More Reasons for the Christian Religion, Quotation
Caeſ. Baronius Annal. ad An. 411.
BUt becauſe we are diſcourſing of ſuch matters, Reader I intreat thee to ſuffer me, like the good houſeholder in the Goſpel, who bringeth out of his Treaſurie things new and old, to adde ſome things new (or later) to theſe of elder date: For what I ſhall briefly ſay will much delight thee. For I will not report unproved things, but what I know to be confirmed by the aſſertion of very many learned men, Yea, and by all Religious men out told the people in their Sermons: And for my part I will bring forth the Author of whom I received it, and that is, Michael Mercatus Miniatenſis PPronotory of the S. R. Church, a man of moſt entire fidelity and of eminent knowledge and honeſty of life: He told me of his Grandfather of the ſame name with himſelf, Michael Mercatus ſenior, between whom and Marſilius Ficinus a man of a moſt noble wit, there was an intimate friendſhip, contracted and increaſed by Philoſophical ſtudies, in which they both were followers of Plato. It happened on a time that as they uſed, they were gathering from Plato (but not without doubting) how much or what of man remained after death; which Platonick documents where they failed, were to be under-propt by the Sacraments of the Chriſtian Faith: (for of that argument, there is extant a learned Epiſtle of Marſilius to this Michael Mercatus, of the Immortality of the Soul & God.) And in their diſcourſe when they had long diſputed, they thus concluded it; and giving each other their right hands, they Covenanted, that which ever of them firſt died, if he could do it, he ſhould certifie the other of the ſtate of the other life. And having thus covenanted and ſworn to each other, they departed: And after a conſiderable ſpace of time, it fell out, that Michael ſenior, being early in the morning at his Philoſophical ſtudies, unexpectedly he heard the noiſe of a horſe ſwiftly running, and ſtopping at his door, and withall the voice of Marſilius crying out [O Michael, O Michael, thoſe things are true.] Michael marvelling at the voice of his friend, roſe up and opening the window, he ſaw him whom he heard, with his back toward him, in white, riding away on a white horſe, and called after him, Marſilius, Marſilius, and looked after him, but he vaniſhed from his ſight. He being ſtruck with admiration at the ſtrangeneſs of the caſe, took care to enquire what was become of Marſilius, (he lived in Florence where he died) and found that he died that ſame hour in which he heard and ſaw him: And what did he hereupon? Though he had been a man of approved honeſty, and had lived a life harmleſs and profitable to all (as it became a true Philoſopher) yet from that time, bidding farewell to Philoſophical Diſciplines, and becoming a forward Lover (or follower) of the true Chriſtian Philoſophy duplicate page duplicate page onelyonly, as more eminent than the reſt, he lived the reſt of his time as dead to the world, onelyonly for (or to) the life to come; being an example of a moſt abſolute Chriſtian, who before had been famous among the Philoſophers of his time in praiſe, as ſecond unto none. So far Baronius; The ſame is reported by abundance of other writers.
FINIS.
ERRATA.
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End of the text · Richard Baxter, More Reasons for the Christian Religion (1672)