Volume 1

Memoirs of the life and writings of Mr. William Whiston : containing memoirs of several of his friends also / written by himself.

  • Whiston, William, 1667-1752.
Date:
1753
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoirs of the life and writings of Mr. William Whiston : containing memoirs of several of his friends also / written by himself. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/460 (page 6)
    infant baptifm [an account of whofe religious death I have now by me] had been chaplain to Qolonei Harrifony one of the regicides. To whom my fa¬ ther made me write long letters, to convince him of the unlawfulnefs of that war: (a copy of one ..of which letters I have fbill by me) but all in vain. Their differences in opinion however did not break their brotherly friendfhip, as appeared by his leav¬ ing what he had amongft us, his brother’s children, when he died. All this I atted, April 25, 1746. But before I proceed to my own hidory, I cannot omit to mention the relations that came to my fa¬ ther at Norton, when I was but a child under ten years of age, concerning that wonderful and unde¬ niable inftance of the punifhment of one John Dun- calf of'Kings Swinford, about thirty miles from us in Staffordjhire ; of which I well remember we had feveral atteftations at the very time, either from eye and ear-witneffes, or thofe who had fpoken with eye and ear-witneffes. This John Duncalf had cur fed himfelf, upon his dealing a bible, and had wifhed, that if he dole it, his hands might rot off, before he died ; which proved mod true, and mod affect¬ ing to the whole country and neighbourhood. A jud account of which, after many years, I have very lately read ; and find all things therein related as I remember I heard then at that time. The exact narrative itfelf, written by Mr. Illingworth, and the judicious fermon that accompanies it, preached by Dr. Ford, are now before me ; and ‘ ought, in this fceptica! age, to be reprinted, and re¬ commended to all, who either deny, or doubt of the interpofition of a particular divine providence fometimes, for the punifhment of notorious wicked men, even in thefe lad days. And l am, and have long been, of the great lord Verulam*s opinion, here judly referred to by Dr. Ford, page 52, who takes notice of it as a defeCt in the hidorical part