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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49486	The prophecyes of the incomparable Dr. Martin Luther concerning the downfall of the Pope of Rome, and the subversion of the German Empire, to be over-run by the armies of the Turks, together with the many reasons that he giveth for it : as also, the remarkable prophecy of the learned and reverend Mvscvlvs, to the same effect / collected by R.C. M.A.	R. C., M.A.; Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.	1664 (1664)	Wing L3513; ESTC R23003	35,433	50

to Adventure upon all Dangers and equally Contemn both the Favour of Rome and the Fury of Rome Let them Censure and Condemn all that I have written to the Fire I will not be reconciled to them nor at any time will I joyne with them but if I can get any fire where I am I will burn all the Pontifician Law the sink of Heresies yea I will make no more Addresses wherewith the Enemies of the Gospel are more and more incensed Luther understanding that the Popes Bull was coming forth against him did publish his Book of the Babilonian Captivity and that Indulgences were the wicked tricks of the flattery of Rome He wrote also against the Execrable Bull of Antichrist and called the Pope Antichrist and confirmed the thirty Articles censured by the Bull. It is remarkable that Erasmus being promised by the Advocates of the Pope the greatest favours if he would but write against Luther Erasmus did mildly Answer That Luther was a man too great for him to write against and that he Learned more from one short page in Luther then from all the Books of Thomas Aquinas Nevertheless Erasmus being afterwards overcome by some great persons to write against Luther did perform his Task with much lenity and candour although Luther could never after afford him any good word but according to the disposition of his Temper and Complexion would be very hot and violent against him which he alwayes expressed as often as any occasion was given to make mention of him And indeed this inclination he condemneth in himself Almost all men saith Luther do reprove me for too much eagerness But I am of a mind Tom. 2. Epist page 6. that it is GODS will to have the inventions of men in this manner opposed for I see many things in this our Age that are quietly handled to be soon forgotten no man to regard them I do not deny but that I am more vehement then is fit and this is the reason why I have alwaies been so averse in showing my self in Publick but grievous wrongs were done to the word of GOD and to the Truth thereof whereupon it fell out that had I not been apt by Nature to Vehemency and Imbittering my stile the very Indignity of the matter would have urged a dead and stony heart to have written sharply how much more my self who am of an ardent spirit and write not a heavy stile Monsters of Men carried me beyond the due temper of Modesty For the warrant of this sharpness he used to alledge the Example of Christ who called the Jews an Adulterous and Perverse Generation a Generation of Vipers Hypocrites Children of the Devil he would also alleadge the Example of Saint Paul who calleth them Doggs Vain-bablers Seducers and Illiterate whereupon Erasmus who was all Candour and Mildness and did bear no great good Affection to the Chair of Rome was wont to say of Luther in regard of the Diseases of this last Age of the World GOD hath sent them a sharp Physitian and Charles the Emperour of Germany would say of him If the Pope and his Priests were such as they should be they would never need a Luther Luther being diswaded by many of his Friends from going to the Council that was held at Wormes who told him That by the burning of his Books he might well guess what was the Popes Censure concerning himself He with a Resolute Courage said These discouragements are cast into my way by Satan who knew that by the profession of the Truth especially in so Illustrious a place his Kingdome would be shaken and indammaged It is recorded that the Duke of Bavariare's Jester whether suborned by others or by Accident it is uncertain did meet Martin Luther at his Entrance into the City of Worms with such a Cross as is accustomed to be carried in Funerals and with a loud voice he said unto him Welcome hither O thou much desired of us who sate in Darkness In this Council Luther being demanded of Ecchius to declare his Resolution concerning his Books he humdly Desired of the Emperour and Princes to grant him their Gentle Attention which being accorded to he said Of the Books which I have written some of them do tend unto Faith and Piety to these my Adversaries of then selves do give ample Testimony Should I recant these I may justly be censured as a wicked man Others of my Books are against the Pope of Rome and the foule Corruptions of the Church of Rome which so much doth trouble the Christian World and bringeth so much mischief These should I revoke I should confirme their Tyranny The third sort of my Books are against those persons who defend the Papists Cause against which I must confesse I have been very Vehement and yet I cannot Recant those Books unlesso I will set open a gap to the Impudency of many And unlesse I be Convicted by Testimony of Scripture or by Evident Reason I may not I evoke anything which I have Written or Spoken for I will not in any wise wound my Conscience I neither can nor will do any thing to the Offence of my Conscience This