presence shall bryng vnto some bryghtenesse wyth it and to other punyshement payne For he shall come wyth glory and power so that nother hys glorye shall wante power nor yet his presence be without glorye For it followeth that hys cōmyng shall not alonly be fearfull vnto the wycked but gladde also and gloryous to the godly He shall come sayeth he to be glorifyed in hys sayntes As though he wolde saye when he shall come for to rendre vengeaūce vnto the wycked he shall shew him selfe gloryous vnto the sayntes also and make theyr vyle bodyes lyke vnto hys gloryous bodye for the which cause he shal be maruaylous in al thē that beleue who then shall prayse and magnifye hys so great goodnes and power And thys shal be so sayeth he because that ye beleued our wytnesse that is our preachynge whych I preached vnto you tellyng you that that shuld come to passe whych God shall do in that day Ther are which thynke that these wordes because that ye beleued oure testymony are put in by a Parenthesis and that to declare who be the true beleuers that is to saye such as geue credence to the Apostles wytnesse Saynt Ambrose sayeth that it may be expounded two wayes For he shall come sayeth he to punysh the euell and glorifye the good For he shall seme and shew hym selfe gloryous and maruelous toward them that beleue after the ensample and fayth of the Apostles at what tyme they shal be crowned with glory the Gospell bearyng wytnesse vnto thē in the day of the LORDE And he shall appeare to the vnfaythfull a sore and heuy Iudge at suchtyme as they shall begynne to fele the bytternesse of euerlastynge payne For the glorye of the mayster is a reioyce and in maner of a crowne vnto the disciples and hys truthe the extreme payne and mysery of the vnbeleuers because they beleued not the true preachers Vvherfore vve praye alvvayes for you that oure God vvyll counte you vvorthy of thys callynge and fulfyll euery good purpose to goodnes and the vvorke of fayth in povver that the name of our LORD Iesus Christ may be glorifyed by you and ye by hym thorovve the grace of our God and LORDE Iesus Christe To harde thynges he alwayes addeth prayer For faythe it selfe and the reuerence that we owe vnto God do teach vs that thorowe prayer we owghte to go aboute to optayne the chefe gyftes of God And we shuld praye wythoute ceassynge For S. Paule sayeth We praye alwayes for you And what we shulde praye or desyre it followeth That oure God wyll counte you worthy of thys callyng What callynge I pray you The same no doubt wherwyth he shall call the blessed into hys kyngdome sayenge Cōme ye blessed chyldren of my father possesse the kyngdome that is prepared for you from the begynnynge of the worlde Math. xxv Compare now thys place wyth that Ye suffre that ye myghte be counted worthy of the kyngdome of God and ye shall perceaue that the fre grace of God maketh vs worthy of the kyngdome of God For yf oure merites make vs worthy what nede wer ther to praye the LORD that he wolde coūte vs worthy of hys callyng That worthynesse therfore hangeth vpon the fre liberalite of God After thys we must praye that God wyl fulfyll all oure good purposes to goodnes That is that accordyng to hys goodnesse wherew t he loueth vs he wyll fortunatly perfourme that which he hath begōne in vs. For he that cōtinueth vnto the ende shal be safe Math. xxiiii It is not vnlike to this the followeth That he wyll fulfyll the worke of fayth in power That is that he wyll make oure fayth perfect thorow constaūcy strēgth of mynd the which thinge once put into our myndes by God ouercōmeth all aduersityes Last of all we must praye that the name of oure Lorde not oure name may be glorifyed through our hope that he may glorifye vs in his cōmynge that is make vs safe in soule body He addeth thorowe the grace of oure God Lorde Iesus Chrste monishynge vs that all these thynges do depēde vpō the grace of god not of our own merite Thys is also to be marked that in this place also he doth in al thinges make the sōne equal to the father wherevpō it followeth that the vnite of God in the trinite is ryghtely defended of vs. I besech you brethrē by the cōming of oure Lorde Iesus Christ and for our assemble in hym that ye be not sodēly moued frō your mynd and be not troubled nother by sprite nother by vvord nor yet by epistle vvhich shulde seme to come from vs as though the day of Christe vvere at hande Let noman deceaue you by ony meanes Some mē vnderstode by the fourth chapter of hys fyrst epistle the the cōmynge of the Lorde vnto iudgmēt the resurrection of the dead was euē thē at hāde Ther were also many deceauers which affirmed planely that the ende of all thynges was than come Euē as ther lacke none now adayes of the secte of the Anabaptistes which come where as is great resort of people ceasse not to crye that the daye of iudgmēt is at hāde But Paule in thys place doth shewe what muste go before the cōmynge of the LORDE wyth what foresygnes and thynges man ought to be warned before And he doth very properly beseche the Thessalonians by that same thynge in whiche they erred that is to saye by the cōmynge of the LORDE of the which he hath hetherto spokē and in the fyrst chapter also Furthermore he exhorteth thē by the vnite concorde whiche we the mēbres haue wyth the heade Iesus Christe For we seme to be plucked from thys holy bodye as oft as we haue no ryght opynion of the heade or health of the mēbres And he besecheth them that they be not sodenly moued from theyr mynde that is from the true vnderstondynge and godly mynde Erasmus Be not sodenly moued sayeth he from your mynde yf that hys commynge be deferred But the playner exposycion followeth Be not of that mynde and iudgement that ye shuld thynke the daye of the LORDE to be nowe at hande Nother be ye troubled And to be troubled is to be amased in the mynde to be afeared and to be destitute of counsell and helpe After that he reherseth diuers maner of wayes by whiche the congregacions are troubled Thre special causes o◠troublynge of the congregaciōs The fyrst is the sprete that is a reuelacion prophecie or tellynge of thynges to come with the whiche certayne moost vngracious knaues haue deceaued many bostynge thē selues to haue the sprete of God where as they were led wyth euell lustes The Montanystes and the Valentyniās which before tyme wer endued with such a sprete as Ireneus and Eusebius haue wrytten dyd greatlye deceaue the symple people as the Anabaptistes do nowe The second waye to trouble the churches is worde that is doctryne commyng forth
