IN The beginning (as the Spirite of God recordeth by MOYSES) after that the Lord in sixe dayes,Gen. 2. [...] had created the Heaven & Earth, with all the furniture thereof, Hee rested vpon the seventh day; There­fore hee blessed it, and hallowed it. Exod. 2 [...]. 11. 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,Leuit. 2 [...]. everie seventh yeare should be holden holy: wherin the land should rest frō labor; so that therin there shuld neither be sowing of cornes [Page 8] nor cutting 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 [Page 9] 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 coū ­ting of these Sabbatical yeares, after the Law of Moyses [Page 10] 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, Exod. 1 [...]. 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,Gene 6. 7. 11. 12. 15. to the floud of NOAH: 1656 yeares. Then from the floud, to the promise made to ABRAHAM,That to Exod. 12. 367. yeares. And from the departing of the Israelits out of Aegypt 430.Gal. 3. years. And frō the departing to the buylding of the Temple by SOLOMON 480,1. King. 4. [Page 11] 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 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 [Page 12] Scri [...]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 per [...]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 [Page 13] yeare immediatly preceeding the birth of our Saviour Christ, to be a Sabbatical yeare, conteining in the q [...]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 [...]. 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 Danie [...]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 Da­ [...], 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 [Page 14] is said in Daniel, that from the going out of the Com­ma [...]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, [Page 15] where hee sayeth, seven weekes, and 62. weekes [...]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, Messia [...] 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 neere the middest of this last weeke, about the 31. yeare of his age. Now to come to the yeare before the birth of Christ, we must take off 35. yeares; which will be fiue weekes of yeares: and so there will remaine of the 70. weekes of Daniel, 65. weekes, which make 455. yeares, and adde thereto, the 63. yeares, interlaced betweene the 7. weekes, and 62. weekes: The summe of yeares then, from the first yeare of Cyrus, or from the captivity to Christ, wil come just­lie to 518, yeares, as I set downe in the beginning of this reckoning, and adde these 518. yeares, to 3430. yeares, which was our ground and second staie of time: The whole summe of yeares, from the creation, to the birth of Christ, are 3948. yeares. Nowe wee haue further to verifie this forwarde reckoning, from the captivitie to Christ to be iuste, and agreeable to the trueth, which I [Page 16] sha [...] do, both by reason and count of Sabbatical years, and yeares of Iubilee; and also by Scripture, and beste approoved Histories of these times. First, for Sabbati­call reckoning, it is manifest that Daniel hath respecte thereto, in the count of his 70, weekes, which make 10 Iubilees of yeares counte. Now it was proven before, that the 3430. yeare of the Worlde, endeth in an Iubi­lee, to witte, counting 70. Iubilees from the beginning, and 490, Sabbathes of yeares, which is the same num­ber that Daniell comprehendeth in his 70. weekes, to wit, 490 single yeares, so that there bene as manie years in this Periode of Daniell, as were weekes of yeares from the beginning of the World, to the beginning of his reckoning. And seeing he counteth by Sabbathes of yeares and Iubilees, his count vpon 490. yeares, muste needes follow immediatly the other reckoning of 490 weekes of yeares, from the beginning of the world: & so must proceed from the 3430. yeare of the World, & consequently, from the first yeare of Cyrus. Secondly, we haue to remember the seconde authoritie which I alleadged out of the 8. Chapter of the Revelation, for the second warrant of Scripture, to confirme this our reckoning. In that Chapter, mention is made of seaven Angels, to whome seaven Trumpets were given by God to blow, and to declare thinges that were to fall out in the World thereafter. The blowing of Trum­pettes (being figuratiuely spoken) hath respect to the blowing of the Trumpets, at the ende of every Iubilee, as is mentioned in the Law, the 25 [...] Chapter of Leviti­cus, whereby it may be gathered, that the distinct times wherein these Trumpets, figuratiuely were blowen, (that is, the Angels and Ministers of God declared, his will concerning the estate of the World, & his Church therein, after every Trumpet blowing) were yeares of [Page 17] Iubilee: For Iubilee taketh the name from Trumpets, & we know that the Preaching of the word of God is al­so figured by blowing of Trumpets, Esay 27. and 58. And in the beginning of that 8. Chapter of the Revela­tion, it is declared, that at the opening of the seaventh seale of the closed booke of the counsell of GOD, the first Angell prepared him to blow his Trumpet. Now, the opening of the seaven seales of the Booke, signify­eth (as all godly writers expone it) the revelation and declaration of the hid counsels of GOD, which was when he sent his beloved Sonne in the worlde, first to Preach the Gospell by himselfe, and his Apostles, and thereafter, by the lawfull Pastours and Ministers of his VVorde, declarers of his holy will vnto the world: the space of opening of these seales, as they were seaven in number, so everie Seale opening, comprehendeth the space of seaven yeares. And the first seavent year of the first Seale, is the last weeke of the 70. weekes of Daniel, called, The fulnesse of time by Paule: Gal. 4. wherein the Gos­pell begouth first to bee preached. From the which counting by seauens; we finde the opening of the sea­uent Seale, to fall vpon the 71, yeare, after the birth of Christ, as likewise the blowing of the first Trumpet: & consequently, the 70. yeare, to compleate a Iubilee of yeares: whereanent, who would know further, let them reade that learned and divine worke of IOHN NAPER, in the exposition of the Revelation, the 5. 6. 7. 8. & 9. pro­positions. Now having found the 70. yeare of Christe, to be the 49. and last yeare of Iubilee: let vs count backe from the 71. yeare of Christ, to the first yeare of Cy­rus, by Iubilees, and we shall finde by our former recko­ning, the space of 588. yeares, which make 12. Iubilees compleete, and leaue no odde yeares. For the 70. weeks of Daniel, make ten Iubilees, and the 63. yeares interjec­ted [Page 18] betweene the 7. weekes, and 62. weekes, together with 35. years, that are betweene the end of the weekes of Daniel, & the 71. year of Christ, being joyned toge­ther, mak [...] 