1. Touching England in generall.

THe Church is ſomething Ceremonius, which ſhall be tryed, but firſt harkned for, and nothing heard a long time, but when the vertex of the Organ doth perpendicularly point out our Zenith, then ſhall it be heard.

2. Of the Court.

Wonders! Wonders! we ſee as in a Land-skip, an honourable throng of Noble perſons, as cleare as if we were under the ſame roofe; concerning whom it ſeemes by their gracious browes, and courteous looks; ſomething they ſow, which if it be indifferent they will favourably accept, if otherwiſe, they will pardon: and theſe be noble Courtiers.

3. Concerning the Church.

Though Romes Iliad draw the Moone ſo neare, that indeed you would ſweare that the buſh of Thornes that is in it pricks your eyes; yet ſhall there come a Chriſtall of a large Arch-multiplied Millions, which by refractious Opticks, and ſtrength ſearcheth like the eye of Truth, all Cloſets that have windowes.

4. Concerning the Seas.

I ſee a Stranger ſayling towards Dover Pier, &c.

5. Concerning the Vniverſity.

See, an Hall thruſt full of bare heads; ſome bald, ſome buſht, ſome bravely brancht, well larded with Towneſ-men; grave, wiſe, and modeſt.

6. Concerning the Gentry.

Wee heare an humming noyſe of laughter, the Court and Univerſity are merry with an old Gentleman in a Comedy.

7. Concerning the City.

The City ſhall have a Glaſſe, which with the helpe of an other refractive proſpect, ſhall ſerve to ſee fifty miles, and that the dimme ſight of threeſcore, may looking find the ſame ſight with them of thirty.

8. Concerning Ports, Caſtles, and Forts.

Wee ſee Cariatus Perſius landing at Dover, attended by two Porters, that ſeeme to groane under the burden of two load of paper; and hee hath brought with him from beyond ſea a ſtrange obſervation.

9. Concerning the Land.

Oh Caeleſtiall Muſick; but it ſeemes farre off at the firſt, then ſtrange, and after a ſilence againe moſt Angelicall and heavenly; one verſe of which I ſet down, viz.

Sing ſweetly, that our notes may cauſe The Heavenly Orbes themſelves to pauſe; And at this Muſick ſtand as ſtill, As at Jove his amarous will: So now releaſe them as before, Th'ave waited long enough; no more.

10. Concerning Rome.

In the laſt place have at Rome; I ſee the Pope his Cardinalls, and his Mules, the Engliſh Colledge and the Ieſuits, there writing, and doing ſhall be diſcovered, though they have long ſtood, and are growne 〈◊〉 old.

The Propheſies and Predictions of Maſter Wilſon and others.

ROme, and Romiſh both City, and Country (as it ſtandeth now under the Pope, and his Mitted Biſhops, and Clergie) ſhall not onely be ſubject unto ruine, and deſtruction, but that moſt certainely, it is to be pulled downe, looſing by little, and little their riches, glory, ſtrength, credit of Religion, and holineſſe, which made them honoured, followed and feared of Kings, and Nations, this fall draweth on apace, and haſteneth.

The great ſwarms of popiſh Prieſts, Friars, Monks and Cardinalls, and the whole Popiſh Hierarchy, and pontificall Clergy, which like filthy locuſts ſpringing out of ſmoake fly together in ſo great heapes, in the weſt ſhall be blown away with an eaſt winde.

It is worth the taking notice, 1. That the bare profeſſion of being a member of the Latin Church, 2. of the Romiſh Church, 3. The criſme in the Sacrament of confirmation, of which many do ſo boaſt, ſhall plainly appear to be a publike ſigne, and token to be the mark of the beaſt.

The great degenerate ſtars of the Church; who through pride and ambition fall into hereſie and impiety, ſhall fall themſelves.

Twelve hundred and threeſcore years is the ſpace of time, wherein (from the firſt riſing of Anti-chriſt, all his encreaſe; his waxing, wounding, reviving, and taking heart againe, to execute his cruelty in that City, which was the Queene of the world, where he and his Favourite ſhould bath themſelves in pleaſures) after the ſaid 1260. yeares are accompliſhed, then ſhall theſe things be.

All things in the world doe take their time, the bird to build her neſt, the huſbandman to ſow his ſeed the marriner to go to ſea, the gardiner to ſet his trees, the ſick Parient to take phyſicke, the cooke to ſeaſon meats, and the dreſſer of his Vineyard to gather his fruit. It will be too late for birds to build in Summer, to ſow in harveſt, to goe to ſea when after the ſhip is launched, to tranſplant trees when they are old, to take phyſicke when we are dying, to ſeaſon meates when they are unſavory, and when winter is come to gather fruit. The five fooliſh virgins came too late, Dives in hell repented too late, the time preſent is only ours, is the figtree fruitleſſe, never ſhal fruit grow on it more.

But oh alas, are wee not like the Epheſians, wee have loſt our firſt love, or are we not like the Laodiceans, we are neither hot nor cold, or the twilight, neither day nor night, or the Autumn, neither fair nor foule, or one ſick of an ague, one day well, another ill? or a man in a lithurgie, neither alive nor dead: or an Hemaphrodite, neither male nor female, or to thoſe creatures called in Greek Amphibia, which live in water or on land: or the marigold which ſhutteth and openeth with the ſun? I would to God that we were either hot or cold: that as the holloweſt regions bring forth ſweeteſt ſpices, ſo zealous profeſſors might be greateſt practiſers of good workes: that as the ſun in the heaven is ſwiteſt at her ſetting, ſo the ſonnes of God might be beſt at their ending But is it ſo? no: the more we are taught, the more ignorant many are, & the older we are, the colder in religion.

We have indeed many of us, as it was ſaid of Ariſtogriou, Mert • m, or rather religioneman linguâ, relion in tongue: but when tryall is made of us, every Phocion can eſpy our halting: And then with Archilocus we think it better, Clypeum abjicere quam interire, even to caſt off all Religion, then to undergo the leaſt diſgrace or loſſe for religion.

The Moon deſiring to be aparrelled as the reſt of the planets, anſwer was made her, that her divers changes could admit no kind of habit, and whilſt we deſire to be attired with the robes of Chriſtians, it is to be feared, that if we tread not the moon under our feete, wee ſhall never be cloathed as the Church was with the ſun.

But notwithſtanding the change of times, and inſtability of moſt people, there is nevertheleſſe ſome who keep cloſe unto God, for whoſe ſake, God of his infinite mercy, and God hath appointed times, & ſeaſons, ſorow, and joy, and every thing in due and proper time, and running their race towards heaven, are with joy brought thither in Gods own time, of whom Prudentius ſaith, Generoſa Chriſti ſecta nobilit at viros, Cui quiſquis ſervit, ille verè eſt nobilis. He noble is that comes of Chriſt his race, Who ſerves this Lord, he ſurely is not baſe.