Therefore that the truth of these Signes may more manifestly appeare and that we may more orderly proceed I thus by warrant of Gods Word and waight of inuincible arguments euince and proue these three maine principles of Faith and Religion First that there shall bee an vniuersall Iudgement wherein all reasonable creatures shall be called to an account Secondly that IESVS CHRIST the Son of God is appointed of God to bee the Iudge of the Iudge both of the quick and the dead Lastly that this world in respect of the fashion forme and corruptible qualities thereof shall haue an and and come to destruction That there is a set and prefixed day of Iudgement though vnto vs profitably vnknowne and that there shall bee a generall Iudgement I thus declare First the sacred Scriptures are pregnant and plentifull in this point Iob 19.25 Psalm 9.8 Isa. 66.15 Dan. 12.2 Math. 25.31 Luke 18.17 Iohn 5.28.29 and chap. 12.44 Act. 17.31 Rom. 2.16 1. Thess. 4.16.17 and chap. 5.2 1. Pet. 4.8 Tit. 2.13 Apoc. 20.11 12.13 Heb. 9.27.28 Secondly the doctrine of the last Iudgement is a very ancient and principall Article of the Apostles Catechisme and therefore no person vnlesse hee bee a meere Athiest or Infidell can or will deny it Thirdly the Generall Resurrection the necessary and immediate antecedent of the iudgement and those that shall arise and appeare in iudgement who are the proper obiect of it do enforce it yea and what arguments serue to proue the Resurrection the same iustifie the last iudgement Fourthly the generall and particular iudgements calamities and punishments both in the old and new Testament and in all succeeding ages are Types Similitudes and Fore-significations of it Of this kind were Noahs Floud or Deluge wherein the world was drowned the ouer-whelming of Pharoah and the Aegyptians in the red Sea the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah the destruction of Ierusalem the ruin of the foure great Monarchies of the world that afflicted Gods chosen and of late time the sinking and dispearsing of the Spanish inuincible Armado Anno Christi 1588 in the English Seas and by the coasts of Ireland Fiftly vnlesse there should be a finall iudgement wherein euery man is to receiue a reward according to his workes God could not declare himselfe perfectly iust For all sinnes in this world committed come not to light neither are all punished that are apparant Tyrants and Oppressours yea Christs Arch-enemies the Turke and Pope c. liue long and prosper in their wickednesse And if God should censure all sinnes that are done in the earth then no other iudgement would bee expected wherefore the Lord beareth long with sinners and suffereth the offences of the Reprobate to grow rotten ripe that hee may fully and finally punish and plague them at the last day Forbearance is no quittance Christ commeth with woollen feete i. faire and softly but striketh with Iron hands that is deadly Sixtly vnlesse there come a day of generall release and absolution for the godly yea a day of full deliuerance and glorious triumph God cannot declare himselfe completely and infinitely mercifull For it seemeth to goe well with the wicked in this world and ill with the good The godly are oppressed and persecuted troubled and tormented molested martyred massacred and both inwardly and outwardly afflicted therefore the iust Lord cannot but at length reward the patience and pietie of his seruants Great shall their reward be in heauen Hee shall recompence the lightnesse of their momentany afflictions with an exceeding and super-excellent weight of glorie Seuenthly the feare trembling astonishment horror of conscience and dreadfull despaire in many malefactors specially persecutors and murderers euen of those that escape the iudgement of the Magistrate doth euidently argue that there will come a day of reckoning and that there is an hell fire whereof these are certaine flashings and fore-runners Lastly to be briefe the children of God look and long for groane and pant for this day and time which is the day of their Marriage of the bodies ascent into heauen and of their entrance and inauguration into the Kingdome of Glory These spirituall sighes and sobs are speciall effects of Gods spirit infallible characters of Gods children and the very earnest of our inheritance Inward desires make a lowder sound in Gods eares then bare words vttered with the tongue and therefore cannot misse the marke viz. eternitie of blessednesse Now that Iesus Christ not onely as he is God whereby