That the world shall not endure aboue sixe thousande yeares.

SAint Austine, August. in hi [...] 12. booke a­gaynst Mat. and ma­nie moe of antiquitie, together with moste learned men of our tyme, and my masters, excellentlie seene in all things Philip Melanc­ton, and Regner Pre­din a man of ripe ler­ning and iudgement, Moderator of Gronin­gane, haue been of this opinion, that that Pro­phecie of Elias concerning the worlds continuance sixe thousande yeres, is without all doubt true, and to be credited. Notwithstanding that Prophecie is not to be read in the holy scripture, but in the books of the Ra­bines, as in the firste Chapter, and firste booke Aboda­zara: also in the fourth part of the Thalmudician work, in the Sanhedrin book, and last Chapter of the same and o­ther places, where that is alledged of the Rabines for the true saying of Elias. The words are these: Elias prophe­sie. Two thousande vaine, Two thousande the Lawe, Two thou­sande Christ. And for our sinnes which are manie and marueilous, some yeres which are wanting shall not be expired.

By which saying the world is notably deuided into three ages, or especiall courses, and doth shewe both whē Christ should come, and how long the state of this [Page] world should continue. Two thousande yeres was the world without any lawes, ordeined expressely by the worde of God, which being finished, Circumcision, and afterward the Lawe was giuen, and a certaine gouern­ment, and true manner of woorshipping of God, was instituted by the worde of God. But about the mid­dle age of the world, when as three thousande yeeres were past, to wit, in the time of Iosaphat King of Iuda, and Achab King of Israell, did this diuine Prophet vt­ter this Prophecie, by which he did signifie the true and certaine tyme of Moses gouernmēt, and of the cōming of the Messias or sonne of God, which should manifest himselfe, preach, and be crucified of the Iewes. And he shewed, that almost a thousande yeeres did remaine, before Christ should come and the Gospell begin to be preached: & about two thousād yeres after his cōming, the world should perish and come to nought. Nowe sith according to this Prophecie of Elias, the euent hath proued two thousande yeeres to haue beene past before Circumcision, and manifesting the lawe, and two thou­sande also to haue passed when Christ came, (for vntill the thirtie yeere of Christes age, at which tyme Iohn did prepare the way to the Lord, and Christ began to ac­complish the will of his father, did the fourth thou­sande continue) it is to be thought vndoubtedly, that nowe in the olde age of the world, the euent will an­sweare to his prophecie, and that as in the middle, and flourishing state of the world, God carried Elias by a firy chariot into heauen, so in the ende and vanishing tyme thereof, he wil exalt vs with him self into the celestial ha­bitatiō, of which no doubt Elias was a figure cōstituted of god. But (as Elias saith) some yeres shalbe wāting. For the Lord God, because of wickednes, shall hasten his cō ­ming, so that six thousand yeeres may not fullie be expi­red. Which prophecie was vttered by Elias, through the [Page 2] holy ghoste, and is no fiction of the Rabines, as are ma­nye things in those Thalmudician bookes, and may in my iudgement, be cōfirmed by the answeare of Vriel the Angell vnto the demaunds of Esdras, although Hie­rome, and those which followe him, doubt hereof. But Theodore Bibliander in the explication of Esdras his dreame, doth say, 4. Esdras. 4. that Hierome did rather imitate the rashnes of the Iewes, than probable reason. The iudge­ment of Bibli­ander concer­ning the fourth booke of Esdras. And proueth by many moste plaine arguments, this fourth booke to be Esdras owne booke, Prophetical, & diuine: and saith: That marueill it is not though this diuine booke (bycause it moste plainly telleth of the raigne, and cheifest, lawfull, and euerlasting kindome of Iesus Christ, and also of the refusall of the Iewes, and conuer­sion of the Israelites vnto Christ the Lorde) be despised of the blinded synagog of the Iewes, which do wilfully set themselues against their sauiour: And also addeth that this booke is yet extant in the Hebrue tongue, The answeare of Vriell to Esdras. and was translated out of the same. To this Esdras (de­maunding of Vriell the Angell, whether the time past, be greater than the time that is to come, or whether that which is to come, exceede the tyme past?) the Angell doth answeare by two similitudes. And doth shewe vn­to him first a burning fornace, and afterwarde, a wa­trie cloude, and saith, Marke whether the fire do ouer­come the smoke, and the showre the drops? or other­wise? To whom Esdras sayth: I see Lord, that a very great smoke doth passe away, I see also a great showre to come powring downe: but afterwarde I perceiue the flame to ouercome the smoke, & the drops the showr. Then saith the Angel. Now iudge of the continuance of the world. Euen as first the smoke vanquished the fire, and the drops the showre: so the yeeres of the tyme past, shall exceede the tyme which is to come. But nowe, accor­ding to the computation of yeeres, it is euident that [Page] Esdras liued aboute the thirde thousande and fi [...]e hun­dred yeere after the worlds creation, and a while after Cyrus death: from which tyme, aboue two thousande yeeres are consumed. Wherefore, we doo see this pro­phecie marueilously to agree with that of Elias, and the ende of the world to be nigh at hande.

Psal. 90. 2. Pet. [...].Moreouer, bycause the holy scripture doth witnesse, that a thousande yeeres, with God is but as one daie, and also that the Lord God sixe daies was occupied in framing the world, but the seuenth day rested, therefore Melancton, Osiander, and others, haue put a greate my­sterie in the same, and haue perswaded themselues, that from this number of daies, Con [...]ect [...]re f [...]om the syx daies of crea­tion. that saying of Elias was bor­rowed: which me thinkes to be true. For euen as God in sixe dayes made all things, and rested the seuenth: so by the ministerie of his worde in this lyfe within the compasse of sixe thousande yeeres he will gather his Church, with which in the seuenth he will celebrate and keepe holy his euerlasting Sabboth. Caspar Peucerus thinkes Orpheus to haue been of this opinion, whose words Plato did thus recite: ‘ [...].’

Although in all the sacred scripture there be no place as touching the determination of any certaine tyme, more agreeing with Elias Prophecie, then that answeare of Vriell vnto Esdras: yet will we proue the same to be moste true by things alredie paste, by the state of things present, & other tokens as hereafter in their place or­derlie shalbe showen. Neither is it to be doubted, but that by the certain prouidence, predestination, and wis­dome of Go [...] al things for his glory, & the safetie of his Church be marueilously mainteined, and to a far other purpose then any man can imagin. And therefore vnder the che [...]f histories of the old testament, we see our most blessed & mightie God to haue hiddē great Mysteries to be types, figures, and shadowes, of the life, dea [...]h, re­surrection, [Page 3] and raigne of Christ, as the storie of Abra­hams offring of Isaac, of Ioseph the Patriarch, of the bra­zen Serpent, of Samson, Dauid, Ionas the Prophet, which was three dayes in the belly of a whale: and so likewise some other learned men, very probably haue reasoned, that Henoch, being from Adam the seuēth, Co [...]iecture of Hench by ge­neration th [...] seuenth from Adam. was a figure of the last iudgemēt, and of our ascending into heauen. For euen as the corporal death bycause of sinne forcea­bly did raigne, and beare swaye ouer the sixe fathers of the Church, to wit, ouer Adam, Seth, Enos, Kenan, Ma­h [...]laliel, and Iared, but vpon the seuenth, which was E­noch, could exercise no force or power at all: so likewise by the space of sixe thousande yeeres, which tyme the world shal endure, death shal beare a sway, but in the se­uenth thowsand, which shalbe the beginning of the ce­lestiall & euerlas [...]ing life, his force and sting being lost, he shal vtterly be abolished. To which thing Iudas in his Epistle had respect, which saith, that this Henoch the se­uenth after Adam, dyd foretell of the last iudgement. Which iudgement is giuen of Elias, Elias. that he should be a type & figure of his owne prophecie. And it is said, that as Henoch in generation, so Elias in cōputation of yeres, was the seuēth after Adam. For it is reported, that next vnto Adam, was Methusalah: next to Methusalah, Sem: to Sem, Iacob: to Iacob, Amram: to Amram, Ahia: and to Ahia, Elias the Prophet. Now if this accompt of Elias be altogether true (as many do coniecture) there is no doubt but the Lord God, would in his wonderfull woorks declared to his Saintes and chosen, haue many secret mysteries, that in the consideration of them, we might be inflamed with desire of the celestiall and most blessed life. Here let vs cōsider, that before the seuen [...]h thousand yeare, we shalbe taken vp, to meete the Lord in the cloudes, euen as Elias by a f [...]rie chariot and hor­se [...], was lifted vp to heauen.

Finallie also the Euangelists and Apostles, call the [Page] tyme from Christes incarnation vntill the ende of the world, 1. Peter. 1. the laste howre, or laste tymes. Saint Peter saith: Christ was manifested in the laste tymes. And to the Hebrewes Paule writeth: Heb. 9. Christ once was offred in the ende of the world. Neither is this tyme of the Apostles therfore called the last, bycause that certainly the ende of the world is at hande: but because, according to E­lies distribution, it is the laste of the three ages of the world (which without all doubte they respected.) Nei­ther is it to be deemed, that this prophecie was vnknow­en to them, but rather that by reuelation of the holy Ghoste, it was singularly renued: and therefore in deede they call this last age of two thousande yeeres, (in the beginning of which all prophecies and visions, by Christ were to be fulfilled) the laste tymes, and howre. These nowe be the testimonies, and coniec­tures, by which I haue studied to proue, (and haue sa­tisfied my selfe) that this world shall not continue aboue the space of sixe thousande yeeres. Nowe followe those things, by which I meane to shewe, that the sixt thou­sande yeere shal not be expired.

That the world shall not endure sixe thousande yeeres.

NOwe that the sixt thousand yeere shalbe shortened, it is apparant, and maye be prooued for order sake, firste, by those woordes of Elias the Prophete, aboue recited, in this manner: And for our sinnes which are many, and marueylous, some yeeres which are wanting, shall not be expyred. [Page 4] VVhich words do not much disagree frō those of Christ, where he saith: And except those dayes were shortned, Math. 24. all flesh should perish, but for the elects sake, they shall be cut of. And although there peraduenture the Lorde doth properly talke of the ruine, & ouerthrowe of Hie­rusalem (as may easely be gathered by the circum­stances of that place) yet may it seeme, that he would speake the same of the vtter destruction of the world, because in that place he giueth certaine and moste eui­dent signes thereof (of which hereafter more at large) and also dooth foretell both of the ouerthrowe of Hie­rusalem, and by a certaine confusion of wordes, of the worldes destruction: so that for the perfect vnderstan­ding thereof, greate iudgement is to be required. And bycause the former is a figure of that which is to fol­lowe, I perswade my selfe, that as well by the woordes of Christ, as by the prophecie of Elias, it may be ga­thered, that for the electes cause, those miserable dayes of the vtter ouerthrowe, and ending of this wicked world shalbe shortened, and cut of. Coniecture from the con­stitution of the Sabboth. Others by proba­ble reason endeuour to proue the same through con­sideration of the Sabboth daie, which is a true figure of the eternall Sabboth. For in the Lawe it was prescri­bed, that about the euening of the sixt day, the Sabboth should take his beginning. And therefore their coniec­ture is not vnlike to be true, which thinke that the eter­nal & superexcellēt Sabboth of the Lord shal begin, not at the end of the last thousande yeere, but a litle before.

Here be some other coniectures brought foorth, which willyngly I passe ouer, and the rather, bycause I know them to be of no great force. The preaching of the Gospell, the chiefest signe of Christs comming to iudgement.

But those tokens are dilgentlie to be marked, which Christ did foretel should goe before the cōsummatiō of the world: that by them we may the more certainly thinke and perswade our selues, (tyme present, and to­kens [Page] foretolde being compared together) that the ende of the wo [...]lde hangs ouer our ne [...]kes. Among oth [...]r signes (in my iudgement) the preaching of the Gospell is not the least, but moste cheefely to be noted, as rhat by which all other tokens both going before, and fol­lowing, in those wordes of Christ are knowen to bee true tokens of his comming. The wordes of Christ tel­ling vs howe to knowe when the Gospell is preached, are these: Math. 24. And this Gospell of the kingdome shalbe prea­ched through the vniuersall world, for a witnes to all nations, and then shall the ende come. By which words the sonne of God Christ doth playnly teach, that about the time of the worlds destruction, the true doctrine of Christ should be preached. By which is gathered, that the same was obscured, defaced, and almost not spoken of, by reason of false prophets, before that tyme. And Christ saide, that in those dayes should arise many false Prophets, and by saying themselues to be Christ, should seduce many. Nowe what is more euident in these our dayes? Hath not the true and sincere doctrine of the free pardoning our sinnes by Christ, lien hid these many yeeres, and vnder the tyrannie of Antichrist maruelous­lie been obscured? And the Pope arrogantlie vaun­ted himselfe to bee Christ, or at leaste his vicar? What promising of pardoning sinnes, and redeming soules out of their fained purgatorie, by theire wicked Bulies, and blasphemous Masse? what idolatrie in woor­shipping, and impietie in receiuing Christ in the sacra­ment? Finally what diuers and diuilish supe [...]stitions haue been practised, so well it is knowen vnto all men, that I neede not to recken them. And nowe againe [...]y the vnspeakeable grace and mercie of God, we plainlie perceiue such a cleare light of the Gospell to shine ouer the whole world, that in spight of the diuell and all his adherentes, it castes his b [...]ames ouer all nations. And [Page 5] therefore what other things shall we looke for, but as Christ did foretel, a sodaine downfall of this wretched world? For if we reade eyther the holy Byble of God, or historicall bookes of prophane men, we shall finde that God hath alwayes followed the example of a ryghteous iudge, God doth first accuse before he condemne. which before he condemne a man for his offences, will first accuse by witnesse: so God, before he send plagues and punishment for our trans­gression, dooth first put vs in minde of our wickednes by preaching of the Gospell, and declaring his diuine pleasure: that by consideration of our disobedience, we may turne to the Lord by repentance and lyue. First we haue a notable example here in Noes preaching, Gen. 6.7. by which the Lord God dyd first accuse the world of disobedience, before he drowned the same for lacke of repentance. So lykewise he dyd not bring the tenne Tribes of Israell into captiuitie, 4. Reg 17. before he had sent Esay, Osee, and other Prophets to call them from iniquitie. The lyke a hundred and foure and thyrty yeeres after happened to the Iewes, 4. Reg. 24.25. when by the preaching of Ieremie, Ezechiel, and other Prophets of God, they would not beware of disobeying Gods maiestie. At the length, many ye [...]res being spent, our mercifull father God almyghty, sent fyrst Iohn Baptist, after him Christ his onely begotten sonne, then the Apostles, to call them to repentance, and to open the way to saluation in Christ, promised before by the Prophets, then performed, and willing to be receyued, if they would imbrace him. But they were so farre from beleeuing them, that theyr preaching they lothed, Iohn they beheaded, Christ was crucified, and the Apostles eyther by shamefull death cruellye murdered, or at least, by ill intreating miserably tor­mented. I [...]sephus E­gesippus. And therefore not vndeseruedly was that famous Citie of so infamous a people, by the Ro­manes [Page] vtterly subuerted, Iosephus. Egyptus. and the Iewes made a praye to their enemyes, and odious to all the world: whi [...]h shame of theirs and subuersion of their citie (as Dani­ell before, Dan. 6. and our Sauiour a [...]terward did prophesi [...]) dooth and shall continue, till the world hau [...] an ende. After this, Paule preached to the Coll [...]ssi [...]s, Laodicians, and Hierapolians, but they contemned, and cared not for his wordes: Orosius. lib. 7. Chap 5. and therefore (as Orosius witnesseth) the earth opened and swallowed them vp. And hy­therto also dooth that doctrine of Paule tende, tea­ching that the wicked sonne of perdition should be discouered, and by the spirit of the month of God de­faced, and afterward, by the glorious comming of the sonne of God, vtterly destroyed. Nowe who is that same desperate sonne sitting in the tēple, as God him­self, it is easie to be knowen: and how he by the prea­ching of the Gospell hath been discouered, experience doth shew: and we hereafter at large will prooue, that he is, and hath of long tyme continued, the Byshop of Rome. Now sith we behold his doctrine, and authori­tie by the force of Gods word to be so ouerthrowen, (as they are iudged almost mad mē, which seeme any way to fauour him,) what other thing can follow, but that God is ready to come vpon vs, and standes at our doores? And that not only his hauty courage shalbe abated, and his execrable crueltie altogether aboli­shed, but also that the whole and vniuersall world, for all sinnes committed since the beginning, be accused, & so condemned to eternal tormentes: because wic­kedly they haue cōtemned the grace of God offred vn­to them continually, and wilfully refused to tast the sweetnesse of the Gospel, and forsake their sinnes and wickednesse by repentance.

