An exact collection of many wonderful prophecies relating to the government of England &c. since the first year of the reign of King James I to this present time all which have been truly fulfilled and accomplished : also ... foretelling what government is to succeed to make this kingdom happy : with the certain time of the downfal of Antichrist throughout the world / written and published ... by P.C. P. C. 1689 Approx. 41 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 18 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2006-06 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A35613 Wing C92 ESTC R35462 15313624 ocm 15313624 103416 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A35613) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 103416) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1146:15) An exact collection of many wonderful prophecies relating to the government of England &c. since the first year of the reign of King James I to this present time all which have been truly fulfilled and accomplished : also ... foretelling what government is to succeed to make this kingdom happy : with the certain time of the downfal of Antichrist throughout the world / written and published ... by P.C. P. C. Wither, George, 1588-1667. [4], 31 p. Printed for Thomas Salusbury ..., London : [1689?] "Withers's prophecie of the downfall of Antichrist": p. 17-22. "George Withers his prophecie of the downfal of Antichrist": p. 23-31. 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Antichrist. 2005-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-08 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-01 Jonathan Blaney Sampled and proofread 2006-01 Jonathan Blaney Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion COLLECTION Of many Wonderful PROPHESIES Relating to the Government of England , &c. Since the First Year of the REIGN of King JAMES I To this present Time. All which have been truly Fulfilled and Accomplished . ALSO Of many PROPHESIES , yet foretelling what Government is to Succeed to make this Kingdom happy : With the certain Time of the Downfal of ANTICHRIST throughout the World. Written and Published in the Years , 1623 , 1628 , 1641 , 1647 , and 1660. With many Special Remarks on the same , and on the Several Changes of Government . By P. C. M. D. a Lover of Religion and his Country . Dedicated to the LORDS and COMMONS now Assembled . LONDON , Printed for Thomas Salusbury at the Sign of the Temple , near Temple-Bar . 1689. Advertisement . SEveral Discourses and Characters , Addressed to the Ladies of the Age. Wherein the Vanities of the Modish Women are discovered . Written at the Request of a Lady , by a Person of Honour . Printed for Thomas Salusbury , at the Sign of the Temple , next to the Inner Temple-Gate in Fleet-street , 1689. To the Right Honourable the LORDS Spiritual and Temporal , and the House of Commons Assembled in this present Convention . THE following Poem containing several remarkable Prophesies of what has happened for several Ages past , with Directions and Assurances of what must succeed to make this Kingdom happy ; which Business being at present under Your joint Consideration , I thought it expedient to Dedicate these Lines to Your Honours ; which , if perused , I doubt not may be both acceptable and useful , and is the only Reason that it is published , hoping the Success may be according to the earnest Desire of a Lover of Religion and his Country . P. C. To the Reader . THE ensuing Prophesies being of great use in this present Conjuncture , I thought it not amiss to expose them for the publick Benefit , which all true English Men desire should be setled under a happy Government , without Personal Interest , and will certainly be effected according to the Purport of this Poem ; the Author having had the said Revelations from God so many several Years before they were acted , which are past , as also those that succeed , as may appear by the several Dates when they were exposed by the said Author , and I hope will be now acceptable to all that love their Religion and Country , and are Enemies of Antichrist and his Adherents . Farewel . AN EXACT COLLECTION Of many Wonderful PROPHESIES Relating to the Government of England , &c. This was Printed in the Year 1623. AND since Men wandring in a Wood by Night , When they shall through a Glade behold some light , Take thereby Courage to walk chearly on , In hope their Fears and Toyls are nearly gone . I 'le from a Cloud flash out a little Gleam Of Lightning , and disclose a little Beam ; Whereby on you a Glimmering shall be cast Of what you may attain to at the last . For I will shew you by what Pedegree That Government to you deriv'd shall be , Which will at last the British Islands bless With Inward Peace and Outward Happiness : It was of late a brief Presage of his Who oft hath Truth foretold , and it is this . WHen here a a Scot shall think his Throne to set Above the Circle of a British King , He shall a b Dateless Parliament beget , From whence a c Dreadful Armed Brood shall spring . This Off-spring shall beget a wild Confusion ; Confusion shall an d Anarchy beget : That Anarchy shall bring forth in Conclusion A e Creature that you have no Name for yet . This Creature shall conceive a sickly State , Which will an f Aristocracy produce : The many Headed Beast , not liking that , To raise Democracy shall rather choose . And then Democracy's Production shall A g Moon-calfe be , Which some a Mole do call ; A false Conception of imperfect Nature , And of a shapeless and a brutish Feature . For these Descents shall live and reign together , So acting for a while , that few shall know Which of them has the Sovereignty , or whether There be among them a Supream or no. When they with Jars and Janglings have defac'd Your h Triple Building , and themselves nigh worn Into Contempt , they of one Cup shall tast , And into their i first Elements return . Five af them k shall subdue the other Five ; And then those Five shall , in a doubtful Strife Each others Death so happily contrive , That they shall dye to live a better Life ; And out of their Corruption rise there shall A l true Supream , acknowledged by all : In whom the Power of all the Five shall be , With Unity , made visible in Three . Prince , People , Parliamen , with Priests and Peers , Shall be a while your emulous Grandees , Make a confused Pentarchy some Years , And leave off their distinct Claims by degrees . And then shall Righteousness ascend the Throne , Then Truth and Love and Peace re-enter shall , Then Faith and Reason shall agree in one , And all the Virtues to their Council call . And timely out of all these shall arise That Kingdom and that happy Government , Which is the Scope of all those Prophesies That future Truths obscurely represent . But how this done shall be , few Men shall see ; For wrought in Clouds and Darkness it will be : And e're it come to pass to publick View , Most of m these following Signs must first ensue . A n King shall willingly himself unking , And thereby o Grow far greater than before . The p Priests their Priesthood to Contempt shall bring , And Piety thereby shall thrive the more . A q Parliament it self shall overthrow , And thereby shall a better Being gain . The r Peers , by setting of themselves below , A more Ennobling Honour shall obtain . The ſ People for a time shall be enslav'd ; But that shall make them for the future free . By t Private Loss the Publick shall be sav'd . An v Army shall , by yeilding , Victor be . The x Cities Wealth her Poverty shall cause . The Laws Corruption shall reform the Laws . And y Bullocks of the largest Northern Breed Shall fatted be where now scarce Sheep can feed . You may perhaps deride what 's here recited , As heretofore you other Truths have slighted ; But some of my Presage you have beheld Already in obscurity fulfill'd : The rest shall in its time appointed come , And sooner than will pleasing be to some . The a last Nine Signs or Symptoms of the Ten , Which should precede them , shall appear to men Of all Conditions ; but our Author saith , The b first is but in Hope , not yet in Faith , And may be , or not be ; for so or so That c King shall have his Lot as he shall do . If all his Sins he heartily repent , God will remit even all his Punishment , And him unto his Peoples Hearts restore , With greater Honour than he had before . If he remain impenitent , like Saul God from the Throne shall cast both him and all His whole Descent , and leave him not a Man To fill it , though he had a Jonathan ▪ If Ahab-like his Mourning has respects To temporary Losses or Effects , Like Ahab then it therewithal shall carry Some Benefit , which is but temporary . A real Penitence , thô somewhat late , The Rigour of his Doom may much abate , By leaving him a part of what he had . When he a Forfeiture of all hath made ; Or else by d Rooting out those who in Sin With him have actually Partakers been ; And placing in their steads a e Branch of his , Whose Innocency no way question'd is . This was Printed in the Year 1628. GOD hath a Controversie with our Land ; And in an evil Plight Affairs do stand : And though we always smart for doing ill , Yet us the hand of God afflicteth still ; And many see it not , as many be So wilful , that his Hand they will not see . Some plainly view the same , but nothing care . Some at the sight thereof amazed are , Like Belteshazar , have a trembling