articles and actes they graunt to obay those blasphemous doctrines that shall both corrupte their life and fayth both theyr workes and conscience For in consentinge vnto errours in their faith they spot their forheads hauing so their cōsciences marked with an hot iron In ful granting also to do them in effect they defile their hands perfourming such workes as are vnpure before God If they were gone quite from Christ that wrapped thēselues againe in the workes of the law appointed of god before his cōming much more are they gon from him that tangle themselues with such works of bōdage as he neuer knew as are al their idle obseruations hauing no expresse commaundements of the word of God Onely looke we saith Paule in spirit to be iustified through faith which by loue is mighty in operation 6 And for them that so beleueth is this disiūctiue or put betwéen their handes and foreheades For all they that outwardly kéepe these heathenish obseruations haue not their consciences defiled with them for their inward faiths sake though thei performe their outwarde workes doubting the terrour of the lawes Yet would I counsell them not therein to trust but at the word of the lord to goe frō it For though Loth dwelt in Sodome yet at the Lordes voyce he departed from thence 7 This image made also that no man might bye or sell saue he onely that had the marke or the name of the beast or at the leaste the nūber of his name The actes of Iustinian the emperour shal make this good so shal the constitutions of Adelstane Edgare many other kings here in englād which for the order cōmodity of the clergy made many politique laws Specialy king Inas gouernour of the west Saxōs which first gaue the Peter pence vnto Rome made him selfe a monke there But in this spirituall generation among thēselues is none alowed for a marchant vnlesse he come in by simony None was made bishop pastor nor curat but payd for it their taxed sūms bishops to the pope and the priestes to the bishops besides Item in bribes None might els be alowed to vtter to aduantage the wares of the beast or distribute the rytes of that holy whorish church 8 Neyther were anye made frée of that marte vnlesse they hadde the marke of the beast which is not only the outwarde signe of their head shauing and anointing of theyr fingers but also the inwarde prynte of their consciences receyued by profession made to that wicked monster For lyke as true faith in Iesus Christ is the marke of a perfect christiā so is a false beleue in popish traditions a token of Antichrists mēber By their fruits saith christ shal ye know thē For the one foloweth the rule of gods worde the other hath counterfeit works of mens prescription 9 Els must they haue the name of the beast to be called spirituall men or the holy consecrat number as his holy fatherhod is called 10 Or at the least they must haue the number of his name which is a note of magnificence and worthines Lesse can they not be called then Lords so many as are sworn to that spiritual market The most ragged ronnagat and idle idoit among them is no lesse then a sire which is a lord in the latin as sir Iohn sir Thomas sir Williā In the Latin onely hangeth theyr great Lordships Amonge their vnknowne latin houres their masses their diriges lyeth their plentuous patrimony in their portasses masse bookes Not he that leaueth all with poore Peter may be called from fishing nor with Mathew from the custome house to do these offices But he that catcheth all with Iudas and Simon Magus must come from Symony to doe them Not he that is called of God as was Aaron shal haue cure of soule but he that offreth to Corbā with Annas and Cayphas Such a world hath it bin and is yet styll in the world abrode among them THE TEXT 1 Here is vvisdome 2. Let him that hath vvit 3. Count the number of the beast 4. For it is the number of man 5. And his number is six hundred sixty and sixe The Paraphrase 1 Here is wisdome to be had saith sainct Iohn Let him that hath wit count the number of the beast for it is the number of man And his number is six hundred sixty sixe 2 For so much as Christ hath willed vs dilligentlye to searche the scriptures the holy ghost here doth cōmit the iudgement of this secreat to the wit of man some writers haue deducted this number out of certaine gréeke words betokning this great antichrist because this presēt reuelatiō was first written in the gréeke language As out of Antemos which signifieth one contrary to Gods honor out of Arnume whiche signifieth a denier of God out of Teitā which betokneth the sunne All these 3. vocables though they séeme diuers yet containe they after the gréeke rules neyther more nor lesse than this set number And all this may stande both with Scripture and reason For he that is not with Christ is against him callyng that is good euill and that is euil good ministring darknesse for light Such lying masters as hath brought in sectes of perdition hath denyed the Lorde that bought them They are not the light as they boast them selues to bée for all they looke to bée called spirituall but they are the fallen starres and very Apostataes from God Sathans transfourmyng them selues into the Angels of light by diuers kyndes of Hipocrisie 3 Some expositors leauing the Greke hath practised the same thing by these two latine wordes Dic lux cōtaining