Weighty Questions Discussed, Part
The Prediction of Mr. Daniel Rogers, Miniſter in Wethersfield in Eſſex, concerning King Charles the firſt, and Arch-Biſhop Laud.
IF you ask me who this Mr. Daniel Rogers was? he was the Son of Mr. Richard Rogers, a Man eminent in Holineſs, whom God honoured to make him his Inſtrument in bringing home many Souls to Chriſt.
If you ask what he was for Grace himſelf? His Brother, Mr. Nathanael Ward, uſe to ſay of him, My Brother Rogers hath Grace enough for two men, but not half enough for himſelf. His Natural Conſtitution was no Advantage to Grace.
If you ask what he was for a Divine? his Works Anſwer for him.
If you ask what he was for a Scholar? two things declared him to be a Scholar; one was this: When Arch-Biſhop Land Viſited, Mr. Rogers was Summoned to appear, and did ſo; whether Mr. Rogers did grapple with the Arch-Biſhop, I cannot tell, but one that lived in the Town where I now do, being then preſent at the Court, heard the Arch-Biſhop ſay to him, Mr. Rogers, I acknowledge you to be a better Scholar than my ſelf, but I will make you know your place: And ſilenced him.
A ſecond thing was this, which I had from a Kinſman of mine, who was of Clare-Hall at the ſame time, if not the ſame Year with Mr. Rogers; the Man was a very moderate Epiſcopal Man, he told me this.
The Arch-Biſhop ſends down a Coryphaus [this was the Word he uſed] to the Univerſity of Cambridge, to Challenge the Puritans, and gave his Queſtion accordingly: Great Expectation there was in the Univerſity; Mr. Rogers being Fellow of Chriſts-Colledge, came up Opponent; the firſt Argument he uſed was ſo ſtrong, and he followed it ſo cloſe, that he Crampt the Reſpondent, down fell the Ceremonial Champion; the Under-graduates obſerving it, went to Mr. Rogers, took him out of his Place, and carried him out of the Schools upon their Shoulders; when he was in the Schools yard, a Fellow of St. Johns comes behind him, and gives him a Clap on the Back as he was on their Shoulders, with theſe Words, Rogers, go home and Hang thy ſelf, thou wilt never dye with more Honour.
This is the Man, with whom after he had Preached on his Lecture-day, I walked to his Houſe: As we were in the way, he asked me, where the King was? I told him: He looks upon me, and ſaid, If that King dyes the ordinary Death of Men, then God never ſpake by me. I was amazed to hear ſuch words come from ſo grave and eminent a Divine: O Sir! ſaid I to him, What do you mean to ſpeak ſuch Words concerning the King; I beſeech you give me your Reaſons why you ſpeak thus: He fixed his Eyes upon me, and gave me only this Anſwer, Say you no more to me, but do you obſerve what I ſay to you.
I was much troubled at theſe words. A few dayes after I met with two of his intimate Acquaintance, excellent Chriſtians, and told them I was much troubled at what I heard Mr. Rogers ſpeak concerning the King; they asked me what he ſaid! Note this.I told them; they Anſwered me, That might very well be, for before the Wars began, while the Kingdom was in Peace, he told us, If this King Charles and this Prelate Laud dye the ordinary death of Men, then God never ſpake by me. [Biſhop Laud's Head was off before I came into England.] I asked them if he ſpake of any more? they ſaid, No, only thoſe two. I thought tho' he were a very heavenly Man, and one much with God in Prayer, yet I did not take him to be immediately inſpired by God, as the Prophets were, and ſo the Thoughts went off.
Afterwards, when the High Court of Juſtice [as they called it] ſate upon the King, I did not mind his words, for I did not think they had any intention to take away the King's Life: When I underſtood they were in earneſt, I went to Church on the Faſt-day, with a purpoſe to ſtir up the People to Pray for the King's Life; but before I came there, one overtakes me upon the Road, and told me the King was dead. It was the Faſt-day, on which Mr. Rogers alwayes Preached in the Forenoon: In the Afternoon [which he never did before but once, as I remember] he comes to our Church, I ſuppoſe to obſerve how I reſented the King's Death: After I had done, Mr. Rogers goes home with me, and diſcourſing about the King's Death, he recalled a Paſſage I had in my Prayer concerning it, Thou ſaidſt true, ſaid he to me, and there this Old Prophet [I may call him ſo] leaning upon my Table, bemoaned the Death of King Charles, being much affected with it. Let others judge of this as they pleaſe, yet this I dare ſay, No Prophet immediately inſpir'd by God, did with more Confidence ſpeak concerning Thing or Perſon as he was inſpired, than Mr. Rogers did confidently foretell that King ſhould not dye the ordinary Death of Men.
That he ſhould have any hand in the King's Death, no rational Man that knew him would think ſo. 1. For he never came among Parliament or Army Men, but an old Man, lived retired at home. 2. So many Years as I lived by him, I do not remember that ever I heard him ſpeak againſt the King. 3. The Words were ſpoken before the Wars began, to others, thô after they were begun, to me. 4. He bemoaned the King's Death. 5. Thô he was a very gracious Man, yet he was exerciſed too much with God's Hidings of himſelf from him, to have any Hand in ſuch Acts.
What Uſe to make of this, I leave to Wiſe Men.