will I stand to and vary from this I may not GOD Help me Amen This will I defend though I was presently to dye Concerning this he not long afterwards published this Excellent Protestation I Martin Luther An Vnworthy Preacher of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ do professe The Excellent Protestation of Luth. r. and Believe that Faith alone without Respect to our Good Works doth Justifie us before GOD and that this Article cannot be overthrown by the Roman Emperour or the Turk or the Tartarian or the Persian nor by the Pope nor all his Cardinals Bishops Sacrisizers Monks Nuns Kings Princes Potentates of the World nor all the Devils in Hell This Article will they nill they will stand the Gates of Hell cannot prevaile against it The Spirit of GOD doth Dictate this unto me This is the True Gospel For thus the Article in the Mouth of all Christian Children hath it I Believe in Jesus Christ Crucified and Dead Now no man dyed for our Sins but Jesus Christ the Son of GOD the One and Onely Son of GOD I say it again and again Jesus the One and Onely Son of GOD Redeemed us from our Sins This is the most surely Grounded the most Vndoubted Doctrine This the whole Scripture aloud proclaimeth though the Devils the Pope and the World do storme and burst with Anger at it And if Christ alone doth take away the sins of the World we verily cannot do it with our own Works and it is impossible that I can lay hold on Christ otherwise then by Faith He is never apprehended by my good Works and s●eing Faith alone layeth hold on our Redeemer and not our Works which are but the Concomitants of our Faith it is a most undoubted Truth that Faith alone before our Works or without our Works doth

bandyed up and down with Animosity it gave Luther the occasion more strictly to examine some other Corruptions in the Church of Rome which he did with so much vigour that Pope Gregory the 13th understanding what great hurt and prejudice he received from it and fearing it might bring a further Contempt upon him he did exasperate Rodolphus the second at that time Empire that all the Books of Martin Luther should be burned and that it should be Death for any man to keep them in his House which Edict was not onely suddainly put in Execution by himself but it was continued also by Ferdinand the second who was a severe Enemy and a Persecutor of the Protestant Religion Luther long before this had Esponsed a Virgin whose Name was Katherine Bora she had sometimes entred hen self into a Cloyster of the Nuns but disliking many abuses she found therein before her year of Probation was expired she relinquished it This gave an occasion to the Monks and Friars to exclaime against Luther as having broken the Vow of Chastity Luthers Colloqua 445. but Luther had abandoned the Office of a Friar before neverthelesse he thus far declared himself That a Preacher of the Gospel being orderly called thereunto ought above all things to purify himself before he teacheth others and if he be able with a good Conscience to live unmarried it is his safest course to continue so but in case he cannot abstain and live chastly he is then to marry and to take a wife for God hath provided such a Remedy for that Infirmity I could here insert Luther's own Prayer before his Marriage Vide Luth. colloq 452. and the Reason why he took a Wife which was as he himself said to upbraid the Devil and to confound the filthy incontinent life in Popery which was so odious and abominable that Pope Leo himself was taken out of the World at that time when he was committing Buggery with a Prostituted Boy I could here also insert the lamentable Fruits of an unmarried Life in Priests and Nuns which have been so notorious that not onely in Rome and Germany but in England also and many other Places there have been found in Ponds and Cellars many thousand heads of Infants who thus desperately have been thrown away to preserve the Reputation of the Chastity of the Nuns and Friars But I must returne from whence a little I have digressed Luther's Name growing Famous in Germany for the great overthrows which he gave to many of the chiefest Professors of the Church of Rome and to the Supremacy of the Pope himself he was summoned by the Emperour to appear at the Imperial Diet at Worms which when the Prince Electour of Saxony understood he did earnestly disswade him from it alleaging that he should have the whole Christian world against him and although he was ready and willing to defend him yet Luther and he being but two persons they were unable to oppose so great a Multitude he there advised him not to undertake so dangerous a Journey but to be warned by the example of John Hus who although he had the Emperours Letters of safe Conduct to preserve him yet he was surprized there and consumed by fire to ashes Luther having heard the Elector to give him this council made answer to him that he must confesse Luthers Colloqu 433. that as the case now stood he was too weak to defend him neverthelesse he was resolved to go and to defend the Elector for although said he there be in Worms as many Devils as there be Tiles on all the Houses of the City yet I am resolved to go thither and to maintain what I have done and undertaken Many more such examples may be given of his Courage and his Confidence at the last when he saw that by his endeavours the Gospel began to flourish and to be preached not onely in Germany but other Countryes and that he had