that in Charles the greate through the meanes of Pope Leo the thirde thempire in the weste decayed was renewed and that thus the image of the beaste that is to witte of the Romane Empire was erected And albeit that at this time thempire decayed in the weste was restored by the Pope yet is it euideÌ„t that the Popes in the beginning of this Empire by certen donatioÌ„s and giftes much in riched did not as yet vse so greate power as they vsurped to themselues afterwarde when they had ouerthrowen and deposed certen Emperours For al though the donatioÌ„ seme to be made by king Pipine and the pope is red than to haue receiued the beginning of his kingdome yet that he was subiecte to Emperours and kings with the Citie of Rome also this same emoÌ„ges other thinges proueth that in the French Cronicles of the Actes of king Charles in the yere of our lord eight hoÌ„dreth and one thus it is founde written afterwarde hauyng set in order the matters of the citie and Bishoppe of Rome and of al Italie therefore did Italy than also obey the Emperour not only publicke but also marke ecclesiasticall and priuate for all the winter themperour did nothing els departing froÌ„ Rome with his sonne Philip he came to Spolet The same authour in the Actes of the yere eight hoÌ„dreth and 16. Stephen sayeth he elected in the place of Leo the .3 taketh as greate iourneyes as he could to come to the Emperour sendyng in the meane time two Ambassadours which might treate with themperour Ludouicus pius for his consecratioÌ„ So likewise in thactes of the yere eight hondreth and .17 is shewed howe Paschalis beyng chosen sente an Ambassade to Lewis the Emperour In thactes of the yere .823 the same Bishop stode at the examination and iudgement of themperour You maye finde in thactes of the next yere that themperour Lotharie establisshed the matters of Italy and Rome Yet doeth the same authour againe make mention of the donation of King Pipine which gaue to S. Peter Rauenna and Pentapolis and all the gouernemente Yet doeth he make no mention of the donation other of Charlemaygne or of Ludouicus pius The .43 distinct maketh mention thereof I Lewis c. in the glose is written thus There Lewis geueth Rome and diuerse other thinges to S. Peter and to Paschale the Pope All historiographers in maner make mention of the donation of the Kinges of Fraunce An Abridgement of all gathereth out of the librarie Dolaterane in the third boke of Geographie in the actes of Pipine and Charles Wherby ye maye easely coniecture what maner of Canon is set forth in the .96 distinct in these wordes Constantine the Emperour hath geuen and graunted to the Apostolical See the Crowne and all the Emperiall dignitie is the Citie of Rome and in Italy and in the weste partes Which by and by after he discourseth with a longe exposition out of the life of S. Siluerster wrytten as they saye by Gelasius in the chapt followynge But Antony Bysshoppe of Florence denieth in his History that this donation doeth remayne in any olde bokes Cusanus and Laurence Valla haue impugned the same nother hath Ottho Bisshoppe of Frisyng in the .3 chapt of the .4 booke of his storie nor Marsilius Pataninus in the defence of peace nor Raphael Volaterane allowed the same nor many mo that I coulde reherse Moreouer in the Cronicles of Kinges of Fraunce set before the story of Paulus Aemilius of the actes of Kinges of Fraunce in the yere 755. thus you maye reade Pipine agayne entred into Italy and Aistulphus subdued he gaue giftes to Maximus Bisshop of Rome also the Dukedom of Rauenna of very great laÌ„des leeste any man should vnthankefully vniustely take awaye this larges from the French Kinges ascribyng to themperour Constantine which Pipine gaue to the church of Rome agaynst the wil of the Greke Emperour affirming the same possessions to be the right of the Empire From thence Pipine first receiued and brought into Fraunce the Ecclesiasticall rites of the Romanes and ceremonies of songes Thempire conueyed from the FrenchmeÌ„ to the Germenes c. Howebeit the gouernement of thempire Charles posteritie was not very stable and permanent For from the firste yere of Charles wherein he was created Emperour vnto the seuenth yere of Conrade whiche was Nephewe to Lewis the .3 by his Brother the laste of the house of Charles are accompted aboute an hondreth and .19 yeres For Charlemaigne reigned Emperour .14 yeres Lewis .26 Lotharius .15 Lewis the seconde .21 Charles two yeres Caluus surnamed the seconde Charles .3 Crassus .12 Arnulphe .12 Lewis the .3.10 Conrade .7 Conrade liyng on his death bed nominateth Kinge Henry Duke of Saron surnamed Falconer And thus was the Empire translated to the Germanes This Henry called the firste came neuer in Italy neuer was consecrate or crowned of the Pope His Sonne Ottho the firste of that name sente for in Italy is red to haue gone thither with a greate Armie beyng receyued at Rome and saluted of the people Emperour and Auguste Ottho Frisinge in the .6 boke of Histories the .17 chapt affirmeth out of the decrees that Pope Leo the .8 of that name did coÌ„secrate this Ottho the firste King of Germanes For his father Henry refused it Albert Krantz in the .10 and .11 chapt of the fourth booke of Saxon matters affirmeth that Pope Leo made a surrender of all suche thinges as the Popes had receyued of the kinges of Fraunce and the authour defendeth this surrender made to be trewe Howebeit the keper of the Librarie testifieth that Ottho confirmed the donatian of the kinges of Fraunce Pipine Charles and his sonnes There remayneth morouer in the decrees a copie of the othe the .43 distinct wherby kyng Ottho bindeth him self to the Pope that he shall intermeddle with nothyng that coÌ„cerneth the Pope and the Romanes secondely that he shal restore al the landes of S. Peter that shal come into his handes Which thing let the reader iudge what they are Shortely after this time about the yere of our lord .996 Electours They saye how by the decree of Pope Gregory the .5 and by the consent of Ottho the .3 Emperour the seueÌ„ princes Electours were assigned vnto whoÌ„ the defence of the church as sayeth Wimpelingius and the Romane Empire was committed In the whiche thing all Historiographers and wryters doe agree and that of the Italianes Blondus Platina Sabellicus Volaterane Egnâ—tius and others of Germanes Albertus Nauclerus Carion Functius and certen others diuerse haue made no mention of this ordinaunce Wherefore Auentinus in the .5 booke of Cronicles Folio .510.707 sayeth that he knoweth I can not tel how certeÌ„ly that after the death of Fridericke the .2 the Electours were instituted and confirmed of Gregory the .10 But how so euer that matter standeth certayne it is that there hath ben many amonge the seuen princes electours both feruent and earneste in true religion and
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What zygon is with two scales hanging at either ende of the beame which we cal a paire of weightes Aretas sayeth that a balaunce is a token of right and equitie For thou hast sitten sayeth Dauid vpō thy Throne which iudgest rightuousnes therfore is a balaunce the iudgement of the iust iudgment of God Aretas hath not alledged these things amisse howbeit we ought rather to preferre the exposition of S. Iohn him selfe For a voice is hearde from the middes of the beastes which expoundeth to vs the ballaunce For it soundeth a measure A measure of wheate for a peny and thre measures of barly for a peny And this measured called Choinix signifieth a diet or dayly meate as Erasmus hath in his prouerbe sitte not vpon thy measure The same in his annotations vpon this place Choinix sayeth he is a measure of wheate or other breadcorne which is sufficient for one dayes meate Budaeus thinketh that it wayeth .iiii. pounde Pollux iii. The worde therfore signifieth that a very little meate shal coste a great price and yet not to be gotten for monie Which chaūceth in the time of famine What the Romane peny is worth Budaeus sheweth we vnderstande by it playnly a great price Therfore two things are signified scarsitie or derth of corne and famine Dearth reiseth the price beyond reason Famin hath nothing to bie though he hath neuer so muche monye liyng by him but hongreth waunteth pineth and at the last miserably consumeth to naught wherin verely dearth and famine do differ The Germanes discerne them by seuerall wordes calling dearth scarsetie and famine honger Yet are they for the most parte indiuisible And we reade in the olde storie of the Bible Darth and famine that for the contempte of the preaching of Gods lawe and the bringing in of a straunge kinde of worshipping God the Israelites in the times of Helias and Helisaeus were most greuousely punished with honger and penurie These things be plentifully declared in the .3 boke of Kinges the .17 and .18 Chapt. Also in the .4 of Kinges the .6 and .7 Chapt. Moreouer in the time of the Emperour Claudius whilest the Apostles preached the Gospel faithfully and the Iewes and Gentiles stoutely repulsing it famine moste greuousely afflicted the Romane Empire whiche thing S. Luke reherseth in the Actes of the Apostles .11 chapt Which thinges were done in dede before this reuelatiō was to S. Iohn exhibited Sins that time the Historiographers recite sondry and innumerable famines dearthes and penuries in diuerse countries sent of God for contempte of the trueth Nauclerus mentioneth of a famine in the yere of our lord D.xxxix wherin mothers also deuoured their owne children What hath chaunced in our memory in those warres of Millan and els where it is no nede to reherse They be yet fresshe in memory and written in the stories of Galeacius Capella We felt some parte herof also in the yere of our Lorde M.D.XXIX and the yeres followyng The iuste Lord punissheth and more will punisshe the greate ingratitude and contempte of his Godly worde as he did in the destruction of Ierusalem woulde God it would please the worlde moste blinde through repentaunce to conuerte vnto God when he punisheth and with free and willing mindes imbrace the worde of veritie for so should ther be more felicitie and lesse miserie God forgetteth not his mercy in punisshyng Howebeit for a comforte at the ende of this Seale is added and Oyle and Wine see thou hurte not He nameth the kindes moste necessarie for the vse of manne and meaneth that God doeth mercifully reserue some thinges that be chiefly necessarie for mans vse especially for the electes sake that all should not perishe and pine in generall Wherby we vnderstande that the lorde forgetteth not his mercy euen in the middes of afflictiō and plagues that he sendeth Thus in times paste mindyng to punish Aegipte and other nations with famine he sent before Ioseph by whome he might preserue the house of Iacob and other people innumerable You see herein most clerely that it is of God that sometime the corne is blasted and the vines and oliues perish and to be of him that the corne increaseth and wine also So hath he also before protested in the lawe Leuitic 26. And Deuteron 28. the fourth seale is opened We are comen nowe to the fourth Seale at the opening whereof and to beholde the operation we are excited of the Egle the fourth beaste Of whome we haue spoken before ones or twise And the pale Horse The pale horse commeth forth in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whyche coulour resembleth withered grasse and Herbes Salomon in the .12 Chapt. of Eccles calleth the coulour apperyng in dead bodies and their countenaunces Golden licour All Poetes call death Pale And the rider in dede is expressely called Death We vnderstande the course of the plage and of all diseases and euen of death it selfe whome Hell followeth that is to saye a pitte or a graue For Scheol in Hebrewe signifieth a pitte or a graue But if you will nedes vnderstande it of the place of them that be damned doubtles they be caried headlong into Hel so many as here with sickenes consumed die with out fayth and repentaūce Therfore hell followeth death rightly But if thou hadst rather by hel vnderstande a graue it signifieth that all shal be ful of coarses and sepulchres And that in dede plagues and pestilēces most mortal haue sore afflicted the Romane Empire Plague diseases Orosius is wittenes in his seuenth boke in the Actes of L. Aurel. Verus and Decius Emperours the most cruell persecutours of our fayth Euagrius in the .29 Chapter of the .4 Boke of the Ecclesiast story telleth of a maruelouse plague that lasted about .50 yeres And all men knowe with what a pestilence and soden death Italy was wasted in the time of Maurice Emperour And Gregory bishoppe of Rome The time would fayle me in case I would recite out of Histories al the plagues and calamities of all times What is done at this daye and hath ben done in our memorie you your selues knowe beste There are spronge vp newe diseases whose names to our elders were neuer knowen With these euilles and calamities God wasteth the worlde and euer hath done to the intente that by plagues he might call vs agayne to repentaunce Thus verely we shall iudge alwayes of calamities Yf any iudge otherwise they are not amended therfore are they punished here and after this shal burne in perpetual tourmentes To these moreouer is added an other thinge also Foure scourges against the incurable and power was geuen them c. For when menne will not amende with simple Calamities the euilles or plagues of God are doubled The same are raccompted in the lyke order and nombre with the Prophetes Ieremie the .15 Chapt. and Ezechiel in the .14 Chapter For they be these Sworde Famine Death or Pestilence
sayed goe behinde Sathan thou fauourest not those thinges which are of God but which are of mē Therfore should they not haue renewed the errour and madnes confuted He semeth to reason probably that God might haue redemed the worlde by an other meane than by the incarnation or passion of the sonne of God to be an vnworthie thing that we should beleue the sonne of God to haue ben beaten with the hādes of the wicked and moreouer slaine But this probablenes is of vncleane fleshe not of God yea it is of Sathan him self Yet hath this absurde moste wicked opinion founde not a fewe followers For the heresie of the Iacobites conteyned in the Alcorane is spread abroade farre and nere ouer al the Easte countrie Wherof it is playne that the golden Aultar was of them moste filthily polluted and the merite of Christes passion denied the dignitie and maiestie of the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ trodē vnder fote There were besides these other most corrupt opinions in the Weste c. Which thing worthely kindled the iuste wrath of God For of his iuste iudgement he permitted Mahomet to make newe lawes and to spread abroade the Iacobisme farre nere through out the world For they that wil not heare christ worthely heare Antichrist whiche thing the Apostle hath also in the .1 chapt to the Romains and .2 Thessa 2. chapt affirmed Therefore is hearde from the Aultar a voice of him that sate on the righte hand and commaunded to lowse the foure Angels bounden in the riuer of Euphrates that is to witte to bryng forth into the world distroyers which may ouer runne a great part of the world For the heresies of the Nestorians Iacobites The original of Mahomet and his religiō Monotelitanes beyng of force Monkes and freres now increasyng and of Benedicte Abbot of Cassinea Greatly augmented moreouer idolles or Images comming vp in the churche and taking strength and the pride and vnfaithfulnes of the Bisshoppes approchyng Mahomet the destroyer of the world was borne in Moecha a citie of Arabie of parētes very obscure the same was broughte vp of Sergius a vile Monke polluted with all kinde of heresies Ye reade a like thinge in .3 booke of kinges 11. chapt of Salomon and his enemies Whiche after he was cōmen to the age of xxv yeres belied him self to be the prophet of God And thorowe sedition beyng driuen out of Moecha where a greate rabble of Iewes Iacobites Christians Paganes and heretikes were gathered he went into the nexte cities and houses and secretly by the space of ten yeres he so instilled his doctrine into miserable mē that euery where through out Arabie ther was founde a greate multitude of Mahometes secte Than Homar Homar a bolde fellowe taking to him about .lxx. other men ready to fight asked Mahomet what he would haue done He aunswered verely my will is that executyng the commaundementes of the lawe ye cleaue vnto it in riches and pouertie and cleaue to gether with mutuall and stedfaste loue that ye defile not other mens wiues by adultery that ye absteyne from euil and prohibite others that ye do good your selues and perswade others that ye make warre in the name of God and that by feare and force ye sette forth the lawes to the disobedient for the whiche thinges verely I promise you Paradise At this talke they gaue ech other their faith Homar with his sworde drawen swore that he wold not suffer that the preaching and lawe of Mahomet should be kepte any longer secret thus verely what by preachyng what by the sworde Mahometisme preuayled very muche in shorte space They brake into Moecha they put downe other religions and beheaded suche as resisted and there this newe Solon Mahomet proclaymed a newe lawe in the Temple at Moecha A great multitude of seruaūtes and vnthriftes resorted to that wicked fellowe Who sent Ambassadours to the people aboute him and sollicited them to receyue his religion and perswaded many that wickednes These thinges were done vnder thēperour Heraclius about the yere of our lorde .620 The beginning of the destructiō of the whole worlde spiritual and corporally And that wicked and moste absurde lawe of Mahomet yet remaineth and is called the Alcorane so that it nedeth no further declaration Ful well therfore Nicephorus in his history 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayeth he the Saracenes began the desolation of the whole worlde Saracenes were called the followers of Mahomet Certes they subdewed Arabie the Saracenes and Persians they inuaded also Siria and Aegipte Chaldey and Armenia After arrose the Turkes and Tartarians receyuing the religion of Mahomet who haue subdewed in a maner all the prouinces of the Romane empire in the east to the South By the riuer of Euphrates Euphrates moste famouse in al Asia flode Babilon the seate of the Monarchie oriental and the moste mightie people of the East the Assirians Babylonians Medes and Persians which were lordes of the world before the Monarchie of Grece and of Rome semed to be as it were drouned buried and hidde and euen bounden in the same riuer For the Macedonians of the west were gouernours of the world and after them the Romanes and these most mightie nations whiche we nowe named serued them But after the golden Aultar was as I saied defiled and innumerable people in the East and Weste reuolted from the trewe christian fayth God styred vp agayne the orientall distroyers of the worlde whiche hath ben longe as it were layde a slepe For the prophetes testifie that those nations were the scourges of the world the same whippes therfore god agayn brought forth by his iust iudgement Certes we reade in the .10 chap. of Daniel that there was an Aungel of Grece The .4 angels doe signifie the most strōg nations of the Easte and an Angel of Persia and that by them the whole people are vnderstād So nowe are reysed vp the nations of the Easte Arabians Saracenes Turkes and Tartarians who for sinne might waste the worlde and the Easte might rule agayne as Lactantius out of Sibille prophecied should come to passe let the Weste serue Lette vs learne of this treatise that all euilles The beginning of calamities of forsakyng and chiefly the desolation and distruction of Realmes doe rise of the reuolting from the trewe religion to the false The folishe people at this daye Iudge cleane contrary and for the same cause are miserably distroyed Let vs learne that fierse natiōs are restreyned and kepte backe of God that they should not hurte that the same be stired vp of him to take iuste punishement of the impenitentes Thus was Sinnacherib Salmanasar and Nabuchodonozor called the seruaūtes of God which executed his iudgementes Therefore let vs feare God and perseuer in the trewe religion Morouer the Saracenes Prepared daye and houre Turkes Tartarians are most dilligently described Firste is cōmended in them a wonderful
