by Thomas Warmstry, D.D.

The Baptized Turk (1658) is a rare primary source: a detailed account of the conversion of Signior Rigep Dandulo, the only son of a silk merchant on the Greek island of Chios (Tzio), from Islam to Christianity in Cromwellian England. Dandulo, descended from the noble Venetian family of the Danduli — once Doges of Venice — was baptised by the Reverend Mr. Peter Gunning at Exeter House Chapel on the 8th of November, 1657.

Thomas Warmstry, Doctor of Divinity, drew up this narrative as a public record, dedicating it to the Countess of Dorset and other witnesses at the baptism. The text contains three distinct parts: a Dedicatory Epistle to the sponsors; a Postscript recording the final theological dialogue between Mr. Gunning and Dandulo, in which Gunning argues the case for Christianity over Islam; and the Narrative proper, covering Dandulo's lineage, education, travels, conversion, and a lengthy discourse on the nature of dreams and divine revelation.

The work is of exceptional historical interest for its firsthand account of interfaith encounter in seventeenth-century England, its record of early modern apologetics against Islam, and its window into the social mechanics of religious conversion under the watchful eye of Restoration society. The text concludes with twelve categorical arguments against the truth of Islam.

Preserved from the 1658 first edition, scanned by the Princeton Theological Seminary Library (archive.org). OCR artifacts from the 338-year-old scan have been substantially cleaned; some residual errors persist, particularly in proper nouns and marginal scripture references.

The Title Page

THE BAPTIZED TURK, OR, A NARRATIVE Of the Happy Conversion of SIGNIOR RIGEP DANDULO, THE Onely Son of a Ssilk Merchant in the Isle of Tzio, From the Delusions of that great Impostor MAHOMET, unto the Christian Religion: AND Of his Admission unto Baptism by Mr. GUNNING at Exeter-House Chappel the 8th of November 1657.

Drawn up by THO. WARMSTRY, D.D.

Psal. 68.31. — The Morians Land shall soon stretch out her hands to God.

London, Printed for J. Williams, T. Garthwait in St. Pauls Church-yard, and Henry Marsh at the Princes Arms at the lower end of Chancery-lane near the inner-Temple-gate in Fleet-street. 1658.

The Epistle Dedicatory

To the Right Honourable,

The Countess of Dorset,

The Honourable

The Lord Gorges,

And the Worshipful

Witnesses at the Baptism of

Signior Dandulo

the Convert.

Right Honourable, Honourable, and Worshipful,

True Honor is the splendor of Vertue and holiness, and where it hath its just derivation and place, it is a shadow of that sacred combination of Greatness and Goodnesse which are originally conjoyned, and even the same in God himself, and which should never be separated in the Creatures; indeed all true Greatness is the issue of Goodness, if it be rightly begotten, and then like a good Childe it is ordained to be the Nurse of its own Mother, it being dispensed by God unto the Sons and Daughters of men, to be an advantage and encouragement, as well as an engagement unto vertuous, honourable and generous undertakings. Of which, however the blear-eyed and doating world is mistaken, there are none so truly and eminently glorious as those that are conversant in Religion and divine Worship, which as it is the highest end that God did, or could aim at in the creation of Man; so it must therefore needs be the greatest eminency and perfection, that the generations of men are capable of; for every thing is by so much more excellent, by how much the more it is advanced towards the scope and design of its being, and draweth nearer (if we may so speak where there is no comparison or proportion to be found) unto him who is the sum of all that perfection which is in the accumulation of all Greatness and Goodness together; and truly earthly Honor is then in its increment and exaltation, when it is made the ornament of Religion and Godliness, or rather is adorned by it. When the rayes of Eminency of Birth, Place or Reputation wherewith God shines upon persons of Dignity and Honor, reflect back again in holy gleams of heavenly love to God, and holy beams of illustration upon his Worship and Ordinances, and when they raise that holy return unto God that was in Davids soul at the dedication of his house, Psal. 30.1. I will extol thee, O Lord, because thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to triumph over me: And certainly this is the greatest end for which God bestows Honor upon the greatest men, that they may be the more conspicuous, and the more exemplary in the service and adoration of God; and not be as too many in our Age and Nation, like unthankful clouds, obscuring the Sun that raised them, or like the Moon in the Dragons Tail eclipsing that glory from whence she receiveth all her light. It is therefore the greatest advancement that you can give to your State and Dignity to let it shine in the Sanctuary of the Lord, that you may by your holy and eminent patterns help to undeceive the besotted World, that looks upon Offices of Religion as if they were a business fit onely for those that are of a low condition; that you may make them know that Crowns and Diadems, and Robes of Honor are never so resplendent as when they are cast before the Throne of the great God. How amiable was it to see you of late as so many Stars in your several spheres and degrees of Glory, shining as a propitious constellation at the new birth of this our Convert, when you were Witnesses at his Baptism! and I hope you were orient and ascendent at that hour, and then I need not doubt but you had your happy influence, as well in the procurement of a spiritual blessing upon his Soul, as you honorable Madam have been special and noble in taking care for his supportance and encouragement. And I wish you may never want the milk of the divine bread of that God unto whose new-born Child you are become so bountiful a Nurse, wherein you have provided not onely for him, but for the honour of the Christian, yea of the poor English Church, and for the encouragement of others to come in to the embracement of Gods Truth, in the entire reliance upon the divine mercy, which I wish you may see effectual in a happy confluence of many multitudes unto the Gospel of Christ, to the advancing of the reward of your piety from his hand whose abundant blessing I wish upon you all, who am,

Honoured Madam, Noble Lord, Worthy Sir, Your humble Servant in Christ Jesus,

Tho. Warmstry,

A Postscript

Giving an Account of the last Conference betwixt Mr. Gunning and Signior Dandulo.

After these words, pag. 9. line 23. After our departure it pleased God to send reverend Mr. Gunning, who after some strugglings obtained from him at length (as if some violent beam of light and grace had broken in upon his soul, &c.) not onely a consent to be baptised, but an earnest desire that it might be done without delay, saying, Let it be done to morrow.

That the Reader may be satisfied, who will probably desire to know what that last Discourse was betwixt Mr. Gunning and Signior Dandulo, which obtained from him his consent to be Baptized, Dr. Warmstry by Letter intreated Mr. Gunning, that he would be pleased to set down that last Discourse, which at Dr. Warmstry's request, Mr. Gunning hath done in the following account.

Mr. Gunning.

Signior, You may remember that when I was with you before, I told you that we must found our discourse concerning our two different Religions on that wherein we both are agreed concerning Religion; which was this; That the Light of Nature and Right Reason common to us both, hath confessedly taught us both, that one onely true God is to be worshipped, the Maker, Conserver, Governor, and Judge of the world, and that the Dictates of Right Reason and of the Law of Nature are the Laws of that One God, in obedience whereto, to serve that One God is true Religion. Now whatever Religion superadds more then this, which the light of Nature teacheth, pretending supernatural Revelation for its perfecting, clearing, and repairing what by sin is become maimed, corrupt and obliterate, in the dim light of Nature which needeth medicine (as both Christianity and Turcism do superadd) must either bring proofs of such their superaddition, and pretended supernatural Revelation, or must justly be suspected of Imposture. The proof of a supernatural Revelation and Religion made by Jesus Christ to the world, I having instantly offered you, you tell me it is unnecessary for that your own Religion doth confess and witness that already, and if Jesus Christ were not a true Prophet come from God, Mahomet must confess himself a false Prophet. It remains therefore, as I told you, and now this second time expect your deliberate Answer, That you bring some proof that Mahomet hath received from God any such supernatural Revelation for the founding of his new Religion.

I askt you if it can be well proved concerning any supernatural Miracles which he wrought, or any Prophecy concerning him that had been known or affirmed by any, before his affirming it himself.

Sig. Dandulo. I told you that Christ Jesus himself did foretell of Mahomet to come.

Mr.G. If this can be proved,you say well and beleive well, for I having proved the Truth of Christianity, from the Confessions of Mahometanism, if you can prove the Religion of Mahomet

met from the Prediction of Christ, then you have also the confession of Christianity : But now I Convene your Conscience, and require you before Christ Jesus , whom you call The Spirit of the living God, and we the Word and Son of the living God, to whose Prediction you now appeal, and to which we Christians must certainly be most obliged and willing to stand, to a Hedge and assign if you can through all that six hundred years that past'twixt Christ and Mahomets time, any words witnessed to have come from Jesus Christ by any Disciple of his, or any deriving from them, or any Book extant before Mahomets birth written by any of the followers of Jesus Christ, or by Jesus Christ himself} or thirdly, any Company or communion of men that proseft Religion in Jesus Christ, who lived in that six hundred years 'twixt Christ and Mahomet, that ever witnessed that any such prediction or promise was made by Jesus Christ concerning Mahomet, or held any such Tradition amongst them. If you are able to name any,let us hear the Author of such words or Books,or such company or communion of men , where or when they lived, or whoever heard of them.In sum, shew any thing of Chricts or Christians speaking concerning Mahomet before Mahomets first saying it of himself. Or else if nothing can be shewed, then tell me what could an Impostor have done other then Mahomet hath done in this ? vix either himself onely to witness of himself without doing any supernatural Miracles , which might bear witness to him, or to alleadge a witness for himself, which none ever heard (peak , nor ever said that he so witness'd,except and before himself. If to this you arc still unable to reply anything, we are both

willing to put our selves upon that iffue for the tryal of our grounds of our beleiving in Christ , which Jesus Christ himself offered his Adversaries for the proof of his Doctrine. Adh.ioXa-) the worlds that I 'do, theybearwitnefsofme. 25 (b If I do not the worlds of my Father belrive

b)oh.io.™e not'-, but if I do, though you beleeve notme, J7s%. beleeve the worlds, (c) And in another place, if cl oh«i5« * hadnot done among them the wor s which none 24/ other did, they had not had sin.

And secondly, We are ready to alledge numberless Volumes written by the followers of Jesus Christ within that six hundred [years betwixt Christs Ascension , and Mahomets coming, and living Societies of Christian Professors throughout the World , and throughout those six Ages which witnessed to certain Books as containing the Doctrines and Institutions, and Precepts, and Predictions made by Jesus Christ ', in all which Books, according to any Copies in any Language extant within those 600 years, there is not any word of mention concerning such a Prophet as Mahomet to come, nor any Tradition ever heard of amongst those Christians concerning such a Prophet to come : Whereas we fetch our witness concerning the Prophesies of the coming of Jesus Christ from Books written many Ages before Christs coming, which our bitterest Adversaries the Jews keep, and atteft, and own as the Oracles of God, confirmed to be such at first by supernatural miracles ; and which Books our ether Adversaries the Pagans had read and acknowledged to be extant before the coming of Christ. Indeed, whereas Jesus Christ prophesied that after his departure, he would send the Holy Ghost the Paraclete to] lead hk Apftles into all truths and so it must needs

be whilst the Apostles were yet alive , he having promised it to them. Simon Magus first about the fortieth year of Christ, gave out himself to be that promised Holy Ghoft, or Paraclete among the Gentiles \ and about the year 220. af- YMt h ter Christ (dj Montanus pretended that he was hJJ** that Paraclete nd that Jesus Christ had propheAu Au tied of him \ and about the year 278 after ref20 Christ (ej Manes or Manichaeus gave out himself % tobz that Paraclete, and that.] efus Christ hade£* prophesied of him.} all which conld shew in the jjj;e( Books of Jesus Christ a Paraclete foretold m should come, but no reason of their blafphej£ rer mous affirmation, that they were that Para-A . clete : Then, 600 years after Christ Mahomet, pretends that Jesus Christ had prophesied of him as a great Prophet that should come into the world, but he not able so much as to shew any such Prophesie of any Prophet j now thislmpofture being so grofs,what can your Conscience have to answer before God, to follow longer, and to tranfmit to posterity by your adha?fion, such a coufenage in so grea a matter, concerning the Religion of the moil High God, and the eternal woe or welfare of your own and others immortal Souls, contrary to the Religion both that which the light of Nature and right Reason, I told you taught us both, and that which he whom you call the Spirit of God, and we call the Word of God ( by and from whom all Prophets, if Prophets of God, must speak hath taught the whole world ; and which Prophets cannot speak contrary one to another, nor to the Spirit of God , by whose inspiration they are prophets, nor to the Word of God who speaks by them.

Sir, I pray tell me, need I forther to prove to

Mahometanity, or need I further explain to you the Articles of Christianity then has been done ?

Sig.D. No,They are true.

Mr.G. If so you beleive, will you be bapti? zed into that Faith ?

Sig.D. How thinly you lean do that without danger to my life .«* except should resolve never to see more my Country, and Parents and Friends and all that U in this world dear unto me *

Mr.G* I know well and consider that you cannot, without suffering that loss for Christ his sake, and yet for your pwn sake also ; for you must remember that we took the rise of our discourse from what we were both agreed in, ui . the Light of Nature and Right Reason , which teacheth us, and hath taught many Heathen Philosophers , that the eternal concernment of our immortal Souls after this life, is to be infinitely preferred before any such con (iderations of such worldly and temporary loffes ; and that the one true living God, which Right Reason teaches is the Author of all good things Temporal and Eternal , and All-sufficient to make good to us any thing we lose for his sake, and is mod certainly the rewarder of them that seek out the true Religion, and honestly follow it when they finde it. Also when you began any discourse about Religion, we took it for granted on both sides, that they are most unworthy to hear or make any such discourse, who are not resolved to adhere to the Truth, whatever worldly inconvenience come thereby. Also I now inform you of one part of the R evelation made by Jesus Christ, vi . That there is no man who forsakes Father, or Mother, or brethren, or Sisters, or Houses, or Lands

for bis sake and the Gospels, but he shall receive in this world an hundredfold however in spiritual benedictions and consolations 3 with perfecttions, and in the world to come everlasting life. Having food and rayment we are bid therewith to be content ; an4 that he hath promised to oar prayers and honest endeavors, having left us this assurance, that the godliness of Christian Religion hath the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. But tell me Signiqr, is it not everlasting life, and the true Religion, which leads thereto, concerning which you desired to discourse with me ?

Sig D. Tes, that, that only is confiderable, whatever becomes of my Body. But tell me, I pray Sir, may I not bold this Religion which you have taught me without being baptised, which is the onely thing will bring danger to me from my Country-men ?

Mr.O. Nay, you must, as believe, so also confess the Faith of Jesus Christ, and set to your seal that this is the True Religion, and receive the seal of Gods Covenant, and not be ashamed to renounce that shameful Imposture of Mahomet, and own the Faith of the Lord of Glory Jesus Christ , whom we teach and preach unto you.

Sig.D. But where is that in your Books required, that I must needs be Baptised ?

Mr.G. Hear me read out of that Book of God I pray you. ( f ) Amen, Amen, I say unto thee, T ,. except Any one be born of Water and of the Spirit Jon* 2; tie cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; tbat°**' which is born of the slesh is slesh, and that wbich& r° is born of the Spirit is Spirit, (gj And another 'v' r place, Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every ensure 5 He that believes and is

baptised shall be saved, he that believes not shall be damned, (h) And in another place, Arise and be baptised, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of th Lord.

Sig.D. To morrow, to morrow I will be baptised. -

Mr.G. Kay, oiir Religion and Discipline permits not that hastiness in this weighty matter,- you must first be more fully instructed in the necessary works of Repentance, and Articles of Faith and Vows to be made in your Baptism, all which we will immediately go about, and within convenient time, through the mercy of God, you shali receive holy Baptism.

Sig.D. But what if I should die in the mean lime of this deferring ?

Mr.G. God will accept your present will, and desires for that deed, which it is his will" should not be performed, but upon due preparation ; in the mean time, let us humbly address our selves to prayers unto God through Jesus Christ, and call upon him on whom you have believed, that he will sit you for Baptism, by perfecting in you true Repentance, and a lively faith, and vouchsafe you remission of all your sins,and renewing of the Holy Ghost in the laver of holy Baptism.

PETER GUNNING.

The Narrative

iOD having been pleased of his great goodness to give a blessing unto the poor endeavors that have been used for the Conversion of a Soul from the errors and delusions of tfie Mahunietan Infidelity, to the holy Truth of the saving Gospel of Christ Jesus-, whereby a comfortable access hath been made unto the afflicted Church of England ; notwithstanding all the discouragements that are uponsuch designs in these evil times 1 suppose it may be conducible to the glory of God , and to the comfort of his faithful people , ehat desire the advancement of the

Kingdom of Christ Jesus, and for the Hiring up of others to the employment of their labours for the bringing home of such, and others that are milled, unto the Fold of the Lord Jesus drift, that there may be some account given unto the people of this Nation , and that some publick Record may be left unto Posterity of the gracious dispensation of the Almighty in this matter. I have therefore thought good to set forth this brief declaration thercof,in hope that it will.be no unacceptable service to God and his people.

Chapter I.

of the Name, Linage, and Country of this Convert.

THe name of this person whom God hath thus graciously brought home unto his Church, was before his Baptism Rigep or in our Language Joseph Dandulo , derived by six or seven Generations or Descents from a noble Family of the Danduli of Venice. Of this Name and Family I find divers in the Catalogue of Grimstone, who have been advanced to the great Dignity of the Dukedom of that famous and ancient Commonwealth. The first , Henry D'Andulo , in whose time Constantinople was taken, and the Empire of the East gained, wherein he assisted the Princes and Barons of the French. This, Henry D'Andulo died General of all the Christian Armie.

Another Dandulo chosen in his absence, in whose time the City was afflicted with Water and Earthquakesjie made war in Istria againil the Patriarch of Aquileia, and the Count Capitolo ; at the instance of Pope Nicholas, he succoured with Twenty five Galleys', the Arch-Bishop of Tripoli.

The third, Francis D'Andulo bywhose i'nterceilion (casting himself at the feet of the Pope with a chain of iron about his neck ) the Excommunication of the Pope had been formerly taken off from Venice. In the time of his Dukedom, they of VqU tfid Frf/f/rfiibmktedthemselves to "the Commonwealth ; FfidH* was taken-, he was of the League of the Christian Princes against: the Turk ; and in his time there were Three-, score Ambassadors at once in Venice he governed ten years and ten moneths.

The fourth, Andrew D'Andulo, who caused the dearth to cease by bringing Corn from Sicily, he obtained of the King of Babylon free Navigation into Egypt. Zara having rebelled the seventh time was recovered; War was made against the Genoese, and the City was troubled with Earthquakes and Pestilence; he governed about twelve years. Besides these that enjoyed the excellency of the Dukedom, there is mention also of one Matthew Dandolo, who was sent Ambassador, together with Nicholas de Ponte, from Hieronimo Prioli then Duke of Venice, to the Council of Trent.

From this noble Stock of the Venetian Commonwealth , was this our Convert, it seemeth, sprung ; so that he is derived, as we lee from Christian Ancestors. The corruptions of whose blood have now, (as I may so speak) been restored and purified in him by the water of holy Baptism, which he hath now lately through Gods mercy received.

Some of the branches of that generous Stock have been it seemeth transplanted (probably ) in the various events of those Wars which have been so frequent between the Turk and the Venetians, of whom the Father of this our welcome Christian is at this time a silk Merchant of good Estate in the Island of Tzio, not far from Smyrna, a professed Turk, but his Mother is a Christian, of the Greek Church whose Christian profession , as it did invest him unto a just tide unto Baptism even in his infancy-, for the unbeleeving Husband is fa notified by the Wife, and therefore the Childe was holy, so it may be, the prayers of this Christian Mother, like the tears of Monica for her Augustine, have ministred unto the good providence of Almighty God, for the bringing home of this straied sheep unto the holy Fold of Christ Jesus, This happy Convert her Son, was the subject of the Divine Providence in many notable passages of his life hitherto , through which the Lord hath at last brought him to this happy period of his wandrings, and change of his Profession, into the bosom of the persecuted English Church.

Chapter II.

of his Education and Travails.

I N his infancy he was bred up with his I parents, but according to the way of the delusions of his Father , whose authority prevailed against the pious inclinations and desires of his Mother , which yet now at length God hath blessed with the Victory, and with a success even beyond her desires

desires-, having brought him into a more pure profession of the Christian Religion then that which she embraceth ; even in* to that which is embraced by the old and Orthodox part of the Church of England; then which ( I hope we may be allowed to say)there is none in the world that doth more soundly embrace the Christian Doctrine, and is glorious even in the rubbish, the very stones and dust of the ruins which she is under, and whom God hath so graciously owned even in this time of her trouble and contempt,by giving this extraordinary access unto her Body.

About the sixth year of his age he was stoln away by the Moors, amongst whom he lived for the space of about Nine years, and in that time he visited the great City of Grand Cairo in Egypt ; the place where God was pleased to deliver his people of old, that he might bring them into the land of Canaan: And so God hath called even this his Son , his newly adopted Son from Egypt. The Moor With whom he lived had a great desire to have detained him with him, and for an inducement thereunto offered him his Daughter. But God who had another and far more happy marriage in store for him, would not suffer him to lay hold upon that

bait, but made use of the natural desire that he had to see his Parents and his Country, to bring him from thence, that at length he might arrive at a better Country, even a Heavenly one which is the Church of God and come home unto better Parents, even God himself , and the Catholike Church. And so as Saul sought his Fathers Affes, and sound a Kingdom - he might by the desire that he had unto a natural blessing, be set in the way to the obtaining a supernatural Inheritance.

