large the fame Night I returned Home, though I was confirmed in my Belief of it by forne Difcourfe I had with him afterwards, during his s ickneis ? before which he and I perufed feveral of your Tra&ates madepublick, with a joynt-plea-fing Approbation •, efpecially, that which is intituled, The dying Thoughts ; alfo another,

viz,. The Crucifying the World by the Crofe

©f chrifti we having a mutual fatisfa&ion O 3 in

in each others Converfe^ his Natural Parts, Gifts and Grace together, with his Holy Life, conftrained my defire and endeavours to accommodate him to his iaft Breath, for r found him a true Difcipleof Chriftour Lord and Mafter, in whom I would alfo be found,

$ 1 R,

Tour ajfeBionate Servant?

Jl°uZ?i Nath. Rich.

near Ungar in Ejfex, May 16*

2tf£ I.

The

The Lady Rich's Letter*

s i r 7

IN Obedience to your defire by Mr. Han, to have it under my Hand, what he told you of Mr. Tyro, who was fent by

Mr. Brand at Biflops-Hall near London, XQ

Preach at Vngar in Ejfex 5 and to prevent miftakes, I think fit, in order to your Sa-tisfa&ion, to give you this Account of him? and therein take occaiion to let you know, how great an Honour and Efteem he had for you. Sir, I believe, had you known him, you would have rank'd him among rhofe Worthies that you have helpM to Heaven, for he followed you as you follow Chrift. About feven Weeks before his Death, when there was hope of recovery, he told me, he had fomething to tell me, that he had not imparted to any Body, and exprefled it thus, When I was one Evening returning to my Lodging, then at Vngar ^ from this Houfe, being then in a good de-gree^ of Health, and in a ferious frame, meditating by the way, I heard a voice fay, You (hall die, and not pafs your five and thirtieth Year of Age, which Voice z-ftoniihed me greatly, and looking round about me, feeing no body, put me into great Confteniation and Swmt all oyer me, O 4 fach

200 An HifioYtcal Difcowfe of

inch as I never |elc (though I dare not compare it to drops of BloodJ yet I cannot exprefs how dreadful it was. You know, Madam, my Principles, and that I am no Enthufiaft, and how cautious I am as to Revelations But I am fure this was no Melancholy Fancy, but an auricular Voice. After Ihad^a little recovered my felf; I begg'dof God to difcover to me, if this were from him, or a Delufion from Satan, but ftill the Impreffion remained, though I fought God by Prayer moil part of that Nightj and you may remember, in my next Viiit, I told you, I fhould die Shortly, but I did not tell you of theVoicel heard. And then he added, This is my five and thirtieth Year of Age 5 in July next I {hall be fo old. And many other Expreffions he added, which is too much for a Letter 5 but he died in January 1630. I cannot omit, Sir, to let yoa know, how much he defired the happinefs of a perfonal Converle with you 3 though he did w r rite to you formerly, when he was under great trouble of Confcience, and yoa were pleafed to write to him again, though his Name was unknown to you, and God made you instrumental to his Relief and Comfort: He told me, whenever he heard you preach, there was fuch a Pre-fenceof God accompanied your Miniftry, that he felt both Fear, and Trembling* and Joy po&6 him at once. He reading

Com©

fome Book of yours, daily, whilft he was in my Houfe,efpecially your DyingThoaghts, •which on his Death-Bed, he fent, as the beft token of his Love, to his School matter at Hackney >, Mr. Odely ? and fhed many Tears upon it, calling it, The jweet and dear Companion of his Life, charging the

Meffenger to bid his Mailer read it, and prepare to follow him fhortly.

I beg your Pardon for this long trouble, I could do no lefs than exprefs this Kind-nefs to the Dead, who yet fpeaks out your great Worth to me, defiring your Prayers, that his lofs to fo dark a Corner as ours is, may be San&ified: And that your Life may be prolong'd in time, and you may have a fullPveward in Eternity, is thePi^y^rof,

S IB*

Tour obliged and affettknate Servant]

near Ungar in , ^U&* JUUl*

Ejfex, MtJ I.J..

tffl.

But

%ot An llifiorkal Difcourfe of

But it is not my Bufinefs to mention all things that are ftrange and unufual, but fuch as prove the Operations of Spirits. Lycof-thenes de Frodigw vet Mirabilibm y will tell you in Folio of Wonders.

The Falling or Raining of a Grain at Widgenonh, like a dried Rye-Corn, in a thin, whiriih Husk, about 1639. And of a Grain at Shrewsbury, almoft like a faiall Parfnip-Seed, about three or four Years ago, feem ftrange. But Exhalations might raife them from Sea or Land, though the Marvel lieth in the ftrangenefs of the Grains, neither of them being fuch as are here known by any that I (hewed them to, I had the laft from Dr. Jackson, a, Phyfician in Shrewsbury, (my dear Friend, now with Chrift 3 ) who told me tmt it fell there in many places 1 efpecially about St. Marys Church. The former (coming to live at Bndgerjonhy 1640.) I had of Mr. Madflard the Minifter, and old Mrs. Grey of Envile, a Godly Woman 5 who aflured me that much of it fell in the Church-yard, and on the Leads of the Steeple. I kepc both long.

The former I once before mentioned; whence the Author of the Second Part of The Ml/chiefs of Separation, feconding Dr. SHIUngfleet's Firft Part, (famed commonly to be Mr. Long of Exeter, a Member of the

Con-

Convocation,) took occafion to feign me to lay, that it rained Mama at Bridgmorth when I came thither.] Men and Books of fuch Veracity are they, that poor EngUnd and the Chriftiap World fuffers by 5 and, I fear, is yet like to fuffer more by, while Demons are fo powerful.

There are many things that Ignorance caufeth Multitudes to take for Prodigies. I have had many difcreet Friends that have been affrighted with the Noife called a Death-Watch, whereas I have fince, near . threefcore Years ago, oft found by trial, that it is a Noife made upon Paper, by a little, nimble, running Worm, juft like a Loufe, but whiter and quicker : And it is moft ufually behind a Paper pafted to a Wall, efpecially to Wainfcot; and is rarely, if ever heard, but in the Heat of Summer.

But who can deny it to be a Prodigy, which is recorded by Melch. Adamm^ of a / great and good Man, who had a Clocks Watch that had layen in a Cbeft many Years unufed 5 and when he lay dying, at Eleven a-Clock, of it felf, in that Cheft^ it ftruck Eleven,, in the hearing of many.

Becaufe many have fpoken and written

of a Thorn at Glaftenbary in Sommerfetfhire^ that flowreth juft on Chrifirnafs-Uay , I

thought

204 An Hiftorical Bifcourfe of

thought it a thing worthy my beft Enquiries : And left Men proceed to think that there is more in it than there is, I annex thefe following Letters, firm credible Per-fons that were well known in that Country;

Mr. William Thomas's Letter concerning the Glafton Thorn ; Together with two other EnclofeJ Letters to the fame purpofe:

SIR,

UNdcrftanding by my Son, your Defire to enquire about Glafton Thorn, I did immediately {being not able to travel my felf in fuch a Seafon) fend to fuch as I thought might beft inform me 5 whofe Information you have in the two inclofcd Letters; the one from the Minifter of Glafton, the other from Mr. Chenvwd, Paftor at Wells 5 both of them underftanding and Godly Men. I was not fatisfied with Mr. Winners Letter, becaafe he wrote not of the Graff taken from this Thorn 5 now growing, (when the old Thorn is gone.) Something it feems there was in the nature of the Plant, for that Graff (hoots forth much fooner than any o-ther Thorn, and about that time, though it

do

Apparitions and Witches. soy

do not the Feat in bloflbming juft on the Day, but after it; which may be becaufe the Soil is not fo iuitable to it, as that was to the other.— I ftsould have thought this had been all the Wonder, vi& the natural, rare and rath Bloflbming of that Thorn, got perhaps from Foreign Parts,) made (by Fame) to cry chrifimafs § but that the Information in the firft Letter (and Teftimo-ny) is fo pundual, that it feems to evince more. But (howfoever) that which we call Chriflmafs-Day is not to gain its Eftimation from fuch a Providence^ but from Scripture, from Reafon, at leaft, from a due Demofl-ftration that that was (indeed) the Day of Chrift's Birth •, which (perhaps) nothing will prove, unlefs it be the Thorn. I fpeak not againft tht Cuftom of the Church, in re-membring the Birth of Chrift, though I conceive Chrift's own Day is better for it than any other; I mean, the Lord's Day -, unto which, when Men's Days be added, the Lords Day, and the Lord of that Day, fuf-fer by their juftling with it. A Subordination wall not ferve, butitarifeth to a Coordination and Competition 5 yea, a Pre-lation.

