FYrst we saye / throughe the mouthe of the ꝓphet Esdras. Babylō signify­eth a place of sin Asia is takē for the .iij. parte of the worlde stretchīg frō the nor­theast / vnto e­gypte. Egipte signify­eth the whole worlde so that ī this prophecye I do as well cō ­prehēde the tur­kes as xp̄ians. Wo be vnto the o Babilon and Asia / wo be vnto the o Egypte & Syria: gyrde yowre sel­ues wyth clothes of sac­ke & heare / & moorne for youre chyldrē / be sory (I saye) for youre de­struccion is at hāde. A swerde is sent vppō you / & who wyl torne it backe? A fyre is kindeled agaynst you / of the fearce vengeaūce of God / and who wyl quētche it? Beholde sayeth the prophet. They take the worde of God but for a scorne / and haue no luste ther vnto. Therfore I am (sayth he) so ful of thy­ne indignaciō. Oh Lorde / that I may suffer it no lōger. For frō the leaste vnto the most they hange & depende all vppon couetuous­nes / & frō the prophet vnto the preste / they go all about with falshead & lyes. Agayne / saith Esdras / whē men shal thynke to haue peace vnytie and concorde / & that all maner of vittaylles shall be habondaunt / & so good cheape vppō earth / that mē shall thynke thē selues to be in good case / euē then shall the great myschefe & vengeaunce of the Lorde falle vppō thē / with warres / death / dearthe [Page] pestylences and great disquyetnes / whiche are but the begynnyng of moornyngis and sorrowes / In somoche that the people shall tremble for feare / Ioel. ij. sayinge nowe the Lorde commeth & is harde at hande / A darke daye a gloomynge daye / a clowdye daye / a stor­my daye shall appeare. Amos. viij. The songes of the people shall be turned to sorowe / Soche a honger will I sende vppō the earthe (sayth the Lorde) that no man shall be able to stop­pe it / in soche a maner that all mē may well saye / Psal. c.xxxviij. where shall I hyde me from the wrath of God? yea they shall saye (syttinge by the waters of Babilon and weape) we will hā ­ge our harpes vppō the trees that are ther­in / as oft as we remembre Syon. For who escape the warre / shall fele the plage of pe­stilence / and he that is quyte of the one / shal not escape the dāger of the other. And soche small loue shall theyre be / that one mā shall fynde no maner of comforte at the hande of an other. Lett no man merueyll at these plages that be to come / seynge they shalbe sent of God as scourges for the punisshemēt of synne. S. Bernardes saying. S. Bernarde (as it were in the per­son of Chryst) sayethe. O thowe man tell me the cause af thy mysfortune and chaunce whiche thowe haste in thy goodes / bodye / & [Page] soule / Thow seruest the deuell / and not me He hathe not created & made the of nought / neyther hath he saued the / whē thowe wast loste / Chryst him selfe dyd not redeme the with the sonne / moone / sterres and plane­tes / but with his precyous bloude through deathe. Therfore saythe the prophet Iere­mye / I am cōstrayned to make my cōplaynt vppon yowe / and vppon yowre chyldren. Iere. ij. Oh ye cursed synners / howe wofull a thin­ge will it be vnto yowe / whiche haue forsa­ken the trewe God / fallynge to synne / the deuell and all vanyties. What vnfaythful­nes haue yowe foūde in me / saithe the Lor­de / yowr owne conscience shall accuse you / and yowr own wickednes shal condempne yow. Agayne we speake vnto yow / throu­ghe the mouthe of the ꝓphet Esaye. Esay. i. Heare oh heauen / harken O earthe / for the Lorde speaketh / I haue nourysshed and broughte vp chyldren / and thei are fallen away from me. An oxe knoweth his owner / and an as­se his masters stable / but my people knowe me not. Expert they be in blasphemies / falshed / and lyes / moost lyke a frowarde gene­ration and vnnaturall chyldren / as it apea­reth euydently ynoughe / with what othes they blasphemye God / in euerye place / as [Page] at weddynges / maryages / banckettes / fea­stes / tauernes / markettes / & in many other pastymes / playes / games / and soche other thynges / that by soche deuyllysshnes the deuyne name of God is openly detracted / sclaundered & blasphemed. Yea in so moche that it is so derided & mocked withall / none other wyse / then as men shulde eyther put­te oute their lyppes or poynt it withe their formust fynger / with soche dyshonestie and abhomynable vyces and synnes / whiche at this tyme I shame to rehearce / so that ther be at this present daye / many more people lyuynge beastelye & fylthelye / then soberly honestly or vertuously. It neadeth no pro­bacyon of scripture / seynge the actes be to manyfest as wel to the rulers temporall as spirituall. In so moche that the confessyon of fayth / true repentaunce / and godly Sa­cramentes with the pure preachinge of the Gospell / is so