There is no cause why, considering it is without authority of the word, as that which is not in the Scripture, and of Elijah the Prophet; but of another Elijah, neither Prophet, nor son of a Prophet. Beside that, the untruth thereof doth manifestly appear; considering that both before the Law, there were more then two thousand; and under the Law there were less then two thousand, by sundry hundred years. And where it is said, that for the elects sake those ⟨p. 277⟩days shall be shortened; it is spoken of the slaughter days of the Jews by the Roman, in the destruction of Jerusalem, and not of the latter day. For it is rather true, that the end of the world is deferred for the elect; for that there shall be an end thereof, as soon as the number of the elect be come into the world and fulfilled;1 and for that the day of the Lord shall not come, until all the prophecies in the book of the Apocalypse be fulfilled: Last of all, that the iniquity of the wicked be come to a full measure, which the Lord observing in other judgements, will in that most fearful judgement much more observe. Howbeit, this opinion is strengthened, in that the world shall be governed six thousand, in a proportion of one thousand years to every of the six days wherein it was created: the proof whereof is drawn from Saint Peter; who saith, that with God a thousand years are as a day. This reason interfereth with the other; for the other saith, that there shall be cut off from the last two thousand; where this presupposeth a full accomplishment of them; otherwise it cannot be proportionable to the days of the creation, which was not accomplished but in the full number of six days; the same space and time being taken in the creation of the last day, which was used in any of the rest. And as for the place of Saint Peter, it is not so narrowly restrained to one thousand years, but that it may be retched out further: for unto God two thousand years is not so long as one day are unto us; which is the comparison which Saint Peter speaketh of.
There is no cause why, considering it is without authority of the word, as that which is not in the Scripture, and of Elias the Prophet; but of another Elias, neither Prophet, nor son of a Prophet. Beside that, ye vntruth therof doth manifestly appeare; considering that both before the Law, there were more then two thousand; and vnder the Law there were lesse then two thousand, by sundrie hundred yeers. And where it is said, that for the elects sake those ⟨p. 277⟩daies shall be shortened; it is spoken of the slaughter daies of the Iewes by the Romane, in the destruction of Ierusalem, and not of the latter day. For it is rather true, that the end of the world is deferred for the elect; for that there shall be an end thereof, assoone as the number of the elect be come into the world and fulfilled;1 and for that the day of the Lord shall not come, vntill all the prophecies in the booke of the Apocalyps be fulfilled: Last of all, that the iniquitie of the wicked be come to a full measure, which the Lord obseruing in other iudgements, will in that most fearefull iudgement much more obserue. Howbeit, this opinion is strengthened, in that the world shall bee gouerned six thousand, in a proportion of one thousand yeers to euery of the six daies wherein it was created: the proofe whereof is drawne from Saint Peter; who saith, that with God a thousand yeeres are as a day. This reason interfeereth with the other; for the other saith, that there shall bee cut off from the last two thousand; where this presupposeth a full accomplishment of them; otherwise it cannot be proportionable to the daies of the creation, which was not accomplished but in the full number of six daies; the same space and time being taken in the creation of the last day, which was vsed in any of the rest. And as for the place of Saint Peter, it is not so narrowly restrained to one thousand yeeres, but that it may be retched out further: for vnto God two thousand yeers is not so long as one day are vnto vs; which is the comparison which Saint Peter speaketh of.
