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 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 sayth the aungel ☞ And he shall setfast his strong castels 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 TyrrhenuÌ„ Rome his cheif seat of his reste and pleasure being situated vpon the noble seuen topped holy fathers hyll But his sewerest 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 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 breÌ„t 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 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 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 sprâ—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 papisâ—rye These all haue their most stroÌ„g 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 innoceÌ„t blode for the gospell and will not in tyme câ—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 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 britle buklers sayinge â—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 maÌ„ 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 ByzaÌ„cie 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 lyoâ— out of the northe eaâ—te wode shall chalenge conuince this mighty last enimie the turke persuinge his chirche and presuming to geue the egle and to holde the Romane empire here shal this highe fleinge egle be slayâ—â—e vpon the
enimies in the most ample and mightiest Monarchie but by the benefit of God Ieremy confirming the same saying That nacion and kingdom that wil not serue Nebucadne shall be visited with swerde pestilence famyn This was called the golden head because that as it was the best gouerned with all cyuile iustice equite vnto this daye so did the king Nebucad raigne most victoriouse more then 40. yeres and being olde left his kingdom to his neuye as Ieremy prophecied whiche felicite to haue had not hapened to the other 3. kingdoÌ„s Daniel here aftir testifieth assigning to y e persik realme 3. orders of tethe To the Macedoni â–ª Monarchie 4. head is and 10 â–ª hornes to the Roman empire This goldeÌ„ head had but 3 kinges in daniels tyme For Nebucadnezar raigned 45 yeres â–ª his sone Euismerodach 23 and Beltthalat 3 yeres For from this last hogge was the babyloni monarch translated vnto the persis as ye shall see in the 5 chap. Aftir this there shall spring forth a nother kingdom vpon the erthe lesse then thyne This was the Persy Monarchie and the Medis empyre signifyed by the syluer breste and armes when this monarchie of the Medis and persies begane we shal shewe it in the 5 chapter How it was gouerned ye shal see in the 6 cap. aÌ„d in the eleuenth how longe it endured ☞ And then shal ther be the thirde Monarchie called the brasen empyre whiche shall be ouer the vniuersal worlde This is the monarchye of great Alexander of his mighty coÌ„federed successours signified by the brason belly and soyncs the begining of this kingdom ye see it here in the. 2. ca the middis in the. 7 8. the ende Daniel prophecieth in the eleuenth ¶ But the fowrth king doÌ„ shal be as stroÌ„g as harde as for it shall lyke make softe breke tame all other king domo And wÌ„here thou didst see the feete and toes partely erth â—n and parte it signifieth the kingdom to be diuided nethelesse yet shal it retaine some what of the ferme fastnes of as it were vnder y e sole of his fote as thou didste see the miyt with pot ba erthe And because the toes were parte aÌ„d parte ba erthe this empyre shal be partely stronge and partely frayle and weak And where thou didst see the miyt with ba erth it signifieth these diuided kigdoms to be ioyned togither emong themselues and confedered by bloude in mariages but yet shall not one agre long with a noÌ„ther their confederacies shall not stonde nor holde no more then may be mixed and welled togither with ba erthe This fowerth Monarchie is the Romane empyre thus descrybed more at large then the other thre because it was in the beginnynge more strong valeaunter and harder vntyll by Mahumets religion and the Popes Antichristen crafte it was diuided dispersed minisshed and dekayed as ye see it this daye brought vnto his potba erthen frayle feble feet euen the last kyngdome to be destroyed partely by intestyne ciuile warre emonge themselues and thus the maye made partely by the Turke and at last by the stonne sinyten oute of the hyll which is by the kyngdom of Christes Gospell preched which worde proceded oute of the mounte Sion and oute of Hierusalem euen now euery daye out of the very trwe churche of Christ dayly wryting and preching this foundacion stone Christ purely frely and faythfully Daniel diuideth this descripcion into thre expresse signes First he saith in his feete and toes of and erth there shall remaine as it were vnder the sole some ferme fastenes of Which signifieth the Romane empyre although it be diuided and dispersed into Germanye Englande Spayne France and Turkye c. into other Monarchies yet shall these Monarchies holde as long as they may the nature of vnder the vse and ministracion of the Romane lawes called the ciuile or emprowrs lawes Secondarily he sayth these fete and toes partly 〈…〉 and partely erthen to signifie the Ro mane empire after his firste strengthe to be made feble and weake which may be proued by the examples of some mygthy and inuicte emprowrs and of other weake and ouerthrone Thirdly he sayth They shal be mixt together but yet shal they not cleaue to nomore then may be welled together with a potsherd And this signifieth as hath the text They shall seke confederacions and affinities by bloude consanguinitie in maryages and all in vayne As ye se it for albeit em and kynges haue ioyned together in maryages with theyr daughters and sonnes yea and with holy sacred othes in