enimies in the most ample and mightiest Monarchie but by the benefit of God Ieremy confirming the same saying That nacion and kingdom that wil not serue Nebucadne shall be visited with swerde pestilence famyn This was called the golden head because that as it was the best gouerned with all cyuile iustice equite vnto this daye so did the king Nebucad raigne most victoriouse more then 40. yeres and being olde left his kingdom to his neuye as Ieremy prophecied whiche felicite to haue had not hapened to the other 3. kingdoÌ„s Daniel here aftir testifieth assigning to y e persik realme 3. orders of tethe To the Macedoni â–ª Monarchie 4. head is and 10 â–ª hornes to the Roman empire This goldeÌ„ head had but 3 kinges in daniels tyme For Nebucadnezar raigned 45 yeres â–ª his sone Euismerodach 23 and Beltthalat 3 yeres For from this last hogge was the babyloni monarch translated vnto the persis as ye shall see in the 5 chap. Aftir this there shall spring forth a nother kingdom vpon the erthe lesse then thyne This was the Persy Monarchie and the Medis empyre signifyed by the syluer breste and armes when this monarchie of the Medis and persies begane we shal shewe it in the 5 chapter How it was gouerned ye shal see in the 6 cap. aÌ„d in the eleuenth how longe it endured ☞ And then shal ther be the thirde Monarchie called the brasen empyre whiche shall be ouer the vniuersal worlde This is the monarchye of great Alexander of his mighty coÌ„federed successours signified by the brason belly and soyncs the begining of this kingdom ye see it here in the. 2. ca the middis in the. 7 8. the ende Daniel prophecieth in the eleuenth ¶ But the fowrth king doÌ„ shal be as stroÌ„g as harde as for it shall lyke make softe breke tame all other king domo And wÌ„here thou didst see the feete and toes partely erth â—n and parte it signifieth the kingdom to be diuided nethelesse yet shal it retaine some what of the ferme fastnes of as it were vnder y e sole of his fote as thou didste see the miyt with pot ba erthe And because the toes were parte aÌ„d parte ba erthe this empyre shal be partely stronge and partely frayle and weak And where thou didst see the miyt with ba erth it signifieth these diuided kigdoms to be ioyned togither emong themselues and confedered by bloude in mariages but yet shall not one agre long with a noÌ„ther their confederacies shall not stonde nor holde no more then may be mixed and welled togither with ba erthe This fowerth Monarchie is the Romane empyre thus descrybed more at large then the other thre because it was in the beginnynge more strong valeaunter and harder vntyll by Mahumets religion and the Popes Antichristen crafte it was diuided dispersed minisshed and dekayed as ye see it this daye brought vnto his potba erthen frayle feble feet euen the last kyngdome to be destroyed partely by intestyne ciuile warre emonge themselues and thus the maye made partely by the Turke and at last by the stonne sinyten oute of the hyll which is by the kyngdom of Christes Gospell preched which worde proceded oute of the mounte Sion and oute of Hierusalem euen now euery daye out of the very trwe churche of Christ dayly wryting and preching this foundacion stone Christ purely frely and faythfully Daniel diuideth this descripcion into thre expresse signes First he saith in his feete and toes of and erth there shall remaine as it were vnder the sole some ferme fastenes of Which signifieth the Romane empyre although it be diuided and dispersed into Germanye Englande Spayne France and Turkye c. into other Monarchies yet shall these Monarchies holde as long as they may the nature of vnder the vse and ministracion of the Romane lawes called the ciuile or emprowrs lawes Secondarily he sayth these fete and toes partly 〈…〉 and partely erthen to signifie the Ro mane empire after his firste strengthe to be made feble and weake which may be proued by the examples of some mygthy and inuicte emprowrs and of other weake and ouerthrone Thirdly he sayth They shal be mixt together but yet shal they not cleaue to nomore then may be welled together with a potsherd And this signifieth as hath the text They shall seke confederacions and affinities by bloude consanguinitie in maryages and all in vayne As ye se it for albeit em and kynges haue ioyned together in maryages with theyr daughters and sonnes yea and with holy sacred othes in lege the hoost broken and diuided betwixt them yet hath one inuaded and destroyd other They shal be confedered to make a newe and all one Monarchye but all in vayne for this is the last empire to be destroyed at the last daye is yet in destroyinge for resistyng persecutynge Gods worde whether it be the seculare or Ecclesiasti particulare or vniuersall empire or kyngdome ☞ For in the tyme of these kynges the God of heuen shal set vp a kyngdom which shall neuer be destroyed nether shall this kyngdome be delyuered vnto any other peple which kyngdom Monarchye shall destroye and make an ende of all the other empires and kyngdoms but it self shall stand for euer as thou sawest the stonne smyten out from the hil without handis breking into poulder the brasse test erth syluer golde Whylis yet these kingdoÌ„s endured but yet translated into the Romane Monarchie shall Christes kyngdom be begune vpon erth For the em Augustus in the tyme of ChristÌ„es byrth described the hole worlde as Luke wryteth The God of heauen to set vp fast this kyngdom is Christ by his worde and spirit of God to raigne as himself before Pilate confessed saing My kyngdom is not of this worlde for as Dauid in the. 2. Psal. so doth Dan. Promise here Christis kyngdom to come to be a spirituall kyngdoÌ„ This kyngdom standing vpon the preching doctrine of Christes gospell shall neuer be destroyed although these Monarches cruelly burne and destroye the prechers and professours of the worde but as Christ is eternall so shall his worde be euer and all that beleue it lyue euerlastingly For the worde of God sayth I say standeth for euer and shal be preched and wryten vnto the last daye And all the kyngdome of the worlde which resiste and persecute Christes kyngdome which is his worde preched and his churche the spirit of God shall breake them to powlder when he shall reproue and conuince them of syne of ryghtwysnes and of iugement For where be nowe all the sewers at they not in hell with all the deuyllis And where is the Gospell It lyueth raigneth in heueÌ„ w t Christ here in his faythfull at last syke a consuminge fyer to deuoure oure enimyes according to the Psal. 110. And as towching the hyll out of which the stonne was out
saye as god hathe tolde vp and made an ende of thy kyngdome Thekel is to saye Thou art wayed vp in a bylance and art founde to lyght or thou art bought and sold. Pheres that is Thy kyngdome is diuided and translated to the Medis and Perses Now is daniel called to be the foreshewer of the iugement of god nether salutinge the kynge nor praysing his giftis in which thinge he declareth the kynge to be casten awaye of god therfore vnworthey reuerence he openly rebuketh him for his greuouse synne shewinge the sentence of god to be geuen vpon him and his kyngdom He nether flattereth him nor thanketh him for his giftis he selleth not the grace of god for kyngis giftis but sheweth him playnly the causes why he shuld be slayne and his kyngdom translated First therfore daniel beginneth at the office of a trewe precher not sekinge his owne but gods glory other menis profyt euen the helthe of the congregacion by confessynge the trewthe The aâ—dacite and bolde speche of daniel signifyeth the abieccion of the kynge and his realme Then he layeth before Beltsazar the examples of his grandfather Nebucadnezar wherat because this king his neuy amended not but was worse he declareth his synne to be the greuouser For they synne most greuously of all which amende not themselues at other mens punisshment but neglect the former wryten examples of gods wrath As there was seuentymes double punishmeÌ„t decreed vpon the slayer of Cain seuentymes seuen more payne for the â—layer of Lamech And cryst in Mat How depely damneth he the ingrate cryties that wold not be monished by Sodom and Gomor wherfore yf Beltsazar was slayne because he wold not be moued to repentance by thexample of his grandfather let vs now taught with other menis perells amende oure lyues lest for lyke synnes we suffer lyke paynes For verely euen this to be the vse of all thexamples of gods wrathe it is plaine in Paul to the Corinthes 1. Corin. 10. sayinge Oure fathers were smyten downe in the desert because they shulde be vnto vs figures and monicions that we fall not into lyke lustes These thinges be wryten for oure warninge ouer whom the ende of y e worlde hangeth Wherfore whoso standeth beware he fall not Daniel amplifyeth aggrauateth the greuousnes of the kynges synne by coupling strange and coÌ„trary gods with the very trewe god signifyinge the kynge not therfore onely to be depriued his lyfe and realme because he coÌ„tempned the example of the wrath of God in the fall of his grandfather not moued therat to repent but also because he passed farre his grandfather insynne in that he blasphemed the very God in worshiping doing reuerent behauours to his false gods and images and prophaning or abusing y e holy vessels And thus doth daniel tell the kyng to be destroyed his kyngdom to be translated for these two synnes one because at the example of Nebucadnezar he wold not be warned to repent himself the â— other synne is the violatinge of the first and 2. commandements in committing idolatrye and worshipinge or reuerencinge images which ther is no synne more greuouse deseruing the present punishment powered forth of the wrath of God from heuen both vpon emprours kynges princes vpon their empires and kyngdoms as ye here see it manifestlye The thre wordis wryten of the hande of god Mene Mene Thekel Vphar sin Daniel expouneth thus The first worde Mene signifieth god to haue nouÌ„bred tolde or mesured and apoynted the symites and tyme vnto tyraunts beyend the which they shall not passe nor before the which tyme prefined by gods infallible and immutable prouidence they shall not fal nor dye Mene therfore signifieth the tyme of the mutacion And the tother two word is signifye the maner of the mutacion not onely of this kyngdom but of all the kyngdome of the worlde at all tymes so to come to passe by Gods decreed will Also the repeticion of this worde Mene hath a greate pythe signifyinge the tyme and houre offiche decreed iugements of god certaynly and sodenly to come vpon them As sayde Moses to the Corites And as in this oure tyme sayth Draconites was that tyraunt depriued his gouernaÌ„ce at his rype tyme when he sayd that he had seuer God in heauen to haue bene dead then his owne wyked felowe Well therfore prayeth the Psalme agenst siche blasphemouse tyrants that fewe and shorte might be their dayes for they be very Iudases Wherfore as this worde Mene warneth tyrants of Gods heuey iugement hanging ouer their headis that they shuld repent and be monisshed according to the. 2. psal as was Ezechias and so obtained xv yeres addid to his lyfe so it counforteth the oppressed of tyrants that we shulde suffre paciently and endure constantly for that the Psal. sayth Shortly and sodenly shall the vngodly be destroyed and perisshe The tother two wordis Thekel and Vpharsin tell vs the plages and maner of their coming Thekel signifyeth Beltsazars kyngdome to be now wayed bought and solde from him The thirde worde Vpharsin signifyed his kyngdome to be diuided from that nacion vnto y e kynges of Mede and persie For the first plage of emperour kynges princes and preistes is to lose their auctorite and name as hath the psal Contempt is powered forth vpoÌ„ princes and rulers god makinge them to erre in a wrong waye but the poore afflicted he helpeth out of this trouble and fedeth his housholde as his owne shepe Sith empires and realmes stand by gods power it must nedis be God that geueth kynges their auctorite as it is wryten And parte of the hoste went their wayes with him euen they whose herts god had towched Also thexamples of all ages wytnes The noble men to haue bene va leant in auctorite not by manis power and wysedom to haue enioyed their hertis desyers Wherfore whensoeuer any mutacion hangeth ouer the princes and rulers headis and their realmes then beginneth their auctorite and name to dekaye and be minisshed For do not the coÌ„sent of all good men iugd now otherwyse of the pope his cardinals bisshops religiouse monkis and preistes then they did of late Be not menis myndes turned from them Is not their proude falsely vsurped auctorite worthely blotted out of good menis hertis The other and his last plage is the losse of his kyngdom for as did dauid succcede Saul so do here y e Medis and Peâ—seis succede y t Chaldeis and Assyriens And this was lo the ende of the first Monarchye and of so gloriouse a golden head Let all tyraunts nowe therfore ceasse lykewyse to trust to their owne ryches and power let them repent themselues of their persecucion of gods worde his ministers And thinke that they maye shortly by some soden chaunce lese their kyngdoms and empires as did Beltsazar lese and leaue his most flourisshing empyrre of Babylon vnto the Persyes
him thei see him be â—llumined of him albeit at firste whylis thei be vnder the lawe thei fele in themselues no strengthe to fulfyll it but they set holde by fayth vpon crystis fulfylling chalengynge it for their owne To you therfore sayth cryst is it geuen to knowe these secrete visions and mysteries but to other flyers awaye thei be derke rydels and obscure parables Furthermore I hearing the voyce of his wordis as I had bene oppressed with sleape was casten downe groueling vpon the earthe And lo with his hande he touched me lyfting me vp yet creping on my knees and palmes of my handis And he sayd vnto me Daniel which art so desyerouse of thinges to knowe them take heed to the wordis which I speke to the stond styll in thy place for now am I sent vnto the. And when he had tolde me this I stode vp tremblynge But he sayd vnto me Daniel feare not For in y e first daye that thou applyedst thy mynde to vnderstande and humbledst thyself before the god thy wordis were herde for thy sake am I comen For the king of the Persies resisted me 21. dayes But so Mi chael one of the cheif princes came helped me and I was there left with y e kinges of Persie And am comen to the to tell y e what shall come ouer thy peple in y e later dayes For this vision is extended coÌ„tinued into long many tyms And why les he thus spake with me I caste down my face towerd the grownde spake not And so one lyke the sone of man touched my lippes I opened my mouth spake sayinge to him that stode before me Syr thorow this apparicion all my ioyntes tremble and my strength is gone fro me But how maye the seruant of this my lorde speke with this whiche is my lorde euen now am I destitute of my strength and I am so febled and faint that I cannot take my breath And then agene this man touching me counforted me saying Be not a frayd man so full of iust desyers peace be with the all feare set a part be of good chere And whylis he thus spake with me I was well strengthened cameayen to myself saying Say on my lorde for thou hast counforted me And then he sayd knowest thou not wherfore I am comen vnto the wherfore I must returne â–ª Now verely will I retourne to fight ayenst the prince of Persie For the prince of the Grekis came thyther assone as I was gone thence But I shall tell the the trewthe to come as verely as it were wryten for there is none to helpe me in this mater agaynste them but Michael youre prince Daniel hearing this voice then thus to fall downe domme ferefull and breathles signifieth the powr of gods worde to humble and cast downe the hearers being neuer so good and miche more the aduersaries therof For the synfull flesshe hearinge the iustice of god cannot but tremble and feare which thinge Israel well figured when god spake the lawe to them But god wold haue siche hearers as was daniel as he sayth by his prophete I say Whom behold I but siche as be troubled and tremble at my worde â–ª But Cryst is y e most perfitfull ioye with the gospell to refresshe siche deiected persons with his preceptis as it is clere by the text saying Michael not onely to helpe the aungels fighting for the faythfull but also to conforte daniel to touche his lyppes saying I am