the Papists of their goods and riches and according to their demerits put them from al their dignity yet neverthelesse shee had not as yet attayned for that time such reformation for which rightly it could be called a wholy city The Pope was banished but the Papisme was retained as is manifest frō those sixe articles made the next yeere after that the Monasteries were broken downe Wherein it was thus ordained That under the forme of bread wine there is the true and naturall body and blood of Christ and that after the consecration the substance of bread and wine remaineth no longer That the receiving of the whole supper of the Lord is not necessary to salvation and that under whether of the formes you will whole Christ is contained That it is not lawfull for Priests to marry That the vowes of chastety are to be kept That private Masses are to be retained That auricular and secret confession of sinnes is profitable and necessary These uncleannesses defiled Englād that it could not be the dwelling place of God at that time ¶ And blood came out of the wine presse Blood by an elegant metaphore is the juyce of grapes but it commeth neerer to the iuyce of these who are now spoken of by a certē property of speech For it is that calamity which came of the overthrowe of the Pope which was so great that not onely the whole countrey was moist therewith but also it overflowed to the horses bridles Wee have heard that they to whom this businesse was committed of destroying the dennes and to confiscate the goods riding with a great traine visited almost all the houses through the whole countrey which office while they execute so great havock was made of the Papists riches that horses might seeme to swime in their spoyles as it were in a deepe river of pressed grapes But beside this I suppose an other greater thing to be signifyed to wit that not onely the common sorte of men who were no lesse cheerefull to execute this busines then horses are to the battell became greatly enriched and increased by these meanes but also the Noble men themselves and Peeres of the Realme who are as it were the raines to governe the common people made also very great gaine thereof It is knowne well inough that the beginning of many mens Nobility came from hence and other mens farre greater abundance For thē was ther scarce any at least of any value and reckening who went not to purvey wood when this oke did fall ¶ By the space of a thousand and sixe hundreth furlongs That is through the whole countrey of England A thousand sixe hundreth furlonges make two hundreth English miles But the length of the countrey from the furthest part of the South to the farthest ende of the North part is more by an hundreth miles but if wee shall take away the Northen wast ground where the countrey nigh the boundes is desert and unhusbanded which these grapes that is religious nation dreaded greatly as too colde an ayre delighting in the Sunnie and most pleasant places wee see also a mervailous consent even in this parte In this wise therefore is the vintage of England so manifestly declared by the agreement of all thinges that it is not to be doubted but that this alone is the naturall application of this type And nowe wee perceive with what singular skilfulnes the Spirit hath described all memorable thinges which should come to passe in the Church even till the yeere 1556. In this chapter he stayeth at the yeere 1540. but the eleventh chapter hath supplyed that which is wanting here since that time The thirteene Centuries describe most cleerely even to the yeere thirteene hundred the acts of the Dragon and of the Beast From thence our countrey man Iohn Foxe beginning at Weckliefe with whom you may ioyne Iohn Sleidane and Gaspar Peucer followeth on the thinges remayning even to the seventh trumpet Because of this their more aboundant and greater knowledge of things past which the diligence of these should bring to men under the blowing of the seventh trumpet the Spirit hath made this repetition now agreeing with their narrations The whole Prophecy of these three chapters is from the time of Iohn unto the yeere one thousand five hundreth and fourty that is of a thousand foure hundreth fifty yeeres CHAP. 15. AND I saw another sign in heaven great marvelous seven Angels having the seven last plagues for by them is fulfilled the wrath of God 2 And I saw as it were a glassy sea mingled with fyre and them that had gotten victory of the Beast and of his Jmage and of his mark and of the Number of his name standing at the glassy sea having Harpes of God 3 And they sung the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God almighty just and true are thy wayes King of saincts 4 Who shall not fear thee ô Lord and glorify thy name For thou