But that I fpeak of is, the Nobilitatingef an uncertain Day, upon inefficient Evidence.— If I fliould fay, the Thorn mighc fo bloflom (by Providence) as a juft Hardening of the wilfully fuperftitious, (a great pare

to6 - An tliftorical Dlfcouvfe of

of whofe Religion it is, to put a Crown upT on Chrifiwdfc Day, caring litde for Chrift 3 ) or as a Trial of the truly Confciencious, to fee whether they will build their Religion upon a famous Thorn, and be fo tamed by it, as to clofe with the Superftition and Pro-fanenefs of that time-— I (ay, if I fhould fpeak thus, it might be thought a Paradox, (and jet I remember your Lights in Wales, which (hew (I think) what God gives the Devil leave to do) Ifhall content my felf therefore with fending you the Relation, and leave you and others (better able than my felf) to consider of it.— Only this I may fay> that fuch a Providential Rarity is too low a •thing to put a Divinity upon that Day: And yet, to make It a Divine Xeffimony is (I think) the meaning of thofe that are willing ,to make the moft of it; I do not fay,- the fceftofit.

£ Sir 5 I am'much engaged to you, for your great Pains with my Son 5 having lately received from him your good Anfwers ro his AfTembly-Queries, with his Replies: For Reafon is reft left 5 and it is the Mifery of thofe who fet it up too high, that it can fo far (I do not fay fo well, for 'tis all naught as far as Scripture and it jarr) fhift for it felf; and they are apt to thins they are found, if they be not filenced > when Errour in Practice hath much to fay for it felf, and Errour in Opinion much more.

Having

Apparitions arid Witches. zoj

Having betaken himfelf to Dr. Hammond,, I drd not command him thence, thinking (Jbe being a learned Man) he might get feme-thing from him, efpecially in rhe matter of Original Sin 3 about which, the Dodtor bath given him good Animadverfions, (though jfomething in them hath not fo good an A-fpe&,) and he anfwers them alfo 5 and fo there is no End, till God humble the Heart, 'Tis one Symptom of the Hereditary Dif-eafe of Original Sin, that that Sin is no more acknowledged, and lamented-

God that raifeth fuch Alterations in Nations, and hath done fo flrange things of late, can alter our Relations, and make them contrary to themfelves, that they may be con-formable to him : And upon that Ground alone I can build, that To Cod all things an poffible.

Mr*

5oS r An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

Mr. John Chctwind^ encloject Letter.

Reverend and much Honoured Sir,

IN anfwer to your Letter, thefe are to inform you, That the old Thorn in the times of the War, was rooted up, and is utterly gone $ and as for Mr- Gallop's Graff, I have enquired of a Gentleman 3 that was his Patient, and lived divers Years in Mr* Gallop's Houfe, and obferved the Budding and bioflbming of it, who informed me, that it doth iiioot forth and Bud and Blof-fom near about that time, but not upon the day, but in fome fpace after it, much rather than other Thorns ufually do. This is all the Account I can give you of it. I have no more to add, but mine and my Wife's kindeft Relpects to your felf ana good Wife, and that I am

Tour mofi refpeUful Friend,

m Xf" **' J° hn Chetwind.

Mr.

[Apparitions and Witches. 2 09

Mr. Wmncy's Inclose/ Letter concerning the GlaftonThorn.

Worthy Sir y

REal Love and Thanks prefcribed, &c* Thefe are to acquaint you, that I Received a Letter from you, wherein Mr. XW^'s Requeft to you, is* chat the exaft-eft and mod pun^iua! Account, of the ufu* al Story of the Bloflbming of Glafionbury-Thorn on Chrifima4-day, might be found out} I have upon your Requeft fearched more of it,than ever I thought to trouble my felf to do,and have convened with the moft Ancient that I knew, and was dire&ed to, and think thofe that are Credible, they offer to aver it upon Oath, what they tell me: Thus one Ancient Man tells me, that he hath gone on the Eve to it, and he hath found it like another dead Thorn, without any Bloflbm, or likelihood to have afud-den forwardaefs to it, only fome Evidence of the Appearance of the breaking out the Buds, and but an Appearance per^ ceivable, and he hath gone on Chrifimas'd^y f and found the Bloflbms. as though it was the midft of May, and gathered them, and fent them many Miles, and had good Rewards , this the Man will depofe upon his Oath. Ac the fame time this Man Was at

P my

a l© An H-iftoriidl Difcowfe of

my Houfe,there came oecafionally,an ancient Woman, a Neighbour, whofe Teftimony I believe fit to be received, who earneftly affirmed this, that in the time of Queen Ann, the lived with one Sir Tho. Hughes^ in WeRs y a Juftice of Peace, who purpofely feet his men (two of them) to know the Truth, that he might fatisfie any that might make enquiry, and on the Eve, towards Night, they found it as another Thorn, only the breaking out of the beginning of Buds, and flaying in GUftonbwy all Night, toobferve, as near as might be, the time when they began to fprout forth into a perfect BlofTom, they have gone again toward the turn of the Night, and have found the perfed Blcflbm about two or three of the Clock, fo that at Morning they have returned to their Mafter with them, which (he told me, ihe faw when they brought it home: And another Man tells me the fame Story as the firft, only with this variation, His Father (and Godfather living at Bath) Went the Eve's Eve, and found nothing but Buds, and on Chrifimasday'm the Morning, found the Bloffbms, and his Father fent them to Bath to his Godfather, becaufe he went thither home to keep his Chriftmas : And a Woman at the fame time told me, fomething much like the Second, that fhe hath gone the Eve, late at Night, and with a Lanthorn and Candle with her Company,

flayed

'Apparitions andWitcheZ lit

flayed four Hours, to fee, if it might be* the manner of the fprouting out of it; and in that fpace faw that it Bloflomed, the Green-boughs, the length of half the Forefinger to the middle Joint $ what Mr. Gallons Graft of this old Tree doth, I fhall leave you to him to be certified. Both our Loves to your felf and good Wife. Mr. Stnks and his Wife, defiring one Favour in the Clofe, that you would be pleafed to take pains, to begin our Le&ure the next Tiiefday. I have not had but one Affiftant I think, this feven or eight Weeks : I /hall be abfent my felf-, I intend, if pleafe God, to be at Briflol Fair, where I have fome Bufinefs, andjpray fend me word of it, that I may be allured,

In ft,

Yours,

In all Bonds of Love,

GUflon, Sam. Winney:

Jan. 2i. 16^.

IBa^e^ft -wpnfe'd at the coimmoalybe-' Sieved -Gift of the Kings <tf England aad Stance, to heal the Struma.? All my doubt feafh ftilJ been of the Matter of Fa<5^ whether It be feci? a real Gift of Healing, or mot: For if it be, I will -not be fo bold as to ask God .a Reafon of it; Or why he giv-cth k to chefe Kings, rather than to others: Nor will I (Hlfeofiour his Gift, as if it were not his, becaufe I know not his Reafon 5 bo more than Chrift did the Miracle done at the Pool in J&rufaleM 9 upon the Angel 's moving-the Water; or 9 with Naa/nm, fey, Are .not Abanah and tharphar as good Waur as Jordan > I have long enquired of all the Phyficians, and others 3 that 1 could, of the Reality of the Succefs 5 whether it be not die Gold* the Change of Air, or the Conceit: And I never heard fo much, as to put roe paft ail doubt. Bet many credible Phy-fidans fay, as Mt.Wifeman'iz Chirurgeoa chat had. much Opportunity of knowing) doth in his Book of Chirurgery, £ That dvQMgh 4& a/je not mred^ yet mort am curbed by if, than by all the Pkyfaians in England I\

I know, the cite Original of it alfo, and its Occafion is much in die dark § but I leave chis toother Merfs Enquiry : Only I fey, if she Matter of Fad prove certain, there can be no great doubt, but it proverb the Governing Agency of Invifible, Intellectual Ifcwers. If

jffparMons m$Wiichek. $££

IfitBemiraculbusy ftfeemetfr to-been*-tailed on. the Kingdoms of England m£ ¥mme 9 rather than to be-any Approbation rf the Religion or- Piety of the Kings % be*-caofe if any have this Gift , Kings- of contra tf Religions have k r and tbe-worfk, as welE asthe-bfcft? andUfiirpers, asweiias-R'igte-foiKings, And I hear of ®o other ilteeftas^ tend. km*, but'the kings of Engmdt and?' Francs i: And will the King of !>*#«■ t-afce-' It for his Glory, to-heal a few Perfons of a Sore>, and; to kill: many thoa-fend Innocents

die Sword and! barm thdr Cities^

fe.

Fa;' CH&E

% 14 M Hiftorical Difcourfe of

CHAP. XL

MR. Emlm > (before mentioned about Mr. Pacys Sifters,) now a worthy Preacher in Dublin, having told me this by Word of Mouth, I defired him to fend it fufficiently attefted 5 which he doth, as followeth.

