A Generall Table OF EUROPE REPRESENTING The Present and Future State thereof VIZ. The PRESENT GOVERNMENTS LANGUAGES RELIGIONS FOUNDATIONS and REVOLUTIONS both of Governments and Religions The FUTURE MUTATIONS REVOLUTIONS GOVERNMENT and RELIGION of CHRISTENDOM and of the WORLD c. From the Prophecies of the three late German Prophets KOTTERUS CHRISTINA and DRABRICIUS c. ALL Collected out of the Originals for the common Use and Information of the ENGLISH Printed for Benjamin Billingsley at the Printing Press in Broadstreet 1670. GENTLE READER THis little Piece of History has stuck in the Birth well nigh a whole year and at last is forced to come forth an imperfect Embryo through the unhappy Midwifry of the Press Yet for thy encouragement thou oughtest to know That there is none such ever yet extant in the English Tongue For for the first Part there is 1. Not a more modern and later History of Christendom in English Nor 2. a better in so small a Volumn viz. None that gives a better account of the last fore-going and this present Age which two chiefly concern us to know that is of the last considerable Affairs of the World and present state of things We say there is none extant of the like nature so short and comprehensive And for the Second Part It is the most wonderful strangest History ever yet known in the World in the English yea or any other Language And indeed not to be parallel'd by all History and Antiquity Whether those Prophetical Revelations be from GOD Man or the Devil yet they exceed all comparison If they be from GOD they are the strangest and most miraculous ever since the Apostles days If they be Delusions and Imaginations of Man they are the strangest ever suffer'd or invented by Man If lastly Devices Fascinations and Bewitchings of the Devil transforming himself into an Angel of Light c. they are the strangest still and the least Footsteps of his Cloven Foot to be discerned that ever was in any of his Juggles Onely we have been unhappily hindred by the Press from giving you a short view and taste of the Prophecies themselves as was really intended And these two things may perhaps help to make it go down with the Reader as it is notwithstanding all its faults For 't is confess'd there are many Defects procur'd through manyfold Occasions not fit here to be mentioned And if Worthy Reader thou knewest all Circumstances thou wouldst certainly be so candid as to pardon all Faults Which I doubt not but thou wilt at least for the good will and Endeavours of the Author Farewel ERRATA Courteous Reader These three or four places thou must needs be desired to amend before thou readest the Book All other faults we are forc'd to let pass c. Page 15. line 15. for of Inorganick c. read To which add The greater knowledge of and insight into the Inorganick Motion and Fermentation of Nature and Cultivation thereof And blot out those words as it were Mechanick Page 72. line 20. blot out those words or Nevers and interpose these the Prince of Conde whom the King of France c. Page 113. line 5. Note There was such News at that time that the Vizier himself was slain in a violent On-set c. This Book should have come forth then Page 159. line ult for Holiness read unholiness A General Table OF EUROPE In its Present and Future Appearance The First Part Comparative Of the Advantages of Europe in comparison of other Parts of the Universe The ARGUMENT Europe compar'd with other Parts and former Times for Arms Arts Commerce and Religion The preheminence of Empire and Arms. The preheminence of Arts and Sciences The Chinois high esteem thereof Of Riccius and Adams Jesuites there The Emperours great Grace and Favour to Adams His Edict and Charter in favour of the Christian Religion engrav'd on a stone at the entrance of their Church and Title given to it by him The Jesuites Inscription thereon The preheminence as to former times in many rare Arts and Inventions The preheminence of Riches and Commerce Shipping and Navigation The preheminence of Religion or Priviledge of Christendom Christendom the Glory of Europe All its Advantages founded on Christianity and Disadvantages on Pagan-and-Anti-christianism Shameful Dissentions of Christians and Christian Princes and States Lamentable Disorders Persecutions and Inquisitions for Religion and Conscience in Europe Liberty of the same commended Revolutions of the World Present flourishing of Europe EUROPE is at this day the most flourising part of the Universe for Empire Religion and Learning Arts and Arms and all the high distinctions of Humane kind And as she now exceeds all other Parts so the present all former Ages and Generations It is not our purpose at present in this General Table to make Comparisons and set her off by the others sad countenance but onely in first drawing some plain and rude Lineaments to expose to general view her present Portraiture and Appearance with some prospect of her future Europe then might be compar'd either with other parts or former Times of the World and every way we should find her to excel For though for largeness of extent she yeilds both to Africa and to Asia yet she surpasses them in politeness and they all seem rude and barbarous in comparison and has got those advantages and felicities above them that all their Riches cannot equal And if for vastness of single Empire and Treasure and dependencies thereon she cannot come in competition with the times of the Roman Greatness yet take her divided and all her parts together and she far exceeds them And by how much her Empire since has been disposed into divers hands by so much have her several parts been more puissant and flourishing The whole Glory of Europe then was contracted into a very narrow compass and one little corner onely and as I may say Toe of Italy For what was England France Spain and Germany c. to wâ—â—â—â—â—â—y are now surely infinitly more inglorious and despicable She could not then look down upon her Feet and inferior parts and not be like the Peacock ashamed in the height of all her pride For if we should compare her for Arts or for Arms for the Virtues of War and of Peace and therein all things else her Courts her Camps her Schools her Cities and her Fields we should find no degrees of comparison nor room in this Table We will only touch upon things loosly here as besides our present intent Asia perhaps has shewn Europe that prodigious Art of Powder and Cannon But Europe in revenge has requited her with another as great and by the Chard and Compass taught her and the World besides the use of that Invention For with her Ordinance and Men of War she has secur'd all the Coasts both of Persia and the Indies and those moreover of Ethiopia and of Peru. She has quell'd the Sophies and the Mogulls and seiz'd on their
since the occasion of War between them He then besieges Smolensko 1634 and there receives a great and shameful Overthrow and Destruction by the Poles which Dukedom has ever since been the Apple of Contention as well as formerly betwixt them He reigned till 1645. To whom succeeded his young Son Alexius the present Emperor In 1646 they made peace with Poland and during the Kings minority there was some troubles and distempers in the State and an horrible Sedition 1648. but all soon quietly setled Anno 1654. The Moscovites invade Lituania overcome Smolensko and 1655 take Vilna invade Livonia 1656 The Cossacks a Confederate Army of Rogues and Robbers that take either side for their Prey or Money or other ends and designs or as they are pleased or displeased with affairs and belong chiefly to Poland they joyn with the Poles and defeat the Moscovites anno 1659. The Poles prosper But the Cossacks at last break Faith and again rebel to the Moscovites and invade and spoyl some Provinces An. 1660 Czarneckie in Lituania beats the Muscovites Their Army also in Poland under Zeremetzie reduc'd to straits and forced to surrender themselves to the Poles Vilna in Lituania besieged by the Poles till next year An. 1662 The Moscovite beats the Tartars Overcomes the Cossacks under Chimilinsky But again overcome by Cossacks and Tartars And 1664 The Moscovites overcome and beat by the Pole Peace since between them The Emperor of Moscovia now sollicits for the election of his Son to the Crown of Poland offers fair Conditions and that he shall change his Religion from the Greek to the Roman which would have much influence upon the Jesuites perhaps and zealous Religionists of the Papists if Reason of State otherwayes did not hinder The great Enemies you see of the Russes then are the Pole the Swede and the Tartar helpt by the Turk Anno 1230 the Tartars over-ran all Russia and made it tributary and for three hundred years kept their Power over it more or less and gave and took away Dukes over them as they pleased Anno 1500 Basil shook off this yoke Yet Anno 1570 an hundred thousand Tartars on a sudden overran Mosco and laid it wholly in Ashes The Poles and Russes strive for the Dukedom of Smolensko and Severia which both claim and both win and take continually Of late years the Cossacks with all Ukrain revolted to the Russes But since Peace and Compositions of things made The Swede and Russe contend for Livonia The Swede by success of Arms has expell'd both the Russe and the Pole and annex'd it to their Crown Hence the Wars between the Russe and Swede continually Riga has been often attempted and besieg'd in vain by the Russe But we pass to their next neighbour Poland The Revolutions of Poland Poland has for many ages been a distinct Soveraignty The first that was elective was Piastus after the failure of the former line a plain Country-man elected Duke of Poland An. 800. Afterwards became a Kingdom still in Piastus's line An. 1320. Silesia fell from Poland to Bohemia and could never be recovered An. 1386. They made the Great Duke of Lituania by marriage into their King's Family King and so joyn'd that great Dukedom to Poland An. 1466. Casimir adds Prussia and 1561 Livonia is added to it also The Royal Family being extinct they chuse forreign Princes anno 1573. and first chuse the Duke of Anjou Brother of Charles the 9 th King of France about the year 1575. But he quickly left it for the Crown of France An. 1579 they chose Bathor Prince of Transylvania by recommendation of the Turks He firmly united Livonia to the Crown and had a great hand upon the Moscovites He dying without issue they chose Sigismund the King of Swede's Son about the year 1590 whose posterity has ever since enjoy'd it but now the line fails He joyn'd the Kingdom of Swede and Poland But turning Papist endeavours by the Jesuites perswasions to disturb Religion in Swedeland and so was ejected and losing his Patrimonial kingdom only keeps Poland Hence those lasting Wars between the two Nations To him succeeded Uladislaus famous for the memorable Victory against the Moscovites besieging Smolensko an 1634. After whose death Anno 1647 The kingdom became extreamly imbroyl'd by Factions specially by the mutinous and seditious Cossacks a Rebellious Army as it were of Boors and Moss-troopers that live upon prey and rapine and serve any side as was hinted risen first and chiefly out of the wild parts of Poland Lituania c. next Russia who at this time began to be more troublesome than ever during all the present king Casimir's Reign and not fully setled till very lately and perhaps not to hold long neither King Casimir succeeded an 1648. so troubled all his dayes that he has been a long time weary of his Crown and now at last laid it down not obtaining leave to nominate his Successor The better to understand the late Revolutions of Poland in brief take them thus Poland has suffered great Revolutions and Troubles from forreign Enemies Rebellious Cossacks and Confederate Nobles Grand Enemies are the Swede the Russe the Tartar and the Turk The Wars with the Swede are for Livonia for pretence to the Crown of Swede for Titles and Arms. Hereupon the late king of Sweden overran in one year almost all Poland but lost all again the next But these pretences now cease in the present king having no heirs With the Russes for several causes before mentioned With the Tartars commonly call'd the Crim Tartars distinct from those in Asia these bordering upon Russia and Poland who make yearly Incursions almost for prey and plunder either as friends or enemies all 's one Therefore the Tartars do not seek to conquer so much as to plunder Poland But the greatest Enemies are the Turks ever since they got Walachia Moldavia and Transylvania the Walls Bulwarks as it were of Poland and also the Tartars to be subject to them But they have yet threatned more than done any thing and little has passed besides consultings and fears hitherto betwixt them The seditious and mutinous Cossacks have done most mischief One of the chief causes of their Rebellion was the great oppression of the Natives by the Jews in all the Customs and Tributes almost of the Kingdom granted to them by King Casimir and ever since possessed by them by the means of Esther a Jewish in behalf of her Nation who obtain'd great Priviledges for them And in the late fatal Confusions of Poland the Russians again besieged Smolensko and seiz'd not only on it but all Ukrain or black Russia and great part of Lituania The occasion whereof was first the Jesuites taking away the Russes Temples and hindring the free Liberty of Religion to them Next the Nobles Tyranny over the Peasants killing them at their pleasure Hence inraged they rise up against their Masters kill the Jesuites and Priests call the Cossacks and Tartars to their help
