the divine Power that these Books also be publickly extant and exposed to be sold bought read and throughly considered and examined being certain that it will be for the great use of Gods People your Honour and the Glory of God Yea and read them your selves and delay not to offer them to your Counsellours to be read and judged Here is a thousand times a greater business then a Neighbouring War or Peace It 's worthy of all your Juncto's to consult of Let not O Kings the King of Kings seem to be so slighted by you or his Messengers pretending at least in his Name c. Believe it most Serene Princes nothing like to this Book has the World had since the Apostles times The next is to all the Angels of the Churches Bishops Pastors Doctors all Divines and Theologers and all Eclesiasticks where all prejudices of the Wise and Learned and Religious against these matters are clearly removed c. It hath pleased God in some Ages past to inspire before-hand Men and Women with a prophetick spirit as in the Book called the Burden of the Church and in the Catalogue of the Witnesses of the Truth and in Fabricius's Tryal of Visions are cited and in our age to stir up others and in greater numbers through Germany Amongst whom seeing these three write what they are commanded of that stupendous mutation of things in the World now at hand and the Glorious Kingdom of Christ Now now to begin And that indeed these are not fained as may appear plainly from the adjoyned History What hinders but that all these things also be known of you O Presidents of the Churches It is no burden to you to read humane commetaries upon the Scripture Why do you neglect to know these that as truly as God lives are not Humane Lay aside or at least suspend for a time the cushion of carnal security Rather read again attentively both the divine Book of the Prophets and Apostles and also these new repetitions of the same things and then if all things appear not a thousand fold clearer to you then through your false spectacles then let it be free for you to take them up again Unhappy interpreters of the Scripture who expresly deny what God expresly affirms in the Scripture that the Lord does nothing but he reveals his secrets to his Servants the Prophets From whom therefore doth the contrary assertion that God does all things without our privity come Expunge that out of your Bibles or say God is not that Antient mankind-loving God who takes pleasure to communicate his secrets to men I beseech you O Theologers be not more infidels to the world and works of God then Machiavil suspected of some of Atheisme as before quoted Take heed in the name of God Theologers to blind and hearden men while you would seem to make them see The Apostles have not said to the people of the new Law Admit no more Prophesie but he hath said Quench not the Spirâ—t dispise not Prophesie try all things c. O ye that are appointed Watchmen upon the Walls of Jerusalem examin the state of your Churches Whether they be truly called out of the world or rather relapsed into the world and become the verymost world indeed If the whole matter were seriously looked into perhaps you would see what heretofore so many holy men have seen viz. Among Modern Christians almost nothing of Christ besides the name is found for as much as 1st The humility of Christ is turned into haughtiness from the highest head of the Church to the lowest 2dly The Heavenly Kingdom of Christ into all things that are Earthly 3dly The Gentleness of Christ degenerated into fury and mad perversness of butchering one another that we are not now a tame flock of Tigers Lyons Wolves Serpents But a flock of Sheep turned into Wolves Bears Dragons Vipers greedy of nothing but to hurt one another in all the holy Mountains of God 4thly Lastly if it be true what a holy man said Christ reigns in internals Antichrist in externals we are all now become Antichrists Because none almost worship God in Spirit and Truth All living in the flesh seek to deceive God with a little paint and external daub of piety Again and again see what you do O Theologers lest if you will not admit these Preachers God send you more terrible Preachers Prodigies in Heaven and Earth and Blood and Fire and streams of Smoak and Fears and Pits and Snares and that like People like Priest c. If indeed they are Humane or Satanical you need not fear but contemn them but if truly from God wo unto you Guides of the people who in obedience of your ordinary vocation most scornfully contemn these extraordinary things that you account them neither worthy to be seen or heard orexamined O Consecrated Heads to God! Be not like the Preists and Prophets of Jerusalem drunken with Error not knowing the Seer and ignorant of the Judgement Behold here Seers Behold an obscure question Whether at this day there be Seers or no. Examin both it and them But Judge not according to outward appearance but Judge Righteous Judgement sayes Christ And what need you be troubled at them they are but the things foretold in the Scripture Of Tribulations to the wicked world and Rest and Peace to the Church c. Which if you cannot bear with in these Books expunge them out of the volumns of your Bibles But if you can and ought to bear them there bear them also here That old and new may accord together If you scruple because they were unlearned and Ideots Gamaliel's counsel in full Council of the Pharisees is moderate Abstain from these men and let them alone for if this counsel or word be of men it shall be brought to nought but if it be of God you cannot withstand it lest perhaps ye be found fightâ—â—s against God O Modern Councils Synods Consistories Universities suffer the same words Desist to prohibit this Book For no Human wit can refute nor no human force or power oppose this work of innovating the world nor no humane goodness able to wish better things to mankind If any dislikes this Counsel and will try his strength in overthrowing this work let him also attempt to stop the dayly Rise and Set of the Sun or the Flux and Reflux of the Sea or the Winds from blowing hither and thither But thou to thine own self O man art nor able to stop breathing in and out And how wilt thou go about to restrain the Eternal Spirits breathings and inspirations Cease ye Sparks to contend with the Flame ye Rivers with the Ocean ye shall not prevail Cease to befool men by attributing to Man or to Satan what cannot be attributed neither to Man nor to Satan viz. to speak with the voice of God and to seal his words with omnipotent virtue to effect them by shaking to wit the Earth and the Sea and the
