Echos from the Sixth Trumpet, Part 2 – Part 3
The Authors Motto, Nec Habeo, nec Careo, nec Curo, Imp. 1618.
THE ſaid Motto, and the Deſcant thereupon, may perhaps appear to ſome Readers a careleſs, rather then a ſerious Compoſure, becauſe expreſſed in an unuſual and extravagant ſtrain. Nevertheleſs, it hints many good Principles, which the Author thought would be beſt inſinuated in that Mode; and he was not therein deceived; for, it then ſo well pleaſed, that about thirty thouſand Copies thereof were imprinted and publiſhed within a few months. The Book is ſo common, that no more ſhall be here mentioned, but a few lines out of the Deſcant upon the laſt Word, wherein is a paſſage relating to an over-curious Inquiſitiveneſs after Things to come; and wherein is implicitely wrapt up a Prediction, which may be conſiderable. The words are theſe:
I do not care to be inquiſitive,
How many months or weeks I have to live:
For, 'tis unlikely I ſhall better grow
When I my ſelf to be long-liv'd, do know,
If I dare act a wickedneſs, and yet
Know I may dye whilſt I am doing it.
Let them whoſe brains are crackt with that Diſeaſe,
Depend upon their Ephimerides,
Search Conſtellations, and themſelves apply
To find the Fate of their Nativity;
I'le ſeek within me, and if there I find
The Stars, that ſhould illuminate my mind,
Riſe far, and ſeaſonably me direct
Through my Life's Progreſs by a good Aſpect;
And, in Conjunction, ſhall diſcover there
True Piety, and Honeſty ſincere
Confirm…d in me (by thoſe Influences
Which Grace to regulate our courſe diſpences)
I'le fear no Fortunes, whatſoe're they be,
Nor much care what the Stars portend to me:
For, he who to this ſtate of Grace attains,
Above the pow'r of Conſtellations reigns,
And gets a Reſolution therewithall,
Which fits him ſo for what e're may befall,
That he becomes a happier man then he
Who can but tell what ſhall hereafter be.
I ſtart not at a Fryers propheſie,
Or, thoſe with which we Merlin do belye:
Nor am I frighted with the ſad Narrations
Of any near approaching Alterations:
For, things have ever chang'd, and ever ſhall,
Until there doth a Change run overall:
And he that bears an honeſt heart about him,
Needs not to fear what Changes are without him.
The Eaſtern Kingdoms had a time to flouriſh;
The Grecian Empire riſing, ſaw them periſh:
That ſunk; and then the Roman Pride began,
Now bounded by the Race of Ottoman:
And, if Viciſitudes a Round muſt run,
Till all things end where they at firſt begun,
What is't to me, who peradventure muſt
E're that befalls, be mouldred into duſt?
What if America's large Tract of ground,
And all thoſe Iſles adjoining, lately found,
(Which we more truly may a Deſart call,
Then our well-till'd and civilized Pal… )
What if now there, that Wilderneſs doth lye,
To which the Woman and her Son muſt flye
To ſcape the Dragons fury? and there 'bide
Till Europes thankleſs Nations for their Pride
And other crying ſins, o'rewhelmed be
With ſuch like Barbarouſneſs as there we ſee.
If thus GOD pleaſe to do, and makes our ſin
The means of bringing thoſe rude Nations in
To be his People, (as vouchſaf'd it was
The Gentiles calling ſhould be brought to paſs
When he caſt off the Jews for unbelief)
Why ſhould his pleaſure be to me a grief?
Oh! let his Name on Earth more honor'd grow,
Although my Ruine helps to make it ſo.
Campo-Muſae, or, Field-Muſings; Imprinted 1644.
THis Poem was written whilſt the Author was in Arms for the King and Parliament, to reunite them, not to divide them, as appears by this Impreſs in his Cornet, under the figure of a Sword and Pen, Pro Rege, Lege Grege. It was partly compoſed to vindicate himſelf from their Aſperſions, who imputed unto him the deſerting his Principle relating to the Royal Power; and partly to evidence, That he had neither actually or intentionally infringed it. But many other particulars were thereby offered to conſideration, whereof ſome are here abreviated.
The Contents of the ſaid Field-Muſings.
A Queſtion preſuppos'd, the Muſe
Makes Anſwer, and her Freedom ſhews.
Tells with what heart, with what intent
This War her Poet under went:
Avers that Reaſon and the Laws
Will juſtifi him in his Cauſe.
The Publick ſtreights he doth expreſs,
Lamenteth, and implores redreſs.
Fights Combats with Doſive Reaſon,
His Party to acquit from Treaſon;
Them he encourageth to do
What GOD and Reaſon calls them to.
Then mentioning a Voice of Peace
That ſhe hath heard, and there dooh ceaſe;
Intruding, ere ſhe doth proceed,
To make ſome proof how this will ſpeed.
