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. V. Revelation of secret, or future Things, by express Voice.

BY this Title I do not mean any Declarations, Discoveries, Confessions, or Predictions, made by any Person living, but only such as are uttered, either with only an audible Voice alone, or with a Voice proceeding from some Phantasm or Apparition, either in the likeness of some de∣ceased Person, Friend, or Relation; or of some Ghost dressed up in the Figure of some Animal, that we are generally acquainted with; as the Serpent to Eve, the Ass to Balaan, &c. Histo∣ries are full of Testimonies and Instances of this kind: to enquire after all, would be a wild Chase, and nauseous to the Reader, as well as laborious to the Writer. We will call a few out of many, for a Specimen; which will give such a lustre to the Theme we are upon, that will certainly run us up in our Meditations and Searches, to Digitus Dei, the Finger of God, as having a signal stroke in all such Voices and Occurrences, as cannot with any shew of Reason be imputed or ascribed to any Inarticulate, Inorganical, Irrational Being, which yet appears to be the only Immediate In∣strument they proceed fro••.

1. In Jerusalem, before the Destruction of it by Titus Vespasian, at the Feast of Pentecost, the High-Priest entering into the Temple to offer the usual Sacrifices, which at that time God regarded no more, there was a sudden Noise heard, and a Voice immediately following it, which said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Let us depart hence. Gaffarella's unheard of Curios. Part 2. Ch. 3. out of Josephus. Besides, we know, that our blessed Saviour had by express Words Pre∣dicted the same dismal Calamity to that place and People, with a particulat notation of the Time when it should happen, viz. before the then present Generation should be passed away.

2. An Inhabitant of the Town of Guilford in Surrey, who was possest of some Copy-hold Land, which was to descend to his Children, or in default of such Issue, to his Brother, dies, having no Child born. And his Wife apprehending her self not to be with Child (which her Husbands Brother asked her immediately after his Brother's death) she told him she be∣lieved she was not, but afterward proved to be. Which when she knew, she went, by the instigation of Neighbours, to her Brother, and told him how it was with her. He railed at her called her Whore, and told her, That she had procured some Body to g et her with Child, knowing that such a Field must be Inherited by the Posterity of her Husband, but her whor∣ing should not fool him out of the Estate. The poor Woman went home troubled, that not only her Child should lose the Land, but, which was worse, that she should be thought a Whore. However, she quieted her self, and resolved to sit down with the loss.

When her times came, she was delivered of a Son, he grew up, and one Summer's Night, as she was undressing him in her Yard, her Husband appeared, and bid her go to his Brother, and demand the Field: which she did, but was treated very ill by him. He told her, That neither she, nor her Devil (for she had told him her Husband appeared, and bid her speak to him) should make him forego his Land. Whereupon she went home again: But some time after, as her Brother was going out of this Field home-ward, the dead Man appears to him at the Stile, and bids him give up the Land to the Child, for it was his Right. The Brother being greatly frighted at this, runs away, and not long after comes to her, and tells her, she had sent the Devil to him, and bids her take the Land, and so gave it up, and her Son is now possest of it. His Name is Mat. he lived in the Service of Mr. Reading's Brother for some Years, but he has forgot his Sir-name, though he knows him very well. Related in a Letter of Dr. Ezekias Burton to Dr. H. More. Mr. Glanvil's Saducism. Triumph. p. 417.

3. Dr. Bretton, late Rector of Ludgate and Deptford, lived-formerly in Herefordshire, and married the Daughter of Dr. S.—. This Gentlewoman was a Person of extraordinary Piety, which she expressed, as in her Life, so at her Death. She had a Maid, that she had a great kindness for, who was Married to a near Neighbour, whose Name, as I remember, was Alice. Not long after her death, as Alice was rocking her Infant in the Night, she was cal∣led from the Cradle by a knocking at the Door, which opening, she was surprised at the sight of a Gentlewoman, not to be distinguished from her late Mistress, neither in Person nor Habit. She was in a Morning Gown, the same in appearance with that she had often seen her Mistress wear. At first sight she expressed very great Amazement, and said, Were not my Mistress dead, I should not question but that you are she. She replied, I am the same that was your Mistress, and sook her by the Hand. Which Alice affirmed was as cold as a Clod.

