graue causes My mynde is to dedicate vnto you most noble priÌ„ce this my labour and litle boke that when I hear your good will towerd the chirche of cryste and to honeste studies to be praysed I wolde therfore declare also this your vertewe vnto the students exhorting them to loue aÌ„d reuereÌ„ce godly princes and in their praiers commende them with their comons vnto God Great is the infirmite of man greter is the fury of the deuil which brening in the hatered of god as he thrusted out our first pareÌ„ts to fall into these miserable sorouful calamities euen so studieth he perpetually to hurte Crystes chirch And cheifly he layeth awaite at the higheste head therof of our lyfe nether is there any so great wisedom which can wel perceyue howe great perel there is in euery gouernance and regiment Wherfore all princes conioined vnto the chirche of God ought with the praiers of all faithful to be holpen that God whiche geueth helthe vnto kings wold once rule their counsess and bowe their myndes their enforcements vnto their owne and to the publik sauing helthe Of this thig the readers shuld be monisshed in this kinde of dedicacions For the reding of noble and clear examples shuld exhort the same princes theÌ„selues vnto modesty moderacioÌ„ to pyte not to slaye â—ohoÌ„ so euer the aduersaries of god wold haue killed but to fere God Which examples for this ende hath God set befor their eyes to call them and their posterite to the study and scole of vertew I ther fore besech God hertely the father of Ie su Cryste our delyuerer to preserue you so to gouern you that your gouernance be happye prosperouse to you to your countrye to the chirche of cryste euen the very trewe comonaltie of all So be it In the Calends of Ianuary 1545. translated ☞ The argument or mater contained in Daniel the Prophete by Philip Melanchton MAny myghty and profitable thigis worthie to be depely reposed into good myndis Daniel compreheÌ„deth whyche all to peruse and expresse owr to skantlitle witts be not able Netheles let euery diligent reder knowe hymselfe miche to haue profited if he but the cheif prinâ—ipalls vnderstand although it be but meanly and vse the same vnto hys own godly exercise Considering which part techeth him the trewe inuocation and worship of god and which coÌ„firmeth his faith which reÌ„iecteth and refuteth the iewes and vs castinge away god and his gospel as thei did which parte precheth to vs repentance and which euen nowe monissheth and warneth vs in tyme of these laste perellous dayes blody ende of this worlde For these causes shall I recite breifly as it wer the titles herein contained whiche shal shew you what vtilite shall come to you by reding thys holy boke and diuyne Prophete Firste think you thus of the hole boke That the story of Daniel is a testimony of the preseruacion of the chirche beutified with great glory euen then when it semeth almost extincte and destroid It techeth vs therfor the chirche bothe to be chastised and skourged aÌ„d anon aftir hir crosse to be restored to glori It testifieth also the chirche not by manis counsel powre strength ordinaÌ„ces noractis but by the sin helpe of god euen from the begining to this daye to be defended preserued and encreaced It putteth vs also in mynd of the promises of god to be performed to hys chirche although it be done aftir a nother waye then we can conceiue As when it was promised to the tribe of Iuda The scepter nor teacher to be taken awaye from it vntil that sauiour Sylo come wher of the kinges of Iuda were so bolde that they so oft rebelling moste proudly and cruelly they resisted and dampned the prechinge of Ieremye concerninge the destruccion of their cite temple and kingdom As wold nowe men resiste and destroye him that shuld preache to emprours and to kinges saing Excepte ye repent and receiue the gospell nowe offred you the turke shall destroye all cristeÌ„dom But Ieremy knew full wâ—ll these thinges bothe to come to passe that the peple of god shuld be chastised by an haithen king and yet at that tyme nether the regale famylie nor the stok of Iuda to be extincted nor the trwe prophets to fayle bâ—wanted And euen so it came to passe beyond al menis expectacioÌ„ when fewe or non knew therof For the kingly stok eueÌ„ in the babylonâ— captiuite had their honor where god stered vp prophets and orned his chirche with great glory yea and euen the haithen gentiles did he adioyne vnto the felowship of his owne chirche so that there was then a gloriouse conuersion of the haithen vnto God as I praye God there may be of the turkes and iewes once vnto owr trewe cristen religion Secondarily ye shal obserue the testimonis of Messias owr king Cryste For as the other prophets were cheifly stered vp that by them the promises of Cryste shuld be spred the wyder euen so it behoued Daniel to do the same office and that bi many wais and in many visions For he prohecyed of his birth telling the yere and tyme therof and of his passion aâ— certenly and iustely the very tyme as did Iohan Baptist poynt himforth withe his finger euen whyles yet the comonweale of the iews shuld en Cryste shuld be borne and suffer and also when their ceremoniall shawdews sacrifices all shuld ceasse Thirdely ye shal note the order of the. 4. Monarchies which order is here expressed that the very tyme wherin god wold haue cryste borne shuld be knowne and the tyme of the general resureccion of the dead and the iugement shulde be signifyed and foresene So that Daniel prophecieth certainly of these troublouse laste blodye dayes and persecucion nowe of late begunne which all Cryste with his laste coming now at haÌ„d shall of Fowerthly ye shal note the places of repentance of faithe and of the iustificacion by faith onely Fyftely ye shall note the examples of good and euil kingis Sixtely consydere the testimonie of the resurreccion Seuenthly there is geueÌ„ vâ— a forwarning of the vngodly kingdoms which aboute the ende of the worlde shall enforce and conteÌ„de to quenche and put away the gospel of god And here is described the sorowful lameÌ„table cruel scateringe of the pore prechers and professours of Crystes verite and the persecution of the chirche dispersed aÌ„d vanished into sondry strange londis porely there liuing vnder kinges emâ—… and rulers which wyth cruelty defende idollatry supersticion and false religion And in so great confusion emong sondry nacions sondry sectis shall aryse bolstred vp by manis witte reason concerninge gods worship inuented by man and the iustificacion by workis c. Agenst which prophane fantasies and idle imaginacions we must lern in the gospel god to be worshiped in spirit and faith onely in cryst to iustifye Ayenst the epicures that denye the resurreccion and soules to be immortal here
crystis birth 550. yeris here was y e age of the world 3978. From crystis birthe vnto this yere there be 1545. And thus haue we the age of the world from the creacion 5523. But because onely Daniel prophecieth of the. 4. highe Monarchies of the world and how cruelly crystis chirche shuld be persecuted vnder euery one of them and how it shal be treated vnder this last monarchie of the Romans to y e worldis ende ye shal first know that a Monarchie is an empire or kingdome wherin all the gouer nance dependeth of one man albeit the same hath vnder him many kings princes So that a monarchie is the sole head imperye ouer all the world The first monarchie stode vpon the chaldeis eft sone vpon the Babilonitis bothe at last ioined into one And begane at the ende of the first age in AbrahaÌ„s dais and continued vnto the last yeris of Daniel eueÌ„ to the ende of the captiuite of y t iews in babilon w t Monarchie stode 1495. yeris ended in the yere froÌ„ the creacioÌ„ 3440. And theÌ„ began the second Monarchie w t was the empyre of the medis persies to florissh coÌ„tinued 191. yeres TheÌ„ coÌ„quired grete Alexander the Medis begane y e third monarchie called the empire of the grekis which stod 260. yeris TheÌ„ at last 47. yeris before cristis birthe begane the 4. Monarchy called the Romane empire w t yet standeth but as Daniel did forese it vpoÌ„ feble feet made of britle potba â–ª erthe The leggis therof saithe he were For wheÌ„ it first begane y e Romains were myghty valeauÌ„t so coÌ„tinuing tyl Mahumete the popis of rome by fraude minisshed skatered diuided translated y e eÌ„pire as ye see it this daye dekaid this last monarchie hath now stoÌ„deÌ„ .1592 yeris Iustê° cesar first beig consoâ—er estsone the first emprowr of rome w t raigned 4. yers 7. monethes whom succeded octanius Augustus in whose yere 42. was Cryste borne OF God 3. in persons and one in substance we beginne this exposicion for that according to his threatenings comminacions he hath by Nebucadne kyng of Babylon asmightly destroyd the kingdoÌ„ of the iews for breking his 10. coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts agene so mercifully acordig to his promises he preserued Daniel w t his felows endeâ—owring al wais to kepe his preceptes In this glasse we behold god both almightie merciful by kiges prophets so to gouerne y t worlde that thei w c wil not beleue the prophets and trwe prechers as did the iewes conteÌ„pne Ieremye must w t out mercye be destroid by the kinges and at laste by the turke acording to his threatenings in the lawe but thei that beleue his prophets as did Daniel and his felows beleue Ieremie shal be mercifully preserued by the kiges eueÌ„ vnder the turke to according to his promises Let vs therfor beleue the doctryne of the prophets and prechers preching the lawe gospel lest with the edged swerde of the kinges and turke the seruants and ministres of God we b'e slayne with the vngodly iewes but rather contend by faithe to be conserued with Daniel acording to Gods promises He cannot lve which saith I am the strong and zelouse God the visitour and seker out of the wykednes of the fathers in their childern vnto the thirde and fowerth generacion But yet am I merciful into thousandis that loue me and kepe my preceptis In this Chapter it is shewed howe that Daniel with his felows taken in batail were brought into the kigs courte of Babylon and there liberally brought vp so that thei became very apte and able to gouerne the comon weal whiche story coÌ„teineth first a clere example of the diuyne prouidence and then an example of the holy and liberall educacion of yonge men The first Chapter In the thirde yere of the raigne of Ioachim kinge of the iewes Nebuchadne â–ª kinge of Babylon came to Hierusalem and besieged it And the lorde yilded vp Ioachim king of the iewes into his handis and also certain of the vessels and iewels of the house of god whiche he carying awaye with him into the londe of Babylon into the howse of his god did sette them vp in the tresure howse of his God The first place contayneth the wrath of god and punisshement of wykednes â— vngodlines according to the comminacions of god begin at the examples of the wrathe of God that is at the greuouse calamite and miserable captiuite of the kinge his subiectes the destruccion of their cheif cite Hierusalem burning of their noble temple for their idollatry and breking of his preceptis which miserable calamitouse captiuite and deadly desolacion ar described in the. 4. of the kingis 24. cap. and in the laste of the cronicles called Paralipomenon Hitherto therfore tendeth the hole storye of Daniel That as the iewes with their comoÌ„ well were so miserably destroyd and led into captiuite by gods minister Nebucad ne kynge of Babylon for despysing the preching of Ieremye and slaying his prophets teaching them the law and gospel aÌ„d warning them of that their pla ge to come ouer them euen so shal al the crysten realmes at laste for thrusting awaye the gospell offred them and sleying the trwe pechers sent them of God be lykewyse miserably destroied and captuied of the turke so that firste by mutuall and ciuill batails emong themselues one destroing other thei make the waye more easy and redy for the turke to inuade and ouercome all cristendome And wherfore shal God do thus to his peple Because saith Ieremye thei haue casten vp the couenant of their owne God and worshiped strange Gods Vnto the which senteÌ„ce Daniel subscribeth saying we haue not obayed the prophets the seruants of God In the londe of Sennaar that is in the loÌ„de of y e caldes in a great playn was BabyloÌ„ builded in processe of tyme mightely and strongly augmented with riche palaces pleasaunt howses stroÌ„g walles and towers called the head cyte and empyre of all the worlde so celebrated and standyng inuicte with many gloriouse victories by the space of 1495. yeres hauing the hole world vnder their dominion It was builded in 4. square 60. thousand pa ouer from wall to wall the wall is 200. fote highe and. 500. fote brode And yet was euery fote lenger by 3. fyngers then owers It was in circuite withoute the vttwarde wall is 480. forlongs It was dowble walled with many highe aÌ„d strong towrets And by a meruelouse crafte and labour the floude euphrates was brought to runne rownde aboute it betwixt and without the walles and thorowe many places of the cite It is so described of the auncieÌ„t historye wryters as of Iosepho Plinio Herodoto Orosio as no cite els to be lyke it But this so mighty a citie and golden head when the kinge Balthazar with his nobles were festing and
an example howe in trouble we shuld calvpon God and our desyer obtained 〈…〉 geue him praise and thankis as he commandeth saing call vpon me in tribulacion aÌ„d I shall delyuer the and thou shalt glorifie me To call vpon God is to aske his promises in cryste for all the promises of God ar Amen that is ferme fast and sewer in cryste For what so euer saith cryste ye aske my father in my â–ª he shal geue it you To geue thaÌ„kes is to 〈…〉 God for his benefits geueÌ„ vs in cryste by whom the sorowful and sadde be animated whiche delyuered do thanke him Of the Psalter boke we may lerne to call vpon and to geue god thankis The sense of all the places in Daniels thankis geuing is all giftis to be of God not onely the giftis of soule but of bodye and fortune as Paul affirmeth in his pistles to the Corinthes and Ephe. Iam. also Wherfore the very worship of God to be setforth in this place we may confirme it by the Psal. 50. Wherfore Daniel going vp vnto Arioch the kings cheif officer sent of the king to slaye the wyse men of Babylon biddeth him hold his haÌ„dis lead me to y e kinge I hal expowrte hi his dreame Daniel geueth vs an ensample to loue our enimies but yet to condempne their falsedoctryne and their synnes the trwe doctrine of cryste constantly to affirme For the wise polityk enimies of goddis worde in babyloÌ„ he so loued that he wold excuse their ignorance and for their ignoraÌ„ce praye that thei be not slayne the consideracion of his excusacion and peticion was for that he knewe the natural wyse men not to perceiue those thingis which be of the spirite of god For the spirit of god onely seeth the mynde of God Whetfore it is he only that may before saye and tellout gods will Wherfor this example of loue is very rare and selâ—… sene to delyuer our enimies apointed to dye because thei be ignorant of the worde Let vs therfore no lesse thirst the bloude of our anticristeÌ„ enimies then crist wold not dampne the aduouteres accused and condempned of the Magistrates IoaÌ„ 8. But yet their false doctrin let vs as stroÌ„gly and boldely confute condeÌ„pne as cryste cryed wo wo vnto the Pharisais and with as inuicte a mynd and manly an herte let vs confesse the worde of God as wold cryste dye for his gospell The cause of your dreame in your slepe was this you being kinge reuolued in mynde as ye laye in bedde what was to come aftir wherfore the reueâ—ler and opener of secrete mysteries sheweth to you what is to come and vÌ„nto me verely is not this mistery reueled for 〈◊〉 wisedoÌ„ where by I excel al other mortal meÌ„ but that the interpretacion shulde be declared to you y e king that ye shuld knowe the cogitacions of your own herte Now is the occasioÌ„ of the kinges dreame expressed y e dreame because it had a certain consternacion of mynde feare therwith al to be of god of god to be ex pressed because the kig desyâ—… what maner king doÌ„s there shuld be aftir him therfore â–ª god by this dreame sheweth 3. monarch to come aftir his empyre in the thirde cryst the eternal king to come whiche shuld delyuer mankind from the deuil â–ª dethe hell to destroye the worlde with fyer in the laste daye to geue lyfe euerlasting to the beleuers and to dampne the vnbeleuers into fyer perpetuall It is an highe vertew a man not to boste and attribute that thing to hiself which is of God but to teache cryste purly â–ª wherfore Daniel where he sayth The reueeler or opener of mysteries shewethe it you c and not I he wold a voide the prayse and estimacion of himself that the kinge might conceiue therby some godlines by Daniel but God saith he reueleth it to declare the kinges cogitacions So that by the know of cryste to come the king and his realme might a voide the wrath of God and obtaine thorow cryste the benediccioÌ„ of the gentilis promised to Abraham that is by faith in cryste to haue eternall lyfe But let vs heare the dreame kynge behold Thow didstsee a great image large highe of a mighty forme terrible to beholde standing before the whose head was al of golde his breste armes syluer his belye and loynes brasse his leggis his feete were parte of and parte of pot baerthe Thou didste beholde it vntil there came a stone smyteÌ„ out without hand is which smitte the image vpoÌ„ his â–ª erthen feete breking them al to powlder Then was the teste or potsherd the brasse golde syluer redacte into duste so that not onely of the wynde were thei blown away as chaffe from the floer in somer but also that their place could no more be fownde But the stonne which had smitteÌ„ the image was made so great that it fulfilled the vniuersal erthe This is your dreame nowe wil we expowne it before y e king The telling of his dreame expresseth not onely 4. ciuile empires vnder the w e the iews crystis chirche shuld be afflicted vnto the ende but also it sheweth an euangel â–ª spirituall kingdom of cryste to be ouer all kings monarchis But first lerne we kingdoms to be constituted of god the later to be worse theÌ„ the former and lerne we crystes kingdom to be described of the tyme of powr when he shal come to the world to destroye it with fyer geuing to al the beleuers eternal lyfe in a newe worlde And as in the firste parte of this narracioÌ„ he signifieth as it were in a legale or seculare sermone the kingdoms to be made to be howses nources defenders of the gospel but sewerly what so euer is in the world without the gospel it is but idolatry death dampnacion euen so in the â–ª other parte as it weâ—e with an euangeli sermone he calleth them all vs to the knowlege of cryste monisshing the king and al mortall men to remeÌ„â—ber and thinke vpon the miserye and shortnes of the worlde of the resur reccion of the dead and lyfe eternal Thou king art the moste noble of all kinges vnto whom the God of heuen hathe geuen powr Maiestye c. Thou art therfore this golden heade The firste Monarchy which stode first vpon the caldeis eft sence on the AssirioÌ„s and at last by succession al ioyned into one called the kingdom of Babilon is here the golden head And in describing the kinges maiestye powr c he shewth kingdoms to be geuen of God not goten by manis powr And where daniel saith god to haue geuen althingis into the kinge of Babylons hande he tellethe him that not by the powr of his idole and image of Beeâ— of Babylon the king sitteth so sewer from al his
