past What Armies in the Heavens What Conflicts in the Air What concertations of Ships men of War dashing themselves one against another destroying each other with Fire and Sword Who is able to recite how many Monsters and Prodigies as well in Heaven as on the Earth and Sea have been seen since the last Conjunction 1603 came forth upon the Stage what terrible Tempests and unheard of Blasts of winds have been whereby not only innumerable Ships have been broken at Sea but Trees have been eracicated out of the Earth and high Towers cast down But I speak what I know happened a year or two since at Rostoch whose Tower though covered or crampt with Brass was cut a two as it were with a Sword and carried away as if with hands without the wals How many and how great Earthquakes to be trembled at since that as well in Italy as France and elsewhere have happened with which many men as in a moment have been swallowed up yea whole Cities yea whole Islands drowned or overwhelmed with Mountains as Pluyrs in Rhetia in the year 1618. How many sudden burnings have been seen here and there since that whose original no man knows Yea how many have been of which it is manifest they were sent from the Heavens as by common fame happened in certain places in Germany in the Territories of Cleve and in other Regions Out of Galata a City situated not far from Constantinople I saw it written that in the flame with which the City was burning were seen evil Spirits driving forward the Flame What rage of Famine occasioned by the dearth and want of Provision hath wasted throughout the whole body of the Roman Empire whereby Mothers were made to devour their own Off-spring and friend to kill his friend that he might eat his flesh yea and the bodies of the dead were taken up out of the graves that the barking stomack might be satiated If I would relate what prodigious things came to pass in earth and Heaven during the bloudy War of Germany Poland England Swedland and Denmark I should be too prolix or tedious and perhaps more ungrateful to tender years Of those things only which happened in England Scotland and Ireland within the space of one year there is a whole Book extant under the name of Mirabilis Annus c. which were seen in Heaven and in Earth within the year 1660. And if there should be set before our eyes what Monsters have come forth from the time of the last Conjunction as well among Bruits as men it would be horrid to hear them and unsafe for women great with child to read them Only this one will I declare of which I have undoubted certainty to wit that in Tannum a City in Norway in the Province of Wensussel about the Kalends of January 1661 there was an Infant born which was heard to cry in his Mothers womb 12 times Woe to Denmarke Woe to the whole world Therefore all these things which we have seen to follow the last Conjunction and now also to precede before the concutrence of the Planets in the same place are a demonstration to me that of necessity some grand and singular things hereby are signified even such things as I have but now noted But some man may perhaps say It is not a thing so past remedy and given for gone as is presumed by us The Conjunction of all the Planets is not a matter so unwonted and rare that it should seem to portend a fiery judgment as that Conjunction in the time of Noah portended the deluge The reason is because as Seth Calvisius in his Chronological work doth testifie there was observed also a Conjunction of all the Planets in the year of Christ 1186 Sept. 16 the third day of the week the first hour of the Day upon which notwithstanding no such or the like thing followed I Answer That reason is not sufficient to break the force of our Argument 1. Because that Conjunction of 1186 although it fell within the bounds of a Conjunction yet was it not in one Sign as is ours but in diverse Signes the great Luminaries being in Virgo and the rest of the Planets in Libra 2. Because that Conjunction in 1186 being in an earthy and ayry Sign must necessarily be meeker than this in a fiery Sign or than that in a watery sign in Noahs time 3. Lest notwithstanding any man should repute that Conjunction in 1186 to be of no moment let him consult the Histories of 1186 and he shall see that by and by in the year following it Jerusalem was taken by Saladine the King of the Saracens and that New Jerusalemitish Kingdom was taken away from the Christians Nor were there wanting other horrid things The Sea in Sicilia contrary to its Nature went backward to the drowning of 5 millions of men In Italy it rained Hailstones of the bigness of Goose Eggs. Carina a City of Sicilia was swallowed of an Earthquake and in that 20 thousand men perished Also a fiery Beam was seen in the Heavens and other portentous things of that nature So that that Conjunction also departed not without some notable operation or effect as well in the air as in the earth 4. Let men know that we do not put the whole stress