226 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



replyed. That lie saw it was a Spirit of delusion, wliicli lie would 

 not obey. Upon wliich the Spirit denounced a Curse against 

 him in these words. Go ye cursed into everlasting Fire ! and so 

 left him with a very great heat in his body. After this, he was 

 in his own apprehension in a very comfortable condition, and 

 while he was considering what had happened a Voice within him 

 spake to him saying. That the Spirit which was before upon him 

 was a Spirit of delusion, but now the true Spirit of God was 

 come into him." It then gave him instruction in religious mat- 

 ters, contradicting what the former voice had said. Several times 

 it came, and as Robert Churchman still doubted whether it were 

 a good spirit or no it promised him what sign he would. Upon 

 that he desired it to turn into brass a certain candlestick. 

 " Presently there was a very unsavoury smell in the Room, like 

 that of the Snuff of a Candle newly put out ; but nothing else 

 was done towards the fulfilling of the Promise. Upon the Lord's 

 day following, he, being at Church, it came upon him. When 

 the Chapters were named he turned to them in his Bible, but was 

 not able to read. When the Psalm was sung, he could not pro- 

 nounce a syllable. Upon Monday morning his Speech was wholly 

 taken from him. When I came to him, and asked him how it 

 was with him, he moved his head towards me but was not able to 

 speak ; I waited an Hour or two in the Room, hoping that his 

 Speech might have returned unto him, and that I might have 

 gained from him some account of his condition. But finding no 

 alteration, I desired those who were present to joyn with me in 

 Prayer. As we were Praying, his Body with much violence was 

 thrown out of Bed, and then with great vehemence he called to 

 me to hold my Tongue. When Prayer was done, his Tongue was 

 bound as before, till at last he broke out into these words. Thine 

 is the Kingdom, Thine is the Kingdom j which he repeated, I 

 believe, above an hundred times. Sometimes he was forced into 

 extream laughter, sometimes into singing ; his hands were usually 

 imployed in beating his Breast. All of us who stood by could 

 discern unusual heavings in his body. This distemper did con- 

 tinue towards the morning of the next day, and then the voice 

 within him signified to him that it would leave him, bidding him 

 to get upon his knees in order to that end, which he did, and then 

 presently he had a perfect command of himself. When I came 

 to him he gave me a sober account of all the passages of the day 

 before, having a distinct remembrance of what the Spirit forced 

 him to do, and what was spoken to him by those who stood by. 

 In particular he told me, he was compelled to give me that dis- 

 turbance in prayer, which I before mentioned, the Spirit using his 

 Limbs and Tongue as it pleased, contrary to the inclination of 

 his own mind." Finally, Robert Churchman was "released from 



