beastis was done when Christ went and ascended to hys Father in the cloudis from the erthe the laste shalbe done when Christe shall returne in the cloudis wyth grete maiestye into the erthe And to be short there is nothing in this place of Daniel that thou maist wreste vnto the last iugment except thou woldest obscure and depraue the hole vision Da. I went to one of the bystanders asking him the trwthe of all these thinges whiche interpreted to me these thinges saing These iiij beastis be iiij Kyng domes whiche shall ryse out of the erth Osi. That is to saye The Babylonik the persik the greke and the Romane Da. And the most hyghe faythfull of God shall receyue and obtayne their Kingdome for euer and euer Osi. That is the former Dominacyon of Rome ended not only Christe but his faythfull with hym shall reygne for the godheyt of Christe once declared by the preachyng of the Gospell and throwing downe of the olde Idolatry there began Christen magistratis to rule and thence forth all imperies were holden to obeye hym Also sith Christ wolde raygne not by violence and weapeÌ„ but by hys word and holy ghoost hym self then not spekynge presentely but only by hys holye faythfull it followeth these faythfull to raygne with Christe because they teache and interprete the word and wyl of god wherfor he sayd Who so heare you heareth me and who so despyse you despyseth me Wherfore whatsoeuer any one of the leaste of the very faythfull shall teache by Christes worde hys spirite shall commaunde or forbydde euen the same also ought not the hygh monarchies of the worlde more to contempne or transgresse then yf Christ hym selfe presently hath commaunded it them in hys owne persone And except they obeye it doutles they shall suffer therfore other her or to come Note also that Daniel cal leth the holy faythfull the most highe for so is it in the hebrwe as thoughe he wold saye I speke not of euery called ho ly one but of the very holy heuenly whiche be sanctifyed wyth the word and spyryte of Christe for there be some holy ons in a certayne externe chosen holynes because they be shauen anointed and oyled of whome we haue called manye the moost holye hyghest fathers in Christe when they be the mooste prophane accursed execrable wretches and abominacyon before God Da. After thys I wold haue lerned diligently concernynge the fowerth beaste which was so muche vulyke all the other and so hugly terryble whose tethe klawes were yerney he eatyng and crasshyng the bones and fleshe and treadyng the rest vnder hys fete And of the .x hornes whiche he had in his head and of the tother that sprange vp before whome the iij. hornes dyd fal euen of the horne that had eyes and a mouth speakyng stought arrogant wordes and was greater then the other I beheld it and lo thys horne made battayll agaynste the holye faythfull Osi. I had behelde the beaste ere he was iudged to death c. Da. And he preuayled agaynste them tyll the olde aged came and gaue the iudgemente to the hyghe sayntes and the tyme came that these holye ons obteyned the kyngedome And he sayd thus Osi. That is to saye The Aungell so sayde whiche was one of the by standers Da. The fourthe beaste shall be the fourth kyngedome vpon the earthe greater then al the other kyngdomes and shall deuoure the vniuersall earthe and trede it downe to duste Also the tenne hornes shalbe tenne Kynges Osi. After the Hebrew maner he calleth them the ten Proconsuls gouernynge the Romane citye and empyre with the moost hyghe administracyon Da. And another shall aryse after them Osi. That was the Emperoure Cesar and Monark Ye must by thys horne changed into the heade vnderstande all the Romane Emperoures reygnynge in contynuall successyon as by euerye one of the tenne hornes all the proconsuls one after another succedyng gouernyng the same prouince Da. And he shal be mightyer then the former And the .iij. Kynges Osi. They be the .iij. counsellers beryng the moâ—st hyghe imperye that is the two counsayllers of the citie and Pompeius Da. He shall brynge them ful law Osi. Thou seyst here that he shal not dissolue the dignitie and power of the x. but only the persons shall he ouercome so y t they humbled and brought vnder shal grauÌ„t hym the imperyall or as Cicero calleth it the kyngly dominioÌ„ Da. And he shall speke wordes agaynst the hyghe God breke downe the moste hyghe holymen and shall thynke to maye change tymes and lawes Osi. That is to oppresse and extirpe the christen religion For the Hebrew hath times and the maner of the re ligyon that is the name remayninge brynge the religion of Christ into a daÌ„pnable supersticiouse abuse To chaÌ„ge the tymes is of eatynge dayes to make fastynge of merye and glad dayes to make sorrouful and sadde dayes of work dayes to make ydle dayes And so to alter Goddes determined tymes as to thynke to preuent with swerde and fyre and to dispoint God of hys immutable infalli ble