went down and the Popedom up And then cozens the world with his year of Jubilee reduced to every fifth and the fine trick of Indulgences to please the people and drive a gainful trade to the Popes He gave away the Canaries also to King Lewis And fifty thousand persons had accesse to his presence in one day and dismissed again About 1352. The Emperor to gain Pope Innocent the 6 th's favour grants him in a manner all his Authority in Germany and three years after is crowned at Rome by the hand of the Popes Legate himself residing still at Avignon promising not to stay one day longer at Rome now the Pope was absent then after his Coronation About 1380. Clement the 7 th is set up anti-Pope by a company of French Cardinals against Urbane the 6 th for being against returning to Avignon The French and Spaniard side with Clement the Italians English Dutch c. with Urbane Rome is miserably plundered by Clement and his party One Popes Bulls roared against the others And all Christendom divided This schisme lasted neer fifty years An. 1404. Innocent the 7 th demands the Moyety of Ecclesiastick Revenues but is stoutly deny'd both in France and England About 1417. Upon the appearance of Wicklif Hus Jerom of Prague Savanarola c. in the world and their followers it is decreed in Council That a Council was above the Pope And 1431. The Council of Basil summon the Pope and put forth a bold Sanction called therefore the Pragmatical Sanction against him and depose him About 1464. Paul the 2 d. sells all for mony Reduces the Jubilee to every twentyfifth year to get the more to maintain Sumtuous and Pompous Habits for himself and Cardinals and Diamonds Saphirs Emeralds Jaspers Pearls and all precious Stones for his Mitre c. An. 1492. The Pope gives the East and West Indies to the Spaniard and the Portugal and divides the whole new world at least betwixt them as the first discovers and not long before gave the title of Catholick King to Spain for the conquest of the Infidel Moors in Spain An. 1503. Julius the 2 d. A Martial Pope passing over the Bridge of Tyber brandish'd his Sword and threw his Keys into the River saying That if Peters Keys would not serve his turn Pauls Sword should And yet they have done more in the world by the Keys then ever by the Sword He excommunicated the King of France who regarded it not but printed Money with this Inscription I will destroy Babylon He was in the end deposed likewise by a Council in France like as the Council of Basil had done before to one of his predecessors as was hinted An. 1512. Leo the 10 th an Atheist hug'd and bless'd himself as it were to think What great Riches that fable of Christ had got them And yet not enough for his turn and to supply his vile and enormous extravagancies Wherefore he goes about to raise summes of mony by common open and notorious sale of Indulgences and Pardons in Germany They were ous they are still By the fulness of power which he that raigns above hath given to me whom alone he hath set over all Nations and Kingdoms to pull up and pluck down to destroy c. The Devil began to rage now to see his Kingdom go down so We depose Elizabeth from the right of her Kingdoms and we absolve all her Subjects from all manner of Oaths of Allegience which they have sworn unto her He doth all he can likewise by Treasons Murthers and Poysons against her and all Princes inclinable or but favourable to the Reformation His instructions by his Legate to the Emperor was Neither Faith nor Oaths to be kept with Hereticks c. An. 1572. Gregory the 3 d. celebrated the horrible Massacre of Paris with publick Triumph at Rome and sung the Te Deum c. therefore For they had hopes to have quite rooted out the Protestants After 1580. Sixtus the 5 th excommunicates Henry the 3 d. of France for killing the Guises and making use of the Protestants on his side Commends the Murthering of him in a set speech amidst his Cardinals Blesses the Banner of Spain against England in the famous expedition in eighty eight to ill purpose For his Benediction proved a Curse Quarrelled afterwards with Spain for Naples c. About 1590. Gregory the 4 th exhausted the Treasury of the Church in the Wars of France against Henry the 4 th and the Hugonots Cursed that is Excommunicated that King for an Heretick and Apostate from the Church and sent his Nephew General to the French Wars against the Protestants An. 1592. Clement the 8 th never lets the said King to enjoy quietly his Kingdom 'till he brought him to turn Catholick again to be settled therein But yet lost his life notwithstanding by the Jesuits practises for not being good enough to them and too good to the Protestants still For because he was not turned such a zealous Papist as to be absolved from his excommunication by the Pope but that one of his own Bishops served his turn well enough therefore he must pass for a Tyrant and be stab'd And yet to absolve him after he was dead when be sure he could do no more harm nor ever turn again for turning Catholick in his life Two Embassadors must be sent to Rome to be whipt by the Pope in his stead who at the end of every verse of the eleventh Psalm gently strikes with his Rod the prostrated Suppliants He excommunicated-likewise the Duke of Ferrara and added his Dukedom to St. Peters Patrimony as a good parcel of Land And would not grant the title of King to the great Duke of Moscovy for inclining to the Greeke Church more then theirs And lastly endeavoured before hand to prevent King James succession to the Crown of England hoping to reduce it again to the Church as they had done before Queen Mary An. 1595. Leo the 11 th had this Luciferian Motto over his triumphal Pageant Worthy is the Lion his name by virtne of the Lamb to take the Book and open the Seals thereof They cannot leave their Pride and Blasphemy 'till they are quite whipt out of Gods Temple where they sit as Gods Nay yet more His successor Paul the 5 th had such inscriptions as these given him To Paul the 5 th Vice-God Most Invincible Monarch of the Christian Commonwealth and most Zealous Conservator of Papal Omnipotency And caused this Plate to be marked with this Inscription Cousecrated to the Eternity of the Burgesian Family But higher was that upon the Gates of Tolentum in Italy To Paul the third the most high and mighty God on Earth though one should have thought that the Reformation then begun in the World out of policy should have taught them more Modesty For the Devil when ill at ease a Monk would be c. Surely Lucifer that fell from Heaven asspiring to be above God as the Pope all
these things Let it suffice I say and serve for a caution I if it shall please the Lord to call me hence will seal it with my Death that I have forwarned that the Church no more offend in this kind And that not one or two or three usurp power to determine of such matters which regard the judgement to the whole Church and so of Posterity it self also Yea and if any one dare commit this Book to the fire such a one as he I cite to the Tribunal of Christ there to give an account of his inordinate passion and affection I wrote these things with mine owne hand so dictating an Heart full of the fear of God J. A. Comenius And yet further before we end this long preface which so mainly concerns the validity of all that follows and is for an Apology Those that do not must know that our Authour Comenius is the only surviving Superintendent or Bishop of the Bohemian Church now in Exile fourty years and over A man of universal knowledge and learning of a large and delusive spirit and of a sincere and single heart as all Christendom can bear witness of A true Virtuoso of all Divine and Humane Science and Experiance A man given to no fancies and whimsies nor self-ends and designs But of vast and universal Aims and desires for the universal good of Mankind the World and the Church and one that hath sore travalled for the promoting of universal Knowledge Literature Art Sience and Virtue both Humane and Divine as appears by the Janua Linguarum and his other labours and more particularly his late Treatise for the spreading of Light Knowledg universally dedicated to the Royal Society of Englands Virtuoso's And lastly one that most severely rebuked Drabricius for still persisting