sayenge of Helias house THe worlde shall stande syxe thousand yeres and after shall it falle Two thousande yeares wythout the Lawe Two thousande yeares in the lawe Two thousande yeares the tyme of Christ And yf these yeares be not accomplyshed oure synnes shall be the cause whyche are greate and many That is to saye the worlde shall stande two M. yeres without any prescript admynistration certayn lawe of the word of God but whan these be gone there shalbe geuen the circumcysyon and lawe besydes thys shall a certayne polytique lawe and seruice of God be institute out of Gods worde and thys state shall laste two thousande yeares After thys shall Christ folowe and the tyme of the gospell shall lykewyse stande aboute two thousande yeares but here shall some yeares want For God shall wyth the hayste of hys commynge preuent it that the yeres of this age shal not be accomplished the whiche Christe hymselfe in the xxiiii chapiter of S. Matthewe sayeth Wythoute those dayes had ben shortened all fleshe shulde not be saued We shall in wrytynge of the hystorye vse thys order and diuide the boke in thre partes whereof the fyrst shal comprehende those thinges which are chaunced betwene the tymes of Adam and Abraham For those are the fyrste thousande yeares Of these is not much written but suche thynges as are moost worthy of memory and of these times there is no certainte but of that which is found wrytten in the Byble The nexte age of two thousand yeares shalbe counted from Abraham vntill Christis commyng all though concerninge to the full numbre of the yeares the tyme is not accomplyshed For as we haue sayde before God maketh hayst to the latter day As for thys age is the propre and bery age of the worlde in the which the moost myghtye kyngdomes and monarchies haue succeded ech other by a certayn order nether hath the worlde euer so declared hys force and myght as in this age Wherfore we shall deuide thys tyme in foure monarchyes For it semeth that God wolde the worlde to be maintened by a certaine gouernaunce in hys place that a certen means of shame and honesty might be conseruid and the wicked mighte be punished and for that cause hath he institute Monarchies Such Monarchies are kingdomes where the chefe and vpper power of al thinges pertaineth to one alone for the conseruation of commune peace and ryght Such a monarchy was of so great puissaunce that the exterior of foren kinges could not withstande or oppresse it And by a certain ordinary succession were only four such monarchies The fyrst was of the Assirians y â— second of the Persians after them the Grekes at the last y â— Romanes And to the honor of such an empire or superiorite hath God exalted y â— Germanes before other nations in these latter times For though the Roman empire be some deal minished now a daies for as it was prophecyed before it was y â— pleasure of god that y â— monarchies shuld finally decay neuerthelesse the maiesty remaineth by the Romane empire nether is ther any king but he hath a respect towardes y t kingdome Moreouer though we haue not alway alyke mighty Emperoures neuerthelesse God prouidinge so there happeneth somtime an Emperour of such power y t the maiesty of the empire may be conserued and that to hold vp the religion and concorde of al natyons The Germane princes and chefely the electors ought to estime grearly this their honour that they haue such high autoritye coÌ„mitted them of God to preserue religyon iustice and commune peace For verely it is of great force that thys monarchy be preserued thoug it be not so very great Therfore ought y â— princes to beware lest ther ryse any sedes of sedition discord among them which might geue occasion to cause this empire to decay For whan this empire wyich is the head of al good gouernaunce or administratioÌ„ in the worlde now a daies shuld be diuided pulled asunder or waisted it could not be but that ther shuld folowe a perturbation of al degrees in euery part of Christendom the which is gretly to be doubted without God do preuent such misery with his last coÌ„ming For holy scripture doth coÌ„forte vs teach openly that after y t this Germaine empire shal decay faile y t latter day shal straight waye folowe This is sufficient to be spoken of monarchies lest any man be ignoraunt that al histories and al thinges done in the world must be referred to these monarchies And besides that y â— obseruing of the order doth ayde y â— memory it doth also not a litle helpe thervnto y t one may se how for what causes kingdomes are chaunged wherby is to be learned how al those things are to be eschued which coÌ„munely bring chauÌ„ges of kingdomes The last age froÌ„ y â— natiuite of Christ vntyll the worldes ende doth like wise contayne two M. yeres although we haue said before that the yeres of this age shulde not be whole that the two thousand yeres may be complete This seÌ„tence of Elias truely conteineth many notable doctrines is chefely to be considered therfore because that from the natiuite of Christe it speaketh also of that tyme in the whiche the ende of al