came vp not all at once so 463. yeares may Spain and Italy holde him vp while Archbishops and Bishops Pastours and Curates have too much stipend and authoritie but litle learning in the holy booke for wisedome vnto life As Agamemnon sayd of Nestor that ten such would soone fel Priamus citie so ten Kinges that would clear the Revelation to Hebrewes Greekes Latines and all tongues might hasten the Iewes calling but I am afrayd none saving our own will performe any promise that way to agree with Iewes that the Arke in the Temple is the holy man which is golden within without and hath the tables of 613. letters to which answer 613. lawes into which all wisedome falleth and none fayleth written in his hart and vpon the mercy seat all of gold stay the Cherubims looke When Christ is seene in his Temple of humanitie thus Papistry fayleth and falleth and from the Church dayly till the end lightening and voices and thundrings and earthquake and great hayle would make Aegypt and Rome to quayle But few desirous of divinitie have maintenance and ambitious in wealth spurne at soules health and kings see how much is spent in vaine and how scholers bend to gaine and so courts fall at Sardis Ch. 3. and the Pope may live yet Hebers yeares this present and 463. That this Trumpet may then speak to Ezekiels dead bones make them arise Ch. 37. as Apo. 20. all arise Thus in seales and Trumpets God hath once shewed all By seavens spirits hornes seales and trumpets to teach the prophane world of resurrection The same shal be repeated in beastes seaven headed and seaven Angells vnto a newe mention of the resurrection CHAP. XII A goodly signe appeared in the heaven The faithfull company is a Woman their abundance of grace of the gift of justice in Christ and regeneration in putting on Christ is a garment of the sun their contempt of all things vnder the sun is an having of the moon vnder her feet their doctrine from the twelve Apostles is a crowne of twelve stars Their desire to teach Christ to other soules is a travelling of child As the Sun is all bright so is the soule iustified in Christ bright as the sunne Cant. 6. though in it selfe it is black Cant. 1. and as the Moone often not all lightened but when it hath the Sunnes full light it appeareth as the morning as faire as any moon Cant. 6. Our crowne is the twelve Apostles doctrine who were all of equall truth though S. Paul laboured more then they all and from Rome wrote enough to have warned that city not to fight against Christ and so much as might teach the world that Peter was never near Rome but kept where God scattered the twelve tribes as the 12. most laboured to call the Iewes to teach the Gentiles This travelling of child teacheth vs what a care wee should have to teach Christ and so first to learne GODS book God is our first Bishop Ioh. 20. 29. in the 70. for El the ebr the Almighty Of men the King should be best learned as King Moses was King Iesus King Samuel King David King Salomon King Ezekias the wealthier by wisedome and greater then many Kings Daniel Belt es-sar that brake out a flame of sorrow to the wicked Chaldean who thought that Bel tas a far Bel held wealth Kings might soone be learned who might learne the holy words of both testamentes in two moneths and the concent of scripture in an houre and might commaund that every sermon should either abridge the whole Bible as S. Paul doth to the revoulting Ebrewes or tell the afflictions of our Lords family as Daniel doth seaven times over or weaknes of Salomons Kinges or how Aharons twelve stones tell the tribes story or the golden chayn of Chronicle and Iubilees or the mysteries of Moyses Ceremonyes or collations of prophecies with event or like revolutions to shew Gods facility in teaching Christ or some whole book in one sermon So Kings without payne might passe all in learning And our Vniversities might be so ruled but that the God of this world doth hinder that our DD. should speak Ebrew and Greek better then English and be readier in the Bible then in any other book or from their first preferment in collegies fast oftener then the Iesuites do for S. Laurence and all the Sainctes in heaven or live without college allowance A Samuel would make a Naioth And an Archbishop worthy of his place would make Daniel plaine in one houre and the Apocalyps in an other It is a wonderfull sinn to give men honour without desert and to be doltish scholers to vnlearned teachers We travel as Esay speaketh but we bring foorth onely a wynd The God of this world being incarnate in the Romans is busy in his generation Pharaoh Esa 27. was not such a Dracon nor the Persian God Dan. 6. to whom onely prayer must be The Goddes borne in Asia as Aeschylus termes them The Dracon whom Babylon worship in the fable Apocryph These were not such Dragons as the Romane Pompey Crassus Iulius Antonius Brutus with Cassius Augustus with the whole Empire till it died and the Empire revived by Pope these seaven heads of the Divel teach vs to know the Churches danger when their whole corporation maketh a great Dracon and their hornes ten be not as they in Daniel then Kings of ten men but ten kingdomes And the tayle the Prophet that telleth lyes Esa 9. draweth the third part of the starres to be wandring starres Iud. v. 13. and cast them into the earth as Daniel 8. Antiochus made Iewes Pharisees and Sadducees When our tongues trauel of Christ the Divel would by Rome devour that But he is taken vp into heaven who wil bruse all nations with an iron rod And the Church fled into the wildernes as Ioseph and Mary with Christ into Aegypt and is nourished as Christ in his half seaven Dan. 9. in his persecutions dayes 1260. Michael who in the forme of God held it no robery to be equall with God Michael who in Dan. 10. is the chief of the chief Princes the holy Angels and defendeth Iudah against the enemies Michael his angels the marryrs overcome Satan the Caesars that the Church shuts thē out of all accompt though Satan still accused them to the ten Persecuters So the Dragons tayle is busy in the Popes But the Church had as Israel Exod. 19. two wings of an Egle to flee from Dracon Pharaoh into the wildernes to be again fed after Christs persecutions a yeare two yeares half a yeare from Pope serpent that the Thebanes borne of this serpents teeth gnash Where was your Church before M. Luthers time when the King of Locusts A bad one Abaddon a new Apollo had from his keyes of the pit brought a smoke to darken sun and ayer And although the cloysters Idolatrous deserved as Israel in Amos to be caryed as with the river of Aegypt
hornes and vpon his head seauen Crownes because so many states of Rome afflicted Gods people In chap. 13. Tenne hornes had tenne Crownes to shew that so many kingdoms not seuerall kings as in Daniel for Aegypt and Syria belonged to the Empire And the woman was clothed in Purple and Scarlat and golden in Gold and pretious stones pearles hauing a golden Cup in her hand full of abominations and vncleannesse of her fornication and vpon her forehead a name written A MYSTERIE Babylon the great the mother of fornications and the abominations of the earth Red color is vsuall for blood and Lycurgus or Dracoes lawes and most fit for Romulus towne where hee embrued his handes in the blood of his brother but most of all for the Popes persequution The gold reuiueth Babel and the very phrase is taken from it Isai 14. And the story is in Dan. 3. where the King made an Image of gold sixtie cubites high six cubites broad So they amazed foolish with the cost of the matter but of Christ we are to buy the true gold Apo. 3. and 21. The golden rules of Faith and Trueth and not to esteeme of a crucifix of gold to crucifie Christ againe for the matter So the picture of Mary is in diuers places trimmed with chaines of gold and pretious stones and their Copes wickedly following Aharon bee of cloth of gold So the 3. Kings of Colone that returned from Ierusalem to their countrey and were but Persian sages and no Kinges nor any Persian that would be called Baltasar they are said to be trimmed at solemne times with chaines of great Iewels I would not see it because I would not goe bare-head into their Temple A golden Cup had Babel to make nations drunke with Idols making Gods of their Starres and was ful of lothsome things and vncleane fornications So is Rome manifestlie Colon and Spaine as if Babylon a mystery were written in the forehead As the learning of Daniel could doe no good to Babel but still it would keepe the old Gods till Cyrus tooke their kingdome so Rome is so deepe in Idolatrie that no learning will make men leaue their places Pharaoh Nebuchadnezar were neuer so hardened And these passe all that euer were for crueltie in persecution The profane Caesares did not so strictly hinder all vse of religion They hindred not the reading of Gods word as the Pope doth though they feared lest the Kingdome of Christ should be a bridle to them Romes cruelty told chap. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. is now plainely handled And I saw the woman dronk with the blood of the saincts and with the blood of the martyrs of IESVS And when I saw her I marueiled with great marueile Heere the blinde may see that since the Empire was reuiued in the West the persecutions of them who say Christ freely iustifieth and only heareth prayer and will haue the Idole of him selfe as Plato speaketh of vertue to bee fetched from his word were bloody against the Saintes and Martyrs of Iesus When the Pope contemneth a thousand times better learned then himselfe how can hee looke to escape the wrath of God Iohn marueiled to see a womā dronke with blood therefore the Angel calleth him to consider the chapters afore as especially the thirteenth chapter And the Angell said to mee why doest thou marueile I will tell thee the Mysterie of the woman of the beast which beareth her which hath seauen heades and tenne hornes A more perticular description foloweth then was cha 13. But any may see this to be a commentarie vpon that place as God is a perfect expounder of his owne worde The beast which thou sawest was and is not and hee shall ascend out of the Pit The Empire was and againe is made dead by the remouing to Bizantium and it shall ascend out of the Pit chapt 9. when the locust and their king come out of the pit And shall go to destruction This speach is part of Balaams for Italy Num. 24. which should afflict Heber that is the faithfull and hold on to destruction The same he spake of Amalek that he should go on to destruction that was neere a thousand yeares after Balaam spake that was Amalek was destroyed by Israel As a thousand yeeres are but as one day with God so Satan was tyed 1000. yea before the king of Locusts had the winges of horses and chariots to vexe the Church the true Ierusalem for the Low to the ruyne of the West And they who dwell on the earth will marueile whose names are not written in the booke of life from the beginning of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is Heere is a meaning that hath wisdome The naturall man obserueth not that when countreyes fall they rise no more Aegypt Aram Assur Paras Graecia that none would thinke Rome beeing once destroyed should raise againe But the taught of God see a plaine reason That the West in the end should afflict first by strength and next by subtiltie in religion that Christ his seruants should be tried both for body and minde and he pay the City that crucified him both with horse as chap. 6. and by the spirit of his mouth and diligent searching of the Prophets So for easier memory of story Christ would haue Rome that crucified the king of glory once to bee plagued through their Emperors and the Empire to be taken away and the Citie to bee destroyed as by Gothes and by Lybians by Giezerichus a new Annibal And then an enemie to God in all trueth to shewe himselfe in the Temple of God as if he were God to be consumed by study about the Bible by the word and sword that commeth from CHRIST his mouth So the beast was againe is not and yet is God speaketh in the praesent tempus for things to come because all things with him are praesent This is a meaning that hath wisedome as Iobs case and Daniels Image Therefore wee should flee to God to be the expounder who openeth what is in darknesse and with whom light doth dwell The seauen heades are seauen mountaines vpon which the woman sitteth also they be seauen Kings fiue are fallen and the principall is the other is not yet come and when he is come he must tary but a litle while The Iewes felt Pompei heauy that made Iuda prouince to Rome M. Crassus was heauy that spoyled the temple of much gold Iulius Caesar was also heany who strengthned Cleopatra ouer Iudea long lost to set vp Herod at the last Brutus and Cassius were also heauy with their army Antonius who married Cleopatra and holpe in Capitolio Herod to be King was also heauy all these came to destruction for medling with Gods people and all their state by Ciuill warres So fiue Kings are fallen and the principall is Augustus and the other is not yet come the Empire reuiued But at 1000. yer will