Mr. EmliiYs Letter concerning an apparition at Bclfaft in Ireland.

..Reverend Sir,

I Have been very uneafie to think that I fhould (0 long delay the Anfwer of your JDefire about the Affair related underneath : The diftance of the Place in which it was tranfafted, with the jlownefs of my Corre-fpondent in Replies, hath made me unca-pable of giving you fo full and quick Satit fa&ion, as might elfe have been. All that I cm relate at prefent is briefly this, 4jk.

There having been a long Conteft between Lemud Matthews, Archdeacon in the

County

County of Down, and Claudius Gilbert, Mi-nifter of Belfast , about their Right to Drumbeg, a (mail Parifti within four Miles of Belfast, it proved very troublefome to the Parishioners, who generally paid their I Dues to Mr. Gilbert the Incumbent in Pot feflion 7 but the Arch-deacon claimed the fame to be paid to him alfo, for which he ! procured a Warrant 3 and in the Execution of it by his Servants, at the Houfe of one Charles Loftin, one of the Pari(hioners, they offered, fome Violence to his Wife, ; who refufed Entrance to them, who died j within a few Weeks after the Injury received ; but (be being otherwife an infirm Woman, little notice was taken of her Death, till that fome time after, by her ; ftrange Appearance to one Thomas Dwelfon, \ (a Spe&ator of the Violence done to her,) (Tie affrighted him into a Profecution of Robert Ecclefon, the Criminal. She appeared divers times, but chiefly upon one Lord's Day-Evening, when fhefetch'dhim, with a ftrange Force, out of his Houfe, into the Yard, and Fields adjacent. Before her laft Coming, (for (he did fo three times that Day,) ieveral Neighbours were called in* to whom he gave notice that (lie was agaia coming, and becken*d to him to come out 3 upon which, they went to (hue the Door, but he forbad it, faying, that (he looked with a terrible Afpe$ upon him, P 4 when

216 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

when they offered it: But his Friends laid hold on him, and embraced him, that he might not again 1 go out 5 notwithftanding which, (a plain Evidence of fome invifible Power,) he was drawn out of their Hands in a furprizing manner, and curled abroad into the Field and Yard, as before, foe charging him to profecute Juftice-, which Voice, as alfp Donelfons Reply, the People heard, though they faw f»o iliape. There are many Witnefles of all this yet alive,

particularly Sarah, the Wife of Charles

Loftln, Son to the deceafed Woman %■. and one William Holy day and his Wife,,c^c.

Upon this, the faid Domlfon depofed what/ he knew of the aforefaid Violence, before Mr. Randal Brice? a Neighbour- juftice, and' confirmed all at the Afftzes at Down, in the Year 1685. (as I remember;) where the feveral Witnefles were heard and fworn, and their Examinations, were entred into the Records of that Aflizes, to the Arpaze-itient and 'Satisfa&iori of all the Country, and of the Judges, whom I "have heard i'peak of it at that time with much Wonder ; infomuch that the faid Ecckfon hardly efcaped with his Life, but was Burnt in the Hand.

The faid Donelfon is yet living in the fame place, with the other Witnefles.

I could learn many more Circumftances, but that you are in faafies and all this I

heard

heard fpoken of my felf, with univerfal Amazement, at the time when tranfa&ed, living in Belfaftzt that time > and I iliould not have been beholden to any to have believed this Relation, thaf had been there, and at the Trial at Down,

T, Em.

With Mr. Jew's Refpefts,

I remain,

A Reverencer of you]

Tho. Emlin*

CHAR

2iB An HiftoYtcal Difcourfe of

CHAP. XIL

A Uuhlm-Inftance; attefteJ hy Mr. Daniel Williams, now in London

A Bout the Year 1678. I knew a young Woman who was Niece to Alder-IBara Arundel^ in Dublin*

In her faid Uncle's Houfe (he \gras pur-iifd ' with very terrible Noifes 3 as by violent Scroaks on the Wainfcots and CheftSj in what Chambers (he frequented.

The Blows were heard throughout the Houfe, and were fo troublefome, as to csccafion the Removal of the young Woman to an Houfe near Smithfield in Dub-im r not without Hopes that the Diftiir-basice might thereby ceafe: But the Noife ]purfued her thither, and was no more heard in h&r former Dwelling.

Here fhe continued as ; long as the Owner of that Houfe would bear the Refort of People, and Terrour of thofe fudden and frequent Claps-

From this place, Ihe was removed to a little Houfe in Patrkk-ftreet, near the Gate. Here flie met with the fame Exercife,

and

and the Noife was generally about Two-a-Clock in the Morning greater than at oth^r Times.

Several Nights were fpent in Prayer with her, by Minifiers; as, Mr. Cox, Dr. Roles, Mr. Chambers, Mr. Keys, &c. who

all, with many others, aflured me, they heard the faid Blows in the Room where they prayed, fometimes on a great Cheft there;, fometimes on the Wall, &c.

Mr. Chambers and Mr. Keys were employed there the Night before I had promised to be with her.

The next Night, Mr. Cox, having oft heard the faid Noiies, and ofc prayed with the Woman, was defirous to accompany me. There were many People (as ufual) fat up with us: I preached from Heb. 2.18. and contrived to be at Prayer at that Time when the Noife ufed to be greateft.

When I was at Prayer, the Woman, kneeling by me, catched violently at my Arm, and afterwards told us, /he faw a terrible Sight: But it pleafed God, there ■was no Noife at all. And from that Time, God gracioufly freed her from all that Di-fturbance.

I examined this Perfon, and could find nothing in her Circumftances, fit to induce one to any fatisfactory Judgment of her Cafe.

Thefe

Ttefe Naifefaffel about tFrree Mbntftfc, mi- fee was muebcnfeebfed -in' Body> and almofl cEftra&d thereby ; bat'.-£boa-sec®K. lerei upon the Removal' thereoE

Xteniel Wilam^

THE

The COHCLUSIOM: tmmningAngek. . .

*\ 7\ FHifc I confider theft unqneifionch

V V Me Evidences of the cartaint? of Spiric^and how much they have to do with Men: I cannot but chink chat we have aifo much to do with them 5 with the bad, «o refiftthemasour Enemies, and the Ene-amies of the GofpeLand the'QiurcfaofGcd, againft whom we nraft continually Watch and Pray \ left we fell into the Snares of their Temptations: And with the good , that we may be mt€t for their Prefervinji and Comforting Minifiry.

But in all our Hiftories it is obfervabfe^ that bad Spirits Apparitions and Adions , are far more frequent, and more Seriible than good ones; which may perhaps to feme feern ftrange. Concerning which i coofideri

1. That Corporeal Crailk-ode is an abafer ment,-and therefore fitteft for the more Ignoble fort of Spirits: We chat, dwell here in Bodies., are of aiowerOrder 5 than thofeof the more high and invifible Regions.

2- And the bad Spirits as they have a; bafer Confidence^ ha?e alfe'a m&fc bafeand

Ter-

22£ An Historical Difcourfe of

Terrene Inclination* And therefore it is the lefs wonder, that they mind matters of Money and Lands: And no doubt but the Souls of \\ icked Men.carry with them much of the Vicious Habits, in which they lived here: That is, of Covetoufnefs and Revenge ; And they that tell us, that fiich as Dhes retain no Love to their Brethren OH Earth , fpeak more than they can prove ; and are not fo Credible as Chrifl^atfeem-eth to fay the contrary. Some make a ftate of departed Souls, Good andBad, out of their own Inventions, which it's very likely Death will Confute.

% And it is far greater things than Vifi-ble Appearances, that we conftantly receive from Angels, more futable to their Nature and Dignity, and to our good. Some Mert have long Laboured to attain a Vifible or Senfible Communion with them, and think they have attained it: But while they pre-fumptuoufly defire to pervert the Order of Gods Houfliold and Government, it is no wonder if in ftead of Angels, they Con-terfewith Devils that are Transformed into feeming Angels of Light, that by Delufion, they may Transform fuch Men into Minifies of Righteoufnefs.

It is a doleful Inftance, of the effeft of a perverfe kind of oppofition to Popery, and running from one Extream to another, to note how little Sence moft Protectants ihew

of the great Benefits that we receive by Angels: How feldom we hear them ia publickor private, give thanks to God for their Miniftry and Helps ? And more feldom pray for it ? When hear we any Mini-fters if each Believers, what Love and what Thanks they owe to Angels, whereas the Excellency and Holinefs of their Natures obligeth us to love them , and their Love and Care of us, befpeaketh Thankfulness : Yea, we have Teachers that would per-fwade Men that this Savoureth of Popery , and doth Derogate from Chrift: And yet if the People Love and Honour and maintain them, they take this to be no Derogation from Chrift. As if they were more Amiable then Angels , or Chrift may not life the Miniftry of Angels as well as thtifs* The Lord pitty the diftra&ed divided Societies of Chriftians, who in all Countries are fallen into Uncharitable Sefls, that on pre-tenceof favingthe Truth, and the Church from the Errours of each other, do corrupt both by the Addition of Contrary Errours 5 fo that it's bard to find out many Errours of Popery or Ancient Herefie* which hath not been avoided by contrary faults, in the Corruption of Do&rine, Charity or Concord.