in his wild Fancies and Dreams as he then thought till he was at length convinced of the Finger of God therein as appears by the concertation he had with him as follows Drabricius in his Visions had promised him an Associate called his Adjunct to help carry on this work of God in the World which was this Comenius And indeed who so sit And first he was commanded by the Lord to inform Comenius of his first Visions and to send them to him which accordingly he did about An. 1644. And this was all that ever Comenius had to do concerning them till 1650. when after that the General Peace of Munster seemed to defeat all their hopes and expectations Comenius was by Providence unexpectedly brought into those Parts again about Affairs of the Church There Drabricius was urgent with him to go to the Prince He replyed What do you hear my Brother Are not you awake yet out of your Dreams Condemning as well as others all of Vanity Because they did not reach the prophetick gravity of Stile like Cotterus's and Christina's and the events seemed to answer much less You first offer'd the Crown to the Father and now deluded of that Hope you would go to the Son In the name of God see what you do and desist to delude your self and others The man shed Tears and lifting up his Eyes and Hands I could twice wash my self with my Tears sayes he As much as has already been powred forth of them that God would spare me miserable man But I cannot obtain Have you then Visions yet said Comenius It is a bove a year said he that I have had none yet I know that there is not an end of them How do you know The Lord told me sayes he and commanded that they should be sealed and kept for your coming and delivered to you For that you should come into this Land Behold Here I deliver them and besought him to read them Do not you faigne this I pray said Comenius He calls God to witness Comenius asked when did you hear that concerning my coming hither Three years since said he presently after the Princes death when through impatience of these mockeries I would have burnt those But the Lord forbad you will find it there written Comenius upon Meditation Prayer and Conference with Friends found his mind changed So many causes offering themselves for taking a Journey to the Prince which before he had not observed And calling his Brethren to pray together he did accordingly c. And so afterwards the Visions returned to Drabricius again more solemn then before and ever since to this time In which at diveres times Comenius was commanded from the Lord to write them to translate them into the Latin Tongue to divulge them speedily through all publick places and streets of the World to translate the Bible into the Turkish Language to communicate them to Kings and Princes and all Orders of men and being backward and wavering was still commanded pressed and threatned to go on to write and publish them and to invocate and to cry aloud upon all Nations of the Earth in order to the accomplishment and execution of these things c. All which this Adjunct of the Lords Prophet not daring to tergiversate or be disobedient to Gods call has done as well as he could or is about to do and durst not but do Accordingly therefore this excellent Man begins with the dedication and consecration of the whole to Christ Jesus himself and an appeal to him The Eternal Word Wisdom and Truth c. Hear us King of Glory now crying unto thee for thy Glory sake and thou who art our Sun shew us clearly to all under the Sun as the clear Sun doth all things visible at noon day what there is in these leaves whether it be thy Light and Truth or the frauds of thy black Enemy Amen! Amen! Amen! O Light of the World we appeal in exposing this thy Cause to the publick view of men against the Prince of Darkness we appeal from the Darkness to the Light from the prejudice of fools to the judgement of the wise from the rashness of the prophane to the reverence of the Godly from the ill informed to the better informed finally from every humane Tribunal to thy Tribunal it self Thou King of Kings in whose hands are the hearts of King as Rivers of Water to turn them which way thou wilt give unto all that shall go about to judge of these things a teachable heart like Solomons to judge rightly of things and to discern between good and evil He that reads let him understand The next Dedication is to all Kings and Powers all Crowned Heads and Vice-Gods of the Christian World c. If any thing yet remain to be done seriously about these things this one thing is it By an accurate and solemn Inquisition to examine whether these things be truly so or no or whether humane figments only cover'd with the Cloak of divine Revelations and that then if any fraud be detected the false witnesses to be punished according to the Laws of God and man We fly therefore to your Tribunal O Kings for such a scruting
beseeching you all by the adorable name of God to suffer your selves to be perswaded that nothing under Heaven greater can at this time be undertaken and performed by you then this very question to be determined Is it the Voice of God that sounds here or no c. Seeing O Kings Princes Common-wealths your duties are here set before your eyes with wholesome Counsels for the publick safty be you intreated in the name of God and by your own and the Worlds salvation this thing in the first place to take these very Books into your protection and command them to be exposed openly through all the Book-sellers Shops of your Kingdoms and Provinces as freely as any other Books whatever of good note Instilling into the Christian People the fear of God reverence of Kings and amendment of life As freely I say as other Books of this nature as the Book of the three men and three spritual Virgins Hermis Pastoris Ugutine the Monk Fryar Robert and Hildegard Elizabeth and Mathilda published by Jacob Faber at Paris 1513. who all had Revelations and Visions like these c. Hear O Kings Princes Common-wealths and every Power among Christian People this Book which is offered to you stirs you up against no man but exhorts you all in the name of God to do your duty in stopping the confusions brought in by Satan and restoring the order instituted from God As yet promising Benediction if you yet admit counsel or denouncing the last Wrath Plagues and Destruction if you yet harden your selves Let the fear of the Lord therefore be with you and deligently put in execution all things It is your glory O Kings to be nursing Fathers c. and also it is your Duty to restrain any Church that degenerating into Babylon exercises fierceness cruelty and if the Spouse of Christ putting on a whorish dress waxes wanton to hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked and to eat her flesh and burn her with Fire God putting it into your hearts to do his pleasure And no longer to give your Kingdoms to the Beast till the Word of God be finished Rev. 17. But behold in our times the words of all the Prophesies old and new are consummated which the universal commotion of Nations which you see and the universal change of things which you shall shorrly see do witness Ho! therefore take again unto you your power and leave not your Scepters any longer in a strange and wrong hand I have commanded you O Kings and Princes that you your selves Govern For you have even your name from me Gods on the Earth not from an Angel or any creature saies the Word of God to