was like the Rest that the Ark of the Covenant had in the midst of Jordan and that of the Priests of the Lord who attended it Josh 4 9 10 16. with 3 13. The Feet of the Priests that bare the Ark did Rest in the midst of Jordan there they stood and must not stir out of their station until 600000 people were passed over the 4000. Cubits of dry Land within the banks there they stand they Rest in the midst of Jordan with hideous Mountains of water hanging over their Heads a most Ghastly and frightful sight without all peradventure yet there they stood till God cal'd them off betwixt the People and Danger so do all good Ministers in all Ages the first shock falls on them The Church hath such short Restles Rests or Sabbaths sometimes as Act 9 31. then had the Churches Rest and such a Sabbath she enjoyed in this Emperors time whom Eginardus writing his life calls a most pious and glorious Emperor He waged his Wars principally to Extirpate Heathenism and to propagate Christianity more than for Enlarging his Dominions Pareus Med. Hist Eccles pag. 257 He trode in the path of his Father Pipin and of his Grandfather Charles Martel of France in that great Service of Christendom against the Saracens had an Averseness though he Reconcil'd the Pope and People from allowing the Popish upholding of Images which appear'd in a Councel held at Franckford and his writing against the 2d Councel of Nice He gave for his Motto Christus Regnat Vincit Triumphat Christ Reigns Conquers and Triumphs This was much even then when Antichrist began to be both Regnant and Triumphant in this 8th Century Prideaux Introd pag. 229 230 as this Motto expressed his Christian Humility in the midst of his Grandeur and Greatness to the great shame of the Popes Pride and Ambition in that time so it Demonstrated his prophetick Faith that Christ in due time would Trample Antichrist underfoot and Triumph over Him He is said to give unto the Empire not only a new Body but a new Soul too by promoting Religion in all his Conquer'd Countries Alsted Encuclopaed pag 3019. He made Amicable leagues with sundry Infidel Kings and Princes that they might be more Favorable to their Christian Subjects Pareus Med. Hist Eccles◠pag. 258. Alcuinus our Oxford man and one of Venerand Bedes Pupils was this Emperors Tutor by whom he gave a large Testimony against Popish Errors Illyr Test Vers pag. 704 and 724. and by whom the Holy Scriptures were translated into the Mothers tongue the Pope at that time not contradicting it Alsted 3020. and Prideaux 230. pag. to conclude though this Great Emperor had some Tincture of Superstition with his piety saith Osiandor yet was he a Zealous promoter of Christianity insomuch that Christ had his Churches in this 8th Century even in all Lands Where they had a little Sabbath or Rest and kept their Sabbaths as the Centurist saith in Palaestine Aegypt Greece France Germany yea and in our Britain as at London York Beverley Crowland Canterbury c. All named Osiand Epst Hist Eccles Cent. 8. lib. 1. Cap. 12. pag. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. would to God our King may become another Charles the Great to protect the Protestant Religion in all Lands Helvicus saith Aaron King of the Saracens gave this Charls Mount Calvary in Jerusalem and the Sepulchre of Christ God give to our Charls a share in Christs Kingdom Now come we to the 7th or Sabbatical Revolution which makes the former 8th to be now the 16th Century The beginning of which makes the World five Thousand six Hundred years old As the sixt climacterical Conjunction turn'd the Empire from Rome to Germany in the 8th Century So this 7th may both turn it and burn it with the House of Austria and the Pope of Rome out of the World As the 8th Cent. gave a little Rest or Sabbath to the reformed Religion which hath been miraculously Rested though Arrested by the malice of Rome both before and since Charls the 5th but this 16th or last may be a Sabbath of Sabbaths and proclaim a Jubilee of Triumph To apply this General Discourse particularly to our present purpose as also to obviate Objections some Observations both Astrological and Theological may be here usefully added 1st Astrological 1 observe in the General there is no Arrival at perfection in Astronomy the best Artists have erred even in their best works Humanum est errare the best Astronomer may say with the Man in Terence Homo sum Humanum à me nil alienum puto Men as Men yea the best of Men may mistake The very Masters and chief Luminaries in the Astronomical orb such as Mercator Maginus Morinus of France Lord of Knudstrobe Andrew Argol of Padua learned Hecker and Kepler himself are all found faulty and in some things committing Errours especially in the places of the slowest paced Planets as are Saturn and Jupiter None agree in all points nor is it one man or one Age that can set these Differences to the Rights as Mr. Gadbury ingenuously acknowledgeth in his Epistle to the Reader both before his 10 y. and his 20. y. Ephemerides 2 observe in particular neither do astronomers Agree among themselves in Assigning the Time of this 7th Clymacterical Conjunction in our 16th Century but have differing sentiments about it Alsted that aliquis in omnibus Universally learned in all University Learning says that it happened in the Year 1603. December 24. 