the Pope be sitting vpon the Empire by litle and litle And England at 1200. yer would not grant him supremacy Sigibert And good father WICKLIFE now 200. yeares ago preached that if the commune lawes of England might stand the Pope should haue no stroke in England And good Lady Margareth a pearle for a woman the mother to K. Henry the seauenth when she built Christs Colledge S. Iohns in both which I was fellow and owe them this dutie she in those dayes made lawes to aduance knowledge to ruinate the Pope And the valiant Henry VIII trust him out from being head or taile in our Church so the Empire ridden by the Pope stood but a litle while in sundrie places And all the while of the arising the Grecians as Chrysostome Andreas Oecumenius taught that the Romane Empire would be reuiued though in Greek stories Sysimus and the ecclesiasticall Alaricus Giezerichus wrought much harme and there Antichrist should reigne And if the Greeke old Doctores had bene well known the Pope had neuer gotten peny by his Masse Areopagita taketh the worde in the Law sense the token of the body so Eusebius the Image and Symbolon and so elder Origene and later Nazianzene Antitypes and later Theodorit in a full disputation and Macarius the Greeke Monke calleth it Symbolum and full many moo Then the Pope had no auctoritie for turning bread into the body of Christ to make him haue 1000. bodies and to make Religion a stage to Angels and men This long warning of the Popes arising was a warning to all ages that they should not suffer the starr falling to make bitter the waters of the Law nor darken the starrs and in all ages he had gainesayers And both Princes and People who contemned the warning of this book were worthie to be giuen ouer to all force of error And the Beast which was and is not the same is also the eight and one of the seauenth The Pope shall be the eight chaleng place aboue all follow all heathen superstitiō in name staffe apparel of Caesares and Temples setting but a face of Christianity vpon them A plaine description of the Popes comming vp And the tenne hornes which thou sawest are tenne Kings which haue not yet receiued the kingdome but receiue auctoritie as kings one houre with the beast These haue one minde and shall part their power and auctoritie to the Beast These shall make warre with the Lambe and the Lambe shall ouercome them for he is Lord of Lordes and King of Kings and they which are with him are called and chosen and faithfull Steuchus against Valla reckoning the Countries which held of the Pope bringeth them to ten But we must know that ten vsually is a great number about ten fewer or moo These kingdoms vnder the first Caesares were not so parted as when Iulian the Apostata kept at Paris who neuer heard that his Fathers brother the great Emperor Constantine gaue the West to the Pope and if any such matter had bene it could neuer be hid from him But when the Pope of Rome by long begging for S. Peter and so for Monasteries in many Countreies had gotten much wealth and ready good wills in Rome and the West to set vp againe the Empire at Rome He picketh quarrels with the Patriarch of Constantinople for procession of the holy Ghost and Pascha day and supremacy still of old labored to extinguish the Greek tongue and puritie of Latin and weakneth the East Empire that barbarous Gothes reigned whom to ouerthrow Princes gladly ioyne with him and he with them still for great Countreyes that in the end they sweare to helpe him to hold Constantinus donation and to bring the East the Greeke to agree with Rome And after 1000. yea the king of Locustes hath Satans throne in such power that his winges bee chariots and horses to cause kinges to doe what hee will As for Ierusalem warrs to ouerthrow all their kingdomes And in these tymes Satan bare sway that scant any learned were in the West But Monasteries and Collegies were built to fortifie haeresie that Greeke was vnknowen till our age and Ebrew to this houre for skill in the tongue able to hold water and to make a translation of good warrant to all learned iudgements In this blindnesse still some Abates and such fought well by pen and at the last by Martyrs whom the Pope damned and the secular power put to death But in the end Christ by his martyrs roareth like a Lion and seauen thunders tell his anger seauen Angels poure it out and men eate the little booke of Scripture and preach to nations and kinges to bethinke them how they did set vp Rome And hee saith to mee The waters which thou sawest where the Where sitteth are people and folke and nations and tongues The phrase is from Babel Ierem. 51. O thou which sittest vpon many waters and from Dan. 3. These phrases teach the simple how plaine Gods Law is lightning the eyes to call old matters into minde and to teach by old euents howe other matters will fall out Moreouer this open speach of manie waters to meane people and nations would making a commentarie in the margin vpon many places of the old Testament inlighten much Of the Popes fall And the tenne hornes which thou sawest vpon the Beast these shall hate the Whoore and make her desolate and naked and eate her flesh and shall burne her in the fire The same kingdomes which cleaued to the Pope for profite or deceipt when they see all profit gone and how he by terror of forged purgatorie gate Princes great lands wil alter their minde to hate the Pope Many millions in England hate his keies in Canterburies armes as a mockage to the true keies of knowledge so they hate the title grace in Scotland as doth the learned M. Meluin others hate Leuies Linen Cope Priest and Kneeling at receiuing bread which should bee receiued with most holy iudgement not in the Popes gesture others hate the Leprosie of the Apocrypha books the writers of which shew no more faith in Christ then did Flauius Iosephus nor so much Others hate the Popes forme of prayer patched vp for his vse to content the people not to spend that tyme in requiring of them opening of the Bible And many would haue our Bishops caught in praemunire to loose all Others make great sute to haue their lands Now if in England most reuerend right reuerend fathers so learned as they take vpon them to bee bee so hated for remnant of Papistrie what hatred shall open Popery haue where the Pope dareth excommunicate kinges Thal. Ierusal noteth that the King might not be excommunicated nor any chiefe Ruler But be sagely warned to keepe his house for a time and to saue his honor But the high Sacrificer was whipped with as many stripes as any other for his faultes Ierus in Sanedrin But our Pope will bee excommunicating
