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
pressed downe burned with all the promouers therof vnder the Turke thei haue some hope to stand styll in their lustes and plesures but vnder the gospell of cryst they be lyke to lese all and their kingdome to haue a miscrable fall Before this daniel sawe the last Monarchie which was the empyre of Rome to be diuided into many kingdoÌ„s as perchaunce into France Portugal Spayne Pole Denmarke Englande Hyerlande Scotland Napels Boheme and Hungarye which be the. x. hornes and sene of Iohn by the. x. hornes helping the read Romishe beast to suppresse the kingdome of cryst For by the popis policies thus was the noble empyre skatered into hir owne destruccion that this lytle horne might haue the proye and preeminence ouer the hole empyre This lytle horne saith daniel grewe vp amonge these x. kingdoms or x. seculare hornes by whose ayed ryches and auctorite the pope w t his prelates ascended from poore buggerly beggerly fryers and flaterers vnto siche an imperial maiestye aboue emperours and kinges And here daniel seeth 3. hornes smyten of from these so many kinges by the lytle horne That is the Anticrysten pope to make weake and feble whatsoeuer emperour and kinge he listed depose them at his plesure and to translate y e empyre and kingdoms into his owne nettis to vse and occupy them himself Or if ye will take the. iii. hornes prescisely for 3 empires or kingdoms falsely vsurped of the pope beholde vpon his head the triple crone infaming himself to be the throerdowne and destroyer or robber of thre great kingdoms yea and euen the subuerter of the hole Romane empyre Netheles his flaterers yet make him beleue that he is emperour and kinge ouer haeuen ouer y e erth and of purgatory yea and ouer hell and deuyll to But this is trewth He once translated the empyre from the east to the weest and from the Frenche men to the Germans And now contendeth he to translate it to the Turke which shal be his last translacion his owne destruccion with the heuey mutacions of all the west kingdoms yf he can bring his blody purpose to passe For Daniel saith this lytle horne to haue eyes lyke manis eyes that is to be prudent and polytyk to loke for his owne ease lucre For he thinketh to gett more vnder the Turke then vnder the gospell yf it be receyued of the emperours and of all the crysten kings as he feareth it wil be Iohn geueth him hornes lyke a lambe That is to saye he shall do all his fraudelent featis vnder a meruelouse pretence of holynes innocencye and mekenes For he shall wryte himself the most holy when he shall shewe himself by his dedis to be y e most wyked prophane cruell wolue comen in shepis clothes for vnder y e tytle of Papa father of fathers he is y e most marciles tyrant of all tyrants vnder the name of Summi or Maximi pontificis that is of the most hyghe and greatest vigilant watcher and ouerseer of his flok he is the most negligent idest idoll dome dogge vnder y e name of pastor which is a flok feder he is the most pestelent poysoner And euen these be the two 〈◊〉 hornes signifyed by y e two forked bisshops myters althoughe say they they signifye the two testameÌ„ts and that thei be lerned in nether of them bothe Nowe when ye see this beaste to deuolue theise his holy tytles and godly names of innocency and meaknes to any seclare horne or beast ascending out of the erth and the same do take them executing the Popis power and tyrannye in persecutinge the gospell and to confirme papistrye speking wryting decreing articlyng enacting c. as did the dragon then take heed for then contendeth this beaste to heale his awne deadly head wounde agene The two hornes lyke lambes hornes be both the powers seculare and ecclesiastâ—â— ether in any one spirituall or in any one seculare Anticryst Also it is to be noted That bothe Daniel and Ioan saith he hath a mouthe speking great blaphemies or prowd arrogancies ayenst god he shall speke as did the dragon euen blaphemies ayenst god as did he that said I will asceÌ„de and belyke the most hyghest god And as did the serpent perswade Eue to not beleue god but to thinke the most trwe god to be a dissembler or a lyer The turke and Mahumet speke gret blaphemies ayenst god in their alkaron But owr litle whore of Rome hir cardinalls bishops and prechers speke the moste gretest and greuoust blasphemies of all and themselues defende them with fyer and cause their seculare anticristis to defend them with swerde Thei be