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
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
betraye them notwythstondynge ony othe In ouerchargynge Italy wyth trybutes was neuer none so bolde Greate ryches he had but departe from ony he was lothe Thys is he whyche hys owne contrey wyth cruell warres dyd oppresse And fylled all the earthe full of Christen mens bloude He spoyled many cytyes thrustynge out both more and lesse Oh cruell persone who euer redde that he dyd ony good Infinyte other thynges of thys sorte I do ouerpasse leste I shuld make the godly reader for to vomyte And surely no man althoughe he were verye eloquente can sufficientlye declare what multitude of wyckednesse hath crepte from suche heades of the churche amonge all the people of Christe so that I haue not offended in expoundynge thys prophecye of Paule of the Byshopes of Romes kyngdom I wyll speake nothynge nowe of the ypocrysye synnes and wyckednes of Monkes Nonnes Prestes and the spiritualte as men call them because that experience itselfe doth set forth all these thynges more clerlye then ony mā cā descrybe thē For here is the thynge fulfylled of whyche S Paule dyd prophycy They shall resyste the truth men of corrupte myndes reprobate as touchynge the faythe but they shall preuayle no lenger for theyr madnes shal be euydent vnto all men .ii. Timo. iii. Secondlye Paule calleth Antichriste Aduersarium that is to saye an aduersarye and he calleth hym an aduersarye or Antichriste as though one shuld saye set playn contrarye agaynste Christe as one whose wytte maners lyfe doctryne dedes lawes and institucions do fyghte agaynste Christe A comparison betwene Christe and Antichriste Christ came to shewe peace to all the worlde as of whose commynge the Prophetes had shewed before that thē moost cruell nacions shulde turne theyr sweardes into coulters theyr speares into sythes Nowe Machomet doth boaste hymselfe to be sente of God in the power of armoure Christe taught that men are not defyled wyth those thynges that go into the mouth But Mahomet hath forbyddē hys wyne and other meates whiche god ordeyned to be receaued wyth geuynge of thankes He hath also geuen vnto his circumcision and admitteth Polygamiam that is moo wyues at once then one the whyche Christ hath abrogate and taught out of the olde lawe that one fleshe onely not two or mo ought to be in matrymony To be shorte al the lyfe and doctryne all the lawes institucions and dedes of Mahomet are agaynste Christe Nother do the sayenges dedes doctrynes and rytes of the Byshope of Rome wyth all hys bodye agree ony better wyth Christe Christe hath geuen vs in the Prophetes and by the preachyng of the Apostles an absolute and perfecte doctryne which alone is sufficient ynoughe to gette euerlastyng lyfe But the Byshope of Rome sayeth that vnto that perfeccion we must haue tradycions of fathers I wote not what as thynges wythoute whyche no man can be saued and as though those holy mē whyche lacked them were damned Christ taught that one onely God ought to be worshypped and called vpon and that by the meanes and intercession of hys name But the Byshope of Rome hathe thruste in to the churches the prayenge and worshyppyng of sayntes more diligentlye then the true relygyon of God The Apostles oute of the tradycion and spirite of Christ taught that ther was but one onely hye preste one euerlastynge sacrifyce onely that is Iesus Christe But the Byshop of Rome subuertynge that order of Melchisedech hath consecrated innumerable sacrifyces for to sacrifyse daylye for the synnes of the quycke and the deade The Apostelles taught that God onely doth remytte synnes and that to hym onely men ought to confesse them But the Byshope of Rome hath set forth vnto the churches wonderous lyes of the power of the keyes of auricular confession of cases reserued and of the market of pardones The Apostles dyd commende vnto the churches the grace of God they taught that the beleuers were iustifyed by fayth But the Byshop of Rome hath boasted the merites of sayntes yee and hath solde thē to What nede is therof many wordes trueth doth not so much repugne lyes nor lyghte darknes as Antichrist is contrarye to Christe Christ dyd abrogate ceremonyes he sette in theyr steade a fewe sacramētes the rest he wolde haue vs to serue him in sprete and truthe and requyred fayth and charite of vs. But the Byshope of Rome as one forgettyng these thynges hathe stuffed the churche wyth ceremonyes yee and wyth mooste foolyshe rytes superstycions And those thynges whyche Christe by hys example wordes and dedes had banyshed oute of the churche he once receaued them agayne holdeth thē fast by the tethe Christ flyeth kyngdomes washeth hys disciples fete taught humylite The kynges of the Gentyles beare rule sayeth he but so shall not ye But the Byshoppe of Rome persueth not after kyngdomes onely but the chefe Empyre it selfe getteth it by crafte and beareth rule ouer kynges that are subiect vnto him yee and profereth hys fete vnto kynges to be kyssed and suche kynges as kycke agaynste hym wyll not worshyp this beaste he stryketh them wyth the thonder bolte of hys excommunicacion putteth them out of theyr kyngdome setteth other kynges in theyr rowme assoyleth theyr subiettes of theyr othe of obedience Christe ware a crowne of thorne was clothed wyth a purple garmente But the Byshope of Rome decked wyth a tryple crowne as it were Darius of Persia cōmeth forth glysterynge in hys golde and precyous stones compassed aboute wyth an hoost of men Christ payed toll But the Byshope of Rome doth exempte his from it condempnynge and persecutynge the holy authorytye that requyreth ony trybute of thys anoynted secte Christe beareth a crosse The Byshope of Rome is borne vpon the shulders of moost couetous mē Christe was poore he fedde the shepe wente mekely into the towne and caste oute of the temple both byers and sellers But thys mā boasteth hymselfe to be the Lorde ouer all the Weste partyes he spoyleth and deuoureth the shepe and closed in wyth an hoost of men is caryed proudly in a tryumphe he receaueth into the temple of God all byers and sellers and thē that wyll not receaue them he excommuntcateth and pronoūceth them heretykes To be shorte he hath suffered all the temples of Christ to be made so prophane that nowe they be lyke to a well trymmed market For yf I shulde speake nothynge at all of the choppynge and chaungyng and byeng of benefyces of the pardoners or rather the deuelles marchaundise of the fayers of sacramentes masses and indulgences Ther stande ready before the churche dores tabernacles tables chayres and settelles in them are set forth to selle fygures of waxe lytle ymages fete and hādes of yron and waxe hennes ans cockes and innumerable muche of suche kynde of oblacions and in the churches themselues stande Idolles wyth stretched out hādes and because they be domme they haue an interpreter by that lacketh no tunge For he standynge by the aulter and by the Idoll
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