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...

TO THE Courteous Reader.

THE Work I have undertaken, is so difficult and obnoxious to Doubt and Error, so slippery and obscure, that it must be confest, by any Man of a solid Judgment, that I have been bold, to make an Adventure upon such a Subject: But the Genius of it be∣ing so generally acknowledg'd, it will admit of much Candour and Alleviation, from all Men of an honest Principle, and sober Understanding. 'Tis true, I have scaled the Moun∣tains, and scrabbled above the Clouds, and open'd a little the Curtains that hid and separated the Secrets of Heaven from Common View; and sometimes, likewise, have dived into the pro∣foundest Secrets and Depths of Nature, and at a distance look'd into the Divine Councels, and made Enquiry into the Affairs of the other World; but with so much Modesty, and so little Prag∣maticalness, that it will not be easie for any, but a man of a contentious Spirit, to find out Matter to accuse me of. If there be any that will take upon him to be my Adversary, I challenge him to outvy me; and if he can (as I question not but he may) find out new Matter, and a better Method, I shall thank and commend him for his Industry. But if Men can only pick out a sin∣gle Paragraph, or particular Circumstance, and nibble at it with their Teeth, and bawl loud with their Tongues, and proceed no further; 'tis a poor Game for a Man of good Sence to play at. But I hope this Book will not meet with any Reader of this Tribe: But if it do, I desire and en∣treat him to go on with my Observations to the end, and put all the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and strange Ap∣pearances of Providence, Nature, and Art, into one Text, and meditate seriously upon them, and try to solve all the Difficulties of them, and give us one more System of Philosophy, that may give a full Satisfaction to Humane Reason, in these Things to the World's end. What I have done, was undertaken with a Probity of Intention, and managed with such a Competency (or Portion and Pittance) of Reason and Prudence, as I was endowed with: And no Man is an∣swerable for more than he hath receiv'd. I have been true and just to all Parties, Jews and Gentiles, and the Church of God; to Protestants, Papists, Dissenters of all sorts, (so far as I know) never daring wittingly, and willingly, to tell a Lye in the Cause of God, or for Gods •• Glory. And, no Body can in Justice tax me for Partiality in that Point; for the Discourse must always suit with the Text, and a History of Providence must be as extensive as the Subject itself; And it is plain, that the Divine Care and Government is spread over the whole Creation; God commands his Sun to shine, and his Rain to fall, upon just and unjust; and therefore I resolved at the first Enterprize of this Work, Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agentur: I'll make no difference, but speak Truth of all Men that the Sun shines upon, and the Divine Providence is concern'd with. Let those little Narrow-Soul'd Christians, that appropriate their Faith and Charity to a Canton, live in a little Corner of the World by themselves, they are hardly worthy to enjoy the Benefit and Influence of an Uni∣versal Sun, and Gospel, and Government. For my part, I have long ago challeng'd the Epithet of Catholic, so far as 'tis lawful and commendable: But else, I protest against a real Heretic, or Schismatic, as unworthy of Catholic Favour and Communion. As to the Work itself, 'tis of no dishonourable Original; all the Historians that ever writ, almost, have given a Touch upon it, both Ethnic and Christian; many Christians have made Essays upon it, but none more parti∣cularly (that I know of) than Mexico, Camerarius, Pontanus, Delrio, Dr. Beard, Dr. Tho. Tailour, Mr. Clark, Mr. Mather, &c. And of late, in our own Church and Nation, Dr. More, Mr. Glanvile, and Mr. Baxter, &c. I have tried what I could, to comprize the Substance of all in a little room, and given my Reader the Extract of my Collections here, in one Vo∣lume; and to them have added, my own Observations, and other Relations never before in Print: For which I stand Indebted and Obliged to several Friends, and some worthy Perso∣nages, who have given in their fresh Informations and Encouragements to this Undertaking, from divers Parts of the Three Kingdoms.

