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england_n	church_n	head_n	supreme_a	4,494	5	9.0477	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34097	A generall table of Europe, representing the present and future state thereof viz. the present governments, languages, religions, foundations, and revolutions both of governments and religions, the future mutations, revolutions, government, and religion of christendom and of the world &c. / from the prophecies of the three late German prophets, Kotterus, Christina, and Drabricius, &c., all collected out of the originals, for the common use and information of the English.	Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670.	1670 (1670)	Wing C5507A; ESTC R24277	200,382	315

Monarchies nor leave their Kings so much elbow-room nor their Commands so absolute and Sovereign as the other There are moreover in Europe other lesser Kingdoms comprehended under these as those of Bohemia and Hungary under the Emperor That of Navarre under the Crown of France Those of Naples Sicily Sardinia and Maiorck under the King of Spain And those of Scotland and Ireland under the King of England The Seven Electors three Eccleasiastick four Saecular and of late a fifth are the Arch-Bishop of Mentz Dean of the Colledge of Electors Lord High-Chancellor of the Empire in Germany The Arch-Bishop of Colen Lord High-Chancellor of the Empire in Italy The Arch-Bishop of Trevers Lord High-Chancellor of the Empire in France The King of Bohemia at this time Emperor till the young King his Son come to be installed therein chief Cup-bearer of the Empire Count Palatine of the Rhine heretofore the fifth Elector chief Almoner of the Houshold now the eighth and Lord High-Treasurer since the Duke of Bavaria new-created was put in his place The Duke of Saxony Lord High-Marshal or Sword-Bearer and the Marquess of Brandenburgh Lord High-Chamberlain and who has the largest Territories next the Emperor himself These Electors are Sovereign in their Estates and though Members of the Empire yet can make Peace and War when they please whereof we have at this present a sad example between the Elector Palatine and the Elector of Mentz with the Lorrainers The Ecclesiastick Electors ever had the precedency of the other by reason of the height and Supremacy of the Pope in Temporals and the Saecular Power of the Bishops in former times The seven Grand Dutchies or Dukedoms which have each their particular Lords and Masters are the Dukedom of Moscovy the Prince whereof assumes the Title of Emperor and by some is reckoned among Empires As indeed to say the truth it is a Dukedom on which depends thirty other Dutchies and three Kingdoms which exceed Germany and Poland in extent and notwithstanding all their Cold are fill'd with Inhabitants And the Duke himself is absolute over his Subjects The Dutchy of Savoy at this day the first in Europe the Dutchy of Tuscany of Lorrain of Saxony and Bavaria whose Dukes are Electors and the Dutchy of Holstein As for the great Duke of Lithuania he is subject to the King of Poland and the Dutchy of Milan to the King of Spain And the other petty Dutchies of Germany and Italy are not of any force or reckoning with these seven We must crown all these Dutchies or Dukedoms with the one only Arch-Dukedom of Austria whereof the Emperor is Master and add that all these Estates have nothing mixt in the form of their Government and that they acquiess under the Authority of one alone The seven Common-Wealths are those of the Suisses of Venice of the United Provinces of Genoa of Lucca of Geneva and of Raguza For the petty Common-Wealth of St. Marine must not come into this Range As for the Hans-Towns and free Cities of Germany they acknowledge some subjection or other to the Empire c. The three grand Principalities are Transilvania Wallachia and Moldavia all three tributary to the Turk As for the Prince of Precopia or lesser Tartary called the Crim Tartar he is now made slave to the Turk and over him a Beglerbeg or Bassa to command in chief It will not perhaps distast the Reader to give a List here of the present Kings and Princes according to their different Ages together The King of Spain Swedeland the Prince of Orange the Land-grave of Hesse-Cassel the Duke of Mantua the Duke of Modena are yet in their Minority The King of France England Portugal the Elector of Bavaria the Duke of Saxony the Duke Regent of Holstein the Dukes of Lunenburgh the Landgrave of Hesse-darmstat the Duke of Mickleburgh the Prince of Mount-Belliard the Prince of East-Friezland the Marquess of Bada the grand Duke of Moscovy and the grand Segnior All these Princes are in the prime of their Age and like to reign long Those that have passed the middle of their dayes and begin to draw towards their evening are the Pope alwayes the King of Poland who has now lately resign'd his Crown and none other yet chose the King of Denmark the