Page:Wonderful progidies (sic) of judgment and mercy.pdf/23

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perjured Perſons, Blaſphemers, &c.
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dreadful accident ſoon flew into the city, and multitudes flocked to the place, where they found the two other gameſters waſhing the board, whom, by order of the ſenate, they bound in chains, and carried toward the priſon; but by the way, as they were going through the gate of the city, one of them was ſuddenly ſtruck dead, with ſuch a number of lice and worms creeping out of him, as was loathſome to behold. The third, to avert the divine indignation which ſeemed to hang over their heads, the citizens, without any further inquiſition or trial, put preſently to death. The table, with the ſpots of blood thereon, was taken and reſerved as a monument of this fearful judgment of the Almighty.—Clarke's Examples, part 1.


XXVIII It is notoriouſly known at Oundle in Northamptonſhire, that one William Hacket, uſed upon occaſion in earneſt diſcourſe, to curſe himſelf in this manner; If it be not true, then let a viſible confuſion come upon me; and he wanted not his wiſh, as appears by the following relation. In the year 1591. and the 33d of Queen Elizabeth Edmund Coppinger, and Henry Arthington, two gentlemen aſſociating themſelves with this Hacker, who had formerly been a profane and lewd perſon, but now pretended great reformation; theſe three ran into very ſtrange and dangerous opinions, and at laſt came to think, that this Hacket was anointed to be judge of the world, and coming to his lodging one day in London, Hacket told them, that he had been anointed by the Holy Ghoſt; then Coppinger aſked what his pleaſure was to command them; Go, ſaith he, and proclaim in the city, that Jeſus Chriſt is come with his fan in his hand, to judge the earth; and if they will not believe you let them come and kill me if they can; Coppinger anſwered, That it ſhould be