The general session conteining an apologie of the most comfortable doctrine concerning the ende of this world, and seconde comming of Christ, written by Thomas Rogers. The first part, wherein for the comfort of the godlie is proued not onely that God wil, but also that he doth iudge this world.

CHAP. 1. (Book 1)

That it is not onelie comfortable vnto the godlie to heare; but also commendable for euerie Christian, reuerendlie to entreat of the seconde comming of our Sa∣uiour Christ. (Book 1)

SVCH is the nature of al men generalie, bee they bad or good, that what theie loue, wan∣ting it, theie long for. As the couetous for profite; the epicure for pleasure; the bondman for libertie; the banished for his natiue countrie. So doe Christians for the cōming of their Christ: and that so much the more earnestlie as heauenlie ioies are better than the com∣fort of this world; & the felicitie to come more excellent and surpassing than pros∣peritie

present, betweene which there is no comparison.

Hence the faithful doe crie, Come Lord Iesusa 1.1. And therefore, as theie long ex∣ceedinglie for his returne: so doe theie à thousand times more hartilie reioice, when theie heare but an inkeling that he is at hande, than doe worldlinges at the newes of anie profit towardes them.

Which of late theie haue notablie de∣clared, especialie in England, by the wel acceptation of à treatise, to this purpose entitled, Of the ende of this worlde, and second comming of Christ &c. A work both liked of the godlie, allowed of the lear∣ned, wel bought-vp of al sortes, and of∣ten imprinted in à smale time. Not∣withstanding, what through the securitie of Atheistes;* 1.2 the malice of Heretiks; y^e ig∣norāce (shal I cal it ennie rather, or both?) of som it hath bene oppugned, & vndis∣cretelie, vnorderly, & vncharitably cōdē∣ned. Wherfore, knowing how thākfully,* 1.3 and gladlie the virtuous of this land haue accepted that worke; and seeing how vn∣christianlie others haue condemned the same, I haue thought it my duetie, ha∣uing now some leasure, and being some instrument of bringing that discourse in∣to

our English tongue, both for the com∣fort of y^e one sort, and confutation of y^e o∣ther, to entreat once-againe of the second comming of Christ. And surelie it is not vane curiositie either for me to write, or for anie christian to thinke thereof; but mere security wer it, either quite to forget or but seldome to cal y^e same to mind. For is it cōmēdable to prognosticat y^e seasons of the weather for the safetie of y^e body; & it is not cōmendable to search-out the time of our redēption; so far foorth as the word of God wil permit, for our euerla∣sting welfare? Are they rebuked which re∣garded notb 1.4, and cōmended that search∣foorth c 1.5when, & what time the first cō∣ming of our sauiour should be; and shal theie be blameles y^e seeke not earnestlie for his second cōming? Shal our sauiour so gratiouslie foreshew y^e signes immediatly before his cōmingd 1.6, and shal we neglect them?* 1.7 Shal he tel vs, that when we see al those thinges doe come, he is at the doorese 1.8, & shal we thinke with mockers, that he wil not come at alf 1.9 or not so sone? Shal he, as our Lorde and master,* 1.10 com∣mand vs to watchg 1.11, to take heedeh 1.12, to praiei 1.13, to looke-vp, & lift-vp our headsk 1.14, when those tokens do but begin to come

our redemption draweth neere, and shal not we obeie him? O most wretched we, if we doe not; but blessed, if we do! For, blessed is that seruant whome his master, when he commeth, shal finde so doingl 1.15

My mind is not to set an houre,* 1.16 à daie, à yeere, or anie season of his comming, that were extreme impietie: but my purpose is, through Gods assistance, to proue especialie that he wil come, how soone no man knoweth, no not the An∣gels of heauenm 1.17, and that to keepe both my selfe, and others from securitie. For he which thinketh the end of al thinges to be at hande, as saith à right learned mann 1.18 wil flie sin for feare of punishment; con∣tinue in godlines in hope of the promises; en∣dure aduersitie through the cogitation of glo∣rie; and in prosperitie be meeke, through thin∣king of the blessed immortalitie to come, of which theie onelie shalbe partakers, which reteine faith and à good conscience vnto the end. For theie who finish their liues on this wise, shal come vnto God euē the end of their desires, who shalbe seene without end, alwaies loued, and neuer loathed, and euer praised, but neuer misliked. And then at length shal∣be fulfilled that canticle, Blessed are theie which dwel in thine house, ô Lord, for euer

and euer, theie shal praise thee.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Reue. 22, 20.
• * 1.2

  Aduersaries to this doctrine.
• * 1.3

  The occasion whie this dis∣course was writ∣ten.
• b 1.4

  Luk. 12, 56.
• c 1.5

  1. Pet. 1, 10, 11.
• d 1.6

  Matt. 24, 3. 4. &c.
• * 1.7

  Mark. 13. 4. 5. &c.
• e 1.8

  Mat. 24, 33.
• f 1.9

  2. Pet. 3. 3, 4.
• * 1.10

  Matt. 25, 13.
• g 1.11

  Matt. 24, 42, 43. &c.
• h 1.12

  Mark 13, 23. 33.
• i 1.13

  Luk. 21, 36.
• k 1.14

  Luk. 21, 28.
• l 1.15

  Mat. 24, 46.
• * 1.16

  The sūme of this treatise.
• m 1.17

  Matt. 24, 36.
• n 1.18

  N. Hēmin∣gius in cap. 4. e∣pist. 1. Pet.