passion hath not Winchesters condicion But the promises of corporall benefits not onely require that we beleue the power of God to be myghty enough but also that he will helpe vs yf it please him when and how he hath decreed it which condicion is not against the nature of faith but declareth obedience for all these must go togither faith obedience prayer to aske and abyde Gods plesure For so pray Dauid 2. of the kynges 15. And these 3. men permitted the ende and maner of their delyuerance out of the ouen vnto Gods will and plesure whom they were euer redy to obeye But the glory of god they defended affirming him to be able enough to delyuer them so that their faith waited vpon god for siche consolacion and helpe and when it shuld please him to sende it them So that ye see the corporall promises of the lawe to haue these condicions but the promises of the gospell of grace and remission haue no condicion but be made frely in criste and performed to the beleuers For the declaracion of the. 6. place ye shall knowe that therfore be corporall afflictions layde vpon vs to excyte vs to prayer and to excercyse our faith as it is in I saye Lorde in their affliccion they seke the tribulacion sorofull groning are to them thy nourtering and discipline Wherfore let vs put awaye all mistrust and thinke not oure prayers and his promises to be in vayne yea allthough we adde the condicion yf it be thy will for God delyuereth vs when we call vpon him to certifye vs of his presence as it is in the Psal. I shall delyuer the and thou shalt glorifye me And when he taketh not awaye oure present calamite yet geueth he vs vnspekable confort and euen his holy spirit Wherfore his promyse is neuer invayne to the beleuers And therfore cryst commandeth vs incessantly to praye Albeit the deliuerance be differred to drawforth oure faith hope and pacient expectacion But thus to do is harde vnto reason For when god delyuereth not menis myndis be broken beleuing themselues not to be herde then beginne they to dowt or to thinke God to be angrye with them so to be full of indignacion against god and vtterly to fall from him as did Saul which temptacion fayth must resist and aske encrease the more feruently perswaded of helpe although yet he feleth no helpe nor be lykely to haue any For god will ether helpe at that present tyme or sende some consolacyon otherwyse or mitigate the heuynes or by his meruelous counsell bringe all thy desiers vnto a better ende then thyselfe canst deuyse or wysshe Faithfull he is w t in temptacion geueth vs a good escape 〈…〉 the miracle is done to conuerte the kynge to the confession of God which conuerted expresseth his confession and forbideth the blasphemies Here be princes taught to abolyssh all vngodly doctryne and false worshippings c. and to be diligent in setting forth godly doctryne and the Cristen religion For y e Magistrates shuâ—de be the kepers and mayntainers of the hole lawe perteining to discipline For as they prohibit murther although thei cannot change menis herts so ought thei to forbidde outwarde idolatrye blasphemies and externe reuerent behauiour before images as creping to the crosse kyssynge and knelynge and praying before them with all lyke vngodly worsshipes honours rites ceremonyes be they neuer so decent and laudable before men 〈…〉 excecrable before God for that thei haue not his worde for them For albeit the office of the magistrate be not the ministracion of the spirit that is cannot conuert menis hertis yet ought he to be the minister to defende godis discipline and lawe to be the cheife membre of the churche to helpe the other members that the godly doctryne be taught maintained preched forth to all other This fowerth chapter sheweth the kynge for his vngodly securite in welthe pryde to be cast oute of his realme at last for his repentaÌ„ce to be restored For albeit the kynge had by these interpretacions of his dreames by this miracle by the doctryne of Daniel a great taste and know 〈…〉 of the almyghty god of Israel yet did his spiritualtye that is to saye his wyse lerned men sothe sayers sorcerers enchaunters or philosophers so bewitche him that they extolled him vp into siâ—he a securite and pryde that he anon forgote god forgote himself and all that God had done to him by these holy meÌ„ And therfore he had yet another ferefull vision which is here reherced of him self and he was punisshed put out of his kyngdome lost his mynde made lyke a brute beste and so aftir his punisshment restored to his mynde kyngdome with an vnfayned coÌ„uersion and trew penaÌ„ce he setteth thus forth his proclamacion ☞ Nebucadnezar the kynge vnto all peple nacions tongues thorow all the worlde dwellinge wyssheth and prayeth that your peace be eucreased I know it to be my dewtye to tell you the signes and wnderfull miracles which y e most hyghe god hath brought vpon me For his toknes are meruelouse great and ryght mighty are his miracles his kyngdome is an euerlasting kyngdom and his powr is perpetuall I Nebucadnezar happye and prosperouse in my familie and ryche in my palace did see a dreame so ferefull that my thoughtes in my bedde troubled my head greuously wherfore I sent oute a commandement that all the wyse men of Babylon shuld be brought vnto me to interprete my dreame Then were there brought before me the wysemen the soth sayers of chaldey astronimers ce vnto whom I tolde my dreame but y e interpretacion therof thei cold not tell me vntill at last there came daniel vnto me whose name is Balthasar aftir the name of my god which daniel hathe the spirit of the most holy god and vnto him I tolde my dream saynge Balthasar cheif master of the wyse men astronimers all in whom I knowe to be the spirit of the most holy god and that ther is no secrete mysterye hidde from the tell me my drame what it signifieth For this was my dreame in my bedde I did see a tree vpoÌ„ the middis of the erthe whiche was fayer and highe The tre was great and stronge so high that it reched vnto y e heuen â–ª and might be sene to the farthest parris â—â— al the erthe â— branches were fayer lusty to beholde 〈…〉 frute so plentuouse that it was meat sufficient for all thinges vnder it as it were in a plesant shadewe there dwelt the wylde beastes and the birdes nesiled in 〈…〉 branches and all things ly uinge were fed of that tree And whyls in my dreame I behelde it lo there came downe from heuen in great spede an holy aungell crying lowde and spekinge thus kutte downe the tree and loppe of 〈…〉 bowes smyte of 〈…〉 branches and skatere away â— frute and let the beastes
and securite then is there present a soden destruccion The kynge thus troubled asked counsell at his diuines charmers as did Saul at the dead which is ayenst god saying I shall destroye the wysedom of the prudent And seinge it helped not he was sore vexed which signifieth not onely the cogitacioÌ„s of the worldly wyse to be vayne but also that before the reuelacion of gods worde god is euer wont to confounde and shame menis doctryne tradicions contrarye to his worde wolde god emprowr and kyngs wold se diligent ly to the godly instruccion of themselues and their peple by faithfull fre prechers and good bokis But because this cure of soules touche so fewe rulers and we will all with a lytle teachinge or non at all be greate coninge crystianes it is come to passe that emprours and kyngis maiestes cannot defende themselues the counsels of their wyse be made voyd god euer saying Thy empyre shal be taken from the and be geuen to thy better And contrarye wyse the godly in aduersite to be counforted as this part folowng declareth it Then the quene hearinge of this feare and trouble of the kynge his princes came into the banketinge house sayinge kynge longe be thy lyfe Let not thy thoughtis trouble the nether chang thou thy chere For there is in thy realme a man endewed with the spirite of the holy gods in whom in thy fathers dayes ther was found the lyght of knowlege and siche vnderstandinge wysedom as haue the goddis him thy father Nebucadnezar made bishop of all the lerned diuines of the wyse men the spiritualty of the Chaldeis and prophets or sothesayers the kynge I saye thy father did so because that in daniel whom the kynge named Belsazar there was founde a plentuouser and hygher spirit coning and vnderstandinge to expownâ— dreames to declare secretes and to solute harde questions Now therfore let daniel be called which shall interprete and declare this thinge And thus was daniel brought to the kynge Vnto whom the kynge sayde Art thou this daniel one of the sonnes of the captiuite of Iuda whom the kynge my father brought out of Iuda I heare saye thou hast the spirit of the holy goddis and not onely to be illumined and wyse but also to be in the an hyghe amplier prudence then in other men There were now brought in before me my spiritualtye diuynes and wyse men to reade this wryting and to shewe me the interpretacion therof but they coude not But I hea re that thou canst do it wherfore yf thou canst reade and interprete me this scripture thou shalt be cled with purpure c. All this maketh for the confusion of y e kynge and his wyse men For when they all were thus troubled and amazed then come thereforth this olde woman with good counsell and counfort yf any had bene left them This quene was sober not in the fest emonge these dronherds with their herlottis and therfore she remembreth and commendeth daniel with hyghe prayse vnto hyr neuye the kynge whom the more she commendeth the more shame it was to the kynge all those 3. yeares raignynge to not knowe but neglect so wyse and godly a counseller She called him not a captiue but spake reuerently of him with hyghe coÌ„mendacions but the gloriouse kynge spyghtfully asked him Art not thou that daniel one of the captiues of the iewes This place coÌ„teyneth two sermons the one of the godly quene the tother of the ongodly kynge vnto daniel by whom daniel in the mutacion of the kyngdom is promoued the promise of god is declared to be trwe saying I will be mercyfull into thousandis The olde quene forgote not the trwe doctryne of daniel as ye see by hyr wordis commendinge him for his diuine spirit for his lerning prudence wysedom and of his bishoply dignite and â—ning to interprete dreames mysteries and to solute harde questions She monisheth y t kynge godly vnder a colour of daniels prayse to call him in and heare him but he called him of y e same entent as Herode called cryst as ye maye see in his skornfull question asked him For as the calling of daniel nowe to late to the court made for the kyngis confusion so made it for daniel and the chirches helthe and counforte which vnder vngodly emprours and kyngs denyinge them socour and ayde in their landes maye not there dwell and flourissh wherfore the chirche so longe wayleth and suffereth exylie vntyll god correck the kynges for hyr sake as dauid testifyeth Blessed therfore be God oure heuenly father which so tenderly taketh charge ouer the forsaken and banisshed ministers of cryst oure kyng in the kingdoms of this worlde that in kyngis hawlis and courtes there is euer founde an Aboiâ—s which will defende Elias ayenst the denylly she tongues and so in the mutacions of realmes promote him as was here daniel exalted but not yet so to escape w t lot the Sodomitis all sonken It is here to be noted that the kyng iuged his sophos to haue the spirit of his holy godis as now do emperours and kynges iugâ—e of their holy ghostly fathers the fryers and bisshops ☞ Then answerd Daniel before the kynge saying Take thy rewardis to thy self and thy gift is geue them to another Nethelesse will I reade the wryting to y e kynge and the meaninge therof shall I shewe the. Vnto thy grandfather Nebucadnezar oh kynge the most hyghe god gaue this kyngdom maiesiye glorye and magnificeÌ„ce And for this his ample maiestye geuen him all peple nacions tongues fered and dreaded him for that he slewe whom he lysted reserued alyue whom he willâ—d he exalted whom he wol de and thrusted downe whom he wolde But when his hert was thus puft vp w t arrogancye and pryde he was deposed from his seat royall and they toke awaye his glorye And he was expelled fro men a beasily mynde geuen him to wandre emong wylde asses was fed with grasse lyke an oxe the dewe fallinge from aboue standinge vpon his bodye lyinge in the felde vntyll he aknowleged the most hyghe god to gouerne and translate the kyngdoms of mortall men to whom he lysteth And albeit thou Beltsazar beinge his neuy haste knowne all this yet hast thou not humbly submitted thyself vnto him but exalted thyself ayenst the lorde of hâ—uâ—n commanding the vessells of his house to be brought before the that thyselfe thy nobles thy wyues and whores might drinke wyne out of them Gods of syluer of golde coper 〈◊〉 tree and of stonne which can nether see nor heare nor fele nor knowe any thinge thou hast praysed and loaued But god which hath thy breathe and lyfe and all thy wayes in his hande thou hast not worshiped wherfore thissame hande is sent the of him to wryte the this same scripture And euen this is the wryting Mene Mene Thekel Vpharsin as miche to
him thei see him be â—llumined of him albeit at firste whylis thei be vnder the lawe thei fele in themselues no strengthe to fulfyll it but they set holde by fayth vpon crystis fulfylling chalengynge it for their owne To you therfore sayth cryst is it geuen to knowe these secrete visions and mysteries but to other flyers awaye thei be derke rydels and obscure parables Furthermore I hearing the voyce of his wordis as I had bene oppressed with sleape was casten downe groueling vpon the earthe And lo with his hande he touched me lyfting me vp yet creping on my knees and palmes of my handis And he sayd vnto me Daniel which art so desyerouse of thinges to knowe them take heed to the wordis which I speke to the stond styll in thy place for now am I sent vnto the. And when he had tolde me this I stode vp tremblynge But he sayd vnto me Daniel feare not For in y e first daye that thou applyedst thy mynde to vnderstande and humbledst thyself before the god thy wordis were herde for thy sake am I comen For the king of the Persies resisted me 21. dayes But so Mi chael one of the cheif princes came helped me and I was there left with y e kinges of Persie And am comen to the to tell y e what shall come ouer thy peple in y e later dayes For this vision is extended coÌ„tinued into long many tyms And why les he thus spake with me I caste down my face towerd the grownde spake not And so one lyke the sone of man touched my lippes I opened my mouth spake sayinge to him that stode before me Syr thorow this apparicion all my ioyntes tremble and my strength is gone fro me But how maye the seruant of this my lorde speke with this whiche is my lorde euen now am I destitute of my strength and I am so febled and faint that I cannot take my breath And then agene this man touching me counforted me saying Be not a frayd man so full of iust desyers peace be with the all feare set a part be of good chere And whylis he thus spake with me I was well strengthened cameayen to myself saying Say on my lorde for thou hast counforted me And then he sayd knowest thou not wherfore I am comen vnto the wherfore I must returne â–ª Now verely will I retourne to fight ayenst the prince of Persie For the prince of the Grekis came thyther assone as I was gone thence But I shall tell the the trewthe to come as verely as it were wryten for there is none to helpe me in this mater agaynste them but Michael youre prince Daniel hearing this voice then thus to fall downe domme ferefull and breathles signifieth the powr of gods worde to humble and cast downe the hearers being neuer so good and miche more the aduersaries therof For the synfull flesshe hearinge the iustice of god cannot but tremble and feare which thinge Israel well figured when god spake the lawe to them But god wold haue siche hearers as was daniel as he sayth by his prophete I say Whom behold I but siche as be troubled and tremble at my worde â–ª But Cryst is y e most perfitfull ioye with the gospell to refresshe siche deiected persons with his preceptis as it is clere by the text saying Michael not onely to helpe the aungels fighting for the faythfull but also to conforte daniel to touche his lyppes saying I am present for thy sake oh most best beloued man full of iust desyers heare ther fore stond vp haue peace and be of good confidence and chere For this Michael here described lyke the sone of man prince and leader of the Iewes was the very sone of God of whom sayth the psal 113. Who is lyke the lorde our god â–ª And albe it the aungels be the seruing spirits to y e chosen and most faithfull kepers of our bodies sowlis yet do thei not saynor do any thinge without cryste by whom thei were created and therfore the aungell he re saith noÌ„ to helpe him no not y e saints to ouercome the prince of the persians w c is the deuill but onely Michael This is confirmed by the storye of Iacob saing that he was conducted in his iourney by the aungell of god euen cryste and by him delyuered from all euil He is therfore cal led Emanuel that is the lorde euer present with vs that fere and beleue in him For Paul willeth him to go from al wikednes whiche calleth vpon crystis name Wherfore if we will in this vale of tearis be taught animated and defended of this Michael the leader and capitain of Israel let vs fere and call vpon cryst onely with daniel let vs fight ayenst all synne and pray to this owrpreseruer and defender Michael that he wolde destroye the workis of the deuil The offices of euil aungels is to trouble to sette king doms togither by the eares as ye see theÌ„ to haue done it euen these dayes by their impes the pope cardinals bisshops prei stis in euery realme and in the empyre to encense the vngodly ayenst the chirches and worde of god as here the text telleth the prince of the persians to resist and to fight ayenst the good aungel And when the good aungel was comen awaye then came the prince of the grekis The batails betwixt good and euil spirits coÌ„ siste ether in disputinge or by some other spirituall powr as ye here see it For the princes of the grekis and persies were de uils stering vp sedicions and persecucioÌ„s in Grece and persie ayenst all godlines In Persia the deuil stered vp yonge cambysem with his courtyers and also Dariâ—â— Ahassâ—erum inflamming them one aftir a nother to destroye the iewes and daniel with all the religion of god and in the same tyme in Grece thei stered vp sedicionâ— and batail The grekis because thei excelled in wiâ—e ryches the deuil stered them vp ayenste cambyses and were iwyse ouercomeÌ„ in Cyrus days brought into an heuy seruitute therfore thei sediciously resisted the Persies And this daye the deuil in all the kingdoms realmes and regions of the worlde incenseth the vngodly ayenst the gospell and to persecute the confessours of gods worde For the same prince of the persies grekis and of all the worlde in all ages especially in this laste age troubleth vexeth persecuteth laboreth to destroie the chirche of cryste and all comon wealis Wherfore god suffreth the good aungels often tymes to haue the victorie of the euil that peace might reigne vpon y e erthe and the godly to haue a breathinge tyme to reste them Whilis I came to the saith the aungel to tell the what is decrede to come and written coÌ„cerning the crosse and persecucion to continew into so longe a
