against our Gracious Soveraign and by designing his Majesty the Time and Person are both made known For it is not probable that from the present French King such fruit shall proceed by his conversion to the Reformed Religion or so easing the burthens of his Subjects having seized already lately on Aurange and Marseilles two great receptacles for those of the Religion and their ancient Liberties and who still threatneth Geneva Now here I must take leave to assume liberty to draw an Argument from that which is not yet fullfilled but begun only accounting it as already done For thus doth S. Paul from the certain conversion of the Jews which was then to be but neither in his time nor to this day fulfilled Rom. 11. perswade the Christians not to despise that people but account them as brethren And the Holy Ghost assuring us of the burning of the City of Rome a thing not yet accomplished adviseth the people of God to leave that City lest they should perish with it Revel 18. 4. Thus I having already declared and by the fore-going reasons proved that K. Charles II will perform by Gods Grace undoubtedly in England all the promised matters do by probable conjecture infer that it shall in France be performed by him also For to do such great matters is not every day seen None of all the Kings of France since King Clovis nor French Kings have cured the putrid sores of that Kingdom None of the 27. Kings and Queens of England from the Confessor have done that till now Nor is it probable that any of the French Kings there educated would be of the Reformed Religion And as much unlikely it is that any of those Kings should take away all the Corruption in Justice and Manners But since it must be done how probable may it seem that it can be done by none else but by him who hath done the like in England and may do the same in France unto which Kingdom he hath a most just Title So much for my first Argument Secondly It is not likely that God will honour him who hath not the right as him who hath the just Title to that Crown with so glorious a work in that place For the Crown of France by just Title is devolved upon our Gracious Soveraign from Edward III King of England in right of his mother Queen Isabella She was daughter unto Philip the Fair King of France which Philip had three sons successively Kings of France viz. Lodowik Hutin Philip the Tall and Charles the Fair all which dying without issue Isabella their only sister remaining alive was married unto Edward II King of England by whom she had issue Edward III to whom our Royal Soveraign is the next heir by descent from him Against whose right the French do only pretend the Salique Law by which no daughter of France is admitted to the Crown but when and by what sufficient authority there enacted their Lawyers give us no satisfaction And the Reasons why the Person is not so expresly designed for France as here before for England are of moment 1. Because by setting us to enquire after that Prince who shall work so great a happiness to that Kingdom we are thereby driven to finde out the causes for which most probably God may give as He hath formerly given Kingdoms to Princes and extraordinary possessions to others Princes such an opportunity and blessing we may thereby light upon the very Person For God hath made all things for his own Glory and all men but specially Princes induing them for that purpose with great power and those which suffer great things for his sake and stand for him and love his people he seldome sends them away without some ample recompence in this life Yet it was needful that the King whom the Lord had appointed for the happiness of England should be more clearly discovered as it hath pleased God to do touching our Royall Soveraign For who could conjecture that a Prince who had been so exceedingly enraged by the wickedness of some should be so merciful as to spare his cruel enemies and to be so loving and merciful to his people so tender toward those whose consciences cannot admit that for fear of man which their sincere love to God made them to deny if God had not more expresly shewn King CHARLES II to be that Good Prince For which cause the King which shall be the Deliverer of France is more obscurely figured because he is already discovered in the Type of Englands Helper 2. Because the assurance of what shall be by our Soveraign done in France to Gods people there which cannot be until he rule there as King shall appear unto his Royal Majesty when God shall move his Heart to begin in England first so that the Lord would have him to hasten that great weighty and heroick work Now let us look back to the causes which the Lord seemeth to have respect unto in making King CHARLES so happy and see if we can finde like Examples Observe his unjust and cruel sufferings Shall a Prince who after the murther of his Royal Father under the pretence of Justice by the most unjust Judges which ever sate in Judgement and by