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
the chefe seate whyche desyreth to moderate iustice nother maye the iudge be iudged ether of the Emperoure or of all the clergye nother of kynges nor of the people Vpon the whyche Canon the author of the glose sayeth that a counsell can not iudge the Pope Vt extra de elect Significasti Wherfore yf all the whole worlde shulde geue sentence in ony matter agaynst the Pope it semeth that men oughte to stande to the sentence of the Pope c. Ye shall fynde the same thynge agayne in cap. quanto de transla Episcopi titulo VII in playne wordes It is sayde that the Pope sayeth he hath an heauēlye iudgemente and therfore chaūge the nature of thynges in applyenge the substaunce of ony thynge to another And of nothynge he can make some what and make the sentence whych was nothynge worthe somewhat worthe For in those thynges whyche he lyste O blasphemye Ei est pro ratione uoluntas hys wyll standeth for a reason or a cause nother is ther ony mā that may saye vnto hym Why doeste thou so For he maye dyspense wyth the lawe and of vnryghtuosnesse make ryghteuosnesse in correctynge and chaungynge the lawes The Byshop of Rome nother god nor man for he hath obteyned full power c. Herevnto belongeth it that these ioly wrytters of commentes do so ofte inculcate that the Pope is nother a man nor a God but the vycare of God and a certayne thynge mengled and made of God of man Yf ony man requyre the places he shal fynde these damnable blasphemyes in VI decretalium lib. I. de elect elect potestate titulo sexto in cap. XVII Item in clemētinarum proemio And what nede many wordes Thys draggon vsurped vnto him selfe the full power of God in earthe he translated kyngdomes and for hys owne profyte made and vnmade all lawes and rytes and turned all the olde and true relygiō topsyturnye hate dashed defyled it with hys fylthynesse the whyche thynge no man can denye He sytteth therfore in the tēple of god auaūcynge hymselfe to be god Now wyll we adde vnto these thynges The prophecye of Daniell vpō Antichriste that whyche the godly prophete Daniell hath spoken of the same thyng in the vii chapter Beholde ther were eyes sayth he lyke the eyes of a man in hys horne a mouthe speakynge presumptuous thynges And a lytle after that He shall speake wordes on the partye of the moost hyghest and shall destroye the sayntes of the moost hygheste and thynke that he maye chaunge tymes and lawes All these thynges are very playne by that that goeth afore For eyes do sygnifye prudence He mente therfore that thys kynde of mē shuld be moost subtyll because that it shuld rule brynge all thynges to passe by fraude gyle sutteltye and craft And surely who so euer doth marke well howe that these Byshoppes of Rome out of so lowe a degre haue cōme vp on hyghe and optayned the dygnite of so greate an Empyre he wyll saye that they haue bene moost craftye and suttyll men Nother coulde ony mans mouth speake more presumptuous thynges thē it is playne here before that Machomet the Byshope of Rome haue done Yee and though they haue arrogātly attrybuted so great thynges vnto themselues yet wyll they nedes speake and be on the syde of the moost hyghest insomuche that yf ony mā yet nowe a dayes shuld call them the aduersaryes or enemyes of God he shulde scarsely escape theyr handes alyue Besydes thys the one of them wyll be taken for the Prophete of the moost hyest and the other for the vycar of God vpon the earthe as men whyche had receaued this power delyuered them of God hymselfe and do nowe vsurpe it by the lawes of God But ther haue not lacked whyche haue smelled out thys deceate and wyckednes and haue resisted it wyth all theyr power But the moost holy father and the vyctorious Emperoure of the Turkes haue destroyed them For howe muche Christen bloude bothe of them haue shedde it is declared in the hystorye before mencyonede and how much they shedde yet stylle vnluckye experience dothe teache vs well ynough Nowe although in very dede that no man hath the power for to make vnmake the good lawes of God at hys pleasure yet hath Antichrist vsurped the power vpon hym Wherevpon sayth Daniell he shall thynke that he maye chaunge the tymes and lawes but he sayeth not he shall haue power to chaunge them Now Machomet and the Byshoppe of Rome haue vsurped the power vnto them moost shamefully which thynge we haue proued a lytle before by sufficiente testymonyes In the eleuenth chapter the same Daniel sayeth The kynge shall do what hym lyste he shall exalte magnifye hymselfe agaynst all that is God he shall speake maruaylous thynges agaynst the God of goddes and he shall prospere vntyll the wrathe be fulfylled for hys fall is appoynted and so forthe For the Prophete hath spokē more vpon thys matter in that place whyche may be vnderstonde of euery wyttye mā wythout ony laboure or exposycion The prophecy of Pauie wrested agaynste the preachers of the Gospel And here we maye not passe ouer that the Papystes do expounde thys place of Paule vpō vs. For nowe saye they