he sayth aftir he had distributed the first 7. heb to the buylding distinctly and seuerally in the next verse not repeting the former 7. hebd And aftir 62. hebdomadis cryste shal be slayne Now is it manifest that aftir none of all these last and lerned menis accompt if thei folowe the wordis of the text and not repete the former 7. hebdom can the nowmbere be continewed immediately but must be broken as the aungell breketh diuideth them So that this is y e sence and mynde of him That aftir 62. hebd where the prophecie of Iacob shal be fulfylled concerning the scepter of Iuda to be taken awaye and the Romans to rule the iewes then shall cryst be borne slayne c. but Iacob sayth not immediatly aftir y e scepter be taken awaye nomore then the aungell sayth here immediatly aftir the. 62. heb cryst shal be slayne for it was I saye 47. yeres aftir and aftir these 47 yeares yet 33. aftir ere he was slayne This miche haue I lerned sence by the expending and waying of the text processe thereof so that if as Cicero sayth oure later cogitacions be wyser then the former let the readers be iuges Now to the text xerxes prosecutinge the prouocacion by his fathers ryches faught ayenst y e Grekis in Europa where he ouercomen fled bak ayen into Asiu where he thus beastely and cruelly lyued had a miserable ende For he toke his brothers wyf beinge a lyue and gaue his brothers daughter to his owne sone aftir warde laye by her and then he slewe his brother He lyeth not which sayd I shall viset iniquitie For these incestuouse beastly blody crueltyes the Monarchye of the Persians begane to shake and fall and xerxes himself was miserably slayne of Artabanus the last kinge of the Parthens Cet this be an example to all emperours and princes to betaught to feare God leâ—t for siche crymes they be the destruccion of themselues and of their kingdoms ☞ Then shall there stande vp a strong kinge and obtayn the most mighty emperye and shall do what he lyft And when his kingdom hath stonden it shal be broken and diuided into the. 4. clymats of y e worlde but not to his owne posterite nor yet with that maiestie and power wherwith himselfe ruled For his kingdome shal be minisshed and distributed to other kinges besydes these 4. or vnto strangers By these wordis the aungell describeth the flourishing encreace and destruccion of great Alexander For vnder the Grekis the Iewes shuld suffer yet many plages For Alexander himself thought to destroye Ierusalem but the hyghe bishop coming forth ayenst him mekely with the Ceuitis so iently moued and entreated y e kinge that he was right beneficiall with greate giftis vnto them This mighty Alexander to rule conquire al y e worlde was called before the gret horned flying gote Him to do what he lysteth is to haue a prosperouse successe in all his affayers and victories For he beinge but. 20. yeres olde ere he was full 33. had subdewed all the worlde The verifying of these prophecies declare them to be spoken of god which onely as present foreseeth althinges to come And where he promiseth vs delyuerance he sheweth himselfe to tender vs that enbrace his prophecies The godly therfore are confirmed left they fall bak from their profession But the last part of this chap. perteyneth to the last parte of this Monarchie and to this age of the world declaring what persecucion cristis chirche hath and shall yet suffer vnder the cruel seculare spiritual anticristis at laste vnder the turke Mahumete the spi ritualtye yet lordely reigning aâ—tir a prophane proude haitheÌ„ fassion persecuting the doctrine of cryst quenching y e lyght of the gospel of the trwe inuocacion in faith and confidence in the sone of God defending by their seculare armes idolatry fighting burning fageting for their idols and for their prodigiouse lecherouse lustis slayinge innocents for the trwe doctrine For vnto their spiritual tyraÌ„ny y e seculare emperour princes adde their furiouse merciles blod sheding bothe by persecucion of the gospel and by batails whose pryde and riches be the spâ—rres vnto all this tumult where in good studies and letters gospell and cryste shal be neglected at laste a new derkenes fyeâ—cer furies withe the miserable mutacioÌ„â— of kingdome nowe begune in brewing These affliccions wold god men wolde consyder and before all aske of god to preserue gouern norissh encreace his chirche And if ther be any prices which may heale these woundis let theÌ„ now do their office leste cryste in his laste iugement now at hande accuse them gilty dampnanacion Nowe shulde emperowr and princes setforth the byble and defende good prechers Now shuld the crysten lerned men be sought out to teche crystes worde of saluacion Now it behoueth princes to defende the gospel of cryste teching peace and not banissh and burne the worde of peace commanding the trwe faithful prechers to sylence and restraining the scriptures and godly bokis forboden of them to be redde of the cristen good peple so de syerouse to reade them for their counforte in these troublos dayes Take ensample at the said kingis whiche solonge as thei gaue lycence to the iewes to buyld their temple god gaue them noble victories and rest as ye see it in Salomons dayes but wheÌ„ thei restrained and forbode the buildig therof thei had their handis full of warre and themselues miserably slayne A lyke terribly and trobles face is there this daye of the worlde for inhibitinge the buylding of the chirche of cryst God sent them his aungel cryste to helpe them whylis thei were content the iewes to edifye their temple And when thi inhi ted or neglected that good worke he prouoked one kinge to destroye another as y e stories declare it There be nowe meruelous subtyle craftinesses excercised in courtes insidiouse wylinesses couetuose counsels priuey studies for promoons and one king to destroy another faith les fauor flatery c. Whiche all is called polityk prudence and pleasauncie but it muste all shortely be turned into misery folisshes and into a calamitouse destruccion But retourne we to Alexander the beginner of the .3 monarchie and let vs set him as a glasse before all emperowrs princes to see themselues in him ye haue herde of his good fortunes and successe in so shorte a tyme whiche translated the monarchie of the persies vnto the Grekis as the prophecie was then verifyed with in .200 yeres folowing But the same prophecie yet tuneth vnto this daye vpon lyke Alexanders in a perpetual pathe to be verified vpon all the crysten empires and kingdome which haue so blasphemosly persecuted and quenched the worde of their saluacion so mercilesly sheding the innocent blode for the Gospel Some kingdoÌ„s haue felt the stroke of this worde moo be
and quenes of siche idle vyle quesâ—ors shall the last kingdoms of the worlde be gouerned This vyle Seleucus commanded the temple of Ierusa lemto be spoyled as now at last shall there lyâ—e vyle questors gather into their haÌ„ dis all the ryches of the Popis chirche If ye compare this image vnto the laste age of the worlde ye shall perceyue the aungell not to haue onely prophecied of Scleucus but also of the later kings and emprours of this worlde and to haue setforth the calamities of the chirche of cryste in these later dayes that we might knowe the synnes of the spiritualtye of their idle impes to be worthely plaged of the seculare Seleukâ— which both togyther shall persecute Christis poore flok And yet shall god delyuer his from both their blody mouthes These vyle questors shall dayly inueÌ„t newe kindis of eccyses and exaccions to pyss and empouet their comons as hytherto haue y e bishops done in vexing pollyng and pilling their diocesans preistis persons abbels spi ritualty tyll there shall come the thirde kyght and swâ—pe awaye both frogge and mouse Lytle rememberd they that Ioan Baptist coÌ„manded them to be coÌ„tent with their owne stipendes They contempne the example of Achab whom God so punisshed for taking awaye Nabothâ— vyneyarde Thei shulde spare the possessions and goodis of their subiectis and diocesanâ— that y e peple might haue to setforth their chyldren to scole and to lerne them honeste and vtyle occupacions and that thei might helpe their godly kinges emprours trewe prechers in tyme of nede ayenst foren incursions But as I sayd let vs know these open plages to be iuste punishments of the peples synnes warnings to excite them to godlynes and to commende the congregacioÌ„s to gods cuâ—e and to mitigate these cruell open tyraÌ„nys and to sende vs wyse rulers iuste strong and happy princes studyinge for y e profit of their comons to geue vs good bisshops to orne the chirches and not to oner them and to setforth and illustre the glorye of god and not to obscure it ☞ But him there shall succede a contempned persone nothing estemed to haue had bene kinge or thought to haue had the kingly honor but yet shall he gete it by giftis and come in quietly at his pleasure and obtayne the kingdom by flaterye In this king is described and figured Anticryste to raigne both in the seculare kinges and emprours and also in the ecclesiastik sorte in these laste dayes vnto the worlds ende Let vs therfore beholde the begininge the successe and ende of this anticrysten Antiochus which to come to the kingdom slewe his owne brother Seleucus as did Iason slay Onias the bisshop to obtayne his bisshopryke And haue there not bene lyke pagents playd emonge emprours kinges popes preistis and bisshops one to succede another Antiochus his begininge was vyle and coÌ„temptible not loked for to be king For he was in presone at Rome left in pledge of his father nether asked of y e Sy tiaÌ„s nor lawfully called to be their king for his elder brother Seleucus had now a sonne alyue to succede him The aungel therfore calleth him a contemptible or an vnestemed persone for that he wanted auctorite that is vertewe felicite vnloked fore of the peple But god did set him in auctorite and place to be the instrumeÌ„t of his wrath For whosoeuer shall well tule and be obayed of his peple he must nedis haue auctorite which onely God createth witnes Solomon saing An eye seinge and eare hearinge both be of God Albeit therfore this antiochus was subtyle and a bolde waryer yet because he wanted y e iust auctorite before men that is he was vniust outragioê° â–ª cruell viciou se he was called of the aungella coÌ„tempned vyle vnestemed wretche He therfore what by deceitfull fraude flaterye and fayer false promises gote the fauour of y e romans to defeat his brothers sone of the kingdom But will ye see anticryst in his proper colours He shall come into his auctorite and place of himself vnsent of god nether entreth he in by the dore but lurketh a wolfe vndera lambes skynne What glitering shewe of honesty vertewe godlynes and holines sheweth and pretendeth this horned beast vnder how many holy preteÌ„ces to suppresse heresyes sedicions and to abolisshe false religioÌ„s yea to abolisshe anticryst himself to refor me the chirches and plante the gospell playth he anticrystis parte in stablishing false doctryne and falser religion and in suppressing the trewe gospell vnder the colour of preching the gospell purely and syncerely he burneth banisheth all trâ— syncere and pure prechers of it Hath not Mahumete and the popes by these subtyle fraudis goten their kingdoÌ„s Thei promise to teche declare the lawes of god but thei preche their owne dead deuilishe dremes Thei wryte themselues the most holy headis and vicares of the catholike chirche of God but thei be the most prophane cheiftains of sathans synagoge Thei pretend rightwysnes worke all mischeif Thei fayn peace and be the autors of y e most vniust batails Thei praise and preche mercye and good workis and be therselues the most cruell mercilesse tyrants and sheders of innoceÌ„t blode spendinge the goodis of the chirche substance of the poore vpon their owne fleshly lustis and dirtye doinge sakes Thre thinges be here expressed First he is not called Secondarily it came prosperously to passe with him to raigne Thirdly he obtained all thingis by murther fraude and flaterye He was farre inferior to his father antiochus the greate both in powr fortune He was a subtyle deceiuet a fayer false promiser a fla terer a viciouse lecherouse persone couetuose graceles bolde in mischeif and pie teles ☞ And armes shall come lyke a great rysinge sea before him they shal be ouer whelmed of him yea euen y e prince him self which was confedered with him By these arysinge armes be signifyed the princes of Syria Egypte but cheifly the capitains of the hostes holdinge and kepinge the cities in Phenice which lyke a swelling sea came rysing vp ayenst this Antiochus Epiphan which armes had then leauer ether Seleucus his sonne the Syriam or els Ptolom Philometor the Egypte prince and sonne of Cleopatre sister to this Antiochê° to haue raigned then this contempned Antiochus Epiphan This prince here confedered with him was Ptolom Philometer Cleopatras sonne and king of Egypt All these armes and princes saith the aungell shall this wiked Antiochus ouerwhelme and ouerflowe them lyke the dilâ—â—iâ— of Nohe Hither to hath he described the begininge of the raigne of Antiochus Epiphan now shall ye see the middis of his raigne that is to â—eit his 3. expedicioÌ„s or viages of y e which one was into Phinicen the other two into Egypt ayenst his sisters sonne Ptolom Philometor ☞ For after that he shall make an iâ—sidiose confederacion with him he
as he was to the iewes in Antiochus tyme not sufferinge that greuou sepersccucion to continewe senger then y e said 1290. dayes he saith dayes because the litle tyme apereth so longe to the afflicted Thê° be we warned to perseuer strongly in pacience abydinge the glorious coming of cryste to iugement to slaye this anticristen horned whore of babylon withe the almighty breathe of his mouth that we might haue our perpetuall ioye teste with cryste But daniel go thou hence vntyll the ende be comen be at reste For thou shalt stand vp with thy parte in the ende of the tymes Here at last is daniel commanded of y e aungell Cryst to departe and to take his reste his bodye to lye down and sleape in the duste his soule to reste in ioye in Abrahams bosome which is in heuen with god the father with his sone holy gost with all y e holy aungels spirits of the lust vntyll that gloriouse daye of y e resurreccion all crystis enimies thrust downe vnder his fete And then he telleth him that he shall resume his gloriouse immor tall incorruptible spirituall bodye standing vp ayen as it were from sleape with his parte and blessed company of the cho sen. Thus shall we all bothe gladde fresshe and ioyfull aryse rogither in the laste daye which is now owr moste present coÌ„solacion Iesus cryst our resurreccion graunt it vs that we mought so vnderstande teache and lone daniel the prophetes that me myght with them ryse agene in that euerlastinge scole perfectly lerne to knowe to honor God vnto whom onely be glorie immortall So be it Nowe geue thankis to our celestial father thorowe Iesus cryste our redemer that he hath at last so clerely by his prophete daniel reueled to vs these so secrete misteries so that we be assâ—wered cry sâ—e our redemer to haue had ben comen incarnated these 154â— yeres ago that he shall come agene shortely to delyuer vs mightely out of anticristis tyraÌ„nye destroye him w t his almighty worde We beseche the oh father for cristes sake ge â—e vs the very feare faith in the make vs call vpoÌ„ thâ—for our onely mediator cristes sake to be herde that among these so many mighty fraudes of Anticryst we â—hriâ—k not we fall not froÌ„ the but that in thy holy feare pacieÌ„t abydig we might perseuâ—â— to our endis reste with daniel in the cominge of cryste Iesu we mought with him in the felowship of thy chosen meâ—e our sauiour cryste in our glorifyed bodies rysen ayene into that perpetuall felicite prepared for vs in cryste from the begininge Amen Emprinted at Geneue 1545. G. I. Halcyon is a kingis fissher The last dayes be ê‘ellous Cap. 12. A monarchie is one empire ouer all the worlde the scripture is Gods worde the first age 2. age 3. age the first age 2. age 3. age A monarchie the first monarchie The. 2. Monarchye The. 3. Monarchie The. 4. Monarchy Daniel 2. The argument The om nipotencie mer cie of God God ruleth the world by kinges prophetis note this wel good reader 22. Cap. 9. Cap. Gene. 7. Of babylon citie Amonicion 2. Pet. 2. Rom. 11. Text. The office of kinges and victours the chirche is fre in captiuite Exo. 20. What thing is victoriose kings shuld do Deu. 17. kinges muâ—â—â— euer â—â—adâ— y e boke of Deut. Daniel â—althasar â—ananias drach Rom. 13. Text. Exo. 20 Cap. 11. Places of the. 1. cap. Rom. 11. The false prophe tâ— were euer in greter autorite theÌ„ the trwe wherfor be good men scourged w t the euil The batail i promises 29. Eze. 33. Ephe. 3. The glory of the peple of Israel â— their exi le Gen. 49 3. place Prou. 20 2. Paral. 31. Mat. 10. 1. Pet. 3. Titu 3. The godly howe thei shal do in tyme of peace batel Eze. 18. Faith erectâ—th hirself vp bithe â—mises ayenste the threates We may not poit God the tyme pla ce c. How the vngodly behaue theÌ„selfe in tyme of peace batail The fast and punisshement of the false prechers Iere. 28. The cry sten lyfe The argnmeÌ„t of the 2. ca. Text. Gen. 22. It behoueth the victor to fele what captiues he hathe 1. Samu â—l 5 6. god how he is w t men I say 29 the word of god reueled shameth maÌ„ nis doctrin seme it neuer so deceÌ„t laudable Text. Rom. 4. all thynges be possible to God Heb. 11. Text. Psal. 17. What it is to call vpoÌ„ god 2. Cor. 1. Ioan. 16 Text. Our ennimies must we loue 1. Cor. 2. Onely y e holy gost seeth what is to come Our eni mies but not their doctryn to be loued Text. Whiche drames be of god Cryste when aÌ„d wherfor he shuld come Text. The kiÌ„g doÌ„ of cry ste. The begining fal of kiÌ„gdoms be of God Christis kingdoÌ„ kingdoÌ„s ar y e howses of the gospell The worlde without the gospel is hel Text. â— Mona Text. Text. Text. 4. Monarchie The Romane empiâ—e shal be destroyed Cast of all shall the Gospell destryoe both Pope turke vsurping the Romain empire The diuision of the Romain em pire Text. Christes kyngdoÌ„ when it begane institued of God Christis kyngdoÌ„ is his worde his chur che the ston â—ut out of the hil without hande Luc. 19. Psal. 2. Text. 1. Pet. 4. 1. Tim. 5 The. 3. chapter Bothe autors â–ª defenders worshippers of ymages â–ª shal be greuosly plaged Text. accusers of good menshal be destroyed Text. Text. To not defende y e trwthe and to re nye it is allone The lyberty of the faith full in the crosse To worship god what it is Rom. 10. Dissemble not in Gods honore worship The bisshops vn godly godly worship of ymages Onias Menelaus Iason Macha Exo. 32. Leui. 26. Psal. 96. Deut. 4. 27. Exo. 20. Iosue 8. Deu. 16. 1. Cor. 10 Thre hâ— nors a diuine honor A ciuâ—le honor And an ydoll honor w t win gloseth and it oute w t a certain reuerent behauior Matt. 5. Text. Beware ye cruell hangmeÌ„ meÌ„ but ners Psal. 104 Text. The subiects folowe their kynge coÌ„dicions the first precept is the rule of all doctryne I say 7. Who was the angel in the fyer The flame burneth the burners of y e faith full be they neuer so far of Psal. 2. Text. The pro perty of our papi stis about kingis emprowrs To send forth pre chers is y e spediest way to plant y e gospell Cryst is with vs in y e middes of y e fyer of tribulacion I say 53. Hebre. 11 kinges take hede your fice the first place TyraÌ„ts deride y e godly Oure erth quakis and present eclyps Ioan. 3. In his first article against D. barnes Corporall promises haue condicioÌ„s but not y e promises of the gospell Of y e 6. place 26 Wherfore God laith vpon vs bodely affliccions Psal.
