A relation of the miraculous cure of Susannah Arch of a leprosy and ptysick, wherewith for some years past she had been sorely afflicted. Arch, Susannah. 1695 Approx. 24 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 12 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A45118 Wing H3663B ESTC R221930 99833174 99833174 37649 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45118) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 37649) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2171:12) A relation of the miraculous cure of Susannah Arch of a leprosy and ptysick, wherewith for some years past she had been sorely afflicted. Arch, Susannah. Hume, Robert, apothecary, attributed name. Fortey, Thomas. Nichols, Charles, b. 1627. viii, 9-23, [1] p. printed by J. D. and sold by R. Baldwin in Warwick-lane, London : MDCXCV. [1695] First person narrative signed at end: Susannah Arch. Includes signed testimonials from Dr. Charles Nicholls and Mr. Thomas Forty and Mr. Robert Hume, apothecaries. Copy has print show-through. Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. 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Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Healing -- Religious aspects -- Early works to 1800. Medicine -- Early works to 1800. Leprosy -- England -- Early works to 1800. Miracles -- Early works to 1800. 2006-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-02 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-04 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2006-04 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A RELATION OF THE Miraculous Cure OF SVSANNAH ARCH , OF A Leprosy and Ptysick , Wherewith for some Years past she had been sorely afflicted . Psal . 75. 1. — For that thy Name is near , thy wondrous Works declare . LONDON , Printed by J. D. and sold by R. Baldwin in Warwick-lane . MDCXCV . THE PREFACE . THE Works of God call for serious Observation from all who are Spectators of them , and are very instructive to the Children of Men. By these God may be said to speak Once , yea Twice , yet Man perceives it not . We are with the utmost Diligence to apply our selves to the right understanding of the Voice of God in them , Psal . 111. 2. The Works of the Lord are great , particularly the Works of Creation , which do always speak with a loud Voice to the Inhabitants of the Earth , Psal . 19. 1 , 2 , 3. The Heavens declare the Glory of God , and the Firmament sheweth his Handy-work . Day unto Day uttereth Speech , &c. The visible Heavens , so vast and spacious , richly adorned with Sun , Moon , and Stars , which are admirable in their Course , and powerful in their Influence ; these are a legible Book , wherein we may read what a glorious Being God is , who is the Maker and Former of these glorious Creatures : and from the Consideration thereof reflect on Man as a vile contemptible Creature ; Psal . 8. 3 , 4. When I consider thy Heavens , the Work of thy Fingers , the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained , what is Man that thou art mindful of him ? &c. And as the Works of Creation are great , so the Works of Providence ( whereby he governs , preserves , orders and disposes of all things in the World ) are great also , especially in and for his Church and People ; the Infinite Power , Wisdom and Goodness of God being abundantly manifested in them . These Works of God are to be narrowly inspected , found out , and searched into by all those that take Pleasure therein : And it is a God-provoking Sin not to regard the Works of the Lord , and the Operations of his Hands . For this Sin God threatens to destroy a People , and not build them up , Psal . 28. 5. Sometimes God goes out of his usual Course of Providence , and works miraculously ( an eminent Instance whereof we have in this Narrative ) . This he doth sometimes immediately , Mark 6. 52. Joh. 2. 11. sometimes mediately , Mark 9. 38 , 39. Acts 4. 16 , 22. Here might be considered what the glorious Design of God is in his miraculous Works . As , 1. To convince an Atheistical Generation of Men , that there is a God that acts above the Power of Nature or natural Causes , 2 Kings 5. 15. 2. That those who contemn and under value the Lord Jesus Christ ( through Faith in whose Name Lepers were cleansed , the Blind received their Sight , a Bloody Issue stopped , &c. ) might be convinced that he was the true Messiah , yea God as well as Man. Though Christ came in the Form of a Servant , yet the Glory of his Deity sparkled forth in divers Ways , and on divers Occasions , particularly in his miraculous Works , which none but a God could do , Joh. 9. 