innumerable letters the same set number Whiche signified that they call them selues the light or men of a spirituall sorte being nothing lesse For they in déede are the same self darknesse that will in no wyse receyue light but rather persecuteth it with most spight and crueltie After thys sorte might I bring in Diabolus incarnatus or filius perditionis the diuil incarnate or the sonne of perditiō for both they are the names of thys beastly Antichrist by the scriptures the one wanting in the numeral letters but .iiij. of the number the other but vj. which might be supplyed in the other letters But among all these this word Arnume most nighly toucheth the mystery which is as much to say as I deny Euidently séemeth hée to haue the marke of the beast or to bée sealed with the numbed of his name that sayth whē he heareth the manifest veritie I will neuer admit it whyle I haue a day to liue it is against good order it standeth not with laudable custome our doctours agrée not thervnto our holy canōs alloweth it not it hath not the holy fathers consente with suche lyke What are these els but the voyces of an Antichrist ful of such voices was the Popes legate Gaspar Contarene at the laste counsayle of Rainsburgh so was the frantike papist Iohn Eckius our
conclude like as in the body of Christ dwelth the whole fulnesse of the godhed corporally so dwelleth their in this body of Sathan the whole fulnesse of falshoode crafte sutiltye mallice with power to work al maner of mischife effectually really substancially and corporally THE TEXT 1 And I sawe one of his heades as it were wounded to death 2. his deadly wound was healed 3. and all the vvorld vvondered at the beast 4. And they worshipped the Dragon vvhich gaue povver vnto the beast 5. and they vvorshipped the beast 6. saying 7. Who is lyke vnto the beast 8. Who is able to vvarre vvith him The Paraphrase 1 And one of his heads saith Saint Iohn séemed vnto mée as it had béene wounded vnto death And it was not so indéed for his dedly woūd was healed againe Euident it is that in Iohns tyme Rome the mother of all whordome hadde subiecte vnto hir the .vij. clymates or vniuersall parts of the world with all their powers gouernours kinges possessiōs pōpes false worshippinges and such lyke Whom some wryters suppose méete to be takē here for the .vii. heads of this beaste But I finde an other thing in it the body of these .vii heads being but one stil cōtinuing so For though all were at that time vnder hir yet is it not so now yet stil remayneth this beast Therefore I doo take it for one vniuersall Antichrist as I did afore cōprehēding in him so well Mahomet as the Pope so wel the raging tyrant as the stil hipocrite all the wickedly worketh ar of the same body The .vii. heads of the beast may so wel be his presumptuous doings for the .vij ages of the church as any thing els yet no preiudice done to that hath ben said afore What should ayle this woūded head here not to signifie his supremite suppressed his vsurped authoritie power diminished his whole prodigious occupying cōdemned in this latter age of the church I suppose nothing more manifest vnlesse we haue eies will not sée Are not now in may parts of Germany in England also the Popes pardons layed aside His power put downe his name abolished his Purgatorye pilgrimages other peltries vtterly exiled and so lyke to be within short space in other regions also If this be not a deadly wounding of one of the beastes heads I think there is none If this be not an apparent likelihood of his fall there is none to be looked for 2 But the healing againe of this mortall wound is lyke to mar all make the last errour worse than the first In many places where as the Gospell hath béene preached the bishoppe of Rome deposed sectes shrynes sanctuaries destroyed monasteries priories and fryers turned ouer remayneth still theyr poyson with those same instrumentes wherewith they haue wrought all mischiefe Stil cōtinueth their more then Iewish ceremonies their priestybulous priesthoode theyr vowing to haue no wiues and their sodomitical chastitie Stil remineth their sale masses of all abhominations the principall their prodigious sacrifices their sensing of of Idoles their boyesh processions thieir vncōmaunded worshippings their confessiōs in the eare of all trayterie the fountayne with many other strange obseruatiōs whom the scripture of God knoweth not Nothing is brought as yet to Christes instituciō sincere ordinance but all remaineth still as the Antichristes left it Nothing is tryed by gods word but by the aūcient auctority of fathers Now passeth all vnder theyr title Though the olde bishops of Rome were of late yeares proued Antichristes and their names raced out of our bookes yet must they thus properly for old acquaintāce be called still our Fathers If it were naught afore I thinck it is now much worse for nowe are they become laudable cerimonies wheras before time they were but cerimonies alone Now are they become necessary rites godly cōstituciōs séemely vsages ciuill ordinances where as afore they had no such names And he that disobeieth them shall not onely be iudged a fellon and worthy to be hanged by their newe forged lawes but also condemned for a traytour against his king though he neuer in his lyfe hindred but rather to his power hath furthered the