Authority committed to them of God out of the hands of the Antichristian usurper c. To call a General Council in order to a Universal Peace and Unanimity in Christendom and to agree for God and Religion for the publick good both of Church and State For that God will put it into their hearts to fulfil his Will and agree or make one Mind and Will and no longer give their Kingdoms to the Beast But that the Words of God shall be fulfilled To destroy Babylon and all her Abominations and Idols c. and to rule the World peacefully under the Banner of Christ and universally reform it out of all its horrible confusions and disorders according to the Will that is the Word of God c. And all Ecclesiasticks Angels of the Churches Pastors Bishops and Priests to perform the Ministry of their high Calling and the Service of God and the Church to restore the Primitive Reformation and do their first Works and repent and no longer neglect the Catholick Church of God through the whole World for worldly Dominion Honours Riches and Interests Nor to hinder Universal Reformation by wrangling and contesting for Opinions Ceremonies Revenues Prerogatives and Priviledges and such like vanities but rather to promote Catholick Charity and Indulgence and practise Christian Humility Self-Denyal and all the excellent virtues of the best Religion in the World which they are Chieftains of and to Sacrifice all their dearest concerns for the Salvation of Men And not mind their own things but the things of Jesus Christ c. And all Christians to endeavour and begin Reformation generally in their several places For that now is the time of Gods reforming the World more then ever That towards the end thereof it may be as from the beginning viz. one God and one Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth without Idols and false Godds and false Worships That all may inhabit peaceably the Earth without Wars Fightings Hatreds Contentions Envyings Strifes and without Sects and Parties lest his Wrath break forth upon them to the utmost and there be no Remedy for the Present Generation All which things to be sure are no other then was the drist of all the Prophets and extraordinary Messengers of God to Men of old when that all ordinary Persons Kings Princes Priests or People were become so corrupt and exorbitant that there were none that did his duty rightly but all desperately transgressed the Law of their God and provoked his Wrath without measure For what else was their Burthens but sad Lamentations for the Peoples sins and wickedness Exhortations to Repentance and amendment And denunciations of Grace upon Repentance and of Wrath upon Impenitence c. And what else are these likewise as to their main Scope and Intent The Sum and Substance of them in General now follows The Sum of all these Prophesies in the General is the same with all the Antient Prophets and indeed an Explication of them concerning the State of the Church in the last dayes And that our present Age is the last time of the World wherein shall be fully and finally accomplished all Scripture Prophesies I. Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth typified by the old to fall and its Builders to be dispersed Gen. 11. Jerem. 50. and 55. Revel 18. II. The Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands to destroy the great Image of Iron and Clay and increase into a great Mountain filling the whole Earth Dan. 2. III. The very Relicks of all Nimrodian Tyranies and Oppressions to be abolished quite and the Kingdoms given to the Saints of the most high Dan. 7. IV. Both the Beasts in the Revelations The greater with seven Heads blaspheming God and making War against the Saints and the lesser with two Horns counterfeiting a Lamb yet speaking like a Dragon now to be slain Rev. 13. V. The great Harvest and Vintage of the whole Earth at hand Rev. 14. VI. All the Vials of Gods Wrath a pouring forth upon the Earth Rev. 16. VII Till the great Beast that carries the Whore with seven Heads and ten Horns be destroyed and the Whore her self forsaken by her ten Horns viz. Kings her once defenders and lovers be burnt with fire Rev. 17. VIII The Lamb to be Victor over all Enemies Satan bound in the bottomless Pit for a thousand years The Church to be quiet Rev. 20. IX And then the Marriage of the Lamb to be solemnized under the whole Heavens Rev. 19. X. And the Church to appear in its Splendour and Glory such as the Prophets have heretofore described of old Isa 60. Rev. 21. And indeed these Books of the three Prophets are a very Revelation of the Revelation of St. John to end and decide all further contentious Comments thereabouts They being a new Comment upon that old Revelation not Humane but Divine explaining what is that Babylonish Beast making War with the Saints and the great Whore the Mother of Harlots c. riding upon the Beast and who are those Kings commanded from God to execute the Judgement upon Both. And that those destroyers of Babylon are now Born now Chosen and Called And that this whole affair is now in doing And now shortly to be Sealed and concluded by a full and compleat effect in the sight of Heaven and Earth And that we are now under the sixth Seal sixth Trumpet sixth Vial. That is That upon our times happens the great Earthquake shaking the whole frame of Heaven both of Church and State c. and the day of his great Wrath come And the day of the sixth Trumpet when the Angels bound at the great River Euphrates shall be loosed and come and kill the third part of men with Fire and Smoak and Brimstome although the rest that escape repent not And the sixth Vial poured forth upon the great River Euphrates to prepare a way for the Kings of the East to root out Babylon the unclean Spirits of Frogs mustering up heaps of Armies against them in vain to the Battel of the great Day of the Lord God Omnipotent Which Day shall come as a Thief on a sudden and unlook'd for That so the seventh Seal being opened Silence may be in the Heaven of the Church And that the seventh Trumpet sounding the Mystery of God foretold by his Servants the Prophets may be finished Namely That all the Kingdoms of the World may become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christs c. And that the seventh Vial being poured forth there may be Voices and Thunders and Lightnings and Earthquakes such as have not been since men have been upon the Earth whereby the Cities of the Nations may fall and great Babylon it self c. More expresly and particularly I. That the World is become as corrupt now as it was in the dayes of Noah before the Flood and in Egypt Babylon and Jerusalem when she rebelled against God especially the Christian Nations By name Germany
