pressed downe burned with all the promouers therof vnder the Turke thei haue some hope to stand styll in their lustes and plesures but vnder the gospell of cryst they be lyke to lese all and their kingdome to haue a miscrable fall Before this daniel sawe the last Monarchie which was the empyre of Rome to be diuided into many kingdoÌ„s as perchaunce into France Portugal Spayne Pole Denmarke Englande Hyerlande Scotland Napels Boheme and Hungarye which be the. x. hornes and sene of Iohn by the. x. hornes helping the read Romishe beast to suppresse the kingdome of cryst For by the popis policies thus was the noble empyre skatered into hir owne destruccion that this lytle horne might haue the proye and preeminence ouer the hole empyre This lytle horne saith daniel grewe vp amonge these x. kingdoms or x. seculare hornes by whose ayed ryches and auctorite the pope w t his prelates ascended from poore buggerly beggerly fryers and flaterers vnto siche an imperial maiestye aboue emperours and kinges And here daniel seeth 3. hornes smyten of from these so many kinges by the lytle horne That is the Anticrysten pope to make weake and feble whatsoeuer emperour and kinge he listed depose them at his plesure and to translate y e empyre and kingdoms into his owne nettis to vse and occupy them himself Or if ye will take the. iii. hornes prescisely for 3 empires or kingdoms falsely vsurped of the pope beholde vpon his head the triple crone infaming himself to be the throerdowne and destroyer or robber of thre great kingdoms yea and euen the subuerter of the hole Romane empyre Netheles his flaterers yet make him beleue that he is emperour and kinge ouer haeuen ouer y e erth and of purgatory yea and ouer hell and deuyll to But this is trewth He once translated the empyre from the east to the weest and from the Frenche men to the Germans And now contendeth he to translate it to the Turke which shal be his last translacion his owne destruccion with the heuey mutacions of all the west kingdoms yf he can bring his blody purpose to passe For Daniel saith this lytle horne to haue eyes lyke manis eyes that is to be prudent and polytyk to loke for his owne ease lucre For he thinketh to gett more vnder the Turke then vnder the gospell yf it be receyued of the emperours and of all the crysten kings as he feareth it wil be Iohn geueth him hornes lyke a lambe That is to saye he shall do all his fraudelent featis vnder a meruelouse pretence of holynes innocencye and mekenes For he shall wryte himself the most holy when he shall shewe himself by his dedis to be y e most wyked prophane cruell wolue comen in shepis clothes for vnder y e tytle of Papa father of fathers he is y e most marciles tyrant of all tyrants vnder the name of Summi or Maximi pontificis that is of the most hyghe and greatest vigilant watcher and ouerseer of his flok he is the most negligent idest idoll dome dogge vnder y e name of pastor which is a flok feder he is the most pestelent poysoner And euen these be the two 〈◊〉 hornes signifyed by y e two forked bisshops myters althoughe say they they signifye the two testameÌ„ts and that thei be lerned in nether of them bothe Nowe when ye see this beaste to deuolue theise his holy tytles and godly names of innocency and meaknes to any seclare horne or beast ascending out of the erth and the same do take them executing the Popis power and tyrannye in persecutinge the gospell and to confirme papistrye speking wryting decreing articlyng enacting c. as did the dragon then take heed for then contendeth this beaste to heale his awne deadly head wounde agene The two hornes lyke lambes hornes be both the powers seculare and ecclesiastâ—â— ether in any one spirituall or in any one seculare Anticryst Also it is to be noted That bothe Daniel and Ioan saith he hath a mouthe speking great blaphemies or prowd arrogancies ayenst god he shall speke as did the dragon euen blaphemies ayenst god as did he that said I will asceÌ„de and belyke the most hyghest god And as did the serpent perswade Eue to not beleue god but to thinke the most trwe god to be a dissembler or a lyer The turke and Mahumet speke gret blaphemies ayenst god in their alkaron But owr litle whore of Rome hir cardinalls bishops and prechers speke the moste gretest and greuoust blasphemies of all and themselues defende them with fyer and cause their seculare anticristis to defend them with swerde Thei be not ashamed to wryte and teche the pope to be of syke powr with cryste the pope cannot erre the pope to be the supreme head and spowse of the chirche and vicare of cryste And because he hathe the emperiall powr he may distribute the kingdoms and ryches of the worlde as he lyst and because he is the hyghest bysshop he maye geue all the chirches benifices as cardinallships bysshopryks and benefices to whom he lyste and he bosteth the gospell to be subiecte to his interpretacion and vnderstanding yea except saye some of owr bishops that the scripture be confirmed by siche ordinary powrs it is no scripture nor may not be redd but of siche as thei lyste to delyuer lyceÌ„ce it nor in any other tongue then thei liste to geue it vs. He will haue his lawe and tradicions to be obserued aboue gods laws and the transgressours of his lowsey lawes to be greuouslier punisshed then the brekers of gods precepts He bosteth himfelf to make lawes and articles of owr faithe and to adde mo sacraments to them then cryst made and to consecrate and to make the body of cryste to sende awaye the substance of the bread the accidents as the whigtnes rowndes tast other qualities quaÌ„tities remayning He confesseth crist with his lippes to be a red emer but yet he techeth he dothe and writeth many grete blaphemies contrary to the