The Right Reckoning of Years and Ages of the World, Proposition 2
SECOND PROPOSITION.
That this present yeare of Christ, 1600, by right reckoning, is neither a Sabbaticall yeare, nor yet a yeare of Iubilee. And that the true Iubilee of Christians, is alreadie accomplished: With a detection of the abuse of the counter faited Iubilees holden at Rome.
NOt without weighty causes, hauehave I so long insisted vponupon 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, vntounto 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 hauehave fallen. For through ignorance of the antiquitie of times, hee esteemed the world to hauehave bene from all eternitie, and these (to witte, the Epicutians) counted the nature of all things to hauehave 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 hauehave vsed this kinde of Sabbatical reckoning, becaus one of the chief purposes, that presenttie I hauehave 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 hauehave 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 vntounto thee seaven Sabbathes of yeares, even seven times seaven yeares:… and the space of seaven Sabbathes of yeares, will be vntounto thee nine and fourtie yeare. Then thou shalt cause to blowe the Trumpet of the Iubilee, in the tenth day of the seventh MonethMonth: To witte, in the beginning of the fiftieth yeare, which was commanded to be hallowed, and to be a yeare of Iubile… vntounto 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 hauehave bene confounded, and could not bee holden in just counte; which is contrary to the minde of the Law-giver. And yet the fiftieth yeare, by a common Phrase of speaking, was called the yeare of Iubilee. As the Olympiades of Greece, albeit they conteined but the space of foure yeares, are called by Pindarus, and other Poets, the spectacles or vassallages of fiue yeares, because they returned everie fift yeare; And we commonly call the space of an week, eight daies, albeit it conteineth but seaven. So it is evident, that the right count of Iubilees, proceedeth from everie 49. to other 49. yeares. Now let vsus considder the bastard Iubilees, begotten and feyned by the Popes of Rome, wherevnto they hauehave no respecte to Sabbaticall yeares, whereof Iubilees (as the law required) are made vp. But Pope BONIFACE, the S. Pope of that name, the first father and inventer thereof, in the yeare of Christ, 1300. tooke the whole compleit number of everie hundreth yeare, conteining twise fiftie, for his Iubilee. And CLEMENT the 6. reduced the same to everie fiftie yeare compleete. And after him, PAVLE the 2. to everie 25. yeare. And finallie, IVLIVS the 2. to everie tenth yeare. Ever diminishing the yeares; to augment their Antichristian superstition, and the vent of their vngodlie wares. So vnstable and changeable is the estate of that vsurped Kingdome. This then is the first errour of those counterfaited Iubilees, concerning the times of the appoyntment thereof: That they are nothing like in reckoning, to the Iubilees of the Lawe, which those Apish juglares pretend to imitate. And as concerning this 1600. yeare, from the Nativitie of Christ, whether wee count by the number & date of these yeares, or by the yeares from the beginning of the Worlde, it will neither be found a Sabbatical year, nor yet a year of Iubilee. For dividing 1600. by seavens, it leaveth 4. odde yeares remaining ouer 228. weeks of yeares: And dividing againe this quotient by 7. it leaveth 4. od weeks of years, aboue and attour 32. Iubilees. The like may be also found, if we shal divide the whole yeares from the creation of the world, to this present. For 5548. being parted by seavens, leaveth four odde yeares. And the quotient againe, which is, 792. being divided by seavens, after 113. Iubilees, leaveth one od weeke of yeares. And so the appoynted times, of these new-invented Iubilees, are no-wise rightlie reckoned to counterfaite the Iubilees of the Law. The second & greater errour is, that they make their reckoning from a wrong ground, to wit, from the Nativitie of Christ: wheras, if any such reckoning were to be made, it shuld be taken from the yeare of the suffring & death of our Saviour Christ; to the which, Daniel reckoneth his Sabbaticall yeares. For thereby Christ accomplished the true Iubilee, putting ende to all the preceeding figuratiue Iubilees, & purchasing vntounto 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 vsus make a conference betweene these & the olde Iubilees of the Iewes. The year of Iubilee of the Iewes, was called the yeare of remission, because in it, all debtes were remitted, and the Landes that were solde, returned to their former owners. These thinges had the expresse commandement of God for their warrant. The Papisticall Iubilees hauehave no ground of the word of God, but hauehave 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 vnderunder 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 vntounto 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 hauehave 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 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 vsus all to become worse and worse. Now where some of his Sophistes saye, that these are onelyonly 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 onelyonly 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 giuegive 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 merciemercy, and fi…mly beleeue 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 hauehave no grace to seek merciemercy at Gods hand, who hath only power to giuegive 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 onelyonly in the name of Christ and by his blood (the which,… as Iohn testifieth, purgeth vsus 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 hauehave 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 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 onelyonly 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.