hys procuremente We maye thanke hys couÌ„sell and crafte that here wythin thys .xxxvi. yeares we haue sene the strengthe of moost stronge nacions that is to saye of the Heluecians Germanes Frenchmen and Spanyardes after they haue bene broken to haue fallen now into the kyngdome of Naples nowe in the dukdome of Myllan somtyme into other kyngedomes theyr kynges or prynces banyshed or els ledde into captyuyte mans lawes Goddes lawes plucte vp by the rootes good studye oppressed moost noble cyties subuerted and plentyfull contryes vtterly destroyed to be shorte ther was none age spared I do wyllynglye passe ouer many thynges of the same sorte whyche the membres of thys Byshoppe and the Ecclesiasticall prelates wyth theyr companions haue done in dyuers partyes of the world and in many kyngdomes and prouynces to the greate hurte of the coÌ„mune welthe and of all goodnesse and specyally of the truthe The prudente reader dothe well vnderstonde by these thynges whych I haue noted what he shulde do beleue or flye Antichristes sygnes and how his religioÌ„ hath ben greatly estabyshed by them Nowe ther are two maner of sygnes true and false Those are true whyche are done in dede and sprynge oute of no phantasye or imagynacion but are wrought of God hym selfe by hys mynysters for the stablyshynge of the truthe Suche are all the sygnes of the prophetes and Apostles of Moses of Christe And those are false whyche by the sufferaunce of God are done by the mynysters or workynge of Satan to the derogacion of the truthe or stablyshyng of falshed And of these ther are diuerse kindes For ther are some whyche by a false appearauÌ„ce do deceaue men Ther are other whyche are done in very dede as they seme to be but for thys purpose that they myghte leade men away from the truthe vnto erroure For the holy Apostle doth not call them onely lyenge sygnes and wonders whych haue a false symilitude or appearauÌ„ce with theÌ„ but those also whyche althoughe they be done in very dede do yet brynge men vnto lyes and deceaue the lokers on S. Augustine hath disputed more of sygnes In opere octoginta trium questionum quest LXXIX Our LORD Iesus sayeth in the xxiiii chapter of Mathewe Ther shall aryse false Christes and false prophetes and they shall do greate sygnes and wonders insomuche that yf it were possyble the very electe shulde be brought in to erroure Beholde I haue shewed you before Yf they saye vnto you beholde he is in the wyldernesse go not out beholde he is in secrete places beleue theÌ„ not c. Truely greate authoryte happened vnto Machometes relygion throughe lyenge sygnes and wonders Nother yet hath the estymacion of the Byshoppe of Romes relygioÌ„ encreassed by ony thyng so much as by the multytude of myracles For by myracles hath he thrust into the worlde the honourynge of sayntes and worshyppyng of ymages For no man can well expresse the wonderous craftes In this plaâ—e the author of the commeÌ„te called Henricus Bullingerus of Tigury had put in dyuers pylgremages of hys owne contrye In the flede of whyche because they were vnknowen to vs I haue set in these of oure olde acquayntauÌ„ce withoute ony al alteracioÌ„ of the intent that he brought them in for wherwith the deuel hath deceaued the whole worlde They that haue at ony tyme vysyted our Ladye at Wylsoon Muswell Ypswyche or Walsyngame the roode of comforte the roode of rest the roode of grace in Kente S. saueoure at London S. Thomas of Canterbury or suche lyke Idolles they haue sene tables oblacions and more testymonyes of myracles theÌ„ a great nauye of shyppes coulde carye awaye For some one hathe crepte into the chappell of oure Lady or some other saynte bothe croked lame and there hath made hys petycion to an Image and came home agayne in good healthe and therefore in wytnes of thys thynge hath hanged vp hys styltes before the Idolle Another hath swymmed safe to lande froÌ„ a shyppewracke after he hath called vpon the helpe of some saynte therfore hanged a table or a fygure of a shyppe before the Image The thyrde escapynge of an hoost of men of warre made a vowe vnto the virgyn Marye and dyd therfore dedicate hys harnesse vnto her Some other after they haue broken out of preson haue consecrate vnto a sayncte ether a cheyne or manacles or els a payre of fetters Then came it to passe at length that not alonly those temples but all churches of Christen men were polluted wyth such delusions These false sygnes occupyed the mooste holy seates in Christes churche out of whyche the sygnes and truthe of the Gospell oughte to haue ben declared For oute of suche places were these moost vnshamefast lyes pronounced and shewed wyth greate boldnes of the preachers and wonderous reioycynge of the moost foolyshe people What shall we say that men haue sayde that the very Images themselues haue ether remoued out of theyr places or els haue ben sente of God hymselfe froÌ„ heaueÌ„ or els where as they haue ben hyd in certayn places they haue come to lyght agayn Some haue laught and some haue wepte other haue trembled geuen forth beames out of them yee sometyme they or theyr beardes haue woÌ„derfully groweÌ„ in length or bygnesse somtyme they were gone clene awaye alone