not ashamed to wryte and teche the pope to be of syke powr with cryste the pope cannot erre the pope to be the supreme head and spowse of the chirche and vicare of cryste And because he hathe the emperiall powr he may distribute the kingdoms and ryches of the worlde as he lyst and because he is the hyghest bysshop he maye geue all the chirches benifices as cardinallships bysshopryks and benefices to whom he lyste and he bosteth the gospell to be subiecte to his interpretacion and vnderstanding yea except saye some of owr bishops that the scripture be confirmed by siche ordinary powrs it is no scripture nor may not be redd but of siche as thei lyste to delyuer lyceÌ„ce it nor in any other tongue then thei liste to geue it vs. He will haue his lawe and tradicions to be obserued aboue gods laws and the transgressours of his lowsey lawes to be greuouslier punisshed then the brekers of gods precepts He bosteth himfelf to make lawes and articles of owr faithe and to adde mo sacraments to them then cryst made and to consecrate and to make the body of cryste to sende awaye the substance of the bread the accidents as the whigtnes rowndes tast other qualities quaÌ„tities remayning He confesseth crist with his lippes to be a red emer but yet he techeth he dothe and writeth many grete blaphemies contrary to the mystery of owr redempcion as in his purgatory satisfaccions merits 〈◊〉 and siche other All these blaphemies speketh he vnder lambes skinnes in an innocent holy pretence hauinge hornes lyke a lambe he will apere humble lyke any other inferiour man yet shameth he not to open his mouth to speke greuouse blasphemies ayenst god and his peple This beast Paul handleth and his pesteleÌ„t pro pertyes he treateh saying This sinfull man and forlorne chylde aduersary to god will be exalted ayenst god and aboue his worship cleame and vsurp a worship to himself and teche a certain vtwarde reuerent behauiour to idols and images so that he will sitte in the temple of god osteÌ„ting and bosting himself setforthe for a god that is he will with his lawes decrees actis articles and doctrine sitte deper in menis consciences more feared then god himself with his ten coÌ„mandements and
princes and prelatis consentinge to their false doctryne and wyked enstruccions The signes here described are the manifest markis of an vngodly king and kingdome One is to teache and suffer to be taught any doctryne contumelious iniuriose â—lasphemose ayenst god Another is to kyll the faythfull good prechers professors of gods worde and to take awaye the scriptures the fode of their souls from the simple poore thirstinge for the worde of their saluacion Vnto these tokens god addeth this testimonye and threteninge That he will dampne this beaste be he Turke emprour prince or Pope or all togyther and translate their wyked kingdoms into strange gouerners Also here is to be noted a nother heuey thretening which precheth the calamitouse affliccions of y e chirche He sayth these hornes shall moue and make bataill against the godly and destroye many Crystians and their congregacions Which is an heuey sermon and contrary to manis iugement thus reasoning Wherfore shuld god geue so prosperous impery and victories to so open wyked men and to peple so contumeliose and coÌ„trary to cryste openly blaspheming the scriptures and slayinge the trewe prechers wherfore suffreth he vs callinge vpon him onely and oure onely mediator Cryste holdinge his doctryne thus cruelly to be cast awaye and oppressed Trewly daniel here speketh of a grete greuouse calamite and long persecucion For in all Aphrica and in a greate parte of Asia many yeres hath the name of cryst bene quenched In Europa albeit here and there in the Turkis empyre there be left yet some crysten congregacions yet are they with so cruell heuey fierce bondag oppressed that no good studies of crysten letters maye there be excercysed frely lerned and professed the chirches beinge without trewe techers there many by lytle and lytle haue casten awaye y e name and religion of criste As ye see this daye amonge vs many to fall bak to the Pope and to his popish doctryne because y e seclare policye so strongly and cruelly yet defendeth it The turk plucketh from the parents of cristians a certayn noumber of their chyldren to enstruct them in bataill and to nosell them in his Mahumetis tradicions rytes and religion as do some Crysten emprours princes pluke the yonge lerned from the vniuersites and scholes