Drabricius c. But what must you do when you take unto you your power O Kings That very thing which the King of Kings whose Ministers you are at this time requires of you TO REFORM THE WORLD AND ALL THINGS IN IT THROUGH ALL NATIONS For he who has long since by the mouths of his most holy Prophets said that he would make all things new on you O Kings as his Vicegerents he confers this Honor that this glorious Renovation be begun by your happy undertaking and be done by your Co-working and Authority through the whole world And then shall be the peaceable state of the World and of the Church in the Kingdom of the Messiah promised in Paradise in the destroying of the Devils Kingdom And which all the Patriarcks looked for and the Prophets prefigured in types and the Apostles prophesied of and the Prophets and Prophesies of God ever since have declared And which is so often reiterated in these Books that Peace shall return to the Earth before the end of the World with the divine benediction poured forth upon all Drabricius Rev. 107. Peace such as never was the like from the beginning of things Rev. 149. when all Wayes all Paths all the Trumphets all Books all Voices and Languages of all People and Nations shall agree in one angle of PEACE and in one common CHARITY Rev. 384. when the spiritual Jerusalem shall be built anew so beautifully that the very times of Solomon may not be compared to these Cotterus 18. When the Messias shall plant new Hevens and new Earth viz. new Churches and a new State wherein dwells Righteousness Which manner of things seeing they cannot but be an exultation to true Christians and that this Book declares them suffer it as well ye O Roman Chatholicks Princes as others whosoever love the coming of our Lord Jesus suffer it to live and to be taken for a publick Testimony of Gods being yet God doing nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the Prophets And for a publick looking or perspective-glass rationally to view all things which are here doing in the Ages of the world And for the last protestation and bearing witness of God that it will not be his fault if a new deluge come upon the impenitent world And then lastly for a Publick Alarum or Sermon-Bell to Universal repontance and for the last Trumphet after whose sound great Voices shall be made in the Heaven of the Church The Kingdoms of the World are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ who now shall Raign throughout all Ages forever Rather do this O Kings and Powers for the Honour of Christ now taking unto him the Kingdoms of the World under the whole Heavens Learn who is the King of Kings against whom the Heathen rage in vain and the People imagin a vain thing c. To whom the Nations are given for an inheritance and the ends of the Earth for his possession who shall rule them with a Rod of Iron and shall break them as a Potters vessel Understand now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce before him with trembling learn discipline lest his wrath at length be kindled ye perish in the way understand the mystery of these times why the Nations are troubled and distrubed and the Kingdoms declining why the whole Earth is moved at the Voice of God Namely that these are the works of the Lord and set as Prodigies and Signs upon the Earth to take away War even unto the end of the Earth To snap the bow in sunder to break the Weapons in peieces and burn the sheilds with Fire Therefore cease O ye Kings from War see that the Lord is God that God will be exalted in the Nations that he will be exalted in the Earth c. O therefore Christian Kings take heed any longer to stand against the Prince of Peace Christ with your furious Arms disturbing and laying wast his Kingdom w ch Kingdom you your selves are as also the Universal Christian People committed to you Or it shall come to pass that he will find some one to send upon you even from the utmost East to devour your Armies if you will not know the thoughts of the Lord
Saint John which hath distracted so many Commentators differing among themselves Therefore this Book is a new Commentary upon the old Revelations of St. John not a Humane but Divine The former Edition was exposed to light with doubting and trembling and for censure only This freely and confidently not now so much to judge whether these things be Divine as to execute them as Divine for warning to the World Now therefore we lift up our voice as a Trumpet That they may hear who had not heard and they may believe who had not believ'd and may see with their eyes and handle with their hands who had not as yet foresaw by Faith That God is in the midst of humane affairs and does sometimes speak to men doing nothing but he reveals his secrets to his servants the Prophets There is need now of no vails no secret muttering Now all must needs hear both far and near even to the utmost ends of the Earth Be admonished therefore O all ye into whose hands this Book shall come that ye do not read it without St. John's Revelations and without divers reflexion to those things which are now a doing in the World And then the very blind cannot but see that it is God that here speaks not man And that it is God who stirs up the Nations of the World one against another not this or that man predicting such things or not one another themselves And that it is God who comes to chastize the Christians in his Indignation not the Turks and the Tartars And lastly that God himself is about to reform his Church not the King of France or any other Cry unto God O Christian People Shew pitty O God! Prevent blindness prevent stupidity We are thy People Permit not that all Visions be unto us as a sealed Book which cannot be read Do as thou hast promised that the day is coming in which the Deaf shall hear the Word of the Book and the eyes of the Blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness In thy Light beholding light And whosoever thou art that readest these things say with blind Bartimeus Lord that I may see Take this Book into your hands O Christians of all parties and know that these things here offered are like to those Ancient ones the burden of Babylon the burden of Moab the burden of Damascus the burden of Egypt Whoever art wise despise not to be forewarned and lay aside vain wrath against these things If these threatnings came from man they might be contemned or the Plot counterplotted But if from the terrible God who cannot be resisted take heed But whether it be himself that speaks here he will undoubtedly know whoever reading all these things together with the premised Informations and the conjoyned History thereof attentively with the fear of God and comparing all things with the events to which they dispose themselves shall purpose not to strive with the Fates and the President of the Fates If any one be resolved the contrary namely to think Antient and new Prophecies an antiquated thing no longer to be heeded and the World now to be governed either by Fortune or Chance or humane Counsels only let him go on to stop his ears shut his eyes and harden his heart past all remedy And lastly he gives a large sober and judicious Apology for the whole Book and Publication Let them favourably hear me All who fear God As for me if for fear of men I do not what God and Conscience command I expose my self to his wrath into whose hands it is intolerable to fall If new hatreds calumnies persecutions attend me