Book I. Ti&e Temple of VViMome. 1 6;

doey as miy he ohfervedout of Hebrew Grammers, Aleph,
being made up of Brighter and morerparklingftarsa
then the Others are^ Iheweth faith Chomer^ that its
number is the greater; fo that in this place it ftan-
deth for onethoufandjand thefirft letter fignifieth
twenty and the laft five. So that when this King*
dome (hall have accomplifhed the number of 1025.
years, itfliall then be overthrown and brought to
Ruine, Now if we reckon from the year of our
Lord 630. which was the year f according to our
Vulgar Computation) wherein the Foundation of
this Empire was laidj wefhall finde, that it is to laft
till theyear of our Lord, 1664. for the compleating
of the aforefaid number 1035. fo that reckoning
from this prefenc year 1659. this Kingdonie is to
laft but five years longer.
The other Eaftern Kingdoms, whofe Declining is pointed out by the Stars, according to Gafferd^ is that of China : but this Author delivers hinifelf in fuch an obfcurc manner, in difeourfing of this of Angels Writing-^ as that, till I underftand it better, i fhall forbear to fet it down. Hepro- duceth alfo diverfc others, which doe define the Particular Durations of moft of the Kingdomes of Europe I all which I mJiy happily communicate to the World hercafter,when I have firft (t&n^ how thi3 Temple is affeded.
Now that I may freely deliver my own Ju igmene concerning this (rriti»g of Angels,! mufttake liberty to propofe fome few Objections, v\ hich,l have found may be brought a^iainft ic.
The firft is, that if fo be, by this Writing^ all the
Great Mutations in the World may be known j it is
polFible then, that the End of the World may in like
manner be fouudout by it , as bemg the greateft>
L 3 and
1 66 The Temple (?/ W ifdome. B o o K I.
and moft Important of all the reft : to that men may by a natural meanSjattainjto the knowledge of this great Secret: whrch is contrary to the Holy Scrip- tures.
Thefecond is'j that Aftrologers have been able to foretell many of theie Mutations, which have af- terwards come to pafie accordingly j and yet have never had any knowledge of this ftrange kinde of JVriting : It istheiefore Ufeleflejand Imaginary,
The third is, that the polition of the Stars is not fo eflential to the Letter^which it is brought to make lip, but that the fame Star may as well make, for Example, a Kefchy as a Daletb', and fo of all the reih and confequently, fevcrall men forming feveral Characters of the fame Stars, may draw from them contrary fenfes, the one to the other.
Buttoallthcfe objeftions I anfwer briefly thus. To the firft I fay, that it is not neceflary, that this Writing of Angels (hould forelliew the end of the World; becaufe that God may have referved this fecret to himfelf : Or eUe, that it would really fore- tell this hereafter^ when thofe other fignes, fee down by the Evangelifts, (hall (hew it alfo: it being all one to fay , that the ^tars (hall forfliew it by fome cer- tain Writing, astofay, that the Sun and the Moon fhall foretell it by their being darkned.
Tothcfecondl anfwcrs that the foure grand caufes, which (according to the opinion of the A- ftrologers) produce the greateft Mutations, the (irft whereof is, the changing of the Jpogaum and Pm- g£um chhePhntts: thefecond,thechanging^ofthe Excentricity of the Sun, of Vems^ oiMercurj^ of Sa- turfiyofjufiterandoi^ars: the third, thediverfe figure ot the obliquity of the Zodiackjand the fourth the con ju action 5 chiefly the Great one J of the
fuperiour