present for thy sake oh most best beloued man full of iust desyers heare ther fore stond vp haue peace and be of good confidence and chere For this Michael here described lyke the sone of man prince and leader of the Iewes was the very sone of God of whom sayth the psal 113. Who is lyke the lorde our god â–ª And albe it the aungels be the seruing spirits to y e chosen and most faithfull kepers of our bodies sowlis yet do thei not saynor do any thinge without cryste by whom thei were created and therfore the aungell he re saith noÌ„ to helpe him no not y e saints to ouercome the prince of the persians w c is the deuill but onely Michael This is confirmed by the storye of Iacob saing that he was conducted in his iourney by the aungell of god euen cryste and by him delyuered from all euil He is therfore cal led Emanuel that is the lorde euer present with vs that fere and beleue in him For Paul willeth him to go from al wikednes whiche calleth vpon crystis name Wherfore if we will in this vale of tearis be taught animated and defended of this Michael the leader and capitain of Israel let vs fere and call vpon cryst onely with daniel let vs fight ayenst all synne and pray to this owrpreseruer and defender Michael that he wolde destroye the workis of the deuil The offices of euil aungels is to trouble to sette king doms togither by the eares as ye see theÌ„ to haue done it euen these dayes by their impes the pope cardinals bisshops prei stis in euery realme and in the empyre to encense the vngodly ayenst the chirches and worde of god as here the text telleth the prince of the persians to resist and to fight ayenst the good aungel And when the good aungel was comen awaye then came the prince of the grekis The batails betwixt good and euil spirits coÌ„ siste ether in disputinge or by some other spirituall powr as ye here see it For the princes of the grekis and persies were de uils stering vp sedicions and persecucioÌ„s in Grece and persie ayenst all godlines In Persia the deuil stered vp yonge cambysem with his courtyers and also Dariâ—â— Ahassâ—erum inflamming them one aftir a nother to destroye the iewes and daniel with all the religion of god and in the same tyme in Grece thei stered vp sedicionâ— and batail The grekis because thei excelled in wiâ—e ryches the deuil stered them vp ayenste cambyses and were iwyse ouercomeÌ„ in Cyrus days brought into an heuy seruitute therfore thei sediciously resisted the Persies And this daye the deuil in all the kingdoms realmes and regions of the worlde incenseth the vngodly ayenst the gospell and to persecute the confessours of gods worde For the same prince of the persies grekis and of all the worlde in all ages especially in this laste age troubleth vexeth persecuteth laboreth to destroie the chirche of cryste and all comon wealis Wherfore god suffreth the good aungels often tymes to haue the victorie of the euil that peace might reigne vpon y e erthe and the godly to haue a breathinge tyme to reste them Whilis I came to the saith the aungel to tell the what is decrede to come and written coÌ„cerning the crosse and persecucion to continew into so longe a
graue causes My mynde is to dedicate vnto you most noble priÌ„ce this my labour and litle boke that when I hear your good will towerd the chirche of cryste and to honeste studies to be praysed I wolde therfore declare also this your vertewe vnto the students exhorting them to loue aÌ„d reuereÌ„ce godly princes and in their praiers commende them with their comons vnto God Great is the infirmite of man greter is the fury of the deuil which brening in the hatered of god as he thrusted out our first pareÌ„ts to fall into these miserable sorouful calamities euen so studieth he perpetually to hurte Crystes chirch And cheifly he layeth awaite at the higheste head therof of our lyfe nether is there any so great wisedom which can wel perceyue howe great perel there is in euery gouernance and regiment Wherfore all princes conioined vnto the chirche of God ought with the praiers of all faithful to be holpen that God whiche geueth helthe vnto kings wold once rule their counsess and bowe their myndes their enforcements vnto their owne and to the publik sauing helthe Of this thig the readers shuld be monisshed in this kinde of dedicacions For the reding of noble and clear examples shuld exhort the same princes theÌ„selues vnto modesty moderacioÌ„ to pyte not to slaye â—ohoÌ„ so euer the aduersaries of god wold haue killed but to fere God Which examples for this ende hath God set befor their eyes to call them and their posterite to the study and scole of vertew I ther fore besech God hertely the father of Ie su Cryste our delyuerer to preserue you so to gouern you that your gouernance be happye prosperouse to you to your countrye to the chirche of cryste euen the very trewe comonaltie of all So be it In the Calends of Ianuary 1545. translated ☞ The argument or mater contained in Daniel the Prophete by Philip Melanchton MAny myghty and profitable thigis worthie to be depely reposed into good myndis Daniel compreheÌ„deth whyche all to peruse and expresse owr to skantlitle witts be not able Netheles let euery diligent reder knowe hymselfe miche to haue profited if he but the cheif prinâ—ipalls vnderstand although it be but meanly and vse the same vnto hys own godly exercise Considering which part techeth him the trewe inuocation and worship of god and which coÌ„firmeth his faith which reÌ„iecteth and refuteth the iewes and vs castinge away god and his gospel as thei did which parte precheth to vs repentance and which euen nowe monissheth and warneth vs in tyme of these laste perellous dayes blody ende of this worlde For these causes shall I recite breifly as it wer the titles herein contained whiche shal shew you what vtilite shall come to you by reding thys holy boke and diuyne Prophete Firste think you thus of the hole boke That the story of Daniel is a testimony of the preseruacion of the chirche beutified with great glory euen then when it semeth almost extincte and destroid It techeth vs therfor the chirche bothe to be chastised and skourged aÌ„d anon aftir hir crosse to be restored to glori It testifieth also the chirche not by manis counsel powre strength ordinaÌ„ces noractis but by the sin helpe of god euen from the begining to this daye to be defended preserued and encreaced It putteth vs also in mynd of the promises of god to be performed to hys chirche although it be done aftir a nother waye then we can conceiue As when it was promised to the tribe of Iuda The scepter nor teacher to be taken awaye from it vntil that sauiour Sylo come wher of the kinges of Iuda were so bolde that they so oft rebelling moste proudly and cruelly they resisted and dampned the prechinge of Ieremye concerninge the destruccion of their cite temple and kingdom As wold nowe men resiste and destroye him that shuld preache to emprours and to kinges saing Excepte ye repent and receiue the gospell nowe offred you the turke shall destroye all cristeÌ„dom But Ieremy knew full wâ—ll these thinges bothe to come to passe that the peple of god shuld be chastised by an haithen king and yet at that tyme nether the regale famylie nor the stok of Iuda to be extincted nor the trwe prophets to fayle bâ—wanted And euen so it came to passe beyond al menis expectacioÌ„ when fewe or non knew therof For the kingly stok eueÌ„ in the babylonâ— captiuite had their honor where god stered vp prophets and orned his chirche with great glory yea and euen the haithen gentiles did he adioyne vnto the felowship of his owne chirche so that there was then a gloriouse conuersion of the haithen vnto God as I praye God there may be of the turkes and iewes once vnto owr trewe cristen religion Secondarily ye shal obserue the testimonis of Messias owr king Cryste For as the other prophets were cheifly stered vp that by them the promises of Cryste shuld be spred the wyder euen so it behoued Daniel to do the same office and that bi many wais and in many visions For he prohecyed of his birth telling the yere and tyme therof and of his passion aâ— certenly and iustely the very tyme as did Iohan Baptist poynt himforth withe his finger euen whyles yet the comonweale of the iews shuld en Cryste shuld be borne and suffer and also when their ceremoniall shawdews sacrifices all shuld ceasse Thirdely ye shal note the order of the. 4. Monarchies which order is here expressed that the very tyme wherin god wold haue cryste borne shuld be knowne and the tyme of the general resureccion of the dead and the iugement shulde be signifyed and foresene So that Daniel prophecieth certainly of these troublouse laste blodye dayes and persecucion nowe of late begunne which all Cryste with his laste coming now at haÌ„d shall of Fowerthly ye shal note the places of repentance of faithe and of the iustificacion by faith onely Fyftely ye shall note the examples of good and euil kingis Sixtely consydere the testimonie of the resurreccion Seuenthly there is geueÌ„ vâ— a forwarning of the vngodly kingdoms which aboute the ende of the worlde shall enforce and conteÌ„de to quenche and put away the gospel of god And here is described the sorowful lameÌ„table cruel scateringe of the pore prechers and professours of Crystes verite and the persecution of the chirche dispersed aÌ„d vanished into sondry strange londis porely there liuing vnder kinges emâ—… and rulers which wyth cruelty defende idollatry supersticion and false religion And in so great confusion emong sondry nacions sondry sectis shall aryse bolstred vp by manis witte reason concerninge gods worship inuented by man and the iustificacion by workis c. Agenst which prophane fantasies and idle imaginacions we must lern in the gospel god to be worshiped in spirit and faith onely in cryst to iustifye Ayenst the epicures that denye the resurreccion and soules to be immortal here
crystis birth 550. yeris here was y e age of the world 3978. From crystis birthe vnto this yere there be 1545. And thus haue we the age of the world from the creacion 5523. But because onely Daniel prophecieth of the. 4. highe Monarchies of the world and how cruelly crystis chirche shuld be persecuted vnder euery one of them and how it shal be treated vnder this last monarchie of the Romans to y e worldis ende ye shal first know that a Monarchie is an empire or kingdome wherin all the gouer nance dependeth of one man albeit the same hath vnder him many kings princes So that a monarchie is the sole head imperye ouer all the world The first monarchie stode vpon the chaldeis eft sone vpon the Babilonitis bothe at last ioined into one And begane at the ende of the first age in AbrahaÌ„s dais and continued vnto the last yeris of Daniel eueÌ„ to the ende of the captiuite of y t iews in babilon w t Monarchie stode 1495. yeris ended in the yere froÌ„ the creacioÌ„ 3440. And theÌ„ began the second Monarchie w t was the empyre of the medis persies to florissh coÌ„tinued 191. yeres TheÌ„ coÌ„quired grete Alexander the Medis begane y e third monarchie called the empire of the grekis which stod 260. yeris TheÌ„ at last 47. yeris before cristis birthe begane the 4. Monarchy called the Romane empire w t yet standeth but as Daniel did forese it vpoÌ„ feble feet made of britle potba â–ª erthe The leggis therof saithe he were For wheÌ„ it first begane y e Romains were myghty valeauÌ„t so coÌ„tinuing tyl Mahumete the popis of rome by fraude minisshed skatered diuided translated y e eÌ„pire as ye see it this daye dekaid this last monarchie hath now stoÌ„deÌ„ .1592 yeris Iustê° cesar first beig consoâ—er estsone the first emprowr of rome w t raigned 4. yers 7. monethes whom succeded octanius Augustus in whose yere 42. was Cryste borne OF God 3. in persons and one in substance we beginne this exposicion for that according to his threatenings comminacions he hath by Nebucadne kyng of Babylon asmightly destroyd the kingdoÌ„ of the iews for breking his 10. coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts agene so mercifully acordig to his promises he preserued Daniel w t his felows endeâ—owring al wais to kepe his preceptes In this glasse we behold god both almightie merciful by kiges prophets so to gouerne y t worlde that thei w c wil not beleue the prophets and trwe prechers as did the iewes conteÌ„pne Ieremye must w t out mercye be destroid by the kinges and at laste by the turke acording to his threatenings in the lawe but thei that beleue his prophets as did Daniel and his felows beleue Ieremie shal be mercifully preserued by the kiges eueÌ„ vnder the turke to according to his promises Let vs therfor beleue the doctryne of the prophets and prechers preching the lawe gospel lest with the edged swerde of the kinges and turke the seruants and ministres of God we b'e slayne with the vngodly iewes but rather contend by faithe to be conserued with Daniel acording to Gods promises He cannot lve which saith I am the strong and zelouse God the visitour and seker out of the wykednes of the fathers in their childern vnto the thirde and fowerth generacion But yet am I merciful into thousandis that loue me and kepe my preceptis In this Chapter it is shewed howe that Daniel with his felows taken in batail were brought into the kigs courte of Babylon and there liberally brought vp so that thei became very apte and able to gouerne the comon weal whiche story coÌ„teineth first a clere example of the diuyne prouidence and then an example of the holy and liberall educacion of yonge men The first Chapter In the thirde yere of the raigne of Ioachim kinge of the iewes Nebuchadne â–ª kinge of Babylon came to Hierusalem and besieged it And the lorde yilded vp Ioachim king of the iewes into his handis and also certain of the vessels and iewels of the house of god whiche he carying awaye with him into the londe of Babylon into the howse of his god did sette them vp in the tresure howse of his God The first place contayneth the wrath of god and punisshement of wykednes â— vngodlines according to the comminacions of god begin at the examples of the wrathe of God that is at the greuouse calamite and miserable captiuite of the kinge his subiectes the destruccion of their cheif cite Hierusalem burning of their noble temple for their idollatry and breking of his preceptis which miserable calamitouse captiuite and deadly desolacion ar described in the. 4. of the kingis 24. cap. and in the laste of the cronicles called Paralipomenon Hitherto therfore tendeth the hole storye of Daniel That as the iewes with their comoÌ„ well were so miserably destroyd and led into captiuite by gods minister Nebucad ne kynge of Babylon for despysing the preching of Ieremye and slaying his prophets teaching them the law and gospel aÌ„d warning them of that their pla ge to come ouer them euen so shal al the crysten realmes at laste for thrusting awaye the gospell offred them and sleying the trwe pechers sent them of God be lykewyse miserably destroied and captuied of the turke so that firste by mutuall and ciuill batails emong themselues one destroing other thei make the waye more easy and redy for the turke to inuade and ouercome all cristendome And wherfore shal God do thus to his peple Because saith Ieremye thei haue casten vp the couenant of their owne God and worshiped strange Gods Vnto the which senteÌ„ce Daniel subscribeth saying we haue not obayed the prophets the seruants of God In the londe of Sennaar that is in the loÌ„de of y e caldes in a great playn was BabyloÌ„ builded in processe of tyme mightely and strongly augmented with riche palaces pleasaunt howses stroÌ„g walles and towers called the head cyte and empyre of all the worlde so celebrated and standyng inuicte with many gloriouse victories by the space of 1495. yeres hauing the hole world vnder their dominion It was builded in 4. square 60. thousand pa ouer from wall to wall the wall is 200. fote highe and. 500. fote brode And yet was euery fote lenger by 3. fyngers then owers It was in circuite withoute the vttwarde wall is 480. forlongs It was dowble walled with many highe aÌ„d strong towrets And by a meruelouse crafte and labour the floude euphrates was brought to runne rownde aboute it betwixt and without the walles and thorowe many places of the cite It is so described of the auncieÌ„t historye wryters as of Iosepho Plinio Herodoto Orosio as no cite els to be lyke it But this so mighty a citie and golden head when the kinge Balthazar with his nobles were festing and
