Miscellaneous discourses concerning the dissolution and changes of the world wherein the primitive chaos and creation, the general deluge, fountains, formed stones, sea-shells found in the earth, subterraneous trees, mountains, earthquakes, vulcanoes, the universal conflagration and future state, are largely discussed and examined / by John Ray ...

CHAP. IX. (Book 9)

The fifth Question answered; At what Period of Time shall the World be dissolved?

5. THE Fifth Question is, At what Period of Time shall the World be dissolved? I answer, This is absolutely uncertain and indeterminable. For since this Dissolution shall be effected by the ex∣traordinary Interposition of Providence; it cannot be to any man known, unless extra∣ordinarily revealed. And our Saviour tells us, that of that Day and Hour knows no man, no not the Angels of Heaven, &c. Matth. 24.36. And again, Acts 1.17. It is not for us to know the times and the sea∣sons, which the Father hath placed in his own power. And this Dr. Hakewyll brings as an Argument, that the World decays not, neither tends to corruption; because if it did, the time of its actual Dissolution might be collected and foretold; which, saith he, the Scripure denies. We may in∣vert this Argumentation, and infer; Because

the World doth not decay, therefore the time of its Dissolution cannot be known.

But yet notwithstanding this, many have ventured to fore-tell the time of the end of the World, of whom some are already con∣futed, the term prefixt being past, and the World still standing. Lactantius in his time said, Institut. lib. 7. c. 15. Omnis expectatio non amplius quàm ducentorum videtur annorum, The longest expectation extends not further than two hundred years. The continuance of the World more than a thousand years since con∣vinces him of a gross Mistake. Paulus Greb∣nerus a high Pretender to a Spirit of Pro∣phesie, sets it in the year 1613. induced thereto by a fond conceit of the Numeral Letters in the Latin Word Judicium. Other Enthusiastical persons of our own Countrey have placed it in the years 1646. and 1656. The event shews how ungroundedly and er∣roneously. Others there are, whose term is not yet expired, and so they remain still to be confuted.* 1.1 As those who conceit that the end of the World shall be when the Pole-Star shall come to touch the Pole of the Equator, which (say they) ever since the time of Hipparchus hath approached nearer and nearer to it. That it doth so I am not satisfied; but if it doth, it is merely acci∣dental, and hath no connexion with the end

of the World. But the most famous Opi∣nion, and which hath found most Patrons and Followers even amongst the Learned and Pious, is that of the Worlds duration for six thousand years. For the strengthe∣ning of which Conceit they tell us, that as the World was created in six days, and then followed the Sabbath, so shall it remain six thousand years, and then shall succeed the Eternal Sabbath. Heb. 4.9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. There remains therefore a rest or Sabbath to the people of God. Here we see that the Apostle institutes a compa∣rison between the heavenly rest and the Sabbath. Therefore as God rested upon the seventh day, so shall all the World of the Godly rest after the six thousandth year. For he that hath entred into his rest ceaseth from all his works as God did from his. Of this Opinion were many of the Ancient Fathers, as I shewed before, grounding themselves up∣on this Analogy between the six days of the Creation and the Sabbath; and the six thou∣sand years of the Worlds duration, and the eternal rest; For saith Irenaeus lib. 5. cap. ult. Hoc autem (that is, the History of the six days Creation and succeeding Sabbath) est & praeteritorum narratio, & futurorum pro∣phetia. Dies enim unus mille annos significat, sicut Scriptura testatur: 2 Pet. 3.8. Psal. 90.4.

the Scriptures reckoning days of one thou∣sand years long, as in verse 8. of this Chap∣ter, and in Psal. 90.4. This is likewise a re∣ceived Tradition of the Jewish Rabbins, re∣gistred in the Talmud, in the Treatise Sanhe∣drim, delivered (as they pretend) by the Prophet Elias the Tishbite to the Son of the Woman of Sarepta, whom he raised from the dead, and by him handed down to Posterity. I rather think with Reuterus, that the Author of it was some Rabbi of that name. The Tradition is, Sex millia annorum erit mundus: & uno millenaria va∣statio i. e. Sabbathum Dei: Duo millia inane: Duo millia Lex: Duo millia dies Messiae. Two thousand years vacuity: Two thousand years of the Law: Two thousand years the days of the Messiah. But they shoot far wide: For according to the least account, there passed a far greater number of years before the Law was given, 2513. saith Reuterus, and on the contrary less time from the Law▪ to the Exhibition of the Messiah. All these Proofs laid together do scarce suffice to make up a probability. Neither do those Rabbinical Collections from the six Letters in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the first word of Genesis, or from the six Alephs in the first Verse of that Book, each signifying a thousand years; or from the six first Patriarchs in the order of the Genea∣logy

to Enoch, who was caught up to Hea∣ven and found no more, add much weight to this Opinion. S. Austin very modestly con∣cludes after a discussion of this Point con∣cerning the time of the Worlds duration, Ego tempora dinumerare non audeo: nec ali∣quem prophetam de hac re numerum annorum existimo praefinivisse. Nos ergo quod scire nos Dominus noluit libentèr nesciamus.

But though none but presumptuous per∣sons have undertaken peremptorily to de∣termine that time, yet was it the common and received Opinion and Perswasion of the Ancient Christians, that that day was not far off: and had they been to limit it, they would hardly have been induced to set the term so forward, and remote from their own Age, as by experience we find it proves to to be in their own times, or shortly after; and many places of Scripture seem to favour that Opinion, so that some have presumed to say, that the Apostles themselves were at first mistaken in this particular, till after fur∣ther illumination they were better informed. But though this be too bold a Conceit, yet that the Churches, at least some of them, did at first mistake the Apostles meaning in their Sermons and Epistles concerning this Point, and so understand them, as to think that the end of the World and final Judg∣ment

was at hand, appears from 2 Thess. 2.2. I beseech you, Brethren, that ye be not soo•• shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by Spi∣rit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Wee see the Apostle labours to rectifie, and for the fu∣ture to prevent this Mistake: so likewise the Apostle Peter in the 8th and 9th Verses of this Chapter. And yet this Opinion had taken such deep root in them, that it wa•• not easie to be extirpated, but continued for some Ages in the Church. Indeed there are so many places in the New Testament which speak of the coming of Christ as very near that if we should have lived in their time and understood them all as they did, of hi•• coming to judge the World, we could hard∣ly have avoided being of the same Opinion. But if we apply them (as Dr. Hammo•• doth) to his coming to take vengeance on hi•• enemies, then they do not hinder, but tha•• the Day of Judgment, I mean the genera•• Judgment, may be far enough off. So •• leave this Question unresolved, concluding that when that day will come God only knows.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Du Mou∣lin.