in the decree efficacie and authority of the iudgement hee is equall with God the Father and the Holy Ghost but also as he is man in regard of the sentence to bee pronounced and the visible execution of the iudgement is and shall be the Iudge both of the quicke and dead the Scriptures put it out of question Dan. 7.9.10 Ioh. 5.27 Act. 10.42 2. Cor. 5.10 2. Tim. 4.1 Secondly it is an Article and foundation of faith firmely to be beleeued Thirdly it is one end and that a principall one of Christs Resurrection Ascension It is a part of his Kingly Office which hee shall then most openly and eminently execute Fourthly it standeth with all equity that Hee that when hee liued on earth and was most vniustly iudged accused indicted condemned and executed should at length gloriously and in the view of all the world iudge arraigne condemne and fee execution done vpon his enemies Lastly to stop the mouths of and to put all Atheists to silence the Heathenish Prophetesse Sibylla testifieth as much saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Christ shall come in the cloudes In glorie with his sinlesse Angels And that this miserable and corruptible world with all the contemned creatures shall not in respect of matter and substance but outward forme and accidentall qualities haue an end and consumption thus I compendiously make it manifest First by expresse Scripture Secondly by Argument Heauen and earth shall passe away The fashion of this world passeth away The heauens shall passe away with a great noise the elements shall melt with heate the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp I saw saith Saint Iohn a great white throne and him that sate on it from whose face the heauen and earth fled away and there was found no place for them Secondly by argument I thus make good my assertion The world being but a creature had a beginning and therefore it shall haue an end Omnia orta intereunt The world as in the seuerall parts so in the whole daily fadeth decayeth weakneth and is in an irrecouerable consumption therefore it must needs at length come to an end A ruinous house will in tract of time fall and a sick body cannot hold out long The world must bee renewed at the last day for there shall be a new heauen and a new earth Ergo the old heauen and earth must of necessitie
are so ripe and growne to such an head and impudency that they ouercome the patience and long-suffering of our Lord and prouoke and enforce him to descend vnto visible and horrible execution and reuenge For the iust Iudge of the world must needs doe Iustice and bee auenged of his enemies Let vs therefore say Exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici i. Let God arise and let his enemies bee dispersed VIII Reason The Anti-christ doth with all maine and might whatsoeuer the Foxe pretendeth set and oppose himselfe against our Lord Iesus Christ against his Gospell Discipline Church and Members Therefore our Almighty IESVS cannot but confront and confound this his Arch-enemy IX Reason The wailing and lamentation of the Popish Kings Marchants Marriners c. beholding a farre off the burning of Rome and contrary-wise the reioycing of the Prophets and Apostles per prosopopeiam and of the Pastors and Church of God for the desolation of Rome when it is come to passe demonstrate the certainty of this future Iudgement Lastly certaine of the neerest fore-runners of Romes ruine First a suddaine departure of many Christians out of Rome by the instinct of Gods Spirit like wherevnto was that of the godly Iewes departing from Ierusalem a little before the Siege of it Secondly a diuision of the Citie or Cittizens into three parts a figure whereof was the diuision of Tongues when the Tower of Babell was destroyed Lastly a most terrible and ominous Earth-quake Such as there was neuer since men were vpon the earth doe euidence it and will giue the godly the watch-word CHAP. XIII How after the destruction of Rome the Papists and louers of the Whore shall practise by violence vtterly to roote out all Christians but shall bee finally and vtterly ouerthrowne A Second generall Signe of Christs comming not yet begunne to bee fulfilled is the vtmost indeuour and practise of the Romanists that shall suruiue when Rome is burnt to roote out and extinguish by the sword all Christians And this cleerely appeareth out of the 19 chapter of Saint Iohns Reuelation and by the consent of diuers learned and iudicious Interpreters The Beast i. the second beast the Pope and the Popish Kings