So that God that in his wise Providence ordereth all things and motions of the World to the advancement of his Kingdom, and for the good and salvation of his People and that maketh Nature it self serve the designs and purposes of his heavenly grace, drew this person from his Moorish entertainment by the cords of those inclinations that were in him towards his friends, and his native Soil, unto his Fathers house , where he arrived back again at the age of about Fifteen years. But his long absence having dismissed the hopes , and discharged the expectation of his Parents to see him again, he was become now nowhere a greater stranger then at home : The impressions of natural relation were in a great de-

gree worn out , and those characters that were yet left almost starved for want of that nourishment which they usually receive from tjie enterview of pretence, or intercourse of intelligence even these it seems were so far out-grown by him, that there could be little or no compliance sound between the species or forms he left behind him in their minds, and the favour and garb wherein he returned unto them-, so that when he came to his Mothers door, and renewed his claim unto the Womb that bare him, and to the Breasts that gave him suck , the Mother fulfilled the word of God by the Prophet, and had forgotten her own sucking childe she was hardly brought to own him for her Son, though she had no other childe of that sex to supply his room in her heart. For it is not to be omitted that he is the onely Son of his Parents ; so that his retirement into the bosom of Gods Church , cannot reasonably, much less charitably, be looked upon as an earthly refuge but as a gracious and heavenly choice, since he had so strong an interest as is that of an onely Son both in the affection and care of those parents that were and are so well able to provide for him. And indeed though it be true, that it is the wonder of the Divine Mercy '- that the Lord is pleased not to refuse the very rejections and refuses of the world and to take up those whom their Fathers and Mothers for sake ; To receive, a poor returning Prodigal that is driven unto him by the disappointment of the very trough and husks of the Swine, and take up even out-casts into his fatherly bosom : And though the same mod gracious God thinks good to make the unhospitableness and ill entertainment of the Relations and usage of the World, a means to bring in many sincere Converts into his House and family ; yet it is such an Argument of sincerity, as may well advance both our confidence and joy in this our late received Fellow-Christian, that he comes unto us upon more noble , generous, and free inducements, then the want of an interest in those earthly friends, that were well able to maintain him in that profession that he was in.

Neither was he long shut out either ; from the doors or from the bowels of his rechallenged Parents ; for although at the first he was not acknowledged, yet (as Mothers are curious speculators of their Children, ) she had, it seems, laid up in her memory against this time of need a certain mark that she had observed in the body

of her Childe, to which she thought good to refer the trial of his plea for his restitution unto her Family and care ; and up * on the search, having sound that character upon him, she and her Husband too, (as we may well imagin) received him with great joy into their mutual bosoms and embraces ( as we use to do those comforts that come beyond our expectations ) even as if they had had him new born unto them, or had received him from the very grave of death, which must needs stir up great endearments in their hearts, and raise up great joy and solace in their souls, whilst they might say in the litteral sense, as the Prodigals Father did in the spiritual, It is meet that we should rejoya, for this our Son was lost and is sound, he was steady as to our enjoyment or knowledge of him and is alive again.

And this was the first remarkable return of our Convert from his Moorish pilgrimage unto his Fathers house.

But in this he was but his own parable as it were. This was but the dark type and figure of that more blessed return that he hath now lately made unto his heavenly Father, and to his Mother the Church. I conceive I may well call this a return too, because though he sprang immediately from a Turkish Father, yet he was not onely derived from Christian Ancestors, as is before declared, (and God hath mercy for thousands) but he received his conception and birth in and from the Womb of a Christian Mother and according to the Apostles decision (who allotteth the Title not unto the stronger in respect of Nature, but unto the better principle in respect of Grace, or the Christian profession) he was born into the world an holy Childe, and in the bosom of the Catholick Church of Christ; from whence, though he was ravished for a time by those evil principles which his bad Education infused into him, yet the Lord hath now in mercy restored him thereunto.

Yet he did not presently attain unto this blessing , but was carried through divers other Providences unto that happy time and place to which God had reserved him for the receiving of so great a mercy. Being received again into his Fathers Family about the age (as he relates) of 1 5 years, he there continued for some certain time : But after some years having both person and gifts to encourage him, and render him acceptable for the service of the Wars, He was engaged in several Expeditions

against the Christians , and was him* self employed in that late Battel between the Turk and Venetian , and was a witness and partner in that defeat which fell on the Mahometans side and by swimming through part of the Sea unto the Land , escaped that destruction which so many others of the Mahometans recieved in that defeat that befel the Turkish Army.

And God made his deliverance a happy means of the escape of a poor Christian Slave whom he met withal , delivered from his hard Master by that storm. This poor Christian he met with when he was gotten to Land, and although he might have made good advantage unto himself by returning him again to his Matter: Yet having received a command from his Mother to be kind and merciful unto Christians, and that loving and ingenuous disposition that appears to be in him, inclining" him to companionate one that had been under so great a misery, he was willing to venture his own safety, in assisting him to make his escape away.

Another Christian, ( as it is averred) he redeemed at another time at the rate of fourty and six Dollars, of which he wanting the odd six in money to make up the

rand3) ansom of the poor Captive, he pawned lis Garment to make it up ; and surely as :his companion of his, whilst yet a Turk, towards those that were then so adverse to him in their profession, may shame here and will condemn hereafter that uncompassionate bowelless cruelty that Christians now exercise one towards another, amongst whom every difference in judgement or practice, is not onely taken for a discharge of love, but an engagement unto hatred ad cruelty, which may well make our and other Christian Nations as red with blushing, as they are with the blood of one another : .So we may well conceive, that God that loves all goodness, and every thing in every creature that beareth any resemblance of himself, hath graciouslyj rewarded the pitty and mercy of this(then)Mahumetan unto poor Christians, by pouring out that flood of mercy and companion upon him, in the illumination of his soul with his heavenly truth, and his ingrafting into the mystical Body of Christ Jesus, yet not of any merit, buc of his free goodness.

I think not (it to forget, ( though perhaps I have not remembred it in its due place,) that whilst he was conversant with his Parents at home, it being one of the

Mahumetan Laws, that all shall take up on them the state of Marriage at the age of Twenty five years old at the furtheft, one or both of his Parents proposed a Wife unto him. The treaty thereof was even yet on foot, when he ca'me lately out of those parts, and good endearment of affection was entertained on both tides, which yet he is now content to sacrifice in the fire of that holy love which hath been since kindled in his breast toward the Lord Jesus and his holy Gospel

Chapter III.

of the Age, Stature, and Qualities of the Convert.

HIS Age is now about Twenty four years, his Stature tall, his Body very slender, his colour something swarthy, and of the die of those Climates wherein he hath lived, his feature comely, and his deportment very loving and courteous, he is very temperate in his diet, sober and orderly in his conversation,of a chearful and' ingenuous disposition, of extraordinary understanding and knowledge for one that

hath

been bred up in those parts, and amongst those people where Arts andLearning are under restraints and prohibitions ; he is of a pregnant wit, and of good and elegant expression, adorned with handsome rhetorical flowers and illustrations, be is one that dislikes debauchery of life, and hath complained before his conversion, of miscarriages of that kinde which he observed in some that walk under the name of Christians, particularly of some whom he met with at jvapping; which (houk admonish both them and others that liv. in an irregular course of life and conversation, to consider seriously of the greac dishonor that they thereby do unto Chriil and the profession of the Gospel, arid the great danger that is upon them, to become answerable unto the dreadful judgement of God, not only for their own souls whom they ruine by their wickedness, but. of the souls of many others whom they may ruine by their scandals ; whilst they draw some into the like wickedness by their evil and contagious examples, and hinder others from embracing that truth , the profession whereof they finde accompanied with such vile debauchery of life and conversation; and so confirm them in their errors to the ruine of their souls which

are like to be laid to their charge at the last day-, God grant we may all lay this unto our hearts for I ampersuaded the wickedness of Christians at the last day, will be charged with the loss and condemnation of the rest of the world.

Chapter IV.

of the occasion and motive of his comtng into England.

RUt that we may make hafte unto the main Business, and set before you that bl efied work which the Lord hath wrought upon this our Convert, to the praise of the glory of his grace :

When he had for some time solaced himself with the enjoyment of the comforts of his recovered Parents and their Family, and pafled through some other varieties of Providence both in War and Peace, being as it seems of too active a spirit to be shut up within the narrow bounds of his Family-contentments :, he took a journey to Smyrna, where he met with Mr. Lawrenc r, Son to the Lady Lawrence ofCkelsey, with whom he fell into some acquaintance,

whereb y

wherebyfthough then it were little dreamt of) God made some preparations for that happy change that hach bin iince wrought upon him, as will appear anon.

From Smyrna he departed to Tnyiis ; and from Tunis to v// r, where wcfliall finde a gracious experiment of Gods great goodness unto his people , and see how he makes all things work together for good, and for the advancement of those gracious designs which he hath contrived in hiseternal Councels, for the bringing home of his loitiheep unto him, and for the spreading and exaltation of the Kingdom of his Son ; and how he causes even the publike interests of those Princes and Nations of the world , and their Politick and civil concernments, (however excentricaKhey are in their purposes to hirs end ) yet in their occurrences and events to concenter with those his gracious determinations ? and that in order to those mercies which heintends to one particular soulso watch* fuland careful is God for the advantage and benefit of his people, that designs of several great Nations and Kingdoms, niyj of the business of the whole world shall be brought in to serve and minister unto that. blessing which he entendeth to one iingle Soul 5 rat her then he shall fail of his mercy. Whilst he was at Algier, being through providence difappointed of another intended journey, there was a dispatch of an Agent from thence into 8ngUnd, that God appointed to be his Convoy to waft him over not onely from that Turkish Region into this Nation, but also ( as it bach proved in the happy success, which is a good interpreter of Gods intendments, though not so good for a commentary uponiiis Laws, nor for the discovery of his' judgment of our adions ) to convey him from the Turkish Religion into the bosom of the true and orthodox ChristianChnrchj hisdefireto see this strange Nation, that is now (upon very sad terms, as we may well conjecture) become the noise and the wonder of the world, -inclined him to comply with that opportunity, not knowing yet what God meant to do with him therein -y and so hither he came : And that nothing might be wanting to the fulfilling of the gracious purpose of the Almighty, the forefaid-Mr.Z, m*r£ , the Son of the Lady LawrerceotChelf.y, was sent over about the same time to meet him here, by whom he was after some time brought unto Che/fey to the house of his worthy Mother, where he was kindly entertained, and in du time of hk first continuance

there, I had a sight of him -in his Turkish Habit hut as yet God had~ nor f:ired up my heart to attempt any thing upon him for his Conversion neither indeed did I well know how to artault him, he being as yet a stranger to the Engiifh tongue, nor acquainted wkh the Latin, nor any but the vulgar Greek, the Arab , and the Franck, which is a kinde of a bastard Italian j but in the time of his being there he had entered into fonie familiarity with Mr. Lawrence a Turkish Merchant,

wh© married the Daughter of the Lady Lawrence before mentioned, who finding him,as he conceived, proper for somepurposes of his , prevailed with him to slay some longer time in England then he intended to have done, and so became the means of that blessed opportunity . that hath been since laid hold on, for his illumination. A while after he came agaiti to the Lady Lawrences of Che/fej , at whose house I happily sound him when I came thither one evening to dothofeobservances which I owe unto that worthy Lady(by whose favour I enjoy an habitation as her Tenant in the Town of Chelsej) but little did I dream what work the Lord had there for me to begin \ but God having brought me thither began to work not onely by ex- ; C ' (king

citing inward inclinations in me to the undertaking of that business of his Conversion , but also by the encouragement and compliant desires of the Lady her self, and Mr. Shugborou h who fojourneth with herso in much weakness, with the assistance of Mr. Lawrence the

Merchant , before-mentioned , who was pleased to do the part of an Interpreter between me and this Convert, I made an entrance upon the Work of his Conversion.

Chapter V.

of the method and manner of his Conversion.

VPon the first attempt I sound him very averie,. and even strongiy. and desperately refoived to venture himself upon that Religion which his Father had entertained, and derived unto him, though it should coft him his damnation,yet at the Iaft he was brought into some doubt, whether was the true Religion, the MahumetanortheChristianand seemed to tend towards a kind of indiffewncyy and same

expreP

expressions , ( as I remember ) fell from him, intimating a desire that God would dired him to the truthand as such a thought, where it is (incere, I am persuaded, feldom or never returns without a blessing, unless we be wanting unto our selves, in the use or embracement of Gods offers : so it is an excellent beginning to a work of Wisdom and Grace upon a Soul, for a man to be brought so far from his Errors, 2Lsbme dubitarcto doubt wellv for mod men perish in ev il and ungrounded confidences j when therefore I sound that this breach was made in that evil Fortress wherein he had flood , I thought good to make the work as sure as I could, and therefore refolving not to rely upon my own strength, in a business of so great concernment, I made hafte to weftminfler and imparted the business and the progress that I had made, and the hopes that I had, unto reverend Mr. Tkurfgcrcft, earnestly defiring his assistance in a matter that might bring so much glory to God ; at leait that we might do our endeavors, that we might not be anfvverable to God for the loss of his soulwithal expreffing some hopeful confidence of a comfortable fuccess in the uadertaking : He feeing my earneftness seemed to conjecture that there was

some more then ordinary stirring of the Spirit in the matter, and shewI ed himself very ready to give afliftance in the Workadvised me to an Interpreter, | which we much wanted , vU. one Mr. SamoU , who had been a Traveller in the* Turkish parts, and so knew very well how to accoft him in that Language which is usually spoken amongst them in those Territories which is the Frank Language, or bastardJtalian. This Gentleman was but lately returned from his Travels to his Country, and since that return made another happier then that, from the errors and Superftitions of Popery to the true Christian Catholick, Apoitolick Religion, profeiTed by the Church of England , to which God brought him by the advice and jnftruction of his learned and worthy Kinfman Mr. Samov* lately Chaplain to my Lord of Elgin ; andfo as Andrew having sound outChrist,brought his brother.Sime* unto hinr 8i as Phi lip sound out Nathanael so the Lord was pleased to honor him,who had been but now very lately converted from his own Errors and Superftitions to the embracement of the Truth, jy making him a very great and active in irument of the conversion of another, even of this our lately baptized Christian from the Ma*

humetan

humettn Delnficns andBlafphemies to the holy Gospel of Christ Jesus,

' But to the farther and furer promotion of our designe, Mr. Thirfcrofs with my self, thought good to engage that worthy and learned Divine Mr. Tetcr Gumng , who hath shewed himself a very able and worthy Champion of Gods Truth and his Church, both against Pap ifts a ad others, that he might employ his excellent abilities for the bringing of this work begun unto a happy Ififue.

The motion was no foonermade, but readily embraced by him.

To this purpose he with Mr. Samois addreffeth himself unto Chelsey, to the house of the Lady Laurence, who was pleased to give a very favourable and courteoufs entertainment to all that came about that holy business (which I hope will be re. turned in many blcslings upon her Family.)

Upon the first Discourse that Mr. 6W inz and my self together hadwith him, wherein Mr. Guning took great and effectuall pains there was yet no conclusion produced in him answerable to desire

But the Lord himself the night after , it seems , took him in hand, and seconded our endeavors , with a very strange

and Wonderful dream, which the Convert himself related the next Morning and seemed not a little affected with it.

Chapter VI.

the Relation of a strange Dream that the Convert had, after some Discourse had with him before his Conversion.

The Dream was this.

HE thought htfaw a Table, with a very fair Vejfel like a Bason , (landing upon it, and two mtnstanding by it*

And prefect ly after he dreamt that he wot /landing by a (Ireame , wherein he had a great Desire to wafbhimselflbul the Stream tvas such a pithy ft inching fttddle water \ that he coulA not wajh himself in it : In this filthy sir earn he thought he f aft a Hen lie dead with her head or neckjut , and that a woman came and teohjhis dead Hen out of the puddle water ,and when she hadfet it fawn Uson its leggs9 it ran away alive.

*s4fter this at he was troubled , that he could not wajh himself in that filthy ft ream

that

that was then before him, he thought he saw upm the Juddain a very fair full and clear chryftal stream break, forth of a certain pLce, whichcame Ki'hgreM force and gujbed upon ihe filthy stream and drove it clear away, andpresented it feif in the place of

' Into this pure stream he entred, {though with feme fearfulnch at the sir ft) and but ! by Degrees wafted himself in it, and swam

over it* '

When he was gotten over the stream , and now as itseemedatsomedistancefrom it , he bejran to be very thirfy, and knew not how to act water to drink} But i» thu his neceftty, there fell a showre from Heaven, which when hefale he betook himself unto a poor house attdk»ocktatthedoorh upon that a woman came on unto him, who upon reqnefr, gave him a little difcwith Vehich he no\ someof the heavenly jhoVert that feU and therewith quenched his thirft*

Chapter VII.

An occasional Discourse concerning Dreams.

•H E Relation of this Dream raised some hope in us, that God had been pleased to own and second our endeavours So great compliance was then between it and the holy designe we had in hand, which God was pleased as it seems to ad: over in the praluMum of thisDream, as afterwards he brought it to pafs in a waking performance ; And indeecf though mariy and mod Dreams may go for the idle arid impertinent ifiues of the wandring and extravagant fantalies of men, and of the impressions which they receive either from predominant humors in the body, or vein , and evill affections in the mind, or from the representations that are made in the time of sleep, by the subtile operations of wicked Spirits; and so are either not to be much regarded, or else to be thought upon with humiliation and fbrrow,as those Evidences and fruits which break, forth in our very deeps , of our corrupt , vain and sinfull inclinationsyet some of them are of such excellent harmony in their

frame and Method, and have such a stamp of fobriety and holinefe upon them in their design and drift , that they ought not to be (lightly passed over or forgotten , but to be diligently weighed and thought upon , that we may receive instructions and admonition from them especially since we find that this hath been one way whereby God hath been pleased in very eminent maner, to make known his holy will and plealure to his people,and to admonilh and direct them, both for the avoiding that which is Evill, and for the pursuance and embracement of that which is good and profitable unto them, and well pleasing unto himas is manifest: in the notable and weighty Dreams recorded in the Scriptures, as of Abitnclech, Gen. 20, The Dream of facet, Gen. 28. of sofepk, Gen. 37. of 'Vharoah, Gen. 41. of & Hcha%ez,z**r, Daniel' 2. Daniel 4. of 'Daniel, Daniel 7. see Daniel. 8. &c. Of the man of lfrarl, Judges 7. 1 3 ; of Solomon 1 Kings 3. 5. 15. of so/eph, the husband of the Mother of Christ, Matth. 2. 1.2. 22. And that this is a way wherein God hath heretofore promised to manifest himself unto his people, you may learn by that which is written, Numb. 12.6. 7 3 3 ; x 5 ; frr.M.zf. foci if 2S. ff ti7Nor. ; - dare

Cafaub. kre I condemn that which is said to be reef Enlated by Antoninus that famous Emperor thuf.d,.* concerning cures by Dreams,** onlj( faith a learned Writter of our Church) approved unto him f elf by hisorvn, hut unto others al' so by frequent experience. Galen is said often to have had a Dream to Write fch or such a Book , to go% or forbear such a jour *ey ; which puts me in mind of that which befell St. Paul, 4ft. \6.g. unto whom a Wan of Macedonia appeared in a Fifien or Dream by night, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonea and help us.

Ecclesiastical History, and other Monuments that are left us of the various and wonderful passagesof the world, afford us many and frequent examples of very remarkable things of this nature. Alexander the Great, when he was Upon an Expedition againfl: Tyre, thought in his Dream that he saw a Satyre, which upon confutation had, this Interpretation, ra TJf©- 9 Ty*e is thine ; The very Syllables of the name of that Monfter which he thought he saw , importing in their signification the Victory that he obtained -, and the Success was answerable thereunto.

Another Dream of his is more famous and remarkabletas that which £ seemeth

to have madeuse of as an instrument of great and gracious Providence and it was this : He thought he favv in a Dream orVifion, the form of a man presenting it (elf unto him in rich and awful Attire, eventhose very Robes which were used by Gods appointment by the High Triefi of the JeVPt and shortly afterwards, as he was riding toward erptfaUm, he rget fadtu in a Habit directly answerabie to nis Dream, which (truck such an awfulness into him , that he lighted from his Steed or Chariot , and did him great reverence and by this means his fury was diverted from the fefos.

It is related of fulltu fa far, that the y. Pluu night before his deftrudion he dreamed in vita that he was placed by the Throne of JuCafar.fy pter, and that by and by afcer he was r* tumbled down out of Heaven. Lt cnA

Siwonides having exercised his humanity and mercy, in buryiag of a dead 7 f' man, and being afterwards determined to fe 0rir. take a journey by Sea, thought he saw the iff iuan* same dead man whom he had buried, apuu pearing unto him, and admonishing L;,n to forbear that Voysg; declaringunto him that if he should undertake it, he should wise arrj therein \ and la 1sts4ife\ He took thisadmonition and scckaped that (hipwrack.

wradcwhereby all that went perifti" ed.

flfts The M her of Grii6f7 ® ******* ( as Msonfc. EaMw}"™ -telateth out of the History of chcJivih*s We) having petitioned yW, in'ner nathnem prayers /ir * y , with a vow to deftinate him to the holy fer vice of gW, had it revealed to her in a Dream, That fie Ihould haves Son born of her, and had his Vtfase presented unto her, and h& name declared in her Dream or.Vision.

