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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09841	A newe treatise of the right reckoning of yeares, and ages of the world, and mens liues, and of the estate of the last decaying age thereof this 1600. yeare of Christ, (erroniouslie called a yeare of Iubilee) which is from the Creation, the 5548. yeare. Conteining sundrie singularities, worthie of observation, concerning courses of times, and revolutions of the heauen, and reformations of kalendars, and prognistications: with a discourse of prophecies and signes, preceeding the latter daye, which by manie arguments appeareth now to approch. With a godlie admonition in the end, vpon the words of the Apostle, to redeeme the time, because the dayes are evill. By M. Robert Pont, an aged pastour in the Kirk of Scotland. The heades are set downe in certaine propositions, in the page following.	Pont, Robert, 1524-1606.	1599 (1599)	STC 20104; ESTC S114916	62,367	102

brimstone and stormie tempests It is more-over added in powring out of the seaventh viole in the aire wherby is signifyed a great perturbation of al the elements that there was such an Earth-quake that the like had never bene These tempestes in the aire may both be vnderstoode literallie and Spiritually For literally our Maister Christ fore-warneth vs of the like where he testifyeth that before his latter comming the powers of the heauen shalbe moved spiritually the moving of the aire the great earthquak signifie such a cōfusiō of al things in the world that the lik hath not bin seene of before And by the much and vehement great haile is meant the great coldnes of loue that now wee see in the world as also it was fore told by our Saviour Christ And by his Apostle PAVLE speaking of selfe-loue and lack of zeale in Religion which maketh men to dispise God and godlinesse and to blaspheme against the Gospel and Preachers thereof which plague now al●s doth everie where increase And it is added futher in the text of IOHN that the great citie was divided into three parts By this citie no doubt is meant the externall face of the visible Church composed of true professors Papistes and Hypocrites so that we see there shall not be a full and perfite vnitie of religion to the end of the World But in the midde-time we haue this soli●●e comforte that at the blast of the seaventh trumpet the mysterie of God shall be fulfil●ed toward his Saintes and great joye shal be among the Elect because the Kingdomes of this world are our Lords and his Christs and he shal raigne for evermore And with this shall come the end of this world which albeit it be vncertaine as touching the year day and houre when it shalbe yet certainely it is not farre off seeing al these tokens and others specified in the Scriptures are already fulfilled and the great Angell hath sworne that there shall be time no more The Lord make vs readie for his comming that wee may lift vp our heades from the vanities of this worlde and waite for that day of our Redemption Come Lord Iesus come FINIS A faithfull and godlie Admonition to al true Christians gathered vpon the words of the Apostle PAVLE Ephes. 5. vers 16. Coloss ● vers 5. To redeeme time because the dayes are euill GOD The creator and author of time as hee hath appoynted all things that are done in the World to be measured thereby so hath he ordayned certaine limites and bounds of time some short some longer vnto the life of every man in this earth according as it is written in Io● where he sayeth Are not the dayes of man and the number of his Moneths appoynted with thee O Lord thou hast limited his bounds which he cannot passe ouer And a little before to declare the shortnes of these bounds he compareth the life of everie man that is borne of a woman to a flowre that suddenly shoteth vp and is cut down and vanisheth away as a shaddow and continueth not Likewise DAVID in the Psalme compareth his dayes to an hand breadth and sheweth how every man walketh as in a shaddowe disquieteth him selfe in vaine heapeth vp riches and cannot tell who shall gather them And Pindarus the Poet to expres to the vttermost the brevitie and vncertaintie of mans life compareth it not onelie to a shaddow but to the dreame of a shaddowe And yet so is the corrupt nature of the moste part of men that they imagine and dreame vnto themselues a certaine false opinion of immortalitie in this present most frayle and transitorie life And as the same Poet sayeth a certaine presumpteous hope so hath knit vp our mortall members that wee imagine manie great matters in our mindes and our fore sight hath farre endes To refrayne this vaine curiositie the Prophet Moyses in the ninetie Psalme after that hee hath distributed the frayle estate of mans life declaring how they passe awaie as a sleepe and as the Grasse that groweth in the Morning and at the euening is withered awaie And howe that commonlie the longest tearme of mennes yeares is about three score and ten yeares And if some of greater strength attaine to the age of foure-score yeares yet are they the more subject to laboure and sorrowe hee maketh his supplication