THe first two Letters J take to signifie sixe or the sixth , numerally so expressed the third letter in like sorte expresseth an hundred or the hundreth . the one that followeth as the fourth letter with the caracter of s & M ioyned thus : I interpret vno simul millenario , also one thousand . The Caracter following is an I , hauing in it contained an F thus : which beeing placed next the s M & not on the other side of the F , sheweth that it is to be pronounced before the I : & on that side lesse annoyeth the proportion of the I , I conceiue it to signifie finitis or finientibus , ending or ended , the I. I take to stand for iuste . The next caracter is an V an M & an I ioyned & coupled which may well signifie viuos mortuosque iudica turus , to iudge the quicke & the dead . The last letter on the left side is with a tittle on his head , which I interpret to stand for Iesus . On the other side , the first letter is an v thus the next wherin I finde an e thus an N a T thus an V thus an R thus an other V thus : an S thus , which all put togither , make this woord VENTVRVS . The last Caracter , is an V with a minum on the oneside & a tittle thus the minum & the tittle make an s & an m , & so the woord is sum . which ioyned with the former : is venturus sum , I will come , if the tittle had been ioyned to the rest , the s had been perfect , but them no way intimated , but by the placing of it as it is , them by the tittle is expressed , & the s●●●●●ly intimated .

The nu●ber h●●● expressed of one thousand six hundreth , is well woorthy the consideracion , for besides that it is a square number of highest perfection , as beeing foure times foure : S. Iohn in the 14. of the Reuel : vers. 20. includeth in that number , very great misteries , mencioning therin both a time of the execution of Gods iudgement against his aduersaries , & also the eternitie of that execution , discoursing immediatly before of the end of the World , reciting the parable of Christe out of the 13. of Math. The haruest is the end of the world & the reapers be the Angelles . &c. the Sonne of man shal send foorth his Angells , & they shal gather out of his kingdome all thinges that offend , & them which doo iniquitie , and shall cast them into a furnace of fier , there shall be wayling and gnashing of teeth . Then shall the iust men shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father . He that hath eares to heare let him heare , he vseth also in a manner the very woordes of the Prophet Ioell . Ioel. 3.13 . Put in your sithes , for the haruest is ripe , come get you down , for the wine presse is full : yea the wine presses runne ouer , for their wickednes is great , and then concludeth . And the wine presses were trodden without the Cittie , and blood came out of the wine presse , euen to the horsse bridles , ( that is to the very princes & gouernors of the people ) by the space of a 1000. and 600. furlonges . In the Scriptures besides there is found oftentimes comparisons betweene the first Adam and the second , betweene the ende of the world , and the flood of Noe , wherto Christe hath especiall relation in the gospell : Sith them from the creation of the first Adam , to the flood of Noe , there were of hundreds of yeeres , but sixteene , what know we if the same number , or the like of yeeres shall be betweene the birth and in carnation of the second Adam , and the end of the world ? Surely our best will be , to be alwaies readye , although of the daies and times we may not determine . Moreouer for our better comfort we are to note the woord VICI , which is cleare without obscuritie , that the language may appeere to be Lattin , wherin the mistery is to be sought , and especially to shewe that Antichrist is ouercome by the spirite of Christes mouth , and shortly shal be abolished by his glorious comming . Lastly , that like a Grant he hath runne out his race in his militant Church , since his incarnation that his trueth is spread to the endes of the world , and as it is in the 19. Psal. That the heauens , Psal. 19. ( that is , the Church and faithfull people of God ) declare the glorye of God , and the firmament , that is the lawes sheweth his handy woork , that one day telleth another , that is , one plaine testimony confirmeth another , and one night certifieth another , that is , one mistery expoundeth another , that there is neither speeche nor language , but their voices are heard among them , their sound , that is the sounde of his woord and Ministers is gone out into all landes , and their woordes into the ends of the world . In them hath hee set a Tabernacle for the Sonne , euen for him selfe the sonne of righteousnes , which commeth foorth as a Bridegroome out of his chamber , and reioyceth as a Giant to run his course : it goeth foorth from the vttermost part of heauen , and runneth about to the end therof againe , and there is nothing hid from the heate therof . This misticall sence , of this Psalme , though by a singuler learned man whome I both rewe and reuerence , vndiscreetly reproued . The holy Ghost by S. Paule , hath taught vs in the Rom. 10. vers. 18. Rom. 10.18 . n = " * " Luk. 24.44 . And Christe telleth vs that all must be fulfilled that is written of him in the lawe of Moses , and in the Prophets , and in the Psalmes , wherfore as our most bright glorious Sonne of righteousnes at his firste entrye into this Zodiake , discouered him selfe by the voice of Angells in the feelde vnto Shepheards , as it were in Ariete the firste signe , so he seemeth vnto me now , hauing in a manner finished the course of his Zodiake , and being realy to bring vs into the eternall sabaoth , to warne vs by diuine caracters , shewed ●t Sea in fish vnto fishers , as it were in Piscibus , the last signe therof . And that Christe is likened vnto the Sunne , hath beene obserued by diuers learned men , and especiallye by that most famous and learned Gentleman , Iohn Picus Earle of Mirandula , in the 4. chap. of his seauenth book of his Heptaphis , or exposition vpon the firste of Genesis , his woordes are these . Si numerus quaternarius plenitudo est numerorum , nonne erit dies quartus plenitudo dierum ? videte igitur quid nobis afferat quartus dies . Coelum secundo die firmatum , id est , lex sine sole & luna , ac stellis erat , capax quidem futurae lucis , sed obscurum adhuc nec insigni aliquo lumine illustratum aduenit dies quartus , quo sol , Dominus firmamenti , id est , Christus , Dominus legis , & lunaris ecclesia Christi compar & sponsa , & qui multos ad iustitiam erudirent , Apostolici doctores in firmamento vti stellae in perpetuas aeternitates elucescerent ad aeternam scilicet vitam mundum vocantes . Of the same minde were the auncient Hebrewes and Thalmudistes , who holde it as a principle , that the sixe daies of the creation betokened the sixe thousand yeeres of the worlde , so that the first day should prefigure thinges to be doone in the firste thousand yeere , the second day the euentes of the second thousand yeere , and in like sorte the rest of the dayes , the rest of the other thousand yeeres , as hath beene obserued among the Hebrewes , by Moses Gerundinensis , a Deuine with them of great account among the learned Fathers , by S. Hierom. in the exposition of the Psal. attributed to Moses , among the late writers by Stelco a Germaine , in his booke of the second comming of Christe , and very worthilye to be noted are the woordes of the Earle of Mirandula , to the Iewes . Quid caecisolem expectatis ? adest sol & lucet sed lucet in tenebris & tenebrae vestrae illum non comprehendunt , preteriit dies quartus quo ortus est sol qui non dissoluit legemsed perfecit siout neque sol firmamentum destruit sed exornat , sed perficit , sed illustrat , probauimus ex or dine quarti diei & tempore aduentus Christi ( qui in fine quarti millenarii quasi quarti diei advenerit ) intelligenda de eo quae his dicuntur , quiaper nullam aliam rem imaginari Christum congruentius possumus , quam per solem . Nam & in sole posuit tabernaculum suum , & exiit de tribu Iuda , cuius signum est Leo , Solare animal & cum solem in republica Plato visibilem filium dei appellet , cur non intelligamus nos imaginem esse inuisibilis filii . Qui si lux vera est illuminans omnem mentem , expressissimum habet simulachrum , hunc solem , qui est lux imaginaria illuminans omne corpus , sed quid alia quaerimus , ipsum solem interrogemus qui patiente Christo aduersa luna deficiens , consensum nobis suae naturae euidenter ostendit , vt iure optimo nos ne tanquam altiorem causam diem , quam vocant mathematici , Solis , diem Domini vocauerimus & illius cultui totam mancipauerimus . Vel huic ostendentes non esse cur amplius corporeum solem ( vt olim gentes ) colamus quasi reg●●● caeli & Dominum , postquam sol innisibilis coaeternus patri & coaequalis , ●er quem & coelum & terra condita su●● sedentes in ●mbra mortis homines illuminauit . Moreouer the Thalmudists by a tradition from Helias , attribute the time of Christes comming to the ende of the fourth thousand yeere , and the world after to continue for two thousand , but thereof some yeeres they saye shall be abridged , for the iniquitie that in those dayes shall raigne . The woordes are these . &c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉

THe Sonnes or Schollers of Helias said , the world shall continue sixe thousand yeeres , two thousand void , two thousand the Lawe , two thousand Christ , and for our sins which are many , those yeeres are cut off , that are cut off . Most blinde therfore and peruerse are the Iewes that see not this most bright resplendent and euer glorious Sunne , shining in the firmament of his church , and with no lesse blindenesse are the Papists striken who acknowledge not the woordes of Esdras in this age to be perfourmed , where he prophesieth that after the third trumpet , the Sonne , that is Christe by his gospell and trueth shall sodainlye shine againe in the night , which after the third fiue hundred yeeres , after Christes firste comming we see accomplished . Of the errour and ignoraunce of former times , what can be plainer then his woordes preceeding , which are these . Beholde the time shall come , that they whi●● dwell vpon the earth , shal be taken in a great number , and the way of the trueth shall be hid , and the land shall be barren from faith , and iniquitie shall be increased more then thou hast seene now , or hast heard in time past , and it shall come to passe , that one shall set in foote , and thou shalt see the land desolate , which now raigneth . That is , Antichrist shall put in foot with his spirituall Babilon , and the other Babilon which then raigned , should be desolate . Yea if God graunt thee to liue , thou shalt see after the third trumpet that the Sunne shall sodenlye shine againe in the night , and the Moone three times a day . Which manifestlye sheweth , that the gospell and doctrine of Christe shal be republished vpon earth , and giue vnto the church after long darkenes , wonderfull illumination : which also he sheweth in his 2. book , chap. 7. For my sonne Iesus shall appeere with those that be with him , and they that remaine shall reioyce within foure hundred yeeres . Which was performed by the peace and prosperitie of the church , after Constantine the Great , in whose time the cruell persecution of the church by the Romaine Emperours did cease , after the same yeeres , or the same number of yeeres , shall my Sonne Christ dye , and all men that haue life : that is , the trueth of the doctrine shal be extinguished , and the faithfull teachers shal vtterly decay , by the end of the like number of yeeres ▪ & the world shal be turned into the olde silence , for seauen daies , as in the former iudgmentes , so that no man shal remain , that is , for seauen hundred yeeres the world shall returne to ignorance , superstition , & grosse idolatrie , as in the time of Paganisme , so that no man shall remaine sound and sincere in the trueth . But after seauen daies , the world that is yet a sleep , shal be raised vp , and that shall dye , which is corrupt : that is , after those seauen hundred yeers , the world that slept in ignorance , shal be raised vp vnto knowledge , the trueth shal be republished , and that shall dye that is corrupt , that is Babilon shall fall , errour and Idolatrie shal perish and decay . Then the earth shal restore those that haue slept in her , and so shall the dust those that dwell therin in silence , and the secret places shall deliuer the soules that were committed vnto them , and the most high shall appeere vpon the seate of Iudgement , and miseries shall vanishe away , and long suffering shall haue an end , all which signifie the ende of the world , and finall iudgement . Fiue thinges are orderlye intimated vnto vs , by this prophesie , first the appeering of Christ in the fleshe with his Apostles and Disciples . Secondlye the persecutions of the Primitiue church , and the ende thereof . Thirdlye the obscuration and decay of the trueth , with the worlds returning into former ignorance and idolatrye . Fourthlye , the restitution of the trueth and decay of errour . Fiftly and lastly , which wee are now shortlye to expect : the resurrection of the dead , and last iudgement .

