to ma ke them sure They be iiij coÌ„iectures for wherfor shuld I not tell them forthe by tale as treasure which nowe orderlye I will reherse THe first coniecture is taken out of Elie the Prophete which the Iewes recite as out of the mouth of God spoken in diuerse places of theyr bokes called Thalmude For they be writen in theyr boke called Abodazara in the i. Cha. in theyr boke called â—aichedrim in y â— laste Cha. and also in other places on thys maner The house or scole of Elie hath affirmed and left it thus writen Elye hath sayd that sixe thousande yeares shal the world stand â—r endure Two thousande voyde of anye lawe written two thousande vnder the lawe writen two thousande vnder the dayes of Messias Hytherto Elias afterward the rabbins added these wordes But for our sin nes which be great and many the fyfte thousande and an halfe be thus past and yet is not Messias comen But yet is this doutles an oracle worthy to be beleued for many causes although it be not expressed in the scriptures For fyrst to begyn therewith this oracle is susteyned with the wordes of Moyses in the Psal. after the Hebrewe rekenynge xc to which Saynt Peter cleaueth in hys ij Epistle iij Cap. saying That a thousand yeares with the Lord be but as one day Also hereof it foloweth That as god cre ated all thynges in vi dayes rested in the. vij Euen so shal he sixe thousand yeares gouerne the world subiect to generacyon and corruptyon and in the seueÌ„th thousand bryng in that euerlasting rest of which Thapostle so plainely speketh Hebre. iiij that he semeth to shewe the selfe same misterye as it were with hys fynger ☞ Besides this it consenteth ryght well with all the other coniectures folowyng and it is constantly celebrated and hyghly estemed of the Iewes as the assewered oracle of the Prophete and yet it fighteth plainly agaynst them selues theyr infidelitie whiche may not be beter confounded then in y t they be coÌ„pelled by theyrowne sainges of Elias to graunt y â— Messias shuld raygne the hole laste two thousande yeares yet contrary to their sayng they still loke for him as thoughe he were not comeÌ„ For by this clause added That for theyr synnes God differreth Messias birthe theyr selues confesse frely and plainly the time of christes birthe not to hauehad beÌ„ yet past in this last age of late but rather then whaÌ„ theyr bo ke of thalmude was publyshed euen about y e yeare of our Lord. CCCC xxxvi Wherof it is manifelt that thei haue wai ted more then these eleuen hondred yeres for a nother messias then our Lord Christ and al in vayne The cause whereof they falsely impute it to their own sinnes For Christ was in so certain a prediffined tyme promised to vs theÌ„ that neyther for theyr sinnes must he haue had ben borne y e later nor yet for theyr good liuig haue comen the soner of y â— which thing more peradueÌ„ture shalbe spokeÌ„ in another pla ce Although some of our religyon wold contend to drawe this litle clause of Chri stes birthe now paste vnto thend of the worlde as thoughe for our synnes there shuld waÌ„te muche of these sixe thousande yeares so that they be not fulfylled But thys sence although it maketh well for our purpose yet the Hebrew wordes receyue it not Wherfor this is the meanig of the oracle That the world froÌ„ the time wherof Moses said The earth was emp tye grosse and void dured two thousand before the lawe of circumcision with her adpertinences was geuen to AbrahaÌ„ of which it is writteÌ„ Gen. 26 27. That al nacyons shalbe blessed in thy sead And from the time of delyueraunce of circum cision to Abraham vnto Christes birthe there dured also other two thousand yea res which thyng syth it is proued manyfestly so to haue come to passe for Christ was born suffred about the four thousand yeares froÌ„ y e creacion nedes muste the rest of y e oracle also be true y â— froÌ„christ to the ende of the worlde there shalbe no more peraduenture much lesse then two thousande eueÌ„ as Elias sayd But in that as certain yeres of the laste two myllenaryes be paste and yet Christ be not come as y e Iewes dreame because of their sinnes as they wold seme to excuse theyr vnbeleue with another synne of vnbelief they be vtterly deceiued For after this oracle Christ is verely comen so y t about fower thousand yeares from the creacyoÌ„ he was crucifyed rose agayn froÌ„ death ascended to heauen and in the ende of the world thence to come to iudge the quicke and deade And where the Iewes fro the creacyon hither to reken CC. yeres lesse then we the cause is that emong manye of theyr errours this is one great ouer-fight For they reken dariuÌ„ Hystaspis or Longimane vnder whom the teÌ„ple was redifyed and Darium that was ouer comen of greate Alexander bothe for one Kynge of the Medys and Persyans to haue reigned but vi yeares wheÌ„ there canne betwixt them after Ptoleme Cxcij yeares which thyng we shal discusse diligently in our cronicle This coniecture is also holpen by Henoch and Elie hymselfe which bothe were translated quick out of thys miserable lyfe to that blessed immortalitie death neuer tasted For as the sixe fyrst generacyons that is to say AdaÌ„ Seth Enos Lainam Mahalaleel Iared dyed and the seuenth generacâ—on euen Henâ—ch hym selfe whom Iudas in hys Epistle meÌ„tioned not without a cau se to be the seuenth is immortal Euen so thorow these vi millenaries of the world shall death raygne and in the seuenthe shal floresh that blessed immortalite And as the fyrste vi ages of men from Adam to Elie were subiect to death and the seuenth which is Elie obieyned immortali tie For