To them afterwarde they framed Idolles that is tokens and memorialles whiche might bryng those heauenly goddes into the memorie of the Earthly dwellers They builded for thē chapelles and churches they instituted priestes holy daies rites and Ceremonies These things are foūde in the bokes of the gentiles in our histories and also in their writinges which haue cōfuted the heythen Idolaters But in the popish kingdome at this day the names beyng only chaunged who can denie that the same culte the same religion naye very superstitiō is not renewed of these thinges I haue treated at large in my booke De origine erroris The Papistes teache that the Sainctes in heauen reigne with God and that to them are subiecte sickenesses artes limmes or membres cities and althinges and muste therfore be called vpon and worshipped Sainctes are expressed and represented by Images to these Images are erected Aultars and churches briefly it is done to them that was done to the Goddes and Idolles of the Heythen Who therefore vnderstandeth not nowe that Antichrist hath procured that the first beaste might be worshipped that is to witte mighte be of force agayne and that the olde Idolatrie and superstitiouse worshippyng might be renewed and frequented Who worship the first beaste vnder the seconde And as we haue red it to be sayed before and they worshipped him all that dwell in Earth whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lābe so sayeth he also here plainely and he causeth the Earth and the inhabiters of the Earth that is they that seke regarde only earthly thinges to worshippe the firste beaste For all be not polluted with popish Idolatrie For hereunto apperteyneth the noble historie of Leo the thirde Emperour and Gregory the seconde and of other Popes through whose wickednes Idolatrie was agayne brought into the church which I wrote of long sins in my worke De origine erroris Nother with out a misterie is this hereunto annexed Whose deadly wounde is healed whose deadly plague was healed For he semeth to compare together the firste and seconde beaste and to shewe the lickenes of the same And I tolde you howe many menne at the firste were kepte still in the Romanes errours and Idolatrie for that the Goddes by Vespasians meanes were sayed to haue preserued the common welth whiche els with ciuile warres was as it were brought to ruine Finally we reade in stories that the Empire of Rome hath many times receiued deadly woundes but yet by and by through the wisedome and valeauntnes of some noble men the Goddes as they speake so willyng haue ben healed againe In that nōbre are rekened Lucius Septimius Seuerus Valerius Aurelianus C. Aurel. Val. Diocletian c. By whose lucky successe triumphes and victories to the Empire restored many haue ben moued to saye who seeth not that Rome shal be eternal and that the Romane religion is to the Goddes most acceptable and that the Emperours also and publicke weale is indued with a certen deitie and is to be honoured after the same sorte the kyngedome of the Pope or Antichrist hauing tried moste diuerse chaunces hath very ofte escaped out of desperate daungers Force and policie hath afflicted it and also the religion of Henry the .3 Emperour and of his sonne Henry the .4 Fridericke the first and second vexed the popes There were also other mightie Princes whiche inflicted mortall woundes to the See of Rome Agane there were Bishoppes of Rome which with singular craftes haue cured their woundes agayne The woūdes of Antichriste healed of the whiche sorte was Gregory the .7 Vrbane the .2 Paschalis the .2 Calixtus the .2 Alexander the .3 Innocentius the .3 Honorius the .3 Gregory the .9 Clement the .4 .5 Boniface the .8 Iohn the .22 and diuerse others But was not that feate in greatest perill in times paste when three Popes were created at ones whereof one was resident at Rome the seconde went to Auignon in Fraunce and the thirde liued in Spayne But all these three putte downe by the power diligence authoritie and policie of the Emperour Sigismunde and the counsel of Constaūce that deadly wounde was fayre healed in Martin the .5 And this felicitie and restoryng the Popish kingedome perswadeth many effectually that poperie is of God and the popishe religiō to be most certen and trewe as that which hath so ofte ben of mightie princes assayled might in dede be shaken but neuer yet ouerthrowen The acclamation of all the Romishe is knowen the shippe of S. Peter is tossed in dede with stormes but can neuer be drouned But Daniel him self also hath prophecied that this shuld so come to passe saiyng and he shall prosper and shal doe what he will and shall kill the strong and holy people at his pleasure and guyle shal be directed in his hande Whiche thinges they doe not marke whiche are at this daye so much offended with the felicitie of that chayre of pestilence and the beaste therof Therfore like as the dayes of mourning and soden destruction came vpon olde Rome and vtterly destroied both the citie and Empire euen so shal we heare in the .17 and .18 chapt That Babilon shal haue her fatall destenies The Lorde Iesus confirme vs in the faith of Iesus Christe and deliuer vs from the guiles lucky successe and felicitie of that Romish Antichrist Amen ¶ Of the signes of Antichrist and Image of the beaste of him reysed The .lx. Sermon ANd he did great wonders so that he made fyre come downe from heauē into the yearth in the sight of men and deceaued them that dwelt on the earth by the meanes of those signes whiche he had power to do in the sight of the beaste saiyng to them that dwelte on the Earth that they should make an Image vnto the beaste whiche had the wounde of a sworde and did liue And he had power to geue a sprite vnto the image of the beaste and that the image of the beast should speake And should cause that as many as would not worshippe the Image of the beast should be killed He procedeth moste dilligently to describe Antichrist and his kingdome which so greatly impugneth the faith of Christ and afflicteth his church to the intent he mighte be knowen and eschewed of al men He sayeth nowe he shall do great wonders Of trewe miracles by the whiche he vnderstandeth miracles Wherof some be true and some false I call those trewe miracles which are done in dede and are not by any craftie iuggelyng countrefeted and the which allure mē to the veritie and set forth the veritie Of the which sorte out of doubte were the miracles of the Prophetes and Apostles holy Martirs and chiefly of Moses and Christe These do good vnto men hurte not nor emptye pore mens purses yea more they glorifie God and make the treweth to be beleued in drawyng men only vnto God as to the fountayne of all goodnes So Iohn testifieth of the lordes
theyr knees to Baall Al the which through his vnspeakable goodnes and mercy he hath saued from perdition and mercyfully clensed from all corruption And out of the seuenth seale Seuen trompets Chap. viii are brought consequently seuen trōpets by the which are denounced greuous conflicts of the faithful and infidels Yet before that these things are expounded Chryst is shewed before the Throne of God making intercession for vs. And to him are the faithful sent in their perils to craue helpe of him succour and deliueraunce And the Deuil master of lyes bloweth the one sente to his men Againe the holy spitite of God soundeth the trompet to the Sainctes They ioyne together in battell here the godly and vngodly the disciples of the pure and of the corrupt doctrine the soldiours of Chryst and of the Deuil Here are great daungers and the minds of the godly ar more greuously afflicted and tempted with peruerse doctrynes in the churche then with the cruel sworde of tyrantes and almaner of calamities Here are sondry heresies resited which impugne and corrupt the euangelical veritie And as by the seuen seales he vnderstode al maner of calamities by the iust iudgement of God powred out vpon the worlde so vnder the seuen trompets he comprehendeth al heresies in the world and pernitious opinions against thapostolical doctryne And sheweth that amonges those corrupte deprauations Mahometrie and Papistrie did moste excell He describeth the wanton and tedious clergie of the Pope Chap. ix whiche to men is euen intollerable vnder the kynde of grassehoppers And Lawrence Valla a man excellently learned though he was a Romane borne and that of a noble house Where the libertie mete for Christe was of him more estemed then so hard and monstrouse a bondage coulde not refrayne but inueyghed against the Popish clergie and said I verely yf I haue any fayth at all beleue nothing to be more hatefull neyther to God nor to other men then so greate a licentiousnes of the Clergie in temporall matters And no lesse euidently expresseth the Turkishe crueltie vnder the kind of terrible horses breathing out smoke and fyres By all the which thinges he setteth forth the church to be moste miserably afflicted and tormented vtterly after the same sorte that we see thē vexed at this day vnder the moste vnhappie papistrie mahometrie Againe yet lest any man shuld be in so great euils discouraged and shuld thinke that God The Gospel or consolation his promesses touching the endes of good and euill men were vayne also concerning the deliueraunce of the faithfull by the last iudgment Agayne after the disposition and maner Apostolicall he annexeth and setteth against all these perilles and calamities Chap. x. a most strong consolation For he bringeth forthe the Lorde Chryst hym selfe confirming by a solemne othe that doubtlesse an end of all these thynges shulde come And that God of hys iustice wyll assuredly render rewardes to the godly and punishment to the wicked Where he dissembleth not that Iohn himselfe shall prophecy again to write in thapostolicall spirite and doctryne to kynges nations and many people Moreouer he affirmeth manifestly that he wyll send in to the worlde Chap. xi teachers of the veritie and of certayne saluation which also most sharply shal rebuke the wickednes and wicked men of the moste corrupt last age shall preache Christ sincerly and accuse Antichrist most greuously These he shaddoweth by a figure of two excellent doctours Whom he saith for the libertie of preachinge and constancie of fayth shuld be most cruelly slayne of Antichrist But he addeth that these shall receyue of God most ample rewardes And that Antichrist shall laboure in vayne to suppresse by fyre and sworde the preaching of the Gospell for so muche as the Lorde shall oftentymes stire vp new preachers which shal lighten the truth obscured He addeth furthermore that many shal daily reuolt from Antichrists kingdom and that the same finally by the coming of the Iudge shal be vtterly brought to nought and he maketh no conclusion at this present in this place of the last iudgement of Christ but differreth thexposition or treatyng of that matter to an other place more cōuenient which he treateth in the .xix. and .xx. Chapters And these thinges hitherto hath he spoken generally of the perils calamities contentions troubles sectes and persecutions of the churche of Chryst whiche shal exercise it from the time of Chryst and his Apostles to the worlds end He annexeth consequently a singular or priuate and that a plentifull treatise of the most greuous conflictes and persecutions of the church For it behoueth chieflye the sainctes to haue knowne these thynges that in the veri perilles and afflictions they may remember this godly admonition and beare in minde that the Lorde hathe tolde before Chap. xii of the things that they now suffer who ruleth gouerneth al things finally who can and wil delyuer them from al these euyls when how and asmuche as he of his good wyll shall see it good Firste therfore he propoundeth agayne generally the partes of this conflicte or strife a woman clothed with the sunne crowned traueling which is a figure of the faithfull churche he setteth against her a most fierse and cruel enemie I say the great dragon Red with seuen heades c. A figure doubtles of that olde serpente the Deuill After are setforth theyr attempts nature force and conflictes or fyght Seuen heads of the Dragon And here again for a cōforte it is expressed the victory of Chryst the head and of the churche and members of the same Afterward the Lord by Iohn rehearseth seuerally in the vision the special instruments or members of the dragon by the which he assaulteth and moste cruelly vexeth Chap. xiii and werieth the church And these instrumentes are the beaste with seuen heades and ten hornes and the beast with two hornes that is thempire and false prophet and the image of thempire Seuen heads of the beast These thynges he painteth out after the Imutation of Daniell so liuely and as it is sayd with theyr owne colors in the .xiii. and .xvii. Chap that no man can chouse but fele and muche more perceyue of whom he speaketh verely of the olde Romane Empire and of Papistrie He calleth beastes after the imitation of Daniell cruell kyngdomes or empires And the thyng it selfe declareth that our very Lorde Iesus Chryst the head and king of all Sainctes suffered and was crucified vnder Ponce Pilate gouernour of Iuri but sent thither frō Rome and gouerning althinges in the name of Themperour Tiberius Agayne euery man knoweth that the first persecutiō against the Christians was styred vp by Nero Emperour of Rome The seconde by Flauius Domitian Emperour of Rome which intrapped also the Authour of this worke And after this we reade of eyght other persecutions or mo styred vp by the residew of Romane Emperours against the faithful spouse of Christ by the whiche she
they alledged for thēselues but that same rather which God iudgeth and the veritie of the thinge pronounceth and sayeth and they worshipped the Deuill or the Dragon So Paule in the .1 to the Corinth the .10 chapt The thinges sayeth he that the heythen offer vp they offer thē not to God but to Deuilles But this did the gētiles denie But God in this case passeth not vpon the iudgemētes and intentes and denialles of men but pronounceth after his owne iudgement In the .17 of Leuit. He sayeth yf ye offer vnto me oblations otherwise than I haue prescribed ye shal defile your selues with bloud Let now the massemōgyng priestes crie out till they be hoarse againe we offer to the Lorde God not to straunge Goddes yet shal the Lordes sentence stande moste trewe for euer that they transgresse with vnlaweful worshipping no lesse than if thei committed parricidie As also Esaye beareth witnes in .66 chapt The lord god alloweth the sincere obediēce which we shewe vnto his lawes he careth nothing for our inuentions good intentes Thus at this present he sheweth at fewe wordes as the thing is in dede that all idolaters worship the Deuill Yf we would at this daye esteme these things rightly we shuld not so contende as it were for life and landes aboute maineteyning of Images in the church The Lord Iesus light our hartes and mindes to see his trewth ¶ The beaste is worshipped and he blasphemeth the name of God and the Sainctes of God and finally maketh warre with the Sainctes The .lvj. Sermon ANd they worshipped the beaste sayyng who is like vnto the beaste who is able to warre wyth hym And there was geuen to him a mouthe to speake great thinges and blasphemies and power was geuen vnto him to do .xlii. Monethes And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemie against god to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heauen And it was geuen vnto him to make warre with the sainctes to ouercome thē The beaste is worshipped how He sayed that the world worshipped the dragon now he addeth that the same worshippeth the beast Howbeit seyng the beast is the empire some mā might maruel how the empire might be worshipped But we at fewe wordes say how they worshippe the empire which receyue the decrees rites and superstitiouse ordenaunces of thempire and of them depende whole And there were not a fewe at that time who in fauour of the Romane Empire denied the faith of christ and reuoltyng from the churche ioyned themselues in religion and sacrifices to the felloweship of the Empire They in very dede worshipped the beaste Moreouer that thing which is only dewe vnto one God the same did the Romanes attribute to their empire But who so euer ascribeth vnto any thing diuine properties doeth verely deifie and worshippe the same And the properties of god be these to haue no match or pere that he alone is greatest and best immortall eternal most mightie moste inuincible For so saye the Prophetes who is like vnto thee O God in heauen and in earth who is as thou who can resist God But the Romanes did attribute all these thinges to their Emperours and to their empire sayng as S. Iohn also reciteth who is like vnto Rome who is able to warre with it they called their Emperours Goddes best greatest most puissaunt and most inuincible Thempire it self they called eternal Ye may see these thinges yet in most auncient authors and coynes So many therfore as were not asshamed to attribute these thinges to the Romane Princes and kingdome are saied rightly to haue worshipped the beast And what other thing I praye you is done at this daye whilest for the fauour of Emperours Kinges Popes and their realmes the veritie is denied or wrasted after the affections of men These worship the beast also Nowe is geuen also the beaste a mouth speakinge greate thinges and blasphemies A mouth speakyng great thinges Of blasphemies we shall speake more anone But for asmuch as the Romane Empire obteyned greatest victories and helde most gallaunt and solemne triumphes it semeth to haue occasion geuē to boaste proudely of the victories to chalenge those thinges to themselues whiche were in dede wrought through the power of God And doubtlesse there do yet remayne the greatest and moste licentiouse bragges of the Romanes that they are conquerours and lordes of the world But such pride was greuously punnisshed in Nabuchodonozor the King Whereof you maye see in the .4 chapt of Daniel S. Peter affirmeth that God resisteth the proude and geueth grace to the humble God hateth the arrogant and taketh awaye their names frō the Earth And where some man might demaunde How long shal Rome be thus prowde◠But what ende shal there be of iniuries pride finally of intollerable arrogātie and blasphemies S. Iohn preuenteth and sayeth and power was geuen him to do that is to worke violence xlii monethes that is to saye so longe time as it semeth good to the Lorde whiche neuertheles although he would haue the time to be to vs vnknowen yet is knowē to him so that the godly maye promise themselues that this euill shall indure but a fewe monethes of this nombre haue I reasoned in the 11. chapt and .xlvi. Sermon And haue shewed in the former places that those nombres were equiualent to wit the thousande two hōdreth and three score dayes the .xlii. monethes the time two times and half a time God therfore admonisshyng vs as it were by a riddle will not haue vs curiousely to inquire after times which he hath kept in his own power it is sufficient to vs that he hath assigned all thinges in their luste limittes Now followeth a plētiful treatise of Romish blasphemies Of the blasphemies of old Rome First he sayeth by a trope he hath opened his mouth wherby he hath signified his boldenes and libertie yea licētiousenes of speakyng For we saye he would not ones open his mouth whē we signifie any mā that wil not speake frākely But the Romanes and companions of the Romish superstition blaspheme God thre manner of wayes For fyrste they blaspheme the holy name of God in this that they do prefer their false Gods and their superstitions to the true God to the true and most holy religion For where they ded admit in the citie of Rome the Gods of al nations and their religions the religion of the only God of Israell they vtterly refused for that they vnderstoode howe he wolde be worshipped alone and by non other rite than that which he himself had prescribed But they had rather reteyne wickedly those their many gods and their religion although most absurde than to commit themselues into the tuition of one and to reseaue a moderate simple religion Authour Aurel. August I raccoumpte not nowe the blasphemouse wordes of them vttered against the true God about that tyme chiefly when Vespasian and Titus triumphed after the Iewysh war