Heart , But will not from their Wickedness depart . Some dream that all things do by Chance succeed , And that I prate more of them than I need . But Heaven and Earth to Witness I invoke , That nothing causlesly I here have spoke . If this , O! sickly Island , thou believe , And for thy great Infirmities shalt grieve , And knowing of thy Follies , make Confessions , And then bewail thine infinite Transgressions , And then amend those Errors , God shall then Thy manifold Distempers cure again , Make all thy Scarlet Sins as white as Snow , And cast thy threatned Judgment on thy Foe . But if thou , fondly thinking thou art well , Shalt slight this Message which my Muse doth tell , And scorn her Counsel ; if thou shalt not rue Thy former ways , but frowardly persue Thy wilful Course , then hark what I am bold ( In spite of all thy madness ) to unfold : For I will tell thy Fortune , which when they That are unborn shall read another day , They shall believe God's Mercy did infuse Thy Poet's Breast with a Prophetick Muse ; And know that he This Author did prefer , To be , from him , this Isles Remembrancer . — This Land shall breed a a nasty Generation , Unworthy either of the Reputation Or Name of Men ; for they , as Lice , shall feed Even on the Body whence they did proceed . There shall moreover Swarms of divers Flies Engendred be in thy Prosperities , To be a Plague , and still are humming so , As if they meant some weighty Work to do ; Whenas upon the common Stock they spend , And nought perform of what they do pretend . Then shall b a Darkness follow , far more black Than when the Light Corporeal thou dost lack . For grossest Ignorance , oreshadowing all , Shall in so thick a darkness thee enthrall , That thou a blockish People shalt be made , Still wandring on in a deceiving Shade ; Mistrusting those that safest Paths are shewing , Most trusting them who Counsel thy undoing ; And aye tormented be with doubts and Fears , As one who Outcries in dark places hears . Nor shall the Hand of God from thee return , Till he hath also smote thine Eldest Born ; That is , till he hath taken from thee quite Ev'n that whereon thou sett'st thine whole delight ; And filled every House throughout the Nation With c Deaths unlooked for and Lamentation . So great shall be thy Ruin and thy Shame , That when thy Neighbouring Kingdoms hear the same , Their Ears shall tingle ; and when that day comes , In which thy Follies must receive their Dooms , A day of Clouds , a day of Gloominess , A day of black Despair and Heaviness It will appear ; And then thy Vanities , Thy Gold and Silver , thy Confederacies , And all those Reeds , on which thou hast depended , Will fail thy Trust , and leave thee unbefriended . Thy d King , thy Priests , and Prophets then shall mourn , And peradventure feignedly return , To beg of God to succour them ; but they Who will not hearken to his Voice to day Shall cry unheeded , and he will despise Their Vows , their Prayers , and their Sacrifice . A Sea of Troubles all thy Hopes shall swallow ; As Wave on Wave , so Plague on Plague shall follow : And every thing that was a Blessing to thee Shall turn to be a Curse to help undo thee . And when thy Sin is fully ripe in thee , Thy e Prince and People then alike shall be ; Thou shalt have Babes to be thy Kings , or worse , Those Tyrants who by Cruelty and Force Shall take away the antient Charters quite From all their Subjects , yea , themselves delight In their Vexation ; and all those that are Made Slaves thereby shall murmur , yet not dare To stir against them . By degrees they shall Deprive thee of thy Patrimonials all ; Compel thee , as in other Lands this day , For thine own Meat and thine own Drink to pay ; And at the last begin to exercise Upon thy Sons all heathenish Tyrannies , As just Prerogatives : To these Intents Thy Nobles shall become their Instruments . For they who had their Births f from noble Races Shall some and some be brought into Disgraces ; From Offices they shall excluded stand , And all their virtuous Offspring from the Land Shall quite be worn : Instead of whom shall rise A g Brood advanced by Impieties , That seek how they more great and strong may grow , By compassing the Publick Overthrow . These shall abuse thy Kings with Tales and Lyes , With seeming Love and servile Flatteries ; They shall persuade them , they have Power to make Their Wills their Law , and as they please to take Their Peoples Goods , their Children and their Lives , Ev'n by their just and due Prerogatives . When thus much they have made them to believe , Then they shall teach them Practices to grieve Their Subjects by , and Instruments become , To help the Screwing up by some and some Of Monarchies to