Yet after I had got this Order, I bethought my selfe further that I would try one way, which was to see if I could find out a Miracle, which might give mee better satisfaction of the Romish Religion, then had the former experience of my life, and the lives of the Priests, Cardinals, and all such with whom I had lived in Spain and America. I had heard much of a Picture of our Lady of Loretto, and read in a Booke of Miracles or lies concerning the same, that whosoever prayed before that picture in the state of mortall sinne, the picture would discover the sinne in the soule, by blushing, and by sweating. Now I framed this argument to my selfe, that it was a great sin, the sin of unbeliefe, or to waver and stagger in points of Faith; but in mee (according to the Tenents of Rome) was this sin, for I could not believe the point of Transubstantiation, and many other; therefore (if the Miracles which were printed of the foresaid Lady of Loretto were true, and not lies) certainly shee would blush and sweat, when such an unbeliever as I prayed before her. To make this triall, I went purposely to Loretto, and kneeling downe before God, not with any faith I had in the picture; I prayed earnestly to the true Searcher of all hearts, that in his Son Jesus Christ he would mercifully looke upon me a wretched sinner, and inspire and enlighten mee with his Spirit of truth, for the good and salvation of my soule; In my prayer I had a fixed and setled eye upon the Ladies picture, but could not perceive that shee did either sweat or blush, wherewith I arose up from my knees much comforted and incouraged in my resolution to renounce and abandon Popery, and saying within my selfe as I went out of the Church, surely if my Lady neither sweat nor blush, all is well with mee, and I am in a good way for salvation, and the miracles written of her are but lies. With this I resolved to follow the truth in some Protestant Church in France, and to relinquish errour and superstition. Upon which good purpose of mine, I presently perceived the God of truth did smile, with what I heard hee was ordering in England by an Army of Scotland raised for Reformation, and by a new Parliament called to Westminster, at which I saw the Papists and Jesuites there began to tremble, and to say that it would blast all their designes, and all their hopes of setling Popery; William Laud his policy was now condemned and cursed, Con was dead at Rome, the Cardinals Cap for one of the three fore-named named was no more spoken of, Fitton was daunted, Fitzherbert and Courtney quite disheartned, Sir Kenelham Digby his Agency and comming to Rome put off and suspended, and with all this good newes I was much heartned and incouraged to leave off my journey to France, and to return to England, where I feared not my Brother nor any kindred, nor the power of the Papists, but began to trust in the protection of the Parliament, which I was informed would reform Religion, and make such laws as should tend to the undermining of all the Jesuits plots, and to the confusion and subversion of the Romish errours and Religion. I was too weak of body to make my journey by land (by reason of my long Ague which had but newly left mee) and so resolved to goe to Ligorne to find out shipping there; where I found foure or five ships of English and Hollanders ready to set out, but were bound to touch at Lisboe in their way. I bargained with one Captaine Scot for my passage, first to Lisboe, intending there to make a second bargain. We had no sooner sailed on as farre as to the Coast of France, joyning to the Dutchy of Savoy, but presently from Canes came out part of a Fleet lying there under the command of the Bishop of Burdeaux to discover us, and take us for a lawfull prize. I might say much here of the valour of the good old Captaine Scot, who seeing all the other ships had yeelded to the French men of Warre, would upon no termes yeeld to be their prize, (which they challenged because wee were bound for Lisboe, then their enemies Country) but would fight with them all, and at last rather blow up his ship, then to deliver the goods which had been intrusted to him by the Merchants of Ligorne. We were in a posture to fight, our guns ready, and Mariners willing to dye that day, which was heavy news to me. After much treaty between the French and our valorous Captain, who still held out and would not yeeld, there came up to us two ships to give us the last warning that if wee yeelded not, they would immediately set our ship on fire. With this all the passengers and many more in the ship desired the Captaine to yeeld upon some faire Articles for the securing of what goods he had for England, and should appeare were not any way for the strengthening of any enemies to the State and Kingdome of France. With much adoe our Captaine was perswaded, and we were carried with the rest into Canes for a lawfull prize. I seeing that the ships were like to bee stayed there long, obtained the Bishop of Bordeaux his passe to goe to Marcells, and from thence by land through France. Which being granted, I went by water to Tolon, and from thence to Marcells, and so in company of Carriers to Lions, and from thence to Paris, Roane, and Deepe, where in the first packet boat to Rye I passed over to England, where I landed upon Michaelmas day the same yeere that this present Parliament began to sit the November following. My Brothers Spirit I found was not much daunted with the new Parliament, nor some of the proudest Papists, who hoped for a suddain dissolving of it; But when I saw their hopes frustrated by His Majesties consent to the continuing of it, I thought the acceptable time was come for mee, wherein I ought not to dissemble any further with God, the world and my friends, and so resolved to bid adieu to flesh and blood; and to prize Christ above all my kindred, to own and professe him publiquely maugre all opposition of hell and kindred to the contrary. I made my self first knowne to Doctor Brunnick Bishop of Exeter, and to Mr. Shute of Lumbard street, from whom I had very comfortable and strong incouragements. The Bishop of Exeter carried me to the Bishop of London then at Fullom, from whom I received order to Preach my Recantation Sermon at Pauls: which done, I thought I must yet doe more to satisfie the world of my sincerity, knowing