thinges is to be loked for and therefore haue â–ª I sett it in the begynnynge of the boke that it myghte be commytted to euery mans hearing But howe that the Rhomane monarchye dyd begynne after the incarnaâ—yon of Christ and how the succession came to the Germanes also how the Mahometysh or Turkysh empire beganne and howe the Popyshnesse hath gotten encrease offoren power all these thynges shall we shewe in thys thyrde parte But thys also is chefely to be noted with diligence in readyng of histories that God hath institute two maner of kyngdomes the one a worldly kingdome the other a kyngdome of Christ and therefore it is necessary to marke here â–ª howe that the churche hath begonne euen from the begynnynge of the worlde and by whatt maner God hath alwayes kept her Therfore that godly myndes maye haue a confyrmation of theyr fayth we shall note by the state the tyme of eche of the kingdomes where and by whome the kyngdome of Christ was and what state it was in than the knowledge of whiche thinge bringeth no small profite to godlye readers Adam is sett in a Paradyse of pleasure to whome is forbyden the tree of lyfe Genesis ij Adam and Heua are deceyued by the suttelty of the serpent Thence comthe transgressyon of the commaundement and Synne The firste boke of the Cronicles whych conteyneth the fyrste two thousande yeares From Adam vntyll Abrahams tyme. HOly scrypture doeth teache vs that God created heauen and earth after that man Adam and Heua and sat them in paradyse that is that they beynge set oute of daunger of death and synne mighte lyue in the earth happely but when they forgat
the Pandectes of the ciuyll lawe He wrote also whole bookes wherof we haue sene some Moreouer in his tyme lyued Ptolomeus the astronomian of whom we do worthely make mencion For it hath pleased God that so excellent doctrines should be kept and reserued vntyll these our tymes through this man Nether truely was this Ptolomeus a kyng for at that tyme had Egypte ceaâ—sed of hauyng kynges but was a philosopher at Alexandria in Egypte For God had garnyshed Egypte with mathematicall sciences sence the tyme of Ioseph the sonne of Iacob the patriarke by whome Egypte had fyrst receaued them and kept them vntyll this Ptolomeus and that is about twoo thousande yeares For first Alexander afterwarde the Romanes also had Egypte in greate estimacion for thys cause and lest so noble sciences should perishe they bestowed muche cost to entertayne the Schole whiche then finally wente too nought also whan the kyngdome of Egypte was translated from the Romanes and was myserably spoyled by Mahomet But that at the least some remnaunt of so necessary sciences should remayne no doubt but God would them to be set in an order by this man that they maye be kept of them that come after â–ª for the whiche thyng God is greatly to be thanked But how litle they of Mahomets secte are worthy to be called men ye that they may be rather called beastes than men doth it appeare thereby that they willed so auncient a scole to peryshe be lost whiche had nowstande and floryshed aboue two thousand yeres being kept by so noble princes in the whiche were taught all maner of wysdome and learnynge not wythout the hygh benefite of God Soter the xij byshop of Rome succeded Anycetus who ordeined that they that were spoused shoulde be wedded openly before the Churche or congregacion The yeare of Christe C. lxxxiij COmmodus the .xv. Emperoure gouerned xij yeare and was equall euen to Nero in cruelnesse Eleuterius succeded Soter in the byshopricke The yeare of Christe C. xcv Aelius Pertinax the .xvi. Emperoure reigned syxe monethes He was slayne of Iulianus who had bought the name of an Emperoure of the souldiours The yeare of Christe C. xcvi Didius Iulianus the .xvii. Emperour reigned vii monethes He was very wel learned in y â— lawe He was slayne by Seuerus The yeare of Christ C. xcvi SEuerus the .xviij. Emperoure reigne eightene yeres The same restored agai 〈…〉 the empire that was decaied wyth sundry perels Victor the .xiiij. byshop of Rome succeded Eleâ—therius in the byshopryke Zepherinus the .xv. succeded victor In his tyme was Origene who taught the holy scripture at Alexandria This mans bokes were afterwarde refused because he brought in vnprofitable disputations and allegoryes Afterwarde was it the common fashion to mengle the phylosophy of Plato with holy scripture whereof the churche had great dammage and inconuenience For the phylosophy of Plato is farre from the common trade of lyuing and contrary wyse the philosophy of Aristotel hath a beawtiful and ryght order and yf she be wel vsed exercised and vnderstande she may verely brynge muche profite to Christen men that be learned The yeare of Christe .cc. xiiij ANtonius Bassianus Caracalla the .xix. Emperoure reygned syxe yeares He commaunded hys brother Germane Geta to be slayne He was wedded to his stepmother He required of Papinianus the great lawier to excuse the manslaughter that he had done with hys brother to the whiche Papinian aunswered It were not so easy to defende a