themprour which with publike proclama cion stablisshed the popysh primacie the doctrine of Christ hath standen amonge the laytie almost vnto this our tym whiche laymen contented with their crede the sacraments ether vtterly knewe they not these idolatryes sectes the iustifycacion by workes merytis and these popish pardons or els they veryly neglected and abhorred them declaring cheifly this frute of theyr faith that they simply and gladly obeyed theyr beter lerned elders so farre as it might be done without hurt or spotte of the trwe relygion honor of God when in the mean ceason the popis Cardinals Bisshops Preistes Fryers Monkes enen the Pharyseis Zaduceis scribes and lawyers all not one skant clere the doctrine of Christe neglected and lost were and yet be vtter ly drowned blinded and dampnably cap tined vnder the doctryne and tradicious of men yea and of the diuill to as Paule called them Agene as aftir the. xxx yeris of Christes burthe Ioan Bap â–ª preched repentance in the desert baptyzing them to prepar the peple for Christ whoÌ„â—ftsone after he shewedforth w t his finger eueÌ„ so after the. xxx Iubiley of the churche was the very sincere doctryne of the lawe of the knowledg of orygynall sinne and of other vices the trwe repentance the doctryne of the trwe iustificacion and of the mortifycacion of the olde man whiche is the trwe and spiritual baptisme of repentance restored to the churche that the peple might haue ben prepared and made apt to receiue the doctrine of the gospell which the doctrine of the lawe did shewe to vs and pointed it forth befor vs as it were wyth fyngers for the fulbrynging or perfeccion of the lawe is Christe vnto saluacioÌ„ to iustifye all that beleue in him Also as Christe anon aftir Ioan began his preaching of the gospell euen so in thys our tyme anon aftyr the ryght holsom doctryne of the lawe there hath folowed the trwe and holsom doctryne of the gospell of the remissyon of sinnes only onely for Christes sake euen the ryghtuousnes of only saithe Also as nether Ioan nor Christ taught openly admitted of the hyghe preistis to preache in the teÌ„ple of Ierusalem because the Bisshopes scrybes and Pharysais could not bere them but taught ether in desertis or in ga lyle where the Prophane magistrates and not the Bisshopes ruled euen so in this our tyme nether the doctryne of the lawe ne the gospell can haue place in the kingdoms of the Bisshops and Pharyseis where these blody beastis yet bere ru le but ether in priuate places as it were in the deserte or els verely vnder some godly prince or ruler only is this pure holsome doctrine herde Item as Sathan in y â— tim of Christ steredup diuerse tumul tes first by Theuda which toke tomich vpon him selfe and then by Iudas the galylene which auerted the pople to make the doctryne of Christe as it were by their vprores and tumults the more to be suspecte of sedicion Euen so nowe in our tyme hath he stered vp the relygious and seculare papistes in Englond and other where the muntzers the Shappelers the anabaptistes the Dauids georgians the popyshe sacramentaries as Steuen gardiner Bisshop of Winchester Doctor smith perin and both the vniuersities in Englonde with like other authors of sedicion to make the doctrine of the Gospel nowe happely in spryngynge vp ayen to be odiouse and suspect yea they wold make it heresie and sedicioÌ„ but yet all in vain for siche sowers of sedicyon perish in them selues and their disciples come anon to nought the doctryne of y t gospel stauding salf suer Also as christ anon about y â— beginning of his preachiÌ„g y â— is in y t first pash tide threuforth y â— biers sellers out of y t teÌ„ple euen so y â— doctrine of y t gospel now sproÌ„geÌ„ vp aftir y e thirty Iubile of y â— church hath cast out of christs churche the byers and sellers of popysh pardons merits misses lippe labors with all other like papistrye and dyrty dregges of the whore of Rome And here myght I recyte many of hyr deuillysh doctrynes and dampnable heresies rites ceremonies supersticioÌ„s which for short nes I omyt bothe because these be suffycient enough to proue that the Iubyleis of the churche agree iustely with the yeris of the lyfe and age of Christ and also because the godly and trwly lerned in the scripturs by them selues may fynde out many mo thinges like And to beireif for this cause omit I them that I wold not ouer much prouoke the obstinat aduersaries of Christ karied away of y e infernall furies to make them the more chary to beware and with their serpentyne subtiltye the more craftie to hurte and to cast forthe yea to spewe forthe all their venome at once For they stomble all to breke them selues aienst their stoÌ„bling stone Christ to fall therat neuer to ryse ayen for that they wetingly and