N01662:13
Faith encouraged. A brief relation of a strange impression from heaven, on the minds…
Faith encouraged. A brief relation of a strange impression from heaven, on the minds of some Jewish children, at the city of Berlin, (in Upper Saxony.) : And some remarks, for the improvement of so marvellous an occurrence. : [One line from Psalms]
Boston: printed by J. Allen for T. Fleet, 1718
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.
Hereupon the Commissioners ordered the Children to be brought before them, and appointed the Parents, in the mean while, to go into another Room adjoining, where they might hear the whole Examination. Then they took the Children, and examined them one after another; who all, as with one Voice declared, They would not return to their Parents again, but would be made Christians, and Children of Eternal Salvation.
It appeared, they could already say the Lord's-Prayer by Heart, as also several Texts out of the New Testament, with several Hymns: The youngest could also repeat the Articles of the Christian Faith: All which, they said, they had learnt whilst they were at Play with Christian ⟨p. 7⟩Children. These they rehearsed with a wonderful Devotion; most solemnly protesting, that they would never live nor die otherwise than Christians.
It appear'd, they could already say the Lord's-Prayer by Heart, as also several Texts out of the New Testament, with several Hymns: The youngest could also repeat the Articles of the Christian Faith: All which, they said, they had learnt whilst they were at Play with Christian ⟨p. 7⟩Children. These they rehearsed with a wonderful Devotion; most solemnly protesting, that they would never live nor die otherwise than Christians.
In order to try their Sincerity, the Reverend Persons entrusted with this Matter, omitted nothing to represent the Life of a Christian as Uneasy and Troublesome as possibly they could: However, after having done this, and laid before them, on the one Side, how they would be despised and forsaken, even among the Christians themselves, and be forced to work hard for their Livelihood: They replied, That they would work till the very Blood spurted out from their Nails, provided they might be made Children of Eternal Salvation; [and that] though they should not be happy in this World, they hoped to be so in the next. And when it was represented to them, on the other Side, how easily and comfortably they might live among the Jews; and that their Father had made fine Clothes for them, &c. they replied, They did not value that at all; the Clothes must remain in the World; they would be Children of Salvation,