mystery of owr redempcion as in his purgatory satisfaccions merits 〈◊〉 and siche other All these blaphemies speketh he vnder lambes skinnes in an innocent holy pretence hauinge hornes lyke a lambe he will apere humble lyke any other inferiour man yet shameth he not to open his mouth to speke greuouse blasphemies ayenst god and his peple This beast Paul handleth and his pesteleÌ„t pro pertyes he treateh saying This sinfull man and forlorne chylde aduersary to god will be exalted ayenst god and aboue his worship cleame and vsurp a worship to himself and teche a certain vtwarde reuerent behauiour to idols and images so that he will sitte in the temple of god osteÌ„ting and bosting himself setforthe for a god that is he will with his lawes decrees actis articles and doctrine sitte deper in menis consciences more feared then god himself with his ten coÌ„mandements and
☞ And whylis I consydered these hornes lo there grewe vp another lytle horne amonge them of whom 3. of the former hornes were plukt out And beholde ther were hornes in this horne as the eyes of a man and a mouth speakinge stoute and great thinges This lytest horne was and is the Anticrysten kingdome of the popes of Rome with all their vnclene clergye by lytle lytle at their begininge creping vp from so low a state into so hyghe dignities power and possessions vnder themperours and their x. other hornes sowen oute of the serpents sead into euery corner of the worlde flyinge lyke locustes into euery emperours and kinges bosome ether to be their confessers counsellers prechers or teachers out of pore scoles and cloysters are these beggers cropen vp aboue emperours and kinges by their serpentine flatering fraudes and holy hypocrysie And as daniel here seeth 4. beastis ascending out of the sea so doth Ioan resoning the same vision see the same beast arysing vp lyke wyse out of the sea But the cruell formes and facions which daniel sawe in y e thre beastis the same altogyther seeth I can in this one hugly beast sayng And the beast whom I sawe was lyke a leoparde and his feet as beres fete and his mouth lyke the mouth of a lyon He seeth him also with y. hornes which he expowneth to be x. kinges which had not yet in Ioans dayes receyved their kingdoms but shuld then in tyme to come as kinges in an hower take their power For sone aftir by the fraudes of this lytle horne the empyre of Rome was as ye see it diuided into feet and toes as Nebucadnezar did see it to come which is shal be the â—uine and fall of the hole empyre Of this diuision and skateringe therof Paul in Neros tyme gaue as it were a watche worde and warning before sayng He that holdeth the empyre let him hold it fast now yet a whyle tyll it be taken awaye For euen then saith Paul was he working his secrete anticrysten mischief and wykednes In somich as Ioan anon aftir Paul sayd And euen now are their many anticrystes which are gone forth of vs but yet were thei non of vs. Lo here maye ye see this beast to be no stranger borne farrof for Paul saith he sitteth in the temple of god he is therfore a domesty enimye a tame beast not to be sought among the Turkis Iewes and SaraceÌ„s as oure bisshops wolde make vs beleue whylis themselues play this beastis parte vnder oure noses at home in the temple of god and not in the temples of the Turkis and Iewes They tell vs where the head emperours and kings be crystened and thei of their counsell and teachers ther can be no persecucion by Anticryst but all is iuste execucion lo. But Iohn daniel saye that he shulde putforth his hornes vnder the winges of all the other crysten kinges euen amonge crysten men in the chirche of cryst in crystis name against cryst his name and his faithfull to make bataill Here it apereth Iohn to say the same that daniel saith but yet in other wordis For where as in this place daniel sawe a beast armed with 3. grete teth deuouring and consuminge all the same did Ioan see takinge his tyrannye cruell power his prowd seat and his mischeuouse maiesty of the dragon y e deuyll beinge a blody murtherer and a lyer from the beginning Agen where Ioan speketh of the beast with x. hornes he addeth to him another beast ascending from the erth sene of him to haue two hornes lyke a lambe but he spake as did the dragon executed all the power of the former beast in his sight The. x. horned beast ascending out of the sea is the spirituall Anticryst of Rome hauinge himselfe w t all his lawes rytes tradicions decrees and doctryne defended of the emperours swerde and with the swerdis of all these kinges once geuen to drinke of his golden cuppe of poyson Amonge these his stronge defenders and mighty hornes he arose first but a lytle horne vntyll they deuolued vnto him their powers possessions and autorities to slaye the sayntis and then was he a mighty worthy x. horned blody whore of Babylon But at last the gospell once reueled it did pluk from hir head hir holy vysare of hypocrisy and gaue hir in hir most hyghe and holy head a deadly wounde had not his cardinallis bishops and fryers strewed into euery emperours court and kinges hawlis spedely putto the plaster in rolling and tossing the ball ayen vnto the seculare powers flatering them with the popis tytles power possessions auctorite to maintayn and defend all the popes ceremonis tradicions doctrynes more sewerly confirmed with the seclare emperours actis and articles defended with swerde and fyer cruellier then euer they were vnder the pope himself For the healing of this wounde one horne was called the most sacred cesar another the most crysten another the most catholyke and another his first begoten some and another defender of the faith c. Which clerkely cure of the clergy when Ioan had espyed lo sayd he I see another beast