wyllyngly of a sette malyre haue reiected him Now therfore sith it is so clere and euident the Iubileis of the churche so iustely to agre with the yeares of Christes lyfe who can otherwyse thinke but that the church shal not in this worlde acomplesh the. xxxiiij Iubilei that is not to passe farreouer the Mccccccl. yeares after Christes resurrec cion nonotherwyse then as Christ accom plesshed not his xxxiiij yeare of his age but ere the half of the fowrth year was fi nisshed he entred into his rest ascended into heuen Wherfor it is very lyke that aftir the. xxxiij Iubeley year of y â— church which shalbe shortly after the year from Christes birth or resurreccion Mccccccl. the ende of the worlde shalbe at hande which lytle space after the sayd nowmber how short it shalbe no man can determin excepte he knewe certainly y â— very daye of Christes natiuitie in what moneth he was borne whether in marche or no. Fro wheÌ„re I think to reken y e more iustely The noumber of vij is apointed of God to the perpetuall rest wherfore men may coniecture that when y e noumber shall fall as in the yeare from Christes resurreccion Mcccccclxxvij or Mcccccclvij the ende shalbe ☞ The fowrth coniecture which is of all the most evident â–ª is taken of the citie of rome For the scripture testifyeth clerely the citie of Rome twyse to obtayne very greate highe dominacion and powr And in ether of them bothe to endure a certain noumbir of yeres Also when the citie of Rome shall be the second tyme extincte destroyed then doutles is the ende of the worlde at hande The first dominacion was of the Romane citie But the seconde is now of the Romane court The fyrst dominacion the prophete Daniel describeth which dured to Constantine y â— great and a lytle more The seconde descrybeth Paul ij thess ij and the Apocalipse xiij xvij Whyche now shall
distributed into x. consularye empires y t the Monarchie of TheÌ„perours stode in it y t she more then ccc yeares most cruelly impugned the christen religion for y â— was she dampned of God in the heanenly iudgement at last extincte All thys I saye hole together was in doing and done by tyme and tymes by halfe a tyme Trew it is that this forme of speche signifyeth iij. yeares an half Nethe les not without a cause did the aungell separate theÌ„ For the Hebrues tell theyr yeares not by the sunne but by the mone out of the. xij monethes that is standyng of ccc liiij dayes which dayes not withstandyng in Februarye when the leap yeare cometh in the thyrd or fourthe yeare they restore to the sonne yeres Also nether one nor two yeares admit anye leap yere daye wherfore he will them to be vnderstanden without the leape moneth that is to saye of m. cc. xxxix dayes or there aboute for so many dayes be in thre yeres and an half But Da. in suche maner misteryes vseth not our common dayes and yeres but aungels dayes and yeares as we haue shewed it at large in the iij. coniecture wherof there is a verye euident profe in the ende of the xij Chap. of Da. where one aungell asketh of another how long shal it be to y â— end of these meruelous thinges which swering by y e eternall liuig God answereth saiyng vn to the time of times an halfe For in no wyse is it red in y t place time times an half as haue our coÌ„mon bokes but as we interprete it Thys is therfore the mynd of the Aungel That froÌ„ the third yere of Cyrus vnto the eude of all those meruellouse thinges which were reueled to him in that visyon euen vnto Christe whiche anone after these meruelles were ended shuld come there shuld bepast ouer the tyme of tymes and an halfe that is to say the yeare of yeares an half y t is an Aungels yere and an half which con teyneth of oure comon yeres D. xxxn. yf we beholde the mone yeres for it is the yeare of yeares which standeth not vpoÌ„ ccc liiij dayes but of so many of oure comon yeres Certayn it is out of Ptolome fro the beginnyng of the reygne of Nebuchaâ—nezar whome he calleth Nabopollassar vnto the byrth of Christe to haue had passed ouer cccccc xxv almoste of oure yeares out of which yf thou taketh xix before the destruccyon of Ierusalem and the lxx of the captiuitie and the iij. fyrst yeres of Cyrus there shalbe lefte D. xxxij and a fewe monethes whiche iustly make the tyme of tymes the half tyme that is an Aungels yeare and an halfe For asmuch then as it is playne Daniell in suche misteryes to be expressed to vse Aungels dayes and yeares contrariwyse when he meaneth our com mon yeares and tyme brought into dayes he vseth to adde the mornyng and eue nyng that we shuld not take them for the Aungels dayes nor tyme there is no doubt but that in thys place also it behoueth it to be vnderstanden of the Aungels yeares Namely when out of the for so the saing of Rhomulus it was pronostickt of Vectio