98. years, & two just Iubilees. So that they ar 12 Iubilees in the whole, frō the 3430. year of the world, to the 71. yeare of Christ. And from the beginning of the VVorlde, to that 71. yeare 82. Iubilees: Yet further to make this reckoning good by Histories of the time: we finde by count of the Kings of the Persian and Babyloni­an Monarchie, by Megasthenes (corruptly called Meta­sihenes) the Persian Historiographer, whervnto Philo the the Iewe, in his Chronologie aggreeth, counting by the yeares of the Hie-Priestes, and governours of the house of David, to witte, from Iehosua the Hie-Priest, & Zorobabel Prince of Iuda, and first Governour after the Captivitie; that betweene the first yeare of Cyrus, and the first yeare of Alexander the Great, conquerour of the Persian and Babylonian Empire, were 191. yeares: VVhereof, 49. yeares are reckoned from the first of Cy­rus, to the 6. yeare of Darîus Long [...]manus, who was the seconde that gaue libertie to build the Temple, as was declared of before: For Cyrus raigned 22. yeares, Assu [...] ­rus Pris [...]us 20. yeares. Then there was the inter-reigne of one yeare: Then adde to those 6. yeares of Darîus, they make vp these 49. yeares. And from the 6. yeare of Darîus Longimanus, to the 14. of Great Artaxerxes, cal­led Mnemon, are 63. yeares: thus reckoned. Darîus reig­ned yet 31. yeares, Darîus Nothus 19. yeares, adde 13. of Artaxerxes, the summe is 63. years. And from Cyrus, 12 yeares. So there resteth, from the 13. of Artaxerxes, to Alexander, 79. yeares thus reckoned. Artaxerxes, yet raigned 42. yeares, Artaxerxes Ochus 26. A [...]ses 4. and Da­rîus the last, vanquished by Alexander, 6. yeares. The summe is 79. yeares completing the 191. yeares before [Page 19] mentioned. Now least any should derogate the autho­ritie of Megasthenes and Philo, in counting of these yeares of the Persian Monarchie: I will affirme (for my part) them to be most authentick of all that I haue read, whatsoever be said against them. And that they are to be prefer [...]ed to all the Greeke authors, who are of light credite, and full of Fables; as I intende to declare at large, in my more ample discourse. For as to Combyses, whom they make one of the Persian Monarches, if wee reade diligentlie the latter parte of the 10. Chapter of Daniel, wee shall finde him to haue bene Prince of Per­sia onlie, who ruled that Kingdome in place of his fa­ther Cyrus, hee being occupyed in the Scythian warres. And that this Cambyses was an enemie to the Church of God: And as for Xerxes, whom they count for an o­ther, albeit hee invade Grecia, with an huge armie, yet we reade never that he did raigne in Babylon, but in Per­sia, in the daies of Darîus Longimanus. It resteth then, to go forwarde, with the yeares betwene Alexander and Christ: And by our counte, they must be 327. yeares, which are to be reckoned after this manner. From the beginning of the Empire of Alexander in Asia, after that hee vanquished Darîus, to the beginning of the King­dome of the Greekes, by Seleucus Nicanor, after the rec­koning of the Iews, are 18. years, as Iosephus Scaliger pro­veth in his fifth booke, De emendatione temporum. And from the beginning of the kingdome of the Greekes, to the Macchabees, are 145. years, as we haue in the first book of the Macchabees, the secōd Chapter. And the Macchabes ruled, as witnesseth Iosephus, in his Antiqui­ties 127. years. And after them, King Her [...]de raigneth [...]7. yeares complete, neare the end of whose raigne, Christ was borne. Ioyne those yeares together, and they will make vp, from the beginning of the Empire of Alexan­der [Page 20] to Christ, just 327. yeares: And adding thereto, 191. yeares, betweene Cyrus and Alexander, the summe wil be 518. yeares, according to our first counte. The same may be prooven by the Astronomicall calculation of Piolemee, who in the ende of his thirde Book, reckoueth from the decease of Alexander, vnto the raigne of Au­gustus Caesar 294. yeares. And hee counted the begin­ning of Augustus his raigne, from the time that hee be­gouth to raigne himselfe alone, after his victorie a­gainst Antonius: who slew himself in Alexādria, So we must separate the yeares that Augustus ruled with An­tonius, from the reste of his Empire, which were four­teene yeares, as Iosephus and the Romane Histories beare record [...] and hee raigned 56. yeares. Nowe Christ was borne in the 42. year of his raigne: So joyning 27 years of the Empire of Augustus, and 6. yeare of Alexander, his Empire, to the 294. mentioned by Ptolemee: The sūme from the beginning of Alexander to Christ, will be 327. yeares, as of before. I haue insisted the longer vpon this reckoning, because of the greate varietie amongst wri­ters, namely, concerning the Monarchie of the Persi­anes and Kings thereof: Alwaise I thinke, I haue pro­ven sufficientlie our reckoning by Sabbatical yeares, & yeares of Iubilee to bee juste: yet there remayneth one scruple;Lib. 4. [...] 26 wher as Iosephus writeth in his Antiquities, that that King Herode besieged Ierusalem in the third year of his raigne, and that then there was a great scarsitie of victualles, because of the Sabbaticall yeare: which ap­peareth not to stande with our counte, to make the 37. yeare of Herode, to be a Sabbaticall yearte: But we muste vnderstande, that Iosephus meaneth not that the third yeare of Herode was a Sabbaticall yeare, but the second yeare which preceeded, which made the scarsity in the third yeare following. So our counth oldeth just, that [Page 21] the [...]7. yeare of Herode, was a Sabbaticall yeare; at the end whereof, Christ was borne. For Herode lived till a­bout the Passeover therafter, making the beginning of his reigne, to haue bene in Ianuarie, when he was made King at Rome. To this also aggreeth the counte of the great Cycle of the Iewes, who reckon the yeare that our Saviour Christ was borne, to haue bin the first of their Semitah, that is, of the Sabbaticall week. Now then wee haue the just reckoning of the yeares of the VVorld vnto Christ, to be 3948. yeares. And this yeare of Christ 1600. to be from the beginning, the 5548. yeares. In the which counte of yeares (albeit by an other manner of reckoning) I agree with the learned Iosephus Scaliger, & some others more auncient then he. And as to others, I finde onely Erasmus Reynoldus, Peucerus and P. Crusius, with some others that follow their reckoning, to haue had some apparant respecte to the Sabbaticall yeares, counting to Christ, 3962. yeares, but they will bee two weekes of yeares, over our calculation, and so will not agree in the yeares of Iubilee. Others, whosoever they be, that holde no counte of the Sabbaticall yeares, are further out of the way, as they that reckone to the birth of Christ, 3944. yeares, leaue odde after division by sea­vens, three yeares. And likewise they that count 3974. years. And so is to be seene in others, who commonlie are further from the marke, in not following the direc­tion of Sabbaticall yeares, which being thus justlie ta­ken vp, make a stronge bulwarke against the obstinate Iewes. For it being knowen by the weekes of Daniel, that the just count therof, endeth about the time when Christ suffered vpon the Croce, they are convict, will they, or will they not to know, that he is, of whome the Angell speaketh vnto Daniel, who was appoynted of God his Father, (as the text beareth) to finish iniqui [...], [Page 22] to seale vpsinnes, and reconcile wickednesse, and to seale vp visiones and prophecies, bringing in ever la­sting righteousnesse; and consequentlie, he is the moste holie anoynted, and that true Me [...]ias promised to their fathers. And that in vaine that miserable Nation so ma­nie hundreth yeares looketh for an other.