common wealth To sée this also with such like put in execucion the Bishoppes haue authoritie euery moneth in the yeare if they list to call a cession to hange and burne at theyr pleasure And this is ratyfied and confirmed by acte of Parliament to stande the more in effect If this be no healing of Antichristes wounded head neuer is lyke to be any Whan men shall defende frée wyll allow theyr popish masse to be a sacrifice satisffactory for the quick and the dead labour they any other thincks you than the healing of this wound He lykewyse that in an open audience mayntayneth our owne workes to iustifie by Dimitte nobis and other not rightly vnderstanded scriptures doth he any other than prepare a salue for the same Nay surely No lesse also dooth he that setteth men to open penāce at Pauls crosse for holy water making for processiō and sensing with other Popetish gauds constrayning them to promise the anauncement of the old fayth of holy church by such fantastical fopperyes as Bonner bishoppe of London dyd now of late to the lawhinge game wonderment of all the world Alas how is the people abused None other doo they but mock Christen Princes with flattery that giue them olde popish titles and blasphemous names of antichrist As to call thē most christen kinges and defenders of the catholike faith meaning the Popes old tradicions to heale the head of the beaste This is surely none other but with the sayde beast to receiue authoritie seate and power of sathan Lette them therefore take héede least they be founde the same antichristes that they haue condemned and so throwe thēselues double vnder the same plage Necessarye it is they beware what they drinke or what titles they take vpon them at their appointmēt least they forgetting them selues be foūde dronken by taking excesse of the Babilonish cup and so perishe with the wicked Marke here diligently thys word head and ye shal well perceyue how wonderfully the story agréeth wyth the mysterie 3 And all the world sayeth Sainct Iohn wondred at the beast All foolishe carnall and worldly people not vnderstanding the wisdome of Gods holy spirit dependeth all vpon theyr beastly baggage thinking all that they doe to be godly meritorious and spirituall They magnifie it prayse it and haue it in most hygh estimation yea they haue it in much more pryce than any thing that is of God In no wyse will they from theyr olde frenesie such is their excéeding blyndenesse For whan they heare tell their customes shall continue their gouernours agréeing to the same they clap their hands for ioye and sing Gaudeamus with the priestes 4 Yea they worship the Dragon which gaue such power to the beast With their hartes they reioyce
in him was the fulnesse of the veritie This beast hath but ii and yet they are but false couÌ„terfet They seme to be Christs are not These are the corrupted letter of the ii testaments falsly interpreted and for a carnall purpose alleaged And therefore it is but apparent hipocritishe and deceitfull yea and cleane repugnant to the Lordes meaning not hauing the iudgment of his spirit This letter without the holy ghost is death nothing pertaineth vnto Christ. He is the verytie life this is but a fable or ficcion His word is spirit and life this is but a brasse pot sounding or a latteÌ„ caÌ„delsticke tinkling fantastical faint sophisticall slaightye Though these séeme like Christs yet are they none of his but yâ— very horns of the beast For they vphold antichrists kingdom not his a worldly glory not his for his kiÌ„gdoÌ„ is not of this world no loÌ„ger ar they his words his lawes nor his testimonies thaÌ„ they maintaine his right honour No newly practised worshipinges aloweth he for his but vtterly abhorrith theÌ„ al as things rawe vnsauery 4 And therefore it folowith that this spake as did the dragon The doctrines and teachings of these false Apostles and deceitefull maisters are lyes in hipocrisye and the verye doctrine of deuils vnder title of the veriti repugnaunt to the same Not vnlyke to yâ— the serpent sayd vnto the woman ye shall not dye if you eate of the forbidden fruite but ye shall be surelye as Gods knowing both good and euyll They do as did sathan in the desarâ— Alwayes they perswade vs either of stones to make bread or els to throw our selues downward or els to worship the deuill That is to chaunge the good creatures of God from their right vse as trées into idoles silkes velvets cloth golde siluer into supersticious ornameÌ„ts chast mariage into stinking whoredome and sodomie with such lyke To decline from the duties coÌ„manded of God to their idle obseruacioÌ„s so making his commaundements of none effect for the vaine traditions of men And finally to fall vnto forbidden worshippings or abhominatioÌ„s of Idolatrie of whoÌ„ they are full And for these they haue with SathaÌ„ also their mangled scriptures to lay for theÌ„ to proue that the help of dead saincts is necessary their masses merytes works more than néede expedient and the fyre of Purgatory a fearefull thing with the diuil all of such fantasies These are the prelates of Antichrists church the two horned moÌ„sters or great bellyed Byshops rightly discribed here of the holy ghost in this two horned beast These beastly buszards ar not ashamed both to say write that in their miters they beare the figure of both Testaments