that noble forsoth sayer that because the citie of Rome had passed euer prosperouslye her cxx yeares she shulde come to M. cc. yeares Wherfore it is the mynde of Daniell that the citie of Rome vnder the monarchye of themperours shuld persecute the churche of the lyuinge God and to beare dominati on vntyll she had accomplyshed in aungels yeris and an halfe of her age that is to saye almost M. cc. xl of oure yeris whiche thynge we see it in dede iustlye fulfylled For about the yeare from the buyldinge of Rome c. lxx the imperiall Maiestie was traÌ„slated fro Rome to CoÌ„ stantinople And yf Rome had thenceforth any Emperours west fro Constan tinople yet dyd theyr originall and auto rite depende of the Constantinople imperye Nowe was Rome then lyke no li uely body which shuld gouerne herfelf but as a deade kaâ—kas of whose corps burial other men had the gouernaunce cure After these about y â— yere of her buyl dyng m. c. lxiiij of y â— Gotes brought thether of Alaricho was she taken spoyled brent And afterward about the yere M. cc. viij of Gâ—nserycho was she taken agayn spuyled And at laste in the yeare of y â— citie M. cc. xxix the reste left in the myserable Rome citie were brought into so great calamitie and contempt y t when Augustulus was then slayn she was no more worthy to haue not so muche as a Lorde that is any welte Emperour For thus far of was she now to haue any dominion Emperiall ouer other after her olde maner And this was now her extre me and laste fatall destyned ende or rather an vtter dissipacion or skateryng awaye of her memoryall and as it were the strewynge abroade of the ashes of y â— citie of Rome and of her former dominacyon as it was prophecyed of Daniell Da. And the iudgement was sette â—si That is so longe were they in this condempnacyon in the iudgement of God as were the holy sayntes oppressed and persecuted of this horne Da. That theyr power might betakeÌ„ away â—si That is the power of this fourth beast Da. And be all to broken and destroid to perish into the ende â—si That is vtterly without any helpe to perysh Da. But the king doÌ„ and power and the amplitude therof vuder al the heuen shalbe geuen to y â— peple of the most hyghe holy ons whose raygne is euerlasting and al â—ynges shal ser ue and obeye hym â—si These are declared afore Da. Hitherto is the ende of this matter â—si Hitherto is it treated spoken of the former dominion of Rome which after Daniell durâ—d iij. Aungels yeres and an halfe euen after theyr owne prophecye of the same citie from her fyrste buyldyng M. cc. which is almost all one space Nowe let vs treate of the later dominacion of Rome out of the Apocal. of Pau. And as tofore wher nede is wil we vse lyke interlocucion And here christen reder I wold y u shuldest first coÌ„sider how great and earnest was sathans subtyle crafty deceytfull wylynes who when he perceyued this former dominacyon of Rome now to be vtterlye subuerted he studyed diligently to paynt forth and to set vp long before whyles the tother yet endured another dominacyon of the same citie yea and that farr worse then the former And he dyd so garnysh it that be fore thys formar was vtterly fallen and expyred this later domiyacyon shuld be euen then almost rype in all wickednes by the Popis and be waxen stronge enough in all Idolatry supersticion false religion and al mischief For when that former dominacioÌ„ of the Rom. citie was yet valeant in strength and armour this later dominacyon toke encreace began
the name of blasphemie Osi. That is blasphemouse names titles For when they had herd anon out of the prophetis and Sibils of the kingdom y t shuld be eternall to spring vp out of the erth which was Christ with his KingdoÌ„ and gospel then applied they the same saluacion to their Romish churche and Bisshop of Rome and to his antichristen Kingdom Wherof Iupiter in virgill sayth I haue geuen the an empire without ende and ayen vnto it will I nether limites ne tyme put therto A great blasphemye veryly is it arrogantly to vsurpe the honor prayse and maiestie of the euerlasting imperie and Kingdom of Christ dewe only to the sone of God to applie and adioine them to the vngod ly wiked tyranye of the Romishe citie prophane courte of Rome I might here speke other thigs of this blasphemy but because it is certain non of these vij headis to be sene in the later dominacion but onely the aight head whiche is the pope as we shall hereaftir se the blasphemies of the later beast ought not to be applied to the former Ioan. And the beast whom I sawe was lyke a leoparde and his fete like the fete of a bear and his mouthe like a lyons mouth and the dragon gaue him his own strengthe his owne seat and also great power Osi. For as the dragoÌ„ is called of Christ the prince of this