manslaughter as to committe or do it Wherfore dyd Antonius cause to slaye Papinianus also which was worthy to be reputed taken for a lawier namely because for righteousnesse and honesties sake he woulde rather yeoparde his lyfe than to alowe a dishoneste dede Not longe after the Emperoure Bassianus was duely rewarded for his tyranny whan he lykewyse was slayne Calistus the .xvi. byshop of Rome succeded Zepherinus Macrinus the .xx. Emperoure wyth hys sonne Diadâ—â—menus raygned but one yeare and two monethes They were both slayne The yeare of Christ CC. xxâ— VArus Heliogabalus the .xxi. Emperour raigned foure yeares He left no remembraunce of him saue of a moost fylthye beaste at the last was he slayne by the souldyours The yeare of Christ CC. xxv ALexander Seuerus the .xxij. Emperoure his mother was called Mammea He raigned xiâ—â— yeares He was made Emperoure beyng no more than twelue yeare old ordeined by the souldiours and that dyd the Senate alowe He is greately praysed for hys diligence and Godlynesse In all thinges vsed he the counsell of Vlpianus the lawier only nether spake he wyth anye man alone saue wyth the same But the souldiours toke that in euyll worth and specially because that by thys mans counsel they were kepte more straytely in their duety by the Emperoure And whan for thys cause vpon a tyme the souldyours rushynge vpon hym threatened to slaye hym the Emperoure stept forth and set his bodye in the daungers of Vlpianus and couered hym wyth his cloake that the souldiours myghte vnderstande that the Emperour cared for Vlpianus health Thys was a notable example of Emperyall vertue whereby is euidentlye declared that greate men ought not to regarde theyr lyfe and body for the mayntenaunce of iustice and ryhteousnesse Vrbanus the fyrst of that name the .xvij. bishop of Rome succeded Calistus Pontianus the .xviij. succeded Vrbanus The yeare of Christ CC. xxxviij MAximinus the .xxiij. Emperoure raygned thre yeares The same whan he was yonge was a shepeherde in Thracia afterwarde folowed he the warre and for the vnacustomed greatnesse of hys bodye wyth the whyche he had a syngular boldnesse ioyned he mounted by processe of tyme so hygh that he was chosen Emperoure of the army wythout anye consent or authoritie of the Senate He subdued Germany vntyll the wood Hercinia and the vpper parte of it vntyll the Frankes He vsed greate tyrannye wherefore ordeyned the Senate other Emperoures agaynste hym and for that cause were somtyme feldes foughten amongest the Romanes in the which the yonger Gordianus was slayne and the elder Gordianus hanged hym selfe But fynally was Maximinus slayne of the souldiours wyth hys sonne by Aquileia Autherus the xviij byshop of Rome succeded Pontianus The yeare of Christe CC. xli GOrdianus the .xxiiij. Emperoure raygned syxe yeares He was ordeyned Emperoure by the Senate wyth Pupienus and Balâ—â—nus against Maximinus Whan Pupienus and Balâ—â—nus refused to graunt y e souldiours all their requestes they were slayne of them at Rome and by thys meanes optayned the yonger Gordianus the empyre alone He brought home the victory of the Perses in the East and restored some cityes agayne to the empyre But whan the hoost suffred hunger Philippus was made vpper captaine by whose commaundement Gordianus was slayne Whan Gordianus was made Emperoure there happened an Eclypse of the Sunne so great that durynge the same men were fayne to vse
vs of the promyse made and of thys wyse hath he set before vs tokens of beneuolence and mercy to exercyse the fayth He hath also than permitted the lybertye to cate flesh the which the holy fathers before the floude dyd neuer vse Besyde thys gaue God a new commaundement of outwarde administration and commaunded more playnly that mansleyers shoulde lykewyse be putt to death by those that be lawfullye permittted that is by the officers Of thys wyse than is a new state of the worlde ordeyned agayn All these thynges haue I brefely recyted specially that euery man may call to minde and waye by hymselfe how great Gods wrath is for synne For God would cause the worlde to be more ware by this example because he wyliudge and auenge it is also shewed that God shall once iudge the whole worlde for he will not that synne be vnreuenged or vnpunished Some haue written that seynge the worlde hath fyrst be drowned with waters it maye be gathered by naturall reasons that it shall after thys be consumed wyth fyre Yea and this is worthy to be marked that they whiche belong to god are kept of him though they be few abiect and despised This is also to be noted in thys place that the ciuyll power is ordeined and punishment for manslaughter For that is nerehande the heade of all ciuill exercise of iustice after the which all other cases and trespaces ought to be iudged Of the Tower of Babel AFter the floude whan mankynd was now encreased the Tower of Babel and the citie of Babilon was begon to be buylded by the Chaldees that they might begyn a kyngdome ther and subdue to them other nations or people But thys enterpryse hath God ouerthrowen For