A26888:145
The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls…
The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls of the malice and misery of the devils and the damned : and of the blessedness of the justified, fully evinced by the unquestionable histories of apparitions, operations, witchcrafts, voices &c. / written, as an addition to many other treatises for the conviction of Sadducees and infidels, by Richard Baxter.The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls of the malice and misery of the devils and the damned : and of the blessedness of the justified, fully evinced by the unquestionable histories of apparitions, operations, witchcrafts, voices &c. / written, as an addition to many other treatises for the conviction of Sadduces and infidels, by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for T. Parkhurst, 1691
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Amongst other things, I called to Mind a Story sent me in a Letter from Cambridge, that Week it was done, in 1661, or 1662. and I did verily believe, and do still, that Mr. Illingworth sent it me, but he could not reflect it; however, Mr. Cooper hearing it told it was a great Truth, he heard Mr. Franklin, a Minister of Wood-Rising, in this County, twelve Miles from this City, Father to the Child, tell it to Sir Philip Woodhouse. Mr. Franklin (his Character, farther than that of a Minister of the Church of England, I cannot give you) was then Minister of a Town (whose Name I know not) in the Isle of Ely, and upon this Account which I shall tell you, removed to WoodRising in this County.
This Man had a Child, to which a Spirit often appeared at his Father's House; and grew so bold and free, as very ordinarily to come in whilst Company was in the House, and Franklin in the Room, and sit down by the Boy. At due Years, about the Year 1661, or 1662. he was bound an Apprentice to a Barber in Cambridge, (or at least with him as a Probationer.) One Night the Spirit appeared to him in the usual Habit of a Gentlewoman, and would have persuaded him to go home again, asking him what he did there? &c. The Boy, after some Treaty, replied, He would not go. Upon which, he received a great Blow on the Ear, and grew very ill, but rose. Being and continuing ill, his Master presently horseth, and rides to acquaint his Father. In the Forenoon of that Day, the Boy sitting by the Kitchen-fire, his Mistress being by, suddenly cries out, O Mistress! Look: There's the Gentlewoman. The Woman turns to look, sees nothing; but while her Head was turned, hears a Noise as of a great Box on the Ear; turns, sees the Boy bending down his Neck, and he presently died. About the same Hour, so near as they could guess, the Master was sitting at Dinner in the Isle of Ely, with the Father: The Appearance of a Gentlewoman comes in, looking angrily, taking a Turn or two, disappeared.
This Man had a Child, to which a Spirit often appeared at his Father's House; and grew so bold and free, as very ordinarily to come in whilst Company was in the House, and Franklin in the Room, and sit down by the Boy. At due Years, about the Year 1661, or 1662. he was bound an Apprentice to a Barber in Cambridge, (or at least with him as a Probationer.) One Night the Spirit appeared to him in the usual Habit of a Gentlewoman, and would have persuaded him to go home again, asking him what he did there? &c. The Boy, after some Treaty, replied, He would not go. Upon which, he received a great Blow on the Ear, and grew very ill, but rose. Being and continuing ill, his Master presently horseth, and rides to acquaint his Father. In the Forenoon of that Day, the Boy sitting by the Kitchin-fire, his Mistress being by, suddenly cries out, O Mistress! Look: There's the Gentlewoman. The Woman turns to look, sees nothing; but while her Head was turned, hears a Noise as of a great Box on the Ear; turns, sees the Boy bending down his Neck, and he presently died. About the same Hour, so near as they could guess, the Master was sitting at Dinner in the Isle of Ely, with the Father: The Appearance of a Gentlewoman comes in, looking angrily, taking a Turn or two, disappeared.