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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34097	A generall table of Europe, representing the present and future state thereof viz. the present governments, languages, religions, foundations, and revolutions both of governments and religions, the future mutations, revolutions, government, and religion of christendom and of the world &c. / from the prophecies of the three late German prophets, Kotterus, Christina, and Drabricius, &c., all collected out of the originals, for the common use and information of the English.	Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670.	1670 (1670)	Wing C5507A; ESTC R24277	200,382	315

Military Power yet in Riches and Wealth equal or exceed them And as they Squeeze the King of Spain with the Interest so he sometimes to be even with them pays them without the Principal Of Lucca Between Florence and Genoa lies this Commonwealth It 's territories only eighty miles compass In the dismembring of the Kingdom of Italy from the Emperors into peeces and several parcels they at last purchased their fredom of the Emperor In the beginning it was tossed with Tyrants The chief was Castruccio who had made himself absolute Master thereof The Emperor under pretence of freeing it from that faction seiz'd on it again But sold again to the Genoese by the German Garrison there left and having passed through many hands the Emperor got it again of whom they once more purchas'd their desired liberty and to secure themselves demolished the Castle built by Castruccio An. 1400. Paulus Guinisius tyrannized over them But dying in prison An. 1430. they recovered their liberty and alone have kept it intire of all the Cities of Italy besides the Commonwealths mentioned But not finding themselves able to maintain it they put themselves under the protection of their potent Neighbours changing their patrons as most conduced to their preservation And seeing they could expect no help from the Emperor and finding no security from Genoa and as little from Florence both which they severally try'd they put themselves at last into the protection of the Duke of Milan and in that right are patronis'd by the King of Spain becoming Lord of Milan and keeps its liberty intire from being made a prey to Princes not by its own proper power but the emulation of Neighbours yet stands in perpetual fear of the Great Duke of Tuscany who pretends to it as once under the Commonwealth of Pisa now subjected to him c. Of Ragusi Ragusi is a free Commonwealth in Dalmatia upon the Sea side both Town and Territory not subject as all the rest either to the Turk or Venetian between both preserving its Liberty and is a noted Empory rich and strong in shipping and of great Traffick yet of much more Wealth heretofore then at present And traded to most parts of the Western World in those great Vessels called from hence corruptly Argusis the last of which their Trade decaying they lent to the King of Spain for his expedition against England in 88. where it was lost c. There remains but one Sovereign Estate more which makes a distinct Government from all the rest and that is a Religious or Estate of the Church called the Popedom Of the Papality or Popedom and Papal Kingdom The Papal Power and Principallity is either Spiritual or Universal Bishop Infallible Judge of Truth with universal power of Excommunication that is as supreame Head of the Catholick or Universal Church at first founded upon Temporal power and greatness and upheald by it as well as Spiritual prerogatives previledges and power Else he had never been owned as Supreme Head c. Or secondly Temporal and this is again founded upon the spiritual So that 't is a mixt dominion of spiritual and temporal power As cheif or High-priest and a King or temporal Prince Which he pretends to over all but enjoynes but in very little part This Dominion and Kingdom thus mixt is either imperfect and limited as what he hath in and over other Ringdoms the Clergy specially Being Head of their Church in their Kingdoms or perfect absolute and Sovereign as any other Temporal Prince over their Subjects as in the Estates and Lands of the Church in Italy c. The foundation and likewise Superstructure of this Religious Principallity consisting of such twofold power was first laid and then built and perfected by the working of the Mystery of Iniquity gradually Which to scent and hunt out would require the History of all ages and places and too long therefore for this short Table Yet to represent it obvious at one view we can but briefly take notice and touch upon only the chief matters of fact without excursion or comments 1. There was first distinction of Clergy and Laity 2. distinction degrees and dignities of Clergy for order and unity to avoid schisme and factions 3. These degrees dignities and distinctions of offices in the Church suited and proportioned very much to those in State and those Independent on the state thereby setting up Imperium in Imperio or a Government in Government 4. Contending for preeminence priority precedency supremacy in the several Churches and Governments 5. Lastly an universal supremacy i. e. of one over all First Spiritual in Ecclesiastick affairs Secondly Temporal in Politick affairs at least aimed at endeavoured and pretended and in some measure usurped and possessed The spiritual supremacy began by Pope Boniface about An. 606. under the title of universal Bishop to which several things conduced 1. First Accommodating the Honours and Governments of the Church to those of the present state that is of the Empire become Christians and so mixing Spiritual and Temporal power and setting up Empire in