Religion too Who refuses the Government but sends relief by an Army under the Earl of Leicester with Cautionary Towns put into his Hands Hereupon growing prosperous But jealous of the Earl they resolve to govern and establish the Commonwealth among themselves so that the Hollanders chuse Prince Maurice and the Friezlanders Prince William Earls of Nassaw for Governours Captain Generals by whose conduct and conquests the seven Provinces were wholly vindicated from the Spaniard and reduced into one intire Body of Common-wealth An. 1594. And afterwards so prospered and succeeded that before they would hearken to any treaty or accommodation they forc'd the Spaniard to this conclusion to treat with them as a Free-State in the year 1609. and then made a twelve years truce only And 1621. renew the War again but not so hot as at first c. till the Treaty of Munster 1648. whereby the Spaniard renounces all pretensions for ever and acknowledges them for a Free-State only dependant on God A War so shamefully begun and after fourscore years so shamefully ended in a Glorious and Eternal Peace made with them for ever Liberty of Religion according to the Laws of their first Union at Utrecht 1579 was the foundation and has been and is the preservation of this Commonwealth The Reformed Religion Protestant or Calvins was publickly established The Anabaptists or Mennonites and others had their publick Temples or Congregations Only Papists and Socinians since for reason of State were forbid the publick exercise of Religion to this Day as disturbing the Peace Though the War was Civil and for their Civil rights directly as knowing well they could not violate and invade their Religious without violating and invading these first yet the end motive and occasion principally was Religion and upon that account and indirectly Religious on both sides Zeal for Religion on both sides moved both to contend for their pretended civil rights and claims And so 't was not a War for Religion but as they say a Defensive War only for their Civil Rights and Liberties though in order subserviency to Religion And yet there was at the same time more Papists then Protestants then called Lutherans at first in these Countries They indulge Liberty of Religion with which their State begins and stands But Trade and Riches has almost eaten out Pure Religion For other particulars the chief are hinted before under Spain c. and we must be short An. 1662. War between England and Holland 1653. a great Sea fight The Hollanders are beat Peace made 1654. An. 1652. The King of France and Holland make a strict League having made a new League also before with the King of England after his restoration But a breach soon arose c. Of the Republick of the Switzers These Countries lie bordering upon Germany Savoy c. Upon the fall of the Roman Empire after various Fortunes and Masters coming under the possession and power of the Austrian Family and Emperors thereof afterwards and overburdened by the Tyranny of the Austrian Governors and Lords sent amongst them and their incroachments upon their Liberties and so weary of them and finding an opportunity amidst the distractions of the Empire by the Pope c. The Swisse constitute a Confederate Republick i. e. contract an offensive and defensive League amongst themselves for desence of their Liberties Begun 1305 but not finished till 1511. For when they did endeavour by force to make them of a free Nation of the Empire the Austrian's own proper Subjects and to bring in Arbitrary Government by force also they opposed First three Rusticks or chief Country men made a League amongst themselves of expelling Tyrants whereof each brought his Town or Village into Society The rest came by degrees afterward successively til in the end after two hundred years from the first beginning of their League to the finishing them they amounted to the present number of thirteen Cantons or distinct Parts and Corporations Besides several other Towns States without the bounds of their Commonwealth also joyn'd and comparted together with them for common defence and safety And becoming Invincible in innumerable Battels and Victories at the first forreign Enemies durst never attempt them more But since frequent Civil Wars amongst themselves but never to break their first Confederacy but still friends again Their Confederacy and Liberty was confirmed and allowed afterwards by the Emperor Lewis the fourth of Bavaria for adhering to him against the faction of Austria for the Empire at the same time After their forementioned Victories and Valour shewn in those Battels Wars eminently becoming renowned for Souldiers the French King takes them into pension in his Wars who became likewise a member of their Corporation which being afterward denied they serve the Pope who stiled them Defenders of the Church An. 1510. The King of France thinks it best to take them again into pension 1522. upon very advantagious terms to themselves and as burdensome to him They became Mercenary also to other Princes Any might have them for their Mony Hence reproached for a Mercenary Nation trusted by none But the King of France bid highest for them And at this day they are in all Armies and Wars Since that agreement they obtained also sixteen hundred to be of the French Gaurd the King preferring them for their Fame and Renown At last upon the differences of Religion they became divided also in pension The Popish Cantons taking pension of the Pope and King of Spain the Protestants of France and the mixt of both and all of the Venetians There was not long since some difficulties about their Pension and Agreements c. They sent Embassadours to the present French King who magnificently received them and things composed c. An Army consisting of Swisse Foot and French Horse is accounted of all the most excellent About 1516. Zuinglius a Canon of the Church begins the Reformation of Religion here at Zurich as Luther had before with good success in Germany Whom followed those of Bern and Basil c. to the number of four in whole and two other Cantons in part which to this day remain mixt of both Those of Lucern and the rest to the number of seven remain wholly Papists Geneva also soon after followed those of the Reformed under Farel and Calvin So that now this Common-wealth became divided into two factions and thence broke out into cruel Wars between Zurich and the Romish Cantons The Protestants at the beginning are worsted Zuinglius himself Slain in the head of the Battel 1531 his heart remaining whole like Cranmers in the midst of the Fire untouched as is said after all the rest consumed to Ashes At last after various successes and defeats on both sides they agree the business upon this condition That every one should imbrace what Religion they liked and force be offer'd to none for Religion but that the ancient first League should be inviolably and religiously kept and observed
And so indulging each other the free exercise of their Religion they break not League for that matter nor ever have to this day till lately notwithstanding any Civil Wars of Religion or State that have since happened Being it seems pretty equally poiz'd and ballanced on both sides But here it will not be amiss to note that these two Zuinglius and Luther went two several waies specially in point of consubstantiation or real presence Hence the Protestants became divided in Germany into Lutherans and Zuinglians afterwards called Reformed And the Names of Ubiquitarians and Sacramentarians every where break forth as has been hinted before under Germany c. Calvin afterwards rising in the place and stead of Zuinglius at Geneva added some Tenents about Predestination Free-will Universall Grace and Perseverance in Faith which further heightened and aggravated the Differences betwixt them About these arose afterwards in Holland great contentions with the Arminians which caused the General Synod at Dort against them An. 1618. c. But to return to Germany Between these two Religions of the Protestants arose grievous discords not only Theological but Political For that many would exclude the Calvinists or Reform'd from the Peace of Religion agreed on at first by the Augustian Confession at Ausburgh and banish them out of Germany Whence those violent Tumults of Ausburg in the Assemblies or Meetings of the States against the Elector Palatine 1560. and again against the succeeding Palatine Elector 1590. and of Lipsia and Brunswick 1595. And this might be one reason perhaps of the Elector the Duke of Saxony's siding at first with the Emperour against the Palatine in the Bohemian-German Wars about the year 1619. the Palatine being head of the Calvinists or Reform'd and then also the chief of the Electoral Princes and the Duke of Saxony of the Lutherans But afterwards fearing the Emperors prevailing and greatness who had ejected the Palatine and the coming in thereupon of Gustavus Adolphus in defence of the German Princes Liberties the Elector of Saxony convocates all the Protestant Princes at Lipsia an 1630. where they concluded of a defensive League against the Emperor and Imperialists and that Liberty was to be propagated and maintained by Arms. But after the King of Swedes death c. he deserts them and by himself alone injuriously agrees with the Emperor against the Swede and the rest c. The conditions of which Peace others also accepted and agreed to as before has been intimated In the end at the conclusion of these Wars of Germany by Munster Treaty 1648. This Political differance was reconciled and they agreed and united into one common name of the Augustan Confession at first made in the beginning of the Reformation as aforesaid The Theological differance ever since both Princes and Divines at this day labour hard to compose and 't is hoped that a bridle will be put upon the Tongues and Pens of the Pastors and Professors that they do not condemn but tolerate one another mutually and friendlily dispute their controversies amongst themselves In France they have of late proceeded so far as to allow and embrace communion with them and in their Churches and Sacraments if they will which made the Friers and Jesuites write that they might as well hold communion with them and be reconciled to the Church of Rome for that the Consubstantiarians was as far from the Sacramentarians as the Transubstantiarions but sufficiently answered Yet the Swedes have this present year lately decreed and enacted by Law for all to lose their native freedom that shall bring up their children in any other Religion then the Lutheran But to return to the Switzers This concord of Religion then made between them lasted till 1654 when a new War kindled amongst them again for Religion and the Protestants cruelly Murthered and Slaughter'd For when some Families of the Canton of Switzers and other Cantons had embraced the Gospel they cruelly put them to Death This those of Zurick and Berne would not suffer After long contestation at last they come to Arms and fierce War begins betwen those of Zurick and Lucern till at last the French King interposing and England this War was composed the same year and the civil commotions for Religion begun presently ended the Duke of Savoy likewise not only then but since persecuted the Waldenses in Piedmont as there has bin hinted c. An. 1663. the Duke Palatine of Newburg by his edict commands all Protestant Lutheran or Reformed out of his Dominions The Elector of Brandenburg by way of retortion in like manner commands all Papists out of his This should have been noted there The last year upon Jealousies of the great preparations of the King of France against some Neighbouring Countries of the Empire and his thriving Greatness this Commonwealth raise an Army of fifty thousand which chiefly diverted him from his then intended designes The thirteen Cantons are Switz Uren Underwald first united 1305. Lucern added 1332. Zurich and two others 1352. Bern 1353. Friburg and another 1481. Another and Basil 1581. and the two last 1511. two hundred years from the first Seven are Papist as Switz Lucern c. four Protestant as Zurich Basil Bern c. Bern is of all the largest and most potent c. and two mixt of Both. Of Geneva The Soveraignty of this City or Commonwealth was anciently in the Earls thereof at first Imperial Officers only but at last the haereditary Princes thereof Between these and the Bishops arose Controversies for the absolute Command At last the Bishops being under the Pope Powerful in those dayes obtained of the Emperor to be sole Princes thereof free from all Taxes and not accountable to any but the Emperor But to maintain it they were fain to call in the Earl of Savoy then who takes upon him first as Protector of them only but afterwards as Lord in chief Whence his pretence to it still And in this Sate it stood till the year 1528. the Bishop being their immediate Lord under him as supream But then Religion being altered in the Canton of Bern adjoyning by Zuinglius c. Viret and Farellus indeavour it in Geneva also But the Bishop and Clergy oppossing it by Persecution Violence and Tyranny the People defend themselves and their priviledges and by force expel the Bishop and his Clergy And though the Bishop made many fair overtures yet would they never harken to any accommodation nor ever admit him again and so changed the Government of the state also disclaiming all allegiance both to Duke and Bishop and standing on their own Liberty as a free Commonwealth like their Neighbour Canton who had sped so well under theirs Calvin afterwards An 1536. confirm'd them in these beginnings made them abjure the Pope and never more to admite their Bishop And then sets up his Ecclesiastick Discipline called since Presbyterian by the Form thereof by Presbyteries and gets it ratified by the Senate An. 1637. But the next year