Devils have a greater Game to play invl-fibly, than by Apparitions. O happy World, if they did not do a hundred thoufand times

more

224 'Ati Hiflorical Difcourfe of

more hurt, by the Baits of Pleafure, Luft and Honour, and by Pride, and love of Money and Senfuality, than they do by Witches! O! that they did not moredan-geroufly Hant the Houfes and Souls of Lords, Knights, Gentlemen, and Luftful Youths.' Who can Conjure them out of Univerfities and Pulpits, out of a Malignant Sclanderous CJergy and Laity , out of Worldly felf-feeking Carnal Men? I have before told you of the Witch Magdalen Cruria , who got the Reputation of a Saint, by having the Sacramental Bread brought to her Mouth in the fight of all the People* by an Invilible Carryer 7 Bodin, and many others Record the Story, and how to get Pardon, (lie went to the Pope himfelf, and confefledhow from twelve years old the Devil had lain with her thirty years, and made her the Abbefs of a Monaftery: I fear left the vifible Hand of fome Priefl: do play this Devils part, and give the Sacrament to fuch as more openly ferve the Devil all the week , and are forced to receive it toefcapea jail, or do it as a Sacrifice to expiate the guilt of an Ungodly Life.

If the Devil can get People ( perhaps Lords and Ladies) tofpendthe Day( their precious Hours) in Cards and Dice, and Feaftings, and Stage-plays, and Masks and Mufick, and perhaps filthy Luft, he will let

you

you fay your Prayers at Night, and cry God .Mercy, and perhaps tell him that you Repent, that you may Sin on tl bdldlV the next da? : ^nd it's like he will provide you a Ghoftly Father, as bad as your fefvcs, that ihall give you the Sacrament as 2 feared Pardon, and pronounce you abfolved, and that as in the name of Chriil.

All thefeeffe&s of Devils, the World abounds with 5 but the effects of Angels are obferved, but by very few. Becaufe even as the Sadduces, think that all thefe Vices and Confuaons are only the effects of Mens own pravity, and not of Devils, not knowing that all fuch Birtus have a Father and a Mother (the Devil and Mens own Hearts) fo mod good people look fo much to God and to Minifters, in ail that is done on them , that they take little notice of Angels that are Gods greater Mini-flers, as if they had little to do with us.

By this, 1. We give not to God the due Honour of the Order of his Works: 2. We are guilty of Unrighteoufnefs, in denying their Due Love and Gratitude to fuch Noble Agents. 3. We lofe the Comfortable Remembrance of our own Communion with them. 4. We lofe fome helps to a Heavenly Mind and Converfation, when as it would make the thoughts of Heaven more Familiar and Pleafant to us, to think of fuch a Holy and Amiable Society, and CL would

2 a 6 'An Hifiovkal Difcourfe of

would make us the willinger to die.

As to them that fay, that it is enough to know that Chriit is all to us, and we muft take heed of afcribing any thing to Creatures 5 I Anfwer, is Chrift the le£s all to us, for giving us his Mercies ? For giving us the Minifiry of Angels? Is he the Ms All to us 5 for giving Gifts to Men , for giving Comforters and Merciful Relievers to the poor ? For giving to Children the Love and Care of Parents ? Or for giving Men good Princes and Magiftratesto Rule them? Or for giving iHem Soldiers to fight for them ? Or for giving you Minifies to Teach you ? Who more praifeth their Teachers, than fuch Obje&ors? Will you be unthankful to your Benefactors, for fear of afcribing to Creatures? Will you not praife a Godly &fea above a Wicked ? Will you not praife and admire the Glory of the Sun and Stars, and the Frame of Heavefo and Earth, for fear of afcribing to Creatures ? Is the praifing of a Work , a wrong to the Workman ?

Indeed this agreeth with their Dodrine•,, who becaufe "-'ohI counted all his Mofaical Legal Ri&hteoufnefs as lofs and Dung, in Companion of the Righteoufnefs that God gave him in and by -hrift, do therefore fay , Aat we iia) - count all thatRigh-teoiifneis .as Ding, vhich chriit hxmielf worketh in us by his SpirU a evcH -Faith it felf

which

which is imputed or reckoned to us for Righteoufneis< This enticeth Men to be out of Love with Chriftian Righteoufnefs, when Chrift hath made it ow own , if it be no better than Dung ? And to fear that fome fuch Men have no better. But they fay * they account Faith and Love to Chrift to be Bmg^ only as to Juftification : As if God did not make all Men ju^ whom he juftifeth by Efteem and Sentence : Or, as if that were ■&ghteou/nefs that doth in no part or degree make a Man Righteom : Or, as if any but Chriftians, as fuch, are juftified : Or any Man were a chriftian before he accepteth Chrift by a Loving and Thankful Confent or Truft , as his Saviour and his Teacher, knd his Lord and Ruler: But this is a Di-greffion, which Mens talk againft afcribing to Angels led me to.

We are not for afcribing to ^ngels(nor to Faith and Love and Holinefs) the leaft part of the Honour proper to God , or to Jefus Chrift: They do none of the Work of oar Redeemer for us ( nor can we do the leaft of it for our felves) unlefs as the Work of his Inftruments and Agents, may be called Chrifts Work: They fave us indeed, but it is but as Timothy was taught by P^«/, bow to fave himfelf, and thofe that heard him; and we are bid to fave our felves. Chrift teacheth us, andMinifters teach us. Chrift Eeedeth us, and we Feed pur felves 5 Q, 2 yea,

% 1 8 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

tea, he faith that we feed him .• And that he will for Jo doing, fay, Come ye Blejfed , inherit the Kingdom, Angels and Men do Chrifts Commanded Work^i But no Creature doth tbx lealt part of Chrifts own proper

undertaken Work.

■ Objedion. Bat thefe high Thoughts of An-gels have drawn the Papifls to Idolatry , in Praying to them, and Worfhipfwg them.

Anfwer, It is your denying them the Honour that is due to them, which is a Temptation thathardneth Papifts in their Excefs.

Muft we,not Love and Honour Kings, Minifters and Saints, though fome herein run into Extreams. We have many Rea-fons againft Praying to Angels, or offering them Vifible Corporeal Worfliip; Becaufe we know not }uft when they are prefent: And becaufe it may Countenance the Heathens Demon Worfliip and Idolatry 5 And becaufe God hath appointed us no fuch fort of ■Worfliip. But God having largely told us of their Love to us, and their con-ftant eminent Service for us, he thereby/ obligecffus toanfwerahle Regard, Aflfe&K-onsand Acknowledgment.

I have faid fo muchinafmall Difcourfee ih Mr. Ifaack. Ambroje his Book of Comma-^ nion with AngeU (at his requeft, who is now with Angels ) that I will not here Recite very many particular Texts of Scripture a-bont this Subject: But if you will but look

m

apparitions and Witches'. %zg

in your Concordance, you may feewba £ abundant mention of Angels there is throughout all the Scripture y while we hear fo little of them in our Books or Pulpits. It's true, that in the Old Teftamenc time, they ofter Vifibly appeared, than they do now : But that is no Derogation to our Gofpel State 5 As it is more Spiritual than theirs, that needed more Vifible means 9 fo our Spiritual Benefits by them before named, are greater than theirs were

1. How Familiar were Angels with A-braham , who entertained them as Meti 3 till they mace themselves better known to-huns They were the Mefler.gers of the ^rearpro-mife to him of the Numerous and the Holy Seed* They Reproved Sarah for her Unbeiief; th ifrthey might comfort her by the proniiied Sr

How Familiar were they with Lot, when-they came into his Houfe, and took him in, and blinded his £nemies,and told him their Milage concerning Sadom^ and when they carried him while lie delayed to depart? And when they laved Zmrxo? his take?

How Familiar were they, with Ja^ob^ m his Travels,and his Return 5-when he .y them as by a Ladder,afcendingand defcend-' ing^ And when one of them wreflled with, him, and Bieifed him, though he made him halt?

I know that many excellent Divines do

230 An Hifiorical Difcourfe of

that one of thefe called Angels,was Chrifh To which I fay, 1. If it were fo, that doth not deny ,but confirm what lam pleading for: If Chrift appearing, made Angels his Companions, it was the n: ore for their Honour.