A Work of this Nature was set on Foot about Thirty Years ago, by Mr. Pool, Author of the Synopsis Criticorum; but or what Reason I know not, it was laid aside, and nothing has since appeared on that Subject, but a small Essay (written by Mr. Increase Mather, Rector of Harvard Colledge, in New-England) to invite some others to go on with the Work, and finding that 'twas not attempted by any other Hand, I was resolved to go on with it, as being fully satisfied, that a Work of this kind, must needs be of Great Use; espe∣cially to such pious Minds as delight to observe the Manifestations which God doth give of him∣self, both in his Works of Creation and Providence; the former are sufficient to render those

who have no other Instructers, inexcusable, as we are taught by the Apostle, Rom. 1.20. And the Excellency of the latter consists in this, That they are the real Accomplishments of his written Word: So that to Record Providences, seems to be one of the best Methods that can be pursued, against the abounding Atheism of this Age: For by Works of Providence, the Con∣fession of a God, and the Truth of his Word, have been extorted from those very Persons who have boldly denied it. Memorable is that Passage of Aeschyles the Persian, in Traged. who relating his Country-mens Discomfiture by the Greeks, gives us this Observation, That when the Grecians pursued them furiously over the great River Strymon, which was then frozen, but began to thaw, he did, with his own Eyes, see many of those Gallants, whom he had heard be∣fore, maintain so boldly, that there was no God; every one upon their Knees, with Eyes and Hands lifted up, begging for Mercy; and that the Ice might not break 'till they got over.

The Scepticks of this Age, may possibly call such a Passage in Question; but what can the most obdurate Atheist say, to those Providences about the Jews; which were so clearly foretold in the Scriptures, and part of 'em are visible to their own Eyes? Is not this sufficient to convince them of the Being of an Omniscient God, that the Sacred Scriptures are his Revealed Will, and that Christianity is the only true Religion? We doubt not, but those Men who are able to hold out against such a convincing Demonstration, will flout at this Undertaking, and expose it all they can; but they may remember the Conquest which Truth made over their great Cham∣pions, my Lord Rochester, Sir Alan Broderick, and Sir Duncomb Colchester, (all men∣tioned in the following Work) Providences which merit their Thoughts, and may serve to stop their Mouths.

To Name all my Authors, would be tedious, in the Front of the Book; and the more un∣necessary, because the Reader will find most of them cited in the Work itself: Which, I believe, will not be either unprofitable, or unpleasant, to any one that reads with Judgment; nor unsa∣tisfactory to any that reads without Prejudice. I pray my Reader's Candour, if any particular Relation be not reduced to its proper Head; or if there be any Repetition of the same Story, without necessity; or any other Error of the Press, that is venial; I crave that I may have but due Grains of Allowance made to me, as are commonly made in such Cases: For I am at least Forty Miles distant from the Press, and cannot, with any Conveniency to my other Concerns, attend the Ingress of it into the World. I grant, the Work is not, Omni∣nibus numeris absolutum, in every respect answerable to the first Proposals; but so are almost all the Undertakings of finite Reason, upon some Account or other, short of the first Intentions: To be perfectly Wise, is the Property of God Almighty. For my part, I am very sensible of the Depths I have here taken upon me to fathom, and do declare openly to the World, That the Ways of God are unsearchable, and his Footsteps can∣not perfectly be traced: He doth so tread upon the deep Waters, and sometimes flies upon the Wings of the Wind, and hides himself in Clouds from common view, employing Spirits for his Angels, and Flames of Fire, at other times, for his Messengers: (For, so I think, we may justly invert the Order of our common Translation) that I declare freely my Comment is infinite short of my Text, and my Paraphrase doth not, and cannot reach my Subject: And in∣deed, who can by searching, find out the Almighty to Perfection? If some studious and skilful Reader, would cause this Book to be Interleaved, and add some New Heads of his own, and make a Supply for the Defects of the Old Ones, it might, in process of time, be made exceed∣ing useful for Common Places.

In the mean time, I desire my Reader only, to look over all these Secondary Causes, and little Instruments that are moved here below, and look up to, and fix his Eye upon the Spring and Original Wheel, that gives Motion to all the rest. And if there be any thing within the Cope of our Horizon, that will give Satisfaction to the Brain on Man, this will certainly do it: And if it do not, the next Step is a sinful Curiosity, and dangerous; and whatsoever is more than that, comes of Evil. From which Evil, the God of Heaven deliver us all. Amen.

WILLIAM TURNER.