rules of Italy and deliuer them to the pope whiche he perfourmed in dede For he ouercame kinge Aistulphe toke from him the gouernement of Rauenna and deliuered it to the Bisshop of Rome Herein maye all men see The kings ouerthrowen the Pope him selfe is made a kīg vnlesse it be those which will see nothing how this contemptuouse Bishoppe and very smal horne hath at one pusshe ouerthrowen two hornes For he hath put themperour of Constantinople frō the gouernmēt of Italy and hath put downe the King of Lumbardy caused his people to be driuen out of Italy For a fewe yeres after the Pope by the force of Charlemaigne put downe Desiderius the last king of Lumbardy and distroied withall the whole people of the Lūbardes And thus starte vp the Pope became as it were king of olde Rome of the chiefe parte of Italy And now ar the beginnings of the kingdome laied but as yet he reigned not with full authoritie as is declared before Eberardus therfore Bisshoppe of Salisburge whose wordes I recited in the preface of this boke extendeth these things further But I suppose this our exposition to accorde with the prophet with the thinges times And the pope gaue to king Pipine for so great a donatiō a title as Platina sheweth in the life of Stephen the .2 that al kinges of Fraūce shuld be called moste Christen Afterwarde was the Image of the Empire bestowed vpon Charles whereof is spoken before And leest the Pope should seme to haue receiued nothing whilest king Pipine gaue him therarchate the stories reporte thus The Pope made a most mightie king thexarchate was diuided into two regiones in Pentapolis and Aemilia Pentapolis had fiue cities Rauenna Cesena Classe Forum liuij and Forum popilij In Aemilia were Bononie Rhezo Parma Placence and all the lādes that lie from the borders of the Placentines and Ticinians vnto Adria and frō Adria to Arimine c. But he that liste maye reade the Donation of Ludouicus pius in Volateranes Geographie where he nombreth the kynges of Fraunce We saye nothing yet of this that afterward he vsurped to him self power ouer kings and realmes finally ouer all churches and soules so that we must confesse that a more maruelouse prince neuer liued Thou hast here a briefe and compēdiouse story declaring how the Pope hauing hūbled ouerthrowē three kinges he him self began to be made a king But let vs now apply herunto the nōbre of the name of the beast The popes power augmēted both in spiritualties in temporallies to th ende it maye so be knowen to the whole world that there is no other Antichrist to be loked for than the bishop of Rome that is comē which in dede laied the foundatiō of his kingdom vnder thēperour Phocas did builde it vnder the kings of Fraūce and inlarged the same vnder themperours Henrickes Friderickes finally hath establisshed it vnder themperours followyng reigneth in our time and hath done certen ages already paste c. The supputation of .666 yeres must be rekened from the time wherin S. Iohn sawe the reuelation Ireneus sayeth It was sene no longe time sins but in a maner in our dayes about th ende of the reigne of Domitian And Eusebius in his chronicles saieth that it was in the yere of our lord .97 Therfore there remayne yet thre yeres to accomplish an hondreth yeres from the birth of our lord Adde therfore to an hōdreth yeres The fatall yere of our lord .763 these yeres of the nōbre of the name of the beast .666 substracte those three yeres of the first hondreth and thou shalt haue the yere of our Lord .763 whiche was the .13 yere or there aboutes of king Pipines reigne and the .7 of Pope Paul Notwithstandyng that there be wryters of stories and times which attribute to Paull but one yere c. Now muste we not loke only what thing happened in the very instaunt of the yere .763 but what chaūced in the nexte yeres fourmer and following Whereof I will recite a fewe thinges oute of the writers of stories and tymes Nauclerus in the .16 generat In the yeare of our Lord. Wōders Monsters 750 saieth he vnder Pope Zacharie and vnder themperour Constantine the .5 began the .26 generatiō in the which was made an alteration of the Kingdome of Fraunce an abolyshment of the Kyngs of Lumbardie and a translatiō of the Romane Empire from the Grekes These so greate alterations the wonders dyd happly pourtend which hapned at this tyme. In Mesopotamia the Earth roue a sunder by the space of two myles and a Mule was sayed to haue spoken with a mans voyce Ashes fel downe from heauen Ther were wonderful Earthquakes Crosses appered vpon mens garmēts These things wrote Nauclerus The lyke are red in the storie of Eutropius in the .22 boke vnder the yeare of Cōstantine the .6 moreouer in the Historicall glasse of Vincent in Fasciculo temporū In the yere of our Lord .751 Pipine is made King through the coūsell of Zachary the Pope Pipine the master of the Kyngs household oppressing his lord Hilderych king of Fraūce began to reigne and reigneth .18 yeres This writeth Aemilius in the .2 boke of kings of Fraūce And in the yere .755 Pipine entreth into Italie with an Armie vanquisheth the King of Lumbardes and geueth the whole gouernemente of Rauenna to S. Peter The exarchate is geuen to the Pope against the wil of the Emperour of Constantinople Vespergensis in chronicis You see howe in stead of the Emperour the Pope beginneth after a sort to reigne at Rome and in Italie the hornes be shaken of according to the prophecie Mathew Palmer in his chron vnder the yeare .756 the Romane Empire sayeth he reuolting a pace in the Easte The begynninges and preludies of the Empyre translated and the Emperour persecuting the Christians Idolaters he shoulde haue termed them Pope Stephen gaue to the kynges of Fraunce the Emperiall titles and dignities and cōfirmed Pipine and the successours of his stocke onely for their kyngs al others vtterly excluded and in the name of the people of Rome called hym Patricium Hitherto Palmer Ihon Functius in his Chron. In the yeare of our Lord .756 the rites and ceremonies of the church of Rome The Romish religion obtruted were caried into Fraunce first receiued In the yeare of our Lord .757 Paule is made Pope and immediately followeth that fatall yeare of our Lord .763 as the middle poinct betwixt the yere 750. .770 or .773 Wherein these thinges haue all together chaūced which both geue the name to Antichrist and whereof as euery thing els is knowen by his name so hath he also his name and is knowen In the yeare of our Lorde .768 Stephen the .3 helde a counsell at Rome in the church Laterane of the byshops of Fraūce of Italie Idolatry is confirmed and decreed that none
Gospel doth figurate and teache most thinges by parables And. S. Iohn himself in his Gospel is veri much in the mention of light darknes of bread water of a Sheperd and shepe and suche other lyke In the meane while I am not ignorant howe great a difference there is betwene parables Metaphores or Allegories and visions But who agayne knoweth not that in teaching and setting forth of matters the maner of either to be after a sort al one and of the same effect For they serue for plainnes and perspicuitie But let suche as think not a misse that Parables taken of earthly things differ very muche from heauenlye visions Consider how these celestial visions ar exhibited to the Apostle S Iohn by Christ now remayning in heauē and requiring that his seruauntes hauing theyr mindes lifted vp to heauenly thinges shuld learne to sauour spirituall matters Where he yet neuerthelesse hath obserued plaines and perspicuitie The boke is plaine and may be vnderstand I suppose verely this boke to be simple and playne to the faithful that wil read it attētiuely with deuotion I graūt that thold expositours of this boke haue sticked ful oft in expounding the same could not alwayes wind thēselues out but in the meane season it is euident that the same men haue said oftner thē once that hardely shuld this boke be vnderstand before it wer fulfilled And in dede to those auncient fathers the vision of Daniell semed vtterly most obscure But whē such things wer accomplished as he had hid vnder figures there wanted not that sayde how he had wrytten a story of things don and not a prophecie of things to be don And our lord him self also in the Gospel of S. Matthew When you shall see sayth he thabomination of desolation which was spokē of by Daniel the Prophet stāding in the holy place he that readeth let him vnderstand Doth not Esay also in a maner in all his prophecies after the comming of Christ and most of the misteryes of the kyngdom of God accomplished seme likewise to haue compiled a most playn history And doubtles if we reade with diligence this same boke of the Apocalips confer those things which he speaketh vnder a shadow with the same that stories testifie to be done We shall say also that he telleth plaine histories I haue verely loued this boke from my youth vpward I haue gladly red in it bestowed much labour ther vpon obseruing what things it had out of the bokes of the prophets howe the prophecies herof did agree with thother prophesies of the prophets doctrins of the Apostls I haue searched finally after the capacitie of my sklēder wit diuers stories which I thought to make for the openyng of the sence of this prophecie I haue searched also thopinions of other expositours And haue diligentli compared domestical matters which ar don now in our tyme with this narration of Iohn of al the which things and chiefly being ayded by the helpe of God whiche I called for I haue gathered such things as I now do cōmunicate here to the godly readers Hereunto came also the singular learnyng diligence and aptnes in expounding the holy scriptures of the most godly man D. Theodore Bibliander doctour of Diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Zurick Doctour Theodore Bibliander who thirtine yeres past red openly and to his greate praise this boke of reuelation of whō vnlesse I wold confesse my self to be very much holpē I were excedingly vnthankful There remaineth as yet a faithful relation of the same imprinted at Basyl the yere of our Lord .1545 Wherin he disposeth this boke of S. Iohn geueth a light to it with his scoles And bothe of thold and new that I could get I haue red ouer Aretas the successor of Andreas bishop of Casaria Who haue written vpon the Apocalips whose expositions vpō this boke he allegeth oftner thē once S. Austen also bishop of Hippon and Primasius Bishop of Vtica Neither haue I contemned Thomas of Aquine nor dispised the ordinary glose as they terme it of the newer sort s Sebastian Meter-minister of the church of Bernes .xx. yeres since a man of great vertu and learnyng hath faithfully and not without great fruite traueled in expowndyng this boke whose commentaries vpō the Apocalips wer imprinted many yeres since at Zurick by my frend Froschouer And D. Fraunces Lambart of Auenion a most godly and excellent learned man hath laboured in expoundyng the same boke who had fyrste red it at Marsepurge the noble vniuersitie of Hessia And after in the same citie he caused to be printed and setforth seuen bokes of thexposition therof the yere of our Lord .1528 Moreouer there was imprynted at Wittēberg in Saxony a commentary vpon thapocalipse written an hundreth yeres past and sent to D. Luther out of the furthermost parts of Germany namely out of Sarmatia and tartaria which I red also as likewise certen thyngs of D. Leuthers vpon this boke of Reuelation And here I may not forget the most excellent learned men and the which haue right wel deserued of learnyng Erasmus of Roterdame and Laurence Valla who haue also lefte theyr annotations vpon thys boke By all whose labours I confesse my selfe to be very much holpen whiche I recite franckly for this pourpos that I would dissemble nothyng nor seme toffend against ciuilitie or defraud any man wrongfully of his deserued praise And therfore wold admonish the godly that if I seme to any man to haue don any thing in this work prayse worthy he may know that I haue don nothyng without coadiutours And that he refer thys whole benefite to God thauthor and fountain of all goodnes geue hym thanks therfore And al these thinges of myne I propound to be iudged of the godly readers auditours that they may take that shall seme good herin and where I seme to haue erred frō the right rule they may eschew the same Neyther wil I contend with any man neither will I enuy better learned or better exercised wherof som haue promised already commentaryes vpō this boke if they shal bring forth better thīgs yea I am alwaies ready my self not only to receiue better thynges but also to geue them thanks that offer the same In the meane season I put out my talent which I haue receyued of the Lord that I may win som lucre with it for my Lord. And I beseche the Lord that he wold prosper it wel and blesse thys my simple trafficke Here moreouer I take God to witnes that I haue takē this pain for no priuat hatred towards any man for no desire of raylyng That these cōcions are frēdly wretten nor for any intent to procure any mās displeasure but simply to expound this excellent and right profitable boke of the new Testament which haue lately with my commentaries setforth al the residue of the boks of the new Testament And besides all this many godly learned men
out of sondry places in their letters writteÌ„ to me haue required my expositioÌ„ vpoÌ„ the Apocalips To whose iudgmeÌ„t sins I gaue very much I did in dede more easely consent to this editioÌ„ And wherin the meane time the hatfull cause of Antichriste as many men cal it came in the beginnyng of the worke to be handled I neyther ought nor myghte dissemble it Moreouer this is playne that I haue brought forth nothing in this matter that is new straung or hath not ben heard of nor that I role this stone alone Now al the world crieth out that no other antichrist shall come into the world then he that is commen already in the Bisshops of Rome Who shal in the meane time be slaine with the sword of God his word in the harts of the faithful and shortly shal be wholy abolished by the glorious comming of Christe vnto iudgement If I shall suppresse and conceale this thing the stones wyl cry out For now is the time fulfilled and the kingdom of God is coÌ„mâ—n Blessed and for euer blessed be those Theldest and most common doctrine is that the Pope is Antichrist Gregory the first Pope that watche and loke for Christ vnto saluation Ireney an holy Bishop sayde a thousand and foure hundred yeres sins Antichrist where he is but a seruaunt will be worshipped as God Tertullian and. S Hierom as I haue said now oftner theÌ„ once haue expounded this prophecie of S. Iohn touching Babilon of Rome plainly Gregory the first of that name who was also Bisshop of Rome was not affrayd to pronounce openly that he was the vauntcurour of Antichrist that wolde suffer him selfe to be called the vniuersal and high Bishop But then did the bishop of Constantinople vsurpe to himselfe this title who ran before the latter bishops of Rome And in the xxxv epistle to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople Al thinges saieth he that are spoken before are don The king of prid to wit antichrist is at hand And the which is not lawfull to be spokeÌ„ An army of priestes is prepared for him For they serue in the bande of prid Arnulphus bishop of Orleaunce which wer placed to be guides of humilitie And these things wrote Gregory nine hundreth fiftie yeres synce Arnulphus a maÌ„ very godly lerned Bishop of Orleance .550 yeres since in the couÌ„sel of Reins speaking openly of the Bishop of Rome brake out at the last into these wordes What thinke you him to be that sitteth in the high seat in the pourple garment glistering with gold whom I say think you him to be Vereli if he be destitute of Charitie and be puffed vp extolled with only knowledg he is Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God and boasting himselfe as though he were God But if he be neyther grounded vpon charitie nor yet exalted with knoweledg he is in the TeÌ„ple of God as an Idoll Thus far he who semeth by these his wordes to haue alluded to the places of holy scripture Apocalips xix.ii Thessa ii Zacha. xi S. Barnard Albeit that by reason of the infelicitie of his time he agreeth not with him selfe in all thinges Yet inueyhed so against the Pope bishops and clergie of his time that if any shuld at this day omitting his name vse his words he shuld be called the greatest heriticke that lyueth Where notwithstanding al things ar now more corrupted theÌ„ they wer in the time of s Barnard His sermon which he had to the clergie in the counsell of Reines remayneth In his bokes of consideration he is moste vehement especially in the .ii. and fourth boke He liued about the yeare of our Lord .1150 In the yere of our Lord 1240. was suÌ„moned a couÌ„sel of Princes and Bishops at Regenspurge Eberhard bisshop of Salisburge and that for the TiraÌ„ny of bishops of Rome most greuously oppressinge the godly Emperour Friderick the second of that name In the whiche Eberharde Archebishop of Salisburg standing dp Vnder the Title fayth he of the greatest Bishop we perceiue in a Sheperds clothynge a moste cruell wolfe vnlesse we be blind Bishops of Rome haue war against al Christians by attempting disceyuing makyng war vpon war waxing great they kil and murther the pore shepe peace and concord they dryue out of the earth Ciuile warres domestical vprores they coniure out of hell dayly more and more they weaken the forces of al men that they may treade them all vnder foote may deuoure all and bring all into bondage HildebraÌ„d an hundreth and threscore and ten yeres past first vnder the pretence of religion layed the foundation of Antichristes kingdom He first began this wicked war which by his successours hath ben continued hitherto And by and by The bishops of Babilon couet to reigne alone they can not abide they re pere beleue me for my experience they wil not cease til hauyng brought theÌ„peroure vnder and the dignitie of the Romane empire dissolued the true pastours oppressed they may on this wise extinguish all thinges tread al thinges vnder theyr fete and sit in the Temple of God and be exalted aboue al that is worshipped He that is seruaunt of seruaunts seketh to be Lord of Lordes in like case as if he were God He hathe new deuises in his hart that he may establish thempire for him selfe He chaungeth the lawes setteth forth his owne lawes That loste man whom they are wont to cal Antichrist polluteth Robbeth spoileth defraudeth sleyeth in whose forhead is written the name of reproche I am God I can not erre he sitteth in the temple of god and ruleth far nere And a little after the maiestie of the people of Rome wherwith in times past the world was gouerned is takin out of the earthe The kingdome is multiplyed the gouernment dispersed into many cut of lessened I wyl not say rent in pieces Themperoure is a vayne calling is only a shadow There be ten kings atones which haue parted the world which in times was the Romaine empire not to gouerne it but to consume it The ten hornes which thing to S AusteÌ„ semed incredible Turks Greks Egiptians affricans Spaniards Frence men Englishmen GermaÌ„s Sicilians Italians do posesse the Romane prouinces in them haue distroyed the Roman inhabiters And a little horne hath growen vp vnder these that hath eyes and a mouth speaking great things It hath brought in subiection especially three kingdoms of Sicilie Italy and Germany compelled them to serue him with intollerable tyranny it vexeth the people of Christ and the saincts of God it confoundeth all thinges concerning God and man and attempteth deuelish things And the residew which is to be red in the .685 leafe in the seuenth boke of Auentines cronicles which in the yere of our Lord .1554 were printed at Ingolstad by themperours priuilege out of the which I wrot word for word al that I haue hitherto recited in the name of Eberhard Archbishop of Salisburge About the same time