Having touched upon many Omiſſions and Commiſſions which occaſioned ſeveral Expoſtulations, Caveats and Predictions, (to which the Reader is referred) this follows, pag. 20.
Our ſpeedy Reconcilement haſten ſhall
The Churches Triumph, and Great Babels fall.
Her date is near, if I aright have hit
The meaning of the Number, left to be
A trial and probation of their Wit
Who ſeek the fall of Antichriſt to ſee.
He is, with his Partakers, at this day
In publick and in private carrying on
The cunning'ſt plot which they have yet to play,
And when that's acted out, their Play is done.
Till then their Fraud will ſo ſome Saints beguile,
That they to their Deſign will furth'rance bring;
Yea, they ſhall help promote it for a while,
Who favour nor the Perſons, nor the Thing.
But, leſt your hearts may faint by long delay,
Heed for your comfort what my Muſe will ſay.
That Year in which Rome's long-liv'd Emperie
Shall from the day in which it was at height,
Sum up M, D, C, L, X, V, and I,
In order as theſe Letters here incite,
That Year, that Day, that Hour will put a date
To her Uſurped Pow'r, (reſerving neither
Top, Root or Branch of that accurſed State,
Nor Hand, nor Body, Limb, Horn, Claw or Feather.
For here are all the Numerals of Rome
In order, as they are in valuation,
And cannot make a leſs or greater ſum,
Without diſorder, want, or iteration.
Nor ſhall it longer ſtand, or ſooner fall,
If I miſtake not him who governs all.
In number, weight and meaſure worketh he,
Allotting to each man the bound and ſeaſon,
Which may both correſpond with his Decree,
And ſomewhat alſo ſuit with humane Reaſon.
In Egypt, thus a certain time to ſtay
Was to the Seed of Jacob there aſſign'd;
Thus likewiſe to a fore-appointed day
The Reign of Baltaſhazer was confin'd;
Thus from the time of Daniels Supplication,
The time when Chriſt ſhould come, foretold appears
To be a preordained Limitation,
Until the end of Seventy weeks of years.
And thus Rome's declination may (no doubt)
Be numbring till her Numeral… are out.
Two famous Numbers are in them contain'd,
The firſt declares the length of time wherein
The Devil was by Providence reſtrain'd
From ſetting up the Myſtery of ſin:
The later is the number of the BEAST,
Which when the LETT was taken quite away,
(Whereby he was a thouſand years ſuppreſt)
Doth number out his Kingdom to a day.
It is the number of the Name or Pow'r
Ev'n of a Man, of that Myſterious Man,
By whom that Myſterie is at this hour,
Continu'd, and by whom it firſt began.
And, he that can begin the Thouſandth year,
Shall find the Ruine of both Beaſts is near.
To ſearch that out, it ſeems not hard to me,
Who do believe, that when of her chief ſin
Rome to be guilty did appear to be,
Her declination did then firſt begin.
And ſure, of all her ſins the greateſt Crime
Was, crucifying of the Lord of Life,
And her unjuſtly perſecuting them
Who tendred Saving-Grace to their belief.
Then, I preſume, ſhe firſt to fall began,
And, that GOD meaſur'd, weigh'd, and numbred out
How many backward rounds her wheel ſhould run,
Before it ſhould the laſt time turn about.
Thus in thoſe numerals which are her own,
Join'd all together, was her Fate writ down.
To bring to paſs that work there was a LET
To be remov'd, of no mean conſequence;
Which was removed at the time fore-ſet,
And her new off-ſpring hath reign'd ever ſince.
But with exceeding infamy and ſcorns,
The Beaſt, which now ſo powerful ſeems to ſome,
Shall loſe his Head, and moult away his Horns,
And to the world a laughing-ſtock become.
Then many Juglings hitherto conceal'd,
(And which to blind the heedleſs Chriſtians eye,
In ſeven dark Myſteries, have long been ſeal'd)
Shall to the faithful ſoul uncover'd lye.
That Kingdom which the Jew did long ago
Mould out according to his erring brain;
(And whereof many zealous Chriſtians too
Unwarrantable Fancies entertain.)
That Kingdom (whereof now in types we hear)
Shall to the world eſſentially appear.
Be patient therefore, ye that are oppreſt;
This Generation ſhall not paſs away,
Till ſome behold the downfall of that Beaſt,
Which yet among us with his Taile doth play.
Then will the Lamb of GOD begin to take
The Kingdom to himſelf, and ev'ry King
That of his Right ſhall Uſurpation make,
To Judgment and deſtruction he ſhall bring.
No Kingling then, aſſume the boldneſs ſhall
Blaſphemouſly (for know it is no leſs)
To ſtile himſelf the King Catholical,
As if Earths Univerſal Globe were his;
For, though another hath Uſurpt thereon,
That title doth belong to Chriſt alone.
And, 'tis no wonder if the Potentates,
Kings, and the Rulers of this world combine
By Policy to ſtrengthen their Eſtates,
And with the Beaſt, with GOG and Magog join.