moche neglected & dispysed / that me thynke it is greatly to be lamented that it is so longe vnpunysshed / for dysho­nestie withe dysobedience is so greatly en­gēdred to soche maner of vnshamefaste bol­denes / that in a maner it is to late to be re­formed. And it is to be feared that there be many sturdy vylleynes / vnder the coloure [Page] and pretence of beggynge / wyll do moche more harme / than eyther Iewes / Turkes / Agarenes or any maner of kynde of beg­gers / so that they wyll not onely be cōtent / to begge in the open and cōmen streates of townes and Cyties / as do the lame / dome / and crepell / nor yet to stande at the churche doores & porches / but withoute any shame wyll entre boldelye into mēnes houses and tauernes. And some there be of the other partie / that appere to the people lame / halt and no lesse then crepell in dede / that with­oute the townes and Cyties / in the feldes will take them to their fete / layinge awaye their cruches / some tyme vppon their shul­ders / moch more redyer to take a purse vio­lently / then to aske for Christus sake charytablye. Thus see yowe two maner of beg­gers / bothe worthely to be reprehēded and amended. For whan the one kynde of them hathe before none / brought home their pro­uender / and fylled not onelye their bellyes full / but euen crōmed them vp to the thro­tes / yet must they agayne at after none / se­ke agayne in the streates / where they maye haue their bagges full agaynst the next da­ye / so that they go gulpyng lyke brute bea­stes / neuer satisfyed. The other sorte bolle [Page] & swyll all that euer they cā gett. The lorde which seeth from aboue / and knoweth that all these thynges are trewe / shall ones iud­ge that these be euen the shepe withoute wolle. Althoughe there is no man that ta­keth hede of them / yet is it not suffycyent that both theis kyndes of people lyue thus myserablye ydelly and wredchedlye / from whome commeth skante one good woorde oute of their mouthes. And it is not a lytle to be maruayled at / that these enormyties be vnpunysshed / seynge they so great and intollerable. But euen lyke as the lynke of one chayne draweth after hym an other / so dothe one myschefe and synne drawe an o­ther after hym. For ther is no great synne that cōmeth alone / but draweth by certeyn occasyons many other euelles after hym / by the whyche the great indignacyon from the Lorde / is caste as a plage to come vppō the dysobedyent / of whome the Prophet Dauid speaketh. They reioyce when they do euell / hauyng delyte and pleasure in theyre euell dedes. For the wycked when he commeth into the daunger and deapthe of synne / he passeth nothyng at all for it / so that. Rom. i. S. Paull sayeth / that God hath ge­uen all soche people vp into theyre hartes [Page] lustes / and vnto all lewde mynde to do soch thynges whiche be not comely / beyng full of all vnryghtuous doynges / folowynge the foote paithes and steppes of Caym and Iudas / with that styfnecked & stony harted Pharo. Notwithstandynge the goodnes & great lyberalyte of God forgeueth the synner so ofte as he falleth / to the intent he shulde repent & amende. Therfore nowe ye Christen mē aryse from youre synnes / and open youre eares & vnderstand with youre hartes the wordes of the Prophet / whiche sayeth. I am so full of thy indygnation. Iere. vi O Lorde / that I can suffre it no lenger. They take thy worde but for a scorne / tredinge it vnder their fete / hauyng no luste thervnto. Powre out thy wrath vppō the childrē that are without thy worde / that the mā may be takē prysoner with the wyse / the aged with the crepell. For what with the intollerable burdēs of the scrybes & pharizees / the insa­ciable & beastly desyres of the adulters & fornicatours / with the vnmeasurable couetu­ousnes / falsehead / frawde & deceyte of dy­uers & straūge sortes of people / the churche is become (I feare me) a very denne of the­ues robbers & bloudy murtherers. Therfo­re sayth the Lord by hys Prophet / vppō all [Page] soche shall rayne solphur / fyre & brymstone with wyndes bothe troublous and tempe­stious and all other plages / no lesse then it was sene vppon Sodoma and Gomorra. Genes xix. Ezechi. xvi. Iere. vi Esa. xxi Ezechi. xxxviij. Psalm. xcviij. And agayn speakith the Lorde by the mou­the of his prophet Esaye. I will powre out vppon yowe (saythe he) my wrathe / and I will caste downe vppon yow the fyre of my vengeaunce and indignation / withe thon­der / lyghteninge / hayle and darkenes. So that there shall go a fyre before the Lorde / whiche shall consume and burne vp his enymyes on euery syde. Therfore clothe yowr selfes with sacke clothe / caste asshes vppon yowre heades / faste and praye / lament and repente yowe of yowre synfull