that shall dye which is corrupt that is after those seauen hundred yeers the world that slept in ignorance shal be raised vp vnto knowledge the trueth shal be republished and that shall dye that is corrupt that is Babilon shall fall errour and Idolatrie shal perish and decay Then the earth shal restore those that haue slept in her and so shall the dust those that dwell therin in silence and the secret places shall deliuer the soules that were committed vnto them and the most high shall appeere vpon the seate of Iudgement and miseries shall vanishe away and long suffering shall haue an end all which signifie the ende of the world and finall iudgement Fiue thinges are orderlye intimated vnto vs by this prophesie first the appeering of Christ in the fleshe with his Apostles and Disciples Secondlye the persecutions of the Primitiue church and the ende thereof Thirdlye the obscuration and decay of the trueth with the worlds returning into former ignorance and idolatrye Fourthlye the restitution of the trueth and decay of errour Fiftly and lastly which wee are now shortlye to expect the resurrection of the dead and last iudgement Heerunto may well be added the obseruation of some learned men of the misteries contained in the woord בר×שית In principio the firste woord of Genesis and of Saint Iohns gospell which waide will not onlye acquainte vs with the Bresith of the Thalmudists but also lift vp our mindes to the Cabalistes Mercana and giue light vnto these secrets that we haue heere intreated off If we ioyne the third letter of that woord vnto the firste it maketh ×ב if doubling the first we adde the second we finde בבר if besides the firste wee reade the rest it is ר×שית if the fourth be put to the first and last it maketh שבת if the three first be read togeather it is ×‘×¨× if the first left out the three next be read we finde ר×ש if we leaue the two first and reade the two nexte it is ×ש if we ioyne the fourth with the last it maketh שת if the second with the firste it produceth רב if the two first with the two last it yeeldeth ברית if the last with the first it maketh תב so that out of this one woord thus varied and deuided according to the rules of the ancient Hebrewes we finde twelue woords deduced Thus interpreted in the English The Father in his Sonne and by his Sonne hath created the beginning and ending or Sabaoth beeing the head fire and foundation of the great man in by a good league or couenaunt That God hath created all thinges in Christe Iesus his eternall wisdome Saint Paule witnesseth in the firste to the Colossians where he teacheth vs that Christe is the Image of the inuisible God the first begotten of euery creature for by him were all thinges created which are in heauen and earth thinges visible and inuisible whether they be thrones or Dominions or principallities or powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all thinges and in him all thinges consist and he is the head of the bodye of the Church he is the beginning and the firste borne of the dead that in all thinges he might haue the preheminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnes dwell Thus we see all thinges are created in him and by him and that he is the beginning and ending or Sabaoth as him selfe testifieth in the Reuelation Chap 22. saying I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and ending the first and the last Moreouer we are to consider what the great man is whose head fire and foundation is Christe the Sonne of God It is doubtlesse the Church his misticall bodye most rightly tearmed magnus homo and not the world as Pious Earle of Mirandula though singularly learned erroniously dooth enterprete This great man the Church the misticall bodye of Christ hath the Sonne of God for his head as Saint Paule before hath taught vs as also we learne in the firste to the Ephesians that Christe is set at the right hand of the Father in the heauenlye places farre aboue all principalities and powers might and domination and euery name that is named not in this world only but also in that that is to come that God hath made al thinges subiect vnder his feet hath appointed him ouer al things to be head of the church That he likewise is the foundation the Apostle teacheth vs 1. Cor. Chap 3. other foundation can no man lay then that which is laide which is Christe Iesus That he is the fire that tryeth and purgeth that shineth and enlightneth that warmeth and comforteth it we are taught in the Scriptures so learn we of Paule in the place last recited euery mans woork shal be made manyfest