with Farel was bannished but sued to return again which he would not except they would oblige themselves solemnly to his Form of Discipline which upon better Consideration they condescended to An. 1541. And so he returns and his Discipline becoms established The Tithes converted to the use of the State for Pensions for Ministers c. Afterwards comes Beza and not only recommends it as convenient but imposes it as necessary and of divine right therein going farther and higher then Calvin And so by these two chiefly it spreads it self over all France occasioning afterwards those grievous and lamentable Commotions and Troubles before mentioned there as it had done likewise by Luther in Germany Which are not to be attributed to Religion but the Lusts of men For whence come Wars and Fightings Amulation Strife c. are they not from your Lusts For the greater safety of their State and preservation of their Religion they joyn'd themselves in a constant and perpetual League with the Canton of Bern. An. 1528. communicating to each other the freedom of their several Cities and by that means reckon'd in some sort of Commonwealth of the Switzers from the very beginning An. 1589. The Duke of Savoy besieg'd it But they were assisted by neighbouring Princes and States c. so that he could do no good upon them Another time the Pope French King Spaniard and Savoyard had designs upon it But the Emperor then offered assistance Yea sometimes the Duke of Savoy has assisted them against others rather than they should fall into any other hands then his own An. 1602. The Duke of Savoy attempts Geneva by arms The Duke has of later years often threatned and made preparation against them but without effect The King of France never throughly enough favouring his design or else quite against it c. And so flourishes in Arts and Trade more then Religion which as almost through all France is become meerly formal for which God is at this day purging and fanning them in France or else quite rooting them out they have retain'd only the first form of Doctrine and Godliness but not the power thereof peremtorily and stifly rest in the first Reformation and would never hearken of further progress as the manner is of most Churches that settle upon their old Lees once Is it not seen even in New-England it self as well as c. from the very self same spirit that drolls in the unlucky witty Hudibras thinking strange that Reformation should be alwayes doing and never done As if Religion were intended For nothing else but to be mended From hence no doubt was it and a firm perswasion of the Divine Right of Beza's Government as if they had already attained to the perfect form that the French Synod at Carrenton made a publick decree against the Independency of Churches c. An. 1644. whereas that form only is to be imbrac'd and preferr'd which upon all emerging curcumstances conduces most to the present Power of Religion and Godliness For that is Reformation and not Form or Forms though never so pure otherwise for that very thing makes them Impure Except what is plainly manifest out of Scripture and to abide for ever But we intend a short History not Dispute c. Of the Commonwealth of Venice The terrible noise of the Huns for the Conquest of Italy and their expedition under Attila their King occasioned many Noble and Principal Families with their several retinues to betake themselves to these small Islands and inaccessible Marshes of the Adriatick Sea where they build for the time only several habitations An. 421. and finding themselves safe and impregnable began to build Towns and Cities or Corporations An. 452. Till in the end Aquileja and the neighbouring Cities being destroyed by Aquila and these Barbarians An. 456 they then fled from all parts like Exiles hither with a purpose and resolution to settle and so by the destruction of Aquileja takes such increase that it assumed the just form of a Commonwealth For whom soever the Hunnes Goths and Lombards the Nations that harass'd Italy drove from the Continent they presently betake themselves to Venice now begun to be so called from the name of their Nation as to an Haven of security They had first yearly Tribunes according to the number of Islands into which their City was divided for two hundred years then succeeded Dukes An. 697. but soon after changed into yearly Masters of the Militia which lasted but Six years and returns to Dukes again whose power at first was greater but afterwards restrained to be meerly Titular Under this form it thriv'd exceedingly and became exempted from all Jurisdiction either to the East or West Empire upon the division of Italy made by Charles the great betwixt himself the Popes and the Eastern Emperor and left wholly as a free State acknowledging no superior For Pepin King of France Father of Charles had invaded them with a puissant Army but was beat They then extend their Empire far and near by Sea and Land through Dalmatia An. 990. and become freed from all Tribute to the Constantinopolitan Emperor of the East from whom at length they obtained it and Croatia in full right Afterwards Corfu and Chius Islands And from that time called themselves Lords of all the Adriatick Sea and that right confirmed by the Pope An. 1177. for defending the Church stoutly against the Emperor And from that time marry the Sea yearly with a Ring It got its greatest increase about An. 1204. by the chief Islands of the Mediterranean Sea Candy and divers other Places And then spread it's Empire through the Continent of Italy under pretext of freeing the Cities from Tyrants and upon the distresses of their Neighbours for their assistance c. An. 1207. The Genoese a State grown powerful by Sea contend with them for Soveraignty of the Mediterranean by seven several Wars in order vanquished their fleet and brought them on their knees in so much that the Senate sent them a blank Charter and bid them write what conditions they pleased And had utterly lost all if the Enemy could have used his fortune with moderation But the Genoese Admiral grown proud of his advantage and insolent with this great success would have the City wholly at his disposal which made the City desperate and venturing last Stakes beat them pursue them Home and utterly crushed them for ever after For after many various successes and events of War on both sides they got An. 1381. the better of them absolutely made them quiet never daring afterwards to contend in War but apply themselvs wholly to Gain and Merchandize Which misfortunes were occasioned principally by their own divisions and endless factions at Home as shall be touched on afterwards Being now Lords Paramount at Sea they increase amain by Land as even now hinted through the factions and divisions of their Neighbouring States whereby one piece or other is still added either Sold or Morgaged or
nor understand his counsel Therefore Kings begin to know from his Oracles old and new founding in this very Book also that the Lord be not inraged against you and you perish in the way But how First By puting an end among your selves and all Christian People to WARS because now is the time for the King of Peace to Raign c. O Christian Kings Princes Common-wealths be Ministers of this Peacemaking King and cease to be a reproach to Christ For God will scatter the Nations that delight in War 2dly All mutual PERSECUTIONS for Religion are presently to be laid aside also which God never commanded but Satan began by Cain and by Ahab and Jezabel and the Babylonians and Antiochus and Caiphas with their bloudy Hypocrites and continued by Nero and other Pagans But among Christians only the impious Arrians dispairing to defend the depravity of their Opinion by Scripture first attempted to usurp against the most manifest Doctrine and practice of Christ and the Apostles and the holy Doctors and Martyrs of the Church who had rather be killed and devoured like Sheep then kill and devour like Wolves Thirdly Not to permit him neither who usurping primacy in the Church and supposing it to be defended by him with Sword and Fire hath now for some Ages raged do not suffer him to continue his rage and cruelty but that he also laying aside his Savageness may become a Lamb of Christs flock or an innocent Lyon Be mindful of that wise saying of Steven King of Poland that God hath reserved three things to himself 1. Creation out of nothing 2. Foreknowledge of things future 3. Domination or Lordship over Consciences Which the Roman Pope hath attempted to usurp and without either any Divine command or humane leave hath dared to build himself a Kingdom over all Kingdoms of the World and to maintain it by Sword and Flame And to lord it over the Consciences of all men even of his Brethren the Bishops and that which is more of Kings themselves who represent the divine Majesty on Earth Which what is it else but to climb into Gods Throne which if ye O Kings the Vicegerents of Divine Majesty on Earth continually tolerate God protests that he will no longer tole ate And to that end begins his Judgements against him and you and the world 4thly That what the season of the present Broils and Troubles of the world require of you O Kings that every one of you most solemnly proclaim to all your People universally publick Prayers Fastings and amendment of life and thereby true and general repentance after the example of the King of Nineveh Because this is the time of which Christ sayes that there shall be great Tribulation such as hath not been from the begining of the World nor ever shall be O ye Sons in high places now God arises to judge the Earth and to take his inheritance in all Nations 5thly If upon universal repentance God spare you a most solemn reformation and amendment of things is to be thought of Inquire into the Books of the Lord old and new hear your St. Bridgets most excellent counsel when St. Bernard inquired the counsel of God from her He that sat upon the Throne opening his mouth said Hear all my enemies living in the World because I speak not to my Friends who follow my will hear all Clergy men Arch Bishops Bishops and all inferior orders of the Church hear all Religious and Regulars of what soever order hear Kings and Princes and Judges of the Earth and all Ministirs and Subjects Hear Women Queens and Princesses and all Ladies Mistresses and Servants and all of what soever order and degree great and small that inhabit the world these words which I even I who have created you now speak unto you c. After complaining of all their sins impieties and vices Therefore I swear by my Deity that if you dye in the state wherein you are you shall never see my face nor escape my punishments c. Therefore return ye unto me with humiliations and I will receive you graciously as Sons c. And therefore for such an universal and serious return because serious and solemn thoughts once at length are to be entred upon counsel is given you even in these Books O Kings of convocating an UNIVERSAL COUNCIL out of all Christian People Holily to conspire together in a common universal repentance and universal serious deprecating and amendment of so great exorbitances now among us c. and to return all from curiosities and niceties about Articles and Questions of Faith which hath distracted us and from the many by-paths of error which we are run into and from earthly desires and lusts which have led us away into mutual strifes and Wars unto the simplicity and puriry of the Christian Faith and Life That all Christian Dissensions Strifes Hatreds Wars Devourings and Destroyings may be changed into Concord Peace Love Safety and Felicity and to this the only way is a COUNCIL truly universal truly free truly congregated in the Holy Ghost Arise O Christian Kings help things every where grown desperate the Patronage of this Book belongs to Kings because it comes in the name of the King of Kings and is printed with priviledge of the King of Kings and committed to the favor of all the Kings of the Earth every where to spread and divulge it and contains nothing hurtful to any but profitable and most useful to all If you hear not these divine counsels O Christians the Lord will send more Plagues Intestine Wars Famine Plague Savage Beasts i. e. Men worse then Beasts so that Christians shall be more savage and rage one against another more inhumanly then Turks and Barbarians because the condemnation of the great Whore is at hand Not for our selves O Kings and Princes do we the Publishers of this Book require your protection thereof but for your selves and the Christian People lest you perish from the fury of all the divine premointions It is comfort and protection enough to us from God who can boldly say with Hildegardis I have both spoke and writ these things not according to the invention of my own heart or of any man but as I have seen heard and perceived them in the Heavenly places or visions through the secret mysteries of God Therefore hear ye who preside in the place of God on Earth undertake so to manage this cause of God against Satan or of Satan against God for so different persons interpret differently that it may be ended and none may err concerning these things This lyes upon you upon a double right 1st because you are Kings 2dly Because you are the Churches nursing Fathers c. Therefore constitute forthwith a Judgement O ye who judge the Earth wherein may be decided whether our God that hath pity towards us all in common speakes here things profitable to his Reaple or some Devil instil things hurtful If the latter that the
are in the place of God on Earth both Governors of States and Churches too humbly to plead this Cause before them Now if they be of Man or the Devil none ought to fear them but contemn them And therefore none should be offended that they are thus brought to light and into English For we intend them here only as a most wonderful History of the present Age not to be passed over without taking notice of For be they true be they false they will be found exceeding useful to the Age and to Posterity The Sum and Substance of the chiefest Prophesies of Kotterus Christina and Drabricius three late German Prophets OR A Summary View of some most Solemn Divine Visions and Revelations Had in these our Dayes By Kotterus a Selesian from the year 1616 to 1624. By Christina a Bohemian Virgin in the years 1627 1628 1629. By Drabricius a Moravian from the year 1638 to 1668. For the use of this Age. Wherein I. Lamentable Complaints are made of the extream Corruption of the Christian People II. And the terrible Plagues of God denounced against the Impenitent III. And how God will raze out the Babylon of false Christians Jews Turks Pagans and all Nations under Heaven and set up a new truly Catholick Church to shine forth most gloriously with the Light of the Gifts of God and what its future State is now to be even to the end of the World ALL Prophesies before they have their effects are Riddles and Ambiguities to men But when the time comes and that happens which was prophesied then the Prophesie has a clear exposition Irenaeus Book 4. ch 43. Certainly it must needs be confessed That these things are once to be or have already been or God to be accused of a lie For there is so great felicity promised to Christians in the Divine Oracles and such perfect knowledge of God and obedience and such universal Peace as neither is nor ever has been in the World c. Castellio to our King Edward the Fourth I confess that I also was in that Opinion that there were no Revelations of Divine Authority since Christ and his Apostles and so also I taught But after that I read these things more accurately I use to say That greater wisdom shines forth in them then that men can be their Authors much less those from whom they proceed And that they seem to be things of a better Nature and so constantly continned such for many years then that they can be attributed to the Devil Testimony of a great Divine Prophets are seldom or never believed Another Divine Witness Jeremiah the Prophet