men liuyng So that all mistrust and vnbeliefe the Quagmyre of all maner of wickednesse in which many men lye tâ— great slumber and sleepe securely may earnestly be cast away true fayth in diuine promises may be râ—ised our hope of attaynyng an happy life and deliuerance from all troubles may be nourished and we the more vigilant least vpon a sodaine that great day of the Lord horrible to the vngodly but to the godly comfortable vnawares oppresse vs and the spouse find vs sober wise and prepared to the feast not without oyle in our Lampes For his commyng in this last age of the world without doubt is not farre and maketh great hast and wyll not as many suppose linger Wherfore in this litle woorke I haue determined by some euident places of the Scripture first to proue that there shal be one day a generall destruction of this world and an vniuersall and last iudgement of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God in which all the promises of God shall to the vttermost be fulfilled and his great threates shall take effect Then by the testimonies of holy Scripture we wil shew that the age of this world shall not be more then sixe thousand yeres that the sixt thousand in which we now liue whose tyme is more than halfe past because of intollerable wickednesse and shamelesse securitie of men shall not be fully finished And to this shal be added certaine singuler signes by course of tyme and yeares woonderfully agreeing with the inclinations of the Starres if credit may be geuen to Mathematicians which things notwithstaÌ„ding I referre to the iudgement of the Church and doctors of more discretioÌ„ Last of al certain proofes out of Scripture shal be brought of the maner of Christ his commyng and of the effect of the last iudgement with an exhortation to watchfulnesse for that most ioyful commyng of our bridegrome ¶ That there shal be a destruction of this worlde a resurrection of the fleshe and a generall iudgement of all mankynde ESpecialy setting apart al other darke significations of the world which in holy Scripture are to be founde euerye where in this place talkyng of his destruction we take the same as Aristotle dooth in his booke of the World for a knittyng togeather of celestiall and inferiour bodyes disposed by Arte which dooth containe liuing creatures and all other things which are ingendred and remaine in euery part And because in the same is to be seene a wonderfull shewe therfore doo the Latines very well take his denomination from fayrenes so that they cal the world as the Grecians doo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goodly shew or ornament from the perfect excellencie therof as Plinie writeth which woonderful peece of woorke as appeareth by the manner of his creation and holy Scripture dooth plainly and sufficiently auouch the same was only to that ende buylded that it should be a house or dwelling place for mankinde For when our most mighty and eternall God by his woord of power had created of nothing all things as wel senslesse as hauyng life at length he made Adam whom he appoynted Lord of al creatures and possessor of Paradise situated in the mydst of this goodly and glorious world and fashioned him also vpright and innocent according to his owne likenesse that the Lord God of him might worthely be worshipped Here the vnspeakeable loue of God towards mankind is most diligently to be considered For if the Lorde God for our sakes hâ—th erected this famous and excellent peece of woorke to be an abiding place for mankynd of which he would gather to hym selfe a perpetual Church howe fayre and glorious shal we thinke that euerlasting Temple to be which he hath prepared for his elect in Christ and for his heauenly and celestial warriours In which place we shall enioy the sight of our euerlasting God and shal knowe hym in maiestie and glory euen as he is Truely no comparison of excellencie betwene these can so much as in imagination be conceyued although the beautie of this world and vniuersitie be such as mans wit cannot sufficiently thinke of the same Because as betwene the creature and the creator there is no equality so great is the oddes betweene visible things created and supercelestiall to vs altogether inuisible where the sonne of God wyth all Sainctes in the circuite of all Angels with God the father hath his eternall seate and continuall abiding But all men through the fall of Adam are become vnworthy of that place which was appoynted for Adam being pure from sinne and vnspotted Neither had the world any more borne him according to this immutable senteÌ„ce of God at what tyme thou shalt eate of the tree of kâ—owâ—ledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death had not that ouer merciful God through his deep secrete counsayle receyued him al the elect into fauor by the promised seed of the woman by Christ the sonne of God which was to come in the flesh And therfore if the world haue hitherto and as yet shall continue it is onely done for their sakes which are chosen in Christ whose number being full the world must of necessitie fayle and fall downe flat for which cause the Lord hath