Empire under Constantine the Great turn'd Christian For because they must needs acknowledge according to that famous maxim amongst them that the Church was in the Commonwealth not the Commonwealth in the Church Therefore upon that foundation the Fathers in the Council of Calcedon raised this superstructure that the Honours in the Church should be accommodated unto those in the State From whence would easily follow an Head of the Church as well as of the Empire at least as far as the Empire reach Hereupon Constantine dividing the Empire into fourteen Diocesses each Diocess into Provinces and each Province into Cities and placing in every Diocess a Vicegerent or Viceroy in every Province a President and in every City a Defendor or Governor the Church accordingly institute for every Vicegerent a Primate or Patriarch in the principal City of the Diocess for every President a Metropolitan in the Metropolis of the Province and for every Governor a Bishop in every City with permission of the superior Emperor and then a Pope over all would follow of course naturally for the Emperor himself c. in the chief seat of the Empire 2. There was suiting Temporal means Tythes Revenues Riches proportional to the Honours Dignities Degrees and Offices of Government in the Church by the said Constantine which a Voice in the Air proclaimed to be a Pest sown in the Church 3. The Bishop of Rome remained as yet at least accounted the most Orthodox and their Religion as in the heart and center of the Empire seemed most to flourish Hence 1. frequent appeals to this Church as the truest and best 2. Thence assuming to be supream Judg interpretor or moderator of controversie of Truth and Error and to be vindicators of the Canon or rule of Faith 3. Lastly to be the only infallible Judge and determiner and as it were Rulers or over-rulers of the Cannons and to

neither also th Angels until they are fulfilled I will finish what I have begun Let who so will be scandalized as he will Let this be for thy comfort that what thou hast wrote thou hast heard of me not from any one of men that are like unto thy self Be confident therefore with me my beloved Friend that it will come to pass that accusers will grow mute when the hour of God comes For the Word of the Lord will be an heavy burden to deriders But for us let us more fear God who has power to kill Body and Soul then mortal men who can do nothing but what God permits them That of yours God forgive us the hasty Edition of the Book I thus change Praise be unto God who has vouchsafed us to free our Consciences in not hiding from the Sons of Men those things which the Mouth of God hath spoken Hereunto Comenius again from the increased taunts of divers and filled with greater bitterness retorted If you Friend are so certain of Gods speaking to you that you are willing to seal it with your death your certainty will serve for your self but not those whom the contrariety of events renders uncertain And we see continual examples of such as have embraced errors for truth have been willing to lay down their lives for them as for the very most truth being perswaded nothing else in the sight of God then that they had believed taught and wrought things most true And yet therefore did not Error cease to be Error You give firm belief to those words spoke to you Thou art that my last Trumpet I but this perpetually remains a question whose voice that may be c. Do you bid us put our hope in God There is no where where I can fix the Anchor of my Hope but in him who knows the simplicity of my heart that I have feigned nothing here nor have added any thing to nor taken from nor changed those things which were brought in the name of God In the thing it self if there be found error the goodness of God will overlook the fault of humane frailty committed by no manner of fraud or design And this should be taken as a sudden confusion in the sight and presence of God instead of a chastisment more cautiously to lead our life But if yet at length it shall appear to have been the work of God even this my fluctuation must necessarily serve for the greater glory of God and the comfort or instruction of the Godly Although I as Moses should suffer for it in this life God only forbid that others or even all our Church should necessarily suffer ignominy and persecution for us Whereas you exhort to praise God that notice of these things are given to the Sons of men I know it is written that also the fury of men must at length praise God and to that end the wisedom of God is illustrated by the foolishness of men Yet the question remains what we are to do in the mean while Some Friends here perswade Silence Others to give glory to God and forsake Drabricius from whom alone almost these scandals do come Answer what you think and that presently I will expect your answer with uncessant sighs and breathings to God And indeed most open heartedly as at the Tribunal of God whither I cite you to appear Deal I say candidly with me but even now at length I adjure you by that tremendous Name the salvation of your Soul by not concealing that some of those things which are so manifestly false have been additaments of your own conjecture This if you shall do the scandals in great part will cease Because we are admonished that humane devisings are fallacious I know no more efficacious remedy and it shall be that God will judge you according to the Integrity of your heart and being propitious to us all bruise Satan under our feet although in our own shame and confusion May only the glory of Gods Truth stand unshaken and none of the Godly be made sad by us or for us much less the whole Church I again and again conjure you by God and your own Soul deal sincerely with me in this matter now at length The Holy good Spirit rule you Farewel To so many obtestations of his Drabricius returned his contestations more sharply upbraiding the pusillanimity of his Faith And wrote down advise and counsel what he should do not in his own words but of the very Oracle it self Revelat. 