Abbot Ioachim FrauÌ„ces Potrarch liued Abbot Ioachim of Calabria who likewise calleth the Pope Antichriste and setforthe thapocalips with prophetical pictures scolies in ItaliaÌ„ FrauÌ„ces Petrark a man excellently learned most worthy mortall fame flourished about the yeare of our Lorde .1350 Who also least suche wrytyngs behynd hym agaynst the See of Rome against the court there and agaynst the Pope that yf they wer comparde with these things whych in our tyme D. Luther wrote most bitterly against Rome he may seme to be vtterly vaÌ„quished of him In the .xx. epistle he calleth the Popes court both Babilon and also the whore of Babilon syttyng vpon the waters the mother of all Idolatry and fornicatyon There is moreouer a learned boke of Marsilyus Patauinus Marsilius Patauinus writteÌ„ for Lewis the .4 Emperour agaynst the Pope wherin he inueyeth sharply against the bishop of Rome and his tirannicall lawes In the same age to wyt two hundreth yeres past flourished also Micael Cosenas Michell Cesenas general of the Minories who openly accused the Pope as Antichryste and the church and See of Rome as the whore of Babylon dronken with the blod of saincts An hundreth yeres since liued Laurence Valla a gentleman of Rome of a noble house who also obiected him self to the Pope and the Romish See Laurence Valla. Hieronimus Sauonarola for the which cause he was dryuen into exile but of the kyng of Naples he was honorably receyued Moreouer Hieronymus Sauonarola of Farrare an excellente diuine and Philosopher in hys time a man in holynes of lyfe as he is sayde of many notable preached openly in Italy that the Pope was Antychist for the whych cause he was most cruelly burnt at FloreÌ„ce by Pope Alexander the sixt Thys is had yet in the Fresh memorye of men where it was don about the yere of our lord .1499 Yet Iohn Fraunces Picus Counte of Mirandula calleth the same Sauonarola an holy prophet Albeit that Nawclerus signyfieth in hys story that he did many thyngs for ambition sake and for vayne glyrye And Marsilyus Ficinus attributeth to the same Sauonarola the spiryte of prophecye in a certeyn epistle Furthermore Philippus CoÌ„mines an Historiographer witnesseth that he was an holy man and to haue had the spiryte of Prophecye For they say how he prophecied of the sackyng of Florence and Rome and the restauratyon or reformatyon of the church and of many other thynges that shuld chaunce vnto Italy whych came to passe there in the meane season I remembre wheÌ„ I was yonge and followed my study in sondry vniuersityes to haue hearde certen blacke Freers say that Sauonarola prouoked the indygnatyon of Alexander the sixt the courte of Rome agaynst hym by nothing more then for that he preached against them in Italy the Apocalips of S. Iohn What shuld I say that the Waldensians foure hundreth yeres past in Fraunce Itali Germany Boheme Poland and in other parts of the world professing the gospel of Iesus Christ accused the bishop of Rome with diuers wrytings and continual prechings as the verey Antichrist prophecied by S. Iohn thapostle and therfore to be abhorred They themselues beyng put to most greuous torments haue constantly testifyed theyr fayth by gloryous martyrdoms and stil do at this day For they could neuer be roted out which thing notwithstanding hathe ben full oft attempted by most myghtye kings and princes inspired by the bishop of Rome the wyl of God beâ—â—g otherwise But why rehearse I these thynges synce thys yeare 1556. was printed at Basill a register of the witnesses of the veritie All good men at all times haue spoken against the pope which before our time haue spoke against the Pope wherof the nomber in dede is great and the more parte of them called the Byshop of Rome with out any prouerbe that Antichrist which shuld come into the world Therfore it is manyfest that I in this my worke brynge forthe no vnwonted thing or that hathe not ben heard of before wher now we do plainly vnderstand that this song hath in so many ages bâ— songen written painted printed and beaten in of the best holyest and most excellently learned men yea and confirmed to with the vnmeasurable bloud of martirs Furthermore yf any remayne that be desirous of good thinges emongs the bishops or prelates of the churche in the clergie it selfe let theÌ„ not be offended with me in case any where in expounding the Apocalips I bryng foorth theyr sayings doings and compare theÌ„ with the Apostls words Let them rather be â—ipleased with theyr owne wordes and dedes spoken and done â—esydes and against Gods word Let them leaue doing that they do Yea Daniel .xii. let them do penaunce so shall they haue prayse in the churche of Saincts But yf they hold on euen against their conscience to defend and maintayne their kinde of lyfe theyr pleasures theyr riches theyr honours dignities and to accuse persecute and murther the preachers yf the veritie as enemies of the church let them take hede it chaunce not to theÌ„ sodenly that the Gospel resiteth of the dronkeÌ„ seruaunt Math. xxiiii who did vexe and beate his fellow seruaunts but was of the chief Lord him self oppressed when he thought least of it and hewen al to pieces But yf there were euer any tyme heretofore Thapocalips in oure tyme is not only profitable but necessary wherin it behoued to setforth to vrge and beate in this doctryne to al the people This is chiefly necessary to be don in this our tyme. For this age of ours hath in the Popes kingdom sharpe and quick wittes which coÌ„mend with maruelous prayses both the Pope and the popish church perswade and dryue into the heads of the sort vnlearned cleane contrary things to theuangelical and Apostolicall doctryne Moreouer they haue woÌ„derfull crafts wherwith the wittier number are also disceaued They haue welth and riches authoritie armure munitioÌ„ threatnings promesses and torments wherby some strong also are made wery and ar halâ—d away to the popish parte There be many without experience whych esteme not this thing as it ought to be estemed suche care not nor passe not what religion be preached whether it be euangelicall or popish or what thynge be of eyther beleued or not beleued For they suppose all these things to concerne them nothyng In the meane season many perish and are in daunger not a few fall away diuerse stick in perplexitie and the kingdom of Christ is abbreuiated For the papistes omit nothing which may make for reparing of theyr kingdom and pullyng downe of the kingdome of Christ Therfore where these fellowes spare in this case nether paines nor cost that they may conuerte all thynges to oppresse the faythe of the Gospell and to dryue the sympler sorte to forsake it We oughte not to suffer that the Churche and the symple people afflycted and tempted in the same shulde want that comfort admonition and doctryne
Eusebius in the .xviii. Chapter of the fourth boke of the Ecclesiasticall story Iustine sayth he mentioneth of the Apocalypse of Iohn saying playnly that it is the Apostles S. Hierom also in the lyfe of blessed Iustine wryteth that Iustine expounded the Apocalypse of S. Iohn but the same exposition remayneth not so farre forth as I knowe The same authour wryteth that Ireney Ireney set forth the Apocalypse of S. Iohn with a commentary whiche also is not to be had He hym selfe who is red to haue lyued about the yeare of our Lorde 160. Witnesseth playnly in the fift boke against the Valentinians that this reuelation was exhibited to Iohn the Apostle a lytle before his dayes We alledge certen wordes of his in the .xiii. Chapter of this boke Tertullian TertulliaÌ„ who lyued about the yeare of our Lorde two hundred and .xx. in the fourth boke against Marcion Albeit sayth he that Marcion refuseth the Apocalypse of Iohn yet shall the order of Byshoppes rekened vp to the very begynnyng affirme S. Iohn to be authour therof In graue matters and reasoning against heretickes he vseth gladly the testimonies of this boke The same thinges are also recited of the blessed Martyr S. Cyprian S. CypriaÌ„ vnder the title of Iohn the Apostle in this Epistles treatises and Sermons Eusebius also in the .xviii. Chapter of the fift booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie Apolloni sheweth that Appollonius a moste auncient wryter vseth the testimonies of the Apocalypse of S. Iohn Theophi And lykewyse Theophilus Byshop of Antioche Whiche he affirmeth in the .xxiiii. Chapter of the fourth boke of the Ecclesiasticall story Also Origen Origen a great man in the churche of God in the .xxv. Chapter of the sixt boke of the same Eusebius And he wrote sayeth he the Apocalypse whiche rested vpon the Lordes breste c. I haue hytherto recited the opinions of the most auncieâ— Martyrs and Doctours of the christen churche touchynâ— the Apocalypse I meane Iustine Ireney Tertullian â—â—prian Appolonius Theophilus and Origen I wyll shorâ—ly after brynge yet moo iudgementes boeth of the 〈◊〉 and Latin wryters of moste authoritie in the churche agâ—yng with the myndes of them that we haue alledged 〈◊〉 therto Howbeit I wyll fyrst touche briefly suche thyng as Dionisius of Alexandria Dionisius AlexaÌ„dria left wrytten of the same booâ— in the fyue and twenty Chapter of the seuenth booke of â—sebius whome I suppose they haue followed as manyâ— after hym haue spoken against this booke He sayeth hâ—â— diuerse that were his predecessours dyd vtterly reprâ— and reiecte this booke Neyther hydeth he the cause wâ—â— they so dyd for that the kyngdome of Christe is affyrmâ— therin to be earthly Wherunto doubtlesse they reserâ—â— that precious citie and the reste whyche vnder terrestrâ—â— kyndes figured spirituall thynges Whiche when we 〈◊〉 in the treatynge therof haue dissolued declaryng thys boâ— not to edifie the earthely kyngdome of Christe but a spiâ—â—tuall and celestiall no man I trowe wyll reiecte a good aâ—â— Godly booke for bycause certen abusyng the testimonâ—â— therof geue vnto it a wrong sense Heretickes haue wrasted verey many places of 〈◊〉 scripture Chiliastes or Millenaries to the defence of their errour shoulde therfore authoritie of the scripture it selfe be brought in doubte Iâ—â— fauoureth nothing at all the Chiliastes or Millenaries this boke He geueth them no weapons Eusebius saieth very well in the ende of the third boâ—â— speakyng of Papias the first authour of the Millenaries He thought saieth he that after the resurrection Chriâ—â— should reigne here corporally with his a thousand yeaâ—â— in earth Whiche I suppose he thought for that he vndeâ—stode not well the Apostles woordes neither that he coâ—â—â—dered not well those thynges that were spoken of hym â—â—der figures for that he was indewed with a small iudgâ—ment But in the meane tyme Dionisius hym self I sayth hâ— dare not reiecte this booke He addeth by and by that he thynketh it not yet to be the booke of Iohn the Apostle but of some other but yet who that should be he knewe not He gathereth also by certen coniectures by the phrase of speach and handlyng of the booke and by the vnlykenes of wytte that this boke should be an other mans than his that wrote the Gospell and Epistle But seing that the argumentes of the story and Epistle be so diuerse that neyther they two be lyke and the argument of the booke of Reuelation moste diuerse of all Why shoulde it seme maruell though it agreeth not with them in all thynges This can no man denie but that in consent of doctrine there is great agremeÌ„t The Epistle to the Hebrewes semed to many to fauour in the syxt and tenth Chap. The Nouatians or Catharites The diuersitie of style was noted to differ from the rest of Saint Paules Epistles But if we should so iudge of holy scriptures I knowe not what shuld be firme and sure enough Leauing therfore this disputation in suspence I wyll nowe procede to bryng foorth the iudgementes of other olde wryters concerning this boke Eusebius Eusebius surnamed Pamphilus Byshop of Cesarea lyuing in the tyme of great Constantine the Emperour and a moste dilligent reader of olde wryters whome many suppose in deminishing the authoritie of this boke to fauour them ryght eloquently in the eighteÌ„th Chapter of the third booke of his story tauntyng the Tyranny of Domitian affirmeth that Iohn exiled into Pathmos wrote there hys Reuelation And where other Historiographers doe also the same He againe in the .xxiiii. Chapter in the thyrd booke concerning the Apocalipse saith he the opinion of men is diuerse some approuing and others reprouing the same Again wheÌ„ he should bring forth his opinion touching the Canon of the new Testament in the .xxv. Chapter He ioyneth the Apocalipse with the bokes vndoubted although he dissembleth not that he wyll shew in another place what other men thinke therof Whilest he this performeth he recoÌ„pteth many more better which iudged the Apocalipse to be of S. Iohn thapostle and imbraced it as a moste Godly booke than those which denied or reproued the same Epipha Epiphanius Byshop of Salamine in Cypres a Greke Authour also doeth manifestly ascribe this boke to S. Iohn the Apostle Reade that he hath left wrytten against Thelogians in the .xv. heresie And S. Hierome attributeth very muche to this Epiphanius Hierome And S. Hierome hym selfe ascribeth this boke to Iohn the Apostle to Paulinus Thâ— Apocalypse of S. Iohn sayth he hath so many Sacramentes as it hath wordes Moreouer Philastrius Byshop oâ— Griria Philastri whome S. Austen sayth he sawe with S. Ambroâ—â— at Millan accompteth them for Heretickes that reiecte thâ— Apocalypse of Iohn and saye that it is not of Iohn the Apostle but of Cerinthus an Hereticke Verely S. Ambrosâ— Ambrose hym selfe alledgeth in his bokes testimonies of the Apocalypse vnder the name of S. Iohn the Apostle S. Austen
cost nothing But the Monkes selle theirs dere They be therfore disceauers and seducers After he calleth him selfe partaker in affliction or oppression and persecution as he that was euen now bannished by the Emperour Domitian and liued in exile And he ioyneth together and not separateth him selfe in the euill That is coÌ„mon to all the faithfull brethren The persecution of Iohn and of the whole churche And verely it is one and the same persecution that vexed the Apostles and tourmenteth vs at this day Let vs therfore reioyce that we haue the Apostles and all the Martyrs of Christ fellowes of our trouble and affliction that we be broken and bruised with the heauy burthen of euils Let vs therfore be pacieÌ„t and long suffring For it is not enough to be afflicted and vexed with all kinde of euils for many without any fruicte or prayse at all indure moste greuous paines But it becometh vs also to be patieÌ„t in aduersitie Therfore S. Iohn at this present ioyneth with all patince For the Lorde sayd in the Gospell In your patience shall you possesse your soules After he addeth vnto tribulation patience a kingdom that an heauenly not a terrestrial kingdom A kingdoÌ„ prepared for the pacient And he bringeth in the kingdom for the comfort of the patient people For also the Apostle S. Paul said a certen and sure saying For if we die with Christ we shall lyue also with hym If we suffer we shall reygne with hym c. Let vs alwayes here with comfort our selues in aduersitie For we are thruste downe that we might ones be exalted againe .ii. Corinthians .iiii. And all these thinges are concluded in Christ Iesus by whoÌ„ we be both the children brethren of God and suffer many thinges patiently and are made partakers of his kingdom For euen for these thinges must we thanke him and his mâ—rites and not our own deserte The state of humilitie of thapostle Let vs here note also what and howe great hath bene the humilitie of the greatest and worthie Apostle of God whâ— was his state Not plesaunt but harde yet in the pacience 〈◊〉 Christ ioyfull But where be they nowe that glory in thâ— name of Apostles Who in the meane time swellyng witâ— pride are addicte to filthie pleasures Whiche I warne thâ— we flee from them as from Apostataes The place wherin the reuelation was shewed And now he sheweth the place where this diuine reuelation was made him where also he was coÌ„maunded of Goâ— to wryte the same The place was the I le of Patmos Thâ— same is accompted amonges the Ilondes called Sporadâ— of Plinie in the fourth boke and .xii. cha It lay ouer againâ— Asia and the citie of Ephesus and was in thu sight boeth 〈◊〉 Europe and Affricke so that it semed to be as it were a miâ—dle seate or holy chaire out of the which Christ preached 〈◊〉 Iohn from heauen to the whole worlde And in dede the coâ—selles of God are wonderfull and his goodnes is vnspekeable which reuealeth so great misteries as it were in thâ— Romish pryson or Babilonicall captiuitie to his faithfull Iohn persecuted for the Gospel Neyther hideth he the cause of his comming into the samâ— Iland I was there saieth he for the worde of God and thâ— testimony of Iesu Christ The word of God is the very soâ— of God called of Iohn by a singular proprietie of speache the worde or sermon of God as appeareth the first of Iohn and the testimony of Iesu Christ is the Gospell if self whicâ— Iesus testified and the whiche his disciples haue testified oâ— Iesu Therfore for the confession and preaching of Iesâ—â— Christ and of his holsome Gospell for so he expoundetâ— also how he is made partaker of thafflictioÌ„ Iohn was apprâ—hended in Asia by soldiours led to Rome that he might pleaâ— his cause before themperour Domitian who of his cruel nature condeÌ„ned the inuoceÌ„t And he was put into a cawdroÌ„ oâ— hote boiling oyl Out of the whiche when he escaped withouâ— harme he was caried into Patmos He aunswered no other matter before themperour than Paul did .27 yeres past before Nero. This was done in that .xiiii. or .xv. yere of DomitiaÌ„ And the .xxiiii. yeare after the destructioÌ„ of the citie HierusaleÌ„ and after the birth of our Lorde .lxvi. Domician who would seme and be called a God being slaine of his own men after many murthers cruel actes died himself a shameful death the .xv. yeare of his reigne The authours hereof are Suetonius in the life of Domitian Tertullian in the heretic prescript Eusebius in his chronicles and in the third boke of the ecclesiastical history in the .xvii. and .xviii. chapter And hereto is added the common consent of all writers Moreouer he noteth the tyme also The time of the reuelation and of the sonday in the whiche these misteries began to be reuealed to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that solemne day of the Lord namely the sonday For so haue the auncient fathers called one of the sabbothes that is to say the first day in the weke wherin Christ rose again froÌ„ the dead Math. xxviii and Mark .xvi. And this day haue the churches chosen to them selues in stead of the Sabboth day as holy in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the Lordes resurrectioÌ„ wherin they might kepe their sacred and solemne assemblees For that this day was solemnised and coÌ„secrated for assemblees in the congregation of Corinthe appereth manifestly in the xvi Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corintians where the Apostle commaundeth to lay a part their collections in one of the sabbothes The same day also the faithful did celebrate their seruice with S. Paul in the .xx. of the Actes Wher Sozomenus reporteth in the .viii. chapt of the first booke of the story tripertite that great Constantine made certen holy daies and euen the Lordes daie for one whiche is called of the Heathen the sonday it is to be vnderstande that he renewed rather the custome of the Apostles catholique church than to haue newly instituted the same And frely of their own accord haue the churches receiued that day for we read not that it was any where commaunded And the congregations sawe how it was altogether necessary that there shuld be a certen tyme in the whiche the sainctes should mete and come together They chose therfore the day of the resurrection nether did they maliciously contende among theÌ„selues for these thinges as the histories testifie was done in the churche afterward And at this day verely the supersticious holy days being abrogated it is better to obserue certain and moderat daies and to kepe peace and quietnes in the churche But where this Apostle knewe that the faithfull on the soâ—day serued God in all assemblees where he could not be pâ—sent in body The Sonday ought to be kept in spirit and contemplation he was with theâ— And as he was thus in the spirite and
