Then the kinge commanded As­phenaz Text. his highe stewerde to chose for­the of the Israelits of the kinges blo­de and nobles / yonge men moste clene / [Page] fayer / wittye, wyse, lerned, comely per­sons, and prudent to vpon him & to stande in the kingis hawle, whiche shuld lerne the chaldey tongue. Vnto whom the kinge apoynted their daylye lyuing out of his owne store howse or table and of the kinges owne wyne / so that aftir. 3. yeris thus vpbringing, cer­taine of them might stande before the kinge. Then were there emong the ie­wes Daniel / Hananias / Misael / Asa­rias vnto whom the stewerd gaue the­se names / and called Daniel / Beltha­sar: Hananias drach / Misael Me­sach / Asary Abednego.

In this text / kinges be taught to mo­derate The offi­ce of kin­ges and victours their victories / & that it is their office to se the youghth diligently & god­ly brought vp and lerned. This place cō ­tayneth an example of mercye and cle­mencye for kinges / not to destroye their captiues / but to sette a beter order emōg them / preseruing the good and iuste a ly­ue / and the intractable and incurable, to suppresse them. Here ye se the chirche of the chir­che is fre in capti­uite. God beter entreated in a strange londe vnderan then kinge and his officers / then at home among their owne nacion / God so prouiding and exciting the her­tis of heithen princes. Thus hathe he [Page 15] made the then miscreaunts the instru­ments of his mercye ouer Daniel and al his other godly felows / in nowmber wel­nighe. 10000. of the nobleste borne, to liue in chaldei as quietly as thei had ben the­re borne out of the Babylonyts. Thus ye se God euermore to kepe promyse withe his iuste peple and faithful / according to his saying, I wilbe merciful vnto thou­sandis that loue me and kepe my commā ­dements. Exo. 20.

Of this place let kinges and prin­ces What thing is victorio­se kings shuld do whiche gete victory lerne these. 3 lessons. Friste to chose out the yong men moste apt, ientle, godly, and of pregnant wittes, into the ministracion and gouer­nance of the comō well and of the chirche, as here commandeth the kinge to chose himforthe the moste lykely pure, and co­melies [...]e, prudent, yonge men to stand be­fore him in his courte. For so shuld thei vse their pires and victories, that thei shuld know and euer preferre and diuyde the good men from the euil / as Dauid ge­ueth them ensample teaching the kinges so to do in the. 101. Psal. Secondely thei be taught to enstructe and bringe vp si­che▪ yonge men in the knowlege of tongues and worde of god / as here do­th the kinge to Daniel and his f [...]lows [Page] causing them to be lerned in all the disci­pline of the chaldeis. It is comanded to kinges that the volume of the lawe Deu. 17. be euer in their handis▪ Wherfore the of­fice kinges mu [...] e­uer [...]a­d [...] y ^e boke of Deut. of kinges an [...] hauing victories, is to see diligently that there be many lerned and godly prudent officers, whiche must rule and minister to the comons and in the chirches, acording to the diuine & hu­mane lawes. And of this their office / kin­ges be called of God the nou [...]ces of cry­s [...]e. Esay. 4. 9. Thirdly / these k [...]es shuld geue vnto these chosen & lerned men their newe names correspōding their vertews Daniel. and offices. As Daniel being as miche to saye as a man aknowleging and profes­sing God to be the▪ / was called nowe [...]altha­sar. Belthasar / that is / the most excellent ād faithful keper of tresure [...]ananias which [...]anani­as. expresseth and sown the grace of god is called drache / w ^c is / a swete wo­mans drach. brest or a lyfting vp / Misael is one asking his peticions of God / aftirward called [...]sach that is a man in highe pri­ce. Asarias as miche to saye as one testi­fying of himself / God to be his helper / is called Abednego that is a geuer of light Thus did God by the kinge glorifye his seruants with names of vert [...]we and cō ­mendacion▪ according to Paul saying / if [Page 16] thou be good thou shalt be praysed of the powers / that is to say thou shalt haue highe names of office and be preferred▪ Rom. 13. other. Nowe let vs all praye incessant­ly for siche victoriose kinges / that good lerning and tongues might floreshe into the vtilite of their chirches and comon weales and that siche mought longe rai­gne and of all their enimies haue an hap­pye victorye.

But Daniel determined with him Text. self not to be polluted withe the kinges meats and wyne &c. Because the text occupieth miche place / therfore take the byble to the at this place and laye it bye the reding ouer the text before & after thou haste rede this exposiciō.

This is a place / of faithe / tenta­cion / perseuerance of holymē being in the crosse. And it containeth examples de­claring that to be trwe which God affir­meth Exo. 20 saying I wilbe merciful. &c. Dani­els faithshyneth in these wordis. That he determined not to be poluted with si­che meatis as God had forboden him ād all iewes in leuitico. Daniels faith was tempted in that The chamberlayn▪ said Cap. 11. if he wold not receyue siche meats and wyne / the kinge shal take displesure with me ād slaye me if he se your faces leane. [Page] His perseuerance aperethe in that Dani­el saith. Proue vs thy seruants these. 10. dayes withe grewell & a litle water. Oh the constant faith / abstinence and perse­uerance of Daniel / with grewell & water desy rather to be sustained then to be polluted with the kinges dayntye dis­shes. Ower blody Esaus wolde not haue so done. For if thei had neuer dronken of the courte wyne and cuppe of Babylō but had cōtinewd stillat their studies in sco­les with their wōt thyn fare / as thei had neuer bene popissh bisshops / so had thei neuer denied the gospell now fallen from the trwthe vnto papistry to be so cruel sewers of cryst in his menbers. Let vs therfore praye owr almighty father for cristes sake to not lede vs into this temp­tacion▪ but delyuer vs frō that euil. Amē. Places of the. 1. cap.

Nowe let vs breifly towche & declare the places of this first chapter. The first place contayneth the payne and punissh­ment 1 of vngodlines / euen the greuouse captiuite & calamite of the iews for their idolatry and transgression.

God meruelously performeth his pro­mises / and 2 conserueth his chirche / euen then whan he punissheth the vngodly.

Unto these two places pertaine all Ie­temyes sermons in the. 22. chap. prophe­cying [Page 17] their captiuite because thei custe awaye the couenant of the lorde, and wor­shiped strange gods. Also of Ioiakim he­re mencioned he said he shuld be buried lyke an asse / casten out of y ^e gatis of Ieru­salem. Let vs therfore fere the iugemēts and wrathe of God and abhorre vngodly worshipings and other greuouse blasphe­mouse crymes. For if god spared not that Rom. 11. peple to whom he gaue so excellēt giftis and ample promises / miche lesse shal he spare vs. The promises were meruelous­ly performed of God in preseruinge his own faitheful as Daniel with his felows aboue manis expectacion. And ayen the wiked greuously punisshed according to Gods comminacions in thelawe. And therfore Ieremie rebuketh the fonde vay­ne hope of the vngodly whiche so wrested the promises vnto this ende / that thei de­nyed any siche plages to come ouer them saying: tiuste not in these lying prophets sermons / saying we haue the temple / the temple of the lorde so holy &c. And ayen when Hananias falsely prophecied the iewes to returne aftir. 2. yeris from baby­lon and did breake the chaynes whiche Ieremy caried / Ieremy blamed him ad­dinge / hananiam the same yere to dye be­cause he spake ayenst the lorde / and euen [Page] so it came to passe. Of this story it ape­reth the false prechers then to haue ben in the moste highe auctorite / for thei bosted and blewforth pleasant promises out of their owne heades to please the pe­ple. The fal­se prophe t [...] were e­uer in gre­ter auto­rite thē the trwe But Ieremy told them the contrary & what plages hanged ouer their headis / not to returne out of that captiuite before 70. yers. Iere. 29. 30▪ and so forthe saying. I shal chastice the discretely lest thou se­m [...] to thyself to be innocēt. But I shal healthy woundis &c. Where he teacheth wherfore God in those comon corporall plages pluketh also the godly to gither withe the euil / euen for that he willeth the godly to aknowlege their synnes and so to take from them the cōfidēce in their own rightwisenes whom he techeth to repent promising them aftirward delyue­rance. Thou hast chastened me Oh lorde wherfor be good men sco­urged w ^t the euil. and therfore am I taught (saith Iere. 31.) as men break yong coltes and steres. He­re he teacheth the faithful holymen to be punisshed to encrease their repentance. Two maner ways therfore he counfor­teth vs. He techeth what profit cometh by punisshing vs / and promiseth delyue­rance. And here it helpeth miche to obser­ue The ba­tail i pro­mises. the batail of the promises / for so men rune to the promised delyuerance in their [Page 18] affliccions. For when thei haue them not by and by / and as thei imagine to get thē by manis reson / their myndis fall away from them and theirselues falbak from God / as did Saul fall from him / and as here there fill away many iews thinking themselues to be forsaken of God. But the godly / thei knowe it verely wherfore [...]ffliccions be layd vpō them & that god seketh in them therby their obedience / so that anō we might be lifted vp with faith and sustayned with the promises asking and waytig for help / as in Iere. he saith ye shall praye to me and I shal hear▪ you. 29. Eze. 33. and ayen. As I am the lyuing god / so wil I not the deth of a synner. And here it be­howueth to be prudent / and to know god to be the gouerner of all chaunces & for­tunes aboue owr vnderstanding. Wher­fore if the deliuerance be differed / yet let vs not shrink nor faile nor faynt in our Ephe. 3. faith & hope. This teacheth Paul saing. Glory be to him which is mightie to brig it to passe aboue our asking and vnder­stāding. And thꝰ had the faithful peple more glory in their exile thē at home / for thei had with them many Prophets / as The glo­ry of the peple of Israel [...] their exi le. Daniel Ezechiel / zachary / Haggi. And God witnesed to the gentils with mira­cles that this his peple had his own wor [Page] de / the very trwe worssihping of him, and promise of their saluacion / as was the mi racle of the delyuerance out of the bur­ning ouen / yea and the haithen highe kin­ges were conuerted vnto the trw religiō of god. And the kinges stok of Iuda was there conserued and entertained regally. Wherfore this promise was not voide.

The sceptre shal not be taken awaye &c. Gen. 49 But yet did god performe his promises farre otherwyse thē the false or trwe pro­phets thought it. Let vs here therfore ler­ne in our affliccions and troubles to hol­de faste our faithe and calvpon god, abi­ding paciētly his helpe, although it come not to passe aftir owr imaginacions but as it is disposed and gouerned of godis counsel. Let vs be instant and feruent in prayer / for the prayer of the humble affli­cted shal not go from God / as it is writē. Also it is to be noted. That God longe differred this extreme and laste plage of the iewes at that tyme and all to inuite them to repentance / as Ieremy preched it to them. But whē the vngodly thought themselues in great securite, to haue [...] bene paste all perels and paines then we­re thei the more stourdye and s [...]ifnecked: 3. place. & soden destruccion camouer them. Now as touching the thirde and other places [Page 19] of this firste chapter / kinges be taught to moderate their victoryes / and not vtter­ly to desīroie all / but to constitute a beter order setting all thinges in a beter state / preseruing the good and lerned men / as did Nebuccadne preserue Ieremy ād the king with the most multitude of the peple. Hitherto pertaineth the precept of clemencye and mercy for kinges / which is to do well to the good men decerning the good and lerned from the euil & vn­lerned / & to moderate the punisshements of the tractable and curable / and to sup­presse the obstinate vncurable. For mer­cy and verite kepe the kyng, ād w ^t clemen­cie is his trone susteined & borne vp. Also here be prices taught their office, to se di­ligently Prou. 20 / that their subiectes be lerned the worde of God and other craftis and coning artes &c. necessary for a comon weal. It is testifyed here & confirmed the precept deu. 17. cōmāding the kīg alwais to holde the boke of the law of god in his hādis that he mought read it & lerne the­rein. Wherefor kynges ought to pro­cure diligētly siche lerned & godly mē, of whō thei shuld lerne / who also shuld tech other: & euen hitherto pertaineth the saying of I saye. 49. euen the kings to be y ^e nources of their peple / that is kings to [Page] nouresh vp, maintayn, and defende the pre­chers and techers of the chirches and scholes, and not to destroie, burne, banishe, and commande them to silence. Oh how highly is king ezechias praised for resto­ring the studies and scoles of the preists. Wherfore al princes ought to know, God to requyre of them straightly this office. 2. Paral. 31. The iewes persecuted their owne Pro­phets / but nowe the haithen kinge nou­rissheth them: ād receiued grete benefits of God for so doing. For he was by them conuerted vnto the trwe religiō and had a flouresshing kingdom for these good me nis sakes. For god largely recompenseth this kynde of office according to his own promise / whoso geueth but a draft of wa­ter to any one of my preachers he shal ha­ue Mat. 10. his rewarde. But contrary / the tyrāts whiche despise, moleste, and persecute the godly prechers / studies and scoles / thei shalbe plaged with horrible punishmēts To this study of godly prices pertaineth 1. Pet. 3. that peter commandethe, Euery man to be redye to geue a rekening of his fai­the and to satisfie whoso asketh him ther Titu. 3. of / and Paul commandeth Titum, that the peple lerne to excess in good workis vnto vses necessarye so that thei be not vnprofitable. At laste ye se Daniels tem­perancye [Page 20] to haue bene the worke of his lawful profession commanded in the law and not the tradicion of man / nor yet his own chosen holynes or religion / he wolde not defile himself with the haithē kings forboden meats to auoide the company & rites of the gentiles. Also Daniel being in the kings courte / nether for threates nor for contempt / or plesure / nor by powr wolde hebe ouercomen or tempted once to swarue from the trwe worship, worde, ād fere of god / no not for promociō / whiche thing wil not owr spiritual cour­tyers do. Loke ye therfore of Daniels cō ­stancye / his faith and temperācie and fo­lowe it / if ye will with Daniel be godly promo [...]. For thei that glorifye me / I shall glorifye them saith the lorde. 1. sa­muel. 2. And thei that despyse me / I shal abhorre and with shame confounde them The god­ly howe thei shal do in ty­me of pe­ace & ba­tel. Eze. 18. The godly therfor in tyme of peace heare the prophets and prechers / that is / thei feare the comminacions of God and be­leue his promises / wherfor when thei be punisshed with the vngodly (as men in perel both in one shippe) thei despeier not but thei confesse their synnes to God pro­nowncing him to be iuste. And because God saith / as verely as I lyue / I wilnot [...] death of a synner but had [...]r him to [Page] be conuerted & lyue / a non thei erecte thē ­selues by his promises ayenst his commi­nacions Faith e­rect [...]th hirself vp bithe [...]mises ayenste the thre­ates. / thei cal vpon him / thei be herd / and holpen / as ye se it in the example of Daniel and his felows in this Chapter. For thei be as sewer as god lyueth and raigneth / that he will kepe promise w ^t thē that repent & beleue his promises [...]her­for thei prescribe not y ^t tyme nor place nor maner to god in fulfilling his promises w ^t We may not poit God the tyme pla ce &c. them as do the vngodly / but ayenst all ho­pe and truste thei hope and beleue as did Abraham / and thei preche as did Abacu [...] saying. God wil fulfil his promise. This example therfore techeth vs manifestly trwthe it to be that Paul saith, God to be mighty enoughe to bring althings to pas­se aboue our estimacion / expectacion / as­king How the vngodly behaue thēselfe in tyme of peace & batail and vnderstanding▪ to whom be glo­rye. But contrary do the vngodly, whiche in tyme of peace deryde and cōtempne the prechers of the gospel, and heare the pro­phetes of the deuil preching his ād their own false doctryn / boldely affirmig those cōminaciōs of y ^e trw prophets to be vain / because god promised y ^e scepter of Iuda not to be taken frō thē / and as we promise o [...]r selues victory ayenst the turke becau­se we be crystened & cal vpon holy saints he being an heithen miscreant) we ma­ke with ower [...]yes / that is with the false [Page 21] interpretacion of the scriptures and fal­ser preching, the peple and ower selues so sewer that we dare saye and crye with the Iewes, Templum domini / templum domini. The temple the temple of the lorde / The churche of God / the churche The fast and pu­nisshe­ment of the false prechers of God arwe &c. But God almyghty and mercyfull nethelesse kepeth his promi­ses (as thou here seist him) yea although he punisshe the vngodly as it is afore sayd. For it is the synne of the false Pro­phetis being ignorāt of the nature and difference of the lawe and Gospell / that make the vngodly in tyme of peace to cō ­temne and skorne out, the worde of God and so to fall from God in tyme of batail. And euen the bloude of all these contem­ners of Gods worde now perisshed / shall God requyre at the handis of owre fal­se 7 Prechers.

Wherfore Ieremye wel dehorted and disswaded the peple sayinge: Se that ye beleue not the lying wordes and sermōs of the false prechers saying: The temple the temple of the lorde is so holy. For be­cause Iere. 28. that Hananias agene-sayd Iere­mies sermons, Iere. told him he shuld dye the same yeare / because he preched agaynst the lorde. So trewe is it that is comonly sayd: ye will not beleue y ^e trwe prechers exceptye se signes & mir [...]

[Page]Let vs therfore feare God accordinge to his commandements / and beleue in him as it standeth in owr credo and accor The cry sten lyfe. ding to all his promises / and praye we al­wais as cryste techeth vs in owr [...]ordis prayer / that we may in tyme of peace / w ^t our wel doings and sayngs ouercom the enuye of our aduersaries / and in the trou­blous tymes of warre be preserued with owr cryste and preseruer almighty / as were Daniel and his felows and may raigne / as thei did / in the middes emong owr enimies

Amen.

When Daniel knewe the decree Text. [Page] 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 Rom. 4. 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 all thyn­ges be possible to God. of the worlde. For as no promise of God is impossible to be fulfilled / so ar all his promises possible to him that beleue thē. Because therfore he knewe God to cal­forth that ▪ 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 [Page 25] came kingdoms, but how▪ verely by faith Heb. 11. as it folowthe. Text.

Then went Daniel home and she­wed his felows Hananias Misael Asa­ryas the mater▪ praying them to prayefor the grace & gifte of God celestial in this secrete hyde thinge, leste thei w ^t the wyse mē of babylō be notquartered into peces / whiche done, This secrete mystery was reueled to Daniel in a vision by night / & thē dani. did laude & praise y ^t god of heuē saying The name of god be honoured &c.

Here is lo / an example howe in trou­ble we shuld calvpon God / and our desy­er obtained / [...] geue him praise and than­kis / as he commandeth saing / call vpon Psal. 17. me in tribulacion / ād I shall delyuer the and thou shalt glorifie me. To call vpon What it is to call vpō god. 2. Cor. 1. Ioan. 16 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 ▪ he shal geue it you. To geue thā ­kes is to [...] God for his benefits geuē 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 [Page] 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. Text.

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 hādis: & 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 Our en­nimies must we loue. falsedoctryne and their synnes & the trwe doctrine of cryste constantly to affirme. For the wise polityk enimies of goddis worde in babylō / he so loued that he wold excuse their ignorance / and for their ig­norāce 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 1. Cor. 2. Onely y ^e holy gost seeth what is to come 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 sel [...] sene to delyuer our enimies apointed to dye because thei be ignorant of the worde Our eni mies but not their doctryn to be lo­ued. Let vs therfore no lesse thirst the bloude of our anticristē enimies / then crist wold [Page 26] not dampne the aduouteres accused and condempned of the Magistrates Ioā. 8. But yet their false doctrin let vs as strō ­gly and boldely confute condēpne 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 Text. slepe was this / you being kinge reuolued in mynde as ye laye in bedde what was to come aftir / wherfore the reue [...]ler and opener of secrete mysteries sheweth to you what is to come and v̄nto me verely is not this mistery reueled for [...] wise­dō where by I excel al other mortal mē / 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 occasiō of the kinges drea­me Whiche drames be of god 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 desy [...] what maner king dōs there shuld be aftir him / therfore▪ 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▪ dethe, & hell / to destroye the worlde [Page] with fyer in the laste daye / to geue lyfe Cryste when ād wherfor he shuld come. 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▪ 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 be­nedicciō of the gentilis promised to Abra­ham, that is by faith in cryste to haue eter­nall lyfe. But let vs heare the dreame / Text.

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 The kīg dō of cry ste. of and parte of pot baerthe

Thou didste beholde it vntil there came a stone smytē out without hand is / which smitte the image vpō his ▪. & erthen feete breking them al to powlder. Then [Page 27] 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 smittē 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 The be­gining & fal of kīg­doms be of God. 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 ▪ 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 thē the former, and lerne we crystes kingdom to be descri­bed, Christis kingdō. 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 kingdōs ar y ^e how­ses of the gospell. parte of this narraciō 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▪ other parte / as it we­ [...]e with an euangeli sermone he calleth [Page] them all & vs to the knowlege of cryste / The worlde without the gos­pel is hel Text. monisshing the king and al mortall men to remē [...]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. [...] Mona.

The firste Monarchy which stode first vpon the caldeis & eft sence on the Assiri­ōs / 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 Bee [...] of Babylon the king sitteth so se­wer from al his 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 [Page 28] 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. kingdōs Daniel here aftir testifieth / assigning to y ^e persik realme 3. orders of tethe. To the Macedoni▪ Monarchie 4. head is / and 10▪ hornes to the Roman empire. This goldē head had but 3 kinges in daniels ty­me. For Nebucadnezar raigned 45 yeres▪ 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. Text.

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. ād in the eleuenth how longe it endured.

☞ And then shal ther be the thirde Text. Monarchie called the brasen empyre whiche shall be ouer the vniuersal worl­de.

[Page]This is the monarchye of great Ale­xander & of his mighty cōfedered 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 dō shalbe as strōg Text. & as harde as / for it shall lyke 4. Mo­narchie. make softe breke & tame all other king domo. And w̄here thou didst see the feete and toes partely erth [...]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 ād par­te ba erthe / this empyre shalbe 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 nōther / their confederacies shall not stonde nor holde no more then may be mixed and welled togither with ba erthe.

[Page 29]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 The Ro­mane em­pi [...]e shal be de­stroyed. 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 Cast of all shall the Go­spell de­stryoe both Po­pe & tur­ke vsur­ping the Romain empire. The di­uision of the Ro­main em pire. 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 [Page] 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 shalbe 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 shal­be 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 / Text. 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 kingdōs endured / but Christes kyngdō when it begane institued of God. yet translated into the Romane Monar­chie / shall Christes kyngdom be begune vpon erth. For the em Augustus in the tyme of Christ̄es 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 kyngdō. 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 [Page] that beleue it, lyue euerlastingly. For the worde of God (sayth I say) standeth for Christis kyngdō is his worde & his chur che. euer / and shalbe 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 heuē 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 the ston [...]ut out of the hil without hande. which the stonne was out smyten with­out handes, It signifieth Christ to be sent and borne out of the trybe of Iuda which had theyr situacion on the moūte Sion in Hierusalem where out was sent the lawe and Gospell and all without any humane power or counsell / but prede­stined and promised without the sead of man to be borne of Marie the virgen. But this stonne to be reproued and reiec­ted Luc. 19. of the buylders / the. 118. Psal. decla­reth it. We will not this man to raigne ouer vs sayd the Pharisais. Wherfore he [Page 31] shall bringe glytering hypocrites with theyr golde / syluer / latyne / Psal. 2. and potte erth into duste by the pre­ching of his Gospell whilis yet the son­ne shyneth / and in the laste daye slaye them with the breath of his mouthe. This kyngdom of Christ shall go thorow all the worlde / when the of the go­spell shalbe blowne a brode into euery lande as ye haue sene it almost these. 28. yeares past.

And thus hath the myghty great Text. God shewed the (o kynge) what is to co­me. For certain is this dreame / and trwe is the interpretacion ther of. &c.

As Daniel was certain the dreame and interpretacion therof to be of God / so ought euery precher, teacher and wry­ter to be sewer theyr doctryne to be of God as Peter sayth: If any man speake 1. Pet. 4. let him be sewer to speake the wordes of God. When Daniel had thus interpre­ted the kynges dreame he honored and reuerenced him with gyftes, promotinge him and his felowes into hyghe offices techynge all kynges to be the nources of the Gospell / and as the holy ghost tea­cheth them by sainct Paul to geue vnto 1. Tim. 5 the trwe prechers double honour / that is to saye theyr dewe reuerēce and a lyuing [Page] competent. This facte of the kynge con­foated miche the churche of the Iewes al be it they were in captiuite / to see theyr Prophetes & good men so reuerently & ly­berally entreated of the kynge. It was also a waye conueniente for the worde of God to be receyued of the Babylonites.

☞ Sedrach Mesach and Abednego / Text. answerd Nebucadnezar saynge. We stu­dy not grately to answere the to this que­stiō / whether owr god whom we worship be able to delyuer vs out of this burninge ouen / and whether hewill delyuer vs out of thy hande or no. But this we wolde the (oh kynge) to knowe / that as for thy gods we wilnot worship / nor yet bowe to the golden ymage set vp of the.

Here be we taught to confesse constant­ly the worde of God / to kepe the first com­mandemēt and to refute and thrust from vs all blasphemye / shuld we dye therfore Trewth it is / that it is all one thynge / To not defende y ^e trwthe and to re nye it, is allone. not to defende the trewth and to denye the trewth. Whoso confesseth me before men sayth Christ: I shall confesse him before my father in heauen / and whoso denyeth me before men I will denye him before my father and all the angels in heuen. Let men beware how they dissem­ble with the trewth in this worlde / lest in soche an vngodly securite they pluke the synne of the holy ghost into theyr bo­soms. [Page] These holy men flater not the kyn­ge The ly­berty of the faith full in the cros­se. at first to catche his beneuolence as dyd his wyse sothe sayers the preistes with this salutacion. Rex eternum viue. Oh kyng euer mought you lyue. But fre­ly confesse they / the kynge to his face to be vnworthey any answer for that his question contayned a manifest blasphe­mye / supposynge the very God almyghty not able to delyuer these thre men out of his handis. And therfore they passed not to answer him / but thus playnely they sayd: Albe it we know not whether God will delyuer vs out of the fornace / yet we be sewer that he is myghty enough to do it / and yf it be his will / he shall do it / into whose handis we humbly committe oure selues / praying his will to be done with vs vnto his glorye. But for all thy fyerye threathenings and fyerce cōminacions / will we not transgresse Gods firste and second commandemēts. For we be sewer by oure fayth / that God whom we wor­ship may delyuer vs oute of thy handis and preserue vs in the myddes of the fla­mynge To wor­ship god what it is. hotte ouen. To worship God is the first precept / euen to beleue him to be oure God and to haue no strange Gods in his syght / that is to heare the gospell / to beleue it with herte / to confesse God [Page 34] with mouthe. Which worship / Paul lay­eth [...]as the foundacion of all ryghtwys­nes and saluacion sayinge: Nyghe is the Rom. 10. worde vnto the euen in thy mouthe and herte / and this is the worde of fayth / which we preche / for fayth in oure herte / iustifyeth and the confession with oure mouthe bringeth saluacion. Wherfore when they sayd / we haue God whom we worship / they dyd not onely acknowleg him to be theyr very God / which sayth / Where and when soeuer thou shalt re­member my name / there shall I come to the / but also they affirmed themselues rather to dye then to renye theyr very God & to fall downe before y ^e false ydoll of the Babylonites with any reuerent Dissem­ble not in Gods honore & worship behauior. But here myght these thre ho­ly men haue [...] well auoided the kynges tyrannye / escaped the perill of theyr bur­nyng, and not offended theyr consciences but pleased god / had they [...] bene taught as some Bisshops nowe teache The bis­shops vn godly godly worship of yma­ges. men. That is to knele downe and kysse ymages (as they teache vs to crepe to the crosse and kysse it) without any god­ly worship, not transgressing the first nor seconde commandements. Here lo they wanted oure Bisshops doctryne / here they wanted lo / a lytle of the examiner [Page] of the hunting of the foxes highe diuini­te / for aftir his doctryne thei might haue kneled downe to Nebucadnezars golden image / yea & haue kissed his fect to / with a certayn vtwarde reuerēt behauiour / ho­nouring god nethelesse in spirit / so that in onely kneling and kissing (as saith y ^e res­kewer aud uerer of the Romishe foxe) ther cā be no idolatry / ywisse daniel was greatly ouersene that he taught not his felows this glose in theirs so present a pe­rel. But her [...], as god had beter taught thē and vs to beware & abhorte images / not to faldowne before thē vnder any colour of any certain reuerent behauiour as owr idola [...] yet teache vs / euen so said thei we haue god whom we worship. And the diuyne oracle sayd to Elias / I haue lefte me. 7000. mē which haue not bowed their knees to the ymage of Baal nor kissed it / Frome the geuinge forth of this precepte Thou shalt not engraue nor make y ^e any ymage or similitude of any thinge vpon erthe or in heuen &ce. vnto the tyme that ymages of sayntis in heuen were made and set in our chirches / there were mo­rethen. 2000. yeres / & al this lōge whyle were there many holy fathers▪ prophetes, and goodmen whiche were seynts in he­uen / and yet nether were there ymages [Page 35] made nor any mane so hardy as to geue them our bisshops reuerent behauiour in knelinge downe before them. Forall this longe tyme owr holy fathers so vndersto­de the precepte that thei wolde suffer no­man to make any sayntis Image in all y ^e londe of Iuda / so farre of were theias to set vp any in their temple / vntill by the de­uilish dryft of the bisshops / that heithen Antichristen Antiochus / and aftir warde Onias Mene­laus. Iason. Macha. herode & that cursed caligula / did set vp therein that ab hominable signe of the de struccion of it, & off all their comon weale neuer to be repayered. God taught vs to auoid al the occasions of idolatry / as euē the very making of ymages / no not to be­holde them / knowing the maker to be lyke vnto them / bothe ymage & ymage maker to be cōfounded. And miche more excecra­ble is it to serue or worship thē with any euerent behauiour ether by adoracion, [...]rostracion, knelyng, or kissing as ye see it Exodi. 20. &. 23. No not to worship god by [...]hem nor before them nor in the places [...]here they stode / but he commandeth to [...]reke them al to poulder and to prophane [...]heir places & tabernacles euen to make [...]hem lothely & abominable. Wel knewe [...]aron & the Israelits that their ymage [...]ade / was not god / and yet were thei gre [Page] uosly punisshed for that reuerent behaui­or Exo. 32. committed before it. For ye shall make ye no image / saith the lorde / nor engraue non / nor set vp non / no not somiche as a stonne to helpe your memory or imagina­cion of any saint to thentent ye shuld do by it / at it / or befor it / any externe reuerēt behauior. Albeit I knowe how wykedly Leui. 26. some papistis wrest and falsifye this text to thrustout the playne seconde comman­dement of god out of his own proper pla­ce. Ashamed therfore be thei al that serue Psal. 96. images with their reuerent behauior & glorye in their gods of tre & stonne. Whē the lorde spake to his peple geuing them his precepts out of the middis of the fyer he gaue thē the hearing of his voice / but no similitude of him wold he suffer them Deut. 4. 27. Exo. 20. Iosue. 8. Deu. 16. to see lest thei shuld haue sinned in ma­king thē any lykenes of any thing ether vpon erthe or in heuē. And in their altare makinge he forbode it vtterly any instru­ment of to be set the stones: and al was to auoid the occasiō of any image to be made in gods chirche. Thou shalt not plāt the any groue of trees nighe the altare of the lorde / Nether set any yma­ge which thy lorde god hateth. The onely makinge of ymages be execrable & a cur sed Deut. 26. yea what soeuer is offred o [...] 1. Cor. 10 [Page 36] geuen to images / saith Paul / it is offred and geuen to diuils / but the reskewer of the Romissh foye techeth men to offer [...] & to geue a reuerent behauiour to images / ergo he techeth them to offer & to geue reuerent behauior to the deuil. Euery vt­warde reuerent behauiour is a token of an inwarde worship & reuerence of the sa­me thing where vnto thou knelest / as is the prostracion before thy parēts or kyng asigne of thy inwarde loue obediēce and worship to the morels thou art but a dis­sembler / wherfore when thou geuest any vtwarde reuerence to an image / thou she­west thy self / with inwarde worship to reuerence y ^e same. For the signe & the thing signified be correlatyues one answering the tother or els must it be but a false and a dissynbling signe whiche these papistis so stoughtly defende with fyer & fa [...] here ye see whyther thierown wyked doc­tryne hathe brought thē. Neuer wil that innated malice & roted enuy of their fa­thers the pharisets out of their childers herts / which so stifly stoke to their own vt­ward worship & externe reuerēcei their ri­tes wasshīgs, sabats, &c. that as thei euer sought to slay cryst for violatīg thē, so had thei yet [...] their throtis to be torne out then the inward worship of god inspirit & [Page] trouth shuld thrust out their externe hai­then idolatrye. But returne we to y ^e text.

The kynge [...] Sedrach / Mesach / & Abednego / adorare / that is to fast down before the ymage & so to geue it our Bis­shops reuerent behauiour. And they an­swered. Deū habemus quē colimus. We haue God whom we worship / which an­swere / playnely expresseth / that same adoracion to be siche an vtwarde reue­rent behauiour / which was playne ydola­trye / so that adorare imagi [...] / is con­trary to colere deum. That is / to fall dow­ne before any ymage is contrary and a­gainst Gods worship. Or els they myght haue answerde the kynge with Winche­sters worship / saying: We are content to knele downe to it with a certayne reue­rent behauiour / so that we geue it not any inwarde godly worship. But adorare imaginem auream / & colere deum / coulde not agree in Daniels bokis and in his felows fayth with oure bisshops certain reuerent behauiour to ymages. When these pharisaicall foxe fewterers com­mande the therfore to worship ymages / or to crepe to crosse, As dyd Nebucadne­zar byd them faldowne to the ymage / then with Daniel and his felowes tell thou them to theyr faces / that thou hast god whom thou worshipest / before whom [Page 37] thou knel est and not before any ymage. Ther be many wordis indifferēt to diuer­se Thre h [...] nors / a diuine honor. A ciu [...]le honor. And an ydoll ho­nor w ^t win. glo­seth and it oute w ^t a certain reuerent behauior and contrary significaciōs / as ar ado­ro / colo / seruio / to bowedowne worship, to serue and to knele / which when the wor­de folowynge is added / as to saye adoro deum vel imaginem vel hominem / it is sone sene what worship is ment / for the scriptures put neuer any siche wordes a­lone / but expresse what thynge is wor­shipped or honoured. In the former chap. it is writen. That the kyng ▪ downe be­fore Daniel & honored him with a ciuil honour. And we are cōmanded so to ho­nour oure parents princes ministers of the worde &c. But no where cōmandeth God / but vtterly forbyddeth it, to fall downe before or to honour ymages: wher­fore it is playne ydolatry to faldowne or to knele before them / & it cannot be excu­sed coloured nor moc▪ out with any po­pissh glose of a certain reuerēt behauiour before ymages. For ymages be called in scripture / abominacion and the execra­ble signes of the destruccion of the po­pissh churche. Daniel. 9. and Christ him­selfe confirmyng it addyth, Whoso rea­deth the place let him vnderstande it. Wherfore when an ydole or ymage or fal­se Gods / folowe any of these wordes Adoro / colo / seruio and siche lyke / then [Page] beware of that act / fall not downe with no reuerent behauiour nor worship thou them. But say with Daniel and his fe­lowes / yea Matt. 5. & as Christ sayd to the deuill. To thy Lorde God shalt thou do reuerēt behauior / & him onely shalt thou serue or worship / let these defenders of ydola­try shewe vs one place in all scripture / which ether commandeth or permitteth any ydoll honour or ymage seruice / which they call a doracion or reuerēt behauiour to any ymage. If they cannot / then let ve saye to themas Christ sayd to sathan Auoide ye deuill is and lerne to worship youre Lorde God and him onely to serue.

When our idolaters will compell men therfore to fall downe before their ima­ges, let them constantly resiste their dam­nable doctryne and be sewer god bothe to may and wyll delyuer them aboue all ma­nis expectacion more largely than we cā aske of him or thinke / as Paul saith. And if our father prayed to in the name of Ie­su geue vs not at that tyme our peticion: Let vs be certaine ād assewered that for his glorye and owr saluacion he hath ge­uen vs himself to be owrs for euer. The of fice of faithe therfore is / in the crosse / not onely to saye. Thy wyll be done / but also with Paul to saye / whether we lyue or dye [Page 38] we be the lordis / agen take ensample at Dauid saying. If the lorde will bring me home ayen / well / so be it. If not / his will be fulfilled.

Then was Nebucadnezar all in a furye / and his chere so changed ayenst ▪ Text. drache &c. that he commanded the for­nace to be hotte seuen tymes hotter then it was wont / & ▪ the most strongest mē of his garde to throe ▪ drach with his felows bownd / into the most hotte burnig ouen / which so did. But the king had cau­sed it to be made so hotte that the flam­me smytte out so farre that it lyked vp & brent the men which threwe in ▪ drach with his felowes now fallen into the fyer bownde.

Here yese what soden vengeance God Beware ye cruell hangmē & mē but ners. taketh of siche cruell ministers as be so redye to execute the furiouse vngodly cōmandements of cruell tyrannouse kyn­ges. Sathan thinketh the Gospell to be out quenched / yf he myght bringe the professours and prechers therof into the fyer by the autorite and commandement of the emperours, kynges, and princes. But in so doyng / as the deuyll is the mi­nister of God to bringe siche emperours & kynges with theyr wyked ministers vnto perpetuall dampnacion in torments [Page] of fyer eternall / euen so God by his mer­uellouse wysedom vseth sathan & his ser pentine seade vnto the hyghe promouyn­ge of his Gospell. I meruell em [...] and princes be not afrayed / so boldely and so lyghtely at euery popisshe fryers & Bisshops complaynt and persuasion to burne so many innocents as they haue done of late in all realines christened / se­ing that it is wryten. Se that ye towche not nor hurte my prechers and myne ano­ynted / for, for▪ theyr sakes hath God cor­rected and punisshed euen the kynges. Psal. 104

And euen now are the last dayes come / as Daniel prophecieth herafter / wherin the em [...] and kynges all asmany as haue burned and yet burne men for the gospell be lyke to be greuously punisshed.

☞ Then Nebucadnezar / was aston­ned / and Text. stertyng vp he sayd to his offi­cers. Did we not cast thre men bownde into the fyer? which answerd / yisse trwly oh kynge / how then is it / that I see. 4. walkyng lose in the fyer / in nothing hur­te / & the fowerth I see lyke the sonne of God? Then flewe Nebucadnezar vnto the flamyng ouens mouthe / thus crying ▪ drach / Mesach / Abednego / ye seruāts of the most hygh god come forth vnto me Which cōmenforth / there came toge­ther [Page 39] the officers / the nobles / magistra­tes and other of the kynges counsell be­holdyng these men / whose bodyes the fyer had not once hurte / no not the lest heaer of their headis was not skorched / nor yet their thinne shirtes about them / no thei felt no sauour of any fyer about them.

Nowe haue ye an example of a cruel kinge cōuerted & of a wolfe (as was Paul) made a / we haue witnesse / the aun­gel of god to preserue the godly in alpe­tels. Conferrethe wordis of this place to the former wordis of the kinge / and thou shalt see euen the selfe same king to be an example bothe of the wrath and also of the mercy of god. We see also here not o­nely the kinges herte but also al the her­tes The sub­iects folo­we their kynge cō ­dicions. of his nobles and officers to be in the hande of God / & them to folowe the kin­ges confessiō and religion nonother wyse thē the shadew▪ folowe the sonne. All cre­atures be compelled to confesse the firste commandement to be trwe / and what so euer be ayenst it / to be false. And as the king therfore asketh his officers & coun­sellers / because thei shuld be cōpelled to be witnesses, the doctrine & religiō of the babylonits to be idolatry & that in falling downe before an image with any reuerēt [...] [Page] [...] [Page 39] [Page] behauiour is playne ayenst Gods wor­ship the first precept is the ru­le of all doctryne forboden in his lawe / euen so for no­nother cause calleth he our these 3 holy­men from the [...]yer / but to approue Gods first and 2 commandements and to con­firme the faith in cryste Iesu to be the ve­ry trwe religion and worship of god. Fur­thermore by the fowerth man sene of the I say. 7. Who was the angel in the fyer. kinge in the fyer / I vnderstand Emanu­el cryste to be with vs / which conserued the goodmen / and made of the sewer of the worde a confessor of the same: this aungel of God owr sauior cryst / smittout the flame of the fornace vpon the men­burners making the middis therof as it were a swete wynde, so that not an heare of thier headis perisshed, (signify­ing that of the faitful in God not an hea­re shal fal from their heades without the The fla­me bur­neth the burners of y ^e faith full be they ne­uer so far of. will of their heuenly father Nether want it a mistery / that the burners being with out the ouen were brent / the goodmen be­ing so false in the middis of the fyer / for siche burners shall fede the fyer of hell / when thei whom thei burned shall reste in ioye. For he that was sene with the 3 men in the flame said / Oh hell I wil be thy destruccion and delyuer my faithfull out of thy handis. Wherfore Beware ye em [...] and kinges whiche yet burne [Page 40] or permitte cristen men to be brente for Psal. 2. the gospell. And nowe be ye taught and vnderstand the trwthe / for except ye re­pent with this kinge / ye muste nedis be brent your selues with all the deuill is in hell perpetually. Cryste graunt it / that al sewers myght repent as did Nebucad­nezar.

And here Nebucadnezar broke­forth into these wordis saying. Praysed Text. and thanked be the God of drach Me­sach and Abednego / whiche hathe sent his aungel ād delyuered his worshipers which thorow their faith in God haue changed and frustrated the kinges com­mandement / offering their bodies rather to be brent then thei wolde worship or fal downe before any thing then their owne god. Wherfore it is my decre & proclama­cion▪ That whatsoeuer peple or nacion shal speke any blasphemye ayenst the god of drache mesach & Abednego / he shal be torne in peses / & his house shalbe made detestable▪ for verely there is no nother God that may thus delyuer / as dothe he.

A diligent reader conferring one pla­ce withe a nother / and remembring that in the ende of the 2. chapter aftir Daniel had ex powned Nebucadnezars dreame the king fyldowne before him▪ honouring [Page] Daniel with diuerse giftis confessing & affirming it constantly, The god of Da­niel and of his company to be the god of and aboue all goddis and the lorde of all kingis and reueler of all secretes / wolde think that the kinge had ben then conuer­ted to the trwe faith / and not nowe thus cruelly to constrayne them to image wor­ship, idoll honor, into the great blasphemy of godis name. But here (crysten reader) The pro perty of our papi stis / a­bout kingis & emp­rowrs thou shalt vnderstande that in all those. 16. yeres from that tyme of his confessiō to daniel / the king had aboute him many magos, sacrificers▪ flateres / which as the dragon kept the golden aple tre / layd wel awaite and watched diligently that da­niel nor his felowes shuld not come nygh the kynge to confirme him any farther in their religion and so conuerte the kynge from his olde false faith▪ sou▪ in with his mothers mylk / yea thei kept daniel from him so farre and had brought the kynge nyghe home ayen vnto his idolatry that thei caused him to erect this golden yma­ge as ye here see / supposynge therby to haue destroyed Daniel with his felowes as many as wolde not worship images. He is not therfore a godly em [...] and prince which diligently enquireth and sercheth the trewth & when it is fownde [Page 41] and knowen he neglecteth it and forge­teth god / and commandeth his owne image to be worshipped / that is / at the perswasions and flaterye, entysments & pestilent counsels of the enimyes to go­dis worde setteth vp theyr articles / ri­tes / ceremonies and false religion / pre­ferrynge them aboue gods worde / kyl­lyng the transgressours of his owne fal­se religion and fauourynge the brekers of gods lawes. Let all kyngs beware / how aftir they haue once tasted of gods trewth / they admitte siche popish flatte­rers into their court and counsaill.

But why was not Daniel here accu­sed and cast into the ouen? verely the kyn­ge had before so worshipped and ex tol­led him into so hyghe dignite / geuynge him the name of his owne God / that yf he shuld now haue casten him awaye he myght haue had bene noted of inconstan­cye / yea and this later acte shuld haue be­ne sene to haue bene contrary and preiu­diciall to his owne former facte. And so the kynge thought it to be agaynst his ho­nour so to deal with daniel and therfore there was no mencion made of him here.

Now therfore was the kynge yet mer­cifully called ayen with a nother miracle at the which not himself onely but all his [Page] nobles / officers / & counsellers were pre­sent. Nethelesse yet for his pryde / & secu­rite in ryches and welthe / he was not ful­ly conuerted and trwly repentant vntyll h [...] had the [...] other vision folowinge in the next chapter and was greuously punis­hed as ye shal ther see it / aftir the which punishmēt / he coming ayene to his right mynde and restored to hys kingdomme / sent oute this godly decree or proclama­cion / wherein ye see the dowble office of an vnfaynedly conuerted kinge / of which the first is to fere & serue god accordinge to his worde & commandments & not af­tir other menis enstrucciōs blowne into his eares by flaterers. Secondarily to sende forth thorowe all his realme the ve To send forth pre chers is y ^e spediest way to plant y ^e gospell. ry trwe doctryne and gospell of god decla ringe his owne confession faith & repen­tant herte exorting al his subiectis vnto the iust and right waie swiftly & effectu­ously to plant the gospell in his realme / for as the kinge beleueth so beleueth the moste parte of his subiectis. Hither to y ^e king deceyued by his wyked flaterers pro ceded in wykednes vnto his owne damp naciō & in to y ^e destruccion of his realme / nowe by repentance and thankis geuing he is turned into the path of saluacion of him self & of all the gentyls folowing his [Page 42] steapes. Before / he did setup the image to get himself a name and glorie, with the blasphemye 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 cōfesseth 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 Cryst is with vs in y ^e mid­des of y ^e fyer of tri­bulacion to confesse his synne / Nowe the kinge ler­neth to honour god without images in spirit and verite. Nowe let vs cōpare the fygure with the trwthe. Cryste is the aū ­gel in the middis of the fyer here present with vs in the middis of our tribulaciōs 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. I say. 53. 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 Hebre. 11 Paul that it quencheth fyer / it ouer co­meth kingdōs. This faith wilnot knele [Page] 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 kinges take he­de your fice. thei suffer images to stād 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 thē. 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 reuerēt 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 declaraciō of thē aftir Philip. melan.