and many tymes they haue spoken And it was lawfull for no man to doubte or els frelye that is to saye truely to talke of these thynges yee a man had stonde in daunger of hys lyfe yf he had not worshyppped and receaued these wyckednesses as thynges that had come from God hym selfe and set forthe to be worshypped Antichriste that Byshop of Rome not beynge coÌ„tente wyth these abhominable thynges and wyth the exteme superstycion and manyfeste Idolatry of the people dyd almoste euery day consecrate new Gods that is as they call it canonysed them dyd ether institute new pylgrimages or els confirme suche as were inuented or receaued alreadye he chose oute relyques of the moost stynkyng and wycked mens bones and sette them forthe to be worshypped yee promysed pardon to the worshyppers of them and commaunded holydayes for those fayned Goddes lefte nothynge vndone which myghte encreace norysh or set forth Idolatrye and dyd so corrupte the true relygion that the very Gentyles were neuer muche more corrupte Besyde thys the prouable appearaunce and wounderous estymacioÌ„ of false myracles dyd deceaue all the wysest men in a maner How many good people haue ben deceaued lyke wyse with the fayned myracles of the holy maydens of ReÌ„t Ipswych It lacked but lytle that we were not compelled to haue worshypped in the steade of true sygnes myracles of God the sygnes wonders whyche certayne blacke frerers coÌ„secrate to the deuell had wyckedlye done in the cytye of Berne in Nuchtlande not wythoute the helpe of wytchcrafte you may be sure They wente already about the confyrmacion and approbacion of the
contrary wyse Wherevpon we reade in the Gospell that to the ryche glutton it was sayde Sonne remembre that thou in thy lyfe tyme receauedeste thy pleasure contrarye wyse Lazarus payne Nowe therfore he is refreshed and thou arte tormēted It differeth nothyng frome thys that we reade in the fourthe chapter of the boke of Sapiēce And these thynges truly are to be layd vp in the remembraunce of the faythfull to the intente that in tyme of aduersyte we myght perseuer in truth and ryghteousnes A true sayenge agaynst the tentacions of the deuell For the prosperyte of wycked men whiche they haue in thys world and on the the other syde the trouble of holy mē theyr moost infortunate estate do greatly vexe our myndes for to caste of the kyngdome of God and embrace thys presente worlde Let vs remembre therfore the ryghteous iudgemēt of God and the chaunge of all thynges Forsothe ther were in the tyme of the Prophetes contemners of God and louers of thys worlde which after the maner of our men commendynge the felicite of the wycked and scornynge or condēnynge the perylles that sayntes are in sayde Men serue God in vayne for ther commeth no profyte by that we haue kept hys commaundementes And we se that prowde men and subtyll persons are happy and they that do wyckednes to spede well and to be shorte that suche are safe as do tēpte God And what other thynge is it that men nowe adayes do obiecte agaynste the true worshypers of God what good haue ye gottē by your belefe saye they But what doth Malachie answere The LORDE gaue hede and herde thys and ther was a boke of remēbraunce wrytten before the LORDE ye shall se in tyme to cōme that ther is great differēce betwene the ryghteous the wycked betwene the seruaūte of God the despyser of hym Malachie the .iii. chapter Vvhan the LORDE Iesus shall shevve hymselfe from heauē vvith his myghty angelles in flamynge fyre rendryng vengeaunce vnto them that knovve not god and to them that obey not vnto the Gospell of oure LORDE Iesus Christe vvhiche shal be punished vvith euerlastynge dāpnacyon from the presence of the LORDE and from the glorye of hys povver vvhā he shall come to be glorifyed in hys sayntes and to be made maruelous in all thē that beleue because our testimony that vve had vnto you vvas beleued in that same daye He doth here paynt and wyth expresse and very notable wordes sette forthe before our eyes the commyng of the LORD Iesus and the maner of the iudgemenete The same cōmynge shal be vnto all sayntes very acceptable and moost beste welcome and to the vngodly very sowre and sorowful And euery word hath his strēgth and pythe Nowe saythe he the matter goeth all by wordes But whan the ende of all thynges shall come those thynges shall apeare manyfestly of which all sayntes haue disputed so long many yeares For the LORDE Iesus hymselfe to whōe all power is geuen in heauen in earth and to whome all iudgement belongeth shall apeare in a corporall fourme and lykenes for to iudge all fleshe And nowe doth he descrybe the behaueour of thys myghtye Iudge that vnto all hys enemyes shal be so terryble and so desyrous and longed for of hys frendes He shall comme I saye frome heauen not nowe as once crepynge vppon the earthe nor yet lowe and despysed as he appeared in hys fyrste cōmyng But cōpassed about wyth the hoost of angelles For we reade in Daniell the .vii A thousande thousandes mynistred vnto hym tenne thousand tymes tenne thousande stode before hym And therfore euē as a myghty kyng beynge apoynted with a chosen stronge hooste of men doth sett vpon hys enemy so shall the LORDE Iesus vse the mynisterye of angels in subduynge of the wycked mayntenaunce of the godly Therfore doth he call them the myghty angels of God as he wold saye they by whō god doth exercyse hys power or myghte Nother shall he thē come forth gently pleasaunte and for to heale the vnruly but be armed with horryble and flamynge fyre The Apostle Peter beareth wytnesse also that the LORDE shall iudge the world by fyre .ii. Petri .iiii. And the Prophete Dauid descrybynge that maner of Christes cōmyng to iudgement Psal xviii sayeth Fyre shal go forth before him he shall sende forth hys arowes skatter thē he shal cast oute lyghtenynges destroy thē And Daniel A fyry flowde brake