Besides, Christe hath geuen many other signes and tokens of his commyng: Of other things following the preaching of the Gosp [...]ll. Ma [...]h. 24. Luk. 21. as rumors of warres, famin, [Page 6] pestilence, earthquakes, and that countrey shal rise a­gainst countrey, and that cruel persecution shalbe ex­ercised: also that in those dayes shalbe signes in the Sunne, Moone, and Starres. &c. Al which cannot be tokens, vnlesse the preaching of the Gospel go before. For Signes, except they be knowen, cannot be signes: because in all tymes, those aforesayd euylles haue ap­peared eyther more or lesse, and therefore of themsel­ues can not be signes. But when al those euyls imme­diately after the preaching of the Gospel, haue come on heapes abundantly vppon vs, and more than euer they dyd in any age long before vs, no doubt they do prognosticate and foretel vs, of the consummation of this most wicked worlde. Besides, that these tokens which Christ dyd recite, do foreshewe the worldes de­struction, and not the subuersion of the Temple, it is apparant, because he saith, that people against people, and kingdome against kingdome shall arise. Whiche thyng was not done before the destruction of Hierusalem, that euer I could reade. For then, An answere vnto certayne obiections. what kingdome a­gainst kingdome? what people against people: what, and howe great warres were then? All which we do not onely see to haue been done, but also to our paine feele them, besides more greeuous things not yet heard of, but more to be feared, and circumstances bring vs to that mynd, to thinke that more intole­rable things are prepared to vexe vs, both of Turke and Papist. And that also in the same place (as appea­reth) the Lord vnderstoode the last preaching, not the beginnyng of his Gospel, thereof it is euident, because by and by he adioyneth, That the Gospell beginnyng to shine euery where, a visitation shal come, and end of all thyngs. Otherwise, if this place were to be vnder­stoode of the first openyng of the Gospel, by the Apo­stles, no doubt this ende had been come many hun­dred [Page] yeares agoe. Besides, the Euangelist returneth to the former question of the Temples, and Hierusalems destruction, from whence he digressed. Peraduenture also the Euangelistes haue confounded these two, that not by the same wordes they might finish nowe that, now this particularly: because peraduenture they were of this opinion, that they thought, that after the sub­uersion of Hierusalem, should immediately follow the destruction of the world: whose ende (as Christ said) should be so sodaine, as nothing coulde be more. But Christ our Lorde coulde of his owne accorde disioyne those things, to make them darke for a tyme, which he would not haue to be knowen, and could make them manifest, when it were for his glory, and our profite, at a tyme conuenient.

But to make of these tokens foretold of Christ, any long discourse, it were a great labour, and peraduen­ture tedious to the Reader, because the thing it selfe, and experience do sufficiently proue, these signes after the manifesting of the Gospel, to haue been fulfylled, except onely those in the Sunne, and Moone, and o­ther Starres, as yet haue not appeared, whiche Christe doth tel, should eyther shew them selues a litle before, or in his very comming. The Mathematicians and Astronomers iudgement notwithstanding is, that in many hundred yeeres past, were neuer seene so manye Eclipses in the Sunne and Moone, nor yet so strange copulations of Planets as wyll appeare within fewe yeeres, which no doubt are to threaten vnto vs daun­gers and miserable dayes, as hereafter shalbe shewed. Here I will not speake of the prodigious Comets, and Meteores, which many tymes haue been marked in this our age. Neyther wyl I call to mynde the iudge­ment of Astronomers, and chiefest Diuines vpon that Starre, whiche within these three yeares, shewed her [Page 7] selfe certayne monethes togeather, as the very mes­senger, and warner of Gods comming to iudgement: and the rather, bicause it seemed to be of the same na­ture and qualytie wyth that which foretolde the birth of Christ the king of the Iewes, vnto the wysemen. Also I will in silence passe ouer the straunge earth­quakes, which in our dayes haue happened in manye places (as of late at Ferraria in Italie) and in Friseland, the nature of which Soyle is left subiect to the same. But (I beseech you) let vs call to our remembraunce, all those euils, which as yet we doo as it were beholde and haue tasted, not heard of, doo see with our eyes, and to our great griefe suffer them continually. What a greeuous pestilence and plague these many yeeres, both with vs and in other places hath reygned, and tyrannically dooth exult ouer all persons, and bring very many to their graues, and according to the iudg­ment of the learned (which are in opinion that it will and must continue yet moe yeeres) will dispach many moe? What a long dearth of Corne, and great scar­sitie of all things? What a multitude in the cause of religion, haue suffred the losse of life and lyuing? What theft and robberyes on al sides, both on sea and land? What an infinite company haue in cruell fight been miserably slayne and murdered in Fraunce, Flaunders, and Friseland?

But I am troubled, and that greatly, to think on and recite the calamities which Frisela [...] by strange and vnaccustomed ouerflowings o [...] waters hath felt: espe­cially by the two later, whereof one happened in the yeere of our Lord. 1574. the fourth of Nouember, in which men and beastes in number infinite, were drowned, and was of such a great depth, as almost it myght be called the Frisian floud. The other chaun­ced in a more dangerous and woorse tyme, three [Page] dayes before the Feaste of Saint Bartholomewe, in the yeere of our Sauiours incarnation. 1573. the which in many places brought more hurt to many men, than the former, because by the same, all corne on the grounde, and other fruite perished miserablie, by reason whereof, great dearth and penurie ensued. So that in those Coūtries, it might wel be said that those wordes of Christ were fulfilled, saying: The people shalbe at their wittes endes, Luk. 21. at the roring of the Sea and salt Waters. Wherefore let vs giue credit vnto those words of Christ, and let them be vnto vs for most certayne tokens of the suddayne commyng of our Sauiour to iudgement.

There are besides these, other signes of the oldnes of the world, and of his ouerthrowe: because we playnlie perceyue al things dayly to waxe woorse and woorse, and decrease in their vertue. The aire is of­tentimes corrupt, sometime with vntimely showers, sometime with vnprofitable drinesse, now with too much colde, now with extreame heate. The fruitful­nes of the feilde is not such as it hath been aforetime: Riches and substance we see consumed: The Proge­nie of great and Noble men, we perceiue dayly to be multiplyed, but their patrimonie is no whit encrea­sed, but impayred by discorde. By which it com­meth to passe, that many great men and Lordes, bend all their cogitations to the oppressing of their poore Tenantes, and by often fines, and exactions, bring ho­nest men to beggerie, [...]nd by the example of Pharao, make slaues of their seruan [...]s and subiects: as though they were appoynted of God, [...]om. 13. to liue, not for the de­fence of the good, punishment of the wicked, and preseruation of iustice, but to them selues, and to pamper their bellies with good cheare, and theyr backes with braue apparell. And therefore do those [Page 8] Empires now shewe themselues to be as cancred and rustie Iron, which in tymes past were as bright Siluer, or glittering Golde. But I doe not speake these things of true noble men, and of good Princes, which do ex­acte things necessarie to the defence of the common weale, and for the conseruation of their Maiestie, which things wythout all controuersie the worde of God doth allow them to haue. Nowe it is not to be doubted, sith for the sinnes of the people such tyran­nie is growen to the top, From Pharoe [...] Example. but these Pharaoes with sud­daine destruction of the world, shalbe ouerwhelmed, euen as that Pharao in persecuting the people of Isra­el, Exod. 14. (which for a tyme he had with greeuous yoke of slauerie oppressed,) was with all his hoste drowned in the red sea. The reason is not vnlike, he is a figure, and the same God is now which then was, readie to deliuer his people from calamitie, and to take reuenge on the wicked, for their crueltie. Contempt of knowledge.

Another great argumēt of the worlds consumma­tion, is, because all good artes, & learning, haue these fewe yeeres been so contemned, and Vniuersities and schooles, and scholasticall discipline (which are the causes & fountaines of knowledge) almost in euery place come to decay. For God in this last age hath shewed his singuler and marueilous goodwil towards mankynd: especially (in that so great barbarousnes of our Predecessors, when all artes and liberall lear­ning was hid, and knowen to sewe, the Latin tongue polluted, smal cunning in the Greeke:) by raysyng vp some Vall [...], Agricola, Erasmus, Melan [...]ton, and others, which with great study and paynes, haue brought al sciences, & knowledge of the tongues to their puritie, and deliuered vnto vs a more easye way to the attay­ning the perfect knowledge of them all: by which, almost all Europe is set free from rude barbarousnes. [Page] Afterward, when our most bountiful God had giuen vs such helpes to the vnderstanding of the Scripture, by and by he set on fyre the Beacon of true doc­trine, which of all other gifts and graces of God, is, and ought to be imbraced as chiefest.

But by experience we see these giftes of long time to haue been at the ful, All gifts at the [...]ppe of perfection. and now decrease. For not ad­u [...]s [...]d iudgement, not that sharpnes of witte, not that great industrie, and exercise in studies are now, which haue been. Contempt of learning. To this dooth appertayne the maruei­lous contempt of all kinde of knowledge, especial­ly of Diu [...]nitie: [...]. Also the smal regard of godly and faythfull Ministers: by which they are brought to such pouerti [...], or almost beggery, that their wiues and children must be infor­ced to liue vppon almes. But what is the cause of this miserie? Is not that intollerable tearyng, and spoyling of Church goodes the chiefest? Is it not to be imputed vnto those Magistrates, whose care is such ouer Ministers, that they will not allowe them abun­dance of worldly wealth, least happely by possessing much, they tast of couetousnes the roote of all mis­chiefe, and so desire more? or els fall into ryotous­nesse, and so become Epicures? Or if that be not in their minde, they doo imagine them selues to be such Lords of body and soule, as was of late that Romish Tyrant. This may very well without offence be con­iectured, although it may be that their insaciable de­sire of worldly promotion, which by ryches without vertue may be gotten, is the roote from which so di­uelish fruite dooth proceede. How much better were it if in these things a meane were obserued, and that Churche men had wherewithall to lyue honestlye, wyth keeping hospitalitie, and if that whiche were thought too much for them, were Christianly bestow­ed [Page 9] either on those which liue in pouertie, or careful­ly reserued to some other good vse? For as plentye brings pride and hautines of mynde: so pouertie in­gendreth contempt, not onely of Ministers, but of the Ministrie also, which being disdayned for lacke of preferment, mens cogitations are so turned, that ra­ther they had to bynd their sonnes to some seruile oc­cupation, then bring them vp in liberall instruction: by which, must needes followe not onely the great scarsitie of learned men, Contempt of the ministerie. but also greeuous want of godly Ministers, and so consequently, the miserable estate and ouerthrowe of the Church. Now what remayneth but that we certaynly perswade our selues, that rhese are playne and euident signes and testimo­nies of Gods great displeasure agaynst vs for dispising his Ministers, whose contempt he neither can for his holines, nor will for his iustice suffer any time, as the the manifold miseries & plagues that be euery where, doo shewe vnto vs. And as the sonne of God Christ sayd before, that after the preaching of the Gospell, destruction should follow, I hope the time is so farre from being differred, that it will spedely come vppon vs. For it cannot be but that the prophecie of Christ should be true: which could not be, if those dayes of barbarousnes and ignorance of true religion (which we are lyke to fall into) were not by his speedy com­ming preuented.

Moreouer, we should thinke the worldes foundati­on to be worne out, and the same to be falling vpon our shoulders, when we sensiblye perceiue our selues to liue in those dayes, wherof Christ foretold, saying: Math. 24. The comming of the sonne of man shalbe as were the dayes of Noe. For then were men eating, drinking, marrying, and were married, vntill Noe entred the Arke. And they perceiued nothing vntill the flood came, and ouerwhelmed [Page] them all: and such shalbe the comming of the sonne of man. By which no doubt the lord would signify, Securitie of lyfe. that in the latter dayes there should be a marueylous securitie, wherby there should arise not only vnspeakeable wic­kednes agaynst God, but also a lamentable disorder & confusion in common weales, for lacke of discipline. Now, if we wil compare tyme present with that which is past, and set the manners of all men before our eyes, we shall perceyue wickednes to haue come to his ripenes, and to raigne almost without control­ment. For, (notwithstanding that God through his vnspeakeable mercie in these latter dayes hath giuen vs his Gospell, whereby we should frame our affecti­ons according to his will, and liue in vnitie and peace with all men according to his word,) what desire of righteousnes, or zeale in religiō is there to be found? Yea who is not in Christianitie eyther cold, or care­lesse? Many desire to be religious, and thinke they are so, if only for a fashion they frequent Sermons, and come to ordinarie seruice and Ceremonies, suppo­sing themselues in doing so, to be sufficiently religi­ous, although their hartes doo burne with desire of transitorie things. & they swel through the poyson of al vngodlynesse. Many also thinke they do marueilous wel, in making the doctrine of loue, peace, and vni­tye, the occasion of stryfe, contention, and heresie. And suppose they do serue God very wel, if, knowing some of a contrarie opiniō, though not in the chiefest poynt of Religion, they doo with wordes condemne them, and with curses commit them to the Diuels pu­nishment: themselues in the meane while, in a cer­taine spirituall pride gotten through a vaine opinion of learning puft vp, doo, resting vpon the auctoritie of others, not with arguments answering to Gods word, [Page 10] take hart of grasse, their aduersaries oftentimes defen­ding the better part, and more agreable to the plea­sure of the high [...]st. And yet forsooth must this so great iniurie and shamelesse reproch, be called, not the spirit of synne, but a godly zeale. O daungerous dayes, and diuelishe behauiour. Some there be also which thinke well of themselues, and woulde be num­bred among good Gospellers, because they haue lear­ned, without knowledge busily among theyr pottes, to inueygh agaynst the papisticall superstition, them­selues beyng vniust, theeues, oppressors, and most wic­ked rouers: such as at this day men call the Guisians, worse (speaking after the manner of men) then ciuill Papistes. What should many wordes doo? We plain­ly now perceiue greatest vice, for chiefest vertue to be counted: and those men, through a fained shewe of simplicitie to be most commended, which of all other for impietie, ought most to be dispraised. For craftie and deceiptful, are wise: couetous, good husbandes: prodigall, liberall: and riche men are deemed the best men. These haue promotions, and though by wic­ked meanes they attaine them, yet diues clarus erit, for­tis, iustus, sapiens, etiam & Rex: Et quicquid volet, Horace. lib. Serm. 2. as Ho­race said: The riche man shalbe noble, valiant, vpright, wise, yea and king, and what he wyll. And in another place:

Boëtius lib. 2. ante prosam. 3.And Boëtius.

Those and the like vices haue Poets and Philoso­phers in their dayes, when wickednesse dyd but spring, (as themselues haue testified) reprehended. And ther­fore is our Lord God earnestly to be desired, that all these euils by his speedie comming may take an ende. For although al maner of wickednesse in this age, haue ascended marueilous high, yet are they not so come to the top, but that more straunge vngraciousnes, and wonderful deceiptes, and more horrible confusions in common weales through euil gouernment of them, may to the griefe and vexation of good men be seene, then euer were. For we see continually that many through their cogging, prating, pride, and flatterie, without all honestie, learning, or Christianitie, in hope of profit, and preferment, prickt thervnto, beate their braines, and bende al their studyes, to be gratious in their eyes, which sit in chiefest place aboue other men. By which it commeth to passe, that for a time they are well accepted euen of the best: but good Princes can [Page 11] smell them out, and wil banishe them their companie, perswading themselues that that friendship is not of continuance, whose ende and grounde is not the set­ting foorth, and encrease of vertue. Wherefore it is to be wished, that al Christian Princes would carefully commit these wordes of Christ to continuall remem­brance, saying: You shall knowe them by their fruite. Math. 7. Doo men gather of Thornes grapes, or figs of Thistels? And a­gaine, A naughtie tree cannot bring foorth good fruite. An admoniti­on to Prince [...]. For those wordes of Christ are to be vnderstoode not onely of false Prophets, but also of all men, and especi­ally of such as beare aucthoritie. And therefore ought a good Prince thus to reason with himself, what good­nesse may be looked for at their handes, whose delight hath alwayes been from their youth in wickednesse? How can it be, Sith vnto a vile nature not regenerate with Gods holy spirit, a wicked custome and delight, as it were another nature, is adioyned? Is this mixture commendable? Nay truely: if to this diuilish beha­uiour dignitie and honour (which seldome make vs better) be linked, what can be looked for els, but euen prodigious monsters, hurtfull to all men, and execra­ble before God? according to that. Asperius miser [...] nil est dum surgit in altum. For their great preferment, is the greatest punishmēt that may be. And whether that,

of Lucan, speaking of Warriours brought vppe in spoyles and wickednesse, be altogeather false: which vndoubtedly we beleeue, hauing learned the same by reading and experience, to bee true: and yet in this [Page] place, we confesse the same to be spoken somewhat hyperbolically. Besides, how can they be profitable to their Princes, to their countrey faythfull, and care­full of keeping iustice and the lawes, which in all theyr lyfe, haue been faythlesse to the king of kings, and so farre from a care of keeping of iustice, that they neuer had any sure knowledge of the same? What agree­ment or good mixture can fyre haue with water: Hot­nes with coldnes? Equitie with vnright [...]ousnes? How can it be, that mē should haue a care of that countries prosperitie, in which they are strangers, and is not their natiue soyle? Ouid. lib. 1. fast. Agayne, can men drowned in vo­luptuousnes (whose studie is, querere vt absumant, et absumpta requirere certāt: to seeke that they may spend, and striue to fynde that naughtely is spent: [...], ambitious, and louers of themselues,) with honestie preferre the Princes prosperitie, be­fore their priuate profite? And the common weales good, before their owne gayne? So that to place these men in authoritie, is it not to yeelde the simple sheepe to the crueltie of rauening wolues? These men O ver­tuous Princes (if stories of al times were noted) should appeare of all troubles the authors, in euery common weale the ouerthrowers of euery kingdome, alwayes betraiers of their Princes: as might be proued by many examples, and those not farre fecht, were it my mynde to fraught my booke with histories. Wherefore O ye Princes and rulers of the earth, which desyre (as in­deede you ought) to be the parentes of your people, vse greater heede, and more iudgement in choosing them which eyther shalbe of your counsayle, or beare authoritie in your names: for the common felicitie, dooth most redounde to your glory. And also bee you alwayes ready and prepared then to giue an ac­compt of your stewardshippe, when the king of kings [Page 12] (whose vessel, is euery Monarch) shall come: of whose sodayne comming, out of the woorde of God here I geue true and certayne tokens. For if then he shall espie his beloued sheepe (of which if but one be found which was lost, Luc. 16. the whole troupe of Angels do reioice) by your negligence and fault, to be committed as a pray to wolues and wicked beastes, euill shall it be with you, and then without all doubt in his rage, hee will cast you headlong into hell and extreame darkenes. The almyghtye God by his holy spirit and grace, graunt vnto all good Princes, and their counsailers, wisedome and prudence from aboue, that in deede they may be the good lights, both in establishing that which is profitable for their people, and executing of iustice, and preserue, defend, and keepe them, and all his elect from vtter destruction, to the glory of hys name and felicitie of his Church. Amen.

