Flanders The Duke of Clarence followed the King to London where they set King Henry again at liberty after 9. years imprisonment and newly elected and crowned him King But soon after King Edward returned again to England with some Souldiers and then the Duke of Clarence his brother turned to him and so greatly increased the Kings strength that he came to London and took King Henry prisoner and then followed the Earl of Warwick whom he also overcame and slew with his brother the Marquess of Mountacute When Warwick was down the King pursued Queen Margaret wife to King Henry and getting the Victory in a battel at Tewksbury he took the Queen prisoner with Prince Edward her son And soon after King Henry was murdered in the Tower And after him the Duke of Clarence was murdered in the Tower a sad but just reward of a turn-coat To all other the bloud and Tyranny mention'd of this Usurper sad is the story recorded of Mr. Burdet of Arrow The King hunting in his Park with others kill'd one white Deer of which he set some esteem and for Mr. Burdets saying I would the Horns of the Buck was in the belly of him that shewed him the King the said Mr. Burdet was accused and condemned and executed for a Traytor and so lost both life and estate Indeed his words being a curse were sinful But yet a small offence to the King to have so sharp a censure But not long after the Lord shot the Dart of death at him summoning of him to appear before Divine Justice the 9. of April An. 1484. when he had reigned 22. years 1 month and odd days Edward the 5. about the age of 13. years was to succeed his father Edward the 4. But about 3. months after his fathers death his Uncle Richard Duke of Glocester caused him to be secretly murdered conveyed away that it was not known where he was buried and so set up himself An. 1484. Richard the 3. brother to Edward the 4. to get the Crown murdered Prince Edward and Richard Duke of York his brothers sons in the Tower with George Duke of Clarence his own brother also Henry Duke of Buckingham Hastings Rivers Vaâ—ghan Grey and very many others and his own wife Anne that so he might make way to marry his Couzen Elizabeth Yet this wicked Tyrant raged but a short time For Henry Earl of Richmond the heir apparent came out of France with the Earl of Pembrook his Uncle the Earl of Oxford many others to whom some of the Nobility joyned in England who gave battel to Richard the 22. of August neer Bosworth where Richard was slain when he had born his usurped Crown 2. years and 2. months Ann. 1486. Henry the 7. who was heir to the house of Lancaster when he came to the Crown married Elizabeth the daughter of Edward the 4. whom Richard intended to have taken and so united the houses of Lancaster and York Henry had also a strain of the British Race and of the French bloud In this Kings time were great Tumults Taxes and Taxes brought Tumults and the shedding of much bloud And when Taxes were not willingly paid the King craved or begged benevolence or something of their own good will Divers rebellions there were some from without and some within the Nation and it 's noted that Lambert was a chief rebel in these times The Scots also made inroads into the North parts But to quiet them the King gave his eldest daughter in Marriage to the King of Scots When Henry had reigned 23. years and 8. months he died An. 1510. Henry the 8. succeeded his father Henry the 7. He enjoyed the Crown in much quiet by union of the Families for which there had been fought 17. pitcht battels in which were slain 8. Kings 40. Dukes Marquesses and Earls besides Barons Knights and Gentlemen and about 200000. common people This King married his brother Arthur's widow which Arthur died before his father And so Henry began he was for Religion a Roman Catholike and in his zeal writ against Luther for which great act his father the Pope gave him the Title of Defender of the Faith which the Kings and Queens held to the last Yet when Henry the 8. grew great he cast off the Popes Supremacy over England and judged himself fit enough to be head in Church and State The King going to War in France James King of Scots came with a great Army into England but in a bloudy battel was repulsed About this time Mary the Kings sister was contracted to Lewis the 12. King of France but was before promised to the King of Castile Yet after Charles Duke of Suffolk wedded the Lady Anno 1516. About Ann. 1533. King Henry put off Katherine and married Anne Bullin and she was proclaimed Queen Upon this divorce many were discontented but the King sent out an Oath to be taken by all people especially to the Priests to swear fidelity to the King Queen Anne and their heirs But the Lord Chancellour some Bishops and many others for refusing this ungodly oath were committed to the Tower and other prisons But to the rest of this Kings sins when he had cast off the