nd frequently do but bring a great Scanal upon the Truth it felf in the event, intead of defending it as was intended. And herefore I think you have prudently avoied coming too near fome certain Precipies, which fo many Writers (and fome of o fmall Learning and Worth) before you, hro' an excefs of Confidence, have moft nadvisedly caft themselves (together with heir Readers) upon. However upon omparing carefully the prefent State of Affairs in the World and in the Church, whether at Home or Abroad, with what you have faid of the moral Prognofticks and Signs of the Times, wherein you stand not alone, I am of the Judgment that we are indeed at this Day, in a very great Crifis of Providence: And that fo nothing can well be more feafonable than this prefent Treatife of yours, which I could wish therefore were not only published in English, but in fome other Languages alfo that might render it more Univerfal. That God may fully anfwer your fincere Intentions in the Writing of it, to the good of his Church,the Refufcitation of Primitive Truth, and the awakening of many that are as it were asleep or fettled on their Lees, is

the Prayer of, &c. Janis Lee. M.D.

March 7. 1709-10.

VIII. AND moreover the Compiler of the Journal des Scavans for the Month of Auguft MDCCIV. gives this fhort Account of the Book afore-mention'd, That tho' the Author thereof (whom

(whom by an easy mistake he calls the Patriarch) differs from the common Opinion of Proteftants in this Matter, yet he is at the fame time widely different from the Doctrine of the Catholick Roman Church; having clofely berein follow'd the Traditions of the Greek Church, particularly of St. Chryfoftom, &c. Not that be fuppofes him therefore to have Written this purposely in Vindication of fuch a Middle Hypothefis; as fome Rea-.. ders may thence at first be apt to imagine. For this having been the conftant Tradition of the Eaft, that is, not only of the Greek but of all the Oriental Churches, makes it highly probable that none of their Ecclefiafticks, or Learned Men (of whom at present they have some few) would Write fo on this Subject, as if it were to prove a Controverted Doctrine, feeing amongst them it was never fo much as difputed; but that fome in thefe dark and remote Parts, even by their own Obfervations or the prefent State of Things, may have been led within thefe few late Years to Publish and Revive this moft Primitive DoEtrine, as more peculiarly Seafonable and Proper for this prefent Age.

IX. NOW this Treatife having been Writ ten fo long fince, even then when the most Reverend Primate of all Muscovy was, with others in the North-Eastern Parts of Chriftendom, engag'd alfo Providentially in Writing upon the fame Subject (as from the precedent and other Accounts doth appear) if the Reader happen to meet with fome few Paffages in it, relating to the time wherein it was Written, which answer not so very exactly to This wherein it is

now

1

now Publifh'd; he is not thereat to wonder. But yet in the space of these laft Seven Years there has been no Alteration hitherto in the Pofture of Affairs, whether at Home or Abroad, but which may ferve to convince the World of the Seafonableness of fuch a Difcourfe as this rather than otherwife: as well as to add somewhat also to the Credibility of it. And particularly, to mention here nothing else, I think, that the War that is now just opening betwixt the Turk in alliance with the Swede, and the Mufcovite in alliance with the Dane and Others, bath fomething in it that may well deferve at this time our most ferious Reflection, and haften our Preparation against the Great and Univerfal Day of Trouble here spoken of. It is an Ob fervation about two Hundred Years Old of Nicolas de Lyra and Paulus Burgenfis, that the Mahometan was to be the Longeft,the Anti christian the Shorteft, of all the Perfecutions of the Church. And the Reasons for the longer Duration of the Mahometan Sect and Empire, than of either the Affyrian or Babylonian, Grecian or Roman, or any other the Weapons of God's Wrath and Perfecutors of his People, are given at large; which in fhort may be reduced to thefe Three, viz. 1. Because the Saracenic or Mahometan Sect is not Guilty of Idolatry; as all the reft from that of the Egyptians down to the Romans were; for as much as GOD, who is a Jealous God, may be fupposid to bear with it longer, than with the former ones which were Publickly Idolatrous, and bad Diabolical Rites; and feeing this doth not incur the Sin by which the Divine Jealoufy is faid more peculiarly to be awaken'd, but great!

4

ly

ly doth abbor it, fo as the Difciples of Mahomet are neither for committing it themselves nor permitting it in others, there is reafon enough doubtless why this Scourge of Chriftendom, which on many Confiderations has hitherto always been needed, is no fooner taken away. adly. Because the former did commonly compel the Profeffors of the true Faith to Worship and offer Incense to Idols: Not fo this; which is not for forcing any to conform to their Customs and Law. And whereas it is known They were against a Toleration firft of the Judaical, and next of the Chriftian Religion, both as a Sect and as a Society; it is notorious that Chriftianity is now in both these Respects openly Tolerated under the Turk, though with certain Political Reftraints. 3dly. Because the former did all utterly deny the Dignity of CHRIST, neither receiving the Prophefies concerning him before be came, nor the Teftimonies of fufficient Witnesses when he was Come; not only difowning bis Divine Nature, but even bis Holiness and Virtue as Man; traducing him for an Impoftor and a Conjurer, deriding his Crofs, and labouring to extirpate his Name and Doctrine out from the Earth: As particularly did Roman Paganism. But not fo Mahometifm. For tho' it denies the ineffable Excellence of his Divinity, yet it grants him to have been the most excellent above all the Creatures of the World, as Burgenfis Says; and therefore Mr. Charles Lefley in his late moft feafonable Treatife of the Truth of Christianity Demonftrated, p. 157. is much in the right to reckon Mahometifm as one of the Herefies of Christianity, rather than as a Fourth Religion diftinct from Heathenifm,

Judaifm,

ず

udaifm, and Christianity. Wherefore as Maomet prefers Chrift to himself, and introduces he Alcoran only as a Confirmation of the Gospel, is plain he cannot be that very Perfon of Antiwift, who is to fet himself up above Chrift, to olish the Gospel, and to deny both the Father nd the Son; notwithstanding that feveral of e Marks of Antichrift may aptly enough, I con(s, be apply'd to him. But in Antichrift, the ft Beast, none of these all shall be wanting. hich hitherto has not been accomplish'd in Turk Pope. And this may ferve for a short and ain Answer to a very ingenious Tract defign'd to ove Mahomet to have been the true Antichrift, on a new Calculation of his Number; and pubifh'd in English towards the latter End of the ft Century; as well as to any other Pretenfion at yet has been made.

X. WHEREFORE all Things confider'd, remains that the Scriptures, if they have not his erto been, fhall be fulfill'd as to this Man of Sin; id that, according to the Saying of the Learned d Candid Bishop of Burgos in his † Additions, † Ad About the End of the World Antichrift fhall a- Apocal. rife, who shall exceed all the Perfecutions from the aforefaid Sects; for he fhall not only compel the Chriftians to Apoftatize from the Chriftian Worship, but even to worship him [Antichrift] as if he were God; and therefore is not only called an Anti-apoftle, or an Anti-prophet, as Mahomet in Truth was; but is exprefly alfo named an [or the] Antichrift, as more contrary to Chrift than all the reft. And acrdingly the greater and leffer Duration of all thefe nemies of the Church of God, and their pernicious Sects,

b