into their courtes which once poisoned with all courtly corrupcions anon be they made bisshops cardinals pastores and rychely beneficed Which miserable seruitute in courte is harder to a crysten curate then the bondag in the â–ª fornace of Egypte And yet are there many so madde that with greatsiewte labors thrust themselues for luker and honour into this miserable derke Egypte But what are the causes of these calamities aftir manis reason verely it is thought by manis iugement the trwe chirche to be the synagoge of satan them to be heretiques which cleue to gods worde or els why shuld god thus suffer them thinke they to be oppressed and brent if he loued them And thus manis reson douteth whether they be redemed with Crystis blode which suffer pacienly for his worde But here must we beholde the face of the very chirche euen from y e beginninge where oure first pareÌ„ts sawe the testimony geuen oute of heuen in the sacrifice of Abel wherby they had hope the chirche to be continued and brought forth into Abels posterite But lo anon was Abel slayne of his owne brother and wyked Cain a lone was left whose vngodly posterite bylt a cyte and playd the tyraunts whylis yet his first parents lyued and coÌ„ tempned of Cain their owne sone Ayen aftir Nohes flode Babylon once buylt the heithen the doctryne of Nohe Sem contempned fyll from god And but a very lytle flok of godly men was there left which sely flok wandred carefully hyther and thither poorely bysted euen the family of Abraham And sone aftir the same sely sorte of Abrahams families posterite were tossed into Egypt there oppressed with heuye seruituâ—e in myer and â—ley groning vnder their intolerable burdeÌ„s which aftirwarde comen into Palestine there to dwell in the lande of Canaan what slaughters suffred thei How great mutacions and destruccioÌ„s of their realme folowed them what hard captiuities vexacions and affliccions endured and sustayned they And how lytle a parte of the worlde was Israel and the Israelites whylis yet in the mean câ—asen the gentilis which knewe not god obtayned the most hyghe empyres of the worlde When we see therfore siche often poore troublos states and faces of the chirche let vs aknowleg the wrath of god ayenst the worlde not fall from god although in this last tyme we see the trew chirche greuousely shaken and afflicted but let vs kepe fast in mynde this playn descripcion and ferfull face of the chirche That is by the meruclous counsell and will of god the chirche to be layd vnder y e crosse The causes wherof be shewed in the doctryne of the prophets and apostles Onely this thing let vs consyder concerning this fast olde age of the worlde That the Prophets and Apostles prophecied the world to be plaged because that aftir the gospell be publesshed and preched in certain regions the tyrannous horned kinges and papistis shuld wex wode and tame their fierce furye vpon the sely weak members of cryste And besidis this for that euen of them which shuld defende nourish chirches the pore congregacioÌ„s shuld be persecuted seduced and polluted with images false doctrin cruell slaughter of saintis and with almaner prodigious lechery lustis we must knowe that of these seadis stories do shewe y e Mahu meti poyson and the popish pestelente religion to haue had their beginings When Arabia and Egipt and the Rome chirche were 〈…〉 and torne into many monstrose doctrines and sectis then the confusion of sondry opinions and of supersticious semely ceremonies aÌ„d rites did moue light men to cleue to and folowe their false doctrine cloked and coloured with hypocricye and apparent chosen holines And therfore daniel lykeneth bothe Mahumete the pope vnto that horne which hathe manis eyes that is a fayer decent semely shewe of vtwarde deuocion as they sey of laudable rites and gods holy seruice Aftir this as the turkis powr encreased so did the popis auctorite and false doctrine take place and sprede ouer all crystendom so that as the world was is corrupt with their false religion so is it and shal be greuously plaged with the same two forked hornes for their idolatrye for their worshiping of ded saintis and for the prophaning and filthefying of the holy souper of the lorde and for their stinking wyue les chastite But see nowe howe the tymes agree It was decreed of the transubstancion as thei call it in the yere of cryste 1215. Nocentius the thirde being pope Which decree hath confirmed the most horrible prodigiose idolatrye that euer was And anoÌ„ aftir in the yere
