The exposicion of Daniel the Prophete gathered oute of Philip Melanchton Iohan Ecolampadius Chonrade Pellicane out of Iohan Draconite c. By George Ioye A Prophecye diligently to be noted of al Emprowrs kinges in these laste dayes And nowe ye kinges get ye vnderstanding knowlege be ye taught lerned in Gods worde ye iuges of the erthe Psal. 2. Serueye the lorde in feare kisse ye the sonne and not images lest he bewrathe and ye perisshe from the way for shortely shal his anger be kindled But then blesled be thei all that truste vnto him 1545. In Auguste ☞ ☞ Unto the most cleare Prince lorde Maurice Duke of Saxone Lantgraue of Turinge and Marchis of Misne Philip Melanchton whissheth helthe WHen I addressed me to write this exposicion vpon Daniel I remenbred the halcyons dayes For thei saye that in the most sharp and coldest tyme of the yere these halcions making their nestisin the sea rockis or sandis wil sitte their egges and hatcheforth their chikens And therfore the same sea that harboureth these fowles thus sitting vpon their egges wil be so cawme and still to her geistis for 14. dayes that men may sewerly sayl without perel vpon her not shaken nor molested with any storme or tempeste nor yet the nestis of theis birdes so nighe the water not once shaken nor hurt with any sourges For the seas wil not for that tyme of these birdis sitting and hatching 〈…〉 her geistis And therfore is this tranquilite of the sea for that litle tyme as a â—rwce taking in the winter called the halcions dayes But nowe to my purpose As God hathe setforth in natural creatures many images faces of his chirche eueÌ„ so vnto me reading the hole descripcion of these birdes it hathe ben oftyn put in mynde of y e chirche yet nesteling in theis troublouse colde dayes as it were in the sea that is in great troublouse empyres and kyngdoms In whiche for a certaine litle ceason god hath geueÌ„ bothe howse as were a neste and also some traÌ„quilite vnto godly studies that the gospel might be preached red herd and for 14. days rested vpoÌ„ for some chosen chykeÌ„s and faithful birdis of Cryst there to be forth hatched and fethered Siche halcion dayes had the â—ews for that litle tyme whylis Ioan Bapt. preached and whyls Cryst and his apostles taught preched them penance the kingdom of heuen to be at hande For except for some litle ceason there had ben peace and reste nether might the voice of the gospell haue had beÌ„ spred abrode nor y e yougth taught aÌ„d brought vp therein norany company gathered into any chirche Which thigs to be done it is not possible whyles by the terrible troublouse rustling toharnes and batail and for the barberouse fyerce furye of these soldyers honeste societies aÌ„d congregacions be scatered godly preching cessed cyties townes ouerthrone and breÌ„t no scoles holden â—or place quiet for childern and ignorant persons to be taught Namely when the babes be plukt from their mothers bosoms and laddes out of their fathers handes to be slayne These thingis wheÌ„ ye se done theÌ„ let vs lament a knowelege the wrath of God powered forth ayenst the synnes of mankinde But yet the immense mercy and goodnes of God at some certain ceason geueth a litle breathing space to his chirche making the fyerce seas cawme for a litle tyme leste thei shuld let the halcioÌ„s to hatcheforthe their chikeÌ„s For because therfore that God hathe geuen vs in this region a litle quyetnes as it were the halcions 14. dayes reste whiles the gospel might shyne forthe let vs render to him thankis and withe very godly prayers aske tranquilite peace that namely y e youghth might be godly brought vp taught and also that honest godly gouerners and techers might gouerne and defende the disciplyne For al be it great difficulties and many sharp stormes haue euermore grated vpoÌ„ the chirche to excercise hir faithe yet do experience shew vs God afore did speke it The last olde age of the worlde to be miche more miserable aÌ„d sorowful then the former ages Nether trwly be these prediccioÌ„s aÌ„d prophecies setforth in vaine For God wold haue them read that the godly hertes might prepare them selues vnto the manyfold perels aÌ„d batails lerne whiche is the very chirche of God in whiche the voice of the gospel of the sone of god sown thei might knowe that same to be the chirche which shal fight with the ennemies of cryst which by his death hath for vs apeaced the wrath of the eternal father and now rysen raigneth to glorifie his chirche with lyfe euerlasting Thei mought knowe that these sorowful miserable calamitis shall haue an ende euen then when the chirche stered vp ayene from dethe shal be beutifyed with glori euerlasting Of theise thingis forasmiche as God himself very largely premonissheth vs in this boke writen of Daniel and hath constituted euen the ordir of the tymes and ages apointing in a maner the very limites aÌ„d bowndes of the world sewerly the reading of this boke must nedis be profitable to good