who in the Epistle to the Thessalonians plainly said This thing onely nowe vvitholding vntil he be taken out of the way and than that wicked one shal be reueled Which is asmuch in effect as if he had said This onely that now letteth namely the Empire of Roome shal be taken away and when Tocatochon that is the same impediment shal be taken away then shall the Romain Sea be erected and in the same newe and second seate shal be placed the two horned beast bearing the badge of keyes and armed with two swoords Neither doo I alone expound this place of Paule after this sort Tertulian did euen so expound the same abooue fourtéen hundred yeeres ago who in his book of the resurrection of the flesh VVho shal be taken away saith hee but the Romaine estate vvhose departing scattered in to ten kingdomes shall bring in Antichriste The same meaning also hath Saint Ierome in the eleuenth question to Algasia The Pope a new King and troubbler of kingdomes who manifestly calleth Roome by the name of Babilon the seat of the Beast and of the purple Harlote And thus the Pope this newe king béeing established in his kingdome began euen him self also to create kings and in greatnesse of glory to excel all christian Princes and afterwarde in all kingdomes to make trouble and whurly hurly For Leo the thirde Pope of that name restored or rather raised vp anew the Romain desolate and defaced by the space of thrée hundred yéeres and more reiecting vtterly the Princes of Constantinople For he appointed Charles the French King to be Emperour and yet in such sorte that beside the vain name it litle auailed him For he reserueth Room to him self and the chéefest part of Italy which the Gréeks had possessed and was called by the name of Exarchate But he graunted vnto Charles a parte of Italy som Romain titles whiche was recouered from the Lombards and also the empty name of Emperour Therfore according to the prophecy of Iesus Christe vttered by Iohn in the Apocalips The Image of the beast is seen stirred vp by the false Prophet No dout the same was doon by the marueilous crafty woorkmanship of that olde wily Fox For when all antiquitie looked for Antichriste about th' end of the Romain Empire and when he was about the very same time risen vp and had placed him self in the seat of god he going about as it were to repaire the dcayed Empire brought to passe that he was not knowen of the faithful But they rather béeing deceiued with his suttle practises looked for a certain I knowe not what Antichriste of Babilon whom in their published Bookes they declare should bée yet to come and whom also they earnestly dispraise Yet should they not misse the right mark if they would with all elder times call Roome that Babilon and in steade of time comming to place the time present At the length the stock of Charles and Pipin béeing rooted out so that the Popes had remaining litle or no help at all from the hande of the french Kings as in time past they had abused the power of the Greeks and Lombards from whom afterwarde they flitted vnto the French men so now they créep in to the fauour of the Princes of Germany the better to bring their matters about Wherfore the Othoes with their Armies set vppon Italy with great labour and expences Vnder these are chosen vij men whom they tearme Electors They chuse the Emperour But the Imperiall maiestie and estate is giuen by none but by the Pope For now the Popes of Roome had gotten the Monarchie in to their owne hands wherby also within a while after they pluckt away the Empire from the Henries Frediricks Levvis and many other notable and holy Princes of Germany troubling in the meane season and wasting with swoord and fire all the kingdomes in Christendome so that not without good cause they were called the Children of Perdition I wil now speak nothing of the war that was commonly named the Holy war which was procured moste chéefly by the industrie of the Pope In that warre were ioyned togither all the nations and kingdomes bothe of the east and of the west moreouer also of the North and of the South Wherby folowed so huge a bloodshed that there was neuer at anye time in the worlde any battail fought with more ireful and obstinate mindes and with so great losse of things as this the popes holy battail Moreouer they began to thrust out Kings from their auncient inheritances and kingdomes through treasons murders and in their places to exalte others for their owne pleasure and cōmoditie For which cause bothe Kings and kingdomes fought moste fiercely one against another So they stirred vp the Kings of Hungary the Kings of France the Kings of Germany and the Princes of other nations against those whom they accounted for their enemies So was Cicily and Naples wrested away from the posteritie of th'Emperour Friderick the Sweuian and cruel warre was betwéen the Germans Frenchmen and Spaniards But often times the French Kings were lewdly recompenced at the Popes hands In déed Boniface the viij with wunderfull impudencie béeing bolde to claim the kingdome of Fraunce to be the benefite of the Popes maiestie took away the same from Philip the fair then King of Fraunce and gaue it forsooth to Albert of Awstrey But impossible it is to declare in few woords how sore this new vnhappy kingdom of the pope and moste mischeuous Monarchy hath shaken the whole world It is sufficient to haue at the least wise touched these things that by them as through a lattise windowe yee may sée that there is not or was not at any time any kingdome in all Christendome more troublesome then the Popedome of Roome The histories doo at large prosecute the same Now I return to Daniel let vs therfore consider Daniels most perfect and euident description of this new king and let vs compare the things them selues with him to the intent all men may plainly knowe with out any douting that the prophecy of Daniel is to be expounded and ment of none other then of the bishop of Roome and of his kingdom and that all things touching him are all ready throughly fulfilled Wherby it commeth to passe that wée can looke for none other thing but the last iudgement and therwithall the end af all things For which cause let vs all watch as duty bindeth vs and stir vp all men to a circumspect watchfulnesse The eyes saith Danial of this little horne vvere the eyes of a man For this King was throughly exercised wily deceitful and furnished with all kinde of arts and practises And his retinew excelleth in this facultie all the practicioners of all princes And surely this facultie hath promoted him vnto his kingdome augmented his power couered his wickednes and keepeth him yet in safetie The Prophet addeth further His mouth speaketh great things or presumptuous things Also He shall speak