a certayne tyme of the worlds destruction because by the sinne and wickednes of vngodly men being marueilously polluted and accursed it dooth together wyth all other creatures as Saynt Paule sayth subiect to the same corruption desire a deliuerance from euil And therefore that this vniuersall world maye be brought to his former integritie it must of necessitie be consumed and burne with fyre in the comming of the Lord as Esay witnesseth saying Beholde the Lorde wyll come in fire and his chariot shal be like a whyrlewynde that he may render his indignation in heate and his correction in flames of fire because the Lord wyll iudge in fire And S. Peter saith The day of the Lord wyll come like a thiefe at which tyme the heauens with great speede shall vanish the Elementes with that heate shal be dissolued and the earth with all contayned in the same shal be consumed with fire No marueile then though Ethnikes and most famous Philosophers folowing the deuises of their owne braine straungers altogeather and ignorant in Scripture haue had very many prophane cogitations of the world Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers dreameth that the world neuer had beginnyng because as he saith the gods in this infinite eternitie haue not been idle But Plato beyng of another mynde will that the world was made yet he thinketh the same to be Animal immortale A creature which shall not dye but remayne for euer Plinie beleeueth the world to be an eternall and vnmeasurable godhead neither begotten at any tyme nor shal be destroyed Others as Epicures imagine that there is not one world onely but infinite whereof some take place as others auoyde Plato also iestingly sayth that
offred it selfe vnto the King in his sleepe vnder which according to the interpretation of Daniell were fygured all the Empyres of the worlde And the same heauenly Prophet by the same spirit dyd foretell that God would rayse vp an euerlasting and perpetuall kingdome which all the Sainctes of God after iudgement shall possesse world without ende Nowe what let is there Why by lyke certayntie those things shall not be fulfilled which haue been spoken afore of the destruction of this world and eternall gouernment of christ Sith that kingdome is perpetuall and not to be ouerthrowen prepared for the Sainctes of God from euerlasting as fayth and Christian Religion do confirme And from the same spirit of truth are these things vttered Gods prouidence also is certaine His eternal pleasure not chaungeable and in his power which of nothing created the worlde nothing is wanting Where of those things none except either a mad man or possessed with some wicked spirit can raise any doubt Besides the eternall iustice of God the ryghteous iudge dooth greatly exact that euery man be rewarded according to his desertes of which must needes be gathered that the state of good men must be glorious of wicked most miserable Which commeth to passe cleane contrary in this wretched world where most commonly good and well disposed persons are with troubles tormented wyth baniâ—hment molested with losse of goods vnpuniâ—hed and with all miseries ouerwhelmed but the wicked are with delicious fare nourished with goods enriched with offices preferred and for aucthotitie honored As Dauid in these woordes dooth bitterly complayne My feete were almost gone and my treadings had welnigh slipt And why I was greeued at the wicked when I sawe them in such prosperitie For they are in no perill of death but are lustie and stronge They labour not lyke other men neyther are they plagued lyke other folke And therefore pryde compasseth them as dooth a chaine and they haue put on the garment of crueltie Their eyes are swollen with fatnesse and they doo what they lyst They marre others and speake marueilously yea they blaspheÌ„e the most hyghest And a little after Behold these vngodly prosper in the worlde and enriche themselues greatly and I sayde then haue I clensed my hart in vaine and washed my handes in innocencie All the day long haue I been punished chastened euery morning yea and I had almost sayd euen as they but loe then should I haue condemned the generation of thy children And therefore there must of necessitie be another lyfe after this in which according to the iuste iudgement of God euery man must receyue eternall and woorthy recompence for their woorkes be they good or bad eternall glory or eternall infamie Euen as Dauid also in the same Psalme to the comforting of himselfe and the Church telleth vs in these woordes Then thought I to vnderstand this but it was too harde for me vntyll I went into the sanctuarie of God then vnderstoode I the ende of these men Namely howe thou hast set them in slipperie places and wilt make them fal downe into desolation O how suddainely doo they consume vanish and come to a fearefull ende yea euen as a dreame are they when one awaketh Lorde when thou raisest the dead thou wilt dispise their image And besides especially it agreeth to the diuine iustice after all good woorkes or bad committed in this body that all bodies knit with their soules doo rise and receiue that which they