of Vine-yardes That libertie should bee granted vnto servantes and that it should be called a yeare of rest vnto the Lorde And by like reason it was also institute that the Israelites should number vnto them seaven Sabbathes of yeares conteining 49. years immediatlie in the beginning of the 50. yeare thereafter the trumpet of a Iubilee should be blowne the 10. day of the seuenth Moneth whereon fell the solemnitie of reconciliation proclayming libertie to all the inhabitantes of the lande so that everie man might returne to his owne possession as at more length is set foorth by MOYSES in the law Now albeit that the law specifyeth that these Sabbaticall yeares and Iubilees should be kept by the people of Israel when they were come in the Land which the Lord was to giue them obtayn rest therin because they could not wel keep the same before that time yet the reason of this sacred reckoning proceeding by the number of sevens hath a grounde in the naturall Lawe which was before the written Law of MOYSES and the ensample of GOD himselfe who was before all Lawes And thereby wee may well gather that this Sabbaticall reckoning hath respect even to the beginning of the world and is to be counted even from that first Sabbath wherin the Lord rested from all his workes So that as God rested the seventh day of creation in like manner the Sabbaticall yeares and yeares of Iubilee should proceede from that beginning For MOYSES himselfe who wrote the holy historie from the creation of the worlde to his dayes knew well ynough the just reckoning of these Sabbaticall yeares and by the Spirite of Prophecie also hee knew what time the people should obtaine peaceable rest and possession of the Lande of Chanaan that then they might begin to reckon by these Sabbatical years and yeares of Iubilee For an evidence whereof wee finde by just reckoning which hereafter is to be sette downe that the 6. yeare of the governement of IOSVA wherein the Israelites obteined peaceable possession of the Lande the same being devided amongst them was a Sabbatical yeare and also the complete 49. yeare of a Iubilee So that from the creation vnto that time there wil be 357. Sabbathes of yeares and 51. Iubilees And the next yeare thereafter which was the 7. yeare of IOSVA will be found a just beginning from the which forward the people reckoned both their Sabbaticall yeares and yeares of Iubilee whereupon it followeth that this manner of counting by Sabbaticall yeares is the most sure reckoning of the yeares and ages of the World and may wel be deduced brought to this present yeare commonly counted the 1600. from the birth of Christ. In the which reckoning wee haue to proceede after this manner First taking an fixed yeare out of the Scripture being surely a Sabbaticall yeare for an fixed stay or ground and then reckoning from the same backe to the beginning of the Worlde and like wise forward to the yeare of the Nativitie of Christ and so consequently to this presente yeare These stayes or rootes of time in Greek are called Epoche in Latine Aera temporum And wee shall take the ground therof for our present reckoning out of the 28. chap. of the Prophet IEREMY where he reckoneth the first yeare of K. Zedekiah wherein Hananiah the false Prophet prophecyed against him to be the 4. year of Sabbath or week of years So that the 4. year of Zedekiah by his reckoning was a Sabbatical year also the 11. yeare Next we haue to remember that the coūting of these Sabbatical yeares after the Law of Moyses is from the tenth day of the seventh Hebrew Moneth called Tishri which answereth for the most part to our September and not from Ianuarie which beginneth our yeare By reason whereof the one halfe of the Sabbaticall yeare preceedeth the beginning of our yeare and the other halfe or little more followeth after Therefore it is that some reckoning with the Iewes from Tishri or September count a year more then others that reckon from Ianuary But because the count made from Ianuary comprehendeth the most parte of the Sabbaticall yeare I. with the most number of Christian reckoners follow it Thirdly by this reckoning wee suppose the Worlde to haue bene created in this seaventh Moneth called Tishri which then probably was the first Moneth of the yeare albeit it was institute thereafter at the departing of the Israelites out of Aegypt that Nisan or the Moneth of Abib aunswering for a greate parte to our March should be the first Moneth Now comming to our counte let vs take the elleventh yeare of ZEDEKIAH which being a Sabbaticall yeare was called the yeare of desolation because from it begouth the captivitie of Babylon and let it be the ground of our reckoning That yeare I saye counting back was the 3360. yeare from the creation of the world which being divided by seavens hath for the quotient number as the Arithmetickes tearme it 480. Sabbathes of yeares no superabundant od years And to prooue historicallie this to be a just reckoning of the yeares of the Worlde by particular count of the Scripture wee haue first from the creation to the floud of NOAH 1656 yeares Then from the floud to the promise made to ABRAHAM 367. yeares And from the departing of the Israelits out of Aegypt 430. years And frō the departing to the buylding of the Temple by SOLOMON 480 yeares And last from the buylding of the Templ◠to the elleventh yeare of ZEDEKIAH 427. yeares The whole summe of these yeares collected come justly to 3360. years Now to trie other reckonings which haue not respect to Sabbaticall yeares not to bee right let vs take for example the supputation of them who suppose ABRAHAM to haue beene borne the 130. yeare of TERAH his father not as the Scripture speaketh in the 70. yeare By that count we must adde to the former reckoning 60. yeares moe And so the 11. yeare of ZEDEKIAH would be from the creation the 3420. yeare which yeares being divided by seavens there will remaine after the division conteining 488. Sabbathes of yeares 4. superfluous and odde yeares And so aggreeth not that the 11. year of ZEDEKIAH should be a Sabbaticall yeare as I haue proven it to be by reckoning of the Prophet IEREMY An other example Supposing as some others do that the children of Israel remayned in Aegypt the whole space of 430. yeares whereas by our former count which may be verifyed by Scripture their remayning there was onely 215. yeares By this their rekconing we must adde other 215 yeares to our former count and so the 11. yeare of ZEDEKIAH would be the 3575. yeare from the beginning of the world Nowe dividing the number by seaven there will remayne after the division of 510. Sabbathes of yeares 5. odde yeares whereby we may vnderstand that reckoning not to be right The like wee may perceiue in all other reckonings that
