finissheth our day iÌ„ xxiiij howers But with the Angels wich dwel aboue the circles orbes of the Planets their daye finissheth hyr course whyles the sone moueth in hir zodiak from the southe to the northe and agen from the north to the southe which is fynisshed in one of our yeres so that their day is one of our yearis and econtra Soche days Christ vnderstandeth Luke xiij when he bode them tell Herode that foxe That I cast oute deuyls this day and to morowe and the third daye I am at an ende For I must to day and to morewe tÌ„he next day walke For the prophete may nowhe re els be put to death but in Ierusalem which wordes can not be vnderstanden of our comon dayes but of the. iij. hole yeres wherin he preached and miracled before his death For .iij. of our yeres ar but .iij. Angels dayes and euery Angels year is .cccliiij. of our lunare yeris which Angels year is called of the Angels oft in Daniel both in hebrewe and caldey speche a tyme. But Moses great yere is the space of .l. of our yeres that runneth from one Iubeley to another For as in our year the labor of the hole tilthe retur neth in a perpetual circle to where as it begone that is from seadis tyme to the same agaeine euen so in the iubeley year all the Israelites returne in their owne former possessions agene of their fathers and the hole forme of their comon lyfe state liuing was newly restored and as it were borne ayen But the Angels yere may not serue vs in this our third coniecture For if the churche shuld in this worlde dure xxx Angels yeares and a lytle more the space shuld excede twelue thousand of oure yeares when Elias ge ueth it not to staÌ„de seueÌ„ thousand Wherfor Moses great yere which is y t Iubelei yere dothe iustely agre to our purpose For xxxiij Iubeley yeres make 1650. of our yeres vnto the which adde those few yeres that be vi yeris for the porcion of y â— dayes in which Christe beyend xxxiij yeres lyued and so ar we comen to the dayes of Nohe euen 1656. yeris But let vs see howe those great yeris layd to the yearis of Christis lyfe the tymes compa red to gither shall agree whylis we try it out and examin it by apt similytudes and comparysons of euery thinge done of Christ and of the course and state of the world folowing his death vnto this daye fyrst As our Lord Iesus being bor ne of Mary the virgin the gloriouse clere nes of Godillumined the herdmeÌ„ taught from heuen Christ their sauior to be borne Luce. ij whom they shuld fynde wrap ped in clutes in the kribbe eueÌ„ lo Christ being borne spiritually after his resurrec cion thorrowe the preaching of y e gospell euen of the incorrupt virgin the churche of the Apostles the glory of the Lord did shyne roundabout and illumined the very hardemen and true flokfeders y e Apostles the holy ghost powredforth vpon them in fyery clouen tongues which testifyed of Christ and gloryfyed him teaching them althings that they might vnderstande the scriptures behold Christ in them as it were wrapped and inuolued in his cloutes Also as christ ones bor ne Herode slewe the children hoping to haue so sâ—ain Christe emonge them euen so Christ ones preched after his resurrec cion y e prince of this world slewe the sele yonge ChristiaÌ„s eueÌ„ y â— newly regenered by faith into christ trusting therby as he doth nowe so to haue roted out and destroyd Christes gospell w t their destruccion and burning But as then Herode fayled of his purpose euen so are nowe owre Herodes cruell enforcementes frustrated Also as Christ borne he dwelt vn der the Egipcions vntil the death of Herode raigne of Archelay that is vnto the syxt yeare of his age almost complet euen so Christ preached lurked and was hyd vnder the spyrituall Egypt that is vnder the tweyfold double persecucyon both of the temperall tyrants and spyrytuall her etiques vntill the sixt Iubiley of the churche that is to the ende of Dioclesian the hebrwe worde which signifyeth egypt is by interpretacion asmuch to say as blind persewers or double persecucions in the dual nowmbyr Also as Ma ry the vyrgen had almost lost Chryste being xij yeres olde in Ierusalem and sought hym in vain among his kinsfolk and acoyntance but at last fownde him in the temple amonge y t doctores asking and answering them euen so the virgen the church in the twelf Iubiley that was about the yere of our Lorde cccccc being sore layd ayenst troubled and wexed w t dyuerse and many heresies cheifly of the Arrians Eunomians and Sabellians out of whom anon aftyr Mahumete aud the pope be sprong vp had almost lost Christ yea she had lost him in dede as now haue the Mahumetis and Papists had she not at last theÌ„ found him in y â— teÌ„ple of God