end of the world that the Church cleueth only to him honoreth him in Spirite and trueth that the same worshippeth him not in elements or corruptible things but in glory at the right hand of God the father If thou doo thus beleeue doo thus plainly and simply coÌ„fesse thy faith thou shalt be accounted nothing Catholick yea suspected of heresy or rather a very Heretick indéed For héerunto thou must ad that Christe indeed dooth iustifie vs but not fréely For Our merits must come to and so our saluation therby is made perfect And therfore by all menes possible they impugne and persecute this proposition as hereticall namely That Sinners are iustified by onely faith in Christe and not by the vvorks of the lawe Moreouer they teach vs to speake more Catholikly and to frame our talke in this wise namely that men haue their sinnes in déed forgiuen thorow Christe but not without the Key graunted vnto the Préests which is lawfully employed in Confessions That mennes sinnes are indéed pardoned as touching the fault but not as touching the pain which pain say they is taken away or ministred by Satisfaction or by the Popes pardons And the beléeuers are saued indeed but yet their soules must first be wel sodden and purged with Fire and Holy vvater They ad moreouer that in very deed the Gospel of Iesus Christe is the rule of true faith and good life but not altogither perfect But that the want therof is patched vp with liuely Traditions and by the decrees of the councels and Fathers That the rule of Munks are moste alowable and moste perfect because forsooth they are in the state of perfectioÌ„ That Christ in déed is the hiest hed in HeaueÌ„ but that he in earth hath placed in his-sted the Bishop of Rome with fulnes of power to be the hed of his Church So that they which doo not acknowledge this hed cannot inioy Christe in Heauen for that we ought vnder pain of damnation to be subiect to the Bishop of Roome So they graunt that Christe is in déed in Heauen with his Father an intercessor and mediator for the faithful yet they ad by and by But he is not a mediator alone For the same thing also is grauÌ„ted vnto the merits of the Saints in HeaueÌ„ so that by their menes also they cause our Lord to extend his mercy vnto sinners calling vpon the names of the Saints So they graunt that Christe is to be worshipped in spirit trueth but yet they affirme that he is neuerthelesse to be worshiped with golde with siluer and all kindes of precioê° things Iohn 4. Daniel 11. Acts. 17. that are to be offered and dedicated to the ornament of temples So they say that the faithful doo indéed worship Christe at the right hand of the father in glory but that he neuerthelesse must be adored also and worshipped vnder the forme of bread in their Chappelê in their Alters in their Temples in their store boxes and Pixes when by the power of God and of the woords of consecration the substance of bread and wine is turned yea transubstantiated in to the substance of the body and blood of Christe no one iot of the substance of the bread and wine remaining but onely the very accidents and outward shewes that appéer Therfore that Christe is to be worshipped héer euen héer on the earth and vnder the elements and outwarde creatures they doo ernestly affirme by the traditions of the Popes Innocencius Honorius and Vrbanus and doo euen poynt him out as it were with the finger in the earth heere and there moreouer in the desert in the secret places in their Clausters in those their monasteries Yea farthermore to th' intent that the admonition of Iesus Christe our Lord might not be obscure or dark saying in the Gospel They shall saye vnto you beholde heere is Christe beholde he is there beholde he is in the desert beholde he is in the store boxes or in the secret places rouÌ„d about the Pix or litle Sacrament box they write in great golden letters Heer vvorship thou God If in any place out of Roome they doo open their Romain pilgremage Ein Romfart that is to say if any where they happen to lay out those their indulgences and Pardons to sale for merchandise then again in the forefrunt of their Scrips satchels boxes and shops of pardons they write in great golden letters Heer is ful remission of all sinnes and these things truely are wel knowen to all men throughout Christendome But what dooth Christe our Lord ad moreouer vnto those things Go not forth do not beleeue them beholde I haue tolde you before Furthermore we haue heard and séene in more then a thousand places great fearful Miracles to haue beeÌ„ wrought before dum Images and before the bread turned into God And all things were doon to this end that these new Doctor like decrées of the traÌ„substantiatioÌ„ of the bread of the worshipping of Images of the inuocation of Saints and the purchasing the merits of Saints The persecution of the Church of Christe might be set foorth commeÌ„ded to the faithful But he that wil not beléeue these things or shall in any iot speake against them is by and by snatched vp to prison to execucion of death We