'tis 14. in another place at Noon in Sagittary Encuclopoed pag. 1105. 1106. and 1215. 1216. and 1285. 1286. in the first of which places he calls it the 8th Conjunction since the Creation Reckoning the first Inclusive at the Beginning of the World as if it shadow'd out not only the Christian Sabbath which is on the 8th Day or first Day after the 7th on the 8th Day was Circumcision celebrated and the Psalms on Sheminiths or Eights but also that Sab. of Sabbaths the Millennium Sab. to be Vsher'd in thereby Yet in his second place quoted He calls it but the 7th Conjunction pag. 1216. where the first at the Creation is exclusive and not Reckon'd in the Number to Represent it more purely Sabbatical in the 7th Number In his Third place He adds that this 7th Revolution portends not only great and Universal Commotions in Church and State but also some glorious Reformations which be saith cannot be accomplished without great Concussions in Kingdoms and Countrys But Engl. prophetick Merlin contradicts this not only in its Computation as to time affirming it to be on Decemb. 7th at the 7th hour 45. minutes pag. 22. but also in its Denomination as to name for saith He pag. 57. that Conjunction may properly be called Magna and was no other but it had been Absurd to have call'd it Maxima it was Great but not the greatest or Climacterical because it was not in Aries which is the first of the Zodiack
both among Antient and Modern Writers as appeareth in Bacholcers Chronology and in Alsteds also page 494 gathering the Coming of Christ from the Numerical Letters of Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judeorum the first Letters of which 4 Words to wit J N R I. the Romanists still write upon the Top of their Cracifixes and from the Numerals of Videbunt in quom transfixerant They shall look on him whom they have pierced Zech. 12. 10. The former pointing to y. of Grace 1532. and the latter to they 1533. I may add Joachimus Abbas pitch'd the End of the World upon they 1258 Arnoldus d Villanova upon they 1345. Michael Stiphelius upon St. Lukes Day in the y 1533. Câ—prianus Leonitius upon the y. 1583. Jobannes Regiomantanus upon the y. 1588. which was the year wherein the proud Spaniards would have brought a Doomsday on England in Q Elizabeths Reign by whom God wrought a great Deliverance from it Adelbertus Thermopedius upon the y. 1599. April the 3. c. All which Childish Conjectures even of Learned men Time it self the best Comment upon Hidden uncertain Mysteries hath already given a severe Censure and Certain Consutation no plausible Salvo's can be Administred to solve them from Lyes Come we next to those that have given their Guesses upon this 16th Century wherein this Climacterical Conjunction must fall by the Rules aforesaid and so forward to future Time I find sundry good and Learned men who fix the end of the World upon 1656 or 1657 y. and for proof they make use of that Chronogram MV nDi ConfLagrat 10 whose Numeral Letters MDCVII amounts to that year further Alledging that the Universal Destruction of the old World by the General Deluge happened about 1657 from the old Creation when also there was a Climacterical Conjunction so may it be like wise about 1697 y. from Christs Resurrection which was a New Creation as the Floud was so long from the old And this opinion is farther confirmed with the words of Christ as the Days of Noah were so shall the Coming of the Son of Man be Math. 24. 37. which seem to intimate that as there were so many years betwixt the Creation of the old World and its 1st Destruction by Water so there should be as many years betwixt the Reparation of Mankind by Christs Resurrection and the last Destruction of this New World by Fire which will be the Dissolution of all old Things and a Restitution of New Heavens and a New Earth c. 2 Pet. 3. 11 12 13. Acts. 3. 21. See Selneccer Paedag Christ part 2. pag. 374 375 and sundry Neotericks all concurring with this Conjecture reckoning from not Christs Birth as our common Computation is but from His Resurrection as before Which advances the Account to the 17th Century Thus Nich. Casanus pitch'd upon the y. 1700. yet Cardan upon 1800. and Picus Marandula upon 1905. c. others say the World shall continue till all the Stars return to the same point from whence they took their Progress at the first and where that was who knowes The Dutch Divine Sheltco whose Book is call'd a comfortable Discourse of Christs 2d coming translated by Mr. Thomas Rogers the Publisher of our 39 Articles concurs with Elias's Notion of the Worlds lasting but 6000 y. and saith Orpheus Verse imports it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is in the sixt Age or Thousand God will destroy the World which not only Plato but Caspar Pencerus applauds He makes Enoch a Figure of the last Time the 7th Millennium for as Death had Dominion over the six first Patriarks Adam Seth Enos Kenan Mahalâ—lâ—el and Jared who all dyed but upon the 7th from Adam Enoch Death had no power