prouidence which al yet do Thempe rours Popes Kynges Da. And they shalbe delyuered into his hand vnto a ty me and tymes and to half a tyme. That is D. xxxij yeares after Christes ascensyon M. CC. Xl. yeares after the buyldyng of Rome which is vnto thende of the firste dominacyon of Rome For Rome stode fyest vpon Kynges senatours counsayllers and Emperours M. cc. xl yeares vntyll the yeare of Christ. ccccc li. and sence that time put to the first nouÌ„ber of D. xxxij yeres and so haue we froÌ„ Christ. c. lxxxiij but from the beginninge of y e fyrst duminacyoÌ„ we haue M. ccccccc lxxij but let vs heare theautor Osi. This must be vnderstanden after the maner of the holye scripture not that thys onelye horne hauing eyes and mouth shal dure so long But the hole dominicacyoÌ„ of the Romane citye from her fyrst buyldyng vnto thende of her former dominicacion As in the boke of the iuges the scripture sayth Cap. iij. The children of Israel did euyll in the sight of God forgote theyr God seruyng Balim and ast aroth And the Lorde bent hys anger agaynst Israell deliueryng them into the handes of Cusan Rasatham Kynge of Mesopotamye whome they serued viij yeres And they cryed to the Lorde which stered theÌ„ vp a sauioure and delyuered them and the lond had reste xl yeres For this can not be vnderstanden that after theyr delyuerauÌ„ce they had peace xl yeres coÌ„tinu ally but all this together that they synned y t they forgote God serued ydols were delyuered vp to theyr enemies cryed to y e Lord were delyuered had peace for a certain time was done in xl yeares Likewyse here of Rome it may not be vnderstandeÌ„ y t this one horne dured so long tormeÌ„ting the holy meÌ„ but this holy tyme altogether wherin the Romane impery sprang vp grewe so that it was
what it is to blas pheme the tabernacle of God them y ◠dwell in heuen it is plainly perceiued in the. ix of Daniel where it is thus prophe cied of Antioche Out of one of thē there went forth a litle horne it was magnifyed and extolled vp vnto the strengthe tower or tabernacle of heuē he threwe downe some of the starres treding them vnder his feete For trwth it is y t he vnderstode therby the temple of God and the holy men in the peple of Israel And euen so do y e pope blaspheme the church of God and his holy faithfull callinge them heretiques saing y t there is no hope of saluacion except we holde vpō the pope be vnder the court of Rome obe dient to his deuilish lawes and doctrine when it is here clerely said non to haue the trewe hope of saluacion that abide in the popes doctrine But ther be infinit lyke things which aske a nother treatise Ioan. And it was geuen him to make ba taill with the holy faithfull and to ouercome them Osi. So great is the might powr of the lyes of the iuglings of the false coulored doctrine of the false miracles and of the ipocrisye of the popedom that euen the very holy faithful mē shal seme to be ouercomen and taken for here tiques when y ◠pope so dampneth decla reth thē Which thing except we perceiue remember well we can not abhorre and fear his blasphemies But because he blasphemeth non euill men as the self thing witnesseth it but onely the good and the very trwe churche euen Gods holy faithfull we ought to ioye reioyse when we be thus blasphemed of him For it happeneth to vs in to the testinionie that we haue nothing to do with y ◠abominable beast but that we estiewe lothe and abhorre him Ioan. And there was geuen him powr ouer al the trybes and peple tongues folke Osi. This doth thaungel interprete where he saith The. x. hornes whiche thou sawest ar x. Kings which yet haue not receiued their Kingdom but with the beast shall they in one hower receiue powr as Kings These haue one counsel and shall delyuer vp their powr to the beast that is to saye As the first dominacion had x. prouinees ruled by the counsellers euen s◠shall the second dominacion when the beast is now waxen strong haue hir x. Kings as I said to fore For that as before was but one Romane imperie is now diuided into x. kingdōs of which euery one hath hir king which in Ioans time had not yet receiued kingdō For y ◠beast hirself had not then put vp hir head and hornes but they were to receyue it at howr one w t the beaste y t was at the same tyme not so y t one shuld raygne after another as dyd the vn ▪ heades in the secla re imperye but altogether and in the self tyme as we see it in very dede For these Kynges with one counsayll or sentence delyuer vp theyr power to the Pope y t is with a styl secrete cōsent in theyr course and lot they humbly acknoweledge y ◠Pope to be theyr head reuerencyng him for the vicar of Christ submittynge them selues and theyrs vnto hym And thus dyd the beaste get hym power ouer euery kynred trybe people tongue and folke as farre as was the Christendom wyde For when he wold gouerne and rule vnder the holy pretence of religiō so might not hys power