Life of William Phips, Biography · Section 19
SECT. 19.
When Perſons do by Studies full of Curioſity, ſeek to inform themſelves of things, about which the God of Heaven hath forbidden our curious enquiries, there is a marvellous Impreſſion, which the Demons do often make on the Minds of thoſe their Votaries, about the Future or Secret Matters unlawfully enquired after, and at laſt there is alſo an horrible Poſſeſſion, which thoſe Fatidic Daemons do take of them. The Snares of Hell, hereby laid for miſerable Mortals have been ſuch, that when I read the Laws, which Agellius affirms to have been made, even in Pagan Rome, againſt the Vaticinatores, I wonder that no Engliſh Nobleman, or Gentleman ſignalizes his regard unto Chriſtianity, by doing what even a Roman Tully would have done, in promoting An Act of Parliament, againſt that Paganiſh Practice of Judicial Aſtrology, whereof, if ſuch Men as Auſtin were now Living, they would Aſſert, The Devil firſt found it, and they that profeſs it, are Enemies of Truth and of God.
In the mean Time, I cannot but relate a wonderful Experience of Sir William Phips, by the Relation whereof ſomething of an Antidote may be given againſt a Poiſon, which the Diabolical Figure-Flirgers, and Fortune-Tellers that ſwarm all the World over, may inſinuate into the Minds of Men. Long before Mr. Phips came to be Sir William, while he ſojourned in London, there came into his Lodging an Old Aſtrologer, living in the Neighbourhood, who making ſome Obſervation of him, though he had ſmall or no Converſation with him, did (howbeit by him wholly undeſired) one Day ſend him a Paper, wherein he had, with Pretences of a Rule in Aſtrology for each Article, diſtinctly noted the moſt material Paſſages that were to befall this our Phips, in the remaining Part of his Life; it was particularly Aſſerted and Inſerted, That he ſhould be engaged in a Deſign, wherein by Reaſon of Enemies at Court, he ſhould meet with much Delay; That nevertheleſs in the Thirty Seventh Year of his Life, he ſhould find a mighty Treaſure; That in the Forty Firſt Year of his Life, his King ſhould employ him, in as great a Truſt beyond Sea, as a Subject could eaſily have: That ſoon after this, he ſhould undergo an hard Storm from the Endeavours of his Adverſaries to Reproach him, and Ruine him; That his Adverſaries though they ſhould go very near gaining the Point, ſhould yet miſs of doing ſo; That he ſhould hit upon a vaſtly Richer Matter than any that he had hitherto met withal; That he ſhould continue Thirteen Years in his Publick Station, full of Action, and full of Hurry; And the reſt of his Days he ſhould ſpend in the Satisfaction of a Peaceable Retirement.
Mr. Phips received this undeſired Paper with Trouble and with Contempt; and threw it by among certain looſe Papers, in the Bottom of a Trunk, where his Lady ſome Years after accidentally Lit upon it. His Lady with Admiration, ſaw ſtep after ſtep, very much of it accompliſhed; but when ſhe heard from England, that Sir William was coming over with a Commiſſion to be Governour of New-England, in that very Year of his Life, which the Paper ſpecified, ſhe was afraid of letting it ly any longer in the Houſe, but caſt it into the Fire.
Now the Thing which I muſt invite my Reader to Remark is this; That albeit Almighty God may permit the Devils to predict, and perhaps to perform very many particular things to Men, that ſhall by ſuch a preſumptuous and unwarrantable Juggle, as Aſtrology (ſo Dr. Hall well calls it!) or any other Divination, conſult them, yet the Devils which fore-tel many True Things, do commonly fore-tel ſome that are Falſe, and it may be propoſe by the Things that are True to betray Men into ſome fatal Miſbelief and Miſcarriage about thoſe that are Falſe.
Very ſingular therefore was the Wiſdom of Sir William Phips, that, as he ever Treated theſe Prophecies about him with a moſt Pious neglect, ſo, when he had ſeen all but the two Laſt of them very punctually fulfilled, yea and ſeen the beginning of a Fulfilment unto the Laſt but one alſo, yet when I pleaſantly mentioned them unto him, on purpoſe to Try whether there were any occaſion for me humbly to give him the ſerious Advice, neceſſary in ſuch a Caſe, to Anticipate the Devices of Satan, he prevented my Advice, by ſaying to me. Sir, I do believe there might be a curſed Snare of Satan in thoſe Propheſies: I Believe Satan might have leave to foretel many Things, all of which might come to paſs in the beginning, to lay me aſleep about ſuch things as are to follow, eſpecially about the main chance of all; I do not know, but I am to Dye this Year: For my Part, by the Help of the Grace of God; I ſhall endeavour to live as if I were this Year to Dye. And let the Reader now attend the Event!