lyke warnings these 20. yeres Here also maye ye see the figurall temple and cyte corresponding the verite for as that materiall temple and cyte were buylded in those first lxx yeres next aftir y e captiuite with so grete difficulty anxt euen so in this last hebd conteyning also lxx yeares was the very cytie and temple of Crystis bodye the chirche with as grete perell and difficulty buylded and finished by his death in the middis of this hebd as himself in y e middis of this heb declared it saying destroye ye this temple in 3. dayes shall I reare it vp agene And I say 53. confirmeth y e same saying With the perell of his owne lyfe shall he fynde ryches Cryst begane to confirme stablisshe his couenāt when he begane to preche his gospell adding the testimonies of the lawe and prophetis to confirme his doctrine And when he was rysen he begane his eternall kingdō declaring himself to be the geuer of rightwysnes lyfe eternall he sent his Apostles to gather his chirche out of the gentyles and endewed them with his spirit whom he sanctifieth gouernthe and endeweth daily with eternall lyfe sight knowlege and withe his rightwisnes These the very proper workis and benefits of cryste the aungel calleth the confirmacion of his couenant euen the fre forthgeuing of his so plentuouse promises which were made to the fathers and prophetis as saith Ieremie 31. Beholde y e dais shall come I shal smyte vp a new couenant w t the house of Israel I shall geue my lawe into their hertes and be their god c. Here let euery godly reader remember by faith set holde vpon this swete couenant and promise of god in cryste aknowleging w t thankis these so ryche and confortable benefits euen the delyuerance from sin death and hell and the remission of sinnis in crystis blode with lyfe eternall geuen vs in cryste for his deathes sake In the middis of this laste hebdom I shall cease hoste oblacions sacrifices and all rytis and cere of the iewes Oh heuye prophecye Oh moste sorowful and lamētable voice to the iewes and to vs yet ignorant of this one alone for all sufficient sacrifice of crystis bodye once for all and euer offred vp for our sinnes and yet standing gazing vpon our decent cere laudable rites yea we had leifer our throtis torne oute then to lese any one the leste of these begerly cerem wold rather set all the worlde togither by the eares and shed innumerable innocentis blode then one lowsye tradicion◠or a romissh ryte shuldbe taken from vs. The iews receiued their cere and rites of god approued of the prophetis fathers a longe tyme. And yet here be thei constantly decreed of his aungel cryste and writen of daniel to ceasse and to be abolisshed for euer If these rites and cere of god is owne making be prophecied by the mouthe of God to cesse where shall our papistis apere with what face dare thei come before criste which dare institute and make vs the se newe ritis articles cere and dirty tradicions out of theirown idle brains stablissh them with kings actis and princes policies defende them with fyer swerde and maintain them with mischeif and murther garnishing them withe idle significations titles of laudable and decent names What shall ye then saye oh wret ched arrogant Anticristis what shall ye say to god telling you playnly by Gabriel that he wolde haue his owne then abolished for euer Dare you set them vp and god almighty saith I wil pluk thē down Dare you meintain your own sinful ceremonies supersticious ritis with swerde fyer he saith I wil put down my nown For this arrogant exalting of your selues ayenst the most highe god lo the breathe of his mouth now slaythe you The heuey heapis of his hotte indignacion is powerd forth vpon you and vpon all emprowrs and princes ruled by your wiked counsels one to destroye another by cruel batail Oh wretched vepers whelpis sinful sead serpentyn who may shew you to auoid the heuey wrathe of god now comen ouer you If you beleued that cryste were come and had suffred dethe so wold ye beleue that in that oblacion of his blessed bodye on the crosse he had ceassed abrogated all ritis cere c. were thei neuer so decent and laudable But as the iews beleue it not therfore hold thei thē still euen so beleue you it not and therfor set you vp s◠boldly and cruelly your Romissh dampnable ritis c and ye defende them withe the seculare policies perse cutinge the contempners ye slaye thē which is the most dampnable drift of al. well It foloweth in the text And the destroyer or waster shal be set vpon the wing or pinacle of abominacions And the wrath of god shal drope downe vpon them destruccion tyll all be destroid and vtterly consumed Here is lo your miserable end for your abominable idolatrye sinnes and supersticion was this onely writen for the iewes No no it was and is yet writen for owr Anticristen pestelent papistis ouer whō this heuye ende of the world is now comen Conster it therfore my lordis ye bishops and vnderstāde it if ye can Cryste alleging this verse added who so read it se whether he can vnderstād it And if ye can vnderstand it then you that bost yourselues to be the chirche and be not flye vnto the hellis flye to the highe and mighty seculare emperowrs kingis yea and to the turk to rune vnder their wynges for refuge Geue vp your spirituall powr possessions titles dignities and autorites benefices and bisshopriks to that thei with swerde might defende you And you that be now aloft in your pontificalibus in your palacies towers house toppis descende not to carye awaye your euil goten goodis for there be gredy way ters enowe to take themvp ▪ Belyke this is a sorowful signe of a miserable swyft soden flyght Beware my lordis for y e baner is sprede the signe setvp in all your dioces and chirches flye now if ye lyft The iewes aftir cryste had thōdred thi◠threatening at thē had but 40 yeris warning to flye and to auoid the thonder bolt by repentance But I cannot promise you so longe a daye no not 14 yeres to auoid this imminent plage But geue me leaue to conster you this laste verse Et super alampinnam vel portam obominationum vastator erit vel stabit That is to saye And vpon the winged cherubims pinacles gatis of the abominacions shal be setvp abominable destruccions Why Dare the aungell call the holy wingis of the cherubims and pinacles phanes and dores of the holy temple abominacions yea trwly for aftir he had abolisshed his ritis sacrifices ther in by crystis dethe and yet wold the iews contrary to his will vse them there still
