for that in the warre of Naples whiche was made by the French men and Spanyardes in the yere of our Lorde 1494. they came vp firste in the campe of whores whiche infected the Armie Whiche Mainardus the Phisition discourseth at large But howe so euer diuerse and venemouse sores doe infecte many greuousely yet doe the French pockes chiefly corrupte the Abbayes of Monkes and Nūnes and colledges of priestes aboue others For they geuyng themselues to moste filthie fornication do abhorre and deteste in others holy matrimonie and therfore receyue thereof the rewarde of their iniquitie Therfore is it sayed here expressely that the Antichristiās should be with this disease vexed or rather pūnished Ye shall finde some whose face is eaten with this disease All whoremongers and aduouterers for the moste parte are troubled with this plage Iob also the excellent seruaunte of God was couered with sores and boyles but by the singular counsell of God as I touched also before Therefore it is no maruell though some time very good men free from the vncleanes of whoredome be also infected with this disease The second Angell shedeth his viall on the Sea pestilēce ◠and therfore the bloude of lyuing thinges became all to gether such as is in deade men to witte corrupt and turned into matter Whereupon all that lyued in the sea died The Sea is euermore stirring and variable full rightlie therfore by this the worlde is signified or vnconstaunt men in the world these for theyr sinnes are infected with the Pestilence and dye in great plentie In the words is the fygure Synekdoche where euery liuing soule is said to dye This second plague aunswereth to the fifte of Aegipt Vnder this plague we comprise all kynde of Pestilences and plagues Ezechias also was taken with the plague as many Godly men also die of the Pestilence but by the singuler counsell of God The thirde Angell shed his viall on the ryuers and fountaynes of waters which were by and by turned into bloud Bloude 3. This aunswereth to the first plague of Aegipte The Aegiptians had drowned in Nilus the newe borne bodies of infants and had oppressed the innocent Israelites Therefore were they worthie to drinke of Nilus For water bloude Water otherwise in the Scripture signifieth doctryne as in Ezechiell and Zachary Therefore do the ryuers and fountaynes of waters signifie ecclesiasticall preachers and Princes whome God hath geuen to the people for a defence and reliefe Certenlie Saincte Peter calleth false prophets welles waunting water 2. Peter 2. In the .17 chapter we shal heare that by waters are vnderstand people This therefore is the plague of God the Princes of the people and preachers of peace are become the authours and ringleaders of rebellion and of warres In the which they fall and kyll one an other which shede the bloude of Sainctes And albeit that in warres the godly are also plaged yet knoweth the Lord how to requyte their paynes and to ease their sorrowes Saincte Austen decydeth this matter at large in the firste booke of Christen doctrine But if we loke vpon the variable Historie of Italie Fraunce Germanye and Hungarye and of other Realmes that glorye to be called Christians we shall fynde them to haue bene the blasing firebrandes of warres which ought of dutie to haue ben the Princes of peace Warres stirred vp by Popes And lyke as the Lorde sayeth in the Gospel there must not a Prophet die any where els than at Hierusalem So must ther no warre be moeued but by Popes of Rome Byshops and Prelates I will only resyte a fewe Pope Gregorye the .2 through sedition expulsed themperour Leo Isauricus out of Italie Pope Stephen brought in Pipine King of Fraunce into Italie againste the Lumbardes The same ded Charlemaigne at the motion of Pope Leo the .3 driue clean out of Italie hauing slaine many of them with the sworde Pope Gregory the .7 a moste wicked man stirred Peter King of Hungarie to warre with the Emperour Henry the .4 intangled all Italie Germany with warres and droue Henry to fight many fields and battels that wer not light Vrbane the .2 of that name tourmoyled with warre both Easte and West and all other partes of the world which he called holy taken in hand for the recouering of Hierusalem This warre was long cruell greate and blouddy suche as in all worldes you can not fynde the lyke What Alexander the third wrought against Fredericke Barbarousse and howe he raysed vp all Italie againste him the Stories do tell And whylest Fredericke the second warred in the holy lande Gregory the nynth taketh from him Naples Here the Abbot of Vrspurge sumeth that so great a wickednesse shoulde be committed of a Pope There arrose by the Popes meanes and motions great factions in Italie of the Guelphians and Gibilines Clement the fourth brought in the french Armie by the conducte of king Charles into the kingdome of Naples and put Conrade Duke of Swalande from his inheritaūce and caused him and Fredericke Duke of Austryce to be slayne to gether with manny thousandes of the Germanes Pope Ihon the two and twentie armed Fredericke Duke of Austrich and Leopolde against the Emperour Lewes the fourth of the house of Bauier Boniface the eight cōmaunded king Albert Duke of Austrich to beare Hostyle banners against Philip the French King As Martin the fifte stired vp a greuouse warre against the Bohemers Eugenius the fourth betrayed the Conquerour Ladislaus king of Poll and Hungary to Amurathes the great Turke to be vanquished and slaine through treason sending his Legate Iuliane Caesarinus Cardinal about the practise which perished also in that vnluckie ouerthrowe Where cometh to mynde that sayeng in Virgill Tolumnius himselfe the southsayer is slayne Pope Sixtus the .4 sent to the moste puissaunt nation of Swisses a red scarfe or band with a bull hanging at it wherein he graūteth most large indulgēces to such as wil fight for the church of Rome Iulye the second through much and great bludshed of the Swisses began to expulse the french kyng out of Italie which at length Leo the .10 brought to passe receyuing the Emperour Charles the .5 whose sonne ruleth yet in Italie Clement the seuenth began to oppresse him agayne but death disapointed his enterprises Paule the thirde ioyned the force of Italie with Charles the fifte and warred on the Germanes for obedience denied to the See of Rome and the Gospel receiued In the which war was taken Philippe the Lantzgraue of Hasse Ihon Fredericke Duke of Saxon Prince Electour Greate vilianie and crueltie was wrought by the soldiours in Germanie Pope Iulye the thirde began to dalie with the frenchmen and stiring vp the warre of Parma and Mirandula brought the frenchmen to Senes There arrose a most greuouse warre by sea and land both in Fraunce and Italie and also in Germany which indureth at this day The Princes and people teare a sonder one an other they drynke their bloude moste