were the two first Fathers who were order'd to learn the China Charecter and Language and sent thither Who at last entred into the City Canto but fain to return twice disappointed of their design till in the end they make a new attempt furnished with all curiosities together with a solemn Embassy in form to the Vice-Roy of Canto and so were received with all possible demonstration of respect as before hath been related of Riccius c. In process of time many were Converted and Baptized among whom were some Mandarines and Calao 〈…〉 chief Governors and Officers of the Kingdom But the Priests and Priestlings stir up Persecution against them make them odious and abominable and Teachers of new Godds imprison torment and banish them But at length through the favour of great persons they obtain'd freedom and peace and the Christian Religion the more spread But by the way Had the same measure been meted to the Jesuites there by Heathens as they mete to fellow Christians here or as we say had they serv'd them in the same sauce they might have had indeed a few Martyrs and Confessors perhaps but never Evangelists and Preachers or Apostles of the Chinois unless at Stake only We shall not go about here to give the History of the manner of their proceeding in conversion of those Infidels and Idolaters but only present you with their Compendium or Catechism of the Divine Law in the China Tongue as we promised at the beginning together with the Letters of their Queen and chief Minister of State to the Pope and their Answers c. A Compendium of the Divine Law 1. Perhaps some one may ask what God is 'T is answered God is no other thing then the Creator of all things as also the great Governor and Lord of all things who made the Heavens who made the Earth who made Spirits who made Men. 2. The Heavens Earth Men and all things before were nothing and afterwards were Therefore before the Heavens Earth Men and all things there was some Lord necessarily before to create them 3. Because all things cannot be made of themselves all have that from out of which they are made or a Maker of them as Towers Palaces and Houses cannot be made of themselves but must necessarily be the work of some Artificer 4. Therefore the Heavens Earth Men and Creatures how can they be created of themselves There is therefore an Author of these things whom we name God If men do name an Age Puencu and make others like themselves and a first Grand-father Parent 5. Then these also were after the Heavens and the Earth were All had a Father and a Mother from whom they were procreated And of these to make a Creator of Heaven and Earth of Men and of Things is a great Error 6. Some will say The Heavens Earth Men and Things seeing they depend on God in their Creation I am bold to ask This God of whom does he depend in his Creation 7. 'T is answer'd God is the first Root and Principle of Things If he had dependence in his Creation for that very thing he would not be God 8. For things either have a beginning and end as Herbs Trees Fowls and creeping things or they have a beginning and no end as Heaven Earth Angels Devils and the Intellective souls of Men God only is without beginning and end and can give a beginning and end to all things 9. If there was not God there would not be other created things As for Example Of one Tree the Flowers Fruits Boughs Leaves and Body are all generated out of the Root If there be not the Root for that very thing the rest will not be But 10. Coming to the Root of the Tree by no means is there another Root out of which to be sprung or proceed God seeing he is the Root and Foundation of all things out of what other thing can himself proceed 11. God when he first created all things in the beginning he divided the Heavens from the Earth created all species or kinds of things Afterwards he created Male and Female the Male was call'd Adam 12. The Woman was call'd Eve For these two had not Father and Mother and are the first Parents of all People All else as Fo Ki not excepting those whom they make Immortal All have 13. A Father and a Mother of whom they are born and they could not avoid it but that sooner or later they should be corrupted and die God seeing he is the true Lord of Heaven Earth Men and Things c. together withal created all things 14. That they should be for mens use Consequently it altogether behoves us Men to love and worship God By not loving and worshipping great sin is thereupon committed For example A couple of Parents produce a Son 15. They nourish cloath educate him If the Son know not to honour Father and Mother certainly he is called disobedient and most grievously sins How much more 16. Seeing God is the chief Parent of Men does it not behove us to love and reverence him since it is now declar'd what God the Lord of all things is It is easie to explain the the things of this Age or World that is of Mankind 17. This same Man hath naturally two parts Soul and Body His Body although it be corrupted and die his Soul cannot he extinguished even to eternity For in this Age or time of the World Souls have three differences 18. The lowest Order is call'd the Vegetative Soul namely the Soul of Herbs and Trees This Soul helps Herbs and Trees to live and grow Herbs and Boughs or Wood cut down wither and perish 19. Their Soul follows and is extinguished The middle Order is called the Sensitive Soul to wit the Soul of Fowls creeping things and Beasts 20. This Soul gives faculty or Power to Fowls creeping things and Beasts of living and growing and makes withal that they hear and see through their ears and eyes and tast and smell through their Pallates and Nostrils through the rest of their Members that they feel pain and pleasure but yet they cannot discourse and reason and when they die even their Soul also is extinguished 21. The highest Order is call'd the Intellective Soul to wit the Soul of Man This withal contains the faculty of the two Souls the Vegetative and the Sensitive Therefore it can give a faculty to men of living and growing together also of feeling and sense 22. Moreover it gives him a faculty of discerning all reason to discern all things by His body although it die yet his Soul is perpetually conserv'd nor is extinguished Therefore the Men of this Age only fear dead men and do not fear dead Animals That arises from the natural discourse or reason of man that he can animadvert and think after the death of men Moreover the Soul of man not dead 23. Remains and therefore can fear But the Soul of creeping things and Beasts is