and all the Prophets of old Jerem. Chap. 36. And the Word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah saying Write in a Book all the Words against Judah and Israel and against all Nations If perchance they will hear and return Therefore Jeremiah call'd Baruch to write from his Mouth all the Words of the Lord. And commanded him to go into the Temple and to read them before the People Who did so Which thing being known the Princes assembled in the House of the King and sent to Baruch to come unto them with that Volumn and said unto him Sit and read these things in our Ears And he read who when they had heard were astonished saying every one to his next Neighbour We ought to tell all these words to the King But they said unto Baruch Go and hide thy self thou and Jeremiah And they went in unto the King Who when he had read three or four Leaves he cut it with his Pen-knife and cast it into the fire Neither were they afraid neither the King nor his Servants but commanded to apprehend them But the Lord hid them And the Word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah saying Take another Volumn and write in it all the former words and thou shalt say unto the King Thou hast burnt the Book Therefore I will punish and bring all the evil I have pronounced And Baruch wrote from his Mouth all the former words And there were added besides uuto them many like words The Lord said unto me Write these things and hasten to divulge many hundred Copies through all parts of the World For this is my Will that all Nations of the Earth read those things which I have spoke unto thee Drab Rev. 55. Now for these Prophesies we shall first give you the scope and sum of them beforehand in general and then come to the Revelations and Visions themselves in particular The utmost scope of all these Revelations is according to the manner of the Ancient Prophets 1. To shew unto Christians the manifold sins and aberrations wherewith they have provoked and do provoke God and sad Lamentations thereupon 2. To discover the Causes of the present Plagues and Judgments wherewith God breaks in pieces the World and the Causes why Gods Wrath waxes hot so against Christendom and to excite and forewarn men to attend seriously to the terrible threatnings of Wrath and comfortable promises of Grace 3. To shew the way of escaping the Wrath and preventing the last destruction and of obtaining the Grace 1. By general and universal Humiliation Repentance Reformation and Amendment 2. By universal mutual Love Charity and peaceableness one with another of all Parties Sects and Religions That all Names of distinction be laid aside and factious contendings about Opinions cease and that one common Faith and Love prevail among Christians of all sorts to preserve the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace And that all wicked unchristian-Christian Wars and Fightings and such cruel devourings of one another not becoming that Name whether for Religion or worldly Interests be laid aside And 3. by offering and communicating the same common Mercy and Benefit that is the Light and Blessing of the Gospel and thereby Universal Peace Truth Righteousness and Salvation to the Nations of the Earth For that now God would have all the World reformed and blessed with all true Felicities and Universal Salvation both Temporal and Eternal In a word the Kingdom of God come and the State of the Divine and Holy Life tryumph and be exalted over the Animal Sensual Beastial and Devilish 4. And lastly That otherwise Christendom shall feel the Power of Gods Anger and of his wonderful Judgments and the Vials of his Wrath be poured out c. For that Christians ought first to reform and begin this Universal Restitution Else that God will find others but destroy them by one another or by letting in the Barbarous Nations the Turks and Tartars c. in upon them That the time of destroying and overturning is at hand This and such like is their general scope And more particularly to stir up Princes Priests and People all to their particular Duties Kings to execute the call of their high Function To do the Will and Work of God on Earth i. e. To reform both Church and State and to take unto them their Scepters and
will give him a truer name from his Deeds Martin Marr-Pope who at first taxes only the abuse and observes the corruptions of the Church become too notorious for any honest heart but finding no amendment nor reformation but things worse and worse makes a general defection Anno. 1522. This was no sooner done but the Reformers make a new Schism and divide between Luther and Zwinglius 1524. which rose to two grand Factions afterwards by the name of Lutherans and Calvinists towards the year 1560. the cause of much woe to Germany and never reconciled neither by Princes nor Pastors till the treaty at Munster 1648. Thus Germany and almost all Europe became divided into two General Factions or Parts Papists and Protestants but Germany into three Papists Lutherans and Calvinists which has been the principal cause indeed of all Mutations and Revolutions in all the Kingdoms and States ever since almost Hence the Revolutions of the Low-Countries of France of England of Bohemia c. must be deriv'd as from their original Head and Spring The head of the Catholicks was the Emperor and Popish-Princes of the Lutherans the Duke of Saxony of the Calvinists or Reformed the Elector Palatine VII And these preceding occasion'd also other Religions and Wars for these at least defensive For at this time of contending for Liberty and Reformation arose other Sects also aiming or pretending higher Reformation in Religion So that in the year 1525 one Thomas Munzer occasions the Rustick War of the Countrymen In the year 1534 succeeded the Anabaptists at Munster In the year 1529 arose the name Protestant in the General Assembly at Worms when the Elector of Saxony the Landgrave of Hasse the City of Noremberg and others protested against the Decrees of Caesar and appeal'd to an Universal-Council In the year following 1530 the Confession of the Protestants call'd the Augustan Confession was published VIII Upon these Grounds chiefly and a little after the Troubles and Interruptions by the other Sects mentioned breaks forth the Civil War between Caesar and the Protestants called the Smalcaldick War Anno 1547 which they began at Smalcaldia in Hassia where Caesar prevails ruins their League made there the same year begun and ended Soon after the Protestants revive prevail and in the end force the Emperor out of Germany procure the Passavian Transaction or Peace made there An. 1552 where by a perpetual Edict is established Liberty of either Religion Roman-Catholick and Augustan Confession that is Protestant So the Protestants by agreement and compact obtain'd full liberty and exemption from the Papal yoke and Peace in Germany till 1618. IX When chiefly from the same hidden causes grounds and motives the Bohemian War began For about the year 1612 Germany was again divided into two parts the League and the Union The League contained the Papist Princes the Union the Protestant Thence about the year 1618 the Bohemians according to their priyiledge rejecting the Emperor as never formally nor legally chosen as they had formerly done Uladislaus the 3d. elect the Count Palatine King of Bohemia and crown him at Prague Whence the Bohemian-War arose and spread over all Germany chang'd first into the Saxon and then into the Swedish-War for the support of the German Liberty and lasted for thirty years till the Treaty at Munster X. The Duke of Bavaria overcoming the Bohemians and the Palatine expell'd demands and obtains the Electorship which for a hundred and fifty years before had been claimed and controverted but by the Golden-Bull decided to the Palatine notwithstanding the Duke of Saxony and Marquess of Brandenburgh gainsaying but not daring to resist about the year 1620 And so the Palatine was ejected out of the upper Palatinate and the first place among the Electoral Princes Secular as well as the Kingdom of Bohemia XI And thus we are divolved amidst the late German-Wars which we can but only hint at Anno 1625 the Duke of Saxony slain King of Swede enters Germany in behalf of the Protestants and Princes Liberty An. 1630 Next year the Swede and Saxon come and prevail Swede strikes League with France King of Swede kill'd after famous Victories and Conquests Tilly General of the Imperialists dies of his wounds after glorious Victories against Bohemia Palatinate Denmark and Saxony both the same year 1632. Swede confirms his League with Protestants the next year 1633. Confederates overcome Imperialists 1634. Anno 1635 Duke of Saxony transacts with the Emperor makes Peace whereby the Duke of Brandenburgh and other States accept the Conditions and pass with him over to the Emperors part The same year the King of France denounces War against the Empire Anno 1636. Duke of Saxony slain by the Swede The Imperialists driven out of Pomerania by the Swede 1638. But the Palatine Princes are overcome Saxon and Bohemia invaded 1639. Anno 1640 The Swede repell'd out of Bohemia The War still continues hot Several Sieges and Battels till the End as there had been from the Beginning thereof In 1647 The Swede making Truce with Bavaria moves into Bohemia Is expelled thence The Emperor prepares War again and prayes to the Virgin Anno 1648 General Wrangel with the French invades Bavaria Ejected again General Conigsmark seizes on the Tower of Prague and sets against the City Munster-Treaty ensues And so the Thirty years War begun ends also at Prague wherein 325000 perished Of such direful consequence is the want of Liberty of Religion For the Emperor a bloudy enemy of the Protestants occasions this long War c. XII The Peace at Munster chang'd the state of the Empire and reduced it to that form which it now appears in For the Swede carries clear away the Bishoprick of Breme and Verd and the French Alsatta The Palatine is restor'd to his Estate in part and made Eighth Elector with the title of L. High Treasurer of the Empire which had hitherto but Seven The Protestants lastly both Lutheran and Reformed are asserted into full Liberty of Religion whom the Papists never prevail'd against so much by Force as by Cunning and Plots in time of Peace And therefore had alwayes need to add the Wisdom of Serpents to the Innocency of Doves So Peace has ever since continued to our times which we are now come unto whereof the most remarkable passages in brief are Frankendale restored to the Palatine 1652. Leopaldus Ignatius the present Emperour chosen King of Hungaria and inaugurated Anno 1655. Crown'd King of Bohemia 1657. In which year the Emperor dies also Bishop of Munster besieges Munster the same year And the States assemble at Frank-fort to chuse Emperor Leopold K. of Hungaria and Bohemia elected King and Emperor of the Romans 1658. Munster again besieged by its Bishop the Citizens stoutly resist 1660. But forc'd the next year to receive his Souldiers and lie at his mercy and a Cittadel imposed over them to keep them in awe and so reduced to obedience The same year viz. 1661. the Turks who had been
Wars with the Turk who besieges Vienna it self 1529. The rest the Emperor is King of Between whom constant Wars Truces and Breaches and Invasions again After this time Transylvania dismembred from Hungaria About the Bohemian War great Troubles here also for Liberty of Religion which had been before granted them by the former Emperor Of Transylvania Walachia Moldavia Transylvania eastward of Upper Hungaria heretofore for long time a Province and Principality thereof and so of the Empire from which swerving constitutes a peculiar Principality distinct from the Kingdom of Hungary under the protection of the Turks about 1560. The Princes nominated and substituted by the Turk in opposition to the Emperor The Protestants choosing rather to fall under the Turk than the Emperor finding more mercy and liberty from him or rather from between both Their Princes being maintained and substituted by the Turk against the Emperor and again defended by th' Emperor and Poland from being made wholly thrall to the Turk to whom their Princes are tributary Hence Wars and Troubles with the Princes of Transylvania as well as Turk they often by War invading Caesar First Bathor makes work 1601. Next Botskay makes war about 1606. Then Bethlem Gabor a profest enemy of the House of Austria and Defender of the Protestants drives Gabriel Bathor the former Prince out of Transylvania 1620 having invaded Hungary the year before 1619 but after a great noise did effect little even at this time of the Hungarian and Bohemian Wars laying down his Hungarian Diadem 1622 and reconcil'd to the Emperor Anno 1644 Ragotzi moves into Hungary takes places and makes Peace a year or two after Since George Ragotzi the second mingling himself rashly and improvidently in the War between Sweden and Poland and beaten by the Polander 1658 and overcome by the Turks at Clausenburg Anno 1660 died of his wounds there received at Waradin Unhappy Prince seeking anothers loses his own And so the Ragotzies were overturn'd and quite outed Barkay is substituted by the Turks the same year opposed by Kemini-Janos Ragotzi's General who was chosen by the Estates The Turks take several strong places amongst the rest Waradin the Gate and Sluse as it were or Keys of Germany on this side the Danow Anno 1661 Count Serin bestirs himself against the Turks fortifies a Castle in his Island Kemini-Janos takes Barkay and kills him and his Brother The Imperialists march into Hungary and Transylvania against the Turks who subdue a great part thereof take Newstadt constitute Abaffy Prince 1662. Kemini-Janos makes work for Abaffy but betray'd by his own is kill'd Count Serin is active vexes the Turks They take Fogaras Castle and domineer throughout Take Deva and establish Abaffy Clausenburg a long time in vain besieged by Abaffy reliev'd by Imperialists Turks make a treacherous Truce in Transylvania with the Emperor 1663. Turks again invade Hungary take New-hausel and other places in Upper-Hungary Clausenburg and another Hold betray'd and sold by the Souldiers to Abaffy The French do exploits and get renown against the Turks having been sent to the Emperor's assistance Peace made 1665. Walachia bordering Southward of Transylvania and Moldavia has been a long time a Province of the Turks receive their Prince from that Court are tributary