whan they all vsed before one language it befell that after the commune speche was chaunged they spake one one maner of language another another so that they vnderstode not eche other Wherfore there was a diuision of speches and the worke it selfe was left vnperfect The posterite of Noe than was strowed here and ther in the world the which the fygure folowynge shall declare Sem the eldest sonne of Noe of whose kynred is Christe hath wyth hys childeren possessed that parte of Siria whiche is towarde the Easte For of Aram hys sonne came the Syrians of Assur came the Assyrians of Arphaxat came the Chaldeis of Elam are the Persyans spronge Cham the seconde sonne of Noe hath optayned that countrye whyche goeth towarde the South Of Canaan are come the Chananeis of Mizraim came the Egyptyans of Chus came the Ethiopians of Saba came the Arabians Iaphet the longest sonne of Noe went to the North and West and this is the father of vs all and therefore his name founde by the Poetes whych haue called him Iapetus Of his sonne Iauan or Iaon are the Grekes whiche are called Iones for they be the first Grekes And the voice Ianan or Iaon is no doute the same whom the Latines do call Ianus They vsed to paynte him with a double vysage before and behinde because that of hym be sprouge both the nations the Grekes and the Latines and as oft they would begynne any thinge they worshipped him wyth a spngulare honour by the whyche they wytnessed that they counted Iaon their father Iaons sonne was Cethim of whome are called the Macedones and thys confyrmeth the fyrste boke of the Machabees and the worde Machetim sygnifyeth in Hebrue of Cethim of the whiche is spronge the worde Macedo For Stephanus the expounder of Greke wordes wryteth that the auncient dyd saye Macetis Iaon had manye chyldren Elisa and Dodanim of the whiche haue their beginninge the Aeoles or Hellas and the Dodoneies all these are the first of the Grekes Of Tarsis Iaons sonne is Tharsus in Cilicia called Iaphet had other chylderen also Gomer Magog Tyras and Mesech Of Gomer are the Cunerij or Cimbry as witnesseth Eusebius Of Ascanes Gomers sonne came the Tuiscones that is the Germanes Of Magog are spronge the Scythe and of them are begonne the Turkes Of Thyras come the Thraces I haue brefelye shewed what part of the worlde eche of Noes chylderen hath possessed the which doeth greately auayle better to vnderstande many hystoryes Of the fyrst Monarchye THat it maye be vnderstande how the worke of God muste be knowen and honored in those thynges that the magistrate or superiorite doeth we haue aduertysed before in the preface that God willed to entertayne the world by foure Monarchies to the intent that policye iustice and correction mighte be entertayned amonge men for this cause are many thynges spoken here and there of these Monarchies in holy scripture God hath proposed them to Daniel two maner of waye First vnder the figure of a greate man whose heade was golden the brest of syluer the belly of copper the legges of yron the fete partely of earth partly also of yron And lest we should not know that then finally shal y â— end of the world be there is added how that the stone Christ doeth breake his fete that the man hymself do fall and so do the world cease Daniel hym self hath expounded this vision of the foure monarchies For he saieth that the head doth signifie the first kyngdome that is the Monarchie of the Assyrians The brest of siluer sygnifieth the kyngdome of the Persians The belly of copper signifyeth the kyngdome of the Grekes The legges of yron signifyeth the kyngdome of the Romanes The fete of yron and earth signifyeth the state of the Empire of Rome at this tyme namely that now a dayes is much lesse and weaker than it was wont to be The foure beastes shewed vnto Daniel do also pretende these foure kyngdomes The Lyonesse sygnifyeth the force of the Assyrians The Beere sygnifieth the Persian empyre The Leoparde signifieth Alexander By the fourth beast are the Romanes signifyed And there is added that besyde the Romaine empyre there shall ryse an other empyre full of cruelnesse and suche one that shall make a new lawe agaynst Gods worde And that is the Mahometish and Turkysh empyre now a dayes God wyll haue vs so truely warned that as we knowe the histories of al the worlde we should consyder that the tyme of finishyng be not farre of and that of this wise we should haue wherewith to confirme our faith In the Bible it is manifest that the fyrst kingdome beganne by Nemrod amonge the Babylonians and the scripture calleth him a valyaunt hunter before God that is a mighty prynce which wyth force subdued men to obeye And he is called a hunter before the Lorde as Gods hunter whereby it is signifyed that the ciuill power is ordeyned of God as a vengeaunce and that she be a minister of God Wherfore the fyrst Monarchye beganne by the Chaldeis as wytnesseth also Xenophon and the successors of Cham raygned fyrst of the whyche dyd Nemroth yssue For though Noe had cursed