vnto GOD that hee will teache vs to number our dayes that wee maie applie our heartes vnto wisedome Whereby hee sheweth that none but they whome GOD of his especiall grace doth illuminate by his Spirite canne rightlie applie their heartes to this true Wisedome to considder the brevitie of the shorte number of the dayes we haue here in this present life Therefore deare brethren and Christians wee haue great neede most earnestlieto call and crie vnto GOD that wee forget not this counte Forthere bee manie that can make great reckonings of long times and manie yeares that are paste before them And yet cannot rightlie reckon the shorte time and continuance of their owne liues yea men wil reckon and counte by Arithmeticke all things and even as the very distance betweene the Heaven and the Earth and the moste highest Starres And yet onelie the faithfull and they that put their confidence in God knowe the distance that is betweene this shorte and transitorie life and that blessed and immortall life which hath no ende vnto the which wee are created and to the which ende this presente life ought to bee directed For deare brethren let vs bat considder the vanitie of the moste parte of menne in this poynte how littele they esteeme of the shorte time they are to remayne in this presente and momentaneous life Not-with-standing moste of all their vayne pretences and imaginationes is to compasse the whole Worlde if it were possible and to doe greate wounders and actes therein For time being so precious and so highlie to be regarded in respecte of the shortnesse of this life that GOD hath lente vs in this wretched Worlde and as the Prophet DAVID sheweth vs moste plainely and evidently in the some score and tenth Psalme wee knowe not how soone the Lord shall saye vnto vs Returne yee sonnes of ADAM vnto corruption And more-over time once being lost cannot be againe recovered for no Gold not price yet is there not any thing where-of men are more prodigall in so much that there is nothing whereof they regarde lesse the losse yea that which is worse the greater parte of menne counte so little of time that for a shorte and transitorie passing of time in this life they lose the ioye and felicitie of that everlasting life and perpetuall time whereof commeth this speec●e cōmonly vsed of this world pas time but by corruptiō of maners of men who esteemlightly how time passeth awaie so they may haue some vaine pleasure in the drist thereof as a thing where with they be fasshed and wearied So wee see how the little time that men haue

the Poet beareth witnesse in his song or ode intituled Carmen seculare in these verses Certus vndenos d●cies per annos Orbis vt cantus referatque ludos The sense is That certaine circula●y space Ten times elleven yeares in a race Must bring againe the songs and Playes At Rome of secular yeares and dayes So the Papisticall Romanistes are wrong wrested in their reckoning in this also Now it is trueth that albeit this secular Periode of time conteining the circulare course of an hundreth years was most diligentlie observed by the Romanes for diverse causes Yet we notwithstanding for the common reckoning of an age may well take the precise number of an hundreth yeares Because it is commonly the longest course of mans life in our dayes And because I am entred in to make mention of ages I thinke it good to discourse a little vpon the ages of the World and likewise of mens liues And to declare how many manner of waies the same are taken and of the diverse reckoning thereof For the which we haue to vnderstand that as al things in this visible world haue a certaine age and continuance of time so the Worlde it selfe hath the owne age which being taken generally signifyeth the whole space of the durance and continuance thereof Otherwise the age of the Worlde betokeneth the decaying parte thereof as the eeld or age of a man is called the latter pa●te of his life And indeed it may well be saide now that we become to the decaying parte and latter age of the World For as the Apostle sayeth We are they vpon whom the ends of the World are come And in an other place hee calleth these our dayes the latter times Now the age of the Worlde taken in the former generall signification is divided againe in diverse particular ages and that by sundrie manners of reckoning For some distribute the whole ages of the World in three partes ascribing to everie age 2000. yeares Which commeth of that common opinion holden of maine and recited for the saying of the house of Elias not that great Prophet Elias but a certaine Rabbin of the Iewes so named that the World should stande 6000. years and thereafter should be dissolved Of the which they count 2000 yeare before the law called the voyd time 2000. vnder the law 2000. vnder Christ which shalbe shortned for the sinnes of the world which are many There be divers learned and godly fathers of this opinion supposing that as the worlde with all things therein conteined was created in sixe dayes so the same should endure 6000. years taking each thousand yeare for a day as it is taken in the second Epistle of Peter where he sayeth