The first place is an example of the the first place. 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 2 image seruyce and false worship­pings it behoueth to reprehende and to [Page 43] dye rather then to obeye them.

Thirdly Gods commandment must 3 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 4 refuted / as is here refuted the kings que­stion saying: What god may delyuer you fro my hande?

Fiftly. What maner faith it ought to 5 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 6 of the godly / contrary to the blasphe­mye of the wyked / and the punisshmēt of the vngodly / namely of them that be the ministers of other menis fury.

The. 7. is a testimonie that in their pe­rels 7 god sendeth his aungels to the faith­full.

The / hath the conuersion of the kynge folowinge at the preachinge 8 and glorifying of the godly.

At last. The proclamacion techeth it 9 to pertaine to princes to prohibit and pu­nisshe blasphemyes. [...] [Page] let them alone blynde as they be / euen y ^e blynde leaders of the blynde. For the. 4. The kynge not onely cōmandeth 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 god [...]. As in alty­mes haue the tyrants derided the godly / Tyrāts deride y ^e godly. whyls they paciētly 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 cō ­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 fu [...]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 nō there folowe erthe quakis / eclypses / der­kenesscs Oure erth quakis and pre­sent eclyps. 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 [Page 45] 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 whō 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 cōtrary & against them / to be abhorred as crystand Paus teche vs Math. 15. Rom. 14. & 1.

[Page]The fift place techeth vs to seke out 5 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 pre [...]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 Ioan. 3. In his first arti­cle aga­inst D. barnes. 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 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 [Page 46] 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 Corpo­rall pro­mises ha­ue condi­ciōs but not y ^e pro­mises of the gos­pell. Of y ^e 6. place. 26 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 [Page] to be in vayne / yea allthough we Wherfo­re God laith v­pon vs bodely afflic­cions. 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 Psal. 50. his holy spirit. Wherfore his promyse is neuer invayne to the beleuers. And ther­fore cryst commandeth vs incessantly to We must praye in­cessantly 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 [Page 47] 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 shu [...]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 Luc. 16. 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.

☞ Then Daniel called Belthasar be­ing Text. amased spake not almost of an howr [...]: he was so astonned that the kynge began to awake him oute of his trowblous cogi­tacions and heuye mynde sayinge: Bel­thasar / let not my dreame nor the inter­pretacion therof in any wyse trouble or hurte the. Vnto whom Belthasar ans­wer: [...] sayinge: Ah my lorde and kynge. This dreame come vpon thyne enimies and the interpretacion therof vpon thyne aduersaryes. The tree sene of the so gre­te so hyghe▪ &c. it is euen thou thyself (ah kynge) so greate and mightye▪ that thy hy­ghe maieste attayneth to the heuens and thyne imperye vnto the farthest costes of the erth. And as towching him / oh kynge / (whom thou didst see a watcher / an holy one flying downe from heuen crying / kut downe the tree and destroye it / permit­ting the stok with the rotes to stand still in the grownde / the same in chey­nes to go graze vpon the felde and to lye [Page 52] vnder y ^e dewe & rayne from a boue / cōman ding him to eate w ^t the beast is tyll his. 7. tymes be past) this is (oh king / the inter­pretacion & sentence of the most hyghest decreed agaynst y ^e (my lorde & kyng) Men shall cast y ^e forth to dwell with the best is of the felde / suffring the to eate & fede w ^t their oxen and thou shalt lye wett vnder the skye tyll thy seuen tymes be past / that thou shuldst knowe the most hyghe god to be kynge and ruler ouer all the realmes of mortall men and to geue them to whom he willeth. But what signifieth the stok with his rotes to remain in the grounde? veryly that thy kyngdom▪ shall stande to thyself to enioye it so long as thou shalt aknowl e the god of heauen to be lorde & king ouer it. Wherfore (oh my king) let my counsell please the / allowe it / redeme thy synnes w ^t ryghtwysenes & thyne ini­quities with iust doing to the poor afflic­ted / so that thy felicite may be prolonged.

Daniel was of a more feruent & faith­fuller spirit towerde his kynge / then be now a dayes these flaterers so nyghe thē in fauour feding their affectis. For he so loued him / that he wolde tell him y ^e trwth were it neuer so odiouse, bitter▪ & displea­saunt▪ vnto him. But in that he stayed so longe ere he spake / he declareth his pru­dence / [Page] both because he wold not seme ras­she & also lest he shuld apere to reioyse of the king is misfortune. For albeit he was now with his countrymen in captiuite / yet wolde he be faithfull to the king and honour him iustly / yea although he knew how tender and delicate be princes [...]ares corrupt with the gloriouse glaueringe of flaterers / and therfore the soner exaspe­rated with sharpe and heuey tydings.

The astonned slaknes of daniel caused the kinge to be the gredier of the trewth / which also seing the prophet to be so trou bled in himself / & as one not gladly wil­ling to test him of siche heuines / was the more desyerouse to heare it and to haue his counsell. For the kinge perceyued so­me waighty thing to be signified against himself. For where the diuine iugemēts so feare an innocent prophete / miche mo­re shuld they be terrible to a wyked king. But yet the goodnes and i [...]ntelnes of [...] kinge apereth againe / in that he anima­teth the prophete exhortinge him to tell it whatsoeuer the dreame be / pardoninge him whatsoeuer he shall saye: But daniel elegantly and wysely first mitigateth y ^e mater / praying that these mischances si­gnifyed / might fall vpon the kyngs eni­mies. By which wordis / he nether spea­keth [Page 53] agaynst gods will / nor yet dissem­bleth / but shewth himself to be heuye for the kings misfortune / declaring himself to be the kynges frende / or els he shulde haue wysshed euyll to himself. As though he shuld haue spoken playnly / for that I hold my peace so long / thinke not that I dowte of your dreame / but because I per­ceiue it to be a fearfull vision / I pray god that it fall not vpon you.

Daniel in telling the dreame / dige­steth it goodly into thre partes / first de­claring the felicite and prosperite of the kynge. Secondarily his punisshment. Thirdly his repentance. First he telleth him that the tree so great and hygh with all hir beuty / birdis / beastes and fru­tes &c. signifieth the kynge Nebucadne­zar: for that god had subdewed to him all other realmes / wherof before / he was called the golden head, and that not one­ly for his ample power / but also for his hyghe arrogancye and pryde attributing to himselfe in his securite the glorye of god / whose imperye is ouer heuen and y ^e vniuersall erth. He also magnified him­selfe the more for his often victories. For he was the Monarch of the worlde. And his name was fered ouer all. The The brā ches. fayer branches of it / are his myghty no­bles [Page] and princes. The plentuouse frutes The fru­tes. signified his yerely rentes and giftis w ^c his subiectes and all nacions willingly brought him. By the birdes nesiled in the The bir­des. branches, were signified his hygh, lerned, wyse men sothe sayers &c. taken as spiri­tuall men, being of counsell with his god­dis, to bringe to the kynge their oracles & answers from them / for this belly brode Mat. 13. &. 8. delyghteth yet to sitte and nesile a loft in their [...]asy plesant nestis. By the beastis The bea stis. lyinge vnder the tree / be signifyed the subiectes and comons lyuing quietly vn­der his lawes / defended by the kynges power / and as it were vnder his winges. And as this goodly myghty tree fedde Lerne ye kynges. & defended all these creatures / so ought the godly kynges as I say sayth / to be the nources and feders of their subiectes / se­ing them vertuously brought vp in gods lawes / defending the innocēt pore afflic­ted with iniuryes / and punisshinge the malefactours. For it is their office / not The of­fice of kynges onely to defende the publyk peace but al­so punisshe y ^e malefactours and preserue and promote the godly lerned and to ta­ke charge lyke a father and mother ouer the churche of criste, seing it taught gods worde faithfully and purely / quenching idolatry / and suppressinge all supersti­ciouse [Page 54] rytes &c. and tradicions of men. Hitherto pertayne all the places concer­ning Magistrates, which kings and prin ces ought to know / for the good workis of kynges and princes are to do their office expressed in the scripture. Also the comō peple and subiectes signified by the lyue­ly fowles and beastes fedde out of y ^e tree / their office and dewty is to geue thankis to god for the frutes and shadewe of their tree / and serue and obeye their prince praying incessantly for him. And albeit the golden head and this fayer tree signi fyed the babyloni monarchie and kyng / yet perteineth this doctryne vnto euery em▪ [...] and prince yet lyuing which do­inge his office / is the very golden gifte & most flourisshing frutefull tree of god.

Secondarily where he seeth the spedy watcher and holy aungell so haastely de­scending &c. He monissheth the kynge warning him of the iugement of god and of his owne humiliacion and deiection. For the voice of the holy watcher was y ^e sentence and decree of the most hygh god against the kynge / which vseth his aun­gels thus to serue kynges and all good men / which are sayd to come downe that they shulde knowe manifestly whether ther were so great arrogancye, securite [Page] and ingratitude in the kynge or no / as in Aungels come downe. Cap. 11. Gene. 11. The lorde speaketh lykewyse of y ^e Sodomits. I will go downe & see whe­ther the noyse which is comen vp to me be done in dede. And ayen / when they had buylded the towr of babel. The lorde went downe to se the cyte / which phrase of speche, lerne all iuges to not be to swyft in sentence geuing / but before all things / diligently to serche oute and knowe the cause. Here therfore first came downe the aungels and knewe the arrogancye & ne­gligent securite of the kynge. Wherfore they [...] / kut downe the tree. That is to saye / cast downe the kyng from his digni­te and honour / and let him be humbled. Then was he for his melancholy [...] furye and haastines cast oute of his realme of his owne nobles / which was for that ty­me his confusion & destruccion. And now he not being aknowledged of his nobles nor of his comōs / it is verefyed his bran­ches to be [...] of, both greate bowes and small twigges / and all bothe his birdes and beastis to flye from him / oh merue­louse soden mutacion of y ^e hyghe hande of Psal. 76. god by his iust iugemēt to lese his subiects because himself wold not be a subiect vn­to God / which because now he lyued a beasily barbarosse lyfe beinge mad a [...] [Page 47] out of his witte / he was counted worthe­ly with beastis, as to eate lyke meat with them / to lye wett in stormes without / & to be associated with them / his heare / his nayles ouer growne / & his bodye made harde and wrinccled with cold and heate And that by seuen tymes / that is half an heb domade euen thre yeres and an halfe. For the persians diuide the yeare into 2. tymes / that is / into wynter & somer / or 7. tymes / is taken for y ^e iust complete tyme sufficiēt for his punishmēt geuen of god.

And here be we lerned y ^e holy a waking aungels to be the kepers of godly kinges Aungels kepe kyn­ges and their re­alme. & their realmes in al their wayes / as saith the Psal. The aungell of the lorde bull­worketh rownd aboute y ^e godly. Hitherto perteineth the examples of godly kinges, of whom there was euer but a fewe euen in y ^e peple of god / wytnes Iesus Syrache 49. Also the holy watching aungels do threaten plages vnto vngodly em [...] To wy­ked kyn­ges god threte­neth de­struccion and princes / as ye here see him crye, kut­downe the tree / where ye see the example of arrogāt, prowde, ingrate, negligēt prin­ces, transgressours of gods lawes and the nowmber of them to be great in the peple of god / vnto whom their destrucciō is tol­de them before of the prophets / As saide [...]on [...]s to the king of y ^e Niniuites / There [Page] be yet but. 40. dayes before thy destruc­cion To y ^e re­penters / payns be mitiga­ted. / At laste / we be lerned / god to miti­gat the plages to the trwe repentāte / as biddeth the holy watcher / the stok with the rotes to remayne / that is / his king­dom not vtterly to be destroyd / yf he re­pente / example of Niniue / wihch repen­tant was reserued. For the watchinge the fere of god is the only way to kepe real mes. holy aungell sayde: Thy kyngdom shall stand s [...]ill to the as long as thou aknow­legest the power and dominion therof to be of God. So that in fine / he saith no nother wais to be to conserue a kingdom but to abyde in the feare of god as testify eth the. 33. Psal. of all kings & princes wor­thy to be lerned.

The sermon of daniel is the some of y ^e Iesus is y ^e mouthe of God. hole diuine scripture / Iesus to witnes e­uen the mouthe of god, commandinge to preche the lawe & gospel / thus saing, pre­ache ye in my name repentāce and remis­sion. The counsel of daniel is the worde of god as it is clere by dauid daniels bro­ther what coū sel ought to be ge­uen to kings. in cryste / saing. The worde of god is my counseller. As daniel hath taught vs so it behoueth vs to teche other / as saith Paul / diuyde trwely & imparte the worde of god to other / wherfore whē daniel wys­shed that his counsel might please y ^e kinge he wolde teche the kinge no nother waye [Page 56] to eskape the wrathe of god to come, then by repentāce accordinge to the lawe and so to beleue all his symes to be forgeuen him / for / and thorowe onely the faith and confi [...] of the mercy of god / promised in cryste.

Herof may the godly sprited be led in­to the knowledge of the other iugements of god. For god nowe punissheth to amen­de vs / w ^c shal at last / if we amende not / plage vs to punisshe vs. Nowe he seeth Luke. 13. the figge tee planted in the vyne yarde / & he coming to seke therof frute / & none fyn­ding / biddeth y ^e vyne keper / kut it downe / saing wherfore occupieth it the grownde vnto whome he answerthe. Sir let it yet this yere growe vntill I haue digged it aboute & dunged the rote / And if it bringe forthe frute it shal stonde / orelis let it be kut down. The vnthrifty sone taketh his fathers substance and spendeth it vicio­e [...]sly / & at last was compelled to come to the hoggis troffe for hunger / but aftir­warde he repented him remembring his fathers benignite / and so he retourning home is receiued withe grete ioye. Let vs conferre these & lyke parables with this storye / And we shal lerne our first parent [...] created of god to haue bene in so hi­ghe a dignite that he might haue bene [Page] compared with the aungels / reching to heuen, for that he was so excellently [...] with glorye & innocencye / beinge sewer / immortal / and lorde of the creatures of the erth / of the sea and ayer / made vnto the image of god. But yet did this vnhap­py felicite make him forgete god his ma­ker / and as an vnprofitable tree to be kut out of paradise. But yet abode the stok in the rotes / and in criste was his dignite conserued yea and encreased to / in that he repented. And euen thus haue we our­selfs lost our kyngdom / loking for greuou­ser punishment / vnlesse we obeye this most holsom counsell of daniel / which coū ­sell also all the scripture geueth vs / and cryst exhorteth vs ernestly therunto. Onely the deuyl reclameth and shutteth vp the bowels of mercye / oure myndis he puffeth vp / and entyseth vnto vnright­wysnes to make vs his perpetuall cap­tiues. The hebrwe text hath redeme thy synnes with rightuousnes. Of the which the defenders of their merits and aduer­saries to faith iustifying / can take no hol­de as they seme to themself. For the very rightwisnes or forme of rightwyse ma­king before god is onely of faith wherby oure synnes be sorgeuen / of y ^e which faith trew almose, and workis of mercy pro­cede [Page 57] as doth the light from the sonne and Two ry­ghtwys­nesses / one of faith one­ly before god / and another of y ^e làwe before men. heat out of the fyer. Synnes be redemed before god in the rightwysenes of faith. And they be redemed before men in the rightwysenes of the lawe / of good wor­kis / of mercye / as ye se here the almose to the pore to folowe at the redeming and re­mission of synnes before god in the right­wysenes of faith. So that the kyngs iust dealing, his mercy, compassion of the pore, were the testimonies of his repentance & iustificacion by faith. This counsell of daniel cōtaineth the hole lawe & gospell. First to know our synnes by y ^e lawe / then The or­der of iu­stificaciō to repente / and by faith to be absolued / of which all / as out of the tree ther procede y ^e frutes of repentance & faith that is the workis of loue and mercye to the pore af­flicted. This counsell of daniel geuen to the kyng declareth / God straightly to re­quire of the kyngs and princes not onely the obedience of his ten commandemēts but also princely iustice that is the dili­gent cure and charge of his chirche / which was then (as it is nowe) cruelly entreated in captiuite of menis tradi­cions / by the chirche vnderstande his subiectes to whom the kynge [...] a pu­blike peace and fredome quietly to heare tryst the worde of god preched. And what Daniel taught his kyng / the same ought [Page] all prechers to teche their kynges. For danielis doctryne perteineth to all em­ [...] kynges and preachers vnto the worldis ende / and especially vnto this last tyme of the last Monarchye wherin the same face of y ^e churche apereth / which then was sene.

☞ Nethelesse yet came all these thin­ges ouer the kyng Nebucadnezar. For af­tir. Text. 12. monethes / the kynge walkinge in his princely palace of Babylon sayd thus / Is not this great and mighty Babylon which I myself haue buylded by my now­ne mighty power into the glory of my ma­iestey a worthy bewtye for a kinges house & familye? Whyles the kynge was thus speking / there fyldowne a voice from he­auen sayinge: Vnto the (oh kynge Nebu­cadnezar) it is answerde and decrede / that thy kyngdome shalbe taken from the thou shalt be casten out fro menis compa­nye / and with wylde beastis shalt thou lyue / eatinge grasse lyke an oxe tyll thy seuen tymes be passed ouer / to then tent thou shuldst knowe the moste hyghe God to gouerne and rule the kyngdome of mor­tall men / to change and to geue them to whom he willeth. And euen in the same hower was this thing so fulfilled in Ne­bucadnezar / that fro men was he casten [Page 58] forth to eate grasse lyke an oxe / to lye forth wette vnder the skye vntyll his hea­res were growne lyke y ^e fethers of egels and his nailes lyke the clawes of byrdes

These wordes speaketh th [...] kynge of himselfe as it were spoken in the persone of another man. All these thynges came to him / because he corrected and fered by dreames and monisshed by Daniel / yet wold he not repent and amende his lyfe. Nether did it repent god of his sentence. But he toke him in the middis of his vn­godlynes when he thought himself most sewer & welthy blowinge forth his owne gloriouse pryde / his triumphes and ma­gnificence not rendering the glorye vnto god / and therfore by this voice from he­auen was he thus condempned and pu­nisshed. God had taryed longe enough for his repentāce but because he was eue­ry daye worse and worse he printed into him the depelyer his punishment / rebu­kinge him the more sharply. But here let vs note the condicion and state of an im­penitēt kynge for all his godly teachings prechings to him exhortaciōs moniciōs and godly bokis delyuered him by his pro­phetes and lerned men. He walked vp and downe / whiche is a token of an ydle and priuate persone / he behelde his glo­riouse [Page] cosily buyldings / with sich wordi [...] as declared wherin stode his transitory felicite and vayne affectis. Here thou seist a kyng ouer so many nacions prouin­ces and tongues ydely walking, praysing himself / as though in all his so wyde a realme there had bene no seriouse thinge for him to do. How many poore afflicted persecuted good men were there oppres­sed? was daniel and his felowes, the pe­ple of god, there preching vnto him in ca­ptiuite / all (thinke ye) well entreated? Wanted the kynge at that tyme no good counsell nor lerning? where stode the po­re men with there causes to be hearde? Whatsoeuer honest paste tymes (as they call them) be imagined for kyngis to re­create their spirits, pressed with studye and labours for the preseruacion of their realmes defense of their pore, and punis­shing of malefactours; yet in their passe tymes / let them beware lest iustice / equi­te and iugement be neglected / as they were in this kyngis ydle deambulacion. For by siche ydle securite kyngis haue fallen with Nebucadnezar into arrogan­cy pryde and at last into blasphemyes / and so cast out of god from their realmes. And especially siche noble men as haue bene endewed with great giftis & prospe­rouse [Page 59] successes. For when they worship their giftis / their powrs, strength, trium­phes, victories / their ryches &c. as their strange gods / then beginne they to despi­se the very god. Whose comminacions once neglected, they will themselues to Sennac. Timoth Athene. be worshipped for goddis. Example of Sennacherib thinking himself stronger then God. Timothe of Athenes bosted himselfe openly in his oracion sayinge: This victory haue I done and not fortu­ne. Great Pompeius sayd he wolde with Pompeiꝰ the great one spurne of his fote, fill all Italie. And thus by siche securite fill Nebucadnezar into pryde and synned agaynste the first table, trusting to miche to his owne wyse­dom and strength / rightwyssnes, policye and power / of which ydolatry he fill into the breaking of the second table / euen in­to the oppression and persecutinge of the chirche of God. Also / God not to maye bere nor suffere long these sewer and wel­they proude contempners of his worde / namely the rulers of his peple / not onely Sewer & proude kynges god ha­teth. by all the comminacions of god / but also by the example of all kynges and prin­ces destroyed for their securite and pryde we maye well confirme it. Howe misera­bly was Sennacherib destroyed? [...] Timothe / aftir that proude sayinge / no­thinge [Page] prospered. And howe wretchedly Pompeius that vpspurner of the erth pe­risshed / Lucanus describeth it. And how heuey was the image of this kynge / Da­niel here paynteth him / tellinge him not onely to lese his kyngdome / but also his mynde and glorye which was miche be­ter. Further more that this example of the wrath of god not being able to bere [...] sewer and prwde kynges be not wryten for ploughe men and carters / but for em­ [...] and kynges to lerne them most of all to fere god when they most flourissh / haue yet moo examples. If god in dauid crystes father, might not bere the trans­gression of his. 10. precepts / but for Vrios sake onely, casten him out of his kyngdom vndowted and certayn is it / none of the kynges of the erth to siande longe vnpu­nished in their securite and pryde. Wher­fore let all good princes lerne this lesson longe to rule well / euen not to worshippe themselues and their actes but to wor­ship god as he techeth them / nether their owne belys and lustes to nourishe and fe­de / but to nourish the churche of cryste. What princes shuld do For albeit the kyngdoms be the houses and kouers of the churche / yet for the trew churches sakis do the kynges and their kyngdoms prospere and flourisshe / [Page 60] as witnesseth the scripture. Wherfore let all em [...]ro / kynges, and princes, sewer and prowde, wryte in the middis of their hertis this saying of Daniel. Thy kyng­dom shalbe taken from the / to teche the to knowe the moste hyghe god to rule and gouerne mortall menis kingdoms / and to geue them to whom he lysteth. For what els dothe daniel here teache but all siche weal sewer emprowrs kynges and prin­ces to be plaged lyke Nebucadnezar yf they repente not, and cease their persecu­cion of cryst and of his chirche this daye captiued vnder their vngodly articles / actis / institucions and tradicions, con­tempning gods ministers callinge them to a beter mynde / as did here the kynge despyse daniel admonishing him / & ther­fore was he depriued of his kyngdome wytte and mynde to.

But aftir this / I Nebucadnezar Text. lyfted vp myne eyes into heuen and came agayne to my mynde. And I blessed the most hyghe god / the euerlastinge syuinge god I praised / and magnifyed / whose re­gall power is perpetuall and his kyngdo­me dureth for euer and euer. For all the inhabitants of the erth are naught and nothinge estemed in comparison to him / which at his plesure doth what he lysteth [Page] [...] well with the company of heauen as with the dwellers vpon earth. Nether maye there any man let or holde bak his hande / or saye to him / what doist thou? or wherfore hast thou done thus? In this same tyme my mynde came againe to me / I receiued ayen my glory / the magnifi­cence of my kyngdome / my emperiall ma­iestye / my shappe and forme were resto­red to me / My counsellers and my nobles sought me oute / and I was forestored in­to my kyngdome that my maiesty was more ample then before. Now therfore I Nebucadnezar prayse / extost / magnifye the kynge of heauen / all whose workis be trew and his wayes right and iust. It is he that maye caste downe full lowe the prowde.

This deieccion and humisiacion might not the kynge knowe beinge in his [...] securite and arrogant pryde. For then he blasphemed / he compessed men to idola­trye / and was an heuey burden to all his realme. But nowe he tamed and plaged of god / beginneth to repente and is nowe restored to his mynde / now thus afflicted he knoweth god and himselfe / he murmu­reth not against god for thus punishinge him / but he breketh forth into his prayse confessing his iust dealinge with him for [Page 61] his offences / thus to be punished worthe­ly / which he coulde not haue done except god by his graciouse goodnes had thus lyfted him vp and geuen him vnderstan­ding. Here therfore haue ye an example of a penitent kyng / which delyuered from his miserye geueth god thankis / accor­dinge to gods promise, saying. Call vpon me / and I shall delyuer the / & then shalt thou glorifye me. First here is described the affect of a penitent herte in his tribu­lacion and arysinge therout / confessinge The con­fession of a peni­tent. god to be iust in his threatis of the lawe / and to be mercyfull according to his pro­mises of the gospell. Thus did kynge da­uid repente and make his confession in the. 51. Psal. And daniel lykewyse cap. 9. powereth forth his herte before god / tea­chinge vs lykewyse to repent and to be conuerted to God. Secondarily he ex­presseth the frute of y ^e kyngs repentance / that is to wete / God to geue miche more ample giftis to the repentāt then he toke from them / as ye see him to haue done to Iob in his last ca. And daniel / for his mi­series / oh how greate rewardis receyued he? Thirdly he expresseth the forme of thankis geuinge / euen to affirme god to raigne all [...] psalm. 118. and also in the hole psalter. For what els is the psalter [Page] boke then the glasse of the most holy tri­nite The psal ter is y ^e boke of y ^t trinite. into this ende wryten for the chir­che of the lyuing god / to lerne so to repen­te and aftir our delyuerance to geue than­kis to god as here do the kynge.

Now sith all things be wryten / as Paul saith / for owr doctryne / let vs beholde whether there be not yet dayly daniels with their felowes sent vnto emprowrs and kyngdoms admonishinge them of ly­ke mutacions and soden fallis / consyde [...] how their wordis be regarded and their persones entreated. And whether for their cruell persecucion they be not, or ly­kely to be shortely kut downe lyke this tree / caste oute of their dicions empyres and realmes, demented with d [...]uyllisshe doctryne, degenered into brute beastis fo­lowinge their sensuall beastly lustes / ha­uing their consciences fetered with me­nis tradicions / snarled with superstici­ouse ceremonies and romish rytes / lying yet still without the trewe chirche, naked▪ all vertu in stormes and derkenes of er­rours more palpable then in the seruitute of egypt / because they will not receyue y ^e fre gospell of the lybertye of the spirit to be regenerated by faith / & so to do cryste vpon them, to be kouered with his right­wysenes 1. Cor. 1. Galat. 3. holynes &c. For these dreames [Page 62] and visions be dayly sene / & as the first Monarchye was by daniel prophecied to be kut downe / euen so is this last Monar­chye of the Romans threatened lykewyse of the watching aungell to be shortly smy­ten downe / and the euerlasting kyngdom of cryste to be reueled vnto all flesshe, newly rysen from death vnto euerlasting lyfe / in which he graunt vs with his fa­ther & holy spirit to lyue for euer / so be it.

And euen in the same houre there Text. apered y ^e fyngers of a manis hande wry­tinge agaynst the candell in the whight parget of the wall of the kynges palace / The kin­gis spiri­tualty is called to court 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 shall­be cled with purpure and shall haue a cheine of golde about his necke / and he shalbe 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 [Page] 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 sentēce wryten and geuen forth agaynst him. Before the sentence pronounced and ratifyed / there was tyme and place to repente him: but Mat. 25 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 Gen. 27 blyssinge. Let vs therfore seke the lorde whylis there is tyme to fynde him: Call Heb. 13. on him whylis he is nyghe. Impenitent persones, nether fynde they nor seke they. Now saith god / send I no prophete to pre­che Isay. 55. the repentāce / but I wryte the thy iu­gement vnable to be reuoked which thou [Page 70] 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 Num. 22 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. Rabby Saa­dias. 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▪ 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 [Page] impenitēt vngodly / when he shall in his almighty maiestye come downe ayen to iugemēt, 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 / [...]other men begane to loke narowly vpon the hande wryting / supposing it to be so­me fantasye and illusion / but y ^t iugemēts of god be vnknowē 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 cō ­minaciōs [Page 71] of god to be trewe. This hand­wryting on this maner / I suppose / signi­fyed the prophecies of Isay / Abacuk and Isay. 21. Abac. 3. Iere. 51. 2. Pet. 2. 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 kingdōs for their synnes be cha [...] ­ged. 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 de­struc [...]ion / let thē lerne therfore to estiew excesse dronkenes and blasphemies in banketinge and festing euen the most cer­tayne signes of y ^e mutacion of their real­mes. 1. thes. 5. 1. Sa. 28 Isay. 8. and. 23. Deu. 18. Let siche sewer [...] rulers beware of a soden fall / for when they crye peace 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 cogitaciōs of the worldly wyse [Page] to be vayne / but also that before the reue­lacion The re­uelaciō of gods worde cō foūdeth the wyse idola­ters. 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 shalbe 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 Text. feare and trouble of the kynge & his prin­ces the que­ne was his grā ­dame / Nebuc. wyfe. 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 [Page 72] of the wyse men the spiritualty of the Chaldeis and prophets or sothesayers / the kynge (I saye) thy father did so: be­cause Father is here his grād father. that in daniel / whom the kynge na­med Belsazar / there was founde a plen­tuouser and hygher spirit / coning and vn­derstandinge to expown [...] 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 [Page] 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 cōmendacions / but the gloriouse kynge spyghtfully asked him. Art not thou that daniel one of the captiues of the iewes? This place cōtey­neth 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 [...]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 [Page 73] 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 psa. 10 [...]. 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 Aboi [...]s / which will defende Elias ayenst the denylly she tongues / and so in the mu­tacions of realmes promote him / as was 1. of the kings. 18 Gen. 19. 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 iug [...]e of their holy ghostly fathers the fryers and bisshops.

☞ Then answerd Daniel before the Text. kynge / saying: Take thy rewardis to thy [Page] 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 magnificēce. 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 will [...]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 h [...]u [...]n commanding the vessells of his house to be brought before the / that thy­selfe / thy nobles / thy wyues and whores [Page 74] 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 saye / as god hathe tolde vp and made an ende of thy kyngdome. Thekel is to saye: Thou art wayed vp in a bylance / and art founde to lyght / or thou art bought and sold. Phe­res / that is: Thy kyngdome is diuided and translated to the Medis and Perses

Now is daniel called to be the foreshe­wer of the iugement of god / nether salu­tinge the kynge / nor praysing his giftis / in which thinge he declareth the kynge to be casten awaye of god / & therfore vn­worthey Eccl. 10. reuerence / he openly rebuketh him for his greuouse synne, shewinge the sentence of god to be geuen vpon him and his kyngdom. He nether flattereth him nor thanketh him for his giftis / he sel­leth not the grace of god for kyngis gif­tis: but sheweth him playnly the causes why he shuld be slayne and his kyngdom [Page] translated. First therfore daniel begin­neth at the office of a trewe precher not The of­fice of a trew pre­cher. sekinge his owne / but gods glory & other menis profyt / euen the helthe of the con­gregacion by confessynge the trewthe. The a [...]dacite and bolde speche of daniel signifyeth the abieccion of the kynge and his realme. Then he layeth before Belt­sazar the examples of his grandfather The ex­amples of gods wrath ar not to be neglec­ted. Nebucadnezar / wherat because this king his neuy amended not / but was worse / he declareth his synne to be the greuou­ser. For they synne most greuously of all which amende not themselues at other mens punisshment / but neglect the for­mer wryten examples of gods wrath. As there was seuentymes double punishmēt decreed vpon the slayer of Cain / & seuen­tymes seuen more payne for the [...]layer of Lamech. And cryst in Mat, How depely damneth he the ingrate cryties that wold not be monished by Sodom and Gomor? Mat. 10 and. 11. wherfore yf Beltsazar was slayne becau­se he wold not be moued to repentance by thexample of his grandfather / let vs The vse of y ^e exā ­ples of gods wrath. now taught with other menis perells / amende oure lyues / lest for lyke synnes we suffer lyke paynes. For verely / euen this to be the vse of all thexamples of gods wrathe / it is plaine in Paul to the [Page 75] Corinthes. 1. Corin. 10. sayinge: Oure fa­thers were smyten downe in the desert / because they shulde be vnto vs figures and monicions that we fall not into lyke lustes. These thinges be wryten for oure warninge, ouer whom the ende of y ^e worl­de hangeth. Wherfore whoso standeth / beware he fall not. Daniel amplifyeth & aggrauateth the greuousnes of the kyn­ges synne, by coupling strange and cōtra­ry gods with the very trewe god / signi­fyinge the kynge not therfore onely to be depriued his lyfe and realme / because he cōtempned the example of the wrath of God in the fall of his grandfather / not moued therat to repent / but also because he passed farre his grandfather insynne / in that he blasphemed the very God / in worshiping & doing reuerent behauours to his false gods and images and propha­ning or abusing y ^e holy vessels. And thus doth daniel tell the kyng / to be destroyed & his kyngdom to be translated for these two synnes / one because at the example For two synnes / kingdōs be tran­slated. of Nebucadnezar he wold not be warned to repent himself / the [...] other synne is the violatinge of the first and 2. commande­ments in committing idolatrye and wor­shipinge or reuerencinge images which ther is no synne more greuouse deseruing [Page] the present punishment powered forth of the wrath of God from heuen both vpon emprours / kynges / princes & vpon their empires and kyngdoms / as ye here see it manifestlye.

The thre wordis wryten of the han­de The ex­plicaciō of the. 3. wordis. of god / Mene Mene / Thekel / Vphar sin. Daniel expouneth thus. The first worde Mene signifieth god to haue noū ­bred / tolde / or mesured / and apoynted the symites and tyme vnto tyraunts, beyend the which they shall not passe / nor before the which tyme prefined by gods infalli­ble and immutable prouidence, they shall not fal nor dye. Mene therfore signifieth the tyme of the mutacion? And the tother two word is signifye the maner of the mu­tacion / not onely of this kyngdom / but of all the kyngdome of the worlde at all ty­mes, so to come to passe by Gods decreed will. Also the repeticion of this worde Mene hath a greate pythe / signifyinge the tyme and houre offiche decreed iuge­ments of god certaynly and sodenly to co­me vpon them. As sayde Moses to the Corites. And as in this oure tyme sayth Num. 16 Draconites / was that tyraunt depriued his gouernāce at his rype tyme / when he sayd: that he had seuer God in heauen to haue bene dead then his owne wyked fe­lowe. [Page 76] Well therfore prayeth the Psalme agenst siche blasphemouse tyrants that fewe and shorte might be their dayes / for they be very Iudases. Wherfore / as this psal. 108 worde Mene warneth tyrants of Gods heuey iugement hanging ouer their hea­dis / that they shuld repent and be monis­shed according to the. 2. psal. as was Eze­chias and so obtained. xv. yeres addid to his lyfe / so it counforteth / the oppressed of tyrants that we shulde suffre paciently and endure constantly for that the Psal. sayth. Shortly and sodenly shall the vn­godly be destroyed and perisshe. Psal. 2.

The tother two wordis Thekel and V­pharsin tell vs the plages and maner of their coming. Thekel signifyeth Beltsa­zars kyngdome to be now wayed / bought and solde from him. The thirde worde. Vpharsin signifyed his kyngdome to be diuided from that nacion vnto y ^e kynges of Mede and persie. For the first plage of emperour / kynges / princes and preistes is to lose their auctorite and name as hath the psal. Contempt is powered forth vpō psal. 106 princes and rulers god makinge them to erre in a wrong waye / but the poore afflic­ted he helpeth out of this trouble and fe­deth his housholde as his owne shepe. Sith empires and realmes stand by gods [Page] power / it must nedis be God that geueth kynges their auctorite as it is wryten. 1. reg. 10. And parte of the hoste went their wayes with him / euen they whose herts god had towched. Also thexamples of all ages wytnes. The noble men to haue bene va leant in auctorite / & not by manis power and wysedom to haue enioyed their her­tis desyers. Wherfore whensoeuer any mutacion hangeth ouer the princes and rulers headis and their realmes / then be­ginneth their auctorite and name to de­kaye and be minisshed. For do not the cō ­sent of all good men iugd now otherwyse of the pope his cardinals / bisshops / reli­giouse monkis and preistes then they did of late? Be not menis myndes turned from them? Is not their proude falsely vsurped auctorite worthely blotted out of good menis hertis? The other and his last plage is the losse of his kyngdom / for as did dauid succcede Saul / so do here y ^e Medis and Pe [...]seis succede y ^t Chaldeis and Assyriens. And this was lo / the ende of the first Monarchye and of so gloriou­se a golden head. Let all tyraunts nowe therfore ceasse / lykewyse to trust to their owne ryches and power / let them repent themselues of their persecucion of gods worde & his ministers. And thinke that [Page 77] they maye shortly by some soden chaunce lese their kyngdoms and empires as did Beltsazar lese and leaue his most flouris­shing empyrre of Babylon vnto the Per­syes 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 cō ­sent of the crysten congregaciōs in their 54. & si­che lyke psalm is 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 kyngdōs are vndone. The last worde Vpharsin signifieth clerely y ^e king­dom to be dissipated and skatered & geuen to the Persians / which albeit they were xeno­phon. 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 [Page] with kyng Cyrus / they obtayned the cyte. Wherfore / according to the prophe­cyes the kyngdom of Babylon was at last translated vnto Cyrꝰ 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 Text. golden chayne hanged aboute his nek / and to be proclaymed the thirde lorde or ruler next him in the empyre. the chir­che wher­for it flo­urisheth more in captiui­te then at liber­tye.

This place hath an example whereby we confirme / God in the mutacions of kyngdōs / 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 Mat. 24 afrayd nor troubled. To receyue clothes golde & promocion of kyngs is not synne / [Page 78] so longe as they be taken to thentent as daniel receyued them. For to the pure all Titū. 1. 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 Rom. 14 as it foloweth. Text.

☞ 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 xeno­phon. 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 / [Page] and slewe the kyng / Gobiam being auen­ged 1495. the age of y ^e first Mo marchie. 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 psal. 126. they and take they vp men.

Wherfore I exhorte and monissh yet agene emperours / kynges and princes all that they worship not strāge gods nor yet An ex­hortaciō to empe­rours and kyngs. 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 / cōtempt 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. [Page 79] preceptis as the psalmes teache them. psal. 2. & .33. The ar­gumēt.

An example of daniels accusers torne of the lyons, is here setforth to fraye all flaterers aboute kynges from euyll coun­sell▪ geuinge & to deterre them from their false complaynts and maliciouse accusa­cions of the inoncent ministers and pre­chers of goddis worde. For in this chap▪ 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.

[Page]The seuenth hath the example of a man glorifyed aftir his crosse.

☞ But when daniel knewe this com­mandemēt Text. to be subscribed / he went into his house / & the wyndowes of his cham­ber opened towerde Ierusalem / he dey­ly thre tymes / vpon his knees fill downe thankinge and prayinge and opened his mynde to his god as he was euery daye before wonte to do.

Now is there a greuouse bataill bent ayenst daniel by these venomose vepers. Daniel opēli bre­keth the vngodly But yet in the mean ceason his excellent vertewe shyneth / testifiynge his faith by his constant confession and prayse vnto god. And not onely [...] he not consent vn­to [Page] this vngodly act which was diuised kings wy ked actis ayenst him and agenst God / but he also improueth it strongly & breaketh it open­ly: settinge open his wynd [...]wes that his enimies obseruinge him / might see him prayng vnto y ^e god of Israel at middaye. Why daniel? what nedest thou thus o­penly to haue put thyself in peres [...]? thou The ob­iection. mighst haue worshipt god in spirit or se­cretely and not by these externe gestures haue declared it: or for that space not to haue praid at all. No / not so did daniel / for he knewe that the trewe religion and The so­lucion. worship must be farre from all colourable dissembling without any lying shyftis of hypocricie especially in siche an archebis­shop. Daniel wolde not haue crept to an image of the crosse nor kneled downe be­fore the kinge askinge any diuyne peti­cion of him / & then haue colored and glo­sed it with Winchesters glose sayinge / I maye so do not geuinge the image or the king any godly worship / but a certain vt­ward reuerent behauiour / now were the The de­claraciō of y ^e solu­cion & cō firmaciō therof. lxx. yeares of their captiuite past / now it behoued daniel to praye more busily and er nes [...]lyer that the peple might returne & buyld vp ayen the temple / & not to haue ceased one hew [...]r. Be prayd to werds ieru­salem / whom he desyred to be repared / so [Page 85] that of his gestures thei might know his desyer / he declared it to be destroid of god & of God it must be redified / let not men therfore depende of menis actis and coun­sels for y ^e walles of Ierusalem & temple to be redified / that is for the gospell and trwe prechers to be restored abyding em­prours and princes pleasurs / policyes & their laysour to set forth iustly gods wor­de / for psal. 51. Eccle. 11. Deut. 1. Num. 13. psal. 94. 3. reg. 8. if thei do / thei be lyke with the He­brewes sent out of Egypte sending befo­re them of a humane policye their. 12. mē t [...] hewe the londe / neuer to enter into his rest. In their exyle they were cōmanded in their prayers to turne themselues to­werde Ierusalem / and all to remember gods promises of cryste / of his kingdom / of their delyuerance and restoring to his trwe worship, and to aske the same conti­nually and constantly. Daniel wolde not dissemble with the wyked act and com­mandement of Darius / but asked in tyme their delyuerance of god for crystis sake promised. And albeit / thrise in the daye as at morninge / midday and eueninge to praye was commanded them / god to geue vs happy begining / good successe / & well to fynisshe all oure godly affayers with­out whom we can nether begin nor conti­new or ende any good thinge / yet maye it [Page] signifye cryste euer to be sought and to be beholden in faith of men in exyle / in cap­tiuite / and when they shall dye / & as did holy Steuen vehemently praye / and da­niel also at all tymes / holdinge God in their prayers with his owne bondis and promises / his peple to be delyuered out of the captiuite of menis actis decrees articles tradiciōs rytes / cere. &c. Oh how vehemently prayd cryst / his passion now being at hande? For then / for the confes­sion and inuocacion of the name of god / the houre was comen wherin he shuld be casten into y ^e paynfull pitte of deth / well therfore in the tyme of the crosse dothe Paul bid vs praye in euery place / & cryst biddeth vs asweis praye as daniel here praith. Daniels prayer standeth of these Daniel [...] prayer cō ­sisteth in 3. partis. thre partis / of thankis geuing for his in­numerable benefits / of prayse for his godly power & miracles shewed for them / and in confession aknowleginge himself and the peple to be synners and god to be trewe & faithfull of his promise in sauing and delyueringe siche synners that thus call vpon him in faith. Cryst in his ago­nye▪ his disciples praye lest they shuld fall into temptacion / and Paul bid­deth vs euer to geue thankis to god tho­row cryste. Wherfore daniel wolde not [Page 86] dissemble in c [...]ssing to pray for the tyme.

☞ Now these men insidiously obser­uing Text. daniel / espyed him praying and ma­kinge supplicacion to his god Wherfore they went vnto the kinge reasoning with him vpon his acte and commandement sainge: East thou not publisshed an acte decreed in wryting / that who aske any thing of any god or man by. xxx. dayes / but onely of the (oh kinge) he must be ca­sten downe into the lyons denne? whom the kinge answerd sayinge / yisse tr [...]wly. And it must be holden fermely inuiolable aftir the lawe perpetuall of the Medis and Perseis. Then they answerde▪ sayng before the kinge. This daniel one of the This da niel / was spoken of spight & contēpte n [...]umbre of y ^e captiued Iewes regardeth nothinge at all thy commandements oh kinge: nor yet thy proclamacion which thyself hast publisshed in wrytinge. For thryse euery daye he prayth / which thing the kinge hearinge / was gretly heuey for him. And thought playnly to haue delyue­red daniel / & studied vnto the sone going downe labouring hardely for his delyue­rance. But these men so insidiously co­minge to the kinge told him. Thou must know it (oh king) that the lawe of the Me­dis and Persies is / that no acte / no com­mandement or lawe made of the kinge [Page] maye be changed. Then at the kings cō ­mandement Daniel was brought forth / and thei did caste him into the lyons den. Then the kinge spekinge to daniel sayd: Thy god whom thou hast euer worship­ped delyuer the. And ther was brought a stonne and layde vpon the mouth of the denne which stonne the kinge with his owne seallor ring and with the signet of his nobles sealed / that there shulde no­thinge els be done ayenst daniel / or left his will shuld be changed in daniel.