men Also the aungel himself in the ende of this boke exhorteth this laste age to this lesson where he saith Daniel thou shalt stonde in thy course or lotte into the ende that is Thou shalt do this office Thou shalt teche and confirme the godly And cryst himself doth not onely deduce vs vnto the reading of this boke but also commandeth vs attentyuely to consyder of how waighty and great thinges Daniels prophecye techeth vs saying whoso read it let him take hede whiche saying gretely moueth vs to reade this boke the gladlyer with the more diligence Besydis this it is y e very breif coÌ„pendious some and reherceall of the storye of the hole worlde euen from the firste monarchye to the laste setting befor our eyes the cleare examples of the good aÌ„d euilprinces and rulers Of the profite of this boke it shal be spoken more here aftir But to inuyte all men vnto the reading of Daniel I haue added breif notes For the sayingis of the prophets be so plentuouse that thet cannot be all at once out drawne Wherfore al be it these my bare and sclender coÌ„mentaris be not able to satisfie the amplitude of y e mater yet it profiteth to put men in minde of the cheif maters and as it were with my fynger to point them to those places which the diligent readers being studiouse may by their owne meditacion afterward turne to behold them nyerer There be verely in Daniel many stories which require an interpretor And in these I think my labour to profire the yougth Whiche my labours I permitte to the iugement of the godly and lerned which shal iuge of this my boke both iently and louingly And because it is comoÌ„ly vsed to dedicate bokis to princes and rulers which vsage may haue many probable and
not bere the transgression of his 10. precepts but for Vrios sake onely casten him out of his kyngdom vndowted and certayn is it none of the kynges of the erth to siande longe vnpunished in their securite and pryde Wherfore let all good princes lerne this lesson longe to rule well euen not to worshippe themselues and their actes but to worship god as he techeth them nether their owne belys and lustes to nourishe and fede but to nourish the churche of cryste For albeit the kyngdoms be the houses and kouers of the churche yet for the trew churches sakis do the kynges and their kyngdoms prospere and flourisshe as witnesseth the scripture Wherfore let all emâ—…ro kynges and princes sewer and prowde wryte in the middis of their hertis this saying of Daniel Thy kyngdom shal be taken from the to teche the to knowe the moste hyghe god to rule and gouerne mortall menis kingdoms and to geue them to whom he lysteth For what els dothe daniel here teache but all siche weal sewer emprowrs kynges and princes to be plaged lyke Nebucadnezar yf they repente not and cease their persecucion of cryst and of his chirche this daye captiued vnder their vngodly articles actis institucions and tradicions contempning gods ministers callinge them to a beter mynde as did here the kynge despyse daniel admonishing him therfore was he depriued of his kyngdome wytte and mynde to But aftir this I Nebucadnezar lyfted vp myne eyes into heuen and came agayne to my mynde And I blessed the most hyghe god the euerlastinge syuinge god I praised and magnifyed whose regall power is perpetuall and his kyngdome dureth for euer and euer For all the inhabitants of the erth are naught and nothinge estemed in comparison to him which at his plesure doth what he lysteth â—â— well with the company of heauen as with the dwellers vpon earth Nether maye there any man let or holde bak his hande or saye to him what doist thou or wherfore hast thou done thus In this same tyme my mynde came againe to me I receiued ayen my glory the magnificence of my kyngdome my emperiall maiestye my shappe and forme were restored to me My counsellers and my nobles sought me oute and I was forestored into my kyngdome that my maiesty was more ample then before Now therfore I Nebucadnezar prayse extost magnifye the kynge of heauen all whose workis be trew and his wayes right and iust It is he that maye caste downe full lowe the prowde This deieccion and humisiacion might not the kynge knowe beinge in his 〈◊〉 securite and arrogant pryde For then he blasphemed he compessed men to idolatrye and was an heuey burden to all his realme But nowe he tamed and plaged of god beginneth to repente and is nowe restored to his mynde now thus afflicted he knoweth god and himselfe he murmureth not against god for thus punishinge him but he breketh forth into his prayse confessing his iust dealinge with him for his offences thus to be punished worthely which he coulde not haue done except god by his graciouse goodnes had thus lyfted him vp and geuen him vnderstanding Here therfore haue ye an example of a penitent kyng which delyuered from his miserye geueth god thankis accordinge to gods promise saying Call vpon me and I shall delyuer the then shalt thou glorifye me First here is