forth sayeth he wēt out frō his syghte Furthermore Paul doth in playne wordes declare whō the LORD shal destroy at his cōmynge He shall of his wrath rēdre vēgeaūce vnto thē which knew not god or at the lest wold not know god which followynge the world regarded not hys preceptes obeyed not the Gospell of oure LORDE Iesus Christe Which thyng agreeth very well to the matter that is now in hāde For the Thessaloniās obeyed the Gospell suffered persecuciō for it It was swete therfore to heare that theyr obedience shuld be healthfull vnto thē to theyr aduersaries that persecuted thē damnable For he repetyng agayn the same thyng whiche he had sayd euē now in other wordes which shal be punyshed sayeth wyth euerlastynge damncion For euē so doth he rendre vengeaūce vnto thē For he punysheth these contēpners when he appoynteth them vnto euerlastynge fyre For so we reade in Daniell also the xii chapter Many that slepe in the duste of the earth shall waken some to eternall lyfe and some to shame and euerlastynge fyre After the same maner also dothe the iudge geue sentence Math. xxv Departe fro me ye cursed chyldren into euerlastynge fyre which is prepared for the deuel and hys angels they shall go into euerlastynge payne And S. Ambrose sayth excellently wel The wycked shall haue the paynes whiche are due vnto them that is they shall euermore fele eternall confusyon and yet shall neuer wholy fayle that the payne it selfe myghte engendre renew them after a certayn maner wherby they may euer from tyme to tyme be as it were consumed Therfore they deceaue and are deceaued as many as do promyse themselues delyueraunce out of hell and do fayne that after the day of iudgemente wycked men also shall be forgeuen The whych thynge men saye the Orygen thought I wote nere how truly but it is sure the certayne of the Anabaptystes haue taught this openlye But out of thys place it apeareth howe falsely and wyckedly For the vngodly shall peryshe by euerlastyng death From the presence of the LORDE that is whē the LORDE commeth from the glory of hys power that is when he shall come gloriously for to shewe hys power strength vnto good and euell For wyth these wordes sayeth Theophylactus he sheweth howe easy it is for God to punyshe nether shall it be harde for hym to punyshe because that rebellious and obstynate people shal be tormented euē wyth the very syghte of hym And the diuine
of a lyuyng voyce the whiche yf it be decked with eloquente and apparaunte wordes it is moost pestylente The thyrde way is a couÌ„terfayte Epistle or some wrytynge garnyshed with a false inscrypcion or tytle as S. Ambrose testified False deceauers are wouÌ„te that they myghte the sooner deceaue for to fayne an Epistle vnder the name of some noble wryter to the intente that the authoryte of the maÌ„ may set forth that which can not be receaued by theÌ„ selues And it can not be spokeÌ„ howe shamefully the certayne vnthryftye knaues throughe thys crafte haue mocked the churche of God whyche haue thruste in amonge vs many bokes many epistles workes as though they had come froÌ„ the Apostles or apostolicall men orels from wryters that were noble and excellente in authoryte learnynge holynes whiche for all that they neuer knew or coulde aproue yf they were yet alyue For ther are abrode certayne canones of the Apostles certayn Epistles of apostolyke men yet many lytle bokes also vnder the name of Augustine Ambrose which these men neuer sawe What shal I say of certayne sermoÌ„s garnyshed with the tytle of Cypriane Augustine The neglygence of the age that is passed the couetousnes of wryters prynters with the ygnoraunce vnshamfastnes of theÌ„ was so greate that noman can deteste it to muche They that haue redde the wryttynges of the olde doctoures and haue sene ony of Erasmus iudgementes vpon the workes of Ierome Austen do vnderstaÌ„de what I say And yet shalt thou fynde meÌ„ which thorowe the helpe of this place wyll thrust into the churche of God euery thyng that they lust Obiectyng that all thynges necessary to true godlynes are not wrytteÌ„ in the scryptures because the mencion is made here of the sprete of the worde and of the Epistle by the whiche a more perfayte doctryne myghte be delyuered to the worlde then to come But these men do not se that thys same place doth monyshe vs that men shulde not be drawen awaye frome theyr mynde that is the wholsome faythe once receaued through theyr tradicions whiche beynge couered wyth the cloke of the sprete of the worde or of a decretall epistle these men do caste vnto vs as Apostolike and moost holy doctryne For after thys maner they do auaunce only set forthe vnto vs bothe theyr popysh masses all other thynges which they can not proue by the testymonye of scryptures affyrmynge that they were institute by the tradycion of the Apostles and afterwarde confyrmed by the Epistles of Apostolyke men and by the reuelacion of the holy gooste Let vs beware therfore of these rauenynge woulues whyche beynge clothed wyth shepes clothynge do come for to spoile for to trouble to deuoure Let vs kepe faythfully the meanyng of Christ with the holsome and Apostolycall poyntes of true vndefyled relygion then shall nomaÌ„ deceaue vs by ony meanes That learned maÌ„ Tertulyan hath spoken more of thys matter in hys boke that he made of the banyshmeÌ„t of Heretykes For the LORDE commeth not excepte ther come a departyng fyrst and that that synfull man be opened the lost chyld vvhich is an aduersary and is exalted aboue al that is called God or vvorshypped so that he shall syt in the temple of God auauncynge hymselfe as God Do ye not remembre that vvheÌ„ I vvas yet vvith you I tolde you these thynges The LORDE shall not come excepte that ther come a departynge â—yrste Ye thynke sayeth he that the daye of the coÌ„myng of the LORDE is nowe at hande but ye are deceaued brethren For excepte ther