the Poet beareth witnesse in his song or ode intituled Carmen seculare in these verses Certus vndenos dâ—cies per annos Orbis vt cantus referatque ludos The sense is That certaine circulaâ—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 paâ—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 froÌ„ 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 huÌ„dreth 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 Kingdomâ—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 menâ— 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 divisioÌ„ 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
is commonly parted by greate inequalitie as was before recited out of Augustine There fore it may be divided after this maner The first thousand yeare counted from the creation to Noah albeit it conteineth 56. yeares more The second millenarie from the birth of Noah to the calling of Abraham albeiâ— there be twenty three more The third milenary from Abraham his calling to the building of the Temple by Solomon albeit they be 67. yeares lesse The fourth millenarie from the Temple building to Christ albeit there be fiftie two years lesse The fift millenarie from firist his nativitie extendeth it self to his 1052. yearâ— but but I reckon the same to the 1000. yeares when the Antichristian Papale kingdome did vtter the selfe in the person of SYLVESTER the second who by art Magick and divelrie made himself to be promoted Pope The Image of the Romaine Empire being translated a little before by Otho the Third vnto the Germanes The sixt millenary whereinto now we are shal take end when God pleaseth if so be the worlde shall continue to the end thereof The ages of the world being thus taken vp by thousands wee may call the first age The old age or the Golden because in it the worlde was governed in innocencie in respect of the ages following vnder Saturne as the Poets recorde And if we giue credite to the Astrologes Saturne is the Planete of quietnesse and peace But this age had the ende or the evening thereof declining to darknesse when the seede of the godly mingled themselue with the vngodly and al kinde of wickednesse begouth to abound before the floud The second age or millenarie may be called the renewed age of the world and the poeticall silver age worse then the first but better then others that followed wherein after the destruction of mankinde by that fearefull floud the world was renewed and inhabite againe by Noah and his sonnes and succession vnder the benevolent Planete Iupiter but the same turned to a greate darknesse in the ende or evening thereof when the whole posterity of Noah for the most parte declyned to Idolatrie Nembroth begouth to vsurpe dominion over others and to be the founder of the first tyranny in the worlde The thirde millenarie or age may be tearmed the age of the Law or poetically the brasen age Because in it God seperated Abraham from the Idolaters and gaue to him and his posterity his Oracles and a written Lawe whereby they should knowe howe to serue him and write his commandements in Tables of stone hard as brasse to declare the heard harts of the people of those dayes The fourth age or millenary we may call the age of the foure Monarchies and the Poeticall yron age because in it were al the foure Monarchies succeeding one after an other And then Martiall armour made of yron troubled the whole world subdued it to those impotent dominators The fift millenarie or age we call the age of Christ and the returning of the golden world againe For in it not onely externall peace was restored to the world vnder Augustus Caesar but also peace from heaven to the conscience and soules of men as the Angels in the Nativity of Christ did declare Whereof Virgile the Poet also maketh mention in citing the Oracles of Sibylla which he vnderstandeth not in his foure Eclogue The sixt and last age we may call the age of Antichrist and his kingdome For in it both Gog and Magog is hid and open Antichristian enemie to witte the Pope and Mahomet with their wicked lawes chiefely haue troubled the worlde and true professors of Christ his true religion But because these are kingdomes of darknesse and not of light after the darknesse thereof God in his mercie hath made the light of his Gospel as the Morning star to shine in our hearts by which this darknesse is expelled But the vnbeleevers hearts are more and more darckned till the just judge shall come and put an end to all darknesse whose comming we beseech the Lorde in his greate mercie to hasten As to insist longer vppon these ages of the world or the allegorical analogie thereof with the sixe dayes of Creation I think it not expedient let them that delite therein reade others that haue discoursed thervpon This much then for the ages of the world As to the ages of mens liues they are also diversly reckoned For some there be that take the fourth part of an hundreth yeare which is twenty fiue yeares only for a mans age and some take thirtie because man of that age is able to become a father And they referâ—â—e that which Homer the Poet speaketh of the age of Nâ—stor that he attayned to three ages to be vnderstood of thrise thirtie yeares But the Poet Ovid vnderstandeth that place of Homer otherwise to witt of three hundreth yeares saying in the person of Nestor VIXI Annos bis centum nunc tertiae viuâ—tur aetas Two hundreth yeares I haue over-past Now the third age my life doth last As indeed it is most probable to haue bene so ment by Homer For in those dayes it was no rare thing to see men liue thrise thirtie yeares Others they be that distribute the ages according to mens life-times by seavens but after divers manners For in the 90. Psalme whereof the title is ascribed to Moyses the common age of mans life is counted to be ten-times seaven that is seaventy yeares And the cause why the ages be reckoned by seavens is by reason that seaven is a perfite number whereof hath bene spoken largely of before And commonly every seaventh yeare some notable change or accident falleth out in mans life And namely at the age of nine times seaven which make threescore three yeares called the Climacterick yeare which many counte for a fatall yeare and tearme of mans life in our dayes Others as Hippocrates count seaven-times seaven yeares for a mans age which maketh 49. yeares conforme to the Iubilee of the Iewes Yet notwithstanding these other reckonings if we shall compare the ages of the world with the longest age of mans life the most perfite and convenient reckoning is to counte by hundreths ascribing 100. yeare in a full and perfite number to every age for that is the farthest tearme of mans life that we can now reckon to Albeit a few men in some cuntries liue longer And it appeareth well to be so taken in the Scripture For as it is written in Geneses when God shewed vnto Abraham by Orackle That his seede should be a stranger in a Land that was not their owne The space of four hundreth yeares thereafter he exponeth it of foure Generationes saying In the fourth Geneneration they shall returne thither againe where he taketh foure generationes for foure ages The same may be approoven by that which was cited out of Homer concerning Nestor So holding vs at this division of ages by hundreths there will be from the beginning of the World of