Finally also out of the seuenth Chapter of Daniell, a notable coniecture of the suddayne comming of the sonne of God, may be taken: For in that Chapter, be described foure Monarchies of the world, and where, in what Nation, they shal be from tyme to time, vn­till the resurrection of the dead. By which, the endes of the ages of this world may after a sort be noted. But these Monarchies being destroyed, there shall spring (sayth Daniell) a mightie kingdome, myghti­er than those, immediatly before him, & shall change the religion of Christ, and shall haue wonderfull suc­cesse, and shall wage battayle with holy men. Now what kingdome he vnderstandeth, it is apparant by the euent, which is the Turkish Empire. But (as the Prophet sayth) Putabit quod possit mutare tempora &c. He shall thinke that he is of power to alter tymes and lawes: Of the success [...] of the Turke, but iudgement shall come, and he shalbe taken away, his power shalbe weakened, & come to nought. Daniel. 7. These words [Page] doo playnlye yenough declare, that an alteration sodaynly shalbe in those dayes, when the Turkish Em­pire dooth come to the highest, and promiseth himselfe an euerlasting dominion ouer all the world. And strayght way shall that most comfortable daye shewe it selfe, in which the sonne of God shall rayse the dead, and render to his Church life, and eternal glory: but the wicked he shall cast headlong into euer­lasting tormentes. With this prophecie let vs compare the times of our predecessors, and our owne together, and we shall euidently perceiue the Turke to haue pre­uailed mightily against the Christians, and to possesse not onely all Asia, but also a great peece of Europe. And (that I may vse the woordes of Lactantius) Verè vorauit omn [...]m terram, Epito. diuinar. instit. Chap. 11. leges nouas statuit, Rempublicam suam fecit, nomen Imperij, sedem (que) mutauit. that is: the earth he hath deuoured, newe lawes he hath establi­shed, the common weale is to himselfe impropriated, the name and seate of the Empire he hath chaunged.

Also what successe within these few yeeres he hath had, it is well knowen. A great part of Hungarie he enioyeth, from the Venetians ▪ he hath taken Cyprus: now from the King of [...]payne, Tunetum: and (as I heare) whatsoeuer he hath enioyed hytherto in A­frica, is taken from others: and as yet he is in armour, with all worldlike prouision, with shippe and souldi­our prepared against the Spanish king, and threatneth vtter destruction to al the world. And therefore we doo playnly perceyue, the state of these tymes mar­ueilously to aunsweare vnto the Prophecie of Daniell. And it appeareth (if by probable reasons any thing may of lykelyhoode be gathered) that the Turke tho­rough the ciuill dissentions of people, and continuall warres of Princes, to the ouerthrow of the Gospell by the Popes setting on, will subdue all kingdomes. [Page 13] But (I trust) the Lord God by his speedie comming, will bring to naught these endeuours of Turke and Pope agaynst his Church, and will cast that beast with the litle horne, which hath mightely encreased, and all those vngodly and dragonish kingdomes arising from the sea, and that false Prophet, into that fornace which burneth with fire and Brimstone.

Many reasons and probable con­iectures from the course of tyme.

HEtherto by meane dili­gence I haue recited those fore tokens of the induring of times, which Christ hath taught vs. And also I haue showē other signes and con­iectures out of Gods worde and condition of the tyme that now is, by which we may know the oldnes, and sodayne finishing of tymes, to which when they come to passe, the Lord commaundeth vs to looke backe, and lyft vp our heades. For in that the Lord God de­clareth his most ardent goodwill towardes vs, in that he would not signify the day and hour, but foreshewed the tokens going immediatly before the same. And therefore sith by these it is manifest, that it is the ex­presse will of our Sauiour, that out of the written word of Christ we should with all diligence search out the last tyme of our redemption: I doubt not but I shall doo a good deede, and gratefull both to God and his Church, if I vtter foorth some cogitations of myne, [Page] fetcht from the course of tyme, yet agreeing to th [...] holy Scripture, for the proofe of the opinion about the speedye conclusion of tyme. Not that I am in that mynde that I thinke these to be Demonstrations which through a necessitie of that which is to come must needes be, but as probable things so long to be imbraced, tyll we learne more certayne. And there­fore in these and the lyke things, I submit my selfe to the better iudgement of the Church and of the lear­ned: and I perswade my selfe that these and other singuler Prognostications which followe, whereby somewhat [...]igher I approch, than as yet I haue doone to shewe the sodayne comming of the Lord, shalbe so farre from terryfying of the godly, that the consi­deration of these things will be most pleasaunt and comfortable. But yet I take not vppon me (as be­fore also I haue protested) to know the day, which Christ sayth himselfe he dooth not know, (as he lyke a man beareth the office of an Apostle.) For the signes foretold we may know, but not the day and houre: not the very moment of his comming, but the tokens of that moment doo we search out, as farre foorth as it is lawfull for man so to doo.

The holy Scripture euery where maketh some colla­tion between the first Adam the sinner, & the sonne of God Christ our Sauiour, Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 15. the second Adam: also be­tweene the floud, the vtter ouerthrowe of the world, euen as Christ dooth signifie in these woordes: Et e­rit sicut in diebus Noe, &c. And it shalbe as in the dayes of Noe, Mat. 24. &c. Wherefore I fell first into this consideration, and afterwardes, from one to another, into those which ensue, whether the tymes past in equalitie of the same nomber aunsweared alike. For the Lord God hath ordayned all things by a singuler and euer­lasting wisdome, and experience dooth teach, by a [Page 14] certaine concurring of the Starres, that in such things, e great lykenes of tymes is woont oftentymes to hap­pen: as in the birth of Isaac, and of his offering, which is a figure of Christ, there is a great concent of the tyme. For from Isaac vntill Christ, were two thou­sand yeeres fully expired. But, when from Adam or­derly vntill the floud, we doo consider the yeeres of the generations of all the fathers, and gather them all into one summe, (laying aside the false computation of Eusebius, and others following the Greeke trans­lation of the seuentie Interpreters) from the first yeere of the worlds foundation to the floud, are iudg­ed to be a thousand, sixe hundred, fifty and sixe yeeres. From this number, the yeeres of Christes birth, vn­to this present yeere a thousand, fiue hundred, seuen­tie and fiue, doo differ eightie and one yeere, if tru­ly that number were filled. But I doo not thinke the world shal continue so long, that the latter time should in number exceede the former, for many coniectures which follow: but what may come to passe, the Lord knoweth.

Lykewyse, Moyses is a figure of Christ, that mar­ueilous deliuering of Israell by Moyses out of the handes of Pharao, is a figure of the victorie of Christ, which in our behalfe he hath by his death on the Crosse, and resurrection from the dead, obtayned a­gaynst the diuell, and death: and the whole gouern­ment of M [...]yses, is a shadowe of Christes kingdome: His destruction, and the Iewes, is no doubt a token of the worldes ouerthrowe. And here we shall see a wonderfull concente, and agreeing of tymes, that so by things past, we may looke for the euent of things to come, vndoubtedly by the singular prouidence, counsayle, and ordinance of God. For no other rea­son can I render, sith I cannot perswade my selfe, that [Page] these things, can by chance so wonderfully agree to­geather. First, by the true accompt of yeeres, it is playne, that from the comming out of Aegypt, and publishing of the lawe, vnto the Natiuitie of Christ, are numbred a thousand, fiue hundred, and nine yeres. Now if the yeeres from the Natiuitie of Christ, vntill this time, in which Christ began agayne to be borne to the world, and to be brought into the light as it were through the preaching of the Gospel, by Luther, and other famous men, were numbred, they are in summe, a thousand, fiue hundred, and seuenteene. Agayne, from the departure out of Aegypt, vntill the death of Christ, the yeeres are accompted to be a thousand, fiue hundred, fortie and two. And this number also dooth marueilously agree with that ge­nerall Persecution in Germanye made by Charles the fift, and the Pope, which happened in the yeere a thousand, fiue hundred, fortye and seuen. So that these numbers of yeeres beyng compared togea­ther, wilbe found not much to differ in quantitie of number.

But from these poore mentions, I will goe higher to those things, which especially doo agree to our pur­pose. It is manifest, that Moses gouernment, vntyll the last destruction of Hierusalem by Titus, did stand in all, one thousand, fiue hundred, eightie & three yeeres. Neyther is it to be doubted of any, but that that de­struction, and wasting (of Hierusalem) is a manifest fi­gure of the last ruine of this world. And therfore doth our Lord speake of these things together, and sayth: those dayes were the dayes of Noe in respect of man­ners, and the securitie of mans lyfe. Nowe at length, what shall we gather of these things? That the terme of the worlds destructiō should agree with the former number of yeeres of Moses gouernment? Which [Page 15] not the sonne of an Emperour, or chiefest Monarch, as was Ierusalem: but the sonne of God much mightier than all Emperours, an euerlasting king, can bring to naught. Melancthonin vita Vaspati­ani. Which thing Melancthon seemeth plainly to point at in the lyfe of Vespasian in his Chronicles: and the like reason is here, which is in the former compa­rison of nūbers, if things to come may be gathered by things past already. The figure doth altogether in this place agree, & the chiefest signe of Christes comming, to wit, the preaching of the Gospel hath gonne before, and we to sticke in the midst of all the other foretolde calamities, and euery yeere expect more miserie.

Finally also, the Astronomers write (if euery skilfull man in his owne facultie is to be credited) that the starres in the beginning of the thousand, fiue hundred, eightie & foure yeeres, (which almost altogether doth agree with the number aboue mentioned) doo threa­ten very fearefull and horrible things, eyther a gree­uous alteration of Empires, and other wonderfull things: or els an vtter destruction of this world. The wordes of Cyprian Leouitius a Bohemian, Ciprian L [...]o­uitius of the strange co [...] ­iunction of Planes. a most excel­lent Mathematician, in a certaine booke of Prognosti­cations for twentie yeeres, from the yeere sixtie foure, to the eightie foure, be these: Anno Domini .1583. men­se Maio. &c. Which is, In the yeere of our Lord 1583. in the moneth of May, there shall happen a great coniunction of the superior Planets in the last ende of Pisces, after which straightwayes in the yeere eightie foure, shall ensue a won­derfull mixture of all the Planets almost in Taurus, about the ende of March, and beginning of Aprill. And which is more: a little after that shalbe seen, an Eclypse of the Sun in the twentie degree of Taurus, about the head of Algol, a most cruell and hurtfull fixed starre, gouerned by Venus, which shalbe linked to fiue Planets in Aries, tending toward the twelfe. Here (sayth he) must we watch: and I thinke it [Page] meete that all earthly cogitations be cast of, least we be de­stroyed beyng vnreadie: for this great coniunction is of all the la [...]t, which shall happen in the ende of watrie Trigon, and watrie Trigon shall perish, and be turned into fire. Neyther any more it the space of eyght hundred yeeres the end of wa­trie Trigon shall be nigh. But because about the ende of watrie Trigon this Monarchie shall begin, it is likely, that the same also in the ende of the same [...]rigon shall haue an ende, sith the sonne of God himselfe Iesus Christ our Lorde euen in the ende of watrie Trigon tooke vppon him the na­ture of man. For sixe yeeres before his most glorious Nati­uitie, the same verie coniunction in the extremitie of Pisces, and in the beginning of Aries happened. Neither came the lyke from since that time, but when Charles the Great helde his Empire, which was in the yeere of our Lord seuen hun­dred, eightie and nyne. And now the second tyme, such a great and straunge coniunctiō shal come, which vndoubted­ly doth foreshewe the other comming of the sonne of God & man, in Maiestie of his glory, at which time wee must render an accompt of our lyfe and conuersation. And a little after he sayth: But vnder Charles the great the ende of the world could not be, because at that tyme, fiue thousand yeeres were not expired. But now the operations of this great coniunction continuing, the number shall tende to sixe thou­sand yeeres: which agreeth with the holy Prophet, affyr­ming, that this world should stand sixe thousand yeeres, of which summe of yeeres the sonne of God shal take somwhat, saying: the last time for the elected of God shalbe shortned. But if there remained yet another coniunction of the former Planets like to the first, then should there be required almost eight hundred yeeres moe: which added to the tymes of this great coniunction, do make the nūber of sixe thousand, & al­most foure hundred yeeres, which is plainly against that pro­phesie. These coniectures howsoeuer they are I thought good to recite, which doo agree with the learned Prophesies [Page 16] of most auncient Astrologers. Hytherto Cyprian: which also by his Latine verses doth showe that old and com­mon prophesie turned into Germanical Rhythmes by Iohn Stoffler, which also aboue nineteene yeeres agoe I haue heard recited by Melanthon. The wordes in the Germane tongue be these:

The Latine verses are thus

In Englishe thus.

Now by this it appeareth, howe the number of yeeres of Moses gouernment, which endured a thou­sand fyue hundred eyghtie and three yeeres, and of this yeere a thousand fyue hundred eyghty and foure, in (whose beginning that prodigious coniunction of the Planets in the ende of watry Trigon dooth hap­pen,) agree togeather: so that the quantitie and num­ber [Page] of the tymes foretold, the signes and starres seeme to agree togeather, and without all doubt to pre­tend the same thing. In lyke manner may we bring foorth other comparisons of tyme, which by reason of lyke euentes, agree togeather wonderfully. Of which this one is not of least wayght: To witte, that same tyme from the natiuitie of Christ vnto the ouer­throw of Hierusalem, is almost equall with that, when Luther first of all set himselfe agaynst rhe Popes Indul­gences, and began to preach the Gospell to this yeere eyghty and eyght, in which or about the same, by this marueylous ioyning togeather of Planets, which shal­be foure yeeres before, by the singuler prouidence of God, so direful destinies of the world shall meete to­geather. For from the byrth of Christ vntyll the de­struction of Hierusalem, are numbred seuentie and three yeeres: and from the tyme Luther and others first began to preach Christ and his Gospell, vntill the eyghtie and eyght yeere, are acompted seuentie and one. The number is iust with that before, (and spea­king allegorically,) thē may Christ be sayd to be born againe, when as his doctrine, so long by Papisticall dreames darkened, & fond illusions so deeply buried, is as it were borne anewe, and doth clearely shine a­mong vs. But if those yeeres from the birth of Christ vntill his preaching, and suffering of death, with that generall persecution done by Charles the fifte and the Pope: and againe those yeeres from rhe death of Christ vntill the destruction of Hierusalem, wyth these yeeres, which came since that general persecution, vn­till the eightie and eight yeere, were compared: we shall see also that in number of yeeres they doo not much differ. For between Christes birth and his prea­ching, there was thirtie yeeres: and so to his death .33. yeeres, and somewhat more. But from that seuen­teene [Page 17] yeere, when the Euangelicall doctrine began to shine againe, vntill the fortie and sixe yeere in all, when Charles the Emperour began to arme himself against the states of the Empire, so to abolish the doctrine of Christ, are numbred twentie and nine yeeres. Againe, from the death of Christ to the ouerthrowe of Heru­salem, there was fortie yeeres. And from that generall persecution, which happened in the fortie and sixe yeere, vntill the eightie and sixe yeere, are accompted fortie yeeres: which is the middle yeere between the eightie foure, when that exceeding straunge vniting together of the Planets shall appeare, and the eyghtie eight, about which that coniunction shall take his full force.

Moreouer, I find, that these tymes, in which those two wonderfull coniunctions dyd appeare, sixe yeres before the byrth of Christe, and in the dayes of Charles the Great, and the thyrd, and last, which shal happen before the ful expiryng of sixe thousand yeres, the thousand, fiue hundred, eighty and foure beyng at hand, do fyll the same number. For Cyprian Leouitius doth write, that that other vnityng of Planets in the tyme of Charles the Great, chaunced in the yeare, seuen hundred, eighty and nyne, after the natiuitie of Christ. If to this number so many moe were added, the yeares would be, one thousand, fyue hundred, seuenty, and eight. Nowe, if to these were added, those sixe yeares before Christ was borne, when the first of these three coniunctions happened, there shall aryse, countyng from the Natiuitie of Christ, as it were from an effect of the former coniunction, the same number of yeares in full quantitie agreeing with that dreadfull yeare, eighty foure, aboue a thousande fiue hundred: onely that first, from this last, which is to come, differyng those sixe yeares before Christes byrth.

[Page]I confesse my selfe not to be skilfull in Astronomie, although I do greatly esteeme that Arte (if it be sober­ly vsed, and not vainely abused) which some, because they are not acquainted therewith (as commonly it happeneth) doo not onely despise, but also with euyll wordes, because it is abused of some, deface. But if the writyngs of Leouitius, and which was a great while be­fore his tyme, Iohn Stoffler, and other Astronomers iudgements, of those rare coniunctions of all the Pla­nets in the end of watry Trigon, be true: (as certesse I beleue, and verily perswade my selfe) I say plainly, it is a thyng greatly to be marueyled at, that those collations of tymes (in which the Lord God eyther hath bestow­ed singuler benefites vppon his Church, and also wyll bestow, or altered kyngdomes, and wyll alter) by such a certaine wonderfull equalitie, and quantitie of num­ber should answer between themselues, euen as those causes of Astronomers in euery respect haue doone. Of which it is most euid [...]ntly gathered, that the Lord God, by a singuler prouidence, and eternal Counsaile, dooth guyde and gouerne all thyngs. And also it is plainly to be seene, that he hath made the Starres, and the course of them to be as it were Clockes of his eter­nall counsaile, and gouernments of such things in his Church, Prayse of A­stronomie. Gen. 1. and common Weales, euen as the Lord God also dooth witnesse hym selfe, that those lights in the Firmament of heauen, should be for Signes of tymes, and dayes, and yeares.