for the day shall declare it because it shal be reuealed by the fire and the fire shall try euery mans woork of what sort it is so Christ himselfe telleth vs Luke chap 12. I am come to put fire on the earth and what is my desire but that it be already kindled So reade we in Esdras Lib 2. chap. 13. And this my Sonne shall rebuke the wicked inuentions of those nations which for their wicked life are fallen into the tempest and into tormentes like to flame wherby they shal be tormented and without any labour will he destroy them euen by the Lawe which is compared to fire And in Deutero chap. 4. and to the Hebr. chap. 12. we are taught that our God is a consuming fier and as hee before shewed Christ is the Sun shining whose heate resembling the fier enlightneth warmeth and comforteth the same of whome the Psalmist alluding to the sunne telleth vs of His going out is from the end of the heauen and his compasse is to the end of the same and nothing is hid from the heate thereof Thus Christ Iesus God and man is the head fire and foundation of the Church and all this faedere bono in or by a good league and couenaunt This is the couenaunt which God made with the Patriarkes and Prophets which was shadowed out in the Law and in the Leuiticall ceremonies which was manifested in Christe and publshed by the Apostles and shal be fully accomplished in the most blessed happie and neuer ending Sabaoth vnto al those that are members of this misticall body and therby pertakers of this couenaunt which rightlye is tearmed good both for that it proceedeth from the infinite and inexplicable mercie of God the fountaine of all goodnes and for that it leadeth vs into the fauour and fruition of God the cheefe good wherein consisteth our eternall blisse and euerlasting felicitie It resteth that wee now by contemplation entring into the Cabalisticall Mercana consider deepelye the course that this most glorious Sonne hath heald in this body magni hominis of the great man his church and therby shall we see in what time of the great yeere not of Plato but of Christe we liue in and how neere wee approche to the eternall Iubile and Sabaoth of Sabaoths to the which his yeere and annus solaris in this world finished he will bring vs to raigne with him in his triumphant and euerlasting Kingdome eternally world without end At his first incarnation when as personallye hee was amongst vs beeing the roofe and head of his body and temple the church he shewed him selfe in him selfe by the voice of Angells in the feeld vnto shepheards as it were in ariete the signe properlye attributed to the head since by his vertue and power hauing passed all the signes and partes magni hominis of this great man his Church hee now sheweth him selfe in the Sea vnto Fishers in Piscibê° the last and lowest signe to signifie that he now is in the feete and foundation thereof whereby his course in the militant church neere ending he warneth vs to prepare our selues for his second comming most terrible to the wicked most comfortable to the Godly who hauing ouerthrowne Antichrist and his host and therby gotten victorye of the beast and of his image and of his mark and of the number of his name shall shortlye stand at the glassie Sea mingled with fire hauing the Harpes of God and shall sing the song of Moses the seruant of God and of the Lambe saying great and merueilous are thy woorks Lord God almightie iust and true are thy waies King of Saintes Who shall not feare thee o Lord and glorifie thy name for thou only art holy and all nations shall come and woorship before thee for thy iudgementes are made manifest Christ of his mercy graunt that as he warneth vs sundry waies that he will come both by his woords and by his woorkes and by his wonders saying Reue. 22.7 Beholde I come shortly and againe beholde I come shortlye and my reward is with me and againe surely I come quickly and now lastly if we vnderstand it aright venturus sum I am comming so we with faithfull and reioycing hartes may together with the spirit and the spouse say come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and let whosoeuer will take the water of life freelye euen so come Lord Iesus and while we expect thy comming Reue. 22.17 Reue. 22.20 instruct vs with the woord defend vs with thy might endue vs with thy grace and enlighten vs with thy lawe THe Law of the Lord is an vndefiled Lawe conuerting the soule the testimonye of the Lord is sure and giueth wisdome vnto the simple The statutes of the Lord are right and reioyce the hart the commaundementes of the Lord are pure and giueth light vnto the eyes The feare of the Lord is cleane and endureth for euer the iudgmentes of the Lord are trueth they are righteous alltogether And more to be desired then golde yea then much fine gold sweeter also then honie and the honye Combe More-ouer by them is thy seruant made circumspect and in keeping of them there is great rewarde Who can vnderstand his faultes cleanse me from secret faultes Keepe thy seruant also from presumptuous sinnes let them not raigne ouer me so shall I be vpright and made cleane from much wickednes Let the woordes of my mouth and the meditation of mine hart be alway acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer
which is the Kingdome of Heauen and eternall Sabaoth which they expresse by these tearmes Adonai Regnum vita posteriora Finis Ecclesia Israelis Sponsa in canticis canticorum Regina coeli Virgo Israell Mysterium legis ab ore datae Aquila littera quarta tetragrammati Regnum domus Dauid Templum Regis Dei Ianua Archa faederis duae tabulae in ea Dominus vniuersae terrae Yet for breuitie I haue desisted for that euery woord is a misterie and euery numeration would require a volume to expound it These my slender conceipts I thought good to lay down in writing wishing that the flint of my dull endeuours striking on the steele of these misticaltruethes some little sparkes might arise to enlighten our mindes to acknowledge our dueties and glorifie our God that obeying him loyally fearing him filially and trusting in him effectuallye we may loue him ardently which is the third degree noted by Pithagoras and the very next step vnto perfect blisse and eternall felicitie ¶ A breefe coniecturall discourse Vpon the Hierographicall Letters and Caracters found vpon foure fishes Taken neer Marstrand in the Kingdome of Denmarke the 28. of Nouember 1587. Treating by considerations Poligraphicall Theologicall Thalmudicall and Cabalisticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ¶ Sexto centenario vno simul Millenario finientibus vel finitis iustè viuos mortuósque iudicaturus Iesus venturus sum ¶ The sixt hundred yeere after or togeather with the one thousand ending or ended I Iesus will come iustlye to iudge the quick and the dead THe first two Letters J take to signifie sixe or the sixth numerally so expressed the third letter in like sorte expresseth an hundred or the hundreth the one that followeth as the fourth letter with the caracter of s M ioyned thus I interpret vno simul millenario also one thousand The Caracter following is an I hauing in it contained an F thus which beeing placed next the s M not on the other side of the F sheweth that it is to be pronouÌ„ced before the I on that side lesse annoyeth the proportion of the I I conceiue it to signifie finitis or finientibus ending or ended the I. I take to stand for iuste The next caracter is an V an M an I ioyned coupled which may well signifie viuos mortuosque iudica turus to iudge the quicke the dead The last letter on the left side is with a tittle on his head which I interpret to stand for Iesus On the other side the first letter is an v thus the next wherin I finde an e thus an N a T thus an V thus an R thus an other V thus an S thus which all put togither make this woord VENTVRVS The last Caracter is an V with a minum on the oneside a tittle thus the minum the tittle make an s an m so the woord is sum which ioyned with the former is venturus sum I will come if the tittle had been ioyned to the rest the s had been perfect but them no way intimated but by the placing of it as it is them by the tittle is expressed the sâ—â—â—â—â—ly intimated The nuâ—ber hâ—â—â— expressed of one thousand six hundreth is well woorthy the consideracion for besides that it is a square number of highest perfection as beeing foure times foure S. Iohn in the 14. of the Reuel vers 20. includeth in that number very great misteries mencioning therin both a time of the execution of Gods iudgement against his aduersaries also the eternitie of that execution discoursing immediatly before of the end of the World reciting the parable of Christe out of the 13. of Math. The haruest is the end of the world the reapers be the Angelles c. the Sonne of man shal send foorth his Angells they shal gather out of his kingdome all thinges that offend them which doo iniquitie and shall cast them into a furnace of fier there shall be wayling and gnashing of teeth Then shall the iust men shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father He that hath eares to heare let him heare he vseth also in a manner the very