St Augufthic re'lateth in his Third Book of Conftjjion.t , that whilst he was yet a Mamchee , his Mother Monica had a Dream that she was (landing upon a.jsWf» Rul and being very sad, f.nv a glorious JoHKg mm very j yfut and of a chearful countenance cowing unto her , and that he as sted he ri he c a tise of her fadnef? and when [he had declared that it was by reason of the firrow that sit had for her Sen, who was then in the VPay of deft ru 8 ionhe bid her be of goodchear, and wished her to mark andebserve, and that fie Should see her Son to be vrithhtr where jhe was , and jo she saw her Son Handing with her uton the same Rule.

The same Anguftine hath a story of one Curmas that lived near unto Hippwhtvz be was Ttifio who in hissleep thought

he few himself Saptifcd by Augufilnt , c"je and that afterwards he was led ir.to Paracaf.co'nf. difei and as he was difmifTed from thence, «ww he thought he heard a voyce saying unto iP r** him, Qo and be bxptifed, if thou wilt be in j'2' this place of the b/ejfed; and that afterwards being admonished to b* baptizea by Augufiine and returning answer that that Vqm already done ( as his Dream had before presented it to him ) he that spake unto birh in his Dream or Vision replied thus,(7o (faith he) and be baptized indeed, for that was but a Vision ; Whereupon he went to Hippo, and was amongst others baptized by Aftguftine that knew nothing of the Viiionor Dream.

Sozomen in the Sixth Book of his {-.s m, clefiaftical Htstory , and Second Chap, l|U& teileth us, that the death of fulia*** A- - - rjostate was fore-discovered j»* Alexandrinm in a Dream ; S in the Fifth Chapter of the same £*• that the Tumults of the ArrU n the Church were discovered to jfiw in a Dream.

lejjius in his Book, De ia f Le§mie cctterifque virtntibm cardinal 9 • 2;}nfiit3m3 cap45 ; dttbit.S. the title where15? 2w/-i.2c 45 que divinatio ex spmnit sit La makes*, mention of the Dream of Wrf« , 7 r: wherein

wherein he being yet a private man,: thought he law himselfjcrowned by Mtletius a tiifiop,\vhen as yet he had not thought of any such thing/ nor had any knowledg Jheodor. °* theTaid Btfiop See Theodor. Hift.Ub .

c6,so 7. The same Lefftw also, in the same Chapter remembers the Dream of St. Policcti

Jeff, ubi fM- wn0 thought in his deep that hU p*7-

fupa. low *a4 alt on fire whereby was signified the manner of his Martyrdom

It is also written in the life c ( Partus j that before the deilruction of the Tala1 'mate, he saw in his Dream HtidltbergQVL fire.

In the life of Sir Henry Wotton lately set forth, we hcvve mention of two Dreams5 one of Nicholas Wotton, Dean of Canter' bury Uncle to Sir Thomas Wott*n\ andthej

TheL-, Other of Sir Thomas Wotton himself, Sir

9f Sir H, Henries Father.

Wotton. u The first was this, AT;V W*?.f wotton Dear of Canterbury being Ambaflfador in f ance in theyear, 1555. in the time oi Queen Mary, had a Dream wherein he was admonished that Thomas Wott°n his Nephew xvxs inclined to be a party in [tick a *Proje£l, wkich {if Le Were not (peedily diverted) wonld turn to the loss and /uint both of his life and Family. Whereupon he

jrtaemforing

I remembring the Dream of Monica concerning St Avguftixie her Son and considering that Almighty God hath even in latter times by a certain illumination of the Soul in (leep, discovered in Dreamt many things that humane wisdom could not forefee , resolved to use some prudenc remedy-, to this end he wrote to the Queen and befought her, That she would cafrfe his Ncpb:w Tho.Wotton to be sent for cut of Kent and that the Lord* of her Council might, interrogate hint in frme such feigned que f ions at might give a colour for his amr. rnitwent into a favorable Prison; declaring that he \ old dcejuaint her Aftjeflj with the true reason of his re 'tjm ft , when he should next become so kippj as to see and ffeuk to. her Majeftv. This was done according td his desire, and Thomas Wottfa committed to prison. And by this means he was prevented from an engagement with ivyat and the Kenti(h Rebells ; wherein ( as he afterwards acknowledged to his Uncle,' when he returned into Englandjhc was likely to have been involved s and so they bo th joyned in praiiing God for that admoniti on which was given in the Dream for the prevention thereof.

The other Dream was one thatbefel Sir Thomas tvotton himself, who ( as it is re. iatbd) had many that' did usually prove T " true *

true, both in foretelling things to come, and discovering things past : That which we now desire to mention was this; Sir Thomas Wotton a little before his death dreamed, That the Treafury of the Vniverfity of Oxford was robbed bj Townfmtn and pjcr ScholUrs and that the number of them was Fi e-, And being the day following to write unto his Son Henry ( being then at Oxford) he gave him a slight notice thereof in a Poftfcript of his Letter, which came to his Sons hands the very morning after the night in which the Robbery was committed ( being sent to him out of Kent) and when the City and Vniuerfity were both in a perplexed inqueft of the Theevef, Sir Henry Wot ton produced his Fathers Letter, and by it such light was given that the Five Guilty persons were di [covered and apprehended. Vita cl. Take one more , with which we will Salmafnl conclude our examples of remarkable per Anto. £ reams jt js that of the learned and fa- ' mous SglmafiH* , related in his Life , set forth by Antonim CUment'tm , before the volume of the Epiilles of the said Sal* mafitu.

Salmaftus having a desire to see Rome ; and the Monuments that were there, and having provided himself for the journey,

art 3J and entered himself into the company of some Merchants for that Voyage , the very night before he was to have taken it,* was troubled with a terrible Dream, and thought he he.ird a voice, meft carnejllj dif* f wading him f rem his fttrpose therein, and withal threatnivjg him, that if hr Vter.t on he pmild never return alive : Whereupon he defifted from his intended Travel, and so prevented that great danger that might very probably have befallen him amongst. thole people , from whom his great same and learning would not likely have fuflfer •_ ed him to have been concealed, and whom; he had so much provoked by his learned Labors in the maintenance of that truth which lies so opposite unto their evil interest, and especialiy by the care that he had* taken for the publifhing and polifhingof Nilm and Bdrlaam, those moil: eager Encmies of the Papal Monarchy.

Ke that desires to see more of this kindy may have recourfe for his further fatiffadion to Sirozzio de JpiritUtu & incari* tationibw, Witrtu de pxtftigiu tictmoKum % Pe%ceru6 de divinatione, ( tetrode divination* , and others:, as likewise to the fer veralHiftoriesof the World ; amongst the rest, there is an History that I have seen Of Henry the Fourth of France, that] D % makes'

makes mention of divers remarkable Dreams chat ufheredin the violent death of that Great Prince , and amongst the rest one of them, as I remember, was this, That his Queen a littlebefore his death dreamed , that all her snve/t were turned into Pearls- which aretheufaal Emblems of Tears.

All these Examples with many other that the Records of the times will afford us, may lead us fafely unto this Conciuiion That God may and doth some times admonijh, not onely his cwnpeep/e but others also , as Laban,Abimelech and Balaam by Dreams, and then it will easily follow , That all Dreams are not to be Aityifed but that some areferionfly to be weighed and madeuse of, as admonitions from God*

Chapter VIII.

of the Nature of Dreams, their Causes and Kinds; and how far we may proceed in taking observations and Admonitions from them, and what Rules are to be observed therein.

HAving gained thus much, That there is some weight in feme Dreams, and that as the Poet hath it, Somnia fondtu habent, it will be of concernment for us not to leave this matter, until we have given some Directions concerning the life that is to be made of them the rather because they are things very subject to be made theinftrumenssof*Z f// /ze» by Satan, and of Superftition by foolish, and weak, and wicked men. We need not. go far, I think, from our own Age and Nation tobeinflructed , That there is great mischief that proceeds from miscarriages concerning Dreams ; whereby too many,, it may be feared, have been and are at this day ensnared both in errors of Judgment, and evill and vile Traftifif, in Affection and Conversation, contrary to the Truth and Boliness of God : whereby our times are become

become the parallel of that evill Charatter

Iude8 that St. fe gave of some wicked people ,f in his own times, huor /u rot y lZr-t hv**

vict'Comv-t, Likfwise ( faith be ) theft Dreamers dtfite the flfjh, dcfpise Dominion, and Jfieak evil ofDignities : A glafs wherein-' we may very vifibly behold the evill Seatures of the Dreamers and En thrift sot our days:, They ar called Dreamers (as Deodate conjectureth upon the place ) because 'they vented their wn Dreams and Jer.23. Fancies inflead of Gods Truth See Jet* 2 ; to 28. 23. 25, to 28. Beza renders the word there S'-S1* &'°pi** l am* G ******* observeth that the y r wordnW inthe Hebrew, I fa 56. 1-. is Ifa.stf.iotranslated tm/ee tegrw in the Greek ; and it signifies ( faith he ) ftttlta imaginam?sx ita tit ii qui femniant, Tbose that imagine vain and fooliflj things , like them that , dream. Indeed as Dreamers rhavbe said in some sense to be awake in their sleep so our Enthnftafts are sleeping Wakers, and their pretended Enthufiafms but waking dreams, the mad and wilde fancies of souls that are in the dead ileep and (lumber of sin-, and though oth Infpirations and Dreafis may be good where they proceed from a right principle, and are entertained and used as they ought to be (as I have already shewed in that of Dreams)

yec

yet they are very apt to be mistaken, be* cause they come very often in the dark, and not less apt to be abused to evill purposes : Infomuch that ( as a Learned AucauUb. thor hath already observed of one ofofEnthem) so I may be the bolder to say ofthufiafm both of them together , that thej have been made the colours and countenances of the mo ft eminent mif chiess that have been in the Vvorld ; And therefore ( as I shall be bold to say) that it is the pjrt of a wise man ft consider his Dreams., so withall I shall say, that it is point of goal and of great iVifdom ~ to diftin uijh well of thsm% axa to k?0w ho iv to use them aright.

It is therefore a matter of concernment that we stiould be rightly guided in that strange conversation which we have with our selves , and spiritual natures in Dreams .

And as it is of concernment in it self, so of the more because it is a matter wherein I think I may say we are most accountable to God for almost the third part of our lives. I mean all that time which is (pent in sleepiytg.

And this concernment is attended with some difficulty, not onely because it may seem to require some more then ordinary

light to discover these matters of d,r ness which

Which usually move in the obscuritiesboth of the greater and leffer world; but because \t is that business of our life which is lea'ft underfioodby us? and of which weareleaft the Ma/ten and therefore since, Ars efi de diffici/i & bonc,The proper subje& of Art is that which is useful and difficult. It requijretft some skjti to state this qnefticn aright.

And first it will be requifite to know what these Dreams arc Methinksl may call them certain Meteors of the leffer W*rUy which appear in the huniane night of the Microfm or Jit tig World of man.

Some kind of stragglings that the 'far € til ties of Life have with the chains of {lumber under which they are bound, and as it were fomc breakings out from the Trison o{ jteep some, agitations of the mind within it self, rai fed either by some strong impressions that the Memory hath received, which are so bright that they break through the c lou d of [lee p, to the iJiuminat ion and Hiring up of the F xcy or imagina tictfiy or by some.earnest or active afietlms. that are in the Appetite or Irafcibie Faculties of the Soul, which draw as it were the Pictures of those things upon the table of |he imagination, wherein they delight, or ivherewith they are moved, clothed either with their hopes or fears \ which make their V . " Dreams

either pleasing or terrible, or by some either natural, or difeased and crdent.il predominancy of some humors. The vapours whereof arifing with some violence and thickness dispose themselves, as it were, into some kinde of figure like the cUftJs in the Heavens, according to their several tempers and complexions or by the influence of the Heavens ; or temper of the Air , or by the operation of evitl Spirits, or by good Angels, or by the influence of Cjod by his holy Spirit.

And this will lead us in the second place to the consideration of the several kinds of Dreams , difttnguished by the several causes thereof :

Which are thus diftinguiihed, and that very well I think, by Lejfim in the Book ? ejT* .ie before cited, de fyfiiw. Some, faith lie; f * proceed from the fingttlar providence of 'dub. 9. God to which thqfc may see reduced that are oy the operation bffred Ang-ls. Some from the procuration of the Devil or evill Spirits. Some from the conflitution of the Heavens, or disposition of the Air. Some from preziom cogitations, in which I shall include those that proceed from the ArTedions or inclinations of the Mind \ ndsome from the jffection (as he calls it) or ( as I had rather say ) from the

temper and complexion of the 'Body.

Those that proceed from God either immediately, or by the mini'stration of his good singels , are good , and true, and move to good, and are fentunto W pur pose, and though these were more frequent and eminent in those times that went before the perfecting of the Camn of Scripture, as were also Apparitions, and extraordinary hjpirations , yet there is no cause to doubt but that there may be, and are sometimes ( as extraordinary divine ir.spirations.) So divine Dream wheVC" by qU is pleased to impart himself either immediately, or by the mini juration of his Angels unto his people, either todiscover some secret or future things unto them, or to encourage or give approbation unto some good things which they have in hand or design, or th?.t.he would let them upon, or to admonish them to avoid some things that would be hurtful unto them, or difpJeaung unto him ; and the e Dreams must needs be of great concernment and conf e /e federation ; Dstu ( faith Lefiius ) iUannn- / 2 ' T 2 1mm rnmittit nip ad aliquid figmficandub.8. ' dum quo hominem monzzt vel jlruatAnd as they are of great concernment and consideration, so it is a point of great wisdom to know them.

The

Marks or Characters whereby they may be discerned, are observed, andobserveable to be these.

i. When they bring with them either some certain declaration of words, whereby God declareth his will, or that which he wouid reveal or admonish a man of, or some certain reprcfentation which hath some likeness or analogy unto the things whereof the mind is to be informed, or whereunto it is. to be disposed thereby, which if it do clearly and perfpicuoufly present that which the Dream intends, it is called, faith Lejfiwy lese**- or a Vision \ if obfeurely and enigmatically, it is called Gfc/pi , a Dream. So that from hence we may collect indeed three sorts of Divine Dreams,

Firfr, By word or clear decUr*.tio»9 as was that of Ufeph, wherein he was admoMat.i.29 niftied not to forfake the holy Virgin, and Matt*1. 2. was warned to sly IntoEgjptjLnd to return 15,19. from thence.

Secoudly, By clear ptefenratiox of the object, or by fifio as was that of Paul,

jfcl.\6-9'

Thirdly, By way of Typical or EigGen watical representation, as were the Dreams Gen' 5 £ of Io/eph, Gen37. of the Butler and Baker Gen. 41. oipharoahjlen o. of PharaohtGen4 i.o{ Dan. 2. NebncbadhettHr3Dan.l t0'c% In-

Gen. 31Indeed some may seem to be compound- *0, ed of two, or of all these, as the Dream of Jacob. Qev. l. 10.

And yet this Mark of it self is something too wide to distinguish this sort of Dreams from others of the worfer sort. For there is none of these ways but Satan and evil Angels may by Divine Permiflion make ufeof but this will shut out con sn fed. beadless , extravagant Dreams from being of this sort.

2.The secondMark therefore is this,when they move unto that which is~ truly and eminently good, or from the contrary evil!y and have nothing in them that (rands opposite to the Truth or Holiness of the Word of god, or sound Reap* , nor that addeth any thing to Gods word, as a new way of righteousness or falvatisn ; nor inclineth to exceed the limits or bounds of a mans Cal~ Ung rVdc-ti-m ( unless in some extraordir.r -\ case} and warranted by some extraordi i; nee. I accumulate all these to* Act-id.c, gcihc for brevity sake. ;See how S.P /ga. thered hisDream to be from God, 4tT. 6. g, 3. When they are of a wise, sober\ of a juftrarj orderly frame and compofure, withcm any iir-clnre of lightneft , ging/ipg 0% vanity in th~rn or in the analogy thai they have sfnt.Q the -hings which they fiem to imi- tate or nfrefent* 4-Wfren.

4. When they come unto those that Judg.22; are good people, or unto others in thebe-x . half of them, as they did unto Balaam on n* 2°* the behalf of Israel, and unto Abimelech 2,' ' on the behalf of Abrahamand unto L r ban on the behalf of Jacob-, as alfb to sharaib, 7\j.buchadriezz,.ir.&c Yet I do not say that this is proprium quarto m J.s , Eut it is that, that when it is present concurs to the probability of the Dreams coming from God, although the contrary is not concluded by the absence of this Mark for we cannot say, but that God that fender h bis rain upon tbe jaft and un~ jup, may also give admonitions by Dreams tending to the temporal good of those that 'arenot gracious , or unto the spiritual good of those that are yet wicked, that they may be made gracious by embracing them, or left'inexcufable inrejecting them, or for some other ends that are secret, and known onely unto God, at least not unto us ; or bringing unto such wicked men the menacesof judgement and destruction, as tbe Dream of Pharaohs Baker, and N'ebttchadne z ar.

5 . When they come unto us being in an holy temper and disposition of spirit, not being in intemperance, or any other (infill' Afiemper of mind. 5-Wben

6 When they come in some great ne* ctjfity or ft rait, or in (omc extraordinarycase, or to admonilh of some weighty matter tending to some end that is clearly ex cellent and good ; for God doth not use strtnue mhtl Agere, nor to life txtraordin r rj means, but to some great and extraotdinary pnrpose, or else in some great nceeffity.

7-When it leaves, as an holy and humble, foa great and stron? and certain impression upon the fil'md* moving it not upon carnal but [piritpitil Principles &nd motives-,for the Spirit may be known much by the Arguments he ufeth.

8. When the Design hath nothing in it unmerciful or uncharitable, nothing violent or rdftf\ not tending unto felj endsy or the satisfaction of a worldly or carnal mind

j o. By the effect and confequent of it in rfie soul, as Leffitti hath it, Vt ft irJe remaxeat itlnftratio ' mi mi , ccnfolatio five -promptttudo ad, bfeojuium Dei \ If there remain after, an holy clearness andconfolationin the Spirit, anencreaseof vigor and readiness to godly obedience and hoHness. A jpritual (feci is a sign that the spirit was attvork 10. It may be known (faith Leflins) by a

certain inward tafte and relifi in the Swl \ which I conceive is not to be expressed, rorcanbe understood by those that have it not, nor can well be defchbed by those that have it. But this Mark, becauseitis hard to be discerned, and may be counterfeited by him that knows how to appear in the form of an Angel of light, is to be attended unto with great humility , fibriery. prudence and caution, and is to be examined by the compliance that it hath with the former Marks. Especially we must see that that tafte and relifh do not encourage us to any thing that is evil or fmful, or discharge us from duty, or carry us on in worldly •otcarnd deigns, or things that are frivolous and vain but where it agrees with the rest , it may have the force of a strong ajfvrance* A Titer enim ( faith the Author before-named) afficiunt mentem femnia divinitw immiffa% aliter aliunde prar vexientia-

•ii. When all the rest being agreeable it agreeth with feme Vcork that God bath in band, and hath something in it that seems to be above humane invention and hath an excellent agreement in the feeral parts thereof, presenting the same, or several things is" compofed in a wise method and order, agA is approved by the

event arid exaft consequence of things.

12. And laiily, When in comes nnfouiht and unexpected, nor hath any foundation in the fancies or apprehtnfions of him that dreamzth it . but prcfentinv things above his knowledge or abwe his ordinary or vfaal affiHiws.

filihiCHS Quctft. Moral. Tract. 24. c.J. n 12 z9 \ 2 j, divides the Marks of Divine Dreams into two sorts, 1. Thtfe thh may deceive. 2. Those that are more certain.

Of the first sort are these. 1 . The truth of them in the success ; for the Devil may speak truth in some things , that he nuy deceive in a greater matter 2. Theprofitabkness of the matter of them. 3 . That they are of good ads , and seem to induce thereunto for he doth sometimes tranP form himself into an Angel of light. 4. That they ftgnifie future contingencies, or internal thoughts or myiteries of Faith ; for all these things the Devil maydifcovcr by conjectures, out of the affeft'ions of men, and out of the Scriptures.

Of the secondfort are these. 1. If no filthy or diOionePt thing happen in the Dream. 2, If it be probable that it proceeded not from natural causes. 3 If it kavexhe mind well difcofed to devotion:

4. If

3 If the matter of the Dream induceth not to evill, or to vanity, or curiofity, but to good. 4. If the mind after the Dream be more apt and prompt uato good workSo 5 , If it render the mind certain that it is from God. In case of doubt he holds it safe to beieeve it to be from the Devil.

Secondly, Those that proceed from the Devil and evil *s4ngels are always evilly at least in the design and end of them, and are to be rejected.

Of these Baldwins fetteth down these %Au-ww« several Marks, whereby he would have /. . c.6.' them concluded to be from the Devil, or de caf. evil spirics. conf.circa

1 .When they tend to the inv eft hat ion or *™"*lu dtjeovery of ttotngs Jecret or jutfire , the knowledge whereof confer reth not to any prosit ( or true or f olid good) hut unto vain oftentation of knowledge, or to the cemmif-, tion of some evil thin ( faith he ) we may weU judgetkatsuch Dreams are infufea by the Devil-, for the vanities of Science, and evildtftgns or contrivances are the Vvorkj of the Devil-

2. When they tend to the leading of men

from the holy Word of God to wicked doctrinesor opinions f which are painted over -with

iy pretense or colour of Revelations and E dfoiw (5;0)

divine Visions when they are indeed the meer deluficni of Satan transforming himselfintoan Angel of light. Such,, faith he, were,the Dreams of the false Prophets of old , tending to Idolatry ; and of the Axabavtifis who excused their Seditions and absurd opinions and pradifesby y/w and Breams- and it were well that our Quakers and others that are carried away into strange Fancies and irregular practices in this our Age and Nation would try their pretended mfpirations and Dreams by this rule, See Dent. 1 3 . T ,&c .

