all his terrible comminacions Is it not an heauy blasphemye to teche wryte and decree that himself may with his fyer and swerde preuent and disapoynt god of his euerlasting and immutable prouidence But at laste when the litle hornes iniquite is disclosed then shall he ayenst his wil render ayen his prossessions titles his falsely vsurped auctorite to y e seclare hornes out of whom first by fraude and hypocrisie he so craftely extorted them Thê° ye see that by this litle horne by the horned beste sene of Ioan be vnderstandeÌ„ the Anticristen aduersaries of cryste and his chirche whether thei be the seclare kings and emperowrs popes or bisshops turke or Mahumete or these all togither coniured ayenst the lorde his anointed It is more then two thousand yeres sence daniel sawe these visions w t albeit the fathers by this litle horne vnderstode rightly anticryste yet because althingis then to come in these prophecies were not sene so clerly as thei be now paste in fulfilling in these owr present dayes sene felt of euery faithful some men coniecture this litle horne to be the Turke albeit the popis and their prelatis haue iustly played the turkis parte hitherts For the turke and anticrist differre not but as the deuil differeth from hel By this litle prominent horne therfore Doctor Iohan Draconite vnderstandeth the kingdom of the Saracens of the turke and of Mahumete sprongen vp in the dissipacion of the Romane monarchie w t we will saith he confirme by daniels descripcion of the tyme of the place of the powr doctrin of this saracene Turkish kingdom Of the tyme for when the Romane empyre begane to beskatered minished and febled euen almost down to het erthen toes then began the turkis kingdom to growe and floresshe which was aboute the yere of cryst 613. When the freÌ„che men gote frauÌ„ce and the longobards Italy and mahumete in the tyme of heraclius the emperowr moued his sedicion Of the place daniel seeth this litle horne plucking vp of the former hornes wherby doutles he signifieth the Romane prouynces then lying in the east to be fallen from the empyre for these hornes that is to saye kingdoms Egipt Siria and the regions of Cilicia the SaraceÌ„s had then anon ioyned togither But albeit now the turkes haue many moo prouinces yet is it not ayeÌ„st the text â–ª describing onely but the beginning of the SaraceÌ„s or turkis kingdoÌ„ Of his powr for daniel saith These hornes were with great violence pluckt out oh it is to trwe that hole Aphrika a great parte of Asia and not litle of Europa be holden this daye of the turke and of his Tartarion god mahumete Ezechiel prophecieth this fyerce Scythiâ— beast and pestilence of all crystendom in the laste age of the worlde to destroye the chirche and at last to be destroid in the mountans of Israel that is ether in the places where the gospel sowneth or of those knyghtis whiche calvÌ„poÌ„ the name of the lorde god in faithe Of his doctryne Daniel saith that this horne hath the eyes of a man a mouth speking grete and stowte things which if ye wil see reade his Alcorane which whoso desyere to know I shal geue him in this to reade that he may know that this deuills nills mouth Mahumete vtterly abolissheth all the writings of the prophets apostles euen the testimonies of owr saluacion and helpe He fayneth cryste to be no beter then Moses and in nowyse will he aknowleg him to be the sauiour And if he hath any cyuile iustice yet is it corrupted w t abominable filthye lecherye wherfor because not onely with swerde wepens he decreth the sayers doers ayeÌ„st his wyked doctryn to be destroyed but al so he wil be extolled aboue al thig called god therfore is this litle horne thought to be no litle parte of anticrists kingdom Hitherto hath Daniel prosecuted his own visioÌ„s of the succession of the 4 empires that the image in y e 2 cap. those 4 beastis here signifye not onely y e seculare emperowrs and king is fighting among themselues one ayenst a nother and all ayeÌ„st god but also the spirituall anticryst persecuting the chirche of cryste For the later kings shall moste cruelly trede downe the gospell in hir vprysing as ye haue sene it these 600 yeres paste whilis thei with their emperowrs plaid the popis haÌ„gmen excersing their own tyrannye executing his cruell vngodly lawes and anticristen doctrin by burning slaying whilis thei prosecuted his and their own horrible blody desyers vpon crystis chirche for the defence of the popis their own tradicions rites and articles actes c. to confirme their idolatry and supersticioÌ„ For so hath this litle horne bewitched hir 10 hornes about hir that she hath perswaded and put into their headis the holy scriptures in owr vulgare tongues to be heresye and the faithfull fre prechers heretiques and therfore to banissh and burne them bothe and to bring into the chirches bisshops bokis of new and wyked institucions and vnholsome erudicions with their owne arrogant actis armed articles with swerde and fyer The cheif and trwest token of the trw chirche is the profession and preching of the propheticall and apostoli doctryne And to fight ayenst this doctryne or to abolissh it is the very signe of anticristes Synagog The pope and his seclare sorte vsurpe a powr and worship aboue cryste in that with the most arrogaÌ„t audacite thei dare alter interprete adde and minishe and expowne gods lawes and gospell at their plesures and to be siche lordis ouer his faith and religion that of gods holy perpetual verite mighty worde thei wil aftir their owne carnall affectis to serue their own lustis make it a nose of waxe to warme and fede their synful desyers â–ª yea gods worde and gospell is not gods worde except thei so admitte and allowe it It is heresy nâ—w lerning yea and treason to the worde ofsedicion and disobedience if thei so saye it Oh blody blasphemers oh arrogant anticristes Be not these your prowd mouthes speking prowd horrible blasphemies The turke Mahumete vtterly renownce all that in the gospell techeth cryste to be the fone of god and euen so do thei that wil be iustifyed by their own merits mahumete knoweth not the doctrine of faith or of y e trw inuocacion and worship nomore do the spirituall seculare anticristis whiche yet do persecute it onely do Mahumete the turke holde with owr anticrystis certein ciuil precepts at their own pleasurs as do the called crystians to stablissh to abolish them when and 〈◊〉 thei liste but yet is the turke more constant and ciuily iuste in his lawes then be the called cristians The turke and his Mahumete grawnt sinful lecherose lustis owr turke and Mahumete winke yea thei laughe at the same forbiddig iuste matrymony and rending
enimies in the most ample and mightiest Monarchie but by the benefit of God Ieremy confirming the same saying That nacion and kingdom that wil not serue Nebucadne shall be visited with swerde pestilence famyn This was called the golden head because that as it was the best gouerned with all cyuile iustice equite vnto this daye so did the king Nebucad raigne most victoriouse more then 40. yeres and being olde left his kingdom to his neuye as Ieremy prophecied whiche felicite to haue had not hapened to the other 3. kingdoÌ„s Daniel here aftir testifieth assigning to y e persik realme 3. orders of tethe To the Macedoni â–ª Monarchie 4. head is and 10 â–ª hornes to the Roman empire This goldeÌ„ head had but 3 kinges in daniels tyme For Nebucadnezar raigned 45 yeres â–ª his sone Euismerodach 23 and Beltthalat 3 yeres For from this last hogge was the babyloni monarch translated vnto the persis as ye shall see in the 5 chap. Aftir this there shall spring forth a nother kingdom vpon the erthe lesse then thyne This was the Persy Monarchie and the Medis empyre signifyed by the syluer breste and armes when this monarchie of the Medis and persies begane we shal shewe it in the 5 chapter How it was gouerned ye shal see in the 6 cap. aÌ„d in the eleuenth how longe it endured ☞ And then shal ther be the thirde Monarchie called the brasen empyre whiche shall be ouer the vniuersal worlde This is the monarchye of great Alexander of his mighty coÌ„federed successours signified by the brason belly and soyncs the begining of this kingdom ye see it here in the. 2. ca the middis in the. 7 8. the ende Daniel prophecieth in the eleuenth ¶ But the fowrth king doÌ„ shal be as stroÌ„g as harde as for it shall lyke make softe breke tame all other king domo And wÌ„here thou didst see the feete and toes partely erth â—n and parte it signifieth the kingdom to be diuided nethelesse yet shal it retaine some what of the ferme fastnes of as it were vnder y e sole of his fote as thou didste see the miyt with pot ba erthe And because the toes were parte aÌ„d parte ba erthe this empyre shal be partely stronge and partely frayle and weak And where thou didst see the miyt with ba erth it signifieth these diuided kigdoms to be ioyned togither emong themselues and confedered by bloude in mariages but yet shall not one agre long with a noÌ„ther their confederacies shall not stonde nor holde no more then may be mixed and welled togither with ba erthe This fowerth Monarchie is the Romane empyre thus descrybed more at large then the other thre because it was in the beginnynge more strong valeaunter and harder vntyll by Mahumets religion and the Popes Antichristen crafte it was diuided dispersed minisshed and dekayed as ye see it this daye brought vnto his potba erthen frayle feble feet euen the last kyngdome to be destroyed partely by intestyne ciuile warre emonge themselues and thus the maye made partely by the Turke and at last by the stonne sinyten oute of the hyll which is by the kyngdom of Christes Gospell preched which worde proceded oute of the mounte Sion and oute of Hierusalem euen now euery daye out of the very trwe churche of Christ dayly wryting and preching this foundacion stone Christ purely frely and faythfully Daniel diuideth this descripcion into thre expresse