Promantic Proof from the Number Four

Such and so effective, MOST SERENE KING, is the energy that the FOURTH Number exerts in these and many other words of FOUR letters. Truly, how much depth of Mysteries it has in the things themselves, the divine scriptures teach. For the Tenth Number multiplied by FOUR descends into the FORTIETH, and the Scriptures testify that the LENTEN Fast and other Sacred Fasts instituted by the Catholic Church are based on this number. For Moses fasted for FORTY days and obtained the Law of GOD, namely, the precepts of the Decalogue. Elijah did the same and obtained the benefit of rain for the lands. Our Savior himself, before he entered the agony of his most Sacred Passion, fulfilled the number of FORTY days by fasting. Whence now the orthodox Church is accustomed to institute Fasts and prayers of FORTY hours in great necessities and arduous matters of faith, Kingdoms, and Empires.

The garments of the Lord in his most bitter Passion were also divided into FOUR parts, as the Evangelist St. Luke testifies. "They took his garments," he said, "and made FOUR parts, to each soldier a part." Whence it appears that there were FOUR soldiers who obeyed the Governor in crucifying him. Moreover, the FOUR-PART garment signifies to us that the Church of Christ is to be distributed through the FOUR parts of the World. The FOUR soldiers represent the FOUR monarchs of the World: who were indeed to accept the Church and the Law of Christ, which is contained in the FOUR books of the Gospels; but because of various schisms of opinions and heresies, they were not to preserve it whole and uncorrupted. From this constancy of unblemished preservation and the constant protection of the Gospel, the House of the Austrian Princes deserves eternal praise, which not only preserved the Catholic faith unblemished, whole, and guarded, but also labored most strenuously so that it would be preserved unblemished and holy throughout the entire Roman Monarchy subject to it. For who could express in words and describe with a pen such Zeal for defending Religion, such