3. It is a lign that Dreams are from the Devil and wicked spirits, when they tre such as inflame and slir up men unto tuft, to hatred or rtven'ge, or the like evil affections, whereby the Bodies also of those that sleep are defiled jLnd wherfey they are indifjpofedto prayer, and the offices of piety toGod, or charity to one another. Left de ' When Dreams come upon fuperftijnftitia, tious seeking and . expectation of them. 1.2. c-4 . Quando quis ( faith Leffiusx) divinatiomm dub.8 per /omnia quarit certo modo vet ritu fe componendo ad [omnium hoc enim expreffe eft invocare Diabvlum. When any man dothpurposely seek divination by Dreams compofing himself thereunto by superstitious Rites or Ceremonies for this is exprefly

prefly to invocate the Devil. Thus ( faith See c £« he) tht Heathens were wont with premi/ed lw* Rho* fajling, to Jleep in the skins of Jain beasts/ . that they might receive Anfwtrs or Ora» mnf cles in their peps* According to that of Mionum. Virgil,

FeHibus incubuit stratus fomnoffcpetebat*

He lay in spin's befpread upon the ground That he might mffters have in slee p profound*

As for those Dreams which proceed from the disposition of the Heavens and the Airi or from the buiinefles or occurrences of the // , or from the humors, diseases, or temper of the body , or from the affections, good or evil in their mind they may be discerned probably by the c or

rtspendencies that they have any of them ee ** * r n. , c u r pocrat.de

nfpetttvelj, unto any one or more of thole infomnicauses ; especially such as proceed from k.

the affections or dispositions of the "Body G*kn &

ot Mind. ' Thus (.faith Leffm) if a*™/ io

tc a man dream of fire, it is asigntfiat he niu c is troubled with choler if of fraoke, and

" darkness, of Funerals, or such like Jad "things, he is troubled with melancholy » "if of rain, or snow, hailvor ice, with

*x slegm - If of mercy and chearful things E z ; ' : it seems to rcpresent a fanguine complexion. " If a man dreams that he slies, or "runneth swiftly, it is observed to be a " token of a light, healthy, and temperate l complexion : If a man dream that he is '.laden with heavy burdens, or is in strait " places where he can hardly run or turn "himself, it isasign that the animal Fa- *c culty is oppreffed with humors. Si ea qu z adlibidixem pertinent, ftgnum eft redundanti& spermatis. If a man dream that he is moiled reitb dirt ', or duly , it is a sign that he abcundeth with putrid Humors,

There is a (lory of one that dreamt that he had his Thigh turned into a (lone, who* shortly after had that Thigh stricken with a Palfie. And when one had dreamt that he was in a Ciftern full of blood, Cjalen conjectured that he was plethorical , or troubled with over-much abundance of blood And thus that dream or trouble in sleep, which the'Physicians call aATw or Tntyctttya, and the vulgar amongst us, the Hag or Night -Mare, the Latines Incw SteGabut, proceedeth (faith Lejfipu) from a

ten l Mgreft andobscure, or fuliginous vapor feifing icmf?'!e Mpon the brain, and intercepting thecourfes 71 of the animal If irits. Staeh I reattis as these, are clearly ei\ough

nough many times, -at lead very probably deriveable from their roots and fountains.

And yet it is not to be denied, but that there may ; some Dreames seemingly sir tinge and prophetical , proceed from some secret see ds, or ndifcer nab le apprehensions of the approach of such events which are in the Soul ; the manner where ; of we cannot understand no more then wfccan underitand the operations of the Lcad(l?ne , the prefages that are sound in 'Beafls and Ferris , of the change of the Weather, or the sense that the £V Mnth of the several notches of the night, orap-. proach of the day-, or those secret emulations that are of cades towards their efOpm nafeds, which may perhaps be felt and apmt fm prehended! by the strange intelligence o?™Jt£ Nature when we our selves cannot tell See c. how we come to the sense or apprehenfionfaub. of of them. Emhuf-

Now. if any shall be here deflrous to-inquire; why such kind of appre henfi *«/, as likewise those mprtffiriii that are received from God or good Angels, or evil Spirits, shouldbe more incident to men in their sleeps then when they are wakjng: Though it may be hard to give so clear an answer unto this doubt j as some would require h

yet this may be somet«hing towards a degree of satisfaction, that one reason may be because the soul is then usually fitted thereunto by a twofold advantage. First, By the advantage of the nighty whereby it is delivered from those noifes and //g to, and other ebjeBs which are apt to diftrad the notions* and hinder the intentions of the mind., which may be the reason (as 1 think it is ) that there is no time so sit for ftffdy and meditation as the silent night .

And then secondly, Because of the advantage of (leev whereby the soul is in a great part delivered from bodily operations .and from the business of the outward Sences and from the commerce-with external and worldly matters , which puts it as it were into' a kind of Sabbath ox ft ate of rest-, yea, in some sort into a ft ate of fepArat'ion though not from the bond of bodily communion, yet from the trouble of Bodily & fetation in some measure : Now the morq quiet the soul is, and the more fequeftred from earthly and outward things, the more pt it is to enjoy the benefit of internal light , nd of difcourie and intelligence from it self, and the better fitted for spiritnal* commerce either with Cjod himself, or with spiritual Natures. Which may also lead us to understand something to-

. war4

ward a reason why men drawing near their See C 4departure, when the Soul is drawing into ** a separate condition by death, are observeedtobe disposed to pr*f age and prophesie and why people that are deprived of their Senees seem sometimes to fall into fits of prophecying. See for our present purpose what the Scripture faith , Job 3 3i5» b|310. 17.

To this also may be added, That in the time of deep, through the Antift'i&fi of the cold temper of the night, and by reason of the shutting up of the doors and pores of the Body, the Spirits are like a fire in a do ft furnace , more hot and active, at lead to some purposes, andfo more serviceable it may be to internal and spiritttal operations and receptions .

But it is time to come to some Rules, andfo to draw towards a conclusion of this matter.

That therefore we may know how to carry our selves in this matter as much as may be without offence to God, or hurt to our Souls ; First, Let this be laid down as the fourr aation, That as many Dreams are to be despised, and some to be rejected, abominated and repented of ; so some are to be observed and regarded, and may be attended 4 ?°

Bakt* de t0 7unt0 S°od advantage and bene£t. A* **/. cmJE velommbvu, vel rtullis fidemadkibere scmcirca dimtf nujdem eft vanitatts. (faith 'Baldvinatiowin. )

em,L3. Divj„e Drems that come unto us with good testimony that they are such (according to the Rules before set downjare to be exceedingly regarded, as coming to us by Gods special, aji'd sometimes extraordinary -norksf Providence, which must needs be sir ; n ireded unto some weighty

FllllUClUS QUXU. „nJ n A y nb Mwal.Traft. 24. c5. a,nd.S00ci end, as we must conti.121 SanUum fy necIHd? « we either cpnfider cejfarium effe jidem the rlrft Afeqer, which' is Godadhibere divims fomor the Jnttrument /, which' are' &KS fl Such Dreams Mj a adhibenda eft. Wl11 chauenge our very serious consideration , and diligent care to take notice of those admonitions encouragements, or what else they offer unto usand the negled or contempt I thereof cannot be committed without great impiety ; and therefore we have not oneiy a warrant, but an unavoidable and inviolable obligation in point of duty, both m Obedience and Thankfuiness , and in point of mtereft too, in order to the good of our selves or others, to take notice of iuch Dreams, and to make use of them according to their importance and purpose.

Indeed

Filliuc.ib.T hkfomnis sides adhibeatur , dm neceffaria funt prh mo ut jufficienter con' stet Deum vel e)m Angelum effe AuUorem e']M. Secundum, ut significatio sorrmi aperta.

jit.

Indeed we must sir ft be careful to examine them and try them according to the Rules and then when we have sound them to be fiich, we may and must regard and make the heft, and the fiilleft, and the holieft Mife of them we can.

Secondly, We must by no means fifftEh divination by Dreamy or put our selves thereupon, having neither warrantable example, nor any precept or allowance in the Word of God, no nor in sound Reason to encourage us thereunto-, for this ,as it is a temping of Cjod , so it is also a grand practice of superstition, and as learned Mr. Cafaubon faith, is little differCafaub. ent from witchcraft,- And this is amongst °" n those things which are forbidden by tlu God, Bent iF. io. See fer. 2 .26 7 %&c-&nd 29.8 Where the people are forbidden to hearken to their dreams which thej cause to he dreamed, which doth very properly prohibit the affectation of Dreams ; and alj reliance upon such as are sought after : Indeed this is a ready way to ruine our selves, and to expose our selves to deluiions and deceits. If men

(faith

Filliuc .ib. Non licet futurorum, feu occultorum cognitionem deftderare per fomnia , nifi urgens neceffiw & ratio occurrat, vet tiifi id fiat exinftinZlvi Sp.S.

cEZn-' aitl1 C*U»so») give their minis U filch thufiafm Hcty % ere ** no que/Hon that they {hall &,4 fancy scmetimef, nay often mch mere then there u just ground, for. And sometimes it may be somewhat may happen Xe|?w extraordinarybut men, I thinly (faith he)

tia \ 1.2 Were etter want i( h f*r? if *l come ty faperc. .dub. stitiw? and not by immediate Providence,

8. as ( out of doubt ) unto some sometimes that are not superstitious. Ltffius hath a re- Greg.l. . lation out of Gregory q{ a certain man that

C*4P was given much to attend unto Dreams, that he waspromised in his Dream that he Should liva long time, and when Jie had laid up great riches for the fup'ply of that long life , which he thought himself affa - red of, Heiied suddenlj. It is therefore Vr Sanwell determined by learned Dr. Sander son

derfon\ in his Sermon upon Ger,. io. verf 6 c That

Sermon (jnce Scriptnre Canon sea led, and the m' 2 ' * preaching of the Gospel become Oecume- ' ' nial , Dreams and other supernatural 4 revelations as also other things oflike na-

• ture as miracles, and whatfoever more 1 immediate and extraordinary manifesta-

• tions of the will and power of God have

• ceased ro be ordinary and familiar * so

• as. now we ought rather to susped delu- ' (ion in them , then to exped diredion c from them.

Thirdly, Yet because though God hatto Rv tied us unto the ordinary means and Weft ions of his Word and sound Reason ; beyond which we may not expeft. and Dr. San* against which we may not admit o£ any derson other direction ( faith the learned Aulbld- *or last named ) as from God, yet he hath nowhere abridged himself of the power and liberty, even dill to insinuate unto' the sons of men the knowledge of his will, and the .glory of his might , by Joel 2, dreams and miracles, &c (and let meAtf.2. dd ) (ince there is some promise of this into his Church ; if at any rime , either n the want of ordinary means, or for the irefent neceflity of the Church or of some ?art thereof, or for some other juit cause perhaps unknown to us , he shall see itexpedient , as these kindes of extraordinary manifefrations are not to be affected ; so neither when they come without arTedation, and bring good and sound appearance of righteous, and prudent,and holy importance with them, ' and are upon trial approved xo be from GW, are they by any means to be nesleded. But

7 n. 1 1 j ; „ ganderroe mujt take heed rve give not too eaJie{Qnu})i

credit unto them , untitl upon due trial fyp they shaS appear both in the end whereuntp

|hey pointy direft tendency to gods glory*

and in the means which they propose , conformity to Gods revealed will in huWrh ten word. '

Fourthly, Take another Rule from th kft named Author : « That so to observc ' our ordinary dreams, as thereby to fore ' tel future events , or fore-cast therefroir *good or ill luck in the success of our afc fairs, is a lilly, groundless, unwarranted, 'and therefore unlawful, and a damnable

• superstition.

Fifthly, As he goes on , That there is ' yet to be made a lawful and very profitable use even of our ordinary Dreams,and of

• the observing thereof both in'Phyfick and Divinity . not at all by foretelling things

• to come, but by taking from them some ' reasonable conjecture of the state of our ' bodies, because the predominancy of hu- mours, and differences of ; strength and

• health, and diseases, and distempers, ei- *ther by DietorPaffion, do cause different impreiTions upon the Fancy ; our ordi- ' nary Dreamsmay be a good help to lead ' us into discoveries both of our natural constitution in time of health, a, d of our •diseases in time of sickness. And because f our Dreams look for the mod part the ' same way which our secret thoughts inne'us-, they may beufeful to finde out

our

I our sins , and ( as he observeth ) our 1 ma*ster sin. And to this is agreeable that or' LtJfiHS 5 Si omnia, putantur effe ex cattfa naturally Hcitum eft ex litis conjeeluLefliuf k ram facere de event it qtt& ex ilia catifa prajuftitia. venire fdent ; if Dreams appear. to pro- 2- £4 . ceed of a natural cause, it is lawful to make * ' f conjectures from them of those events , _ . which are wont to come from such a ulf Ya cause.

Sixthly, Take this from the same Leffita% When Dreams proceed from prevfota cares and cogiutio r, they signifie nothing of things to come , but do onely signifie that can ft from which they proceed. Yet so they may be useful to us(I may say) to acquaint us the better with our selves, and to admoriifh us ofoursinful and distrustful cares, for our good and reformation.

Seventhly , Let this be observed as a Rule of great concernment -, Thatwhatfoever may bepresented unto us by Breams or SnthvfiafmS) or any other way, nay, though by anaffured vision ( if it were poflible ) of an innumerable company of heavenly Angels, or with the testimony of many and great miraculous operations , thatftandeth oppositeto the ditlates and revelations, and rules of Go/i% and his 'Stlj Spirit in the Scrmmt % or intended

v to add any thing thereunto, as a way or| means to attain unto fiilvation , is to bel utterly rejected and abhorred as an acJ curfed de/ufio* , s likewise whatfoever tends to the difcharging of us from any duty or to mo-ve us to any impiety , impurity , or to uncharitable or evill thoughts Of others without ground, or to any kind of wicked* ness whatfoever ; or to any thing that] exceeds the bounds of our peculiar Callings , unless in some extraordinary case or ne-

Deur.i . ceflity. See Dem13 1,2. and that nota-' 1,2. ble Scripture that all Quakers and pre-

0£ tended Snthufiafi s may do well to ponder jj andstudy (JV/.r,8,9. Though we% faith St. Faut, or si* Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto yeu, or (as it is in the original) hctyyixi£w7 u C(MV7Ftp o u hz il-: ? 'reach any other thing ur.to' you , be sides what ye have received , avd ut 'ig& , Let him be accurfed which is repeated again at verf 9. with such an earnest reduplication as I think will hardly be sound again in all the Book of Godor at least very rarely » which should admonish all to take the more notice of it, it being a Scripture of that weight and force, that is able (if rightly understood and embraced)to 0 ver-throw all pretence oflpoftolical Author . itit:y;whsch the Church of Rome boaftet{i of,

and of Angelical authority or divine Revelatt9n which is the delulion of the Enihufinfts of our days, to . inforce us to admit of any thing that is contrary to that saving Truth of the Gospel which is regiftred in the Scripture, and was of old embraced by the people of God, or that propofeth any other way unto salvation, then that which is to be sound therein,

Eighthly, ( which will follow upon the former ) All Dreams, and so likewise all pretended Enthuiiafms, Infpirations, and Illuminations whatfoever are to be tried and judged, approved, or controuled by the revealed will of Almighty Qod in his holy - . Word, asalfoby the rule of sonA Reasen '** and -Vmdence; and if they bring not a teftimonial of conformity thereunto, they are by no means to be received. See if a. 8. 19.

And hereby the way, give me leave to take notice of a very evil and unwarrantable'onfe that hath been taken up (if I be not mistaken ) by too many in these days, and hath received too much countenance from these that are very highly obliged to the contrary -, so that it hat& been made the colonr of grea m ferriages, whiiGi some have taken upon them to stehjunr ti.God.ij fajling axd prayer f*rhis4irtctir

m

on and comfel in weighty affairs and concernments h and neglecliyg to consider or embrace what adviceGod hath Us a down for their case and pur p oj e in his Law , they havefoHght and expected a return or answer by extraordinary motions and suggestions or inclinations , which may sort better with their ( perhaps) evitl interests and deftgns. And so whilst they have carried the Idol or ft urnbling blocks of an evil inter eft n their heart, andinjuft judgment from God, are left to' receive an an Aver agreeable thereunto, either from their own erring spirit, or the dtlufton of Satan they have taken his evi/l fgcteftio" r those that have proceeded from their own arruptio** ( or at least have seemed to take them ) for the holy counfelof the Almighty. I am persuaded it would be little less, if at all less pleasing to God for them to go to an Heathen O racle, then to go to enquire of God upon such terms.* I wi(h that the serious reading and meditation of the eleven first %zc. 14. verses of £** \ 1 4. might be rightly under- *• t0 uflood, and made good use of for the reformation of this and such-like great wifcarriages.

Ninethly, As all wicked Dreams are to be abominated, and sometobe carneftly repented of 9 which slow from our own

corrupt inclinations and affedions. So vain, and foolish , impertinent, confused Dreams ( such as Dr. suckjott . \

faith arise from the 6„ M„ & j&« of the far.tafie, and ot which he or commentaries thinks that of Ecchfi sticm 34upon Christs scfi,2,?. is most true) are to be fan at the right sleghccd. audthose that move ffiJJJQ unto fmerffitiou* fears .r that ECclef.24.i,2,3., would difcourage from trust in God, or from our chearful walking with him in duties.

But yet laftly, Those D reams that without afetlation offer themselves unto us in?-, fobtr and calm temper, and are of a wise and orderly , of a just and pure, of an holy and religious frame and method, not contradictory, but confonAnt to the hdy word »f God, and sound Reason, and tend to nothing but that which is just and holy, within the bounds o our Vocation, and to the glory ofGod, especially when they come so clothed with opportunity and circumstance as that they conduce to the encouragement or promotion of any good work that belongeth unto us, or that God hath undertaken, or is doing upon us, or by us upon others ; or of any good and gracious design in hand, or to the taking us off irom any sinful doubts , (loth or imped iF * ments

, that lie opposite thereunto , and lie open to any such holy and prudent interpretation, as they may well be presumed to come from God, especially falling out in extraordinary matters Qt for the fettir.g forward of more then ordinary d'Jignsfo they are to be prudently regarded and weighed, foas to take encouragment and admonition from them, and sometimes they may intimate unto us things that are t§ come.

Chapter IX.

An Application of what hath been said unto the Converts Dream, together with the Interpretation thereof.

IF we now compare what hath been iaft spoken with the Dream' we have in hand, we shall finde it to be of good and warrantable confederation for our purpole, it being luch, as first came in the tranfaction of a rare and extraordinary matter or business The conversion of a Turk being such as hath been rarely ktn ( I mean, of one that hath been born and bred in that religion. ) Secondly, It hath no stampbut of sobriety,

bricty, purity, prudence andholiness upon it.

Thirdly, It came not upon any superstitious expectation, or preparation thereunto.

Fourthly it excellently complieth with the holy Word, and sound Reason.

Fifthly It exactly answereth, in all the parts thereof; unto tkat holy business that was then in hand, and had been in motion the very evening before, for the conversion of the soul of him that dreamed it to Gody and for his admission to the Ordinances Priviledges and graces of the Gospel.

Sixthly I The interpretation thereof is dear and eafie for the most part,yea wholly indeed without any unreafonable {training or croffing of any one part of it against . another ., it is very full of harmony and concent , and yet above and beyond th* tyiow ledge of fom that dreamed it, as the case Wa£ then.

The Interpretation thereof is clear and eafie for the most par t.

The Table with the foffeS upon it lib* hc»; Bason or Font , doth Very welf repreferit { the two Sacraments of Haptifm and the of e Supper of the Ltrd the two great Pieces Dizmr *ad Stals of the Chriftim Religion and
communion, the one of our admijfion or inination, the other of our confirmation or growth in the fefJowfiip. of Christ and the Ckurch,zn& in the Graces of: the Gospel.

The two -men standir;g by ; The two Minifters that were especially emploied inthe work of his conversion, to bring him to the fruition of the bleiling of these Ordinances.

*T he filthy /linking puddle fiream whereby he slood; The impure profession of the Religion of Mahomet, wherein he was as yet held, w iich he had a desire to continue in-, but it could give no purgation but rather pollution nnto his soul.

The dead Hen cut about the' head, and dead ef that wound, lying in the filthy fiream, which a woman tame and took out of that pttddle, and set it upon her feet, so that it ran away alive, we could not very well tell what to make of but he himself, after he was baptized ( which may, I conceive, without offence, be taken for a special work of the Spirit in him) he himself, I say, the evening after his Baptism ( as near as I can remember the time) interpreted it thus, or to this purpose , Sure ( faith he) that dead Hen that lay in the filthy sir earn, was my Soul that lay dead in the fuddle of my errors , The Wowan was the

Church

Chnreh of god ( which is presented as a woman in the Scripture.) which hath taken my dead Soul o m of the puddle of my errors , and rrstored me to life , even to the life of grace* which having recover" ed , he now runs from that filthy stresm of the jyfahew.etan deluftonr. ( Let me add this ) That as that Hen lay dead of a wound in the head, so he was dead in the blindness and errors of his Vnderstanding or Minde, which is, as it were, vulnus in capite, a wound in the head, that being held to be the seat of the knowing or judging Faculties or Powers.