that is in the holy scripture among the doctors and teachers euen the Prophets Euangclistes and Apostles where the papistis neuer yet sought Christ askinge and answerynge dysputyng of our faith and religion she asking the Prophetes For he nether did suffer ne taught any thing which was not of y t Prophetes to fore sayd and testyfyed he answered to the same in that he accomplesshed althynges in dede that they prophecyed of hym Also as Christe borne many of the Israelites beleued the herdemen Simeon and other testifying of Christe and with no small desier longed to see hym openly present teachyng them whyles all the other Israelytes albeyt they onely then semed to be the peple of God yet infect and seduete wyth the sectes of the pharisays zaduces knew not Christ nothing regarding him vntyll Ioan bapt begane to preache and testyfye of him now xxx yeares olde euen so Christe preached many verely beleued the Apostles and Martyrs and souked out the pure knowleg of Chryst drawne forth into theyr posteryte whilis other in name only Chrystians although for an vtward shynyng she we of gliteryng ceremonies and wyll workes of theyr owne choyce wold be sene only to be the church of God ether for theyr zaduceicall eppâ—urisme voluptuose liuing for their pharisaical hipocrisy infect and seduct ha ue not knowne Christ ne any thing at all regarded him vntill the xxx Iubyley of the church was comen that is to say vntyll about the 1500. year of the Lorde which popish Iubeley yet dureth in many churches albe it in some where the gospel taketh place it is extinct Furthermore as aftir the. xij yeares of Christ vntyl his xxx year we read nothing of him but that he was vnder his parents subiect as a layman and carpentor conuersant wyth the laye sorte euen so aftyr the twelf Iubiley of the churche vnto the thirtey Iubeley that is frome Phocas
pene fyer and swerd conteÌ„d and enforce to heale theyr beastes deadly wounde geuen hym with Gods worde the more vncurably do hys wounde feister the deper it rotteth the wyder it wexeth into hys present destruction and deathe as ye see thys daye the almighty mercyfull power of God resisting theyr cursed cure fyghtyng agaynst the enuyouse enforcemeÌ„tes of the Emperour Po pe and all Kynges contendynge to heal the Popis wounde with theyr fryerlye Pharisaicall Phisicions But who wold haue beleued this dominacyon fyrste of Christ and then of the councell so openly and iustly condempned and so wounded to haue had any more lyued And yet after these deadly woundes she lyued and yet lyued to thys daye but neuer so syke as now And therfor hys false doctors fo lysh sourgens falser Prophetes then fayned hym to haue holden hys domina cyon and primacie by the lawe and word of God And perswaded men as they yet with Wynchester labour the countrye that the ymage of thys beaste be made and set vp For as the ymage of God is the worde of God so is the ymage of the popedom the worde doctrine and tradicions of the Pope For he is set vp in the temple of God boastyng ostentyng hym self for God And in this he countre fayteth God that he be getteth his worde doctryne rytes cere and tradicioÌ„s out of hys owne brayne lyke vnto hys awne Antichristen ymage Syth theÌ„ the doctryne of the Popedom whiche these false defenders defende these false teachers do teache be double that is to saye of faythe and maners necessarelye are theyr two bokes coÌ„pyled that is the boke of theyr sentences and theyr boke of decrees and decretals which be euen the very selfe ymage of the popedom lyuely expressyng al theyr facyon forme theyr faythe theyr lyfe religyon merciles maners And thus it clerely apereth thys later beast to be blowen together of the lyinge doctors of the scolasticall diuinitie turning and studiyng the master of theyr sentences the holy Byble so neglected that many of them neuer redde it ne haue had it in their scoles and of the doctors of theyr common lawe treatynge y â— filthy deuely she decrees of Popes amoÌ„g the which doctors the inquirers of their hereticall prauitie as they cal them wor thely obteyne the hyghest place beynge in the stede of the heade to execute hys mercyles and tyrannouse offyce in burnynge All these men enstructe armed with hys demlly she double doctryne of the popedom as it were with theyr two mighty hornes fyght for and defende y â— Popis kyngdom Ioan. And it was geuen to hym that he shulde geue spirite breath to the ymage of the beast that the beastes ymage might speake Osi. That is thys latter beaste blown together of these falfeteachers hath in effect brought it to passe that the ymage or doctryne of the Pope shuld take breathe boldenes spyrite to