are allowed of Christ and he praiseth the same to th ende he might geue a spurre vnto suche as runne in his waye For firste he alloweth the labour and patience bothe of the Bishop and Church Labour patience Labour compriseth thought and care in the waie of God mortifiyng of the flesh study of good workes but chiefly the crosse persecution whiche the story testifieth to haue ben extreme and cruell in the time of Domitian And excepte the persecuted haue patience they can not indure the labour Holy patience kepeth vs in worke and holy labour But leeste that patience shuld be stretched to those things wherein to be impatient is accompted prayse worthy Not to beare euil he addeth the seconde poincte that he prayseth in them that thou canst not beare euill men And by these euill he meaneth not weaklings or such as erre without maliciousnes But the prophet Dauid saieth also Psalm 119. I haue hated the wicked thy law haue I loued What we shuld do with the weake in the faith or with them that erre of ignorauÌ„ce rather than of oâ—stinate stubbernes the Apostle hath taughte vs in the 14. 〈◊〉 the Romanes The example of our Sauiour Hath thaughâ—â— also bringing againe that strayed Shepe vpon his shuldeâ— into the shepefolde Therefore the lord speaketh here of tâ—â— obstinate of the disceauers which delight to erre theÌ„ selueâ— and to drawe others with them into errours no ChristeÌ„ pâ—tience biddeth to beare with suche men And in the woordes followyng he declareth of what sorâ— those euill men were And thou haste examined them whiâ—â— saye they be Apostles and be not and haste founde themâ—ayrs Of false apostles in the time of S. Iohn Lo he speaketh of the false apostles of whom in s Iohâ— time there was exceadyng great plentie For they were â—â—zareans mixing the lawe with grace and attributing Iâ—â—fication to the lawe and to our owne rightuousnes Whâ— the holy and great counsell at Ierusalem condemned aâ—â—pereth in the xv chapter of the actes of the Apostles Sâ—â— a false Apostle was Hebion Eusebius mentioneth in thâ— boke of the Ecclesiasticall story the xxvii chapter Here 〈◊〉 was added Cerinthus that hereticke not Apostle There 〈◊〉 more also whereof some denied the humanitie of Chriâ—â— some his deitie Against whome wrote Iohn in his Gosâ—â—â— and in his Epistle And Ireney in the firste boke against hâ—â—â—tickes These the Lorde denieth to be Apostles or Apostâ—â—â—call which the Apostles haue also denied Actes 15. And â—â—wise the Apostle S. Iohn in his epistle canonicall who 〈◊〉 liar sayeth he but he that denieth Iesus to be Christe But if suche trouble were in Churches whilest the Aposâ—â—â— were yet liuynge TroubliÌ„g of Churches if there were than so manye disceaueâ— what maruell is it thoughe in the dregges of the worlde witte in this our laste time there be not a fewe sounâ— where be they nowe that wraste dissentions and troubles the defence of theyr errour The Gospellers them selâ—â— saye they are at dissention God is God of concorde heâ— than shoulde I beleue that God is amonge those that 〈◊〉 sent So might the Sophisters also haue reasoned in thâ—â—postles time And here haue we a pefitte waye in what sorte the châ—ches shoulde worke whileste troublesome persons like fâ— Apostles attempte to diuide the Churche a sonder Howe we shuld deale with heretickes For such ringeleaders muste be tried and examined And tried muste they be after the christen belefe and doctrine of the Apostles and inquisition muste be made whether they be Apostles and trewe men or false Apostles and lyars When we shall haue founde them to be false Apostles and liars and that they go forewarde obstinately in theyr wickednes they be not to be suffered as in dede the Ephesians did not vouche safe to beare with suche trompers And we muste know that the Pastors ought one waye and the Christen Magistrate another waye and the people the thirde waye not to abide open heretikes For the Pastour not only beareth not with them in dissemblyng and takinge hede to him selfe of those wolues but assayleth them with holesome doctrine and reâ—ulseth them from the shepefoldes of Christe But the Magistrate bicause he is a christen Magistrate and by his duty also not only as a priuate person but also as a Magistrate â—ught to serue Christe he aught also with the swoorde of â—ustice to driue awaye poyson from the churche and to puâ—ishe manifeste blasphemies The hatred that the godly bear to the wicked And the people are commaunâ—ed neyther to heare them nor receiue them nor to haue â—ny thinge to do with heretickes and so not to abide them They maye therfore be ashamed of their naughtinesse and â—retence of their peruerse patience which thinke it no shame â—o maynteyne Heretickes and to flatter the manifeste eneâ—ies of Christe and the Churche Psalm 15. He is praysed â—hiche maketh not muche of the wicked that is to witte â—n whose sighte the wicked manne is vile Therefore is he â—â—ghtly blamed who so euer flattereth the vngodly And 〈◊〉 the hatred in dede is rather agaynste wickednes than aâ—aynste the person of the wicked whiche of it selfe is comâ—aunded to be loued The Deuil at this daye reyseth vp the â—de heresies of Hebion Cerinthus and of others in Terueto a â—paniarde and in the Anabaptistes Libertines and other â—onsters so that the thinge it selfe and the daunger therâ—â— commaundeth vs to watche and to driue away the moste â—uell wolues from the holy Church of Christe whiche neâ—erthelesse do set forth nothing more than patience and chaâ—â—tie for this intente verely that they might be spared and might vnpunished teache what they lifte against Christ aâ—â— worke against his churche yea teare it in pieces with thâ—â— wicked tethe But when these euil men are not suffered but impugnâ—â— whiche seduce and are seduced Patience coÌ„stauncie in batteil a greate conflicte arriseâ—â— wherof againe are labours thoughtes carefulnes watcâ—ynges iniuries to be suffered for the name of Christ and dâ—fence of the veritie For vnlesse we be here diligent and pâ—tient the disceauers ouer come But herin did the churcâ— of the Ephesians behaue them notably wel in so muche thâ— the Lorde nowe commendeth exceadingly the magnaniâ—â—tie patience and constancie of the pastour and of his churcâ— For neyther ought these thinges to be expounded that 〈◊〉 shoulde referre them vnto that patience wherby euil meâ—â— are suffered and permitted to procede in theyr malice aâ—â— disceiptfulnesse For so should this place striue agaynst thâ— thinges whiche went a little before Whiche thinge the â—â—mon interpretour minded as it semeth to haue eschewâ—â— For thus he readeth and thou haste patience and hast suffâ—red where it is in the Greke and hast suffered and hast pâ—tience He altered the order and would not set haste sufferâ— before but haste patience leste any manne shoulde vndâ—â—stande that they had suffered the false Apostles But set bâ—fore patience and put after sufferaunce
that you lose not this grace through your negligâ—â— be diligent attentife and circumspect styryng vp in yoâ— selues the gift of God The spirit speaketh these thinges Now also he prouoketh to dilligeÌ„ce by authoritie diuiâ—â— The spirite of God speaketh and reuealeth these things 〈◊〉 the spirite of men or of errour for God speaketh by his sâ—â—rite whiche is red to be the spirite both of the father and oâ— sonne Moreouer he applieth all and euery thing to all coâ—gregations where he sayth what the spirite saith to the coâ—gregations not to the congregation It is now than manifest and out of all controuersie These thiÌ„ges apperteine to all churches that those seuen churches do represent a figure of al churches throughout the whole world and that all they be instructed in those seuen Furthermore least any thyng shoulde wante to the iuste exhortation vnto repentaunce to faith and dilligence last he annexeth a moste ample promyse and vseth an allegoricall speache that it might haue the more grace with it A most ample promis To them that ouercome he promyseth to geue the fruict of the tree of lyfe planted in the paradise of God And alludeth to the .2 Chap. of Genesis And he translateth the sense from earthly thinges to celestiall The paradise Paradise of God by the which som vnderstande the church is that eurlasting blesse and felicitie wherof the Lorde spake to the thief saying This day shalt thou be with me in paradise Herein is the tree of lyfe Christ communicating to vs his eternal life Whiche we inioy and haue the fruition of whilest being conueied into heauen by hym and with hym we liue Finally this is that Ambrosia or Godly drinke which the heauenly father geueth vs to drinke But this great and wonderfull good chaunceth not to euery one but only to him that ouercometh For Adam had not ouercome but vanquished had died If we therfore shall ouercome the flesh the Deuil and the world and that through Christ we shal liue also in the world to come with Christ The complutention boke hath whiche is in the middes of â—he Paradise of my God And Aretas expoundeth it Of my God and â—ayth Let no man herewith be offended Al humble thinges â—gree to the dispensation of the incarnation whiche was made for our cause since that he himself in the Gospel saith 〈◊〉 ascende vnto my father and your father to my God and â—o your God c. And thus farre hetherto concerning the Epistle of Iesus Christ by Iohn to the Ephesians and what profit our churches also and euery of vs may receiue therof The Lorde lyghten the eyes of our mynde ¶ The second Epistle of Iesu Christ by Iohn to them of Smyrna is expounded And is an exhortatiâ—â— to patience and consolation in afflictions The .ix. Sermon ANd vnto the Aungel of the coÌ„grâ—gation of Smyrna wryte Thesâ— thinges sayth he that is first anâ— the last whiche was dead and iâ— aliue I know thy workes and tâ—â—bulations and pouertie but thou arte richâ— And I know the blasphemie of them which call them selues Iewes and are not but aâ— the congregation of Sathan Feare none 〈◊〉 those things which thou shalt suffer Beholâ— the Deuil shall cast some of you into prisoâ— to tempte you and you shall haue tribulatâ—â— ten daies Be faithfull vnto the death and 〈◊〉 will geue thee a crowne of lyfe Let him thâ— hath eares heare what the spirite saith to congregations he that ouercometh shall nâ— be hurt of the second death The argument of the seconde Epistle Iesus Christ from the right hand of the father throuâ— the ministerie of an aungell by the Apostle and Euangeâ— S. Iohn exhorteth the congregations of Smyrna than â—â—flicted with all kinde of euils for the worde of God vnto â—â—feraunce and comforteth the same sighing nowe vnder 〈◊〉 crosse promising great thinges to them that ouercome Aâ— verely ther can not of this maner and in this matter a beâ— or briefer exhortation and consolation be found For in 〈◊〉 wyse it is couched of the eternal wisdome of the father 〈◊〉 vnto all times A generall comfort exhortatioÌ„ to patience and to all that mourne vnder the crosse it 〈◊〉 right well agree For like as Christ at the right hande of 〈◊〉 father is the catholique or vniuersal Byshop so verely is 〈◊〉 doctrine generall which he him selfe also applieth to all câ—â—gregations in the ende of this Epistle and in others And sâ— he declareth that he loueth his churche and is present in the same by his power and ayde And verely it is to be marueled The congregatioÌ„ of Smyrna excellent that nothing is blamed in this churche since that some faulte is founde in maner with all others Therfore was the churche of Smyrna right excellent howbeit not without any spirite For the Lorde of his goodnes doth not impute vnto vs smal faultes of the which the Prophet speaketh who shall say my heart is cleane And from my hidde sinnes clense me so that there be a feruent desyre or zeale of Godlines in vs that we be voyde of great enormities First is shewed vnto whom this heauenly letter is sent Thepistle is written to the shepeheard to the flok to the Pastour of the churche of Smyrna and to the whole flocke For the captayne is sayd to haue soughten or fled or to haue taken peace when the whole armie together with him hath done this And the stories beare witnes that Policarpus was that same messenger or pastour of the church of Smyrna ordeined of the Apostles theÌ„ selues Policarpe namely of S. Iohn Byshop there and that he liued in the misterie of this congregation .lxxxvi. yeares For so many he accompteth hym selfe before the Lieftenaunt Herode what tyme he was brought to execution For in the fourth persecution of the churche Aurelius Antoninus and Aurelius Comodus being Emperoures he was taken and brought to the gouernour And at length for the open and sincere confessinge of Christ he was burnt He had this very muche in his mouth That nothing ought to be receiued for true vnlesse it were knowen to be set forth by the Apostles Ireneus affirmeth that when he was a childe he sawe this olde father a man of great yeares and reuereÌ„ce in the third boke and third chapt against heresies where he telleth many thinges of him besides As also doth Eusebius in the .iiii. boke of theccle history â—he .xiiii. and .xv. chapters And S. Hierom in the register of â—he famouse wryters of the Churche Eusebius in his Chroâ—icis noteth that he suffered Martyrdome in the yeare of â—ur Lorde a. C. ixx Whereby it appeareth that he was â—ade Byshop of Smyrna in the yeare of our Lorde .lxxxiiii. â—r there about For we sayd euen nowe that he had bene in that ministerie .lxxxvi. yeares And therfore had he bene Byshop of Smyrna many yeares before the setting forth of thâ— Apocalipse whiche was written in the
preseruer of al thinges and by Dia thy wil they are were created This glory of God is woÌ„derful vnmeasurable How great say they thou art that al power glory is dewe vnto thee appereth of the making creation of the world vniuersal No man was with thee at the creation therof no maÌ„ gaue thee couÌ„sel what or how thou shuldest do no man helped thee thus much Who than shuld approch vnto thee to be partaker in power who shuld glory before thee God maker of al things Thou alone madest al things alone preseruest al alone gouernest al. Thou willest they were made Thou saidest they were created It was enough to haue said it was enough to haue willed And in dede al thinges at this day haue their being through thy wil without any painefulnes trauel of thine Thou gouernest al thing in best most goodly order This testifieth the wonderful course of the stars the plesaunt chauÌ„ge of things the most swete plentiful fruites spring of the same Who thaÌ„ wold not gladly submit both him self al his to thee to thy gouernment who wold not coÌ„mit al his thinges vnto thee Who wold not acknowledge the power glory to be thyne Let vs marke these thinges with attentiue mindes that we may also appere such before God as we sethe sainctes in heauen appere God graunt vs this ¶ Of him that sitteth in throne holdeth the boke in his right hand sealed with .vii. seales What that sealed boke is The .xxvj. Sermon AND I sawe in the right hand of him that sate on the throne a boke written within and on the backe side sealed with seueÌ„ seales And I sawe a strong angel preaching with a loud voice who is worthy to open the boke lose the seales therof And no man in heauen nor in earth nother vnder the earth was able to open the boke to ioke theron And I wept much because no man was fouÌ„d worthy to open and reade the boke nother to loke theron He now procedeth to describe more fully hym that sitteth on the Throne Of whome he had touched certen and a fewe thinges before In this pece is no smal force of this our matter For now wyll he shewe that whiche in this treatise is principall that all thinges whiche are done in the worlde through God his prouidence are moste iustly and holily gouerned by Christ Whiche thing all the sainctes of God and creatures acknowledging for an exaÌ„ple to vs that we shuld do the lyke do prayse and celebrate him that liueth for euer And it shall behoue vs to way euery worde synce that in euery one are greate misteries nothing is spoken in vaine And verely that God almighty sitteth in a Throne God sitteth in a throne And by sitting is signified not only the power of iudging rulyng gouerning But also a quiet mynde not troubled with any euill affections after the maner of iudges of this world and great equitie in all thinges Secondly a booke is sene in the right hande of hym that sitteth of the whiche boke we must speake more at large Here appereth an allusion made as ther is in many other places of the scripture to the princes of this worlde whiche haue bokes of the lawes of priuileges of institutes what thing is done and is to be done finally of secretes of actes of condemned and of citezens of lyfe and of death For so is both the boke and bokes assigned to God Moises saith in in the .33 of Exodus Put me out of the boke of lyfe c. In the Psalmes is muche mention of these bokes of God In the Psalm 56.69.139 In the seuenth of Daniel bokes are opened wherof mentioÌ„ is made also in the .20 of the Apocalipse We reade in the .3 of Malach. of a boke of remembraunce before God Therfore this boke of God conteineth all the counsels of God al his workes and iudgementes For we shall heare by and by The booke in the right haÌ„d of him that sitteth that all thinges that are done in the worlde come out of this boke as it were out of a fountaine or wel spring And thre thinges are chiefly spoken of this boke Firste that it lieth not in the Throne or in the bosome of hym that sitteth or vnder the Throne or that it hangeth before or behinde the Throne But it is in the right hand of God Herby is signified the operation or power of God the same moste iust and moste mightie The booke writteÌ„ wtin and without For the boke is not sene in the lefte hande God therfore worketh and conteineth or ministreth all his workes and iudgementes moste holily Secondly that boke is written within and without or on the back side For in the prouidence and iudgementes of God all thinges are conteined both good and euil lucky and vnlucky sharpe and softe swete and sewer visible and inuisible priuie and aparte and all thinges in generall Finally the boke is sealed with seueÌ„ seales For it is most strongly closed and fastened The booke sealed with seueÌ„ seales For the iudgementes works of God are firme true iust and such as can not be withstaÌ„d The vse of seales amonges men is diuerse notwithstanding it may be contriued in two poinctes The vse of seales First Seales are set to because of fidelitie truth and rightuousnes And a great deliberation is had in setting to of seales For they are not put to vniust matters vayn or false Therfore seales be tokens of a certentie and testimonies of a right It semeth an vnworthi thing to speake against sealed wrytinges By the seales therfore that are set to the boke of God is signified that the iudgementes and workes of God are moste firme true and iust what so euer are done by his prouidence and ar ordeined by Christ It shal therfore be a shame to finde fault with the iudgementes of God or to speake euill of his workes Againe by seales are secretes kept that they be not sene of euery maÌ„ but of them only to whome they are appointed The iudgementes therfore and workes of God are for the moste parte hidde and not open to all men sauing to suche as the Lorde hath appointed namely to the faithfull and obedient SeueÌ„ sâ—â—les But there be seueÌ„ seales only for that in them the fulnes of times and of thinges to be done in these times throughout the world and churche and of the iudgementes and misteries of God are comprehended Now therfore the opening of the boke The opening of the boke and seales and the vnsealyng therof is nothing els but the reuealing of God his iudgementes and the declaring or vttering of his most secret counselles Finally the moste holy and iust operation dispensation and execution of his will Nothing in that opening is done against the veritie fayth loue and iustice of God Who is worthy to opeÌ„ the boke and seales therof
and beastes so are they recited in the Lawe also With these as it were sent in from the iiii partes of the world God most rightuouse executeth his iudgementes And let vs obserue this chiefly that power is geuen thē of God to kil and that ouer the fourth parte of the Earth For we learne that God alone is he that quickeneth and sleyeth and that he worketh the same moste iustely by his instrumentes finally that al his thinges are numbred and done in order Wherupon he powreth out his furie vpon the thirde parte of the world For he knoweth whom he shuld punish and whom he should nurrishe tenderly A◠misery Certenly stories testifie how in desperate matters when all thinges are brought to an extremitie of mischiefe God hath brought in sworde pestilence famine beastes which haue plaged men And ful aptly here doeth Aretas recite the wordes of his predecessour S. Andrew Bisshop of Cesaria out of the Eccles story of Eusebius in the .9 boke .8 chapt And verely with in the fiue hōdreth last yeres Historiographers tel of many suche like thinges and we haue sene some Therfore if we couet to be quitte of so great euilles let vs serue God in trueth annd make muche of his worde which he hath sent to heale vs. And reason it is that such as reiecte soūde doctrine should be vexed with sondry diseases of soule and body c. The good are also subiecte to these euils You wil saye but these euilles inuade also the best that is So they doe in dede Whie God permitteth this S. Austen sheweth at large in the first boke of the citie of God Certenly to the godly al thinges tourne to the best The theues suffered the same death of the crosse that Christ did and he as they but the consideration of them is farre diuerse The apostles and innumerable Martirs dye of the sworde likewise do soldiours in the warres but with vnlike lot The Godly are made pertakers of the passion of the sonne of God The vngodly are punisshed for their wickednes and their sufferyng is without glory yea rather this is the begynning vnlesse thei acknowledge him that striketh them of euerlasting tourmentes The Lorde preserue vs from euyll ¶ The fifth Seale is opened and the persecution of the faythfull set before our eyes and also the state of Martirs in an other world The .xxxij. Sermon ANd when he had opened the fifth seale I saw vnder the Aultar the soules of them that were killed for the worde of God And for the testimony whiche they had and they cried with a lowde voice saiyng howe long tariest thou lorde whiche arte holy and trewe to iudge and to auenge our bloud on them that dwel on the earth and long white Garmentes were geuen vnto euery one of them and it was sayed vnto them that they should reste for a little season vntil the nombre of their felowes and bretherne and of thē which shuld be killed as they were were fulfilled The fifte Seale beyng opened of the lambe he exhibiteth to our eyes or rather obiecteth to be sene the continuall persecutions of the churche and sheweth vnto vs diligently what is the state of them whiche die in persecutions Verely the Lorde Christ sendeth forth ministers and preachers for the saluation of men And they vnthankefull ouerwhelme with al kinde of iniuries the faythefull messengers of God and at length most cruelly slaye them Of the whiche matter sins the talke of men emonges themselues is diuerse the very sonne of God at this present doeth gallauntly instructe his church declaryng what the godly shal suffer And first in expounding the same Of the persecution of the