kinges Howebeit whilest these kinges considered how they might beste in large their kingedomes and put downe and expulse others full craftely the Bisshoppe of Rome played his parte also For he obteyned the supremacie ouer all Bisshoppes And so gote him great authoritie with Kinges and realmes yea and linked himselfe in league and amitie with Kinges and Princes Whereupon quickely and sodenly or as the Martir of Christ prophecied vpon the sodayne he starte vp and at laste vsurped a kingedome to witte of Rome For by his iudgementes falsely taken for Apostolicall he put downe kynge Childericke of the lignage of Merouinges the lawefull king of Fraunce and auaunced Pipine than Captaine of the French garde to the crowne And so he ouerthrewe or plucked downe one horne and bounde vnto him a most mightie Kinge by whose power afterwarde he was a terrour to the kinges of Grece and Lumbardy Of thexarchate of Italie For aboute the yere of our lorde .269 the Emperour of Constantinople expulsing the Eastegothes did institute a newe gouernement in Italy But sins this kinde of rule and gouernemente is not knowen to all menne I will briefly recite what and howe greate it was by the wordes of Nauclerus the Historiographer ex generat .20 Than beganne sayeth he the Citie of Rome and Italy to haue a newe maner of gouernemente by the whiche they loste more the dignitie glory and feare ouer all the worlde than of all the calamities whiche these .160 yeres haue afflicted them and at the laste had lefte Rome to be inhabited of wilde beastes For Longinus brought in a newe name of dignitie thexarchate of Italie that is the high Magistrate Whiche kepyng still at Rauenna went neuer to the Citie of Rome And in the gouernement of Italie and of Cities he kepte firste this order that the president should not gouerne the prouince or region but euery Citie had their Magistrate to gouerne them whome he called Dukes Wherefore making Rome egall with other Cities and Townes in this thinge only he honoured the same that he called the Magistrate place in Rome presidēt But they that did succede him were called Dukes as they were afterward many yeres so that it was called the Dukedome of Rome as the Dukedome of Narnia and Spolet Nother after Narset and Basill had it any more eyther Consulles or Senate lawefully assembled but by a Duke of Grece whome the highe Magistrate sente from Rauenna the comon welth of Rome was gouerned a long time Thus much he I suppose any manne maye hereby without any difficultie perceyue the Prophecies to be fully accomplisshed Rome vtterly caste downe and the Romane Empire to haue fallen into asshes For shee that had ben the moste mightie Lady of the worlde is sene nowe to bee made a vile gouernemente neuer a deale more excellent than that of Spolet and Narnia c. And here is to be knowen that this Exarchate in Italy was the thirde Lordeshippe instituted sins Augustulus was slayne in whome the Histories saye that the Empire of the weste was finisshed and ended For first when Augustulus was slayne the Germanes vnder their king Odacer possessed Rome Afterwarde the Eastegothes by the conduicte of theyr Duke Theodoricke of Verona Odacer expulsed and slayne reygned at Rome and in Italy Laste of all the Eastegothes by the Lumbardes expulsed and slayne this Exarchate was instituted And Lumbardes beyng called into Italy of the Grekes agaynst the Gothes woulde no more goe out agayne for that they sawe the lande fertile and Riche pleasaunt and aboundyng with sondry pleasures The Lumbardes Warynge therefore of greate power in Italy they subdewed to themselues many Cities and people of Italy establisshyng nowe the fourth domion whiche they called the kingdome of Lūbardes They had most puissaunt kinges Howbeit that exarchate of Rauenna although they layde dilligent awayte for it wente about to inuade it yet coulde they neuer extinguish it till the Bisshop of Rome put to his helping hande pretendyng the sinceritie of religion The mainteyning of Idolatrye maketh of the Bishop of Rome a king Historiographers accompte sixtene Exarches in order which reigned aboute an hondreth foure score yeres The 15. of thē was called Paulus Nauclere in the .25 generat Leo the .3 sayeth he Emperour of Constantinople cōmaunded that they that were subiecte to the Romane Empire should plucke downe al their Images breake them and burne thē Contrarywise the Pope some will haue him Gregory the .2 some the .3 wrote to the whole worlde that they should not obeye these so wicked cōmaundementes of the Emperour Platina sayeth more in the life of Gregory the .3 Gregory by consente of the clergie of Rome depriueth Leo the .3 Emperour of Constantinople bothe of the Empire and also of the communion of the faithfull for that he had plucked downe Images Nauclerus sayeth moreouer But so great authoritie at that time had the Popes decrees that first they of Rauenna and after the people and soldiours of Venise made an open rebellion agaynst the Emperour and thexarche in Italy And the treason increased dayly For Marinus Spatarius Duke of Rome and his sonne Adriane passing through Chāpania were slaine of the Romanes In whose stead they created Duke of Rome one Peter They of Rauenna also whilest some helde with the Emperour and some with the Pope in a tumulte made slewe Paule thexarche and his sonne Thus writeth Nauclere The frēch mē are sent for into Italy by the Pope In these cōmotions the Lumbardes supposyng the occasion so long wisshed for to be nowe offered through the conduite of Luitprande their king inuade the lādes of thempire and besege also Rome it self But Pope Gregory the firebrāde of al the sturres in Italy the soldiour and practicionar of the same and like no priest nor preacher sendeth for Charles Martell king Pinines father with his French chāpions into Italy against the Lumbardes Howbeit this Charles perswadeth the kinge of Lumbardes frendely to departe from the Citie But yet not long after Aistulphus kinge of Lumbardes spoileth againe the lādes of Rauëna reneweth the Italian warre and winneth Rauenna it selfe and demaundeth tribute of the citie of Rome But Stephen the .2 Pope which aspired to the gouernement of Rauenna wisshed the Lumbardes distroyed of king Pipine of Fraunce vnto whō not long sins pope Zacharie by his wrongeful iudgement as many suppose had geuen the kingdome required ayde and deliueraunce as it were offering him the kingdome Therefore are the Frenchmen in armure couetyng also to winne Italy Whilest king Pipine entred into Italy he met with the Ambassadours of the Emperour of Constantinople whiche required that he would restore Rauenna and thexarchate and landes thereof to the Empire whose of righte it was and not the Pope or Romanes Pipine aunswered howe he warred for S. Peter and the pope and to go aboute that the Lumbardes shuld not vexe the church And that he would take from them thexarchate and other
sayeth he beyng inflamed with a exceding great heate they were euen ragyng madde For we reade in stories that mē beyng afflicted with ouer much heate haue felte greuouse displeasures and tormentes bothe of body and minde Than he addeth that followeth of the fourmer membre the impatiēcie of the heate prouoked them to blaspheme God and euen him that had power ouer these plagues to witte for that hauyng full power so to do he will not deliuer them so vexed with burning heate Cōtrarywise the children of Israel in their tentes beyng stongen with serpentes inflamyng the whole body with the stinge Nume 22. did repente nother did they blaspheme God But comyng vnto Moses they sayed we haue sinned for we haue spokē against the Lord and agaynst thee Praye the lord that he will take awaie from vs these serpentes They blaspheme therfore the name of the lord so many as through vnpatientnes do murmure against the iudgementes of God nother wil acknowledge themselues to be rightly and iustely pūnished crauing perdon finally is added nother did they repente that they might geue glory to God c. For the lord plageth vs to the ende that beyng afflicted we should repente and geue God the glory confessing as I sayed before that we be punnished iustely Howe the godly vngodly behaue them selues in afflictiōs and ought with wepyng and waylyng to tourne to the lord strikyng vs. But these like Pharao nother acknoweledge theyr sinne nother praye vnto God nor yet are amended but many times ouercome thēselues in malliciousenes Hereof we learne the diuersitie betwixte the godly and vngodly and howe both vse themselues in afflictiōs For they geue glory vnto God and amende their life these geue not God the glory but become worse than themselues To geue God the glory is to geue place vnto God not to resiste but to acknoweledge their sinne and Gods rightuousenes and not this only but also the mercy of God and clemencie towardes the penitent and the same to require humbly The darknes of the romish see the .v. plague The fifte Aungell powreth his cuppe vpon the seate of the beaste That a seate or trone is vsed for a kingdome is more manifeste than that it nede to be proued by testimonies sins that S. Iohn himself doeth by by for a seate place a kingdome And also in times paste the maisters or rather ministers of churches taught sitting had their stoles chaires in holy assemblees That saiyng in the gospel is knowen In the chayre of Moses sitte the scribes and Phariseis c. It is knowē that in aūcient time ther were seates of Patriarches Hierusalem Antioche Rome Alexandria Constantinople and others and that the same are called Apostolicall seates forasmuch as the Apostles haue taught there And so is the Apostolicall seate vsed for the Apostolicall doctrine it selfe That seate erected and established at Rome by the Apostles and Apostolicke men the beast that is the Pope hath subuerted and in the place therof erected the seate of pestilēce which he dare neuerthelesse cal the seate of Christe Thapostolicall seate of Christ S. Peter and the seate of S. Peter Christe hath no more any seate in Earth saue that he dwelleth in the hartes of the faithfull church Otherwyse the trewe seate of Christ is the right hād of the father The trewe seate of Peter is heauen it selfe Rome is no longer his seate for the Apostolicall doctrine and Patriarchall chayre is destroyed and troden vnder fote in steade therof is an earthly Empire or kingedome set vp by the Pope Yea more he pourseweth the Apostolical seates by force of armes Nowe therefore God hauyng cōpassion vpon his poureth out his wrath and plague on the see of Rome illuminyng men with the light of the Gospel to the ende they might know and see the wickednes and abomination of the Romisshe See The which is a wonderfull benefite to them that be lighted and a greate griefe and tormente to the Romish sorte For theffecte of the plage followeth and his kyngdome was made darke This plague aunswereth to the .9 of Aegipte For like as thicke darkenes plaged the Aegyptians bright light reioyced the Israelites so were the Papistes tourmēted with shameful errours than shall it grieue them also to haue their errours detected and their glory obscured the faithful shall reioyce in the light of Christ For now beginneth and already hath begonne the maiestie of the seate and of him that sitteth therein to be obscured That which was ones called an holy seate is now of the godly learned called wicked Rome the whore of Babylon the mother of al fornications the denne of theues Sodome Aegipte the red harlot by reason of the pourple senate of Cardinalles which weare red and purple It is comonly sayed and truely the nerer Rome the further from Christe They call and that moste rightly the Cardinalles bishoppes and spiritual fathers the familie limmes of Antichrist men disceaued and disceauers with Symony and filthie lust moste corrupte Therfore the kingdome of the beast so he expoundeth the seate was made darke There is added furthermore howe the worshippers of the seate of the beaste haue and do behaue themselues Firste for payne and sorrowe indignation wrath and enuie they gnawe or bite their tunges which is the gesture of angry mē and that impotently angry I meane that burne infuriouse rage The furie of the papistes againste the gospellers It is a phrase of speach signifiyng howe they will rage with greate furie agaynst the trewth opened which they would haue vtterly hidde and oppressed Agayne they blaspheme the Lorde of heauen maker of al both for that he afflicteth them with botches and sondry plagues also for that he casteth a darknes vpon their kingdome For euen therfore the Romish cal the preachers of the gospel disceauers heretikes and the very doctrine of the gospel heresie But this reproche redoundeth to him which is authour of the same doctrine Finally thei do not repent them of their doynges of theyr Simony of their craftie iuggelyng sacrileges idolatrie and al vngodlines And the apostle sayeth howe euill men and disceauers will waxe worse and worse disceauing and beyng disceaued Therfore is it no maruel though you see the papistes at this daye with a stiffenecke to procede obstinately in their errours But the greatest plague is to be forsaken of God and stubbernely to mayneteyne their errours vngodlines and therin to perseuer The Lord deliuer vs from euill Amen ¶ The sixte Angell shedeth his vialle The .lxxj. Sermon ANd the sixte Angell powreth out his vialle vpon the great riuer of Euphrates and the water dried vp that the waye of these kynges of the Easte shoulde be prepared And I sawe three vncleane spretes like frogges come out of the mouthe of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the beaste and out of the mouthe of the false prophet For they are the spretes of the
.16 chapt he signified somewhat hereof nowe he pourseweth euery thinge with a notable plentie and euidence And the same that I sayed in the beginning of this place I repete here agayne that hereby are affirmed howe the iustice of God is shewed to be the ende of good and euill The profit of this place cōcerning the destruction of Rome that the godly are confirmed and the iudgement to come establisshed as we confesse expressely in the apostles crede The some of al is this tholde and newe Rome the Empire and Popish kingdome which is the kyngdome of Antichrist shall perish for sinnes great enormities For he ioyneth together the beaste and the Image of the beaste the beast and one sittyng on the beaste a prowde strompet so that they can not be separated Therefore muste the place be expounded of both Empires That S. Iohn speaketh of Rome And leste any man should thinke me to be led with an euil affection for vnderstandyng these thinges of Rome I will shewe by the testimony both of god man that the same exposition is olde and not newe true and not affectated For streight waye the Angel him selfe as we shal heare expoundeth these thinges of Rome Aretas also an olde expositour of this boke diuerse expositours sayeth he vnderstande by the whore olde Rome And the same by and by whilest he saieth the mother of whoredome whether so euer you will other olde Rome or newe or the time of the cōmyng of Antichriste beholde the time of Antichriste he sayeth you can not erre from the trewth for that bothe cities Rome and Constantinople hath occupied thempire and euery of them hath ben satiated with the bloud of holy martirs c. Hitherto he And what the moste auncient wryter Tertullian and S. Hierome hath spoken oftener than ones of Babylon and the purple whore I haue heretofore reported in the .14 chapt The order of this chapt And in this order he procedeth Firste he sheweth the authour of this reuelatiō after he gathereth the some of the reuelation or vision For agayne he treateth by visions to the ende al thinges might be more liuely euident And in dede some make this seuenth chapt vnto the .21 chapt the sixte vision As I admonished in the beginning of this worke Than noteth he the place and maner of the vision Finally he propoundeth the vision it selfe and immediately adioyneth the exposition thereof And in the processe of this matter he vseth a iudicial kinde of pleadyng and that after a prophetical maner For the Prophetes moste often and in the beginnyng set forth the sinnes and wickednesses of the people before the eyes of al men thā they annexe vnto it the iudgemēt paine or punnishement For so doeth S. Iohn also at this present First thauthour of this horrible vision who sheweth this vision is the lord Christ himselfe but he vseth the ministerie of an Angell and that of one which comyng out of the temple of the diuine maiestie was appoincted with sixe others to powre out plagues