And therefore from these thyngs doo cunnyng A­stronomers fetch their coniectures, bycause through a certayne order which the Starres doo keepe, they haue by long vse obserued very many thyngs, that so, from a true obseruation of principles, they may bring foorth generall coniectures, whose euents doo marueylously agree togeather. And that there is a certaine order, or [Page 18] a true course of the Starres, that wonderfull agree­yng togeather of yeares, continually in great alterati­ons of Kyngdomes, and Religion, which hath beene marked, is a great proofe: as by that which is already spoken, shal more plainly appeare. Truely, as oft as I consider these things, I am not only exceedingly trou­bled in mynd, but as it were compelled to beleue, that that especiall tyme of the end of this world, is nigh at hand: because the Lord among other things also hath gyuen as certayne tokens, these to wyt: that before his commyng, there shalbe a darkenyng of the Sunne and Moone, and that the qualities of the heauens shalbe troubled. By which woords no doubt he would sig­nifie, that the whole Firmament of Starres should be altered, and as it were threaten a destruction.

¶ An application of Histories, and other Testimonies, with a short repe­tition of that which is spoken.

THerefore, in my iudgement, herein is conteyned a woon­derfull Mysterie, yea greater then may be vttered by any man, in that our mercyfull fa­ther (if any credit may be gy­uen to Mathematicians) to these three tymes, betweene those two thousand yeares of the last age, which (according to Elias Prophesie) were appoynted to Christ, hath an­nexed the same coniunction of all the Planets, vnder [Page] the same Signes. Because, if these Mathematicall ob­seruations, togeather with that agreement of tymes al­ready spoken of, were compared with the Prophesies of the Prophetes, of Christe, and of Paule, we shall fynd a marueylous concent of al these thyngs. Which thing by the Prophets, by Christ, and by the Apostles (the Starres signifying the same, through the vnspeakeable loue of God towards his Ch [...]rch) is therfore doone, that these three tymes, as it were by a most necessary obseruation, should be marked: to wyt, about what time Christ tooke vpō him our nature, also about what tyme, by the comming of Antichrist, the true doctrine of Christ was obscured, and that sonne of perdition obteyned the chiefe place in the Church, and Empire of the world: and finally, about what tyme that glori­ous commyng of the sonne of God to iudgement, is to be looked for. But that we may the better open these things, let vs consider, after what manner the e­uents of those two former tymes haue happened, in which the same constellation of the Starres, accordyng to the opinion of Cyprian Leouitius, dyd come, that of those two past, we may the better iudge of that most ioyfull commyng of the sonne of God, to all his elect, and may certainely perswade our selues, that he wyll make hast, and come shortly, and with speede: and also let vs consider that tyme, in which the same constella­tion shall appeare againe, which was twise before, & in multitude of yeres (as is aboue sayd) is like these past.

Of the com­ming of Christ into the flesh,When the godly about Christs time did see the go­uernment should be taken not onely from the stocke of Dauid, but also from the Iewes, and translated to strange rulers, to wit, to the house of Antipater the Idumite, no doubt they supposed that Christes com­ming into the flesh was then at hand: and the rather they did so thinke, Gen, 49, because Iacob, the Patriarch had [Page 19] long before prophecied that the Scepter should not be taken from Iuda, Dan. 9. nor the captayne from betweene his feete vntil Silo came, or he which was to be sent: and also these seuentie weekes of Daniell, drewe well to an ende, which being expired, the ruler of the people, should shewe himselfe. Neither did that vndoubted hope deceyue the godly: for the sonne of God Christ at that time tooke our flesh vppon him truly and in deede, he was a Sacrifice for our sinnes, and and rose from death for our deliuerance, so that those Prophe­cies were fully expited and tooke their effect. And that then all the Iewes thought their Messias should be borne, which they dreamed should be a mighty Monarch, and rule ouer the world, Suetonius Tranqu [...]l­lus dooth euidently shew in the life of Vespasian, Of the com­ming of Anti­christ. the fourth Chapter.

Lykewyse Saint Paule did foretell a most certayne argument of the comming of the sonne of perdition. For in the tyme of Paule there were some in so wicked an opinion, that they thought the comming of the Lord euen then to be nigh at hand, 2. Thessa. 2. which Paule en­deuoreth to bring frō that error, teaching that the lord should not come, before that wicked man an enemie to God, were first reuealed, and that he should not be reuealed, except first that auncient and present Em­pire of Rome were vtterly abolished. Which thing he dooth signifie in these wordes, saying: He onely which keepeth, let him hold presently, vntill he be taken awaye, and then that wicked man shalbe made open. Hierome fol­lowed the same sense, wryting vnto Algasia in this manner: Quae causa sit, &c. That is: You knowe very well, what the cause is, that Antichrist now pres [...]nt­ly commeth not. He will not playnly say that the Romane Empire must be destroyed, which the gouernours thereof suppose shall continue for euer. Wh [...]reof it is that accor­ding [Page] to Iohns Reuelation in the forehead of that purpled Harlot, there is written a name of blasphemie, of euerla­sting Rome. For if he had playnly sayd, Antichrist shall not come, except first the Romane Empire be abolished, a iust cause there might arise of persecuting the East Church which then was. And a litle after he sayth: The Ro­mane Empire, which now keepeth all Nations in subiection, must be ouerthrowen, and then shall Antichrist come the fountayne of iniquitie. The same sense dooth Tertullian, in his treatise of the resurrection of the flesh, and Lactantius treate of, in his seuēth booke, &. 25. Chap­ter of Institutions.

But if we would compare the Prophesie of Paule, with the deedes of Charles the Great, we shall fynde that prophesie in those dayes marueilously to haue taken effect, and then the auncient Empire of the Ro­manes altogether to haue come to naught, and the title of the Empire, which was the image of the Beast, to be translated to the Frenchmen, and Germans, and afterwardes by little and little especially to haue come to the Pope of Rome, which at that time begā plainly to shewe himself to be very Antichrist, and that dam­nable childe. Platina. Because he was not only content to be [...], or the head of the vniuersall Church (as Phocas before aboue two hūdred yeeres, had appoyn­ted him) but also the lord of lords. For Charles now be­ing anoynted & crowned Emperor by the Pope, Krants. 2. Cap. 18. Gan­guinus. lib. 4. (be­cause he had luckely ouercome Desiderius king of the Longebardians, which ambiciously sought the Empe­rorship of all Italy) and afterwardes his sonne Lodoui­cus Pius from whence also he receyued that name, to be called Lodouike the Godly, graunted vnto hym the gouernment both of Rome and of many other Pro­uinces: & this gift of Lodouike hath Raphaell Velateran in the actes of Pepine and of the Emperours, faithfully [Page 20] committed to posterities by writing. So the power and malice of the Byshops increasing by little and lit­tle, the whole world came vnder their subiection, and all Emperours, Kings, and Princes became as it were their Clients, or (as I may say) their Vassalles: and they yet in name the seruantes of Slaues, but indeede as it were chiefe Monarches of all Kings, seruing at their beckes. Of these we haue a notable testimonie of that most noble, and worthy Salisburgan Archbishop Eberhardus, which about the yeere of the Lord .1240. in the open counsailes of the king, Lib. 7. Ann [...]l. Ioan. Auen. in exemplari En­sta [...]i impres­so. an. 1554. fol. 684. & 685. is reported to haue spoken these wordes ensuing: Flamines illi Babyloniae regnare cupiunt &c. That is, Those Babylonian Priestes desire to raigne, equals they cannot abyde: they wyll not leaue of, vntill they haue troden al things vnder their feete, and sit in the temple of God, and be exalted aboue all that which is worshipped. The desire of riches, and thirst for pre­ferment is vnsatiable. The more you giue to a couetous mā, the more he gapes. Shewe your singer, and he will desire the hand. Through libertie we are all the worse. He which is the seruaunt of seruauntes, coueteth to be Lord of Lordes, as if he would be God himselfe. The holy assemblies and mee­tings of his brethren, yea of his Lords, he condemneth. He is in feare, least he be compelled to giue an accompt of those things which dayly he dooth more and more against the lawes. He speaketh wonderfull things, as if he were God. Newe deuises are in his minde, whereby he may impropriate the Empire to himselfe. He chaungeth lawes, his owne he establisheth, he abuseth he spoyleth, deceyueth, slayeth. This man of perdition which is called Antichrist, in whose fore­head it is written, I am God (and cannot erre.) He sitteth in the temple of God, and beareth sway farre and wyde. But as it is in holy scripture: He which readeth, let him vnder­stand. The learned shall vnderstand, all the vngodly shall doo wickedly, and shall not perceyue. And a little after, Ro­mani [Page] maiestas populi. &c. The Maiestie of the Romane people, which sometyme ruled the whole world, is taken from the earth, and the Empyre is returned into Asia. Agayne, the East shall beare sway, the West shalbe in subiection. The kingdome shalbe augmented, the chiefe power of things, by many shalbe scattered, diuided, diminished, I wyll not say, teared, ciuill dissention for euer is sowen, neither shall wee perceiue the ende of bloody batayles. The Emperour is a vayne appellation, or name, and is onely a shadowe. Tenne Kyngs are togeather, which haue diuided the worlde, some­tyme the Empire of Rome, not for the defence, but dectruc­tion of the same. &c.

Finally also, euen as the Pope in power and autho­ritie hath increased, so likewise in blasphemies and im­petie hath he abounded: insomuch, that at length he hath vsurped the power of God, inuerted the face of all true Religion, and defiled the same with his filth: which thing no wise man can deny. The blasphe­mous a [...]ro­gancie of the wicked Pope. Therfore doth he sit in the Temple of God, chalengyng to hym selfe the aucthoritie of the highest: and as Paul speaketh, boa­sting hym selfe to be God, as may be prooued by the Decrees and Decretals of the Popes, if any man thinke we say not the truth. Heare what his most impudent fauourers on his behalfe haue reported: The Pope (say they) is called as it were wonderful, from Pape the Interie­ction of woondring, because he is Christes Vicar and Gods, whose the fulnesse of the earth is. And Iohn Andr. vpō this woord Pope, in the Proeme of Clement, speaketh thus: Papa dictus est quasi pater Patrum. &c. The Pope is called as it were the father of all fathers, hauyng onely the fulnesse of power. 2. Distin. 44. Also Thomas of Aquine saith, that in spiri­tuall matters, and temporall, he hath the chiefest degree, e­qually to Peter the Apostle. At a woord, they make hym a Mungrell, as partly God, and partly man. They call hym, The Spouse of the Church, The mother of the [Page 21] faythfull, which cannot erre, whose voyce is heauenly, euen as Peters was, and therfore that he is the chiefest Iudge: whose wickednes, as the murders of Sampson, the spoyles of the Hebrues, the adulterie of Iacob, are to be iudged of none: for there is one and the same seate (say they) both of God and the Pope. The Popes wyl is said to be a heauenly wyll, and therfore is of power to chaunge the nature of things, to apply that vnto one, which belongeth to another, and of nothyng, to make somewhat. Are not these and such like Rules of the Canonistes formally recited, marueilous things? which with blasphemous and wicked lyppes vnder the Popes p [...]rson, accordyng to Daniels Prophesie, speake agaynst the God of Gods. And as the Occi­dentall Empyre of the great Pope, in the tyme of Charles the Great, was diuided from the Orientall: so likewise the Empire at Constantinople, which some­tyme was called also the Orientall Empire of Rome, afterwards was greatly diminished by the great Turke & Sarasins, whose power afterward increased more and more, and that mightily. Afterward, a litle before the raigne of Carolus Caluus, Cousin to Charles the Great, the Tartarian Turkes, by occasion they were requested to assist the Persians against the Sarasins, obteyned all Asia: and these embracing the Mathematicall sect, at the length came to be of greatest power. So that these two wicked and Antichristian kingdomes tooke their beginnyng, when the Romane Empire in Phocas tyme and Heraclius was impayred: and in the raigne of Charles the Great, the Empyre almost subuerted, they dayly more and more mightily increased, in this weake and diuided kingdome, whose feete were be­come partly of yron, and partly of earth. Afterward, by lyes, backslidings, and slaughter (which are the pro­perties of the Antichristians) their rulyng and Reli­gion [Page] was confirmed, and the Saintes of God, by myn­gling earthly with heauenly things, were vexed: as Hi­storiographers, and the Chronicles of Iohn Auentine euery where do witnesse. And therfore both of them by the glorious commyng of the Lord, shall be aboli­shed, and shal receyue one, and the same destruction.

If therfore to the consolation of all the godly, and confirmation of our faith, the holy Ghost hath had a great care to d [...]liuer vnto vs by the Prophets, Of the com­ming of Christ to iudgement. certayne foresignes, by which might be coniectured, when the commyng of Christ in the fleshe was nigh at hand: whose commyng should yet before the world, be base and very simple, and yet of sufficient power to saue our soules frō the heauy curse and displeasure of God: And if the holy Ghost hath been so carefull in giuyng to the Church, and the chosen of God, certaine signes and tokens of the commyng of Antichrist, no doubt he dyd the same, that the better they might shun and forsake all his vntrue teachings and blasphemies, by the helpe of Gods woord. And therfore hath the ho­ly spirit of God been the more diligent to shew to the Church, many and manifest signes of the Lords com­myng to iudgement, that so he might driue vs from all securitie of this lyfe, and wake vs out of the deepe slepe of our deadly sinnes, least by the speedy commyng of the Lord to iudgement, we sodainly perish: and that in all afflictions, with which the Church is continually vexed, we might haue a sure trust and confidence in the mercy of God. And therfore the sonne of God him selfe, in the last preaching before his death, through a great goodwyll gaue vs many signes, and earnestly charged vs, taking his parable from the Fyg tree, that beholding those tokens imminēt, we should carefully and readily, attend the commyng of our Brydgrome. For that commyng to all the godly and chosen of the [Page 22] Lord, shalbe ioyfull and comfortable. In which the Sonne of God shall appeare in power mighty, in glory woonderfull, and shew hym selfe to his foes terrible, to vs comfortable: to them seuere, gentle to vs: to them a Iudge and condemner: to vs an Aduocate and Redeemer: to them an enemy and destroyer, to vs an assured friend and defender: so that he shall recom­pence them with fire continuall among the Diuels, but vs he shal reward with his fauour perpetual, in the societie of Angels, and celestial habitation. And ther­fore doth Ioel cal that day of the Lord, a great day, Ioel. 2. and terrible (to the wicked) when all from the worlds cre­ation, shall be made to stand before the tribunall seate of God.

Aboue I haue shewed, that the chiefest signe of the comming of the sonne of man was the preaching of rhe Gospell, which Paule termeth the spirit of the Lords mouth: also I haue declared how that signe is euident in these dayes, and that Antichrist by the breth of the mouth of the Lord is ouerthrowen, and strangled with lynnin, as Sebyl Erithraa speaketh (that is with interpretations of holy Scripture imprinted in Paper made of linen) it is manifest to all godly, Lib. 8. and men instructed in true religion. Now what what other thing remayneth? But the consummat [...]on of the world, and that glorious comming of the Lord, by which that wicked and damned sonne shalbe aboli­shed, according to Christes woordes. Hytherto that coniunction of all Planets which was a litle before the birth of Christ, and in the time of Charles the great in the beginning both of the Turkes tyrannicall domini­on, and rhe Popes Antichristian religion, which shal ensue very shortly, dooth belong. As if the Lorde would say: Behold the chiefest signe of my comming, according to my promise, the preaching of the Gos­pell [Page] is come already, you see the power of Antichrist my sworne enemie is greatly weakned, now shall you see the very signes in heauen, which foretold my for­mer comming in the flesh, and the comming of my aduersary, by which you may gather my commyng, wherby I wil vtterly abolish his vsurped gouernment, and abandon him from the godly, to that bottomlesse pyt of hell. And therefore take you heede, and be circumspect, for the tyme of your deliuerance is at hand. Neither can we doubt (sith the Starres are of the Lord God created for signes vnto vs) but that marueilous coniunction of the Planets, doth foreshew a wonderfull and incredible alteration of all things. And what other change may we looke for, I pray you? But euen the vtter destruction of the world, and the triumphant appearing of the Lord. For the sixe thou­sand yeere, which is the last daye, draweth to the eue­ning, course of tymes, and their foretold agreement, declare the end to be at hand: the preaching of the Gospell shineth, the Pope of Rome by the breath of the Lord perisheth, and we are in Religion colde, care­lesse, and contemne his preachers, which the Lord God cannot suffer long to go vnpunished. Also this fearfull inclination of the Starres, the dayly talke of warres, the direful ciuill contentions, the cruell dissen­tion in Religion, the great plagues, the miserable hun­ger, the straunge tempestes, the woonderfull risings of the Sea, and other signes, which many tymes haue come after the preaching of the Gospell, and dayly do more increase, are out of doubt the euident signes of the worldes speedy ouerthrow, and hasty commyng of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God, to iudge the quicke and the dead.

¶Of the fifteene hundred yeares after the Apostles tyme vntyl the last iudgement.