That one day before the Lorde is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day And amongst others Augustine writing of these ages dividing them in six reckoneth the first age to be frō Adam to Noah The 2. from Noah to Abraham The 3 from Abraham to David The 4. from David to the captivity of Babilon The fifth from the captivitie to Christ The sixt and last vnder the Kingdome of Christ vnto the end of the World But this division not to be equall it may be evident by the supputation of yeares conteined in the first proposition and namely of the last age vnder Christ which now hath already indured sixteen hundreth yeares and it is not certaine how long the same shall yet further continue Albeit by all probable conjectures the world now appeareth to draw neare an end Alwaies I thinke it not altogether to be resused that is alleaged of the Iewes of this their Doctor Elias who-so-ever hee was For it lacketh not a reason counting 2000. years before the law For indeed from the beginning vnto Abraham with whom the first covenant was made and to whom the Law of circumcision was given wee finde to be about the space of 2000. yeares And likewise vnder the law to Christ about other 2000. yeares And now they lack but 452. yeares of the last 2000. vnder Christ. Therefore this authority being brought forth by the Iewes themselues maketh much against them who will not yet acknowledge the true Messias seeing they haue wayted in vaine for an other Christ about sixteen hūdreth years aboue their ownereckoning Others there be that distribute the ages of the world in foure according to the nature of four kindes of mettalles The first they call the golden age or Golden world which was the most auncient best of all like as Gold is the chiefe amongst mettalles The second is next best the silver age The third the age of brasse and the fourth yron declyning ay from better to worse as the world doth indeed Of this division of ages the Poets oftentimes make mention And the originall thereof appeareth well to haue bene taken from the Prophecie of Daniel who in exponing the dreame of Nebuchadnetzar speaketh of that greate Image representing the foure chiefe Monarchies of the worlde whereof the head was of Gold signifying the Kingdome of the BABYLONIANS The armes of silver figuring the Monarchie of the Medes and Persians the wombe and sides being of Brasse betokeneth the Macedonian Monarchie obtayned by great Alexander The legges of Yron and feete partely of Yron partely of clay that of the Romanes or the feete as others interprete the Kingdome of the Greekes begun by Seleucus which being strong as yron and noysome against the people of God become thereafter mingled with clay declyning to weaknesse and being 〈◊〉 in the selfe And finally the Kingdome of Christ did rvse wholy after destruction of all those Kingdom●s shall endure for ever as at more length is specified in that prophecie VVho would know more of the foure ages represented by these foure metalles may reade aboundantly in Hesiodus and others Poets Others count the ages of the VVorld by seavens after the number of seaven Planets having a certaine periode and revolution amongst themselues whereof wee are to speake more in an other place There bee others also that distinguishe the ages of the worlde by the ages of men● And sundry others vse diverse other distributiones of the ages and times of the worlde whereupon I wil not now insist Alwaies I think the most facill common division of the ages of the worlde is by thousandes counting in the whole sex according to the analogy of the sex dayes of creation For to count by the liues ages of men hath rather a peculiar respect to the generationes of men then to the time of the continuance of the world So it is more proper to count the ages of the world by thousands because of the long continuance thereof in respect there was never no man that lived out compleitly a thousand years But this divisiō of the ages of the worlde by thousandes would appeare more proper if it were made by equall division of thousandes or at the leaste approaching neare to an equalitie then as it

those ages now cōpleetly passed by our reckoning before this 1600. yeare of Christ fiftie hundreth yeares which make 55. ages And we are now in the 56. age and at the 48. yeare thereof which may well be called an age of the decaying and fading worlde not onely because it appeareth to approche neere vnto the worlds end but also by reason greater mutatiōs alteratiōs are likely to fal out therein both in the visible heavens the earth other elements then in other ages before whereof I intend to speake more largely afterward But to intreat of particular accidents that fel out in the former ages it pertayneth to a more large discourse FOVRTH PROPOSITION That in our time the signes and revolutions of the heauen are changed and remooved from the olde accustomed places And therefore the vulgar Prognosticator● are in an error And of the way to reforme the same LIke as I haue travelled heretofore by Sabbaticall reckoning to deduce finde out the perfite count of the yeares of the world how long it hath continued