to are perdon for that offence Lōg it was or euer he was admitted to come in the Popes sight At the last he was led with an yrō chaine aboute his necke to the Bisshoppes table lyke a Dogge and there fayne to lie vnder the table emongs the dogges so lōg til the wrath of Clement without all clemencie beyng ouer paste he put out that ignominie from his countrie And was therefore alwayes after called dogge of his owne countriemē for that he had layne like a dogge at the Popes table for to gette absolution This is written in Sabellicus in the ende of the .9 Aeneid the .7 boke The Pope in excommunicatinge vseth tapers or candelles of waxe burning which he throweth downe to the grounde from on highe that euen thereby we might perceyue that it is he that calleth downe the feareful fire from Heauen vpon men in earth And these thinges doeth the beast in the presence of men to wit with great confidence boldenes finally to make mē affrayde and to kepe them in awe For after the same kinde of speaking S. Paule commaundeth also to rebuke a great man offendyng before all men that others maye be affrayed 1. Timoth. 5. He disceaueth by signes Howbeit the Lord addeth the vse and effect of Antichristes wonders to th ende the church might iudge rightly of them and he deceaueth sayeth he the dwellers on the Earth by reason of the miracles c. He shall seduce by these signes or miracles to wit by that grace of the spirite whiche he faineth that he geueth and with those his excommunications wherwith he would seme to caste men downe into hell that dwell vpon Earth that is to saye more geuen to earthly than to heauenly thinges And he shall leade them from the fayth of Christ vnto his tromperies Therefore must we iudge of the tokens and doctrine of Antichrist for that they seduce men Leaue maruelyng therefore howe it hath chaunced that the Pope hath allured to his side so many menne of wisedome and learnyng You haue hearde already by what meanes this is done Therefore be not you alwayes fooles learne take hede and beleue Christe and his Gospell and cleaue thereunto Agayne he sayeth The beaste doeth miracles in the sight of the beaste that power is geuen to the beast verely by the iuste iudgement of God that according to thapostles saiyng they maye be iudged whiche had rather beleue lies than the veritie that he shoulde worke those miracles in the sight of the beaste What is it to worke miracles in the sight of the beaste but to do them in the presence of all men boldely and with out feare euen to feare disceaue the very beast Here therfore nowe we heare of two beastes The beaste that doeth the wonders and that later beaste in whose sight that other fourmer beaste doeth those signes In the .19 chapt Yea it shall followe hereafter that both the beaste and the false Prophet whiche doeth these miracles before the beaste by the whiche he also deceaued the beaste shall be caste bothe into fire euerlasting Who therfore is the former and the two horned beaste but the Pope the very same is the false prophet also And who is the beaste in whose sight the Pope worketh wonders but the Image of the beaste and therfore a beaste also in asmuch as thempire is reysed of the beaste and gouerned by the spirite of the beaste For it followeth that the beast setteth vp an Image of the beaste The beaste setteth vp an Image of the beast and that of the same beaste whiche had the wounde of a sworde and liueth that is to wit of that olde Romane Empire Now therfore is erected a new Romane Empire which neuerthelesse is not called playnely a beaste but the Image of the beast that is to saye an Empire in dede but the which cometh not so nere to the olde by as farre as an Image differeth from the true example For the olde Romane Empire is as it were an example whereof thempire set vp by the Romish Antichrist is only an Image representation shaddowe and as it were a dreame hauyng neuerthelesse some sumilitude of the same Howe the Image of the beaste was set vp I tolde before and shewed out of stories howe the olde Romane Empire was torne and rent in pieces taken quite awaye In times paste the one Emperour gouerned in the Easte at Constantinople the other in the Weste at Rome or at Rauenna But from Augustulus by the space of thre hondreth yeres and more there was no Emperour of the Weste And suche landes as were the Emperours were now possessed of others and the Empire was vtterly loste Therefore about the yere of our lorde eyght hondreth what time Charles the greate Kynge of Fraunce came to Rome vpon Christemas daye Leo the .3 of that name Bisshoppe of Rome setting the Crowne vpon Charles head made him Emperour all the people saiyng with a lowde voice to Charles the Emperour crowned of God be long life and victory These thinges are red in all stories especially in the .4 booke of Auentinus his Cronicles of Bourbonois The beaste sayeth to the inhabiters of the Earth that they shuld make an Image to the beast Agayne when this Empire semed to wauer and to slide and therefore lyke shortely to falle the Bisshoppe of Rome instituted seuen Princes Electours Some referre this ordenaunce to Gregory the .5 whiche was Pope when Otth◠was Emperour And some to Gregory the .10 whiche called Rafe of Abspurge to the Empire Whereof shal be more sayed anone But the Lorde by S. Iohn sayeth expressely howe the beast sayed to the inhabiters of the Earth that thei shuld make an Image of the beaste For the Popes haue by speakyng and not by fightyng as appereth in the stories of Bisshoppes of Rome especially of Leo the .3 erected a new Empire For by preachyng perswadyng and practysing they brought the Empire to Kinge Charles Certenly Platina in the life of Leo the .3 The Bisshop sayeth he minding to gratifie by some meane king Charles which had deserued right well of the churche in the churche of S. Peter after solemne seruice done by the voyces and prayers of the people of Rome with a lowde voyce declareth Charles Emperour and crowneth him c. But nowe we muste see more dilligentlie What is properlie the Image of the beaste wherefore the newelie erected empyre is called of the Pope the Image of the oulde beaste And here in dede myghte manye thynges be alledged but I shall recyte of many things onely a fewe Aboue all thinges it is called the Image both for that it is named the Empyre it selfe and wolde be taken for the oulde Empyre where it is in dede a name wythoute the thynge and a vayne tytle wythoute that aunciente power maiestie and glorie For vnlesse the Emperour haue the Kyngdome of his owne by inheritaunce what Kyngdome shal he haue by the name of
kinges Howebeit whilest these kinges considered how they might beste in large their kingedomes and put downe and expulse others full craftely the Bisshoppe of Rome played his parte also For he obteyned the supremacie ouer all Bisshoppes And so gote him great authoritie with Kinges and realmes yea and linked himselfe in league and amitie with Kinges and Princes Whereupon quickely and sodenly or as the Martir of Christ prophecied vpon the sodayne he starte vp and at laste vsurped a kingedome to witte of Rome For by his iudgementes falsely taken for Apostolicall he put downe kynge Childericke of the lignage of Merouinges the lawefull king of Fraunce and auaunced Pipine than Captaine of the French garde to the crowne And so he ouerthrewe or plucked downe one horne and bounde vnto him a most mightie Kinge by whose power afterwarde he was a terrour to the kinges of Grece and Lumbardy Of thexarchate of Italie For aboute the yere of our lorde .269 the Emperour of Constantinople expulsing the Eastegothes did institute a newe gouernement in Italy But sins this kinde of rule and gouernemente is not knowen to all menne I will briefly recite what and howe greate it was by the wordes of Nauclerus the Historiographer ex generat .20 Than beganne sayeth he the Citie of Rome and Italy to haue a newe maner of gouernemente by the whiche they loste more the dignitie glory and feare ouer all the worlde than of all the calamities whiche these .160 