yet often cause troubles Moldavia eastward of Transylvania has also been a long time a Turkish Province They nominate their Prince are tributary yet not so fully in their Power as they would desire And so we pass to the Empire of the Turks The Foundation and Revolutions of the present Turkish Empire Osman or Ottoman rising to be Sultan in Asia minor i. e. those parts of Asia towards Europe where the Turks then had only footing being quite driven out of Persia and all their Eastern Kingdoms by the Tartars after the death of Sultan Aladine the 2d or 3d the last of the other House layes the Foundation of the present Empire and Family about the year 1300 subduing all the other inferiour Kingdoms of the Turks there in Asia minor among whom the Empire was divided after Saladines death without Heirs About 1350 they cross the Hellespont or Narrow-Sea out of Asia into Europe hiring the Genoa's Ships For what footing they had before in Gallipolis was inconsiderable by Land having subdued Nice the Imperial Seat of the Eastern i. e. Graecian Emperors in the time of Ottoman before mentioned From that time they get ground in Europe take Adrianople their first Imperial Seat in Europe and the Countries of Servia and Bulgaria In the year 1370 a great part of Thrace and Macedonia and Achaia in Greece but loose most part of their Empire in Asia by Tamerlane Emperor of the Tartars to the year 1400. But soon recover it again and reunite the whole Turkish Kingdom and inlarge it with the Conquests of Dacia and part of Sclavonia and Transylvania and the rest of Macedonia in Greece About 1420. take from the Constantinopolitan or Greek Empire all Achaia Thessaly Epirus shake the State of Hungary Uuder Mahomet the 2 d call'd the Great about 1450 this Empire rises to its height taking Constantinople it self the Imperial Seat and the whole Greek Empire making it the seat of Empire to this day He conquers two Empires the Constantinopolitan and of Trabezund a new erected Empire of the Greeks distinct from the Constantinopolitan twelve Kingdoms innumerable Provinces and two hundred Cityes and so put an end to the whole Greek Roman Empire About 1480 they drive the Venetians from Morea or Peloponnese a part of Greece on the East whereof lyes Candy over against it and part of Dalmatia and get some Countries or Kingdoms in Asia also Towards the year 1520 they subdue the Mammalucks of Egypt Grand Caire their Royal Seat also Palestine Syria Arabia bringing all under their Yoke After the year 1520 Solyman the Magnificent the most Powerful of all the Turkish Emperors and Scourge of the Christians surprises Rhodes Belgrade Buda with greatest part of Hungary and Babylon Assyria and Mesopotamia in Asia from the Persians But in vain besieges Vienna An. 1529 with three hundred thousand men and lost eighty thousand before it in a months time Never the like Siege read of This Hungarian War lasted all Solyman's time for forty years About 1567 take from the Venetians Cyprus and from the Moors Tunis then under the power of Charles the fifth King of Spain and Algiers both in Africa with their Territories after their defeat in the famous Sea-fight at Lepanto by the Christians After the year 1600 the Hollander first makes League with Achmet and the German Emperor afterwards He succeeded at nine years old the elder being kill'd by command of the Father Osman or Ottoman the 2d unsuccesfully making War upon Poland and endeavouring to remove the Seat of Empire from Constantinople to Cair in Egypt his Janizaries seditious take him and strangle him publickly 1622 and fetch Mustapha whom they had after two or three months reign imprisoned
and other Princes put in for others But all lies in the will and pleasure of the Nobles as they can agree The present king Casimir is above threescore years old and besides his age and the ordinary cares of a Crown has never had one peaceable moment but perpetual troubles all his dayes either with the Cossacks or Tartars or the Moscovites or the Swedes or the Confederates So that he has had reason enough to be at last weary of a Crown in his old days and to rest And indeed layes it down not without honour having first reduced the Confederates and setled affairs else had done it sooner lest it should be thought he did it by force and because he could keep it no longer rather than choise and rather outed of it than voluntarily left it Note that these Cossacks so often mentioned inhabit the Eastern parts of Poland towards the Russes and Tartars and made but one Body under their General Chimilnisky who some years ago made a great noise in the World But were of late divided into three Bands whereof one adheres to the Moscovite the other to the King of Poland and a third contend for Liberty under the Orders of their General Tetera Beside the Army of the Confederates that was but now dissolved By all which it appears that Poland has declined much 1. By the loss of Walachia and Moldavia to the Turks 2. By the Revolt of the Cossacks and black Russes with all Ukrain 3. By the Moscovites possessing or spoyling and laying waste a great part of Lituania 4. By the Confederacy and Civil War of the Nobles with the King Victors in fight under Lubomirsky though at last weary of their own Confusions both sides hearkned to Reason and made a Composure And thus much of the confused story of Polands Confusions Sweden lies next concerned in our way The Revolutions of Swedeland The three Kingdoms of Denmark Norway and Sweden of old were often united and reunited till at last 1523 finally severed For Christiern the 2 d King of Denmark conquering Sweden us'd his Victory so cruelly and his own Subjects so insolently that both Kingdoms enrag'd rose up against him as a Tyrant outed him of all his Kingdoms and cast him in Prison where he miserably ended his dayes after thirty six years Imprisonment An. 1559. For Erick of an old Royal Blood of Sweden being carried by Christiern after his Conquests as a pledge into Denmark pittying his own Country escapes from amidst of Hunting in the habit of a Cowherd or Fisherman or both secretly to Lubick and from thence privily convey'd to Swedeland where he gets an Army against Christiern whose Uncle Frederick renouncing all right to Sweden makes a League with Erick and so both Nations joyn to deliver themselves from the Tyrant This Erick first brought in Protestantism i. e. Luthers Doctrine 2. Erick seeing the liberty of making Kings begot and continued troubles obtain'd of the States to make it an Hereditary Kingdom 3. His Son succeeded Anno 1561 who wars with the Dane and at last for Tyranny outed of his Kingdom by his Subjects and cast into Prison dyed miserably 4. The next King deliver'd Livonia from the tyranny and heavy pressures of the Russians after the year 1570 and added it to his Kingdom which he enlarged far and near through Lapland part of Russia all Ingria and Livonia 5. Sigismund his Son by the Sister of Sigismund King of Poland was created King of Poland Anno 1587. and succeeded in Swedeland anno 1593 thereby uniting both Kingdoms But chosen King of Poland with this condition that he should adde Livonia for ever to the Crown of Poland But being a Papist he would have brought Jesuites and the Roman Religion into Sweden and they refusing would have done it by force whereupon his Uncle Charls the former kings Brother began to oppose him whence a grievous and long War between both Kingdoms He had been made Governour and Vice-Roy as it were during his Brothers absence in Poland and at last King by the favour of the Calvinists who now began to appear in this kingdom the Lutherans being not very favourable thereunto Anno 1607 He made perpetual Wars against the Russes Poles and Danes and so prepared his Nation by use of Arms as it were for the succeeding Wars of Germany under 6. Gustavus Adolphus his Son the Greatest and most victorious of all the Kings of Swede and who first rais'd its fame in the World with incredible success of Arms overruns Germany frees the oppressed Princes of Pomerania and Brandenburgh restores the Duke of Meckleburgh takes all Places and Cities that lie in his way beats Tilly in two great Battels overruns a great part of Bavaria and at last kill'd in fight 1632 after such two or three years Success only During his Daughters minority the Wars are continued in Germany till the Treaty at Munster 1648. By which War the Swedes obtain'd besides vast Riches and Spoils and inestimable Treasure large Provinces near the Baltick-Sea or Sound the Dukedom of Breme and Verd saving the Liberty of the City to it self still all the further Pomerania Vismar and other smaller Territories c. Anno 1650 Christiana is crown'd a Princess for Arts rather than ARms or Government and weary of her Kingdom or Subjects or they of her leaves it An. 1654. Before which the same year Conigsmark invades the Bishoprick of Breme again and possesses it Christiana turns Catholick travels to Rome c. Her Story is common She having no Heirs her kinsman Charles Gustavus the 10 th descended from a Sister of Gustavus Adolphus Daughter of Charles the 9 th King of Swede succeeds is crown'd the same year and married to the Duke of Holsteins eldest daughter and for glorious feats of Arms and Conquests immitates his Uncle Gustavus Adolphus and soon also taken away An. 1656 The Moscovite invades Livonia in xain attempts Riga An. 1657 King of Denmark invades Breme takes Verd whilst the King of Swede is busie in Poland who hastens thence invades Holstein drives the Dane from the Dukedom of Breme besieges Verd in vain The Elector of Brandenburgh having the same year deserted the Swede and agreed with the Pole An. 1658 The Swede invades Fuinen Island marches over the Sea on Ice with his Army into Sealand drives the Dane to the Peace at Rotchild to follow Poland again but before all things fully ended and for some new actings and emergencies invades Sealand again the same year takes Cronenburg and at last besieges Copenhagen it self a long while which reduced to straits the Hollanders to relieve with Provisions and Forces have a Fight in the very Danish Creek or Strait About the same time also the Brandenburgh and Imperialists march into Holstein against the Swede and drive him out An. 1659. Fuinen Island recover'd by the Dane and his Confederates with other Islands and th' Swede overcome there The Elector of Brandenburgh also with his Confederates the Poles
c. marches into Pomerania takes several places besieges Stetin three months c. whilst the Swede busied against the Dane An. 1660. Peace made with the Pole and Brandenburgh Confederates against the Swede as also with the Dane The Ring about the same time dies leaving his young Son Charles the 11 th about five or six years of age Ring at present An. 1661. The Swede makes peace with the Moscovite Ever since they have been preparing great Armies and hovering up and down none scarce knows on which side or on what design Time must shew Revolutions of Denmark Christiern the 2 d being abhorr'd by all the North Ringdoms in common for his barbarousness and tyranny was by the Decree of the Danes Swedes and Norwegians outed of his kingdoms as beforesaid which endeavouring to regain by Arms was taken and miserably thrown into Prison where he lay about thirty seven years and ended his dayes and the Union of both kingdoms formerly made was quite dissolv'd For Frederick the Uncle of Christiern renounced all right in Sweden unto Erick king thereof upon his Confederacy with him against Christiern that Tyrant Hereupon the Nobles to whom Christiern had been odious for his Tyranny over them through means of the Citizens and Commons favouring him against them elect his Uncle Frederick Duke of Holstein Ring of Denmark and Norway upon certain Conditions and with great and large Priviledges to themselves reserv'd An. 1523 which they stifly alwayes maintain'd and afterwards under Frederick the 2 d encreased and made them far greater so that they had right of Majesty and Soveraignty in common with the Ring till lately in the year 1661 that they lost their ancient priviledges This Frederick the first reform'd Religion in both his Countries according to the Confession of Ausburgh or Augustan Confession that is the Doctrine of Luther there agreed on He being dead great Factions and Troubles about a Successor arose one party being violent and strong for Christiern in Prison who proceeded so far as to besiege Copenbagen But Christiern the third being elected by another with great troubles suppressed the other and perfected the Reformation begun by his Father Christiern the fourth engaging in the German Wars against the Emperor for the Liberties of Germany lost a great part of his Dominions by the prevailing Imperialists but soon compounded the business upon very good Terms and was restored to all his own again An. 1629 The Swede then coming in like a Tempest upon the Emperor An. 1643. The Swede moves into Holstein and Jutland and overcomes the Danes 1644. War between Swede and Dane with various fortune by Sea and Land whereby the Swede loses places in Germany but the Imperialists coming to help the Dane are beat 1645. Peace made between Swede and Dane and 1648 Frederick the 3 d the present king succeeds An. 1657 Ring of Swede invades Holstein c. before mentioned 1659. The Swede assaults Copenhagen is repulsed with great loss The Dane and his Confederates recover Fuinen and other Islands and overcome the Swede c. as before 1660. Peace between them whereby the Swede obtains Seandy Hallandt and Blecking from the Dane for ever This year was made the greatest mutation in the Ringdom of Denmark The Ring made absolute and supream Lord which depended before on the Senate of the kingdom and as it were redeem'd from the servitude of the Nobles The Nobles lose all their Priviledges and the Crown made hereditary to both sexes which before depended on Election And all this by the States of the kingdom conferred on him partly for his constancy and firm adhering to them in Person during all the Siege of Copenhagen as well as for other Reasons of State and Inconveniences made more evident and sensible by those Wars 1661. Norway swears homage and fealty to the Hereditary Prince 1663. A Plot and Conspiracy discovered against the Ring of Denmark Afterwards in the late Wars between England and Holland and Dane confederates with Holland But we hasten to France The Foundation and Revolutions of the present State of France 1. There have been three