kinges without all color of warrant from God shew himselfe in the temple of God as if he were God beeing in all policie sinfull and blaspeming true teachers so he must needes be hated of Princes that euery one will draw from him all that they can That is to eate the flesh of the Idolatrous towne and burning it in the fire For God hath giuen it vnto their heartes to doe his minde and to doe one minde and to giue their kingdom to the beast vntill the wordes of God be brought about Because they did not receiue the loue of the trueth vnto right happinesse to studie the Lawes of God day and night God gaue thē ouer to a foolish minde to pull downe the East Empire and to set vp one in the West and to set the Synagogue of Rome aboue all to rule all Empire and Kingdomes And to this day that cursed blindnesse abideth in men that they thinke it a shame for a King to be learned or for Noble men True Kingdome standeth in knowledge of the kingdome of heauen and Princes of cunning education might know both Testaments in Greek and Hebrew and veine of storie in yong yeeres that their hearts might a thousand times in a day runne ouer the heauenly frame of Gods booke and see their Ancestors from Adam to Noë the pillars of the world Then the noble warrier Abraham King Moses King Iosuah King Samuel King David King Salomon and noble Daniel the mightiest subiect in the world and greatest warrior best learned And his noble Cousins that quenched the fire refusing Idols should haue taught nobles to haue in equal sort hated Babelish idolatrie of cursed Rome that crucified Christ and by the serpents biting pierced his footestepp and handes and would naile fast all feete and handes from walking in Gods wayes and working in his trueth What a shame is it for Kings that they know not the familie of David penned of purpose to make kings wise David Salomō both wise began the glorie Ioakim Ioachin both vnwise ended the glorie all betwixt are a glasse for Kings to see their owne case Againe the pompe of this world is eminēt in Daniels Image afflicting the holy house of Nathā but beatē to pouder for their paines that madnesse of Counsell is expressed in Nebuchadnezars open madnesse His open madnesse of seauen yeres was not so madd as the Persians or Alexander that made themselues Gods and the parted Macedonians are a patron of slauery to Satan Heere in one Image all Greek and Latin to Liuie is cōteyned and Kings might make their teachers to bring such stately matter into commune knowledge to make a Bridge from the fall of Salomons house vnto the setting vp of Nathans Nabuchadnezar honored Daniel to Iudahs good For chiefe heads of this matter Kings further called should further delite in this kinde So for the Image of the beast Apoc. 13. if Kinges had bene happy they had learned from storie what Iohn foretold but because they despised Gods exhortation to read the Booke God gaue it into their hearts to giue their kingdome to the beast if they would make their people learned in this Booke the flesh of the harlot should soone be eaten All true soldiers should be Doctores of Diuinity such all will conquer with small losse as Israel vnder Iosua which studied Moses 40. yer And Dauids Capteins by knowlede of Moses were mighty in battell Doctors in bare title the Popes and ours deserue so much reuerence as so many apes and all that put any trust in them are like vnto them Now commeth a plaine condemnation of Rome The woman which thou sawest is the great Citie which hath the Kingdome ouer the Kings of the earth All be past shame that see not Rome heere damned vnto the end of wrath CHAPTER XVIII The King is Angelus to cause the word to be sounded After this I saw an Angell comming downe from heauen hauing great auctority and the earth was lightned by his glorie and he cried mightily with a great voice saying BABYLON the great City is fallen is fallen and is become a dwelling of Diuells and a prison of euery vncleane spirit and a prison of euery vncleane and hatefull bird because she hath caused all nations to drinke of the wine of the anger of her fornication and the Kings of the earth committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth became rich by the might of her wealth c. THE like speach is in Ezekiel chap. 47. where the glorie of the Gospell shineth from Christ and waters of doctrine flow with life And the Angels glorie lightned the whole earth cha 10. taught this same matter where Iohn eateth the litle booke And Christ is the Angell he cōmeth downe when he setteth vp the light of his word by which hee shineth ouer the earth Though in vision sundry Angels expresse him And when Ierusalem is builded Babylon must needes fall and where the mighty Gospell is taught of millions there Christ speaketh with a great voice Anabaptistes be the chiefe helpe that the Papists haue to dispute that it is dangerous for the common people to medle with Gods word But a learned officer would with sagenesse soone teach them how they misse burning in fire the obstinat in haeresie Maymo in the treatise Chagigah Perek III. sheweth how the King should read the Law before the people in the feast of Tabernacles and in what sage reuerence A pulpit of wood was made for him in the court where all might come men and women and the synagogue keeper brought forth the booke of the Law gaue it to the Archisynagogue and he to Sagan of the Temple Strategos Act. chap. 4. 1. Chancelor we may terme him he to the high sacrificer and hee to the King and hee read Deuteronomie and of the King he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is The King is Angelus to cause the word of GOD to be sounded If the Iew could thus honor the Law and shew the Kings duty which Iew saw not the true glorie of it by the SON of GOD how much more should wee bring vp our Kings to honor the holy Gospell to read speciall places as the first of Saint Matthew of 1800. yer story and 3. Luke of 3957. or Act. 7. or 2. Thess 2. or some speciall place to stirre nobles a learned reading would be as good as a commentarie And chapters expounding one another and Psalmes might so be chosen that by bare reading great light would come So millions would say that Babylon the great is fallen and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Daemones be all one and Rome is a dwelling of Diuels and Cardinals bee vncleane spirits and Archbuy-shopps be vncleane and hatefull birdes and their keies be keies of the pit and their Idolatry making Peter the Rock against this THERE IS NO ROCK BVT THE ETERNALL had made the Kings of the earth madde in Idols from one error that
yet the Pope would so vse the Church though heathen policy bridle him yet Pope Dracon is fierce against remnants as in his Spanish Inquisitions CHAP. XIII Caesars and Popes the Dracon and his tayle are expressed past all deniall who are meant The empire hath armes from the foure kindomes in Daniel So God forceth vs to be ready in Daniel and to compare together the brase of the Angelique men Then Greek Leopard had foure heades that of 23. Captayne 's al made Kings all came to fower quickly and every one dyed a violent death saving old Antipater to have blood for blood as the Romanes here The Beare had but one head the Lyon one and the fourth beast the parted Macedonians but one that beast is not named because it was the same nation with the former but is distinguished from the former by ten hornes or Kings five Ptolemies and five Seleuci or Antiochi that vexed Iudah From these the Romanes have their armes beginning with a beast with ten hornes with this difference Ten Diademes betokening so many kingdomes This beast was coloured like a Leopard footed like a Beare mouthed like a Lion As Nab. said who can deliver you from my hande was a Lucifer and would be equall to God So here it is sayd who can warre with the beast Alexander would be a God So Divi Iulij and Divi Augusti so the Persians And Antiochus Epiphanes hath a mouth speaking great thinges so hath this beast Now the sixt head being as dead sheweth that the Empire should be dead and revived otherwise five heads were gone and the seventh was not yet come But in a speciall sense one head seemeth as dead The time of Tyrannie was 300. yet by Metonymia meaning the argument of persecution from our Lords time it is called three yeares and an half Antiochus Epiphanes raged against the temple properly three yeares and an halfe as Elias plagued Israel properly three yeares and an half But the matter sheweth Ch. XI and twice in the XII and here that proper time cannot be meant Again I must advise the reader to learne Daniel before he learne this booke Twentie yeares ago I made him plain enough and plainer of late though the Dragon cast out of his mouth a river of water The whole Realme by this houre might else have knowne Daniel clearely The Tyrannie and blasphemie of the Caesars and their destructions are knowne The Popes description A beast arising from the earth that is without war having hornes like a Lambe that is Christes Vicar having the mouth of the Devill for divelish lawes restoring the Empire and working Miracles of deceit as though he were Elias a restorer of truth The Iesuites report of their miracles comment well on this And the Popes endevour since great Constantine left hateful Rome to set it vp by revived Empire to destroy the East this matter is famous in continuall stories And Canon lawe telleth that none may live vnder the Empire but by yeelding vnto the Popes lawes in subscribing or oth or some open token as a marke in the forehead And where a nūber given to a man as the sonnes of Adonikam were 666. that being called the number of the beast and to a sense of wisedome which is vsuall in notation A God stāding vp that is Adoni-kam this describeth plainlie the man that stands vp in the temple of God as if hee were God CHAP. XIIII The reviving of the Gospell by worship of God onely in Christ as on mount Sion of old religion taught with as great concent of law and gospell as any harpes can make by rare men of courage patience wisdome and high policie by virgin mindes vnstayned by Idolatry renued by Christ and following him is taught Ch. 14. as Ch. 7. 11. And the Pope is told of fall and of eternall death to all of his bent and the Martyrs of present heavens ioy without purgatorie And Christ sitting on a cloud at prayer of the Church and an Angel comming out of the Church bid by an Angel Lord over fire and Gods heat with sicles cut off Papistes that their blood would reach to the horse bridles over a Land as Canaan made to a square by the Thalmud 1600. furlongs 400. every way The new Testament speaking to Iewes is applyed to their manner of speach plaine to a Thalmudique where it is hardest to vs. The destruction which rebellion in Ireland wrought by the Pope in Desmonds countrey if all the blood of the dead were poured out would a good way reach to horse bridles as that also of Ostend And what would al that war now 40. yeares yeeld in blood of Papistes going withall to eternall destruction Happie are the soldiers that dye with a good heart for the gospell for they rest from their labours CHAP. XV. A new vision telleth the gospels restoring and the enimies punishment persecution borne sincerely through fire and faggot is a sea of glasse mixed with fyre and praise is against Romes Aegypt and Dragon Pharaoh and Romes Babylon from Exod. 15. and Ier. 10. And seaven Angels clothed with pure Iustice come out of the temple in heaven Angels represent what God by men will doe vpon earth when sincere harted fight in his cause These have golden girdles about their brestes as the Sacrificers were girded Maymoni in the holy implements sweateth to prove from Ionathan vpon Ezekiel and Kabalah that the Sacrificers were girded about their brests Iohn made no doubt of the matter but as a Thalmudique taught from God telleth resolutely the whole truth Chap. 1. and here Such poincts shewed would make Iewes all learned Iewes confesse that God penned the New Testament All Christians bee Kinges and Sacrificers and should consider that they must weare crownes of golde which no goldsmith but Christ maketh to rule them selves in order and to obey all in Gods law and the girdle of truth to bind their hartes in stedfastnes Now where one of the fower wightes giveth the Angels seaven cuppes of Gods anger the learned full of eyes teach the people who are the temple to pray vnto God for vengeance vpon Christs enemies and vpon the peoples petition the Angels have charge to serve them as in Dan. 4 Heb. 1. and men are fortifyed by them as Darius Gabriel Dan. 11. 1. As the temple Es 6. was filled with a smoke of Christ his anger and Seraphim the Angels which were instruments of fyer did attend so here the smoke is in all the Church that the enemies shall not perceive the truth till they be cōsumed having sinned against the holy Ghost as the Iewes Esa 6. even by Rambam his graunt could not amend by ten chastisements till the temple was brent CHAP. XVI Vnder the seaven trumpets the earth the sea the fountaynes and rivers the sun the King of Locustes Euphrates and earthquake is celebrated The seaven Angels in plagues keep that order The Popes earth or earthly hold of his possessions is full