and vialles This is the head minister And it was semely that the iudgement of Babilon should be vttered by an Aungell that had the rule ouer tormētes The lord Iesus himselfe wil take punnishment of the beaste for whom this triumphe is reserued And we vnderstande that suche thinges as are set forth and treated here haue proceded from the highe Bisshop him selfe Iesus Christ and the maners of speakyng to be Angelicall heauenly and godly Who shall than blame vs yf we vsing the wordes of Angelles and of Christ himself shal saye that the Bisshop of Rome and all Popery to be that purple and great and most comon harlot It appereth also to many that seme godly that moderation is neglected whan these thinges are repeted of the preachers Free mouthes agaīst Rome whiche are playnely set forth to vs by the expresse wordes of Angelles and of Christ It semeth that they woulde shutte and stoppe the mouth of Christ him selfe Howbeit they attempte that in vayne For if the preachers holde their peace the stones wil crie For it behoueth that like as the glory of Christ so the shame of Antichrist should be knowen to the whole worlde But they offende moste greuousely which in the sermons made against Antichrist require I know not what modestie As though he ought to be spared which spareth no good man As though that doctrine were not modeste which is taken and receiued of the mouth and wordes of Christ After in the .18 chapter We shal heare the lorde commaunde render vnto her as she hath rendred vnto you c. The some of the visiō Secondly he compriseth in fewe wordes the some of all and sheweth whereunto we should referre al thinges Come sayeth the Angell to S. Iohn and I wil shew thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the iudgement condemnation and punnishement of the greate whore And where he sayeth of the great whore he doeth intimate what the crime is or cause of punnishement fornication infidelitie or vngodlines This vision also apperteineth hereunto that we might vnderstande how Rome should be punnished or destroyed that is to saye the Romane Empire or the kingedome of the Pope or of Antichrist and wherfore or howe it deserueth to be destroyed Rome is a whore She is a whore and a great and an erraunt whore And who knoweth not that a mariage is contracted betwene God and all and singular faythfull that God is the brydegrome and the churche his spouse she is bounden than coupled to her husbande alone in faith and trouth Yf she breake this faith and loue others geue her to them cal vpō and honour them she is a whore Whereof I haue spoken many times both in this boke and els where And a moste common thing is it in the Scriptures to call reuolting vnfaithfulnes impietie superstition and Idolatrie fornication or whoredome Yf any man desire testimonies hereof he shal finde in the .8 of Iudges 1. of Esaye 2. and 3. of Ieremie the .16 of Ezechias in the .1.2 and .3 of Osee and other places Rome therefore was a greate strompet and is also at this daye a moste stynkyng harlot For whic she is full of Idolatrie worshippyng of creatures and abominable superstitions Nother is she herselfe only polluted with all filthines but compelleth morouer the whole world to serue and that to serue in Idolatrie and superstitions What will you saye that through the wonderfull prouidence of God it came to passe that a woman fayning herselfe a manne dyd clyme vp to the See of Rome was created Bisshoppe and called Iohn the .8 whyche was one Gylberta a greate whore borne at Mentz For thus woulde God declare that the Bysshoppe of Rome sitteth a whore vpon the beaste And herein I follow the constant consent of al Historiographers Neuerthelesse I am not ignoraunt that there be some which haue thought howe this Iohn was intruded into the seate vp an
daies did occupie the Apostolical seate as thei terme it Reade the stories from Syluester the .2 and so forth Thou wilt saye than that aboute that time the Deuill brake lowse agayne and seduced the people especially by Popes Or beginne the supputation of the thousande yeres from that time wherein Paule beyng bounde for the Gospell at Rome testified that the gospell was preached through out the worlde That was aboute the yere of our Lorde .60 from thence accomptyng a thousande yeres thou shalte come to the yere of our Lorde 1060. when Nicholas the seconde was Pope vnder whom it is written that the veritie was diuersely tempted and corrupted and that Gregory the seuenth dyd than also by his craftes and enterprises trouble the whole world Or beginne the supputation from the destruction of Hierusalem what time the Iewes cast of the Gentiles in great nombre entred and were receyued into the place of the Iewes reiected whiche was the yere of our Lorde .73 and thou shalt atteyne to the yere of our Lorde .1073 euen to Pope Gregory the seuenth in the whiche time not a fewe Historiographers wryte that the Deuill him selfe raygned Doubtles neuer manne hurte godlines or more stoutely auaunced impietie than dyd this Gregory otherwyse called Hildebrande Of him I haue spoken before in the .13 chapt Where also I admonisshed you that Cardinall Benon dyd accompte those thousande yeres from the birth of the Lorde and concluded in Syluester the second It is euident therfore that the gospel hath had a notable place in the world nother hath ben quenched for the space of a thousande yeres that is to saye from the time of thapostles vntil the yere of our lord was rekened 1073. or there aboute What was done at that time after we shal heare when we shal come to that sayeng And when the thousande yeres shal be fulfilled c. Some man wil say I cannot see that the preaching of the Gospell hath continued in the worlde so long tyme to witte a thousande yeares For it appeareth by Histories that the doctrine of merites satisfactions and iustification of works ded incōtinently after the Apostles time lay their first soundations We knowe that the intercessions of Sainctes and the worshipping of relicques were defended of Saincte Hierome which departed out of this world the yeare of our Lordes incarnation .422 We knowe that the Bishop of Rome ded immediately after the death of Gregory the firste take vpon him to be head and catholique Pastor of the church vniuersall We knowe that aboute the same time to wit aboute the yeare of our Lordes incarnation .630 Mahomet seduced a great parte of the world We knowe that shortely after arrose that detestable contention about the hauing of Images in the churches of Christians We haue heard that S. Ihon hath assigned to Antichriste yeares .666 Fynally it is manifeste that the Deuyll hath by murther parricidie and all kynd of mischief raigned in the children of misbelefe Wherfore thou sayeste I see not howe the Deuyll hath ben bounden a thousande yeares and locked in chaynes Howe the deuyl hath ben boūden a thousand yeares I aunswere that the things which are alledged hitherto are true yet neuerthelesse to be true and so to remayne alwayes which S. Ihon by the reuelation of Iesu Christe hath affirmed that the Deuyll shoulde be shutte vp for a thousande yeares and remayne bounden tyll a thousande yeares were at an ende And the same we declare on this wyse The Lorde sayde in the Gospel Nowe is the iudgement of the world nowe shall the Prince of this world be caste out And where as it is not lawfull to doubt of the veritie of Christes wordes yet neuerthelesse is he not red to be so caste oute but that he hath ben of greate force in the worlde and hath bene called of the Apostles themselues the Prince of this worlde Howe than is he sayde to be cast oute and to tempte the godlie to raigne and to be caste oute of his Kyngdome He is cast out of the church and of the faithful Howe Sathan is cast oute yet vexeth the faythfull not that he cometh not againe and tempteth for alwayes he returneth and seketh to plucke backe the redemed but for that he possesseth no more the ful empire For Christ now liueth raineth in the church and Sainctes These as S. Austen saieth he assayleth from without he is cast oute of his auncient possession but he laboureth to recouer his olde habitatiō And thus was Sathan bounde and shutte vp for a thousand yeares as he that possessed not the faythfull of Christe through out the worlde nor ruled them at his pleasure and after his mallice although he hath tempted and vexed them So was the holy ghost denied to be geuen not that he was not in the world and in the Prophets but because he was neuer so plentifully powred oute vpon all fleshe as after the glorifienge of our Lorde Christe In the same sense we say that death and sinne are taken away from the faythfull and troden vnder fote As S. Paule therfore which in the first chapt to the Colloss saide that we are translated oute of the kyngdome of darkenes in to the kyngdome of light sayeth neuerthelesse to the Corinthians that the God of this world hath blynded the myndes of the vnfaythfull so S. Ihon at this presente sayeth howe the Deuyll is bounde and sealed by the space of a thousande yeares and the very same sayeth afterwarde the reste of the dead reuiued not til the thousand yeares should be fulfilled that is to say in al those thousand yeares beleued not which set more by the beast than they ded by Christe And they verely through their owne faulte and instigation of the Deuill beleued not and perished Therfore ded Sathan exercise his force in them Which to the faithful in dede is bounden and tyed faste but to the vnfaithfull free and ouer familier Lykewyse Hell is shut to the godly to the wicked open Wherefore also we confesse in the crede lyfe euerlasting and not death or damnation euerlasting For the faithfull haue no Hel or there is no Hell prepared for them but for the vngodlye For Christe hath broken Hell but for his faithfull to the vnfaythfull all thinges of hell are yet moste stronge and these haue Hell ¶ The power of the Deuyll by Christ broken Agayne the Deuyll is sayed to be bounden shutte vp and sealed for since the redemptiō of Christ his power hath not bene so great in the worlde as it was before Wherefore S. Ihon expoūdeth himselfe and sayeth that he shuld deceaue the people no more What is this more but that he shal not so seduce them from hence foorth as he hath done hitherto Therefore al be it in the meane whyle he shall deceaue some yet in those thousand yeares he hath not raigned so fully safely at large as he ded before and as it is permitted him after those thousand
restreining and punishing the wycked And the holy ghost where he is but one Seuen spirites for the seuenfolde that is all maner of grace and giftes manifold is here called as I may say Septenarie or of the seuenth numbre And from the seuen spirites sayth Iohn that is from that spirite whiche is indewed with the seuenfolde grace Those diuerse giftes are after a sorte declared of Esay in the .xi. Chapt. and els where in the scriptures He is sayd to be in the sight of the throne that is before the throne of God ioyned verely in gouernement with the father and the sonne For the throne is many tymes vsurped for the kingdom The holy ghost therfore is of the same glory power and maiestie with God Now is he commen to Christ The description of Christ whom by his properties he describeth moste aboundantly You know that Iesus is the proper name of Christ which Matthew expoundeth a Sauiour Christ is the surname of his office and dignitie as you would say annoynted that is byshop and kyng 1 First he calleth Christ our Lord a faithfull wytnes Christ a faithfull witnes and that out of the .xlix. and .l. chapter of Esay For he was sent of the father to the world out of heauen an Apostle whiche should testifie the wil of God what he wold haue done with men To witte that he would saue the worlde by his sonne Math. 18. 2 Petr. 3 Iohn 3 Math. 7.1 by faith in him which is obedient to the law of God For he must do the will of his father This Christ is a faithfull witnes that is sure constaunt and trewe Of whose doctrine no man ought to doubt No man hath seene God at any tyme The only begotten whiche is in the bosome of the father Math. 17. 2 Pet. 1 he hath reuealed This therfore is the byshop and catholick dâ—tour of the church Who so euer dissent from him are to 〈◊〉 eschewed Heare him saith the father Christ is the first fruits of theÌ„ that ryse 2 He is the first begotten of the dead For he died for oâ—â— sinnes verely and rose again from the dead was made tâ— first begotten of the dead Lorde conquerour of death Iâ— whom we se that we shall also ryse again in what sorte 〈◊〉 whom the first of the Corinth xv And like as in the first prâ—pertie he shaddoweth the humanitie of Christe wherin hâ— taught also his deitie in that he was the faithfull true â—â—tholique byshop and is yet at this day So in the second thâ— articles of our belefe concerning the death of Christ and hâ— resurrection are confirmed To these also may be added tâ— article of the resurrection of the dead Christ is Prince of kynges 3 Christ is prince ouer the kinges of the earth a monarâ— verely and Lord of all rulers Whiche hath taken a name â—boue all names the Lord of aungels and of all creatures 〈◊〉 whom al things be subiect As thapostle expouÌ„deth Colosâ— Philip. 2. And he doeth not abolishe lawes Magistratâ— which wil be king of kinges and Lord of lordes For if thaâ— wer no kings how shuld Christ be king of kings The moâ— sacred Emperours Constance Constantine Theodose anâ— Iustinian knew them selues to be clientes of Christ Thaâ— kingdom was Christes they to be subiectes These Chriâ—â— acknowledgeth for his by whoÌ„ he gouerneth those he haâ—â— redemed with his bloud They that proudly rule ouer the people boast theÌ„ selues to be lordes of althings acknowledâ—â— not Christ to be monarch ouer all be starke mad And herâ— are comprehended such thinges as we confesse in tharticles of our faith that Christ ascended into heauen sitteth on thâ— right hand of the father that is that he hath receiued high pâ—wer of al things in heauen and earth Ephe. 1. Act. 2. Christ loued vs. 4 Christ hath loued vs with incoÌ„parable loue For he hiâ— self saith greater loue hath no man than that a man shoulâ— leaue his life for his freÌ„des This loue the Apostle amplefietâ— in the fift to the Romains And it was exceading great loue 〈◊〉 moued Christ to come downe from heauen and be incarnaâ—â— and to redeme vs by his death With a free loue he loueâ— vs prouoked by no desert of ours For as this same Iohn in his Epistle canonicall speaketh the same of the father In this is charitie not that we haue loued God but that he hath loued vs sent his son a propiciation for our sinnes So is it to be vnderstaÌ„d of the son the he hath doth bear vs great good will not moued thereto through our loue wherewith we haue imbraced him And of the fre loue to mankinde he gaue him self vnto death washed vs froÌ„ our sinnes For streight waies is added by his bloud Christ washeth Where thre thinges seme of vs to be obserued First that Christ washeth purgeth purifieth or cleÌ„seth the faithful that most fully not partly He alluded to the washings of the law which he expouÌ„ded also For Dauid saith Pourge me with Hysope I shal be made cleane washe me I shal be whiter than snow The same phrase of speache repeteth Esay in the first chap. Micheas also sayth Miche 7. The Lord wil returne wil haue mercy on vs he wil treade vnder fete our iniquities And thou shalt throw into the depth of the Sea al their sinnes And the Lord saith Ezech. 36 I wil cast vpon you cleane waters and you shall be mundified from al your filthines The Lord Christ these thinges accomplishing washeth vs purgeth and clenseth throughly aswell from the falte as the paine He clenseth vs from our sinnes Christ washeth all synnes not from one but from al. The which thing is proued both by former testimonies again in the first second Epistle of S. Iohn Last the maner also of purifiyng is set forth by bloud For without the sheding of bloud no remission was made Therfore through the mediation of death and bloudsheding there was full remissioÌ„ of all sinnes obteined for the faithfull He washeth by bloud Hebr. 9 They that bring forth any other maner of forgeuenes of synnes ar iniurious to the death and bloud of the sonne of God And here we may se plainly set forth an article of the Apostolicall crede I beleue the forgeuenes of synnes In the fift place is shewed theffect of our redeÌ„ption purifiyng For Christ hath brought to passe Theffect of Christs redemptioÌ„ in the faithfull that as many of vs as beleue in the father by the son of God shuld be kinges prists to God to his father Aretas the copie of complute reade not kinges but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is kyngdome the which is not red amisse For we be the kingdoÌ„ of God for bicause God by his spirit not the flesh nor the worlde ought to reigne in vs And when we permitte the gouernment to