Elias was rapt vp alyâ—e in the charet of fyer euen so thorow these vimillenaryes shall the mortall lyfe dure And in the beginnyng of the seuenth shal we be taken vp to mete Christ comynge downe to iudgement AdaÌ„ lyued to Mathusalem Mathusalem to Sem Sem to Iacob Iacob to AmraÌ„ Amram to AhiaÌ„ the Silonite Ahias to Elias which was traÌ„slated These coÌ„iectures also vsed IoaÌ„ picus Meradulane in y e yere of our Lord â—â— ccc lxxxvi did put vp this one amoÌ„g hys disputable 90. conclusions sayng yf there be any humane coniecture of y â— last tyme we may serche and fynde it by the muste secrete way of Cabbalist the end of the world to come hense of 514. yeres Netheles for right gret causes as we haue sayd to fore we coniecture that the sixt millenarie shall not be fulfylled For as in the lawe the sixt daye was not hole graunted to worke therein to the full end as to the midnyght but a good part therof was anticipated and cut of added to the Sabboth daye euen so shall not the sixt
The coniectures of the ende of the worlde translated by George Ioye Marke xij ¶ Be ye awake for ye knowe not when the Lorde of the house shall come lest he commeth sodenly and fynde you sleapers M. D. Xâ—viij ¶ George Ioye to the Readers wysheth knowledge and repentaunce SYthe al vnrea sonable creatures so greatly long wyth groning syghes as Paule sayth vnable to be expressed desyer to see the day of theyr redemptyon wherein they shuld be losed from theyr present seruitute wherewith man yet abuseth and holdeth them as the dronkardes abuse the wyne glotons the beastes foules fysshes corne and all maner frutes the vnthankefull all maner gyftes and creatures of God the Idolaters abu se the sonne mone starres stones trees and the supersticiouse the water fyer c. And the blasphemouse swerers the sayntes in heauen God and hys creatures muche more do the electe childreÌ„ of God here abused oppressed persecuted slain of the vngodly long syghe and sorrowe â—riynge oute with the soules vnder the altare for the gloriouse daye of the redeÌ„p cion of oure bodies Yea and to knowe the sygnes and coniectures immediatlie coming before it that we myght in tyme lyft vp oure heades awake oute of oure beastly and synfull lyuinge gladly to come forth wyth our bryght laÌ„pes to meet our brydegrome And they that yet of ignoraunce haue ben captyued and abused of y e abhominable beast of Rome might also now in time forsake her and flye far out of Babylon into Christes churche And for asmuch as this boke treateth of the signes and coniectures that go befo re the ende of this world wherof some be paste some are present some are yet shortely to come and do tell vs certainly the tyme of the fall of the Antichriste of Rome and laste ende of thys myserable synfull worlde layd in so darke Prophecyes noumbers of dayes tymes yeares in Daniell and in the Apocalipse which euery man except he be indurated w t the Rome Churche wold be desyerous to knowe and to prepare hymself I haue made thys latyne boke of that godly and lerned man Andrew Oseander to speake Englysh that ye myght counforte your selues by readyng y e diuine mysteries warninges conteyned herein And becau se as euery man knoweth experte artifi cers by their diligent exercyse and continuall labours wyll excell amende beter the beutye of their former workes and as sayth Cicero our later cogitacions are better then oure fyrste yea and as Daniell affirmeth The oftener hys boke be reuolued and diligently studyed the more lernyng is there foundin it kno weledge is encreased And to be shorte Because I wolde with the confession of my faithe profyte and counfort the congregacions of Christe we are all borne to profyte oure bretheren lo here haste thou ientle reader a cleare brief exposicion of the moste harde places and hide misteryes in Daniell Paule and Apocalyps concernyng thys last monarchy of Rome the descripcyon and lyuely picture of that Antichristen horned whore of her fall and ende of thys world short lye to come Thys therfore reade and vse it to thencrease of thy knoweledge and counfort to the profyte of other and prayse and glorye of God the father thorow Christe in his comyng Who be thanked and magnyfyed for euer So be it â–ª AMEN M. D. Xlviij In Maye printed â— The coniectures of the last dayes end of the worlde gathered out of scriptures by Andrewe Oseander and translated by George Ioye ALthough oure Lorde Iesus Christ as witnesseth Mat. hathe most clearlye proâ—ouÌ„ced y t the daye howr whe rein himselfe shal returne to iudge y e quick dead of no mortal maÌ„ to be knoweÌ„ No not of thâ—â—igels but to be left only in y e pleasure of God the father yet think I y t the very christiaÌ„s broughte vp lerned in y e holy scriptures may by some certayn coÌ„iectures gathered oute of Gods worde of hys workes not only come to y e forsight of y t same tyme as it were coÌ„preheÌ„de within certaiÌ„ limites but also I iudge y t we ought to endeuour our selues to studye to attâ—yne therevnto For our Lorde sayde not that worlde or that age or that yeare of hys comminge of noman to be knowne but onely the day and hower no man to knowe them For verely by the most apt similitude to serche it out dyd he louingly prouoke vs bothe to obserue wayte for that same tyme yea and in a maner compelled vs so to do Wherfor he sayd when I begynne to do these thynges then loke vp and lyft vp youre heades sor then draweth nyghe pâ—ure libertye redempcyon And euen of the fygge tree lerne the similitude whose braunches when they begyn to be softe and tender and thruste forth their knops and