signes First he saith in his feete and toes of and erth there shall remaine as it were vnder the sole some ferme fastenes of Which signifieth the Romane empyre although it be diuided and dispersed into Germanye Englande Spayne France and Turkye c. into other Monarchies yet shall these Monarchies holde as long as they may the nature of vnder the vse and ministracion of the Romane lawes called the ciuile or emprowrs lawes Secondarily he sayth these fete and toes partly 〈…〉 and partely erthen to signifie the Ro mane empire after his firste strengthe to be made feble and weake which may be proued by the examples of some mygthy and inuicte emprowrs and of other weake and ouerthrone Thirdly he sayth They shal be mixt together but yet shal they not cleaue to nomore then may be welled together with a potsherd And this signifieth as hath the text They shall seke confederacions and affinities by bloude consanguinitie in maryages and all in vayne As ye se it for albeit em and kynges haue ioyned together in maryages with theyr daughters and sonnes yea and with holy sacred othes in lege the hoost broken and diuided betwixt them yet hath one inuaded and destroyd other They shal be confedered to make a newe and all one Monarchye but all in vayne for this is the last empire to be destroyed at the last daye is yet in destroyinge for resistyng persecutynge Gods worde whether it be the seculare or Ecclesiasti particulare or vniuersall empire or kyngdome ☞ For in the tyme of these kynges the God of heuen shal set vp a kyngdom which shall neuer be destroyed nether shall this kyngdome be delyuered vnto any other peple which kyngdom Monarchye shall destroye and make an ende of all the other empires and kyngdoms but it self shall stand for euer as thou sawest the stonne smyten out from the hil without handis breking into poulder the brasse test erth syluer golde Whylis yet these kingdoÌ„s endured but yet translated into the Romane Monarchie shall Christes kyngdom be begune vpon erth For the em Augustus in the tyme of ChristÌ„es byrth described the hole worlde as Luke wryteth The God of heauen to set vp fast this kyngdom is Christ by his worde and spirit of God to raigne as himself before Pilate confessed saing My kyngdom is not of this worlde for as Dauid in the. 2. Psal. so doth Dan. Promise here Christis kyngdom to come to be a spirituall kyngdoÌ„ This kyngdom standing vpon the preching doctrine of Christes gospell shall neuer be destroyed although these Monarches cruelly burne and destroye the prechers and professours of the worde but as Christ is eternall so shall his worde be euer and all that beleue it lyue euerlastingly For the worde of God sayth I say standeth for euer and shal be preched and wryten vnto the last daye And all the kyngdome of the worlde which resiste and persecute Christes kyngdome which is his worde preched and his churche the spirit of God shall breake them to powlder when he shall reproue and conuince them of syne of ryghtwysnes and of iugement For where be nowe all the sewers at they not in hell with all the deuyllis And where is the Gospell It lyueth raigneth in heueÌ„ w t Christ here in his faythfull at last syke a consuminge fyer to deuoure oure enimyes according to the Psal. 110. And as towching the hyll out of which the stonne was out
horne which wexing grete did prowd and cruelactis ayeÌ„st the sowth and by easte euen in the most amene and pleasaunt londe And then he stretched forthe himself ayenst the beutiful hoste company of heuen and of this celestiall company and also of the starris he threw downe some of them to the erthe and trode them vnder his feet yea and at laste euen ayenst the self emperowr of the hoste with great arrogancye he lyfted vp himself with crakis and bostes so that therby the dayly perpetuall sacrifice was taken awaye and the seat of the sanctuary of god was subuerted And the heueÌ„ly hoste with their dayly perpetuall sacrifices were geuen vp into his hand is for their synneâ— and he scourged down the trewth to the grounde and coÌ„mitted this cruel mischeif prosperously When the Babylony â–ª kingdome was now at an ende and daniel had senâ— the Perses to haue the empyre this vision was shewed him to th entent he shuld teche his chirche how that both vnder the Medis and Perses the conquirers of Babylon and also vnder Aleâ—ander the conquirer of the Persies and at last vnder Antiochus that Anticryst and sâ—ourge of the Iewes shulde be persecuted and plaged For trewely because the peple eueâ— loueth more the peace â—ase of the worlde then to study to lyue aftir goddis preceptis the spring of all peace therfore is this crosse shewed them to be suffered caryed vnder these kingdoms then to come for breking of gods commandemeÌ„ts that god according to his threateningis might be feared and Cryst accordinge to his promises might be wayted fore hiâ— coming prayd for to god This vision is a prophecie of the vprysinge and fall of the kingdoÌ„s of Cyrus Alexander Antiochus the very pesielence of the Iewes The Ram standing at the Persiâ—â—loude signifieth Cyrus the duke and leaderforth of the Persies He is called the two horned because he ledforth the hostes of both the Medis and Persies For his ii hornes signifye these two hostes This Rammis greatest hyghe horne signifieth Cyrus y e king of Persie the hayer at last of all Mede yea and made the king of all the kingdome This Ram to runne with his hornes ayenst the west north sowth signifieth him comen from the â—ast out of Persie to haue faughten ayenste all men that is to weyt ayenste the Arabies and Egypcions which lye sowthe â—ayenst the AssyrieÌ„s and Palestyns lyinge west from him and ayenst the Lidions and Capadocies lying north No beast to might haue stande ayenst him signifieth him beinge king of Persie to triumphe and haue the victory of all other kingdoÌ„s To do therfore what he lysted wexing so great a victour signifieth the kingdom of Persie so prosperously to haue had succeded that Cyrus as it is red gouerned 120. prouinces whose Monarchie dured about 200. yeres Now whether this Ram was fygure to any of oure present crysten realmes let the diligent obseruers of tymes states and realmes loke and they can espye it whyles we treate and talke of the Gote that is of Alexander king of the Grekis Here the Gote as afore the Leoparde signifye the same king euen great Alexander The nature of these two beastes agre well with the properties of the kinges of Grece The Gote maye well clyme and skip The dukis of y e Grekis were valeant both in counsels and in their busines decreed swiftly to be performed In counsell geuinge in delibering in decerning thinges delybered in thinges decreed spedely to be finisshed in espyinge an apte occasion who were more ingenioâ—se and clearer witted then Philip and Alexander But as y e Leopardes or spotted pantheres albeit they hunteoute all beastis and feare no darte nor spere for they smyte them of with their swiftnes yet with wyne are they made dronken then aftir their lustes one leapinge the other made weary are thei taken Euen so the kings Philip and Alexander ouercoming all and nothing fearing they were so ouercomen of wyne and lechery that the one was destroyed of voluptuosnes and dronkenes kylled the tother The leopardes be desyerouse of wyne and therfore there hunters powerforth wyne nyghe their haunted places and a certayn space of they set downe y e hole great vessell full of myne the sauour whereof drawth the panthers or leopards for both be one saue the pardus is the male and the panther the female oute of their dennes which when they haue all dronken oute and be made dronken thei playe their lustis togyther so that at laste they made weary fall downe to sleap And then come the armed honters and take them Euen so haue ther bene many valeant prudent princes but in coÌ„clusion by lustis intemperance and droÌ„kenes they perisshed destroyd wretchedly As were Philip and Alexander and aftir them Demetriuâ— and the later Philip which thinge hath happened to many men sence it chaunceth yet to many Noble valeant princes fortunat in all their affayers warres victories neuer shrinking nor flying bak haue there bene which at last haue bene cowerdly broken casten downe of their owne lustis haue had a miserable tragi ende their nature before clene changed and themselues deformed and destroyd in their owne fylthy dronken lecherose lustis Also let vs see the descripcion of the lande for that this Gote came from the west vpon the face of all the erth and atteyned or lyted not vpon the erth Which signifieth Ale vander coming forth from Grece to inuade estewarde then sowthwarde at â—ast northwarde in short space subdewed all the world vnto him To not towche nor lyte vpon the earth it is sayd because he beginning in his .xx. yere did in a maner flye ouer all the worlde was made the emperour of all the worlde in the xxxii yeare of his age wherin he dyed not for age nor in victorye but with voluptuosnes and wyne was he oppressed Wherfore that prominent great horne of the Gote in his most sâ—rength broken of signifyeth the mighty power of great Alexander smyten downe in his cheif flowers Whether ther be yet any siche Gotis let their fortune declare them the clere eyed obserue it But whom did he so smyte with his horneâ— verely euen y e ram before the floude For as in floudis one sourge soupeth vp deuoureth a nother euen so one of these kingdoms deâ—oured vp another the later swellowd vp y e former And how the Persik kingdome was translated to the Grekis and the Greke empyre of Alexander diuided into y e Macedonyk Syriac Asiatik Egypt kingdoms which all Daniel by all his wordes of the Ram and Gote will teche it is plentuos lyer described of Diodoro Curtio Iustino c. Now to the lytle horne sprongen vp out of these .iiii. hornes that is to saye of Antiocho Epiphane The lytle horne signifieth Antiochum Epiphanem descendinge out of the stock of Seleucus holdinge Syriam aftir the death of