NOt without weighty causes, haue I so long insist­ed vpon Sabbaticall reckoning of yeares: For thereby more sure waie is found out, to come to the right acoūt of years, & progres of times, frō the begin­ning of the worlde, vnto the last decaying age thereof, then by anie other common maner of reckoning. And besides that, it is most facile and easie. And we knowe there is nothing more necessarie for the knowledge of Histories, and divers estates of the Worlde, nor the right reckoning of yeares and times, wherein the same with the circumstances thereof fell out, that thereby men may be led to vnderstand the antiquitie of everie thing; as also by conferring time with time, may know the differēce of the maners of men, of one age from an other: without the which, not onelie great darknes and obscuritie, both in civill governement and actiones of mens liues, and in things concerning the estate of reli­gion may ensue. And that which is worse, manie may fall in that inconvenient, wherin Aristotle, & the Epi­curians haue fallen. For through ignorance of the an­tiquitie [Page 23] of times, hee esteemed the world to haue bene from all eternitie, and these (to witte, the Epicutians) counted the nature of all things to haue bin by chance, and by, I wote not what, a concurrence of motes and invisible bodies. This reckoning also, resolveth 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 Moys [...]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 Iubile [...] 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 [Page 24] 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, [Page 25] 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. [Page 26] 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 o [...] the in­satiable Courte, and corrupt Church of Rome, and to cause men exhaust and wast their substance, who vainely mak long voyages to Rome to see that Idole the Pope [Page 31] false hope of remission, by his Indulgences; albeit they never learne to mortifie the sinfull lustes of the flesh, that they may liue a licenceous life, without control­ment: And so ever to proceede from worse to worse. For as the profane Poet sayeth, Omnes licentia deterio­res sumus: Over-great libertie and licence, maketh vs all to become worse and worse. Now where some of his Sophistes saye, that these are onely Canonicall paines inflicted by men, that he remitteth by his Indulgences: His owne Canons testifie the contrary, which speake generally of the remission of all sinnes, and temporall paines or punishments due for sinne: Ex plenitudino po­testatis, that is, fulnes of power, which the Pope pre­sumpteously arrogateth to himselfe. And supposing these Indulgences were extended onely to Canonical paines, or satisfactions appoynted by men; what ab­surditie is it, to graunt the same fully and indifferently to all persones, by him who never knew the persones, for the most part to whom they are graunted, nor the qualities of their offences, nor the quantitie or causes of their Injunctions, les nor more, to whom he pretēds alwaies falsely to giue full remission: neither suffiseth it to say, the Papale indulgences are given to none but to them that are truely penitent, and confesse their sins. For by that argument, the same might bene given to Iudas the traytour, of whom our Saviour sayeth, It had bene good for him, he had neuer bene borne. For it cannot be denyed but he was truly penitent, and made publick confession of his sinne: Yea, and more over, made Pa­pistical satisfaction therefore; returning againe the mo­ney which he had wrongeouslie received. And for the more sure declaration of his repen [...]ance, he [...] finally hanged himselfe: But because he had no grace to turne to God by true faith, to seek mercie, and fi [...]mly beleeue [Page 32] to obtaine it for Christ his sake: His repentance availed not. Like as there will be many other desperates, that wil repent & confesse their faultes, but haue no grace to seek mercie at Gods hand, who hath only power to giue it, with true fayth to obtaine the same. Besides all this, there is a greater impietie (if greater may be) in these Antichristian Indulgences, whereby this man of sinne pretendeth, to take away all corrections for sinne, not onely in the name of Christ and by his blood (the which, [...] as Iohn testifieth, purgeth vs from all sinne) but also in the name and merites of Peter, Paule, and other Martyrs and Saintes; For so speaketh his Canon lawe: That to the heape of the Thesaurie of Christes bloud, the merites of the blessed Virgine Marie, and of all the elect:C. V [...]ige. [...] before ci­ [...]ed. from the first just man, to the last, are knowen to be valiable. And what can be spoken to greater deroga­tion, of the precious bloud & merites of Iesus Christ, then to mingle therewith, the blood and merites of creatures, & sinful persons, (For the most iust man falleth seven times a day, as the Psalmist testifieth) ascribing a part of our salvation, to them who had no temission of their owne sinnes, but by the bloud of Christ onelie: Whereto should I further insist, in refelling these and the like blasphemies against the croce of Christ, which be knowen well ynough, to all them that haue eares to heare the true preaching of his Gospell: Seeing the Popes officiares themselues, who make vente of his Pardones at Rome, and make their gaines in sheepe­skinnes, and peeces of plombe appended thereto, taunt and mocke the receivers of them, holding them for ve­rie fooles, as they are indeed. For who is indued with natural iudgement, that seeth not, that these counter­faited Indulgences, serue for no other thing, but to mocke and deceiue the people, to make marchandise of [Page 33] their soules, & to bring in money to those vagabound pyke-parles,C Quem­admodum vb. S. called in their law, Questores indulgentia­rum, that is, Collectours of the money of these Indul­gences. What madde stupidity & foolishnes is it then, in this cleare light of Christs Gospel, to men to hazard themselues with great daungers, losse of time, and ex­penses, to raike to Rome, either to behold, or to be par­ticipant of these vnworthy wares: For if they do it of blinde zeale, beleeving them to be of any availe, they are miserably deceived, to the great hurt of their soules health. And if they do it onely of curiosity, to see such things as they never saw before; they therein declare the lightnesse and vaine transportation of their minds, not being selted in the true knowledge and feare of God. For as the common Proverbe sayeth, there is nei­ther man nor horse, that vseth to be better of the pas­sing to Rome: And so is seene indeede of many of them that returne from thence.

AS The papall religion in manie things is patched and made vp, partly of the old rites and ceremo­nies of the Iewes, and partely of the superstition of the Gentiles, so counterfaite they by imitation, sometime the one, and sometime the other; and when they lacke the one, they take the other for their ground. So it is concerning their Iubilees, whereof I haue bene hither­to speaking: and haue proven already, that their imita­tion [Page 34] in times, is not according to the institution of Gods lawe, promulgate by Moyses. Nowe then they being put from that grounde, may alleadge, that they having no necessitie to obserue Moyses law in al poynts, haue appoynted thē Iubilees, after imitation of their an­cient Romanes (whose degenerate posteritie they are) to wit, that as they had their stages or playes, which they call their seculare solemnities, every hundreth yeare, once in memory of the antiquitie of their cittie: where in it was proclaymed, by founde of Trumpet, that the people of Rome, should see such pompes and guises, as no man that was then living, ever sawe before, neither should see thereafter. So Pope BONIFACE the eight, did institute his Iubilees, to be holden every hundreth yeare, with solemne Proclamation of his Pardones. Now graunting this to be true, as their ground is vaine and profane, so whatsoever is builded thereupon. And yet let vs see how happely and circumspectly these Ro­manistes imitate the auncient Romanes: supposing that they celebrate their secular solemnities, at the precise end and periode of every hundreth yeare. This their ground (I say) is false: For it was the space of an hun­dreth and ten yeares, betweene every one of the secu­lare solemnities, according to the old institution, there­of, which 110. yeares were composed, of twenty two of their Lustra, wherein they did lustrate and muster their people: every Lustrum conteining the space of fiue years, which being 22. make eleven times ten year: Whereof Horace the Poet, beareth witnesse in his song or ode intituled Carmen seculare, in these verses:

The sense is.

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.1, Cor. 10. For (as the Apostle sayeth) We are they vpon whom the ends of the World are come. 1. Tim. 4. 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, [Page 36] 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, [...]. Pet. 3.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. [Page 37] 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, Da [...]. [...] 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 [Page 38] 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 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, albei [...] 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. year [...] but [Page 39] 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, [Page 40] 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 [Page 41] 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 refer [...]e that which Homer the Poet speaketh, [...] of the age of N [...] ­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

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 [Page 42] 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: [...]. 15. 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 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.