togither his astronimers encha unters â–ª and the sothe sayers in all caldye to tell him and interprete his dreame c. Nowe God reueleth in an ordir the. 4 Monarchis witnessing that in the ende of the worlde the euerlasting kingdom of the faithful which trwly haue worshiped and feared God shal come vnto them In this reuelacion is there first of all consolacion and a doctrine set before the peple for they dyd now se themselues not forsaken of God in that they had soche Prophets as was Daniel one They lerned also when that perpetuall glorye promised to theyr fathers shuld be loked fore Bâ—sydis this the kynge and many other gentyles by this doctryne were monisshed to know the very God and to enbrace the trwe religion and worde of God Secondarily this chap. containeth an example That God heareth the godly geuing to the askers in fayth wysdom and other gyftis It conteineth a testimony That empyres aÌ„d kingdoms be constituted of God It monisshe vs that the empyres and kingdoms by lytle and lytle shall fall into worse and worse states and the later and last shal be one aftir a nother more troublouse full of synne and mischeif and least iust As was the Romane empire crueller and harder then the Persyk and Greke empires It is testifyed that it is lawfull and necessary for faythfull men to bere rule For Daniel obtained the rule of certayne prouinces for his felowes In these firste fowr places are contained thre examples that is to wete two of the mercy of God declared vpon the kynge and on Daniel and one example of the wrath of God shewed vpon the wyse men of the worlde The kynge Nebucadnezar studyed mused what shuld come of his realme and of the hole worlde wherfore God created him a dreame wherby he shuld be certifyed what and how many kyngdoms shuld before come euen vnto the euerlastynge kyngdome of Christ for God wolde in this dreame shewe Christ to the kyng and to his haithen realme because he had before sworne it by a sacred othe vnto the sead of Abraham now captiued in the same realme of Babylon saying By my nownself swere I that in thy sead shall I blesse all nacions Vvherfore that this kynge and nowrce of Christ might knowe the Babyloni religion to be deuillisshe and the Iewes religion to be Goddis trewe religion he maketh the kynge to forgete his dreame smytyng yet into his mynd so depe a dreadfull desyer to know it that not onely all the wyse sothe sayers and dreame tellers of Babylon but also euen Daniel with his felows he wolde coÌ„mande to be slayne onelesse they could declare and shewe him his dreame For as it behoued the Philisteins to haue had experience what a geste thei had of the arke of God euen so it behoued the victore king to knowe what maner men he had in captiuite but yet w t more mercy then pharo felt what gestis he had of the same sead The wyse enchaunters preistis and sothe sayers of Babilon ar the example of the wrathe of God For thei bosted and craked religiously dreames to be shewed and declared of God themselues to haue the coning to declare them If ye haue this craft to interprete my dreame as ye professe it saithe the kinge so may ye as well haue the coÌ„ning of your goddis to tell me what I dreamed But seing that ye cannot tell me my dreame ye declare yourselues worthei to be conuicted as very lyers and foles according as saith I saye God coÌ„foundeth the wyse in their owne craftye subtylite the lorde knowth how vayne ar the studies and thoughtes of the worldly wyse meÌ„ for in that thei denyed any man to may shewe that dreame thei toke away the prouidence of god and denied the religioÌ„ of the iewes that is to saye the lawe and the gospell by the whiche meanes God is cenuersant withe men and reueleth his misteries Wherfore the king iustely threateneth them death according to that saying I will destroy the wysedom of the wyse For this is of a trwthe God will firste shame destroy and confounde the false religion and the wyse politike prudent mayntayners therof before he reuelethe and bringeth in his gospell aÌ„d trwe doctryne And as the polityk prudeÌ„t sent their spyes before to vewe the loÌ„de of canaan concey â–ª a feare and a despaier neuer entredin them selues but rather despaiered of Gods promise euen so shall these politik wyse in so great laysour taking casting so many perels of sedicions tumulte if the gospell offred shuld be spedely receyued neuer haue it nor neuer entre into the kingdom therof For whoso obserueth the clowdes and wether shall neuer sowe nor reape Eccle. 