The full and fair streagfcthat gushed out suddenly , and brarafii with great force upon that current aFcvrrfiptiov, and drove it clean away, and presentied it self in the place of it, which he entred into at first with some timoroufness , and by degrees, and afterward washed himself in it, andfwarnoverit-

The holy water of Baptismil regeneration, or the stream of the Truth and grace of the Gospel , which hath suddenly through the goodness of the Lord,and very powerfully, broken in upon his Soul, and driven away the puddle of his {orrmt corruptions which he was fearfai to enter into at the firC: but hath now walked therein &

forthecieanfingof his soul, and will we Kopc swim through it unto the Haven of eternalhappiness.

The thirft that toot upon him after hid Vtajhing ; The desire which he exprefTed after the Lords Supper, or an holy longing after spiritual things, and the comforts of the Gospel, or after happiness ; which Thirft can finde nothing upon earth to

auench it the (hpwre from Heaven, the lowre or dews of heavenly blessing, or of divine illumination and grace, which he could not tell how to receive of himself . The poor house that he k»ockt at , The habitation of the Church now in a poor af. slicted condition, deftitute of earthly magnificence and glory. The ftcman that camt forth , That afflifted Church. Thedifb [he gave him , The Ordinances and means of grace, whereby the heavenly dews-we tope will be more and more conveyed into his soul, to the quenching of all evil thirftq after tranfitory things, and to the eternaf refrefhing of his Spirit.

Chapter X.

of some further progress made in the conversion of Mr. Dandulo, and of another remarkable passage of Providence that fell out for the promotion and encouragement thereof.

THis strange dream having made some impression upon the heart of this Convert, as we may reafonably beleevc, whereby the bars of his soul were somethingihaken andloofened, for the setting open of the gates for the admission of that Gospel light wherewith God hath been pleased now to illuftrate his soul ; we re . newed our attempts with some earneitness and diligence that morning, and prevailed at length so far by the divine afiiftance, as to obtain of him , to ) yn with us in prayer for the a]fift*rtct axd direction of AU eighty God in the carrying on of the worf of his coKverjitn ; and afterwards he was with us in the performance f the service of the Church for that msrning my house, and kneeled down & joyned with us when we used the Lords Prayer ; in this we made use of the help of his Interpreter , that he might repeat it after us.

And

And in this holy business I cannot think sit to omit one remarkable passage of the 4ivine Providence which fell out \t\ the performance of divine Worship at that time, whereby the Lord may seem to have seconded that of hisDream and it was this.

It pleased God ( which we neither designad nor forefaw ) so to order the matter in that holy plot that he had laid for the bringing home of this soul into his bosom,andfor the reducing of this / //? /beep into bis foU of this loft1 price of filver into his trtafttrj -, and of this Prodi* a/chi/de from his Mahometan empty hmkj unto his Fathers hcuse, The hcly Church cf Christ That in the ordinary course of theChurch, the Second Lesson which we read appointed for that very morning in the Mfy' sit ion of the Church Calender tW out to be the Fifteenth Chapter of theGospel of S £; /;:, where we have the parable of the poor hit •wandering slirep brought home upon the frontiers of the good Shepheard unto his slock j of the silver pirce that was {eft and fmnd afidnand of the Prodigal chiUk reiwned unto his Fathess h.use and Bofcnt, and there entertained with great love, melody and rejoycing - where also at the seventh verse I sound my Text,upon which God directed me to preach at the time of his Baptism. When

When in the reading of that Chapter, I observed that gracious Providence, I comld not pais it by without some notes upon it, and therefore by his Interpreter I communicated unto him, that he might therein have a talk of God*' care ofhu soul, that rvas plea fed foftiftly and c artfully to order things th.it we thought not tff, for.thejfaeding and prorxmng of the worl cf his Com veyfmn.

Withal,! offered him lbme observations upon the Chapter, tending to the discoveryof the Wretched condition of one that was/? uWand lost from God m thewandrings and mtderness of sin and error, and of the "wonderfaland tender mercy of the Lord in seeking after, and receiving into his bosom such pr.or sinners returning unto him j and of the great treafurcs of his goodness and Bowel* of hU mercy, that he is ready to open and pour out unto them* And by way of Application , I shewed him, that he was in the several parts of that Chapter-, he was the/o/? (h ep that Christ was even now snkjng in the endeavors of his A/ hirers for his Cotive fiou9 that he might bear him upon the Jha aiders of his heavenly strtxgth and nttr(j unto the Fold of his. Church : He was the h(t vmt that had been trodden under the feet

, of the spiritual adversaries, and defaced by the filth and pollution of trror and sin, which the Lord was now about to recover into his treafury.

He was that wandering and wretched 'Prodigal that had been feeding upon the huskj of error and vanity , and that was brought unto great misery , whom the tender Father, though he saw him afar off at the great distance of the error 3 and r»- ferfetltoKs that were in him , yet would run to meet , if he would but tarn to him with sinceritj , and would entertain him with great love, mercy , and j j9 would fall upon his neck and kjfs him With tkekjffes of divine love, would put the Ring upon his finger, would marry him unto himself, and give him the pledge of his everla sling lovr, would put the best Robe upon htm, even the Robe of the right eonfness of Christ for his jnfii seat ion , and of the ornaments of the holy and heavenly graces of his Spirit , for the fanctification of his soul.

Would kill the fatted Calf , would feanVhim with the mercies, graces, and comforts of the Gospel in Christ Jefiis, who died for his salvation.

Would refresh him, and solace him with the heavenly majic\ and harmony

of C75) of Divine Fence 9 and his heavenly love, &c.

And thus the Lord was plcafed to faften another chain of his Divine Providence upon his Soul :, and added unto that dream in his deep another testimony of that watchful care that he had over that business we had in hand for his good-

Chapter XI.

A Discourse concerning this la(l observation and for the jnfiification thereof, by the proposal of divers examples of Admonitions given and taken from Providential occurrences of the like sort out of Scripture ) and other Hiflo* ries

BUt this observation will perhaps be accounted frivol m and fuperjlittons by feme, and may beabused by others h and therefore I crave leave a little to say something for the vindication of it scom thefirft, and to give some camions for the prevention of the second.

And

« Andfirft, That it may not be thought

frivolous or fuperjlitious that we have tfcken notfce of that Providential occurrence, I shall give you some warrant for the justification of our observation, both eut of the Scripture and other approved Authors. First, We finde the divine providence in a kinde not much unlike this, commended unto our confederation inth holy Book of Godsuch was that that fell out unto the Eunuch, when the like work of conversion was drawing near upon him, and that in order to the promoting of that like gracious design that Cjod haa Afl.8. upon him , Aft 8. 27. to 34. where it was £7, to 34. f0 ordered by the divine wisdom and Pro* Ta vidence that that place of Scripture, I fa. 53 7was then in reading by the Eunuch, when St. Philip was sent by the Spirit of God to draw near unto his Chariot , by the explication whereof from the mouth of St. 'Philip, he was converted to the Faith of Christ, and was bptizd in the way as he went , God making use of that Providential occurrence to promote his conversion to the Gofp eltruth ; meeting him A 2 in his pafTage, as he met Sc. Paul in his

journey. Luke 4 In C e Fourth of Luke, we read that i(5, 17* ourbleiTed Savior being in the Synagogue i2ictc at

atNaZttreth, there Was delivered unto him the Bcof of the Prophet Ifaiah, and "tohen he had opened thebo(\ , he sound the place ( it may not improbably imply that upon the opening of the Book he sound that excellent place of Scripture, lfa-6 r. i£*,r . KSia z wlterein is contained our Saviors annointing and comrmffion for the fitliilling of that great Office of the Savior of the World ) offered it self by Providence first unto his view, that it might give him the occasion of that holy discourse, that he made then unto the people, {hewing how tht very place Was fulfilled in him that dty before their eyes. Whether he looked for it, or fell upon it by providence, is uncertain (faith one of our late Commentators.) I confess it is not very certain, but yet the words do unto me ieem most probably to imply fomuch, that he fell upon it by Providence ; especialry in the Original .

&c In the openiug, or upon the opening of the Book he sound the place where it was written. I am sure enough we may fafely think so : for as all things thatseem most cafual even to the falling of aSparrow, nay, of an hair from the head, are under the care and guidance of the divine providence. Mattk, 10. Zpjo, fa we may aC L* sure our selves that that Divine Providence is efpecally watchful for the ordering of all things (even the smalleft matters ) that can be thought of in the world to serve that great dtsignoi the bringing of* Gods peop/eto salvation by Christ Jesus. That Greek feritence is excellent which Mi% Doxcn hath, he telleth us not from whence* in his Treatise about Lots in gaming ,

hldx cZ wTlZ , Thej that ffieak °f he ljig °f stonefy till us that the great fronts cwmt be well slawed without the fmalht* S*(faith he ) also in the Government of the world , for the better erdiring of the greatefl things, Kjod takes care of the smalltft also.

Something very observableof a nature near unto our cafc,we may find in the sixth bf E ft he r,ver.i. where we h*nde a multiplied Providence in the ordering of matters in esteem cafud for the diversion of that .cruel design that Bamar. had for the pro. curing of the death of Mordecaiy when the Gallows was made for poor Mordecai, and the next morning, that great Favorite that thought he had the Ittf and the fttrn too of the Kings heart in his mouth, intended to fue out the Commission for his execution, whose life was the blaft of all his comforts; GW orders the matter so by

the

ministry of an Angel (as one supposeth) that the King could not sleep that very night ( for we may affaire our selves no man can at any time deep , when God hath any/thing to do with his waking for the good and benefit of his people-, not the fofteftbeds, not the darkeft night, nor the wearieft journeys or labors in the day, nor the plentifulleft cups, nor the warmeft cloaths , nor the quieteft heart, nor the strongeft opium can prevent or difappoint such a purpose of the Almighty .)God kept Ahafuerus waking,because he had some business to do with him about Mordecai, to counterplot the design o Haman nd when he sound that he could not sleep, God finds him out an employment to pafs away the tcdioufnefsof a waking night.

It is the observation of Cornel, a Lapidt out of Herodotus ( as I remember ) that if was a laudable custom received among the Perfians That tho/e good and meritorious performances , whereby arty man had dtserved well of the King or Kingd m% Jhould be recorded in the publicly Artnds or Me* mortals, that they might not be forgotten in the regard : And this agrees well with our story in Eft her % such a record there was of that faithful service that MorAecai did, , Eftb 2 z. &c This lay asleep for a time, \\

and

(8c) and was forgotten, but when the time of need comedy then God revives it, who lays Up mercies aforehand for his Children and brings them out when opporiuxitie requires; and this was a now or never ibr after the next mornings work, if H~man hadfped, it had been too late. Therefore now in this very night, that he might be fureto remember it in the morning, and that he might prevent the design and suit of H»mnn , the King being deprived of his rest, must needs call for the Records of the Chronicles, little thinking what Gods purpose was, or what a Letlnre God had to read to him in that Book;

And when this Eook is brought unto him, That must be the place by Divine Proi/idencf, tha*. mnft then needsbe read ttrit hirv, either in the course of the reading, or perhaps by chance, where poor McrdecaiS Txeckz'verje was, where it was sound written that Mordecad had told of Bigth.txA and T ere {h , tips of the Kings Chamber* Wins, the kjepers of the doors. W ho sought to lay hand en the Kir.g Ahafuerus : honest Mordecai would not be ah acceflfary no aot so much as by concealment unto Treason or Treachery against a Heathen Kingand see how God b/effeth Fidelity and allegiances

this faithful and honest aft of hi is in ban£ for (8i).

for htm against the time of his wcefftty, and is by this providential difpe sit ion of the Ah mighty in this nick, of time presented before the eyes of the King, to the turning 0 Ramans wicked design for Mordecais shame and death, to his safety and honor and to return at length his intended mifm chief upon himself, whilst Mordecai's escape gives the time for the procuring of H& •mans condemnation , and for the defeat slot oneiy of that bloody purpose which he had now for the ruine of Mordecai, but of that also which he had for the deftruttio»of the fern ; and all this great evill is prevented, andfo great good, fb joyful a deliyerance brought to pafs, by the (per-0 haps) cafuJ turning of the leaf of a Book, or by the order or course which then fell out in the Kingr reading of the Chronic chj., Natura nufquammagis cjuam w mini" mujfb faith one-, and we may further faya* I think, Pnvidentia nttfquam magid quam in minim* v The Providence of God is very wonderful in turning the greateft scales with the smalleft grains j in malting to small, so inconfiderable a matter as the turning of a leaf in a 'Book, at such a rime to be the means to prevent the ruine of d Nation* Oh learn to admire and observe the "Providence of Qod in the (malltft\ mat* sirs An holy curiofity of this kind is bpfjj. G vi4m

pious and profitable ; who can 'consider it arid not adore him? And consider withal, with how small a matter God can deliver a Nation, even with the tnrring of a Uaf and what great use he can make of the orderly conrft of readtng who can think on it, and not fear him and trust in him ? He that did this with the turning of a leaf, can do as much with the turning of a straw.

Thirdly, Consider what great blessing the smalleft matters in the world may minister unto us,ifjthey be guided to our good by the gracious Providence of God ; and what misery and mischief may grow up out of the smalleft feeds, the pooreft and most inconiiderable occurrences, if God do not (bine through them unto us, and io not order them for our benefit, or shall appoint them to be instrumental to our hurt or deftraction.

And laftly, See here not onely the truth but the rtason oSGods ttniverfal Providence in the ordering of the smalleft things and motions of the world, since we see that he makes even the smalleft matters fervsceable to his great aad wonhrful mercies and judgments. We cannot tell what God hath to do with a fi»gte firavff that swimmeth down the water ; And may not this without offence make something to the per- * fivading

(8}) iwading Of people not to be so much out of love as they have been with the orderly course of the Churches readings ?

We have discovered, I hope so much countenance from these examples in Scripture that may Jscurt us from any fufl charge of superstition in that observation that we have made of that which fell out in the course of the reading by the course of the Church, in order to the conversion of thisperson.

And having taken notice of this, I hope we may with the greater freedom and confidence offer to consideration some other passages of the like nature that have befallen others in the records of the succeeding times.

Sulpitita Severn* y in the life of MarSuipiu. units hath a relation to this purpose-, Severn tharwhefrthe people of uronica were a- ™x" j bout to chuse that holy man to be Biftiop of that place, and one of the Bifhofs that were then present, whose name was Dcfenfor amongst others was a principal oppofer of his eledion : The Reader (whose office it was to" read the Scriptures that day ) being wanting , another that was present, taking up the Book of Psalms, fell a reading at that place which present- £d it self first unto his view which was tfa:

vita.

Martm* f 8 2 z Pfl&' at tne econc or (asc *s there cited) ' at the third verse of which Psalm the words in thatTranflation which was then used,are thus rendered, Ex ore infantinrn & Utlantinm perfecifti laudem, propter immicos tuos at deftrUM Defenforem ; Out of the mouth of Babtf and Sucklings thou hast perfetled yraise becaase of the Enemies and that thou mayfi deftrcj Defenfor , or the Defender ; which having such a reflexion on his name ( as it was apprehended ) the people took as a testimony from Heaven against him, and his attempt in oppofing the election of their Bishop, as if that Kalm had been appointed by Divine Providence to be then read upon that occasion, and so the people fell a shouting, and the contrary party was confounded.

It may be this may seem a little too light , nor do I press it to be valued any more then the weight of it shall persuade.

Thefe that follow will, I hope, be admitted ,to be confiderable to our purpose. Auttin. Asfirft, That which St- sfnguftine reconfejf. lates of Antomw, that whilst he was yet /.8.C12. hanging off as it were from God towards Mat 19 c e wor carnally lighting upon that 21! place, M**th.i9 iy V*de& vtndetmnia9

nia,&c. Go and fell all that thoti hafi, and give to the poor, and thou /halt have treasure in heaven , and come and fofioft me ; he was thereupon presently converted.

Secondly, that which he relateth of himAugufl. self in the same Twelfth Chapter of the confeff. Eighth Book of his Confessions (which itLS-c-l2° seems had somewhat the more impression upon him , from the consideration that he had of the former example.) The matter was this-, when he was in great perplexity of spirit in those beginnings and preparations of the worl of conversion that were upon him , he heard a voyce, as he thought , from the neighboring house , as of Boys or Girls iinging in these words, Telle lege, Tolle lege, Ta e up and read. Take up and re*d', which he taking to be an admonition from Heaver, went speedily to the place where he had left his Book of St. Paul's Epiftles, and upon the opening thereof sound that place presented it self unto his view, Rom. 13. 13. Non i»Rom.i3. cemeffdtiovibiu &c. Not in ricting And *3»

drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in flrise and envjinf, hutpnt jou on the Lord Jeftts £V*/?, and make mt stovison for the pjh to fulfill the hfts thereof-, Whereby the clouds of those doubtings and waverings that were upon his

(Z6) , his soul were presently scattered, and be brought into a chearful resolution, to give tip himself in holy Religion to God, to the joy of his pious Mother, and the comfort of his own soul. Zufeb. Thirdly, That of Origen, Iconceive,is

kuttc. not to be omitted :, He living in a time of

Nifior' temptation and persecuti », and having a great desire to draw people from Idolatry, and being deluded, as it seems, with hopes that some would be baptized upon a day wherein they were to offer incenfe unto rhe falfegods, wasstirredup with zeal in his heart to do his endeavour to turn some people unto Christ ; and to that end, be makes so much hafte unto TUnSuf Origen. tliepiace wnerc t[,at idolatry

ISS M was to be commuted, trustto exihhs nee cvatiing (it may be too much, as

onewquidem eonfueSt. feter did ) ptson his own

tarn implere potui J? renjrth and refofotion therein ,

fed d Cider ans omnes , * , ; j 1 j homines fdvos fieri th he e™tted *""£**? r in ogniiionem vemofmng devotion (which I demutk venire, meipfire may be observed ) and

(urn in Diaboli la~ coming to the place, and being

futkimplktvu left unt0 himfclf by Gf)d

(whose service he had neglected that morning, and whose direction and afllftance it may be he had not so carefully sought as he should have done ) instead of diverting

ethers from their Idolatrous practice, he toot through wealeness drawn into it himself \ and so took a very dreadful and dangerous fal; chufing rather to offer incenfe, then to have his Body denied by a filthy Blackmore, which it seemeth was threatened. After this being at Jerufalem, whether he went being ashamed to continue at Alex* anaria, and there requefted to preach or expound the Scriptures unto the people ; when he was entering upon, the business, and had opened his Book, there was first, it seems presented unto his view that place of the fiftieth or as it is otherwise reckoned, the F or tj ninth Pfalm2Xthe ftxteenth verse,&c 'But unto the wicked Qed faith, What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes, or that thou Jbuldeft take mj Covenant in * thy mouth, feeing thou hatefi inftruftion, and cafiefi my word* behind thee &c.

Whereat he was so fmir Plannmfeu Imentum ten and ft art led , as if god Origenis inter opera ejus. himself had stafied with Maceriam pofuh orimco, heavenly Uthtnin* into his coattuifumafanZHsEpjr - sir scopu in doctrine verbum

face in the reading of those Trorumpe so accepto cowords, that his mouth was dice Pfalmorumorans apefiopped% and instead of a slumi, so afcendit mihi eloent of words, he brake forth quium iBud qnod confun-

dordicere,eloquicompeUor'9

Fcccatori autem dixit Veus, Quare. tu enarrat iuftkits meat', so affumu testamentm meum per os tuvml

into a flood of tears. And when he had made a passage for his language through that great sterm and dreadful temped that was raised in his soul, instead of inftruftang the people, he fell into a greivous hntentation and dtp/oration of himself and of his oven horrid sin /, and his wretched condition : Which we have recorded in the works of Origev with so much bitterness of spirit, and deep humiliation of soul, as his expressions represent, as I think 'can hardly findea parallel in the Eccleiiaftical Story-, and therefore we cannot I conceive without breach of charity , and without condemning our selves who come so far short of it, doubt but it was accepted by God: And as little reason have we to make any queftion but there was a gracious, and wise, and holy work of Gods &ll-difpofing Providence in the matter.

I might here set down some remarkable passages of this nature, that have fallen out in our unhappy days, at the time of a great trijlandcataftrcphe in this Nation, when the readings of the day did very apt if answer the sad condition of a great ptrson in this Realm. But it may be this would more provoke then edifie. It will befafer to tell you that it is related of Fransifcm fmiw, that is joyned with, ' ' Tre*

Tremelius in the Translation of the Old e c£( Testament, That he wot not converted to be £ntiH1fe kjarttlj a Chriftiax untillthe sir fl words ofc.4. St. Johns Cjofpel wererffered Mnto him by astrange Trcvidrnce , as he conceived.

Thefe things I hope may servefor the judication of our fore-mentioned Observation.

Chapter XI.

of Divirte Providence, md the ex* cellent use thereof.

BUt it will be requifite I conceive,to say something by way of caution, lead any should abuse it, or those other things that have been produced of the like nature to the encouragement or countenance of superstition.