Popes Supremacy he became Pope of England and was made head of the Church of England having full authority over the same And withal took the first fruits and tenths An. 1535. In the next year the 2. of May Queen Anne was committed to the Tower and there beheaded Also the Queens brother with 18. of the Kings Privy Chamber were put to death the 17. of May and the 20. of May the King married Lady Jane Seymor The 12 of October 1537. Queen Jane brought forth Prince Edward and lost her life the 14. day The 3. of January 1539. the King married Anne of Cleve Thomas Cromwel Secretary to the King was a rising Favourite and promoted to places of trust and honour above any in his time beginning about An. 1536. and An. 1540. he was beheaded at Tower-hill and the new Queen Anne of Cleve divorced The King had another wife in good readiness if not already married for the 8. of August following the Lady Katherine Howard appeared openly as Queen But he made as speedy dispatch with her for the 13. of February following she was beheaded in the Tower yet after the King had cut off that Katherine the 12. of july following the King married the Lady Katherine Parr late wife to the Lord Latimer 1543. and the 35. year of the Kings reign All this Kings time were mutinies heading hanging and abundance of bloud-shed continually of all sorts Nobles Bishops Priests and people He cut down all that stood in his way who answered not his desires Thus this King spent 37. years 9. months and odd days An. 1548. Edward the 6. succeeded his father
Henry the 8. and was crowned at 9. years of age In the 2. year of his reign he did so much towards reformation that the Church-service was turned into English In the Kings Minority the Duke of Somerset was made Lieutenant Protector but not long after was committed to the Tower and after was beheaded at Tower-hill King Edward about 16. years of age fell sick and died when he had reigned 6. years 5. months and odd daies An. 1554. After the death of Edward Lady Jane wife to the Lord Clifford fourth son to the Duke of Northumberland was proclaimed Queen as given to her by Edward the 6. But Lady Mary eldest daughter to King Henry had the grater party and so came to the Crown She soon restored the Pope Cardinal c. to his former Supremacy over England and dashed the reformation begun and appointed the Church-service again in Latine To make sure Queen Mary beheaded the Lady Jano Clifford the Duke of Suffolk the Lord Clifford and others to take them off from laying claim to the Crown Yet she did not sit quiet in the Throne But to compleat her sin she drunk deep of the bloud of the Saints and sent many multitudes to heaven in fiery chariots The Queen married Philip Prince of Spain Yet the Lord shut up her womb that she had no child and cut her off when she had raged over the Saints in this Nation 5. years 4. months and odd daies Anno 1559. Elizabeth sister to Queen Mary now came to the Crown she again rejected the Pope and did something towards Reformation of Religion She had great honour in the hearts of the people and was a terror to forain Nations and reigned 45. years An. 1604. After Queen Elizabeth James King of Scots descended from Margaret daughter to Henry the 7. came to the Crown of England He was a man of much learning and writ divers Books But his practice answered not his light and professions How he passed over the death of his son Prince Henry was observed by many and how the Lord reached him at last many have said more then I will write King James sawyed the Scepter of England Scotland and Ireland 22. years 3. days An. 1626. Charles succeeded his father James Contrary to the counsel once given by King James to Heary his son Charles did marry with Henerietta Maria of France a Papist and gave her the liberty of her Religion by Articles of Marriage By her interest Popery was advanced through corrupt Bishops and the true worship of God was little known in England what the life of Charles was is yet fresh in the memory of most alive at this day He set all the three Nations on a fire that yet is not quenched nor is like to be In England Ireland and Scotland the sword hath spilt the bloud of many thousands and as he was worthy the Lord gave him bloud to drink who was beheaded at White-hall West minster January 30. An. 1649. when he had born the Crown 24 years 10. months and 7. days Thus as in a Map I have represented some remarkable passages in the rise and succession of Kings from Saul to our present Age. If this little be laid up in the minds of men by this taste you may judge much of all their Lives and Reigns that is vailed under the Curtain To my best skill I have only run down sacred and prophane History and have taken the relations of others and written their Stories But if so much wickedness came to light what was done in the dark that is open to the all-seeing eye of Heaven Surely