Heerunto may well be added the obseruation of some learned men of the misteries contained in the woord בראשית In principio , the firste woord of Genesis , and of Saint Iohns gospell , which waide , will not onlye acquainte vs with the Bresith of the Thalmudists , but also lift vp our mindes to the Cabalistes Mercana , and giue light vnto these secrets that we haue heere intreated off . If we ioyne the third letter of that woord vnto the firste , it maketh אב if doubling the first , we adde the second we finde בבר if besides the firste wee reade the rest , it is ראשית if the fourth be put to the first and last , it maketh שבת if the three first be read togeather , it is ברא if the first left out the three next be read , we finde ראש if we leaue the two first , and reade the two nexte , it is אש if we ioyne the fourth with the last , it maketh שת if the second with the firste , it produceth רב if the two first with the two last , it yeeldeth ברית if the last with the first , it maketh תב so that out of this one woord , thus varied and deuided according to the rules of the ancient Hebrewes , we finde twelue woords deduced . Thus interpreted in the English .

The Father in his Sonne and by his Sonne , hath created the beginning and ending , or Sabaoth , beeing the head , fire and foundation of the great man in & by a good league or couenaunt .

That God hath created all thinges in Christe Iesus his eternall wisdome : Saint Paule witnesseth in the firste to the Colossians , where he teacheth vs , that Christe is the Image of the inuisible God , the first begotten of euery creature , for by him were all thinges created , which are in heauen and earth , thinges visible and inuisible , whether they be thrones , or Dominions , or principallities , or powers , all things were created by him and for him , and he is before all thinges , and in him all thinges consist , and he is the head of the bodye of the Church , he is the beginning and the firste borne of the dead , that in all thinges he might haue the preheminence , for it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnes dwell .

Thus we see all thinges are created in him and by him , and that he is the beginning and ending or Sabaoth , as him selfe testifieth in the Reuelation , Chap 22. saying : I am Alpha and Omega , the beginning and ending , the first and the last .

Moreouer we are to consider what the great man is , whose head , fire and foundation is Christe , the Sonne of God . It is doubtlesse the Church his misticall bodye , most rightly tearmed magnus homo , and not the world , as Pious Earle of Mirandula , though singularly learned , erroniously dooth enterprete .

This great man , the Church , the misticall bodye of Christ hath the Sonne of God for his head , as Saint Paule before hath taught vs , as also we learne in the firste to the Ephesians , that Christe is set at the right hand of the Father in the heauenlye places , farre aboue all principalities and powers , might and domination , and euery name that is named , not in this world only , but also in that that is to come , & that God hath made al thinges subiect vnder his feet , & hath appointed him ouer al things to be head of the church . That he likewise is the foundation , the Apostle teacheth vs , 1. Cor. Chap 3. other foundation can no man lay then that which is laide , which is Christe Iesus . That he is the fire that tryeth and purgeth , that shineth and enlightneth , that warmeth and comforteth it , we are taught in the Scriptures : so learn we of Paule in the place last recited , euery mans woork shal be made manyfest , for the day shall declare it , because it shal be reuealed by the fire , and the fire shall try euery mans woork , of what sort it is , so Christ himselfe telleth vs , Luke chap 12. I am come to put fire on the earth , and what is my desire but that it be already kindled .