The Right Reckoning of Years and Ages of the World, Title page – To the reader
A NEWE TREATISE OF THE RIGHT RECKONING OF YEARES, AND AGES of the World, and mens liues, and of the estate of the last decaying age thereof, this 1600. yeare of Christ, (Erroniouslie called a yeare of Iubilee) which is from the Creation, the 5548. yeare. Conteining sundrie singularities, worthie of observation, concerning courses of times, and revolutions of the Heauen, and reformations of Kalendars, and Prognostications: with a discourse of Prophecies and signes, preceeding the latter daye, which by manie arguments appeareth now to approch. With a godlie admonition in the end, vponupon the words of the Apostle, to redeeme the time, because the dayes are evill.
By M. ROBERT PONT, and aged Pastour in the Kirk of Scotland.
The heades are set downe in certaine Propositions, in the Page following.
LVKE. 17.
As it was in the dayes of Noe, so shall it be in the dayes of the Sonne of man
EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT WALDE-GRAVE, PRINter to the Kings Maiestie. Anno 1599. Cum Priuilegio Regio.
The propositiones and heads to be handled in this Treatise.
1. THat the most sure reckoning of the ages of the worlde, is by Sabbathes or weekes of yeares, and that they who count without respect thereof, are in an errour, and that by iust account this 1600. yeare of Christ, is from the beginning of the world, the 5548. yeare.
2 That this yeare of Christ, 1600. by right reckoning, is neither a Sabbaticall yeare, nor yet a yeare of Iubilee: and that the true Iubilee of Christianes is alreadie accomplished: with detection of the abuse of the counterfaited Iubilees holden at Rome.
3 That the Iubilee of the Papisticall Romanistes, neither doth rightly counterfaite the Iewes, neither the Seculare yeares of the auncient Romanes. And of diverse manners of reckoning the ages of the Worlde, and of mens liues.
4 That in our time, the signes and revolutiones of the heaven are changed and remooved from the olde accustomed places: And therefore the vulgare Prognosticators reckoning, by the olde rules are in an errour.
5 That the Iulian or Romane Kalendare, might receiue an easier reformation, and that the late attempted reformation thereof, is not well taken vp, but giveth occasion of errour in reckoning.
6 That there is a merveilous sympathie of periodes of times, in reckoning by seuens, & by Sabbatical yeares, and of the manifold mysteries of the number of seauen.
7 That there is an appearant dangerous alteration to fall out this yeare, & within few yeares hereafter, and of the Prophecies and signes declaring to vsus, the world to be neare an end.
8 An admonition to all men to prepare themselues, and to redeeme the time because the dayes are evill.
TO THE RIGHT REVEREND… NOBLE LORD, ALEXANDER SEYTON, L. Vrquhard and Fyvie, President in the Senate of Iustice, and Provest of Edinburgh, &c. All health and felicitie in Christ.
YOur Lordshippes gentle humanitie toward all honeste and well-hearted men, and namely, towards me, since my first acquaintance, hath mooved mee, to dedicate to your honour, this parte of the fruite of my studies, knowing, that amongst the rare Mecenases of this Land, your name is with the highest ranke, vnderunder his Maiestie to be mentioned. The first cause (I confesse) that mooved mee to publish this Treatise in our English tongue, was to disswade the too curious conceites of certaine men, desirous to be at Rome this approching 1600. yeare commonly called a year of Iubilee, wherof they shuld receiue no profit, but rather domage, with losse of time & expenses. For your L. knows wel ynough the maners of Rome, & (as I am perswaded) allowes not of that pompose superstition: yet if your L. wil take paines (not being fashed with more weighty matters) to reade this whole discourse, I trust you shall finde other heads, whereof you shal like verie well, that hauehave troubled the heades of learned men, and not bene so exactly found out. Wishing your L. to accept of this smal token of my good fauor towards your honor, and to accept of me amongst the clientele of your friendship, wherfore God-willing, ye shall not finde me vnworthie. To whose almightie protection, I commit your L. This last of October. 1599.
Your L. ever ready to power in God. ROBERT PONT.
TO THE READERS.
HAVing in hand a more large work… concerning controllment and examination of times, by occasion of this incident 1600. yeare of Christ, which is reckoned by the Papistes and others, applauding to their superstition, to be a yeare of Iubilee; I thought good to prevent that errour, by this little Treatise: discevering thereby the vanitie of divers men of this Ile, & of others far cuntries, who with great los of time and hazard, not onelyonly of their substance and liues, but also of their soules and consciences, minde to visite that Idole the Pope, and to be present in Rome, onelyonly to see his yeare of Iubilee: falsely being counterfaited to the imitation of the Iubilees of the Iewes, but indeede derogatory to the true Iubilee, and spirituall libertie purchased vntounto vsus by our Saviour Christ. And for-as-much as this instante yeare is the ende of a great Period of time, to witte, sixteene hundreth yeares, from Christ his nativitie, wherein there appeares diverse great mutationes, to fall out, aswel in the estate of Religion, as in civill affaires and common wealthes: I hauehave herewith, not onelyonly discovered diverse erroures, in reckoning of times, and ages of the Worlde, and laboured to finde out the right reckoning, but also touched the revolution of the heauen, and reformation of Kalendars and Prognostications, and declared my iudgement, concerning the Prophecies and signes of the latter day, appearing nowe shortly to approche. If any be not satisfied with the brevitie of this Treatise, I re…itte them to my more ample discourse, to be set out in Latine (if GOD graunt me abilitie and time) wherein the proofe of these propositiones, with other matters of the like arguments, will be conteined at large.
Read, learne-well, and try,
Then judge advisedly.