of boyles that dayly some losse he hath as he brought warres to be hayle and fyer mixed with blood He became a mountain of fyre cast into the sea to make the third part of it bloud so his nations be made all known dead in sin and in seas of war fall from him The starre wormwood fell into the rivers fountaines of Scriptures made them bitter His rivers fountaines of forces are turned to drink blood He obscured the sun of justice the sun of persecution parcheth his He got lands for Monasteries that the Locusts might make him their King But now the throne of the beast is darkened by contempt and pillage of Land In the old time Virgil complayned of Romes distresse that Hinc movet Euphrates illinc Germania bellum and at Euphrates Ch. 9. Angels were tyed but to be loosed by starts now the river is dry that Turks and Saracens come even to Germanie and Germanie also looketh to freedome that now the king of Canaan the servant of servantes the false prophet sending from his mouth three that is many vncleane spirits to cause kings to war hath no better successe then Iabin by Sisera at Mageddon and here a faire warning is given to watch and integritie The ayre was darkned and earthquake shooke the citie that the tenth part of the citie fell and Gods wrath ended all So here a great earthquake and hayle greater then Iosuahs falleth vpon the enemy who can not repent but holdeth on to destruction Thus men Gods messengers shall give the Pope measure for measure that he can not repent but blasphemie not knowing how far Patmos passeth Rome CHAP. XVII As Daniel at the last openeth his Visions in proper speaches so here vision and proprietie come togeather though some knots be knit that the wise may vnderstand and no wicked take the paynes to search One of the seaven Angels calleth Rome an harlot sitting vpon manie waters that is people and troupes and nations and tongues as Daniel 3. speaketh with which the Kings of the earth committed spirituall fornication by accepting that filthy Idolatrie as dronck with the wine of her Idolatry This Angel doth in vision that which a Doctor would in reading And he carieth Iohn into a wildernes in vision as men are best to judge when the noyse of city troubleth not Now he hath another vision for the Empire revived a beast with heades and hornes as the former the old Empire and purple colour as more in persecution and full of names of blasphemie as accepting the Popes Canons and Masse and Ceremonies and a woman sitteth vpon this beast clothed in purple and scarlat as drunk with the blood of the Saincts and golden in Gold as old Babylon Esa 14. and brave in pearles and precious stones as be the Popes in their Copes and their Arch-Bishops and Cardinals in cloth of Gold and Aharons stones mocking with God in apish imitation as they mock with the keyes that God gave his Apostles which Saint Paul had as the best if any could be better then other and Iohn specially authour of Gospell and Epistles and Apocalyps That Ruben might as well be chief Patriark as Peter chief Apostle And this woman had in her hand a golden cup as old Babylon full of her lothsome filthy fornication though Rome set soorth in gold and silver their crucifix and Virgin Marie and Saincts And in the forehead a mysterie Babylon the great the mother of the fornications and lothsomenes of the earth Here we see plainnes that none should think that Babylon meant whence S. Peter wrote Rome is Babylon in a mysterie and trope S. Peter was to speak properly as all men when they tell whence they write But visions are in borrowed speaches Now this is sure and plaine The woman is the city which hath kingdome over Kinges of the earth Now of the beast his body this is told that the beast is is not and is In Caesars it was in Rome Dead by Constantinus house and not being and againe revived by the Popes The seaven heads are seaven hilles whereupon Rome was built famous for that and also seaven Kings whereof five ruled Iudah before our Lord came in the flesh Pompey Crassus Iulius Antony Brutus with Cassius Iohn and all Iewes knew that well Then commeth the whole Empire the old a sixt head then present afterwards the Empire to be revived the seventh and by the Pope the eight King as he ruleth the Empire Now the ten hornes are Kingdomes as they serve the revived beast not yet so set vp but in the Popes time it shal be Now these shall with one mind give their power to the Pope and persecute But Christ and his Martyrs will overcome as in Chap. 7. and 10. and 11. and 12. and 14. and 15 and 16. And when Martyrs teach the truth countreyes will revolt from Rome and make it desolate that the empire shall not be prophane nor favouring Rome but as in new Rome before the Turk ruled CHAP. XVIII An Angel that lighteneth all the earth by his glory proclaymeth that Rome is fallen knowen to be a dwelling of vncleane spirits in all places of the policy and the holy are commaunded to come out of all that policy Their Canons and Prayers and apparrel are al bent to a blind drift and not fittest to have bene vsed in our tongue The whole frame is out of order The Lords prayer is maymed from their Latin Mat. 6. leaving out a most noble sentence Their Creede is foolishly translated that 20. severall opinions are made of a most cleare phrase of 3000. yeres vse of going to God their letany is dangerous in phrase praying to te Persons severally and is applyed vnto their doctrine of doubting of justification and in Battologie is hatefull to God and in trifling arguments for sainctes dayes and hath lies for the place of Eves creation and Archangels our Lords comming into the world at midwinter Wee should come out of all these follies if our myndes put on white and clean linen and wee tye golden girdles about our brestes Specially the Divelish fable of Toby is vntolerable to be still kept Bishops vnder Q. E. gave leave in allowance of these things to adde in subscription this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things may be suffred Romes fall is told from Babels Tyrus and Ierusalems Ierem. 51. Esa 21. and 47. and Esa 23. and Ezekiell 27. and Ier. 7. to shew from stories past the certainty of all this And these reasons are rendred that the Roman policy killing men for the Prophets is guilty of their blood as the Scribes for Abels Math. 23. that the Kinges who should be Bishops next God trafiqued with Pope for his confirmation by the witchcraft of Papistry CHAP. XIX When people can sing Haleluja that is praise onely God in whom we breath who drenched Pharoh when Iah stopped his breth Exo. 15. there Iah is first vsed when foure times Aleluja is vttered from all sorts
what way is best to be taken Seeing the common sort of welthy are bent to this world to bee rich in kinges seruice or Law or merchandize that many cannot be fitt Teachers but men bent altogether that way what is the soundest remedy heere Seeing the world will not admitt great chaing and great learning should bee plentifull before great change would be to any good Answere The Vniuersities should vrge great practise of the Hebrew Prophets Greek Apostles vsing all helpes of Thalmudiques and Heathen by chosen guides all of skilfull actes should haue good recompence And after certaine yeeres none should haue any praeferment but of speciall redinesse in the trueth of holy storie where error troubleth as haeresie the people should haue a most exact translation to which all the Realme should haue their consent so Scholars all should haue a voice in Bishopps proceedings reuenues be the only seniores in matters of learning but for al Court matters should haue common Lawyers other officers in Societie with theÌ„ by learned sermons should make al of good conceipt though not of learning to teach others But all that the scholar should do is to be Angelus eccles to kepe him within that compasse Some as in Geneua bare scholars would in wickednesse ouerrule the Senate more then any Pope was euer knowen to doe Men that will teach and speak not precious matter will be the destruction of the Gospell The zealous without knowledge haue in this kinde done much harme and when an vnlearned scholar is highly praeferred and not brideled he will hardly be kept from doing vnspeakable mischiefes Ciuill auctority should make a wall before such that they should haue no whit of Popes auctority where the Ciuill horne belongeth to the King and only the horne for the heart to Sheliach Zibbur or orator of the congregation So the Popes hornes be broken as the Seleucians Ptolomeans when they tyrannized ouer the holy What may wee thinke of Buyshopps of which sort many Popes and Cardinales bee The Talmud in Sanedrin concludeth that if any giue money to be a Senior they should hold him as an whipp for an asse Maym. fol. the People be the asse that suffre him and he is a scourge from GOD for some badnesse of theirs And Ambitus in Tulli was hated and Lege Iulia. And from Act. 8. called Simonia and one such man may cause God to be openly angry with many that he will not forgiue them in this world but send open punishment vpon them though ciuill wicked haue their open reward heere and the punishment reserued to the world to come that is the meaning of the phrase forgiuenesse in this world and in the world to come Math. 12. and Maymoni tome 1. Poenit. Perek I haue knowen mighty mightily plagued for Buyshopps some by their owne strange death some by many Children and Sanedrin saith others should not be quiet till they remoue such from their societie And the wordes thou shalt not make thee Elohim Iudges of Siluer or Gold are of the Thalm. applyed hither wittily And such Buyshopps in Diuinity be most high contemners of God and they cannot speake from God but from the Dracon Of the Pope King of Kings And the auctority of the first he practiseth all before him L. Inter Claras C. de summa Trin. so all the Emperors now are confirmed of the Popes which right in old tyme Emperores vsed ouer Popes As reason would though a D. of a great towne as Rome had great reuenues to be hospitall and to breed many learned that was the intent of Princes in their great Liberalitie And he causeth the earth and such as dwell in it to worshipp the first beast whose wound vnto death was healed In his confirmation of Emperours he giueth them S. Peters blessing and men worship them with title of Diui when the Empire was once dead in Rome and translated to Bizantium called new Rome so that old Rome had continued a most filthy habitation of hoggs and oxen but for the Popes supremacie when he was worshipped as the old Caesares As Steuchus confesseth against Valla lib. 2. BVT WHEN THE PONTIFICALITY WAS SET VP IN ROME THAT ALL NATIONS FROM EAST TO WEST DID WORSHIPP THE POPE NO OTHERWISE THEN OF OLD THE PROFANE CAESARES He taketh autoritie to confirme the Emperors to make them of better estieme with superstitious simple people That is here plainly fore-told How long the Popes the Starres falling could not become mountaines of fire to cast themselues into the sea of the Empire Before Christianitie came in policie to Rome the People and Doctores chose the Father as the Iewes did the Archisynagogue as all should bee and were vnder heathen gouernement And they should bee of the Dragons poison that would make any more adoe for their autoritie When Christians â—eld the Empire and Constantine lothing Rome that Crucified Christ and the vnlearned Popes that could not bring the Pallace to Christianitie in 300. yeares When holy Paul soone made Narcissus bad folke the best and Peter if euer he had come there had done as much So when Constantine remoued to Bizantium his house and lieuetenant of Rauenna confirmed the Popes whose election should bee authenticall so when Charles the great after the ouerthrow of Desiderius king of the Lombardes and of that kingdome and came to Rome Adrian the Father when Charles the great confirmed with greater priuileges all that Pipinus had giuen to Gregory the third to requite the benefites of Charles calling an hundred and fiftie Bishopps maketh a Perpetuall decree Nullum posthac fore neque aliorum Templorum Antistitem nisi quem Carolus successoresque eius sciuerint iusserint refragantes huìusmodi patrum decreto diris deuoti est nisi resipuerint adiecta proscriptio That is That there should bee no B. of Rome nor of other Churches except him whom Charles and his Successores should know and command to be so They that withstand such a decree of the Fathers are cursed and vnlesse they repent a proscription is added This constitution subtile Popes in great dissentions of Princes brake yet in the yeere 1314. Loduike Bauaras restored the Empires right much blotted vnto his whitenesse against Iohn 12. for when hee was excommunicated of the Pope for entring into Italy with an army and for setting Gouetners ouer Villages and Townes against his will And because he praesumed as soone as hee was chosen before hee was commanded of the Pope to take vpon him the name right of the Empire Hee with the Counsell of his Nobles made one Petrum Corbariensen a minorite Pope vsing his ancestores autoritie manner And assembling men that knew diuine and humane Lawes sheweth that the Pope hath no right aboue Caesare But cleane contrary the Pope with all spirituall high low should be subiect to the higher power Thus dealt this good Emperor mild enough or rather too