yeres haue afflicted them and at the laste had lefte Rome to be inhabited of wilde beastes For Longinus brought in a newe name of dignitie thexarchate of Italie that is the high Magistrate Whiche kepyng still at Rauenna went neuer to the Citie of Rome And in the gouernement of Italie and of Cities he kepte firste this order that the president should not gouerne the prouince or region but euery Citie had their Magistrate to gouerne them whome he called Dukes Wherefore making Rome egall with other Cities and Townes in this thinge only he honoured the same that he called the Magistrate place in Rome presidēt But they that did succede him were called Dukes as they were afterward many yeres so that it was called the Dukedome of Rome as the Dukedome of Narnia and Spolet Nother after Narset and Basill had it any more eyther Consulles or Senate lawefully assembled but by a Duke of Grece whome the highe Magistrate sente from Rauenna the comon welth of Rome was gouerned a long time Thus much he I suppose any manne maye hereby without any difficultie perceyue the Prophecies to be fully accomplisshed Rome vtterly caste downe and the Romane Empire to haue fallen into asshes For shee that had ben the moste mightie Lady of the worlde is sene nowe to bee made a vile gouernemente neuer a deale more excellent than that of Spolet and Narnia c. And here is to be knowen that this Exarchate in Italy was the thirde Lordeshippe instituted sins Augustulus was slayne in whome the Histories saye that the Empire of the weste was finisshed and ended For first when Augustulus was slayne the Germanes vnder their king Odacer possessed Rome Afterwarde the Eastegothes by the conduicte of theyr Duke Theodoricke of Verona Odacer expulsed and slayne reygned at Rome and in Italy Laste of all the Eastegothes by the Lumbardes expulsed and slayne this Exarchate was instituted And Lumbardes beyng called into Italy of the Grekes agaynst the Gothes woulde no more goe out agayne for that they sawe the lande fertile and Riche pleasaunt and aboundyng with sondry pleasures The Lumbardes Warynge therefore of greate power in Italy they subdewed to themselues many Cities and people of Italy establisshyng nowe the fourth domion whiche they called the kingdome of Lūbardes They had most puissaunt kinges Howbeit that exarchate of Rauenna although they layde dilligent awayte for it wente about to inuade it yet coulde they neuer extinguish it till the Bisshop of Rome put to his helping hande pretendyng the sinceritie of religion The mainteyning of Idolatrye maketh of the Bishop of Rome a king Historiographers accompte sixtene Exarches in order which reigned aboute an hondreth foure score yeres The 15. of thē was called Paulus Nauclere in the .25 generat Leo the .3 sayeth he Emperour of Constantinople cōmaunded that they that were subiecte to the Romane Empire should plucke downe al their Images breake them and burne thē Contrarywise the Pope some will haue him Gregory the .2 some the .3 wrote to the whole worlde that they should not obeye these so wicked cōmaundementes of the Emperour Platina sayeth more in the life of Gregory the .3 Gregory by consente of the clergie of Rome depriueth Leo the .3 Emperour of Constantinople bothe of the Empire and also of the communion of the faithfull for that he had plucked downe Images Nauclerus sayeth moreouer But so great authoritie at that time had the Popes decrees that first they of Rauenna and after the people and soldiours of Venise made an open rebellion agaynst the Emperour and thexarche in Italy And the treason increased dayly For Marinus Spatarius Duke of Rome and his sonne Adriane passing through Chāpania were slaine of the Romanes In whose stead they created Duke of Rome one Peter They of Rauenna also whilest some helde with the Emperour and some with the Pope in a tumulte made slewe Paule thexarche and his sonne Thus writeth Nauclere The frēch mē are sent for into Italy by the Pope In these cōmotions the Lumbardes supposyng the occasion so long wisshed for to be nowe offered through the conduite of Luitprande their king inuade the lādes of thempire and besege also Rome it self But Pope Gregory the firebrāde of al the sturres in Italy the soldiour and practicionar of the same and like no priest nor preacher sendeth for Charles Martell king Pinines father with his French chāpions into Italy against the Lumbardes Howbeit this Charles perswadeth the kinge of Lumbardes frendely to departe from the Citie But yet not long after Aistulphus kinge of Lumbardes spoileth againe the lādes of Rauëna reneweth the Italian warre and winneth Rauenna it selfe and demaundeth tribute of the citie of Rome But Stephen the .2 Pope which aspired to the gouernement of Rauenna wisshed the Lumbardes distroyed of king Pipine of Fraunce vnto whō not long sins pope Zacharie by his wrongeful iudgement as many suppose had geuen the kingdome required ayde and deliueraunce as it were offering him the kingdome Therefore are the Frenchmen in armure couetyng also to winne Italy Whilest king Pipine entred into Italy he met with the Ambassadours of the Emperour of Constantinople whiche required that he would restore Rauenna and thexarchate and landes thereof to the Empire whose of righte it was and not the Pope or Romanes Pipine aunswered howe he warred for S. Peter and the pope and to go aboute that the Lumbardes shuld not vexe the church And that he would take from them thexarchate and other
emonges those ten hornes one other little horne should grow vp whiche shoulde strike of three and take their place and reigne wantonly crwelly and wickedly Wherefore the Popes Empire and those sondry kingdomes grewe vp in a maner aboute one and the same time The kings haue one minde He sheweth moreouer what maner of kingdomes those shal be and how they shal demeane thēselues towardes that latter beast namely towarde the church of Rome thei saieth he haue al 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one opinion they beleue al one thing be of the same religion He speaketh chiefly of the westerne kynges For they al receyue the decrees of the Bishoppe of Rome and honor them as most obedient childrē of the most sacred holy church of Rome They shal deliuer to the beaste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their authoritie or kyngedome For they submitte themselues to the See of Rome Yf the church of Rome haue nede of an Armie or force of armes the kinges sende their power gladly to hym which the most noble kingdome of Boheme felte about an hondreth yeres sins though it were to no great commoditie and beautifull triumphes of the inuaders Yea morouer they acknowledge thēselues to owe homage and feaultie to the moste holy and supreme Bishop in al the world Hereunto chiesly apperteyneth that which Augustin Stewchus in his boke against Laurence valla concernyng the donation of Constantine in the .94 Section hath written on this wise Gregory the .7 vnto Geusa king of Hungarie we suppose it is not vnknowen to thee sayeth he that the kingdome of Hungarie like as other most noble realmes also ought to be in the state of his owne libertie nother that it ought to be subiecte to any kyng of an other realme saue to the holy and vniuersall mother church of Rome which hath her subiectes not as seruauntes but as children Hereunto addeth Steuchus thou hearest with what gouernement the church ruleth that she maye interteyne her subiectes not as seruauntes but as childrē