2. But if this be true ; either Chrift had a Body, yea, many Bodies before his incarnation by Mary, or not. If not, what were all thefe Similitudes of Men that did eat and drink, and talk, and act? Were they mere shadows and Deluiions ? How then could tbey fpeak, and ad fo Potently ? If yea, then was the pure Godhead Hypofta-tically united to thefe many appearing Bodies ; Or not: Who can prove a difference fave as to the Matter and Duration, between his union w ith thefe, and with his laft at fumed Flefh. And yet the Scripture appropriated Chrifts Incarnation, and coming in the Body to xh.QFu.nefs of Tme^nd to thefe lafi days , I am loth to fay without proof, that Chrift had many Bodies, left any ihoukT in r er that there have been many Chrifts: But if this muft be held, it will introduce Peter Sterrys Do6trine as mod probable, that Chrift as the Eternal Word effentially, God firft caufed the Nobleft Created Nature above Angels (or as Dr. M^ecalleth it, an Eternal Flefh,- or as he and 7^ Tuti ner a prime Created Life in the prime Matter ) and did unite it {elf to this Superange-

lical Nature, and by it caufe all the red 1 And that this fecond Nature appeared to the Fathers by fuch Temporary aflumed Bo-dies,and at laft affumed the Body of a Man: bemg, fay forne, it felf a Soul to it 3 but smothers , afluming both a Human Soul and Body : And fo, that Chrift hath three Natures, a Divine, a Super angelic at, and a Hu~ mane : But of this oft elfewhere. This opinion is reconciling as to the^ri *;w,who have affirmed Chrift to be a Creature above Angels : And if God made fuch a Creature, methinks it fliould be eafie to perfwade them, that he that is as the Center, and more. than a Soul, maketh all the World to be One ( though of unlike parts J doth primarily unite hirnfclf with the firil and Nobleft of his productions.

Objection But Scripture faith, that Abraham called one of thefe Lord

Anfveer. That Name both Adonai and -Ehkim, are oft given to Creatures. And if the Name of Jehovah be fometimesufedas to Angels, it is only meant to God, fpeak-fag by thzm,\vhomdbraham knew to be pre-feat, though Invifible, and to know all that was faid

Yet further, it was an Angel that appeared to Mfes in the burning Bu(h, and fo that fent him on his work to deliver the If-raelites from Egypt, and Fortified him with power of MkacleSj and made him his great Q.4 pn>

2 3 2 An Hiftorical Vifcourife of

promifes of SiiceefstAnd yet no doubt it was God h and the Text is true, that affirmeth both: Therefore it mult be God fpeaking and ading by the Miniftry of an Angel , Commiffioned ro ufe his Name.

It was Angels that gave Mnfa the Law in theMount S^z: For io faith the Scripture, Bur it was God by them, who were his Voi-'e and Finger that made and wrote the Tables, and (pake all the words^ thefe were all Great and Wonderful Mimftra-tions.

God promlfed Mofes, that his Angels fhould go before the Israelites, to conquer their Enemies, and bring them into the promifed Land: Andhechargeth them not to provoke him, for Gods Name was upon him j and lie would not forgive their Iniquities. What greater things could be faid , than that an Angel (hall bear Gods Name, and be tLcir € aptain, and Conquer their Enemies , ;:nd be their Governour, and not forgive their v^ ilful Slns*

In jofwahs War at Jericho, an Angel appeareth , arid profefleth himfelf the Captain of the Lords Hofts, Jofll. 5. 14, i^.and JolLua fell on bis Face io the Earth, and Wor-fhippedhtm^ and prayed to him to tell him his Meilage. If Angek be not the Generals' or Captains of our ■\>aux.$, we are unlike to Conquer.

It was by m Angel, that' God brought

the

the Israelites- out of Egypt , Numb. 20. 16. It was an Angel that chofe a Wife for Ifaack, Gw* 24. 7. 40. The Angel of Gods Prefence faved thq Ifraelites , Ifa. 63. 9. An Angel delivered the three Men, Dan.j, from the Fire, and Daniel from the Lions : Dm. 6. Angels Preached Chrift to the Shepherds, ad Angel made the pool in Jernfa-lem healing. Jo. 5. 4. An Angel Preachethto-Cormlim. An Angel delivereth Peter,AEl.i2. The Angel of the Lord Encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth thern, Pf 34. 7- God giveth his Angels charge over us 5 to keep us in all our ways : They bear us up in their Hands, left we dafboijr Footagainfta Stone. Pfal.gi- 11, 12. Rev. r. Tells us, that God firftReveal-eth his Will to Chrift, and Chrift to Angels, and Angels to Jvhn, and John to the Churches , and the Churches to'Pofterity. Yea , Angels Miniftred to Chrift himfelf, when he was hungry, Mat.%. 11. And appeared in his Agony, (lengthening him. Luke 22. 43. Legions of Angels are at his Service : And all theHoly Angels will come with him at Judgment 5 and they will be the Reapers at the end of the World.

Above 260 times are Angels mentioned in Scripture, and yet how little notice do we take of their help ?

But is it only our Bodies that they help? Can.they reach or help our Souls?

2. j 4 An Htjimcal Difcourfe of

Arfw. If Devils can touch our Souls with their Temptations* are Angels farther from us, or lefs able to move us to our Duty ?

But are they ordinarily prefent, or know our Cafe ? Anfw. They rejoice in our Con-verfion, and therefore know it: They are prefent in our Afiernblies, as Figml inrima-teth, i Cor. ii. io. Say not before the Angel, that it was an Errour, Eccl. 5. 6. which intimateth the Angels Prefence. Every Believer hath his Angel beholding the Face of our Father in Heaven, Matth.13.10. and they are not Strangers to their Charge. We Jtd that the Devil is prefent with us, by his Temptations continually, in ail oor Dalies molefiing or hindering us s And are Angels lefs intent upon their Work ? It is Michael and his Angels, that fight againft. the Dragon and his Angels, to fave the Church,

While fuch Texts make the Paptfts think that Angels are always, or ordinarily prefent, if they give them not Divine Worship, but fuch as we would do a Prince, though I have faid before why I approve not of their Doings, I dare not, as (one late Expofitors of the Revzldtm, j.jdge the Cathoiick Church co have become Anti-chriftian Idolaters, as foon is they gave too much Worfhip to Angeis and to Saints. We are come to the N^w jemffJem, to the Innumerable Angels, Heb.iz. and mud ho-

now

now them that fear the Lord, Tfal. 15*. And we k*iow that we are translated from Death to Life, bee an e we love the Brethren :' And is It fo damnable Idolatry to love and honour Angels and Saints a lit le too much, while they i ive them nothing proper to God ? I blame their Irregularities, but I dare not judge fo hardly of them, and the ancient Church, for this, as fome do; nor think them much better, that love and honour Angels and Saints as much too little.

Some now would call a N4an an Idolater, that fhould fay as Jacob, Gen. 48 16. The Angel which redeemed me from all Evil blefs the Lads. They fay/ This Angel was ChriB. Anfw. Scripture faith, it was an Angel : Hof. 12 4. faith, He had power over the Angel. I dare not call God an Angel, though Angels may be called Gods, as Princes be. If Chrift had then no Nature but the Divine, I fhould fufpeel it is Arianifm to call him an Angel, or Meffenger of God. If he had a Body, then ' was it Ubiquitary: Or had he infinite numbers of Bodies ? Or could he be but with one in the World at ©nee ?

For my part, I have had many Deliverances fo marvellous, as convinceth me of the Miniftry of Angels in them, (not here to be recited J But I am fatisfied, that there is no lefs of the Prefence and Efficacy of the Father, L'on, and Holy Spirit, when

he

i%6 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

he ufeth ami honoureth any Instruments, Angels, or Men, than i* he ufed no Means at ail As I will not defire fo to alter the-Hated Government and Order of God, as to expect here vifible Communion with Angels, nor will offer them any unrequired WbrMfyi fo I would not unthankfully forget we receive by them, from how much we are behoideri to md to God and our Redeemer for I hope they will (hortly be a ivoy to the Soul of this poor Latarw, to :■£ Bofem; or to the Parage v\ teeI hope CO fare with Chrift, j£mtk

One rh : ng more I think meet to mind t£e Reader of; thar he may not h(e the Benefit of thefc-Hi(tories?_Thac is How to diicern a good.Spirit from a ted. The Scripture telling us that three things are the Characters of Devils, lying, Malignity and Hurtftf&efs, (JobMJ vhich include all Uncharitablenefs, Revere and Diviiion, we may certainb 1 gather, that it is a Diabolical Spirit that promoteth thefe, whatever the Pretences are.

i. The Ant'ichriftian Errour, called-^«-tlnomim , that would fet Chrift againft Chrift, and make Men believe that his Death hath made all our Obedience to his. Government a thing that (tell never do us my good, .(being called -Works,) and all

our Sins againft his Grace to be fo harmlefs, that we ought not to think that we [hall be ever the worie for them 3 and that the filed: that live in Perjury, and Murder, and Adultery, or any other Sin, are not perjured, Murderers, Adulterers, became now they are Chrift's Sins, and not theirs, (with many fuch Reproaches of Chrift, called by the Crifpians, the Exalting of him.) Thefe certainly are from Devils, and God doth notably difown them, as the fere mentioned Inftances of the Ranters, and thole ;a iSfew England, mentioned by Mr. Wetd-, do {hew. And the doleful Form of Mr. Davks Congregation, about R':'$d \i\ Nor-, iawptonjkir& of the Nfadriefs, Bhfphen ies, larki igs ;?nd Beaftility there, Heave to the Enquiry of fober Perfom: Though I an no v^V -pels dfit, thcRtJor sare fuch \ isiare act me£t to be fiienced..