extende to the infidels Ian. And all that inhabite the earth shall worshyp the beast whose names be not written in the boke of y ◠liuing lōbe whiche was slayne fro the beginnyng of the world Osi. God which is ryche in mercye for hys excedynge loue wherewith he loued vs when we were dead in synnes he reuiued vs that truely beleued in Christ and hath made vs to sitte in heauenly seatis as wryteth Paul to the Ephes◠Wherfore when the Pope blasphe meth vs he blasphemeth the dwellers in heauen But they whose names be not written in the boke of lyfe they dwell in the earthe for they sauoure but earthely thynges and therfor worshyp they the beaste Ioan. Who so haue eares let him heare who so leadeth into captiuitie him selfe goeth into captiuitie he that slayeth with swerde shall be with swerd slayne And here is the pacience and the fayth of the sayntes Osi. That is yf any man by these thynges spoken can not yet know who is this beaste let hym at least wyse yet vnderstand this one thing yfhe now haue any eares to heare That where the holy faythfull for the faythes sake and trewe doctryne of Christe be led into bōdage of mennis tradiciōs or smytē with swerde or by any other meanis slayne whiche is suffered without shame that openlye for in thys oure tyme manye haue ben slayne and manye presoned and persecuted onelye because with a good conscience they marye theyr lawfull wyues preache and professe the truthe wyll worshyppe non Idols wyl receyue bothe the partes of the souper and not the halfe there is the kyngedome of thys beaste whome God so hateth and detesteth that he wyll vtterlye remesure her with the same measure wherewith she measureth hys sayntes For at her ty me he shall saye Render to her as she hath geuen to vs geue her twyse double accordyng to her owne dedes For the cup that she hathe mengled for you fyll it to her twyse full and howe muche she hath magnifyed herself and sitten in her delicate ease and pleasures so muche rewarde hir with tormentes and waylinges Ioan. And I saw another beast ary syng and ascendynge from out of y ◠erth Osi. And this beast signifyeth as do al y ◠other a certayne kyngdome not of one man but of a certayne greate confuse filthy swarme by a certayn conspirisie and sediciouse consent swarming together on heap as though thei were one body And who be this beast Ioan himself interpreteth it cha xix callig hir y ◠false prophetis which make wondres and miracles befo re the beast Thys beast therfor signifyeth the false flocke the stinkyng donghil the coniured couent and kyngdome of al the false teachers preachers euē y ◠Popes bocherly spiritualty in the hole pope dom And thys beast is sayd to ascende clyme out of the earth to put difference fro the bealtis ascendynge out of the sea For the water is a more thick and grosser element then the ayer and therfore it bryngeth forth greater and grosser beastes And as the water signifye muche pe ple in heapes makyng rumore and tumul te and folke of grosser witte in who encreaceth the loue of voluptuousnes lust to raygne euen so to ryse fro the earthe signifyeth men of more subtyle witte for that not in the water but in the ayer they be created and therin to lyue This beaste therfore is risen vp out of men
pene fyer and swerd conteÌ„d and enforce to heale theyr beastes deadly wounde geuen hym with Gods worde the more vncurably do hys wounde feister the deper it rotteth the wyder it wexeth into hys present destruction and deathe as ye see thys daye the almighty mercyfull power of God resisting theyr cursed cure fyghtyng agaynst the enuyouse enforcemeÌ„tes of the Emperour Po pe and all Kynges contendynge to heal the Popis wounde with theyr fryerlye Pharisaicall Phisicions But who wold haue beleued this dominacyon fyrste of Christ and then of the councell so openly and iustly condempned and so wounded to haue had any more lyued And yet after these deadly woundes she lyued and yet lyued to thys daye but neuer so syke as now And therfor hys false doctors fo lysh sourgens falser Prophetes then fayned hym to haue holden hys domina cyon and primacie by the lawe and word of God And perswaded men as they yet with Wynchester labour the countrye that the ymage of thys beaste be made and set vp For as the ymage of God is the worde of God so is the ymage of the popedom the worde doctrine and tradicions of the Pope For he is set vp in the temple of God boastyng ostentyng hym self for God And in this he countre fayteth God that he be getteth his worde doctryne rytes cere and tradicioÌ„s out of hys owne brayne lyke vnto hys awne Antichristen ymage Syth theÌ„ the doctryne of the Popedom whiche these false defenders defende these false teachers do teache be double that is to saye of faythe and maners necessarelye are theyr two bokes coÌ„pyled that is the boke of theyr sentences and theyr boke of decrees and decretals which be euen the very selfe ymage of the popedom