that is alledged of the Rabines for the true saying of Elias The words are these 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 wheÌ„ Christ should come and how long the state of this 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 gouernmeÌ„t and of the coÌ„ming 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 thousaÌ„d yeres after his coÌ„ming 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 habitatioÌ„ of which no doubt Elias was a figure coÌ„stituted of god But as Elias saith some yeres shal be waÌ„ting For the Lord God because of wickednes shall hasten his coÌ„ming so that six thousand yeeres may not fullie be expired Which prophecie was vttered by Elias through the holy ghoste and is no fiction of the Rabines as are manye things in those Thalmudician bookes and may in my iudgement be coÌ„firmed 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 that Hierome did rather imitate the rashnes of the Iewes than probable reason 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 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 Esdras liued aboute the thirde thousande and fiâ—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 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 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 shal be showen Neither is it to be doubted but that by the certain prouidence predestination and wisdome of Goâ— 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 cheâ—f histories of the old testament we see our most blessed mightie God to haue hiddeÌ„ great Mysteries to be types figures and shadowes of the life deaâ—h resurrection 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 seueÌ„th was a figure of the last iudgemeÌ„t 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 Mahâ—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 shal be the beginning
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
before nyne thousande yeares past there was another manner of Athens and farre better citizens Herodotus saith that the Aegyptians haue made mention of tenne thousand yeares and aboue of the worldes continuance and yet they haue obserued that the places of the rising and going downe of the Sunne haue been twise chaunged so that where nowe it falleth there it hath risen twise and hath twise there gone downe where it riseth now But more woonderful and execrable is it that among the people of God should be Saduceis and among Christians should be such men which of set purpose against the manifest woord of God dare boldly say and perswade them selues that the world neither had beginnyng nor shall haue end that there shal be no resurrection of the flesh no lyfe after this lyfe no rewardes for wel dooing no punishment for sinne and that the worlde as it is nowe so hath it been and shall continue for euer which kynd of men are plaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men which neither beleeue there is any God or diuine prouidence at al. And I feare me the most part of mankind such as are called in the holy Scripture worldly mynded and carnal although they seeme neuer so spiritual catholike and would be counted Gospellers by the like fictions and dayly suggestions of the Diuel although not so wilfully flatter them selues and gladly woulde be brought into that opinion that so in a desperate securitie they maye spende their dayes and augment their impietie Against which apparant dotage and wicked cogitations of naughtie men through want of true knowledge by the instinct of Satan and corruption of the mynde of man it standes vs vppon to arme our selues with the woorde of God and confirme our consciences by the testimonies of Christ of the Prophets and Apostles The holy scripture in many places dooth plainly tell vs that one day the sonne of God Christ shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead all fleshe shall rise and the world shall be consumâ—d wyth fire as the aboue recited testimonies beare witnes To proue the resurrection of the fleshe very many proofes may be alledged both out of the olde and newe testament But amongst al the disputation of Paul may suffice vs where by many arguments he confirmes the resurrection of the flesh and copiously and sufficiently dooth also prooue that we must all stand before the tribunall seate of Christ to receiue eternall rewardes for our deedes be they good or bad And Christ saith Maruell not at this for the day wil come in which al which are in the graues shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and those which haue doone well shall come fortâ— to the resurrection of lyfe but those which haue doone euill to the resurrection of iudgement To this purpose may be recyted other infinite places of holy scripture and also the creede of Thapostles Nicene and Athanasian But I pray you what auailed religion faith hope and that great pacience of Christians in all their troubles and cruell persecutions if this doctrine of the consummation of the world and of the comming of the Lorde with that which belongeth thereunto which of all others maye most absurdly be thought were but a vaine imagination of the Prophetes of Christ and the Apostles and of all the Martyrs in the Churche when as no cause can be supposed which myght driue them to the loosing of their fame theyr goods their life So that truth is so plaine apparant that a godly well disposed mynde makes that a sure argument of the worldes decay For these godly meÌ„ of al others in the world most miserable suffred those greeuous and direfull thinges not for the hope of vayne glory or desire of riches but for the loue of Christ through the secrete motions of the holy Ghost perswading themselues that in Christ was hid the treasure of true riches and eternal glory Wherfore it behoueth vs vndoubtingly to think their doctrine to be true and celestiall and not to proceede from their owne brayne but to be deliuered vnto them by Christ and his holy spirit and the rather bycause Christ of himselfe dooth saye that he is the truth and the life and that he telleth vs from the bosome of his father and the father sayth in the presence of three Apostles from heauen This is my beloued sonne in whom I am pleased heare him which voyce of God was also heard in Iordan when Iohn was baptising him This coeternall sonne of God woord of the euerlasting father creator of all things our redeemer Christ of sette purpose taught his Apostles certayne tokens of the worlds destruction and his comming to iudgement And also in his last Sermons before he yeelded himselfe in our behalfe to the crosse he playnly dooth as it were depainte and sette the same before theyr eyes and counsailes them and among them especially those which were to lyue in all tymes to be watchfull sober prepared and ready least in his terrible visitation whose differring bringes too much securitie to the reprobate and condemned persons vppon the suddaine they be entrapped and as it were taken in the