come a departynge fyrst the LORDE shall not come Excepte therefore that ther come a departynge fyrste that Antichriste do raygne Christe shall not come vnto iudgemeÌ„t Therfore the departyng raygne of Antichriste or rather tyraÌ„ny shall go before the day of iudgemeÌ„t And here he dothe descrybe Antichriste hys kyngdome at large We shall touche euery thynge wyth a coÌ„pendious brefenes comparynge that whiche Daniel spake of thys matter with these thynges For it semeth that the Apostle toke muche of hys out of hym And fyrste we wyll speake of the departynge Departing Departynge is here taken after suche a maner as whan a man doth slyde backe or fayle from hys author or prynce Saynt Ambrose doth expounde it of the diuydynge of the kyngdome of the Romaynes and of the departyng of other kyngdomes froÌ„ it Other haue interpreted it of the departyng of fayth of the whiche the Apostle spake i. Timo. iiii sayenge The sprete speaketh euydentlye that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the fayth geuyng hede vnto spretes of erroure and deuelyshe doctrynes c. But both coÌ„meth to one effecte as touchynge the substaunce of the matter For when that same last monarchye or kyngdome beganne to be diuided through the departynge of certayne kyngdomes from it then began the Christen relygion and fayth to be corrupted and peruerted also by them which gaue hede vnto spretes of erroure deuelyshe doctrynes And by the same laste monarchie or kyngdoÌ„ is ment the empyre of Rome For Daniell in hys .vii. Chapter After .iii. myghty kyngdomes that is to saye of the BabyloniaÌ„s Perses and the Macedonyans addeth to the fourthe that is the Romaynes I sawe sayeth he in a vysion by nyght and beholde the fourthe beaste was grymme and horryble and maruaylous stronge it had greate yron tethe it deuoured and destroyed and stamped the resydue vnder hys fete it was farre vnlyke to other beastes that were before it For it hadde tenne hornes I marked the hornes and beholde ther came vp amonge them an other lytle horne before whome ther were thre of the fyrste hornes plucked awaye Beholde thys horne had eyes lyke the eyes of a man and a mouthe speakynge presumptuouse thynges Hytherto haue we rehersed the wordes of Daniell And after he had desyred to knowe the meanyng of this vysioÌ„ he herde thys answere The fourth beaste shal be the fourth kyngdome vpon the earthe it shal be greater then all other kyngdomes it shall deuoure treade downe and destroye all the worlde The ten hornes are tenne kyngdomes that shall aryse out of the kyngdom after whom ther shall stonde vp another whyche shall be greater then the fyrste shall subdue thre kynges and so forth S. Ierome declarynge this place of the Prophet The Empyre of Rome doth expounde it of the empyre of Rome sayeng He coÌ„pared the kyngdome of the Romanes vnto no beast named it not to the intent that what cruelte more theÌ„ other we dyd suppose in the beastes we shuld vnderstonde that of the Romaynes And surely thys empyre hath subdued and waysted all the worlde not beynge alonly vnlyke vnto other kyngdomes in the settynge vp gouernaunce of the kyngdom but also in cruelnes streÌ„gth fearcenes For what nacioÌ„s hath it not wasted with fyre sweard vtterly destroyed brought them in to bondage and as it were
a full and wanton beaste trode them vnder hys fete For the which cause Mitridates the kyng of PoÌ„tus as Iustinus dyd note out of Trogus Pompeius was wonte to say of the Romaynes That they dyd trulye boste that theyr fyrste begynners or auncetters were brought vp with woulues mylke because that all the people of Rome had wolues myndes neuer full of bloude euer gredy gapynge after dominioÌ„ ryches Also Plinius in the .vii. boke of his natural hystory the .xxv. chap. sayth of Iulius Cesar Iulius Cesar He fought in playn felde fyftye tymes he only passed Marcus Marcellus a captayne of the Romaynes also whych yet had pytched fyghten .xxxix. battayles For besydes hys vyctoryes ouer cyties trulye I wolde not speake to hys prayse of eleueÌ„ C.xcii M. men that were slayne by hym in battayles Also the greate iniury that mankynd suffred by hym whyche thynge to be true he hymselfe confessed although he made no mencion of hys destruction in cyuile warres The selfe same Plinius in the .xxvi. chapter wytnesseth that in the temple of Minerua was a table hanged vp brefly coÌ„taynyng the actes of Gneus Pompeius the greate which he had done in the Easte partes Gneus PoÌ„peâ—â—â— in these wordes followynge Gneus Pompeius the greate Emperoure guyder of the Romaynes hooste in the tyme of hys warres which contynued .xxx. yeares dyd beate down put to flyghte slewe and toke to mercye twenty hundreth lxxxiii thousand men he bowed and toke .viii. hundreth .xlvi. shyppes he had yeldyd vnto hym a M. CCCCC.xxxviii townes and castels and subdued all the contrye from the water of Meotis vnto the reede see And the title or inscrypcion of hys tryumphe had the thyrde daye of the kalendes of October Marcus Messala Marcus Piso beynge coÌ„sules was thys When he had once rydde the see coostes of Pirates and had restored the Romaynes vnto theyr dominion whiche they had on the see he brought gloryous spoyles out of Asia PoÌ„tus Armenia Paphlagonia Capadocia Cilicia Syria froÌ„ the Scythians Iewes Albanes out of Iberia the I le of Creta and from the Basternes And besydes these he led vnto hys triumphe these two kynges Mytridates Tigranes We haue touched only the actes vyctories tryumphes of two Emperours we haue spoken nothynge yet of Scipions Fabyones Marius and Metellus nother yet of Lelius Sylla Lucullus Marcellus Crassus Paulus Aemilius Flaminius Sertorius Cornelius Cinna and Fymbria and of many noble men of thys sorte and degre by whose study feruencye ambycion couetousnes and desyre to beare rule To conclude by whose wylde cruelnes extreme tyrannye it came to passe