She putteth not kinges out of their possession but permitteth them to reigne as her sonnes who reignyng she reigneth her selfe also Neuerthelesse she will be knowen for Quene and Lady Quene Lady Thou hearest how al the moste noble realmes be subiecte to the Apostolical See Euen there he sheweth that the moste noble kingdomes of Spaine Fraūce England Denmarke Russelande Croatie Dalmatia Arragonie Sardinia Portugalle Bohemia Sweuia and Norwaye be subiecte tributaries to the church of Rome In the Section .97 He addeth moreouer although the kinges reigned and continued in possession yet are they wonte to acknowledge her as Quene and trewe Lady and gyuer of their kingdomes And in the Sect. 105. The old monumentes of all Popes are full of highe authoritie A mouth verely speaking great thinges whereby they haue with their Empires gouerned the whole worlde hauing the rule and order of al landes which power and authoritie that impudente praiser of the Romishe See is not asshamed to call omnipotent or almightie And doubtles we see at this daye great Ambassades sent to Rome by the westerne kinges newely elected crowned to the intent to kisse the Popes fete or too of Antichrist and to offer dewe obedience as they cal it Therefore did he calle them before not kinges absolutely but as kinges For they acknowledge a superiour and be euen as it were seruauntes or wardes of the seruaunt of seruauntes Of whome he hath made proper verses The vulgare people brought from farre ende of the worlde The seruaunt of seruauntes O Rome is now thy Lorde Hereunto the Apostle addeth a thing yet more greuouse The fight with the lambe These Kinges I meane the confederates of the Pope and obedient children of the Church of Rome indewed with the spirite of the beaste shall fight with the Lambe Whereby is signified the tiranny which kinges and princes and certen other states of the Romane Empire do practise long haue practised agaynst Christ his gospel Concerning the lambe we haue already spokē enough before Iohn Baptist poinctyng with his fingar to Christ sayeth beholde the lambe of God which taketh awaye the sinnes of the world Therfore shal the Romish princes fight not agaynste Christ himselfe for they will be christians but agaynst the Lambe that is the sanctification iustification and satisfaction of Christ For yf any man saye at this daye that the sonne of God is most holy by whome alone sinnes are forgeuen and we are sanctified and saye not also that the Bisshop of Rome is moste holy also whiche purgeth by pardons graunted but shall saye rather that perdons are playne disceiptfulnes and the Pope most vncleane of all he shal doubtles nother be takē for right catholicke nother shal he be spared for confessyng the lambe of God Yf any man shal confesse that iustification is only in the sonne of God alone and that men are iustified by fayth only and not also by our workes and merites he shal be caried to death or to prison nother shal the confession of the lambe of God preuayle him any thing Yf any man shal say that he is fully purged through the only oblation of Christe on the crosse as of a lambe without spotte and sacrificed frō the beginnyng neyther that he nedeth any popish Masses wherby the shauelynges boaste that they make a dayly offering for the sinnes of the quicke and dead whiche in dede is both false and blasphemouse he is streight wayes hurried to prison and from thence drawen to the stake and brente We can not denye but that this is true seyng there be at this daie innumerable exāples of Romishe kinges and princes in this behalfe We shall not nede therefore to fetche our exposition farre of how these kinges which wholy depēde of the Pope shal fight with the lambe I speake here nothinge of others which cleaue whole vnto Christ And therefore for a comforte is consequently annexed and the Lambe shall ouer come them The lābe shall ouercome thē For albeit that Popish kinges and Princes seme to ouercome the Sainctes whom they burne murther and distroye yet Christ liueth for euer the redemption of Christe florissheth As moste godly that good poete hath songe Christ liueth yet and shal do still His trewth eke shall remayne Whilst al that doeth this world fulfill Shall perish and be vayne Kinges perish kingdomes perish or be chaunged but the trewth is neuer chaunged Christ perisheth neuer He adioyneth a most strong reason for he is Lord of Lordes and king of kinges Therfore shal they be made a fote stole for the fete of the Lambe as many as shall striue agaynst him You see agayne whie S. Iohn sayed before they receiue power as kinges For all kinges are vnder Christ whiche excelleth all lordes in the worlde For to him is geuen power in Heauen and in earth Let vs therfore be of bold courage For the lord is Emperour and our
Emperour shal he haue Rome shal he haue Italie the oulde seat of the Empyre shal he haue Fraunce Spayne Hongarie Germanie For although Germanie be nowe taken for the seate of the Empyre yet hath shee her owne Princes her owne free Cities and the which inioye their Priuileges although they be called Emperiall Theodorycke of Niem a Germayne and a familiar friende of certen Popes which wrote also the lyues of certen Byshoppes of Rome which were last before the counsell of Constaunce in the thyrde booke the .xliii. chapt of his Stories Of what magnificēce sayeth he the Romaine Empyre is at the leestwyse openlye sene in Germanie For you shal haue there an Archbyshop or a Byshop which hath of yearely reuenewes twyse so much more The pouerty and barenes of the Romayne Empyre as the Kyng of Romaynes receyueth in all his dominions And agayne a temporall Prince that hath more landes than hath the Emperour And so forth Moreouer in the ould Empire ther was some mightie monarke which vsed full Aucthoritie and was honoured of all men as a God in Earth As Caius Domitian Dioclesian and others His Image representeth the Pope Byshoppe and Kynge and as it were a certeine God terristrial the greatest Monarke with fulnesse of power Furthermore Rome or the oulde beaste had a mooste honorable Senate So hath the Byshppe of Rome also a Princelyke Senate of prowde purpled Cardynalles For they bee in maner all Princes The booke of the Romayne gouernementes reciteth the Vicar or Lieutenaunte of the Diocesse of Asia a Diocesse in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a disposition administration dispēsation gouernemente or iurisdiction the Vycar of the Diocesse of Thracia and of Pontus So was there a noble man president of the gouernementes in Italie He had manye Diocesses vnder And no fewer had the Lieutenaunt of Fraunce And lyke as the Counte of Strasbourgh the Captayne generall of the soldiours at Spires and the General of the soldiours at Woormes ded acknowledge the Duke of Mentz a Proconsull So at this daye the Byshoppes of those Cities are subiectes to the Archebyshoppe of Mentz The Byshoppes therefore seme by the Popes ordinaunce to succede in the place of the Romayne gouernementes Certeinelie you shall see the moste parte of these Byshops called not onely moste reuerend fathers in Christe but also most Noble myghty Dukes and Princes of the Empyre And this is also manifeste that the Emperour of the oulde beaste had his legions the Romaine Egles or enseignes and moste expert and puissaunt Captaynes of warre But the high Bishop and kyng of Rome hath in that Imagerie Empyre obedient children kinges and Princes in Europe not to be