Sad and Serious Political Considerations, To the reader – Part 2
TO THE Ingenuous and wel-affected Readers.
GENTLEMEN,
I Here present you with a mishapen Embryo, having neither had time for Perfection, nor life to actuate Acception. A meer Chaos and disordered Discourse is it, yet for matter treating of wonderfull and famous Events, which i… this European world are quickly to be performed. It is true, that Primi foetus sunt horridiores, a… commonly defective in mature Conceptions and ripenesse of judgement. Yet they that reade this Pamphlet seriously, will finde those Passages opened (I will not say fully explained) in Scripture, which Commentator never yet disclosed… nor Divine unfolded. In such a… intricate La…rinth it is easie to stray: therefore I am confident, Charity will usher your Iudgements, and your love cover mine Infirmities. I know I have slipt in many places, but for the present can neither tell where, nor how… Some Ariadne might do well to lead the way, and I shall be as ready to follow: Secundae cogitationes sunt meliores: If I finde those Non-entities to be accepted with, but as much respect as worse ware every day is, it shall not irk me to bestow a week or two in licking it over into a better form and putting a handsomer Coat upon it's back. There are several passages in it, which (I know) will not resent with our Great Ones: but Amicus Plato, amicus Socrates, yet Magis amica veritas, which shall prevail, though all the world gather in battalia against it. I must confesse it is too too abortive: for it came into the world in fewer hours, then Tostatus bestowed in translating the five first Chapters of Genesis out of Greek into Latine. I wish it may obtain the end for which I made it: that is, to move us all with repentance to meet God in these great Mutations and Changes he is bringing upon us in this Land; that every one would strive to reform one from Here…ies, Sects and Schisms, to suffer the Scriptures to be our Rule, and the holy Ghost our Guide both in Faith, Religion and Discipline, that so God may put out his hand in amending the Body… Politick in the whole, that judgement may depart from us, destruction flee far from us; that Peace may dwell within our wals and plenteousness within our Palaces.
I study multum in parvo, and hope to give satisfaction to all, but such as are wedded more to their wils then reasons. For these I have no more but this, A good winde at their backs to the Anticyra's, that they may drink Hellebor lustily to purge their Brains, that they may be more quick, and their Eye-sight clearer. I quote strange Authors in this Work; and good Reason, for the Work it self is strange. Yet they in whose hands these Authors are (and they are not in every Library) shall finde I have both dealt with them truly, and cited them faithfully. And for the Tractate it self, it will with the learned be either Laudatus aut saltem excusatus; either of which shall content me at this time. Farewel.
A brief DESCRIPTION OF THE Future History of EUROPE, from Anno 1650, to An. 1710.
1.
HAving with silence and admiration beheld these ten years,The Occasion of writing this Trea…is…. the horrid Broyls and civil Tumults in these Western Coasts of Europe, I cannot but adore the Justice of God upon his enemies, and his paternall chastisements upon his Church for sin. It hath made me oft…n wonder, to behold how virulently and barbarously Protestants could oppose and massacre one another, when the Romish Froggs can live in an established amity among themselves, and laugh at our follies. I will not say, it is Jesuiticall projects which sets us by the ears together, so much as our own Seditious and Schismaticall spirits, and want of Charity. If we would but ponder, how much Popery hath won upon us by these Warres and Divisions, what fearfull occasions we have given to the professed enemies of Christ to blaspheme his Name, and deride our Religion, it would much provoke us to end our Controversies, and band against the common Enemy. The Empire hath got but a wofull Booty, by her 30 years Warres, having weakned her self with the losse of Six Millions of valiant Souldiers, and enticed that Imp of Mahomet to prepare an Army of 200000, now in the Field, and ready to march within the bowels of Germany. We in England have gained no better by our civil Warre… but in stead of one Tyrant to advance a douzen over us, and from the height of Liberty to runne the broad way up the next hill, to the height of Slavery. Our Western Sun is set, on whom the eies of all Protestants were …ixt, to have composed their differences, and united them into a mutuall League against the Romish Dragon, and the false Prophet. Nor was any insufficiency in him to the performance of so glorious an Enterprize, had not the sins of his own Subjects, hastned his untimely Fate. Behold then what profits our Warre hath brought us! and what a blessing our sins have deprived us of! How fearfull are the Judgements of God and his anger against sin, when the Church is dilacerated, the Commonwealth disjoynted and dismembred in every part thereof, the lust of Tyrants, the pleasure of Pesants, the barbarousnes of Souldiers, dissentions of Churchmen, sad and tragicall ends of Nobles, confusions in Families, countenancing of Heresies, and applauding of Blasphemies are so rife and ripe amongst men! On the contrary, how happy are Kingdomes, how blessed be Commonwealths, when Princes, Magistrates, and other subordinate Officers, each in their sever…ll place and calling, strive to promote the glory of God, with the Liberty, Honour and Tranquillity of Subjects; where the Ministry is incouraged, Universities countenanced, Courts of Judicature upholden, Subjects be unanimous and accustomed to the Exercise of Piety and Godlinesse: lastly when both Prince and people aim joyntly at the advancement of the Gospel and mutuall commodity of one another, so that there be no decay, no leading into Captivity, nor complaining in their streets!
II.
Th… subject …tt…r of …is ensuing Discourse.The disparity of these two contradictory conditions, and the fearfull effects, which they in all ages have wrought in the Consciences of men, have made me at length after a long time of silence put Pen to Paper, and through the intricate Labyrinth of those portions of Scripture which never Commentator yet ever medled with (I mean, the twelve last Chapters of Ez…kiel, the three last of the Revelation, the last of Daniel, with some passages in Hosea and Zech…ry) to descry when We People of England with all Protestants in Europe shall see an end of these our Warres and Tumults, what shall be the Estate of our Churches, States and Kingdomes, from this present year 1650, to the beginning of the Fifth and last universall MONARCHY of the Gospel of Christ upon Earth, which shall begin in the year of our Lord 1710; and in what year we may expect the downfals of the Beast of Rome, the Red Dragon of Constantinople, the totall Conversion and restauration both of the Eastern and Western Jews within their holy Land of Iury: all which must mo…t certainly be fulfilled before the end of the World. Of these high Points and Mysteries, I finde nothing in any Commentator upon the last of Daniel and the Revelations, save only Brightman, who being acquainted in Leiden with Ioseph Scaliger, got some (but those very imperfect) notes of Grebner concerning those Numbers in Ezekiel and Daniel. But that excellent Manuscript, which Iohannes Bauden…is writ of the Life and Writings of Grebner, declareth all these things most plainly and punctually, how that greater Troubles, fe…rfulle… Combustions, direfuller Devastations shall come upon the Western Kingdomes of Europe, then yet ever did, before they can expect the downfall either of Turk or Pope, or the universall Monarchy of the Gospel of Christ upon Earth. In which incomparable Work the Learned Astrologer bringeth Divine and Heavenly Reasons, why Europe (for the space of thirty seven years, after that fearfull blazing Comet in 1618.) should with amazed eyes behold the infinite and sudden mutations and downfals of flourishing States and potent Kingdomes, the deformity of Empires, and mournfull faces of Commonwealths (as is lately happened in England, Portugall, Swethland, Bohemia, and Denmark) the Devastations of whole Kingdoms at a clap, and burning six or seven Nations at once in their ashes and cinders (as of late in Germany) not to make them ask whether there be a God, Heaven and Providence, or not? or whether Empires and States depend wholly upon the will and power of man, or upon secret and hidden causes beyond the thoughts and expectations of the World? but to praise God for his paternall corrections, seeing by this they know he remembreth them, and that through this Fire and Water of Affliction he will bring his Church to a finall Conquest ove… her Enemies, and both the Congregations of Jews and Gentiles to an universall Monarchy over the face of the whole Earth. Severall passages of which Manuscript I will insert here and there in this ensuing Discourse, as Method and Matter shall require.