and the Church in this Stile Peter the Apostle of Jesus Christ to you the most Illustrious King Pepin and to all Bishops Abbots c. I the Apostle Peter whose Adopted Sons you are admonish you that you perfectly come and defend this City c. And doubt you not but trust assuredly that I my self as if I stood before you do thus exhort you c. and that I Peter the Apostle of God will at the last day yeeld you mutual kindness and prepare you Tabernacles in the Heavens Upon this quarel of the Popes Pepin and his Son Charls destroy the Kingdom of the Lombards in Italy and give large Territories to the Church And these things made way and gave occasion and opportunity for Charles upon his great conquests to set up the German Empire of the West Franks The Pope in requital confirms Pepin in the Ringdom of France gives his Son Charls afterwards the Title of most christian King and crowns him Emperor of the Romans at Rome An. 800. From which he would pretend to be above Emperors and Kings and to be his right to Crown confirm and depose them if not dispose of their Kingdoms But Charls at length reassumes the ancient and original Imperial Dignity and Power to Govern the Church call Councils and order Papal Elections and confirm and invest them c. against all begun usurpations and incroachments of the Pope and aws Italy And keeps the Pope still Subject which Authority of the Empire was prety well upheld during the Caroline Race The Pope in the mean while under pretext of the Christian Religion and converting Infidels and the Nations increases in Wealth Power and Authority over the World Thundering out these Decrees of Holy Church Out of the Church no Salvation The Pope's the Successor of St. Peter the visible Head of the Church the Vicar of Christ on Earth His right as aforesaid to create confirm excommunicate and depose Kings and dispose Kingdoms for the cause of Religion c. That they are Hereticks that dissent from the Roman Church the only true Catholick Church or are Enemies to it c. Hereby the Consciences of the Nations Princes and People converted to an outward christianity are aw'd and fill'd with Reverence and Zeal for the Church to convert or root out Infidel Nations c. and to do any Benefices or Services for the Church As the most acceptable Service to Christ whom they began to acknowledge and Worship as their God and Saviour Hence almost all the Nations subject themselves to the Pope as Head of the Church yea and in Temporals also in a great measure nay some to hold their Kingdoms of him c. As if they could not any better way recompence Christs Vicar for the benefit of their Eternal Salvation then to submit themselvs all theirs to his dispose And this Opinion was brought about to prevail in the World that they might redeem their sins by good deeds and charitable works and services for the Church against it's enemies c. Hence Riches and Revenues of the Clergy and Hosts and swarms of clergy men Hence Churches Temples Abbies Monastries without number c. for the Redemtion of Souls Hence Expeditions Holy Wars Leagues and undertakings for the Church Hence Pardons Indulgences and devices for mony c. 'T would be endless to mention particulars c. The Pope having thus erected his Throne in the Consciences of men strongly seated there through Ignorance and blind Zeal and Devotion begins to play Rex in the World Besides there being perpetual emulation of Princes specially in Germany and Italy for Empire and Dominion c. The Pope interests himself in one part and the other for fear of excommunication or force becomes subject to him The Pope therefore now practises all wayes he can against the superiority of the Emperor and from being any wayes subject to his Authority or control and to undermine all Supremacy in Temporals presuming that all power is given to him both in Heaven and Earth in the Church and State c. 'Till in the end they come not only to let the Emperors have nothing to do in their Election Confirmation and Investiture but also to have all in a manner themselves to do in the Creation and Coronation of the Emperors Not long after the Caroline power and race declining and that partly through the Popes practises Italy is usurp'd by several Tyrants against the Emperor and almost wholly broken from it wherein the Popes have a finger and make their own advantage upon these distractions of the Empire For An. 884. Adrian the 3 d. denyes the Emperors Authority necessary to the creating Popes and about the year 900. the Empire is wholly and perfectly translated from the French or Caroline race to the Germans by Pope Agapetus's plotting And about the year 1000. as some write Gregory the fifth appoints Electors for choosing the Emperors whereby they afterwards became weakned and the Empire broken into factions and parties and the Pope thereby to have the better opportunity to work his own ends and to raise his greatness out of others ruines striving now to be uppermost not only in Church but State too and to be above even the Emperors themselves For after this time open and down right Tyranny over the Emperors begins to manifest it self First Pope John takes away all choise of Popes from the people to the Clergy only upon this plausible ground That the People are to be taught not followed Next Clement the 2 d. about 1047. set up by the Emperor against other Anti-Popes by the Authority of a Synod caused the Romans to renounce by oath the right they claimed in choosing Popes Then about 1050. Leo the 9 th invested by the Emperor is perswaded by Hildebrand to put off his pontificalibus or papal Robes in his journey from Germany to Rome to wave the Emperor and have a new election from the Roman Clergy and then made Hildebrand Cardinal who manag'd all at his pleasure After this Nicholas the 2 d. about 1060. takes away the election from the Roman Clergy bringing it about to a Colledge of Cardinals also then instituted that is of Spiritual Temporal or Lincy-woollcy Princes like himself the Supreme Emperor as it were for the greater grandure and more magnificent authority of his Almighty Holiness who was now almost got to the top of Empire Supremacy and Omnipotency For it was decreed in Council the Pope only to be chose by Cardinals whose Wounderful Worships or Eminencies might lift him up one step higher even as it were into Heaven to be God on Earth For so some thought fitting afterwards to stile forsooth his divine Majesty c. And then they order that no lay Person should confer Ecclesiaslick Investiture For what should the Church concern them But yet they themselves would invest and Crown Lay Princes For though the State had nothing to do with the Church yet the Church had to do