described the affect of a penitent herte in his tribulacion and arysinge therout confessinge god to be iust in his threatis of the lawe and to be mercyfull according to his promises of the gospell Thus did kynge dauid repente and make his confession in the. 51. Psal. And daniel lykewyse cap. 9. powereth forth his herte before god teachinge vs lykewyse to repent and to be conuerted to God Secondarily he expresseth the frute of y e kyngs repentance that is to wete God to geue miche more ample giftis to the repentaÌ„t then he toke from them as ye see him to haue done to Iob in his last ca. And daniel for his miseries oh how greate rewardis receyued he Thirdly he expresseth the forme of thankis geuinge euen to affirme god to raigne all 〈◊〉 psalm 118. and also in the hole psalter For what els is the psalter boke then the glasse of the most holy trinite into this ende wryten for the chirche of the lyuing god to lerne so to repente and aftir our delyuerance to geue thankis to god as here do the kynge Now sith all things be wryten as Paul saith for owr doctryne let vs beholde whether there be not yet dayly daniels with their felowes sent vnto emprowrs and kyngdoms admonishinge them of lyke mutacions and soden fallis consydeâ— how their wordis be regarded and their persones entreated And whether for their cruell persecucion they be not or lykely to be shortely kut downe lyke this tree caste oute of their dicions empyres and realmes demented with dâ—uyllisshe doctryne degenered into brute beastis folowinge their sensuall beastly lustes hauing their consciences fetered with menis tradicions snarled with supersticiouse ceremonies and romish rytes lying yet still without the trewe chirche naked â–ª all vertu in stormes and derkenes of errours more palpable then in the seruitute of egypt because they will not receyue y e fre gospell of the lybertye of the spirit to be regenerated by faith so to do cryste vpon them to be kouered with his rightwysenes holynes c. For these dreames and visions be dayly sene as the first Monarchye was by daniel prophecied to be kut downe euen so is this last Monarchye of the Romans threatened lykewyse of the watching aungell to be shortly smyten downe and the euerlasting kyngdom of cryste to be reueled vnto all flesshe newly rysen from death vnto euerlasting lyfe in which he graunt vs with his father holy spirit to lyue for euer so be it ¶ The argument of the. 5. chap. This chapter declareth the miserable fall of the last kynge of Babylon heuey mutacion and ende of his kyngdome for his idolatry and so greuouse synnes committed against the firste precept Here is described a superfluouse fest full of excesse euen a very beastly banket where vnto kynge Belsazar biddeth his nobles in which is manifestly shewed into what an vnhappy ende siche viciouse intemperate excesse comethe All kynges and princes maye lerne of this fall of so hyghe a kynge to feare and to worshippe God as the. 2. psal teacheth them lest of God the translator of kyngdoms they be depriued their realmes with Belsazar THe kynge Belsasar made an exceding feste biddinge therto a thousande of his princes and nobles in whose presence he dronke the wyne at the workinge of y e wyne he coÌ„manded the golden and syluer vessells to be brought forth whiche his father Nebucadnezar had taken awaye out of the temple of Ierusalem that the kynge his nobles his wyues and concubines might drinke out of them which done or in doinge
and to defende the good Wherfore here doth Daniel by the whightnes of cryste his vesture and purenes of his heare describe his confortable defence of the good men For as he in his whight clothes clarifyed in his transfiguracion and also rysing from death apered ioyouse and glad to the heuey peniteÌ„t synners euen so shall he make glad his glorifyed chosen once rysen from death with this voyce Come ye y t blessed of my father c. Siche a beutye of the chirche in cryst is paynted also in the. 45. psal but it is not sene in this miserable vale of weping teres as Ioan sayth we be not yet sene as we shal be The heuey vengeance of the euyll men is paynted by y e flammye trone long fyery beames procedinge therout For deuouering fyer shall go before him and a burninge flame aftir him Ioele to wytnes and as cryst arysing was sene so terrible to y e kepers of his sepulcre euen so shall he apere a ferrefull iuge to all vngodly in the last iugement saynge auoyd fro me ye cursed into eternall fyer Also y e multitude of mynisters is taken for his infinite noumber of aungels as Mat. 25. saith all the aungels shall come downe with him To sit in iugement is to rendre to euery one accordinge to their dedis as speketh Paul Nether is it any thing els the bokes to be opened then that Paul saith In that daye god shall laye open y e secrete hid thingis of menis hertis by Iesu cryst according to my gospell Wherfore there is no difference betwixt daniel and Paul saue that as they both wrote not