460. afterwards And at length also a Preface wherein referring all things written by him to God alone required them to be printed and made known to all Nations of the Earth as the last will of God Thereby taking all our fears upon himself wholly The Preface or Appeal to Gods Tribunal goes before the Revelations And therefore seeing so great learned and Godly a man as Comenius after so long deliberation and consultation with others has thought it his duty to publish and dedicate them to all the world let none think amiss that they are thus summarily hinted in English which very great use may be made of however they prove true or false And the more to confirm Comenius herein was that Drabricius was not alone but two other Prophets of God had gone before all testifying the same things for the main substance and scope thereof The first was Cotterus a German the second Christina a Polonian Gentlewoman All whom briefly thus Comenius compares together 1. In respect of their end for which they were raised viz. One and the same To stir up the Godly to attend to the works of God which he has now in hand in purging his Church with the fire of Persecutions and soon after in reforming it gloriously and inlarging it through all the residue of the Nations of the World 2. In respect of time Cotterus Visions began before the beginning of the Pcrsecution in Germany An. 1616. and ended in their heat 1624. Christina's in the middle about the time of Imprisonments Apostasies and begun dispersion of the Church An. 1628 1629. Drabricius's after their dispersion about the time of deliverance drawing on and with it from 1638 to 1664. and some continuations since to 1668. For an Argument that God never forsakes his 3. If you compare them in respect of Age. The first was of full Age or mans estate the second young the third old For a Testimony that t is indifferent with God to use the Wit Tongue Hand whether of Young perfect Age or Old 4. If in respect of Sex The first and the third Men the middlemost a Virgin to confirm that of Joel 2. 28. 5. If in respect of Condition The first was a Tradesman or Artizan to be banished afterwards for the Word of God The second a noble Virgin on both Parents side born in Banishment and to suffer new Banishment The third a Minister of God's Word setled in Banishment and to be recalled out of Banishment

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 Spir●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 fight●●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

refined as Gold and Silver and the Church offer again pure Sacrifice to God as in former dayes and the years of old After these a solemn Mission or sending this work by command from God to the most eminent Heads of the Christian World in particular First To Leopold Emperour of the Romans which begins thus Most Invincible and Victorious Emperour This Book which is sent unto thy Majesty is written by the command of God and published by the command of God and sent to the heads of the World by the command of God That all may understand what is the last will of God in the last Age c. These things could not be concealed from your Majesty of all others because among the chiefest heads of the World God hath set you in the chiefest place and also because these Thunderbolts strike against you amongst the first and against your most Serene House Yet Grace is here offer'd to you See therefore what you do most August Caesar and that you may see either read these things your self or if too long for Imperial affairs deliver them to be read to your Counsellors Civil and Ecclesiastick till the matter appear Let it pity you for your self and for your House O caesar that you may break off your sins and the sins of your House by Righteousness As yet they whom your Father and Grandfather have afflicted and persecuted pray for you and your house crying Father forgive them they know not what they do The King of France is commanded here to remedy the confusions of Christendom yet if you O first of Kings will cooperate to reduce all the deadly factions of Christian people into Unity of Love and Faith you will do an acceptable service to God and all Christianity Next To Alexander VII the Roman Pope or who ever next succeeds him Highest Priest of the Roman-Catholick Church Among other Prerogatives of the High Priest of the old Law were 1. To consult God in doubtful matters 2. To be supreme Judges in all Church-matters with other chief Priests adjoyned for ease of so great a burden 3. To restrain false Prophets If therefore you with your Colledge of Cardinals by divne right obtain the highest place in the Church the same prerogatives by divine right are due also to you God was forced at length to send them Prophets extraordinary to warn Princes Priests and People of their duty They accounted them for false Prophets Mock'd and Kill'd them Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem Thou who killest the Prophets c. God in this present Book makes complaints in the Ears of Angels and men against your prophanesses And threatens his utmost Judgments They are offered here to be read to the World by command from God Do not I beseech you suspect these to be devised fictions of Man against you or published out of a corrupt affection and desire to rejoyce at your destruction They seek to deceive you who seek to instill