A STRANGE And Lamentable accident that happened lately at Mears-Ashby in Northamptonshire. 1642.  
Of one Mary Wilmore, wife to john Wilmore rough M●son, who was delivered of a Child without a head, and credibly reported to have a firm Cross on the breast, as this ensuing Story shall relate.  Hor: 
Mirando cano.  
Printed at London for Rich: Harper and Thomas Wine, and are to be sold at the Bible and Harp in Smithfield. 1642.   

A strange and lamentable Accident that happened lately at Mears-Ashby in Northampton shire. 1642.  
THis Kingdom once glorying in the flourishing title of Olbion: which is as much as happiness and tranquillity, (tam Eccles. quam Re●p●b.) but now being clouded and masked with various distractions, as are apparently known and made manifest to the whole world, in so much that she is made a laughing stock, and a scorn to all Nations, may now with the Publican cry, Lord have mercy on me a sinner: or with Eccebolius, chief Captain of the Apostates, who in Constantine's time to oak upon him the note of a zealous Christian: in the reign of julian he became a Pagan; julian being dead than he would become a Christian: but being sensible of his mutability and inconstancy, prostrated himself flat upon the ground at the Porch of the Temple, crying with a loud voice, Tread on me, tread on me, for I am unsavoury salt.  
I fear me we have too too many of these unfavourable and wheeling Rotundities frequent amongst us, but I pray God it happeneth not to them as it did to julian Uncle to julian the Apostate, for their contemning and slighting Gods holy ordinances, who coming into a Church at Antioch, profaned the Lord's Table by pissing upon it, saying in scorn, that the Divine Providence took no care of outward ceremonies. But not long after divine Justice found him out, for being taken with a disease that rotten his bowels, his excrements leaving their wont passage, ran through his throat and blasphemous mouth in as stinking a manner, as the poisoned trash and beggarly rudiments are fomented now adays from the impudent mouths of unlearned and ignorant Teachers, the event of whose pernicious and illiterate doctrine will lead me to this ensuing story of God's wrath and judgements to over curious and nice zealots of our times.  
In Mears-Ashby in Nottingham shire, on● Mary Wilmore wife of john Wilmore, rough Mason, being great with child, and much perplexed in mind, to think that her child when it pleased God she should be delivered, should be baptised with the sign of the Cross: The Minister of the Parish being a very honest and conformable man, not suiting with the vain babbling and erroneous Sycophants, as there are too too many thereabouts inhabiting, desires her husband to go to Hardwicke, a Village near adjoining to one Master Ba●nard a reverend Divine, to know his opinion concerning the Cross in Baptism: whose answer was, That it was no ways necessary to salvation, but an ancient, laudable, and decent ceremony of the Church of England▪ Which answer being related to her from 〈◊〉 husband, it is reported she should say, I had ●●ther my child should be borne without a head, then to have a head to be signed with the sign of the Cross.  
Haply this woman through her weakness, or too much confiding in the conventicling Sectaries, Qui quicquid in buccam venerit blatterant: might think she did well, supposing as she was taught by them, the Cross in Baptism to be a pernicious, popish and idolatrous ceremony: yet see Vzzah, 2 Sam. 6.6, 7. 1 Chron. 13.9, 10. vid. judg. 8.27. though thy intent in doing a seeming good action be never so good, yet if thou have not warrant for nor so doing, thou and thine action may haply perish together, as the sequel of this story will declare. It pleased God about a month after, she was accordingly delivered of a Monster, Rudes indegestáque moles, a child without a head, to the shame of the parents, in not having that part whereon it might have been marked with that token whereof it should never after have been ashamed.  
What strange judgements of God have we seen, saith Pollychronus, in the times of revolters? as we may see in the third year of Queen Elizabeth of ever blessed memory, when as in Moor and Geofferey, two of the devil's agents, published their prodigious and heretical tenants, to the allurement of many faithful and constant believers: the year after was many monstrous births. A man child was borne at Chichester in Suffex, the head, arms, and legs whereof were like Anatomy, the breast and belly monstrous big from the navel, about the neck a great collar of flesh and skin growing, like to the double ruffs and neckerchiefes then in use, and many more like accidents, Qua nunc norandi non est locus. Good Lord therefore which hast made and fashioned us, and as there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, one God and Father of all, even so Lord grant that we may jointly agree in love, and that there remain amongst us a godly consent and loving concord, and that nothing be done in contention and vainglory: and suffer us not to exercise ourselves in the works of the flesh, as hatred, emulations, contentions, heresies, seditions, needless and unprofitable questions, which tend to rebellion and discord, breeding ungodliness, and make dissension: break thou the bonds of Satan, and the malice of those who extinguish the bond of peace.  By john Locke, Cleric. 
FINIS.