feigned Holiness was banished with the whole Royal Family as malefactors and the King himself made a Traytor and his precious life hunted after shall his Innocence with the rest of that Royal house against none of whom the least crime or cause was objected only make his people happy May a King who hath suffered such wrongs and done such excellent things for God and his people expect no blessing but a bare restitution God owes no man any thing but what we receive is of gift yet the Lord Almighty hath not wont but in such cases to shew his acceptance and make recompence Nebuchadrezzar for fighting against the City of Tyre which rejoyced at the captivity of the Jews when they were carried unto Rabylon received the Kingdom of Egypt as a reward of his labor Ezek. 29. ver 18. Son of man Nebuchad-rezzar King of Babylon caused his Army to serve a great service against Tyrus every head was made bald and every shoulder was peeled yet had he no wages nor his army for Tyrus for the service which he served against it Ver. 19. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchad-rezzar King of Babylon and he shall take her multitude and take her spoil and take her prey and it shall be the wages for his army Ver. 20. I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor wherewith he served against it because they wrought for me saith the Lord God And did not the Lord bestow upon Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory for her imprisonment for maintaining of Gods true Religion for resisting the Spaniard befriending the French against the League and protecting the Neatherlands the Kingdom of Ireland For what of that Kingdom had all her
OR â—HE Calamities of ENGLAND With the AUTHORS of them 〈◊〉 â—â—eat HAPPINESS and Happy GOVERNMENT OF K. CHARLES II ENSUING Miraculously FORESHEWN by the Finger of GOD in two wonderful Diseases the REKETS AND KINGS-EVIL Wherein is also shewen and proved I. That the â—EKETS after a while shall seize on no more Children but 〈◊〉 VANISH through the MERCY of GOD and by MEANS of K. CHARLES II. II. That K. CHARLES II is the LAST of KINGS which shall so HEAL the KINGS-EVIL Discovered by the Hand of the Lord upon his unworthy Servant and his Majesties Subject JOHN BIRD And by 〈…〉 publike for the Glory of GOD Honor of the KING and comfort of the PEOPLE of God Joh. 16 13. and he will show you things to come 〈◊〉 Printed for Fra. Sowle and are to be sold by Robert Harrison the next Shop to Greâ— Church in Leaden-Hâ—â—â— Street 1661. To our Dread Soveraign Lord CHARLES II By the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King SIR I Here humbly offer into your Royal Hands a Message sent from Heaven for your Majesties acceptance Written it is in the mystical Characters of Two Diseases and partly upon your Royall Hands which now heal one of these Diseases and shall do the other The signification whereof in summe is to shew How miserable your Kingdomes have been through want of your Royal Father first and since of your Majesty How happy these your Dominions shall most certainly be made by your Religious Just and Merciful Government and lastly what shall be done by Almighty God for you here upon the earth in recompence of your Royall Fathers our Late Soveraigns precious blood your Majesties Wrongs and Afflictions your Constancy in the true Religion against so many Temptations your Maintaining of the Honor of God in your religious care of Gods Worship and your Compassion and Love toward your Majesties poor oppressed Subjects Nor let it seem more strange unto your Majesty that Diseases should portend such great matters than a Star that Star which with the next rising Sun after your joyful Nativity shining with the glorious Sun as gloriously in his ascension and even at mid-day should designe your Majesties Person and future Glory which undoubtedly it did For there is a similitude and proportion betwixt sins and calamities on the one side and bodily Diseases on the other for both disquiet and disease us as likewise therefore betwixt the healer of the one and the taker away of the other Far be it from me Gracious Soveraign to require from your Majesty credit to what I shall affirm nor is it just I should upon my bare assertion Let your Majesties Reason and Royall Wisedome judge whether that I deliver be probable or not For such Reason as is grosse and depraved or meerly Naturall cannot pierce into those deep matters but such which is fine and yet helpt and directed by rule of Holy Scripture For Ignorance Prejudice and Rashness cannot and Interest will not discern these Mysteries Let not the meanness of the discoverer discredit the truth of these things to your Majesty which may call to minde that the glad tidings of our Saviours Nativity was by the Angels first made known to Shepherds If I shall speak Royal Soveraign in some places very freely or peradventure too boldly give me leave or pardon me Merciful Prince who being a great King