reaped the comfert of his Industry and his Study it pleased God to visite him with sicknesse at which time giving thanks unto God who had delivered him from so many Deceits and Assaults of his Merciless Enemies he composed these following Verses in Latine Quaesitus toties toties tibi Roma petitus Ille ego per Christum vivo Lutherus adhuc Vna mihi spes est quâ non fraudabor Jesus Hunc mihi dum teneam perfida Roma cave Which are thus in English Behold through Christ I Luther yet do live By Rome so often sought but I believe Christ Jesus is my onely hope by whom Whilest I do live take heed perfidious Rome Being a little recovered he was advised to take the Ayre which accordingly he did Luthers Prophecy on his own Death on the sixteenth of February in the year 1546. at what time he said when I come again to Wittembergh I will be lodged in a Coffin and will surrender to the Worms a sat Luther to feed upon and so it fell out for two days afterwards he was translated from this life unto a better and perceiving himself to grow fainter and draw near unto his end he called for Pen Inke and Paper and wrote this verse following to lye as it were an Epitaph upon his own Tomb. Pestis eram viven moriens ero mors tua Papa Living I was a Plague to thee Dying O! Pope thy Death I 'le be Which by Philip Melancthon was rendred in a Distich much after the same sence and manner Quidum vixit erat tua pestis Papa Lutherus Hic tibi causa suo funere mortis erit Luther who living was thy Plague he shall Cause by his death O Pope thy utter fall He lived sixty and three years and was buried at Isleben where he was born on the 19th of February 1546. Having given you this Account of his life we shall now passe unto his Prophecyes The Prophecies of Luther And above all His Prophecy conceining the Turk page 518. this is most remarkable The Turk saith he shall give a great Clap to Germany Me thinks I see him Marching through and through the whole Body of the Empire who so liveth one hundred years and upwards will see the same accomplished I oftentimes do contemplate thereupon and thinking on the great misery which will insue upon the Empire I do sweat thereat Neverthelesse Germany goeth on in sin and refuseth to be helped No humane power or potentate can beat the Turk but onely that Man who is named Christ as for the Emperour King Ferdimand and the Princes they can accomplish nothing It is observable that although Luther had Prophecied this of the Turk yet he had no good opinion of him How the Turk maketh War and prevaileth in it Luthers Colloq 519. for there being a great Commotion at that time in Germany concerning Religion the Turk desired to know what manner of man Luther was and of what years when it was told him that he was a Corpulent man and of about

Designs when the Spaniards shall come to defend the Germans The Greatest part of the Spaniards and their Neighbours Adjacent to them are Moorans Luthers Colloq p. 521. Baptized Jews that believe in nothing at all Hereupon Luther wrote a Letter to the Generalissimo of the Emperours Army at that time in Hungaria diligently admonishing him to consider that he had four Great Enemies to Encounter with The first was with the Devil The second with the Turk The third with Gods Wrath And the fourth with the Sins of that Nation He told him that all the Kingdomes of the Earth had Fallen and been Destroyed by Home-bred Dissentions So fell the Empires of the Medes and Persians So fell the Empires of the Greeks and Romans and so likewise will it go with Germany said Luther For the Princes of the Empire will not Agree amongst Themselves And so at last will it go with the Turk himself for the Higher he climbeth he is in the greater Danger to Fall When his Time commeth then it will be done in a Moment and the Lord God will lay his Kingdome in the Ashes I made mention in the Life of Luther that some Eminent Persons presaged of his Birth and what a Scourge he should prove to the Licentious Discipline of the Church of Rome In the Year one thousand five hundred and eleven a Capuchin Friar in the presence of Doctor Staupits and divers others at Rome related a Dream which on the night before he had Dreamed which was That a Hermite should arise under Pope Leo the tenth and should be a bitter Enemy to tho Church of Rome Whereupon Melancthou said This Hermite is Luther for the Austine Friars were called Hermites When many years afterwards I was at Rome said Luther they shewed me for a precious Relique the Halter wherewith Judas hanged himself which ought not by me said he to be forgotten to shew in what a thick darknesse of Ignorance our Fore-Fathers lived Rome was once a Holy City but now she is the Spouse of the Devil and the Enemy of Christ Luther Discoursing of the Fathers of the Church Ambrose said he was the Chiefest and the Eldest after him St. Jerome next unto him St. Augustine and after him Gregory the Fourth I have seen St. Augustine said Luther painted in some Books like a Friar with a Hood by which that Holy Man was much injured for he lived a publique kind of life like a Common Citizen he used Silver Spoones and Cupps he lived in ordinary amongst the people and conversed with them he lived no such Monkish kind of life as the Papists have feigned of him The Old Fathers taught better The Abominable Innovations in Religion brought in by the Pope Luther p. 350. and with a greater power of Godlinesse then they Wrote After the Fathers came the Pope and