Cambridge, when he was inveigled in Quakerism, how strangely he was possessed by a Spirit that spoke within him, and used his Organs in despight of him, while he was in his Fits. And how he was recovered from his Error, and regained to the Church by the devotions and diligence of Dr. J. Templar, still Minister of that place, as it is set down in his Letter to a friend, which is as follows."
Dr. Templar relates that he found the Quakers "very busie in enticing my people to a compliance with their perswasions in Religion," and among those influenced was this Robert Churchman. While Churchman was still in doubt the wife of a Quaker came to his house to visit his wife, but was refused admittance."After some Parley the Quaker's Wife spake unto him in these words, Thou wilt not believe except thou see a Sign, and thou mayest see some such. Within a few nights after Robert Churchman had a violent storm upon the Room where he lay, when it was very calm in all other parts of the Town, and a "Voice within him, as he was in bed, spake to him, and bad him, Sing praises, sing praises, telling him, that he should see the glory of the New Jerusalem, about which time a glimmering light appeared all about the Room. Toward the morning the Voice commanded him to go out of his Bed naked with his Wife and Children. They all standing upon the Floar, the Spirit making use of his Tongue, bid them to lye down and put their Mouths in the dust, which they did accordingly. It likewise commanded him to go and call his Brother and Sister, that they might see the New Jerusalem, to whom he went naked about half a Mile." This lasted three or four hours, during which "the drift of what was spoken was to perswade him to comply with the Quakers," and afterward "he came to himself and was able to give a perfect account of what had befallen him." The spirit returned several times, but finally, after Dr. Templar had prayed with him daily for some time, he was left "perfectly free from all molestation. The Quakers hearing of his condition gave it out, that the Power of God would come upon him again, and that the wound was but skinned over by the Priest. Which made me the more importunate with him to keep close to the publick Service of God and to have nothing to do with them or their Writings. Which direction he followed till November, 1661, and then perusing one of their Books, a little after upon the tenth day of that Month, his troubles returned. A voice within him began to speak to him after the former manner. . . . The design which he discerned that it did aim at was to take him off from coming to the Church (where he had been that day) and from hearing the Word of God." This continued several days, but he was "very peremptory in his resisting of it. When it began to sollicite him he