11. Daniel and his felows ar the example of the mercy of God For therfore wolde God that the king and victore shuld threaten deth to Daniel captiued that he shuld be constrayned to call vpon god and so thorowe his inuocacion the dreame shuld be known openly into the coÌ„solacion of the chirche captiued and into the conuersion of the gentiles vnto cryst for whom and by whom onely all thinges be done When Daniel knewe the decree of the kyng and that sentence was geuen the wyse dreame tellers to be slayne and that Daniel his felowes were sought of Arioch the shryue to be slayne Then Daniel toke y e mater in hande and sayed to the shryue c. This is an example of fayth in God almyghtye as hath the fyrste article of oure Credo For as Abraham aboue all hope agaynst hope beleued and crept vp by hope vnder the wynges of the almyghty so doth Daniel here by fayth pro myse himselfe to fynde oute the dreame which was impossible to all y e wyse men of the worlde For as no promise of God is impossible to be fulfilled so ar all his promises possible to him that beleue theÌ„ Because therfore he knewe God to calforth that â–ª is not to make it in dede whatsoeuer god saith it is done w t great confidence Daniel in the perel of death condemneth the kynges crye and promiseth the interpretacion of his dreame with a ioyfull Gospel or tydings to them all by which promise he so broke the kynges wrath and returned his swerde into the sheathe which shuld haue slayne them that he maye be well nowmbred amonge them of whom saith the scripture The holy faythfull thorow fayth ouer came kingdoms but how â–ª verely by faith as it folowthe Then went Daniel home and shewed his felows Hananias Misael Asaryas the mater â–ª praying them to prayefor the grace gifte of God celestial in this secrete hyde thinge leste thei w t the wyse meÌ„ of babyloÌ„ be notquartered into peces whiche done This secrete mystery was reueled to Daniel in a vision by night theÌ„ dani did laude praise y t god of heueÌ„ saying The name of god be honoured c. Here is lo
in sondre lawfully maried persons and permitting open whoredom Mahumete with violence of swerde compelleth men to his religion and the same do owr Mahumetis Now seeth euery man this mighty horned beast to be the triple anticristen kingdome standinge vpon the popis and their â—â— ergy vpon the seculare hornes dronken with his cuppe and vpon the Turkish Mahumet But this lytle horne differeth from the ten hornes in that it hath eyes lyke a man pretendinge all religionse deuocion and holynes in his doinges wrytings and sayings for vnder the pretence of a reformacion defence and restoring of the crysten religion he wold destroye it and settle Anticryst the faster which property Ioan expresseth sayinge his hornes to be lyke 〈◊〉 hornes for that vnder shepis and lambes skynnes he shall hyde himself lurking a blody â—yoÌ„ a fyerce bere The vtwarde behauiors of the Turkis in their temples lyuinge semeth godly Thei praye fyne tymes a daye thei vse diuerse sprinklings wasshings as we do with holy water thei enclyne moste deuoutly when they praye thei lye prostrat thei abstayne from wyne thei eat their meat vpon the grounde thei will haue no curiose nor costly howses thei viset the temples oft thei abhorre vnclennes thei lothe and detest images wherin thei be miche beter then the called crystians Who seinge this their deâ—oute religion in sight wolde not take them for godly men without gall and arrogancye Lykewyse in the papisti chirche what a multitude variete is there of laudable in syghte ceremonis decent rytes what continuall praying singing playing of swete instruments dayly 〈◊〉 sing How outragiously are their preistes and chirches orned and gorgiously garnisshed in their popetry passe tymes and apes playe â–ª what is there in gold syluer and in costly aparell as apes in purpure how iette thei How many festiuall hygh dayes to worship saints haue thei made themselues to call poore men from their dayly labours and lucre to serue their idle belys to stand and wonder vpon Ioans camell cote and to gaze stare vpon these apes in golde veluets and preciouse stones and vpon their vayne pictures and idle images Beholde their habits vestures shauinges hypocrisye chosen holynes fayned facioned demure countenances holy â—okes and humane eyes and thou woldst swere them to be rather aungels I say not of sathan then men But the prophet addeth that as in y e horne there apereth to be an honest eye and a lambish loke so hath he a blasphemouse mouth speking great arrogant things which Ioan expowning saith He shall speke as did the dragon and deuyll himselfe to obscure Gods glory and his holy name tyll with the brethe of his mouth he be slayne Wherfore to counforte vs here yet molested persecuted with these cruell hornes Daniel sayth ☞ But yet I behelde vntyll the cheyers and stoles were sett and the man of many yeares was setdowne whose vesture was as whight as snowe and the heare of his head as fyne and pure as woll whose seat royall was all on a fyerie flamme and the whelis thereof burned lyke fyer and there went longe fyery beames lyke a floude offyer flouwing out of him thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stode before him And anon as he was set downe to iugement the bokis were layd open Hytherto ye see all daniels vision verefyed concerninge these 4. beastis and monarchies and this lytle horne so that we nede not to seke any other exposicion of daniels and Ioans visions then the dayly experiences in beholding the face of the worlde which is a playn commentary vpon them both And of the present verefying hytherto and fulfilling of these visions we maye be certain and sewer that the rest of their prophecies shall verely come to passe shortly ere these seatis be sett downe and these forked horned kings trones be taken awaye For verely cryst is euen now preparinge these iugement seatis to destroye these wyked Anticrysten hornes to cast them into perpetuall fyery tormeÌ„ts and to enbrace his chosen thus cruelly of these beastis oppressed receiuing vs vnto perpetuall ioye For this is lo the ende of this tragedye thus gothe out their playe euen then wheÌ„ thei thinke to be but in y e middis of their mater For daniel and Ioan both knyt vp Anticrystis raigne in half a tyme or