ABSTRACT
Now of all mercys and deliverances this great and miraclesse mercy of God to us in England now of late yeeres (next to Gods mercy in his Christ) exceeds all former mercys and deliverances that ever I hard or reade off. For wee were sold to be destroyed to be slaine and to perish.1 But to make God[s] mercy the more appeare in our deliverance I will first shew unto you the most dangeros condistion we ware in[;] the like was never heard off[;] it is worse then that in 882 or that horrible gunpowder ploot: Surely the Pope and cardinalls the Fryers and priests and Jesueites, nay I thinke grate Belsibube with all the Diveles in hell hath laid their heads together to consolt and contrive about this hellish ploot to undermine and overturne the Gospell. Oh they would have robed us of our God our Christ even of all our excellency and glory but O for ever ever praised be our God which hath delivered us from this Divillish hellish snare of the cruel hunter.3 Oh how hath Idoletry crept in by little and little and so
Gods <free> grace brought in superstition and mans inventions and tradicions (and in their sarvis booke) bring in now a little and then ading a little more so that now they have broght it to an higth.4 So that now it is hie time for God to worke for men doe transgresse his law for they make the law of God of no effect through their traditions[.]5 And who is he that b[e]longes unto God that is able to hold their tounge at this their grate folly and abominations[?]6 Therefore as God inables me I will doe my best endeavours to shew unto you their abominations and so to set forth Gods abundant /fol. 9v/ mercy to us and our grate deliverance out of this spirituall Egypt and corparall Egypt even palpable darknesse worse then the darknes of Egypt:7 but now God of his mercy hath made their great folly and wickednesse knowen unto all men what crewell and barburous buchars they have bine unto the precious soules and bodyes of many men, weoman and children[.] I will now wright them down as (I have read off and as) God shall bring them to my minde[.]
Those many things wholsomely commanded in holy scripture are not regarded: Our presses formarly opened onely to truth and piety are closed up against them both of late, and now open for the most part to nought but error superstition and profainnesse erronious impious books[.] And our prelats who lord it over Gods heritag doe not onely olter divers mens books putting out and puting in what they thinke good, but also the common prayr booke amongest other things they have dashed out this[:] Thou hast delivered us from superstition and Idolatry[.] O, how be our weekely lectures suppressed in divers countrys8 and have likewise lately shut up the moues9 of sundry of our most Godly, powerfull painfull10 Ministers out of meere malice to religion and the peoples salvation contrary to the very lawes of God and this Realme[,] strictly prohipited under paine of suspention in sundry Diocesse all afternoone sermons one the Lords11 day that so the prophaine v[u]lgar might have more time to dance: play, revell[,] drinke and prophan Gods Sabbaths: Oh how have our lordly Bishops and prelates endeavoured to corrupt <the> church with errors[;] they have with their lyes troubled the whole land Nay all the Kings
popish ceremonies by binding the consciences of men to the observations of them as setting up of Alters Images and crusifixe bowings chringings and the like of which St Paul warned the Colloiti12 to take heed of saying Beware least any man spoyle you through phylosophy and vaine deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world And not after Christ[.]13
…
/fol. 16r/ [Heading] A fearefull Judgemente of God which was shewed on the parish church of Withcombe14 in Devonshere being a very faire church, newly trimed haveing a very faire Tower with great and small pinnacles one of the famousest Towers in the west part of England[.]15
On the XXI of October 1638 In service time, was heard a fearefull Thunder much like the noyse, or report of great cannons and a most strange and fearfull darknesse, and a strong loathsome smell of brimstone and a fearefull blast that strucke in at the North side of the Tower, and teareing through a strong wall came into the church through the highest window and tooke with it a grate part thereof, and with a mighty power strocke against the North side wall of the church and did batter and shake it very much, and went towards the pulpit and in the way tooke with it the lime and sand from the wall and grated the wall and defaced it, being newly whited and tore away the side deske of the pulpit and caloured the pulpet blacke and left it moyst as if it had bin newly wiped over with Inke[.]
/fol. 16v/ There was also a most fearefull light[n]ing,16 which did affright the people and scalded them so as the most part of them fell downe some on their knees, some on their Faces and some one upon another crying[.]
The Ministers wife17 had her Ruffe and linnen next her body burnt off and her body greviously scorched[.]