onely art holy for all nations shal come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made-manifest 5 And after these J looked and loe the Temple of the tabernacle of testimony was opened 6 And ther came forth the seven Angels which had the seven plagues out of the temple clothed with pure and bright linen and girded about the brests with golden girdles 7 And one of the fowr Beasts gave to the seven Angels seven golden vials ful of the wrath of God which liveth for evermore 8 And the Temple was fylled with the smoke that proceded from the majesty of God and from his power and no man was able to enter into the Temple til the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled The Analysis HITHERTO have been the things past of the seventh trompet so farre forth as under it they were more fully known then at any time heretofore now folow the things to come of which the common type is in this chapter and then the special execution in the rest of the book The type first summarily sheweth how seven Ministers are prepared which should take vengeance on the enemies verse 1. Also what should be the state of the Church conversing among the Gentiles until the Angels executed their office The pourtraiture whereof is set forth by the glassy sea mingled with fire and in the victours and the Harpers ver 2. Then by the Song the authors wherof are Moses and the Lamb the argument of it is the prayse of Gods omnipotency and justice ver 3. and the gathering to him of al the elect ver 4. After this it sheweth in special a more ful description partly of the Angels prepared to their work as of the place whence they come vers 5.6 of their clothing ver 6. and the instruments namely the vials wherewith they ar furnished ver 7. Partly of the whole Church both in respect of the chosen Gētiles by whose meanes it shineth with
should come to passe might be more famous Aâ—â—â—â—us his father governed the whole world by his sole authority noe warre being made for the space of three and twenty yeeres Sextus Aurelius Vulâ—r Hadâ—ianus also had peace the whole time of his empire except that once onely he fought by his Vice-Roy Eutrop. Brev. booke 8. Was not the thing worthy observatioÌ„ that after the peace of 44. yeeres all places should be suddenly troubled with the burning flame of warres Every man seeth that there is so great agreement of all things namely of the Prophecy Time and Event that it cannot be doubtfull but that the Spirit pointed as it were with the finger to this onely thinge Tertul. in his Apol. that a notable peace was granted at length to the Cristians by this Emperours decree but this came to passe after the warre of the Marcomanes in which having tryed the singular helpe of God against the enemyes by the prayers of the Christians who were souldiours in his army he could not but provide at leÌ„gth for their safety who had brought health both to him selfe and also to his Empire And yet he lived not longe after this warre the next yeere after the triumphe departing this life 5 And when he had opened the third seale c. The Beast of the third seale is a man chap. 4.7 mighty in reason experience of things Not but that the former Beasts were of this same force also and power but because this should be the chiefe thing wherein the third Beast should excell The voice also of this is more obscure then was that of the first which yet should be sufficient to teach the faithfull what punishement God would take of the world for their sake ¶ Tâ—â—â— I behâ—ld â—â—d loâ— a blaâ—ke horse The third type is a blacke horse the sitter on wâ—â—â— he â—â—â—th in â—iâ— haâ—â—â—â—â—es being commanded to bring in a dearth alâ—◠〈◊〉 the Bâ—â—â—s yet so as he should not hurt wine and oyle Therefore as â—oaâ—â—ng this â—orse the blâ—â—â—olour sitly agreeth to the hunger starveÌ„ who 〈◊〉 a body â—ithout blood â—ithout iuyce without colour as Ier. Lam. 〈…〉 pure thâ—â—â—oâ—â—ow is their bewâ—y become more darke then 〈…〉 8. Also through hunger the eyes are dimme covered with daâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 eyes receâ—ed light wheÌ„ he had put his haÌ„de to his mouth 1 Sâ—â— â—â— 28 〈…〉 which the sâ—â—ter hath in his haÌ„des is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wâ—◠〈…〉 to wit the beame of the balaÌ„ce on which the sâ—oles doe haÌ„ge 〈…〉 the whole A sâ—â— instrument for famine seeing 〈…〉 as weighed 6 Aâ—d I 〈…〉 Thâ—s vâ—â—â—â— is the 〈◊〉 being in the middes of the Beasts ch 5 6 〈…〉 uniâ—â—sâ—ll administratioÌ„ of thinges beiâ—g 〈…〉 Bâ—t seâ—â—ng this voice is â—â—â—â—d amoÌ„g the Beaâ—â— neither as 〈◊〉 goâ—â— out froÌ„ 〈…〉 â—lace by the same is signifâ—ed thâ—â— the very 〈…〉 but yet which alone should knowe the coâ—â—ll 〈…〉 ¶ A measure of wheâ—â— c. The Interâ—â—◠〈…〉 he â—â—â—en