IT is a knowne thing to all Christian people which are capable of understanding how that the sinnes of the world have in a high degree offended the worlds Maker, and provoked the Lord to anger, yet hath the Divel so blin­ded the eyes, and hardned the hearts of many men and women, that they cannot or will not see nor take notice of their owne iniquities, but rather seeme to excuse themselves of those errors which they every day runne into. One will say, What though the Lord hath laid his punish­ing hand upon the Kingdome, is it my fault? I am no swea­rer, nor drunkard, no covetous person, no prophaner of the Lords Sabbath: and yet peradventure he that thus justifies him­selfe is guilty of all these, and more then are here named.

Another will be apt to say thus: If it be sinne that hath brought the sword, or the plague, or any other judgement upon us, 'tis not for any sins of mine, tis long of such a Lord, or long of such a Magistrate that the Lord hath punished the Land.

Others have said, Tis long of the King that the whole Na­tion is so grievously troubled, for, say they, if the King had slaid with his Parliament, we had beene all at peace and qui­et. And thus doe many people fl [...]tter themselves, and lay the blame on others. But of this I am certainly perswaded that it is [...]ot only for one mans sins, but it is for every ones sins that the Lord hath caused the sword to be drawn amongst us.

[Page 2] Furthermore I observe that the Lord had decreed a separati­on betweene the King and his Parliament before the wars be­gan in England for the fins of the whole nation. That the Lord is angry with us every one; for our sins doe appeare in this: Doe we not see that the bloody wars doth more and more increase in our three Kingdoms▪ whereby every mans heart een trimbles to thinke what shall become of them.

Doe we not know that the plague of Pestilence doth daily annoy our Cities, Townes, and Countries: and what great numbers have dyed in Bristoll, Abington, and many places more.

Doe we not heare continuall claymour ring in our ears? how that famine will follow after the sword, except the Lord will in mercy stay the rage of our enemies: It is said, that Pestilence, the Sword and Famine, are the searchers, wherwith the Lord drawes blood of sinners: is there then any parti­cular man or woman amongst us all, but either at one time or other hath felt the smart of one, if not all of those fore­named scourges▪ no, no, there is none alive but hath smarted in one degree or other; even from the King to the Begger, Ergo, we are all sinners: to make it further appeare▪ that the Lord is angry with us for our sins. Have there not beene strange Comets seen in the ayre, prodigies, fights on the seas, marvellous tempests and stormes on the land: all these are eminent tokens of Gods anger to Sinners yet thats one all: Have not nature altered her course so much, that women fra­med of pure flesh and blood, bringeth forth ugly and defor­med Monsters; and contrariwise Beasts bring forth humane shapes contrary to their kind.

Have not the Lord suffered the Devill to ramble about like a roring Lyon seeing to devoure us: have not a crew of wic­ked Witches, together with the Devils assistance done many mischiefes, in Norfolke▪ Suffolke, Essex, and other parts of our Kingdome, whereof some were executed at Chensford in Essex last to the number of fourteen, and many more im­prisoned to this day, and by the voice of people there are some in Stepney Parish now in question about witchcraft, [Page 3] being persons of eminence▪ their names must as yet be con­cealed, but time will bring truth to light: one thing more of the Witches which have not beene yet printed, was thus: on wednesday last, Iuly, 30. being Fast-day at a Towne called Soffam in Norfolke, at the House of Peter-Smith, about 4, a clock in the after-noone came a woman seeming to be some great gentle woman or Lady on Horse-back who knocking at the dore desired to come in, there being in the house no body▪ but one servant Maid, who told her, that he [...] Master and Dam with the rest of the Houshold were at the Church, and that she durst let in no body, till such time the Sermon was done, whereat the Gentlewoman commanded her to fetch her some of the best Beer in the House: the Maid re­plyed, that there was but one sort of Beer in the House, and that shee would not meddle with till her Master came from Church, the Gentlewoman bad her to give her some of the Bacon, that was boyling in the pot, whereat the Maid began to tremble, and withal marvelled much how she should come to know what meat was in the pot, and therwithall lift up her hands crying, The Lord deliver me from all witches: said the Gentlewoman, see thou look well to thy Beer, & thy Swines flesh presently seem [...]d to mount her Horse over the top of the Barne and so vanished: When the mau and his servants were come from the Church, they found the Maid trembling and quaking in a mighty sweat, being not able to speake to them for the space of two hours, but having recovered her strength & speech, she told them how the Gentlewoman had talkt with her▪ & what answer she made, & of her sudden departure, and of her going into the Sellar for Beer the Casks were broken, and all the Beere about the Roome: Then the Maid remem­bred, how that the woman bad her have a care of her Beer, and Swines flesh went streight-way into the Barten, where she found three of her Masters fat Hogs, crying, and laying out their tongues, and so they dyed.

[Page 4] Iuly 30. Soffam, a knowne witch in Suffolke, not above 2, miles from Clare, met with a woman great with childe com­ming from the Bake-house with a Cake under her arme, said the witch, Give me thy Cake: the woman broke it in the middle, and offered her one part, which the witch refused, and said, As she had broken the Cake, so should the childe be bro­ken in her body. And immediately the woman went home, and was delivered of two lumps of flesh.

It is likewise certified by many of good quality and worth that at the last Assises in Norfolke there were 40 witches a­raigned for their lives, and 20. executed: and that they have done very much harme in that Countrey, and have prophesi­ed of the downfall of the King and his Army, and that Prince Robert shall be no longer shot-free: with many strange and unheard of things that shall come to passe.

These and many more such like evils have of late beene done in the Countrey, as is affirmed by good sufficient Au­thors, as shall be related hereafter. And now will I returne and tell you of some strange newes neerer home.

Iuly 28. at a place called Ratcliffe High-way neere unto London, at the signe of the three Arrows, dwelt a woman named Mistris Hart, who lived and was well beloved of her neighbours, she was religiously given, honest in behaviour, courteous in her speech, and well qualified in her actions: This woman being with childe, would oftentimes say that she was mightily troubled with what she bore in her wombe, as well she might be: for on the 28. day of Iuly last, about 6. of the clocke in the morning she fell strongly in labour, and therewithall sent for the Midwife, whose name is Mistris Bullock, and other of her neighbours to come to her labour, who through Gods assistance brought her to a safe delivery. The Infant being brought into the world, the Midwife and the rest of the women having [Page 5] taken a view of it, perceived it to be the strangest mis­shapen Monster that ever they lookt on, or heard tell of. It was both hee and shee, borne without a nose, without hands and feet or legs, one eare, and that grew in the neck, and where the legs and armes should have beene, there grew pieces of flesh, and no bones nor ioynts. This deformed Monster was borne alive, but it lived not long: the woman is yet living.

Thus doth the Lord daily send wonders into the world, thereby to put us in minde of our sinnes, and move us to repentance.

One strange Relation more I have to mention, and so conclude: and that is this:

In Lombardstreet in London in a Goldsmiths house, a Cat brought forth a monstrous Kitnen, which was partly shapen like a humane creature, and the other part Monster like. The manner of the forme was thus: It had eight feet upon one body, and two tayls, his pawes were like a childes hands, and never a head, but one great eye placed in the body where the head should be.

Thus have I related unto you such news which is known to be as true as strange: God in his mercy give us all a sight of our sins, and grant us grace to acknowledge them, and amend our lives.