One Mistris Ditford sitting in the seat with her, had her <gowne>18 tow wast coats and her linnen nex her skin burnt off and her body grevosly19 scorched[.]
her Body scorched, and her flesh torne on her backe in grie[v]ous maner[.]
One Master Hill a Gentleman had his Head smit against the wall and dyed the next day[.] Sir Richard Reynolds warriner,20 had his Head cloven, his skull rent in
three pieces, whereof tow fell into the next seat, the other fell in the seat where he sat, his Braines fell intire and whole into the next seat behind him, his Blood dasht against the wall some of the skin of his Head Flesh and Haire to the quantity of an handfull was carryed into the chancell and stucke fast upon one of the posts, between the church and the chancell, his Body was left in the seat as though he had bin alive sitting asleepe and leaning upon his elbow resting on the Deske before him with the forepart of his Head and Face whole[.] …
A Dog nere the chancell doore was whirled up three times and fell downe dead[.]
Some seates in the Body of the church were torne up, and turned up upside downe and they that sate in them hade no harme notwithstanding they were throwne out of them into othe[r] seats 4 or 5 seats higher[.]
About the Number of eaight Boyes sitting about the rayles of the communion Tabel were taken up and thrown on heapes within the Railes and had no hurt[.] …
/fol. 17r/ The church was very much defased and torne21 a great stone nere the foundation was torne out and removed[.] Stones were thrown out of the Tower, as thicke as if there had bin an
hundred men throwing them, some of such weight and bignesse as no man was able to lift[.]
One of the pinnacle of the Tower throwen down into the church and stands entire and whole in the Alley22 of the church[.] …
A Bowling Alley23 neare the churchyard was turned up into pits and holes[.] A wine Taverne neare the church, had the side next the church torne up and the covering carryed off and one of the Rafters broke into the house[.]
[Wallington describes other similar instances of God’s judgement at work.] … /fol. 22r/ [This is part of a section entitled (on fol. 20r) ‘The Sabbath day ought to be Kept Holy’.] ... If you would know the day whereupon Christ appointed
day (Revelation 1:10)[.] If you will know on what day of the weeke that was St Paul will tell you that it was on every first day of the weeke (1 Corinthians 16:2)[.]24
[Heading] The true manner of keepeing holy the Lords day[.]
1 Is to rest from all the works of our calling, though it were reaping in the time of harvest[.] 2 Or from carying of burdens as carriers doe or riding abroad for profit or for pleasure[.]
3 We are to rest from all recreation and sports which at other times are lawfull for if lawfull workes be forbiden on this day much more lawfull sports which doe more steale away our affections from the contemplation of heavenly things then any bodily worke or labour[.]
4 From grosse feeding liberall drinking of wine or strong drinke which may make us either drowsie or unapt to serve God with our hearts and minds[.]
5 From all talking about worldly things which hindreth the sanctifying of the Sabbath more then working, seing one may worke alone but cannot talke but with others[.]
If then those recreations which are lawfull at other times, are on the Sabbath not allowed, much more those that are alltogether at all times unlawfull, which consider whether /fol. 22v/ Dauncing, stage playing, Masking, carding, Dicing, Tabling25 Bearebaiting, carousing, Tipling, and such other fooleries of Robin Hood, Morrice dances wakes and May games. Heare this and tremble at this O prophane youth of a prophane age[.]
Oh now consider <the> whoofull and misarable sinful days we are fallen into for oh <how> have the prelates with their chanchalors26 put down preaching in divers contryes and stoped and silenced many of Gods faithfull sarvants[.] And so they have caused that abominable sinne of profainin[g] of the Lords day to abound with the booke which they did gete of the Kings Declaration for sports and may games on the Lord[s] day (in 1633)27 which booke must be read in all pucplike congregations and they which would not read it, must be suspended and being (as I here) not read but withstood in Scotland, it28 so inraged the Bishops and other enemies of God that it was some meanes to raise up warre against them[;] thus they helped to pull down wrath on Israel[.] For this booke of Declaration was as dry fewell, to which fire being put quickly flamed forth that it made those that were filthy to be more filthy being inraged
many places to the destroction of many in a short time[;] som I had writen down before[.] But after this sinfull Booke came forth then in a short time within the space of three yeeres I did collect and wright downe scores that the grat God of heaven had punished in the act of the breach of his holy Sabbath day that one forse30 we cannot but say that it was the finger of God[.] This I did take notis <off> (with some other) for the generations to come that they might feare and trembel before God and not commit the like sin lest he be made the next Example[.]