they praised and worshipped their owne golden syluery coper 〈…〉 treen and ston ney goddis Hytherto god hath setforth his glorye in the conuersion of Nebucadnezar now he declareth his gloriouse powr in destroying and an ende making of so mighty a monarchye of the vngodly Babylonits which destroyd he with great glorye wolde sende home agayne his peple to buylde vp ayen a temple more gloriouse then before In the former chap. ye see a kynge repenting himself and bringing forth the trwe worship of god whom god orned and endewed with giftis Now ye haue a contrary example of a wyked kynge restorynge idolatrye not repentynge whom God therfore casteth downe and geueth his kyngdome to â—other men Now were the. 70. yeres expired in which the iewes as Ieremy tolde them shuld continew in captiuite for Nebucaduezar raigned 45. yeres whose sonne Euilmeredach folowinge his fathers godlines and renderinge vnto kynge Ieconie his regall honour endewing the iewes with many greate benefyts raigned 23. yeres Him succeded this laste vngodly kynge Belsazar raigninge 3. yeares vnlyke his predecessors restoringe idolatrye which to shewe himself the enimye of the trewe doctryne and to confirme idolatrye prophaned and polluted the holy vessels belonging to the temple of god with manifest contempt blasphemynge god as did Rapsaces and Sennacherib and as the iewes at last derided cryst saying yf thou beâ—â—â— the sone of God descende from the crosse There must therfore nedis great plages folowe siche blasphemyes and coÌ„temptis of god as threateneth the. 2. precept god will not reken him giltles that blaspheme his name c. For nether the sone nor the erth nor the rockis of stone nor any creature maye suffre their maker so to be blasphemed and despysed as ye maye se it at the death of cryst where the sone with drâ—we his lyght the erth trembled and quaked and the rocks braste in sonder Here shall ye see the iust iugemeÌ„t of god and what maner an emprowr and princeâ— he wyll suffer to raigne when he entendeth to kutof and translate their kyngdoms that is to wete dronkerds bellybeastis voluptuouse tyrants couetuose oppressours of their comoÌ„s furiouse murtherers of innocents persewers of crystis religioÌ„ ydle belys sekers of their owne vayne and carnall plesures depending vpon their flaterers for glorye louers of women contempners of rightwysenes fauorers of malefactors blasphemers and idolaters Euen siche as were Sardanapalus Heliogabalus and this last kynge of Babylon which in banketing with his whores in a blasphemouse spight of the god of Israel thus abused his holy vessells drinkynge dronken out of them with her lots which because he wold not be monisshed with his grandfathers punishment nor take ensample at his repentance â–ª god toke this heuey vengeance vpon him and his realme Nebucadnezar was 〈…〉 downe to be exalted but Belsazar was deiected to be w t all Babylon vtterly destroyed As Isay Abacuk and Ieremy had prophecied before In this destruccion of the first Monarchye lerne the figure of the destruccion of the worlde in this the ende of the last Monarchye when thou se est lyke em prowrs kynges to raigne ouer the world For as God is the most iust translatour changer of realmes so doth he destroye them for right iust causes This Belsasar was the very canell of all fylthynes euermore runing from one syn to a nother First his viciouse interperaÌ„cye is described how he was geuen to excesse dronkenes horedome and blasphemye of God which is an euident token of his realme shortly to be translated and himselfe destroyed Deliciouse delicates effeminate ryght strong men â–ª and miche the soner the soft AssyrioÌ„s By siche carnalite was Capâ—a made a Canne to HaÌ„nibal Wel ther fore sayd the wyseman Wo to that lande whose kyng is a chylde and here princes delyte in erly and late drinking eating A meruelouse blynde sensuall securite to see the kynge to celebrat siche a fest bidding therto all his nobles to eate drinke dronken takinge their pleasures in banketting daunsing singing playinge so sorowlesse their enimyes kynge Cyrus and Darius beseging the cyte They halowed a certayn hyghe fest daye of their god Beel as ye se aftir this maner now to do some called Crystians in all nyght eatinge and drinkinge which when Cyrus knewe it he had chosen himself the more apt tyme to take the cyte Thus were y e Sodomits sodenly vnwares oppressed Thus were they drowned with Nohas floude And so shall all the worlde at last be sodenly destroyd with fyer Wherfore let vs suspect all siche welthye and vngodly securite Here ye see how that in tyme of bataill when he shuld haue called vpon the very god he called togither his princes to eate and to drinke beyende all mesure â–ª à nd to worshippe false gods And when his enimies layd awayt to destroye him and his cyte he contempned them as one sewer enoughe seruinge not god but his belye And when he shulde haue bene compased with his armed host he sate drinking and eating excessiuely emong his vayne flaterers and soft herlets Now was sage daniel farre from the court and yong minions were of RoboaÌ„s counsell Nowe were his spiritualtye as his sothesayers dreame doctours enchauÌ„ters sorcerers diuines at his hande teachinge him in all securite to blaspheme deryde and to contempne the god of daniel And in despyght of him thus to abuse and prophane the iewels of his house I will not here with an allegory applyed to oure tyme touche oure spirituall Magos and subtyle sorcerers enchaunters and bewitchers of their emprowrs Belsazars with flaterye and polytyk persuasions auertynge them from danielis doctryne and holsome monicions vnto their olde papistrye so vigilantly obseruynge and waytinge vpon emprowrs and princes affectis to sette to their wynges the swiftlyer to flye and folow their deuillish dampnable counsels making them dronken of that Babyloni blody whores cup of abhominacion that they might y e more blasphemously abuse and prophane the holy vessels of godis temple euen to persecute and burne the trewe ministers of the gospell peruert and violently wrest his worde to make it serue to their synfull lustes and carnall affectis although I know the scripture with hir owne keye clerely to open and vnloke this same allegory Apocap 17. Et nunc igitur reges intelligite But now ye kynges get ye knowleg and be taught monisshed in tyme c. Here shulde the kynge with his Babylonits haue repeÌ„ted and called for daniels doctryne and counsell and not haue bannisshed him and his felowes his courte In so present perelis to promyse themselues siche securite to reioyse in bankettinge and festinge to blaspheme god and despyse his trwe ministers and prechers and to neglect repentance is the moste certayne signe of an vtter subuersion of their kyngdome and empyre This storie first warneth vs of the horrible powr of y e deuyll which in all ages abuseth the moste hyghe emprowrs
erth thus writeth Miche peace be with you Of me it is decreed that in all the parties of my realme all men shall feare dreade the god of daniel for that he is the lyuing god abyding for euer and euer for his kingdom shall neuer be destroid but his dominion euer must endure who helpeth and delyuereth â–ª he sheweth his wondrefull miracles in heuen and erthe whiche delyuered daniel from the lyons Aftir this daniel was highly promoted in the kingdom of Darii and in the realme of Cyrithe persiane See how God will haue the victorye see vnto what ende God hath permitted these iniuries to daniel The kinge wold be puft vp with glory His diuines nobles flater him the iuste is casten to the lyons god the iuge of all is not knowen But now at last his glory is declared clerer then the sonne And the kinge with publyk rescript and open recaÌ„tacion confessinge his synne setteth forth the glory of god Nebucadnezar commanded that the name of God in nowyse shuldbe blasphemed Darius here willeth it to be feared and worshipped and all men to tremble and feare at the face of the god of daniel As though he shulde saye Let oure actis lawes decrees or proclamacions whether thei be of myself or of any other made bynde noman if thei commande any thinge ayenst the god of daniel For myselfe at last haue I lerned wherto lawes be holy and when thei shuld be dispensed with Miche more iust it is that God be rather obeyed then man I am but a man mortall dust and asshes It is God that lyueth for euer which punissheth and rewardeth His face feare ye him serue and reuerence He lyueth and raigneth present when men thinke him to be absent And awaketh when he is thought to sleape Who wold not haue despayered of daniels lyfe â–ª And yet so for his faith is he delyuered from the lyons hongry mouthes let vs folowe thinges certain and leaue lyinge vanities Many miracles hath god done in heuen and earth but of this one maye we be taught his power and goodnes Now the king rebuketh his errour and the holy prophet before contempned he exalteth into greate glory And taketh daniel with him into the lande of Mede leauing Cyrum and his sone Cambysem at Babylon Thus wolde god aftir the crosse glorifye his seruant The lyons signifye the mighty enimyes of crystis chirche as hath the Psal. My soule lyueth emong lyons Of god onely for oure faith in cryst oure delyuerer are their mouthes tyrannouse power stopt And as cryst then in the forme of an aungell preserued daniel euen so now being man and intercessour before the father he with his present spirit preserueth his chirche in the middis of these lyons his cruell enimies Here be we lerned none to be exalted of god onelesse he before be casten down into the dennes of lyoÌ„s For cryste might not lifte vp his head except by the waye he had dronken of the roring ryuer Nether shal the cristians aryse vnto lyfe eternall except thei be first dead and buried Whoso euer therfore thou be thus for the trwth accused and handled as daniel not onely se that thou thus singe vnto thy