vnto this instant 1600. yeare of Christ And there with to discover the erroneous reckoning of the Papisticall Iubilees and their impieties So now might I enter into an other kinde of reckoning which is called Astronomicall gathered by the course and revolutiones of the Heaven the Sunne the Moone and the Starres For as the Sabbaticall reckoning whereof I haue spoken hath the grounde out of the Scriptures and worde of God So this Astronomicall count hath also the original out of the same And as thereckoning of Sabbathes and Sabba●icall yeares beginneth at the seaventh daye of creation when God rested from all his workes so this Astronomical calculation hath the beginning frō the 4. day of creation when as God made those heavenly lights and placed them in the lyft of heaven not only for that cause that they should shine giue light vpon the earth separating the day from the night● but also to be for signes and for seasons of times dayes and yeares that is by their motions and revolutions to distinguish times and seasons and therewith to signifie certaine effects following vpon their courses and motions So that thereby we may learne the difference of times and make distinction of the partes thereof as of yeares monethes dayes and of all seasons and appointed diettes Without the knowledge and reckoning whereof there should be nothing but extreame confusion in all the actions of men For neither could the memory of things by past be kept norrespect had of things to come nor the progresse of time be numbred without the same were defined and measured by the motion of these heauenly bodies and namely of the Sunne and Moone For the Sunne by his most equall and simple motion is as a most perfite rule to vs to appoynt and measure the yeares and seasons thereof The Moone also by her shorte motion to measure and distinguish the Monethes of the years So there is no more perfite way to measure the yeares of the World then by the course of the Sunne the Moone and the Starres which everie one haue their juste periodes of time within the which they compleit their courses revolutiones the which albeit they appeare sometime vnequall to vs that dwell on the earth yet they are most equall constant in themselues But because I think I haue prooven sufficiently already both by Sabbaticall and by Historicall reckoning the just count of the yeares of the World to our dayes I thinke it not necessarie in this short Treatise to set downe the Astronomicall reckoning al-be-it it would ratifie and confirme our former count For it should be both long-some tedious to them that are not well grounded in Astronomie and peradventure over difficill to be taken vp Therefore I refer the same to a more ample worke In the meane time by reason of the great errour I see fall forth among the vulgare Prognosticators for wronge taking vp of their groundes in judging the face of the heaven the weather and other accidents and influences thereof I haue thought good to discover their errour that they may amend the same and others be no further deceived by them But first I would informe them to amend their errour also that deny the heavenly influences to be effectual because the predictions of such as commonly set out the vulgare Prognostications oft-times take not effect I say these men declare them selues very ignorant in naturall Philosophie and are convict by experience and ensample of such things as daily fal out by vertue of the heavenly influences Yea by the Scripture it self Namely in Iob where the Lord himsele maketh mention of the pleasant influence of Pleiades which is the pleasant spring-time of the year when the Sunne commeth to those starres For these influences not onely make the earth to fructifie but also worke a great varietie in the seasons of the year so that they are not like one to another nor to themselues every yeare in many thinges And many evident signes are founde in the motiones configurations and interchangeings of the courses of the heavenly light where by men who are expert in divine science of Astrology may gather and conjecture many things to fall out not onely in the aire but also in the naturall inclination of earthly creatures For for that cause the eternall God appoynted them in the beginning not onely to shine and shew light vnto the world but also to be for signes of things to come as it is testified in Genesis So that by the great providence of God three excellent benefites are communicated to men by these heavenly bodies The one is to shine and giue light vnto the Earth The seconde to distinguish times dayes and yeares The third to forewarne men of many things profitable for this life not that wee should thinke that all things can be fore-told thereby or that the starres haue force to mooue the minds and willes of men as it were by constraint to this or that For this science hath certaine limittes and boundes over the which it ought not to be drawen For as the chiefe author in this arte Ptolemee himselfe affirmeth that part of Astrologie which is called Iudiciar exceedeth the weaknesse of mens apprehension which is aggreeable to that which God by his owne wordes objected vnto Iob in the place before cited saying Knowest thou the statutes of the heaven canst thou set downe the ruling thereof in the Earth And besides this obscure knowledge of the heavenly influences there are supersticious observations vsed by many in the artificial setting vp of the figure of the heaven applying the same without any sufficient natural cause or reason to every purpose which I for my parte altogether improoue cōdemne And yet it followeth not hereof that this divine science should be allutterly rejected or contemned as many that be ignorant of it do For by it many profitable things ar knowen which some for

