XV.

French.

_Mars_ nous menace par la force bellique, Septante fois fera le sang respandre, Auge & ruine de l’Ecclesiastique, Et par ceux qui d’eux rien ne voudront entendre.

English.

_Mars_ threatneth us of a Warlike force, Seventy times he shall cause blood to be shed, The flourishing and ruine of the Clergy, And by those that will hear nothing from them.

ANNOT.

The Author having premonished us in his Preface, that God having imparted to him the knowledge of many future things, he was curious to know if his Divine Majesty had written the same thing in the Cœlestial Book, as concerning the States, Empires, Monarchies, Provinces and Cities, and he found that it was even so as it had been revealed to him, so that the Book of Heaven, written with Gods own hand, in so many shining Characters, might serve to studious men for a light and a Torch to discover very near the common estate of the world.

He then having learned from God in his solitariness, the prosperities and afflictions of the Clergy, from the beginning of the year 1555. to the end of the world; he found that there was an agreement between his prophetical Knowledge, and the motion of the Heavenly Bodies; because having made the Systeme of the years after 1550. he found that _Mars_ was in a dangerous Aspect to the Ecclesiastical estate, and found that this Planet by its position did presage a long, bloody and horrid Catastrophe in the world, by which the Ecclesiastical estate should suffer much.

To make good this prediction, the Author doth assure us in his Preface, that he had considered the disposition of this Planet, not only in the year 1555. but also in the years following, and joyning together all that he had found in his Ephemerides, he found that this Planet did on all sides presage most bloody actions. Although, saith he, the Planet of _Mars_ maketh an end of its course, and is come to its last Period: nevertheless it will begin it again, but some gathered in _Aquarius_ for many years, and others by long and continual years.

As if he would say that his prediction ought not to be rejected; because _Mars_ ended his course, and cometh to its late period; for it would take again its Exaltation and Dominion with a worse conjunction, having his Astronomical dignities, with the Conjunction of other Planets in the Sign of _Aquarius_ during many years, and in the Sign of _Cancer_ for many years more.

Which maketh the Author conclude, that within the space of 177. years, three months and eleven dayes, the world shall be afflicted with Wars, Plagues, Famines and Innundations, that scarce any body shall be left to Till the Ground. By which prediction we learn that those evils began in the year 1555. the first of _March_, which is the date of the Authors Book, and shall last till the second of _June_ 1732. abating the ten days of the Gregorian Calender.

During which time, he saith, that _Mars_ threatneth us with bloody Wars that shall be reiterated 70 times.

This word seventy doth not signifie a determinate number, but a great number indeterminated according to the Phrase of the Scripture, which by the number of seven signifieth many times, and by that of seventy incomparably many times more. Thus the Scripture saith, that the just man falleth seven times in one day, that is many times, and our Saviour saith to St. _Peter_, that we ought to forgive our Enemies, not only seven times, but seventy times seven; that is innumerable times.

We have found the truth of this Prophecie to this very day. 1. In _France_, by the Wars between _Henry_ II. and _Charles_ V. and _Philip_ II. 2. By the Wars of _Charles_ IX. against the Protestants, wherein so much blood was spilt on both sides. 3. By _Henry_ III. against the same Protestants, and factions of his time, and then against the _Parisians_ and others of their league. 4. Between _Henry_ IV. and those of the league in his revolted Kingdom. 5. By the Wars of _Lewis_ XIII. against the Protestants, against the Duke of _Savoy_, in the _Valteline_, in _Piemont_, in _Lorrain_, in _Alsatia_, in _Catalonia_, in _Franche-Conty_, in _Flanders_, and for the defence of _Portugal_, which have been continued by his successor _Lewis_ XIV. now Reigning.

_Italy_ did also find the truth of this prophecie, by the Wars between _Paul_ IV. and the _Spaniard_, between _Pius_ V. and the _Turks_, between _Clement_ VIII. and the Duke of _Ferrara_, between the Emperour and the Duke of _Mantua_, between _Urban_ VIII. and the Duke of _Parma_, between the _Venetians_ and the _Florentines_, by the revolt of the Kingdom of _Naples_, under the conduct of the Duke of _Guise_.

_England_ hath had its share of it under Queen _Elizabeth_, by the revolt of _Yorkshire_, and some other Provinces, by the _Spanish_ fleet of 88.

By the death of Queen _Mary_, by the revolt of the Kingdom against _Charles_ I. And by the horrid perfidiousness of _Cromwel_.

_Germany_ hath made it good by the War against the _Turks_, the Protestants and the _Swedes_.

_Poland_ hath done the same against the _Russians_, _Tartars_, _Turks_, _Cassaks_ and _Swedes_.

And _Venice_ against the _Turk_, for the Islands of _Cyprus_ and _Candia_, the Battle of _Lepanto_, and the Wars of _Dalmatia_.

This _Mars_ besides presageth two contrary things, one is the _Auge_ or Exaltation, the other the _ruine of the Clergy_: where it is to be observed, the _Auge_ in tearms of Astrology signifieth mounting or ascending, and cometh from the Latin _verbe augere_, which signifieth to augment or increase. This augmentation and ruine of the _Clergy_ is made good by the several changes that have been in the Ecclesiastical estate, in _France_, _England_, Low-Countreys, _Denmark_, _Swede_, _Poland_, _Hungary_, _Valachia_, _Transylvania_, _Moldavia_, _Dalmatia_, _Geneva_, _Switzerland_, &c.

The fourth Verse saith. By those that will hear nothing from them: that is, by the Protestants that will hear nothing from the _Roman_ Catholicks.