The Prophetical History of the Reformation, Title page – Convocation
THE Prophetical History OF THE Reformation;
OR THE REFORMATION to be REFORM'D;
IN THAT Great Re-Reformation: That is to be 1697.
According to the Divine Table, or Vision of it. Revel. 10.
Compared with other Visions, especially of the Churches; for the further Assuring that Grand Joynt of the Line of Time. viz. The 1260 Years Allowed to the Beastian Kingdom, or to the Roman Apostasie: (which because It is to End 1697. must therefore have begun 437.) To which is adjoyn'd the Apocalyptical Vision of the Witnesses.
By T. Beverley, a most Humble Reader in the Prophesies of Jesus Christ.
Heb. 9: 10.
Carnal Ordinances Imposed until the Time of Reformation.
Printed in the Year 1689.
The most Humble Confession of the most unworthy Reader in these Prophesies of Jesus Christ.
HAving so Fully, so Faithfully, so Truly, prepar'd to give the Severest senses of Prophecy concerning so Honourable, and Valuable Things, as the Reformation, and the Reformed Churches; It becomes me first to Roll my self, as in the Dust, with Greatest Humility, and self Abhorrence; and to Remember with Confusion of Face my own Great offences, and to Acknowledge the Just, and Righteous Hand of God upon me in my Confinement; and to Aggravate against my self the Just Scandal of my Great Ʋnrighteousnesses, (from which I am no way able to Redeem my self in my present state) contracted chiefly through that Great sin, and Evil of Affecting the vain Glory of this World; I with Greatest self Abasement Acknowledge the just Offence, that may hence arise against my Christian Profession, Ministery, and particularly in these Prophesies; and so shall by his Assistance most patiently bear the sharpest, and most Aculeate Reflexions upon my self, or this work, as it proceeds from me, and whatever I might say, return only Acknowledgments.
I do most Humbly beg pardon of All the Servants of Christ, of All Men, and most especially of Those, whom I have most particularly sinned against, both as a Just Due to them, and also in order to the Divine Forgiveness; But principally I Bow my Knees to the Father of Mercies, and Forgivenesses thro' the Great Satisfaction, and Intercession of Jesus Christ; For in the Supream sense; Against Him, Against Him have I sinned, and done these Evils in his sight, Psal. 51. 4.who only can so Supreamly Forgive, as therein to be Justified, when He Speaketh, and to be Clear when He Judgeth, though Men may not Forgive.
But All this Evil notwithstanding God hath been pleas'd to Encline, and to Enable my Re-searches into Prophecy in this Wilderness Condition; A Mercy to be Acknowledg'd to the Freeness, Richess, and un-accountableness of his Grace, which Triumphs, as it pleases over Guilt in the Chief of Sinners.
I am far yet from looking, upon what He hath herein Enabled me, as any Assurance of his saving Grace; I sadly Remember the man whose Eyes were open, and who Heard the words of the most High, and yet did not Dye the death of the Righteous, nor was his Latter end, as His; but Died in his Sin as an enemy of the People of whose Glory He declar'd; Numb. 23. 3. 4. c. 31. 8. I consider what the Apostle saith, that the Gift of Prophecy and Ʋnderstanding all Mysteries without Love, and so without Righteousness, profits nothing, 1 Cor. 13. 2.
But this Testimony I have within me by his Grace, that I have in All Things written Faithfully, according to the Light I have Receiv'd, (even in the Late Reign so Perillous to such Expositions of Prophecy;) that I most Affectionately Love, and desire the Approaching Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ; that I Heartily Love, and Honour all his Holy Servants of the Reformation, of what distinction soever therein; although I have in any of their Representations not varied the least from Prophecy according to what was Given to me.
I am also most Assured in the Evidence of Divine Light vouchsaf'd to me, I am misled from Truth in no main Point; And that All Things will Answer in their own Times.
If now it shall please God to Humble me into the Lowest of a Sackcloth Condition, and to enable me with his Grace, I shall not Refuse the Life of Mephibosheth, during Davids Absence from Jerusalem upon the Conspiracy of Absalom, and Achitophel, till his Return; which was a Figure of the Antichristian Sam. 19. 24.Ʋndermine of the Kingdom of Christ that hath so long been, and that still continues; And I shall Humbly wait for a Restoration of my state, and an Ability for Righteousness, in the nearer Approaches of the Return of Christ in his Kingdom of Glory; when what He hath enabled me to write for it, shall be Recall'd, as the Act of Mordecai toward that Great Prince Ahasuerus; when that Est. 6. 1.Greater, then He, shall please to Remember me for Good, and to spare me in the Multitude of his Mercies, Nehem. 13. 22. Or that sooner dying, as I have most Reason to expect; He will in Infinite Grace, and Pardon Receive me as the Thief on the Cross into Paradise with Himself; and Remember me, when Luke 23. 42.He Comes in (not into) His Kingdom.
