aforefaid diftemper into the world with her, for it was much perceived by her when he was twelve months old; and the has remained, as we thought, incurable, until the 22d of De cember, 1693; when, being in the duty of Fafting and Prayer, the relation that I had heard of a French girl's cure came fo powerfully into my mind, that I heartily praised the Name of Almighty God for fhewing his power in fo wonderful a manner; and after prayer, this my Wife's illness came into my mind: fo I took the Bible into my hand, and thought to have read the chapter that the girl had done; but not remembering which it was, I cafting my eye upon the eighth chapter of Matthew, and finding it treated of the miracles of our blessed Saviour, namely, of the leper's being cleanfed, İ began to read; and about the time when I was reading the third verfe, my Wife, as fhe told me, felt a great aching in her crooked fingers, which were ftretched out, and became ftrait before the chapter was read out; whereupon it became like the other hand, and firength increased. All this was done without any outward means used, we never having any thoughts to use any; which in confcience I am bound to teftify as the wonderful work of God, not seeking any profit, intereft, or advantage by the publication thereof, but only the glory of God.

Jurat, fuit. 26° die Januarii

John Savage.

1693, coram me

William Afhhurft, Major.

The Certificate of Mr. Thomas Slater, of Dorking.

I am willing to fatisfy all persons that are inquifitive, of the truth of the foregoing Relation, that I have known Mrs. Savage for more than two years and a half last past, and have been in her company both at her own house and other places; in all which time, I never faw her any other than lame, three

of

of her fingers and thumb being almost clinched close to her palm and being at London fince the 22d day of December, 1693, I cannot difcern, but her fingers are as well as thofe of her other hand, her husband and the declaring to me the manner of her cure. I am well fatisfied with the matter of fact in all its circumftances, as alfo with the fincerity and honefty of the parties themselves. I render this testimony as unquestionably true.

London, Jan. 23, 1693.

Thomas Slater, living at Dorking, in the county of Surry.

February 6, 1693.

WE whofe Names are underwrit do teftify, That upon diligent fearch and obfervation, we find Mrs. Elizabeth Savage's right hand and arm ftrait and useful as the other.

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his Commandments.

He that faith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

W

E have much enquiry concerning knowledge. The fons of Adam are now as bufy as ever he himself was, about the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, fhaking the VOL. V.

I i

boughs

than a mile, which fhe every week went with him, when fhe was at all able; now the walked from Moorfields to Millyard at the farther end of Goodman's-fiields, and returned home again without the leaft complaint of wearinefs and the day following (the fecond day after her cure,) fhe walked to Beech-lane, and from thence to Shadwell-dock, round about by Ratcliff-highway, and through Old Gravel-lane, and about by the water-fide, and back again through Goodman's-fields home, which cannot be less than four or five miles: all this without weariness.

This wonderful Matter of Fact hath been enquired into, with all its circumftances, by noted Divines both of the Church of England and others; and by eminent Doctors of Phyfic of the College, and very many perfons of quality, who have expreffed themfelves fully fatisfied, that this Cure was wrought by the immediate hand of God.

The Affidavit of Mrs. Elizabeth Savage.

I Elizabeth Savage, Wife of John Savage, living in Horsefhoe-Alley, in the parish of St. Leonard Shoreditch, do testify and declare, That ever fince I can remember, I have been afflicted with a Palfical Diftemper, (for fo it was called,) in my right fide, which was very fenfible on that hand; my thumb, and three of my fingers were drawn and bowed round, fo as their ends almoft touched my palm; it being impoffible without the help of my other hand, to ftretch them out, which at most was but a little way, and that with pain; by which means I was rendered very helplefs. I could not at any time, fince I can remember, make use of that hand to feed myself; my whole right fide wanted the ftrength and warmth of my other fide, and my hand the colour also, being very pale and wan. It was a great pain and toil to me to travel, though I never could very far. And thus I remained until December 22d, 1693, which day my husband and myfelf fet a part for fafting and prayer upon a fpiritual account,

my

my diftemper being no end of it, not fo much as having it upon my thoughts. And about eleven o'clock my hufband reading the eighth chapter of St. Matthew, and the fecond verfe, (where the leper exercifed his Faith in the power of Chrift,) he propounded feveral queftions to me, which, with my answers and the occafion thereof, are truly fet down in the Relation. About the time when he was reading the third verfe, where Chrift faid, I will, be thou clean, I felt the middle joints of my lame fingers ache; and, as I remember, immediately, or at leaft before the chapter was read out, my fingers and thumb were stretched out, without any means ufed: by which wonderful work of God, I enjoy the advantages I never did before; the whole right fide of my body being (I finding as yet, nothing to the contrary) in as perfect a foundness as my other. And therefore to God alone, I defire to afcribe the glory,

Jurat. fui 26° die Januarii 1693, coram me

Elizabeth Savage.

William Ashhurst, Major.

The Affidavit of Mr. John Savage, husband to Mrs. Savage.

I JOHN SAVAGE, living in Horfefhoe-Alley, in Moorfields, do certify, That Elizabeth Savage, my Wife, hath been troubled with the Palfy in her right fide, ever fince I married her, which hath been two years and a quarter. It was most predominent in that hand, contracting her thumb and three fingers into a crooked and diftorted form, and clinching them almost to her palm. I further declare, I have, whenfoever I have obferved it, always found her hand to be very cold; and that I have received a letter from my brother Flight, at Wargrove, near Henley, in which he teftifies, That my Wife's Mother, who lives at Hitchington, in Buckinghamshire, allerts, That she knows no other, but that he brought the

aforefaid

boughs of it, and fcrambling for the fruit; whilft many are too unmindful of the Tree of Life. And though there be now no Cherubim with their flaming fwords to fright men off from it; yet the way that leads to it feems to be folitary and untrodden. There are many that speak of new discoveries of Truth, of dawnings of Gofpel-light; and no queftion but God hath referved much of this for the very evening and fun-fet of the world; for in the latter days, knowledge shall be increafed but yet I wish we could at the fame time fee that day dawn which the Apoftle fpeaks of, and that day.flar to arife in men's hearts. I wish, whilft we talk of light, and difpute about truth, we could walk more as children of the light. For if St. John's rule be good, that no man truly knows Chrift but he that keepeth his commandments; it is much to be suspected, that many of us who pretend to light, have thick darkness within overfpreading our fouls.

There are now many large volumes written concerning Chrift, thousands of controverfies discussed, infinite problems determined concerning his Divinity, Humanity, Union of both together, and what not? So that our Bookish Chriftians, that have all their Religion in writings and papers, think they are now completely furnished with all kind of knowledge concerning Chrift: and when they fee all their leaves lying about them, they think they have a goodly flock of knowledge and truth, and cannot poffibly mifs of the way to heaven; as if Religion were nothing but a little book-craft, a mere paper-fkill.

But if the Apostle's rule here be good, we must not judge of our knowledge of Chrift by our fkill in books, but by our keeping of his commandments. And that I fear will difcover many of us (notwithstanding all this light, which we boaft of) to have nothing but Egyptian darkness within.

The vulgar think they know Chrift enough out of their Creeds, and Catechifms, and Confeffions of Faith: and if they have but a little acquainted themselves with these, and like

parrots