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
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
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
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
that by consideration of our disobedience we may turne to the Lord by repentance and lyue First we haue a notable example here in Noes preaching by which the Lord God dyd first accuse the world of disobedience before he drowned the same for lacke of repentance So lykewise he dyd not bring the tenne Tribes of Israell into captiuitie before he had sent Esay Osee and other Prophets to call them from iniquitie The lyke a hundred and foure and thyrty yeeres after happened to the Iewes when by the preaching of Ieremie Ezechiel and other Prophets of God they would not beware of disobeying Gods maiestie At the length many yeâ—res being spent our mercifull father God almyghty sent fyrst Iohn Baptist after him Christ his onely begotten sonne then the Apostles to call them to repentance and to open the way to saluation in Christ promised before by the Prophets then performed and willing to be receyued if they would imbrace him But they were so farre from beleeuing them that theyr preaching they lothed Iohn they beheaded Christ was crucified and the Apostles eyther by shamefull death cruellye murdered or at least by ill intreating miserably tormented And therefore not vndeseruedly was that famous Citie of so infamous a people by the Romanes vtterly subuerted and the Iewes made a praye to their enemyes and odious to all the world whiâ—h shame of theirs and subuersion of their citie as Daniell before and our Sauiour aâ—terward did prophesiâ— dooth and shall continue till the world hauâ— an ende After this Paule preached to the Collâ—ssiâ—â—s Laodicians and Hierapolians but they contemned and cared not for his wordes and therefore as Orosius witnesseth the earth opened and swallowed them vp And hytherto also dooth that doctrine of Paule tende teaching that the wicked sonne of perdition should be discouered and by the spirit of the month of God defaced and afterward by the glorious comming of the sonne of God vtterly destroyed Nowe who is that same desperate sonne sitting in the teÌ„ple as God himself it is easie to be knowen and how he by the preaching of the Gospell hath been discouered experience doth shew and we hereafter at large will prooue that he is and hath of long tyme continued the Byshop of Rome Now sith we behold his doctrine and authoritie by the force of Gods word to be so ouerthrowen as they are iudged almost mad meÌ„ which seeme any way to fauour him what other thing can follow but that God is ready to come vpon vs and standes at our doores And that not only his hauty courage shal be abated and his execrable crueltie altogether abolished but also that the whole and vniuersall world for all sinnes committed since the beginning be accused so condemned to eternal tormentes because wickedly they haue coÌ„temned the grace of God offred vnto them continually and wilfully refused to tast the sweetnesse of the Gospel and forsake their sinnes and wickednesse by repentance Besides Christe hath geuen many other signes and tokens of his commyng as rumors of warres famin pestilence earthquakes and that countrey shal rise against countrey and that cruel persecution shal be exercised also that in those dayes shal be signes in the Sunne Moone and Starres c. Al which cannot be tokens vnlesse the preaching of the Gospel go before For Signes except they be knowen cannot be signes because in all tymes those aforesayd euylles haue appeared eyther more or lesse and therefore of themselues can not be signes But when al those euyls immediately after the preaching of the Gospel haue come on heapes abundantly vppon vs and more than euer they dyd in any age long before vs no doubt they do prognosticate and foretel vs of the consummation of this most wicked worlde Besides that these tokens which Christ dyd recite do foreshewe the worldes destruction and not the subuersion of the Temple it is apparant because he saith that people against people and kingdome against kingdome shall arise Whiche thyng was not done before the destruction of Hierusalem that euer I could reade For then what kingdome against kingdome what people against people what and howe great warres were then All which we do not onely see to haue been done but also to our paine feele them besides more greeuous things not yet heard of but more to be feared and circumstances bring vs to that mynd to thinke that more intolerable things are prepared to vexe vs both of Turke and Papist And that also in the same place as appeareth the Lord vnderstoode the last preaching not the beginnyng of his Gospel thereof it is euident because by and by he adioyneth That the Gospell beginnyng to shine euery where a visitation shal come and end of all thyngs Otherwise if this place were to be vnderstoode of the first openyng of the Gospel by the Apostles no doubt this ende had been come many hundred yeares agoe Besides the Euangelist returneth to the former question of the Temples and Hierusalems destruction from whence he digressed Peraduenture also the Euangelistes haue confounded these two that not by the same wordes they might finish nowe that now this particularly because peraduenture they were of this