woordes of the Prophet Ioell Ioel. 3.13 Put in your sithes for the haruest is ripe come get you down for the wine presse is full yea the wine presses runne ouer for their wickednes is great and then concludeth And the wine presses were trodden without the Cittie and blood came out of the wine presse euen to the horsse bridles that is to the very princes gouernors of the people by the space of a 1000. and 600. furlonges In the Scriptures besides there is found oftentimes comparisons betweene the first Adam and the second betweene the ende of the world and the flood of Noe wherto Christe hath especiall relation in the gospell Sith theÌ„ from the creation of the first Adam to the flood of Noe there were of hundreds of yeeres but sixteene what know we if the same number or the like of yeeres shall be betweene the birth and in carnation of the second Adam and the end of the world Surely our best will be to be alwaies readye although of the daies and times we may not determine Moreouer for our better comfort we are to note the woord VICI which is cleare without obscuritie that the language may appeere to be Lattin wherin the mistery is to be sought and especially to shewe that Antichrist is ouercome by the spirite of Christes mouth and shortly shal be abolished by his glorious comming Lastly that like a Grant he hath runne out his race in his militant Church since his incarnation that his trueth is spread to the endes of the world and as it is in the 19. Psal That the heauens Psal 19. that is the Church and faithfull people of God declare the glorye of God and the firmament that is the lawes sheweth his handy woork that one day telleth another that is one plaine testimony confirmeth another and one night certifieth another that is one mistery expoundeth another that there is neither speeche nor language but their voices are heard among them their sound that is the sounde of his woord and Ministers is gone out into all landes and their woordes into the ends of the world In them hath hee set a Tabernacle for the Sonne euen for him selfe the sonne of righteousnes which commeth foorth as a Bridegroome out of his chamber and reioyceth as a Giant to run his course it goeth foorth from the vttermost part of heauen and runneth about to the end therof againe and there is nothing hid from the heate therof This misticall sence of this Psalme though by a singuler learned man whome I both rewe and reuerence vndiscreetly reproued The holy Ghost by S. Paule hath taught vs in the Rom. 10. vers 18. Rom. 10.18 n = * Luk. 24.44 And Christe telleth vs that all must be fulfilled that is written of him in the lawe of
Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes wherfore as our most bright glorious Sonne of righteousnes at his firste entrye into this Zodiake discouered him selfe by the voice of Angells in the feelde vnto Shepheards as it were in Ariete the firste signe so he seemeth vnto me now hauing in a manner finished the course of his Zodiake and being realy to bring vs into the eternall sabaoth to warne vs by diuine caracters shewed â—t Sea in fish vnto fishers as it were in Piscibus the last signe therof And that Christe is likened vnto the Sunne hath beene obserued by diuers learned men and especiallye by that most famous and learned Gentleman Iohn Picus Earle of Mirandula in the 4. chap. of his seauenth book of his Heptaphis or exposition vpon the firste of Genesis his woordes are these Si numerus quaternarius plenitudo est numerorum nonne erit dies quartus plenitudo dierum videte igitur quid nobis afferat quartê° dies Coelum secundo die firmatum id est lex sine sole luna ac stellis erat capax quidem futurae lucis sed obscurum adhuc nec insigni aliquo lumine illustratum aduenit dies quartê° quo sol Dominus firmamenti id est Christê° Dominus legis lunaris ecclesia Christi compar sponsa qui multos ad iustitiam erudirent Apostolici doctores in firmamento vti stellae in perpetuas aeternitates elucescerent ad aeternam scilicet vitam mundum vocantes Of the same minde were the auncient Hebrewes and Thalmudistes who holde it as a principle that the sixe daies of the creation betokened the sixe thousand yeeres of the worlde so that the first day should prefigure thinges to be doone in the firste thousand yeere the second day the euentes of the second thousand yeere and in like sorte the rest of the dayes the rest of the other thousand yeeres as hath beene obserued among the Hebrewes by Moses Gerundinensis a Deuine with theÌ„ of great account among the learned Fathers by S. Hierom. in the exposition of the