Mr. Samuel Crifpe hath publifihe Week a Book, as againft me, in of his Father ; telling the World, that he underftands pot what he writeth of, and ignorantly defending what I affirm, and. confuting his Father, thinking it a Defence of him.

I deny not but a CrifpHn may be % Chri-flian, while, throogh Ignorance, hebeliev-eth not his own Words. But he that will but read the Scripture, and particularly, the Texts cited by me in my Confejfwn of Faith,

Ml

sg8 An Hifiorical Difcourfe of "

fhall fee how fully Chrift hath confuted Cnfpe, and vindicated his Mediatorial Office

II. And all thofe Principles, Paffions and ^radices that are againft the Love and Concord of Chriftians, whatever pretence of an Angel of Light, or other Ministers of Righteoufuefs, may be their Cloak, are undoubtedly from the dividing Devil.

III. And more evident is it that it is no better Spirit that infpireth all the Slanderers, Silencers and Perfecuters of the faithful Minifters- of Chrift; and thofe that make and execute the Laws for the impd-foning and ruining of the mod confcionable Chriftians, for their avoiding notorious Sin, or, at leaft, for doubtful Infirmities, incomparably lets than thefe Perfecuters (Clergy or Laity) are guilty of. By their Fruits you may know what Spirit aduateth thefe Men. Wolves, Thorns and Thirties are known by Hurtfulnefs- Chrift s Miracles were, Doing Good, and Healing : But Devil's Work is Hurting, and Deflroying.

And let thofe Men and Women think of it, that cannot forgive, but are fet upon Revenge. Mark whether Revenge be not the moii ordinary Bufinefs of Witches, and of Devilized Sou's \ moft of thele Hiitories tell it you: Therefore Chrift relleth us, that if we forgive not, we fhall not be forgiven ? ih contrary is he to the Diabolical

Spirit

Spirit of Revenge, though yet he hath juft and punlihing Governours.

Were but the Hiftories of Witches and Apparitions well considered, it would help Men to underftand, that Devils make no fmall number of the Laws and Rulers that are made in the World and have no fmall number of honoured Servants, and are the Authors of moft of the Wars in the World: So that the Phrafe,£w. £ E The Devil (hall cajv fame of you into Prifon^] fliould not feem ftrange. And I would I had no Caufe to lay, that this Mark of Lying, Malignity and Hunfulnefs tells us, that many Sermons are made by Devils, and too many of the Books written by them, that adorn the Libraries of many learned Men.

And though Demons do good in order to do hurt, yet, by this Rule of Judging of Spirits by their Fruits, I cannot but think that (though there was a Mixture of Good and Bad) there was more of the good Spirit, than of the Bad, in moft of the ancient Monks and Hermites, that lived fo Arid and mortified Lives. And, as I find, not only by Erafmus, but by the Complaint of Proteftant Divines, that it was a Deiire of Liberty from the Papifts Aufterities, thac prevailed with moil: of the Vulgar to caft off Popery 3 fo the Cafe of many Monasteries, their Mortification and Devotion, (though ignorant,) doth make me hope thac

in

240 An Hiftorical Difcourfe of

in many fuch Monafteries there is more of the Spirit of God, than among the common worldly, fenfual fort of Proteftants. I that muft lay lb of our well-meaning Se-paratifis here, muft fay fo of fuch Papifts: For I ( ind by the multitude of Inftances in Cafyrim and others, that juft as deep Repentance for former Sin, doth now bring many to think it fafeft to joyn with the Congregations, which they think are moft ( ftri6t: So before Luther $ time, it was ordinary, when God humbled any deeply for their Sin, to think that they muft prelently joyn with fuch as renounced the World and fleihly Pleafures, and minded nothing but Religion and Salvation. And thence it came to pats, that among the Papifts, the Monafticks were called Religious, in diftin-dion from Secular, and other forts of Men. And as our feparating^ religious Proteftants do now demand of fuch as they admit to their Communion, an Account of fome fpecial Experiences of God's Work on their Hearts, in their Converdon: So did the Monafteries by fuch as they received. The aforefaid Author Cafarius will tell you of inuitirudes of Inftances how God converted Sinners, and brought them into their Religious Houfes.

What can one think of all this, but that, as all that we here do is imperfed: and faulty, and yet pardoned through Chrift, to

the

the Sincere ; fo among "Papiils, and honeft Sectaries, there is much chat is of God, and (lull be accepted,, though Satan, by their Ignorance and his Subtilty, do. obfcure and maculate the Luftre of it, and turn it into Scandal. For fuch is his Warfare a-gainft Chrift and his Kingdom in this World.

God is good, and doth good 5 and, will hive Mercy, Jand not Sacrifice : And his Ju-ftice doth hurt, for a greater Good.

The Devil is a Do-Evil: And if he do Good it is to greater Hurt.

And Oh that 1 could get my own, and all Readers Hearts fufficiently affected with this Qbfervatioa J That is all our Life is carried on in a Warfare, and Satan's Ma-, lice is both agaiaft Chrift and us 3 fo his great Work is, to draw us into fome Sins p Which fliall cloud the Glory both of th£' Grace and the Miracles of Chrift, and damp the Comfort which we might have received by all his Mercies.

If he fee an honeft Chriftian zealoufly affected, draw him by Temptation of the fleihinto fome Scandal, or by Ignorance into fome falfe Opinions, and that Glory of all his Zeal is prefently turned into Reproach. If he do but fall out with fome of his Neighbours^ and by Paffion, or for Wprldly Intereft, offend therm all his Piety goeth not only for Hypocrite* but for 2 R Reproach

iqi Anffifidncal Difcourfe of

Reproach to Piejty it felf. Yea, if they fall but into Melancholy, and Impatience, and Difcontent, -the Devil fetsthem to affright Men from Religion, as we kt yp Maw-kios m our Corn and Orchards/ to affright the Birds.

The fad J?&r/#e>Story, before related, is an Inftance that .was fad to me. The 4-frican Story, before-mentioned, is more tre-jmrendous \ of the Bifliops whofe Tongues W^re cut OUt by Hunnmchus the Arr'tAtt King's Command, and they fpake well when their Tongues were cut oqt: Vi&ar Vncenfis, G^PLmu and Procopiw,. that all then lived, witritfs it ;j and fome,, if not all of them, I remember, fay, that they favv and heard them:. And yet (fay fome of them) the Devil after overcame fome of. theft* fame Bifliops to commit Fornication with Women, and then the Miracle ceafed^ and fliey could fpeak no more.

Oh, how amiable would a holy and heavenly Life appear, were it not confpurcated with the Mixture of its Contraries ? How beautiful would the Wifdom of a Saint appear, were it not difhonoured by the Mixture of Ignorance and Erfour? How joy-fuHy and thankfully could I review all the Wonders of Mercy that have filled up my Life, to this prefent Hour, had I not mixed tliofe many Tranfgreffions that muft not be remcmbred without Grief aird Shame,

though

though through Chrift they be forgiven ? Though I can fay that Pride, Ambition, and Covetonfnefs, and Worldly Preferment s> have not been ftrong enough to cloud my Comforts, yet, alas J what a multitude of Faults, byCarelefnefs, locogitancy, Rafhnefs, Pa£ fion, and Want of due Watchfulnefs and Tendernefs of Confidence, have done it i Oh, with what joyful Praife toGod could I perufe all the Hiftory of my Pilgrimage, did not this woful Mixture of my Sins damp and allay my Comforts; and by Indignation againft my (elf, abate my Peace J I believe Forgivenefs apd Safety from Hell: But if (befides my near fixty Years Caftigatory Pains) I did fufped, with jfuguftine x that there were a Purgatory hereafter, I fliould fear it 3 not out of any Doubt of the Sufficiency of Chrift's Satisfa&ion, Righteouf-nefs and Merits to their proper Ends, but *becaufe I believe that he is my Governour, though by a Law of Grace and Faith, and that he is a Judge, and that he is not indifferent whether we obey him, or difobey him. If I believe not Chrift, I ani no Chru fiUn: And if I believe Chrift's conftaot Do-tirine, particularly, Mattk 5. and 6. and 7« and 2 j. I can no eafier be mace a CHRI-SPIAN^ than I can believe the groffefc Contradi&ion. And I now think this dif-tinguifhing Name as ufeful as was the Name of Nicolaitans. Rev. 2. & $.