is this departynge fulfylled when the Lutheryans and the Zwynglyans do departe frō the holy seate of Rome and wyth theyr libertye do open a gate vnto all synne and myschefe and are agaynste the Prelates of the churche besydes thys they are lyfte vp agaynste the vycar of God hymselfe defylynge the authoryte of the churche whyche neuer erred and syttynge in the temple of God do boaste themselues to preache the worde of God therfore they thynke thēselues worthye to be worshypped as God But they do vs wronge because we neuer departed a strawe bredth from the truthe of the canonicall scripture For althoughe we knowe not the churche of Rome as it is nowe ordered yet we do knowlede the holy catholyke churche and the onely heade therof Iesus Christ The whyche in as muche as he promysed that he wolde abyde wyth vs vnto the ende of the worlde Math. xxviii we nede not beleue that he hath put a vycare or Debyte in hys steade For a vycare stādeth in the steade of hym that is absente But Christ is euermore presente wyth hys churche hym onely do we preache commēde and inculcate vnto our churches We do moue men contynually to beleue in hym we do teache moost dylygentlye charyte innocēcye and pure lyuynge Nother do we teache ony other lybertye thē that of whyche the Apostle spake Ye are called into lybertye but se that ye geue not your lybertye an occasion to the fleshe but thorow charyte serue you one another Galat. v. And we are agaynste none of the chefe of the churche For the Prelates of the churche are the mynysters of the worde teachers of the truthe of the Gospell and who despyseth suche
who is agaynst such But yf ony vnder the pretēce of the church and of mynystracion do seke theyr owne beare rule oppresse the truthe settynge godlye thynges asyde do teache mennes tradyciōs forsothe they are of good ryght despysed throughe theyr owne defaute For Peter sayeth We muste obey God more then man And our LORDE in the Gospell Se that no man deceaue you For many shall come in my name sayenge I am Christ shal deceaue many Farthermore we dyd neuer defyle the authoryte of the catholyke church For we do hyghly esteme Christe hymselfe and the canonycall truth Nowe the strength and foundacion of the churche is Christe the truthe Howe shulde not we thē iudge honorably of the church We haue neuer sytten in the temple of God but haue mynystred alwayes and for thys cause haue we chefly cryed agaynste you because that ye wyl beare rule or sytte not mynystre as we do Moreouer we do frely confesse that we leauynge mens tradycions do purely and symply that is to saye as muche as the grace of God and oure fraylnes wyll suffre preache the canonicall scrypture and for the establyshynge not of our authoryte but of it do often saye wyth saynte Paul He that refuseth these thynges refuseth not man but God whyche hath geuē hys holy sprete vnto the Prophetes and Apostles that they shulde teache these thynges vnto vs .i. Thessalo iiii Yet we do geue all honoure to God onely in all thynges and vnto our selues nothynge but confusion Our churches whyche are Christes wyll testifye thys Laste of all I wyll put to the paraphrase of saynte Ierome The paraphrase of S. Ierome vpō these wordes of Paule wyth the whyche he dyd expounde these wordes of saynt Paule in the XI question vnto Algasia after thys maner Excepte saythe he ther come a departynge fyrste and that all nacions whych are subiecte to the Empyre of Rome do departe from it and that he be reueled that is to saye opened whom all the wordes of the prophetes do shewe forthe The man of synne in whome is the fountayne of all synnes And chyld of perdycion that is of the deuell for he is the destruccion of all men whyche is agaynste Christe and is therfore called Antichrist and is exalted aboue all that is called god so that he treadeth downe wyth hys foote the goddes of all nacions or els all comly and true relygion and in the temple of God whyche is Ierusalē as some thynke or els in the churche as we rather suppose sheweth hymselfe as thoughe he were Christe and the sonne of God Excepte sayeth he that the Empyre of Rome be fyrst made desolate and that Antichriste go before Christe shall not come whyche shall therfore so come that he maye destroye Antichriste Ye remembre sayeth he that these thynges whyche I nowe wrytte by myne Epystle when I was wyth you I shewed you in expresse wordes and tolde you that Christe shulde not come excepte that Antichriste wente before Hetherto haue I rehearsed the wordes of S. Ierome And novve you knovve vvhat vvythholdeth euen that he myghte be vttered at hys tyme. For the mysterye or iniquite dothe already vvorke Let hym vvhyche novve holdeth holde styll vntyll it be taken avvaye and thē shall that vvycked be vttered vvhome the LORDE shall consume vvyth the sprete of hys mouth and shall destroye vvyth the clearnesse of hys cōmynge He wryteth mor playnly of the tyme of Antichriste when he shuld come Some man myght saye why shuld we not beleue that the aduersary of Christ doth now raygne and is