for this new Edition let the will of God be done I commit my self into his hands either to protect me or to deliver me up into their hands who seek my soul I am full of dayes beyond Davids age of man and full of the miseries of life so that it is pleasure to say It suffices Lord take away my soul Away let us not be wise above God! And While he commands to speak let us speak whether any one will hear us or not Wo unto the soul if seeing the sword for fear of men he blow not the Trumpet I come unto thee O Queen of Churches the Roman do not I beseech ye suspect this Trumpet of God through any private grudge towards you to sound as it were a charge either to stir up peoples hatred towards you or warrs against you for it does not sound to war but a retreat Men Catholicks and all that fear God hear Let any one of you reade this Prophetick Volumn a thousand times he shall find it hath no other scope than what hath in past Ages been expressed by the mouth of David and all the holy Prophets namely that God will not alwayes endure our Babylonish confusions and mutual Cain-like hatreds and slaughters but sometime totally make an end thereof in the last dayes c. Isa 2. Mich. 4. Zech. 9. and a thousand other places aswell in the antient Prophets and Apocalyptical writings of the Apostles as in these revealed in our ages I protest therefore before God and his Angels and Heaven and Earth that this Book is not published with an intent to injure any one and that it is not to be taken for a scandalous Libel but an Historical Book and Monitory to all Christians without difference That all may desist from mutual hatreds persecutions slaughters butcherings c. They are not dehortations Humane but of God himself immoveably founded in the antient Oracles reiterated only upon new occasions The sum of which is that all things must be reformed among Christians or all must perish Mother of the Churches throughout the West Why dost thou rage so against thy Sons admonishing and exhorting thee to repentance and amendment When this Book was quite ready and nothing of this Apology thought on some Friends yet solliciting its suppression my Conscience did then dictate that it was better to obey God rather then Men and I cryed unto the Lord But he taught me to take unto me this Buckler and to lay open my heart before the eyes of Men as it is known in the sight of the Heart-knower But I now ceasing here to speak unto you O Christian People Invocate thee who art God for witness that I have done what thou hast commanded and nothing else Nor for any other end then that thy last Will might become known to them to whom thou hast commanded it should Nor have prefaced these things on any other hopes then that men rational Creatures might learn to discern and judge of things Perform O God! what thou hast promised Shew that thou hast spoken these things and we compelled to write And if any one would hurt us be thou a Wall of Fire unto us as thou wast to Eliah as Dabricius speaks Rev. 416. Give into the Hearts of Kings to do what thou hast commanded by giving these things to Arbitrators to weigh
Authority committed to them of God out of the hands of the Antichristian usurper c. To call a General Council in order to a Universal Peace and Unanimity in Christendom and to agree for God and Religion for the publick good both of Church and State For that God will put it into their hearts to fulfil his Will and agree or make one Mind and Will and no longer give their Kingdoms to the Beast But that the Words of God shall be fulfilled To destroy Babylon and all her Abominations and Idols c. and to rule the World peacefully under the Banner of Christ and universally reform it out of all its horrible confusions and disorders according to the Will that is the Word of God c. And all Ecclesiasticks Angels of the Churches Pastors Bishops and Priests to perform the Ministry of their high Calling and the Service of God and the Church to restore the Primitive Reformation and do their first Works and repent and no longer neglect the Catholick Church of God through the whole World for worldly Dominion Honours Riches and Interests Nor to hinder Universal Reformation by wrangling and contesting for Opinions Ceremonies Revenues Prerogatives and Priviledges and such like vanities but rather to promote Catholick Charity and Indulgence and practise Christian Humility Self-Denyal and all the excellent virtues of the best Religion in the World which they are Chieftains of and to Sacrifice all their dearest concerns for the Salvation of Men And not mind their own things but the things of Jesus Christ c. And all Christians to endeavour and begin Reformation generally in their several places For that now is the time of Gods reforming the World more then ever That towards the end thereof it may be as from the beginning viz. one God and one Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth without Idols and false Godds and false Worships That all may inhabit peaceably the Earth without Wars Fightings Hatreds Contentions Envyings Strifes and without Sects and Parties lest his Wrath break forth upon them to the utmost and there be no Remedy for the Present Generation All which things to be sure are no other then was the drist of all the Prophets and extraordinary Messengers of God to Men of old when that all ordinary Persons Kings Princes Priests or People were become so corrupt and exorbitant that there were none that did his duty rightly but all desperately transgressed the Law of their God and provoked his Wrath without measure For what else was their Burthens but sad Lamentations for the Peoples sins and wickedness Exhortations to Repentance and amendment And denunciations of Grace upon Repentance and of Wrath upon Impenitence c. And what else are these likewise as to their main Scope and Intent The Sum and Substance of them in General now follows The Sum of all these Prophesies in the General is the same with all the Antient Prophets and indeed an Explication of them concerning the State of the Church in the last dayes And that our present Age is the last time of the World wherein shall be fully and finally accomplished all Scripture Prophesies I. Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth typified by the old to fall and its Builders to be dispersed Gen. 11. Jerem. 