god whilis thou be â—est me thou makest me great but also haue thou faith and confidence knowing the same shortely to be fulfilled in thy accusers and persewers that cam vpon daniels accusers Thei shal be trapped and taken in their owne snares fall into y e pitt whiche themselues had digged vp But I saith the faithfull shall passe by â–ª harmeles How can we want these examples in the congregacions so ful of consolacion If Daniel be diligently red ye shall see him to haue bene the fygure of crystis passion and his glorificacion by his resurreccion This story of Dary also ought to be set before all the princes eyes of the world to teache them repentance to beleue to professe the trwth to reuoke their errours and false and vngodly lawes actis articles constitucions and institucions or enstruccions to coÌ„serue the trw worshipers and beleuers and also to se that all their chirches haue good prechers of the worde whiche is the cheif office of euery kinge and to see theÌ„ brought vp in the very trwe enstruccions and doctrine of cryste and his apostles Nowe to the seconde boke of daniel and seuenth chapter NOwe daniel returneth bake 3. yeres teching vs not what other men but what himself did see to come vnto the worldis ende What changes of kingdoms and what persecucions the chosen shuld suffer vntil the eternall kingdom of cryst shuld come to vs. He telleth here the vision shewed to himselfe wherbye he prophecieth the affliccions of the peple of god vnder the 4. Monarchies to be suffred and how that the Romane empire at last diuided shaken in here erthen feble feet anticryste inuading Chrystis chirche shuld persecute it vnto the worldis ende And at last cryste comen to iugement shuld destroye him that the faithfull with cryst all their ennemis taken away might reigne and dwel in peace for euer In this 7. chap. the same thinge is shewed which was sene of Nebucad in the. 2. chap. albeit vnder other wordis in another forme or vision saue that here daniel clerely prophecieth of the seclare Anticrystis of the popis Mahumetis and of the Turkis Antichristen kingdoÌ„s to be sprongen vp out of the Romane empyre Let vs heare the text In the first yere of Beltsazar kinge of Babylon daniel had a dreame and a vision of his head in his bedde Whos 's some he wryteth in these wordis I daniel sawe in the night the fower wyndes of heuen fyghting and makinge great coÌ„mocieÌ„s vpon the great sea And. 4. great beastis one ayenste another were ascended out of the sea And the first was lyke a lyon hauing egles winges And I loked vpon him whylis his wynges were plucked from him and himself casten oute of the lande but yet standinge on his fete erected lyke a man and a manis mynde was geuen him And beholde the seconde beast was lyke a bere standing in the one syde hauing 3. morsels in his mouth betwixt his tethe Vnto whom they sayd Aryse and deuoure thou miche flesshe Then yet I loked and so I sawe another lyke a leoparde hauinge 4. swyft winges on his bake this beast had iiii hornes and vnto him was geuen power to rule After this I loked in the nyght and beholde I sawe the fowrth beast a beast ferefull and terrible and meruelouse stronge which had great tethe of 〈◊〉 he deuoured and consumed and the leauinges he trode vnder his feete This beast beinge lyke non of all the other former had x. hornes This vision sene in the night with so many cruell beastis so fyghting vpon the sea is ferefull signifying the chirche of God to suffre affliccions and greuouse persecucioÌ„s vnder the. 4. monarchies laboring in the derk ignorance of god
his worde This lyon signifyed the golden head kingdom of Babylon vnder whom the peple of god especially those lxx yeres suffred greuouse affliccions A lyon is a cruell beast yf he be exaspered and gentle yf the man faldowne naked before him except it be in great honger he hurteth not siche humble prostrated proyes He is without suspicion and fraude Vnto this lyon or kinges of Babylon there were sette egles winges for that thei were swyft vnto all their affayers yea vnto blodsheding in batail The same kingdom in Ezechiel is called the fower formed beast first lyke a lyon for their hardines in subdewinge their aduersaris lyke an egle for their swyftnes in their businesses lyke an oxe for their constancy in labours to be sustained and lyke a man for their prudence in things to be afore sene The which condicions kinges and magistrates ought to haue Of this lyon sayd Ierem. 4. There is comen vp a lyon out of his cowche Innumerable affliccions suffred the Iewes vnder this lyons blody tyranny as themselues complayn saying Vpon the floudis of Babylon we sate and wept whyles we remembred zion This lyons 2. winges were the two peples of the Chaldeis and Assyrians They were smyten of the lyon câ—sten out of the lande when y e Persians subdewed them To be then eleuated to stonde vp as a man signifieth that kingdom in Nebucadnez his sones dayes to be exalted to y e knowledg of God their kingdom therby to be glorifyed But in fine the mynde of a fraill man was geuen to it in Beltsazar which in his beastly securite perisshed lost y e golden head so bolde a lyoÌ„s propertie In siche olde fygures men may see yet present exaÌ„ples for the verite correspondeth the fygure vnto y e â—orldes ende in a perpetuall verificacioÌ„ By the bere is signifyed the Persi kingdom a beast lesse iently theÌ„ the lyon and especially in his olde age when he is most chorlysshe gredier to deuower and very false wherfore in scripture for his cruel auaitlaing he is ioyned with the lyon A wiked prince is a roring lyon and an Hongry bere A man is in an euil case when he flying from the lyoÌ„ meteth with the hongry bere The iewes had wende thei had bene nowe out of all perell when thei had escaped the lyon of Babylon and nowe to be delyuered and to be sent home ayen but thei met with the bere For the Persies delt cruelly with theÌ„ letting theÌ„ of their returne and of their building of the temple cite well 70. yeres So that thei fownde this dewche prouerb trwe iung herren iung beren alt herren alt beren Cyrus at first prudently and iently entreated the iewes Beres while thei be yong ar tractable enoughe but aftir warde it came otherwyse to passe For whylis he reigned y e proposed building of the teÌ„ple was letted and many of the iews still reteyued in captiuite And his sone cambyses openly persecuted the iewes Also the other kings of Persye aftir Darium eâ—acted of the iews great tributis This denouring bere with his 3. morsels in his mouth signifieth the insaciable auarice in deuoring their subiectis substance his 3. long tethe ar the 3. cheif kings Cyrus Darius and 〈…〉 tayer yes This deuouring Persiâ—… bere not onely shed miche blode but she persecuted cruelly crystis chirche Orosius and Iustinus wryte that in the Scythiâ—… batail ayenst Tamyrim Cyrus head was of smiten of the quene of tamyre she auenging the blode of hir sone and was put into a botel full of blode with these wordis Blode hast thou thirsted blode drinke thou w t blode be filled of w t these 30 yeres thou hast beÌ„ insaciable Also in that felde he loste all his host two hondred thousands of the Persians But although the chirche was cruellyer persecuted vnder the leoparde folowing yet for the chirches counfort was this Persiâ—… bere slayn of Alexander the great And so was the Persiâ—… kingdom translated vnto the grekis The leoparde or spotted panthere expressing the nature and wittes of the gre kis signifieth the kingdom of great Alexander His 4. winges and 4. hornes ar the 4 successours of alexander by whose helpe in so short a tyme he subdewed to himself all the worlde For the story witnesseth kinge ptolome to haue had goten â–ª egipte Antigonus Asiam the lesse Antipater Macedoniam Seleucus Syriam and farre be yende to haue coÌ„quired and albeit this greke sprekled panthere had so great a powr and dominion so mightely horned and headed so swyftely winged yet because this beast abused his powr in breking the commandements of god and namely of the first table and in persecuting his chirche so cruelly by Antiochus epiphanes he was destroid miserably and the kingdom translated to the fowrth beast that is vnto the Romane empire This fowrth ferefull Romane beast is described terribly hugly strong armed withe tethe of deuouring and tearing fleshe and bones euen the same that is sene in the 2. chapter called the leggis of whose fete were partely parte potbakt erthe For what els signifie these wordes with so terrible a sownde then the empyre of Rome not onely with the most harde batails at home and with out of themselues and of strangers to be consumed and destroid but also the same most cruelly to persecute crystes chirche and to destroye vtterly and irreparably the iewes policye for euer and their nacion By the leauings or remenants vnderstand the laste parte of this monarchie his fete signifye the laste emperours of it This beast to trede vnder his fete the leauings signifyeth the later ende of this kingdom to haue the most crueltyes and calamites brought ouer it by y e pope and at last by the turke For how greuonsly hath Italye bene torne and rent almoste these 900. yeres of the Gottis of the grekis longobards of owr empero wrs But why is this beast vnlyke al the other former verely this empyre must dure loÌ„ger then the 2. and the thirde monarchy and all the vngodlines and persecucion done distinctly and seuerally in the tother shal be gathered to gither and committed of this beast And the laste emperours and popis of this empyre shall vexe and persecute the chirche longer cruellier then any of the other His 10 hornes signifye the cheif prouinces and realmes vnder the Romane empyre Which were very many For the nownber of 10 signifieth a great multitude as in Iob. See ten tymes that is greatly ye haue confounded me And Cryst lykeneth the kingdom of heuen to 10 virgens So that the meaning is that the Romane empyre shuld haue amplier and moo prouinces then the other former Orels take the 10 hornes for Italy Spayne France Germany Illyrik Grece Affrik Egipt Asia Syria For the countries annexed vnto these 10 must be rekened with them as Pannonia adioining to Illyrik and Macedonia ioined to Grece