because that betwixt these rauisshinge hulkis thus spoylinge and slayinge eche other Iudea lying in the middes amonge them was taxed pilled and robbed vnto the ba re bones But y e sonnes of him set on fyer shall gather a mighty houge multitude into an hosâ—e And one of them coming as it were a vniuersall floude flowing all ouer shall come vpon him go thorow his realme come ayen preasinge and persinge euen vnto his most strongest castels The two sonnes of Seleuci Callinici king of Syrie which sonnes were Seleucus Ceraunius and Antiochus the great thus set on fyer came with this so great an host ayenst Ptolomeum Philopatrem the kinge of Egypte This one of them here mencioned was Antiochus y e greate and ayer of the hole kingdom of Syria aftir that he had ouercomen Milo For his brother Ceraunius betrayd in Asia dyed in y e tyme of this bataill Antiochus therfore coming with so great an host recouered and oppressed many cities in Egypte and in Phenicia which were subiect to y e EgypcioÌ„s Here he came vpoÌ„ him that is vpon Ptolom Philopater king of Egypt lyke a floude and as Polybius wryteth describinge the begininge of the gestis of Antiocho with thre score thousand fotemen and. 6000. horsemen brought vnto RaphiaÌ„ the king of Egyptis most strong citie where ayenste him he pitched his tentis where the bataill faughten Antiochus had the victory rekouered his former lost cities And here were the Iewes compelled to change their lordes gouerners in which mutacion what vex acions and how greate losses and affliccions thei suffred ye maye well coniecter For whose heuye cause and persecucionâ— to be knowen the aungell thus prophecieth But how Ptolom Philopater with might and strength repelleth this violence it foloweth Then the south king shal be prouo ked with anger shall lede forth his host to fyght ayenst y e north kinge which shall bringe forth in bataill an infinite greate multitude whiche multitude shal be delyuered into the sowth kingis handis which karyinge awaye this multitude shal be eleuated with a proude herte because he hath throne downe and goten so many thousandis But this victorye shall not long stand fast Now is the bataill treated which Ptosomeê° Philopater kinge of Egypt faught ayenst Antioche y e great Philopater was wealy and prowed anon angred and sone moued to warre here he hath y e victory of Antiochus and therfore was his herte so puft vp that he had throne down so innumerable an hoste and recouered his lost cities for now he thought to take his case in all idle lustis at home Iusti nus wryteth That Philopater might haue depriued Antiochus of his kingdome now if his vertewe had holyen his fortune Sed vincere scis Hannibal vti victoria nescis Oh Hannibal thou knowst how to haue victories but how to vse and kepe thy victories thou knowest it not Iustinus in his 29. boke sayth Ptolome to be to named Philopater of a contrarye facte for that his father and mother flay ne he gote Egypte Wherfore an euyll tree must bringforth euyll frutis For Phi lopater returned home slewe his owne wyfe Euridice which was his owne sister all the nightis continually was he geuen to whordom and the dayes to banketing He permitted his man concubyne Agathoclern and his woman concubine Agathocleam to rule Egypte oh what maner a ruler had then miserable Iudea But this his victory stode not long sewer and faste For he lyued not long aftir but had a miserable ende By his lyfe he caused y e Iewes to be rent of elephants In theis dayes were the Iewes greuously afflicted and scourged For first they had ioyned themselues with Antiocho y e greate Aftir that were they taxed and mulcted of the EgypcioÌ„s and thei that were then in Egypt were cruelly handled For the kinge of the north shall yet come ayen vpon him bringing forth a greter host then before and aftir a fewe yeres shall he come ayenst him with a migh ty greate coÌ„pany strongly prouided with greate ryches This is the prophecie of a new bataill by Antiochus the greate ayenst Ptolom Epiphanem the sonne of Philopater now dead For a non aftir Philopater beinge dead and his very yonge prince Ptolom Epiphane left behynde him Antiochus moueth bataill agenayenst Egypte But here was Antiochus commanded of the senatours of rome which had taken y e tuicion of y e yong prince to let Egypt a lone Which thinge he heuely takinge ioyned himself confedered with Hannibal and Philip kinge of Macedo but yet was he ouercomen of