a woful sad burden have this sort of men I may well say Monsters been to all People and Nations where-ever they were And that the Dragon the Beast and all their limbs shall be utterly destroyed by Jesus Christ who is King of Kings I question not I am perswaded the work is now upon the wheel and as Jesus Christ is imbraced here will appear more and more to clear up to the Saints another way of governing his people then yet we see There is nothing hinders but our unworthiness But if I may discover what I see yet afar off I conceive the Governours call'd and set up by Jesus Christ shall be like Jesus Christ himself humble self-denying Saints such as shall set up a publike and not a self-interest Such as shall ease burdens and not oppress Such as shall deliver the poor and not seed upon them Such as shall guide the people by the rule of Gods sacred word and not make lust and self-will their law and force it by a long Sword For certain if the Lord did not leave wise-men to themselves they could not but easily reade their own ruine by multiplied examples in all times God is the same yesterday to day and for ever And in the same way that God did manifest his righteousness and justice under the sacred Scriptures the same hath been the Lords providences and dispensations in the world ever since the Scriptures were written and as the Apostle expresseth it These things were written for our examples upon whom the ends of the world are come I may say sin was the rise of Monarchy sin hath been the strength of Monarchy and Monarchy hath been the punishment of sin ever since it was Therefore when the sin of Kings grew high the Lord stirred up some to punish pull down these Kings by the shedding of much bloud and exhausting of treasure But when such had got into the Kings State they did the same that the King did before them when their sin again was full the Lord raised up others to destroy them and their Families And this is the track of times But when Jesus Christ is truly received there shall be an end of this proud oppressing sort of men the Saints shall rule then judgement and righteousness shall run down like mighty streams Now for the accomplishment of these blessed promises wait and pray till Christ say It 's done AN EPITOMY OF PAPACY THat there was a Gospel Church in the City of Rome in the times of the Apostles is clear by Divine authority And that this Church of Christ had ordinary Church Officers Bishops and Deacons I think there is no question But the better to discover the Roman Antichrist two things have been in debate amongst the godly 1 Whether the first Bishops of the Churches of Christ had and did exercise by power given from Jesus Christ a Lordly and Soveraign Jurisdiction over the Saints in their particular Churches 2 Whether the power of one Bishop or Pastor by the institution of Jesus Christ did extend to divers Churches The judgements of many learned men are published to the World upon these needful questions yet I desire to assert my thoughts in this place First That ordinary Church Officers
smart of Tyranny Valerian going to War against the Persians was taken prisoner where he was made the Kings foot-stool when he got upon his horse and after flea'd alive and salted and so ended this miserable life Galienus left in Government still continued Emperour but he gave himself up to his pleasure and neglected the Publike Weale by which many Provinces took their opportunity to provide for their own safety and set up Emperours of their own In his reign also the Gothes made invasions upon the Romans all which together Gallienus grew into hatred and was soon slain Yet it is said Gallienus stayed the persecution against the Christians about An. 262. and with his father kept the Imperial Throne 15. years An. 272. Claudius next had the Empire But Historians agree not in the time of his reign or who succeeded therefore I follow Mr. Heylin who gives to Claudius one year An. 272. Quintilius had the Throne for one year and left it An. 273. Aurelianus then took his turn At first he favoured the Christians but after raised the ninth persecution against them It is said When this Emperour was about to sign his Edict against the Christians the Lord stroke that arm that he could not write his name upon which he was so terrified that he stay'd that persecution and after this sign from heaven the Church had peace through divers Emperours reigns Aurelius was a valiant Warriour and subdued divers Provinces to the Roman State Yet was after murdered by pretending friends when he had reigned 6. years An. 278. After Aurelius the Empire was vacant and no Emperour chosen for some time which never happened from Romulus to that instant Yet at length Tacitus was chosen Emperour and reigned 6. moneths Florianus then took the Scepter and held it 80. daies Probus was chosen to the Empire as some say By the nomination