Races or Lines of the Kings of France the Merovinian Carolinian and Capetine or Saxon Line 2. Pepin Maire of the Kings Palace a place of vast power and priviledge and Father of Charles the Great deposed Childerick the last of the Merovignian Line the Pope approving thereof and confirming it To whom succeeded Charles the Great about the year 770 Ring of France and after large Conquests crowned Emperor of Germany by the Pope Anno 800 which the Pope ever since pretends to be his Gift 3. About the year 988. Hugh Capet Earl of Paris a place of something the like power with that of Maire formerly outed the Caroline Family 4. This Capetine Race has gone in three Families First in a direct Line till 1328. Then in the House of Valois till Henry the 4 th of the House of Bourbon an 1589. And ever since under Lewis the 13 th 14 th in the same House For Henry the 3 d the last of the Valoises created king of Poland fled privily thence upon the death of his Brother Charles the 9 th Ring of France and succeeded him thereupon Anno 1574 makes war against the Hugonites then in Arms upon the horrid Massacres not long before committed upon them and makes a new League with the Guises called the Holy League to root out the Hugonots For about this time there had been Commotions and Wars for Religion and Self-defence upon the growth of Calvin's Doctrine and Reformation and the Ringdom became divided into two Factions partly Ecclesiastick the Catholicks and Hugonots and partly Civil the Duke of Montmorrency or Conde that is the Bourbons and the Duke of Guise that is of Lorrain of the Race of Charles the Great Hence sharp Wars The Bourbons side with the Hugonots The Guises with the Catholicks which was called the Holy League In the mean while the Guises upon these occasions studied to exclude the House of Bourbon underhand viz. Henry the 4 th Ring of Navar and next of kin to this Ring and House as inclining to the Hugonets from succession and to set up themselves ruling the king as they pleased Who at last seeing himself abused and designs upon him through the power and favour of the Catholicks to the Guises the Head and Ringleaders of them sides with the Hugonites or they with him besieges Paris which they had seiz'd on but was there stabb'd by a Monk made use of by the Guisans and that Faction an 1589. and so the Family of the Valois ended and the Bourbons succeeds Namely Henry the 4 th next Heir Male King of Navar who continues War against the Leaguists who strongly oppos'd him but he greatly breaks them till at last seeing Religion the only hindrance to his quiet settlement in that Crown and the quite ruining of that League against him was prevail'd on to turn Catholick and so establish'd the
present House of Bourbon and granted good terms to the Protestants but was afterwards stabb'd by Ravillac of the Romish and Jesuitical Faction The first occasion as was hinted of these Troubles was the Massacre at Merindal Anno 1545. but specially the great Massacre at Paris and thereupon presently throughout the whole kingdom an 1572. from which time the Holy League began Which was a Sacred Confederation of the Pope king of Spain and Duke of Guise for the Catholick Religion and to root out Hereticks And to that end to set up some more Catholick and zealously affected and engaged King and Interest either the King of Spain or Duke of Guise of the Family of Lorrain descended from Charles the great on whom the Pope pretends to have bestowed no less than the Roman Empire upon its ruine and the kingdom of France upon its alienation to Pepin his Father Lewis the 13 th his Son succeeded 1610 the most absolute King of France since Charles the Great For he reduc'd the Protestants to his obedience and all the Forts and Castles held by them to the number of three hundred diminishes the Liberty of Religion granted by Henry the fourth by Decree ordering that all the Protestants should be in all things equal with the Catholicks and enjoy the same Priviledges and Immunities In which War the Siege of Rochel was most famous where all the Art of War was shewn Anno 1628. taken and its Walls demolished Cardinal Richlieu was his chief Counsellor and Minister of State under whom he brings all France into one entire body and state yet Liberty of Religion by agreement continued to the Protestants And from that time bent all his Horce against Spain and House of Austria then encreasing So by the Conduct of Richlieu accomplish'd great things in Italy Germany Spain and Flanders as well as his own Kingdom So that by the peace at Munster between both Emperor and Spain all Alsatia was added to France and the strongest places on this side the Rhine and a good part of Flanders c. whereby France recovered the bounds as it were of ancient Gaul The Dukedom of Lorraine also during the German wars was put into the protection of France about the restoring of which there has been some difficulties of late or demurres An. 1642. Lewis the 14 th four years old succeeds in whose minority the Queen Mother managed affairs with Cardinal Mazarine a stranger which stirred the envy and hatred of the French against him 1650. The discontented Princes are imprisoned which causes intestine commotions the Prince of Conde chief 1651. They are freed Mazarin driven out of Paris and banished But the King entering his 14th year recalled Conde arms against the King 1652. At Mazarin's return now Civil Discords revive But the Cardinal outdoes them and becomes more potent and glorious Prince of Conde takes the Spaniards part in Flanders Afterwards Mazarine made Peace with England 1660. The Wars between France and Spain for twenty six years ended and Peace made The Kings marriage with Spains Infanta follows by Mazarin's and De Haro's means Which has since occasioned the late War in Flanders Conde reconcil'd to the King and restor'd Since which the Protestants never in lower condition nor more under the hatches and have lost more by this Peace then ever they did by their own Wares Aurange taken into the Kings protection and unwalled 1661. Duke of Orleans the Kings Brother Marries the Princesse of England The Duke of Lorraine sells his Provinces to the King of France his Nephew dissenting The rest since are flesh in memory Namely the Political and Civildeath as it were of the Protestants since the General Peace 1660 and since this last Peace also The Wars with England France confederating with Holland or rather poizing the lighter Ballance or weaker side The Comprehension of the Jansenists and the four Jansenian Bishops with the chief thereof Doctor Arnaud within the Bounds of the Romish Church Marshal Turein turn'd Catholick So that France is like to be one entire Body of Catholicks which no doubt is one main design on foot of the Pope and Jesuites who by strange and unobserved artifices sway Princes and their grand Ministers of State c. The Foundation and Revolutions of Spain and Portugal After the breaking of the Roman Empire there was a Kingdom founded over all Spain and Portugal by the West Goths coming out of Italy This Kingdom was destroyed afterwards by the Moors and Saracens The Goths began soon after to revive again and to erect several lesser Kingdoms by degrees as they could which in time were variously united and disunited again and perpetual Wars with one another The grand division at last was into the kingdom of the Moors and of the Christians or Goths The Moors Kingdom in the end fixed only in Andalusia or most Southern parts of Spain The Christians became divided also in time into four chief Kingdoms Castile Arragon Navarre and Portugal which could never unite till 1. Ferdinand the Great sirnamed the Catholick King of Arragon laid the Foundations of the last and greatest Monarchy of Spain by marriage with Isabel Queen of Castile c. towards the year 1480. in which Race continued ever since Whereupon mighty things ensued 1. Perpetual Union betwixt those two potent Kingdoms 2. The utter rooting out presently thereupon the Moors and Saracens from the kingdom of Andalusia who had held Spain more or less in subjection for seven hundred years Anno 1492. Upon which they presum'd to stile themselves King and Queen of Spain i. e. all Spain to the prejudice of Navarre and Portugal who were yet distinct Kingdoms 3. The seizing on the kingdom of Navarre whereto belonged Naples and Sicily c. 4. The discovery of the New World America the year 1492. After which they had the title of Catholick by the Pope to the prejudice of all other Kingdoms 5. The marrying of their only Daughter and Heir to Philip the Emperors Son Archduke of Austria Prince of the Netherlands thereby uniting those great Estates and laying the Foundation also for the present Austrian Greatness and Family continued ever since by so many intermarriages between the Spanish and Imperial branches of that potent Family And thus the Spaniards first became considerable in the World and a Terror to Neighbours and suddenly look'd like the beginners of a fifth or Universal Monarchy of the World at least the New-World Which they affected first in Title Getting 1. that of Catholick Kings after they had usurped that of Kings of Spain as designed by the Pope for Universal or Catholick Monarch to promote the Catholick Cause on Religion to root out Hereticks c. which has been alwayes their pretext and which they have been alwayes zealous and mighty sticklers for And 2 they have hereby claimed prerogative over all other Kings and by pretext of their Title have ever since look'd on themselves as the Greatest Monarchs of all the World as indeed they had
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
that is called God was the first Pope in Heaven and the Father of these his Sons on Earth About 1605. He excommunicated the Venetians for maintaining stoutly their Rights of state and withstanding his incroachings whereupon War insued Baronias exhorting the Pope thus Arise and Eate the Venetians as if it had been as easie as to eate his dinner But he found them a tough Morsel which he could not get down and so was held to hard meat But a Cardinal of France made up the business as well as he could but could not without enough dishonour to his Popeship He by briefs or writings sent to the Loyal Catholicks of England forbad the Oath of Allegiance to King James from his own Subjects He laid a great Tax also on the Clergy in Italy to uphold the good old Catholick cause in the Wars of Germany about 1618. and a new Order of Knighthood was erected at Vienna the Imperial Court for all Heroick Catholicks under the Patronage of the blessed Virgin St. Michael and St. Francis to root out the Hereticks But all would not do For they increased and multiplyed The Powder plot in England was also in the beginning of his Popedom set on foot by the Jesuits and their complices in England An. 1605. An. 1621. Gregory the 5 th elected by way of adoration instigates the French King against the Protestants Canonizes Ignatius the founder of a company of Incendiaries that is Jesuits for so they have proved ever since Baptized with not the Holy Ghost but with Fire answerable both to his Name and Motto and their Natures Quarrels with the Venetians for entertaining Greeks now they had no wars with Infidels the Turks To whom the Venetians wisely replyed That they held all Infidels that opposed their Commonwealth An. 1623. Twenty four of the Cardinals grew sick upon the quarrelsome and ambitions choise of Urban the 8 th whereof ten lost their lives with divers of others Father Paul a venerable Religious Monk who stood up high for his Venetians against the Jesuits who pragmatically stood up for their Pope for which they were deservedly banished by the State not till now smarts and is wounded for his crime of Loyalty to them and petty treason as it were against the Jesuits c. this Pope made War against the Duke of Parma and Florence for the Dukedom of Castro c. And no doubt he had an underhand or little finger at least in the bloudy Massacre of Ireland 1641. by the Catholicks Afterwards Innocent the 10 th pronounces void and goes about by his Legate to null the Peace of Germany made at Munster 1648 between the Protestant and the Papal princes where the Protestants both Calvinists as well as Lutherans were esserted into full and free liberty of their Religion as hurtful and dangerous to the Church forsooth But Germany no longer now fears their loud Bulls roarings and bellowings as formerly and do but laugh at such the vanity of his Omnipotent Impotency After 1654. Alexander the 7 th determines new Articles of Faith against the Jansenist's and condemnes them for Hereticks The Church of France begin to vindicate their Liberty against such new decrees and power of the Pope It grows to a great faction between them and the Jesuits The Pope and his Instruments make the King look upon them as a dangerous Sect and as it were a new kind of Calvinistical Papists that would both joyn against the true French Catholicks and endanger France both Church and State as much as formerly those Hugonots But they increased notwithstanding and several Bishops Clergy men and others adhered to them against the Novel Usurpations and determinations of the Pope who would feign have been accounted infallible in his Court and pack'd Consistory at Rome without a general Council And fowl work had like to have ensued but that the King and Pope together have lately within this year or two devised an expedient latitude for the dissenting Bishops and Leaders least the rent should be made greater willing to make use of any Salvo for such a Sore c. An. 1662. The Popes Guards by his Brothers design against the interest of France assaults the French Embassador which was connived at by the Pope and his Brother who set it on foot countenanced and due Justice evaded The King demands satisfaction prepars a great Army to enter Italy whereof some had in a manner begun to enter which made the Pope tremble and the French sing hartily Rome is ours already c. yea the grand Ball at Court since become a common Tune or Air too in England began thus Great King will you profane Your Rapier in vain Your young brave Conquering Blades ' Gainst Chaplains only with Beads c. But his Holiness wisely submits and drives on a Treaty for Satisfaction and Accommodation and thereby condescended to set up at Rome a Piller of Remembrance as it were for the Injury and Affront offered Upon which submission the King of France recieves his Embassadour through all his Kingdom with extraordinary Magnificence and ever since has been very kind to his Holy Father and lately out of complement granted the present Pope leave to take down this too lasting a Monument of their reproach but all no doubt for further ends to himself which he is driving on in the world c. And while the King was thus good to the Church The Pope takes that opportunity to see if he could get to be owned as infallible in France and supreme Judge and determiner of Controversies and differences of Opinions in Religion finding by woful experience they should never have that property of a Vice-God Omnipotency in the World before they had thisof Infallibility This was towards and in the year 1666. by Alexander the late Pope But that year has not proved so kind and lucky to their projects as they looked for Nor could they fool France into such a premunire This Pope has had little to do yet but patch up the Jansenian Breaches to avoid further mischief as but now hinted To mediate between France and Spain as much as he could and to invite Princes against a less worse Enemy to Christendom than himself the Turk who never did it half so much harm nor ever will Yet the Noble Venetians deserve Succour and the Pope destruction Yet so it is that the Kings Princes Clergy and People of the Earth have so drunk of and been intoxicated with the Cup of Romes Fornications that notwithstanding all the evill they have suffered by her Domineering and Tyrannizing over them their Kingdoms Subjects and People both Soul and Body as by the foregoing story may in part appear yet they love to commit folly and abomination with her still and her fine and goodly Religion so carnal so pleasing and sutable to flesh and bloud But in the end sure God will put it into their hearts when he shall once have opened their Eyes to see what miseries and mischiefs she has brought
