A Golden Chain

The second circumstance, is the time of his judgement: in handling whereof first let us see what is the judgement of men, secondly what is the trueth. For the first, two opinions touching this time take place. The first is, that the second coming of Christ shall be about six thousand years from the beginning of the world, and that for the Elects sake some of these days must be shortened: and now since the beginning of the world, are passed five thousand & almost six hundred years so as there remains but four hundred. The grounds of this opinion are these. First the testimony of Elijah, two thousand years before the law: two thousand years under the law: and two thousand years under Christ. And for the elects sake some of these years shall be shortened. Answer. This was not the sentence of Elijah the Thisbite, but of another. ⟨p. 421⟩Elijah which was a Jew no prophet. And whereas he saith: two thousand years before the law: and two thousand years under the law, he faileth. From the giving of the law to the coming of Christ, was about one thousand and five hundred yearest and from the law to the creation above two thousand. Now if Elijah cannot set down a just number for the time past, which a mean man many do, what shall we think that he can do for the time to come? And if he deceive us in that which is more easy to find, how shall we trust him in things that be harder? The second reason is this: How long god was in creating the world, so long he shall be in governing the same; but he was six days in creating the world, and in the seventh he rested, and so proportionally he shall be six thousand years in governing the world; every day answering to a thousand years, as Peter saith: A thousand years are but as one day with God, and then shall the end be. Ans. This reason likewise hath no ground in Gods word: as for that place of Peter, the meaning is, that innumerable years are but as a short time with God:¹ and we may as well say, two thousand or ten thousand years are but as one day with God. For Peter meant not to speak any thing distinctly of a thousand years, but of a long time. Thirdly it is alleged, that within six thousand years from the creation of the world, shall appear in the heavens strange conjunctions, and positions of the stars, which signify nothing else but the subversion of the state of the world:

The second circumstance, is the time of his iudgement: in handling whereof first let vs see what is the iudgement of men, secondly what is the trueth. For the first, two opinions touching this time take place. The first is, that the second comming of Christ shall be about sixe thousand yeares from the beginning of the worlde, and that for the Elects sake some of these daies must be shortned: and nowe since the beginning of the worlde, are passed fiue thousand & almost sixe hundred yeares so as there remaines but foure hundred. The groundes of this opinion are these. First the testimonie of Elias, two thousand yeares before the lawe: two thousand yeares vnder the lawe: and two thousand yeares vnder Christ. And for the elects sake some of these yeares shall be shortened. Answer. This was not the sentence of Elias the Thisbite, but of another.