The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 47
CHAP. XLVII.
IT would be too tedious to ſet down, one quarter of that which he hath written of this child, partly from that which he himſelfe ſaw, and partly from that which he heard, and received under ſufficient and faithfull witneſſes, having ſpent above 14 leaves in 40, in recording of theſe things, All that he hath obſerved of him may be drawn to theſe 3 heads;
10 his violent and wonderfull fits, and paſſions;
20 his ſtrange and horrible geſtures and actions;
30 his admirable and almoſt incredible ſayings, and ſpeeches, and all theſe without any naturall underſtanding, ſenſe or feeling, for the moſt part in the ſuffering, or in the doing of them.
His fits and paſſions.His fits and paſſions were much after this manmer, Being brought ſo low, ſo weak, and feeble for any naturall ſtrength that hee was nothing (as we ſay) but skin and bones; yet for the ſpace of 24 houres every day (having one halfe houre which they called: his awakening time, wherein they gave him a little refreſhing by ſome food to ſuſteine him) he ſhewed himſelfe to be of that extraordinary ſtrength, that if he would fold his hands together, no man could pull them aſunder, if he did roll his head, or toſſe his whole body (as uſually he did) no man could ſtay, or reſtrain him; hee would with marvellous aſtoniſhment to the hearers, and beholders, ſomtimes howle like a Dog, mew like a Cat, roare like a Beare, froth and ſome like a Boare. When any prayed with him, his paſſions were the ſtrongeſt, and his rage and violence the greateſt, ready to fly in their faces, and to drown their voyces by his clamours, yellings and outcries. If one came neare him with a Bible though under his cloak, and never ſo ſecret, yet would he run upon him, and ramp upon him, with great violence, to have gotten it from him, and to rend it in peeces, as he did divers, when hee could come unto them. Sometimes he would lye along, as if he had been ſtark dead, his colour gone, and mouth ſo wide open, that he would on a ſuddeine thruſt both his hands at once into it.
His geſtures and actions.And as for his geſtures they were marvellous ſtrange. In ſo great weakneſſe hee would leape and skip up and down, from his bed unto the table, from the table to the window, from the window to his bed again, and all with that nimbleneſſe and quickneſſe, as ſcarce any profeſſed Tumbler could do the like. And that which maketh the matter yet more admirable, having all this while his legs grown up cloſe unto his buttocks, whereof he could now have no preſent uſe for ſuch feats of activity: Sometimes we ſaw his chin drawn up unto his noſe, ſo that his mouth could ſcarce be ſeen; Sometimes his chin and brows drawn almoſt together, like a bended Bow. His countenance fearefull, by yawning, mowing, &c.
Hee was brought to the Biſhop.The poore Child being thus tormented, the Biſhop for his better ſatisfaction, hearing ſo much of his ſtrange affliction, ſent for him. His parents brought him: And once the Biſhop prayed with him, when the boy was ſo outragious, that he flew out of his bed, and all his men were affraid, and one of them fell into a ſownd, and then ſuch a ſtir about him, that the Biſh. was glad to lay hold on the boy, ramping at the windows to have gotten out that way. But they could not find him a counterfeat, as ſome imagined.
The Biſhops Licence for a private faſt for his releaſe.Afterwards this Rev. Biſh being moved with compaſſion towards the boy, did grant a Licence himſelfe, together with the High Commiſſioners, for a private Faſt in his fathers houſe, for his better help and releaſe, according to Gods good pleaſure, and that in theſe words.
Having ſeen the bodily affliction of this child, and obſerved in ſundry fits very ſtrange effects, and operations, either proceeding from ſome naturall unknown cauſes, or of ſome Diabolicall practiſes: We thinke it convenient and fit for the eaſe and deliverance of the ſaid child, from his ſaid grievous affliction, that Prayer be made publikely for him, by the Miniſter of the Pariſh, &c. And that certein Preachers, namely theſe following: M. Gerrard, M. Harvy, M. Pierſon, &c. theſe and none other to repaire to the ſaid chid by turnes, as their leiſure will ſerve, and to uſe their diſcretion for private Prayers and Faſting, for the eaſe and comfort of the afflicted, &c.
Ric. Ceſtren.
David Yale.
Griffith Vaughan.
Hugh Burches.
According to the tenour of theſe directions, Maſter Bruen telleth us, who did joyne together in Prayer and Faſting to that end.