upon all Kingdoms and Nations and the whole World too at least occasionally or even but to see their own interests and concerns to hate the Whore and burn her with fire Daemonis Ira premens odijs ac fraudibus orbem Implet nec damnis hominum exsaturata quiescit The Devil fill'd with Rage the World doth fill With Wars and Cheats to rule it at his will And for more mischief is more greedy still The Devil Of Evil Will never have his fill This is the Kingdom of the Beast and the Synagogue of Satan or a General draught of the hellish Hierarchy of Rome or Popedom of King and Priest Lucifer on Earth The pretended grouuds and foundations of their Popedom Spiritual have been already hinted before Those for their Temporal are much of the same nature viz. That the Pope is Christ s that is God's Vicar or Vice-Gerent and so not only Vice-Roy as it were but Vice-God on Earth which title they dare own That He 's Visible Head of the Church and so of the State too in order to the Church For that the Church is above the State The Head of the Church above the Head of the State The State for the Church not the Church for the State and therefore dominion to be founded in Grace c. And so no Enemies of the Church Infidels or Hereticks to be capable thereof but to be destroyed and rooted out c. which are all they shall judge so Likewise many Rights Priviledges and Favours granted by Constantine the Great Charls the Great and other Emperors and Kings As also usurped and long permitted or connived at Customs Examples Presidents c. But in one word an outward Carnal Religion in the Letter without the Spirit The form of Godliness without the Power Christians both Pastors Preachers and People first not having the Spirit nor the wisedom from above namely the wisedom of God and the Power of God but the wisedom of man or that which is worse the wisedom from beneath earthly sensual and devillish Hence Ceremonies without substance external and carnal Ordinances Commandements and Inventions of men in the Worship and Service of God Love of the World and things of the World Pride Ambition Covetousness and Voluptuousness and Preaching and professing Religion for such ends and taking all up from tradition authority and forefathers c. Whence contentions and divisions about needless Opinions and Ceremonies for Dignity Superiority and Supremacy for Riches and Honours c. â—nd then a pompous gaudy and merry Religion to please the people and gratifie the outward man to maintain and uphold the greatness power pomp and pleasures of the Clergy through the secret and mysterious working of Iniquity in men of corrupt minds and erring concerning the Faith and the Truth which was after godliness c. with some frightful devices to scare and awe their guilty fearful and slavish Consciences and other petty ones again to pacifie and allay them mistaking the whole Mystery of Godliness and inverting it into a Mystery of Iniquity one degree of Error and Corruption bringing in another I say all this is the foundation and Superstructure of this Kingdom of darkness and of Hell For the natural man perceiveth not the things of God and of the Kingdom of God As for the Popes Temporal Principality and Soveraigne Estate in Rome and Italy and Avignon called the Estate or Land of the Church and St. Peters Patrimony The foundation thereof as a peculiar and distinct Soveraignty apart besides the forementioned grounds of the donation of Christ to St. Peter and his Successors as his Sea c. it depends over and above on the forged and counterfeit donation of Constantine on the real donation of Pepin and Charls the Great c. on the Countess Mathilda's last Will and Testament All which gave liberally to St. Peter and lastly on Usurpation Arms and Violence And notwithstanding it 's convenient situation for the command of all Italy and the perpetual fractions there formerly yet they could never so wisely manage their Pope-craft as yet to possess themselves like the ancient Romans of the whole which remains divided among many Princes and Soveraign Estates As the Estate of ancient Lombardy under which is contained the Dukedom of Milan subject to Spain the Dukedom of Mantua Modena Montferrat and the Principality of Piemont which belongs to Savoy The great Dukedom of Tuscany or Florence The Lands or Estate of the Church or the Popes Patrimony The Kingdom of Naples with Sicily Sardinia under Spain And lastly The Commonwealth of Venice Genoa and Lucca An. 1595. The Pope chalenged the Dukedom of Ferrara for want of lawful Issue in the right of the Church and partly by force partly by composition united it for ever to the Sea of Rome An. 1626. The great Dukedom of Urbin foremerly made fudatory to the Church and held thereof in homage for want of Heirs of right fell to the Pope c. About 1647. The Pope seized on the Dukedom of Castro from the Duke of Parma upon the account of feudatory Quit-rent due to the Popes whence arose War But the Controtroversie was composed by the authority of the King of France in their late treaty 1664. when agreed that Castro should be restored to Parma and the Duke to pay the mony due c. And then agreed likewise that the K. of France should restore Avignon to the Pope w ch he had seiz'd on not long before upon the quarrel about his Embassador at Rome w ch was acordingly done And thus we have in general represented the foundations and Revolutions of the Papal Hierarchy or Kingdom of the Pope both Temporal and Spiritual its rise growth increase height and decrease not being able well to comprehend so long and mysterious an History and so confused with all others in less room and willing only to touch upon chief particulars of their usurpations incroachings and domineerings down to our times that so you might have a Map or Table and plain veiw as it were at once of this Ecclesiastical and Priestly Kingdom All which 't was necessary to fetch so high the better to understand the coherence of the story and present State thereof with the Affairs and Revolutions both of the Governments and Religions of all Christendom which it has so wretchedly involved it self with The sum of all in short is this The Popedom was a digging working and preparing as it were underground about 400. years most eminently from Victor about the year 192. and others especially afterwards from under Constantine the Great about the year 300. to Boniface the 3 d. About the year 600. As Covetous Proud Corrupt Opinionated and in one word Apostate Luciferian Bishops Pastors and Priests that had fell from their first standing and foundation of the Apostles that is the primitive purity and simplicity of the Gospel to devised Fables Ceremonies Inventions Constitutions and Prudentials c. The Popedom Spiritual or Universal
flourishing Monarchy laps'd into a short liv'd Commonwealth A State A Protector and a Miraculous return to where they began an unheard of Restitution of the Banished and wonderful preserved Prince without War or Bloud-shed We have seen the mightiest Emperor deposed and strangled by his own Vassals in the same year 1648. and his Successor much a-doe to escape the Rout in 1656. that made sixteen Bashaws one Vizier forcing the Emperess and the High Priest almost equal with the Emperor himself to the Seraglio c. And the Brother of a King to depose his Prince under pretence of Loyalty and the publick good keep him in durance Rule in his stead and make the Father and High Priest of the Church give his Queen to him for wife and all the Princes of Christendom even their late Master of Spain too himself by their Embassies and for their own Interests to approve in a manner all and to Complement the new Prince Regent from all parts We have seen also above twenty years civil Wars Broyls Commotions and Factions in Poland and the poor old King made weary of his Scepter by his own restless and unconstant Subjects We have seen him and a Queen besides to lay down their Crowns of their own accord for a more quiet and happy life We have seen a Universal Calme as it were and Peace for a while but a sudden Eruption of fierce Wars again both by Sea and Land and again a present deep Silence and stand as it were of a sudden and the World gazing on one another what they are about to do c. Lastly we have seen Grand Eclipses Conjunctions Comets and new Stars Innumerable Prodigies and Signs in the Heavens in the Earth in the Waters a raging Plague marching from Country to Country together with raging Wars and the most dreadful Fire that ever was designed or contrived of one of the greatest and most flourishing Cities in Christendom And behold greater things yet to come ch following c. An additional Observation concerning the late Popes designes There has already been hinted his new Negotiation with the Kings of the Earth to establish the Papal Sea's Infalibility He had a great zeal besides in rapairing the Church of St. Peter Paul and to erect there a new Apostolick Chair And would have imposed this Inscription thereon although hindred by the wiser Cardinals In the year of the Apostolick Authority restored the first He spent likewise all the time of his Priestdom in adorning Rome with new Palaces and Basilicon's especially in raising a Palace designed for the future choice of Popes called the Conclave into a stupendons Grandure To Erect which that there might not want room he commanded many Streets of the City with Temples and Monasteries to be demolished and sent for all sorts of Artificers out of Italy as if like Nebuchadnezer he meant to say This is Babilon the Great which I have built for an house of my Kingdom and for the Glory of my Majesty c. And now we should pass to the Foundations and Revolutions of the present Religion of Christendom but that they would swell this Table of the general heads of things only into a volumn already too larg And for that they may be also somewhat apprehended from this general View of the Revolutions of States and Kingdoms Behold the desolutions of the Earth For want of the King of Peace to rule The Pretensions and Interest of Europe The pretensions of Europe are either of one part to another as of England to France Spain to Portugal c. of which 't will be needless to speak a word or else to other parts of the World as to Asia Africa or America Of which a word or two These pretences are founded on wrong and false titles as Right of discovery or of Christianity and Religion and the Popes donation and disposal of the whole Infidel world accordingly thereupon For towards the year 1500. Pope Alexander the 6th as if he was Master of the whole Earth distributed by his Bull all the new World between Ferdinand the 5th King of Spain and John King of Portugal Here was a wonderful donation indeed of the World from East to West parted between two Princes And to make them agree it was accorded that the Portuguess should equally share from the fortunate Islands or Canaries by one streight line from North to South for the first Meridian an hundred and eighty degrees that is one half of the World Eastward and the Spaniard as many Westward And that both one and the other should have right to take possession of all the Earth they could seize on and all upon this title forsooth That they should convert the Infidels and Barbarous Nations to the Christian Faith which they did indeed more like Infidels and Barbarians then Christians So mankind preys one upon another like ravenous Beasts and Birds of prey Neither can the Protestans perhaps much reproach the Papists upon this account and both will alwayes agree in this point that glory and gain are not to be neglected what ever becoms of Christianity or humanity it self But when the Portuguese through ignorance and impudence judged that they had wrong done them as yet ignorant that the World was round or might be sail'd round by great importunity they extorted that the first Meridian should be removed from the Canary Islands to the Azores three hundred miles more Westward Hence the first Meridian ever since has place not in the Canaries but the Azores Islands the cause of which mutation is not the declination of the Margent and variation of the Needle or Compass but this division between the Portuguess and Spaniard Now by this change it happened that the Portugals afterwards obtained Brasil in the West Indies which fell within the Meridian of the Azores but the Spaniards reaped a far greater advantage because they from that time chalenge right to the greatest part of the East Indies viz. the Philippy Islands which they have to this day to the Molucco's and others c. then out of dispute the Portugals And this made the Spaniard alwayes retire and adhere to the Azores for the first Meridian As for the Interests of Europe in these sad dis-unions revolutions and confusions of Christendom The Interests of the whole and of every part seems mainly to be to agree in Religion and known Articles of Faith and not devour one another as Infidels and Pagans for Opinions or Ceremonies and exclude not only one another their Church but their Nation and the World too for Hereticks or if not agreement at least Freedom and liberty of Religion which is no unpracticable Romance we see also for Christian Princes to unite not so much against the Turk as with one another and not destroy and ruine one anothers Kingdoms and so many Subjects lives in unnatural unchristian Wars and quarrels and lastly each Nation to accord and conspire together into mutual correspondence and free intercourse in all their
