A Strange and Wonderful Trinity, Postscript
POST-SCRIPT.
'Tis true when this Sabbatick Jubilee ſhall begin, no mortal man can determin the Hour, Day, Mouth, or Year, Tacente Scripturà, Taceamus & nos; where the Scripture hath not a Mouth to ſpeak, we ſhould not have a Tongue to ask: no man nor Angel knows when the Son of man will come to Reſtore all things, Matth, 24, 36. Acts 3, 21. The Truth is Certain, that it ſhall be, but the Time is Vncertain, when it will be: for the Scripture is ſilent upon a 2 fold account (1) to ſuppreſs our Curioſity; eorum quae ſcire, nec datur, nec fas eſt, Docta eſt Ignorantia ſaith Auſtin: An Itch of knowing ſecrets, is a ſort of madneſs ſaith Calvin, Arcana Dei ſunt Arca Dei, a prying into Gods Secrets (which belong not to us Deut. 29, 29. may have the ſame meaſure with preſumptuous prying into Gods Ark. 1. Sam. 6, 19. and Peter gives the ſame charge againſt Curioſity, as againſt Theft or Murder, 1. Pet. 4, 15. Tu fuge ceu peſtem foreign. To be too pragmatical and inquiſitive after matters unrevealed, falls under a ſevere Reproof Acts 1, 6, 7, 11. Judg. 13, 18. God hath ſet us our Bounds (as Exod 19, 12.) His Revealed will, we muſt be wiſe to Sobriety, not above whats written. The 2d Account is, to oblige our Vigilancy, Ideò later vnus Dies, ut obſerventur omnes ſaith Auſtin. Chriſt would not tell his Diſciples the day or time of his Return (though he told them all that was expedient John 14, 2, & 16, 7. yet pronounces them 3 times Happy, that are always upon their watch, Luke 12, 37, 38, 43. ſo Mark 13.37.
Nevertheleſs, we may ſafely ſay, this Day of Redemption Draweth nigh, and muſt now be at the very Door as may further be Demonſtrated, as it is with the Microcoſm or little World (Man) ſo 'tis with the Microcoſm or great World: As Mans firſt Age is Infancy reckon'd from his Birth till he be 7 y. old: His 2d Age is Childhood from 7 to 14. His third is Adoleſcency or his ſtripling Age from 14 to 21. His fourth is his Youth from 21 to 35. His fift is his middle Age or Fulneſs of Strength which laſts from 35 to about 50. (theſe 2 laſt are uneven Numbers, laſting longer in the Courſe of Nature, than the former 3 wherein Natural Vigor is ſhooting up in growth; as a plant till it come to its foreign or full Strength; then comes the ſixt his old Age, wherein he declines daily and droops towards the Earth from whence he came, therefore is it call'd the evil Age Eccleſ. 12, 1. (ſenium & malum are convertible Terms) becauſe it is attended with manifold Maladys and Miſerys, then he ſaith with Iſaac [Behold now I am old and I know not the Day of my Death] Gen. 27, 2. and with Jacob [behold I dye, and the Time draweth nigh that I muſt dye] Gen. 47, 29. and 48, 21. and with Paul [I proteſt that I dye daily] 1, Cor. 15, 31. Even ſo it is with the great World whoſe Infancy was to Enoch the firſt Climacterical Conjunction, it's Childhood to Noah at the ſecond, it's Adoleſcency to Moſes at the third; it's Youth to Solomon &c. at the fourth; it's middle Age to Chriſt at the fift, it's old Age brings in Charls the Great at the ſixt: This is further illuſtrated thus, Paul the Apoſtle adjuſteth this Metaphor, not only comparing God to a great Houſeholder who diſpoſeth of Times to his Family the World (as the word [foreign] ſignifies) in which Diſpenſation, there is a Time of Tutorage, Pupillage and Pedagogy (which comprehends all thoſe Times before Chriſt, whoſe coming in the Fleſh He calls the Fulneſs of Time twice over. Gal. 4.1, 2, 3, 4. and Eph. 1, 10. that is, the full grown Age of the World and of the Church in the World to be freed from Wardſhip &c. And the ſame Apoſtle calls the Times afterwards the Ends of the World. 