opinion that they thought that after the subuersion of Hierusalem should immediately follow the destruction of the world whose ende as Christ said should be so sodaine as nothing coulde be more But Christ our Lorde coulde of his owne accorde disioyne those things to make them darke for a tyme which he would not haue to be knowen and could make them manifest when it were for his glory and our profite at a tyme conuenient But to make of these tokens foretold of Christ any long discourse it were a great labour and peraduenture tedious to the Reader because the thing it selfe and experience do sufficiently proue these signes after the manifesting of the Gospel to haue been fulfylled except onely those in the Sunne and Moone and other Starres as yet haue not appeared whiche Christe doth tel should eyther shew them selues a litle before or in his very comming The Mathematicians and Astronomers iudgement notwithstanding is that in many hundred yeeres past were neuer seene so manye Eclipses in the Sunne and Moone nor yet so strange copulations of Planets as wyll appeare within fewe yeeres which no doubt are to threaten vnto vs daungers and miserable dayes as hereafter shal be shewed Here I will not speake of the prodigious Comets and Meteores which many tymes haue been marked in this our age Neyther wyl I call to mynde the iudgement of Astronomers and chiefest Diuines vpon that Starre whiche within these three yeares shewed her selfe certayne monethes togeather as the very messenger and warner of Gods comming to iudgement and the rather bicause it seemed to be of the same nature and qualytie wyth that which foretolde the birth of Christ the king of the Iewes vnto the wysemen Also I will in silence passe ouer the straunge
Ierusalem but the sonne of God much mightier than all Emperours an euerlasting king can bring to naught Which thing Melancthon seemeth plainly to point at in the lyfe of Vespasian in his Chronicles and the like reason is here which is in the former comparison of nuÌ„bers if things to come may be gathered by things past already The figure doth altogether in this place agree the chiefest signe of Christes comming to wit the preaching of the Gospel hath gonne before and we to sticke in the midst of all the other foretolde calamities and euery yeere expect more miserie Finally also the Astronomers write if euery skilfull man in his owne facultie is to be credited that the starres in the beginning of the thousand fiue hundred eightie foure yeeres which almost altogether doth agree with the number aboue mentioned doo threaten very fearefull and horrible things eyther a greeuous alteration of Empires and other wonderfull things or els an vtter destruction of this world The wordes of Cyprian Leouitius a Bohemian a most excellent Mathematician in a certaine booke of Prognostications for twentie yeeres from the yeere sixtie foure to the eightie foure be these Anno Domini .1583 mense Maio. c. Which is In the yeere of our Lord 1583. in the moneth of May there shall happen a great coniunction of the superior Planets in the last ende of Pisces after which straightwayes in the yeere eightie foure shall ensue a wonderfull mixture of all the Planets almost in Taurus about the ende of March and beginning of Aprill And which is more a little after that shal be seen an Eclypse of the Sun in the twentie degree of Taurus about the head of Algol a most cruell and hurtfull fixed starre gouerned by Venus which shal be linked to fiue Planets in Aries tending toward the twelfe Here sayth he must we watch and I thinke it meete that all earthly cogitations be cast of least we be destroyed beyng vnreadie for this great coniunction is of all the laâ—t which shall happen in the ende of watrie Trigon and watrie Trigon shall perish and be turned into fire Neyther any more it the space of eyght hundred yeeres the end of watrie Trigon shall be nigh But because about the ende of watrie Trigon this Monarchie shall begin it is likely that the same also in the ende of the same â—rigon shall haue an ende sith the sonne of God himselfe Iesus Christ our Lorde euen in the ende of watrie Trigon tooke vppon him the nature of man For sixe yeeres before his most glorious Natiuitie the same verie coniunction in the extremitie of Pisces and in the beginning of Aries happened Neither came the lyke from since that time but when Charles the Great helde his Empire which was in the yeere of our Lord seuen hundred eightie and nyne And now the second tyme such a great and straunge coniunctioÌ„ shal come which vndoubtedly doth foreshewe the other comming of the sonne of God man in Maiestie of his glory at which time wee must render an accompt of our lyfe and conuersation And a little after he sayth But vnder Charles the great the ende of the world could not be because at that tyme fiue thousand yeeres were not expired But now the operations of this great coniunction continuing the number shall tende to sixe thousand yeeres which agreeth with the holy Prophet affyrming that this world should stand sixe thousand yeeres of which summe of yeeres the sonne of God shal take somwhat saying the last time for the elected of God shal be shortned But if there remained yet another coniunction of the former Planets like to the first then should there be required almost eight hundred yeeres moe which