sciences and dyd institute a very good forme of the common welth To hym drew wyse men out of all contryes the which he maynteyned gently and liberally He had a library as there was none better furnished in the whole worlde and for thys cause toke he acquaintaunce of the Iewes For whan he diligently searched for the begynnynge of all nacions religions and sciences he founde that the people of the Iewes to be the eldest and that they onely had the surest historyes of the worldes begynninge or creation Wherefore he required to be sent to hym from Ierusalem thre score and twelue men by whose diligence the wholy Bible myght be translated oute of the Hebrue into his language by this occasion were the Bibles syrste translated into straunge speches And no doubt it is but that Ptolome was conuerted to the true fayth by this same meane iii. Ptolomeus Euergetes inuaded Syria dyd reuenge the death of his syster Berenice iiij Ptolomeus Philopater ouercame Antiochus the great afterwarde beyng become more sensuall and dissolute he beganne to be enamoured vpon a wenche insomuch that he caused also hys quene to be put to death for the loue shewed to that wench v. Ptolomeus Epiphanes whom Antiochus the great dyd inuade the same Antiochus gaue to him hys doughter vi Ptolomeus Philometor the same dyd hys vncle Antiochus Epiphanes inuade But the Romanes defendyng Ptolome commaunded Antiochus to auoyde out of Egypt the which we haue shewed before vii Ptolomeus Euergetes restored Demetrius that was dryuen oute of hys realme into the same agayne viii Ptolomeus Physco the same resembled more a beast than a man by reason of hys vylaynous crueltye He wedded hys syster and begatt chylderen of her Afterwarde slayenge hys sonne set him before hys mother to eate fynallye was he dryuen out of the realme The residue ensuynge were notable of lyke shameful behaueour as of beastly medlynge and of farre more cruell tyranny ix Ptolomeus Alexander x Ptolomeus Latyrus xi Ptolomeus Auletes whome Gabinius the Romane captayne restored agayne into hys kyngdome xii Ptolomeus Dionysius which commaunded to slaye Pompeius and afterwarde was also vnfaythfull to Iulius wherefore Iulius droue hym out of the kyngdome and gaue it to his syster Cleopatra the whiche finally slew herselfe whan Antonius whom she entertayned was ouercome of Augustus After that came Egypte to the Romanes and so was the moost noble kynred of Ptolomeus quenched Of the Iewes WE haue sayde before that the superiorytie of gouernaunce remayned by the posteritie of Dauid after the returne of the Iewes oute of Babylon only that they wanted the dignitie of the kynges name and were only called Prynces And the same rayned tyll the tyme of Antiochus S. Luke doeth also make mencion of them in the genealogye of Christe i. Zorobabel lviij yeares ii Resa Miseolam lxvi iii. Iohanna Ben Resa liij iiii Iudas the fyrst Hircanus xiiij in the tyme of Alexander After Alexander v. Ioseph the fyrst vij vi Abner Semei xi vii Eli Matathia xii viii Aser Maath ix ix Nagid Artaxat x. x. Hagai Eli viij xi Maslot Naum vii xii Amos Syrah xiiij xiij Matathia Siloa xviij xiiij Ioseph the yonger l. The same had greate familiarite wyth Ptolomeus Euergetes and by Eusebius is he called Arses xv Iaanna the seconde Hircanus xvi He had greate warres agaynst the Arabians and had oft victory But whan he was besieged in a castell by Antiochus Epiphanes nether coulde he defend hymself any lenger wyth his garnyson yet woulde he not yelde him selfe but wythstode his enemies valiauntly fightynge in battayl tyll he was slayne This was the laste prince amonge the Iewes of kyng Dauids bloude After hym ruled the Machabees whyche were of the priestly kynred But after these was the kyngdome of the Iewes translated to Herods kynred whyche was a Gentyle but he was circumcised Thys thynge truely had God prophecyed before that the ceptre and royall maiestye shoulde be taken from Iuda and Dauids successors before the comminge of the promysed Christe Nether was the kyngdome altered from Dauids posteritye aboue an hundreth thre score yeare before Christe was borne so that it exceded not mens memory what kinred had raigned Of this wyse doeth Lucas rehearse the princes of the Iewes vntyll the last Ianna Hircanus and after the same doth he counte the residue also which ruled not vntyll Christe Wherefore I wyll brefely adde of the Machabees and Herodes kynred Of the Machabees kynred MAtathias exhorted hys chylderen to resist Antiochus and these raygned in order by successiō as princes Iudas Machabeus the first vanquyshed the capytaynes of Antiochus Epiphanes and recouered the temple wythin thre yeare and had notable victories But assone as he had conspyred wyth the Romanes makyng a league wyth them he was slayn and dyed For God wyll not haue vs to leane to mans helpe but that we shoulde sett oure truste in hym He raygned v. yeares Ionathas raygned nyneten yeare he toke part wyth Alexander which vsurped the kyngdome in Syria Afterwarde was he slayne of Triphon very vnfaythfully He had an vnhappye ende for because he trusted too the ayde of naughty and seditious men Simon