4. Controv. That there are no certaine periods of kingdomes.

Pappus here noteth, that concerning the periods of kingdomes, they are for the most part quingentorum annorum, of fiue hundreth yeares, or halfe so much: as the Assyrian Empire continued 520. yeares: from the going out of Israel are counted 480. yeares: and thence to the captiuitie of Babylon 430. yeares: from thence to the comming of Christ 490. yeares: the kingdome of Athens from Cecrope to Codrus, continued 490. yeares: and so long the commonwealth of the Lacedemonians from Lycurgus to the ende and subuersion thereof: Some kingdomes continued but halfe the time of this periode, as the kingdome of Israel in Samaria 262. yeares: the Persian Monarchie 230. the kings among the Romanes raigned 245. yeares.

Contra. 1. First they can define no certaine periode of kingdomes: some will haue 500. yeares the periode, some 700. some an 120. yeares: and here before diuerse examples are al∣ledged of vnlike continuance.

2. The examples are impertinent: the Assyrian Empire is held to haue continued aboue a 1000. yeares: the state of the Iudges exceeded not 300. yeares: the 490. yeares till the com∣ming of the Messiah, take not beginning from the captiuitie, but from the reedifying of Ie∣rusalem after the captiuitie, as is euident, Dan. 9. and in that time there were great alterati∣ons in the commonwealth of the Iewes.

3. But many contrarie examples may be produced: the Romane state after the kings were expelled, vnder Consuls and Dictators eudured aboue 600. yeares: The dominion of the Turkes hath borne sway a 1000. yeares, the kingdome of France hath continued a 1200. yeares: the state of Venice 800. And for short continuance, the Monarchie of the Athenians exceeded not 50. yeares: nor the Chalde Empire many aboue 70. This therefore is a vaine obseruation, of any such certaine and definite periode of kingdomes.

4. Further in that this Chaldean Monarchie was dissolued because of their iniquitie, two other errors are met withall. 1. of them which thinke that the alteration and change of king∣domes is ruled by the constellations, and aspects of planets: the Chaldeans were very expert in such contemplations, who could foresee no such thing, that their Monarchie was so neere vnto an ende. 2. they are also here confuted, which thinke there is a fatall destinie of king∣domes, that by an ineuitable necessitie, which dependeth vpon the connexion and concur∣rence of certaine secundarie causes, commonwealths come vnto their fatall ende: We see in this place that no such second causes here concurred, but it was Gods decree, and the writing of his owne hand, which dissolued the Babylonian state for the iniquitie thereof.