Sad and serious Political CONSIDERATIONS, Touching the invasive War against our Presbyterian Protestant Brethren in Scotland, their late great Overthrow, and the probable dangerous consequences thereof to both Nations and the Prorestant Religion. Which may serve as a SATISFACTORY APOLOGY for such Ministers and People, who out of Conscience did not observe the public Thanksgiving, against their Covenant, for the great slaughter of those their Brethren in Covenant.  
Printed in the Year 1650.   

Sad and Serious Political Considerations.  
THE English Independents new invasive War against their Presbyterian Protestant Brethren of Scotland, and late great rout and slaughter of their Army, meeting with variety of censures and constructions, according to the diversity of men's inclinations and interests, some prudent Christians, engaged to no parties, whose interest is only the preservation, propagation and safety of the reformed Protestant Religion against the common Enemies and Underminers thereof, have these sad melancholy apprehensions thereof; That it is a doleful Prologue and tragical Scene, not only to the approaching ruin and desolation of both Kingdoms for their manifold crying sins, but likewise to the speedy subversion of the true Protestant Religion, and extirpation of all zealous Professors thereof through our three Kingdoms, and in foreign parts, upon these ensuing considerations.  
1. That the Kingdoms of England and Scotland make up the greatest Body of the Protestant Religion in Christendom, being best able to defend themselves, and succour other Reformed Churches, when endangered and designed to ruin by Popish Enemies, as the Lords and Commons declared long since in their 
* Exact Collection p. 663.666. A Collection of Orders & Ordinances, p. 354.  Protestation to this Kingdom and the whole world, 22. Octob. 1642. and in their Order of the seventh of October 1643. And therefore the ruin of the Protestant Party in these Kingdoms, is the readiest way to endanger, conquer, ruin all other Reformed Churches in the world, and extirpate the Protestant Religion in all other Countries; as they there likewise Declare.  
2. That the Pope of Rome, Jesuits, Priests, Papists, and their Confederates, upon this ground, have for many years last passed, by open force, and secret practices, endeavoured the extirpation of the Protestant Religion and most zealous Professors thereof throughout these Kingdoms, and made it their chiefest design to reduce them to their pristine obedience to the See of Rome, which by the Popish Negotiations with Spain, the Papistical Match with France, the Agency of the Popes Nuncio's, the practices of Priests and Jesuits in England (countenanced and protected against the force of Laws) and the confederacy of Popish Prelates, Clergymen and Courtiers with them in these Designs, 
Exact Collection, p. 4. to 14.97.98.508.  they had almost totally accomplished and brought to full perfection in all our Realms; as the whole House of Commons in their Remonstrance of the state of the Kingdom, 15. Decemb. 1641. and other subsequent Declarations; and they and the Scottish Commissioners in their Impeachments against the Archbishop of Canterbury, largely remonstrate.  
3. That the most zealous Protestants, then branded with the name of Puritans and Presbyterians in England and Scotland, were the principal and only obstacles to the finishing of this their near completed Work. Whereupon the 
* Exact Collection, p. 10.199 492, 493.  Jesuitical, Popish and Prelatical prevailing F●ction resolved to root them out of this Kingdom by force, or drive them out with fear, and rid them all out of the way. For the better effecting whereof, they thought it necessary to reduce Scotland to such Popish Superstitions and Innovations, as might make them apt to join with England in that great change which was intended: Whereupon new Popish Canons and a Liturgy reform much after the model of the Papists Miscalls, were pressed upon them; and all the Arminian and Popish Doctrines broached, maintained, and new Popish Ceremonies practised in England, were in deavoured to be planted and set up in 
† 
M. Baylie's Canterburians Self-conviction.  
The Scots Impeachment against ●Ar●hbishop Lawd.   Scotland.  
4. That this their dangerous ripened Design finding no public, but only private opposition in England by particular persons, who were ●ined, 
* Exact Collection, p. 10.11.12.492.  pillori'd, stigmatised, deprived of their ears, close imprisoned, banished and ruined by the Star-Chamber and High-Commission, to the public terror of all others; thereupon the Scottish Puritans and Presbyters were the first visible Instruments raised by God to give a public check to their successful design, beyond their or our expectations.  
5. That hereupon the 
† Exact. Collection, p. 10. 11.12●●3 97.492.508.894.595 A Coll●●●ion, p. 308.309.354.417.419.457.458.  Jesuitical and Prelatical Popish Party raised two several Armies successively to suppress and extirpate the Puritan and Presbyterian Party in Scotland, as the only remo●a's to their design; and were most active and forwards in their levies and contributions against them; endeavouring to engage the Protestant Party in both Nations in a bloody civil War●e to their mutual ruin; to which the Puritan and Religious party in England were most averse. First privately murmuring, and afterwards publicly protesting against this War, as dishonourable and dangerous to Religion and both Kingdoms in the Parliament, in April 1640. purposely summoned to raise moneys to carry on that War, which they refused to grant to so ill a purpose, and did all they could to blast their malicious designs and war against Scotland; whereupon the Popish party caused that Parliament to be dissolved, and did all they could by violent arbitrary courses, and illegal Loans and Taxes, to raise Forces and moneys to maintain a war against them; imprisoning and prosecuting those, who resisted or refused to assist them in this war, in the selfsame manner as those in present power have done, divers of their Christian Brethren for manifesting their dislike and backwardness to assist them in this ungodly invasive war against their Protestant Brethren in Covenant against many public Engagements, and not giving public thanks to God for their late overthrow.  
6. That the Scottish Puritans and Presbyterians advance with their Army into England, in the year 1640. of purpose to preserve the Religion, and protect themselves and their English Brethren from slavery and ruin; was the 
* Exact Collection, p. 11.12.13.199.492.493.508.  pri●cicipall and only means under God, of preventing their own and our thraldom to no p●ry and Tyranny, of frustrating all the Jesuits, Papists and Prelate's designs, of securing Religion, Laws, Liberties, and conve●ing the last Parliament; which through God's blessing on their endeavours, through the assistance of the Scottish Commissioners, and countenance of their Army, overpowered the Popish and Prelatical Faction, broke all their former Projects in pieces, suppressed all their Popish Innovations, Doctrinal and Ceremonial, reconciled the differences between both Nations, settled a firm unity and amity between them, by an Act of Oblivion and Pacification, abolished the High-Commission, Star-Chamber, Extravagances of the Council-table, the Bishop's Courts, and Votes in Parliament, Ship-money, Impositions, and all other illegal Taxes; quickened the Laws against Jesuits, Priests and Popish Recusants; passed a Law for Triennuall Parliaments, and another against the untimely adjourning, proroguing and dissolving of themselves at the Kings own pleasure, and thereby put our Religion, Laws, Liberties and Properti●s in a far better condition of security, and the Popish and Prelatical party into a far worse, and more hopeless and desperate condition then ever heretofore.  
7. That to prevent and frustrate these Laws and this security, the 
† Exact Collection, p. 17.18.98.229.493.  Jesuitical and Prelatical party whilst they were in agitation, endeavoured all they could by subtle practices, slanders, and private solicitations, to raise jealousies and divisions between the Scottish Commissioners and Army, and the Parliament, to engage the Scottish and English Armies each against other, or to make the Scots stand neutral to the Parliament, that so they might bring up the English Army from the North to London to over-awe and suppress them, and hinder the Union between both Kingdoms; which through the fidelity of the Scots, and of some Officers in the English Army, was timely discovered, prevented, and a firm Union between both Kingdoms settled by Acts of Parliament, passed in the Parliaments of both Nations.  
8. That these Acts of Pacification and Union between both Kingdoms, and the Religious party of both Nations, the extirpation of Prelacy and the Popish Hierarchy, and the establishing of a Presbyterian Government and Uniformity in Doctrine, Worship and Discipline in both Kingdoms were apprehended, prosecuted and resolved upon by the most religious Protestant party and 
* Exact Collection p. 594. 〈◊〉 605. A Collection, p. 309. to 313 327. 358.359.3●0.399 404. 41●.420. to 428.458.453.  Parliaments of both Nations, as the readiest, probablest, and most effectual means under God to preserve and secure their Religion, Laws, Liberties, against all future invasions, and to frustrate all Popish and Prelatical Design●s against them, and were accordingly 
† Exact Collection. p. 97, 98 218.564.  esteemed and looked upon by the adverse Popish and Prelatical party, who thereupon attempted with all their policy and power, to uphold Prelacy, and retard and prevent the establishment of presbytery, as fatal to all their hopes and Designs; and thereupon improved all their interest both at home, and with foreign princes, to raise what Forces they could, to break this D●signe and the parliament too, before they should accomplish it.  
9 That when the Jesuitical, Popish and Prelatical party in England, Ireland, Scotland, and foreign parts, had taken up Arms, and raised great Forces to hinder the settlement of the Presbyterian Governments, suppress the late Parliament, subvert the Protestant Religion, introduce Popery and Tyranny, extirpate the Puritan and Religious party in England and Ireland, and were grown very strong and prevalent in both, the 
* Exact Col. p. 56.57.58.666 564 to 605. A Collection, p. 308. ●o 312.354.355.363.371.372.428.441.467.677. etc. 66●. 711.767.798. to 810.933.  Scottish Presbyterians (now invaded and defeated) out of their brotherly love, and Christian affection, in this extremity of danger, for the preservation of our Religion, Liberties, Laws, Parliament, and the godly party in England & Ireland, at both House's earnest solicitation, did readily and cheerfully assist us with their Forces in both Kingdoms, and thereby, through God's blessing, were a great means of weakening and subduing our Enemies, and preserving our Religion, Laws, Liberties, Lives, from utter destruction; which brotherly assistance, with so powerful an A●my of above twenty thousand Ho●se and Foot in our greatest dangers, was so welcome to us, that the House of Commons on the second of February 1643. 
† A Collection, p. 428.  Ordered, public thanks should be given in all Churches for the aid and assistance come in by our Brethren of Scotland: And when the malignant party there, in their absence for our preservation, had prevailed and routed only some few of their Force● (nothing considerable in comparison of those lately slain and defeated) left behind for their defence, both Houses were so sensible thereof, that they appointed a special D●y of Humiliation for the miseries of Scotland throughout all the Parliaments Q●arters by their 
* A 〈◊〉, p. 721.  Order of 2. September 1645. which was accordingly observed; so much did they and we then condole th● least overthrow and misery of our Scottish Brethren in Covenant obeing members of the selfsame Body of Christ) as if it had been our own: Whereas now on the contrary, we invade, slay, destroy and ruin these our brotherly Assistants, rejoice & triumph at their misery, appoint public Da●es of Thanksgiving throughout the whole Nation for their gr●at slaughter and overthrow, and hang up the Ensigns taken from them in Westminster Hall, as public trophies and testimonies to succeeding ages of our gratitude and brotherly kindness towards them, and of our religious observation of our solemn national League and Covenant with them, not long since made and entered into upon their coming in to our assistance.  
10. That in the extremity of our dangers, by the prevailing Popish party, the 
† A Collection, p. 309.310 311. 312.327.358.359.39●.399.404.416.42●● to● 428.458.459.694.751.768.769.798.802.806. etc. 878.879.889.  Parliaments, Ministers, and religious people both of Scotland and England did resolve it most necessary, and essential for God's glory and their safety, to enter into a more sacred and stricter union then formerly, for defence of their Religion, King, Parliament, Laws, Liberties, the extirpation of Popery, of Prelacy, and the bringing of all our Kingdoms to uniformity in Doctrine, Worship and Discipline, by a solemn national League and Covenant, as the only means under God, to prevent all future differences and breaches between all the godly people of both Nations, to preserve and secure Religion, Laws, Liberties, and privileges of Parliament, against all present and future attempts whatsoever, and dash in pieces all the designs, practices, hopes of the Jesuitical and Prelatical Faction in all our Kingdoms: which League and Covenant was accordingly agreed upon by the Parliament, and Assemblies of Divines in both Kingdoms, and after that most cheerfully and solemnly taken and subscribed, not only by the Scottish Parliament, Army, Clergy, and Generality of that Nation, but by all the Members of both Houses of our Parliament, the generality of all the godly Ministers and people in England and Ireland; and by all, or most Officers and Soldiers in the Parliaments Armies; who many of them carried it in their hats, hands, and fixed to their pikes as they marched, and amongst others it was taken and subscribed by 
* A Collection of Ordinances, p. 426.  Oliver Cromwell himself and Ireton; and every man by Ordinances of both Houses, was disabled to enjoy or exercise any Civil or Military Office, or place of Trust whatsoever in the State or Army, who did not solemnly take and subscribe it● whereupon it was almost universally● taken and subscribed in a most sacred and solemn manner throughout the Kingdom, and followed with many glorious Victories and Successes, till the Popish and Prelatical Malignant party in England were totally subdued; all Counties, and Garrisons fully reduced to the Parliaments Command; and a happy Peace and settlement of our Reliigion, Laws, Liberties upon most safe and honourable terms, endeavoured, expected● and almost accomplished by a personal Treaty●, with the KING in the Isle of Wight.  
11. That to prevent this Peace and Settlement; the 
† The History of Independency.  Officers of the Army (who love to make a Trade of War, thereby to gain and keep all Civil and Ecclesiastical power in their own hands, and to enrich themselves with our three Kingdoms spoils and ruin) confederating with some few Members of the Commons House against their Trust, duty, Oaths, Protestations, the very Letter of this solemn League and Covenant, and all the ends thereof; forcibly seized, condemned and beheaded the late King, secured and secluded the greatest part of the Commons House addicted to the Presbyterian Government, suppressed the whole House of Lords, disinherited the King's Posterity of the Crown, subverted the fundamental Government of the Kingdom; usurped all Regal and Parliamental Authority to themselves; and by colour thereof, now trample all Laws, Liberties, and Privileges of Parliament under feet; remove all or most zealous Presbyterians (though never so eminent Actors and sufferers for Religion and the public weal) out of all Offices and places of power and Trust throughout th● Nation; discourage and discountenance all or most Presbyterian Ministers, especially the most pious; banish some, imprison others, recall the Sequestrations, and subtract the A●gmentations, and Tithes of all or most of them, to starve and ruin them; withdraw themselves from their Ministry, suborn or tolerate their monthly Prognosticators, and Diurnalists to revile and rail openly against them in print, without the least control, and to prognosticate their and their Presbyterian Governments downfall, to incense the people against them and it; invent and prescribe new Oaths, Engagements, Publications, Observations of Thanksgivings, and Humiliations, and other snares and engines, thereby to ensnare either their Consciences, or endanger their Estates, Liberties, Ministry, Persons in their plundering Committees, and new Arbitary Judicatories; declare against the solemn League and Covenant as expired, abolished, yea, and dangerous and unlawful to be kept, set up and enforce an Anticovenant Engagement to frustrate, null, and abjure it, debar all from all public Offices, Preferments, Augmentations, degrees of Learning, the practice of the Law, and the very benefit of the Laws of England, (for which we have so long contested with the King's Party) who will not out of conscience or Loyalty subscribe it; oppose and traduce the Presbyterian Government, as Papal, Antichristian and Tyrannical; exempt all Sectaries whatsoever from all Penal Laws, in not repairing to any public Ordinances or Churches; Authorise them freely to meet when and where they please in private Conventicles, (where running Priests and Jesuits may and will easily seduce them) without the least danger or disturbance: and because their brethren of Scotland stick close to their Presbyterian Government and Covenant, and have closed with their King at last, according to their Covenant and Allegiance, and will not disinherit him as they have done; they thereupon have recalled Cromwell out of Ireland from prosecuting the Irish Papists and Royalists, made him their General instead of the Lord F●irfax, and sent him in to Scotland, without any real provocation on their part, to invade them with an Army, where he entered without the least resistance, seized some of their Towns and Garrisons, provoked them oft times to fight, when they declined fight, and at last gave them battle in their own Country, routed their whole Army, and though he lost not forty men in the fights yet he and his Forces, out of their Christian charity cut down near 4000 of them in the pursuit, maimed and wounded above 5000. more, whereof many are since dead, and more like to die; took 10000 of them prisoners, 5000. whereof are sent Captives into England; since which he hath taken Edinburgh and Leith, prosecutes his Victory with all vigour, sends up all the Scots Colours to Westminster, where they are publicly hung up in the Hall for triumph. And for this great slaughter and overthrow of our Presbyterian Brethren, a solemn public day of Thanksgiving hath been prescribed to be strictly observed throughout the Nation, and celebrated in many places accordingly, to involve the whole Nation in a double guilt of their blood: First by their Contributions to pay the Army sent against them, next by public Thanksgiving to God for their destruction, and that in those very Churches and places, where we not long since lifted up our hands and subscribed our Names, when we took the forementioned Leaga● and Covenant in the presence of God himself, Angels and men, 
† A Collection, of Ordinances, p. 424.425.426.  sincerely, really. and constantly to preserve their Religion in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, Government, and with our Estates and lives mutually to preserve the Right and Privileges of their Kingdom and Parliament, and to bring all to condign punishment, as Malignants, Incendiaries, and evil Instruments, who should endeavour the dividing of one of the Kingdoms from another, and each one of us, according to our place and Interest, to endeavour that both Kingdoms may remain conjoined in a firm peace and Union to all posterity; and that we shall not suffer ourselves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination, persuasion, or terror, to be divided or withdrawn from this blessed Union, which so much concerns the glory of God, and good of the Kingdoms, but shall all the days of our lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition, and promote the same according to our power against all lets and impediments whatsoever, etc. which how well and really we have performed, let that Almighty God, the searcher of all hearts' in whose presence and Name we made and subscribed this Covenant, judge, and our own consciences, as we shall answer the contrary at that great day, if we seriously repent not of it now, whilst we have time, and space of repentance given us.  
13. That upon the due consideration of all these Premises, we shall not conclude as some rigid Presbyterians do, perchance not without good grounds; That this invasive War with our Brethren of Scotland is an apparent violation of every clause and branch of the solemn Brotherly League and Covenant, and a very strange Act of Ingratitude and Injustice in invading their Kingdom, because they will have a King, according to their Ancient Constitution, Government, Laws, Covenant; and in endeavouring to deprive their King of the Kingdom of Scotland, because they have injuriously and perfidiously dispossessed him of his two Kingdoms of Engl●nd and Ireland, against their National League and Covenant, and other oaths, for fear his possession of that his Hereditary Kingdom should be a means to regain the other two, (which is as unconscionable and unreasonable, as if a great Statesman or Commander should wrongfully deprive his Neighbour of all his Lands and goods in a third Parish or County, because he hath forcibly dispossessed him of all his Lands and Goods in two other Parishes or Counties, that so he might never be able to recover them by suit of Law, having no means left to maintain his suit against him) but rather infer from thence,  
First, that this War with Scotland is not only exe●eding scandalous, dishonourable, and disadvantageous to all the Professors of the reformed Protestant Religion in both Kingdoms, and throughout the Christian world, to behold Protestant Brethren in Covenant thus invading, slaughtering and destroying each other upon such slender unchristian carnal grounds, but 
† 2 Chro. 11.4. c. 28.6, 7.8, 9, 10.11. 2 Sam. 26, 27. Acts 7.26. Gal 5.14, 15. Obad. 10. etc. 1 Cor. 6.1.6 7, 8. 1 John 3.12.  ungodly too.  
Secondly, That this invasive war, and great slaughter of the most zealous Scottish Presbyters, is a matter of greatest joy, triumph and advantage to the Jesuitical, Popish and Prelatical party, and tending much to the present promotion and future accomplishment of all their former frustrated, successelesse, and almost hopeless malicious designs against the Puritanical and Religious party in both Kingdoms, and the intended accomplishment of the Presbyterian Government, and Reformation of Religion in them, which they so much feared, and opposed by open force of Arms and secret policies, who will now endeavour to continue and heighten our open divisions (first plotted by them) till we have weakened and destroyed each other by our civil wars, and made ourselves fit to be suddenly surprised and destroyed by their party, when we have consumed and undone each other.  
Thirdly, That in these respects, the Successes, great Victories, and slaughters in this unnatural and unchristian War against our Protestant Brethren in Covenant, are no matter of public joy, thanksgiving and triumph to the Conquerors, as some vainly conceive, but of greatest public lamentation, Humiliation and mourning, (it being both unnatural, uncharitable, and unchristian for Members of the same body of Christ, and sworn Christian Brethren, engaged by Covenant, and God himself, to protect and 
* John 13.34, 35. c. 15.12. Rom. 12.9, 10. c. 13.8, 9, 10. Gal. 5.13, 14. Ephes. 1.15. Col. 2.2. 1 Thes. 3.12 c. .4.9 Heb. 13.1. James 2.8. 1 Pet. 1.12. c. 2.17. c. 3.8. 1 John 3.11.14 16, 17, 18.23. c. 4.7.11.12.16.20.21. c. 5.2. 2 John 5.  love each other with a pure heart fervently, to murder and destroy each other) an argument of God's heavy wrath against us● tending to our desolations, as the sacred Tex●s and Precedents compared together, will fully resolve the conscientious perusers of them. judg. 21.1. to 18. 2 Sam. 1.12.17, 18, etc. 2 Sam. 2.12. to 29. to 3.30. c. 39 c. 4.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. c. 19.1, 2, 3, 4. 2 Chron. 28.5. to 16. Ezek. 19.12.2.33.14. Ezek. 35.1. to the end. Obad. 1. to the end. Amos 1.9, 10, 11, 12. Gen. 37.26, 27. 1 Sam. 14.7.7. 1 Kings 13.30. Psal. 35.14. Isay 9.19, 20, 11. c. 19.2.3. 2 Chron. 15.5, 6. jer. 22.17, 18. Ezek. 38. 21, 22. Mich. 1.2. etc. Zech. 7.9. to the end. Mal. 2.10. Mat. 10.21. etc. 1 john 3.10, 21, 12. Exod. 2.11, 12. judg. 9.5. to the end, a sad story, 1 Kings 12, 14.15. 2 Chron. 11.4. c. 21.4.12, 13, 14. etc. Neh. 5.1. to 10. job 6.14, 15. Prov. 6.16.19. Isay 66.5. Acts 7.26. Mat 12.25. Mar. 3.24, 25, 26. Gal. 5.14, 15. jam. 3.14, 15, 16, 18, 18. c. 4.1. 9, 10, 11.  
Fourthly, that the continuance of this unbrotherly War with Scotland, will be the utter ruin of all the Presbyterian godly Party in that Nation● if God shall frown upon them; and the utter subvertion of the Presbyterian Government there, where the Prelatical and Malignant party will soon get head and sway all, to the strengthening and reviving of their numerous party in England: or in case God give them after some overthrows, a glorious Victory over the English Independent Forces (as he did to the defeated Israelites over the Benj●mites, judg. 20.) it will certainly ruin all the Independent party in England, who have so cheated and tyrannised over all sorts of men, that they will never be able to make head again, if once defeated, and find all men's hearts and hands against them, for their manifold extravagances and tyrannical proceedings against all ranks and degrees of men, & subverting the whole frame of our civil and Ecclesiastical Government. And if the Presbyterian party in Scotland be much weakened and impoverished by the Victory, and the Presbyterial Ministers and Gentry of England discountenanced, and thrust out of all power and reputation in the interim, as they are through their cowardice and folly; how far this may endanger and expose them to the Popish and Prelatical party's power and malice hereafter, is very considerable; and how far their present Contributions (though not voluntary) without distress or forcible coaction against their King and Brethren of Scotland, and sitting still like idle neutral Spectators, without contributing the least visible assistance to either of them, may be interpreted by their King and them, to be a b●each of ●heir national League and Covenant, and of their Allegiance to their Sovereign, in case they should prevail, and restore the King to the Crown of England by their own Forces only, without the English Presbyterians assistance, to the endangering of their persons and Estates, and the loss of all that favour and respect from either (which their actual conjunction with them might procure) to the ruin of the Presbyterian, as well as Independent party in England, and setting up of the Popish and Prelatical Malignant party in Supreme power and favour in this Realm, is very considerable.  
Fifthly, that if the Scottish Presbyters, and the King's party in Scotland shall be both conquered by the English Independent Forces, and unable to defend themselves, or their King, and to settle him in his Kingdoms, than greater dangers are like to ensue to our Religion and Kingdoms, than otherwise in some wise men's judgements; because the Independents (as their present violent proceedings manifest) will probably use their Presbyterian Brethren in England, no better than those in Scotland, and extirpate them if they can; and the King then will be necessitated to cast himself wholly upon the assistance of foreign States, and Kings, and their Forces, as his last refuge; which he hath hitherto declined as dangerous both to himself and his people. If he in this extremity throw himself upon any Foreigners, they must be either Papis●s only, or Protestants alone, or both of them jointly.  
If on Papists only, which some think most probable; First, in regard of his Queen Mother's great interest in that party, both in France and Italy, being of that Religion: Secondly, in respect of the open differences and Wars already between us, and France, and Portugal, two Popish Kingdoms, which are like, to continue and grow greater every d●y: Thirdly, in respect of that party's constancy and fidelity to the King and his Father: Fourthly, because that party is most powerful, and most likely to close with the King for the advantage of the Catholic cause, and reducing of England to its former obedience to the See of Rome; so that without God's infinite mercy, it will necessi●ate him for a full compliance with them: First, to match into some great Popish Family, upon the same and harder Articles, than were enforced on his Fathes by Spain or France: Secondly, to alter his Religion, and profess himself a Roman Catholic, and obedient son to the Roman Pontife, as King Henry the fourth of France did: Thirdly, to Covenant and engage with them for an utter extirpation of the Protestant Religion; and of all Independents and Presbyterians, as not only Heretics in Religion, but Regicides, Traitors, Rebels, Covenant breakers, perjured persons, who make no conscience of Oaths, Vows, Protestations, Declarations, and professed enemies to Monarchy, who have murdered his Father, banished his Mother, disinherited him of three Crowns; and endeavour to imbroil and subvert all Monarchies and Kingdoms in Christendom: Fourthly, to swear and engage to set up and tolerate none but the Roman Religion in his Kingdoms, when he shall be restored to them by their assistance and Forces: Fifthly, to promise satisfaction of the greatest part of their expenses in this war, out of the Puritans and Protestants estates, who have been in Arms, or any ways acted, or contributed assistance of moneys against his Father or him, and to make full reparations of all damages to such Papists, who have left their estates and fortunes to assist his Father or him. Upon these terms he may easily gain the joint assistance of all Popish Kings, Kingdoms, and States in Europe, through the Pope's powerful mediation. And if hereupon, through their aid, he should so far prevail as to get into actual possession of his Thrones and Kingdoms by the mere power of the sword, without any terms or conditions by way of Treaty, of which there will be little probability; we can then expect nought else but these dismal consequences. First a total eradication of our reformed Religion, and of all zealous professors thereof, especially such who have acted any ways against the King or his Father, a full repeal of all penal Laws, against Jesuits, Priests, Papists, and a public profession and practice of the Romish Religion, and of that only throughout our Kingdoms. Secondly, a total subversion of all our former Laws and Liberties, and a full exercise of all arbitrary and tyrannical power over our lives and estates. Thirdly, an absolute confiscation of all our Lands and Estates, together with our lives, to satisfy the King's debts, gratify his Assistants, and repair the losses of his faithful Catholics, whom we have undone by adhering to his party. Fourthly, an absolute enslaving of our whole Nation to these foreign conquerors; if not a total banishment, and extirpation of them out of their native soil; the case of the Ancient 
† Gildas. de excidio Britanniae. Fox Acts & Monuments. Vol. 1.  Britain's, when conquered and driven out of this their Country by Saxons, and the extraordinary Pestilence and Famine sent amongst them for their sins, and then a dieu both to our Religion and Nation. But in case the King should not prevail to conquer us by their power, the least we can expect is, First, a continual long lasting War, and open hostility by Land and Sea with all Romish Kings and States, the very charge whereof, now we are almost quite undone and beggared already, which will utterly ruin and undo us. Secondly, loss of Trade and Commerce with all those Kingdoms and States, with whom we are in hostility; which will utterly break us in one year or two for want of venting our Native commodities, our chiefest inablement to maintain the Wars. Thirdly, intolerable uncessant Taxes of all sorts, which will every month grow heavier and greater than other, which accompanied with want of Trade, will cause a general Insurrection at last both of poor and rich against those in power, and put all into confusion, to the enemies great advantage. Fourthly, a necessity of seizing and selling all Colleges, Corporations, Companies, Hospitals and Gleab-Lands throughout the Realm; and of new Projects to make new Delinquents, of purpose to raise moneys to defray the extraordinary expenses of the Armies and Navies: And what garboils this will produce, all prudent persons may easily conjecture. Fiftly, a general decay of Religion, Piety, Learning, Law, and all Arts, Sciences, Trades. Sixthly, an extraordinary new effusion of Christian blood. Seventhly, an inundation of all kind of sin, wickedness, Atheism, Heresy, Blasphemy, Murders, Rapes, Robberies, Oppressions, Whoredom, Drunkenness, Dissoluteness, Barbarousness, and disobedience to Laws, Magistrates, Ministers, Parents, and other disorders. Eighthly, Freequarter, insolences of Soldiers, spoiling, plundering, if not pestilence and famine, the usual Concomitants of War, which will reduce us to a condition worse than nothing in conclusion.  
If he cast himself upon Foreign Protestant Kings, Princes and States alone, the far better, though unlikelier of the two; yet this will certainly prove, 1. A great dishonour to God, and scandal to reformed Religion, to see them so unnatural and unchristian as to imbrue their hands in one another's blood. 2. An extraordinary ground of joy and triumph to the Pope and his Confederates, to behold their enemies thus murdering, invading, and destroying each other by their mutual dissensions; when they by all their power and policy were unable to accomplish their ruin, and do them so great mischief. 3. A great endangering of all the Protestant Churches and States in Europe, by encouraging their Popish Adversaries to invade and ruin them, whilst thus engaged in an unbrotherly and unchristian War between themselves, and weakening, impoverishing and destroying each other. 5. An effusion of much precious Protestant blood, which will 
† Gen. 4.10, 11. Jer. 51.35. Ezek. 35, 5.6, 7, 8, 9  cry for vengeance to heaven against the original Authors and Occasioners of such a War. 6. If the King shall enthrone himself, and regain his Kingdoms by their assistance; though the profession of the Protestant Religion may still be continued, yet we may justly fear, 1. That the purity and power of Religion will be much abated. 2. That our Laws and Liberties will be much endangered and Eclipsed. 3. Our estates confiscated to make them reparations, and satisfy the King's Engagements. 4. Their removal hence will be disputable, when once possessed of our Country; as the history of the Danes invasions of this Island heretofore, and the Saxons full possession thereof, with the Britain's expulsion, will manifest. 5. If the King and they be repulsed by us, yet this will prove a seminary of lasting wars and breaches between us and most Protestant Kingdoms and States; It will hinder all commerce between them and us, to the destruction of Merchandise and Trade; destroy the Protestants strength and interest; impoverish us through Taxes, fill us with discontents, augment our divisions, if not conclude in our beggary and ruin.  
If he throw himself upon foreign Papists and Protestants jointly, then, First, the Wars are like to be more general, dangerous and costly to us, and of longer continuance. Secondly, The divisions and dangers from at home are like to prove the greater, since all discontented and oppressed Protestants and Papists will then be apt upon all occasions and advantages to join with that foreign party they best affect, and from whom they may expect the most favour and the best conditions. Thirdly, If the King prevail, than both Parties must be satisfied, and his debts defrayed out of our estates; both gratified with a free toleration and exercise of that Religion throughout his Realms as both sides profess: and between them both all will be plundered, impoverished, ruined, and perchance enforced to quit the whole Kingdom to one or both of them, who will challenge an interest therein by conquest and the longest sword, and hardly part with it when once possessed thereof. Fourthly, If the King and they should be foiled by us, yet the wars and differences would survive, all commerce and trading lost, Armies and Navies must still be maintained, and Garrisons in all our Kingdoms to secure us; taxes, oppressions, and all public grievances continued and multiplied, and thereby new intestine commotions raised; which of themselves alone will destroy us without any other enemy,  
And suppose the King himself should miscarry in these Wars, yet the Title and Right of the Crowns of our thre● Kingdoms surviving to his Brothers, or if they miscarry, to his Sister, matched to the Prince of Aurenge; or if they all should fail, descending to the Queen of Bohemia, and Prince Elector Palattine; their several new Titles and Interests will find means to infest us with new Wars, till they have either obtained their rights, or rui●ed both themselves and us. So that unless God put so much wisdom, and spirit to the English Nation, as to restore the King to his just Rights upon safe and honourable terms, according to their Oaths, Covenant, Protestations, Declarations to all the world, and Principles of their Religion; we can in humane probability expect nought else, but the utter ruin, both of our Religion, Nation, Kingdoms, and total extirpation by Foreign enemies.  
And certainly if we seriously consider, 1. The infinite divisions, discontents, & oppressions that are every where amongst us. 2. The Heresies, Blasphemies, Sects, and Schisms that are lately broached, and publicly countenanced by us. 3. The General contempt and neglect of the public Ordinances of God, and free toleration granted to all to withdraw themselves from them, without the least censure or punishment. 4. The general contempt, hatred, discountenancing, reviling, and persecuting of godly and faithfu●l Minister's throughout the Nation, and the snares that are daily laid to entrap and ruin them. 5. The extraordinary Apostasy of many Professors, from the truth, purity, and power of Religion, almost to professed Atheism, contempt of the Word, Prayer, Preaching, Sacraments, and all other Ordinances, to mere licentiousness, lukewarmness, and Profaneness. 6. The general inclination of the people to errors, Enthusiasms, and seducing spirits. 7. The little cordial real love and affection between Professors of Religion, and the great animosities, hatreds and divisions amongst them, both in Opinions Practise and affection. 8. The little conscience of Oaths, Protestations, Covenants, Promises; and great hypocrisy, covetousness, oppression, selfseeking, envy, hatred, and malice that is in the Nation, and amongst those especially, who profess themselves Saints of the highest form. 9 The universal inundation of all kind of sin and wickedness, and open profession thereof in all places. 10. The extraordinary Injustice, Tyranny, Cruelty and mercilessness that all parts of the Land complain of, and groan under. 11. The great effusion of Christian blood, and of the blood of our Christian Brethren in Covenant, that our whole Land is polluted with; and our rejoicing in this blood-guiltiness, instead of repenting and mourning for it. 12. Our present decay of Trade and Merchandise. 13. Our intolerable Taxes and Impositions o● all sorts. 14. The extreme poverty of our Kingdom, and increase of poor people in all parts, which have little work or none, and will not starve. 15. The divisions of our Forces into Ireland and Scotland, where standing Armies and Garrisons must be constantly maintained for fear of revolt. 16. Our great breaches with France and Portugal, and no good quarter with any Foreign States or Kingdoms, which as yet will neither own, nor hold full and open correspondency with our new Governors or Government. 17. The revolt of most of our Foreign plantations from us, and the late Declaration against them, as Traitors, and Rebels, who count us such. 18. The Negotiations with the Pope and Popish Kingdoms, and most Protestant Princes and States to incense them all against us, as enemies to all Magistracy and public Government, and to mankind itself, as Salmatius hath published us in print. 19 The spreading the pestilence in many places, and the feared famine throughout the Realm. 20. The manifold injuries and afronts offered to all the Nobility, and most of the Gentry of the Na●ion, and the whole Nation itself, in the change of the Government, without and against their consent, in continuing and increasing their burdens, Taxes, and out-lawing many of them, because they will not subscribe the Engagement, in erecting new High Courts to take away their lives, without any legal Trial by their Peers, for offences punishable by no common Law. 21. The Execution of so many Protestants, and not of one Papist whatsoever by these or other Courts of Justice, though the chief contrivers of our late unhappy Wars, and discontinuance of all Capital proceedings against Priests and Jesuits, since the abolishing of the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance, made principally against them and the Pope's Usurpations and practices. 22. The injustice of our present cause and War, merely against Monarchy, Presbytery, and old English Peers and Parliaments, purposely to support the present Government, set up by the mere power of the sword, yea founded on the blood of a Protestant King, and ruin of the very best of Parliaments, to prevent a settlement of peace and Religion by an unbloudy Treaty. And then compare them with the Premises, and Cardinal Richelieu his Instructions and advice to the late French King, a little before his death, (published by an Italian of good note, and printed in Italy. Anno. 1645.) to foment the late differences between the late King and Parliament all he could; and if possible by the solicitation of his instruments, to draw the Commons to change our Monarchy into a mere Republic, thereby to imbroil all our Kingdoms in civil Wars against each other, as the only and best policy of all, to weaken and destroy both our power and Religion, and advance the interest of France and Catholic Religion, which we see now accomplished according to his advice; and then we have just cause to fear an inevitable approaching ruin, both of our Religion and Nation, notwithstanding our late Victories and Successes; which do but weaken, impoverish, destroy ourselves, and promote the designs of our common enemies, unless God give us a timely sight and Reformation of this our impolitic oversight, and incline our hearts to a general peace and unity throughout our Kingdom, by restoring every man to his just right and inheritance, from the highest to the lowest, and abolishing all future seeds and occasions of our intestine Wars: The serious consideration of all which Premises, are a sufficient satisfactory Apology for all Ministers or others, now questioned for the Nonobservance of the late Thanksgiving day, ●or the great rout and slaughter of our Protestant Presbyterian Brethren of Scotland, against all their persecutors. We shall therefore close up all with Abners' Speech to joab, in case of the civil Wars between the House of David and Saul; wherein the Israelites (of the same Religion and Nation) unnaturally fought and slew each other, joabs' soldiers pursuing and slaughtering Abners, whom they had discomfited in battle, addressing to those in present power, 2 Sam. 2.26, 27, 28. Then Abner called to joab, and said, shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then ere thou bid the people return from following their Brethren? And joab said, as God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following their Brethren. So joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, AND PURSUED AFTER ISRAEL NO MORE, NEITHER FOUGHT THEY ANY MORE: which we heartily pray may be the fruit and issue of these sad and serious Meditations of those who drive on no other design, but the preservation of Religion and their native Country from total and final desolation.  
FINIS.   