in one tyme so did they not with the same wordis expresse the same iugement of cryst Then I behelde namely for the voyce of those stoute great word is which the horne spake and I loked so longe tyll the beast was taken awaye and his body slayne and the beast casten into the fyer But the â— other beastis yet left deposed their power to them was there graunted longer to lyue vnto their prefixed tyme. Hytherto haue we treated the descripcion of the iugement into the consolacion of the chirche militant Now shall ye lerne iii. thinges in the declaracion of this prophecye First he teacheth vs not to be offended nor in oure trouble to cast away all hope seing these anticrystis the pope with his coniured hornes and the Turke with his Mahumete thus to prospere in their mischeif Secondly he therfore threateneth death and destruccion to all these anticrysten beastis At last he conforteth the chirche beinge yet as a shepe apointed to the slaughter howse with a newe descripcion of crystis coming For what thinke ye shal be the ende of this oure troublose tragedy shall we be thus euer persecuted shall these sharpe heuey hornes always goore vs thus cruelly will not god come once downe and declare his rightwysenes will he neuer auenge the iniuriouse oppressions persecucioÌ„s of his iuste and chosen chirche Aftir oure many and greuouse affliccioÌ„s daniel seeth a newe and greate change I loked sayth he namely for that arrogant great voyce of so blasphemouse wordis which the horne spake I merueled whether god wolde leaue so great wykednes vnpunisshed and wolde neglect the glory of his name He wolde not so long suffre it in Sennacherib he punisshed it anon in Pharao he was anoÌ„ euen within Goliath and with all his blasphemers in tymes past And shall he now suffer thus long his chosen derely beloued to be thus cruelly for his sake brent and slayne and his gloriouse name thus so spightfully blasphemed Daniel loked vpon y e long pacient suffering of God not once turninge his eyes from him vntyll he sawe his iugement at hande and the iugement seatis set downe We may not therfore behold the onely tribulacions of the iust which may sone thrust vs into desperacion but we must sett the iustice of god before oure eyes wayt for the apointed happy helpe in tyme of tribulacion promised vs and the greate rewardis prepared for all that iustely fight in his cause Daniel merueled to what ende the false doctryne and prowd wordis of anticryst wold come and where at last he shulde abyde He sawe that in the last ende of y e worlde these Anticrystis shulde haue in their affayers great prosperouse successe the emperours and kinges to bring home gloriouse and happye victories the pope to gather home great ryches noble victores hyghe and solempne tytles and his doctryne and lawes to be fered greatly and receyued ouer all crystendom emperours and kings mightely to assist and defende them He sawe the Turkis dominion to sprede mightely and his doctryne to take place wyde and euery where With these prosperouse successes many men what for weaknes what for hypocrisye what for fere and the anguisshe of their persecucions be auerted from the gospell of peace vnto these anticrysten actis articles false doctryne popish rytes supersticioê° ceremonies and vnto their deuyllish tradicions and many vnto Mahumets mischeif Wherfore he premonissheth vs to be consiant and to hold fast in mynde the last iugement that is the glorye of the godly to come and the paynes eternall of the vngodly so resting vpon godis worde in oure ferueÌ„t prayers that for the gretenes of the euerlasting ioyeand felicite we maye nothing fere ne regard the infinite troubles of all oure lyfe Hytherto loked Paul when he sayd I thinke not the sufferings of this lyfe to be wortheily coÌ„ pared to the glory to come which shall be reueled in vs. Now will we speake of the coÌ„minacions cast vpon these beastis Where Daniel saith I loked vntyll I sawe the beast slayne and his body smyten downe dead and casten into the fyer and the power of the other beastis there left taken awaye he threateneth not onely to this last beaste the empyre of Rome with his spirituall Pope his hole bodye and all their x. helpinge hornes agaynst the lorde and his anointed euerlastinge death and destruccion but he also in these wordis threteneth the same miserable ende vnto y e Turkish or Saracenik kingdom for the lambe shall haue the victory as it is wryten in the Apoca. 17. 19. chap And I sawe the beast and the kings of y e erth and their hoostes gathered togyther to make warre with the kinge of kinges and with his hoost but the beast with his false prophetes were taken c. where Ioan expowneth y e bodye of the beast to be his holy cardinals bisshops doctours prethers his cananized saynts and miracle makers to deceyue the peple and all the smered preistis hauinge the beastis mark which haue worshiped the image of this beast Also in the. xx chap. The deuyll is casten into a ponde of fyer and brimsâ—on where the beast and hir false prophetâ— shal be tormented daye and night for euer This beast so perissheth that there foloweth nomo aftir him