cannot but be very sensible what a crime it should be for a credited Messenger to temper the Message of the King of Kings It now remains that these things which are to come be beleeved that Almighty God be entreated and have the Glory of all on your Majesties part that you prepare your self for the embracing so great Hopes on your Subjects that we all repent and with humble thankfulness for so great mercies toward us our Love and Reverence toward so blessed a Prince our Soveraign be encreased And that all this may be done is and shall be the continual prayer and earnest endeavour of Your Majesties ever Loyal and Loving Subject JOHN BIRD The EPISTLE to the READER IT is now twenty years ago since when this formerly united Kingdom divided into parties that I also clave in my opinion to one for who could do otherwise even to that side which so much pretended to the love of Religion and Justice that these and not self-love was their end What I did was altogether from the first to the last peaceably which notwithstanding the distinction spoiled my aged Father for the same cause and myself of our goods and quiet habitation We bare it patiently But this Virgin Assembly quickly forgat the guide of her youth although she still wiped her mouth and said She had committed no evil to the neglect and perverting of all Justice And here I left them What comfort had I then in this my condition If I lost what I had for Christs sake as God and my Conscience are witness I did I am promised Recompence in this world a hundred-fold and do acknowledge that I have found it though not in riches For first I am hereby more assured because I abhor all Injustice that I am in that small number which the Scripture so often cals Just men Secondly I am comforted that such times have been of old and such as God detests and will punish Jer. 5. 1. Lastly in abundant recompence to the utmost of what the Lord hath-promised such Secret Mysteries from the first to the last have been from God revealed unto me as may appear in a Treatise written by me called ROMAVATUM wherein the History of the Religion Policy and Destruction of the City of Rome is discovered to have been portended in the Theology and Fables of the ancient Heathen Greek and Latine c. not quite finished Next through the mercy of God in my Annotations upon Ezekiel chap. 1. c. now ready for the Press beside this here presented Reader farewell and let God have the praise of all which is true herein as from whom it came all the errors and imperfections I challenge as mine own excepting some few mistakes of the Printers From my Chamber in Sion College in London Jan. 24. 1660. JOHN BIRD LEst I should incur your blame for not presently falling upon the main work in shewing you instantly how the REKETS and KINGS-EVIL foreshew and declare the promised things and that I may not justly deserve worse in telling you so great a Paradox having not first made known unto you how such a matter may be done I judge it here fit to let you know that I have prepared this other as a better way which may by Gods assistance bring you to a fuller and clearer view of whatsoever is pretended in the Title if you enter upon it and go along orderly as it here lies before you IN old time when Israel was in Egypt and afterward when Israel and Judah dwelt in their own land and when the Jews were carried into Babylon the Almighty
were there among them Prophets of another sex some also Prophetesses Miriam Deborah Huldah and Types of our Savior Christ I will not dispute here the reason thereof in them but great cause there is that this Disease should be common to both sexes First because it is laid upon us by the Lord as a Punishment and so indifferently to lye upon both sexes in regard of their parents sin Secondly to premonish us how the Afflictions and Calamities should lye hard upon women as well as men But yet as the Prophets and Prophetesses both aimed at a Christ to come who was a male who sometime by ceremony was designed to be such as in the Paschal lamb enjoyned to be a male of the flock so did and do both males and females in this childes Disease point out unto us a Son of a King a King to be our Deliverer Now it remains that I give the like account concerning the Struma as it is healed by the touch of the hand of the French King Which healing in such manner Guido Tagautius and Laurentius specially French Authors do averr and Sennertus a famous and very judicious Physician of Germany acknowledgeth in his Cure of the Struma but unjustly ascribeth the work by a Divine Dispensation to the French King only Of which briefly As those calamities and corrupt sores which shall be removed and healed by King Charles II in the kingdom of England in such manner must certainly the putrid sores and bruises and wounds be healed in the Kingdom of France For the Disease is one in both Kingdomes the Form of healing the same by the Touch and the Healers of like Dignity being Kings as to