This makes me earnestly pray according to the Prayer of the Kingdom, for that state of universal Reconciliation in Him, even in Him: when All the sinful Scandals of his Servants shall be Remov'd; and their Sins in those Days of Colos. 1. 20.New Life shall be Blotted out so; that They shall All indeed Forgive one another; Even as They are Forgiven by God, and by one Another; and so shall Acts 3. 19.be Forgiven, as They Forgive; which Petition will never be Rightly, Truly, and Fully Prayed nor Heard, till that Time; even when the Name of God shall be Sanctified, His Kingdom come, and His will be done as in Heaven, and upon Earth; the New Heaven, and New Earth, wherein Righteousness of All sorts shall Dwell; Now to the Eternal Father in the Eternal Son, and Spirit; Our Father in the Heavens be so the Kingdom, the Power, the Glory as in Everlasting Hallelujahs, that the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth, Amen, and Amen.
TO THE Ecclesiastic Commissioners Sitting in the Jerusalem Chamber at Westminster, 1689.
My most Honoured,
THE Commission by which you sit, is such a Dawn of Fulfilling a part of the Prophecy, the following Treatise is upon; and that was prepar'd before any notice of such a Commission was publick; that I cannot but present it to you; and in you to the Soveraign Authority, by which you consult; that it may lye as a Chart of that Region, or State, to which you are to steer: I know very well, such an Exposition of Prophecy will look to many, like an Apocalyptical Romance; But who, that considers, can believe, that so many Prophetic Symbols, and Matters of Fact could be contriv'd so to agree; Had not He who is Supreme in Prophecy, been Supreme Governour in all Euents also; But Prophecy hath been always thus Entertain'd, even when Great Moments of it have been Fulfill'd, till the Mystery come to be Finish'd; I am sensible also by the Apologetic Discourse concerning this Commission; There are Those, that Fear, you should do too much; But you will see there are much Greater Things, Christ expects from you, and from all his Servants, then may lye within your Commission; and the Greatest Fear is on the other side, that is, of doing too little; There is indeed such a space of Time, lying between the present, and the Expiration of the Days of the Apostasie, that It will not I fear be so Happy, as that there should be a perfect Displace of all the Claie Footing; I know it will be a High Act of the Soveraignty of Christ, who hath the Seven Spirits of God, that shall be sent out into all the Earth; to Guid the Courses of the Seven Stars; and to Appear with the Key of David; that shall make Them of the Synagygue to Worship at Philadelphia's Feet; Yet that you may be Ready in your own Minds to Remember the first principles of the Reformation, convey'd in the Thunders; to Strengthen the Things, that Remain to be done, or to have place in order to the Kingeom of Christ; and to fill up your works before God; And that you may Overcome and walk with Christ in White as foreign, Worthies, or Dignitaries of a Higher order, shall be the most Humble, and Earnest paayer of Him, who in the Testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy, is
My most Honoured, Your most Faithful Humble Servant, T. Beverley.
AND to that most Reverend, and Learned Assembly; The Convocation; as being now Convend before the Publication; and of which the Ecclesiastic Commissioners are Most of Them, an Honourable part; I according to Ablity present an Hundred Books; both as a Testimony of ALL DƲE Veneration; as also that Regard may be had to so Grand a Prophecy (wherein the Reformed Churches, and particularly, This of England, as in such an Eminence, are deeply Interested) and to the Exposition of it; if according to wha… the supreme Apocalyptes hath signified; But if it can be made out otherwise, notwithstanding so Great a… Agreement betwixt Prophecy, and Providence that it may be Re-argued; and that the Writer, a… He shall be most willing, may make a Retractation, as publick as He desires, his Exposition, whil… He believes it True, may be; For he most Humbly Acknowledges, although he does Firmly now Believe; He hath been in the Exposition Graciously and in Extraordinary manner assisted by God, yet tha… it hath only been to find the admirable Commissures and Key of Prophecy in Agreement with A Prophecy, and Indisputable Moments of History; I either of which if he can be convinc'd of mistak… He knows it his duty to be most Subject to the Spirits of the Prophets, Guided by the Testimony …f Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy; and which hath in All Ages Justified it self by Providential Events. But if right, how great must the Sin be of not Hearing, in Those, whose particular Obligation it is to Hear what the Spirit hath said to the Churches; Or how can they be Trusted to deliver the whole Counsel of God, when so great part of it, as the Prophetical Scripture, and especially this great Pro…hecy of the New Testament the Revelation is, …ho' Read, un-considered; which cannot but in all the Reason of the World be design'd to the Churches of Christ, a Light in a Dark place; And It is only the Remaining Apostasie, that obscures it, till the Day…tar arise.
Wherefore I most Humbly pray; That He, who is walking now in the midst of those Candlesticks, or Churches; Symboliz'd of old by Thyatyra, Sardis, and Philadelphia, that are at this Time in their Course according to this Prophecy; would by his Seven Eyes; which are the Seven Spirits sent out …nto all the Earth, open All Eyes, to see what he is …ow doing; and give them an Ear to Hear what the Spirit now saith to the Churches, and that they may be …n All Things Guided according to it.