leaues then knowe ye that Somer is nyghe And eueâ— so when ye see all these tokeÌ„s and thinges told you before in doyng then be ye sure that the kyngdom of God is at hande By this and such lyke warninges hath he not only of the state of thinges to come as though they were present committed and geuen to the com mon people to coniecture of the last tyme but also the wyser and better lerned hath he meruelously gyuen occasion long before to serche out to fore see this desyred last tyme. For as the tylmeÌ„ by y e buddig of y t trees knowe somer to drawe nyghe and the astronomers by the mouing of y â— starres can diffyne the springyng tyme pronosticate it long before euen so ought we to decerne the ende of the worlde to drawe nyghe and the comyng of the sonne of man to be at hande by these sygnes shewed vs of Christ of hys comynge the lerned in holy scripture to signifye it long before the courses of tymes and the ages which all the sygnes be suer to come yea and to coniecture thesame tryed out of the secret misteryes of the worde Which thig sith it be so I haue diligeÌ„tly consydered and noted certayn excellente saynges and dedes properly and specyal ly pertainyng to this mater whiche by the waye were offred to me readyng the scriptures and thus haue I commended to memorye these coniectures of the ende of the worlde taken out of the holye letters of the which coniectures many I haue communicated pryuately in wrytâ—yng to my familyar freÌ„des which wheÌ„ they were desyered of so many and now spred abrode I sawe that it was perell lest any foolyshardy shuld mixe w t these my coniectures any thynge of hys own and so vnder my name to thrust them into other mennes handes I not knowing which thyng to auoyde I reuoked into my handes myne owne wrytinges litle then though they were and mended theÌ„ in some places iâ—â—ome I so enlarged them that they thus printed mighte do my brethereÌ„ pleasure And lest hereafter they might be perehaunce by some falsifyers corrupted I thought mi self
millenarie be all full hole geuen to the laborouse last mortal lyfe but y t most gloryouse beutyfull parte therof aboute the euenyng shâ—lbe anteuorted and preuented of that blessed and euerlastynge reste as it shal appere clearlyer in the coÌ„ iectures followyng and in the mysterye of the supper of oure Lorde preuented celebrated in the euenyng and in the para bles of y t callinges to supper after which refreshyng there followeth no more laboure but reste The secoÌ„d coniecture is takeÌ„ of y â— wordes of christ red Matth. 24 Mar. 13. thus But the daye and hower nomaÌ„ knoweth it no not thaungels in heaueÌ„ nor yet the sone him selfe but onlye my father But as were the dayes of Nohe so shalbe the coming of the sone of man For as in the dayes of Nohe before the floude they were eating drynkyng and marying vnto the daye in which Nohe entred into y â— arke and knewe not therof till the floude came ouer them taking all awaye euen so shalbe the coming of the sone of man For in these wordes Christe semeth not to compare only the qualyte but also the quantite of the tyme. The qualitie of the tyme I call the corrupt maners of that worlde and age the quantitie is the nomber of the yeres And as for the qualitie ther is no doute therof when Christ said playnly Luke xvij That as in the dayes of Nohe and Lot they ate and dronke toke wyues and maried bought and sold planted and builded euen so shall it be when the sone of man shalbe reueled But as touchyng the quantyte or noumber of the yeris albe it the thing be hid obscure yet in some behalfe it shyueth sheweth her selfe wher Math. saith perfectly As were the dayes of Nohe so shalbe the coming of the son of man Namely when Paul Rom. v. affyrmeth AdaÌ„ to haue had ben the forme and image of Chryst to come as in y â— i. Cor. xv of christ he maketh an other Adam euen into the spirit that quickeneth The fyrst Adam was erthey out of the earthe but the seconde man is the Lorde him self out of heuen Nowe if Christ be the other AdaÌ„ of whom the fyrst was the forme and similytude and the comyng of Christe be as the dayes of Nohe aboute the floude who wyll not beleue but that how much tyme passed from the earthey adam vnto the dayes of Nohe euen to the floude so much tyme shall there passouer to the celestiall Adam our Lorde Iesus vnto the â—nde euen to that last fiery floude wherof Peter sayth The daye of the Lord shall come lyke a thefe in the night at whose coming the heuens shal passouer lyke a storme and thelements shall melt awaye with heat y â— erthe al y â— workes theri shal be bruÌ„t vp And the heuens shalbe consumed whith fyer and thelementes molteÌ„ it is so manifest that from Adam to the floude there passed ouer Mcccccclvi yeres wherfor it is very like that in y â— year of our Lorde Mcccccclvi the end of the world shalbe comen before our dores whiche now is not much more theÌ„ an C. yeres heÌ„ce except it be rekoned from y t re surreccion of Christ. And as Nohe knew not the day ne hower of the floude tyl the Lorde bode him go into the arke but the year he knewe it when God told him before that he wold graunt him yet to the men cxx yeres space to repent euen so we albeit the daye and howr we knowe not yet the year maye we knowe or coniecture very nighe it ☞ The thirde couiecture is taken froÌ„ the tyme of Christes birthe vnto his passion and resurreccion whych is xxxiij ye res and some dayes more whose noumber we yet knowe not For when he was baptized he was full xxx yeres olde or very nyghe so that he was full thyrtye ere he toke the offyce of a