Here haue we an example of a weak simple olde kinge bewitched / deceiued and ouercomen of his gosily flaterers and of his owne polityke counsellers. Now ye see the great diligence of these enuiouse hypocrites / ye see their decei­tes / vnmerciles murther / and ingratitu­de. Daniel was now a right venerable sage olde father more then. lxxx. yeares olde well deseruinge and paynes takinge to profit euery man / so that worthely he might haue bene called pater patrie / the father of the hole lande. But all his be­nefites / his vertewes / his innocencye / nor his reuerēt sagenes might not moue these maliciouse magos to refrayne them selues and to pitie him. Onely go they aboute to destroye the man / & all because [Page 87] he worshipped god onely and no man nor creature. These be the venemouse spy­ders which creping into euery fayer flo­wer of the garden gather nothing els but present poyson. Now behold their sleigh­thy poyson. They come to the kinge / not first of all accusinge daniel / for that they knew the kinge loued him so intierly: but they first trapped the kinge in that they preassed so sore vpon him with his owne lawes and actis aftir the lawe of those nacions in nowyse to be broken or chan­ged / the kinge once confirminge them. They reasoned with him of the inuiola­ble fastnesse of the acte and decree / vnto Of la­wes and actis. which / the king no siche thing suspecting as they went aboute / anon graunted. And verely to speke of laws & actes / the­re is nothing so necessary to comō wealis and kingdoms to be conserued as the ho­ly obseruacion of good lawes. For they be compared to an hedge or pale which kepe of euyll beastis frō the good gardēs, which if they be broken downe in any pla­ce / an ingresse is open to all euyll denou­ring beastis. Or if y ^e law be once or twyse dispensed with / anon it ceasseth any mo­re to be a lawe. Plato compareth lawes Plato. to pillis medecyns or pocions / which if y ^e syke bodye teuomite / there is no helth to [Page] be loked fore. Wherfore in good▪ lawes & actis there behowueth to be a certayne diuyne auctorite. Who wold bere a [...]wer­de which nether to kutte nor to smyte is nothing apte? To conserue lawes and to nourisshe iustice, is y ^e swerde geuen from god aboue. And therfore be lawes called holy / because it is not lefull to breke thē: but they be ferme and immoble. The la­wes are aboue the kinges / as Darius he­re confesseth. It were the most indigne and detestable thinge that good lawes shulde be subiecte and vnder euyll men. For yf the lawes be godly and good / he fighteth ayenst God that breketh them. Of this thing is the kings scepter a ve­ry apt signe and token / in that it is ferme and inflexible. Which thinge the iewes well vnderstode when thei / to deryde cry­stes kingdome / his auctorite and lawes / Mat. 27. gaue him a reede in his hande wauered with the wynde / signifyinge that incon­stant kings must make wauering & weake lawes to daye made / tomorow marred. But these enuiouse enchaunters did wy­sely dispute with Darius of the solidite & fastnes of his lawes making the king in­feriour to his lawes. But fulwyked was their deceyte to thruste into his head so vngodly and so dampnable an acte for a [Page 88] good lawe / which the kinge shulde haue reiected vtterly. For by that acte both y ^e king was dampned and daniel his wy­sest counseller destroyed. This their mis­cheuose fraude at last espyed of the king / (but all to late) he labored the hole daye to saue daniel / but all inuayne / for the ri­gour of his lawe preuayled for that (as these subtyle serpents had perswadid it) it was not lefull for the king to violate it. Oh how pertinate and styfe are the vn­godly lawers & act makers in their owne wyked lawes to be conserued? What ex­cuse shall ye bringe / oh ye false lawers / and brekers of gods holy decrees cōman ding you nether to put to nor to take away any thinge from his worde? Haue ye not Deut. 12. Mat. 15. Isay. 29. red, alledged of Cryste so solemply this graue sentēce oute of I say saying: Inuay­ne do men worship me with menis tradi­cions and doctrynes?

And here is to be noted / that lawes be made for diuerse causes as some / that by their obseruacion / god might be worsshi­ped. These laws of nomā els then of god himself may be made: Noman ought to chang them / as be these. Onely god must be worsshiped & loued aboue all / owr her­tis must be kept clene from hatered / aua­rice / adultery / from crueltye that it be a▪ [Page] worthy habitacle for god. Which fulnes of this lawe cryste when he came accom­plisshed it for vs. For with these laws / of faith & innocencye god will be worshi­ped: vnto these whoso adde or take frō thē Psal. 18. he is accursed. These lawes make perfit the inward man▪ yet ar there other laws made to gouern the peple & their howses which if thei be not preiudice to faith & Lyuil laws. charite / alb eit men make them / yet muste we kepe them as gods lawes for the auc­torite of the magistrats sake whom God hathe institued. But and if these humane lawes loke to destroye the crysten lyber­tye / to combremēs consciences and to op­presse the glorye of cryste, God forbyde that ether for flaterye or fore feare we shulde iug [...]e or thinke them to be compa­red with gods lawes or to be suffered of a­ny cristiane to stande. A lawe is not abro­gated but stablesshed / if the entent and mynde therof be kept. What so euer is a­yenst the lawe of god / it is no lawe nor iu­stice / but tyrannye and vngodlines. And if it be made fiercely to rune vpon menis sowlis / so is it the more pestilent then it shulde hurte menis bodies or take away their goodis. Manis laws therfore ar ap­proued so long as thei kepe them with in their owne bowndis / so that god be not [Page 89] worshiped with them / but let them serue the peace & not obscure the glorye of god but plante honestye. But retourne we to the text. Then at the kingis commande­ment &c. Grete difference was there bet­wixt the sinne of the king and the crime of daniels accusers. For the king sinned of weaknes and simplicite, deceyued of these maliciouse murtherers / but his ac­cusers accusing of enuye the seruant of god sinned ayenst the holy gost. And ther­fore the king a non was smyten with re­pentance and pite, bewayling the deathe of daniel / seking y ^e best wais he coulde to saue him / and whē he could not / he gaue place to his wiked accusers / excusing & also condempning himself and Daniel to He confessed daniel to serue god whiche was able to delyuer him / nethelesse yet he condempned him. But wherfore did the king thus t [...]mpt god to delyuer him / seing himself might haue delyuered him [...] the king had great compassion on him / e­uen miche lyke pilate, pronowncing criste an innocent and yet gaue sentence vpon him to be crucified. But what an offence was geuen to the iewes to see daniel the iust casten to the lyons / whilis other wyked were herde & praised: Onely the king excused him / & yet himself destroid [Page] him / for he was a fraid for lesing of his gouernance. And there was brought a stō ne &. c. That the miracle might be the cle­arer / god prouyded / the mouth of the den­ne to be sealed with the kings signet and with the signet of his nobles that thus conspired his death / that non shuld su­spect Daniel to be delyuered by any ma­nis helpe as to haue casted in to the lyōs any other meat. Thus was christis sepul­cre sealled and kept that the miracle of his resurreccion shuld the euidentlier a­pere. The last sentence of the text is.

That there shuld nothing els be done a­yenst daniel / or thus / lest any thing shuld come to daniel contrary to the kings will By which sentence it is ment / that the kinge perceyuing daniels enimies cruel­ler then the lyons / & so if the lyons shuld spare Daniel yet wold he be sewer that his accusers shuld not open the mouthe of the denne and destroye daniel by any other meanis. Dan. therfore now dwel­leth emong lyons but with faithe in god is he defended / as hathe the pistle to the Ca. 11. hebreus. Faith stoppethe the lyons mou­thes / and thus is he brought ayen to that first dignite of Adā created vnto the ima­ge of god to haue dominion ouer all bea­stis / for euen the cruell lyons testified da­niels [Page 90] innocencye, whiche the most wiked rulers were not ashamed to defame: now was his tēptaciō & crosse at the higheste and therfore in tyme doth god helpe that we and al faithful by his example shuld lerne in our most perels to trust and bele­ue in god. Lyke ensamples of goodmē pre­serued from beastis hath Eusebius the. 9 boke of the Ecclesiasti storye.

Thus haue ye an example / the chirch of god not to want persecucions / and that the myndes of Princes shalbe craftely snarled and bewitched of their deuillis­she counsellers. This example therfore monissheth them to be wyse in obseruing siche deceit and namely in their lawes ac­tis proclamacions &c. to be publisshed: lest thei vsurp gods honor. Here is set for­the Weake faithed. an example of a weake faithed king betwixt whose sinne and the sin of the persewers of crystis ministres, we ought diligētly to discerne. He is weake faithed which loueth and enbraceth the trwe do­ctrine / wold promoue it / suffreth himself to be enstructed and studieth to profite there in and desyereth the techers to be preserued / and confesseth the trwth in a maner / albeit he dare not defende it open­ly and frely enoughe nor strongly / nethe­lesse he nether denieth it nor persecuteth it. [Page] Siche weake persons Paul biddeth vs Ro. 14. receyue iently / addig that god receyueth him and may confirm him. Siche weake ons were the apostles at crystis death.

For verely cuē thus doth god gouern his faithfull that thei shuld aknowlegde their infirmities / oute of which aftir grete and many batails betwixt their feble flessh and the spirit thei might come forth ther ofwith victorye. [...] herfore Isay saith a smoking match god wilnot out quenche Isay. 42 psa. 144. and ayen. The lorde lifteth vp all that fall / and putteth his hand vnder them that theibe not hurte. Euen thus was da­rius weake. For he receyued the doctrine he had mynde to defende it / he confessed it / he wold haue promoued it with his te­stimonye and confession / which all were tokens of a godly mynde. Nether douted he therof / but of his owne powr to spread and to s [...]t it forthe he douted. For he was thus demented and bewitched with the­se pestilent perswasions of his wiked ru­lers as thus saying. Consyder oh▪ king) thou art but one mā and ignorant of this mater / thou must geue faith to the lerned doctors and so the sayers whiche be euer at the goddis mouthes and at [...] han­dis / in the n [...]we and soden mutacion of these realmes it is to hard for the to plāt [Page 91] any new religiō & to abolish the olde cu­stoms. It wil gender sedicions and vpro­res and miche inquitenes in thy realme / put away therfore these new lerned with their new letning / or tarye tyla more qui­ete tyme, tyll it may be beter borne of your commons and lordis. Siche enimies to god and his worde shall good princes ne­uerwant. Thei laid ayenst the king the ferme auctorite of his actis & lawes say­ing, it shulde be a perellose example and to boldean enterpryse to make any inno­uacions and changes of the olde religion laudable customes rites cere. &c. At laste therfore the king ouercomen by the impor­tune wiked perswasions of these peruer­se coūsellers permitted to them their mis­cheuouse dryft. Nethe lesse a cristen prin­ce ought to haue a princely & manly her­te in gods cause and of no weaknes to ge­ue place to his maliciouse magistrats & priestis. Be ought himself to take the bo­ke of the lawe in his own hād / to studye & be lerned aboue all his Magis bisshops and counsel to. But because this king sin­ned not of a set purpose willingly / therfor a non was he smiten with pitie and repen­tance / but so were not the false accusers of daniel and the wiked counsellers. It folowth therfore that the king repented [Page] with so manly a faith that he punisshed these accusers and his coūsellers of this perellouse nouite and mutacion put into his head so vngodly. Wold God all em­perours and kings wold practize this Da­rius his example.

Thei be persewers which nether loue / Perse­wers. nor will heare / nor reuerence the true do­ctryne / nor will suffer themselues to be taught / nor study to profit therin / nether will defende the teachers and prechers thereof / nether suffer it to be setforth / which themselues know it to be trwe and godly. But had leauer to bury and burne it and bringe it into hatered and sclaun­der. Let these men thus synninge ayenst the holy gost loke neuer to repent / but to haue the present iugement of God ouer them. And these dampnable wretches Titū. 3. Paul biddeth vs aftir once and the se­conde warning to es [...]ie we as heretiques / for thei be condempned by their owne te­stimonye. Let kings therfore by Darius his example aknowleg their infirmities and studye strongly to go forthe with the verite / & pray with him that sayd: Lorde Mar. 9. I beleue but yet helpe my vnbeleif.

☞ Then the kinge going into his pa­lace went to bed souperlesse / no meat brought him / he slept not that night / as [Page 92] sone as it was daye syght the kinge arose & went spedely to the denne of the lyons / and beinge therat / he with a moorninge voyce called daniel sayinge: Oh daniel the seruant of the lyuing god / hath not y ^e power of thy god whom always thou hast worshipped, delyuered the from the lyōs? Anon daniell answerd the kinge sainge / oh king euer moughst thou lyue: My god hath sent me his aungell which hath clo­sed vp the lyons mouthes that thei shuld not hurt me. For before him am I foun­de innocent / nether ayenst the / oh kinge haue I cōmitted any fawlte. Then was the king excedengly ioifull and comman­ded daniel to be plukt out of the denne / in whom now plukt out, there was no hurte founde done to him of the lyons because he beleued in his god. Then at the kings commandemēt were his accusers & eni­mies brought forth / which w ^t their chyl­dren and wyues were throne into y ^t lyons whom ere they coulde come to the floer of the denne / the lyons toke them / & bro­ke all their bones.

The cruell vnreasonable lyons were meker to Daniel then his owne felowes. The merciable kinge gote mercy of god and repented: he departed from these his wyked counselerswith great heuines / he [Page] refused all meat mirthe and solace consyderinge his so faithfull a counseller and seruaunt of god thus to be entreated. Of this example maye some of oure bisshops and some Crysten princes be asshamed / themselues in all delicat excesse & weal­the to see daysy the innocent blode shed for the trewth & their subiectis for their salfgard, and defence of their realmes to be slayne / themselues in the mean tyme playing and banketing. Daniels wordis to the king thus teache him. Oh kinge / of this mayst thou lerne the iustice of god / before whom I am founde innocēt in this mater and haue not offended the. I had trewly offended the greuously / yf I had worshiped y ^t with my peticions & prayers for so had I confirmed the in thy nowne synnes▪ making the to beleue thyne acte to haue bene godly. Now the king af­tir his repentāce and gladnes cōceiued / beginneth to i [...]g [...]iustelyer / he comman­deth the innocent to be drawne out from the lyōs & his false accusers to be throne vnto them. And for because they went a­bout to deprrue the kinge of his most wy­se counseller & best beloued frende / ther­fore did the kinge iustely punisshe these false accusers with their beste beloued wyues and chyldren. But wherfore was [Page 93] daniel delyuered? Because he beleued / (saith the text) in his God. I cannot se els now a dayes wherfore men be perse­cuted and brent, casten into oure lordely lyons mouthes, but because thei beleue in their God one alone for all sufficient / for their faith onely in him to be iustifyed, of him onely to depende / to him onely to praye / him onely to call vpon &c. & vpon no saynt nor non els to worshippe / no not images. It was nether the kinges repen­tant heuines / nor his fastinge and wat­ching / nor yet daniels innocēcie / nor pray­ers An exā ­ple to be noted & folowed of kin­ges. that closed vp y ^e lyons mouthes: but it was cryst y ^e messager of his heuenly fa­ther / because daniel beleued in him. Here be emperours and kinges taught to retract and call in ayen their vniust lawes / actis articles / decrees and proclamaciōs / & to punisshe the counsellers and auctours of siche actis. Which ensample all hinges ought this daye diligently to loke vpon. Also all siche vngodly actis and lawes we be bounde with daniel to not obey / but rather to flye out of the lande then to be yoked with them. Sely innocent daniel was casten into the lyons / signifying the innocēt poore chirche of god euer to haue the most s [...]ong empreours / kings and prin­ces and the deuyll to, withe the pope and [...] [Page] [...] [Page 95] [Page] all his lyons to be hyrpers [...]wers. To be breif. Darius and daniel be serforth to vs the example of the mercye of god / & da­niels accusers are thexample of y ^e wrath of god. The example of Darius first tea­cheth the office of a crystiane to repent, to beleue, and to aknowleg his synnes af­tir the lawe and gospell / and to saue the godly & dampne the vngodly. The kinge without meat and sleape all the daye and night continueth. For the lawe is as it were a fyery veper euer bighting / euen y ^t comminacion of god saying: I shall viset thy synnes: for the kinge ayenst his faith and consciēce had commanded daniel to be destroyd for kepinge the first precept of god. He thus commanded it / not as the king and lorde / but as an idolater & mur­therer of innocents. But the kinge to see daniel a lyue conceiued no lesse▪ mira­cle in his conscience then was the delyue­rance of daniels bodye. Greate therfore is the ioye of y ^e faithfull / aftir their crosse thus to se god to preserue & glorifye them.

Then king Darius vnto the pe­ple Text. & nacions all tongues vpon the vni­uersall erth thus writeth. Miche peace be with you. Of me it is decreed that in all the parties of my realme all men shall feare & dreade the god of daniel / for that [Page 94] he is the lyuing god abyding for euer and euer / for his kingdom shall neuer be de­stroid but his dominion euer must endu­re / who helpeth and delyuereth▪ he she­weth his wondrefull miracles in heuen and erthe whiche delyuered daniel from the lyons. Aftir this daniel was highly promoted in the kingdom of Darii and in the realme of Cyrithe persiane.

See how God will haue the victorye? see vnto what ende God hath permitted these iniuries to daniel. The kinge wold be puft vp with glory. His diuines & no­bles flater him / the iuste is casten to the lyons / & god the iuge of all is not knowen But now at last his glory is declared cle­rer then the sonne. And the kinge with pu­blyk rescript and open recātacion confes­singe his synne, setteth forth the glory of god. Nebucadnezar commanded that the name of God in nowyse shuldbe blasphe­med. Darius here willeth it to be feared and worshipped and all men to tremble and feare at the face of the god of daniel. As though he shulde saye: Let oure actis & lawes / decrees or proclamacions whe­ther thei be of myself or of any other ma­de / bynde noman / if thei commande any thinge ayenst the god of daniel. For my­selfe at last haue I lerned wherto lawes [Page] be holy and when thei shuld be dispensed with / Miche more iust it is that God be rather obeyed then man. I am but a man mortall dust and asshes. It is God that lyueth for euer which punissheth and re­wardeth. His face feare ye / him serue and reuerence. He lyueth and raigneth pre­sent when men thinke him to be absent. And awaketh when he is thought to slea­pe. Who wold not haue despayered of da­niels lyfe▪ And yet so / for his faith is he delyuered from the lyons hongry mou­thes / let vs folowe thinges certain and leaue lyinge vanities. Many miracles hath god done in heuen and earth / but of this one maye we be taught his power and goodnes. Now the king rebuketh his errour and the holy prophet before con­tempned / he exalteth into greate glory. And taketh daniel with him into the lan­de of Mede leauing Cyrum and his sone Cambysem at Babylon. Thus wolde god aftir the crosse glorifye his seruant.

The lyons signifye the mighty enimyes The ly­ons. of crystis chirche / as hath the Psal. My soule lyueth emong lyons. Of god onely for oure faith in cryst oure delyuerer / are their mouthes & tyrannouse power stopt, And as cryst then in the forme of an aun­gell preserued daniel / euen so now being [Page 95] man and intercessour before the father / he with his present spirit preserueth his chirche in the middis of these lyons his cruell enimies. Here be we lerned none to be exalted of god onelesse he before be casten down into the dennes of lyōs. For psa. 109. Rom. 6. cryste might not lifte vp his head except by the waye he had dronken of the roring ryuer. Nether shal the cristians aryse vn­to lyfe eternall except thei be first dead and buried. Whoso euer therfore thou be thus for the trwth accused and hand­led as daniel, not onely se that thou thus singe vnto thy god (whilis thou be [...]est me thou makest me great) but also haue thou faith and confidence, knowing the same shortely to be fulfilled in thy accu­sers and persewers that cam vpon dani­els accusers. Thei shalbe trapped and ta­ken in their owne snares & fall into y ^e pitt whiche themselues had digged vp: But I (saith the faithfull shall passe by▪ harme­les. How can we want these examples in the congregacions so ful of consolacion? If Daniel be diligently red ye shall see him to haue bene the fygure of cry­stis passion and his glorificacion by his resurreccion. This story of Dary also ought to be set before all the princes eyes of the world to teache them repentance [Page] to beleue / to professe the trwth, to reuoke their errours, and false and vngodly la­wes, actis, articles, constitucions and in­stitucions or enstruccions / to cōserue the trw worshipers and beleuers, and also to se that all their chirches haue good pre­chers of the worde / whiche is the cheif of­fice of euery kinge / and to see thē brought vp in the very trwe enstruccions and do­ctrine of cryste and his apostles. Nowe to the seconde boke of daniel and seuenth chapter.

☞ And whylis I consydered these hor­nes Text. / lo / there grewe vp another lytle hor­ne amonge them of whom. 3. of the former hornes were plukt out. And beholde ther were hornes in this horne as the eyes of a man and a mouth speakinge stoute and great thinges.

This lytest horne was and is the Anti­crysten kingdome of the popes of Rome with all their vnclene clergye by lytle & lytle at their begininge creping vp from so low a state into so hyghe dignities / po­wer and possessions vnder themperours, and their. x. other hornes / sowen oute of the serpents sead into euery corner of the worlde / flyinge lyke locustes into euery emperours and kinges bosome ether to be their confessers / counsellers / prechers or teachers: out of pore scoles and cloysters are these beggers cropen vp aboue em­perours and kinges by their serpentine fla­tering fraudes and holy hypocrysie. And as daniel here seeth. 4. beastis ascending Apoc. 13. out of the sea / so doth Ioan, resoning the [Page 100] same vision see the same beast arysing vp lyke wyse out of the sea. But the cruell for­mes and facions which daniel sawe in y ^e Daniel cōpared with the Apoca­lypse. Apoc. 17. thre beastis / the same altogyther seeth I can in this one hugly beast sayng. And the beast whom I sawe / was lyke a leo­parde / and his feet as beres fete / and his mouth lyke the mouth of a lyon. He seeth him also with. y. hornes / which he ex­powneth to be. x. kinges / which had not yet in Ioans dayes receyved their king­doms / but shuld then in tyme to come / as kinges in an hower take their power. For sone aftir by the fraudes of this lytle hor­ne the empyre of Rome was (as ye see it) diuided into feet and toes / as Nebucad­nezar did see it to come / which is & shal­be the [...]uine and fall of the hole empyre. Of this diuision and skateringe therof / Paul in Neros tyme gaue (as it were) a watche worde and warning before sayng He that holdeth the empyre / let him hold it fast now yet a whyle / tyll it be taken a­waye. 2. Tes. 2 For euen then / saith Paul / was he working his secrete anticrysten mischief and wykednes. In somich as Ioan anon aftir Paul sayd. And euen now are their many anticrystes: which are gone forth 1. Ioā. 2. of vs / but yet were thei non of vs. Lo here maye ye see this beast to be no stranger / [Page] borne farrof / for Paul saith / he sitteth in the temple of god / he is therfore a dome­sty enimye, a tame beast not to be sought among the Turkis / Iewes and Saracēs as oure bisshops wolde make vs beleue whylis themselues play this beastis, par­te vnder oure noses at home in the tem­ple of god / and not in the temples of the Turkis and Iewes. They tell vs / where the head emperours and kings be crystened and thei of their counsell and teachers / ther can be no persecucion by Anticryst / but all is iuste execucion / lo. But Iohn & daniel saye that he shulde putforth his hornes vnder the winges of all the other crysten kinges euen amonge crysten men in the chirche of cryst / in crystis name against cryst his name and his faithfull to make bataill. Here it apereth Iohn to say the same that daniel saith / but yet in other wordis. For where as in this pla­ce daniel sawe a beast armed with. 3. gre­te teth deuouring and consuminge all / the same did Ioan see takinge his ty­rannye / cruell power / his prowd seat and his mischeuouse maiesty of the dragon y ^e deuyll / beinge a blody murtherer and a lyer from the beginning.

Agen where Ioan speketh of the beast Apoc. 13. with. x. hornes / he addeth to him another [Page 101] beast ascending from the erth sene of him to haue two hornes lyke a lambe / but he spake as did the dragon / & executed all the power of the former beast in his sight. The. x. horned beast ascending out of the sea is the spirituall Anticryst of Rome The spi rituall anticrist hauinge himselfe w ^t all his lawes / rytes / tradicions / decrees and doctryne defen­ded of the emperours swerde and with the swerdis of all these kinges once geuen to drinke of his golden cuppe of poyson.

Amonge these his stronge defenders and mighty hornes he arose first / but a lytle horne / vntyll they deuolued vnto him their powers possessions and autorities to slaye the sayntis / and then was he a mighty worthy. x. horned blody whore of Babylon. But at last / the gospell once re­ueled / it did pluk from hir head hir ho­ly vysare of hypocrisy and gaue hir in hir most hyghe and holy head a deadly wounde: had not his cardinallis / bishops and fryers strewed into euery emperours court and kinges hawlis / spedely putto the plaster in rolling and tossing the ball ayen vnto the seculare powers flatering them with the popis tytles / power / pos­sessions / & auctorite to maintayn and de­fend all the popes ceremonis / tradicions doctrynes more sewerly confirmed with [Page] the seclare emperours actis and articles The bea­stis woū ­de hea­led of his ow­ne spiri­tual sour­gens. & defended with swerde and fyer cruel­lier then euer they were vnder the pope himself. For the healing of this wounde one horne was called the most sacred ce­sar / another the most crysten / another the most catholyke / and another his first be­goten some / and another / defender of the faith &c. Which clerkely cure of the cler­gy when Ioan had espyed / lo / sayd he / I see another beast ascendinge oute of the The se­clar an­tichrist. erth with two hornes / &c. meaninge the seculare antichristen emperours and kin­ges hauing now two horned powers / both their owne and the spirituall auctorite / as they had first / and all to persecute the gospell now of late offred them and to burne the professors and prechers therof. And it is to be feared / lest the Turke be also this two horned seculare Anticryst ascended out of the erth. For I dare say: That rather then y ^e gospell shuld be frely receyued and the pope with his spirituall sourgens be brydled or suppressed with y ^e worde of God / their state and lyuing cor­rected & reformed there at / the emperours and kinges crystened / consenting and cō ­pellinge these lytle whorishe hornes to daunce aftir the poore painfull pype of y ^e gospell / they had leifer ten. Turkis to [Page 102] inuade (and yf their selues bringe him not in) and to raigne ouer all crystendom / then one crysten kinge. For they had ley­uor be vnder Mahumet and his lawes / then vnder the crysten kinges and em­perours and vnder the holy gospell of cryst For vnder the Turke / they yet conceyue some hope ether by tribute geuinge / or by their olde hypocritish holy flatering frau­des to stande styll in their dignites glo­rye / ryches / possessions and auctorite. But in both these beastis their cruell hor­nes are encreased (take them for whom ye will) for both the Turke and Mahu­mete in Asia and Aphrica / and the Pope with his false prophets and falser cardi­nals and bishops with all their coniured and sworne seculare papistis in Europa / haue goten them a mighty perelloꝰ power ayenst cryst is poore fely lambes as ye see in their commandements / decrees / arti­cles / actis and proclamaciōs and inqui­sicions for bokis & heresies as they call goddis worde / to be prohibited pressed downe / & burned with all the promouers therof / vnder the Turke thei haue some hope to stand styll in their lustes and ple­sures / but vnder the gospell of cryst they be lyke to lese all and their kingdome to haue a miscrable fall.

[Page]Before this / daniel sawe the last Mo­narchie which was the empyre of Rome to be diuided into many kingdōs as per­chaunce into France / Portugal / Spayne Pole / Denmarke / Englande / Hyerlande Scotland / Napels / Boheme and Hunga­rye / which be the. x. hornes / and sene of Iohn / by the. x. hornes / helping the read Romishe beast to suppresse the kingdome Apoc. 17. of cryst. For by the popis policies / thus was the noble empyre skatered into hir owne destruccion / that this lytle horne might haue the proye and preeminence ouer the hole empyre. This lytle horne saith daniel grewe vp amonge these. x. kingdoms or. x. seculare hornes / by who­se ayed ryches and auctorite / the pope w ^t his prelates ascended from poore bugger­ly beggerly fryers and flaterers vnto si­che an imperial maiestye aboue emperours and kinges. And here daniel seeth. 3. hor­nes smyten of from these so many kinges by the lytle horne / That is / the Anticry­sten pope to make weake and feble what­soeuer emperour and kinge he listed / depo­se them at his plesure and to translate y ^e empyre and kingdoms into his owne net­tis to vse and occupy them himself. Or if ye will take the. iii. hornes prescisely for. 3 empires or kingdoms falsely vsurped of [Page 103] the pope / beholde vpon his head the tri­ple The. iii. hornes casten downe of the pope. crone infaming himself to be the thro­erdowne and destroyer or robber of thre great kingdoms / yea and euen the subuer­ter of the hole Romane empyre. Netheles his flaterers yet make him beleue that he is emperour and kinge ouer haeuen / ouer y ^e erth and of purgatory / yea and ouer hell and deuyll to. But this is trewth. He on­ce translated the empyre from the east to the weest / and from the Frenche men to the Germans. And now contendeth he to translate it to the Turke / which shalbe his last translacion & his owne destruc­cion with the heuey mutacions of all the west kingdoms / yf he can bring his blody purpose to passe.

For Daniel saith this lytle horne to haue eyes lyke manis eyes / that is to be prudent and polytyk to loke for his owne ease & lucre. For he thinketh to gett more vnder the Turke then vnder the gospell yf it be receyued of the emperours and of all the crysten kings as he feareth it wil­be. Iohn geueth him hornes lyke a lambe That is to saye / he shall do all his frau­delent featis vnder a meruelouse preten­ce of holynes innocencye and mekenes. For he shall wryte himself the most holy / when he shall shewe himself by his dedis [Page] to be y ^e most wyked prophane cruell wolue comen in shepis clothes / for vnder y ^e tyt­le of Papa: father of fathers he is y ^e most marciles tyrant of all tyrants / vnder the name of Summi or Maximi pontificis / that is of the most hyghe and greatest vi­gilant watcher and ouerseer of his flok / he is the most negligent idest idoll & do­me dogge / vnder y ^e name of pastor / which is a flok feder / he is the most pestelent poysoner. And euen these be the two [...]. hornes signifyed by y ^e two forked bis­shops myters / althoughe (say they) they signifye the two testamēts / and that thei be lerned in nether of them bothe. Nowe when ye see this beaste to deuolue theise his holy tytles and godly names of in­nocency and meaknes to any seclare hor­ne or beast ascending out of the erth / and the same do take them, executing the Po­pis power and tyrannye in persecutinge the gospell and to confirme papistrye, spe­king / wryting / decreing / articlyng & enac­ting &c. as did the dragon / then take heed for then contendeth this beaste to heale his awne deadly head wounde agene. The two hornes lyke lambes hornes be both the powers seculare and ecclesiast [...] ether in any one spirituall or in any one seculare Anticryst.

[Page 104]Also it is to be noted. That bothe Daniel and Ioan saith he hath a mouthe speking great blaphemies / or prowd arrogancies ayenst god / he shall speke as did the dra­gon euen blaphemies ayenst god / as did he that said I will ascēde and belyke the most hyghest god. And as did the serpent perswade Eue to not beleue god but to thinke the most trwe god to be a dissem­bler or a lyer. The turke and Mahumet speke gret blaphemies ayenst god in their alkaron. But owr litle whore of Rome & hir cardinalls bishops and prechers spe­ke the moste gretest and greuoust blasphe­mies of all and themselues defende them with fyer and cause their seculare anti­cristis to defend them with swerde. Thei be not ashamed to wryte and teche the po­pe to be of syke powr with cryste / the pope cannot erre / the pope to be the supreme head and spowse of the chirche and vica­re of cryste. And because he hathe the em­periall powr / he may distribute the king­doms and ryches of the worlde as he lyst and because he is the hyghest bysshop he maye geue all the chirches benifices as cardinallships bysshopryks and benefi­ces to whom he lyste / and he bosteth the gospell to be subiecte to his interpretaci­on and vnderstanding / yea & except (saye [Page] some of owr bishops) that the scripture be confirmed by siche ordinary powrs / it is no scripture nor may not be redd, but of si­che as thei lyste to delyuer & lycēce it / nor in any other tongue then thei liste to geue it vs. He will haue his lawe and tradici­ons to be obserued aboue gods laws and the transgressours of his lowsey lawes to be greuouslier punisshed then the bre­kers of gods precepts. He bosteth himfelf to make lawes and articles of owr faithe and to adde mo sacraments to them then cryst made / and to consecrate and to ma­ke the body of cryste / to sende awaye the substance of the bread / the accidents as the whigtnes rowndes / tast & other qua­lities & quātities remayning. He confes­seth crist with his lippes to be a red emer but yet he techeth / he dothe and writeth many grete blaphemies contrary to the mystery of owr redempcion / as in his pur­gatory / satisfaccions / merits [...] and siche other. All these blaphemies speketh he vnder lambes skinnes in an innocent holy pretence, hauinge hornes lyke a lambe / he will apere humble lyke any o­ther inferiour man & yet shameth he not to open his mouth to speke greuouse blas­phemies ayenst god and his peple. This 2. thes. 2. beast Paul handleth, and his pestelēt pro pertyes [Page 105] he treateh saying. This sinfull man and forlorne chylde, aduersary to god will be exalted ayenst god / and aboue his worship cleame and vsurp a worship to himself and teche a certain vtwarde re­uerent behauiour to idols and images, so that he will sitte in the temple of god ostē ­ting and bosting himself setforthe for a god / that is / he will with his lawes, decre­es, actis, articles, and doctrine sitte deper in menis consciences & more feared then god himself with his ten cōmandements and all his terrible comminacions. Is it not an heauy blasphemye to teche, wryte, and decree that himself may with his fyer and swerde preuent and disapoynt god of his euerlasting and immutable pro­uidence? But at laste / when the litle hor­nes iniquite is disclosed / then shall he a­yenst his wil render ayen his prossessions titles & his falsely vsurped auctorite to y ^e seclare hornes, out of whom first by frau­de and hypocrisie he so craftely extorted them. Thꝰ ye see that by this litle horne & by the horned beste sene of Ioan, be vn­derstandē the Anticristen aduersaries of cryste and his chirche, whether thei be the seclare kings and emperowrs, popes or bisshops / turke or Mahumete or these all togither coniured ayenst the lorde & his [Page] anointed. It is more then two thousand The dif­ference betwixt the turk and anti­crist. yeres sence daniel sawe these visions / w ^t albeit the fathers by this litle horne vn­derstode rightly anticryste / yet because althingis then to come in these propheci­es / were not sene so clerly as thei be now paste / & in fulfilling in these owr present dayes sene & felt of euery faithful / some men coniecture / this litle horne to be the Turke / albeit the popis and their prela­tis haue iustly played the turkis parte hi­therts. For the turke and anticrist differ­re not but as the deuil differeth from hel By this litle prominent horne therfore Ioā dra­conite. Doctor Iohan Draconite vnderstandeth the kingdom of the Saracens / of the tur­ke and of Mahumete sprongen vp in the dissipacion of the Romane monarchie / w ^t we will (saith he) confirme by daniels de­scripcion / of the tyme / of the place / of the powr & doctrin of this saracene Turkish kingdom. Of the tyme / for when the Ro­mane The tur kes king dom whē it bega­ne. empyre begane to beskatered, mini­shed and febled euen almost down to het erthen toes / then began the turkis king­dom to growe and floresshe which was aboute the yere of cryst. 613. When the frē ­che men gote fraūce / and the longobards Of the place where it [...]ne. Italy and mahumete in the tyme of he­raclius the emperowr moued his sedicion Of the place / daniel seeth this litle hor­ne [Page 106] plucking vp; of the former hornes / wherby doutles he signifieth / the Roma­ne prouynces then lying in the east to be fallen from the empyre / for these; hornes that is to saye; kingdoms Egipt / Siria / and the regions of Cilicia / the Saracēs had then anon ioyned togither. But albe­it now the turkes haue many moo prouin­ces yet is it not ayēst the text▪ describing onely but the beginning of the Saracēs or turkis kingdō. Of his powr / for dani­el saith. These; hornes were with great Off his powr. violence pluckt out / oh it is to trwe / that hole Aphrika / a great parte of Asia / and not litle of Europa be holden this daye of the turke and of his Tartarion god ma­humete. Ezec. 38. and 39. Ezechiel prophecieth / this fyer­ce Scythi [...] beast and pestilence of all cry­stendom / in the laste age of the worlde to destroye the chirche and at last to be de­stroid in the mountans of Israel / that is ether in the places where the gospel sow­neth, or of those knyghtis whiche calv̄pō the name of the lorde god in faithe. Of Off his doctrine his doctryne. Daniel saith that this hor­ne hath the eyes of a man & a mouth spe­king grete and stowte things which if ye wil see / reade his Alcorane: which who­so desyere to know I shal geue him in this to reade / that he may know that this de­uills [Page] nills mouth Mahumete vtterly abolis­sheth all the writings of the prophets & apostles euen the testimonies of owr sal­uacion and helpe. He fayneth cryste to be no beter then Moses / and in nowyse will he aknowleg him to be the sauiour. And if he hath any cyuile iustice yet is it corrup­ted w ^t abominable filthye lecherye. wher­for / because not onely with swerde & we­pens he decreth the sayers & doers ayēst his wyked doctryn to be destroyed but al so he wilbe extolled aboue al thig called god / therfore is this litle horne thought to be no litle parte of anticrists kingdom.

Hitherto hath Daniel prosecuted his own visiōs of the succession of the 4 em­pires / & that the image in y ^e 2 cap. & those 4 beastis here signifye not onely y ^e secula­re emperowrs and king is fighting among themselues one ayenst a nother and all ayēst god / but also the spirituall anticryst persecuting the chirche of cryste. For the later kings shall moste cruelly trede dow­ne the gospell in hir vprysing as ye haue sene it these 600 yeres paste, whilis thei with their emperowrs plaid the popis hāg­men excersing their own tyrannye & exe­cuting his cruell vngodly lawes and an­ticristen doctrin by burning & slaying whi­lis thei prosecuted his and their own hor­rible [Page 107] blody desyers vpon crystis chirche for the defence of the popis & their own tradicions rites and articles actes &c. to confirme their idolatry and supersticiō For so hath this litle horne bewitched hir 10 hornes about hir / that she hath per­swaded and put into their headis, the ho­ly scriptures in owr vulgare tongues to be heresye, and the faithfull fre prechers heretiques, and therfore to banissh and burne them bothe, and to bring into the chirches, bisshops bokis of new and wy­ked institucions and vnholsome erudici­ons with their owne arrogant actis ar­med articles with swerde and fyer. The the trew token of the chir­che. cheif and trwest token of the trw chirche is the profession and preching of the pro­pheticall and apostoli doctryne. And to fight ayenst this doctryne or to abolissh it / is the very signe of anticristes Syna­gog. The pope and his seclare sorte vsur­pe a powr and worship aboue cryste / in that with the most arrogāt audacite thei dare alter / interprete, adde, and minishe and expowne gods lawes and gospell at their plesures and to be siche lordis ouer his faith and religion / that of gods holy perpetual verite & mighty worde thei wil aftir their owne carnall affectis, to serue their own lustis, make it a nose of waxe [Page] to warme and fede their synful desyers▪ yea gods worde and gospell is not gods worde except thei so admitte and allowe it. It is heresy / n [...]w lerning yea and trea­son to / the worde ofsedicion and disobedi­ence if thei so saye it. Oh blody blasphe­mers / oh arrogant anticristes. Be not the­se a compa­rison of y ^e Mahu­metes do­ctrine & of the po­pis. your prowd mouthes speking prowd & horrible blasphemies? The turke & Ma­humete vtterly renownce all that in the gospell techeth cryste to be the fone of god / and euen so do thei that wilbe iusti­fyed by their own merits: mahumete kno­weth not the doctrine of faith or of y ^e trw inuocacion and worship / nomore do the spirituall & seculare anticristis whiche yet do persecute it / onely do Mahumete & the turke holde with owr anticrystis cer­tein ciuil precepts / at their own pleasurs (as do the called crystians) to stablissh & to abolish them when and [...] thei liste: but yet is the turke more constant and ci­uily iuste in his lawes then be the called cristians. The turke and his Mahumete grawnt sinful lecherose lustis / owr turke and Mahumete winke / yea thei laughe at the same / forbiddig iuste matrymony / and rending in sondre lawfully maried persons and permitting open whoredom. Mahumete with violence of swerde com­pelleth [Page 108] men to his religion and the same do owr Mahumetis.

Now seeth euery man / this mighty hor­ned beast to be the triple anticristen king­dome standinge vpon the popis and their [...] ergy / vpon the seculare hornes dron­ken with his cuppe / and vpon the Tur­kish Mahumet. But this lytle horne dif­fereth from the ten hornes in that it hath eyes lyke a man pretendinge all religion­se deuocion and holynes in his doinges, wrytings, and sayings: for vnder the pre­tence of a reformacion defence and resto­ring of the crysten religion / he wold de­stroye it / and settle Anticryst the faster / which property Ioan expresseth sayinge his hornes to be lyke [...] hornes for that vnder shepis and lambes skynnes he shall hyde himself lurking a blody [...]yō & a fyerce bere. The vtwarde behauiors of the Turkis in their temples & lyuinge semeth godly. Thei praye fyne tymes a daye / thei vse diuerse sprinklings & was­shings as we do with holy water / thei en­clyne moste deuoutly when they praye / thei lye prostrat / thei abstayne from wy­ne / thei eat their meat vpon the grounde thei will haue no curiose nor costly how­ses / thei viset the temples oft / thei abhor­re vnclennes / thei lothe and detest ima­ges / [Page] wherin thei be miche beter then the called crystians. Who seinge this their de [...]oute religion in sight wolde not take them for godly men without gall and ar­rogancye? Lykewyse in the papisti chir­che / what a multitude & variete is there of laudable, in syghte, ceremonis / decent rytes / what continuall praying / singing / playing of swete instruments / dayly [...] sing? How outragiously are their preistes and chirches orned and gorgiously gar­nisshed in their popetry passe tymes and apes playe▪ what is there in gold / syluer / and in costly aparell / as apes in purpure how iette thei? How many festiuall hygh dayes to worship saints haue thei made themselues to call poore men from their dayly labours and lucre, to serue their id­le belys to stand and wonder vpon Io­ans camell cote, and to gaze & stare vpon these apes in golde / veluets and preciou­se stones and vpon their vayne pictures and idle images? Beholde their habits / vestures / shauinges / hypocrisye / chosen holynes / fayned & facioned demure coun­tenances / holy [...]okes / and humane eyes / and thou woldst swere / them to be rather aungels (I say not of sathan) then men. But the prophet addeth / that as in y ^e hor­ne there apereth to be an honest eye and [Page 109] a lambish loke / so hath he a blasphemou­se mouth / speking great arrogant things which Ioan expowning saith. He shall speke as did the dragon and deuyll him­selfe / to obscure Gods glory and his holy name / tyll with the brethe of his mouth he be slayne. Wherfore to counforte vs here yet molested & persecuted with these cruell hornes. Daniel sayth.

☞ But yet I behelde / vntyll the che­yers Text. and stoles were sett / and the man of Apoc. 1. &5. Exo. 24 many yeares was setdowne / whose ve­sture was as whight as snowe / and the heare of his head as fyne and pure as woll / whose seat royall was all on a fye­rie flamme / and the whelis thereof bur­ned lyke fyer / and there went longe fyery beames lyke a floude offyer flouwing out of him / & thousand thousands ministred vnto him / and ten thousand thousands stode before him. And anon as he was set downe to iugement / the bokis were layd open.

Hytherto ye see all daniels vision ve­refyed concerninge these. 4. beastis and monarchies and this lytle horne / so that we nede not to seke any other exposicion of daniels and Ioans visions / then the dayly experiences in beholding the face of the worlde which is a playn commen­tary [Page] vpon them both. And of the present verefying hytherto and fulfilling of the­se visions / we maye be certain and sewer that the rest of their prophecies shall ve­rely come to passe shortly / ere these seatis be sett downe / and these forked horned kings trones be taken awaye. For verely cryst is euen now preparinge these iuge­ment seatis / to destroye these wyked An­ticrysten hornes & to cast them into per­petuall fyery tormēts / and to enbrace his chosen thus cruelly of these beastis op­pressed receiuing vs vnto perpetuall ioye For this is / lo / the ende of this tragedye / thus gothe out their playe euen then whē thei thinke to be but in y ^e middis of their mater. For daniel and Ioan both knyt vp Anticrystis raigne in half a tyme or in half an hebdomade conforting vs in that they shalbe shortly taken awaye / & shall not vexe vs so long as they thinke to do / wytnes the psal. But thou oh lorde shalt psal. 54. pluk them downe into the pitte of death / euen these blody men & crafty deceiuers which shall not come to half the dayes wherein they thinke to lyue to execute their mischeif. And agene. When thou psal. 91. seest these synfull blody men florishe lyke flouers / then be thou sewer / themal to flo­risshe for no nother ende then for euer to [Page 110] be smyten downe. And therfore sayth da­niel Vse. 12. aftir some textis. He shall take his plesure for a tyme for tymes and but for half a tyme. And Ioan windeth vp the halfe tyme in half an hebdomade / which be. iii. ycares and an half / for God is not angrywith vs always / but in the middis of their wyked course his aduersaries shall fall downe into their owne perpe­tuall destruccion and payns. For daniel sawe the dayes of oure tribulacion shor­tened for our counforte / and for their con­fusion that trouble vs. There shalbe no full ende of oure persecucions and tribu­lacions nor of the Turkis crueltye vntyll cryste sett downe his seatis to iugement wherin we shalbe blessed and the vngod­ly persewers of crystis chirche dampned for euer as Paul conforteth the martyres of Thessalonie. And therfore y ^e prophets vse but fewe wordis / for ther is no worde 2. thes. 1. &. 2. of god so lytle / but it is mightiet then all the worlde / nether any so lytle a letter in the prophetis which sauoreth not ether of the lawe or of the gospel. Wherfore be­cause it is certayn / that of daniel the de­scripcion of the iugemēt / is here setforth into the consolacion of the crystians and into the feare of the Anticrysten / we will (that the troubled chirche might see hyr [Page] confort) saye our mynde breifly according to the scriptures of the iugement of cryst▪

These seatis are sayd to be sette / for y ^e Mat. 19. confort of them which yet suffer for the gospels sake vnder these horned kingdōs as cryst tolde his apostles sayng: ye shall sitte vpon the twelue seatis to iuge the twelf trybis of Israel. And yf we suffer with cryst / we shall raigne with cryst. Rom. 8. Cryst is called here the great aged God and man / for he is an eternall sauior pro­mised in paradise before he was borne. To sitte / perteineth to cryste the iuge as in Matth. 25. Be shall sitt in the trone of his glorye / & before him shall all nacions Paul Ro viii. be brought. Forthermore / a iuge hath a double office (as saith Peter) to punisshe the euyll and to defende the good. Wher­fore here doth Daniel by the whightnes his whit clothes. of cryste his vesture and purenes of his heare describe his confortable defence of the good men. For as he in his whight clothes clarifyed in his transfiguracion and also rysing from death apered ioyou­se and glad to the heuey penitēt synners / euen so shall he make glad his glorifyed chosen once rysen from death with this voyce: Come ye y ^t blessed of my father &c. Siche a beutye of the chirche in cryst is paynted also in the. 45. psal. but it is not [Page 1011] sene in this miserable vale of weping te­res / as Ioan sayth / we be not yet sene as we shalbe. The heuey vengeance of the Ris flā ­mey tro­ne what it signi­fieth. Ioel. 2. euyll men is paynted by y ^e flammye trone & long fyery beames procedinge therout. For deuouering fyer shall go before him / and a burninge flame aftir him (Ioele to wytnes) and as cryst arysing was sene so terrible to y ^e kepers of his sepulcre / euen so shall he apere a ferrefull iuge to all vn­godly in the last iugement saynge / auoyd fro me ye cursed into eternall fyer. Also y ^e multitude of mynisters is taken for his infinite noumber of aungels as Mat. 25. saith: all the aungels shall come downe with him. To sit in iugement is to rendre to euery one accordinge to their dedis as speketh Paul: Nether is it any thing els / the bokes to be opened / then that Paul saith. In that daye god shall laye open y ^e Rom. 2. secrete hid thingis of menis hertis by Ie­su 1. Cor. 4. cryst according to my gospell. Wherfo­re there is no difference betwixt daniel and Paul saue that as they both wrote not in one tyme so did they not with the same wordis expresse the same iugement of cryst.