Tyrannies : They shall Abuse Religion , Honesty , and all To compass their Designs they shall devise h Strange Projects , and with Impudence and Lyes Proceed in setling them ; they shall forget Those reverend Usages which do befit The Majesty of State , and rail and storm , When they pretend Disorders to reform In their i High Councils ; and where Men should have Kind Admonitions , and Reprovings grave , When they offend , they shall be threatned there , And scoft and taunted , thô no Cause appear . Whatever from thy People they can tear , Or borrow , they shall keep , as if it were A Prize which had been taken from the Foe , And they shall make no Conscience what they do To prejudice Posterity ; for They , To gain their Lusts but for the present day , Shall with such Love unto themselves endeavour , That thô they know it will undo for ever Their own Posterity , it shall not make These Monsters any better Course to take . Nay , God shall give them up , for their Offences , To such uncomly reprobated Senses , And blind them so , that when the Ax they see Even hewing at the Root of their own Tree , By their own handy Stroaks , They shall not grieve For their approaching Fall ; no ; nor believe Their Fall approacheth , nor assume that heed , Which might prevent it , till they fall indeed . Mark well , O! Britain , what I now shall say , And do not slightly pass these Words away ; But be assured , That when God begins To bring this Vengeance on thee for thy Sins , Which hazard will thy total Overthrow , Thy Prophets and thy Priests shall slily sow The Seeds of that Dissention and Sedition , Which Time will ripen for thy said Perdition ; But not unless the Priests thereto consent : For in those days shall few Men innocent Be griev'd through any Quarter of the Land , In which thy k Clergy shall not have some hand . Thy l Cities and thy Palaces , wherein Most Neatness and Magnificence hath been , Shall heaps of Rubbish be . — Instead of Lyons m Tyrants thou shalt breed , Who nor of Law nor Conscience shall take heed ; But on the weak Man's Portion lay their Paw ▪ And make their Pleasures to become their Law. Thy n Judges wilfully shall wrest the Laws , And , to the Ruin of the common Cause , Shall misinterpret them , in hope of Grace From those who might despoil them of their place . Yea , that whereto they are obliged both By Conscience , by their Calling , and their Oath , To put in Execution , they shall fear , And leave them helpless who oppressed are . This was Dedicated to the City of LONDON , in the Year 1647. THough I have Written heretofore in vain , And may do now , yet I will write again , In hope that what , by Reason and by Rhime , Was not effected , may be done in time ; And that although my Pains be lost to some , It may not fruitless unto all become . Behold that which was coming long ago Draws now so near , that none shall need foreshew What at the last will thereupon ensue ; For we without a Glass may plainly view Such things in Kenning , that unless our God To them shall please to put a Period ; Or make some such Diversion as no Man Conjecture of by any Symptome can , An universal Plague will on us seize , Instead of Remedies for our Disease . Have you not yet discover'd , who be they That cheat you , and for whom this Game you play , By your Divisions ; and when others find Their Falshood for you , will you still be blind ? Or wink , as careless of the things you heed , Till by long winking you grow blind indeed ? Cannot you yet discover , through the Mist , These Jugglings which the o Spawn of Anti-Christ , False Priests and lying Prophets practise now , To raise themselves and work your Overthrow ; Nor with what Impudence they publish Lyes , Their bitter Jeerings , and their Blasphemies , To make new Breaches , or to widen those Which Love and Prudency began to close ; And which ere this time closed up had been , Had they not cast intempered Dirt between ? Have you concluded never to retire , In your Career , till p all is on a Fire ; And you and yours lie sprawling in the Plashes Of your own Blood , and in your City Ashes ; And till you see this goodly stately Frame , The Work of many Ages , in a Flame ? Withers's Prophesie OF THE DOWNFALL OF ANTICHRIST . Published Anno 1644. THat Year in which Romes long-liv'd Emperie Shall , from the Day in which it was at height , Sum up MDCLXV and I , In Order as these Letters do incite , That Year , that Day , that Hour , will put a Date To her usurped Power , reserving neither Top , Root , or Branch , of that accursed State , Nor Hand or Body , Limb , Horn , Claw or Feather ; For here are all the Numerals of Rome , And cannot make a less or greater Sum , Without Disorder , Want , or Iteration . Nor shall