of our Prognostication in the naked Conjunction For unless Antecedents Concomitants and Subsequents founded as well in S. Scripture as in experience did add weight to the thing we should not write these things with such confidence Let us now therefore come to CONCOMITANTS from whence may be concluded at least probably concerning the end of this world and the imminent approach of the future Verily I do not think it lightly to be esteemed that care is so taken by the providence of the all-fore-seeing and fore-disposing God that on the day preceding this Conjunction viz. December 10. should fall the Lords day of the 2 Advent wherein are those words of Christ Luc. 21.25 And then shall be signs in the Sun and Moon and Stars and upon the earth distress of Nations with perplexity the Sea and the waves roaring mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on earth for the powers of Heaven shall be shaken And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory As if that our blessed God to whom all his waies are known from eternity had besides this concurrence of the Planets and agitations of the celestial powers expresly commanded that also this Prophesie and exhortation of the Lord Jesus should be read of all and inculcated precisely on that very day which immediatly goes afore that Conjunction if perhaps yet in this last moment of time some would consider and use means to be saved See now we have given it forth demonstrated both out of the S. Scriptures as also from the nature of the thing and divers both antecedent and concomitant circumstances That these
arise and might manifest himself Which thing is intimated by Moses when he saith V. 15. That they may be in the Expansion of Heaven to enlighten the earth i. e. To give a discerning of things to be done on earth For as for what concernes the external Light of the day that the Sun solely supplies to us and for what concernes the Light of the night the Moon alone would be sufficient if nothing else were to be desired But there ought to be more light present with us than that whereby one man by sight discernes another one Animal another and body from body may be distinguished To the end it may be well with man on earth and the whole Orb of the world below may subsist it behoves that there be a certain other sort of Light which descendeth also from on high and is nourished from above to wit a Rational Light of discerning and clearness of understanding from whence divers Arts Sciences Negotiations and Governments as well Ecclesiastical as secular are invented and polished to perfection And that Light is called in the School of Wise men Sideral or Astrary because it depends upon those Stars of which Moses affirms that they were therefore constituted in the Expansion of Heaven that they may enlighten the world And forasâ—uch as this light exists first in the Heâ—vens viz. in the stars and Pranets before it shines on earth and is there manifested what wonder if any man discernes the tokens and preludes of those things which are imminent to come to pass on earth by the constitution of the Heavens so as he be endued with sufficient understanding even as we see in a prudent and skilful Physiognomist how be is able oft-times to deâ—ermine and foresee what a man carries in his breast or will befâ—ll him by his Eyes Counâ—enance and Lineaments But some man may say Obj. If the stars are constituted so to illuminate the world how is it that Moses so vehemently dehorteâ—h the people from them when he saith * Deut. 4.19 20. Take heed lest thou lift up thine eyes to Heaven and when thou seest the Sun and the Moon and the Stars even all the Host of Heaven shouldest be driven to worship them and serve them Which the Lord thy God hath IMPARTED unto ALL NATIONS under the whole Heaven But the Lord hath taken you and brought you forth out of the Iron Furnace even out of Egypt to be unto him a people of Inheritance Answ c. We answer that by this very Text it is clearly evinced that this observation of the Stars is good in it self and the gift of God For unless it were in it self good and laudable how could it be said as it is expresly here said by Moses That the Lord thy God hath IMPARTED these to ALL THE NATIONS under the whole Heaven Can it be said indeed that God imparts any evil And that to all Peoples under the whole Heaven But I will declare as the very thing is whoever he be that is obliged to a better and higher matter he presently slips and prevaricates as oft as he lets down himself to that which is lower Forasmuch therefore as the most bountiful God hath revealed himself more clearly and nearly to this people than to any other speaking to them out of the midst of the fire and singularly given them holy Laws and Institutions as he had not done to any other people it became them likewise to order their lives not according to the manner of other peoples who had not received these Lawes but according to the mode which God of his