An Appendix to A Discourse of Indictions, Postscript – Colophon
The Poſtſcript in ſupply of a Preface to the Reader.
AS it is truly ſaid, Knowledge and Learning have no Enemy, but Ignorance; ſo Re ſearch into the more retired Parts of Knowledge hath no E…emy but Prejudice, and a loathneſs either through the wait of Leiſure, or vigour of Thoughts; or too great a …ove of Eaſineſs, and a walking on in a beaten or plain …r…ck, and a Choice to ſta… in Principle, and the Beginnings of the Doctrine of Chriſt: And when Men have choſen this, they ſeek a Juſtification from ſome Appearances … Scripture and Reaſon: But …till An… can make it appear, There are ſome Prophecies and Numeralls of them, which we are forbidden to enquire (or as I know they affect to expreſs themſelves) to pry into: T…y can never perſwade Any, to whom God hath given Minds, that have Underſtanding, to ſurceaſe their Diligence therein.
And as to the preſent Indictional Frame preſented, they have but one …f theſe two things to do.
1. To deny that theſe Numbers are found in the Scriptures of Truth; Or, that there is a miſtake in the caſting them up: Neither of which I am ſure, can be attempted by any in their, Ʋnderſtanding: And as it is ſupremely to be acknowledged to the Divine Being, that the very Excellency of that Being proves it ſelf; So This very Line I have h…re offerr'd, proves it ſelf in its kind: And therefore, That Ninety ſeuen is paſſed off without ſo great Effecs, as were expected: We muſt either acquieſe in God's Reſerving the Three Days and half, viz. Three Years and half, as a Time of Delay to make his Infraction, and Breach on the Line, given us, known to us, becauſe of our unſuitable Frame to ſo great a Glory, as his Kingdom's Opening; or we may ſuppoſe, there may be a Miſtake in our Vulgar Computation from the Chriſtian Era of the Incarnation:
But the R…formation ſo monumentally entring according to it: 1517, at the juſt Half-Time according to Indiction, ſo exactly, forbids that Thought: Or,
Laſtly, We muſt ſuppoſe, there were Diſpoſes of Providence in this l…ſt Ninety ſeven, wherein the Seeds of great Changes are laid up; though they do not appear yet viſible to our Senſe, or Obſervation: The Fi…ſt …s the Beſt; I therefore beg this One Favour of the Candid, Chriſtian Reader: Cloſe Application, and Conſideration under Divine Illumination.
LONDON: Printed for W. and J. Marſhall, in Newgate and Grace-Church-ſtreet, 1700.
End of the text · Thomas Beverley, An Appendix to A Discourse of Indictions (1700)