it longer stand , or sooner fall , If I mistake not him , who Governs all . Two famous Numbers are in them contain'd ; The first declares the length of time , wherein The q Devil was by Providence restrain'd From setting up that Mystery of Sin. The Later is the Number of the Beast , Which , when the Let was taken quite away , Whereby he was a Thousand Years supprest , Doth number out his Kingdom to a Day . It is the Number of the Name or Power Even of a Man , of that mysterious Man , By whom that Mystery is to this hour Continu'd , and by whom it first began . And he that can begin the Thousandth Year , Shall find the Ruin of both Beasts are near . To search that out , it seems not hard to me , Who do believe that when of her chief Sin. Rome to be Guilty did appear to be , Her Declination did ev'n then begin . And sure of all her Sins the greatest Crime Was Crucifying of the Lord of Life ; And her unjustly persecuting them Who tendred saving Grace to their Belief . Then I presume she first to fall began , And that God measur'd , weigh'd , and number'd out , How many backward Rounds her Wheel should Run , Before it should the last time run about . Thus in those Numerals which are her own , Joyn'd altogether was her Fate writ down . To bring to pass that Work there was a Let To be remov'd , of no mean Consequence , Which was removed at the time foreset ; And her new r Off-spring hath Reign'd ever since . But with exceeding Infamy and Scorns , The Beast which now so powerful seems to some , Shall lose his Head , and molt away his Horns , And to the World a Laughing-stock become . Then many Jugglings hitherto conceal'd , And which , to blind the heedless Christian's Eye , In seven dark Mysteries have long been seal'd , Shall to the faithful Soul uncover'd lie . That Kingdom which the Jew did long ago Mould out according to his erring Brain , And whereof many zealous Christians too Unwarrantable Fancies entertain . That Kingdom , whereof now in Types we hear , Shall to the World essentially appear . Be patient therefore , ye that are opprest ; This Generation shall not pass away , Till some behold the Downfal of that Beast Which yet among us with his Tail doth play . Then will the Lamb of God begin to take The Kingdom to himself , and every King , That of his Right shall Usurpation make , To Judgment and Destruction he shall bring . No Kingling then assume the boldness shall , Blasphemously ( for know it is no less ) To style himself the King Catholical , As if Earths universal Globe were his . For thô another hath usurp'd thereon , That Title doth belong to Christ alone . And 't is no wonder , if the Potentates , Kings , and the Rulers of the World combine By Policy to strengthen their Estates , And with the Beast , with Gog and Magog joyn . No Marvel , if enraged they appear , Through Jealousies and Fears of losing that By which their Pride and lust maintained were , And which base Fear and Flattery first begat . For all those Kingdoms , and those Emperies , Throughout the World , which their beginnings took By human Wit , Fraud , Force , and Tyrannies , Shall pass away , and vanish into Smoke . An ſ Army , whereof yet there 's little hope , Shall wrest the Scepter both from Turk and Pope . Religion , and mere Shews of Piety , Have been so long the Mask of base Designs ; The great t Vicegerents of their Deity Have made such Polititians of Divines , And these together have so fool'd and cheated The Consciences of Persons well enclin'd , That of all Freedoms men are nigh defeated , Belonging to the Body or the Mind . Yea , they have so mockt God , and on his Throne And his Prerogative so far encroach , That of his Honour being jealous grown , Much longer bear he will not such Reproach ; But to the Saints their Liberties restore , And give those Kings their Portions with the Whore. D' ye startle at it , as if I had spoke High Treason , or as if what I now say , Without a Warrant I had undertook To Publish , as perhaps you think I may . George Withers HIS PROPHESIE , OF THE Downfall of ANTICHRIST . Published Anno 1660. AND if , by Storm , they take my Life away , Which I as little do regard as they ; It in their Souls may leave a Sting behind it , Which will , with Torment , make them sometimes mind it . But here I yet remain , and , for a Close , In reference to our Antichristian Foes , I 'le add this Corollary by the way , Whilst , on his Horns , the Beast is tossing Hay : For if deceiv'd I am not , our Disease Chiefly proceedeth underhand from these . And though a further-off removed Cause , Pretending they bescratch us with the Paws Of other Beasts , it plainly may be seen . By whom our Troubles have contrived been . I therefore make but a defensive War , With