haue learned out of histories that there hath béen neuer at any time stirred vp against the people of God any persecution more greeuous of longer continuance and finally also more cruel then this last by Antichrist The affliction of the people of God in Egipt continued not abooue two hundred yeres It is written in déed that they were in Egipt and on their iourney iij. hundred yeeres But all this time is not ascribed to the persecution of the Israelits But the persecutions which they sustained vnder the Iudges and Kings were very short The captiuitie of Babilon was ended within the space of lxx yeeres The affliction of Antioche and Greece was contained within certain bonds Moreouer the ten persecutions of the primatiue church lasted thrée hundred yéeres euen to the reign of Constantine the great And they had in the mean while certain breathing spaces certain respits and quiet times But since the time in which the Bishop of Rome inuaded the kingdom of Christe began vsurpingly to take vpon him the rule of the Church and lastly to chalenge to him self the fulnes of power there was then no rest at the end of lxx yéeres abooue None or very short truces but continuall laying of trappes and snares perpetuall practises and torments as it were euerlasting The sharp and cruel Inquisicion was written with the blood of the faithful that is to say a more rigorus way to enquire against the faithful then euer was practised by the Emperour Dioclesian such as was neuer séen in any age or time from the beginning of the world Heervnto is mixed Excommunication the strong sinew of persecution This kinde of persecution hath
so ouerthrew and rooted vp the kingdome of Lombardy Wherby the third of the thrée Hornes may very wel be said to haue fallen downe But the Citie of Roome was giueÌ„ by the â—aÌ„e Charles vnto Saint peeter and to the bishop there the successor of Saint Peeter and to the Romain Church And those things which his elders before him had giuen lately the same he enlarged and confirmed But before I procéed to other things partaining to this matter I cannot omit the exposition of Daniel the iudgement of that moste famous and godly man Ebarhardus Archbishop of Salisburge concerning Pope Gregory the ninth and other Bishops of Rome who about the yéer of our Lord 1240. in a common Parlement of the kingdome as it is mentioned by IohaÌ„nes Auentinus in his seuenth Book of Cronicles thus said These mightie holy Préests of Babilon desire to reign alone They cannot abide to haue any equall They wil not ceasse til they haue brought all things vnder their subiection and sit in the Temple of God and lifted vp abooue all whatsoeuer is woorshiped Their hunger for riches their thirstinesse for honor is vnsatiable The more thou giuest to a couetous man the more dooth he couet and desire Reach him thy finger and he will couet for thy whole haÌ„d We wax the worsse euen all the sorte of vs through immoderate libertie He that is the Seruant of Seruants desireth to be the Lord of Lords euen as though he were God him self He disdaineth the holy assemblies and councels of his bretheren yea of those that be Lords and rulers ouer him Hée is afraid lest he should be coÌ„pelled to yeld account of those things whiche hee dooth daly more and more against the lawes He speaketh great things as though he were a God He imagineth in his hart new deuises to the intent he might establish a Kingdome to him self Hée chaungeth lawes confirmeth his owne defileth robbeth spoyleth defraudeth killeth euen hee that wicked outcast whom they vse to call Antichriste In whose forhed is written the name of blasphemy I am God I cannot erre he sitteth in the temple of God and ruleth far néer But as it is writteÌ„ in the secrets of holy Scriptures he that readeth let him vnderstand The learned shall vnderstand but all the wicked shal doo wickedly and shall not vnderstand And by and by after this The maiestie of the people of Roome by whiche in times past the whole world was gouerned is taken away from the Earth and the Empire is returned back into Asia The East shall beare dominion again and the West shal be brought vnder subiection The kingdome was multiplied and the highest gouernment of things is now dispersed in to many cut in sunder diminished I wil not say torn all to péeces Ciuil dissentioÌ„s are sowed abrode for euer And wée sée no end of deadly warres The name of Emperour is but a vain name and but a shadowe only There are now ten Kings at once whiche haue parted amongst them the whole earth béeing héertofore the Romain Empire not to rule and gouern it but to consume it The ten Hornes which seemed incredible to Saint Augustine that is to say The Turcks the Greeks the Egiptians the Africans the Spanyards the Frenchmen the Englishmen the Germaines the SiciliaÌ„s the ItaliaÌ„s haue in possession the prouinces of Rome and haue rooted out the Romaines that inhabited the same And vnder these grewe vp a litle Horne which had eyes and a mouth speaking presumptuous things He bringeth into subiection vnder him thrée Kingdoms moste cheefly that is to say Sicily Italy Germany and compelleth them to serue him He vexeth the people of Christe and the Saints of God with his intollerable soueraintie He turneth all things vpside down bothe things diuine and humain He attempteth matters horrible excecrable What can be more euident then this Prophecy All the miracles and prodigious wunders of whiche our Hauenly maister did admonish vs read ye the chronicles were wrought a great while ago in which presumption violeÌ„ce possesse all thinges Good meÌ„ are tossed to fro with all reprochefulnes and pouertie All right is confounded and Lawes perish there is no faith in men no peace no gentlenesse no shame no trueth there withall no safetie also no gouernment no rest at all from euil men all the whole earth is in a whurlyburly warres doo rage on euery side all