lyue and speke For by theyr counsels conspirisons conuocacions and perswasyons haue they esâ—ectuonsly ma de it that the popysh doctryne muste be taught in all scoles and vniuersities and raygne and rule in all preachynges and pulpyts sitte in all spirituall courtes sessyons yea and euen in the consciences of men For in very dede this is it for hym to lyue and to speake when with publike autoritie not onlye is he thus preached taught but also accordynge to thesame hys lyfe must be estemed he iudged in iâ— gementes and stand in his kyngdoÌ„ And here it apereth wherfore he calleth thys beaste the doughâ—ll of false teachers that is to saye to be a certayn filthye viciouse kyngdom For it is playnly no little king dom that they obteyne in the church eueÌ„ so ferme faste and terryble that eueÌ„ that same former Emperyall beaste Emperoure as he was and is must be compelled to feare them and to fall downe and kysse the clouen stinkyng fete of theyr heade the Pope And therfor no man is created Doctor of diuinitie or of the canoÌ„ lawe in the Popedom excepte before amonge all other thinges he be also swor ne plainly into these wordes I shalbe an helper to defeude to maintaine to retey ne the Popedom of Rome agaynste all men Whiche thynge whyles they do it they verelye stablysh and confirme all thys latter beastes power before hir at her beâ— and pleasure as is tofore sayd Ioan. And he shall brynge it diligentlye into effecte that whosoeuer wyl not wor â—hyppe and fall downe before the image of this beast he shalbe slayne Osi. Who so beleue not this popysh doctryne to be egall yea and aboue GODS worde and so worshyppe hym and it he is iudged and condempned for an hereiyque of the inquisitors and yf he recant not he is burned For the Pope dare saye all hys constitucyons so hyghly to be taken as thoughe they shulde procede by the voyce of God out of S. Peters mouthe Distin. xix Cha. Sic. Ioan. And he maketh all bothe small and greate rych and poore free and bonde to take hys charactere in theyr ryght haudes or in theyr foreheadis and no man to may bye or sell except he hathe his character or the name of the beaste or the noumber of his name And here is wysedom He that hathe vnderstandynge let hym reken and accompte the noumber of thys beast For it is the tale and noumber of a man and hys noumber is CCCCCC lxvi Osiander To receyne the Character or marke of the beast is a metaphoryk and translated speche as much to saye as a man outwardly in al facions factis so to be haue and conforme and fashion hiÌ„ selfe that all may see and vnderstande hym to perteyne to the beastes familie or churche and to be subiecte and sworne to the beaste as haue all these seruing men in courtes theyr Lordes or masters badge or coginzane in or vpon their cotes The character or marke of the beast and her noumber and her name be taken all for one thynge And he commaundeth them that vnderstand the wordes hither to spoken to reken accompt the nouÌ„ber of the name of the beaste so that yf they can fynd iustly in her name the noumber of CCCCCC lxvi then be they sewer to haue the very knowledge of this beast and to see her in her own colours sitting lyke the whore of Babylon euen in her seat at Rome Ioan. Sheweth hymselfe to haue respecte to the Hebrewe and greke tongue as in other places in the name of the aungell called Abaddon and in y â— name of the place called Haâ—ageddon For Sepher in Hebrew signifieth a boke or scripture or a nowmber wherfore he alludeth so diuersly in the worde now calling it the name of the beast now the nowmber of the beast now the marke of the beast and character of the beast that is the scripture of y e beast I admonished the o Reader before in Daniel to consider diligently the nowmber of the Hebrew name of the fourth
to ma ke them sure They be iiij coÌ„iectures for wherfor shuld I not tell them forthe by tale as treasure which nowe orderlye I will reherse THe first coniecture is taken out of Elie the Prophete which the Iewes recite as out of the mouth of God spoken in diuerse places of theyr bokes called Thalmude For they be writen in theyr boke called Abodazara in the i. Cha. in theyr boke called â—aichedrim in y â— laste Cha. and also in other places on thys maner The house or scole of Elie hath affirmed and left it thus writen Elye hath sayd that sixe thousande yeares shal the world stand â—r endure Two thousande voyde of anye lawe written two thousande vnder the lawe writen two thousande vnder the dayes of Messias Hytherto Elias afterward the rabbins added these wordes But for our sin nes which be great and many the fyfte thousande and an halfe be thus past and yet is not