Dr. Martin Luther's PROPHECIES OF THE DESTRUCTION OF ROME, AND THE DOWNFALL OF THE Romish Religion. ●nd how the Papists for Treachery and H … shall at last become hated, and contemned by all Nations. Here are likewise some of the eminent Prophecies of the most Learned Mathematician and Prophet Michael Nostredamus, concerning England and France, and those strange Occurrences which are likely to happen to both those Countries in these later days, with an Account of some of the Prophecies of Michael Nostredamus, which have been fulfilled here in England already. Luther's Motto Writ by himself. Pestis eram uiu●ns, moriens ero Mors tu● Papa. Licenced, May 7. 1679. EDINBURGH. reprinted in the ●ear, 1679. Dr. Martin Luther's Prophecies of the Destruction of Rome, and the Downfall of the Romish Religion. TO waste much time in the needless Commendation of that Learned, and pious Reformer, Dr. Martin Luther, would be as great impertinence as that of the young Rhetoricians, who spent three hours in an elaborate Declamation on the refulgency of the glorious Sunbeams. They are both so apparent to any Rational or Inquisitive Creature, that it would be but a Tautology to applaud them; we daily enjoy the inesteemable benefit of either: for as the one delivered us from that uncomfortable darkness which first brooded on the primitive Chaos, and hatched nothing but Confusion: so the other like a Friendly Pillar of Divine Light, kindly conducted us out of those dangerous paths of Superstition, and Idolatry, which would have led us into everlasting Destruction. But if after all those mighty obligation, he has done all the reformed Churches in Europe, there should any one yet remain brutishly ignorant of his Virtues and Endowments, I shall in a word acquaint them who this Luther was, 1. It was he who (if I may speak it with reverence) like our Saviour had the honour to be prophesied of before he was born: and this, even the Romans themselves cannot deny, since their own Histories acquaint us that one John Hilton a person they themselves h●ld in great veneration for piety and gift of Prophecy, wrote this almost a hundred years before Luther had declared himself against the Church of Rome. Much about the year 1516. the Mystery of ungodliness shall begin to be discovered, and the Sun of Righteousness shine forth in the Truth of the Gospel, and Popery shall in Germany, and other parts of the World than r … a Sudden Declension. This Prophecy was certainly fulfilled by Luther who appeared at that time against Rome, and in spite of all her then domineering Tyranny gave her a greater blow than ever she received either before or since. 2. It was he of whom the Martyr John Hus on that day he suffered at Constance said, You now coast a Goose (for so Hus signifies) but one hundred years hence you shall hear a Swan sing, whom you shall not be able neither to roast, nor overcome, 3. It was he who was graced with the Honourable title of Master of Arts at twenty years of age. 'Twas he who whilst he was perusing certain Books in the Library of the College of Orphord happened to meet with a Copy of the Latin Bible, which he never had seen before, and having to his great admiration observed there were more Evangelical and Apostolical Texts in it than were suffered to be read openly in Churches, he therefore set himself to the Translating of the five Books of Moses, and afterwards finished both them and the remainder of the Old and the New Testament, which was by some Popish Bishops and Priests forbidden to be read to the people. In fine, it was Dr. M. Luther, whom God in his infinite Wisdom raised, and furnished with a sufficient portion of Care, Courage and Learning to Inspect and Detect the damnable Superstition and Idolatry of the Church of Rome, which he resolutely performed, notwithstanding all the Threats and Dangers he knew he was to g●● through if he persisted in so doing. And lastly, it was he to whom Germany, Denmark Bohemia, and most of the Protestant Churches in the world are in a great measure beholding for their glorious Reformation. Thus much I thought fit to pr●mise, that the most scrupulous Reader may less wonder that the Almighty should entrust this worthy Champion of the now Reformed Religion with the Spirit of prophecy, which he was pleased to exercise on himself, saying some weeks before he Died, when I return to Wittenberg, I will be lodged in a Coffin, and will render to the worms a fat Luther to feed on: and so it fell out, for within two days after, he came thither he died, but a little before his Expiration called for pen and ink, and wrote this following verse, Pestis eram vivens, moriens ero mors tua Papa. Which