the Romans and was com pelled to geue ouer not onely y e hole Asia vnto the mount Taurns but also geue in pledge to the Romans his sonnes Antioche Epiphanem and Demetrium But in these dayes many shall resiste and ouercome the king of the south For albeit the Romans had taken the tuicion of the yonge fatherles prince of Egypt yet be these tutors oftin tymes ve ry slowe And therfore ceased not Antiochus now confedered with Hannibal and Philip Macedo which sent ayed to Antia chum to molest the yonge prince Ptolom Epiphanem and by the wayes were the Iewes most greuously vexed both of the Syrians and also of the Egypcions ☞ And the cruell men of thy nown peple euen many bakfallers from the lawe shal be puft vp and extolled all to fulfyll the prophecie of their owne fall to be all to broken This verse declareth the impictie vngodly cruelty and the forsaking of the lawe of god to be the cause of the calamities of y t Iewes For he cannot suffer these synnes of his peple which sayd I shall viset their iniquite c. Here he paynteth the wyked bisshops of the Iewes which being both cruell and forsakers of Gods lawes puft vp with pryde seduced drewe aftir them many Iewes into lyke synnes for their fallinge bak from the lawe of God When Antiochus burned the bokis of Moses and commanded the kepers of the lawe to be slayne Machab. 1. then were the Iewes a frayd and especially the bisshopes and hyghe preistes they tyll bak quyte from the lawe which shuld haue geuen example of constancie godlynes animating and exhorting other to standfast in the feare of god cleuinge to his promises by faith These bishops were Iason Onias Menelaus one procuringe the death of his owne brother that he might haue his bisshopryke Onias w t many lyke bakfallers from god fled into Egypte where in Helioposi they buylded them a temple and altares and vsed there religion as they were wont in Ierusalem whom god had directely coÌ„manded to haue but one temple one tabernacle one altare no where els to be any buylded but in the londe of Canaan For so knew God the consent of his doctryne to be the beter kept For he had decreed from what place his voyce shuld sowne be hearde caryed
lustes pleasures he signifieth the turke and the pope with their coniured hornes to be lawlesse nether to goddis worde nor to their owne lawes to be subiect but all thinges that thei lyst to be lawfull Hytherto perteineth this .4 verse of the .x. Psalm This vngodly casteth vp his nose despiseth all other in al his mischeuouse wyked cogitacions he setteth naught by god Not onely the turke Mahumete the popis of Rome their cardinale bisshopes monkis preistis and fryers haue playd and yet play this parte but also all emprours kinges and princes which ensen ced by their serpeÌ„tine perswasions haue yet do persecute and suppresse the gospell which now the daye of their mercyfull visitacion by the gospell offred them yet wyll thei the aungell calleth anticrist a kinge do what thei lyst make what proclamacioÌ„s and articles of oure fayth thei lyst as doth the emprour this daye in the nether parties of Germanie strayghtly commanding no printer to printe nor boke seller to sell any godly boke to the edifying of crystis chirche nether in dewche Latyne Frenche English Spanish nor in the Italion speche Secondly he is described of his pryde He shal be extolled and thrust vp himself aboue and ayenst the moste high god speking horrible and meruclouse blasphemies ayenste him Here was it prophecied That Anticryste shuld not onely sitte in the temple of god but that he shall proudly lift vp himself as Paul prophecieth it of this place takeÌ„ aboue euery thing that is called god but also by his doctrine fighting playn ayenst the gospell contumeliousely skorne god and cryste and accurse and excommunicate his chirche as it standeth in the .10 Psal. His mouthe is ful of malediccions We exhorte therfore as many as we may for the glorie of god that thei separat themselues from this vngodly faccioÌ„ both in iugement will as did the Maccabeis exhorte many to auoid the company of the counsels confedered with Antiochus we warne also the lerned and prudent which yet for the studie and zele of peace as thei wolde be sene or for a certain singulare precise morosite wolde apere to abhorre and estiewe these new facions and soden mutacions as thei call them being alto ware to wise and to charely circumspecte in this their slake santering leste their rasshnes as thei pretex it shuld confirme