three Electors Ecclesiastick three of the Secular the Palatine the Elector of Saxony and of Brandenburgh the three Princes of Transilvania Walachia and Moldavia The Duke of Lorrain Wittenburgh Newburgh Brunswick Wolfen-Buttel the great Duke of Tuscany and the Duke of Parma The Ecclesiastick Government of Europe in general is either Papal owning the Pope as Supream or Episcopal owning the King as Supream in all causes and Arch-Bishops and Bishops under him call'd also Prelatical as in the Church of England or Super-intendent which is a kind of Episcopal among the Lutherans but yet owning no Head of the Church neither Pope nor King or Civil Magistrate to order the Affairs of the Church as such The Presbyterian or Synodical owning a Presbytery or Synod as Supream and Lay-Elders c. but no Bishops nor Super-intendents as in France Holland c. As for other forms of Government there are none established any where by publick Authority And this is the present face almost of Europe in General LANGUAGES The present Languages of Europe for we pass by those that are out of date as the Hebrew Greek and Latine which are rather Scholastical than National and onely us'd among the Learned may be reduced to three the Teutonick the Sclavonian and the derivatives of Latin and Greek corrupted By the way only take notice that the Arabick Tongue is the same in Asia that the Latin is in Europe and that by its help one may march from the Bosphorus in Europe to the furthermost Lands of the Indians We find not therefore in Europe more then two Mother Tongues at present which have each their several Dialects with some sprouts as it were of the two dead Languages Latin and Greek The two Mother Languages then are the Teutonick and the Sclavonian The Sclavonian is familiar at Constantinople and even at Grand Caire And has for its principal Dialects the Rheuthenick or Russian for the Moscovites the Dalmattan for the Transilvanians and Hungarians the Bohemian and the Polonian the Illyrian Jazigian c. with some others which have their course amongst the Walachians and the Moldavians and the lesser Tartary The Teutonick hath three principal Dialects the German the Saxon and the Danish And of these again issue forth other Idioms as the Flemish or Low-Dutch the English the Swedish the Cauchian of the East-Friezlanders amongst themselves only for they use Dutch to strangers the Language of Norway and of the Suissers The Greek Language Mort or dead but less corrupted than the Latin hath divers Reliques and shootings forth in divers Isles of the Archipelago in Achaia and Morea under the great Turk and is better preserv'd here in these named then in

with Farel was bannished but sued to return again which he would not except they would oblige themselves solemnly to his Form of Discipline which upon better Consideration they condescended to An. 1541. And so he returns and his Discipline becoms established The Tithes converted to the use of the State for Pensions for Ministers c. Afterwards comes Beza and not only recommends it as convenient but imposes it as necessary and of divine right therein going farther and higher then Calvin And so by these two chiefly it spreads it self over all France occasioning afterwards those grievous and lamentable Commotions and Troubles before mentioned there as it had done likewise by Luther in Germany Which are not to be attributed to Religion but the Lusts of men For whence come Wars and Fightings Amulation Strife c. are they not from your Lusts For the greater safety of their State and preservation of their Religion they joyn'd themselves in a constant and perpetual League with the Canton of Bern. An. 1528. communicating to each other the freedom of their several Cities and by that means reckon'd in some sort of Commonwealth of the Switzers from the very beginning An. 1589. The Duke of Savoy besieg'd it But they were assisted by neighbouring Princes and States c. so that he could do no good upon them Another time the Pope French King Spaniard and Savoyard had designs upon it But the Emperor then offered assistance Yea sometimes the Duke of Savoy has assisted them against others rather than they should fall into any other hands then his own An. 1602. The Duke of Savoy attempts Geneva by arms The Duke has of later years often threatned and made preparation against them but without effect The King of France never throughly enough favouring his design or else quite against it c. And so flourishes in Arts and Trade more then Religion which as almost through all France is become meerly formal for which God is at this day purging and fanning them in France or else quite rooting them out they have retain'd only the first form of Doctrine and Godliness but not the power thereof peremtorily and stifly rest in the first Reformation and would never hearken of further progress as the manner is of most Churches that settle upon their old Lees once