Then I behelde / namely for the Text. voyce of those stoute great word is which Apoc. 17. 16. &. 20. the horne spake / and I loked so longe tyll [Page] the beast was taken awaye and his body slayne and the beast casten into the fyer. But the [...] other beastis yet left deposed their power / & to them was there graun­ted longer to lyue vnto their prefixed tyme.

Hytherto haue we treated the descrip­cion of the iugement into the consolacion 3. docu­ments. of the chirche militant. Now shall ye ler­ne. iii. thinges in the declaracion of this prophecye. First he teacheth vs not to be offended / nor in oure trouble to cast away all hope / seing these anticrystis the pope with his coniured hornes / and the Tur­ke with his Mahumete thus to prospere in their mischeif. Secondly he therfore threateneth death and destruccion to all these anticrysten beastis. At last he con­forteth the chirche beinge yet as a shepe apointed to the slaughter howse with a newe descripcion of crystis coming. For what (thinke ye) shalbe the ende of this oure troublose tragedy? shall we be thus euer persecuted? shall these sharpe & he­uey hornes always goore vs thus cruel­ly? will not god come once downe and de­clare his rightwysenes? will he neuer auenge the iniuriouse oppressions & per­secuciōs of his iuste and chosen chirche? Aftir oure many and greuouse afflicciōs [Page 112] daniel seeth a newe and greate change. I loked / sayth he / namely for that arro­gant great voyce of so blasphemouse wor­dis which the horne spake. I merueled whether god wolde leaue so great wyked­nes vnpunisshed and wolde neglect the glory of his name. He wolde not so long suffre it in Sennacherib / he punisshed it anon in Pharao / he was anō euen within Goliath and with all his blasphemers in tymes past. And shall he now suffer thus long his chosen derely beloued to be thus cruelly for his sake brent and slayne and his gloriouse name thus so spight­fully blasphemed? Daniel loked vpon y ^e long pacient suffering of God / not once turninge his eyes from him vntyll he sa­we his iugement at hande / and the iuge­ment seatis set downe. We may not ther­fore behold the onely tribulacions of the iust which may sone thrust vs into despe­racion: but we must sett the iustice of god before oure eyes / & wayt for the apointed happy helpe in tyme of tribulacion, promi­sed vs and the greate rewardis prepared for all that iustely fight in his cause. Da­niel merueled to what ende the false doc­tryne and prowd wordis of anticryst wold come and where at last he shulde abyde. He sawe that in the last ende of y ^e worlde [Page] these Anticrystis shulde haue in their af­fayers great prosperouse successe the em­perours and kinges to bring home gloriou­se and happye victories: the pope to ga­ther home great ryches noble victores hyghe and solempne tytles, and his doc­tryne and lawes to be fered greatly and receyued ouer all crystendom / emperours and kings mightely to assist and defende them. He sawe the Turkis dominion to sprede mightely and his doctryne to take place, wyde and euery where. With these prosperouse successes / many men / what for weaknes / what for hypocrisye / what for fere and the anguisshe of their perse­cucions, be auerted from the gospell of pe­ace vnto these anticrysten actis / articles false doctryne / popish rytes / supersticioꝰ ceremonies and vnto their deuyllish tra­dicions and many vnto Mahumets mis­cheif. Wherfore he premonissheth vs to be consiant / and to hold fast in mynde the last iugement / that is / the glorye of the godly to come and the paynes eternall of the vngodly / so resting vpon godis wor­de in oure feruēt prayers that for the gre­tenes of the euerlasting ioyeand felicite / we maye nothing fere ne regard the infi­nite troubles of all oure lyfe. Hytherto lo­ked Paul when he sayd: I thinke not the Rom. 8. [Page 113] sufferings of this lyfe to be wortheily cō 2. Cor. 4 pared to the glory to come which shall be reueled in vs. Now will we speake of the cōminacions cast vpon these beastis.

Where Daniel saith / I loked vntyll I sawe the beast slayne and his body smy­ten downe dead and casten into the fyer / and the power of the other beastis there left / taken awaye / he threateneth not one­ly to this last beaste the empyre of Rome with his spirituall Pope his hole bodye and all their. x. helpinge hornes agaynst the lorde and his anointed, euerlastinge death and destruccion / but he also in the­se wordis threteneth the same miserable ende vnto y ^e Turkish or Saracenik king­dom / for the lambe shall haue the victory as it is wryten in the Apoca. 17. &. 19. chap And I sawe the beast and the kings of y ^e erth and their hoostes gathered togyther to make warre with the kinge of kinges and with his hoost / but the beast with his false prophetes were taken &c. where Ioan expowneth y ^e bodye of the beast to be his holy cardinals bisshops / doctours / pre­thers / his cananized saynts and miracle makers to deceyue the peple / and all the smered preistis hauinge the beastis mark which haue worshiped the image of this beast. Also in the. xx. chap. The deuyll is [Page] casten into a ponde of fyer and brims [...]on where the beast and hir false prophet [...] shalbe tormented daye and night for euer This beast so perissheth that there folo­weth nomo / aftir him. 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 dominiōs / 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 shalbe ca­sten into the pitt of fyer. Wherfore y ^e aun­gell e [...]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. [Page 114] 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 Act. 17. 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 [Page] ouer Turkey and ouer Crystendom / to be destroyd by the last daye of iugemēt. 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 Gen. 3. &. 4. 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 [Page] because he shall iuge almen he shall be se Cryste shall co­me lyke the sone of man. Ioan. 5. 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 Text. sawe in the cloudis of heuen one coming Christs kingdō. Ioan. 5. 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. 1. Cor. 15

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 [Page] therfore procede.

At this vision / I daniel trembled Text. 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 kingdō and obtaine it for euer. Aftir this I desy­ered to knowe the certaintie of y ^e fowrth b [...]as [...]e whiche so greatly differed from al the other / namely in that he was so fere­ful / armed with t [...]the with his cla­wes of st [...]l deuouering and tearing into peces, & the reste he trode down with his feete. I desyered also to knowe what mēt 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 s [...]owte thingis / and why his forme and loke apexed s [...]owter then the other. And that I sawe this horne to make ba­taill with y ^e holy faithful and triumphed & preuailed ouer thē vntill the olde aged came / and the iugemēt was geuen to the highe holy faithfull & the tyme perfixed [Page 116] 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 shalbe in y ^e world whiche shall differe from all the o­ther kingdōs in might and powr for that it shall de [...]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 vpō him to change tymes and lawes which shalbe put in to his handis whe­ther it be for a long or any shorte tyme. Then aftir shalbe the iugement / and his powr thus taken from him / he shalbe vt­terly slayne and destroid. But the king­dom powr and ample maiesty vnder the hole heuen shalbe geuen to the holy faith­full peple of the most higheste, whose rai­gne is eternall and all the highe powrs shall serue and obey him. And here he en­ded his wordis. But I daniel had many a grete and troublous thought / so vehe­mently [Page] was I troubled that my chere & my fauour was clene changed. But yet reserued I this thing in my herte.

Now haue ye the exposicion of all this vision as it is afore expowned and nowe declared by the aungel which was cryste himself / wherfore it nedeth not to tarye miche vpon this place saue onely to de­clare the confession of our faith therin & to confirme the aungels exposicion by y ^e other places of the scripture. For in that daniel at this vision was so troubled / as­ked one of the by standers / and so fast re­serued the aungels wordes: we ought to lerne this doctryne of the vision of these 6. kingdoms / that is to say of the 4 Mo­narchies / of the anticristen kingdom / and of the kingdom of cryste / to be reuerenced & receyued as the worde of god & the trwe vnderstāding therof to be asked of cryst y ^e messager of god / and not for the crueltye of these beastes and hornes yet persecu­ting the chirche to fall or once swarue frō the kingdom of cryst which is the gospell but to contempne all the miseries iniuri­es and troubles of this lyfe yea and euen death it self for crystis kingdōs sake. Of crystis iugement to come Ioan also saith Apoc. 4. and. 20 he sawe a seat sette and 24 cheyers for the 24 eldres &c. For albeit cryst be the [Page 117] only iuge w ^c of his father hath receyued all iugement / yet shall the apostles asiste him hauing their trones. And therfore saith he here. And the iugement was ge­uen to the highe holy faithfull. Cryste is called the olde aged / for a iuge ought to be a graue sage man of long experience. Whom Ioan called the lambe slayne frō the begining of the worlde / and the wor­de Ion. 1. which in the begining was with god: so that we may see that the prophetis a­knowleged cryst euer bothe god and man his whight vesture sheweth him to be y ^e most iuste and incorrupt iuge without spotte / and himself in a gloriouse victory ouer syne death deuel and hell to be sene ioyouse and counfortable to his faithfull To cōfirme his old aunciet sage grauite he sawe his heares pure as fyne whight woll / hore headed pretende grauite and wysdome. His flammey seat casting forth long strykes of fyer signifye that god is a terrible consuminge fyer to the vngodly. For Ioan sawe him w ^t a two edged swer­de procedinge out of his mouthe / for that his sentēce which he shall there pronoū ­ce shall be sharper and depelyer persinge thorow / then any two edged swerde in se­parating Hebr. 4. the stinking gotis from the pure innocent lambes. Here Daniel seeth the [Page] same swerde lyke a fyery floude flowinge oute of Crys [...]is mouthe whose vehement myghty heuey sentence ouer the vngod­ly / no horne may resiste. Then cometh he forth in his hyghe maiesty accompanied with his infinite noumber of aungels so that non of these hornes be able to resist him / but the wyked shall tremble and qua­ke desyeringe the mountans to fall ouer them to hyde them from his fyght / for he­reof is he called the God zabaoth that is the god of hoo [...]tes. The bokis to be layd Rom. 2. open / are the consciēces of euery man ac­cusing or excusinge them. For they shall haue their factis in mynde freshly / open­ly sene / wherfore they be worthely con­dempned. 1. Cor. 4. For that greate daye shall ma­ke opene the secretis of euery herte. For when it shalbe sene who be set on y ^e right hande and who on the fyfte / then shall all fraudes / hypocr [...]cye / tyrannye which yet be taken for rightwysnes / godlynes and zele / be layd open / then shall Anticrystes blasphemyes and persecucions be iuged and punisshed as ye see in the text: when cryst stode before Caiphas to be condemp­ned / he Mat. 26 tolde them the same that the aun­gel here testifyeth. That aftir this youre false iugemēt / ye shall see the sone of man sittinge on the mighty right hand of god [Page 118] & coming vpon the cloudis of heauen / &c. in which wordis he did put y ^e scribes & bis­shops in mynde of this scripture of daniel but he tolde his tale to deffe men / for it was as miche to saye to them / as this. Now I stand before you as a man mortall to be iuged / but here aftir ye shall not so see me standing / but coming vpon y ^e clou­dis of heauen / so that ye be now warned before of my iugement to come ouer you / tr [...]wer and iuster th [...]n yours. And where he sayth: That the iugemēt shalbe geuen to the holy hyghe saintis and y ^e tyme [...]re­fiyed that they shulde receyue the king­dom / and aftirward this kingdom powr and ample maiesty to be vnder the wholl heauen / it is the same that the Apocalyp. and I saye speke of the newe heuens / ele­ments Isa. 65. Apoc. 21. 2. Pet. 3. and earth / euen the same paradise vnder y ^e skye vndefyled wher vpon right­wysnes as Peter sayth / shall euermore dwell / vpon that earth of the lyuinge we shall triumphe ouer death & hell and An­ticryst singinge: Death where is nowe thy s [...]yngel Hell where is thy victory: oh thou forlorne beast where be thy. x. hor­nes: where is thy seculare swerde and ar­me? where be both thy horned seculare & spirituall powrs? are they not now broken into dust and thyself with thy hole bodye [Page] of bisshops and cardinals and seclare hor­nes Ier. 48. cast into the lake or pitt of fyer? now then shall Cryst nomore be persecuted in his members / wherfore he shall then be full glorifyed. And we shall haue oure bo­dyes in ioye which once were partakers of oure persecucions / wherfore we shall then haue oure perfyt and full felicite / which yet in the mean tyme we haue one­ly in oure sowlis.

But what meaneth the aungell to saye: He shall s [...]arle or destroye y ^e hyghe sayn­tis? verely els but that with his false doctryne capciouse othes articles / & in­terrogacions he shall fraudelently de­ceyue and trappe the simple innocents and shed their blode tyrannously. Also he shall arrogantly take vpon him & thin­ke to change the state of tymes and la­wes. He weneth to change y ^e tyme which with swerde and fyer thinketh to shorten the lyfe of man and to preuent and disa­point gods infallible eternall and immu­table prouidēce wherby he hath prefiyed euery manis tyme & houre of deth which as noman can differre or prolong it / so cā ­ne noman shorten nor preuent it / except men will make God an ignorant persone and so consequently no god at all. He chā ­geth the tymes and lawes that any of the [Page 119] sixe worke dayes commanded of god will make them vnholy and idle dayes when he lyste / or of their owne holy dayes abo­lisshed / make Exo. 23. 20. &. 31. 34. &. 35. Leuit. 23 Deut. 5. worke dayes agen / & when they changed y ^e Saterday into Sondaye / of eting dayes fasting dayes / of mery and glad dayes to marye in / they can make so­rowfull dayes forbiddinge maryages. They haue changed gods lawes and tur­ned them into their owne tradiciōs to be kept aboue Gods preceptis. And as for their owne lawes they will change & bre­ke them when they lyste. And this powr shal anticrist haue whether it be for long or shorte tyme. For so miche sowneth the Hebrew phrase / which is for a tyme / a lyt­le whyle / & half a tyme / signifyinge that Anticryst shall make lawes to stande as long and as shorte tyme as he listeth and the tymes will he order / sett and change at his owne plesur. But is it not onely y ^e office of god to chang tymes and lawes? Here is therfore the prophecye fulfylled of him. Euen to exalt himselfe aboue all thing that god is called. This text. But the hyghe saynts he shall tangle trappe & destroye and arrogantly thinke to chan­ge the tymes and lawes &c. is of diuerse lerned men diuersely translated. The vul­gare text sayth: That he shall speke wor­dis [Page] ayenst the hyghe god. And destroy the sayntis of the mosthyghest & thinke that he maye change tymes and lawes & they shalbe taken into his hand for a tyme & half a tyme. Ioan Oecolampadius trans­lateth it thus / He shall speke wordis on the syde of the most hyghest &c. and the Tygurine byble or zir [...]k text hath. And he shall make wordis of diuine thinges. Derba enim faciet de rebus diuinis / that is / for he shall make wordis of diuyne things. The scole doctors of diuynite as D [...]nce and his faryne▪ what new strange sterting termes they haue inuēted to ex­presse their dirty diuynite / the scole men know it / of the which their Missa trans­substancion sacramēts and consec [...]acion be some / ifye lyst to tast them / of y ^e which scoldinge scole mater thus termed / Paul gaue Timothe an ernest last warninge / adding aftir many graue monicions / Oh Timothe: kepe fast that ▪ is deposed in­to thy custody / & beware and estiewe pro­phane newe vanities of wordis and the­se disputacions pro and contra / in their false science / falsely called diuynitie / which many doctours professing [...] / haue shamfully erred in the faith.

In this vision / daniel seeth him to haue a mouth geuen him / spekinge great and [Page 106] stowt thinges. To speke ayenst the hygh God / or to speke on his syde or on his be­half for his worsship as though he were sent and commanded of God is when he speketh of himselfe starke lyes and blas­phemies. Is it not ayenst god thus to spe­ke and to make vs beleue that he speketh on the part of the most hyghest / when he speketh for the deuyll is parte and all on his syde? The serpent made Eue beleue that he spake on Gods syde / when he tol­de hir that hir eyes shulde be opened and them to be as goddis / &c. The papists wold make vs beleue that in all their la­wes, false worshipes / fulser inuocacions, decent seruice / laudable rytes and cere­monies / in all their necessary enstrucciōs and vncrysten institucions / sermons / sa­craments / blessingis / buzings halowin­gis / ▪ [...]sses and siche lyke / that they spe­ke all for goddis worship and on his part / when all is playn ayenst god & his worde and for their owne fylthey lucre / honor / & synfull affectis. Thus make they wor­dis or false mater of diuyne thingis / that is to saye / they mok with goddis holy wor­de or thruste in their owne dreames for goddis worde into the greate hurte and slaying of his holy faithfull / & they think to change tymes and lawes: Which all [Page] these thre thinges shall be putt into his powr (saith the aungell) for a tyme tymes and half a tyme / or as hath the Hebrew for a tyme long or short. How long y ^e chir­che shall suffer vnder these hornes tyll cryst come to iugemēt, the daye and houre of their fall, and his cominge, God onely knoweth it. But the holy faythfull which haue bene these many yeres past / and yet be delyuered into their handis to suffer / (ah lasse) they thinke it to long that anti­cryst shall thus raigne / and persecute the chirche vnto the last daye. But when the pestelent popes and the cruell Turke pro­mise themselues the Monarchye of the hole worlde / then shall there be a soden fall of their wyked purpose / as it is ex­powned before / for then shal that most de­syred ioyfull daye of cryste beginne to shy­ne ouer vs / in which daye y ^t chirche shall be saued and these thre beastis / the Pope with his clergye / the Turke and Mahu­mete / with their. x. hornes persecutinge the gospell / shall be for euer dampned.

Oh God immortall / howe greate vasta­cions and destruccions in the chirche are there prophecied of Ezechiel to be made God & Magog of Gog and Magog? And here how cruell persecucions doth daniel prophecie to be done of the Turke and pope euen the two [Page 121] handis and hornes of the deuyll? praye we therfore the mercyfull god / the father of oure sauior Iesu / as did king Ezechias that he wolde geue vs peace and his wor­de in oure dayes / and wolde suffer shortly to come oure delyuerer Iesus / lest we be putt into the hande of this enimye / of all enimyes the most cruellest that now are / haue bene / and euer shalbe. So be it. For beter is it the last daye to come / then the Turke.

Philip Melanchton both lernedly and Philip. Melan. The do­ctryne sharply noteth vpon this chapter. iii. thin­ges to be cōtayned. A doctryne / a commi­nacion / and a consolacion. The doctryne (he sayth) perteineth cheifly vnto this last age of the worlde. For men be merue­lously moued at the slyber fortunes ther­of / vnto both the parties. Some seing the great prosperouse successe fortunes and meruelous victories of the Turkis and other menis kingdoms / and cōtrary wy­se the chirches of God to haue so harde fortunes / persecuted and destroyd in eue­ry region / will rather folowe them that best prosper / and so fall from y ^e trewe chir­che to the Turke or Pope yet raigning in seculare princes polycies / doctrynes and instituciōs / actis and articles / enbracing their false and vngodly religion. Yea they [Page] miss ayed the Turke and Pope fightinge on their sydis to bringe them into an am­plier and hygher empyre / to thentēt they might be ether partakers of their prospe­rouse successe and lucre / or els to haue y ^t Turke their helpinge horne to suppresse the gospell / for vnto this ende shall the pope helpe the Turke / and the cardinals and bisshops helpe and perswade theire emperour and princes. Although themsel­ues / as they wilnot receyue the Turkis wyked doctryne / so in their hertis will thei neuer be obediēt and subiect to their seculare lawfull headis and magistrats. But when they shall fynde an occasion / vtterly rebell and fight ayenst their hea­dis. For this cause god warneth vs befo­re / lest we taken with the admiracion of powr and good successe / or els broken w ^t trouble and persecucion fall from the go­spell vnto these prosperosly puft vp prin­ces and prelatis consentinge to their fal­se doctryne and wyked enstruccions.

The signes here described are the mani­fest markis of an vngodly king and king­dome. Tokēs of a wy­ked king & kingdō One is to teache and suffer to be taught any doctryne contumelious iniu­riose [...]lasphemose ayenst god. Another is to kyll the faythfull good prechers & pro­fessors of gods worde and to take awaye [Page 122] the scriptures, the fode of their souls, from the simple poore thirstinge for the worde of their saluacion. Vnto these tokens god addeth this testimonye and threteninge. That he will dampne this beaste / be he Turke / emprour / prince or Pope / or all The cō ­minaciō togyther and translate their wyked king­doms into strange gouerners. Also here is to be noted a nother heuey thretening which precheth the calamitouse afflic­cions of y ^e chirche. He sayth these hornes shall moue and make bataill against the godly and destroye many Crystians and their congregacions. Which is an heuey sermon and contrary to manis iugement thus reasoning. Wherfore shuld god ge­ue so prosperous impery and victories to so open wyked men and to peple so contu­meliose and cōtrary to cryste / openly blas­pheming the scriptures and slayinge the trewe prechers? wherfore suffreth he vs callinge vpon him onely and oure onely mediator Cryste / holdinge his doctryne / thus cruelly to be cast awaye and oppres­sed? Trewly daniel here speketh of a gre­te greuouse calamite and long persecu­cion. For in all Aphrica and in a greate parte of Asia / many yeres hath the name of cryst bene quenched. In Europa / albe­it here and there in the Turkis empyre [Page] there be left yet some crysten congrega­cions / yet are they with so cruell heuey fierce bondag oppressed that no good stu­dies of crysten letters maye there be ex­cercysed / frely lerned and professed / the chirches beinge without trewe techers / & there many by lytle and lytle haue ca­sten awaye y ^e name and religion of criste. As ye see this daye amonge vs many to fall bak to the Pope and to his popish do­ctryne because y ^e seclare policye so strong­ly and cruelly yet defendeth it. The turk The cor­rupcion of the youth. plucketh from the parents of cristians a certayn noumber of their chyldren to en­struct them in bataill and to nosell them in his Mahumetis tradicions / rytes and religion / as do some Crysten emprours & princes pluke the yonge lerned from the vniuersites and scholes into their cour­tes / which once poisoned with all courtly corrupcions / anon be they made bisshops cardinals / pastores and rychely benefi­ced. Which miserable seruitute in courte is harder to a crysten curate then the bon­dag in the ▪ fornace of Egypte. And yet are there many so madde that with greatsiewte & labors thrust themselues for luker and honour into this miserable derke Egypte. But what are the causes of these calamities aftir manis reason? [Page 123] verely it is thought by manis iugement / The cor­rupcion of ma­nis iuge­ment. the trwe chirche to be the synagoge of sa­tan / & them to be heretiques which cleue to gods worde / or els why shuld god thus suffer them (thinke they) to be oppressed and brent if he loued them? And thus ma­nis reson douteth whether they be rede­med with Crystis blode which suffer pa­cienly for his worde.

But here must we beholde the face of the very chirche euen from y ^e beginninge The for­me & fa­ce of the trw chir che. where oure first parēts sawe the testimo­ny geuen oute of heuen in the sacrifice of Abel wherby they had hope the chirche to be continued and brought forth into Abels posterite. But lo / anon was Abel slayne of his owne brother / and wyked Cain a lone was left / whose vngodly po­sterite bylt a cyte and playd the tyraunts whylis yet his first parents lyued and cō tempned of Cain their owne sone. Ayen / aftir Nohes flode (Babylon once buylt) the heithen (the doctryne of Nohe & Sem contempned) fyll from god. And but a ve­ry lytle flok of godly men was there left / which sely flok wandred carefully hyther and thither poorely bysted / euen the fa­mily of Abraham. And sone aftir / the sa­me psal. 104 sely sorte of Abrahams families poste­rite were tossed into Egypt there oppres­sed [Page] with heuye seruitu [...]e in myer and [...]ley groning vnder their intolerable burdēs / Exo. 1. which aftirwarde comen into Palestine there to dwell in the lande of Canaan / what slaughters suffred thei? How great mutacions and destrucciōs of their real­me folowed them? what hard captiuities vexacions and affliccions endured and sustayned they? And how lytle a parte of the worlde was Israel and the Israeli­tes? whylis yet in the mean c [...]asen / the gentilis which knewe not god obtayned the most hyghe empyres of the worlde. When we see therfore siche often poore troublos states and faces of the chirche / The fa­ce of our present chirche. let vs aknowleg the wrath of god ayenst the worlde / & not fall from god / although in this last tyme we see the trew chirche greuousely shaken and afflicted / but let vs kepe fast in mynde this playn descrip­cion and ferfull face of the chirche. That is by the meruclous counsell and will of god / the chirche to be layd vnder y ^e crosse. The causes wherof be shewed in the doc­tryne of the prophets and apostles. One­ly this thing let vs consyder concerning this fast olde age of the worlde. That the Prophets and Apostles prophecied / the world to be plaged / because that aftir the gospell be publesshed and preched in cer­tain [Page 124] regions / the tyrannous horned kin­ges and papistis shuld wex wode and ta­me their fierce furye vpon the sely weak members of cryste. And besidis this / for that euen of them / which shuld defende & nourish chirches / the pore congregaciōs shuld be persecuted seduced and polluted with images / false doctrin / cruell slaugh­ter of saintis and with almaner prodigi­ous lechery & lustis / we must knowe that of these seadis / stories do shewe y ^e Mahu meti poyson and the popish pestelente re­ligion to haue had their beginings.

When Arabia and Egipt and the Ro­me chirche were [...] and torne into ma­ny monstrose doctrines and sectis / then the confusion of sondry opinions and of supersticious semely ceremonies ād rites did moue light men to cleue to / and folo­we their false doctrine cloked and colou­red with hypocricye and apparent chosen holines. And therfore daniel lykeneth bo­the Mahumete & the pope vnto that hor­ne which hathe manis eyes / that is a fay­er decent semely shewe of vtwarde deuo­cion (as they sey) of laudable rites and gods holy seruice. Aftir this / as the tur­kis powr encreased / so did the popis auc­torite and false doctrine take place and sprede ouer all crystendom / so that as the [Page] world was & is corrupt with their false re­ligion / so is it / and shalbe greuously pla­ged with the same two forked hornes for their idolatrye / for their worshiping of ded saintis / and for the prophaning and filthefying of the holy souper of the lorde and for their stinking wyue les chastite. But see nowe howe the tymes agree. It was decreed of the transubstancion (as Whefor Trāsub­stācion & othomā began to gither. thei call it) in the yere of cryste 1215. No­centius the thirde being pope. Which de­cree hath confirmed the most horrible pro­digiose idolatrye that euer was. And anō aftir in the yere 1250 begane Othomās kingdom to prospere. And so shortely af­tir this idolatrie once cōfirmed / his king­dom begane to aryse and encreased aboue all other regions and brought forth wea­pens ayenst the west parte of the worlde to punisshe the filthei spottis of the romi­she chirche. So that assone as this idola­trie of the [...] begane to be confirmed of the pope / the turks powr did encrease to skourg it in cristendom / and shall yet more and more growe and preasse vpō vs tyl this idolatrie of the [...] be takē qui­te awaye. This othoman being the great turke enlarged miche the turkis domini­on / out of whose blode all the kinges of the turks sence vnto this day haue reig­ned [Page 125] and taken their originall / to whom god geueth strength and powr to punissh all cristendome for their idolatrye in the [...] / for their false inuocacion / and o­ther abominacions whiche require a no­ther Nebucadnezar / euen the turke to pu­nisshe them.

But yet is there added this consolaci­on. Where Daniel signifieth that there The con solacion. shall neuer be the fyft monarchie. And therfore the turkis powr shall not be lyke the Romane empyre to destroy all Euro­pe. For as ye see the popis kingdom to fal when he thought himself moste sewr and highest: euen so shall the turkes imperie faile and encline when he shall come to his highest thinking himself to conquire all and to raigne alone for euer / then shal his half tyme come vpon him with a sodē fall in the middes of his course. For then shall the moste glad day begine to shyne / in whiche the sone of god shall sterevp y ^e dead geuing to his chirche eternall lyfe and glorye / and casting all the vngodly into euerlasting torments. These same things be spoken of Gog and Magog in Gog ma­gog. Ezechiel and in apoca. 20. For Ezechiel faithe that Gog and Magog aftir thei Ezechi. 3 [...]. 39. haue done their mischeif in destroing & slaynge / then shall their selues at laste [Page] be desiroid in the mountains of Israel. Which albeit / it may be vnderstandē of the laste iugement / yet I think it to signi­fie the batails which the godly haue and shall haue in this laste olde age with the popissh emprowrs kinges and turke, w ^c Where ar y ^e mo­untains of israel. all shalbe ouercomen in the hill is of Is­rael / that is / in the places where the chir­che of cryst dwellethe in which the gospel is preched and receyued▪ and the peple trwly in the faith of the sonne of god one onely mediatour call vpon their heuenly father. For the pope and turke shall not be ouercome but by the sone of god fight­ing for his chirche as ye shall see it cler­ [...]yer in daniel 12. chapt. saying. Michael (which is cryste) the great capitaine shal stond forth for the defence of the peples childrn. But bothe in daniel and in Eze­chiel there be prophecied many great de­struccions. Which with all our hertis we beseche god to mitigate [...] Hitherto Philip Mesancthon.

☞ And myne eyes lysted vp / lo I saw Text. a [...]amme hauing two hornes standing be­fore the floude whiche hornes being very [Page 127] long / yet was there one hygher and lon­ger then the tother / and in the extremest parte it did shote forth moste prowdly. This rāme I sawe runing with his hor­nes ayenst the weste / and ayenst the nor­the and ayenst the sowthe so that no bea­stes might resist him / nor be delyuered frō out of his powr: so that he did what he li­sted and wexed great in doing great ac­tes. And whilis I considered (lo I sawe an he gote coming fro the west vpon the face of al y ^e erthe / nether lyted he vpō the erth. And this gote had a forth stretched horne to be sene standing betwixt his e­yes▪ He came vnto the horned ram whom I sawe standind before the flowd & with a mighty violence he ranne ayenst him. And I saw him come euē to the ram / whe­re in his hotte fury he smitte the ram / & broke bothe his hornes, for the ram had no strength to withstande him so that he smitte him downe to the grownde & trode him vnder his fete / & there was non that mighte desyuer the ram from him. Then did the gote right valeant grete actes & was mightely & highly magnified / and when he was in his moste strength and powr / his great horne was broken / in wh [...] ­se place there grewe forthe 4 hornes pro­cedinge ayenst the fower partes of the [Page] world. And out of one of them there went forth a litle horne which wexing grete did prowd and cruelactis ayēst the sowth and by easte euen in the most amene and pleasaunt londe. And then he stretched forthe himself ayenst the beutiful hoste & company of heuen / and of this celestiall company and also of the starris he threw downe some of them to the erthe and tro­de them vnder his feet. yea and at laste / euen ayenst the self emperowr of the hoste with great arrogancye he lyfted vp him­self with crakis and bostes so that therby the dayly perpetuall sacrifice was taken awaye / and the seat of the sanctuary of god was subuerted. And the heuēly hoste with their dayly perpetuall sacrifices we­re geuen vp into his hand is for their syn­ne [...] / and he scourged down the trewth to the grounde and cōmitted this cruel mis­cheif prosperously.

When the Babylony▪ kingdome was now at an ende / and daniel had sen [...] the Perses to haue the empyre / this vision was shewed him / to thentent he shuld te­che his chirche how that both vnder the Medis and Perses the conquirers of Ba­bylon / and also vnder Ale [...]ander the con­quirer of the Persies / and at last vnder Antiochus that Anticryst and s [...]ourge of [Page 128] the Iewes / shulde be persecuted and pla­ged. For trewely because the peple eue [...] loueth more the peace & [...]ase of the worl­de then to study to lyue aftir goddis pre­ceptis, the spring of all peace / therfore is this crosse shewed them to be suffered & caryed vnder these kingdoms then to co­me for breking of gods commandemēts / that god according to his threateningis might be feared / and Cryst accordinge to his promises might be wayted fore / & hi [...] coming prayd for to god. This vision is a prophecie of the vprysinge and fall of the kingdōs of Cyrus / Alexander / & Antio­chus the very pesielence of the Iewes.

The Ram standing at the Persi [...] [...]lou­de signifieth Cyrus the duke and leader­forth Of the [...]am w ^c was the Persie kinge. of the Persies. He is called the two horned / because he ledforth the hostes of both the Medis and Persies. For his. ii. hornes signifye these two hostes. This Rammis greatest hyghe horne signifieth Cyrus y ^e king of Persie / the hayer at last of all Mede / yea and made the king of all the kingdome. This Ram to runne with his hornes ayenst the west / north & sowth signifieth him comen from the [...]ast out of Persie to haue faughten ayenste all men / that is to weyt ayenste the Arabies and Egypcions which lye sowthe [...]ayenst the [Page] Assyriēs / and Palestyns lyinge west from him and ayenst the Lidions and Capado­cies lying north. No beast to might haue stande ayenst him / signifieth him beinge king of Persie to triumphe and haue the victory of all other kingdōs. To do ther­fore what he lysted wexing so great a vi­ctour / signifieth the kingdom of Persie so prosperously to haue had succeded / that Cyrus as it is red) gouerned. 120. prouin­ces / whose Monarchie dured about. 200. yeres. Now whether this Ram was fygu­re to any of oure present crysten realmes / let the diligent obseruers of tymes states and realmes loke and they can espye it: whyles we treate and talke of the Gote / that is of Alexander king of the Grekis.

Here the Gote / as afore the Leoparde signifye the same king / euen great Alex­ander. The Go te is A­lexan­der. The nature of these two beastes agre well with the properties of the kin­ges of Grece. The Gote maye well cly­me and skip. The dukis of y ^e Grekis were The pā ­ther is y ^e same. valeant both in counsels and in their bu­sines decreed swiftly to be performed. In counsell geuinge / in delibering / in de­cerning A gote is a stin king le­chero [...] ­se beast. thinges delybered / in thinges de­creed spedely to be finisshed / in espyinge an apte occasion / who were more ingeni­o [...]se and clearer witted then Philip and [Page 129] Alexander: But as y ^e Leopardes or spot­ted pantheres / albeit they hunteoute all beastis and feare no darte nor spere (for they smyte them of with their swiftnes) yet with wyne are they made dronken / & then aftir their lustes one leapinge the other made weary, are thei taken. Euen so the kings Philip and Alexander ouerco­ming all and nothing fearing / they were so ouercomen of wyne and lechery that the one was destroyed of voluptuosnes / and dronkenes kylled the tother. The leo­pardes be desyerouse of wyne / and therfo­re there hunters powerforth wyne nyghe their haunted places / and a certayn spa­ce of / they set downe y ^e hole great vessell full of myne / the sauour whereof drawth the panthers or leopards (for both be one saue the pardus is the male and the pan­ther the female) oute of their dennes / which when they haue all dronken oute and be made dronken / thei playe their lu­stis togyther / so that at laste they made weary, fall downe to sleap. And then come the armed honters and take them. Euen so haue ther bene many valeant / prudent princes / but in cōclusion by lustis / intem­perance and drōkenes they perisshed de­stroyd wretchedly. As were Philip and Alexander / and aftir them Demetriu [...] [Page] and the later Philip / which thinge hath happened to many men sence / & it chaun­ceth yet to many. Noble valeant princes fortunat in all their affayers / warres / & victories neuer shrinking nor flying bak / haue there bene / which at last haue bene cowerdly broken & casten downe of their owne lustis & haue had a miserable tra­gi ende / their nature before clene chan­ged / and themselues deformed and de­stroyd in their owne fylthy dronken leche­rose lustis.

Also let vs see the descripcion of the The de­scripciō of Grece lande / for that this Gote came from the west vpon the face of all the erth and at­teyned or lyted not vpon the erth. Which signifieth Ale vander coming forth from Grece to inuade estewarde & then sowth­warde & at [...]ast northwarde in short space subdewed all the world vnto him. To not towche nor lyte vpon the earth it is sayd / because he beginning in his .xx. yere / did in a maner flye ouer all the worlde & was made the emperour of all the worlde in the xxxii. yeare of his age / wherin he dyed not for age nor in victorye but with volu­ptuosnes and wyne was he oppressed. Wherfore that prominent great horne of the Gote in his most s [...]rength broken of / signifyeth the mighty power of great A­lexander [Page 130] smyten downe in his cheif flo­wers. Whether ther be yet any siche Go­tis / let their fortune declare them / & the clere eyed obserue it. But whom did he so smyte with his horne [...] verely euen y ^e ram before the floude. For as in floudis one sourge soupeth vp & deuoureth a nother / An apte simili­tude. euen so one of these kingdoms de [...]oured vp another / the later swellowd vp y ^e for­mer. And how the Persik kingdome was translated to the Grekis / and the Greke empyre of Alexander diuided into y ^e Ma­cedonyk / Syriac / Asiatik & Egypt king­doms (which all / Daniel by all his wor­des of the Ram and Gote will teche) it is plentuos lyer described of Diodoro / Cur­tio / Iustino. &c. Now to the lytle horne sprongen vp out of these .iiii. hornes / that is to saye / of Antiocho Epiphane. Of y ^e lyt le horne Antio­chus E­pipha­nes.

The lytle horne signifieth Antiochum Epiphanem descendinge out of the stock of Seleucus holdinge Syriam aftir the death of Alexander / whiche aftir this ways came to the kingdome. Out of Se­leuco was borne Antiochus the greate / which had these .iii. sones / Seleucū / An­tiochum Epiphanem / and Demetrium. And when Antiochus the greate warred with the Romans and had left in hostage or pledge Antiochum Epiphanem & De­metrium / [Page] he dyed in Syria / [...] left his so­ne Seleucum aftir him / no king but a foo­le / wherfore Epiphanes knowinge of his fathers death / gote himself preuily from Rome and came into his fathers kingdo­me / & his vnapt brother deud / he enioied the kingdom in the .137. yere aftir Alexan­ders death / witnesse the .1. chapter. of the first of the Maccabeis. This Antiochus was of Catalinaris crafty witte. Wher­fore daniel here prophecieth that by An­tiochum Epiphanem the sowtheste (euen the most pleasaunt lande of the Iewes / shuld be skourged and plaged / which is called z [...]by in Hebrewe for hir fertilite / that is the beutye and flowr of all landis euen as the Iewes / for the trwe worship of god delyuered them by Moses and the prophetis / are called the beutyfull orna­ments hoos [...]es or companies of heuen / as be the sonne mone and starres. He skour­ged the sowth / when he inuaded Egypt makinge bataill against Ptolome the el­der / his sisters sone being king / and com­pelled Alexandriā to flye for socoure to Ptolome hir yonger brother. But how y ^e senators of Rome desyered of his brether­ne expelled false Antiochū out of Egypt by their ambassiadour Popilium / ye shall se it in .34. boke of Iustini / & partely here aftir

[Page 131]How Antiochus skourged and plaged that pleasant desyred lande / throw down the starres into the erth and destroyd the 1. mach. 1 & .2. holy habitacle / in the first and .ii. of Mac cabeis / it is so clerrely and cruelly ex­pressed Macc. 5. / that I abhorre and tremble not onely to speke / but also to wryte any more of this blodye beast. But right heuey de­stines abyde them that euyll deserue / which thing I maye confirme by the ex­ample of Antiochus the very image of An­ticryst. For when he inuaded & destroyde in the east parties (as daniel here pro­phecieth) and not onely from the besege of Elymaid of Persie / he was with the great heuines of his mynde repelled and put bak / but also when it was tolde him his capitayn Lysiane with his host to ha­ue [...] fledde / he fyll into so greate a sy­kenes and thought / that before his death 1 mach. 6 he confessed himself therfore so greuous­ly to be plaged and so compelled to dye / because he had so spoyled and destroyd y ⁴ temple of Ierusalem and so cruelly skour­ged the Iewes. For it was not enoughe for him thus to persecute the Iewes and subuerte all their lawes / holy rytes and godly ceremonies and sacrifices institu­ted of God / but he wold arrogantly blas­pheme god himself / suppresse his trewth [Page] with all his diuyne sacred ordinances. yea and he prospered in his mischeif. This miche be sayd for the preface of the prophecye. Now heare the interpreter.

☞ And I hearde an holy one speake Text. saying vnto a certayn meruelouse excel­lent one. How longe shall this vision of the dayly perpetuall sacrifice and of the blasphemose synne which is the cause of this deuas [...]acion and destruccion endure / that both the holy sacred temple with all hir sacrifices and the Iewes shalbe thus troden downe? And he answered me. Af­tir two thousand and. 300. dayes which Which is 6. ye­res▪ 3. mo­neth & 20 dayes containe the daye and night / shall the ho­ly temple be restored to the iust and law­full vse. And whylis I daniel beheld the vision desyerouse to knowe it / lo there sro­de before me one lyke a man. And I hear­de with in the floude eule the voyce of a man crying out sayinge: Gabriel / teache this man this vision. Then he came nye [...] the place where I stode / whose coming so nyghe me / made me so afrayd / that I fyl­downe flat one my face. And he sayd vn­to me: Attende and perceiue thou sone of man. For this visiō shalbe fulfilled in the last tyme (or in the ende of the captiuite.) And whylis Gabriel thus spake with me I fylldowne grouelinge as one had bene [Page 132] ouercomen with great sleap. And he tow­ching me / lifted me vp ayen into my stan­ding. And then he sayd: Beholde / I shall teache the what thinge shall come when wrath is y ^e captiui­te of Ba­bylō & of antiochꝰ this wrath is finisshed / for it shall haue an ende at the tyme prefixed.

Daniel calleth the interpretor of the vision / a meruelouse excellent one. As I [...] say calleth cryst a meruelous one / a coun­seller / &c. I say. 9. Gabriel y ^t strēgth of god. Here therfore he asketh this meruelouse one whiche was cryst appe­ringe lyke the aungell Gabriel (so called for his meruelouse excellent strengthe) how long y ^e peple of god shuld be so skour­ged and persecuted of Antiochus / which was the figure of oure Anticrysten Antio­ches and lytle horne crept vp in the Ro­mane imperye / and so consequently what afflicciōs hang ouer the chirches of cryst to the worlds ende / for it is manifest that whatsoeuer the aungel tolde before of the heuey affliccions of the Iewes / the same be now verified and done vpon the chir­che of the gentyles / which thinges sith they be past / it is no dowt / but the rest of the vision is in fulfillinge now / and shal­be Cryst is y ^e merue­louse one. euery daye fulfyssed vpon vs tyll cryst become to iugement. This meruelouse one whose name is hidden / is cryst Iesus the sone of god / which euer from the be­gining [Page] hath bene present with the godly as he now is present and shalbe / vnto the Mat. 28. worldis ende. For the kingdom of cryst is cryst himself present with his worde and spirit counfortinge vs / certifyinge vs of the casamities to come / hearinge vs cal­ling vpon him / gouerning oure thoughts wordis and workis by aungels / so that death troden downe we mought haue ly­fe eternall. This is my couenant with I say. 59. them (sayth the lorde) My spirit which is in the / and my wordis which I haue putte into thy mouth shall not go fro thy mouthe / nor from the mouthe of thy sead whylis the world stande. For where two or. iii. be gathered togyther in my name / I am in the middis of them. For because therfore that vnder Antioche the chirche shulde be so miserably [...] and torne / and Gabriel the fauorer of the chirche asked howlonge that calamite shulde en­dure / therfore cryst answereth. 2000. and 300. dayes / that is. 6. yeares 3. monethes and. 20. dayes / that the godly readers of daniel might haue confort in that perse­cucion / and be assewered Antiochus that blast of the deuyll / be yend that tyme to rage no farther. For euē so came it to pas­se as the bokis of the Maccabeis testifye For it may be shewed / y ^e image of Ioui [...] [Page 133] olympii to be set vp in y ^e temple in the yere 1 maca. 7 145 aftir the deth of asexander y ^t moneth of Nouēber & then was Nicanor ouerco­men and slayne in the yere 151 in februa­rie Adar. called adar vnto the which adde de­cember Ianuarie and februarie with the odde dayes and thou haste the iuste noū ­ber. And in that he saith / the morning & euening / he vnderstandeth the naturall daye as it was first created containinge the night and daye togither.