gathered the revpon with sobrie●ie of inquisition For our Saviour Christ himselfe in an other place willeth his Apostles to take heed when they shall see Ierusalem besieged with souldiers for then they shuld vnderstand that the desolation thereof was nere And againe as it is in an other Evangelist When ye shal see the abhomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place Then let him that readeth meaning him that readeth the Prophecie considder And thereafter he giveth his Disciples a signe Saying learne ye the similitude of the Figge-tree when her bough is yet tender and bringeth foorth leaues ye know the Summer is neere So likewse yee sayth he when ye see all things which I haue foretold know that the Kingdome of God is neere euen at the doores With many other sayings to the like purpose Where hee vnderstandeth by the Kingdome of God his spirituall Kingdome and not as the Apostles in their question meant of a Temporal Kingdome For he came not to restore any such Kingdome Likewise Daniel and the rest of the Prophets are oftimes warned to marke the times when such things as were reveiled to them should come to passe And Iohn in his Revelation to write the same And expressely in Daniell wee haue set downe the periode of time whereof was spoken in the first proposition of the standing of the policie of the Iewes after the captivity of Babilon to wit of those 70. weekes which were prefixed to that people and to their cittie of Ierusalem to stand Now this space of 70. weekes of years set down by the Angel in Daniel for the time of the standing of the common-wealth of the Iewes after the restauratiō thereof so that thereafter it should come to a determinate desolation being a greate periode of time about 500 yeares to wit 490. yeares appeareth plainly by a certaine fatal lawe appoynted and determined by God to bring to all other kingdomes and great Empires a merveilous mutation as is evident and founde out by aggreemente of many examples not sticking vpon the precise daye nor year but about or neere such a revolution of time either kingdomes fall and are turned vp side downe or else are transferred and changed from their former estate in other newe formes for the moste parte And also other most notable accidentes fal out in the world both concerning the estate of the Church and earthlie policies either about such a time I saye which I call the great or more periode of 490. yeares conteining 70. weekes of yeares that is the space of ten Iubilees or else about the halfe space thereof which I call the lesse periode conteining 35. weekes of yeares and fiue Iubilees that is 245. yeares which is the space of the blast of everie trumpet reckoned by IOHN in the Revelation So that hereinto also the reckoning by seavens and by Sabbaticall years bringeth out a great sympathie and agreement to count the changeing of times thereby of the which I haue thought good here to shew many examples And first we do finde in the Scriptures and concerning the estate of the Church of God and of the olde Worlde that in the first halfe periode of time to witte about 245. yeares after the creation after the birth of Enosh the name of the Lord begouth to be called vpon that is the hearts of the godly begouth then to be mooved to restore the purity of religion which by Cain and his wicked seed before had bene suppressed About the end of the second great periode of time to wrtte from the creation 987. yeares Henoch was translated by God from this mortal life to immortalitie to cōfort the faithfull of that age confirme them against the vngodlines of the world in hop of the general resurrection About the end of the third great periode when fell out in the 1470. yeare from the creation the world begouth vniversally to be corrupt when the seede of the godly begouth to be mingled with the vngodly For the which cause within the half period of time therafter God in his just judegmēt destroyed the whole race of man-kinde except Noah and his familie by that feareful invndation of waters Not many yeares after the fourth great period which ended in the 1960. yeare of the World was Abraham called out of his natiue cuntry by God to whom and his posteritie God promiseth the Land of Canaan that in his seede al nations should be blessed From the promise made to Abraham to the departing of the Isralites out of Aegypt we know were 430. yeares to the which adding 60. yeares of the former age of Abraham they will make out the fift great periode So that the next yeare