the deliueraunce of the good and punishement of the euill for the sworde is geuen to the magistrate as an authoritie to punishe the euill and defende the good Christ him self defendeth his and his aduersaries he heweth in pieces The sworde is the very worde of God most sharpe two edged and pearsing the very hartes for it animateth the godly and discourageth the wicked Christe therfore gouerneth his Churche as a Iudge and defendour moste rightfull and iuste whiche hath his sworde not in his handes but in his mouthe and with his spirite and worde comforteth and preserueth the faithful but feareth and woūdeth the vnbeleuers Full rightly therfore is this beginning applied to the cause that followeth touching the crosse of the faithfull And expulsing and fliyng the Nicolaitans For it is Christe by the vertue of whose worde these thinges are luckely brought to passe Moreouer the particular workes of this congregation followe In this church are som thīgs cōmended and some dispraised He prayseth in this Churche the singular constancie in faith and profession of the same in moste daungerous perilles temptations and persecutions And it semeth to be a playne rehersall and narration that the Lord knoweth what they suffer and howe greuously they be afflicted but prayse is mixed with al. And this cōmendation belongeth to an exhortation that the thing they did thei should perseuer to do He sayeth howe he is not ignoraunt where the church of Pergamos dwelleth euen there verely where Sathan hathe fixed his seate or throne That is to saye I knowe in what case thou arte in what daungers and with whome thou arte matched He sayeth not the church dwelleth where Sathās seats is I know that thou sittest in the seate of Sathan but I know that thou dwellest there where Sathan hath his seate Christe therfore is not ignoraunt of the labours sorowes and temptations of the faithfull And the knoweledge of Christe hath a certen peculiar thinge For Christ so knoweth the matters of the faithful that he is both touched with the same and hathe also a consideration or respecte of his seruauntes And we see howe Christ also placeth his throne there where the Deuill hathe his seate iust by At the length he thrusteth him out of his seate Pergamos the seate of Sathā And for two causes Pergamos semeth to be called the seate throne and kingdome of the deuill For first as Aretas hath admonished in superstition and worshippinge of Idolles it excelled all Asia whiche neuerthelesse was moste corrupte Pergamos was the most auncient and famouse citie of Asia or of Misia and Phrygia renomed by kinge Attalus Eumenus For the same was the Princelyke palace of kinge Attalus whiche came into the handes of the Romans by the legacie of kings who were most addicte to idolatrie Strabo speaketh muche herof in the 13. boke Moreouer this place was also as Plinie semeth to signifie in the 5. boke the 30. Chapt. moste noble and frequented by reason the liftenant or gouernour there inhabited who at the commaundement of the emperour Domitian persecuted the trewe faithe of Christ imprisonyng scourging and afflicting al that professed Christ By good reason therfore is Pergamos called the seate or Throne of the Deuill For he is a liar and the father of liyng and a murtherer from the beginnynge whiche the Lorde also testifieth in the 8. of Iohn For bycause therfore at Pergamos reigned heathennes liynge Idolatrie superstition the oppression and murther of good men it is rightly called the seate or throne of the deuill This appereth to be a sclaunder not to be dissembled or suffered For Rome semed to her selfe established for euer Rome the seate of sathan and the whiche the Goddes fauoured who had sent them victorye ouer moste greate nations and geuen the Empire of the whole worlde In the whiche citie iustice and religion mighte seme to be obserued And therfore that this seate of iustice and religion shoulde be called the seate of Sathan mighte be thought bothe blasphemie and treason But this doeth the onlye begotten sonne of God from the right hande of his father pronoūce against Rome agaynst Pergamos and agaynst all the confortes of Rome Who shall accuse him of temeritie of rasshenes or of bitter speakyng light persons are doubtlesse angry and very strōpettes will be offended in case they be called by their owne names and be called as they are in dede For suche is the glory of vertue that all men coueth the same euen the open enemies of vertue so that no man will seme to be voide of vertue and such is the corruption and darkenes of mans minde that he would be that he is not and wold not be that he is Therof cometh al this impatience in the whole world when a mattocke is called a mattocke and a figge a figge as the prouerbe is Is an harlot therfore no harlot because she will not be called an harlot yes verely is she an harlot and a shameful harlot and though she denye neuer so ofte that she is a whore yet is she an whore neuerthelesse and remayneth a whore So the seate or Throne of Sathan is at this daye Rome it selfe whiche will seme to be the seate of Christe and the seate Apostolical For the worke and instruction of the deuill therein aboundeth Finally al Cities Townes Where is the seate of the deuil places wherin veritie godlines religion and vertue are exiled wherin the preaching of Gods trueth and correctiō of most corrupte maners haue no place wherein filthines and vncleanes baudy songes and not spirituall Psalmes wherin crafte and disceipte surfetting murther aduoutrie oppressiō of good people and of godly religiō triūpheth be the seates of Sathan how so euer they be called the moste christen and catholicke cities and worshippers of the righte and christen saith This thing Iesus Christ the very sonne of God saieth crieth affirmeth repeteth and euen with a maiestie pronoūceth For by and by after the murther of Antipas he addeth where sathan dwelleth And these thinges are doubtles true whiche Christ sayeth and pronounceth in the Churche and most false be the thinges whiche this most sinful world here alledgeth against the wordes of Christ But this same the Lord highly cōmendeth that in so slipper vnfortunate a place they haue stande vprightly hitherto and coulde not be subdued in the verye seate of Sathan To dwell in the mids of a frowarde nation Ephes 5. Here we learne that it is lawefull as occasion shall serue to dwell in the middes of a frowarde nation yet so that we be not made conformable to thē in any wise either in maners or superstitiō And for as much as it is daūgerous to dwel amōgs the vngodly and as it were to touche pitch with our hādes Thou shalt nothing offende against the Lord if thou get thee to a safer place wherin is lesse daunger and more occasion of al godlines Yea rather when thou mayest cōueniently passe vnto suche
pietie wherein they had excelled hitherto And he sayeth two thinges holde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holde faste that thou hast They had the gospell of Christe and the worde of eternal life the true fayth and godly religion These thinges he commaundeth to holde faste and to persist in the religion ones receyued And whilest he commaunded them to kepe that they had he signifieth by the waie that no new or other doctrine is to be loked for but that this one 's receyued doeth suffice Let vs not thinke therefore in the gouernement of the church vpon other lawes vpon other traditions than of the Gospell of Iesu Christe This is sufficient for the churche After reasonynge as it were of the losse he sayeth Therfore must thou watche diligently and holde strongly the gospel for this beyng taken away thou arte spoyled of thy crowne The crowne is a token of vertue and victory We saye Conquerours and worthie of the Empire are crowned The virgin loseth her crowne that is defiled Therfore heretikes false prophetes and seducers take awaye the crowne what time they seduce and corrupte therefore sayeth the Lorde Thou haste gotten honour and glory see that no man take it from thee So we reade that S. Paull spake in the 2. to the Coloss Let no man take from you the victory In the 18. of Ezechiel the Lorde testifieth that he will not impute rightuousnes to the iuste in case he forsake and leaue his rightousenes let vs praye therefore that we maye euermore perseuer in the worde of the Lorde ¶ He procedeth in recityng moste great rewardes The .xix. Sermon HIm that ouercometh wil I make a piller in the temple of my God and he shall goe no more out And I will wryte vpon him the name of my God and the name of the citie of my God newe IerusaleÌ„ which commeth downe out of Heauen from my God and I will wryte vpon him my newe name Lette him that hathe eares heare what the spirite sayeth to the congregations Our Lorde procedeth in raccomptynge muche more ample rewardes whiche he woulde geue to them that ouercome And so he tempereth his wordes that we maye easely perceyue this promesse not onlye to apperteyne to the congregation of Philadelphia but to all the Churches in the whole worlde yea and to euerye of the faythefull And as we haue oftentymes repeted already for I am not asshamed to repete seynge that the Lorde him selfe so greately vrgeth the victorye agayne we saye that those thynges are promised not to suche as fighte lightly or negligently for diuerse fighte The warfare victorye of ChristiaÌ„s and by and by runne awaye but to those that ouercome and perseuer to the ende For our life is a warfare vpon earthe whiche Iob also hath confessed The soldiour hath a sure purpose to ouercome his enemies Our enemies are the deuil the world and the fleshe Against these we muste ernestly fight of none other intent but that we may ouercome The Apostle in the 6. to the Ephes described the armour of the faithful In victory the Sainctes consider sinceries and integritie that we lose nothyng of the veritie knowen but let vs reteyne the pure worde of God and sincere fayth and let vs kepe our bodies our soules cleane from all pollution and that to our liues ende He propoundeth moste ample rewardes by promesse The maner of erectiÌ„g pillers Wherby he alludeth to the maner of Grekes and Romanes who decreed Images to suche as deserued wel of the coÌ„mon welthe in the whiche also they wrote theyr vertues for whose cause they were set vp eyther in the court or market place or els where They semed by this meane to deliuer to theyr posteritie as it were by hande the glory of their elders whiche they made also as it were euerlastyng Piller in that scriptures Otherwise the vse of this vocable Columne or piller is diuerse Ieremie is called of God a piller for his constancie The Apostles are called of S. Paull in the 2. to the Galath chiefe pillers for their excellencie and that the churches leaned vpon them for the preaching of the veritie The church it self also is called the piller base of veritie for asmuch as it is grouÌ„ded vpon the sure rocke Christ In the Temple of SalomoÌ„ stoode two columnes or pillers figures of the euerlasting kingdome of Christ â— Timo. 3. and of the holy churche In this place a piller is taken for a man in glory and beautie excellent For he sayeth not that he will erecte a piller for a godly man but I wil sayeth he make him a piller that is to saye I wil beautifie him with honours and glory euerlastyng But where shall this piller be set where shall the glory of Sainctes be famouse The piller is set in the Temple not in Courte or market place but in the Temple of my God And the Temple of God is heauen it selfe and in our worlde the holy Churche Gloriouse therfore shal he be in the churche of Sainctes aswel militaunt as triumphaunt Albeit therfore that the very godly heare euill in this worlde yet this worlde shall peryshe Christe shall reigne for euer and the Sainctes shall reigne with him Their glorye then shall remayne for euer and euer And where he sayeth of my God Aretas expoundeth and saieth This saiynge of my God taketh not awaye the diuine nature that is sene in Christ but establisheth as I may say the consubstantialitie For it declareth the vnion of two natures whiche are in the persone of our Lord Iesu to witte of his deitie and humanitie euen after vnderstanding yet not confusely to be indissobible For they aunswer mutualy one another because of the assumptioÌ„ of the humane nature the diuine to the humane and likewise the humane to the diuine proprieties c. Moreouer the perpetuitie and stablenes of the glory of the sainctes and faithful is signified where it is added Stable glâ—ry and he shall go no more out For many times pillers are brokeÌ„ and cast down and renowne ones gotten perisheth and fadeth away But Christ promiseth to them that ouercome that they shall neuer be cast out of the fellowship of Sainctes neyther that the glory of the faithfull should be obscured at any time And thus farre of the piller it selfe Here followeth of the inscription of the piller The inscription of the piller of what sort it shal be Thre thinges chiefly are wrytten in the Sainctes to witte the name of God the name also of the citie of God and the new name of God or of Christ Whiche we shal discusse in order First the name of God is ascribed to the godly that is they them selues are called by the name of God be the children and heires of God Whiche is discoursed at large in the first of Iohn and the .viii. to the Romains Ouercomers be the childreÌ„ of God And what can you deuise to be more honorable than to
are signified by trees Trees appereth by the .9 chapt where it is sayed they had cōmaundement that they shuld not hurte the grasse of the earth nother any tree sauing only men whiche are not c. After he had sayed saue only those trees which were not marked but he had rather saye men that he might as it were with this keye vnlocke the misterie Nother is it rare to shadowe men in the scriptures by trees floures and grasse as we maye gather of the .1 Psalme the. 40. of Esaye and the .12 chapt of S. Matthew But that latter poincte that al grene grasse was brent muste be fauourably expounded For who can beleue that al men were distroyed by those first heresies we vnderstād therfore that the mindes of the faithful were diuersely afflicted and tourmoyled with those errours and troubles but yet as the Golde tried in the fixe not to be vtterly consumed The secōd trompet The second Aungel soundeth the trompet signifiyng that newe warres are nowe a brewyng and therfore exhorteth that al the godly would defende themselues with weapons And there is cast into the Sea not a Mountaine but as it were a Mountaine burning with fire The sea beareth a figure of the world A burning moūtaine than the which there is nothing more vnstable It is a thing most frequented in the prophetes to call this our world wherin we liue a sea By mountaines are signified kingdomes witnesse Esaye in the .2 chapt Daniel the 2. And Zacharie in the .4 chapt And Christ him selfe in the .7 of Matth. By remouing of hilles or mountaines signifieth any harde thinge and by the opinion of many impossible Nowe therfore springeth vp an heresie and a doctrine in the church as it were a burnyng Mountaine as the which was in dede most furnished and as it semed inuincible We reade that such was the heresie of the Valentinians Valentinians whose secte the holy martir Ireneus teached to be diuided into many Suche was the fury of the Manicheis Manicheis and Montanistes Montanistes They semed to many to burne with the spirite of God and to be whole nothinge els but the spirite and all their oracles to be of the holy ghoste Manichaeus called him selfe the Apostle of Iesu Christ The Montanistes bragged of a newe holy ghost Ther was moste greate plenty of this darnell throughout the vniuersall church Nother was the successe therof small For the thirde parte of the Sea was made bloud The Apostle signifieth the wickednes of sectes For howe vile and impudent were the heretikes called Gnostici the valentinians and Manicheis Ireneus S. Austen and Epiphanius doe testifie And a great part of the creatures in the Sea perisshed And he speaketh of such as haue soules not of fishes in dede but menne Many shippes moreouer were lost to witte Mariners and Ilonde men beyng corrupte with these heresies That time those heresies sprange vp in dede of those Authours which I named but as yet thei be not vtterly extinct corrupte men buddyng vp in a maner at euery time and renewyng the olde errour Wherupō a bitter strife remayneth yet at this daye in the church and we are dayly admonished that we should beware of those corruptions The thirde Aungell bloweth his trompet proclaymyng new warres The third trompet and behold a great Starre fell doune from heauen burning like a cresset and infecteth the thirde parte of riuers and fountaines of waters A burning cresset that starre is called wormwood I tolde you in the .1 Chapter that Starres are called Preachers Bisshoppes and notable men in the churche It signifieth therefore that some notable man should fall awaye from the trewe faith into heresie wherwith he should infecte a great parte of the world in corrupting the Scriptures and sounde doctrine of fayth And these thinges seme to be fulfilled in Paulus Samosatenus Paul Samosatenus and Arrius Arrius This creshet burned horribly and inflamed the whole worlde without recouerie That pestilence denied the deitie of Christe and made the whole Gospel to vs moste bitter For if Christe be not very God how is he a Sauiour King Bishop intercessour mediatour and saluation of the faithful He quenched the light that denied the deitie of Christ Therefore is he called by the name of wormwood The prophet Ieremie vsed the selfe same allegorie or metaphore or allusion in the .9 and .23 chapt And Amos in the .6 where he sayeth that the Iudges haue tourned iudgement into Wormwood The Scripture and doctrine whiche is trimly figured by riuers and fountaines corrupted of the Arrians was to many the occasion of death The Scripture and doctrine of the Gospel is of it selfe mortal to no man but rather liuely to al◠corruption maketh it deadly Poyson put in wine maketh the wine deadly the wine of it self killeth no man but rather gladdeth and reioseth al men Reade the Ecclesiastical stories of Eusebius Theodoretus Sozomenus Socrates and others and ye shal perceyue howe aptely S. Iohn hath written all these thinges and how rightly they are al fulfilled No smal parte of that bitternes hath flowed vnto our time whilest that old errour is often times by the instigatiō of the deuil renewed For what that vncleane beaste Michell Seruetus Michell Serueto a spaniarde vomited against the Sonne of God for his impenitent wickednes and continuall plasphemie burnte at Geneua the world knoweth We muste praye therfore to the Lorde that in suche daungerouse conflictes he would kepe vs safe and sounde Amen ¶ The fourth and fifte trompet is expounded of the opening of the botomlesse pitte and of grasse hoppers creping out into the Earth The .xxxix. Sermon ANd the fourth Aungel blewe and the third parte of the sunne was smitten and the thirde parte of the Moone and the thirde parte of starres so that the third parte of thē was darkened And the daye was smitten that the third part of it should not shine and likewise the night And I behelde and hearde an Aungell fliyng thorow the middes of Heauen and saiyng with a lowde voyce wo wo wo to the inhabiters of the Earth because of the voyces to come of the trompe of the thre Aūgels which were yet to blowe The .9 chapter And the fifte Aungel blewe and I sawe a starre fall from Heauen vnto the Earthe And to him was geuē the keye of the botomlesse pitte And he opened the botomles pitte and there arrose a smoke of the pitte as it were the smoke of a greate fornace And the Sunne and the ayre were darkened by the reason of the smoke of the pitte And there came out of the smoke locustes vpō the earth and vnto thē was geuen power as the Scorpions of the Earth haue power And it was sayed vnto them that they should not hurte the grasse of the Earth nother any grene thing nother any tree but only those menne which haue not the seale in theyr forheades and to