happinesse Redemption that Iewes and Philosophers could speak of Emperors causes better then they Thus for 9. cōmun in stead of 10. for the Lords prayer maimed and turned to Battus infinite repetition against the Law Eccles 5. that our words before GOD should be few and their beliefe stayned in the maine sheweth how they of Rome taught the people that would not receyue the loue of the trueth but became a great deepe sea of darknesse that Sun ayer Christ the sun of righteousnesse and the scripture by which light commeth to our eyes were darkned by a smok of haeresies marring in their Masse al religion The Iewes though faithlesse yet they doe search most narrowly and profitable the speach and story of the law and shew vs Christ in all whom they cannot see But Romulus man of sinn setting forth him selfe as if he were God in his Masse booke darkneth sunne and ayer in steed of seruing God alone that is praying to God alone as our Lord Mat. 6. repeated his Law when ye pray pray to your Father which is heauen Maymony sheweth vpon what Command prayer dependeth otherwise prayer were sin saith in his treatise for prayer That all the Fathers expounded the Law for seruice to be prayer And Menachem saith God forbid that any should pray but vnto God only euen as Psal 50. Pray vnto me in the day of trouble I will heare thee so thou shalt honour me No holy in all the Bible the ayer to see Christ did euer pray to any Angell but the Eternall Son nor euer to any man departed Therefore Romylides liturgie in praying to infinite millions of creatures hath infinite sinnes Of the Locustes most liuely describing the Popes subjects to make him King of Locustes distinguished from all other policies that be or euer were in the world Locusts came out of the smoke and the hoat vapours of Lybia bred cloudes of Locustes which by South windes flee to Sardinia Silicie Spaine and Italie as others in Ioels dayes to Iudea that in one night the slow-bellies deuoure whole valleies of tender Corne where it would grow otherwise 100 fold This a Sardinian man tolde my selfe merchants manie as past doubt that exorcistes by Satans helpe were invited to helpe the matter Now the millions of Monkes and Friers and such as deuoure other mens labours void of all actions for political vse are so fitly compared with these that we may say God in the Creation made locuste to abound in Lybia to shew in time the locusts bred by Rome which would crucifie the King of glorie and should deuoure the fruites of such as had no loue to the trueth but would Honor the Citie that would kill the Lord of glory that was a greater sinn then the deuouring of all the fieldes in the world A distinction of these locusts from the proper locusts in Ioel that these be as scorpions These had power as the scorpions in Italie which sleepe vnder euery stone that no common weale could be healed of their sting but such as make their blood pay for it and by them selues be healed A further illustration of distinction from naturall Locusts Scorpions These locusts might not strike the blades of the earth nor anie greene thing or coleworts nor any plant but onely the men that had not the seale of God in the forehead professing openly that Christ is the Angell of Couenant and his Humanitie the golden Altar and his Mediation the Censer to receiue the prayer of them who by the aboundance of the grace of the gift of Iustice looke to reigne by Christ Iesuus A further distinction how their sting is not of naturall scorpions but of spirituall These kill not but torment men fiue moneths with a torment as it were of scorpions Heare the reade must marke corporation speaches that the whole state is termed by one man So doth Moses speake to Israel for many thousandes of yeeres in speach as though all were to the present men so Ezekiel speaketh of the King of Tyrus then liuing as hee was for a King in Salomons and Chyrams day Salomon had Chyrams daughter and he was a Proselite and by his charges Chyram the workeman wrought Salomons brasse workes so the king was of Eden garden so heere men of long descents bee stonge and not only for a particular age And as scorpions in locusts haue no more tyme to hurt but hide themselues in winter as Nahum telleth so these locusts hide themselues when sharp weather of policie commeth The Church spend neere 1000. yeeres good Abbates as Bernard others full many in Flaccius Illyricus and Antilogiâ Papae and such telling the Daemones or Popoi of their dealings and Princes resonablie matched them so long but Satan was let loose after 1000. yeeres That Popes deceiued Princes to spend their strength 200. yeeres as Gods enemies to bring the land cursed for euer into glory to make God a liar so Princes being weakned Daemones Popoi by strange forgerie of Constantinus gift became strong Constantinus sonnes knew no such matter no Iulian that scoffed all that he could forge against his Vncle nor Sozimus as bad as Iulian nor any Grecian Yet the Popoi Daemones will haue their owne testimonie