lyuynge. Ionas. iij. For the dayes of the Lorde are at hande / so that euerye thynge whiche hathe bene pro­phecyed shalbe fulfylled. Ezechi. xij. Remembre what great pytie and mercy / the Lorde had ouer the Niniuytes / after that they withe longe lamentation / repentaunce and feruent sup­plicacyon / submitted them selues wholy to hym. Also not withstandinge that these .iij. men / Moyses Aarō and Samuel / offended agaynste the Lorde / yet when they repen­ted and prayed hertelye / the Lorde hearde them / yet punisshed he their trāsgressions / [Page] as it appeareth by Moyses whiche synned at the water of Stryfe / by reason wherof he myghte not entre into the lande of pro­mys. Nūe. ij. Lykewyse when Aaron made a goldē calfe vnto the lordes people. Exodi. xxxij. i. Regū viij. cha And Samuel synned beynge negligēt in teaching of his chyldrē. Yf God haue not spared soche mē / we then ought to take good hede / howe we walke in the p̄sence of God. Therfore sayth the prophet / beware of the plage / and pestylence of darkenes / which is a syckenes that dystroyeth the lyght of the daye. And if ye will not turne and amende / then the dayes of sorrowe shall sodenly come / from whose face thowe shalt not flee. Genes vij. Psal. ij. Thowe shalte call vppō the flowdes of the waters / with the hyghenes of the mountaynes to hyde the. There shalbe soche a cryinge and waylyng amongest the chrystians / that the one shall saye to the other / it were good that we ne­uer had bene borne. Insomoche that some shall dysdayne the wordes of this prophet / yet is there nothyng more truer / then that whiche is spoken of before. So that greate heauynes and sorowes shall chaunce / aswel vppon other staungers and alyaunt naciōs as vppon the dowche lande / wherfore it be­houethe me some thynge to speake therof / [Page] that men perceauynge the lytle shyppe of Peter (throughe discorde and disobedience) to be rent and broken in peces / agaynst the harde stony rockes / shall then the more ea­syer see these thinges to be true & no fables And thoughe ther be many whiche thynke the naturall inclinacions of the elementes to be but fantasticall and worthy of no cre­dyte / yet can they not but graunt the orde­naunce of God to be vnfallable / in as moch as it procedeth frō the bosome of the father. And here do I bothe earnestly and playnly admonysshe the Germanies bothe hyghe & lowe to ioyne them selues vnto the Egle / For elles there shall aryse amongest them / soche warre & discorde that it shal not easely be apeaced. For the Turke shall with great violence go about to destroye the landes of Meyssen / Duryngen & Hesse / as Merlyn dothe ꝓphecye / whiche sayth by soche mea­nes the Emperours maiestye myght come to some mysfortune of hys body / by reason of the cōiunction of Iouis beynge in Scor­pio. Also other princes & lordes of the Ro­mayne Empyre / shalbe some thynge trou­bled of their subiectes / notwithstandinge it shall not longe contynewe. And after that the Emperours maiestie hathe taken great [Page] payne & trouble in trauaylinge frō one contrey to an other / with moche disquietnes & small reste / aswell by lande as by sea / then shall the spyrituall swerde not be so longe / The spirituall swerde shall be made shorter. so brode / nor yet so sharpe / to cut with soche violēce as it hath done in tymes paste. And in thys tyme shall the sonne lose hyr lyght .iij. poyntes and a halfe great / which shalbe vppon a Frydaye after. S. Bartholemews daye at one of the clocke in the after none or ther vppō / because Leo hauinge the ascē ­dent / signifyeth to vs many fearful warres & great shedinge of bloude. Whiche as wel they of the lande of Austriche shal perceaue and feale as many other straunge nacions. Austri­che ys vnder the do­minion of Fer­dinādo kyng of Hōgary For Merlyn sayeth that the Turke wythe great power purposeth to destroye the fo­re named landes of Meyssen / Duringen and Hesse. Therfore let not this Godly ad­monission and plage / whiche hangeth ouer youre heades (good Christen mē) be forgotten / but rather let it be closed within youre hartes / seynge it is none other wyse lyke / thē so to come to passe. For as truely as the Lorde lyueth / great sorowes & troubles are at hande in whiche the holy prophecies shal be fulfylled / and the true Christen churche shall sore decaye / euen lyke as it chaunced [Page] vnto the congregacyons of the Iewes / be­ynge in great prosperytie / felycytie & pry­de / Hearynge the wounderfull thynges wroughte aboue in heauē / perceyuyng one lyke a vallyaunt Captayne / beyng in a fyery charret and syttyng in a stoole of golde / hauinge in his hande a sharpe speare / and a voice hearde in the entrynge in of the tem­ple / which sayed