added to the tymes of this great coniunction do make the nuÌ„ber of sixe thousand almost foure hundred yeeres which is plainly against that prophesie These coniectures howsoeuer they are I thought good to recite which doo agree with the learned Prophesies of most auncient Astrologers Hytherto Cyprian which also by his Latine verses doth showe that old and common prophesie turned into Germanical Rhythmes by Iohn Stoffler which also aboue nineteene yeeres agoe I haue heard recited by Melanthon The wordes in the Germane tongue be these Tawsent fnuffhundert achtzich acht Das ist das Iar das ich betracht Geeth im dem de Welt nitt vnder Geschicht doch grosz mercklich wunder The Latine verses are thus Post mille expletos à partu virginis annos Et post quingentos rursus ab orbe datos Octogesimus octauus mirabilis annus Ingruet is secum tristia fata feret Si non hoc anno totus malus occidet orbis Si non in nihilum terra fretumque ruet Cuncta tamen mundi sursum ibunt atque retrorsum Imperia luctus vndique grandis erit In Englishe thus When after Christes birth there be expirde Of hundreds fifteen yeeres eightie and eight Then comes the tyme of daungers to be ferde And all mankind with dolors it shall fraight For if the world in that yeere doo not fall If sea and land then perish ne decaie Yet Empires all and Kingdomes alter shall And man to ease himselfe shall haue no way Now by this it appeareth howe the number of yeeres of Moses gouernment which endured a thousand fyue hundred eyghtie and three yeeres and of this yeere a thousand fyue hundred eyghty and foure in whose beginning that prodigious coniunction of the Planets in the ende of watry Trigon dooth happen agree togeather so that the quantitie and number of the tymes foretold the signes and starres seeme to agree togeather and without all doubt to pretend the same thing In lyke manner may we bring foorth other comparisons of tyme which by reason of lyke euentes agree togeather wonderfully Of which this one is not of least wayght To witte that same tyme from the natiuitie of Christ vnto the ouerthrow of Hierusalem is almost equall with that when Luther first of all set himselfe agaynst rhe Popes Indulgences and began to preach the Gospell to this yeere eyghty and eyght in which or about the same by this marueylous ioyning togeather of Planets which shal be foure yeeres before by the singuler prouidence of God so direful destinies of the world shall meete togeather For from the byrth of Christ vntyll the destruction of Hierusalem are numbred seuentie and three yeeres and from the tyme Luther and others first began to preach Christ and his Gospell vntill the eyghtie and eyght yeere are acompted seuentie and one The number is iust with that before and speaking allegorically theÌ„ may Christ be sayd to be born againe when as his doctrine so long by Papisticall dreames darkened fond illusions so deeply buried is as it were borne anewe and doth clearely shine among vs But if those yeeres from the birth of Christ vntill his preaching and suffering of death with that generall persecution done by Charles the fifte and the Pope
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
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
were the seuen heades of the Beast And therefore he sayth Bestia quam vidisti fuit non est that is The Beast which thou sawest was and is not that is the Romane Empire is but not such an Empyre as that was which came of the stocke of Caesars and decayed when Nerua dyed And now iâ— the tyme of Domitian of those seuen fiue were dead but the seuenth which was Nero was not yet come And cum venerit opportet eum breue tempus manere nec diu imperare wheÌ„ he commeth he must tary a short tyme and gouerne but a whyle which also came to passe because he raigned but one yeere and three monethes But Traian was the eyght a Spaniard no Romane borne and adopted by the seuenth Wherefore to the purpose sayth the Angell to Iohn in this maner Bestia que erat The beast which was to wit the Romane Empire non est and is not the Romane but a Romanspanish Empire is octauus erit that shal be the eight from Neroâ— e septem est and is of the seuenth to wit adopted of Nerua Wherefore because of this alteration in the Empire and mournful countenance of the Church by reason that her cheife Rulers and Apostles were dead we wil here begin to accompt the fyrst fiue hundred yeres euen vnto the dayes of Heraclyus and Phocas which chanced in the .604 and .602 yeere from Christes Natiuitie About which time Boniface the third was confirmed vniuersall Bishop of all the world and manifested the forerunner of Antichrist as likewyse Gregorie the great not many yeeres before had pronounced of the Patriarch of Constantinople which ambitiously sought to be Priuate or chiefe Byshop of the rest About this time the Romane Empire was much weakened and the Turke began to be of power This first periode may well be referred to the Church of Christ in whose beginning as it were shee suffered most greeuous persecution of the Romane Empire that cruell and blooddie beast and had many godly and learned men which entred most dangerous and continuall conflictes for the ouerthrowe of heresies and yet notwithstanding by litle and litle many Ceremonies were brought into the Church by which at length shee was marueilously polluted