50. and 55. Revel 18. II. The Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands to destroy the great Image of Iron and Clay and increase into a great Mountain filling the whole Earth Dan. 2. III. The very Relicks of all Nimrodian Tyranies and Oppressions to be abolished quite and the Kingdoms given to the Saints of the most high Dan. 7. IV. Both the Beasts in the Revelations The greater with seven Heads blaspheming God and making War against the Saints and the lesser with two Horns counterfeiting a Lamb yet speaking like a Dragon now to be slain Rev. 13. V. The great Harvest and Vintage of the whole Earth at hand Rev. 14. VI. All the Vials of Gods Wrath a pouring forth upon the Earth Rev. 16. VII Till the great Beast that carries the Whore with seven Heads and ten Horns be destroyed and the Whore her self forsaken by her ten Horns viz. Kings her once defenders and lovers be burnt with fire Rev. 17. VIII The Lamb to be Victor over all Enemies Satan bound in the bottomless Pit for a thousand years The Church to be quiet Rev. 20. IX And then the Marriage of the Lamb to be solemnized under the whole Heavens Rev. 19. X. And the Church to appear in its Splendour and Glory such as the Prophets have heretofore described of old Isa 60. Rev. 21. And indeed these Books of the three Prophets are a very Revelation of the Revelation of St. John to end and decide all further contentious Comments thereabouts They being a new Comment upon that old Revelation not Humane but Divine explaining what is that Babylonish Beast making War with the Saints and the great Whore the Mother of Harlots c. riding upon the Beast and who are those Kings commanded from God to execute the Judgement upon Both. And that those destroyers of Babylon are now Born now Chosen and Called And that this whole affair is now in doing And now shortly to be Sealed and concluded by a full and compleat effect in the sight of Heaven and Earth And that we are now under the sixth Seal sixth Trumpet sixth Vial. That is That upon our times happens the great Earthquake shaking the whole frame of Heaven both of Church and State c. and the day of his great Wrath come And the day of the sixth Trumpet when the Angels bound at the great River Euphrates shall be loosed and come and kill the third part of men with Fire and Smoak and Brimstome although the rest that escape repent not And the sixth Vial poured forth upon the great River Euphrates to prepare a way for the Kings of the East to root out Babylon the unclean Spirits of Frogs mustering up heaps of Armies against them in vain to the Battel of the great Day of the Lord God Omnipotent Which Day shall come as a Thief on a sudden and unlook'd for That so the seventh Seal being opened Silence may be in the Heaven of the Church And that the seventh Trumpet sounding the Mystery of God foretold by his Servants the Prophets may be finished Namely That all the Kingdoms of the World may become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christs c. And that the seventh Vial being poured forth there may be Voices and Thunders and Lightnings and Earthquakes such as have not been since men have been upon the Earth whereby the Cities of the Nations may fall and great Babylon it self c. More expresly and particularly I. That the World is become as corrupt now as it was in the dayes of Noah before the Flood and in Egypt Babylon and Jerusalem when she rebelled against God especially the Christian Nations By name Germany
holy Name yet that I and these my Words and Speeches shall not be condemned of my God nor of his Angels present with me always as my Witnesses nor of my own Conscience than which after God and his holy sacred Word and Faith given to me towards it I have nothing dearer in this Life Bending my Knees before God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ That he would not desert the Work begun in us but would keep mee and thee whoever art implanted into the Root Christ blameless and make me and thee through Death not to come into Judgement but to pass into Life where the Sun shall not fall upon us nor any heat but where the Lord shall wipe away all Tears from our Eyes c. So to me and thee who readest these things be propitious the Dominator of Heaven Earth and Sea God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost Blessed unto Ages of Ages for ever Amen! Nic. Drabricius Str. M. P. P. Of the last Protestation of Drabricius which he call'd a Confession with a Prayer adjoyned wherein he resigns all his concerns to God and bids farewell to all the World VEterinus not contented with what had passed in his Examination although equally present with others and astonished he seem'd to give glory to God and by giving his hand promised silence and with others subscribed his Testimony to the whole Business as it was acted Yet relapsing into other thoughts not onely wrote to Drabricius's Adjunct that he could not yet acquiesce but went on to molest Drabricius falling upon him more sharply than ever pretending the causes of his unquietness 1. That they had not satisfied him concerning so many things yet to be fulfilled which that he should believe to have proceeded from the mouth of the Omuiscient he could by no means be perswaded to 2. That he saw what causes Drabricius had of forswearing himself namely Self-love and Covetousness that he might not deprive himself of the Opinion which he now saw rais'd of him and of the Benefits begun to be now offer'd to him for his Prophecies and adding also blasphemy against the Dictator of Oracles calling him That vain and lying Fellow and other foul things By which also he rendred the new Pastor Laurinus wavering anew and suspecting ill and to invoke also the Judgement of God upon Drabricius as his Epistle testifies Both of them was admonish'd of modesty Veterinus especially not of me onely the Adjunct but also of others that were nearer unto them Divines and Statesmen That he would not disturb the affairs so compos'd but rather would perform promised silence and would by our example expect the Judgement of God and pray that God would not defer it But all in vain For he senta violent Writing to Drabricius importunately urging that he would answer him And when Drabricius out of the fervour of zeal trampled it under foot others being present adding Thus saith Jehovah So will I tread upon the Enemies that blaspheme my Name and cast it into the fire Veterinus not only sent back the same Writing to Drabricius but also sent it abroad unto divers stirring up all against the false Prophet Drabricius therefore at length answered by Writing which calling his Confession he sent by Command of the Oracle in a Revelation that it should be affixed to the new Edition of his Revelations in stead of a Close which therefore his Adjunct accordingly did A Confession Made unto the Glory of God and to fore-arm from Error all who shall read the Revelations made unto me from God of whatsoever State and Order Dignity or Vocation they shall be upon the face of the Earth in the Year 1664 June 30. I Nicholas Drabricius a Strasnian Exile of Christ by this my Writing confess That certain Observations of Paul Veterine Inhabitant of Puchow directly tending to the abuse of the Divine Name and the Voice through me made to the Nations of the Earth Eastern and Western and Northern and Southern have come to my hands By which I stirr'd up unto zeal purposed to snatch up the Sacred Book and on whatsoever place I should light to take that for a foundation of my Answer I open'd therefore and beyond hope presently are offer'd to my Eyes those last words of David 2 Sam. 23. 2. The Spirit of the Lord hath spoken by me and his Word by my Tongue Which admiring I opened again and fell upon those words of Samuel 1 Sam. 7. 