nations are vp in armour assaulting one another Cities néere bordering do fight togither Kingdomes are ouerthrowen and Cities doo vtterly perish not onely with Swoord and fire but also with continuall Earthquakes and ouerflowings of waters and with often diseses and hunger Maruelous wunders happen euery where in all the Elements of the world The aire is infected corrupted and vnholsome through vnsaciable rain sometime with vnprofitable drought sometime with colde sometime with to-much heats Neither dooth the Earth yéeld any foyson vnto man neither the corne nor trées nor Vines haue any fruteful increace And though in their bloughth they giue great showe yet in Haruest they bring no frute Cattel and beastes dye vppon the earth Birds in the aire and the fishes in the waters Blasing Starres and darknes of the Sun the coloure of the Moone the suddain and vnaccustomable falling of the shooting Starres the heauens ouerspred with blood confoundeth the mindes of men with dreadful terrour through the wrath of God against men there rageth Swoord fire hungar and siknes Neuerthelesse the vngodly acknowledge not the Iustice of God but rather increace more and more in euil In so much that they haue eyes and see not And this haue I resited woord by woord out of the Chronicle of Auentinus whiche if any of you desire to read ye shall finde it in the Copie of Ingolstadius printed in the yéer of our Lord. 1554. in the lefe 684. and 685. c. All these sayings of the Archchbishop agrée very well to our matter and expound the same And it appéereth that I am not alone of this opinion that he putteth other Kingdoms in place of the thrée Hornes Whiche thing I commit to the Iudgement of the reader With my exposition accordeth the number of the beasts name Apoca. 13. of which I haue elswhere discoursed more at large Now let vs return to our Daniell bréefly to expound that also which remaineth But thus by casting down of the thrée hornes that litle horne mentioned by Daniel namely that bace Seruant of Christe and euen the Seruant of Seruants did not onely clime vp to the highest top but also became the moste mightie Prince of that fatall Land of Italy Apoc. 17. and Lord of seuen hilled Room and of the Palaice of Antichriste The which he and his repaired and adorned by the space of seuen hundred and fiftye yéeres so that olde Rome by the help of these woorthy Patriarches may now séeme to be new borne again And héerunto Saint Paule séemeth to haue relation 1. Thessa 2.
Of the end of the world and iudgement of our Lord Iesus Christe to come and of the moste perillous dangers of this our moste corrupt age and by what meanes the godly may auoid the harmes therof two sermons preached in latin in the assembly of the clergie by Henry Bullinger and now sorely englished by Thomas Potter ¶ Heerin are expounded the words of our sauiour Mat. 24. touching the end of the world the last iudgmeÌ„t Also the words of DaÌ„â—elin the 7. chap. coÌ„cerning the most troublesoÌ„e kingdoÌ„e of the Pope the end therof Finally the woords of the Apostle 2. Tim. 5. concerning the perils of the last times and the excellency and fulnes of holy Scripture Imprinted at London at the long shop in the Pultrie by Iohn Allde Of the end of the world the Iudgement of our Lord Iesus Christe to come and of the moste gréeuous perils of this our moste corrupt age or time ⧠The first Sermon of Henry Bullinger THE matter it self requireth and the examples bothe of the Prophets and also of the Apostles doo instruct vs that all our Ecclesiasticall preachings doctrines I mean admonitions rebukings exhortations counsails and comfortings are to be framed according to the time And moreouer that all Ecclesiasticall dooings are to be referred vnto edifying But if wée should now intreat and speak as the present time requireth and to the prophet of vs all who are moste of vs ministers of the Church and therefore are wee moste cheefely assembled héere to th'entent somewhat should bée said concerning the duety of our office that is moste principally requisit to knowe there appéereth to vs no matter more profitable nor more necessary then to admonish your holinesse ye Fathers and brethern honorable and most déerly beloued of the consummation of the world The preposition and the finall iudgement of Christe Iesus our Lord. And also as our speciall duty requireth diligently and ernestly to stir vp the people of Christe committed to our charge vnto a sober watchfulnes lest sudainly and vnwares the day of the Lord steale vppon them which vndoutedly cannot be far of and which our elders afore vs teachers in the Church abooue a thousand or ix hundred yéeres past did think to be at hand How much rather ought we vppon whom the ends of the world are come who also haue most manifestly séenful filled very many of the Prophesies that haue been set foorth concerning the end of the world and the things that should come to passe immediatly before the day of Iudgement to lift vp our heds knowing that our redemption euen now draweth néer Christe Iesus our Lord béeing yet a fauourable high Préest of the faithful on the right hand of his father but héerafter at the last a moste seuere and yet moste iust iudge of all the whole world graunt mée habilitie to speak duly vnto you and you grace plentifully to heare with frute to the glory of his name and edifying of his Church And because blessed Peeter the Apostle the cheef teacher of this Church and moste faithful Disciple of Iesus Christe our Lord saith If any man speak let him speak as the sayings of God I wil studiously indeuour to shewe foorth and with as much plainnes as I may to open my whole matter euen with the woords of Christe our Lord and with the sayings of the Prophets and Apostles For the holy Prophets in whom was the Spirite of Christe Daniel moste chéefely and Zacharias omitting Esay Ezechiel haue most diligently and copiously