3. & 2 11. Christ turns Water into Wine , and thereby shewed forth his Glory , even the Glory of the only begotten of the Father . The Disciples of Christ wrought Miracles ; but this they did in the Name of Christ , Acts 3. Whereas Christ wrought his by his own Divine Power , which may justly strike a Damp upon those who of late have been so unhappy as to deny the Divinity of our Lord Jesus . 3. Christ's miraculous Works are designed to strengthen the Faith of his People ; John 2. 11. When Christ had wrought that Miracle of turning Water into Wine , it 's said , his Disciples believed on him . They believed before , but now they were confirmed in their Faith. And if so , then Christ's curing the Leprosy and other Distempers in our day , which in the Judgment of the ablest Physicians were incurable , is not slightly to be passed over . That divers miraculous Cures have been wrought of late , immediately by the Divine Power of Christ without humane Means , is not to be denied by any but such as are hardning themselves against Christ and his Works , as the unbelieving Jews did , who though Christ had done many mighty Works amongst them , yet they believed not on him , John 12. 37. Amongst other wonderful Cures which the Lord Jesus hath lately wrought , this seems not to be the least which he hath wrought on the Body of Susannah Arch ; of which this Narrative gives an impartial Account . She is known to be a Woman of an holy Conversation , enjoys much Communion with God , and is a Member of a Congregation , meeting in Devonshire-Square in London . She lives at Battle-Bridg in Southwark , where any that desire it may receive further Satisfaction . A NARRATIVE of the Miraculous Cure of Susannah Arch , of a Leprosy and Ptysick , wherewith for some Years past she had been sorely afflicted . I Susannah Arch do solemnly declare , in the Fear of God , that my Distemper began about four Years ago with an extraordinary Itching and Scurf on my Head , and afterwards it spread over my Body . This continued about three Years before I advised with any Physician to know what it was ; and then my Husband died , whose Death was attended with many aggravating Circumstances , occasioning much Sorrow and Grief ; all which conduced to increase my Distemper . Under my great Distress of Body and Mind I was lamenting my self , saying , What , a poor distressed Widow ! a poor afflicted Widow ! Then the Lord was pleased to give me in that Scripture , Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son , but gave him up for us all , how shall he not with him freely give us all things ? This I took as a Bond from the Lord , wherein he was pleased graciously to bind himself to supply all my Necessities , which was much to my Support at that time . Immediately after my Husband's Burial , being left in a poor and desolate Condition , that Scripture came to my Mind , Job 1. 21. Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb , and naked shall I return again . The Lord hath given , and the Lord hath taken away , and blessed be the Name of the Lord. Under these sad Exercises I was help'd to consider , that my outward Condition was not worse than my Lords and Master's ; of whom it is said , Matth. 8. 20. The Foxes have Holes , and the Birds of the Air have Nests , but the Son of Man hath not wh●●e to lay his Head. Then was I help'd to say , I have lost all , and yet have all ; and to plead with God in the Words of Jacob , Gen. 32. 12. Thou saidst , I will do thee good . These and many other precious Words were powerfully impressed on my Soul for my Support and Comfort . After these Troubles my Distemper much increased , and then I advised with Mr. Forty an Apothecary , who told me my Distemper was a Leprosy . I asked him whether it was curable : He told me , it was not curable . Then was I advised by his Wife to go to one Mrs. Griffin , who is skilful in curing Scald Heads , and she perswaded me to go to the Hospital , but I found a Reluctancy in my self thereto , having a Perswasion in my Mind from the time that Mr. Forty told me it was incurable , that Jesus Christ would cure it . Nevertheless considering that Passage of the Woman that had the Bloody Issue , though she spent all on Physicians , yet this did not hinder her being cured by Christ when she came to him : So I concluded my going to the Hospital might not hinder Christ's curing me : Thereupon I was satisfied in my self to go ; and when I presented my self to the Physician and Chirurgeons , they told