2 c. If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts then put away the strange Gods Baalim and Astaroth from among you but in the Papacy Idols and Images of He and She Saints and prepare your hearts unto the Lord to serve him only c. And I will pray for you unto the Lord and he pray'd and the Lord heard him and the Lord thundred with agreat Thunder upon the Philistines and discomfited them and they were smitten before the Children of Israel And Samuel builtan Altar unto the Lord c. When furthermore I turned over three leaves there came in sight the 14 vers of Chap. 12. of the same Book If ye will fear the Lord and serve him and hear his voice and not disdain the mouth of the Lord ye shall continue and v. 20 21. Fear not but serve the Lord with all your heart follow not after vain things Idols which will not profit you because they are vain At length I opened anew and found Chap. 1. of the Book of Wisdom where it is said That Wisdom enters not into a malitious Soul And although the Spirit of Wisdom be a kind and loving Spirit yet it acquits not a Blasphemer of his Lips because God is Witness of his Reins and a true Searcher of his Heart and Hearer of his Tongue Therefore he that speaketh unrighteous things cannot be hid nor escape Judgement for the correction of his Iniquities and the Mouth that belieth slayeth the Soul It slayeth indeed I which in my time also mine Eyes have seen how many by the blasphemous speech of their mouth and by the Writings of their hands have procured destruction to themselves being made a Spectacle to Angels and Pious Men in whom is no guile Such as by the goodness of God there are many every where Men great and illuminated Divines and Statesmen through Hungary Holland and England found Who how sincerely and reverently they receive the Words of God by me pronounced have testified it by their Writings after that God had given it into their hearts to see and know and understand the hand of God to have done this and the Holy One of Israel to have spoken by me Isa 41. 20. now in the last days of the World A'so concerning Gog and Magog Ezek. 39. Rev. 20. That they are about to be rooted out with all Errors of depraved Doctrine Wherefore I Nicholas Drabricius forewarn all who have read the forementioned VVritings of Paul Veterine and beseech them by
totally dissipated not can strike terror into us seeing we know that the Soul of Man is not extinguished it is not withal convenient 24. To believe the error of Transmigration It is convenient to know in the time of life to do good and evil each oâ— the Souls of men after death go to the judgment of God where they have a determinate 25. Place of their reward One place is above and haâ—â— all felicity namely which is called the Court or Palace oâ— Heaven That is the place of remunerating the good The second place is beneath and hath 26. All bitterness namely which is called the Prison of the Earth the place of punishing bad men For the Lord is most highly equal or just There is nothing of good which he doth not reward there is nothing of evil which he doth not punish Nevertheless in the present Age 27. There are some which do ill and are rich honour'd without trouble and joyful There are who do well and are poor contemn'd and oppres'd with calamity It is certain God waits till the death of that man and 28. After receives the Soul of the good Man and takes it up into the Court of Heaven to inhabit perpetual felicity and receives the Soul of the bad man and sends it into the Prison of the Earth to receive punishment without end If we grant that there are not 29. Rewards and punishments of Paradise and Hell to remunerate the men of this Age or present life who do good or evil How are the good not deceived then And how much better a lot and portion do the evil injoy And how can God be said most highly just 30. Some one will say That reward of good and evil is it not also in the present Age or life How goes the matter It is answered let us suppose those that receive the remuneration of good and evil 31. Altogether to wait even till after death On that very account men will be ignorant of the remuneration which is after death And how will it be proved to them that the Lord is above the Heavens Therefore frequently those who violate justice 32. Fall into calamities dangers and troubles that they may amend their past wickednesses beware of future Those who are obedient to Reason receive a blessing descending upon them to answer their good deeds past and stir them up to future 33. But if any well-doer be in want in dishonour full of labours and calamities perhaps it therefore happens because that amidst their good works they have something of evil Therefore God with these things 34. Chastises him at present but after death introduces him into the place of perfect felicity to injoy perpetual felicity If any do ill and yet are rich honour'd and happy according to the Age or present life 35. This therefore happens Because amids their doings ill they have some good mixt Therefore God remunerates them with these present felicities But after death tumbles them down headlong into the obscure Prison that perpetually they may receive all bitternesses 36. The men of this Age if they desire to avoid descending into Hell to undergoe all torments and to ascend into Heaven to injoy all felicity Three things are altogether necessary First 37. It is necessary to know the Lord of Paradise namely God For men of this Age to inhabit in one anothers house it is first necessary to know the Lord of the house then they may enter and stay 38. How much less any one ignorant of the Lord of Heaven can he ascend and enter into the place of universal felicity Secondly It is necessary to know the way to Heaven namely the Law of God 39. Men of this Age ignorant of the way thither whither they are a going by that very means cannot come there And any one ignorant of the way into Heaven how can he possibly come there 40. Thirdly It is altogether necessary to go on through the way which they now know Because a man although he knows the way which he desires to go yet if he sit idling at home and go not forth to make progress by no means will he ever be able to come to his journeys end 41. In like manner he who desires to ascend into Paradise the place of all felicity it is altogether necessary that he do the works of the Divine Holy Law Some one will say 42. God is the Lord of Heaven Earth Men and Things and his Doctrine is withall the way to Paradise Now I have clearly heard and understood this Now I desire to follow this Doctrine of the Holy God How 43. Therefore shall I be able to do it It is answered He who desires to follow the Holy Law ought to have two aims The first aim consists in this That he worship God with a perfect heart because he is of Heaven 44. Earth Men and Things the Universal Lord and created all things that he might nourish us The second consists in providing for a mans own Soul to avoid descending 45. Into Hell to receive all bitternesses and obtain ascent into Heaven to enjoy all felicities He who desires to obtain this three things are necessary The first of them is to keep the Commandments of God 46. The second is He ought to blieve the things of God The third is He ought to receive Sacred Baptism and to wash his past sins The Ten Commandments 1. To Honour and Worship God above all things 2. Not to name the Holy Name of God to utter a vain Oath 3. To observe Holy Dayes 4. To obey and honour Father and Mother 5. Not to kill men 6. Thou shalt not work Fornication 7. Thou shalt not Steal 8. Thou shalt not bear Witness rashly 9. Thou shalt not covet another mans Wife 10. Thou shalt not covet another mans Riches Matters The Ten Commandments summarily taken are reduced to two only To love God above all things and to love men as ones self This is that which of old God from Heaven taught and commanded that they should be honour'd and kept through all Ages The obedient to them ascend into Paradise and receive felicity Those that walk contrary descend into Hell where they suffer torments The above written Articles are only a Compendium If any one desire to have an absolute knowledge of the Divine Law it is necessary that he studiously apply himself to the study of the Holy Books treating of the true Law of God and go to the Temple of Christians to hear the Masters of the Law come out of the West Discoursing Disputing and Unfolding Then they shall be able to understand without doubting and this thing cannot be fully done in few words This we have translated as was requisite verbatim according to the property of the China Speech rather then the English From this Doctrine of the True and One God rightly expounded they proceed to expound the holy Trinity of the One God then to the incarnation of the Son of God the
