enstructe vs in this poincte then our Sauiour Christe hymself who made aunswere vnto his Disciples when thei vsed this question in his presence saiyng vnto hym Actes 1.6 Lorde wilt thou at this tyme restore the kyngdome to Israell And he saied vnto them It is not for you to knowe the tymes or the seasons whiche the Father hath put in his owne power c. This aunswere whiche thei did receiue of Christe a man would thinke would suffice any Christian seyng Christe his owne Disciples did neither enquire of the houre the daie or the yere but simplie proposed their question of the tyme vnto whō Christ made an excellent aunswere as is afore declared Agreeable vnto whiche place is the testimonie of Christ Iesus hymself saiyng Of that daie and of that howre knoweth no man Math. 24.36 Math. 13.32 no not the Angels that are in heauen neither yet the sonne of man but the Father onely And again Paule saieth 1. Thess 5.1 Of the tymes and seasons brethrē I haue no néede that I doe write vnto you for you your selues knowe perfectly that the daie of the Lorde shall come euen as a Theefe in the night For when thei shall saie peace and saffetie then shall come vpon them sodaine destruction as the trauaile vpon a woman with child and thei shall not escape But ye brethren are not in darknesse that that daie should come vpon you as it were a Theef Ye are all the children of light and the children of the daie wee are not of the night neither of the darkenesse Therefore let vs not sleepe as others doe but let vs watche and be sober c. For it is in vaine for vs to goe aboute to make a computation of those yeres whiche are remainyng in this world or to appoincte the daie or howre yere or tyme when it shal be consumed Seeyng it is not our partes and duties to knowe and searche these thinges as we haue heard out of the mouthe of the truthe hymself Christe Iesus Wherefore albeeit the Deuill our cōmon aduersarie doeth labour by all meanes to fill our heades with infinite and vnprofitable questions settyng a side all suche as are necessarie for our saluatiō yet let vs that are Christians prepare our selues to watchfulnesse and Christian meditation and praiers so often as we dooe heare any mētion of the daie of Iudgement for feare least when Christe our Maister commeth he finde vs sleepyng c. Let vs therefore staie and rest our selues here not seekyng curiously into the secretes of almightie God againste his Diuine will and pleasure And yet notwithstandyng to the ende we maie bee perswaded of the certaintie therof and of Christes godlie care and brotherlie loue and affectiō shewed towardes vs He hath lefte behynde hym some thyng in the woorde of GOD concernyng this matter whiche is necessarie for our comforte and enstruction Math. 24.22 First that those daies shal be shortened for the electes sake Whereby he doeth giue vs to vnderstande that the nomber of those yeres shall not bee accomplished and fulfilled whiche otherwise were appoincted vntill the consummation of the worlde Secondly thesame Christe hath added thus muche for our learnyng that seyng it is not expedient for vs to knowe the tyme of the consummation of the worlde yet notwithstanding there should appeare certain signes and tokens of thesame by the course whereof we maie easily coniecture of the euentes followyng Whereby our Sauiour Christe hath declared not onely his singuler loue whiche he beareth towards vs but also sheweth how muche he dooeth tender our saluation in that he doeth sende signes and tokens in heauen and in Earth as the forerunners of his seconde commyng vnto Iudgemente Whereof some are partly knowne of vs because thei are familier vnto our sences and some of them also are vnwonted and strange so that we maie truely saie that it pleaseth almightie God by suche monsters of Nature to admonishe vs of our dueties and obedience whiche wee owe vnto his diuine Maiestie For as whē we see the body of man whiche is the prison of the soule to be subiecte to many infirmities As namely when we sée the haire of a mannes head to beginne to shed and fall awaie or els to waxe white the eyes to wax bleared and dimme of sight The stomack to bee weake and vnapte to digestion the eares to be deffe the tongue to falter The knées to be ready to bowe vnder a manne and all the members and partes of manne to bee féeble and brought into subiection as it were through Biles and Vlcers and other diseases whatsoeuer that are incidēt to the Nature of man and at the present sight thereof wee can saie that those signes dooe presage that death is imminent and not farre of from that man And in like maner as whē we se the tiles of any edifice or buiding to bée broken the walles to beginne to totter the roffe to bée ready to fall doune the postes and principall timber to beginne to shrinke out of their iointes the foundation to be rotten c. Forthwith we can saie that thesame house is ready to decaie and come to vtter ruine for lacke of a good tenaunt or Landlorde that should kéepe the same in due reparation Euen so can not we chuse but