such as mine own Adversaries are . And to his Captains , as th' Assyrian King , Once gave Command , intend no Dart to fling , To be Destructive to Men , Great or Small , Whose Hate to me is only Personal ; But as those only , whose Hate doth extend To him , and his , on whom I do depend . To act their last Scene , which precedes their Doom , They now , new vampt , upon the Stage are come . And thô , that with the King , as if his Friends , They seem to side , they come to other Ends ; Which he , not yet discerning , in his Grace Vouchsafes them a considerable place : And of prevailing , they already boast , As if they saw the Lamb , and all his Host Quite overthrown , which me as confident Hath made , that God their proud Hope will prevent , And overthrow that Tyranny outright , By what they think shall raise it to its height . But many Tryals must the Saints abide , And very much their Patience will be try'd , Here and elsewhere , before that Act is done , Which with an Antimask is now begun . Our Friends inhabiting beyond the Waters , And who were of our Tragedies Spectators Now twenty Years , though they perceive it not , Or seem not to perceive it , in that Lot , Which these have cast for us , designed are , Or in what follows next to have a share : For Haman's Pur's on foot , not only here , But likewise almost every other where ; And these think , that to take them by his Gin With some speed , is with us first to begin . But there 's a Countermine which will be sprung , Will blow up them , and all their Mines , e're long . Six hundred sixty six draws on apace , And not one day beyond that shall they pass . It is the Number of that Man of Sin , Whereto his Kingdom hath confined been By him that cannot lye ; and long ago To many that Epocha I did shew , From whence his Reign begins , and by a Light , As I believe , which shines without Deceit , It numbers out his Reign , as certainly As Women reckon the Nativity Of Children in their Wombs , which hath Success Within a very few days , more or less . And of that Mystery what heretofore I have exprest , I 'le here express once more , Because those Notions which may much be needed , Cannot be too oft told , nor too well heeded . To former times this Mystery was dark , And lay a long while cover'd , like a Spark In Ashes , lest perhaps what at this time Will comfort us , might have discourag'd them , Who lived then ; For Men rejoyce to hear The day of their Deliverance is near . But nothing , save Discomfort , could they gain ▪ By knowing Tyranny so long should Reign . Herein I circumstantially perchance May somwhat Err , through human Ignorance ; But as to that which was essentially To us intended by this Mystery , I shall not fail of , which is to presage , That Babylon shall fall in this our Age. Seven Numerals the Roman Empire had , By which of old they Computations made ; And in them was their Destiny foreshewn , Thô to themselves perhaps it was unknown . These placed singly , as they valu'd are , Do truly , thô mysteriously , declare , How long that Empire , with what sprung therefrom , Should last , when to the full height it was come . For MDCLX , with V and I , Do number up , in Chronogrammistry , Years sixteen hundred sixty six , and that Will be of Roman Tyrannies the Date . No other Number , either more or less , If none of these you double or displace , Can be by them exprest : If you ask , when This Number did begin , I say ev'n then When Rome declin'd first from her height of Pride , Which was when Jesus Christ was Crucifi'd . For at that Time her Glory did abate ; This Number therefore you must Calculate From , or about , the known time of Christ's Passion , Not from the first day of his Incarnation : A Silence ( as it were ) seem'd to have been In Heaven , during th' Interval between His Death and his Ascention , as if caus'd , By seeing that done , which had much amaz'd The whole Creation , when that they did see The Lord of Life hang dead upon a Tree . The Devil probably , at that time too , Was at a stand , and knew not what to do ; But soon perceiving , That the Snare he wrought Was broke , to make another straight he sought : Which to prevent ▪ an Angel , in a Chain , His other Pow'rs him suffering to retain , Did , for a Thousand Years , restrain the Devil From setting up the Mystery of Evil , Which in Paul's time he was at work upon ; But when those Thousand Years were fully gone , He rais'd it up , and God permitted him . To manage his own Engine for a time ; That Truth and Error might here for a space Make Tryals of their Strength , and that each Grace And Virtue of the Saints , by Exercise , Improv'd might be to fit them for the Prize , Prepar'd for those who shall engage with