instructed the Church of God with their prophesies concerning the latter times of the world and the iudgement of Christe our Lord to come But Christe our Lord the light and fulfilling of the lawe and the Prophets hath so largely and so manifestly debated of these matters that if any man doo yet desire a more plain exposition may séem to séek at the Sun béeing of it self moste bright shining a light much brighter The ê“phecy of Christ touching the end of the world and the maner of the last dayes He béeing demaunded of his Disciples in the mouÌ„t Oliuet and in the sight of the most famoê° Citie of Hierusalem what should be the token of his coÌ„ming and of the end of the world Made answere That the holy Citie of Hierusalem should first of all be taken and laid flat to the ground and that the Iewes them selues should be led captiue into all nations Wath 24 And that the Gospel of the kingdome should be receiued of all natioÌ„s throughout the whole world And that afterward should false Prophets go abrode who with false doctrine and faied miracles should deceiue the world that vvith such prohability happy successe that euen the very elect should haue combrance thervvith Among other things he resiteth False teachers and false Christes and euen those Antichristes also that should forsake the very true Christe the sonne of the eternall God and should not sincerely vnto the faithful shew him foorth sitting on the right hand of his father but in the earth in the desert in sundry and diuers places and also euen En tois temeios that is to say in close and secret places in Chests and Ambries For the Grecians call Temeia secret and wel fenced places where treasures are laid vp also the hidden and priuy places of a house and the very Ambry or Spence And the little Sacrament houses diligently fenced with Locks and boltes the Popes men call them Ambries As sure as God is in the Ambry out of the which as out of an Ambry they bring foorth Viaticum their viage prouision or Howzel as they call it But our Lord in the Gospel with loud voice crieth out saying Do not beleeue them doo not go foorth doo not beleeue them Beeholde I haue tolde you before And héeer he addeth by and by that greeuous persecutions shall arise against the godly He saith that there shal be great troubles that there shall appeer tokens in the Sun in the moon and in the starres that some shal be greeued vvith great peÌ„ciuenes through despair that soÌ„e beeing dissolute vvaÌ„ton through to much a certain carelesse securitie shall be in that last day ouervvhelmed that the vvorld shal be about the end altogither such as it vvas before the flud in the daies of Loth vvhile the Giants Sodomites lay sleeping and snorting quietly in the dung of vvickednesse despising all the good admonitions of God giuen vnto them by the holy Fathers in so much the destruction came vpon them vnlooked for Paule the Apostle of Christe speaking also of that vngodly securitie 2. Thesse 5. Of the times saith hee at vvhat momeÌ„t our Lord vvil come to execute iudgement there is no need for mee to vvrite vnto you brethern For you your selues do plainly knovve that the day of the Lord vvil come as a theef in the night For vvhen they shall say peace and quiet safetie then
suddain destructioÌ„ shall come vpon theÌ„ as the pain of childe bearing vp on a vvoman in trauail and they shall not escape But our Lord in his Gospel procedeth with his Prophetical exposition Luke 18. saith moreouer Iniquitie shall abound and the loue of many shall wax colde so that the sonne of man vvhen he commeth shall scarcely finde faith vpon the earth Saint Peeter also fortelling of the extreme wickednes of this last age 2. Peeter 3. I stir vp your mindes saith hée to remeÌ„ber the vvords that haue beene spokeÌ„ heertofore by the holy Prophets and also the coÌ„maundement of vs the Apostles of our Lord and â—auiour This vnderstand ye first that in the last daies shall come mockers vvhich vvil vvalke after their ovvne lust and say VVhere is the promise of his comming For sins our fathers died all things continevv in the same estate from the beginning as they vvere first made Our Lord also in the gospel addeth moreouer to all these things That hee vvil come in his glory sudainly and vnloked for to iudge the quick the dead that hee vvil giue revvards of life to the godly vvil commit the vvicked to euerlasting Hel fire For as the lightning saith he coÌ„meth forth of the east and shineth euen vnto the vvest so shal be the coÌ„ming of the sonne of man Take heed therfor vnto your selues lest your harts bee oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and with the cares of this life and so that day steale sudainly vppon you For truely it shall come vpon all the inhabitants of the earth like vnto a snare VVatch therfore praying at all times that ye may be counted vvorthy to escape all these things that are to come and to stand before the sonne of man Verily in this place our Lord is earnest vrgeth so as in no other place more vehemently exhorting all people of all kindes and of all ages vnto a sober watchfulnes In Saint Mark. VVatch saith he for ye knovve not when your Lord vvil come Mark 13. vvhether in the euening or at midnighr whether at the cock crowing or in the dawning lest if he come sudainly he finde you sleeping In S Mathew hée setteth foorth very many parables so the intent hee might the more déeply fasten this thing in the mindes of all men For he setteth before vs An householder that vvatcheth lest the théef in the night breaking in to his house should steale away all his substance He setteth foorth A faithfull and wise seruaunt that ministreth meat in due time to the whole housholde committed to his charge On the other side he setteth against him a noughty Seruant vnthriftliy wasting his maisters goods and also very vniustly dealing against his felowe seruants moreouer