quaÌ„tity of this measure some give to it 3 〈…〉 8. â—â—esichius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are as it were â—ood divided which in one word 〈◊〉 called coÌ„monly Demâ—nsâ—on a sâ—â— mâ—â—â—â—re of corne Atheneus speaâ—eth â—ore dâ—â—inctly of it in his 3 booke Dâ—â—opsi shewing for how long a tâ—me this allowancâ— was calling it the sâ—stenance for one day Aristophanes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringâ—th somewhat a more full light where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twitting the servants sayth whom I have taught to fashion foure loaves of bread to a Choenix to wit a measure of corne Therefore Chocnix conteineth so much corne as would suffice to make foure loaves The Scholiast addeth that foure great loaves were made of a Choenix and 8 small ones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify corne in generall in this place wheate or meale of wheate a dearer provision then barley three measures of which are not solde for more then one of wheate for a peny understand shal be folde or some like word Denarius is a latine word being worth ten pieces of silver The auncient writers make it equall in weight value to the Attike drachma that is seven pence It is of three kindes as some will have it one of which is worth after our accounte seven pence an other eight an other ten And thus much of the corne as touching the other sustenance he sayth and oyle and wine hurt not The latine translations reade the wordes being displaced thus and wine oyle hurt not the meaning is yet wine and oyle hurt not after the manner of the Hebrewes the copulative being put discretively The wordes wine oyle caÌ„not be referred unto those that went before as though he should say a measure of wheate shal be sold for a peny and three measures of barly for a peny likewise wine and oyle for a peny Iunius on this place thou shalt not doe uniustly for the wordes oyle wine are the accusative case of the following wordes thou shalt not hurt and not the nominative going before the verbe as the wordes measure and measures are Wherefore all succour for life should not be taken away but onely necessary things should be diminished Oyle and wine which serve for delicious dainties should be left unhurt because it had seemed good to God to punish the poorer sort first the Princes and states being reserved as dainties from famine to the pestilence For whom the famine could not consume because of their riches and aboundance those the pestilence should eate up and should kill with a speedy death as in the seale following So are the wordes The event is not so playnly mentioned of the History-writers as were to be wished who doe gather onely the more notable thinges and doe easily passe over for the most part thinges vulgar and common especially when as this famine consisted onely in the scarcity of corne not in a dearth of all victualls Yet God would have some tokens of it to be apparent as farre as might suffice to set out of danger the trueth of the Prophecy Commodus the sonne of Antoninus did succeede his father who being Emperour there was given by the mercy of God some breathing I thinke because froÌ„ the Emperour himselfe alone man kinde should have plague and pestilence enough Pertinax Iulian followe both of a short raigne and therefore lesse hurtfull At length Severus enioyeth the Dominion a cruell authour of a most grievous butchery whether of his owne accord or by the instigation of other men Then the third Beast cryed out admonishing the faithfull that God would punish the wicked loathing spirituall foode with a great penury of the sustenance of this life For Tertullian whoÌ„ by right thou mayest call a Man excelling in witte in good iudgment and in learning who hath almost as many argumeÌ„ts as wordes who through anger falling away unto the Heresy of Montanus by his infirmity also shewed that nothing perteining to a man was alienate from him this
against all faithful evidence of other books An unhonest prank and an impious but not new with the Romists who shewed themselves such artizens long since in the Council of Nice But what doo they mean by adulterating the writings of the ancients Would they stop the mouth of this age They cannot ther are left thanks be to God true copies by which their sacrilegious impudency is coÌ„vinced Or as is more likely doo they provide for time to come Foolish Popelings which now get ancieÌ„t writers to succour you when shortly ther shal not a Papist be left for them to yeild succour unto Your cause within these few yeres shal be tried not by the Fathers but by fyre and sword as this Revelation wil manifest In the mean while we may observe both how daÌ„gerous it is to depend now on the Fathers imprinted by others