LIke as I haue travelled heretofore, by Sabbaticall reckoning to deduce & finde out the perfite count [Page 43] 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 [Page 44] 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 [Page 45] himsele maketh mention of the pleasant influence of Pleiades, Iob. 3. [...] 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,Gen [...] 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, [Page 46] 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 the vtilitie of men edifie, and namely, for in­struction of Physitiones, labourers of the ground, Sea-faring-men, and other travellers & observers of times, to knowe and fore-see, the falling out of windes, tempest, and other accidents of the aire, and for relee­ving of infirmities of mens bodies, by knowing the right times of applying medicines, according to the dispositions of the complexions and humours, over which, the Moone is knowen by experience, to haue great dominion. For if it be granted (as we know it is) to certaine foules of the aire, and beastes of the earth, to fore know and feele the mutationes of the aire, and tempestes to come, how should we altogether denie fore-knowledgs to be graunted to men, to conjecture of these accidents, having reason, judgement, and ex­perience to lead them thereto? not as to come by ab­solute necessitie (for God is aboue all second causes, & may stay them when he pleaseth) but by probable rea­sones and appearance. And yet, I confesse, that men of no evill inclination, are mooved to haue those Astro­nomicall predictiones in greater contempt, because of the errour and ignorance of many professores of this science, and namely, of such as set foorth the vulgare Prognostications, that are yearely to be sold abroade. For when the common sorte of men see, that the acci­dents fore-tolde by them, as namely, concerning the [Page 47] mutationes of the aire, fall not out according to the judgement of such Prognosticators, they suppose the fault, which is in the ignorance and evill-taking vp of the men, to be in the science it selfe: as though there were no probable certaintie in Astronomical predicti­ones. But as it followeth not, if an ignorant Physition, kill a man, when he professed to heale him, that there­fore no man should vse medicine, so the vnskilfulnesse of the professor is no good cause to derogate authori­tie to this divine science: if it be lawfullie vsed and re­teined within the right boundes. Now because I per­ceiue one of the chiefe causes, of the errour of those cōmō Prognosticators to be, that they take not rightly vp the grounds of their cōjectures, but follow the old rules of the Chaldeans, Arabians, and others auncient authors in that science, which serue not for our dayes and time. For the doctrine of the signes and houses of the heauens, and placing of the Planets thereinto, with their triplicities & mutuall qualities, in their applicati­ones, and joyning with the fixt starres, which served for the former ages; cannot now serue, nor be sufficient to ground solide conjectures vpon, for they are altered and changed. For the which, it is to be vnderstood, that the auncient out-letters of this science, who divided the whole arche of the Zodiake in twelue equall parts, and into twelue signes: For that time, considdered the qualities of every signe, depending vpon the nature & qualities of the sixt starres, that were in such a signe; so that when any of the Planets, come to the stars, or had aspect thereto, they caused the alteration of the aire, ac­cording to their naturall qualities, and other accidents to fall out, beg inning at the signe of Aries; and so coun­ting consequently from the Spring-time Aequinccti­um throughout the rest of the signes: At which time, [Page 48] the entring of the Sun, in the Aequinoctiall poynt, was i [...] the beginning of the signe of Aries, of the eight sphere, or not farre distant from the first starre of that signe, which they peradventure thought to bee vn­changeable: But by processe of time and experience, it is found, that the Aequinoctial poynt is moveable, flit­ting, and remooving back-wards, contrary the order of the signes, and the fixed starres that were in the signe of Aries remooued forwarde. In so farre, that from the first observation of the heauenly motions, when the beginning of the signe of Aries, aggreed in position & situatiō, with the first star of that signe in the 8. spheare, vnto our dayes, counting in the midde-motion of the Aequinoctial, to witte, to this 1600. yeare of Christ, the fixed starres of the signe of Aries, that were some time in the beginning thereof, at the Acquinoctial poynt, are now distant more then twenty seaven degrees, and fif­teene minutes from that poynt fore warde: or rather, the Aequinoctial poynt is slipped backe from them, and preventeth their course in the motion of the heavens. And so the stars that were in the signe of Aries of olde, are now (counting from the Aequinoctial point) for the most part in the signe of Taurus, & they of the signe of Taurus in Gemini; and so consequently of the reste: Notwithstanding of this difference, the common set­ters out of Prognostications, and also the Mediciners, in giuing of their medicine, mak their counte after the olde maner, as the signes were woont to be reckoned, nearer to the poynt of the Vernall Aequinoctial: where vpon followeth this errour, that the signes taking their nature and properties from the fixed starres, and ha­ving now changed their place, render other influen­ces to the aire and earth, them they did of before. So that they which sometime were hoat, are now become [Page 49] colde, and they that were drye humide; and by the contrary, cold, hote, and humide drie: And so no cer­tainty can folow, to know the mutatiōs of the aire, or o­ther accidēts thereby: neither can the placing of thē in the twelue houses of the heaven, after the old recko­ning, nor the compting of their triplicities or aspectes by that calculation be right; and consequently, all that is builded [...]herupon, by out common Prognosticators, falleth to the ground, and can haue no solidity: So that it is no marvell, albeit they erre in their predictions for the most part. As to the cause of the prevention of the Aequinoctial, and concerning the inequall variation thereof, because it belongeth to a more subtil & ample discourse, for the present I leaue it: Only to speak some what of the remedie of this errour in reckoning, which falleth out by not-taking-heede to the anticipation of the Aequinoctial poynts. In my opinion, I think there may be two waies to remeid the same: The one is, to reckon and calculate the signes, according to the eight spheare and fixed starres being therein, as they were reckoned of old, & in the daies of Ptolemee, not having respect to the vernall Aequinoctial poynte: Albeit, in describing the generall disposition of the year, respect may be had thereto, and likewise to the reste of the tropike poyntes and fixed starres being therein for the time, with the configurationes of the Planets, and the conjunction or opposition of the Lights, being nearest vnto the same. The other way is not far differ­ēt frō the former, that is, without respect of the signes of the ninth spheare, to begin to reckon at the twentie seuen degree, & fifty one minutes of Aries, as if it were the first degree this present yeare, and as the Moone flitteth her Mansiones, frō the Aequinoctial poynt here­after to follow the degree of the Zodiake, where shee [Page 50] b [...]gouth her first Mansion, and so to proceed with the rest, and to counte by the mansiones of the Moone, ascribing to every mansion, twelue degrees, fifty one Minutes, and thirtie secondes, as the maner is through­out all the twenty eight ma [...]siones, which is a verie sure way. For certaine it is, that the affections and influ­ences that flow from the Moone, especially cōcerning the alterations of the aire, are of greater force and effect nor those that come of other planets, by reason of her propinquitie to the earth. As also in medicine, shee worketh greater effects then all the rest of the Planets, because she is predominant in all humide things, aswel in mens bodies, as in the Sea and the aire: And shee bringeth foorth her effectes, according to the qualities of the fixed starres that are founde in every one of her mansiones, when shee is joyned with them: And so commonly is the disposition of the aire at that present time, vnlesse some other greate impediment stay the force thereof: Therefore, having respect to the mansi­ones of the Moone, a [...]d the aspects and applications of other Planets to her, and to her Mansiones, great con­jecture may be taken of the wether that is to fall out at any time, according to the season of the yeare. Moreo­ver, they that would Prognosticate rightly of the wea­ther, should haue more respect to the Moone then all the rest of the Planets, because, as the Moone setteth after the first evidente appearing after every change (which is commonly the third, or the fourth daye) so followeth the course of that whole Moone: Therfore, considderation would be taken, what disposition the Moone hath the third and fourth daye, and the fourth day especially, in what mansion she will be, to what o­ther Planets she will be applyed in a conjunct opposite or quadrate aspect: and namely, if she apply to Saturne [Page 51] soone after the change, or immediatly before, for then besure of rough weather. But if she be rid the fourth day, of all malevolent aspectes, the mansion wherin she is, being of temperate nature, the whole space of that Moone, commonly for the most part will be faire: and generally note, that if any evill weather is to fall out in the Moone, it falleth with greater effect in the dayes of the quarters and full Moone. But to speake more particularly and exactly of these thinges, it belongeth to a more large treatise then this present, which serveth only for a taist of things that may be spoken herevpon. And my intent was principally, to shew the errour on­ly of the common sort of Prognosticators, that deceiue the people, founding them selues vpon wrong groūds, and thereby make the divine science, of naturall and lawfull Astrologie, to come in mockage and con­tempt.