lyuely expressyng al theyr facyon forme theyr faythe theyr lyfe religyon merciles maners And thus it clerely apereth thys later beast to be blowen together of the lyinge doctors of the scolasticall diuinitie turning and studiyng the master of theyr sentences the holy Byble so neglected that many of them neuer redde it ne haue had it in their scoles and of the doctors of theyr common lawe treatynge y â— filthy deuely she decrees of Popes amoÌ„g the which doctors the inquirers of their hereticall prauitie as they cal them wor thely obteyne the hyghest place beynge in the stede of the heade to execute hys mercyles and tyrannouse offyce in burnynge All these men enstructe armed with hys demlly she double doctryne of the popedom as it were with theyr two mighty hornes fyght for and defende y â— Popis kyngdom Ioan. And it was geuen to hym that he shulde geue spirite breath to the ymage of the beast that the beastes ymage might speake Osi. That is thys latter beaste blown together of these falfeteachers hath in effect brought it to passe that the ymage or doctryne of the Pope shuld take breathe boldenes spyrite to lyue and speke For by theyr counsels conspirisons conuocacions and perswasyons haue they esâ—ectuonsly ma de it that the popysh doctryne muste be taught in all scoles and vniuersities and raygne and rule in all preachynges and pulpyts sitte in all spirituall courtes sessyons yea and euen in the consciences of men For in very dede this is it for hym to lyue and to speake when with publike autoritie not onlye is he thus preached taught but also accordynge to thesame hys lyfe must be estemed he iudged in iâ— gementes and stand in his kyngdoÌ„ And here it apereth wherfore he calleth thys beaste the doughâ—ll of false teachers that is to saye to be a certayn filthye viciouse kyngdom For it is playnly no little king dom that they obteyne in the church eueÌ„ so ferme faste and terryble that eueÌ„ that same former Emperyall beaste Emperoure as he was and is must be compelled to feare them and to fall downe and kysse the clouen stinkyng fete of theyr heade the Pope And therfor no man is created Doctor of diuinitie or of the canoÌ„ lawe in the Popedom excepte before amonge all other thinges he be also swor ne plainly into these wordes I shalbe an helper to defeude to maintaine to retey ne the Popedom of Rome agaynste all men Whiche thynge whyles they do it they verelye stablysh and confirme all thys latter beastes power before hir at her beâ— and pleasure as is tofore sayd Ioan. And he shall brynge it diligentlye into effecte that whosoeuer wyl not wor â—hyppe and fall downe before the image of this beast he shalbe slayne Osi. Who so beleue not this popysh doctryne to be egall yea and aboue GODS worde and so worshyppe hym and it he is iudged and condempned for an hereiyque of the inquisitors and yf he recant not he is burned For the Pope dare saye all hys constitucyons so hyghly to be taken as thoughe they shulde procede by the voyce of God out of S. Peters mouthe Distin. xix Cha. Sic. Ioan. And he maketh all bothe small and greate rych and poore free and bonde to take hys charactere in theyr ryght haudes or in theyr foreheadis and no man to may bye or sell except he hathe his character or the name of the beaste or the noumber of his name And here is wysedom He that hathe vnderstandynge let hym reken and accompte the noumber of thys beast For it is the tale and noumber of a man and hys noumber is CCCCCC lxvi Osiander To receyne the Character or marke of the beast is a metaphoryk and translated speche as much to saye as a man outwardly in al facions factis so to be haue and conforme and fashion hiÌ„ selfe that all may see and vnderstande hym to perteyne to the beastes familie or churche and to be subiecte and sworne to the beaste as haue all these seruing men in courtes theyr Lordes or masters badge or coginzane in or vpon their cotes The character or marke of the beast and her noumber and her name be taken all for one thynge And he commaundeth them that vnderstand the wordes hither to spoken to reken accompt the nouÌ„ber of the name of the beaste so that yf they can fynd iustly in her name the noumber of CCCCCC lxvi then be they sewer to haue the very knowledge of this beast and to see her in her own colours sitting lyke the whore of Babylon euen in her seat at Rome Ioan. Sheweth hymselfe to haue respecte to the Hebrewe and greke tongue as in other places in the name of the aungell called Abaddon and in y â— name of the place called Haâ—ageddon For Sepher in Hebrew signifieth a boke or scripture or a nowmber wherfore he alludeth so diuersly in the worde now calling it the name of the beast now the nowmber of the beast now the marke of the beast and character of the beast that is the scripture of y e beast I admonished the o Reader before in Daniel to consider diligently the nowmber of the Hebrew name of the fourth