worlde and reigneth all spiritually and inuisibly vnder heueÌ„ with his other wyked sprites the rulers of those derkenesses euen so geueth he his streÌ„gth seate and powr to this beast the pope that she by the moeions and instigacions of this dragon aftir hys maner and will might reigne also bodely and visibly Io. And I sawe one of hir headis as it were smiteÌ„ to death but that deadly wound was healed Osi. This head was first y e Monarchie of y â— Cesars which spraÌ„g vp in C. Iulio Cesare which wheÌ„ he was smyten w t. xxiii woundis and slayne of the coniured agenst him the monarchie semed vtterly to be subuerted and perished which yet was not so but it waxed strong ayen was stablisshed more mightely in Octa uio Augusto Io. And all the erth with admiracion beheld the beast and worshiped the dragon which gaue hir that power And they fil downe before the beast sayinge Who is lyke this beast and who may fight with hir Osi. As I sayd tofore the fame was spred ouer al the world euen the same whiche had hir originall out of the prophetis and â—ibillis that there shuld arise in y e erth about that tyme an euerlasting kingdoÌ„ whiche semed to the vngodly to be fulfilled in this Romane monarchie of Octauian Auguste namely sith it was vnder him so happely stablysshed and all the hole world so prosperously set in peace wher fore they thought it to be so done by the singulare couÌ„sel of the most highe God But the very God wold reserue this glo rye and maieltie of theternal imperie for his own sone and not to geue it to the traÌ„ sitorie imperie of Rom. Wherfor it was so that when the vngodly in their hertis and thoughtis worshiped y t God which now stablesshed the Romane monarchie as they iuged they worshipped not the very God as they semed to theÌ„ selues For the very God in nowise had stablis shed the Romane imperie which a lytle aftir he thought to destroie as y t prophe tis foresaid it and the finall fall therof proued it But they worshiped satan and their own vain imaginacion which strewed and spred this monstrose opinion of the eternal empire of rome into y t world which satan therfore had promoued the monarchie of the same and geuen hir his powr that by one Kyngdom he mought the soner and cruellier tame his tirannouse wodnes vpon the christians For if the hyghest empyre had standen vpon the. xii counsellers Senators they had neuer haue had ben caried and concited of the deuill with so great wodnes and furye ayenst the christianes as eft sone were Nero Domiciane and such lyke en censed agenst them They also fil downe before the beast For they had wendt y t the empyre had ben nowe constituted of God by oracles and they made goddis of the Cesars ether by the most fowle flatering of them or by extreme blindnes For when they sayde Oh who is lyke the beast It is asmich to say as this beast is God For this can not be said but of God only Who is like y t oh lord And when they saye who may fight w t hir they make hir inuict and constituted of God And because he maketh men cioÌ„ of batail he she wed him self to haue had painted hitherto the citie of Rome by the markis of the former dominacion For the later flouresshed not by armour in batail but by colourable collusions and fayned pretences of holines So that Ioan hitherto said nothing els then that this citie builded vpon vn hillis hauing vii kyndes of the most highe magistrates euen the impery ouer the x. prouinces as it were destributed into Kingdoms which also by a blasphemou se presumpcion thought hir self perpetually and euermore to raigne In whiche most mightye monarchie of Cesars ayenst the wyll of S. P. Q. K. it sprang vp with great admiracion of all men And when she was deadly wounded in Iulio Cesare yet was she so restored and stablisshed in Octauio Augusto that the thyng apered to the vnwyse and ongodly to be done of God For that same citie I say aftir she was vtterly set of from all her former dominacion and vtterly extynct yet aftyr that deadly wounde and head destruccyon she did putvp hir head ayen And whilis Satan made hir mighty and armied hir into the persecucion and destruccion of bodys soulis but cheifly into the persecucion of the christians aftir a new maner came she agene to hir most highe dominacion Which thing he might haue said in fewer and clearer wordis if he wold haue openly and plainly named y â— Rome citie But that was not then expedient for the churche as we tolde you before Nowe therfore there remayneth y â— we hear what maner one this beast is howe she did put vp hir head agen which thing y e aungel y e interpretor of y e vision clerely teacheth vs saing The beast whoÌ„ thou sawest was is not shal ascende out of the depe derke pitte and shall go in to his own destruccion that is into euerlasting dampnacion whose cause we shall hear afterward and the inhabitors of the erth shall meruell therat whose names be not writen in the boke of life from the creation of the world seing the beast that was and is not that is when she did put vp hir head ayen For as the gentyles some tym merueled at the monarchie of the Cesars so now meruell the supersticiouse and y e vngodly at this last dominacioÌ„ of Rome