as a lampe is kindling of wrath the waters be the Scriptures falling into them is wresting of them to mainteyne his kingdome so the sense is bitter and the D. is wormwood that many finde deadly haeresies by this wormwood The fourth trumpet Great fall They which were principall as the sun moone and stars Iacobs familie in Iosephs dreame lose much light Gagnaeus a Papist telleth this to touch Popes Cardinals Bishops A preparation to marke triple woe vpon this An Angell flyeth in the open sky telleth of three woes vpon this CHAP. IX The V. common place The Angel or Doctor falling from heaven the Church hath giuē to him not S. Peters keyes of knowledge but keyes of a deepe pit to darken sun and ayer the office of Christ and law by which we see him So infinite millions of mōkes and fryers come forth locusts for devouring the earth with scorpions stings to torment harts when Christ is obscured and Scripture that men find no comfort but bee worse for their soule then Iob for his body Iob 3. To make warres their wealth will make many horses and they have authority as Kinges with their crownes though they pretend to be as private men Dan. 7. The Chaldean stript of Kingdome is so termed And Antiochus having no right to the kingdome and they keep within doores as of womens hayre but they have Lyons teeth to hold fast all forged and wringed giftes openly forged as Constantinus donation and wringed of kingdomes which they help vp and from deceived by terrour of purgatory They have brest plates of iron to defend themselves and the noyse of their wings is like the noyse of horses running to warres while stil they set Kings by the eares for the first common place that haile and fyre be mixed with blood And their scorpion stinges sting men five moneths till Princes compell them by a cold winter to hide themselves in hedges as Nahums Locustes of Ninivy hide them by enemies An excellent name of the Pope THE ANGEL OF THE PIT KING OF LOCVSTS ABANDDON APOLLYON Our common name which we give the Pope is Daemon in Greek for Popes be Daemones in Eustathius from the Commentaries of old Aristarchus and Didymus and others His Commentaries are from ancient Heathen not from himself as Erasmus well noteth in his observations vpon the Apocalyps Whereas I cited Homers Commentary followed by S. Peter D. B. the learned thought that a foolish oversight as though I must mean Eustathius who was of late And he doubteth whether S. Peter read Homer I am out of doubt he never read him But the holy Ghost gave words of old for S. Peters vse afterward by instinct not by reading And so much a simple Doctor might have knowen B. L. shewed himself in his vnlearned skophing most Athean And as Iannes and Iambres Symon Magus Elymas and Alexander the Coppersmyth are for eternall memorie in the hart of the Bible so deserve such for to be Now as wee vnawares and Papists call the Pope Daemona a Divel vnawares we call him so GOD ruling our tongues that is specially worthy noting When Iulian the Apostata was kild and Libanius commended him that he now was with the Daemones the Greek Doctors took him vpon his word and what an asse he was to speak that which the enemy would wish D. Iohannes Pistorius the Popes chalenger wrote to me that IOHN CALVIN was Dactylodeictes of Antichrist Who shewed by the finger who was Antichrist I took his graunt that so the Pope was For Calvins finger aymed at him So the Popes chalenger overthrew the Pope The same wrote to me the Anathema But God dealt with him as with Balaam the son of Beor in Italy pronuntiation of Bosor in Chaldean where S. Peter kept where the Galilaean his voice told he wrote not from Rome The Doctours Anathema was this to me I Anathematize thee as Paul did Barnabas I take it sayd I. And so thou makest me better then any Pope that ever was at Rome Paul thought him of the same faith and happines But I anathematize D. Iohn Pistorius as S. Paul did Anathematize Elymas Magus Vpon this he yeelded as Helvetia knoweth And to his dying day spake most reverently as some English heard of his checker So here we must mark not what men call the Pope Holy father and vicar of Christ and head of the Church and King of Kings and Lord of Lords but what GOD doth call him and God taught Adam to give fit names Here the Popes names be many One is the Angel of the pit as the star falling had the keyes of the Pit to bring forth his Locusts And the King of Locusts is the fittest name for him In Ebrew he is called Abaddon Num. 24. and Abdan in the Thalmud is the worst name Aruch will teach the place Also he is called Abaddon chiefly for remembrance of Num. 24. where Balaam endeth his prophecy in Italy going on to destruction Iohn Chap. 17. 8. 11. translateth Balaam most properly as D. Kimchi in hard Grammer Adey obed goeth on to destruction In Greek he is another Apollo a Divel of Delphos destroying such as seek to him as Apollo destroyed rich Craesus deceiving him to war against Cyrus He knew well enough that Cyrus should have the victory Esay had told him so and though Craesus gave to Apollos temple very great gifts yet when he asked him whether he should fight with Cyrus he answered Craesus passing over Halys shall overthrow a great King So he did in hope of good But overthrew his own kingdome and rich Craesus became poore Irus So the Pope maketh but a mock of Kings Thus one who of the sixt seale is fully described what the Pope is and what he meaneth to do as Chap. 11. shall tell And this first of the three woes thus set forth reacheth from the Popes supremacy after the yeare of our Lord 600. vnto Ierusalems war ended at 1200. For which 600. yeares the Pope still made haile and fyre to be mixed with blood Now the second woe is in his punishments by the Turk and by the Gospell and Martyrs teaching Princes to cast him off The sixt trumpet and common place Of the Turks comming vp and dealing Cedrenus and Volaterranus in Arabia triplici teach of the Turks and Saracens conjunction and sundry others how they afflicted Spain and Italy Their history I have touched in my book of Scripture Concent I would any of cleane spirit that rageth not against the Concent which GOD gave to Scripture I do but shew to have my best help thence There is a full explication of the second woe Bibliander in Chronologia sheweth that after the Popes supremacie graunted by wicked miserable Phocas to impudent Boniface the third Machumed began to be as gratious a Father as the Pope in Rome Machmad is in Cant. the title of Christ Graces it self And Chamudoth partaker of graces to rare Daniel Chap. 9. by the Angel Gabriel
knowen to God a company innumerable shal be witnesse to the truth martyrs in hartes sadnesse as if they had shead their blood Why Dan is omitted is shewed in Scripture Concent Thence they that despise not the work wil fetch a resolutiō How in the West the Church falleth Six seales shewed the Romans violence against CHRIST his seruants plagued with warres death pestilence and ouerthrow of Empire The seauenth sheweth a sinful state in al Satans might deceiuing the West wherof 7. trumpets giue warning which the sealed before will take others will not CHAP. VIII AS Daniel Chap. 4. was amazed a while that Nebuchadnezar a starre should be 7. yeres a beast so the Church the Heauen on Earth is amazed as half an houre to what passe badnesse of scholars in vnlearned ambition will come 7. trumpeters standing before God will sound that vnto the world that the world shall haue a warning long afore the matters come in practise The summe of the Gospell contempt of which causeth God to cast off the open Church CHRIST a sacrificer for euer the Angel of the couenāt maketh his humanity the golden Altar vpon which he layeth the incense of our prayers receiued in a golden censor of his pure mercy they come before the Father for the 144. thousand Iewes innumerable heathen whereof the trumpeters for 7. commune places compaines of holy Doctores be the principall Now because Rome would teach with forcefull deceit not to receiue the abundance of the grace of the gift of iustice of Christ that by faith we should be iustified to haue peace with God to reigne with his Sonne but must seeke helpe from our selues who bee children of wrath Christ turneth his mediation into wrath against the seed of the serpent whose City pierced his handes and feete and by their occasion made others fall As the loue of God in Christ for bredth length depth and height passeth all knowledge so the contempt of the tree of life and of the man a little inferior to Angels in death but after ascention crowned with glory as to the rebellious Angels disdayning mans glory it gaue eternal woe it giueth to men that follow that company called Satan the old serpēt The anger of Christ is heare voices thunderings lightnings earthquake in states as at the Law-giuing Because Christ the end of the Law is contemned This could neuer haue fallen out if the Ebrew Bible with the Massoreth orthographie dictionarie for accents vowels had beene vsual in churches ouer the earth and the N. T. the marrow of all Greeke and sunnes bringhtnesse to the old had beene scholes studie also in all nations But slothful contempt to make translations from translations bred vncertainti and it disdaine it blindenesse it contempt of Christ it reiection Machmad soone turned away all the East whereof old GOD was knowen and God hath for that cast them of for euer The Grecians were so proud of Greeke brauery that of Origens Octaplun of Ebrew in Ebrew letter in Greeke letter in the 70. in Aquilas Symmachus Theodotion and other two vncertaine translations they little cared for the Ebrew but from Greek vncertaine they marred their commenting and gaue Arrius great aduantage And when Arabians Aethiopians and Muscouites translated the 70. not the Ebrew the difference of 1500. and more yeares excesse aboue truth by the 70. in Genes 5. and 11. caused Greece and the other and much of Romish soyles to blaspheme the Ebrew as corrupt so disdayning bitter rootes they missed to gather fruit of nourishment This bred the thundering anger of the Eternall Word which was with God aey and made all things and gaue words Ebrew and Greeke each as pearle and shyning Iewels Hence vnlearned scholars turne all to Ambition and Heresie polititians to profanenesse Of the VII Trumpets As one trumpeter telleth of a kinges power in milliones so heer 7. represent 7000. as might fall out still learned men gaue warning but when the roote of Iessai was contemned the waters of grace were not sent into vncleane hearts The first Trumpet Buishopps stroue for superioritie Monachi fall to idlenesse and extolling of Sainctes Princes giue wealth that way painefull scholers be hated and persequuted their voices make alowd trompet Athanasius Chrisostome Basill Nazianzene sound out matter against herefies and forged Monastiques and contempt of scripture and how the possessor of the West Empire should be taken away and a policy all sinfull should be erected in Rome Andreas Caesariensis doth more plainly shew that being at the rising of it about the 600. yeares of Redemption Patriarches affected supremacy but the city that crucified Christ and now plagued Christians was to afflict in the end and to be a trapp for all coastes to fall The contempt of learned warnings Romes supremacie made east south north fear least old tyranny from Rome should be reuiued So Machmad turned much of the world to fall away that haile of state as in Esai and fyer and blood of warrs come to the world And most of all Popes supremacie challenging Empire raineth haile fyer and blood to this day that men grounded as trees for the third parte and all the weake as grasse fell into Gods anger So this is a commune place of the Popes supremacy The next trumpet soūdeth that poinct more fully The scholars that inueighed against Phocas the murderer for erecting Boniface 3. supreme Papes or Father Of the names Papas and Pope The name Papas in the Greek fathers epistles is from one to another this much Right Reuerend father But when one would haue all to himselfe not by learning in Ebrew or Greeke for Gods worde but for strong hand in supremacy then the name rested in him but turned into Pope which in Homer as Eustachius well noteth is Damon a Deuil The Prouidence of God in mens tongues for names fitted vnto matter is to be regarded much That Pope and Daemon is all one Add vnto this that the Pope is called holines Marke for this S. Paul THE SINFVL MAN THE WHOLE ENEMIE HE THAT EXALTETH HIMSELFE ABOVE ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD OR WORSHIPPED A NEWE ANTIOCHVS EPIMANES SETTING FORTH HIMSELFE IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD AS IF HE WERE GOD. THIS AND POPE OR DAEMON GONCVRRE The second Angell or Company of Scholars sheweth howe hee commeth vp for the Emperour The second blast expounding the first A Mountaine an huge one burning with fire is cast into the sea Mountaine signifieth an Empire as Babylon is a mountaine destroying Burning with fire is causing hoate warres as in taking the Empires land to become a Mountaine and casting himselfe into the sea of kingdomes to be to this day a firebrand of all our warres The sea is politique states for this sea of our troublesome life as Tully translateth Euripides Si mihi nunc primum tristis illuxisset dies Nec tam arumnoso nauigassem salo esset dolendi caussa c.