for Empires giuen without States consent Thus the Papae or reuerend Father that would be a king by his locusts beggers the wealth of all Countreyes Of the Scorpiones stinges 1. Popoi Daemones taught to deny this that so God loued the world that he gaue his onely sonne to the end that whosoeuer belieue on him should not perish but haue life euer lasting 2. As the serpent deceyued Eue so the Pope hauing the throne of the serpent deceyued many mindes from that playnesse which is in Christ and so stong their heartes as they Iob. 3. who desire the graue and digge for it more then for treasures 3. And whereas this is only the work of God wherein a Christian is distinguished from Ciuill scribes to belieue in him whom God hath sent the Pope teacheth not to rest in this 4. He teacheth trust in wicked workes in giuing Landes to Locustes to auoid Purgatorie vnknowen to Greekes and to hate the Bible as auctor of haeresie to pray to Creaturs to be sure for that only if no more sinne were to perish for euer And he teacheth that men should doubt of their saluation So his Locustes haue the stinges of Scorpions Of the Locusts strength and auctoritie When by their forged Purgatorie and much begging the Locusts had gotten the fatt of all Countreyes thē they were horses prepared to warres that they sett Kings to warre as they would And though they would seeme to haue no secular Power yet their dealinges shewed they ware crowns like gold being in face as priuate men of womans haire in keeping in Cloisters yet haue they teeth of Lions to deuoure all and habergions of yron to defende them selues and the noise of their winges the proper noise of
sonne will be the sorrow of his mother then the Mother saith his rebelliō be vpon me This matter is deepe for a Iew to speak The same saith vpon Gen. 49. IAH is in Shiloh And vpō Gen. 3. By the serpent Christ shall be kild and many of Israel with him And a rare saying of God Rediemer in a Iubilie I graued in a brassen abridgment of the Bibles concent from Zohar vpon Leu. 25. In the Iubilie yere God dwelling in our tabernacle wil be remission Redemption and ending of Sabbath to Israel fol. 53. Col. None of ours of old saw Iubilies sitted to our Lords death the Iewes knew it must be so Ours scoffe it being shewed after that be highly extolled S. Paul describing Sem in the person of Melchitzedeck to be as God hath Rabbins phrases yet extāt in Zohar for his warrant that he held the man and person as they did And for all that epistle Rabbins speak the same that he doth And Rabbins haue bin a bridle to keepe Daniel sound that only holy Iewes bee the afflicted in him and when the image afflicting holy Iewes ended thē Messias should be borne in Bethlechem They might haue taught vs the right meaning of Daniel So for ending the house of Salomon in Iechonias lalkut bringeth Gods oth Maimoni in poenit Gods decree so Barbinel Kimchi and Iarchi vpon Ier. 22 and vniuersally they conclude that the first Adam the first day fell So the first day Christ is called heire of all In this sorte the Bishopps of the Synagogues taught as learnedly as any of Leuie Of the Synedrion Tha◠Ierusalemy in Sanedrin sheweth that the Sanedrin of 70. might be all of Israel without any one of Leui. And that the high sacrificer was not of the Sanedrin but as another if he were rarely learned and sage And for all faltes he was iudged and punished as another and that often they were so simple that the councill taught them their duety on expiation day The high sacrificer might be excommunicated but the King might not but in Ieroboams case Where Mallachi telleth they should aske the Law at Leui that is because they were alway at the Temple and bound to be learned But Samuel of Korah and Daniel of Iudah were not inferior to any Of Athean imitation of Aharon It was death for any of Israel to meddle with Aharons office Samuel of Korah and Elias whose tribe is vncertaine had Gods dispensation Otherwise they had neuer sacrificed And nothing about the Temple might be in Israels houses no building like the Temple arke candlesticke table of bread Altars or Leuites attire yet the father of Rome will counterfaite he will haue a Candlesticke Cope Linen garments precious stones mitre girdle Priest sacrifice Altar Sathan taught him so to dally with Gods Law Greeke fathers began the name Priest and high Priest to be fitted to their Doctores but in the end the gangrene crept to harme vnspeakable that Satan by Turke and Pope ruled the world How Bishops were made in Israel Maymony in Sanedrin sheweth how the Bishops of the Sanedrin made a D. to teach the people that they called him Muphla wonderous learned and held him so first then some of the Sanedrin laid their handes vpon him and said Rabbi take thou auctority to teach what is bound and what is loose Our Lord vseth that speach in making his Apostles Bishopps in giuing them auctority to teach what is loose and what is bound But Iscariot let another take his Bishoprike the rest were faithfull Bishops Of excommunication In King Moses tyme and other Kings Ciuill punishments were vsed but when heathen ruled then the congregation could doe no more but remoue the party from the companie by open voice in their Ciuill court Kehelah in Adams tongue Ecclesia in Iauans Any of the seniors might excommunicate but if the excommunicated complayned of iniurie the Sanedrin examined the cause and vpon iniury they excommunicated the excommunicater A iust but strange doctrine Thal. Ierusal in Illu Megallechim writeth of a Rabbin who fell into an haunt of Iewe thieues They took his mony from him he pronoūced the Anathema for them they returned the curse vpon himselfe that amazed him and comming home he asked Rabbies whether he were in danger of curse doubtlesse said they a money matter where Lawes be open