Psal attributed to Moses among the late writers by Stelco a Germaine in his booke of the second comming of Christe and very worthilye to be noted are the woordes of the Earle of Mirandula to the Iewes Quid caecisolem expectatis adest sol lucet sed lucet in tenebris tenebrae vestrae illum non comprehendunt preteriit dies quartus quo ortus est sol qui non dissoluit legemsed perfecit siout neque sol firmamentum destruit sed exornat sed perficit sed illustrat probauimus ex or dine quarti diei tempore aduentus Christi qui in fine quarti millenarii quasi quarti diei advenerit intelligenda de eo quae his dicuntur quiaper nullam aliam rem imaginari Christum congruentius possumus quam per solem Nam in sole posuit tabernaculum suum exiit de tribu Iuda cuius signum est Leo Solare animal cum solem in republica Plato visibilem filium dei appellet cur non intelligamus nos imaginem esse inuisibilis filii Qui si lux vera est illuminans omnem mentem expressissimum habet simulachrum hunc solem qui est lux imaginaria illuminans omne corpus sed quid alia quaerimus ipsum solem interrogemus qui patiente Christo aduersa luna deficiens consensum nobis suae naturae euidenter ostendit vt iure optimo nos ne tanquam altiorem causam diem quam vocant mathematici Solis diem Domini vocauerimus illius cultui totam mancipauerimus Vel huic ostendentes non esse cur amplius corporeum solem vt olim gentes colamus quasi regâ—â—â— caeli Dominum postquam sol innisibilis coaeternus patri coaequalis â—er quem coelum terra condita suâ—â— sedentes in â—mbra mortis homines illuminauit Moreouer the Thalmudists by a tradition from Helias attribute the time of Christes comming to the ende of the fourth thousand yeere and the world after to continue for two thousand but thereof some yeeres they saye shall be abridged for the iniquitie that in those dayes shall raigne The woordes are these c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THe Sonnes or Schollers of Helias said the world shall continue sixe thousand yeeres two thousand void two thousand the Lawe two thousand Christ and for our sins which are many those yeeres are cut off that are cut off Most blinde therfore and peruerse are the Iewes that see not this most bright resplendent and euer glorious Sunne shining in the firmament of his church and with no lesse blindenesse are the Papists striken who acknowledge not the woordes of Esdras in this age to be perfourmed where he prophesieth that after the third trumpet the Sonne that is Christe by his gospell and trueth shall sodainlye shine againe in the night which after the third fiue hundred yeeres after Christes firste comming we see accomplished Of the errour and ignoraunce of former times what can be plainer then his woordes preceeding which are these Beholde the time shall come that they whiâ—â— dwell vpon the earth shal be taken in a great number and the way of the trueth shall be hid and the land shall be barren from faith and iniquitie shall be increased more then thou hast seene now or hast heard in time past and it shall come to passe that one shall set in foote and thou shalt see the land desolate which now raigneth That is Antichrist shall put in foot with his spirituall Babilon and the other Babilon which then raigned should be desolate Yea if God graunt thee to liue thou shalt see after the third trumpet that the Sunne shall sodenlye shine againe in the night and the Moone three times a day Which manifestlye sheweth that the gospell and doctrine of Christe shal be republished vpon earth and giue vnto the church after long darkenes wonderfull illumination which also he sheweth in his 2. book chap. 7. For my sonne Iesus shall appeere with those that be with him and they that remaine shall reioyce within foure hundred yeeres Which was performed by the peace and prosperitie of the church after Constantine the Great in whose time the cruell persecution of the church by the Romaine Emperours did cease after the same yeeres or the same number of yeeres shall my Sonne Christ dye and all men that haue life that is the trueth of the doctrine shal be extinguished and the faithfull teachers shal vtterly decay by the end of the like number of yeeres the world shal be turned into the olde silence for seauen daies as in the former iudgmentes so that no man shal remain that is for seauen hundred yeeres the world shall returne to ignorance superstition grosse idolatrie as in the time of Paganisme so that no man shall remaine sound and sincere in the trueth But after seauen daies the world that is yet a sleep shal be raised vp and