R 2 Oii e

244 AnHifioYtcal Difcourfe of

One thing more I defire to be obferved, about the warfare between Chrift and Devils 5 That both fides make great ufe of Human Inftruments, efpeciallyof Princes and Paftors or Teachers i and Parents, Thefe are the three great Orgmes{ under Angels) appointed by God, for the Moral, Free Agency in promoting the Kingdom of Chrift on Earth: And where thefe three are Faithful, O / How great a Blefling are they ? 1 herefore it is the grand defign of Devils,to Corrupt thefe three, and to make them Traytorsto Chrift, that is their Rightful Lord , and Enemies to his Work, and him whom they fhould Reprefent. No deadlyer Enemies to Children , then ungodly Parents, No deadlyer Enemies to the Worfhippers -of Chrift, than Malignant, Proud, Ignorant, Worldly Clergy-men ? No fuch Powerful Enemies to Kingdoms, as Ungodly , Ignorant Kings and Magiftrates. Oi How much Good, or Mifchkf '-may One King, or Supream Power do, by the great Advantage that God the Inftitutor of Government hath given them ? A pa, -Africa , America and! ■Europe, are doleful Monuments of the $uc-cefs of Devils, by making Princes> Friefts^ and Parents their -Jnftruments, corrupting 7 them by Ignorance, and by worldly flelhly/ Baits! Mr. Cotton Mather in the Life of! Mr. Eliot the New-England Evangelift , Re-citeth this Account of his (m>3. } why .the

Apparitions and Witches, a 4 j

Lyn Indians were all naught, fave one , Be~ caufe their Sachim (or King) was naught;

For they and the Powvowes or (wizards) like Priefts, did with Malice, Threatning and Perfecution,, drive the People from receiving the Gofpel, and praying to God. What a dangerous cafe through Mutual Hoftility, and cruel Perfecution, hath fometimes one Law,Political orEcclefiaftical,brought aNa-tion into , by locking the Church Doors a-gainfc Unity, Concord, and Mutual Love, and by Stoning the Diflenters from fuch dividing Snares? And what a Blefling hath one good Prince ; yea, one Reforming or Healing Law or Proclamation been to a Land?

^ What a Blefling to the Church, were fucH Bifhops as Ignatius, Cyprian, Ba(ll y the three Or four ' Gregories, Chryfoftom, Froclus, Atti-cus, Auguftine, and fuch as they: And what Scandals and tearers were the contrary minded : Who by their Ignorance and Pride on pretence of Uniting, cut the Church and Empire into the Shreds, that yet continue , and were a grief u> Conft amine, and more to Theodofius ; 2. To Anaftafius y and to many a Worthy Emperour ? And when they grew ftronger, depofed their true Rulers the Eaftern Emperors, and fuch as Ludovicus Tius, and kept up bloody Warrs ag2inft Emperors in the Weft s till they deprived moft Kings of half their Government. The

% q& An Hiftmcal Difcourfe of

The God that fixeth the Ccurfe of Nature , fo as that he will not for the Prayers of any make the Sun alter a Minute of its rifing and fetting time, nor alter the Spring and Fall, Summer and Winter, &c Hath fetled alfo a Subordinate order of Free-agents for Moral Government, and though he difpofe of the Events of all Mens A<fts, without caufing their Sin, yet will he not ufually violate that free order. It's Marvellous the Devils have fo much power over Children and Men , as I have here proved , if but a filly wretched Witch confent; And how much more mifchief may he do to Church and Kingdom, if he can but get Biftops, Priefts and Princes, and Law-makers to confent.

Therefore above all other Refiftance of Devils : OI Tray hard f5r Wife and Godly Kings and Magiftrates, and for Wife and Humble and Faithful Teachers, and next for Family Piety. And if ever the Kingdoms, Churches and People be reduced to Wifdom, Unity and Sobriety, this muft be the means according to Gods Eftabliilied way.

FINIS.

Books Trwtedfory and fold by Tho. Parkhurft, at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower End o/Cheapfide, near Mercers Chapel.

TH E Englifh Nonconformity,as under K-Cbar its II. and K. James II. truly fta*ed and argued. In

A Treatife of Knowledge and Love compared : In two Parts: I. Of fairly .pretended Knowledge, a. Of true laving Knowledge and Love In Quarto.

The Glorious'Kingdom of Chriftdefcribed, and clearly vindicated, againftrhe boId'Aflerters of a future Calling and Reign of the Jews, and a thoufand Years before the Conflagration, and the Mertors of (Che thoufand Years Kingdom after the Conflagration. Being an.Au-fvver to Mr. tho. 'Btvtflq. In Quarto.

A Reply to Mr. Tho. Beverley's Anfwer to my Reafons a-gainft his Doctrine of a Thoufand Years Middle Kingdom, and of the Converfion of the Jews. In Quarto,

Of National Churches: Their Defcripcion, Inftitution, life, Prefervation, Danger, Maladies and Cure: Partly applied to England. In Quarto,.

Church Concord: Containing, i. A Diflusfive from unneceflary Divifion and Separation, and the real Concord of the moderate Independents with the Presbyteri-. ans, inflanced in ten feeming Differences, z. The Terms neceflary for Concord among all Churches andChrifUa.ES-In Quarto.

Againft the Revolt to a Foreigp JurifdiftioD, which would be to England.ks Perjury, Church-Ruin and Slavery. In two Parts. In Oftava.

Mr. Richard Baxter's penitent Confeffion, and his neceflary Vindication. In Anfwer to a Book called, The Second Part of the Mifchitfs of Separation: Written by m unearned Author. With a Preface to Mr. Cantiarm de Mi* nimu, &c. In Quarto.

The Scripture-Gofpel defended,., and Chrift, Grace and free Juftification vindicated, againft the Libertines, &c. In two Books, &c. In Qftavo.

Cain and ^/-Malignity', that is, Enmity to ferious Godlinefs y that is, to an holy and heavenly fhie of Heart asd Life, &q % All by Mr, ^chard Baxter* '

Books Printed for, and Sold by John Sat J* bnry> at the Rifing Sun over againft the

* Royal Exchange in CornhilL %

* i

A N End of Dpannal Cbntroverfies, which have, J^\ lately troubled the Churches, by Reconciling Explication,, without much Difputing. By Richard Baxter* In Oftdvo.

A Rational Defence of Nonconformity : Wherein the Prance of Nonconformifts is vindicated from promoting Popery, and ruining the Church *, imputed to them by Dr. Sp illingfleet , in ImV nreafonablmefi of Separation, Alfo his Arguments from the Principles and Way of the Reformers, and firft Diffenters, are anfwered $ and the Cafe of the prefent Separation truly fiated, and the Blame of it laid where it ought to be; And the Way to Union among Proteftarits is pointed at. By Gilbert Rule, Minifter of the Gofpel. In Quarto.

The Harmony of the Divine Attributes, in the Contri-vance and Acccmplifhmem of Mm's Redemption by the Lord Jefus Chfift, &c. By W. Bates, D.D.

The Duty and Blefling of a Tender Confcience plain-ly ftated, and earneftly recommended to all that regard Acceptance with God, and the Profperity of their Souls. Whereunto is added two Sermons, opening the Nature of Participation with, and demonflraticg the Nectfficy of Purification by Chrift. By T. Crufo. In Twelves*

POSTSCRIPT.

z

§ I. T T Aving fince received from Mr. I"~~y Gilbert, the reverend Minifter A JL of the Place, a fuller Narrative of the ftrange Story near BelfaH, I will in-fat his Letter.

Mr. Gilbert'.? Letter concerning the Apparition near Belfaft, in Ireland.