vs. Howe grete derkenesses there be yet in the chirche the vain fonde friuole questions in their sentenciaries declare it disputing whether god may comande man to hate him what thing eate the mowse guawinge their consecrated brede But these fonde questioÌ„s saye thei be moued but of a fewe idle fryers nether therfore ought the hole bokis and chirche of the prelats to be coÌ„dempned well Thei be not these trifles which the aungell so ernerstly rebuketh but thei be y e very senews pythe of all madde idolatry false worship blasphemies of gods glorie euen their messe it self and their own inuented sacrameÌ„ts to geue grace and works to iustifye into the downe tredinge of the most preciouse blode of cryste and into the blasphemouse iniurie therof Whiche the highe ordenarie powrs and bisshops here defende so manifestly that thei canne nether colour cloke nor excuse them As touching their misse let them lye blaspheme iuggle there with tyll their belyes breke yet agenst them fight the olde aunciet holye chirches with manifest mighty testimonies refuting their manifolde pestilent prophanacioÌ„s where with thei pollute the holye souper of the lorde And where it is playne no ceremonies no rites no tradicions without the prescripte instituted vse and forme of god to holde ether the vse or name of a sacrameÌ„t wherfore comande thei brede and wyne to be worshiped as god yea and that wheÌ„ there is no vse nor forme of any sacrameÌ„t which is no litle blashemie Also their la we of their preistes vnchaste chastite is the most sironge perniciouse perdicion of infinite soules Nether dothe long custome with their vnlawfull vowes at their vnlawfle articled age excuse their damp nable doctrine The chirche is in this world ofte in an herde seruitute vnder y e yokis of these infidelis but yet were there euer some godly prudent men which la mented their blyndnes and desyered thefe enormities to be reformed The temple I sayd before was called the tower of hel pe for the promises sake there made to de fende the peple As is the gospell to vs y t mighty stroÌ„g castell of the chirche which although it be cruelly resisted yet shall not the gates of hell preuaill ayenst it for there shall the chirche dwel where as is the voice of the gospell This tower of crystes chirche and gospell shall there ne ther turke nor tyraunt throwe down Of which chirche it is writen in the baletis of Salomon to be as terrible to these anticristis as is the edge of an armie or castell laid full of ordinance The iews had but one temple as but one doctryne one worship of one god therfor this teÌ„ple is here called in y e singulare nowmber fortitudo or sanctuarium presidii that is the holy helpe and strengthe The idoll of de struccioÌ„ or waasting image he calleth hereaftir the god Mayzim that is a stronge god of diuerse and of vnlyke chirches sette or haÌ„ged vp in euery sondrie chirche The hebrews comonlycal al images straÌ„ ge gods heithen rites abominable destruccions because that whersoeuer thei be setvp and honored in chirches or in ab beis there haue we a certain tokin and a sewer sacrament that the same Abbeis chirches shal be all made euen with the grounde not one stone left vpon a nother as cryste himself prophecied of the teÌ„ple of Ierusalem for the same abominacioÌ„ and as ye se it this day verified of many abbeis in this and other regions There is added to this abominable image or rytes this worde vastans that is destroing or thrustinge out of the chirche the very trwe doctryne and worship For so longe as these images the God Mayzim with these heithen rites stande in chirches there is the trwe worship godly religion vtterly destroid and at laste shall the same chirches comon weal thes be al destroid by a fewe pore priuate parsons shall this helpe come to destroye this abominacioÌ„ in y t chirche the papists and their princes with the moste parte of the peple enbraceth euer these abominable signes of their destruccion the gospell persecuted of the moste parte declareth them to not knowe nowe this daye the tyme of their visitacion whiche as it drewe forthe the weping teares out of cry stis eyes coming into Ierusalem euen so may it now cause euery cristiane to wepe to see what a merciles destruccion this day hangeth ouer all cristendom first by themselues and eft sone by the turke for that thei haue not known the day of their visitacion these 20. yeres visited by the gospell sent them so mercifully But the lesse parte was it whiche fylnot from their god in that and in this so troublouse a tyme. He saith expressely whiche knew god the knowleg of whom saith I saye shall iustifie many For he shall reuele himself by his worde to this litle nownber whiche be to many in the eyes of the grete nowmber for that thei wold haue vs all quenched