And because I have told you before, that many have been like to run mad by over-studying these, and other Prophecies, give me leave to give you this advice, that in vain, or at least without any great profit, thou shalt bestow thy time, care, and study upon it: for which I will give thee the chief reasons, that have disswaded me from it. The first is, that the thing it self, which you may think to understand, is not certain in it self; because the Author disguiseth it in several manners, sometimes speaking a double sense, as that of the ancient Oracle. _Aio te Æacida Romanos vincere posse._ Which is to be understood two ways, and cannot be determinated, till the event of it be past. It is true, that the Author doth mark so many particular Circumstances, that when the thing is come to pass, every one may clearly see that he pretended to Prophecie that particular thing. And besides he doth sometimes deliver the thing in so obscure terms, that without a peculiar _Genius_, it is almost impossible to understand it. The second is, that though the Prophecie be true in it self, yet no body knoweth, neither the time, nor how: For example, he plainly foretelleth, that the Parliament of _England_ should put their King to death; nevertheless no body could tell, nor when, nor how, till the thing was come to pass, nor what King it should be, till we had seen it. The third is, that he marketh the times with Astrological terms, _viz._ when such and such Planets, shall be in such and such Signs; but as those Planets are often here, and go out of it, and come there again, no certain judgement can be made of it. The fourth is, that many times he giveth some peculiar Circumstances to those he speaketh of, which may be found in others. Thus _the Royal first born_ might have been applied to _Lewis_ the XIII. to _Lewis_ the XIV. to the first born of _Philip_ the II. and _Philip_ the III. King of _Spain_, and to Kings of _England_, Father and Son. Nevertheless we find that this word _Royal first born_, was intended for _Henry_ IV. Grandfather on his Mothers side, as we shall shew hereafter. This being so, it cannot be expounded, but after the event. The fifth is, that the knowledge of future things, belongeth to God alone, and no body can pretend by any study, to have a certain acquisition of it in all its Circumstances. The sixth is, that the orders of Gods providence, which cause the several events in all States, will not permit that men should have a publick notion of his designs, sometimes he revealeth them to his Servants, or to some particular man as he pleaseth, but he will not have them to be known among the common sort of men.