leuite as to preache and to teache openlye Thus the sone of GOD whyche of euerlasting was in the bosome of the father manisshappe taken vp to him is becocome conuersant wyth vs lyke as one of xxx yeris olde For as touching his godheit he tolde the Iewes sayng Before Abraham was borne I had my being essenciall name called Sum. And yet to cer tyfye vs the more in this thinge behold the Astronomer Ptolemeus which in cal king the yere expressed plainly in y e course of y e. xxxiiij yeres of Christ to be euen such an easter day or passouer day as we finde nowe described of theuaÌ„gelistes at y t passyon of Christ which daye fyll then iustely vpoÌ„ the fryday as did then Christ vpon the same daye kepe it with hys Discyples Albeit the Iewes then differred trauslated it into the next sabboth which was saterdaye and then ate they theyr Passe lombe at euening in y â— which forenone was offred the very trwe passe lombe Christe the ende of all the fygures therof the Iewes not yet seing y e verite but abiding still in their dead blinde shadows The iewes differred y e feste as they do yet when it so falleth vpoÌ„ the friday lest two gret festes in which they may not do so much as make their owne fyer or cut their brede shulde be contynued togither whiche thing that Christe shuld eate his Passe lombe on the fryday and suffer also on the same day makyng saterday the hole restyng daye vpon son day erly to ryse many hitherto haue not â—speyd But this mater Paule Bisshop of SeÌ„pronie serched for wyth gret study and could not fynde it out only because he perceiued not the Iewes not to tell y e fyrst day of the moneth from the coniunâ— cion of the sone and mone next before but from the eauening euen at v. of the cloke before the chaÌ„g in which the lerned astro mers did euidently shewe it or els lawful witnes proued it to the elders or senators of Ierusalem that the newe mone was sene or might haue had ben sene But returne we to our purpose Wherfore when our Lorde Christ born of the virgeÌ„ concerning his fleshe was in this our miserable lif coÌ„uersant with vs. xxxiij yeres and some dayes more it is very like him self also to be borne spirytually of the in corrupt vyrgyne the holy churche by the free confession and pure doctryne of the gospell euen so many yeares but yei great yeres and so to remayne and abyde with vs styll in his spirytuall birth these xxx great yeres in this worlde But here must ye knowe that there be two maner of grete yeres in holy seryptur One is the Angels year and the tother is Moses year One Angels year coÌ„ teineth somany of our comon yeares as we haue daies in our yeare that is 354. of our yeares for so many daies be there in our lunare yere For w t vs which be coÌ„ cluded vnder y e heuens y t course of y t sone froÌ„ east to west
finissheth our day iÌ„ xxiiij howers But with the Angels wich dwel aboue the circles orbes of the Planets their daye finissheth hyr course whyles the sone moueth in hir zodiak from the southe to the northe and agen from the north to the southe which is fynisshed in one of our yeres so that their day is one of our yearis and econtra Soche days Christ vnderstandeth Luke xiij when he bode them tell Herode that foxe That I cast oute deuyls this day and to morowe and the third daye I am at an ende For I must to day and to morewe tÌ„he next day walke For the prophete may nowhe re els be put to death but in Ierusalem which wordes can not be vnderstanden of our comon dayes but of the. iij. hole yeres wherin he preached and miracled before his death For .iij. of our yeres ar but .iij. Angels dayes and euery Angels year is .cccliiij. of our lunare yeris which Angels year is called of the Angels oft in Daniel both in hebrewe and caldey speche a tyme. But Moses great yere is the space of .l. of our yeres that runneth from one Iubeley to another For as in our year the labor of the hole tilthe retur neth in a perpetual circle to where as it begone that is from seadis tyme to the same agaeine euen so in the iubeley year all the Israelites returne in their owne former possessions agene of their fathers and the hole forme of their comon lyfe state liuing was newly restored and as it were borne ayen But the Angels yere may not serue vs in this our third coniecture For if the churche shuld in this worlde dure xxx Angels yeares and a lytle more the space shuld excede twelue thousand of oure yeares when Elias ge ueth it not to staÌ„de seueÌ„ thousand Wherfor Moses great yere which is y t Iubelei yere dothe iustely agre to our purpose For xxxiij Iubeley yeres make 1650. of our yeres vnto the which adde those few yeres that be vi yeris for the porcion of y â— dayes in which Christe beyend xxxiij yeres lyued and so ar we comen to the dayes of Nohe euen 1656. yeris But let vs see howe those great yeris layd to the yearis of Christis lyfe the tymes compa red to gither shall agree whylis we try it out and examin it by apt similytudes and comparysons of euery thinge done of Christ and of the course and state of the world folowing his death vnto this daye fyrst As our Lord Iesus being bor ne of Mary the virgin the gloriouse clere nes of Godillumined the herdmeÌ„ taught from heuen Christ their sauior to be borne Luce. ij whom they shuld fynde wrap ped in clutes in the kribbe eueÌ„ lo Christ being borne spiritually after his resurrec cion thorrowe the preaching of y e gospell euen of the incorrupt virgin the churche of the Apostles the glory of the Lord did shyne roundabout and illumined the very hardemen and true flokfeders y e Apostles the holy ghost