such suspicions We the publishers of these things in the presence of the omniscient God protest with Mordecai that we for the Salvation of the Church are ready to kiss even the soals of your feet O Roman Pope Let it pity you for your selves that you may hasten to prevent the wrath of the Omnipotent Let it pity you for your Church lest leaving it in Babylonish abominations you deliver it up to be scattered at length by the Thunderbolts of God Let it pity you for so many Christian People by your obstinacy slid into so many Schisms and Heresies that they may be reduced to the Unity of the Faith Let it pity you for so many people out of the Pale of the Church to whom a door of entrance is shut through the confusions of Christians O Pope awaken O Pope rouze up out of the sleep of drunkenness and surfitting wherewith your Flatterers have made you drunk and intoxicated you calling you Christs Vicar and Infallible c. If there be none on Earth that dare speak true things unto you behold monatory Voices from Heaven Read this Book and take care to have it read by yours Your Predecessours did not despise the gift of Prophesie in the Church as some now do but proved all things to hold fast that which was good Therefore the Revelations of Hildegard Bridget Catharine c. were judged to be without fraud and admitted as worthy to be Canonical Let the same thing be done to these new ones Let them be submitted to a lawful examination that it may appear what is needfal to be done And it will appear that these last Revelations are as truly divine And that Gods will is that the Kings resume their Scepters and Rule and not the successors of the Apostles To spiritual men only spiritual things should belong For that all confusion hath increased in the World by submitting the secular power to the spiritual And that all things may be reduced into a beautiful order that it is the will of God that a Councel be called by the Authority of Kings That is that the Christian People of all parties be congregated and there all controversies be heard censured weighed decided and terminated so that by comman Jubilees of Heaven and Earth may be sung Glory to God on High on Earth Peace good will towards all men O Modern Roman Popes oppose not your selves as your predecessors have hitherto done never daring to submit their cause to a General Council Do you dare why should you not If your power over the whole Church and all Bishops and over all Kings too be of God O Roman Pope why do you rage so against all your Modern Monitors whether Doctors or Teachers and Professors of the Truth or whether Bishops Pastors or whole intire Churches or whether Kings Princes and Commonwealths or whether New Prophets c. Nor are the Modern the only or the first This thousand years there have been the same complaints and lamentations not only privately but by publick cryes both by voice and writings And God hath all along admonished you by extraordinary Prophets of your own and from among your selves Some ye have killed some ye have persecuted the rest you would not hear or understand or regard As Johannes de Rupescissâ and others whom you imprisoned Mancinellus whose hands and tongue you cut off Hus Savanarola and others whom you burnt Although even some also you had canoniz'd and their Prophecies and externally honour'd for Saints who will witness against you O Alexander the seventh to you I appeal by name and most humbly pray you to admit these words or speeches As God lives and your soul lives I seek nothing in this Book or this new Edition thereof but that the Christian People with all their Prelates may prevent the last Wrath of God They are serious things and concern the Christian Peoples safety or destruction By the tremendous Name of God I pray do not set them at nought Peter could erre why not Peter's successor Peter could be

Apostles Yea and to boast and set off himself for thee Antichrist for Christ But we alas are too slow and heartless to apprehend his so many Impostures unless thou comest in to relieve O Helper He will confound subvert overturn all things But where shall remain thy Elogium O Son of God! that thou appearedst to destroy the works of the Devil Appear therefore O appear unto us also in the present decision and danger we now suffer from Satan sowing among us Tares of scandalous Doctrine and Life and of false prophets or else false zeal against them Ah! suffer us not to be befooled this or that or the other way for thy Holy Names sake Let the Father of Lies execute and perform the work of Seduction and lying wonders in them that perish who have not believed the Truth We thy humble Flock who have chosen to adhere to thy Word Let thy holy Spirit preserve us from the seduction of Errors Or if it please thee to try us yet let it not be as to our souls Whether as to Goods Health or Life it self as to Job Paul and the Sons and Daughters of Job thy Will be done But deliver not our Souls to his power we beseech thee to wit an Understanding and Will to befool puzzle and pervert us That we may neither receive the works of Satan for Gods as Ahab or abominate the Work of God for Satans as the Pharisees who deluded by Satan execrated Christ as Satan by it thereby blaspheming God himself Behold behold he goes on to sow the Tares of so many scandals amongst us also who suffer for thy Name Also false Prophesies as we fear or false Lights to discern whether truly Divine and from thee But thou O Lord with whom is light and who alone seest all things and alone knowest to distinguish Error from Truth Why hold hold'st thou thy peace at these things Why hold'st thou thy peace so long so many years Is now thy Zeal or Fire wanting to thy Clouds to consume those that bring strange fire into thy Presence or to shew who is thy true Prophet or not in the sight of all thy People Is there wanting a Sword to restrain Paschur the Smiter of thy Jeremiah's or a blow to strike Hananias the false Prophet dead This year thou shalt die and he did so Jer. 28. 