There was indeed fas learned encerus pe„cerHi wrireth in his Book de Divinatione, n& de divihisTreatise d ? Sonibtts) A certain fuper-natione. sliticPts kinde of Sortile y or Lottery amtngft theHe At hens, which were (tiled Sortes Virgilianae, Cttnt aferto libri codice qui prim vif/t occrtrriffsnt verfus in oracttli zmen affmtbm*r When the Book being

opened at adventure for the purpose, the first verfeso r% lines tb n were'presentev co the eye, were taken eo have ihefoiteof an oracle An example whereor, ms |W slefm. ctrw tells us , is remembred by Helim Spartianus in the life of Adriar which Adrian being on a time folicitous concerning the mind of the Emperor towards him , and defiring to he resolved by this firgilian Sortilegj, upon the opening of the Bool met with these verjes ,

Qjiis frocul ille astern rami* insignu oliv e Sacra ferens} nofco crines incanaq;menta Rcmani regit, primm qui legibus ttrbem Fundable, curibm pari* is, & paupctre terra, JMiffw in imperium magnum.

Now that this was, and that all such practices are superstitious and impious , there is jio quedion to be made, as being no better then Witchcraft , and confuting wich the Devil h and that though the Book of the holy Scripture it self should be used in any such way 9 as to put any thing or event upon such a trial thereby, the holiness of that Book would be so far from excufing or diminiftnng the sin, that it were io much the greater, and more abominable iniquity -, for. the holier any thing

(SI)

is in the right ufey the more wicked is the abnfe thereof. Corruptio optimi ptffimn.

That therefore wliilft we iaborto juftifie that which is good and lawful, we cfq not through unwariness encourage any unto that which is evil , which is too often done :

I shall endeavor to set down some safe and necessary Rules and Cautions to be observed in matters of this nature.

Sir ft, Concerning matters of providence in general.

Secondly, (Concerning the use cf Lots, wl. ich are reducible thereunto.

Thirdly , Concerning the Observ itions that may be made of remarkable Trovidtntir aloe Urrencef*

First, This is a safe and certain Rule, That it is not onely lawful, but the dmj of all people to take special notice of the carriages and dispens.it ions of the holy Providence of Cjod ; and that even in those occurrences thereof, which seem unto us through the ignorance of the dependance that is between causes and tffetts , to be very cafual and contingent, which is very clear not onely from those many places of the kely Scripture which present the Providential works of God unto our confederation, and earnestly call upon us for our

. medita-

meditation thereupon,and rebuke the negled: but also from sound and clear reason, and the many excellent uses that may and ought to be made thereof.

The Providence of God is his great tretfttry , abounding with excellent and precious riches from whence we may enrich and fur nidi our souls with many excellent documents and divine instructions.

It is a great and gloriotuTheMre wherein we may behold the great and magnificent and wonderful spedacles of the operations of the perfections and attributes ef God, and see the divine Artificer at work in the great (hop or laboratory of the world, and there making use of his several Agents and Instruments, of Angels and Men good and bad, of the heavenly Bodies , and of all the creatures in the variety of their motions and eflfefts to hose various and wonderful purposes and produces whereunto they are imployed by the divine wiidom, and that many times against their own purposes and designs.

Here we may see him by the art and efficacy of his divine wifdomand holiness,exercifing a strange and wonderful Chymi* ilry (as I may so speak ) making extracts of good out of every evill, light out of darkness,

ness, holiness out of tin, and the greateft good out of the greateit evill ., as the salvation of the world out of the treason of a Jndasi and the malice and cruelty of the wicked JewsHere we may see him in the Divine fabtiltiei and wise contrivances of his heavenly policy , countermining the designs,and blafting the counsels of the crafty Achitopbefr y the greateft and wifeft Politicians of the world, taking them in the nets that themfeives have woven, and making their turning of things upfide down, to be but like the turning or treading of the clay If 29.16. for the Potter, out of which, when they have done all they can, he frameth whac veffel it pleaseth him for the advancement of his own glory, the good of his people, and the confusion of his subtileft adversaries, making them in themidft of their joy and triumph, to dig those pits for their own ruine , which they intended for the destructiofc of others, and giving the prize from their great wisdom, unto the iimplicity of foolish and imprudent people.

There we may admire him in the might / hid power making the Vveakjhings of the world to confound tht mighty ; carry uig on a poor

statterei

feattered and peeled people, a poor difarmed, persecuted Church.fur nished with their prayers and tears, and deftitute of all outward strength, in defiance of all the power and wisdom of the world that was againstit, as in the times of the primitive Churchy wrhereinthe Church and Gospel being born upon the wings of the divine Power and Providence,without the help of outward force or wisdom by the ministry of weak and difarmed people, .as to outward weapons, prefTed through the terrors and strength of the greateft Potentates , and their Armies , through the Schools and reafonings of the great Philosophers, through fire and fagOtj through most exquifite torments and disgraces ,• through all that Earth and Hell could do against them and ran through Europe, Afia and Africa in a stnall time, and subdued the world to the acknowledgment and worship of a crucified Saviour, and (which encreaJfeth the wonder) suffering the same Church when once grown proud, hrough a luxurious diet she had put out like a wen , the monstrons exuberancy of a slefhly arm, tolose by strength what stie got in weakness, which after so maay sad experiments of the ill success of the

advenadventure of warlike Christians, with any other weapons then thek* own before mentioned, may well make us wi(h as one of elder times f That ChriBiar.s would lay down their frverds and ff ears. and return to their pray trs and tears The loss of ib great a part of the world , as the Mahometans of several sorts, and others can boast of, being the sad confequent of the change of their armory.

There we may see the justice of God reviving Tinners from the mark where a long slight from purfuing vengeance had lighted them down,(they have thought)ina sure shelter, and fetching them up again out of their darkeft Corners,' and meting unto wickedness in its own very measure, and making impiety its own judge and ex- . ecutioner, and caufing evill and deftructithat" on like a well-nofed Blood*hound, to hunt blood the violent man to overthrow him , to hath a hunt him out of all his windings, andhoJ en doublings, his traverfeSj and bulhes, to a"wiijC bring him unto mine. not eate

There we may fblace our drooping souls ly be with the raviihiujg beauties of his tranfcenSoncdentholiness,of his unchangeable truth,and of his magnificent bounty overflowing the whole world, and all the creatures thereof, opening, extending, and enlarging his,

arms

{96) arms and breafts both to the just and to theunjuftfrom the higheft and greateft Angel to the finalleft worm, or slie , or mite in the whole world , feeding the hands thar sight against him, rvounfhing those -mouthes that blafpheme and reproach him, purfuing those withbleslings that run away from him in their sins : Courting those with the kinde tokens and large presents of his love, that continue inaperverfe resolution of war and enmity against him s begging at the doors of poor and indigent people with great importunity, that they may receive the free almes of his riches-, bearing many and many repulfes and affronts offered unto his k?ndness by proud and wilful dust and allies, and after much long-sufferingvin, dicating the honor of his despised good* hess, by turning all his contemned clemency into rage and fury against them that f eje& it.

And there we may solaceour souls with the sweet operations of his most dear and melting mercies and companions (as in the present case) unto poor lost sinners , fetching them home from their errors and Wickedness upon the Shoulders of his strength , and in the Bosom of his love, ttrrjingkk Lam fa in bu trmsj and gent Ij

lading

TremeUm in the Tranflation of the Old Teitament, That he wot not converted to be heartily a Cbriflian Mntill the firfi words of St. Johns Cjofptl were offered urtohim bj a grange Providence , as he conceived.

Thefe things I hope may servefor the jiiftificatioh bf our fore-mentioned Obfer * vation.

CHAP. XL

Of some [uccteding Pafjages after this forementionedrvork of Providence, in order to the Turks Connjerfion and of his confenting and eameft desire to he Baptized.

GOd having ptit the Dream, and that work of his Providence which have occasioned so large a Discourse, a9 two wheels as it were, unto the Chariot of our motions and endeavors, after fomc lktie pause scaused by the business of the Lords Day, wherein I was employed, as I have been fundry times by the favourable admission of reverend Dr. Bernard in the honorable Society of Grajet-Inn in Ifondon which gave a feafonable opporH tunity

opportunity to Mr. Dandulo to ruminate upon the former passages, and to digeft those admonitions and instructions which he had received : Upon the Monday following I thought good to endeavor some farther promotion of the Work, that we might not suffer those heats which God hadraifed to cool in his heart, nor. those imprefiions which our Convert had received, to languiffi or grow dull in his Soul, but that we might make afeafonable advantage of those encouragments which God had given unto the business5and strikc, as they say, which the iron was hot h and press in upon his Spirit at that door which God had now begun thus far to open unto us -, and that not onely because conftancyand prudent speed , that alloweth as little delay or intermission as may sland with convenience, are a great means: to secure the success of a good enterprize, operations being then most strong and vigorous, when they.are carried on in a sort together, so that they communicate mutual strength unto one another,* and those that succeed become powerful , whiift they make advantage not onely of their own strength but of the force and impreffion of the former that have gone immediately before them ; Upon which

Account

{91)

account it cometh to pais chat so many great and good undertakings in the World and in the Church have been oil by interruptions and procraftinations opportunities once lost, being usually with much difficulty or riot at all to be recovered :, but belides these confederations we had reason enough to believe that the Devil who is very watchful to take all advantages for the blafting of tbose purposes that are good and holy , would be ready and diligent to make an evil use of all the time that should be given him for spoi ling and difappointment of that buiinefswe had in hand, whereby God was like to be so eminently glorified , if it should obtain bur happy and desired success. And that which was indeed very urgent in the requiring a speedy and vigorous profecution of the work, was the danger that seemed to threaten an entire overthrow both unto our endeavors and hopes if not speedily encountred, by reafonof thole inclinations that appeared in him of a fuddain departure, not onely from the place where the work was now begun upon him, but out of this Nation, by a return into his own Country, to which purpose ( as it hath .been since fuggefted with some appre* heniloi) , as it seemed to me ; of difpaH z rageiiicnf P2)

ragement to him and his Converfton ; though I cannot see upon what reason or ground , and as he himself hath confefled, being put unto the queftion uponoccaiion of the aforesaid suggestion unto me ) he had attempted an address by way of petition unto the Protector for aPafs, and some provision to convey him over into his own Country again.

And give me leave to take notice of it by the way,because (as I formerly, in some discourse that I had with a worthy person concerning the care that ougnt to be taken of this new Convert, upon the affurance of the gieat malice that Satan bears unto such performances, against which he rageth in himself and his instruments, as a Bear robbed of her Whelps, did take upon me to conjecture and aver that it would fall out) there have been various endeavors both to corrupt and to blaft the credit of the Work that hath been by Gods mercy wrought upon this our Convert. One having reported, and he a Mihifter of these times, as I am informed, most falsely and uncharitably, that he was hired to become a Christian : Another, that he staieth here arid becomes a Christian, because he dares not return home for fear of being put to death, for violating

the Laws of Mahomet in drinking wine before his conversion, for which he was reproved and threatned by the Agent with whom he came hither from Algtir : Another that he was baptized heretofore el fe where. But I would advifeall men to take heed how they go about to difparag the gracious works of the Almighty , through the envy that they bear towards the instruments which God is pleased to use and own in such matters, or to discourage young Converts that are broughE home into Christs Bosom left they prove themselves thereby to be worle Christians then he, and render themselves liable to that condemnation of onr Saviour, Matth, 18. 6. Who so shaU ofendone of thtfe little ones that beleive in me ( which may be understood of those that arc children in grace , as of those that are children ig years also ) it were better for him that a mil ft one Were hanged about his neck, , and that he Vvere drowned in the depth of the Sea.

But indeed this intention of his return which he manifested so clearly by his attempt of petitioning theProteftor for the purpose, as is before declared, which hath been also urged against himasadif. paragement,doth confute the most of these H 3 foggefti-

VS.

suggestions, and doth render it improbable that be was either afraid to return, or that he was baptized before at any other place -, which if it had been true, he could not have retttr ned without an eminent danger of beiiig put to death. And indeed this intention and inclination of his to a sudden return home, .as it hath by Gods Providence proved tiferiil for the clearing of him from those false accufations and aifparagements, so was it also for the hastening us on in the profecution of the work of his Conversion we had: in hand, m order" whereunto , I made speed unto the purfoance thereof, the day before-mentioned: And whereas many good undertakings it may be feared come short of an happy iflue, through that, evill felfifhnefe Which is in too many, .whereby they sce& to get the glory of the work unto them* selves, together with that evil confidence and Mf-conceit which some men have of their o\Vn abilities whfch render therh ayerfe from either defiring or admitting that help that they might have from the Affociation of others, which the holy Apostles themselves difdained not to make life of: That therefore this work might not want either countenance or affistarice, rior fail through the weakness or miscarriage

riage of my endeanors of which indeed I was very fearful, whereby I might have become answersctie for the loss of his Soul* and for the difappointment of that glory which hath lince by his converfiori accrued unto God, I prevailed with reverend Dr. Bernard, and Dr. Gauden to accompany me that day unto Chelsey, who willingly complied with my desires therein ; and sent withal to desire Mr. Quming and Mr. Samots the Interpreter to meet us there. When I with those two reverend Divines first mentioned had arrived at the place, Signior Dandulo was prevailed with to give us a meeting at myhouse but Mr. Gunning and the Interpreter being not yet come, and the reverend persons that were with me being unwilling to stay long by reafonof some occasions which it seemeth called them back unto London : We as well as we could, without the Interpreter enterel upon some discourse with him, which although it was but stiort, and much dif* advantaged for want of Language ; yet we prevailed so far, that it obtained some kinde of consent unto the thath of those things which were offered unto him in order to his imbracement of the Christian Religion. ( Art account of the Arguments and discourses that pafled in this H 4 bufi»

business from the beginning to the ct\df I have thought good to make the business of a Chapter by it k\f9 to avoid the trouble of repeating over and over the same things again both unto my self and to the Reader.) And although we could not as yet obtain of him a declaration of his full resolution to be baptized, which as he had tnanifefted in former communications, he desired not to be over-hast ily pressed unto, but that he might be allowed good time to deliberate and consider of so weighty a business as that was, and that was to be resolved on no other terms but the desertin'g and forfaking of so many earthly comsorts, as of Parents, Country, Inheritance, and Marriage intended, which were all to be drowned unto him in the water of his Baptism yet we obtained this expreflion of approbation and consent, at least nnto the main of our discourse , E Emm , that is to say, This is good or trueBut after our departure back to London, the same day it pleased God to send reverend Mr.Gunning and the Interpreter unto him, who in my absence accofted him with some frefh discourses at the Lady L rvrenct where was his usual abode in Chelsey, and after some strugglings , obtained from him at length ( as if feme violent bean of light

and

nd grace had broken in upon his Soul % and had upon the sudden captivated all his contrary imaginatious, and (battered the mift of all his waverings and doublings ) not onely a consent to be baptized into Christianity , but also so earned a desire and inclination thereunto , thac over-powered all his, former thoughts of deliberatiou ; and was so impatient of delay, that he cried out upon the iiidden Dc mairi) that is to say, Let it so done to morrow ; and when for the solemnity of the performance , and for the obtaining of forne convenient space and opportunity for his further inftrudion and preparation to that great work, it was made known unto him that it was not tjiougffc convenient to perform the celebration until the lords Day ; he seemed to be something troubled at the delay. The happy and joyful news of this blessed success was carefully and very refpedfully sent by Mr. Gun ning unto me at Wt ft win /?er, which drew me from thence unto Chel/ey very late at night , that \ might be a joyful witneis of so happy an iffue which God had given unto that gracious work he had begun by so weak and inconfiderable an instrument as I acknowledge my self to be : And that I might be serviceable by such advice, and

further

forther afliftance as God should enable me to give in order to the accompliibment of this so eomsorrable a produd of the admirable and excellent mercy of the Lord, to whom be all the glory of this, and all the works of his gracious goodness : And if we glory in any thing, let it be in this, that God is pleased to be glorified by us or in us, that so if we glory we may glory in the Lord.

CHAP, XII.

of tfye Advantage? sound even in the Religion of the Mahometans, and in the Turks own acknowledgements, for the carrying on of, his Conversion.

ALtJiough wehave obtained one great end of our Narrative in that declaration which hath been already made of that blessed futcess which God gave unto our endeavors, in that ready consent and earner!: desire which was wrought in the Soul of our Convert in so little a time as was that of very few weeks, to renounce that

great

great Impostor Mahomet with his delusions, and to devote and marry his Soul unto Christ Jesus the great and true Prophet of the Church and onely Saviour of the World, which is a matter that chalengeth the joy both of Angels in Heaven, and all good men upon Earth ; yet forafmuch as there is an holy , and not onely harmless but profitable curiofity, that doth usually potfefsthe hearts of Gods people to search (as God is pleased to allow them) into the great and gracious works of the Almighty -, and not onely to put that queftion, Num.l .pvhat hath God wronght That chey maysolace themselves with the spectacle of the sweetness of his mercy, but to look also into the ways and means, the manner and method whereby the Lord carries on his performances, that they may delight and edifie their Souls, by the contemplation of his divine wisdom and power shining forth through the weakness and simplicity of the instruments that he k pleased to make use of The holy study f Gods works being the great Philofophy of Gods peopleand their great learning to under A and the loving kindness of the Lord : That this knowledge may be the fuel and furniture of their praise and devotion, which is the great end of their

Creation and Redemption which is the study that they are invited unto in this Treatise-, the design whereof is to present unto them a great and new work,and frefh frame and platform of divine, and those very remarkable dispensations which the Lord was pleased to produce and put together in this subject we have in hand. For this reason, and yet moreover, becaule it may perhaps give Tome light not unufeful for the discovery of the great difference* there is between the beautiful truths of the Gospel, and the deformed errors of the Alcoran, and may afford some help and encouragement unto others for, and in the undertaking of the like endeavors of conversion ; X (nail therefore for the better clearing of the matter, and that men may see by what advantages this was, and other such like conversions may be attempted, and know in some measure from what clefperate errors and mischief this conver- £on hath brought the Soul of him that hath imbraced it, to the enlargement of our comfort , and advancemeut of the glory of Gods grace, I shall endeavor to set down some principal matters or tenets wherein the Mahometans and we do agree; and fubjoyn some of those most remakable errors wherein they differ from

Christi-

Xlhriftianity ; that by this we may be em abled to discover the disease of those that re milled in that way of error, and by that we may be the better instrucled for their conversion for since every conviction doth proceed a conctffis , and must fetch its strength from someTruths that are granted and agreed upon if it be rightly managed it is of great concernment for usto know feoth wherein they agree with us,& wherein they differ from us, that we may gain ilrengthand advantage from the one, for confutation and remedy of the other. Take therefore these Observatipnsoutof Levinm Wtwerut in his Compendium Hiftoncum printed at Lejie w,i 643 . and others. - First, They do acknowledge the fall ofj ™' all Mankinde in Adam and Eve their first j £ j Parents, in a greater degree I fear then cum efIbme Christians inourdaies, for they de-fatorigo clare concerning the casting out of Adamhommrn and Eve out ofParadise that it may also be a p em fitly understood of their posterity ; for putat] that feeing they were the orignal and root sin acfi orstockof men, they were reputed as if /;(W2™" they had been all men in general. Ifl'Xj; which words faith warntrw, the same feerneth to be intimated that the Apostle Rem. 5; of the Gentiles faith, Jf bU AvfycJw h «p-

By

By one man sin came into the worlds for thtf

or in whom aR have sinned ; So that they seem to embrace that of the same Apofile, that by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, but then though they acknowledge the disease so far ; yet as evil and unkinde Physicians to themselves and others, they rejed: the remedy , and will not embrace that which the Apostle addetb, so by the obedience of one Jhi& mar.y be made righteous ; but instead of this they believe that Adam without any satisfaction presently obtained pardon, when being led by repentance he made this Prayer to God, which the Alcoran reciteth, Domine nofter injurii fuimut animctbus nofiru , Qr fi non condonaveris nobis ac mifertus ftterif, damnum feremxs* O Lord, we have been injurious to our (wls and if thou far don w not tie mufi bear the damage or fuctiflr went-

And they say,that this sin of our first Pa?- rents was but afmal sin,that the punishment thereof might be the more exemplary, that men might thereby know that great and careful caution is to be used that they let not loose the bridle unto Cm.Cum silk Adam ejetluf sit de Paradifo cb unicumfeccatHW7 quamodo ingrediatur earn tlurimis obnoxitu pecatis ? Since Adam was cap out of Pa*

radtfc *°3)

radise for one sin% hove shall he enter there* into that is gpiltj of many sins f But they think that there is no need of a Mediator who should expiate this sin, or that should furTer death, that man under his conduft might triumph over death, being subdued and chained up.