an example howe in trouble we shuld calvpon God and our desyer obtained 〈…〉 geue him praise and thankis as he commandeth saing call vpon me in tribulacion aÌ„d I shall delyuer the and thou shalt glorifie me To call vpon God is to aske his promises in cryste for all the promises of God ar Amen that is ferme fast and sewer in cryste For what so euer saith cryste ye aske my father in my â–ª he shal geue it you To geue thaÌ„kes is to 〈…〉 God for his benefits geueÌ„ vs in cryste by whom the sorowful and sadde be animated whiche delyuered do thanke him Of the Psalter boke we may lerne to call vpon and to geue god thankis The sense of all the places in Daniels thankis geuing is all giftis to be of God not onely the giftis of soule but of bodye and fortune as Paul affirmeth in his pistles to the Corinthes and Ephe. Iam. also Wherfore the very worship of God to be setforth in this place we may confirme it by the Psal. 50. Wherfore Daniel going vp vnto Arioch the kings cheif officer sent of the king to slaye the wyse men of Babylon biddeth him hold his haÌ„dis lead me to y e kinge I hal expowrte hi his dreame Daniel geueth vs an ensample to loue our enimies but yet to condempne their falsedoctryne and their synnes the trwe doctrine of cryste constantly to affirme For the wise polityk enimies of goddis worde in babyloÌ„ he so loued that he wold excuse their ignorance and for their ignoraÌ„ce praye that thei be not slayne the consideracion of his excusacion and peticion was for that he knewe the natural wyse men not to perceiue those thingis which be of the spirite of god For the spirit of god onely seeth the mynde of God Whetfore it is he only that may before saye and tellout gods will Wherfor this example of loue is very rare and selâ—… sene to delyuer our enimies apointed to dye because thei be ignorant of the worde Let vs therfore no lesse thirst the bloude of our anticristeÌ„ enimies then crist wold not dampne the aduouteres accused and condempned of the Magistrates IoaÌ„ 8. But yet their false doctrin let vs as stroÌ„gly and boldely confute condeÌ„pne as cryste cryed wo wo vnto the Pharisais and with as inuicte a mynd and manly an herte let vs confesse the worde of God as wold cryste dye for his gospell The cause of your dreame in your slepe was this you being kinge reuolued in mynde as ye laye in bedde what was to come aftir wherfore the reueâ—ler and opener of secrete mysteries sheweth to you what is to come and vÌ„nto me verely is not this mistery reueled for 〈◊〉 wisedoÌ„ where by I excel al other mortal meÌ„ but that the interpretacion shulde be declared to you y e king that ye shuld knowe the cogitacions of your own herte Now is the occasioÌ„ of the kinges dreame expressed y e dreame because it had a certain consternacion of mynde feare therwith al to be of god of god to be ex pressed because the kig desyâ—… what maner king doÌ„s there shuld be aftir him therfore â–ª god by this dreame sheweth 3. monarch to come aftir his empyre in the thirde cryst the eternal king to come whiche shuld delyuer mankind from the deuil â–ª dethe hell to destroye the worlde with fyer in the laste daye to geue lyfe euerlasting to the beleuers and to dampne the vnbeleuers into fyer perpetuall It is an highe vertew a man not to boste and attribute that thing to hiself which is of God but to teache cryste purly â–ª wherfore Daniel where he sayth The reueeler or opener of mysteries shewethe it you c and not I he wold a voide the prayse and estimacion of himself that the kinge might conceiue therby some godlines by Daniel but God saith he reueleth it to declare the kinges cogitacions So that by the know of cryste to come the king and his realme might a voide the wrath of God and obtaine thorow cryste the benediccioÌ„ of the gentilis promised to Abraham that is by faith in cryste to haue eternall lyfe But let vs heare the dreame kynge behold Thow didstsee a great image large highe of a mighty forme terrible to beholde standing before the whose head was al of golde his breste armes syluer his belye and loynes brasse his leggis his feete were parte of and parte of pot baerthe Thou didste beholde it vntil there came a stone smyteÌ„ out without hand is which smitte the image vpoÌ„ his â–ª erthen feete breking them al to powlder Then was the teste or potsherd the brasse golde syluer redacte into duste so that not onely of the wynde were thei blown away as chaffe from the floer in somer but also that their place could no more be fownde But the stonne which had smitteÌ„ the image was made so great that it fulfilled the vniuersal erthe This is your dreame nowe wil we expowne it before y e king The telling of his dreame expresseth not onely 4. ciuile empires vnder the w e the iews crystis chirche shuld be afflicted vnto the ende but also it sheweth an euangel â–ª spirituall kingdom of cryste to be ouer all kings monarchis But first lerne we kingdoms to be constituted of god the later to be worse theÌ„ the former and lerne we crystes kingdom to be described of the tyme of powr when he shal come to the world to destroye it with fyer geuing to al the beleuers eternal lyfe in a newe worlde And as in the firste parte of this narracioÌ„ he signifieth as it were in a legale or seculare sermone the kingdoms to be made to be howses nources defenders of the gospel but sewerly what so euer is in the world without the gospel it is but idolatry death dampnacion euen so in the â–ª other parte as it weâ—e with an euangeli sermone he calleth them all vs to the knowlege of cryste monisshing the king and al mortall men to remeÌ„â—ber and thinke vpon the miserye and shortnes of the worlde of the resur reccion of the dead and lyfe eternal Thou king art the moste noble of all kinges vnto whom the God of heuen hathe geuen powr Maiestye c. Thou art therfore this golden heade The firste Monarchy which stode first vpon the caldeis eft sence on the AssirioÌ„s and at last by succession al ioyned into one called the kingdom of Babilon is here the golden head And in describing the kinges maiestye powr c he shewth kingdoms to be geuen of God not goten by manis powr And where daniel saith god to haue geuen althingis into the kinge of Babylons hande he tellethe him that not by the powr of his idole and image of Beeâ— of Babylon the king sitteth so sewer from al his
passion hath not Winchesters condicion But the promises of corporall benefits not onely require that we beleue the power of God to be myghty enough but also that he will helpe vs yf it please him when and how he hath decreed it which condicion is not against the nature of faith but declareth obedience for all these must go togither faith obedience prayer to aske and abyde Gods plesure For so pray Dauid 2. of the kynges 15. And these 3. men permitted the ende and maner of their delyuerance out of the ouen vnto Gods will and plesure whom they were euer redy to obeye But the glory of god they defended affirming him to be able enough to delyuer them so that their faith waited vpon god for siche consolacion and helpe and when it shuld please him to sende it them So that ye see the corporall promises of the lawe to haue these condicions but the promises of the gospell of grace and remission haue no condicion but be made frely in criste and performed to the beleuers For the declaracion of the. 6. place ye shall knowe that therfore be corporall afflictions layde vpon vs to excyte vs to prayer and to excercyse our faith as it is in I saye Lorde in their affliccion they seke the tribulacion sorofull groning are to them thy nourtering and discipline Wherfore let vs put awaye all mistrust and thinke not oure prayers and his promises to be in vayne yea allthough we adde the condicion yf it be thy will for God delyuereth vs when we call vpon him to certifye vs of his presence as it is in the Psal. I shall delyuer the and thou shalt glorifye me And when he taketh not awaye oure present calamite yet geueth he vs vnspekable confort and euen his holy spirit Wherfore his promyse is neuer invayne to the beleuers And therfore cryst commandeth vs incessantly to praye Albeit the deliuerance be differred to drawforth oure faith hope and pacient expectacion But thus to do is harde vnto reason For when god delyuereth not menis myndis be broken beleuing themselues not to be herde then beginne they to dowt or to thinke God to be angrye with them so to be full of indignacion against god and vtterly to fall from him as did Saul which temptacion fayth must resist and aske encrease the more feruently perswaded of helpe although yet he feleth no helpe nor be lykely to haue any For god will ether helpe at that present tyme or sende some consolacyon otherwyse or mitigate the heuynes or by his meruelous counsell bringe all thy desiers vnto a better ende then thyselfe canst deuyse or wysshe Faithfull he is w t in temptacion geueth vs a good escape 〈…〉 the miracle is done to conuerte the kynge to the confession of God which conuerted expresseth his confession and forbideth the blasphemies Here be princes taught to abolyssh all vngodly doctryne and false worshippings c. and to be diligent in setting forth godly doctryne and the Cristen religion For y e Magistrates shuâ—de be the kepers and mayntainers of the hole lawe perteining to discipline For as they prohibit murther although thei cannot change menis herts so ought thei to forbidde outwarde idolatrye blasphemies and externe reuerent behauiour before images as creping to the crosse kyssynge and knelynge and praying before them with all lyke vngodly worsshipes honours rites ceremonyes be they neuer so decent and laudable before men 〈…〉 excecrable before God for that thei haue not his worde for them For albeit the office of the magistrate be not the ministracion of the spirit that is cannot conuert menis hertis yet ought he to be the minister to defende godis discipline and lawe to be the cheife membre of the churche to helpe the other members that the godly doctryne be taught maintained preched forth to all other This fowerth chapter sheweth the kynge for his vngodly securite in welthe pryde to be cast oute of his realme at last for his repentaÌ„ce to be restored For albeit the kynge had by these interpretacions of his dreames by this miracle by the doctryne of Daniel a great taste and know 〈…〉 of the almyghty god of Israel yet did his spiritualtye that is to saye his wyse lerned men sothe sayers sorcerers enchaunters or philosophers so bewitche him that they extolled him vp into siâ—he a securite and pryde that he anon forgote god forgote himself and all that God had done to him by these holy meÌ„ And therfore he had yet another ferefull vision which is here reherced of him self and he was punisshed put out of his kyngdome lost his mynde made lyke a brute beste and so aftir his punisshment restored to his mynde kyngdome with an vnfayned coÌ„uersion and trew penaÌ„ce he setteth thus forth his proclamacion ☞ Nebucadnezar the kynge vnto all peple nacions tongues thorow all the worlde dwellinge wyssheth and prayeth that your peace be eucreased I know it to be my dewtye to tell you the signes and wnderfull miracles which y e most hyghe god hath brought vpon me For his toknes are meruelouse great and ryght mighty are his miracles his kyngdome is an euerlasting kyngdom and his powr is perpetuall I Nebucadnezar happye and prosperouse in my familie and ryche in my palace did see a dreame so ferefull that my thoughtes in my bedde troubled my head greuously wherfore I sent oute a commandement that all the wyse men of Babylon shuld be brought vnto me to interprete my dreame Then were there brought before me the wysemen the soth sayers of chaldey astronimers ce vnto whom I tolde my dreame but y e interpretacion therof thei cold not tell me vntill at last there came daniel vnto me whose name is Balthasar aftir the name of my god which daniel hathe the spirit of the most holy god and vnto him I tolde my dream saynge Balthasar cheif master of the wyse men astronimers all in whom I knowe to be the spirit of the most holy god and that ther is no secrete mysterye hidde from the tell me my drame what it signifieth For this was my dreame in my bedde I did see a tree vpoÌ„ the middis of the erthe whiche was fayer and highe The tre was great and stronge so high that it reched vnto y e heuen â–ª and might be sene to the farthest parris â—â— al the erthe â— branches were fayer lusty to beholde 〈…〉 frute so plentuouse that it was meat sufficient for all thinges vnder it as it were in a plesant shadewe there dwelt the wylde beastes and the birdes nesiled in 〈…〉 branches and all things ly uinge were fed of that tree And whyls in my dreame I behelde it lo there came downe from heuen in great spede an holy aungell crying lowde and spekinge thus kutte downe the tree and loppe of 〈…〉 bowes smyte of 〈…〉 branches and skatere away â— frute and let the beastes
birdes flye their wayes from it but the stok with the rotis thereof leaue still in the grownde with chayne 's of 〈…〉 brasse so tyed that he may go and graze in the wylde felde and ly down vnder the dewe or rayne of the heuens eating the moyste grasse with the brute beastes and let the humane or manis reason be taken from him brute beastis senses be geuen him vntil the course of seuen tymes be passed ouer him And this thing was dectâ—ed by the sentence of these spedy watchers in the counsell of these holy messagers from heuen that al men lyuinge shuld knowe that y e most highest must so rule raigne in the kingdom and empyre of any mortal men that to whom he lyste to geue it theâ— shal raigne in it and if he lyst he will lyfte vp there vnto the moste abiecte and vileste man This dream I kynge Nebucadnezar did see and thou Belthasar tell me what it meaneth for all my wyse men cannot interprete it to me Thou cannest for thou arte endewed with the spirit of the holy goddis Danielis doctryne had confounded the wysedom of all the kinges spiritualtye therfore thei enuyed daniel and all the iâ—wes so gretely and kept the kynge thus long from this so godly an open coÌ„fession and general pistle sent forth declaringe his faith and repentaÌ„ce This pistle sheweth howe secure prowed negligent he was in his prosperite Into whiche securite negligeÌ„ce pryde it is to be thought that his enchaunters sothe sayers spiri tual wysemen had casten him for feare he shuld haue left his olde false religion Now therfore the merciful god at last whiche hathe kinges hertis in his hand had cast him into a nother fereful dreame wher vpon he was thus moued to spredeforth the glorye of god his owne penitent coÌ„uersion First the kinge confesseth his faithe then he sheweth the miracles of the. 3. former chapters affirming no god able to do these miracles but onely y e god of daniel and at last he concludeth the kingdoÌ„ of cryste as it is in the. 2. ca. to abyde for euer god to be the changer of kingdoms constitutor of kings And here note diligently Securite to be the companion of welthines which securite casteth downe the kinge hedlong into y e forgeting of god so that he was become negligent prowde in conclusion lyke a brute beaste As saith the Psal. Man when he was in honour he vnderstode it not wherfore he degenereth into beastly nes In this state ah lasse for pite lye many noble men of which securite saith dauid when I was in prosperite then I thought neuer to haue fallen But y e serchâ—r â–ª 〈…〉 of sich vngodly securite welthy men y e visitour of wykednes cannot long suffersiche sewer negligent prowde weal persons to continewe as the scripture testifieth Let al princes beware how thei stande in longe prosperite and trust delyght to miche in the same I was in my howse said Nebucadne 〈…〉 as happye pro sperouse and welthei as any man althin gis succedinge to my desyer myne enimies all suppressed no where any man so hardy as to make any sedicion I had ryches aboundaÌ„tly all men fered and reuerenced me as their moste mig hty kinge I had my helthe of bodye me thought I was wyse and prudent And to be breif I had all things as victories c. at my com mandement But yet knew I not how gre uouse a fall and heuy a chaunce stode at my dore how nighe was the axe y e tree how frayle and brytle is securite welthenes to mortall men wherof god so affrayde me w t so terrible a dreame that all things beganne to be to me suspecte ferefull vnsauory redye to fall fro me And the greatest feare of all was of some sodeÌ„ mischaunce now hanging ouer my heade redye