lege the hoost broken and diuided betwixt them yet hath one inuaded and destroyd other They shal be confedered to make a newe and all one Monarchye but all in vayne for this is the last empire to be destroyed at the last daye is yet in destroyinge for resistyng persecutynge Gods worde whether it be the seculare or Ecclesiasti particulare or vniuersall empire or kyngdome ☞ For in the tyme of these kynges the God of heuen shal set vp a kyngdom which shall neuer be destroyed nether shall this kyngdome be delyuered vnto any other peple which kyngdom Monarchye shall destroye and make an ende of all the other empires and kyngdoms but it self shall stand for euer as thou sawest the stonne smyten out from the hil without handis breking into poulder the brasse test erth syluer golde Whylis yet these kingdoÌ„s endured but yet translated into the Romane Monarchie shall Christes kyngdom be begune vpon erth For the em Augustus in the tyme of ChristÌ„es byrth described the hole worlde as Luke wryteth The God of heauen to set vp fast this kyngdom is Christ by his worde and spirit of God to raigne as himself before Pilate confessed saing My kyngdom is not of this worlde for as Dauid in the. 2. Psal. so doth Dan. Promise here Christis kyngdom to come to be a spirituall kyngdoÌ„ This kyngdom standing vpon the preching doctrine of Christes gospell shall neuer be destroyed although these Monarches cruelly burne and destroye the prechers and professours of the worde but as Christ is eternall so shall his worde be euer and all that beleue it lyue euerlastingly For the worde of God sayth I say standeth for euer and shal be preched and wryten vnto the last daye And all the kyngdome of the worlde which resiste and persecute Christes kyngdome which is his worde preched and his churche the spirit of God shall breake them to powlder when he shall reproue and conuince them of syne of ryghtwysnes and of iugement For where be nowe all the sewers at they not in hell with all the deuyllis And where is the Gospell It lyueth raigneth in heueÌ„ w t Christ here in his faythfull at last syke a consuminge fyer to deuoure oure enimyes according to the Psal. 110. And as towching the hyll out of which the stonne was out
passion hath not Winchesters condicion But the promises of corporall benefits not onely require that we beleue the power of God to be myghty enough but also that he will helpe vs yf it please him when and how he hath decreed it which condicion is not against the nature of faith but declareth obedience for all these must go togither faith obedience prayer to aske and abyde Gods plesure For so pray Dauid 2. of the kynges 15. And these 3. men permitted the ende and maner of their delyuerance out of the ouen vnto Gods will and plesure whom they were euer redy to obeye But the glory of god they defended affirming him to be able enough to delyuer them so that their faith waited vpon god for siche consolacion and helpe and when it shuld please him to sende it them So that ye see the corporall promises of the lawe to haue these condicions but the promises of the gospell of grace and remission haue no condicion but be made frely in criste and performed to the beleuers For the declaracion of the. 6. place ye shall knowe that therfore be corporall afflictions layde vpon vs to excyte vs to prayer and to excercyse our faith as it is in I saye Lorde in their affliccion they seke the tribulacion sorofull groning are to them thy nourtering and discipline Wherfore let vs put awaye all mistrust and thinke not oure prayers and his promises to be in vayne yea allthough we adde the condicion yf it be thy will for God delyuereth vs when we call vpon him to certifye vs of his presence as it is in the Psal. I shall delyuer the and thou shalt glorifye me And when he taketh not awaye oure present calamite yet geueth he vs vnspekable confort and euen his holy spirit Wherfore his promyse is neuer invayne to the beleuers And therfore cryst commandeth vs incessantly to praye Albeit the deliuerance be differred to drawforth oure faith hope and pacient expectacion But thus to do is harde vnto reason For when god delyuereth not menis myndis be broken beleuing themselues not to be herde then beginne they to dowt or to thinke God to be angrye with them so to be full of indignacion against god and vtterly to fall from him as did Saul which temptacion fayth must resist and aske encrease the more feruently perswaded of helpe although yet he feleth no helpe nor be lykely to haue any For god will ether helpe at that present tyme or sende some consolacyon otherwyse or mitigate the heuynes or by his meruelous counsell bringe all thy desiers vnto a better ende then thyselfe canst deuyse or wysshe Faithfull he is w t in temptacion geueth vs a good escape 〈…〉 the miracle is done to conuerte the kynge to the confession of God which conuerted expresseth his confession and forbideth the blasphemies Here be princes taught to abolyssh all vngodly doctryne and false worshippings c. and to be diligent in setting forth godly doctryne and the Cristen religion For y e Magistrates shuâ—de be the kepers and mayntainers of the hole lawe perteining to discipline For as they prohibit murther although thei cannot change menis herts so ought thei to forbidde outwarde idolatrye blasphemies and externe reuerent behauiour before images as creping to the crosse kyssynge and knelynge and praying before them with all lyke vngodly worsshipes honours rites ceremonyes be they neuer so decent and laudable before men 〈…〉 excecrable before God for that thei haue not his worde for them For albeit the office of the magistrate be not the ministracion of the spirit that is cannot conuert menis hertis yet ought he to be the minister to defende godis discipline