She added, That she had Business of great Importance to imploy her in, and that she must im∣mediately go a little way with her. Alice trembled, and beseecht her to excuse her, and in∣treated her very importunately to go to her Master, who must needs be more fit to be em∣ployed. ••he answered, That he who was her Husband, was not at all concerned, but yet she had a desire rather to make use of him, and in order thereunto had several times been in his Chamber, but he was still asleep, nor had she power to do more, than once uncover his Feet towards the awak∣ning of him. And the Dr. said, That he had heard a walking in his Chamber in the Night, which, till now, he could give no account of. Alice next objected, That her Husband was gone a Journey, and she had no one to look to her Child, that it was very apt to cry vehe∣mently, and she feared if it awaked before her return, it would cry it self to death, or do it self mischief. The Spectre replyed, The Child shall sleep till you return.

Alice seeing there was no avoiding it, sorely against her will, followed her over a Stile in∣to a large Field, who then said to her, Observe how much of this Field I measure with my Feet. And when she had taken a good large and leasurely compass, she said, All this brlongs to the Poor, it being gotten from them by wrongful means. And charged her to go and tell her Brother, whose it was at that time, that he should give it up to the Poor again forthwith, as he loved her and his deceased Mother. This Brother was not the Person who did this un∣just Act, but his Father. She added, That she was the more concerned, because her Name was made use of in some Writing that related to this Land.

Alice ask'd her, How she should satisfie her Brother that this was no Cheat, or delusion of her Fancy. She replyed, Tell him this Secret, which he knows that only himself and I are privy to, and he will believe you. Alice having promised her to go on this Errand, she proceeded to give her good Advice, and entertained her all the rest of the Night, with most heavenly and divine Discourse. When the Twi-light appeared, they heard the Whistling of Carters, and the noise of House-Bells, whereupon the Spectre said, Alice, I must be seen by none but your self, and so she disappeared.

Immediately Alice makes all haste home, being thoughtful for her Child, but found it as the Spectre had said, asleep as she left it. When she had dressed it, and committed it to the care of a Neighbour, away she went to her Master the Doctor, who amazed at the account she gave him, sent her to his Brother-in-Law. He at first hearing Alice's Story and Message, laughed at it heartily; but she had no sooner told him the secret, but he changed his Coun∣tenance,

told her he would give the Poor their own, and accordingly he did it, and they now enjoy it.

This, with more Circumstances, hath several times been related by Dr. Bretton himself, who was well known to be a Person of great Goodness and Sincerity. He gave a large Nar∣rative of this Apparition of his Wife to two of my Friends. First, to one Mrs. Needham, and afterwards, a little before his Death, to Dr. Whichcot.

Some Years after I received the fore-going Narrative (viz. near four Years since) I light into the company of three sober Persons of good Rank, who all lived in the City of Here∣ford, and I travelled in a Stage Coach three days with them. To them I happened to tell this Story, but told it was done at Deptford, for so I presumed it was, because I knew that Dr. Bretton lived there. They told me, as soon as I had concluded it, that the Story was very true in the main, only I was out as to the place; for it was not Deptford, but as I re∣member they told me Pembridge near Hereford, where the Dr. was Minister before the Re∣turn of the King. And they assured me, upon their own knowledge, that to that Day the Poor enjoyed the piece of Ground. They added, That Mrs. Bretton's Father could never en∣dure to hear any thing mentioned of his Daughters appearing after her death, but would still reply in great anger, That it was not his Daughter, but it was the Devil. So that he acknowledged that something appeared in the likeness of his Daughter.

This is Attested by me, this 16th, of Febr. 1681.

Edward Fowler.

This Narrative was sent to Dr. H. More, from Mr. Edward Fowler, Prebendary of Gloucester. Glanv. Sad. Triumph. p. 419.

4. These Relations seem strange indeed, but was it now as strange, that Constantine the Great, praying earnestly to God, should see the sign of the Cross figured in the Air, with an Inscription in it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in hoc vince, by this overcome! And yet Eusebius Re∣ports it in these words: While the Emperour was thus earnestly praying unto God, and be∣sought him, that he would reveal himself to him, and that he would assist him in his pur∣poses and resolutions; while he was thus earnestly at his Prayers, a divine and wonderful Vision appeared unto him, which was scarce credible, if himself had not related it. But seeing this victorious Emperour did with an Oath confirm it to be true, when he related it to me, who intended to write his History long after, when taking notice of me, he admitted me to familiar Conference with him, who can doubt of the Truth of his Relation, which (even then was seen and admired by his whole Army, and) afterward, in process of time, was confirmed in a miraculous manner. He said moreover, that in his sleep Christ appeared unto him, with the former sign of the Cross, And bid him make the like Figure to wear in his Ban∣ner. Euseb. in Vit. Constant. l. 1. c. 22, 23. See the next Chap.