dispised Tharmies and power of the Popes sworde whom he may cōmaunde yf nede requyre to stretch foorth the secular power For so thundreth Boniface the .8 in the firste boke de Maior Obedient doubtles sayeth he whosoeuer denieth the temporall sworde to be in the power of Peter he vnderstandeth a misse the worde of the Lorde sayeng put vp thy swoorde into thy sheath howe subtiilie and howe aptelie Therefore are both swords in the power of the church to wit both the spiritual and materiall sword but this must in dede be exercised for the church the other of the church The spirituall by the prieste the materiall by the hande of kinges and soldiours but at the will and patience of the high prieste c. The oulde beaste had his lawes written and published daylie in a maner newe Decretals The Popes therefore after the imitation of the emperiall lawes haue written decretalles and many tymes make newe lawes Yea moreouer they saie howe the voice precepts or cōmaundemēts of the pope are aswel to be receiued taken as the words of our Lord Iesus Christ the son of God and Apostle S. Peter They adde moreouer these things also that we muste stand to the popes determinatiō That where the pope is there is the generall counsell Where the Pope is there is our common countrie He is compelled or reproued of no man althoughe he be called an heretike He hath all lawes in his breast or in the scroll of his breaste he may interprete or expound all thinges The same doth ratifie no sentence and it is in him alone to take away one mans right and geue it to an other He maie take awaye priuileges and at his wyll and pleasure not onely to chaūge bishops but also to depose the emperour himselfe and to declare no sentence of themperour All the world is the Popes diocesse and the pope is the ordinarie of al hauing fulnes of power aswell in spiritual matters as tēporall For he is Lord of Lordes and hath the righte of the King of Kinges ouer all subiects For he hath no pere and is all thinges and aboue all and it is necessarie to saluation to be vnder the byshop of Rome For ther is one consistorie or iudgement seat of God and of the Pope These thynges haue I taken oute of their owne books to witte of their Decretalles and gloses There is a boke of Antony Russell of Aretine of the power of the Pope and the emperour where in you may read innumerable things of the same sort But of these thinges which I haue noted hitherto I suppose it be made playne enough how the Pope which is here also called the false prophete hath sette vp the Image of the beaste Hereunto Ihon addeth an other thyng And he had power to geue a spirite to the Image of the beaste that the empyre thus establyshed and all thynges sette in order the beaste or false prophete doeth moue all that weighte and putteth lyfe into the Image so that it can speake to witte the same that the false prophete hath geuen it to speake For excepte the pope do confyrme the election of the Kyng of Romaines he shall not be thoughte worthie of the name of Emperour .22 quest .5 de forma in the glose thēperour sweareth to the pope as the Client to his Lord. The same maiste thou reade in the firste boke the .9 title de iure iurando in Clementinis Moreouer who seeth not how aswell the Emperour as other Princes are inuironed wyth a cōpanie of Byshoppes whych inspyre them what they shoulde speake or doe and howe they shoulde behaue themselues in all thinges For this cause are sent also the Legates that are called Legati a latere And it is not vnknowen that in all Princes counselles for the moste parte the spirituall haue the chiefe rule They be for the most parte Chancelours Secretaries Ambassadours and what not And their Pope King sayeth openlie howe he ought to iudge al men but to be iudged of no man Yea and his creatures also vsurpe the same vnto themselues Yf ther be any assemblee there the Byshop of Rome commonly ruleth by his spirite and gouerneth the chiefeste matters especiallye matters of religiō For vnlesse the decrees please the fathers
that in Charles the greate through the meanes of Pope Leo the thirde thempire in the weste decayed was renewed and that thus the image of the beaste that is to witte of the Romane Empire was erected And albeit that at this time thempire decayed in the weste was restored by the Pope yet is it euideÌ„t that the Popes in the beginning of this Empire by certen donatioÌ„s and giftes much in riched did not as yet vse so greate power as they vsurped to themselues afterwarde when they had ouerthrowen and deposed certen Emperours For al though the donatioÌ„ seme to be made by king Pipine and the pope is red than to haue receiued the beginning of his kingdome yet that he was subiecte to Emperours and kings with the Citie of Rome also this same emoÌ„ges other thinges proueth that in the French Cronicles of the Actes of king Charles in the yere of our lord eight hoÌ„dreth and one thus it is founde written afterwarde hauyng set in order the matters of the citie and Bishoppe of Rome and of al Italie therefore did Italy than also obey the Emperour not only publicke but also marke ecclesiasticall and priuate for all the winter themperour did nothing els departing froÌ„ Rome with his sonne Philip he came to Spolet The same authour in the Actes of the yere eight hoÌ„dreth and 16. Stephen sayeth he elected in the place of Leo the .3 taketh as greate iourneyes as he could to come to the Emperour sendyng in the meane time two Ambassadours which might treate with themperour Ludouicus pius for his consecratioÌ„ So likewise in thactes of the yere eight hondreth and .17 is shewed howe Paschalis beyng chosen sente an Ambassade to Lewis the Emperour In thactes of the yere .823 the same Bishop stode at the examination and iudgement of themperour You maye finde in thactes of the next yere that themperour Lotharie establisshed the matters of Italy and Rome Yet doeth the same authour againe make mention of the donation of King Pipine which gaue to S. Peter Rauenna and Pentapolis and all the gouernemente Yet doeth he make no mention of the donation other of Charlemaygne or of Ludouicus pius The .43 distinct maketh mention thereof I Lewis c. in the glose is written thus There Lewis geueth Rome and diuerse other thinges to S. Peter and to Paschale the Pope All historiographers in maner make mention of the donation of the Kinges of Fraunce An Abridgement of all gathereth out of the librarie Dolaterane in the third boke of Geographie in the actes of Pipine and Charles Wherby ye maye easely coniecture what maner of Canon is set forth in the .96 distinct in these wordes Constantine the Emperour hath geuen and graunted to the Apostolical See the Crowne and all the Emperiall dignitie is the Citie of Rome and in Italy and in the weste partes Which by and by after he discourseth with a longe exposition out of the life of S. Siluerster wrytten as they saye by Gelasius in the chapt followynge But Antony Bysshoppe of Florence denieth in his History that this donation doeth remayne in any olde bokes Cusanus and Laurence Valla haue impugned the same nother hath Ottho Bisshoppe of Frisyng in the .3 chapt of the .4 booke of his storie nor Marsilius Pataninus in the defence of peace nor Raphael Volaterane allowed the same nor many mo that I coulde reherse Moreouer in the Cronicles of Kinges of Fraunce set before the story of Paulus Aemilius of the actes of Kinges of Fraunce in the yere 755. thus you maye reade Pipine agayne entred