1. Cor. 10, 11. which can ſignify no other than its old Age. the very Lees and Dregs of Time: So the ſame Apoſtle calls them the laſt (and therefore the worſt) Days. 2. Tim. 3, 3. and the Lord is at Hand. Phil. 4, 5. the Author to the Hebrews calls them alſo the laſt Days Hebr. 1, 2. and the End of the World. Hebr. 9, 26. and the Apoſtle James ſaith the Coming of the Lord draws nigh, and the Judge is ſtanding at the Door I am 5, 7, 8, 9. and the Apoſtle Peter ſaith, the End of all things is at Hand. 1. Pet. 4.7. and 2. Pet. 3.3. and John the Apoſtle, ſaith expreſly, it is the laſt Time, and we know it is the laſt Time. 1 John 2.18. and He further addeth, yet a little while, and Chriſt will come quickly. Revel. 1.7. and 3, 11. and 22, 7, 12, 20. So that all the Apoſtles ſeem to expect then the End of the World, and Paul points to his own Body, when he ſaid [this Corruptible ſhall put on Incorruption &c.] 1 Cor. 15, 53. and expected by the coming of Chriſt, to be Changed rather than to Dye, 1 Theſſ. 4, 17. yet after, other things were Revealed to him, 2 Theſſ. 2, 2, 3. &c. And ſo to John likewiſe in his Seal and Book-propheſy, Wherein he diſcovers, 1. The Fata Imperii, 2. the Fata Eccleſiae (as a Seal repreſents the State, and a Book the Church) All to be Accompliſhed before the End, or they might have Reſpect to the 3 Ages of the World (according to Elias's Diſtribution) 1. before 2. under the law, 3 under the Goſpel, no New Rule or Revelation was to be expected after this laſt Which they therefore call'd the end of the World: However they had deſired to know ſome Signs of Chriſts coming and of the End of the World Matth 24, 3. Thinking verily that the World could not ſtand longer than the Temple, nor poſſibly out laſt it, as if it had been the Atlas and principal Pillar to ſupport it: for Solomon had ſaid (at its erecting and Dedication,) I have ſurely built God an houſe to dwell in for ever. 1 Kin 8, 13. and 2 Chron 6, 2. that is, ſo long as the World ſtands it ſhall ſtand, which was but conditional, Hence the Diſciples jumble theſe 3 queſtions together 1. what be the Signs of the Temples Ruine, 2. of Chriſts ſecond coming, and 3. of the End of the World. The Lord Anſwers all the Three, in declaring diſtinct Signs of Jeruſalems Deſtruction, and promiſcuouſly mixing them with the other, but in v. 30. He ſingles out a Sign of his own laſt and moſt glorious coming, which ſome ſuppoſe may be ſome Extraordinary Comet or Blazing Star, as his firſt Coming was by a Bright Star, that led the Wiſemen to Bethlehem: and if ſo many prodigys attended Chriſts paſſion, ſurely many more may attend his Return in Glory and the end of the World, many ſtrange Commotions in Heaven, Earth and Sea, Luke 21, 25. and Matth. 24, 6, 7, 29. Houſes uſually give a great Crack when they are Ready to fall, and ſo will the Great Houſe of the World, yet may there be ſome ſpace betwixt the Sign and the thing ſignifyed, The end may be neer, but not yet, Matth. 24, 68, 33. Luke 21, 9. Therefore 'tis ſaid [That day and hour knoweth no man Matth. 24.36. nor Angels, neither the Son, but the Father only, Mark 13.32. Ordine videlicet ſciendi…a ſe, non ab-alto.] The Son knows it not (in his humble State) but from the Father, as he ſubſiſteth and worketh from him, John 5, 19. &c. 20. Chriſt as man knew not all things at once but did grow in knowledge gradually, Luke 2, 52. till after his Aſcenſion, tis ſaid, God gave the Revilation of all things to Him Revel. 1, 1.