that accordynge to the prophecye of Daniell all the world was deuoured destroyed and troden vnderfoote Ye haue now the mystery of that cruell beaste nowe shall we shewe what is sygnifyed by the ten hornes and what by the halfe horne that sprange vp amonge them and plucked awaye other thre hornes The nombre of ten signifyeth a multitude The diuydyng of the Empyre of Rome and the departyng froÌ„ it and hornes kyngdomes and it meaneth that the Empire of Rome shulde be diuided agayne in to many kyngdomes that is the thorow meÌ„s departynge froÌ„ it it shulde come to passe that manye kynges at once shulde rule in the Empyre of Rome The whiche thynge beganne to be aboute the tyme of Constantine the greate some gouernynge the kyngdomes of the Easte and some of the Weste And after that by processe of tyme manye nacions beganne to fall from it also takynge other kynges and princes vnto them Farthermore rude nacions brake in and that agaynst the Emperoure of Romes wyll yee and subduynge the Prouinces and kyngdomes of the Empyre of Rome they raygned strongly For those thynges are well knowen whiche wryters of storyes do tell of the Frenchemen Germaynes Lombardes and Perses And so are those thynges and storyes also whyche credyble auctoures bothe Grekes and Latins haue wrytten of the bloudye dominion of the Gothies Hunnies and Wandaies And after thys maner dyd tenne hornes sprynge oute of that beaste and the departynge was fulfylled of whyche the Apostle hath nowe spoken Of the spryngyngs vp of Antichrists Nowe shall we speake of the commynge vp of Antichriste that is to saye of the reuelacion of that synfull man Ther grewe vp a certayne foolyshe opynion that Antichriste shulde be one onely man the whyche shulde be borne in Babylon and of the trybe of Dan and that he shuld raygne certayne yeares to the greate hurte of the faythfull But the foolyshe men se not that Daniell dyd vnderstonde all the Kynges Emperoures or heade rulers of the Babylonians Perses Macedonyans and Romaynes vnder the names of one Lyon Beer Leoparde and other beastes Therfore it muste nedes be that he mente by that lytle horne that is to saye by Antichriste not some one onely man but an whole kyngedome and an whole bodye which shuld fyghte agaynst Christe with theyr lawes coÌ„stitucions maners strength Let vs therfore marke the wordes of the Prophete I marked the hornes sayeth he and behold another lytle horne came vp among theÌ„ before whom thre of the hornes were pluckyd awaye And agayn Another sayeth he shall aryse after them and shall be greater then the fyrste shall subdue thre kynges Ye haue nowe the mysterye and the exposicion of the same For the hornes do sygnifye the diuidynge and confusion of the kyngdomes And in thys confusion of thynges by lytle lytle sprynge the vp another kyngdome in the world whych doth subdue thre other kynges Let vs coÌ„pare wyth thys those thynges which the wrytters of hystoryes haue shewed Machomet of Arabia some sayde that he was of Pâ—â—â—â— Nowe Machomet of Arabia in the yeare of our LORDE .vi. hundreth and .xx that is to saye whyle ther was a maruaylous confusion of thynges both in the East and also in the West sprang vp in the tyme of Heraclius the Emperoure whyche as Volaterranus doth recyte out of a lybrarye came of a lowe stocke and beynge fatherlesse one Abdemonaples a man of the stocke of Ismaell boughte for his captiue and loued hym for hys fauoure and wytte for the whiche cause he made him a ruler ouer hys marchauÌ„dyse and busynesse TheÌ„ one Sergius a monke which for the secte of heresie fled oute of the cytie of Constantynople into Arabia endued hym with the heresie of Nestorius loued Machomet greatly for hys wytte In the meane season hys mayster dyed wythout chyldren leauynge behynde him muche ryches and his wyfe a wydowe of fyftye yeares of age whome Machomet maryed and after that she was dead he was made heyre and greatly encreased wyth ryches and beynge had in honoure wyth the foolyshe people by the counsell of Sergius beganne to call hym selfe the greate Prophet of God Therfore after that hys name was publyshed hys authoryte greatly augmented amonge hys people he made a law which he borowed partly of the Iewes partly of the
ChristeÌ„ yee and also of the Heythen and called it Alcoran And those that obeyed it he gaue them to name Sarracenes or Agarens and armed them agaynste the Perses Agaynste whom because he had metelye good fortune he beganne to be taken for a Prophete or a man of God And whan he had gotten hym great glorye he dyed after he had lyued .xl. yeares After hys death many prynces of that nacioÌ„ by succession when they had dyuyded the multytude or hoostes betwene them raygned some in one place and some in another And Homar the thyrde after Machomet after that he had subdued the Perses toke Ierusalem and all Syria about the yeare of our LORDE CCCCCC lxx Constantine the fourth then reygnyng After thys they that followed hym inuaded Egypte also and ordeyned Calypha to be ruler ouer it A man mâ—â—e reade more of the Sarracenes and of theyr kyngdome here and there amonge the wrytters of histories And the nacion of the Turkes commynge of the Scythyans warred vnder the Sarracenes in Asia toke theyr professioÌ„ and relygion of them from tyme to tyme as it were by hande from one to another euen as they toke of them also the greatest porcyoÌ„ of theyr Empyre kepe it to thys daye gettynge synce therto Asia Macedonia Moesia Athens Peloponesus Epyrus Thratia Illiricus with many other contryes Nowe by thys ye perceaue what that lytle horne dyd sygnifye the whyche commynge vp among the tenne hornes dyd plucke vp other thre For it is Machomet the whyche coÌ„myng of a meane yee of a moost lowe stocke of a marchaunte is made a kynge whose successoures haue holden thre of the mooste myghtyest kyngdomes of the world Persia Siria and Egypte