I shuld in the begining haue tolde ye the occasiō of the calamite: but it cometh Chap. 1. not out of ceason what so euer profitteth. Wherfore as it is cleare in the 1 boke of the Maccabe God to haue had fore sene 1 maca. 2 by. 137. yeres / Antioche to be the scourg of the iewes and the autor of thir afflicciōs for the sinnes of y ^e peple: euen so is it play [...]e in the 2 chap, God also to haue had se­ne before, the ende of Antioches pestilen­ce / to be Matathiam and the Maccabe is So that there is nothing done vpon erth but god knowth it before: nether willeth he vs any thing to know before but that [...]heafore saith and telleth it vs to come Wherfore let vs namely counfort owrsel­ues in this / that owr meruelouse one / cry­ste here saith vnto gabriel the mā of god / bidding him to expown the visiō to dani [Page] [...]so desyrouse to know it what it mought signifie / for because it pertaineth to the laste dayes. For it signifieth cryste / vnto all men desyering to vnderstand prophe­cies / euer to sende some that will teche hi that is so minded towerds God as was daniel affected towerds cryst & his aun­gel when this vision shuld be declared. Nether signifieth it els / daniel to be con­serued by his worde to be liftedvp and re­fresshed of the aungel / then cryste by his aūgels the ministers of his word to this entent to animate the timerouse and to strengthē the weake that thei shuld with the prophetis wordes shewing cryste the sauior, refresshe and confirme the chirche pressed vnder the crosse. Wherfore let vs geue thākis to crist / for that he neuer sle­apeth whilis his chirche is in persecuciō but is euer awake to deleuer vs in his na­me callinge vpon our father / whiche is confirmed by the example of the Maca­beis. Text.

The ram which thou sawest with two hornes is the kinges of Mede and Persie. And the roughe hearye gote is the king of the Grekis. And the great horne betwixt his eyes is the firste king, which broken / there stode vp. 4. in his place / w ^c a [...] the 4 kingdoms to rysevp oute of the [Page 134] same nacion but non of them lyke him in strength. And in the ende of these king­doms when synne and iniquite shall pre­uaile / there shall standvp a king / shame­les and subtyle. This king shalbe migh­ty s [...]rong / but not by his owne powr. And he shall woundrefully wast and destroye and shall prospere mightly in his actis. He shall make away and destroye grete & mighty men / yea and the faithful good peple to. And by his crafty subtyltie he shall expede his affaiers properously tho­rowe deceytes. He shall in his owne con­saight take great enterpryses vpon him & be magnifyed. And himself strengthe­ned with great riches shall destroye ma­ny men. Also he shall resiste the most hi­ghe Antioch the figu­re of our anticry­stes. prince of all / and thē with out manis handes shall he be alto broken.

Now is the vision declared to Daniel by the aungel / at the commandement of the sonne of god. But certeinly it is said and prophecied of owr present anticrists bothe spirituall and seculare playing an­tioches parte euen this daye. For that an­ticriste Antiochus ouer the iewes prefi­gured owr anticrystes in the ende of the worlde ouer the gentils. The occasion of the destruccion of kingdome by Antioche and anticrists / ar the obominable sinnes [Page] of the peple & of their emperowrs & prin­ces. For as before crystes first cominge / for the sinnes of the iewes God steredvp 2 maca 5 Antioche to skourge thē / euen so now for the contempte of the gospel / god befor the seconde coming of cryste hathe steredvp owr antichristen Antioches as cruelly to 2 thes. 2. The sin nes of y ^e world ar the cau­ses of an­ticrist. persecute the crystianes as euer did An­tiochus the iewes. For where the text sayth: when synne and wikednes is pre­uailed and hath the ouerhand / what els folowth then the contempt of the worde and the sinnes of the peple / to be the ve­ry causes of bothe these skourges / that is to saye bothe of the iewes Antioche and of the crysten Anticristes? Albeit by Anti­cryst / be taken al that resiste and persecu­te cristis worde: a [...] Ioan said in his tyme to be many anticristis. But because this prophecie sowneth to be spoken of the kig­dom of Antioche that is of anticryste, ne­ther be there any kingdōs vnder the son­ne Gog & Magog more contrary to cryste / then Gog and Magog / that is to weit the Mahumeti h [...]ast and the false prophete of rome with his 10 seculare hornes: with weping tea­res trwly (saith Doctour Ioan Draconi­tes) The dif­ferēce of y ^e turkis & popis do I tremble and quake to speke it▪ That vnder the name of anticrist / muste be taken the Turkis kingdom goten by [Page 135] swerde and violence & the popis kingdō kingdō. constituted by fraude and supersticion.

[Page]Nowe returne to the descripciō 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) shalbe the text & 12 ver­se. troden vnder fote vpon the erthe.

For now we see the bisshops and their sworne secular sort to defende ayēst 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 whore [...]om and all maner prodigiouse le­cheries. Wherfore it is plaine that thei mok and blaspheme the verite / euen cryst and his rightwismaking and trede down the trewthe vnder their sinfull fete. Of these bothe secular & spirituall anticrists thus saith the text.

There shall stondvp a bolde vn­shamefaced kinge euen the very blasphe­mose arrogant cotempner of god / he shal be subtyle fraudelent vnderstāding how to satiffye his couetu [...]se and libidinose lus [...]es.

This kinge shall growvp and obtaine [Page 139] his wiked plesures / non sui [...] viribus / not by his own powr & strengthe or lerning / but (as did Antiochus rob the temple) by the fraudis of the bisshops / and by the in­constant leuite of the peple. And aboue al mens estemacion he shall waast and con­sume infinite ryches of his owne & other menis. He shal abolish the trwe worship of god and bring in idolatry causing it to be spred ouer all: he shall nosel his peple with haithen rytis and ceremonies.

And he shall haue great successe & for­tune. He shal slaye many godly men / and wyn many men with great giftis / ryche byshopriks and benefices and fayer pro­myses / whom when he hathe taken with his beastly bely beightis / he shall reteine them in seruice to augment his profits & to satisfye his lustes and plesures in en­creasing his riches dignities titles and his owne carnall affectis.

But atlast without handis shal be Text. be destroid.

Antiochus was not sla [...]n of the iews / The en­de of An tiochus. but [...]s he prepared himself vnto a newe betail / being at home fyll down out of an high place and hurt himself vnto dethe as write some writers. And this heuye­chaunce was because he sawe his owne peple and all other nacions fall from him [Page] which hated him for his cruelty and des­pised him for his beasily lyuinge. For he which shulde haue bene graue sober and sadde wolde daunce and dalye amonge mommers and maskers in open tau [...]rns & stewes. He wold drinke dronken among whores in euery comon howse and skater money in the s [...]rcates / so that of many men / he was nomore called Epiphanes noble and clere but epimanis that is to saye / mad or out of his mynde.

Now conferre me the image of Antio­chus vnto oure seclare emperours / kinges popes and bishops / which studeing to rai gne aboue all in all welthy pleasures / cō ­tend to destroie those princes which wold receyue the gospell: and they s [...]inge all powrs both rulers and peple chei [...]ly to be holden with supersticion / luere and pro­fits / craftely therfore they deuyse and in­uent worshippinges and seruices which they know men will wonder at / and sone delight therin / and menis myndis miche to be moued at these their prodigiose prai­ses and apparent deuocions with admi­racions in their ▪sses therby to meryt almaner goodnes as victories aduanta­ges and prosperose successe / luere & good fortune in all their affaires. And because y ^e wyked soule cannot wayt for helpe from [Page 140] God only / therfore it seketh many Gods and siche as thei thinke wilbe sone plea­sed. And for this cause is the worship and inuocacion of dead saintis very desyero­se and accepted / sone perswaded vnto ig­norant men. Aftir this begune the chir­ches to be thrustfull of saints images wherof there folowed y ^e most fierce mad­nes in gadding and running to committe idolatry. By this wylde wodenes was y ^e doctryne of y ^e rightwysemaking by faith and the trewe religion vtterly extincted and the supersticiouse tradicions of men receyued / with fylthey vowes and syn­full sole lyuinge / difference of meatis of habits and siche lyke monstrose monkery brought into y ^e chirche. And in these mad­nesses to be inuēted they vsed serpentyne subtyltye and bolde arrogant audacite. For it is a very arrogāt act (the worde of god despysed) to institute newe worship­pings or newe doctrynes ayenst gods cō ­mandemēt or without his expresse word. And a subtyle deceyte is it to studye by what engins menis myndis mighte be trapped & snarled / & what nettis might be bent and layed to augement their An­ticrysten powr lucre and lustis. Wherfo­re by lytle and lytle as the ryches of the popis kingdome encreaced euen so shall [Page] the ryches / dominion and synfull pleasu­res grow vp and encreace in certain secu­lare kingdoms and in the Turkes to / suc­cedinge y ^e romish beast in lyke or in cruel­ler impietie & persecucion / wherfore they that be yet sworne to the Romesh whore / or to any secular sone of perdicion / they be reteined partely by supersticion & par­tely with the greate benefites and profi­tes they possesse or be in hope to receyue of these two ryche beastis. For hytherto pertayne the wordis of Daniel saing.

His innumerable ryches with his Text. apparēt prosperite shall deceiue and sley many.

That is to say. Both these Anticrysten estates shall prouok many to siewe to thē for promociō [...] and dignities which being once reteined / and they once masshed / & morteused in their courtesy palaces / fete­red with ryches / lymed with glorye and dignites / glytering in their owne concey­ted reuerence and honor / then be they ca­ptiued of Anticryst sworne to his misera­ble & dampnable seruice as ye see it this days. And as the spirituall Anticrystis kingdome is not goten nor defended by their owne strengthe / but partely by the supersticion of emperours and kings / euen so be the seculare Anticrystis ho [...]pen by [Page 141] the spirituall councels and conuocaciōs of their bisshops vnto their Anticrysten exaltacion & autorite aboue god. And all because vngodly men gladly desyer & de­fende these their owne so greate profitis. As ye se now how fiercely y ^e nobilite figh­teth to reteyne in their handis / collegis abbeis chauntres / bisshoprykes benefi­ces / &c. for their owne profite. And ayen / the kinges defende the pompe and pryde of their bisshops that they might the glo­riouslier serue them in their courtes and legacies / and might haue their hawles the gorgiouslier haunted and furnesshed with siche monstrose myters and croked crosses. And therfore sayth daniel.

☞He shall growe and that not by his owne power and might. Text.

For the one anticrysten belybeast shall klaw the tothers bak one promouing the tother. And yet in cōclusion / the one shal­be Nota. the destruccion of the tother. As did y ^t bishop Menelaius bringin and prouoked Antiochus so to rob the temple settinge before him so many ryche proyes and ie­wels and also the kingdom of the. Iewes / so cruell a slaughter of innocents made vpon the resisters of their wykednes. And Antiochus ayen made Menelaius a secular armed man with a great host ha­uinge [Page] auctorite ouer the Iewes / euen as now by the counsell and prouocacion of y ^e Bisshops to reteyne s [...]y [...] their papistry shall certeyn seculare magistra [...]s take their pleasures ouer the chirche goodis / (the very ecclesiasti offices and trw mi­nistraciōs of the worde neglected and de­spysed.) Also the seculare sort consyde­ring ☞ the bishops compelled kyndenes / to serue them ayen in their turne / shall geue them a company of armed men / at their desyers to excercise cruelty to persecute the gospell and to presse downe crystis re­ligion with their seculare swerde and to mainteine the popis poisoned doctryne / yea and that ayenst their owne conscien­ces. For albeit many princes approue not their idols and tyranny of the clergy / yet for their sakis they execute horrible cru­eltie. And in the mean tyme they reioyse & smy [...]e on themselues with smothe coun­tenances / fayning this dampnable excu­se. That they must defende the auctorite of the chirche. Also where daniel sayth.

That deceite and fraude shall pro­sper in their handis. Text.

It hath a large sence. First it signi­fieth their falsely inuented doctrynes w ^t gliteringe hypocrisye commended of the worlde / besydis this / it signifieth y ^e other [Page 142] crafty deceitfull bondis wherby the spi­ritualty hath b [...]wnd the kinges and em­prours to them / or haue minisshed their powrs plucking to themselues the seclare possessions and their auctorite. And ayen it signifieth the fraude of the secular prin­ces in pluckinge the ryches & possessions of the spiritualty into their owne handis vnder some honest colour of reformacion of the chirche / abolishment of abuses he­resies and schismes / or by promisinge to defende their false faith & false religion. And now they bothe with a woundrefull craft and wylie driftis / fayn a freshe and paintforth (I cannot tell what) certayn greate abuses and heresies / with perels to after the olde vsages / to make any in­nouacions / or to abolisshe the aunciet de­cent rytes and laudable ceremonies or co­mely customs in the chirche / or sodenly to set of the wont and olde receyued holy holy diuyne seruices. And by these crafty perswasions they incense emperours & kin­ges craftely / to persecute and sley cruelly the professors and prechers of gods wor­de / as haue the pope and his clergy labo­red these. 9. yeres to bringe the emprour vpon the Germās for receiuing the gos­pell / but y ^e Turkes soden incursions euer at those tymes letted him and them both. [Page] All these thinges daniel vnderstandeth D [...]lus. by this worde Dolus / which is crafty de­ceite or subtyle gyle and fraude. At last he sayth: That both these anticrystes thus tossinge the ball betwixt them / one kla­wing the tothers bak.

They shall be destroyd withoute Text. handis.

Wherby he signifieth that before cry­stis last cominge / the gospell shalbe pre­ched & setforth openly / which shall with­oute weapens and humane powr / smyte­downe both these anticrystes false aucto­rites and strength of both these estatis. As in the chapter folowinge he sayth: That the wyse and lerned emong the pe­ple shall teache many men to beware and auoyd Anticryst / but these shalbe smyten downe with swerde for their good doctry­ne. And then / sayth Paul / shall that wy­ked 2. thes. 2. vngodly chylde be reueled / whom y ^e lorde shall destroye and slaye with the breath of his mouth / signifying to come / that Anticrystis errours and false doctry­ne shalbe reprehended / and confuted be­fore the generall iugement / euen as the grey morning gothe before the sone vpry­singe. Here is it clere that this prophecie is now verefied and perteyneth to this oure tyme / wherein the gospell is now so [Page 143] purely and so vniuersally by gods infalli­ble prouidence publisshed bothe by bokis and prechers ouer all the worlde / as Da­niel and Paul declared it. That in these last dayes shal be great bataill and stryfe / and miche contencion ayenste these anti­cristis doctrine / themselues so cruelly de­fending it fyghtinge ayenst god & his holy worde. Wherfore here now let bothe the parties look well vpon themselues / that is bothe spirituall and seculare / and con­tempne not the monicion of the holy gost.

The name of the chirche holdeth back The na­me of the chirche. many men / that they be not against these bisshops and their seculare impes. But y ^e holy gost in daniel and Paul / cl [...]rely wit­nesseth / that kingdom (whether it be spi­rituall or seculare / Turke or Mahumet) which defendeth idolatry and sleyeth y ^e godly / not to be the chirche / but a faccion & a synfull secte reiected of god. And ther­fore Daniel exhorteth almen to forsake this Anticrysten chirche / as cryethe the aungell in the Apocalypse sayinge. Get ye forth auoyd and flye oute of Babylon. Agene / he conforteth the godly which re­b [...]ke and refute their errours certifyed themselues to haue the commandement of God for them / and in so [...]ebukinge the vngodly / they [...]e sewer to please god / all god [Page] their study to be accepted of god / and that god defendeth his own chirche / as saith daniel plainly. The lerned in the peple shall teche many and thei shall fall &c. Nethelesse he promiseth the very trwe chirche to continew and abyde ferme and faste albeit many of them be slayn for the trwthe / for thus he saith.

The peple which know their god shall haue the victory &c. Text.

Let vs therfore not be afraid to steke to the profession of the trwe doctrin / nether let our myndis be hurt nor disquieted al­though our aduersaris crye neuerso lowd calling vs sediciouse / heretiques / luthe­rans / zwinglians sacramentaries &c. in­censing and stering vp bothe emperowrs & kinges withe the turke to / to kill vs most cruelly. But yet shall not these two hole kingdoms / the seclar and spirituall anti­crystis fall quyte awaye before the laste daye / but some parte in ether of thē shall abyde whom cryste shall destroy at his co­ming. The same signifieth the Apocalyp­se speking of the false prophete to be cas [...]e into the deuouringe botomles stinkinge pitt of hell. Ioan o [...] cosampa di [...]. 1. Iod. 2.

Now yese anticryst to be one and many in succcessiō / whether thei be ecclesiasti [...] or seculare / turke or Mahumete / euen si­che [Page 144] as be gone forth of vs (saith Ioan) & were neuer of our sorte / sitting (as saith paul) in the place of God blaspheminge the name of god and persecuting his chir­che / ye may therfore compare our anticri­stis to Antiochus in euery one of his wi­ [...]ed deadis and blody persecu [...]ion of gods peple / in robbyng and destroing the tem­ple of God / and thei that be deceiued of him ar seduced worthely for their sinnes. For this is the most greuouse plage / euē to be castenvp of god to obay and beleue false doctrine / and therfore saithe Paul / 2 thes. 2. shall god send or caste them vp into the most stronge illusions to beleue lyes that all shuldbe dampned which haue not be­leued the trwthe / but haue approued and consented to vnrightwysnes. This anti­cryst (saith Paul) shall worke his fraudes in them that be forlorn because thei recei­ued not the loue of the trwth wherby thei might haue ben saued. There ar this day Iasons Alcimus and M [...]nelai [...]sses be­trayers traditours simoniaks sent vs, [...]uē the childern of this world / very blod thir­sters and whore mongers whiche for the trwe worship of god bring in idolatry / ad­ [...]outry, despising faith and loue in which god is cheifly worshiped / out of these mō ­sters there brekein vpon vs tyrantis exe [Page] cuting their tyranny aboue mesure with out pitie which may not heare the glorye and worde of god spoken of. These, these ar the very rank cheiftains of all hereti­kes / bold / arrogant and vnshamefaced / these ar not ashamed to lye openly in pul­pits / nether be thei ashamed what and how great opē crymes or mischeif so euer thei commit. These men had leifer al the worlde to be ouerthrone then thei wolde once ceasse and goba [...] or recant their opē ­ly preched errours and sinfullnes.

☞ These men vnderstād problemes. Text. Thei be the most wylye sophisters & sub­tyle serpentes to stinge with their tayles whyles they flater with their tongues and if this venomose dart perse not / thē vse thei violence and powr. Thei cā a false glose & peruert the plain te yis of the clere scriptures and make them to serue their owne sinful affectis & to seme to agree with their false religion / their articles / and faithe / then borow thei the seculare swerde with violence cōpelling men to beleue & folow them cruelly damp­ninge many a soule. Loke vpon the multi­tude of their semely sinful ceremonies / il­laudable Romissh rytes troublose tradi­cions. And ayen beholde withe how fewe single pure and easye institucions cryste [Page 145] orned and not onered his chirche. Godli­nes is turned with these anticristis into lucre and al ve [...]tew into vice. Thei wre­ste the worde to serue their affeccions. The sacraments thei haue made their money nettis: their prayers without min­de / their fasting without abstinēce: their viciouse vowes without chastit [...] / & their almose without all mercie & pitie. Their seruice and worship without hope faith and feare. And euē the lordis souper how far haue thei brought it from the first in­stitucion of cryste▪ verely so farre / that e­uen the very trw name and vse therof be clene loste, makinge therof a mis [...]ye mask or [...]sse & a sinful solde sacrifice / whiche when men wolde restore to the firste puri­te / then thei crye & complaine that men wold take awaye from the chirche Iuge sacrificium / that is their comon continu­all [...]ke [...]. Then thei s [...]launder gods wor­de and his chirche withe heresye / then ar men sacramentaries. And here, here is Mat. 24. that grete destruccion wherof daniel and cryste speketh / euen the castinge down of the sonne mone & starres of heuen / that is of the worde / of the gospel / and lyght / and of the trewe prechers whiche be the starres and light of the worlde. But who may e [...]presse the vnshamefaced arrogāt [Page] boldenes and serpentine fraudes of anti­cryste? He is the moste crafty deceyuer & perrellouse ypocryte sewed and blown to gither of all lyes falshed and gyle. Thou seest ouer him simple shepes clothes / but vnder them there lurketh a wylye wolfe / y ^e ryches of his chirche he calleth peters patrimonye▪ crystis possession, and spiritu tuall goodis / but nether pore peter nor na­ked criste shalbe partakers of thē: Thou hearest them called bisshops and pastors but thei fede themselues / & poyson other men / and watche for their own aduaunta­ge. Thei be called doctours and yet with out all godly doctrine. Thei boste their holy orders / and all is confusion amonge themselues without all good order. Thei be gostly fathers and yet ar thei merciles murtherers of their own childern. Thou hearest of their chastite / but all the worl­de woūdereth of their prodigiouse aduou­trye. So that no tōgue may expresse their filthei abominable lecherye and their o­pen Hither­to Ioan ecolam­padius. crymes with their blody bocherye. But let the sonne of perdicion perisshe / & absolue we the chapter / the aungel yet spe king with daniel / sayinge.

But the visiō of the said euening Text. and morninge is the trowthe. And seal thou vp the vision for aftir a longe tyme [Page 146] it shalbe fulfilled. And I Daniel was troubled & say syke certein daies but aftir that I was amēded / I rose and procured the kings buisinesse. But I mused miche of this vision / which noman coulde vn­derstande.

The naturall daye continuinge from none to none / conteineth the eueninge & morninge so that the 2300 dayes contai­ning 6 yere and an half / was trwthe / for so long did Antiochus persecute and pla­ge gods peple in the ende of the thirde & macedoni▪ monarchy. The persecuciō du­red not a ful hebdomade and the temple An heb­doma. is 7. yeres. was prophaned by half an hebdoma / that is 3 yere and an half / certifying vs that the transitory and momentanye lyghtnes of our affliccion / bringeth forth aboue me­sure the euerlasting waight of glorye vn­to vs whyles in hope we beholde not the 2 Cor. 4. thinges sene but the things which be not yet sene. Nether shall our god suffer vs to be tempted & persecuted aboue owr we­akenes. Wherfore the sone of god wolde by this confirmacion cōfort not onely da­niel and his peple but also the chosen w ^c 1 Cor. 10. shuld lyue thē in y ^e tyme of that anticryst Antiochus / and vs also which yet lyue in our anticristes dayes. And where he bid­deth him seal vp or close vp the vision / he [Page] willeth therby none in the mean tyme to vnderstande and remember it but the cho­sen of god. And aftir that it shuld be ful­filled / thē of al men to be felt and known to some mens payns. for many men ly­ning yet in great welth ease and securite wyll neuer be monished tyll the floude so­denly ouerwhelme thē. Daniel was ther­fore boden to seal it vp from siche welthy sorowl [...]e persones yet lyuing in vngod­ly securite: but to his disciples criste said Luk 8. vnto you is it geuen to know the secretis of god / and not to [...]other / to whom I will speke in derke parables. Daniel doutles vnderstode all this vision beter then any int [...]rpretour that yet expowneth it besy­des the aungel. But as he pressed Paul 2. Cor. 12 so did he refrayne daniel leste by the gre­te excellencie of so highe a reuelacion he shuld haue ben puft vp. And therfore was he made syke leste he shuld haue ben ex­tolled by siche highe secrete visions. Af­tir the vision and his sykenes he went a­boute the kinges busynes / wold god al co­uns [...]llers What kīg [...] coū ­ [...]rs shuld do of kinges were first thus como­ned with of cryste / had sene siche visions and kn [...]w the interpretacions and were so handled as was Daniel cre thei toke kinges and emperowrs businesses in han­de▪ daniel mused of this vision / but nomā [Page 147] coulde declare it to him. To all them therfore (sayth cryst) that haue a desyer & stu­dye to knowe Gods will / it shalbe geuen them / but to them that haue not / it shal­be taken from them. Some expositours thinke this vision therfore to be hyden / and sealled vp for the tyme / lest the Ie­wes hearinge therof and knowing them­selues to suffer yet more so greuouse ca­lamities and plages in Ierusalem / they wolde haue taryed rather styll in Baby­lon & neuer haue made haast homewarde Oure sauiour Cryst Iesus which taught Daniel to vnderstande all theis visions he mought so teche vs daniels brethern / that we might thorow him lyue euerla­sting with daniel in heauen with god the father and the holy gost. So be it.

Vnto daniel praying for the remission The ar­gument of the. ix chapter. of his and the peples synnes and for the returne of the peple into their owne coū ­trye / it is shewed playnely them to retur­ne home agene / to restaure their cyte and temple / which done / within. 490. yeres / Messias to be borne which shuld perfor­me all things prophecied in the lawe and prophetis. Who by the most horrible syn­nes of the Iewes slayne / the Romans shulde destroye vtterly all Iewry with their comon weall. A lyke mater fynde ye [Page] not in all the scriptures. In the. 8. chap. ye haue sene how greuouse affliccions shuld come ouer the Iewes by Antiochus and their owne bishops in the thirde mo­narchie. Now shall ye see what horrible calamities folowed in the. iiii. and last Monarchie / euen the most cruell destruc­cion that euer was of the Iewes / & what greuouse persecucions oure Anticrystes vnder this last monarchie shall excercy­se to the ende of the worlde. For in this last monarchie it was prophecied cryst to be borne and crucifyed / whose death and persecucion both of his owne bodye of his members and of his allmighty sauinge worde / because it is the most horrible bla­sphemye and greuousest cryme / it requi­reth the most heuey plage and most mer­cilesse blodye destruccion. Now therfore awake ye persewers of cryst and his wor­de / lyft vp youre heuye headis / & repent / be ye conuerted to god / for the axe of his wrath is nowe bent at the tree rote / the swerde is drawne and forth stretched to smyte downe the wyked persewers of his worde.

☞ In making my prayer vnto the lor­de Text. my God / I confessed my self sayinge: Daniels prayer. I beseche the oh lorde god / greate and to be feared / kepinge couenant and mercye with them that loue the and obserue thy preceptis heare me. We be synners and haue offended / we haue done vngodly / and are fallen from thy commandement and gone bake from thy lawes. We haue not heard thy seruāts the prophets which in thy name taught and spake to oure kin­ges to oure rulers / to oure fathers and to all the peple of the lande. With the (oh lorde) is rightwysnes / but shame is now [Page 150] vnto vs / as thou seist it / euen to vs the Iewes cytisens of Ierusalem / & Israe­lits nyghe and farre of dispersed and sca­tered of the into all the nacions for these synnes which we haue committed ayenst the. Oh god / ours is the shame / euen the shame of oure owne kinges of oure rulers and of oure fathers because both we and they haue synned ayenst the. But it is thy propertie / oh lorde / bothe to haue mercye and to forgeue vs / for we haue forsaken the / we haue not obeyed the voyce of oure lorde god to lyue aftir his lawe setforth before vs by his seruants the prophetes. For all Israel hath transgressed thy la­we / yea and hath fallen bak from the / the [...] haue not obeyed thy voyce. Because we haue thus synned / lo the curse and othe wryten in the lawe of Moses thy seruāt / are powred forth vpon vs. He hath payd vs in dede w ^t his worde which he spake ayenst vs and oure iuges / which shulde haue tolde vs the lawe so that they haue brought vs into so great calamite / that vnder the hole heuen is there not so dealt with any nacion as it is now happened to Ierusalem. For as it is wryten in the lawe of Moses / euen so are all the plages Deu. 27. and curses casten vpon vs. Nether called we vpon oure lorde God for grace to go [Page] fro and forsake our wykednes and to kno­we thy trewthe. Wherfore god hath not slept to caste these miserable plages vpō vs / for i [...]sre is the lorde our god in all his works he doth. Ah / we haue not obeid his voice. Nowe therfore Oh lorde our God whiche haste ledforth thy peple out of the londe of Egypt by thy powr so mighty / & therby didist get thyself so great a name which yet vnto this daye thou e [...]ioyeste. But [...]e ar the sinners and haue lyued so vngodly and wykedly. Oh sorde / for thy moste excellent rightwysemakinge sake let thy wrathe go from vs / and thy anger from thy cyte Ierusalem that same thy ho­ly hill and be blown ouer it. Fore owr sin­nes and for y ^e wykednesses of our fathers Ierusalem and thy peple are made an ig­nominiouse lawghig stok vnto owr dwel­lers Exo. 15. rownde aboute vs. Now therfor (our Baruh. 2 god) heare the supplicacion of thy seruant hear his prayers beseching the to shewe a merciable countenaunce vpon thy holy temple thus desolated and destroid / Oh forde god shewe it / for the lordis sake in­cline thyne eare (my god) and heare / open thyne eyes and behold how desolated we be / and howe forsaken is thy cyte whiche bereth thy name. For not in our own pray­ers powered forth befor the▪ do we allege [Page 151] oure owne rightwysenes / but thy most ry­che infinite mercye bring we forth for vs. Ah lorde / heare / lorde be mercyfull and spare vs / lorde attende / helpe / and ceas­se not / my God / euen for thy nowne sake do it / for thy cyte and thy peple are called aftir thy name.

Oh / how full of humble and feruent affectis is this prayer. Daniel himselfe was in hyghe fauor with the kinge and in no bondage nor affliccion / but the sorow that he [...]oke was for the calamitie of the peple / desolacion of the temple / and neg­lect of Gods worship. And are there not now as greate occasions geuen vs to we­pe and to praye thissame prayer? verely yf we beholde these troublos laste blody dayes and the cruell persecucion of the crystianes in euery lande / the famyne / y ^e murthers / the dearthe / and the trwe wor­ship of God extincted with idolatrye / in how dampnable a state all the worlde is / how rype and ranke is all synne and ini­quite / what vanites lyes falsehed errors deceite enuy [...] rankor theft whordō pryde hypocrise raigne / and all trewth rightwy­senes with fayth and loue to be exyled / we wold verely confesse with Daniel all these plages and pun [...]sshemēts to come ouer vs worthely for o [...]e owne greuouse [Page] and manifold sinnes. But what do owr wea bisshops and prelats which shuld in this [...] playe daniels parte withe prayers? Thei persecute & sowe forthe al y ^e seads of al these calamities & mischeif. Ah lorde that this owr age is thus desti­tute of Daniel. Sende vs oh lorde some daniels for cristis sake. But to the payer.

This place standeth of prayer and re­pentance flowing forthe out of the know­lege of the lawe and gospell. For as doth all the scripture / so doth this prayer brea­the forth here & there y ^e law and gospell. Repētan ce. Wherfore because repentance or contrici­on the mother of prayer bringe forth the confessi­on. confession of sinnes and this confession prayth to auoid the punisshements / and Faith. prayer. the paines of syne to be put away / for that she considereth the comminacions of the lawe / and prayth for remission according to y ^e promises of the gospel / let vs note w ^c parte of the prayer expresseth the lawe & which the gospel. Daniel begineth of the confession or prayse of the rihtwysenes of god gouerning the world with his threa­tenings and promises. For where he cal­leth god great and terrible he signifieth god by the execucion of his threatenings to shew himself greater & ferefuller then all his enimies euen the brekers of his [Page 152] 10. wordis. But where he saith / god to ke­pe couenant with them that loue him / he shewth God by the fulfilling of his pro­mises to geue a thousande folde more be­nefits and goodnes to the godly thē thei be able to aske or deserue.

Daniel remembring the prophecye of Ieremie was moued thꝰ to pray / teching vs / in trouble to fetche consolaciō at the promises of god by reading y ^e scriptures / here be we taught that albeit god had pro­mised to bringe them home ayē / yet wold he vs instantly to praye and to aske the sa­me God wold vs to aske both bo­dely and gostly be­nefits. benefit of himself to thentēt that our faith shuld be exercised by prayers & in­uocacion / as saith cryste / aske and ye shal receyue your peticions. Also call vpon me in the tyme of your tribulacion & I shall delyuer you. He willeth also by this mea­nis our repentance to encreace / as saith zacharie. Be ye turned to me and I shall turne me to you. And in that he praith for the restoring of the congregacion / he ge­ueth vs example vnfainedlye with hert to lament the persecuciō and calamities of cristis chirche and to pray god to encre­ace gouern and preserue it. It displeaseth god greuouslye when men sitting in ease and securite be not moued with pitie at y ^e Amos. [...] calamities troubles and persecucions of [Page] the pore chirche of god as Amos complai­neth / sai [...]g w [...] be to the weal [...] ryche / w ^c be not moued with heuin [...] a [...]d pietie to see Ioseph whiche is y ^e peple of god brokē slayn and persecuted. Daniel therfore cō ­sideringe this thing with pitie / begineth his prayer w ^t so greuouse an heuye sorow­full sighe and complaynt of their sinnes reciting their great payns and afflicci­ons. Which praier we ought dayly now to praye togither in the chirches. Here is setforth the doctrine of repentance. For daniel aknowlegeth the sinnes of the pe­ple attributina to god the praise of right­wysmakinge and that he had iustely pu­nisshed them. Then he prayth for the re­mission of their sinnes and to be reducte into their londe. It is therfore the begin­ing of repentance or contricion to aknole The be­gining of repentā ­ce. ge the wrath of god ayenst our sinnes / to feare him / and to lamēt that we haue of­fended our so graciouse god / to geue him laude and prayse for that he hath by iuste punisshment calde vs bake to obaye him / paciently suffering his hande. This con­fession daniel reciteh saing: with the (oh lorde) is there rightwysnes / but with vs is ther open confusion and shame to our faces. This is the very voice of trwe con­tricion 31. and [...]1 as hath the psal. I said I shal cō [Page 153] fesse my sinnes to the lorde and he forga­ue me my iniquities Ayene. Ayenst y ^e saith Dauid [...] I [...]tels but a sinner & euil in thy sight haue I done / that thou shuldst be fownde trw in thy promises and ouer come whē thou art iuged: that is to saye / The ve [...] se of the psal. ex­powned. I knowlege myself to be not els but a sin ner and giltie in thy sight / vt iustificeris that is. In thus confessing myself I prei­se and declare thy iust punisshment & also thy victory whyles peruerse ypocrites iu­ge the (oh lorde) to be to roughe and rigou­rose ayenst this owrsinfull nature accu­sing and condēpning thy iuste iugemēts for that thei cannot submitt themselues worthy to suffer thy hande, aknowleging themselues worthely punisshed. And he­re is the grinning anger & preuey poison in menis hertis ere thei can confesse god iustly to plage them fortheir sinnes / and so confesse their sinnes to him and hum­bly aske forgeuenes / as ye may see in the 3. verse of the. 32. Psal. dauid saing why­les Psal. 32. I now helde my tongue and woldnot confesse my secrete sinnes / there tormen­ted me greuouse vexacion euen in my bo­nes with continuall out roring. For daye and night thy hand ley so heuey vpon me pressing me down that my moistnes was turned into the somer drynes. And ther­fore [Page] Paul oft inculketh these two wordis. God to be declared iuste and also iustify­ing / that Rom. 3. we might prayse him whylis he iustely punissheth vs and then not ascri­bing to ourselues any parte of our right­wyse making: but beleue that god is the onely iustifier / that is / oureselues then to be pronownced iustifyed / when god hath me [...]y on vs and forgeueth our sinnes. It is sone said. God is iuste and iustifying / but out of the botome of our hertes paci­ently with teares to aknowlege the grete­nes of our sinnes and to fele ourselues iustly punisshed for them and so humbly to aske forgeuenes for onely crystis sake / is sampsons worke and hercules labor. Necessary / it is / this doctrine of repentā ­ce and contricion to be ofte and continu­ally preched to y ^t chirches that thei might trwly aknolege their sinnes to God / and for their sinnes verely know it / all these calamities affliccions warre and plages to be powerd forth vpon them. As Ieremie saith. 5. Owr sinnes haue thrust all good­nes from vs. And that in so doinge our lorde god declareth himself iuste & right­wise in all his workis and is not the au­tor of euil though thei apere euill to owe sinfull nature euil iuging of god whiche will haue the victory when he is thus iu­ged. [Page 154] But fayth must be the companion of Fayth must be annexed to trewe penance this cōtricion and setfast holde vpon the promises. As here daniel not onely saith / with the / oh sorde / there is iust dealinge & rightwysnes in punisshinge / but he ad­deth also / with the is ther mercy and for­geuenes / by which so ofte repeted, he play nely excludeth oure owne meryts / ad­dinge / not in oure rightwysnes and iuste lyuing do we aske it of y ^t / but for thy great mercyes sake and for thy nowne anoyn­ted crystis sake. Let vs therfore vse these prayers and exercise these doctrynes vn­to the which both the publyke and priua­te calamities shulde excite vs. And na­mely now when the chirche of cryst is no lesse persecuted then it was in the Ba­bylony [...] exylie. Wherfore this prayer ought now in the congregacions to be as effectuously and as feruently sunge and sayd for the chirches as did daniel in his lyke troublose dayes.

And whylis I was speking in my Text. prayer and confessinge myn owne synnes and the synnes of my peple Israel / and layinge forth my supplicacion before the lorde my god for the holy hyll of my god / whylis I was (I saye) yet in prayinge / Afore in y ^e. 8. chap the man Gabriel whom afore I had sene in my vision / came swystly fleinge vnto [Page] me and touched me aboute the eueninge oblacion tyme / teaching me / and speking with me saing. Daniel now am I comen forth to geue y ^e knowleg. Nethelesse asso­ne as thou beganest to praye thy prayers were graunted fermely / but I am come to tell it the / because thou art so desyerou­se to knowne these thinges / that thou moughtst in very dede by expresse worde knowe it / and vnderstande the vision.

Here must ye returne to the vision of daniel in the later ende of the. 8. chap. cō ­cerninge Anticryst / wherof Daniel was more troubled then certifyed / which vi­sion was tolde him to come to passe aftir a long tyme and was boden to close vp the vision / but so that this vision was euer in his mynde / studeinge therof & de­syering to knowe it more clerely / & therfo­re the aungell calleth him here y ^e man of desyers or couetinge to knowe these thin­ges in his dayly prayers: but now at last he seing that the. lxx. yeres of their cap­tiuite were past and more then. xl. yeres also ouergone he prayed most effectuous­ly and feruently with expresse wordis as ye haue sene it. Wherfore y ^e aungell Ga­briel is come to him to teache him more clerely of the vision. By this Daniels prayer and confession we ought to lerne [Page 155] how studiouse and sorowfull we shuld be for other mens afflicciōs euen as for oure [...]. It is therfore a great offence not to be moued with pitie at the plages of the peple comitted to thy cure and not to pray for them / which I confirme with y ^e exam­ple of Samuel saying: Far fro me be this synne / that I shuld ceasse to pray god for you and to teache you the righte waye. Also in that the aungell came so swiftly and touched him spekinge with him so fa­miliarely / it is shewed vs / the aungels to be the seruants and ministers to the chosen at all tymes redye to standby & te­che the prechers and techers of the wor­de in thinges concernynge oure helthe and saluacion. Also of the aungels wor­dis saynge: Thy peticion was graunted ere thou beganest to praye / we be taught / that before we begyne to praye / oure peti­cions Isa. 65. to be hearde in heuen / the lorde say­inge: Before they shall calle vpon me I shall answere them / whylis yet they be spekinge I will heare them. Also as Da­niels example inflammeth vs to praye to God and to beleue oure prayers to be hearde before they be ended / euen so doth Gabriels example counforte vs to be­leue aungels to be present w ^t be praying / and to fight for vs alwayes ayenst the ga tis [Page] of hell. But Gabriel exciteth daniel to be attent that he might in very dede & in expresse wordes vnderstand the vi­sion. Wherfore let vs heare Gabriel de­claring playnly y ^t tyme of crystis coming / his death / oure redempcion / the ceassing of the Iewes ceremonies / the prechinge of the gospell / the takinge awaye of y ^e syn­nes and vtter fall of the Iewes comon we all. And here is to be noted / that when the peple in captiuite thought all the pro­phecies of cryst to be frustrate / and them­selues almost in despayer: then god of his mercye conforted them with this assewe­red promise of Messias to come saying:

☞ Lxx. hebdomades ther be prefixed Text. and apointed for thy peple and forthy ho­ly Of y ^t. 70. hebd. an hebdo. is 7. yeres space. cytie / and then shall synnes be consu­med sealed vp and [...]ouered / and iniquite purged / and the euerlasting rightwysnes brought forthe / visions and prophecies shalbe then sealed vp / and the moste ho­ly one shalbe anoynted. Wherfore knowe thou and vnderstande it / that from the tyme wherin it is proclamed that Hieru­salem be buylded agene / vnto the prince Messias: the [...] be. vii. hebdomads / &. 62. hebdomads. For the streatis and wallis shalbe reedifyed: but a long and hard ty­me ere they be seteled in quiet. Or (as ha­the [Page 456] some textis) albeit in an hard tyme with difficulte.

Where and when we shuld begyne the rekening of these. 70. hebdo. which make 490. yeres / ther hath bene myche variāce amōge y ^t wryters / but now is y ^e prophecye of daniel. 12. chap. fulfylled / sayng: Many shall turne ouer this boke & there by shall their knowledge be encreaced. The text sayth: From the proclamacion of y ^e buyl­dinge ayen of Ierusalem / but it sheweth not of whose proclamacion. Ther were. 2 proclamaciōs as ye reade in. 1. of Esdras. The first was geuen forth by Lyrus im­mediatly aftir the ende of the. lxx. yeres in the first yere of Lyrus. And the secon­de by Darius in his seconde yere aftir da­niel had made his prayer. Betwixt the first proclamacion and the seconde there were. xlii. yeares in all the which tyme y ^e buylding ceassed and was letted nothing in a maner done / tyll the. 2. yeare of this Darius and then begane they a fresshe at his cōmandement and licence to buyl­de / so that in the. 6. yere of Darius y ^e tem­ple was finisshed. And aftir y ^t finisshinge of the temple / ther were. xii. yeres ere y ^e cyte and wallis were full made. And ther fore the text saith: That the streatis and wallis shalbe reedifyed / but in so harde [Page] and troublose a tyme that long shall it be ere they be seteled therein as before. For there were. lxx. yeres from y ^e first lycence ere all was finisshed and the Iewes all returned and setled in Ierusalem. For as­sone as the. lxx. yeres of their captiuite were expyred / the Iewes by the fauour of Lyrus / some repared into Iudea with gold and gyftis of the king Lyrus where with he bode them buylde their temple. Then as sone as they came there they buylded an altare & prepared themselues spedely to buylde their temple laying the foundacions therof: but they were letted of their purpose more then. xlii. yeares. Nethelesse at last vnder Darius Longi­mane Lxx. ye­res in ca ptiuite / &. 70. in redify­inge. the temple was buylded vp in. 4. yeares and dedicated. Aftir this / retur­neth Esdras from Babylon which resto­red their lawes and iugements and cor­rected certeyn greate vices of the peple / and of the bisshops and preistis of the cō ­gregacion / which they had souktoute of y ^e gentyles and heythen, in those. 140. yeres brought vp amonge them. Aftir Esdras there came Nehemias from the captiuite into the holy lande / which restored and with wallis defended the cyte. This sto­ry conteyneth. lxx. yeares. For from the first yere of Lyrus vnto y ^e. xx. yere of Da­rius [Page 157] Longimani there be gathered. lviii. yeres / & from thence forth to his. 32. yere (he raigned. 37. yere) are gathered. 12. ye­res wherin the wallis and cyte were resto­red / which all make. lxx. troublose yeres. Here maye we se the wrath of god ayenst synners punisshed and plaged aboue. 100 yeres / albeit they were his derely peculia­re peple. But yet be we counforted ayen seinge at last how happely God stered vp Darius Longima. to accomplesshe their desyers. This miche be said for the storye and tyme of the buylding ayen of the tem­ple and cyte. Nowe let vs ere we reken these. lxx. hebdomads treate the bene­fits promised to be receyued and brought vs with Cryste.