and how ful of botches the Popish crew is which is so afrayd of nayles as it pareth them to the quick not herewith content wrappeth woll also about the Fathers fingers that they may the softlyer handle their scabby bodyes 3 And the second Angel powred out his vial upon the Sea The second vial puts forth his force against the sea to weet figurative as was the earth for ther is the same respect doubtlesse of every one And seing the overthrow of Antichrist is here in hand what great dammage should he suffer more then al other men by the sea properly so caled turned into rotten blood For this is the first effect of this vial neither would the second hurt him any whit more wherby al living things dye in this sea The earth affordeth him infinite daynties so that he may easily bear the want of fishes though they should dye every one Wherfore we must not stick in the native signification but take that which we have seen often used before It meaneth therfore Doctrine the notable change wherof should fall out under this vial of corrupt being made most corrupt In former ages verily it was turned into bloud but now it changeth into much more grosse and royled filthinesse then ever before until at length it becometh like the bloud of a dead man that is rotten clammy grosse black bloud not liquid and fresh such as floweth from a living body The first Council of Trent therfore is this sea being no lesse conpounded of a hotchpotch of al Popish errours then the natural sea is of the gathering togither of many waters VVhich Council was begun some yeres before as we have shewed chap. 11.7 but at length was made an end of and confirmed by the definite sentence of P. Paul the 4. at the request of the Cardinals Moronus and Simoneca in the name of the rest of the Council in the yeare 1564. Into this sea of errors the yere after and the eight next folowing the second Angel Martin Chemnitius powred out his vial who began and composed a Trial of this Tridentine Council and found it to be nothing but an horrible confused Chaos of many monstrous opinions But this occasion forthwith upstarted many doughty Papists to mainteyn the same who behaved theÌ„selves so fortunatly in this service that by defending the bloud they turned it into rotten bloud that is heaped up many more pestilent errors to theÌ„ that were before Among the rest there rose up handlers of controversies at Rhenes Doway Loven as frontier Captaynes by whose industrie it came to passe that al the durt which lay stinking about here and there in many ditches was scraped togither into one channel that therof at length mought exist this rotten sea But above al the heaping togither of waters most fowl with carrayn bloud was playn to be seen when P. Gregory the 13. in the yere 1571. procured two ample Colleges to be built at Rome for to corrupt youth beyond the Alpes and made Robert Bellarmine master of this worke that he should uÌ„fold the controversies of faith unto the students of those Colleges For he that he might the more provide for his auditors that is the sooner destroy them thought it not best to labour about any one point two or three as many others had doon before but to bring al controversies into one body as it were which he saw was yet waÌ„ting as himselfe confesseth in his Epistle to the Pope Wherby through Gods good providence it came to passe that an intyre and perfect body of Popish doctrine absolute in al points which never was before being largely disputed in these books of controversies did now come forth in publik that they which willingly shut not their eyes might see the Sea playnly turned into filthy bloud ¶ And every living soul dyed in the Sea But how can this be may some say seing every sowl liveth not in the sea This it may be caused Theod. Beza to transplace the words thus and whatsoever thing lived in the sea dyed But the natural order of the words hath a meaning agreable with al other of this book and of this kinde For we are to know that the whole crew of the malignant Church is divided eyther into the Clergie or into the rest of the Laitie Those clergie men are the proper living things of this sea these laie folk are cheifly earthly and denoted by the earth Now if he had sayd every sowl living in the sea dyed some would perhaps have gathered that this death was proper to the Clergie Doctours but when he sayth every living sowl dyed in the sea he teacheth that the popish lâ—itie people perish in this blood togither with the Clergie But thou wilt say the words perteyn alike unto al which any way live therfore this death seemeth to be common unto al. I answer al verily which before seemed to live so soon as they came down into this sea straight way were choked dyed But al the elect have their dwelling in the Temple and