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
refined as Gold and Silver and the Church offer again pure Sacrifice to God as in former dayes and the years of old After these a solemn Mission or sending this work by command from God to the most eminent Heads of the Christian World in particular First To Leopold Emperour of the Romans which begins thus Most Invincible and Victorious Emperour This Book which is sent unto thy Majesty is written by the command of God and published by the command of God and sent to the heads of the World by the command of God That all may understand what is the last will of God in the last Age c. These things could not be concealed from your Majesty of all others because among the chiefest heads of the World God hath set you in the chiefest place and also because these Thunderbolts strike against you amongst the first and against your most Serene House Yet Grace is here offer'd to you See therefore what you do most August Caesar and that you may see either read these things your self or if too long for Imperial affairs deliver them to be read to your Counsellors Civil and Ecclesiastick till the matter appear Let it pity you for your self and for your House O caesar that you may break off your sins and the sins of your House by Righteousness As yet they whom your Father and Grandfather have afflicted and persecuted pray for you and your house crying Father forgive them they know not what they do The King of France is commanded here to remedy the confusions of Christendom yet if you O first of Kings will cooperate to reduce all the deadly factions of Christian people into Unity of Love and Faith you will do an acceptable service to God and all Christianity Next To Alexander VII the Roman Pope or who ever next succeeds him Highest Priest of the Roman-Catholick Church Among other Prerogatives of the High Priest of the old Law were 1. To consult God in doubtful matters 2. To be supreme Judges in all Church-matters with other chief Priests adjoyned for ease of so great a burden 3. To restrain false Prophets If therefore you with your Colledge of Cardinals by divne right obtain the highest place in the Church the same prerogatives by divine right are due also to you God was forced at length to send them Prophets extraordinary to warn Princes Priests and People of their duty They accounted them for false Prophets Mock'd and Kill'd them Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem Thou who killest the Prophets c. God in this present Book makes complaints in the Ears of Angels and men against your prophanesses And threatens his utmost Judgments They are offered here to be read to the World by command from God Do not I beseech you suspect these to be devised fictions of Man against you or published out of a corrupt affection and desire to rejoyce at your destruction They seek to deceive you who seek to instill such suspicions We the publishers of these things in the presence of the omniscient God protest with Mordecai that we for the Salvation of the Church are ready to kiss even the soals of your feet O Roman Pope Let it pity you for your selves that you may hasten to prevent the wrath of the Omnipotent Let it pity you for your Church lest leaving it in Babylonish abominations you deliver it up to be scattered at length by the Thunderbolts of God Let it pity you for so many Christian People by your obstinacy slid into so many Schisms and Heresies that they may be reduced to the Unity of the Faith Let it pity you for so many people out of the Pale of the Church to whom a door of entrance is shut through the confusions of Christians O Pope awaken O Pope rouze up out of the sleep of drunkenness and surfitting wherewith your Flatterers have made you drunk and intoxicated you calling you Christs Vicar and Infallible c. If there be none on Earth that dare speak true things unto you behold monatory Voices from Heaven Read this Book and take care to have it read by yours Your Predecessours did not despise the gift of Prophesie in the Church as some now do but proved all things to hold fast that which was good Therefore the Revelations of Hildegard Bridget Catharine c. were judged to be without fraud and admitted as worthy to be Canonical Let the same thing be done to these new ones Let them be submitted to a lawful examination that it may appear what is needfal to be done And it will appear that these last Revelations are as truly divine And that Gods will is that the Kings resume their Scepters and Rule and not the successors of the Apostles To spiritual men only spiritual things should belong For that all confusion hath increased in the World by submitting the secular power to the spiritual And that all things may be reduced into a beautiful order that it is the will of God that a Councel be called by the Authority of Kings That is that the Christian People of all parties be congregated and there all controversies be heard censured weighed decided and terminated so that by comman Jubilees of Heaven and Earth may be sung Glory to God on High on Earth Peace good will towards all men O Modern Roman Popes oppose not your selves as your predecessors have hitherto done never daring to submit their cause to a General Council Do you dare why should you not If your power over the whole Church and all Bishops and over all Kings too be of God O Roman Pope why do you rage so against all your Modern Monitors whether Doctors or Teachers and Professors of the Truth or whether Bishops Pastors or whole intire Churches or whether Kings Princes and Commonwealths or whether New Prophets c. Nor are the Modern the only or the first This thousand years there have been the same complaints and lamentations not only privately but by publick cryes both by voice and writings And God hath all along admonished you by extraordinary Prophets of your own and from among your selves Some ye have killed some ye have persecuted the rest you would not hear or understand or regard As Johannes de Rupescissâ and others whom you imprisoned Mancinellus whose hands and tongue you cut off Hus Savanarola and others whom you burnt Although even some also you had canoniz'd and their Prophecies and externally honour'd for Saints who will witness against you O Alexander the seventh to you I appeal by name and most humbly pray you to admit these words or speeches As God lives and your soul lives I seek nothing in this Book or this new Edition thereof but that the Christian People with all their Prelates may prevent the last Wrath of God They are serious things and concern the Christian Peoples safety or destruction By the tremendous Name of God I pray do not set them at nought Peter could erre why not Peter's successor Peter could be