of the earth and their Armies viz. huge and many gathered themselues together to make warre against him that sate on the Horse i. Christ and Christian Princes his Instruments and against his Army 1. All Protestant Souldiers But behold and wonder at the euent and giue the Lord the glory of the victory The Protestants shall Eate i. destroy the flesh of Popish Kings Captaines Mighty men of horses horse-men bond free great small Then the beast and the false Prophet shall bee taken So perish all thine enemies ô Lord but let them that loue thee bee as the Sunne when it goeth forth in his might So you see that the Papists shall seek by a generall consent to recouer their ruines and regaine their losses but with no successe yea with their fatall ouerthrow It is no striuing against the Lord. CHAP. XIIII A third generall and memorable Signe of the approach of the last iudgement namely the conuersion of the Iewes A Third general and eminent Signe not yet fulfilled is the general Calling and Gathering of the whole Nation of the Iewes vnto the faith and into the Church of Christ And this is pregnantly gathered of Scripture Ioh. 10.16 There must be one Fold of Iewes and Gentiles and one Shepheard Euery Tribe must mourne apart for Christ by them crucified the parents by the Sword of Gods Word at least must thrust through the false Prophet when hee Prophecieth The Prophet shall bee ashamed of his vision i. his false doctrine lay aside his rough garment taken vp by apish imitation of the true Prophets and returne to his former husbandry Then shall wee see in earth The holy Citie new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heauen prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband whereof so many glorious things are spoken in Scripture and literally to be vnderstood in many points These vpon the fame and brute of their first conuersion and the report of their purpose to returne into their owne Country neere wherevnto and in the Confines whereof many of them dwell shall bee assaulted by the great Turke the King of the North who with all his forces shall endeuour to extinguish them and kill euery mothers sonne so that there shall bee such a time of trouble to them as neuer was since there was a Nation euen to that same time But then Michaell the great Prince i. The Lord IESVS or his mighty instruments shall Stand vp and finally deliuer them None of all these Prophecies are yet performed therefore they must of necessity be fulfilled in their appointed times The Iewes being once conuerted shall bee a most famous reformed and Exemplary Church of all the world and all Nations shall flow vnto it and it shall bee as it were a visible heauen vpon earth but it shall not perhaps many yeares continue For the further proofe of their further conuersion to omit sundry glorious promises of God in Esay Ezechiel the Psalmes and which are thought hitherto but in small part to be performed I alledge these reasons ensuing I. Reason The Apostle S. Paul inferreth that the Iewes are not vniuersally forsaken because hee being an Israelite and of the Tribe of Beniamin is not forsaken II. Reason The same Apostle saith that there is a Remnant reserued and as it were some seed of election in the multitude though yet not seene nor discerned III. Reason The calling and conuersion of some Iewes to the Christian Faith in all ages doth conclude that the Iewes are not wholy forsaken but are rather the first fruites of a greater Haruest and the Fore-runners of a greater Conuersion IIII. Reason The First Fruites viz the holy Patriarkes are holy and therefore the Lumpe i. the multitude of them for the time to come is holy The roote Abraham is holy and therefore some Branches V. Reason It was a speciall end of Pauls Ministerie to winne his Country-men the Iewes and it is or ought to bee the scope of our zeale and good example to gaine them But this end and scope being of God cannot be vaine and frustrate VI. Reason The Fulnesse of the Iewes conuerted shall bee the Riches the occasion of knowledge grace of the world and their taking into the Church shall bee life from death the reuiuing and springing againe of the whole world consisting of Iewes and Gentiles VII Reason God can convert them and graft them in againe therefore it is not impossible VIII Reason When the Fulnesse of vs Gentiles is come into the Church id est some remaining Nations as perhaps Spaine Italy Portugall or the like Countries then shall all Israel i. a great or greatest