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 Prognostications 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 and aged Pastour in the Kirk of Scotland The heades are set downe in certaine Propositions in the Page following LVKE 17. As it was in the dayes of Noe so shall it be in the dayes of the Sonne of man EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT WALDE-GRAVE PRINter to the Kings Maiestie Anno 1599. Cum Priuilegio Regio The propositiones and heads to be handled in this Treatise 1. THat the most sure reckoning of the ages of the worlde is by Sabbathes or weekes of yeares and that they who count without respect thereof are in an errour and that by iust account this 1600. yeare of Christ is from the beginning of the world the 5548. yeare 2 That this yeare of Christ 1600. by right reckoning is neither a Sabbaticall yeare nor yet a yeare of Iubilee and that the true Iubilee of Christianes is alreadie accomplished with detection of the abuse of the counterfaited Iubilees holden at Rome 3 That the Iubilee of the Papisticall Romanistes neither doth rightly counterfaite the Iewes neither the Seculare yeares of the auncient Romanes And of diverse manners of reckoning the ages of the Worlde and of mens liues 4 That in our time the signes and revolutiones of the heaven are changed and remooved from the olde accustomed places And therefore the vulgare Prognosticators reckoning by the olde rules are in an errour 5 That the Iulian or Romane Kalendare might receiue an easier reformation and that the late attempted reformation thereof is not well taken vp but giveth occasion of errour in reckoning 6 That there is a merveilous sympathie of periodes of times in reckoning by seuens by Sabbatical yeares and of the manifold mysteries of the number of seauen 7 That there is an appearant dangerous alteration to fall out this yeare within few yeares hereafter and of the Prophecies and signes declaring to vs the world to be neare an end 8 An admonition to all men to prepare themselues and to redeeme the time because the dayes are evill TO THE RIGHT REVERENDâ— NOBLE LORD ALEXANDER SEYTON L. Vrquhard and Fyvie President in the Senate of Iustice and Provest of Edinburgh c. All health and felicitie in Christ. YOur Lordshippes gentle humanitie toward all honeste and well-hearted men and namely towards me since my first acquaintance hath mooved mee to dedicate to your honour this parte of the fruite of my studies knowing that amongst the rare Mecenases of this Land your name is with the highest ranke vnder his Maiestie to be mentioned The first cause I confesse that mooved mee to publish this Treatise in our English tongue was to disswade the too curious conceites of certaine men desirous to be at Rome this approching 1600. yeare commonly called a year of Iubilee wherof they shuld receiue no profit but rather domage with losse of time expenses For your L. knows wel ynough the maners of Rome as I am perswaded allowes not of that pompose superstition yet if your L. wil take paines not being fashed with more weighty matters to reade this whole discourse I trust you shall finde other heads whereof you shal like verie well that haue troubled the heades of learned men and not bene so exactly found out Wishing your L. to accept of this smal token of my good fauor towards your honor and to accept of me amongst the clientele of your friendship wherfore God-willing ye shall not finde me vnworthie To whose almightie protection I commit your L. This last of October 1599. Your L. ever ready to power in God ROBERT PONT TO THE READERS HAVing in hand a more large workâ— concerning controllment and examination of times by occasion of this incident 1600. yeare of Christ which is reckoned by the Papistes and others applauding to their superstition to be a yeare of Iubilee I thought good to prevent that errour by this little Treatise discevering thereby the vanitie of divers men of this Ile of others far cuntries who with great los of time and hazard not onely of their substance and liues but also of their soules and consciences minde to visite that Idole the Pope and to be present in Rome onely to see his yeare of Iubilee falsely being counterfaited to the imitation of the Iubilees of the Iewes but indeede derogatory to the true Iubilee and spirituall libertie purchased vnto vs by our Saviour Christ. And for-as-much as this instante yeare is the ende of a great Period of time to witte sixteene hundreth yeares from Christ his nativitie wherein there appeares diverse great mutationes to fall out aswel in the estate of Religion as in civill affaires and common wealthes I haue herewith not onely discovered diverse erroures in reckoning of times and ages of the Worlde and laboured to finde out the right reckoning but also touched the revolution of the heauen and reformation of Kalendars and Prognostications and declared my iudgement concerning the Prophecies and signes of the latter day appearing nowe shortly to approche If any be not satisfied with the brevitie of this Treatise I reâ—â—itte them to my more ample discourse to be set out in Latine if GOD graunt me abilitie and time wherein the proofe of these propositiones with other matters of the like arguments will be conteined at large Read learne-well and try Then judge advisedly OF THE DECAYING ESTATE OF THE worlde this instante 1600. yeare of Christ. FIRST PROPOSITION That the most sure reckoning of the age of the worlde is by Sabbath's of yeares and they that count not considdering the same are in an errour and that by iust account this 1600. yeare from Christ his birth is from the beginning of the worlde the 5548. yeare IN The beginning as the Spirite of God recordeth by MOYSES after that the Lord in sixe dayes had created the Heaven Earth with all the furniture thereof Hee rested vpon the seventh day Therefore hee blessed it and hallowed it This is also repeated in the fourth Commandemente for the perpetuall observation of that daye and because the number of seauen by that reason is a sacred nomber and most meete for al kinde of reckoning It was ordained also in the lawe that amongst the people of God everie seventh yeare should be holden holy wherin the land should rest froÌ„ labor so that therin there shuld neither be sowing of cornes nor cutting