and lawe to be the cheife membre of the churche to helpe the other members that the godly doctryne be taught maintained preched forth to all other This fowerth chapter sheweth the kynge for his vngodly securite in welthe pryde to be cast oute of his realme at last for his repentaÌ„ce to be restored For albeit the kynge had by these interpretacions of his dreames by this miracle by the doctryne of Daniel a great taste and know 〈…〉 of the almyghty god of Israel yet did his spiritualtye that is to saye his wyse lerned men sothe sayers sorcerers enchaunters or philosophers so bewitche him that they extolled him vp into siâ—he a securite and pryde that he anon forgote god forgote himself and all that God had done to him by these holy meÌ„ And therfore he had yet another ferefull vision which is here reherced of him self and he was punisshed put out of his kyngdome lost his mynde made lyke a brute beste and so aftir his punisshment restored to his mynde kyngdome with an vnfayned coÌ„uersion and trew penaÌ„ce he setteth thus forth his proclamacion ☞ Nebucadnezar the kynge vnto all peple nacions tongues thorow all the worlde dwellinge wyssheth and prayeth that your peace be eucreased I know it to be my dewtye to tell you the signes and wnderfull miracles which y e most hyghe god hath brought vpon me For his toknes are meruelouse great and ryght mighty are his miracles his kyngdome is an euerlasting kyngdom and his powr is perpetuall I Nebucadnezar happye and prosperouse in my familie and ryche in my palace did see a dreame so ferefull that my thoughtes in my bedde troubled my head greuously wherfore I sent oute a commandement that all the wyse men of Babylon shuld be brought vnto me to interprete my dreame Then were there brought before me the wysemen the soth sayers of chaldey astronimers ce vnto whom I tolde my dreame but y e interpretacion therof thei cold not tell me vntill at last there came daniel vnto me whose name is Balthasar aftir the name of my god which daniel hathe the spirit of the most holy god and vnto him I tolde my dream saynge Balthasar cheif master of the wyse men astronimers all in whom I knowe to be the spirit of the most holy god and that ther is no secrete mysterye hidde from the tell me my drame what it signifieth For this was my dreame in my bedde I did see a tree vpoÌ„ the middis of the erthe whiche was fayer and highe The tre was great and stronge so high that it reched vnto y e heuen â–ª and might be sene to the farthest parris â—â— al the erthe â— branches were fayer lusty to beholde 〈…〉 frute so plentuouse that it was meat sufficient for all thinges vnder it as it were in a plesant shadewe there dwelt the wylde beastes and the birdes nesiled in 〈…〉 branches and all things ly uinge were fed of that tree And whyls in my dreame I behelde it lo there came downe from heuen in great spede an holy aungell crying lowde and spekinge thus kutte downe the tree and loppe of 〈…〉 bowes smyte of 〈…〉 branches and skatere away â— frute and let the beastes
vs helpe for vayne is the helpe of men but also god alwais before y e reueling of his worde to confounde the wysemen of the worlde Wherfore y e king callinge daniel to interprete his dreame coÌ„mendeth him first of his name of his spirit of his pastorall office of his coninge and lerning that thus the doctryne of y e â—â—â—theÌ„ might be asshamed the worde of god florisshe in his kingdom â—â— miche said of y e narracion of his dreame of the vocacion of daniel to expownd Nowe let vs heare daniel declaring his dreame and calling the king to repentance ☞ Then Daniel called Belthasar being amased spake not almost of an howrâ— 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 â— 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 â–ª c. it is euen thou thyself ah kynge so greate and mightye â–ª 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 vnder y e dewe rayne from a boue coÌ„man 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 â–ª 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 theÌ„ in fauour feding their affectis For he so loued him that he wolde tell him y e trwth were it neuer so odiouse bitter â–ª displeasaunt â–ª vnto him But in that he stayed so longe ere he spake he declareth his prudence 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 â—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 iugemeÌ„ts so feare an innocent prophete miche more shuld they be terrible to a wyked king But yet the goodnes and iâ—ntelnes of â— 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 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 fayer branches of it are his myghty nobles and princes The plentuouse frutes signified his yerely rentes and giftis w c his subiectes and all nacions willingly brought him By the birdes nesiled in the 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 delyghteth yet to sitte and nesile a loft in their â—asy plesant nestis By the beastis 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 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 innoceÌ„t pore afflicted with iniuryes and punisshinge the malefactours For it is their office not 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 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 comoÌ„ peple and subiectes signified by the lyuely fowles and beastes fedde out of y e tree their