Yet ſome Men, yea good Men have made bold to pry into this forbidden Ark of this vnknown Arcanum both among Antient and Modern Writers as appeareth in Bucholcers Chrinology, and in Alſteds alſo page 494. gathering the Coming of Chriſt from the Numerical Letters of [Jeſus Nazare…us Rex Judaeorum] the firſt Letters of which 4. Words (to wit, J. N. R. I.) the Romaniſts ſtill write upon the Top of their Crucifixes, and from the Numberals of [videbunt in quem transfixerunt] They ſhall look on him whom they have pierced Zech. 12.10. The former pointing to y. of Grace 1532. and the latter to the y. 1533. I may add, Joachimus Abbas pitch'd the End of the World upon the y. 1258. Arnoldus de Villanova upon the y. 1345. M…chael Stiphelius upon St. Lukes Day in the y. 1533. Cyprianus Leonitius upon the y. 1583. Johannes Regiomantanus upon the y. 1588. (which was the year wherein the proud Spaniards would have brought a Doomſday on England in Q. Elizabeths Reign by whom God wrought a great Deliverance from it:) Adelbertus Thermopedius upon the y. 1599. April the 3. &c. All which Childiſh Conjectures even of Learned men Time it ſelf (the beſt Comment upon Hidden, vncertain-Myſteries) hath already given a ſevere Cenſure and Certain Confutation: no plauſible Salvo's can be Adminiſtred to ſolve them from Lyes: Come we next to thoſe that have given their Gueſſes upon this 16th Century (wherein this Climacterical Conjunction muſt fall by the Rules aforeſaid) and ſo forward to future Time. I find ſundry good and Learned men, who fix the end of the World upon 1656 or 1657 y. and for proof they make uſe of that Chronogram MVnDi Conf Lagrat Io. (whoſe Numeral Letters [MDCVII.] amounts to that year) further Alledging, that the Univerſal Deſtruction of the old World by the General Deluge happened about 1657. from the old Creation (when alſo there was a Climacterical Conjunction) ſo may it be likewiſe about 1657 y. from Chriſts Reſurrection (which was a New Creation) as the Eloud was ſo long from the old: And this opinion is farther confirmed with the words of Chriſt [as the Days of Noah were, ſo ſhall the Coming of the Son of-Man be.] Math. 24, 37. which ſeem to intimate, that as there were ſo many years betwixt the Creation of the old World, and its 1ſt. Deſtruction by Water, ſo there ſhould be as many years betwixt the Reparation of Mankind, (by Chriſts Reſurrection) and the laſt Deſtruction of this New World by Fire, which will be the Diſsolution of all old Things, and a Reſtitution of New Heavens and a New Earth &c. 2. Pet. 3.11, 12, 13. Acts 3.21. See Selneccer, Paedag. Chriſt. part. 2. pag. 374, 375. and ſundry Neotericks all concurring with this Conjecture reckoning from (not Chriſts Birth, as our common Computation is, but from) His Reſurrection, as before, Which advances the Account to the 17th Century: Thus Nich. Cuſanus pitch'd upon the y. 1700. yet Cardan upon 1800. and Picus Mirandula upon 1905. &c. others ſay, the World ſhall continue till all the Stars return to the ſame point from whence they took their Progreſs at the firſt, and where that was, who knowes.
The Dutch Divine Sheltco (whoſe Book is call'd a comfortable Diſcourſe of Chriſts 2d coming, tranſlated by Mr. Thomas Rogers the Publiſher of our 39 Articles) concurs with Elias's Notion of the Worlds laſting but 6000 y. and ſaith, Orphe… Verſe imports it.
foreign.