of Tacitus and confirmed both by the Army and Senate He by his wisdom so setled the Nations in such peace that on a time he said We shall not shortly need Armies or Garisons But this speech of the Emperour so greatly offended the Souldiers that they consulted new troubles and not long after Probus died when he had held the Crown 6. years An. 286. Carus succeeded Probus He took into Government with him his two sons Carinus and Numerianus Carus soon died and Numerianus following the Wars was slain by his father in law Upon this Dioclesian was chosen Emperour and raised an Army against Carianus but in battel Carianus lost his life when all three Emperours had reigned but 3. years Anno 289. Dioclesian now succeeded in the Empire and finding troubles and tumults arising in many places he took Maximinian into Government with him and divided the Empire into East and West That the Publike Weale might be yet more stable and better ordered Dioclesian adopted Galerius to succeed him and Maximinian chose Constantius Clorus to follow him Yet Galerius was sent to command in the East and Constantius kept the West These Emperours by this Policy kept peace at home and got Victories abroad by which they were exceedingly lift up in pride In such height was Dioclesian that he would be worshipped as God And to the rest of his sin he raised the tenth persecution against the Christians which rose very high In the 19. year of his reign neer the Feast of Easter the Emperour sent out his Edict by which he commanded all Churches to be laid even with the ground the holy Scriptures to be burnt the Pastours of Churches first to be imprisoned and then forced to offer sacrifice to idols or suffer death c. It cannot be said how much Christian bloud was shed in a little time Yet the righteous God suffered not these bloudy persecutors to go in peace to their graves In the 20. year of these Emperours Government they grew weary of their honours and resigned their Emperial trust to their Companions But Maximinus grew mad and hanged himself And Dioclesian fell into a horrible Disease his intrails and flesh rotting with innumerable lice swarming upon him and so wasted away An. 309. Though now the Empire be divided into East and West or West and East I shall only follow the Western Empire and speak only of the Eastern Emperours occasionally as this History requires Constantius now Emperour of the West had his abode in England and married Helena daughter of King Coel. Constantius was greatly affected with Religion and the worship of God which he much promoted but in the 7. year of his Government after the Resignation of the former Emperours he departed this life at York An. 316. Constantius being now dead Galerius Emperour of the East adopted Severus and Maximinus to succeed next in Government In the interim the Nobles and Souldiers at Rome elected Maxentius to be Emperour Upon this great troubles did arise and to quier both the parties up in arms the Nobility called Constantine son of Constantius out of France to deliver Rome from the Tyranny of Maxentius Constantine forthwith drew into Italy with his Army where he got the first Battel and after totally routed Maxentius neer to Rome Constantine was Proclaimed Emperour after the death of his father in England But now he had overcome his enemies he was established in the Imperial Throne Constantine bearing great affection to Licinius took him into Government and married his sister Constantia to him out of this respect that Licinius favoured the Christians But after some time his hypocrisie was discovered and it appeared that he intended secretly to murder Constantine and to raise persecution against the Christians Yet the All-wise God prevented the one and stay'd the other begun For this malicious bloudy cruelty being brought to light Constantine went against Licinius overcame him and after ruled alone Constantine now setled the afflicted Church in much peace and the Romans gave him the title of Constantine the Great It is Historied by Socrates That when Constantine was drawing up of his Army to relieve Rome from the Tyranny of Maxentius that he was yet unsetled in Religion But in the day-time there appeared a lightsome Pillar in the heavens like a Cross with this inscription In this overcome But this appearance was of these Greek characters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the name of Christ As Euseb. This at first amazed the Emperour Yet he being assured by the restimony of others as well as himself of the reality of the vision Constantine did fully believe in Christ and in that strength prospered I will not spot paper with reciting the Popish fables reported of Constantine But without question he was a pious and peacable man and did much for the Church of God He was converted to the faith about the 41. year of his age Yet was not Baptized of long purposely