church we shal speake generally of the persecutions wherwith aswell the ministers as all the faithful church also is diuersely exercised The lord Christ hath shewed vs before in the Gospel many things touching the persecutions to come verely that he mighte prepare the mindes of all the faithful to battell and patience The places be in the .10 and .24 of Matthew In the .12 and .21 of Luke in the .14.15 and .16 of Iohn And also the actes of the Apostles tel of many thinges whiche the godly suffered in that most holy primitiue Church should he haue ben thought to haue ben well in his wittes if any mā than should haue saied he◠of it appereth that thapostolical church is not the church for that it is subiect to al the mockeries iniuries and slaughters of al men whie than doe we not acknowledge at this daye that they are fowly disceaued which measure the church by the outwarde peace and tranquillitie of thinges Paulus Orosius in the .7 boke of histories raccompteth ten greuouse persecutions reysed agaynst the church frō the time of the Apostles vntil themperour Cōstantine which time did not fully accomplish the space of .ccc. yeres The first was stired vp by Nero a monstrouse man wherof also Tacitus mentioneth in his Chronicles This same rid out of the waie Peter Paul the most holy Apostles of Christ The seconde destruction of the church brought in Domitian which in the same his persecutiō most greuously afflicted both this our S. Iohn and the whole churche also and when he was brought to Rome banished him into the I le of Pathmos The thirde raysed Traiane wherof Plinie gouernour of Asia maketh mentiō in the 10. boke of Epistles In this was Ignatius an holy Bishoppe cast and deuoured of wilde beastes And M. Antoninus verut molested the church with the fourth persecution consumed with fire Polycarpus a bishop most worthie Septimus Seuerus moued the fifte persecution which Eusebius pourseweth in the .6 boke of the Ecclesiastical story Iulius Maximinus killed Pamphilus martir and Sextus raged cruelly againste the church And Decius Traianus beganne the seuenth persecution and executed very many that professed Christ And Licinius Valerian Emperour beheaded S. Cyprian the good Bishoppe of Carthage and was the eight persecutour of the churche Aurelianus verius began the .ix. persecution whiche he but litle auaunced for God most iuste toke him away immediately But Diocletian and Maximian shed more christen bloud thā any other of the Romane Emperours Reade I praye you the beginning of the .8 boke of the Eccles story of Eusebius Compare those things with our time and iudge and coniecture what will shortely come to passe and what our state will be Persecutions are agayne renewed after Constantine vnder Constantius and Iulian. But the moste terrible and greuouse of all haue boyled vp vnder Antichrist and haue indured nowe by the space of fiue hondreth yeres and more What is done at this daye al the world seeth The grounde is wete with the bloud of Martirs Which things S. Iohn foresawe And the causes of persecution The causes of persecution do arrise partely of the gouernement of Christ whiche openeth here the fifte Seale and partely of menne The Lord sendeth vnto his the Crosse and fire to quicken suche as are
slowe and to make those cleane that are couered with ruste and maye fine the corrupte Golde For so the Scripture defineth in the .11 chapt of Daniel and the Apostle .1 Peter Chapter .4 Christe therfore not to distroie but to trie permitteth very many things to Tirannes agaynst the Church The godly men also procure to themselues the heauy hande of the Lorde whilest in dede they beleue rightly in the sonne of God and depende only of him but neuerthelesse are intangled with sondry and euill affections and committe suche actes as not becometh them This maye you see declared at large in the beginnyng of the eight boke of the Ecclesiastical story of Eusebius whiche I lately alledged And the Tirannes that persecuted had an other respect as Sinacherib and Antiochus than our Bisshoppes and Princes haue at this daye For these nowe are moued with the hatred of Religion and are pricked forewarde of Sathan They will haue in any wise their Idolatrouse religion mainteyned and the religion of the Gospell vteerly distroyed They can not abide to haue their Idolles or other sinnes reproued for this cause are they mad at the faithfull and suche as frankely speake agaynst blame ther Idolles and wickednes And thus doeth the persecutiō arrise boyle vp and procede The whiche when the faithfull see increase thus Mutining in persecution and fele themselues sore oppressed they maruel howe longe the lord wil winke at this Many crie out the Lorde neglecteth his matters The Lorde semeth to deale vniustely with his seruauntes he semeth vtterly to forget them Neither is there any doubte but that many by murmuryng offende the Lord greuously Now therfore are we taught that we might haue hope and patience And at this present Heauen is opened to vs and shewed vs to beholde The sum of such thīgs as are opened to vs in this seale where as be the soules of them that are slaine in persecutions and what is their state is declared morouer that God forgetteth not to be reuenged whie also he differreth the same and how long These thinges are spoken to the consolation of al the faithful that are now afflicted with persecutiō Farre other thinges are exhibited here vnto vs than painters instructed or rather corrupted of with monkes and Freres set forth to vs to wit a great company of Monkes and Nunnes couered in Heauen with our ladies coule as though the greatest parte of them should be saued S. Iohn sheweth vs neuer a Frere but rather many martirs whom the Freres at this daye make before other men Herof therfore as of the doctrine of veritie we shal learne what state or degree is most plentifull in heauē not that we should thinke no man but only Martirs to be saued for so many as truely beleue in Christe and crucifie their fleshe with the concupiscences of the same shal be associated with holy Martirs and reioyse with Christ for euer but that chiefly the holy Martirs are saued whome the madde world supposeth to be lost Soules seperated frō the body be immortal But al thinges here must be examined of vs most diligētly For this place as it is most manifeste so is it ful of moste holesome doctrines First S. Iohn seeth and sheweth vs as it were poynting with his fingar the soules that of those that were slaine to wit the spiritual immortal substaunces which the body beyng lost and consumed do remaine a liue The body may be killed the soule can not be killed Whiche our Sauiour hath liuely expressed in the .10 of Matth. In the 12. of Luke he sayeth be not affrayde of them which sleye the body and after this haue nothing that they can do more c. Therfore tirānes might wel kil the bodies of Martirs they had no power ouer their soules This place witnesseth manifestly the soules of men not only to be immortall but also liuing or watcheful not slepyng to remayne liue in Heauē For there be that thinke the soules departed from the body to slepe The cause maketh martyrs not the punishment which thing is most vayne Nowe also the cause is shewed for the which the Martirs are slayne for the worde of God and for the testimony that they had they were not put to death for their wickednes or euill doynges but for the trewe religion wherby they confessed and preached that word of God which was in the beginning and was made fleshe and the Gospell which they had committed vnto them the testimony of God and eternal life which also thei ministred and preached Of the word of God and testimony of Iesu Christ I haue spoken in the first Chapt. For no other cause at this day are slaine innumerable of Bisshoppes kinges and princes Yf they were aduouterers vsurers blasphemers wicked doers they shuld be in some estimation nowe where they professe the onely sonne of God and preache the Gospell they are murthered without mercy Here haue we also certenly defined who be very Martirs in dede not they that suffer tourmentes but they that are tourmented for gods word For the cause maketh the Martir But where are the soules of them that are slayne for the word of God shewed vnto vs vnder the Aultar Where the place is of the soules slayne for gods word the Aultar is after in the .8 chapt set in heauē before the throne of God Therfore the soules of al Sainctes are in Heauen before the Throne of God which was also signified before in the Tipe of the .xxiiii. Elders The Lord hath sayed also where I am there shal be also my seruaunt But the lord is in heauē therfore the soules of the faithful whose bodies haue ben slayne The souls vnder the Aultar or buried without slaughter be no where els but in Heauen Neuerthelesse it waunteth not a singular misterie that they are layed vnder the Aultar as vnder a shadow through whose benefite the soules may be wel at ease I told you before and here againe repete that the aultar signifieth Christ For he is also the golden aultar intercessour and propiciation for our sinnes For the propiciation and mediation of Christ we are receiued into the Ioyes celestial And Christ is our life saluatiō Vnder him we lie hidde as vnder a couer or a shadow Thomas of Aquine expounding this place of S. Iohn by the aultar sayeth he is signified Christ in whom and by whome we should offer to the father what good so euer we doe and through him is made acceptable what so euer is pleasaunte to God Vnder this Aultar namely vnder christ be the soules not only in the state of life to witte whilest we liue here in earth but also in the state of our countrie to wit in heauē as vnder him of whome they are couered as vnder a shadowe agaynst all euill Thus sayeth Thomas But I suppose that there is an other thing also signified that martirs are made confourmable to the Aultar that is to
expedition and celeritie the principall vertue in warres They are euer sayeth he ready at euery momente to execute the iudgementes of God Therfore he reherseth al partes of time euē euery houre of the daye And so there is no securitie frō them thou canst be neuer in suretie They are by by in armure come vnloked for they inuade spede theyr matters most luckely He addeth that through their most cruell spedy armures the third parte of men in the world should be slayne Verely Asia Affricke and Europe haue felte of the moste cruell slaughters and distructions of the Saracenes Turkes and Tartariās euer sins the time of Mahomet vnto our dayes about the space of .ix. hondreth and .xx. yeres And also the priestes of Mahomet are very quicke and diligent to allure men into theyr errours neyther waunte they lucky successe The nombre Nombre is also noted in a maner infinite and the nōbre sayeth he of the armie of horsemen is twenty times ten thousande 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Mirias is the nombre of ten thousande so that two myriades of myriades should make twenty times a thousande Myriades And so the olde translatour hath red or translated it and Erasmus twenty times ten thousande The dutche translation hath many thousande thousandes Laurence Valla in his annotatiōs vpan the newe Testament doeth interprete as hath the dutche translation thousande thousandes But howe so euer it be certayne it is by the conference of other places that a certen nombre is put for vncertayne that is to saye for exceadynge great and to be signified that the horsemen of the Saracenes Turkes and Tartarians should be innumerable For we reade in the .7 of Daniel thousande thousandes serued him and ten thousande millions stode before him And he speaketh of Aungelles whome he signifieth to be innumerable and of theyr ministerie So also in the fifte of the Apocalipse I hearde sayeth he the voice of many Aungelles and thousande thousandes sayng with a lowde voyce c. Certēly the stories testifie that the Saracenes came out of Spaine into Fraunce in nombre foure hondreth thousande Paulus Aemilius in the .2 boke of thactes of Frenchmē reciteth that Charles Martell ouercame three hondreth three score and .xv. thousande Saracenes And Matthias a Michon in the .1 booke 8. chapt of Sarmatia in Asia Tamerlanes sayeth he had an armie of .12 hondreth thousande Moreouer it is playne that there were neuer in any age or memorie greater Armies of horsemen led out of any nation than of Turkes Saracenes and Tartarians S. Iohn addeth that he hearde their nōbre eyther for that he would so confirme that he had sayed how theyr power should be greatest or for that he would partely signifie that theyr victories also were nombred and should haue an ende That in Daniel is most notable Mene Thekel pheres that is hath nombred hath wayed hath diuided He hath nombred sayeth he thy kingdome and hath brought it to an ende And at the beginning and also in the times that followed the matters of Mahomet increased exceadingly After Mahomet him selfe they had in order .xxv. The power successe of Mahometanes Amires for so they called theyr kings or princes which ruled with great power vnto the yere eight C. three score ten About this time the .xv. Amiras called Mahomet went aboute to driue out and oppresse Imbrael gouernour of Babilon which sent for Muchulet the Turke out of Scythia agaynst Amirā And the Turke dispatched his matters and droue many of the Saracenes out of Asia and the Turkes began to reigne in the East And the Saracenes expulsed out of those parties came into Affricke from thence sayling into Sicilie and other Ilandes they possessed Spaine also and ouer rode other natiōs nere and inuaded Italy spoiling Rome and consuming with fire many goodly buildynges Concerning the which matter ye may reade Volaterane in the .12 boke of Geograph in the threfolde Arabie About the yere of our lord M.CCC the Turkishe emperours had theyr beginning of Ottoman who possesse at this daye a great parte of Asia Affricke and Europe Herof hath writen Baptista Ignatius in th ende of the .2 boke of the Romane emperours and Paulus Iouius Many of the Tartarians receiued the religion of Mahomet haue most greuousely plaged the world wherof Mathias a michon writeth in Sarmatia of Asia And doubtles the people of Mahomet haue ben of very greate power and be so still euen at this daye Now are painted out also the horsemen and horses wherupon they ride Horsmen Horses that is to witte the maners and power of the Mahometanes are described The Horsemen had on habergions not of yron but firie of yelow and brimstony colour Therfore fire Hiacinth and sulphur were in stead of the brest plate theyr Armure For the Hiacinth he putteth by and by smoke For Hiacinth in colour resembleth smoke nexte vnto fire flame And the horses had Lions heades Serpentes tailes with heades The horses breathed out of their mouths fire smoke sulphur With these plagues sayeth he to wit fire smoke brimstone the thirde parte of men were slayne Thei did hurt also mē with the Serpētine tailes He addeth theyr power was in their mouth hurt in the tayle These appere to be vnderstand and expounded spiritually and corporally For the Mahometanes by their wicked doctrine which is aptly compared to fire distroiyng to smoke blinding and to stinking sulphure haue distroyed innumerable Finally with a lionish or tirannical force they haue cōstreyned many people to receyue theyr Alcorane and moreouer what time their false prophetes seme to flatter for Esaye sayeth a false prophet is a taile they playe the serpente and infecte menne with the moste corrupte poyson of doctrine Out of their mouthes procede not only blasphemous lawes but also maruelouse prayses greate boastinges of victories abominable blasphemies Where saye they is your christen faith our religion of Mahomet ouerōmeth al. Al your things are miserable Beyng vaunquished ye serue like boūde slaues euery where The thing it self declareth that our religion is true and yours starke false And in dede the Mahometanes reigne in a maner euery where in victories riches they are fortunate noble That thing maketh the Christians affraide causeth many to reuolte For what is done emōgs vs is to manifest to al mē The gospellers haue ones or twise fought vnluckly and abide euery houre great persecutions the papistes ouercome reioyse There are foūde therfore many thousandes which say how the thing it self speaketh whether religion is better Doubtles this great felicitie holdeth many still in errour which would els be gētle tractable Therfore it is no maruel though turkes or mahometanes preuaile very much with their mouth sins emōgs christians victories the felicitie of this world is of so great force in maner with al men And yet they excell with their mouth boastinges in the thing it self and in veritie
are alwayes wonte so ofte as they haue occasiō to celebrate and intimate Christ and the misterie of his redemption S. Iohn therefore sayeth howe the lambe hath ben killed and offered vp from the beginnyng of the world And it is with out controuersie The lambe slayne frō the beginning of the world that by the lambe is vnderstande Christ It is therefore demaunded howe he was slaine from the beginning of the world Many here tourmente themselues at the length they expounde that Christ was slaine in Abel and in all sainctes by perticipation not by passion Certenly we maye not expounde this place after the lettre For Christ coulde not be slayne before he was borne Moreouer the Apostle affirmeth that Christ sins the beginning of the world hath not ben slaine oftener than ones Reade what he sayeth in the .9 chapt to the Hebrew And yet can not the most and trewe worde of God be contrary or repugnaunt to it selfe Therefore saye we after the comon rule of expoundyng the Scriptures that the signes haue the names of the thinges signified For the Lambe was called a passouer or passyng by wherof it was a signe Circumcision was called the leage or conuenaunt it selfe sacrifices are named sinnes So verely from the beginnyng of the worlde sacrifices were slayne whiche were simbolles or signes of Christe to be incarnated and offered vp ones for the clensyng of sinnes We vnderstande therfore by this testimony of Christe that all the sacrifices of the auncient fathers were sacramētes of Christ and that the redemption of Christe hath from the begynnyng of the worlde ben of efficacitie to all the faythful Therfore this place is notable and worthie to be obserued Hitherto apperteyneth the Apostles testimony in the .1 to the Corinth the .10 That al our forefathers haue eaten of the same spirituall meate wyth vs and dronken of the same drynke and that they dranke of the rocke followyng them whiche was Christ Of the destructiō of the Romane Empire And hitherto hath he spokē of the maiestie of the Romane Empire blasphemies sinnes Nowe followeth of the distruction of so great an Empire punnishmēts of sinnes Wherof notwithstanding shal be spoken againe in the .17 chapt And with an Acclamatiō most comonly vsed in the gospell as it were peculiar to Christ he stireth vp al his auditours and crieth out he that hath an eare to heare lette him heare Verely it was to men a wonder and semed vncredible that so great a Maiestie coulde falle but yet it falleth The faythfull marueled also what shoulde be the ende of blasphemies slaughters iniuries abominations Moreouer the doctrine that followeth is notable excellent and worthie to be kepte in memory Therefore he stireth vp all men to attentiuenes and than he sayeth whosoeuer shall leade into captiuitie shall go into captiuitie whosoeuer striketh with the sworde c. For in such sort he declareth the destructiō of Rome and the Romane empire that he confirmeth with al the iustice of gods iudgemēt And also with a maruelouse breuitie of goddes sentence geuen or pronoūced against Rome he suppeth of that vnmeasurable power And this is both by the law of God by the law of nature and by the law of al natiōs receiued as a thing most iust that euery man shulde loke to haue the same done to him that he doth to an other For to this be longeth the sentence rehersed of Noe in the .9 of Gen. He that shedeth bloud his bloud shal be shed The same is repeted in the .33 of Esay Wo to the that spoilest shalt not thou be spoiled A testimonie wherof is Niniue with the Prophet Nahum and Babilon with al the prophets Therfore hath the Lorde taught in the gospell whatsoeuer ye wold that men shuld do to you do you the same vnto them also With what mesure you meat vnto others with the same shall others meat vnto you agayne Whosoeuer stryketh with the sworde with the sword shall perish Therefore it is moste reasonable that sins Rome hath spoiled the whole world and iniuried al nations and made cruel war vpon al men it shuld be againe of al nations inuaded spoyled torne and troden vnder foote Let vs marke this iudgemēt of God let vs fear god and do good vnto men For here is sentence geuen against al men that do iniurie to their neighbours but especialli those which inuade innocēts with vniust wars which thei be hired to make c. And here muste we repeate some thyng out of Hystories The destructiō of Rome and the Romane Empyre whereby the veritie of this prophesie may be better knowen and vnderstand When the most excellēt Prince Constantine had receiued the gouernment of thempire as it were abhorring Rome he builded Constantinople and made it the seate or mansion of thempire And from that time the Maiestie of Rome began to fal vnto ruine Vnder themperour Gratiane a Prince moste wittie the Barbarians were a great terrour to the Romanes wherupō Gratiane made a leage with them Stilico father in lawe to Honorius a Vandall borne deminished the wages of the Gothians and other leage fellowes of the people of Rome for the which cause they toke Armour yet beinge pacified agayne they were stirred vp afterwarde through the mallice of Stilico of Duke Saule vnder the cōduite of Athalaricus their King they hast them to Rome lay seige to it besiege it by the space of two yeares at the lēgth toke and spoiled it Which seige and spoyle S. Hierome in his Epistle bewayleth much Orosius writeth much christianly hereof in the .29 chapter of the .7 boke of Histories It is reported that Rome was taken the fyrste day of Apryll in the yeare .412 Yet the Gothians immediately leauyng the Citie remoue into other places there by neuerthelesse beynge agayne inflamed with fury they returne and vnder their captayne Athaulphus they plagued spoyled Rome worse then they ded before The Kynge had determined extinguyshing the name of Romaynes to haue called the Citie Gothia if he had not ben disswaded of Galla Placidia daughter to Honorius A fewe yeares after Rome was taken agayne of Genserychus King of Vandalles and that which was inryched and replinished with the robberies of al natiōs was by fourtene dayes together emptied cleane After came Odacer with the Germanes and putting downe the name of Emperour reigned ouer the citie himselfe as king by the space of .15 yeares Whom Theodorichus of Verona expulsed and slew And there reigned with his East Gothes about .50 yeares Than was it recouered of Bellisarius for Iustinian Emperour of Grece but to the vtter destruction of Rome For Totilas Kynge of Gothia discomfyted both the Greke and Romayne Armie at Placence after he beseiged Rome scaled toke sacked ouerthrew and set it on fyre The citie burned thirtene dayes Nother was there any man in it by the space of fourtie dayes Reade the .4 boke of Sabellicus the .8 Aeneade Perauenture I