drunken and vnwatchful not any whit regarding his maisters comming whom taken with the fault he dooth rent in péeces like a Traitor He setteth before vs Ten Virgins wherof fiue were sober and wise but th' other v. were foolish and slouthful and therfore shut out of the ioyes of the wedding Furthermore hée setteth before vs a certain Noble house holder that looke his iourney into a far countrey and yet first before his departure distributed his goods by Talents which he left to be occupied in merchandise for his gaines who bouÌ„d with euerlasting chaines his vnthrifty seruant wicked and slouthful And to euery parable he ioyneth a sentence right worthy méet to be grauen déeply in our harts VVatch therfore be cause ye knowe neither the day nor the houre in which the sonne of man vvil come But moreouer This doctrine of our Lord is to be vrged beare â— in to our mindes who can say that this doctrine vttered by our Lord and Sauiour concerning the last age and the iudgement to coome is combersome or obscure It is surely more cleere then the noone day vnto them that desire to be wise But vnto them that are blinde alwaies all things become darknes because of their owne accorde they procure vnto them selues eueÌ„ very extreme darknesse But this diligent carefulnes of our Lord and also this wholesome example ought to stir vp all vs his seruants vnto like desire of godlines to th' intent that wée may with great faithfulnesse and diligence stir vp also eueÌ„ the whole world béeing almost all in these our daies deeply fallen a sleep stir theÌ„ vp I say shake them and sharply with ernest calling on vrge them to watch pray and to consider throughly the doctrime of our Sauiour and finally to mark wel those things that haue béen doon in times past and those things also that are now doon in these our daies Verily those things that were foretolde by our Lord By a comparison the prophecy of Christe is made manifest we haue seen them euen in the very things them selues continually in long course of time to haue béen fulfilled For the holy Citie weried with the gréeuous séege of the Gentils at the length was taken spoiled set on fire vtterly destroyed scarcely any few tokens or prints remaining therof But those Iewes that perished not by famin pestilence and the sword were taken captiue by the Romains and dispersed into all nations throughout the whole world And also the Gospel of the kingdome in despite of the Iewes Gentiles and euen in despite of hel gates hath béen receiued throughout the whole world Furthermore we haue seen that there hath burst out of the déep pit of hel Apoca. 9. those great hepes of false prophets those deadly locusts which with moste corrupt and new kinde of doctrine he hath troubled vexed rent in péeces seduced yea and all so replenished with moste vnspeakable calamities the whole Church of Christe But if you as yet sée not these things consider more ernestly what I shall now say The foundnesse of doctrine is corrupted The simplicitie and integritie of the olde and Apostolike doctrine was in that deadly time vtterly corrupted It semed and is yet now adiudged by those Doctors to be a doctrine very vile vnséemly and nothing Catholik which béeing taken out of the moste sacred Gospell and moste simply and plainly set foorth vnto all men according to the example of the Apostles dooth teach that the faithful are iustified by the onely grace of God thorew faith in Christe or that sinners are acquited from damnation their sinnes forgiuen theÌ„ and euerlasting life obtained by the death of the soÌ„ne of God which benefits they receiue by faith onely and doo shew foorth testify their true faith by good woorks So shall it séem vnto theÌ„ a matter vnaduised and nothing plain if thou say that the rule of Christe alone is a moste absolute rule of true faith and good life also that Christe alone suffiseth vnto the godly And that he alone remaineth the Hed the King the high preest of the Churche in which he is present and which he ruleth very wel with his spirite and power euen vnto the
tolde you before should happen knovve ye that the kingdome of God is at hand And therfore look vp and lift vp your heds For your redemption dravveth nigh This short doctrin of Christe our Lord may suffise vnto his Disciples béeing careful and diligent and not delighting in long proces And because I dout not but that some yet doo desire and look for a more pleÌ„tiful discourse vpoÌ„ these things we wil therfore bréefly ouerrun the doctrin of blessed Daniel vpon this matter The ê“phecy of Daniel touching the end of the world and the times of the last age Him we choose out among others and before others because our Sauiour intreating of the destruction of the Citie and the world sent vs back to this Prophet whose prophecy we should easely vnderstand Daniel 7. if we did giue good héed thervnto Daniel therfore béeing taught by the heauenly vision rehearceth foure Monarchies that should arise in the world among which the last be calleth a Beast which he saith should haue ten hornes among which one Little horne springing vp should cast down iij. of them and that the same should growe vp in maruelous forse and far excel all the rest The same also saith he had the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things and that he made gréeuous and perpetuall war against the Saints ouer whoÌ„e also he easely preuailed and reighneth most puisauntly and most licenciously vntil the seats were prepared and iudgement placed in throne For then was all that kingdome rent in péeces and the beast thrown into the fire to be burnt with euerlasting flames Saint Ierome expounding these things saith By the fourth Beast the Prophet vnderstandeth the Romaine Empire vvhich â—e neither calleth a Lion as the Empire of Babilon neither a beare as of Persia neither a Parde as of Macedonia but he calleth him a Beast to the intent that vvhat