and cannot nether is the grete nowmber able to resiste owr doctrine for when our aduersaries obiect the lerned bisshops iugement the emprowrs comandements his 32. articles of the doctours of louaine kinges actes and articles and the moste parte withe their olde holy mothers customes so semely so decent so laudable cetera which be yet their present weake weapes and roten reedis then let vs heare the voice of cryste in his trwe techers godly prechers which in this present conflic te confuteth their false doctrine so clerely with god is worde as is the sonne as it was sene of late in the disputacions at Auspurge Spires Raynspurge and Basyle where the popis doâ—ish disputers Ec cius Cocleus Pighius Alphons Bartholome Latimerus with al their dronkeÌ„ draffe saks were with shame constrained to geue place to the lerned meÌ„ of the princes of germanye were Eccius and pighius neuer so fumish as ye see them confounded in the bokes writen ayenst them of the lerned answering to their calumpniouse false lyes Whilis the kingdom of y e bisshops was thought to be the chirche of god theÌ„ was not the trwe chirche known but nowe haue the disputacions and bokes of the lerned the folisshe answers of the papisâ—is declared the difference But many saith the aungel shal be smiteÌ„ down with swerde and fyer c. This is euery day verified in euery realme crystened sence the gospell was offred them This litle floke of Cryste thus destroid apere to their aduersaries to haue litle or no helpe of the gospell of god nor yet any counfort at all but yet out of that litle helpe that so litle apereth to our anticristis whiche helpe is right grete to vs in the scriptures and promises of god wri ten for our consolacion and helpe we fele bothe inestimable counfort and helpe eueÌ„ in the middis of our affliccions in y e deathe when the moste parte and papistis
mountains of Israel whyls he is in persecuting the chirche of cryste shall he be slayne with the breath and worde of this lyons mouthe cominge downe to iâ—gement as it is propheâ—ied 4. Esore in the. 12. Chap. ☞ But in this tyme Michael y e great prince standinge for thy peple shall aryse vp for there shal be siche an hard heuey and troublos tyme as neuer was sence any man hath bene vnto this tyme. But in this tyme thy peple which is fownde wryten in the boke shal be delyuered and saued This is a present consolacion for all crystianes yet suffering persecucion Michael is as miche to saye as who is lyke god â–ª verely euen Iesus Cryst which sitteth on hyghe and beholdeth thinges so lowe and farreof He is called a greate prince because that y e faythfull beleuers thorow him ouercome euen the powers and gatis of hell for greater is he that is in vs then he that is in y e worlde To stan beforth and to aryse vp is a token of a redy willing helper at all tyme. For the destruccion of the afflict and waylinge of y e pore now will I aryse vp sayth the lorde and I will restore them to helthe geue them a breathing restinge place Thanks be to god the father of oure sauiour cryst that yet he will standeforth and aryse vp to delyuer vs from these so many and so cruell torants and anticrystes makinge vs vnable to be ouercomen thorow onely fayth and by the confession of the almigh ty gospell By that so troubles so heuey greuouse a tyme as neuer was nor shal be he vnderstandeth thissame oure tyme present in which the lest part of the chirche is thus persecuted within and without at home of their owne familiare fayned brethern and in euery strange londe of the most and hyghest part of y e worlde This is confirmed not onely by Crystis wordis Matth. 24. but also by this place of daniel But yet are the elect wryten in the boke of god for whose sake the gospell is shal be preched and the chosen shall not be lost Let vs goforth therfore vnto oure solace reste and counforte euen vnto the resurreccion See howe ioyously the aungell reioyseth and haasteth himselfe vnto the last daye so that beforâ— he wolde speke of Michaels office he wold ingraffe the place of oure resurreccion so full of solace that we mought be certifyed that when Anticryst is reueled then is there nothinge els to be waited fore but the resurreccion of the dead But yet shall these cruell persewers as in the tyme of Noâ—e before the floude eat and drinke maâ—ye buylde plant and be merye tyll vnwaâ—es y e vniuersall fyâ—r shall ouer flye them And as Paul and Peter saye when they shall wâ—ne all to be sewer and â—alf then shall this soden destruccion come ouer them So that the worlde shall euer be in miâ—the and solace and in a synfull securite For the persecucion and heuye dayes shall begine at the howse of god But oh anâ—t oh tribulacion oh horrible tremblinge oh most greâ—oâ—se euerlasting torments which then shall take awaye these wyked anticrystes and sead of the serpente especially when the lorde â—esus shall trede out y e wyne presse of his heuey wrath and indignacyon and geue y e dregges