and yet I rehearse not the other kyngdomes of whych I made mencion euen now For by the nombre of thre he vnderstode many kyngdomes But yet all thys whyle we haue not mad an ende of the mystery of iniquite The bysâ—â—p of Rome For ther is another certayn thyng also which pertayneth to the perfeccion of thys body of Antichrist Therfore whyle these thynges were in hand in the East partyes the By shop of Rome goeth aboute the dominyoÌ„ of the West in the West partyes Ye loked not that I shuld saye suche thynges of the By shope but yet they are true And who wolde euer haue thought the the ministers of Godes word and of the churches shuld once haue come vnto suche madnes as for to thynke cauncell howe they myght gette the gouernaunce of the cytye and of the worlde Specially in as muche as Christ had sayd in so playne wordes The kynges of the gentyles do rule but so shall not ye but I haue chosen you that ye shulde go and brynge forth muche frute And he that is greatest amonge you shal be a seruaunte to you all But these commaundementes of the LORDE beynge neglected ther beganne certayne men to dispute of the primacy of the Byshope of Rome at suche tyme as that lytle horne was acoÌ„mynge forth And because it was wrytten Thou arte Peter and vpoÌ„ thys rocke wyll I buylde my churche And I wyll geue the the keys of the kyngdom of heaueÌ„ And what so euer thou byndest vpoÌ„ earth shal be bounde in heauen And agayne because that Achasius the Bishop of Constantinople and Timotheus men of Grecia dyd desyre of Simplicius the Byshop of Rome that he also wolde condempne Peter the byshop of Alexandria the follower of Euthicetys heresye as one whyche had rule ouer the chefe churche whose authorite was of greate value among all meÌ„ certayne men coÌ„cluded vpoÌ„ thys that the seate of Rome was the chefe of all churches and that the Byshope of Rome was the head ruler ouer all byshopes Thou seyst here also howe that lytle horne beganne to lyfte vp it selfe Ihon of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople And IhoÌ„ of Constantynople puttynge more coles vnto thys fyre helde a Councell amonge the Grecyans in the whyche he declared hymselfe to be the vniuersall Byshop or Patriarke The whyche thynge Mauricius the Emperoure of the Romaynes dyd sygnifye vnto Gregory the fyrst Byshope of Rome of that name commaundynge hym for to submytte hymselfe and to be obediente vnto Ihon. But Gregory answered that the power of byndyng lowsyng was geuen vnto Peter not vnto the Byshopes of Constantynople and that therfore he shulde ceasse to prouoke the wrath of God vpoÌ„ hym Thys same Gregory wrytynge vnto Anastasius of Antioche and to Eulogius Byshop of Alexandria in the register of the .vii. parte of hys .xxx. Epistle sayth Youre worshypfull holynes knoweth that thys name vnyuersall byshope was offered by the holy CouÌ„cell of Calcedonye vnto them of the Apostolyke seate whych god so disposynge I do nowe serue But none of my predecessoures dyd consente for to vse so prophane a name because surely that yf one be called an vniuersal Patryacke it is a derogacioÌ„ vnto the name of other Patriarkes But God forbyd the ony ChristeÌ„ maÌ„ shuld take that to hym selfe wherby he shulde seme to dimynyshe the honoure of hys brethren in ony parte were it neuer so lytle These are Gregorius wordes But not al only the Byshopes of Constantynople but also of Rome the successoures of Gregory forgettynge these thynges dyd not cease to stryue aboute the prymacy vntyl that Bonyface the thyrde of that name not longe from the tyme of Gregory had optayned But yet as Platina sayeth also not without greate coÌ„tencion of Phocas the Emperoure whyche slewe Mauricius with hys chyldreÌ„ very cruelly That S. Peters seate shuld be counted called the head of all other churches Of the whych thynge Paule the Deacon maketh mencion also in the .iiii. boke of the actes of the Lombardes the .xi. Chapter Nowe whan thys was graunted vnto the Byshopes of Rome ther was as it were a wyndowe opened vnto the whole Empyre And theÌ„ they cast theyr mynde for to rule ouer the cytye the whole world And theÌ„ hauynge an occasyon they gaue all theyr diligence to the same And the wanders whyche were sene at that tyme dyd sygnifye a greate chaunge of thynges for they were suche as were neuer sene before of whych the hystoryes do testifye dyligeÌ„tly And ther were theÌ„ very many occasions whyche dyd lyfte vp the Byshope of Rome very hye then goynge aboute the same thynge and specially the sedycious warres and the often breakyng in of rude nacions The breakynge in of the Sarracens For the Saracenes the generacion of Machomet after they had taken Africa dyd spoyle Syria and Asia and set vpon Europa Therfore the Emperours beynge holden in the East partys because of these presente perylles were coÌ„pelled to set asyde the gouernauÌ„ce of the West And by thys means it came to passe that the Frenche men and Lombardes encreased greatlye in so muche that the Emperoure was at the laste afrayed of the kynges of bothe those nacions For althoughe the Emperoure had set certayn Debytes for to gouerne Italy yet was theyr power