THere are besides these, ma­ny other sweete, and verye probable coniectures of the suddaine comming of the Lord to iudgement. Which containe many and profita­ble instructions, and will be wonderful, and straūge per­chaunce to many, for the small consideratiō they haue of them, which if they were well wayed, Plato. 8. Poly­tic A [...]istotel [...]s 5. pol. myght bring vs into a great admiration of Gods prouidence. It is well knowen to all the learned, and not doubted, but that all gouernments, according to the Princes of Phi­losophie Platoes and Aristotles doctrine, haue their cer­taine conclusions, and it may be for truth; that euery fiue hundred yeares there happen wonderfull alterati­ons both in Religion and common Weales, as there appeared three in Moses Kingdome. For from the comming out of Egypt vnto Salomon, there was about fiue hundred yeares, from thence vnto the captiuitie at Babylon, other fiue hundred: and from the retur­ning vnto the last subuersion, fiue hundred moe: which last periode doth greatly agree with those seuē weekes of Daniell, because they are in number foure hundred foure score, and tenne. And therfore by a briefe mar­king of the tymes and things brought to passe, we will make it euident, that the last fiue hundred yeares from the Apostles tyme, fully shalbe expired in this Monar­chie of the Pope, which now threateneth a great ruine [Page] and perchance an vtter downefall about the eightie eyght, and ninetie three yeere, the former inclinations of the starres and other ensuing, foreshewing dyrefull thinges euen vntill the sixe thousand and a hundred yeere. Apo. 13. Which Monarchie is called of Iohn in his Re­uelation, the image of the beast, by reason of a certaine likenes it hath wyth the olde Monarchie, which by a like tyrannie against the Christians, and manner of go­uernment by their ecclesiasticall Senate, and by the se­cular power (as they saye) to the satisfying of their myndes in oppressing the Christian veritie through all the world, they doo exercise. So that by a great and infallible supposition it may be gathered, that the no­ble comming of the Sonne of God is nygh at hande: sith the preaching of the Gospell now goeth before, by which this Monarchie hauing his aucthoritie from the Dragon, at the length ruinous beginneth to stoupe, but cannot vtterly be abolished, according to Paules doctrine, vntyll the Lord come for altogether. For by histories we know, Iohn the Euangelist to haue lyued longer time than any of the Apostles, & to haue writ­ten his Gospel at Ephesus, and afterward when as none of the Apostles were, [...]usebius. no not many dayes before liuing, it is well knowen that he was sent of Domitian into the Iland Pathmos, where he committed his Reuelation to writing, and that was about the dayes of Traian the Emperour, which the hundred yeare from Christs na­tiuitie beyng adopted by Nerua, came to the Imperiall throne: from whom, for causes ensuing, I will begin to recite three notable chaunges, and alterations both in Religion, and in the Empire, which differ one from a­nother according to the true accompt of yeares, but fiue hundred yeares a peece.

Now these hundred yeares from the birth of Christ vnto the tyme of Traian beyng expired, so straunge [Page 24] things and myraculous both in the Church and com­mon Weales happened, as from the beginning of the worlde such and so great neyther haue, neither shall come to passe, except onely in the last comming of the Lorde, at what tyme he shall call the dead before hys tribunall seate, that so the whole vngracious worlde may be brought vnto perpetuall shame, and the vertu­ous to euerlasting glory: for first o [...]r Lord and Sauiour Christ was borne of a virgin, perfect man, the Messias promised to the Patriarches, the sonne of one sub­stance with his eternall father, by whom God hath made of nothing, al things both in heauen aboue, and in earth belowe, and redeemed mankynd which was fallen, from sinne, and wickednes: for in the behalfe of vs all, he hath suffred a most reprochfull death of the Crosse, to that ende, that death, and the Diuell beyng vanquished, he myght rid all beleeuers from eternall death, and the intolerable yoke of Satan. He hath al­so rysen lyke a conquerour in glory from the dead, and ascended into heauen, that he myght prepare a waye for vs to his almightie father, whose anger by his righ­teousnes he had appeased, and reconciled him vnto vs.

Finally also, at the feast of Penticost, God miracu­lously and without meane (according as it was long before promised by the Prophetes) did powre out his holy spirit full of all grace, and goodnes vppon his Apostles, that in all Nations they myght be able to glorify God, and by euery speache declare their mes­sage of glad tydings: as also Mangre the diuel and his Adherentes the same (notwithstāding the outragious cruelty of Nero and Diomitian,) was preached & pub­lished throughout all the world.

Lastly, what wonderfull things haue happened from the byrth of Christ vnto the hundred yeere after the same, at which tyme Traiane fyrst receyued the [Page] Emperiall Di [...]deme? I mynde not to prosecute euery thing particulerly, least by that meanes contrary to my purpose I proceede. Amongst other things, those woordes forespoken of Christ and the Prophets, tea­ching the ouerthrowe and vtter destruction, of the Iewes and Hierusalem, take effect: and also vnder Traiane the Emperour there happened a great alte­ration in religion. For although the Empyre was of Rome, yet was not the Emperour a Romane borne but a Spaniard, and adopted to that dignitie, of Nerua which was a Romane. And therfore by these it plainely doth appeare, that the Apostles beyng dead, there was now a new face of the Church, and that nothing so beauti­full as the former, and also new state of Empire presig­nifyed of Iohn in his Reuelation. Because that Traian was the eyght from the seuenth who was Nerua, which was the seuenth from Nerc the last of the stocke of Cae­sars, from whom Iohn beginneth to number the seuen Kings, which were the seuen heades of the Beast. And therefore he sayth: Apo. 17. Bestia quam vidisti, fuit, & non est, that is, The Beast which thou sawest, was, and is not, that is, the Romane Empire is, but not such an Empyre, as that was which came of the stocke of Caesars, and de­cayed, when Nerua dyed. And now i [...] the tyme of Do­mitian, of those seuen, fiue were dead: but the seuenth which was Nero, was not yet come. And cum venerit, opportet eum breue tempus manere, nec diu imperare: whē he commeth he must tary a short tyme, and gouerne but a whyle: which also came to passe, because he raigned but one yeere and three monethes. But Tra­ian was the eyght, a Spaniard no Romane borne, and adopted by the seuenth. Wherefore to the purpose sayth the Angell to Iohn in this maner: Bestia que erat, The beast which was, to wit, the Romane Empire, & non est, and is not the Romane, but a Romanspanish [Page 25] Empire, is octauus erit, that shal be the eight, from Nero [...] & e septem est, and is of the seuenth, to wit, adopted of Nerua.

Wherefore because of this alteration in the Em­pire, and mournful countenance of the Church, by rea­son that her cheife Rulers, and Apostles were dead, The first Pe [...] ode. we wil here begin to accompt the fyrst fiue hundred yeres, euen vnto the dayes of Heraclyus and Phocas, which chanced in the .604. and .602. yeere from Christes Natiuitie. About which time Boniface the third was confirmed vniuersall Bishop of all the world, and ma­nifested the forerunner of Antichrist, as likewyse Gre­gorie the great not many yeeres before had pronoun­ced of the Patriarch of Constantinople, which ambiti­ously sought to be Priuate, or chiefe Byshop of the rest. About this time, the Romane Empire was much weakened, and the Turke began to be of pow­er. This first periode, may well be referred to the Church of Christ, in whose beginning (as it were) shee suffered most greeuous persecution of the Ro­mane Empire, that cruell and blooddie beast, and had many godly and learned men, which entred most dangerous and continuall conflictes for the ouer­throwe of heresies: and yet notwithstanding by litle and litle many Ceremonies were brought into the Church, by which at length shee was marueilously polluted: the chiefest bringer of those ceremonies in­to the Church, was Gregorie the great, vntill Boniface by the helpe of Phocas, did playnly declare himselfe to be Antichrist in deede.

From this time vntil the raigne of Henry the fourth, The second [...] Period. we recken the second periode of fiue hundred yeares: in which all Papisticall superstitions, Idolatrie, blasphe­mie, orders of Monkes, power of the Pope, wyth the chiefe Senate of Cardinals, dyd aboue measure en­crease, [Page] and in the tyme of Henry, that impietie came to ripenes, euen as also afterward did the Turkes tyrannie and blasphemie. Before about a two hundred and fiftie yeares numbring from Phocas the Emperour, which also haue their ende, to wit, in the dayes of the Emperours, the Pope of Rome was licensed to be a ciuill Magistrate, receyued his chiefe aucthoritie from Pipine; and afterwardes from Charles the Great, and Lodouike the Godly, and was endued with many Pro­uinces, and adorned with double power, or with both Swordes both of ruling the Spiritualtie (as they saye) and Laitie: which he obtained vnder the pretence of Religion: and therefore Iohn in his Reuelation gyueth to this Beast two hornes like vnto the Lambe. Apo. 13. About which tyme, both the Turkish Empire (as in his place it is sayd) dayly increased, and the olde Romane Em­pire continually decayed, and was diuid [...]d in the Ori­entall and Occidentall Empire. Yet notwithstanding the Occidentall Emperours in respect of the others, had full power to create, and confirme what Byshops they would. But in the tyme of Henrie the fourth, that order was altogether chaunged. Because the Byshops at the length had brought vnto themselues all power and aucthoritie, both of ordaining and choosing By­shops, Lanf. de Sacra. Virgi. de in­ [...]entione; libr. 4. capi. 10. and Emperours to, and made a newe Ecclesiasti­call or Cardinals Senate to the which was giuen full power, to choose whom they would to the Papacie, the Pope beyng dead: and reserued to themselues all auc­thoritie of choosing and crowning Emperours. A­gainst this vnspeakable ambition and mightie power of the Pope, dyd for the maintaining of his Emperiall aucthoritie, according to the decree of his father Hen­ry the Blacke, though in other things he dyd ouer­much submit himself to the Popes aucthoritie, Henry the fourth, stoutely (as became a good Emperour) re­siste. [Page 26] For which cause, afterward Pope Hildebrande, o­therwise called Gregorie the seuenrh, Krantz. lib. 5. ca. 8. Blondus. Krantz. li. 5. ca 7. a wicked and in­famous Magician, dyd excommunicate him, and rai­sed great and greuous wars against him by others, in so much that he displacing him, chose a newe Emperour named Ralfe, to whom he sent a crowne of Gold, with this inscription: Petra dedit Petro, Petrus diadema Ra­dolpho: but at length vanquished by Henry, hauing lost his right hand, he died miserablie.

But Henry being dead, The last Pery­od. when as now the second Pe­riod of fiue hundred yeares, from the tyme of Phocas, was perfe [...]tly finished, the vngodly Pope by his craft and subtiltie, at the beginnyng of his raigne, obtayned easily of Henry the fift, (too wicked a sonne for so god­ly a father) all his d [...]sire. So that, that diuine Reuela­tion of Iohn, dyd fully take effect: bicause that Image of the Beast with two hornes, dooth exercise al the po­wer of the former beast, and calleth al kings his sonnes and slaues, and earnestly dooth keepe the manner of the Gentiles in all kynd of Idolatrie, only hauyng al­tered the names of things. Lastly also to this Image of the Beast by the Dragon (bycause he speaketh like a Dragon) that power is gyuen, that he may quicken the other image of the Beaste, that is, this Germanicall Empire, which rather ought to be termed a shadowe of the old Empire, than an image of the same. For the Pope did giue life to the image of the Beast by his elec­tion. For vnlesse the Pope did confirme the election, Apo. 13. none was worthy of the name of an Emperour. Ther­fore vnder the pretēce of the keies of the kindō of hea­uē, this vngratious felow hath marueilusly abused this power of the Dragon, which power now by the prea­ching of the Gospell, through the grace of God doth threaten an vtter and last destruction: whose longest terme of fiue hūdred yeres, about the yere a thousand, [Page] sixe hundred, (or there about) is fully finished. Where­fore (sith this damnable childe, and the image of the Beast with the Dragon in that perfect wickednes must be cut of, and cast hedlong into hell) a great and in­fallible argument is it, and agreeing to Gods word, and to the course of time, that this certaine computa­tion of yeeres doth signifie the Lords comming to be very nigh at hand.

¶ Of things past already, things to come are marueilously gathered,

BY that which hath ben spo­ken, as wel as a briefe anno­tation of tymes, and thyngs that haue been done, could shewe, it after a sort appea­reth, how, after the death of Henry the fourth, the Pope became the chiefe Monarch of all the worlde, ruled all kyngs, and obteyned all au­thoritie of chusing Bishoppes. Also howe that third Periode of fiue hundred yeares, about the yeare of our Lord, one thousand and sixe hundred should be fully perfect, that so without all doubt we may looke for a new Metamorphosis of these things, if things to come may well be gathered of things past already. And what other (I beseech you) can we looke for, but euen that which was seene, and heard of Iohn in his Reuela­tion, from hym which sate on the Throne among the foure and twenty Elders, saying; Behold, I make al things [Page 27] new, a newe heauen, a newe earth: behold the Tabernacle of God with men, and he shall dwell with them, Apo. 21. and they shalbe his people, and he shall be a God with them, euen their God. But when those vngodly Decrees and blasphemies, which the Romanes frō the fifty seuen, vnto the thou­sand one hundred yeare (in all the tyme that Henrie the fourth raigned) by litle and litle brought in, are considered, and withall compared with our dayes, we shall find all those things continually to haue had (as it it were peculiarly) their fiue hundred yeares a peece. Wherefore, in my iudgement, by the tymes past, and state of things present, I am the more confirmed to thinke the full and perfect end of all vngodlynesse, to be very nigh at hand, after which shall ensue that per­petuall and euerlasting world, in which the Lord God shall raigne and rule in iustice, truth, and mercy, for e­uer.

In the tyme of Henry (as out of histories we gather) these Decrees of the Bishoppes were published: first, Decret [...] Pon­tificum. Pla [...]ina. Sabellicus. Krantz. lib. 5. ca. 6. Caus. 16. q. 7. Si quis de in­ceps. that the Emperours shoulde haue no aucthoritie to chuse Bishoppes, nor Pope: for which cause the Senate of Cardinals, to whom was geuen that power, was in­stituted and preferred to great honour: then also they tooke vppon them to chuse, and refuse Emperours at their pleasure, as plainly appeared by Hildebrandes ele­cting of Rodolph, and displacing of Henry. Moreouer vnder this Emperour, that horrible Idolatrie of the woorshippyng and carrying about of the bread, came into the Church.

Lastly, in the yeare one thousand, nyntie, and three, al the lawes of Popes were gathered & set forth by one Iuon B. of Carnot. And therfore no doubt, but the Lord God also at his certayne tyme, wyll bri [...]g to nought, cut of, and by his commyng to iudgeme [...]t, to the per­petuall shame of all papistes, vtterly abolish all that im­pietie [Page] and wickednes, which the Diuell by his mini­sters, to the reproch of God, hath caused, increased, and confirmed. For we haue examples both in the people of the Iewes, and Gentiles. For when as their superstition, and obstinate vngodlynes was come to the top, then sprang vp the true doctrine, and prea­ching of the Gospell, by which their false doctrine was reproued, yet in the meane while, through the iust and horrible displeasure of God against them, most gree­uously were they plagued, euen as also happened to the Iewes, by Ierusalems destruction, and also to other nations, and lastly to Rome, in the miserable spoyling of the Gothes and vandolles.

But if the tyme since the preaching of the Gospell were well marked, we sh [...]ll see most euident begin­nings of the ruine and ouerthrow of the Pope, and Pa­pacie, which perchance eyther shall go before the last end of tyme, or els in that third space of fyue hundred yeeres, or somwhat after, by the Lords comming shall come to naught. So doo I perswade my selfe: thinke you what you will, at your pleasure, and yet take heede ye rhinke not falsly. But if in other places I erre, the matter is not great. For it is certayn out of the word of God, that this errour shall not long continue. For Christ is the very truth, and cannot erre. But let vs note what hath happened, and dayly dooth happen among Christians in this our age, and playnly and e­uidently, we shall see all things (forespoken) to haue, and daily to come to passe, about this very tyme of fiue hundred yeeres. For we haue a notable example here­of in the Electors, and states of the Empire, which in the yeere one thousand, fiue hundred fiftye and eight (which was about the fiue hundred yeere after the Popes began their tyranny ouer Kings and Princes) did chuse Ferdinandus the Emperor maugre the Pope, [Page 28] and for euer disanulled that decree of the Cardinals, for the confirmation of his election. How (I beesech you) hath Lotharinge a Guisian Ca [...]dinall in Fraunce, and Granuellus another Cardinal in Belgia for al their Cardinalshippes preuayled, in their laboring to con­firme the Popes authoritie, and to bring in the Spa­nishe Inquisition? haue not the Frenchmen, and Belgians by that meane rather rebelled agaynst them, & cast frō their shoulders that intollerable yoke of the Popes bondage? By which no doubt it is euident, that that space of fiue hundred yeeres in which the Cardi­nals bare the swaye, is now passing, and will shortly be expired, euen as the other peeuish, and idolatrous doctrine of the Papistes is well, and to their perpetu­all prayse banished out of the Dominions of manye good Kings and Princes. An admoniti­on to P [...]inces. And now ye Princes deale wisely, and with iudgement, consider how that Anti­christ of Rome hath most shamefully abused your au­thoritie to the suppressing of the truth, and persecu­ting of innocentes: Beare in minde how long you haue been Ministers and slaues to that blooddie beast, in crucifying Christ agayne in his members. Be lear­ned ye Iudges of the earth, be sorye for these things: An admoniti­on to kings. Serue the Lord in feare, and reioyce with trembling. For the horrible day of the Lord hangs vppon your shoul­ders. Therefore kisse the Sonne least he be angry, Psalm. 2. and so ye perish: when his fury shalbè but a little kindled, Blessed are all they which trust in the Lord.