haue deserued Which thing Esay most plainly dooth signify in this maner All fleshe shall come to worship before my face sayth the Lord And they shall come foorth and see the dead bodyes of men which haue done wickedly against me there worme shall not dye and their fire shall not be extinguished c. And Iob in plaine wordes dooth witnes that those bodies which we now haue we shall receiue again For thus he saith I know that my redeemer lyueth and that I shall rise in the last day from the earth shall be clad again with my skin and in my flesh I shal see God whom I my selfe shal beholde and mine eyes shal see and none other Then as Esay writeth shal death be vtterly deuoured and the Lord God shal washe away al teares from euery face and will take the reproch of his people from the earth because the Lorde hath spokeÌ„ it Neither as Iohn saith in his reuelation shal their be death any more nor weeping nor cry neither anye more griefe because the former things are past Moreouer the Lord God is not onely iust but also truth it selfe And therefore all those things which by the Prophets and Apostles through the instinct of the holy Ghost he hath reuealed touching the end of the world the Resurrection of the flesh the last iudgement of Christ and the eternall lyfe of the godlye and the eternall death of the wicked which is to come shall so certainely come as nothing ought to be more certaine vnto vs notwithstanding that mans reason and the doctrine of the Philosophers cannot sufficiently conceaue the same For if he be truth how can he lie Or sith all which hath been spoken afore of Christes comming in the flesh of his death and resurrection of alteration of Empires be sufficiently fulfilled How can we otherwise thinke but that these things which of the ruine of the world and of Christes eternall kingdome reuealed vnto vs of our most mightie and blessed God must lykewyse come to passe Especially syth all which hath been spoken was to no other end spoken but to proue this and the summe of Christian religion consistes in these things Which demonstration going before and true testimonies of holy Scripture in my iudgement maye suffice both to the strengthening of our faith and cutting of all doubting of that noble coming of Christ our Lorde to iudgement of the ende of this sinfull world of the glorious exhortation of his Church and of the vtrer damnation of the reprobate Wherefore now I will endeuour by testimonies of diuine Oracles probable reasons and coniectures to shewe that the world cannot passe the time of sixe thousande yeares Of the second comming of Christ a comfortable Discourse That the world shall not endure aboue sixe thousande yeares SAint Austine 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
regione profana Ter tantum soluent quantum fecere malorum Igni confecti multo tum dentibus omnes Stridentes acri tabescent vique sitique Optandum mori dicent fugientque vocantes Non iam mortis enim requiem non noctis habebunt Multa quidem frustra supremi numina Patris Orabunt sed eos tunc auertetur apertè 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 things haÌ„geth oÌ„ 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 shal be 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 let vs renounce the diuell and all the woorkes of the flesh which are not sufferable by the word of God let vs listeÌ„ to the friendly admonitioÌ„ of our Sauiour Christ 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 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 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 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 coÌ„ming 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 FINIS Matth. 14.25 Mark. 13. Luk. 21. Aristot lib. 2. Rhetor. ad Theodecten cap. 10. Psalm 10. Prouerb 1. Psalm 73. Cardanus de rerum varietaâ—e Canti Cant. Psalm 51. Roâ— 8. Apoc. 17 Lact. lib. 7. cap. 25. Matth. 24. Lactan. 9. Matth. 25. 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 8. Luc. 16. Hebr. 11. Psal. 73 â–ª The argument of the booke Gene. 1.2 Rom. 8. Esay 66. 2. Pet. â— Aristotle â–ª Plato in Timâ— â–ª Plinius nat hist â–ª lib. 2. cap. 1. Epicures â–ª Plato in Atâ—â—â—â—tico Aegiptians Saduces Esay 56. Sâ—piâ—n 2. Diuers profes â—ut of the worde of God. 1. Cor. 1â— â–ª Iohn 5. The testimonie of tâ—e â—rophets â—f Chrâ—st Apostâ—eâ— â—oâ—firmâ—d by thâ— blooâ— of Martyrs Proofe from the testimony of the holy ghost Christian aucthoritie Matth. 17. Luc. 9. Math. 3. Maâ—â— 24.25 Marke 13. Luke 21. Proofe froâ— Prophesies â—â—ay 9.11.35.40.53 Daniel câ—p â— 7.8.9.11 Daniel 2. Daniel 7. Proofe from the iustice of God. Psal. 73. Esay 66. Iob. â— 9. Esai 25. Proofâ— from the diuine tâ—uth August in hiâ— 12. booke agaynst Mat. Elias prophesie 4. Esdras 4. The iudgement of Bibliander concerning the fourth booke of Esdras The answeare of Vriell to Esdras Psal. 90. 2. Pet. â— Conâ—ectâ—re fâ—om the syx daies of creation Coâ—iecture of Hench by generation thâ— seuenth from Adam Elias 1. Peter 1. Heb. 9. Math. 24. Coniecture from the constitution of the Sabboth The preaching of the Gospell the chiefest signe of Christs comming to iudgement Math. 24. God doth first accuse before he condemne Gen. 6.7 4. Reg 17. 