the olde translation in all thinges But the Egle is swifte and of moste sharpe sight signifiyng the almightie knowledge of God and expedition vnspeakeable in doyng of thinges The fifte trompe The fifte trompet comprehendeth a moste cruell battell whiche the Pope stired vp in admitting errours into the world yea rather bringyng in settyng forth and defendyng them by his vngratiouse Locustes that eate vp all thinges He lasteth to the worldes ende Of whome he will agayne discourse more plentifully and more properly in the .13 and 14. chapter c. A starre falleth from heaueÌ„ into the Earth The Original of this euil is referred to the fal of a starre For a starre hath fallen from Heauen to the earth Starres as I shewed you in the beginnyng of this boke aboute the ende of the .1 chapt represente vnto vs the state of Ministers or Bisshoppes For as the starres shine in Heauen so Bisshoppes illumined with heauenly light ought to shine in the church aswell in doctrine as honeste lyfe And hitherto they stande in Heauen so long as they doe theyr duetie they fall to the Earth what time forgetting the heauenly conuersation and doctrine they thinke vpon earthly things speake and followe honoures pleasures and such like corruptions A little after will he cal him an Aungell whome now he calleth a starre Of the churche of Rome The Churche of Rome was notable and pure coÌ„mended also ones by the prayse of the Apostle The same had Bisshoppes that is to saye ministers of the church vnto the emperour Constantine about .32 for the most part very well learned moste holy yet men and moste gloriouse martirs of Christ Againe from the emperour Constantine vnto Gregory the great are accompted Bisshoppes or pastours of the church of Rome about .32 emonges whom there were not a few diligeÌ„t enough learned and godly but yet emoÌ„ges these were founde also whiche blinded with the euill of Ambition began more to incline to seke honours and gloriouse titles than the doctrine of Christ concernyng humilitie and simplicitie and the example of Christ and apostles hath permitted Christ fled when the people would haue chosen and made him king He sayed that kinges should reigne that Apostles and their successours should serue If kings therfore had offered them realmes and riches they should not haue receyued them What certen Bishoppes of Rome practised with the churches of Affricke and how they would haue ruled ouer them the stories doe plainely declare Notwithstanding there were founde emonges the latter Bishops as Pelagius and Gregory surnamed great which greuousely accused the Bishops of ConstaÌ„tinople for that thei went about to establish the church of Constantinople as chiefe of al others in the world and the Bishop thereof vniuersall Nother was Gregory asshamed to saye expressely that he is the vauntcurrour of Antichrist who so euer would couet the name or title of the vniuersal bishop But Boniface the .3 of that name moued nothing herwith required and obteyned of themperour Phocas no long time after the death of Gregory that the church of Rome might be called and taken for the chiefe and head of al churches Bishops of Rome a starte falleÌ„ froÌ„ heauen Wherby the Bishopes of Rome plucked out of heauen and caste to the earth vtterly began to cleaue vnto earthly thinges to care for earthly thinges yea euen to aspire to the empire and chiefe rule and gouernement Here haue you what starre fell from heauen to the Earth And to this starre he calleth him afterward the Aungel of the botomlesse pitte or Bishop I name one I vnderstande all of that state and succession in that seate was geuen the keye of the botomlesse pitte A keye is geuen to the starre or Aungel Christe verely kepeth the keye of Dauid as I shewed in the .2 chapt of this boke The same gaue to the Apostles the keyes of the kingedome of heauen power to open or to shut heaueÌ„ that is to wit the ministerie of preaching the Gospell wherby is shewed assuredly promised the forgeuenesse of sinnes and eternall life to beleuers and the reteyning of sinnes certaine damnation is threatened to the vnbeleuers No godly maÌ„ doubteth but that these keyes were geuen also vnto Bisshoppes of Rome agayne euery man knoweth that the latter popes would not vse theÌ„ lawfully but corrupting the Euangelicall veritie and infecting the lawefull ministerie haue gotten them counterfetted keyes Therfore is geuen to them of the Prince of darkenes the keye of the botomles pitte to witte corrupt and counterfet doctrine and not the Apostolical but apostaticall ministerie wherby as it were from hell set open they haue brought forth outrageouse errours and superstitions and vngodlines of all sortes The popes keyes And I suppose it hath chaunced not with out Gods prouidence that Bisshoppes of Rome are called Clauigers or keye bearers and weare keyes in their Armes But you shall not vnderstande them to be the keyes of the kingdome of heauen but of the botomlesse pitte rather sins he is a teacher of errours and of all abomination Authour moreouer of all warres and dissentions leadyng them euen vnto Hell God is a liuely fouÌ„tayne God is in dede the fountaine of perpetuall goodnes and of all veritie whiche opened in Christ by the Apostles in the preachyng of the Gospel refressheth with holesome water al that thirste for eternal saluation Of this fouÌ„taine Esaye maketh mention in the .55 chapt And Ieremie in the .2 chap. The Lorde also in the Gospel after Iohn in the .4 .7 chapt and in diuerse other places The botoÌ„lesse pitte Against this liuely fountaine of euerrunnyng waters is set the botomlesse pitte vnsearchable I saye by reason of the mallice of Sathan full of vngodlines abomination and aâ—â— kinde of liyng From hence blubbereth vp into the world by false teachers and ministers of Antichrist what errour and abomination so euer is in the world For Sathan the father of lies spreadeth abroade in the worlde by his instrumentes what darkenes so euer there is The botoÌ„les pitte is opened Therfore the starre or Aungel of the botomles pitte that is the Pope or Bishop of Rome openeth the bottomles pitte with a keye and by by ascendeth vp the smoke of the pitte For I haue spoken hitherto of the beginnyng of euill nowe shal follow of the proceding and setting forth of the same The Pope by his corrupt ministerie openeth Hel Smoke out of the botomlesse pitte and not Heauen Out of hell ascendeth or riseth a smoke Smoke in some places of the Scripture is a token of the presence and wrath and vengeauÌ„ce of God as where in the time of Esaye a smoke rose in the Temple of Salomon 3. boke of Kinges 8. chapt Esaye 6. In the .19 of Exod. We reade smoke ascended from the mouÌ„taine as out of a fornace You reade in the .18 psalm Smoke wente vp in the wrath of God fire burnte from before his face At
locustes To vnderstande and beware of the locustes neuerthelesse leest any mā should be impeched with any obscuritie so that he could not know the locustes beware for this is th ende of the whole prophecie to vnderstād the misteries of Antichrist beware now also he describeth the locustes with a wonderful suffiguration theyr fight agaynst Christ and against the doctrine of godlines of al other most perillouse And there is no doubte but that the whole Armie of the Pope is here described The spiritual hooste of the Pope is described especially the spiritualtie as they terme it For the soldiours of the Emperour kinges and all princes serue him whom they call seculare But in the popes tentes of the spirituall Armie be Cardinalles Patriarches Archebishoppes Bisshoppes Abbottes Prelates nother is there any nōbre of Priestes and religiouse persones of both sexes Hereunto appertaine many vniuersities Doctours and Maisters great Champions of the Pope these be verely those Locustes of whome the Lorde Iesus speaketh of here I knowe howe displeasantly many will take this my exposition And I would gladly God is my witnes haue spared them but all the blame is in them whiche in wordes and workes bewraye and declare themselues to be locustes For except the thing it self crie out that those things are done of them whiche by the exposition are now brought to light I will not desire that credit should be geuen to me I speake nothing here in the fauour of any manne nother for hatred Let God him selfe be iudge betwixt vs let the veritie it selfe iudge Certenly al expositours with one consent vnderstand by locustes false teachers But lette vs see the description of the Apostle S. Iohn by the reuelation of Iesus Christ which doeth iniurie to nomā which slaundereth no man Al thinges are made playne by parables And he sheweth the Homoiomata that is to saye the similitudes of locustes by the which they maye be figured and as it were set before our eyes to be like the things which he bringeth forth For vnto euery part he applieth a parable or similitude wherby he expresseth moste aptly the disposition and maners of the locustes Horses prepared to battell First he sayeth that locustes are like vnto horses prepared to battel By the whiche parable he signifieth many thinges at ones that the clergie shoulde not only be ambitiouse and prowde for an horse is an Image of pride but moreouer rebelliouse and bolde and euē cruelly fierse and in their incredulitie and in all their errours most obstinate Beyng vtterly ignoraūt of reuersion that is of repentaūce For S. Iohn semeth here to haue alluded vnto these wordes of Ieremie howe chaunceth it that this people is not tourned away frō so frowarde an auersion They cleaue stiffely to disceipt they refuse to retourne I marked and hearde and they spake not right there was none that was sory for his euil that would saye what haue I done euery one of them did runne his course as it were an horse dislodged into battel certes with this kinde of men there is none amendement They thinke rather all howe they maye allure others into errours with them He signifieth morouer that the clergie shal be warlike and the Authours of warres and shal moue warres against the Sainctes and true worshippers of God For they haue the secular power as they cal it ready Of longe time nowe there haue ben in maner no warres which haue not ben reysed by this kinde of men Stories beare witnes hereof Yea and in this our time cardinals and Bisshoppes haue had the leadyng of Armies c. Finally there is signified herby that the clergie shal continually vexe wery with spiritual warre also the trewe church of Christ Wherefore in the .11 chapter we shal heare howe the beaste commeth out of the botomles pitte and maketh warre with the excellēt prophetes of God They mixe therfore and practise aswell spiritual as corporal warres Laste of all is signified that the popes clergie shal be wel fed faire and wellikyng and geuen to voluptuousenes lustes and pleasures of the body For this kinde of people represente not horses that be gaunte or leane suche as goe to plowe and carte but such as are wel kept and fed euē to serue vpon in the warres For beholde with me and consider of what sorte the clergie is for the most parte and you wil say that they are here set forth in theyr coulours Secōdly vpō theyr heades sayeth he as it were crownes Crownes like vnto golde Rabanus Maurus in the .3 chapt of the firste boke of the institution of Clerkes calleth the shauinge of the priestes crowne a kingedome a token verely of the dignitie of a king and prieste For Priestes and Monkes or Freres boaste themselues to be kinges and priestes and yet in dede are neyther of both For the trewe faythfull before God are kinges and priestes .1 Peter .2 But by the ordeyning or shauing of the Pope they receiue nothing either of kingdom or priesthood Full well therfore S. Iohn vpon theyr heades sayeth he as it were crownes like vnto golde for he sayeth not they were crownes but like as they were crownes of golde They were not crownes in dede neyther were they dewe vnto them And yet notwithstanding in the ende of the world now they haue taken vpō them diademes or miters and crownes of golde also and the same most preciouse Yet haue they done this by no right In times past Bisshoppes of Rome did were white miters in token of puretie and sincerenes finally of the knowledge of both Testamentes but none of the Apostles nor Apostolicke men ware them Therfore they bewraye themselues like a Ratte with their owne vtteraunce the which I suppose to be done by Gods prouidence that they might be knowen and eschewed of Christes shepe as crowned wolues Theyr faces were as the faces of men Faces of men not as the faces of Locustes So likewise in Daniel to Antichrist are attributed the eyes of a man To wit industrie and policie These mē pretende a great humanitie thei be furnished with fayre speach you woulde thinke if humanitie were lofte it mightie befounde in them but they fayne these thinges to the intente that in creping thus into mens bosomes they maye bring theyr matters to passe and disceiue In craftes disceipte wilines and practise as they terme it the Popes Legates Ambassadours Priestes and Religiouse persones excell all other wisemen of the worlde They prease into al assemblees of all menne they will be made priuie to all thinges they take all thinges for the bringyng of theyr matters to passe they semble and dissemble all thinges they can easely supplant and begyle euen suche as be moste wittie Moreouer they are learned witty eloquent and wonderfull craftie in all thinges The thing it selfe speaketh and testifieth that I write the trueth Wemens lockes or heere And they had heere like the heere of wemen by
to Baal In them hath he a moste strong and moste purified kingdome figured by the firie pillers Certes thapostle calleth the churche a piller and base of veritie .1 Timoth. 2. And Christ him self also sayeth that his kingdome in the world is vnmouable howe so euer it be assayled of Antichriste The gates of hel shal not preuaile agaynst it and his church And like as Antichrist coueteth to haue the boke of the gospel shutte and closed obscure and vnperfit The Angel holdeth in his hand a boke open so the lord Christ holdeth the boke open in his hande He openeth and no man shutteth You vnderstaÌ„d therfore wherof it cometh that Antichrist although he be of moste great power can not at this day shut the gospel boke which he seketh with al his force to do Of christ his spirite we haue the word bright clere By the grace of Christ we haue the bright preaching of the gospel coÌ„trariwise a darke an intricate sophistrie of Antichrist of this boke shal follow herafter more pleÌ„tiâ—ul thinges Herunto apperteineth the worthie inuention and godly benefite of Printing neuer coÌ„mended enough This openeth bokes Printing and sendeth them abroade into the world in dispite of all the enemies of Gods veritie and scattereth them abroade in euery corner of the world So that they whiche can not heare preachers to them come godly bokes not without fruicte The sownde of Antichristes winges The Angel roareth like a lion is as the noise of charettes when many horses runne into battel therefore Christ also maketh a noise and crieth in dede with a lowde voice S. Iohn addeth a parable He roareth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he loweth which is asmuch as if he had sayed he roareth For Erasmus perauenture saieth he the Grekes kepe not the difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the latines doe betwene Rugire and Mugire that is to roare to lowe as a Lion We haue hearde before how Christ is called a lion of the tribe of Iuda Therfore like as when a lioÌ„ reareth as Amos noteth in the .3 chap. Al are affrayed of themselues so when the Lord Christ crieth by his word al the wicked are amased Wherby is signified that the gospell shal be preached agaynst Antichrist constantly and with Authoritie to the terrour of Gods enemies And doubtlesse although the princes aswel spirituall as temporall seme to contemne and vtterly to dispise the preaching of the Gospell yet is it certayne by many tokens and coniectures that they are excedingly fore affrayed of that preachyng whiche as vile they dispise For they indeuour with all force of minde and herunto applye all theyr counselles that thei might abolish that same preaching But in case thei suppose it to be of no force whie are they so affraied therof whie are they at so great charges whie can they neuer be at rest herunto apperteineth the common prophecie which telleth that whilest antichrist reigneth Helias shal come which with a sharpe liuely manly preaching shal confute the triflings of Antichrist Therefore the spirite of Helias and his ernest preachyng is that roarynge of the Lion whiche roareth out Christes veritie The voyces of the seuen thoÌ„ders And as soone as that roaryng was hearde the seueÌ„ thonders vtter also theyr voyces By the which voyces are signified the sondry graces of the holy ghost and chiefly the terrible preachyng out of the veritie of the canonicall scriptures as appered in the .4 chapt of this boke For with the gospel in the latter ages shal be expounded agayne the Scripture of the prophetes whiche semeth as it were to thonder agaynst Antichrist agaynst sinnes and wicked people Verely Iames and Iohn bretherne and Apostles of Christ of the free plaine ernest preachyng of the trueth are called of the lorde Boanerges that is the sonnes of thonder thonderers that is to witte excellently sharpe in preaching and to be feared He is forboden to write the voices of thoÌ„ders he is coÌ„maunded to seale them And S. Iohn would by and by haue written the voices oâ— preachyng of the thonders but he is forbidden so to do bâ—â— is coÌ„mauÌ„ded to seale them only For sins the holy scripture through the inspiration of the holy ghost was writteÌ„ and 〈◊〉 forth already by the seruauntes of God the Prophetes and Apostles what nede were it to wryte and set it forth againe Those thinges are sufficient for the godly that are written Therof maye the preachers take vnto theÌ„ agaynst Antichrist and al sectes thonderinges lightenings and thonderboltes And where he is coÌ„maunded to seale vp the thinges set forth already it alludeth to the laste chapt of Daniel and that sealyng is referred aswell to the godly as vngodly Sealed letters are doubtles of most authoritie S. Iohn therfore by his sealyng maketh not now the Scriptures authenticall but in sealyng them declareth that they are authenticall enough so to the full scriptures no godly man goeth about eyther to adde or diminish Thus I saye the Scriptures are sealed to the godly as to theÌ„ that are most perswaded that the scriptures are most perfit and Authentical which may most fully suffice in the church for trewe pietie against all vngodlynes Where the wicked will not see this seke not for al thinges of godly religion in the Scriptures nother care greatly for the scriptures what maruell is it though the Scriptures be sealed to them that is shutte vp whiche they neyther greatly care for nother vnderstand nor yet wil vnderstande And on this wise is Christ sette against Antichrist and recouereth agayne his church discomfiteth and subdeweth Antichrist to whom be malediction for euer ¶ The Lord Christ perfourmeth an othe and confirmeth his electe that they should not doubt of the fayth of Gods promesses c. The .xliiij. Sermon ANd the Angel which I sawe staÌ„de vpon the sea and vpon the earth lift vp his hande to Heauen and swore by him that liueth for euer more whiche created heauen and the things which therin are and the sea and the thinges which are therin that there shal be no more time but in the daies of the voice of the seuenth Angell when he shal beginne to blowe euen the mistery of God shal be finisshed as he preached by his seruauntes the Prophetes But whilest the wicked triuÌ„phed and thenemies of God Antichrist Mahomet ouercame with most lucky successe whilest al good men were oppressed and disceipte and liyng reigned euery where many men will thinke that there shall neuer be an ende nother of these euilles nor yet of the world For the Apostle S. Peter knowe this sayeth he that in the latter dayes shal come mockers which wil walke after their owne concupiscences and wil saye where is the promesse of his coÌ„ming Of whom Malachias also reasoneth in the .3 and 4. chapt But to the intent the goodnes of God might heale the wouÌ„des of the godly and might auaunce