bring not the 11. yeare of ZEDEKIAH to a juste Sabbaticall yeare with out any superfluous odde yeares And so for the backe reckoning of yeares to the beginning of the worlde from it to the 11 yeare of Zedekiah we haue not onely the just reckoning of Sabbaticall yeares but also the Scriâ—â—ures for our warrant And for further confirmation the agreement of the Sabbatical yeares yeares of Iubilee with the 6. yeare of Iosua from the which the Israelites made that reckoning as was declared before That yeare being from the Creation the 2499. yeare As also by this our counte the yeare of the promise made to Abraham being of the world the 2023. wilbe found a Sabbaticall yeare And likewise the year of the birth of Moyses being the 2373. yeare And this much for the back-reckoning Now to count forward from this our staie of time to 〈◊〉 the 11. yeare of Zedekiah being from the creation the 3360. yeare first we shall adde thereto the 70. yeares of the captivilie of Babylon which we reckon from the 11. yeare of Zedekiah being the yeare of desolation and so there will bee 3430. yeares from the beginning of the World The which yeares we shall take for our second stay or roote of reckoning to wit the first yeare of the raigne of Cyrus wherein libertie was proclaymed to the people to returne this 3430. year of the world divided by seavens hathin the quotient 490. Sabbathes or weekes of years leaving no odde yeares And the quotient againe being packed by seavens hath justlie 70. Iubilees of years and there remaine no odde yeares nor oddes weekes of yeares So this 3430. yeare of the world is a most perâ—fite stay of time and roote or grounde to reckon vpon And hath as manie Weekes of yeares as the 70. weekes mentioned in Daniel whereof wee are to speake haue of yeares that is 490. which laketh not a mysterie Then to goe forwarde with this our second staying of time I holde with some of the best learned that from this first yeare of Cyrus to the Nativitie of Christ are 518. yeares and from the creation of the World 3948. yeares by adding to 3430. these 18 yeares And so the yeare immediatly preceeding the birth of our Saviour Christ to be a Sabbatical yeare conteining in the qâ—otient 524. weekes of yeares and leaving no odde years Nowe to prooue the forwarde reckoning to be right we shall take two warrandes out of the Scripture the one out of the ninth Chapter of Daniel and the other out of the â— Chapter of Iohn his Revelation As to the former out of Daniel it was revealed to him by the Angel that talked with him that 70. weekes of yeares were determined or as the Hebrew word properlie signifyeth decided and cutte in partes concerning Danieâ—l his people and his holy Citie And thereafter the Angell divideth these 70. weekes in seauen weekes and 62. weekes and finallie in one weeke It is out of question that this Prophecy is ment of the returning of the people of Israell from the captivitie of Babylon and of the building againe of the Cittie of Ierusalem after the captivitie and it cannot bee without a speciall cause that the Angel divided the first seven weekes of years from the 62. weekes and finally speaketh of the laste weeke of the seaventy by the self I therefore thus take it vp that as there was foure diverse liberties graunted to the people at foure severall times so this prophecie hath respect to them all and divideth the time according thereto The first libertie was granted by Cyrus in the first yeare of his raigne over the Babylonians wher of mention is made in the first of Ezra The second libertie to proceede in building of the Temple which worke was impeded a certaine time was given by Daâ—â—â—â— called Longimanus whom Ezra in his fourth Chapter nameth King of Persia. The third and fourth liberties were graunted by Artaxerxes the Great the one to Ezra and the other to Nehemia As wee reade in Ezra the 7. and in Nehemiah the 2. Chapter Nowe where it is said in Daniel that from the going out of the Commaâ—dement to bring againe the people and to builde Ierusalem vnto Messiah the Prince there should be seaven weekes and 62. weekes and that after 62. weekes Messiah should be slaine c. Of these weekes I take the first seaven to begin immediatly after the first libertie graunted by Cyrus to the people to returne and to end at the 6. yeare of Darîus who in the second yeare of his raigne gaue new libertie to build the Temple which was finished in his sixt yeare And this is called the going forth of the commandement to bring againe the people conteining the space of 49 yeares which make an Iubilee The other 62 weekes of yeares I take to beginne betweene the two liberties graunted by Artaxerxes the one to Ezra in the 7. yeare and the other to Nehemia in the 20. yeare of his raigne To wit the beginning of these 62. weekes to be the 14. yeare of the King Artaxerxes and to ende the 28. yeare of our Saviour Christ his age The which two last liberties concerne the maintenance of the service of GOD in the Temple of Ierusalem being alreadie builded and the building againe of the Cittie and Walles thereof by moyen of Nehemiah and his assisters For the Angell maketh a distinction betweene the bringing againe of the people and bulding of the Temple ascribing there to the first seaven weekes and betweene the building againe of the Cittie and inhabiting therein which he ascribeth to the other 62. weekes Then I saye having the beginning and endings of these weekes so distinguished there will bee founde an intervall of time betweene the end of the seaven weekes and beginning of the 62. weekes conteining the space of 63. yeares that is 9. weekes of yeares the which space and interruption of yeares is most probably meante by the Angell where hee sayeth seven weekes and 62. weekes â—ere decided or cutte in partes concerning the bringing againe of the people on the one part and the building of the Cittie and Walles thereof on the other parte so that there is a discontinuance of time betweene the one and the other As toward the last weeke of these 70 weekes of Daniel it is to be reckoned from the 28. yeare of Christ his age as may be taken vp by the text wherein it is said that after 62. weekes Messiaâ— should bee slayne And a little thereafter that hee should confirme the covenante with manie for one Weeke and in the middest of the Weeke shoulde make the Sacrifice and oblation to cease The which thing Christ accomplished indeed by offering his owne precious bodie in sacrifice about the middest or neere the ende of this last weeke of Daniel which endeth in the 35. yeare of Christ his age And as to the confirmation of the covenant it is meant no doubt of the Preaching of the Gospell which hee begouth