powredforth vpon them in fyery clouen tongues which testifyed of Christ and gloryfyed him teaching them althings that they might vnderstande the scriptures behold Christ in them as it were wrapped and inuolued in his cloutes Also as christ ones bor ne Herode slewe the children hoping to haue so sâ—ain Christe emonge them euen so Christ ones preched after his resurrec cion y e prince of this world slewe the sele yonge ChristiaÌ„s eueÌ„ y â— newly regenered by faith into christ trusting therby as he doth nowe so to haue roted out and destroyd Christes gospell w t their destruccion and burning But as then Herode fayled of his purpose euen so are nowe owre Herodes cruell enforcementes frustrated Also as Christ borne he dwelt vn der the Egipcions vntil the death of Herode raigne of Archelay that is vnto the syxt yeare of his age almost complet euen so Christ preached lurked and was hyd vnder the spyrituall Egypt that is vnder the tweyfold double persecucyon both of the temperall tyrants and spyrytuall her etiques vntill the sixt Iubiley of the churche that is to the ende of Dioclesian the hebrwe worde which signifyeth egypt is by interpretacion asmuch to say as blind persewers or double persecucions in the dual nowmbyr Also as Ma ry the vyrgen had almost lost Chryste being xij yeres olde in Ierusalem and sought hym in vain among his kinsfolk and acoyntance but at last fownde him in the temple amonge y t doctores asking and answering them euen so the virgen the church in the twelf Iubiley that was about the yere of our Lorde cccccc being sore layd ayenst troubled and wexed w t dyuerse and many heresies cheifly of the Arrians Eunomians and Sabellians out of whom anon aftyr Mahumete aud the pope be sprong vp had almost lost Christ yea she had lost him in dede as now haue the Mahumetis and Papists had she not at last theÌ„ found him in y â— teÌ„ple of God that is in the holy scripture among the doctors and teachers euen the Prophets Euangclistes and Apostles where the papistis neuer yet sought Christ askinge and answerynge dysputyng of our faith and religion she asking the Prophetes For he nether did suffer ne taught any thing which was not of y t Prophetes to fore sayd and testyfyed he answered to the same in that he accomplesshed althynges in dede that they prophecyed of hym Also as Christe borne many of the Israelites beleued the herdemen Simeon and other testifying of Christe and with no small desier longed to see hym openly present teachyng them whyles all the other Israelytes albeyt they onely then semed to be the peple of God yet infect and seduete wyth the sectes of the pharisays zaduces knew not Christ nothing regarding him vntyll Ioan bapt begane to preache and testyfye of him now xxx yeares olde euen so Christe preached many verely beleued the Apostles and Martyrs and souked out the pure knowleg of Chryst drawne forth into theyr posteryte whilis other in name only Chrystians although for an vtward shynyng she we of gliteryng ceremonies and wyll workes of theyr owne choyce wold be sene only to be the church of God ether for theyr zaduceicall eppâ—urisme voluptuose liuing for their pharisaical hipocrisy infect and seduct ha ue not knowne Christ ne any thing at all regarded him vntill the xxx Iubyley of the church was comen that is to say vntyll about the 1500. year of the Lorde which popish Iubeley yet dureth in many churches albe it in some where the gospel taketh place it is extinct Furthermore as aftir the. xij yeares of Christ vntyl his xxx year we read nothing of him but that he was vnder his parents subiect as a layman and carpentor conuersant wyth the laye sorte euen so aftyr the twelf Iubiley of the churche vnto the thirtey Iubeley that is frome Phocas
distributed into x. consularye empires y t the Monarchie of TheÌ„perours stode in it y t she more then ccc yeares most cruelly impugned the christen religion for y â— was she dampned of God in the heanenly iudgement at last extincte All thys I saye hole together was in doing and done by tyme and tymes by halfe a tyme Trew it is that this forme of speche signifyeth iij. yeares an half Nethe les not without a cause did the aungell separate theÌ„ For the Hebrues tell theyr yeares not by the sunne but by the mone out of the. xij monethes that is standyng of ccc liiij dayes which dayes not withstandyng in Februarye when the leap yeare cometh in the thyrd or fourthe yeare they restore to the sonne yeres Also nether one nor two yeares admit anye leap yere daye wherfore he will them to be vnderstanden without the leape moneth that is to saye of m. cc. xxxix dayes or there aboute for so many dayes be in thre yeres and an half But Da. in suche maner misteryes vseth not our common dayes and yeres but aungels dayes and yeares as we haue shewed it at large in the iij. coniecture wherof there is a verye euident profe in the ende of the xij Chap. of Da. where one aungell asketh of another how long shal it be to y â— end of these meruelous thinges which swering by y e eternall liuig God answereth saiyng vn to the time of times an halfe For in no wyse is it red in y t place time times an half as haue our coÌ„mon bokes but as we interprete it Thys is therfore the mynd of the Aungel That froÌ„ the third yere of Cyrus vnto the eude of all those meruellouse thinges which were reueled to him in that visyon euen vnto Christe whiche anone after these meruelles were ended shuld come there shuld bepast ouer the tyme of tymes and an halfe that is to say the yeare of yeares an half y t is an Aungels yere and an half which con