after the departing of the people out of Aegypt to possesse the Land of Canaan will compleite the same which falleth in the 2450. yeare after the ●●●ation of the world We do know likewise that frō the departing out of Aegypt to the building of the tēple by Solomon ar 480. yeares which lack only 10. or 11. years of an other just great period For the sixt great period from the creatiō endeth in the ●940 year of the world which was the 15. yeare of the raigne of Solomon neere the time of the dedication of the Temple The seventh great period by exact calculation commeth justly to the yeare of the Worlde 3430. which was the first year of Cyrus wherein the people of the Iewes were delivered from the captivitie of Babylon in the which yeare there was a great concurrence of Sabbathes and Iubilees as was shewen before And if we wil count forward from this yeare we shall finde the eight great periodes to extend to the 3920. yeare of the world which is but 28. yeare before the birth of Christ. So wee see and gather by the Scriptures howe about the ende of these great periodes of 490. yeares or 70. weekes of yeares mentioned by Daniel greate accidents fell out in the Worlde and amongst the people of God even from the beginning vnto the birth of Christ. We shall finde also that about the space of one of these great periods the people of Israel were ruled by Iudges and thereafter about the like space by Kings And so long lasted the restored policie of the Iewes And to come to profaine histories many the like periodes of Empires and Kingdomes and great mutations may be founde out and commonly the greater dominions haue the more suddaine changes according to the saying of the Poet Summisque negatum stare diu It is not granted to highest things to haue long standing Concerning this matter we read of the Philosopher Cratippus that he being demanded by Pompeius after that hee was vanquished by Caesar at the fielde of Pharsalia If there were any divine providence seing that he who had the more just cause was so over-come The Philosopher answered that there were certaine fatal periodes of Empires whereby then the common-weale of Rome

was to bee changed in a Monarchie And to indeed we finde into the foure Monarchies For the first two Babylonian Monarchies the former occupyed by the Assyrians and Medes the other by the Medes and Persians indured both but the space of 495. yeares The kingdome of the Greekes begunne by Seleucus N●cator lasted but the half space or lesse periode to witte about 245. yeares Rome was governed by Kings likewise by one of these lesse periodes to wit about 243. year The Concelles thereafter governed Rome by the space of an great period to witte about 462. yeares Thereafter indured the Monarchie of Emperours from Iulius Caesar the First to Valentinian the Third one of these great Periodes in whose time Rome was taken and sacked First by the Gotthes and thereafter by the Vandales And albeit smaller Kingdoms oftimes be not subject to great mutations yet they haue also certaine fatall periods of time wherin either they are changed from their former estate or els alluterly altered in new formes of governemēt For by the space of one of these great periodes Kings did raigne in Athenes By the like space flourished the common-wealth of Sparta But the Kingdome of the Troianes indured little more then one of the lesse or halfe great periodes Many like charges may be found in other Kingdomes who list diligently to reade the auncient Histories But in time of the last of the foure Monarchies according to the Prophecy of Daniel was raised vp that everlasting kingdome of the true Messas Iesus Christ which albeit it hath no end yet in time of it many changes and mutations haue fallen and are to fall out in the World both in the estate of the Church and of earthly policies Concerning the which wee haue set foorth in figure by the propheticall Spirite of Iohn in his Revelation in seaven Trumpets blowing by seaven Angels the whole estate of the Church vnder the kingdom of Christ every blast of trumpet conteining the space of one of those les periods to wit 245 yeares And likewise the troubles plagues that were to fall foorth in the world vnder the figure of other 7. Angels pouring our seaven Viols of the wrath of God vpon the earth and elements for not obeying the Gospel of Christ where-anent I wil remit the Readers to the profounde and learned Commentaries of IOHN NAPER vpon the Revelation wherein the accidents of evrie particular periode of time both in the one estate and in the other are set out at large It shall suffice for this shorte Treatise to haue poynted out these matters to prooue this our sixte proposition concerning the Sympathie of periodes of time even from the beginning of the World vnto the end thereof For with the last blast of the Trumpet of the seventh and laste Angel by all appearance the worlde is to take an ende as I minde to speake more particularlie in the seaventh last proposition There are also other periodes of times vsed in reckoning of the yeares of the world and of the right revolutions of the heaven whereof there be two that haue