So Death shall have Dominion over Mankind for 600 y. but at the 7th Death shall loose its Sting This great Truth Jude hints at in v 14 15. saying Enoch the 7th from Adam foretold Christs last coming Thus also Elias call'd the 7th from Adam by Computation as Enoch is by Generation seems a Type hereof for six Prophets to wit Adam Mâ—thusalah Sâ—m Jacob Amram and Ahiaâ— went before him then was Elias the 7th who was translated likewise to shew that the 7th Millennium will bring the like Glory Yet He thinks Chap 2 and 3 that Christ will come before the 6000 y. be expired For 1st the Sabbath began at the Evening of the sixt Day before it was quite expired 2ly Elias in Tilmud saith some years shall be wanting for Christ will hasten his coming because of wickedness 3ly to omit his 4. Esdras 5 45 c. which admits of Exception this agrees with Christs words Math. 24 22. 4thly never so many Ecclipses Comets Conjunctions c for many Hundred y. past which are Signs of Christ hasting to come to which I add 5thly Christ hath 6 Comings all expreessd in Scripture betwixt his first and last as 1 after his Resurrection 2 at Pentecost 3 at Jerusalems Ruins 4 to the 7 Churches of Asia 5 in the 6 Seals 6 to destroy Antichrist And 6ly this Trebble great Conjunction may vsher in hislast being hard to paralel it Saturn began his Direct motion March 23 82 meets Jupiter October 9th after begins Retrograde 9iber 20 as Jupiter doth on 26 so they meet again on Jan. 30 83 and Jupiter begins his Direct Motion on March 26. 83. so they meet again on May the 2d 83. Luther on Gen. 1 saith O portet ingenius lusus suos concedere modo absit superstitio Mr. Greenhil takes this Liberty in his Fast Sermon 43 April as a great Conjunction vsher'd in Ruining of the old Jerusalem so may this at Rearing of the New All the Comets and Conjunctions canot be Dumb Signs but warn us of Good or Evil according as we are I saw Mars in Conjunction with the Moon on this 16 of 8ber while the Superior Planets were in theirs hard by Saturn on the 18th got above Jupiters Perpendicular yet not much varying their Distance Upon this 19 of 8ber I observed that Jupiter which was above Saturn in a Perpendicular line before is now got under him a little oblique to the Right-hand so hath made more than a Semi-circular Motion about him though at a little farther Distance There may be a Mystery in this Motion especially if Benign Jupiter gain the Upper-hand of Sullen Saturn again Suppose the worst that the last Bite of the Beast be not yet over but he shall once more Tread vnder foet the outer Court as Bp. Usher saith so more easily come at the Witnesses in the Temple to slay them yet shall they have a speedy Resurrection and Ascension c. Let therefore this 7th and last great Conjunction be reckou'd if not a Spectator at least a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 7th Trumpet and 7th Vial which will as certainly destroy Antichristianism yea and Mahometanism too as sure as the 7th Seal hath destroyed the Heathenism of the Roman Empire and so Vsher in the New Jerusalem The course of these Planets are call'd the Clocks of Gods Eternal Counsels Telling the Times of greatest Remark as 1 of Enoch's Translation 2 Noahs Flood 1 Moses Deliverance 4 Solomous Glory 5 Christs Redemption 6 Charls the Greats Greatness and 7 the Lambs Marriage with the Bride oh that our Redeemer may be as a Roe skipping over Mountains to ruine the Reprobate and reward the Righteous Let not Men Jeer where they should Fear 2. Pet. 3. 3. c. FINIS ERRATA Page 21. line 12. Read 20 for 26. l. 34. R. fist for first p. 28. l. 16 for Tables R. Fables p. 29. l. 40. R. many for may l. last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 32. l. 11. Rithere for their c. ADVERTISEMENT The Author of this Discourse is not the Author of the 2d packet as the Author of the first will assure such as Enquire
Stiled the 7th from Adam also not in Respect of Degrees or Gradual Descent as was Enoch the 7th Patriarch not the 7th Person but by way of Computation and in Respect of so many Generations as some Reckon between them Elijah is computed the 7th Prophet from Adam and the first sent to the Gentiles a great Reviver of the Church as his Brother Enoch was and a Restorer of the Law Now here be two 7ths from Adam both Translated into Heaven which may intimate that after the 6000. Year of the World comes the 7th from Adam or 7th Millennium with its strange Translation likewise However this Translation of Enach is call'd Annus Sabbaticus Calvisius Opus Chronolog Page 3. Enoch predicts as a late Reverend writer saith Judicium matutinum the Morning part of the Judgment Day explain'd Dan. 7. 7. 8. 9. as if then to be seen behold he cometh which was not to be till the 7000. Year begin and the Vespertinum or Evening part is after it explained in Revel 20. 