cruel and blouddy is that crueltie it shal continewe by the space of three dayes and an halfe Three dayes and an halfe the whiche al the expositours vnderstande for a shorte time certaine in dede but yet vncertayne as I tolde you before of the monethes and yeres Therefore I suppose this shortenesse of time to be brought for a consolation We saye also for the Lord geueth to the afflicted spaces to breath in shorteneth the sorrowful dayes to the ende we might be able to abide it Yf therefore our patience be tempted in a greuouse cruell persecution of Antichrist let vs thinke that our Lorde God hath in a rekenyng al the dayes of our calamitie and that he hath shortened the same for the consolation of the weake The place is tolde where the prophetes muste be slayne And the very place where this crueltie muste be wrought agaynst the prophetes he expresseth playnely as it were poincteth it with the fingar To witte the great citie And it is the citie of God and is also the citie of the deuil it is the citie of Abel an innocēt it is also the citie of Cain the parricide it is the catholicke citie of sainctes it is also the Sinagoge of Antichrist These cities are opē through out the whole world and are inclosed with no strayte walles thou might call this citie the lordeshippe dominion kingdome or empire or fellowship of the wicked Where so euer therefore Antichrist or Pope of Rome hath iurisdiction and euen in the Romisshe church it selfe through out al nations people these thinges whiche we haue hearde shal be done agaynst Martirs For settyng forth that citie with more playne tokens their bodies sayeth he shal lie in the stretes of the great Citie And by an expositiō he addeth which is called spiritually Sodome and Aegipte Moreouer where also our Lord was crucified And agayne and they shall see of people and kinreddes and tongues and natiōs therfore by this he vnderstode not any strayte nor yet any large citie inclosed with walles but that citie stretcheth through out the world wherin dwel nations kinreddes people c. Sodome and Aegipte are farre a sonder nother can they be ioyned together with any walles Againe our Lorde was crucified in the citie of Hierusalem whiche is also called of the Prophetes Sodome and Gomorrha but he is crucified dayly in his membres through out the world And there is one and the same citie and societie of al the wicked in the worlde as there is one body of the godly Let vs knowe therfore how that citie wherin the bodies of the prophetes lie in the stretes is the citie of Cain and the Romish church scattered ouer the world The same is called Aegipte and Sodome but spiritually Spiritually Where we see this vocable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritually to be vsed in a sense farre from the lettre for otherwise there is no spirite at all eyther in Sodome or in Aegypte for they be altogether flesh Therefore insense of a parable and by a comparison this citie is called Sodome Aegypte Sodome Aegipte What Sodome was appereth of the .19 chapt of Genes and .16 of Ezechiel Her sinnes went vp to heauē But what maner one is at this daye a longe time hath ben the churche of Rome all men know excepte it be they that wil not know And the Apostle in the .1 to the Romaines hath expounded And Aegipte robbed the children of God of their libertie oppressed them with vile bōdage and prohibited them from the trewe worshippyng of God So likewise the Romish church hath spoyled the church of Christ of the libertie gotten by Christ hath wrapped her in filthie seruitude that she might serue in the dirte of mens tradicions It prohibiteth moreouer by all force and power that she shall not in retournyng to the gospel serue God truely And verely our lord Iesus Christ was crucified on Mounte Caluarie at the citie of Hierusalē Where our Lorde was crucified and also the articles of our fayth expounding the same saye that he suffered vnder Pōce Pilate He was the Romane gouernour it is manifest therefore that Christ suffered vnder the Romane Empire Vnder the same Empire and vnder the iudgement thereof were executed the Apostles and auncient Martirs Vnder the Empire of newe Rome fal that prophetes also at this daye by sworde and fire Also people kinreddes tongues and nations obeye this Empire nowe called the churche so that preachers in all places the beaste so willyng and commaundyng are aprehended and slayne with cruell deathes people kinreddes and nations lokyng on To the augementation and moste aptely expressyng the crueltie that thinge apperteyneth chiefly The wicked reioyse at the calamities of the godly that these earthly men possessyng in these landes a church all together carnall shall reioyse and be glad ouer the calamities and miserable deathes of Prophetes The same did also the Lorde him selfe prophecie before in the .16 of Iohn Verely verely I saye vnto you you shal wepe lamēt but the world shal reioyce c. Yea they shal sende giftes saieth he and letters of reioycing That this was done in the counsel of Constaunce what time Iohn Husse Bankettes were made for the fal of England and Hierome of Prage were burnt Histories make mention We haue hearde very lately howe after Englande was fallen agayne to the Romishe religion what ioye and gladnes what bankettes and triumphes the Papistes made in all places So ofte as the ministers or other faithfull are burnt the selfe same kepe solemne chere and pleasaunte bankettyng singyng Te deum Laudamus And letters of reioycing flye to froe in some other places with sollemne procession they reioyce at the miserie of the faithfull but the Lorde seeth these thinges which tolde lōg sins that the same things should now come to passe They are glad they are lighted of theyr burthen And the cause of this excedyng gladnes is non other than that those prophetes vexed them that dwell vpon earth For they that loue the earth and couet earthly thinges are sore offended with the free preachyng of the veritie whiche they hate more than dogge and snake For they desire eyther to atcheue honours riches and pleasures or if they haue them to kepe stil the same but they are sore affrayed leeste through preachyng the same should be shrewedly shakē or wholy taken from them Therefore they desire nothyng more than to be ridde and deliuered of their clamours and immediately to haue them taken out of the waye For so thinke they that they shal be safe and inioye their pleasures at wil. With like affection and Counsell in the feaste of Herode was coueted nother kingedom nor great some of Golde but the head of Iohn Baptiste The Popes had rather at this daye haue the heades of certen ministers of the churche than so many thousande crownes Yea moreouer the ministers of churches are called plagues
inuadeth not only the auncient churche but euen the very head of the church and redemer Christ howebeit with his furie outrageouse he could nothyng preuayle therefore he shal no more preuaile agaynst his membres Now he retourneth againe to the church and sayeth the church fleeth into wildernes after the dragon could bringe nothing to passe agaynst the sonne of God he wente and made warre agaynst the church and the churche fled into wildernes Certenly Iewrie in the prophetes is compared to a place most frequented the gentiles are called a deserte or wildernes Therefore after Christes ascention the Apostles departyng out of Iewrie repared to the gentiles yea and the Iewes inspired of the red dragon caste out the church out of their limites which was constreined as appereth in the Actes of Apostles to flee vnto the gētiles And where the Lorde hath prepared a place for his churche and the churche was greately augmented emongs the gentiles certenly it was through his grace and by no merite of man whiche prepared the place whiche calleth directeth and kepeth his shepe the same hath disposed and yet doeth dispose for this churche ministers or pastours which may fede it as the rauens did Helias al the time that shal be vnto the worldes ende For as for the nōbre of those daies I discoursed before And by this exposition is signified that the dragon shal fight stoutely against the church so that she shal be cōpelled to flee but how much so euer he shal rage against the churche the lorde God shal yet prepare a place in earth wherin she maye dwell safe and will euer sende pastours to fede He sheweth moreouer that the flight shall not alwayes be reprochable The Lord saue and kepe vs. Amen ¶ The description of the conflicte of Christe and the Church with the Dragon the dragō is ouercome the heauenly dwellers sing prayses The .liij. Sermon ANd there was a great battell in heauē Michaell his Angels fought with the dragon the dragō fought his Angels preuailed not nother was their place foūde any more in heauē And the dragon that olde serpent called the deuil and Sathanas was cast out Which deceaued all the world And he was cast into the Earth his Angels were cast out with him also And I hearde a lowde voice which sayed in Heauen nowe is saluation and strength and the kingdome become our Gods the power is Christes for he is caste downe which accused them before God daie night And thei ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe and by the worde of their testimony and they loued not their liues vnto the death Therfore reioyce ye heauens and ye that dwell therin Wo vnto the inhabiters of the earth and the sea for the deuill is comen doune vnto you which hath great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time Thapostle hath spoken of the partes of the notable fight worthie battel he hath spoken also of attēptes pourpos of the dragō which verely applieth al his coūsels to this intēt that he may deuoure al godlines that is might distroy it vtterly he hath shewed how he began to moue warre agaynst the church which fled into the wildernes now as it were leauing the womā in the wildernes he semeth to bring forth other soldiours whiche geue battel to the dragon most valeauntly do impugne also discōfit him al his power S. Iohn therfore describeth the singular fight of one most excellent to witte Michaell which ouercame the Dragon and describeth the general fight annexed with that particular For he addeth that al the Angels of Michael fought agaynst the dragon And first is heauē shewed to be the place of the fight or cōflicte For in heauen sayeth he was fought a great battaile The place of conflict And it is euidēt that Sathan was at the beginning of al things cast out of heauē into the earth and therfore that he moueth no warre in heauē nor reiseth any tumulte there For heauē is a place of rest ioye not of debate and contention Therefore this must be attributed to the visiō For the lord hath in heauen by signes represented this battaile to be sene whiche in dede is fought in earth in the middes of the church But here is set forth an image of a notable fight wherby is shewed what hath ben what is yet done in earth I saied euen now that this cōbat was in dede particular but to haue a general fight annexed For Michael fighteth whiche is as captaine of this warre and Michaelles Angelles fight also Who fight which must be wel discerned although that Michaell his Angels make but one parte only On the other side fighteth the dragō as emperour of this warre his angels fight also And these verely make non other partes thā we haue heard before in the beginning of this chapt That the partie of this fight were the church the deuil Neuertheles leest the victory should be attributed to the church not rather to Christ the womā must now be omitted and Michael brought in fighting Whereupon there is in these thinges some difficultie but it shal be easie enough for him that will marke euery thing in order Who is that Michaell captaine of the warre against the Dragon First we must see what that Michael is there is in dede no doubte but that the Angel Michell appered in the vision with an Army of Angels fighting And that on the contrary parte against thē fought the Dragon with an hoste of deuils But for asmuch as we hearde in the beginning that these were tokens they must nedes signifie betoken other thinges I suppose here therefore to be signified Christ the head of his church king protectour with his mēbres Apostles Martirs faithful Nother is it a rare thing that Christ should be figured to vs by Angels but is euen moste accustomed that Angelles are called the ambassadours of God the faithful seruaūtes of Iesus Christ Christ therfore head of the church the faithfull membres of Christ fight against the Dragon yet after a diuerse sort For christ ouercame him alone in the cōbat with out helpe of any creature whilest in temptations he discomfited him at the last also by diyng on the crosse rising agayne from the dead How christ hath fought with the dragō he al to brake his head This is the only trewe singular victory wherby afterwardes are obteyned the victories of Christes mēbres goten of that general fight wherein Christ fighteth not now only hande to hande with the Deuill but all the membres of Christe at all times vnder Christ their Captayne fight against the Deuill and in the vertue or victory of Christ fight and ouercome as we shal heare by and by in the songe of prayse Why Michael is Christ But for great and sondry causes we affirme Christe to be figured and
to are perdon for that offence Lōg it was or euer he was admitted to come in the Popes sight At the last he was led with an yrō chaine aboute his necke to the Bisshoppes table lyke a Dogge and there fayne to lie vnder the table emongs the dogges so lōg til the wrath of Clement without all clemencie beyng ouer paste he put out that ignominie from his countrie And was therefore alwayes after called dogge of his owne countriemē for that he had layne like a dogge at the Popes table for to gette absolution This is written in Sabellicus in the ende of the .9 Aeneid the .7 boke The Pope in excommunicatinge vseth tapers or candelles of waxe burning which he throweth downe to the grounde from on highe that euen thereby we might perceyue that it is he that calleth downe the feareful fire from Heauen vpon men in earth And these thinges doeth the beast in the presence of men to wit with great confidence boldenes finally to make mē affrayde and to kepe them in awe For after the same kinde of speaking S. Paule commaundeth also to rebuke a great man offendyng before all men that others maye be affrayed 1. Timoth. 