The Approaching Judgment of the Lord, Exemplum
❧Two wunderfull and rare Examples.
Of the vndeferred and present approching iudgement, of the Lord our God: the one vponupon a wicked and pernitious blasphemer of the name of God, and seruaunt to one Maister Frauncis Pennell, Gentleman, dwelling at Boothbie in Lincolnshire, three myles from Grantham.
The other vponupon a vvoman, named Ioane Bowser, dwelling at Donnington, in Leicestershire, to whome the Deuill verie straungely appeared, as in the discourse following, you may reade. In Iune last. 1581.
VVritten by Phillip Stubbes.
❧Imprinted at London for VVilliam VVright, and are to be solde at his shoppe in the Poultrie: the middle shoppe in the rowe, adioyning to Saint Mildreds Church.
❧Two rare examples, to mooue all Christians to repentaunce, the one of an odious swearer, the other of a widdow, named Ioane Bowser, &c.
IT is a pittifull case to consider, the inordinate sinnes, wherein the world at this time, is as it were drowned. For where hath not iniquity gottē the vpper hand? Is not pride, whoredome, swearing, and lying (by the mallice of the Deuill) euen in the time of the Gospel, more frequented, and helde in estimation, then at any other time heeretofore? Howe many counterfeit visors, hath follie practised, to couer all her traines of subtiltie, perswading her immitators, with such madnesse, that modestie is driuen into exyle. Are not the hearts of men so fast lulled, in the cradle of Securitie, that Pittie is forgotten, Chatitie fledde, MercieMercy exiled, Auarice exalted▪ good Conscience banished, and the poore vncherished, and the Gospell of Trueth as a shaddowe, with the lyppes professed, but in effect, little followed? Nay, rather the more is the pittie, Exhortations, Examples, Earthquakes, Comettes, fierie Skies, Inundations, Shipwrackes, vnnaturall birthes, as well in men as beastes, nothing regarded: vvhichwhich thing dooth but foreshowe, that our dayes are the verie same, which the Apostle Paule to Tymothie. 7. Chapter. Dooth so warelie warne vsus to take heede off, saying: In the later daies, men shall become loouers of themselues, disobedient, euill speakers, &c. And who can be so blinde that dooth not see these thinges growne, to such corruption, that the Scithe of Gods wrath, is no doubt ready to mowe vsus, as vnprofitable brambles from the face of the earth, except we repent?
And heere deare brethren, I hauehave to present vntounto your eyes, a rare example of the Iustice of God, vponupon a great blasphemer of the precious blood of Christe, which came to passe in Lincolnshire, in the monethmonth of Iune, last past, in a Towne called Boothebie, three myles from Granthame, in the house of a good Gētleman, bothe of woorshippe and credite, named Maister Pennell, who hauing entertained this Seruingman (for so he was,) who had styll in his mouth, the vse to sweate, Gods precious blood, and that for verie trifles: Thus notwithstanding, beeing often warned by his freendes, to leaue the taking of the Lords blood in vaine, did notwithstanding, styll persist in his wickednesse: vntyll at the last, it pleased God, to acite him, first with sicknesse, and last, with Death. During which time, of the Lordes visitation, no perswasions could mooue him to repent, his forevsed blasphemies, but hearing the Bell to towle, dyd most hardlie, in the verie anguishe of death, starte vp in his bedde, and sware by Gods blood, this Bell dooth towle for me, wherevppon immediatlie, the blood aboundauntly, from all the ioyntes of his body, as it were in streames, did issue out, most fearefullie, as well, from mouth, nose, wrestes, knees, heeles, and toes, with all other ioynts, not one left free: whereupon he most my serablie yeelded vp the ghost, whose iudgement I leaue vntounto the Lord.
And nowe I will proceede, to shewe one other, as straunge a Iudgement, happening in Leicestershire, in a Towne called Donnington, where dwelled a poore man, named Iohn Twell, who deceased, owing vntounto one Oswald Bowcer, the summe of fiue shilling, which the sayde Oswalde did forgiue the sayde man, before named, as he lay vponupon his death bedde: but the sayde Oswaldes wife, called Ioane, would in no wise forgiue the sayde Twell, as long (she sayde) as she had day to liue. Wherevpon, not long after, the Deuill appeared vntounto her, in the forme of the sayd Twell deceased, expressing all the lyneamentes, of the body of the dead man, which might well be, for we reade in the Bible, in the like order, did Sathan counterfeit the body of Samuell. But to proceede to the matter, this euill spirit, vttered vntounto her these speeches, & sayd, he had brought her mony from Iohn Twell deceased, and willed her incontinent, to disburse the sayd money, vntounto her husband, for his paines: Which she, with as couetous a desire, receyued, saying, God thanke you. She had no sooner named God, but the money consumed away, from betweene her handes, as it were a vapour, or smoake, tyll it was all consumed: wherwith, the Deuill giuing her a most fearefull, and sore stroke, vanished out of her sight.
VVherewith her whole body, became as blacke as pitche, replenished all ouer with a moste filthy scurffe, and other thinges which was so odious, as heere my pen for modesties sake, leaueth to wright, referring you to the verses heereafter ensuing. But to proceede, her body was most straungely benummed, and her eyes closed vp from the benefite of the light. Thus remayning a certaine space, she confessed the hardnesse of her heart, and with great patience, thanked God for his iudgementes, bestowed on her. Wherevpon to be breefe, it pleased God, seeing her repentaunce, to reuoke his Iustice, and to restore her vntounto her former health, where she remayneth, praysing the name of God, for his great mercies bestowed vponupon her. And I beseech the Lord Iesus, that these examples, may not onelyonly be read, but warily marked, to the amendment of our most sinfull and wicked liues, and that blasphemers may beware and take heede, how they more reuerentlie, in their communication vse the name of God: and that these harde hearted people, who will not forgiue their brethren, be the debt neuer so small: But as it is well mentioned in the Gospell, will for a hundreth pence, catch their poore brethren by the throate, forgetting howe many debtes, our heauenlie Father hath forgiuen vsus, and washed vsus in his blood. To whome be all honour and glorie: Amen.