Adenochoiradelogia, or, An anatomick-chirurgical treatise of glandules & strumaes or, Kings-evil-swellings : together with the royal gift of healing, or cure thereof by contact or imposition of hands, performed for above 640 years by our Kings of England continued with their admirable effects, and miraculous events, and concluded with many wonderful examples of cures by their sacred touch / all which are succinctly described by John Browne.

CHAP. II. Herein is shewn what this Gift is, and when, and how often used.

OUr first Chapter looks but as the Rigging and Sails of a Ship which we are Lanching into: This gives us the dimensions and its proper uses, where we are to examine, Whe∣ther this Disease be naturally curable or incurable, not hitherto fully de∣scribed: And that we may not keep it too long upon the Sands, we shall find it the Gift of God which makes it sail thus universally throughout the World, Fetching and procuring Health by the Holy Spirit to the Sons of Men, by whose assistance, one Man may as well guide her in her Curative Passage as an hundred.

And as this is a Gift or Grace be∣stowed on Christians, given to them by the Holy Spirit for the Cure of one or many Diseases, and this by the Im∣position

of their Hands on them, and Prayers, and Gold put over their Necks, is a great Gift beyond all dis∣pute, and next to a Miracle done by any of the former Apostles. And that this comes from above, I hope no con∣siderate Man will deny: For sinful Man can only call Sin his own. S. Au∣gustine joyned to this Gift, Charity, Mercy, Clemency, and Sanctity; these being as the four Pedestals on which this Royal Gift doth fix its proper Ba∣sis: It is performed by the Holy Spirit, from whom doth proceed every good and perfect Gift; and this is not given to all Men, nor to all Church-men, for every Man hath his particular Gift al∣lowed him, and Health doth demon∣strate the particular nature of Causes arising from the habit and use of the Gift. God Almighty having an In∣finite, and Immense Goodness in him, not to be drained out by Time, or less'ned by the utmost of Age. As therefore in the early Times of the Church this Gift received much Ho∣nor; so because we do live in Times which do bear equal weight, and share with the like Diseases; I ought to bring again to life this Divine Gift,

sent by the Almighty to our Sacred Majesty, thus exercised as the last and best Remedy. To him therefore be given the greatest Reverence and Honor, to whom the greatest Venera∣tion is due.

* 1.1We come now to examine the Gift it self, what it is, as also in what times it was first used: And that I may enter the Scene without fear, Truth being my great General, I shall begin its de∣finition which the Apostle makes men∣tion of, Cor. 12. which declares both the efficacy and action thereof: For the greatest praise of this Gift con∣sists in the action thereof. Who there∣fore shall presume to make any fur∣ther▪ doubt, but acknowledge, that he which hath this admirable Gift in him,* 1.2 may make use thereof at his own will and pleasure, for the Curing of poor Mortals which shall approach his Royal Touch? Sure there is none but inconsiderate Men, which either can or will deny this Healing Faculty, or make any question of it, and that it is as plain as it is Hereditary, is as rea∣dy to be assented to. For it is laid down as a general Maxim amongst the

most grave Senators, That they which are best gifted, or do excel others ei∣ther in Art, Wisdom, Knowledge, O∣ratory, or the like, most excellent Qua∣lifications, these are confirm'd and e∣stablish'd upon them as Divine Habits running in their Veins, and excellent Qualifications going along with them throughout the whole course of their lives, and transmitted more or less to their succeeding Generations. And although these may seem strange to the Man less knowing, yet every In∣genuous and considerate Person which hath the rules of Understanding in him, will find, That Wisdom doth lodge in the Kings lips, and that the words of the Wise are as goads and nails fastned by the Masters of Assem∣blies: In the same manner, he that hath Faith, and is best instructed for the doing and understanding of all things, hath a greater degree of Divi∣nity implanted in him. Heb. 11. v. 32, 33. Thus by faith, the Fathers of old did overcome Kingdoms. And what shall I say more? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barack, and of Sampson, and of Jepthae, and of David also, and of Samuel and the

Prophets, who through Faith subdu∣ed Kingdoms, wrought Righteous∣ness, obtained Promises, stopt the mouths of Lions, &c. Faith being like Virtue, evermore active: And such as the habit of Humane Body is, such Fruits usually we shall find it yield, either to its excellency or de∣merit. But as to this Virtue of Heal∣ing, and the like sublime Qualificati∣ons, as of Prophesying, Gifts of Tongues, examination of Spirits, these do rise much higher than the former; for this puts Man upon the thinking and considering part. Thus when pious and good Men are stirred up by the Divine Spirit, they open Mi∣racles themselves, and puts advantage to the best of Thoughts. Amongst these may I well place this most ad∣mirable Healing Gift of our Dread Soveraign, appearing herein as a fixt Star in the midst of his People, or as a greater Light among the lesser distri∣buting according to his own will and pleasure, of this his Curative Facul∣ty, to his poor miserable and diseased Subjects of all Ages, Sexes, Orders and Degrees whatsoever,* 1.3 by which they are stript from their Diseases, and re∣relieved

from their Pangs, and this not palliated or dismist for a while, or done by chance or good fortune, but he cures by deliberate and serious con∣sultation, prepared thereunto by the Almighty Power transmitting his Ho∣ly Spirit for the better accomplish∣ment thereof.