A brief DESCRIPTION Of the future History of Europe, from Anno 1650 to An. 1710.  
Treating principally Of those grand and famous Mutations yet expected in the World, as, The ruin of the Popish Hierarchy, the final annihilation of the Turkish Empire, the Conversion of the Eastern and Western Jews, and their Restauration to their ancient Inheritances in the holy Land, and the FIFTH MONARCHY of the universal Reign of the Gospel of Christ upon Earth.  
With principal Passages upon every of these, out of that famous Manuscript of PAUL GREBNER extant in Trinity-college Library in Cambridge.  
Composed upon the Occasion of the young KING'S Arrival into Scotland, to show what will in probability be the Event of the present Affairs in ENGLAND and SCOTLAND.  
Ludit in humanis 〈…〉  
Printed in th● 〈…〉   

TO THE Ingenuous and well-affected Readers.  
GENTLEMEN,  
I Here present you with a misshapen Embryo, having neither had time for Perfection, nor life to actuate Acception. A mere Chaos and disordered Discourse is it, yet for matter treating of wonderful and famous Events, which i● this European world are quickly to be performed. It is true, that Primi foetus sunt horridiores, a● commonly defective in mature Conceptions and ripeness of judgement. Yet they that read this Pamphlet seriously, will find those Passages opened (I will not say fully explained) in Scripture, which Commentator never yet disclosed● nor Divine unfolded. In such a● intricate La●●rinth it is easy to stray: therefore I am confident, Charity will usher your judgements, and your love cover mine Infirmities. I know I have slipped in many places, but for the present can neither tell where, nor how● Some Ariadne might do well to lead the way, and I shall be as ready to follow: Secundae cogitationes sunt meliores: If I find those Nonentities to be accepted with, but as much respect as worse ware every day is, it shall not irk me to bestow a week or two in licking it over into a better form and putting a handsomer Coat upon its back. There are several passages in it, which (I know) will not resent with our Great Ones: but Amicus Plato, amicus Socrates, yet Magis amica veritas, which shall prevail, though all the world gather in battalia against it. I must confess it is too too abortive: for it came into the world in fewer hours, than Tostatus bestowed in translating the five first Chapters of Genesis out of Greek into Latin. I wish it may obtain the end for which I made it: that is, to move us all with repentance to meet God in these great Mutations and Changes he is bringing upon us in this Land; that every one would strive to reform one from Heresies, Sects and Schisms, to suffer the Scriptures to be our Rule, and the holy Ghost our Guide both in Faith, Religion and Discipline, that so God may put out his hand in amending the Body● Politic in the whole, that judgement may depart from us, destruction flee far from us; that Peace may dwell within our walls and plenteousness within our Palaces.  
I study multum in parvo, and hope to give satisfaction to all, but such as are wedded more to their wills then reasons. For these I have no more but this, A good wind at their backs to the Anticyra's, that they may drink Hellebor lustily to purge their Brains, that they may be more quick, and their Eyesight clearer. I quote strange Authors in this Work; and good Reason, for the Work itself is strange. Yet they in whose hands these Authors are (and they are not in every Library) shall find I have both dealt with them truly, and cited them faithfully. And for the Tractate itself, it will with the learned be either Laudatus aut saltem excusatus; either of which shall content me at this time. Farewell.   

