SEtting aside all opinions of the Ethnicks who (some of them) affirme, that as the world had no beginning, so it shall never have end, that there are more worlds then one, that the face of things shall onely be changed, and not a finall dissolution; wee will informe our selves out of the Word of God, and from two other Prophecies, never before imparted, and finde out so far forth as we may whether or no the destruction of the world, and the second coming of Christ, be not even now to be expected.

That the fall of that Antichrist is even now at this present, he sitteth tottering on his seat, he hath a long time pursued the Israelites, viz. the faithfull servants of Jesus Christ, but now his Chariot wheels are taken off England, Scotland, and Wales, which some three hundred yeares agoe was wholly in subjection to the papall Throne, and wandred groping in an Egyptian darkness of Popery and Superstition, are now illuminated with the glorious light of the Gospell, and enjoy the pure and undoubted Word of God, sufficient for the salvation of their soules; the house of Austria have burst in sunder their yoke, and cast off the bondage of Antichrist, the Danes and Hollanders, sometime superstitious Papists, are at this present sincere Protestants.

France even now also looking two waies, and desirous to renounce the Popes power, with divers other Kingdomes Principalities, Provinces and Dukedomes, formerly yeelding obedience to the See of Rome, now the haters of his usurped power: rejoyce over her thou heaven, and yee holy Apostles and Prophets, for God hath avenged you on her for true and righteous are his judgements, for hee hath judged the great Whore: which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, but some may object, and say, [Page 3] why yet the great and mighty King of Spaine with others, stand firme to his holiness? I answer, and so may doe (even till Christ coming to judgement) she shall sit as a Queen and say, I am no widdow; she shall say, though these Nations and those Kingdomes are departed from me, and are the servants of the living God, yet I am no widdow, the King of Spaine &c. is my husband, and still maintaineth my abhominations: But marke what the Holy Ghost: saith, therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, and she shall be utterly burnt with fire, and least any should doubt her so sudden subversion, the words ensuing tell them, without doubt it shall be so, for strong is the Lord who judgeth her: This bringeth a Prophecy into my minde, which I once saw in the study of a great Schollar, and no meane Antiquary who deceased some few years since, which I copied out, and having this opportune occasion, will present it to publike view.

Now let us compare and examine these two Prophecies: The first saith, when Chawcers Prophecie shall be fulfilled, when troubled and miseries shall come upon great Britaine, occasioned through the wickednesse of the Pastors, who (themselves erring from the way) cause the people to walk astray with them; for so he certainly meant when he said,

The fulfilling of the Prophesie wee all know before our [Page 4] present distractions: Was not the most part of the Clergy of this Kingdome given over to vice, and Epicurisme? when arbitrary power shall be endeavoured to be set up, and the Subjects of the Kingdome brought into bondage: for so he no doubt meant when he said,

Do we not know, that before the breaking forth of our present distractions, the power of the King was divulged to be over the people both body and goods, that a few persons in favour with his Majesty, imposed upon the Subjects of this Kingdome the great loane of Ship-money; and that the Earle of Strafford proposed, that the tyrannicall power of the Kings of France might warrantably be exercised by the Kings of England; therefore when things should bee thus carried, he prophesied:

And have not our eyes seen the same fulfilled? What greater misery can come to a nation, then to be at variance among themselves, mutually to sheath their swords in each others bowells, to batter downe Cities ore one anothers heads, to have their Soveraigne in armes against them, and in a word, to have all the calamities of war at once heavy upon them; and this hath this poore Kingdome of England, till of late, undergone; therefore the fulfilling of Chawcers Prophecie none but a mad man will denie.