Melancthon, one of his dear Friends, taking as a prophetic rapture, turned into a Distich of the same meaning: Thus, Qui fuit duni vixit tua pestis (Papa) Lutherus., Hic tibi causa, suo funere, mortis erit. Both of which may be thus paraphrastically turned into English: As Luther Living was Rome's plague, so shall H●r Fall be caused by his mourned Funeral. But long before this Luther was observed by all the Students at Wittenberg to be endowed with the Spirit of Prophecy which he frequently committed to posterity, the greatest part of which were in presaging the Dissolution of those two grand temporal enemies of Truth and Religion, the Turk and the Pope▪ Concerning the later of which, in Luther Collop. pag. 328. he thus prophesieth, The Pope must fall, and Popery with him, since it is downright Blasphemy to hold as he does, viz. that the final cause of the Institution of Humane Traditions, is the true Service and Worship of God: and that it is necessary to salvation; contrary to that of St. Paul, if either we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine to you than what we have preached, let him be accursed. In another prophecy Luther thus inter … 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pope Downfall I●●m pag. 312. Antichrist, says he, must all, and it plainly appears that the Pope it the true Antichrist, because those that transgress his Decrees or violate his Statutes are far more vigorously and severely punished than those who offend the Laws of God, which is a palpable exalting of himself above the Almighty, and therefore he is most properly called Antichrist, etc. Again says Luther, the Pope must and shall fall by reason the blindness of the Popelins is so great and horrible, that they hold the Reconciliation of the Living (which though they pretend is a Sacrifice) yet all their Canonists, School-Divines and Pulpit preachers utterly disapprove it. And in another place he predicts the Papal overthrow thus, The Pope, says he, must fall, for that like a right Jew he boasteth to enjoy by Christ a Temporal Kingdom, he alone will have all the Power, and Authority, he will rule and Determine all Councils, and encroach upon them under the Name of Christ. If one should have deflowered the Virgin Mary, or Crucified Christ, yet the Pope for money would undertake to Pardon and forgive the same. Therefore his Dominion is but short and will be brought to ruin according to the time signified by the number of the Beast, in the thirteenth of the Revelations, Page 306. Again saith he, Popedom must fall, for that it hath been always managed by wicked persons and correspondent to the impiety of their Doctrine: for as the Creator is in this case, such must be the Creature. Pope Alexander was a Moran, that is a Baptised Jew, he believed nothing at all; he had a Concubine called Lucretia to whom he after espoused his own Son. The Pope that succeeded him was so great an Enemy to him, that he caused all the Windows, Gates, Doors, etc. whereon his Name or Arms were fixed, to be demolished or pulled down. When God speaketh the word, (Rome he destroyed and lie in Ashes; Pope come down from your Throne,) the word of God will be obeyed and must be immediately brought to pass: L. Colloqu. 302. Pride, again saith Luther, must undoubtedly have a Fall, and consequently so must the Pope. Another of his remarkable prophecies to the same purpose is expressed (in Lu. time p. 314.) to this effect. The Pope and his accomplices presuming on their great power that they shall never fall do thereby hasten their fall; and God will overthrow him, and that suddenly, if our own Secureness, and contempt of God's word does not hinder it: Let us pray therefore that the same misfortunes they design us, may light on their own heads: they have Burned, Hanged, Drowned and Banished those that were amongst us, they will in now●●● be recalled from their Devilish Practices. To conclude, we have great hopes these Prophecies of ●●ther may accordingly come to pass, as well as some other 〈◊〉 his prediction have been accomplished already (though up●● other occasions) as plainly appears in his Tom. 2. Epist. 