into Italy and Aistulphus subdued he gaue giftes to Maximus Bisshop of Rome also the Dukedom of Rauenna of very great laÌ„des leeste any man should vnthankefully vniustely take awaye this larges from the French Kinges ascribyng to themperour Constantine which Pipine gaue to the church of Rome agaynst the wil of the Greke Emperour affirming the same possessions to be the right of the Empire From thence Pipine first receiued and brought into Fraunce the Ecclesiasticall rites of the Romanes and ceremonies of songes Thempire conueyed from the FrenchmeÌ„ to the Germenes c. Howebeit the gouernement of thempire Charles posteritie was not very stable and permanent For from the firste yere of Charles wherein he was created Emperour vnto the seuenth yere of Conrade whiche was Nephewe to Lewis the .3 by his Brother the laste of the house of Charles are accompted aboute an hondreth and .19 yeres For Charlemaigne reigned Emperour .14 yeres Lewis .26 Lotharius .15 Lewis the seconde .21 Charles two yeres Caluus surnamed the seconde Charles .3 Crassus .12 Arnulphe .12 Lewis the .3.10 Conrade .7 Conrade liyng on his death bed nominateth Kinge Henry Duke of Saron surnamed Falconer And thus was the Empire translated to the Germanes This Henry called the firste came neuer in Italy neuer was consecrate or crowned of the Pope His Sonne Ottho the firste of that name sente for in Italy is red to haue gone thither with a greate Armie beyng receyued at Rome and saluted of the people Emperour and Auguste Ottho Frisinge in the .6 boke of Histories the .17 chapt affirmeth out of the decrees that Pope Leo the .8 of that name did coÌ„secrate this Ottho the firste King of Germanes For his father Henry refused it Albert Krantz in the .10 and .11 chapt of the fourth booke of Saxon matters affirmeth that Pope Leo made a surrender of all suche thinges as the Popes had receyued of the kinges of Fraunce and the authour defendeth this surrender made to be trewe Howebeit the keper of the Librarie testifieth that Ottho confirmed the donatian of the kinges of Fraunce Pipine Charles and his sonnes There remayneth morouer in the decrees a copie of the othe the .43 distinct wherby kyng Ottho bindeth him self to the Pope that he shall intermeddle with nothyng that coÌ„cerneth the Pope and the Romanes secondely that he shal restore al the landes of S. Peter that shal come into his handes Which thing let the reader iudge what they are Shortely after this time about the yere of our lord .996 Electours They saye how by the decree of Pope Gregory the .5 and by the consent of Ottho the .3 Emperour the seueÌ„ princes Electours were assigned vnto whoÌ„ the defence of the church as sayeth Wimpelingius and the Romane Empire was committed In the whiche thing all Historiographers and wryters doe agree and that of the Italianes Blondus Platina Sabellicus Volaterane Egnâ—tius and others of Germanes Albertus Nauclerus Carion Functius and certen others diuerse haue made no mention of this ordinaunce Wherefore Auentinus in the .5 booke of Cronicles Folio .510.707 sayeth that he knoweth I can not tel how certeÌ„ly that after the death of Fridericke the .2 the Electours were instituted and confirmed of Gregory the .10 But how so euer that matter standeth certayne it is that there hath ben many amonge the seuen princes electours both feruent and earneste in true religion and
rules of Italy and deliuer them to the pope whiche he perfourmed in dede For he ouercame kinge Aistulphe toke from him the gouernement of Rauenna and deliuered it to the Bisshop of Rome Herein maye all men see The kings ouerthrowen the Pope him selfe is made a kīg vnlesse it be those which will see nothing how this contemptuouse Bishoppe and very smal horne hath at one pusshe ouerthrowen two hornes For he hath put themperour of Constantinople frō the gouernmēt of Italy and hath put downe the King of Lumbardy caused his people to be driuen out of Italy For a fewe yeres after the Pope by the force of Charlemaigne put downe Desiderius the last king of Lumbardy and distroied withall the whole people of the Lūbardes And thus starte vp the Pope became as it were king of olde Rome of the chiefe parte of Italy And now ar the beginnings of the kingdome laied but as yet he reigned not with full authoritie as is declared before Eberardus therfore Bisshoppe of Salisburge whose wordes I recited in the preface of this boke extendeth these things further But I suppose this our exposition to accorde with the prophet with the thinges times And the pope gaue to king Pipine for so great a donatiō a title as Platina sheweth in the life of Stephen the .2 that al kinges of Fraūce shuld be called moste Christen Afterwarde was the Image of the Empire bestowed vpon Charles whereof is spoken before And leest the Pope should seme to haue receiued nothing whilest king Pipine gaue him therarchate the stories reporte thus The Pope made a most mightie king thexarchate was diuided into two regiones in Pentapolis and Aemilia Pentapolis had fiue cities Rauenna Cesena Classe Forum liuij and Forum popilij In Aemilia were Bononie Rhezo Parma Placence and all the lādes that lie from the borders of the Placentines and Ticinians vnto Adria and frō Adria to Arimine c. But he that liste maye reade the Donation of Ludouicus pius in Volateranes Geographie where he nombreth the kynges of Fraunce We saye nothing yet of this that afterward he vsurped to him self power ouer kings and realmes finally ouer all churches and soules so that we must confesse that a more maruelouse prince neuer liued Thou hast here a briefe and compēdiouse story declaring how the Pope hauing hūbled ouerthrowē three kinges he him self began to be made a king But let vs now apply herunto the nōbre of the name of the beast The popes power augmēted both in spiritualties in temporallies to th ende it maye so be knowen to the whole world that there is no other Antichrist to be loked for than the bishop of Rome that is comē which in dede laied the foundatiō of his kingdom vnder thēperour Phocas did builde it vnder the kings of Fraūce and inlarged the same vnder themperours Henrickes Friderickes finally hath establisshed it vnder themperours followyng reigneth in our time and hath done certen ages already paste c. The supputation of .666 yeres must be rekened from the time wherin S. Iohn sawe the reuelation Ireneus sayeth It was sene no longe time sins but in a maner in our dayes about th ende of the reigne of Domitian And Eusebius in his chronicles saieth that it was in the yere of our lord .97 Therfore there remayne yet thre yeres to accomplish an hondreth yeres from the birth of our lord Adde therfore to an hōdreth yeres The fatall yere of our lord .763 these yeres of the nōbre of the name of the beast .666 substracte those three yeres of the first hondreth and thou shalt haue the yere of our Lord .763 whiche was the .13 yere or there aboutes of king Pipines reigne and the .7 of Pope Paul Notwithstandyng that there be wryters of stories and times which attribute to Paull but one yere c. Now muste we not loke only what thing happened in the very instaunt of the yere .763 but what chaūced in the nexte yeres fourmer and following Whereof I will recite a fewe thinges oute of the writers of stories and tymes Nauclerus in the .16 generat In the yeare of our Lord. Wōders Monsters 750 saieth he vnder Pope Zacharie and vnder themperour Constantine the .5 began the .26 generatiō in the which