Messias comen But yet is this doutles an oracle worthy to be beleued for many causes although it be not expressed in the scriptures For fyrst to begyn therewith this oracle is susteyned with the wordes of Moyses in the Psal. after the Hebrewe rekenynge xc to which Saynt Peter cleaueth in hys ij Epistle iij Cap. saying That a thousand yeares with the Lord be but as one day Also hereof it foloweth That as god cre ated all thynges in vi dayes rested in the. vij Euen so shal he sixe thousand yeares gouerne the world subiect to generacyon and corruptyon and in the seueÌ„th thousand bryng in that euerlasting rest of which Thapostle so plainely speketh Hebre. iiij that he semeth to shewe the selfe same misterye as it were with hys fynger ☞ Besides this it consenteth ryght well with all the other coniectures folowyng and it is constantly celebrated and hyghly estemed of the Iewes as the assewered oracle of the Prophete and yet it fighteth plainly agaynst them selues theyr infidelitie whiche may not be beter confounded then in y t they be coÌ„pelled by theyrowne sainges of Elias to graunt y â— Messias shuld raygne the hole laste two thousande yeares yet contrary to their sayng they still loke for him as thoughe he were not comeÌ„ For by this clause added That for theyr synnes God differreth Messias birthe theyr selues confesse frely and plainly the time of christes birthe not to hauehad beÌ„ yet past in this last age of late but rather then whaÌ„ theyr bo ke of thalmude was publyshed euen about y e yeare of our Lord. CCCC xxxvi Wherof it is manifelt that thei haue wai ted more then these eleuen hondred yeres for a nother messias then our Lord Christ and al in vayne The cause whereof they falsely impute it to their own sinnes For Christ was in so certain a prediffined tyme promised to vs theÌ„ that neyther for theyr sinnes must he haue had ben borne y e later nor yet for theyr good liuig haue comen the soner of y â— which thing more peradueÌ„ture shalbe spokeÌ„ in another pla ce Although some of our religyon wold contend to drawe this litle clause of Chri stes birthe now paste vnto thend of the worlde as thoughe for our synnes there shuld waÌ„te muche of these sixe thousande yeares so that they be not fulfylled But thys sence although it maketh well for our purpose yet the Hebrew wordes receyue it not Wherfor this is the meanig of the oracle That the world froÌ„ the time wherof Moses said The earth was emp tye grosse and void dured two thousand before the lawe of circumcision with her adpertinences was geuen to AbrahaÌ„ of which it is writteÌ„ Gen. 26 27. That al nacyons shalbe blessed in thy sead And from the time of delyueraunce of circum cision to Abraham vnto Christes birthe there dured also other two thousand yea res which thyng syth it is proued manyfestly so to haue come to passe for Christ was born suffred about the four thousand yeares froÌ„ y e creacion nedes muste the rest of y e oracle also be true y â— froÌ„christ to the ende of the worlde there shalbe no more peraduenture much lesse then two thousande eueÌ„ as Elias sayd But in that as certain yeres of the laste two myllenaryes be paste and yet Christ be not come as y e Iewes dreame because of their sinnes as they wold seme to excuse theyr vnbeleue with another synne of vnbelief they be vtterly deceiued For after this oracle Christ is verely comen so y t about fower thousand yeares from the creacyoÌ„ he was crucifyed rose agayn froÌ„ death ascended to heauen and in the ende of the world thence to come to iudge the quicke and deade And where the Iewes fro the creacyon hither to reken CC. yeres lesse then we the cause is that emong manye of theyr errours this is one great ouer-fight For they reken dariuÌ„ Hystaspis or Longimane vnder whom the teÌ„ple was redifyed and Darium that was ouer comen of greate Alexander bothe for one Kynge of the Medys and Persyans to haue reigned but vi yeares wheÌ„ there canne betwixt them after Ptoleme Cxcij yeares which thyng we shal discusse diligently in our cronicle This coniecture is also holpen by Henoch and Elie hymselfe which bothe were translated quick out of thys miserable lyfe to that blessed immortalitie death neuer tasted For as the sixe fyrst generacyons that is to say AdaÌ„ Seth Enos Lainam Mahalaleel Iared dyed and the seuenth generacâ—on euen Henâ—ch hym selfe whom Iudas in hys Epistle meÌ„tioned not without a cau se to be the seuenth is immortal Euen so thorow these vi millenaries of the world shall death raygne and in the seuenthe shal floresh that blessed immortalite And as the fyrste vi ages of men from Adam to Elie were subiect to death and the seuenth which is Elie