the Bowe 's of the Mercy of God That they take heed to themselves thereof as being guileful false drawing their Rise from Satan the Father of Lyes of which Father of Lyes Christ saith That he came and took the words of God out of the hearts of men lest they should believe and be saved Luke 8. 12. But let all know that the Lord is my God who vouchsafeth to speak to me unworthy and that I and my Adjunct who in my stead declares the Words of God in the Latin Tongue to the Nations of the Earth and lastly the Promoters of the Work added unto us from Heaven seek no other things God lives and our Soul lives in God than the Honour and Glory of God first The Honour I say of the Omniscience and Veracity of God who as he hath promised the Beast being cast down and the Babylonish VVhore burnt and Satan bound to renew to himself his Church on the face of the whole Earth So he is about to do it now in our days That all the Kingdoms of the VVorld may become our Lords and his Christs Rev. 11. 15. and Chap. 17 18 19 20. Next we sought also by the Command and Charge of the Lord our God our Neighbours good both of Christians especially before others and also of the yet Infidels Turks and whatsoever Pagans that they may be converted from Idols and other Abominations to the Living God and his holy and pure Worship Of which things what the Wisdom of God in the year 1653. Nov. 8. spake to me may be read in these Revelations For all these are destitute of the true and saving Faith of God given to the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and other Saints Instead of the Law of God the Turks having their Alcoran the Jews their Talmud but many Christians the Pope and other Leaders of Errors Thirdly We sought also with a dutiful faithful and simple and sincere mind to execute the Commands of God without all respect to men by testifying to all whether it please all or displease some and whether they will hear or forbear believe or not believe That God never will'd nor yet wills the Death of a Sinner but that all converted from Impiety Errors and Iniquities do Judgement and Justice Giving to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Therefore the Wisdom of God Commanded me to speak unto the House of Austria with her Supporters the Spaniard and Pope Him as a broken Reed This as a Fire-brand burnt and to others That the Lord of Heaven and Earth was about to do unto the House of Austria as he did unto the House of Ahab and to his Counsellors and Prophets as Elias did unto the Baalites whom in the sight of all the People he slew with the Sword As it was said unto me in the year 1644. April 12. Therefore I Nicholas Drabricius a Witness of the Veracity of God a Witness I say unto my Self and unto others the Godly that the Lord does not any thing but he reveals his Secret to his Servants the Prophets Amos 3. 8. The Lion therefore roaring who is not affraid And the Lord commanding who prophesies not v. 9. Our Predecessor John Hus about to glorifie God and his Truth by his Death said to his Persecutors An hundred years being rowled about ye shall answer to God and to me I his Follower say the same thing to my Persecutors and cite you Gods and mine Accusers to the Tribunal of Jesus Christ that you there answer for your Blasphemies who in me unworthy blaspheme God and his Spirit As if now he had not promised in the lâ—st days To pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh that your Sons and Daughters may prophesie and your old men dream dreams and your young men see Visions Joel 2. 28. Like as is done even to me an old man now almost fourscore years old by the undeserved grace of God And before me to Christopher Ketter and to Christina Poniatovia whom also I as many other godly persons account for a Servant and an Handmaid of the Lord and acknowledge the like things to have been declared unto them as unto me of the Plagues of God a coming upon Christendom from the East as they now begin to come from the same merciful God always fore-warning the World I Drabricius was not that I may speak with Amos contending with his Detractors a Prophet or a Prophets Son Amos 7. 14. But the Lord commanded me to write the Word heard out of his Mouth And I wrot for the most part by night in the dark on a Stone Table or even with Chalk lying by my Bed side in a Chest Performing my duty laboriously 26 years to my Lord neither changing any thing but just as the Lord and my God vouchsafed to speak concerning Christians and no Christians Kings and Kingdoms Lords and Subjects Priests and People Especially concerning Idolatry and Images even of our Saviour crucified hanging stretch'd through the Temples Streets and High-ways expos'd to Winds Rains and the making of Nests for Birds for a scandal and laughing-stock to Infidels Jews Turks Tartars who in the year 1663. making an Irruption into Moravia stood amazed at this amazement of Christians And because Gods will is according to the words made known unto me poor miserable man that they be converted to that Faith given to the Saints he will therefore certainly take away those scandals and the Authors of scandals men gone into the way of Cain feeding themselves fat Clouds without Water carried about by the Wind Trees wither'd unfruitful twice dead Waves of the Sea foaming forth Confusion and wandring Stars to whom is reserved the Tempest of Darkness for ever Jud. 11 12 13. complaining Murmurers walking after their own lusts whose mouth speaketh Pride and Arrogancy vers 16. Mockers 18. Sensual not having the Spirit 19. Of whose number is Paul Veterine wholly burning with hatred against me without all fear of God and shame of men tearing and bespattering me with malicious Writings not seeking after the glory of God or the saving Good of his Neighbours but that he may bring the Speeches of God into suspicion and reproach wholly after the Example of the worst amongst the Pharisees who said of Christ He hath a Devil and is mad why do you hear him Joh. 10. 19. Although the more Moderate said These are not the words of one that hath a Devil v. 2. As even now many moderate men even in remote Countreys say concerning the Words of the Lord pronounced by me But I with the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1. 23. call God for a Record upon my Soul believing with my whole heart and confessing with my mouth that I also am a little Sheep of Christ for whom he the good Shepherd laid down his life Joh. 10. 11. That I have neither spoken nor written any thing but what the Lord and my God commanded me to write with mine hand all the time of so