here certen Byshoppes ded resiste him emonges whome was Leo Bishoppe of ould Rome There remayne certen Epistles of his to the Emperour of Constantinople to the Byshops of the Easte and to others So was this trouble for that tyme also appeased But streight way an other Byshop of Constantinople blynded wyth Ambition requyred a fresh to haue the supremacie geuen hym Whome Pelagius and Gregory Byshoppes of Rome wythstood And this later so impugned the supremacie of the Patriarch of Constantinople that he sticked not to call him the vauntcurrour of Antichrist which woulde vsurpe the tytle of generall byshop There remayne not a fewe epistles wrytten of this matter in his register Neuerthelesse a fewe yeares after when the Byshoppes of Rome were sore affrayde leeste that dignitie shulde be geuen to the byshoppes of Constantinople Boniface the .3 obteyned of themperour Phocas a parricide that he which was bishop of old Rome might be taken for the vniuersal bishop and Rome for the head of al churches which constitution set vp the Pope in Authoritie Apostolicall that he was nowe taken of the moste parte of the west Bishops for Apostolicall and manie matters brought before him to determine whereby he got the fauour of many Princes chieflie of Fraunce by whose ayde he droue oute of Italie both the Emperour of Grece and kinges of Lumbardie and brought Rome and the beste most florishing partes of Italie vnder his own subiection Thus I saye out of the earth cometh vp the seconde beaste Beaste Furthermore Christe callth the Romish papistrie beaste for that in Auarice Couetousnesse Tyrannie Crueltie and euen in beastlinesse he differeth nothing from the olde beast of whome I haue spoken before Hitherto of the originall of Antichrist or Pope and of the newe Empyre furthermore S. Ihon procedeth to descrybe that second beast lyuelie that we shuld al know and eschewe the same and fyrst he reasoneth of the power of Antichriste The beast had two hornes That other beaste sayeth he had two hornes and he addeth lyke a lambe For of them is spoken in the fifte chapter of this boke And the Lord signifieth the priesthod and kingdome whyche the Popes vsurpe to themselues affyrmynge that power is geuen them in Heauen and in Earth in spirituall matters and temporal For therefore they geue in their Armes two Keyes that is to saie two hornes They boaste that they haue two swoordes Of the which blasphemies he that wyll be fullye instructed let him reade the wordes of the beastes of Boniface .8 in the sixte Decret of maiorit and obediēce One holy agayne Clement .5 second boke of othes finally Gregorie .9 or rather the first boke of Innocent the .3.33 tit de maior obedient All Histories make mention that Boniface the .8 ded in the yeare of our Lorde .1300 institute the first Iubeley and in the same opēly before the people to haue shewed in the way of ostentation the Pontifical and Emperiall maiestie whylest on the one day he appeared in the apparel of a Byshop on the other hauing put on purple robes shewed himselfe to the people like an Emperour They caried before him two swordes And he himself cried lo here are two swordes as though he shoulde poincte with his fingar to the whole worlde that he and certen of his predecessours and all his successours were that two horned beaste What shall we saie that all bishops by him consecrated weare vpon their heades miters or two horned caps Vnlesse therfore we be blynder than was Tyresias we see with our eyes who is that great Antichriste And here we muste obserue that he sayeth not Lyke a lambe◠that those ar the hornes of a lambe For Christ kepeth stil both the priesthod and kingdome with the faithful in the church nother doeth he resigne the same to any other he hath appointed no Vycar For he executeth continuallie at the righte hande of the Father the offices both of King and Bishoppe and this all faithfull fele with ioye He sayeth therefore lyke a lambes For the Pope wyll make all men beleue that he hath receiued of Christ Priesthod and Empire that he is Christes Vycar wher he is nothyng lesse He bragth euery where that he is the great shepparde and hath receyued the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen And that of the very lambe of God in the Apostle Saincte Peter and therefore that all Bishoppes are subiecte to him finallie al Kynges Princes and people He procedeth to shewe moreouer He spake as the Dragon what the talke of Antichriste is what is his doctryne and what is his speach He spake sayeth he as ded the Dragon The Dragon is the Deuyll as before is playnelie shewed Therefore he ascribeth to Antichryste or Popery Diabolicall doctrine or a deuyllysh mouth or toungue We muste see therefore howe the deuyll speaketh that we may so vnderstande rightlie howe Antichriste speaketh In Paradise he so tempereth his talke that he calleth in doubte the certentie and veritie of Gods word and by that occasion placeth his owne worde in steade of the worde of God Is it so sayth the Deuyll hath God forbydden you Genesis .3 vnder perill of your life that ye shoulde not eate of the fruicte of the tree of knowledge of good euil yea rather yf ye eate therof ye shall be made lyke vnto God And after the same sorte Antichriste in his Poperie bringeth the veritie of the Scripture in doubte which by all meanes possible he disfameth as vnperfecte maymed obscure and doubtefull And by and by vpon that occasion he bringeth in his traditions decrees wherewith he maye patch vp that which he contendeth to want in the Scriptures But in his traditions he affirmeth thinges contrary to Gods worde and so disceaueth men And all men knowe that haue any skill of popysh matters that the fyrste and chiefe principle and foundation of Papistrie is that the Scriptures are vnperfecte and obscure and therefore to haue nede of traditions Moreouer the Dragon speaketh openlie against the lawes of God and so doeth the Pope manifestelye God wyll be worshypped alone the Pope addeth to him Sainctes God forbyddeth Idolles and Idolatrie the pope cōmaundeth them playnely God wyll haue his name to be sanctified and his name to be sworne by onely the Pope by dispensing with othes polluteth the name of the Lorde and commaūdeth vs to sweare by the names of Gods God commaūdeth vs to kepe holie the Sabboth daye The Pope bringeth this in contempte setteth forth his owne holy daies and maketh double feastes God commaūdeth vs to honor our parents This doeth the Pope abbrogate and commaundeth to make more of Abbotes and Abbesses God commaundeth thou shalt not kyll thou shalt not commit aduoutrie or steale The Pope graunteth moste ample indulgences and pardons to his soldiours for rash warres made at his wyll and pleasure spoyleth with his sacrileges al churches and he with his mayden priestes fylleth all the world with
firste miracle done in Cana of Galiley and sayeth This is the firste token that Iesus did at Cana in Galiley and shewed his glory and his disciples beleued on him This token was trewe and suspected of no iuggelyng it was a benefite bestowed vpoÌ„ pore folkes newely maried by the same God was glorified His disciples moued herewith and the sprite of God workyng also inwardely beleued on Christ So do all trewe miracles testifie Christ to be helthful and beneficiall therefore alone to be called vpon and worshipped So doe Iohn and Peter interprete the signes or miracle that their theÌ„selues wrought in the .3 of the Actes of Apostles And of such miracles we haue greate plentie in the Euangelicall Apostolicall Ecclesiasticall storie nother haue al those any other ende thaÌ„ that we must beleue in the sonne of God as which alone geueth life and al good thinges And false signes I calle those that are done through deuelishe crafte or inchauntement Of falsâ— signes or miracles or by the craftie iuggelyng and subtill sleight of wicked men as be those of witches and inchaunters such as the wise men of Pharao were and Symon Magus and those wherof mention is made in the .13 of Deuâ—ter Finally suche were the miracles of the Freres brent at Bernes in Swisserlande and greately it is to be feared leest such haue ben the most parte of the miracles of al Mounkes and Eremites Likewise those are called false also whiche although they be done in dede yet beare they witnes to a lie agaynste the trewth confirmyng the Pope to be head of the church that images are to be worshipped that we must pray vnto Sainctes and go a pilgrimage for religion yea rather for superstitions sake that we must worshippe a newe God liynge hidde vnder fourme of Bread and Wine that God muste be honoured with vowes and Monkish conuersatioÌ„ and yf there be any other thing of like sorte With suche disceauable signes are filled at this daye all Temples churches and chapelles These haue perswaded much euen wise men and do also at this daye Whiche thing the Lord prophecied should come to passe saiynge there shal arrise false Christes and false Prophetes and shal shewe great signes and wonders that euen if it were possible the elect should be brought into errour And S. Paule also the comyng of Antichriste sayeth he shal be after the workyng of Sathan with al power and signes and liyng wonders and the reste whiche is red in the .2 to the Thessal 2. And we knowe that many Bisshoppes of Rome haue wrought signes but that same is not so excellent but that the Bisshoppe of Rome hath confirmed what miracles so euer haue ben wrought in al ChristeÌ„dome and augemented the same with his bulles and indulgences Doubtles all had a contrary ende to the miracles of Christ and yet haue for they do not profite men but emptie their purses put men to sondry charges and leade them awaye from the faith of Christ to the faith of Antichrist confirming his religion superstitioÌ„ and doctrine Nother doeth he place these his miracles emongs the last of his argumentes what time the simplicitie of the gospell is impugned But if we be wise we will beware of them as of a most present pestilence He maketh fire to come down c heaueÌ„ And emonges his miracles the lord by S. Iohn reherseth that aboue all thinges he causeth fire to come downe to the Earth and that in the presence of meÌ„ And he semeth to haue alluded to the story of Helias wherof we reade in the .4 boke of Kinges the .1 chapt and whereof we mentioned in the .11 chapt We reade that it was no smal miracle in the Actes of the Apostles that al the laiyng on of thapostles handes the holy ghost was geuen Symon Magus also did couet the same grace but he was sore reiected of S. Peter the Apostle as we reade in the .8 chapt of the Actes of Apostles And here is to be obserued as also S. Austen hath admonished in the .15 boke de trinit the .26 chapt that thapostles gaue not the holy ghost for it is God alone that geueth the holy ghost therfore at the prayers of thapostles at the imposition of haÌ„des the holy ghost was geuen from heaueÌ„ Wherfore S. Iohn Baptiste saied how he baptised with water but that Christ shuld baptise with fire and with holy ghost And by fire is figured the holy ghost The Pope geueth grace But Antichrist the Pope shal make his boaste that he hauing power geuen him froÌ„ heauen graunteth the grace of the holy ghost Doubtles in the time of coÌ„secrating he saieth that he geueth the holy ghost So likewise in auricular coÌ„fessions absolutions they bragge that thei geue full absolutioÌ„ of sinnes which in dede is a great miracle Thei laie their haÌ„des vpon the sinner that confesseth and saye howe they absolue him from the payne and crime and that by the power receyued of that moste holy See of Rome Primasius expounding this place It is no maruell sayeth he though that beaste which fainedly vsurpeth to him selfe the name of the Lambe killed and yet liuyng doe fraudulently chalenge to him selfe also this gifte of the holy ghost colourably by ImitatioÌ„ and fayne a donation to his ministers as we remembre that Symon Magus coueted but coulde not obteyne Hitherto he There is an other fire also The Pope casteth a thoÌ„derbolt at his enemies which Antichrist calleth doune from heauen and casteth and throweth at his enemies to be reuenged on them to wit the darte and thonderbolte of cursing this was terrible to kinges princes people And these haue so much feared the thonderbolte of excoÌ„munication that they haue done graunted many thinges which otherwise no maÌ„ shuld haue gote of theÌ„ The story is knoweÌ„ of themperour Henry the .4 For Platina in the life of Gregory the .7 sheweth that this Emperour was excoÌ„municated by the Pope After he addeth these things of themperour he came spedely to Canosse where the bishop was with Mathilda and by and by laiyng a side his royal robes went bare foted to the gates of the citie and humbly required to be let in His entring denied he toke in good parte notwithstanding that the winter was sharpe and al was frosen harde Remaynyng thre daies in the suburbes of the Towne and continually crauing perdon at the length at request of Mathilda and the Erle of Sauoye the Abbot of Clunies he is absolued Fridericke Barbarouse that he mighte be reconciled to the Pope layed his necke vnder his fete to be troden on full manifeste are the iniuries done of this beaste to other kinges also and people I wil yet tel of one The Venetians besieged Farrare which payeth tribute to the Churche of Rome for the whiche cause they were excommunicated by Clement the .5 Therefore Fraunces Dandalus which was after created Duke wente into Fraunce where that time the Bisshop was
excellent in all kinde of vertues and especially the seculars as they tearme them who hath muche misliked the tiranny and impietie of the Popes of Rome in so muche that they haue stoutely oftentimes withstande them Our age doubtles is muche bounde to this order or state that a good parte of the preachyng of the holy gospel is reformed the which both they with other princes of Germany moste worthie of praise do by Gods inspiration valiaūtly against the furies of Antichrist defende and mantayne The Lord increase in them in other godly Princes through the whole world his giftes and mercifully kepe and preserue thē But to returne to the prosis and order of the Historie certayne it is that immediately after Gregory the .5 the Deuill inuaded the see of Rome Nother could Platina dissemble this thing a writer of Popes liues knowen to all men See what he sayeth of Popes in the life of Syluester .3 which hath very fauourably spared his lordes and maisters and many times hath couered their abominable actes yet writyng of the successour of Gregory the .5 Siluester the .2 sayeth he before called Gilberte a Monke of Florey forsakyng his monasterie followed the Deuil vnto whom he gaue him self whole And by and by he addeth Gilbert moued with Ambition and a deuelish desire to rule through briberie gote firste the Archbisshopricke of Reyns after of Rauenna and after with greater suite the Deuill furtheryng him he obteyned to be pope yet vnder this cōdicion that after his death he should be the Deuilles wholy c. He that would knowe the full story and abridgement taken out of Antoninus The See of Rome vtterly corrupted Nauclerus and others lette him reade the .9 boke of Funccius Cronicles vnder the yere .998 Beno a Cardinall supposeth at this time to be fulfilled those thousande yeres after the which the Deuill breakyng lowse beganne agayne to rage in the worlde Wherof shall followe certen thinges in the .20 chapt of this booke Notwithstandyng I shall not refuse to gather here certen thinges out of this Benone Cardinall and briefly to recite them here for the declaration of our matter Therefore Beno in the life and actes of Hildebrande The mallice of the Popes vexyng the emperours called Gregory the .7 one Gerbertus which had infected the citie with sorcerie sayeth he after the thousand yeres fulfilled coming vp out of the botōlesse pitte of Gods permission was Pope 4. yeres and chaungyng his name was called Siluester the 2. And after Gilberte the yere .25 I suppose it should be red .32 And howe they reigned these yeres Stories testifie and that very euyl Theophilactus his schollar atchieued the seate violently called Benedict the .9 He had a dere frende and priuie to all his doynges one Gratiane Archeprieste of S. Iohn porte latin Vnto whome Hildebrande a Monke of Cluney forsakyng his abbeye did familiarely cleaue and became a familiar frende of his But Benedict fearyng him selfe solde his seate to Gratiane Maister of Hildebrande receiuyng of him fiue hondred thousande poūdes which promoted to the office was called Gregory the .6 Neuerthelesse they had shortly a thirde Pope Sabinus and he was called Siluester the .3 Themperour therefore Henry the .2 a godly man valeaunt wise and stoute goyng to Rome to pourge the church for as yet the Bisshoppes vsed not full authoritie compelled Benedicte or Theophilacte the Magician to flee cast Gregory in pryson and sent a waye Siluester to his olde Bisshoprike And he holdyng a Counsell placed the Bisshop of Bamberge whom he called Clement in the seate of whome also he receyued the crowne And he brought Gregory with his disciple Hildebrande with him into Germany In the meane time Benedict retournyng to Rome from flight vexeth Clement and with much inchauntynge infecteth the Citie and by letters receyued from Hildebrande out of Germany he learneth what is done in the Emperours court Gregory dieth there in prison and lefte Hildebrande his heire both of his false packyng and of his monie Clement dieth also Whom Damasus the .2 succedeth immediately but streight wayes poisoned by reason of the tumulte that was in the citie the Emperour sendeth Bruno Bisshoppe of Tully commen of the noble house of the Erles of Holst a worthy mā Here Beno annexeth in whose trayne through the ouer much sufferaūce of the Emperour Hildebrande was permitted to retourne by this permission to subuerte bothe the Bisshoprycke and Empire vnder pretence of religion And this Beno herein was a trewe prophet whiche sayeth thus also in the storie of Hildebrande and telling Bruno many things by the waie crepte into his fauour and as sone as he came to Rome obteyned of him that he was made one of the kepers of S. Peters Aultar And in a shorte time he filled his coffers And he also recōciled his olde Lord and maister Benedicte fayning repentaunce disceiptfully to Leo the .9 for so Bruno beyng made Pope was called and through the counsell of Benedicte otherwise called Theophilacte he armed Leo agaynst the Normannes and betrayed him vnto them The Germanes therefore slayne by treason scarsely the Pope all desolate escaped This sayeth Beno And certē it is that this Monke Hildebrande Gregory the .7 from that time forewarde aspired to gette the seate and in the meane time whilest it was gouerned of others he incensed and ruled the Popes as Leo the .9 Victour the .2 Stephen the .9 Benedicte the .10 Nicolas the .2 and Alexander the .2 But they smell of Hildebrandes stile that are set forth in the name of Leo Nicolas and Alexander But at the length he him self clome vp into the chayre in the whiche he so vsed him selfe that no man vnlesse he were starke blinde but might see that his deuelish gouernement hath requited most aboūdantly Henry the .4 the sonne of Henry the thirde his fathers cariyng of him into Germany And he beganne openly and impudently to take vpon him the power of the emperour Nother can it be tolde at fewe wordes in what detestable wise this beaste did afflicte bothe the Emperour and empire al the while he was Pope for the space of .12 whole yeres An Abridgement of that story hath Iohn Functius compiled in the .10 boke vnder the yere of our Lorde .1074 Diuerse opinions of Gregory the .7 I know that Platina and many Italian wryters yea and some Germanes also doe highly cōmende the religion and vertues of this Gregory the .7 by the whiche thyng the Popishe tiranny vnder the pretence of religion is wonderfully augmented and confirmed and many blynded Yet is it comen to passe agayne through the grace of God that men of graue authoritie religion and vertues haue fayre and wel plucked of the visure from this beaste Therefore haue Synodes and Counselles not to be cōtemned condemned this Gregory and first in dede the Coūsell of Mentz wherein were 19. famous Byshopes Than was assembled at Brixia a Synode of .30 Bisshoppes and of the moste