we haue a cleare testimonye of the resuscitation of the dead to come where the vngodly shal be punysshed with payns perpetuall and the godly endewed with ioye eternall The professours of this doctryne shal aryse ayen vnto lyfe By the doctrine of cryste of the prophets and apostles professed and receyued the trwe chirche is 〈…〉 from the Synagog of anticryst Here it is taught also the chirche not to be the most multitude but often to be but a litle miserable sorte afflic with pouerty presoâ—s and persecucion with many other calamities and the wyked enimies of god for the more parte to bere rule to be emprours and kinges popes cardinals bisshops c. And to haue the wealthy vayn glorye of this worlde But when these vtwarde apperances offende manis reason which being ignorant of the wrathe of God ayenst synne yet cleauing in the nature of man dreameth these rulers rather to be beloued of God to whom he geueth victory impery riches rule therfore it is necessarye to note this premoni cion teaching vs how we shulde knowe the chirche of God where we shuld seke it euen onely in that coÌ„gregacion which receiueth enbraceth with perel of their lyues the doctryne delyuered by the prophets by Cryste his apostles And let not the 〈…〉 kinges rulers nor ryches nor their gloriouse titles nor the multitude nor longe customs nor the holy names of their holy mother the chirche moue the to esteme them for the peple of god whiche ether castaway neglecte or 〈…〉 the vniuersal doctrine of the prophets and apostles orels openly and pertinatly defende imagis supersticion vaine ryts idle ceremonies and Papistrye Here also thou seeste the anticrystis bothe seculare and spirituall prophecied to come in the second third but especially in this last Monarchie where in thei shall moste cruelly towerds the ende of the worlde greuously persecute resiste the gospell here I say ar these aduersaries to crist lyuely setforth iÌ„ their own colors and as it were with Daniels finger pointed forthe also howe wherewithe and when thei shal be destroid Men must be prudent in diuiding and receiuing the prophets documents Thei must loke whiche parte containeth the laws whiche preche the promises the gospell For vnto these principalls allother things muste be referred Note also whiche parte declareth the documents As what can be said clerelyer and euideÌ„tsier ayenst the iews then that Daniel af firmeth cryste to must haue had ben borne during yet the comoÌ„ weal of Moses Wherfore that horrible destruccioÌ„ of hierusalem and ruyne of the hole londe of Iuda nowe paste 1474. yeres do testify cryste to be borne it refuteth their madde and cursed pertinacye Here must we note the lessons of the trwe inuocacion worship of God As wheÌ„ Daniel prayeth he aknowlegeth to God onely his owne and their synnes for whom he prayeth asketh of God onely delyuerance in the faith and confidence of his mercye adding by expresse name For the lorde cryste his sake that is for Messias his sake promised This forme of prayer with confidence of the mercy of God promised for crystes sake we ought to vse in these last and perlous days now be we taught who be the chirche and therwith monisshed to flye and â–ª that false coloured coÌ„pany that contende to blot out the name and glory of cryste defende their images supersticiouse rites cere and papistry ayenst the gospel vnder the name of the chirche or of any other begged glitering gay titles Nether ought this thing to be neglected that to confirme our myndis God hathe geuen vs prophecies of all sortes concerning the externe kingdoÌ„s so that by the iust fulfilling of euery thing as it was prophecied we haue trwe testimonys that owr scripture is Gods worde no nother but this owr faithe to be the trwe faithe also And that we shuld be warned and tolde when cryste shal come and wheÌ„ we must loke for the ende of the worlde And when we see althingis to haue had come to passe and be fulfilled whiche were prophecied then we shuld beleue euen these same also to be lykewyse fulfilled whiche yet this daye the scriptures testifie to come orels we se them presente Whiche prophecies the clâ—resyer to be vnderstandeÌ„ it is necessary we know the ages of the worlde and the order of the. 4. Monarchies and the nowmber of the tymes howlong thei stode A brife supputacion of the Ages and yeris of the worlde FOr the beter vnderstanding of this prophete I will diuyde the worlde as saith the house of Elie into 3. ages and then aftir Daniels storye into 4. Monarchies The house of Elie thus saith Six thousand yeris shal the world stande and aftir that it shall fall and be destroiâ— Two thousand yeris it shall stand vn der the lawe vnwriten called the lawe of nature â–ª writen from the begining in menis hertis Two thousande yeris vnder the lawe writen by Moses Two thousande vnder cryste and his gospell aâ— be it this last thousand yeris be not fulfilled for that the sinnes and wikednes of this worlde being so abominabâ—â— so rank and rype the persecucion so greuouse God must for his promise sake Mat. 24. and for his chosens sake shorteÌ„ the dayes lest al flesshe perisshe The first age conteined in the first 2000. stode from the creacion vnto Abraham being 5o yeris olde whiche was 344. yeris aftir Nohes flowde which floude was froÌ„ the creacion in the yere 1656. The seconde age in the seconde 2000. recheth from the said yeres of Abraham vnto the birth and passion of cryste Cryste was borne in the yere from the creacion of the worlde 3978. and preueÌ„ted the ende of the fowerth millenarie by 22. yeris And why verely because we shuld know that as he hathe with his firste coming into flesshe preuented the ende of the seconde age euen so will he with his laste coming to iugement preuent the ende of the last age and sixt millenarie This third age in this laste 2000. begane at the birthe or rather aftir the ascension of Cryste and shal continâ—w vnto the destruction of the worlde at crystis coming to iugemeÌ„t Of this age there be past this daye from the birth of cryste 1545. and from his passion 1512. and from the final destruccion of Ierusalem and the iews comon weal 1474-And thus is the world old 5523. or aftir a nother manis rekening 5528. Which rekening is thus gathered in the bible First from the creacion to Nohes floude there were yeres 1656. From thence to Abrahams going forthe out of chaldei 363. From thence to the going forth of the Israefits out of Aegipte 430. From thence to the first building of the temple in the. 4. yere of Salomons raigne 480. yeris FroÌ„ thence to the captiuite in babiloÌ„ 429 The captiuite dured 70. yeris And here was the age of the worlde 3428. yeris From the captiuite to
togither his astronimers encha unters â–ª and the sothe sayers in all caldye to tell him and interprete his dreame c. Nowe God reueleth in an ordir the. 4 Monarchis witnessing that in the ende of the worlde the euerlasting kingdom of the faithful which trwly haue worshiped and feared God shal come vnto them In this reuelacion is there first of all consolacion and a doctrine set before the peple for they dyd now se themselues not forsaken of God in that they had soche Prophets as was Daniel one They lerned also when that perpetuall glorye promised to theyr fathers shuld be loked fore Bâ—sydis this the kynge and many other gentyles by this doctryne were monisshed to know the very God and to enbrace the trwe religion and worde of God Secondarily this chap. containeth an example That God heareth the godly geuing to the askers in fayth wysdom and other gyftis It conteineth a testimony That empyres aÌ„d kingdoms be constituted of God It monisshe vs that the empyres and kingdoms by lytle and lytle shall fall into worse and worse states and the later and last shal be one aftir a nother more troublouse full of synne and mischeif and least iust As was the Romane empire crueller and harder then the Persyk and Greke empires It is testifyed that it is lawfull and necessary for faythfull men to bere rule For Daniel obtained the rule of certayne prouinces for his felowes In these firste fowr places are contained thre examples that is to wete two of the mercy of God declared vpon the kynge and on Daniel and one example of the wrath of God shewed vpon the wyse men of the worlde The kynge Nebucadnezar studyed mused what shuld come of his realme and of the hole worlde wherfore God created him a dreame wherby he shuld be certifyed what and how many kyngdoms shuld before come euen vnto the euerlastynge kyngdome of Christ for God wolde in this dreame shewe Christ to the kyng and to his haithen realme because he had before sworne it by a sacred othe vnto the sead of Abraham now captiued in the same realme of Babylon saying By my nownself swere I that in thy sead shall I blesse all nacions Vvherfore that this kynge and nowrce of Christ might knowe the Babyloni religion to be deuillisshe and the Iewes religion to be Goddis trewe religion he maketh the kynge to forgete his dreame smytyng yet into his mynd so depe a dreadfull desyer to know it that not onely all the wyse sothe sayers and dreame tellers of Babylon but also euen Daniel with his felows he wolde coÌ„mande to be slayne onelesse they could declare and shewe him his dreame For as it behoued the Philisteins to haue had experience what a geste thei had of the arke of God euen so it behoued the victore king to knowe what maner men he had in captiuite but yet w t more mercy then pharo felt what gestis he had of the same sead The wyse enchaunters preistis and sothe sayers of Babilon ar the example of the wrathe of God For thei bosted and craked religiously dreames to be shewed and declared of God themselues to haue the coning to declare them If ye haue this craft to interprete my dreame as ye professe it saithe the kinge so may ye as well haue the coÌ„ning of your goddis to tell me what I dreamed But seing that ye cannot tell me my dreame ye declare yourselues worthei to be conuicted as very lyers and foles according as saith I saye God coÌ„foundeth the wyse in their owne craftye subtylite the lorde knowth how vayne ar the studies and thoughtes of the worldly wyse meÌ„ for in that thei denyed any man to may shewe that dreame thei toke away the prouidence of god and denied the religioÌ„ of the iewes that is to saye the lawe and the gospell by the whiche meanes God is cenuersant withe men and reueleth his misteries Wherfore the king iustely threateneth them death according to that saying I will destroy the wysedom of the wyse For this is of a trwthe God will firste shame destroy and confounde the false religion and the wyse politike prudent mayntayners therof before he reuelethe and bringeth in his gospell aÌ„d trwe doctryne And as the polityk prudeÌ„t sent their spyes before to vewe the loÌ„de of canaan concey â–ª a feare and a despaier neuer entredin them selues but rather despaiered of Gods promise euen so shall these politik wyse in so great laysour taking casting so many perels of sedicions tumulte if the gospell offred shuld be spedely receyued neuer haue it nor neuer entre into the kingdom therof For whoso obserueth the clowdes and wether shall neuer sowe nor reape Eccle. 11. Daniel and his felows ar the example of the mercy of God For therfore wolde God that the king and victore shuld threaten deth to Daniel captiued that he shuld be constrayned to call vpon god and so thorowe his inuocacion the dreame shuld be known openly into the coÌ„solacion of the chirche captiued and into the conuersion of the gentiles vnto cryst for whom and by whom onely all thinges be done When Daniel knewe the decree of the kyng and that sentence was geuen the wyse dreame tellers to be slayne and that Daniel his felowes were sought of Arioch the shryue to be slayne Then Daniel toke y e mater in hande and sayed to the shryue c. This is an example of fayth in God almyghtye as hath the fyrste article of oure Credo For as Abraham aboue all hope agaynst hope beleued and crept vp by hope vnder the wynges of the almyghty so doth Daniel here by fayth pro myse himselfe to fynde oute the dreame which was impossible to all y e wyse men of the worlde For as no promise of God is impossible to be fulfilled so ar all his promises possible to him that beleue theÌ„ Because therfore he knewe God to calforth that â–ª is not to make it in dede whatsoeuer god saith it is done w t great confidence Daniel in the perel of death condemneth the kynges crye and promiseth the interpretacion of his dreame with a ioyfull Gospel or tydings to them all by which promise he so broke the kynges wrath and returned his swerde into the sheathe which shuld haue slayne them that he maye be well nowmbred amonge them of whom saith the scripture The holy faythfull thorow fayth ouer came kingdoms but how â–ª verely by faith as it folowthe Then went Daniel home and shewed his felows Hananias Misael Asaryas the mater â–ª praying them to prayefor the grace gifte of God celestial in this secrete hyde thinge leste thei w t the wyse meÌ„ of babyloÌ„ be notquartered into peces whiche done This secrete mystery was reueled to Daniel in a vision by night theÌ„ dani did laude praise y t god of heueÌ„ saying The name of god be honoured c. Here is lo
enimies in the most ample and mightiest Monarchie but by the benefit of God Ieremy confirming the same saying That nacion and kingdom that wil not serue Nebucadne shall be visited with swerde pestilence famyn This was called the golden head because that as it was the best gouerned with all cyuile iustice equite vnto this daye so did the king Nebucad raigne most victoriouse more then 40. yeres and being olde left his kingdom to his neuye as Ieremy prophecied whiche felicite to haue had not hapened to the other 3. kingdoÌ„s Daniel here aftir testifieth assigning to y e persik realme 3. orders of tethe To the Macedoni â–ª Monarchie 4. head is and 10 â–ª hornes to the Roman empire This goldeÌ„ head had but 3 kinges in daniels tyme For Nebucadnezar raigned 45 yeres â–ª his sone Euismerodach 23 and Beltthalat 3 yeres For from this last hogge was the babyloni monarch translated vnto the persis as ye shall see in the 5 chap. Aftir this there shall spring forth a nother kingdom vpon the erthe lesse then thyne This was the Persy Monarchie and the Medis empyre signifyed by the syluer breste and armes when this monarchie of the Medis and persies begane we shal shewe it in the 5 chapter How it was gouerned ye shal see in the 6 cap. aÌ„d in the eleuenth how longe it endured ☞ And then shal ther be the thirde Monarchie called the brasen empyre whiche shall be ouer the vniuersal worlde This is the monarchye of great Alexander of his mighty coÌ„federed successours signified by the brason belly and soyncs the begining of this kingdom ye see it here in the. 2. ca the middis in the. 7 8. the ende Daniel prophecieth in the eleuenth ¶ But the fowrth king doÌ„ shal be as stroÌ„g as harde as for it shall lyke make softe breke tame all other king domo And wÌ„here thou didst see the feete and toes partely erth â—n and parte it signifieth the kingdom to be diuided nethelesse yet shal it retaine some what of the ferme fastnes of as it were vnder y e sole of his fote as thou didste see the miyt with pot ba erthe And because the toes were parte aÌ„d parte ba erthe this empyre shal be partely stronge and partely frayle and weak And where thou didst see the miyt with ba erth it signifieth these diuided kigdoms to be ioyned togither emong themselues and confedered by bloude in mariages but yet shall not one agre long with a noÌ„ther their confederacies shall not stonde nor holde no more then may be mixed and welled togither with ba erthe This fowerth Monarchie is the Romane empyre thus descrybed more at large then the other thre because it was in the beginnynge more strong valeaunter and harder vntyll by Mahumets religion and the Popes Antichristen crafte it was diuided dispersed minisshed and dekayed as ye see it this daye brought vnto his potba erthen frayle feble feet euen the last kyngdome to be destroyed partely by intestyne ciuile warre emonge themselues and thus the maye made partely by the Turke and at last by the stonne sinyten oute of the hyll which is by the kyngdom of Christes Gospell preched which worde proceded oute of the mounte Sion and oute of Hierusalem euen now euery daye out of the very trwe churche of Christ dayly wryting and preching this foundacion stone Christ purely frely and faythfully Daniel diuideth this descripcion into thre expresse signes First he saith in his feete and toes of and erth there shall remaine as it were vnder the sole some ferme fastenes of Which signifieth the Romane empyre although it be diuided and dispersed into Germanye Englande Spayne France and Turkye c. into other Monarchies yet shall these Monarchies holde as long as they may the nature of vnder the vse and ministracion of the Romane lawes called the ciuile or emprowrs lawes Secondarily he sayth these fete and toes partly 〈…〉 and partely erthen to signifie the Ro mane empire after his firste strengthe to be made feble and weake which may be proued by the examples of some mygthy and inuicte emprowrs and of other weake and ouerthrone Thirdly he sayth They shal be mixt together but yet shal they not cleaue to nomore then may be welled together with a potsherd And this signifieth as hath the text They shall seke confederacions and affinities by bloude consanguinitie in maryages and all in vayne As ye se it for albeit em and kynges haue ioyned together in maryages with theyr daughters and sonnes yea and with holy sacred othes in lege the hoost broken and diuided betwixt them yet hath one inuaded and destroyd other They shal be confedered to make a newe and all one Monarchye but all in vayne for this is the last empire to be destroyed at the last daye is yet in destroyinge for resistyng persecutynge Gods worde whether it be the seculare or Ecclesiasti particulare or vniuersall empire or kyngdome ☞ For in the tyme of these kynges the God of heuen shal set vp a kyngdom which shall neuer be destroyed nether shall this kyngdome be delyuered vnto any other peple which kyngdom Monarchye shall destroye and make an ende of all the other empires and kyngdoms but it self shall stand for euer as thou sawest the stonne smyten out from the hil without handis breking into poulder the brasse test erth syluer golde Whylis yet these kingdoÌ„s endured but yet translated into the Romane Monarchie shall Christes kyngdom be begune vpon erth For the em Augustus in the tyme of ChristÌ„es byrth described the hole worlde as Luke wryteth The God of heauen to set vp fast this kyngdom is Christ by his worde and spirit of God to raigne as himself before Pilate confessed saing My kyngdom is not of this worlde for as Dauid in the. 2. Psal. so doth Dan. Promise here Christis kyngdom to come to be a spirituall kyngdoÌ„ This kyngdom standing vpon the preching doctrine of Christes gospell shall neuer be destroyed although these Monarches cruelly burne and destroye the prechers and professours of the worde but as Christ is eternall so shall his worde be euer and all that beleue it lyue euerlastingly For the worde of God sayth I say standeth for euer and shal be preched and wryten vnto the last daye And all the kyngdome of the worlde which resiste and persecute Christes kyngdome which is his worde preched and his churche the spirit of God shall breake them to powlder when he shall reproue and conuince them of syne of ryghtwysnes and of iugement For where be nowe all the sewers at they not in hell with all the deuyllis And where is the Gospell It lyueth raigneth in heueÌ„ w t Christ here in his faythfull at last syke a consuminge fyer to deuoure oure enimyes according to the Psal. 110. And as towching the hyll out of which the stonne was out
