The Person and Period of the Antichrist, Title page – Dedication
A DISTINCT DISCOURSE AND DISCOVERY OF The PERSON and PERIOD OF ANTICHRIST, WHEREIN A Diligent Enquiry is made concerning the time of his Riſe, Reign, and Ruine, The Anſwer whereunto is not peremptorily Impoſed, but modeſtly Propoſed.
In magnis, Voluiſſe ſat eſt.
Difficilium, facilis eſt Venia.
Publiſhed for publick good by Chriſtopher Neſs, Miniſter of the Goſpel in Fleet-ſtreet.
LONDON, Printed for the Author, and to be ſold by him. 1679.
TO THE Right Honourable ANTHONY Earl of Shaftsbury, Lord Preſident of his Majeſties moſt Honourable Privy-Council.
Right Honourable,
THe Etymologiſt, Defines nobilis, quaſi prae Aliis Virtute notabilis, and the Heathen Sage ſaith, Nobilitas ſola eſt, atque Ʋnica Virtus; The Antiquity of a Noble Race, is but the matter of true Nobility, 'tis Vertue that is the Form which quickens it, and gives life to it: If Nobility (which is but the Moſs of time) do not grow upon the back of Vertue, it wants its true Supporter, and ſoon dwindles into nothing: Quoe nos non fecimus ipſi, Vix ea noſtra Voco. 'Twas once a tart Sarcaſm, Meum Genus a me Incipit, tuum Verò in te Deſinit: Antiquity of Pedegree, is only a Nobility by Parchment. That Nobility is moſt truly Divine, where God is the top of the Kindred, and Religion the Root of it: Tantus quiſque eſt, Quantus eſt apud Deum. My Lord, this happy Conjunction of Honour and Vertue in your Lordſhip, (I ſpeak without Vanity) doth plainly declare you an Honourable Patriot, yea, and in this ſad conjuncture of Affairs, you have ſhone forth (through the good hand of God upon you) as a Star of the firſt Magnitude in our Britiſh Horizon, now when Hell and Rome have been Clubbing their moſt ſublimated Wits to deſtroy King and Kingdom, Employing their deceitfull Dalilah's to cut off the Locks of our Land, and their crafty. Ʋlyſſes's to ſteal away our Palladium, to wit, our Religion (which is both our Ornament and our Muniment) from us. Then did the Lord raiſe up your Lordſhip as the Atlas of England, to ſupport a ſinking Nation: it would be prodigious ingratitude not to acknowledge it: Undoubtedly, my Lord, God hath given you (I ſpeak it not with the ſtinking breath of a ſordid Sycophant) a great Soul in a little Body for ſome eminent Generation-Work, and all your former Sufferings and preſent Diſeaſes, ſerve but (as a dark Soil in a well drawn Picture) to ſet off your ſplendour and excellency: God hath given you a profound Judgment, and a moſt charming (not an effeminate) Eloquence, which is hitherto an effectual Inſtrument (in the Lords hand) to conjure down thoſe Incarnate Devils that Beelzebub and his Eldeſt Son (the Pope) have raiſed up amongſt us. Your Lordſhip hath not been like the Nobles of the Tekoites, that would not put their neck to the Lords work, as if it had been below their Greatneſs, Neh. 3.5. but rather like the Nobles of Iſrael, who digged Wells with their Staves of Honour for the common good, Numb. 21.18. You have done Worthily in Epphrata, and is famous in Bethlehem, God hath wip'd off the Scandalum Magnatum, Pſal. 37.6. Go on (noble Sir) as another Joſeph, Daniel, or Nehemiah, to ſave much People alive from the hands of Popiſh Cut-Throats, Nulla infoelicitas frangit quem nulla Foelicitas Corrumpit▪ let your Goodneſs ſo Sanctifie your Greatneſs, that you may improve this upper-Ground whereon you ſtand, and hold not your Peace for our inlargement in this day, Eſth. 4.14. The work of your day is to pull down this curſed Antichriſt, (here treated on) and to ſet up our bleſſed Chriſt in his Throne, wherein that you may be daily more ſignally and more ſingularly uſefull, is the Cordial Prayer of
Your Honours much Devoted Servant Chriſtopher Neſs.