of the cuppe of his wrath to be dronken vp of all the synners of the erth Then then shall the chosen be delyuered But as the nature of mankinde the eldeâ— it wexeth the weaker it is euen so slacketh y e courage vnto vertewe The world wexeth olde very syke wherfore all syn encreaceth as we se it what ignaâ—y and sleugth is ther to any godly reformacion what loue and pronite is there to volupâ—â—ousnes and pleasures of the flesshe what and how greate feminine softnes to synne intemperancie inconstancie deceit and falshed folisshnes pryde vanities enuey estimacion and perswasions of their owne wysedom and policie is ther now ayenst god and his worde Out of these founteins are there now sprongen both in imperies and chirches these greate and blody tumults wherfore the trwe chirche is now minisshed and distressed she wexeth weak and feble And therfore she prayeth sayng Cast me not now awaye lorde in myne olde age when my strength fayleth me yet lorde stand thou by me In greate calamite and heuynes was the chirche when Antiochus persecuted it in greater affliccion when y e Romans vtterly destroyd the comon weall of the Iewes their londe citie temple But in the greatest anxt of all affliccioÌ„s persecucions is it now in this last age of the worlde Netheles as god in â–ª those calamitose heuey dayes sent his prophetes prechers apostles and cryst himselfe with his gospell to counfort hir euen so hath he now done and shall do vnto the ende let vs therfor reepent aknowlege oure synnes and be strong in fayth for the glorie of God and oure owne helth callinge incessantly vpon God to conserue defende and encreace his chirche Ierusalem is called the holy hyll becau se it had the worde of god and thereoute proceded the lawe and gospell In y e laste counsell at Ratisbone 1541. the popis cardinall called Contarenus wolde haue graunted all thinges to oure chirches and religion that we required vpon this condicion that is to wete If we wolde haue graunted the pope to be the cheif ho ly head of the vniuersall chirche and to haue his wonte primacie with all his tytles as to be called the most holy vicare of god vpon erthe him onely to haue the power to interprete adde and diminisshe y e scriptures if we wold sayth Melanchton haue these thinges affirmed grauÌ„ted him we had agreed Also there dyd we read his boke imprinted at Ratisbone where in y e pope playnly wryteth That it is impossible the turke to be ouercomen except before the confessours and professours of the gospell whom he called â—utherans were destroyd And therfore he with his spirituall impes ther being present encensed the emprour Charles the fyft to set vpon the Germans and to destroye as many as had forsaken the Pope and receyued the gospell Now how saye ye my lordis Are not the Turk the Pope and Antiochus all 3. the sonnes and bretherne germans of Anticriste to the text And many sleapinge in the erthe shal be vpwakened some into lyfe eternal and some into euerlastinge shame and coÌ„ tempte Consolacions in thes persecucioÌ„s god shall euer geue vs. For the trwe chirche shall euer haue the lerned conforting theÌ„ with the gospell And although the mem bers of the chirche be dispersed wyde into strange londis yet shall thei all and euer consent into one faith and trwe doctrine of the gospell The emprowr kinges bis shops persecute vs dayly froÌ„ londe to lon de froÌ„ town to town which is a tokeÌ„ that the trwe chirche is not a comonaltie bownd
him that stode in lynen aboue the waters of the floude which his right and lyfte handis lyftedvp into heuen swore by the euer lyuinge god that all these thinges shall haue an ende aftir that thei haue fully dispersed and skatered y e power of the faythfull peple to endure vnto the determined tyme whether it be long or shorte or els as hath another text translated by doctor Ioan Draeonites All these shall endure for a tyme tymes and an half And the dispersion of the holy peple ended all these thin ges shall come to passe This is the tyme of the delyuerance of the persecuted chirche and of the ende of the worlde Daniel here seeth two aun gels of eche syde of the flowde one ayenst and contrary to the tother which signifyed the two aungels mencioned in the x. chap. making warre ayenst the Iewes letting the buyldinge of their temple encensing the kinges of Persye and Medis lost the worde shuld haue encreaced with frute The man cled with lynen was Ga briel The askinge of Gabriel how long the persecucion shuld endure is the voyce of the wayling and wepinge chirches desyering to knowe y e ende of their greuouse persecucioÌ„s which be here called meruelous and wonderfull for that there can be nothinge thought more wonderfull to be merueled at then thus to see sathan by his instruments the tyraunts heretykes and anticrists without ende to persecute so that if one enimie of ours be ouercomen yet he euer stereth vp another with whom we must euerfyght and neuer ceasse It is a wondrefull