WONDERS IF NOT MIRACLES OR, A Relation OF THE Wonderful Performances OF VALENTINE GERTRUX OF Affance near Youghall in Ireland. Who Cureth all manner of Diseases with a stroke of his hand and Prayer, as is testified by many ear and eye Witnesses.  
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1665.   

WONDERS if not MIRACLES.  
IT is not to be doubted but that the following Relation will meet with Readers of divers and different persuasions, and accordly be entertained: Some questionless that will distrust the very thing itself: to whom I shall only say, that the publisher is himself as difficult in his belief of fond reports as any man; but hath this backed with such Testimony, as that he conceives, not to believe it, were ●o entertain an opinion, that there is no certainty or truth in nature. Others there are, and those that would be accounted the more learned) who are so fixed in that their Principle, that Miracles are ceased. as that though they should be convinced, as to the matter of fact— yet will allow no other source of these strange passages than some occult Qualities, or symbolical sympathies; or some untrodden method of Philosophy; or application of Agents to Patients: Others will be apt enough to ascribe them to charms, or Daemonaical contracts: Others again, to the Providence of God, and as Forerunners of those great things which they expect in that great year of Expectation 1666. I shall leave each to the enjoyment of his own opinion, and only give you the Relation as I received it.   

SIR,  
AS for the Person in Ireland I formerly writ of, there is such a full Concurrence of Testimonies concerning the truth of this Relation about him, that it admits of no further doubt or scruple with us, in reference to the matter of fact; neither do I see any reason (the first being proved) to question, but that the things are wrought by the power of a Divine hand, in which there can be no juggle or delusion as to the truth of the matter itself. Besides the testimony before mentioned in my last, we have received a full confirmation thereof by Captain Hastell of Plymouth which he had from his Son in Waterford: As also from one Captain Lancaster living near this place and being partner with Gertrux and Captain Pley of this Town in a parcel of Land about Cornedy: who affirm, that they have received it under the hands of many men of note in Ireland, and that no disease stands before him. To which may be added the enclosed Relation from one Mr. ●eacher living in Youghall who was both an eye and ear witness, containing a very sober and rational account of the matter.  
Upon the whole, the thing is wonderful, and stupendous, and astonishing, and makes us as men in a dream, when we think or speak of it: And we cannot but conclude, that God is about to do some great work in the World, and that this is but the forerunner of some great things which we may shortly see, unto which we desire to stand prepared. It is clear, that these 1500. years at least, we cannot hear of any instance of the like nature. And that the Devil should have such power it cannot enter into me to imagine; else the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles were no sealing evidence (as they were) of the truth of the Gospel, and of the Divine stamp and authority of the same; in as much as neither Man nor Devil could do the like with their utmost art and industry.  
What the present instrument, is we cannot certainly say, only that all that were of his acquaintance in these parts while he lived here, do give the character of a very sober, discreet, civil Gentleman; what is his present frame and posture we are not fully informed, more than what the enclosed Relation signifieth: Only that great and marvellous things are done by him cannot be denied.— The particular design of God therein we must leave undetermined till time shall make it manifest.   

Mr. Loyonell Beacher's Letter.  
Sir,  
Having heard of many diseases healed and cured by Valentine Gertrux of Affans, divers of them seemed so strange to me, that I could not give credit to the reports; nor could I be satisfied till I went up thither myself, which I did on White-munday, purposing to have returned by water in the same boat: But he being gone from home with intention to be back again on Tuesday morning early (that being one of the three days in the week that he hath appointed for touching diseased and distempered persons of all ages and Sexes) I stayed above at Capo Coin that night, and went early in the morning to Affans, to a certain house about a flight shot off his own; whether he had appointed the people to come, because of the multitude flocking about his own dwelling house: So I went in, and stood close by him, and saw him to stroke them, causing them to strip off their clothes, where their pains and griefs were: I saw him touch many of the King's Evil while I was there, and many also whom he had cured of that Distemper, came to acknowledge it, which is the utmost reward he accepts from any: I saw him heal eight persons of the dead Palsy in their Arms and Legs; whom, after he had touched and stroaked them, he caused to be lifted up, and they had instantly the right use of their Limbs: The same day I saw him touch 60. and odd persons, divers of them troubled with the falling sickness, and of them, some surprised and taken by it in the same Room: He being called to their help, left other Patients and went to them, and while they were foaming at the mouth, and wallowing on the ground, he stroaked their breast with his hand, and immediately their pain ceased, and they stood up and said, that they were very well.— I also saw him restore many deaf persons to their hearing presently, not failing any one therein, and this only by stroking, and putting his fingers into the holes of their Ears. He likewise cures the Convulsion fits only by stroking the persons afflicted with his hand: I saw divers poor Cripples came in halting on their Crutches, whom when he had stroaked on their Legs, or Arms, (as their pains lay) they presently not only walked, but leapt and skipped about the room: One of them not minding his crutches, left them behind him in the room, but he called him back again, saying, Friend take away thy cruches, for I hope here will be no need of them; so the poor man went forth merrily with them in his hand.  
He takes away all sorts of pain, and old Aches, though of twelve, sixteen, or twenty years' continuance, or longer, only with stroking and smoothing the part grieved with his hand: immediately upon laying his hand upon the part, the pain removes sensibly into another part of the body; as, from the back to the breast, from thence into the legs and arms, or other extreme parts, and when the party telleth him where it is removed, he followeth it with his hand, which driveth it out, sometimes at the finger's ends, sometimes at the toes, other times at the crown of the head, and sometimes at the mouth, and when the person saith, it is gone, and he feeleth no more pain, he biddeth him be gone and glorify God, and forsake his sins: He doth it freely unto all, and is so far from taking any reward, that he doth not allow them to give him thanks, but bids them praise and thank the Lord, for that he hath vouchsafed to make use of such a poor simple Creature, as he doth, to do them good.  
People of all sorts of diseases and distempers do daily so flock about his house, that if he had not appointed them three days in the week, as I formerly mentioned, he must have forsaken his own dwelling to have gotten rest. Some out of prejudice say, that he hath an universal charm againg all diseases; but this is only a detraction, he only calleth upon the name of God whilst he is doing of it, and though briefly yet divinely: Thus have I given you a true account of that, whereof I was both an Ear and an Eye witness, which had I not been, I think I should not have believed, though all the People in Youghall had told me of it.  
Loyonell Beacher.  
FINIS.