Immortality in Mortality magnified In a strange( yet true) Narration of one Master POVNTNEY, Merchant, sometimes living in the Parish of Mary le Bow in Cheapside, who was butted in the chancel of the Church of Leonard East-cheap, Anno Dom. 1613. and was found on this present Feb. 15. 1647. whole and sound without any diminution or corruption of his members or body inward or out ward, having lain in his grave( according to the precedent date, which is extracted from the Register book of the aforesaid parish, Leonards East-cheap) 34 years, Published as a wonder of wonders in this Age.  
 man  

Printed and published according to Order of Parliament.   
London, printed for Thomas Bates, at the sign of the Maiden-head on Snow-hill, near Holburn conduit, 1647.   

IMMORTALITY In Mortality MAGNJFJED.  
MAny, and manifest, have been the wondrous & supernatural effects of Gods immense wisdom and power in all ages since his divine wisdom, mercy and power first framed a creature like himself( which is man) to reiterate all, or a part, would argue much vanity; it being( almost) universally known: but what says the present Age; no Wonders are now: No, tis wonder to behold a Wonder. well, let that pass, and Ile pass on to my Relation, which is so generally known for truth that all particular objections to the contrary are merely frustrated.  
In the parish of Leonards Eastcheap, London, on the 15. of February 1646. a man of note being dead was( by his own living appointment and surviving friends to be interred in the Chancel of the aforefaid Parish-Church where the ground being broken up the Sexton, Mr Hill, according to usual custom went to take up, and throw away, the long lying, and fleshlesse, bones: But behold, with wonder, contrary to custom, expectation, or nature, he found a body firm, which he could not move without help.  
Much wonder was raised, at the raising of this so long dead and buried, body; for all his lims and linaments, his hair, both of head, beard and other usual places, all as firmly growing; or rather fixed, as it was when he was first butted, which was, as you shal hear, he dyed 34. years since: Upon this admirable discovery, a fight much amazing, search was made, both within and without book, who it should bee that had been so long ago butted in that place; for there had been none lately within knowledge; some held it to be, and that was held to be for a while among the neighbourhood, one Mr Paul a Butcher of Eastcheap, who dyed and was butted, near to that place, some 23. or 24. years since; if it had been him a Wonder it were, though not so great: but finding in the Register his name and place not there: further search was made backward, even to the year 1613. and in that year it was found that in that very place, none being laid there ever since, one Mr Pountney Merchant, dwelling( in his last dayes) in the Parish of Mary le Bow in Cheapside, where he dyed; whether it were for memory of Ancestors, or affection to the place, I made not question: but both he and his own Brother, dying shortly one after another, were butted in the same Chancel.  
Now Reader if thou wouldst know or demand why Almighty God, Creator, Governor, conserver and disposer of all things both in Heaven and in earth, choose this man rather then his Brother, who is consumed to nothing or any other to show this exemplary miracle upon: I refer thee to the expostulation between his divine Majesty, and his Servant Job, chap. 28.29. and having red learn to admire and not to examine: or yet if thou pleasest, for humors must be pleased now adays, confer precedent examples and divine power now and then: and thou mayst, if thou wilt with reason, be satisfied. But from this digression Ile return to complete former omisions.  
This dead corps becoming a living Wonder, not only to the present, but also to future ages; being thus exposed to the view of a few in particular was made, for the more ample manifestation of his miraculous preservation, a general spectacle to multitudes of beholders.  
Many incredulous people about the city and other adjacent places making use of the caperaits quere John 6. who have come upon their own legs and in coaches to see with their own eyes how this story was raised, and how this wondrous and almost unparallelled prodigy was accomplished: divers great and highly qualified personages were also ocular witnesses to this stupendious miracle, among the rest the honourable Sir Walter Earl, the worshipful Alderman Foulk with hundreds more of credit came to drew this corps, his Arms and legs were so stiff and solid, that none could separate limb from limb except they used violence, his nails both upon fingers and toes, and his hair not perished a jot at all, no more then if he dyed in less then so many days as he hath been dead years, a miraculous thing: but christian Reader I desire thee for thy satisfaction to come with me a little nearer and Ile show thee yet wonders beyond the premises, thou hast but as yet heard of the roof and walls of this earthly building; but I will now show to the eyes of thy soul the inward dashings of the divine architect; it pleafed the honourable spectators who had with admiration beholded the external frame so strangely preserved from corruption to have a view of the internal parts and to that end two men sufficiently experienced in the art of chirurgery were sent for to open him which they did, and his intrels with his bowels were as suppling and moist as if he had been but newly departed from this life, his heart was so firm, sound and void of putrefaction, worm-holes and other ensigns of mortality can possibly be imagined to be found in any lately diseased man: he was it seems in his life-time a short corpulent man; the fat of his belly at this instant, being hard even( as white wax) is two inches or very near in thickness: briefly all parts within and without were complete and might challenge any thing but life itself, save his face something disfigured and skinlesse, his nose fallen, and his eyes sunk into his head or otherwise perished. Thus, worthy Reader, hath my unworthy pen described unto thee the wonderful works of the ever-living Creator, made known unto us after a most miraculous manner in this his so long dead creature.  
I will conclude all with a word or two of admonition this gentleman having been, as thou hast heard, involved in the earth for the space of 34 years is now by his wonderful and miraculous preservation from common corruption, though dead, become a living Preacher unto thee of the power of God: make good use then( I pray thee for thy souls health) of this and all other the wondrous works of God, and print this lesson ever in thy heart, that he who with his only Word made man and all things else, can and is able beyond human capacity with the same Word and Power dispose of and order all that he hath created: To him therefore be ascribed all power, honor, and dominion, now, and to, and in, all Eternity. Amen.  
FINIS.