teyneth of oure comon yeres D. xxxn. yf we beholde the mone yeres for it is the yeare of yeares which standeth not vpoÌ„ ccc liiij dayes but of so many of oure comon yeres Certayn it is out of Ptolome fro the beginnyng of the reygne of Nebuchaâ—nezar whome he calleth Nabopollassar vnto the byrth of Christe to haue had passed ouer cccccc xxv almoste of oure yeares out of which yf thou taketh xix before the destruccyon of Ierusalem and the lxx of the captiuitie and the iij. fyrst yeres of Cyrus there shalbe lefte D. xxxij and a fewe monethes whiche iustly make the tyme of tymes the half tyme that is an Aungels yeare and an halfe For asmuch then as it is playne Daniell in suche misteryes to be expressed to vse Aungels dayes and yeares contrariwyse when he meaneth our com mon yeares and tyme brought into dayes he vseth to adde the mornyng and eue nyng that we shuld not take them for the Aungels dayes nor tyme there is no doubt but that in thys place also it behoueth it to be vnderstanden of the Aungels yeares Namely when out of the for so the saing of Rhomulus it was pronostickt of Vectio that noble forsoth sayer that because the citie of Rome had passed euer prosperouslye her cxx yeares she shulde come to M. cc. yeares Wherfore it is the mynde of Daniell that the citie of Rome vnder the monarchye of themperours shuld persecute the churche of the lyuinge God and to beare dominati on vntyll she had accomplyshed in aungels yeris and an halfe of her age that is to saye almost M. cc. xl of oure yeris whiche thynge we see it in dede iustlye fulfylled For about the yeare from the buyldinge of Rome c. lxx the imperiall Maiestie was traÌ„slated fro Rome to CoÌ„ stantinople And yf Rome had thenceforth any Emperours west fro Constan tinople yet dyd theyr originall and auto rite depende of the Constantinople imperye Nowe was Rome then lyke no li uely body which shuld gouerne herfelf but as a deade kaâ—kas of whose corps burial other men had the gouernaunce cure After these about y â— yere of her buyl dyng m. c. lxiiij of y â— Gotes brought thether of Alaricho was she taken spoyled brent And afterward about the yere M. cc. viij of Gâ—nserycho was she taken agayn spuyled And at laste in the yeare of y â— citie M. cc. xxix the reste left in the myserable Rome citie were brought into so great calamitie and contempt y t when Augustulus was then slayn she was no more worthy to haue not so muche as a Lorde that is any welte Emperour For thus far of was she now to haue any dominion Emperiall ouer other after her olde maner And this was now her extre me and laste fatall destyned ende or rather an vtter dissipacion or skateryng awaye of her memoryall and as it were the strewynge abroade of the ashes of y â— citie of Rome and of her former dominacyon as it was prophecyed of Daniell Da. And the iudgement was sette â—si That is so longe were they in this condempnacyon in the iudgement of God as were the holy sayntes oppressed and persecuted of this horne Da. That theyr power might betakeÌ„ away â—si That is the power of this fourth beast Da. And be all to broken and destroid to perish into the ende â—si That is vtterly without any helpe to perysh Da. But the king doÌ„ and power and the amplitude therof vuder al the heuen shalbe geuen to y â— peple of the most hyghe holy ons whose raygne is euerlasting and al â—ynges shal ser ue and obeye hym â—si These are declared afore Da. Hitherto is the ende of this matter â—si Hitherto is it treated spoken of the former dominion of Rome which after Daniell durâ—d iij. Aungels yeres and an halfe euen after theyr owne prophecye of the same citie from her fyrste buyldyng M. cc. which is almost all one space Nowe let vs treate of the later dominacion of Rome out of the Apocal. of Pau. And as tofore wher nede is wil we vse lyke interlocucion And here christen reder I wold y u shuldest first coÌ„sider how great and earnest was sathans subtyle crafty deceytfull wylynes who when he perceyued this former dominacyon of Rome now to be vtterlye subuerted he studyed diligently to paynt forth and to set vp long before whyles the tother yet endured another dominacyon of the same citie yea and that farr worse then the former And he dyd so garnysh it that be fore thys formar was vtterly fallen and expyred this later domiyacyon shuld be euen then almost rype in all wickednes by the Popis and be waxen stronge enough in all Idolatry supersticion false religion and al mischief For when that former dominacioÌ„ of the Rom. citie was yet valeant in strength and armour this later dominacyon toke encreace began
that there is no perell in callyng the Emperour or the Pone of Rome Antichrist as theyr confederation and coniuracyon thys day ayâ—â—st the Lorde and hys worde declare them But let vs at last returne to our coniectu re Syth it is geuen to the beast nowe agayn puttynge vp her heade to exercyse and execute her tyrannye xlij Romane moneths which staÌ„d vpon xxx dayes y t is to weit dayes m. cc. lx and the thynge compelleth vs to take them for Aungels dayes that is for m. cc. lx of oure comon yeares it can not be doubted but that these yeares once fulfylled the ende of the worlde is anone at hande But the doubt is where we shall begynne these yeares Some there be that thynke them to begynne anone from the tyme of the Emperoure Constantyne the great because of the gyfte that is fayned to haue had ben geuen to Pope Syluester and because of the translation of the seat Emperyall to Constantinople for that Paul saith He that holdeth must be takeÌ„ away and then that man of sinne