to supresse me Lo here we se the felicite of man in this worlde whiche be it neuer so hyghe and great yet in a momeÌ„t maye it be fallen awaye yea euen a dreame lo maytarye and turne siche felicite bak ayen in the middis of hir course Sew erly the scâ—ipture aboundeth with examples teching vs ali present and longe felicite to be grettly suspect What a pleasaunt fertyle country did lot â–ª chose him self in Sodoma he dwelt there long pleasantly but with what perell at last escaped he Dauid had goteÌ„ him at last great quietnes sittinge at home was he not anon an aduouterer yea and in that welthey securite withe the great displesure prouoking of gods wrathe did he nowm ber his peple The riche man in the gospell promising himself so long lyfe quietnes harde anon Oh fole this nighte shal thei take thy lyfe from the. And the peple of Israell as oft as thei wexed weal and fatte as saith the song of Moses were disated so ofte did thei kik ayenst forsake and forget their lorde god Also y e chirche being vnder the tyrannouse emâ—… was the holyer but aftir the fauour of constantyne and other crysten emâ—… it degenered miche from hir first beutye into a deceitfull deuillesshe defor mite And who was happier then adam in Paradise and yet he stode not there long Haue not men reputed most holy ben syn ners yisse and euen the wysest haue ben deceyued and the moste strongeste haue had a fall Wherfore right wyse is y e counsel of the apostle saying he that stondeth take hede he fall not Note therfore howe playnly y e kinge here describeth his owne arrogaÌ„cye saynge I kinge Nebucad was blessed happye c. he saith not the god of heuen made me thus happye and so ful of prosperite and welthe but I was happye quiete riche victoriouse sewer c. and all thorowe my â–ª owne wisdome prudence policye But when god as saith dauid had hidden his face from him he was a fraide God hid his face from this sewer negligent and prowde kinge for that he trusted more in his owne then in the kingdom of god And as dauid was iuged of god and rebuked by Nathan eueÌ„ so by this dreame was Nebucadnezar iuged of god and of daniel by the interpretacion therof corrected and called to repentaÌ„ce lest he shuld haue ben condempned with the worlde Troble punisshment and persecucion â–ª begyne at the howse of god Wherfore god by this dreame not onely correcteth and punissheth this king but also coÌ„pelleth him to serchout to knowe y e meaning of his dreame But he synned gretely in that he firste in the beginning askid not counsell at the seruant of god but at the manciples of the deuil Clere is the testimony of dauid sayng oh lorde I call thy testimonies into my counsell wherfore when y e wyse of y e worlde could not interprete these dreames and daniel coulde do it it is signified not onely the same to be trewe lorde bringe thou to
not bere the transgression of his 10. precepts but for Vrios sake onely casten him out of his kyngdom vndowted and certayn is it none of the kynges of the erth to siande longe vnpunished in their securite and pryde Wherfore let all good princes lerne this lesson longe to rule well euen not to worshippe themselues and their actes but to worship god as he techeth them nether their owne belys and lustes to nourishe and fede but to nourish the churche of cryste For albeit the kyngdoms be the houses and kouers of the churche yet for the trew churches sakis do the kynges and their kyngdoms prospere and flourisshe as witnesseth the scripture Wherfore let all emâ—…ro kynges and princes sewer and prowde wryte in the middis of their hertis this saying of Daniel Thy kyngdom shal be taken from the to teche the to knowe the moste hyghe god to rule and gouerne mortall menis kingdoms and to geue them to whom he lysteth For what els dothe daniel here teache but all siche weal sewer emprowrs kynges and princes to be plaged lyke Nebucadnezar yf they repente not and cease their persecucion of cryst and of his chirche this daye captiued vnder their vngodly articles actis institucions and tradicions contempning gods ministers callinge them to a beter mynde as did here the kynge despyse daniel admonishing him therfore was he depriued of his kyngdome wytte and mynde to But aftir this I Nebucadnezar lyfted vp myne eyes into heuen and came agayne to my mynde And I blessed the most hyghe god the euerlastinge syuinge god I praised and magnifyed whose regall power is perpetuall and his kyngdome dureth for euer and euer For all the inhabitants of the erth are naught and nothinge estemed in comparison to him which at his plesure doth what he lysteth â—â— well with the company of heauen as with the dwellers vpon earth Nether maye there any man let or holde bak his hande or saye to him what doist thou or wherfore hast thou done thus In this same tyme my mynde came againe to me I receiued ayen my glory the magnificence of my kyngdome my emperiall maiestye my shappe and forme were restored to me My counsellers and my nobles sought me oute and I was forestored into my kyngdome that my maiesty was more ample then before Now therfore I Nebucadnezar prayse extost magnifye the kynge of heauen all whose workis be trew and his wayes right and iust It is he that maye caste downe full lowe the prowde This deieccion and humisiacion might not the kynge knowe beinge in his 〈◊〉 securite and arrogant pryde For then he blasphemed he compessed men to idolatrye and was an heuey burden to all his realme But nowe he tamed and plaged of god beginneth to repente and is nowe restored to his mynde now thus afflicted he knoweth god and himselfe he murmureth not against god for thus punishinge him but he breketh forth into his prayse confessing his iust dealinge with him for his offences thus to be punished worthely which he coulde not haue done except god by his graciouse goodnes had thus lyfted him vp and geuen him vnderstanding Here therfore haue ye an example of a penitent kyng which delyuered from his miserye geueth god thankis accordinge to gods promise saying Call vpon me and I shall delyuer the then shalt thou glorifye me First here is described the affect of a penitent herte in his tribulacion and arysinge therout confessinge god to be iust in his threatis of the lawe and to be mercyfull according to his promises of the gospell Thus did kynge dauid repente and make his confession in the. 51. Psal. And daniel lykewyse cap. 9. powereth forth his herte before god teachinge vs lykewyse to repent and to be conuerted to God Secondarily he expresseth the frute of y e kyngs repentance that is to wete God to geue miche more ample giftis to the repentaÌ„t then he toke from them as ye see him to haue done to Iob in his last ca. And daniel for his miseries oh how greate rewardis receyued he Thirdly he expresseth the forme of thankis geuinge euen to affirme god to raigne all 〈◊〉 psalm 118. and also in the hole psalter For what els is the psalter boke then the glasse of the most holy trinite into this ende wryten for the chirche of the lyuing god to lerne so to repente and aftir our delyuerance to geue thankis to god as here do the kynge Now sith all things be wryten as Paul saith for owr doctryne let vs beholde whether there be not yet dayly daniels with their felowes sent vnto emprowrs and kyngdoms admonishinge them of lyke mutacions and soden fallis consydeâ— how their wordis be regarded and their persones entreated And whether for their cruell persecucion they be not or lykely to be shortely kut downe lyke this tree caste oute of their dicions empyres and realmes demented with dâ—uyllisshe doctryne degenered into brute beastis folowinge their sensuall beastly lustes hauing their consciences fetered with menis tradicions snarled with supersticiouse ceremonies and romish rytes lying yet still without the trewe chirche naked â–ª all vertu in stormes and derkenes of errours more palpable then in the seruitute of egypt because they will not receyue y e fre gospell of the lybertye of the spirit to be regenerated by faith so to do cryste vpon them to be kouered with his rightwysenes holynes c. For these dreames and visions be dayly sene as the first Monarchye was by daniel prophecied to be kut downe euen so is this last Monarchye of the Romans threatened lykewyse of the watching aungell to be shortly smyten downe and the euerlasting kyngdom of cryste to be reueled vnto all flesshe newly rysen from death vnto euerlasting lyfe in which he graunt vs with his father holy spirit to lyue for euer so be it ¶ The argument of the. 5. chap. This chapter declareth the miserable fall of the last kynge of Babylon heuey mutacion and ende of his kyngdome for his idolatry and so greuouse synnes committed against the firste precept Here is described a superfluouse fest full of excesse euen a very beastly banket where vnto kynge Belsazar biddeth his nobles in which is manifestly shewed into what an vnhappy ende siche viciouse intemperate excesse comethe All kynges and princes maye lerne of this fall of so hyghe a kynge to feare and to worshippe God as the. 2. psal teacheth them lest of God the translator of kyngdoms they be depriued their realmes with Belsazar THe kynge Belsasar made an exceding feste biddinge therto a thousande of his princes and nobles in whose presence he dronke the wyne at the workinge of y e wyne he coÌ„manded the golden and syluer vessells to be brought forth whiche his father Nebucadnezar had taken awaye out of the temple of Ierusalem that the kynge his nobles his wyues and concubines might drinke out of them which done or in doinge
kynges and princes to confirme idolatrye and to in sondre the chirche of cryst Wherfore very fewe princes in the later dayes shall abolish the pope retaine and holde the trewe worship and religion of god Against y t which sclaunder and hurte it is necessary godly myndes to be armed defended And here it behowueth godly men to knowe the synnes of emprowr and princes whiche therfore do they corrupt and destroye the trewe doctryne because they wolde attemper and drawe Gods worship and religion vnto their owne profits and couetouse mynds which verely is not els then openly to illude and mocke cryst of which blasphemose skorning of cryst thissame oure age hath to many examples Secondarily this storye exhorteth princes vnto godlines and warneth them of the plages hanging now ouer all vngodly princes headis Thyrdly it testifyeth mutacioÌ„s of kyngdoms and realmes to be done of god now shortely for the diuerse and manyfolde crymes and enormities of the emprowrs kynges and princes And here god punissheth idolatrye blasphemie as in Manasse in the kynges of Israel In dauide he punisshed aduoutry and his counsell to murther Vrias But it happeneth oft that the synnes of the peple be concurrant with their princes wykednes As in Osee the. 4. Siche princes and preistis siche peple Nether is it to be douted but that these calamities plages and punisshments of the worlde which now are begune be cast vpon it for their manifolde manifest idolatrye glosed with a certayn reuerent behauore to images and also coÌ„mitted in their 〈…〉 oâ— for their false inuocacions prayinge to dede saintes and dome images for their supersticious deceÌ„t rytes and illaudable falsely signifyed ceremonyes tradicions of men for their abhominable horedome for their forbiddinge of lawfull matrimonye for seperating and violating iustely maryed persones for turnynge crystis faith and religion oute of the holy Byble settinge it vp into menis prophane decrees and constitucions there exaltinge their owne popishe articles of their false fayth aboue god and punishing them aboue the transgression of gods precepts Wherfore the vessels of Gods heuey wrath be nowe â—â— powering forth vpon all regions empyres and kyngdoms worthely For theise errours in honoring and fering man mortact and his tradicioÌ„s aboue god and his almighty worde now is the wrath of god made manifest from heauen vpon all vngodlynes â–ª vnrightwysenes c. Hereof it cometh that the Turke hath so good successe prospereth in his warres so mightely agaynst all crystendome Hereof aryse these intestine batails betwixt the crysten kynges to prepare the waye more esey for the turke to inuade vs. Hereof come these pestilences â–ª faminâ— â–ª derth â–ª destruccions burnings and blodshedings The lorde be mercyfull to vs So be it It maye be here asked whether the seculare kynges and princes maye take awaye the chirche goodes Anâ— answerâ—â— that the chirche goodis belong to the pore and now seinge the possessours be ryche lordely bisshops abbots priestes c. these goodis belonge nomore to them for their owne proude lordely ryches putte themselues oute of possession But synne they not w t Belsazar that coÌ„uert y e chirche goodis into prophane vses I answere These vessels of y e temple prophaned of Belsa were consecrated by y e word of god Wherfore he synned in prophaning them But the goods and iewels of oure temples abbeys and bisshoprykis â–ª are not coÌ„secrated to siche vses by gods worde but by their owne inuented couetuose charmings wherfore emprowrs kynges and princes maye take them awaye and putt them to beter vses as to the maintenaÌ„ce of scoles vniuersities to sustayne trewe teachers and godly prechers For it is wryten the workman is worthey his wages Bisshops and preistes that preche not purely ought of the princes to be deposed their possessions taken from them For the princes and magistrats ought to conuerte the goodis of these ydle erth burdens into the sustentâ—cion of the poore and maintayne teachers and scolers lerning the tongues and holy scriptures so that the chirches and ciuile ministracion be not destituted lerned men at any tyme. For it is wryten whoso labore not let him not eat Wherfore as they be praised which the ydle bely burdeÌ„s remoued substitute apt and lerned labourers euen so synne they which translate the chirche goodis into prophane vses which thing is now to comon suffering the pore chirches congregacions and scoles to be cold and hongrye For it is wryten he that iâ— taught let him imparte all thinges necessarye to him that techeth Wherfore yf the nources of cryste of their owne substance be bounde largely to sustayne scoles congregacioÌ„s how miche more be they bounde to maintaine them of othermens goodis that is of their wyked maÌ„mon now goten â–ª I cannot see how that man maye nourisshe the congregacions scoles which neglecteth the ministers of chirches and scoles euen the verye parents of all goodnes Let all princes see diligently that lawfull and apte ministers be honestly entreated and nourished and that pore scolers of the chirche goodis be sustained to conserue the necessary studyes of the chirche But it is a dampnable dede to geue so greate wages to maintayne the superfluouse excesse and viciouse lyuing of ydle bisshops preistis and monkis the trewe flokfeders neglected studyes and scoles not conserued Nether haue the princes power to translate to themselues thecclesiastiâ—â— goodis with the defrauding of the pore chirches and scoles but shuld asmiche as nede is impart them to the poore congregacions scolers and techers yea this shulde they do were y e goodis their owne miche lesse ought they to take awaye that is geuen them and well vsed except they abuse it contrary to the geuers will And albeit y e geuers falsely enstructed erred in their giftis yet ought the magistrats now beter taught â–ª to take it awaye and reforme the errours in the geuing therof Nether becometh it bisshops and preistis which shuld onely folowe cryst and his apostleâ— to be lordes ouer landes and possessions tangled with ciuill and polityke seclare causes Thus ye see in what cases the seculare magistratis may translate the ecclesiasty â–ª goodis vnto themselues prouided aboue all that the pore congregacioÌ„s and comon scoles and vniuersities be sustained and maintayned with the same Fyftely in the changes of kyngdoms god forgeteth not his chirche as cryst coÌ„forteth vs sayinge When ye shall heare rumors of bataill and warre be not you troubled therat For we must wysely decerne the kyngdoÌ„s of y e worlde from that eternall kyngdom of god which is crysts chirche For albeit these batails and persecucions skater inquiet and trouble y e chirches of goodmen in these heuey mutacions of empyres and kyngdoms yet haue the godly euer this present consolacion That the chirche of cryst is an euerlasting kyngdom and maye not by desperacion fall from out of crystis religion vn to the vngodly as they do now