manie doubtes wherein writers are involved that haue no regarde thereto and oft-times count by gesse especiallie in reckoning of yeares from the captivitie of Babylon to Christ and the right beginning and ending of the weekes of Daniel whereinto many learned men haue bene greatly troubled laboring by a just count to agree the Histories of times there with which cannot be vnlesse there be certaine weekes of yeares interjected betweene the beginning and ende thereof And thirdly I haue vsed this kinde of Sabbatical reckoning becaus one of the chief purposes that presenttie I haue in hand is to discover the vanitie and ignorance of the Papisticall reckoners concerning their counterfaited yeares of Iubilee by a preposterous imitation of the law of Moyses For the which cause it is expedient to haue the exact knowledge of Sabbaticall years For by them the yeares of Iubilee are reckoned and found out For thus layeth Moysâ—s Thou shalt also number vnto thee seaven Sabbathes of yeares even seven times seaven yeares and the space of seaven Sabbathes of yeares will be vnto thee nine and fourtie yeare Then thou shalt cause to blowe the Trumpet of the Iubilee in the tenth day of the seventh Moneth To witte in the beginning of the fiftieth yeare which was commanded to be hallowed and to be a yeare of Iubileâ— vnto the people But is not so to bee vnderstood that everie Iubilee conteined full fiftie yeares but that fiftie yeare wherein the Iubilee was proclaymed was also the first yeare of the next Iubilee for otherwise the reckoning by weekes of yeares should haue bene confounded and could not bee holden in just counte which is contrary to the minde of the Law-giver And yet the fiftieth yeare by a common Phrase of speaking was called the yeare of Iubilee As the Olympiades of Greece albeit they conteined but the space of foure yeares are called by Pindarus and other Poets the spectacles or vassallages of fiue yeares because they returned everie fift yeare And we commonly call the space of an week eight daies albeit it conteineth but seaven So it is evident that the right count of Iubilees proceedeth from everie 49. to other 49. yeares Now let vs considder the bastard Iubilees begotten and feyned by the Popes of Rome wherevnto they haue no respecte to Sabbaticall yeares whereof Iubilees as the law required are made vp But Pope BONIFACE the S. Pope of that name the first father and inventer thereof in the yeare of Christ 1300. tooke the whole compleit number of everie hundreth yeare conteining twise fiftie for his Iubilee And CLEMENT the 6. reduced the same to everie fiftie yeare compleete And after him PAVLE the 2. to everie 25. yeare And finallie IVLIVS the 2. to everie tenth yeare Ever diminishing the yeares to augment their Antichristian superstition and the vent of their vngodlie wares So vnstable and changeable is the estate of that vsurped Kingdome This then is the first errour of those counterfaited Iubilees concerning the times of the appoyntment thereof That they are nothing like in reckoning to the Iubilees of the Lawe which those Apish juglares pretend to imitate And as concerning this 1600. yeare from the Nativitie of Christ whether wee count by the number date of these yeares or by the yeares from the beginning of the Worlde it will neither be found a Sabbatical year nor yet a year of Iubilee For dividing 1600. by seavens it leaveth 4. odde yeares remaining ouer 228. weeks of yeares And dividing againe this quotient by 7. it leaveth 4. od weeks of years aboue and attour 32. Iubilees The like may be also found if we shal divide the whole yeares from the creation of the world to this present For 5548. being parted by seavens leaveth four odde yeares And the quotient againe which is 792. being divided by seavens after 113. Iubilees leaveth one od weeke of yeares And so the appoynted times of these new-invented Iubilees are no-wise rightlie reckoned to counterfaite the Iubilees of the Law The second greater errour is that they make their reckoning from a wrong ground to wit from the Nativitie of Christ wheras if any such reckoning were to be made it shuld be taken from the yeare of the suffring death of our Saviour Christ to the which Daniel reckoneth his Sabbaticall yeares For thereby Christ accomplished the true Iubilee putting ende to all the preceeding figuratiue Iubilees purchasing vnto the faithful ful libertie and remission from the Spirituall debt of sinne which was signified by the freedome and libertie graunted by the Iubilees of the Lawe And the Popes pretend to doe the like by their blasphemous indulgences and Pardones which is the thirde and worst errour of all So that others might be borne with if this followed not But when the substance the Satanicall inuention and false ground wherevpon these Iubilees are set vp is truly considdered There is no-well instructed Christian hart but must needes abhorre the impietie and abuse thereof And first let vs make a conference betweene these the olde Iubilees of the Iewes The year of Iubilee of the Iewes was called the yeare of remission because in it all debtes were remitted and the Landes that were solde returned to their former owners These thinges had the expresse commandement of God for their warrant The Papisticall Iubilees haue no ground of the word of God but haue bene latelie invented but 300. yeares agoe by Pope BONIFACE the 8. a man of extreame arrogancie and crueltie as a tryumphe of his pride when the Popedome was at the hight of tyrannie This was also he that set out the Sext booke of Decretales of the Cannon law and as is testify ed in his life regisirate in the same booke he obtayned the Papacie by wicked deceit and circumvention of one CELESTINE a simple man The pretence of this BONIFACE in the first institution of his Iubilee was vnder colour to dispense his Pardones but indeede to make manie people resort to Rome Princes Great men to adore the beast and kisse his filthy feete For it is reported in the Historie that there were gathered thereby vnto Rome such a multitude of people that hardly might men passe through the Cittie and ruipes thereof albeit being most large The Iubilees also in the policie of the people of Israel were institut for weightie causes and for a great benefite For besides that they figured our Spirituall libertie which we haue by Christ and were an instigation to the people more diligently to Sanctifie their Sabbathes by them also the fieldes and possessiones of everie man were reserved to their heires The licencious libertie of prodigall sellers and the avarice of greedie buyars was restrayned because they behooved to restore that which they had bought at the yeare of Iubilee The Papistical Iubilees to the contrarie are institute for no good cause but superstitiouslie to maintaine the pride and avarice oâ— the insatiable Courte and corrupt Church of Rome and to cause men