shalbe reueled truely fro that tyme wherin they fayne themselues to haue had that ryche gift of Constantyne and they endoted enryched w t the best part of the Empyre euen with hole Rome Italy and halfe y e Empyre as they saye there was a voice herde in the ayer That now is the moste pestilent poysone entred into the churche of Rhome From that day I say yf the noumber be tolde which I wold gladly it shulde there beginne then is the Popedom at an ende within these xxxin yea res or after Daniel within lxiij yeres For then shuld the ende of the world fall about y e year of our Lord. m. ccccc lxxvij or after Daniel m. cccccc vij as it apeared to me by turnynge y e dayes into weâ—is wheÌ„ I gathered my exposicion vpon Daniel as ye may there read my coÌ„iectu re But by what fraud els soeuer y e beast then gote her emperyal possessions priÌ„ cely riches it semeth not true to me saith Osiander y t Constantyne gaue it them for eueÌ„ y e style only of y e instrumeÌ„t made of the same deuocyon gift or legacie proueth it playnlye to be a stark lye of all lyes y t euer were made vnder heuen the most shameles as the moost well lerned man Laurence Valla and Nicholaus de Cusa also Ierome Gatlatanus and other most graue writers now sence haue mooste clerely shewed proued it Wherfor albeit Constantine made a beginnyng to take awaye the former domi nacyon whiche letted y e mouing of y e ryches to y e popedom yet because the beast had not then as yet ben vtterly destroid she myght not be sayd properly to putte forth hir hornes or to lyfte vp her heade ayen except she had first haue ben vtter ly subuerted ouerwhelmed as it were w t waters And therfor we shal iustly begiÌ„ne to reken fro y e yere in y â— which after the translatioÌ„ of the empire Rome was takeÌ„ spoyled breÌ„t of y e Gothes brought thyther of theyr Capitain Alaricho For this is y e very iust end of y e former dominacion after Daniel And this was done in the yeare of the citie about m. c. lxiiij in y t yere of Christ about CCCC xij put nowe together the yeares of Christ. cccc xij and the yeres of the Pope M. cc. lx and thou hast the iuste noumber of M. CCCCCC lxxij And wheÌ„ we shal write and tell so many yeres from Christe then is the fatale ende of the Pope of the citye of Rome present at hande yf it rather be not so as I haue coniectured it aboute xxx yeares to come And thys coÌ„iecture maketh me that I thynke the yea res fro the celestiall Adam vnto the fyerve floude in the seconde coniecture and the iubile yeares of the churche in the thirde coniecture must not be rekened fro the byrthe of our Lorde but from hys re surreccyon For before that tyme he bore the forme of a seruaunte as hymself said to not haue ben comen to be serued but to serue From hys resurrection therfore he beganne iustely to possede hys kyngdom when he sayd All power is geuen me in heauen and earthe For so shall it come to passe that the ende of bothe the Pope and of Rome and of the worlde shall fall into the yeare of our Lorde aboute m. cccccc lxxxviij Whiles the fall of the Pope is lyke to come in the yeare of Christ about m. cccccc lxxij So that y e Popedom slayn extinct yet shal there remaine as it were â–ª xvi yeris in whiche men the aduersary of Christe and antichrist taken away and the gospell frely preched they shal begin ayen to lyue in a wealy securytye and in almaner voluptuose lustis as they wer wont to do And when they shall say peace and secu ritie then shal the soden destructioÌ„ come ouer them as the panges of a woman trauelling of childe and they shall not auoid it Wherfore let vs awake watch and be sober lest this daye take vs as a thefe in the night These things haue I setforth of the coniectures of the laste tymes and ende of the worlde For ther be yet many other things which I will not open nor communicate to the multitude But as for these things what credit there ought to be geuen to them I leaue it to be estemed of the spirituall church of Christe which can iudge all thinges them selues iudged of noman Couiecturs ar they I knowleg and confeâ—â—e it and no oracles Not withstandinge yet vnlesse I be begyled they shal not litely begile ne deceiue any Christen reader Come down Lord Iesu vnto iugement and deliuer they persecuted lytell sely flocke So be it Another coÌ„iectur added of y e translater When the citie of Rome was olde M xxxvij abouth y e yere of Christ. cclxxxvij when Dioclesane themprour begane to raigne there were suche dissencious sectis heresies false doctrine in the church of Rome as of the Manicheis PelagiaÌ„s Arrius c. as had not ben herd of before the popis then being Felix or rather In felix Euticianus an heretique Caius not good By whose contencious scismes and sectis and their so gredy ambicion for euen then begane they to begge and steall from the emprours parte of theyr most pleasant cities and richest possessions and londes and to set themprours and Kings togither by the earis Dioclesiane was so greuosly offended that he abhorred them and their false religioÌ„ and persecuted it whiche they called the christen religion as they do now the popis faith when it was nothing lyke Christe and his gospell but rather Sathans Kingdom and worse then the haithen Here begane the popis of Rome todeclare them selues very antichristis the beast was reueled eueÌ„ vnto the very haithen emprours For