special grace had taken care should be declared to them whereby an Access for them unto God himself was in all cases prepared so as they might be perfectly instructed by him Otherwise they would have held it necessary to consult the Sun Moon or Stars for events counsels and direction Besides the thing from which Moses so vehemently dehorteth the Israelitish people is not that they attended to the course of the Sun Moon and Stars and contemplated the work of Divine Providence in the Heaven But only they should not suffer themselves to be driven by them in bowing before them to worship them for Gods as was wont to be done among the Gentiles who attributing to the Stars and Planets names of Gods they erected to them Statues and Temples and gave them the worship of Gods And this they did with so great fervency of zeal that when after a time by the light of the Gospel the fraud of Satan begâ—n to be detected these peoples by the Faith of Chrut being accused of Idolatry were soon set on fire into a huge madness From whence also those cruel persecutions derived their occasion But if the Gentiles had not abused these cesestial Creatures unto evil If they had suffered themselves to be led as by the hand unto God by these works of God as we may see it in Job and his Friends and as is still on record to memory in the Jews Historicals the like thing of the sons of Seth in the former world and of Noah Abraham and Melchisedech in the â—â—â—er and present world before the Law was given And of Moses Daniel Shadrach Meshech and Abednego under the Law of whom it is written * Act. 7.22 〈◊〉 1.4 that Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians c. As also of the Magi living out of the Law and without the Law * 〈◊〉 legem sine lâ—â—â— de gentious If I say they had not bowed themselves before the Host of Heaven but by this thing they had learned to bow the knee before God the Creator of all things worshipping not the Signes of future things which he hath set before us but the hand it self that put them viz. the Counsel and wisdom of the Oâ—nipotent God verily they had not sinned and it would have been far from them to persecute any man who should attempt to bring them nearer unto God I conclude therefore that from this dehortation of Moses Deut. 4.19 20. it cannot be concluded that these celestial Signes ought not to be observed and attended unto but only that we ought not too much to adhere to them either to bow down to them or to worship them or because of them to neglect that which is better and nearer as it happened oft in Israel through the seducements of the world and of the Prince of the world Consult Jer. 7.18 and thou shalt see how the Lord shewed to his Prophet what was prepared in the Cities of Judah and streets of Jerusalem viz. The Children gather wood and the Fathers kindle the fire and the women knead the dough to make Cakes to the QUEEN of Heaven Melechet that is to the Host of Heaven and to poure out Drink-Offerings unto other Gods Yea see in Jer. 44.17 18. How as well the men as the women of Judah did backslide to that degree of Idolatry that they brake forth
the sweet and all friends shall destroy one another then shall wit hide it self and understanding withdraw it self into his secret Chamber 10. And shall be sought of many and yet not be found then shall unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied on earth 11. One Land also shall ask another and say Is Righteousness that maketh a man righteous gone through thee And it shall say No. 12. At the same time men shall hope but nothing obtain they shall labour but their waies shall not prosper And these are partly general signes and partly particular which God foretels shall come to pass afore he shall again gather together Israel and render to the Inhabitants of the earth according to their waies All which signes without doubt have been abundantly enough fulfilled The Inhabitants of the earth have heaped up to themselves much Revenue great Treasures of Silver and Gold mean while no Faith no Truth can be found among men That Countrey in which Esdras then lived when this Vision happened unto him to wit the Land of Babylon from that time it became desolate in divers places now upon a sudden the light hath shone forth by night as if it had been day and by day such clowâ—ings of the Light of the Sun hath suddenly risen that the Moon hath thrice in the day presented it self conspicuous and with its brightness hath supplied the defect of the Sun In divers places now a few Weekes since in Poland Bloud was seen to drop from wood and to rain from Heaven Yea also a Stone seemed to utter a voyce as often as certain voices divinely articulated to strike a terrour into men were heard as proceeding out of the stones of a Wall the credit of which thing is asserted among Historians As for the Commotions and Insurrections of peoples whereby new Lord-Rulers have come unexpected upon the Inhabitants of the Earth how frequently