Ministery of Gods word c. This Anti-christ Bishop or Pope of Rome is that Great Starre or Bishop that whē the third Angel sounded fell from heauen i. the Church burning viz. before his fall as it were a Lampe and fell vpon the third part of the riuers and vpon the fountaines of waters i. Corrupted and poisoned the Church and the Bishops Pastors and Ministers of it This is the Angell of the bottomelesse Pit i. came from thence and thither will returne with all his fauourites followers This is the King of the Locusts i. the Head and Prince of the Monks Friars Iesuites This is that Man of sinne i. nothing but sinne yea a Teacher and Commander of it The Sonne of Perdition i. that is damned himselfe and draweth innumerable with him to the same destruction Hee opposeth himselfe and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God i. Kings Emperours Princes and Angels that are in Scripture oftentimes styled Elohim or Gods Hee sitteth in the Temple of God i. as most Interpretors old and new expound it the Church of God because it was a true Church and is so reputed and a true Church lurketh amongst them Shewing himselfe that he is God that is not onely assumeth to himselfe the title of God viz Holinesse and so to be called but taking vpon him power to Change times Place and displace Kings Forgiue all sinnes dispense with the degrees of Marriage forbidden in Moses Law To command the Angels to allow all villany and without controule to do what he list His will standeth for a Law And forsooth the Holy Ghost dwelleth in his breast and he cannot erre viz. but damnably His Seate is the new Babylon i. Rome that is seated or was so in Saint Iohns dayes vpon seuen knowne Hils and then raigned ouer the Kings of the earth for some 250 Prouinces and Kingdomes were subiect to the Romane Emperour In a word all the Popes from Boniface the third vnto the now Pope Paulus quartus are that great Anti-christ in a continued seate succession tyrannie false doctrine and Regiment that Saint Paul and Saint Iohn so much speake of He hath bene reuealed some three hundred yeares agoe by worthy Iohn Wickliefe and others But specially and notably from Anno Christi 1517 vntill this present date 1615 by Apostolicall Martin Luther and by many most learned holy and famous Doctors Pastors in Germany France England Bohemia and other Countries and Kingdomes The light of the Gospell and the exact knowledge of the fountaine Languages hath and daily doth discouer dispell and scatter the darknesse shades mistes and cloudes of Poperie God in mercy continue and increase amongst vs the number of such worthy instruments and grant that these flying Angels may without interruption passe through the middest of this Europaean Heauen and Preach the euerlasting Gospell to all Nations Languages and People and that they may speedily and zealously embrace and retaine it Amen CHAP. VII Of the great persecutions vnder the Romane Anti christ THE fift generall Signe already at least for the most part accomplished are the great persecutions massacres murders warres poisonings rackings excommunications banishments imprisonments and all kind of cruelties against Protestant Princes Prelates Pastors Professours Churches Kingdomes Prouinces vnder the Romish Foxe Wolfe Anti-christ and his Butcher-like and bloud-sucking followers especially ouer all Europe in these last hundred yeares immediately expired Their Religion is rebellion their faith is faction their badge is bloud Rome hath been to their power yet is the Shambles and Slaughter-house of the Saints How many hundred thousands of Christians in Europe hath not that viperous and bloudy generation slaine and destroied But we see and hope that the most part of these troubles are ouer-blowne that the Church hath and shall haue a further rest and breathing time that the Papists shall be drunk in their owne bloud and Babylon shortly bee burnt with fire And admit that the Romanists for our tryall or to punish our coldnesse and remissenesse in the profession of the pure worship of God practise or attempt ought in Germany France the Low Countries or our secure England yet wee trust it is but a Lightning before death and a principall meanes to put an edge to our prayers to scowre off the drosse of our drowsinesse and to enkindle the zeale of Protestant Kings Dukes Pastors and Professours against them to their fatall and vtter ruin which the Almightie grant for Iesus Christ his beloued Sonnes sake Amen And thus much of the generall Signes of the last day perfectly fulfilled