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 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 as witnesseth the scripture Wherfore let all emâ—…ro kynges and princes sewer and prowde wryte in the middis of their hertis this saying of Daniel Thy kyngdom shal be 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 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 â—â— 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 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 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 repentaÌ„t 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 boke then the glasse of the most holy 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 consydeâ— 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 dâ—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 â–ª 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 holynes c. For these dreames 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 ¶ The argument of the. 5. chap. This chapter declareth the miserable fall of the last kynge of Babylon heuey mutacion and ende of his kyngdome for his idolatry and so greuouse synnes committed against the firste precept Here is described a superfluouse fest full of excesse euen a very beastly banket where vnto kynge Belsazar biddeth his nobles in which is manifestly shewed into what an vnhappy ende siche viciouse intemperate excesse comethe All kynges and princes maye lerne of this fall of so hyghe a kynge to feare and to worshippe God as the. 2. psal teacheth them lest of God the translator of kyngdoms they be depriued their realmes with Belsazar THe kynge Belsasar made an exceding feste biddinge therto a thousande of his princes and nobles in whose presence he dronke the wyne at the workinge of y e wyne he coÌ„manded the golden and syluer vessells to be brought forth whiche his father Nebucadnezar had taken awaye out of the temple of Ierusalem that the kynge his nobles his wyues and concubines might drinke out of them which done or in doinge
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 coÌ„minacions will we not transgresse Gods firste and second commandemeÌ„ts 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 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 with mouthe Which worship Paul layeth â—as the foundacion of all ryghtwysnes and saluacion sayinge Nyghe is the 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 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 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 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 reuereÌ„t 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 caÌ„ be no idolatry ywisse daniel was greatly ouersene that he taught not his felows this glose in theirs so present a perel But herâ— as god had beter taught theÌ„ and vs to beware abhorte images not to faldowne before theÌ„ vnder any colour of any certain reuerent behauiour as owr idolaâ— 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. meÌ„ 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 loÌ„ge whyle were there many holy fathers â–ª prophetes and goodmen whiche were seynts in heuen and yet nether were there ymages 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 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 eueÌ„ the very making of ymages no not to beholde them knowing the maker to be lyke vnto them bothe ymage ymage maker to be coÌ„founded And miche more excecrable is it to serue or worship theÌ„ with any euerent behauiour ether by adoracion â—rostracion knelyng or kissing as ye see it Exodi 20. 23. No not to worship god by â—hem nor before them nor in the places â—here they stode but he commandeth to â—reke them al to poulder and to prophane â—heir places tabernacles euen to make â—hem lothely abominable Wel knewe â—aron the Israelits that their ymage â—ade was not god and yet were thei gre uosly punisshed for that reuerent behauior 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 th entent ye shuld do by it at it or befor it any externe reuereÌ„t behauior Albeit I knowe how wykedly 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 images with their reuerent behauior glorye in their gods of tre stonne WheÌ„ the lorde spake to his peple geuing them his precepts out of the middis of the fyer he gaue theÌ„ the hearing of his voice but no similitude of him wold he suffer them to see lest thei shuld haue sinned in making theÌ„ any lykenes of any thing ether vpon erthe or in heueÌ„ And in their altare makinge he forbode it vtterly any instrument of to be set the stones and al was to auoid the occasioÌ„ of any image to be made in gods chirche Thou shalt not plaÌ„t 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 oâ— geuen to images saith Paul it is offred and geuen to diuils but the reskewer of the Romissh foye techeth men to offerâ— 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 pareÌ„ts or kyng asigne of thy inwarde loue obedieÌ„ce 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 faâ—â—â— here ye see whyther thierown wyked doctryne hathe brought theÌ„ Neuer wil that innated malice roted enuy of their fathers the pharisets
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 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 translated First therfore daniel beginneth at the office of a trewe precher not sekinge his owne but gods glory other menis profyt euen the helthe of the congregacion by confessynge the trewthe The aâ—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 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 punishmeÌ„t decreed vpon the slayer of Cain seuentymes seuen more payne for the â—layer of Lamech And cryst in Mat How depely damneth he the ingrate cryties that wold not be monished by Sodom and Gomor wherfore yf Beltsazar was slayne because he wold not be moued to repentance by thexample of his grandfather let vs 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 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 coÌ„trary gods with the very trewe god signifyinge the kynge not therfore onely to be depriued his lyfe and realme because he coÌ„tempned 