in half an hebdomade conforting vs in that they shal be shortly taken awaye shall not vexe vs so long as they thinke to do wytnes the psal But thou oh lorde shalt pluk them downe into the pitte of death euen these blody men crafty deceiuers which shall not come to half the dayes wherein they thinke to lyue to execute their mischeif And agene When thou seest these synfull blody men florishe lyke flouers then be thou sewer themal to florisshe for no nother ende then for euer to be smyten downe And therfore sayth daniel aftir some textis He shall take his plesure for a tyme for tymes and but for half a tyme. And Ioan windeth vp the halfe tyme in half an hebdomade which be iii. ycares and an half for God is not angrywith vs always but in the middis of their wyked course his aduersaries shall fall downe into their owne perpetuall destruccion and payns For daniel sawe the dayes of oure tribulacion shortened for our counforte and for their confusion that trouble vs. There shal be no full ende of oure persecucions and tribulacions nor of the Turkis crueltye vntyll cryste sett downe his seatis to iugement wherin we shal be blessed and the vngodly persewers of crystis chirche dampned for euer as Paul conforteth the martyres of Thessalonie And therfore y e prophets vse but fewe wordis for ther is no worde of god so lytle but it is mightiet then all the worlde nether any so lytle a letter in the prophetis which sauoreth not ether of the lawe or of the gospel Wherfore because it is certayn that of daniel the descripcion of the iugemeÌ„t is here setforth into the consolacion of the crystians and into the feare of the Anticrysten we will that the troubled chirche might see hyr confort saye our mynde breifly according to the scriptures of the iugement of cryst â–ª These seatis are sayd to be sette for y e confort of them which yet suffer for the gospels sake vnder these horned kingdoÌ„s as cryst tolde his apostles sayng ye shall sitte vpon the twelue seatis to iuge the twelf trybis of Israel And yf we suffer with cryst we shall raigne with cryst Cryst is called here the great aged God and man for he is an eternall sauior promised in paradise before he was borne To sitte perteineth to cryste the iuge as in Matth. 25. Be shall sitt in the trone of his glorye before him shall all nacions be brought Forthermore a iuge hath a double office as saith Peter to punisshe the euyll
a long or any shorte tyme. Then aftir shal be the iugement and his powr thus taken from him he shal be vtterly slayne and destroid But the kingdom powr and ample maiesty vnder the hole heuen shal be geuen to the holy faithfull peple of the most higheste whose raigne is eternall and all the highe powrs shall serue and obey him And here he ended his wordis But I daniel had many a grete and troublous thought so vehemently was I troubled that my chere my fauour was clene changed But yet reserued I this thing in my herte Now haue ye the exposicion of all this vision as it is afore expowned and nowe declared by the aungel which was cryste himself wherfore it nedeth not to tarye miche vpon this place saue onely to declare the confession of our faith therin to confirme the aungels exposicion by y e other places of the scripture For in that daniel at this vision was so troubled asked one of the by standers and so fast reserued the aungels wordes we ought to lerne this doctryne of the vision of these 6. kingdoms that is to say of the 4 Monarchies of the anticristen kingdom and of the kingdom of cryste to be reuerenced receyued as the worde of god the trwe vnderstaÌ„ding therof to be asked of cryst y e messager of god and not for the crueltye of these beastes and hornes yet persecuting the chirche to fall or once swarue froÌ„ the kingdom of cryst which is the gospell but to contempne all the miseries iniuries and troubles of this lyfe yea and euen death it self for crystis kingdoÌ„s sake Of crystis iugement to come Ioan also saith he sawe a seat sette and 24 cheyers for the 24 eldres c. For albeit cryst be the only iuge w c of his father hath receyued all iugement yet shall the apostles asiste him hauing their trones And therfore saith he here And the iugement was geuen to the highe holy faithfull Cryste is called the olde aged for a iuge ought to be a graue sage man of long experience Whom Ioan called the lambe slayne froÌ„ the begining of the worlde and the worde which in the begining was with god so that we may see that the prophetis aknowleged cryst euer bothe god and man his whight vesture sheweth him to be y e most iuste and incorrupt iuge without spotte and himself in a gloriouse victory ouer syne death deuel and hell to be sene ioyouse and counfortable to his faithfull To coÌ„firme his old aunciet sage grauite he sawe his heares pure as fyne whight woll hore headed pretende grauite and wysdome His flammey seat casting forth long strykes of fyer signifye that god is a terrible consuminge fyer to the vngodly For Ioan sawe him w t a two edged swerde procedinge out of his mouthe for that his senteÌ„ce which he shall there pronouÌ„ce shall be sharper and depelyer persinge thorow then any two edged swerde in separating the stinking gotis from the pure innocent lambes Here Daniel seeth the same swerde lyke a fyery floude flowinge oute of Crysâ—is mouthe whose vehement myghty heuey sentence ouer the vngodly no horne may resiste Then cometh he forth in his hyghe maiesty accompanied with his infinite noumber of aungels so that non of these hornes be able to resist him but the wyked shall tremble and quake desyeringe the mountans to fall ouer them to hyde them from his fyght for hereof is he called the God zabaoth that is the god of hooâ—tes The bokis to be layd open are the conscieÌ„ces of euery man