A brief DESCRIPTION OF THE Future History of EUROPE, from Anno 1650, to An. 1710.  

1.  
HAving with silence and admiration beheld these ten years, 
The Occasion of writing this Treatise.  the horrid Broils and civil Tumults in these Western Coasts of Europe, I cannot but adore the Justice of God upon his enemies, and his paternal chastisements upon his Church for sin. It hath made me often wonder, to behold how virulently and barbarously Protestant's could oppose and massacre one another, when the Romish Frogs can live in an established amity among themselves, and laugh at our follies. I will not say, it is Jesuitical projects which sets us by the ears together, so much as our own Seditious and Schismatical spirits, and want of Charity. If we would but ponder, how much Popery hath won upon us by these Wars and Divisions, what fearful occasions we have given to the professed enemies of Christ to blaspheme his Name, and deride our Religion, it would much provoke us to end our Controversies, and band against the common Enemy. The Empire hath got but a woeful Booty, by her 30 years' Wars, having weakened herself with the loss of Six Millions of valiant Soldiers, and enticed that Imp of Mahomet to prepare an Army of 200000, now in the Field, and ready to march within the bowels of Germany. We in England have gained no better by our civil Warre● but in stead of one Tyrant to advance a dozen over us, and from the height of Liberty to run the broad way up the next hill, to the height of Slavery. Our Western Sun is set, on whom the eyes of all Protestants were ●ixt, to have composed their differences, and united them into a mutual League against the Romish Dragon, and the false Prophet. Nor was any insufficiency in him to the performance of so glorious an Enterprise, had not the sins of his own Subjects, hastened his untimely Fate. Behold then what profits our War hath brought us! and what a blessing our sins have deprived us of! How fearful are the Judgements of God and his anger against sin, when the Church is dilacerated, the Commonwealth disjointed and dismembered in every part thereof, the lust of Tyrants, the pleasure of Peasants, the barbarousness of Soldiers, dissensions of Churchmen, sad and tragical ends of Nobles, confusions in Families, countenancing of Heresies, and applauding of Blasphemies are so rife and ripe amongst men! On the contrary, how happy are Kingdoms, how blessed be Commonwealths, when Princes, Magistrates, and other subordinate Officers, each in their several place and calling, strive to promote the glory of God, with the Liberty, Honour and Tranquillity of Subjects; where the Ministry is encouraged, Universities countenanced, Courts of Judicature upholden, Subjects be unanimous and accustomed to the Exercise of Piety and Godliness: lastly when both Prince and people aim jointly at the advancement of the Gospel and mutual commodity of one another, so that there be no decay, no leading into Captivity, nor complaining in their streets!   

II.  

Th● subject ●●tt●r of ●●is ensuing Discourse.  The disparity of these two contradictory conditions, and the fearful effects, which they in all ages have wrought in the Consciences of men, have made me at length after a long time of silence put Pen to Paper, and through the intricate Labyrinth of those portions of Scripture which never Commentator yet ever meddled with (I mean, the twelve last Chapters of Ez●kiel, the three last of the Revelation, the last of Daniel, with some passages in Hosea and Zech●ry) to descry when We People of England with all Protestants in Europe shall see an end of these our Wars and Tumults, what shall be the Estate of our Churches, States and Kingdoms, from this present year 1650, to the beginning of the Fifth and last universal MONARCHY of the Gospel of Christ upon Earth, which shall begin in the year of our Lord 1710; and in what year we may expect the downfals of the Beast of Rome, the Red Dragon of Constantinople, the total Conversion and restauration both of the Eastern and Western Jews within their holy Land of jury: all which must mo●t certainly be fulfilled before the end of the World. Of these high Points and Mysteries, I find nothing in any Commentator upon the last of Daniel and the Revelations, save only Brightman, who being acquainted in Leiden with joseph Scaliger, got some (but those very imperfect) notes of Grebner concerning those Numbers in Ezekiel and Daniel. But that excellent Manuscript, which johannes Bauden●is writ of the Life and Writings of Grebner, declareth all these things most plainly and punctually, how that greater Troubles, fe●rfulle● Combustions, direfuller Devastations shall come upon the Western Kingdoms of Europe, then yet ever did, before they can expect the downfall either of Turk or Pope, or the universal Monarchy of the Gospel of Christ upon Earth. In which incomparable Work the Learned ginger bringeth Divine and Heavenly Reasons, why Europe (for the space of thirty seven years, after that fearful blazing Comet in 1618.) should with amazed eyes behold the infinite and sudden mutations and downfals of flourishing States and potent Kingdoms, the deformity of Empires, and mournful faces of Commonwealths (as is lately happened in England, Portugal, Swethland, Bohemia, and Denmark) the Devastations of whole Kingdoms at a clap, and burning six or seven Nations at once in their ashes and cinders (as of late in Germany) not to make them ask whether there be a God, Heaven and Providence, or not? or whether Empires and States depend wholly upon the will and power of man, or upon secret and hidden causes beyond the thoughts and expectations of the World? but to praise God for his paternal corrections, seeing by this they know he remembreth them, and that through this Fire and Water of Affliction he will bring his Church to a final Conquest ove● her Enemies, and both the Congregations of Jews and Gentiles to an universal Monarchy over the face of the whole Earth. Several passages of which Manuscript I will insert here and there in this ensuing Discourse, as Method and Matter shall require.   

III.  
Since the spiritual sword was sheathed in England (which lopped off the serpentine Heads of Heresy and Schism, 
The Confutation of the wicked Opinions of the Millenaries of the Personal Reign of Christ upon Earth after An. 1700.  while they were yet growing) it is a wonder to see how all Sects and Schismatical Opinions in the world have (like devouring Weed) overgrown and choked the seed of the Word. Above the rest, the Millenaries have exalted themselves, whose abominable Pamphlets have flown abroad like Atoms, wherein they dream of a Personal Reign of Christ upon Earth, how he shall descend from Heaven An. 1666, destroy all the works of darkness in every corner of the Earth, make an easy passage to men from Earth to Heaven, so that they may ascend into Heaven, and leap down to Earth again, as oft as they list: how he shall keep a Quarter Sessions or Goal-delivery in his own Person upon Mount Olivet, call all Nations before him, rebuke them of sin face to face, and shall cut out of them their stony hearts, and shall sew in their bellies hearts of flesh in stead thereof: that An. Dom. 1700 shall be the day of Judgement, and that the Judgement shall last other 1700 years, because otherwise the glorious Attributes of Christ's Mercy and Justice cannot be sufficiently explained to the World and the Consciences of men. All which Fopperies with many more too horrid to relate, are contained in M. Archers Personal Reign of Christ upon Earth, Rich. Stirreys' Kingdom of King Jesus, and in A.R. his Caelestis Jerusalem, Printed A. 1642, 1644, and 1645. Now having unmasked the vanity of this Error (ut contraria juxtà se posita magis elucescant) I will epitomise in this Section the truth of the future estate of the World, from this time to the end, which afterward I intent (God willing) further to dilate and prosecute in this Treatise. This year 1650 all Europe are in civil Wars. These civil wars shall not cease till they have mustered out a great Army of the true worshippers of God to ruin Rome, which shall be about Anno 1666. Rome thus destroyed, the Western Jews shall begin to learn the ways of God, and believe his Gospel (which they cannot do so long as Rome standeth) and shall Anno 1683. enter upon the conversion of their Eastern brethren (the 10. Tribes now invisibly hid in Tartary and India) and they two (none else) shall ruin the Mahometan Empire about An. 1698. and so shall be restored to the holy Land to reinhabit Jerusalem. Then must begin a comparative felicity of the Church of God upon earth, because after these times both Turk and Pope shall be destroyed. Nevertheless this felicity must be mingled with internal troubles and persecutions, within the bowels of the Church, because the Church shall never be wholly at rest, while the world standeth. Lo, here the difference betwixt Truth and Heresy, betwixt the opinions of the Millenaries and right sense of Scriptures. The Millenaries say, Christ must descend personally from heaven: The Scriptures on the contrary say, he shall not come from Heaven personally till the last day, when he shall descend with his holy Angels in flaming fire to judge the quick and the dead. He shall send power and strength from heaven to his true Worshipppers (as he hath done hitherto) to destroy Tu●k and Pope, from Heaven he shall give power to his ancient people the Jews, to regain their ancient Land of Judea, and not by his corporeal presence upon Earth: from Heaven about An. 1700. he shall transfer his Gospel from Europe, as he hath done from Asia, and raise up and inspire godly Ministers after his own will, who shall implant his holy word in all and every of the Kingdoms and Provinces of America, and in all countries of the Southern and Eastern India, China, Tartary, and in all the regions of the North unto the world's end, and make it shine in as great purity and glory as ever it hath done in England or Germany. This is the felicity of the Church, the fifth Monarchy in Nebuchadnezars Image, the ministerial (not personal) Reign and Kingdom of Christ upon ●arth, which must not endure for ever (as Archer would have it) nor for a 1000 years (as Alsted dreams) but for a very short time, that all Nations (none excepted) may profess God's worship, and none plead ignorance before his Tribunal, presently after which the dissolution of the world shall come, after which time shall be no more.   

IV.  
This Digression made, I return to my purposed method.  
That fearful and ominous Night-torch, 
A Declaration o● the effects of the blaving Comet, Anno 16●8.  which prognosticated all that misery to Germany and great Britain, which they have now suffered, was the forerunner of all our evils. This Comet Longomontanus and D. Bambridge say appeared but 28. days, indeed it was neither observed in Denmark nor at London before Novemb. 18. or 21. but Erycius Puteanus observed it Novemb. 11. the first time, as he testifies in the first book of his learned Paradoxologie, pag. 33.38. so it appeared for the space of 37. or 38. days, foreshowing that first Germany, Livonia, Swethland, with other North-parts of Europe, than Scotland, England and Ireland, should feel the terrible effects thereof in war and famine, for the space of 37. or 38. years, even from An. 1618. till An. 1656. This Comet was strengthened by a fearful conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, An. 1616. July 18. The effects of both which were not to be confined in those terrible concomitants of war perpetrated in Germany (which L.B. and D. Vincent so pathetically delineate) but were to end in the judgements of God upon Europe for neglecting the downfall of Antichrist, ruin of Rome, annihilation of the Sodomitical Order of the Society of Jesuits, and in the extirpation of all Kingdoms and free States of Papists, to make way for the Lion of the North to erect his FIFTH MONARCHY in the ashes of Germany, wherein shall be established the eternal felicity of the Church, by the conversion of the Jews and fullness of the Gentiles.  
M. Shirley Fellow of Trinity-college in Cambridge, once showed me a Letter from his learned friend Buxtorf, dated An. 1624. May 3. wherein was contained a Prognostique Prophecy of the beforementioned Comet and Conjunction, sent him from that incomparable ginger, johannes Baudensis Nephew to Paul Grebner, which for the strangeness and rarity of it, I will here insert.  
Caeterùm, quòd de patriae nostrae afflictissimae statu consilesco, indignaris; nihil profectò scribendum nunc hab●o, nisi omnia (ut Poetae verbis utor) in pejus ruere, & retrò sublapsa referri. Tam Danus quam Caesar ●nixè laborant, ut miseram Germaniam quamprimùm p●ssum iri spectem: Nec milites utriusqùe quiequam aliud meditan●nr, nisi strages & vastitatem. Accepi nudiustertiùs à Johanne Baudensi (amico mihi multimodis charissimo) sententias nostratium Astrologorum de horribili illo Comet●, qui Anno 1618. apparuit, & nuperrimâ Saturni & jovis Conjunctione. En tibi vaticinium, si no● Apostolicum, at longè (ni fallor) plusquàm Astrologicum. Surrexit Deus & gladium eduxit. Clades magnorum Imperatorum, strages populorum, regum funcra, rerumpublicarum eversiones, monarchiarum mutationes, assassinationes principum & ducum illustriorum, violenta & superba consilia, proditiones & rebelliones inter Subditos in hoc coelo nostro Europico exorientur. Exporientur religiosi à potentioribus Legum & institutorum Ecclesiasti●orum mutationem, à plebeijs novarum rerum inexplebilem cupiditatem. Boreales Europae parts ferro, morbo & peste laborabunt, depauperabuntur divites, Principes Dominijs exuti erunt, exulabunt patres & filij post longum turb●rum intercapedinem in integrum restituentur. Hic quoque Cometa terribilem Romae ruinam, singulisque Europae civitatibus incendia minitatur● Clerici Papicolae praecipuè Cardinales de gradibus suis dejicientur, Loiolistae ubique ad mortem rapientur, nec Gallis aut Hispanis animus erit carnificum l●queos evitare. Quinimò cernimus etiam in terrâ sanct● à veteribus incolis● oriturum Regnum, quod ●rit Christianis miraculum, & Orbi terriculamentum. Novique Imperij Revolutio istis succedet, sub quo generale gaudium, laetitia & voluptas humano generi subministrabitur, improbis ubique de medio sublatis. Haec omnia per Regem quendam Borealem peragentur, qui pacem, Religionem, & Securitatem per totum Orbem miraculosè stabilibit.  
Whereas you are angry that I keep silence concerning the estate of our most distressed Country. Truly I have nothing now to write, but that all things (that I may use the words of the Poet) grow worse and woese. As well the King of Denmark as the Emperor earnestly endeavour to see miserable Germany destroyed as soon as may be; neither do the soldiers of either of them, think of any other thing than slaughter and desolation.  
I received the other day, from my dear Friend john Baudensis, the opinions of our Astrologers concerning that terrible Comet which appeared Anno 1618., and about the later Conjunction of Saturn and jupiter. Behold thou then a Prophecy (if not Apostolical) yet (if I mistake not) far beyond Astrological. GOD hath arisen and drawn his sword: There shall happen in these our European Regions, the destruction of great Emperors, the slaughter of people, Funerals of Kings, subversions of Commonwealths, mutations of Monarchies, massacres of Princes and illustrious Commanders, violent and proud Counsels, Treasons and Rebellions amongst Subjects: Clergymen shall find a change of Laws and Ecclesiastical Constitutions, by those of greater power, and an insatiable desire of new things amongst common people. The Northern parts of Europe shall be greatly oppressed with War, Sickness and Pestilence. Rich men shall be impoverished, Princes cast out of their Dominions; The fathers shall be banished, and after a long space of trouble their children shall be restored to their former condition. This Comet also threateneth the terrible ruin of Rome and burnings in all the Cities of Europe. The Papistical Clergy, especially the Cardinals, shall be cast down from their Dignities, the Jesuits every where shall be drawn to death, neither shall the Frenchmen or Spaniards have courage to save their necks from the halters. Furthermore, We discern a Kingdom to arise of the most ancient Inhabitants in the holy Land, which to Christians shall be a Miracle, and to the World a terror; and these shall obtain the Revolution of a new Empire, under which shall be administered universal Gladnesse● Joy and Delight to mankind (the wicked being every where taken away.) All these things shall be effected by a certain Northern King who shall miraculously establish Peace, Religion and Security throughout the whole world.  
Thus far the words of this Letter. And how punctually all these things are come to pass, let the world judge. We in England have felt the misery of the one, and are ready stripped to suffer the calamities of the other, having for the present lost what is impossible to be regained, and seeing a new storm of Devastations hanging over our heads by the young Kings late arrival in Scotland (where he is received as absolute Sovereign) which fil● men's hearts with pensive thoughts and doub●ings what will be the end of these woeful beginnings. For my part, I am a zealous adorer of a Parliament, nor deserve I to censure the Actions of our Representatives, yet will I not promise the Term of an Age to our novel Government, but think verily, a change to the old Model is nigh at hand. It is casual to the best Kingdoms to have Interregnums, but as we stand now, we shall ne●ther be for six years together a Body Politic, nor a true Church of God. That excellent ginger of Misnia, Paul Grebner, was more than an Inquisitor into the Effects of Stars, being questionless endued from above with a Prophetic spirit, not to be desired, much less expected of all. He plainly affirms, That as England ever was a Monarchy within itself, since it was discovered by the Romans, so shall it so continue and remain, even then when all other Kingdoms and States in Europe are swallowed up of the FIFTH MONARCHY of the Lion of the North. His Prophecy of our Civil Wars, of the Fate of our late King, and the Restauration of his Son to his Father's Dominions, runneth thus in Ban. 72.  
Per idem tempus Rex quidam Borcalis (nomine Carolus) Mariam ex Papistic● religione sibi assumptam in matrimonium conjunxerit, 
Grebner's Prophecy of our la●e King, and his Son now King.  ex quo evidet regum infelicissimus. Unde populus ejus, ipso abdicato, Comitem quendam perantiquae Familiae regno praeponet, qui tres annos, aut circitèr durabit; & hoc quoque remoto, Equitem quendam bellicosum in ejus locum assumet, qui paulò ampliùs regnabit. Post hunc eliget nullum. Interea, unus è stirpe Caroli in littore regni patres sui cum Gallicis, Suevicis, Danicis, Hollandicis, Burgurdicis & Germanicis auxiliis stabit, omnes inimicos suos cruentissimo praelio superabit, & posteà regnum suum felicissimè administrabit, eritque Carolo magno major. And in Ban. 74. he saith, Circà Anno 1663. Brittaniarum Rex antiquum cum Belgarum Ordinibus foedus & amicitiam rumpet, ob ereptas sibi ab ipsorum piratis naviculas quasdam, qui pertrepidi ad novum Danorum Regem (nomine Christiernum) confugient, qui utrosque primò compositissimis orationibus, deinde muneribus in concordiam alliciet.  
About the same time a certain Northern King (named Charles') who shall marry Mary of the Popish Religion to his great unhappiness, so that his people (rejecting him) shall set up an Earl of a very ancient Family, who shall continue three years or thereabouts, he dying they shall elect in his stead a warlike Knight, who shall rule a little longer: after him they elect none; But in the mean one of Charles his Stock shall land on the Seacoasts of his Father's Kingdom, and with French, Swedish, Danish, Hollandian, Burgonian and Germane Forces, in a most cruel battle shall vanquish all his Enemies, and afterward most happily govern his Kingdom, and be greater than Charles the Great. And about the year 1663., the King of the most ancient Britain's for the loss of some Ships at Sea shall break his League and Amity with the States of Holland, who fearing, shall to the new King of Danes (named Christiernu●) for succour, and he by fair Entreaties and large Gifts shall win either side to Agreement.  
Nor ever doth he speak of England in all that famous manuscript, but as of the most warlike and potent Kingdom in Europe. Therefore all good Christians ought to wish the new War were concluded rather by an happy Agreement and Composition, then by Sword and Musket, and the King placed on his Throne rather with the hands of his loving and and rejoycefull Subjects, than with the swords of Foreigners. For if the beginning of his Restauration be in blood, and tumbling of garments in blood, the Accomplishment of it will be with burning and fuel of fire.   