the chiefest bringer of those ceremonies into the Church was Gregorie the great vntill Boniface by the helpe of Phocas did playnly declare himselfe to be Antichrist in deede From this time vntil the raigne of Henry the fourth we recken the second periode of fiue hundred yeares in which all Papisticall superstitions Idolatrie blasphemie orders of Monkes power of the Pope wyth the chiefe Senate of Cardinals dyd aboue measure encrease and in the tyme of Henry that impietie came to ripenes euen as also afterward did the Turkes tyrannie and blasphemie Before about a two hundred and fiftie yeares numbring from Phocas the Emperour which also haue their ende to wit in the dayes of the Emperours the Pope of Rome was licensed to be a ciuill Magistrate receyued his chiefe aucthoritie from Pipine and afterwardes from Charles the Great and Lodouike the Godly and was endued with many Prouinces and adorned with double power or with both Swordes both of ruling the Spiritualtie as they saye and Laitie which he obtained vnder the pretence of Religion and therefore Iohn in his Reuelation gyueth to this Beast two hornes like vnto the Lambe About which tyme both the Turkish Empire as in his place it is sayd dayly increased and the olde Romane Empire continually decayed and was diuidâ—d in the Orientall and Occidentall Empire Yet notwithstanding the Occidentall Emperours in respect of the others had full power to create and confirme what Byshops they would But in the tyme of Henrie the fourth that order was altogether chaunged Because the Byshops at the length had brought vnto themselues all power and aucthoritie both of ordaining and choosing Byshops and Emperours to and made a newe Ecclesiasticall or Cardinals Senate to the which was giuen full power to choose whom they would to the Papacie the Pope beyng dead and reserued to themselues all aucthoritie of choosing and crowning Emperours Against this vnspeakable ambition and mightie power of the Pope dyd for the maintaining of his Emperiall aucthoritie according to the decree of his father Henry the Blacke though in other things he dyd ouermuch submit himself to the Popes aucthoritie Henry the fourth stoutely as became a good Emperour resiste For which cause afterward Pope Hildebrande otherwise called Gregorie the seuenrh a wicked and infamous Magician dyd excommunicate him and raised great and greuous wars against him by others in so much that he displacing him chose a newe Emperour named Ralfe to whom he sent a crowne of Gold with this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Radolpho but at length vanquished by Henry hauing lost his right hand he died miserablie But Henry being dead when as now the second Period of fiue hundred yeares from the tyme of Phocas was perfeâ—tly finished the vngodly Pope by his craft and subtiltie at the beginnyng of his raigne obtayned easily of Henry the fift too wicked a sonne for so godly a father all his dâ—sire So that that diuine Reuelation of Iohn dyd fully take effect bicause that Image of the Beast with two hornes dooth exercise al the power of the former beast and calleth al kings his sonnes and slaues and earnestly dooth keepe the manner of the Gentiles in all kynd of Idolatrie only hauyng altered the names of things Lastly also to this Image of the Beast by the Dragon bycause he speaketh like a Dragon that power is gyuen that he may quicken the other image of the Beaste that is this Germanicall Empire which rather ought to be termed a shadowe of the old Empire than an image of the same For the Pope did giue life to the image of the Beast by his election For vnlesse the Pope did confirme the election none was worthy of the name of an Emperour Therfore vnder the preteÌ„ce of the keies of the kindoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ this vngratious felow hath marueilusly abused this power of the Dragon which power now by the preaching of the Gospell through the grace of God doth threaten an vtter and last destruction whose longest terme of fiue huÌ„dred yeres about the yere a thousand sixe hundred or there about is fully finished Wherefore sith this damnable childe and the image of the Beast with the Dragon in that perfect wickednes must be cut of and cast hedlong into hell a great and infallible argument is it and agreeing to Gods word and to the course of time that this certaine computation of yeeres doth signifie the Lords comming to be very nigh at hand ¶ Of things past already things to come are marueilously gathered BY that which hath ben spoken as wel as a briefe annotation of tymes and thyngs that haue been done could shewe it after a sort appeareth how after the death of Henry the fourth
the Pope became the chiefe Monarch of all the worlde ruled all kyngs and obteyned all authoritie of chusing Bishoppes Also howe that third Periode of fiue hundred yeares about the yeare of our Lord one thousand and sixe hundred should be fully perfect that so without all doubt we may looke for a new Metamorphosis of these things if things to come may well be gathered of things past already And what other I beseech you can we looke for but euen that which was seene and heard of Iohn in his Reuelation from hym which sate on the Throne among the foure and twenty Elders saying Behold I make al things 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