upbraiding me with the wounds that were given me wholly innocent in the year 1635. by a drunken Fellow Martin Stuniak furiously meeting me on the High-way For which things this man having suffered Judgement of the Equestrian Order of the County of Trencinia ought to have lost his Life but that at the Intercession of the Lords the Judges I freely granted him his Life and permitted him to remain quiet with a Pecuniary Mulct Whosoever therefore thou art that shalt read these and the like slanders of this Calumniator especially where he derides the Threatnings of God made by me unto him also as vain I beseech you suffer not your selves to be carried away for the sake of a Fool who saith in his heart There is no God Psa 14. 1. for to taunt at the slow Judgments of God Which is not mine Admonition it is the Apostles That we must not judge before the time till the Lord come who will inlighten the hidden things of Darkness 1 Cor. 4. 5. For he saith who testifieth these things Behold I come quickly Amen! Come Lord Jesus Rev. 22. 20. Come now also and shew the Verity of thy Speeches pronounc'd heretofore by John but lately by Kotter Christina and Me thy unworthy Vessels That the Church on Earth may now make Responsals in singing to the Angels in Heaven Babylon is fallen is fallen Although not according to our times and the terms of days and years which our foolish Reason is wont to fix unto thy Work O God! but according to thine own measuring with whom one day is equivalent to a thousand years 2 Pet. 3. 8. For the Lord is not slack concerning his Promises as some men do count slackness and among those my blasphemous Slanderer But is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance v. 9. The impatience of the Bethulians did tempt or try to prescribe unto God Bounds of their Deliverance But they are greatly checkt of Judith because God receives not counsel from men Chap. 7. and 8. And what was there could seem more equal in the eyes of men than that Moses as being faithful in all the House of God and through so great Labours of forty years with hardship passed through should introduce his People into that desired Land of Promise Yet the Lord for one onely mistake denied him although he earnestly prayed committing this Charge unto another And he must acquiesce For who may say unto him Why doest thou thus What did Jonas's Murmurs that God had forgiven to the Ninivites the destruction denounc'd by his preaching Prophet avail Contend therefore thou also Veterine or whosoever is like thee with God that he does not fulfill all things promis'd or denounc'd by Threatnings But does he not fulfil Does not so many Commotions of the Nations and initial Desolations every where testifie VVould to God the words of God may not be fulfilled on thee and those like unto thee VVo unto you who are wise in your own Eyes and prudent in your own sights Isa 5. 21. Contend therefore not with me but with the Lord who hath commanded me to write these things that are written But I am not better than Jeremiah the Prophet unto whom proud men cast in his teeth as thou Veterine lately to me Thou speakest a Lye The Lord our God hath not sent thee Jer. 43. 2. VVhen yet I may even as confidently as Jeremiah say of a truth The Lord hath sent me to speak and write all these words Jer. 26. 15. But my God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath not left me without Consolations against you so often promising me protection against you and a demonstration of the Verity of his words in the very work or deed it self And the Destruction of Unbelievers and those that devise evil things against me And behold How faithful is God! He hath preserv'd me hitherto and preserves me in the midst of my Enemies But my Detractors where now are they Sapor Effron Felinus and others As every one fill'd up the measure of his virulency so he was snatched away hence Nor let others expect any other thing even intire Nations according to those words of the Lord Out of my Mouth hath proceeded this which I have declared to thee decreed in my Eternal Counsel concerning those things which I will have done in the last days of the World When I will with punishments refrain the Blasphemies of the Nations wherewith they injure me and my Name The Earth shall tremble and they that dwell therein For the burning of my Zeal hath fallen like the Sun upon those who will not know me Rev. 211. And elsewhere Whoever speakes unto you otherwise than I by my faithful and true Witnesses let him be Anathema Rev. 250. Again Let my Contemners expect no other thing than Plagues for Plagues and Contempt for Contempt For with me there is not another Way nor to me another Door beside Obedience Faith Love and Patience with fear of my Judgements Rev. 257. All which things I would to God my Detractors would read Perhaps they would return to themselves acknowledging the Truth and Severity of God in has Threatnings Concluding this my Speech I Nicholas Drabricius will say with Job O that my Petition might come from the God of my Salvation That God would grant me the thing that I expect That he would break me in Pieces when he begins if falseness be in my mouth Job 6. 8 9. VVhy therefore have ye detracted from the Speeches of Truth seeing there is none among you who can reprove me v. 25. Seeing 't is God alone who revealeth deep things out of darkness and bringeth out to light the shadows of Death who multiplieth the Nations and destroyeth them and when they are overthrown restores them intirely again C. 12. 22 23. Last of all I the abovesaid confess That the Speeches which I have written but my Adjunct publish'd are not the Speeches of an Angel otherwise always present with me and carrying my Prayers to the Throne of God Much less mine a sinful man's but are the Speeches of my very Lord Jesus Christ himself who is the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End of all things proceeded from his Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding and the Spirit of Counsel and Strength and of the fear of the Lord Who hath form'd me also from the Womb for his Servant to bring back Jacob again to him and that Israel may be gathered unto him and I was glorified in the eyes of the Lord and my God is become my strength Isa 49. 5. who said also unto me In an acceptable time will I hear thee and in a day of Salvation will I help thee v. 8. To whom alone the Omnipotent VVise God as it was in the beginning so for ever world without end Be Honour and Power and Glory Amen! Amen! Hallelujah Hallelujah I have ended by the help of God the