ascendinge oute of the erth with two hornes c. meaninge the seculare antichristen emperours and kinges hauing now two horned powers both their owne and the spirituall auctorite as they had first and all to persecute the gospell now of late offred them and to burne the professors and prechers therof And it is to be feared lest the Turke be also this two horned seculare Anticryst ascended out of the erth For I dare say That rather then y e gospell shuld be frely receyued and the pope with his spirituall sourgens be brydled or suppressed with y e worde of God their state and lyuing corrected reformed there at the emperours and kinges crystened consenting and coÌ„pellinge these lytle whorishe hornes to daunce aftir the poore painfull pype of y e gospell they had leifer ten Turkis to inuade and yf their selues bringe him not in and to raigne ouer all crystendom then one crysten kinge For they had leyuor be vnder Mahumet and his lawes then vnder the crysten kinges and emperours and vnder the holy gospell of cryst For vnder the Turke they yet conceyue some hope ether by tribute geuinge or by their olde hypocritish holy flatering fraudes to stande styll in their dignites glorye ryches possessions and auctorite But in both these beastis their cruell hornes are encreased take them for whom ye will for both the Turke and Mahumete in Asia and Aphrica and the Pope with his false prophets and falser cardinals and bishops with all their coniured and sworne seculare papistis in Europa haue goten them a mighty perelloê° power ayenst cryst is poore fely lambes as ye see in their commandements decrees articles actis and proclamacioÌ„s and inquisicions for bokis heresies as they call goddis worde to be prohibited
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
enimies in the most ample and mightiest Monarchie but by the benefit of God Ieremy confirming the same saying That nacion and kingdom that wil not serue Nebucadne shall be visited with swerde pestilence famyn This was called the golden head because that as it was the best gouerned with all cyuile iustice equite vnto this daye so did the king Nebucad raigne most victoriouse more then 40. yeres and being olde left his kingdom to his neuye as Ieremy prophecied whiche felicite to haue had not hapened to the other 3. kingdoÌ„s Daniel here aftir testifieth assigning to y e persik realme 3. orders of tethe To the Macedoni â–ª Monarchie 4. head is and 10 â–ª hornes to the Roman empire This goldeÌ„ head had but 3 kinges in daniels tyme For Nebucadnezar raigned 45 yeres â–ª his sone Euismerodach 23 and Beltthalat 3 yeres For from this last hogge was the babyloni monarch translated vnto the persis as ye shall see in the 5 chap. Aftir this there shall spring forth a nother kingdom vpon the erthe lesse then thyne This was the Persy Monarchie and the Medis empyre signifyed by the syluer breste and armes when this monarchie of the Medis and persies begane we shal shewe it in the 5 chapter How it was gouerned ye shal see in the 6 cap. aÌ„d in the eleuenth how longe it endured ☞ And then shal ther be the thirde Monarchie called the brasen empyre whiche shall be ouer the vniuersal worlde This is the monarchye of great Alexander of his mighty coÌ„federed successours signified by the brason belly and soyncs the begining of this kingdom ye see it here in the. 2. ca the middis in the. 7 8. the ende Daniel prophecieth in the eleuenth ¶ But the fowrth king doÌ„ shal be as stroÌ„g as harde as for it shall lyke make softe breke tame all other king domo And wÌ„here thou didst see the feete and toes partely erth â—n and parte it signifieth the kingdom to be diuided nethelesse yet shal it retaine some what of the ferme fastnes of as it were vnder y e sole of his fote as thou didste see the miyt with pot ba erthe And because the toes were parte aÌ„d parte ba erthe this empyre shal be partely stronge and partely frayle and weak And where thou didst see the miyt with ba erth it signifieth these diuided kigdoms to be ioyned togither emong themselues and confedered by bloude in mariages but yet shall not one agre long with a noÌ„ther their confederacies shall not stonde nor holde no more then may be mixed and welled togither with ba erthe This fowerth Monarchie is the Romane empyre thus descrybed more at large then the other thre because it was in the beginnynge more strong valeaunter and harder vntyll by Mahumets religion and the Popes Antichristen crafte it was diuided dispersed minisshed and dekayed as ye see it this daye brought vnto his potba erthen frayle feble feet euen the last kyngdome to be destroyed partely by intestyne ciuile warre emonge themselues and thus the maye made partely by the Turke and at last by the stonne sinyten oute of the hyll which is by the kyngdom of Christes Gospell preched which worde proceded oute of the mounte Sion and oute of Hierusalem euen now euery daye out of the very trwe churche of Christ dayly wryting and preching this foundacion stone Christ purely frely and faythfully Daniel diuideth this descripcion into thre expresse signes First he saith in his feete and toes of and erth there shall remaine as it were vnder the sole some ferme fastenes of Which signifieth the Romane empyre although it be diuided and dispersed into Germanye Englande Spayne France and Turkye c. into other Monarchies yet shall these Monarchies holde as long as they may the nature of vnder the vse and ministracion of the Romane lawes called the ciuile or emprowrs lawes Secondarily he sayth these fete and toes partly 〈…〉 and partely erthen to signifie the Ro mane empire after his firste strengthe to be made feble and weake which may be proued by the examples of some mygthy and inuicte emprowrs and of other weake