pressed downe burned with all the promouers therof vnder the Turke thei haue some hope to stand styll in their lustes and plesures but vnder the gospell of cryst they be lyke to lese all and their kingdome to haue a miscrable fall Before this daniel sawe the last Monarchie which was the empyre of Rome to be diuided into many kingdoÌ„s as perchaunce into France Portugal Spayne Pole Denmarke Englande Hyerlande Scotland Napels Boheme and Hungarye which be the. x. hornes and sene of Iohn by the. x. hornes helping the read Romishe beast to suppresse the kingdome of cryst For by the popis policies thus was the noble empyre skatered into hir owne destruccion that this lytle horne might haue the proye and preeminence ouer the hole empyre This lytle horne saith daniel grewe vp amonge these x. kingdoms or x. seculare hornes by whose ayed ryches and auctorite the pope w t his prelates ascended from poore buggerly beggerly fryers and flaterers vnto siche an imperial maiestye aboue emperours and kinges And here daniel seeth 3. hornes smyten of from these so many kinges by the lytle horne That is the Anticrysten pope to make weake and feble whatsoeuer emperour and kinge he listed depose them at his plesure and to translate y e empyre and kingdoms into his owne nettis to vse and occupy them himself Or if ye will take the. iii. hornes prescisely for 3 empires or kingdoms falsely vsurped of the pope beholde vpon his head the triple crone infaming himself to be the throerdowne and destroyer or robber of thre great kingdoms yea and euen the subuerter of the hole Romane empyre Netheles his flaterers yet make him beleue that he is emperour and kinge ouer haeuen ouer y e erth and of purgatory yea and ouer hell and deuyll to But this is trewth He once translated the empyre from the east to the weest and from the Frenche men to the Germans And now contendeth he to translate it to the Turke which shal be his last translacion his owne destruccion with the heuey mutacions of all the west kingdoms yf he can bring his blody purpose to passe For Daniel saith this lytle horne to haue eyes lyke manis eyes that is to be prudent and polytyk to loke for his owne ease lucre For he thinketh to gett more vnder the Turke then vnder the gospell yf it be receyued of the emperours and of all the crysten kings as he feareth it wil be Iohn geueth him hornes lyke a lambe That is to saye he shall do all his fraudelent featis vnder a meruelouse pretence of holynes innocencye and mekenes For he shall wryte himself the most holy when he shall shewe himself by his dedis to be y e most wyked prophane cruell wolue comen in shepis clothes for vnder y e tytle of Papa father of fathers he is y e most marciles tyrant of all tyrants vnder the name of Summi or Maximi pontificis that is of the most hyghe and greatest vigilant watcher and ouerseer of his flok he is the most negligent idest idoll dome dogge vnder y e name of pastor which is a flok feder he is the most pestelent poysoner And euen these be the two 〈◊〉 hornes signifyed by y e two forked bisshops myters althoughe say they they signifye the two testameÌ„ts and that thei be lerned in nether of them bothe Nowe when ye see this beaste to deuolue theise his holy tytles and godly names of innocency and meaknes to any seclare horne or beast ascending out of the erth and the same do take them executing the Popis power and tyrannye in persecutinge the gospell and to confirme papistrye speking wryting decreing articlyng enacting c. as did the dragon then take heed for then contendeth this beaste to heale his awne deadly head wounde agene The two hornes lyke lambes hornes be both the powers seculare and ecclesiastâ—â— ether in any one spirituall or in any one seculare Anticryst Also it is to be noted That bothe Daniel and Ioan saith he hath a mouthe speking great blaphemies or prowd arrogancies ayenst god he shall speke as did the dragon euen blaphemies ayenst god as did he that said I will asceÌ„de and belyke the most hyghest god And as did the serpent perswade Eue to not beleue god but to thinke the most trwe god to be a dissembler or a lyer The turke and Mahumet speke gret blaphemies ayenst god in their alkaron But owr litle whore of Rome hir cardinalls bishops and prechers speke the moste gretest and greuoust blasphemies of all and themselues defende them with fyer and cause their seculare anticristis to defend them with swerde Thei be not ashamed to wryte and teche the pope to be of syke powr with cryste the pope cannot erre the pope to be the supreme head and spowse of the chirche and vicare of cryste And because he hathe the emperiall powr he may distribute the kingdoms and ryches of the worlde as he lyst and because he is the hyghest bysshop he maye geue all the chirches benifices as cardinallships bysshopryks and benefices to whom he lyste and he bosteth the gospell to be subiecte to his interpretacion and vnderstanding yea except saye some of owr bishops that the scripture be confirmed by siche ordinary powrs it is no scripture nor may not be redd but of siche as thei lyste to delyuer lyceÌ„ce it nor in any other tongue then thei liste to geue it vs. He will haue his lawe and tradicions to be obserued aboue gods laws and the transgressours of his lowsey lawes to be greuouslier punisshed then the brekers of gods precepts He bosteth himfelf to make lawes and articles of owr faithe and to adde mo sacraments to them then cryst made and to consecrate and to make the body of cryste to sende awaye the substance of the bread the accidents as the whigtnes rowndes tast other qualities quaÌ„tities remayning He confesseth crist with his lippes to be a red emer but yet he techeth he dothe and writeth many grete blaphemies contrary to the mystery of owr redempcion as in his purgatory satisfaccions merits 〈◊〉 and siche other All these blaphemies speketh he vnder lambes skinnes in an innocent holy pretence hauinge hornes lyke a lambe he will apere humble lyke any other inferiour man yet shameth he not to open his mouth to speke greuouse blasphemies ayenst god and his peple This beast Paul handleth and his pesteleÌ„t pro pertyes he treateh saying This sinfull man and forlorne chylde aduersary to god will be exalted ayenst god and aboue his worship cleame and vsurp a worship to himself and teche a certain vtwarde reuerent behauiour to idols and images so that he will sitte in the temple of god osteÌ„ting and bosting himself setforthe for a god that is he will with his lawes decrees actis articles and doctrine sitte deper in menis consciences more feared then god himself with his ten coÌ„mandements and
But the rest which haue their powrs taken from them or depose them shall yet lyue with their posterite folowinge them for a lytle tyme not so sodenly to fall as their head hornes For the laste of all is this fowrth in the which aryseth this lytle horne with his impes and in which the Turke also persecuteth vntyll himself with Mahumet and their hole anticristen bodye be slayne In the other kingdoms yet left aftir y e Turkis and popis be in destroyinge allthough the kinges dayly perish and lese their dominioÌ„s yet shall their subiectes obtayne fauor with their ouercomers and lyue their apointed yeares but when the iuge shall sittdowne both the euyll kinges with their euyll subiectis shal be casten into the pitt of fyer Wherfore y e aungell eâ—powneth it sainge And they shall take awaye his power scater and desiroye it in the ende prefixed of God And this is the porcion of the cuppe of the vngodly which had leyfer folowe antichrist then cryst For God shall as sayth Paul take awaye all princelynes powr and might Wherfore this comminacion of god prophecieth vnto all the kinges and peple from the beginnig of the worlde fighting agyenst the gospell of the almighty God and of oure sauiuor Iesu euerlasting fyer onlesse they repent as the. 2. psalme warneth them Also lest any man shuld thinke the lytle pore lost shepe of cryst euen the chirche of god to be vtterly and for euer deuoured of theis bereslyons leopardes and euen of the terrible beast the Turke Daniel saith that the tyme and houre is prefixed vnto euery one of them all That is to saye It is decreed in heauen how long euery one of the kingdoms in earth shall stand and how wyde they shall sprede Hytherto semeth it Paul to haue loken when he sayd God made out of one blode all man kynde to dwell ouer the vniuersall earth and hath prefined their constituted tymes and hath prefixed the lymites of their habitacion that thei shuld seke God Now is it shewed how long the lyon shall rore howe long the leoparde shall crye with open mouth and the bere how long he shall grone and crye There yet remaineth the ende of these terrible beastis the pope and the Turke euen the kingdoms which yet stonde ouer Germanye ouer Turkey and ouer Crystendom to be destroyd by the last daye of iugemeÌ„t Which thinge albeit it be wryten of daniel into the consolacion of the catholyk chirche yet maye we wepe and wayle to see the gospell thus troden vnder fete in all the vniuersall worlde Tell me where the gospell shyneth in any part of Aphrica where in y e great part of Asia In Europa vnder the Turkis emperours popis emperys there be here and there chirches but they be so cruelly oppressed that nether good letters nor lerning maye florissh nor y e chirches maye haue any godly teachers But what profiteth it to complaine Sewerly this mystery of the crosse was setforth in the sone of God anon fro the beginninge of the worlde and is yet so confirmed with the examples of all holy men that no consolacion maye be geuen to the chirche besydes the coming of Iesu cryst the sone of God and