That this future History of Europe, may be more fully and clearly understood, I intent to set it down by way of Chronology upon the principal passages in Ezekiel and the Revelations, as I lately collected it out of the two MSS. of Grebner and joannes Baudensis, and afterward subscribed certain Notes and Animadversions upon the same.  
THe woman traveleth, viz. The Jewish Synagogue bringeth forth Christ, whereupon ensueth the battle between Anno Christi. 1 Michael and the Dragon (Christ and the Devil) Anno Mundi. 3947 Christ being persecuted of the Devil by Herod in his Infancy, flieth into Egypt, in his appointed time of 34 years, suffereth and ascendeth into Heaven; The Devil enraged Anno Christi. 34 that he could no more persecute Christ, raiseth persecutions Anno Mundi. 3981 Anno Christi. 65 against the Primitive Church by Nero and others, Revel. 12. per tot. Anno Mundi. 4012  
Anno Christi. 70 The first Seal opened● The white Horse and his Rider, with Anno Mundi. 4017 the crowned Bow, signifieth the purity of the Gospel in the Primitive Church, Revel. 6.2.  
Anno Christi. 71 Satan is bound for a 1000 ●ears from raging against the Church, Anno Mundi. 4018 Revel. 20.2.8.  
Anno Christi. 65 The second Seal opened, The red Horse is the massacre of Anno Mundi. 4020 Christians in the ten general Persecutions about A●no 65, to An. 330. Revel. 6.3, 4.  
Anno Christi. 104 The third Seal opened, Simon Magus, Ebion and Corinthus Anno Mundi. 4051 trouble the Church with damnable and infectious Heresies, Revel. 6.9, 6.  
Anno Christi. 173 The fourth Seal opened, Horrid Famine, devouring Pestilences Anno Mundi. 4120 and outrageous Wars, waste and depopulate the Roman Empire for cruelty to Christians, Revel. 6.7, 8.  
Anno Christi. 194 The fifth Seal opened, Mutual Massacres of the wretched Caesars, Anno Mundi. 4141 beginning at Pertinax, and ending at Licinius, slain by Constantine the Great, Revel. 6.9, 10, 11.  
Anno Christi. 288 The sixth Seal opened, Dioclesian and Maximilian give over Anno Mundi. 4235 their Caesarships, because they could not eradicate Christianity. Constantine strengthened with their Armies and Provinces, warreth upon Licinius, slayeth him, destroyeth the Pretorian-Camp, abolisheth Heathenism, and setteth up the true Worship of God, Revel. 6.12. to the end.  
The seventh Seal opened, And silence in Heaven for half an hour, viz. The Church enjoyeth rest thirty years, all the time that Constantine Anno Mundi. 4255 the Great reigned, Revel. 8.1. Yet clouds of persecution Anno Christi. 308 Anno Mundi. 4286 arise in the interim in the sky of the Church; and the seven Angels Anno Christi. 339 prepare themselves to blow the seven Trumpets for the space of 23 years, even all the reign of Constantine's three sons, Revel. 8.2, 3.  
Anno Mundi. 4310 julian that wretched Apostata bending his utmost endeavours to Anno Christi. 363 ruin the Gospel, licenceth 17000 Jews to return to jerusalem to rebuild their Temple; but God destroyeth them all by Lightnings and Pestilences: Horrible Earthquakes cast up into the Air the foundations which had been buried in rubbish till then. Therefore daniel's compute of the Temples final ruin must but begin then; there begin his two Numbers (Chap. 12. ver. 11, 12.) of 1290, and 1335, which in all must but make 1335 years, which added to 363, make up and point to Anno Christi 1698, the joyful Jubilee of the Church's Deliverance from all Adversity.  
Anno Mundi. 4373 The first Trumpet blown. Fire and hail (war and bloodshed) Anno Christi. 426 cast into the troublesome Sea of the Roman-Western-Empire by Valentinian, and the succeeding Emperors, until the end of the Western-Empire, The savage Inundations of Goths, Huns, Vandals and Bulgarians into Italy, Revel. 8.7.  
Anno Mundi. 4553 The second Trumpet blown, Boniface that Mountain of fiery Anno Christi. 606 Combustions obtaineth of Phocas the Popish Supremacy. Hence wars betwixt the Emperors and Popes, Revel. 8.8, 9  
Anno Mundi. 4613 The third Trumpet blown, The Romish Bishop (the great Anno Christi. 666 Star of the Western Christian Clergy) falleth from the Heaven of Truth and Godliness, and of a vigilant Pastor becomes a ravenous Robber of the Church, and the gifts thereof, Revel. 8.10, 11.  
Anno Mundi. 4946 The fourth Trumpet blown, The Pope fallen from Piety, Anno Christi. 999 and his Clergy from the Pulpits, Christ the Sun of righteousness with his Merits, the Church the Moon, and the Ministers the Stars thereof are eclipsed, and vilified by Sylvester TWO, Revel. 8.12, 13.  
Anno Mundi. 5018 Satan loosed out of prison beginneth to rage by Gregory VII Anno Christi. 1071 against the Gospel of Christ, Revel. 20.4.  
Anno Mundi. 5140 The fifth Trumpet blown, The Vicar of Christ with his Anno Christi. 1195 Keys openeth hel's mouth to let out his Cloister-fiends and satanical Locusts to overspread the Earth of Christendom, described by john most graphically, Revel. 9.9. to 13.  
Anno Mundi. 5245 The sixth Trumpet blown, The Ottoman Empire ariseth, invadeth Anno Christi. 1300 first the Eastern-Empire of Constantinople, and winneth it: then flieth upon the German Emperor with barbarous millions of invincible Armies, Revel. 9.13. to the end.  
The saying, Revel. 9.15. of the Turks preparation for a day, a month, and a year, beginneth now. Which Number allegorically taken maketh 398 years: 
☜  which added to A. 1300, the year of the original of the Turkish Empire, showeth that A. 1698. shall be the final downfall of the same.  
Anno Mundi. 5462 The last Trumpet is blown, The Thrones, Principalities and Anno Christi. 1517 Dominions in Heaven rejoice, that God would now at length take his Church's Cause in hand, and raise up Luther, and other Sons of Thunder to vindicate the quarrel thereof against the Romish Antichrist to the ruin of his Kingdom, Revel. 11. from ver. 15. to the end.  
By eating of the Book, 
☜  Chap. 10. Measuring the Temple and slaying the Witnesses, Chap. 11. is understood the Reformation by Luther, and downfall of the Papacy under Charles the fifth.  
Anno Mundi. 5504 The first Vial poured out, England, Scotland and Ireland by Anno Christi. 1559 the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, renounce the Papacy; which generates the ulcers of spite and malice in the Romish Church against England, Revel. 16.2.  
Anno Mundi. 5518 The second Vial poured out, Martin Chemnitius and others, pronounce Anno Christi. 1572 the vengeance of God against the mortiferous Sea of the Council of Trent, Revel. 18.3.  
Anno Mundi. 5528 The third Vial poured out, The stinking Waters of the Papacy Anno Christi. 1583 are infected with blood in murdering of the Popes and Romanists in Rome, the slaughters of the Spaniards in the Low-countrieses, and the Discomfiture of the Spanish-Armado in Anno 1588. Revel. 16.5, 6, 7.  
Anno Mundi. 5540 The fourth Vial poured out, The Protestant Champions Pareus, Anno Christi. 1605 Polanus, Whitakers, Perkins, Andrews, King james and others, pour light upon the Sun of the Gospel, in writing against Bellarmine, Stapleton, Campian, and other Papists, Revel. 16.8, 9  
Anno Mundi. 5565 The fifth Vial is now pouring out, The Swedes in Germany, Anno Christi 1630 An.. 1632. The English in England, 1640, combine against the Papists, Jesuits proscribed in Poland and Swethland, Anno 1648. This Vial shall end in the ruin of Rome, Anno 1666. Revel. 16.10, 11.  
Anno Mundi. 5594 The sixth Vial beginneth to be poured out, Three barbarous Anno Christi. 1659. Nations sack Hydruntum in Apulia, made enrodes into the Eastern Coasts of Italy, and sack them with fire and sword. Factions and Massacres in Rome and Tuscany. The Pope contemned and invaded, The Western Christians make an Army, and fire Rome in the 2419 year after Romulus laid the foundation thereof, as Sibylla prophesied. Oracul. lib. 4. Revel. 16. from ver. 12. to 17.  
Anno Mundi. 5595 The faithful and true Warrior riding upon a white Horse Anno Christi. 1660 descendeth from heaven with his Soldiers riding upon white horses, to fight against the enemies of his Church. The Angel in the Sun calleth to all the fowls of heaven, to come to the feast of God, to eat the flesh of Kings, Captains, mighty Men and horses. Rev. 19.11, 17, 18. And I saw the beast and the Kings of the earth, and the Warriors gathered together, to war against him that sat on the horse, and against his Soldiers. But the beast was taken, and with him the false Prophet, that worketh miracles before him, whereby he deceived them that have received the beasts mark, and them that worship his image: These two were cast alive into the lake burning with fire and brimstone, etc. Ibid. 19, 20.  
Anno Mundi. 5601 Vrbs antiqua ruit, multos dominata per annos: Anno Christi. 1666  
Destruiturque armis gens scelerata suis.  
Go out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, nor receive of her plagues. Forasmuch (O Rome) as thou glorifiedst thyself, and livedst in pleasure, saying, I sit a Queen, am no widow, and shall see no sorrow: therefore shall thy plagues come upon thee in one day, death, sorrow and famine, and thou shalt be burnt with fire; for strong is the Lord God that judgeth thee. The Kings of the earth shall bewail thee, and thou shalt never more be inhabited, the light of a candle shall shine no more in thee, and the voice of the Bridegroom and of the Bride shall be heard no more in thee. Rejoice (O heavens!) for righteous are God's judgements, He hath condemned the great Whore. Then they sung Hallelujah, and her smoke arose up for evermore. Rev. 18.7, 8, 20. & 19.3.  
Anno Mundi. 5614 Rome being destroyed, Jews dwell amongst Protestants, and begin Anno Christi. 1679 to search into the Scriptures, and learn the ways of God.  
Anno Mundi. 5618 A great Conjunction of Saturn and jupiter in Leo. The Jews Anno Christi. 1684 converted in the West, prepare to unite with their Brethren in the East, and raise a Combination to propagate the Gospel and destroy the Headless Turks.  
Anno Mundi. 5622 Praise our God all ye his Saints and Servants, and ye that fear Anno Christi. 1687 him both small and great. And I heard the voice of a great multitude both small and great, as it were the sound of many Waters, and as the voice of strong thunderings, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord our God reigneth. Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath Anno Mundi. 5633 made herself ready, Rev. 19.5, 6, 7.  
The dreadful and terrible Battle of the Jews with the enraged Anno Christi. 1698 Turks in the land of Judea, where the Turks are destroyed with an eternal destruction. Ezech. 38. & 39 chap. all.  
Gog and Magog, (viz. Turk's and Tartarians) gather themselves together to battle, whose Number is as the sand of the Sea, and they went up into the plain of the Earth, and encompassed the Tents of the Saints abo●t, even the beloved City, but fire came down from God out of Heaven, and destroyed them Revelat. 20.8, 9  

Anno Mundi. 5635 THE FIFTH MONARCHY. Anno Christi. 1700  
Anno Mundi. 5645 ANd I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven Anno Christi. 1710 and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. The new Jerusalem came down from God out of heaven, trimmed like a Bride to meet her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold the Glory and Tabernacle of God with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be their God with them: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, neither crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the first things are passed away. Rev. 21.1, 2, 3, 4, etc.  
Anno Mundi. 5698 No more Germany, no more any Western Empire or any footstep Anno Christi. 1763 thereof; for God hath now transplanted his Gospel from Europe unto a more grateful and pregnant soil, which will bring forth the fruits thereof in due season.  
Anno Mundi. 5699 jam nova Progenies coelo demittitur alto, Anno Christi. 1764  
Exoriturque atris Lucifer albus equis.  
Anno Mundi. 5702 The holy Temple restored at Jerusalem: the holy utensils prepared: Anno Christi. 1767 the glory of God fills the house, God lovingly upbraideth the Israelites for their infidelity and Idolatry, for which they were Vagabonds in all Coasts of the World 2400 years, without King, Law, Priest and Temple, and rehearseth their blessed and joyful estate now being converted and victorious over all their enemies. Ezech. 12. last chap. per tot.  
Anno Mundi. 5705 Behold I make all things new. Rev. 21.5. Anno Christi. 1770  
Anno Mundi. 5728 The Jewish Magistrates and Ministers labour in the Conversion Anno Christi. 1793 of the World to the Gospel of God. Ezech. 46. per. tot.  
Anno Mundi. 5765 The seventh Vial poured out, And now are all things fulfilled Anno Christi. 1830 which are contained in the Scriptures. After which all Nations may expect the coming of the great Judge, to render to every man according to his works.  
Thus far reacheth the Observations of Grebner and Baudensis.    

VI  
BEfore I come to comment upon this Chronological Index, it will not be amiss to deliver that saying, 
A true Explication of th● Number in Rev. 20.8.  Revel. 20.8. (And the Saints shall reign with Christ a thousand years) from all those false Interpretations which have been fastened upon it, by Papias, Bucholcherus, Scaliger, Brightman, Alsted and others, and declare the true sense of it, as remotest from Innovation, and coming nearest the intention of the H. Ghost. There is in this 20 Chap. two several Epoches of a 1000 years, which are two several ways to be interpreted. The first is in vers. 2. of Satan being bound for a 1000 years; which must begin either at the Instant of our Saviour's Incarnation, and end at An. 1000, in the 2● year of the Popedom of Sylvester TWO, that infamous Sodomite, Necromancer, and Conjurer, under whom the filthiness and Idolatry of the Romish Church was brought to the height: or rather they must begin at the Destruction of the 2d Temple by Titus, which was An. 71, and end in An. 1071, in the Popedom of Gregory VII, alias Hildebrand, who first broke bonds of Allegiance with Henry the Emperor, excommunicated him, set the Gospel in a total Eclipse, and Europe in the mournful Flames of a civil War: but of this in the Chronology. But this in the 8 vers. of the Saints reigning with Christ a 1000 years, Alsted, Bucholcherus and others expound of a Comparative Felicity of the Church on this Earth, for a 1000 years, beginning An. 1694, when they say all visible Enemies of the Church shall be overthrown, and must end An. Ch. 2694. after which shall be the War of Gog and Magog against the Church, which shall be prevented by the coming of Christ to judgement. But in this Alsted is wide from the right mark: for this number must begin An. 1072, at the expiration of the former, and must be interpreted for all that time that the World shall last after the aforesaid An. 1072. And the holy Ghost doth term this indefinite and unlimited time by the Number of a 1000 years, for three special Reasons: 1 Because a 1000 years are the Number of Perfection and of Eternity, and doth most aptly serve to express the End of these Earthly Troubles, and the beginning of that Time which never shall have end. 2 Because those things which the holy Ghost in the Scriptures affirmeth are yet to come, must not be plenarily accomplished till after An. 1830, it may please God that the glorious and flourishing estate of the Church and Gospel here upon Earth, may continue much of 200 years longer, to increase the number of them who shall be saved, and to amplify more the heavenly Attributes of God's Mercy, Righteousness, Truth, Holiness and Omnipotency in the Salvation of the Just: and his Equity, Judgement and Uprightness in the firebrands of destruction. 3 Because a vicissitudinary time of Affliction and Ease, Persecution and rest, pure Doctrine and Heresies, is signified to be the whole continuance or most part of a 1000 years, wherein those who are to suffer for the Testimony of the Word of God, and the truth of Jesus Christ, shall have their reward after the expiration of that time, which cannot be till after the last general Judgement. The fearful and terrible War of Gog and Magog (viz. the bloody War of Turks and Tartarians with the Jews newly converted in the Land of jury, in which the very name of Turks shall be rooted from off the Earth) must be before the beginning of this glorious Estate and Felicity of the Church of God here upon Earth, and therefore the 7, 8, 9, and 10 verses, are in order of time before the 5 and the 6. The Devil and Antichristianity must be chained up in the dungeon of Hell for the space of a 1000 years after the Incarnation of Christ. An. 1000 must the Devil and Romish Idolatry by the Popedom of Sylvester the second, be let loose to range upon Earth, and tyrannize over the Church for the most part of another 1000, ever till An. 1698 (numerus completus being put here pro incompleto) before an happy and comfortable Estate of the Gospel can be brought forth to the World. 
The estate of England with other Provinces of Europe from Anno 1650. to An. 1698.  herefore all Christendom from this year 1650, must expect very sad and woeful days, much persecution, bloodshed and savage tyranny in every Kingdom of Europe (especially in France, Spain, Italy, Swethland, Germany and England) until An. 1698. Some of those Kingdoms which have abandoned the superstition of the beast, shall by subtle allurements be persuaded to readmit and re-establish the same. Woeful and unsupportable Afflictions shall befall both the European Jews (which are the two Tribes of Benjamin and judah, now resident in Christendom and Turkey) as likewise the ten Tribes, the Kingdom of Israel (who shall insensibly and miraculously arise out of the bowels of Tartary and India, about An. 1669.) who nevertheless shall be so extraordinarily supported by God, that they shall stand in little or no need at all of the Christians. Because from this time of the Conversion of the Israelites for the spac● of 30 years, these 12 Tribes shall suffer much trouble, Heathens, Papists and Mahometans, shall strive to eradicate their name from under heaven, and yet all in vain; for an illustrious and heroic Prince (è Tribu Nephtali oriundus) shall be their valiant and fortunate Commander, called Michael, not proprio nomine, but because he Dan. 12.1. shall stand up and show himself the Assertor and Protector of their Religion and Liberty. In which time shall be such troubles as never were, no, nor ever shall be to the end of the world. For like as the Christians had rest 30. years from the Ascension of Christ, and now have endured the fiery trial almost these 1600. years, since that time from the Heathen Emperors, and the Beast; so the Israelites, which shall 1600. years till Anno 1668. live without Prince, Law, Temple, Sacrifice, and true Religion (as Hosea prophesied ch. 3. v. 4, 5.) beginning now to be converted to Christ, 
Certain remarkable Numbers in Scripture, whereby ●he Epoch'● of the ruin of Tu●k, Po●e, and the conversion of the jews are more ●ully strengthened.  shall have savage times of affliction and Butcheries for other 30. years (to welcome their conversion withal) till Anno● 1698. when God shall grant rest from their enemies, and begin a peaceable estate of the Church.   