and ouerthrone Thirdly he sayth They shal be mixt together but yet shal they not cleaue to nomore then may be welled together with a potsherd And this signifieth as hath the text They shall seke confederacions and affinities by bloude consanguinitie in maryages and all in vayne As ye se it for albeit em and kynges haue ioyned together in maryages with theyr daughters and sonnes yea and with holy sacred othes in lege the hoost broken and diuided betwixt them yet hath one inuaded and destroyd other They shal be confedered to make a newe and all one Monarchye but all in vayne for this is the last empire to be destroyed at the last daye is yet in destroyinge for resistyng persecutynge Gods worde whether it be the seculare or Ecclesiasti particulare or vniuersall empire or kyngdome ☞ For in the tyme of these kynges the God of heuen shal set vp a kyngdom which shall neuer be destroyed nether shall this kyngdome be delyuered vnto any other peple which kyngdom Monarchye shall destroye and make an ende of all the other empires and kyngdoms but it self shall stand for euer as thou sawest the stonne smyten out from the hil without handis breking into poulder the brasse test erth syluer golde Whylis yet these kingdoÌ„s endured but yet translated into the Romane Monarchie shall Christes kyngdom be begune vpon erth For the em Augustus in the tyme of ChristÌ„es byrth described the hole worlde as Luke wryteth The God of heauen to set vp fast this kyngdom is Christ by his worde and spirit of God to raigne as himself before Pilate confessed saing My kyngdom is not of this worlde for as Dauid in the. 2. Psal. so doth Dan. Promise here Christis kyngdom to come to be a spirituall kyngdoÌ„ This kyngdom standing vpon the preching doctrine of Christes gospell shall neuer be destroyed although these Monarches cruelly burne and destroye the prechers and professours of the worde but as Christ is eternall so shall his worde be euer and all that beleue it lyue euerlastingly For the worde of God sayth I say standeth for euer and shal be preched and wryten vnto the last daye And all the kyngdome of the worlde which resiste and persecute Christes kyngdome which is his worde preched and his churche the spirit of God shall breake them to powlder when he shall reproue and conuince them of syne of ryghtwysnes and of iugement For where be nowe all the sewers at they not in hell with all the deuyllis And where is the Gospell It lyueth raigneth in heueÌ„ w t Christ here in his faythfull at last syke a consuminge fyer to deuoure oure enimyes according to the Psal. 110. And as towching the hyll out of which the stonne was out
vs helpe for vayne is the helpe of men but also god alwais before y e reueling of his worde to confounde the wysemen of the worlde Wherfore y e king callinge daniel to interprete his dreame coÌ„mendeth him first of his name of his spirit of his pastorall office of his coninge and lerning that thus the doctryne of y e â—â—â—theÌ„ might be asshamed the worde of god florisshe in his kingdom â—â— miche said of y e narracion of his dreame of the vocacion of daniel to expownd Nowe let vs heare daniel declaring his dreame and calling the king to repentance ☞ Then Daniel called Belthasar being amased spake not almost of an howrâ— he was so astonned that the kynge began to awake him oute of his trowblous cogitacions and heuye mynde sayinge Belthasar let not my dreame nor the interpretacion therof in any wyse trouble or hurte the. Vnto whom Belthasar answer â— sayinge Ah my lorde and kynge This dreame come vpon thyne enimies and the interpretacion therof vpon thyne aduersaryes The tree sene of the so grete so hyghe â–ª c. it is euen thou thyself ah kynge so greate and mightye â–ª that thy hyghe maieste attayneth to the heuens and thyne imperye vnto the farthest costes of the erth And as towching him oh kynge whom thou didst see a watcher an holy one flying downe from heuen crying kut downe the tree and destroye it permitting the stok with the rotes to stand still in the grownde the same in cheynes to go graze vpon the felde and to lye vnder y e dewe rayne from a boue coÌ„man ding him to eate w t the beast is tyll his 7. tymes be past this is oh king the interpretacion sentence of the most hyghest decreed agaynst y e my lorde kyng Men shall cast y e forth to dwell with the best is of the felde suffring the to eate fede w t their oxen and thou shalt lye wett vnder the skye tyll thy seuen tymes be past that thou shuldst knowe the most hyghe god to be kynge and ruler ouer all the realmes of mortall men and to geue them to whom he willeth But what signifieth the stok with his rotes to remain in the grounde veryly that thy kyngdom â–ª shall stande to thyself to enioye it so long as thou shalt aknowl e the god of heauen to be lorde king ouer it Wherfore oh my king let my counsell please the allowe it redeme thy synnes w t ryghtwysenes thyne iniquities with iust doing to the poor afflicted so that thy felicite may be prolonged Daniel was of a more feruent faithfuller spirit towerde his kynge then be now a dayes these flaterers so nyghe theÌ„ in fauour feding their affectis For he so loued him that he wolde tell him y e trwth were it neuer so odiouse bitter â–ª displeasaunt â–ª vnto him But in that he stayed so longe ere he spake he declareth his prudence both because he wold not seme rasshe also lest he shuld apere to reioyse of the king is misfortune For albeit he was now with his countrymen in captiuite yet wolde he be faithfull to the king and honour him iustly yea although he knew how tender and delicate be princes â—ares corrupt with the gloriouse glaueringe of flaterers and therfore the soner exasperated with sharpe and heuey tydings The astonned slaknes of daniel