That is If a heavy day had now first shined vnto me neither had sailed before so troublesome seas there would be iust cause of sorrow c. So sea is Dan. 7. Apo. 12. where Empires arise so the men of the seas policie called fish such as seemed aliue Chap. 3. Forsooke the waters Esa 55. and Eze. 48. which giue life to all where they come turned here to haerefie be turned to death and traffique of ciuill policie is turned to corruption The third blast expounding the second The third explication of the learned great telleth that the messinger of the holy Synagogue or heauen for the kingdome of heauen shall fall from his calling to be as Babilons king Isai 14. A star setting Nemrod his house on fire will soone corrupt the third part of the Bible called waters Isa 55. Ioh. 3. and 1. Ioh. 3. and infinitely in Rabbins Hee shall turne Iustice of faith into Idolatry as Ephraim in Amos. That many men died the second death called fish afore by Idols worship So the Pope turning the holy doctrine into idolous waters is called wormewood Articles of the Popes corruption of Scriptures First He holdeth not the Hebrew and Greeke holy text in vse God owne holy wordes penned by the Eternall Spirit speaking all of life by the SON in dayly esteeme for all in leisure of studie to know and which all of leisure to studie should know But in steed of it brought in a Latin worke of which tongue none is bound to haue regard and brought vnto schooles Latin for Greeke and Ebrew II. The Apocrypha bookes were all made by Men of Iuda And speake not a syllable of CHRIST yet helpe Iosephus for all Israel against Appiones Instim Diodorus Siculus Cornelius Tacitus in madd Antiochus and so far haue their vse The fable of Tobi is made to busie heathen for Assurs captiuitie which heathen neuer mention nor Iudahs deportation to Babel or returne For it Barucs forged Epistles Susannaes allegorie for the whole state King Ioakims wife polluted by the Babilonian Iudges but reuenged by Daniel is wittilie fabled The enuious heathen neuer mention the fire quenched by Daniels most noble Cousins Therefore a Rhetoricall song was formed to shew what in the fyer their cause might speake to Idol-seruers But Daniel recordeth nothing spoken who knew all and would omitt nothing of glorie So no heathen tell as Ieremi of Babell Bels seruants who thought Bell gaue them kindoms that GOD by Cyrus would take out of Bels throte all the kingdomes which he had deuoured therefore the fable of Bell mocked heathens blindnesse No heathen tell of Daniel cast into the Lions den for not worshipping the Persian Emperor or Dragon as Pharaoh is Isa 27. and mouing the K. to renounce that the fable of the Dragon worshipped in Babel and destroyed telleth of their enuy and folly And vpon Darius speach to Daniel that GOD in whom he belieued would saue him and Daniel said he was saued because justice to GOD and the K. were found in him Abbakuks saying the iust man shall liue by faith is enlarged by a fable that Abakuk brought Daniel pottage from Iudea The heathen knew not Gods counsell that God by Iewes would teach in Babels fall how he hated the pompe of this world and hath another world for soules Rest where wicked shal be plagued for euer and telleth that true happinesse standeth in the knowledge of Christ who gaue Cyrus all Croesus gold to send Iewes home from all quarters to preach of their Eternall hope and to confute Greeke sages The 3. of Esdras is much true much in fable to smooch this in a greek stile familiar for heathen and such fables be the additions to Hester The fourth of Esdras was made to keepe Esdras another Moses from contempt amongst heathen who would thinke him base that handleth but Iewes genealogies and the Temples building without telling the reason and diuorcements therefore they faine for him deepe speculations as the greeks Clem. Strom. 1. feigne all the Law was lost and Esdras by reuelation restored all The Persians for religion were a new Nebuchadnezar their warriers one Holophernes Herodotus nameth one so The Iewes states Iudith Gods justice against Elam Iudiths sword And thus heathen that would mocke truth are mocked by fables Wicked Diodorus Sicul. and Tacitus commend madde Antiochus for his endeuor to ouerthrow the Iewes religion Two workes of seuerall Iewes the later very foolish and vnlearned yet good enough for prophane heathen were receiued to stop such mouthes The whole nation is of wicked Tully termed barbarous and superstitious to stoppe such a mouth eloquent Syracides passing him in sentences and shewing all the Lawes glory and eloquent Philo imitating Salomons wisedome for mans good end were receiued to check heathen though one knew not Christ Of these the fable of Toby is by the Pope made Gods word The Thal. Ieru in Ros Hasana for Michael and Gabriel make it a late fable wicked For Manasses caried to Babel by the King of Assur some tryfling declamer would shew what one in his case might speake as doth Homer for Agamemnon Achilles Calchas Nestor and such but it were a ridiculous babishnes to hold that trifling worke better then Tobies fable A plaine fable throughout and no fitter to be read in sadnesse in the Church then Lucians dialogues The Popes ioyning of these to the Bible is wormewood III. Wormewood holdeth not these 3. principles true which all should 1. The text of the old Testam is kept in letter most sure by the orthographie dictionarie or Massoreth that no letter was more nor lesse nor of other orme in Moses tyme with vowels and accents margine reading expounding the text then we haue it at this day 2. That the Rabbins expound all in grammer sense well for our vse 3. That all good for religion and life is in Moses as the Prophets and Apostles draw him foorth at large IIII. The Pope in Bellarmine and others peruerteth or contemneth euery whit of the Bible V. He maketh a whole policie wicked against all points of faith and ciuill lawes and would bee as a God in the Church so set foorth 2. Thes 2. Thus he is wormewood it selfe How he groweth vp to be a great mountaine to be able to vexe the world that followeth in the next Trumpet and keyes of the deepe The fourth expounding the third The fourth Angell sounded and the third part of the Sun Moone and Starres were stricken for their third parte day and night Gen. 37. Iacob expoundeth Sun Moone Starrs for his Church so it is heere day and night are ruled by the starres and meane the tymes more or lesse prosperous scholars and learned falling away corrupted scriptures make an ecclesiasticall mountaine from a burning lampe falling from God The occasions of the Churches fall from heauen The two Testaments shew that CHRIST is the Angell of the Couenant standing by his humanitie at the Altar
they had coined Phrases to new vexation of our spirits and make the word seeme a nose of wax Thus we hinder our owne fight but some still hold the truth that the accusation cannot be generall The rest should be wise with them The Diuell and his Angels by MICAEL that standeth vp for his people who be his Angels are banished from the Church and knowen to be vnclean spirits A second and playner exposition of the Dragons warre And I heard a great voice saying in the heauen now is come the saluation and power and Kingdome of our GOD and the auctority of his CHRIST because the accusar of our brethren who accuseth them before GOD day and night is cast downe And they haue ouercome by the blood of the Lambe and by the word of his Testimony and despised their liues vnto death Therefore reioyce yee heauens and they who dwell in them wo be vnto them which dwell in the Land and the Sea because the Diuell is come to you hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a litle while Where a company by Martyrdome shew that saluation commeth onely by the death of CHRIST and are constant in that Testimony then troupes that make the heauens kingdom heere protest they know how saluation cōmeth know Gods power that falleth the mighty state of the Pope and know wherein the Kingdome of God standeth And the auctority of Christ where the Pope had a Kingdome of Satan in his policy through all partes of all common weales euen from ruling Emperours to the poorest that had but a chimney to pay a Peter-peny The holy Testament playnelie shewing our Creatores And how the spirit of CHRIST flootereth vpon all the waters of both Testaments and cleared the holy story And cleareth our hearts to call vpon GOD with a good heart this sheweth in this plaine sum what the Kingdome of God and auctority of CHRIST is Gouernement standeth vpon plaine rules The wealthy that know CHRIST Kinges Dukes Earles Barons Knights will study to excell in Diuinity to be true Bishopps and Elders to eate vp the Booke of the Gospell and to see all miscariage sagely restreined being those that Saint Paul and the Talmudiques meant by Pastors And will see how by Church lands an infinite company may be made cunning in tongues and sense of both Testaments That the Angelos Ecclesiae and daylie Seniores may be so taught in Diuinity as men are in liberall artes to know the wholle facultie and the propre vse of euery holy booke And what concent all the scripture hath and where one error putteth all out of tune but may soone be remoued so a faithfull minde will often in a day runne ouer all the Bible and see all ages faithfull as trees planted by waters and all wicked as dust scattred by the winde And such will be true Bishopps as Cucullus non facit monachum so a courtiers fauor and title maketh not a Bishopp for saluation and power and kingdome of God and authority of Christ Buy-shopps mocke with GOD but all Mordecaies will vse them as Agagites and as leprous to the Church So when all Gouerners in state be learned Bishopps ioy will be in the Church that the Diuell must goe to Land or quiet state of the Pope or sea warres of Emperors bad to seeke whom he can deuour The learned dealers for the Church will finde for it meanes in persequution to be protected Yea and to make the Land or Papisticall state as King H. VIII did drie vp the riuers of the Popes persequution In the middle of Papistry he ouerthrew the Pope by Papistes Who were content to buy the Abbeies that fed Idolatrous Locusts could not for starke shame denie a common prayer booke made from the masse booke turned to English so so much was chosen from the masse booke to be in English as seemed not directly to fight with Gods trueth and subscription for allowance to that was no further meant but that the Papists could finde no fault with it Vnder K. E. 6. and Q. E. the best Bishopps allowed the communion booke no further and gaue others leaue to expresse that how they bare with it vntill fitt tyme of amendement Of the Dragons short tyme. This speach sheweth the tyme neere the seauenth trumpet for the worlds end by the Dragons tayle the Pope heere meant in his persecution that the Diuell is fierce knowing that he shall not be long the God of this world And the Pope feareth least his Kingdome shall soone fall And our Buyshopps that vrge his canons damned by our common Lawes are now in rumores that they incense some to begge all Buyshopps lands Leicester went farre to chaing 40000. lib. for rack rent but more harme is bred by Buyshopps tyranny now Bishopps vnder King Edw. haue beene such as none but of Satans spirite would deny them to bee lawfull Bishops And such as agreed well with Nobles Gentry and all The name troubleth none but the Barbarous They who hold the place without teaching the people the trueth and with tyranny breake the cōmon lawes of the realme which stand with reason that is the Law of God such should chainge their minde and obey the Gospell lest their short tyme be for Sarans seruice and for euer And when the Dragon saw that he was cast into the earth he persequuted the woman which brought forth the male child This common place toucheth all the Popes persequutions though it be vttered as at one tyme. The Pope had still ready cruell torment for all of his that descried wickednesse in his religion And to the woman were giuen two winges of an eagle to flee into the wildernesse into her owne place to bee nourished there a tyme and tymes and halue a tyme from the praesense of the Serpent The Pope driueth the Church into the Wildernesse as Pharaoh droue Israel Saul Dauid Antiochus the holy Iewes the Pharisees he Lord of glory for a tyme two tymes and halfe a tyme three yeeres and an halfe and as I shewed all tyme of persecution is called in remembrance of our Lordes a persecution of dayes 1260. as chap. XI or of a tyme two tymes and halfe a tyme As Beda and Carthusianus well noted In Exo. 19. God saith hee brought Israel from Egypt as with eagles winges so the persecutor heere is a newe Pharaoh and Rome is Egypt spiritually as in chap. XI And the Dragon Pharaoh is heere a new Dragon And the Pope which will bee worshipped for a God is as Darius Dan. 6. and in the fable vpon that as the Dragon which the Chaldeans worshipped The Phrase of the fable folowed a true storie Of the tyme of these persequutions And the Dragon did cast after the woman out of his mouth water like a riuer to make her riuer-caried But the earth holpe the woman and the earth opened her mouth and dranke vp the riuer which the Dracon cast out of his mouth And the Dracon was angry with the