gathered the revpon with sobrieâ—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 restauratioÌ„ 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 coÌ„fort 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 judegmeÌ„t 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 â—â—â—ation of the world We do know likewise that froÌ„ the departing out of Aegypt to the building of the teÌ„ple 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 creatioÌ„ endeth in the â—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
vncleane spirite goeth out of a man hee goeth about seeking rest and when he findeth none hee passeth and taketh vnto him seaven other Spirites worse then himselfe and returneth to his former habitation Not that in all places of Scripture the number of seaven is taken for a certain precise number For we know when it is said in the Psalme That the iust man falleth seaven times a day And when Christ saide to PETER That he should forgiue his brother not onelye seaven times but seaventy times seaven times the meaning is of many times yet the seaven folde number oft-times also is taken for a certaine number as in many places before cited and namely almost through the whole Revelation the divine Spirite in IOHN setteth out the estate of the Church by the manifold numbers of seaven As first he is commanded to write to seaven Churches in Asia vnder the figure of seaven Golden candlesticks to the seaven Angels are the ministers thereof figured by seauen stars in the right hand of Christ Next we haue the book closed with seaven seals which signifyeth the hid misteries of God opened by Christ where the opening of everie seale conteineth the precise space of seaven yeares As likewise The seaven Angels with their seaven Trumpets and seauen Viols everie one of them as was declared before conteine the space of fiue times seaven weekes of years As also may be vnderstood of the seaven thunders By every of them are at least of the first three seaven-time seaven yeares that is the space of ane Iubilee There is amysterie also in the seaven heades and seaven Crownes of the beaste set out in the twelft Chapter which with the reste I referre to the learned exposition of IOHN NAPER vpon the Revelation before mentioned By all which similitudes reckonings many moo we may perceiue not onlie of the number of seaven to contein great misteries but also to be a number of such perfection that years times and other accidents bee specially courted thereby As also if I would insist the like may be founde in manie naturall thinges both in heaven and earth As in the heavens the seaven Planets haue their seauen severall courses which worke great operations in the inferiour Elements Likewise amongst the fixed starres there be 7. called Pleiades and other 7. Hyades and the two Polare Images called Visa maior Vrsa minor conteine either of them 7. stars And in the earth there be 7. principal habitable climates The stature of mans body is of 7. foote with many other such-like But it shal suffice here to make an end SEVENTH PROPOSITION Of the estate of this present 1600. yeare of Christ in particular And that there is an appearant dangerous alteration to fall out therein and within few yeares thereafter THe estate of this present 1600 yeare of Christ in particular which mooved me to write this Treatise is now to be considered which as was declared is from the creation of the world the 5548. year coÌ„teining 792. weekes of years for od years it conteineth also 113. Iubilees 11 single yeares For before the 71. yeare of Christ were passed 82. Iubilees and from thence to our time to wit to 1589. year of Christ 31. Iubilees Signifyed by the Evangelist Iohn in his Revelation by the space of the blowing of the 7. trumpets every trumpet conteining 245. years So that this 1600. yeare is the 60 yeare of the blast of the seaventh last trumpet for to the compleiting of this 7. last blast yeares thereof there wil be from the creation of the world 117. Iubilees that is 819. weeks of years 5733. single yeares which wil extend to the year of Christ 1785. years if the world shal continue so long But the time by great probabilitie good arguments is to be abbreviat for the Elect sake This 1600 yeare then may justly be called a yeare of the decaying and fading age of the world for many reasons First because all things that approch neere an end are saide to decaie and fayle as it commeth to passe in this yeare by the preceeding reckoning For if the reckoning fall not the prophetie in the Revelation cannot fayle where it is written That the Angell that stood vppon the sea and earth hauing the booke in his hande sware by him that liueth for euer more which created the heaven earth and sea and all things conteined therein that time shalbe no more But in the dayes of the voyce of the seaventh Angell when he is to blow even the mystery of God shall be finished as hee hath declared to his servants the Prophets Now the seaventh Angel hath begunne alreadie to blow his trumpet by our reckoning in the 1541. yeare of Christ by-gan and now the voyce of that trumpet stil soundeth in our eares willing vs to prepare vs for that great day of the Lordes judgement Secondly because the signes tokens fore-told aswel by our Saviour himselfe as by the Prophets and namely by the Spirite of God in the Revelation that were to proceed that great judgemente are for the most parte already come to passe and accomplished Concerning the which when as the Apostles asked of our Maister Christ hee fore-warneth them of seaven For they demaunded him of three questions to witt when shall be the destruction of the Temple and cittie of Ierusalem What should be the signe of his comming and of the ende of the Worlde He maketh his aunswere in two resolving all these three questiones by the two-times of his comming in the Worlde Whereof the former was of his first comming in the flesh the other in his latter comming to judgement For the signes both of the one and the other he declareth to be a like Therefore sayeth he Verely I say vnto you this generation shall not passe til all these things be fulfilled And againe there be some here standing that shall not taist of death til all be done For albeit the signes that preceed the latter judgement by extraordinary yet they were not to bee vnlike to them that were at his first comming in the flesh as hee deduceth them by the particulars First sayeth hee there shal come false Christs and false prophets So was there in his first comming Benchobab alias Barchoshaâ— who feined himselfe to be Messias And Iudas Galilaeus and Theâ—das with other false Prophets And in this laste comming likewise The Romane Antichrist vsurping Christ his authority And the sect of the Iesuites falsely taking their name from Iesus but more worthie to take it from Iudas Ischariot with the Anabaptistes Libertines and many other false Prophets Secondly where hee sayeth There shall be battelles and rumours of battelles with pestilence famine and earth-quakes in divers places So was it found especially at his first comming among the Iewes rebelling against the Romanes by whome they and their common-wealth were finally vtterly over-throwen And