and securite then is there present a soden destruccion The kynge thus troubled asked counsell at his diuines charmers as did Saul at the dead which is ayenst god saying I shall destroye the wysedom of the prudent And seinge it helped not he was sore vexed which signifieth not onely the cogitacioÌ„s of the worldly wyse to be vayne but also that before the reuelacion of gods worde god is euer wont to confounde and shame menis doctryne tradicions contrarye to his worde wolde god emprowr and kyngs wold se diligent ly to the godly instruccion of themselues and their peple by faithfull fre prechers and good bokis But because this cure of soules touche so fewe rulers and we will all with a lytle teachinge or non at all be greate coninge crystianes it is come to passe that emprours and kyngis maiestes cannot defende themselues the counsels of their wyse be made voyd god euer saying Thy empyre shal be taken from the and be geuen to thy better And contrarye wyse the godly in aduersite to be counforted as this part folowng declareth it Then the quene hearinge of this feare and trouble of the kynge his princes came into the banketinge house sayinge kynge longe be thy lyfe Let not thy thoughtis trouble the nether chang thou thy chere For there is in thy realme a man endewed with the spirite of the holy gods in whom in thy fathers dayes ther was found the lyght of knowlege and siche vnderstandinge wysedom as haue the goddis him thy father Nebucadnezar made bishop of all the lerned diuines of the wyse men the spiritualty of the Chaldeis and prophets or sothesayers the kynge I saye thy father did so because that in daniel whom the kynge named Belsazar there was founde a plentuouser and hygher spirit coning and vnderstandinge to expownâ— dreames to declare secretes and to solute harde questions Now therfore let daniel be called which shall interprete and declare this thinge And thus was daniel brought to the kynge Vnto whom the kynge sayde Art thou this daniel one of the sonnes of the captiuite of Iuda whom the kynge my father brought out of Iuda I heare saye thou hast the spirit of the holy goddis and not onely to be illumined and wyse but also to be in the an hyghe amplier prudence then in other men There were now brought in before me my spiritualtye diuynes and wyse men to reade this wryting and to shewe me the interpretacion therof but they coude not But I hea re that thou canst do it wherfore yf thou canst reade and interprete me this scripture thou shalt be cled with purpure c. All this maketh for the confusion of y e kynge and his wyse men For when they all were thus troubled and amazed then come thereforth this olde woman with good counsell and counfort yf any had bene left them This quene was sober not in the fest emonge these dronherds with their herlottis and therfore she remembreth and commendeth daniel with hyghe prayse vnto hyr neuye the kynge whom the more she commendeth the more shame it was to the kynge all those 3. yeares raignynge to not knowe but neglect so wyse and godly a counseller She called him not a captiue but spake reuerently of him with hyghe coÌ„mendacions but the gloriouse kynge spyghtfully asked him Art not thou that daniel one of the captiues of the iewes This place coÌ„teyneth two sermons the one of the godly quene the tother of the ongodly kynge vnto daniel by whom daniel in the mutacion of the kyngdom is promoued the promise of god is declared to be trwe saying I will be mercyfull into thousandis The olde quene forgote not the trwe doctryne of daniel as ye see by hyr wordis commendinge him for his diuine spirit for his lerning prudence wysedom and of his bishoply dignite and â—ning to interprete dreames mysteries and to solute harde questions She monisheth y t kynge godly vnder a colour of daniels prayse to call him in and heare him but he called him of y e same entent as Herode called cryst as ye maye see in his skornfull question asked him For as the calling of daniel nowe to late to the court made for the kyngis confusion so made it for daniel and the chirches helthe and counforte which vnder vngodly emprours and kyngs denyinge them socour and ayde in their landes maye not there dwell and flourissh wherfore the chirche so longe wayleth and suffereth exylie vntyll god correck the kynges for hyr sake as dauid testifyeth Blessed therfore be God oure heuenly father which so tenderly taketh charge ouer the forsaken and banisshed ministers of cryst oure kyng in the kingdoms of this worlde that in kyngis hawlis and courtes there is euer founde an Aboiâ—s which will defende Elias ayenst the denylly she tongues and so in the mutacions of realmes promote him as was here daniel exalted but not yet so to escape w t lot the Sodomitis all sonken It is here to be noted that the kyng iuged his sophos to haue the spirit of his holy godis as now do emperours and kynges iugâ—e of their holy ghostly fathers the fryers and bisshops ☞ Then answerd Daniel before the kynge saying Take thy rewardis to thy self and thy gift is geue them to another Nethelesse will I reade the wryting to y e kynge and the meaninge therof shall I shewe the. Vnto thy grandfather Nebucadnezar oh kynge the most hyghe god gaue this kyngdom maiesiye glorye and magnificeÌ„ce And for this his ample maiestye geuen him all peple nacions tongues fered and dreaded him for that he slewe whom he lysted reserued alyue whom he willâ—d he exalted whom he wol de and thrusted downe whom he wolde But when his hert was thus puft vp w t arrogancye and pryde he was deposed from his seat royall and they toke awaye his glorye And he was expelled fro men a beasily mynde geuen him to wandre emong wylde asses was fed with grasse lyke an oxe the dewe fallinge from aboue standinge vpon his bodye lyinge in the felde vntyll he aknowleged the most hyghe god to gouerne and translate the kyngdoms of mortall men to whom he lysteth And albeit thou Beltsazar beinge his neuy haste knowne all this yet hast thou not humbly submitted thyself vnto him but exalted thyself ayenst the lorde of hâ—uâ—n commanding the vessells of his house to be brought before the that thyselfe thy nobles thy wyues and whores might drinke wyne out of them Gods of syluer of golde coper 〈◊〉 tree and of stonne which can nether see nor heare nor fele nor knowe any thinge thou hast praysed and loaued But god which hath thy breathe and lyfe and all thy wayes in his hande thou hast not worshiped wherfore thissame hande is sent the of him to wryte the this same scripture And euen this is the wryting Mene Mene Thekel Vpharsin as miche to
his worde This lyon signifyed the golden head kingdom of Babylon vnder whom the peple of god especially those lxx yeres suffred greuouse affliccions A lyon is a cruell beast yf he be exaspered and gentle yf the man faldowne naked before him except it be in great honger he hurteth not siche humble prostrated proyes He is without suspicion and fraude Vnto this lyon or kinges of Babylon there were sette egles winges for that thei were swyft vnto all their affayers yea vnto blodsheding in batail The same kingdom in Ezechiel is called the fower formed beast first lyke a lyon for their hardines in subdewinge their aduersaris lyke an egle for their swyftnes in their businesses lyke an oxe for their constancy in labours to be sustained and lyke a man for their prudence in things to be afore sene The which condicions kinges and magistrates ought to haue Of this lyon sayd Ierem. 4. There is comen vp a lyon out of his cowche Innumerable affliccions suffred the Iewes vnder this lyons blody tyranny as themselues complayn saying Vpon the floudis of Babylon we sate and wept whyles we remembred zion This lyons 2. winges were the two peples of the Chaldeis and Assyrians They were smyten of the lyon câ—sten out of the lande when y e Persians subdewed them To be then eleuated to stonde vp as a man signifieth that kingdom in Nebucadnez his sones dayes to be exalted to y e knowledg of God their kingdom therby to be glorifyed But in fine the mynde of a fraill man was geuen to it in Beltsazar which in his beastly securite perisshed lost y e golden head so bolde a lyoÌ„s propertie In siche olde fygures men may see yet present exaÌ„ples for the verite correspondeth the fygure vnto y e â—orldes ende in a perpetuall verificacioÌ„ By the bere is signifyed the Persi kingdom a beast lesse iently theÌ„ the lyon and especially in his olde age when he is most chorlysshe gredier to deuower and very false wherfore in scripture for his cruel auaitlaing he is ioyned with the lyon A wiked prince is a roring lyon and an Hongry bere A man is in an euil case when he flying from the lyoÌ„ meteth with the hongry bere The iewes had wende thei had bene nowe out of all perell when thei had escaped the lyon of Babylon and nowe to be delyuered and to be sent home ayen but thei met with the bere For the Persies delt cruelly with theÌ„ letting theÌ„ of their returne and of their building of the temple cite well 70. yeres So that thei fownde this dewche prouerb trwe iung herren iung beren alt herren alt beren Cyrus at first prudently and iently entreated the iewes Beres while thei be yong ar tractable enoughe but aftir warde it came otherwyse to passe For whylis he reigned y e proposed building of the teÌ„ple was letted and many of the iews still reteyued in captiuite And his sone cambyses openly persecuted the iewes Also the other kings of Persye aftir Darium eâ—acted of the iews great tributis This denouring bere with his 3. morsels in his mouth signifieth the insaciable auarice in deuoring their subiectis substance his 3. long tethe ar the 3. cheif kings Cyrus Darius and 〈…〉 tayer yes This deuouring Persiâ—… bere not onely shed miche blode but she persecuted cruelly crystis chirche Orosius and Iustinus wryte that in the Scythiâ—… batail ayenst Tamyrim Cyrus head was of smiten of the quene of tamyre she auenging the blode of hir sone and was put into a botel full of blode with these wordis Blode hast thou thirsted blode drinke thou w t blode be filled of w t these 30 yeres thou hast beÌ„ insaciable Also in that felde he loste all his host two hondred thousands of the Persians But although the chirche was cruellyer persecuted vnder the leoparde folowing yet for the chirches counfort was this Persiâ—… bere slayn of Alexander the great And so was the Persiâ—… kingdom translated vnto the grekis The leoparde or spotted panthere expressing the nature and wittes of the gre kis signifieth the kingdom of great Alexander His 4. winges and 4. hornes ar the 4 successours of alexander by whose helpe in so short a tyme he subdewed to himself all the worlde For the story witnesseth kinge ptolome to haue had goten â–ª egipte Antigonus Asiam the lesse Antipater Macedoniam Seleucus Syriam and farre be yende to haue coÌ„quired and albeit this greke sprekled panthere had so great a powr and dominion so mightely horned and headed so swyftely winged yet because this beast abused his powr in breking the commandements of god and namely of the first table and in persecuting his chirche so cruelly by Antiochus epiphanes he was destroid miserably and the kingdom translated to the fowrth beast that is vnto the Romane empire This fowrth ferefull Romane beast is described terribly hugly strong armed withe tethe of deuouring and tearing fleshe and bones euen the same that is sene in the 2. chapter called the leggis of whose fete were partely parte potbakt erthe For what els signifie these wordes with so terrible a sownde then the empyre of Rome not onely with the most harde batails at home and with out of themselues and of strangers to be consumed and destroid but also the same most cruelly to persecute crystes chirche and to destroye vtterly and irreparably the iewes policye for euer and their nacion By the leauings or remenants vnderstand the laste parte of this monarchie his fete signifye the laste emperours of it This beast to trede vnder his fete the leauings signifyeth the later ende of this kingdom to haue the most crueltyes and calamites brought ouer it by y e pope and at last by the turke For how greuonsly hath Italye bene torne and rent almoste these 900. yeres of the Gottis of the grekis longobards of owr empero wrs But why is this beast vnlyke al the other former verely this empyre must dure loÌ„ger then the 2. and the thirde monarchy and all the vngodlines and persecucion done distinctly and seuerally in the tother shal be gathered to gither and committed of this beast And the laste emperours and popis of this empyre shall vexe and persecute the chirche longer cruellier then any of the other His 10 hornes signifye the cheif prouinces and realmes vnder the Romane empyre Which were very many For the nownber of 10 signifieth a great multitude as in Iob. See ten tymes that is greatly ye haue confounded me And Cryst lykeneth the kingdom of heuen to 10 virgens So that the meaning is that the Romane empyre shuld haue amplier and moo prouinces then the other former Orels take the 10 hornes for Italy Spayne France Germany Illyrik Grece Affrik Egipt Asia Syria For the countries annexed vnto these 10 must be rekened with them as Pannonia adioining to Illyrik and Macedonia ioined to Grece
☞ And whylis I consydered these hornes lo there grewe vp another lytle horne amonge them of whom 3. of the former hornes were plukt out And beholde ther were hornes in this horne as the eyes of a man and a mouth speakinge stoute and great thinges This lytest horne was and is the Anticrysten kingdome of the popes of Rome with all their vnclene clergye by lytle lytle at their begininge creping vp from so low a state into so hyghe dignities power and possessions vnder themperours and their x. other hornes sowen oute of the serpents sead into euery corner of the worlde flyinge lyke locustes into euery emperours and kinges bosome ether to be their confessers counsellers prechers or teachers out of pore scoles and cloysters are these beggers cropen vp aboue emperours and kinges by their serpentine flatering fraudes and holy hypocrysie And as daniel here seeth 4. beastis ascending out of the sea so doth Ioan resoning the same vision see the same beast arysing vp lyke wyse out of the sea But the cruell formes and facions which daniel sawe in y e thre beastis the same altogyther seeth I can in this one hugly beast sayng And the beast whom I sawe was lyke a leoparde and his feet as beres fete and his mouth lyke the mouth of a lyon He seeth him also with y. hornes which he expowneth to be x. kinges which had not yet in Ioans dayes receyved their kingdoms but shuld then in tyme to come as kinges in an hower take their power For sone aftir by the fraudes of this lytle horne the empyre of Rome was as ye see it diuided into feet and toes as Nebucadnezar did see it to come which is shal be the â—uine and fall of the hole empyre Of this diuision and skateringe therof Paul in Neros tyme gaue as it were a watche worde and warning before sayng He that holdeth the empyre let him hold it fast now yet a whyle tyll it be taken awaye For euen then saith Paul was he working his secrete anticrysten mischief and wykednes In somich as Ioan anon aftir Paul sayd And euen now are their many anticrystes which are gone forth of vs but yet were thei non of vs. Lo here maye ye see this beast to be no stranger borne farrof for Paul saith he sitteth in the temple of god he is therfore a domesty enimye a tame beast not to be sought among the Turkis Iewes and SaraceÌ„s as oure bisshops wolde make vs beleue whylis themselues play this beastis parte vnder oure noses at home in the temple of god and not in the temples of the Turkis and Iewes They tell vs where the head emperours and kings be crystened and thei of their counsell and teachers ther can be no persecucion by Anticryst but all is iuste execucion lo. But Iohn daniel saye that he shulde putforth his hornes vnder the winges of all the other crysten kinges euen amonge crysten men in the chirche of cryst in crystis name against cryst his name and his faithfull to make bataill Here it apereth Iohn to say the same that daniel saith but yet in other wordis For where as in this place daniel sawe a beast armed with 3. grete teth deuouring and consuminge all the same did Ioan see takinge his tyrannye cruell power his prowd seat and his mischeuouse maiesty of the dragon y e deuyll beinge a blody murtherer and a lyer from the beginning Agen where Ioan speketh of the beast with x. hornes he addeth to him another