woman and went to make warre with the rest or her seede which keepe the Commaundement of God and holde the testimonie of IESVS CHRIST The Popes power when Satan was let loose to deceiue that Kinges gaue their strength to Pseudo-Petre driueth the Church not to be seene for certaine hundreths of yeres before Martyr Zuinglius at Zuricke in the Church which Charles the Great built shewed that he was the taile of the great Dracon which drew the starres of heauen from their place And now they comment best vpon this place asking where was our Church before M. Lutheres tyme I will aske where was it not Milliones in England opened themselues praesent when valiant K. Henry the VIII shooke off the Pope and the best learned of the Popes pay were least enimies to vs as Cuthbert Tonstall who at London and Duresme still bare with the Protestants workes and would sweare by his Fathers soule therein faulty that neither the accusares nor he could amend them full many moo were of that vein as they who gaue harbor closely to the teachers of the holy Gospell and what learned haue the papistes bred till our side forced them to studie And at this houre their best grant that wee ouer-reach them in the testaments tongues and clearness defense of the purenesse of the text Our greatest hinderance commeth by our Buyshops that are voide of loyalty full of cruelty I speake not against Bishops sage and learned but Buyshops sauage vnlearned Waters of trouble they helpe the Dragon to cast from the mouth of his canons that no praemunire will serue their turne and if any would keepe them from hell will burne such papers And when common Lawes of earth policie drinke vp and drie the K. of Locusts waters yet if the rest of vnaduised zeale giue them aduantage Cerberus shall barke so that they may bee forth comming but not comming forth The maine of the Church in Albion Almany France Zuitzerland the confederate prouinces and Denmarke haue made the earth to drie the Popes Riuers of Belial as 2. Sam. 22. speaketh But yet in Spaine holy Martyrs dayly finde the 42. moneth like affliction to bee conformed to the sufferings of Christ because they worship God only That is as all Iewes expound the phrase pray only vnto him and rest in the abundance of grace of the guift of iustice to reigne by Christ What authoritie on earth maketh this Dragon the chap. 13. following will tell plainely and the 14. how for Idolatry reiected the taile of the Dragon maketh Martyrs CHAP. XIII And I stood vpon the sand of the Sea and I saw a beast comming out of the Sea hauing seauen heades and ten hornes and vpon his hornes ten crownes and vpon his heades a name of Blasphemie THIS holy Reuelation speaking of matters to come borroweth speaches from matters past which is the sure way to giue a sound Iudgement Daniel comforteth the family of Nathan by Gods vengeance vpon great Kinges arising great from seas of troublous warres The first was not Assur but Babel the Lion with NABV his mouth who can deliuer you from my handes chap. 3. The second was a Beare from Madai Paras the East deuouring North West South as hauing 3. ribbes in the mouth And by two mighty kingdomes Medes and Persans set vp one gouernement These two had but two heades as all of the kinde the third was a Leopard with foure heades Alexander Macedon and his foure chiefe which in 40. yer brought all his dominion parted into 23. Captaines and many Kinges afore holding their owne into the Power of foure The fourth was no new Beast but the same nation of the Greekes in a parted kingdome in Seluchus who gate seuentie two kingdomes and Ptolomie Lagides in Aegypt Of two speciall points to be noted heere They who make the Romans one of Daniels Beasts do pleasure the Iewes highly concluding that Caesar and Rex Romanorum and our Constantine and his successores went to eternall flames Eusebius began it as Oecolampidius citeth his fragment good Caluin folowed that Atheisme and good Beza too thence thundering with powder without pellet against the Pope and not marking how seauen tymes ouer gracious Daniel teacheth that Greekes be the last that afflict holy Iewes in his pictures And Iewes vpon Dan. 8. confesse as Ralbag and Seror Hamor of Abr. Sebagh that Greekes bee Daniels last pictured And our error is duller then the Iewes they confesse for our Gospell that Greekes be the last afflicters When the matter forceth them to speake trueth wee relinquish their grant to our Gospells strength and folow them in a lye to our Gospells ouerthrow Heere we haue no better to say then that Satan hath deceaued vs. Polichronius the learned Greeke Father of old saw the trueth and wicked Porphyri confesseth the same And Sebastian Munster at Basill reuiued a touch of the trueth and Polyhistor Bodinus Tremelius and our learned Whitaker and D. Iohn Reignold in dayly speach and M. Rollock and Geneua the zealous towne in their last french reiect all notes damning Rome and the Pope The Iewes ouer the world were broken if all the Popes side for their owne cause would do the same and the Iewes broken would breake the Turkes Machumed The second Poincte The goodnesse of God was infinite in breaking Salomons kingdome and sending Iewes to Babell to preach God that made the world and to shew the wickednesse of the towres building forworshipp of starres So the power of the great God appeared in extolling base Babell to fell Assur and all kingdomes and to fall in seauenty yeeres that Cyrus might say The God of heauen gaue him all the Kingdomes of the world and when Daniel had taught of the redemption by Christ after seuen seuenties Iewes went home from 120. nations to Ierusalem in that hope God made foolish the wisedome of Plato Aristotle for their dreamed happinesse And this aboue all is a miracle of miracles that the Greeke tongue knowen in the West ouer was conueied by Greeke soldiers ouer North East and South by Seleucidae and Lagidae So that in three hundred yeares Greeke was made common ouer all the world And Homer was turned into the Greeke tongue as Fr. Portus praef in Hom. writeth doubtlesse by some Macedonians for increasing Greeke in their Colonies By this meanes the Greeke tongue was made commune ouer the world that commune saluation might be written in Greeke Also the Macedonian Kinges setted in Aegypt and they of Syria both clayming Iudea and still fighting for it as they became victores scattered Iewes into all partes that they abide scattered there yet And Itinerarium Rabbi Beniamin sheweth euen through the furthest India So the Apostles might speake in the Greeke tongue to the old law And thus the 4. Kingdomes tyranny holpe much to saue others by their owne destruction How the Romanes armes are taken from the Kingdomes in Daniel The ten hornes are from the
Seleucolaegidae in ten hornes fiue of each side vexing Iuda But there were tenne particular Kinges heere Kingdomes noted by a crowne vpon euery horne Now exactly fiue Seleucidae are not notable but fiue Lagidae bee So for the strict number God would not haue all the world vexed in men not worthy strict regard of storie But aboueX Kinges of old Kingdomes now be noted And Strabo lib. 17. noteth that Augustus diuided all Proconsulships into X. And Steuchus against Vallu diuideth the Popes in the same sort As I haue in Con. Scr. shewed The color of Leopard is from Alexander Beares foote from Paras Lions mouth from Babell Hornes color feete mouth meane all tyranny demeanour course lawes alike As Babel deified the Image Dan. 2. Paras their King Alexander would bee a God And Antiochus would haue Iupiter Olympius So the Caesares would still be Diui And termed the Christians Atheists as when martyrs were moued to abiure Christ this was the recantation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is away with the Atheists As a speach vnto Caesar to hold Christians Atheists and to request their destruction Eus Eccl. Histor In this sort the Caesar hath a name of blasphemy holding Gods seruants whose conuersation is in heauen to be not Gods seruants but wicked men as the text will shew anon And the beast which I saw was like a Leopard and his feete as a Beares and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion the Dragon gaue him his owne power and his owne throne and great auctoritie Heere we see why Satan bare armes from the Romanes armes Euen because Satans autority was executed by them The god of this world had such auctority giuen to trye the elect that the Gospell might be knowne to be hid to none but to whom the God of this world blinded vnderstanding This farre reacheth the profane Empire which our great Constanstine made dead when he left old Rome and made Bizantiū new Rome By the death of one head the exposition following sheweth the whole beast once dead Pompei with Romes force oppressed Gods people there Iuda felt one head and he perished in Aegypt M. Grassus with Romes army made another head and robbed the Temple of Abrahams sonnes who came from Charran or Carrae At Carrae the Parthians ouerthrew his whole army to the aeternall shame of the Empire Iulius Caesar tamed Aegypt and disposed Cleopatraes Gouernement to haue Iudae vnder a toe of that legge a third head he was kild in the Senate house Brutus Cassius the chiefest of his murtherers their Romane host oppressed Iuda and they made a fourth head Antonius he with the Romane force being made a mighty King in the East maried Cleopatra and made Herod for Her King of Iuda that Daniels Image might haue some remembrance till Christ came He as Pompei perished in Aegypt a fift head Then came the state of Rome to one Person and so continued one head from Augustus vnto great Constantine And in that head when he left cursed Rome the beast there was dead So the sixt head had beene and was not and yet was restored to be a seauenth head and the Pope is in that head with all his power and also will be a seuerall power aboue all and make also an eight head chap. 17. That is heere once told And I saw one of his heades as slaine vnto death and his deadly stroke was healed that admiration was through the whole earth after the beast they worshipped the Dragon which gaue his power vnto the beast and they worshipped the beast saying who is like to the beast Who can warre with him And a mouth was giuen him speaking great thinges and blasphemies and auctority was giuen him to be doing 42. moneths and he opened his mouth to blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them whose Tabernacle is in heauen And it was giuen him to make warres with the sainctes and to ouercome them And power was giuen him ouer euery tribe tongue and nation That all who dwell in the earth should worship him they whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb which was slaine fromt the beginning of the world Heere the tyrannie of the profane Caesares caried by the spirite of Diuell is fully described well knowen by Diuus Nero Diuus Domitian and the rest of Diui or Diuels vnto Diocletian That Christians reading this might looke for such troubles as the holy in Daniel susteined This needeth no exposition but it selfe expoundeth chap. 12. for the vpper part of the Dragon And as Dan. 7. God sate vpon a fiery throne shewing a reueng vpon all the afflicters of his people So Apoc. 6. warre bloody black and pale and a gulfe of a graue was opened shewing how the Caesares warred and perished miserably 300. year with their great armies The Romane stories tell all most plentifully and Rome after their destruction felt it by Alaricus in Zozimus by Giezricke in the Eccles story from Lybia a new Hanniball by Theodoricus Totilas THAT AS STEVCHVS CONFESSETH ROME HAD BEENE MADE A MOST FILTHY LODGE OF OXEN AND HOGGES BVT FOR THE POPES Now the Caesares punishment followeth with a seuere taunt of dulnesse to them that will not marke stately speaches From Mat. 13. and Apoc. 2. and 3. If any man haue an eare let him heare Hee that carieth captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie Abb. 1. 2. for the Chaldean if any kill with sword hee shall bee killed with sword Gen. 9. When Antiochus the vile slew Iewes faithfull to God had affinitie with Egypt God plagued both houses more notablie then any families that euer were before Heathen did note it though they knew not that they made a cōmentary to make Daniel a most cleare booke so Aurelus Victor commonly read with Iustine in Grammar scholes sheweth howe the Caesares were plagued to the astonishment of the world since Rome crucifyed the Lord of Glory And Herodian handleth an Iliad of their plagues for 70. yer how the Emperores were so vile as dogges Sozimus sheweth litle better successe And before our Lordes dayes in the fleshe when their Empire made an head ouer Iuda Pompei Crassus Iulius Brutus Antonius and their Ciuill warres were wonders of misery And Plini recordeth what miseries made Augustus weary of his life full often These rules should be a bridle for Buyshopps of Rome and all of their Caius Heere is the faith and constancie of the holy Our gratious aeternall Spirite here meeteth with the weak that they should not iudge of Gods fauor by prosperitie in this world From Cain to Tuualcain or heathen smith Vulcain the wicked bare sway Which Spirite went and preached in the dayes of Noe to them that are now Spirits in Prison Nemrod the Rebel had first dominion and Niniueh and Babel at the last Nemrods house and in Dan. 11. 35. and 12. 10. the faithfull are told what God meant to let wicked Magog so afflict his
handled a plaine story for this prophecie Lotharius saxo by persuasion or superstition cast himselfe at the Popes feete as hee tooke the Crowne The Romistes to make this a matter praeiudiciall to other Emperors set vp a picture when Lotharius was gone with this inscription Rex venit ante fores iurans prius vrbis honores Post homo fit Papa sumit quo dante Coronam That is The King before the doores doth come The Cities honors first hee sweares That done the Popes man he is made Of whom he takes the Crowne he weares Frederick the first was angry saying To bee the Popes man was all one as to be his seruant or subiect The Pope once tooke away the Picture but soone after fearing lest the Emperours courage would wholy shake him off thought to bridle him at the first and vpon strife by letters he warned him that he should haue before his eyes how hee had receaued the ensigne of the Imperiall Crowne from him And a stirre rising against this one of the Legates said Romanum imperium à Grecis translatum est ad Alamannos vt Rex Teutonicorum non antequam ab Apostolico coronaretur Imperator vocaretur Ante consecrationem Rex post Imperator Vnde igitur habet imperium nisi a Papa Ex electione suorum principum habet nomen regis ex consecratione Papae habet nomen Imperatoris Augusti Caesaeris Ergo per Papam imperat Recolite antiqua Zacharias promouit Carolum Magnum fecit ei nomen grande vt esset Imperator vt posthac perpetuò rex Teutonicus esset Imperator aduocatus sedis Apostaticae vt Romano Episcopo Apulia per eum pacata esset Subiecta quae Papae cum Vrbe Romanae est non Imperatoris Roma Papae sedes est Imperatoris est Aquis in Arduenna quae est sylua Galliae Imperator quod habet totum habet à Papa sicut Zacharias transtulit Imperium à Graecis ad Teutonicos Ita Papa potest iam transferre ab Alemannis ad Grecos Ecce in potestate eius est vt det illud cui vult propterea constitutus à Deo super gentes regna vt aedificet destruat plantet euellat That is The Romane Empire was translated from the Greeks to the Almanies that the King of the Germanes should not be called the Emperor before that he was crowned by one Apostolique Before the consecration he was King after Emperor whence then hath he his Empire but from the Pope By the election of his Princes he hath the name of King by the consecration of the Pope he hath the name of Emperor and Augustus and Caesar Therefore by the Pope he rules search antiquities Zachary promoted Charles the Great he gaue him the name of Grande that he might be Emperor and that euer after the German King should bee Emperor and aduocate of the Apostatique sea That Apulia brought to peace by him should be subiect to the Romane Bishop which is the Popes together with the Citie of Rome not the Emperors Rome is the Popes seat The Emperours seat is Aquis in Arduenna which is a wood in France That which the Emperor hath he hath wholy from the Pope as Zachary translated the Empire from the Greekes to the Germans so now the Pope can translate it from the Almaines to the Greekes Lo it is in his