Maſter Harvy, and M. Pierſon, ſaith hee, two godly Preachers, were with him, prayed and faſted. My ſelfe alſo and ſome 20 or 30 more. But God gave not deliverance at that time.
Now as for his Speeches ſtrange in themſelves,3 His Speeches. yet more ſtrange in this, that hee never uttered any of them, but when he was in his fits, without any underſtanding or knowledge of what he did, or what he ſaid:
I will give you a taſte of ſome few of them.
Jeſus ſaith (ſo he uſually began his Speeches) The Devill when he comes, takes away my hearing, ſeeing, underſtanding, hands, legs, that I ſhould have no ſenſes, nor lims, to glorifie God withall.
Jeſus ſaith, If they would have caſt out the evill ſpirit, they ſhould have come better provided.
Jeſus ſaith, Some men did think that he that prayed had a better Faith than the other, but he had not.
Jeſus ſaith, I have but three Divels, It is like one of the ſpirits will go out of me, and go and take counſel of a great number of foule spirits, and come againe and trouble me worſe.
Jeſus ſaith, Some folke will ſay that the Witch will not looke one in the face, but ſhee will look here a way and there a way. And ſo he turned his hands this way and that way.
Jeſus ſaith, The witch ſaith ſhee hath done mee no hurt that ſhe knows of. A witch may overlook a child, but ſhee cannot make him in ſuch a caſe as I am in.
The Devill is affraid when hee heares any word that he muſt be caſt out, then he quakes.
Ieſus ſaith, Now the witch would faine undo that which ſhee hath done, but now ſhee cannot undo it.
Jeſus ſaith, Some ſay, if I were bewitched or poſſeſſed, I could neither move my tongue, nor my lips: But the Devill can move both my tongue and my lips.
Satan I am bound to a hard prentice-ſhip, for thou wilt not give me leave neither holy-day, nor work-day to eat a morſell of bread.
The Papiſt that brought the ſtinking weed and laid it to my noſe, if God had not had a ſtroke in this, would have cast out the Devill. And a boy was confederate with him. Now the Devill is poſſeſſed of their ſoules; And he muſt continue a little while with me, but a great while with them.
God puls the Devill back with a ring in his noſe, yet the Devill ſhakes my faith as if it would go out of mee.
They may know there is ſome ill thing in mee, for when I ſhould ſay may prayers, he would come up and ſtop me, and then I muſt ſtay a little, and then again, and he would ſtay me.
Being in a ſore fit and a great rage, biting his own hands, gnaſhing with his teeth foming like a boare and caſting blood and filth out of his mouth, hee uttered theſe words, Proud witch, witch proud, I will tell you who theſe witches work: all upon life, all upon life, all upon life; but they cannot take my life from me.
Well, theſe drunkards & whoremaſters do not think upon their ſins; well, how then? There is no drunkard that doth drink one ſpoonefulor drop of drink more than doth ſuffice nature, but the Devill doth pen it down in his book: Well, it is a great book, and he doth keep it cloſe untill the day of Indgement.
And then he will lay it to their faces. At which time the hils will tremble and quake, and the Devill will quake, yea he doth quake for feare now.
Well, ſome would think it a great while to be bound with the Devill as I am, a 12 month or 2 yeares; but it is better to bee ſo, than to wallow in drunkenneſſe, ſwearing, and whoring; for the Divell doth worke in their ſoules.
Well, ſome will ſay, how can the Devilly in ſo little a room? Well, the Devill is as the wind, for when he did take a man away out of a chamber, be came in at the little hole; but how did he take him away? even out at the top of the chimney.
Well, there are ſome Papiſts, and ſome Atheiſts, and ſome of no Religion; woe be to thoſe that dye ſuddenly, for they have no time to repent, and eſpecially thoſe that live in drunkenneſſe, or whoring, or ſwearing.
Ieſus ſaith, they ſay hee ſhall not out of me, but when God comes he will ſtrike home.
Many and many other more of his ſtrange ſpeeches I paſſe over, contenting my ſelfe with theſe few, which were taken from his own mouth by the hand, & under the teſtimony of faithfull witneſſes, ſome at one time and ſome at another, as he himſelf did then deliver them, and as this worthy Gentleman hath in his diligent Obſervation of this, amongſt other of Gods Iudgements, made mention of them and recorded them.
This therefore that hath been ſpoken ſhall ſuffice, concerning the ſecond daily duty, which this Gent performed, namely, his carefull obſervation of Gods ways and works, mercies, and judgements amongſt the ſons of men.