First he sayth: The synnes shalbe cō ­fumed The be­nefits of god exhi bited by cryst. / transgressions kouered and ini­quite purged &c. Oh good god / whatso­euer goodnes in all the scriptures / god by and for crysts sake hath promised himself to geue to mankynde / that same doth da­niel prophecye here / to be geuen vs aftir / and in the ende of these. lxx. hebdomads that is in the ende of. 490. yeres. Trans­gressions to be consumed / is, God neuer more to impute nor reken / nor remember Synnes consu­med. the synnes of the repentante beleuers in cryst: as himself sayth: Thy synnes shall [Page] I neuer remember. Synnes to be couered Iere. 31. is the vnperfit obediēce of the lawe and Ezec. 18. the not fulfylling of the same, to not be im­puted to the beleuers for crystis sake the fulfyllinge of the lawe for vs. His right­wysenes and fulfylling of the lawe koue­reth oure vnrightwysnes and oure bre­kinge of the lawe: for he is the perfit ful­nes 1. Cor. 1. Rom. 10. and .8. of the lawe to iustifye euery beleuer: For whoso is borne of God / synneth not: Vnto them that loue god / all thinges ten­de 1. Ioā. 3. vnto their saluacion. Rom. 8. Iniqui­te to be pourged / is the beleuers thorow Iniqui­te to be purged. only fayth in the death and resurreccion of cryst / from the malediccion of the lawe or perpetuall dampnacion to be delyue­red and to obtayne the benediccion promi­sed to Abraham which is eternall salua­cion. As Moses exalted the serpent so it behoued the sone of man to be lyfted vp on the crosse that the beleuers perish not but haue lyfe euerlastinge. Of the expia­cion of synnes read the epistle to the He­brewes euen the very maistres techinge to discerne cryste from Moses. The euer­lastinge the euer­lastinge rightwy­senes. rightwysnes or the rightwysnes of worldis aftir the Hebrewe phrase) is cryste / so made of the father vnto all that by fayth and confidence reche the mercy of god promised them in / & for crystis pas­sion [Page 158] and therby onely to be saued and re­kened rightwyse. Thorow out all y ^e age [...] of the worlde vnto the ende / haue / & shal­be all faythfull iustifyed for beleuing cry­ste to be their rightwysnes / holynes / re­dempcion and reconciliacion vnto oure 1. Cor. 1. father celestiall. Abraham so beleued & it was rekened him for rightwysnes. My iu Isa. 53. ste seruant / in the knowlege of him / shall iustifye many / for he bereth awaye y ^e syn­nes of them. The iust lyueth of his fayth Hytherto perteyneth whatsoeuer is in y ^e gospell of Ioan & in the epistles of Paul to the Rom. and Galathēs spoken of the article of iustificacion / with this perpe­tuall rightwysnes God hath sealled vp ratifyed and sayd Amen to all the visions promises and prophecies seene and spo­ken by the mouthes of all the prophetes. So that whatsoeuer benefit helthe or sal­uacion God hath promised / the same the beleuers do aske in crystis name and ob­teyne it for crystis sake. For cryst was ma­de Rom. 1 [...]. the minister of circumcision for the verite of god vnto the promises made to oure fathers to be confirmed. This most holy one to be anoynted / is cryste which did no synne / to be made of god for vs the Rom. 8. expiacion and clensinge offrance vpon y ^e altare of the crosse for oure synnes / that [Page] we so beleuing might be made the right­wysnes 2. Cor. 5. of god thorow him / of whose ful­nes Ioan. 1. we all receyue grace and forgeuenes for that loue and fauour which god the fa­ther Anoyn­ted. bereth vnto cryste. To be anoynted / is to be sent to preche the lawe and gos­pell by the holy goost signifyed by oyle. 1. Ioan. 2 Isa. 61. The anoyntinge of preistis and kinges / them to preche / and these to se their doc­tryne obserued & the transgressours pu­nisshed / prefigured the anoynting of cryst with the spirit and him to be bothe kinge and preiste. We maye here tremble & qua­ke to see the horrible wrath of god ayenst synne / for by no maner wyse might death, the rewarde of synne, be taken awaye but onely by the death of y ^e sone of man Iesu cryst / nor lyfe be repared but by the resur­reccion of the sone of God Iesu Cryste. But this holy anoynted hath god the fa­ther signed and sealled (as Ioan sayth) euen onely cryst hath he sent that all that Ioan. 6. beleue / thorow him shulde lyue euerla­sting. Wherfore as the chirche before cry­stis incarnacion counforted herself with this promise of god / that aftir. 490. yeres the sauiour of the worlde shuld come and [...]xx heb dom. are 490. ye­res. reigne whyles yet the comon weall of Ie­rusalem shuld endure / euen so / we which abyde and loke for his second coming cō ­firme [Page 159] oure fayth meruellously by the sa­me testimonye and receyue therby greate consolacion. These infinite ryche bene­fits receyued by cryst thus breifly decla­red / let vs haast to the rekeninge of the hebdomadis.

First in generall Daniel propowneth The re­keninge of the 70 hebdom. lxx. hebdo. yet to come forthe restauring of the temple and cyte and for the Ie­wes vnto crystis coming into flesshe and so forth to the vtter destruccion of the cy­te / of the Iewes / & of their comon weall / rytes / sacrifices / cere. &c. before y ^e which miserable destruccion all these thinges prophecied of Cryst shulde be fulfylled. Then he diuideth this hole nowmber in­to. the first diuision of y ^e heb. & into. 7. hebdom. 3. speciall partes / that is / into. 7. hebd. and into. lxii. hebdo. and at last into one hebdo. It is iuged of some that he bega­ne with. 7. hebdom. multiplyed by. x. ty­mes. 7. so to make. 70. yeres / hauing a re­spect to these. 70. troublose yeres wherin the cyte and temple were so long letted and hindred of their buyldinge ere they cold be setled / which was thought a very long tyme to men in trouble holden so longe from their desyered natiue lande & thirsting so feruently their cytie and tem­ple to be restored that they might the fre­lyer / exercyse their religion. And therfo­re. [Page] Some wryters begine the acompte at the first yere of Cyrus / for it was an har­de 7. heb. be 49 yeres & heuye ceason to them / all these first 7 hebdomads which make. xlix. yeares in which last hebdom. that is in the. 46. yere the temple was finisshed / as the Iewes tolde Cryste / sayinge. 46. yeare hath this Ioan. 2. temple bene in buyldinge / and wilt thou breke it downe and redifie it in. 3. dayes? They that begine y ^e rekeninge of these. 7. and. 62. hebdom. (which make. 483. yeres) 7. hebdo. at king Cyrus first yere / do ende it at cry­stis &. 62. heb be. 483. yeres. birthe. The aungell calleth the space of these first. 7. hebdom▪ a straight or har­de tyme / for because that whylis they we­re buyldinge their cyte and temple / they were so molested & assawted of their eni­myes lettinge and resistinge their buyl­ding / that they wrought with one hande / holding their swerdis in the tother han­de / nether made they their morter nor did other labours aboute it / but were gyrte with swerdis hauinge weapens redy by them / which difficultye techeth vs that the chirche of cryst with the gospell can­not be edifyed withoute lyke difficultye and perell to the buylders and prechers / the aduersaries euer resistinge with con­trary cōmandements / inhibicions & pro­hibicions of emprour & kingis & greuou▪ [Page 160] se persecuciōs by their inquisitors / as we see it this daye / so strongly letted by the emprour / and popish kingis blaspheming the gospell with names of heresye / & the trewe prechers they call heretiques.

Some begine to reken from the. 2. yere of Darius Longimane ending the. lxix. hebdom. (which contayn. 4 [...]3. yeres) at y ^e baptisme of cryst being then. xxx. yere of age. And these men take the last hebdom. for the. 7. yeres folowing / that is sor the. 3 yeres & an half wherein he preched & was crucifyed / & for the. 3. yeres and half aftir Bylian­der & bul linger w ^t th [...]irchi [...] che. his resurreccion. [...]other greate lerned and men of sharpe and syncer iugement / begine at the. 32. yeare of Darius Longi­mane / and ende these. lxix. hebdomads iust at Crystis birthe diligently proued / first by the wordis of the aungell saying: Ab exitu verbi vt restituatur Hierusa­lem / that is / from the full accomplishmēt of the thinge proclamed / concerninge the reedifying of Hierusalem / which accom­plishment and full finishment of the wor­ke was done in the. 32. of Darius Longi. Now from the. 32. yere of Darius Longi­mane vnto the birthe of cryst be / 7. hebd. and. 62. hebdo. yeres 483. which accompt (because y ^e storyes of the Byble here ces­sed by y ^e reason of so troublouse a captiuite [Page] and tyme) is certeynly gathered of these lerned men by the Grekis Olympiad [...] the most sewerst accompt and rekeninge. Now aftir these men remayneth the last hebdomade in which cryst was borne and slayne and Ierusalem destroyd. For this last hebdomade must nedis be of a nother rekeninge saye they multiplyed by. 10. to make. lxx. yeres / which space runeth be­twixt the birth of cryst and the vtter de­struccion of the comon weall of the Ie­wes by Titus themprour of Rome. For the prophecie by these. lxx. hebd. recheth from the buyldinge of the cytie to the fy­nall destruccion of the same as ye shall se it here playne in the text / wherfore it cannot ende in any one hebdo of. 7. yeres / but in y ^e hebd. of. 70. yeres / as did the spa­ce from the first proclamacion by Cyrus to the finishment in the. 32. of Darius cō ­tayne lykewyse. lxx. yeares. Also it is to be noted that as y ^e aungell begineth his accompt at the Iewes full lybertie & full finishment of their temple and cyte / euen so endeth he his rekening in their full ly­bertie and perfite saluacion offred them by cryste / and at their vtter destruccion for slayinge him so iently offred them.

But me thinketh / that this nowmber of these. lxx. hebd. begun at Cyrus / shuld [Page 161] not be so contynued / that the one and last hebdom. shulde immediately folowe the lxii. hebd. because the aungell hauinge rather a respect to the storyes and gestis done in ether of them / distributeth them into. 3. partes / firste geuing to the. 7. heb. the buylding of the cytie and temple with siche difficultie / and in the seconde noū ­ber of. 62. hebd. he geueth the persecucion to the Iewes vnder the seconde and thir­de monar. vnto Antiochum / and so forth to the takinge awaye of the scepter from Iuda: aftir the which shame and obpro­bry to the Iewes / he telleth them what shall come to them in the last hebd. for y ^e death and kylling of Messias.

☞ And therfore he sayth: And aftir Text. the. 62. heb. Messias shalbe sleyne / & the Iewes vtterly vndone and destroyd. The se­cond di­stribuciō of y ^e he [...].

That is / aftir the. 62. hebdo. be ended and the scepter taken awaye / cryst shalbe. slayne / but not immediately / for ther we­re▪ 81▪ yeares betwixt the ende of the. 62. hebd. and the death of cryst. A lyke speche is it. That aftir the takinge awaye of the scepter / Sylo shulde come / but not imme­diately / for he came not tyll. 47. yeres af­tir the takinge awaye therof.

Albeitkinge Cyrus of a good hert gaue them licence to departe and buylde their [Page] cyte / yet was it not finisshed in his dayes For the good purposes of kings be oftyn tymes letted / for nothing can they do ex­cept god saye Amen. The wrath of God for oure synnes / is the cause that with so greate difficultye y ^e temple of god is not yet finisshed / but rather letted so cruelly. But yet propter Christum promissum / for crystis sake promised vs / it shalbe at last although with great difficulty and losse of many a good manis lyfe finisshed. But here lo / was the Iewes cytie / temple and A moni­cion for keisar & kingis. all their comon weall vtterly destroyd for the slayinge of cryste. Let all crysten em­perours / kings and bisshops that yet slaye cryst in his members beware and wayte for a lyke destruccion. The text hath. Et nihil ei / that is / and nothing to him / Some vnderstand it of Cryste / As this might be the sence / Messias shalbe slay­ne / and yet coulde they laye no cause wor­they of death to him. Some vnderstande it of the Iewes as I haue translated it / signifyinge that because they shall putt him to death / they shalbe vndone and vt­terly destroyd. For aftir that full mesure finisshed of their wykednes in denyinge and slaying their king / they shall nether haue any more kinge nor preist nor ruler nor temple nor cyte / no they shall nomore [Page 162] be called the peple of god. For they cryed and denyed him to be their king / sayinge: We haue no kinge ouer vs / but the em­perour and therfore it foloweth.

☞ For there shall come a mighty ar­mye Text. of the emperour & destroye both their cytie and temple. yea / their destruccion & ende shalbe as it were with a diluuie. Diluuie is nohes floude. And aftir the bataill their shalbe an vt­ter perpetuall vastitude and destruccion of them.

Lo / they refused their owne kinge cryst for the emperour / sayng: We haue no king but the emperour / and now see how benefi­ciall themperour was to them: lyke wyse oure spiritualtye this daye refuse the go­spell and cryst, geuing vp their auctorite powr and goods to emperours and kingis to defende their kingdome. But in shorte space shall ye see their seclare emperours and kings serue them worthely as Titus and his host serued the Iewes / their cy­tie and temple. He compareth their mise­rable destruccion to the floude of Nohe. For very fewe or none of the Iewes were left in Ierusalem so destroyd / but all were slayne or famisshed or dyed of the stinke and pestelent corrupcion of their dead in­numerable carkases or els caryed awaye captiued as a vehement floude caryeth [Page] all awaye with it. For very hard sharpe and bitter was that consuming siege and storme. The Romās with many / ofte / and diuerse assawtes bete downe the Iewes miserably / & aftir the batails were done there remayned a perpetuall vastite & de­so [...]acion. For neuer aftir was it / nor shall their Leuiti [...] preis [...]hed nor their kingdō of Iuda / nor the policye and comon weall of Moses nor cytie of Ierusalem be re­stored. But as I say / Ieremei / O see sayd: Aftir that calamitose destruccion / shulde the gentils be called the peple of God / which enbrace the gospell as it is wryten Rom. 9. &. 10. Playne it is the Iewes of­ten aftir this destruccion to haue had en­forced to reedifye and restore their comon weall of Moses. For in y ^e tyme of Adrian emperour they gathered them thyther a great multitude inuadinge y ^e lande with armor. But Adriane puttynge them to flyght destroyd many of them. Aftir that / Iuliane the apostata / for the hatered he bore to the crysten religion / graunted the Iewes licence to reedifye their cyte & tem­ple. The worke was Begune and miche money gathered to performe it. But with many terrible erth qua [...]is and flammes of fyer oute of the foundacion / the edifi­cacion was throne downe and miche pe­ple [Page 163] slayne with the stones & tymber fal­ling vpon them. Also Nazianzene telleth that their clothes were wondrefully stay­ned thik with red figures of the crosse / as it were with blode imprinted in their clothes / wherfore the Iewes thus afrayd with these celestiall wondrefull signes left their worke and fled from the place. For god had decreed their policie neuer­more to be restored. God wold haue thex­ample of his wrath sene of all the genty­lee to monissh vs therby / & that he wolde horribly and terribly punisshe and plage the contempt and crucifyinge of his sone (he is yet dayly crucifyed afresshe among the papistis) He will also that Moses co­mon weall be buried with Moses nomore to be sene nor knowne / left the opinion & fayth in their ceremonies and rytes be cō firmed / men beleuing to be iustifyed with the Iewes by their rytes / ceremonies / workis and tradicions.

Also one hebdomade shall confir­me Text. the couenant made with many men. The. 3 di stribuciō into one hebdom. And the middis of this hebdomade shall abolishe and abrogate sacrifice and ob­lacion.

Here he attribueth to the hebd. the sa­me thinge that perteyneth to cryste. For cryst in this hebd. confirmed his testamēt and [Page] & couenant (as Paul disputeth it largely to the Hebrewes) by his death & sacrifice once for all & for euer sufficiēt. This one hebd. recheth from the birth of cryste vn­to the destruccion of the cytie / cōteyning lxx. yeres. In the middis of this hebdo. that is in the. 34. yeare of crystis age the Iewes fulfylled the mesure of their wy­kednes by kyllinge him / and so were they worthely reiected. This hebdom. the aun­gell diuideth in the middis geuinge the first half to cryst preching and suffering and to tother half to the peple and cyte to their sacrifices & rytes all to ceasse & be abolisshed. For himself hanging on the crosse sayd that all was ended / and en­clined his head and yelded vp his spirit / which done / the veyle of the temple was kut in sondre from the hyghest to the lo­west parte / that by these woundrose sig­nes god wolde testifye to the herdnecked Iewes by the host and oblacion of his so­ne all the figuratiue sacrifices now to be ceassed and gone. Well therfore sayth the aungell: In the middis of this heb. shall ceasse the hostes and sacrifices. But this thinge wolde not the Iewes beleue / but went on styll with their wont and som­tyme holy (but now vnlawfull and to be abhorred) sacrifices to be offered. And y ^e [Page 164] holy men which thus preched they perse­cuted and banisshed & many they slewe for this so soden a gospell and new ler­ning as do our phariseis. But yet did god by his long pacient suffrāce call them to repentance / by all the reste of this tother half hebdomade / euen. 35. yeres folowing yea and with threatenings he wold haue frayd them from their conceyued pertina­te styffe malice / but all was in vayne / as ye see it lyke wyse this daye wherein we Beware within these. 15. yeres to come. 15. yeres to come. haue had lyke warnings these. 20. yeres. Here also maye ye see the figurall temple and cyte corresponding the verite / for as that materiall temple and cyte were buyl­ded in those first. lxx. yeres next aftir y ^e captiuite / with so grete difficulty & anxt / euen so in this last hebd. conteyning also lxx. yeares / was the very cytie and tem­ple of Crystis bodye the chirche with as grete perell and difficulty buylded and fi­nished by his death in the middis of this hebd. as himself in y ^e middis of this heb. declared it saying: destroye ye this tem­ple / & in. 3. dayes shall I reare it vp agene And I say. 53. confirmeth y ^e same / saying: With the perell of his owne lyfe shall he fynde ryches. Cryst begane to confirme & stablisshe his couenāt when he begane to preche his gospell adding the testimo­nies [Page] of the lawe and prophetis to confir­me his doctrine. And when he was rysen he begane his eternall kingdō declaring himself to be the geuer of rightwysnes & lyfe eternall / he sent his Apostles to ga­ther his chirche out of the gentyles / and endewed them with his spirit whom he sanctifieth gouernthe and endeweth dai­ly with eternall lyfe, sight, knowlege, and withe his rightwisnes. These the very proper workis and benefits of cryste / the aungel calleth the confirmacion of his co­uenant / euen the fre forthgeuing of his so plentuouse promises which were made to the fathers and prophetis as saith Ieremie. 31. Beholde y ^e dais shall come & I shal smyte vp a new couenant w ^t the hou­se of Israel: I shall geue my lawe into their hertes and be their god &c. Here let euery godly reader remember & by faith set holde vpon this swete couenant and promise of god in cryste aknowleging w ^t thankis these so ryche and confortable be­nefits / euen the delyuerance from sin de­ath and hell / and the remission of sinnis in crystis blode with lyfe eternall geuen vs in cryste for his deathes sake.

In the middis of this laste hebdom. I shall cease hoste oblacions sacrifices and all rytis and cere of the iewes. Oh heuye [Page 165] prophecye. Oh moste sorowful and lamē ­table voice to the iewes and to vs yet ig­norant A sorow­ful voice for y ^e pa­pystis. of this one alone for all sufficient sacrifice of crystis bodye once for all and euer offred vp for our sinnes / and yet standing gazing vpon our decent cere / & lau­dable Gen. 17. Hebr. 9. rites / yea we had leifer our throtis torne oute then to lese any one & the leste of these begerly cerem. & wold rather set all the worlde togither by the eares and shed innumerable innocentis blode then one lowsye tradicion [...] or a romissh ryte shuldbe taken from vs. The iews recei­ued their cere. and rites of god, approued of the prophetis & fathers a longe tyme. And yet here be thei constantly decreed of his aungel & cryste / and writen of dani­el to ceasse and to be abolisshed for euer. If these rites and cere. of god is owne ma­king be prophecied by the mouthe of God to cesse / where shall our papistis apere? with what face dare thei come before cri­ste / which dare institute and make vs the se newe ritis / articles / cere. and dirty tra­dicions out of theirown idle brains / sta­blissh them with kings actis / and princes policies / defende them with fyer & swer­de and maintain them with mischeif and murther / garnishing them withe idle sig­nifications titles of laudable and decent [Page] names? What shall ye then saye (oh wret ched arrogant Anticristis? what shall ye say to god telling you playnly by Gabriel that he wolde haue his owne then aboli­shed for euer? Dare you set them vp / and god almighty saith I wil pluk thē down? Dare you meintain your own sinful cere­monies supersticious ritis with swerde & fyer / & he saith I wil put down my nown? For this arrogant exalting of your sel­ues ayenst the most highe god / lo / the bre­athe of his mouth now slaythe you. The heuey heapis of his hotte indignacion is powerd forth vpon you and vpon all em­prowrs and princes ruled by your wiked counsels / one to destroye another by cruel batail. Oh wretched vepers whelpis & sinful sead serpentyn / who may shew you to auoid the heuey wrathe of god now co­men ouer you? If you beleued that cryste were come and had suffred dethe / so wold ye beleue that in that oblacion of his bles­sed bodye on the crosse / he had ceassed & abrogated all ritis cere. &c. were thei ne­uer so decent and laudable. But as the ie­ws beleue it not / & therfore hold thei thē still / euen so beleue you it not / and therfor set you vp s [...] boldly and cruelly your Ro­missh dampnable ritis &c and ye defen­de them withe the seculare policies perse [Page 166] cutinge the contempners / & ye slaye thē / which is the most dampnable drift of al. well. It foloweth in the text.

And the destroyer or waster shal­be set vpon the wing or pinacle of abomi­nacions. And the wrath of god shal drope downe vpon them destruccion tyll all be destroid and vtterly consumed.

Here is lo / your miserable end for your abominable idolatrye, sinnes, and super­sticion / was this onely writen for the ie­wes? No no / it was and is yet writen for owr Anticristen pestelent papistis ouer whō this heuye ende of the world is now comen. Conster it therfore (my lordis ye bishops) and vnderstāde it / if ye can. Cry­ste alleging this verse added / who so read it / se whether he can vnderstād it. And if ye can vnderstand it / then you that bost yourselues to be the chirche and be not / flye vnto the hellis / flye to the highe and mighty seculare emperowrs & kingis yea and to the turk to / rune vnder their wyn­ges for refuge. Geue vp your spirituall powr possessions titles dignities and au­torites benefices and bisshopriks to / that thei with swerde might defende you. And you that be now aloft in your pontificali­bus in your palacies towers & house top­pis / descende not to carye awaye your [Page] euil goten goodis / for there be gredy way ters enowe to take themvp▪ Belyke this is a sorowful signe of a miserable swyft & soden flyght. Beware my lordis for y ^e ba­ner is sprede & the signe setvp in all your dioces and chirches / flye now if ye lyft. The iewes / aftir cryste had thōdred thi [...] threatening at thē had but 40 yeris war­ning to flye and to auoid the thonder bolt by repentance. But I cannot promise you so longe a daye no not 14 yeres to auoid this imminent plage: But geue me leaue to conster you this laste verse.

Et super alampinnam vel portam obominationum vastator erit vel stabit. Text.

That is to saye. And vpon the winged cherubims / pinacles / & gatis of the abo­minacions shalbe setvp abominable de­struccions. Why? Dare the aungell call the holy wingis of the cherubims, and pi­nacles, phanes and dores of the holy tem­ple / abominacions? yea trwly for aftir he had abolisshed his ritis & sacrifices ther in, by crystis dethe and yet wold the iews contrary to his will vse them there still / he abhorred all their leuitik ministracion in it. And therfore he permitted pylate to procure the signe of their present abomi­nable destruccion to be setvp (& that not w ^toute the bisshops great siewt) on euery [Page 167] phane pinnacle and porte of the temple / yea and vpon the most holy (as ye wolde saye) highe altare as vpon the winges of y ^e cherubims ouer y ^e arke of gods testamēt Caligula did setvp his image. But what was this abominable signe of their de­struccion? verely a golden splayde egle euen the emperours armes of Rome with their owne images euen y ^t present token of the wrath of god / signifyinge the Ro­mans to come shortly / and miserably to destroye temple and cytie with all their comon we all onlesse they repented & en­braced cryste. In euery place, pinacle, pha­ne and vpon euery gate (as ye se images & pictures in oure chirches euen the abo­minable signes of a lyke destruccion) had they set vp the baners of Tyberius and images of Caligule the emperours, which onely were not the signes of these abomi­nable destruccions / but also all the false worshiping is ayenst crystis precepts we­re the same signes to. But wherfore did Pilate and the bishops procure them the­se abominable baners and images? vere­ly they knewe that they had putt Cryst to death vnworthely as Pilate himself con­fessed it / wherfore they were afrayd lest his innocēt blode wolde be anenged and required at their handis / & therfore to be [Page] defended / they (as now do all siche lyke combrouse consciened clerkis and bisho­pes / by settinge vp of these their baners and images of the emperours and kinges contend and siewe to gette their fauour / but all was in vayne. For vnder whose The sha­meles shiftis & signes of oure spi­rituals owne de strucciō. wingis they thought to haue socour / euen of the same wingis were thei clene wypt away & destroid: the spiritualtye thought to obtain the emperowrs & Pylats fauour by this meanis that they might with an euyll [...]sciēce yet at the lest wyse defen­de and escape their murtheringe of cryst and to cōtynew in persecuting & slayinge his apostles banisshe their doctryne and hold styll their owne synfull cerem▪ rytes & almaner idolatry / but it helpt them not. And haue not oure papistis set vp thessa­me seculare wingis and images in their chirches? haue they not now made & set­te vs vp newe articles of oure fayth & vn­derpropped them w ^t the emperours swerde & policie of y ^e realme? haue thei not thrust in ayen all popish rytes / tradicions / sacra­ments / misses / matens / diriges for their dead / processions / praying to posts / to sto­nes / holy water / salte / false inuocacions with an hole rablement of significatiō [...] and signes of an ab ominable desolation? haue they not put forth their pestelent bo­kis [Page 168] of their owne necessarye doctrynes / articles and institucions vnder the em­perours and kingis wingis? Haue they not tormented and combred many a cry­sten conscience with their forbidding the reding of the holy Byble compelling men to their misses to receyue & beleue their sacraments to g [...]eue grace / and men and women to lyue in perpetuall burnings / & violently deuorsinge lawfully maryed persons? yea they compell men to idola­try and prophane the lordis holy souper. The place of pra [...]yer and preching ye pol­lute with idols and yet compel ye men thither come to knele downe to crepe to kisse & to praye. Now tell me by your faith defende ye not al these execrable abomi­nable signes of your owne destruccion? These these be y ^e very abominable signes of your vtter fa [...] and desolacion whiche your selues haue setvp in the holy place & temple of menis hertis that shuld be the temples of god and also in euery chirche. Of these execrable abominacions cryste sayd when ye see them stande in the holy place / thē take h [...]de and beware. For the heuey destruccion is at hand. Wherfor so sodenly fyl [...] down all these abbeis? vere­ly for because / their abominable idolatry in Messes images pelgrimages shrynes [Page] and their execrable supersticiouse rytes and cerem. and their chosen holynes in fylthey vowes and dampnable hypocri­sye stode in y ^e place where they ought not to haue stonden. And therfore there dro­ped downe vpon them so miserable a per­petuall destruccion euen the signe of go­dis heuey wrath. Et super alam. And yet vpon the wyng. Loke therfore (my lordis) vnder whose wyngs and tytle ye yet per­secute and haue shed so miche innocent blode / vpon whom ye fa [...]her youre actis / articles / enstruccions and institucions? For it foloweth. Abominationes desola­tionum. That is / when ye see these exe­crable abominacions kouered and defen­ded with so mighty brode wyngis of the seculare armes / as though there dirst no­man say nor wryte / reas [...]n nor do / nor cy­phre ayenst them / then b [...]e ye sewer of a so­den irreparable miserable destruccion.

Et vs (que) ad cons [...]mmationem dif­finitam still a bitira dei super vastitatem pereuntem.

That is / vpon these abominable de­structiones or waastin [...]e abominacions shall y ^e wrath of god d [...]pe downe tyll all be vtterly destroyd as it were with the floude of the lordis indignacion. He com­pareth this heuey desolacion to y ^e d [...]lu [...]ye [Page 169] or vniuersall floude of Nohe. For they shalbe so vtterly destroyd with this Ro­mane floude that fewe or none shall put vp their headis as it were aboue the wa­ters to escape. Out of the Egypcia [...]e and Babylony [...] floudis of captiuite the Ie­we [...] once escaped / but in this Romane di­luu [...]e thei all perisshed as did pharao w ^t his hoste in the muddie reed / or sedgie sea. And as the diluuye drowned not the worlde in one daye / but at last when the hyllis were allkouered / allwere drowned euen so did not the Romans at one assaw­te and bataill destroye the iewes but thei we [...] vexed long and with many stormes slaughters besiegis sedicions / afflicciōs famyns / pestilences and conspirisons by xxxv. yeres / & then in the ende of the ba­taill whē god had thus / yere byyere drop­ped down his wrath vpon them / he powe­red forth as it were the vniuersall floude of his wrath vpon them / euen his ven­geance / for all the sheding of the iust blo­de of the prophetis / of cryst his owne [...]o­ne / and of the Apostles / to declare openly to the reste of the Iewes and to vs / that he had sent his promised Messias / which fulfyllinge the lawe concluded oure reli­gion within the lymitis of fayth & loue / all the ceremonies of the temple both sa­cred [Page] and carnall abrogated. And therfore aftir their kingdome and preisthod were once anulled / it behow [...]ed not one stone vpon another nor vestigie of the temple to stand and remaine.

Now therfore are we by this the iewes miserable destruccion taught & warned / that where so euer we se images / altars / misses / menis sacraments / rytes / cerem. tradicions / yea and menis actis and ar­ticles stande in the chirches / red and pre­ched out of the pulp its instede of the go­spell / the sacramēts of god there propha­ned and abused of prodigiouse viciouse papistis and anticristis / there be ye cer­tayn to stand vp the very signes of a lyke vengeance shortely to be powered forth vpon the same regions / cities & chirches. Flye ye therfore now premonisshed out of siche regions and chirches as did the A­postles at this prophecie of Gabriel out of Iudea into Galile / lest ye perisshe of the Turke as did the Iewes / destroyd by Titus.

In the. 24. daye of the first moneth Text. I was by the gret ryuers syde called Ty­gris. Tygris so called of his swift­nes. And when I loked vp / I sawe a man in a whight linyne vesture whose loynes were gyrt vp with glistering gold / whose bodye was beutifull lyke a violete or ia­cinthe / his face lyke lyghteninge and his eyes lyke a burninge lampe / & his armes and feete so bright as any polisshed steell and the voyce of his wordis as it were the vehement noyse of a multitude.

Now daniel describeth the tyme & pla­ce of this counfortable vision and also y ^t face & estate of the persone sene. For god wold now conforte heuye daniel / and not onely of the mutaciōs of the empyres to come / but also of the calamities now pre­assinge vpon the iewes before crystis co­minge / & make them for this cause more certayn: that therof their posterite / & we might lerne with feare to call vpon oure zelouse God / and in fayth wayt fore oure sauiour cryste. This firste moneth is Ni­san / oure Nisan mar­che. marche / wherin thei celebrated the memoriall passouer lomb in the remē ­brance of their delyuerāce out of Egypte The man whom he sawe was crist / whom hereaftir he calleth Michael and the so­ne of man. A lyke descripcion is there of [Page 172] him in the Apocal. 1. Wherof as some for­mes be terrible / so be some of his parties pleasant and counfortable to beholde as both the psal. 44. & Isay. 11. describe him / teachinge vs that cryst according to his lawe and gospell / is with his gospell io­conde and plesant to all godly men / & ter­rible and fearfull with his lawe vnto all y ^e vngodly. And therfore is he thus payn­ted of the prophetis. His sight to beholde­is ferefull to them that shall wisshe the hills to fall vpon them to couer them from his countenance. And mighty and terri­ble is that same his voyce and breath of his mouth which slayeth the vngodly.

The reste of his body described is plesant and ioyouse to beholde to the beleuers. His whight vesture & so▪ to be a man mor­tall therby / signifieth him / as daniel he­reaftir saith / to be made whight with his crosse & passion / to enter into his glorye.

But I daniel alone sawe this vi­sion / and Text. the men beinge with me did not see it / for they were smyten with so great feare that thei fled awaye and did hyde them. I therfore abyding there / alone did se this great vision / but my strength was all gone fro me / & my beutie & colour was turned into deformite. All my strengthe was vanisshed awaye.

[Page] [...]o here ye see the wyked to not knowe cryst / & therfore to flye from him for feare: and yet he calleth all men to him promi­sing to refressh them and to take all bur­dens and heuye feare from them. But the Mat. 11. beleuers heare and come to him and tary styll with daniel by him / thei see him & be [...]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 Mat. 13. Luk. 8. to other flyers awaye thei be derke rydels and obscure parables.

Furthermore I hearing the voyce Text. 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 [Page 173] 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 & cōtinued 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 [Page] comen vnto the / & wherfore I must retur­ne▪ 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 The wor­de of god hūbleth the hea­rers. 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 E [...]o. 19. daniel / as he sayth by his prophete I say. Whom behold I but siche as be troubled and tremble at my worde▪ But Cryst is y ^e most perfitfull ioye with the gospell to re­fresshe Christ y ^e ioy of the worlde. 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 / [Page 174] stond vp / haue peace and be of good Micha­el is cry­sie. confidence and chere. For this Michael here described lyke the sone of man / prin­ce and leader of the Iewes was the very Aūgels & not sai­tes ar y ^t kepers of y ^e faith­ful. sone of God of whom sayth the psal 113. Who is lyke the lorde our god▪ 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 / nō to helpe him (no not y ^e saints) Gen. 28. 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 Christe is y ^t aun­gel of god ema­nuel. Iasay. 7 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 The of­fice of e­uil aun­gels. and pray to this owrpreseruer and de­fender Michael / that he wolde destroye the workis of the deuil. The offices of [Page] euil aungels is to trouble & to sette king doms togither by the eares / as ye see thē 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 cō siste ether in disputinge or by some other The ba­taills of good ād bad aun­gels. spirituall powr / as ye here see it. For the princes of the grekis and persies were de uils stering vp sedicions and persecuciōs in Grece and persie ayenst all godlines. In Persia the deuil stered vp yonge cam­bysem with his courtyers and also Dari [...] Ahass [...]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 sedici­on [...] and batail. The grekis because thei excelled in wi [...]e & ryches / the deuil ste­red them vp ayenste cambyses and were iwyse ouercomē in Cyrus days & brought into an heuy seruitute & therfore thei se­diciously resisted the Persies.

And this daye the deuil / in all the king­doms [Page 175] realmes and regions of the worlde incenseth the vngodly ayenst the gospell and to persecute the confessours of gods The de­uil euer trou­bleth chirches & kinge. 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 cōcerning the crosse and persecucion to continew into so longe a tyme I did myne office to certi­fye the & all godly men warninge you be­fore of these persecucions that when thei come ye fal not frō the trwthe but [...]ther Ioan. 16 to dye then to renye cryst. And where the aungel saith / he had faughten with the prince deuil of persye / and assone as him self was comen thence / the prince deuil of the grekis to come thither to make trou­ble: he shewth that god by aungels defen­deth bothe kingdoms and chirches: so that althings be so longe salf / as thei be of good aungels defended from the euil let vs here be counforted with these wor dis. [Page] That the euerlasting worde and so­ne of god with his aungels be euermore present with his chirche in all oure afflic cions and persecucions to helpe vs / to thrust awaye the deuyll with all his im­pes yet persecutinge and to destroye his workis / let vs paciently tarye for his hel­pe ayenst these deuyllysshe vngodly per­sons runninge and roringe in euery place enforceing with the Turkis and anticry­stis powr to skater and destroye Christis chirche. yea y ^e prince of this worlde flyeth vpon vs with a more present destruccion and crueller armore / euen with the negli­gence and tyrannye of emperour and kin­gis / and blody bisshops which shulde de­fende & noureshe chirches. He assauteth vs with mischeuous wylye wittes & sub­tyle sophisters and popis lawers incen­sed of the serpentine sathan to sowe & con­firme false doctrynes and deuyllyssh opi­nions. But he which with his aungell crist kouered his peple in the reede sedgie sea & in the wildernes / he that defended Iosue / Gedeon / Samuel / Dauid with all his faythfull peple / and as Iacob sayd / the aungell which hath delyuered me out of all perels / mought blesse and defende vs these his chyldren. Let vs remember that god hath geuen vs his aungels and [Page 176] cryste also in commandement to kepe vs in all oure wayes / for the aungell of the lorde bulworketh rownd about them that feare him and delyuereth them. Sith god sendeth his aungels to kepe his chirche / let vs the lesse feare the perels of oure bodyes / or any pouertye whyles we iustly apply oure callings. This miche be sayd into the two chap. folowinge. Now to the kingdoms in which the aungell prophe­cieth the persecucions of the Iewes to drawnigh and to come ouer them in y ^e. 62. hebdom. before cryst the sauiour be borne and also of the persecucions which shall continew from the birth of cryste and de­struccion of Ierusalem / and vexe vs the gentilis to the worldis ende.

And aftir. 62. hebdomadis cryste shalbe 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 shalbe 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 shalbe 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 [Page] 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 Rede Iu [...] inū. l. 2 the prouocacion by his fathers ryches / faught ayenst y ^e Grekis in Europa where he ouercomen / fled bak ayen into Asiu / The in­ce [...]e of xerxes. xerxes death. 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 An exā ­ple for al kinges. God le [...]t for siche crymes they be the destruccion of themselues and of their kingdoms.

☞ Then shall there stande vp a strong Text. kinge and obtayn the most mighty empe­rye / and shall do what he lyft. And when his kingdom hath stonden / it shalbe bro­ken and diuided into the. 4. clymats of y ^e worlde / but not to his owne posterite / nor [Page 179] yet with that maiestie and power wher­with Here be­gyneth y ^e [...] monar­chye. himselfe ruled. For his kingdome shalbe 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. The vp­springe & fall o [...] A­lexader. 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 Chap. 8. 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 [Page] 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 a [...]tir a pro­phane proude haithē 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 tyrāny 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 sp [...]rres vn­to all this tumult where in good studies and letters / gospell and cryste shalbe ne­glected & at laste a new derkenes & fye [...] ­cer furies withe the miserable mutaciō [...] of kingdome nowe begune & in brewing. These affliccions wold god / men wolde What nowe shuld y ^e cristen princes do. 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 thē now do their office / leste cryste in his laste iugement [Page 180] 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 whē 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 [Page] subtyle craftinesses excercised in courtes / insidiouse wylinesses / couetu­ose the face of cour­tis. 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. Alexan der y ^e be­giner of y ^e thirde Monar­chie. 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 kingdōs haue felt the stroke of this worde & moo be lykely to fele the chāgys of their kinges stocke. Let al other bewa­r [...] of lyke heuey mutacions inminent: the bore is now opened / shut it if ye can. God had endewed mighty Alexander with [Page 181] 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 Alexan­ders gif­tis. 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 sl [...]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 [Page] 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 Alexan­ders death. 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 minniōs 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. [Page 182] 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 And now ye kings beware be wyse. 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 mo [...]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. [Page] 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 cōquired the Grekis / the Assyrions and Egypciōs And thus was the worlde .47. yeris befo­re crystis birthe deuolued into the fourth Monarchie called the Romane and last empyre. From Darius Longimās 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 The situ acion of Iudea. 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 [Page 183] 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 cōpared 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 / [Page] helping him in his gouernāce 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 Psal. 51.

But the southe kinge / one of Alex­anders Text. princes shalbe mightye. Ptolom. Lugi. kin ge of E­gypt / to­nam [...]d great & Sotir.

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 cōtrary 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 cruel­ly dealt he with y ^e Iewes leading awaye many thousandes captiued▪ Pausanias telleth that he left aftir him sonnes / Phi­ladelph / Ceraunion and other. Polybius affirmeth him to haue dyed almost. 40. yeres aftir Alexander.

☞ Contrary to this kinge shall there Text. be another mighty one and ouercome him whose dominion shalbe right great & am­ple.

[Page 184]This kinge was the north king Seleu­cus Seleucꝰ Nicanor Macedo kinge of Syrie. Nicanor of Macedo the sonne of one duke Philip / which was not therfore cal­led here so mighty in dominion ouer so great an empyre because that aftir y ^e deth of Perdyk the gouerner of Babylon & be­cause he ouercame Antigonum fightinge ayenst Syria and his sonne Demetrius / and in the front of the bataill ouercame & slewe Lystmachū / but for that he being slayne vnwares by the awayt layinge of Seleucꝰ his deth Ptolome Ceraunio the brother of Phila­delph / left y ^e most ample kingdome to his sonnes / that is to weit the kingdoms of Babylon / Persie / Mede / Bactre / Par­thie / Asie / and parte of Syrie. This man was not hurtfull to y ^e Iewes / but suffred them to kepe and vse their owne lawes. Iosephus to wytnes. Now procedeth Da niel (the kings of Asie & Macedonie / that is / the west and east kingis omitted) in his prophecie of the kinges of Syria and Egypte: because that betwixt these two kingdōs / Iudea was situated / and was well. 300. yeris vexed molested & greuous­ly persecuted & shaken in sondre of them both. But before we declare daniels pro­phecie / we shall in ordir / one ayenst ano­ther / set the names of these kingis of Sy rie and Egypt / vntyll we come vnto An­tiochum [Page] Epiphanem the very scou [...]ge of the Iewes.

But aftir a fewe yeres thei shalbe Text. confedered. For the daughter of the sou­the kinge shalbe geuen in mariage & be brought to the northe kinge to make the peace and concorde: but this humane po­licie and strength shal not longe endure / nether shal hir [...]ead oryssewe stande / but bothe she and thei that brought her thir­ther / hir sonne / hir parent and housbon­de shalbe all betraid and destroid in short speace.

Here ye see the vnhappye chaunces that folowe the humane policie of them that persecute gods peple / albeit their co­unsell and policie appere neuer so godly before men. What might seme more god­ly then by mariage and affinite to confir me concorde and to make peace and frend ship? [Page 185] Bernice the daughter of Philadel­phi kinge of Egipt was geuen to Antio­cho theos king of Syrie to make the peace For these two kinges had ben longe at warre / and Ptolo. Philadelp had lost cer­tain cities in Syria / whiche cities he thought by this gifte of his daughter / at length to recouer. But all was in vaine. For this Antiochus repudiated his own wyfe called Laodice mother to Seleuco callinico and to Antioche hierax / & ma­ried Bernicen. Which maryage and re­pudiacion or diuorce from his firste wyfe was the occasion of greate mischeif and murther. For Seleucus Callinicus at y ^e persuasion of his mother Laodice slew [...] Bernicen his stepe mother with hir yong sonne / which murther was the occasion of many a blody bataill as ye shall see he­re aftir. This Ptolomeus Philadel▪ was he that instaured the lybrary in Alexan­dria / hyeringe the. lxx. interpreters to translate the. v. bokis of Moses oute of Hebrew into Greke. This prophecie was not onely spoken of those kingis / but also of other folowinge them. It is not long agoo sence some kinges gaue their daugh ters to forein kinges in maryage to conci­liate amitie / and what succeded therof? thei neuer sence agreed well. Albeit Pto­lom. [Page] Philadel. was a vaingloriouse vi­ciose couetuose kinge / yet did god vse him as an instrument to serue his glory in ste­ringe him vp to cause his scriptures to be translated and reserued for euer in lybra­ries. This Ptolom. thought by this ma­riage of his daughter at lengthe by hir posterite to ioyne all the hole kingdō of y ^e north to his owne realme of Egypte / and gaue in dowrye with Bernice the lande of Iewrye. Antiochus toke hir and repu­diated his owne former wyfe Caodice & vsed hir as a concubyne. But at last she beinge weary of that lyfe / poysoned him for his labour and caused hir sone Calli­ [...]icum to slaye Bernic [...]n with hir yonge sone / and did sette Callinicum in his fa­thers rome to be kinge of Syria / wher­fore this humane policie and confedera­cion stode not long / nether might Berni­ces sead enioye the kingdome of Syria. Also the men that brought hir thyther which shulde haue defended hir and hir issewe / all were destroyd / & hir housbon­de to / which all shuld haue bene hir staf­fe / parents and conforters.

☞ And then shall there stande vp a no­ther Text. of hir stok to come into hir place / which shall come with an host ayenst the kinge of the north.

[Page 186]This man was Bernices brother / now kinge of Egypt / called Ptolom. Euerge­tes prouoked to reuenge his sisters & his n [...]uies deathes. He came with a great power ayenst Callinicū kinge of Syria. He shall come sayth the aungell and ob­tayne many great cities of Syria / he to­ke awaye miche tresure and images. And therfore sayth the texte.

☞ And shall inuade his stronge cities Text. and castels / and in them he doinge great and cleare victoryes and featis of warre shall obtayne his purpose. And carye a­waye captiued into Egypte their gods / with their rulers and most dere and pre­ciouse plate and iewels of gold & syluer. And for a fewe yeres shall he stande se­wer at rest from the north kinge.

This king of the south / Ptolom. Euer­getes (his sisters death thus reuenged) returned sodenly home into Egypte / by y ^e reason of sedicions and vprores wrought in his absence / so that at his retourne / he was compelled to make peace and to take trewce w ^t Seleuco / Callinico. And at this tyme / Euergetes commanded Iewrye to paye him tribute / and was without war­re certayne yeares at reste from the Sy­rians. And therfore sayth the aungell.

Aftir that the kinge of the southe Text. shall haue thus inuaded Syriam / he shall returne into his owne londe ayen (for fere of sedicions there in.)

But Euergetes first obtayning y ^e chei­fest & strongest holdes of Syria did chase Seleucum out of his fathers Philadel­phis kingdom and place for kyllinge his sister and toke from him a greate part of Asia / he robbed his tempels and spoyled his londe ere he returned. Now did An­tiochus Hierax fight ayenst his brother Seleuco / which Hierax ouercomen and fleing into a wildernes was slayne. And Seleucus casten of his horse dyed. This was the miserable ende of these 2. wyked brethern not raigninge skant. 3. yeares. This story toucheth the aungell / because that betwixt these rauisshinge hulkis thus spoylinge and slayinge eche other / Iudea lying in the middes amonge them was taxed pilled and robbed vnto the ba re bones. Text.

But y ^e sonnes of him set on fyer shall Of anti­ [...]cho the greate & Ptolom. Philo­pater. gather a mighty houge multitude into an hos [...]e. And one of them coming as it were a vniuersall floude flowing all ouer shall come vpon him / & go thorow his realme & come ayen preasinge and persinge euen vnto his most strongest castels.

[Page 187]The two sonnes of Seleuci Callinici Antioch fighteth ayenst Philo­pate [...]. king of Syrie / which sonnes were Seleu­cus Ceraunius and Antiochus the great thus set on fyer / came with this so great an host ayenst Ptolomeum Philopatrem the kinge of Egypte. This one of them here mencioned was Antiochus y ^e greate and ayer of the hole kingdom of Syria af­tir that he had ouercomen Milo. For his brother Ceraunius betrayd in Asia / dyed in y ^e tyme of this bataill. Antiochus ther­fore coming with so great an host recoue­red and oppressed many cities in Egypte and in Phenicia which were subiect to y ^e Egypciōs. Here he came vpō him / that is vpon Ptolom Philopater king of Egypt lyke a floude (and as Polybius wryteth describinge the begininge of the gestis of Antiocho) with thre score thousand fote­men and. 6000. horsemen brought vnto Raphiā the king of Egyptis most strong citie / where ayenste him he pitched his tentis / where the bataill faughten / An­tiochus had the victory & rekouered his former lost cities. And here were the Ie­wes compelled to change their lordes & gouerners / in which mutacion what vex acions and how greate losses and afflic­cions thei suffred / ye maye well coniecter For whose heuye cause and persecucion [...] [Page] to be knowen / the aungell thus prophe­cieth. But how Ptolom. Philopater with might and strength repelleth this vio­lence / it foloweth.

