A15859:23
Speculum Christianum
Speculum Christianum or, A Christian survey for the conscience Containing, three tractates of that eminent, grave, and learned divine, master Hierome Zanchius. 1. Of the end of the world. 2. Of the perseverance of the saints. 3. A summary abridgement of his protections. Englished for the good of Gods church, and for a warning to wicked and impenitent men. By H.N.Speculum Christianum or, A Christian suruey for the conscience Containing, three tractates of that eminent, graue, and learned diuine, maister Hierome Zanchius. 1. Of the end of the world. 2. Of the perseuerance of the saints. 3. A summarie abridgement of his protections. Englished for the good of Gods church, and for a warning to wicked and impenitent men. By H.N.
London: printed by George Eld, 1614
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The second Capital point is; whether we can attain to know when the end of the world shall be? It is a case manifest whether we be all led with a desire to know when the end of the world shall be. For this affection even the Saints were taken withal, the Prophets and Apostles. Of Daniel it is manifest in Cap. 12. After that he heard of the Angel, that is, of Christ, touching Antichrist, and what things should be accomplished in the end of the World, he asked the Lord, saying verse. 8. O Lord what shall be the ••d of these things? as for the Apostles, it ⟨p. 11⟩appeareth Mat. 24. Act. •. Lord, when shall these things be? Therefore it is a natural inclination in all to desire the knowledge of things to come; specially when the end of the world shall be: Now the question is whether this can be known of us? The Lord Jesus taught that it no way can be known, when he said, Of that day & that hour no man 1knoweth, no, not the Angels of Heaven, but the father only knoweth; that is, the certain time, wherein these things, by me foretold to you, shall come to pass, the father only know eth, yet in all ages there have been some, and that in the Church of Christ, who have given out it might be known, some indeed certainly, and they have presumed to determine thereupon a certain number of years, (such is mans presumption) from the first unto the second coming of Christ; others probably and in such sort, as that in searching this time they did contend, that no great error could follow, and therefore ⟨p. 12⟩they used sundry conjectures, whereby they assayed to determine, in some fort, how much time as yet remained until the next coming of Christ. Although verily there be great difference between the •• merity of the one sort▪ and curiosity of the other; yet as the one is utterly to be disproved and condemned, so the other (for my part) I cannot give approbation unto. For true p• ety requireth that we be certain indeed that the end of the world shall be, and that the Lord will come, but when that is, what either day, or month, or year, or age, both it shall be and he shall come, we must of necessity confess ingenuously our ignorance, and that by no means it can be known according to the doctrine of Christ.