204. The Statural Hijlory 



felves, all matters both of Spiritual and Temporal concern, have 

 been fo eftedually prefs'd, and prudently menaged,that there has 

 not been known any fuch thing as an Ale-houfe, a Sttlary, or Suit 

 of Law commenced within the whole parijh (which is of a large 

 extent) in the memory of man: which being more for ought I 

 know than any Parifh in England can fay befide, and fo well wor- 

 thy the imitation of all other places, I thought fit (for the eternal 

 honor of its Inhabitants) to recommend it accordingly. 



32. Yet but few miles off, at the Town of Watlington, I was 

 told of a fort of Sectaries , perhaps never heard of in the 

 world before ; which if fo, is as ftrange as the thing it felf, for 

 one would have thought there could have nothing been fo abfurd 

 in Religion, but what muft have needs been embraced already. 

 Thefe by the reft of the people are called Anointers, from the ce- 

 remony they nfe of anointing all perfons before they admit them 

 into their Church, for which they allege the fifth of St. James, v. 

 the 1 4 and 15. Is there any fick. among you (which it feems they 

 account all people to be but themfelves) let him call for the Elders 

 of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oyl 

 in the name of the Lord ; and the prayer of faith fiall fave the fick., 

 and the Lord fh all raife him up-> and if he have committed fins thty 

 fiall he forgiven him: which Elders amongft them are fome poor 

 Tradefmen of the Town, and the ov/they ufe, that commonly fold 

 in the fiops, with which the Profelyte being fmeared over, and 

 fired with %eal, he prefently becomes a new Light of this Church ; 

 which I could not but note, thefe people being as remarkably mad, 

 as thofe of Brightwell are good. Though perhaps fome may 

 think one Richard Haftings, then of Broughton, and yet living 

 near Banbury, more religioufly mad than any of thofe ; who with 

 Origen underftanding the twelfth verfeof the nineteenth Chapter 

 of St. Matthews Go/pel literally, hath caftrated, and fo made him- 

 felf an Eunuch for the Kingdom of Heavens fake. 



33. And thus much of men and women jointly together in their 

 lives ; as to what concerns their deaths, I nmft add alfo a Rela- 

 tion, as ftrange as 'tis true, of the Family of one Captain Wood 

 late of Bampton, now Brife- Norton, Captain in the late Wars for 

 the King ; Some whereof before their deaths have had fignai 

 warning given them by a certain knocking, either at the doer with- 

 out, or on the table or fielves within ; the number of ftroaks, 



and 