caused the kinge to be the gredier of the trewth which also seing the prophet to be so trou bled in himself as one not gladly willing to test him of siche heuines was the more desyerouse to heare it and to haue his counsell For the kinge perceyued some waighty thing to be signified against himself For where the diuine iugemeÌ„ts so feare an innocent prophete miche more shuld they be terrible to a wyked king But yet the goodnes and iâ—ntelnes of â— kinge apereth againe in that he animateth the prophete exhortinge him to tell it whatsoeuer the dreame be pardoninge him whatsoeuer he shall saye But daniel elegantly and wysely first mitigateth y e mater praying that these mischances signifyed might fall vpon the kyngs enimies By which wordis he nether speaketh agaynst gods will nor yet dissembleth but shewth himself to be heuye for the kings misfortune declaring himself to be the kynges frende or els he shulde haue wysshed euyll to himself As though he shuld haue spoken playnly for that I hold my peace so long thinke not that I dowte of your dreame but because I perceiue it to be a fearfull vision I pray god that it fall not vpon you Daniel in telling the dreame digesteth it goodly into thre partes first declaring the felicite and prosperite of the kynge Secondarily his punisshment Thirdly his repentance First he telleth him that the tree so great and hygh with all hir beuty birdis beastes and frutes c. signifieth the kynge Nebucadnezar for that god had subdewed to him all other realmes wherof before he was called the golden head and that not onely for his ample power but also for his hyghe arrogancye and pryde attributing to himselfe in his securite the glorye of god whose imperye is ouer heuen and y e vniuersall erth He also magnified himselfe the more for his often victories For he was the Monarch of the worlde And his name was fered ouer all The fayer branches of it are his myghty nobles and princes The plentuouse frutes signified his yerely rentes and giftis w c his subiectes and all nacions willingly brought him By the birdes nesiled in the branches were signified his hygh lerned wyse men sothe sayers c. taken as spirituall men being of counsell with his goddis to bringe to the kynge their oracles answers from them for this belly brode delyghteth yet to sitte and nesile a loft in their â—asy plesant nestis By the beastis lyinge vnder the tree be signifyed the subiectes and comons lyuing quietly vnder his lawes defended by the kynges power and as it were vnder his winges And as this goodly myghty tree fedde defended all these creatures so ought the godly kynges as I say sayth to be the nources and feders of their subiectes seing them vertuously brought vp in gods lawes defending the innoceÌ„t pore afflicted with iniuryes and punisshinge the malefactours For it is their office not onely to defende the publyk peace but also punisshe y e malefactours and preserue and promote the godly lerned and to take charge lyke a father and mother ouer the churche of criste seing it taught gods worde faithfully and purely quenching idolatry and suppressinge all supersticiouse rytes c. and tradicions of men Hitherto pertayne all the places concerning Magistrates which kings and prin ces ought to know for the good workis of kynges and princes are to do their office expressed in the scripture Also the comoÌ„ peple and subiectes signified by the lyuely fowles and beastes fedde out of y e tree their
But the rest which haue their powrs taken from them or depose them shall yet lyue with their posterite folowinge them for a lytle tyme not so sodenly to fall as their head hornes For the laste of all is this fowrth in the which aryseth this lytle horne with his impes and in which the Turke also persecuteth vntyll himself with Mahumet and their hole anticristen bodye be slayne In the other kingdoms yet left aftir y e Turkis and popis be in destroyinge allthough the kinges dayly perish and lese their dominioÌ„s yet shall their subiectes obtayne fauor with their ouercomers and lyue their apointed yeares but when the iuge shall sittdowne both the euyll kinges with their euyll subiectis shal be casten into the pitt of fyer Wherfore y e aungell eâ—powneth it sainge And they shall take awaye his power scater and desiroye it in the ende prefixed of God And this is the porcion of the cuppe of the vngodly which had leyfer folowe antichrist then cryst For God shall as sayth Paul take awaye all princelynes powr and might Wherfore this comminacion of god prophecieth vnto all the kinges and peple from the beginnig of the worlde fighting agyenst the gospell of the almighty God and of oure sauiuor Iesu euerlasting fyer onlesse they repent as the. 2. psalme warneth them Also lest any man shuld thinke the lytle pore lost shepe of cryst euen the chirche of god to be vtterly and for euer deuoured of theis bereslyons leopardes and euen of the terrible beast the Turke Daniel saith that the tyme and houre is prefixed vnto euery one of them all That is to saye It is decreed in heauen how long euery one of the kingdoms in earth shall stand and how wyde they shall sprede Hytherto semeth it Paul to haue loken when he sayd God made out of one blode all man kynde to dwell ouer the vniuersall earth and hath prefined their constituted tymes and hath prefixed the lymites of their habitacion that thei shuld seke God Now is it shewed how long the lyon shall rore howe long the leoparde shall crye with open mouth and the bere how long he shall grone and crye There yet remaineth the ende of these terrible beastis the pope and the Turke euen the kingdoms which yet stonde ouer Germanye ouer Turkey and ouer Crystendom to be destroyd by the last daye of iugemeÌ„t Which thinge albeit it be wryten