within a very shorte tyme we will depart hence / which sygnifyed the mercye of God to be withdrawen from the generacyon of the Iewes / and it so came to passe / as it appered mooste manyfestlye by the distruccyō of Ierusalē / all this not withstandinge nor nothynge at all regardynge these visyons thei mocked and derided thē / as thinges mooste false and vntrue. And I feare me that as many of the dowchelande / dothe esteyme and iuge these admonicyons of the prophetes as fables / euen so dothe o­ther landes and nacions / whiche will neuer repente / vntill the tyme that those thinges happē to thē / as did to the Iewes for theyr dissobediēce. Apoca. xviij. Esa. xij But heare what S. Ihon say­eth in the apocalips / of them whiche ioyne them selues vnto the Babilonical strompet Babilon that great cytie is fallen / whiche hathe poysoned all nacions / causyng them [Page] to dryncke of the wyne of her stinking for­nicacion. Iere. li. That myghty and great cytie Babilon (sayeth he) is fallē / and become the habitacyon of deuels. And why? bycause the Kinges of the earthe haue committed for­nicacion with her. Apoco. xiiij. And her marchantes are waxen ryche with the haboundaunce of her pleasures / yet in one houre (o thou Babilō) is thy iugement come. Esaie. xiij. Ieremy xiiij. Ezechi. xxxiiij. Thy sheaperdes ha­ue distroyed and scatered my flocke a brode sayeth the Lorde / feadinge them selues / and not my people. Therfore (sayeth he) I will vpon them / and requyer my shepe oute of theyr handes / & will feade them myn owne selfe. For howe manye is there at this daye which for the inwarde zeale which thei bea­re vnto the heade of that cytie of Babilon / take an occasyon (after the ensample of He­rod) to make inquisycion for fylthye lucres sake / Mat. i. for the pore innocēt lambes of Chryst neuer leauing of vntill thei haue shed their bloude / thynkinge therby their lordeship­pes and Kyngdomes lōger to endure. And it is seine at this presente daye in some pla­ces / that althoughe the name of the heade of the Babilonicall cytie be abolished / yet were his lawes neuer more auaunced / nor his ministers and adherentes had in more [Page] hygher estimacion. I wolde there were so­me man that coulde make the spiritualty to vnderstāde this lesson of Christe wel / whe­re he saieth / mat. xx. that the Princes and Lordes of the heathen / haue power ouer the heathen people / but it shulde not be so amōgest his disciples / Nowe then / if they wolde harken to this doctryne / and graunte them selues to be Christes disciples / then can they not loke to haue soche rule in the worlde / ouer Dukedomes / Erledomes / Cyties and townes / in soche ample wise / that worldly princes / in a maner be nothyng to be compared vnto them / or at the leaste withoute them. I speake not this in disprayse of the superyour powers / for euē the same Gospel whi­che taketh worldelye promocion from the spirituall powers / dothe agayn restore the same to the Ciuyle Maiestrates / the which oughte to be obeyed as well of the spiritualtie / Roma. xiij. as of the temperaltye / seinge it is thor­denaunces of God him selfe / for the punis­shemente of them that be euell / and mayn­teyninge of the good. So that who so euer withstandeth them / withstandeth the orde­naunce of god / seinge thei be his mynistres for oure wealthe and profyt / vnder whose subiection / God hathe instituted all creatu­res. [Page] For he sayeth clerely / Omnis anima / here is no mā excepted / nether spiritual nor tēporall. Roma. xiij. For where this order is not in the church of Christe / there muste the Lorde nedes sende downe his plages and punisshe­mētes / accordinge to the prophecie of Hyl­degardus / whiche sayeth / the time shall co­me / that the moone shall lose her light / that is to saye .iiij. poyntes / whiche shalbe apon a monday after vincula Petri / at .xij. of the clocke at mydnighte / the ascendent beinge in Aquario .xviij. degrees in Libra / whiche vndoutedly dothe signify vnto vs / that many godly ordenaunces and statutes / which haue bene made for the setting forwarde of gods honour and the publyke wealth / shall be disanulled and broken / and other wicked and vngodlye actes shalbe put in their pla­ces. For in this time shall stande vp a false prophet / whiche shall go aboute to distroye the cheifest articles of our faithe and beleif / and so throughe an vtwarde and gloryous appearaunce / he shall seduce moche people / and worke many straunge thinges. And in this time shall the Emperowrs maiestie be vexed and troubled with many of his subie­ctis / so that the prisons in euery place whe­re men do vse to execute iustice / shalbe fyl­led [Page] / with monkes / fryres / nōnes and soche other / so that