fell in with his mischievous Traditions and humane Ordinances and like a Deluge that beareth all before it he over-flowed the Church and insnared the Consciences touching the eating of Meats and concerning Masses and Friars Hoods and Impertinent and Prophane Decrees and Laws insomuch that he daily induced and brought in Abominable Errours into the Church of Christ and to serve his own turn perverted the Holy Scripture and either expunged many things that were Written directly against him in the Fathers or else did interpret them to that sence which might serve best for his own Advantage Insomuch that upon these and some other Considerations like unto them Martin Luther Composed a little Tract of the birth and Generation of the Desolation of Antichrist which because he tooke some paynes in the Forming of the Extract I have in this place inserted it hoping that you will receive some pleasure in the Reading of it The Devil begat Darknesse Darknesse begat Ignorance Ignorance begat Errour and his Brethren Errour begat Free-will and Presumption out of Self conceit Free-will begat Merit Merit begat Forgetfulnesse of God Forgetfulnesse begat Transgression Transgression begat Superstition Superstition begat Satisfaction Satisfaction begat the Oblation of the Masse The Oblation of the Mass begat Vnction Vnction begat the Priest Vnction begat Misbelief Misbelief begat Hypocrisie Hypocrisie begat trading with Offerings for Gain Trading begat Purgatory Purgatory begat the Yearly Solemne Vigils The Yearly Vigils begat Church-Livings Church-Livings begat Mammon Mammon begat Superfluity Superfluity begat Excesse Excesse begat Rage Rage begat Licentiousnesse Licentiousnesse begat Dominion Dominion begat Pomp Pomp begat Ambition Ambition begat Symony Symony begat the Pope and his Brethren The Pope begat the Mystery of Iniquity the Mystery of Iniquity begat Sophistical Divinity Sophistical Divinity begat the Rejecting of the Holy Scripture the Rejecting ef the Holy Scripture begat Tyranny Tyranny begat the Murdering of the Saints the Murdering of the Saints begat the Contempt of God the Contempt of God begat Dispensation Dispensation begat Wilfull Sin Wilfull Sin begat Abomination Abomination begat Desolation Desolation begat Anguish Anguish begat Questioning Questioning begat the searching out of the Grounds of Truth out of which the Pope called Antichrist is Revealed Thus have you out of Martin Luther in his own words the Genealogy of the Pope and by what a concatenated Race this Mystery of Iniquity came to be Revealed the time will come saith St. Paul 2 Tim 4. When they will not endure sound Doctrine but after their own Lusts they will heap unto themselves Teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from hearing of the Truth and shall be turned into Fables But amongst all the Fables and Idolatries in the Church of Rome there is none more Remarkable then the Masse Luther in his Tract hereof declareth Luther Colloq 330. that no Tongue is able to expresse the Abominations of the Masse neither can the Heart of man comprehend the same and he saith it were no wonder if that God should destroy the World for the Masse-sake and the Abominations therein committed with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven When I was a young Friar saith Luther at Ertfurd and was constrained to go out into the Vilages For Puddings and Cheeses I came to a little Town where I heard Masse now when I had put on my Vestments and my Ornaments and made my approaches to the Altar the Sexton of the Church began merrily to play upon the Lute at which I could hardly forbear from Laughing for I was unaccustomed to such Musick The Pope must fall saith Luther and Popery with him for it is the Devil himself and all manner of Blasphemy to hold the sinal cause of the institution of humane Traditions to be the true Service and Worship of God and that it is necessary to Salvation One cause of the fall of the Pope and Popery page 328. and this Assertion is most monstrous for suppose such humane Traditions were the best and most esteemed works of Christianity which they are not yet to affirm that they are necessary to Salvation or do give God any

is able to raise the Dead He is powerfull to maintain his own Cause ready to fall yea to raise it again if it were fallen and to promote and advance it as it now subsisteth If he think us unworthy to be his instruments in so great a work let it be done by others And if we be not intrested in his promises I pray you who are they in the world whom they belong unto The Protestants Confession was afterwards cheerfully subscribed by John Duke of Savoxy George Marquis of Braxde●burgh Ernestus Duke of Brunswick and Francis Duke of Lunenburgh Philip Landgrave of Hassia and Wolfgany Prince of Anhalt such great and eminent persons had the Gospel in a short time procured to maintain the purity thereof it was also acknowledged and subscribed to by two Imperial Cities the City of Norimburgh and the City of Reutlin the papists were commanded to confute it if they could which confutation was at the last drawn up and ingrossed and presented to the Emperour but a Copy of it being not to be procured but upon conditions that it should not be published nor transcribed nor any Reply made thereunto the Marquiss of Brandenburgh and the Duke of Brunswick besought the Emporour that he would permit them to take a friendly course for the composing of the Controversy