Then the south king shalbe prouo Text. ked with anger / & shall lede forth his host Philopa ayenst Antioc. to fyght ayenst y ^e north kinge which shall bringe forth in bataill an infinite greate multitude whiche multitude shalbe de­lyuered into the sowth kingis handis / which karyinge awaye this multitude / shalbe eleuated with a proude herte / be­cause he hath throne downe and goten so many thousandis. But this victorye shall not long stand fast.

Now is the bataill treated which Pto­someꝰ Philopater kinge of Egypt faught ayenst Antioche y ^e great. Philopater was wealy and prowed & anon angred and so­ne moued to warre / here he hath y ^e victo­ry of Antiochus / and therfore was his herte so puft vp / that he had throne down so innumerable an hoste and recouered his lost cities / for now he thought to ta­ke his case in all idle lustis at home. Iusti nus wryteth. That Philopater might ha­ue depriued Antiochus of his kingdome now / if his vertewe had holyen his for­tune. Sed vincere scis Hannibal / vti vi­ctoria nescis. Oh Hannibal / thou knowst [Page 188] how to haue victories / but how to vse and kepe thy victories thou knowest it not. Iustinus in his. 29. boke / sayth Ptolome to be to named Philopater of a contrarye facte / for that his father and mother flay ne / he gote Egypte. Wherfore an euyll tree must bringforth euyll frutis. For Phi lopater returned home / slewe his owne wyfe Euridice which was his owne sister all the nightis continually was he geuen to whordom and the dayes to banketing. He permitted his man concubyne Aga­thoclern / and his woman concubine Aga­thocleam to rule Egypte / oh what maner a ruler had then miserable Iudea? But this his victory stode not long sewer and faste. For he lyued not long aftir but had a miserable ende. By his lyfe he caused y ^e Iewes to be rent of elephants. In theis dayes were the Iewes greuously afflic­ted and scourged. For first they had ioy­ned themselues with Antiocho y ^e greate. Aftir that / were they taxed and mulcted of the Egypciōs / and thei that were then in Egypt were cruelly handled. Text.

For the kinge of the north shall yet come ayen vpon him bringing forth a gre­ter host then before / and aftir a fewe ye­res shall he come ayenst him with a migh ty greate cōpany strongly prouided with [Page] greate ryches.

This is the prophecie of a new bataill by Antiochus the greate ayenst Ptolom. Epiphanem / the sonne of Philopater now dead. For a non aftir / Philopater beinge dead / and his very yonge prince Ptolom. Epiphane left behynde him / Antiochus moueth bataill agenayenst Egypte. But here was Antiochus commanded of the senatours of rome which had taken y ^e tui­cion of y ^e yong prince to let Egypt a lone. Which thinge he heuely takinge / ioyned himself confedered with Hannibal and Philip kinge of Macedo: but yet was he ouercomen of the Romans / and was com pelled to geue ouer not onely y ^e hole Asia vnto the mount Taurns / but also geue in pledge to the Romans his sonnes Antio­che Epiphanem and Demetrium.

But in these dayes many shall re­siste Text. and ouercome the king of the south.

For albeit the Romans had taken the tuicion of the yonge fatherles prince of Egypt / yet be these tutors oftin tymes ve ry slowe. And therfore ceased not Antio­chus now confedered with Hannibal and Philip Macedo which sent ayed to Antia chum to molest the yonge prince Ptolom. Epiphanem / and by the wayes were the Iewes most greuously vexed both of the [Page 189] Syrians and also of the Egypcions.

☞ And the cruell men of thy nown pe­ple Text. euen many bakfallers from the lawe / Isa. 19. shalbe puft vp and extolled / & all to ful­fyll the prophecie of their owne fall / & to be all to broken.

This verse declareth / the impictie / vngodly cruelty / and the forsaking of the lawe of god to be the cause of the calami­ties of y ^t Iewes. For he cannot suffer the­se synnes of his peple which sayd / I shall viset their iniquite &c. Here he paynteth the wyked bisshops of the Iewes which being both cruell and forsakers of Gods lawes / puft vp with pryde seduced & dre­we aftir them many Iewes into lyke syn­nes / for their fallinge bak from the lawe of God. When Antiochus burned the bo­kis of Moses and commanded the kepers of the lawe to be slayne. Machab. 1. then were the Iewes a frayd: and especially the bisshopes and hyghe preistes / & they tyll bak quyte from the lawe which shuld haue geuen example of constancie & god­lynes animating and exhorting other to standfast in the feare of god cleuinge to Onias an apo­stata. his promises by faith. These bishops we­re Iason / Onias / Menelaus / one procu­ringe the death of his owne brother that he might haue his bisshopryke. Onias w ^t [Page] many lyke bakfallers from god / fled into Egypte / where / in Helioposi they buyl­ded them a temple and altares / and vsed there religion as they were wont in Ie­rusalem / whom god had directely cōmanded to haue but one temple / one taberna­cle / one altare / no where els to be any buylded but in the londe of Canaan. For so knew God the consent of his doctryne to be the beter kept. For he had decreed / from what place his voyce shuld sowne / be hearde / & caryed ouer the hole worlde.

But yet shall the king of the north Text. 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 them­sel [...]s into his handis. Also Antiochꝰ 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 [Page 190] 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 psal. 147 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 / Antiochꝰ ma­de the Iewes tributaries to him / yilding themselues to antioche vpon the condi­cion to kepe styll their religion. Aftir that [Page] 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 Romās pre­pared to resist him. Nether was it but dis­simulacion on Antiochꝰ 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 / Cleopa­tra filia femina­rum. and the tother parte to receyue to himself into his owne realme annexed. He wold mary his most goodly fayer daughter cal­led filia feminarū / 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 [Page 191] 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 Diuitie y ^e daugh­ter of re­ligion hath de­uoured hir mo­ther. 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 wōt 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 Attilius 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 Liuius decade 4 the captiued / and all that flede to him. Wherfore (sayth the aungell) he shall re­turne [Page] home with shame / he shall be smy­ [...]n ayenst the rocke and be alto broken in Antioch y ^e great slayne of hi [...]owne subiects. his owne fall. For now Antiochus retur­ned into Syriā / for very pouertie robbed a ryche temple of Iupiter dyndyme [...] 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▪ perceyued his fraudelent entēt 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 Romās 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 Text. couetouse extorsioner and pieller of the peple exactinge greate tributis vn­worthey any princely honor / he shalbe so­ne slayne / but not nobly in any open ba­taill.

[Page 192]The descripcion of Seleucus Philo­pater Of Se­leuco philo­pater. the sonne of greate Antiochꝰ raig­ning but a shorte tyme / his two brethern Antiochus Epiphanes and Demetrius yet kept in hostage for pledges at Rome. This S [...]leucꝰ is here called a vyle que­stor that is a vyle extorsioner a bryber a pieller poller &c. a man nether valeaūt in warre nor defender of his country / but a comherde nether armed with lawes nor defender of iustice / but an idle vnprofit [...] ble prince and a very idle belly burden of the erth. This vyle questor was made awaye shortely by the fraudes of his bro­ther Antiochꝰ Epiph. being in hostage at Rome / that this deuyll and subtyle serpē ­tine anticristen Antiochus might en [...]o [...]e his kingdom. This descripcion ought di­ligently to be noted. For it is and shalbe 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 maner [...] nor holsom doctryne to be taught / but with great taxes [...]xcy­ses loons prestis neuer to be repayd / thus beggering their empires and comōs / the money [...]uyll spent aftir their owne synfull [Page] lustis as do comonly the courtis of em­prours kinges and quenes / of siche idle vyle ques [...]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 ly [...]e vyle questors gather into their hā 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 Seleuk [...] / which both togy­ther shall persecute Christis poore flok. And yet shall god delyuer his from both their blody mouthes. These vyle que­stors shall dayly inuēt 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 Note y ^e fable of Hisope ritualty / tyll there shall come the thirde kyght and sw [...]pe awaye both frogge and mouse. Lytle rememberd they that Ioan Baptist cōmanded them to be cōtent with [Page 193] their owne stipendes. They contempne the example of Achab whom God so pu­nisshed for taking awaye Naboth [...] vyne­yarde. Thei shulde spare the possessions and goodis of their subiectis and dioce­san [...] 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 congregaciōs to gods cu­ [...]e and to mitigate these cruell open tyrā ­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 Text. 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 [Page] kinges and emprours and also in the ec­clesiastik Of Anti ochꝰ Epi phanes king of Syria. 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 cōtemptible 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 tiās 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 instrumēt 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 Prou. 20. seinge and eare hearinge both be of God. Albeit therfore this antiochus was sub­tyle and a bolde waryer / yet because he [Page 194] wanted y ^e iust auctorite before men / that is he was vniust / outragioꝰ▪ cruell / viciou se / he was called of the aungella cōtemp­ned 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. Anticty­stis frau des. What glitering shewe of honesty / ver­tewe / godlynes and holines sheweth and pretendeth this horned beast? vnder how many holy pretēces to suppresse heresyes sedicions and to abolisshe false religiōs / 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 tr [...] syncere and pure prechers of it. Hath not Mahumete and the popes by these subty­le fraudis goten their kingdōs? Thei pro­mise to teche & declare the lawes of god / but thei preche their owne dead deuilishe dremes. Thei wryte themselues the most [Page] 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 innocēt 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 shalbe ouer Text. 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 [Page 195] 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 Antiochꝰ 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 dil [...]i [...] 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 [...]eit / his. 3. expediciōs 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 i [...] ­sidiose Text. confederacion with him / he shall come vp and ouercome him with a fewe folke. Of Anti ochꝰ first viage in­to Pheni ce / Tyro & Syria.

That is to saye: Alb eit antiochus Epi­phan. shall make a deceitfull confedera­cie with his neuey of Egypt / yet shall he inuade Phenicen y ^e rychest prouince that his neuye had. And for that this antiochꝰ [Page] his auun [...]le was naturally rauisshinge and wolueshe / & because of his prodiga­lite & profusions of giftis / he might not spare other menis goodis / he toke awaye here and there the ryches of other men / and the tresure of the temple / and made sale of all things. But first he came craf­tely to his neuy to be cōfedered with him as an vncle to take the tuicion faynedly of his neuye / & lest he shuld be suspected / he came with a litle company into Egypt but vnder this colour he inuaded Pheni­cen / robbed and spoiled the citie of Tyrꝰ the most ryche cite of all.

And he shall come fortunatly & ta­ke Text. the moste ryche cities and plentuouse places of the region / and shall bringe to passe those thinges which nether his fa­thers nor grandefathers coulde not / the proyes / the spoyle and the stolne ryches shall he skater amonge them / he shall al­so imagine and inuent gyles and fraudes that at his awaited tyme he might inua­de & take the strongest cyties and holdes.

This prouince where in he so happely toke the most ryche cytes was Phenice / wherin were Tyrus & Sydon with other ryche townes / which prouince was some tyme belonging to the Syrians / but then was it the Egypciōs and belonged to his [Page 196] neuey Philometor. The tresures and ry­ches of this prouince he caryed awaye & shatered them prodigally to make him frendis and to hyer soldyers. Here maye ye see how clerely god sawe before and so certeynly tolde euery thinge to come.

Then shall he extende his streng­thes Text. and mynde ayenste the south kinge antiochꝰ first via­ge into Egypt. with a greate and mighty hoste. And the southe kinge shalbe prouoked to make ba­taill ayenst him with also mighty an ho­wge hoste / but yet shall he not withstand him / forthei shall betraye him.

Now had antiochus that ryche prouin­ce of Phenice & made him frendes with the spoyle. Wherfore he exalted with so lukkey a successe and begininge / thought to inuade Egypt with a greter host then he inuaded Phenicen. But heare the occa ston of this warre. His neuey was now but yong and had two cheif counsellers / called Ceneus and Eulaius which wold nedis haue ayen Phenicen with the ci­ties thus by fraude taken awaye of Antio chus. Whose counsell antiochus percey­ning / gote this greate hoste to inuade E­gypt rather to haue all then to lese that at he had goten. And here antiochus stu­died how to corrupt his neuies coūsellers & dukes with money to obtayne his pur­pose. [Page] The bataill was sette betwixt Pel­lusium and the mount Casium / where an­tiochꝰ wan the felde by cortuptinge his neuies capitains with giftis / then he fay ued himself to come nyerer into Egypt to his neuye and to take the tuicion of him / for that he was yet but yong & so by that deceit to obtaine the hole londe of Egypt And to bringe this his wyked fraude to passe he corrupted euen them that sate at his table / daniel saying.

And for because his owne counsell Text. familiare at his table shalbe his destruc­cion / antiochꝰ shall procure a greate host and slaye very many.

Co thus was yonge Philometors hoste betrayd and he lost the sayd felde by the treason of his owne counsellers corrup­ted with antiochus deceitfull giftis.

☞ But the myndes of both the kinges Text. shalbe bente one to hurte and destroy the [...]other. And at one & the same table shall theispeke fraudes and falshed. But yet it shall not succede / for the ende of this ma­ter is apointed vnto another tyme.

Aftir this was antiochus receyued of his neuye into Egypt by y ^e counsell of his dukis / and thei sate familiarely at one ta­ble. Wherfore the one thought to destroy the tother / for the auuncle thought by the [Page 197] colour of his tuicion and promise to de­fende his yonge neuye / at last to set him besydis his kingdom. And his neuye ayen thought to geue tribute to the Roman [...] (which were then to mighty for thē both) to be defended of them & to destroye his auuncle and so to bring all Syria parte to him ayen and parte to the Romās. But y ^e tyme apointed of god was not yet come / that the Romans shuld conquire all the worlde which was a lytle aboue an. 100. yeres aftir. The chaunces and mutaciōs of kingdoms and kinges are in the han­dis of god visitinge the wykednes of the fathers into their. 3. and. 4. generacions. Nether falleth there an heare from the head withoute his wyll at the apointed tyme of his forsight which no kinge / nor prince / as he cannot prolong nor differre / so canne nor maye he not preuēt it. Thus ye se that thorow this fayned amite / An­tiochꝰ came into Egypt / and his neuy de­stitute the faithfull counsell of his owne nobles receiued him / but both of them en­tended deceite to other. As often tymes the amities and fayned frenships of prin ces be but mere deceite one to destroye y ^e tother / as it is sene this daye.

Wherfore he shall returne into his owne londe with great ryches / and shall Text. [Page] sette his herte ayenst the holy couenant / Of Anti ochꝰ first cominge to Ieru­salem. where (his pleasure taken) he shall retur­ne into his owne londe.

That is to saye: Antiochus shall leaue behynde him in Egypt his host and capi­tains apoynted vnder the sayd false pre­tence / to kepe and defende his neuyes cheife cities / which spoyled of him taking awaye greate ryches / he shall returne in­to Syriā. But in his returne he thought to robbe the temple of Ierusalem (here maye ye se what a subtyle raueninge bere wolfe was this anticryst the very figure of owrs.) Now had he good hope to haue had all Egypte and Iudea to. When he came to Ierusalem / there fownde he a [...]helpe to serue him of his owne turne: euen the bisshop Iason a lyke blody wret­che / which before had slayne his good bro ther and bishop Onias to get his bishop­ryke. This Iason receiued Antioc. reue­rently. And albeit as yet / he by this Ia­sons consent / had not set vp the idole in the temple (which the aungell calleth the holy couenāt) and so prophaned it / yet by the bisshopes deceit and consent / he ca­ried awaye the tresures and many ryche ornamēts. And a greate slaughter of the citesens was made that resisted them / and he caried away the substances of the [Page 198] ryche men / as it is to see in the. 1. boke of the Mach. Now for asmiche as the aun­gell extendeth the prophecie of this boke vnto the ende of the worlde. Let all yonge princes beware of them that fayne them­selues to be their protectours / and nyest Beware yonge princes. of kynne. And let vs beholde whether there be now any spirituall Iasons con­federed and conspired with lyke anticry­stes / to robbe and spoyle and slaye the cry sten chirches / and to settvp idols / to con­firme false worshipes in them. Now ther foloweth yet his second viage into egypt miche more mischeuouse.

But at the apoynted tyme he shall Text. [...]nuade ayen the south kingdome / but yet Of Anti ochꝰ se­cond co­ming in­to Ieru­salem. shall not the last viage be lyke the firste. For y ^e shippes of Cyprie shal come ayenst him / and make him astonned. And then shall he returne with great indignacion & anger ayenst the holy couenant / where vpon (his pleasure taken) he shall loke about him / and ioyne vnto him the tray­tours of the holy couenant.

That is to saye: Aftir two yeres Philo meter his neuye espying more clerely the fraudes of his auuncle went vnto Alexā driam vnto Disconem his brother / & ob­tayned helpe of the Romās to recouer his lost cities / & thus accouraged of the Ro­mans [Page] he expressed his auuncles syriake hoste and armye there lefte in his cheife cities of Egypte / receyuing his cities in­to his owne defence / asking helpe & ayde of the Romans / wherfore now cryed his auūcle open warre ayenst him returning a fresshe with a greate armye into the coo s [...]es of Egypte. But this viage was not lyke the former / for it was in vayne & his Popiliꝰ. cruell false purpose frustrated by Popiliꝰ the ambassadour from Rome which with his spere drewe a circle about Antiochus there he stode / compessinge him to geue a playne answere ere he wolde suffer him once to stepe out thereof / here Antiochus auoidid with shame and anger / nothinge done of him / wherfore the aungell sayth: The nauey of cyprie or cithin / which we­re the Romane shippes oute of Italie. It foloweth. And he shall returne with indignacion in a furye &c. That is / aftir that antioc be thus afrayd / he shall in a great anger returne into Syria. And in this his seconde returne he shall do more Antioch his se­cond co­ming to Ierusal. vylanie to the temple and to Ierusalem then he did before. For now he setted vp the image of Iupiter Olimpii in the tem ple / & forbode circumcision with an open proclamacion / he brent the holy bokis of the lawe and prophetis / and constituted [Page 199] synfull playes and all beastly haithen vi­gilies and stewes to be haunted in y ^e cite / drinkinge dronken in the honor of their goddis Bacchus and [...]enus. He slewe y ^e godly men which wold not consent to his idols and image seruice and to their hei­then filthynes. He / by the bisshhops coū ­sell left there an armye of men to defende all this idolatry and heithen viciouse abo minacions / and to presse downe the trwe religion instituted of god. And how grea­te and greuouse was the persecucion and destruccion of y ^e iewes comon weall and trwe religion by this anticryst thus coun seled and prouoked by the bisshops Iason and Menelaius the story of the Macha­beis tell it. Now see whether Popis and bisshops haue not ensenced lyke Antio­ches vnto the same synfull factes this daye. For it foloweth.

☞ And there shalbe set vp armes and Text. strength out of him / which shall propha­ne and pollute the holy temple of helpe and strength. And they shall take awaye the daylye long continued sacrifice / & set vp in the temple the abominable idoll of destruccion. And the wyked traytors and transgressours of the holy couenant shall he bringin to play the crafty deceyuers thorow hypocrisye and flaterye.

[Page]That is / The armye of Antioc. there Antioch is y ^e de­uillis p [...] pe & bis­shop. left to defende these abominacions / shall defyle the holy temple of helpe with their haithen execrable rytes. It is called the temple of helpe and strength / because by the promises made therin the iewes as it The tē ­ple of hel pe. were in a castle / were defended of god / as is the gospell now oure helpe and strong tower. To take awaye the dayly wont sa­crifice / is The day ly wont sacrifice to abolisshe and to forebyde all the Leuitik religion / and to slaye all that worship god aftir Moses rytes and lawe These armes of Anti. did set vp also moo images heithen rytes and cerem. in the The abo minable desola­cion. stede of gods religion / whih also with all oure rytes / cerem. and tradiciōs be called the abominable and execrable euident & present signes of the destruccion of tho­se temples and chirches wherin they be The sig­ne for y ^e thing si­gnifyed. yet set vp. And here is the signe called y ^e thinge it self (that is y ^e very destruccion) which it signifyed. The trayterose trans­gressours of the holy couenant and testa­ment / were Tray­ters trā ­sgressors were the bishops. the apostatas bishopes as Ia son / Alcimus / Menelaius with their fac­cion / which ether for their owne profite and lucre or for feare / forsoke and renyed God for Antiochus pleasure / which did both saye and do all thinges deceitfully thorow hypocrisye and flaterie.

[Page 200]These troublouse and heuey afflicciōs of gods chirche are before wryten / to mo­nisshe vs to beware / & constant. The ie­wes themselues deserued these plages / for the text saith / that Antioc. shall con­sult with the forsakers and trayterouse transgressors of the lawe / which were y ^e bisshopes with their affinite allectinge and prouoking antioc. to robbe and defyle the temple with images and haithen ry­tes / ministring fyer and cruell tyrannye / euen y ^e very complices of all that vngod­ly sacrilege / that therselues might stand styll in their auctorite and dignities / for out of the spirituall headis which profes­se themselues to be the gouerners with their doctryne and defenders of the chir­che and euen the chirche it selfe sprung­forth all these calamities geuinge aucto­rite & powr to that seculare heithen king ouer the temple of god / ouer the rytes and religon / yea and aboue god and his worde to / that the kinge confirming their aucto rite and powr to defende their owne su­persticion and apostac [...]e / to punisshe and persecute the godlye / thei might the fre­lier prosecute their tyrannose mischeif & murther. And therfore the text saith. Thy shalbe fraud elently brought in / tho­row hypocrisye to flater emprours & kings [Page] with diuyne and holy tytles. But oure cō ­solacion is / that we see the ende of their Dure cō solacion. tyrannye and heueypersecucion at hande and that we haue god almighty with cri­ste and all his aungels on oure syde / & as that persecucion by Antioc. dured not ful­ly fower yeares / euen so shall we aftir a lytle short trouble / haue a restinge place to breath vs.

But the peple which knowe God Text. shalbe boldened to stande and to do con­stantly. For the lerned teachers in the pe ple shall teche and enstructe many: but thei shalbe smytendowne with swerde and fyer / and some cruciated in captiui­te / and banished / their goodis taken from them / which persecucion shall dure ma­ny dayes.

To knowe god / is to knowe the father to be the very onely god one alone for vs all sufficient / euen oure god / & him whom he then shuld sende / & is now comen his sonne / oure sauiour Christe god and man. In this prophecie y ^e aungell had respect to the Machabeis by whose lytle powr in comparision to Antioc. and the bisshopes with their adherents / the lytle good flok of the Iewes were delyuered and their temple and religion restored. This pro­phecie / (when the tyme came) moued the [Page 201] Machabeis to lyft vp weapens ayenste Antiochū. And here begine thou the boke of the Mach. and obserue diligently the godly zele of holy Matathias the preiste & of the Mach. how thei suppressed that anticrysten antiochꝰ / & thou hast the iust cōmentarye of these verses. Also where y ^e text hath / that the lerned techers in the peple shall teache many. It is signifyed that in that most perellouse tyme / the doc tryne of the trewth shuld be meruelously purged and illustred / as now the perels of this oure tyme and dispisicions of the lerned do most clerely trye and polysshe the doctryne of the verite. And where he sayth / Many shalbe smyten downe with swerde and fyer. He signifyeth and certi­fieth vs that the crosse must be borne of the professours of the worde / as cryst tol­de his apostlis. And the present persecu­cion of this oure tyme techeth vs clerely to vnderstande this text. For whan it was then spoken / the spiritualtye & their seculare impes had not yet made this la­we / that heretiques / that is to saye / the trwe techers and professours of goddis worde shulde be brent.

But in that same persecucion / thei Text. shalbe holpen of a lytle helpe. And to thē many shall ioyne themselues deceitfully. [Page] Of the lerned techers some shalbe smy­ten down to be tryed / proued / pourged / po lisshed and made whyght vntyll the last tyme. For there remayneth yet another tyme.

This text bl [...]wvp the trompet to ani­mate The ma ner of de lyuerāce Matathias to throdown Antiochū. He ca [...]eth these lytle shepish flok of the godly / y ^e lytle helpe. Which without any ordinate ordinarie imperie or commande ment of y ^e magistratis / of their owne wil­ling desyeres ranne togyther to defende Mach. 1. Of whō this day the chir­che is hol pen with out y ^e cō ­sent of y ^e ordinary powers. Consola cion. the chirche of God. Euen as this daye / (the chirche forsaken of the bisshops and headis that shulde defende it) is holpen of a fewe poore pryuate persecuted / banis­shed persones here and there wrytinge and techinge / as the faithfull peple then folowed / not the powr / but y ^e piete of Ma­tathias. Matathias therfore was that lytle helpe with the sonnes of Mach. of whom y ^e aungell here prophecied. Let vs therfore (most dere brothern) counforte and confirme oureselues with this text ayenst the out cryings and facings of so­me proude bisshops roring in pulpits and courtes. That men must in this cause o­bey y ^e ordinarie powrs we may not preuēt their pleasures in settinge forth the pure gospell / we must beleue and do as y ^e most [Page 202] part say thei: This dontles is yet / & was then the bukler of many vngodly persons to defende / & hold styll their false religion It is now a comon persuasion of the bis­shops and their false farine to alledge their ryches / their wealy lyues / the most part / their fauour with their princes / ho­nor / prosperose successe and fayer fortu­nes / by these to allewer the simple and worldly to their false religion. And if the­se pestelent perswasions will not serue / then dispute they with fyer / fagets fet­ters presoninge and swerde / banishment and losse of oure goodis and lyues for the defence of their idols and false doctryne. And here thei paynt their whorish chir­che with holy names of the spouse of cry­ste / oure holy mother vniuersall catholik dekked with so many holy sacramēts de­cent rytes and laudable ceremonies / & to haue the preeminence and to sit aboue all emprours and kinges. And then thei con­tende noman so haroy as to swarue from the ordinarie powers / see ye them neuer so openl [...] synfull and vngodly criminose / yet [...]an thei not so erre (saye thei) as to re­ceyue or teache any erroniouse and false doctryne / false worshipes or idolatrye. For their holy mother the chirche cannot erre. And thei on [...]ly haue the holy gooste [Page] with his fethers winges and tayle t [...]. And it is a token of [...] good mynde (saye thei) to wynke at their manifeste crymes and to mitigate their mischeif with a mo derate interpretacion / & to excuse their abominacions with the infirmities and frayltie of man. And the greate menis open offences / namely of their chirche / must be dissembled and loked on thorow oure fingers / lest in the rebukinge and in the healing of them / worse inconuenien­ces may chaunce (say thei) For at the ste­ringe of errours and faultes of y ^e clergye / discorde may be inflammed and kindled / many ruynes / many dilaceracions & diui­sions with other inconueniences may fo­lowe (say thei which will bring forth gre ter hurtis and breed worser thinges. A man (say thei) maye not rebuke his olde fathers for euery dotage & chyldish tow­che. Also thei haue made great apologies and sewer defences for themselues con­cerninge these their magistrals modera­cions / toleracions and mitigacions to wynk at their wylie wykednes / which yet forbyde that the formes and ways taken of the rulers shuld not be moued nor trou­bled / no not although thei haue right gre te faultes. These these be also the wylie flaterers by whom many emprours & kin­ges [Page 203] haue ben inuited and trapped withe their holy flateringe tytles and induced by their wiked counsels and perrellons perswasion into theirowne destruccions. But yet be there certain limites of these their deceitfull and subtile perswasions. For let vs bere and suffer their ciuile ser­uitute & heuey burdens / let vs wynke at their imperiall proclamacions and lorde dely cōmandements / and suffer their ma nifolde negligence / yea and their opē fa [...] sehed and tyrannye in iugemēts. And let them for theirowne worthei blindnes be styl seduced of their blynde bisshops and flatering friers / let vs bere thē speaking and doing all for their priuate profits & pleasurs taking awaye the peples bodies and substance: but yet the glory of god & of his sone Iesu Cryste must we preferre aboue al humane policies profitis plea­sures and precepts and not esteme the publique peruerse concorde in false reli­gion ayenst god & his anointed more then the glory of god or owr own honours and lyues. For whoso denye me (saith cryste) before men / I shall denye him before my father in heuen. And the apostles coman­de the precept of god to be preferred abo­ue the comon concorde of sinful men / and to obay god rather then men. And if any / [Page] yea were it an aungell of heuen / teache a nother gospell then himself had preched saith Paul / accursed mought he be.

Vnto theise saings let vs adde the iu­gement of god setforthe in this prophecie euen to approue the lesser parte which o­bayth not the kinge / emprors nor their bisshops in this behalfe but condempne these mainteiners of the vngodly religiō / put into their headis of these bakslyden bisshops. Nether be thei so smal offences perswaded and qualifyed of my lordis / w ^c be here rebuked of god. For albeit these wylie whelpis with their arrogāt article makers seke how to agre beliall with cry ste / idols and the true worship in spirit / thrusting the pope and cryste bothe togi­ther into one pook / yet be not these ioylie iugelinge castes worthei to be admitted thrusted in / nor playd in crystis chirche / in whiche place / y ^t onely voyce of hir trwe pastor ought to be herde / the onely light cryste ought to shyne / whiche the eternal god by the voice of his prophets of cryste and his apostles / delyuered to vs. Howe grete derkenesses there be yet in the chir­che / the vain fonde friuole questions in their sentenciaries declare it / disputing whether god may comande man to hate him / & what thing eate the mowse guaw­inge [Page 204] their consecrated brede? But these fonde questiōs (saye thei) be moued but of a fewe idle fryers nether therfore ought the hole bokis and chirche of the prelats to be cōdempned / well. Thei be not these trifles which the aungell so ernerstly re­buketh / but thei be y ^e very senews & pythe of all madde idolatry false worship & bla­sphemies of gods glorie euen their messe it self and their own inuented sacramēts to geue grace / and works to iustifye into the downe tredinge of the most preciouse blode of cryste and into the blasphemou­se iniurie therof. Whiche the highe orde­narie powrs and bisshops here defende so manifestly that thei canne nether colour cloke nor excuse them.

As touching their misse / let them lye / blaspheme / & iuggle there with tyll their Their Misse Philip melanch ton. belyes breke / yet agenst them fight the ol­de aunciet holye chirches / with manifest mighty testimonies refuting their mani­folde pestilent prophanaciōs where with thei pollute the holye souper of the lorde. And where it is playne no ceremonies no rites no tradicions without the pre­scripte instituted vse and forme of god / to holde ether the vse or name of a sacramēt wherfore comande thei brede and wyne to be worshiped as god? yea and that whē [Page] there is no vse nor forme of any sacramēt which is no litle blashemie. Also their la Their vnchast chastite. we of their preistes vnchaste chastite / is the most sironge perniciouse perdicion of infinite soules. Nether dothe long custo­me with their vnlawfull vowes at their vnlawfle articled age excuse their damp nable doctrine. The chirche is in this world ofte in an herde seruitute vnder y ^e yokis of these infidelis / but yet were the­re euer some godly prudent men which la mented their blyndnes and desyered the­fe enormities to be reformed. The temple The tē ­ple y ^e to­wer or ca stle of helpe. I sayd before) was called the tower of hel pe for the promises sake there made to de fende the peple. As is the gospell to vs y ^t mighty strōg castell of the chirche / which although it be cruelly resisted / yet shall not the gates of hell preuaill ayenst it: for there shall the chirche dwel where as is the voice of the gospell. This tower of crystes chirche and gospell shall there ne ther turke nor tyraunt throwe down. Of which chirche it is writen in the baletis of Salomon / to be as terrible to these an­ticristis / as is the edge of an armie or ca­stell laid full of ordinance. The iews had but one temple as but one doctryne & one worship of one god: & therfor this tēple is here called in y ^e singulare nowmber forti­tudo [Page 195] / or sanctuarium presidii / that is the holy helpe and strengthe. The idoll of de The I­dol of de strucciō Mayzi. strucciō or waasting image / he calleth he­reaftir the god Mayzim / that is a stronge god of diuerse and of vnlyke chirches / sette or hāged vp in euery sondrie chirche The hebrews comonlycal al images strā ge gods & heithen rites abominable de­struccions / because that whersoeuer thei be setvp and honored in chirches or in ab beis / there haue we a certain tokin and a sewer sacrament that the same Abbeis & chirches shalbe all made euen with the grounde not one stone left vpon a nother as cryste himself prophecied of the tēple & of Ierusalem for the same abominaciō / and as ye se it this day verified of many abbeis in this and other regions.

There is added to this abominable i­mage or rytes / this worde vastans that is destroing or thrustinge out of the chir­che the very trwe doctryne and worship. For so longe as these images & the God Mayzim with these heithen rites stande in chirches: there is the trwe worship & godly religion vtterly destroid / and at la­ste shall the same chirches & comon weal thes be al destroid by a fewe pore priuate parsons shall this helpe come to destroye this abominaciō in y ^t chirche: the papists [Page] and their princes with the moste parte of the more part is naught. the peple enbraceth euer these abomina­ble signes of their destruccion / & the gos­pell persecuted of the moste parte decla­reth them to not knowe nowe this daye / the tyme of their visitacion / whiche as it drewe forthe the weping teares out of cry Luc. 19. stis eyes coming into Ierusalem / euen so may it now cause euery cristiane to wepe / to see what a merciles destruccion this day hangeth ouer all cristendom / first by themselues / and eft sone by the turke / for that thei haue not known the day of their visitacion these. 20. yeres visited by the gospell sent them so mercifully.

But the lesse parte was it whiche fyl­not from their god in that / and in this so troublouse a tyme. He saith expressely / whiche knew god: the knowleg of whom saith I saye shall iustifie many. For he shall reuele himself by his worde to this litle nownber whiche be to many in the eyes of the grete nowmber / for that thei wold haue vs all quenched and cannot / nether is the grete nowmber able to resi­ste owr doctrine for when our aduersari­es obiect / the lerned bisshops iugement / the emprowrs comandements his. 32. ar­ticles of the doctours of louaine / kinges actes and articles / and the moste parte [Page 206] withe their olde holy mothers customes so semely so decent so laudable & cetera. which be yet their present weake weapes and roten reedis / then let vs heare the voice of cryste in his trwe techers & god­ly prechers / which in this present conflic te confuteth their false doctrine so clere­ly with god is worde / as is the sonne / as it was sene of late in the disputacions at Auspurge / Spires / Raynspurge and Ba­syle where the popis do [...]ish disputers Ec cius / Cocleus / Pighius / Alphons / Bar­tholome Latimerus with al their dronkē draffe saks were with shame constrained to geue place to the lerned mē of the prin­ces of germanye (were Eccius and pighi­us neuer so fumish) as ye see them confo­unded in the bokes writen ayenst them of the lerned answering to their calumpni­ouse false lyes. Whilis the kingdom of y ^e bisshops was thought to be the chirche of god thē was not the trwe chirche known but nowe haue the disputacions and bo­kes of the lerned / & the folisshe answers of the papis [...]is declared the difference. But many (saith the aungel) shalbe smitē down with swerde and fyer &c. This is e­uery day verified in euery realme cryste­ned sence the gospell was offred them. This litle floke of Cryste thus destroid [Page] apere to their aduersaries to haue litle or no helpe of the gospell & of god / nor yet any counfort at all: but yet out of that lit­le helpe that so litle apereth to our anti­cristis (whiche helpe is right grete to vs in the scriptures and promises of god wri ten for our consolacion and helpe) we fele bothe inestimable counfort and helpe euē in the middis of our affliccions & in y ^e de­athe / when the moste parte and papistis iuge vs to be forsaken of god and man / as thei iuged criste to be / when his father toke his spirit into his handis & the third day reaised him vp agene. But many shal ioyne thēselues to vs (saith the aungell) deceitfully. Trowth it is / that there we­re then / and be nowe many false brether­ne / especially False bakbygh ting bre­therne. s [...]che as were fryres & mon kes strewed into many congregacions so me to be curats which vnder the preten­ce of the gospell as longe as it apered to encrease and was not forboden / by gredi­er begginge dissemblinge and flateringe bothe deceyued and betraied many / & yet thei scaunder & hurte vnder the same co­lour many a simple and good man. Many there be of these dissembling deceyuers & preuey false [...]rethern euen mo then of the [...]wthe verely. But at that tyme there we re many that fayned thēselues to [...]e the [Page 207] frendis of the Machab [...]is / butall was to destroye them. As y ^e bisshop Alc [...]mus ioy­ned himself fraudelently to the host of y ^e godly ayenst Antiochꝰ / which by the same deceyte slewe many godly citezens of the Iewes. And here is to be noted. That af­tir the returne from Babylon vnto Anti [...] chus dayes / there were rulers and prin­ces of the stok of Dauid ouer the Iewes / but yet without the name of a king / being nethelesse in a mean autorite as capi­taines When y ^e bishops of the Ie wes beg [...] to rule. and leaders into bataill. Wherfo­re now begane the bisshops to buss [...]le and bere rule both in the seculare powr & pom­pe ouer the peple and playd the kinges a­bout. 160. yere before crystis birth / as thei haue and yet shall bere lyke rule & gouer­ne both emprours and kings not long be­fore crystis seconde coming to iugement. A lytle before this destruccion by Antioc. was Iannes their capitain slayn of An­tiochus in the sege of Iericho. Aftir that thei were without a seclare goid. And the bisshops stroue amonge themselues / one kyllinge another / set a fyer with desyer of honor / rule and ambicion / corrupted with all maner mischeif / so that thei blotted­out the lawe of God / thrustinge in their owne lordely tradicions / as thei haue do­ne this daye. Which is an eiident token [Page] that the world is nyghe the ende and cry ste shortely to come to iugement.

But as when the very chirche was de­stitute the ordinarie powrs and seculare gouerners / that godly Matathia exhor­ted the lesse part to resist y ^e furiouse king / euen so now haue we the holy spirit exhor ting vs to resist with his worde their fal­se doctryne and to tell both emprour and kinges and bisshops. That we ought ra­ther to obey God then men. Here is it playn that euer shall the emprours / prin­ces / kinges / bishops and the seculare sort be the most parte ayenst crystis trw chir­che. Also as then did Alcimus the bishop associate himself deceytfully with fraude vnto the lytle flok of the godly into the destruccion of many good men / euen so do the false brethern & falser anointed bis­shops and popish preistis this daye. And many which neuer were of vs / shall (as Ioan sayth) forsake and go from vs to y ^e contrary part. For in the tyme of persecu­cion Luk. 2. the thoughtis of many false holowe hertis shalbe reueled and layd open / then shall men be tryed as it were with fyer. And many shall turne their myndes / so­me for feare of losse of their goodis and syues / some for the displesure of y ^e powrs / and some for dignities and lucre shall re­nye [Page 208] the verite and full bak from the faith and become cruell persecutors. Which when they shulde haue bene tried with fyer to be made whyght / thei became ve­ry blak Belialis / when by the same crosse and fyer y ^e lerned godly techers be tryed / polisshed and made as whyght as syluer for a certeyn tyme apointed of god / aftir which tyme there shalbe a nother worlde The tyme of oure persecucion shall not long endure. Here is lo / oure consolacion for albeit oure aduersaries thinke vs to be vttterly forsaken and that oure perse­cucion shall euer last / yet hath god apoin­ted vs a tyme of oure reste and delyuerā ­ce / wherin we shall reioyse. And as y ^e ie­wes at that tyme were counforted with y ^e hope of crystis coming then at hand lytle more then an C. yeres to come / euen so be we now conforted with crystis coming to iugemēt which we truste shall not so long tary to delyuer vs and to cast downe ours and his enimies into perpetuall paines. Which shall for his chosen sakis shorten the dayes of this synfull worlde. Of the hole story of this Antiochus Epiphanes / read the boke of the Machabeis.

And it shall prosper with him vn­tyll Gods wrath be consumed and spent [Page] vpon him and y ^e impietie and wykednes of the vngodly be at the rypeste.

For the contempt of the gospell / shall the wrath of god suffer the turke and the pope with strong delusions and effectuo­se errors to destroye many soulis and bo­dyes / but it shall dure no lenger then that his wrath consumed / shall ceasse / & their wykednes be rype / which shalbe when with his cleare cominge he shall thruste downe anticryst. Anticryst shall prosper in the mean tyme in his mischeif / for he 2. thes. 2. shall do and haue what he lyste / he shall haue helthe of bodye / ryches / princely ho nor / dignities / his pleasure ouer women / victories / yea and what he will / as to per secute to make lawes &c. which is a token of the continuall consuming wrath of god hanginge ouer his head / as is the crosse and affliccion of the godly the token of gods loue towerd them. When anticry­stes wykednes is rype and at the hyghest in persecu [...]ing / as is this daye the wyked nes of the emprour pope & other kinges / then let them beware / for now will the wrath of God ceasse to suffer them here any lenger to lyue.

☞ He shall set naught by y ^e god of his Text. fathers / nether shall he regarde the con­iugale loue in wedlok / nor sette a wght by [Page 218] any god at all / for he shall exalt himself aboue all thinges.

Christ was promised to the fathers The. 4. &. 5. ma [...] kes. being their God / and therfore shall anti­cryst deadly hate him / because he promi­seth to the repenters remission of their synnes & lyfe eternall for the onely fayth and confidence of his mercye promysed them. The turk calleth vpon Mahumete and wilbe iustifyed by the workis cōman ded in Mahumets lawe / the pope calleth vpon the deade saintes and wilbe iusti­fyed by the workes wryten in his owne de­crees and lawe. In this verse ye se two manifest markes of anticryst printed both vpon the turke and the pope and their se­culare princes yet folowing their stepis one euident marke is. They shall not knowe ne vnderstand what God is / but openly caste awaye the God of oure fa­thers Abraham / Isaac and Iacob &c. one god alone for all sufficient him onely our fathers called vpon in cryste / theirs and ours onely mediator. Vnto him onely in all affliccions we and they dyd euer flye in the fayth of cryst oure sauiour and one­ly mediator. And were hard and holpen by his mercye / oure fayth teching it vnto crystis passion paste / as dyd theirs vnto his death to come / ther by both they & we [Page] to be iustifyed. But this our eternall god and father thus knowen in Cryste / shall oure anticrystis (sayth the aungell) neuer knowe nor regarde / but spyghtfully set him at naught and caste him awaye for their idols setvp in his stede both in their owne hertis and in their chirches to be worshiped aftir their owne inuencions / inuocacions &c. Thei shall inuent their newe iustificaciōs newe articles / remis­sions / indulgences and saluaciōs by ma­ny other means and mediators then by onely Cryste. These anticrysten keisars / kinges and bisshops shall teche and de­fende most cruelly their own strange god of their owne makinge made with their mouthes and hands. And as tyranously shall they fyght for their owne inuented iustificacions and inuocacions of their dead saints: for their owne merits / will workis / and satisfaccions / rytes / cere. &c. Then shall thei pray to / and for the dead Isa. 63. which nether heare nor know them. And when thei be thus casten vp of God tho­row their owne lustes into a forlorne myn de. Rom. 1. Then shall ye see their fifte 5. mark. mark euen to contempne the honest law­full cōiugale loue of men and women de­syering to be coupled in holy wedlok. God hath created the man and woman & graf­fed [Page 219] into ether sexe a mutuall loue to be ioyned togyther in wedloke / lawfully to bringforth frute / one to haue a counforta­ble felowe helper of the tother. This na­turall coniugale loue shall they vtterly destroye forbidding the lawfull matrimo­nie of preistis and of all their religious fonde vowesses. And shall set vp therby wheredom aduoutry and all prodigiouse lecherie vnder an hypocritish cloke of vn lawfull lawfull vowes and sole vnchast chastite. So that by this deuillish doctry­ne and prohibicion many a man and wo­man 1. Tim. 4 is dishonested shamed viciated and polluted / yea and many a soull dampned. Siche forbidders of wedlok shall neuer haue good successe and fortune in their owne maryages.

And as for oure bisshops and preistis the autors of this anticrysten act / they be so depely and so openly marked with this baudy bronde and popish print / that whoso see their shauen crownes / as they be afrayd of their familie wyues & daugh ters and abhorre their to ouermiche do­mestike familiarite / so do all the worlde speke shame of their open prodigiose le­cherie. These be lo / the monstrose mar­kes of oure anticrystis both seculare and ecclestastike / euen the manifest blasphe­mie [...] [Page] and contempt of god in worshiping images and strāge gods and their deuil­lish doctryne prohibyting lawfull marya­ge and violently rendinge honeste law­fully mared persons in sond [...]r with their derely beloued chyldren / thus to confir­me their owne wyde wandering wyueles lecherous lustes. I tremble and shake for very shame & fear to tell the horrible viciouse lyues & abominable fylthynes committed among themselues and with menis wyues / wherof all the romish ram­mish preistis and bisshops so stinke that all honest men stoppe their noses / eares and eyes at them.