what famine was in the Cittie of Ierusalem with pestilence and strange deathes ye may reade in Iosephus de bello Iudaico So in these latter daies what warres haue bene and yet continue Nation rysing against Nation and kingdome against kingdome even amongst vs Christians the fearefull effects can declare whereby we appeare to be made a pray to the Tyranny of the Turke vnlesse God of his mercy bridle his furie As to the Pestilence Famine and earthquaks such thinges were in the first comming of Christ as namely the famine whereof Agabus the Prophet fore warned as that terrible Earth-quake that was in the time that Christ suffered with other the like plagues So we haue seene daylie see many such feareful accidents more grieuously vexing the World nor ever they did manie yeares of before The third signe is persecution of the servants of God and especially of those that foreshewe faithfully the Gospell of Christ as it was in his first comming So is it notour what innocent blood hath bene shed for renewing the true Preaching of the Gospell in our dayes because these things are in recente memory vppon the particulars I need not to insist The fourth signe fore-tolde by our Maister Christ is the abundance of iniquitie that shuld accompany both his commings which with the reste of the signes of his first comming is properly to be applyed to the Nation of the Iewes whose iniquities 〈◊〉 to such exceeding measure that to overcome all the rest they regarded not to Crucifie the Sonne of God And nowe in these latter dayes vniversally amongst vs Christians what abundance of all impietie and wickednes what vnkindly dealing what vntruth Yea amongst the better sort who is not either cold or carelesse I neede not seeke examples they are so ryfe The first signe is the Preaching of the Gospell vniversally the which maketh all the other signes to worke effectually For these signs otherwise being natural or after a maner common being joyned with the Word are made Sacraments as was the Rayne-bow in the dayes of Noah signifying that there should not be an other like floud to destroy the whole world so in these latter times such signes preceeding Christ his latter comming and their significations declared by his Gospell prognosticate vndoubtedly his latter comming to judge the world by fyre For as it was in the dayes of Noah when a merveilous security was in the world notwithstanding the Preaching of Noah and preparation of his arke And as the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles was securely contemned by the Iewes So now a dayes the cleare light of the Gospell shining againe to the Worlde and making all men without excuse worketh no more in the minds of the most parte then 〈◊〉 were raw flesh which cannot digest vpō a lothsome stomack And as to the sixt token of signes in the Sun the Moone the stars concerning the shaking mooving of the powers of the heaven such thinges appeared in the first cōming of Christ when that most famous star appeared which declared to the Wise-men Christ his birth when that extraordinary darknes fel vpon the land of Iudaea in time of his suffring which albeit I take it not to haue bin an Eclipse of the Sun by interposition of the Moone between it the earth which could not then be without the whole motions of the heauen had bin changed yet was it an evidente darknes both in the Sun in the aire throughout all the Land of Iudaea The like whereof was in Aegypt vniuersally except where the Children of Israel remayned being the ninth plague wherewith the Lord smot that land Now likewise haue we seen in our dayes divers apparitions in the heaven namely that most notable star or comete which appeared in the yeare of our Lord 1572. most cleare without any spowting haires or beames from it the which the most learned did take for a signe of the approching of the Lord to judgemente against the bloudy tyrants of the earth namely that Herode of France We haue also seene now lately that great Eclipse of the Sunne the 1598. yeare whereof the effect yet continueth And as to the commotion or shaking of the powers of the heaven I shew of before how the signes are changed from their former places so that Aries is come to Taurus and Taurus to Gemini for the most parte and so foorth the reste To speake of the Triganes and great conjunctiones I will not now enter For I suppose the force thereof to be now greatlie debilitate by reason of the alteration of the signes and so leaue the discourse to others The seaventh and last signe is of the comming of the Sunne of man Christ himselfe who as hee appeared in his humanitie taking vpon him our nature wherein he suffered for our sinnes So is he to appeare in the cloudes in his seconde comming fearefull to the wicked and comfortable to the Electe The which seaventh signe resteth onelie to come For other sixe i◠a manner are come alreadie albeit it may be they appeare more evident hereafter Alwaies wee see howe the signes of the first and second comming of Christ do agree so farre as wee haue yet seene And as for this present yeare and yeares shortlie to come hereafter there appeares no lesse but rather greater mutationes yet to follow which may bee the thirde evidencie and argument of the approching of the latter daie For as to the signes of the heaven so manie and so greate Eclipses namelie of the Sunne haue not bene seene these manie yeares by-gane as shall be within sixe yeares to come What other heavenlie tokens wilbe annexed thereto the Lord knoweth But this I see that after or before the effecte of one Eclipse be ended immediatlie falleth out an other as this presente 1600. yeares at the ende of the effecte working of that Eclipse which was in the 1598. yeare signifying and bringing greate Windes and drought In the ende of Iune falleth out an other Eclipse of the Sunne and so foorth in the rest As to other particulars that are to fall foorth this yeare I will speake sparingly thereof for I pretend not the Spirite of prophecy neither do I depend much vpon the conjectures of Astrologues notwithstanding I shall recite that which I finde in others concerning the estate of this yeare and certaine yeares following thereafter shortely declare mine owne opinion following the grounds which I haue already laid I reade in the Treatise called The seconde comming of Christe whereof Scheltco a Geueren is the author his conjecture that about this 1600. yeare shall be the end of the periode of the Papisticall kingdome But he taketh vp his periods by full 500. years where as by our reckoning the greater period conteineth only 490. yeares And againe he counteth from the creation of the world to this 1600 yeare of Christ 5562. yeares more then our former count 14. yeares So that there will be a difference