giueth no Anathema so the false Anathema returned sound vpon thy selfe On this he went to the thieues haunt and confessed sinne that for money he gaue them to Satan and requested absolution then said the thieues absolue vs wee will they agreed to both There a woman commeth by a scholmaister beating a boy cruelly saith thou art Anathema the scholmaister asked a Rabbi whether that could binde him frō the Synagogue the ordinary time A mounth doubt lesse said the Rabbi not the person but the matter giueth the authoritie go and confesse thy fault to the woman and thou art free and so he did Thus reason not politique authoritie giueth the force and the Law 1. Cor. 16. If any loue not the L. Iesus Christ let him be anathema Maran atha The Pope the greatest murderer Idolater in the world he will be excommunicating Princes They should returne the curse vpon his owne head and leaue God iudge others may deale alike with al of the Pops keies and God will make knowen who be his so Moses vsed Pharoh so Elias vsed the soldiers so Eliseus vsed the 42. of Bethel so Ieremie vsed Ierusalem so S. Paul vsed Alexander so the martyrs heere deale with the king of Locustes A digression to expound the terme Bishop Much strife is for the Bishop of Rome and for others The manifold sense of the terme must be opened to end the strife In Iob EL the Almighty God is translated Episcopus A looker to mans dealing In the Law PAKID a man of charge as Eleazar or the bishop of the armie is trāslated Episcopus Iudas had Episcopon as I mentioned afore therefore the Apostles were Episcopi in S. Paul 1. Tim. the terme Episcopus is translated in Arabique Zeken a senior that is the right meaning Policarpus the messinger of the congregation of Smyrna is in Greeks Episcopus And so the great teachers so Caluin was and Beza in Geneua was Bishop or yet Archbishop though they tooke other names as high Pastor is vsually the ciuill Gouernor and for Moses that is vsed he was Meparnes to Israel 40. year that is Feeder So Bishop is a terme for Lawfull calling and commēdable if learning tender care of people be to it Otherwise Ananias shal be excommunicated of S. Paul as a painted wall And they shall tread downe the holy Citie two and fouretie monethes Heere by Citie is meant folke as Ebr. 12. the Citie of the liuing God the heauēly Ierusalem so in this chap. where the tenth parte of the Citie falleth people not wall is meant So when the Citie is called spiritually
contempt of Godly teaching Christ was great Noe Sem Arphaxad Selah Eber Phaleg brother to Ioctan hath cast thē of hitherto The West-Indians seeme to come of the East as both speake some Ebrew Now God driueth vs to both Indians not for Pepper and Tobacho but in tyme to shew his name And the Iesuites in teaching the holy Trinity Person and Iustice of Christ may saue many and the Pope shall haue an outward reward of longer successe and some hundreths of yeares must be spent this way Of the old opinion of 6000. yeares God hath cast old ages into a pleasant frame of measures of them for Iewes and from Iewes I dedicated an Ebrew worke to the Landtgraue of Hessia Now thousandes I will touch In 3000. exactly the Temple was fully furnished euen to the Arke In 4000. exactly the Romanes destroyed the seconde Temple if without it Messias dayes haue 2000. yeares from the yeare of Christ 1609. of Adam 5536. One as Heber may come to the worlds end by 464. yer The trueth God only knoweth reason telleth affaires in worke require such tyme But no particular person is sure of one day but all should watch when the Bridegrome commeth And to destroy them that destroy the earth Although no Creature but Angells and men know God yet the close bent of all Creatures is framed to serue man for Christ God bending them so And in that sense euery thing is weary of their toyle Eccl. 1. and groneth looking for the Redemtion of the Children of God Rom. 8. and being turned to seruice of Idolls grone in Gods estieme as corrupted such was the old world in corrupting their wayes such were Babel builders till heathen came to God and almost all to this day And Apoc. 5. All creatures giue glory to the Lambe in seruice of Christians But alas men to this day would neuer search Gods word the wealthie and principall of state but remit that ouer vnto others as a base worke for themselues to regard whereby God cast off the world And the Temple of God was open in the heauen and the Arke of his Couenant was seene in his Temple and there were lightnings voices thunders earthquake great haile After papistries ouerthrow Christ who is the Temple and the Arke who hath the Law within him is the mercy seat shall be opened to the few saued and God will pay Papists with warres for the haile and fire that they mixed with blood troublesome meteores eloquently expresse troubles of state as before our Lordes first comming the Romans miseries destroying themselues were a wonder to historiques because Crassus robbed the Temple and Pompei afore made Israel serue Rome and Brutus with Cassius and Antonius with Cleopatra and againe Iulius so Rome that still will crucifie Christ shall haue as great stirrs to warne them of vtter ruine But by warres profanesse breedeth to all sides that when the SON OF MAN commeth he shall scant finde faith vpon the earth The best way to keepe faith is to exercise our vniuersities in the Ebrew and Greeke Testament and to leaue ciuill gouernement to sage courtes fitt for it as Zuricke in Zuitzerland doth that Scholars tyrannie make not new papistrie And thus once all is reueiled vnto the end New visions tell the same matter for better clearnesse CHAP. XII A description of the Church AND a great signe was seene in the heauen a woman clothed with the sun With the moone vnder her feet and a crowne of 12. starres vpon her head and