me it was a Leprosy , and asked me what I desired of them . I desired to be an Out-patient , and they prescribed me some things , but I had no Faith in the Success of them , and so took but one Dose , and threw the rest away , looking to an higher Hand for my Cure. However I went a second time , and then they who gave out the Medicines , seeing my Distemper , told me , it was in vain to spend my time in attending any further on them , for it was a Leprosy , and could not be cured . Not long after this I was sent by a Friend of mine , on her own Account , to Dr. Bourne , and I took that Opportunity to shew him my Distemper : And when he saw it , he lift up his Hands , saying , Good Lord have Mercy upon thee ! it is a Leprosy . He likewise told me , there might be something given to curb it ( but not to cure it ) if I had wherewithal to defray the Charge . I told him I was a poor Widow , and so concerned my self no more with him . I went away from him full of Comfort , having this Perswasion , that Jesus Christ would be my Physician , and would cure me . After this I was sent by the same Friend , and on her own Account , to Dr. Clarke , and took that Opportunity to discover my Case to him , who knowing me , sympathized with me , saying , Alas , poor Woman , it is a Leprosy ! I asked him whether it could be cured : He told me , that something might be given to check it , but not to cure it ; and that if I would go to Mr. Humes an Apothecary , he would give Directions to him , and would do what he could for me . But having no Hopes of Cure from any humane Means , I concerned my self no further with him in this Matter . One Reason why I had no Expectation of Cure from Man was , the occurring of that Scripture frequently to my Mind , Mat. 8. 2. Lord , if thou wilt , thou canst make me clean . This I was enabled to plead before him with some Degree of Confidence that at last I should prevail . After this another Friend and Neighbour of mine being sick , desired me to go for her to Dr. Nicholls ; and when I had discoursed with him concerning my Friend , I asked him what he thought of my Distemper ? who answered , Alas ! poor Woman , how came you by this Surfeit ? I asked him what the Distemper was ? and he likewise told me , as the others had done before , that it was a Leprosy , and incurable . This I can truly say , that all along my Faith was fix'd on the Lord Jesus Christ : It was on him I did and was resolved to rely , who in the Days of his Flesh , when on Earth , cured all Diseases and Sicknesses among the People ; and I was confident , that he had the same Power now he was glorified in Heaven , as he had in the Days of his Humiliation . There is one thing I think good to remark , viz. when I considered that I was a poor polluted unclean Leper , I was under some doubt ( though afterwards I concluded it was from Satan ) whether I might and ought to come to the Congregation of the Lord's People to whom I belong , to partake of that Blessed Ordinance of the Lord's Supper amongst them . Labouring under strong Conflicts about this Matter , as I was going to the Congregation , that Text came with Power on my Soul , Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free , and be not intangled again with the Yoke of Bondage . By this Text I understood that the Law of the Leper , being part of the Ceremonial Law , is done away ; and so that Doubt was removed . Upon the last Day of May , 1694. at Night , when I was asleep in my Bed , I was pleading with God in those Words of the Psalmist , Psal . 57. 2. I will cry unto God most High , unto him that performeth all things for me : And then I thought I saw a Man standing by me , and laying his Hand on me , saying , I will be thou clean . I answered , Lord , if thou sayest the Word , it is done . To which I received this Reply , All things are possible to him that believeth . I answered , Lord , I believe , help thou my Vnbelief . To which it was answered , He that believes , needs not to say , but is whole every whit , ( the Hand being all the while upon my Hand ) and thereupon I awaked , and perceived that it was a Dream . From that time ( though I grew worse and worse ) I was strongly perswaded that I should be made whole . The next Morning a Christian Friend of mine came to see me , and brought a Woman with her , telling me , that she had brought one that could cure the Leprosy . I then said to the Woman , Can you cure the Leprosy ? She said , Yes . But said I , You shall not cure me , for I have thrown my self on the Physician of Value , and he will cure me : And though you , or all the greatest Doctors or Chirurgions in London , would give me a great Sum of Money , you should none of you take me in hand . After this I had divers Conflicts and Temptations to weaken my Confidence ; but God was pleased to give in divers seasonable Words for my Relief , and for the strengthning of my Faith : As at one time that Text came with Power on my Soul , Mark 11. 