thei shal lyue in an vncerteyn and vnsure estate. Itē marchaūtes & artify­cers / shall not greatly profyt in their affay­res / but that shall not longe cōtynewe. Itē women shall haue good fortune in their trauaylle & labour / for they shall brynge forth many chyldren within shorte tyme. After this shal ther be two eclipsis / the one of the Sonne / the other of the moone. The sonne shall be darkened .vi. poyntes great frō the begynnynge to the endynge / which shalbe vppon a wednesdaye .viij. dayes after the .xij. day at after none. And agayne the moo­ne shal loose hyr lyght vppon a frydaye af­ter the conuersyon of. S. Paull in the mor­nynge at twoo of the clocke in the .ix. degre of Leo / whiche betokeneth great mischaūce and fortune to them that dwelle vppon the sea coastes / or where the grounde is lowe. In thys tyme men shall see a great fall and decaye of Turkes / so that the empyre shall haue great rule & domynion / conquerynge diuers lādes & lordeships. Itē the nobles of the empyre shall haue prosperous successyō and fortune with great fauoure of their subiectes. In the mean tyme shal the spiritual­tie be at variaunce / strife / & discorde / for the [Page] promociōs and goodes of the churche. And while thei are thus striuinge one agaynste an other / marchauntes and all other arty­ficers / shall haue more prosperous and bet­ter lucke in their trades & busines then thei had before. Notwithstanding / Italye / Nor­way / and Denmark shalbe vexed troubled and be brought to great heauines. Aboute this tyme shall there be in Fraunce / in the lande of Luke / and in some places of the lā ­de of Cleue / great pestilēce and other straū ge diseases / then shal the flowdes of the water of Ryne braste forth with great violēce / and ouerflowe dyuers partes of the lande / to the greate discomoditie of the people. In this tyme shal the sōne be darkned .ix. poyntes from benethe vpwarde / vppon the secō ­de friday after Easter after none at .iiij. of the clocke .xij. degrees in the sygne of Pi­sces / so that then thascendēt shal showe him selfe signifying vnto vs / that there shall be a great nombre of princes deposed / so that the crowne of the lāde of Boheme shal stād voide / through the great disobediēce of the subiectes. And because thei do reproue the rodde wherwith thei shulde be beatē / I wil therfore (saithe the Lorde) visite their trans­gression and disobedience / Amos. viij. withe a sharper [Page] rodde / that is / with the swerde of warre pestilence dearthe and deathe. Then shall the p̄lates of the churche be at strife / one agaynste an other for diuers causes / whiche I en­tende not moche to entreat of at this tyme / but will cōmitte the thinges vnto god / yet will not I ouer slyppe the wordes of that princely prophet Dauid / which saithe. Psal. ij. The kinges of the earth shall stande vp / and the rulers shall counsell and come to gether a­gaynste the Lorde / and his anoynted. For bothe Pilate and Herode / Annas and Cayphas / scribes & pharisees / whiche seke their own profet and aduauntage / with no small dissentiō and discorde / sekyng the soules of them / Esaye. xiij. which (the prophet Esay sayeth) shal not yet dye / Thei shall right well perceaue the great plages of god / withe lamentinge and moorninge as lāpes with oute oyle / & lanternes with out light / beinge both idle / blinde & vayn. Psalm. lxi. For yf thei were layd agaynste vanitie in a peire of balaunce / thei shuld flye vp vnto the skye / and be moche lighter then euen vanitye it selfe. Harken therfore (sayeth the Lorde) ye princes of Sodoma / & ye people of Gomorra / these my wordes. For the synne of my people / I will (sayeth he) suffer ypocrites to raigne ouer you. Let [Page] vs take hede of the wōderfull example where the aungell af god did destroye apon one nighte in the pauilliōs and tētes of the As­syriās .C.lxxxv. thousande mē. iiij. Re­gū. xix. Esaie. xxxvij. For vndou­tedly these plages that are to come / shall be for the synnes / whiche raygne at this daye in the worlde / so that there shal assemble together in one felde / many nobles of greate power / whiche willingly shal go to battell / where moche bloude shall be shedde / moste especially of the wicked / in soche wyse that the thirde parte of the worlde / shal there be slayne. iiij. Es­dras. xv For I will holde my tonge no len­ger (sayeth the Lorde) seinge the people be so wicked ād vngodly / for the innocēt blou­de of the troubled / criethe vnto me / and the soules of the ryghtuous complayne conty­nually / therfore will I auēge the bloude of my people / so that the worlde shalbe full of wofulnes and misery. The groūde shall lye voide / and not be tilled / the trees shall bear frute and shall not be