Third Reason against shutting up Houses visited with the Plague from the experience of former times, when Plagues did not cease till there was freedom of Converse allowed.

IN the years 1346. 1348. 1350. there was a great Plague all over the World, especially in Asia, such as was never remem∣bred to be in any place before, sweeping away Priests and Physi∣cians first; when Men were troubled with no other disease, when the Living were not able to bury their Dead, all lay in common, there was no distinction between Sacred and profane; the very Birds of the air were poysoned, and Men were all over sore, loo∣sing some Limb or other if they escaped with their Lives.

Assoon as the people discerned by Observation, by sight or feel∣ing whether they had this sickness or not, they hasted away, left the other helpless: Whereupon (saith the Historian) many pe∣rished for want of sucour, who might otherwise have been pre∣served. This inhumane forsaking took its rise from the Turks, and Infidels; where the Parents forsook their Children, and the Children their Parents; Brothers and Sisters forsook one ano∣ther; Page  7 nay, the Wife left the Husband, and the Husband the Wife. Nor was this monstrous cruelty wanting among Christians also, some of whom retired themselves to solitary places, others kept themselves close in their Houses or Castles to secure themselves as they thought from the outrage of the general Visitation; but all this could not any way prevail or prevent Gods Divine judg∣ment, against whom the strongest Fortification never defended: Whereupon, mark it, many became more resolute and Christian∣like; referring themselves to Gods mercy, and with a holy reso∣lution to welcome death; they became kind and serviceable to the visited, ministring to them all things necessary, and thus many recovered health, and became secure, and then yielded the like help to others: In which Christian course God so blessed their endeavours, that very many of them were healed by visit∣ing and assisting one another.

Nay, within many Mens memory now alive, when the effect of Cooping Men up was no other, than that the Sick were so many that they could not be watched or kept in by those that were well, in the year of our Lord 1625. and thereupon it being found convenient that the Sick should have their Liberty to visit and be visited, and all Men should meet and pray heartily to God to appease his wrath: What with the freedome of the Ayre, what with the accomodations Men had for necessaries, it pleased God that the Sickness which had by shutting up,

A Decrease never before known and never hereafter to be ex∣pected, but by the use of this remedy.