snare All which Mathew Marke and Luke do abundantly set foorth So that the truth teaching the same nothing ought to be more credible and certain to a ChristiaÌ„ man then that the world his ful time beyng expyred the prouidence of God the eternall father so disposing the same shall passe away and that Christ our Lorde shall come in the the cloudes of heauen to the last and vniuersall iudgement The holy Prophets likewise haue by diuine inspiration foretolde many things of the comming of Christ in the flesh of hys doctrine death and resurrection also of the chaunge of Empyres and of the ruine of many townes all which are fullye come to passe so that nowe they may seeme not by euent to haue foretolde but to haue drawne a true and certaine historie of these thyngs Howe lyuely Esaie dooth expresse the natiuitie person doctrine myracles death and resurrection of Christ it is well knowen vnto all though but meanely read in the Scriptures Likewise Daniell in many places seemeth now to haue prophecied but orderly to haue written things already done of the continuall alterations of Empyres and of the comming of Christ that well he may be called the great Historiographer Now what shall we saye Syth in these and all other things their prophesies haue taken effect and sith they by one and the same spirite haue signifyed of the second commyng of Christ in which he shall declare himselfe to be an eternall kyng of all kings and principalities that these ought not to be finished Yes vndoubtedly so that he shall put all kingdomes of this world vnder hys feete and shall hewe them lyke a stone which is cut from the mountaine He appeared vnto King Nabuchodonozor without handes to bruse that great Image which
dissentions of people and continuall warres of Princes to the ouerthrow of the Gospell by the Popes setting on will subdue all kingdomes 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 showeÌ„ 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 fetcht from the course of tyme yet agreeing to thâ— 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 â—igher I approch than as yet I haue doone to shewe the sodayne comming of the Lord shal be 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 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 shal be as in the dayes of Noe 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 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 Mâ—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 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 wil be 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 destructioÌ„ should agree with the former number of yeeres of Moses gouernment Which not the sonne of an Emperour or chiefest Monarch as was
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
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 Iudicij signum tellus sudoribus edet Exque polo veniet Rex tempus in omne futurus Scilicet vt carnem omnem vt totum iudicet orbem Vnde Deum fidi diffidentesque videbunt Summum cum sanctis in secli fine sedentem Corporeorum animas hominum quo iudicet olim Horrebit totus cum densis vepribui orbis Reijcient opes homines simulachraque cuncta Exuretque Ignis terras coelumque salumque Incendetque fores angusti carceris Orci Sanctorumque omnis caro libera reddita lucem Tunc repetet semper cruciabit slamma scelestos Vtque quis occulte peccauerit omnia dicet Sub lucemque Deus reserabit pectora clausa Dentes stridebunt crebrescent vndique luctus Et lux deficiet solemque nitentiaque astra Inuoluet coelos Lunae splendor obibit Fossas attollet iuga deprimet ardua montes Impedietque nihil mortales amplius altum Longa carina fretum non scindet montibus arua Ipsa aequabuntur Nam fulmine torrida tellus Vnaque sicci fontes flumina hiabunt Sidereisque sono tristi tuba clanget ab oris Stultorum facinus moerens mundique dolores Et chaos ostendet tartara terra dehiscens Regesque ad solium sistentur numinis omnes Vndaque de caelo fluet ignea sulphure mixto Atque omnes homines signum praesigne notabit Tempore eo lignum cornu peramabile fidis Oppositus mundo casus sed vita piorum Respergenda lauans duodeno fonte vocatos Compescetque pedo ferrata cuspide gentes Rex tibi nunc nostris descriptus in ordine summo Versibus hic noster Deus est nostraeque salutis Conditor aeternus perpessus nomine nostro 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 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 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 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 shal be 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 shal be his people and he shal be 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 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 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 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 shal be throwē into a fiery lake full of Brimstone in which they shal be 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 Nec erit modus vllus eorum Ploratus neque vox tristes distincta querelas Diuersas referet verum sub nocte profunda Tartarea nigra laniante dolore profundum Clamorem tollent atque in
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
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 Friselaâ—â— by strange and vnaccustomed ouerflowings oâ— 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 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 CouÌ„tries it might wel be said that those wordes of Christ were fulfilled saying The people shal be at their wittes endes 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 â—nd by the example of Pharao make slaues of their seruanâ—â—s and subiects as though they were appoynted of God 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 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 but these Pharaoes with suddaine destruction of the world shal be ouerwhelmed euen as that Pharao in persecuting the people of Israel 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 Another great argumeÌ„t 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 Vallâ— Agricola Erasmus Melanâ—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 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 and now decrease For not aduâ—sâ—d iudgement not that sharpnes of witte not that great industrie and exercise in studies are now which haue been To this dooth appertayne the marueilous contempt of all kinde of knowledge especially of Diuâ—nitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also the smal regard of godly and faythfull Ministers by which they are brought to such pouertiâ— 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 either on those which liue in pouertie or carefully reserued to