5th of July in the year of Christ 1664. which is of my Age the 76th of my Ministry the 48th of my Exile the 36th of the beginning of Revelations made unto me from the Lord the 26th A PRAYER Written by Command of the Lord and my God in the year 1653. April 18. and in the year 1664. June 30. commanded to be put for a close of my Revelations O Eternal God! Holy Father Incomprehensible in VVisdom Judgment Counsel Grace and Justice Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier Father Son and holy Spirit Thou Holy One of Israel who from the beginning hast founded the Earth and the Heaven of Heavens are the work of thy Hands VVho sittest on the Throne of inestable Glory in the midst of thy innumerable Hosts Cherubims and Seraphims and Men triumphing through Martyrdoms ministring to Thee day and night and singing Holy Holy Holy Jehovah Zebaoth Behold amongst them me also praising thee O God! Acknowledging thee to be the Lord with all the Earth worshipping Thee the Father everlasting For that Thou hast form'd me a frail mass or lump of Clay for a small Vessel of thy grace and hast call'd me forth by my own proper Name out of my Mothers womb and hast written my Name in the Lambs Book of Life And in these last days of the World in a Nation which hath known thy Name and heard the Voice of thy Trumpet going forth from thy Throne hast set me upon the Walls of thy Jerusalem thy beloved Church for a Witness and Watchman and for a Voice of one crying to the Nations That openly in the sight of all Nations I might declare the Day of Vengeance to the Worshippers of Idols and to all false Worships of those to do not rightly acknowledge Thee the Tri-Une God who livest eternally And again The Day of Grace to the Nations of the Earth to acknowledge in the true Light interior and exterior Thee the living God and thy pure and chaste Worship Such as the Angels perform unto thee in Heaven and thou wouldst have perform'd to thee without Idolatrous Errors on Earth out of a pure Heart and good Conscience and Faith unfeigned in Body Soul and Spirit unanimously and humbly in simplicity of Heart Behold me thy pitiful little VVorm and most inconsiderable Dust Refuse or Off-scouring at the Threshold of thy House thy beloved Church and of that small Portion which thou hast gathered to thy self under the Name of the Brethren of Bohemia Behold me in the days of its cruel Persecution and sad Exile in another Land the Hungarian burdened and hanging down my Head with the very Disease of Old Age I did hear thy voice of thee the living God speaking unto me I know not how but speaking I know what For intelligibly I did perceive thy Voices and clearly apprehended the sence yea and moreover I my self did speak unto thee the Invisible I did ask Questions and make Answers All things with the unconfused and undisturbed Powers and Forces of my Mind And my eyes saw the whole World in thy hand as a little Globe and I heard thee explaining those Mysteries how thy hand contains all things And those other things which would never have come into my mind nor were suggested by any of Mortals I did receive from thee alone my God! with fear day and night and did imprint them in my Memory or also through theâ— commanding in Tables and Papers But thy face I a man of poluted lips never saw save onely thy hand pierced through with a Nail once extended towards me and put under my left Arm-pit when thou swaredst That thou wouldst neither leave thy Cause nor me thy Servant And thou hast kept faith O faithful One In the sight of mine Enemies Domestick and Forreign And that in sleep I beheld thee my beloved Saviour in thy diffrent Age and Habit with Joy and Tears acknowledging mine indignity and with covered face throwing my self down at thy feet and kissing them and perceiving the Taste of Eternal Life with Sweetnesses unutterable by me For thou madest me to see even the Joys of the Elect in Heaven as also the Torments of the Damned in Hell and what things in the world also in respect both of Church and State should be hereafter till even thy illustrious Return to Judgement Which things I faithfully without any fraud in simplicity of heart with groans to thee whether thou hadst commanded by night or by day did refer and put down into writings Adding nothing of my own and respecting nothing of my own nor any other thing besides thy Glory And bearing many Prejudices Reproaches Cavils Twenty six whole Years and Ten Months and Three Days Till now in this Year 1664. an end being put unto thy work thou my Lord and my God hast commanded to close and shut up all these things with this Prayer Hear therefore O Heavens and perceive with your ears O Earth Behold I conclude dutifully I conclude with weeping Falling down at thy feet Lord Jesus Kissing thy Wounds and Marks and pouring out my Soul before thee I ask humbly I ask confidently First that thou wouldst leave thy Holy Spirit for a Guide Counsellor and Comforter unto me even until Death and through him wouldst pour out a plentiful shower of Benediction upon all thy Speeches which thy mouth hath brought forth in these last days of the World by me thy sorry Servant which I receiving from thy mouth have sealed up by thy Command and by a Man whom thou hast adjoyned to me for an help have made known first indeed to the Hungarian Nation then afterwards to other Nations also Grant O holy God! That all to whom the sound of thy Trumpet shall reach may acknowledge that they have come forth from thee that thou mayest be glorified in all Nations of the Earth All which sanctifie O God! in thy Truth to acknowledge thy word through all Nations and Tongues and thy Self to be the Truth the Way and the Life Cause O God! That Kings Princes Subjects and Doctors or Teachers of the Gospel with their Hearers and Parents with Children may be one in thee and the truth of thy Word and may know thee the One onely God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent by whom all things were made and without whom nothing was made in the Unity of the holy Spirit God undivided in Power Wisdom Goodness Majesty and Glory blessed for ever I ask O God! I ask That all the Islands of the Sea may now wax silent before thee that all the Ends of the Earth may be afraid and fly to thee May assume new strength may be carried with Wings as Eagles and may run and not be weary with us to thee the Fountain of Salvation who speakest Righteousness and art sufficient to save nor art delighted with the death of a Sinner O Shepherd of Men Convey over but even now in the last days all Nations under thy Pastoral Rod that they may be brought into the Bond