obieyned immortali tie For Elias was rapt vp alyâ—e in the charet of fyer euen so thorow these vimillenaryes shall the mortall lyfe dure And in the beginnyng of the seuenth shal we be taken vp to mete Christ comynge downe to iudgement AdaÌ„ lyued to Mathusalem Mathusalem to Sem Sem to Iacob Iacob to AmraÌ„ Amram to AhiaÌ„ the Silonite Ahias to Elias which was traÌ„slated These coÌ„iectures also vsed IoaÌ„ picus Meradulane in y e yere of our Lord â—â— ccc lxxxvi did put vp this one amoÌ„g hys disputable 90. conclusions sayng yf there be any humane coniecture of y â— last tyme we may serche and fynde it by the muste secrete way of Cabbalist the end of the world to come hense of 514. yeres Netheles for right gret causes as we haue sayd to fore we coniecture that the sixt millenarie shall not be fulfylled For as in the lawe the sixt daye was not hole graunted to worke therein to the full end as to the midnyght but a good part therof was anticipated and cut of added to the Sabboth daye euen so shall not the sixt
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
But the aungel proceded saing Here it behoueth vnderstanding w t wisedom The .vij heads â–ª ar the vij hillis vpoÌ„ which y e womaÌ„ sitteth and they be .vij Kings .v. be fallen one is and the tother is not yet comen But when he shall come he must tarie but a short tyme. And the beau that is the former empire that was and is not he is y â— aight that is to saye the former impery or dominacion shall come and fall to the pope to be in like powr or grater theÌ„ were the Cesars But he is the aight and of the seuenth and gothe in to his owne destruccio that is that beast which was and is not euen the former empir of the Cesars when she shall ryse vp and put vp hir head ayen in the popes dominacion and last empire she shall haue none of those .vij. head is that is to saye nother Kinges consuls Senatores ne Cesares but in name onely ce For they must all fyrst fall and the former beast that is the seculare impery be vtterly de stroyd before the later dominacion of y â— pope Satan exciting it be sprong vp For in this last dominacion of Rome shal there reigne nether kings ne counsel lers nor tenmen nor dictatores nor the thremeÌ„ nor Cesars c. as before but the aight beast euen the popes alone which netheles is said to be one of the .vij. because he is in many things as in seclare prophane buysines and batail bloudsheding like the strange former Cesars and emprours whych wer the last head among the .vij. But in this onely doth he cheifly differre that where they reigned in an open ciuilitie and impugned the worde of God onely with weapen this beast the popes vnder the cloke and colour of religion reigneth and vnder the pretext of the trwe interpretacion therof he corrupteth falsifyeth and peruerteth the doctryne of Christ the sacraments he defyleth with his owne addicions abuses and the articles of our faythe he blotteth out of the byble with his owne false added articles The doctrynes of y e deuil he stablissheth with menis auctoritie with swerde and pollicies of realmes And lyke the forlorne childe and sone of perdicion with al his followers confedered oh terrible worde he gothe on into euerlasting death dampnacioÌ„ But let vs hear Ioan ayen speking yet farther of his vision Ioan. And there was geuen him a mouth speaking great things proude blasphemies Osi. These wordis perteine no ferther to the mar kis of the former dominacion now past but they paint vs forthe what maner a beast was then to come aftir that Rome shuld yet agene put vp hir head into the popes dominacioÌ„ aryse as it were out of the waters For he saith not she hath a mouth but she hath a mouth geuen hir so speking To speake great things aftir the hebrewe phrase is to speke arrogant ly proudly bosting him self to glorie in his own mischeif which verely do the popes whilis they boste theÌ„ selues to be the vicares of Christ to occupye gods stede yea to be a God him self whiles they compare them selues to the sonne the emprours to the mone wyth sich lyke infinite arrogaÌ„t exaltacioÌ„s aboue god and man Also he speketh blasphemies whilis he daÌ„pneth christ is gospel for here sie also y e right vse of y e sacramentes settig forth his own daÌ„pnable doctrin su persticioÌ„s to be obserued beleued aboue aieÌ„â—t gods eternal word institucioÌ„s And in this behalf this beast abideth stil like hir self For euen in the former dominacion also there was a mouthe speking great and stought things Ioan. And ther was powr geueÌ„ to hir to make bataill or to do mischeif monethes xlij And here is the principall thing head of this mater for the whiche we frâ—ate all