Is it not seen even in new-New-England it self as well as c. from the very self same spirit that drolls in the unlucky witty Hudibras thinking strange that Reformation should be alwayes doing and never done As if Religion were intended For nothing else but to be mended From hence no doubt was it and a firm perswasion of the Divine Right of Beza's Government as if they had already attained to the perfect form that the French Synod at Carrenton made a publick decree against the Independency of Churches c. An. 1644. whereas that form only is to be imbrac'd and preferr'd which upon all emerging curcumstances conduces most to the present Power of Religion and Godliness For that is Reformation and not Form or Forms though never so pure otherwise for that very thing makes them Impure Except what is plainly manifest out of Scripture and to abide for ever But we intend a short History not Dispute c. Of the Commonwealth of Venice The terrible noise of the Huns for the Conquest of Italy and their expedition under Attila their King occasioned many Noble and Principal Families with their several retinues to betake themselves to these small Islands and inaccessible Marshes of the Adriatick Sea where they build for the time only several habitations An. 421. and finding themselves safe and impregnable began to build Towns and Cities or Corporations An. 452. Till in the end Aquileja and the neighbouring Cities being destroyed by Aquila and these Barbarians An. 456 they then fled from all parts like Exiles hither with a purpose and resolution to settle and so by the destruction of Aquileja takes such increase that it assumed the just form of a Commonwealth For whom soever the Hunnes Goths and Lombards the Nations that harass'd Italy drove from the Continent they presently betake themselves to Venice now begun to be so called from the name of their Nation as to an Haven of security They had first yearly Tribunes according to the number of Islands into which their City was divided for two hundred years then succeeded Dukes An. 697. but soon after changed into yearly Masters of the Militia which lasted but Six years and returns to Dukes again whose power at first was greater but afterwards restrained to be meerly Titular Under this form it thriv'd exceedingly and became exempted from all Jurisdiction either to the East or West Empire upon the division of Italy made by Charles the great betwixt himself the Popes and the Eastern Emperor and left wholly as a free State acknowledging no superior For Pepin King of France Father of Charles had invaded them with a puissant Army but was beat They then extend their Empire far and near by Sea and Land through Dalmatia An. 990. and become freed from all Tribute to the Constantinopolitan Emperor of the East from whom at length they obtained it and Croatia in full right Afterwards Corfu and Chius Islands And from that time called themselves Lords of all the Adriatick Sea and that right confirmed by the Pope An. 1177. for defending the Church stoutly against the Emperor And from that time marry the Sea yearly with a Ring It got its greatest increase about An. 1204. by the chief Islands of the Mediterranean Sea Candy and divers other Places And then spread it's Empire through the Continent of Italy under pretext of freeing the Cities from Tyrants and upon the distresses of their Neighbours for their assistance c. An. 1207. The Genoese a State grown powerful by Sea contend with them for Soveraignty of the Mediterranean by seven several Wars in order vanquished their fleet and brought them on their knees in so much that the Senate sent them a blank Charter and bid them write what conditions they pleased And had utterly lost all if the Enemy could have used his fortune with moderation But the Genoese Admiral grown proud of his advantage and insolent with this great success would have the City wholly at his disposal which made the City desperate and venturing last Stakes beat them pursue them Home and utterly crushed them for ever after For after many various successes and events of War on both sides they got An. 1381. the better of them absolutely made them quiet never daring afterwards to contend in War but apply themselvs wholly to Gain and Merchandize Which misfortunes were occasioned principally by their own divisions and endless factions at Home as shall be touched on afterwards Being now Lords Paramount at Sea they increase amain by Land as even now hinted through the factions and divisions of their Neighbouring States whereby one piece or other is still added either Sold or Morgaged or