accusing or excusinge them For they shall haue their factis in mynde freshly openly sene wherfore they be worthely condempned For that greate daye shall make opene the secretis of euery herte For when it shal be sene who be set on y e right hande and who on the fyfte then shall all fraudes hypocrâ—cye tyrannye which yet be taken for rightwysnes godlynes and zele be layd open then shall Anticrystes blasphemyes and persecucions be iuged and punisshed as ye see in the text when cryst stode before Caiphas to be condempned he tolde them the same that the aungel here testifyeth That aftir this youre false iugemeÌ„t ye shall see the sone of man sittinge on the mighty right hand of god coming vpon the cloudis of heauen c. in which wordis he did put y e scribes bisshops in mynde of this scripture of daniel but he tolde his tale to deffe men for it was as miche to saye to them as this Now I stand before you as a man mortall to be iuged but here aftir ye shall not so see me standing but coming vpon y e cloudis of heauen so that ye be now warned before of my iugement to come ouer you trâ—wer and iuster thâ—n yours And where he sayth That the iugemeÌ„t shal be geuen to the holy hyghe saintis and y e tyme â—refiyed that they shulde receyue the kingdom and aftirward this kingdom powr and ample maiesty to be vnder the wholl heauen it is the same that the Apocalyp and I saye speke of the newe heuens elements and earth euen the same paradise vnder y e skye vndefyled wher vpon rightwysnes as Peter sayth shall euermore dwell vpon that earth of the lyuinge we shall triumphe ouer death hell and Anticryst singinge Death where is nowe thy sâ—yngel Hell where is thy victory oh thou forlorne beast where be thy x. hornes where is thy seculare swerde and arme where be both thy horned seculare spirituall powrs are they not now broken into dust and thyself with thy hole bodye of bisshops and cardinals and seclare hornes cast into the lake or pitt of fyer now then shall Cryst nomore be persecuted in his members wherfore he shall then be full glorifyed And we shall haue oure bodyes in ioye which once were partakers of oure persecucions wherfore we shall then haue oure perfyt and full felicite which yet in the mean tyme we haue onely in oure sowlis But what meaneth the aungell to saye He shall sâ—arle or destroye y e hyghe sayntis verely els but that with his false doctryne capciouse othes articles interrogacions he shall fraudelently deceyue and trappe the simple innocents and shed their blode tyrannously Also he shall arrogantly take vpon him thinke to change the state of tymes and lawes He weneth to change y e tyme which with swerde and fyer thinketh to shorten the lyfe of man and to preuent and disapoint gods infallible eternall and immutable prouideÌ„ce wherby he hath prefiyed euery manis tyme houre of deth which as noman can differre or prolong it so caÌ„ne noman shorten nor preuent it except men will make God an ignorant persone and so consequently no god at all He chaÌ„geth the tymes and lawes that any of the sixe worke dayes commanded of god will make them vnholy and idle dayes when he lyste or of their owne holy dayes abolisshed make
euerlasting rightwysnes brought forthe visions and prophecies shal be then sealed vp and the moste holy one shal be anoynted Wherfore knowe thou and vnderstande it that from the tyme wherin it is proclamed that Hierusalem be buylded agene vnto the prince Messias the◠be vii hebdomads 62. hebdomads For the streatis and wallis shal be reedifyed but a long and hard tyme ere they be seteled in quiet Or as hathe some textis albeit in an hard tyme with difficulte Where and when we shuld begyne the rekening of these 70. hebdo which make 490. yeres ther hath bene myche variāce amōge y t wryters but now is y e prophecye of daniel 12. chap. fulfylled sayng Many shall turne ouer this boke there by shall their knowledge be encreaced The text sayth From the proclamacion of y e buyldinge ayen of Ierusalem but it sheweth not of whose proclamacion Ther were 2 proclamaciōs as ye reade in 1. of Esdras The first was geuen forth by Lyrus immediatly aftir the ende of the. lxx yeres in the first yere of Lyrus And the seconde by Darius in his seconde yere aftir daniel had made his prayer Betwixt the first proclamacion and the seconde there were xlii yeares in all the which tyme y e buylding ceassed and was letted nothing in a maner done tyll the. 2. yeare of this Darius and then begane they a fresshe at his cōmandement and licence to buylde so that in the. 6. yere of Darius y e temple was finisshed And aftir y t finisshinge of the temple ther were xii yeres ere y e cyte and wallis were full made And ther fore the text saith That the streatis and wallis shal be reedifyed but in so harde and troublose a tyme that long shall it be ere they be seteled therein as before For there were lxx yeres from y e first lycence ere all was finisshed and the Iewes all returned and setled in Ierusalem For assone as the. lxx yeres of their captiuite were expyred the Iewes by the fauour of Lyrus some repared into Iudea with gold and gyftis of the king Lyrus where with he bode them buylde their temple Then as sone as they came there they buylded an altare prepared themselues spedely to buylde their temple laying the foundacions therof but they were letted of their purpose more then xlii yeares Nethelesse at last vnder Darius Longimane the temple was buylded vp in 4. yeares and dedicated Aftir this returneth Esdras from Babylon which restored their lawes and iugements and corrected certeyn greate vices of the peple and of the bisshops and preistis of the cōgregacion which they had souktoute of y e gentyles and heythen in those 140. yeres brought vp amonge them Aftir Esdras