SEing we are entred in Astronomicall reckoning of times; & there is nothing more necessary and profi­table for all sort of people, that are not trayned vp in Astronomie, then to haue a perfite Kalendar, wherby the right course of the Sunne and Moone being coun­ted and knowen, the true distinction of all times, may be particularly set downe as in a Table, wherein all the actions of men, both concerning Ecclesiastical and civill affaires, may be ordred and done in due season. Concerning the which purpose, it is to be vnderstood, that in all ages, men haue travelled to finde out such a [Page 52] perfite reckoning of the yeare, monethes, weekes, and dayes thereof, as might serue for this vse: Some fra­ming their Kalenders (for so we must cal them for doc­trines cause) to the course of the Sunne, to compt their years thereby, & some to the course of the moone, rec­koning by Monethes, and some labouring to reduce both those reckoninges to an equalitie, & to make their Kalenders to agree to both. The which thrid being the most perfite forme of reckoning and most commodi­ous for all affaires both holy and politick, was first vsed amongst the Godly patriarkes, euen from greatest anti­quitie, whereof wee haue euident Testimonies in the book of God. For in the time of Noah mētiō is made of monethes of the yeare, which coulde not be counted but by a certaine forme of Kalender or Almanack, counting by moones so many Moneths (for moneths take their denomination from the moone) which wee may gather then to haue bene 12. in number, to make out the space of an yeare. And that the same were ruled also according to the course of the Sun, we may haue intelligence by the principal feastes appointed by God in the law, which were not onely affixed to certaine dayes, but also to such times as had respect to the sea­sones of the year ruled by the Sunne, & to the times of growing & winning of the fruits of the groūd, procee­ding from the course of the Sunne. As the first moneth named Abib, tooke the name from the first fruites, be­cause in it was the barly haruest in the cuntry of Pales­tina, as Plinius also testifieth. So was the feast of the Pas­souer, celebrate the 15 day of the first moneth being the first full moone after the vernall Equinoctium, likewise the feast of Pentecost, was the fifth daye of the third Moneth, wherein the first fruites that were made in bread of corne were offred. In like manner after collec­tion [Page 53] of all the rest of the fruites, & namely of wine and oyle, was the feast of Tabernackles, which was celebrat in the reauent moneth. All these feastes hade respect to the course of the Sunne, as I said before. Now to make the course of the Moone to aggree with the Sunne, so that the reckoning of the Moneths might bee confor­med to both, after two or three yeares as the count fell out. The Hebrewes in their Kalender added a certain od month called their Intercalare month whereof men­tiō is made in their almanacks & named it Ve-Adar: the second or posteriore Adar, wherevpon I wil not now in­sist. Alwaies, because this forme of agreeing the years, and framing them both to the course of the Sunne and the moone was thought (as it is in deede) most pe [...]fite, Iulius Caesar, a man of great magnanimitie, & well seene in letters, by the counsel and instigation of Sosigenes, an expert Mathemat [...]cien in those dayes, where as the Ro­mane years very confusedly were reckoned of before vnto the course of the Moone, about the space of 45. yeares before the Natiuitie of Christ, divised a newe forme of Kalender: First framed after the course of the Sunne, diuiding the whole yeare in 365. dayes and six houres: and making it to conteine 12 Moneths where of the names are yet in vse. And because of the od sixe houres, which coulde not bee brought to count euery yeare, he ordained that euery 4 yeare one day shoulde bee added to Februarie, because fouretimes six houres make vppe an whole day of 24 houres. And the yeare wherein this od day falleth, we call commonly Leape yeare. And because it was added at the sixe Kalendas of March. it is named in latine Bissextus, or Biss [...]xtilis annus, for the Romanes diuided their moneths in Ka­lendas, Nonas and Idus. Now Iulius Caesar begouth his yeare at the kalendes of Ianuarie, which was then when [Page 54] the Sun entred in the eight degree of Capricorne, eight daies after the winter Solstiti [...]m, which then being the shortest day of the yeare, fel vpon the 25. day of Decem­ber: And the Spring time Equiuoctium, when the Sun entred in Aries, after that old reckoning, fell vpon the 25. day of March. And the Sommer Sols [...]itium, making the longest day vppon the 25. of Iune. And the harvest Equinoctium, about the 26. or 27. day of September: The which places of the Sun, are now changed and slyden backe in the Iulian Kalendar (by reason of the preventi­on of the Equ [...]noctial, whereof I spak in the fourth pro­position) to the 12. 11. or 10. day of the said Monethes, and 13. or 14. of September. The chiefe cause hereof (be­sides the prevention of the Equinoctial) is that the Iuli­an yeare, reckoned by Caesar, to conteine 365. dayes & six od hours, conteineth somewhat more, then the just calculation For by true Astronomical reckoning, there wil be every yeare, taking off the sixe odde houres, elle­ven minutes of an houre, and certaine secondes: The which, in the space of 130. yeare, or thereby, will make vp an whole daye. And so in the space of 1645. yeares, which is the time since Iulius Caesar set out his Kalendar, there will be [...]ore then the space of thirteene dayes accressed, to be taken away from the count of the odde sixe houres, about the 365. dayes of the Iulian year. For this cause, sundrie learned men of our memory and time, haue earnestly desired, that some Reformation of the Iulian Kalendar might be made to bring the same to the old estate and institution thereof, as it was firste set foorth, by reason of divers inconvenients, that by processe of time, occurre by neglecting thereof. And namely, that the aggreement of the course of the Sun, with the Moone (which two Planets, were ordained of God in the beginning, to distinguish times) cannot [Page 55] thereby, as it is now, be knowen. The which mater, be­ing proponed to divers general councels, could not tak effect; till now lately in our daies, with favour of Pope Gregory the 13. his Cardinals & counsels, it was permit­ted in the 1582. year of Christ, to one Aloysius Lilius, pro­fessor in Mathematical Astronomie, to set downe this long desired reformation: Who having performed the same after his maner, hath thereby purchased a mervei­lous assent of divers Princes & cuntries, to accept & au­thorize the same: Albeit not without divers contradic­tions. For in the year, 1584. in Auspurge of Rhaetia, there fell out a great commotion, both in the Church & civil governement therof. As also the 1585. yeare in Riga of Lituania, great trouble was raised, till finally it was a­greed, that the old Kalendar should stande as it was be­fore, without reformatiō. And many cuntries yet there be, that haue nor accepted not allowed this pretended correction. Now as concerning this reformer Aloysius Lilius, albeit (as it is supposed) he would haue brought the Iulian Kalendar to the old estate, as it was in the be­ginning, or neere thereby, yet they of the Papisticall Clergy, & others to whom the reformation therof was first proponed, would not agree that it shuld be drawen back any further, but to the time of the Nicene councell, which was holden and concluded in the 328. yeare of Christ; herefore hee was forced to begin thereat. And because there interveend betweene that time, and the 1582. yeare of Christ, the space of 1254. yeares, hee brought backe the reck [...]ning of the Iulian Kalendar, onelie tenne dayes, seting foorth a newe Kalendar, wherein he had respect to twelue hundreth years, with so many ods, to wit, 54. yeares: For the which cause, he was also forced to alter the Cycle of the Sunne (the which is not