reigned eight yeare he ouercame Antiochus Gryphus He was at the last slayn by treason of his owne brother in lawe Ioannes Hircanus was Simons sonne the same reigned syx and twenty yeare In his tyme besieged Antiochus Gryphus Ierusalem but by geuyng of mony was he apeased and breakyng vp the syege left the citie Afterward gat Hircanus Samaria The Machabeis kynges Aristobulus the sonne of Hircanus reigned one yeare and woulde be crowned with a kyngely crowne He was the first kyng in Ierusalem after that the Iewes were returned out of Babylon He slew his brother Antigonus because he feared lest he woulde couet the kyngdome Alexander the yonger sonne of Hircanusreigned seuen and twenty yeare his wyfe Alexandra reigned after hym nyne yeare Alexander left two sonnes after hym Hircanus and Aristobulus Though Hircanus were the elder yet was he dryuen out of the kyngdom by hys brother Aristobulus whiche by violence caught from his brother the dignitie of the kynges name But Antipater prince of Idumea and the father of Herodes and Areta kyng of Arabia ayded Hircanus against Aristobulus Nether was there a lesse barbarous state at that tyme in Iewry after the Heythen maner then in the kyngdomes of other nations Afterward when Pompeius toke in Ierusalem he made Hircanus high priest and taking Aristobulus prisoner with his two sonnes Alexander and Antigonus brought thē to Rome But by the way as they went to Rome escaped Alexāder and commyng againe into Iewry he became mighty againe But then was he vanquished by Gabinius y ◠Romane capitaine in Syria and afterward by the commaundement of Scipio was he beheaded at Antiochia Antigonus was released at Rome
writeth Procopius the historyographer When euery where was peace made Iustinianus caused also the auncient lawes of the Romans to be gathered in bookes called Digesta that is bokes appoynted in order but the same bookes were darkened not long after Iustinianus through lawes of the Lombardes and Frankes neuerthelesse after a good season were they brought too lyght agayne by Lotharius a Saxon Emperour of whoÌ„ we shall speake hereafter Howbeit it were to long to reherse here how greatly this wysdome is to bee praysed in the Emperoure who wylled that iustice and these lawes to be commonly executed as by the iudgement of all sage and good men can nothynge be more honest holy and more profitable Of Bellisarius I can not worthely ouerpasse that of Belilsarius which he hath handled most faithfully in all thynges he was a peace and concorde maker in all the worlde He dyd wholy restore the empire of Rome that was nearehand decaied and altogether weakened to be short he shewed hys lorde and all the worlde suche pleasure that none coulde be greater nor more prayse worthy and if they were estymed aryght they are hygh and incredible gyftes of God But what thaÌ„kes the worlde geueth agayn for so great vertues and suche gâ—stes of God that doth the example of Bellisarius declare sufficiently whom Iustinianus of a very lyght suspicion without cause caused to put out his eyeâ—â— and droue him away that he shuld be fayne to seke his meate with beggyng at the last dyed he lyke a moste wretched begger Of this wyse doth the deuel at the last set hym against the greatest men whiche vndoubtedly hateth all Gods workes and moste hygh vertues in men Besyde thys dyd Narses also fall in the Emperours indignacion but he woulde not returne to Constantinople For that he myght be more safe for daungers he remayned all hys lyfe longe at Naples in Italy Simplicius the .l. bysh of Ro. succeded Hilarius Felix the secoÌ„d of that name succeded Simplicius After Felix was Gelasius the .lij. bysh of Rome Anastasius the seconde of that name was after Gelasius After Anastasius was Symmachus the .liiij. byshop of Rome In hys tyme was the fyrst trouble raysed for the chosyng of the byshop of Rome For some woulde haue had one Laurentuâ—s agaynst Symmachus â–ª and thys stryfe was the cause of a greate slaughter at Rome At the last did Dietrichus of Bernaswag this vproure After Symmachus succeded Hormisda y e lv bysh Ioannes the first succeded Hormisda Felix the thyrd the .lvii. bysh was after Ioannes Bonifacius the secoÌ„d the .lviii. bysh succeded Felix Ioannes the second succeded Bonifacius Agapetus the. lâ— byshop succeded Ioannes This same optained of the Emperoure Iustinianus that heretikes shuld not be brought to Constantinople Syluerius the .lxi. bysh succeded Agapetus Vigilius was bysh after Syluerius Thissame was taken of Iustinianus and vncourteously entreated because he would not consent to the restitucion of the bannyshed heretikes Pelagius the first succeded after Vigelius in the tyme of Totilas IoaÌ„nes the third was y e .lxiiij. bysh after Pelagiê° In these tymes were sene very dredeful woÌ„ders in the skye by the Italians There were sene burnyng battayls Cometes Besyde this also was Rome nearehand drowned wyth the surroundyng of the Tyber These tokens signified the decay of the Romane empyre and the Churche the whiche ensued afterward For not long after rose the Mahometicall