which is the first part of the Treatise The second part of the Booke touching mixt Signes in continuall motion CHAP. VIII Of the vanity corruption and manifold abuse of the creatures THE first generall mixt Signe in continuall action and motion is the vanity decay mortalitie and maruellous abuse of the creatures daily growing and preuailing vntill the consummation and end of the world The world waxeth old as a garment it and all the parts of it fade waste consume and draw toward their fatall period All things by sinfull licentious and rebellious man are abused peruerted mis-applyed against the Creators scope and the creatures desire to vnlawfull or immoderate profite and pleasure yea to reuenge and open persecution The Sunne and Moone those two great Eyes of heauen are often darkened and fearefully eclypsed and as learned Astronomers haue obserued many thousand miles neerer the earth then in times past The Planets and the other Starres like so many Candles and Spangles in the heauens are much decayed in their vertues and operations and by hurtfull effects and influences often annoy corne man beasts and plants The Aire that we breath in is oft troubled infected and consumeth into the cloudes and many frightfull and ominous fights appeare in it The Earth the common mother of vs all is many waies cursed it is sore weakned shaken eft-soones by earth-quakes the Sea oft encroacheth vpon it and marreth the beauty of it deadly dampes proceed out of it it is in many places much more barren then in former times or else aboundeth with weeds thornes and vnprofitable things The Sea ebbeth and floweth it corrodeth and eateth vpon the firme Continent roareth is tempestuous and vnquiet and drowneth both men and Ships Riuers are often dryed vp and change their channels In Plants Hearbs Trees there is not the same vigor efficacy feeding and medicinable vertue which was in times past Men are not so tall of stature not so long liued not so strong as in the daies of old They are more fraile feeble mortall and though they are more illumined more witty and learned by many degrees then in old time yet they generally are more crafty wicked mischeiuous they haue science but not so much conscience Excesse in Building and Apparell sunt aegrae Reipub. indicia that is signes of
part of the Iewes bee conuerted Quest. 1. What shall bee the place of their calling Answ. The Easterne and Westerne parts of the world in respect of Iudaea and that are neere vnto it Quest. 2. When shall they bee generally called Ans. When Rome whose Idolatry so hindreth their conuersion shall bee burnt and the full number of vs Gentiles that shall prouoke them is come in Quest. 3. Shall the Iewes bee restored into their Countrey Ans. It is very probable First all the Prophets seeme to speak of this returne Secondly they shall no longer bee in bondage Thirdly God hauing for so many ages forsaken his people shall the more notably shew them mercy CHAP. XV. Of the extreme and finall desolation of the Turke and his Monarchy THE great Turke who in Daniel is called the King of the North and all his innumerable Army shall in a place called Armageddon i. the Mountaine of Delight Beauty or Holinesse or Iudaea lying betweene the Syrian Sea and the great Riuer Euphrates bee vtterly confounded For this Turkish Gog and Magog shall plant his Palace there he shall gather the conuerted Iewes to battell he shall goe vpon the bredth of the earth and compasse the Campes of the Saints about and the beloued Citie i. Ierusalem or the Church of the Iewes For he shall feare least the Iewes so infinite in number gathering themselues together should come or conspire to dispossesse him of his vsurped Kingdome wherefore he shall do his vtmost vtterly to extinguish and roote out these poore Iewes then there shall bee such a time of trouble as neuer was heard of in that Nation but Michael the great Prince whether the Lord IESVS or some powerfull Instrument of his shall stand vp for his chosen and deliuer them Fire shall come downe from God out of heauen and deuoure their enemies that is as Ezechiel more fully speaketh of the matter though he come like a storme against the people of Israel and as a Cloud to couer the land yet God will make a great and generall shaking in the Land of Israel Hee will call for a Sword against him hee will plead against him with Pestilence and with bloud hee will raine vpon him and his bands and vpon the many people that are with him an ouer-flowing raine and great haile-stones fire and