beast ascending from the erth sene of him to haue two hornes lyke a lambe but he spake as did the dragon executed all the power of the former beast in his sight The. x. horned beast ascending out of the sea is the spirituall Anticryst of Rome hauinge himselfe w t all his lawes rytes tradicions decrees and doctryne defended of the emperours swerde and with the swerdis of all these kinges once geuen to drinke of his golden cuppe of poyson Amonge these his stronge defenders and mighty hornes he arose first but a lytle horne vntyll they deuolued vnto him their powers possessions and autorities to slaye the sayntis and then was he a mighty worthy x. horned blody whore of Babylon But at last the gospell once reueled it did pluk from hir head hir holy vysare of hypocrisy and gaue hir in hir most hyghe and holy head a deadly wounde had not his cardinallis bishops and fryers strewed into euery emperours court and kinges hawlis spedely putto the plaster in rolling and tossing the ball ayen vnto the seculare powers flatering them with the popis tytles power possessions auctorite to maintayn and defend all the popes ceremonis tradicions doctrynes more sewerly confirmed with the seclare emperours actis and articles defended with swerde and fyer cruellier then euer they were vnder the pope himself For the healing of this wounde one horne was called the most sacred cesar another the most crysten another the most catholyke and another his first begoten some and another defender of the faith c. Which clerkely cure of the clergy when Ioan had espyed lo sayd he I see another beast ascendinge oute of the erth with two hornes c. meaninge the seculare antichristen emperours and kinges hauing now two horned powers both their owne and the spirituall auctorite as they had first and all to persecute the gospell now of late offred them and to burne the professors and prechers therof And it is to be feared lest the Turke be also this two horned seculare Anticryst ascended out of the erth For I dare say That rather then y e gospell shuld be frely receyued and the pope with his spirituall sourgens be brydled or suppressed with y e worde of God their state and lyuing corrected reformed there at the emperours and kinges crystened consenting and coÌ„pellinge these lytle whorishe hornes to daunce aftir the poore painfull pype of y e gospell they had leifer ten Turkis to inuade and yf their selues bringe him not in and to raigne ouer all crystendom then one crysten kinge For they had leyuor be vnder Mahumet and his lawes then vnder the crysten kinges and emperours and vnder the holy gospell of cryst For vnder the Turke they yet conceyue some hope ether by tribute geuinge or by their olde hypocritish holy flatering fraudes to stande styll in their dignites glorye ryches possessions and auctorite But in both these beastis their cruell hornes are encreased take them for whom ye will for both the Turke and Mahumete in Asia and Aphrica and the Pope with his false prophets and falser cardinals and bishops with all their coniured and sworne seculare papistis in Europa haue goten them a mighty perelloê° power ayenst cryst is poore fely lambes as ye see in their commandements decrees articles actis and proclamacioÌ„s and inquisicions for bokis heresies as they call goddis worde to be prohibited
pressed downe burned with all the promouers therof vnder the Turke thei haue some hope to stand styll in their lustes and plesures but vnder the gospell of cryst they be lyke to lese all and their kingdome to haue a miscrable fall Before this daniel sawe the last Monarchie which was the empyre of Rome to be diuided into many kingdoÌ„s as perchaunce into France Portugal Spayne Pole Denmarke Englande Hyerlande Scotland Napels Boheme and Hungarye which be the. x. hornes and sene of Iohn by the. x. hornes helping the read Romishe beast to suppresse the kingdome of cryst For by the popis policies thus was the noble empyre skatered into hir owne destruccion that this lytle horne might haue the proye and preeminence ouer the hole empyre This lytle horne saith daniel grewe vp amonge these x. kingdoms or x. seculare hornes by whose ayed ryches and auctorite the pope w t his prelates ascended from poore buggerly beggerly fryers and flaterers vnto siche an imperial maiestye aboue emperours and kinges And here daniel seeth 3. hornes smyten of from these so many kinges by the lytle horne That is the Anticrysten pope to make weake and feble whatsoeuer emperour and kinge he listed depose them at his plesure and to translate y e empyre and kingdoms into his owne nettis to vse and occupy them himself Or if ye will take the. iii. hornes prescisely for 3 empires or kingdoms falsely vsurped of the pope beholde vpon his head the triple crone infaming himself to be the throerdowne and destroyer or robber of thre great kingdoms yea and euen the subuerter of the hole Romane empyre Netheles his flaterers yet make him beleue that he is emperour and kinge ouer haeuen ouer y e erth and of purgatory yea and ouer hell and deuyll to But this is trewth He once translated the empyre from the east to the weest and from the Frenche men to the Germans And now contendeth he to translate it to the Turke which shal be his last translacion his owne destruccion with the heuey mutacions of all the west kingdoms yf he can bring his blody purpose to passe For Daniel saith this lytle horne to haue eyes lyke manis eyes that is to be prudent and polytyk to loke for his owne ease lucre For he thinketh to gett more vnder the Turke then vnder the gospell yf it be receyued of the emperours and of all the crysten kings as he feareth it wil be Iohn geueth him hornes lyke a lambe That is to saye he shall do all his fraudelent featis vnder a meruelouse pretence of holynes innocencye and mekenes For he shall wryte himself the most holy when he shall shewe himself by his dedis to be y e most wyked prophane cruell wolue comen in shepis clothes for vnder y e tytle of Papa father of fathers he is y e most marciles tyrant of all tyrants vnder the name of Summi or Maximi pontificis that is of the most hyghe and greatest vigilant watcher and ouerseer of his flok he is the most negligent idest idoll dome dogge vnder y e name of pastor which is a flok feder he is the most pestelent poysoner And euen these be the two 〈◊〉 hornes signifyed by y e two forked bisshops myters althoughe say they they signifye the two testameÌ„ts and that thei be lerned in nether of them bothe Nowe when ye see this beaste to deuolue theise his holy tytles and godly names of innocency and meaknes to any seclare horne or beast ascending out of the erth and the same do take them executing the Popis power and tyrannye in persecutinge the gospell and to confirme papistrye speking wryting decreing articlyng enacting c. as did the dragon then take heed for then contendeth this beaste to heale his awne deadly head wounde agene The two hornes lyke lambes hornes be both the powers seculare and ecclesiastâ—â— ether in any one spirituall or in any one seculare Anticryst Also it is to be noted That bothe Daniel and Ioan saith he hath a mouthe speking great blaphemies or prowd arrogancies ayenst god he shall speke as did the dragon euen blaphemies ayenst god as did he that said I will asceÌ„de and belyke the most hyghest god And as did the serpent perswade Eue to not beleue god but to thinke the most trwe god to be a dissembler or a lyer The turke and Mahumet speke gret blaphemies ayenst god in their alkaron But owr litle whore of Rome hir cardinalls bishops and prechers speke the moste gretest and greuoust blasphemies of all and themselues defende them with fyer and cause their seculare anticristis to defend them with swerde Thei be not ashamed to wryte and teche the pope to be of syke powr with cryste the pope cannot erre the pope to be the supreme head and spowse of the chirche and vicare of cryste And because he hathe the emperiall powr he may distribute the kingdoms and ryches of the worlde as he lyst and because he is the hyghest bysshop he maye geue all the chirches benifices as cardinallships bysshopryks and benefices to whom he lyste and he bosteth the gospell to be subiecte to his interpretacion and vnderstanding yea except saye some of owr bishops that the scripture be confirmed by siche ordinary powrs it is no scripture nor may not be redd but of siche as thei lyste to delyuer lyceÌ„ce it nor in any other tongue then thei liste to geue it vs. He will haue his lawe and tradicions to be obserued aboue gods laws and the transgressours of his lowsey lawes to be greuouslier punisshed then the brekers of gods precepts He bosteth himfelf to make lawes and articles of owr faithe and to adde mo sacraments to them then cryst made and to consecrate and to make the body of cryste to sende awaye the substance of the bread the accidents as the whigtnes rowndes tast other qualities quaÌ„tities remayning He confesseth crist with his lippes to be a red emer but yet he techeth he dothe and writeth many grete blaphemies contrary to the mystery of owr redempcion as in his purgatory satisfaccions merits 〈◊〉 and siche other All these blaphemies speketh he vnder lambes skinnes in an innocent holy pretence hauinge hornes lyke a lambe he will apere humble lyke any other inferiour man yet shameth he not to open his mouth to speke greuouse blasphemies ayenst god and his peple This beast Paul handleth and his pesteleÌ„t pro pertyes he treateh saying This sinfull man and forlorne chylde aduersary to god will be exalted ayenst god and aboue his worship cleame and vsurp a worship to himself and teche a certain vtwarde reuerent behauiour to idols and images so that he will sitte in the temple of god osteÌ„ting and bosting himself setforthe for a god that is he will with his lawes decrees actis articles and doctrine sitte deper in menis consciences more feared then god himself with his ten coÌ„mandements and
But the rest which haue their powrs taken from them or depose them shall yet lyue with their posterite folowinge them for a lytle tyme not so sodenly to fall as their head hornes For the laste of all is this fowrth in the which aryseth this lytle horne with his impes and in which the Turke also persecuteth vntyll himself with Mahumet and their hole anticristen bodye be slayne In the other kingdoms yet left aftir y e Turkis and popis be in destroyinge allthough the kinges dayly perish and lese their dominioÌ„s yet shall their subiectes obtayne fauor with their ouercomers and lyue their apointed yeares but when the iuge shall sittdowne both the euyll kinges with their euyll subiectis shal be casten into the pitt of fyer Wherfore y e aungell eâ—powneth it sainge And they shall take awaye his power scater and desiroye it in the ende prefixed of God And this is the porcion of the cuppe of the vngodly which had leyfer folowe antichrist then cryst For God shall as sayth Paul take awaye all princelynes powr and might Wherfore this comminacion of god prophecieth vnto all the kinges and peple from the beginnig of the worlde fighting agyenst the gospell of the almighty God and of oure sauiuor Iesu euerlasting fyer onlesse they repent as the. 2. psalme warneth them Also lest any man shuld thinke the lytle pore lost shepe of cryst euen the chirche of god to be vtterly and for euer deuoured of theis bereslyons leopardes and euen of the terrible beast the Turke Daniel saith that the tyme and houre is prefixed vnto euery one of them all That is to saye It is decreed in heauen how long euery one of the kingdoms in earth shall stand and how wyde they shall sprede Hytherto semeth it Paul to haue loken when he sayd God made out of one blode all man kynde to dwell ouer the vniuersall earth and hath prefined their constituted tymes and hath prefixed the lymites of their habitacion that thei shuld seke God Now is it shewed how long the lyon shall rore howe long the leoparde shall crye with open mouth and the bere how long he shall grone and crye There yet remaineth the ende of these terrible beastis the pope and the Turke euen the kingdoms which yet stonde ouer Germanye ouer Turkey and ouer Crystendom to be destroyd by the last daye of iugemeÌ„t Which thinge albeit it be wryten of daniel into the consolacion of the catholyk chirche yet maye we wepe and wayle to see the gospell thus troden vnder fete in all the vniuersall worlde Tell me where the gospell shyneth in any part of Aphrica where in y e great part of Asia In Europa vnder the Turkis emperours popis emperys there be here and there chirches but they be so cruelly oppressed that nether good letters nor lerning maye florissh nor y e chirches maye haue any godly teachers But what profiteth it to complaine Sewerly this mystery of the crosse was setforth in the sone of God anon fro the beginninge of the worlde and is yet so confirmed with the examples of all holy men that no consolacion maye be geuen to the chirche besydes the coming of Iesu cryst the sone of God and man Wherfore because the powr of the Turke cannot be lyke the Romane empyre nether shall he occupye all Europe for daniel denyeth any fyfte Monarchye to come we shall breifly expresse the wordis of daniel touching the cominge of the sone of god for oure consolacion Cryst therfore shall come lyke the sone of man for because he shall iuge almen he shall be se ne as a man of almen This confirmeth he saying The father hath geuen powr to iuge vnto his sonne because he is the sone of man And therfor it folowth in the text And beholde for in the night I sawe in the cloudis of heuen one coming lyke the sonne of man which coming forthe was brought vnto the great aged and he gaue vnto him powr glorye the kingdom that all peple nacions and tongues shuld serue worshipe him whose powr is an euerlasting powr neuer to be abolesshed for his kingdom shall neuer be destroid The sone of man to come to this great aged one is the same that Paul saith cryste to delyuervp his kingdome that is the chirche of his chosen vnto his father whiche geueth to cryste powr glory and a perpetuall kingdom euer to raigne with his electe as the Psalmes of Dauid declare him and his kingdom Also the same that cryste saith Ioan. 5. And his father gaue him powr to iuge because he is the sone of man And to be breif cryste shall verely thus come shortly to iuge the persewers of his chirche and to delyuer y e godly as himself describeth it Mat. 25. let vs therfore procede At this vision I daniel trembled in all my bodye my mynde went fro me for feare insomiche that I went to one of y e standers by asking him the very trowth in all this mater Which tolde it all vnto me and expowned to me the hole vision sayinge These 4 beastis figure 4 kinges to a ryse vp or out of the erthe And the hi ghe holy faithful shal receiue the kingdoÌ„ and obtaine it for euer Aftir this I desyered to knowe the certaintie of y e fowrth bâ—asâ—e whiche so greatly differed from al the other namely in that he was so fereful armed with tâ—the with his clawes of stâ—â—l deuouering and tearing into peces the reste he trode down with his feete I desyered also to knowe what meÌ„t the 10 hornes in his head and to be certified of that litle horne growing vp vnder them and of the 3 hornes smiten oute frome the former hornes And of the horne that had menis eyes and spake so great and sâ—owte thingis and why his forme and loke apexed sâ—owter then the other And that I sawe this horne to make bataill with y e holy faithful and triumphed preuailed ouer theÌ„ vntill the olde aged came and the iugemeÌ„t was geuen to the highe holy faithfull the tyme perfixed was come that the faitfull shuld obtaine and receyue their kingdom And then he tolde mo thus The fowrth beast fignifieth the fowrth kingdom that shal be in y e world whiche shall differe from all the other kingdoÌ„s in might and powr for that it shall deâ—ower the hole erthe and breke it all to powlder The 10 hornes signifye 10 kinges to aryse out and to spring vp out of this beast and after them there shall aryse a'nother litle one distinct and mightier then the former For he shall oppresse and castedowne 3 kings For he shall speke at the syde of the most highest god or speke on his parte of diuine things But the highe holy saitis he shall tangle snarle or destroye And shall arrogantly take vpoÌ„ him to change tymes and lawes which shal be put in to his handis whether it be for