This anticrysten kingdom reteyneth the name of god the eternall father & his sone cryste. But thei adde to idols & cor­ruppe the trewe doctryne: both in praying to the dead and worshipinge of idols and images / emong y ^e which idols their misse is the most execrable abominable signe of a swift and soden destruccion shortly to fall ouer them. And as for the trewe inuo­cacion of god thorow cryst / thei haue tur­ned it into a dowtfull dubitacion. In oure sorowfull repentance and contricion / so long as the mynde dowteth / & is not cer­teynly perswaded of remission of hir syn­nes / [...]he knowth not God in Cryste / but▪ [Page 220] flyeth from him to dead saintes and dome idols. The crystians in this maner of inuocacion differre not from the turkes Saracens and iewes / whiche al pray to / and call vpon god / but in a perpetuall du­bitaciō whether god be mercifull / forgeue or heare them. For nether thei nor we can be certified by our workis / whether we be for their sakis worthie to be herde and for geuen. Wherfore our faithe stayed vpon god and vpon his promises to be herd & forgeuen for crystis sake whom the father willed to be offred vp a sacrifice for our sinnes / excludeth almaner a doute and al that may let or fight agenst this mercia­ble forgeuens. For this constant gift of faithe certifieth vs fermely / verely to be receiued of our god and father for his so­nes sake / and for his sake onely our pray­ers Heb. 2. & 4. to be herde / as it is writen. We ha­uinge siche a bishop and mediator / let vs Ioan. 15 with bolde confidence go vnto him & cet. And ayen / what soeuer ye aske my father in my name / he will geue it you. For in that he saith in my name / he comandeth a prayer vs to aske in the faith and confidence of the mediator. As thus. Oh eternall god & father of our lorde▪ Iesu cryste / the maker and conseruer of althings / most wyse / the [...]este / mercifull / our iuge / and almighty / vpon [...] [Page] ring of ether wothers beneuolent dewtie. The man knowth himself to owe certein labors to his wyfe / that she want not foo­de or any necessary thinge / and the wo­man mu [...]te labore to sustayne the vp bring­ing of hir childerne &c. as that mo [...]te fru­tefull and necessary boke of the Christen state of matrimony techeth vs. Whiche boke euery cristen man ought to reade. But the one eyed great tyraunt kinge Cy Cy clops y ^e popes & his pri ces. clops sitting alone in his dēne ladig his bellye with dilicats and his owne flessh with lustes care not for this honeste cure and coniugale loue. He bereth no honeste beneuolence to any parte of mankinde he geueth them not their honeste coniugall honore for their creators sake nor labo­reth to get his wyfe hir lyuing nor defen deth hir from inconueniences / but him­self compresseth & dishonesteth al other menis wiues and daughters and turneth vp their halters when he hath done with them / for thei will not be combred w ^t their owne wyues and childern. This is both the sclaunder to the womā iniurye to hir housbond / shame and dishonestie to them all▪ 3. and to their childern to / and destruc cion of the frail sexe / not to norish helpe and defend hir but to bringe hir into per­tuall infamie and dampnacion. Of this [Page 222] iniurie shame and dishonestie speketh the text sayinge he shal fill the women ful of shame and dishonestye sclaūdered with perpetuall contumelie & dampnacion.

The sixt bronde of this blody beast is to contempne god exaltinge himself abo The. 6. token of anticrist An epicu re is he that se­keth his belly lu­stis. ue all thinges. Here he describeth the fu­rye of the Epicures / which is the highest and depest mischeif of all impiete / euen to cōtempne the very god and to vse him as no god / but to imagine god to be a god of his owne makinge / and to desiroie the predestinacion and forsight of god / yea to make the religions or gods ordinances to serue his owne plesures for his own pro­fite and lucre. Who destroieth gods infal lible prouidence and predestinacion but he that decreeth / that a man may preuēt the predestined and apointed howr of his death / infallibly foresene of god? What els is this then to be magnified aboue god? To make new articles of owr faith contrary to Gods worde / and to set them in their prophane seculare actes of poli­tik parlements armed withe swerde and fier / is not els then to be exalted aboue god himself. Wonder it is seinge this epi cury godles furye be so horrible a sinne a­yenst gods highe maiesty / that noman [...]ā expresse the grauite therof / that so innu­merable [Page] men so miche delyte / withe th [...] contempt of god / in these epicurye opini­ons. But these abominable crymes & im­pieties the sone of god shall disclose and punisshe at his open coming ayen to iuge­mēt / that he might orne his chirche with glorye and cast these anticrystis into euer­lastinge torments vnlesse thei repent in tyme monisshed.

But he shall worship in his owne Text. kingdom the god Mayzim / euen the god whom his fathers neuer knewe / him shal he honour withe gold and syluer / perte / and gemmis / and withe other preciouse ornaments.

Mayzim / signifieth stronge defences as bulworks and castels. This god May Mayzl. zim / which oure fathers as Abraham / I­saac y ^e prophetes & the apostles with our fathers in the primitiue chirches neuer knewe / is it which the shauen anticristes of late haue made and fayn themselues euery daye to make it / which sleighthy leger de maine (say they) no aungel nor yet marye herself cannot do / but onely y ^e popis false anoynted Anticrystis. This their stronge god and castell Mayzim / is not onely their owne made God / but also all their rytes / cerem▪ lawes / doctrynes / tradiciōs with their transsubstanciaciōs [Page 223] all their lyinge prophane papistrye / false worship and idolatry belonging ther vnto Brede in scripture is the most strong staf­ [...]e Leuit. 26 Ezech. 4 (as Moses and the prophetes call it) wherwith man is sustained and norished Mayzimis a made mighty god of and in [...]ondre temples. The arke and the temple of god were called Maysa / that is / their strong castell or tower / as it is afore sayd But Mayzimin y ^e plural nowmber signi­fieth yet more stronger thinges then they all / euen their most strongest helpe and holde whereby anticrystis kingdom think themselues to be for euer defended & pre­serued. For as long as their Mayzim in misses with their adpertinences maye stonde thei thinke their kingdoms inex­pugnable. So longe as they maye holde styll their hyghe honor and priuilege in making their vnmighty Marzi / thei dout not but to stonde faste and sewer ayenste god and cryste and his gospell. The Ie­wes hauing to greate a confidence in the 1. reg. 4. arke (& yet was it made by gods precept and so is not Mayzim) caryed it forth into the bataill ayenst the Philistens calling it the God of the Hebrewes / as they call Mayzim the god of the crystians / suppo­sing therby to haue had the victorie / but the arke was taken and they miserable [Page] slayne / for to miche trustinge in their al­to weak Mayzim not instituted for siche ententis. What perels / plages bataill so­res sykenesses wether fyer feare we / but a non the makers of Mayzim causse their misses to be song and sayd / yea and May­zim in a maske muste be caryed about in processions for helpe & defence. But cryst instituted not his holy souper into these endes and vses. Make fast (my masters) youre mustye and mistye Mayzim with your misses / for if ye lese him in this your bataill and cōtencion ayenst cryste / sewr­ly ye lese the strongest hold ye haue. If he fall / youre kingdom is in the duste. Dout­les his legges be broken. For the aungell affirmed it / and Daniel sawe before his fete to be made and bakt but of britle bak­kery / his bodye therfore now reseth and staggerth. Make miche of / and hold fast youre golde and syluer / youre preciouse stones and so ryche iewels begged to or­nowerne to honor and to magnifie May­zim / and all for youre owne aduauntage. For the tyme drawth faste on that youre selues and youre god Mayzim shall lese all / yea you shall lese Mayzim to. This is and shall come to passe / where and when the very vse and firste institucion of the lordis souper shalbe restored to crystis or­dinance [Page 224] / and youre prophane popish mis­ses be abolisshed / as they be well minis­shed and put downe now in many places with the abbeys. Some expositors call Mayzim the god of strength or the most strong god of anticryst / because he shalbe defended mayntained and strengthened by the most strong weapens as by swerde fyer / water / and by the strong powers of y ^e most mighty emprours / kinges and secu­lare armes / & also of & by y ^e most subtyle crafty lerning and studye of the popisshe preistis deuilish doctours of lawe / blody bisshops / and cruell cardinals. And of y ^e most fraud [...]lent foxes the holy hypocri­t [...]s / euen the mischeuoꝰ monkis and fyer­ [...]e fryers. Of which it foloweth in the text sayinge.

☞ And he shall for y ^e defence & mainte­nāce of his god Mayzim & to glewe men to this strange god / honour them highely withe dignities lordeships & riches / yea and for a rewarde distribute the erthe to all them whom he know the wyll helpe to confirme his god.

Nowe shall all anticristis enforcemēts be to study and contend to defende and to make Mayzim strong / stablesshinge him with decrees counsels cursinges lawes thondrings and lightninges with swerd [Page] fyer water parlement actis cesstone en­quiringes holy sacraments of strange names▪ Also withe false miracles make thei Mazim fast / as did sir Nicolas ger­ues Sir Ni­clas ger ues his false mi­racle. preiste in the countie of surrey vpon Thomas beckets daye y ^e laste yere at his misse 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 / Their last shif­tis. 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 / whē 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 thē 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 [Page 225] 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 [Page] 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 l [...]se his vigore strengthe & taste / then shall thei rēdervp all their spi rituall iurisdicion powr and autorite into the seculare kings handis ayē 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 [Page 226] 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 thē and their god Mayzim. For as antiochꝰ 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 Alphōs 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 [Page] rytes be taken away which lordis muste nedis rule the roste. But (crystē 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 frō images and idols and auoid false strāge gods. Thou shalt see it openly how the bisshops shall short ly rendre vp into the emprours and kings hādis their bisshopriks autorite spiritual ouer the chirches / their first frutes their tenthes / palaces parkes &c. and the po­pe shall yet geue thē 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 mōstro se Mayzim.

But at laste / the south kinge shall gore him with his horne & the north king Text. also shall come fyercely vpon him lyke a whirle winde with wagens & horse men and with many shippes: he shall inuade the regiōs lyke a swelling floude runing all ouer them. He shall inuade that moste pleasaunt londe and many shalbe smiten downe.

Here is discribed the laste bataill bet­wixt [Page 227] Antiochus and the kinge of Egipt. But as cryste toke an occasion in the pro phecie of the foresignes and destruccion Mat. 24. 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 Apoc. 17. 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 Antiochꝰ per secucion / but also this present tyme & end of this worlde. But a [...] there nowe no nor­the [Page] este and weste kinges whiche fight ayenst the south kinge the pope▪ 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 shalbe verified of the spi­rituall bataill with the pennes & lippes of the lerned & godly mē writing prechin­ge & praying ayēst him. What shal we say of these kings yet fighting among thēsel ues? God knowth. But y ^e turk is a northe este king if we loke vpō his seat emperial in Constantinople from Iudea and from vs. Wherfor / I iuge that for y ^e persecuciō & thrusting away of y ^e gospel al y ^e west real med and the Romane empire shall be thꝰ 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 dōs to their own ayers and posterite if the tur ke preuaile. For he shall come into that [Page 228] moste pleasaunt londe gretly desyered & many shalbe slayne. This shalbe 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 / Text. euen the I dumeis and the moabits and y ^e princes of the Ammonites. These Idu­meis The edo mits de­nyed gods pe­ple to pas se thor­ow their londe. nō bers. 20. 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 shalbe confedered with the pope and turke / and with the per sewers and destroiers of the crystendom / and so escape thēselues / 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 [Page] 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 Text. regions / and the londe of Egypte shall not escape. The po­pe & turk will ha­ue the ry ches of Egypte.

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 vi [...]iouse blynde and aduersaries at they to Gods worde. There be yet some The po­pe hath had thē / the turk will ha­ue them. 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 shalbe kinge ouer the tre­sures Text. of their golde and syluer and lorde ouer all their pleasant possessions and ie­wels of these blynde Egypcions. But Ly [Page 129] 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 mō ­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 Text. 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 pardōs licences grauntes and gathering of his tributes and pensions / then came there shrewed tydinges to him from the north east oute of Saxonie and Hel [...]e­tia / that one Martine Luther with zwin­glius and Ecolampadius begane to wry­te ayenst his pardons and ayenst his god [Page] 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 Text. ad va [...]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 thers image to burned they at Paulis crosse with many englishe testaments / [Page 230] 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 fome out fyer and water fagets & swerde vntyll not onely fearfuller rumors / but also the turke himself be in their neckis. But yet in the mean tyme it is possible ere these warres (now begune. 1544. in Iuly) be ended / that euery sowth west kin ge maye heare ferefull tydinges from the north east eche one of other. And all they togyther at last shall heare ferefull tydin ges from the Turke / euer redy to inuade crystendom. The turke in the middis of his prosperite & glory shall heare the last ferefull tydings of all / euen when Cryste oriens ex alto as did zacharie saye / shall Luk. 1. come downe springinge oute of heuen to iugement. But in the meane ceason / see what prouisions and shiftis / these anti­crystis shall make / mistrustinge these ty­dinges / [Page] sayth the aungel.

☞ And he shall setfast his strong ca­stels Text. palaces and bulworkes betwixte two seas vpon the noble holy hyll / vntyll he shall come to his ende / when noman shall helpe him.

The serpentyne sead the pope of all beastes the subtylest and fardest forecasting dreading these tydings long ago buylded him many strong castels in Rome & Italy betwixt y ^e two seas one called mare adria ticum and the tother called Tyrrhenū. Rome his cheif seat of his reste and plea­sure being situated vpon the noble seuen topped holy fathers hyll. But his sewe­rest Rome is the seuē topt hyll & veno­mose. 50. headed hydra slayn of Hercu­les. tower of all was (as he thought) that by his counsels / curses / lawes & decrees he had made his holynes and power so hygh and fast that he was exalted aboue god / emprours / & kinges vsurping a wor­ship aboue god there bostinge himself for gods vicare on erthe & head of the vniuersall chirche hauing power both in heauen hell / erth and in purgatorye / & that this securite and power might sitte the sewe­rer / he made fast and ferme decrees / no­man so hardy / payn of cursinge and bur­ninge / once to doute or dispute of his po­wer dignite / autorite or holynes. He sit­teth betwixt two troubles seas. For no­man [Page 231] maye come nyghe nor touche this hy dra (his hygh holynes I shuld saye) with gods word on any syde but he shall go tho row a troublouse sea & be brēt or drowned But the lorde with the brethe of his mou the shall sleye him. Haue not some secula re anticrystis at these ferefull tydinges from y ^e northeast made themselues strong holdes and castels betwixt seas vpon so­me hyghe holy hyll? But it is God that psal. 68. woundeth the head of his enimies & smy­teth of the hearie head toppe of them that walke in synnes. God shall alto crusshe the head of the dragon in the waters. psal. 74.

The Frenche kinge lyeth betwixt the mediterrany sea and the sowthe oceane / yea now he hath the Popes two hornes and the emprours swerde to defende him. His hyghe hyll wherevpon he resteth is / to be called the most crysten kinge. Besy­des these holy helpes and defences / the Pope hath Gods power almighty vpon erth / he hath Peter & Paul in their moste hyghe indignacion and curses to thonder and lyghten vpon whom he lysteth. France hath S. Dionyse with his long moris pyke. The emprour hath the win­ges of the flying egle that flieth so hygh ouer all / & hercules two pilles. The other popisshe princes be beres / winged swift [Page] spr [...]kled panthers and be called the most mighty / noblest / redouted most victoriou­se / the Popis firste begoten sonnes &c. The emprours maiestye is called of the clergy the most inuicte sacred cesar con­secrated to iustice &c. and puysant prince of Almayn as long as he defendeth their papis [...]rye. These all haue their most strōg and mighty god Mayzim / with infinite dayly misses and the perpetuall prayers of the papistis with Sancta Maria and all sayntis to praye for them. Shall there any ferefull tydinges from the north east fray any of these cruell beastes? yea vere­ly / if thei repent not in tyme in sak and as­shes / for sheding of so miche innocēt blo­de for the gospell / and will not in tyme c [...]asse persecuting / and receyue the wor­de humbly enbracing it with thankis / be­leue it and defende it. But how long els shall thei sitte in feare in these their own holy hylles? The text sayth: Not longe. But they shall come to their ende. And to what ende (I pray you)? The text sayth. Et non erit eis adiutor. That is to saye: Not withstandinge all these great seas / defences / towers palaces / hygh holy tyt­les / tyches / men money / greate gunnes. yea for all their policies and studye / yet in their most nede shall there not be one [Page 232] to helpe them. No not their owne greate god Mayzim / nor Marye nor not one of all the sayntis in their chirches / nor in heauen maye helpe any one of these an­ticrystes.

The Iewes once at siche lyke terrible tydinges from the north east / pretended and trusted to lyke defences / for thei had their situacion betwixt y ^e west sea / & the floude Euphrates. Their temple and ci­te Ierusalem were buylded pleasantly vpon that holy hyghe mount of Sion wel fortreced and turretted. And when the prophete Ieremie tolde them these terri­ble rumors from the north east / that the kinge of Babylon shulde come to destroye all. Thei answerde / that it was impossi­ble: for that they were the peple of God / thei had his lawes decent rytes and lau­dable cerem. and miracles for them / they were circumcised and had the sealls and sacraments of his couenant / & the Baby­lonits were infidelis / not y ^e peple of god / but haithen folke / and therfore presoned they the prophete Ierem. and conspired his death and diuerse other thei slewe for telling them siche tydings. But yet came thei to that same ende noman helpinge them. And albeit now oure false cristians and trewe anticrystis pretende the same [Page] britle buklers / sayinge [...]e be crystened / we be gods peple / redemed by cryste / we serue god trewly daye & nyght / no where is he so richely and so prowdly serued as emonge vs / we haue his sacraments and daily infinite misses / wherfore if any mā tell vs of the turks incursion to destroy al cristendom / we ought to kyll him as a fal­se precher and falser prophete. For God shal neuer suffer his crystened peple to be destroid of an heithen turke. well.

The turke therfore / when he shall ha­ue this conqueste ouer all cristendom / he shall also hear lyke ferefull tydings from the northe east. And he shall flye to siche shiftis as now do our crysten turkes and anticristes. For his great mighty palace of Byzācie is sewerly builded alredye be twixt the aeuge seas & Euxin sea. And he shall thinke himself the moste mighty emprowr of Rome and conquierer of the hole worlde. But yet shall he come to his ende / noman helping him. For aftir this fowerth Romane Monarchie / there shall be no moo. For here shall comeforthe the watchinge and awaitlaying roring lyo [...] out of the northe ea [...]te wode / & shall cha­lenge & conuince this mighty last enimie the turke persuinge his chirche and pre­suming to geue the egle / and to holde the [Page 233] Romane empire / here shal this highe fle­inge egle be slay [...]e vpon the mountains of Israel / whyls he is in persecuting the chirche of cryste shall he be slayne with the breath and worde of this lyons mou­the cominge downe to i [...]gement / as it is prophe [...]ied. 4. Esore in the. 12. Chap.

☞ But in this tyme / Michael y ^e great Text. prince standinge for thy peple shall aryse vp / for there shalbe siche an hard heuey and troublos tyme as neuer was sence any man hath bene vnto this tyme. But in this tyme thy peple which is fownde wryten in the boke shalbe delyuered and saued.

This is a present consolacion for all crystianes yet suffering persecucion / Mi­chael is as miche to saye as who is lyke god▪ verely euen Iesus Cryst which sit­teth psal. 113. on hyghe and beholdeth thinges so lowe and farreof. He is called a greate prince because that y ^e faythfull beleuers / thorow him ouercome euen the powers 1. Ioan 4 and gatis of hell / for greater is he that is in vs / then he that is in y ^e worlde. To stan beforth and to aryse vp / is a token of a re­dy Act. 7. willing helper at all tyme. For the de­struccion of the afflict / and waylinge of y ^e psal. 12. pore now will I aryse vp (sayth the lorde) and I will restore them to helthe & geue [Page] them a breathing restinge place. Thanks be to god the father of oure sauiour cryst that yet he will standeforth and aryse vp to delyuer vs from these so many and so cruell torants and anticrystes / makinge vs vnable to be ouercomen thorow onely fayth and by the confession of the almigh ty gospell. By that so troubles so heuey & greuouse a tyme as neuer was nor shal­be / he vnderstandeth thissame oure tyme present in which the lest part of the chir­che is thus persecuted within and with­out / at home of their owne familiare fay­ned brethern / and in euery strange londe / of the most and hyghest part of y ^e worlde. This is confirmed not onely by Crystis wordis Matth. 24. but also by this place of daniel. But yet are the elect wryten in the boke of god / for whose sake the gospell is / & shalbe preched and the chosen shall not be lost. Let vs goforth therfore vnto oure solace reste and counforte euen vnto the resurreccion. See howe ioyously the aungell reioyseth and haasteth himselfe vnto the last daye / so that befor [...] he wolde speke of Michaels office he wold ingraf­fe the place of oure resurreccion so full of solace / that we mought be certifyed that when Anticryst is reueled / then is there nothinge els to be waited fore but the re­surreccion of the dead. But yet shall the­se [Page 234] cruell persewers (as in the tyme of No­ [...]e) before the floude / eat and drinke ma­ [...]ye buylde plant and be merye tyll vnwa­ [...]es y ^e vniuersall fy [...]r shall ouer flye them. And as Paul and Peter saye / when they 2. thes. 2. shall w [...]ne all to be sewer and [...]alf / then 2. Pet. 3. shall this soden destruccion come ouer them. So that the worlde shall euer be in mi [...]the and solace and in a synfull securi­te. Iere. 49 1. Pet. 4. Prou. 11. Luk. 23.▪ For the persecucion and heuye dayes shall begine at the howse of god. But oh an [...]t / oh tribulacion / oh horrible trem­blinge / oh most gre [...]o [...]se euerlasting tor­ments which then shall take awaye the­se wyked anticrystes and sead of the ser­pente / especially when the lorde [...]esus shall trede out y ^e wyne presse of his heuey wrath and indignacyon and geue y ^e dreg­ges of the cuppe of his wrath to be dron­ken Apoc. 19. vp of all the synners of the erth. Psal. 74. Then then shall the chosen be delyuered. But as the nature of mankinde the elde [...] it wexeth / the weaker it is / euen so slac­keth y ^e courage vnto vertewe. The world wexeth olde & very syke / wherfore all syn encreaceth / as we se it / what igna [...]y and sleugth is ther to any godly reformacion? what loue and pronite is there to volup­ [...]ousnes and pleasures of the flesshe? what and how greate feminine softnes [Page] to synne / intemperancie / inconstancie de­ceit and falshed folisshnes pryde vani­ties / enuey estimacion and perswasions of their owne wysedom and policie is ther now ayenst god / and his worde? Out of these founteins are there now sprongen both in imperies and chirches these grea­te and blody tumults / wherfore the trwe chirche is now minisshed and distressed she wexeth weak and feble. And therfo­re Psal. 70. she prayeth sayng. Cast me not now a­waye lorde in myne olde age / when my strength fayleth me / yet lorde stand thou by me. In greate calamite and heuynes was the chirche when Antiochus perse­cuted it / in greater affliccion when y ^e Ro­mans vtterly destroyd the comon weall of the Iewes their londe / citie & temple. But in the greatest anxt of all afflicciōs & persecucions is it now in this last age of the worlde. Netheles as god in ▪those calamitose heuey dayes sent his prophe­tes / prechers / apostles and cryst himselfe with his gospell to counfort hir / euen so hath he now done and shall do / vnto the ende / let vs therfor reepent / aknowlege oure synnes and be strong in fayth for the glorie of God and oure owne helth / cal­linge incessantly vpon God to conserue / defende and encreace his chirche.

[Page 235]Ierusalem is called the holy hyll / becau Ierusa­lem is y ^e holy hyll Isay. 2. se it had the worde of god / and thereoute proceded the lawe and gospell. In y ^e laste counsell at Ratisbone. 1541. the popis car­dinall called Contarenus wolde haue graunted all thinges to oure chirches Cardi­nall Cō ­tarenus. and religion that we required / vpon this condicion / that is to wete. If we wolde haue graunted the pope to be the cheif ho ly head of the vniuersall chirche and to haue his wonte primacie with all his tyt­les as to be called the most holy vicare of god vpon erthe / him onely to haue the power to interprete adde and diminisshe y ^e scriptures / if we wold (sayth Melanch­ton) haue these thinges affirmed & graū ­ted him / we had agreed. Also there dyd we read his boke imprinted at Ratisbone where in y ^e pope playnly wryteth. That it is impossible the turke to be ouercomen / except before / the confessours and profes­sours of the gospell (whom he called [...]u­therans) were destroyd. And therfore he with his spirituall impes ther being pre­sent / encensed the emprour Charles the fyft to set vpon the Germans and to de­stroye as many as had forsaken the Pope and receyued the gospell. Now / how saye ye my lordis. Are not the Turk / the Pope and Antiochus all. 3. the sonnes and bre­therne [Page] germans / of Anticriste? to the text. Text.

And many sleapinge in the erthe Ioan. 5. Mat. 24 shal be vpwakened / some into lyfe eternal and some into euerlastinge shame and cō tempte.

Consolacions in thes persecuciōs god shall euer geue vs. For the trwe chirche the trwe chirch is not here setled in any one sewr pla­ce. shall euer haue the lerned conforting thē with the gospell. And although the mem bers of the chirche be dispersed wyde into strange londis / yet shall thei all and euer consent into one faith and trwe doctrine of the gospell. The emprowr / kinges & bis shops persecute vs dayly frō londe to lon de frō town to town / which is a tokē that the trwe chirche is not a comonaltie bo­wnd to / & setled in one certain sewer pla­ce. But where so euer thei be thei call vpō one god in the faithe of cryste flyinge ima Ioan. 10 [...]. 15. ges misses and all heithen rites / for my shepe (saith crys [...]e) hear my voice. And if my wordis abyde in you aske what ye will & it shalbe geuē you. This is a grete cōso laciō for vs / how wyde so euer we be ska­tered Mat. 28. / yet to haue god in the middis of vs to hear vs & to be present withe vs in his helpe almightye. And therfore saithe the text. In these dayes shal that mighty pri ce Michael / whiche is cryste stand forthe [Page 236] into our defence / which wordis criste oft repeteth sainge: I meself wilbe with you vnto the worldis ende. Owr laste & chei­feste assewred consolacion is that owr he­uye persecucion shall not now longe dure For god nowe haa steth himself to make an ende of this worlde when anticrystis wykednes is at the rypeste and himself thinking to be in moste securite and len­ger to lyue. This daye of the resurreccion of owr delyuerance into lyfe eternall / and the anticrystes into perpetuall dampna­cion Rom. 8. / is diffined & apoynted of god which daye all the chosen longe sore fore. And we knowe it not to be farre of by many euident signes and coniectures expres­sed 1. Ioan. 2 in the scriptures. The euangelists cal 1. Cor. 10 led their dayes the last howr of the which The re­surrecci­on is our cōsolaci­on. howr a thousand and. 500. yeres be paste But returne we to the consolacion in the resurreccion expressed by a similitude of men sleapinge in the duste to be vpwakt. To dye / therfor is not els but aftir labour Deathe is but a sleape of y ^e bodye. and wearines of bodye to go to bed & sleap and so to ryse vp erly more fresh and lusti er / by which vprysinge he describeth our resurreccion. By sleap / is vnderstanden the reste of owr bodies in our graues (for owr souls sleap not but be receiued into the handis of our father in heuen blessed [Page] with cryst in the fruicion of his presence) and by the rysing vp ayen in the morning is vnderstanden the resurreccion of owr dead bodyes vnto lyfe eternal owr soul is ioyned ayen to them. Wherfore when we go to bed and ryse in the morning let vs Rom. 5. remember our death & resurrecciō. Paul sheweth wherfore we muste ned is dye / & ayen wherfore we muste ned is ryse ayen. Therfore do we but sleape because cryste 1. Cor. 15. by his deathe slewe the dethe of the bele­uers and turned the same death / by his re surreccion into our lyfe / saying / O death I wilbe thy deathe. The text saith. And Isay. 25. many sleapinge / for Paul saith. 1. Cor. 15. Osee. 5. we shall not all sleape / but all shalbe chā ged in the twinclynge of an eye. For the daye and minute of the trompet blowing shalbe so so [...]denly herde callinge them that then shalbe left a lyue / that all then present shall neuer be laid in graue to sle­ape. And as Iob setteth the resurreccion ayenste the sorowes and pains of death / so dothe daniel here for owr consolacion Iob. 19. sette it ayenste our persecucion which did so animate the faithfull in tymes paste that thei refused the delyuerance from Hebr. 11. death of bodye for that lyfe and resurrec­cion to come.

This article of our resurrecciō. Wher [Page 237] in we shall haue that moste ioyouse lyfe perpetuall is the moste present consolact on in this owr persecucion in these laste dayes. And the greter is our coun [...]orte for that we knowe it and see it now at hand. And althoughe cryste saith / that daye & howr to be known onely to his father wil linge vs not to serche the article & howr of it curiously / but rather to repent amen de our lyues / to awake and be redy loking euer for it / wherin he shall shew himself vnto al men triumphinge with his chir­che ouer ower enimies / yet do the short­nes of the tymes and ages of the worlde and the rypenes of iniquite these warres and the crueltye of anticristes persecuci­on declare it to be at hande. So that we may coniecture of the tyme and yere in ge nerall.

☞ Also the techers shall shyne lyke y ^e Text. brightnes of the firmament. And thei w ^c bringe many to the knowlege of the right wyse makinge shall shyne perpetually ly­ke the starres.

Here is declared the vertew and powr of the prechers before the iugement and of their rewards of bodies and soules af­tir the resurreccion. These prechers be thei whiche bringeforthe the newe and olde store that is / the lawe and gospell re [Page] pentance and remission by faithe onely / Mat. 13. prechinge to themselues and to other the iustificacion by onely faith in Iesu cry­ste. Thei shall shyne / not onely here as Philip. 2 lyghtes in the middis of the euil anticry­ste [...] nacion / but also foreuer. Nether shal thei here alone shyne as y ^e two great lightes of the firmament aboue them whom 1. Cor. 15. thei haue here taught / but also as y ^e grea­ter starres passe the brightnes of the les­ser. And what so euer these teachers here lese or suffer for their techinge / thei shal bothe here and there receyue an h [...]ndred folde for it. Wherfore then shuld thei be afraid or troubled? The more thei here Mat. 19. suffere for teachinge the trwthe the grea ter ioye abydethe them: let vs not therfor desiste / nor be afraid / let vs not neglecte our office for crystis sake (good crystē bre­thern) but speke & wryte as longe as we maye.

But thou (oh Daniel) shut vp the­se wordis and seall vp this boke vntil the Text. laste tyme where many shall turne it ouer & be skatred abrode / that the vnderstan­dinge and knowlege might be gretely en creased and multiplyed.

Nowe is it shewed / whom the redinge Whō da niel shal profit. of daniel shal profit & whō it shall not pro fite teachinge that at Isay. 8. saithe that [Page 138] is / Seal thou vp my lawe for my disciples To shut vp the wordis and seal vp the bo­ke is to hyde my wordis and secrets from the vngodly filthy swyne & dogges that thei vnderstand them not. To turne ouer the boke of daniel in owr exyle and skate ringe a brode by persecucion and so to fyn de miche knowlege / is the chosen persecu ted to fynde the somme and secretis of al the scripture in Daniel diligently often studied and labored. Hitherto perteine Mat. 13. Luk. 8. Luk. 19. Luk. 8. crystes wordis. To you is it geuē to kn [...]w the mysteries / but not to them. To him that hathe it shalbe geuen / to him that hathe no pleasure to reade daniel / that knowlege he thinketh himself to haue / it shalbe taken from him. No man can know perfectly these prophecies vntill he see them fulfilled or in fulfillinge (as thei be euen nowe) god so reuelinge them to him.

Aftir this I daniel loked vp / & lo / there stode two other / one on this syde of Text. [...]flowde & y ^e tother on y ^e other syde. And I sayd to the man cl [...]d with the lynē vestu­ [...]e standinge aboue the floude. When thē Apoc. 10. shall there be an ende of these meruelou­se thinges? And I herde him that stode in lynen aboue the waters of the floude / which (his right and lyfte handis lyfted­vp into heuen) swore by the euer lyuinge [Page] god / that all these thinges shall haue an ende / aftir that thei haue fully dispersed and skatered y ^e power of the faythfull pe­ple to endure vnto the determined tyme / whether it be long or shorte (or els as hath another text translated by doctor Ioan Draeonites) All these shall endure for a tyme / tymes and an half. And the disper­sion of the holy peple ended / all these thin ges shall come to passe.

This is the tyme of the delyuerance of the persecuted chirche and of the ende of the worlde. Daniel here seeth two aun gels of eche syde of the flowde one ayenst And yet stande ther the same aū ­gels ay­enst oure chirche. and contrary to the tother / which signi­fyed the two aungels mencioned in the x. chap. making warre ayenst the Iewes letting the buyldinge of their temple en­censing the kinges of Persye and Medis lost the worde shuld haue encreaced with frute. The man cled with lynen was Ga briel. The askinge of Gabriel how long the persecucion shuld endure is the voyce of the wayling and wepinge chirches de­syering to knowe y ^e ende of their greuouse persecuciōs / which be here called merue­lous and wonderfull: for that there can be nothinge thought more wonderfull to be merueled at / then thus to see sathan by his instruments the tyraunts / heretykes [Page 239] and anticrists without ende to persecute / so that if one enimie of ours be ouerco­men / yet he euer stereth vp another with whom we must euerfyght and neuer ceas­se. It is a wondrefull warre of so many & so mighty princes of the worlde / ayenst so fewe and feble a lytle ferefull flok / that so many and so mighty shuld be afrayd of ve which nether with materiall swerde nor shylde can fyght / but onely with oure lyppes / pennes and prayers. It passeth all manis reason that we shuld in conclu sion haue the victory. The aungel / which with both his handis lyfted vp into he­auen swore by the lyuinge god / was cryst himself / clothed in whyght lynen / which betokened that he shulde in tyme to come be borne of the pure virgin Marie and ta­ke vnto him the most pure and vndefiled nature of man to be borne as is the swete clere and byrall dewe dropes of the mor­ninge descended from heauen standinge vpon the toppes of the grasse clerely to be sene ayenst the sonne rysing / as is his natiuite in so fewe wordis declared in y ^e 110. psal. aftir the Hebrewe text sayinge. Thy concepcion shalbe in the most hygh beutye clerenes and holynes / as pure as is the dewe conceyued oute of the wome of the morninge. For as y ^e vapores by the [Page] celestiall powr / be drawnvp oute of the erthe / and in the morninge be condensed as it were into crystall perls or dewe dro­pes / euen so by the supercelestiall vertew did the sone of god take vnto him his ve­ry humane bodye of the pure virgen that he the sonne of rightwisnes shuld come forth and be borne into the worlde. This sonne of man standinge in whight lynen aboue the waters or flowd / is cryste trea­dinge Persecu­cion ma­keth [...] whight. downe all tribulacions and all the persecucions of his enimies / yea & euen his enemies themselues as sinne dethe deuil and hell makinge of them his fo [...]e stole / he is cled in whight for that by his crosse he shuld be made whight and tryed lyke syluer: he telleth Daniel how longe this persecucion shall endure. He telleth him the moste certein token that shall im­mediatly The cer­tain toke before y ^e ende. go before the resurreccion / euen the dispersion and scateringe abrode of y ^e holy peple: which we see it this daye ma­ny for the wordes sake to be dispersed out of their owne countries and londis as ma ny pore men yet fele it. But how long this dispersion shall endure cryste telleth him not playnly. The zyrik texte sayth vnto y ^e determined tyme of god / whether it be long or shorte / for somiche signifieth the Hebrewe phrase. Ad tempus tempora & [Page 240] dimidium. Fewe dayes apere many and a short tyme is longe to the afflicte per­secuted. And in the endinge of the scate­ring of the powr of the holy peple shal all these thingis be finisshed. How longe we shalbe thus dispersed by persecucion / one ly god knowth. But of this be we certein that this dispersion by persecucion is the laste and moste certain signe that y ^e daye of iugement is at hande. For God decla­red vnto daniel the order of the. 4. monarchies / whiche be all paste / and the cruell kingdoms of Anticriste which shuld ary­se in the fowerth monarchie / whiche at Mahumete and the pope be reueled. And the seculare anticristes which shall ende in the turke / begine faste to growe and to preuaile / which yet shall neuer be lyke in powr to the Romane monarchie / when it was in hir firste flowers. And therfore when the seculare Anticristen kingdoms now begun in the cristen emprowr kings and princes be deuolued into the turkis imperie / thē shal that daye begin to sprin ge / wherin the dead yet a sleape shal awa ke. The sayinge of Elye before in the. 9. lefe of this boke is known of all men / & it ought to be writē in euery manis wall is and wyndows.

Cryst telleth vs / the dayes to beshorte­ned / [Page] as was the course of the yeres vnto Nohe [...] ▪ floude shortened that the synnes of the peple might haue bene the soner This re keninge agreth w ^t the. 1290 dayes ta­ken for wekis in the next lefe folo­wing. smyten of. And if ye will aftir the playn wordis take the tyme tymes and an half as it stondeth. Then thinke I / that the tyme is taken for y ^e tyme betwixt or from this reuelacion vnto daniel (which was a non aftir y ^e ende of the captiuite of Ba­bylon) & the ende of y ^e destruccion of the Iewes by Titus / which contayneth. 600 yeres and a lytle more. And the tymes / I take for the long tyme dowbled euen for the twelue hondred yeres sence / wherin hath continewed the persecucion of the chirche of the gentiles sence that destruc cion of Ierusalem / euen for the tyme of y ^e persecucion by y ^e Romane emprours and aftirwarde by the Mahumete and y ^e tur­ke and the pope and his seculare impes. The half tyme / I take it for. 300. yeres / From y ^e destruc­cion of y ^e temple to this day 1474 which be the half of. 600. Now from the destruccion of Ierusalem vnto this daye ther are. 1474. yeres / so that by this reke­ninge the half tyme shalbe ended with in these. 30. yeres to come. But this reke­ning will I not certaynly affirme. But ra ther take the half tyme / for siche a shorte soden tyme as no vngodly man can iuge it / but thinke it rather to be as long ayen / [Page 241] and so prouyde for it whylis god sodenly kut him of / in the middis of his course / as it is wryten. The blody vngodly deceyt­full Psal. 54. shall not come to half the tyme they loked fore. Theis coniectures I permit­te vnto the iugements of the crysten rea­ders desyering euery man not to be to cu­riouse in this accompt / but to repent & be­leue the gospell / to be redye and awayte for the lord is coming.

☞ I herde it / but I vnderstode it not / Text. wherfore I sayd: Lorde / what / or when is the laste ende of these thinges? And he sayd: Go thy ways daniel / for these wor­dis are shut vp and sealled vp vnto y ^e last tyme. Very many in the mean tyme shal­be purged / and made whight and blowne togyther tryed as metall in the fyer: but y ^e vngodly shall do wykedly / nether shall all the vngodly vnderstande nor regarde these thingis / but the wyse lerned shall regarde and teache themforth.

Here it is shewed to daniel. That the­se wordes cōcerning the tyme and tymes and an half / or ende of this persecucion / shalbe seald vp and not knowen vntyll y ^e last tyme & last dayes of the worlde when iniquite shall preuayle and raigne most rankest and rypest / and the vngodly shall not regarde this prophecye / but rather [Page] laugh the techers and declarers therof to skorne as they dyd in the tyme of Nohe The vngodly shall abuse these wordes into thencreace of their owne dampnable destruccion and persecucion of the godly / which by persecucion and skatering abro­de / in greate heuynes and perels / and at last by greuouse tormentings & deathes / they shalbe tryed as is metall melted w ^t blowings in the fyer. But the chosen god­ly teachers shall vnderstande these wor­des in the later dayes / teache & geue war ning to y ^e other & therfore shall thei haue the knowlege of y ^e tyme and of the yeres. And as dyd Nohe an hondred yeres befo­re preche repentance makinge the arke to saue the good / so shall these good techers an hondred yeres before prechinge repen­tance buyld vp the arke of the gospell of saluacion by fayth in cryst restored at last (as euen now these certayn yeres past) to saue and preserue the chosen from damp­nacion.

☞ Furthermore as touchinge the ty­me, Text. wherin the perpetuall dayly sacrifice Luther last of al began to buylde this arke shalbe taken awaye and from the tyme of the setting vp of the abominable destruc­cion / there shalbe a thousande / two hon­dred / &. xc. dayes / Oh blessed man / that shall tarye and see the thousande thre hō ­dred [Page 242] and fyue and thirtye dayes. 26. yere ago.

Now cometh the aungel nyerer the en­de to more specially termes vnto a deter­mined tyme expressed by dayes. 1290. which make half an heb. 3 yers & an half. In the 8. chap. it was tolde that aftir the takinge awaye of the continuall sacrifice & settinge vp of the abominable idole the signe of destruccion / there shulde be two thousand and. 300. dayes which make. 6. yeres. 3. moniths and. 20. dayes / which is almost an hebdomade of yeres / in y ^t which half hebdom. which is here in this firste nowmber of. 1290. dayes / the Iewes were greuously skatered persecuted and slayne of Antiochꝰ vntyll the greater nowmber was fulfylled / that is. 133 [...]. dayes begin­ning the tother half hebdom. wherin the Machabeis gote y ^e victorye of Antiochus and restored the dayly sacrifices and tem ple all agen. And therfore he here sayth: Oh blessed is he that shall perseuer & see the. 1335. dayes that is / shall escape that miserable heuey first half hebd. and enter into the later half / that is / into the later ende of the hebdom. But if any man be­leueth (sayth doctor Draconites) that the aungell here alludeth vnto the seuenteth hebdom. in the. 9. chap. where ended the comonaltie of the Iewes by the Romās / [Page] he must confesse by these. 1290. dayes to be vnderstanden the half hebdom. that is / the. 3. yeres and. 3. monethis / in the which tyme / by the emprour Caligula the idoll was setvp in y ^e temple / & the dayly wont sacrifice was taken awaye by the apostles Act. 15. & the Iewes comonaltie vtterly destroyd. For aftirward y ^e sowne of the go spell went ouer all y ^e world. Blessed ther­fore were they which came to that daye. But let vs come to these present dayes / wherin we see and feele miche & greuou­se persecucions / and behold how greuou­se and bitter it is for. 3. 02. 4. yeares conti­nually / & then aftir / how god remitteth it for as long a ceason agen to geue vs a pla­ce for a lytle ceason to rest vs / euen as it were the halcy [...]n dayes to suffer his chir che to breathe a whyle: that she maye be the stronger ayenst the next storme & ba­taill folowinge.

But turne these. 1290. dayes into we­kis / which make. 24. yeris and. 24. w [...]kis & then is it iuste that aftir caligula had done that blaphemie / the iewes amon af­tir. 24. yeris were destroid by titus & im­mediately begane thei to destroie them­selues by mutuall ciuile sedicions. The continuall dayly sacrifice and the abomi nacion of the desolacion standinge vp so [Page 243] longe in our [...]hi [...]ch [...]s / [...]r their misses / Mayzim / popisshrites tradicions of mē supersticiose ceremo and images. When the gospell now of late begane to be resto red by the lerned menis writings and pre chinges and so to take awaye these sayd abominacions / then their folowed this great skat [...]ringe and persecucion of the faithfull whiche yet endureth. In which wold god these. 1290. dayes were turned but into so many w [...]kis whiche make. 24. yeris and. 24. wekis / that blessed mought theibe whiche shall seethe. 1335. daies [...] make. 2 [...]. yeris &. 35 wekis which agreeth with the said rekening of the tyme tymes and the halfe tyme. And if ye turne the dayes into monethes / so itagreth with y ^e 100. yeris wherin the arke of [...]oh [...] was in making before the floude. So that ethe [...] with in these. 30. yeres 02. 100. yeres to co­me there shalbe meruelouse mutacions in this worlde or as I coniecture an ende therof. There is one man that taketh the tyme for an hebdomade of yeris that [...] for 7. yeris & the tymes for two hebdo. that is 14. yeris / & the half tyme for half an heb. that is 3. yeris & an half: w ^t make. 24. ye­ris & an half / & he begineth at the yete of the lorde. 1544. to reken.

But I iuge that it is not geuē to any at [Page] this tyme to know this misterye concer­ninge the very daye and hower hyden in the nowmber / tyll it be fulfilled. And ther fore I do but coniecture and d [...]re not af­firme it for certain. As beit I knowe that God wolde haue hys chosen to be mo­nisshed before of the tyme and yeres by this prediccion. And therfore let vs pray vnto god to gouerne & preserue his chir­che & shortely to [...]ut of this sinful course of humane nature. Beware of images [...] B [...]ware of ima­ges & of mayzim. of [...]ayzim / which is not yet euery where throne downe / but onely in certain places of the ouer germany / where the gospel is purely preched & receyued of men taught of god. For aftir his fall there shal begin greter trouble emong the godly by the an ticristes / ether for the restor [...]nge of it / o­rels for the bringinge in (I feare me) of y ^e Mahumets lawe and the turkis religi­on. But these troublous laste dayes shall not longe dure. For god wilbe as merci­full to vs / as he was to the iewes in An­tiochus tyme / not sufferinge that greuou sepersccucion to continewe senger then Be knit it not vp in few ye ris but i many da yes. y ^e said. 1290. dayes / he saith dayes becau­se the litle tyme apereth so longe to the afflicted. Thꝰ be we warned to perseuer strongly in pacience abydinge the glori­ous coming of cryste to iugement / to slaye [Page 244] 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 Text. 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 cō 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 [Page] 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 ass [...]wered / cry s [...]e our redemer to haue had ben comen & incarnated these. 154 [...]. yeres ago / & that he shall come agene shortely to delyuer vs mightely out of anticristis tyrānye / & destroye him w ^t his almighty worde. We beseche the oh father for cristes sake / ge [...]e vs the very feare & faith in the / make vs call vpō th [...]for our onely mediator cri­stes sake to be herde: that among these so many & mighty fraudes of Anticryst: we [...]hri [...]k not / we fall not frō the / but that in thy holy feare & paciēt abydig / we might perseu [...] to our endis reste with daniel: & in the cominge of cryste Iesu / we mought with him, in the felowship of thy chosen me [...]e our sauiour cryste in our glorifyed bodies rysen ayene into that perpetuall felicite / prepared for vs in cryste from the begininge.

Amen.