soeuer vvee imagine moste fierce and cruell in beasts the same vve may vnderstand by the Romains Thus much saith S. Ierome But séeing Daniel him self hath sowen abrode the séedes of the right exposition héerof by folowing the things them selues and conferring of historyes I will showe the interpretation of this propheticall vision not inforced but takeÌ„ out of the woords of the prophet out of the very things them selues therfore easy and apparaunt of the owne accord Verily it is wel knowen that the Romain Empire hath raged ouer the whole earth with furious woodnes more theÌ„ beastly For if I should omit to make mention how that vnder this Empire whose vassals were the Herods Ihon Baptist was beheaded and at the last Christe him self was crucified vnder Tiberius the Emperour Pontius Pilate beeing then Lieutenaunt for the Romains all the Apostles of Christe were also moste gréeuously afflicted and at the length most cruelly slain and the Primitiue Church with the x. moste fierce persecutions with fire and sword worne away yea and almoste vtterly consumed yet who knoweth not that there was almoste no parte of the world inhabited wherinto the moste raging weapons of the Romains haue not broken in and vexing of the same with their filthy lust in tollerable pride and vnsatiable coueteousnes haue at the length vtterly deuoured it But the iust Lord in due time hath recompenced blood thirsty Rome according to her deserts The Romain Empire destroyed and by diuision hath made concord and so also hath rent her strength in sunder which thing the prophet hath signified by the x. hornes For while the prouinses reuolted from the Romain Empire and some of them created Kings vnto them selues and other some bare armour against the imperiall Citie and the Emperours them selues within few yéeres it came to passe that the Citie béeing Lady of the whole world was taken sacked of barbarous people and also made a mocking stock and at the laste set on fire and destroyed by Tottilas of Ostgothia a prince worthy of eternall remeÌ„brance and a moste famous seruant of God At the same time and before also when the Cittie was come into the hands of Gensiricus the VVandall and when immediatly afterward it was gouerned by Odacer king of the Saxons who béeing dead it was subiect to Djetricus of Verona the Ostgothes all that while there was no lawful Emperour or Caesar in Italy as afore at Rome Only at Constantinople in the Cittie of Constantine the great the moste godly prince reigned the Emperours of the East vntil Ioannes Paleologus the sonne of Mahuel béeing the last Emperour of Constantinople except one did in the councel of Florence acknowledge Eugenius then Bishop of Rome vnto whome he there submitted him self his also This was doon in the yéere of our Lord 1439. For The Empâ—râ— oâ— Constantinople â—â—â—oued ouerthrowne straight waies his sonne Constantine the vij surnamed Draco béeing subdued by Mahumedes the Emperour of the Turcks lost his Cittie his life and his Empire So that for a iust punishment of that moste filthy reuolting and backsliding the moste auncient Empire of Grecia that had stand vpright 1119. yéeres was by that Turcks thrown down and very cruelly subuerted This calamitie happened in the yéere of our Lord 1453 So that from the councel of Florence to the reuolting were onely xiiij yéeres betwéene And S. Ierome in his Cronicles noteth that the Citie of Constantinople was dedicated by Constantine in the yéere of our Lord 334. Consider héer in the meane while ye worthy men the goodnes and Iustice of our Lord God and therwith all his meruellous trueth The benefits of God bestowed vppon Constantine the greae The blessed Emperour Constantine faithfully serued the true God and his sonne Iesus Christe in rooting out and suppressing of all hethenish Idolatrie and superstition on the other side in planting spreading abrode and establishing of Christian religion and for that cause as S. Augustine maketh mention God that plentiful rewarder of all good men was willing to adorne him not onely with eternall ioy in Heauen but also with moste ample glory and renowne vpon earth For he gaue vnto him the moste famous Citie in the world and a continuall and most inuincible kingdome For God drawing him away from that fatal land of Italy and from the bloody Cittie of Rome which also it is likly the prince him self to haue abhorred brought him vnto Bizantium in Thracia where he built a famoê° Citie of his owne name which was vnto his posteritie euen vnto the end of the world a moste worthy remembrance of so very good most mighty a Prince Wherby it come to passe by a certaine prouidence of God and as it were by a certain prophecy that it shuld take the name of Constantine him self and also of that good christian woman Constantia Like as some report Rome to haue taken name of Romulus that slew his brother or as soÌ„e say a robore tirannico immensa superbia that is of the tiranicall force and vnmesurable pride what if ye
ad vom braemen vstrumen vnd be schissen with which it hath been a raging enemye against the whole worlde bothe spiritually and corporally Assuredly all historyes doo witnesse that our Lord God bare a singuler great fauour vnto the Citie of Constantinople One matter onely will I resite After the decay of the Romain Monarchie how soeuer the whole world run togither with mutuall warres amonge them selues most kingdomes tasted of meruelous alterations yet neuertheles the kingdom of Constantinople remained stedfast and vnmoouable giuing often repulse vnto barbarous nations and also to the very Sarasines beeing enemyes otherwise moste mightie fierce But at the length beeing vtterly void of Gods protection it was laid open to be spoyled and trodden vnder foote by the Turks at what time the Princes of Constantinople béeing deceiued by Eugenius the Pope to the great calamitie of moste mightie Princes For