Page:Wonderful progidies (sic) of judgment and mercy.pdf/11

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perjured Perſons, Blaſphemers, &c.
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down ſtairs out of the room, he fell down, and brake his neck.—Fincelius.


VIII. Miſerable was the end of Pirieres, who writ a blaſphemous book, wherein he openly mocked at God, and all religion, for he fell into moſt deſperate deſpair, and notwithſtanding ſtrict watch was kept about him, yet he killed himſelf.—Theat. Hiſt.


IX. In the year 1502, there lived one Hermanus Biſwick, a grand Atheiſt and a notable inſtrument of the devil, who affirmed, That the world never had a beginning, as fooliſh Moſes dreamed, and that there were neither angels, nor devils, nor hell, nor future life, but that the ſouls of men periſhed with their bodies; and that Jeſus Chriſt was nothing elſe but a ſeducer of the people, and that the faith of Chriſtians, and whatever elſe was contained in the holy Scriptures, was mere vanity. Theſe opinions, full of Atheiſm and impiety, he was ſo hardened in, that he conſtantly avouched them to the death, and was for the ſame, together with his books, deſervedly burnt in Holland.—Theat. Hiſt.


X. A certain rich man at Halberſtadt in Germany, abounding with all manner of worldly happineſs, he gave up his whole ſoul in delighting therein; ſo that he had no ſenſe of heaven or religion; yea, he was ſo atheiſtical as to ſay, That if he might lead ſuch a life continually upon the earth, he would not envy thoſe that enjoyed heaven, nor deſire to exchange his condition with them: but ſoon after it pleaſed God, contrary to his expectation, to cut him off by death, and ſo the pleaſures which he doated on came to end. But after his death there were ſeen ſuch diabolical apparitions in his