parte of the nobles of Germany of Italy There was also a Counsell assembled at Wormz where Kinge Henry beyng presente all the Germane Bishoppes excepte they of Saxonie deposed the Pope from his function The Epistles and fragmentes of these Coūselles are founde in the Cronicles of Verspergens -chiefly He is accused by these openly of all wickednes and vngodlines of Hypocrisie and crueltie We haue rehersed a little before what Cardinall Benno a wryter of his time hath committed to wrytinge There remayne also testimonies of Sigisbert an olde wryter concernynge this Pope Who so will maye reade the .5 booke of Auentinus from the .162 and so forth And also the preface of the .6 booke The same Authour in the .7 booke reportynge the wordes of Eberharde Bisshoppe of Salisburge had in the Counsell of Regenspurge Hildebrande sayeth he 170. yeres sins vnder pretence of religion layde firste the foundation of Antitichristes kingedome This wycked warre he him selfe firste beganne whiche by his successours is continewed hitherto Firste they haue excluded the Emperour from the Popes election and referred the same to the people and priestes of Rome After they also mocked thruste out they goe about now also to bring vs in subiection bondage to thintent thei might reigne alone And the things that follow But the thing it self declareth that there haue not liued many Popes more bolde and impudent than this whiche haue auaunced more highly the maiestie of the seate He excōmunicated themperour Henry the .4 and depriued him of the dignitie imperial moreouer he stired vp his subiectes agaynste hym and absolued the rebelles and traytours from their othe of fidelitie and he him selfe like a Monarke gaue the Crowne of the Empire vnto others at his pleasure The powre therefore and Treasoure of the Empire hath be so worne and wasted what wyth ciuile and what wyth foreyne warres that these many yeres nowe the kinges of Almaigne haue neyther ben able to recouer their force nor yet to resiste the most arrogaunt tiranny of Popes And thus at the laste the Pope is become a Monarch and Emperours Kinges and and Princes are made their Clientes and wardes When Gregory the .7 was dead there succeded .4 Mōkes of Hildebrandes secte and faction of his maners kankred nature as it were heires and sonnes that go nothing out of kinde Victor the .3 Vrbane the .2 Paschal the .2 And Gelasius the .2 Anno. 1119 Paschalis caused the sonne Henry the .5 oh wicked and detestable parricidie to warre agaynst the father that miserable Henry the .4 And shortely also Gelasius the .2 and Callistus the .2 do excōmunicate also Henry the .5 And cease not to vexe this prince also till they had wronge out of his hādes the gifte or electiō of Bisshopperickes The gifte of Bishoprikes takē frō themperours And that to the great and inestimable profit of the See of Rome and to the vnrecouerable losse of Germany c. These thinges are described more at large of Vrspergens in the Cronicle of the yere .1122 In the times followyng the audacitie power of Popes increasing hourely the Germane kinges haue resisted them stoutely enough but yet with small successe Where in the meane season we must remembre the wordes of the Lord vttered by Daniel saiyng and there shall arrise a Kinge of a shameles face and vnderstanding propositions his strēgth shall be fortfied but not in his owne force and it can not be beleued howe he wil distroye al thinges and he shal prosper and do c. the tirāny of Popes against emperours Anno. 1178 I wil touche therfore in fewe wordes what thinges in the times followyng Popes haue attempted agaynste kinges and boldely done for the establisshyng of their Empire and Monarchie Pope Alexander the .3 did excommunicate Fridericke the .1 called Barbarousse trode him vnder his fete And where the good Prince sayed how he sheweth this obedience to S. Peter the beaste exclamed settyng him selfe also before Peter and sayed both to me and to Peter and stamped on him Pope Innocentius the .3 coulde not abide much lesse allowe Philippe the sonne of Fridericke Anno. 1189 created Emperour but commaunded the electours to chouse an other I meane Ottho Duke of Saxon whome notwithstandyng shortely after he excommunicated also That proude beast sayed that he would take from Philippe the emperial crowne or lose his Apostolicke Miter Vnto this Innocent are ascribed those most proude wordes which are red in the decretal of Gregory the .9 de Elect. in the .6 title .34 chapt on this wise that the princes haue right and authoritie to chouse a king and afterwarde to auaūce him to be Emperour we acknowledge as we ought as to whome of righte and auncient custome it is knowē to appertayne especially sins that such right and authoritie came vnto them from the Apostolicall Seate which translated the Romane Empire frō the Grekes to the Germanes in the persone of greate Charles See howe thei vsurpe all power to themselues Howbeit the Princes must know agayne that the right and authoritie to examine the person chosen kyng and to be promoted to the empire belongeth vnto vs which do annoincte consecrate and crowne him c. The same in the first boke the .33 Titl de maior obedient Wryting to the Emperour Constantine So much diuersitie sayeth he as there is betwixte the sunne and the Mone so great a difference is there betwene Popes and Kinges in Gods name But the Emperour Fridericke the .2 Fridericke the .2 well langaged Nephewe to Barbarousse an excellent prince many Popes did excommunicate Honorius the .3 Gregory the .9 and Innocentius the .4 And in dede Gregory the .9 whilest Fridericke that excellent Prince made warre in Syria for religion with the Soldane inuaded and kept the prouinces of Fridericke An. 1227. 1228. 1247. There were most cruell warres and discordes betwixte the Popes and this Fridericke The same Innocentius the .4 excommunicateth Conrade the .4 of that name and Sonne of Fridericke the .2 and stireth vp the Prince of Thuringe agaynst him And when the Emperour Conrade was dead the Pope obteyned the good willes of the Neapolitanes to yelde themselues to the See of Rome Conrade had lefte a Sonne and heire Conradine and Manfrede his bastarde brother whiche would be called king of Sicilie Wherefore Pope Vrbane the fourth some haue Clement the .4 agaynste Manfrede sente for Charles brother to kinge Lewis the Frenche kynge Erle of Prouince and of Saunte to come with an Armie into Italy Anno. 1263 and called him King of both Sicilies Who ouercome and slewe Manfred at Beneuent receiued the kingdomes of Sicilie of the Pope to do him homage But Conradinus Duke of Swauelande accōpanied with Fridericke Duke of Austrich leadeth out of Germany a right wel furnished Armie into Italy against Charles for the recoueryng of his olde and fatherly kingdome But vanquisshed of Charles at the lake
Fucine he was taken with duke Fridericke Anno. 1266 There were slaine as it is saied .12 thousand The occasion of so greate an euill were the Popes chiefly Clement the .4 which beyng demaunded of Charles the worthie Prince what he should do with his prisoners aunswered so that the Frenche men vnderstode that they must suffer Therfore he put them both to the sworde In whome the house and posteritie of the moste noble Dukes of Austriche and Swauelande is sayde to haue failed Paulus Aemilius discourseth this gere more at large in the .7 booke of Frenche Actes and Auentinus in the .7 booke But yet might not the Ire and furie of those moste holy fathers be so pacified conceiued hereof that the most noble Dukes of Swauelande had for gods glory and the comon welthes sake most godly and most constantly resisted the Romish Bisshoppes Wolues I would haue saied Thempire made desolate But these Parricidies and blouddy warres displeased all good meÌ„ euery where and chiefly the wise and godly Princes so that they vnderstode how they must eschew that Empire and flee from it as from the plage as the which was not only but a shaddowe but moreouer would vtterly consume his yerely reuenewes and treasour which should receiue the office For now was it knowen through out the world what the moste valeaunt and excellent Princes of Germany had nowe about .119 yeres from Henry the .4 to the Sonnes of Fridericke the .2 suffered of the bolde ambition and vncredible mallice of the Popes and that many of them had loste both their liues with their auncient kingdomes and their â—ibertie most excellent of all And here was thempire with out any Emperour for certeÌ„ yeres which I am wont to cal a desolation of the kingdome or Empire For the Popes with their inuincible and intollerable pryde and tyrannie had so weakened the force of the Emperours that the empire semed subuerted destroyed nother coulde there any be easely founde which ded set by it or thoughte it worthie to be desyred At the laste at the commaundement of Gregory the .10 which helde a Counsell at Lions was chosen Counte Rodulph of Abspurg which although he forsoke not the thing offered yet being oft requested to come to Rome is sayed to haue aunswered the waywarde steppes of fete do feare me sore meaning by this dixaine that he trusted not the Popes which by their craftes had destroyed both many Prences of Germanie and also innumerable people comming to Rome And this Rafe is red to haue ben crowned Kyng in the yeare of our Lorde .1273 the .200 yeare after Gregory the .7 And so longe time lasted the fight of Popes and Emperours A little whyle after whyleste Alberte the sonne of Rafe was chosen Emperoure and the election was referred to Boniface the .8 of that name he stoutely reiected the same and shewed by and by in word and dede that he was both Pope and Emperour which by right had both swordes Which I expounded in the .58 sermon the same doth Albert Krantz declare excedingly well in the .8 boke .36 ch of Saxon matters In the place of King Albert was substituted Henry Prince of Lucemburge But what authoritie ouer him thempire chaleÌ„ged Clement the .5 pope he that list may know of the ClemeÌ„tines For there is a long treatise therof in the .2 boke .9 tit I could also rehearce many other lyke things of pope Ihon the .22 and of others if I ded not thinke it superfluouse For of these things which I haue rehersed hitherto The proprietie of kingdomes is the popes but the vse of Kings and Princes it appereth sufficieÌ„tly that the popes theÌ„selues by a mischeuouse boldnes haue takeÌ„ to theÌ„selues thempire do boast theÌ„selues for monarkes do abuse the seruice ministerie of kinges as their wards clieÌ„tes yet to pretend the name of soÌ„nes to the intent thei may haue them the more obedieÌ„t For so in times past wrote Gregory the .7 to Geusas king of Hongary which place read in the .17 chap. of this boke the sermoÌ„ .75 yet vnderstaÌ„d we in the meane time that the gretest part of Princes Nobles haue not knowen the same beast but haue rather impugned him therfore not to come in the nombre of the beast but in asmuch as they lyued vnder the Empire yet estraunged farre from the beaste By this I woulde haue them aunswered which wyll exclame and saie who can take it in good parte to haue the holy Empire called the Image of the beast and so many noble Kings and Princes Cities and people praise worthie But I nother oughte nor wyll chaunge the manner of speakinge which the scripture vseth They be the Lordes woordes all which Daniell in oulde tyme and nowe Ibon haue reuealed to vs but I maie excepte and excuse such as are excused by the testimonie of scripture The way is ready briefe whosoeuer wyll be free from the beaste let him take hede that he be not inspired withe the Popes spirite and that he speake not and doe that the Pope commauÌ„deth against godlynes Let him rather be ruled with the spirite of Christ and so shal it come to passe that dwelling in the middes of Babilon he shal not lyue after the iniquities of Babilon but in the Kingdome of Christe They that shall not worship the beaste shal be slain It foloweth and the beast shal cause that whosoeuer shal not worship the Image of the beast shall be slayne And it is all one offence to worship that oulde beaste and to worship the Image of the newe beaste Of the worshipping of him I haue spoken a little before Therfore doe they worshippe the Image of the beaste which admitte the decrees and those ordinaunces of the seate and Empire speaking the inspiration of the beaste which allowe the Romish religion which fall to the kyssing of the feeâ—e and shew themselues in all things obedient chyldren of the seate and are faithfull to the popish Empire Nowe yf any wyll not be suche a one and woulde be content with Christianitie would abhorre Rome the seat of the beast and detest the Image of the beast he lyke a church robber and traytour is iudged vnworthie of lyfe There is a Canon in the .5 boke of Decret the .7 tit of heret Wherein withoute any circumstaunce of wordes Lucius the thirde of that name determyneth playnelye that heretykes are strycken with an euerlastinge curse whosoeuer beleue and teache otherwyse of the Sacraments than the church of Rome beleueth and teacheth He commaundeth moreouer that such beynge depryued of all dignitie shall be committed to the iudgement of the secular powers to be punished with dewe correction But yf the temporall maiestrate wyll not punish so defend the church that than he shal be also depriued of al honour c. But why do I tary in rehearsyng these thinges All men at this daie knowe and see what thynges are done daylie They are
shuld be ordeined bishop of Rome but a Cardinal He condemned moreouer the Greke counsell of the Emperour CoÌ„stantine against Images which he coÌ„maunded both to be had and worshipped These things writeth Antoninus in Chron. tit 14. Cap. 1. .5 After this that great Charles the sonne of Pipine sent for into Italie by pope Adriane Charles coÌ„fyrmeth al thinges taketh Desiderius King of Lumbardes and putteth downe the Kyngdome of Lumbardes This was done in the yeare of our Lorde .773 and also the two hondreth fourth yeare after that the Lumbardes were arryued in Italie And he confirmed and augmented the donatioÌ„ of Pipine his father As many Historiographers make relation Ihon Functius in Cron. addeth that through out the whole Realme of Fraunce Euen so was the masse obtruted to the Germaines at the coÌ„maundement of Charles the Ceremonies of the Romish church were instituted We haue nowe than the name of Antichrist of the nombre .666 We knowe who he is and whome we shoulde beware of I can not here omitte but at fewe wordes muste note the supputation of Sibilla concerning the originall of Antichrist to my iudgement very agreable to the fourmer accoumpte For the .8 bokes of Sibelles oracles taken out of the librarie of the honorable coÌ„mon welth of Auspurg were set forth by the moste godly and learned man D. Xistus Betuleius in the yeare of our Lorde .1545 and that in Greke And this Sibilla Erythreae or whatsoeuer she were prophesieth in the .8 boke that Rome shal fal and be burnt with fier The wordes of Sibelle in Greke are to this effecte The plague of God vpon the ones shall fall Prowde Rome vnto the grounde thou shalte be caste Vnto thy foes made first captiue and thrall And than with flaming fier be burnt at laste And this thing was accoÌ„plished at what time Totilas Kynge of Gothes fyred the Citie as we haue rehearsed before And shortelie after in the same Oracles are these annexed When Emperours that haue the worlde oppreste With bondage great from the east vnto the weste The numbre haue fulfilled of fiftene A King shall come in white hatte to be sene Which vnto Ponti his name shall nere annex As he that shall be called Pontifex To worldelie pleasures geuen shall he lyue And with his wicked fote rewardes will geue and the residue which are read there She byddeth accoumpte from the burninge of Rome fiftene Kinges After whome shall come a newe Kinge whome she describeth And it is manifest that Rome was taken spoyled and burnt vnder the Emperour Iustinian After ar accoumpted from Iustine the yonger to the Emperour Theodosius 15. After Theodose succedeth Leo the .3 whose name was Isauricus she calleth those kings delicatos that is geueÌ„ to pleasures Because the most parte of them were not very valiaunt but vnder Leo .3 Italie reuolteth from themperour And shortlie also the gouernement called the Exarchate was geuen to the pope of Kinge Pipine againste the Emperours mynde We se therfore that the supputations do agree For we haue also brought to kinge Pipine the yeares .666 And so a newe kynge ariseth whome Sibille nameth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notable by reason of his whyte hat or myter For so she noteth the Byshop which in oulde tyme dyd weare on their heades whyte miters that shuld be a king She geueth him a name also For she sayeth how he hath a name nere vnto Ponti For adde to the worde Ponti fex and you haue Pontifex She annexeth certen notes or marks also that he shall regard earthly things and not heauenly and that he shal also prouide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and geue rewardes with his vngraciouse fote And that is rightly spoken sins that after Domitian and Dioclesian none of all the Kynges saue the Pope hath offered his fote to be kissed whereby fooles thinke they receyue greate rewardes But omitting these thinges let vs retourne into the waye The blessed marter Ireneus speakyng of this Kyng in the same .5 boke In the beast comming sayeth he ther is made a recapitulation of all iniquitie and of all deceipte to the end that al Apostatical power concurring and concluded in him Antichriste is the sinke of al vngodlynâ—sse and wickednes might be throwen into a fournace of fyer And that he hath spoken this thing by the spirite of prophesie all men wil confesse that haue red the lyues of the Byshops of Rome but especially of Siluester the .2 Benedictus the .9 Gregory the .6 Gregory the .7 Vrbanus the .2 Paschalis the .2 Alexander the .3 Innocentius the .3 Gregory the .9 Boniface the .8 Clement the .5 Ihon the .22 to speake nothing of diuers others What in our dayes haue done Iulies ClemeÌ„tes Leos and Paules Spayne FrauÌ„ce England HoÌ„garie and Germanie and other Realmes speake which haue ben set together by the eares and intangled emongs theÌ„selues with most cruel wars The bloud of martirs shed speaketh which crieth vnto the Lord. What remaineth therfore but that we shuld take hede to our selues beware of this man of sin and cleaue to our redemer Christ our Lorde beseching him that he wold come shorty and delyuer vs from all euyll Amen Amen ¶ Christe standeth vpon Mounth Sion hauynge his churche and is deserbed by notes which and what shall be the shepe of Christe The .lxij. Sermon The .14 Chapter ANd I loked and lo a lambe stode on the mouÌ„t Sion and with him 144000. hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads And I heard a voice from heauen as the sounde of many waters and as the voise of a great thonder And the voyce that I hearde was as the harpers that play vpon their harps And they soung as it wer a newe song before the seat and before the foure beastes and the elders and no man coulde learne that song but the hondreth and .xliiii. thousand which were redemed from the earth These are they which were not defiled with wemen for thei are virgins These followe the Lambe whither so euer he goeth These were redemed from men beyng the first fruictes vnto God and to the Lambe in their mouthes was founde no gyle For they are without spotte before the trone of God Like as he hath hitherto mixed ioyefull thinges with sorrowfull A consolation and preachyng of the gospel and annexed a consolation to moste harde cruell chaunces so nowe he adioyneth also to the tirannie of the Romane Empire an exposition hauing bothe a consolation and an exhortation moste graue and weightie Vndoubtedly by the description of the Romishe tiranny and reigne of Antichrist it might haue semed that the Church and the preachynge of the Gospell had ben vtterly loste and that vngodlines should haue triumphed for euer he declareth therefore by a most excellent vision howe Christ shall reigne notwithstandyng in his chosen and shal ouercome and shal haue his churche continually and that righte famouse He describeth what the electe shal be He addeth
