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ing performed many wearisome journeys, and endured many hardships and privations, this indefatigable missionary closed his labours in 1690, aged eighty-six years.

The ardour and zeal of Eliot, Mayhew, and others were crowned with such success, that in 1669, there were ten towns of Indians in Massachusetts who were converted to the Christian religion. In 1665, there were not less than three thousand adult Indian converts in the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

74. THE FRENCH PROPHETS.

WE find in ecclesiastical history many accounts given of enthusiasts who have arisen, pretending to be under the immediate inspiration of God, and to have the gift of foretelling future events, the gift of tongues, discerning of spirits, &c., as in the apostles' time. Among those who have made the greatest figure in modern times were the French prophets, who first appeared in Dauphiny and Vivarais, in France. In the year 1688, five or six hundred protestants, of both sexes, gave themselves out to be prophets, and inspired of the Holy Ghost. They were people of all ages, without distinction, though the greatest part of them were boys and girls, from six or seven to twenty-five years of age. They had strange fits, which came upon them with tremblings and faintings as in a swoon, making them stretch out their arms and legs, and stagger several times before they dropped down. They struck themselves with their hands, fell on their backs, shut their eyes, and heaved with their breasts. They remained a while in trances, and, coming out of them with twitchings, uttered all which came into their mouths, They said they saw the heavens open, the angels, paradise, and hell. The least of their assemblies made up four or five hundred, and some of them amounted to even to three or four thousand persons. When the prophets had been for a while under agitations of body, they began to prophesy. The burden of their, prophecies,

was, "Amend your lives; repent ye; the end of all things draws nigh!"

In the year 1706, three or four of these prophets went over into England, and carried their prophetic spirit with them, which discovered itself in the same way and manner, by ecstasies, agitations, and inspirations, as it had done in France; and they propagated the like spirit to others, so that before the year was out, there were two or three hundred of these prophets in and about London, consisting of men, women, and children, who delivered four or five hundred warnings. The great thing pretended by their spirit was to give warning of the near approach of the kingdom of God, and the accomplishment of the Scriptures, concerning the new heaven and new earth, the kingdom of the Messiah, the first resurrection, the new Jerusalem descending from above, which they said was now even at the door; that this great operation was to be wrought on the part of man by spiritual arms only, proceeding from the mouths of those who should, by inspiration, or the mighty gift of the Spirit, be sent forth in great numbers to labour in the vineyard; that this mission of his servants should be attested by signs and wonders from heaven, by a deluge of judgments on the wicked throughout the world, as famine, pestilence, earthquakes, &c. They declared that all the great things they spoke of would be manifest over the whole earth within the term of three years.

These prophets also pretended to have the gift of languages, of discerning the secrets of the heart, the gift of ministration of the same spirit to others by the laying on of the hands, and the gift of healing.

75. SABATAI SEVI, THE FALSE MESSIAH.

SINCE the coming of our Saviour, there has arisen, according to his prediction, among the Jews (who still look for the Messiah to come) many false Messiahs. The most distinguished of these impostors, in modern

times, was one Sabatai Sevi, who was born in Aleppo, and set himself up as the Messias in the year 1666.

Having visited various places in the Turkish empire, Sabatai began in Jerusalem to reform the Jewish constitution. He had one Nathan for his Elias, or forerunner, who prophesied that the Messiah should appear before the grand seignior in less than two years, and take from him his crown, and lead him in chains.