man Wherfore because the powr of the Turke cannot be lyke the Romane empyre nether shall he occupye all Europe for daniel denyeth any fyfte Monarchye to come we shall breifly expresse the wordis of daniel touching the cominge of the sone of god for oure consolacion Cryst therfore shall come lyke the sone of man for because he shall iuge almen he shall be se ne as a man of almen This confirmeth he saying The father hath geuen powr to iuge vnto his sonne because he is the sone of man And therfor it folowth in the text And beholde for in the night I sawe in the cloudis of heuen one coming lyke the sonne of man which coming forthe was brought vnto the great aged and he gaue vnto him powr glorye the kingdom that all peple nacions and tongues shuld serue worshipe him whose powr is an euerlasting powr neuer to be abolesshed for his kingdom shall neuer be destroid The sone of man to come to this great aged one is the same that Paul saith cryste to delyuervp his kingdome that is the chirche of his chosen vnto his father whiche geueth to cryste powr glory and a perpetuall kingdom euer to raigne with his electe as the Psalmes of Dauid declare him and his kingdom Also the same that cryste saith Ioan. 5. And his father gaue him powr to iuge because he is the sone of man And to be breif cryste shall verely thus come shortly to iuge the persewers of his chirche and to delyuer y e godly as himself describeth it Mat. 25. let vs therfore procede At this vision I daniel trembled in all my bodye my mynde went fro me for feare insomiche that I went to one of y e standers by asking him the very trowth in all this mater Which tolde it all vnto me and expowned to me the hole vision sayinge These 4 beastis figure 4 kinges to a ryse vp or out of the erthe And the hi ghe holy faithful shal receiue the kingdoÌ„ and obtaine it for euer Aftir this I desyered to knowe the certaintie of y e fowrth bâ—asâ—e whiche so greatly differed from al the other namely in that he was so fereful armed with tâ—the with his clawes of stâ—â—l deuouering and tearing into peces the reste he trode down with his feete I desyered also to knowe what meÌ„t the 10 hornes in his head and to be certified of that litle horne growing vp vnder them and of the 3 hornes smiten oute frome the former hornes And of the horne that had menis eyes and spake so great and sâ—owte thingis and why his forme and loke apexed sâ—owter then the other And that I sawe this horne to make bataill with y e holy faithful and triumphed preuailed ouer theÌ„ vntill the olde aged came and the iugemeÌ„t was geuen to the highe holy faithfull the tyme perfixed was come that the faitfull shuld obtaine and receyue their kingdom And then he tolde mo thus The fowrth beast fignifieth the fowrth kingdom that shal be in y e world whiche shall differe from all the other kingdoÌ„s in might and powr for that it shall deâ—ower the hole erthe and breke it all to powlder The 10 hornes signifye 10 kinges to aryse out and to spring vp out of this beast and after them there shall aryse a'nother litle one distinct and mightier then the former For he shall oppresse and castedowne 3 kings For he shall speke at the syde of the most highest god or speke on his parte of diuine things But the highe holy saitis he shall tangle snarle or destroye And shall arrogantly take vpoÌ„ him to change tymes and lawes which shal be put in to his handis whether it be for
Alexander whiche aftir this ways came to the kingdome Out of Seleuco was borne Antiochus the greate which had these .iii. sones SeleucuÌ„ Antiochum Epiphanem and Demetrium And when Antiochus the greate warred with the Romans and had left in hostage or pledge Antiochum Epiphanem Demetrium he dyed in Syria â—â— left his sone Seleucum aftir him no king but a foole wherfore Epiphanes knowinge of his fathers death gote himself preuily from Rome and came into his fathers kingdome his vnapt brother deud he enioied the kingdom in the .137 yere aftir Alexanders death witnesse the .1 chapter of the first of the Maccabeis This Antiochus was of Catalinaris crafty witte Wherfore daniel here prophecieth that by Antiochum Epiphanem the sowtheste euen the most pleasaunt lande of the Iewes shuld be skourged and plaged which is called zâ—by in Hebrewe for hir fertilite that is the beutye and flowr of all landis euen as the Iewes for the trwe worship of god delyuered them by Moses and the prophetis are called the beutyfull ornaments hoosâ—es or companies of heuen as be the sonne mone and starres He skourged the sowth when he inuaded Egypt makinge bataill against Ptolome the elder his sisters sone being king and compelled AlexandriaÌ„ to flye for socoure to Ptolome hir yonger brother But how y e senators of Rome desyered of his bretherne expelled false AntiochuÌ„ out of Egypt by their ambassiadour Popilium ye shall se it in .34 boke of Iustini partely here aftir How Antiochus skourged and plaged that pleasant desyred lande throw down the starres into the erth and destroyd the holy habitacle in the first and .ii. of Mac cabeis it is so clerrely and cruelly expressed that I abhorre and tremble not onely to speke but also to wryte any more of this blodye beast But right heuey destines abyde them that euyll deserue which thing I maye confirme by the example of Antiochus the very image of Anticryst For when he inuaded destroyde in the east parties as daniel here prophecieth and not onely from the besege of Elymaid of Persie he was with the great heuines of his mynde repelled and put bak but also when it was tolde him his capitayn Lysiane with his host to haue 〈…〉 fledde he fyll into so greate a sykenes and thought that before his death he confessed himself therfore so greuously to be plaged and so compelled to dye because he had so spoyled and destroyd y 4 temple of Ierusalem and so cruelly skourged the Iewes For it was not enoughe for him thus to persecute the Iewes and subuerte all their lawes holy rytes and godly ceremonies and sacrifices instituted of God but he wold arrogantly blaspheme god himself suppresse his trewth with all his diuyne sacred ordinances yea and he prospered in his mischeif This miche be sayd for the preface of the prophecye Now heare the interpreter ☞ And I hearde an holy one speake saying vnto a certayn meruelouse excellent one How longe shall this vision of the dayly perpetuall sacrifice and of the blasphemose synne which is the cause of this deuasâ—acion and destruccion endure that both the holy sacred temple with all hir sacrifices and the Iewes shal be thus troden downe And he answered me Aftir two thousand and. 300. dayes which containe the daye and night shall the holy temple be restored to the iust and lawfull vse And whylis I daniel beheld the vision desyerouse to knowe it lo there srode before me one lyke a man And I hearde with in the floude eule the voyce of a man crying out sayinge Gabriel teache this man this vision Then he came nyeâ— the place where I stode whose coming so nyghe me made me so afrayd that I fyldowne flat one my face And he sayd vnto me Attende and perceiue thou sone of man For this visioÌ„ shal be fulfilled in the last tyme or in the ende of the captiuite And whylis Gabriel thus spake with me I fylldowne grouelinge as one had bene ouercomen with great sleap And he towching me lifted me vp ayen into my standing And then he sayd Beholde I shall teache the what thinge shall come when this wrath is finisshed for it shall haue an ende at the tyme prefixed Daniel calleth the interpretor of the vision a meruelouse excellent one As Iâ— say calleth cryst a meruelous one a counseller c. Here therfore he asketh this meruelouse one whiche was cryst apperinge lyke the aungell Gabriel so called for his meruelouse excellent strengthe how long y e peple of god shuld be so skourged and persecuted of Antiochus which was the figure of oure Anticrysten Antioches and lytle horne crept vp in the Romane imperye and so consequently what affliccioÌ„s hang ouer the chirches of cryst to the worlds ende for it is manifest that whatsoeuer the aungel tolde before of the heuey affliccions of the Iewes the same be now verified and done vpon the chirche of the gentyles which thinges sith they be past it is no dowt but the rest of the vision is in fulfillinge now and shal be euery daye fulfyssed vpon vs tyll cryst become to iugement This meruelouse one whose name is hidden is cryst Iesus the sone of god which euer from the begining hath bene present with the godly as he now is present and shal be vnto the worldis ende For the kingdom of cryst is cryst himself present with his worde and spirit counfortinge vs certifyinge vs of the casamities to come hearinge vs calling vpon him gouerning oure thoughts wordis and workis by aungels so that death troden downe we mought haue lyfe eternall This is my couenant with them sayth the lorde My spirit which is in the and my wordis which I haue putte into thy mouth shall not go fro thy mouthe nor from the mouthe of thy sead whylis the world stande For where two or iii. be gathered togyther in my name I am in the middis of them For because therfore that vnder Antioche the chirche shulde be so miserably 〈◊〉 and torne and Gabriel the fauorer of the chirche asked howlonge that calamite shulde endure therfore cryst answereth 2000. and 300. dayes that is 6. yeares 3. monethes and. 20. dayes that the godly readers of daniel might haue confort in that persecucion and be assewered Antiochus that blast of the deuyll be yend that tyme to rage no farther For eueÌ„ so came it to passe as the bokis of the Maccabeis testifye For it may be shewed y e image of Iouiâ— olympii to be set vp in y e temple in the yere 145 aftir the deth of asexander y t moneth of NoueÌ„ber then was Nicanor ouercomen and slayne in the yere 151 in februarie called adar vnto the which adde december Ianuarie and februarie with the odde dayes and thou haste the iuste nouÌ„ber And in that he saith the morning euening he vnderstandeth the naturall daye as it was first created containinge the night and