the enimies of the gospell therfore decree thei thus to staÌ„d still lyke idle idols and in securite as it were afarre of loking vpon and beholdinge the bront of the bataill no handis putting forthe nor yet once wheÌ„ thei might to helpe to any amendement or reformacion But the mater is to manifest and to farre gone as may easely be perceiued of men of clere iugement not being corrupt with any affeccions But here thei say that in healing these euills and enormites we do more hurte then good as to make tumultes sedicions and cause the peple to rebell ayenste the magistratis and the ordonarie powrs and thus geue them the brydle to all licen ciouse libertie And by this example and occasion the curiose persons shall trouble the trwe doctrine We see say thei the Anabaptists the Seruetis the caÌ„panes the loites georgiaÌ„s dauides and other pestlences encrease at your steringis As wheÌ„ some of the hyders headis were smiten of other headis arose vp of their bloude Euen so these deceiuers in this or that one place repressed yet shall there other as euill sectis aryse in other places say you ye aske be what enterprices take the great men vpon themselues with what discipline suffer thei their maners to be ruled Howe diligent I praye you be thei to nourish godly studies and scoles Whother translate thei the chirche and abbey goodis What thinke ye Is not this distraccion and diuision of princes now emonge themselues an infinite and sufficeÌ„t euil We se it saye thei that nether great nor small maters can thei with a comon consent bringe well to passe At laste thei say If now the beginings of this stryfe be so perellouse what shall chance thinke ye vpon owr posterite when there shal be lesse lerninge and then by the lenger custome the audacite of grete men shal be the more confirmed yet is there nowe in princes some zele to godlye doctrine Siche a study zele shal there not be in their childern Wherfor if ye wil nedis haue althings sodenly chaÌ„ged say thei ye shall encreace fiercenes and crueltie These thinges thei saye ayenst vs when we rebuke their errours ty rannye and open mischeif And ful grete sorows do these heuey sighthes bring vpoÌ„ vs. Ciuile discordis geÌ„der infinite euils and perels But yet is it an vniuste yea an vngodly towche to caste the cause of discorde and licenciouse rebellion vpon y e peaceable gospell For thei that rebell wilnot obay god nor his trwthe but defend their owne lyes and erroneose affectiâ— ayenst the open verite thei I say by their sediciouse studies stere vp these vprores Images and all false opinions muste geue place to the almighty voice of god These abominacions when thei be defended pertinatly of the enemies of the gospel then their stifnecked pertinacie inflammeth discordis And euen these be the comon and worthy present plages of all cristen realmes now set on fyer withe bataill I thinke there was neuer a fayerer and goodlyer realm then was Egipte constituted of Ioseph and yet did Moses sament it to be vtterly destroid for repugning gods message and withholding his peple in bondage ayenst his will And miche more did Ieremye bewaeil and sorowe the destruccion of Ierusalem the teÌ„ ple and the iews comon weall Nowe con sider the tyme of Antiochus the figure of owr anticristes and thou seest euen the image of owr present plages and calamities in the storie of the Maccabe Few or almost non was the nomber of the godly vnto whom yet were there ioyned many vayn light false and deceitfull persons The princes could not agre amonge theÌ„selues Their cheif leader and defender of the godly died before the ende of the batail as nowe of late the cheife mainteiners writers and prechers of the gospell haue bene taken awaye But yet shall the beter and lest parte haue the victory But what confusions and destruccioÌ„s of the iewes londe folowd that persecucioÌ„ Trewly Matathias toke not to him his weapens to the entent that his neuei hir canê° shuld be a â—autor of the saduceis false doctrine nor yet that his childers I hil dern shuld constitute their kingdom with mutuall murt her slaying so cruelly the ci tesens Nether yet that their childers childern as were the The banes brether ne emong themselues shuld with wiked wepens and batail one kil a nother troublinge the religion and bringinge in vpoÌ„ them the Romans to prophane their tem ple. For it is manifeste that aftir the batail of Antiochus Epi. the iâ—ws were gre uously plaged withe the domestik tyrannye of the posterite