a special respect to Sabbaticall yeares as that which is called the great Cycle or period of the Iewes conteining the space of 6916. yeares which is made vp of 988. weekes of yeares and 141. Iubilees with a weeke of yeares It hath also 364 Cycles of the Moone and 247. of the Sunne and conteineth 13. periodicall Cycles of Dionysius By it the Iewes counte all their newe Moons week daies they suppose it reacheth to the begining of the world but they ar deceved in the space of 190. years alwaise this 1600 year of christ is the 5359 of that cycle for the year of the nativity of Christ was the 3760. year of the same The other cycle that hath respect to Sabbatical years is that which is cōmonly called the cycle or period of Dionysius cōteining the space of 532. years which is made vp by multiplication of the Golden number by the cycle of the Sun is cōteined 76 weeks of years And by it the Paschal termes were reckoned Now by taking vp of this matter wee see alwaies that there are many great hid mysteries in the nūber of 7. not only by counting Sabbatical years Iubilees but also in reckoning of periods of years as by the les period wherby Iohn reckoneth in his Revelation cōteining 35. weeks of years 5. Iubilees the greater period cōteining 10. Iubilees 70. weeks of yeares according to the reckoning of Daniel Moreover many of al the mysteries both of the Old New Testament bin cōprysed vnder the nūber of 7. As al the sacrifices for the most part wer offred by seavens as cōmonly by 7. bullocks 7. Rams or sheep which was observed amongst the people of God but also by Balaam that hyreling prophet as we read in the book of Numbers was also vsed by ancient imitation of the sacrifices of Gods people by the profaine Gentiles wheranent the Poet Virgil bringeth in Sibylla the prophetesse thus admonishing Aeneas when he was to consult the Oracle of Apollo Nunc grege de intacto septem mactare iuvencos Praestiterit totidem lectas de more bibentes Better it were seaven Bullockes now to take Without blemish a sacrifice to make Seaven chosen gymmers of the sheepe also According to the rite of times ago The principal feasts or solemnities of Gods people lasted 7. days and on the 8. daye were dissolved 7 dayes the people did eat vnleavened bread at the Passover Seauen weekes were counted betweene the Passeover and Pontecost Maniest Feastes were celebrated in the 7. 〈◊〉 And in a misery also the ark of Noah which was 〈◊〉 of the Church in the seaventh Moneth rested vpon the Mountaines of Ararat signifying the restauration of all things to be in the seaventh estate of the Church Likewise Wisedome hath builded her house with seauen Pillers By her house wee vnderstande the Church and by her seaven Pillers the gifts of the Spirite by which the Church is established The which albeit they be many yet principally they are comprehended vnder the number of seaven which also are figured by seaven burning Lampes and in Exode by the seaven graved Candle-stickes Likewise in Zachary the stone which is Christ hath seaven eyes that goe through the whole world Which is to be vnderstood of Christ lightning the world by these manifold graces of the Spirite Or as others expound it by the watching eies of Gods divine providence Many other like similitudes taken from the number of seaven may we gather out of the olde Testament as from a divine number and a number of perfection Likewise in the new Testament by the seaven Deacons which were elected by the Apostles may be signified a number of perfection And the wicked spirites also are numbred by seavens when it is said that Christ ejected out of Marie Magdalene seuen Devils And in an other place how when the

in all ages periodes of time the beginning of the Preaching of the Gospell yet continue in ou● daies For the end is not yet come And the estate of the Church is like to the selfe almost in all ages But by the blowing of the seaven trumpets alluding to the Iubil●es of the lewes we vnderstand the particular estate of every periode of time since the first Preaching of the Gospel as partly was declared before Of the which periodes wee are now into the seventh and last to wit in the beginning thereof which hath affinitie and similitude with the ende of the former sixt periode and blast of Trumpet Therefore ceasing now to make discourse in particular of the first foure blasts of the Trumpet wherin the first plague of haile fyre mingled with bloud doth signifie a certaine vnmeete temperature of colde and heate of men in receiving the Gospell with mingled bloudy persecution of the tyrantes of the earth And the seconde of the burning mountaine cast into the sea may signifie the greate persecutor Diocletian being last of these emperors with his fierie rage against the wavering multitude of christians of whō the third part were either destroyed or yeelded to his tyrannie The third trūpet likewise making mention of a greate star falling from heaven doth properly signifie Arius who with his bitter heresie against the divinity of the Son of God infected the pure fountains of the word of God And wher it is said that at the blaste of the fourth trumpet the