most excellent and useful things of Nature Art and Religion That so true Religion Learning Arts Sciences Commerce and Traffick and all things else for the Common weale of mankind may flourish and be advanced in the World that Mercy and Truth may meet together Righteousness and Peace may kiss each other on the Earth which they have so long for saken But first There are a sort of Popelings yet behind Must ride the Devil off on 's legs and break his wind CHAP. II. Of the future State and Revolution of Europe both of Church and State OUT OF The last Visions and Revelations of Drabicius the Seer concerning wonderful things shortly to come As the ruine of the House of Austria of the Pope of Spain c. by the Turks Tartars King of France c. conversion of the Turks Jews and Heathens Reformation of the World and Church by the Secular Powers The Renovation and Restitution of all things at hand New Heavens and new Earth viz. Church and State c. The Preface VVE should now finish this Table but that we think it meet to add a second Chapter of the Prophetick History of Europe not from the uncertain conjectures of Astrologians and Politicians but Revelations truly accounted Divine If it more immediately concern all to know the present State of Christendom and of this last age above all before that are past and gone and almost forgotten yet that is principally in order to what is to come And so much more it concerns us to consider what shall be hereafter then the things that have been and are And indeed this all mens minds generally are most inquisttive after yet few will have faith to believe And hence the knowledge of things to come is one part of History as well as of those that are past Wherefore I shall think it no unacceptable service to my Country men and not unbefitting this place to represent to view a summary draught also of those wonderful Visions and Revelations of Dabricius by the Godly and Learned esteemed Divine at least that few yet dare say are meer phanatick delusions or diabolical that so this Historical Table or Representation of things last past and next to come may be for more profit and advantage and of greater use to the English Reader 'T is certain all the world expects some great Catastrophe and Revolutions at hand and great have lately past in all Nations preparatory thereunto All Astrologers gaze for it All Politicians presage it all Theologers divine it And generally All People Jews Turks Christians Papists and Protestants seem to bespeak as much As if some dark intelligence were hovering up and down to abode and whisper some such matter presently to betide the world The Jews stand gazing for the Kingdom of their Messias the Turks of their Mahomet The Christians of their Christ and the Papists of their Antichrist The Planetary Conjunction and new Stars the dreadful Comets and terrifying Prodigies The remarkable predictions and prophetick Spirits yea the very false prophets too in several Countries The wonderfull providences and strange revolutions and alterations of this last Age specially those of late as the great Eclipses not many years agoe The new Star in 1572. in 1604. and lately in 1660. The fiery Trigon begun 1603. and ended with that great Conjunction of the two superior Planets Saturn and Jupiter in that fiery Trigon in 1663. never before this eight hundred years viz. at the beginning of the German Empire by Charls the Great and hoped to be the last being the seventh only of the world having never happened but six times before since the Creation And this being also the third Conjunction of those superior Planets which is every twenty years in the seventh fiery Trigon and falling in the year 1663. Rome Rome remember sixty three and three was said of that year by the Astrologers and the great congregation of all the seven Planets in the fiery signe of Sagittary also preceeding it which whether ever happened before since the beginning of the world is not known makes some not only take a Sign but a beginning of some great Mutation in Religion and Government In Religion namely the conversion of Jews Turks and all the Nations of the Gentiles In State the subversion of all Tyrannicall Rule and Domination and all manner of oppression and violence in the Earth The too late Prodigious Comets succeeding about a year after as well as those in 1652. and 1618. Saturn being in the House of Infirmity for six month before concerning which there is extent a strange Prophecy found by Capistranus above two hundred years agoe and printed above an hundred agoe at Venice and afterwards upon the Comet in 1618. appearing at Pargue in Germany in 1620. and said by the said Capistran to be one of the Sybill's twenty years before Christ concerning the ruine of the Pope and Emperor and return of the Apostolick times There is also some thing particular mentioned in Capistrans explication concerning France and others Aix la Chapelle which is forgot The Prophecy said to be of the Sybills was only in figures of a Woman with a Triple Crown embraced by a Crowned King or Emperor With a Wheel with twelve spokes denoting the Cardinals like the twelve Apostles with the Arms of France Low-Countries c. with other particulars forgotten From one Angel appeared a blazing Star darting upon the Woman and Emperor c. Capistran by a prophetick Spirit wrote an explication of every particular in short Motto's writ underneath each which he buried in a wall not daring to make it known in those times Being an enlightened Monk and was found an hundered years after and Printed as was said at Venice The Motto under the Comet is only remembered viz. Saturn in the house of Infirmity which some Astronomers say could be meant of no former Comet but this last only having examined it by their Rules Since this we have seen the sudden irruption of the French into Flanders c. and the peace soon made again at Aix la Chapel and yet indeed as good as no peace but rather a truce It were well this prophecy were better looked into to see whether any thing solid to be observed therein or any thing that may answer and concern the present affairs or the late Comet yea or no. In fine the most lamentable Wars Plagues Fires and sad calamities and heavy and grievous judgments of Gods wrath abroad in the Earth especially the astonishing Blazing Fire of London soon after in 1666. The powerful approach and threatning of the Turks and their dreadful design upon Christendom the universal unsettlement shakings of Kingdoms and Nations the high Animosities and Jealousies of Princes and States the cry of Subjects and general failing of mens hearts for fear and expectation of others and the total deluge of prophauness atheisme impenitency and unbelief with their desperate effects namely all injustice oppression wars and persecutions and universal
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
of the Covenant Espouse unto thee O God! the People in faith that all may acknowledge thee Jehovah to whom thou mayst say My People and they to thee My God Let Men thy Image now cease to respect Stones Wooden Golden and Silver gods and to exhibit honour unto those which are no Gods but Vanity Let the Society or Tribe of Priests cease to commit Preys and Robberies in thy Name and with their wickedness to rejoyce Kings and Princes with their lyes adulterating all things Appointing to themselves Kings but not by thee and setting up Princes whom thou doest not acknowledge but with their Gold and their Silver making themselves Idols to their destruction Root out therefore O God! but even now at length Idols with the Worshippers of Idols and Errors with the Sowers of Errors As thou didst in the time of Elias Ezekias Josias Let it become manifest to the World how great difference there is between Light and Darkness that Victory may give place to the Truth and all men may learn to walk in the Light and being made the Sons of the Light may be brought back again to thee the Fountain of Light Gather together the sheep going astray stragling up and down O Prince of Shepherds by men chosen to this work from the East and the West from the North and the South giving faith in to their hearts unto thy words and by a strong and inflexible obedience and dutifulness to execute the purpose of thy Eternal Counsel to bring Vengeance upon Spiritual Babylon and upon the Whore sitting upon the Beast that she may no longer by committing Fornication with her Abominations seduce the Nations on the face of the whole Earth Grant O God! that successfully and happily once may go on forward that wish'd-for Recollection or gathering up together again of thy Rational Creatures out of the Streets and Villages and from among the Lanes and out of the High-ways that they may be introduced into thy House Here indeed into the House of the Church thy Sheepfold but there into the House of Eternity thy Glory where are many Habitations and Joys never to be ended Sitting down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob at thy Table O Jesus Christ my only Saviour and of all that believe in thee Whither also my selâ— now hastening apace I bid my last farewel to thee O World to thee my earthly Country to thee my Body the Habitation of this Soul Farewel all beloved Friends in God! known and unknown to me Ye who have not known me in this mortality shall see me in that day wherein our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God by his illustrious coming shall gather us call'd forth out of the Dust of the Earth and from all parts every where to himself To whom be Honour and Glory and Empire and Benediction for ever and ever Amen! After these things had been thus acted Paul Laurine a new Pastor of the Exiles and a new Adversary of Drabricius a young man and of a firm strong complexion and always otherwise lusty was seized with an unexpected Disease as hath been before noted the Physicians call'd it an Hectick but in vain was all their Physick and departed this Life about the end of September Veterine hitherto preserv'd perhaps to behold the works of God to which he stiffly and pertinaciously denies Faith and Credit and to acknowledge his Error God have Mercy on him even as also on us all whosoever do erre with whatsoever Errors Amen! So Comenius We 'll conclude onely with a wise and sober Remarque out of the Mystery of Jesuitism concerning the Prophecies of St. Hildegard which very well agrees and may very well be applied to these Thus far says he the Prophecy it self Of which and the like what to think and what credit is to be given thereto others have given their opinion viz. That 't is not impossible Prophecies and Predictions of this kind may amount to no more than the Dreams of melancholy superstitious and distempered Persons Such as of which it may be said Augurium vanum vani docuere Parentes Cui credens dignus decipiatur erit Our vain Fore-fathers taught's vain Auguries Let them be cheated that believe such Lies But to deny all credit to Prophecies is to be guilty of an incredulity greater than that of the incredulous Thomas Nor are we to think what God saith by the Prophet Joel to be spoken in vain That in the last days the old men should dream Dreams and see Visions and the Sons and Daughters prophesie Many Examples might be alledged of Prophecies of this kind which the Events have confirm'd to be true and therefore they may challenge Belief when they are in their Effects fulfilled Mystery of Jesuitism concerning St. Hildegard 's Prophecies approved of in the Councel of Trier and also by Pope Eugenius the Third Remarkable also is that of the Angel to Kotter concerning the time of accomplishment What things are said unto thee concerning things future are not said after an human manner But after a manner which thou shalt never attain by human Reason and Wit Jehovah hath these times in his power Kotter Chap. 17. Great and Marvellous are Thy Works O Lord God Omnipotent Just and True are Thy Ways Thou King of Saints Who shall not Fear Thee O Lord and Magnifie Thy Name Because Thou alone art Holy Because all Nations shall come and worship before Thee For Thy Judgements are made manifest FINIS An APPENDIX of the planting of the Christian Religion in China c. THE marvellous and unheard of Alterations and Troubles The terrible and bloody Wars and most wonderful Revolutions even of all Asia and Africa in this present Age likewise but especially of the mighty antient and most flourishing Empire of China have been no less astonishing and stupendous then the Europaean and those shameful and cursed ones of Unchristian if not Pagan Christendom But would require another and larger Table to represent also a general view thereof And therefore we shall only add an Appendix according to promise of some things remarkable touching the Introduction of the Christian Relion into China by the Fathers of the Society and the Queens the young Princes her Son the Mandarins and Colaos and chief Ministers of State c. Conversion from Idolatry to Faith in Jesus and Worship and Confession of the Son of God so nois'd of in the World of late years And probably they would have prov'd better Christians and Disciples under better Masters and Teachers then such Apostles as have now the glory thereof About the Year 1580 as soon as the Jesuites had by fair shews of Religion and Learning found general success and acceptance in Europe and well rooted themselves here With great Zeal they compass Sea and Land as far as even the East Indies and China it self to gain Proselytes After the example of the more devout Religious and Zealous Monks and Fryar before them Riccius at first mentioned and Rogerius