of the name of god For to worship god to faldown before an image with any reuerent behauiowr ar so contrarye that no man may do them bothe be saued The king therfore coÌ„fesseth his synne before all his hole realme the more clerely and effectuously in that his commandement was spred so farre and yet dureth vnto the worldes ende It is a token of trwe repentance when so noble and mighty a prince is not asshamed openly to confesse his synne Nowe the kinge lerneth to honour god without images in spirit and verite Nowe let vs coÌ„pare the fygure with the trwthe Cryste is the auÌ„gel in the middis of the fyer here present with vs in the middis of our tribulacioÌ„s The worlde is that hotte fornaceful of affliccions kindled agenst y e godly where in we be nowe proued tryed Cryst was sent to be partaker of owr tribulacions by whose strypes sufferinge we be healed These 3. yonge menis faith was so great that it changed y e kinges commandement it turned his hert it delyuered their bodyes from the fyer of this faith sayth Paul that it quencheth fyer it ouer cometh kingdoÌ„s This faith wilnot knele to any image nor crepe to any crosse but onely to lyning god in heuen Now is not the kinge a shamed to cancell and teuoke his former wyked precepte ayenste all the persi and babyloni lawes for he fered god more then men he wolde confownd himself to exalt and glorifye god almighty Let all princes take hede howe thei suffer images to staÌ„d in places where men worship especially where hitherto idolatrye hathe ben committed lest thei prouoke y e turke y e minister of gods wrathe te destroye theÌ„ It is the office of kinges to take awaye images y t occasion of blasphemy and idolatrye to punisshe the spekers and doers or wryters for the reuereÌ„t behauiour and worshiping of them and to maintain the prechers techers wryters ayenst their popisshe idols the bisshops Nowe to holde y e hole chapter in mynde haue it here digested into 9. places with the declaracioÌ„ of theÌ„ aftir Philip. melan The first place is an example of the blynde boldenes of men institutyng newe worshipings seruice religions and honours for God withoute his worde which all God damneth by this miracle The second is a doctryne that sich vngodly image seruyce and false worshippings it behoueth to reprehende and to dye rather then to obeye them Thirdly Gods commandment must be preferred before all menis precepts powers actes lawes yea and aboue the comon peace and tranquilite of our lyues Fowerthly Blasphemye ought to be refuted as is here refuted the kings question saying What god may delyuer you fro my hande Fiftly What maner faith it ought to be of bodely delyuerance that is to with this condicion If it so please god And of the difference of the promises some corporall promises haue the condicion and some haue it not The sixte containeth the glorificacion of the godly contrary to the blasphemye of the wyked and the punisshmeÌ„t of the vngodly namely of them that be the ministers of other menis fury The. 7. is a testimonie that in their perels god sendeth his aungels to the faithfull The hath the conuersion of the kynge folowinge at the preachinge and glorifying of the godly At last The proclamacion techeth it to pertaine to princes to prohibit and punisshe blasphemyes let them alone blynde as they be euen y e blynde leaders of the blynde For the. 4. The kynge not onely coÌ„mandeth an vtwarde reuerent behauior to be geuen to the image but he addeth also a manifest blasphemy wherby he wolde vsurpe to himself a powr aboue godâ—â— As in altymes haue the tyrants derided the godly whyls they pacieÌ„tly waited for gods helpe For ether be they Epicuris belly bestis or els thinke they themselues the spirituall headis ouer the peple of god to coÌ„pest them by violence to beleue what they lyste as are y e popes cardinals bisshops God often tymes by clere examples and bodely delyuerances chalengeth to himself the glorye of his owne name as in y e 4. of the kyngs 19. of Sennecherib sayinge Thou hasi ben wode and in a fuâ—y against me thy pryde is ascended vnto myne eares But aftir siche skorning and derisions with blasphemyes of god as ye se it of criste intyme of his passion a noÌ„ there folowe erthe quakis eclypses derkenesscs at none dayes Be not nowe the kings of the erthe committed one against another as it were shaking all the erthe with bataill and blodye warre And is ther not derke ignorance of the trowth in some of theyr hertis in the middis of the clere lyght of the gospell now spred ouer all in euery tongue Euen the naturall dome creatures shall testifye as did the erth the sonne the rockis c. and shewe god to before agreued and to abhorre the blasphemies of their maker And euen lyke bengeance is lyke now to folowe lyke derisions and blasphemies of god and of his worde The very godly cannot dissemble at siche blasphemies but openly refute and rebuke them saying Ther is oure god in heuen whoÌ„ we worship which is mighty to delyuer vs. In expresse wordis they saye Whom we worship to signify themselues to preche and pronounce him to be the very onely god which had delyuered them and this to be his worde and the same to be his worship and religion which the iewes had commanding them not to falldowne before any image nor to geue them any reuerent behauiour Wherby ye se god not to be reuerently worshiped nor aknowledged but in and by the same worde which himself geueth vs and siche reuerent behauiours before images which haue not his worde for them but playne coÌ„trary against them to be abhorred as crystand Paus teche vs Math. 15. Rom. 14. 1. The fift place techeth vs to seke out the promises of God and to consyder the nature of fayth how we shuld abyde and depende vpon God for our delyuerrance For the text openly preâ—heth and prayseth the fayth of siche aknowlegers for the promises require that we beleue that god both may and will helpe vs. But as concerning his will ther is in some thinges a condicion to be added as in corporall delyuerances and bodely preseruacions Helpe vs lorde geue me helthe of body delyuer me out of daunger fro my enemies yf it be thy will But the promise of grace and remission of synnes for cristes dethes sake expressed onely requireth that the asker beleueth it to be geuen him with out any condicion of his owne merits or fulfilling of the lawe as some men yet dreame For in the remission of synnes and in the imputacion of rightwysnes and syfe eternall god hath expressed his will to be asked without any condicion As hath the text Euery one that beleueth in the sonne hath lyfe euerlasting Wherfore the effect of Cristis
they praised and worshipped their owne golden syluery coper 〈…〉 treen and ston ney goddis Hytherto god hath setforth his glorye in the conuersion of Nebucadnezar now he declareth his gloriouse powr in destroying and an ende making of so mighty a monarchye of the vngodly Babylonits which destroyd he with great glorye wolde sende home agayne his peple to buylde vp ayen a temple more gloriouse then before In the former chap. ye see a kynge repenting himself and bringing forth the trwe worship of god whom god orned and endewed with giftis Now ye haue a contrary example of a wyked kynge restorynge idolatrye not repentynge whom God therfore casteth downe and geueth his kyngdome to â—other men Now were the. 70. yeres expired in which the iewes as Ieremy tolde them shuld continew in captiuite for Nebucaduezar raigned 45. yeres whose sonne Euilmeredach folowinge his fathers godlines and renderinge vnto kynge Ieconie his regall honour endewing the iewes with many greate benefyts raigned 23. yeres Him succeded this laste vngodly kynge Belsazar raigninge 3. yeares vnlyke his predecessors restoringe idolatrye which to shewe himself the enimye of the trewe doctryne and to confirme idolatrye prophaned and polluted the holy vessels belonging to the temple of god with manifest contempt blasphemynge god as did Rapsaces and Sennacherib and as the iewes at last derided cryst saying yf thou beâ—â—â— the sone of God descende from the crosse There must therfore nedis great plages folowe siche blasphemyes and coÌ„temptis of god as threateneth the. 2. precept god will not reken him giltles that blaspheme his name c. For nether the sone nor the erth nor the rockis of stone nor any creature maye suffre their maker so to be blasphemed and despysed as ye maye se it at the death of cryst where the sone with drâ—we his lyght the erth trembled and quaked and the rocks braste in sonder Here shall ye see the iust iugemeÌ„t of god and what maner an emprowr and princeâ— he wyll suffer to raigne when he entendeth to kutof and translate their kyngdoms that is to wete dronkerds bellybeastis voluptuouse tyrants couetuose oppressours of their comoÌ„s furiouse murtherers of innocents persewers of crystis religioÌ„ ydle belys sekers of their owne vayne and carnall plesures depending vpon their flaterers for glorye louers of women contempners of rightwysenes fauorers of malefactors blasphemers and idolaters Euen siche as were Sardanapalus Heliogabalus and this last kynge of Babylon which in banketing with his whores in a blasphemouse spight of the god of Israel thus abused his holy vessells drinkynge dronken out of them with her lots which because he wold not be monisshed with his grandfathers punishment nor take ensample at his repentance â–ª god toke this heuey vengeance vpon him and his realme Nebucadnezar was 〈…〉 downe to be exalted but Belsazar was deiected to be w t all Babylon vtterly destroyed As Isay Abacuk and Ieremy had prophecied before In this destruccion of the first Monarchye lerne the figure of the destruccion of the worlde in this the ende of the last Monarchye when thou se est lyke em prowrs kynges to raigne ouer the world For as God is the most iust translatour changer of realmes so doth he destroye them for right iust causes This Belsasar was the very canell of all fylthynes euermore runing from one syn to a nother First his viciouse interperaÌ„cye is described how he was geuen to excesse dronkenes horedome and blasphemye of God which is an euident token of his realme shortly to be translated and himselfe destroyed Deliciouse delicates effeminate ryght strong men â–ª and miche the soner the soft AssyrioÌ„s By siche carnalite was Capâ—a made a Canne to HaÌ„nibal Wel ther fore sayd the wyseman Wo to that lande whose kyng is a chylde and here princes delyte in erly and late drinking eating A meruelouse blynde sensuall securite to see the kynge to celebrat siche a fest bidding therto all his nobles to eate drinke dronken takinge their pleasures in banketting daunsing singing playinge so sorowlesse their enimyes kynge Cyrus and Darius beseging the cyte They halowed a certayn hyghe fest daye of their god Beel as ye se aftir this maner now to do some called Crystians in all nyght eatinge and drinkinge which when Cyrus knewe it he had chosen himself the more apt tyme to take the cyte Thus were y e Sodomits sodenly vnwares oppressed Thus were they drowned with Nohas floude And so shall all the worlde at last be sodenly destroyd with fyer Wherfore let vs suspect all siche welthye and vngodly securite Here ye see how that in tyme of bataill when he shuld haue called vpon the very god he called togither his princes to eate and to drinke beyende all mesure â–ª à nd to worshippe false gods And when his enimies layd awayt to destroye him and his cyte he contempned them as one sewer enoughe seruinge not god but his belye And when he shulde haue bene compased with his armed host he sate drinking and eating excessiuely emong his vayne flaterers and soft herlets Now was sage daniel farre from the court and yong minions were of RoboaÌ„s counsell Nowe were his spiritualtye as his sothesayers dreame doctours enchauÌ„ters sorcerers diuines at his hande teachinge him in all securite to blaspheme deryde and to contempne the god of daniel And in despyght of him thus to abuse and prophane the iewels of his house I will not here with an allegory applyed to oure tyme touche oure spirituall Magos and subtyle sorcerers enchaunters and bewitchers of their emprowrs Belsazars with flaterye and polytyk persuasions auertynge them from danielis doctryne and holsome monicions vnto their olde papistrye so vigilantly obseruynge and waytinge vpon emprowrs and princes affectis to sette to their wynges the swiftlyer to flye and folow their deuillish dampnable counsels making them dronken of that Babyloni blody whores cup of abhominacion that they might y e more blasphemously abuse and prophane the holy vessels of godis temple euen to persecute and burne the trewe ministers of the gospell peruert and violently wrest his worde to make it serue to their synfull lustes and carnall affectis although I know the scripture with hir owne keye clerely to open and vnloke this same allegory Apocap 17. Et nunc igitur reges intelligite But now ye kynges get ye knowleg and be taught monisshed in tyme c. Here shulde the kynge with his Babylonits haue repeÌ„ted and called for daniels doctryne and counsell and not haue bannisshed him and his felowes his courte In so present perelis to promyse themselues siche securite to reioyse in bankettinge and festinge to blaspheme god and despyse his trwe ministers and prechers and to neglect repentance is the moste certayne signe of an vtter subuersion of their kyngdome and empyre This storie first warneth vs of the horrible powr of y e deuyll which in all ages abuseth the moste hyghe emprowrs