Christ , To overcome the Dragon and the Beast . A Thousand Years sharp Tryals they withstood ; Yet then they struggled but with Flesh and Blood : And for the most part all their Combats then Were like S t Paul's at Ephesus , with Men Resembling Beasts : But since Iniquity Was set up , vailed with a Mystery , As in these later times , with greater Evils The Saints do grasp , for they contend with Devils In shape of Men , in Temporal Confusion , Made terrible by Spiritual Delusion . And therefore God allotted unto him , Who Tyrannizeth now , a shorter time ; And to a certain day his Reign did six , Which is Six hundred sixty Years and six : And he who knows on what day it begun , May know the day on which it will be done ; Which I believe will visibly appear , In or about the Seventeen-hundredth Year . And thus much therefore only to foreknow , With how nigh to an end it seemeth now , May make us hopeful , and our Faith uphold , As well as if Day , Year , and Hour were told : Yea , and it better serves to exercise Our Constancy , than if 't were otherwise , And , if well heeded , peradventure may Keep some upright , who else might fall away , In these back-sliding days , wherein they see The a Beast's late deadly Wound nigh cur'd to be . They on a sudden are become as Jolly , As if they thought it to be cured wholly ; And , to impose their Mark , will now begin To be more strict than ever they have been ; So that ere long few Men shall live in Peace , Bear Office , or a free Estate possess , Where they have Power , unless they b marked are In Hand or Forehead with their Character . But if that , whereof some imperfect Views Far off appears , accordingly ensues , There will , to thwart their hopes , a c new Star blaze Within the West , which will the World amaze , And Influences , through the Universe , So quickly and prodigiously disperse , That , aided by concurring Constellations , It will have some effect upon most Nations , And cause such Changes which will make a Stand In those Attempts , which they have now in hand . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A35613-e420 a M. Charles I. raised Money , viz. Ship-money and Loan-money , without a Parliament . b The long Parliament , whom the K. granted to fit until they should put a Period to their own Sitting . c The Army . d K. Charles's Death . e Ol. Cromwel L. Protector . f When Rich. Cromwel was deposed , g The Committee of Safety , where happen'd so great a Confusion between Lambert , Fleetwood Hazelrig , Lenthal , Sir Hen. Vane , &c. that none knew who was uppermost , all aiming to be chief . h Our Government of King , Lords , and Commons . i All to private men again . k Five Commissioners or Generals were appointed by the Army for the Government thereof ▪ and Five by the Rump Parliament , of which last Monk was chief , who acting distinct from the other four , carried the matter , & brought in K. Charles the Second . l King Charles the Second his Reign . m 10 Signs to forerun this happy State. n K. James the Second . o An Apology follows for this Expression . p This is now acting . q The last Parliament at Oxford . r This is now , when the Peers decline the Kings Interest , and joyn with the People . ſ This has been under the late Governments . t The King's Loss . v The King's Army . x This happened upon the Chamber of London being broke , and the Charter seized , &c. y Improvements by Clover Seed in the West of England , which was before very barren . a Priests , Parliaments , 〈◊〉 , Peers , People , Army , &c. b the King willingly to unking himself . c King James the Second . d Lord Chancellor , Judges , &c. e ( i. e. ) of the King 's . Notes for div A35613-e2730 a This is effected since the Restauration . b Popery in King James the Second's Reign . c Several put to death , both here and in the West , about the Duke of Monmouth's Plot. d In time of the Popish Plot. e The Reign of these two last Kings . f As Oxford , Clarendon , Bedford , &c. g As Jefferies , &c. h Ecclesiastical Commission . i The Privy Council . k Oxford , Chester , Durham , &c. l 〈◊〉 Fire of 〈◊〉 City of ●●●don . m Mayors and ●●●riffs and ●●●tices in the ●●●ntry . n ●udges . Notes for div A35613-e4960 o Popish Priests . p 〈…〉 of London . Notes for div A35613-e5480 q The Devil bound a thousand Years in the Revelations . r This Beast to Reign 666 Years . ſ Prince of Orange's Army . t Kings . Notes for div A35613-e6790 At the Restauration , Popery came in . a The Wound given by Luther and Calvin , &c. b The mark of the Forehead is by open Profession ; the mark in the hand is those who mercenarily will be bribed to be their Drudges . c The blazing Star in the Year 1680 , which is the only Star that ever appeared in the West .