of daniel into the consolacion of the catholyk chirche yet maye we wepe and wayle to see the gospell thus troden vnder fete in all the vniuersall worlde Tell me where the gospell shyneth in any part of Aphrica where in y e great part of Asia In Europa vnder the Turkis emperours popis emperys there be here and there chirches but they be so cruelly oppressed that nether good letters nor lerning maye florissh nor y e chirches maye haue any godly teachers But what profiteth it to complaine Sewerly this mystery of the crosse was setforth in the sone of God anon fro the beginninge of the worlde and is yet so confirmed with the examples of all holy men that no consolacion maye be geuen to the chirche besydes the coming of Iesu cryst the sone of God and man Wherfore because the powr of the Turke cannot be lyke the Romane empyre nether shall he occupye all Europe for daniel denyeth any fyfte Monarchye to come we shall breifly expresse the wordis of daniel touching the cominge of the sone of god for oure consolacion Cryst therfore shall come lyke the sone of man for because he shall iuge almen he shall be se ne as a man of almen This confirmeth he saying The father hath geuen powr to iuge vnto his sonne because he is the sone of man And therfor it folowth in the text And beholde for in the night I sawe in the cloudis of heuen one coming lyke the sonne of man which coming forthe was brought vnto the great aged and he gaue vnto him powr glorye the kingdom that all peple nacions and tongues shuld serue worshipe him whose powr is an euerlasting powr neuer to be abolesshed for his kingdom shall neuer be destroid The sone of man to come to this great aged one is the same that Paul saith cryste to delyuervp his kingdome that is the chirche of his chosen vnto his father whiche geueth to cryste powr glory and a perpetuall kingdom euer to raigne with his electe as the Psalmes of Dauid declare him and his kingdom Also the same that cryste saith Ioan. 5. And his father gaue him powr to iuge because he is the sone of man And to be breif cryste shall verely thus come shortly to iuge the persewers of his chirche and to delyuer y e godly as himself describeth it Mat. 25. let vs therfore procede At this vision I daniel trembled in all my bodye my mynde went fro me for feare insomiche that I went to one of y e standers by asking him the very trowth in all this mater Which tolde it all vnto me and expowned to me the hole vision sayinge These 4 beastis figure 4 kinges to a ryse vp or out of the erthe And the hi ghe holy faithful shal receiue the kingdoÌ„ and obtaine it for euer Aftir this I desyered to knowe the certaintie of y e fowrth bâ—asâ—e whiche so greatly differed from al the other namely in that he was so fereful armed with tâ—the with his clawes of stâ—â—l deuouering and tearing into peces the reste he trode down with his feete I desyered also to knowe what meÌ„t the 10 hornes in his head and to be certified of that litle horne growing vp vnder them and of the 3 hornes smiten oute frome the former hornes And of the horne that had menis eyes and spake so great and sâ—owte thingis and why his forme and loke apexed sâ—owter then the other And that I sawe this horne to make bataill with y e holy faithful and triumphed preuailed ouer theÌ„ vntill the olde aged came and the iugemeÌ„t was geuen to the highe holy faithfull the tyme perfixed was come that the faitfull shuld obtaine and receyue their kingdom And then he tolde mo thus The fowrth beast fignifieth the fowrth kingdom that shal be in y e world whiche shall differe from all the other kingdoÌ„s in might and powr for that it shall deâ—ower the hole erthe and breke it all to powlder The 10 hornes signifye 10 kinges to aryse out and to spring vp out of this beast and after them there shall aryse a'nother litle one distinct and mightier then the former For he shall oppresse and castedowne 3 kings For he shall speke at the syde of the most highest god or speke on his parte of diuine things But the highe holy saitis he shall tangle snarle or destroye And shall arrogantly take vpoÌ„ him to change tymes and lawes which shal be put in to his handis whether it be for
office and dewty is to geue thankis to god for the frutes and shadewe of their tree and serue and obeye their prince praying incessantly for him And albeit the golden head and this fayer tree signi fyed the babyloni monarchie and kyng yet perteineth this doctryne vnto euery em â–ª 〈…〉 and prince yet lyuing which doinge his office is the very golden gifte most flourisshing frutefull tree of god Secondarily where he seeth the spedy watcher and holy aungell so haastely descending c. He monissheth the kynge warning him of the iugement of god and of his owne humiliacion and deiection For the voice of the holy watcher was y e sentence and decree of the most hygh god against the kynge which vseth his aungels thus to serue kynges and all good men which are sayd to come downe that they shulde knowe manifestly whether ther were so great arrogancye securite and ingratitude in the kynge or no as in Gene. 11. The lorde speaketh lykewyse of y e Sodomits I will go downe see whether the noyse which is comen vp to me be done in dede And ayen when they had buylded the towr of babel The lorde went downe to se the cyte which phrase of speche lerne all iuges to not be to swyft in sentence geuing but before all things diligently to serche oute and knowe the cause Here therfore first came downe the aungels and knewe the arrogancye negligent securite of the kynge Wherfore they 〈…〉 kut downe the tree That is to saye cast downe the kyng from his dignite and honour and let him be humbled Then was he for his melancholyâ— furye and haastines cast oute of his realme of his