At Gaza, Sabatai preached repentance, together with faith in himself, so effectually, that the people gave themselves up to their devotion and alms. The noise of this Messias now began to fill all places. Sabatai resolved to go to Smyrna, and then to Constantinople. The Jews throughout Turkey were in great expectation of glorious times. They were now devout and penitent, that they might not obstruct the good they hoped for. Some fasted so long that they were famished to death; others buried themselves in the earth till their limbs grew stiff; with many other painful penances. Sabatai, having arrived at Smyrna, styled himself the only and first-born Son of God, the Messias, the Saviour of Israel. Here he met with some opposition, but prevailed at last to such a degree, that some of his followers prophesied, and fell into strangé ecstasies; and four hundred men and women prophesied of his growing kingdom. The people were for a time possessed, and voices were heard from their bowels; some fell into trances, foamed at the mouth, recounted their future prosperity, their visions of the Lion of Judah, and the triumph of Sabatai: all which, says the narrator, were certainly true, being the effects of diabolical delusions, as the Jews themselves have since confessed. Sabatai, now feeling his importance, ordered that the Jews should no longer in their synagogues, pray for the grand seignior (as they were wont to do), for it was an indecent thing to pray for him who was so shortly to be his captive. He also elected princes, to govern the Jews in their march towards the Holy Land, and to minister justice to them when they should be possessed of it.

The people were now pressing to see some miracle, to confirm their faith, and to convince the Gentiles. Here the impostor was puzzled, though any juggling trick would have served their turn. But the credulous people supplied this defect. When Sabatai was before the cadi (or justice of the peace), some affirmed that they saw a pillar of fire between him and the cadi; and after some affirmed it, others were ready to swear it, and did swear it also; and this was presently believed by the Jews of that city. He that did not now believe him to be the Messias was to be shunned as an excommunicated person.

From Smyrna, the impostor embarked for Constantinople, where he said God had called him, and where he had much to do. He had a long and troublesome voyage, and upon his arrival, the grand vizier sent for him, and confined him in a loathsome dungeon. The Jews in this city paid him their visits, and appeared to be as infatuated as those of Smyrna. Sabatai, after remaining two months a prisoner in Constantinople, was sent by the grand vizier to the Dardanelli, The Jews here flocked in great numbers to the castle where he was confined, and treated him with great respect. They decked their synagogues with S. S. in letters of gold, and made a crown for him in the wall; they attributed the same titles and prophecies to him which we apply to our Saviour.

He was also, during this imprisonment, visited by pilgrims from all parts that heard his story. Among these was Nehemiah Cohen, from Poland, a man of great learning, who desired a conference with Sabatai, the result of which convinced him that he was an impostor.

Nehemiah accordingly informed the Turkish officers of state that Sabatai was a lewd and dangerous person, and that it was necessary to take him out of their way. The grand seignior being apprized of this, sent for Sabatai, who, much dejected, appears before him.

The grand seignior required a miracle, and chooses one himself. It was this: that Sabatai should be stripped naked, and set for a mark for his archers to shoot

at; and if the arrows did not pierce his flesh, he would own him to be the Messiah. Sabatai had not faith enough to bear up under so great a trial. The grand seignior let him know that he would forthwith impale him, and that the stake was prepared for him, unless he would turn Turk. Upon this he consented to turn Mahometan, to the great confusion of the Jews.

76. NONCONFORMISTS.

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THOSE who refused to conform to the church of England were called nonconformists. This word is generally used in reference to those ministers who were ejected from their living by an act of Uniformity, in 1662. The number of these were about two thousand. However some affect to treat these men with indifference, and suppose that their consciences were more tender than they need be, it must be remembered, that they were men of as extensive learning, great abilities, and pious conduct as ever appeared. Mr. Locke, if his opinion has any weight, calls them "worthy, learned, pious orthodox divines, who did not throw themselves out of service, but were forcibly ejected. Mr. Bogue thus draws their character: "As to their public ministration," he says, they were orthodox, experimental, serious, affectionate, regular, faithful, able, and popular preachers. As to their moral qualities, they were devout and holy; faithful to Christ and the souls of men; wise and prudent; of great liberality and kindness; and strenuous advocates for liberty, civil and religious. As to their intellectual qualities, they were learned, eminent, and laborious." These men were driven from their houses, from the society of their friends, and exposed to the greatest difficulties. Their burdens were greatly increased by the Conventicle act, whereby they were prohibited from meeting for any exercise of religion (above five in number) in any other manner than allowed by the liturgy or practice of the church of England. For the first offence the penalty was three months' imprisonment, or pay five pounds:

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