beeing with child cried in trauaile and peigned to beare child THE woman is the church through the song of songes and there pure as the sun heere clothed with Christ the Sunne of Iustice And the state of the faithfull is called through this booke heauen and they are a great signe to the profane world to wonder at The Moone and all vnder the Sunne is contemned of the faithfull and the doctrine which the 12. Apostles equall in knowled and authoritie deliuered to the world is the Crowne and they be 12 starres Iudas Iscariot fell a starre from heauen and Matthias became a sonne of consolation in his stead to keepe still the number of XII for the XII tribes and as S. Paul trauailed of the Galathians that is of Christ to be formed in them that they frustrate not the Gospell by holding circumcision nowe abrogated So the faithfull trauailed in soule to haue Christ brought forth to heathens knowledge that all might knowe that all this world was made obedient to a man At the first which man fell from God his first day and then God opened his Counsell that the Sonne Eternall would be made man of a woman to destroy the workes of the Angels that fell who all are collectiuely satan the enemie Satan brought Adam to lose the life of his soule and his body to death and dust and all this world to corruption Christ kindled light in Adams soule and after 930. yeares heauinesse for sin tooke it to his ioy and will raise vp the body and make a new world that all men who will receiue the abundance of grace of the gift of iustice may reigne by Christ and all who will not regard this mercy so cleare as the sunne they all by Adams fall dead in sin shal be damned for euer with the Diuils This is the trauaile of the Christian minde Speach of this is in all books of the Old Testament in Adams tongue in all the newe in Greeke made most common for this Gospell And Lawe with Gospell expounded by groundes of art which enemies grant should bee the trauaile of our minde And if Academies had brought vp their scholars in Ebrew and Greek exercises for the holy eternall Trinitie in Vnitie and for kissing the SON to happinesse Psal 2. By likely-hood of mans reason the world had benefull of true Christians where as now our Papes Archbuyshopps and Buyshopps know not one letter prick accent of the Law what authoritie it hath from God A pitifull matter that such blinde should bee leaders But the blinde will no other leaders So God cannot pittie them who will make knowen them that be his and despise them that despise him that they poore Caytifes shall perish for euer and feele the aeternall wrath of him whose mercy they haue despised while they counted the mercies offred in Christ to be but folly Of the Prophane Caesar and Pope reuiuing of him both comprised in the body and taile of one Dragon Another signe was seene in the heauen For beholde there was a great ruddie Dragon with 7. heades and ten hornes and vpon his heades seauen diademes And his taile draweth a third part of the Starres of heauen and cast them vnto the earth Iohn saw with his eyes in Vision that which hee and all the Apostles as S. Paul 2. Thess 2. saw in their minde That from Rome the Ruler should rule till hee were taken away After thence man of
they had coined Phrases to new vexation of our spirits and make the word seeme a nose of wax Thus we hinder our owne fight but some still hold the truth that the accusation cannot be generall The rest should be wise with them The Diuell and his Angels by MICAEL that standeth vp for his people who be his Angels are banished from the Church and knowen to be vnclean spirits A second and playner exposition of the Dragons warre And I heard a great voice saying in the heauen now is come the saluation and power and Kingdome of our GOD and the auctority of his CHRIST because the accusar of our brethren who accuseth them before GOD day and night is cast downe And they haue ouercome by the blood of the Lambe and by the word of his Testimony and despised their liues vnto death Therefore reioyce yee heauens and they who dwell in them wo be vnto them which dwell in the Land and the Sea because the Diuell is come to you hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a litle while Where a company by Martyrdome shew that saluation commeth onely by the death of CHRIST and are constant in that Testimony then troupes that make the heauens kingdom heere protest they know how saluation cōmeth know Gods power that falleth the mighty state of the Pope and know wherein the Kingdome of God standeth And the auctority of Christ where the Pope had a Kingdome of Satan in his policy through all partes of all common weales euen from ruling Emperours to the poorest that had but a chimney to pay a Peter-peny The holy Testament playnelie shewing our Creatores And how the spirit of CHRIST flootereth vpon all the waters of both Testaments and cleared the holy story And cleareth our hearts to call vpon GOD with a good heart this sheweth in this plaine sum what the Kingdome of God and auctority of CHRIST is Gouernement standeth vpon plaine rules The wealthy that know CHRIST Kinges Dukes Earles Barons Knights will study to excell in Diuinity to be true Bishopps and Elders to eate vp the Booke of the Gospell and to see all miscariage sagely restreined being those that Saint Paul and the Talmudiques meant by Pastors And will see how by Church lands an infinite company may be made cunning in tongues and sense of both Testaments That the Angelos Ecclesiae and daylie Seniores may be so taught in Diuinity as men are in liberall artes to know the wholle facultie and the propre vse of euery holy booke And what concent all the scripture hath and where one error putteth all out of tune but may soone be remoued so a faithfull minde will often in a day runne ouer all the Bible