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
to arise and crepe vp vnder the cloke and name of the christen religyon in supersti cion chosen holynes and false miracles and falser doctryne In whiche false pretext to be descrybed y â— autor of the Apoc. xvi most ernest and diligent setting before vs thys one thynge euen as it were the open marke to beholde that the domi nicacion of Rome after it was once falseÌ„ and vtterlye extinct she shuld crepe vp out of her graue and put forth her heade agayne after a newe facyon in another vâ—sare But Ioan wolde in no place open lye name her the citie of Rome in playne wordes lâ—st she made more cruell angry for her open name for the wicked the more she is monyshed by name vtte red the worse is she shuld haue persecuted the churche the greuousâ—yer and the sharplyer whiche persecucyon was yet euen then most bitter and tyrannouse He therfore here treateth .ij. necessary thynges Fyrst he diligently describeth what maner one was this later beast before y â— former fall of the dominacion of Rome whome he will not openly name which also after that fall and vtter destruction so swyftely wexed so stronge agayn as though she had ben rysen from death to lyfe so that all the circumstances diligeÌ„t ly expressed only her name suppressed he most certainly assewerth is that he speketh of the citie of Rome Secondly he paynteth before vs most artificiously all the conditions of the later dominacioÌ„ in what thing she agreeth with the former and in what she agreeth not so that she once diligently knowne we might auoyd and abhorre her as hell gates and the pitte of euerlasting dâ—mpnacyon Nether was he content with that so diligent picture which he dyd sette before our eyes in his xiij Cha. but also did adioyne in his xvij Ca. the interpretacioÌ„ which he receyued of the Aungell lyke Daniels which we for the more briefnes shall as it were weaue it into our narra cion Thus sayth Ioan. I sawe the beast arisyng out of the sea Osi. This beaste in the xvij Cha. He sawe agayn the aungell interpretyng hyr sayng The beaste whom I sawe was and is not that is she was euen suche one as Daniell deseri bed her but she is not for the imperye was then but anon after taken away of God as we haue heard it to fore But because that heauenly decre of God the Fa ther concernynge Christe was not yet put in execucyon therfore the Aungell a litle after speketh it clerelyer sayng She was and is not For albeit she then beynge in her flowers yet was she then cer taynly appoynted and destined to her destruccyon thoughe not yet vtterly extirped Ioan. Hauing vij heades x. hor nes Osi. This the Aungell also interpreted thus saiyng And here it behoueth a mynde that hath wisdome The .vij. heades are the vij hilles vpon which the wo man sitteth and they be vij Kinges And a litle after in the ende of the xvij Ca. he sayth The woman whome thou sawest is the great citie which hath the kyngdoÌ„ and dominion ouer the Kynges of the earth Wherfore the vij heades haue a double interpretacyon First they signify the .vij. hylles or y â— vij hill toppes which Rome coÌ„teyneth within her walles buyl ded vpon the same as Virgel descrybeth her situacyon Rome to compasse aboute within her walles seuen litle hilles lyke seuen Towres which is one of the notable tokens and shâ—wes of the Citie of Rome that she is builded vpon these vij hilles which thyng was neuer herd said of any citie els in all the worlde SecoÌ„dly the vij heades signify vij Kinges But be cause the x. hornes also signifye x. Kynges which thynge semeth to make confu sioÌ„ therfor y e apt differeÌ„ce is to be sought consentyng with the veritie which verelye is sone espyed in the interpretation of the aungell which sayth of the. vij Kynges v. to haue had ben fallen and one is and the last not yet to haue had ben comen Wherof it is playn these vij Kynges to haue had reygned one after another But of the x. Kynges thus he sayth These shall receyue power in one hower that is they all shall reygne at one tyme together one in hys place as dyd the. x. proconsuls in the former dominacion of Rome But here must ye knowe and diligently note it that in suche maner misteries A Kynge signifyeth not one singular persone but all the Kynges one succe dynge another in a continual lyue so loÌ„g as that maner of raigne be not changed as it is in Daniell xi Where