22. Have Faith in God. And at another time that Text , John 11. 40. Said I not unto thee , that if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the Glory of God ? And at another time that Text , Heb. 10. 35. Cast not away your Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward . And whereas I had been afflicted with a Ptysick for many Years , wherewith I was laid vp every Winter ; in November last it pleased the Lord to remove that Distemper , without the Use of any humane Means . And this was to me a Token for Good , that God would likewise cure me of my Leprosy . Soon after this , being at Mr. Beverley's Meeting , and hearing the People talk of a miraculous Cure of one that was lame , I asked one that sat by me concerning it : and she told me , that a Maid that had been lame 17 Years was miraculously cured on a sudden . Then I told her , I was waiting at the Pool , believing that I should be made whole . From that time my Heart was drawn out to wrestle more earnestly with God for Cure , crying out , Lord ! why not I ? why not I , a poor Leper ? In December my Distemper growing worse and worse , both on my Head and Body , I met with some inward Struglings , but was help'd to say , in the Words of Job , I know , O Lord , that thou canst do every thing . I was likewise help'd to say , from that of the three Worthies , Dan. 3. 17. My God whom I serve is able to deliver me : However I am resolved to trust in him . And now to give a true and faithful Account how I was healed . On the 26th of December at Night I went to Bed , as bad as ever I was ; and in the Night I had grievous and sore Temptations from my Adversary , who told me I had no Faith ; and that if I had Faith I might be healed ; those Words being cast into my Mind , O ye of little Faith : and I was tempted to think I had no Faith , and that God did not love me , but I perceived this was to beat me off from my Confidence in God. Then was I help'd to look back to former Experience , and remembred that about 30 Years ago , when I was under great Distress about the State of my Soul , being under a deep Sense of my Sin. I was help'd to cast my Soul on the Lord Jesus Christ . And from that Consideration many times since , when I have been in great Distress , with respect to my outward Condition , I have been enabled to cast my bodily Concerns upon him ; and then I cried out , Lord , I have cast my Soul upon thee , and my Body upon thee , and now I am resolved to cast all my Diseases upon thee . Then was I help'd to plead with God , saying , Lord , if I have true Faith , if thou lovest me , if I have an Interest in Christ , take away this Distemper before I die . Then Satan suggested to me , that I had sinned with a witness in that I had limited God. But I was help'd to renew the same Petitions to the Lord , knowing I had not limited the Lord , only that he would cure me before I die . Then that Scripture was brought to my Mind , Jam. 4. 7. Resist the Devil , and he will flee from thee . From which I was encouraged to resist him , knowing that he was a conquered Enemy . Then I lay quiet and with a composed Mind till Morning . Next Day I found a marvellous Alteration , being much better and more chearful , which was discerned by a Friend of mine , who told me , that she did perceive that I was much better . The next Night after this , which was Thursday Night , as I was in my Bed , I put my Hand to my Head , first on one side , and then on the other , and felt Skin on both Sides of it , which at first was surprizing and amazing to me . Then I said , Lord Jesus ! hast thou begun ? thou wilt carry it on . When I arose in the Morning , and had taken off my Head-clothes , I found the Scurf was gone from off my Head , only there remained like a little Cap on the Crown of my Head , which was easily taken off with a Comb , which I made use of for that end : And then appeared firm Skin all over my Head. At the same time my Distemper , which was spread over my whole Body from Head to Foot , even to my very Toes , was likewise taken away . And whereas I had neither Skin nor Hair on my Head before , my Hair is now grown to the Admiration of them that behold it . And to this Day , through the Lord's Goodness , I remain free both from Leprosy and Ptysick . Jan. 16. 