7. The Second Climacterical Conjunction by doubling the Number 8 here and all along was in the 1600. Year of the World under Noah in which Century the Universal Deluge destroy'd the wicked World which was then drowned in wickedness before it was drown'd in water Yet the Church had then her Annum Sabbaticum a compleat Year of Rest in Noahs Ark for from November when Noah had laid up all his Stores of the Earthly Fruits and entred the Ark with his Beasts Fowls and Family he remained there till the Beginning of November following As Enoch had been a Cooler to the Church when the wicked world was Hot in wickedness by his contrary Profession prophecying and Practice for which God took him up into Heaven as thinking no place good enough for him upon Earth and whose Translation gave to the Church the first Specimen or Proof that God had prepared another Life after this for his Saints wherein they should live with him in Glory for ever So Noah as his Name signifies was a Comforter to the Church saving her from the Deluge which Reduced the World to its first Chaos or Confusion Gen. 1. 2. when the Waters above the Firmament and the Waters under met again together and brings the Earth once more into her first posture to be covered with Water 'T was a peculiar priviledge that Noah brought the Church nigh God in this great Floud of Waters Psal 32. 6 Enoch was a Prophet foretelling Christs coming and Noah was a Preacher of Christs Righteousness had greater Blessings than Adam having the Promise I will no more destroy c. Gen. 8. 21. 22. the Bow in the Cloud and a new String to his Bow the Everlasting Covenant the pattern of all Covenants with Israel oft mention'd by the Prophets and the Floud made such a Baptism to the Earth also as help'd to wash away its Curse which Cursed Earth shall become so Renewed so Blessed of the Lord yea so much Christs Darling that He Resolves to make it the Centre of his Glory as some suppose at the 7th Millennium or last Revolution of the Superior Planets Revel 5. 9. 10. where the Saints or Angels Rejoice that they shall come out of Heaven to Reign upon Earth thus God tells Moses in the Mount that the Land shall enjoy her Sabbath of Rest not only a Temporal Levit. 26. 34. 46. and 2. Chron. 36. 21. and Levit. 25. 2. 6. But an Eternal one Hebr. 4. 9. which the Lord of the Sabbath Math. 12. 8. Mark 2. 27. 28. Rom. 9. 29. Jam. 5. 4. hath made for man The whole Earth shall be filled with his Glory Numb 14. 21. He will Cover or Atone it Deut. 32. 43. God not Adam named the Earth Erets which signifies of Ratsah to Delight as If He meant to take his pleasure upon it when the Heavens that Canopy and Curtain now hiding his Glory shall pass away as a Scroll of parchment before the Fire God will come to keep his Sabbath of Rest on Earth and here accept his People then the Land of Canaan more accursed than all Lands while possessed by the accursed Nations shall be most blessed the Glory of all Lands The place of Gods Residence and Delightful Rest Ezek. 26. 6. 40. and 34. 26. 30. Hos 2 20 23. c. The Third great Revolution still adding another 800 falls out in the 2400. y. of the World under Moses when the Church had again another Sabbath of Rest from her long and groaning slavery in the brick bondage of Egypt this is so plain in Scripture History I need not inlarge upon it as upon the 2 former a word only the blessed Messiah which the 7th Revolution may bring in is greater than Moses as much as a Son than a Servant c. Hebr. 3 3 4 5 6. He will plague the Pharaoh of mystical Aegypt with sorer and severer plagues his Vials of wrath Revel 16 till He make him yeeld and let go his People as Exod. 12. 31. He will not only bring his Church into the Wilderness which was all Moses could do leaving the conquest of Canaan to Joshua but bring her also into the Heavenly Country The fourth falls in the 3200. y. of the world adding another 8 to the 24. under Solomon and the Kings of Israel according to incomparable Tycho Brahe this is likewise evident enough in Scripture that the Church had her Sabbath of Rest under Solomon that peaceable King as his Name signifies yea and the Ark of God that had from Moses time hitherto no better harbor than in a Moving and Tottering Tabernacle found a Sabbath of Rest in a standing and stately Temple the wonder of the World not only for his time but for his Godly Successors also Still our Saviour whom the first Revolution ushers into the World in y. 4000. is greater than great Solomon Math. 12 42. He is the Prince of Peace the maker and matter of our peace our Sanctuary and Salvation in whom alone our Souls find a Sabbath of Rest Math 11 29. This needs still less Illustration Go forward then 800. y. more to the Sixth Epocha or Revolution in 4800 y. of the world which brings in Charles the great under whom as the Roman Empire was in its Zenith or most flourishing estate at Christs Birth so now it was translated from Rome into Germany This must be insisted upon a little because 't is beyond Scripture History 't is true the Church could have but a slender Sabbath of Rest in his Time for then Antichrist was Regnant and Leo was Rampant Leo the 3d was then Pope who prostituted his Keys to the Emperors feet for which the Popish People whipt him like a Rogue If not plucked out his Eyes and cut out his Tongue c. Prideaux Introduction pag. 96 yea in this 8th Century Pope Joane made a good proof that the Church of Rome was a Base Whore so that the â—â—st of the Church in this Age