〈…〉 10. & 207. where he foretold the Combustion which arose i● Germany: as likewise the death of Frederick Elector of Saxony, Tom. 2. Epist. p. 10. he also in the same Book Prophesied the Dearth or Famine which happened in Germany according to his prediction. And now I shall detain you no longer about this Excellent person, but only present you with a small Manuscript written by his own hand, and not unproperly called, The Generation of Theological Corruption; or a Pedigree of Popish Principles. By Dr. M. Luther. THe Devil begat darkness, Darkness begat Ignorance, Ignorance begat Error and his Brethren; Error begat. and Presumption, out of Self-conceit; begat Merit, Merit begat forgetfulness of God, Forgetfulness of God, begat Transgression, Transgression begat Superstition, Superstition begat Satisfaction, Satisfaction begat Oblation of the Mass, the Oblation of the Mass begat unction, Unction begat the Priest, the Priest begat Mischief, Mischief begat Misbelief, Misbelief begat Hypocrisy, Hypocrisy begat Trading with Offerings for gain, Trading begat Purgatory, Purgatory begat yearly solemn Vigils, yearly Vigils begat Church-living, Church-living begat Mammon, Mammon begat Superfluity, Superfluity begat Excess, Excess begat Rage, Rage begat Licentiousness, Licentiousress begat Dominion, Dominion begat Pomp, Pomp begat Ambition, Ambition begat Simony, Simony begat the Pope and his Brethren; the Pope begat the Mystery of Iniquity, the Mystery of Iniquity begat Sophistical Divinity, Sophistical Divinity begat rejecting of the Holy Scriptures, the rejecting of the Holy Scriptures begat Tyranny, Tyranny begat Murdering of Saints, Murdering of Saints begat Abomination, Abomination begat Desolation, Desolation begat Anguish, Anguish begat Questioning, Questioning begat the searching out the Grounds of Truth; out of which the Pope, called Antichrist, is Revealed. Ex Luther's Prophecies, pag. 12. I Shall now according to my Tittle, give you a brief account of Mich. Nostredamus, and then present you with some of his Prophecies which particularly concern England and France. He was bo●n in S●. Remy a Town in Provence on the fourteenth of December. 1503. he was bred up in all the Learning in France, and having betaken himself to the Study of Physic, grew so excellent therein, that at last he became Physician to three successive Kings of that Country. I shall give myself the less trouble to demonstrate to the Reader that this Learned person was endowed with the Spirit of Prophecy, because I could instance above a thousand Prophecies of his which have already come to pass: but before I give you one or two which concerned our Nation as an instance; I shall give you the judgement of one of the greatest wits in our last age, who in brief says thus, God Almighty hes chosen out Mich. Nostredamus to impart to the World many prodigious and extraordinary things which shall happen for the Future: again says he, next the Apostles; and Canonical Prophets, Nostredamus is to be preferred before any other in these four things, viz. in the Certainty, the Infallibility, in the Generality and quantity of his predictions, of which here's an example, written as he did all his other, in old Law French, of which I shall only give the beginning, and then set you down the English of them. Trente de Londres secret— Englished thus, Thirty of London shall conspire against their King: The Plot shall be made on London. Bridge. What could appear more perfect in number, place and substance, to any one that can remember the Plotters against King Charles the First of blessed Memory, whose Conspiracy was contrived at the Bear on the Bridge-foot: This he foretold almost a hundred years before it came to pass: He also prophesied that a King of England should appear on a Scaffold without his Doublet; that he should be taken off; and that in the place where he was to be beheaded, another had been killed three days before; all which Circumstances were sadly made true by the Lamented Catastrophe of that most pious Monarch and Martyr. I shall now proceed to those Prophecies which as yet are unaccomplished, Pag. 231.5.— A quarante huit ●ejre, etc. At the Clymacterical year of 8 and 40. at the end of Cancer, shall be such a Drought that the Fish in the Water shall be boiled to a Consumption; Bearn and Bigorre, by heavenly Fire shall be in distress. I shall say no more but that Bearn and Bigorre, are two Provinces in France: of the rest let the Reader judge. Another, Paix uberte long temps on ne levera, etc. Thus Englished. Peace and Plenty shall not long be praised: before the end of his Reign the Flower de Luce shall be deserted: bodies shall die by water, Earth shall be brought, but therein they shall not be buried. By Flower de Luce is meant France, expound the rest yourselves. Proph. 82. pag. 141. de Nostredamus. But afterwards he ends his tenth Century, pag. 444. with this Prophecy concerning the future Welfare of England. Le grand Empire ser● per L' Angleterre, etc. England at last the world's Empire shall be And so shall remain for three hundred and three, Great Armies shall pass both through Land and through Sea To which the proud Spaniard shall strike and give away. THE END.