1250 begane OthomaÌ„s kingdom to prospere And so shortely aftir this idolatrie once coÌ„firmed his kingdom begane to aryse and encreased aboue all other regions and brought forth weapens ayenst the west parte of the worlde to punisshe the filthei spottis of the romishe chirche So that assone as this idolatrie of the 〈…〉 begane to be confirmed of the pope the turks powr did encrease to skourg it in cristendom and shall yet more and more growe and preasse vpoÌ„ vs tyl this idolatrie of the 〈…〉 be takeÌ„ quite awaye This othoman being the great turke enlarged miche the turkis dominion out of whose blode all the kinges of the turks sence vnto this day haue reigned and taken their originall to whom god geueth strength and powr to punissh all cristendome for their idolatrye in the 〈…〉 for their false inuocacion and other abominacions whiche require a nother Nebucadnezar euen the turke to punisshe them But yet is there added this consolacion Where Daniel signifieth that there shall neuer be the fyft monarchie And therfore the turkis powr shall not be lyke the Romane empyre to destroy all Europe For as ye see the popis kingdom to fal when he thought himself moste sewr and highest euen so shall the turkes imperie faile and encline when he shall come to his highest thinking himself to conquire all and to raigne alone for euer then shal his half tyme come vpon him with a sodeÌ„ fall in the middes of his course For then shall the moste glad day begine to shyne in whiche the sone of god shall sterevp y e dead geuing to his chirche eternall lyfe and glorye and casting all the vngodly into euerlasting torments These same things be spoken of Gog and Magog in Ezechiel and in apoca 20. For Ezechiel faithe that Gog and Magog aftir thei haue done their mischeif in destroing slaynge then shall their selues at laste be desiroid in the mountains of Israel Which albeit it may be vnderstandeÌ„ of the laste iugement yet I think it to signifie the batails which the godly haue and shall haue in this laste olde age with the popissh emprowrs kinges and turke w c all shal be ouercomen in the hill is of Israel that is in the places where the chirche of cryst dwellethe in which the gospel is preched and receyued â–ª and the peple trwly in the faith of the sonne of god one onely mediatour call vpon their heuenly father For the pope and turke shall not be ouercome but by the sone of god fighting for his chirche as ye shall see it clerâ—yer in daniel 12. chapt saying Michael which is cryste the great capitaine shal stond forth for the defence of the peples childrn But bothe in daniel and in Ezechiel there be prophecied many great destruccions Which with all our hertis we beseche god to mitigate 〈…〉 Hitherto Philip Mesancthon This cap. is a prophecie of the monarchie of the Perses to be translated to the grekis Macedones Dario their kinge slayn by Alexander which dead anon y e Monarchie of the grekis was diuided in to 4 cheif kingdoms that is into Macedone Egipt Asiam and Syram And at laste in the Syrsake kingdom there arose Antiochus epiphanes which being of all enemies the moste cruel tyrant scourged the iewes and was the figure of our anticrystes In all these heuey and blody muâ—acions of kingedoms and trowblose tymes â–ª God wold confort his peple leste in the middis of these affliccions and offendicles thei shuld despeyer Let vs hear y e text In the thirde yere of y e raigne of kiÌ„g Beltsazar there was shâ—wed a vision vnto me Daniel aftir this former vision w c in my visioÌ„ loking aboute me methought I was by the floude Eule Nowe daniel being out of y e kiÌ„gs court of babylon in the londe of persie in a castel called Susis by the flowde Eule seeth a terrible vision Susis was the head cyte of Persye so called of Roses otherwise called persâ—polis there in was king Lyrus his cheif palace 140. forelongs aboute Of the flowde Eule hauing his head spring in Medis runing about the castel or tâ—wer of Susis write the pliny in his 6 boke 27. chap. Daniel saw this vision by the flowd whose waters lyke as the later waues thruste forthe the former sourges euen so shall one tribulacion and persecucion succede a nother coÌ„tinually as long as crystes chirche dureth and the gospel be trwly and frely preched vnto crysis coÌ„ming Wherfore it is necessary the chirche to be counforted and taught lest among these greuose affliccions and heuey persecucions she fainte and despayer Also it behoueth vs to be warned that we might know the causes of these plages and so to estiem them And therfore sayth daniel here that for the sinnes of the peple was Antiochus sent so cruelly to punisshe them as saith Paul Because men loued not the trwthe now preched to theÌ„ therfore shall god sende them mighty illusions making them to beleue lyes These heuey threatis shuld moue vs diligently to receiue and conserue the trew doctrine now offred vs lest god suffer yet a greater dâ—rkenes and greuoser plages to be casten vpon vs. It shal be therfore expedient to behold the horrible destuccions and cruel affliccions done vnto the iews by Antichus that we might haue consolacion lest we fal and despeier seing there be many lyke Antiochus nowe executing lyke tyrannye and cruelty ouer chirstis floke ☞ And myne eyes lysted vp lo I saw a â—amme hauing two hornes standing before the floude whiche hornes being very long yet was there one hygher and longer then the tother and in the extremest parte it did shote forth moste prowdly This raÌ„me I sawe runing with his hornes ayenst the weste and ayenst the northe and ayenst the sowthe so that no beastes might resist him nor be delyuered froÌ„ out of his powr so that he did what he listed and wexed great in doing great actes And whilis I considered lo I sawe an he gote coming fro the west vpon the face of al y e erthe nether lyted he vpoÌ„ the erth And this gote had a forth stretched horne to be sene standing betwixt his eyes â–ª He came vnto the horned ram whom I sawe standind before the flowd with a mighty violence he ranne ayenst him And I saw him come eueÌ„ to the ram where in his hotte fury he smitte the ram broke bothe his hornes for the ram had no strength to withstande him so that he smitte him downe to the grownde trode him vnder his fete there was non that mighte desyuer the ram from him Then did the gote right valeant grete actes was mightely highly magnified and when he was in his moste strength and powr his great horne was broken in whâ—se place there grewe forthe 4 hornes procedinge ayenst the fower partes of the world And out of one of them there went forth a litle
he sayth aftir he had distributed the first 7. heb to the buylding distinctly and seuerally in the next verse not repeting the former 7. hebd And aftir 62. hebdomadis cryste shal be slayne Now is it manifest that aftir none of all these last and lerned menis accompt if thei folowe the wordis of the text and not repete the former 7. hebdom can the nowmbere be continewed immediately but must be broken as the aungell breketh diuideth them So that this is y e sence and mynde of him That aftir 62. hebd where the prophecie of Iacob shal be fulfylled concerning the scepter of Iuda to be taken awaye and the Romans to rule the iewes then shall cryst be borne slayne c. but Iacob sayth not immediatly aftir y e scepter be taken awaye nomore then the aungell sayth here immediatly aftir the. 62. heb cryst shal be slayne for it was I saye 47. yeres aftir and aftir these 47 yeares yet 33. aftir ere he was slayne This miche haue I lerned sence by the expending and waying of the text processe thereof so that if as Cicero sayth oure later cogitacions be wyser then the former let the readers be iuges Now to the text xerxes prosecutinge the prouocacion by his fathers ryches faught ayenst y e Grekis in Europa where he ouercomen fled bak ayen into Asiu where he thus beastely and cruelly lyued had a miserable ende For he toke his brothers wyf beinge a lyue and gaue his brothers daughter to his owne sone aftir warde laye by her and then he slewe his brother He lyeth not which sayd I shall viset iniquitie For these incestuouse beastly blody crueltyes the Monarchye of the Persians begane to shake and fall and xerxes himself was miserably slayne of Artabanus the last kinge of the Parthens Cet this be an example to all emperours and princes to betaught to feare God leâ—t for siche crymes they be the destruccion of themselues and of their kingdoms ☞ Then shall there stande vp a strong kinge and obtayn the most mighty emperye and shall do what he lyft And when his kingdom hath stonden it shal be broken and diuided into the. 4. clymats of y e worlde but not to his owne posterite nor yet with that maiestie and power wherwith himselfe ruled For his kingdome shal be minisshed and distributed to other kinges besydes these 4. or vnto strangers By these wordis the aungell describeth the flourishing encreace and destruccion of great Alexander For vnder the Grekis the Iewes shuld suffer yet many plages For Alexander himself thought to destroye Ierusalem but the hyghe bishop coming forth ayenst him mekely with the Ceuitis so iently moued and entreated y e kinge that he was right beneficiall with greate giftis vnto them This mighty Alexander to rule conquire al y e worlde was called before the gret horned flying gote Him to do what he lysteth is to haue a prosperouse successe in all his affayers and victories For he beinge but. 20. yeres olde ere he was full 33. had subdewed all the worlde The verifying of these prophecies declare them to be spoken of god which onely as present foreseeth althinges to come And where he promiseth vs delyuerance he sheweth himselfe to tender vs that enbrace his prophecies The godly therfore are confirmed left they fall bak from their profession But the last part of this chap. perteyneth to the last parte of this Monarchie and to this age of the world declaring what persecucion cristis chirche hath and shall yet suffer vnder the cruel seculare spiritual anticristis at laste vnder the turke Mahumete the spi ritualtye yet lordely reigning aâ—tir a prophane proude haitheÌ„ fassion persecuting the doctrine of cryst quenching y e lyght of the gospel of the trwe inuocacion in faith and confidence in the sone of God defending by their seculare armes idolatry fighting burning fageting for their idols and for their prodigiouse lecherouse lustis slayinge innocents for the trwe doctrine For vnto their spiritual tyraÌ„ny y e seculare emperour princes adde their furiouse merciles blod sheding bothe by persecucion of the gospel and by batails whose pryde and riches be the spâ—rres vnto all this tumult where in good studies and letters gospell and cryste shal be neglected at laste a new derkenes fyeâ—cer furies withe the miserable mutacioÌ„â— of kingdome nowe begune in brewing These affliccions wold god men wolde consyder and before all aske of god to preserue gouern norissh encreace his chirche And if ther be any prices which may heale these woundis let theÌ„ now do their office leste cryste in his laste iugement now at hande accuse them gilty dampnanacion Nowe shulde emperowr and princes setforth the byble and defende good prechers Now shuld the crysten lerned men be sought out to teche crystes worde of saluacion Now it behoueth princes to defende the gospel of cryste teching peace and not banissh and burne the worde of peace commanding the trwe faithful prechers to sylence and restraining the scriptures and godly bokis forboden of them to be redde of the cristen good peple so de syerouse to reade them for their counforte in these troublos dayes Take ensample at the said kingis whiche solonge as thei gaue lycence to the iewes to buyld their temple god gaue them noble victories and rest as ye see it in Salomons dayes but wheÌ„ thei restrained and forbode the buildig therof thei had their handis full of warre and themselues miserably slayne A lyke terribly and trobles face is there this daye of the worlde for inhibitinge the buylding of the chirche of cryst God sent them his aungel cryste to helpe them whylis thei were content the iewes to edifye their temple And when thi inhi ted or neglected that good worke he prouoked one kinge to destroye another as y e stories declare it There be nowe meruelous subtyle craftinesses excercised in courtes insidiouse wylinesses couetuose counsels priuey studies for promoons and one king to destroy another faith les fauor flatery c. Whiche all is called polityk prudence and pleasauncie but it muste all shortely be turned into misery folisshes and into a calamitouse destruccion But retourne we to Alexander the beginner of the .3 monarchie and let vs set him as a glasse before all emperowrs princes to see themselues in him ye haue herde of his good fortunes and successe in so shorte a tyme whiche translated the monarchie of the persies vnto the Grekis as the prophecie was then verifyed with in .200 yeres folowing But the same prophecie yet tuneth vnto this daye vpon lyke Alexanders in a perpetual pathe to be verified vpon all the crysten empires and kingdome which haue so blasphemosly persecuted and quenched the worde of their saluacion so mercilesly sheding the innocent blode for the Gospel Some kingdoÌ„s haue felt the stroke of this worde moo be
lykely to fele the chaÌ„gys of their kinges stocke Let al other bewarâ— of lyke heuey mutacions inminent the bore is now opened shut it if ye can God had endewed mighty Alexander with greate and cleare giftis It was a great beutyfull glorye to him in that he was feared and sought to of all other kinges endewed he was with imperye ryches and many noble victories and delyuered from many heuey chaunces and perels of his owne subiectis He was also of natute very stronge hardy and in counsell he passed the wysest he could iuge and foresee what was euer for the beste he was prudent comely princely affable ientle and amiable he loued iustice and punisshed the malefactors No prince lyke him in vertewe morals so long as he was in a right mynde But he aknowleged not god to be the auctor of them And therfore of pryde and wealynes gaue himselfe vp vnto his owne lustis as to eating drinking delicately and immoderately vnto voluptuosnes of his bodye to be pampered vp to satisfye his lybidinose fleshe And beinge dronken he slâ—we his moste entyre and necessarye frendis and was most cruell ayenst them which did him most faythfull seruice Then he polluted himselfe with lecherye vnto these fowle crymes he added contumelyes and cruelty ayenst god he beleued himself to haue a certeyn diuyne prerogatiue and power aboue all men and god to as wold yet some pestelent flateringe fryers and prelates put it into emprours and kinges headis he aknowledged not himself to haue had done so noble actis and escaped so greate perels by goddis helpe onely but attributed this glory prosperite to his owne wysedom dignite royall to fortune and to his owne policie powr and ryches He wolde come forth some tymes disgoised lyke Iupiter Hammon all in glytering ye low golde and eft sone as Diana wolde he daley most lasciuiously and fylthely emong women Wherfore there folowed the most heuey punishments For ere his kingdom was set in ordir he dyed in his dronkenes bantkettinge with his whore And at this his wretched fall all his familye and kinred was also throne downe For anon aftir Olympias his mother his sister and his two wyues and his two lytle sonnes were slayne of his owne minnioÌ„s and playe felowes What ensample of manis inconstancie can be clerelyer setforth For this so mighty clear a kinges stock and familye cold not fynde a faythfull frende to defende his aftir his death no not one in all the worlde no not among them vnto whom himself had geuen so many giftis and prouin ces and whom he had brought vp promoted For Cassander the sonne of Antipater which was brought vp of a chylde and promoted of Alexander slewe Olym pias Alexanders mother aftir he slewe Roxonem his sonne called Alexander and his tother sonne Hercules borne of Bersine The gouerner of y e Sardins slewe Cleopatram his syster These calamitis came not to Alexander and his house of chaunce but of the wrath of god and all to monissh lyke king is in tyme. Many synnes god punissheth in this lyfe let vs thinke vpon the iugement to come where eternall paynes be prepared if we amende not The transitory shortnes of this lyfe shuld moâ—e princes to beware and repente and set the feare of Gods maiesty before their eyes Remember mor tall princes ye be but dust you be no gods God will shortely intercept your brethe whose rewarde is euerlastinge