Eternal Word After to the Sacraments by him appointed for the remedy of Sin and so of all the other Articles of Faith from first to last and when they are well tinctured with these they then innitiate them to a more perfect course of the Christian Life And this is the manner how they propound the Christian Mysteries to the Gentiles and Idolaters beginning first with the principal Articles of the One and True God and the reward of the just and unjust c. as in this Catechism Besides this they published innumerable excellent Spiritual Books and Books of Practical Divinity and Moral Philosophy to which the Chineses are much devoted and endeavour'd to add to all rare specimens of an innocent spiritual and divine Life if we may believe their own Testimony which I confess Protestants in this end of the World have little reason to do For the Ignatians of Europe for the generality of them are more excellent at Fire Works then any thing else here and the works of the Devil then to work the Works of God But it 's like they were better there being likewise at the beginning of their Order more Spiritual and Religious then ever since the World hath found them especially England And yet we have a taste of their true Spirit in their obstructions of the Hollanders Embassy there Their first great Disciple was Paul the great Colao or Governor of the Chineses and propagator of Christianity among them Riccius put forth many admirable Books in the China Language viz. several Mathematical Books of Euclid Clavius c. Universal Geography and History of the World with Globes Maps c. Natural Philosophy the Art of Dialling Books of Astrolabes and Astronomick Instruments of Musick Musical Instruments and Organs Moral Philosophy about Friendship moderating the Passions and to live according to the dictates of right Reason and the rule of a good and happy life For the Chinois were much given to moral Philosophy and the study of virtue and happiness And Ten Paradoxes Moral and Spiritual a Book famous through all China and in great esteem and admiration among them and illustrated with Comments and high Encomiums by the most excellent of all their learn'd Leo and Paul young Convert Colao's But that which wrought unexpressible compunction of heart in them for their ill past life as they say not only among the common people but the greatest and most learned of their Monarchy viz. the Mandarins and Colao's and Eunuchs of the Kings Pallace was the Catechism of Bellarmine translated by the said Riccius The fame of which Book spread so that they were fain to print it a new several times whereby the Christian Light and Knowledge shone into every corner of the Land With several other Books for the use of others that should come thither out of Europe The next famous was Trigautius Procurator of the China expedition who return'd from China 1612. and return'd thither again with all manner of Rarities and wrote several Books for the use chiefly of the Europeans Next Father Rho Professor of Mathematicks in the Jesuites Colledge at Milan who in a short time spoke and wrote their Language like any Native and wrote several Books for the use of young Converts and with Father Schall mentioned in the first part laboured in Mathematicks for the benefit of the Chinois Who both by common and joynt study put forth above an hundred Books and especially in emendation of their Calender he was founder of a Church in the Kingdom of Sciamsi Vagnonius followed who found in the Province of Chianceu only after his return thither again from Banishment 8000 Christians and of those the chief Learned and Mandarines and afterwards died in Chianceu Anno 1640. and wrote many Books Divers others also wrote innumerable Books for the Europeanâ— help so that there were Books written by them in the China Language by the Year 1636. to the number of 340. The Mandarines and Colao's also wrote Comments on their Books c. Also when their Converts began to be too numerous for the present Fathers they began an Institution of Chatechists from amongst them to initiate persons into the Christian Mysteries These Catechists were persons much and long vers'd in the Mysteries of Religion and the Christian Law and of a very divine Life better then themselves 't is like by far and such as were inflamed with servour of the Apostolick Spirit and Zeal for the Conversion of others and they were not easily admitted unto this Office but after long experience first had of them c. Their work was to go up and down the streets and on all occasions by word and example to bring the rude and ignorant to the knowledge of the True God And as they have opportunity to sprinkle Infants and Children with Holy Water to communicate Spiritual Books to those that lack'd to resolve Doubts and Questions c. And at a certain time of the day when the Gentiles flock to their Churches out of curiosity to wait there and to explain the first Principles and Elements of the Christian Faith which were wrote or engraven in fair and large Tables and Characters hung up and down upon the Walls and by their splendid Altars to any that were desirous or curious and to shew the vanity of the false Godds And moreover to invite them home for farther instruction And by these means they got many Proselytes daily They are obliged also every day to give an account to the Fathers that are Superiors in those places what they have done that day The number of Christians in Pekin was about fourscore thousand about 1655. And though this be short of the Apostolick way of Preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles yet they seem herein to out-do the Protestants and in industry labours and zeal and more abundant then they to propagate the Faith Look here you Zealous Protestants look with shame From hated Jesuites learn to spread Christs Name And Heathens form their Idols to reclaim Things proving thus prosperous they likewise had procured the Royal Patent for Power and Liberty to divulge the Gospel through all the Empire by the favour of the Grandees of the Court and Kingdom But the irruption of the Tartars about 1647. interrupted all Which hapned by reason of the Civil Wars of the Chinois among themselves which invited the Tartars to take the opportunity to break into China through the Portal of their great Wall once more as they had done formerly before in the Year 1256. which they held for above 200 years during nine Kings reigns but were at last beat and kept out again by the Chinois till this last sudden and violent return But now they over-ran it like a flood and subjected all China to their Empire the King of China was reduced to such streights that finding no way to escape from his own rebelling Subjects and so great a Monarch forsaken of all rather desirous to die then live to see worse ended his