VII.  
Entering at length upon my Notes on the aforesaid Chronology, I think it meet first to strengthen the former Epoches of the ruin of Rome, downfall of the Turk and Tartar, and the Conversion of the Jews by the Conduct of certain memorable Numbers in holy Scriptures. Grave and judicious Authors have with wonder and admiration observed the heavenly and inimitable Method of holy Scrjptures, how all the Mysteries and memorable Occurrences in the same are comprised in Numbers, how within the compass of such a Quantity of years, God always divulged his Counsels, and manifested what he purposed should be wrought among the children of men. So that in considering the admirable consent and agreement of Times by things past, we may probably conjecture of things to come. From the Creation to the Flood was 1656 years: the Flood was a sign of the Consummation of all those things which are to be fulfilled before the conclusion of time. Anno Christi 1656, let the Church of God expect with joy and comfort, the acting of the first Scene of the Tragedies of all those European Kingdoms, which have been implacable Persecutors of the Gospel of Christ. The whole Government of Moses (who was a second Noah to the Church) is a shadow of the Kingdom of Christ. The Law continued in force 1529 years to the Passion of Christ: But 1598. years to the Destruction of the Temple by Titus: The Destruction of the Temple by Titus was according to the account of Dionysius Exiguus, A. C. 69. From thence reckon the Number of 1598. years, and you come to A. 1667; which is the year which shall smoke with the ascending up of the Flames which consume the Kingdom of the Beast. From the Nativity of Christ to his Re-nativity in the preaching of his Gospel by Luther and other eminent Ministers are 1517 years: And from the beginning of the Reign of the Maccabees until the Birth of Christ are 169 years: Put these two sums together, and you come to Anno 1686, in which God having 18 years before enlightened the eyes of those who for almost 2000 years have sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and having laid the Kingdom of the Beast and the false Prophet in the lowest dust, shall bring that people into the bosom of the true Church, which within 13 years after shall deliver his children from all adversity. From the universal Deluge of mankind by the Flood to the beginning of the universal Captivity of the Church under Nabuchadnezzar beleaguering jerusalem are numbered 1698 years: So likewise from the Birth of the King of Kings unto the final Consummation of the Miseries, and restauration of the Felicity of the Church by the Destruction of Gog and Magog, shall be reckoned the very same Number of 1698 years. From the Confusion of the Tower of Babel to the return of the Jews from Babel, are 1666 years: and from profane Pompey's spoiling of the Temple at jerusalem (when the Kingdom was taken from the house of David, and Superstition and Gentilism began to spring up amongst the Jews) to the Birth of of Antichrist and Apostasy in the Church of God are 666 years; from thence ●eckon a 1000 years wherein the Saints must suffer Persecution and Martyrdom for the Testimony of Jesus Christ, and the truth of a good Conscience, Revel. 20.4. and you come to A. 1666, in which shall be fulfilled all those things which are mentioned, Revel. 18, and the 19 Chapter. So likewise from the Departure out of Egypt, until the Death of Christ, are numbered 1542 years: to these add ●hose 169 years, which are from ●he beginning of the Reign of the Assomonaei or Macchabees to the Birth of Christ, and you come to Anno 1711; which year shall be wonderful and terrible to all the world, because that in the year next going before (viz. Anno 1710.) the abominable Names and mention of Papists, Turks and Tartars being eradicated from the memories of men, the glorious Estate of the Gospel, and the terrestrial Felicity of the Church of God shall begin over the face of the whole Earth. From the Birth of Moses until the Destruction of jerusalem by Titus (which typifies the end of the world) are 1646 years: so many from the Incarnation of our Saviour, denoted that year, whose influence hath begun, and shall prove fatal to most of the Kingdoms of Europ●: add to these 20 years to come after, from that time (which 980 years ago were prophesied of, to be those years, in which the Kingdom and the Dominion, and the greatness of Kingdoms under the whole Heaven, shall be given to the Saints of the most High, whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all Dominions shall serve and obey him, Dan. 7.17.) and it will amount to the year of the fatal Ruin of the Beast, Anno 1666. From these few Particulars of the Consent and Agreement of times in the holy Scriptures, I infer thus much. 
A Prognostic of the Estates of c●●tain years Of An. 1657  About the year 1657 shall be great Changes and Alterations in Government in every Kingdom in Europe, as well Protestant as Papist, attended and accompanied with such horrid Combustions and Massacres, as hath not been before since the memory of man. This shall make way (as I said before) for the Protestants to unite in a general Combination to send Forces under the Conduct of an invincible Cyrus over the Alps to harrow Italy with fire and sword, and after levelly the walls of ●ome with the lowest dust, Anno 1666. For as in the year of Grace 666, Popery was brought to a full maturity in the Womb by Vitalian (who ordained Latin-Service in the Church, contrary to Christ's Institution, and the precedent Primitive times) and as 1000 the Number of Perfection and Eternity is seldom used in our ordinary Computes, but left out for brevity sake (as we use to say, The Spanish-Armado was in 588 for 1588., and the Powder-plot in 605 for 1605.) so it is most certain and indubitable, that as the Birth of Antichrist was in Anno 666, so the death of it shall be Anno 1666, though the Carcase of it may lie unburied for 30 years after, yet questionless it shall with Gog and Magog b● cast into the Lake of God's wrath at one and the same time. This ruin of Rome shall make way within ten years after to the Conversion of the Jews: For seeing the Kingdom of Antichrist (as now it is) is the only Let to their Conversion (for all the Jews that now are, live within the Papacy, and are prohibited from turning Christians, partly because of the Idolatry they see amongst the Papists in their worshipping of Images (the Jews being Zealots in the second Commandment) partly because at their Conversion with the Papists they must renounce all their goods as ill gotten, which rigid Condition a worldly people will never yield to) therefore till the very name and power of Popery be destroyed, and they admitted amongst Protestant Kingdoms, there can be small hope of their Conversion. But now Antichrist totally destroyed, they begin to see into their Errors and Ignorances', endeavour to learn the ways of God, and that the Saviour of the world (whom they so long expected) is come so many years since and suffered. This Conversion of the Western Jews shall be completed in that fatal and terrible year 1683. And six years after that shall they be united with their Eastern-brethrens the 10 Tribes captivated by Salmanasser, who have for 2433 years lain invisible in the bowels of the Kingdoms of Turks and Tartarians. The Christian world neither must nor aught to inquire, how this people which have lain hid and obscured so long a space, shall in so small a time as a year and an half, so visibly, so powerfully, and so magnificently arise to the Terror and Conquest of the whole Earth. The holy Ghost declareth, Ezek. 37.8. by the dry bones, fleshed and endued with life in an instant, so that they stood upon their feet, and became a great Army; what a strange, horrid and wonderful thing this shall be, and how terrible it shall appear to the sight of the world in that year; which within 15 years after (viz. Anno 1698.) shall fight that famous and fearful pitcht-field with the united For●s of Turks and Tartarians, which shal● prove the Deliverance of the Church of God from all adversity. Thrice shall Europe within this time strive to establish that power, which Superstition and Tyranny first procreated: Thrice shall the children of this world raise innumerable Forces to destroy the Saints of the most high: Thrice shall the Power of Godliness prevail in the hearts and arms of those, who shall make the Land thrice drunk with the blood of the Enemies of Christ; and whose grand Ancestors stewed it so oft with the blood of the Prophets and Apostles. Preparatives to these fearful Wonders shall be those horrid and ominous Eclipses preceding the year 1660, fatal and conspicuous to Europe; signs both of God's paternal Chastizements for Sects and Schisms in the Church, and of his consuming Judgements impending upon the implacable Enemies thereof.  
In the year 1654., August 2. shall happen a fearful and lamentable total Eclipse of the Sun in the 39 Degree of Leo, 
Of the Eclipse in An. 1654.  about half an hour before high Noon, where shall be seen the mighty hand of God working Wonders in Italy, Sicily, Bohemia, Greece, Armenia and Syria, the Kingdoms subject to Leo. The body of the Sun in this Eclipse will be totally darkened for the space of two hours and 29 Minutes: it will be so great, the like hath not been before, nor after shall be: greater than that Eclipse of the Sun which was Feb. 25. 1597. commonly called the dark Saturday. Of this Eclipse thus Baudensis M.S. fol. 105. Exercit. 59 Papa, 
Baudensis Prognostication of Anno 165●, 1658, 1661., 1663.  dum Petri patrimonium dilaturus, Italicum quendam Ducem possessionibus spoliabit avitis, etc. The Pope attempting to enlarge Peter's Patrimony by seizing upon the ancient Estate of an Italian Duke deceased without Issue, sets his own Nest on fire, and Rome in a Combustion. This year shall a new Sect of Sodomitical Monks arise, which being tolerated by the Pope, sets that Quarrel betwixt him and the Duke of Florence, which shall prove the downfall of both in a few years. This is affirmed likewise by Grebner, Ban. 75. Yet in the interim (saith Baudensis) God shall promote the happiness of jerusalem, Peace shall be within her walls, and plenteousness within her Palaces. And fol. 134. Exerc. 67. he saith, The years 1657, 1658, 1661., 1663., shall be formidable to Austria, Silesia, Hungary, Holland, France and Portugal, because that every one of those years shall be attended with four Eclipses apiece, portending the Mutations of all those several States, and that the Revolution of time is come, wherein they must give place to the Lion of the North, whose Sceptre shall bruise their power to nothing, and his Gauntlet lay their Forces prostrate at his feet. At which time all Europe shall sing this mournful Ditty; 
Heu mala progenies fatis servata nefandis,  
Gensque nefandarum domitrix altrixque ferarum,  
Quid fueras, quid ●isque vide: tua prima propago  
Bella gerit, ●ibolémque petet lues atra secundam.  
At Leo terribilis Borealibus editus oris  
Fammiferam ex Orco & pelagi plangentibus undis  
Educens aciem, pecudes● urbésque virósque  
Sternet, & antiquis Solem Lunámque movebit  
Sedibus; ille etiam pacrio jure infima summa  
Reddet, & Occasum sub leges mittet inermem.   
Thus Englished.  
Alas ill race, to dismal Fates reserved,  
By whom dire Beasts are tamed and preserved,  
See what thou wert and art: Thy first issue  
Inclines to War, Plague doth the next subdue.  
But Lion fierce sprung from the Northern shore  
Shall bring from deepest Hell and waves that roar  
A blazing Army, he shall men o'errun,  
Cities and cattle, yea the Moon and Sun  
Shall he remove; and Fatherlike the least  
Make highest, and give Laws to the weak West.  
Yet he that returns back in reviewall of the conjunctions and fiery Triplicities, 
A Description of the 7 ●iery Triplicities.  may see how they have in part prognosticated the present troubles and and distractions of Europe, with the Commonwealths of England and Scotland. Anno 1603 in the first great conjunction of Saturn and jupiter, in the fiery triplicity, K. james came to the Crown of England, and so was fulfilled that Prophecy which an holy Anchoret made 890 years ago, English men for that they wonneth them to drunkeinesse, to treakson, and rechlesenesse of Got's house, firsten by Dancs, thenth by Nortmen, and the third time by Scots, whom they holden lest worthen of all, they shallen be overcompn. Then the world shallen be unstable, and so various and diversable, that the unstableness of thoughts shallen b● betookeineid by many manner diversity of clothing. This could never be fulfilled but by a Scottish King swaying the English-scepter; and therefore never came to pass till the Union of the two Kingdoms under the said King. As the second Conjunction, Anno 1623. found Germany and most of the West involved in civil Wars, and as the third An. 1643. found the King and Subjects of England in the field one against the other; so the fourth Conjunction, An. 1663. in Sagitarius shall begin those destructive Combustions in Italy, which shall allure the Protestant Armies to make a third all-conquering Party in the same; and the fifth An. 1683 in Leo shall bring forth the Conversion of the Jews: but the sixth Conjunction happening in Taurus, An. 1703, shall behold that which many glorious Saints and children of God have read of, and rejoiced and desired to see, and yet could not see them. For now Revel. 22.1. ●hall the Sea (that is, the miserable estate of the World by Wars, Desolations and Sicknesses) be destroyed, and no more extant. Now shall the time of Tribulation, War and desolation, the time of torments, temptation, heresy and persecution be utterly abolished from the memory of men For a new Heaven and a new Earth, a renovated Church, purified Saints shall succeed in the room of those Wolves, who in sheeps-clothing devoured the Flock of Christ. These are the days, for the hope of which the stones of ●ion cry day by day, though little esteeming seven thousand deaths in regard of that precious assurance graved in their Breasts, that they shall then, and in that day behold the Lord, which hath mercifully gathered them from all Nations, and hath so wonderfully preserved them from the sorcery of Babylon (which hath destroyed all the Earth) that leadeth them in and out before Pagans, Heretics and Idolaters, before the covetous and foolish-wise of this world, so prudently and so invisibly, that they seeing are not seen, and living are not known.  

The Exposition of Nebuchadnezzar● Image, in Dan. 2.  But from these low things let us ascend up to Scripture further to prove the certainty thereof. daniel's Image as it gave the first, so it gave the fullest Knowledge of this great Mystery of the Church of God, Dan. 2. per tot. In which Image is described in brief the Estate of the World, from the very day God revealed this to Daniel, and he to Nabuchadnezzar, to the full and final End and Conclusion of time. By the golden Head, silver Arms, brazen Belly, and iron Legs, we must understand the Chaldean, Persian, Macedonian and Roman Monarchies, which successively one after another, tyrannised over mankind by cruelty, and by cruelty came to as miserable Destructions in the end. The feet part of Iron, and part of Clay, denoted the declining Estate of the Roman Empire (after that indiscreet Division of it under Charles the Great into the Eastern and Western) under the present Papacy, and now-vulturizing house of Austria, which hitherto doth and shall continue until An. 1694. Therefore the Stone cut without hands (in the 34 verse) (which smote the Image on his feet, that were part of Iron, part of Clay, and so broke them to pieces, that the Iron, Brass, Clay, Silver and Gold became as chaff of the Summer-flowers that the wind carried them away, and no more place was found for them; And the Stone that smote the Image became a great Mountain, and filled the Earth) must needs be understood of a glorious Monarchy of the Church of God upon Earth, which by the Conversion of the Universal Nation of the Jews shall overcome all her Enemies, and reign triumphantly in all Nations under Heaven, in universality, uniformity, integrity and innocency of life and conversation.  
This blessed and happy estate of Christ's Church upon Earth (after the aforesaid battle of Gog and Magog described Ezech. 38. and 39 Chap. of which enough before) is graphically deciphered in the nine last Chapters of the same Prophet, 
The Exposition of the 12 last chapters of Ezeckiel.  beginning at the 40; where under a specious and large type of restoring the old Jewish Temple with the Sacrifices (chap. 40.) the measuring, ordering and disposing of it in every thing thereto belonging (chap. 41.) as the chambers of the Priests in the Temple, the holy Utensils (chap. 42.) the glory of God filling the house (chap. 43.) his paternal upbraiding the Israelites for their ancient Idolatry, and demonstrating his great and affectionate love to them for the present (chap. 44.) is contained (as I said before) a pithy discourse how powerful and magnificent these new converted Christians shall be; how holy, learned and unanimous their Ministers should be, how ardent and studious they shall be in communicating the Gospel of Christ to such as yet sit in darkness and in the shadow of death (chap. 45.) how vigilant their Princes and Magistrates shall be in being keepers of the house of God, that is in encouraging the Ministers, tam praemio quam paenâ, to instruct the people in the knowledge of the truth, that so both Ministers and people may render due obedience to their common Saviour, in love to God, and charity toward men. And again, the reserved portions of Land for the Temple, City, Priests and Princes all in just measures and dimensions, the waters issuing out of the Temple, ever increasing in Latitude and Profundity, the several divisions of the particular lots of Priests, Temple, Levites, the City and the Princes secondarily repeated in the 45, 46, 47, and the last Chapters, evidently declare the undoubted certainty and verity of this wonderful mystery, that the Jews shall repossess their ancient possessions and several inheritances in the Land of judea; how devout, pious and cheerful they shall be in the worship and service of God, intimated by the frequent performing of spiritual Sacrifices and Oblations: how potent and spacious their Church shall be, how great and infinite the Privileges, and never decreasing Graces of God shall be to it, signified by the depth and latitude of the spiritual waters of Life.  
Thirdly, 
The Exposition of the end of D●ni●ls 11 chap. ●  Daniel in the end of his 11 Chap. doth above all other, most plainly and specifiquely picture the two grand preparations to this spiritual Monarchy of Christ's Church in the end of the World: viz. 1 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the enemies of God, and 2 the Conversion of the Jews. For in the 40, 41, 42, and 43 verses of the said 11 Chapter, declaring first, what Victories, the Saracens should get over the Roman Empire, by saying, that the King of the South should push at him (viz. the Saracens should invade the Emperor) and secondly, what lamentable havoc the Turk should make of the Roman Monarchy by conquering and subduing from them all the Eastern Empire of Constantinople, in these words, And the King of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with charets and horsemen and many ships, and shall enter into the Countries, and shall overflow and pass thorough; which was verified in the Turks conquering all Greece, Scythia, Moldavia, Servia, Asia, Syria, Mesopotamia and the Isles of the Aegean sea: And he shall enter into the pleasant Land, and many Countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape out of his hands, Edom and Moab, and the chief of the Children of Ammon, which also came to pass when Selimus I. invaded Egypt, slew Tomumbey the Sultan thereof, eradicated the very name of the Mamalucks, and so got all the wealth and treasures of Memphis and Grand-Cairo, and added also judea as a member of Egypt to the Turkish Empire, An. 1517. His son Soliman the Magnificent, awed India and Ethiopia, and his Grandchild Selimus II. conquered Tunis and Algiers in Africa, yet neither of them meddled with the Arabians, Edomites or Moabites, as thinking them a people not worth conquering. In the 44 verse, Daniel saith, But tidings out of the East and West shall trouble him; the conversion of the Eastern and Western jews, shall so enrage the Turk, that he shall levy innumerable Forces, and march forth in great fury to destroy and root them out: And he shall pitch the Tabernacle of his Palace between the seas in the glorious and holy Mountain, shall fight a most terrible and bloody pitched Field with them in their own Land of jury, and yet shall he come to his end, his power, by God's Providence, shall be overthrown, and totally eradicated by them from off the Earth, and none shall help him.  

The Exposition of Rev. 9.15.  Lastly, S. john in Revel. 9.15. setteth down in plain and evident numbers, the very beginning, increase and downfall of this hellish generation. For in saying the Turkish Armies shall be prepared at an hour, a day, a month, and a year, he analogically declareth the very time of their birth, and the year when they shall come to a final annihilation. Here a Day is to be taken prophetically for a year, a Month for 31 days, which likewise make so many years, and a year for the days of a bissextile julian year (which are 366) making in the same manner as many prophetical years as in the former Epoches of Daniel and Ezekiel● So the sums of 366, 31 and 1, make a complete Product of 398 years, which added to An. 1300 (the year in which the Ottoman Empire first saw light in the world) plainly demonstrates, that as the Turkish Empire began An. Christi 1300, so in An. 1698 shall be the fatal end and final downfall of the same. Thus it is evident, that as the downfall and captivity of the Jewish Nation fell in the building and birth of that City, which was afterward the fourth Monarchy; so in the burial and ruin of the same City and Monarchy shall be their conversion to the Gospel of truth, and the institution of the Fifth Monarchy; in which all power, and earthly magnificence must submit to the Kingdom of the Saints of God, and all Sceptres bow to the Authority of the Church of Christ.   

VIII.  

The common Objection of Divines against the V. Monarchy and the universal kingdom of the Gospel here upon Earth, drawn from the badness of the Times, Answered.  Against these former Assertions it is thus objected: That these are but the Dreams of idle-headedmen, considering the sad Method of the World in the continual increase of sin and wickedness, and degeneration of all sublunary things daily more and more to worse; and because our Saviour said, at his second coming he should scarce find faith upon Earth. But to this I answer; No time is God's time for the propogation of the Gospel, and enlargement of his Church, but in the Deluge of sin and inundation of impiety: then is his Power most manifest, when man is weakest; his Decrees most effectible, when we think him the furthest off; and his Providence nearest execution, then, when the world is most irregular, and incapable of a Reformation. When the Abominations and Paganismes of the old World had destroyed all true worship of God, and an 120 years of repentance did no good, then was God's time to separate the Wheat from the Chaff, and by saving of Noah's family to preserve a seed for the implantation of a new. So in the n●w World, when Idolatry had overspread all, the Judgement and Mercy of God most appeared in Abraham's Vocation, by selecting his Church from the rest of mankind, and continuing it above 2000 years in the House of Heber, the true Heir to Grace and Salvation. Thus was it in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha, in the Babylonish Captivity, in the Reformation by Luther, when all the world were become Apostates, God's Providence shone out brightest, and was most conspicuous in propagating Religion, maugre all the opposition the devil and the world could invent or de●ise: So shall it be in this prefixed time: though the world must degenerate more and more in civility and humanity; Christianity be eclipsed in a higher measure, and the true Worshippers of God decrease above what ever yet hath been done: though Protestantisme in many Coasts and Kingdoms shall be totally swallowed up of Popery and Mahumetanisme; more lamentable Wars and fearful Massacres rage through England, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and all European Monarchies, than we have yet beheld; and though some of these Kingdoms wholly revolt to Popery, others be lukewarm and at a stand, until An. 1686; yet all these shall but make way for the final Eradication of the enemies of the Church, and the glorious and wonderful Birth, and erection of the FIFTH MONARCHY UNIVERSAL, which by these pangs and sorrows of Christendom shall be brought forth about the time of the total conversion of the Jews. For the season is now come, when Judgement must begin (not at the Temple of Antichrist) but at the House of God; and what blood soever is shed upon the soil of the Church, shall be no other than fruitful showers and warm seasons, to make the Field of Christ more pregnant in production of that glorious Harvest of Saints, which shall cover the Earth. For as it shall be in the end of the World, this old, decrepit, and corrupt world must be purged and refined with the fire of the Lord, before there can be placed in stead thereof a new Heaven and a new Earth: So in the final Conclusion of the troubles of the Church, wars, Apostasies, alterations and changes in Kingdoms and States, the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gog and Magog, and all the enemies of Christ, the amputation of unprofitable Trees, and eradication of noxious Weeds out of the Garden of the Church, shall facilitate and prepare the way for the ingress of the Monarchy of the Gospel into the eyes of the world. Far wide therefore is the Surmise of those Christians, how this doctrine of the universal Regiment of the Church upon earth is a vainglorious and fantastic dream, considering the hopes of it now are small, and like to be lesser, because charity and devotion daily decreaseth: Nay rather this is the most evident sign that it speedily approacheth, because the malice of the devil with the corruption of mankind, hourly augmenteth and strives to stifle and prevent it. If God be known to be God by bringing light out of darkness, and manifesting his power in weakness; then certainly shall these wars and schisms among Christians, the barbarous invasions ●nd conquests of Turks and Tartars, the increasing Idolatry of the Western and Eastern Indians, be an Axe in the hand of God, to lop off all superfluous branches from his Vine, to make it overspread with nourishing fruit, the Globe of the whole Earth.   