that Christes comming into the flesh was then at hand and the rather they did so thinke because Iacob the Patriarch had long before prophecied that the Scepter should not be taken from Iuda 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 Tranquâ—llus dooth euidently shew in the life of Vespasian 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 which Paule endeuoreth to bring froÌ„ 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 shal be 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 presâ—ntly commeth not He will not playnly say that the Romane Empire must be destroyed which the gouernours thereof suppose shall continue for euer Whâ—reof it is that according 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 seueÌ„th 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 begaÌ„ plainly to shewe himself to be very Antichrist and that damnable childe Because he was not only content to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the head of the vniuersall Church as Phocas before aboue two huÌ„dred yeeres had appoynted him but also the lord of lords For Charles now being anoynted crowned Emperor by the Pope 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 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 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 maÌ„ 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 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 shal be in subiection The kingdome shal be augmented the chiefe power of things by many shal be 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 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. vpoÌ„ 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 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 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 pâ—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 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 dâ—liuer vnto vs by the Prophets 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 froÌ„ 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 immineÌ„t we should carefully and readily attend the commyng of our Brydgrome For that commyng to all the godly and chosen of the Lord shal be 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 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 and men instructed in true religion Now what what other thing remayneth But the consummatâ—on of the world and that glorious comming of the Lord by which that wicked and damned sonne shal be 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 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
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 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 shal be 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 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 singuâ—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 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 shal be 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 â—n the eyghtie eyght and ninetie thâ—â—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 Plâ—to in another place greatly dooth wonder at the Arithmeticall and saith that the same dooth make the mynd apt for alâ— 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 whiâ—h the mynde should appeare without a mynde and all artes and knowledge would vanish Here I confesse my selfe to haue certaine singular imaginations those not vayne but of waight and agreable to the woord of God as I thinke And thereâ—ore for the profit of all and that I may giue an occasioÌ„ 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 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 iâ— the conseruatioÌ„ 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 reueâ—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 meÌ„ would Plato in his Phedrus and Phedon haue in his common weale Forsooth euen such as through contemplating of
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 â–ª 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 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 confusioÌ„ in deed of all beastes and serpents By a contrary ende IerusaleÌ„ 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 dâ—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 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 subtilâ—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 â–ª that is Babilonians which thing God of his mercy turne away from vs Sibâ—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 Porro quater decies complebis terque trecentos Annos atque octo cum te pertingere metam Tristia fata â–ª tuo completo nomine cogent Thy ende thy name fulfyld and fates shall cause then for to come Of yeares nine hundred fortie eyght When seene shal be the summe 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 Roma quid est quod te docuit praeposterus ordo Quid docuit iungas versa elementa scies Roma amor est amor est qualis praeposterus vnde hoc Roma mares Noli dicere plura scio 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 coÌ„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 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 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 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  15 15 15 15 15 2 9 4  15 7 5 3  15 6 1 8      15 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 signifie some great mysteries as well Diuine as Philosophical the which least in these which may perchaÌ„ce 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 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 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 is noted Because by no yll fortune it shal be
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 since the begynning of the worlde and him which cast the myghtiest from theyr seate of Maiestie and exalted the humble 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 shal be 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 est erit hoc iudicio eximetur separabit eos ab iâ—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 meâ— possidete paratum vobis regnum à constitutione mundi c. Et his qui à sinistris dicet Discedite à me maledicti in ignem aeternuÌ„ 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 shal be gathered tegether before hm for none which euer was is or shal be from this iudgement shal be 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 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 shal be 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 Chriâ—â—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 that we which liue and are the remnaunt in the Lordes comming shall not goe before theÌ„ which sleepe Because the Lord himselfe in the coÌ„maundement 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 and those which are liuing shall vppon the suddayne be changed to incorruption and immortalitie Iohn also seeth all the dead standing before the great and 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 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 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