dampnacion if ye repent not Alexander raigned .7 yearis after he had slayne Darius the laste kinge of the Medis and Persies And then the Greke Monarchie susteyned greate batails trouble and slaughters and was torne and rente as hath the text into many and sondre dominions of strange kinges Alexanders posterite elene extinct Then there arose blodye batails betwixt the kingis of Asia and Syria and Egypt all in the same Monarchie neuer ceassinge cruelly shedinge eche others blode vntyll the Romans wexinge stronge begane to set in fote and so at last coÌ„quired the Grekis the Assyrions and EgypcioÌ„s And thus was the worlde .47 yeris before crystis birthe deuolued into the fourth Monarchie called the Romane and last empyre From Darius LongimaÌ„s death to the begininge of the Romane Monarchie which was .409 yeres but especially from a non aftir the death of Alexander when the kinges of Syria and Egypt thus cruelly destroyd eche other yea maye be sewer the Iewes had euyll reste For their lande laye in the midde waye betwixt Egypte which is sowth from Sy ria So that the Iewes were euer ouerrunne and depopulated of both y e hostes now of the Egypcians and then of y e Assyrians Grekis Alexanders kingdom aftir his death was broken and diuided into the .4 partis of the worlde or windis of the heuen subuerted and distributed to aliaunts that is into Syriam Egypt Asiam and Grece By the strange dukes and kinges of these .4 kingdoms which serued Alexander are vnderstanden Seleucus king of Syria Antigonus of Asia Ptolomeus of Egypte and Arideus of Grece yea they diuided all the prouinces of the hole Monarchie emong themselues and then they faught who shuld haue all thus was his kingdome broken and dispersed So greate calamities were there aftir Alexanders death by the reason of so many perpetuall batails that Demades very aptly coÌ„pared the powr and hostes of dead Alexander to the dygged out eye of Cyclopus These examples I reherche that siche punisshments might warne princes and moue them to modestie and to feare god Remember that cryst sayd Withoute me can ye do nothing Amende therfore your lyues and be mercyfull to the poore innocents or els loke for no fauore but for the vengeance of God to be powered forth shortly vpon you Darius Longiman raigninge at Babylon whylis his brother xerxes faught in Europa ayenst y e Grekis gaue licence and commandement to the Iewes to returne and finisshe their citie and temple For it apereth Esdras Nehemias to be of his cheif counsell And therfore his fortune agreed with his vertew For God defended that modeste and beneficiall kinge vnto his chirche helping him in his gouernaÌ„ce and defence of his realme Let emperours and kinges folowe this godly kingis fact in reedifying gods cite and temple which is his chirche by settinge forth trewe prechers and teachers to reedifye the walles of Ierusalem The text But the southe kinge one of Alexanders princes shal be mightye This southe kinge one of Alexanders cheife capitains or dukes brought vp of a poore soldyer was called Ptolomeus the great and also Ptolom Sotir that is a greate sauiour but yet all Syria suffred all thinges coÌ„trary to his name For this Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi gouerned Egypte which was sowth fro the Iewes and was a mighty king and vexid sore y e Syrians and Iewes For vnder a fraudelent colore to sacrifice he entred into Ierusalem vpon a saboth daye and
and quenes of siche idle vyle quesâ—ors shall the last kingdoms of the worlde be gouerned This vyle Seleucus commanded the temple of Ierusa lemto be spoyled as now at last shall there lyâ—e vyle questors gather into their haÌ„ dis all the ryches of the Popis chirche If ye compare this image vnto the laste age of the worlde ye shall perceyue the aungell not to haue onely prophecied of Scleucus but also of the later kings and emprours of this worlde and to haue setforth the calamities of the chirche of cryste in these later dayes that we might knowe the synnes of the spiritualtye of their idle impes to be worthely plaged of the seculare Seleukâ— which both togyther shall persecute Christis poore flok And yet shall god delyuer his from both their blody mouthes These vyle questors shall dayly inueÌ„t newe kindis of eccyses and exaccions to pyss and empouet their comons as hytherto haue y e bishops done in vexing pollyng and pilling their diocesans preistis persons abbels spi ritualty tyll there shall come the thirde kyght and swâ—pe awaye both frogge and mouse Lytle rememberd they that Ioan Baptist coÌ„manded them to be coÌ„tent with their owne stipendes They contempne the example of Achab whom God so punisshed for taking awaye Nabothâ— vyneyarde Thei shulde spare the possessions and goodis of their subiectis and diocesanâ— that y e peple might haue to setforth their chyldren to scole and to lerne them honeste and vtyle occupacions and that thei might helpe their godly kinges emprours trewe prechers in tyme of nede ayenst foren incursions But as I sayd let vs know these open plages to be iuste punishments of the peples synnes warnings to excite them to godlynes and to commende the congregacioÌ„s to gods cuâ—e and to mitigate these cruell open tyraÌ„nys and to sende vs wyse rulers iuste strong and happy princes studyinge for y e profit of their comons to geue vs good bisshops to orne the chirches and not to oner them and to setforth and illustre the glorye of god and not to obscure it ☞ But him there shall succede a contempned persone nothing estemed to haue had bene kinge or thought to haue had the kingly honor but yet shall he gete it by giftis and come in quietly at his pleasure and obtayne the kingdom by flaterye In this king is described and figured Anticryste to raigne both in the seculare kinges and emprours and also in the ecclesiastik sorte in these laste dayes vnto the worlds ende Let vs therfore beholde the begininge the successe and ende of this anticrysten Antiochus which to come to the kingdom slewe his owne brother Seleucus as did Iason slay Onias the bisshop to obtayne his bisshopryke And haue there not bene lyke pagents playd emonge emprours kinges popes preistis and bisshops one to succede another Antiochus his begininge was vyle and coÌ„temptible not loked for to be king For he was in presone at Rome left in pledge of his father nether asked of y e Sy tiaÌ„s nor lawfully called to be their king for his elder brother Seleucus had now a sonne alyue to succede him The aungel therfore calleth him a contemptible or an vnestemed persone for that he wanted auctorite that is vertewe felicite vnloked fore of the peple But god did set him in auctorite and place to be the instrumeÌ„t of his wrath For whosoeuer shall well tule and be obayed of his peple he must nedis haue auctorite which onely God createth witnes Solomon saing An eye seinge and eare hearinge both be of God Albeit therfore this antiochus was subtyle and a bolde waryer yet because he wanted y e iust auctorite before men that is he was vniust outragioê° â–ª cruell viciou se he was called of the aungella coÌ„tempned vyle vnestemed wretche He therfore what by deceitfull fraude flaterye and fayer false promises gote the fauour of y e romans to defeat his brothers sone of the kingdom But will ye see anticryst in his proper colours He shall come into his auctorite and place of himself vnsent of god nether entreth he in by the dore but lurketh a wolfe vndera lambes skynne What glitering shewe of honesty vertewe godlynes and holines sheweth and pretendeth this horned beast vnder how many holy preteÌ„ces to suppresse heresyes sedicions and to abolisshe false religioÌ„s yea to abolisshe anticryst himself to refor me the chirches and plante the gospell playth he anticrystis parte in stablishing false doctryne and falser religion and in suppressing the trewe gospell vnder the colour of preching the gospell purely and syncerely he burneth banisheth all trâ— syncere and pure prechers of it Hath not Mahumete and the popes by these subtyle fraudis goten their kingdoÌ„s Thei promise to teche declare the lawes of god but thei preche their owne dead deuilishe dremes Thei wryte themselues the most holy headis and vicares of the catholike chirche of God but thei be the most prophane cheiftains of sathans synagoge Thei pretend rightwysnes worke all mischeif Thei fayn peace and be the autors of y e most vniust batails Thei praise and preche mercye and good workis and be therselues the most cruell mercilesse tyrants and sheders of innoceÌ„t blode spendinge the goodis of the chirche substance of the poore vpon their owne fleshly lustis and dirtye doinge sakes Thre thinges be here expressed First he is not called Secondarily it came prosperously to passe with him to raigne Thirdly he obtained all thingis by murther fraude and flaterye He was farre inferior to his father antiochus the greate both in powr fortune He was a subtyle deceiuet a fayer false promiser a fla terer a viciouse lecherouse persone couetuose graceles bolde in mischeif and pie teles ☞ And armes shall come lyke a great rysinge sea before him they shal be ouer whelmed of him yea euen y e prince him self which was confedered with him By these arysinge armes be signifyed the princes of Syria Egypte but cheifly the capitains of the hostes holdinge and kepinge the cities in Phenice which lyke a swelling sea came rysing vp ayenst this Antiochus Epiphan which armes had then leauer ether Seleucus his sonne the Syriam or els Ptolom Philometor the Egypte prince and sonne of Cleopatre sister to this Antiochê° to haue raigned then this contempned Antiochus Epiphan This prince here confedered with him was Ptolom Philometer Cleopatras sonne and king of Egypt All these armes and princes saith the aungell shall this wiked Antiochus ouerwhelme and ouerflowe them lyke the dilâ—â—iâ— of Nohe Hither to hath he described the begininge of the raigne of Antiochus Epiphan now shall ye see the middis of his raigne that is to â—eit his 3. expedicioÌ„s or viages of y e which one was into Phinicen the other two into Egypt ayenst his sisters sonne Ptolom Philometor ☞ For after that he shall make an iâ—sidiose confederacion with him he
as he was to the iewes in Antiochus tyme not sufferinge that greuou sepersccucion to continewe senger then y e said 1290. dayes he saith dayes because the litle tyme apereth so longe to the afflicted Thê° be we warned to perseuer strongly in pacience abydinge the glorious coming of cryste to iugement to slaye this anticristen horned whore of babylon withe the almighty breathe of his mouth that we might haue our perpetuall ioye teste with cryste But daniel go thou hence vntyll the ende be comen be at reste For thou shalt stand vp with thy parte in the ende of the tymes Here at last is daniel commanded of y e aungell Cryst to departe and to take his reste his bodye to lye down and sleape in the duste his soule to reste in ioye in Abrahams bosome which is in heuen with god the father with his sone holy gost with all y e holy aungels spirits of the lust vntyll that gloriouse daye of y e resurreccion all crystis enimies thrust downe vnder his fete And then he telleth him that he shall resume his gloriouse immor tall incorruptible spirituall bodye standing vp ayen as it were from sleape with his parte and blessed company of the cho sen. Thus shall we all bothe gladde fresshe and ioyfull aryse rogither in the laste daye which is now owr moste present coÌ„solacion Iesus cryst our resurreccion graunt it vs that we mought so vnderstande teache and lone daniel the prophetes that me myght with them ryse agene in that euerlastinge scole perfectly lerne to knowe to honor God vnto whom onely be glorie immortall So be it Nowe geue thankis to our celestial father thorowe Iesus cryste our redemer that he hath at last so clerely by his prophete daniel reueled to vs these so secrete misteries so that we be assâ—wered cry sâ—e our redemer to haue had ben comen incarnated these 154â— yeres ago that he shall come agene shortely to delyuer vs mightely out of anticristis tyraÌ„nye destroye him w t his almighty worde We beseche the oh father for cristes sake ge â—e vs the very feare faith in the make vs call vpoÌ„ thâ—for our onely mediator cristes sake to be herde that among these so many mighty fraudes of Anticryst we â—hriâ—k not we fall not froÌ„ the but that in thy holy feare pacieÌ„t abydig we might perseuâ—â— to our endis reste with daniel in the cominge of cryste Iesu we mought with him in the felowship of thy chosen meâ—e our sauiour cryste in our glorifyed bodies rysen ayene into that perpetuall felicite prepared for vs in cryste from the begininge Amen Emprinted at Geneue 1545. G. I. Halcyon is a kingis fissher The last dayes be ê‘ellous Cap. 12. A monarchie is one empire ouer all the worlde the scripture is Gods worde the first age 2. age 3. age the first age 2. age 3. age A monarchie the first monarchie The. 2. Monarchye The. 3. Monarchie The. 4. Monarchy Daniel 2. The argument The om nipotencie mer cie of God God ruleth the world by kinges prophetis note this wel good reader 22. Cap. 9. Cap. Gene. 7. Of babylon citie Amonicion 2. Pet. 2. Rom. 11. Text. The office of kinges and victours the chirche is fre in captiuite Exo. 20. What thing is victoriose kings shuld do Deu. 17. kinges muâ—â—â— euer â—â—adâ— y e boke of Deut. Daniel â—althasar â—ananias drach Rom. 13. Text. Exo. 20 Cap. 11. Places of the. 1. cap. Rom. 11. The false prophe tâ— were euer in greter autorite theÌ„ the trwe wherfor be good men scourged w t the euil The batail i promises 29. Eze. 33. Ephe. 3. The glory of the peple of Israel â— their exi le Gen. 49 3. place Prou. 20 2. Paral. 31. Mat. 10. 1. Pet. 3. Titu 3. The godly howe thei shal do in tyme of peace batel Eze. 18. Faith erectâ—th hirself vp bithe â—mises ayenste the threates We may not poit God the tyme pla ce c. How the vngodly behaue theÌ„selfe in tyme of peace batail The fast and punisshement of the false prechers Iere. 28. The cry sten lyfe The argnmeÌ„t of the 2. ca. Text. Gen. 22. It behoueth the victor to fele what captiues he hathe 1. Samu â—l 5 6. god how he is w t men I say 29 the word of god reueled shameth maÌ„ nis doctrin seme it neuer so deceÌ„t laudable Text. Rom. 4. all thynges be possible to God Heb. 11. Text. Psal. 17. What it is to call vpoÌ„ god 2. Cor. 1. Ioan. 16 Text. Our ennimies must we loue 1. Cor. 2. Onely y e holy gost seeth what is to come Our eni mies but not their doctryn to be loued Text. Whiche drames be of god Cryste when aÌ„d wherfor he shuld come Text. The kiÌ„g doÌ„ of cry ste. The begining fal of kiÌ„gdoms be of God Christis kingdoÌ„ kingdoÌ„s ar y e howses of the gospell The worlde without the gospel is hel Text. â— Mona Text. Text. Text. 4. Monarchie The Romane empiâ—e shal be destroyed Cast of all shall the Gospell destryoe both Pope turke vsurping the Romain empire The diuision of the Romain em pire Text. Christes kyngdoÌ„ when it begane institued of God Christis kyngdoÌ„ is his worde his chur che the ston â—ut out of the hil without hande Luc. 19. Psal. 2. Text. 1. Pet. 4. 1. Tim. 5 The. 3. chapter Bothe autors â–ª defenders worshippers of ymages â–ª shal be greuosly plaged Text. accusers of good menshal be destroyed Text. Text. To not defende y e trwthe and to re nye it is allone The lyberty of the faith full in the crosse To worship god what it is Rom. 10. Dissemble not in Gods honore worship The bisshops vn godly godly worship of ymages Onias Menelaus Iason Macha Exo. 32. Leui. 26. Psal. 96. Deut. 4. 27. Exo. 20. Iosue 8. Deu. 16. 1. Cor. 10 Thre hâ— nors a diuine honor A ciuâ—le honor And an ydoll honor w t win gloseth and it oute w t a certain reuerent behauior Matt. 5. Text. Beware ye cruell hangmeÌ„ meÌ„ but ners Psal. 104 Text. The subiects folowe their kynge coÌ„dicions the first precept is the rule of all doctryne I say 7. Who was the angel in the fyer The flame burneth the burners of y e faith full be they neuer so far of Psal. 2. Text. The pro perty of our papi stis about kingis emprowrs To send forth pre chers is y e spediest way to plant y e gospell Cryst is with vs in y e middes of y e fyer of tribulacion I say 53. Hebre. 11 kinges take hede your fice the first place TyraÌ„ts deride y e godly Oure erth quakis and present eclyps Ioan. 3. In his first article against D. barnes Corporall promises haue condicioÌ„s but not y e promises of the gospell Of y e 6. place 26 Wherfore God laith vpon vs bodely affliccions Psal.