16 17. Or captivity to lead away Amazias the Informer against thy Amos. O Lord the Dominator If any Crafts-master and Contriver of Cheats have befooled any one amongst us so as to reckon his sad trifling Songs or mournful Ditties for true Revelations Divine and to vent them to others deceiving and being deceived Succour him succour the rest of us that we may be as thy Mouth separating the precious from the vile But now if any one of us willingly and knowingly give up himself as an Instrument to Satan and in thy Name exercises impostures Lord make it manifest and set forth such a Messenger of Satan for an Example to the World Thou sparedst not the Angels that proudly sinned neither spare these who imitating Satanical pride draw away themselves and others into Precipices of destruction On the other side forsake not thy holy Jeremiahs or Michea's that are bruised with a petulant Tongue or Hand or thrust into Prison But all Paschurs their Smiters fill with fear on every side every where that their eyes may see the truth of thy Words And indeed accordingly God begins to speak for himself so that there is no need for man to speak for him more But where and how First in the very Act of Drabricius 's Oath For there was this Dilemma If I have not spoken thy Words O God! smite me in pieoes in the sight of all If thine shew that they are thine by fulfilling their truth But behold he doth not yet sinite him but suffer him to live very old and on the contrary hath smote several of his Adversaries with death according to the threatnings of God by him and particularly one of the Pastors a new one among those Exiles who became a new Adversary to him Therefore he gives testimony that they are not others words Secondly In the Events themselves much fulfilled or daily fulfilling c. Therefore what need of more words c. But to leave all to God who alwayes accomplishes his words first or last in his own time and his own way And thus we have at length brought a long-boding preamble to an end which hath exceeded indeed the bounds due to this place But being in we knew not how to give of nor forbear such material passages for the gaining greater credit to the ensuing Relations and which was almost absolutely necessary to prevent prejudice and offence against things of so strange a nature That so the Courteous Reader might the better take in good part the History what ever heed he give to the Prophesie For we divine full well that most will but look upon them as the Dreams or Ravings of two old doting Seniors now going down with their gray Hairs in sorrow to the grave But be they of God Man or the Devil they are the strangest things that ever yet appeared on the Stage of the World And for that end only we relate them here as observable History and matter of Fact and thereby if they prove true the future State of Europe And have further thought fit to represent the chief and most material Things that Comenius has recorded in behalf of their Truth and Verity or wrote by way of Apology for them Which having done we leave it to Time and Providence to discover and prove them either Verities or Delusions But however whether one or the other most Remarkable And yet one would think multitude of years should teach wisdom and make the experienced past all such dotages Comenius is aged learned sober and godly known of all men hath had above forty years knowledge and tryal of these matters as has been said before And has observed and delivered more convincing Arguments for their Divinity than any has or can against them Has had the Testimony of the most illuminated Divines of Christendom Has found none to convince or condemn them of Imposture upon fair tryal and examination which most reasonable request is all that is desired in the face of all the Christian World and ought not in justice be denyed them Till which let all men be silent before God For 't is better to suspend Judgment than pass it rashly None of these things have been done clandestinely or managed inconsiderately They stand ready for the Bar of Mans Tribunal and in the mean while appeal to God If they must needs be reproached for these things sayes Comenius and that Christian People will sin against God and their own Souls for their parts they will like Jeremy appeal to God and Men. First And above all things to God the Supream Witness Judge and Avenger of this Cause and then to those who

are in the place of God on Earth both Governors of States and Churches too humbly to plead this Cause before them Now if they be of Man or the Devil none ought to fear them but contemn them And therefore none should be offended that they are thus brought to light and into English For we intend them here only as a most wonderful History of the present Age not to be passed over without taking notice of For be they true be they false they will be found exceeding useful to the Age and to Posterity The Sum and Substance of the chiefest Prophesies of Kotterus Christina and Drabricius three late German Prophets OR A Summary View of some most Solemn Divine Visions and Revelations Had in these our Dayes By Kotterus a Selesian from the year 1616 to 1624. By Christina a Bohemian Virgin in the years 1627 1628 1629. By Drabricius a Moravian from the year 1638 to 1668. For the use of this Age. Wherein I. Lamentable Complaints are made of the extream Corruption of the Christian People II. And the terrible