Now if in that spoken already, and other particu­lar lawes, the number of fiue hundred yeeres be so rightly filled, what shall we iudge of the whole body of all the Popes decrees? Functi. Chron▪ which afterwarde by I­uon Byshoppe of Carnot (after whom Gratian follow­ed) in the yeere of the Lord one thousand nintie and three, at the commaundement of the Pope was [Page] truly collected into one booke, as it were by imita­ting Iustinian the Emperour, which by the ayde of Tribonianus and other noble men, gathered the Ciuill lawe into an order, and made thereof a newe booke. But how with absurdities in number infinite, & blas­phemies not to be vttered, those decrees of the Pope doo filthily deface the woord of God, none of a ryght iudgement is ignorant. And yet alas these haue had more aucthoritie now many yeares, than the very im­mutable worde, and will of God. Which things al­though they doo agree very well together, yet for the sakes of the ignorant we will proue the same both by a Canon of holy Scripture, and the Popes decrees, ma­nifestly contrarie between themselues. Paule sayth to Timothie: 1. Tim. 4. Spiritus disertè dicit, fore, &c. That is, The Spirit saith plainly, that in the latter tymes some shall depart from the fayth, lystening to false spirites, and to the doctrine of Diuels by the hypocrisie of vayne speakers, whose conscience is marked with a hot iron they forbyd to marrye, they commaund to abstaine from meates, which are created of God to be eaten of the faythfull, and of those which knowe the truth with thankefulnes. 1. Tim. 3.1. pa [...]s dist, 32. And a little before he taught, a Byshop must be the husband of one wyfe. To these woordes of the Apostle, the decrees of Popes are cleane opposit, which doo forbyd Byshops, Priests, and all the Clergie to marrie, with this interdiction, that if they doo so, they must be remoued from the Ecclesiasticall calling, and, which is more, if they haue alreadye contracted Matrimonie, without any respect of irregularship they must be seperated, and shalbe compelled by the Ordi­narie, and remedies of excommunication to refuse their wiues. &c. By which it is apparant, that the Pa­pistes are those, which in the latter dayes should depart from the faith, and by the Diuels prouoking vnder hy­pocrisie, [Page 29] and with many of the chiefest of them haue not vnder the cloake of ouermuch chastitie forbyd pure and chaste Matrimonie, which the holye ghost dooth singu [...]arly commend: and also receyuing of cer­taine meates, which (as Paule dooth witnes) God hath created for the faithfull to be eaten with thankesge­uing. And yet notwithstanding these, as I said before, decrees of Popes, although they be cleane contrarie to the wyll of God, haue had more aucthoritie among men, than the eternall woord of God. Bycause those, although in deede wicked and vngodly, yet haue been called holy, and Catholike, and they which haue been conuersant in them, our chiefe masters, and doctors were counted, to whom the sacred Scripture was most vnsauerie. So that to take an honest woman to wyfe (which Paule commaunded his Byshops to doo) was dishonestie, and more dishonestie than either openly to vse a concubine, or secretly to commit adulterie. Al­so on the Friday to eate flesh, was a great sinne and he­resie: and yet on that day to follow drunkennes and carnalitie, was no shame, but highly commended. Like­wyse to heare the blasphemous Masse, to reuerence an Idolatrous peece of breade, and to carry the same a­bout with a pompous Procession, was no impietie but good Religion, and yet to celebrate the Supper of the Lord soberly according to his institution, was no god­lynes, but great abhomination. At a woord, the doc­trine of Christ, a good and godly conuersation, was of them suspected, as erronious: & yet forsooth their deuilish decrees, and damnable doctrine was holy, and nothing pernicious. Their impuritie, great pietie: their hypocrisie, great holynes, their damnable cere­monies, was the diuine seruice of God. So that all Christian Religion was vtterly banished, and no token of the true seruice of God could be seen. But now in [Page] the yeare of the Lorde a thousand fyue hundred nine­tie and three after Christes birth, which is the fyue thousand, fyue hundred, and fiue yeare after the world was made, that expiring of fyue hundred yeares draw­eth nygh, in which these decrees of Popes gathered together by publike aucthoritie to the great defacing of Gods woord, and the merites of Christ, shall haue theyr ende. Wherefore a woonderfull and vn­doubted hope of things to come may be conceyued of things past, that about that tyme shalbe that vni­uersall destruction of all the worlde, and glorious comming of the Lorde. by which all these Popishe decrees shall come to naught, and by the iust iudge­ment of God, as erroneous, and blasphemous, be cast into eternall fire, because they haue wickedly burned all the true interpretations of the Propheti­call, and Apostolicall scriptures, and cruelly mar­tyred the learned ministers, and true professors of Christes Religion. Vndoubtedly that number of fyue hundred yeeres in lyke manner as the others spoken of before, doo presage the same lyke thing: the Prognostications of the starres (as may be gathered by that which is spoken) take their effect about the same tyme: The preaching of the Gospell, and o­ther tokens mentioned of Christ is gonne before: and the Iustice of God especially dooth exacte the same.

¶Of the double equalitie of num­bers which is represented in the number of yeares of the worlde happening [...]n the eyghtie eyght, and ninetie th [...]e yeare next ensuing.

NOwe what should I thinke, and saye of that course of yeares, from the beginning vntill the ninetie three nowe at hand? Which is the yeare of the world fyue thousand, fyue hundred, fiftie and fyue: dooth it foreshowe any won­derfull, or signifie any perfect thing or no? Certainly I find the same to be altogether of lyke proportion as by that which is spoken may appeare, euen with the eigh­tie eyght now at hand, because it is in his qualitie the fiue thousand, fiue hundred, and fiftie yeere. The Py­thagorians, and Platonistes, men of great aucthoritie, haue thought many things to consist in these, and haue wondred therat: for the lowest number in the highest, hath in it selfe a perfect Arithmeticall proportion, and from the lowest to the highest, it comprehendeth with in it a perfect Geometicall equalitie. And Pl [...]to in a­nother place, I [...] Epinemid [...] & Philosopho greatly dooth wonder at the Arithmeti­call, and saith that the same dooth make the mynd apt for al [...] speculation, and practise. And he dooth adde moreouer, that numbring is giuen of God himselfe to man, as a necessarie instrument of reasoning and dis­coursing, without whi [...]h, the mynde should appeare without a mynde, and all artes and knowledge would vanish. Here I confesse my selfe to haue certaine sin­gular [Page] imaginations, & those not vayne, but of waight, and agreable to the woord of God, as I thinke. And there [...]ore for the profit of all, and that I may giue an occasiō to the learned more deepely to thinke of this matter, I will not bury this my talent whatsoeuer it be, but wyll set it abrode for commoditie, and bring it foorth without any regard of the ouer curious, & the rather because I knowe that these things (if els where perchance I slide) doo containe no daunger, or here­sie within them, but rather by occasion many profita­ble instructions, and those sweete and necessarie.

And (that we may returne to Plato) he sayth in a­nother place very well: De re pub. lib. 2. That God is an eternall spirit and cause of all goodnes in the world. Because in the creation of good things he shewed his vnspeakeable power, wisedome, and goodnes: and i [...] the conserua­tiō of things created, his eternal prouidence, & a won­derful consent and order of al things: that by the con­templation thereof, man which was made to the i­mage of God, should also continue, according to the woord reue [...]led, in acknowledging, and calling on his Maiestie: and not as a brute beast, beholding the earth, should seeke after vayne and transitorie things, but should in minde ascend into heauen to beholde things celestiall and of continuance, as also the Scrip­ture euerie where doth teach vs. Also, what kind of mē would Plato in his Phedrus and Phedon, haue in his common weale? Forsooth euen such, as through contemplating of heauenly things, should rather seeme to liue without, than in the body, and rather to God, than themselues, and be delyghted in him a­lone. But that we may go higher, to the manifesting of that which I am about, Let vs behold how all things in the world do stand, and we shall find them in a certayne order, measure, and number, to be so [Page 31] linked togeather, that they cannot be seperated. The Heauen, the Planets, and the Starres keepe their cer­tayne order, and tyme, and they appoynt the cer­tayne course of euery thing: and cause the change and alterations in the bodyes both of men and beasts, and in his due time euery hearbe, is brought forth. Al which things are so apparant in our eyes, as of them we can not doubt. And yet all these things, by the in­comprehensible wisedome and prouidence of almigh­ty God, are kept in their certaine measure and num­ber. For God by a certaine measure (as it were) hath placed the earth, like a round Globe in the myddle (so that no way it can fall) the which the whole Firma­ment of heauen dooth compasse, and in the space of twenty and foure houres is carryed rounde about the same. Also he hath appoynted a certaine and iust number of all things: to wyt, the foure seasons of the yeare, and their monethes, dayes, the certaine houres of euery day, the minutes of euery houre, and lastly the certaine endes of tyme, by a certaine incomprehensi­ble consent of the Starres, and numbers among them selues. Not as though the Starres and numbers with­out the first cause, can bring any thing to passe, but be­cause in their gouernment, and second operation of the Starres, they represent before our eyes, [...]he immea­surable wisedome, and eternall prouidence of God. Because God is not a God of co [...]fusion, that he can doo all things at his pleasure, by a certaine inordinate affection as men do: but he is a God of order, a kee­per of order in his things created, from which he dooth not rashly digresse, although he tyeth nor hym selfe therto, that he wyll not, or cannot alter it (when his glory by his secret counsaile, and the safegard of the Church, requyre the same.) For in the staying and goyng backe of the Sonne in the tyme of Iosua, and Ezechias kyng of Iuda, and by other diuine [Page] myracles, he sheweth the contrary. And yet without all controuersie, the eternall prouidence of God, and Predestination hath appoynted by a certaine measure and number, from the begynnyng of the world, to the end of the same, as it were by rule, certaine termes in the course of the Starres, by which, great habilitie is gyuen to a skilfull and learned man, to iudge of things to come, euen as by a Dyall made by a woorkman in proportion and nūber, things to come are foreseene, because Arte, as nigh as may be, imitateth God and nature. Yea, and these exce [...]lent felowes, Plato and Aristotle, doo place all wisedome, knowledge, a [...]d ver­tue, in the proportion of number: for Vertue and Iu­stice they set in the myddle, by which, to euery man is gyuen his owne, by a double equalitie, and is mea­sured by a proportion Arithmetical and Geometrical.

Now, sithence this instant number of the yeares of the world, dooth so exac [...]ly compreh [...]nd in it selfe all those things mentioned before, as from the begin­nyng of things, and in this last age, in like quantitie, and so perfectly dyd neuer appeare, (as hereafter more plainly we wyll prooue) I suppose the Lord God a ma­ker and gouernour of all things, by this proportiona­ble agreeing of number, wyll, (as it were by the hand) leade vs to a certaine deepe consideration of a perfect expiring, and end of all things: especially in as much as the direfull Destinies, the Starres, and damnable Decrees of Popes doo fulfill the whole number of fiue hundred yeares. So that I trust, that the commyng of the Sonne of God to iudgement, wyll shortly ensue, in which, all impietie, lying, and dooing of wrong, through the tyrannie of Antichrist, the Diuell, and his members, shalbe taken awaye: and the euerl [...]styng kingdome of Christ in truth and equiti [...], shalbe con­firmed, that so to euery one shalbe gyuen his reward, [Page 32] either good, or bad, according to the true Geometri­call proportion, which is the rule of Iustice in God, to whom all beleeuers in Christ are like.

But that more playnly these things may be vnder­stoode, it must be knowen what we call Arithmeticall proportion, and Geometricall, according to iustice: and also how these two proportions are perfectlye contayned in this yeere of the .5555. which in the yeere .95. ensuing, The definitiō of Arithmety­call proporti­on. shalbe the the yeres since the worlds foundation. Arithmeticall proportion is, when as three, or moe numbers being set, all without any re­spect of proportions doo differ by equall ods, as .1.2.3.4.5. Here continually one number differs from the other but in vnitie, as also .2.4.6.8.10. in which one differeth frō another, but the nūber of two. Melant. in E­pit. mo. Phi. And ther­fore we see in the fifth number which is the last, an A­rithmeticall proportion to be contayned, because it hath in it this excellencie, that it comprehendeth in it selfe, and that fitly, all vnities, of which all other numbers doo consist, be they euen or odde, to the which no naturall, be he neuer so talkatiue, can at­tayne by numbring. This Arithmeticall proportion, Aristotle ascribeth to the exchangeable iustice. For euen as euery number playnly doth differ from other in equall summe: so a great equalitie, there must be between the ware, and the price, least while one is in­iured, the other by his losse and dammage become riche. The Geometrical proportion is, Geometrical proportion whar, when as three or moe summes being set, we consider not the diffe­rence of numbers, but marke the equalities of pro­portion. For euen as fiue referred to .50. hath the proportion of quantitie, so hath .50. to .500. and as .50. to .500. so .500. to .5000. all which are in the proportion of tenne. But Plato said, that this Geome­tricall proportion can doo much, In Gorgia. both betweene God [Page] and man: and that the state of a common weale is then best, when it consisteth of a Geometricall equalitie, which appointeth persons, and ordaineth offices ac­cording to the greatnes and worthines of giftes, and bestoweth rewardes to worthy persons, whereof it is well called of the Philosophers a distributiue Iustice. For examples sake, as in the gouerning of a ship, the ruling of the same is not committed to any man, but vnto him which is skilfull, and for his cunning, and well guiding therof he receyueth a better stipend than other which are vnskilful: so also to a vertuous, cun­ning, iust, constant, and graue person, the administra­tion of the common Weale is to be committed, and withall a woorthy honour: least by a gouernment, which is rude, wicked, and tyrannicall, the common weale be brought to destruction. Also in the affaires of priuate persons, this Geometricall equalitie is to be obserued. For a greater honour and reuerence is due to the Magistrate, than to an other man, to our paren­tes than to straungers: to an old man, than to a yong, to a learned, than to an ignorant. Also we ought more entirely to loue our wyues and children, than other folkes, as likewise according to the doctrine of Paul, G [...]l [...]. 6. we should more make of, and cherish those of the houshold of faith, than straungers from the Church.

But alas, we to too well doo know, that no equalitie according to the Arithmeticall proportion is kept at all, no not of those, which are accompted the most holy among the members of Christ, and in the same greatly delighting themselues, as though then they were the best Christians, if they leade a c [...]uil and poli­tike lyfe without any publike reprehension. The which as it is rare, so is it much to be commended: because to doo so, is the propertie of a good citizen. But it fol­loweth not by and by that they are good Christians: [Page 33] because they are good Citizens. For godlines, huma­nitie, bounteousnes, fidelitie, vprightnes and true reli­gion, stretche farder than doth outward behauiour the rule of the lawe, and hypocrisie. A true Chri­stian For the true dis­ciple of Christ being of one minde and meaning wyth his master Christ, will be so farre from enriching hym­self by empouerishing another, and hyding that which may hurt his neighbour, that by no meanes he wyll preferre his owne priuate prosperitie, before the com­mon profit.

And rather will forgoe life, and liuing, then doo that which is not seemely for any man, much lesse for him which is by calling holy, and by professing a Christian. Good God, how farre from this mynde and purpose are most of our buiers, and sellers estran­ged? For as yet we talke not of those which are well knowen to deceyptfull, faithlesse, abhominable, and common vserers, but of such as in the sight of al men seeme and be accompted honest, and good Citizens. For euen these doo perswade themselues that they deale vprightly, if onely they giue true measure for their money, not considering at all, that to take exces­siue gaynes, is to doo wrong, and altogeather agaynst iustice: not considering, that it is all one in respect of equalitie (from which all iustice dooth spring) to set too great a price, and to sell by false waightes and measures, by which reason the vnequalnes of price and and ware, may well be called false measure: for if it were demaunded of them, whether it were meete to bring him into the right way, which is out of the way? or to shewe him the ready way, which is altogeather ignorant of the same? or if he were not much to be blamed which seeing his neighbour goe astraye, will without calling him backe, let him goe on forward? I am sure they wil confesse, both him to be a noughty [Page] man, and this no honest man, for his labour. And yet forsooth, is it a false opinion which we are in, when frō a general propositiō, we come to a particular con­trary to their minds: in deede it is more agreeable to iustice, not to hurt a mā by the purse, or losse of goods, than to shew him the ready way, which knowes it not. But I pray you, what is the cause of these sinister opini­ons? sith the reason is alone, and nothing more agree­ing with iustice. Truely selfe loue, couetousnes, and an ouer great care of this lyfe, from which Christ earnest­ly dooth call vs. But let vs thinke that saying of Cicero, to be most true: Quum quid quispiam sciat, &c. I [...] is not the part of a plaine, Cicer [...]. lib, 3. Orli [...]i. simple, ingenious, innocent, and honest man, but rather of a subtile, vile, wyly, deceiptfull, maliti­ous, craftie, and dubble dealer, for his owne profit sake to hyde that which he knoweth from any man, which should vnderstand the same. And moreouer he sayth: Si vitu­perandi sunt qui reticuerunt, quid de his existimandum est qui orationis vanitatem adhibuerunt? That is. If they are to be dispraised which keepe a thing close, what shall we thinke of those which haue vsed vaine woordes? And ther­fore sayth Syrach very well: Syrach. 27. As a naile in the wall sticketh fast betweene two stones, so dooth sinne sticke betweene the buyer and the seller.

