How often have you been told, both from the pulpit and press, what the sad fruit and issue of these things would be ? And as God hath given you timely warnings of this enemy bv your faith- ful watchmen in an ordinary way, so hath he vouchsafed us' some extraordinary ones too ; amongst which, I cannot here omit a strange and remarkable passage, which for divers years since fell from the pen of an English prophet ; and because I live to see one part thereof sadly verified, and the other disposing itself towards its accomplishment (if providence step not out of its ordinary path to prevent it) I shall transcribe some of the most remarkable and bear- ing passages of it for you ; my author having reproved the wanton- ness and vanity of professors, particularly those of London, breaks forth into this threatening and terrible prediction. *
' London was Troynovant^ it is Troy le grand ; it will be Troy
• ^Ir. Reeve's God's plea for Nineveh.
560 ANliPHAIlMACUM SALUEEURIMlM.
Tcjctinct^ p. 21 T. I see you bringing pick-axes to dig down youi* own walls, and springing mines to blow up your own houses^ and kindle sparks that will set all in a flame, p. 215, they which were rich owners must then wander abroad for relief, and. be glad to beg gratuities, or be glad to kiss the feet of the adver- sary for an alms, out of liis own fulness : and happy were I if I could here make an end, and the last post were arrived. But after all other extremities, conscience at last comes to her pu- nishment, this must be made a captive ; men are not only lock- ed out of their houses, but out of their temples : their goods are not only enforced from them ; but they are cleprived of the pearl ; their liberties are not only lost, but the freedom of the ordi- nances, pure doctrine, worship and faith are in bondage, and the soul enthralled. Men that will not permute a God, and suffer their faith to be new stamped, must either run or die for it : your looking-glass will be snatched away, your bright diamond shivered in pieces ; this goodly city of yours all in sheards ; ye mav seek for a threshold of your ancient dwellings, for a pillar of your pleasant habitations, and not find them ; nothing left but naked streets, or naked fields for shelter, &c. But this is but the misery of stone- work, of arches, dormans, and roofs; but what will you say when it comes to skin-work, arms, necks, and bowels ? Ye which have walked the streets in state, may then run the streets in distraction, with one leg, or half an arm ; ye may beg the preservation of the rest of your members : what in- ventions will ye then be put to, to save your lives ? Your tears will not rescue, nor your gold redeem you ; but your veins must weep, as well as your eyes ; and your sides be watered as well as your cheeks ; when they allow you no showers of rain, but showers of blood to wash your streets ; when you shall see no man in your corporation, but the mangled citizen ; and hear no noise in the streets, but the cries and shrieks, yells and pants of gasping, dying men : when ye shall see your kindred slain in one place, your wives in another, your children in a third, and yourselves at last (it inay be) cut in two, to increase the number of the dead carcases.
' As populous as ye are, ye shall then be numbered to the sword ; as puissant as ye are, the valiant shall be swept away ; as fine fed as ye are, ye shall be fed with your own flesh, and made drunk with your own blood ; your politicians can no longer help you, but have their subtle brains dashed in pieces with youis. Your lecturers can no longer save you, but you must meet together at the congregation near the ihamhles ; when this great city shall be but a great chopping-board to quarter out the Umbs of sinners, or the great altar, whereon a whole city is to be
* sacriticcd. O doleful day ! when your breasts shall try the points
* of spears, your sides the keenness of swords, your heads the *■ weiglit of poll-axes, your bodies made foot-stools, and your dead ' carcases stepping-stones for trusculent foes to tread and trample ' on ; when there will be no pity upon the aged, nor compassion
* upon the young, but heaj)s upon heaps : tumbling of garments ' in blood, and swords made fat with slaughter. Oh ! see ^\ hat
* a crimson city, crimson sins will liiake !
' Or if you do escape the dint of the sword, and your lives be ' given you for a prey ; shall not your goods be made a prey ? ' Yes, some may be reserved out of the greatest massacre ; when ' men are weary witli killing, a retreat may be sounded^ and men ' called off from the slaughter ; yet can ye tlien challenge your ' own houses, or bring your keys to your old chests ? No ; your ' title is gone, your interest lost, ye have traded yourselves out
* of your estates, or sinned yourselves out of your pro})erties : the - enemy is now house-keeper, landholder ; ye have forfeited all
* to the sword ; farewell inheritances, purchases, leases, wares, ' wardrobe, furniture, jewels. As you' nave gotten these goods ' unjustly, so they shall be taken away unjustly; and if they be ' not slain in the heap, yet they do but live to see their owri misery : ' their sins have made them bankrupts, they are undone, ruined.
' And oh ! if the loss of money v.ere the greatest mischief; but ' tliere is a treasure of greater value in danger ; there is not an ab- ' solute conquest made, till the inner man be in fetters^ thou must
* be a slave in principles. Oh ! it is an hard thing at that time ' to be a Jew inwardly, to keep the girdle of truth about thy loins ; ' thou must then bear the fruit of the degenerate plant, or strange 'vine; pour out the drink-offerings of other sacrifices, follow the ' sorcery of the mistress of witchcrafts, or learn magic with them ' that are brought up in the doctrine of devils ; thou must limp ' with the halting age ; fit thy mouth to answer the general shout, ' That great is Diana of the Epheslans ; thou must taunt ihy own ' father, spit in the flice of thine own mother, and hiss away all ' thy true brethren ; thou must be divorced from thy own faith, ' though never so chaste ; and deny Sarah to be thy wife, though
* thy espousals with her were never so solemn. There will be no ' safety for incontaminate faith ; thou wilt be either a Nicode-
* mus to come to Christ by night ; or if with Daniel thou open thv ' windows towards Jerusalem, thou wilt be cast into the den of
* lions.' Thus f\ir he.
An inundation of popery was also predicted by the learned bi- shop * of Armagh, immediatly before his death, as is well known
o62 TIDINGS FROM ROME ; OR,
to many. And where is the heart that hatli any s})intual sense or tenderness in it, that trembles not in a fearful expectation of these things ? *' Surely, the Lord will do nothing, but he revealeth " his secrets to his servants the prophets," Amos iii. 7. This is one ground of fear.