in Grece For the verite saith Father whom thou hast geuen me noman shall take them fro me for they dwell in me I in them inseperably Also in the mutacion of this kyngdom of Babylon god lyfteth vp daniel geuing him a greater fauour and autorite with the newe kynge Cyrus then euer he had before that euen now the haithen kyngis yet might be coÌ„uerted to the knowlege of god for the preseruacion of his chirche and that the publyk miracles might be knowen testifying this peple of the iewes to haue the worde of God and trewe religion Now haue ye sene the abhominable open crymes of Belsazar as blasphemye idolatrye reuerent behauiour to images droÌ„kenes glotoney whordome vngodly securite coÌ„tempt of gods prophetis and prechers despyght of his peple c. to be the synnes which God caÌ„not longe suffer vnpunisshed as wytnesseth the kings miserable destruccion and mutacion of his realme and the heuey coÌ„minacioÌ„s of his y. precepts and as I say prophecieth of Ierusalem Babylons syster saying The daye shall come wherin the lorde God of powers shall call syche synners vnto wayling weping tearinge of their heares and to gyrâ—â— themselues with sake but what then shall they do they shall reioyse feste banket and make merye kyll oxen shepe eat fleshe drinke wyne sayinge let vs eat and drinke to morowe shall we dye wherfore these so greuouse synnes of kynges accordinge to his coÌ„minacions shall the heuey hande of god viset as it folowethe And euen in the same houre there apered y e fyngers of a manis hande wrytinge agaynst the candell in the whight parget of the wall of the kynges palace the kynge himself beholding the fyngers so wryting Then was y e kynges face paal and his cogitacions so ferefully troubled him that the ioyntis of his hippes and knees folldened downe double vnder him Then the kynge cryed commanding his spiritualtye his wyse men enchaunters desteny tellers and sothe sayers of Chaldey to be brought vnto him thus speking these wordes to the wyse men of Babylon Who so euer shall reade this wryting tell me what it meaneth he shall be cled with purpure and shall haue a cheine of golde about his necke and he shal be the thirde in my realme Then came all the kynges lerned wysemen which nether coude reade the wrytinge nor tell the meaning therof to the kynge Wherfore kynge Belsazar was the more vehemently troubled in so miche that his chere was all changed and his princes and nobles greuously astonned Euen in the same houre wherin his vngodlynes was rype he blasphemed god the lorde wolde glorifye his owne name in that all men shuld se the kyngdom of Babylon by the diuine iugement to be subuerted himself to be the changer and translator of kyngedoms and tymes euen in the same houre wherin the kynge thought himself most sewer most beloued with his goddis for so worshipping them being in the middis of welthy plesures was this heuey senteÌ„ce wryten and geuen forth agaynst him Before the sentence pronounced and ratifyed there was tyme and place to repente him but now y e gatis shut vp in vayne do y e folyshe virgins aske oyle bringingforth their laumpes with knockinge In vayne wept Esau aftir Iacob had prerept him his blyssinge Let vs therfore seke the lorde whylis there is tyme to fynde him Call on him whylis he is nyghe Impenitent persones nether fynde they nor seke they Now saith god send I no prophete to preche the repentaÌ„ce but I wryte the thy iugement vnable to be reuoked which thou mayst feare but auoyde it thou mayst not Whoso turneth and thrusteth awaye my worde and prechers frome him I will in his most nede nether counforte nor prophete sende him The kynge himself alone and first ofall did see this hande wryting and not his gestis as did Balams assese the aungell which Balam saw not The hand came glyteryng forth agaynst the lyght candlestyke Rabby Saadias saith that it was the hande of Gabriel But it was the hande of god and man to be euen of cryst which is the mighty aungell of godis counsell and hande of the father Then the kynge changed his chere heuely Sewhat an heuey soden change ther is in the iugement of god Who was more puftvp with pryde and more arrogant sewer and sorowlesse then was the kynge â–ª but at this heuey vnwont syght how trembled he For nether in himself nor in his dronken lordis and wyse spiritualtye founde this miserable kynge any helpe or conforte and why verely he had bannisshed the court and neglected daniel y e minister of godis confortable worde But and yf he quaked and was so terribly afrayde at this hand with what an horrible feare shall the hole glorifyed body of cryste and his ferefull face smyte y e impeniteÌ„t vngodly when he shall in his almighty maiestye come downe ayen to iugemeÌ„t pronouncinge with his mouthe his graue sentence and iugement ayenst the wyked The kynge 〈◊〉 out strongly in this his feare but not to god almighty but to his images He fled to his wysemen of the worlde to his diuines charmers as do they which haue their spiritualtye fryers and bisshops in siche estimacion for their popish lerning worldly wysedom and preistly pollicye But none of them might helpe nor counforte him or swage his sorowe He promiseth fayer he threteneth bitterly but all helpeth not â—other men begane to loke narowly vpon the hande wryting supposing it to be some fantasye and illusion but y t iugemeÌ„ts of god be vnknoweÌ„ to the vngodly onely reuesed to y e chyldren of god His nobles were also troubled therewith For they which were parteners of the kyngis impiete must nedis be partakers of his punishment So sone so is the plesure and ioye of this worlde turned into sorowe This pese contayneth the example of the kynge now despeyering in aduersite because his wyse spiritualtye of the worlde coude not turne the wrath of god from him Whereby we maye confirme the coÌ„minacioÌ„s of god to be trewe This handwryting on this maner I suppose signifyed the prophecies of Isay Abacuk and Ieremy now to be fulfilled Let all kyngs and peple be afrayd at Peters sayinge Sodom and Gomor to be destroyd into y e ensample of lyke synners Because that Belsazar is an example that mutacions of empyres and realmes be done of God for their a bominable synnes let them all as in a glasse beholde this example lest sodenly for their idolatrye blasphemouse persecucion of his ministers and worde they be destroyd as it standeth in the psalme 33. Whylis the kynge was in his feastinge the hande of God wryteth his destrucâ—ion let theÌ„ lerne therfore to estiew excesse dronkenes and blasphemies in banketinge and festing euen the most certayne signes of y e mutacion of their realmes Let siche sewer 〈◊〉 rulers beware of a soden fall for when they crye peace
which had as yet in the begininge very lytle power Also note this thinge That as Dauid pondred wayed Saul as ye see in the psalmes euen so do the coÌ„sent of the crysten congregacioÌ„s in their prayers waye and pondre as it were in the lances of gods worde the wykednes of oure present persewers at the comminacions of God sainge I shall viset their iniquite Let emprour and princes therfore wysely and godly in all fatherly loue behaue themselues ayenst the crysten chirches their subiectes that they maye be fauoured and as in the. xx psal prayd fore For yf their auctorite fauour be lost in the crysten chirches and they be prayed fore as the Iewes in Babylon prayed for Babylon and their persewers in the. 137. psal both the emprour kynges and their kyngdoÌ„s are vndone The last worde Vpharsin signifieth clerely y e kingdom to be dissipated and skatered geuen to the Persians which albeit they were helpers to y e Medis for xenophon playnly denyeth the persone of Darii to be present in y e besege therof yet by his host present with kyng Cyrus they obtayned the cyte Wherfore according to the prophecyes the kyngdom of Babylon was at last translated vnto Cyrê° that he shulde send home ayen the Iewes out of captiuite to buylde vp their temple for the which to be done daniel was promoued Then Beltsazar commanded that daniel shuldbe cled with purpure and a golden chayne hanged aboute his nek and to be proclaymed the thirde lorde or ruler next him in the empyre This place hath an example whereby we confirme God in the mutacions of kyngdoÌ„s therfore the more to honour his chirche then in peace that they might conuerte the victores and encrease his chirche emong them For thorow the honour obtayned by Cyrus daniel as sone as Babylon was taken begane to be knowen what he was of Cyrus and Darius which aknowleged themselues to haue had wone the cyte by gods fauour Wherfore let crysten congregacions be confirmed by this example in perturbacions of realmes not to fall to the vngodly but rather to heare cryst sayinge When ye shall heare rumores of bataill be ye not afrayd nor troubled To receyue clothes golde promocion of kyngs is not synne so longe as they be taken to th entent as daniel receyued them For to the pure all things be clene and contrary to the polluted and infidels all are vnclene but both the mynde and conscience of these men are vnpure as Beltsazar honoureth not daniel as the prophete of God but as he wold haue done to any one of his diuynes and spirituall enchaunters and sothsayers nether repenteth he himself but wold be sene to kepe his promise to saue his princely honor Whatsoeuer is not of fayth is synne And therfore he falleth as it foloweth ☞ In the same nyght Beltsazar the kynge of the Chaldeis was slayne This place as it were the conclusion of all describeth the fall and death of the kynge and mutacion of his kyngdome for his blasphemye and festinge in securite and synfulnes xenophon wryteth Babylon to be taken the same nyght where in the kynge in great securite and confidence celebrated his fest vnto his god Beel For Beltsazar in his huntinge of enuye slewe y t sonne of Gobie and therfore these two princes or rulers vnder Beltsazar one called Gobiamand the other Gadatam then beinge with kynge Cyrus first entred the cyte and tower of Babylon and slewe the kyng Gobiam being auenged of his sonnes death Here is so y e ende of the first and golden monarchye which stode 1495. yeres and ended in the. 3440. aftir the creacion of the worlde Wherby all emperours kynges and princes maye fele it with their fyngers onely god to be the defender of empyres and realmes so that except he watche ouer them in vayne are their cites kept And except he defende them by his aungels inuayne gather they tresure inuayne buysde they blokhouses and municions inuayne mustere they and take they vp men Wherfore I exhorte and monissh yet agene emperours kynges and princes all that they worship not straÌ„ge gods nor yet exhibit any reuerent behauior vnto images nether to trust to miche to their tresure municions and helpe of men money For here maye they see this golden head of the worlde sodenly for their idolatrye coÌ„tempt of the trwe prechers and for the neglectinge of Gods worde sent them to be destroyd but let them worship and thanke God onely the father of Iesu cryste oure delyuerer now in these last dayes y e restorer and bringer ayen of his worde of saluacion Let them I saye worship him accordinge to his firste and .ii. preceptis as the psalmes teache them An example of daniels accusers torne of the lyons is here setforth to fraye all flaterers aboute kynges from euyll counsell â–ª geuinge to deterre them from their false complaynts and maliciouse accusacions of the inoncent ministers and prechers of goddis worde For in this chap â–ª as it were in a seuerall lytle boke concer ninge the false accusers of prophetis and trewe prechers torne in pesis of y e lyons we see that euyll counsell is the worst of all to the counsellers But to teache the readers playnely and orderly that they might the easlier holde this golden lytle boke in memory we will diuide it into 7. places The first is of y e office of victours or conquirors The seconde conteyneth a terrible example of the spiritualte bisshops being in courte and of counsell steringe emperours kynges and princes by their euyll counsell vnto persecucion mischeife and wykednes The thirde hath an example of the constant confessor of gods worde The .iiii. hath examples of the infirmite and weakenes of fayth and of the persewers of the worde The fyft hath examples of the wrath mercye of god The .vi. hath an euangely proclamacion of kynge Darii The seuenth hath the example of a man glorifyed aftir his crosse DArius Medus being lvii yeares olde toke vpon him the kyngdom whom it pleased to constitute 120. gouerners ouer y e hole empyre Ouer these men he ordined 3. cheife princes or rulers emong whom one was daniel vnto the which 3. hyghe rulers the other 120. shulde geue a rekeninge of their offices that the kynge might be cased of his so chargeable burdens But daniel excelled all the princes gouerners for that he had so excellent plentuose a spirit wherfore the kynge had thought to haue ordined him gouerner ouer his vniuersall empyre This Darius kynge of the Medis xenophon calleth Darius Cyaxares y e sonne of Astiagis whom Cyrus succeded to raigne ouer the Medis Persis and Babylonits and Cyrus was the first kynge of the Persis and raigned aftir Darius xxiii yeares with whom Darius aftir they had taken Babylon raigned not fully one yeare So that kynge Cyrus in all raigned xxiiii
But the rest which haue their powrs taken from them or depose them shall yet lyue with their posterite folowinge them for a lytle tyme not so sodenly to fall as their head hornes For the laste of all is this fowrth in the which aryseth this lytle horne with his impes and in which the Turke also persecuteth vntyll himself with Mahumet and their hole anticristen bodye be slayne In the other kingdoms yet left aftir y e Turkis and popis be in destroyinge allthough the kinges dayly perish and lese their dominioÌ„s yet shall their subiectes obtayne fauor with their ouercomers and lyue their apointed yeares but when the iuge shall sittdowne both the euyll kinges with their euyll subiectis shal be casten into the pitt of fyer Wherfore y e aungell eâ—powneth it sainge And they shall take awaye his power scater and desiroye it in the ende prefixed of God And this is the porcion of the cuppe of the vngodly which had leyfer folowe antichrist then cryst For God shall as sayth Paul take awaye all princelynes powr and might Wherfore this comminacion of god prophecieth vnto all the kinges and peple from the beginnig of the worlde fighting agyenst the gospell of the almighty God and of oure sauiuor Iesu euerlasting fyer onlesse they repent as the. 2. psalme warneth them Also lest any man shuld thinke the lytle pore lost shepe of cryst euen the chirche of god to be vtterly and for euer deuoured of theis bereslyons leopardes and euen of the terrible beast the Turke Daniel saith that the tyme and houre is prefixed vnto euery one of them all That is to saye It is decreed in heauen how long euery one of the kingdoms in earth shall stand and how wyde they shall sprede Hytherto semeth it Paul to haue loken when he sayd God made out of one blode all man kynde to dwell ouer the vniuersall earth and hath prefined their constituted tymes and hath prefixed the lymites of their habitacion that thei shuld seke God Now is it shewed how long the lyon shall rore howe long the leoparde shall crye with open mouth and the bere how long he shall grone and crye There yet remaineth the ende of these terrible beastis the pope and the Turke euen the kingdoms which yet stonde ouer Germanye ouer Turkey and ouer Crystendom to be destroyd by the last daye of iugemeÌ„t Which thinge albeit it be wryten of daniel into the consolacion of the catholyk chirche yet maye we wepe and wayle to see the gospell thus troden vnder fete in all the vniuersall worlde Tell me where the gospell shyneth in any part of Aphrica where in y e great part of Asia In Europa vnder the Turkis emperours popis emperys there be here and there chirches but they be so cruelly oppressed that nether good letters nor lerning maye florissh nor y e chirches maye haue any godly teachers But what profiteth it to complaine Sewerly this mystery of the crosse was setforth in the sone of God anon fro the beginninge of the worlde and is yet so confirmed with the examples of all holy men that no consolacion maye be geuen to the chirche besydes the coming of Iesu cryst the sone of God and man Wherfore because the powr of the Turke cannot be lyke the Romane empyre nether shall he occupye all Europe for daniel denyeth any fyfte Monarchye to come we shall breifly expresse the wordis of daniel touching the cominge of the sone of god for oure consolacion Cryst therfore shall come lyke the sone of man for because he shall iuge almen he shall be se ne as a man of almen This confirmeth he saying The father hath geuen powr to iuge vnto his sonne because he is the sone of man And therfor it folowth in the text And beholde for in the night I sawe in the cloudis of heuen one coming lyke the sonne of man which coming forthe was brought vnto the great aged and he gaue vnto him powr glorye the kingdom that all peple nacions and tongues shuld serue worshipe him whose powr is an euerlasting powr neuer to be abolesshed for his kingdom shall neuer be destroid The sone of man to come to this great aged one is the same that Paul saith cryste to delyuervp his kingdome that is the chirche of his chosen vnto his father whiche geueth to cryste powr glory and a perpetuall kingdom euer to raigne with his electe as the Psalmes of Dauid declare him and his kingdom Also the same that cryste saith Ioan. 5. And his father gaue him powr to iuge because he is the sone of man And to be breif cryste shall verely thus come shortly to iuge the persewers of his chirche and to delyuer y e godly as himself describeth it Mat. 25. let vs therfore procede At this vision I daniel trembled in all my bodye my mynde went fro me for feare insomiche that I went to one of y e standers by asking him the very trowth in all this mater Which tolde it all vnto me and expowned to me the hole vision sayinge These 4 beastis figure 4 kinges to a ryse vp or out of the erthe And the hi ghe holy faithful shal receiue the kingdoÌ„ and obtaine it for euer Aftir this I desyered to knowe the certaintie of y e fowrth bâ—asâ—e whiche so greatly differed from al the other namely in that he was so fereful armed with tâ—the with his clawes of stâ—â—l deuouering and tearing into peces the reste he trode down with his feete I desyered also to knowe what meÌ„t the 10 hornes in his head and to be certified of that litle horne growing vp vnder them and of the 3 hornes smiten oute frome the former hornes And of the horne that had menis eyes and spake so great and sâ—owte thingis and why his forme and loke apexed sâ—owter then the other And that I sawe this horne to make bataill with y e holy faithful and triumphed preuailed ouer theÌ„ vntill the olde aged came and the iugemeÌ„t was geuen to the highe holy faithfull the tyme perfixed was come that the faitfull shuld obtaine and receyue their kingdom And then he tolde mo thus The fowrth beast fignifieth the fowrth kingdom that shal be in y e world whiche shall differe from all the other kingdoÌ„s in might and powr for that it shall deâ—ower the hole erthe and breke it all to powlder The 10 hornes signifye 10 kinges to aryse out and to spring vp out of this beast and after them there shall aryse a'nother litle one distinct and mightier then the former For he shall oppresse and castedowne 3 kings For he shall speke at the syde of the most highest god or speke on his parte of diuine things But the highe holy saitis he shall tangle snarle or destroye And shall arrogantly take vpoÌ„ him to change tymes and lawes which shal be put in to his handis whether it be for