the Temple is placed in heaven chap. 15.6 so that they need not to be afrayd at al of this earthly sea whose rotten bloud shall kill onely the men of the same kind And here all unlesse they leave their earth that is unlesse they forsake the Popes religion shal finde destruction in this sea for no other waters shal they have to drink but these thus filthy nor be informed with any other doctrine then that is drawen out of the Council of Trent and controversal books of the Iesuites How can they then but dye presently if they drink of those waters wherin al the foundations of salvation are turned into deadly poyson Most miserable therfore is your estate ô yee Papists which drink in filthy bloud as most sweet heavenly liquour and settle your salvation in most certayn destruction But it is Gods just judgement that they which despise the pure waters of life should miserably perish in this bloud draw out ô highest God those whom thou hast destinate to the prayse of thy mercy But besides let us know that it is not safe
two Prophets doo come into the world clothed in sackcloth straightway after the Hethen Emperours for these are clad with sackcloth and the Tēple is mesured both at a time The mesured Temple is the womans shelter in the wildernes wherunto she fled at the rising up of the Beast The Beast the seventh Roman King succedeth next unto the sixt to weet that which reigned in Iohns time Therfore when the Beast sprung up straight way after the Hethen Emperours these sackcloth-Prophets began their mornful office and therfore they are not properly Henoch and Elias Now see if ther be any thing foolisher then your dotage of these two to come in their owne persons your dotage I say for the ancient holy Fathers might misse and be deceived but you continuing in open errour I see not what it differeth from madnes But let us goe on to the other reasons You prove that the Apocalyps speaketh properly of Henoch Elias because it is sayd they should be killed of Antichrist and their bodies remayn three dayes in buried in the street of the great Citie and that after three dayes they should rise agayn and ascend into heaven which things you say have never as yet happened unto any I answer that I have made it playn by the order of the time and agreement of al things that al these things are already performed namely when the Fathers of Trent killed the Holy Scriptures spoiling them of al authority and tying the meaning of them unto the Pope Thē that which Iohn saith of the death of these Prophets affordeth a necessary argument against this literal sense of those singular persons For Henoch shal not dye otherweise then of old by his taking away the Apostle saying by faith Henoch was taken away that he should not see death and he was not found because God tooke him away for before his taking away he had testimonie that he had pleased God Heb. 11.5 The like reason ther is also of Helias For God is alwaies like himselfe and giveth like things to like persōs for like ends Therfore they are not to be killed by Antichrist But Tertullian you say in his book De anima chap. 28. saith Henoch and Elias were taken away neither is their death found for it was deferred but they are reserved for to dye that by their blood they maie extinguish Antichrist I answer Tertullian hath nothing save a gesse that these whom the Apocalyps mentioned are Henoch and Elias but the Apostle evidently plainly teacheth that Henoch was taken away that he should not see death Now the choise is easy whom we should rather beleev It becomes not holy men to avouch their blind opinions against the open words of the Scriptures Hitherto hath been your first argument The second is from the consent of the Fathers unto all whom I oppose the consent of the Scriptures which had indeede been ynough for them if through darknes of the times they could have perceived them Ther is no need therfore to tary lōg in examining their opinions which they themselves if they were now alive would with their owne voices condemn Thirdly you prove it because otherweise ther can no reason be rendred why these two were taken away before death and doo yet live in mortal flesh being one day for to dye I answer that these last words being one day for to daye doo contradict the Apostle as we shewed even now and then that they convince the words next before of falshood For if Henoch be not for to dye it cannot be that he dooth yet live in a mortal body For that is not mortal which is not for to dye But whither they yet live in the flesh or no is not so manifest nor indeed necessarie to be known If it be lawful soberly to inquire about this thing they seem to be exempted from the common death of men as the Apostle speaketh of Henoch that he should not see death and not to live