Dear Sir j

YOurLaft, of July the6th, I received;, and fince that, I have again and again enquired farther into that Bufinefs of the Apparition of Magdalen Loftw, which died about N&uenA.-i. 1685. of the Hurt ihe had received a Month before. And fhe appeared to Thoma* Domlfon, a Neighbour^ four Weeks after her Death, in the (Houfe of WiUim Holiday near her own Houfe. S There

$4-8 An Hifiorical Difcourfe of

There were then prefent in the faid

"Houfe, WiRiam Holiday , and Helen his Wife $ as alfo Sarah Lofnam, Daughter in Law to the faid Defund -, and fome Servants and Children in the Houfe* befides Charles Loftin and Helen Lofiin, Children to the faid Defunft; which are now all alive: And moft of them were fummon-ed to the following Affixes at Downe Patrick* and there deppfed foleninly before the Bench, the feveral Circumftantials of the (aid Apparition. Which Apparition was thrive repeated, in the fame Evening, to the faid Thomas Donelfon: And how he was horrihly„frighted thereby, and violently drawn out of the faid Houfe, before their Eyes,, .though they flruggled hard to detain him; And that he was carried up and down, bveir Neighbouring Hedges and Ditches : And that her laft Words to him were, "That (he would trouble him no " more, if he did faithfully profecute the " Caufe of her Death i which (he ftill " afcribed to the Blows which (he receiv-'* ed from the &dX Ecdeftw and K. Hig-"'gifon.

The faid Thomas Doqelfon did , accordingly repair to his Landlord, the next juftice, 3Vhv Randal Brke\ who brought their fe vera! Examinations to Sir William Frank; lin,'m i?<?//*?#-Caftle, ; where was alfo pre-fent the Earl of Lmgford: Which faid

Depo-

Depofitions were carried to DuGlin, and there recommended to the fpecial Care of Judge John Lindon r who was to come \ down the next Affizes of Downe: And die faid Trial, and Examination of the Witnefles, were then mannaged at the faid Affizes, by Mr. James M a cartny y Counfel-lor, in the behalf of Charles Loflin, the Plaintiff, to the Admiration or all the Bench, and of the Company there, in my Sight and Audience. So that the Matter was moft notorioufly known, and believ-ed, through the whole Country. Nor was there any Caufe of fufpe&ing any Fraud therein, they being all plain, honeft Neighbours, weE known to me, and my Pa-rifliioners, in the Parifli of Drmnbeg^ in the County of Downe, and in the Province Of Vlfier.

When you fend to Mr. Baxter, pray^ fend my bed Refpe&s, defiring both his Prayers and yours, as we moft heartily recommend his continual Labours, and yours, to the Bleffing of the Moft High: In whom

I Reft,

Tour Cordially jifeEtionate^

*£&,» Cl. Gilbert

s 2 §n.

i$o An Hiftorkal Difcourfe of

§. II. Whereas many wonder that the Devil can get down and up Chifdrens Throats, fuch great things as the Nails and pieces of Iron and Brafs (as I have to (hew,) a rude Story of that Pious and Excellent Rrifition, Fcelix PUtertu, makes me think it poffible. Two rude fellows had at meat a Cuftard before them, he that firft tafted it, found it Scalding hot,. and diflembled it, to draw the other to it, who prefently fo fcalded his Mouth with it, that in Wrath arid Revenge, the next Spoonful thar the other did eat, he forced the Spoon down his Throat: Which being in his Stomach, caft him iato fear: But they both being (hortly after again together, eating , he felt, a great pain in the rettum inteftimm % and put his Hand to his Fundament., and pulled out the Spoon,, and put it into his Companions Di(h. The paffage of this Spoon through all the inteftines,. feems harder than mod of the Witchcrafts mend-tioried.

This confirmeth my Sufpicion, that my Dear Friend Mr. William Hopkins cafe before mentioned, was but a Miftake, and not a Witchcrafts and that he might have fwallowed in his Meat a piece of a Fleih-prick, and think it was a Bene, and forgot it 5 though I could not perfuade his Wife and Neighbours to believe it-

I rather think the conceit, than Witchcraft, fhortned the good Mans Life,

§. HI. And I will not fpare my fell, while I mention my Friend, though fome will deride it, it may profit others, to tell you a fmall Story of the Devils power on my felf. When I lived in LuMow-CzQkat 16 and 17 years of Age (the Chaplain to the Council, being my Tutor ) I that had been enfnared before in the pleafure of old Romances, was ftrongly tempted to the Love of Cards and Dice. The firft overcame me a few Months: Having no skill at Tables, 1 agreed with thebeft Gamefter in the HoufeC Mr. Richard Harrifon, Clerk of the Kitchin , who died old, 4 not many years ago in Barbican, at the Earl t>f Bridgwater s ) to teach me for a price: When I did but know when the Game was loft by the lofs of all my Men, after a Game or two, they told me my Game was loft; And laught at me for not giving it up (other Skilful Gamefters looking on) I told them I would fee the end firft: They derided me, and Mr. Harrifon laid, / will lay yott ten Shillings to Six-Pence ; I laid down mySix-Pence; and he his ten Shillings: When I hadcaft the Dice ten times, I hadwone the Game. They flood amazed, and told me, that if I had not had the fame caft of the Dice all the ten times that I had, no

other

»} % An Uifiorical Difcdurfe of

other could have got my Game. An Atheift will laugh it this as' Fortuitous: But I perceived that it was the Devils Temptation to draw me to be a Gamefter: And I gave Mr. HarHfon his Ten Shillings again, and never plaid more.

I mention this, to tell fome Ladies and others of great Note, that are Enfnared in the Love of that vile Time-wafting Sin of Cards and Dice (and Stage-plays*) that the Devil hath great power in ruling that which they call Chance : And that it is a greater Sin fo to wafte precious Time than tljey are aware of; Befides the vile corrupting of their Mentions.

- a

Books

Books Vrintedfor, and fold by Tho. Parkhurff,' at the Bible and Three Crown' at tk Imer End of Cheapfide, near Mercers C) \ el

TH E Englifh Nonconformity, as under K. Charles lh and K. fames II. truly ftated and argued. In Sbarto,

A'Treatife of Knowledge and Love compared : Ir- mo Parts: I. Of falfly pretended Knowledge, a. Of (rue faving Knowledge and Love In Quarto*

The Glorious Kingdom of Chrirl dtferibed. and clearly vindicated, againft the bold Aflerters of a fuure Tailing and Reign of the Jews* and a t ! oufanrf Y a i before the Conflagration, and the Alienors of t e ti.oofapd Years Kingdom after the Conflagration. Being an An-fwer to Mr. tho. Beverly In Quarto,

A Rep'v to Mr.Th/.Btverley\ A f ver to my Re afons a-gainft his Do&rineofaThoufind Years Middle Kingdom, and of the Conmfion of the Jews. In Qutrto.

Of National Churches: Their Defcripcion. In^itutiotv life, Prefervatioa, Danger. Maladies and Cure: partly applied to England Io Quarto.

Church Concord: Containing, I. A Difluarfive frnm unnecelTary Divifion and Separation and thereaj Concord of the moderate Independents wirh tnr £^sby <.ri« ans, inftanced in ten feeming Differences. 2, The Terms neceflary for Concord among all Churches and Chri^wns. In Quarto,

Againft the Revolt to a Foreign JurifdicYion, which would be to England its Perjury, Church-Ruin and Slavery. Tn two Parts. laOkam.

Mr. RicharaBaxter's penitent Ccnfeffim. ?nd his ne-ceflary Vindication. In Anfwer to a Book csi.U d; The St" cond Part of the Mjchiefs of Serration: Writte by m u n-aamed Auchor. With a Preface to Mr. Cantimm de Minimi*, &c. In Qyarto.

The Scripturc-Gofpel defended, and Chrift Grace and'free Juftification vindicated, againft the Libertines, &c» In two Books, &c. In Oftavo.

Cain and ^/-Malignity *, that is, Enmity to fen jus Godlinefs j that is, to an holy and heavenly ftate of Heart and Life, &q^ All by Mr. %j>cbard Baxters

Books Printed for, and Sold by John Satuf-bury, at the Rifittg Sun bveragainft the Royal Exchange in CornhiM.

AN End of Doftrinal Controverfies, which have lately troubled the Churches, by Reconciling Explication, without much Difputing. By Richard Baxter* In O&avo*

A Rational Defence of Nonconformity: Wherein the Practice of Nonconformifts is vindicated from promoting Popery, and ruining the Church ; imputed to them by Dr. StiUingflett , in his Vnuafonablemfs of Separation. Alfo his Arguments from the Principles and Way of the Reformers, and firft Diflenters, are anfwered j and the Cafe of the prefent Separation truly ftated, and the Blame of it laid where it ought to be: And the Way to Union among Proteftants is pointed at. By Gilkrt Rule, ftjmfter of the Gofpel. In Qgarto.

The Harmpgy of the Divine Attribute*, in the Contrivance and Accomplifhment of ManYRedemption by the Lord Jefus Chrift, &c. By TV. Bates, D. D.

The Duty and Blefling of a Tender Confcience plainly dated, and earneftly recommended to all that regard Acceptance with God, and the Profperity of their Souls, Whereunto is added two Sermons, opening the Nature of Participation with, and demonftrating the Neceffity of Purification by Chrift. By T.Crufi. In Twelves,