and see all ages faithfull as trees planted by waters and all wicked as dust scattred by the winde And such will be true Bishopps as Cucullus non facit monachum so a courtiers fauor and title maketh not a Bishopp for saluation and power and kingdome of God and authority of Christ Buy-shopps mocke with GOD but all Mordecaies will vse them as Agagites and as leprous to the Church So when all Gouerners in state be learned Bishopps ioy will be in the Church that the Diuell must goe to Land or quiet state of the Pope or sea warres of Emperors bad to seeke whom he can deuour The learned dealers for the Church will finde for it meanes in persequution to be protected Yea and to make the Land or Papisticall state as King H. VIII did drie vp the riuers of the Popes persequution In the middle of Papistry he ouerthrew the Pope by Papistes Who were content to buy the Abbeies that fed Idolatrous Locusts could not for starke shame denie a common prayer booke made from the masse booke turned to English so so much was chosen from the masse booke to be in English as seemed not directly to fight with Gods trueth and subscription for allowance to that was no further meant but that the Papists could finde no fault with it Vnder K. E. 6. and Q. E. the best Bishopps allowed the communion booke no further and gaue others leaue to expresse that how they bare with it vntill fitt tyme of amendement Of the Dragons short tyme. This speach sheweth the tyme neere the seauenth trumpet for the worlds end by the Dragons tayle the Pope heere meant in his persecution that the Diuell is fierce knowing that he shall not be long the God of this world And the Pope feareth least his Kingdome shall soone fall And our Buyshopps that vrge his canons damned by our common Lawes are now in rumores that they incense some to begge all Buyshopps lands Leicester went farre to chaing 40000. lib. for rack rent but more harme is bred by Buyshopps tyranny now Bishopps vnder King Edw. haue beene such as none but of Satans spirite would deny them to bee lawfull Bishops And such as agreed well with Nobles Gentry and all The name troubleth none but the Barbarous They who hold the place without teaching the people the trueth and with tyranny breake the cōmon lawes of the realme which stand with reason that is the Law of God such should chainge their minde and obey the Gospell lest their short tyme be for Sarans seruice and for euer And when the Dragon saw that he was cast into the earth he persequuted the woman which brought forth the male child This common place toucheth all the Popes persequutions though it be vttered as at one tyme. The Pope had still ready cruell torment for all of his that descried wickednesse in his religion And to the woman were giuen two winges of an eagle to flee into the wildernesse into her owne place to bee nourished there a tyme and tymes and halue a tyme from the praesense of the Serpent The Pope driueth the Church into the Wildernesse as Pharaoh droue Israel Saul Dauid Antiochus the holy Iewes the Pharisees he Lord of glory for a tyme two tymes and halfe a tyme three yeeres and an halfe and as I shewed all tyme of persecution is called in remembrance of our Lordes a persecution of dayes 1260. as chap. XI or of a tyme two tymes and halfe a tyme As Beda and Carthusianus well noted In Exo. 19. God saith hee brought Israel from Egypt as with eagles winges so the persecutor heere is a newe Pharaoh and Rome is Egypt spiritually as in chap. XI And the Dragon Pharaoh is heere a new Dragon And the Pope which will bee worshipped for a God is as Darius Dan. 6. and in the fable vpon that as the Dragon which the Chaldeans worshipped The Phrase of the fable folowed a true storie Of the tyme of these persequutions And the Dragon did cast after the woman out of his mouth water like a riuer to make her riuer-caried But the earth holpe the woman and the earth opened her mouth and dranke vp the riuer which the Dracon cast out of his mouth And the Dracon was angry with the
Seleucolaegidae in ten hornes fiue of each side vexing Iuda But there were tenne particular Kinges heere Kingdomes noted by a crowne vpon euery horne Now exactly fiue Seleucidae are not notable but fiue Lagidae bee So for the strict number God would not haue all the world vexed in men not worthy strict regard of storie But aboueX Kinges of old Kingdomes now be noted And Strabo lib. 17. noteth that Augustus diuided all Proconsulships into X. And Steuchus against Vallu diuideth the Popes in the same sort As I haue in Con. Scr. shewed The color of Leopard is from Alexander Beares foote from Paras Lions mouth from Babell Hornes color feete mouth meane all tyranny demeanour course lawes alike As Babel deified the Image Dan. 2. Paras their King Alexander would bee a God And Antiochus would haue Iupiter Olympius So the Caesares would still be Diui And termed the Christians Atheists as when martyrs were moued to abiure Christ this was the recantation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is away with the Atheists As a speach vnto Caesar to hold Christians Atheists and to request their destruction Eus Eccl. Histor In this sort the Caesar hath a name of blasphemy holding Gods seruants whose conuersation is in heauen to be not Gods seruants but wicked men as the text will shew anon And the beast which I saw was like a Leopard and his feete as a Beares and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion the Dragon gaue him his owne power and his owne throne and great auctoritie Heere we see why Satan bare armes from the Romanes armes Euen because Satans autority was executed by them The god of this world had such auctority giuen to trye the elect that the Gospell might be knowne to be hid to none but to whom the God of this world blinded vnderstanding This farre