his submission granted to him and his heirs The title of the Kings of England As if they never had it since the Conquest of right before Hence it is observed sayes the Popish writers That all Kings of England must acknowledg the Pope for their Landlord And in like manner his predecessor Hadrian the 4 th about 1555. gave Ireland to the Kings of England for a penny to be paid yearly out of every house as much as a shilling now But As long as there 's a Goose or Gander We must remember Alexander If it were but for this verse sake which ends a coppy sent to him by a Monkish Rimer little better in the Latin About 1190. Celestine Crowns the Emperor with his foot and then spurns it off again with this saying By me Kings reign He set all Princes almost together by the ears that Rome might gain with siding with one part or the other and making them friends again And this was and is a constant practise with them and a principal matter whereby they stand For if one deserts them another still upholds them for their own interest which is mingled with the Papal over all the World About 1200. Innocent the third raised the Otho's against Philip the Emperor resolving that he would uncrown him or be uncrown'd by him because chose without his liking And as soon as Otho himself was made Emperor excommunicates him too as also King John of England Peter King of Aragon and Raimund Earl of Tholoss And decreed in a Council held at Rome from thence forth the Pope to have the correction of all Christian Princes and no Emperor to be acknowledged all he had sworn obedience to him In pursuance whereof deposes the said King John and gives away his Kingdom to the French King causes him to surrender his crown to his Legate interdicts him the Kingdom for six years together and makes him stand to his mercy to have it again and upon the restoring to make it Tributary fining it at the yearly rent of 8000. Marks to be held of the Pope in fee-farme And his usurpations were so great here in England That the Nobles writ in their Letters to their Bishops To such a Bishop or such a Chapter who had rather dye then he ruined by the Romish Task-Masters Likewise the said King of Aragon Naples and Sicily c. was forced also to subject his Kingdoms as feudatory to the Church of Rome and to be held of the Pope And now also was brought up that Idol of Transubstantiation and adoration of the Host to subject the people to a more divine Reverance and external devotion and deportment towards their Holy things and mysteries which is wonderful to behold even to this very day and to make their Religion and Priests more Venerable at least this has been the efect thereof What matter of Zeal Fury and Persecution this became afterwards all storyes and ages ring of as if it had been to deny God indeed and Christ and all Religion to deny this their Idol God they had and have to this day so possessed people with such a fond Imagination God also giving them up to believe lyes and to erre concerning the Faith mistaking the Letter for the Spirit Also that devise of Auricular confession was introduced about this time which aws the people exceedingly likewise Moreover about the same time arose those deadly seuds between the Papaline Guelphs and Imperial Gibelines or if you will Elfs and Goblins so called as is thought from their terrible doings c. which destracted all Italy and contiuned for many ages after which factions were stirred up by the Pope and his Agents means and practises c. It was about the year 200. likewise that Philip King of France was excommunicated and then it was said In the year of the Reign of Christ not of Philip. Also 1204. the Sea of Constantinople and the Greek Church and Emperor became subject to the Roman for above 30. years through their projects c. And about 1220. the East as well as Westren Emperor was crowned at Rome by the Pope no longer now as a Servant you may now well think but their Lord and Superior by what has been already rehearsed For in this Popes time some thought fitting to make this Embleme There are two great lights The Sun that is the Pope and the Moon that is the Emperor Nay the high Papalists would have none to be truly Monarch and Soveraign that is absolute and Independent on any other as Supreme but the Pope as before has been intimated About 1240. the twentieths of Ecclesiastick Revenues are obtained for the Pope It came afterwards to the tenths nay the fifths and fourths too in some Kingdoms c. About 1245. Innocent the fourth excommunicates the Emperor Frederick the fourth time having been three times before by former Popes though he had been his greatest friend and deposes him the King of France in vain interceeding and sets up Anti-Cesaers because his Highness forsooth would not stope low enough to his Holiness and in the end because he would not bring him enough under got him poyson'd The four orders of the begging Fryars viz. the Dominicans Franciscans Carmelits and Augustins began to swarm under him as their great Patron and by their voluntary humility and external devotion to uphold this their exalted and triumphant Church and Religion This Pope demanded also the payment of the Twentieths before granted and afterwards of the Tenths of all Revenues and Profits