A remakable example of God's Providence, visible during a journey of Christopher Crellius

[Copied (Amsterdam, 1774) from Manuscript Papers of Samuel Crellius. The original letter was written in Latin, and afterwards translated into Dutch. An English version of the Dutch copy, communicated to the Rev. Robert Aspland by Mr. Fred. Adrian Vander Kemp, of the United States of America, was inserted in the "Monthly Repository" for 1810, Vol. XJ. pp. 633—635, from which it is transferred to this Appendix.]

Samuel Crellius wishes happiness to H. V. O.

A remakable example de God's providence, visible during a journey of Christopher Crellius.

I will, to gratify your desire, communicate to you in writing the remarkable event, which you listened to with pleasure. When my father, Christopher Crellius, with other Unitarians, was driven from Poland in the year 1666, he became acquainted in London with a pious woman, who was instructed by John Biddle and was called Stuckey, the mother of Nathaniel Stuckey, a youth of bright hope, and mentioned by Sandius, in his Biblioth. Antitrin. page 172, but who, very prematurely, and if I am not mistaken, died in the sixteenth year of his age. This woman spoke to my father in this manner—" You, my dear Crellius! wander now as an exile, in poverty—a widower—burthened with four children; give me two of these, a son, and a daughter, in England, and I will take care of their education." My father thanked her cordially, and promised to consider it: when returned to Silesia he consulted his friends on the subject, and departed with his eldest son and daughter in the year 1668 from Brcslau, through Poland towards Dantzic, to embark from there to Holland, and so to England. This voyage to Dantzic my father undertook with his own waggon and horses. His driver was the pious Paul Sagosky, from whom I heard an account of the event in Brandenburg, Prussia, in the year 1704, when he was far advanced in age.

It was afternoon, the sun declining to the west, when my father, only twelve Polish miles from Dantzic, reached a tavern, in which he resolved to tarry that night, because he saw before him a large wood, which he could not pass through by daylight; and he deemed it unadvisable to enter it towards night, uncertain if he should find another house, and moreover, was not well acquainted with the road. They stopped then at the tavern, and brought the waggon into a large stable, and fastened the horses to the manger. The landlady, her husband being from home, received them with civility. She gave orders to take the baggage from the waggon, and bring it into the inner room, where she invited my father with the children to the table. Meanwhile the driver, when he had fed the horses, explored the spacious stable, not forgetting to scrutinize with careful anxiety every corner, because the taverns in Poland, at such a distance from cities and villages as this was, are seldom a safe refuge for travellers, and there is always apprehension of robbers and murderers. In this search he discovered in one corner of the stable a large heap of straw, of which he moved a part with a stick, when he perceived that this straw covered a large hole which emitted an offensive smell, while the straw was tainted with blood. On this he directly returned to the inner room, mentioned to my father in secret what he had seen, and saying that he doubted not that the landlord was a robber and a murderer.

My father left the room directly, and having verified the fact, ordered directly to bring the baggage again on the waggon, and harness the horses.

When the landlady observed these preparations, she shewed her surprise, and dissuaded my father to proceed on his journey through such a large wood in a cold night, with two young children, and engaged that she would endeavour to render his stay as comfortable as it was in her power; but he replied, that something very interesting had struck his mind, which rendered it impossible for him to remain there, and compelled him to proceed on. He thanked her for her civilities, went with his children into the waggon, and departed.

When they were arrived in the wood, they met the landlord driving home a load of wood, who accosted my father, " Sir," said he, " I beg of you, what moves you to enter this wood, so large and extensive, and cut in two or three cross roads, in the fall of the evening, at the approach of night; I doubt not, that you will lose the right road, and remain in the wood during the night: you endanger your health and place that of these young children in jeopardy; return rather with me to my tavern, there you may refresh yourself and your horses, spend the night comfortably, and continue your journey early in the morning." My father answered, that he was obliged to proceed on his journey, however unpleasant it was. The landlord urged his entreaties with greater importunity, and approaching my father's waggon, and taking hold of it, he renewed to dissuade a further process with a lowered brow and a grim countenance, and insisted that they should, and must return; on which my father ordered the driver to lay his whip over the horses, to disengage himself from this dangerous man, in which he succeeded.