compleeted, but in 28. yeares) and so to [Page 56] change the Sundayes letter to an other thē that which was founde in the olde Kalendar books, nowe this re­formation of the olde Kalendar. albeit it was exactly calculate to the time of the Nicene councel, yet it mak­eth a great change from the reckoning of the old kalendar, and putteth many men in doubt what to follow, whether the olde style of counte or the new. And hath brought great controuersie in diuers places (as partly I shew before) seing that the day of the natiuity of christ & other festiual dayes (as they cal them) & daies of holding faires & mercates, are changed & holden ten dayes before the accustomed times. And merchandes and o­thers in making their contractes and obligationes are often disappoynted of their dayes of payment, with di­uerse others such inconueniences, where as it had bene farre easier, without any such perceptable change (if so great neede had bene to reforme the olde Kalendar) to haue done, as yet it may bedone, if it please Christi­an Princes and countries to agree therevnto, after this manner, to witte, that for the space of 56 yeares follo­wing this 1600 yeare of Christ, there should be no leap yeare at al: But al years to be common & equal contei­ning 365 dayes onely, according to the quantity of the olde Egiptian yeare. So that two cycles of the Sunne should passe by continuall progresse in the Kalendar, by, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, wsthout any variation, during these 56 yeares, to bring it to the first institution, leauing out the foureteene od letters of leape yeare, which are now interlaced in euery two Cycles of the Sunne, for in them are fourteene times foure, which make 14 leap yeares. So by this reckoning 14 dayes being left out in the space of 56 years, the year should come to the same estare wherein it was, at the first setting foorth thereof by Iulius Casar, which was 45 yeares before the birth of [Page 57] Christ. And these fourty fiue yeares, added to the fiftie sixe yeares, before mentioned, make 101. yeares, which 101. yeares being added to 1600. yeares, which nowe haue bene from the birth of Christ, will make vp in the whole, 1701. yeares, which being divided by 130. by true calculation, giue in the quotient, thirtteene whole dayes: and there will remaine after division, twentie odde houres, and fourty sixe Minutes of an houre, la­king only three houres, fourteene Minutes, to accom­plish twenty foure houres: For the fourteen daye, which is no perceptible difference, and will be made vp in the space of sixteene yeares thereafter. And gi­ving this reformation, should not be made till sixteene yeares here after were past, it should make vp the selfe: So by this maner of correcting of the Kalendar, it were casie to bring the Iulian yeare, to the first institution: letting the Cycle of the Sunne, after the 56. yeares be­fore mentionate, returne to the former estate, as it is now set downe in our Almanackes, as for example: If this Reformation should be attempted to beginne in the yeare, 1601. next following. The Sundayes letter, that yeare being D. the Cycle of the Sunne fourteene, the yeare of Christ. 1656. being compleet, the same let­ter should be the Sundaies letter, in the 1657. yeare: & the Cycle of the Sunne, 14. And so consequently, the Cycle of the Sunne, with the Sundaies letter, should proceede as they stand in the old Almanacks, without any variation for many yeares; and, as may be suppo­sed, should neede no further reformation to the ende of the world, which appeareth now shortly to approch. At least, every 134. year, leaving out a leape year, should hold it at the old stand. And this should make no per­turbation nor varietie in the order of the Kalendar, nor in the dates of Obligations, or cōtracts; neither change [Page 58] any of those dayes, which are called, fixed Feasts, from the dayes whereon they are now placed in the olde Kalendare. Let this much then suffice for reformation of the Kalendare, to the course of the Sunne. There is also an other alteration vsed in this late reformed Ka­lendare, concerning moveable Feasts, which commeth by occasion of the course of the Moone, and defecti­on of the Golden number. For the which, it is to be vnderstood, that they that first placed and set downe the Golden number in the Kalendare, as it is now (for it was not Iulus Caesar) set the number of the year ther­of, directly against the day of each Moneth, wherein the Moone then changed: But now the course of the change is flitted forward from those places, four daies with the more. Now this number, called the Golden number, by reason of the vtilitie thereof, whereby it was worthy to be written in Golden letters, was pla­ced in the Kalendar, to agree the course of the Moone with the Sunne (as is supposed) by DIONYSIVS, called EXIGVVS, a certayne Romane Abbotte, who after the Nicene Councell, about the yeare of Christ, fiue hundreth, thirtie two yeares, sette out that Cycle: which is called the Paschall Cycle, or rather corrected that which was set out of before, a two hundreth and nine yeares, by EVSEBIVS CAE­SARIENSIS: This Golden number (I say) which is verye profitable indeede, conteining the space of nine teene yeares, was beleeved by the auncientes, to compryse in the periode or revolution thereof, the exacte course of the motion of the Moone: So, that after the accomplishmente of nine-teene yeares, the Moone did returne to the same course, that shee was in before at the beginning therof: and so they thought [Page 59] it sufficiente to agree the dayes of the Romane Kalen­dar, with the chaunges of the Moone precisely. Al­be-it, it bee of veritie, that the true motion of the Moone, in the space of nine-teene yeares, is more then to agree exactlie to the course of the Sunne, by the space of one houre and an halfe, or thereby, which in the space of three-hundreth and foure yeares, or little more, will make vp an whole daye, wherein the reckoning of the course of the Moone, by the Gol­den number, exceederh the course of the Sunne, and goeth forwardes in our Kalendars. And so in the space of an thousand, two-hundreth, seventy two years, which is from the time of the Nicene Councel, from the which DIONYSIVS reckoned, to witte, from the yeare of Christ, three hundreth twentie eight, vn­this present yeare, a thousand six hundreth years, are foure times, three-hundreth and foure yeares, and more-over, fifty sixe odde yeares, which, adde foure dayes (as was declared) and almost sixe houres of the forward passing of the course of the Moone, attour the reckoning of the Golden number. Now because this DIONYSIVS that placed the Golden number in the Kalendar, tooke no heede to this, or rather vnderstood it not, by processe of time, the changes of the Moone fall not vpon the dayes of the Kalendare, where DI­ONYSIVS placed the Golden number, but foure dayes, and some-times fiue dayes thereafter. And al­so those dayes, which are called moveable Feastes, and namely, the Feaste of Easter or Pasche daye, can­not bee rightlie reckoned by the Cycle of DIONI­SIVS, called the Paschall Cycle, conteining the num­ber of fiue hundreth thirtie two yeares, that is, nine­teene times twenty eight yeares, by multiplying the Cycle of the Sunne, by the Cycle of the Moone: [Page 60] for albeit this man, named Dionysius Exignus, a certaine Abbot of Rome, who lived in the dayes of Iustinian the Emperour, about 500. yeares after the incarnation of Christ, the authour of the Romanes Paschall count or Cycle, intended by setting out of that his Cycle of 532. yeares, to giue a perpetuall and infallible rule, to know the true daye of the celebration of the Paschall feast, called Easter, after the minde and determination of the Nicene councell, which decreed, that all times thereafter, the Feast of Easter should be celebrate vpon that Sunday, which immediatly followed the fourteen day of the Moone (which the Hebrewes hold to be the fourteen day of their first Moneth, called Nisan) next, after the Spring