Brimestone Finally there he shall come to his end and none shall helpe him He is an arch-enemy of the Lord IESVS and his Church he beganne with the Romish Antichrist and why then shall not he bee confounded with him or not long after him CHAP. XVI Of the false Christs and the false Prophets their ministers that shall arise in the last age of the world EVEN as Tipicé betweene the death of Christ and the destruction of Ierusalem there arose false Messiasses in that generation so correspondently in the last generation of mankind not long before the end of the world there shall arise false Christs that shal take vpon them the very person of Christ and vsurpe his name and false Prophets viz. their Ministers that shall say they are sent of Christ that shall win credit vnto them and do great Signes and Wonders to deceiue if it were possible the very Elect. And this God shall suffer to come to passe to try proue and make manifest whether his elect people will assent vnto and bee carried away with such false Christs and false Prophets or no And to vindicate and spiritually punish in the Reprobate and Vnbeleeuers the refusall and extreme contempt of his sweete and blessed Gospell Preached amongst them and offered vnto them Quest. But how may these false Christs that shall bee raised vp by the deuill in the last age or how shall they bee discerned and distinguishd from the false Messia's before the destruction of Ierusalem that drew great multitudes after them Ans. These last shall bee false Christs taking vpon them the very name of Christ but the former were false Messiae that imagined Christ to be a meere man neither did they assume vnto themselues the Title of the Sonne of God Secondly our Lord Prophecyeth of false Christs that shall arise in the end of the world and seduce as well the Gentiles as the Iewes but those before the ouerthrow of Ierusalem onely deceiued the Iewes Lastly those false Messiae did shew forth no Signes or Wonders and therefore could not so effectually deceiue others But these false Christs by fained Miracles satanicall illusions and efficacy of errour shall seeke to winne them credit and authority and therefore of this time that saying of our Lords shall bee or may bee specially verified Shall the Sonne of man when hee commeth finde faith vpon the earth Quest. Shall the miracles of these false Christs and false Prophets bee true and Diuine as those of our Lord IESV and of the Apostles were Ans. No The Miracles done by CHRIST and his Apostles were true miracles in matter and forme hauing their beginning from God setting forth the glory of God and confirming the truth But the Miracles of these false Christs and false Prophets shall bee lying Miracles illusions or cunning conclusions proceeding from the deuill not profitable and wholsome but rather pompous and permicious and tending onely to confirme and mainetaine lies and errours CHAP. XVII Of the strange Euents Signes Prodigies and fearefull wonders of the last age A Sixt generall Signe not yet fulfilled but to come to passe are prodigies strange things and ominous and most fearefull euents These shall presignifie the change and end of all things to be euen at hand in so much that the very brute creatures shall feele the power of Christ ready to come to iudgement Of this sort are terrible Sights in the Aire dreadfull earth-quakes frequent and fearefull fires vpon the earth distresse of Nations with perplexities the Sea the waues extraordinarily roaring mens hearts failing them for feare and for looking after those things which are comming on the earth Famines troubles Wonders in heauen aboue and Signes in the earth beneath bloud and fire and vapors of Smoke The Sunne shall bee turned into darkenesse and the Moone into bloud before that great and notable day of the Lord commeth the Starres shall fall downe from heauen i. either such in shew and appearance or Meteors and blazing Starres Of this sort also are thundring Winds and troublesome Tempests invndations of waters excessiue Raine drying vp of Fountaines failing of Beasts Birds Fishes vnequall and vnnaturall Seasons of the yeares Winterly Summers and Summer-like Winters extreme barrennesse of the earth and horrible confusions Vse 1. Let all good Pastors and Preachers fore-warne their hearers hereof and when they perceiue the accomplishment of them labour to awaken them out of their deadly lethargie by zealous and due application heereof Vse 2. They much mistake the matter and are fouly ouer-seene that expect a golden