gathered. The corne that is sowē in the feldes / shall not be brou­ghte home into the barnes / the womē shall weape and wayle / for the losse of their hus­bandes / that shall perisshe withe the power of the swerde. And more ouer / Aloufresant prophecyethe / that in this tyme / the trewe [Page] christiās shall haue moche persecuciōs / troubles & sorowes / for the worde of God. And after that shall there folowe great dearthe / and deathe / as well in other places / as in douchelande. Thē shal ther come in the coa­stes of Europe / soche rayne / wynde & tem­pest / that many mē shall be slayne therwith And this tempeste shal come frō the north / so that many shall go at nyghts merely to theyre beddes / whiche shalbe founde dead in the mornynge / and thus ended hys pro­phecie. In this tyme also shall the papistrie and seate of Rome stande voyde / so that the Emperour shall take vppō him to ordeyne and instytute an other in the same seate / to whome the Emperoure shall adioyne hym selfe & make attonemēt in the churche. And the man whome he shall thus ordeyne / shal be of great worthynes & vertue / and therto be sett lyke one of power: so that after that he shall put downe / & take awaye great possessyons / rentes / promocions & dignyties / from the prelates and prebendaries / forbyddinge all outwarde vayne glorious pompe and pryde / aswell in externall lyghtnes of raymēt & apparell bothe of men & women / as also the superfluytie of Golde / Syluer / pearles / precious stones / and soche lyke / so [Page] that he shall wyll euery man & womā accor­dynge to their vocacyon and callyng to go soberly apparelled / as it becōmeth the true membres of Christ. Itē he shall cōmaunde the Gospel of Iesus Christ to be preached / throughe oute all the worlde / rebukyng all synfull & vicious lyuinge of the people but he shall not longe contynewe. Aboute this tyme shal ther be hearde of a great fall and destrucciō of the Turkes / amongest whom ther shal be a great insurreccion / by the rea­son wherof thei shalbe troubled with moche myserie & calamitie. For the styrringe vp of Saturnus shall worke woundersly wythe them / to their great mysfortune & chaunce / so that the Turke shall haue but lytell cou­rage and comforte to make warre agaynst the christians. The spyritualtie agayne on the other partie / shalbe at no small variaūce and dyscorde amongest them selues / by the reason wherof many Kynges and prynces shall take good occasyon to reforme many enormyties / lytle to their ease and proffyt. For many of them whiche thynke to buyld vppon a foundacyon as hard as any rocke / shall fynde that it is but a very slypperishe sande. Nowe if mē of power and renowne / wyll buylde vppō these foundacions so vn­certayne [Page] and vnsure / yt ys no marueyll / thoughe God do plage them for their wyc­kednes / that so wylfully resyste and no­thinge at all regarde these his godly admo­nissions / whiche shulde moue and sterre all christen men to repentaunce. O Lorde how shorte is the time of mercy / and howe feaw be there that require it at thy handes in ty­me / which thinge obteyned / we shal euer li­ue / and neuer dye? Math. xv. The woman of canane / called to Christe for mercye / and by and by her doughter was made hole. Also Iob sai­the / that the earthe is not onely full of mer­cy / but heauen and hell / for who hathe euer called vpō Christe for mercye / whiche hath not receiued it of him / so that he haue asked it in faithe. And vnderstāde that the Emperours maieste Charles the fyfte shal worke the Turke more sorow thē any prince hath done these .CCCC. yeres / so that thei whiche are vnder the signe of sagittarius / shall preuayll and haue great victory / which shal be the Emperour hym selfe / or one of his bloude. And where I might here speke mo­re of the Emperours maieste / and of diuers thinges / which shalbe done by him & his nobles / let no man thinke the cōtrary / but his actes shal excell and passe all other princes / [Page] if he be not hindered by the perswasyons of the prelates of the Romayne empyre. The ꝓ­phecye of Cibilla cumana. Vnder­stande by those letters / F E / A and G / the dn̄i­call and the leap yeare. Math. xxiiij. And to this dothe agree Cibilla Cumana / spea­kinge owt of the spirite of prophecie / affir­minge it to chaunche betwixt F and E / A and G. Whiche prophecie endeth at .xlviij. yeares / or sone after. Before that time the­re shall be great chaunge in the world / and straunge wōders shalbe hearde of / that shal be trewe / althoughe thei shal apeare to ma­ny / very vncredible. And thē more thingis shall chaunche in a verye shorte tyme / then hathe bene seene many yeares before. And the laste signe and token after these / there shalbe so great