whose veritie they impugne with tooth nayle Uery truly they say that they carrie the figure for in déede it is but a shadowe they beare Not to glorifie God but their owne beastly bodyes with gold pearl stone lyke MahouÌ„ds in a playe for hys trueth they most cruelly persecute These are the verye false Prophets the instrumeÌ„ts of sathaÌ„ the deceiuers wolues wagelings Iudasses dremers liers Idols aduersaries adders whelps foxes distroying the Lords vineyard deceitful workmeÌ„ desperate shephards blind watchmen dum dogs diuils incarnate wicked séede vnsaciate beasts whose God is their belly glory their confusioÌ„ To al these to many other such doth the holy ghost compare them for that they haue with their errors lyes turned the swéetnesse of the scriptures into bitternesse scarsly leauing one place therof vndefiled with their filthy dregs 5 This beast saith S. Iohn dyd all things that the first beast could doe euen before his own face The same lying power to deceyue in hypocrisie hath this beastly brood that the great Antichrist hath yâ— same wily craftes the same beastly kindes of idolatry so doeth vse them The same abhominations maintain they yâ— world ouer that the pope maintaineth at Rome Mahomet in Barbary of Turkye Yea the same superstitioÌ„s sorceries the same execrable traditions and beggeries The same ceremonies haue they that hée hath the same vnctions the same orders the same masses The same idle obseruatioÌ„s with vnknown cloyning clattering and wauling are still vsed in EnglaÌ„d like as they were vsed afore and with no lesse blasphemy vnto God 6 To doe suche things in the fyrst beasts presence is to do them where his power aucthoritie is raigning or where as is the seate of Sathan which is euery place that admitteth straunge worshipping 7 Both the earth them that dwell in the earth compell they to worship this first Beast Not only enforce they them to wicked Idolatry that neuer wold know the truth but also many of those which haue great knowledge in the same Oh how many are in EnglaÌ„d in other regioÌ„s also that in these daies worketh against faith knowledge the holy Ghost admitting the priestes abhominations Rather had they to dwell still in the earthly beggerie with the blasphemie of God than either to be out of fauour or to loose their offices to haue their goods hindred or to hazarde their lyues so swéet ar these waÌ„toÌ„ worldly plesurs Rather had they to perishe with the sonnes of Hely Samuel for abusing the ordinances of the Lord with Core DathaÌ„ AbiroÌ„ for rebelling against them to sinke vnto hel then with Christ to take paynes in pouertie But let not theÌ„ think to be worthy of Christ that better loue their owne carnall commoditie thaÌ„ his heaueÌ„ly veritie 8 Well the beast must they worship whose wouÌ„d is made whole His olde rustie rules newe burnished and his olde Romish ragges new patched by a newly confyrmed aucthoritie must they embrase in paine of death The Lambe shall not yet be suffred to appear Stil for a time must these terrible termagaunts haue more worship thaÌ„ God their traditions preferred to his most pure worde And why shuld it not be so haue they not now a new refourmed church in whom the beasts wouÌ„ded hed is newly restored So loÌ„g as it is like the popes church it must folow his rules and cleaue to his ordinauÌ„ces It shall not folow Christ in â—aith in doctrine til it appear like the church which he left here behynd him whan he ascended And that is not lyke to be yet 9 First must there be wrought great woÌ„ders Fyre must be compelled to come downe from heauen in the sight of men by this two horned beast The disciples of Antichrist with their by furked ordinaries must violeÌ„tly pluck from the true ChristiaÌ„ church whose reign is not of this world the eternal word of the Lord. 10 Then must they take from them the consuming fyre that Christ sent downe into the earth of mens harts to drye vp all mallice and sinne Yea they must depryue them of the cloueÌ„ fierie tonges which the holy ghost poured vpon the Apostles to the coÌ„fort of all the world The tresure that Christ hath left
here to socour vs they must hyde vnder the ground and the candle that he light vs to sée ouer the house conuay vnderneath the bushell 11 And these wōders shal they work in the presence of men Already haue they takē in England from the Bibles the annotacions tables prefaces to performe this their dāpnable enterprise They haue straitely forbiddē the reading therof for time of their Romish seruice Som haue they burned some put to silence all in the face of the people Yea they raised the maides of Ipswhich and of Kent to worke wonders maruels now of late the folish Northē men to fight for their Church What practises they haue had in that eare and that eare to fetch away the true fauorers preachers of the Gospell at diuers times he that wel cōsidereth may say that the holy ghost hath here rightly described them calling thē workers of wōders The discréet cittizē of Londō master Packyngton was slain with a gun at saynt Thomas of Acres as they call it not without their priuy legerdemaine But this with other of their miracles I intend to declare more at large in an other tretise the Lorde lending me life It is not long ago also since Alexāder Seyton an excelent learned mā with poore master Tolwin recanted at Paules