pestilence The yeare of Christ CCCCC lxvi IUstinus the second of that name the .liij. Emperoure reygned ten yeares He was Iustinianus systers sonne In his tyme toke in the LoÌ„bardes parte of Italy to dwell in whyche was the yeare of Christe CCCCC lxxij The yeare of Christe CCCCC lxxvi TIberius the second of this name the .liiij. Emperoure reigned seuen yeares He was Iustinus marshall and was taken of hym for hys sonne and heyre of the empyre He vanquyshed the Perses but had no good fortune in Italy agaynst the Lombardes Benedictus the .lxv. bysh of Ro. succeded Pelagiê° Pelagius the second was bysh after Benedictus Of Mahomet and of the kyngdome of the Sarracens The yeare of Christe vi C. xxx The yeare of Heraclius xv The yeare of the worlde iiij M. v. C. lxxiiii The yeare of Rome M. iii. C. lxxxii MAhomet auaunted hymselfe a prophet also a king in Arabia by the Agarenies and Saraceus that by this occasion The Agareny dwellinge in the entryng of Arabia were alwaye geuen to robbery and exercyse of warre Whan they were now enticed with the Persian warres they receyued wages vnder Heraclius And whan it was shewed them by y e Emperoures captaynes they lokynge for no more wages raysed an vproure agaynst the Romane captayns By reason of thys commune vproure beganne Mahomets power to encrease For seynge the commune people coulde want no captayne they dyd lyghtely stycke to Mahomett who passed all other for his greate ryches and other syngular vertues But that he myghte the more easely bryng the peoples maners into some certayne order he purposed to make lawes not only in ciuill matters but also to bind the mindes of the coÌ„mune people to a certaine and new forme of religion that he might the better kepe them all in their duety nother might ryse any occasion of disscucion For he sawe that euery wher were sondry disagreing mindes of the doctryn of religion For y e concord of the Churches was spoyled by sundery heresyes and chefely wyth the wicked learning of Arrius But whan the consciences are tangled wyth errour and the myndes wauer than do they lightely suspect the doctrine of Christ and be in shorte space dryuen hether and thether Wherfore as mens myndes were thus relyng and vncertayn Mahomet hauyng gotten oportunitie prescribed suche a forme of religion wherein those heade chapters of the fayeth that spake of Christe were past ouer and that therefore lest the doctrine of the fayth should more be broughte into doutfull disputatyons but restynge only in the vnderstandyng or capacyte of reason myghte commaunde of courtesye of maners and maner to lyue honestlye Thys truely is acceptable to mens nature Therfore embraced thys doctryne the Gentyls Iewes Arrians and such as were deciuered from the Christen religion For thys fayth semed to be alowable to euery man Wherfore men of vnlyke kynred vnlyke language â–ª the one liuynge otherwyse than the other it is vnpossyble to saye how easely they grew and increased in myght to resyst the Romanes valiauntly For first began they to subdue Arabia and part of Syria For Damascus was Mahomets courte Afterwarde became they myghty in Egipt also Let thys suffyse brefely spoken of the begynnyng of y e dredefull kyngdome of Mahomet wherin raygned fyrst the Arabians Egypcians which called them Sultan or Souldan that is prince afterward was the empyre brought to y e Turkes As for y e kingdome is y e greatest part of Antichrist in the Prophetes are y e
of our handes that w◠beinge holpen by the same may the more commody ously in treat of the affaires that for the moost part in the commune welth So noble a treasure verely are histories by y e which that they that haue gouernaunce of the commune welche are aduertysed of sundry publyke matters Besydes these also are ther founde in historyes such examples which do profet euery priuate person seuerally such as these be The magistrate must be obeyed They which rebelled against the higher powers were neuer vnpunished as Absalon Catilma Brutus Cassius and such like that were therfore punished Of faithfulnesse of frendes as Ionathas which saued the life of Dauid Of the punishment for aduoutry and suche like wicked dedes as it appeareth by y e example of Dauid What nedeth many wordes euen as in al sciences are set forth examples to be folowed so are in histories set forth painted examples of al kind of vertues Yee and in examples and thinges cōmitted is more euidently sene the worthinesse of vertues yea also of what vnclennesse and dishonesty vices are than in preceptes or doctrinees Because that examples being set before vs as images do not only teache openly but do also admonish sturre and inflame the myndes y t are honestly brought vp that they maye be kindled toward vertues and honesty with a certain plesur and loue For who could be so cruel of minde which shulde not be moued yf he did reade some excellent and laudable dede or an example of vengeaunces I haue brefely shewed how the examples of politike vertues and ciuill causes must be obserued in readynge of histories Nowe doth it pertayne to a