here begane the Romane empire by the wikednes and fraudelent studie of the popis to be diuided as the Frenche men from the Alemans There was then suche tumult inquietnes bataill stered vp by the spiritualtie that Dioclesiane was compelled to geue ouer the empyre and liued sole a priuate persone many yeris and at last for sorowe slewe him self such good gostely fathers had themprours of the popis in those dayes Here I saye was the reuelacion of that beast begune wherof Paul ij Thessa. ij speketh And the emprowrs that then helde the empire bysuc cession had waruing long before to hold fast the empire For euen then was the first dominacion in falling and in translating to Constantinople Fro this tyme therfore I coniecture If ye reken Danielis dayes whiche be Mccxc. yeris and the aungels dayes so cometh the ende in y â— Mcccccxcvij yere of Christ But and if ye rekeÌ„ Ioans xlij monethes from thence in the aungels dais we shal come but to the yere of our Lorde aftir IoaÌ„s rekening Mccccclxxvij or Mccccclxvij euen xxx yeres lesse For Daniel appereth to haue xxx yeres mo theÌ„ Ioh. which may chaunce for that we reken in Daniell from Christes birthe in Ioan from his resurreccion Wherfor me thinketh it shuld be at an ende within these xxxvij yeres or w t in lxxvij if we rekeÌ„ fro the resurreccion of Christ to whom be glory honor praise and thankes for euer So be it Mcccccxlv. Translated by George Ioye whereine many things be added out of the said George his coniectures and now at laste printed in the yere M. D. XCviij ¶ Math. xxv A wake and watche for ye know not the daye nor yet the hower when the sone of man shall come ☞ The fautes escaped in the printing In B. y â— leâ—f iiij second side Read vi hondred in the margen And in the twenty li ne in clowtes In the aight leif of B. i xiiij lyne rede breif In C. the second lef and fyrst line of y â— second side read beast for least In the same and third line read beheld for lehold In the. xv line rede ouercame read in y e vij lef of C. in y e mar gen in the first side ccc xij or ccc xix yeres â–ª and in the aight lef and first line of y e first side read is obtained and in the same side and last line saue one read of the se iiij bestis In D. the third left in the xi lyne rede M. lxxxiij in the. xiiij line M. ccccccc lxxij and in the first lef y â— last line saue v. rede M. lxx In y e fift lef in y t margen rede iij. Aungels yers an half In the. vij lef and last line saue iiij rede assureth vs. In the aight lef second side eleuen lyne read euery one in his place In the third lef first side and xix line tead the dragon is satan â–ª and in the aight line of the second side rede as say y â— ItaliaÌ„s These shal ye find in the ap ayenst the great Cundit at the signe of the foxe vubownde Ro viij â–ª Apo. vi Dan. xâ—â— The. i. Chap. i. Coniecture An oracle is a sure saiynge as it were answered of God Symon iustus made their thalmude 210. before Christe The. ij Chapt. and theâ— haue we cxli so shal it en de in the Mccccccc yere froÌ„ christ Cap â—ij â–ª The day begineth at v. aclo ke in the eauenig â–ª Paul bisshop of SeÌ„pron two maner of gret yeres cccliiij â—aâ—es in our luna re yere Moses great year M. CC CCC C M. CC CCC â—WI The coÌ„parison betwixt his bode ly birth spiritual birth af â—ir his re surreccioÌ„ The. ii coÌ„parisoÌ„ iij. Egipt blind per sewers iiij h. M LL LLL vi vij Rom. x. viij ix x. xi Esay xxviij The con iectur of the trans latour Cap. iiij Two do minacions of Rome y â— first was the ij is The during of the fyrst dominacion Daniel â–ª cap. xvij â–ª The litle horne The fyr ste and se cond destruccioÌ„s of Rome Constan tim was in y e year of Christ ccc or xii cccxix regned xxx Apo. v. Luc. xix Of the former domina cyon of Rome D. a tyme M. are tymes cc. l. half a tyme. In the nouÌ„ber there be xxij yeares more for y t Ro me had not her dominioÌ„ so sone after her bylding That is by ccccc xxxij yeares CCC liiij day es in the lunar yeare An Aungels day is one of our yeares an aungels yere is ccc lij of oure yeares The AuÌ„gels yere is cal led the yere of yeres coÌ„ teynyng ccc liiij of our yeres iij. Aungels yea res and dyd m. cc. xl The fall of y e former dominacioÌ„ of Rome â—aryon fo c. xlvi sayth in aâ— chri ccccc li. was Ro me vtter ly destroyed in the citye yere m. ccc iij M. CC. The wy lines of Satan Apo. xiij apo xvij That he uenly de cree was of Christ esenne myes euen the Emperours Popis not yet to be fully ma de hys fete stole Apo. xiij and xvij apo xvij in y â— end Ap. xvij Ap. xvij in y â— yâ—aâ— of Christ lxxxvi The x. Kings in y â— former dominacioÌ„ the x. Kings in the later â—po xiij Apocal xiii Nowe â—â— hir later dominacion â—po xvij The beast her is taken for the empires of Rom. Apoca. xiij Psalm â— xij xlij moneths cclx yeris Apoc. xij Mcclx. The Ro mane mo neth is xxx daies The very mo neth hath but xxix dayes almost aÌ„ halfday apoc xiij apo xvij Apo. xiij Apo. xiij Ap. xviij Apo. iij. Apo. xix â–ª The sata mke swarme of the false pre achers Apo. xiij Luke i. Apo. xiij Apo. xiij The hea lyng of his dead ly wouÌ„d Thynges com mon to both the beastes in theyr domina â—yuns M. D. xlvi Character is the Popis bronde vnable tobeskra ped of but by disgreasyng we now muste fyght w t the weapen of Gods worde Apo xvij apo xvij But yet did goddestroye y e â–ª wiked iewes w t other wi ked kiÌ„gs and emprours Apo. xix Cap. ij Which was about the year of rom M. ccvij in the year of Christ cccclvi Math. xxiiij xxx year agoo apo xvij Ca â–ª xviij In Daniel M. cc. xâ— Constan tines gift was Rome half the empire The wor ds of the translator his coniecture dani xij When we shall write m. cccccc lxxij then loke for an ende of all Mcccccs lxxxviij Mccccc. xlviij C. xl Mcccccc lxxij M. ccccâ— xliij C. xxvn xvi C. xi Dan. xij