as yet in their bodies For they live not on earth For seing they are adorned of God with more excellent good than the rest they cannot be inferiour unto other soules in this thing And the soules in heaven have greater ioy and more ample felicitie than can be on earth Neither could they togither with their bodies enter into heaven the Apostle avouching that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God nor corruption inherit the nature uncorrupt 1 Cor. 15.50 But against this may be obiected that they had the same change that those which are aliv shal have at the coming of the Lord according to that which is written wee shal not al dye but we shall al be changed 1 Cor. 15.51 I grant that ther might have been this change though this would no way furder your cause if that saying of the Apostle hindred not And these al through faith obteyned goo report and received not the promise God providing a better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfit Heb. 11.39 40. For if they felt that change how obteyned they not the promise to weet glorification which is the felicity of the soule ioyned togither with the body immortall And if they obteyned the promise without us that is before us what cause can ther be why also without us they are not made perfit These two things seem openly to be repugnant unto the Apostle Those two therfore being cutt off namely their death to come and their present mortal body both which are manifestly false and that being let passe which is not sufficiently known whither they be at al as yet in their bodies if now you think ther is no other reason why these two were taken away before their death save that they might come againe to fight with Antichrist you are willingly blind The Apostle saith that Henoch was taken away because he pleaseth God walking continually with him Ecclus 44. that he might be an exēple of repentance that is that he might stirr up men uto repentance which look and think upon this notable example of Gods singular lov towards his And doo you think it a light matter that ther should be unto all ages of the world a most clear document of the immortality of the body and of the ascension therof at last into heaven Before the Law and the floud Henochs ascension confirmed this faith to the men of that age For unto men at least weise he ascended for he was not found as the Apostle sayth Heb. 11.5 Vnder the Law Elias ascended of whom ther is the same reason After the Law Iesus Christ the first fruits of al that ascend by whose merit power both those former in what manner soever it was did ascend and al the elect shal at length ascend Onely Antichrist did so stick in your eyes that you could see none of these things or any such like But deceive your self no longer with vayn exspectation of Henoch and Elias loose not your labour with
of unrighteousnes in them that perish for that they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Therfore God sendeth them the efficacie of deceit that they may beleev a lye that they al may be damned which have not beleeved the truth but taken pleasure in unrighteousnes 2 Thes 2.9.10 Behold the true persecution of Antichrist being rather pernicious to the soules than to the bodies although he should not refreyn frō this wickednes of shedding bloud for he should also cause that whosoever would not worship the Image of the Beast should be killed Apoc. 13.15 And he is that skarlet Beast of bloudy colour gottē by the bloud of the saincts springled on him But that spiritual persecution is the more outragious by so much as the sowl is better than the body and as the conioynt destruction of both is crueller than the perdition of one Wheras before you say that ther is no comparison of the Popes persecution of us whom you cal Heretiks with the persecution of Nero Domitian Decius Dioclesian and others as if from hence it were certayn that the Pope is not Antichrist now every mā may see that it is nothing to the purpose For Antichrists cruelty is not to be measured by the privation of mortal life but by the losse of life eternal And this is that which surpasseth al prisons swords wild beasts fyres burning yrons molten lead or any exquisite torment that either Nero or any other of the tyrants exercised This is that for the torment wherof men sought death but found it not and desired to dye but death fled from them namely because they felt payn sharper than death Apoc. 9.6 This is that for which straightway at the rising up of the Beast the woman fled into the wildernes which could not be put to flight by anie gibbets or flames wherwith the Emperours raged Apoc. 12.6 c. VVherfore though we should grant that a greater slaughter of bodies was made by Nero and such like tyrants yet nothing letteth but the cruelty