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 of Nebucadnezar he wold not be warned to repent himself the â— 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 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 of god Mene Mene Thekel Vphar sin Daniel expouneth thus The first worde Mene signifieth god to haue nouÌ„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 Draconites was that tyraunt depriued his gouernaÌ„ce at his rype tyme when he sayd that he had seuer God in heauen to haue bene dead then his owne wyked felowe 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 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 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 vpoÌ„ 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 power it must nedis be God that geueth kynges their auctorite as it is wryten 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 coÌ„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 Peâ—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 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
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 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 â–ª 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 recaÌ„tacion 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 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 â–ª 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 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 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 lyoÌ„s For 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 â—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 shal be 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 â–ª 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 to beleue to professe the trwth to reuoke their errours and false and vngodly lawes actis articles constitucions and institucions or enstruccions to coÌ„serue 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 theÌ„ brought vp in the very trwe enstruccions and doctrine of cryste and his apostles Nowe to the seconde boke of daniel and seuenth chapter NOwe daniel returneth bake 3. yeres teching vs not what other men but what himself did see to come vnto the worldis ende What changes of kingdoms and what persecucions the chosen shuld suffer vntil the eternall kingdom of cryst shuld come to vs. He telleth here the vision shewed to himselfe wherbye he prophecieth the affliccions of the peple of god vnder the 4. Monarchies to be suffred and how that the Romane empire at last diuided shaken in here erthen feble feet anticryste inuading Chrystis chirche shuld persecute it vnto the worldis ende And at last cryste comen to iugement shuld destroye him that the faithfull with cryst all their ennemis taken away might reigne and dwel in peace for euer In this 7. chap. the same thinge is shewed which was sene of Nebucad in the. 2. chap. albeit vnder other wordis in another forme or vision saue that here daniel clerely prophecieth of the seclare Anticrystis of the popis Mahumetis and of the Turkis Antichristen kingdoÌ„s to be sprongen vp out of the Romane empyre Let vs heare the text In the first yere of Beltsazar kinge of Babylon daniel had a dreame and a vision of his head in his bedde Whos 's some he wryteth in these wordis I daniel sawe in the night the fower wyndes of heuen fyghting and makinge great coÌ„mocieÌ„s vpon the great sea And. 4. great beastis one ayenste another were ascended out of the sea And the first was lyke a lyon hauing egles winges And I loked vpon him whylis his wynges were plucked from him and himself casten oute of the lande but yet standinge on his fete erected lyke a man and a manis mynde was geuen him And beholde the seconde beast was lyke a bere standing in the one syde hauing 3. morsels in his mouth betwixt his tethe Vnto whom they sayd Aryse and deuoure thou miche flesshe Then yet I loked and so I sawe another lyke a leoparde hauinge 4. swyft winges on his bake this beast had iiii hornes and vnto him was geuen power to rule After this I loked in the nyght and beholde I sawe the fowrth beast a beast ferefull and terrible and meruelouse stronge which had great tethe of 〈◊〉 he deuoured and consumed and the leauinges he trode vnder his feete This beast beinge lyke non of all the other former had x. hornes This vision sene in the night with so many cruell beastis so fyghting vpon the sea is ferefull signifying the chirche of God to suffre affliccions and greuouse persecucioÌ„s vnder the. 4. monarchies laboring in the derk ignorance of god
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 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 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 persecucioÌ„s 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 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 shal be 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 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 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 foâ—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 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 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 shal be 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 theÌ„ 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 writeÌ„ in euery manis wall is and wyndows Cryst telleth vs the dayes to beshortened as was the course of the yeres vnto Noheâ— â–ª floude shortened that the synnes of the peple might haue bene the soner 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 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 shal be 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 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 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