their kinge For he iuged all religions besydes his own to be vaâ—n and false whiche beinge in this prowd temerariouse iugement coÌ„ceiuing of himself to haue auctorite to chang menis faith and gods religion fyll into many carnall lustis filthines ambicion and into allkynd of greuose crimes casten vp of god to fight boldely ayenst god himself euen to bring Iudeam into bondage and to abolisshe all the old doctrine of the prophets vnto the whiche his prowd purpose the vngodly wikednes of the bisshops ministred diligently this occasion For when the godly man Onias was bishop of the iewes his brother Iason went to Antiochus in the beginning of his raigne and gaue him money to destroie his brother Onias and to geue him the bysshoprik And by a lyke fraude there came the third man Menelaus and â—he plukâ— the bisshoprik from Iason which bishops brought in the greke prophane filthei opeÌ„ playes into the cite of Ierusalem to do antioche pleasure thei trode vnder foâ—e contempned gods lawe and conformed themselues vnto the most filthye courtly prophane facions of Antiochus drowned in all excesse pryde dilicate and soft syuing and in all the haithen maners Aftir this was menelaus slayn whom the bisshop Alcimus succeded which was also a pestelent ennimie to the Maccabeis These obominable crimes of the bishops were the seadis of all the miseries calalamitis of that tyme as thei be nowe Nowe returne we to the comparison of antiochus with Anticrist describing him of his incredible destruccion Which howe he destroid the peple of god as we caÌ„not reade it without grete dolour writeÌ„ in the Maccabeis euen so not without weping teares do all crysteÌ„ men nowe fele it how the cursed turke abolissheth the diuyne scriptures and the Romishe bisshop the lorde god renyed which hath bought vs bringeth in his dampnable fectis as peter witnesseth Nowe see what good successe and fortune he had in his mischeif which prosperite therin god gaue him to skoâ—râ—e the peple for their sinnes And out of the same spring and well it is cleare that the prosperouse successe of the turke and of the pope floweth as Paul witnesseth affirming god to geue them effectuouse errours stronge illusions to beleue lyes He is also described of his oppression of great men and of the holymeÌ„ But wherfore permitteth god him so to doâ— verely because he hateth sinne whose grauite we see not will mortifye vs â—â— the crosse nether was the worlde at any tyme worthei to haue any holy man long to dwell in it Wherfor this serpeÌ„tin seaâ— Antiochus must nedis to his paine fele y e mighty faithful of the chirche by their faith and prayers to be stronger then all the emperowrs popes kings deuils deathes An example haue ye of those 7 bretherne with their mother What merueâ—â— then is it if these two hand is of anticrist the pope and the turke persecute destroy and kyll the mighty prechers holy faithfull of the chirche Se yet the successe of his deceitis and fraudis and behold his pryde therin Because Antiochus Mahumete the popese so good successe of their false lerning and fraudis wherwith thei and their bisshops doctours and false apostles bewitche inflame the emperowrs kinges and their mighty magistrats of the worlde to persecute the congregacioÌ„s of god thei be extolled in themselues ar become so grete contempners of god his worde as the 10 and 73 psalmes describe them Also he destroith many with his grete benefices and promocions For many men be not onely by his prosperose successe deceiued supposing it to be diuine and perpetuall but also because thei be bowndeÌ„ to him by giftes and benefits thei be as it were fysshes takeÌ„ with a swete beyght For so did Antiochuâ— craftely retraine in office these bishops Iason menelaum Alcimum siche other with his benefits bisshopriks as longe as he listed And do not the pope yet a greter frende to the turk then were then the bishops to Antiochus agreter frende I say of the turke then of any faithfull precher binde emperowrs and kings the patrons of his wiked kingdom vnto him with large giftis diuine titles commodities ryches dignities and plesurs reteined and kaught as fisshes with the beight Of his blasphemie To resist the prince of princes is to be extolled aboue euery thing that is called god that is to weit with his humane tradicions actis articles and swerde to oppresse the professours of the gospell Iuge thou aftir the scripturs and thou shalt see no difference betwixt Antiochum and his successors the turke the pope sane thei were not all in one tyme but know one thou knoweâ—t all for thei be so lyke as one â—g to a nother At laste Daniel describeth him of his departing For the workeman is worthei his rewarde As before cryst is first coming Antiochus not touched with manis hand but with the hand of god therfore dyed with alto late repentance because he so cruelly destroid the peple of god and their teÌ„ple euen so before cristis second coming this wiked forlorn childe shal be reueled and with the breath of the lordes mouthe destroid that is the errours of anticrist the pope and his kinges and emperowrs shal be disclosed and reprehended by the doctrine of the lawe and gospell so that all the holy faithfull shall abhorre them and fall from them non to cleaue to them but the dampned wretches Paul confirming the same saing Thei shal be all condempned whiche beleue not the trewth but delight in vnright wysnes Hitherto haue we compared Antiochum with anticryst And nowe albeit the lorde in this owr tyme skourgeth vehemently the kingdoms of anticryst with the gospell yet shall not his kingdoms altogither fall before his luste iugement as Paul affirmeth saing He shall destroy him with his cleare and bryght cominge And in the Apocal. The false prophete shal be caste into the dououring botomles pitte Whoso therfore is wyse let him auoyd out of babylon that is let him fal from anticryste Netherfore feare let vs not forsake the profession of the gospell for the persecucioÌ„ of the anticrists For beter is it for crists sake to dye then with anticrist to lyaâ— vnto the ende Nowe returne to the descripcioÌ„ of owr anticristen Antioches in the text where be many particles hauing very heuye terrible significacions or tokens to come ouer them whiche euery diligent reader by himself may consider if he beholde our present dayes The trewth saith Daniel shal be troden vnder fote vpon the erthe For now we see the bisshops and their sworne secular sort to defende ayeÌ„st their owne consciences the most manifest crimes impieties and all abominacion as be their vngodly abuses of sses playn idolatry worshiping of dead seiants stockes stones wyuelesse vnchaste chastite whoreâ—om and all maner prodigiouse lecheries Wherfore it is plaine that thei mok and blaspheme the
lykely to fele the chaÌ„gys of their kinges stocke Let al other bewarâ— of lyke heuey mutacions inminent the bore is now opened shut it if ye can God had endewed mighty Alexander with greate and cleare giftis It was a great beutyfull glorye to him in that he was feared and sought to of all other kinges endewed he was with imperye ryches and many noble victories and delyuered from many heuey chaunces and perels of his owne subiectis He was also of natute very stronge hardy and in counsell he passed the wysest he could iuge and foresee what was euer for the beste he was prudent comely princely affable ientle and amiable he loued iustice and punisshed the malefactors No prince lyke him in vertewe morals so long as he was in a right mynde But he aknowleged not god to be the auctor of them And therfore of pryde and wealynes gaue himselfe vp vnto his owne lustis as to eating drinking delicately and immoderately vnto voluptuosnes of his bodye to be pampered vp to satisfye his lybidinose fleshe And beinge dronken he slâ—we his moste entyre and necessarye frendis and was most cruell ayenst them which did him most faythfull seruice Then he polluted himselfe with lecherye vnto these fowle crymes he added contumelyes and cruelty ayenst god he beleued himself to haue a certeyn diuyne prerogatiue and power aboue all men and god to as wold yet some pestelent flateringe fryers and prelates put it into emprours and kinges headis he aknowledged not himself to haue had done so noble actis and escaped so greate perels by goddis helpe onely but attributed this glory prosperite to his owne wysedom dignite royall to fortune and to his owne policie powr and ryches He wolde come forth some tymes disgoised lyke Iupiter Hammon all in glytering ye low golde and eft sone as Diana wolde he daley most lasciuiously and fylthely emong women Wherfore there folowed the most heuey punishments For ere his kingdom was set in ordir he dyed in his dronkenes bantkettinge with his whore And at this his wretched fall all his familye and kinred was also throne downe For anon aftir Olympias his mother his sister and his two wyues and his two lytle sonnes were slayne of his owne minnioÌ„s and playe felowes What ensample of manis inconstancie can be clerelyer setforth For this so mighty clear a kinges stock and familye cold not fynde a faythfull frende to defende his aftir his death no not one in all the worlde no not among them vnto whom himself had geuen so many giftis and prouin ces and whom he had brought vp promoted For Cassander the sonne of Antipater which was brought vp of a chylde and promoted of Alexander slewe Olym pias Alexanders mother aftir he slewe Roxonem his sonne called Alexander and his tother sonne Hercules borne of Bersine The gouerner of y e Sardins slewe Cleopatram his syster These calamitis came not to Alexander and his house of chaunce but of the wrath of god and all to monissh lyke king is in tyme. Many synnes god punissheth in this lyfe let vs thinke vpon the iugement to come where eternall paynes be prepared if we amende not The transitory shortnes of this lyfe shuld moâ—e princes to beware and repente and set the feare of Gods maiesty before their eyes Remember mor tall princes ye be but dust you be no gods God will shortely intercept your brethe whose rewarde is euerlastinge dampnacion if ye repent not Alexander raigned .7 yearis after he had slayne Darius the laste kinge of the Medis and Persies And then the Greke Monarchie susteyned greate batails trouble and slaughters and was torne and rente as hath the text into many and sondre dominions of strange kinges Alexanders posterite elene extinct Then there arose blodye batails betwixt the kingis of Asia and Syria and Egypt all in the same Monarchie neuer ceassinge cruelly shedinge eche others blode vntyll the Romans wexinge stronge begane to set in fote and so at last coÌ„quired the Grekis the Assyrions and EgypcioÌ„s And thus was the worlde .47 yeris before crystis birthe deuolued into the fourth Monarchie called the Romane and last empyre From Darius LongimaÌ„s death to the begininge of the Romane Monarchie which was .409 yeres but especially from a non aftir the death of Alexander when the kinges of Syria and Egypt thus cruelly destroyd eche other yea maye be sewer the Iewes had euyll reste For their lande laye in the midde waye betwixt Egypte which is sowth from Sy ria So that the Iewes were euer ouerrunne and depopulated of both y e hostes now of the Egypcians and then of y e Assyrians Grekis Alexanders kingdom aftir his death was broken and diuided into the .4 partis of the worlde or windis of the heuen subuerted and distributed to aliaunts that is into Syriam Egypt Asiam and Grece By the strange dukes and kinges of these .4 kingdoms which serued Alexander are vnderstanden Seleucus king of Syria Antigonus of Asia Ptolomeus of Egypte and Arideus of Grece yea they diuided all the prouinces of the hole Monarchie emong themselues and then they faught who shuld haue all thus was his kingdome broken and dispersed So greate calamities were there aftir Alexanders death by the reason of so many perpetuall batails that Demades very aptly coÌ„pared the powr and hostes of dead Alexander to the dygged out eye of Cyclopus These examples I reherche that siche punisshments might warne princes and moue them to modestie and to feare god Remember that cryst sayd Withoute me can ye do nothing Amende therfore your lyues and be mercyfull to the poore innocents or els loke for no fauore but for the vengeance of God to be powered forth shortly vpon you Darius Longiman raigninge at Babylon whylis his brother xerxes faught in Europa ayenst y e Grekis gaue licence and commandement to the Iewes to returne and finisshe their citie and temple For it apereth Esdras Nehemias to be of his cheif counsell And therfore his fortune agreed with his vertew For God defended that modeste and beneficiall kinge vnto his chirche helping him in his gouernaÌ„ce and defence of his realme Let emperours and kinges folowe this godly kingis fact in reedifying gods cite and temple which is his chirche by settinge forth trewe prechers and teachers to reedifye the walles of Ierusalem The text But the southe kinge one of Alexanders princes shal be mightye This southe kinge one of Alexanders cheife capitains or dukes brought vp of a poore soldyer was called Ptolomeus the great and also Ptolom Sotir that is a greate sauiour but yet all Syria suffred all thinges coÌ„trary to his name For this Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi gouerned Egypte which was sowth fro the Iewes and was a mighty king and vexid sore y e Syrians and Iewes For vnder a fraudelent colore to sacrifice he entred into Ierusalem vpon a saboth daye and