No marvel if enraged they appear,
Through jealouſies, and fear of loſing that
By which their Pride and Luſts maintained were,
And which baſe fear and flat'ry firſt begat:
For all thoſe Kingdoms and thoſe Emperies
Throughout the world, which their beginning took
By humane wit, fraud, force and tyrannies,
Shall paſs away, and vaniſh into ſmoak.
An Army whereof here's yet little hope,
Shall wreſt the Scepter both from Turk and Pope.
Religion, and meer ſhews of Piety,
Have been ſo long the Masks of baſe Deſigns;
The great Vicegerents of their Deity,
Have made ſuch Polititians of Divines;
And theſe together, have ſo fool'd and cheated
The Conſciences of perſons well inclin'd,
That, of all Freedoms they are nigh defeated,
Belonging to the Body and the Mind;
Yea, they have ſo mock't GOD, and on his Throne
And his Prerogative ſo far encroach't,
That, of his Honour being jealous grown
Much longer bear he will not ſuch reproach.
But, to the Saints their Liberties reſtore,
And give thoſe Kings their portion with the Whore.
D'ye ſtartle at it, as if I had ſpoke
High Treaſon? or, as if what I now ſay
Without a warrant I had undertook
To publiſh, as perhaps you think I may.
If ſo; know, that I had this Information
Not from a private Spirit, but from his
Well known and unſuſpected Revelation,
Who to his Church long ſince revealed this.
They who will to the Lamb their Crowns reſign,
And ſhall (the Beaſt oppoſing) be content
To reign according to Chriſt's Diſcipline,
(And his Command) ſhall keep their Government.
The reſt caſt off, ſhall wail and curſe their birth,
With Tyrants, and the Merchants of the Earth.
Chriſt and his Law ſhall then bear all the ſway,
By Governments, reſembling that perchance,
For which the Jews GOD's yoke did caſt away,
The Kingſhip of the Gentiles to advance.
And as his People fooliſhly did crave
(Inſtead of his mild Scepter to retain)
A Heath'niſh Monarchy, which doth enſlave
And ſeek by Arbitrary Pow'rs to reign;
So ſhall all Nations be content to leave
Their Ethnick Bonds, and with his holy Nation
Chriſt's Precepts and his Diſcipline receive,
And joint partakers be of their Salvation.
And when this glorious Kingdom doth begin,
The fulneſs of the Gentiles will come in.
GOD hath ſo long deferred the poſſeſſion
Of that great Mercy, becauſe Worldlineſs,
Hypocriſie and Diſcord keep the bleſſing
From ripening into ſuch a happineſs:
Some in unrightcouſneſs the Truth retain'd,
And make the ſame thereby the leſs believ'd;
Some by an outward Sanctity have gain'd
The means to have their Hereſies believ'd.
Whilſt ſome purſue the Antichriſt without them,
An Antichriſt ariſeth up within;
Which if they look not warily about them,
New work for Reformation will begin.
But GOD will finiſh what he preordains,
When Penitence for ſin the means obtains.
In the Sixty third page of this Poem, the Author for illuſtration of that Myſtery, adds this that follows.
And laſtly, I have weigh'd, that not alone
A plot is laid theſe Kingdoms to undo;
But likewiſe, in their ſpoil to have undone
All other true Reformed Churches too.
I ſee GOD's glory, and the ſervitude
Of all his People in this Cauſe concern'd;
And whatſoever others do conclude,
I theſe concluſions with good warrant learn'd,
That thoſe whom in this warfare we reſiſt,
Are neither worſe nor better then thoſe bands,
And thoſe Confederates of Antichriſt,
Which are this day his Champions in theſe Lands:
And, that who ever fighteth on their ſide,
When this is known, have GOD & Chriſt deni'd.
I ſee as plainly as I ſee the Sun,
He draweth near who on the white Horſe rides;
The long expected Battel is begun;
The Beaſt to muſter up his Kings provides:
With him h…s bloody Edomites conſpire,
The …eeds of Hagar, and the Sons of Lot,
Philiſtia, Gebal; Moab, Ammon, Tire,
And all who with his mark themſelves beſpot.
To meet theſe, thoſe white Regiments I ſee,
That on the Lord of Hoſts, and King of Kings
Attending in triumphant habits be:
And, whilſt I contemplate the aid he brings,
Methinks I hear his Angel call the Crows,
To eat the Kings and Captains of his Foes.
To ſtrengthen the Faith, and confirm the Patience of the Saints, this Myſterie is inſiſted upon in many other of this Author's Writings, as occaſions were offer'd; and are thought not impertinently expreſſed in a various Mode to the ſame effect, becauſe the ignorance or heedleſneſs of many, require both reiteration and plainneſs, to prevent miſtakes. There are alſo many other Neglected Remembrances contained in the aforeſaid Poem, to the peruſal whereof more at large, the Reader is referred.