A compleat history of the most remarkable providences both of judgment and mercy, which have hapned in this present age extracted from the best writers, the author's own observations, and the numerous relations sent him from divers parts of the three kingdoms : to which is added, whatever is curious in the works of nature and art / the whole digested into one volume, under proper heads, being a work set on foot thirty years ago, by the Reverend Mr. Pool, author of the Synopsis criticorum ; and since undertaken and finish'd, by William Turner...

CHAP. CXXVIII. Divine Judgments upon Curiosity.

TO be wise unto Sobriety, is an excellent Rule prescribed us by the Apostle; and the Reason is obvious enough, to any Man of competent Sense and Brains: For Adam, by an affectation of knowing more than was necessary, came to know more than was comfortable; and an insatiate Desire of Wisdom, is certainly a Symptom of the Hereditary Disease derived to us from him. God hath set us Bounds to all our Disquisitions; and if we do not keep within compass, we forfeit our Faculties, and expose our selves to all the Dangers that are out of ken. Whatever we do, let us do prudently, and have a regard to some good End: For whatsoever is more than this, is more than is needful, or safe, or honourable.

1.

There is (saith Mr. Baxter) now in London, a Youth, the Son of a very Godly Conform∣ing Minister, who reading a Book of that called Conjuration, coming to the Word; and Actions which that Book said would cause the Devil to appear, was presently very desirous to try, and desirous that the Apparition might be accordingly. He came (saith he) to me in terrour, ha∣ving before opened his Case to a Parish-Minister, and affirmed to me, That the Devil had ap∣peared to him, and sollicited him with a Knife to cut his Throat; and told him, he must do it suddenly, for he would stay no longer. I told him how safe he was, if he truly repented, and begged Pardon through Christ, and would resolvedly renew his Baptismal Covenant, and renounce the Devil, and live as truly devoted to God, and our Redeemer. I have heard from him no more, but must not name him. Historical Discourse of Apparitions and Witches, p. 62.

2. Dr. John Dee, an excellent Scholar, and Mathematician, of the University of Oxford, who published many Treatises for the Benefit of his Country, (at least Eight in number) being af∣terwards earnestly desirous of more Knowledge, and making it his serious Prayer to God, to make him wiser than the rest of Mankind, was, by the Divine Judgment, given over to strong Delusions, and sadly imposed upon by the Apparition of Evil Spirits, under the Disguise of Good Angel••, who promised to help him to the Philosopher's Stone, who never left him, till they had dreined him of what Wealth he had; so that at last he died very poor, and every way miserable, at Mortlack, near London. All Men may take warning by this Example, how they put themselves out of the Protection of Almighty God, either by presumptuous unlawful Wishes, and Desires, or by seeking not unto Devils only directly, (which Dr. Dee certainly ne∣ver did, but abhorred the very Thought of it in his Heart) but unto them that have next rela∣tion unto Devils, as Witches, Wizzards, Conjurers, Astrologers, (that take upon them to fore∣tel humane Events,) Fortune-tellers, and the like; yea, and all Books of that subject, which, I doubt, were a great Occasion of Dr. Dee's Delusion. (I might have added amongst the Mi∣series that befel this Doctor, That he was Banished out of England, out of the Emperor or Germany's Territories by the Interposition of the Pope, Robbed of his Houshold-Plate by his own Sons, &c.) Dr. Mer. Casaubon's Relat. of Dr. Dee's Actions with Spirits, Preface.

3. Edward Kelly, Dr. Dee's Skryer, a Necromancer of Lancashire, by clambering over a Wall in his own House in Prague (which bears his Name to this day, and sometimes was an old San∣ctuary) he fell down from the Battlements, broke his Legs, and bruised his Body, of which hurts within a while after, he departed this World. Ibid.

4. There was within the Memory of our Fathers (saith Camerarius) John Faustus, of Cund∣ligen, a German, who had learned the Black Art at Cracovia in Poland. This wicked Wretch is re∣ported to have led about with him an Evil Spirit, in the likeness of a Dog; and being at Witten∣burg, an Order was sent from the Emperor to seize him, but by his Magical Delusions he made his escape; and afterwards, being at a Dinner at Norimberg, he was secretly sensible by an ex∣traordinary Sweat which came upon him, that he was beset; whereupon he suddenly paid his Reckoning, and went away, but was hardly out of the City Walls, ere the Sergeants and other Officers came to Apprehend him: Yet Divine Vengeance followed him, for coming into an Inn, in a Village of the Dukedom of Wittenburg, he sat very sad, and when his Host demanding the cause thereof, he answered, that he would not have him affrighted, if he heard great noise, and sha∣king of the House that Night; which happened according to his own Prediction, for in the Morning he was found dead by his Bed-side, with his Neck wrung behind him, and the House wherein he lay was beaten down to the Ground. Wanly Hist. Man.

5. An Officer, who was a Papist, belonging to a Court of Justice, came out of Curiosity to Mr. Perreaud's House, and hearing that the Devil fore-told future things there, and some Secrets, he would needs Question him about many matters; but Mr. Perreaud desired him to forbear, re∣presenting to him both the sin and danger of it. The Lawyer rejected his Counsel with scorn, bidding him Teach his own Flock, and let him have the Government of himself; and so pro∣ceeded to propound several Questions to the Devil, as about absent Friends, private Business, News, and State-Affairs; unto all which the Devil answered him; and then added, Now, Sir, I have told you all that you have desired of me, I must tell you next, what you demanded not, That at this very time you are propounding these Questions to the Devil, such a Man (whom he named) is doing your Business with your Wife. And then he further discovered many secret and foul Practices of the Lawyer, which shewed his dishonesty: Neither was this all; for in conclusion, the Devil told him, Now, Sir, let me Correct you, for being so bold as to Question with the Devil; you should have taken the Ministers safe Counsel. Then upon a sudden the whole Company saw the Lawyer drawn by the Arm into the midst of the Room, where the Devil whirled him about, and gave him many turns with great swiftness, touching the Ground only with his Toe, and then threw him down upon the Floor with great violence; and being taken up, and carried to his House, he lay sick and distracted a long time after. See the Narrative of the Devil of Mascon.