N00594:336
Johannes in eremo. Memoirs, relating to the lives, of the ever-memorable, Mr. John Cotton,…
Johannes in eremo. Memoirs, relating to the lives, of the ever-memorable, Mr. John Cotton, who dyed, 23.d. 10.m. 1652. Mr. John Norton, who dyed, 5.d. 2.m. 1663. Mr. John Wilson, who dyed, 7.d. 6.m. 1667. Mr. John Davenport, who dyed, 15.d. 1.m. 1670. Reverend and renowned ministers of the Gospel, all, in the more immediate service of one church, in Boston; and Mr. Thomas Hooker, who dyed, 7.d. 5.m. 1647. Pastor of the church at Hartford; New-England. / Written, by Cotton Mather. ; [Three lines of Latin quotation]
Boston : Printed for and sold by Michael Perry, at his shop, under the west end of the Town-House., 1695
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
At another Time, when there was a Malefactor adjudged in those parts to Die, for the very same Transgressions, which this Rotten Fellow was guilty of, 'the Governor with some of the Magistrates, most unaccountably, without, any manner of Reason, for their so doing, turned about unto this Fellow, and said, What think You? Is not this man worthy to Die? He now Confessed, That these Warnings, did so awaken his Conscience, as to make him, for a Time, Leave off his lately all Debauches; and ⟨p. 21⟩so, he said, He thought, all was Pardoned, all was well with him. Nevertheless, he Returned unto his Vomit, and his Quagmire, until the Sentence of Death, at last fell upon him; and then he acknowledged, That he had Lived in the Sin of Bestiality, ever since he was Ten years Old, but had sometimes Intermitted the Perpetration of it, for some years together. During his Imprisonment, he continued in a Sottish, and Stupid, frame of Spirit, and marvellously Secure about his Everlasting Pardon and Welfare: but the Church whereto he belonged, kept a Solemn Day of Humiliation on this Occasion, wherein Mr. Davenport Preached on Josh. 22. 20. Did not Achan Commit a▪ Trespass, in the Accursed Thing, and Wrath fell on all the Congregation of Israel? And in the close of the Fast, that Faithful People of God, Excommunicated this Accursed Achan, from their own Society. But as I have seen Bewitched Self Poisoners, under a Singular Energy of some Devil, obstinately Refuse all offered, Relief, until the Poisons had prevailed so far that all Relief was too late, and then with roaring Agonies they would have given Ten Worlds for it; So this Bewitched Beast, that, had not been afraid of Dying, till he came to the Place of Execution, when he came There, he was Awakened into a most Unutterable and Intolerable Anguish of Soul, and ⟨p. 22⟩made most Lamentably Desperate Out-cries; Among which Out-cries, he warned men, particularly, to Take heed of Neglecting Secret Prayer; which he said, had been his Bane. He said, he never used Secret Prayer in his Life, and that he frequently omitted Family-Prayer too; Yet, he said, he had Prayed and Sinned, and Sinned and Prayed; namely, by Ejaculations, with which he Contented himself, throwing Set-Prayer aside. But so he Perished!