daye togither I shuld in the begining haue tolde ye the occasioÌ„ of the calamite but it cometh not out of ceason what so euer profitteth Wherfore as it is cleare in the 1 boke of the Maccabe God to haue had fore sene by 137. yeres Antioche to be the scourg of the iewes and the autor of thir affliccioÌ„s for the sinnes of y e peple euen so is it play â—e in the 2 chap God also to haue had sene before the ende of Antioches pestilence to be Matathiam and the Maccabe is So that there is nothing done vpon erth but god knowth it before nether willeth he vs any thing to know before but that â—heafore saith and telleth it vs to come Wherfore let vs namely counfort owrselues in this that owr meruelouse one cryste here saith vnto gabriel the maÌ„ of god bidding him to expown the visioÌ„ to dani â—â—so desyrouse to know it what it mought signifie for because it pertaineth to the laste dayes For it signifieth cryste vnto all men desyering to vnderstand prophecies euer to sende some that will teche hi that is so minded towerds God as was daniel affected towerds cryst his aungel when this vision shuld be declared Nether signifieth it els daniel to be conserued by his worde to be liftedvp and refresshed of the aungel then cryste by his auÌ„gels the ministers of his word to this entent to animate the timerouse and to strengtheÌ„ the weake that thei shuld with the prophetis wordes shewing cryste the sauior refresshe and confirme the chirche pressed vnder the crosse Wherfore let vs geue thaÌ„kis to crist for that he neuer sleapeth whilis his chirche is in persecucioÌ„ but is euer awake to deleuer vs in his name callinge vpon our father whiche is confirmed by the example of the Macabeis The ram which thou sawest with two hornes is the kinges of Mede and Persie And the roughe hearye gote is the king of the Grekis And the great horne betwixt his eyes is the firste king which broken there stode vp 4. in his place w c aâ— the 4 kingdoms to rysevp oute of the same nacion but non of them lyke him in strength And in the ende of these kingdoms when synne and iniquite shall preuaile there shall standvp a king shameles and subtyle This king shal be mighty sâ—rong but not by his owne powr And he shall woundrefully wast and destroye and shall prospere mightly in his actis He shall make away and destroye grete mighty men yea and the faithful good peple to And by his crafty subtyltie he shall expede his affaiers properously thorowe deceytes He shall in his owne consaight take great enterpryses vpon him be magnifyed And himself strengthened with great riches shall destroye many men Also he shall resiste the most highe prince of all and theÌ„ with out manis handes shall he be alto broken Now is the vision declared to Daniel by the aungel at the commandement of the sonne of god But certeinly it is said and prophecied of owr present anticrists bothe spirituall and seculare playing antioches parte euen this daye For that anticriste Antiochus ouer the iewes prefigured owr anticrystes in the ende of the worlde ouer the gentils The occasion of the destruccion of kingdome by Antioche and anticrists ar the obominable sinnes of the peple of their emperowrs princes For as before crystes first cominge for the sinnes of the iewes God steredvp Antioche to skourge theÌ„ euen so now for the contempte of the gospel god befor the seconde coming of cryste hathe steredvp owr antichristen Antioches as cruelly to persecute the crystianes as euer did Antiochus the iewes For where the text sayth when synne and wikednes is preuailed and hath the ouerhand what els folowth then the contempt of the worde and the sinnes of the peple to be the very causes of bothe these skourges that is to saye bothe of the iewes Antioche and of the crysten Anticristes Albeit by Anticryst be taken al that resiste and persecute cristis worde aâ— Ioan said in his tyme to be many anticristis But because this prophecie sowneth to be spoken of the kigdom of Antioche that is of anticryste nether be there any kingdoÌ„s vnder the sonne more contrary to cryste then Gog and Magog that is to weit the Mahumeti hâ—ast and the false prophete of rome with his 10 seculare hornes with weping teares trwly saith Doctour Ioan Draconites do I tremble and quake to speke it â–ª That vnder the name of anticrist muste be taken the Turkis kingdom goten by swerde and violence the popis kingdoÌ„ constituted by fraude and supersticion Antiochus compared with Anticryste by Draconites Daniel gods painter wolde by the descripcion of Antioche prefigure vnto vs the maners of Anticryste First of his vnshamefaced face for that he was is the moste impudent despyser of god and the fiercest bolde beast to persecute and to be contrarye to his worde as be the two sonnes of antioche this daye the turke the Rome bishop w t his hornes y e most shameles pestelent persecutors and condempners of the gospel of god for arrogantly dare thei do what thei liste contrarye to gods wil. Of his fraude is he described for as that subtyll fraudelent foxe Antiochus craftely circumuented egipte Iudeam euen so be the false turke and his subtyle serpent the pope the two crafty marchants with their false fayned wordis deuillish doctryne to peruerte al meÌ„ not of their owne powr but of other menis For Antiochus was so mighty ouer Iudâ—am by the falshed and vnfaithfulnes of the bisshops of the iewes and by y e vain leuite of the peple as it is redde in the Maccabeis And euen so these two bretherne albeit vnlyke inprofession the turke and the pope gote and constituted their kingdoms by other men is powr and might The turke at first by the mighty fraudes of mahumete and the pope by the powr of emperowrs bisshops cardinals kinges and his owne subtyle supersticiouse hypocrysye and chosen holines And now therfore shall ye note that by the counsell mischeif of the bishops Anticristis seat shal be translated and tossed from the ecclesiastiâ— cheier of Rome vnto the secular emperowrs and king is trones as the storye fygured in that secular and anticriste Antiochus which was out of the stoke of the emperowr of the grekis called Seleucus and helde the kingdom of Syre And begune to raigne in the 137. yere aftir the dethe of Alexander as witnesseth the first boke of the Maccabe This hathe euer ben sene in all stories That the emperowrs and kinges will attemper bende and bowe all religions and beleifes vnto their owne profit and pleasures As when Antiochus knewe the iewes for their religion and faith not gladly to suffere any heithen king to be their gouerner he first studied howe he might destroie their faith and subuerte their religion and so to become
vpon the same regions cities chirches Flye ye therfore now premonisshed out of siche regions and chirches as did the Apostles at this prophecie of Gabriel out of Iudea into Galile lest ye perisshe of the Turke as did the Iewes destroyd by Titus THese thre last chapters hang so togyther that this x. chap. maye be called the preface into the. 11. 1. 12. chap. In the which aftir the bataill of y t good bad aungels for their prouinces ther is treated a pronosticacion shewing meruelouse thingis from the thirde yere of Cyrus vnto the world is ende whiche thing is it profiteth miche the godly to knowe before they shall come ☞ In the thirde yere of Cyrus king of the Persies there was a certayne verite shewed vnto Daniel called Beltsazar and it was a verite concerninge a greate hyghe mater which thinge he perceyued and vnderstode right well by the wordis vision But in that tyme I daniel was so heuey by thre hebdomads of dayes that I ate no delicate meatis and nether flesh nor wyne came into my mouthe nether did I anoynte myselfe with any oyntement vntyll these thre hebdom of dayes were ended Here daniel turneth bak to the. 3. yere of Cyrus wherin ye see the heuâ—y face of the chirche of god For those so ioyfull tydings conceyued by Cyrus proclamacion of their returne and buylding of their cite were now turned into great sorow and heuynes For Cyrus perchaunce now gone farre of to wage bataill with the Scithâ—ans his wyked sone Cambyses left in his stede there went forth from Cambyses a contrary commandemeÌ„t That the iewes shuld ceasse buylding their temple and cite Cyrus faught vnhappely was slayne Cambyses raigned 6. or 7. yeres It chaunceth in y e courte to be many mutacions good men be there often excluded or els pressed with heythen supersticions And wyked rulers being euer enimies to the trâ—we doctryne are called to â—ere rule Daniel now lamented the absence and fall of king Cyrus He was syke and sorowfull to se the name of god reuiled but greately it greued him to see the weaknes and peruersenes of the Iewes of whom many casted awaye all hope of y t restoringe of their citie and temple thinking themselues to be seduced of the prophetis and of Daniel to They had now casten awaye gods promises mother ther were which although thei did not vtterly despeir yet they counseld their company not to returne but tary for a more tran quilite skorning them that were so hastely gone home before In what anâ—â— sorow and perels the Iewes were from this tyme tyll Darius Longi begane to raigne which was xl yeres the story of Esther declareth which was done in Darius Ahassuerus raigne father to Darius Longiman next king raigning aftir Cambysen Smerdem which both were enimies to the Iewes and to their religion Thus aftir so ioyouse a begininge there folowed a sorowfull successe Some of the iewes preferring their owne ease and idlenes aboue their religion were wode w t indignacion distractinge the myndes of other and perswaded them to not beleue their prophetis and thus they troubled daniel and other good men mynded to returne Siche is the fortune that abydeth the good pastors and trewe prophetis Here haue ye the image of the chirche whom god willeth bothe to be exercised whetted