392 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. VIII. Queen and minifter of Nottingham. This divine was of opinion, that by the Elizabeth, power of prayer the devil might be, cafi out ofperfons peeled ; and having c "1t tried the experiment upon oneDarlin of Burton, a boy of about fourteen L. ofWhit- years old with fuppofedfuccefs, and uponforce others, he was importunedby gift, P 492, one of the minifters, and feveral inhabitants of the town of Nottingham, to 495. vifit one William Somers, a boy that had fuch convulfive agonies, as were thought to be preternatural, infomuch that when Mr. Darrel had feen them, he concluded with the re/i of the fpei tators that he was pofefed, ana advifed his friends to defire the help of godly and learned minifters to en- deavour his recovery, but excufed himfelf from being concerned, left if the devil fhould be difpoffeffed, the common people fhould attribute to him force fpecial gift of cajling out devils; but upon a fecond requeft from the mayor ofNottingham, he agreedwith Mr. Aldridgeand two other minifters, with about one hundred and fifty neighbouring chriftians, to let apart a day for farting and prayer, to entreat the Lord to raft out Satan, and deliver the young man from his torments ; andafter force time the Lord they fay was entreated, and they bleffed God for the fame ; this was November 1597. A few days after, themayor and Come of the aldermanbegan to fufpeét that Somers was a cheat, and to make him confefs, they took him from his parents and committed him to the cuftody of two men, whowith threat.. nings prevailed with him to acknowledge, that he had diffembled and counterfeited all he did. Upon this he was carried before the commton, where at firft he owned himfelf a counterfeit, and then prefently denied it again ; but being thoroughly frighted, he fell into fits before the com- miffioners, which put an end to his examination for the prefent. After force time, being ftill in cuftody, he returned tohis conffng, andcharged Mr. Darrel with training him up in the art for four years. Upon this Mr. Darrel was fummoned before the commiffioners, and brought wit- neffs with him to prove, that Somers had declared in a very folemn man- ner that he had not diffembled ; upon which he was difmiffed, . and the commfon diffolved; but the affair making a great noire in the country, Mr. Darrel was fent for to Lambeth, and after a long hearing before the archbifhop, and others of the high commiflion, he was depofed from his miniftry, and committed clofe prifoner to the Gate-hour., for being ac- ceffary to a vile impofture, where he continued many years. His jotemn While Mr. Darrel was in the prifon, he writ an apology, to thew prote/lation. that people in there latter days may be po,fejfed with devils; and that by prayerandfalling the uncleanfpirit may be call out. In the end of which he makes this proteftation; " if what I am accufed of be true (viz. that I " have been acceffary to a vile impofture, with a defign to impofe onman- " kind) let .me be regiftered to my perpetual infamy, not only for a noto- " ¡ions deceiver, but fuch an hypocrite as never trod on the earth before ; yea,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=