dilligent labour and godlines he disclosed the furies and ragyng idolatrie of the Heythen and also restored and established the true religion But as in the time of Iosias the olde kankred errour and abominable idolatrie coulde not be rooted out of their hartes but that the greater parte had rather haue still the abominatians of the Amorrheans so the Romanes both in the citie and in the prouinces aspired gredely to the restitution of tholde idolatrie Therefore like as he tamed at the length with greuouse warres the inuincible vngodlines of the Iewes and destroyed the citie of Hierusalem so by the warre of Gothes and Vandales and inuasions of Barbarous nations so the stories terme them he destroyed prowde and wicked Rome with her prouinces The Gothes burne Rome and finally consumed the citie with the sworde and fire of the Gothes The very name of the enemie cried out that the vengeaunce was not executed by men but of God himselfe For the Germane vocable of Gothes doeth signifie the people of God or Gods people For God in highe dutch is called Gott thereof coÌ„meth the gotthes Die gotther the people of God Therfore God and not man did chasten tourmoyle and at last distroye Rome Which thing S. Iohn at this present speaketh most expressely Alaricke a westgotth First in thempire of Honorius Arcadius the westgothes by the conduit of Alaricke besiege the citie assaulte it take it spoyle it S. Hierome to Principia doeth greately lament this chaunce of Rome in the Epitaph of Marcella but Orosius as I also rehearsed in the .57 sermon doeth in my iudgement more rightly coÌ„mende the iuste iudgement of God in Rome afflicted It is playne that Rome was than for the grenousenes of her sinnes chastised with mercy but where the Romanes would not acknowledge the hande of the striker it came to passe that Alaricke beyng dead the victorious army hauyng now Adolphe to their captaine retourned out of Lucania spoyled the riches of Rome much more gredely now than they did before From the whiche time was graunted agayne to Rome a space of repentaunce about .42 yeres Atthâ—la king of Hunnes In the meane time by distructioÌ„s ouerthrowes geuen by the Hunnes in their prouinces that great and wonderfull they are admonished to be wise What will they saye that Athila him selfe with his Hunnes inuadeth now Italy it self now hangeth ouer the necke of Rome There chaunced than a thing which had ben able to haue tourned the Romanes to the seruice of the true God in case there had remayned in theÌ„ one sparke of thankfulnes For the minister of the church of Rome Bisshoppe Leo the ambitiouse pride of Popes was not yet knowen a preacher of the Christiane fayth and a stewarde of Christes misteries making supplicatioÌ„ to Athila obteyneth peace for Rome by a manifeste oration tourneth awaye the blouddy enemie from the neckes of the Romanes This was an exceding great benefite which God by his seruauÌ„t would shewe to the Romanes in case they would yet cease to hate the religion of Christ and to sclaunder Christ as though he poured out euilles into the worlde and that there came no good nor quietnes of the preachyng of the gospell For euen now not to speake of others innumerable he hath imploide vpoÌ„ come a benefite inestimable and that by the preacher of the gospel This was done in the yere of our Lord .454 Howebeit whilest the Romanes proceded after their accustomed maner GeÌ„serich a Vandal and nowe also Valentinian a Prince not euill was murthered and by a tumulte many vnworthie thinges were done nother did there any token of thankefulnes towardes Christ appere or signe of trewe conuersion through the meanes of one woman Eudoxia the wife of Valentinian whyche her selfe also suffered many vnworthie thynges in that Tumulte it was broughte to passe that Genserichus kynge of Vandalles sayled out of Affricke with three hondreth thousande to Rome and toke it and by the space of fouretene whole dayes he gathered vp the treasures brought thither out of al partes in a maner of the world inhabited Than coulde the intercession of Leo doe nothing saue that the Vandalles absteyned from killyng and burnynge which was also a benefite of God not to be contemned The firste king of Westgothes which brake into Rome was called Alrich others cal him Atalarich but this king of Vandalles is named Genserych and so Rome an whore is made desolate and naked spoyled I saye whiche beyng inriched with the spoyles of all nations was hitherto prowde Howbeit it was not nowe altogether defaced and brent the whiche was no small benefite which Christ agayne shewed to Rome for an amendement And yet moreouer are grauÌ„ted aboute twentie yeres in the which neuertheles as in the ten tribes of Israel before the destruction of Samaria 4. boke of kinges were practised continuall murthers whilest teÌ„ princes raigne at Rome yet so for al that that there was neuer one of these whiche was not of an other eyther slayne murthered or expulsed Augustulus emoÌ„ges these was the laste For as Augustulus succeding Iulius gaue the beginning to the Romane monarchie so Augustulus ended the same Odacer a Germane For the Romane legions beyng extinguished the name imperiall by the Germanes Odacer whiche toke his name of destroiyng of landes Oedacher and was called as it were a distroyer wanne Rome and in it raigned kinge aboute .15 yeres Yet is he expulsed agayne and slayne at the iustigation of Zenon Emperour of Constantinople by Theodoricke Prince of the Eastegothes Theodoricke an Eastgoth And the Eastegotthes raigne at Rome about fiftie yeres til the Emperour Iustinian sent Bellisarius into Italy with a greke armye to recouer the same whom the Eastgothes beyng ayded with a power of Germanes sent vnto them by Theodoper kyng of Fraunce valeauntly resisted They warred in Italy by the space of .18 yeres continually with fortune variable Totila Balduffe or balduill At the laste Totila Baldeuille ouercome He toke and burnt the citie of Rome and yet not sodainely For he gaue a time to deliberate But where he could not so preuayle he distroyed Rome and as S. Iohn hath prophecied burnte her with fire Al stories make meÌ„tion of this destructioÌ„ Iohn Auentine in the .3 boke of Cronicles of the same matter hath written this Totilas besegeth Rome taketh it the .16 kaleÌ„des of Ianuarie 17. of Decembre in the yere of the christen saluation 548. Totila gaue all the goodes to the soldiours but he commaunded by proclamation that their bodies should be free FroÌ„ thence he sent ambassadours with his pleasure to newe Rome CoÌ„staÌ„tinople vnto Iustinian He required of themperour Italy the leage as it had beÌ„ vnder themperour Anastase Theodoricke king Which if he might not obteyne Totila threatened that he would rase the citie whiche he coulde not kepe abolish the Romane name Iustinian answered how Bellisarius was in Italy vnto whom he had
kinges But of these celestial seates we must conceaue greater diuine and spiritual matters They sitte in thē not for that they doe nothing els but sitte on a cusshion but they raygne triumphe rest liue and haue fruitiō of the comforte ioye and glory euerlasting This I saye is the maner of the soules and spirites to sitte He addeth moreouer howe to those soules was geuen iudgement verely for that they ar exempted from iudgement and come not into iudgement euen as our sauiour sayeth but haue passed frō death to life It is also declared in an other place in what sense the saincts are sayed to sitte vpon the seates and iudge the world where it is manifeste in dede that all the iudgement of God is geuē to the sonne It is euident therfore by this vnfallible place of scripture that the soules of saincts slepe not after the death of the body vntill the laste iudgement but to liue in Heauen with Christe But at the iudgemente they shall retourne to their bodies reysed agayne and together with their bodies shal be receyued into blessed seates And this is the state of the faythfull From this hope lette vs neuer suffer ourselues to be withdrawen In my Decades I haue discoursed more at large of the soules separated from their bodies and haue shewed that they do not slepe A towle errour of Iohn the 22. pope And here I can not refrayne but must nedes set forth and recite that whiche D. Iohn Funceius a learned man dilligent and one that hath red much sheweth in the .10 booke of his Chronologie vnder the yere of our Lord .1332 in these wordes aboute this time the moste holy father Pope Iohn the .22 of that name felle into this heresie which also he professed opēly and taught that the soules sawe not God before the laste daye For so had his father taught him deceaued by the visions of Tantalus which were cōmonly caried abroade in writyng And Pope Iohn sent two preachers to Paris to witte a couple of Freres one of the order of preachers an other Minorite whiche might professe his errour there But one Thomas a preacher of Englande resisted the Pope stoutely whome the Pope committed to pryson And the Kinge of Fraūce called a Synode in his palace in the foreste Vitinian where all that were assembled subscribed agaynst the Pope Than the kinge sent Ambassadours to the Pope exhortyng him to recante his errour and that he would deliuer Thomas out of prison Which inlarged the prisonier and also as it is sayde following the admonitiōs of his frendes at the houre of death repented So much Funccius It is a shame therefore for some which at this day in so great light of the gospel dare renewe that moste folishe errour affirmyng that soules separated from their bodies lie snoring I know not in what dormitorie or dortour nother to fele any thing till at the daye of Iudgement they be ioyned agayne to their bodies and rife agayne The remnaunt of the dead liued not againe S. Iohn addeth and the remnaunt of the dead liued not agayne til the thousande yeres were accomplished Not that they liued afterwarde but that they reuiued neuer at all As the Scripture speaketh in an other place Michol Dauid his wise remayned barren vntill the daye of her death not that she had childe after her death But whom doeth he meane by the rēnaunt of the dead surely all we that descende of Adam are dead As S. Paul right wel declareth in the .5 chapt to the Romanes But we haue hearde how some through faith haue receyued Christe and so beyng quickened haue shed their bloud for Christ and would not worshippe the beast nor his Image Now is added to this membre but the remnaunt of the dead whiche are nother regenerated through fayth nor would bestowe their life for Christe but had rather worship the beast and his Image these I saye for their vnbeliefe liued not For without faith there is no trewe life in this worlde A double life double death We speake nothing here of the vital or naturall life And we saye that life is double or of two sortes to witte the one spiritual which is of faith and of the sprete of God and of Christ whiche is by fayth receyued and liueth in the hartes of his and his life in him For the Lorde him selfe sayeth he that eateth me he shal liue also for me Thother life is euerlasting to witte of an other world in the whiche we shal see God as he is and shall be as he is liuyng in God and with God for euermore Cōtrariwise death is of two sortes spiritual wherby wauntyng Christe and his sprete and voide of fayth we liue in sinne The Apostle speakyng of this death sayeth that a widdowe liuyng wauntonly beyng a liue is dead And the Lord also to the disciple that wold retourne home and burie his parētes sayeth suffer the dead to burie their dead There is also a death euerlastyng that is euerlastyng wretchednes and miserie whiche followeth the spiritual Yet see what we haue sayde of double death in the .3 chapt of this boke in expoundyng the Epistle to them of Sardis Wherefore S. Iohn here signifieth that there shall be many in these thousande yeres which shuld not receyue the gospel with a liuely faith and therfore should remayne in death as the Lorde sayde in the .8 of Iohn Therfore they erre shamefully which suppose that al nations in the whole vniuersal world shal come ones to an vnitie of fayth and most assured peace in this life And S. Iohn himself agayne expoundyng himself sayeth This is that firste resurrection Whiche I praye you by the which menne receyue Christ by the true fayth Of the firste resurrectiō and the seconde and rise from sinne in the newnes of life Of this thapostle speaketh muche in the .6 to the Romanes The same to the Ephes out of Esaye awake sayeth he that slepeth and rise from the dead christ shal shine vnto thee Therfore be they not pertakers of the first resurrection so many as nother acknowledge their sinnes nor be regenerated nother are quickened by fayth in Christ nor rise againe with Christ in the newnes of life The seconde resurrection is that vniuersall resurrection of al flesh wherein shall all menne arrise in dede but with vnlike state for the faithfull rise vnto life euerlastyng the vnfaythfull to death euerlastyng Whiche the Lord him selfe also hath repeted out of the .12 chapt of Daniel in Iohn the .5 chapt Theffecte of the first resurrectiō And he sheweth by occasion and after an Apostolicke maner a threfolde fruicte or effecte of the first resurrection First sayeth he blessed and holy is he which is pertaker of the first resurrection He is bleste sayeth he happy and heyre of celestiall and eternall life Holy that is to saye purified sanctified and iustified For fayth in Christe doeth sanctifie and make blessed Than in such
shall discourse more at large of the distruction of Rome in the .17 chap. Wherfore within the space of .136 yeares Rome came seuen tymes into straungers handes and was sacked most cruelly and fell on the edge of the sworde and was led into captiuitie Councell how the godly shall demeane theÌ„selues in so great euils which hath long stricken with the swoorde and led away all nations prisoners This was the iust iudgement of God And S. Ihon annexeth a doctrine howe the godly shulde behaue theÌ„selues in so greate troubles and aduersities Here that is to wit whilest the Romanes reigne and rage also in those blouddy and cruel alterations and destruction of the Romane Empire the Sainctes shall nede to haue patience or perseueraunce and fayth These two vertues shal kepe the faithfull that they perish not also Of patience the lord speaketh in S. Luke the .21 chapt In your patience shal you possesse your soules Of faith speaketh blessed Iohn and this is the victory that ouercometh the world euen your faith Impatience and incredulitie hath led away many into the deniyng of the faith to idolatrie and to al vngodlines So learne we also how to arme our selues in our dayes against all vngodlines The lord deliuer vs from euill Amen ¶ Of an other beast which cometh vp out of the Earth that is to saye of Antichrist The .lviij. Sermon ANd I behelde an other beaâ—â— câ—â—â—â—â— vp out of the Earth and he had two hornes like a lambe and he spake as did the Dragon The Apostle S. Paule playnely testifieth What is th ende of this prophecie Rom. 15. such thinges as are written to be written for our learnyng that through the patience consolation of the scriptures we maye haue hope wherfore we must also applie therunto these things present For Christ the lord of all when he foresawe how greatly sathan should by his chosen membres the olde and newe Romane Empire afflicte the church would haue vs dilligently admonished of euery thing to the intent that al afflicted persones should hereof learne patience and conceaue comforte and hope and not be discouraged with the heauy burthen of euilles Like as he hath therfore diligently described the olde Romane Empire and shewed as it were pâ—yntyng with the fingar what mischief it should worke to the church admonisshed al to haue faith patience right so wil he from hence forth describe poperie or Antichristianisme in the which descriptioÌ„ he setteth forth before our eyes what so euer the sainctes shall suffer that beyng warned before they maye abide more manfully persecution and lesse yelde to mischauntes The secoÌ„d beaste cometh not forth tyll the first be taken awaye And in goodly order beginneth he to sette forth Antichrist after the Romane Empire torne and taken awaye For Daniel sayeth that a little and small horne shoulde arrise vp emonges the ten hornes and three of those hornes to poole downe plucke of and caste awaye and so to atteyne vnto greate power For he signifieth that the Romane Empire beyng diuided and brought now vnto decaie Antichrist shal arrise whiche should procure to himselfe a newe and countrefet Empire And S. Paule sayeth also that Christe shall not come vnto iudgement till Antichrist haue gone before and that he shall not come nother vnlesse this be firste taken awaye whiche hindereth and letteth that he can not come The whiche S. Hierome and other holy expositours do vnderstande of the Romane Empire 2. Thess 2. whiche muste be plucked vp and taken awaye and that then shall Antichrist arrise But the Maiestie of the Empire was distroyed aboute the yere of our Lorde .480 when Odacer inuaded Rome For from that time by the space of .300 yeres and more ther was no Emperour of the Weste after Augustulus And besides this vnder the Emperour Iustinian Rome was brente and layde waste of Totila Sins the whiche time the Bisshoppes of Rome haue begonne to loke a lofte and to thinke vpon a newe kingedome The secoÌ„d beaste of the Earth And therefore the Lorde sayeth that this beaste arriseth of the very earth The kyngedome of our lorde Iesus Christe cometh from heauen and bringeth to heauen Papistrie cometh nother of Christ nor of his doctrine but cometh out of the Earth that is to witte of euill meanes Ambition auarice treason and crueltie What ministers of the churche Christ ordeyned is easely perceyued by the Gospell of Iesu Christ That he forbadde them gouernement supremacie superiorite and maioritie as they terme it appereth of the .18 and .20 chapt of S. Matthew and .22 of Lukâ— Therefore do the Actes of Apostles and the doctrine of Peter testifie that Peter was a Minister and not Lorde of the Apostles muche lesse Prince of the citie or Empire of Rome For they lye lowde that saye howe Rome and Italy are the Patrimonie of S. Peter geuen him of the Lorde At the first the Apostles and Apostolicall men ministers of churches gouerned the churches equallye neyther ded one take vpon him more preheminence than an other Which thyng I am able to proue by many testimonies of auncient wryters yf nede requyred Aboute the counsell of Nice and a litle before that tyme when churches were greatly multiplied were ordeyned and custumably receyued Metropolitanes instituted in dede by a laudable but yet mannes ordinaunce that is to witte in a certen prouince or head citie was ordeyned a Byshop or Pastor which shoulde haue as it were theÌ„ ouersighte of the reste and shoulde serue for the calling of Synodes or assemblees Yet was it than dilligently prouided that he shoulde not be called Primate leeste any manne should thinke himselfe preferred before others in power but in order Nother was the Byshop of Rome at that tyme exalted aboue all others but there were dyuerse Metropolitanes whereof the byshop Rome was one The Niceyue counsell confyrmed that same custome and woulde haue it ratified Socrates in his ecclesiastical Historie the .5 boke the .8 chapt reciteth many Metropolitane churches in Asia S. Hierome to Euagrius and in an epistle to Titus sayeth playnely that in oulde tyme churches were gouerned by the common counsell of priestes or elders and that time Byshops and priestes were all one After by the custome of the church not of the veritie of the Lordes ordinauÌ„ce I rehearce Saincte Hieromes wordes Byshops were preferred before priestes yet muste they gouerne churches together And of that same custome Howe the Bisshop of rome came to his supremacie yea rather of the abuse of the custome Antichrist had his beginning For Boniface Bishop of Rome began fyrste to take vppon him dominion ouer the churches of Affricke But he was immediatelye repressed by the sixte Affricane couÌ„cell where at Sainte Austen is red also to haue bene After that began also the Byshop of CoÌ„stantinople to chalenge to himselfe the Supremacie for this cause chiefelie that Constantinople was than the courtelyke Palace and chiefe Citie of the Empyre Howe beit