at that season by the vnhappy councel of Amurathe he ouerthrew Ladislaus the moste victorious King of Hungary and Polonia with all his whole hoste departing in the councell of Florence from their true head Christe acknowledged the Pope of Roome to be the true Vicar of Christe on earth and the lawful successor of Peeter I reherse the woords of Platina to occupy the chéefest and highest place in the world whom the Church bothe of the East and also of the West ought of duty to obey But séeing that these things haue happened to this moste noble ond moste ancient Citie through the iust iudgement of God let men take héed in these dayes what they doo that béeing deliuered thorow the tuicion and diligence of good Princes from this Romain beast outragious proud insatiable in blood and riches filthy and deceiuable yet wil again throwe down thē selues to be stamped vnder his féet and to be ouerwhelmed Sith all kinds of legerdemain But now I return to Daniel It appéereth out of histories as I was about to tel that in the West within Roome and Italy beeing the auncient seat of the empire there was no Caesar or Emperour all the time from the desolation of the West Empire vnto the dayes of Charles the great which was thrée hundred yéeres and more For the Hornes that grue vp by the diuision of the Romain Empire béeing diuers and many did fiercely fight togither and slew one another So that Roome and Italy was gouerned now by the west Gothes afterward by the VVandalles after that by the Saxons so by the East Gothes then by the Greeks and at the length the Lombards also and Frenchmen attained to the Empire And during this vnhappy time while the frantick Prinres slewe one another with mutuall wounds there sprung vp in the middest of this contention that base and despised litle Horne that Daniel speaketh of namely a parish Préest of Roome who a litle before this time through moste wicked deuises practises began to be in authoritie which helped him exceedingly to the attainment of the Empire For now he was accounted almoste of all men in the west parts for the vniuersall pastor as Bishop of that place which after long contention had first with the Churches of Africa and afterwarde of Constantinople Phocas the Emperour altogither an infamous and vnfortunate Prince commaunded to be chéefest and head of all Churches in the world Therfore now the Popes iudgements and decrées were of great authoritie among princes as of a man altogither Apostolike who neuerthelesse hitherto was equall with other Bishops and had no princely superioritie and therfore was a base and despised litle horne And Daniel dooth not let to tel by what meanes that base person not accounted of who was once vnder the subiection of the Romain Princes is now started vp to so great a dignitie power The little horne ouerthroweth iii. hornes namly by the ouerthrowe of thrée Hornes in that sharp conflict of the other Hornes And héer I would haue you to note dilygētly how that Daniel in declaring of this matter vsed not one ōly woord but thrée For he saith that the Hornes were pluct a way brought lowe fel down Namely that one of the thrée hornes was pluckt awaye an other brought lowe and the third fel down For Grigory Bishop of Room the second of that name a Cirian born and a man very wittie and subtile did excomunicate Leo Isauricus Emperour of Constantinople béeing a good and other wise a strong Prince for taking away the Images out of the temples of Christians whom also he plucked away and draue him out of Italy Héerin reigned the Saxons and Ostgothes men barbarous about Clxxv yéeres But these were subdued by Bellisarius a mā very expert in the affaires of war And Narses a skilful and mightie warrier béeing sent by the princes of Constantinople draue them clean out of Italy and he him self ruled Italy as Liuetenant for the Prince of Constantinople After this Longinus brought a new kinde of gouernmēt into Italy called the Exarchate The Exarchate af Rauenna such a one as was the Deputy and Viceroy in Italy in place of the Prince of Constantinople He was termed Exarchus who had his seat at Rauenna and not at Roome because it remained very filthy and as it were desolate by meanes of the waste destruction doon by the Gothes And after Narces and Basilius Rome had neuer Consuls nor senat lawfully assembled But the Romain state béeing vtterly wasted was gouerned a long time by the rule of a Grecian whō the Exarchus sent from Rauenna And it was not called the Exarchate of Roome but of Rauenna But after that Leo the Gréek Emperour was excōmunicated and Gregory the Pope had perswaded all the Cities of Italy to reuolt they began to chuse them Dukes to rule ouer them Wherby it came to passe immediatly that casting away the gouernment of the Exarchate they slew through sedition Paule the Exarchus togither with his Sonne at Rauenna and expelled the Grecians out of Italy And so this horn was plucked away Moreouer Pope Zacharias wheras he was falsely esteemed by the Frenchmen and other nations to be the true Apostolike and vniuersall bishop on earth was chosen vmpire to pronounce whether were more worthy of the kingdome Hildericus or Pipin the dwarf But he brought lowe the true King Hildericus in place of whom hée exalted Pipine béeing the chéef ruler of his house Wherfore Stephen the successor of Zacharie second of that name the repulse béeing giuen to the Lombards and also in despite of the Greeks receiued for a reward of his wicked fact the Exarchate of Rauenna lately made desolate by the practises of the Pope And so another of the thrée Hornes was brought lowe and the litle horne was exalted into a higher estate Furthermore now after these commeth Charles the great the sonne of Pipin the dwarf who beeing called foorth by Pope Adrian in to Italy against the Lumhards at Papia or Ticinum ' beséeged and took Desiderius the last king of the Lombards in Italy