4. Reg. 24.25 Iâ—sephus Egesippus Iosephus Egyptus Dan. 6. Orosius lib. 7. Chap 5. Of other things following the preaching of the Gospâ—ll Maâ—h 24. Luk. 21. An answere vnto certayne obiections Luk. 21. â—om 13. From Pharoeâ— Example Exod. 14. Contempt of knowledge All gifts at the â—â—ppe of perfection Contempt of learning Contempt of the ministerie Math. 24. Securitie of lyfe Horace lib. Serm. 2. Horace lib. 1. Episto Boëtius lib. 2. ante prosam 3. Math. 7. An admonition to Princeâ— Lucan lib. Ouid. lib. 1. fast Luc. 16. Of the successâ— of the Turke Daniel 7. Epito diuinar instit Chap. 11. Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 15. Mat. 24. Melancthonin vita Vaspatiani Ciprian Lâ—ouitius of the strange coâ—iunction of Planes Prayse of Astronomie Gen. 1. Of the comming of Christ into the flesh Gen 49 Dan. 9. Of the comming of Antichrist 2. Thessa. 2. Platina Krants 2. Cap. 18. Ganguinus lib. 4. Lib. 7. Annâ—l Ioan. Auen in exemplari Enstaâ—â—i impresso an 1554. fol. 684. 685. The blasphemous aâ—rogancie of the wicked Pope 2. Distin. 44. Of the comming of Christ to iudgement Ioel. 2. Lib. 8. Plato 8. Polytic Aâ—istotelâ—s 5. pol. Apo. 13. â—usebius Apo. 17. The first Peâ—â—ode The secondâ— Period Apo. 13. Lanf de Sacra Virgi de inâ—entione libr. 4. capi 10. Krantz lib. 5. ca. 8. Blondus Krantz li. 5. ca 7. The last Peryod Apo. 13. Apo. 21. Decretâ— Pontificum Plaâ—ina Sabellicus Krantz lib. 5. ca. 6. Caus. 16. q. 7. Si quis de inceps An admonition to Pâ—inces An admonition to kings Psalm 2. Functi Chron â–ª 1. Tim. 4. 1. Tim. 3.1 paâ—s dist 32. Iâ— Epinemidâ— Philosopho De re pub lib. 2. The definitioÌ„ of Arithmetycall proportion Melant. in Epit mo Phi. Geometrical proportion whar In Gorgia Gâ—lâ— 6. A true Christian Cicerâ— lib 3. Orliâ—i Syrach 27. Quintil. lib. 2. Cap. 3. Plato de Ropub lib. 5. Matth. 8. Quintil. lib. 8. cap. 3. Of the greeke letter χ Of the woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emeâ— veritâ—â— Eman stabilis Libro 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 948. Lo. Vulteii  2  1 5 3  4  1  2  5  4  3 Arist. li. â— Ethâ—hâ—t 3. Psal. 17. Mat. 21. Apo. 21. Apo. 21. Of the Clemitarian yeâ—es Libr. 2. ca. 10â— Of the golden number Daniel â— Luâ—ae 1. Math. 25. 1. Thes. 4. 1. Cor. 15. Apo. 20. Cice. lib. 2. de diuinatione Eâ—sebius in vita Constantini August lib. 18. ca. 25. de ciuit Dei. 1. Cor. 2. Esay 64. Apo. 21. Math. 25. Lucae 13. Mâ—tth 13. Apo. 20.21 22. An exhortation to watchfulnes Lucae 21. Math. 24. ¶ Imprinted at London nigh vnto the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Gardyner and Thomas Dawson for Andrew Mumsell dwelling in Paules Churchyard
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 new a newe heauen a newe earth behold the Tabernacle of God with men and he shall dwell with them and they shal be his people and he shall be a God with them euen their God. But when those vngodly Decrees and blasphemies which the Romanes froÌ„ 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 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 briâ—g to nought cut of and by his commyng to iudgemeâ—t to the perpetuall shame of all papistes vtterly abolish all that impietie 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 shâ—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 and for euer disanulled that decree of the Cardinals for the confirmation of his election How I beesech you hath Lotharinge a Guisian Caâ—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 froÌ„ 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 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 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 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 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 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 Spiritus disertè dicit fore c. That is The Spirit saith plainly that in the latter tymes
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 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 câ—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 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 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 man and this no honest man for his labour And yet forsooth is it a false opinion which we are in when froÌ„ a general propositioÌ„ we come to a particular contrary to their minds in deede it is more agreeable to iustice not to hurt a maÌ„ 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. Iâ— is not the part of a plaine 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 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 coÌ„temned 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 Quintilian dooth witnes Quo quisque minus valet hoc se magis attollere et dilatare conatur The least of power 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 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 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 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