these places of Daniell and Ioan. For euen in this thinge is this later dominacion of the pope lyke the former whiche dured a tyme tymes and half a tyme. For as there it was necessarie to vnderstand aungelike tymes euen so here must we vnderstand Angels monethes of which xlij make Mcclx. Angels dayes that is somany of our yearis or that is all one iij. Angels yeris and an half euen as it is cleare out of the. xij ca. of the apoca where the same time first of Mcclx. dayes is determined and aftirward is called the tyme tymes and an half But note it well that Ioan beholdeth not ne hath respecte to the ieves yere but to the Romane monethe which containeth xxx dayes For wher as xxxi dayes be ascribed to some monethes in y t Romane Calendarie it is done for the. v dayes to serue the leape yeris Or els y t trew iust moneth hath only but xxix almost an half daye But let vs set these things a parte for a litle while I can not but meruell excedinly vehemently also howe it shuld happen that men I wyll not call them lerned but rude vnlettered which shuld haue but only a crum of humane reason and witte shuld be brought to beleue that al these things which Ioan here Paul to y e Thessa. ha ue prophecied of this beast might be fynisshed done w t in the space of iij. of our yeris and an half sithe they be siche maner things that if they were now finisshed writeÌ„ worde by worde they shuld require an vnweary and a meruellouse swifte reader whiche might fully read them with in iij. yeris For impossyble is it that sich gestes stories done shuld be deuulged spred abrode ouer the hole christendom with a liuely voice in y e space of iij. yeres so far of is it y t they shuld be done all in iij. or iiij yeres yea although antichrist shuld haue a swif winged hoste But the ingratitude of mankinde hath deserued to be smiten w t this so great blindnes because he hath not aknowledged with thankes the benefyts of Christ. But of this mater we shall spe ke more heraftir wheÌ„ we come to Paul Now to our purpose Ioan. And he opened his mouth to speke forth blasphemies ageÌ„st God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heuen Osi. There may noman blaspheme the worde but the same blasphemeth also the name of God Many maner wyse blasphemeth the pope y t word of God whilis he peruerteth y e wordis of the souper of y e Lord wrestmg theÌ„ violeÌ„t ly to his flesshly eatiÌ„g blody drinking damning as heresy the trew vse of both the breade cuppe instituted of Christe He blasphemeth Gods worde also whilis he forbiddeth priestis to marie forbiddeth certain meatis stablisshing therby the doctrine of diuilis When Paul clerely saith A Bisshop to be y e housboÌ„d of one wife and all things to be clene to the pure The pope therfor blasphemeth the name of God Also
ler ned wittye and ingeniouse but yet vngodlye Of whome at Rome and her to there is the most mighty and mischeuouse multitude Ioan. And she had two hor nes lyke a laÌ„b but sue spake as did y e dra gon Dst The lambe is Christe whiche fyghteth not with any corporal swerde but with hys spirituall hornes that is w t hys word which is diuided into two hornes that is into the word of the law which is the worde of wrathe and death and into the worde of the gospell which is the horne of helth grace and lyfe And euen so hathe thys beast or college of fal se Prophetes a double doctrine of which one they call the doctryne of faythe the tother the doctryne of good maners or morall but they bothe be contamyned corrupt with errours But yet thus reteine they the color and gliteryng shew as though they were Christen doctores teachyng Gods worde For in this pretence theyr hornes be lyke the lombes hornes But in very dede they speke as dothe the dragon The dragon or Satan Christ to witnes which stode not in the trouth but is a lyer and the father therof And wheÌ„ he speketh lyes he speketh them oute of hys owne head And euen so these false teachers stonde not in the pure doctryne of Christe but speke forth and teache vs theyr owne dreames and cogitacions out of theyr owne sence Ioan. And he dothe all the power of the former beaste in the presence of hym Osi. This beast blown together of the false teachers serueth ministreth vpholdeth and defendeth the Po pis kyngdome whyles hymself sittinge careles in all ease exempt from all charges taketh hys delicate lustes and pleasu res and as say the Italyaus triuÌ„pheth at home in all securitie Ioan. And he maketh the earth and the dwellers therin to fall downe and worshyp the fyrst chiefe or heade beast Osi. That is the beast y â— Lordely ruleth in the seat of Rome For hys Byshops Cardinals Priestes and preachers teache