with affliccions and also paciently to abyde their delyueraÌ„ce Nether shall oure delyuerance come so to passe nor by siche meanis aâ— we coniecter For oure delyueraÌ„ce is decrede and gouerned of gods infallible forsight which nomaÌ„s pollicie nor swerde maye nether let nor preuente but it shall so come to passe as god hath decreed by his immutable prouidence For all the impedimentis by Camâ—yses and other tyll Darius Longi came were so decreed of euerlasting of god By this vision was daniel and other good men conforted in those troublous tymes and we be therby also premonisshed of the present mutacions of empyres and kingdoms of lyke calamities and destruccions which drawe faste vpon Daniel was now nyer an 100. yeares olde and syke for this sayde sorowe In the. 24. daye of the first moneth I was by the gret ryuers syde called Tygris And when I loked vp I sawe a man in a whight linyne vesture whose loynes were gyrt vp with glistering gold whose bodye was beutifull lyke a violete or iacinthe his face lyke lyghteninge and his eyes lyke a burninge lampe his armes and feete so bright as any polisshed steell and the voyce of his wordis as it were the vehement noyse of a multitude Now daniel describeth the tyme place of this counfortable vision and also y t face estate of the persone sene For god wold now conforte heuye daniel and not onely of the mutacioÌ„s of the empyres to come but also of the calamities now preassinge vpon the iewes before crystis cominge make them for this cause more certayn that therof their posterite we might lerne with feare to call vpon oure zelouse God and in fayth wayt fore oure sauiour cryste This firste moneth is Nisan oure marche wherin thei celebrated the memoriall passouer lomb in the remeÌ„brance of their delyueraÌ„ce out of Egypte The man whom he sawe was crist whom hereaftir he calleth Michael and the sone of man A lyke descripcion is there of him in the Apocal. 1. Wherof as some formes be terrible so be some of his parties pleasant and counfortable to beholde as both the psal 44. Isay. 11. describe him teachinge vs that cryst according to his lawe and gospell is with his gospell ioconde and plesant to all godly men terrible and fearfull with his lawe vnto all y e vngodly And therfore is he thus paynted of the prophetis His sight to beholdeis ferefull to them that shall wisshe the hills to fall vpon them to couer them from his countenance And mighty and terrible is that same his voyce and breath of his mouth which slayeth the vngodly The reste of his body described is plesant and ioyouse to beholde to the beleuers His whight vesture so â–ª to be a man mortall therby signifieth him as daniel hereaftir saith to be made whight with his crosse passion to enter into his glorye But I daniel alone sawe this vision and the men beinge with me did not see it for they were smyten with so great feare that thei fled awaye and did hyde them I therfore abyding there alone did se this great vision but my strength was all gone fro me my beutie colour was turned into deformite All my strengthe was vanisshed awaye â—o here ye see the wyked to not knowe cryst therfore to flye from him for feare and yet he calleth all men to him promising to refressh them and to take all burdens and heuye feare from them But the beleuers heare and come to him and tary styll with daniel by
kinges and emprowr togither by the eares set the stories and present experience be iuge The text saith At laste or in the tyme of the ende meaninge not onely the ende of Antiochê° per secucion but also this present tyme end of this worlde But aâ— there nowe no northe este and weste kinges whiche fight ayenst the south kinge the pope â–ª yisse trw ly All thei which hane receiued the gospell as the germans and thei that vnder the same pretence debarre him of his false vsurped powr money falselyer exacted as englonde fight yet ayenst him yea and all the crysten lerned which write or preache ayenst him in Germany France Englond c. do yet fight ayenste him resistinge this stronge and sharpe horned harnest hore of Babylon The text semeth to geue the victorie to the northe kinges ayenste the pope and him to haue the fall which shal be verified of the spirituall bataill with the pennes lippes of the lerned godly meÌ„ writing prechinge praying ayeÌ„st him What shal we say of these kings yet fighting among theÌ„sel ues God knowth But y e turk is a northe este king if we loke vpoÌ„ his seat emperial in Constantinople from Iudea and from vs. Wherfor I iuge that for y e persecucioÌ„ thrusting away of y e gospel al y e west real med and the Romane empire shall be thê° settogither one to destroie another til the way be made redye for the turkes incursion And that therbe but fewe crysten kin ges a lyue that shall leaue their king doÌ„s to their own ayers and posterite if the tur ke preuaile For he shall come into that moste pleasaunt londe gretly desyered many shal be slayne This shal be a perelous and a troubles tyme. Ezechiel prophecied of this destruccion by Gog and Magog by whom is vnderstanden the turkes cruell powr The pope first came into Italy and did set his seat in Rome which is the moste pleasant londe in cristendom France Englond and diuerse parties of Germanie be right fertyle and pleasaunt londes and gretly desyered longed for of y e turke But who shal escape these cruell anticristis handis the text saith thus But these men shall escape his hande euen the I dumeis and the moabits and y e princes of the Ammonites These Idumeis be the bloudy Edomities of Esau Moabits signifye prowd men the Ammonites be basterds misbegoten bothe were the sonnes of dronken lot goten by his owne daughters These blody misbegoten filthei papistes shal be confedered with the pope and turke and with the per sewers and destroiers of the crystendom and so escape theÌ„selues for that present tyme. These misbegoten Ammonites y t pope and his misshapen bisshops shal diligently wait which parte is lyke to preuaise and vnto that parte shall thei flye with their ryches and fayer false perswasions submitting themselues euen to the Turke rather then they wolde lese their names ryches tytles and dignities and wyll rather become Machumetes misshops and the turkis trewe preists then to dye for the Crysten fayth It foloweth in the next verse who shall not escape And he shall sende his power into regions and the londe of Egypte shall not escape Egypt was no lesse pleasaunt fertile and ryche then it was blynde and ignorant of god and full of idolatrye Egypt is asmiche to saye as derkenes The more welthye and ryche kingdoms be the more viâ—iouse blynde and aduersaries at they to Gods worde There be yet some kingdoms ryche pleasaunt and welthey but in the middaye lyght of the gospell now sprongen vp so clerely more then these 20. yeares good lorde how blynde and derke Egypts be they But for their ryches and welthynes shall the Turke the ernestlyer be bent to inuade and to obteine them Wherfore it foloweth And he shal be kinge ouer the tresures of their golde and syluer and lorde ouer all their pleasant possessions and iewels of these blynde Egypcions But Ly bya and India shall he passe thorow These blynde wealy londes which yet persecute gods worde shall not escape the turkis handis But Lybya and India by which are vnderstanden all drye baron regions full of pouerty londes full of moÌ„stres and wylde beastes where nether ryches nor pleasures are to be goten y e turke shall passe by or thorow them doinge no hurte For thei be ryches tresures pleasaunt fertile regions full of gold syluer that anticryst euer sought and shall seke to the worldis ende But now whyls thei be in the middis of their welthe and ryches and haue goten these pleasaunt real mes the aungell thus sayth ☞ But then shall tydings from y e easte and north trouble him and feare him When the pope was in the middis of his welthy ryches and so hyghe in power auctorite and honour dreaded and exalted aboue god thorow oute all crystendom encreasinge his ryches and power with pardoÌ„s licences grauntes and gathering of his tributes and pensions then came there shrewed tydinges to him from the north east oute of Saxonie and Helâ—etia that one Martine Luther with zwinglius and Ecolampadius begane to wryte ayenst his pardons and ayenst his god Mayzim and that they disputed of his power c. Then began the gospell good tydings of the iustificacion and fre pardon remission of synnes by onely fayth in Iesu cryste to be brought to his eares which as thei were good and glad tydinges to the beleuers so were thei terrible tydinges and a ferefull fame to all infidels papistes For then as y e text sayth ☞ In ira furore magno egredietur ad vaâ—â—andum occidendum plurimos That is In ire and in a great heat and furye shall he go forth to destroye and kyll full many Euen as many as shall folowe and haue folowed these godly lerned menis holy doctryne of y e gospell Then sent he to his cardinals and bisshops in euery countrye as to Thomas Wolseye archebisshop of yorke and Cardinall to perswade the kinge some to perswade themprour some to y e Frenche kinge some to Scotlande c. that the gospell now rysen was dampnable heresye commandinge all kinges and bisshops cristened to suppresse it preche and wryte ayenst it and to burne all the professours and bokis therof as testaments and bybles translated into the vulgare tongue yea and euen Lu ther 's image to burned they at Paulis crosse with many englishe testaments Thomas Wolsey the cardinall present solemply sitting vnder his golden canapye Now therfore themprour and kinges all but some of ignorance playd anticrystis part for the popis pleasure with swerde and fyer sleing many innocentes more then these 24. yeares and yet ceasse not some blody bochers for the dragons plea sure to persecute the crystians Well let them go on yet a lytle whyle tyll there come yet moo terrible tydinges from the north easte And let them styll fume and