Forraign and domestick prophesies

Out of his 16 section, fol. 84, 85, 86, 87.

According to the confession of the Italian Jesuite Hierony∣mus Platus, in his second book of the Religious Life, and 30 Chap. England hath been more fertile of Converters of Coun∣tries, and Nations to the Christian faith, then any other Land else: so is it not unlikely, but that God will have the same Countrey to be more fertile of Reformers of other corrupt Churches, especially of that of Rome, then any other Land whatsoever; and that as there is in no Countrey or Nation of the world to be found so many compleat Divines, for Judicious∣ness, Ingeniousness, and moderation, and for fitness to deserve well of the peace of the Church, as there is in England: so it may well be, that God will honour this same Island with the reformation of the Church of Rome, and her daughters, by f••nding forth from thence such godly, judicious, zealous, and moderate men, as shall reclaim them from their abuses and cor∣ruption, and restore unto them their primitive purity and inte∣grity, such as it was in the daies of Constantine the Great, born in Great Brittain.

And so much seemeth to be imported by that prediction of Nostrodamus, which beareth that Rome shall be ruled by the Brittonish head.

In his first Century he saith, That the new King that joyns the lower and Northern Countries of Europe, shall be the in∣strum••nt of losse to the Church of Rome; and that the Bishop of Rome, together with his Clergy (except they shew themselvs willing to be reformed) shall be made to spit blood, when the Rose shall flourish.

And in his 8 and 10 Centuries▪ That the ruine of Rome draw∣eth near, not of her walls, but of her substance and blood, by the means of a learned Prince of sharp understanding: And, to be short,

He promiseth in his 5 Century, That of the Trojan blood shall spring a Prince of a daughty-Dutch heart, who shall attain unto so high a degree, that he shall both chase farr away the Arabick or Mahumetane multitudes, and likewise return to the Church her antient eminency and sincerity.

Likewise out of the Library of S. Victor, there is a prediction ci••ed by the Abbot of Cluny, attributed to Abbot Ioachim, which saith, That the Red Roses should send forth the sweet water that shall pur••fi•• and cleanse the Church from her corru∣ptions.

To which agreeth another prophesie of Paracelsus, fore-telling, how that among the Roses should spring up one who should change the sandy foundation into a Rock; a thing (saith he) that shal make many a one to wonder. Agreeable to the same is a certain prognostical verse, found in an ••ld manuscrips, im∣parted to Mr Iames Maxwell by Mr S. George Norrey King at Armes.

Iesse Rosa sunguis Bruti Portat crucem Iesv C••risti.

That is to say, The Rose of England beareth and b ingeth the Crosse of Christ to forraign Lands. Hereunto likewise may be referred that voice, as William of Malmsbury affirmeth in his second book of the Kings, which was uttered in a Vision to holy Brithwald Bishop of Winchester, who lived in the Con∣fessors daies, saying, Regnum Anglorum est Dei, the king∣dome

of England is Gods; meaning that th•• Kingdom & Coun∣trey of England should prove a chief instrument of the propa∣gation of the Gospel and faith of Christ unto forraign Lands.

So that by that which hath been said, it would seem, that from the Rose of England shall proceed or spring the reforma∣tion and purgation of the Church of Rome, like as the same City once received from the same Countrey the first authoriz d pro∣fession of the Christian saith, by the blessed means of Constantine the Great, a Brittain born. Paulus secundus Grebnerus the Germane Astrologian, in his seritum mundi filum, delivers, That the Lyon having the Rose and Lilies in his Armes, shall ut∣terly destroy the Pope, so that there shall be none after that time.

The holy Bishop and Martyr S. Methodius, in his book en∣tituled, Of the last times, hath fore-told, that God shall punish the corrupters of his Church, purge his house, and restore her purity.

For in the last Age of the world, that is (saith he) in the last thousand of six, the sons of Ishmael shall come forth out of the desart, and their coming shall be chastisement without mea∣sure, and without mercy,; and God shall g••ve over into their hands all the kingdoms of the wicked; and further saith, That Spain shall p••rish by the sword, and that the Inhabitants thereof shall be led Captive.

Philippus Boskierus, a learned Franciscan Friar, in his 9 Phil pp ck for the holy Land, writeth, That the kingdome of Spain is in great danger of desolation and destruction at the hands of the Turks and Moors, for their cruelty used against the Americans.

Likewise Nostrodamus in divers of his predictions fore-telleth, that the Turks shall over-run Hungary and Italy; yea, (saith Antonius Torquatus) France shal not be free from the Turkish fury, nor yet Germanie: and Reynardus Lolardus saith, that the Agaren•• shall yet once again gather themselves together, and come ••ut of the desarts in troops into Germany, and that they sh••ll ob••ain the land of the Moon for the space of eight years, they shall subvert Kingdoms and Cities, kill the Priests

in the holy places, prof••ne the holy ••••ss l, d••ssour Christian wo∣men, turn the Churche•• into Stables, and tye their Steeds to the mo••uments of the Saints, because of the wickedness of Christi∣an people in th••se d••••es, and in end th y shall be destroyed, near unto the golden Apple of Agripp••ne, when as there shall be few Christian Pri••ces left to make resistance, and almost none (alass!) saving a cer ain most inv••ncible K••••g of Spain, who in those daies shall kill the last Successor of the Mahometane Duglossius.

So shall the lofty pr••de of the Turks have a fall, th••ir King∣domes shall be brought to the Church; the Turkish Empire of Trapezond shall be br••ught back again to the Partimony or Empire of our crucified Lord, by the hands of the Cross beating servants and souldiers, and then shall the Church grow again into a new sta e of everlasting Charity, C••ncord and Peace, for there shall be a reformation, a new kinde of I••w or religion, bet∣ter t an an the old, together with honesty of conversation both in Clergy and Layti••.

And again saith Reynardus if the Princes of Ger••any▪ do not agree with the great Eagle, but fa••l to the kind••ing of civil warrs amongst themselves. Duglossius heir shall not fail to come, even the fi••teen••h branch of the Turkish tyrannied tree, and waste Poland, Mista, Thuring, Hesse, Prut••n, P••cardie, Brabant, Flanders, and ••u••p sse farre in cru••lty and rage the fi r∣cest beasts against the ••hr••stians of the North W st, but hee shall be kill••d b sid••s the golden A••ple of Agrippine, accor∣ding to the pred••ction of Merl n.