... [Fols 23r-37r contain 76 examples of God’s punishments of Sabbath breakers, mostly taken from other writers, but including instances Wallington has heard (rather than read) about, some of them close to home.]
/fol. 25r/ In 1620 I did heere of a truth of Fishermen that were at seae which did not use to cech31 fish on the Lords day[.] But one32 one Sabbath day the sunne shining very hotte upon the watter And they seeing a grate company of sammons playe there they put forth and cacht a grate company[.] But marke Gods Judgments on them[.] They never cacht more fish there and the Towne that was neere which formarly was maintained with the sayd fish was very much impoverished for the want therof afterward[.]
/fol. 25v/ 1633[.] 1 One the XXVI of October 1623 being the Lords Sabbath day a grate company being in a house at Blackefryers <at mase33 and> to heere Master Dreury34 a Jesuite to preach[,] the house was three storys hie and full of people[.] The Lord caused the house to fall downe and it killed almost an hundred people and many others hurt and sore brused: and as I hard there was some not ashamed to say that the purituns <were the caus and they> had sawed asunder one of the cheife pillars[.]35
2 In 1632 being the 3 of June one the Lords day Master Coles36 man went out of the church from his master and another (that should have maried his sister the weeke after) and he went down to the wattersid and went into a shipe and one sayd to the other I will get on the tope of the mast first and so he did[.] then the other saide I will be down first and so he was for in makeing hast hee fel downe and burst in peeces and so died never stirring more for his skoll breake and flew in tow peeces that the brains fell out[.] I had this relation
of the skull from each side of the shipe and put them together[;] it was Master Coles man that told mee. This was about the <time> coming forth of the booke of liberty[.]38
…
/fol. 39r/ [Heading] Heavie Times with the poore Children of God[.]
Now to come to another monstrous grose abominable hanious and provoking sine which is the crewel and barbirous usage of the deere children of the most hie God and shurely were not diveles come amongst us in the likenesse of men they would never have shewed that divellishe usage of the deere sarvants of the most grate God as they have done for the divell was a murderer from the begining (John 8:44) for he did envie mans happines when they were in paridice and tempted them, and so hath the Divell set all his sarvants one worke ever sence the begining. ... /fol. 39v/ As it was then so hath it continued to this day. For doe not our lordly Bishopes and prelates with many other larned men not onely themselves but cause and move others to hate the deere children of God sheweing it, by their mocking, taunting, reproching with scofes and jeares And calling them by names of peuritans, sismatticall secticious, Factious Troublestaites39 Traitors that speake against Ceasar, with many slanders, Taking away their livings, casting them into prison, whiping of them perpetuall imprisonment laying grate fines on them and Banishment into remote places separating those that God hath joyned together as the Husband from the wife, parentes from their children[.] And as they did with Docter Litton40 (whom I know well) so did they with Master Burton Docter Basticke and Master Prim set them in the pillery, cutt of their eares to the sheding of much blood[.]41 That so as the blood of Abel cryed for venance42 so the blood of Master Udall Master Hildersham, Master Bates43 with divers other mens blood together doe all crye for venance,
repentance what can w[e] looke for but som fearefull sweping Judgment to come among us[?]
/fol. 40r/ 1637[.] But to speake of those men that I did know well Docter Litton Master Burton Docter Bastwicke and Master Prynne what had these men don that they must suffer so much misery to the sheding of their blood with perpetuall imprisonment[?] All was but for preaching and wrighting of the truth of the word of God. In which their was a terror to the prelets false prophets Idolatry and profainors of the Lords day: And now of late in the yeare 1637 when these three men suffered[,] Master Burton, Doctor Bastwicke and Master Prynne[,] when any booke came forth which was for God and against those wicked prelates they layd them to their charge[.] And them that any of those bookes ware found with they were had up unto their unlawfull cortes, grate and heavie things layd to their charge, much trouble with imprisonment and much expences and fines to the undoing of some (I the wrighter speake by some wofull experiance)44 and all for having some bookes that taught us how we should feare God and honour our King and not to medel with them that change[.] …
/fol. 45v/ [Heading] ‘Examples of Gods fearefull Judgments Against the Wicked enemies of his Church’.45