Plagues of God denounced against the Impenitent III. And how God will raze out the Babylon of false Christians Jews Turks Pagans and all Nations under Heaven and set up a new truly Catholick Church to shine forth most gloriously with the Light of the Gifts of God and what its future State is now to be even to the end of the World ALL Prophesies before they have their effects are Riddles and Ambiguities to men But when the time comes and that happens which was prophesied then the Prophesie has a clear exposition Irenaeus Book 4. ch 43. Certainly it must needs be confessed That these things are once to be or have already been or God to be accused of a lie For there is so great felicity promised to Christians in the Divine Oracles and such perfect knowledge of God and obedience and such universal Peace as neither is nor ever has been in the World c. Castellio to our King Edward the Fourth I confess that I also was in that Opinion that there were no Revelations of Divine Authority since Christ and his Apostles and so also I taught But after that I read these things more accurately I use to say That greater wisdom shines forth in them then that men can be their Authors much less those from whom they proceed And that they seem to be things of a better Nature and so constantly continned such for many years then that they can be attributed to the Devil Testimony of a great Divine Prophets are seldom or never believed Another Divine Witness Jeremiah the Prophet and all the Prophets of old Jerem. Chap. 36. And the Word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah saying Write in a Book all the Words against Judah and Israel and against all Nations If perchance they will hear and return Therefore Jeremiah call'd Baruch to write from his Mouth all the Words of the Lord. And commanded him to go into the Temple and to read them before the People Who did so Which thing being known the Princes assembled in the House of the King and sent to Baruch to come unto them with that Volumn and said unto him Sit and read these things in our Ears And he read who when they had heard were astonished saying every one to his next Neighbour We ought to tell all these words to the King But they said unto Baruch Go and hide thy self thou and Jeremiah And they went in unto the King Who when he had read three or four Leaves he cut it with his Pen-knife and cast it into the fire Neither were they afraid neither the King nor his Servants but commanded to apprehend them But the Lord hid them And the Word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah saying Take another Volumn and write in it all the former words and thou shalt say unto the King Thou hast burnt the Book Therefore I will punish and bring all the evil I have pronounced And Baruch wrote from his Mouth all the former words And there were added besides uuto them many like words The Lord said unto me Write these things and hasten to divulge many hundred Copies through all parts of the World For this is my Will that all Nations of the Earth read those things which I have spoke unto thee Drab Rev. 55. Now for these Prophesies we shall first give you the scope and sum of them beforehand in general and then come to the Revelations and Visions themselves in particular The utmost scope of all these Revelations is according to the manner of the Ancient Prophets 1. To shew unto Christians the manifold sins and aberrations wherewith they have provoked and do provoke God and sad Lamentations thereupon 2. To discover the Causes of the present Plagues and Judgments wherewith God breaks in pieces the World and the Causes why Gods Wrath waxes hot so against Christendom and to excite and forewarn men to attend seriously to the terrible threatnings of Wrath and comfortable promises of Grace 3. To shew the way of escaping the Wrath and preventing the last destruction and of obtaining the Grace 1. By general and universal Humiliation Repentance Reformation and Amendment 2. By universal mutual Love Charity and peaceableness one with another of all Parties Sects and Religions That all Names of distinction be laid aside and factious contendings about Opinions cease and that one common Faith and Love prevail among Christians of all sorts to preserve the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace And that all wicked unchristian-Christian Wars and Fightings and such cruel devourings of one another not becoming that Name whether for Religion or worldly Interests be laid aside And 3. by offering and communicating the same common Mercy and Benefit that is the Light and Blessing of the Gospel and thereby Universal Peace Truth Righteousness and Salvation to the Nations of the Earth For that now God would have all the World reformed and blessed with all true Felicities and Universal Salvation both Temporal and Eternal In a word the Kingdom of God come and the State of the Divine and Holy Life tryumph and be exalted over the Animal Sensual Beastial and Devilish 4. And lastly That otherwise Christendom shall feel the Power of Gods Anger and of his wonderful Judgments and the Vials of his Wrath be poured out c. For that Christians ought first to reform and begin this Universal Restitution Else that God will find others but destroy them by one another or by letting in the Barbarous Nations the Turks and Tartars c. in upon them That the time of destroying and overturning is at hand This and such like is their general scope And more particularly to stir up Princes Priests and People all to their particular Duties Kings to execute the call of their high Function To do the Will and Work of God on Earth i. e. To reform both Church and State and to take unto them their Scepters and