confesse that all these late horrible and monsterous monsters of Nature I speake as well of men as of bruite beastes whiche are daiely seen in this our age Besides the manifolde straunge tokens and vnwonted signes whiche are oftentymes euidently seene in the Sonne and in the Moone and in the Starres and in all the hoste of Heauen Are as you would saie the Vlcers and Biles naie I maie saie plainlie the blaines of the whole worlde and doe verie notablie prognosticate and foreshewe vnto vs the vniuersall dissolution and destruction of the same No lesse then the Starre that stoode ouer Hierusalem like vnto a Sworde and also the straunge Comet whiche endured for the space of a whole yere the Deuill in the figure and shape of a man An armie of souldiours seene in the cloudes marchyng about the citie with a nomber of horsemen and chariotts with this voice that was heard in the Temple saiyng Lett vs goe hence Besides other euidēt and vgly shapes c. did foreshewe and Prognosticate vnto the Iewes the destruction that should come vpon the Citie of Hierusalem and the Inhabitauntes thereof Who contemned not onely these demōstrations of their destructiō that was imminent but also like blind and sencelesse beastes would not giue credite vnto those wordes whiche Christ hym self while he was conuersant in the earth did vtter against Hierusalem Who when he was come nere vnto it Luke 19.41 he behelde it and wept for it saiyng O if thou haddest euen knowne at the leaste in this thy daie those thinges which belong vnto thy peace But now are thei hid frō thine eyes for the daies shall come vpon thee that thyne enemies shall
this Iudgement that the Lorde God hymself is the originall aucthour and principall worker of this Starre as of all others makyng it an immediate messenger and minister of his will accordyng to the tyme and place as it beste pleaseth his diuine and eternall maiestie Who seyng that we bee suche an obstinate and stiffenecked people that wee will not bee moued to loue hym neither in respecte of his long sufferaunce and louyng mercie shewed all waies towardes vs neither yet in respecte of that moste sweete and comfortable voice of the Gospell whiche hath been preached full .xxij. yeres vnto vs by his faithfull seruauntes and Ministers Dooeth now in his secrete councell goe an other waie to woorke and by fearfull Eclipses of Sonne and Moone and by glisteryng flames of fierrie Cometes and other suche like monstruous signes and tokens in the heauen and in the earth doeth goe I saie about to enforce and cōpell vs against our willes to be mindfull of the latter daie whiche is not farre of If we will giue any credite to the woordes of Christ who immediatly after he had made mention of the signes whiche should bee sene in the Sonne and in the Moone and in the Starres doeth forthwith adde these wordes Cū haec videritis euenire cognoscite quod prope est regnū dei That is to saie Math. 24.33 When ye se all these thinges knowe that the kyngdome of God is nere euen at the doores Luke 21.28 And againe when these thinges doe beginne to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heades For your redemption draweth nere Behold the Figge tree and all trees when thei now shoote forthe ye seyng thē knowe of your owne selues that Sommer is nere So likewise ye whē ye se all these thinges come to passe knowe you that the kyngdome of God is neare Verely I saie vnto you This age shall not passe till all these thynges bee doen heauen and yearth shall passe awaie but my woordes shall not passe awaie By that whiche hetherto hath been spoken you see how almightie God is not onely the creator and gouernour of Nature it self and of all Naturall causes but also he is suche a one as in the worke of this blasyng Starre is to bee acknowledged and confessed to bee the onely efficient cause And therefore he onely and not the blasyng Starre is to bee feared and had in reuerence consideryng that he is of power able not onely to chasten vs with temporall punishementes for the amendement of our liues in this wretched worlde But also in his Iustice maie condemne vs to eternall death and destruction in the kyngdome of darknesse where there is euerlastyng fire prepared for the Deuill and his angelles For whiche cause I can not deny but I must needes confesse that for the moste parte blasyng Starres are a token and signe of greate horror and feare and do prognosticate of some strange wonder and dooe threaten some imminent euill and mischeefe commonly vnto that parte of the yearth towardes the whiche thei seme to cast their beames moste directly And therfore those Philosophers which haue written of the effectes of blasyng starres haue founde by good experience that sometymes thei dooe signifie drouthe and barronnesse of the yearth whiche made Augustinus Niphus to witnesse that after the appearyng of a Comete Anno domini 1506. whiche was about the 22. yere of the raigne of kyng Henry the seuenth there followed within twoo yeres after suche a drought in Lumberdie that from the moneth of Ianuarie