prik his fynger to besprincle the cor pores and the hoste with his blode and so lifted it vp shewed blody to the peple to restore the celebracion of Thomas Becket and his day ayen And howe liberal yea prodigall is their auarice in powerig forthe grete giftis for their mazim to sup presse the trwth and to setforth their lyes and false doctrine ayenst their own consciences their own and their fathers factes declare it wheÌ„ thei gaue Iudas the 30. peces of syluer to betray cryste ayen when with so grete a some of mouey thei stopped the kepers mouthes and to cause theÌ„ to make so lowd a lye ayenst all their consciences that thei being in sleap his disciples shuld haue stolen crystis body a way out of the graue so to contende to ha ue quenched the verite of crysts manifest resurreccion For when all sheftis faill yet haue thei false miracles and money to bye lyes and to suborne the defenders of their lately made Mayzim their popis god If gold syluer preciouse stones or any riche iewels or holy sacred sacramentall names may defend he shall wantenone If the seculare powr of emprours kinges or any subtile sophistry or any miracles may help to holdvp Mayzim thei shall not fail him yea and it were to slay an hole londe of crysten men whiche dare speke or write ayenst Mayzim for the holy souper of the lorde to be restored into y e right vse And therfore it stondeth in the same verse he shal highely honour them whiche confirme Mayzim the strang god whom he hath chosen and he shall make them lords of grete possessions and distri bute the erth vnto them for a rewarde euen asmiche to say as anticryste shall geue greate titles names and honours ryche giftis priuileges and possessions to the emprowrs and kinges cardinals bisshops religio use and seculare preistis or to any other magistrates which at his ple sure wyll persecute the Gospell worship idols and confirme his rites cere and fal se doctrine As did Antiochus geue the bisshoprikes to the preistis for prophanig the temple and slayinge the saynts euen so in these dayes do the ryche gloton and y e cruell Cyclopes enryche men with larger benefices and dignities which ether speke or wryte or do bothe ayenst the professours of the gospell and defende their idols yea and at laste the Bisshops when thei see their Mayzim to mould be sower and begin to lâ—se his vigore strengthe taste then shall thei reÌ„dervp all their spi rituall iurisdicion powr and autorite into the seculare kings handis ayeÌ„ with their bisshoprikes chauntres colleges goods to for the stronger helpe and defence of Mayzim Thus shal thei tosse the ball to eche other with giftis and goodis titles and honours the spiritualtie procuringe the seclare helpe and the seclare powrs makinge the preistis lordis aboue all to maintein Mayzim one slate shall helpe defende and auaunce the tother and all to defende their god Mayzim Which although of himself he be but thinne wea ker then the mouse that eateth him yet haue thei geuen him the moste mighty na me of all euen to be very god and man aftir thei haue once stinkingly breathed their 5 wordis vpon it when yet in so doinge thei declare themselues to be magnified exalted aboue him if thei graunt the creator beter then the creature the fletcher beter then his bolt And to be short by this their god Mayzim vnderstand their misses as I said with al the adpurtinance executed in their chirches ayenste the worde of god or not withe the worde befor vpon and about their altares This Anticristen kingdom saithe the text shall geue great lordships and kingdoms to many deuyde the erthe to them by permutacion It is manifest that the popis haue translated empires and kingdoms permuting chaunginge them at their plesures which haue defended theÌ„ and their god Mayzim For as antiochê° gaue the bisshoprik of Ierusalem to the epicure preistis which gaue him licence to prophane and spoile the temple euen so nowe do the popes and bisshopes geue the same lycence to seculare emprours kinges that their selfes might still make Mayzim yea thei haue geuen grete giftis and promocions to Eccius Cocleus Emser Pighius Latomus and AlphoÌ„s and to siche popish preistes and phariseis to write to dispute strongly for Mayzim ayenst the lordis holy souper and to defende idols and all false religion yea albeit their misses rytes withe all their false religion be proued openly naught deuillissh yet cloke thei them with this pretext sayinge The autorite of the chir che may not be contempned nor spotted nor their decent odiouse orders illaudable rytes be taken away which lordis muste nedis rule the roste But crysteÌ„ rea der take thou heed to gods worde which here clerely painteth before thyn eyes their god Mayzim with all his helpers defenders and by whom and what means he is yet holpen vpholden and defen ded and herken what y t voice of god saith Fugite idola flye froÌ„ images and idols and auoid false straÌ„ge gods Thou shalt see it openly how the bisshops shall short ly rendre vp into the emprours and kings haÌ„dis their bisshopriks autorite spiritual ouer the chirches their first frutes their tenthes palaces parkes c. and the pope shall yet geue theÌ„ the tytles of god to defende his false faith Which all is not els then to exalte them aboue god and all to defende and magnifye their moÌ„stro se Mayzim But at laste the south kinge shall gore him with his horne the north king also shall come fyercely vpon him lyke a whirle winde with wagens horse men and with many shippes he shall inuade the regioÌ„s lyke a swelling floude runing all ouer them He shall inuade that moste pleasaunt londe and many shal be smiten downe Here is discribed the laste bataill betwixt Antiochus and the kinge of Egipt But as cryste toke an occasion in the pro phecie of the foresignes and destruccion of Ierusalem of the temple and iewes co mon weal to set before owr eyes the fore signes and tokens of his laste cominge destruccion of the worlde euen so here of this laste batail betwixt these two kin ges the aungell procedeth vnto this present laste ende of the worlde declaring in howe troublouse and blody a state y e worlde shall make an ende Nowe the west par te of the worlde whiche is called crystendom hath her northe and southe kinges which be at heuey warre among them selues The pope is and hath ben longe tyme a south kinge and with his hornes powr hath he hurt all crystendom northe weste and easte from him he hathe geuen them all to drink of his poysoned golden cuppe auerting them from the trwe faith and religion vnto his anticristen doctryne And whether he hath now set the northe and southe
kinges and emprowr togither by the eares set the stories and present experience be iuge The text saith At laste or in the tyme of the ende meaninge not onely the ende of Antiochê° per secucion but also this present tyme end of this worlde But aâ— there nowe no northe este and weste kinges whiche fight ayenst the south kinge the pope â–ª yisse trw ly All thei which hane receiued the gospell as the germans and thei that vnder the same pretence debarre him of his false vsurped powr money falselyer exacted as englonde fight yet ayenst him yea and all the crysten lerned which write or preache ayenst him in Germany France Englond c. do yet fight ayenste him resistinge this stronge and sharpe horned harnest hore of Babylon The text semeth to geue the victorie to the northe kinges ayenste the pope and him to haue the fall which shal be verified of the spirituall bataill with the pennes lippes of the lerned godly meÌ„ writing prechinge praying ayeÌ„st him What shal we say of these kings yet fighting among theÌ„sel ues God knowth But y e turk is a northe este king if we loke vpoÌ„ his seat emperial in Constantinople from Iudea and from vs. Wherfor I iuge that for y e persecucioÌ„ thrusting away of y e gospel al y e west real med and the Romane empire shall be thê° settogither one to destroie another til the way be made redye for the turkes incursion And that therbe but fewe crysten kin ges a lyue that shall leaue their king doÌ„s to their own ayers and posterite if the tur ke preuaile For he shall come into that moste pleasaunt londe gretly desyered many shal be slayne This shal be a perelous and a troubles tyme. Ezechiel prophecied of this destruccion by Gog and Magog by whom is vnderstanden the turkes cruell powr The pope first came into Italy and did set his seat in Rome which is the moste pleasant londe in cristendom France Englond and diuerse parties of Germanie be right fertyle and pleasaunt londes and gretly desyered longed for of y e turke But who shal escape these cruell anticristis handis the text saith thus But these men shall escape his hande euen the I dumeis and the moabits and y e princes of the Ammonites These Idumeis be the bloudy Edomities of Esau Moabits signifye prowd men the Ammonites be basterds misbegoten bothe were the sonnes of dronken lot goten by his owne daughters These blody misbegoten filthei papistes shal be confedered with the pope and turke and with the per sewers and destroiers of the crystendom and so escape theÌ„selues for that present tyme. These misbegoten Ammonites y t pope and his misshapen bisshops shal diligently wait which parte is lyke to preuaise and vnto that parte shall thei flye with their ryches and fayer false perswasions submitting themselues euen to the Turke rather then they wolde lese their names ryches tytles and dignities and wyll rather become Machumetes misshops and the turkis trewe preists then to dye for the Crysten fayth It foloweth in the next verse who shall not escape And he shall sende his power into regions and the londe of Egypte shall not escape Egypt was no lesse pleasaunt fertile and ryche then it was blynde and ignorant of god and full of idolatrye Egypt is asmiche to saye as derkenes The more welthye and ryche kingdoms be the more viâ—iouse blynde and aduersaries at they to Gods worde There be yet some kingdoms ryche pleasaunt and welthey but in the middaye lyght of the gospell now sprongen vp so clerely more then these 20. yeares good lorde how blynde and derke Egypts be they But for their ryches and welthynes shall the Turke the ernestlyer be bent to inuade and to obteine them Wherfore it foloweth And he shal be kinge ouer the tresures of their golde and syluer and lorde ouer all their pleasant possessions and iewels of these blynde Egypcions But Ly bya and India shall he passe thorow These blynde wealy londes which yet persecute gods worde shall not escape the turkis handis But Lybya and India by which are vnderstanden all drye baron regions full of pouerty londes full of moÌ„stres and wylde beastes where nether ryches nor pleasures are to be goten y e turke shall passe by or thorow them doinge no hurte For thei be ryches tresures pleasaunt fertile regions full of gold syluer that anticryst euer sought and shall seke to the worldis ende But now whyls thei be in the middis of their welthe and ryches and haue goten these pleasaunt real mes the aungell thus sayth ☞ But then shall tydings from y e easte and north trouble him and feare him When the pope was in the middis of his welthy ryches and so hyghe in power auctorite and honour dreaded and exalted aboue god thorow oute all crystendom encreasinge his ryches and power with pardoÌ„s licences grauntes and gathering of his tributes and pensions then came there shrewed tydinges to him from the north east oute of Saxonie and Helâ—etia that one Martine Luther with zwinglius and Ecolampadius begane to wryte ayenst his pardons and ayenst his god Mayzim and that they disputed of his power c. Then began the gospell good tydings of the iustificacion and fre pardon remission of synnes by onely fayth in Iesu cryste to be brought to his eares which as thei were good and glad tydinges to the beleuers so were thei terrible tydinges and a ferefull fame to all infidels papistes For then as y e text sayth ☞ In ira furore magno egredietur ad vaâ—â—andum occidendum plurimos That is In ire and in a great heat and furye shall he go forth to destroye and kyll full many Euen as many as shall folowe and haue folowed these godly lerned menis holy doctryne of y e gospell Then sent he to his cardinals and bisshops in euery countrye as to Thomas Wolseye archebisshop of yorke and Cardinall to perswade the kinge some to perswade themprour some to y e Frenche kinge some to Scotlande c. that the gospell now rysen was dampnable heresye commandinge all kinges and bisshops cristened to suppresse it preche and wryte ayenst it and to burne all the professours and bokis therof as testaments and bybles translated into the vulgare tongue yea and euen Lu ther 's image to burned they at Paulis crosse with many englishe testaments Thomas Wolsey the cardinall present solemply sitting vnder his golden canapye Now therfore themprour and kinges all but some of ignorance playd anticrystis part for the popis pleasure with swerde and fyer sleing many innocentes more then these 24. yeares and yet ceasse not some blody bochers for the dragons plea sure to persecute the crystians Well let them go on yet a lytle whyle tyll there come yet moo terrible tydinges from the north easte And let them styll fume and
ouer the hole worlde But yet shall the king of the north come and cast vp bulwerkes about their cities and take his moste strong townes nether shall y e south armes stande ayenst him nor yet maye his most stronge chosen soldyers resiste him For he cominge thus vpon him shall do his luste noman withstandinge him He shall also inuade and stande strong in that most pleasaunt desyered lande which shall yelde themselâ—s into his handis Also Antiochê° shall turne his face vnto Egypt to get the hole realme For vnder the colour of a peace makinge he shall geue his most feyer daughter in maryage to the yong fatherles prince to destroy him but it shall not so come to passe nether shall Antiochus haue the south kingdom Aftir this shall Antiochus turne himselfe to the eyelondis and take many of them But the prince or counsull of the Romans shall compell him to ceasse with rebuke and shame so that he shall not do this traiterous vilanye to the yong prince of Egypt Wherfore Antiochus shall turne himself to the defences or holdes of his owne londe where he shall smyte himselfe ayenst an harde stone and fall neuer to be fownde ayene The aungell returneth to Antiochus the greate yet ayen inuading Egypt ther to haue goten many of the yonge princes cities Nether might the yonge chyldes armes called Ptolom Epiphanes resist him Here were y e Iewes vexed greuously on both sydis Here Iudea is called the most pleasant desyered lande not onely because it flowed with mylke and honey as Moses sayth but also because that god did not so to any nacion as he did to y e Iewes Antiochus inuading Iudea stode stronge in it when he did put Scoba the yonge princes of Egypts deputie capitayne w t all his host out therof to flyght Which Scoba ouercomen Antiochê° made the Iewes tributaries to him yilding themselues to antioche vpon the condicion to kepe styll their religion Aftir that Scoba was slayne of Antiocho in Iewry the Iewes brought vnder his tribute he maketh yet a nother viage into Egypt vnder the colour to marye his daughter Cleopatra to the yonge prince Ptolom epiphane The iewes fained themselues to be Antioches frendis and to receyue him into Ierusalem Albeit thei knew it and were glad then that the RomaÌ„s prepared to resist him Nether was it but dissimulacion on Antiochê° part For he had decreed to diuyde the tribes of Iewrye parte to be geuen with his fayr daughter Cleopatra in maryage to Ptolom Epiphanes yet but a yong chylde in a maner and the tother parte to receyue to himself into his owne realme annexed He wold mary his most goodly fayer daughter called filia feminaruÌ„ for hir excellent beuty albeit the Hebreus vse the same phrase for euery woman to the southe yong prince that yet by siche means he might sette in his fote to gete y e southe kingdom into his posterite but it succeded not For aftir Antiochus death there folowed a greate inclinacion and losse of the kingdome of Syria He fayned to go a playne waye but he entended deceite to the yonge prince yet fayled he of his purpose For his daughter aftir she was maryed quene Cleopatra loued beter hir king and spouse Ptolom Epiphanes then hir father Antiochus in this case and not to destroy hir housbonde that y e realme might come into hir fathers handis This daye lykewyse had leyfer the spiritualtye geue their most fayer daughter diuitias to the emprour and kinges of Egypte for a deceitfull colour then to kepe her styll that yet at last thei might obtayne ayene their olde kingdom that is the seculare spirituall autorities powr ouer princes to do what thei lyst as thei were woÌ„t to do but it shall not succede Religio enim peperit diuitias filia deuorauit matrem for religon brought forth ryches and the daughter hath deuoured hir mother Then Antiochus turneth his face to the eylandis sayling into Grece ther to fight against the Romans where by Hannibalis and other menis helpe he gote Rhodes and other cities to helpe him ayenst the Romans But the consull of Rome resisted him and did put him to a shamefull rebuke and made him to ceasse and to be content with Syria and to yelde Asiam to the Romans with the charges of the bataill and to rendre to them the shippes the captiued and all that flede to him Wherfore sayth the aungell he shall returne home with shame he shall be smyâ—â—n ayenst the rocke and be alto broken in his owne fall For now Antiochus returned into SyriaÌ„ for very pouertie robbed a ryche temple of Iupiter dyndymeâ— where of his owne peple he was wretchedly slayne This was the ende of Antiochus the greate which lyuing wold neuer ceasse from warre and yet faught he euer vnhappely For the dukes of yong Ptolom â–ª perceyued his fraudelent enteÌ„t in geuing his daughter in maryage therfore gote thei the Romans to be the princes defenders for that tyme. It is therfore the destruccion of many realmes to moue batail not necessary nor iustly namely fortune frowninge vpon them And therfore this it is that the aungell sayth in the ende He shall turne himselfe to the helpe defences or holdes of his owne londe in Sy ria c. For in this his shamefull flyght from the RomaÌ„s with so greate losse and rebuke he for nede robbinge the temple was miserably slayne of the comon peple And there shall succede him a vyle couetouse extorsioner and pieller of the peple exactinge greate tributis vnworthey any princely honor he shal be sone slayne but not nobly in any open bataill The descripcion of Seleucus Philopater the sonne of greate Antiochê° raigning but a shorte tyme his two brethern Antiochus Epiphanes and Demetrius yet kept in hostage for pledges at Rome This Sâ—leucê° is here called a vyle questor that is a vyle extorsioner a bryber a pieller poller c. a man nether valeauÌ„t in warre nor defender of his country but a comherde nether armed with lawes nor defender of iustice but an idle vnprofitâ— ble prince and a very idle belly burden of the erth This vyle questor was made awaye shortely by the fraudes of his brother Antiochê° Epiph. being in hostage at Rome that this deuyll and subtyle serpeÌ„tine anticristen Antiochus might enâ—oâ—e his kingdom This descripcion ought diligently to be noted For it is and shal be the very face of the present gouernances in these oure last dayes For of siche coue tuose cruell tyrants idle extorsioners piellers pollers brybers foles idle belly beastis not defending good peple nor ministringe iustice and iugement nor suffering honest manerâ— nor holsom doctryne to be taught but with great taxes â—xcyses loons prestis neuer to be repayd thus beggering their empires and comoÌ„s the money â—uyll spent aftir their owne synfull lustis as do comonly the courtis of emprours kinges