persecution and tribulatiō / as hathe not bene seene nor hearde of / syns the beginning of the world. And after this persecutiō / shall the sonne be darkened / and the mone shall not geue her light / in so mo­che that I do fynde especially two fearefull Eclypses of the moone / in so moch that she shall lose her lighte verye greatlye with in one yeare / and shalbe darkened from aboue to benethe / and these Eclipsis shal giue vn­to all nacyōs / a great admonition and war­ninge. For the operation of bothe these E­clypsis / shall chaunche betweene the yeare xxxvij. and .xlviij. signifying to vs / so great [Page] trouble & heauynes to chaunce vnto the spiritualtie / that I wyll lett passe to name the houre and daye / referringe it vnto the iud­gement of the Lorde. And so farre as thys cirkell doth stretch / so farre shall ther great disquietnes be. Apoca. xiij. So that I wolde men shuld note these two figures folowīg in the Apocalipse. The fyrst is / I sawe a beaste rysyng out of the sea / hauing .vij. heades .x. hornes and vppon his hornes .x. crownes / & vppon his heade the name of blasphemy / by which beaste I vnderstande that vsurper of Gods lawes / & wicked tyraūte Antechriste / whi­che hath most beastly lyued and taught the people most wycked and beastly doctryne / whiche hath drawē vnderneth his subiecciō vij. the most noblest Realmes of the whole worlde / he that hathe cares / let hym heare. And I behelde an other beaste cōminge out of the earth / & he had .ij. hornes lyke a lābe / & he spake as great thingis as dyd the first / and caused the people which dwelled in the earthe to worshippe the firste beaste / whose deadly woūdes was healed by him / let him that redeth vnderstande. These prophecies are bothe chaunced & fulfylled / & we truste by the helpe of God / that these thingis shal be redressed by the Emperours mayestie / [Page] Charles the .v. & his assistentes. After this shall come a good tyme / for there shall be a newe reformacion / whiche shall continewe longe / so that the name of the great Turke shalbe no more hearde of. In this tyme shal other fearfull thinges be sene in the sonne / for vppon the second wensdaye after easter at .v. of the clocke in the mornynge / in the .xxvij. degree / the sygne beynge in Aries. Ther shalbe soche darknes as hath not bene sene in many yeres before / which signifieth that many princes & kynges shal rule to gether in one realm. Miche. iiij. Then (saieth the ꝓphet) shall they make of theyr swerdes plowe­shares / and sythes of their speares / & euery mā shall syt vnder hys vynearde and fygge tree / so that one people shall not lyft vp his weapen agaynst an other / nether shall they frō thens forthe learne to fyght. Esa. ij. After that shall the blynde Iewes knowe by the declaracyon of the prophecies of Iacob / that the true Messyas hath bene borne longe & ma­ny yeres agone / which thei vnto this daye / haue loked for his cōmynge. Genes lxxi. Whiche ꝓphecie sayeth thus: when messias shalbe borne then shalbe taken frō the Iewes their scep­ter and crown / and thei shalbe ruled of the Romysshe Empyre: which so chaūced after [Page] the death of Christ. And throughe Titus & Vespasianus they were brought vnder the subiection of the Emperour of Rome. And nowe I truste (through the goodnes of al­mightie God) that it shalbe aswel declared vnto the Iewes / as it hath bene beleued of the Christiās / that Messias is come alredy So that then (after the destructyon of the Turkes) they shalbe all conuerted vnto the christē belefe / & the Gospel shalbe receaued with all diligēce. And this is the good will & mynde / of the most redoubted Emperour and godly prince Charles / & that not onely in worde / but also in harte & dede. For thys purpose hath the almyghtie God ordeyned so many godly and excellent cōtreys vnderneth his gouuernaūce / to the intēt that the pure and vndefyled worde of god might be preached and syncerely taught / thorow out all his landes / to the honoure of God & sal­uaciō of mākynde. Wherby it shal appeare (I truste) to all his true subiectes / to cause them to take the more courage / to the fur­ther encrease of vertue / and preseruacyō of his excellēt maiestie. Blessed be that houre when this shal come to passe / and blessed be all they which shall aduaūce & set forwarde these thinges before rehearced vnto all na­cyons. [Page] For the whiche let vs all praye with one harte & mynde / that this Gods honour and our saluacion maye be obteyned / peace encreased / and al consciences quyeted. For the Lorde knoweth what creatures we be / sayinge / We are but asshes / & to asshes shal we retourne agayn / and as we brought no­thing into this worlde / so shall we cary no­thing away with vs. Gen̄. iij Ezechi. xvij. Here with I make an ende / and take my leaue / neuer more entendyng after this to ꝓnosticate / but wil counsell all men in the steade of pronostications to imbreace Godes worde / which is able to saue youre sowles / according to the sayeng of the apostell. Ia [...]