Page:Wonderful progidies (sic) of judgment and mercy.pdf/56

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
56
The miſerable Ends of

ſlighting him, and not regarding him, he vaniſhed away. Luther likewiſe telleth us that when he was lodged in the caſtle of Warteburg, in a chamber far from any company, he was many times moleſted by noiſes made by the devil, in his chamber, and on the ſtairs. But I (ſaith he) encountered him with that ſentence, Omnia ſubjeciſti pedibus ejus, Thou haſt put all things under his feet; and ſo I laid me down and ſlept in ſafety.

Another of the German divines in Luther's time, as he was ſitting at his book in his ſtudy, the devil appeared, looking over his ſhoulder, which the miniſter perceiving, took a piece of paper, and writ in it, The Son of God came to deſtroy the works of the devil: and ſo holding up the paper, he immediately vaniſhed.—Luther, Colloq. Menſal.


XXI. In the life of Mr. Richard Rothwell (a famous preacher at Mansfield, in the county of Nottingham, about the year 1672,) we have this remarkable account, as it was drawn up by Mr. Stanly Gower of Dorcheſter: There was one John Fox, living about Nottingham, who had no more learning than enabled him to write and read. This man was poſſeſſed with a devil, who would violently throw him down, and take away the uſe of every member of his body, which was changed as black as pitch, while thoſe fits were upon him; and then ſpoke with an audible voice within him; which ſeemed ſometimes to ſound out of his belly, ſometimes out of his throat, and ſometimes out of his mouth, his lips not moving; and thus he continued for a conſiderable time; many prayers were put up to God for him, and great reſort was made to him, eſpecially by ſeveral famous miniſters; as Mr. Bernard of Batcomb, Mr. Lanly of Truſwell, and others, betwixt whom and John Fox, there paſſed