IX.  

Certain Epigrams of Petrus Damiani of ●he ruin of Tu●k and Pope, etc. never yet before printed.  And that these are no novel Opinions, these following Testimonies may give sufficient evidence, Petrus Damiani flourished Anno 1060. a laborious Divine, an acute Philosopher, and a witty Poet. Gesner and other Bibliothecaries say nothing of him is extant. Yet I have seen in the Library of Trinity-college in Cambridge certain Latin Epigrams of his, Of the conversion of the Jews, Of the destruction of the world by fire in the last day, Of the ruin of Rome, and Of the last Judgement, which Latin Epigrams I find translated into English Stanza's in an old Manuscript of L. B. entitled The Dove.  

1. Of the Burning of the world by fire.  
Primum foedavit mundum scelcrata libido,  
Cujus quam ad coelum flammea massa venit,  
Diluvium immissum est, immensumque obruit orbem,  
Vt mala tanta pijs eluerentur aquis:  
O dira Ebrietas mundi faex prima secundi,  
Te opposita interiment atque elementa prement.  
justitiam Domini in cunctis sic cernimus acts,  
Vnda lavat venerem, pocula flamma bibet.   
Thus Englished.  

As the first world did first by lust offend,  
Whose burning rage to such a height did win,  
That God to quench the same a Flood did send,  
O Drunkenness, the second world's first sin!  
The course of Vice that Element must end,  
Which is opposed to that which did begin.  
In every thing God's justice we may spy,  
As Floods drown Lust, Flames Drunkenness must dry.   

2. Of the ruin of Rome.  
Effuge, Grex Christi, peccati à Gurgite diro.  
Cui meretrix odio est, atque corona triplex,  
Effuge, dum Tempus datur, & fera praelia cessane;  
Ne ut tu delitias, sic sua damna feras.  
Quum jam funestos Agnus superaverit hosts.  
Pingue gregique epulum militibusque dabit.  
Se mentem metet haec meretrix, quam sevit, eandem:  
jam Sathanae sedes, quae Domina orbis erat.   
Thus Englished.  

Fly, Faithful Christians, from that Sea of sin,  
Who hate the Whore, and the two-horned Beast;  
Fly, fly, in time before their griefs begin,  
Lest as their pleasures, so their plagues you taste.  
When once the Lamb the victory doth win,  
He of fat things will make his Flock a Feast.  
Who as she sowed, so shall she reap those evils,  
Once the world's Mistress, now a Cage of devils.   

3. Of the conversion of the Jews.  
Postquam Evangelium toto narretur in orbe,  
Fulget & ignotis nostris genitoribus oris,  
Quum Gentes Christum agnoscunt generalit●r 〈◊〉.  
Qu●s Deus aeter●●im aetherea dignabitur aulam.  
Tunc amplectetur verum Solynaea propago,  
Quod prius invidid tam aversabatur iniquam:  
Vltima Evangelium, Legem quae prima recepit.  
Quos d●cuit primos, postremos Christus habebit.   
Thus Englished.  

The Gospel once being preached in every place●  
To lands of which our Fathers could not tell,  
And when the Gentiles all are drawn to Grace,  
Which in the new Jerusalem should dwell.  
Then shall the stubborn Jews the Truth embrace●  
From which with such disdain they did rebel:  
Who first the Law, last shall the Gospel have,  
Christ whom he first did call, shall last receiv●.   

4. Of the last judgement.  
Indictum Tempus, quod totum territet orbem,  
Per praedicta homines signa monere solet.  
Praelia, Evangelium mundo vulgatur, adorant  
judaei Christum, cognita jam meretrix:  
Zelus hebet, Stellaeque cadunt, fera crimina regnant,  
Aegra fides languet, Daemonis ira furit:  
Vltima jam genus omne malorum buccina clangit,  
Supremamque diem signa tremenda notant.   
Thus Englished.  
That threatened time which must the world appall,  
Is that all may amend by signs foreshown.  
Wars rumoured are, the Gospel preached o'er all,  
The Jews convert, the Antichrist is known.  
Devil's rage, Vice reigns, Zeal cools, Faith fails, Stars fall,  
All sorts of plagues hath the last Trumpet blown.  
And by prodigious signs 'tmay plain appear,  
That of the Son of man the time draws near.  

Prophecies of Hieronymus Savanatola.  Thus by this great Divine living in the mistiest times of Popery, it may plain appear, that it was a received opinion that the total destruction of Rome, the conversion of the Jews, and the fifth Monarchy should precede the end of the world. And this is also confirmed by Hieronymus Savanarola (who died a Martyr at Florence, A. 1498.) whose Prophecies are extant in the works of Franciscus Mirandula. That in the last times Jews, Turks and Moors should be converted to Christ, a man like Cyrus with a numerous Army of true professors should come over the Alps and destroy Rome, and ruinate all the Kingdoms and States of Italy. That grievous Wars, Bloud-sheddings and Massacres should arise in the world by a Northern King for a happy Reformation, who should carry the Gospel out of Europe into a vast and unknown world in the end of time. That an Eastern King should blow the Trumpet of God from Tartary, which should reform all the Islands of the Indian Infidels. He likewise prophesied in particular of julio the second, of the troubles of the Duke of Mirandula, Of Luther's Reformation, Of the Persecutions of Merindol, Chabriers, Angrogne, the Valtolin●, and other places of France, all which most evidently came to pass.  

A Prophecy lately found in France, of the future ●st●te of the world till An. 1710.  Thirdly, A Prophecy of the estate and condition of the times unto the end of the world, was found written in Hebrew under the Foundation of the Church of S. Denis in France, A. 1616. by the Sexton of the place, as he digged for the erecting of a Monument for the Lord Teligni. He gave it unto the Pope's Nuncio (who rewarded him with 200 dollars for his pains) from him it was sent to the Cardinal of Bruges, who presented it unto the young K. Lewis XIII. It was written in parchment, and wrapped in lead in the form of an Heart: Hebrew numerical letters were set at the side of every Line, signifying in what Year of our Lord every accident should come to pass, and be manifested to the world. Out of Hebrew it was translated into Latin by johannes Parmarino Secretary to the said Cardinal.  
The Prophecy runs thus.  

Anno Christi. 1661. Obruit Italiam saevo Mars impius aestu.  
Anno Christi. 1665 Vnica sint Christo pascua, campus, oves.  
Anno Christi. 1666 Totum operit mundum terror & ira Dei.  
Anno Christi. 1667 Pauci jehovam venerantur.  
Anno Christi. 1678 Inclytus exurgit factis Heros.  
Anno Christi. 1686 Europa tremit: Asan urget metus.  
Anno Christi. 1693 Generalis Terrae motus ruit.  
Anno Christi. 1699 Agnoscunt omnes Gentes Deum.  
Anno Christi. 1700 Flumina siccentur ubique.  
Anno Christi. 1710 Pastor & Ecclesia unica.  
3 Alephs.   
The heat of war doth Italy surround,  
Let Christ's pasture be one, his sheep and ground.  
God's wrath and terror doth the world confound.  
But few that God do reverence.  
A Prince shall rise of eminence.  
Asia doth tremble, Europe shake.  
Now is a general Earthquake.  
All Nations God's knowledge partake.  
Rivers are dried every where.  
Pastor and Church only one are.  
By this Prophecy great troubles must arise in Italy within this small time, cruel wars afflicting every State thereof, which must be preparations to the eternal destruction and ruin of Rome the head City thereof: Rome can never be destroyed except Protestants lay aside their unnecessary civil contentions, which may (God so disposing) come to them about Anno 1665. After which great commotions are like to aris● in Europe, till a noble Hero arise, which shall quench those evils by employing Christians in mutual Leagues against the Turk. Suddenly after which comes troublesome days in Asia and afric. Then follows universal peace and quietness of Nations, prophesied of by Ezechiel and S. john in the Revelations, which must bring forth the purity and perfection of the Gospel over the whole Earth.   

X.  

The true Explanation of the Prophecy o● the continuance of ●he Turkish Empire, found in M. Fox's Act● and Mon●ment●, pag● 746.  Of how large an extent the Turkish Empire should be, how far it should prevail against Christendom, when it should be at the height, and whe● Christians should begin to cry quits with them by victories and conquests, is long since extant in ancient Prophecies. One whereof M. Fox in his first Volume of Acts and Monuments, pag. 746. antiq. edit. relates he found in the Persian language in a Manuscript of Bartholomary Georgienitz: the substance whereof in Latin is this.  
Imperator noster veniet, Ethnici Principes Regnum capiet, rubrum quoque pomum capiet, inque suam potestatem rediget.  
Quod si in septimum usque annum Christianorum gladius no● insurrexerit, u●que ad duodecimum annum eis dominabitur. Domos aedificabit, vineas plantabit, hortos sepibus muniet, liberos procreabit, & post duodecimum a●num Christianorum gladiu● apparebit, & Turcam quaque versum in fugam aget.  
Our Emperor shall come, he shall take the Kingdom of a heathen Prince, he shall also take the red apple, and subdue it to himself.  
But if the Christians sword shall not arise by the seventh year, he shall reign over them to the twelfth year, he shall build houses, plant vineyards, hedg● in Orchards, and beget children, and after the twelfth year shall the Christians sword appear, and put the Turk to flight on every side.  
M. Fox expounds these 12 years to be 12 Turkish Emperors prevailing against Christians, beginning at the first Emperor Ottoman An. 1300. and so Solyman the magnificent to be the twelfth Emperor, and the last that should prevail against Christians; who began his reign An. 1519. and died An. 1567. But I think rather it must begin at Mahomet the II. winning of Constantinople (called here rubrum pomum) An. 1452. and must end at the late Emperor Mahomet the IV. his death the last August, 1649. My reason is this: Other Emperors have prevailed against Christians, since Solyman the magnificent. For Selimus the II. his son wan Cyprus from the Venetians. Armurath III took the Fort Guiermo from the Hungarians, and his son Mahomet III took Agria in Hungary, and had he pursued his victory, had won that whole Kingdom in less than a year: So the late Mahomet is the 12 Emperor from Mahomet the II. and now ●fter his death shall the Turks prevail no more against Christians. For forty years ago that Kingdom was at a stand, and is declining to an eternal destruction. The sword of the Christians shall now arise and prevail against the Turks ●ill An. 1696. when the converted Jews shall gather head to overcome them in a bloody pitched field, and root out their name from off the Earth. By this young Emperor's decease without issue, the Ottoman Line is extinct, and none left. One Sultan Hali (a Persian by birth) is now Steward of the Ottoman house, and the Crim-Tartar by old composition and agreement layeth claim to the Turkish Empire, which at present is in combustion because of this. And though above 200000 Turks are in the Field, with an intent (as is thought) to invade Germany, yet if Christians could but leave o●● their unnecessary divisions, they might soon ruinate the Turkish Empire. For since Armurath IV. his death, An. 1642. (who began to reign, An. 1623.) all the time of this late Mahomet's reign, since there hath been continual contentions and massacres amongst the Turks, the Jannizaries eluding and despising the young and weak Emperor, which terrified the Mufti and the Bassa's sore, because they had a prophecy, that as a Mahomet wan Constantinople, so a Mahomet should lose it again to the Christians. However the matter goes for the present, 
A Prophecy of the year 1●98, found in the study of Iust●● Lypsi●● ●  the year 1698 shall be fatal both to them and to the Pope in both their ruins, and the beginning of the comparative felicity of the Church of God, as may be further manifested by an excellent Prophecy, which the learned Erasmus received from Reuchliws, and was found in the study of justus Lypsius by janus Douza the younger, running thus.  
Post mille expl●tos à partu Virginis annos,  
Et post sexcentos rursus ab orbe datos,  
Nonagefimus octavus mirabilis annus  
Ingruet, is secum gaudia laeta faeret.  
Corruet hoc anno Turcarum i●visa propago;  
Roma, tuum in libris fabula nomen ●rit.  
Omnia tunc mundi sursum ibunt atque retrorsum  
Imperiae, ut populus sceptra novella premant:  
Vtque suum cunct as Verbum diffundat in oras.  
Christus, & imperitet nomine ubique suo.  
Thus Englished.  
Six thousand years from Virgin's birth expired,  
Six hundred after that acquired,  
The famous ninety eighth year shall come on,  
Full of great Contentation.  
This year the Turkish hateful race shall rue,  
Rome shall a fable be, not true.  
Then shall be tossed all Kingdoms of the World,  
And into a new Kingdom hurled:  
That into all coasts Christ his Word may spread,  
And be alone the People's Head.   

XI.  
The two Books of Esdras are thought (and that by none of the least learned, 
A true Exposition of a Esdr. 11. c●●.  as Augustine, Hierome, Ambrose, Tostatus, Scaliger the elder, Melan●thon, Arrias Montanus, Bucer, and Bibliander) to be Canonical, because of the most evident fulfilling of many predictions in them contained. In the 11 chap. of the second of those Books, there is under the type of an Eagle, a manifest prophecy both of the Roman Heathenish Empire, as likewise of the Papacy with her chief Leagurers to this present time throughout the whole Chapter. This Eagle is that Roman Heathenish Empire; her twelve feathered wings are the twelve first Emperors from julius Cesar to Nerva Cocceius. The three Heads are the three Kingdoms of France, Spain and Germany, preordained of God to uphold and maintain the power of her pride, when all her wings (her heathenish and tyrannical Caesar's) should fail her. Nevertheless, under her 12 first Caesar's are comprehended in general all the Emperors which reigned in her from julius Cesar (who first cracked the strings of her liberty) to Augustulus Momyllus (her last Roman Cesar) for the space of 474 years. Her 8 contrary feathers are the 8 terrible Inundations of several Nations from the North (God's scourges) which overwhelmed her fairest Provinces, sunk her State in blood, and by fire and sword humbled her as low as the dust she trod on; viz. 1 Alaricus and his West-Gothes, 2 Attilas and his Huns, 3 Gensericus and his Vandals, 4 Odoacer, 5 Theodoricus and his East-Goths, 6 Totilas and his Spaniards, 7 Alboinus and his Longobards (who deposed her diminutive Cesar Augustulus Momyllus) 8 and lastly, the intestine homebred Faction and Conspiracy, which proved more pernicious than the rest (as all included diseases are the worst) which in the reigns of Otho the Great, Otho III, and Frederique TWO, so often strove to eradicate the Papal Superiority, and re-edify her S.P.Q.R. buried so many ages ago out of the ruins of the City. The Head in the midst is the German Empire, begun An. 801 on Christmas day, by Charles the Great, which though vers. 32. it long did and yet doth put the Earth in great fear, yet vers. 33. must vanish in an instant, as did the Wings, and come to nought. The German Empire thus destroyed, vers. 35. The Head on the right side (the Kingdom of Spain) must devour the Head on the left side, which is the Kingdom of France. Therefore it is manifest, That the Kingdom of France, though now it flourisheth in what Glory and Magnificence Earth can afford, must ere long be humbled by the power of Spain, with many Discomfitures, and brought to doleful straits and great perplexities. I myself have observed one remarkable Adjunct of that Kingdom in particular, how that year (in which the Figures of the Golden Number were equal to the Figures of the year of Christ) hath ever proved fatal to that Monarchy for War, Bloodshed, Pestilence and Famine. It was so with them from An. 1570 to An. 1576. in all which seven years, the Guisian faction made lamentable havoc of the Church of God and the Kingdom; so shall it be in that year in which the final Tragedy of that Kingdom shall be acted, six years after which France shall be no more. But when that shall be, no sign of Europe shall remain, nor remembrance where the walls of Rome stood. The LION (which vers. 37. and chap. 12. v. 31. came roaring out of the Wood speaking to the Eagle, and rebuking her for her wickedness) is the WIND which the most high God hath kept for Rome and her wickedness till the end, even the LION OF THE NORTH (of which you shall hear anon a Prophecy of the true Merlin) which shall reprove the Roman Empire, and cast before her her spoils; he shall set her alive in Judgement, rebuke and correct her, and deliver the residue of God's people by Afflicton which are preserved upon his borders and make them joyful until the day of Judgement. In the 13 Chapter, Esdras beholds a vision of a man rising out of the Sea, and devouring the multitudes of fighters that came against him, neither with sword, spear nor any instrument of War, but only with the fire and storm that came out of his mouth; which is Christ the son of man, who through a sea of bloody persecutions and tribulations propagated his Gospel over the Earth, confounding and devouring the multitudinous Pagans and Idolaters fight against Christians, by the invincible force of the Gospel. After a long time of the obstinate wilfulness and fullness of the Gentiles, he shall call to himself another peaceable multitude, vers. 12, 40. even the whole Nation of the Jews, out of Armenia, Tartary, and the Eastern India, whom God shall defend and convert to the Gospel, when he shall destroy all other Nations upon Earth. These are called the peaceable People, because after the conversion of the Jews, shall come that Ministerial Monarchy of the Church over the whole World; that peaceable and still Time, when all Kingdoms under heaven shall forget fight one against another, Wars shall cease in all the World, and swords and spears shall be beaten into Plowshares and pruning hooks. When the seventh Angel blew the Trumpet, Luther began his Reformation, than it is, when the Multitude stood before the Lamb, and sung the new song of Moses; and then nevertheless is but the vail only of the Tabernacle opened in heaven, and a great cloud and smoke covered that Glory. But it must be 180 years after, when the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and those be destroyed that destroyed the Earth. For then and not till then shall the Temple of God be fully opened in Heaven, and the Ark of his Testament (the very same model, which God showed to Moses in the Mount) shall be seen in jerusalem, not in a Tabernacle, but in that Temple, which the power of God shall make. Then shall lastly, the four Beasts, the Elders, with all the Angels of Heaven, and all the creatures of Heaven and Earth, and of the Sea and under the Earth fall down before the Throne, and give glory, honour, blessing and praise unto him that sitteth on the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever, and the four Beasts shall say, Amen.   

