Page:Wonderful progidies (sic) of judgment and mercy.pdf/20

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Dreadful Judgments upon Atheiſts,

under them began to ſink, the emperor immediately took hold of the iron grates of a window whereat he hung by the hands till ſome perſons came and relieved his from his perilous ſituation; ſome of the gentlemen fell to the bottom, and were drowned; and amongſt others, this ſad Henry, Earl of Schwartzenburg—Wanley Hiſt Man.


XXIV A young courtier at Mansfield uſed upon any earneſt aſſeveration, to ſay The devil take me if it be not so: and the devil indeed ſoon accompliſhed his wiſh, for he took him while he ſlept, and threw him out of an high window, where, though by God's good providence, he eſcaped with his life; yet he learned by experience to bridle his tongue from all ſuch curſed ſpeeches; this being but a taſte of God's divine wrath, which hath happened upon ſuch wretches as he.—Cyrine Spangen


XXV. In the year 1557, the day before Good Friday, at Forchenum in Germany, there was a certain prieſt who was crooked in body and mind, through age and ill nature; and likewiſe ſo infirm that he could not go but upon crutches, yet he would needs be carried up into the pulpit to preach a ſermon; his text was in the 14th chapter of the firſt epiſtle to the Corinthians, from whence he took occaſion to defend the maſs and other errors of the Papiſts; and then breaking forth into a great rage, he uttered theſe, or the like blaſphemous ſpeeches; Oh Paul, Paul! If thy doctrine touching the receiving of the ſacrament in both kinds be true; and if it be a wicked thing to receive it otherwiſe, then would the devil might take me: and then turning to the people, he ſaid, If the pope's doctrine concerning this point be not true then I am certainly the devil's bond ſlave; neither do I fear to pawn my ſoul and body upon it: theſe