Likewise, much lesse is the Geometrical proportion kept in this wicked world. For the wicked & vnlearned beyng in face impudent, and in behauiour egregious Parasites, are exalted to great honour, & glorious of­fices, when as men famous, as well for learning, as Re­ligion, be eyther in Court cōtemned, or of Sycophants defaced, or vnworthely disgraded, for some light of­fence: as happened to Beliserius, who by Iustinian lost his eyes: For darknes cannot abyde the light, and bold ignorance through her marueilous impudencie, doth set her selfe against learnyng and knowledge. For as [Page 34] Quintilian dooth witnes, Quo quisque minus valet, hoc se magis attollere, et dilatare conatur: The least of power, Quintil. lib. 2. Cap. 3. the most vaineglorious. And againe: Quo minus sapi­unt, minus habent pudoris: The more foole, the more impu­dent. Nowe therefore, sith among the learned, or (as Plato saith) among Philosophers, the contrary dooth happen, no marueyle if the vnlearned haue them in contempt. Yet Plato woulde haue it otherwise in his common Weale, Plato de Ro­pub. lib. 5. where either Philosophers shoulde beare the sway, or those which ruled, should be learned in Philosophie, or (which we doo adde) at the least haue such about them, whose counsaile they might vse and folow. Moreouer, sith the Lord God, for his e­lectes sake (for whose cause all things are kept) hath created all things, it foloweth out of the woorde of God, and his diuine Iustice, that al things in the world are due vnto the elect and godly, not to the wicked and reprobate. But it falleth out farre otherwise in the world, where the wicked doo flourish in riches, and are preferred: but the godly doo perish with po­uertie, and are left as a pray to their enemies. Also Christ the onely begotten sonne of the euerlastyng God, which is the maker both of heauen and earth, and Lord of Lords, hath witnessed of hym selfe, that in this world he had not where to hyde his head, but was be­fore the world, a very abiect, Matth. 8. and made away by a most odious death, euen the death of the Crosse: Yet not­withstanding his aduersary, that sonne of perdition, sitteth (as God) in the temple, ruling with two swords: flourishing with riches, power, and glory, and is with all reuerence called our Holy father, and worshipped as the deputie of Christ him self. And therfore by these we plainly perceyue, that in this world no Geometri­call equalitie according to the distributiue iustice (which is the best) is any where obserued, But yet [Page] (sith God is iust) all kinde of iustice necessarily to all must be extended, so that to the worthy, all things must be giuen, but from the wicked, all things which falsely they haue taken to themselues, and abused to the molesting of the godly, shall vtterly be taken away. Wherefore needes must there be another lyfe after this, and therfore for those reasons alledged we set downe, that the Lorde God dooth foreshowe to the studious, by this dubble proportion or equalitie of numbers, a certaine finishing of things with an vtter destruction of this wicked world, and withall, he vn­doubtedly dooth giue vs to vnderstand, and signifies the beginning of the building anewe of the eternall kingdome of Christ, which with vpright iudgement, and by equalitie in euery respect, he will establish per­petually, and make it endure world without end.

¶ Of the number of fiue, the fiue-folde forme, and of the Greeke letter χ.

SIth by that which is vttered we haue showen, that euen fyue hundred, and euery 50. yeere, there doo commonly happen some singular alte­rations in the Churche, and common Weales, it follow­eth very likely, that the eigh­tie eyght yeeare nowe at hand, which is the yeere of the world .5550. shalbe fully perfect to which if but fiue were added, it commeth to passe (as a little before [Page 35] it is sayd) that the whole number, in the yeare .93. will be proportionable, according to Arithmeticall and Geometricall equalitie. And therfore they doo seeme to presage vnto vs a golden world in deede, and euer­lasting to come, in which all the iustice of God shalbe fulfilled, and haue her full strength, and vertue. Yet I do not denie, but it is my saying, that the lowest number of fiue from the first and last, doo offer vnto vs many things agreeing very well to our purpose: especially sith which hath been sayd so meete in one, and many things els both in the Byble, and Sibillian Oracles are to be founde lyke vnto them: all which we plainly see are grounded in the perpetuall ordinance, and proui­dence of God, not by chaunce.

Of the number of fiue is termed the fiuefold forme, which of all other, Quintil. lib. 8. cap. 3. (as Quinctilian recordeth) in set­ting of trees, maketh the fayrest Orchard, and is such, as howsoeuer one behold the same, it is direct and and strayte. Then is a thing sayd to be fiuefoulde, or of fiue manner of wayes, when the disposition there­of is such, as two partes thereof togeather with the third of another sort, opposit to themselues by equall space, doo seeme (howsoeuer you turne your selfe) to haue the forme of fiue, or this letter V, by which the Latines doo note fiue. But if fiue in number were set downe by other figures, or by the same, in like or­der vnderneth, they doo represent the Greeke letter χ. and the lattine χ, which dooth signifie tenne. From thence I thought, sith in the fore mentioned propor­tionable number of yeares, the number of fiue is lowest, and besides dooth represent these two letters, from which also by an equalitie of Geometricall pro­portion, it goeth foreward by the distance of tenne, I thought I say, whether this also did signifie any sin­gular thing worthy to be marked? For the Greeke [Page] letter χ. is the first letter in the name of Christ [...]: Of the greeke letter. χ and Iohn in the Reuelation by [...], commaundeth all of vnderstanding to count the comming of the Beast rising from the earth, and hauing the two hornes of the Lambe, which are .666. yeares, so significant are these Greeke letters. But in the explications of this place Bullinger teacheth, that the account of .666. yeares must begin, when Iohn sawe his Reuelation a­bout the ende of the raigne of Domitian, which was from the byrth of Christ the .97. yeare: so that to the filling of the first hundred yeare from Christes natiui­tie three yeeres be wanting. If therefore these yeares were added to an hundred, and they added to the number of the Beastes name .666, and three yeeres were taken from the first hundred, we shall haue the yeare of the Lord to be .763. which was the .13. yeare of Pepines raigne: about which tyme Pepine graunted vnto the Pope, his chiefe power and aucthoritie, con­trarie to the minde of Leo Isauri [...]us, which the Papistes extremely did hate, for casting their images out of his tēples, and therfore they called him [...] or ene­mie to images. Therfore by these letters we know the time of the comming of the beast with two hornes like vnto the Lamb: euen as Henry Bullynger dooth prose­cute the same more at large, and prooueth the same by Sibyls Oracles. Moreouer when we count all markes of the letters in this name [...], Of the woord [...] if (as it is in Sibyls ver­ses) E. be added, we shall plainly finde that in these also the beginning of the tyme when the kingdome of Christ should be preached, and also the beginning of the fall of Antichrist also in the former his comming was signifyed. All the Greeke letters in this name, ex­presse this number .1485.

Now if the yeares, which come from that yeare, in which Iesus, by his resurrection from the dead, and as­cention [Page 36] into heauen, he had declared hym selfe to be Christ the king of the Iewes, and the sonne of the eter­nal God, were compared to this tyme, when Luther and other learned men did by the pure Euangelicall doctrine of the free remission of sinnes in Iesus Christ, driue away the grosse darknes of papisticall ignorance, and made the sonne of righteousnesse Iesus Christ our Lord, to shine againe, we shall euidently perceiue this tyme rightly to be comprehended in these numbers. For if to this number .1485. the yeares from the Na­tiuitie of our Lord, to his resurrection, which were .33. were added, then shall the yeare of our Lord, a thou­sand, fiue hundred, eighteene arise, in which, and after­ward, many learned men began to set them selues a­gainst the darknes of Papistes. Now because this lo­west number of fiue, a perfect Arithmeticall, to that Geometrical proceeding by a fiuefold, and very good­ly forme, dooth as it were in colours, place before our eyes, the Greeke Letter χ. which is the first Letter in the name and office of our eternall king, and also be­ing a litle turned, representeth the Crosse, that is, the badge and noble signe of Christ, whose last letter of the Nominatiue case is X: by those things I fall into this consideration, that about these tymes foretold, the commyng of the Lord to iudgement, is presigni­fied, by which he shall shew hym selfe to all the world, to be Christ the sonne of God, promised to the fa­thers, afterward seene of the Iewes, whom they dyd abhorre, and at length crucifie, whose token (accor­ding to the iudgement of the Fathers, and Sibylles pro­phesies) also in the commyng of the Lord to all the faythfull, shalbe like a comfortable Trumpet, but in the sight of the worlde a [...], or stumblyng blocke to the world. That this is no vaine imagina­tion, although it be no certaine demonstration, ma­ny [Page] such like reasons and examples cause me to thinke. For in many places of the Scripture, we often find, that the Lord hath been greatly delighted in geuyng them, either by plaine wordes, or secret prouidence, fyt and proper names, by whom it hath pleased hym, for the glory of his name, to bestowe vppon his Church any great benefite. Hereof is Abram called of God, A­braham, and the forerunner of the Sonne of God, is called Iohn, and the Sonne of God hym selfe receyued a name from the Angell, and was called Iesus, that is, a Lord, and Sauiour, redeeming the worlde from sinne: which afterward receyued a name, according to his of­fice▪ and was called Christ, that is, Annoynted, annoyn­ting vs with his holy spirit, that so we might acknow­ledge him to be our Christ. Wherfore let it not seeme straunge vnto vs, if those letters, by the diuine proui­dence of God, doo containe many and great mysteries within them. For the Lorde God by a certaine incom­prehensible prouidence, not according to mans wise­dome, or foreknowledge of things to come, doth go­gouerne the thoughtes and tongues of men, that ma­ny men, and Cities, in which the Lord God wyll shewe eyther his singular fauour, and marueilous woorkes of mercie, or his anger and heauie displeasure, should re­ceyue fatall names accordingly. And therefore by this reason it came to passe no doubt, that king Dauid, which signifyeth well beloued, should receyue a pro­per name: as also the Prophet Daniell his, signifying the iudgement of the Lorde. Because in him the Lord God dyd shewe foorth his singular kindnes manye wayes, and in this his secrete iudgement concerning the Empyres of the world, and their endes, and of the two commings of Christ, the first vyle in the fleshe, the second victorious, to iudgement. So likewyse Babylon, receyued a fit name, but in a diuers respect, not onely [Page 37] because that in her there was made a confusion of tongues: but especially because of the confounding of manners, and wickednes, of Religion, and Idolatry together. Wherefore at the length it vtterly came to naught, and there is become a meere confusiō in deed of all beastes and serpents. By a contrary ende Ierusa­lē tooke her name, because she should see the peace of God in Christ, which afterward she dyd furiously di­spise, I haue heard moreouer of Melanthon, which al­so in a certaine booke he dyd publish, that that name Emda, a towne of the Orientall Frisia, and my natiue countrey, hath her d [...]riuation from truth, and firme­nes, according to the force of the Hebrew woord: Est enim illa vrbs amans veritatis For (sayth he) that citie is a louer of the truth. Eme [...], verit [...]. Eman, stabilis. And howe this name agreeth to that Citie in these our dayes, the Lord God hath a­bundantly declared in this, that he hath myraculously kept vs among these so daungerous tempests, constant in the true doctrine of hys Gospel, against the mani­folde subtil [...]ies of the Diuell: God graunt we may perseuer to the end in all truth and simplicitie of hart, and that this naturall falling, may firmely be vpholden and stayed, least otherwise it pretend an euill fortune and so we be called no longer Emdani, that is, constant in the truth, but Valdarini ▪ that is Babilonians, which thing God of his mercy turne away from vs. Sib [...]l also Erithina, plainely telleth of Rome, that her name doth comprehend many wofull destinies, and that in these verses, translated out of Greeke into Latin by Casti­lion.

Nowe after what sort that Prophesie is fulfylled Castalion shewes in his annotations vppon the same place, to which I send the Reader. And that Rome els where hath a name according to her nature, it is ap­parant by a certaine answere of Pasquil:

Hereof also in respect of her outward whoordome, which is linked oftentymes with the spiritual fornicati­on, she is worthely called in holy Scripture, an Harlot, and Babylon, Sodome, and Gomorrhe, secret malice, and a people rebellyng against God.

¶ Of the round and square figure, of the Climacterian yeares, and of the Golden number.

IF nowe these, and that which folowes be rightly conside­red, and compared together, they wyll sufficiently shewe themselues to be neither cō ­trary to the Scriptures, nor impertinent to my purpose, but rather such, as (if they be compared with that before mentioned) may well bring vs into the remembraunce of the latter dayes: especi­ally [Page 38] sith they doo, as it were in colours, liuely place be­fore our eyes, the perfect end of this world, and com­myng of the Lord to iudgement:   2   1 5 3   4   As also the fiuefold figure doth not only represent the Greeke letter χ. or being somewhat turned, the crosse: but also both the squate figure, and the round. For the crosse by equall distance in the plaine, dooth fyll the circle, and repre­sentes the round forme: but the Greeke letter χ. ra­ther betokeneth the quadrangle figure.

But (this I speake by the way) if vnto the fiuefolde figure, noted by fiue vnities on either side, 1   2   5   4   3 contrary to the myddle number of fiue, the foure figures compre­hended in the fifth, euen to the perfect number, were set vnder, then these nyne vnites, may so by Art be dis­posed, that euery way we may see fifteene, as by the fi­gure here vnderneath may appeare.

So that this number of fyue in the threefold, accor­ding to Arithmetike, may seeeme the most perfect, and by many figures as it were to represent those three al­terations of tyme, of which, before we made mention, whose end in a iust quantitie of numbers, perfectly set of God hym selfe, ought certainly to be looked for. Neither can any doubt, but that this figure contay­nyng a marueilous equalitie, and agreement of num­bers, in a very great inequalitie (as it may seeme) doth [Page] signifie some great mysteries, as well Diuine, as Philo­sophical, the which, (least in these which may perchāce seeme more darke, then many of Platoes numbers, I be ouer tedious to the Reader) I leaue to the considera­tion of the studious. But (that we may somewhat re­turne to that we haue in hand) although the circular and round figure, be of all others, in sight most fayre, yet (as is the whole world) is it very vnstable, subiect to alteration, and full of troubles. But the square forme is firme, constant, and stable: and howe soeuer it be placed, is alwayes one and the same. And therefore dooth Aristotle compare the same to a good and ho­nest man, Arist. li. [...]. Eth­ [...]h [...]t. 3. whom he calleth [...], the which, how­soeuer with Aristotle we imagine hym, we shall not finde, Christ onely the Rocke, and true corner stone, refused of the buylders and workmen of this world, Psal. 17. Mat. 21. Apo. 21. onely excepted: but in the lyfe to come, wee shall be such with Christ hym selfe. And therefore dooth Iohn describe the holy Hierusalem, descending from hea­uen, to be foure square: in which, her perfection, con­stancie, and continuance,, Apo. 21. is noted. Because by no yll fortune it shalbe weakened, there shalbe no lamenta­tion, no sorow, no death: but perfect ioy, great myrth, and a lyfe endued with all spirituall riches, and euerla­sting, of which the faithfull, in the commyng of the Lord, shalbe partakers. Whose most ioyful comming about those notable tymes aboue mentioned, we looke for, and long exceedingly for our redemption.

Of the Cle­mitarian ye [...]esTo these may be added, that in the yeare .88. which is the yeare of the world, 5550. such a yeere shall en­sue, as it is from the creation of the world, by seuens, as it were by degres & steps we may ascend: as also the yere before that, 87. which is the yere .5549. to which number auncient writers haue ascribed much: partly because it is a square number, of which aboue it is spo­ken, [Page 39] partlye also, because it ariseth of seuen, seuen times dubbled. But experience, and the assertion of the learned, proues, that euery seuen yeere from their byrth, to their death, is very daungerous, contrary to noble wits, and notable men of the best nature by a certaine agreement they haue with their maker. For sith all that is made hath been created by the wonder­full wisedome of God, and by a certaine secret power ingrafted, tendes to his natural conseruation, & seekes that is best for his good estate, it very likely appeares, that famous men, haue a more affinitie with theyr se­cond byrth, the most artificiall nature beyng made of God, than eyther beast, or beastly men: and therefore that they are of God more tyed wyth nature her self to a certaine tyme. But these are counted especially cli­macterian yeeres, which by seuenfolde ascend, as is the 21. yeere, which dooth consist of three times seuen. such be .42. and 63. yeeres, counting aswell by nynes, as by seuens, and therefore be they iudged to be very hurtfull to notable fellowes. For in that yeare of their lyfe dyed Luther, Melanthon, Martyr, and other excel­lent men in all ages: as also Erasmus is thought to haue left this world in the 70. yeare of his age. But whether the lyke yeeres be fatall to all the worlde as they are to particular men, we leaue it to the iudge­ment of others. Yet if these things mentioned for a certaine lyke proportion of members, do include any secrete reason, bycause (as Plinie sayth, harmonia rerum naturā sibi ipsam congruere cogit: Libr. 2. ca. 10 [...]. the concente of things makes nature to agree to her selfe: it is credible and lykely, that the last ende of the world and of all man­kind, dooth consist of lyke proportion of numbers, as dooth a part. Because man is in deede a part of the world, and therefore is rightly called of the Philoso­phers [...]: Againe of thinges past, thinges to [Page] come are gathered since the course of tyme, the incli­nations of the starres, the circuite of fiue hundred yeares, and that singuler proportion of numbers, in the number of fyue (of which hetherto we haue spo­ken) come to passe about the same tyme altogether, and consist of one reason. All which (to speake the truth) were coniectures of no waight, and could proue nothing, did not Christ and Paule in plaine woordes signifie vnto vs, that the worldes ende, together wyth the glorious comming of the sonne of God to iudge­ment are at hand: and as it were at our doores, when we shall plainely perceiue the Gospell of the kingdome of Christ to be preached throughout all the world, and the sonne of perdition by the spirit of Gods mouth to be so confounded, that nothing shal seeme to be be­hind, but his vtter defamation: and to this purpose finally doo serue other coniectures, as is aboue de­clared.