there came Nehemias from the captiuite into the holy lande which restored and with wallis defended the cyte This story conteyneth lxx yeares For from the first yere of Lyrus vnto y e. xx yere of Darius Longimani there be gathered lviii yeres from thence forth to his 32. yere he raigned 37. yere are gathered 12. yeres wherin the wallis and cyte were restored which all make lxx troublose yeres Here maye we se the wrath of god ayenst synners punisshed and plaged aboue 100 yeres albeit they were his derely peculiare peple But yet be we counforted ayen seinge at last how happely God stered vp Darius Longima to accomplesshe their desyers This miche be said for the storye and tyme of the buylding ayen of the temple and cyte Nowe let vs ere we reken these lxx hebdomads treate the benefits promised to be receyued and brought vs with Cryste First he sayth The synnes shal be cōfumed transgressions kouered and iniquite purged c. Oh good god whatsoeuer goodnes in all the scriptures god by and for crysts sake hath promised himself to geue to mankynde that same doth daniel prophecye here to be geuen vs aftir and in the ende of these lxx hebdomads that is in the ende of 490. yeres Transgressions to be consumed is God neuer more to impute nor reken nor remember the synnes of the repentante beleuers in cryst as himself sayth Thy synnes shall I neuer remember Synnes to be couered is the vnperfit obediēce of the lawe and the not fulfylling of the same to not be imputed to the beleuers for crystis sake the fulfyllinge of the lawe for vs. His rightwysenes and fulfylling of the lawe kouereth oure vnrightwysnes and oure brekinge of the lawe for he is the perfit fulnes of the lawe to iustifye euery beleuer For whoso is borne of God synneth not Vnto them that loue god all thinges tende vnto their saluacion Rom. 8. Iniquite to be pourged is the beleuers thorow only fayth in the death and resurreccion of cryst from the malediccion of the lawe or perpetuall dampnacion to be delyuered and to obtayne the benediccion promised to Abraham which is eternall saluacion As Moses exalted the serpent so it behoued the sone of man to be lyfted vp on the crosse that the beleuers perish not but haue lyfe euerlastinge Of the expiacion of synnes read the epistle to the Hebrewes euen the very maistres techinge to discerne cryste from Moses The euerlastinge rightwysnes or the rightwysnes of worldis aftir the Hebrewe phrase is cryste so made of the father vnto all that by fayth and confidence reche the mercy of god promised them in for crystis passion and therby onely to be saued and rekened rightwyse Thorow out all y e age◠of the worlde vnto the ende haue shal be all faythfull iustifyed for beleuing cryste to be their rightwysnes holynes redempcion and reconciliacion vnto oure father celestiall Abraham so beleued it was rekened him for rightwysnes My iu ste seruant in the knowlege of him shall iustifye many for he bereth awaye y e synnes of them The iust lyueth of his fayth Hytherto perteyneth whatsoeuer is in y e gospell of Ioan in the epistles of Paul to the Rom. and Galathēs spoken of the article of iustificacion with this perpetuall rightwysnes God hath sealled vp ratifyed and sayd Amen to all the visions promises and prophecies seene and spoken by the mouthes of all the prophetes So that whatsoeuer benefit helthe or saluacion God hath promised the same the beleuers do aske in crystis name and obteyne it for crystis sake For cryst was made the minister of circumcision for the verite of god vnto the promises made to oure fathers to be confirmed This most holy one to be anoynted is cryste which did no synne to be made of god for vs the expiacion and clensinge offrance vpon y e altare of the crosse for oure synnes that we so beleuing might be made the rightwysnes of god thorow him of whose fulnes we all receyue grace and forgeuenes for that loue and fauour which god the father bereth vnto cryste To be anoynted is to be sent to preche the lawe and gospell
by the holy goost signifyed by oyle The anoyntinge of preistis and kinges them to preche and these to se their doctryne obserued the transgressours punisshed prefigured the anoynting of cryst with the spirit and him to be bothe kinge and preiste We maye here tremble quake to see the horrible wrath of god ayenst synne for by no maner wyse might death the rewarde of synne be taken awaye but onely by the death of y e sone of man Iesu cryst nor lyfe be repared but by the resurreccion of the sone of God Iesu Cryste But this holy anoynted hath god the father signed and sealled as Ioan sayth euen onely cryst hath he sent that all that beleue thorow him shulde lyue euerlasting Wherfore as the chirche before crystis incarnacion counforted herself with this promise of god that aftir 490. yeres the sauiour of the worlde shuld come and reigne whyles yet the comon weall of Ierusalem shuld endure euen so we which abyde and loke for his second coming coÌ„firme oure fayth meruellously by the same testimonye and receyue therby greate consolacion These infinite ryche benefits receyued by cryst thus breifly declared let vs haast to the rekeninge of the hebdomadis First in generall Daniel propowneth lxx hebdo yet to come forthe restauring of the temple and cyte and for the Iewes vnto crystis coming into flesshe and so forth to the vtter destruccion of the cyte of the Iewes of their comon weall rytes sacrifices cere c. before y e which miserable destruccion all these thinges prophecied of Cryst shulde be fulfylled Then he diuideth this hole nowmber into 3. speciall partes that is into 7. hebd and into lxii hebdo and at last into one hebdo It is iuged of some that he begane with 7. hebdom multiplyed by x. tymes 7. so to make 70. yeres hauing a respect to