third parte of the Sunne the Moone and Starres were smitten Wee vnderstand the light of the pure Gospel with the Ministers therof to haue bin in a great part obscured in that foure periode of time Of these things I say I wil not nowe intreate in particular but come to the last three blastes of trumpet conteining three woes that is three more fearefull plagues then the former So commeth the fift blast and first woe about the 1051. yeare of Christ wherein a greate starre falleth from heaven to whom was given the ●eye of the bottomlesse-pit out of the which arose a great and dark smoke and out of the smoke Locustes which are described at length in the text This starre I take vndoubtedly to signifie the Pope with his feyned keyes whereby he pretendeth to haue power to hinde louse not only in the earth but also to deliver mens soules out of Purgatorie with the smoke of false doctraine and the ●ocustes to signifie his corrupted Clergie and swarmes of Cloysters who are set foorth with their liuely colours properties that no man can deny to agree wel vnto them This star may also signifie Mahomet that false prophet with his corrupted Alcoran and 〈◊〉 of his secte Alwaies the remanent of this first 〈◊〉 ●et troubleth the world albeit this Antichristi●● and Papisticall kingdome in a parte hath gotten a great fal Therefore we come to the sixt trumpet which begouth to be blowen about the year of Christ 1296. wherein the foure Angels were loused from the floud Euphrates which is most conveniently interprete of the four great Mahometane nations comming from the East to witte the Arabianes Saracenes Turkes and Tartarianes with the infinite number of their Horsemen ay ready for battel with a furious and fyrie rage namly that bloudy Nation of the Turkes who now hath the dominion over the rest and over a great parte of the Earth This is the second woe whereof this day still we haue experience IOHN therefore sayeth hee saw these horses long before in a vision with them that sate vpon them having fyerie habbergeons and of Iacynth brimstome that of the fyery smoke brimstone the third part of men were killed which may wel signifie their goodnes artillery by the which devillish inventiō a great part of men of the world are daily murthered shutt out at their mouthes fyered at their tayles This plague then being one of the last plagues signifyed also in powring out of the sixt Viole vpō the great river Euphrates to dry it vp that is to take away all impediments to giue place in the wrath of God to the kings of the East to invade Europe ceaseth not this day to continue is appearant to continue with great rage this instant 1600. yeare certain years hereafter concurring with the threatning signes of the heavens whereof I haue already spoken And the cause thereof is evidēt Because as it followeth in the text The rest of men which are not already killed by these plagues repented not of their workes of their hands that they should not worship divels Idoles of God and of silver of brasse and stone and of wood which neither can see neither heare nor goe expressely damning the Papistes which yet remaine in their Idolatrie As also these repenteth not of their murthering of the Saints of God nor of their sorceries neither their fornications nor of their thieft In the which they and other feyned Christians amongs vs still are involved For the which causes followeth the third last woe with the blast of the 7. trumpet which begouth to blow about the 1541 year of Christ. But before this last woe fal out the Lord by the Angel of his covenant Iesus Christ of his great goodnes offreth to the world the book of his new Testament willeth the same to be preached by his Ministers with that to our great cōfort the true church is measured the elect ar marked so that Satan the tyrants of the world cānot hinder their salvation Thē finally commeth the last plague woe vpon infidels impenitent sinners suddenly vnlooked for when they with then head the divell shall passe with manie woes vnto everlasting torment but this shal not be till the second woe be vtterly consumed past with the dependances therof which a● signifyed in the seaventh blast by a wounderfull great Earth-quake with lighenings and voyces and thundrings with much haile The like whereof is repeated in powring of the seavent viole of Gods wrath where it is said also that the hail was great like talents that fell out of heauen vpon men so that th●y blasphemed God because of the plague of the haile it was so great By which figures the Spirite of God will vtter vnto vs the great destruction of his enemies with such as hold stil the beasts mark haue no grace to repente in these last daies For of before the thundring of Gods word called all men to repentance and to obedience of the Gospell with an amiable and loving voyce But now finally such as will not come out of Babylon nor repent their wicked lines by Gods just judgement are threatned with an other kinde of thundring to witte with horible punishmēt alluding by these similituds to the over throw of Sodome to the words of the Psalmist where he saieth vpon the wicked God shal raine snares fyre