the Kynge of the southe signifye all the Kynges of Egypte frâ— Ptolomeo Lagâ— vnto Cleopotram And the Kynge of the Northe signifyeth all the Kynges of Syrie fro Seleuco Nicanore vnto Antiochum Epiphanem Wherfor euen her also muste they be so taken Manifest it is the citie of Rome in her former dominacyon to haue had vij heades that is vn kyndes of kynges or rulers of the most hyghe impery successiuely For first of all kyn ges dyd constitute hir first gouernance and dominacion Then the counsellers the seconde After that the tenmen wyth the most highe autorite were created to write and make hir lawes which constituted the thirde regiment Then the Dic tatores the fourth The Thremen after the death of Iuly did constitute the fift And the Cesares the monarkes made the sixt And at last the externe or straÌ„ge emperours which were not of the house of the Cesars constituted the seuenth head Wherfore the angell speketh right ly and clerely when he sayeth Fyue are fallen that is to weit The Kinges the counsulers the Tenmen the Dictatores and y e Thremen were past gone The sixt was the monarchie of the Cesars which then stode wheÌ„ Iohn wrote these wordes for he wrote them vnder Cesar Domiciane But the seuenth was not then comen For then as yet was there no straÌ„ge or externe Emperour created â–ª And the x. hornes which be the x. kinges then yet for to reigne al at once in diuerse places and not one aftir an other in any one place were in the former domina cion the proconsulers But in this later dominacion they be the. x. Kingdoms whiche reuerently yet confesse or haue confessed Rome to be the head â–ª of all the churches as Spaine Portugale France Englond Scotlond Denmark Poole Boheme Hungarye and euen he that yet huldeth now the Kingdom in name only or empir of Rome is not that is to weit Charlis v. Let him hold fast the title How be it there were other in other places as when one fyll ther stert vp another albeit they were euer about x. in nowmber Ioan. And vpoÌ„ his hornes he had x. diademes Osi. For they were deckt garnesshed with y â— most highe imperie in their popish prela tes as cardinals Bisshops exalted aboue their Kinges Ioan. And vpon his owne head
that there is no perell in callyng the Emperour or the Pone of Rome Antichrist as theyr confederation and coniuracyon thys day ayâ—â—st the Lorde and hys worde declare them But let vs at last returne to our coniectu re Syth it is geuen to the beast nowe agayn puttynge vp her heade to exercyse and execute her tyrannye xlij Romane moneths which staÌ„d vpon xxx dayes y t is to weit dayes m. cc. lx and the thynge compelleth vs to take them for Aungels dayes that is for m. cc. lx of oure comon yeares it can not be doubted but that these yeares once fulfylled the ende of the worlde is anone at hande But the doubt is where we shall begynne these yeares Some there be that thynke them to begynne anone from the tyme of the Emperoure Constantyne the great because of the gyfte that is fayned to haue had ben geuen to Pope Syluester and because of the translation of the seat Emperyall to Constantinople for that Paul saith He that holdeth must be takeÌ„ away and then that man of sinne shalbe reueled truely fro that tyme wherin they fayne themselues to haue had that ryche gift of Constantyne and they endoted enryched w t the best part of the Empyre euen with hole Rome Italy and halfe y e Empyre as they saye there was a voice herde in the ayer That now is the moste pestilent poysone entred into the churche of Rhome From that day I say yf the noumber be tolde which I wold gladly it shulde there beginne then is the Popedom at an ende within these xxxin yea res or after Daniel within lxiij yeres For then shuld the ende of the world fall about y e year of our Lord. m. ccccc lxxvij or after Daniel m. cccccc vij as it apeared to me by turnynge y e dayes into weâ—is wheÌ„ I gathered my exposicion vpon Daniel as ye may there read my coÌ„iectu re But by what fraud els soeuer y e beast then gote her emperyal possessions priÌ„ cely riches it semeth not true to me saith Osiander y t Constantyne gaue it them for eueÌ„ y e style only of y e instrumeÌ„t made of the same deuocyon gift or legacie proueth it playnlye to be a stark lye of all lyes y t euer were made vnder heuen the most shameles as the moost well lerned man Laurence Valla and Nicholaus de Cusa also Ierome Gatlatanus and other most graue writers now sence haue mooste clerely shewed proued it Wherfor albeit Constantine made a beginnyng to take awaye the former domi nacyon whiche letted y e mouing of y e ryches to y e popedom yet because the beast had not then as yet ben vtterly destroid she myght not be sayd properly to putte forth hir hornes or to lyfte vp her heade ayen except she had first haue ben