owne nobles which was for that tyme his confusion destruccion And now he not being aknowledged of his nobles nor of his comoÌ„s it is verefyed his branches to be 〈…〉 of both greate bowes and small twigges and all bothe his birdes and beastis to flye from him oh meruelouse soden mutacion of y e hyghe hande of god by his iust iugemeÌ„t to lese his subiects because himself wold not be a subiect vnto God which because now he lyued a beasily barbarosse lyfe beinge mad aâ—â— out of his witte he was counted worthely with beastis as to eate lyke meat with them to lye wett in stormes without to be associated with them his heare his nayles ouer growne his bodye made harde and wrinccled with cold and heate And that by seuen tymes that is half an heb domade euen thre yeres and an halfe For the persians diuide the yeare into 2. tymes that is into wynter somer or 7. tymes is taken for y e iust complete tyme sufficieÌ„t for his punishmeÌ„t geuen of god And here be we lerned y e holy a waking aungels to be the kepers of godly kinges their realmes in al their wayes as saith the Psal. The aungell of the lorde bullworketh rownd aboute y e godly Hitherto perteineth the examples of godly kinges of whom there was euer but a fewe euen in y e peple of god wytnes Iesus Syrache 49. Also the holy watching aungels do threaten plages vnto vngodly emâ—… and princes as ye here see him crye kutdowne the tree where ye see the example of arrogaÌ„t prowde ingrate negligeÌ„t princes transgressours of gods lawes and the nowmber of them to be great in the peple of god vnto whom their destruccioÌ„ is tolde them before of the prophets As saide â—onâ—s to the king of y e Niniuites There be yet but. 40. dayes before thy destruccion At laste we be lerned god to mitigat the plages to the trwe repentaÌ„te as biddeth the holy watcher the stok with the rotes to remayne that is his kingdom not vtterly to be destroyd yf he repente example of Niniue wihch repentant was reserued For the watchinge holy aungell sayde Thy kyngdom shall stand sâ—ill to the as long as thou aknowlegest the power and dominion therof to be of God So that in fine he saith no nother wais to be to conserue a kingdom but to abyde in the feare of god as testify eth the. 33. Psal. of all kings princes worthy to be lerned The sermon of daniel is the some of y e hole diuine scripture Iesus to witnes euen the mouthe of god commandinge to preche the lawe gospel thus saing preache ye in my name repentaÌ„ce and remission The counsel of daniel is the worde of god as it is clere by dauid daniels brother in cryste saing The worde of god is my counseller As daniel hath taught vs so it behoueth vs to teche other as saith Paul diuyde trwely imparte the worde of god to other wherfore wheÌ„ daniel wysshed that his counsel might please y e kinge he wolde teche the kinge no nother waye to eskape the wrathe of god to come then by repentaÌ„ce accordinge to the lawe and so to beleue all his symes to be forgeuen him for and thorowe onely the faith and confiâ—â—â—â—â— of the mercy of god promised in cryste Herof may the godly sprited be led into the knowledge of the other iugements of god For god nowe punissheth to amende vs w c shal at last if we amende not plage vs to punisshe vs. Nowe he seeth the figge tee planted in the vyne yarde he coming to seke therof frute none fynding biddeth y e vyne keper kut it downe saing wherfore occupieth it the grownde vnto whome he answerthe Sir let it yet this yere growe vntill I haue digged it aboute dunged the rote And if it bringe forthe frute it shal stonde orelis let it be kut down The vnthrifty sone taketh his fathers substance and spendeth it vicioeâ—sly at last was compelled to come to the hoggis troffe for hunger but aftirwarde he repented him remembring his fathers benignite and so he retourning home is receiued withe grete ioye Let vs conferre these lyke parables with this storye And we shal lerne our first parent 〈…〉 created of god to haue bene in so highe a dignite that he might haue bene compared with the aungels reching to heuen for that he was so excellently 〈…〉 with glorye innocencye beinge sewer immortal and lorde of the creatures of the erth of the sea and ayer made vnto the image of god But yet did this vnhappy felicite make him forgete god his maker and as an vnprofitable tree to be kut out of paradise But yet abode the stok in the rotes and in criste was his dignite conserued yea and encreased to in that he repented And euen thus haue we ourselfs lost our kyngdom loking for greuouser punishment vnlesse we obeye this most holsom counsell of daniel which couÌ„sell also all the scripture geueth vs and cryst exhorteth vs ernestly therunto Onely the deuyl reclameth and shutteth vp the bowels of mercye oure myndis he puffeth vp and entyseth vnto vnrightwysnes to make vs his perpetuall captiues The hebrwe text hath redeme thy
and to defende the good Wherfore here doth Daniel by the whightnes of cryste his vesture and purenes of his heare describe his confortable defence of the good men For as he in his whight clothes clarifyed in his transfiguracion and also rysing from death apered ioyouse and glad to the heuey peniteÌ„t synners euen so shall he make glad his glorifyed chosen once rysen from death with this voyce Come ye y t blessed of my father c. Siche a beutye of the chirche in cryst is paynted also in the. 45. psal but it is not sene in this miserable vale of weping teres as Ioan sayth we be not yet sene as we shal be The heuey vengeance of the euyll men is paynted by y e flammye trone long fyery beames procedinge therout For deuouering fyer shall go before him and a burninge flame aftir him Ioele to wytnes and as cryst arysing was sene so terrible to y e kepers of his sepulcre