hath that happened and to this day happeneth Who shall declare how often the Fowles of Heaven have transported themselves to other haunts because of warlike commotions That which is said of the Sodomitish Sea without doubt hath long since been fulfilled Especially this our most fruitful Age is most frequently famed for horrid Earthquakes sudden Conflagrations as afore mentioned the flight of wild Beasts from place to place abortive Births both corporal and spiritual and horrid Monsters As for Waters and Friends how often canst thou find sweet waters in Salt Friends contending against Friends post-poning the League of amity behind the present Interest Which being so the Prophet justly subjoyneth that then Wit shall hide it self and understanding withdraw it self into its secret Chamber and shâ—â—â— be sought of many and yet not be found then shall unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied on earth And that he that will seek righteousness though he run from Land to Land from the River to the Sea from one quarter of Heaven to the other yet shall he find none For where now can be found the true knowledge of God and the genuine understanding of the Sâ—cred Scriptures How many have sought it with all their strength and yet have not found it When ever was iniquity more abounding so that it possesseth and fils all Courts Temples and Cloysters So that as concerning the Righteousness which justifies i. e. truly renders men just before God there is no more of it perceived at this day than as if it had never been in the world Finally when ever was seen on earth more vain hope in men and frustraneous labour Behold then seeing all these signes are fulfilled what else may be inferred but that the receiving and restauration of the Jews and the visitation of the Inhabitants of the earth conjoyned to it whereby God will render to them according to their works are at hand If thou defirest yet nearer signes whereby thou maiest be instructed more fully concerning that precious time wherein the Omnipotent God will begin to draw near to visit the Inhabitants of the earth and put an end to the dispersion of the Jews and the humiliation of Sion see in the same Book chap. 6. Where thou wilt find the God of Esdras thus speaking v. 20. And when the world that shall begin to vanish away shall be finished or sealed then will I shew these takens The books shall be opened before the Firmament and they shall see altogether 21. And the children of an year old shall speak with their voyces and the women with child shall bring forth unâ—imely children of thret or four moneths old and they shall live and be raised up 22. And suddenly shall the sown places appear unsown the full storehouses shall suddenly be found empty 23. And the TRUMPET shall give a sound which when every man heareth they shall be suddenly afraid 24. At that time friends shall fight one against another like enemies and the earth shall stand in fear with those that dwell therein the springs of the Fountaines shall stand still and in three houres they shall not run 25. Whosoever remaineth from all these I have told thee shall escape and see my salvation and the end of the world Behold concerning these signes I cannot â—ay they are all aâ—ready fulfilled Albeit of some of them I am confident their beginnings â—e now conspicuous as 1. That of the Books opened before the face of all peoples under the Firmament viz. in the Bookes of mans Conscience which hither to have been as it were locked up and sealed by Superstitions and Traditions of men and Worships imposed with violent force although by them notwithstanding all men at length are to be judged These Books I say are begun to be opened before the face of the Firmament so that all men universally shall look into them and read them and upon their insight and reading of them they shall be astonished and humbled Even as that good King Josias when the Book of the Law sometime lost was found again and read before him 2 King 22. For the time cometh wherein the work of the Law as written by the hand of God in the hearts of men shall be clearly laid open and that by that saving Grace which now begins to shine forth to all men As to the Second concerning children of a year old speaking if that be understood of simple speaking we have often seen it in our Age Even as thirdly That also that sown places are suddenly unsowâ— and full sterehouses are suddenly found empty But as to that that the women with child shall bring forth abortives of 3 or 4 moneths old which shall remain alive and be educated and that â— TRUMPET shall sound to be heard over the universal world to the terrifying of all the Inhanitants of the earth and that last earthquake whereby the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 shall for 3 hour as be stoâ—â—â—ed hath come to pass this I cannot affirm But these signes I judge shall be as the last labour and travel of this present world to produce and bring