alreadye come when we do se the name of Christe hys doctryne by all meanes to be spoken agaynste of all the myghtyest men of thys worlde The Apostle doth answere You knowe what letteth euen that I tolde you that he shulde be vttered when hys tyme is come Forsothe a man can not denye but that euen nowe the power of iniquyte doth worke by hym but nowe he setteth forth hys strength more couertlye thē he shall do when his tyme is come For vnto the bodye of Antichriste belonge blasphemyes cruell persecucions heresyes and other such lyke iniquities But these thynges beganne to budde and sprynge vp by and by euen in the tyme of the Apostles Wherevpon Ihon the Apostle sayeth My lytle chyldren it is nowe the laste tyme as you haue herde that Antichriste shall come euen nowe ther begynne to be many Antichristes alreadye .i. Iho. ii Therfore dothe Paule more clearlye sygnyfye vnto vs that same tyme in the whyche Antichriste that is to saye the perfeccion of all iniquite shuld be vttered sayeng Whē that shal be taken awaye whyche nowe wtholdeth or letteth hym for to raygne thē shall the wycked be opened That is to saye whan that the Empyre of Rome shall be taken out of the waye or at the leest way troubled then shall Antichriste raygne after that shall Christe come bothe for to destroye thys enemye of all sayntes and also for to iudge all flesh For he doth now expownde that more playnely whyche he spake of before The wordes correspondēt to the greke texte do make those thynges more playne for thus they sygnyfye holdynge that now tyll it be out of the waye whyche is as muche to saye as that that thynge whyche nowe onlye letteth shall be taken out of the waye And then shall the wycked appeare Or els to speake it more playne that thynge wyhche nowe onely letteth shall be a lette so longe vntyll it be taken awaye Saynte Ierome and when it is takē awaye then shall Antichrist come forth And S. Ierom also followeth the same sence wrytynge vnto Algasia these wordes in a maner What is the cause that Antichrist cōmeth not now ye knowe full well Nother wolde he playnely saye that the Empyre of Rome shulde be destroyed because that they whyche gouerne it do thynke it euerlastynge For the whyche cause after the Apocalypse of S. Ihon ther was wryttē in the foreheade of the whore that was clothed in purple a name of blasphemy that is to saye Rome eternall For yf he had sayde playnely and boldly Antichrist shall not come excepte the Empyre of Rome be fyrst done away it semeth that he shuld haue geuen a iuste cause of persecucion agaynst the churche in the Easte partyes And a lytle after he sayeth The Empyre of Rome whyche nowe hath all nacions vnder it shal ceasse and be takē out of the waye and then shall Antichrist the fountayne of iniquyte come Thys sayeth Ierome Tertulian also Tertulli◠of the resurreccion of the fleshe Who sayeth he shall be takē out of the waye but the estate of Rome whyche beynge cut awaye and scattered into tenne kynges shall brynge in Antichriste c. For the departynge of kyngdomes from the Empyre of Rome and the runnynge in of the rude Gotties that is to saye of the Vandales Hunnies dyd geue an occasion vnto the Saracens and vnto the Byshoppes
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
Byshoppe of Rome and they had lyghtly obtayned it but that the goodnes of God hauynge pytye on the symplenesse of the people dyd dysclose thys mysterye of iniquyte to all the worlde before that it was fully fynyshed and ended to the derogacion shame of oll other false myracles I thynke that the buyldyng of these cloysters of beggynge Frerers is one porcioÌ„ of the chefe of these lyenge sygnes He shall not be beleued I know well amonge our posteryte that shulde tell them that beggers in so shorte a space had buylded so large goodly houses of the whyche eche of them are sufficiente for to receaue noryshe kynges and prynces But we se many thousandes of these buylte vp on hyghe and retched forth bothe longe and large and besydes that to haue gotten the goodlyest porcioÌ„s of lande in all contryes and cyties Yee and these deceauers theÌ„selues knowlegynge thys woÌ„der do say No prynce or kynge coulde perfourme in certayne hundredes of yeares the whyche we beggers not wythout myracle haue fynyshed in so lytle a space Yee and haue so fynyshed them the our buyldynges maye compare wyth the moost goodlyest olde places that are God hath opened by this thynge saye they that the rules of oure orders do not so greatly dysplease hym as thoughe Daniell had not sayde longe tyme before that thys shulde come to passe For thus we reade of Antichrist in the .xi. chapter Such as wyll serue hym he shall geue greate worshyppe and power yee make them Lordes ouer manye geue them the lande for naughte c. Paule addeth therevnto in all deceaueablenesse of vnryghteousnesse vnderstonde that Antichriste shall come after suche maner That is to saye when he commeth he shall brynge wyth hym all kynde of iniquite wherewyth he myghte brynge men away from the truthe equyte honestye