Here by reason of numbers, one thing more wor­thy to be marked, because it agrees with that aboue mentioned, comes into my mynde, the which was told me by an honest man, skilfull in Astronomy, and Geometrie, and of good credit. For he sayd, that in the .1568. when Ericus King of Suethland (which then was in armes) had by force taken from the Liuo­nians, a certayne Castle situated in the Iland Osila, cal­led Sonenborch, he by good fortune, was lodged with a certayne noble Astronomer, Of the golden number. with whom by rea­son of their studies he was very familiar. Being in talke one day, he brake out into these words, and said, O miserable, and hotrible dayes, which from the yeare .1570. now at hand, shall ensue, and continue many yeares. His guest asked him how so? He aun­sweared: Because, when the number of the yeares of Christes Natiuitie dooth containe within it, for cer­tayne [Page 40] yeares the Golden number of euery yeare, which is seldome seene, then it hath of long tyme been ob­serued, and histories doo witnes the same, that infi­nite calamities, and intolerable troubles haue chaun­ced. But now from the 70. yeare now at hand, vntill the yeare .77. there shalbe among the yeares of the birth, of Christ, and between the golden number of euery yeare such an agreement: as .1.5.7. which be­ing ioyned togeather by addition, do make .13. Now this number .13. is the Golden number of the yeare 1570. & in the six other immediatly ensuing. And ther­fore he did affirme that in that yeare the watrie Ele­ment should gouerne, and should presage great ouer­flowings of water. But in the yeare 73. which is the middle of these seuen, the Earthy Element, for some notable cause, should lose of his vertue, by reason whereof, a wonderful scarsetie of all things should en­sue, as afterward it came to passe. Moreouer, he said, that in .76. yeare, the aire should be corrupt, and the plague should be in euery place. After which should succeede three yeares, the first of which .1577. dooth by the fore sayd reason comprehend in it twentie in number, and if from this number .19. which is the chiefest goldē number, and the golden number to the yeare going befor [...], were taken away, then one, which is the beginning of the number, and the golden num­ber of thys yeare dooth remayne, and so in the other two following, and no further. And therefore in the yeare .77. the firie Element shall trie his force, and breede discention and warres, and agayne in the yeare .78. a greeuous pestilence shall dispatch verye many. And in the yeare .79. agayne shall come great scarsetie of all fruit. Finally he sayd, because .19. is the highest golden number, it shalbe found that that number from the .70. yeare (when this first a­greement [Page] began (counting .19. shall as it were by a finger, poynt vnto the .88. yeare. For from the .70. yeare to the .88. so many yeares come betweene: a­bout which tyme (according to the opinions almost of all Mathematicions) verie dyreful, and miserable things shalbe come to passe. Because by good expe­rience, he boldly sayd, that the Lord God maker and keeper of all order, did orderly by a certain number, measure, and aspect of the starres, rule and gouern the whole Firmament of heauen.

And therefore, because of these things which haue ben spoken we do wel ynough, and sufficiently know, that the kingdome of God is at hand: let vs lyft vp our heades to heauen, let vs contemne all worldly things: let euery man cast away securitie and desire of pleasure, by whose inticementes, the mind is suppres­sed: let euery man frame himselfe to learne what is good, and godlines: let hym prepare himselfe to the Crosse, let hym profit in good woorking, in true cal­ling vppyn the name of the Lord, and put on the ar­mour of righteousnes, that if the aduersarie challenge vs into combate, we may by no flaterie, by no force, by no terrour, by no tormentes be drawen and pluckt away from Christ. The almightie God be present with vs continually with his diuine asistance, and de­fende vs euermore agaynst all the inuasions of the di­uell by which he would bring vs from our faith, driue vs out of hope, and so bar vs from our kingdome which is in heauen.

¶ Of the manner and effect of the Lordes commyng to iudgement, with an exhortation to watchfulnes.

HEtherto by diuine te­stimonies it hath ben shewed, that certain­ly the world must be destroyed, and also by Oracles, and pro­bable reasons and coniectures it hath been proued, that the glorious comming of the Lorde is at our doores and cannot be farre of, although we knowe not the certaine yeare, daye, and houre of hys commyng. It followeth therefore, that both for the edifying of the Churche, and refourming of our manners, that we alledge testimonies out of holye Scripture both of the manner of the commyng of the Sonne of God to iudgement, and of the effect of the same. After that the Sonne of God Christ our Lorde and Sauiour, by the secrete counsayle of God the Father, had determyned for our saluati­ons, and satisfying the wrathe of God, to suffer death, he tooke vppon him the shape of a seruaunt, was in the worlde poore and miserable, tooke pa­ciently all tauntes and mockes, and suffred himself to be condemned though vniustly, and shamefully to be crucifyed: but in his seconde commyng he shall not onely appeare lyke a chiefe Monarch of thys world, but shall shewe hymselfe to be a King [Page] since the begynning of the worlde, and him which cast the myghtiest from theyr seate of Maiestie, and exalted the humble, Daniel. [...]. Lu [...]ae. 1. and turned Empyres at hys pleasure. Also he shall declare himselfe to be the Sonne of God, coequall in dietie wyth God his eter­nall Father: so that then the course of things shall be chaunged, for he in that daye shalbe iudge, and iust­ly condemne those, of whom he was iudged, and a­gainst all equitie together wyth his members con­demned, and which haue obstinately and wythout reason persisted in impietie. For the wordes of Christ in the .25. of Matthew, by which accordyng to the ca­pacitie of man, the last iudgement is depainted, are these: Cum venerit silius hominis in maiestate sua, & om­nes angeli cum eo, tunc sedebit super sedem maiestatis suae, & congregabuntur ante eum omnes gentes (Nemo enim qui vnquam vixit, Math. 25. est, & erit, hoc iudicio eximetur) & separa­bit eos ab i [...]uicem, sicut pastor segregat oues ab hoedis, & statuet oues quidem à dextris suis. Tunc dicet Rex his qui à dextris eius erunt: Venite benedicti Patris me [...], possidete pa­ratum vobis regnum à constitutione mundi, &c. Et his qui à sinistris, dicet: Discedite à me maledicti in ignem aeternū, qui paratus est Diabolo & Angelis eius. That is, When the sonne of man shall come in his maiestie, and all his Angels with him, then shall he sit vppon the throne of his maiestie, and all Nations shalbe gathered tegether before hm, (for none which euer was, is, or shalbe, from this iudge­ment shalbe exempted) and he shall separate them, euen as a shepheard doth segregate the sheepe from the goates and shall place the sheepe on his right hand. Then shall the King saye vnto those which are on his right hand: Come ye bles­sed of my Father, possesse the kingdome prepared for you, from the beginning of the world. &c. And to those which are on his left hand, he shall say: Depart from me ye accursed into euerlasting fire, which is prepared for the Diuell, and his [Page 42] Angels. Because these haue doone no deedes of chari­tie, but haue continually rebelled against God: but these haue doone much better, because by reason of their fayth, they haue fulfylled all woorkes of mercies and haue been with one minde with God.

In which Sermon, Christ dooth applie himselfe to mans capacitie, and borroweth his similitude from an vpright King and Iudge of this world, which dooth pronounce lawfull sentence, whether it be of ab­solution, or condemnation, according to our woorkes be they good or bad, and by and by dooth execute the same. Lykewyse Paule dooth shewe the manner, how Christ in his last comming shall ap­peare to al the elect which euer were, or shalbe, in these wordes. Hoc enim vobis dicimus in verbo Domini, quiae nos qui viuimus, quiresidui sumus in aduentu Domini, non praeuentemus qui dormierunt. Quoniam ipse Domi­nus in iussu & in voce Archangeli, & in tuba Dei descen­det de caelo, & mortui qui in Chri [...]o sunt, resurgent primi. Deinde nos qui viuimus, simul rapiemur cum illis in nubi­bus, obuiam Christo in aera, & sic semper cum Domino e­rimus. This we say vnto you in the word of the Lord, 1. Thes. 4. that we which liue, and are the remnaunt in the Lordes comming shall not goe before thē which sleepe. Because the Lord him­selfe, in the cōmaundement and voyce of an Archangle, and in the trumpet of God; shall descend from heauen, and they which are dead in Christ, shall first arise. Afterwarde we which doo liue, shall togeather with them be caried in the Cloudes to meete Christ in the the ayre, and so shall be with God for euer. Also Paule teacheth: that in a mo­ment, in the twinckeling of an eye, in the last sound of the Trumpet the dead shall ryse vncorrupt, 1. Cor. 15. and those which are liuing shall vppon the suddayne be changed to incorruption, and immortalitie. Apo. 20. Iohn also seeth all the dead standing before the great and [Page] whyte Throne in the sight of God, and the bookes to bee opened, and the dead to be iudged out of that which was written, according to their woorkes. And he which was not found written in the booke of lyfe, was cast into a burning lake. But Sybyll Erithraea in in her verses called Acrostichides, Cice. lib. 2. de diuinatione. which were read (as it seemeth) but not well vnderstoode of Cicero, dooth notably depaint the last comming of Christ, and de­struction of the world. Which verses were greatly estee­med of the Fathers, E [...]sebius in vi­ta Constantini August. lib. 18. ca. 25. de ciuit Dei. as appeareth both out of Eusebius and Augustine. For out of these Authors, which were before the byrth of Christ, as also it is euident in Varro & in Virgils. 4. Eglog, that these Oracles were of great antiquitie, in so much as they were accounted as di­uine reuelations, and therefore wyll wee ioyne those Latine verses vnderneath, and the rather, because in them nothing can be founde which is dissonant from the word of God. Acrostichian verses are those whose first letter of euery verse necessarily depends one of the other. The letters in Greeke were these, [...]. In Latine these.

JESVS CHRISTVS DEI FILIVS SERVA­TOR CRVX. Which verses of Sibyl, were thus turned into Latine.

Now I hope these testimonies alledged, may suffice to proue vnto vs, the manner of the commyng of the Sonne of God, and of the worldes ouerthrow. For it is not for man to speake more of the same, then he [Page] hath learned out of holy Scripture. Yet somewhat longer wyll we tarry in the greatnesse of an happy life, and paynes of the vngodly: and yet no further wyll we goe, then the holy Scripture dooth leade vs to consi­der. Certayne it is, and without all controuersie, that nothing can be imagined of greater happinesse, and better estate, than is God the chiefest good: and that that felicitie which is in God, is as great and insearcha­ble, as is his omnipotencie, by which he created both heauen and earth of nothing, by his woorde alone. And therfore it foloweth, that those which are of one mynde in Iesu Christe with God, be also partakers of those goodes which are in God, be also as beloued children in Christ, and heyres of all their fathers ri­ches, which are infinite and incomprehensible. And therfore Paul saith out of Esay: 1. Cor. 2. Esay. 64. That the eye hath not seene, nor the eare heard, nor hath it entred into the hart of man, what God hath prepared for such as loue hym. But those celestiall and inuisible are not so apparant, and shine before our eyes, as do earthly and visible thyngs, to which we are too too greatly addicted, and therfore the holy Ghost by Iohn in his Reuelation, helping the weaknesse of our iudgement, dooth liken the king­dome of God to a certaine great and large citie, which he dooth call the holy Hierusalem, Apo. 21. whose gates are of precious stones, and whose walles and streates are of pure golde, then the which nothing is more excellent in the sight of men. And he dooth also call that citie, (of the which all the elect shalbe perpetuall citizens) Tabernaculum Dei cum hominibus, & habitabit cum eis, & ipsipopuli eius erunt, & ipse Deus cum eis erit: The Ta­bernacle of God with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shalbe his people, and he shalbe their God. Finally, that there is the fulnesse of all felicitie, where God is all in all, in which place we shall know hym perfectly [Page 44] euen as he is. And therfore true is that voyce, which Iohn in his Reuelation heard from heauen: Beati mortui qui in Domino moriuntur: Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord: or those are blessed, which the Lord at his commyng shall finde vigilant, wise, and sober.

Now, if nothing be more happy (as in deede no­thing is) thē to inioye the sight of the euer liuing God, and to be inheritours of eternall lyfe: certainly by a contrary, nothing can be imagined more wretched and miserable, then with Diuels to be cast for euer out of the sight of God, into eternall torments and paines of hell, at whose very remembraunce, the Diuell hym selfe in an horrible rage dooth quake and tremble. For sith God is altogeather infinite, and his iustice in­comprehensible, and sinnes be cleane contrary to his vnspeakeable iustice, it must needes folow, that they also must be punished with eternall paynes. And that this is true, our heauenly father sheweth most plainly in his only begotten sonne, which for our sake he sent into the flesh, that he might take vpon hym the forme of a seruaunt, and suffer death for our offences. For the iustice of God, for our sinnes in our flesh, dyd exact sufficient satisfaction, and his diuine pitie an infinite mercy towards all the elect. And therfore the Sonne of God, of one substance with his eternall father, and clearenesse of his glory, was almost compelled to sub­iect hym selfe vnder hym, that so he might pacifie Gods anger, and publish his vnspeakable mercye to­wards al mankynd: especially towards al them which would with a liuely faith take hold, and imbrace hym. Now that the mynd of man might conceiue the great­nes of Gods displeasure, agaynst our sinnes, the holy Scripture fetchyng similitudes from sensible things, dooth liuely set the same before our eyes, that so if our fleshly and flexible harts geue any credit to the mani­fest [Page] woord of God, and be not hardened like stones, we might conceyue the greatnes of the same. For Christ dooth compare that eternall casting out of his fauour, Math. 25. Lucae. 13. M [...]tth. 13. Apo. 20.21, 22. to a very darke prison, to euerlasting fire, and vnquenchable, to extreme horror, with perpetual gna­shing of the teeth: And Iohn in his Reuelation sayth, that the vngodly shalbe throwē into a fiery lake, full of Brimstone, in which they shalbe continually for euer tormented:: than the which, mans mynd can thinke nothing more horrible, more intolerable. All which Sibyl in her Oracles comprehended in these verses translated out of Greeke.

O that blyndnes of mans mynde, and that madde doubting of these diuine promises of eternall lyfe: O that hardned and flintie hart of ours, which is not mooued, no not wyth these horrible threates of Gods heauie displeasure, but continuing securely in all im­pietie, neuer asketh pardon for such wilfull offending, and amendeth: euen as though the scripture were but lyes, and these diuine Oracles & prophane fables. For by those things which haue come to passe, and by true demonstrations of Gods holy spirit, it is apparant, that nothing is more certaine than that the end of all [Page 45] things hāgeth ō our shoulders. Truly great is the force of sinne, and marueilous is the rage of Satan in these latter dayes, he endeuoureth by all meanes that possi­bly he can to bring the whole world into a desperate securitie of life, that so he may haue many partakers of his tormentes in hell, from which there is no re­demption. But how much better had it been, we had eyther neuer been borne, or at the least been voyde of reason with beastes and serpentes, or els been dis­pactht as soone as we were borne, if either we enioy not that place, for which we were created, or come not to the celestyall Paradyse, and to the marryage of our Spouse our Lord and sauiour Iesu Christ, where shalbe the ful abundance of all delightes, and perfecti­on of all pleasure.

Wherefore let vs cast from vs, both our carelesse securitie, and mistrust of the promises of God, An exhortati­on to watch­fulnes. let vs renounce the diuell, and all the woorkes of the flesh, which are not sufferable by the word of God, & let vs listē to the friendly admonitiō of our Sauiour Christ, Lucae. 21. warning vs in these wordes. Take heed, least at any tyme your mindes be ouerladen with surfetting, and dronkennes, and cares of this life, and so the suddayne day of the Lord take you vnawares: for euen as a snare, it shall come vppon all which sit vppon the face of the earth. Be ye watch­full therefore at all tymes: (and as Matthew addeth, Math. 24. be­cause ye knowe not the houre in which your Lorde wyll come) praying, that ye may escape all these things which are to come, and may stand before the Sonne of man. For if the comming of theeues and stealers of our earthly goods be to be feared, with how great care, with how great diligence and watchfulnes, should we seeke to escape those enemies which would spoyle vs of our e­ternall riches, and kingdome of heauen. Here we vse great heede and wisedome to preserue our mortall [Page] bodyes from hurt and daunger: but to saue our soules which are immortal from eternal paynes in hel, we are altogeather carelesse, nothing circumspect. And yet more would it beseeme the children of lyght, to be more carefull in seeking and keeping those things which are celestiall, than are wordlings paynfull in enriching themselues with such things as they are nei­ther sure to enioy while they are aliue: nor can assure them of any ioy when they are dead. Yea let vs thinke and perswade our selues, that in the sight of God it is not shamefull, but abhominable, that the elect or chosen people of God which should be wise and cir­cumspect, shall in this care be surpassed of wicked worldlings, and the more hyghly we displease our god, by how much the things which we so litle esteem, are more excellent than that which they so hunt af­ter, betweene which (so surpassing is the treasure prepared for the godly) that there is no comparison. This exhortation though it pertayne to all men at all tymes, yet now especially in these daungerous dayes, in which, euery where we see so many by suddayne and strange endes to be taken out of this world. and because euery man shall dy (though the certayne houre and daye none dooth knowe) and shall either woofully be sent among the diuels in hell, or ioyfully be receyued into the felowship of the faythfull in hea­uen.

Wherefore sith the spirit in the faythfull is willing, but the flesh very weake, and blinde in heauenly things, we are to beseech our heauenly father in con­tinuall prayers, that by his holy spirit he would dayly more and more encrease, and strengthen our weake and feeble fayth. And therefore we hartely desire thee O eternall father, that thou wilt not vtterly breake vs, though we bowe not as we should, neither deale with [Page 46] iustice, though we doo not our duties, according to thy wyll: but keepe vs good God in thy welbelo­ued sonne, illuminate our myndes with thy holy spi­rit, by which we may be prepared to all good workes, in true holines, & newnes of life: that so with Paule we may desire to leaue this world & to be with Christ, and so in the cōming of the Lord, being found ready with oyle in our Lamps, and adorned with our wedding garmentes, we may find entrance to the Lordes mariage, which thou for thy son, & his belo­ued spouse the holy church hast prepared, and appointed, from the beginning of the world. To thee therfore O heauenly father, to thy only be­gotten sonne, and to the ho­ly Ghost our comforter, be all prayse, honour, and glory, for euer and euer. Amen.