was made an alteration of the Kingdome of Fraunce an abolyshment of the Kyngs of Lumbardie and a translatiō of the Romane Empire from the Grekes These so greate alterations the wonders dyd happly pourtend which hapned at this tyme. In Mesopotamia the Earth roue a sunder by the space of two myles and a Mule was sayed to haue spoken with a mans voyce Ashes fel downe from heauen Ther were wonderful Earthquakes Crosses appered vpon mens garmēts These things wrote Nauclerus The lyke are red in the storie of Eutropius in the .22 boke vnder the yeare of Cōstantine the .6 moreouer in the Historicall glasse of Vincent in Fasciculo temporū In the yere of our Lord .751 Pipine is made King through the coūsell of Zachary the Pope Pipine the master of the Kyngs household oppressing his lord Hilderych king of Fraūce began to reigne and reigneth .18 yeres This writeth Aemilius in the .2 boke of kings of Fraūce And in the yere .755 Pipine entreth into Italie with an Armie vanquisheth the King of Lumbardes and geueth the whole gouernemente of Rauenna to S. Peter The exarchate is geuen to the Pope against the wil of the Emperour of Constantinople Vespergensis in chronicis You see howe in stead of the Emperour the Pope beginneth after a sort to reigne at Rome and in Italie the hornes be shaken of according to the prophecie Mathew Palmer in his chron vnder the yeare .756 the Romane Empire sayeth he reuolting a pace in the Easte The begynninges and preludies of the Empyre translated and the Emperour persecuting the Christians Idolaters he shoulde haue termed them Pope Stephen gaue to the kynges of Fraunce the Emperiall titles and dignities and cōfirmed Pipine and the successours of his stocke onely for their kyngs al others vtterly excluded and in the name of the people of Rome called hym Patricium Hitherto Palmer Ihon Functius in his Chron. In the yeare of our Lord .756 the rites and ceremonies of the church of Rome The Romish religion obtruted were caried into Fraunce first receiued In the yeare of our Lord .757 Paule is made Pope and immediately followeth that fatall yeare of our Lord .763 as the middle poinct betwixt the yere 750. .770 or .773 Wherein these thinges haue all together chaūced which both geue the name to Antichrist and whereof as euery thing els is knowen by his name so hath he also his name and is knowen In the yeare of our Lorde .768 Stephen the .3 helde a counsell at Rome in the church Laterane of the byshops of Fraūce of Italie Idolatry is confirmed and decreed that none
dilligent labour and godlines he disclosed the furies and ragyng idolatrie of the Heythen and also restored and established the true religion But as in the time of Iosias the olde kankred errour and abominable idolatrie coulde not be rooted out of their hartes but that the greater parte had rather haue still the abominatians of the Amorrheans so the Romanes both in the citie and in the prouinces aspired gredely to the restitution of tholde idolatrie Therefore like as he tamed at the length with greuouse warres the inuincible vngodlines of the Iewes and destroyed the citie of Hierusalem so by the warre of Gothes and Vandales and inuasions of Barbarous nations so the stories terme them he destroyed prowde and wicked Rome with her prouinces The Gothes burne Rome and finally consumed the citie with the sworde and fire of the Gothes The very name of the enemie cried out that the vengeaunce was not executed by men but of God himselfe For the Germane vocable of Gothes doeth signifie the people of God or Gods people For God in highe dutch is called Gott thereof coÌ„meth the gotthes Die gotther the people of God Therfore God and not man did chasten tourmoyle and at last distroye Rome Which thing S. Iohn at this present speaketh most expressely Alaricke a westgotth First in thempire of Honorius Arcadius the westgothes by the conduit of Alaricke besiege the citie assaulte it take it spoyle it S. Hierome to Principia doeth greately lament this chaunce of Rome in the Epitaph of Marcella but Orosius as I also rehearsed in the .57 sermon doeth in my iudgement more rightly coÌ„mende the iuste iudgement of God in Rome afflicted It is playne that Rome was than for the grenousenes of her sinnes chastised with mercy but where the Romanes would not acknowledge the hande of the striker it came to passe that Alaricke beyng dead the victorious army hauyng now Adolphe to their captaine retourned out of Lucania spoyled the riches of Rome much more gredely now than they did before From the whiche time was graunted agayne to Rome a space of repentaunce about .42 yeres Atthâ—la king of Hunnes In the meane time by distructioÌ„s ouerthrowes geuen by the Hunnes in their prouinces that great and wonderfull they are admonished to be wise What will they saye that Athila him selfe with his Hunnes inuadeth now Italy it self now hangeth ouer the necke of Rome There chaunced than a thing which had ben able to haue tourned the Romanes to the seruice of the true God in case there had remayned in theÌ„ one sparke of thankfulnes For the minister of the church of Rome Bisshoppe Leo the ambitiouse pride of Popes was not yet knowen a preacher of the Christiane fayth and a stewarde of Christes misteries making supplicatioÌ„ to Athila obteyneth peace for Rome by a manifeste oration tourneth awaye the blouddy enemie from the neckes of the Romanes This was an exceding great benefite which God by his seruauÌ„t would shewe to the Romanes in case they would yet cease to hate the religion of Christ and to sclaunder Christ as though he poured out euilles into the worlde and that there came no good nor quietnes of the preachyng of the gospell For euen now not to speake of others innumerable he hath imploide vpoÌ„ come a benefite inestimable and that by the preacher of the gospel This was done in the yere of our Lord .454 Howebeit whilest the Romanes proceded after their accustomed maner GeÌ„serich a Vandal and nowe also Valentinian a Prince not euill was murthered and by a tumulte many vnworthie thinges were done nother did there any token of thankefulnes towardes Christ appere or signe of trewe conuersion through the meanes of one woman Eudoxia the wife of Valentinian whyche her selfe also suffered many vnworthie thynges in that Tumulte it was broughte to passe that Genserichus kynge of Vandalles sayled out of Affricke with three hondreth thousande to Rome and toke it and by the space of fouretene whole dayes he gathered vp the treasures brought thither out of al partes in a maner of the world inhabited Than coulde the intercession of Leo doe nothing saue that the Vandalles absteyned from killyng and burnynge which was also a benefite of God not to be contemned The firste king of Westgothes which brake into Rome was called Alrich others cal him Atalarich but this king of Vandalles is named Genserych and so Rome an whore is made desolate and naked spoyled I saye whiche beyng inriched with the spoyles of all nations was hitherto prowde Howbeit it was not nowe altogether defaced and brent the whiche was no small benefite which Christ agayne shewed to Rome for an amendement And yet moreouer are grauÌ„ted aboute twentie yeres in the which neuertheles as in the ten tribes of Israel before the destruction of Samaria 4. boke of kinges were practised continuall murthers whilest teÌ„ princes raigne at Rome yet so for al that that there was neuer one of these whiche was not of an other eyther slayne murthered