warre of so many so mighty princes of the worlde ayenst so fewe and feble a lytle ferefull flok that so many and so mighty shuld be afrayd of ve which nether with materiall swerde nor shylde can fyght but onely with oure lyppes pennes and prayers It passeth all manis reason that we shuld in conclu sion haue the victory The aungel which with both his handis lyfted vp into heauen swore by the lyuinge god was cryst himself clothed in whyght lynen which betokened that he shulde in tyme to come be borne of the pure virgin Marie and take vnto him the most pure and vndefiled nature of man to be borne as is the swete clere and byrall dewe dropes of the morninge descended from heauen standinge vpon the toppes of the grasse clerely to be sene ayenst the sonne rysing as is his natiuite in so fewe wordis declared in y e 110. psal aftir the Hebrewe text sayinge Thy concepcion shal be in the most hygh beutye clerenes and holynes as pure as is the dewe conceyued oute of the wome of the morninge For as y e vapores by the celestiall powr be drawnvp oute of the erthe and in the morninge be condensed as it were into crystall perls or dewe dropes euen so by the supercelestiall vertew did the sone of god take vnto him his very humane bodye of the pure virgen that he the sonne of rightwisnes shuld come forth and be borne into the worlde This sonne of man standinge in whight lynen aboue the waters or flowd is cryste treadinge downe all tribulacions and all the persecucions of his enimies yea euen his enemies themselues as sinne dethe deuil and hell makinge of them his foâ—e stole he is cled in whight for that by his crosse he shuld be made whight and tryed lyke syluer he telleth Daniel how longe this persecucion shall endure He telleth him the moste certein token that shall immediatly go before the resurreccion euen the dispersion and scateringe abrode of y e holy peple which we see it this daye many for the wordes sake to be dispersed out of their owne countries and londis as ma ny pore men yet fele it But how long this dispersion shall endure cryste telleth him not playnly The zyrik texte sayth vnto y e determined tyme of god whether it be long or shorte for somiche signifieth the Hebrewe phrase Ad tempus tempora dimidium Fewe dayes apere many and a short tyme is longe to the afflicte persecuted And in the endinge of the scatering of the powr of the holy peple shal all these thingis be finisshed How longe we shal be thus dispersed by persecucion one ly god knowth But of this be we certein that this dispersion by persecucion is the laste and moste certain signe that y e daye of iugement is at hande For God declared vnto daniel the order of the. 4. monarchies whiche be all paste and the cruell kingdoms of Anticriste which shuld aryse in the fowerth monarchie whiche at Mahumete and the pope be reueled And the seculare anticristes which shall ende in the turke begine faste to growe and to preuaile which yet shall neuer be lyke in powr to the Romane monarchie when it was in hir firste flowers And therfore when the seculare Anticristen kingdoms now begun in the cristen emprowr kings and princes be deuolued into the turkis imperie theÌ„ shal that daye begin to sprin ge wherin the dead yet a sleape shal awa ke The sayinge of Elye before in the. 9. lefe of this boke is known of all men it ought to be writeÌ„ in euery manis wall is and wyndows Cryst telleth vs the dayes to beshortened as was the course of the yeres vnto Noheâ— â–ª floude shortened that the synnes of the peple might haue bene the soner smyten of And if ye will aftir the playn wordis take the tyme tymes and an half as it stondeth Then thinke I that the tyme is taken for y e tyme betwixt or from this reuelacion vnto daniel which was a non aftir y e ende of the captiuite of Babylon the ende of y e destruccion of the Iewes by Titus which contayneth 600 yeres and a lytle more And the tymes I take for the long tyme dowbled euen for the twelue hondred yeres sence wherin hath continewed the persecucion of the chirche of the gentiles sence that destruc cion of Ierusalem euen for the tyme of y e persecucion by y e Romane emprours and aftirwarde by the Mahumete and y e turke and the pope and his seculare impes The half tyme I take it for 300. yeres which be the half of 600. Now from the destruccion of Ierusalem vnto this daye ther are 1474. yeres so that by this rekeninge the half tyme shal be ended with in these 30. yeres to come But this rekening will I not certaynly affirme But ra ther take the half tyme for siche a shorte soden tyme as no vngodly man can iuge it but thinke it rather to be as long ayen and so prouyde for it whylis god sodenly kut him of in the middis of his course as it is wryten The blody vngodly deceytfull shall not come to half the tyme they loked fore Theis coniectures I permitte vnto the iugements of the crysten readers desyering euery man not to be to curiouse in this accompt but to repent beleue the gospell