That is, in the ſixt Age or Thouſand God will deſtroy the World, which not only Plato but Caſpar Peu…erus applauds: He makes Enoch a Figure of the laſt Time, the 7th Millennium, for as Death had Dominion over the ſix firſt Patriarks, Adam, Seth, Enos, Kenan, Mahal…leel and Jared (who all dyed) but upon the 7th from Adam, Enoch, Death had no power: So Death ſhall have Dominion over Mankind for 600 y. but at the 7th, Death ſhall looſe its Sting: This great Truth Jude hints at in v. 14, 15. ſaying Enoch the 7th from Adam foretold Chriſts laſt coming: Thus alſo Elias (call'd the 7th from Adam by Computation, as Enoch is by Generation) ſeems a Type hereof, for ſix Prophets (to wit, Adam, M…thuſalah, S…m, Jacob, Amram and Ahiah) went before him, then was Elias the 7th, who was tranſlated likewiſe, to ſhew that the 7th Millennium will bring the like Glory: Yet He thinks (Chap. 2 and 3) that Chriſt will come before the 6000 y. be expired. For (1ſt.) the Sabbath began at the Evening of the ſixt Day before it was quite expired. (2ly) Elias (in Talmud) ſaith, ſome years ſhall be wanting, for Chriſt will haſten his coming becauſe of wickedneſs (3ly) to omit his 4. Eſdras 5, 45 &c. which admits of Exception, this agrees with Chriſts words, Matth. 24, 22. (4thly) never ſo many Ecclipſes, Comets, Conjunctions &c. for many Hundred y. paſt, which are Signs of Chriſt haſting to come, to which I add (5thly Chriſt hath 6 Comings all expreeſſd in Scripture) betwixt his firſt and laſt, as (1) after his Reſurrection. (2) at Pentecoſt (3) at Jeruſalems Ruine (4) to the 7 Churches of Aſia (5) in the 6 Seals (6) to deſtroy Antichriſt: And (6ly) this Trebble great Conjunction may vſher in his laſt, being hard to paralel it, Saturn began his Direct motion March 23 (82 meets Jupiter October 9th after begins Retrograde 9…ber 20 (as Jupiter doth on 26) ſo they meet again on Jan. 30 (83 and Jupiter begins his Direct Motion on March 26. (83. ſo they meet again on May the 2d 83.) Luther on Gen. 1 ſaith, oporiet ingeniis luſus ſuos concedere, modo abſit ſuperſtitio; Mr. Greenhil takes this Liberty in his Faſt Sermon (43 April; as a great Conjunction vſher'd in Ruining of the old Jeruſalem, ſo may this at Rearing of the New. All theſe Comets and Conjunctions canot be Dumb Signs, but warn us of Good or Evil according as we are. I ſaw Mars in Conjunction with the Moon on this 16 of 8ber. while the Superior Planets were in theirs not much varying their Diſtance. Upon this 19 of 8ber I obſerved, that now got under him a little oblique to the Right-hand; ſo hath made more than a Semi-circular Motion about him, though at a little farther Diſtance. There may be a Myſtery in this Motion, eſpecially if Benign Jupiter gain the Upper hand of Sullen Saturn again: Suppoſe the worſt, that the laſt Bite of the Beaſt be not yet over; but he ſhall once more Tread vnderunder foet the outer Court (as Bp. Ʋſher ſaith) ſo more eaſily come at the Witntſſes in the Temple to ſlay them, yet ſhall they have a ſpeedy Reſurrection and Aſeenſion &c. Let therefore this 7th and laſt great Conjunction be reckon'd (if not a Spectator) at leaſt a foreign of the 7th Trumpet and 7th Vial, which will as certainly deſtroy Antichriſtianiſm (yea and Mahometamſm too.) as ſure as the 7th Seal hath deſtroyed the Heatheniſm of the Roman Emp…re, and ſo Vſher in the New Jeruſalem. The courſe of theſe Planets are call'd the Clocks of Gods Eternal Counſels. Telling the Times of greateſt Remark, as (1) of Enoch's Tranſlation (2) Noahs Flood, (1) Moſes Deliverance, (4) Solomons Glory (5) Chriſts Redemption (6) Charls the Greats Greatneſs, and (7) the Lambs Marriage with the Bride, oh that our Redeemer may be as a Roe skipping over Mountains to ruine the Reprobate, and reward the Righteous; Let not Men Jeer, where they ſhould Fear, 2. Pet. 3.3. &c.
FI…IS.
ERRATA.
Page 21. line 12. Read 20 for 26. l. 34. R. fift for firſt p. 2…. l. 16. for Tables, R. Fables p. 29. l. 40. (R. many for may l. laſt foreign p. 32. l. 11. R. there for their, &c.
ADVERTISEMENT.
The Author of this Diſcourſe is not the Author of the 2d packet, as the Author of the firſt will aſſure ſuch as Enquire.
End of the text · Christopher Ness, A Strange and Wonderful Trinity (1683)