totally dissipated not can strike terror into us seeing we know that the Soul of Man is not extinguished it is not withal convenient 24. To believe the error of Transmigration It is convenient to know in the time of life to do good and evil each oâ— the Souls of men after death go to the judgment of God where they have a determinate 25. Place of their reward One place is above and haâ—â— all felicity namely which is called the Court or Palace oâ— Heaven That is the place of remunerating the good The second place is beneath and hath 26. All bitterness namely which is called the Prison of the Earth the place of punishing bad men For the Lord is most highly equal or just There is nothing of good which he doth not reward there is nothing of evil which he doth not punish Nevertheless in the present Age 27. There are some which do ill and are rich honour'd without trouble and joyful There are who do well and are poor contemn'd and oppres'd with calamity It is certain God waits till the death of that man and 28. After receives the Soul of the good Man and takes it up into the Court of Heaven to inhabit perpetual felicity and receives the Soul of the bad man and sends it into the Prison of the Earth to receive punishment without end If we grant that there are not 29. Rewards and punishments of Paradise and Hell to remunerate the men of this Age or present life who do good or evil How are the good not deceived then And how much better a lot and portion do the evil injoy And how can God be said most highly just 30. Some one will say That reward of good and evil is it not also in the present Age or life How goes the matter It is answered let us suppose those that receive the remuneration of good and evil 31. Altogether to wait even till after death On that very account men will be ignorant of the remuneration which is after death And how will it be proved to them that the Lord is above the Heavens Therefore frequently those who violate justice 32. Fall into calamities dangers and troubles that they may amend their past wickednesses beware of future Those who are obedient to Reason receive a blessing descending upon them to answer their good deeds past and stir them up to future 33. But if any well-doer be in want in dishonour full of labours and calamities perhaps it therefore happens because that amidst their good works they have something of evil Therefore God with these things 34. Chastises him at present but after death introduces him into the place of perfect felicity to injoy perpetual felicity If any do ill and yet are rich honour'd and happy according to the Age or present life 35. This therefore happens Because amids their doings ill they have some good mixt Therefore God remunerates them with these present felicities But after death tumbles them down headlong into the obscure Prison that perpetually they may receive all bitternesses 36. The men of this Age if they desire to avoid descending into Hell to undergoe all torments and to ascend into Heaven to injoy all felicity Three things are altogether necessary First 37. It is necessary to know the Lord of Paradise namely God For men of this Age to inhabit in one anothers house it is first necessary to know the Lord of the house then they may enter and stay 38. How much less any one ignorant of the Lord of Heaven can he ascend and enter into the place of universal felicity Secondly It is necessary to know the way to Heaven namely the Law of God 39. Men of this Age ignorant of the way thither whither they are a going by that very means cannot come there And any one ignorant of the way into Heaven how can he possibly come there 40. Thirdly It is altogether necessary to go on through the way which they now know Because a man although he knows the way which he desires to go yet if he sit idling at home and go not forth to make progress by no means will he ever be able to come to his journeys end 41. In like manner he who desires to ascend into Paradise the place of all felicity it is altogether necessary that he do the works of the Divine Holy Law Some one will say 42. God is the Lord of Heaven Earth Men and Things and his Doctrine is withall the way to Paradise Now I have clearly heard and understood this Now I desire to follow this Doctrine of the Holy God How 43. Therefore shall I be able to do it It is answered He who desires to follow the Holy Law ought to have two aims The first aim consists in this That he worship God with a perfect heart because he is of Heaven 44. Earth Men and Things the Universal Lord and created all things that he might nourish us The second consists in providing for a mans own Soul to avoid descending 45. Into Hell to receive all bitternesses and obtain ascent into Heaven to enjoy all felicities He who desires to obtain this three things are necessary The first of them is to keep the Commandments of God 46. The second is He ought to blieve the things of God The third is He ought to receive Sacred Baptism and to wash his past sins The Ten Commandments 1. To Honour and Worship God above all things 2. Not to name the Holy Name of God to utter a vain Oath 3. To observe Holy Dayes 4. To obey and honour Father and Mother 5. Not to kill men 6. Thou shalt not work Fornication 7. Thou shalt not Steal 8. Thou shalt not bear Witness rashly 9. Thou shalt not covet another mans Wife 10. Thou shalt not covet another mans Riches Matters The Ten Commandments summarily taken are reduced to two only To love God above all things and to love men as ones self This is that which of old God from Heaven taught and commanded that they should be honour'd and kept through all Ages The obedient to them ascend into Paradise and receive felicity Those that walk contrary descend into Hell where they suffer torments The above written Articles are only a Compendium If any one desire to have an absolute knowledge of the Divine Law it is necessary that he studiously apply himself to the study of the Holy Books treating of the true Law of God and go to the Temple of Christians to hear the Masters of the Law come out of the West Discoursing Disputing and Unfolding Then they shall be able to understand without doubting and this thing cannot be fully done in few words This we have translated as was requisite verbatim according to the property of the China Speech rather then the English From this Doctrine of the True and One God rightly expounded they proceed to expound the holy Trinity of the One God then to the incarnation of the Son of God the