of Rome for to inuade and gette the Empyre For yf the one had not broken the strength of the Empyre of Rome the other had not raygned But we haue expounded all these thynges more at large in the hystory here before Nowe followeth the ruyne destruccion of Antichrist Of the destruccion of Antichrist He shall not fall by and by after that he is stryken wyth a stroke or weapon but by lytle and lytle after he hath bene made weake by many battaylles he shall at the laste peryshe But he shall not be caste down with mans hande nother yet by the multytude of hoostes nor strēgth of souldyers or gonne strokes but by the hande and power of God For Christ shall fyrste consume hym wyth the sprete of hys mouthe and after that shall he put hym cleane out of the waye wyth hys moost gloryous commynge into iudgemēt The fyrste of these two dyd Paule take oute of the eleuenth chapter of Isaie whose wordes are these With ryghteousnes shall he iudge the poore and wyth equite shall he contende for the meke of the earthe he shall stryke the worlde wyth the rodde of hys mouthe and wyth the sprete of hys lyppes shall he slaye the wycked Nowe the sprete of the mouthe or of the lyppes of God is the true exposycion of the worde of god For the worde of God is the same swearde wherewyth the heade of thys proude Golyas shall be stryken of For Antichrist speaketh on the syde of the moost hyghest and he sayeth that all that he doth is deduced or taken out of the Decrees of the holy scrypture For vnder the pretence of this hath he hetherto raygned safely But when that thoroughe the goodnes of God the lyght of the Gospell that is Goddes worde begynneth to shyne the clowdes of thys deceauer do strayght waye vanyshe awaye For it is playne vnto all men that thys fellowe in hys maners and lawes is clene contrarye to Christe Therefore it commeth to passe that all godlye wytted men the truthe once knowen do abhorre and forsake hym Therfore the swearde wherwyth this man is slayne is the word of God for thē is he moost surely slayne when that hys nature and dysposyciō are manyfestly knowen by the doctryne of truthe The knowlege of hym dothe kyll hym and cast him downe and the clokyng and ignoraūce of hym doth sette hym vp For they that knowe hym not do beleue that he is an Apostolycall prophete yee a god to but they that knowe him trulye are sure that he is Antichriste The latter of these two dyd Paul take out of the .vii. chapter of Daniell where we reade I loked tyll the seates were prepared and the olde aged satte hym downe and beholde ther came in the cloudes of the ayre one lyke the sonne of man and he came vnto the olde aged and the iudgemente was sette and the bokes opened Then toke I hede therevnto because of the voyce of the proud wordes whyche that horne spake And I behelde styll tyll that the beaste was slayne and hys bodye destroyed and geuen ouer to be burnte in the fyre And therfore sayeth Paule Whom the LORDE shall destroy wyth the bryghtnes of hys cōmynge that is to say with his moost gloryous cōmyng For our LORDE sayde in the Gospell Euen as the lyghtenynge commeth oute of the Easte and appeareth vnto the Weste so shall the commynge of the sonne of man be For he shall come in the cloudes of heauen wyth greate power and glory Math. xxiiii And euen as darknes as sayeth S. Ierome is dryuen away at the cōmynge of the Sonne The battail vanquyshyng of Antichriste so shall the LORDE destroy and put hym awaye wyth the bryghtnes of hys commynge Thys glorye and vyctorye is reserued vnto Christe onely For they are deceaued whyche thynke the Antichriste before the daye of iudgemēte shall by abolyshed by the strength of armes But thys battayll betwene Christe Antichriste shall rather endure vnto the ende of the worlde And he beynge bolde of the strength of armes shall breake a sondre treade vnder hys fete the sayntes of the moost hyest but the membres of Christe shall wythstonde hym and shall sette vpō hym with the swearde of the worde of God shall bewraye hys deceate shall accuse his wyckednes and so slaye hym For by thys meanes shall he be put oute of mens hartes and hys authoryte shall fall The vyctory of the Christen stādeth in the truth of Goddes worde and constauncy And in the meāseason although he be ouercome yet shall he take on vntyll Christe the iudge shall putte hym quyte down And therfore my brethren our vyctorye must stande alonly in the truth of Gods worde in the constanucy of our fayth Therfore let vs betake our lyues vnto our faythfull creator go forward in the affyrmyng of the canonical truth glory of Christ ourredemer LORD agaynst the blasphemies of this vnpure draggō Christ wyll be presēt with hys although he delyuer vs into hys handes Vvhose cōmynge is by the vvorkynge of Satan vvyth all povver and lyenge sygnes and vvonders and in all deceueablnes of vnryghteousnes amōg thē that perysh because they receaued not the loue of the truth that they might haue bene saued And therfore god shal sende thē strōge delusiō that they shuld beleue lyes that all they myght be dāned vvhych beleued not the truthe but had pleasure in vnryghtousnes Antichriste raygneth by power and lyes Hetherto hath the Apostle entreated of the reuelacion of Antichrist of the ruyne and confusion of hym he hath spoken also of hys kyngedome and propertyes nowe he turneth hym from that and descrybeth hys strengthe and workes more at large That deceauer shal come sayeth he prepared wyth the sprete and power of Satan the whyche shall shewe forth them selfe in hym moost manyfestly For thys maner of speakynge Vvhose cōmynge is by the vvorkynge of Satan is so much to saye Nowe the strength and workynge of Satan ar chefely murther and lyes as our saueoure sayeth He was a manslayer from the begynnynge and abode not in the truthe because the truthe is not in hym Whan he speaketh a lye he speaketh of hys owne because he is a lyer and the father of it And Paule in this place shewynge the workes of Satan by partes doth teken vp power and sygnes that is lyenge wonders and the deceaueablenesse of vnryghteousnesse also For Mahomet sayeth that he is sente of God in the strength of armoure for thys cause doth he destroye all thynges wyth fyre and swearde And the Byshope of Rome hath abused the armour of al kynges and prynces persecuteth and slayeth the sayntes ether callynge vpon the secular arme or els by excercysynge hy◠owne strength The greate destruccion of moost stronge nacions nowe in our dayes do testifye what he maye do by strength and what murthurs yee and betrayēge of kyngdomes and robberyes the deuell hath done in the world by