vtter ly subuerted ouerwhelmed as it were w t waters And therfor we shal iustly begiÌ„ne to reken fro y e yere in y â— which after the translatioÌ„ of the empire Rome was takeÌ„ spoyled breÌ„t of y e Gothes brought thyther of theyr Capitain Alaricho For this is y e very iust end of y e former dominacion after Daniel And this was done in the yeare of the citie about m. c. lxiiij in y t yere of Christ about CCCC xij put nowe together the yeares of Christ. cccc xij and the yeres of the Pope M. cc. lx and thou hast the iuste noumber of M. CCCCCC lxxij And wheÌ„ we shal write and tell so many yeres from Christe then is the fatale ende of the Pope of the citye of Rome present at hande yf it rather be not so as I haue coniectured it aboute xxx yeares to come And thys coÌ„iecture maketh me that I thynke the yea res fro the celestiall Adam vnto the fyerve floude in the seconde coniecture and the iubile yeares of the churche in the thirde coniecture must not be rekened fro the byrthe of our Lorde but from hys re surreccyon For before that tyme he bore the forme of a seruaunte as hymself said to not haue ben comen to be serued but to serue From hys resurrection therfore he beganne iustely to possede hys kyngdom when he sayd All power is geuen me in heauen and earthe For so shall it come to passe that the ende of bothe the Pope and of Rome and of the worlde shall fall into the yeare of our Lorde aboute m. cccccc lxxxviij Whiles the fall of the Pope is lyke to come in the yeare of Christ about m. cccccc lxxij So that y e Popedom slayn extinct yet shal there remaine as it were â–ª xvi yeris in whiche men the aduersary of Christe and antichrist taken away and the gospell frely preched they shal begin ayen to lyue in a wealy securytye and in almaner voluptuose lustis as they wer wont to do And when they shall say peace and secu ritie then shal the soden destructioÌ„ come ouer them as the panges of a woman trauelling of childe and they shall not auoid it Wherfore let vs awake watch and be sober lest this daye take vs as a thefe in the night These things haue I setforth of the coniectures of the laste tymes and ende of the worlde For ther be yet many other things which I will not open nor communicate to the multitude But as for these things what credit there ought to be geuen to them I leaue it to be estemed of the spirituall church of Christe which can iudge all thinges them selues iudged of noman Couiecturs ar they I knowleg and confeâ—â—e it and no oracles Not withstandinge yet vnlesse I be begyled they shal not litely begile ne deceiue any Christen reader Come down Lord Iesu vnto iugement and deliuer they persecuted lytell sely flocke So be it Another coÌ„iectur added of y e translater When the citie of Rome was olde M xxxvij abouth y e yere of Christ. cclxxxvij when Dioclesane themprour begane to raigne there were suche dissencious sectis heresies false doctrine in the church of Rome as of the Manicheis PelagiaÌ„s Arrius c. as had not ben herd of before the popis then being Felix or rather In felix Euticianus an heretique Caius not good By whose contencious scismes and sectis and their so gredy ambicion for euen then begane they to begge and steall from the emprours parte of theyr most pleasant cities and richest possessions and londes and to set themprours and Kings togither by the earis Dioclesiane was so greuosly offended that he abhorred them and their false religioÌ„ and persecuted it whiche they called the christen religion as they do now the popis faith when it was nothing lyke Christe and his gospell but rather Sathans Kingdom and worse then the haithen Here begane the popis of Rome todeclare them selues very antichristis the beast was reueled eueÌ„ vnto the very haithen emprours For
here begane the Romane empire by the wikednes and fraudelent studie of the popis to be diuided as the Frenche men from the Alemans There was then suche tumult inquietnes bataill stered vp by the spiritualtie that Dioclesiane was compelled to geue ouer the empyre and liued sole a priuate persone many yeris and at last for sorowe slewe him self such good gostely fathers had themprours of the popis in those dayes Here I saye was the reuelacion of that beast begune wherof Paul ij Thessa. ij speketh And the emprowrs that then helde the empire bysuc cession had waruing long before to hold fast the empire For euen then was the first dominacion in falling and in translating to Constantinople Fro this tyme therfore I coniecture If ye reken Danielis dayes whiche be Mccxc. yeris and the aungels dayes so cometh the ende in y â— Mcccccxcvij yere of Christ But and if ye rekeÌ„ Ioans xlij monethes from thence in the aungels dais we shal come but to the yere of our Lorde aftir IoaÌ„s rekening Mccccclxxvij or Mccccclxvij