Sad and Serious Political Considerations, Part 11
XI.
The two Books of Esdras are thought (and that by none of the least learned,A true Exposition of a Esdr. 11. c…. as Augustine, Hierome, Ambrose, Tostatus, Scaliger the elder, Melan…thon, Arrias Montanus, Bucer, and Bibliander) to be Canonicall, because of the most evident fulfilling of many predictions in them contained. In the 11 chap. of the second of those Books, there is under the type of an Eagle, a manifest prophecie both of the Roman Heathenish Empire, as likewise of the Papacy with her chief Leagurers to this present time throughout the whole Chapter. This Eagle is that Roman Heathenish Empire; her twelve feathered wings are the twelve first Emperours from Iulius Cesar to Nerva Cocceius. The three Heads are the three Kingdoms of France, Spain and Germany, preordained of God to uphold and maintain the power of her pride, when all her wings (her heathenish and tyrannicall Cesars) should fail her. Neverthelesse, under her 12 first Cesars are comprehended in generall all the Emperours which reigned in her from Iulius Cesar (who first crackt the strings of her liberty) to Augustulus Momyllus (her last Roman Cesar) for the space of 474 years. Her 8 contrary feathers are the 8 terrible Inundations of severall Nations from the North (God's scourges) which overwhelmed her fairest Provinces, sunk her State in bloud, and by fire and sword humbled her as low as the dust she trod on; viz. 1 Alaricus and his West-Gothes, 2 Attilas and his Hunnes, 3 Gensericus and his Vandals, 4 Odoacer, 5 Theodoricus and his East-Goths, 6 Totilas and his Spaniards, 7 Alboinus and his Longobards (who deposed her diminitive Cesar Augustulus Momyllus) 8 and lastly, the intestine homebred Faction and Conspiracy, which proved more pernitious then the rest (as all included diseases are the worst) which in the reigns of Otho the Great, Otho III, and Frederique II, so often strove to eradicate the Papall Superiority, and reedifie her S.P.Q.R. buried so many ages ago out of the ruines of the City. The Head in the midst is the Germane Empire, begun An. 801 on Christmas day, by Charles the Great, which though vers. 32. it long did and yet doth put the Earth in great fear, yet vers. 33. must vanish in an instant, as did the Wings, and come to nought. The Germane Empire thus destroied, vers. 35. The Head on the right side (the Kingdom of Spain) must devour the Head on the left side, which is the Kingdom of France. Therefore it is manifest, That the Kingdom of France, though now it flourisheth in what Glory and Magnificence Earth can afford, must ere long be humbled by the power of Spain, with many Discomfitures, and brought to dolefull streights and great perplexities. I my self have observed one remarkable Adjunct of that Kingdome in particular, how that year (in which the Figures of the Golden Number were equall to the Figures of the year of Christ) hath ever proved fatall to that Monarchy for Warre, Bloudshed, Pestilence and Famine. It was so with them from An. 1570 to An. 1576. in all which seven years, the Guisian faction made lamentable havock of the Church of God and the Kingdom; so shall it be in that year in which the finall Tragedy of that Kingdom shall be acted, six years after which France shall be no more. But when that shall be, no sign of Europe shall remain, nor remembrance where the wals of Rome stood. The LION (which vers. 37. and chap. 12. v. 31. came roaring out of the Wood speaking to the Eagle, and rebuking her for her wickednesse) is the WIND which the most high God hath kept for Rome and her wickednesse till the end, even the LION OF THE NORTH (of which you shall hear anon a Prophesie of the true Merlin) which shall reprove the Roman Empire, and cast before her her spoils; he shall set her alive in Judgement, rebuke and correct her, and deliver the residue of Gods people by Afflicton which are preserved upon his borders and make them joyfull untill the day of Judgement. In the 13 Chapter, Esdras beholds a vision of a man rising out of the Sea, and devouring the multitudes of fighters that came against him, neither with sword, spear nor any instrument of Warre, but only with the fire and storm that came out of his mouth; which is Christ the son of man, who through a sea of bloudy persecutions and tribulations propagated his Gospel over the Earth, confounding and devouring the multitudinous Pagans and Idolaters fighting against Christians, by the invincible force of the Gospel. After a long time of the obstinate wilfulnesse and fulnesse of the Gentiles, he shall call to himself another peaceable multitude, vers. 12, 40. even the whole Nation of the Jews, out of Armenia, Tartaria, and the Eastern India, whom God shall defend and convert to the Gospel, when he shall destroy all other Nations upon Earth. These are called the peaceable People, because after the conversion of the Jews, shall come that Ministeriall Monarchy of the Church over the whole World; that peaceable and still Time, when all Kingdoms under heaven shall forget fighting one against another, Warres shall cease in all the World, and swords and spears shall be beaten into Plowshares and pruning hooks. When the seventh Angel blew the Trumpet, Luther began his Reformation, then it is, when the Multitude stood before the Lamb, and sung the new song of Moses; and then neverthelesse is but the vail only of the Tabernacle opened in heaven, and a great cloud and smoak covered that Glory. But it must be 180 years after, when the Kingdomes of this World become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and those be destroyed that destroyed the Earth. For then and not till then shall the Temple of God be fully opened in Heaven, and the Ark of his Testament (the very same modell, which God shewed to Moses in the Mount) shall be seen in Ierusalem, not in a Tabernacle, but in that Temple, which the power of God shall make. Then shall lastly, the four Beasts, the Elders, with all the Angels of Heaven, and all the creatures of Heaven and Earth, and of the Sea and under the Earth fall down before the Throne, and give glory, honour, blessing and praise unto him that sitteth on the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever, and the four Beasts shall say, Amen.