hym to haue that prima râ—e and to be supreme head of the church iure diuino by Godis lawe and they lye to Ioan. Whose deadly wound was healed Osi. As the heythen had once in admiracion the inuicte stabilitie of the Romane monarchye as I sayd tofore euen so had they it again wheÌ„ Rome had now fallen from Emperours and had by the popedom erected herselfe gloryouslye proudly vp agayne The supersticiouse the vngodlye whose names be not written in the boke of lyfe began to wonÌ„der and to haue in lyke admiracyon the inuicte maiestie of the Popedom and prima cie of the proude Romyshe Bishop thinkyng God therfor to haue had stablished the Romane monarchie to this ende y â— at last it shuld growe vp into the PopedoÌ„ Ioan. And he doeth great wonders and miracles so that he will make fyer fall downe from heauen into the earth in the syght of all men Osi. S. Paul in hys ij to the Thessalo Chap. ij calleth these woÌ„ ders signes miracles prodigiouse lyes for partlye be they mere mistyeing gling castis as wheÌ„ they bore thorow ymages of tree and water powrd in they can ma ke them to wepe teares falling downe with oyle make them to sweat or when they strewe kreuesses in churche pardes crepyng in the nyght with waxe candels eudes lyght and stoked vpon theyr bokes as dyd the priestes of late in dordrake to make the people beleue that the soules of the dead cruciated inpurgatory so returned to seke theyr helpe by theyr wont misses and suffragies on all soules daye And partely are they mere lyes as when they tell vs suche weping images to speake to moue themselues y â— soulis returned fro purgatory to tell vs y t they shall be delyuered by this many misses which done and the priestes paid y t kreuesses crepe there no more But those in finite mo lyinge signes wounders ste red vp so great deuocyon in the fonde ignorant people that the fyer of the holye ghooste semed by these beastes false doctryne and falser miracles written and preached with so great confidence to be slyden downe into the hertes of this maner of supersticyouse folke Ioan. And he seduceth the dwellers in the earthe wyth hys prodigyous tokens and wounders whiche were geuen hym to make in the presence of the beaste spekyng to biddynge the dwellers in the earth that thei make the image of y e beast which hath y e deadly wounde of the swerde and yet li ueth Osi. Of thys manifolde mencyon and repeticion of hys deadly wounde whiche netheles was yet healed it plainly apereth it to be also founde a lyke in bothe the dominacyons of bothe the beastes as is the mouth spekyng so stought thynges and the tenne hornes and also Gog and Magog comon to them both For they of whome Ezech. prophechied perteyn to the former dominacion but they that be mencioned of Ioan shalbe found at laste in thys later as yet many other thynges moo So that as the Monarchie of the Cesares in C. Iulio Cesar semed vtterly to be extinct by the swerd and yet was reuyued euen so the monarchye of the Pope was wounded to death by the swerde of the spiryte which is the word of God when Christe sayd to all hys Apostles and to theyr successours yea and euen to Peter that the Kynges of the heythen shal play the Lordes ouer theyr folke but so do not you And the Africane counsell decreed out of the same worde of God that no Byshop no not the Byshop of Rome ought to be called the Prince of priestes or chief head or ru ler or ouermost of the churche or the hyghest priest ouer all or the vniuersall Bishop so farre of is it that anye shulde be called Papa that is father of al fathers Pope in Englysh distin xcix Ca. prim This beast had neuer so deadly an heade wounde as the swerd of Goddes worde hath nowe geuen hym in these laste xxx yeares sence Erasmus Mar. Luth. Zwi glius DecolaÌ„padius MelanchtoÌ„ Pelli cane Bullinger Bibliander Bucer Cal uine with many gretilerned godly meÌ„ mo haue beguÌ„ to write teach preache and yet the more stroÌ„gly fiercely al his sworne sourgens and Popish Pharisees and Antichristen writers teachers as Cocleus Einser Alphons Eccius Piggiâ—s Latomus Bartholomeus Latom. Iohn fisher Bish. of Rochester Syr Tho mas More chaunceller of EnglaÌ„d StaÌ„dysh Steuen gardiner Bissop of Wynchester doctor Smith peryn with al their sworne swarme of fryers Cardinals Byshops hauyng now the Emperoure Charles v. one theyr side hyered of y e Po pe hys spiritualtie confedered with An tichrist to fyght ayenst the lorde his anointed as he haue of late beginne vnhappelye agaynst the Germanes hauynge I saye on theyr syde manye yet blynde Kynges and Prynces of the earthe the more fiercelye I saye these hys synfull supersticiouse sourgens secular and spirytual with