reacheth the profane Empire which our great Constanstine made dead when he left old Rome and made Bizantiū new Rome By the death of one head the exposition following sheweth the whole beast once dead Pompei with Romes force oppressed Gods people there Iuda felt one head and he perished in Aegypt M. Grassus with Romes army made another head and robbed the Temple of Abrahams sonnes who came from Charran or Carrae At Carrae the Parthians ouerthrew his whole army to the aeternall shame of the Empire Iulius Caesar tamed Aegypt and disposed Cleopatraes Gouernement to haue Iudae vnder a toe of that legge a third head he was kild in the Senate house Brutus Cassius the chiefest of his murtherers their Romane host oppressed Iuda and they made a fourth head Antonius he with the Romane force being made a mighty King in the East maried Cleopatra and made Herod for Her King of Iuda that Daniels Image might haue some remembrance till Christ came He as Pompei perished in Aegypt a fift head Then came the state of Rome to one Person and so continued one head from Augustus vnto great Constantine And in that head when he left cursed Rome the beast there was dead So the sixt head had beene and was not and yet was restored to be a seauenth head and the Pope is in that head with all his power and also will be a seuerall power aboue all and make also an eight head chap. 17. That is heere once told And I saw one of his heades as slaine vnto death and his deadly stroke was healed that admiration was through the whole earth after the beast they worshipped the Dragon which gaue his power vnto the beast and they worshipped the beast saying who is like to the beast Who can warre with him And a mouth was giuen him speaking great thinges and blasphemies and auctority was giuen him to be doing 42. moneths and he opened his mouth to blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them whose Tabernacle is in heauen And it was giuen him to make warres with the sainctes and to ouercome them And power was giuen him ouer euery tribe tongue and nation That all who dwell in the earth should worship him they whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb which was slaine fromt the beginning of the world Heere the tyrannie of the profane Caesares caried by the spirite of Diuell is fully described well knowen by Diuus Nero Diuus Domitian and the rest of Diui or Diuels vnto Diocletian That Christians reading this might looke for such troubles as the holy in Daniel susteined This needeth no exposition but it selfe expoundeth chap. 12. for the vpper part of the Dragon And as Dan. 7. God sate vpon a fiery throne shewing a reueng vpon all the afflicters of his people So Apoc. 6. warre bloody black and pale and a gulfe of a graue was opened shewing how the Caesares warred and perished miserably 300. year with their great armies The Romane stories tell all most plentifully and Rome after their destruction felt it by Alaricus in Zozimus by Giezricke in the Eccles story from Lybia a new Hanniball by Theodoricus Totilas THAT AS STEVCHVS CONFESSETH ROME HAD BEENE MADE A MOST FILTHY LODGE OF OXEN AND HOGGES BVT FOR THE POPES Now the Caesares punishment followeth with a seuere taunt of dulnesse to them that will not marke stately speaches From Mat. 13. and Apoc. 2. and 3. If any man haue an eare let him heare Hee that carieth captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie Abb. 1. 2. for the Chaldean if any kill with sword hee shall bee killed with sword Gen. 9. When Antiochus the vile slew Iewes faithfull to God had affinitie with Egypt God plagued both houses more notablie then any families that euer were before Heathen did note it though they knew not that they made a cōmentary to make Daniel a most cleare booke so Aurelus Victor commonly read with Iustine in Grammar scholes sheweth howe the Caesares were plagued to the astonishment of the world since Rome crucifyed the Lord of Glory And Herodian handleth an Iliad of their plagues for 70. yer how the Emperores were so vile as dogges Sozimus sheweth litle better successe And before our Lordes dayes in the fleshe when their Empire made an head ouer Iuda Pompei Crassus Iulius Brutus Antonius and their Ciuill warres were wonders of misery And Plini recordeth what miseries made Augustus weary of his life full often These rules should be a bridle for Buyshopps of Rome and all of their Caius Heere is the faith and constancie of the holy Our gratious aeternall Spirite here meeteth with the weak that they should not iudge of Gods fauor by prosperitie in this world From Cain to Tuualcain or heathen smith Vulcain the wicked bare sway Which Spirite went and preached in the dayes of Noe to them that are now Spirits in Prison Nemrod the Rebel had first dominion and Niniueh and Babel at the last Nemrods house and in Dan. 11. 35. and 12. 10. the faithfull are told what God meant to let wicked Magog so afflict his
what way is best to be taken Seeing the common sort of welthy are bent to this world to bee rich in kinges seruice or Law or merchandize that many cannot be fitt Teachers but men bent altogether that way what is the soundest remedy heere Seeing the world will not admitt great chaing and great learning should bee plentifull before great change would be to any good Answere The Vniuersities should vrge great practise of the Hebrew Prophets Greek Apostles vsing all helpes of Thalmudiques and Heathen by chosen guides all of skilfull actes should haue good recompence And after certaine yeeres none should haue any praeferment but of speciall redinesse in the trueth of holy storie where error troubleth as haeresie the people should haue a most exact translation to which all the Realme should haue their consent so Scholars all should haue a voice in Bishopps proceedings reuenues be the only