They allow Christ to be the Son of Mary and because Children are denominated from their Fathers not from their Mothers, they say we may learn from that denomination of him from his Mother , that he was born without a Father, according to that expreflion of the Evangelift, srejc* r mv ojjtya , She bnttght forth her Son. And to those eminent Propheu*esy (7**.3-i5where he is called the Seed of the woman, not of the man.- And 7/4.7.14, where he ispromised to be the Son of a Virgin: And such a wonderful conception and birth they acknowledge this to be as never was granted unto any other Mo ther or Childe and therefore in their Expofition of the words which they say the Angel spake unto the Virgin, o Mari&% Dim elegit te & purificavit tejlegit tefstpra mulieres omnis cvi,&c. O Mary, God hath chosen thee and purified thee, he hath chosen thee above the wemen of all Ages. They interpret it thus, He hath purified thee from

impure

impure works, and from that of which the Jews accused thee, he hath chbferi thee above women of all ages, in that he gave thee Jesus without a Father, which happened not unto any other amongst wo- -,£Dmen«, contrary to that w'cked lie of the DT\V Jews in their Sepher fuehafiv, when they say that in the reign of the Grecians, and the time of the Tribes, there was a famous wise man at Rome, called Prometbettss who decreed that the Ring (hduld be worn upon the fourth ringer ,because the vain of the heart was in it,and that he had a Son called Anturos, who also was a man of excellent wisdom,and that he had seven daughters, whereof one was named Efcbto*ipb»s v who as the Gentiles report brought forth two sons, Ephan and Schahfebiv and that she was a Virgin before and after her delivery nu;p nn and that was heard faith the Author. W hereunto was added by the , hand-writing of a certain

Vi) Vw Qis mwtrwrfu nis lianas, as he relatcth, it is hard to the Christians, being against their Religion, who say this was a miracle in M«rjt the Mother of, Jesus. The Turks also say some of them that Mary conceived at the thirteenth year of her age, others at the

tenth ; and some say that she was delivered in the iixth raonech a others in the scventh moneth, others in the eighth riioneth , mc fupcrvixit partus otlavo wenfe edit us praterqttam beat us fefus ; and that never any birth brought forth in the eighth month lived, but only the bldfed Jefos.They say also that he was brought forth under a Palm-tree and they further say That God created one without Father or Mother ,as Adam and brought forth one of a Mother without a Father ,as Jesus-jk that Jofeph having a fufpition of her thought to have killed her ; that the Angel Gabriel in- . terpofed, saying That she was with childe by the Holy Ghoft,arid so hindered him ' They say also that Afarj, was the Daughter of Amran ,the Son of Matctrtfi& Son of Sttlmanjthe Son of David the Son of fejfe ± and that between this Amran and that Amran which was the Father ofMofes and Aay o there passed a thousand & eighty yearsand that she was brought up by Zacbarias, and that her food was scnt down unto hex: from Paradise so that she never sucked any Breast,but that she had sent her from Heaven winter fruits in Summer, and summer fruits in Wintered that as often as Zachar rias went unto her in the Temple, he sound meat by her : and when he asked her whence ste had it-, she sat d that it was I from

from God, for God feedeth whom he will without measure ; and that many were sound perfeft amongst. men, but none amongst women, but onely Four, Aft*, the Daughter of Merahaw Mary the Daughter of Amran Chadiga the Daughter of HhIaU, and Fatima the Daughter of Mahomet; and that Mary was confecrated unto God,whiIft she was yet in the womb. But though they acknowledg (Thrift to be the Son of the Virgin , yet they wickedly deny his Divinity they say that Christ was born a Servant as other Servants they also deny him to be the Son of God. The Christians,say they, made him the Son of God. ButJesus is only a Servant,say they,as other Servants , and they seem to bring in God speaking thus r, We have dealt graciously with him, ( that is with Jesus ) in that we have appointed him to be a wonder, in that we have created him without an intermediate or second cause, 2s we created Adatn and rendered him famous by prophesie ; but they conclude against his Divinity , because he knows not, all that Godknsweth, through Ignorance of the divine mystery of his Incarnation , and of the unconfounded propriety of tne two Natures in Christ. And though they confefsthat Christ did miracles, as that he cleanfedtbe Lepers, and railed the dead ,

vec

yet they say he did them notby his own power, but by the power of God and so they say he restored Sew the Son of Notb to life. The ground upon which they deny Christ to be God, is, because they ig. norantly suppose the Unity of the Divine Nature cannot be preierved if Christ should be acknowledged to be God : Therefore they have that so often in their Alcoran, and other Writings, faith Warmrtu j* dVt Non eft Dew nifi i(/e There is no God but he ; And amongst divers things that are required unto their Faith , the sir ft is this confession that there Is not any God but one, which is indeed a great thath acknowledged by theChristian Church but they ignorantly oppofeit to the Trinity of persons, being bound up in the dark Dungeon of their carnal and weak reason and therein they agree with the SocinUnt and PhotinUns which are indeed rather Turks then Christians : The Turks themselves having as high an opinio on of Christ as they, and they as low an opinion of him as the Turks.

They say moreover that Christ doth not arrogate this honor to himself, to be called the Sonof God ; but in the day of the Resurreftion he will teftifie against the Jews,'

Jews for that they charged him with falsehood,and against the Christians for calling him the Son of God

They confess indeed , That the Christians teach but One Effence but Three persons ; anc} they say that by the per. son of the Father, the Christians understand Effence ; bv that of the Son, Science-, by that of the Holy Ghoft, Life: which the Alcoran understandeth, according to their Commentary, as if God,Christ, and Mary wereThree Gods-,and Christ the Son of God by Mary -y otserve how they are held in their errors and oppofmon to Christianity, by their grofsmiftakesof the Christian Doctrine.

The grounds of this their denial of the divine generation or Sonship of Christ, whereby he is the Son of God , are these:

i. A carnal conceit that nothing can generate but a Body for generation, say they, is the property of Bodies.

2. That Generation is not but between equals of the famekindebut God, lay they , in regard of his great Excellen* cy hath j no Equal or Confort, nor can have ; because if he had any Conforc, that Confort mnft be from the same kinde, but God acknowledged no kinde*

3«Be!

3 . Because there is nothing that he hath not created, and which he hath not known-, and therefore he wanted no Son Thus they doat that value God according to the Creature.

Yet they give unto Christ the name of Mejfias, which they say is one of the most noble titles , derived from the Hebrew rfnctO , which they interpret Bemdittus, or the Blejfed; whereas indeed it signifieth the Aminted,xht same which 25/S&, C fi* signifieth in the Greek Tongue, implying the three annointed Offices of Christ the great High Priest the great Prophet, and the great King of the Church.

They acknowledg him also by the name Jefns which they say is a barbarous name or word that cannot be expounded or interpreted, which in the Syriack Tongue is Jefchua, but they are ignorant that this name given him from Heaven signifieth the Savior, from the root ptm which signifieth to save in the Hebrew Tongue , as Imxs in the Greek also signifieth an Healer, or Physician, from Wopou to heal, which in the Saxon accordingly is usually translated Hadenp in the Saxon Gospels, as I remember ; wherein is implied that great my fiery which those blinded people acknowledge not , that is that this Jesus is the

the great Saviour and spiritual Physician both of Jews, and Greeks, or Gentiles-, having that name given h:m by the wonderful providence of God, that iignifeth a Saviour and a Healer in both Language an importance, the like whereof I am persuaded will hardly be fotand in inch a wonderful compliance of Languages ih any other name in the world, where'the roots from whence it is derived have no derivation from one another.

They confess that he was sent from God, that he might be the proclaimer of his Majefty, and the Corrector or Reformer of humane pravity or the wickedness of man, a Teacher of righteouiness and a Publisher of the Gospel, and they do maintain that he executed his Office faithfully ; in that he preached but one God, and converted men from their impious and vain woi;- ihips, to know and worftiip the trfle God

They do unanimoufly declare tliat he wrought many miracles, reftoring strength to the weak, health to the Mck, cpeniHg the eyes of the blfnde, purging away the blemifhes of defiled bodies, railing the dead unto life a ain, as if they had 'been awaked out of deep, though they acknowledge not that immortal power in him

whereby

he performed these things, as an argument of his Divinity.

They allow him the Title of the Word of God ; so the Alcoran brings in the Angels thus speaki'ng unto the Virgin, O Marjt god doth declare unto thee his fV O K Dt his name is Chrifl : And they say that Christ was stiled by that name, because he was not born but of the onely Word of Godthe manner thereof they thus express, God said, be thou without the help of Father. In the afcribing this name untoChri(t,they agree so far with that of foh 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word, though they reject the true sense and meaning of that title, implying the divine person of Christ : they say also that he is fermo verns Dtt, The true Word of God, So the Alcoran, This fefus is the true Word or Speech, whom the scws call an Impoflor and a Ljar, the shrim stians the Son of God he is called also by

them *Ut gjj The Spirit of God-, because as they interpret, he hath the Spirit that slowethlike seed from the living Father, because he is indeed brought forth of God , and by his abfolute power though they give that title also unto the r AngelGavrielfis the Commentary intepreteth that place of the Alcoran, We sent to I 4 for,

that is to Mary, otir Sfirit thH 'U (Jabrigl.

They say also that Christ is the Apoftlc of God, which is indeed a great Office of Christ, that seems ipecially to be foretold in that name Shtlob, Miff as, or Sent, as it may be interpreted, and is intimated by our Saviour in several places of Scripture, where he is said to be sent of the Father 5 for Apeflolm, or Apoftie, is derived from rWw,w, to send ; which I mention for the sake of those that are ignorant of so ordinary a. matter, so that it signifieth one specially sent, and in sacred use, one sent to teach and govern the people of God, in order to Gospel-Truth, Grace, and Salvation. This Office of Christ we. have exprefiy and eminently mentioned, Heb 3 .

And this is it which he hath derived from himself unto the Apostles and their Successors in the Church ; %As my Father kith sent we. so send I you : This Office is at leafl in the name acknowledged by the Turksv and yet as it is thought is too too much slighted in the succeftion thereof by too many Christians, that have rejected the Apostles Successors, and the ancient Goverment of the Church ; I wish they that have power in this Nation would consider of this matter, and remember

menber it in their publick confutations.

The Turks acknowledge Christ the Apostle of God, but they do not honor him nor advance him in the acknowledge* ment of this Office as they shoald , since they ranck him in a sort with other Legates or Prophets, Ghrtfim filius MarUy say they, non efi wfi Ltgatm ante quern ]am alii venemnt Legati; Christ the Son of Mary is but an AmbafTador before whom other Ambafladors have already come. And his condition in revelation, say they, is like the condition of the rest of the Prophets that have gone before. Revelation say they is, Sermo occuhtu quicito sit : An hidden speech coming suddenly ; and this they say is of three sorts : i. By Infpira* tion , unto which Dreams are referred. 2. By a Voice or Call. 3. Or by a Legate or Angel.In the first manner God,they say, spake to Abraham. In the second to Mofesy and so unto the Angels themselves, which

kinde the Alcorn calls c/u zz*\i* foft vi

/*w, behinde the Hanging or Curtain, where a voice is heard, but thespeaker not scen ; for none, say they , [hath seen God, and therefore they say that neither Moses nor Mahomet saw God.

3. By the fending of an Angel: As God spake unto the other Prophets beside Mo~ /*/, unto whom, they say, he spake immediately, as to an Angel. To Christ , they say, he spake as unto the rest of the Prophets by an Angeil. And they say the Gospel was sent him from Heaven with the testimony of Miracles , and amongst the rest they say he made a Bird of clay, and inspired it with life. And they say Jcfus was famous in this life by Prophesie, and in the other life by interceflion, and exaltation of degree ia Paradise , that he might be amongst thofethat stand before the Throne, ?nd a companion of Angels. So they hold Christ to be an Interceffor fGx ihe godly. Whofoever readeth Sw

rat* &)l for him Jesus hath prayed for

the forgiveness of his sins ; as long as he liveth in this world, and at the last d y he is his companion.

They acknowledge the day of Refur* reftion, which they call the day of Congregation.

But though they thus exalt Christ in Paradise, yet they say Mahomet is much more exalted in the other life, being honored or celebrated by the Angels, together with God, and that four o? them say , ptaift

be

k to the 0 CJod , and to thy Mahomet ;

Traif* he to thee sort hj Clemency after thy Power. And four say, Praise be to thee9 0 GW, and to thy MaJomet. for thy Gentleness afttr thy ivifdotn. Thus they doat and rave.

They say that Christ was taken up to Heaven, but Mahomet is more excellent, who was fen: unto men in general, and to whom sins were forgiven, both which he committed before, and which he afterwards committed-, as if God had given Mahomet a dispensation to commit sin ? Mark the the Impiety and Blasphemy of this saying. And they say that Mahomet concluded the number of the Prophets.

They say that (Thrift was presently heard as often as he called upon God. And they have a strangestoryof a Table, and a Fish broiled that was sent down from Heaven to him and his Apostles at his prayer, and that he revived the fish, and jtumed it presently again into a broiled fish, and that the Table afterward vanished ; And that the A pottles when they afterwards rebelled, were turned into Apes and Swine.

Hiey say as the Law was given to Moses, thePfalmsto David , so the Gospel to

Christ,

Ckrift, and that it was sent from Heavet the Thirteenth day of Randan, as the Al coran was sent down the Twenty fourt! day of that moneth. They say thatGo exalted Rwdan amongst the Moneths and Friday amongst the Days, because th Sun rose upon that day ; and qyfdam was created and cafl out into th: Earth upor that day , and that the Day of Judgmen shall be upon that day.

They say, which is very observable foi the conversion of Turks , that Mahomei confirmed the Law and theGospel, anc commanded to believe the truth of the Prophets and Apostles, and whatever (o Books ) was sent down unto them ; anc that in the Gospel there is the right way light, and instruction for the godly ; and they pro fess to believe whatfoever is written in the Law and Gospel. Thus we be Sieve in God, and that that was sent down to Abraham, Ifmaet, Ifaac, Jacob, and the Tribes ; and that was delivered to Mose/: to Jesus, and to the Prophets from God; and we make no difference between any of them, so as less to believe th«m.

But they say falsely that the Gospel hath been changed, for they say that the name of Mahomet was in the Law and in' the jGospel. And in their Hiftories they say,

that!

his name was also in the PfalmSj and this they say a certain Monk confefTed and that Jesus foretold the coming of Mahomet and his people. , They say that Abraham prosefTed their Religion under the name of Jflam'tfm long before the Law and the Cofpel , and that he was neither Jew nor Christian.

They deny that Christ truly died, but they say that he was without death translated into Heaven. See their impudence against so manifest a truth. They say indeed that the Jews were deceived, and thought they had (lain Christ , but they slew him not ; but that God took him up unto himself. And that when the Jews were about to kill Christ , he asked his Companions, Which of you will be content to have my likeness put upon him, that so he may go into Paradise ? and that one of them said , 1 will , and that God presently put the Image of Christ upon him, and that he was (lain and crucified jnftead of Christ-, and that after this the Affociates of Christ fell at diffention about this ; and that some said Christ was God and could not die , others that he was killed and crucified, others, if Jesus were crucified where is our Companion? if our Companion was crucified, where is

then

Jesus ? Others said, he was taken up into Heaven.

They hold that Jesus shall descend from Heaven in the last days.and thac there shall be no people to whom the Book comes (/.f. I conceive the Alcoran, which they call *£? ictWi as we the Scriptures, the Bible) but they shall believe in it: So that there shall be but one Religion, to wit, Jjl imifm and God at that time shall slay the false Meiliah, and there shall besafety, so that the Lions shall eat with the Camels, the Leopards with the Oxen, Wolves with the Sheep, and Children shall play with Ser. pents

And they say Christ (hail (lay and dwelt upon earth Forty years ; and chat then the Muflins or Mufid-men, I e. the Mahometans shall pray over him. They say moreover that when Christ, shall descend, he shall frame himself according to the order of Mahomet, and (hail poure out prayers turning toward him, as he were one of his followers. Nor shali the last day appear say they, until the descend ing of Jesus go before. They hold also that other dreadful signs shall go before the last day, The false Christ or Meiliah, Gog and Magog, and the rifing of the Sun in the Weft. Hence that irreligious or prophane Jeft ,i

whereby

the witty Per ft an decipheretb the manners of a libidinous Judge, bringing in the King thus bespeaking the Judge, and tte Judge replying co the King : The King said to the Judge, Rife I pray you, for the Sun is now rifen the Judge said, In what part of the world did he rise? The King answered, in the East,Sas he is wont. Then said the Judge , BlefTed be God, for the door is yet open to repentance. I wish there were no such prefumptuous feoffers amongst Christians.

CHAP. XIII.

An account of the Arguments used for the conversion of the Turk , with some illnftration and enlargement, and of his Bapifm%

WHofbever (ball take but a view of those things that have been discovered concerning the madness and vanity of the Mahometan Religion, they would have cause enough to wonder that a meteor made up of . Juch earthy and corrupt exhalations should last so long,& have such a

powerpowerful influence upon the minds of such multitudes of those creatures that have principles of Reason and Religion in them but that the terrors of the World , and carnal apprehenfions arid interests have so embafed the hearts, and dazled the eies of poor mortals, that most men worship a slaming Sword, especially when the Hilts of it are enchafed with tranfitory delights and advantages. And the greateft part of the world mty seem to have their Religion cut out unto them by the weapons of their conquering Subduers , rather then commended unto them by the force of convinciag Arguments.

And indeed were not the souls of those that profess the Mahometan religion wrapped up in a dark vail of ignorance, under the cloud whereof they are purposely kept, it might seem almost incredible that they sliould not easily difclaim such impious errors, the falshood and impiety whereof are abundantly convinced by the very difslay and discovery of the very tenets and practifes themselves and yet a very rare thing hath it bin to hear of one bred up in that imposture of Turcism, converted to the glorious light of the Gospel.

It may easily be perceived by what hath been delivered , what great advantage's)

there lie before us, even in the great ab furdity of their opinions where they are at opposition unto us, and in those approaches that they make toward Christianity in some other things that they hold, as iiath been shewed, for the undertaking and promoting their conversion , which will render it the more unanfwcrable and unexcufable that there have been no more adventurers to that purpose : Since the Church which is the illuminated part of the world, as it hath a charge of the great work of the conversion of the rest thereof unto that truth which God hath revealed unto her, not onelyfor her own salvation, but also for the guidance and direction of others, according to that Commission which is yet in force, and hath in it the power of a command or heavenly injunction from Chriftj go and teach , or make Disciples of all Nations , haf tiding them in the name of the Fatherland of the Son, and the Holy Ghofl ; and if there had been but the tenth part of those lives ventured upon a suffering account for the propagating of Gods truth.that have been hazarded and lost in the bloody quarrels of Ambition, Covetoufness and Revenge and for the propagating of Dominion byinK vading

of the rights of other Princes and people, in the way of bloody and active violence, in all probability the world ere this time might have been reduced unto the holy Gospel of Christ Jesus , and that jprophesie fulfilled which we yet hope for, (and God may promote it even from such a beginning as this) that in the la ft days the mountain of the Lords hmfe Jball be establijhed in the top of the mountains, and set above the kills a and all Nations [ball fiore unto it.

But this is like to be the work rather of the crofs then of the Sword. In hoc signo vincesy is still the Christians Motto. Our Victories are to be obtained under theBanner of the crofs.

But that! may draw to a Conclusion ; The more then ordinary, knowledge thac our Convert seemed to have obtained not onely of the Turkish Religion, but also in Tome measure of the Christian ; by means (as it may be conceived)of his Christian Mother, gavesome good advantage to our work.

The first attempt whereof was an endeavor to bring him into some good sense of the great concernment of his Soul in the embracement or rejection of the truth,

no less then in his eternal greateft good or evHi, and to bring him into dislike, or at least into a doubt of that erroneous and impious way that; he embraced , as being uncorrefpondent and unsatisfactory to that which is , and needs must be the aim of every wise and serious man , in the choice or embracement of any Religion, which is a well grounded hope and succeeding attainment of the salvation of his Soul in another world , and here in this life the peace of a good Conference next to the glory and honour of God, which as it was shewed him, could not be sound without a remedy for sin, which expofed tanto Gods wrath and to eternal death and condemnation ; And that there could be no remedy for this deadly disease but by a satisfaction to Gods Justice , That Mercy and Truth might meet together and Righteousness and 'Peace might kifs each other which remedy or satisfaction was not at all offered in that Religion that he embraced,

He said that God gave pardon upon repentance ; but it was shewed him that his repentance and the repentance of all others was imperfed -, and no man was so cleared thereby from (in , but

thatv there would still need a satisfection for the failings even of repentance and of the best ordered life that is to be sound amongst men in this life. That this satisfa cation is clearly and fully offered in the Christian Religion, in the blood , and sufferings , and rightcouihess of Christ Jesus, who being God and Man, and the eternal Son of God , became a sit Mediator between God and Man, and offered himself a sufficient Sacrifice unto the Divine Justice for the sins of the whole World : The benefit whereof, as it is proposed in the Gospel unto repentance, and to all true penitent sinners, so it is to be received onely from and in Christ Jesus, and by the true faith of the Gospel.

Upon this discourse, or to thispurpose* with some other, which I. cannot well now remember, he seemed to be something startled, and to doubt whether the ground whereon he flood was sound or no : And as I remember expressed, somedeflre that God would dired him to the Truth.

Some further Argumenrs were used to discover yet further unto him, not one. ly the inefficiency, but the impiety and

vani-

vanity and great uncertainty of that Religion he had embraced as that which countenanced cruelty and oppreffion , was carried on by violence and carnal ways , and proposed low and carnal delights for the "reward , below the excellency of the spiritual Soul of Man Coun* tenanced wickedness, as Impurity and Revenge ; and proceeded from a person of a carnal and lalcivious temper and conversation, who pretended a more then ordinary Commifiion and allowance for luft, as apriviledge belonging to him as the great Prophet. That pretended indeed revelation from Heaven, but had no testimony from God to commend it to the Souls of men ; but depended upon the bare assertion of Mahomet, which if he be considered in the singleness of his person , being a man subject to error as well «as others -y especially if he be confidered in his lafcivious and wicked quality and condition, is too fandy a foundation, and of more then much too weak a credit , that the venture of the eternal good and safety of one (ingle Soul shouid see committed thereto , much less of many millions, or of the whole world: That it was a Religion sluffed with monK 3 strous

lies and legends , as may be jseen by those things that have been see down.