Luther as well the great Instrument as the great Prophet of the Downfall of the Pope of Rome which accordingly was granted and of each party there were seven Arbitrators chosen who were to provide for the establishment of a political peace In which when the protestant party seemed to condescend too much unto the papists Luther who was ordained the scourge of the Pope of Rome and to be as well the Instrument as the prophet of his downfall desired those who were Arbitrators for the protestants to be very circumspect in what they gave unto the papists for said he they will take our grants in the large in the larger and in the larger sence and will exhibite and interpret their own in a strict in a stricter nay in the strictest sence that possibly they can In breif said Luther I dislike this Arbitration for an agreement betwixt the Papists and protestants in point of Doctrine as being a thing utterly impossible unlesse the Pope will abolish his Popedome Christ is come and raigneth let the Devils if they will turn Monkes and Nuns nor doth any shape better become them then that in which they have hitherto set forth themselves to be adored by the world But the Issue of the Arbitration came to this that although the Protestants desired peace of Casar yet their petition could not be granted and a war was threatened or banishment to fall on those who would not be obedient to the Decrees of Casar wherefore Luther with an undaunted spirit did publish a Book to the whole nation of Germany in the German tongue in which he showed them that they ought not to obey a wicked Edict or by armes be assistant to the persecution of the true Doctrine of the Gospell nor fight for Idols and other abominations of the Papists Howsoever he did advise the protestants not to take up Armes before the Popish party under the Emperour should invade them with war but if they then should resist their enemies and defend themselves by force of Armes he said they were to be excused so long as they stood upon their Desence and maintain the Truth of the Gospel of Christ In the mean time diverse of the Protestants were banished by the Edict of Caesar to whom Luther directed a letter to comfort them in their banishment and advised them chearfully to undergo their present calamity and to give God thanks who indued them with patience and who also vouchsafed them courage and constancy He acquainted them that this triumphing of their Adversaries was neither sound nor lasting and that it would perish sooner then they immagined He found he said that all the attempts of the enemies of the Gospell were hitherto frustrated and by the singular mercy of God fallen to the ground In the year one thousand five hundred thirty and seven the Pope pretended a serious reformation of abuses crept into the Church The meeting was at Vintcentia a large and renowned City of the Venetians at which time Luther published another book in answer to the Popish reformation The picture in the frontis-peice of his book did show the Argument of it for he represented the Pope sitting in a high throne with many Cardinals round about him the Cardinals carried in their hands long poles on the tops whereof they had fastened great Fox-tails with which as with so many brushes they endeavoured to cleanse all parts on both sides of them and every corner about them and beneath them Here as if the Church had not contentions enough already the sect of the Antinomians startled up They held that repentance was not to be taught by the ten commandements and they disputed against those Divines who declared that the Gospell was not to be taught to any but to such as were humbled by the law And themselves held that whatsoever a mans life was though never so impure yet he was justified if lie verily beleived the Gospel Luther who wrastled with the Papists at Rome and in Germany and gave them many falls untill the heartstrings of their Religion crack'd again did willingly enter into the lists with them and did easily throw them on their backs He showed that the law was not given that we might be justified by it but to show us our sins and to terify our Consciences The law was therefore first to be taught and the Gospel afterwards which sheweth us our Mediator Jesus Christ blessed for evermore Much about this time or not long afterwards it was that Luther composed a Treatise concerning a defence of this Reformed Church lawfully approved and not contrary to Gods will and now because the Names of this Councill and of the Church were in every mans mouth How the Pope doth play with the Church of Christ Luther did publish a Book in the Cerman tongue concerning both of them in the preface whereof he saith that the pope by calling Council doth play with the Church of Christ as they do with a Dogge who offer him a crust of bread on the poynt of a knife and when the Dogge doth put his head forth to take it they knock him on the nose with the haft of the knife to procure laughter in those who do behold it In the year one thousand five hundred forty and two Luther published something in relation to the Turkish Alcoran which was translated into the German toungue by one Richard a Dominican Frier to which Luther added a faithfull admonition concerning the abandoning of the Turks Doctrine and affirmed that not the Turk but the popre was Amichrist and upon a diffirence between the Elector of Saxony and prince Monurice concerning the teritoryes and City of worcen Luther