They then proceeded on. My father, sitting in the waggon, sent up his prayers in an audible voice to his God, as was his usual custom on his travels, and recommended himself and those dear to him in this perilous situation to his providential care, in which devotion he was accompanied by the driver and his two children. Meanwhile the sun was set, an increasing darkness prevailed, they lost the road, entered a deep swamp, in which soon the waggon stuck, the horses being too fatigued to draw it out again. My father and the driver jumped from the waggon in the mud, strengthened every nerve, and animated the horses with words, and the whip, but all in vain; the waggon could not be stirred one single inch. My father became apprehensive that he must pass the night in that dreary spot, and that he or his driver should be compelled to leave the wood next morning, and search for assistance in the nearest village, without even a prospect of success; meanwhile nothing was left him but silent ejaculations to his God.

After having covered his children as well as he could, and secured them against a rigorous cold night, he walked to a little distance from his waggon, and employed himself in sending up his prayers to his God, when he saw a man of small stature, in a grey or whitish coat, with a stick in his hand, approaching him. After mutual salutations, this man asked my father what he did there, and why he travelled in the night, and especially through such a wood? My father explained then to him the whole, and begged him to assist him and his driver, to try once more if, with his assistance, they might draw the waggon and horses from the mire of that swamp, and bring them into the right road. I will try, said he, if I can effect something; upon which he approached the waggon, and placed his stick under the fore wheels, and appeared to lift these a little; the same he did to the back wheels, and then put his hand to the waggon, to draw it, with my father and the driver, out of the mire. He called at the same instant to the horses, who without any appearing difficulty, left the swamp, and drew the waggon upon solid ground. After this, the stranger conducted them into the right road, from which they had wandered, and told them to keep now that road, and neither deviate from it to the right or left. And when, said he, thou shalt arrive at the end of this wood, you will discover at some distance a light in one of the nearest houses of the village, which you must pass. In that house lives a pious man, who, although it is so late, will receive you civilly, and give you lodgings for the night. My father cordially thanked this man for his assistance and instruction, and while he turned his face from him to put his hand in his pocket, and offer him some money, he had disappeared. My father looking towards him again saw nobody; he looked all around him, and even searched awhile for him, but could not find him again: then he called with a loud voice, Where art thou, my friend! return, I pray you, towards me, I have yet something to say to you; but he received no answer, neither saw his deliverer again. Surprised and astonished, he waited yet a long while, ascended his waggon, and thanked God for this favour. They arrived in safety through the wood, and saw the light in that house, of which the stranger had spoken. My father knocked softly at the window, upon which the master of the house opened it, and looked out to see who there was. My father asked if he could give him lodgings? He replied by asking, how they came so late, and why they proceeded on their journey after midnight, not far from daybreak? My father developed the reason in few words, and was then amicably received. When at table my father gave him a more circumstantial account, and asked him if he had ever seen or known such a man, as he who conducted him to the right road in the wood, and of whose countenance and clothes he gave him a description: he answered, that he knew not such a man, but that he knew very well that the tavern at the other side of the wood was no safe place for travellers. After awhile he looked accidentally to one of the corners of the room, not far from the table, where he saw some books on a bench. Taking one of these and looking into it, he saw it was a book of a Polish Unitarian. This curiosity alarmed the master of the house; but as soon as my father perceived this, he said to him, Keep good courage, friend! I shall not bring you into any difficulty for that book, neither inform against you for heresy; and to give you more confidence in this assurance, I must tell you that I too am an Unitarian. Then he told him his name, which by fame was known to his landlord, who now full of joy was delighted to receive such a guest in his house. My father adored the ways of God's Providence, in bringing him to this place. This man was a linen-weaver, who, when the Unitarians were banished from Poland, remained here for several years, hidden through the favour of a Nobleman, the Lord of his village, and liberal-minded in religion. He would not permit my father to start next day, but persuaded him to tarry with him a few days more, and treated my father, with his children and the driver and horses, very hospitably.

There are more examples of a particular providence in regard to the Polish Unitarians, of which I lately told you some; and it would be a desirable thing, if all these had been directly recorded, by those who could bear witness to them. Farewell.

Amsterdam, Aug. 1730.