Whereas on the other side the Cnriitian Religion hath upon it the very stamp of Gods image , which is his seal, in the high, excellent, mysterious and spiritual wisdom,too high for hnmane Impoflure in any likelihood to invent-, since it is so far too high for humane Wisdom or Understanding , even since it is revealed , to conceive , which is exactly answerable aud uniform and correfpondent to it self in all the members and parts thereof, which all make up a sweet and excellent tune and harmony amongst themselves, without any jar or difcord between them j and all 'the Writers thereof, though being many , and living in many and several Ages and places, were forbidden thereby to conspire in falCbood with one another; wherein there must needs have been much boggling in matters so high above humane reason and comprehension, if there had not been an infallible rule of divine Light and Truth to guide and ignite them together a* so great a d stance.

Besides the wonderful and excellent content ( "7)

•consent that is between the Types and Prophesies, and the fulfilled events thereof; The former whereof are for the most part consigned over unto us by the Jews, prosefTed enemies unto the Christian Truth , who maintain themselves , and have delivered over unto us the predictions, the completions whereof yet themselves now deny : And so it is fulfilled of that blinded Nation of the Jews, that is faidby one, I know not whom, of them, that it is Afinus fortanm vinum & hibens af/tant. An Afs that carriah wine, and drinketh water : They carry the wine of the holy Prophesies, and drink the water of their own foolish and malicious mifinterpretations and traditions.

It hath the stamp of the Divine wisdom and goodness upon it, in that holy policy established in the bond of Divine and Christian Love, whereby it unites all in the love of God, and in a mutual love unto, and a mutual charge of one another, and of all men, even greateft Enemies, in all their concernments, and in holy peace providing for all, and carrying on all things with a heavenly and publick spirit ., so that if it were but generally embraced, it would make the world

happy, and establish a kinde of Heaven upon Earth ; when every man should have a care of another as of himself in soul and spiritual good, in matter of Life, Estate, Health, Reputation, and all other matters wherein their good is concerned, whereby that wicked voice ?of Cain, which crieth so loud in the hearts and practices of the world, would be silenced and excluded out of the society of mankinde, *Am 1 my Brotbes keeper ? since it maketh all men keepers of one another, and teacheth all to take care of the publike good of &11, and thereby enlargeth the riches and content of all particulars, teaching them to joy and delight in the good and blessing of others, as well as their own.

It hath the stamp of Gods Holiness and Righteousness upon it V in the utter opposition that it hath unto all sin, in the admirable and perfed: rules of Justiceand Piety, and purify which it eflablilheth, both in regard of inward motions , thoughts, and affections, and in outward carriage and conversation of life, setting up the right mark before us , which is Gods £lory, and eternal happiness in him to be pursued by all, in all thoughts,

words,

andacYions, in all their Offices, Trades and Vocations ; so bringing in the whole life of man to be an holy sacrifice to God. And directing us unto this glorious Goal or prize in the holy road , or way of the holy commands of God, encouraging and facilitating our obedience thereunto by gracious promises, outbidding all that the World, or the Flesh, or the Devil can offer to hire us or move us to sin or wickedness, and so by another great and holy policy, engrafting our intereft into all cur duty so that we cannot sin against God, but we mult sin against our own felicity, nor advance in holiness but we must also advance in happiness, making holiness and happiness upon the matter one and the same thing, though they seem two unto us by the weakness of our sight, as one Candle seemeth two unto a distempered or weak eye.

It hath the stamp of Gods Meekness and Mercy upon it, not onely in revealing it unto us," and pouring it out upon us in the wonderful works of Redemption and Salvation by Christ Jelus, at which the Angels and hoft of Heaven (land amazed', whilst wicked and unthankful mortals defpise and contemn it but in the holy conform!-

formity which it enjoineth unto all, and worketh in the hearts and practices of true Christians thereunto, forbidding all manner , and every degree of cruelty and violence, of hatred , malice , envy , and revenge both in the root and the fruit thereof , and enjoining all ads of Mercy and compassion towards others , even our greateft adversaries and strangers, however different from us in judgment or affection , allowing no hatred unto any thing but sin, thereby opening a -door of love unto the whole world for their edification, and bringing in unto Christ Jesus, and to the Truth, Grace and Salvation of the Gospel, which is too little thought on and less practifed by the new and strangc Christians of our days, whom God will convince either to condemnation or to convcrfion, as may be hoped by such as this our Convert and others whom he shall bring home unto his truth and love, making even them to provoke us to jealoufie, and to be not onely Professors with us, but Reformers of us.

And these Rules of Love, Companion, and Mercy are established in an excellent and most exact and perfect order and method both in regard of the objects ando«

perations

petitions thereof, they being fiiit to be regarded that are neareft and deareft to God and us, or whole preservation and good is of greateft or most general concernment. And the operations to be exercised as in none but just, and pure, and holy, so chiefly and specialiy in spiritual ways. And this mark of love and tender companion amongst Christians was that that made them anciently as glorious in the eyes of God and Man , as the contrary cruelty and unmerciful ness hathrendred inglorious and ignominious the degenerate and falie Christians of our days. So that the very Heathens are fa id to have fallen into an admiration of their mutual mercy, with an Ecce qnam fe invicem at* ligunt , ecce qnam pro fe invicem mori pa' ratifnnt 'Beheld how these Christians love ne another Behold how thtfe Christians are ready to die for one another ! As now Turks and Heathens may cry out with abomination against the Christians andfelf Canonizing Saints of our days, Ecce qnam fe invicem oderint , ecce qnam fe invicem interficere parati funt ! it is translated in letters and language of blood, and written all over our age and Nations 'Behold ho* theft Christians hate one another , behold

how 03*) hcfa these Christians art ready to kj& and destroy cue another !

This and other wicked praftifes of those that walk under the names of Christians, so diametrally opposite unto the holy and merciful rule and constitution of (Thrift Jesus, are those that have cast reproach upon the name of Christ, and have clouded up the beauty and splendor of the Gospel and the Cnriftian Religion, and do continually blaft and hinder the conversion of Jews, Turks, Heathens and others thereunto , who are thereby confirmed and encouraged in their evill ways. For the love of God and our own souls let us think upon it. The wick* ed lives of Christians will answer for, and be charged with the destruction of the rest of the world as well as for their own, and theirs amongst whonv they live. But God is true , though evtry wan bs 4

Christian Religion hath upon it the {tamp and tefcimony of the great andunblemiihed innocency and piety of Ghrift Jesus, in the holiness of his Life and Doctrine acknowledged by the Turks themselves. Of t,he great power of God in hiswondroi drous Incarnation, and miraculous conception and birth whereby he was a miracle himself above all other miracles whatfoever. The latter whereof, to wit, his wonderful conception and birth is acknowledged by the Mahometans themJelves.

In the many and greatwonders that he wrought , which they themselves also confess it is teftified unto : As also by his Resurrection from the dead , and his Afcention ineo Heauen , which, to wit his Afcention, they aver, though they deny his Death and Resurrection By the voice from Heaven at his Baptism and transfiguration.By the descending of the HolyGholt both upon himself in the form of a Dove, and upon his Disciples in the form of fiery cloven tongues after his aicention upon the day of Pentecoft, to the enduing, of them with those wonderful gifts of all Languages which they exercised in the pretence of many witnesses of several parts and Nations, who by Gods providence were then at ferttfalem, which was then made, as it were, the Representative of the World, that it might be the Theater of so glorious a spectacle. To this may be added the great efficacy

cacy and power of the Gospel grace, shining in the lives of trne Christians, and in the glorious fuflferings of the Martyrs.

The spiritual and heavenly propofals of the Gospel.

And the spiritual wayes contrary to humane wisdom and carnal interest without humane force, whereby it hath been carried on.

And the (landing teflimony that is unto this day , in the difiipation , and afflicted, and wretched, and hateful condition of the banished Jewish Nation , Mattered over the world , having been tinder that judgement for the space of One thousand six hundred years and upwards, as was foretold by Daniel) and ourBlefled Saviour himself, thattheymay bewitnefTes to the world in the several Nations where they are scattered , and against themselves, of the truth of the Gospel and the glory of Christ whose blood is upon them to this day, according to that dreadful curfe that they laid upon themselves.

I have been bold to enlarge something more upon this then I did in the prefling of it upon the Turk; I hopeic

may

maybe for the good of hirff and others : Now because we sound that he acknowledged the Law, and Prophets , and the; holy Evangelifts ; we had recourfe unto them for the convidion of him in the Three great points of Christianity, which he opposed, viz. The God-head of Chnft, and that he is the Son of God, and that he died and satisfied for the sins of the World, and so became the Saviour and Redeemer of Mankinde. He was acquainted therefore by me with some passages of the Fifty third of /£. and as I remember with that wonderful Prophesie of the Ninth of Daniel, where the death and satisfaction of the Me/Hah or Christ, are so clearly and evangelically expressed.

Mr. gunning pursued the work that was begun with great induftry , ability, and diligence,- shewinghim that his Religion had no warrant of truth in it having neither the testimony from reason, not from heavenly revelation,made known by miracles, or any such heavenly evidence, which give abundant witness to the truth of Christianity ; and when he vainly pretended, as it seemshehad been informed, that there was a Prophesie in the Scripture.

ture that another people should come to inform the World after the Christians which it seems, was a mifprifion of that place in Daniel 9. 2f . The people of the Prince that Jhall come Jball destroy the Gitj and the SanBuarjctc we {hewed him as I remember, the true interpretation of the place, that it was a Prophesie of the destruction of ferttfalem by Titut Veffafiany and the Roman people. And having obtained of him that Christ was a true Prophet, and that all that he spake was truth, and that the Gospel of the Evangelifts was true ; The Divinity of Christ* and his being the Son of God was proved unto him out of the first of »thefirft verfctf-c if my memory fail not, and out of the words of our Saviour, who declared himself to be the Son of God. But that that especially prevailed with him was drawn from that acknowledgement* that the Mahometans have of Christ, that he wa6, the Spirit of God , from whence it was shewed him that fincethei| Sgkit of God could be none other then God himself, that Christ then mnft needs be God, as the spirit of man is principally the man himself-, which although it is to be warily understood, andfo as not to

make

ment.men a Sermon in the Abby, where after two *Psalms fung out in the expectation of a Minifter , none came to. iuppiy the place that I saw or knew of) a full and chearful Congregation being there afTembled, Mr. Gunning officiated-, and after the lirft part of the Service ended, the Convert came in in his Turkish Habit and at his enterance into the Congregation desired several times that he might be admitted to the Baptism of the Christian Church, which being granted him, and these honorable and worthy persons , the young Countess of *Dorfet , the Lord (jorge, and Mr. Philip Warwick, being Witnesses at his Baptism.-

He having made confession of the Christian faith in the Apostles Creed-, and having answered the queftions concerning the Christian Covenant and Profeffion for himself , which have been usually answered by the Godfathers and Godmothers at the Baptism of Children , and being commended to Gods Grace and Mercy in the prayers of the Congregation, with such alterations as were necessary for the extraordinary case , he feeing stripped of his Garment to his Waftc,

Wafte, received his Baptism upon his knees with great humility, and was na-

, med Philip,

The Baptism being performed, by Mr. Gunnings permiflion, I preached upon the occaflon , and took my Text out of the Fifteenth Chapter of St.Z* , at the Seventh Verse, being the words of our Saviour , / say unto you, that Hkewise joy shall be in Heaven for one sinner that repentethjtnore then for ninety and nine jujl ferfons that need no repentance. Of which Sermon it may be there shall be a further account given hereafter. And if God and Angels rejoycey surely it is the duty of all good Christians to keep confort with them, and by the loving and charitable entertainment of this our Convert, to give encouragement to others to come in unto Christs sold.

In the afternoon of the same day be came in another Habit,* after the Englifli faftiion ( which was charitably provided for him by reverend Doctor 'Bernard of

% Grajes-Inn) and then Mr. Gunning preached a learned Sermon upon 7 //. 68. ferf.31. as it is in the Liturgy translati- ©n ; The M mans land sh& foen stretch •*t her hands nmo Gcd. And so the comfortable

fortable solemnity of that happy day was ended. Our new Convert having fincc declared that he sound extraordinary joy and solace in his soul at the time of his Baptism.

He for the present lives in Holbom% at the house of the honourable and vertuous Lady Hattm? and is I conceive much improved in the Christian knowledge, as appeared by a discourse he had lately at Chelsey and I hope will prove an eminent Christian.

Qlorj to God on high on earth peace, good will towards wen-

Psalm 45. 4, 5,6 And gird the with thy sword upon thy thigh , O thou ntcfl might y : according to thy worfbip 4na\re* toWn.

Good luck have thou with thine honor: ride on because of the word of truth , of nteefeness and right eoufness, and let thy right hand teach thee terrible things.

Thine arrows are very /harp , and the feople Jboll be subdued unto thee : even itf the midfi among the Kings enemies.

Psal 67. rerf 1. God be merciful unto w, And bless m \ and [hew ns the light of hU

counts*

countenance, and be merciful unto m*

2. That thy toaj.-my be known upon earth : thy saving health among all nations-

3. Let the. people praise thee, OGod ; y a% let all the people praise thee*

4. O let, the nations rejoyce and be glad, fer thou jhalt judge the folks righteoufly ; and govern the nations upon earth.

5. Let the people praise thee,0 God, let all the people praise thee-

6. Then Jhall the earth bring forth her encrease : and Cjod even our own God, /half five us his blessing:

' 7. Cjod sh/ll b.less us : and all the ends of she world Jhall fear him.

Ecclefiafticus 36.ver. 1= Have mercy up* en us , O Lord God of all things , And 'be* hold as, and £fiewus the light of thy mer* cies. ]

2. And] send thy fear among the Nati* ens, which feeh not after thee £ that thej may know that there ia no Qod but thou, and that they may /hew. thy wonder ous •wwkj..~\

3. Lift up thine hand upon the strange nations \ that they may see thy poVoer.

4. As thou art fanclified in us before them Jo be thw magnified among them before M4 .That

%i That they way kyowtheeas we tym thee: for there ps none »ther God but onefy thou, O Lord-

6* Renew the Fgn* + and change the wonders•": shew the glory rf *W*t hand, and thy right arm, ; hat the) may sh .w forth thy wonderous atl .

P. Make tht time short : remember thine oath7 that thy ponderous Work* may be praif*

I o. Smtte in fender the head of the princes that be our enemies , and say , There is none other but \ e»

II. gather all the tribes of Jacob toge* thery £ that they may k*ow that there is none other God bnt onely thott, and that thej may shew thy Ponderous works ] and inherit thou them as from tht begining.

Hi O Lord, have mercy upon the people that is called by thy name ,; and up4n Israel, whom thou hast likened to a first born son.

13. Oh, be znerciful unto ferufalem the city of thy fancluaryt the city of* thy rest.

14. Fill ion, that ,it may magnifie thins oracles, and fill thy people with thy glory-

1 5 . Give witneff unto those that thou hast pojfejfed from the beginnings and raise up the prophecies that have been Jhewed in thy name*

1 6. Reward htm that wait far tbee 'thai thy Prophets may be sound faithful.

17. 0 Lord% hear the prayers of thy ferl vants according to the blejfings of Aaron fiver thy people, £ and guide thoH us in the way of rtghteoufness,'] that all they which dwell upon the earth jnayXnoye that thoji art the Lord) the eternal Cod.

THE (*45 The Faradise of Mahomet, which he promiseth unto his FolIexperA

T Hey shall be, faith he, in aparadise watered with fair and delicate Fountains, which shall run f© clear as if they were melted Chriftal.

They shall rest in the (hade, or refrefliing coolness of beautiful trees , full of leaves and branches, which by their moti* on shall causeapleafant tune.

They shall eat of all manner of sweet and pleafant fruits in all seasons, and shall be solaced with the chanting of Ten thousand little Birds, which shall warble tunongft their branches and this shall see mingled with theconfort of most harmonious instruments, and of most melodious voices. l

Their Robes shall be most magnificent, and triumphant, as of silk wrought with gold, and chafed with the richeft (tones and pearls.

They shall lye in Beds embroidered with gold, and hung the corners and Pillows

with

great Pearls, and the Curtains adorned with ineltimable and innumerable precious stones.

That every one shall have his marvellous beautiful women, with their Breasts wantonly swelling, and Eyes like jet enchased in silver, whiter then snow, as big as good big eggs.

That with these they shall feast every day, and use all manner of sports and recreations possible, and shall be served in their Feasts with fair and great vessels of gold and christal, which shall be set with most precious Jewels, and shall be ministred unto by the hands of fair Boyes, more polished then the pearls themselves, and more sweet then Amber-greece, or the most odoriferous Perfumes of Arabia, &c.

Two Books of great esteem amongst the Turks, besides the Alcoran.

The first hath the description of the Voyage of Mahomet in Paradise by the guidance of the Angel Gabriel.

He went, say they, into the first heaven, mounted upon Alborach a Beast a little bigger then an Ass, having the face of a man; and found that first Sphear was of fine Silver, and so thick as the space that a Footman can run in Five hundred years. There he found an Angel as tall as the space of the journey of a thousand years, with Seventy thousand other Angels, every one of which had Seventy thousand Heads, and every Head seventy thousand Horns, every Horn seventy thousand Knots; and from one Knot to another the space of the journey of forty years; And every Head seventy thousand Faces, and every Face seventy thousand Mouthes, and every Mouth seventy thousand Tongues, and every Tongue spake a thousand Languages, with which they praised God every day seventy thousand times.

The second Heaven was made all of burnisht Gold, where he saw a great multitude of others greater then these, and amongst them one that had his feet on the earth, and his head in the third Heaven.

But all these were Pigmies to one that he found in the third Heaven, which was so monstrously great that he held the world in the palm of his hand, and yet it hindered him not from shutting it.

In the fourth Heaven, every one had seventy pair of Wings, in every Wing seventy thousand feathers to slie with, and every feather seventy thousand cubits long.

In the fifth Heaven the Angel that opened the Gate to them had seven thousand Arms , and every Arm seven thousand Hands.

In the other Heavens they found not any Angels of such an unmeasurable stature, but in the eighth Sphear, they tossed the Globe of the Earth and Sea as easily as a little Ball.

In the other Book is recited the History of a discourse between a Turk and a Jew, who asked him concerning the principal points of his Doctrine; he said that God created a Paper, and a Pen of so fair a Fabrick, that the Pen was Five hundred days journey long, and Fourscore thick; and that with this Pen that hath Fourscore points or nebs is written perpetually all that hath been, is, or shall be in the world.

That the Sun and Moon had equal light in the beginning, so that the day and night could not well be distinguished; but that the Angel Gabriel slying put the end of his wing into the Moon, and made her lose half her light.

There is mention made of a Cow which had forty horns, and between two of her horns the space of a thousand years journey, and yet that this Cow was under the earth.

Of a Bull that had his Head in the East and the Tail in the West, that beareth upon his back the Earth, the Sea, and the Mountains.

That Rats were begotten in the Ark, of the sneezing of a Sow or Boar; and Cats of the sneezing of a Lion.

That Seraphiel in the day of the resurrection shall sound a Trumpet Five hundred years journey long, and that then all the souls of the dead shall seek out their bodies.

That the Mahometan Religion cannot be a true Religion.

1. No new Religion can be a true Religion.

2. No cruel and bloody Religion can be a true Religion.

3. That Religion that hath no testimony from heaven, but is grounded meerly upon the invention and authority of man, cannot be a true Religion.

4. That Religion that contradicteth itself, and those authorities which it approveth and alloweth, cannot be a true Religion.

5. That Religion that affordeth no remedy for sin, no satisfaction to the Conscience, nor any certain way to salvation, cannot be a true Religion.

6. That Religion that setteth not down a perfect Rule of holiness and righteousness, cannot be a true Religion.

7. That Religion that countenanceth and alloweth impurity, cannot be a true Religion.

8. That Religion that is carried on not by spiritual but worldly and carnal ways, cannot be a true Religion.

9. That Religion that proposeth a felicity consisting in carnal and impure delights, cannot be a true Religion.

10. That Religion that confoundeth the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness, cannot be a true Religion.

11. That Religion that dischargeth from the prudent use of the means of safety and blessing, and teacheth people to tempt the Lord, cannot be a true Religion.

12. That Religion that proposeth rewards to violence and unrighteousness, cannot be a true Religion.

FINIS.

Colophon

Thomas Warmstry (d. 1665) was Dean of Worcester Cathedral and a prominent Anglican divine during the English Civil War and early Restoration. The Baptized Turk was printed in London for J. Williams, T. Garthwait, and Henry Marsh, 1658. The Reverend Peter Gunning (1614–1684), who conducted both the theological dialogue and the baptism, later became Bishop of Chichester and then of Ely.

This archival text was extracted from the 1658 first edition via the Princeton Theological Seminary Library scan (archive.org identifier: baptizedturkorna00warm), OCR processed by ABBYY FineReader at 500 PPI, and cleaned for the Good Work Library by the Early English Archivist lineage of the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026: initial archival by Wren (life 39), structural and long-s cleanup by Wycliffe (life 52), deep OCR restoration by Wycliffe (life 67, ~870 fixes across eight script passes — systematic long-s normalisation, paragraph reconstruction, catchword and page-number removal, page-break repair, marginal reference stripping, proper name restoration, and character-level OCR error correction throughout). Residual OCR artifacts persist in the Dreams discourse (Chapters VII–VIII, where dense marginal scripture references bled deeply into the body text) and in scattered garbled passages of the Postscript; these would benefit from scan verification against the original leaf images. The original spelling and vocabulary have been preserved — "onely," "shew," "beleive," and similar archaic forms are faithful to the 1658 text.

QC and publication by Shimai (Pass 149): type field added, residual OCR artifacts corrected (ssilk→silk ×3, msilk→milk ×1).

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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