of the Church adding grievous threatnings if they were not paid and by his Legate in Poland one fifth of all Afterwards he perswaded the French King to make War against Henry the 3 d. of England and to make him either yeeld to all the Pope demanded or to drive him out of his Kingdom An. 1255. The King of Lithuania being converted to Christianity is crowned by the Pope and subjects his Kingdom to him For if they would be Christians they must all acknowledge Christs Vicar or else be Infidels still for all other Christianity now was almost fled the Earth An. 1260. The Pope translates the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily which the King of Aragon had made feudatory to the Church as before c. and which the former Pope also would have sould to Henry the 3 d. of France from the right owners and bestows it on the French most bountifully And now was the Pope come to the hight of power riches and authority and to have mighty interest in the World and now all the Nations worshiped the Beast The Princes generally began to make appeals to the Roman Court and the people were devoted to the Romish Laws Customs and Religion The Pope had now the creating of Electors of the Empire almost as he listed and consequently the Emperor in a manner at his beck About 1270. Rodolph of Napsburg or Ausburgh the first of the Austrian House was affraid to go to Rome to take his Crown or to

went down and the Popedom up And then cozens the world with his year of Jubilee reduced to every fifth and the fine trick of Indulgences to please the people and drive a gainful trade to the Popes He gave away the Canaries also to King Lewis And fifty thousand persons had accesse to his presence in one day and dismissed again About 1352. The Emperor to gain Pope Innocent the 6 th's favour grants him in a manner all his Authority in Germany and three years after is crowned at Rome by the hand of the Popes Legate himself residing still at Avignon promising not to stay one day longer at Rome now the Pope was absent then after his Coronation About 1380. Clement the 7 th is set up anti-Pope by a company of French Cardinals against Urbane the 6 th for being against returning to Avignon The French and Spaniard side with Clement the Italians English Dutch c. with Urbane Rome is miserably plundered by Clement and his party One Popes Bulls roared against the others And all Christendom divided This schisme lasted neer fifty years An. 1404. Innocent the 7 th demands the Moyety of Ecclesiastick Revenues but is stoutly deny'd both in France and England About 1417. Upon the appearance of Wicklif Hus Jerom of Prague Savanarola c. in the world and their followers it is decreed in Council That a Council was above the Pope And 1431. The Council of Basil summon the Pope and put forth a bold Sanction called therefore the Pragmatical Sanction against him and depose him About 1464. Paul the 2 d. sells all for mony Reduces the Jubilee to every twentyfifth year to get the more to maintain Sumtuous and Pompous Habits for himself and Cardinals and Diamonds Saphirs Emeralds Jaspers Pearls and all precious Stones for his Mitre c. An. 1492. The Pope gives the East and West Indies to the Spaniard and the Portugal and divides the whole new world at least betwixt them as the first discovers and not long before gave the title of Catholick King to Spain for the conquest of the Infidel Moors in Spain An. 1503. Julius the 2 d. A Martial Pope passing over the Bridge of Tyber brandish'd his Sword and threw his Keys into the River saying That if Peters Keys would not serve his turn Pauls Sword should And yet they have done more in the world by the Keys then ever by the Sword He excommunicated the King of France who regarded it not but printed Money with this Inscription I will destroy Babylon He was in the end deposed likewise by a Council in France like as the Council of Basil had done before to one of his predecessors as was hinted An. 1512. Leo the 10 th an Atheist hug'd and bless'd himself as it were to think What great Riches that fable of Christ had got them And yet not enough for his turn and to supply his vile and enormous extravagancies Wherefore he goes about to raise summes of mony by common open and notorious sale of Indulgences and Pardons in Germany They were ous they are still By the fulness of power which he that raigns above hath given to me whom alone he hath set over all Nations and Kingdoms to pull up and pluck down to destroy c. The Devil began to rage now to see his Kingdom go down so We depose Elizabeth from the right of her Kingdoms and we absolve all her Subjects from all manner of Oaths of Allegience which they have sworn unto her He doth all he can likewise by Treasons Murthers and Poysons against her and all Princes inclinable or but favourable to the Reformation His instructions by his Legate to the Emperor was Neither Faith nor Oaths to be kept with Hereticks