these 70. troublose yeres wherin the cyte and temple were so long letted and hindred of their buyldinge ere they cold be setled which was thought a very long tyme to men in trouble holden so longe from their desyered natiue lande thirsting so feruently their cytie and temple to be restored that they might the frelyer exercyse their religion And therfore Some wryters begine the acompte at the first yere of Cyrus for it was an harde heuye ceason to them all these first 7 hebdomads which make xlix yeares in which last hebdom that is in the. 46. yere the temple was finisshed as the Iewes tolde Cryste sayinge 46. yeare hath this temple bene in buyldinge and wilt thou breke it downe and redifie it in 3. dayes They that begine y e rekeninge of these 7. and. 62. hebdom which make 483. yeres at king Cyrus first yere do ende it at crystis birthe The aungell calleth the space of these first 7. hebdom â–ª a straight or harde tyme for because that whylis they were buyldinge their cyte and temple they were so molested assawted of their enimyes lettinge and resistinge their buylding that they wrought with one hande holding their swerdis in the tother hande nether made they their morter nor did other labours aboute it but were gyrte with swerdis hauinge weapens redy by them which difficultye techeth vs that the chirche of cryst with the gospell cannot be edifyed withoute lyke difficultye and perell to the buylders and prechers the aduersaries euer resistinge with contrary coÌ„mandements inhibicions prohibicions of emprour kingis greuou â–ª se persecucioÌ„s by their inquisitors as we see it this daye so strongly letted by the emprour and popish kingis blaspheming the gospell with names of heresye the trewe prechers they call heretiques Some begine to reken from the. 2. yere of Darius Longimane ending the. lxix hebdom which contayn 4â—3 yeres at y e baptisme of cryst being then xxx yere of age And these men take the last hebdom for the. 7. yeres folowing that is sor the. 3 yeres an half wherein he preched was crucifyed for the. 3. yeres and half aftir his resurreccion â—other greate lerned and men of sharpe and syncer iugement begine at the. 32. yeare of Darius Longimane and ende these lxix hebdomads iust at Crystis birthe diligently proued first by the wordis of the aungell saying Ab exitu verbi vt restituatur Hierusalem that is from the full accomplishmeÌ„t of the thinge proclamed concerninge the reedifying of Hierusalem which accomplishment and full finishment of the worke was done in the. 32. of Darius Longi Now from the. 32. yere of Darius Longimane vnto the birthe of cryst be 7. hebd and. 62. hebdo yeres 483. which accompt because y e storyes of the Byble here cessed by y e reason of so troublouse a captiuite and tyme is certeynly gathered of these lerned men by the Grekis Olympiadâ— the most sewerst accompt and rekeninge Now aftir these men remayneth the last hebdomade in which cryst was borne and slayne and Ierusalem destroyd For this last hebdomade must nedis be of a nother rekeninge saye they multiplyed by 10. to make lxx yeres which space runeth betwixt the birth of cryst and the vtter destruccion of the comon weall of the Iewes by Titus themprour of Rome For the prophecie by these lxx hebd recheth from the buyldinge of the cytie to the fynall destruccion of the same as ye shall se it here playne in the text wherfore it cannot ende in any one hebdo of 7. yeres but in y e hebd of 70. yeres as did the space from the first proclamacion by Cyrus to the finishment in the. 32. of Darius coÌ„tayne lykewyse lxx yeares Also it is to be noted that as y e aungell begineth his accompt at the Iewes full lybertie full finishment of their temple and cyte euen so endeth he his rekening in their full lybertie and perfite saluacion offred them by cryste and at their vtter destruccion for slayinge him so iently offred them But me thinketh that this nowmber of these lxx hebd begun at Cyrus shuld not be so contynued that the one and last hebdom shulde immediately folowe the lxii hebd because the aungell hauinge rather a respect to the storyes and gestis done in ether of them distributeth them into 3. partes firste geuing to the. 7. heb the buylding of the cytie and temple with siche difficultie and in the seconde nouÌ„ber of 62. hebd he geueth the persecucion to the Iewes vnder the seconde and thirde monar vnto Antiochum and so forth to the takinge awaye of the scepter from Iuda aftir the which shame and obprobry to the Iewes he telleth them what shall come to them in the last hebd for y e death and kylling of Messias ☞ And therfore he sayth And aftir the. 62. heb Messias shal be sleyne the Iewes vtterly vndone and destroyd That is aftir the. 62. hebdo be ended and the scepter taken awaye cryst shal be slayne but not immediately for ther were â–ª 81 â–ª
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
fome out fyer and water fagets swerde vntyll not onely fearfuller rumors but also the turke himself be in their neckis But yet in the mean tyme it is possible ere these warres now begune 1544. in Iuly be ended that euery sowth west kin ge maye heare ferefull tydinges from the north east eche one of other And all they togyther at last shall heare ferefull tydin ges from the Turke euer redy to inuade crystendom The turke in the middis of his prosperite glory shall heare the last ferefull tydings of all euen when Cryste oriens ex alto as did zacharie saye shall come downe springinge oute of heuen to iugement But in the meane ceason see what prouisions and shiftis these anticrystis shall make mistrustinge these tydinges sayth the aungel ☞ And he shall setfast his strong castels palaces and bulworkes betwixte two seas vpon the noble holy hyll vntyll he shall come to his