that Converts are hardly believed by the common sort of people, unlesse they see in them such actions which may further disclaime Rome for ever for the future. Whereupon I resolved to enter into the state of Marriage (to which God hath already given his blessing) which the Church of Rome disavowes to all her Preists. What I have beene able to discover for the good of this State I have done, and not spared (when called upon) to give in true evidence upon my Oath against Jesuites, Preists, and Fryers; for the which (after a faire invitation from my Brother Colonel Gage, to come over again to Flanders, offering mee a thousand pound ready money) I have been once assaulted in Aldersgate street; and another time like to be killed in Shooe lane by a Captain of my Brothers Regiment, named Vincent Burton, who (as I was after informed) came from Flanders on purpose to make me away or convey mee over, and with such a malicious designe followed mee to my lodging, lifting up the latch and opening the doore, (as hee had seene mee done) and attempting to goe up the staires to my chamber without any inquiry for mee, or knocking at the doore; from whom God graciously delivered me by the weak meanes of a woman my Land-lady, who stopped him from going any further; and being demanded his name, and answering by the name of Steward, and my Land-lady telling him from mee that I knew him not, he went away chafing and saying that I should know him, before he had done with mee. But hee that knoweth God well, shall know no enemy to his hurt; neither have I ever since seene or knowen this man. I might here also write down the contents of a threatning letter from mine own Brother, when hee was Colonell for the King of England and Governour of Oxford, which I forbear with some tender consideration of flesh and blood. At the beginning of the warres I confesse I was at a stand as a Neophyt and new plant of the Church of England concerning the lawfulnesse of the warre; and so continued above a yeere in London spending my owne meanes, till at last I was fully satisfied, and much troubled to see that the Papists and most of my kindred were entertained at Oxford, and in other places of the Kings Dominions; whereupon I resolved upon a choice for the Parliament cause, which now in their lowest estate and condition I am not ashamed to acknowledge. From their hands and by their order I received a Benefice, in the which I have continued almost foure yeers preaching constantly for a through and godly Reformation intended by them, which I am ready to witnesse with the best drops of blood in my veins, though true it is I have been envied, jealousied and suspected by many; to whom I desire this my History may be a better witnesse of my sincerity, and that by it I may perform what our Saviour Christ spoke to Peter, saying, And thou being converted strengthen thy Brethren. I shall think my time and pen happily imployed if by what here I have written, I may strengthen the perusers of this small volume against Popish superstition whether in England, other parts of Europe, Asia, or America; for the which I shall offer up my dayly prayers unto him, who (as I may well say) miraculously brought me from America to England, and hath made use of mee as a Joseph to discover the treasures of Egypt, or as the spies to search into the land of Canaan, even the God of all Nations, to whom be ascribed by mee and all true and faithfull Beleevers, Glory, Power, Majesty and mercy for evermore. Amen.
FINIS.
[Some brief and short Rules for the better learning of the Indian tongue called Poconchi, or Pocoman, commonly used about Guatemala and some other parts of Honduras.]
Although it bee true that by the daily conversation which in most places the Indians have with the Spaniards, they for the most part understand the Spanish tongue in common and ordinary words, so that a Spaniard may travell amongst them, and bee understood in what hee calleth for by some or other of the Officers, who are appointed to attend upon all such as travell and passe through their townes: Yet because the perfect knowledge of the Spanish tongue is not so common to all Indians, both men and women, nor so generally spoken by them as their owne; therefore the Preists and Fryers have taken paines to learn the native tongues of severall places and countries, and have studied to bring them to a Form and method of Rules, that so the use of them may bee continued to such as shall succeed after them. Neither is there any one language generall to all places, but so many severall and different one from another, that from Chiapa, and Zoques, to Guatemala, and San Salvador, and all about Honduras, there are at least eighteen severall languages, and in this district some Fryers who have perfectly learned six or seven of them. Neither in any place are the Indians taught or preached unto but in their native and mother tongue, which because the Preist onely can speake, therefore are they so much loved and respected by the Natives. And although for the time I lived there, I learned and could speake in two severall tongues, the one called Cacchiquel, the other Poconchi, or Pocoman, which have some connexion one with another; yet the Poconchi being the easiest, and most elegant, and that wherein I did constantly preach and teach, I thought fit to set down some rules of it, (with the Lords Prayer, and brief declaration of every word in it) to witnesse and testifie to posterity the truth of my being in those parts, and the manner how those barbarous tongues have, are, and may be learned.
There is not in the Poconchi tongue, nor in any other the diversity of declensions, which is in the Latin tongue; yet there is a double way of declining all Nownes, and conjugating all Verbes, and that is with divers particles according to the words beginning with a vowell or a consonant; neither is there any difference of cases, but onely such as the said Particles or some Prepositions may distinguish.
The Particles for the words or Nownes beginning with a Consonant are as followeth,
Sing. Nu, A, Ru, plural. Ca. Ata. Qui tacque. As for example, Bat, signifieth a house, and Tat, signifieth father, which are thus declined;
Sing. Nupat, my house, Apat, thy house, Rupat, his house. Plural. Capat, our house, Apatta, your house, Quipat tacque, their house.