XII.  
I have heard many Jews discoursing of this their glorious Restauration and Religion to come. 
Evidences out of Scripture that the ten Tribes shall be brought out of Tartary & India, and converted to the Gospel, as well as our Western jews.  They say, they never possessed (no not in the time of David and Solomon, when their Kingdom was largest) an half of that which God promised in Deuteronomy and joshua. Indeed it is said in joshua, No good thing failed of what God promised, but this is to be understood of their peaceable settlement in what joshua then conquered, not of the utmost boundders of what they were to possess towards the end of Time. From Euphrates to the red Sea, all the Coasts on the West to the great Mediterranean Sea, with Tyrus and Sydon, on the North Hemath and Cel●syria, even in length from L●banon to Egypt, was to be the confines of this sacred Commonwealth. Now if we consider, what a Moiety of this was possessed by Lot, Ammon, Esau, the Kings of Tyrus and Sidon, the Philistines with Syria, we may plainly see, that more than an half was never their own, of what God promised. In confidence of possessing which, and all the world beside in time to come, in their great Hosanna they shake Palms in their hands, in triumph towards the four coasts of heaven, to intimate that in their universal Empire every tree of the wood shall clap hands, and sing for joy. It is strange, and makes me give more credit to Esdras then otherwise I would, to see how pat he goes with our Saviour Christ, in affirming the second Captivity of the Jews to be long, and that their return should be about the ruin of the Roman Empire. He relates how the ten Tribes (soon after their Captivity by Salmanasser) traveled through a great River or strait (perhaps the Streits of Anian) in a long journey of many months or years to a Country not inhabited. Yea many good Authors, who write of the Histories of America, relate how the Maxicans have a Tradition (delivered from father to son, time out of mind) of a great multitude coming a great journey into those parts with an Ark carried before them on men's shoulders, with their God enclosed therein. These people certainly were Jews, from whom they learned Circumcision (which our travellers find in most of their Coasts) with other Rites of Tribes, Heads of Tribes and Families, with some handsome Ceremonies of Marriages, Funerals and Washings, directly the same with the Jews or Israelites. But to prove, that the Israelites were first placed in Media and Carmania, and from thence removed into India, 
A large Discourse of a probable conjecture that the ten Tribes of Israel were placed by Salmanasser in Arme●ia and Media, & that from thence they passed into Tartary, and so into India.  let us return a little back, and survey Scriptures and some approved Authors. When Salmanasser King of Assyria carried the ten Tribes into Captivity (in the fifth year of the reign of Hezekiah King of judah) he was a Prince of spacious Dominions and invincible forces, as comprising within his Empire all Media and Persia, Mesepotamia, Assyria, all Arabia and Ethiopia inferior to the confines of Egypt, all Syria and Palestine (save only the poor exhausted Kingdom of judah) and last Armenia with all the Coasts bordering upon the Caspian and Euxine sea, as far as Tartary. By this it will be hard to define in which Province of his Empire he placed them, out of his Dominions we may well think he would not abandon them. In the 2 King. 17.6. it is said that he placed them in Hala and Habor by the River of Gozan, and in the Cities of the Medes. Which Hala (or rather Chala) and Habor by affinity of pronunciation, can be no other than Col●hies and Iberia, two Provinces of Armenia, the first bordering upon the Euxine, the latter upon the Caspian sea and the confines of the Tartars. East of Armenia lies Media, in the Cities of which, a great part of the Israelites were likewise placed to inhabit. North of Armenia is the entrance into those immense and indiscoverable Nations of Muscovites and Tartars, the utmost limits of whose Kingdoms were never yet fully known. The chief River of which Countries arising far beyond the Hyperborean Territories, after a wearisome travel through many Nations and Provinces, disburthens itself at last into the Caspian sea, at the very entrance into Armenia, where it is called Zolga (though our Mariners call it Wolga) which is nothing else but a Metathesis or a bad pronunciation of the word Gozan. So that that saying of Ben-Gorion is true (if that Manuscript be his which Gallo-Belgicus fathers upon him, yet visible in Bibliothecâ Florentinâ) Salbumadzar (saith he) rex Assyrius, exciso Samariae regno, decem illas Tribus, quae à divino cultu tandiu ante desciverant ad Idololatriam, abductas in Captivitatem conlocavit in Fasso, Alvati, Loride, & Bascapante civitatibus Colchidos & Iberiae Arm●nicarum provinciarum, & in Ecbatan● & Bocchu urbibus Mediae juxta Pontum Euxinum, & mare Caspium. Thus by the testimony of this great Rabbi it is manifest that the Opinion of those men is fond who think the ten Tribes to be utterly lost; thus likewise is it plain that the Jews Conversion must first a●ise out of the East, and that Fassum, Alvatis, Loris, and Bascapan Cities of Colchis and Iberia, and Ecbatana and Bocchu Cities of Media were the places, where Salmanasser (called here Salbumadzar) placed these Israelites in name, but Pagans in nature. And john Lunclay in his Pandects of the Turkish History, fol. 769. writes, how there are certain Hoards (Troops or Families) of people near the more Northern parts of Tartary, which retain the names of Dan, Z●bulun and Nepthali, and in the vicinity of Rega there is a certain barbarous Nation of Letti, which for three months in the year perpetually wander up and down the fields, having these words Iure-shel●-mashalom continually in their mouth, as a kind of lamentable tune or mournful Ditty: by which words Authors credibly suppose are meant Jerusalem and Damascus the two head cities of Judah and Israel. He that diligently reads the history of these X. Tribes in Scripture, after their revolt from the house of David, and combination with I●roboam in erecting Idolatry, may see that they were a Nation quickly overgrown with Heathenism, cruelty, and barbarousness, wholly become abominable Pagans in nature, manners, life, condition and conversations; as if they had had Numa Pomphilius to their Father, and not Abraham the faithful: they only kept Circumcision and the names of their Progenitors in remembrance, but had quite forgotten the Stories of their religion and piety, thence it came to pass that in this their Captivity, being transported and implanted among those Nations, they quickly conjoined and counited with them in marriage and affinity (being already long before coupled with them in Idolatry) and so ceased to be called Israelites, but being now all one people, were called by the names of Armenians and Medes. That these Israeltes likewise inhabited part of Tartary, and from thence spread into India and the East, and that they likewise possessed a part of the Caucasian Mountains mingled with a people, which Herodotus calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a word not unakin to Turk's) is manifest by these undeniable Reasons.  
1. Because the Colchians, Iberians, and a great part of Tartary used Circumcision in most ancient times, long before the building of Rome, which they could not have received from any people else but from these Israelites, who 30. years before the foundation of Rome were sent to inhabit among them.  
2. The Crim-Tartars derive their Progeny from Samson (hence so many of them have been called Camson, an obscure Notion of Samson) and in imitation of him wear long hair; which could not have been, except they had had their Original from those people from whom they had the memory of Samson.  
3. The names likewise of Moses, Aharon, Cham, Selim, or Solyman (a vicious Pronunciation of Shlemo or Solomon) were proper names of men amongst the Turks long before ever they broke into Asia. Now what times the Turks first broke into Asia, Chronologers agree not among themselves: Some say they broke through the Caspian Streits into Armenia major (now Turcomannia) An. 844. But I rather suppose their first Irr●ption into Asia was 20. years after the death of Alexander the great, about An. M. 3718. when the Parthians shook off the Macedonian yoke, and began their Empire: for in those times we read in Mela, Pliny and Herodotus, that a barbarous and savage people from the North had invaded and possessed Carmania, which could be no other than this Nation of the Turks. Thus it is plainly manifest, that when these Israelites passed into America, they left a great part of their Brethren behind them in Asia, Tartary, and India. Millions of them are in Persia, and their domineering at this present day in Carmania, is rightly observed by Benjamin the Jew in Eyre, by M●rcator, Ortelius, and other Geographers.   

XIII.  

Other excellent Proofs of the future conversion and Monarchy of the jews,  Abraham was told in Genesis, His seed must thrice be like Dust, and then afterward like Stars (Stars not for multitude, but for Piety and Glory) once in Egypt; secondly in Babel; thirdly throughout the world in the Roman Empire, and afterward in the beginning of the FIFTH MONARCHY must enlighten the whole world with the Glory of God. And the Jews themselves have an ancient tradition, That they must have two Messiahs; 
1 From Abraham ●  The first should come about what time the Government was taken from judah; he should lay the Foundation of their Redemption, afterwards be betrayed, crucified, and die by their own hands, and leave them in a doleful plight in the jaws of destruction by the Gentiles: him they called Ben-Ioseph or Ben-Ephraim, alluding to sorrowful joseph, who endured so much hardship, being sold by his brethren into Egypt, and estranged from his father's house; and to the unfortunate Attempt of the Tribe of Ephraim (soon after that barbarous Edict of murdering male Infants came forth) to deliver themselves and the Israelites by force of Arms from Pharaoh some 12 years before the Birth of Moses; when Pharaoh levying an huge Army, made fearful slaughters of them, forcing them to return to their old obedience, of which you may read in Psal. 78.9. In this doleful misery they should remain so long till their second Messiah came and delivered them from the hands of all their enemies, restored them to their native Land of judea, and reigned over th●m in equal fame and prosperity with David their father. Him therefore they call Ben-David.  

2 From Isaac.  Secondly, Isaac was mo● ways then in his Immolation a figure of Christ. He had two sons Esa● and jacob, of whom it is said, The Elder shall serve the younger● Edom (which Jews interpret to be the Roman Christian Church, the Firstborn to Christ from Isaac) must come to serve the younger, The jewish converted Church in the end of time, when it is once come up.  
Thirdly, 
3 From jacob.  jacob a Type of Christ in his Descent to Egypt had two wives, Leah a Type of the visible Church of carnal Jews using and leaning upon ceremonious shadows in stead of the true sacrifice from Moses to the end of the second Temple: as likewise of the Church of the Gentiles, which from the Ascension of Christ was to continue in vicissitudinary fortune to its end, full 1668 years. Thus Leah was blear-eyed, but fruitful in her posterity, yet not so acceptable and lovely in the eyes of her husband as Rachel (a Type of the glorious Jewish Church in the end of Monarchies) who was to be many days barren, even from the end of the second Temple, till Anno 1683, then brings forth joseph, leaves her father's idolatrous house, within a few years after travels again, and brings forth the staff of Jacob's old age with the loss of her own life.  
Fourthly, 
4 From the New Testament, Act. 1.  That the Jews were to have a temporal Monarchy in the end of the Roman Empire, is evident likewise out of the New Testament. In the first of Acts our Saviour Christ's Disciples showed how greatly the Jews expected for this time, when their Messiah should deliver them from the yoke of the Romans, and restore them to their temporal Kingdom in judea; as likewise how near they thought the season and period to be in our Saviour's time, when they came to him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel? Our Saviour in his Answer doth not deny but that such a time was to be, when the Jews should be restored to their temporal Kingdom in their own Land (which should exceed david's and solomon's in magnificence, and should extend over the whole world) but only blames and checks his Apostles for enquiring of that which neither was needful for them to know, neither should be in their days; as likewise for being too inquisitive in the times and seasons when it should be, and was to begin, Which (said he) the Father hath put in his own power. And whoso reads Host 3.4, 5. the four last Chapters of Zechary, Mich. 7.15, 16, 17. Esa. 2.2, 3, 4. and Chapter 27. 12, 13. with jer. 24.6, 7. with divers other passages in Scripture, may plainly see that neither solomon's house nor the Maccabees ever obtained their full propriety, nor were those Prophecies of their universal Sovereignty ever fulfilled in the Old Testament.  
Fifthly, 
5 From Moses Song, Deut. 32.  The Song of Moses in the 32. of Deuteronomy, is clear, that many and great afflictions shall befall them in the latter days, even all the time of their first Messiah, and the Roman Empire. No Jew in the world ever expounded otherwise from the 36. verse to the 43. of that Song. And to this place they refer their afflictions which they have, and shall suffer all the time of the Roman Empire till their Restauration. There is but few of them now, but will confess that their Messiah Ben-Ioseph, is come already, but their Ben-David is yet hid in the depth of the Sea, and will arise from thence about the final end of the destruction of the Gentiles.  
Sixthly, 
6 From the history and life of joseph  The life of joseph in Genesis hath in it more than History. At 17. years of age he was sold by his Brethren, and stood before Pharaoh to expound him his Dreams at thirty. So he lived above 12. years in misery and irons. And for those 12. years' God rewarded him with 80. years of government in and over all the land of Egypt. His brethren came and bowed to him according to his Dream of the sheaves; his father also was inferior and subjected to him as he was Viceroy in the government of Egypt: and was nourished and maintained by him according to his second Dream of the Sun, Moon, and the eleven Stars crouching and making obeisance. Though his Brethren pitied him not in the anguish of his soul, yet he forgiveth and preserveth them in Egypt, and at their deliverance thence marcheth triumphantly before them to Canaan in his Coffin. But yet nevertheless jacob was to stay in Canaan, and joseph was to be unknown to his Brethren till Egypt be destroyed by Famine, and yield if self to joseph. And the bon●s of joseph too must stay in Egypt till 600000 men besides women and children be delivered them by the hands of Moses and Aaron. No departure from Egypt, no passage through the Red-Sea without the bones of joseph. Edom in the days of Moses, and Babylon in daniel's time suffered the severest punishments God could inflict upon a people, and all for afflicting Eber. And here is a mystery not so observed as observable in Scripture. As Egypt was broken before the first Tabernacle was set up by Moses: as Edom was harrowed by David before the first Temple was erected by Solomon: and thirdly, as Babel was Brought to nothing by Cyrus before the second Temple was built by Zorubbabel and I●hoshuah: so shall both Edom and Babel, Turk, Pope, and all Monarchies in the Earth be brought to dust, before the third Temple be built by the converted Jews in their native Land of judea and jerusalem. jerusalem now inhabited by Turks and heretical Christians shall at that time be purged from filth, and be the only Receptacle of the children of God. But when that time shall be, I have abundantly shown in the Sections before. And in that season shall Benjamin be sent down from his good father in the power of his right arm, and joseph (even Ben-Ioseph) shall make himself known to his Brethren, who did hate him, shoot at him, cast him into the pir, and delivered him to the Gentiles. Which excellent Parallels of joseph and Christ are fully explained in the Massorch, Zoar, and in Rabbi-Asse, besides Ezechiel and S. john in the Revelations. Notwithstanding in citing these Jewish Traditions, I would not be mistaken, as if I maintained a second descension of our Saviour Christ from Heaven, as the Millenaries do; or that the Jews must have him come personally dowm from heaven to destroy the whole world, and restore them to their Land of judea, I mean no such thing. God hath other means to bring his purposes to pass then, by sending his Son Christ to sojourn the second time upon earth. A second Moses, yet a King, must work all this for them: yet not a Moses of their own blood, but a Captain from the North; who shall work the works of God in righteousness, and make peace like a mighty stream overflow the whole earth. 
What uses Protestant's ought to make of this blessing of the conversion of the Iews●    

XIV.  
The consideration of these future great blessings of God towards this Nation of the Jews, and in them to all the world in the advancement of the Gospel; as likewise the laying to heart the grievous calamities which have so long tossed the Kingdoms and Free-states of Europe, 
Description of the four Monarchies.  should move all men with repentance to prepare themselves to meet those great and fearful mutations which God is bringing upon all the European Coasts of the world. Historians have made their four Monarchies according to the rise or fall of several particular Nations. 1. Assyrians. 2. Persians. 3. Grecians. and 4. Romans: but this is a lame Division, and comes far short of that transcendent Metamorphosis of humane affairs, which (by comparing of Histories, observation of new Stars and Comets of late, with the consideration of the manners and conditions of the sons of men) we may easily perceive must within these few years be brought upon the world. The learned Mathematicians and Philosophers (who have more throughly searched into the secrets of Astrology) rightlier place their four Monarchies according to the four coasts of Heaven. 1. The Eastern Monarchy of the Assyrians. 2. The two Southern Monarchies of the Persians and Grecians, bounded within the circumference of 3600 miles, or 11 degrees of latitude. 3. The Western Monarchy of the Romans. 4. and lastly, the Northern Monarchy (but in right account the fifth) must be of the Northern LION, which to the amazement of Christendom, shall arise from the Northern Sea, and pitch his Tents in the ashes of the Eastern and Western Monarchies. But now having made mention so oft of this V. Monarchy in this Pamphlet, 
Reasons of the V. Monarchy.  I think it meet to produce two or three Reasons of the truth and certainty of it, deduced out of the holy Scriptures and humane Authority.  
First, The Jews have a Tenet among them, That their Messias must not come in the Flesh till the destruction of the fourth Monarchy in Daniel, which is the Roman: and so will not believe Christians professing him to be come already: but say, this coming is deferred till the Roman Empire be totally abolished; which because it is not nor must be yet, they will not believe he hath appeared. But the Jews are deceived in this, for Dan. 2.44. and 7.9, 22. the Incarnation of our Saviour Christ was promised to be in the very nick of the constitution and establishment of the Roman Empire, and not after the ruin of it (which was performed accordingly) else should there have been six Monarchies before the end of the world. For the dispersion and rejection of the Jews, the revelation of Antichrist with the Fullness of the Gentiles, was prophesied to be accomplished in the fourth Monarchy, all which we see are punctually fulfilled. None of which should yet have come to pass, if our Saviour Christ was not to be incarnate before the end of the Roman Empire. Therefore as the rejection of the Jews with these other signs and things was to be in the fourth Monarchy; so their conversion and remission into the Church, and the glorious estate of the Gospel upon earth must be in another fifth Monarchy, which is yet to come.  
Secondly, So many Empires as are comprised in Nebuchadnezars Image (Dan. 2.) must come to pass before the end of the World: But five Monarchies are comprehended in that Image, Erg●. The major is manifest, The minor is thus proved: Nabuchadnezzar himself was the Golden Head of this Image, as he was in another respect the Feet of the old decrepit Assyrian Monarchy, which by his Chaldean Empire and the ruin thereof (which was approaching) should totally be annihilated. The Arms and Breasts of Silver are the Empire of the Medes and Persians. The Belly of brass is the Empire of the Grecians by Alexander the Great. Lastly, the Iron Legs and the Clay Toes depictured the Roman Empire, with the present declining House of Austria, and the breathless Papacy. Therefore the Stone cut without Hands which broke this Image in pieces, and became a Mountain and filled the Earth, must be understood (as I touched before) of a Fifth Monarchy yet to come, in which, by the Conversion of the Jews and fullness of the Gentiles the Gospel shall shine in majesty over all Kingdoms upon Earth.  
Thirdly, If the rejection and dispersion of the Jews were to be in the fourth Monarchy, as is apparent by Gen. 49.10. and Numb. 24.24. then was their conversion not to be till the beginning of the fifth, and towards the end of the World, as is manifest by the Apostle, Rom. 11.25. But the first is true and therefore the latter also.  
Fourthly, the conversion and restauration of the Jews to their ancient Inheritances in the holy Land (which Ezekiel hath so largely described in his twelve last Chapters) and the glorious felicity of the Gospel of Christ proceeding from their conversion, must either be in the fourth Monarchy, or not until the fifth. But in the fourth Monarchy it cannot be, for among the Turks the Jews are kept in extreme slavery, Idolatry and ignorance: and under the Papacy they are not permitted to use the new Testament (by which only they must be saved) and besides they are so enraged against Christianity, by the Papists Image-worship, that there is a flat impossibility (much less any hopes) of their conversion, so long as either the Turkish Empire or the Papacy stands in force. Ergò their conversion and restauration cannot be, till both Turk and Pope eternally be destroyed, and so the fourth Monarchy finally ended.  

Prophecies of the LION of the North.  Thus having delivered the reasons of a fifth Monarchy, I come to describe the LION of the North, as I find it in an ancient Prophecy of the true Merlin, and by Grebner.  