power that hee may giue it to whom hee will and for that cause hee is ordeyned by God aboue nations and Kingdomes that he may build and pull downe plant root out This Oration of the Popes Legate maketh a most liuelie commentarie vpon the text following And it was giuen him to giue spirite to the Image of the Beast that the image of the Beast should speake and cause that all who would not worship the Image of the Beast should be kill'd He quickneth the Empire to haue power of life and death against the reiecters of his allowed Emperour till he depose him and set vp others Of subiection in all matters to the Pope And he causeth all both small and great both rich and poore both free and seruants that hee may giue them a marke on their right hande or their forehead and that no man may buy nor sell but he that hath the marke or the name of the beast or the number of his name Marke in the hand is oth of fidelitie and subscribing to his Supremacy When Emperor Henry VII refused to take oth of fidelitie to obey Clement VII he was soone after poysoned in the hoast transsubstantiated from wholesome bread into poyson Because he called great Assemblies and Scribes and answered that this was a new matter and not seene in his praedecessors age That the Prince of princes and Lord of the world should be bound by an oth of fidelitie to the seruant of seruants The vicar of the Dragon who was a murtherer from the beginning shewed all his conscience that pretending to giue Christ our life gaue death After Henries death Clemens being terrible that Emperours should bee redier to sweare vnto fidelitie to the Bridgemaker of Rome putteth foorth the contents of that oth Vt Caesar Ecclesiam Romanam defendat Haereticos exterminet neque cum impijs vllum commercium habeat vt privilegia quondam Romanae Ecclesiae consessa quocunque tempore conseruet in primis ea quae profecta sunt à Constantino Carolo Magno Henrico Othone IIII. Frederico secundo Rodolpho nequid Iuris in illas Ecclesiae Romanae facultates atque possessiones quocunque titulo sibi vendicot vt reliquas etiam vbiuis Eccesias earumque libertatem ac Iura protegat c. in Clementius sub Tit. de Iure That is That Caesar defend the Romane Church expell haeretiques nor haue any commerce with vngodly men that hee should preserue the priuileges once granted to the Romane Church at what tyme soeuer and especially those which proceeded from Constantine Charles the Great Henri Otho 4. Frederik the secund Rodolph and that he chalenge not any right or power vpon any tytle ouer those priuileges and possessions of the Church of Rome That also he defend the rest of the Churches whersoeuer their liberties their lawes c. In Clem. sub Tit. de iure Thus Emperors must defend all Popes Lawes by which all his foes and haeretiques cannot buy nor sell And all must haue auricular confession and all housekeepers must pay a ricks-penny for euery chimney and Priests be the exchequer men Chauncelors for ecclesiasticall praefermēts Buyshoprickes Abbeies c. that Kings and Emperours should haue but small force And the Locusts should haue the Lions teeth to hold fast all that they caught and should be like Horses praepared to warres and should haue Crownes vpon their head thought their King called himselfe the seruant of seruants and bare the face of a milde priuate man the Locusts had winges of Camps and the brest plates of yron to command warre peace as
of God If they had grace and to helpe many landes so to doe that in the Pope as in Elies sonnes a fall extreeme shall be Of Samuel c. When God hastening to shewe CHRIST from Iuda gaue Israel a minde to choose a King hee would giue one of Beniamin that Rachel should be aequall to Leah but soone remoue him then commeth DAVID of Iuda Dauid rare for faith and all humanitie whose Psalmes tell of Christ all that can be known from Stories past and in Prophecies for the state following That all men high and low rich and poore should still sing his psalmes And to him is promised an aeternall throne in Christ Now to prooue that this throne is not for this World Salomon hath all wisedome prosperitie and pleasure and writeth a song of songes that is all in continued allegories of true soules following Christ and Prouerbes to warne Ephraim from Idolls and Ecclesistes to tell that all vnder the sunne was vanitie To the same effect the historie of poore Ruth of Lot leauing Countrey kins folke and fathers house conteineth a sage hope in the songe for the Lambe And Salomons Temple is soone cast off to be despysed and the Kings of his seede in 1. and 2. of the Kings to shew that a King of Nathan Salomons brother should be the true King when Salomons Kings should cause captiuity to Babel and ouerthrow of all The Books of Kings and Chronicles shew that in euent Then Daniel sheweth 7. tymes ouer how vnder Kings Iuda shall bee in affliction till the King of Kings commeth In Prophecie Hosea telleth of his saluation how he shall be called from Egypt and destroy death and aryse the third day which matter Ionas in figure experienced before This saluation Osee teacheth and how Lo-Ammi should be Ammi and Lo-Ruchamah should be Ruchamach Ioel sheweth Gods fauor for the spirite vpon all flesh to speake of the resurrection chapter 2. and sharpe iudgement cited in this Chapter And Amos of erecting Dauids Tabernacle Isaiah is an Euangelist from chapter 40. specially chapter 53. and where not and who is like to Michah telling Herod of Bethlechem where the sonne of Dauid should be borne Nahum comforteth the true Iew with the faire feete of them that shew peace and sayth Aggie Aggeicha festiue thy festiuities though Niniueh scattred Israel yet Iuda should be built The name of Aggei the Prophet calleth that into minde Abbakuk embraceth the people with comfort against Babel and leaueth a messe of potage for Daniel and all good that the iust shall liue by faith Ieremie 40. year telleth Iudah their Ceremonies cannot turne their heartes from strange Gods But Babell shal bee their dwelling to consume the wicked to shew Gods glorie where the Towre brought shame to all nations built to worship Creatures and to forget the Creator Tzephain telleth that Tze-phan Iah the aeternall hath sealed vp iudgement for despysing the Redeemer taught by the Passouer in Iosiahs dayes therefore he will visite the Kings Children for close Idolatry the rulers for cruelty the false Prophets for lying vanities ouerthrow the state cary them to Babell but after confession of their sin he will leaue a poore and humble people that shall trust in Messiah the Lord. Obadiah telleth Edom that for helping Babell to destroy Ierusalem by Babell they should be destroyd yet in tyme Sauiours that is Apostles shall come from Syon to conquer and iudge them Luc. 22. 30. that is to bring them to the faith and that of that Kingdome Christ shall be King Ezechiel sheweth the sonne of man glorious aboue the Cherub Chap. 1. and from 40. a new Ierusalem and chap. 38. sheweth to the eye the resurrection touching his Ierusalem S. Peter tuneth the Harpe on Mount Sion that euery prophecie of scripture is not to bee expouded properly because the holy men of God spake caried by the holy Ghost Daniel expoundeth him that the death of Christ shall bring all nations to be an heauenly Ierusalem Of Daniel I haue written more then any since Daniel wrote how his holy Gospell sheweth Christ vnto Children The Copies of my last edition hee that vseth as the Persians the Prophete shall be commended of mee to the God of Daniel whom hee knoweth not For if he had knowen him he would not so haue crucified againe the Lord of glory So described king of the Iewes and first named CHRIST meere properly in Daniel Ages folowing shall enquire how God will deale with the men Aggei answering in name as was shewed to Nahums words sheweth that of Zorobabel the SIGNET shall come who shall shake the heauen of the Iewes policie and the profane earth Zachary and Malachy with him shewe what Zachary Malachy Luc. 1. should learne to begin the New Testament by the Angell Gabriel on whom they comment Ezra and Nehemias also record his trueth and celebrate the names of the chiefe returned and the number of all And Mordecai in Esther telleth how by faith in Christ they escaped the edge of the sword Thus vpon Mount Sion of old they tuned their harps in the strang land of this world knowing that God would receiue them hence into his Ourano polin yet they were not perfected in their musique heere to see and feele as 1. Ioh. 1. the word of life S. Peter writing to poore Iewes 2 Pet. 1. commendeth the reading of the old harpes as a light shining in a darke place till the morning starre Psal 22. Apo. 2. 21. and Dauid Kimchi vpon Psal 22. arise in our hearts The Popes contrarietie S. Peters most deadly enimie the Pope which would make him the Rock or God and will not learne how he expoundeth Rock to be the Creator 1. Pet. 4. from 2. Sam. 22. will not suffre the people to read the Law a Pope or Daemon openly bent against the goodnesse of God Of the New Testaments musique The Gospell The holy Publican maketh in his first Chapter a stately porch to the new Temple shewing from Abraham to Dauid that the Fathers of Christ were all afflicted in this world and knew the holy Trinitie and foresaw Christ and his kingdom which ariseth from David by Nathan not from Salomon whose house would not be vpright with God 2. Sam. 23. All be faltie but Ioakim so wicked that because hee ouerthrew the state the Iewes enacted not to name him in their narrations and so S. Matthew left him out Now when Nathans house commeth in for whom all Daniels Visions speake in them wee see heauen opened and howe God sate vpon a Throne as if he were like Iasper and Rubi with the Rainebow like Moses Smaragd about the Throne and his harpe hath all tunes of Law till Christ be taken vp So Marke playeth vpon Gabriels harpe Dan. 9. till CHRIST is King in heauen Luke playeth first
the Pope be sitting vpon the Empire by litle and litle And England at 1200. yer would not grant him supremacy Sigibert And good father WICKLIFE now 200. yeares ago preached that if the commune lawes of England might stand the Pope should haue no stroke in England And good Lady Margareth a pearle for a woman the mother to K. Henry the seauenth when she built Christs Colledge S. Iohns in both which I was fellow and owe them this dutie she in those dayes made lawes to aduance knowledge to ruinate the Pope And the valiant Henry VIII trust him out from being head or taile in our Church so the Empire ridden by the Pope stood but a litle while in sundrie places And all the while of the arising the Grecians as Chrysostome Andreas Oecumenius taught that the Romane Empire would be reuiued though in Greek stories Sysimus and the ecclesiasticall Alaricus Giezerichus wrought much harme and there Antichrist should reigne And if the Greeke old Doctores had bene well known the Pope had neuer gotten peny by his Masse Areopagita taketh the worde in the Law sense the token of the body so Eusebius the Image and Symbolon and so elder Origene and later Nazianzene Antitypes and later Theodorit in a full disputation and Macarius the Greeke Monke calleth it Symbolum and full many moo Then the Pope had no auctoritie for turning bread into the body of Christ to make him haue 1000. bodies and to make Religion a stage to Angels and men This long warning of the Popes arising was a warning to all ages that they should not suffer the starr falling to make bitter the waters of the Law nor darken the starrs and in all ages he had gainesayers And both Princes and People who contemned the warning of this book were worthie to be giuen ouer to all force of error And the Beast which was and is not the same is also the eight and one of the seauenth The Pope shall be the eight chaleng place aboue all follow all heathen superstitiō in name staffe apparel of Caesares and Temples setting but a face of Christianity vpon them A plaine description of the Popes comming vp And the tenne hornes which thou sawest are tenne Kings which haue not yet receiued the kingdome but receiue auctoritie as kings one houre with the beast These haue one minde and shall part their power and auctoritie to the Beast These shall make warre with the Lambe and the Lambe shall ouercome them for he is Lord of Lordes and King of Kings and they which are with him are called and chosen and faithfull Steuchus against Valla reckoning the Countries which held of the Pope bringeth them to ten But we must know that ten vsually is a great number about ten fewer or moo These kingdoms vnder the first Caesares were not so parted as when Iulian the Apostata kept at Paris who neuer heard that his Fathers brother the great Emperor Constantine gaue the West to the Pope and if any such matter had bene it could neuer be hid from him But when the Pope of Rome by long begging for S. Peter and so for Monasteries in many Countreies had gotten much wealth and ready good wills in Rome and the West to set vp againe the Empire at Rome He picketh quarrels with the Patriarch of Constantinople for procession of the holy Ghost and Pascha day and supremacy still of old labored to extinguish the Greek tongue and puritie of Latin and weakneth the East Empire that barbarous Gothes reigned whom to ouerthrow Princes gladly ioyne with him and he with them still for great Countreyes that in the end they sweare to helpe him to hold Constantinus donation and to bring the East the Greeke to agree with Rome And after 1000. yea the king of Locustes hath Satans throne in such power that his winges bee chariots and horses to cause kinges to doe what hee will As for Ierusalem warrs to ouerthrow all their kingdomes And in these tymes Satan bare sway that scant any learned were in the West But Monasteries and Collegies were built to fortifie haeresie that Greeke was vnknowen till our age and Ebrew to this houre for skill in the tongue able to hold water and to make a translation of good warrant to all learned iudgements In this blindnesse still some Abates and such fought well by pen and at the last by Martyrs whom the Pope damned and the secular power put to death But in the end Christ by his martyrs roareth like a Lion and seauen thunders tell his anger seauen Angels poure it out and men eate the little booke of Scripture and preach to nations and kinges to bethinke them how they did set vp Rome And hee saith to mee The waters which thou sawest where the Where sitteth are people and folke and nations and tongues The phrase is from Babel Ierem. 51. O thou which sittest vpon many waters and from Dan. 3. These phrases teach the simple how plaine Gods Law is lightning the eyes to call old matters into minde and to teach by old euents howe other matters will fall out Moreouer this open speach of manie waters to meane people and nations would making a commentarie in the margin vpon many places of the old Testament inlighten much Of the Popes fall And the tenne hornes which thou sawest vpon the Beast these shall hate the Whoore and make her desolate and naked and eate her flesh and shall burne her in the fire The same kingdomes which cleaued to the Pope for profite or deceipt when they see all profit gone and how he by terror of forged purgatorie gate Princes great lands wil alter their minde to hate the Pope Many millions in England hate his keies in Canterburies armes as a mockage to the true keies of knowledge so they hate the title grace in Scotland as doth the learned M. Meluin others hate Leuies Linen Cope Priest and Kneeling at receiuing bread which should bee receiued with most holy iudgement not in the Popes gesture others hate the Leprosie of the Apocrypha books the writers of which shew no more faith in Christ then did Flauius Iosephus nor so much Others hate the Popes forme of prayer patched vp for his vse to content the people not to spend that tyme in requiring of them opening of the Bible And many would haue our Bishops caught in praemunire to loose all Others make great sute to haue their lands Now if in England most reuerend right reuerend fathers so learned as they take vpon them to bee bee so hated for remnant of Papistrie what hatred shall open Popery haue where the Pope dareth excommunicate kinges Thal. Ierusal noteth that the King might not be excommunicated nor any chiefe Ruler But be sagely warned to keepe his house for a time and to saue his honor But the high Sacrificer was whipped with as many stripes as any other for his faultes Ierus in Sanedrin But our Pope will bee excommunicating