c. An. 1572. Gregory the 3 d. celebrated the horrible Massacre of Paris with publick Triumph at Rome and sung the Te Deum c. therefore For they had hopes to have quite rooted out the Protestants After 1580. Sixtus the 5 th excommunicates Henry the 3 d. of France for killing the Guises and making use of the Protestants on his side Commends the Murthering of him in a set speech amidst his Cardinals Blesses the Banner of Spain against England in the famous expedition in eighty eight to ill purpose For his Benediction proved a Curse Quarrelled afterwards with Spain for Naples c. About 1590. Gregory the 4 th exhausted the Treasury of the Church in the Wars of France against Henry the 4 th and the Hugonots Cursed that is Excommunicated that King for an Heretick and Apostate from the Church and sent his Nephew General to the French Wars against the Protestants An. 1592. Clement the 8 th never lets the said King to enjoy quietly his Kingdom 'till he brought him to turn Catholick again to be settled therein But yet lost his life notwithstanding by the Jesuits practises for not being good enough to them and too good to the Protestants still For because he was not turned such a zealous Papist as to be absolved from his excommunication by the Pope but that one of his own Bishops served his turn well enough therefore he must pass for a Tyrant and be stab'd And yet to absolve him after he was dead when be sure he could do no more harm nor ever turn again for turning Catholick in his life Two Embassadors must be sent to Rome to be whipt by the Pope in his stead who at the end of every verse of the eleventh Psalm gently strikes with his Rod the prostrated Suppliants He excommunicated-likewise the Duke of Ferrara and added his Dukedom to St. Peters Patrimony as a good parcel of Land And would not grant the title of King to the great Duke of Moscovy for inclining to the Greeke Church more then theirs And lastly endeavoured before hand to prevent King James succession to the Crown of England hoping to reduce it again to the Church as they had done before Queen Mary An. 1595. Leo the 11 th had this Luciferian Motto over his triumphal Pageant Worthy is the Lion his name by virtne of the Lamb to take the Book and open the Seals thereof They cannot leave their Pride and Blasphemy 'till they are quite whipt out of Gods Temple where they sit as Gods Nay yet more His successor Paul the 5 th had such inscriptions as these given him To Paul the 5 th Vice-God Most Invincible Monarch of the Christian Commonwealth and most Zealous Conservator of Papal Omnipotency And caused this Plate to be marked with this Inscription Cousecrated to the Eternity of the Burgesian Family But higher was that upon the Gates of Tolentum in Italy To Paul the third the most high and mighty God on Earth though one should have thought that the Reformation then begun in the World out of policy should have taught them more Modesty For the Devil when ill at ease a Monk would be c. Surely Lucifer that fell from Heaven asspiring to be above God as the Pope all

not the other of Drabricius And Drabricius himself also believed this to be a Prodigy from God himself by a Vision concerning this thing Wherein yet God asserted no more than this 1. That his words by Dribricius were also true if the Prince would have followed them 2. That Counsellours that follow the figments of their own heart seduce themselves and know not how to counsel neither themselves nor their Masters 3. And that those that do so shall be destroyed Whence it may be well thought that this was a Satanical Mockery both the Sickness Death Resurrection and Prophesie seing nothing fell out accordingly but rather the ruine of the Prince who was seduced like Ahab by Zedekiah and his companions God giving them up to believe a lye who will not believe the Truth And therefore this is to be reckoned of the same nature with the former Extasies mentioned of the Geneva Boy opposed by Satan to the Exstasies of Christina As for the Evidence of Events Whatsoever concerned her own person alwayes came to pass But for those things which concerned the World or the Church although they may seem contrary yet because there seems to be a disposing of Providence towards the accomplishment of the main we may say with St. Austin says Comenius when many things are fulfilled He is preverse who contemns a Prophet Divine Prophesies said a great man alwayes smell of their Author to whom a thousand years are but as one day and one day a thousand years And about the events of Prophesies there are three cautions 1. of Chrysostom That all Prophesies are not fulfilled to Sense and the Letter c. and he instances out of Scripture Thus Jacob who received so many Blessings from his Father scarce injoyed one c. 2. Of Grotius that for some things not fulfilled are not to be called in question those things that are clearly fulfilled As the Jews bring many things obscure or that receive a divers signification concerning the Messiah for which those that are manifest ought not to be denyed 3. Of God To believe in Hope against Hope and not pass rash judgement through unbelief on Divine predictions though they never appear to our apprehension c. for Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts c. Again all things were not evidently fulfilled to appearance to the Ancient Prophets Therefore deriders said Where is the Word of the Lord let it come c. Jer. 17. 