vnto Nouember after there fell no Raine at all in that Countrie Sometymes also after the appearyng of blasyng Starres there followeth moste commonly cruell and greate windes and mightie tēpestes with haile stones of suche a bignesse that through the same many houses are throwne doune and often times are cōsumed and burned with fire through the windes As almoste the whole countrie of Scotlande was once wasted by fire the 9. of Ianuarie 1251. a greate Comete of maruelous bignesse hauyng been seen before in Scotlande for many daies Anno 1248. Sometymes thei dooe signifie the death and change of Kynges and Princes and the alteration of kyngdomes cōmonwealthes As maie appeare Anno 1116. When Chichester was burnte there was sene a blasing starre the Moone not long tyme after semed to bee turned into blood after the which Maude the Queene of Englande died was buried at Westminster Likewise Anno do 1165. appeared a mightie Comete in Scotlande burnyng out with twoo long beames And within fourtie daies after died Malcolmus the iiij Kyng by name of the Scottes as the Chronicle reporteth Moreouer Anno 1214. in the moneth of Marche twoo Cometes of a maruellous bignesses verie fearfull to behold appeared in Scotlande the one going before and the other followyng the Sonne in the whiche yere that moste happie and good Kyng Willyam died after he had rained fourtie and nine yeres Likewise Anno 1538. appeared a Comet after the settyng of the Sonne which was placed in the signe Pisces and the taile of it lookyng towardes the East and shortly after died the Duke of Saxon. Also Anno 1539. the sixt daie of Maie appeared a Comete whiche endured burnyng three weekes and not long tyme after Isabell the wife of Charles the fift Emperour died in trauaile of childe in whiche yere also died George that duke of Saxonie And in the same yere as some doe write there appeared three Cometes in the moneth of Aprill after the whiche the Duke of Cleaue died and also the Bushop of Trent and diuers other noble personages In the yere of the Lorde 1540 the seuenth daie of Aprill happened a great coniunction of the Planettes and there appeared also a marueilous Eclipse of the Sōne whose beginnyng was before the Sonne risyng and did endure in the same Eclipse twoo whole howers after it was risen Also there was sene aboute the same tyme a maruelous straunge Comete in the euen after the whiche there followed so greate a drought that Hay Corne and all kinde of Pulse were verie scarce And the same yere the Castell of Prage a noble Citie in the kyngdome of Bohemia with the Cathedrall Churche were burned with fire and many fearfull fires happened in sondedrie places thesame tyme. Moreouer Anno 1547. in Heluecia in Germanie were sene in the aire twoo hostes of men of warre and twoo Lions gréeuously and terriblie fightyng together so long that the one semed to bite of the others head quite And the yere followyng the x. daie of Februarie was sene in Saxonie a Countrie also in Germanie a fire frō heauen that fell vppon certaine Cities and twoo hostes of menne were sene in the aire runnyng and skirmishyng one against an other besides diuers other straunge sightes very wonderfull to beholde And yet in these daies it will not sincke into the heades of many that there maie any suche strange sight appeare in the aire because wee can not render a naturall reason thereof
As the Philosophers and the Diuines dooe affirme Accordyng to the saiyng of Paule Praeterit sigura huius mundi 1. Cor. 7.31 Whereunto I might adde the Iudgement of Heathen writers whiche shal bee verie profitable to be considered of those that are conuersant in the readyng of Ouide Ouid. lib. 1. metamorp lib. 1. Metamorpho where speakyng of Iupiter he saith thus Esse quoque in fatis reminiscitur affore tēpus Quo mare quo rellus correptaque regia coeli Ardeat mundi moles operofa laboret Of the same thyng reade Lucane also lib. i. Who dooeth as it were appoint a certaine hower wherein all the worlde shal bee consumed and brought to nothyng saiyng Sic cum compage soluta Saecula tot mundi suprema coegerit hora Antiquum repetens iterum chaos oīa mistis Sydera syderibus concurrent ignea pontum Astra petent c. Wherunto I doe referre that whiche Peter doeth set doune vnto vs saiyng 2. Pet. 3.20 The heauens shal passe awaie with a noise and the Elementes shall melt with heate and the yearth with the workes that are therein shal be burnt vp by sire as hath bin before declared Vbi figura mūdi praeterit non natura For whiche cause the master of the Sentences dooeth affirme Magister sententia lib. 4. dist 47. that the qualities of the corruptible elementes whiche were somtymes agreable vnto our corruptible bodies should bee burnt vp vtterlie in the generall consummation And the substance of those Elementes shall haue thesame qualities whiche through a maruelous mutation shall agree with immortall bodies This sentence was borowed out of Augustine lib. xx cap. xvj de ciuitate Dei August lib. 20 cap. 16. de ciuitate dei And seeyng that wee haue proceaded