5. He disceaueth by signes Howbeit the Lord addeth the vse and effect of Antichristes wonders to th ende the church might iudge rightly of them and he deceaueth sayeth he the dwellers on the Earth by reason of the miracles c. He shall seduce by these signes or miracles to wit by that grace of the spirite whiche he faineth that he geueth and with those his excommunications wherwith he would seme to caste men downe into hell that dwell vpon Earth that is to saye more geuen to earthly than to heauenly thinges And he shall leade them from the fayth of Christ vnto his tromperies Therefore must we iudge of the tokens and doctrine of Antichrist for that they seduce men Leaue maruelyng therefore howe it hath chaunced that the Pope hath allured to his side so many menne of wisedome and learnyng You haue hearde already by what meanes this is done Therefore be not you alwayes fooles learne take hede and beleue Christe and his Gospell and cleaue thereunto Agayne he sayeth The beaste doeth miracles in the sight of the beaste that power is geuen to the beast verely by the iuste iudgement of God that according to thapostles saiyng they maye be iudged whiche had rather beleue lies than the veritie that he shoulde worke those miracles in the sight of the beaste What is it to worke miracles in the sight of the beaste but to do them in the presence of all men boldely and with out feare euen to feare disceaue the very beast Here therfore nowe we heare of two beastes The beaste that doeth the wonders and that later beaste in whose sight that other fourmer beaste doeth those signes In the .19 chapt Yea it shall followe hereafter that both the beaste and the false Prophet whiche doeth these miracles before the beaste by the whiche he also deceaued the beaste shall be caste bothe into fire euerlasting Who therfore is the former and the two horned beaste but the Pope the very same is the false prophet also And who is the beaste in whose sight the Pope worketh wonders but the Image of the beaste and therfore a beaste also in asmuch as thempire is reysed of the beaste and gouerned by the spirite of the beaste For it followeth that the beast setteth vp an Image of the beaste The beaste setteth vp an Image of the beast and that of the same beaste whiche had the wounde of a sworde and liueth that is to wit of that olde Romane Empire Now therfore is erected a new Romane Empire which neuerthelesse is not called playnely a beaste but the Image of the beast that is to saye an Empire in dede but the which cometh not so nere to the olde by as farre as an Image differeth from the true example For the olde Romane Empire is as it were an example whereof thempire set vp by the Romish Antichrist is only an Image representation shaddowe and as it were a dreame hauyng neuerthelesse some sumilitude of the same Howe the Image of the beaste was set vp I tolde before and shewed out of stories howe the olde Romane Empire was torne and rent in pieces taken quite awaye In times paste the one Emperour gouerned in the Easte at Constantinople the other in the Weste at Rome or at Rauenna But from Augustulus by the space of thre hondreth yeres and more there was no Emperour of the Weste And suche landes as were the Emperours were now possessed of others and the Empire was vtterly loste Therefore about the yere of our lorde eyght hondreth what time Charles the greate Kynge of Fraunce came to Rome vpon Christemas daye Leo the .3 of that name Bisshoppe of Rome setting the Crowne vpon Charles head made him Emperour all the people saiyng with a lowde voice to Charles the Emperour crowned of God be long life and victory These thinges are red in all stories especially in the .4 booke of Auentinus his Cronicles of Bourbonois The beaste sayeth to the inhabiters of the Earth that they shuld make an Image to the beast Agayne when this Empire semed to wauer and to slide and therefore lyke shortely to falle the Bisshoppe of Rome instituted seuen Princes Electours Some referre this ordenaunce to Gregory the .5 whiche was Pope when Otth◠was Emperour And some to Gregory the .10 whiche called Rafe of Abspurge to the Empire Whereof shal be more sayed anone But the Lorde by S. Iohn sayeth expressely howe the beast sayed to the inhabiters of the Earth that thei shuld make an Image of the beaste For the Popes haue by speakyng and not by fightyng as appereth in the stories of Bisshoppes of Rome especially of Leo the .3 erected a new Empire For by preachyng perswadyng and practysing they brought the Empire to Kinge Charles Certenly Platina in the life of Leo the .3 The Bisshop sayeth he minding to gratifie by some meane king Charles which had deserued right well of the churche in the churche of S. Peter after solemne seruice done by the voyces and prayers of the people of Rome with a lowde voyce declareth Charles Emperour and crowneth him c. But nowe we muste see more dilligentlie What is properlie the Image of the beaste wherefore the newelie erected empyre is called of the Pope the Image of the oulde beaste And here in dede myghte manye thynges be alledged but I shall recyte of many things onely a fewe Aboue all thinges it is called the Image both for that it is named the Empyre it selfe and wolde be taken for the oulde Empyre where it is in dede a name wythoute the thynge and a vayne tytle wythoute that aunciente power maiestie and glorie For vnlesse the Emperour haue the Kyngdome of his owne by inheritaunce what Kyngdome shal he haue by the name of
parte of the nobles of Germany of Italy There was also a Counsell assembled at Wormz where Kinge Henry beyng presente all the Germane Bishoppes excepte they of Saxonie deposed the Pope from his function The Epistles and fragmentes of these Coūselles are founde in the Cronicles of Verspergens -chiefly He is accused by these openly of all wickednes and vngodlines of Hypocrisie and crueltie We haue rehersed a little before what Cardinall Benno a wryter of his time hath committed to wrytinge There remayne also testimonies of Sigisbert an olde wryter concernynge this Pope Who so will maye reade the .5 booke of Auentinus from the .162 and so forth And also the preface of the .6 booke The same Authour in the .7 booke reportynge the wordes of Eberharde Bisshoppe of Salisburge had in the Counsell of Regenspurge Hildebrande sayeth he 170. yeres sins vnder pretence of religion layde firste the foundation of Antitichristes kingedome This wycked warre he him selfe firste beganne whiche by his successours is continewed hitherto Firste they haue excluded the Emperour from the Popes election and referred the same to the people and priestes of Rome After they also mocked thruste out they goe about now also to bring vs in subiection bondage to thintent thei might reigne alone And the things that follow But the thing it self declareth that there haue not liued many Popes more bolde and impudent than this whiche haue auaunced more highly the maiestie of the seate He excōmunicated themperour Henry the .4 and depriued him of the dignitie imperial moreouer he stired vp his subiectes agaynste hym and absolued the rebelles and traytours from their othe of fidelitie and he him selfe like a Monarke gaue the Crowne of the Empire vnto others at his pleasure The powre therefore and Treasoure of the Empire hath be so worne and wasted what wyth ciuile and what wyth foreyne warres that these many yeres nowe the kinges of Almaigne haue neyther ben able to recouer their force nor yet to resiste the most arrogaunt tiranny of Popes And thus at the laste the Pope is become a Monarch and Emperours Kinges and and Princes are made their Clientes and wardes When Gregory the .7 was dead there succeded .4 Mōkes of Hildebrandes secte and faction of his maners kankred nature as it were heires and sonnes that go nothing out of kinde Victor the .3 Vrbane the .2 Paschal the .2 And Gelasius the .2 Anno. 1119 Paschalis caused the sonne Henry the .5 oh wicked and detestable parricidie to warre agaynst the father that miserable Henry the .4 And shortely also Gelasius the .2 and Callistus the .2 do excōmunicate also Henry the .5 And cease not to vexe this prince also till they had wronge out of his hādes the gifte or electiō of Bisshopperickes The gifte of Bishoprikes takē frō themperours And that to the great and inestimable profit of the See of Rome and to the vnrecouerable losse of Germany c. These thinges are described more at large of Vrspergens in the Cronicle of the yere .1122 In the times followyng the audacitie power of Popes increasing hourely the Germane kinges haue resisted them stoutely enough but yet with small successe Where in the meane season we must remembre the wordes of the Lord vttered by Daniel saiyng and there shall arrise a Kinge of a shameles face and vnderstanding propositions his strēgth shall be fortfied but not in his owne force and it can not be beleued howe he wil distroye al thinges and he shal prosper and do c. the tirāny of Popes against emperours Anno. 1178 I wil touche therfore in fewe wordes what thinges in the times followyng Popes haue attempted agaynste kinges and boldely done for the establisshyng of their Empire and Monarchie Pope Alexander the .3 did excommunicate Fridericke the .1 called Barbarousse trode him vnder his fete And where the good Prince sayed how he sheweth this obedience to S. Peter the beaste exclamed settyng him selfe also before Peter and sayed both to me and to Peter and stamped on him Pope Innocentius the .3 coulde not abide much lesse allowe Philippe the sonne of Fridericke Anno. 1189 created Emperour but commaunded the electours to chouse an other I meane Ottho Duke of Saxon whome notwithstandyng shortely after he excommunicated also That proude beast sayed that he would take from Philippe the emperial crowne or lose his Apostolicke Miter Vnto this Innocent are ascribed those most proude wordes which are red in the decretal of Gregory the .9 de Elect. in the .6 title .34 chapt on this wise that the princes haue right and authoritie to chouse a king and afterwarde to auaūce him to be Emperour we acknowledge as we ought as to whome of righte and auncient custome it is knowē to appertayne especially sins that such right and authoritie came vnto them from the Apostolicall Seate which translated the Romane Empire frō the Grekes to the Germanes in the persone of greate Charles See howe thei vsurpe all power to themselues Howbeit the Princes must know agayne that the right and authoritie to examine the person chosen kyng and to be promoted to the empire belongeth vnto vs which do annoincte consecrate and crowne him c. The same in the first boke the .33 Titl de maior obedient Wryting to the Emperour Constantine So much diuersitie sayeth he as there is betwixte the sunne and the Mone so great a difference is there betwene Popes and Kinges in Gods name But the Emperour Fridericke the .2 Fridericke the .2 well langaged Nephewe to Barbarousse an excellent prince many Popes did excommunicate Honorius the .3 Gregory the .9 and Innocentius the .4 And in dede Gregory the .9 whilest Fridericke that excellent Prince made warre in Syria for religion with the Soldane inuaded and kept the prouinces of Fridericke An. 1227. 1228. 1247. There were most cruell warres and discordes betwixte the Popes and this Fridericke The same Innocentius the .4 excommunicateth Conrade the .4 of that name and Sonne of Fridericke the .2 and stireth vp the Prince of Thuringe agaynst him And when the Emperour Conrade was dead the Pope obteyned the good willes of the Neapolitanes to yelde themselues to the See of Rome Conrade had lefte a Sonne and heire Conradine and Manfrede his bastarde brother whiche would be called king of Sicilie Wherefore Pope Vrbane the fourth some haue Clement the .4 agaynste Manfrede sente for Charles brother to kinge Lewis the Frenche kynge Erle of Prouince and of Saunte to come with an Armie into Italy Anno. 1263 and called him King of both Sicilies Who ouercome and slewe Manfred at Beneuent receiued the kingdomes of Sicilie of the Pope to do him homage But Conradinus Duke of Swauelande accōpanied with Fridericke Duke of Austrich leadeth out of Germany a right wel furnished Armie into Italy against Charles for the recoueryng of his olde and fatherly kingdome But vanquisshed of Charles at the lake
Fucine he was taken with duke Fridericke Anno. 1266 There were slaine as it is saied .12 thousand The occasion of so greate an euill were the Popes chiefly Clement the .4 which beyng demaunded of Charles the worthie Prince what he should do with his prisoners aunswered so that the Frenche men vnderstode that they must suffer Therfore he put them both to the sworde In whome the house and posteritie of the moste noble Dukes of Austriche and Swauelande is sayde to haue failed Paulus Aemilius discourseth this gere more at large in the .7 booke of Frenche Actes and Auentinus in the .7 booke But yet might not the Ire and furie of those moste holy fathers be so pacified conceiued hereof that the most noble Dukes of Swauelande had for gods glory and the comon welthes sake most godly and most constantly resisted the Romish Bisshoppes Wolues I would haue saied Thempire made desolate But these Parricidies and blouddy warres displeased all good meÌ„ euery where and chiefly the wise and godly Princes so that they vnderstode how they must eschew that Empire and flee from it as from the plage as the which was not only but a shaddowe but moreouer would vtterly consume his yerely reuenewes and treasour which should receiue the office For now was it knowen through out the world what the moste valeaunt and excellent Princes of Germany had nowe about .119 yeres from Henry the .4 to the Sonnes of Fridericke the .2 suffered of the bolde ambition and vncredible mallice of the Popes and that many of them had loste both their liues with their auncient kingdomes and their â—ibertie most excellent of all And here was thempire with out any Emperour for certeÌ„ yeres which I am wont to cal a desolation of the kingdome or Empire For the Popes with their inuincible and intollerable pryde and tyrannie had so weakened the force of the Emperours that the empire semed subuerted destroyed nother coulde there any be easely founde which ded set by it or thoughte it worthie to be desyred At the laste at the commaundement of Gregory the .10 which helde a Counsell at Lions was chosen Counte Rodulph of Abspurg which although he forsoke not the thing offered yet being oft requested to come to Rome is sayed to haue aunswered the waywarde steppes of fete do feare me sore meaning by this dixaine that he trusted not the Popes which by their craftes had destroyed both many Prences of Germanie and also innumerable people comming to Rome And this Rafe is red to haue ben crowned Kyng in the yeare of our Lorde .1273 the .200 yeare after Gregory the .7 And so longe time lasted the fight of Popes and Emperours A little whyle after whyleste Alberte the sonne of Rafe was chosen Emperoure and the election was referred to Boniface the .8 of that name he stoutely reiected the same and shewed by and by in word and dede that he was both Pope and Emperour which by right had both swordes Which I expounded in the .58 sermon the same doth Albert Krantz declare excedingly well in the .8 boke .36 ch of Saxon matters In the place of King Albert was substituted Henry Prince of Lucemburge But what authoritie ouer him thempire chaleÌ„ged Clement the .5 pope he that list may know of the ClemeÌ„tines For there is a long treatise therof in the .2 boke .9 tit I could also rehearce many other lyke things of pope Ihon the .22 and of others if I ded not thinke it superfluouse For of these things which I haue rehersed hitherto The proprietie of kingdomes is the popes but the vse of Kings and Princes it appereth sufficieÌ„tly that the popes theÌ„selues by a mischeuouse boldnes haue takeÌ„ to theÌ„selues thempire do boast theÌ„selues for monarkes do abuse the seruice ministerie of kinges as their wards clieÌ„tes yet to pretend the name of soÌ„nes to the intent thei may haue them the more obedieÌ„t For so in times past wrote Gregory the .7 to Geusas king of Hongary which place read in the .17 chap. of this boke the sermoÌ„ .75 yet vnderstaÌ„d we in the meane time that the gretest part of Princes Nobles haue not knowen the same beast but haue rather impugned him therfore not to come in the nombre of the beast but in asmuch as they lyued vnder the Empire yet estraunged farre from the beaste By this I woulde haue them aunswered which wyll exclame and saie who can take it in good parte to haue the holy Empire called the Image of the beast and so many noble Kings and Princes Cities and people praise worthie But I nother oughte nor wyll chaunge the manner of speakinge which the scripture vseth They be the Lordes woordes all which Daniell in oulde tyme and nowe Ibon haue reuealed to vs but I maie excepte and excuse such as are excused by the testimonie of scripture The way is ready briefe whosoeuer wyll be free from the beaste let him take hede that he be not inspired withe the Popes spirite and that he speake not and doe that the Pope commauÌ„deth against godlynes Let him rather be ruled with the spirite of Christ and so shal it come to passe that dwelling in the middes of Babilon he shal not lyue after the iniquities of Babilon but in the Kingdome of Christe They that shall not worship the beaste shal be slain It foloweth and the beast shal cause that whosoeuer shal not worship the Image of the beast shall be slayne And it is all one offence to worship that oulde beaste and to worship the Image of the newe beaste Of the worshipping of him I haue spoken a little before Therfore doe they worshippe the Image of the beaste which admitte the decrees and those ordinaunces of the seate and Empire speaking the inspiration of the beaste which allowe the Romish religion which fall to the kyssing of the feeâ—e and shew themselues in all things obedient chyldren of the seate and are faithfull to the popish Empire Nowe yf any wyll not be suche a one and woulde be content with Christianitie would abhorre Rome the seat of the beast and detest the Image of the beast he lyke a church robber and traytour is iudged vnworthie of lyfe There is a Canon in the .5 boke of Decret the .7 tit of heret Wherein withoute any circumstaunce of wordes Lucius the thirde of that name determyneth playnelye that heretykes are strycken with an euerlastinge curse whosoeuer beleue and teache otherwyse of the Sacraments than the church of Rome beleueth and teacheth He commaundeth moreouer that such beynge depryued of all dignitie shall be committed to the iudgement of the secular powers to be punished with dewe correction But yf the temporall maiestrate wyll not punish so defend the church that than he shal be also depriued of al honour c. But why do I tary in rehearsyng these thinges All men at this daie knowe and see what thynges are done daylie They are