15. But God does not want causes to defer his promises or threatnings or to change them and has been pleased to render reasons Jona 4. Jer. 18. Psal 89. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Besides we understand not as his Works so neither his Words till performed and that not alwayes Ezek. 2. 5. John 16. The Beginning of a thing is taken with God for the thing it self God measures dayes and hours not as we That which is not fulfilled to day may be to morrow As Ninive after fourty years though not fourty dayes Gods Mercy is so great that he seems to appear false rather then not merciful If lastly events do'nt answer blame man as some way faulty Thus Comenius And Drabricius himself in several Visions is advertiz'd to the same sense and purpose c. But these things have been hinted once and again before But Behold the Atheistical age who think God reveals nothing now unto men All humble and sober observance of extraordinary Signs Dreams Extasies prophetick Inspirations Angelical Apparitions Prodigies in the Heavens c. As Comets New Stars Suns unusual Tempests Sights of Armies fighting in the Air Sounds of Drums and Trumpets c. passes for foolish superstition or fancy And all is attributed either only to natural causes or chance or vain imagination and nothing to God Which God grievously complains of Amos 4. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. This is the last security of the World that Faith will not be found on Earth c. And as in the dayes of Noah when all were so secure so it shall be in the last dayes all things shall be full of Prodigies in Heaven and Earth of Bloud Fire and Smoke of Dreams Visions and Prophesies Joel 2. 28. c. Matth. 24. And things speak as much so many various Prodigies in our age in Heaven Earth Sea and several Creatures were never in any Age before even in Germany alone within this half Century so many have been noted and recorded of this kind as never the like And of England the same c. Surely God means hereby to have men warned of greater and more wondrous works of his providence shortly to follow Nor were ever more Prophets and divinely inspired then in this Age at least since the Apostacy of the Church For there were and are Men and Women Old and Young Noble and Ignoble Learned and Unlearned Clergy and Secular who have had true prophetick Dreams Illuminations Raptures Angelical Apparitions and speakings with God who have spoken and written unusual things of the enkindled Wrath of God of approaching Judgements and the Universal change of Things Especially in Bohemia and Germany where the terrible Persecutions of the Church were foretold to begin Of whom sixteen that had Visions and Revelations and also printed Comenius reckons up And it is not unknown that of late and now there are Prophetick spirits in Holland and England c. But of all these the most Eminent are these three Cotterus Christina and Drabricius There were also between Christina and Cotterus two other Prophets foretelling the imminent Judgement upon Babylon and of the wrath of God kindled against the World and of the Plagues a coming The one a plain Country man to whom at his work in the Field an Augel of the Lord appeared An. 1625. The other a Taylor who from 1625. to 1628. had a certain voice sounding round about him revealing things to come and commanding him to write them And at length an Angel in a visible form appeared unto him to take his farewel with these words Because thou so much desirest to see me although I am by nature invisible c. And thus I hope we have not been too tedious to clear our Readers way from prejudice which we could not do with more brevity so as we ought And that they will think so long a preface altogether necessary and no wayes impertinent If at last there should prove nothing in all these things certainly the divine Providence seems to play with poor Mortals and the story deserves to be recorded We will conclude with Comenius caution concerning Christina Not to pass rash Judgement or over-hasty Execution This is the property of all Prophesies that they first fulfil'd before they are understood And if it shall happen that the events prove otherwise yet these things will be profitable and serviceable to Posterity I pray and tall to witness Let it suffice our Church once to have dared what no university or Consistory before us hath attempted to pass a Condemnatory Sentence against