ende when noman shall helpe him The serpentyne sead the pope of all beastes the subtylest and fardest forecasting dreading these tydings long ago buylded him many strong castels in Rome Italy betwixt y e two seas one called mare adria ticum and the tother called TyrrhenuÌ„ Rome his cheif seat of his reste and pleasure being situated vpon the noble seuen topped holy fathers hyll But his sewerest tower of all was as he thought that by his counsels curses lawes decrees he had made his holynes and power so hygh and fast that he was exalted aboue god emprours kinges vsurping a worship aboue god there bostinge himself for gods vicare on erthe head of the vniuersall chirche hauing power both in heauen hell erth and in purgatorye that this securite and power might sitte the sewerer he made fast and ferme decrees noman so hardy payn of cursinge and burninge once to doute or dispute of his power dignite autorite or holynes He sitteth betwixt two troubles seas For noman maye come nyghe nor touche this hy dra his hygh holynes I shuld saye with gods word on any syde but he shall go tho row a troublouse sea be breÌ„t or drowned But the lorde with the brethe of his mou the shall sleye him Haue not some secula re anticrystis at these ferefull tydinges from y e northeast made themselues strong holdes and castels betwixt seas vpon some hyghe holy hyll But it is God that woundeth the head of his enimies smyteth of the hearie head toppe of them that walke in synnes God shall alto crusshe the head of the dragon in the waters The Frenche kinge lyeth betwixt the mediterrany sea and the sowthe oceane yea now he hath the Popes two hornes and the emprours swerde to defende him His hyghe hyll wherevpon he resteth is to be called the most crysten kinge Besydes these holy helpes and defences the Pope hath Gods power almighty vpon erth he hath Peter Paul in their moste hyghe indignacion and curses to thonder and lyghten vpon whom he lysteth France hath S. Dionyse with his long moris pyke The emprour hath the winges of the flying egle that flieth so hygh ouer all hercules two pilles The other popisshe princes be beres winged swift sprâ—kled panthers and be called the most mighty noblest redouted most victoriouse the Popis firste begoten sonnes c. The emprours maiestye is called of the clergy the most inuicte sacred cesar consecrated to iustice c. and puysant prince of Almayn as long as he defendeth their papisâ—rye These all haue their most stroÌ„g and mighty god Mayzim with infinite dayly misses and the perpetuall prayers of the papistis with Sancta Maria and all sayntis to praye for them Shall there any ferefull tydinges from the north east fray any of these cruell beastes yea verely if thei repent not in tyme in sak and asshes for sheding of so miche innoceÌ„t blode for the gospell and will not in tyme câ—asse persecuting and receyue the worde humbly enbracing it with thankis beleue it and defende it But how long els shall thei sitte in feare in these their own holy hylles The text sayth Not longe But they shall come to their ende And to what ende I pray you The text sayth Et non erit eis adiutor That is to saye Not withstandinge all these great seas defences towers palaces hygh holy tytles tyches men money greate gunnes yea for all their policies and studye yet in their most nede shall there not be one to helpe them No not their owne greate god Mayzim nor Marye nor not one of all the sayntis in their chirches nor in heauen maye helpe any one of these anticrystes The Iewes once at siche lyke terrible tydinges from the north east pretended and trusted to lyke defences for thei had their situacion betwixt y e west sea the floude Euphrates Their temple and cite Ierusalem were buylded pleasantly vpon that holy hyghe mount of Sion wel fortreced and turretted And when the prophete Ieremie tolde them these terrible rumors from the north east that the kinge of Babylon shulde come to destroye all Thei answerde that it was impossible for that they were the peple of God thei had his lawes decent rytes and laudable cerem and miracles for them they were circumcised and had the sealls and sacraments of his couenant the Babylonits were infidelis not y e peple of god but haithen folke and therfore presoned they the prophete Ierem. and conspired his death and diuerse other thei slewe for telling them siche tydings But yet came thei to that same ende noman helpinge them And albeit now oure false cristians and trewe anticrystis pretende the same britle buklers sayinge â—e be crystened we be gods peple redemed by cryste we serue god trewly daye nyght no where is he so richely and so prowdly serued as emonge vs we haue his sacraments and daily infinite misses wherfore if any maÌ„ tell vs of the turks incursion to destroy al cristendom we ought to kyll him as a false precher and falser prophete For God shal neuer suffer his crystened peple to be destroid of an heithen turke well The turke therfore when he shall haue this conqueste ouer all cristendom he shall also hear lyke ferefull tydings from the northe east And he shall flye to siche shiftis as now do our crysten turkes and anticristes For his great mighty palace of ByzaÌ„cie is sewerly builded alredye be twixt the aeuge seas Euxin sea And he shall thinke himself the moste mighty emprowr of Rome and conquierer of the hole worlde But yet shall he come to his ende noman helping him For aftir this fowerth Romane Monarchie there shall be no moo For here shall comeforthe the watchinge and awaitlaying roring lyoâ— out of the northe eaâ—te wode shall chalenge conuince this mighty last enimie the turke persuinge his chirche and presuming to geue the egle and to holde the Romane empire here shal this highe fleinge egle be slayâ—â—e vpon the