thus farre I thinke it not to bee muche amisse for me to speake somwhat of the time when this daie of Doome or generall consummation of the worlde shal be Knowe ye therefore that the Mathematiques dooe dreame of a greate yere after the whiche all the Starres shall retourne Ad sua principia And then thei saie that the ende of the worlde should immediatly followe And their opinion is that heauen and yearth shal be burned when all the Starres whiche doe now obserue diuers and sonderie courses shall mete together in the signe Cancer Euen as Berosus that Chaldaean Astronomer dooeth affirme that the firste age in the daies of Noe was drouned when all the Starres had their concurse and meetyng together in the signe called Capricornus Naie there haue been some in this our age that haue gone about to appoint a certaine yere when this daie should bee As Hosiander and Stiphelius did but thei wer deceiued Hosiander Stiphelius by the erronious spirite of the Anabaptistes inspired into them by Sathan who is altogether delighted in lyes erronious opiniōs thereby if it were possible entendyng to deceiue all those that thurste after the simple truthe whiche is onely founde in the sacred Scriptures wherein there is no mention made at all of the duration or the continuaunce of the worlde I knowe also that there bee certaine whiche doe deuide the worlde into sixe ages The firste from Adam vnto Noe. The second from Noe vnto Abraham The third from Abraham vnto Dauid The fowreth from Dauid vnto the transmigration into Babilon The fifte from the transmigratiō vnto Christ And the sixt and laste from the Incarnation of Christ vnto the ende of the worlde Wherefore thei alledge that seyng that age wherein now wee liue is the laste age it maie be verie fitly called aetas decrepita a crooked age Seyng that the Euangelist Ihon doeth terme it the laste howre 1. Ihon. 1.18 but yet neuerthelesse how long that age or howre shall endure is kept frō the knowledge of all men I am not ignoraunt yet notwithstandyng how some beeyng moued thereunto through certaine weake and feeble coniectures haue as it were appointed out the time of the daie of Iudgement and ende of the worlde Bringyng forthe the Oracle of Elias whiche thei borowe from the tradition of the Hebrewes whereunto many doe giue verie greate credite And these fellowes dooe affirme That the worlde shall endure 6000. yeres and thei dooe also deuide those yeres after this maner Affirmyng that 2000. yeres should bee consumed before the tyme that almightie God gaue the lawe to Moises to the rest of the children of Israell Thei acknowledge also that the other twoo thousande yeres should be spent vnder the tyme of the Lawe And the laste 2000. yeres should bee expired in the Kyngdome of Christe And thei adde moreouer that these twoo laste 2000. yeres shall not be fullie finished the synnes of the worlde should be so abundantly encreased and should appeare so abhominable in the sight of God I can not forget but that there are other some also who haue faigned that the world shall endure sixe daies euen as it was created in sixe daies But for so long tyme as it shall endure thei dooe giue to euery daie a thousande yeres whiche commeth all to one rekonyng as before As though the Prophet Dauid would haue it to be so Psal 90.4 whē he saieth for a thousande yeres in thy sight are as yesterdaie when it is paste c. Other some also are founde who dooe thinke that the misticall bodie of Christe that is to saie his Churche shall liue the space of 33. yeres vpon the yearth because Christe hymself liued so long in the worlde after he had taken his humaine bodie of the Virgine Marie but thei doe adde to euery yere fiftie lackyng one to make the yeres of Iubelaei But all these thinges are but the foolishe inuentions and dreames of mortall men And without all doubt it is a miserable and moste lamentable case that we hauyng so many plaine and manifest and cōfortable testimonies in the holie Scriptures concernyng Faithe Hope and Charitie and other Godlie and Christian offices and dueties wherein there is no obscuritie or darknesse at all that wee doe altogether neglecte I saie and despise them as matters not worthie the talkyng of and with so greate diligence and paines I will not saie superstition wil seme to prosecute and busie our heades aboute suche vnfruitfull questions as are no whit appertainyng to our Saluation But suche is the wretchednesse and curiositie of our age and tyme. That as the Apostle saieth 1. Tim. 6.4 Euery man is puffed albeeit he knowe nothyng in deede at all but doteth about questions and strife of woordes whereof commeth enuie strife railynges euill surmisynges vaine disputations of men endewed with corrupt mindes and destitute of the truthe c. Let vs therefore aunswere this question concernyng the time when the worlde shal be consumed with Augustine and conclude after this maner viz that this is altogether a vaine friuolous and vnfuitfull question For if it were conuenient and meete for vs to knowe the tyme who might more better