seniores in matters of learning but for al Court matters should haue common Lawyers other officers in Societie with theÌ„ by learned sermons should make al of good conceipt though not of learning to teach others But all that the scholar should do is to be Angelus eccles to kepe him within that compasse Some as in Geneua bare scholars would in wickednesse ouerrule the Senate more then any Pope was euer knowen to doe Men that will teach and speak not precious matter will be the destruction of the Gospell The zealous without knowledge haue in this kinde done much harme and when an vnlearned scholar is highly praeferred and not brideled he will hardly be kept from doing vnspeakable mischiefes Ciuill auctority should make a wall before such that they should haue no whit of Popes auctority where the Ciuill horne belongeth to the King and only the horne for the heart to Sheliach Zibbur or orator of the congregation So the Popes hornes be broken as the Seleucians Ptolomeans when they tyrannized ouer the holy What may wee thinke of Buyshopps of which sort many Popes and Cardinales bee The Talmud in Sanedrin concludeth that if any giue money to be a Senior they should hold him as an whipp for an asse Maym. fol. the People be the asse that suffre him and he is a scourge from GOD for some badnesse of theirs And Ambitus in Tulli was hated and Lege Iulia. And from Act. 8. called Simonia and one such man may cause God to be openly angry with many that he will not forgiue them in this world but send open punishment vpon them though ciuill wicked haue their open reward heere and the punishment reserued to the world to come that is the meaning of the phrase forgiuenesse in this world and in the world to come Math. 12. and Maymoni tome 1. Poenit. Perek I haue knowen mighty mightily plagued for Buyshopps some by their owne strange death some by many Children and Sanedrin saith others should not be quiet till they remoue such from their societie And the wordes thou shalt not make thee Elohim Iudges of Siluer or Gold are of the Thalm. applyed hither wittily And such Buyshopps in Diuinity be most high contemners of God and they cannot speake from God but from the Dracon Of the Pope King of Kings And the auctority of the first he practiseth all before him L. Inter Claras C. de summa Trin. so all the Emperors now are confirmed of the Popes which right in old tyme Emperores vsed ouer Popes As reason would though a D. of a great towne as Rome had great reuenues to be hospitall and to breed many learned that was the intent of Princes in their great Liberalitie And he causeth the earth and such as dwell in it to worshipp the first beast whose wound vnto death was healed In his confirmation of Emperours he giueth them S. Peters blessing and men worship them with title of Diui when the Empire was once dead in Rome and translated to Bizantium called new Rome so that old Rome had continued a most filthy habitation of hoggs and oxen but for the Popes supremacie when he was worshipped as the old Caesares As Steuchus confesseth against Valla lib. 2. BVT WHEN THE PONTIFICALITY WAS SET VP IN ROME THAT ALL NATIONS FROM EAST TO WEST DID WORSHIPP THE POPE NO OTHERWISE THEN OF OLD THE PROFANE CAESARES He taketh autoritie to confirme the Emperors to make them of better estieme with superstitious simple people That is here plainly fore-told How long the Popes the Starres falling could not become mountaines of fire to cast themselues into the sea of the Empire Before Christianitie came in policie to Rome the People and Doctores chose the Father as the Iewes did the Archisynagogue as all should bee and were vnder heathen gouernement And they should bee of the Dragons poison that would make any more adoe for their autoritie When Christians â—eld the Empire and Constantine lothing Rome that Crucified Christ and the vnlearned Popes that could not bring the Pallace to Christianitie in 300. yeares When holy Paul soone made Narcissus bad folke the best and Peter if euer he had come there had done as much So when Constantine remoued to Bizantium his house and lieuetenant of Rauenna confirmed the Popes whose election should bee authenticall so when Charles the great after the ouerthrow of Desiderius king of the Lombardes and of that kingdome and came to Rome Adrian the Father when Charles the great confirmed with greater priuileges all that Pipinus had giuen to Gregory the third to requite the benefites of Charles calling an hundred and fiftie Bishopps maketh a Perpetuall decree Nullum posthac fore neque aliorum Templorum Antistitem nisi quem Carolus successoresque eius sciuerint iusserint refragantes huìusmodi patrum decreto diris deuoti est nisi resipuerint adiecta proscriptio That is That there should bee no B. of Rome nor of other Churches except him whom Charles and his Successores should know and command to be so They that withstand such a decree of the Fathers are cursed and vnlesse they repent a proscription is added This constitution subtile Popes in great dissentions of Princes brake yet in the yeere 1314. Loduike Bauaras restored the Empires right much blotted vnto his whitenesse against Iohn 12. for when hee was excommunicated of the Pope for entring into Italy with an army and for setting Gouetners ouer Villages and Townes against his will And because he praesumed as soone as hee was chosen before hee was commanded of the Pope to take vpon him the name right of the Empire Hee with the Counsell of his Nobles made one Petrum Corbariensen a minorite Pope vsing his ancestores autoritie manner And assembling men that knew diuine and humane Lawes sheweth that the Pope hath no right aboue Caesare But cleane contrary the Pope with all spirituall high low should be subiect to the higher power Thus dealt this good Emperor mild enough or rather too