euen xxx yeres lesse For Daniel appereth to haue xxx yeres mo theÌ„ Ioh. which may chaunce for that we reken in Daniell from Christes birthe in Ioan from his resurreccion Wherfor me thinketh it shuld be at an ende within these xxxvij yeres or w t in lxxvij if we rekeÌ„ fro the resurreccion of Christ to whom be glory honor praise and thankes for euer So be it Mcccccxlv. Translated by George Ioye whereine many things be added out of the said George his coniectures and now at laste printed in the yere M. D. XCviij ¶ Math. xxv A wake and watche for ye know not the daye nor yet the hower when the sone of man shall come ☞ The fautes escaped in the printing In B. y â— leâ—f iiij second side Read vi hondred in the margen And in the twenty li ne in clowtes In the aight leif of B. i xiiij lyne rede breif In C. the second lef and fyrst line of y â— second side read beast for least In the same and third line read beheld for lehold In the. xv line rede ouercame read in y e vij lef of C. in y e mar gen in the first side ccc xij or ccc xix yeres â–ª and in the aight lef and first line of y e first side read is obtained and in the same side and last line saue one read of the se iiij bestis In D. the third left in the xi lyne rede M. lxxxiij in the. xiiij line M. ccccccc lxxij and in the first lef y â— last line saue v. rede M. lxx In y e fift lef in y t margen rede iij. Aungels yers an half In the. vij lef and last line saue iiij rede assureth vs. In the aight lef second side eleuen lyne read euery one in his place In the third lef first side and xix line tead the dragon is satan â–ª and in the aight line of the second side rede as say y â— ItaliaÌ„s These shal ye find in the ap ayenst the great Cundit at the signe of the foxe vubownde Ro viij â–ª Apo. vi Dan. xâ—â— The. i. Chap. i. Coniecture An oracle is a sure saiynge as it were answered of God Symon iustus made their thalmude 210. before Christe The. ij Chapt. and theâ— haue we cxli so shal it en de in the Mccccccc yere froÌ„ christ Cap â—ij â–ª The day begineth at v. aclo ke in the eauenig â–ª Paul bisshop of SeÌ„pron two maner of gret yeres cccliiij â—aâ—es in our luna re yere Moses great year M. CC CCC C M. CC CCC â—WI The coÌ„parison betwixt his bode ly birth spiritual birth af â—ir his re surreccioÌ„ The. ii coÌ„parisoÌ„ iij. Egipt blind per sewers iiij h. M LL LLL vi vij Rom. x. viij ix x. xi Esay xxviij The con iectur of the trans latour Cap. iiij Two do minacions of Rome y â— first was the ij is The during of the fyrst dominacion Daniel â–ª cap. xvij â–ª The litle horne The fyr ste and se cond destruccioÌ„s of Rome Constan tim was in y e year of Christ ccc or xii cccxix regned xxx Apo. v. Luc. xix Of the former domina cyon of Rome D. a tyme M. are tymes cc. l. half a tyme. In the nouÌ„ber there be xxij yeares more for y t Ro me had not her dominioÌ„ so sone after her bylding That is by ccccc xxxij yeares CCC liiij day es in the lunar yeare An Aungels day is one of our yeares an aungels yere is ccc lij of oure yeares The AuÌ„gels yere is cal led the yere of yeres coÌ„ teynyng ccc liiij of our yeres iij. Aungels yea res and dyd m. cc. xl The fall of y e former dominacioÌ„ of Rome â—aryon fo c. xlvi sayth in aâ— chri ccccc li. was Ro me vtter ly destroyed in the citye yere m. ccc iij M. CC. The wy lines of Satan Apo. xiij apo xvij That he uenly de cree was of Christ esenne myes euen the Emperours Popis not yet to be fully ma de hys fete stole Apo. xiij and xvij apo xvij in y â— end Ap. xvij Ap. xvij in y â— yâ—aâ— of Christ lxxxvi The x. Kings in y â— former dominacioÌ„ the x. Kings in the later â—po xiij Apocal xiii Nowe â—â— hir later dominacion â—po xvij The beast her is taken for the empires of Rom. Apoca. xiij Psalm â— xij xlij moneths cclx yeris Apoc. xij Mcclx. The Ro mane mo neth is xxx daies The very mo neth hath but xxix dayes almost aÌ„ halfday apoc xiij apo xvij Apo. xiij Apo. xiij Ap. xviij Apo. iij. Apo. xix â–ª The sata mke swarme of the false pre achers Apo. xiij Luke i. Apo. xiij Apo. xiij The hea lyng of his dead ly wouÌ„d Thynges com mon to both the beastes in theyr domina â—yuns M. D. xlvi Character is the Popis bronde vnable tobeskra ped of but by disgreasyng we now muste fyght w t the weapen of Gods worde Apo xvij apo xvij But yet did goddestroye y e â–ª wiked iewes w t other wi ked kiÌ„gs and emprours Apo. xix Cap. ij Which was about the year of rom M. ccvij in the year of Christ cccclvi Math. xxiiij xxx year agoo apo xvij Ca â–ª xviij In Daniel M. cc. xâ— Constan tines gift was Rome half the empire The wor ds of the translator his coniecture dani xij When we shall write m. cccccc lxxij then loke for an ende of all Mcccccs lxxxviij Mccccc. xlviij C. xl Mcccccc lxxij M. ccccâ— xliij C. xxvn xvi C. xi Dan. xij