They must needs therefore be al∣lowed no good Subjects, who dare deny this Sanative Faculty, which so many thousands have received even to a Miracle. And without doubt amongst the worst of Mankind, it must be allowed an Act of Grace, and a great and pious condescention of his Gracious Majesty thus to give ease and relief to every sick and lame Per∣son, by his Sacred and gracious Touch, wherein and whereby we may see the Almighty revealing many things to his, which are denyed to others; which doth implant a greater Know∣ledge in them, and yet they do not enjoy all Science, the perfection of the Divinity whereof he reserves to himself: Neither are they ignorant or unknown to him, for were they so, where would be their familiarity with the Holy Spirit, by whom this great

work is performed: for so oft as they have therewith been concerned, they could foreshew many things to come, as conversions of Republicks, ruines of Kingdoms, Death of Nobles, and many other the like Observations. This Healing Faculty is always pre∣sent with and in the Almighty,* 1.4 his will consenting to his Soveraigns pleasure, and in the prosecution there∣of: and this is very useful and profit∣able, being conducted by a Divine motion or instigation of the Holy Spi∣rit. For the Almighty hath given Mans will its certain limits, and hath circumscribed bounds thereto.* 1.5 But as touching this Divine Qualification of Healing, whence it cometh, and what the efficient Cause thereof is, whether proceeding from the naked discourse of the words used at the Ceremony, or the Solemnity of the Pious and Religious action, or of any created Virtue arising hence, I shall presume to offer this as a Foundation against all Dispute whatsoever.* 1.6 That no Miracle, howsoever glorious, which we ever saw, read, or heard of, was ever done by an inherent Vir∣tue created in Man alone, not this of

His Majesties Royal Healing, procu∣ring and affording hereby this Health to the Sick, which we daily see and find they do hereby purchase and en∣joy: But there is and must be God Almighties hand going along with it, for no Mortals Virtue, or Piety, or Power, hath strength or efficacy e∣nough in it to perform this Soveraign sanative Faculty: Nor can the Cere∣monies or Vestments any wise effect the same; for as to these, those which were carried to Paul (viz.) the hand∣kerchiefs and aprons, were only signs and tokens for begetting and confirm∣ing the Faith of those who were cured in Paul's absence. And for a more clear understanding hereof, this Gift which he received from the Al∣mighty, was not fixed or tyed to his Body, and so much the less dispensa∣ble to the sick people which thus came to him for help, or sent to him, and which saw him not: But God wrought these Miracles by his hands, and his hand was the only Instrument by which this great Work was perform∣ed, whil'st his Maker was the great Agent thereof: Much less could the Ceremonies and Vestments procure

this which are put upon it: Gods Hand is the hand of Health, and his Arm wants no strength to perform every kind of Cure beyond humane capacity: The which Peter well knew, when he tells us of a Man, which was lame from his mothers womb▪ Acts 3. who seeing Peter and John about go∣ing into the Temple, asked an alms; and Peter fastning his eyes on him with John, said, Look on us: In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk; and he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediatly his feet and ancle bones received strength, and went into the temple praising God. And although Peter, through Gods assist∣ance, did give this great cure to this Cripple, yet primarily he received this Divine Power from above, before any effect could be wrought. And that also is very remarkable, Acts 9. when Peter did pass through all Quar∣ters, arriving at Lidda, where he saw Aeneas, who had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsie, and Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ make thee whole,* 1.7 arise, and make thy bed, and he arose immediatly.

This shews the great Gift of the

Almighty, performed by the lesser in∣strument Man, even as the Sun is no ways lessened in its splendor by the light of the Moon, or lesser Stars: For thus Man doth receive this Gift from the Divine Giver, as the Moon and lesser Stars do borrow their light from the Sun: For the Almighty doth dis∣play and communicate his Gifts to Mankind, whose Rays are implanted in his mind, clear'd up, and freed from all cloudiness, there to be kept in him as his choicest Treasures and Di∣vine Qualifications. Thus therefore Man must be allowed the Organ and Instrument, God himself the chief Agent and Master of the Operation, Man being his servant, which receives the honor and glory thereof: and by this Divine and Humane conjunction, thus most excellently agreeing toge∣ther, this most admirable Healing Fa∣culty is thus produced for the benefit, advantage, ease and cure of many thousands of poor, miserable, sick, lame, and distempered people.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Defi∣nition of this Gift.
• * 1.2

  The fre∣quent use thereof.
• * 1.3

  Its dura∣tion pro∣ved.
• * 1.4

  Gods as∣sisting hand gives perfecti∣on to the Cure.
• * 1.5

  The effi∣cient cause of Heal∣ing.
• * 1.6

  Whether this be in Man, or derivative from God.
• * 1.7

  God the Agent, Man the Instru∣ment.