ryghteousnesse wrappe men in ypocrysy and erroures We know therfore that by the meanes of antichrist the commune iustice all honestye holy truthe shal be moued oute of theyr place vnryghteousnesse ypocrysye vnshamefastnesse voluptuosnesse moost vayne persuasions to be set vp in theyr steade Whyche thynges he the seyth not to haue all ages and degrees in possession nowe at thys tyme lacketh both hys eyes hys wytte But all meÌ„ shall not be deceaued but the reprobate that is to saye they of whom the truthe was refused and lyes receaued that is to saye such as do wylfully peryshe And because that a secrete questyon myghte be moued Why the Antichrist hath so greate power and prosperethe so greatlye Why hathe God suffered Satan and Antichrist hys captyue to haue so great power By a solucion he preuenteth the question and sayeth because they receaued not the loue of the truthe that they myghte haue ben saued That is to saye the iustice vengeaunce of God requyreth the same thyng to be done For theyr obstynate rebellioÌ„ agaynste Christe deserueth that all they whyche receaued not Christ that of hys charyte was wyllynge to saue all men for hys truthe sake dyd opeÌ„ those thynges whyche belonged to saluacion that they myght haue ben saued shulde nowe by the sufferaunce of God for the truthe haue falshed in the steade of charyte tyranny and for a saueâ—ure haue a destroyer and that they shulde nowe beleue the lyes of a wycked man whyche wolde not beleue Christe that tolde them the truthe For our LORDE hymselfe sayeth in the Gospell of Ihon Ye wyll not come vnto me that ye myght haue lyfe I receaue not the glorye of meÌ„ but I knowe that you haue not the loue of God in you I came in the name of my father ye receaue me not yf an other shall come in his own name hym wyll ye receaue Ioh v. And oute of thys truly it semeth that that noble sentence of the commune people was takeÌ„ They that beleued not Christe shall beleue Antichriste And herevnto belonge also the wordes of Paule that followe wherwyth he maketh that whyche goeth before more clearer sayeng And therfore that is to saye because they receaued not the loue of the truthe and were not the louers and followers of true relygioÌ„ God shall sende them stronge delusioÌ„s that is to saye moost euydente seduccion and deceate that euen lyke madde persones and men rauyshed of theyr wyttes they can not chose but beleue lyes And for thys cause that all they myghte be iudged that is to saye tormeÌ„ted punyshed vvhyche beleued not the pure and symple truthe but rather approued vnryghteousnesse ypocrysy superstycion and erroure Ye haue now a reason how it coÌ„meth to passe that the worlde nowe a dayes is so readye to beleue the myracles doctrynes and rytes of Antichriste It is the iudgemeÌ„te of God whyche hath shewed myracles ynoughe by hys sonne by hys prophetes and Apostles and hath also prescrybed vs doctrynes and rytes clearlye and sufficiente ynough But all these thynges set asyde we had rather be deceaued Therefore these prestes and monkes Antichristes knyghtes deceaued vs by gettynge awaye our moneye and neuer ceassed to thruste in theyr lyes vnto vs vntyl that they had emptyed all mens cofers Suche thynges as myghte be brought out of the Byble semed olde forworne thynges â–ª all men daylye desyred to heare new matters and therfore was it fre for euery man that wold for to inuente euery thynge that he lyfte He was best alowed that had brought in ony new thynge into the churche and so throughe theyr vnshamefastnesse and our curyosyte and foolyshnesse it came to passe by the ryghteous iudgemente of God that all truthe was banyshed many yeares sence and errour hath raygned myghtelye thorow oute the coÌ„gregacions Nowe though it be thus and that experience it selfe do proue these thynges to be ouer true yet are ther certayne euell occupyed persones whyche go about to boulster vp the corrupte captayns of the moost corrupte relygion whyche are bente to dostroye the sprete of the mouth of God But the truthe which is inuyncible shall ouercome bothe those vayne prelates of the churche and also theyr foolyshe defenders and shall also ouerthrowe them and bruse them all to peces excepte they conuerte vnto the LORDE Hetherto haue we disputed more at large then we thought to haue done at the begynnyng of the commynge of Antichriste of hys kyngdome and confusion for the readers pleasure and for the erudycion and warnynge of the symple people Nowe wyll we returne vnto Paule and the Thessalonyans For Paule hymselfe after he hath fynyshed hys dysputacion of Antichriste turneth hym vnto the Thessalonyans But vve are bounde to geue thankes alvvayes to God for you brethren beloued of the LORDE because that God hath from the begynnynge chosen you to saluacion thorovve sanctifyenge of the sprete and thorovv beleuynge the truthe vvhereunto he called you by oure Gospell to optayne the glorye of our LORDE Iesu Christ A notable place of the election Theophylactus knyttynge these thynges verye goodly with those that are gone