crosse Nor yet long a fore sens good doctor Crome was complleed to doo the same And now last of all to take the scripture cleane away they haue sought out great faultes in the translation of it there vpon taken them awaye from the common peoples reading Great paines they take to put it doun but they neuer swet yet in the settīg vp of it Thus mind they to work their wōders till they haue buried it all in the earth They lack now but iiii knights to hier to kepe it down stil that it rise no more vp O veri imps of hel lims of the diuil how vaine are your studies how wicked are your practises I haue no doubt but wtin shorte space God will distroy the counsailes dissipate the strength of them that please men Yet let no mā meruail though they do these feates for the time For if the Gospell were taught without checke in a whyle should nothing remain of that generation neither myter nor rochet shauē croun nor anointīg that know they wel inogh For the word of the lord is the breth of his mouth that shal distroy them and the deuouring fyre that shall consume them 12 By the means of these signes saith the texte which this beast had power to doe in the sight of the other beast or wher his abusiōs doth raign without checke he deceiued them that dwelt on the earth Many in this age are wonderfully abused through the deceiptful werking of Sathan in these horned whoremōgers but yet non other thā are earthly mynded Of some men in déed the eyes are bleared with theyr crafts of some mē the weak iudgemēts blemyshed with their subtilties for wāt of discerning the scriptures Some men are tangled with doubts some trobled with terrour some tormēted with feare cōsidering that for this new learning as they wil haue it called some haue ben hāged as were the thrée poore yong men of Southfolke for the rotten roode of Douercourt Some burned some be headed for thinges of nought as is knowne to all the world These thyngs daseth theyr wittes and amaseth their myndes And earth is the cause of al this were it not that they much more loued this worlds pleasures than God it should neuer be so 13 All the perswasions of Antichristes prelates and preachers hath euermore ben and are now still vnto such earthlye inhabitantes that they shoulde make an Image lyke vnto this beast which is alwaies to chose such an Emperour with other worldly gouernours as shal be for their commodytie He must by the worldly people be compelled to take aucthorytie sceptur and crowne at their hands so sworne to maintaine their fleshly lyberties He must also be fashioned by their wicked doctrines and false counsels in confessions lyke them in all sustersticious lyuinge and in the tirrānous murther of innocent Christen men Where such an head ruler is appoynted there is his owne figure made and where such a Gouernour is constitute there is his owne Image set vp For we must consider that this reuelatiō is in all poīts no story specially here as many writers haue thought it to be in supposing an Antichrist to be borne at the latter ende of the world But it is a mistery cōprehīding in it but one generall Antichrist for all which hath reigned in the church in a manner since the Ascencion of Christe And in this one poynt are al the commentours that I haue séene most fowly deceyued yea the best learned of them I know wel if ther be ani yet to come he shal be but a mēber of this Againe to our purpose 14 Speciallye muste they make a right Image of that beast which had the wounde of a sword and did liue This betokeneth that in these dayes they shall sturre about them leaue no cautels vnsought nether any fals counsels vnfet from other realmes to doe their feats with and to fashion the Christen Gouernours to their myndes As Winchester did the last time he was in France After whose comming home many great wonders were wrought in Englande and fyre was made to come downe from heauen Cōsider the story afore for the storye declareth the misterie That wounded head now healed must be vpholden 15 He had a gréeuous wype with the sword which is the liuing word of the Lord when he lost his Monks chanons and fryers hys purgatory pilgrimages and shrynes Yet was he not all dead For though their coules cootes and rochetes were of yet had they still the same popishe hartes and the same supersticious frowardnes that they were wonte to haue This might haue bin found true if it had bin searched when certen popish priests of maister Whartons retinue not far from Bongay in Souffolke did calk for Cromwel for other els if the worlde had not chaunged to their mindes I write not this thinking they can harme by theyr calkinge where as faith is resydent but onely to shew that theyr hartes are yet alyue and how vertuously they are occupied Many things I cōsider at this instāt poynt concerning Prince Edward whō I dout not but the lord hath sent for the singuler comfort of England Not that I temerouslye diffine any thing to come concerning hym considering it onely in the Lords power But I desire the saide Lorde to preserue his bringing vp from the contagious drinkes of these false Phisicians And this is to be prayed for of all men if ye ponder well the text marke their wonderfull workings where the beastes head is restored THE TEXT 1 And he had povver to giue spirit vnto the Image of the beast 2. And to make that the image of the beast