A very Strange PREDICTION OF Liberty of Conscience, Foretold (in the Year 1652.) And Published by our late Famous English Astrologer William Lilly, Tho then not vulgerly understood, and was therefore the less taken notice of, tho presaging things of great Weight and Worth, such as the things following may be. First, A Church Way, Laws and Orders decreed of God for this Kingdom of England in time to come, and by what kind of People to be carried on, and how they shall be qualified for their said Work, and how the People in this Kingdom may be fitted to receive the same. Secondly, That in favour thereof the then present Chief or Head Magistrate in the Kingdom shall respit the Execution of the Penal Laws, by the Name of his Sharp Laws. Thirdly, That about that time the Terestial Jerusalem shall be recovered out of the Hands of the Turks, the Jews Converted, and the Fulness of the Gentiles brought in, as the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments do declare.
With Alowance.
Lilly's Prediction, saying,
THO God makes use of some now to begin the Great Work intended by him, yet, in regard of their many faillings, they shall not have the Honour to Build unto God, that Heavenly and Perpetual Tabernacle of Glory which 'ere long must be Erected. No, some of them have been Men of Blood, Covetousness, Self-Ends, Oppression and Bribery; and others so full of Corruption and Self-Interest, that they shall have no Honour in acting such high Matters, as in a few Years must be performed; for God Almighty endures no Corruption in his Servant, Himself being all Purity and Holiness.
And further more I say, That the Heavenly Rule which God intends for this Kingdom of England shall be wrote down in innocent and plain Characters, and put in Execution by Plain Men, and Sincere, upon whom the Spirit of the Father shall miraculously descend, and potentially enable them for that great Work of Converting [Page] Souls without Expectation of Worldly Preferment, a thing now meerly in Request; and the same Spirit of God shall in a wonderful measure fall upon the People of this Nation in general, that they shall then unanimously embrace all those holy Laws and Dictates that shall be tendered to them, without Murmurring or Repining.
The Penal Laws suspended as now they are, by which this our Gracious King hath personally and efectually verified this part of the Prediction.The Magistrate shall not then Execute his sharp Laws, which from thenceforth shall be totally laid aside; for Men shall then universally embrace this Commandment, and fulfil it, viz. Love thy Neighbours as thy Self.
And the abovesaid Author further said, That about the same time, the Christians abroad should recover the Terestial Jerusalem, and the Holy Land, out of the Hands of the Turks, and that God also should with-draw the Nation of the Jews from their Hard-heartedness, and from those Countries where now they Live concealed, and by Miracle cause them to believe in Jesus Christ the true Messias.
And that by their Means and Preaching innumerable People of Asia and Africa should be converted unto Christianity, yea, and the Turks too, as well as all other Nations besides.
And furthermore, he saith, That after the calling of the Jews, the Scriptures shall be far better understood then now they are; for (saith he) we are in great Darkness, and see very little, and pity it is that we see so little, and understand less Verity. All these things I mention, or most of them, are very near approching, and admit not of Centuries of Years for their performance.
Unto all which the Publisher craves leave to add, First, from a Jewish Rabbie, who in his time declared, That the Reign of Christ on Earth should first begin in this Island of Great Britain, as it begins apace now to do. Secondly, from our late Doctor Tongue, who in a Book of his Collection of many antient Prophesies, presented to our late King of Blessed Memory, recites one Prophesie, in which it is said, That this Kingdom should be called, The Kingdom of Christ. All which its possible, yea, and probable too may come to pass in time. Not that I do think that there shall be no other King besides, but rather that those that be may Govern more by the Laws of Christ then their own, and so it is already; for the Law of Christ is, To do as we would be done unto, which is the measure our King hath taken in most of his Transactions since his happy coming to the Imperial Crown.