Christenman to whome godlynesse appertayneth that he maye knowe that out of historyes are to be gathered instructyons of fayth and feare of God For these are the chefeste vertues of Godlye men that are allowed before God And thoughe the hystoryes of the Gentyls do not teache vs that God careth for vs or that God worketh wyth vs a godlye harte neuerthelesse shall marke thys namelye how commune welthes are kept and preserued in the worlde from heauen and that it is the workinge and dede of God to reuenge violence and wronge and that God doth oftentimes distribute hys excellente vertues amonge the Heythen For princes can not kepe their kingdomes against Satan without the singular benefite of god the aide or assistaūce of great vertues And of this wise shal the mind of a godly man think by himself that such notable actes punishmentes are the worck of god and shal by them learne to fear God that is to saye that tiraunces are greueously punished according to that sentence he that taketh the sword that is he that taketh vpon hym the authoryte of vengeaunce without a commaūdement the same shal perish with y ◠sword Contrary wise maie be sene also that good princes are kept and preserued of God the same haue the heithen perceued also y e princes do rest vpon the aid of the goddes For Homer the poet sayeth that God holdeth for the hys shyide in battail to defend princes He faineth also that euerye prince is in sauegard by the defence of his god as it appeareth that the goddesse Pallas was wyth Achilles in battayll c. Althese thinges are moost clerely expressed in y ◠histories of the holy scripture as in Abraham Dauid Ezechias and other kinges whome God hath defended And their examples are prepounded to euery prince y t they may be assured that god doth of likewise defēde the good For the histories of holy men and Heithen men do differ in that that in y ◠histories of holy men are set forth and declared the witnesses of Gods workes the which also do not only treat of politike matters but do chefely shadowe and declare vnto vs Gods kingdome that God geueth his worde that frely and of mercye he will saue the which thing the histories of the Gentiles can not speake of Therfore ought euery Christen man chefely to know the holy scripture that out of them they may learne the doctrine and confirmation of faith First how al thinges are created of God how sinne dyd beginne that Christe hath set vp his kingdomes against sinne that he hath geuē his word that Christe was promised and that he is come to abandon sinne and to saue vs. Item how God whan he had geuen his word hath alway preserued and maintened Christes kingdome and that Christes kingdome that is the true beleuing haue alway ben cōuersaunt vnder the crosse sence the beginninge of y ◠worlde and yet neuerthelesse are saued that Satan with the greatest power of the world hath assaulted the word of God Item that God hath wōderfully alway kept his promise aboue the vnderstandynge and thought of mens wit or wisedome Item that God hath set before vs bothe the examples of his dredefull vengeaunce and also of grace or fauour Of this wise haue king Dauid and other gotten remission and forgeuenesse of sinnes that by theyr examples we may be comforted and beleue that God wil forgeue Nether is y ◠to be omitted that God hath geuen vs al maner of prophecyes of exterior kingdomes to stablish our mindes that of the accomplishment of their chaunce we myghte haue wytnesse that our word is come of God and that none other faith saueours is true Item that we shuld be warned whan Christe muste come and whan the ende of the worlde is to be loked for Itē for so muche as we knowe that all thynges spoken of in the prophetes are come to passe that we may beleue that those shall happen also the which holye scripture sayeth shall befal Moreouer to vnderstande prophecyes arighte it is greatlye necessary to knowe the order of kingdomes the nombre of the yeares and many other thynges whyche in readynge of Heathen hystoryes do offer them selues the knowledge whereof is chefelye necessarye for Chrysten men that they may the better vnderstande the propheties and haue the better iudgment of them Of all thys truely maye euery man iudge how muche profyte is taken oute of the readynge of hystoryes and the greate profyte or frute that commyth of them ought dylygently to steare and driue euery man to knowe them After what order hystoryes must be comprehended and red HE that wyll reade hystoryes to profyt the same must comprehende all the tymes sence the foundacyon of the worlde into a certayne order For there were some that diuyded the worlde therfore in seuen ages and haue rekened them diuersly but those where they endeuour to sett an order they do nothynge but sett all thynges wythout order As for me I wyll folow the renowmed sayenge of Ely the prophet whych hath excellently dyuyded the worlde into thre ages wyth the whyche he sheweth the greatest chaunges of the worlde also what tyme it behoued Christ to come and how longe thys state of the world ought to last and thus it is The