I know rightwell that the proper names of great men haue ben sealed by prophecies and signified before as Iosias Cyrus Iesus But here thou canst gather no such thing but forceably and as it were agaynst the heere I vnderstande therefore by the nombre of the name of Antichrist or beaste the very accōpte wherby we come vnto his name And a name is a briefe definition or description of any thing whereby it is knowen of what sorte and maner it is Which thing in this our cause the nōbre supplieth whiche bringeth vs vnto those times which geue him his name whereof he taketh his name that is whiche times reueale vnto vs Antichrist spoken of before in the prophetes and shewe vs who and what he is or whō we should take for Antichrist euen him verely whiche hauing brought lowe three kinges he him selfe starteth vp of naught and to the distruction of the true religion beginneth to reigne And nowe he sheweth vs expressely this nombre nominall as I maye calle it The nōbre of .666 yeres is expounded and vocalle which maye leade vs vnto Antichriste that we maye knowe who it is and when we knowe him we maye beware of him and commaundeth vs to nombre the yeres sixe hondreth sixtie and sixe For so many importe these Greke letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In expoundyng of the which nombre the expositours haue varied wonderfully I like best the exposition of the blessed Martir S. Ireney which perauenture an hondreth yeres after the setting forth of the Apocalipse wrote his boke against heresies saw some whiche hearde S. Iohn preach with S. Ireney maketh also Andreas the good bishop of Cesaria which with Aretas speaketh thus the perfit rekening iuste accompte of the nōbre as likewise other thinges which are written of the same Antichriste the oportunitie of time shall open Time shal reueale antichrist and very experience to suche as will watche dilligently For if it were necessary as some of the Doctours suppose that this name should be manifestly knowē he that sawe him would doubtles haue reuealed But the diuine grace allowed it not that the name of this pestiferous beaste should in this godly boke be rehersed Thus farre Andreas The exposition of Ireneus After the same sorte also the holy Martir of Christ Ireneus before Andreas lefte written in the .5 boke agaynst Heresies For aboute the ende of the booke it is surer sayeth he and with out daunger to abide and tary for the fulfillyng of the prophecie than to suspecte and gesse at euery name where as many names maye be founde hauing the foresayde nombre whereby notwithstanding the question is not aunswered Yet by and by he sayeth the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conteineth the nōbre of .666 And very like it is to be true For this vocable hath a very kingdome For thei be latines that now raigne This sayeth he Antichriste shal be a latine as also Sibilla prophecied And doubtles this good doctour erred not one whit indued with the holy spirite of God For we see that the church of Rome is called the latin churche and the Pope the high Bisshop of the latin church We see al seruice in churches sayde in the latin tongue In Courtes al iudgementes of Bisshoppes the latin tōgue only vsed Moreouer no man shall serue in this churche excepte he be a latiniste What wil you saie that these latinistes cal the Hebrewe that is to wit the holy tongue by an opprobriouse name Iewish the Grece Church tongue heretical The Bibles in Greke and Hebrewe be of them suspected For they will haue the latin Bibles only to be authenticall and to be red of all men as authenticall But these thinges are better knowen than that I nede to admonisshe and recite them here with many wordes Neuertheles this holy mā Ireneus doeth not wholy affirme this his coniecture as moste certayne whiche notwithstandyng he sayed yet was moste probable and like to be trewe For he addeth notwithstandyng we will not be in hazarde herein for he recited also the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the royall or tirannicall name of Nimrod nother will we affirmatiuely pronounce that he shal haue this name knowing that in case it were requisite that his name shuld be manifestly preached at this present time it should doubtles haue ben vttered by him whiche had sene also the reuelation But this nombre of the name hath he shewed that we mighte beware of him when he cometh knowyng who he is And he concealed his name for that is not worthy to be preached of the holy ghost and so forth Neuerthelesse the same before this sheweth vs away A place of Daniel in the .7 chapt lighteth this place how to accompte those .666 yeres For thus he sayeth knowyng the sure nombre whiche is shewed vs of the Scripture that is to saye of .666 let the godly abide or loke for firste the diuisiō of the kingdome into ten afterwarde the same reigning and beginnyng to refourme their matters and to augment their kingedome he that cometh vpon the sodayne chalenge to him selfe a kingdome and shal put the foresayde kinges in feare hauyng a name conteyning the foresayde nombre to knowe him verely for the abomination of desolation This agayne sayeth he But who seeth not that the holy Martir sendeth vs to the prophecie of Daniel whiche in the .7 chapt sayeth howe the Romane Empire shall be diuided into many kingedomes how in the middes of those kinges shuld rise vp a litle horne whiche should ouerthrowe and abase three hornes and that the same shoulde beginne to reigne prowdely tirannically and wickedly agaynst bothe God and menne but chiefly to the faithfull intollerable Let vs see than how and when these thinges are fulfilled The Romane Empire falleth Where the Romane Empire had godly Emperours nother yet would wicked Rome bowe her styffe necke vnto Christ but alwaies most obstinately aspired to her olde and wonted Idolatrie which it coueted to haue restored and finally whē the fatal time was at hande wherin the lord most rightuouse thought to requite blouddy Rome he armed against her the Gothians Vandales and Germanes which subdued distroied the lady of the whole worlde and distroyed the whole Empire of the which matter seke more in the .57 Sermō and in the sermons followyng Many hornes or kinges arrise And it is euident by Histories that the Romane Empire the Gothians beginnyng to inuade it did slide prouinces reuolting in euery place and was seuered in many kingdome For to speake nothing of Asia and Affricke the Persians wasting that and this the Vandalles al Grece followed the Emperour of Constantinople and likewise other nations nere The Westegothes possessed all Spayne and the French mē of Franconie subdued Gaulles and Germany and the nations adioynyng to the same The Eastegothes and Lumbardes obteyned Italy Thus verely mere establisshed many kingdomes in steade of Rome reygned many
with golde siluer preciouse stones al costely arraye These thinges are founde in the olde people beyng vnder the discipline of the lawe they are founde also emōges the gentiles which suppose not god to be rightly honoured but with the preciouse things of this world But we know that the leuitical priesthood is abrogated with al the outwarde araye that now the church decketh her self with vertues hateth and abhorreth outwarde garnisshing Lactantius confuteth at large the externall deckyng in religiō or godly worshippyng in his boke of Institut de vero cultu c. Moreouer all olde writers shewe that God is not worshipped of the christians with golde siluer but with faith charitie rightuousnes What wil ye say that Daniel in the .11 chap. sheweth that Antichrist shal worship God with golde siluer precious things which thing he cōdēneth reiecteth And doeth it not appere here plainely The Pope paincted forthe is shewed to the world that the lord Iesus himself hath setforth to vs the Pope or Antichrist painted as it were in a table For he appereth altogether such in such like apparell he sheweth him selfe to be sene of all men as the whore of Babilō is decked with at this present And he chalengeth to him selfe this apparell by a certen right For the Papistes bring forth a false fained donation of Constantine emonges other thinges pronouncyng thus in the Distinct 96. The donatiō of Cōstantine fained We geue and dimise to blessed Siluester and to all his successours the palace laterane of our Empire moreouer the Diademe to witte the royal crowne of our head whiche the Pope calleth a kingdome hath made it triple and also our purple robe and coate of Crimosine and all our imperiall araye c. I can not here omitte but must nedes wryte out a fewe thinges of Platina the Popes secretarie de vitis pontif For describyng the life of Clement the .5 at the Popes coronation sayeth he were present Philippe kyng of Fraūce and Charles his brother Iohn Duke of Britaine which ouerwhelmed with the fallyng of a walle dieth see the diuine and iust iudgement of God with many others whilest the pompe of the Coronation as the maner is was led through the citie Kyng Philippe also by the same ruine was sore hurte and lamed the Pope stricken of his horse loste a Rubie out of his myter that coste sixe thousande Ducates This he This whore moreouer drynketh to all nations of the cup of Circes whiche the lorde calleth of Golde She drinketh to thē carouse And it signifieth doctrine For to geue drinke is to teache Ezechiel .34 Golde betokeneth sincerenes and purenes of doctrine Doubtles vnder pretence of sincerenes and veritie diuine Rome hath easely perswaded all people to receyue the doctrine of the Romish Sea For the Pope hath both named him self Apostolicall and the church of Rome also Apostolical And in the Canones hath lefte wrytten right so are all the lawes of the See Apostolicke to be taken as though they were confirmed by the godly mouth of S. Peter him selfe Distinct 19. Reade the .20.21.22 Distinct Therefore the more simple sorte of the world haue supposed that they receiue the very worde and lawes of God what time they receyued the decrees and doctrine of the church of Rome But our lorde Iesus Christ doeth here declare vnto vs what hath ben and what is euen at this daye their doctrine and sayeth ful of abominations and vncleanes of her filthie luste And the scripture calleth abomination Idolatrie Deuter. 7. chapt Moreouer the false worshippyng of God superstition and suche other thinges like The vncleanes of whoredome in the Prophetes is nothing els but peruerse doctrine and peruerse religion not attributing al good things to God alone by his sonne but rather diuiding the harte and appliyng them bothe vnto creatures to wicked worshippynges But suche is the doctrine and religion of the Romish See Therefore is her great sinne here recited that she hath with her euill and venemouse doctrine seduced and infected al nations and euen nowe also reteyneth them in superstition and Idolatrie A lyke place is in the .16 chapt of Ezechiel And I suppose that our lorde Iesus Christ vsed here now wordes very filthy to the intent he might plucke awaye from the Romish decrees and Canons their authoritie and viserne that their filthines mighte appere vnto al men and be knowen and eschewed Furthermore leeste any shoulde be ignoraunt what the same woman were A name written in the forehead which may open the mistery or vnderstandyng whiche is here setforth to be sene and that all might flee that greate witche Circes he wryteth her owne name in her very forehead that al men might reade it and that she might by no meanes be vnknowen For he calleth a misterie the vnderstandyng or signification of a secret for by a trope is Rome called Babylon Wherof I haue spoken before And after the true signification of the worde Babel soundeth confusiō And Rome hath brought an exceding greate confusion into the church For like as the primatiue church of Rome set forth the gospell in the weste countrie so the first simplicitie and purenes ones extinguished the later Bisshoppes regardyng more ambition and couetousenes than humilitie liberalitie and godlines haue brought into the whole world al maner of Idolatrie and superstition Certenly she is called of the Lorde expressely the mother of the whoredomes and abominations of the earth For we maye thanke the church of Rome for all the corrupte doctrine and vngodlines that is in the church She is the original of idolles Masse and other abominations Therfore is she moste worthie to be punnisshed with moste greuouse tourmentes And this verely is the moste worthie title of the Romish churche Others calle her Apostolicall diuine chiefe and of all moste holy The Lord Christe calleth her Babylon and that great a moste common harlot and euen the mother of the abominations and whoredomes of the whole worlde fightyng agaynst God and his annoyncted Therefore lette al the holy and obedient children of God the father flee from her I wil not here make rehersal how she is also the mother of al abominatiōs and whoredomes euen after the flesh For whilest the church of Rome hath prohibited lawful mariages and of God permitted to ecclesiasticall persones it hath opened the gates to fornications adulteries whoredomes lustes abominable There nede no wordes the thing it self speaketh Vnto these he annexeth a crime of al other most greuouse Dronken which the bloud of Sainctes dronkennes tiranny and parricidie And here also he vseth an amplification For he sayeth howe that greate Circes the moste venemouse witche and Sorcerer is not sprinkled or imbrewed or wette but dronkē with the bloud of saincts I meane of holy martirs which haue borne witnes to Iesu Christ by preachyng of the gospell and ascribyng al thinges of saluation to Christe alone But howe many
hande of God The Angel had shewed Ihon expressely before that he shoulde not do that he than did and now repeteth it againe For hauing as it were forgotten those things by reason of the excellencie of the Angel he wold surely haue done him some worship For so we permit to our selues more than is decēt especially toward nobler personages whom for thexcellēt gyfts of God we esteme worthie whom we may also without the offence of God euen worship That opiniō deceaueth in our time the most part of them which against the comlines of syncere religion worship and honour Saincts But the Angel of the Lorde here nother forgeth nor bringeth foorth any newe doctrine but that olde in forme as thei terme it to the intent we shuld vnderstād that the will of God is alwayes one and perpetuall which will not haue the most excellent creatures to be worshipped but one God alone to be honoured He repeteth therefore the same causes which he also obiected before Therfore be they alwaies of force with all at al times S. Ihon in the meane time semeth that he wold commend vnto vs the excellencie of this vision or reuelation and that the Angel did admonish him cōstantlie of his dutie and vs al by him that the thing which is proper to God we shulde transpose to no creatures and it deserueth exceding great prayse here that S. Ihon here discembleth nothing but by expresse wordes committeth to writing his fall and rebukyng of the Angell moste euidently For by his fall he wolde admonish that the godly shulde not fall in lyke cases but geue all glory to God Here semeth also to be obserued a maruelouse affection in the maner of speakyng For the Angell crieth out to Ihon being ready to fall downe nowe yea prostrate already and nowe aboute to worwip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See thou do it not that thou verely intendest to do Here is expressed the carefulnes of mynd and haste wherwith he goeth about to preuent the enterprise of Ihon. And thus diligent are the Holy spirirites in heauē in letttyng al things that by any meanes do tourne vs frō God to the worshipping of creatures much lesse would they thēselues be worshipped or to haue the things attributed to them which the Papistes at this day attribute by force of Armes The Lorde of clemencie mercie conuerte them to a right minde that thei maye attribute al glory to God Amē ¶ S. Iohn is commaunded not to seale this boke but to publishe it hauyng respecte to no man The XCviij Sermon AND he sayd vnto me seale not the sayenges of the prophecie of this boke For the time is at hande He that doeth euill let him doe euill stil he which is filthie let him be filthie still and he that is rightuouse let him be more rightuouse and he that is holy let him be more holy 7 The seuenth place that is treated in this conclusion forbiddeth Iohn that he seale not the boke written Seale not the boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayeth the Angel seale it not And certenly letters and bokes are wonte to be sealed eyther for credit confirmatiōs sake or els that they should not be openly red of al men but those only to whom they are assigned An Angell sayeth to Daniel in the .12 chapt And thou Daniel close the wordes and seale the boke vntil the laste time He is commaunded to shut his boke that is to saye to make an ende nother to loke for any more reuelatiō finally he is cōmaunded to shut it for the vngodly vnto whom assuredly this boke shal seme darke closed For it followeth for many shal erre knowledge shal be manifolde For thei that are not ruled by the certayne sure word of God haue nothing at al certenly tried knowē but wander through manifolde or sondry vncertayne opiniōs iudgementes and traditions of men For Daniel sayeth that knowledge shal be variable that is to say there shal be innumerable opiniōs sectes of the religion seruing of god where neuerthelesse there is but one only trewe opinion doctrine fayth or religion the fame I saye whiche Daniel set forth in his boke which boke also he sealed that is to saye cōfirmed it as it were with godly seales as authenticall or authorised and which was worthie to be credited howebeit at this present S. Iohn is not commaunded in the same sense and meanyng not to seale his boke which we know to be altogether autenticall This boke shoulde be open for al men but such a thing as this is the Angel meaneth cōceale or couer not hide not this boke whom God therfore would haue to be writtē that it might be a publicke doctrine in the whole world wherby al men might be instructed in the thinges that are reuealed from heauen that they be not thorowe the craftes and tiranny of Antichrist withdrawen from the kingdome of Christ vnto the kingdome of Antichrist for God would that al these thinges should to all men be moste common and manifestly knowen And this sense hath Aretas opened also sayeng Seale them not sayeth he that is kepe them not sealed to thy self but publishe them to all The reason is annexed for the time is at hande wherein verely these thinges which I haue sayde shal come to passe Wherfore the faythful had nede of warnyng cōfirmyng and comforte Consideryng therefore that this boke is set forth that it might admonishe strengthen and comforte the faythfull the same ought not to be shutte but wide open For this is the good will of God that this his word should be preached in his church to the profit of al faithfull Let them loke therefore what they doe whiche would haue this booke not only shutte vp but cleane taken awaie nother thinke it can be vnderstande as obscure and full of darke speakynges But to God be prayse and thankes geuyng whiche hath vouchsaued to prouide for vs faythfully in time by this most profitable and moste necessarie boke ¶ These thīgs must be beatē in both to the hearers to suche as will not heare 8 The eight place of this conclusion semeth to treate of a certen preuention For some man here might saye thou wilt haue this boke to be open and come vnto al men of al states sexe and ages but there shal be some whiche wil vtterly contemne the same In vayne therefore shall it be preached in vayne shall we vrge these writynges with them especially which shal deride the same and expounde them this waye or that waye at their pleasure But he semeth to preuent this saye doubtles there shall be vnrightuouse innumerable whiche shal procede vnbridled in their iniquities and shall more and more excede and passe themselues but yet there shall be also rightuouse whiche perseueryng in al rightuousenes shal increase in holy vertues and herein also shal surmounte themselues wherfore spare not thou to vtter to thē al such things