shew unto us these things shall be accomplished by the hands of a King But as in these fore-named things there is a Parity in the healing of the Kings-evil by the King of England and French King so is there a Difference in the qualifications of the first Healers For the First Healer of the Kings of France was not the Son of a Martyr as was our Soveraign but the French Stories tell us how Clovis the First of that name and Fifth King of France who reigned about the year of our Lord 500. had first of the Kings of that Kingdom this gift of healing the Struma which since we call the Kings-evil bestowed upon him And what was this King The Story tels us That he was first a Heathen and an Idolater and being afterward converted to the Christian faith then this great gift of healing the Struma was from the Mercy and Power of God bestowed upon him which hath continued thorow the several families of their Kings unto them all even to this day This King Clovis therefore who first cured this Evil in France is to be the Type according to the Example in England of him that is to be the Antitype in France to do all those fore-named things which are prefigured thereby after which time also no King of France shall be able to heal in such a manner the foresaid Malady Whereupon I conclude When the French King or King of France from being such a one as King Clovis was becomes and is turned ro such a Christian indeed as he was after stiled then at that time by such a King of France shall the wounds bruises and putrid soars of that distressed Kingdom be healed I need not here be large but by what hath already been said will the Judicious Reader understand that I mean the corruptions of Religion and Justice and by such a King who is of the Reformed Religion which dependeth for salvation only upon Christ the Head Nevertheless to determine what Person individually shall be that King who shall there perform that great and incredible work by what is contained in the Type is not so easie a thing because the Antitype if what I assert be granted doth not declare what that man shall be nor at what time it shall be done For if the Antitype must necessarily answer to the Type may some say as the Type is of a single Person who first was an Ethnick and afterward became a Christian so ought the Person which shall perform these great matters be a single Person who from a false religion shall be converted to the true To which objections I make this Answer That although it be not clearly contained in the Type when and by what Person or Persons King or Kings of France these works shall be brought to pass yet other circumstances there are pertaining thereunto which help to signifie both Time and Person For Almighty God when he is pleased to work deliverances for his people is wont sooner or later to express the Time when such mercies shall be wrought and who shall be the Deliverer That nothing may be wanting to the comfort of the Lords people and that his children may follow and cleave unto those that are so appointed to be their deliverers That the children of Abraham should be no longer servants in Egypt but that in the Fourth Generation they should come out from thence it was foretold Abraham Gen. 15. and that Aaron and Moses should bring them out of Egypt God called them by name Exo. 6. 26. The abiding of the Jews in Chaldea was determined to be for 70 years and their Deliverer Cyrus by name exprest Therefore it is not without precedent when God hath appointed Salvation and a Saviour to name the Time and Person as well as the thing But where it is laid down for a Rule That the Antitype must be a single Person as well as the Type this I deny Because the Type of a single Person may prefigure One or More according to the nature of the things Adam a single Person was the Type of all man-kinde The Image of one mans Person seen by Nebuchadnezzar was a Type of the several Princes of the four ensuing Monarchies So the meaning of the Healing of the Struma by King Clevis when of a Heathen he turned a Christian is to this effect When a King of France from the false shall be of the true Reformed Religion then shall by such a King these evils of that Kingdom be taken away Which may be affirmed both when the same Person is converted and when another King of the true Religion comes in the room of a former of the false Having therefore this liberty to place the Antitype of King Clovis either on Two Kings or else on One as need requires I here place it upon Two and of all Kings upon King Levis the 14 and King CHARLES II our reigning Soveraign the later of which by being inthron'd King of France God our Mighty and Merciful Lord will enable and encline to do those great things For as the Things fore-named shall most certainly be brought to passe by a King of France the Lord hath left the rest touching the Time when and the Performer who to be collected from probable Arguments Which probable Arguments are all for and none