Vbiquitie and others iourney to hell be great spotts yet many are free from these and mo wil be in tyme. And out of his mouth commeth a sharpe sword to strike the nationes with it and hee shall bruise them with an yron Sceptre The sword of his word hath in all ages told that euery trespas should receiue iust recompence and by stories past wee should assure vs of them that be to come and the yron Sceptre taught by Dauid how Christ his enemies should fall And the Image beaten to dust Dan. 2. and the Romane ciuill warres taught them what it was to meddle with the Iewes and with Tully to say Barbara Iudaeorum superstitio Gens nata seruituti So Diui Caesares for 300. yeares were brused and now the Pope for 400. to come may still looke to bee plagued that by 6000. yeeres of the world he shall be as the Macedonians at our Lords birth voyd of all authoritie This short vision may endure a long time as that in Ezekiel of Gog and Magog 38. and 39. contayned matter of 300. yeeres And hee treadeth the presse of the wine of the anger and indignation of God of hostes and hee hath vpon his garment and vpon his thigh a name written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS Esay 63. telling of the winepresse teacheth now by story of old euents and the other Attributes Nabuchad Dan. 2. giueth to Daniels God and the stories shew the works And students of iudgement would bee ready in heathen which open the holy Bookes from the first Greek stories to the last By garment and thigh written vpon open dealings of Christ teach men to contemne his mediation and to feele that hee ruleth all An open proclamation of the Popes destruction And I saw an Angell standing in the sun and hee cried with a great voice saying to all the birds that flee in the ayer come and assemble vnto the supper of the great God to eate the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Coronels and the flesh of the Mighty and the flesh of horses and of their Riders and the flesh of all free and bound This speach Ezekiel vsed ch 38. speaking of Macedonians that should afflict Iuda specially vnder Antiochus Epiphanes after whom that Kingdome fell dayly more and more with horrible destruction And as the speach in Ezekiel is caried hither so the names of Gog and Magog be in the next Chapter where the Popes chiefe ripenesse commeth to let Satan loose And I saw the beast and the Kings of the earth and their armies to make warre with him that sate vpon the horse and with his armie This short prophecie telleth that the Pope and Empire shall fight against the Restorers of the Gospell and still haue the worse Albion and Ierne haue shaked him off and much of Germanie and Netherland and halfe Zwitzerland and all Denmarke and his murthering of the French King will haue reuenge In Ireland his stirring of Papists vnder Desmond to rebell made greater death then kites wolues doggs could deuoure or men bury or riuers wash without poysoning their fish And Brabant now 40. yer hath seene great slaughters and the Kinges putting of his owne son to death was more losse to his house then many millions And his owne death was of a strange sicknesse So many French that persecuted the Gospell had strange death And one after another while they fight against Christ shall haue strange successe as the Popes haue strange deaths and boyles at home An abridgement of all Gods iudgements in one And the beast was caught and with him the false prophet which worketh signes before him by which he deceiueth them that receiue the marke of the beast and worshippeth his image Both were cast aliue into the lake burning with fire and brimstone Andreas vpon chap. 13. teacheth plainely that Antichrist setting vp the Empire is there meant So Pope Emperor must needes be meant heere to as euident destruction as if they were cast aliue into eternall flames this should be a faire warning for men to come out of Babel to vse no garments no prayers no lawes of the Popes making And the rest were killed with the sword of him which sate vpon the horse which went out of his mouth and all the foules were filled with their flesh The principall had open terrible miserie the others in vision had but death So in Daniel chap. 7. the fourth beast was cast into the fire and the common sort in Ezek. are eat of foules CHAPTER XX. The Diuells are not simply bound And I saw an Angell comming downe from heauen hauing the key of the Pit and a great chaine in his hand and he laid hold vpon the Dracon the old Serpent which is the Diuell and Satan and he bound him a thousand yeeres and cast him into the Pit and shut him vp and sealed vpon him that he should not deceiue the nations any more vntill the thousand yeeres were ended Afterwards he must be loosed a litle while THAT the Diuels are not simply bound one houre Iob. 1. and 1. Pet. 5. teach vs when they fell the sixt day misliking the charge of care ouer man the darke ayer wherin we breath a black Tartarus without starre-light is their lodging in chaines of Gods prouidence as if they were in prison So wee may not thinke that the Diuels were euer simply bound but they were in the Pit whence at the last the locusts came foorth among the company of the profance that they deceiued not the great number sealed chap. 7. and former martyrs ch 6. But for a thousand yeeres some reigned in all ages with Christ and many were martyred and moo vndeceiued to worshippe the beast and his Image to take the marke in the forehead or hand They liued the true life by the Gospell where all faithlesse aliue be dead in sinne as S. Peter saith and Zeror Hamor infinitely The Apostles in their ages liued reigned with Christ and Iustine Martyr and Athenagoras and such in their ages Athanasius and many of his tyme and so others in their ages liued heere the Christian life and reigned as Kinges sacrificing their owne affections chap. 1. Some in all partes of the thousand yeeres not altogether a thousand yeeres The rest of the dead did not reuiue vntill the thousand yeeres were ended as the profane Caesares and Idolatrous Locusts who had great occasion offred to the first resurrectiō with Christ Rom. 6. Eph. 2. But they being dead in sin despised the truth and reuiued not The first resurrection is by faith to be risen with Christ He is happy and holy that hath his portion in the first resurrection The second death shall haue no power ouer them but they shal be sacrificers of God and of Christ and there shall be such to reigne with him for a thousand yeares From Adam of 1000. yer Satan deceiued not generally while the Fathers liued that the flood was denounced in the old world
so Princes seeing that the former age by the Pope brought in the Turke to the hazard of the West and see that he knoweth not one letter in the LAW and is blinde in euery part of it and cannot make his owne cause good against the Turke or Iew they forsake him the seruant of seruants as God left the Chananites to bee conquered of Dauid So he is Chanaan they be Dauid and in his warre he shall be Iabin and by Sisera fall at Mageddon and bee no more able to resist And the great Citie became into three partes and the Cities of the nations fell and Babylon the Great was remembred before God to giue her the Cup of the Wine of the heate of his anger and euery Iland fled and the mountaines were not found and great haile talent bigge descended from heauen vpon the men and men blasphemed God for the stroke of the haile because the stroke of it was exceeding great By the Citie meane the policie and by three partes great diuision that it hath but a third part because the policies of nations fall from it and God remembred his anger told chap. 14. and as vnder the Caesares Ilands and Mountaines were moued from their place that is into another policy so heere alteration of policie is meant haile of a talent is great ouerthrowes by Gods hand the allusion being taken from plaguing the Chanaanites Ios chapter 10. where haile killed more then sword So the Spanish fleete hath often had great shipwrake by the extraordinarie hand of GOD specially 1588. And what an infinite masse of money and millions of men hath Netherland consumed to him And lately Venice shewed his weaknesse that he durst not goe forward to warre and specially Iuliaque where Leopoldu◠Emperour Spanie Pope wish they had neuer begon Touching the quantity of haile in countreies neere the Alpes wee see this speach to keepe neere propriety without a great hyperbole At Zurick my learned friend M. Caspar Wesserus told me of haile lately there that one stone was brought from a field somewhat farre off to the Consull and must melt in cariage yet beeing weighed it peised a wax pound Chanaan and Egypt haue greater haile that trees and beasts be stricken to destruction by it And in all this the Papists repent not but thinke God to fauor the wicked side and so blaspheme and keepe their old Idolatrie and locusts of all professions as before It is hard for men to repent which will not learne from the word of God how their case standeth Their false ground that Peter was the chiefe Apostle and at Rome and the Rocke and that hee had auctoritie to binde and loose more then others and could leaue that to Doctores of the Citie which crucified Christ as though they best deserued that and the fables of their miracles as though they were true these harden them that they cannot come into the Church till the anger of God consumeth the Pharaohs as chap. 15. vers vlt. told CHAPTER XVII Iohn like Daniel And one of the seauen Angels which had the seauen Cupp◠came and spake with mee saying to mee come I will shew thee the Iudgement of the great Whoore which sitteth vpon many waters with whom the Kings of the earth committed fornication and they which dwelt in the earth were drunke by the Wine of her fornication THe wise God maketh the Cloud of his word light to Israel and darke to Pharaoh That the wicked shall not be ouer busie with it he speaketh to them in Visions that they cannot see whither they tend because they know not the ground Besides commorations seeme vnto them new matter and not a commentarie vpon former So to them that be out of the Church all things are in parables But they that know the grounds shall see all easie Ieremiah taught Israel in the playnest propriety of wordes that might bee Ezekiel sweetneth the same with allegories when both are compared together all is plaine Daniel telleth how Iudah should bee afflicted by enemies likened to the proportion of a mans body fist so generally that heathen would not marke the persecuted But the Iewes knew And if at the first they had bene told of great affliction they would haue gone before captiuitie into Countries of Grecia But when they were in Babel and neere returne their enimies are beasts comming out of the sea and terrible but yet reuenged as the image was by strok from a stone so they by fire But the persecuters and persecuted neither be named In a new vision they are expresly named what the Ram and Buck meane and the persequutour aboue all that should goe before him is plainely described And last of all a proper speach expoundeth the Image expoundeth the sea beastes expoundeth the Land beast That no booke was euer plainer then Daniel Iohn is like him He telleth chapter 6. of great plagues to a state but telleth not to what state Then he telleth of a falling away but telleth not by whose occasion Then he describeth the occasioner vnder seauen trumpets but hideth from the profane world what policie hee would haue marked After this he bringeth the old Caesares and Pope with late into one serpent After this he diuideth the serpent into two beasts with resonable plaine notes and sheweth that the former beast cōming out of the sea should be reuiued by that which came vp out of the Land Now that reuiued beast after his particular doings and suffrings is heere to bee seene with the reuiuer The Angell teacheth Iohn in vision the learned men be Angeli Ecclesiae The great whoore is the great Idolatrous City the many waters the harlot sitteth on be people troupes nations and tongues Kings society in Idolatry is the fornication the dwellers on the earth are the Idolous whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or cariage is not in heauen And he caried me into the wildernesse in the spirit As the Church was driuen into the wildernesse to haue a policie vnmixed with Rome so Iohn sheweth that they must not be of Romes part that will condemne her but absolute free from her In Aegypt God could not giue lawes for Israel but they must be separated from other policies so God brought them into the wildernesse And when God would teach Iuda that Moyses Ceremonies were but poore elements and to praepare them for the rest of Christ he carieth them into the wildernesse of the heathen And when Iohn Baptist praepared a way for the rest of Christ and calling of the heathen who in the dayes of Dauid and Salomon were not circumcised but baptized Rambam Asure Bia. Per. 13. So we must goe into a wildernesse simply iudge by Gods word not by rumors of antiquity and vniuersality what is to be iudged of Rome And I saw a woman sitting vpon a scarlat beast full of names of blasphemy hauing 7. heades and 10. hornes So Satan being incarnate in the Empire of Rome had seauen heades and tenne