euen so shall he apere a ferrefull iuge to all vngodly in the last iugement saynge auoyd fro me ye cursed into eternall fyer Also y e multitude of mynisters is taken for his infinite noumber of aungels as Mat. 25. saith all the aungels shall come downe with him To sit in iugement is to rendre to euery one accordinge to their dedis as speketh Paul Nether is it any thing els the bokes to be opened then that Paul saith In that daye god shall laye open y e secrete hid thingis of menis hertis by Iesu cryst according to my gospell Wherfore there is no difference betwixt daniel and Paul saue that as they both wrote not in one tyme so did they not with the same wordis expresse the same iugement of cryst Then I behelde namely for the voyce of those stoute great word is which the horne spake and I loked so longe tyll the beast was taken awaye and his body slayne and the beast casten into the fyer But the â— other beastis yet left deposed their power to them was there graunted longer to lyue vnto their prefixed tyme. Hytherto haue we treated the descripcion of the iugement into the consolacion of the chirche militant Now shall ye lerne iii. thinges in the declaracion of this prophecye First he teacheth vs not to be offended nor in oure trouble to cast away all hope seing these anticrystis the pope with his coniured hornes and the Turke with his Mahumete thus to prospere in their mischeif Secondly he therfore threateneth death and destruccion to all these anticrysten beastis At last he conforteth the chirche beinge yet as a shepe apointed to the slaughter howse with a newe descripcion of crystis coming For what thinke ye shal be the ende of this oure troublose tragedy shall we be thus euer persecuted shall these sharpe heuey hornes always goore vs thus cruelly will not god come once downe and declare his rightwysenes will he neuer auenge the iniuriouse oppressions persecucioÌ„s of his iuste and chosen chirche Aftir oure many and greuouse affliccioÌ„s daniel seeth a newe and greate change I loked sayth he namely for that arrogant great voyce of so blasphemouse wordis which the horne spake I merueled whether god wolde leaue so great wykednes vnpunisshed and wolde neglect the glory of his name He wolde not so long suffre it in Sennacherib he punisshed it anon in Pharao he was anoÌ„ euen within Goliath and with all his blasphemers in tymes past And shall he now suffer thus long his chosen derely beloued to be thus cruelly for his sake brent and slayne and his gloriouse name thus so spightfully blasphemed Daniel loked vpon y e long pacient suffering of God not once turninge his eyes from him vntyll he sawe his iugement at hande and the iugement seatis set downe We may not therfore behold the onely tribulacions of the iust which may sone thrust vs into desperacion but we must sett the iustice of god before oure eyes wayt for the apointed happy helpe in tyme of tribulacion promised vs and the greate rewardis prepared for all that iustely fight in his cause Daniel merueled to what ende the false doctryne and prowd wordis of anticryst wold come and where at last he shulde abyde He sawe that in the last ende of y e worlde these Anticrystis shulde haue in their affayers great prosperouse successe the emperours and kinges to bring home gloriouse and happye victories the pope to gather home great ryches noble victores hyghe and solempne tytles and his doctryne and lawes to be fered greatly and receyued ouer all crystendom emperours and kings mightely to assist and defende them He sawe the Turkis dominion to sprede mightely and his doctryne to take place wyde and euery where With these prosperouse successes many men what for weaknes what for hypocrisye what for fere and the anguisshe of their persecucions be auerted from the gospell of peace vnto these anticrysten actis articles false doctryne popish rytes supersticioê° ceremonies and vnto their deuyllish tradicions and many vnto Mahumets mischeif Wherfore he premonissheth vs to be consiant and to hold fast in mynde the last iugement that is the glorye of the godly to come and the paynes eternall of the vngodly so resting vpon godis worde in oure ferueÌ„t prayers that for the gretenes of the euerlasting ioyeand felicite we maye nothing fere ne regard the infinite troubles of all oure lyfe Hytherto loked Paul when he sayd I thinke not the sufferings of this lyfe to be wortheily coÌ„ pared to the glory to come which shall be reueled in vs. Now will we speake of the coÌ„minacions cast vpon these beastis Where Daniel saith I loked vntyll I sawe the beast slayne and his body smyten downe dead and casten into the fyer and the power of the other beastis there left taken awaye he threateneth not onely to this last beaste the empyre of Rome with his spirituall Pope his hole bodye and all their x. helpinge hornes agaynst the lorde and his anointed euerlastinge death and destruccion but he also in these wordis threteneth the same miserable ende vnto y e Turkish or Saracenik kingdom for the lambe shall haue the victory as it is wryten in the Apoca. 17. 19. chap And I sawe the beast and the kings of y e erth and their hoostes gathered togyther to make warre with the kinge of kinges and with his hoost but the beast with his false prophetes were taken c. where Ioan expowneth y e bodye of the beast to be his holy cardinals bisshops doctours prethers his cananized saynts and miracle makers to deceyue the peple and all the smered preistis hauinge the beastis mark which haue worshiped the image of this beast Also in the. xx chap. The deuyll is casten into a ponde of fyer and brimsâ—on where the beast and hir false prophetâ— shal be tormented daye and night for euer This beast so perissheth that there foloweth nomo aftir him