time, Equinoctium, which then fell out in March, as it doth nowe, but not vppon the same day of the Moneth. Yet this Dionysius was deceived in two things. For first (as I haue told) he took no heed, or vn­derstood not, that every ninteene yeare, the Golden number lacketh of the juste reckoning, an houre and halfe an houre, or thereby. Secondly, hee remembred not the leape yeare in his reckoning, or else supposed the Moone to haue a leape yeare, aswell as the Sunne, which very proposterously is called [Saltus lunae] the leaping of the Moone by some; For the Moone hath no leaping, but keepeth a constant course. Herefore it is, that the Cycle of Dionysius, serveth not exactly to count the course of the Moone, and those moveable Feastes: For Easter day, as it is commonly now coun­ted by that Cycle, falleth out often-times a Moneth and more, after the just appoynted time of the Nicene councell. And if we shall follow, the old Romane Kalen­dar and Golden number, set downe by Dionysius, there in minding to celebrate Easter day thereafter; we shall see a great variation from the decree of the councell. [Page 61] For sometime, Easter daye shall fall before the middest of March, the Tuesday called, Fastings even, shall fall in Ianuary: And Whit sunday sometime in April. And af­ter the reckoning of the Hebrewes, our Easter day, shal fal in the Moneth of Adar, the last Moneth of the yeare, and not in Nisan, the first Moneth. For the which, I wil giue you one example. In the yeare of our Lord 1598. lately by past, according to the decree of the Nicene Councell, and late Kalendar, set outby Lilius, Easter day, fell vpon the twelft daie of March, in the olde Ka­lendare and Almancks, whereby we yet reckon in En­gland and Scotland: And Whit sunday vpon the last daye of Aprill: And Fastings-euen, vpon the twenty foure of Ianuary: Whereas after the vulgare maner and count, Easter daie was celebrate that yeare, the sixteenth daie of Aprill, Whit-sunday, the fourth of Iune: And Fa­stings-even, the last of February. Yee see the distance be­tweene the one calculation and the other, is more then the space of a Moneth: what errour it may growe to by proces of time, it is easie by this example to per­ceiue: And so wee must confesse indeede, that the olde Kalendare in this poynt, hath neede of reformation: As also, that Cycle or count, called the Paschall Cycle of Dionysius. Now Lilius in his new Kalendar, to restore that Cycle of Dionysius to the right reckoning, maketh his counte by hundreths, because every 304. yeares, which is the space of sixteene Golden numbers, one day being added to the Golden number of nineteene yeares, supplieth the houres and Minutes of the course of the Moone. But this counte by hundreths, hath di­vers imperfectiones: Namely, because in his Epactes, counting by hundreths, no exact methode can be ob­served; yea, the variety of the course of the Moone, can not so formally bee counted thereby, as by the Golden [Page 62] number, which conteineth lesse space: besides that, the Paschal tearms aggree not oftimes thereto: wheranent you may reade, Ioseph Scaliger, in the end of his learned woork, De emendatione temporum; where also he setteth downe a more perfite reckoning, by a Table of equall Epactes; where-anent, because it is hard to be concei­ved by them that are not wel acquainted with Astro­nomical reckonings, I cease now further to speak. Al­waies, wee shall vnderstande, it is very difficill to finde out ane Cycle that may make an absolute perfite reck­oning, of the course of the Moone, to frame it to anie perpetuall Kalendar: Yea, as Io. Stoeflere wryteth in his greate Romane Kalendare;Propositi­ [...] 37. no Paschall Cycle, may exactly comprehend the same: Which alwaise is best found out by the Epacts, and by the Golden num­ber, receiving a juste correction. Therefore, for the instruction of the common [...]orte of men, best it is by Astronomicall counte, to sette a Table or Alma­nacke, conteining the right reckoning of the course of the Moone, for manie yeares, either by her midde motiones, or by her appearing and true motiones: as Io. Stoeflere did for certaine yeares in his dayes. In the meane time, it shall suffice, for a grosse and com­mon instruction of all men, to place the Golden num­ber in the Iuliane Kalendare, vppon the precise dayes of the change of the Moone, as it is nowe set downe in diverse Kalendars: For that will serue to declare what daye everie change falleth out; and whether it be before or after noone, by adding of the letter B. or A. to everie particulare Golden number, which maye serue for a long season, without anie perceptible vari­ation. And who would knowe more exactlie the houres and Minutes of everie Change, Full, or quar­ter of the Moone, let them gette once by ane Ephe­meride, [Page 63] or right Prognostication, the chaunge of one Moone, with the dayes, houres, and Minutes there­of, and counte to the next change, twenty nine daies, twelue houres, and fourtie foure Minutes: And from the Change to the Full, fourteene dayes, eigh­teene houres, and twentie two Minutes. And for e­verie quarter, seaven dayes, nine houres, and elleven Minutes, proceeding so farre as you lyste, it shall bee the true reckoning of the course of the Moone. As to the Paschall Cycle, we need not be carefull thereof; But take heede to the first full Moone, after the vernall Aequinoctium, and ever the next Sunday thereafter, should be Pasche or Easter day: and thereby, you may propagate an Almanacke for the moueables Feastes, as farre foorth as ye please, after the rule of the Nicene Councell. But to bee too much curious, concerning the observation of those Feastes, it is not necessary for true Christians; for wee know that concerning the re­surrection of Christ, which admonisheth vs to ryse in newnesse of life, everie seventh daye in the yeare, (which wee call the Sundaie or Lordes day) putteth vs in remembrance thereof. And otherwise, wee are fore­warned by the Apostle, Not to be supersititions in observa­tion of times, Gal. [...]. dayes, and yeares, that wee be not brought in Iewish bondage thereby: And againe, That no man shoulde iudge vs in Meate or Drinke, Col. 2 [...] or in respecte of an Holic-daie or of the newe Moone, or of the Sabbothe dayes, which were but shaddowes of thinges to come: But the bodie is in Christe: meaning the substance there­of, was accomplished in Christe. And wee haue no commandement nor ground out of the Scripture, nor any example of Christ or his Apostles, for observation of those daies. For as to the typical Pasche or Passeover of the Iews; it was finished in Christ, when he our true [Page 64] Passeover, or Paschal Lambe was sacrificed for vs: And we (as Paule sayeth) haue now to keepe a feast spiritu­ally,Cor. 5. al the days of our life (putting away the olde leaven of malice and vvickednesse) with vnleavened bread of sincerity and trueth. And the other invented Pasche­tyde or Easter, after the resurrection of Christe, is but the invention of men, how auncient soever it be. So that the great contentiones and controversies that fol­lowed in the auncient Church, for the day wherin the same was to be observed, both before and after the Nicene councell, are skarsely worthy to be recited. And yet Victor Bishoppe of Rome (as that seate was ever proude) for not observing the same day, which he and his adherentes kept, did excommunicate al them of the churches of Asia, that kept an other day. For the which cause, the godly Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons, justly founde great fault with him: Notwithstanding, the Church a­greeing to the observation of such a day, as an indiffe­rent thing, in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ, there is no necessity to counterfaite the lawe of Moyses, in observing the time of the Moone, but it may be fixed to a certaine day of the Moneth, or else, following the full Moone, to finde it out after the ma­ner before recited: Alwaies, our Christian libertye ought not to be prejudged herein: And so I make an end.