of the Bishop of Rome may surpasse in an other respect and be such as wherby he may manifest himselfe to be the great Antichrist But say you many moe of the Catholiks have our Heretiks killed these 10 or 15-yeres in France and Flanders then the Inquisitours have burned of the Heretiks perhaps in one hundred yeres And if it may be caled persecution the Catholiks doo rather suffer it than the Lutherans or Calvinists For the Catholiks ar they which being driven out of manie countries have lost Churches patrimonies and countrie it selfe the new Ministers of the Gospel invading them I answer wheras now you ar resisted some of you whiles they oppugne the good estate of others have lost their own that nothing hindereth the spiritual persecution of your Pope He rageth yet with no lesse deadly feud against the truth than at anie time before yea with greater if greater may be But this slaughter of his men somewhat mitigateth the corporal persecution But the Spirit hath foretold that that shal be brought at last upō your own heads which you were wont to doo unto others For Christ threatned that he would slay Iezabels children with death Apoc. 2.23 and that they should goe into captivitie which doo lead into captivitie and be killed with the sowrd which doo kill with the sword Apoc. 13.10 Finally that the rivers and fountains of waters should be turned into bloud and that they should drink bloud which did shed the bloud of the Saincts and Prophets Apoc. 16.4.5.6 Neither is this divine recompense to be caled a persecution unlesse perhaps it be persecution to repell force by force or to take from theevs robbers the goods which they have stollen from the right owners or to drive out of the countrie them that betray the country or to drive away the wolves from the folds Your wickednes is now known unto al your treasons murders poisonnings cut-throat boldnes subtil plottings against Princes unto which you apply your selves with al diligence and often accomplish them with overmuch These things cause many of you to loose your heads these be the merits of your Martyrs these be the crowns these be trophees or signes of your victories It is to be wished of al which love the publik peace and safetie that by the faithful diligence and vigilancy of the Magistrates this persecution may more increase dayly And thus much of the greevousnes of the persecution which howsoever it be great in deed yet you see it is an other than you supposed Secondly you prove that Antichrists persecution shal be most notorious and manifest from those words Apoc. 20.8 and they compassed the tents of the Saincts and the beloved citie And that the Popes persecution is such as neither they which say they suffer it nor you which are said to inferr it can say when it begann I answer those words of the Apocalyps perteyn nothing unto anie vexation that shal be inferred by Antichrist but by Gog Magog Antichrist was slayn cast into the lake of fyre in the end of the former chapter wherupon he hath no part in this battel neither shal the last afflictiō be raysed by him as you falsly doo often avouch but by an other that shal for a while survive Antichrist And that you may understand how Antichrists persecution shal not be most notorious in the doing of it you must remember that Antichrists propertie is to invade with all guile and fraud not with open and displayed flaggs Therfore that he shal cary his matters with verie great silence and privily which be arts fittest for secret ambush not that he should be espied of al. Moreover when al the earth should worship the Beast needs must the affliction be of the lesser part and so not most notorious Apoc. 13.3 That which is doon by the most is cōmonly counted to be doon by right and to deserv no reprehension Besides his persecution is specially spiritual which easily deceiveth the bodilie sense and eyes wherupon though it should not be so readily discerned eyther when Antichrist shal come or unto whom he shal first appear or when his persecution shal begin yet this maketh the thing it selfe no more doubtful and ambiguous than it is uncertayn that the plague is the plague because it is not evident unto al from whence it first proceeded or that a fyre consumeth devoureth al things because it is not found out how first it began and grew But howsoever these things have heretofore perhaps been more obscure see now how much we have profited by this Apocalyps by help wherof we ar come neerer unto that beginning which you seek For from hence we learne that straightway after the Emperours were for doon the woman fled into the wildernes a burning mountayn was cast into the Sea chap. 8. For then the barrs being burst the Roman ambition could no longer be held in then began errour and superstition of everie