betweene our reckonings of 44. yeares but the matter space is not great in substance For doubtlesse that Antichristian kingdome as it hath begun already to fall so shortly shall it come to vtter ruine For Babylon muste needes fall according to the Prophecie of the Revelation In the which we finde also at the end of the 14. Chapter this number of 1600. where it is said That the Vine-presse of Gods wrath was troden without the Cittie and blood come out of it to the horse bridies by the space of 1600. stades or furlungs This number some of the learned vnderstande to be meant of yeares as though after the out-running of 1600. yeares the end shalbe when the wicked shalbe tormented in hell after the similitude of a woundrous great bloud shed in the field But in my judgement that number is rather to be vnderstood of a space of grounde conteining so many Fur-longs or stades For there being eight Furlongs in a myle of our reckoning they come to 200. of our common myles which was the longest reaching of the boundes of the Land of Israel For by the citie is signifyed Spirituall Ierusalem the Church of God within the which the Elect and godly are conteined And the tredding of the vine-presse without the Citie is meante of them that are out of the true Church which are in a far greter number vpon whom Gods wrath doth fal as it wer comprehending the whole space of the Land without the citie But to returne to that Treatise of the second comming of Christ the author insisteth very much vpon the number of 5555. from the creation of the world which after his reckoning endeth in the year of Christ 1593. yeares but after our count the 1607. yeare of the which number he gathereth a great mysterie Because it conteineth both an Arithmeticall Geometrical proportion of numbers to wit an Arithmeticall in proceeding by Foure fiues and a Geometrical by reason the parts therof are made vp in progres by multiplication of 10. As fiue-times ten mak 50. ten-times 50. mak 500. ten times 500. make 5000. Or if ye like to proceed the coÌ„trary way the tenth part of 5000. is 500 the tenth part of 500. is 50. the tenth part of 50. is 5. wherof he gathereth that after the coÌ„pleiting of 5555. years froÌ„ the Worldes creation there shall fall foorth a merveylous change of the estate of the World as indeed there was not such a concurrence of numbers since the yeare of Christ 496. Neither shall the like so long as the World lasteth Now because of the perfection of the number of fiue aboue other numbers it comprehendeth in it all vnities of the which all other numbers do consiste be they eauen or odde and because distributiue justice standeth in Geometrical proportion hee gathereth and supposeth that the Lord God maker and governour of all things by this proportionable agreeing of numbers would leade vs to a certaine deepe consideration of a perfite expyring and ende of all thinges So that hee trusteth the comming of the Sonne of GOD to judgment shortly thereafter to insue To the which he addeth many other arguments and conjectures to the same purpose As to me albeit I like not to follow any Pythagorical superstition in observation of numbers yet in so far as we may haue any good ground out of holy Scriptures or evident reason For such reckoning I think it not altogether to be refused having the concurrence of other good testimonies to confirme the same As indeed there appeares to be some greate mysterie in the conjoyning of so manie fiues to-gether For before it or with it the manifolde Eclipses that are to fall out with their effects and specially that fearefull Eclipse of the 1605. yeare wherein the Sun shall be allutterlie darkned at Noone-daie whereof the effectes shal continue certaine yeares thereafter pretende great mutations and perturbationes to ensue in those few yeares following As wartes seditiones pestilences famine with many other grievous calamities and Tragicall eventes such as treasons conspiracies so that few men may truste one another wherewith the common societie of men is like to be dissolved and all licencious libertie to wickednesse to haue place And shortlie Loue to waxe colde and selfe-loue to waxe hote with all other such enormities and corruptiones as the Apostle PAVLE prophecieth to fall foorth in the latter dayes in his Epistles And namely in matters of Religion new sectes and heresies shall aryse with a merveilous defection from the faith according to the wordes of our Maister Christ When the Sonne of man shall come beleeue yee he shall finde faith in the earth But the most evident testimonie of all is the agreement of those said heavenly signes with the prophecies of the Revelation of the sixt and seventh trumpets For the end of the sixt trumpet and Viâ—le and the beginning of the seaventh vnder which now we are agree together as they doe in all the reste Nowe the summe of all those tokens and signes is to declare how when God sendeth his Worde and Preachers of the Gospell in the worlde men refusing the same are tormented with wartes and manie other calamities and that by his juste judgement This is meant first generally by opening of the seaven seales of the closed booke For at the first seale opening the white horse and the ryder with his bow bent signifyeth the Preaching of the Evangel At the second seale opening the red horse with his rydar betokeneth the sworde blood and battel which God sendeth in the VVorld being disobedient to the preaching of the Gospel Like wise the black-horse with his ridar and the ballance in his hande at the opening of the thirde seale signifyeth dearth famin sent for the same cause And the fourth horse being of pale colour with his ridar Death at the opening of the fourth seale declareth the plague of pestilence and other deadly diseases punishing mens rebellion and disobedience to the Gospell At the opening of the fift seale The Saintes Martyrs for the testimonie of the trueth craue revenge at God hand for the innocent shedding of their bloud At the sixt seale opening the great earth-quake with obscuratioÌ„ of the Sunne and the reste of the signes therein specified declare great troubles in general corruption darkning of the truth with bloudy persecutioÌ„ throwing down of the Ministers of the Gospell so that the Church did lurke in obscurity for a time and many made defection from the Romane Empyre But in the meane time GOD had his servantes marked as is specified in the seaventh chapter Finally at the seaventh seale opening the silence for halfe an hourse signifyeth a little rest by God graunted to his Church in the middest of these troubles And there-with is declared howe GOD accepted the prayers of his Saintes offered by Christ. All these thinges I say testifie in general the estate of the Church and such troubles as haue fâ—llen foorth