1694 / 5. SVSANNAH ARCH . SOME of us whose Names are subscribed have had certain Knowledg of Susannah Arch's Distempers , and also of her Cure : And we are all fully satisfied in the Truth of what is contained in this Narrative . William Kiffin , William Collins , Robert Stead , Richard Adams , Edward Man , John Piggott , Benjamin Dennis , William Draycot , Robert Bartlett . The Certificate of Charles Nicholls Doctor of Physick . ON the 29th of September last , Susannah Arch coming to me on the behalf of another Woman , desired me to tell her what her own Distemper was ? I gave it , as my Opinion , that it was a Leprosy , and could not perfectly be cured , but something might be given to check it , or keep it under . Furthermore , I coming this Day into Southwark , I saw this Woman cur'd of her sad Distemper ; and by what I have heard her say , and is related in the foregoing Narrative , I do verily believe that it was done by the immediate Hand of God , as the Fruit and Effect of her Faith. I must say that I stand in Admiration in beholding this Woman cured . In witness of all which I set my Hand this 18th Day of January , 1694 / 5. Charles Nicholls . The Certificate of Mr. Thomas Forty , Apothecary . IVnderstand I was the first Person that Susannah Arch came to enquire of about her Distemper , as she declared ; and I do testify , in the Fear of God , that I did and do believe she had a Leprosy , as is inserted in this Narrative ; and I have seen her several times since she was cured : and by my conferring with her and others , I do declare , that I verily believe she is perfectly cured ; and that it was not done by any humane Means , but by the immediate Hand and Power of Jesus Christ , as the Effect of her Faith. In witness of which I set my Hand this 18th Day of January , 1694 / 5. Thomas Forty . The Testimony of Mr. Robert Hume , Apothecary . I Robert Hume do declare , in the fear of the All-seeing , Heart-searching God , concerning Susannah Arch , whom I have known for several Years , as followeth , viz. 1. She was , to my Knowledg , grievously afflicted with an Asthma , commonly called a Ptysick ; yea I have seen her scarce able to go along the Street so fast as a Child of two Years old . When her Husband was ill of the Sickness whereof he died , if she went but cross the Chamber , she would pant like one almost expiring , insomuch that I thought she was more like to die than he : and so she commonly was in the Winter , especially in such Weather as increases that Distemper . 2. One Day she came to me , which I think was about July last , and showed me her Head , saying , Sir , Can you tell me what I have got here ? I answered , It is a Leprosy ( for so I think it was indeed , according to the Description of the best Authors ) : Ay , says she , so every Body tells me , for I have been at the Hospital , and they all say so of it , and tell me there is no Cure for it . I advised her to go to Doctor Clark , to hear what he would say of it . In a little time after she came and told we , she had showed it to Dr. Clark , and that he was of the same Opinion with the rest , however desired to speak with me about it : I went to him , but do not punctually remember what he said , but this I remember , that he look'd upon it to be a very sad difficult Case ; so that I all along took it for granted that he look'd upon it to be a Leprosy , and that there was no Hope of Cure , for he ordered nothing for her . Now as to these Matters I do further declare ; 1st . As to her Asthma : I could not but admire when I was with her a little after she was cured of the Leprosy , and saw how she went a pretty way along the Street , and up a pair of Stairs , and that in frosty Weather , without puffing and blowing , as she was used to do . I did take particular Notice how she could speak without fetching her Breath longer than a great many that never were afflicted with any such Indisposition . 2dly . As for the Leprosy : It was no less Wonder to me , that when I came to look upon that which formerly was in my Judgment Leprous as Snow , I found now was become as the Flesh of a young Child . I do verily believe she is wholly cured of it , there being all Symptoms of Soundness , and the Hair does grow apace . Let any doubtful , make what Search they will , I am not afraid of being found in a Mistake in this Matter . To the Truth of this Attestation , I have hereunto set my Hand this 12th Day of February , 1694 / 5. Robert Hume . FINIS .