EVen as God the author and conserver of all things, in a comely and decent order, hath appoynted an [Page 65] succession and progresse of time, for accomplishment of the naturall course thereof; so hath hee appoynted certaine periodes and revolutiones of time, wherein thinges returne to the same or like estate, wherein they were of before. So wee see in the motions of the hea­ven, which are measured by time (or rather which are the measures of time) the Sunne, the Moone, and the starres, to haue their peculiar and distinct revolutiones, wherein they accomplish their courses, and returne af­ter a limitate and determinate space of time, to the pla­ces from the which they did departe. As the Sunne compleeting his course and revolution, in the space of 365. dayes, and neere sixe houres, or the quarter of an day, ascribeth vnto vs, that space of time, which we cal the yeare, which returning in it selfe, in Latine is tear­med Annus, quasi annulus, taking the similitude from an Ringe. And for the like cause, the auncient Aegyptians, made the figure thereof, in the similitude of a Serpent by ting his owne tayle. The Moone likewise, by her re­volution in the lyft, determineth vnto vs the Moneths, and the Sunne by his dayly motion, sheweth vs the dayes and the houres thereof. The rest of the Planets also, haue each of them their peculiar and determinate recourses of time, wherein they compleit their revo­lution, as Saturne in the space of thirty yeares, or there­by: Iupiter in twelue yeares, March, in two yeares, Ve­nus and Mercurie aggreeing with the course of the Sun. The fixed starres also haue their peculiar motions and revolutions, wherof it is not now necessary more large­ly to speake. It is verifyed also by experience, that infe­riour thinges vnder the heavens haue their appoynted recourses and returnings: Wherevnto SOLOMON hath respect where in his booke called the Preacher, he ma­keth mention of the Elements, the Sunne, the aire, and [Page 66] the water. [...]cles. 1. The Sunne [sayeth he] ryseth and goeth to, and returneth againe to the place from whence it did ryse. The wind (which maketh the moving of the aire) goeth com­passing from the South to the North, turning round about, & [...] by his curcuits. All the rivers go into the Sea, yet the sea is not filled [...]ver. The rivers returne to the places from whence they come to flow. Hee giveth these examples, to shew the revolutions of worldly things, and applyeth it to declare the revolution of the estate of mens ages and liues. So a generation [sayeth he] passeth, and another commeth, and there is nothing new vnder the Sun, but that which is newe, hath bene in the ages before, and the like shall be hereafter: Signifying, that after certaine Periods and courses of time, all worldly and earthly thinges shall returne to their former, or to their like estate, according to the determination and appoynted will of God, as the first cause, and as hee directeth and governeth the second and inferiour causes. And this falleth forth, not onely in the ages and liues of men, but generally in all things worldly that haue a generation, must needs also haue a corruption. So that also in the common-wealths and policies, established by men, for holding vp mu­tuall societies amongst themselues, there be certain pe­riodes of time, which make them to change and alter: which may be found out by experience and ensamples of Histories of all ages, aswell Ecclesiasticall, as pro­fane. The cause thereof, cannot be ascribed to Chance and Fortune, as vnskilfull men doe: for then all these changes should be most vncertaine, neither is it alto­gether to be ascribed to the corrupt manners of men, that cannot long remaine in one estate, but evermore seeke novationes and changes: Albeit it bee, from the better to the worse, although that maie be as a concur­rente cause, but it must needes proceede from an high [Page 67] grounde. Some therefore there bee, that make all these Revolutiones and chaunges, to depende and hange vppon the Revolutiones of the Heaven, which is by the courses, and influences of the Pla­nets and Starres, being therein moderate, and go­verne all inferioure thinges in the Worlde. There­fore, some of them parte the Circkle of the Zodi­ake in Foure Threes, or Quarters, called Triplici­ties: And like-wise, the whole Heauen, and fixed Starres being therein, and according thereto, Prog­nosticate of the estate, and changeing of Realmes, and Empyres of the Earth, attrybuting also vnto everie Region and Kingdome, certaine fixed Starres, to beare particular rule and dominion there. Others haue ane especiall respecte to the moste notable con­junctiones of the Plannets, And namelie, of the superioure Plannettes, and to the Eclipses of the Sunne and the Moone. Others also, more proba­blie respecting the manifolde mysteries of the num­ber of seauen, divide in seavens, the whole periodes of time, according to the number of the seaven Pla­nets, making everie particular Periode, to followe the nature of the Plannets that then raigneth, begin­ninge at Saturne, and descending through the reste. So that the influence of thinges that fall out in eve­rie Periode, may bee founde agreeable therev-nto. It is not to bee denyed indeede, but there is greate force and efficacie in the influence of the Hea­vens, and Heavenlie Lights, to alter and chaunge inferioure thinges, but I can not bee perswaded, tha [...] menne haue yet so farre attayned to the knowledge thereof, as to finde out perfitelie thereby, the gene­rall chaunges and alterationes of Kingdomes, and common-wealthes: Al-be-it it may bee, and is proba­ble, [Page 68] that they haue found out many particulars, con­cerning particular persons. Therefore that which is ga­thered thereby, is involved in great obscurity and im­perfite: Albeit I confes, I haue lately seene a Table, not yet set out in prente (the authors name I will suppresse till he himselfe publish it) wherein, in the space of the side of an through of Paper, the lesse periodes of time, whereof we are to speake, aggree so concerning things falling out thereto, even from the beginning of the world vnto our dayes, with the nature of the seaven Planets in their revolutions and order, that it is mervei­lous, and appeareth not to lacke a great mystery: where of I cease to speake further at this time. For I wil not as­cribe vnto me, the prayse of other mens labours. But to our purpose, it is to be graunted also, that there be many other concurrent causes of the changes of King­domes and earthly governements, which make them to fall from their foundations, or at least to be transla­ted from one estate to an other, which may be spoken generally of the revolution of all worldly things: And namely, Plato, in the eight Booke of his Republicque, maketh mention of three courses of the estates of cō ­mon wealthes, to witte, the rising, flourishing, and the decaying estate, and of foure tearmes of their Periods: The precise time of the which Periodes, he involveth in an Aenigmaticall speech, of two harmonies of num­bers. But vnles we take a better and more sure ground then such Philosophical conjectures, we shall never at­taine to anie sure knowledge of periodes of time, that bring great chances and alterations, either in Ecclesia­sticall or in civill affaires: Therefore we must come to the booke of God, and first lay that generall grounde, whereof Daniel maketh mention: that it is he who alte­reth and translateth kingdomes, and giueth them to [Page 69] whom he pleaseth. And as concerning the periodes of times, of such translationes and mutationes, it is lei­some to inquire and finde out the same also by the Scriptures. For albeit, the Apostles proponing the like question to Christ, after his resurrection, if that was the time wherein he should restore the kingdome to Israel? recei­ved this aunswere,Act. 1. That it was not for them to knowe the times or the seasons, which the father had put in his own pow­er: Yet that is not so to be vnderstood, as though it were not lawful to search out and know those times and sea­sons, which the father hath revealed to be knowen by his Scripturs: or that may be 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,Luk. [...] ▪ 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,Mat. [...] ▪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 [Page 70] 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 [Page 71] God, and of the olde Worlde; that in the first halfe pe­riode of time, to witte, about 245. yeares after the cre­ation,Genes [...]. 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,Genes▪ 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,Gen 6▪ 7. 8 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,Genes. 1 [...]. 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 [Page 72] 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, [Page 73] 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 [Page 74] 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 [Page 75] 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 cō ­teining 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.

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, [Page 76] 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. [...]word. 10 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,Apoc [...] which also, are figured, by seaven burning Lampes; and in Exode, Exod. [...]5. by the seaven graved Candle-stickes. Likewise, in Zachary, Za [...]h. 3. & [...]. 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.Act. [...] 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. Luk. [...]. And in an other place, how when the vncleane spirite goeth out of a man, hee goeth about seeking rest, [...], 12.and when he findeth none, hee passeth and taketh vnto him,Luke 11seaven 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, [...] ▪ 119 That the iust man falleth, seaven times a day: And [Page 77] 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,Apoc [...] 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. Chap.▪ [...] 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 [Page 78] 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.

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, cōteining 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 [Page 79] passe in this yeare, by the preceeding reckoning. For if the reckoning fall not,Apoc. [...] 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?Mat. [...]and of the ende of the Worlde? Mark. 13. He maketh his aunswere in two, resolving all these three questiones,Luke. 21. 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,Matth. [...].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 [Page 80] 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 Barchosha [...], who feined himselfe to be Messias: And Iudas Galilaeus and The [...]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,Act, [...]. 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 [Page 81] 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 [Page 82] 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. [...]od. 10. 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 [Page 83] 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 [Page 84] 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 [Page 85] 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 cōtrary 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 cōpleiting of 5555. years, frō 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 [Page 86] 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, [...]. Tim. 3. 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 Vi [...]le, and the beginning of the seaventh (vnder which now we are) agree together, as they doe in all the reste. Nowe the [Page 87] 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,Apocal. 7. 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 obscuratiō of the Sunne, and the reste of the signes therein specified, de­clare great troubles in general, corruption & darkning of the truth, with bloudy persecutiō, & 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 [Page 88] 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 f [...]llen foorth 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.Apoc. 8. 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 [Page 89] 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.Apoe. [...]. 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 [Page 90] 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.Apoe 10. & 11. 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 [Page 91] 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,Chap. 16.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,Psal. 1 [...]. vpon the wicked, God shal raine snares fyre & 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 cō ­fusiō of al things in the world, that the lik hath not bin [Page 92] 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.