. i. And all though in this pro­nosticaciō / I speake moste specially of those thinges / whiche are lyke to chaunce (by the natural inclinaciōs of the planetes) in dou­chelande / yet were it good for all other lan­des & realmes / here with to be admonisshed and take good heade / for where so euer the Lorde is most dishonoured & his word resi­sted / ther will he first strike & plage / and yf ther be any (as ꝑchaūce ther wyll be some) which wil saye (tush) this ꝓnosticator is no wiser then mad Marlyn & soche other false and prophane fabelers / as he dothe here in alleage thē for his authors / wel / admit that [Page] bothe thei and I were liars (as in deade we are no other) yet is the Lord rightuous and trwe / whiche wyll smyte the worlde withe his staffe and rodde / and with the breath of his mouth / he will destroy the wicked. Genes xlix But here will some men peraduēture obiect and saye / that these great threates and plages of god before rehersed and spoken of by the prophetes / were prophecyed agaynste the wicked and disobediēt Iewes / agaynst So­doma and Gomorra / agaynst their princes preistes cyties and coūtres / which thinges were fulfilled many honderd yeares paste / as at the destruction of Hierusalem & soche other. Well / agaynst all soch that thus arrogātly wyll reason agaynste the Lorde / will he him selfe whette his swearde / bende his bowe / and make redy his arowes / to shoote at those disobediēt people / which cōtinewe still in their synnes with moche more abho­minatiō / thē euer did these heathē or vngodly Iewes. And let no man thynke / that his swerde is any shorter at this tyme ageynste them that wyll not repēte and amēde / then it was in time paste. For trwly / the synnes which raygne at this daye in the world / do greatly ꝓuoke the plages & vengeaunce of god to come shortlye vpō vs. And thoughe [Page] owr gracious god be a lōge sufferyng god / yet at lengthe he punissheth / and that with great violēce / accordinge to the sayinge of the ꝓphet Naum / where he sayth. Naū. i. The Lor­de taketh vēgeaūce vpon his enemies / & re­serueth displeasure for his aduersaries / the­re is no power nor prince / that can withstā ­de the Lorde of hostes / for loke what he sai­eth / it is done / and what he cōmaundeth / it standeth faste. Psalm. xxxij. There is no counsell whiche shall lōge preuayle / if it be agaynst the Lor­de / accordinge to the sayinge of the prophet Dauid / speakinge on this wise. The Lorde bringeth the counsell of the vnfaithfull to naught / and turneth the deuices of the peo­ple / but the counsell of the Lorde endureth / and the thoughtes of his harte / frō genera­tiō to generatiō. A kynge is not holpē (say­eth he) by his owne great hooste / nether is a Giaūt saued throuh the might of his ow­ne streangth. Psalm xxxiij. Naū. i. Let vs now therfore feare the Lorde / for at the sight of his displeasure / all the worlde shall shake and tremble for feare who may abide his displeasue / or ones flee from his indignacion? his anger taketh on like fire / so that the harde rockes (sayeth the prophet) at his displeasure braste in sonder. Esa. xi. Therfore all trew and faithfull christians / lamēt and morne / for the day of the lorde is [Page] at hāde / which cōmeth as a distroyer frō the almighty. Esaye. xiij. Thē shal all hādes be lettē down and all mēnes hertes shal melte away / carefulnes & sorow shall come vpon thē / & their faces shal burne like the flāme / because (sai­eth the ꝓphet) the day of the Lord shalbe so terrible / that his indignaciō and wrath shal be caste vpon the face of thearth / to make it waste / & to root out the synne therof. Heare what the Lorde saieth / by the mouth of his ꝓphet / Wo be to all thē (saieth he) that ma­ke vnrightuous lawes / Esai. x. deuisinge thinges to harde to be kept / wherby the pore are opp̄ssed on euery syde / and the innocēt people ar therwith robbed of iugemēt / the widow­es made a pray / so that the fathirles be spoyled of their goodis. Iob. xij This may almē see how the godly and innocēt be entreated and lau­ghed to scorne / and the houses of robbers be in wealth and prosperite. The Lorde euer­lasting / which hath the hertes of all kinges and princes in his hāde / to turne thē where euer he will / preserue the Emperours most noble maieste / with all kinges and princes and stablisshe thē with great honour & lōge lyfe / to ꝓmote the gospel of Chryst. Amē.

Anno. M.D.xliij. in Maye.