I dare not insist upon the Truth of that Relation, that when this Emperour gave the Tithes to the Church, a Voice was heard in the Air, saying, Nunc venenum infaesum est Ecclesia, now Poison is poured into the Church; though Hermannus Gigas Reports it for true. Mel∣leolus Relates it thus, When Constantine gave to Pope Sylvester, the Palace of the Laterane, the City of Rome, and Provinces of Italy, a Hand was seen writing upon a Wall of the La∣terane, Hodie vacuum Ecclesia infusurus. Centur. Magdeb, cant. 4. c. 13.

5. Voices Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubery, Esq;—In the Life of King Henry IV. of France, writ by the Arch-bishop of Paris, it is recorded, That Charles IX. (who caused the Massacre) was wont to hear Screaches, like those of the Persons Massacred.

6. St. Augustine heard a Voice, saying, Tolle, lege. He took up his Bible, and dipt on Rom. 13.13. Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, &c. and Re∣formed his Manners upon it.

7. One Mr. Smith, a Practitioner of Physiek at Tamworth in Warwick-shire, an under∣standing sober Person, reading — Hollinshead's Chronicle, found a relation of a great Fight between Vortigern and Hengest, about those Parts, at a place call'd Colemore: A little time after, as he lay awake in his Bed, he heard a Voice that said unto him, You shall short∣ly see some of the Bones of those Men and Horses slain, that you read of: He was surprized at the Voice, and ask'd in the Name of God, who it was that spoke to him? The Voice made answer, That he should not trouble himself about that, but what he told him should come to pass. Shortly after, as he went to see Colonel Archer (whose Servants were digging for Marle) he saw a great many Bones of Men and Horses; and also Pot-sherds; and upon a view it ap∣peared to be according to the description in Hollingshead's Chronicle; and it was the place where the Fight was, but it is now called Blackmore. This was about the Year 1685. and I had the account from my worthy Friend and old Acquaintance, Tho. Mariett of Warwick∣shire, Esq; who is very well acquainted with Mr. Smith aforesaid.

8. It was since the Restauration of King Charles II. that Martin Luther's Table Talk was Translated into English, by — but about half a Year before, as he lay in his Bed awake, he heard a Voice, which did bid him Translate that Book: but by reason of some Business, he neglected it. The Voice demanded, Why he had not done it? he replyed he had not leisure: Said the Voice, You shall have leisure enough shortly: And shortly after he was Arrested, and put in the Gate-house at Westminster; where he remained many Months: and there was the Translation finished. See the Preface before the Book. Thus far I'm beholden to Mr. Au∣brey's Collections.

9. Philip Ʋp-John (the Son of a Reverend Divine) being about 11 Years of Age, whilst he lived with Dr. Annesley in Spittle-yard, in the Year 1686. being alone, reading the Bible, he thought he heard a Voice, Bidding him prepare for Death, for he should die in a short time. Upon which this Boy being surprized, he came down Stairs, and acquainted the Family with it: Two or three days after he heard this Voice, he went to one Mr. Mallerye, a Joyner, who work'd to the Family, and seeing him making a Coffin, he told Mr. Mallerye, he should die shortly, and desired he would make for him such a Coffin as that was; which passage Mr. Mallerye acquainted the Family with the same Day, and though then in perfect health, in a few days after fell sick, of which sickness he died. This remarkable Passage I received from a Person who was at Dr. Annesley's House when this hapned.

10. Mrs. Elizabeth Dunton, as she was walking through Moor-Fields (to see her Reve∣rend Father Dr. Annesley, who then lay dangerously ill) she fancied she heard a Voice saying to her, You need not be so much concerned for your Father, for as near as he is to death, you shall go before him. This made a great Impression upon her Mind, and in a few Days after she fell Sick, and her Recovery is much doubted. This happened about the latter end of Octo∣ber, 1696.