1 Of the true Merlin in K. Lucius days, An. Ch. 130.  First of Merlin. Many Scholars have often disputed what Merlin should be, who he was, what time he lived in, whether those Prophecies be true, and his, which go under his name, or not: how he came by them, and lastly, what reckoning is to be made of them. Of every of which somewhat. It hath fared with Merlin, as with Tostatus in Spain, and many Learned in our times; who for the eminency of their Learning, and approbation of their writings, became so famous, that Pedlar Authors fathered bastared ware upon them in every corner for easier vent. Merlin's there were several of old; one a Welshman in the days of Edgar the Monarch, of an austere living and Monkish conversation. He lived for the most part in the Isle of Anglesey, where he had familiarity and acquaintance with the Bards and Druids then not wholly extinct, who had incomparable skill in Divination by Birds, and other kind of Magic. He was an excellent ginger and a great Chemist: so that many think those Prophecies, that are like his, to be deducted from no more than natural reason. All those Prophecies which I have seen of his (some of which I have) I cannot see how they smell any whit of a prophetic spirit; they speak him a great Scholar in Astrology, but no Prophet. But there was living in K. Lucius days another Merlin (called the first) a Scottish man, and he is the true Merlin, and if any Prophecies could be found of his, great credit was to be given to them. He was a great friend of K. Lucius himself, and his daily companion. Of his there is but one Prophecy extant, which I found in that ancient Chronicle of Nennius of Bangor of the Saxons (who yet lives in Manuscript) K. Lucius being as yet unconverted from Paganism to Christianity, would needs join in confederacy with Santoline a King of the Scutti (now Scots) to raise war against the Roman Emperor; to which purpose he asked council of Merlin what he should do in this matter; who earnestly dehorted him from his purpose; and in the end prevailed. Merlin prophesied to him, That within less than a sesquidecumane period of time, the Eagles head should be cloven in two; one part whereof Agar should burn with fire, and japhet the other after the grand revolution of days. Mark (O King) saith he, and consider, Samothea shall be quickly overflown with a vagabond Army of an unknown Original, spewed out of a land toward the East, which a flood from the North shall quickly possess. I know thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart; thou seekest Friendship from a people, whose weakness shall be thy glory, and their greatness thy ruin. A squadron of Fishers are risen up from the East, which shall ascend unarmed upon the world without spear and shield, to whom all Nations shall in time obey. They shall destroy the Temples of thy Gods (O Lucius) and convert them to the service of their eternal King, who only can rescue from the grave, and deliver from the snares of death. Behold I see a great Sun arise insensibly upon us Brittanes! But (woe is me!) what black seas of darkness, and rivers of blood pursue after it? Hast thou not heard of the valiant Angles, of barbarous Neustria, of yonder terrible Picts thy perfidious enemies? These shall overflow thy Land, and possess the Cities thereof, till the old age of Empires, and Government shall flow upon the world. Illis autem temporibus revolutis, Cauda Virginis Leonem intrabit, & Sagittarii dorsum Scorpius ascendet. Borcalia Regna à Messoribus obterentur, Australes Principatus in statum pulvereum d●●ine●t, & insulanarum Monarchiarum potestates sine fraeno aut milite ephippiabuntur; bella atrocia ventis dissipabúntur, & pessum ibunt judiciali grandine, quae per baculum ortum habuerunt, per spuri●s juventutem. Sol ipse tympanizabit miniato clamyde indutus, & Luna cineritiis cothur●is ad nundinas tolutabit. Rides, O Rex? At quibus haec supervenient, luctu & maerore contabescent. Haec omnia vix plenè peragentur, qu●m Princeps regali origine coronatus ex Borealibus plagis proveniet, suis inexpectatus, alienigenis desideratus; qui ●ò quòd L●one feroci●nte in●ignietur, Leo nuncupabitur, Non conquiescet, donec Synodo per eum convocat● minisque dissolutâ, victricia arma in hosts transferat, & lamentabili successu vicinorum Principum ditiones pessundet. Alexandrum Magnum virtute, Cyrum felicitate superabit: freta transnavigabit; à multis regibus Imperator sal●tabitur; & Urbem quandam vetustam solo aequabit. Intereà ex Oriente Princeps bellipotens illum praelio lacesse●, contrà quem Leo cum omnibus copiis procedet, & ●is Euphratem positis castris illum expectabit. Si Princeps flumen transibit, Leo superabitur; at ipse exercitu fluvium transducto hostem cruento conflictu superabit, & universum Orientem in potestatem rediget. Dum haec agentur, complures Reguli ex India in Suriam cum ingentibus irrumpent excercitibus, & circà vallem Iehosaphat praeliabundi Leonem opperibunt, ubi ab ipso ad internecionem omnes delebuntur. Nec multò post, Leo ipse fatis concedet, postquàm regnum Transfugarum mirand● pietate in perpetuum fundavit. Those times being past, the tail of the Virgin shall enter the Lion, and Scorpio shall ascend the back of Sagittary: The Northern Kingdoms shall be wasted by Reapers, the Southern Principalities shall end in dust, and the powers of the Iland-Monarchies without either bridle or soldier shall be harnessed. Cruel wars shall be scattered by the winds, and quelled by a revengeful hail, whose beginning were by a staff, their growth and continuance by bastards. The Sun itself shall play on the timbrel clad with a vermilion coat, and the Moon with done buskins shall amble to the fair. Laughest thou, O King? But those on whom these things shall come, for grief and sorrow shall pine away. All these things shall scarce be accomplished, when a Prince of royal stock shall come forth crowned from the Northern parts, as to his own people unexpected, but desired by foreigners, who because he shall bear a Rampant Lion, shall therefore be called a Lion. He shall not rest, till having called a Synod and after dissolved it by threats, he shall advance his conquering arms against his enemies, and by woeful success shall harrase the territories of neighbour Princes. He shall exceed Alexander the Great in virtue, and Cyrus in success. He shall pass the seas and be saluted Emperor by many Kings: A certain ancient City shall he lay even with the ground. In the mean while a powerful Prince out of the East shall provoke him to battle, against whom the Lion shall march with all his forces, and pitching his Camp on this side Euphrates, shall expect him. If the Prince shall come over the river, the Lion shall be overcome: but he shall pass his army over the river, and give his Enemy a bloody defeat, and be master of all the East. While these things are in action, divers petty Kings from India shall break into Syria with mighty armies, and provided for battle shall wait for the Lion about the valley of jehoshaphat, where they shall by him be all wholly cut off. Not long after shall the Lion himself decease, after that with eminent piety he shall have established the Kingdom of fugitives. This is all that is extant of this former Merlin, whose glorious works and inestimable Prophecies are utterly lost to the great detriment of learning.  

2 Of Grebner's  Not much unlike this, is that of Greb●er, Ban. 73. Europae labes & imbecillitas singulorum ejusdem Regnorum sedem mirabilitèr struet QVINTAE MONARCHIAE, quae sub tempus exitii Imperii Romani ad terrorem totius mundi ex ruinis Germaniae refulgebit. Haec triennii spatio caetera Europae regna aut vi perdomitabit, aut belli metu ad soci●tatem perpellet: quò universalem Ligam & Unionem omnium Protestantium e●●ici●t sub specie bellum Poloniae inferendi, re autem verâ Imperium Austriacum Italiamque invadendi. Nec eum spes fefellerit. Nam circà hoc tempus SECTA quaedam manachorum adeò abominabilis, obscaena, & seditiosa in Papat●s si●● orictur; ut compellet tam Protetestantes quam Italiae Principes extremum Romae exitium moliri.  
The corruption of Europe, and the weakness of her several Kingdoms shall strangely make way for the FIFTH MONARCHY, which about the time of the fall of the Roman Empire to the terror of the whole world shall appear out of the ruins of Germany. She within three years shall either subdue by force the rest of the Kingdoms of Asia, or for fear of war shall bring them to a league, whereby she shall conclude an universal confederacy, under colour of making war against Polonia, but in deed to invade the Austrian Empire and Italy. Neither shall her hope fail her: For about this time a certain SECT of Monks shall arise in the bosom of the Papacy, so abominable, obscene and seditious; that it shall urge both the Protestants and Princes of Italy to endeavour the utter subversion of Rome.  
Thus having showed the Seat and Certainty of this V. Monarchy; I come to declare what People or Kingdom in Europe shall obtain and rule it, 
Who shall be King of this V Monarchy.  and whose it shall solely be. Of the European Christians two several Kingdoms long since, and of late have mainly striven for the FIFTH MONARCHY.  
First, 
Not the Spaniard.  The Kingdom of Spain hath always for a matter of 170 years ago by incorporating itself with the House of Austria, and the most potent Families of Germany and Italy by strange Marriages and odd medleys laboured extremely to bring all Europe under her Wings, that so she might become the glorious Sun of the West. On the other side, the Swede of late by keeping an high hand over the King of Poland, and fixing his glorious Trophies of Conquest in all corners of Germany; hath brought the Emperor to so low an ebb, and hath of late become so terrible to the Pope and Spaniard: and lastly can in an instant enleague himself with all Protestant Kingdoms and States, either for fear or favour upon any necessary occasion, that many account him the man that both goeth the directest way, and whom heaven hath ordained to sway the Imperial Sceptre within the limits of the Church. But neither of these are they who are ordained to the Empire of the fifth Monarchy. Not the Spaniard, because he is for his inhuman cruelty so generally hated of Christians, all men avoiding him and flying from him, as the Serpent from the Ash: His Indian Plantations both thrive nor, and likewise for their barbarousness are so detested of the savages worse than vipers, and upon opportunities are accordingly massacred. Yea, those placest of Italy which are under his Protection, as Florence, Genoa, Milan and other Cities afford him as much affection, as the Spider doth the Serpent. Thus is He the universal Odium of all the world, thrives in no place, and like oil over-swiming all other liquids, and can hardly incorporate with any; so seldom is he conjoined but in natural Antipathy with all Nations. Add hereunto the austerity and unpleasantness of his Government, choosing rather to domineer over subdued Countries by rapine and cruelty, than to govern them by Love and Piety. And lastly, his Governors in every Province aim at their own ends, pilling and squeezing the Subjects, so that his Name and Government is every where abominated, no Province continuing loyal any longer than they can get arms and stoutly rebel. The injustice of which hath caused Portugal to be rend from him, which while the world standeth shall never be his again. And moreover the Oracle tells him, that Naples, Navarre, his reconciled Provinces in Belgia, with his Indian Plantations (the best Jewels he hath) shall be plucked within 30 years to come from his ambitious Crown, never to be recovered again.  

Nor the Swede.  Secondly, The Swede cannot be Paramount in this Monarchy, because of the various Sects and Schisms he is pestered with, so inveterate and so predominant, that no Reformation can purge him of them. The male Line of that Royal Pedigree is extinct, and only a weak young Princess surviving; the whole Kingdom shared and governed by factious Nobles and covetous Generals, and while every one sucks from the veins of the Body Politic to cram his own, it will be soon evacuated, both of life and nourishment. Besides, it hath been since prophesied to Sweden, that he shall not be so much as a tributary Kingdom to this great Sovereignty, but shall be the first, that shall be made a slave to that famous Northern Lion, who shall wear the Crown of that transcendent Monarchy. As for France, Denmark, England, and the free Cantons of Germany, they make account for the present they d● valiantly if they can well husband what is got already. And for England in particular, if it chance that she make war upon any neighbour Enemy, and enlarge their Dominions by Conquest, it is more to secure herself, and prevent the Invasion of the great Eagle, and her chief feathers, than any greediness of extending her Bounders by the Conquest and ruin of others. If she keep her ancient soil and possessions in those times, it is as much as heaven hath ordained her, 
Object.  and more she shall not have. Who then must be Lord of this Monarchy? Or what people shall be parts and members thereof? Even a Nation which at this day is hid invisibly within the bowels of Europe, 
Answ.  which seeing are not seen, and living are not known: Which shall by a miraculous Resurrection (like the Jews from India and Tartary) be raised to destroy all Idolatry and abomination out of every corner of the North, with the weapons of an holy warfare tending to the glory of God, and the Honour of their King. His Sword shall be Religion, and his Ensigns Righteousness and Piety. All the godly in every Kingdom and State in Europe, the converted Jews conjoined and united with them in spirit and habitation, shall (as I said before) root out all names of Iniquity, and be this Monarchy, which shall only consist of, and subsist by Holiness, and an unquenchable desire of propagating the Glory and Gospel of God: according to that of Daniel, Chap. 7. ver. 27. And the Kingdom, and Dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High, 
Of the Effects of that fatal Star, which appeared in the head of Cassiopea, An. ●●72.  whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all Dominions shall serve and obey him. The first preparation to the Birth of which, was that ominous and fatal Star which appeared in the head of Cassiopea, An. 1572, the effects of which shall begin to operate upon Europe, and the Eastern Coasts of America, An. 1699, in bringing a Mystery to light which all the sons of Adam are not able to effect. Of this fatal and ominous Star (or Comet, choose you whether) I find several Tractates written.  
One Nuntius Propheticus in Print: Magell de quintà Monarchiâ, & Openheims Ephemeris Caelica, both Manuscripts, both excellently discoursing of the Effects thereof: How that, Quo tempore accidet septima & ultima-maxima superiorum Planetarum Conjunctio, princeps erit Monarchia prima, quae caput ex ruinis quarti Imperii erexerit. Currus Lunae Zodiacum perturbabit, Cauda Draconis coget Pl●iades in fletum prorumpere, dorsum Delphini ascendet, & flores Virgineos obfuscabit: continuae turbae, seditiones, bella civilia, strages, panolethriae luctuosissimae omnia illa regna & illustres Familias persequentur, ex quibus ista Monarchia orta est, aut ei ullo modo obviabunt. Burgundiae domus fi●em accipiet, Sile●iae libertas Gallico Neroni prostituetur. Belgarum Ordines potentiae & Aristocratiae suae finem videbunt, etc. Openheim fol. 86.  
But Magel is most plain above all three, fol. 67. col. 8. Fateor majorum Luminarium deliquia sine insigni hominum pernicie pecorumque strage nunquam extitisse: Regnorum mutationes etiam, populorum clades, regum fun●ra, bella & incendia in ipsorum Deliquiorum Articulis, aut paulò post evidentèr apparuisse. Fateor etiam superiorum erronum coitum malorum ut plurimùm Iliade comitari: atque hanc stellam (quae hoc An. 1572 in vertice Cassiopeae illuxit) suprà omnem elementarem regionem collocatam novi Imperij Revolutionem Dominiumque significasse. Quae tamen effecta haec aetas nostra minimè perspiciet: reservanda nihilominùs in gentem quandam etiamnum invi●ibilem, cujus magnitudinis radij in universum caeli terraeque ambitum extende●tur.  
At what time the 7th, the last and greatest Conjunction of the chief Planets shall happen, the first Monarchy shall reign, which shall lift up her head out of the ruins of the IV Empire. The Chariot of the Moon shall disturb the Zodiac. The Tail of the Dragon shall force the Pleyades to break out into weeping, shall ascend the back of the Dolphin, and shall darken the lustre of the Virgin: Daily troubles, seditions, civil wars, slaughters, and most lamentable universal Destructions shall vex all those Kingdoms and eminent Families, from whence that Monarchy sprang, or which shall any way cross it. The house of Burgundy shall be at an End: the Liberty of Silesia shall be prostituted to a French Nero. The Estates of Belgia shall see an end of their Power and Aristocracy.  
I confess Eclipses of the great Luminaries never happened without the notable Destruction of men and slaughter of cattle: the Changes also of Kingdoms, the Deaths of People, Funerals of Kings, Wars and fires have broke forth either in the very time of their Eclipses, or within a little after. I confess also the Conjunction of the higher wand'ring Stars is for the most part attended with an Iliad of mischiefs: and that this Star (which this year 1572 appeared on the top of Ca●●iopaea) being placed above the whole Elementary Region, did signify the Revolution and Dominion of a new Empire. Which effects shall not yet be seen by this our age; yet are they reserved for a certain Nation, as yet invisible, the beams of whose greatness shall be extended through the whole verge of Heaven and Earth.  

The Description of the flourishing Monarchy of the Gospel in America and India about Anno 1710, and A. 1763.  In that same year shall the kingdoms of salvation be preached by the Ministry of the Saints the most High, to those immense and unknown American Coasts, to whom as yet the Name of Christ was never yet revealed. And that people● who from the Creation till that time were the Empire of Satan, shall be called the specious and spacious Church of God. The gates of which shall be open continually, neither day nor night shall they be shut, that men may bring unto them the riches of the Gentiles, and the treasures of the Kings of the Earth. All Nations and Kingdoms, that will not serve her, shall perish and be destroyed for ever. Within whose land shall be heard no violence nor destruction, nor desolation within her Borders, but Salvation shall be her walls, and praise her gates. Her Government shall be peace, and her Exaactors' Righteousness. H●r Sun shall never go down, nor her Moon ever be hid, for the Lord shall be her everlasting light, and the days of her sorrow shall be ended. The people within her shall be all righteous; for ever shall they possess their proper inheritances, for God shall make them an everlasting Glory, and a joy from Generation to Generation. Therefore ought no man to be sorrowful for the Calamities of Europe, or the afflictions of the times; nor grieved with the mutations and Downfals of Kingdoms and Empires, neither should he be afraid because Wars and miseries rage in all Coasts of the world. For this is the eternal Law of Creatures (which the Creator imposed upon them at first) that the Birth of one thing should be the Death of another, and that the order of Nature should be preserved by the vicissitudinary course of alternate Mutability. And why should we be offended at wars amongst men, when there are daily and continual Conflicts between the Elements themselves? Cities, Republics, Empires and Families are mortal as men, have their states of Birth, Infamy, Growth and Old-age as well as they. Glory, Majesty, Arts and Sovereignty began in Asia by the Assyrians; from them departed to the Medes and Persians; and from them (before they had well tasted the sweetness of them) translated to the Grecians, and next to the Romans: The Glory of the Roman Empire was eclipsed and humbled by the barbarous Inundations of Goths, Huns, Vandals, and other savage Nations, who being themselves once civilised and mollified by the Effeminacies of Italy and the West, were in 560 years' space overthrown by the Potency of Charlemagne and the Germans. Germany hath now fully possessed the Imperial dignity 790 years; and before fifty years moe be past, shall be made a scorned Servitor of the King of the North, whose Power and Religion shall transcend the utmost Confines of East and West. In the beginning of which Empire, Venice shall not brag of being inaccessible by the circumfluent Ocean, and London, Paris, Antwerp and Prague, the IV Ladies of Europe shall be humbled to sit in the dust of eternal Destruction. The consideration of this must teach men humility in prosperity, carefulness to know God and keep his Commandments, seeing every Plant which he hath not planted shall be plucked up, and nothing can be permanent but by his favour and protection.   

XV.  
Thou therefore the eternal and incomprehensible Father of lights, 
A Praye● to God to u●ite his Church, end the afflictions of it, and to hasten the conversion of the jews, with the monarchy of the Gospel.  the indivisible God of peace and unity, look down at length upon the afflicted estate of thy Gospel and mournful face of thy Church, clouded with sects and schisms, rend by civil combustions, dying by the wounds which her sons have given, and wallowing in that gore which was shed by the hands of her own children. Though our sins have deserved that we should for ever be cast out of the sight of thy countenance, yet respect thou the blood of thy Son, crying better things then that of Abel, and be once at one again with thy inheritances Abraham knows us not, Israel is ignorant of us, but thou art our Father, and in thee shall be all our affiance, with whom even the worst of men have found mercy. Extend the light of thy loving-kindenes to the Tribes of jacob, and return to the many thousands of Israel, for the time to build up Zion is come, and the days of restoring Jerusalem cannot be prolonged. For why? Thy servants think upon her stones, and favour the very dust thereof. But remember Edom, O Lord, as thou remembredst Babel, which have cried so oft, Down with it, down with it to the very earth. Pour thy-vengeance down upon the Beast of Rome, and the red Dragon of Constantinople, who never knew thy name, that so the sorrowful sigh of the Prisoners may come before thee● and thy servants be preserved that are appointed to die. Let thy work be upon the MAN of thy right hand, and upon the Son of man whom thou hast made so strong for thyself, that Pharaoh, Elam, Mesheck, with the sons of Tubal may fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword, and may descend into the midst of hell with all that help them, even the whole multitude of the Uncircumcised, whose Lot is to go into the nether parts of the Earth. There shall they have their beds with the Uncircumcised near those Valiants, which are gone down to the grave, with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, because they were the fear of the mighty in the Land of the Living. But what shall be said to the Captain of the Nations, or to the Angel destroying Edom and Babylon? Even this, That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it. He will leave an afflicted people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord: He shall give them a pure Law, that they may pray to him with one consent. He shall open the doors of darkness, the gates of obscurity shall he break down, that the world may be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea. O thou sour of discord, and Captain of iniquity, how long wilt thou delight to murder, spoil and pursue the distressed? Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the end? Command the people to return every man from pursuing his brother: for lo, a Nation is risen against you, a mighty Nation and terrible from the East, whose horses ace fire and his Chariot's flames of fire to devour: his men are as swift as the Eagle, who will have no compassion on the fruit of the womb, nor shall their eye pity: They shall encompass ●hy Tents with an intent to lay all waste before them, but nevertheless be confident and bold in the Lord of Hosts: for fire shall come down from Heaven and return their wickedness upon their heads, and their doings upon their own pates. O thou worship of Israel! how wonderful art thou in thy doings toward the children of men● Bringing light out of darkness, strength out of weakness, and making Justice the mean to the manifestation of thy goodness and glory! As for me, I will expect him who is as well the King of Salem, Peace, as Melchised●ck, the King of Justice, all my days: and will heartily pray for his coming, who shall bring every work into judgement, and every thing to a legal trial, whether it be good or evil. He is the Lamb upon the white Throne, before whose face Heaven and Earth shall fly away, and the Sea be no more found: Death and Hell shall give up the dead that are in them, and every Name that is not written in the Book of Life, shall be cast into the Lake of fire. For which time all the Creation groaneth, crying out to be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption, and restored to the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God. Even so, come Lord Jesus, come quickly, that sin may be destroyed for ever, and righteousness eternally established in stead thereof, Amen.  
FINIS.   

For●itan hunc aliquis verbosum dicere librum  
Non dubitet: forsan multò praestantior alter  
Pauca reperta pu●et, quùm plura invenerit ipse:  
Des●s & impatiens nimis haec obscura probabit:  
Pro capt●● Lectoris habent sua fata Libelli.  
Sed me juditij non p●enitet: haec benè vobis  
Commis●, quibus est amor & sapientia juxtà,  
Et Labor in studijs ijsdem celebratus inhaeret:  
Vos sequar: in vestro satis est examine cautum.