or expulsed Augustulus emoÌ„ges these was the laste For as Augustulus succeding Iulius gaue the beginning to the Romane monarchie so Augustulus ended the same Odacer a Germane For the Romane legions beyng extinguished the name imperiall by the Germanes Odacer whiche toke his name of destroiyng of landes Oedacher and was called as it were a distroyer wanne Rome and in it raigned kinge aboute .15 yeres Yet is he expulsed agayne and slayne at the iustigation of Zenon Emperour of Constantinople by Theodoricke Prince of the Eastegothes Theodoricke an Eastgoth And the Eastegotthes raigne at Rome about fiftie yeres til the Emperour Iustinian sent Bellisarius into Italy with a greke armye to recouer the same whom the Eastgothes beyng ayded with a power of Germanes sent vnto them by Theodoper kyng of Fraunce valeauntly resisted They warred in Italy by the space of .18 yeres continually with fortune variable Totila Balduffe or balduill At the laste Totila Baldeuille ouercome He toke and burnt the citie of Rome and yet not sodainely For he gaue a time to deliberate But where he could not so preuayle he distroyed Rome and as S. Iohn hath prophecied burnte her with fire Al stories make meÌ„tion of this destructioÌ„ Iohn Auentine in the .3 boke of Cronicles of the same matter hath written this Totilas besegeth Rome taketh it the .16 kaleÌ„des of Ianuarie 17. of Decembre in the yere of the christen saluation 548. Totila gaue all the goodes to the soldiours but he commaunded by proclamation that their bodies should be free FroÌ„ thence he sent ambassadours with his pleasure to newe Rome CoÌ„staÌ„tinople vnto Iustinian He required of themperour Italy the leage as it had beÌ„ vnder themperour Anastase Theodoricke king Which if he might not obteyne Totila threatened that he would rase the citie whiche he coulde not kepe abolish the Romane name Iustinian answered how Bellisarius was in Italy vnto whom he had
whome the lord executeth greatest affaires They take vpon them for the moste parte the shape of men and very oft appeare vnto men serue kepe and doe good vnto theÌ„ accordyngly as God vseth their ministerie Hebrew 1. For the Apostle speakyng of Angelles as I tolde you in the .29 Sermon be they not al sayeth he ministring spretes which are sent forth to serue for their sakes whiche shall be made heyres of saluation And these thinges doeth the Scripture make playne by sondry examples Genes 18.19 Three appered to Abraham in mans likenes whiche were Aungelles instructyng him two deliuered Loth him self out of the handes of the Sodomites and brought him out of the fire Genes 32. whole armies of Aungelles inuironne Iacob defendyng him agaynst the force and violence oâ— his brother Esawe Exod. 34. The Lorde sente his Angell before Moses and the children of Israell to leade them through the wildernes into the lande of promission 4. kings 6 4. kinges 19. Firie charettes compassed about Helizeus An Angel leuied the siege of Hierusalem slayeng an hondreth foure score and fiue thousande of the Assiryans Daniel hath Angelles familiar with him Likewise the fathers and other Prophetes An Aungell deliuereth Ioseph out of all care Math. 1.2 the same deliuereth the wise menne from the treason of Herode by and by he commaundeth to conueye awaye Christ into Aegipt Matth. 4.28 Angelles minister to Christ in white garmentes they testified that the Lorde was risen and ascended into heauen Actes 1.5.10 and .12 The same bryng the Apostles out of prison one of them deliuereth Peter out of Herodes prison An Angell is sent to Cornelius an Italian captayne Angelles many times talke with Paule Oftentimes they imploye great benefites vpon men They declare themselues through God to be of greate power And whileste menne obserue those thinges †Whie Iounwold haue worshipped the Angel they would worshippe Aungelles as euen at this present where the Apostle S. Iohn vnderstande that Christ him self by his Angell did open to him so great misteries for the profit of churches whilest he maruayled at his brightnes and godly giftes he would by and by haue worshipped this his Angell the bringer of misteries not that he intended or pourposed to reuolte from God and couered in stead of God to worshippe an Angell for nother is it lawefull ones to Imagine suche a wickednes of so greate an Apostle He woulde therefore haue worshipped and honored the Angell with Dulia as they terme it and as Thomas of Aquine expoundeth it not with Latria that is to saye to worshyppe and honour God as God but the Aungell somewhat lesse as an excellent messager of God Howebeit herein he offended to the ende that al menne should vnderstande that they sinne howe many so euer doe worshippe and honour Aungelles or excellent creatures with godly worshippe As all the worshippers of Sainctes doe at this daye in Papistrie Nother haue they any other shifte to colour their errour but that same distinction that God is worshipped and honoured with worship latrical and Sainctes and Angelles with worship dulical and the virgin Mary with honour hiperdulical and I wote not what thinges els which I am both ashamed and loth to reherse And it appereth that S. Iohn here was intangled with the same errour S. Iohn erreth whom otherwise we must nedes coÌ„fesse to haue sinned by Apostasie and would haue worshipped the Angell for God or with God Which are both two wicked and vnworthie such a manne But in ease he worshipped God and would neuerthelesse haue worshipped the Angel also what thing els did he than offende in the worshippe dulicall And verely God hath permitted so worthie a man to erre as he did also Peter and Thomas to the intent he mighte heale ouâ— infirmities that is to witte that by their errours we might learne to beleue more rightly and to honour God more purely For this present place teacheth openly and other like examples of errours that all the sayinges and doynges of Sainctes are not to be allowed without any differente For now here followeth the facte of an Angel most excellent that is to saye a godly confutatioÌ„ of the errour That noâ— Aâ—â—gellâ—s 〈◊〉 Sa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shâ—uld be worshipped First he sayeth not lightly do not as thou haste pourposed but greuousely condemning his facte he sayeth with a certen vehemencie see thou doest it not We haue a like phrase of speach here in Swicerlande what time signifiynge in any wise to be ware we saye Long vnd thu das nitte Loke thou doest it not Wherefore we haue learned by the testimonie of the angell that now nother Angels nor sainctes are to be worshipped For seyng the Lord himself sayeth of Sainctes thei shal be as the Angelles of God I see not whie they shoulde not match the Sainctes with Angels And we haue verely learned that they maye be worshipped nother with culte latrical nor dulical And to worship is with a minde to honour to fal at the fete to bowe downe and knele As I haue sayed els where After thangel sheweth reasons whie he ought not to worshippe for I am thy fellowe seruaunt He sayeth not seruauÌ„t but fellowe seruaunt to witte of the same office with thee vnder the same lord and maister For Angelles serue God after their maner and so doe menne serue God after theyr maner yet are all seruauntes and that the seruauntes of one maister And it is agaynste reason that one seruaunt should honour and worship and other of his fellowes beyng of the same state and creation It is therfore an vnworthie matter that the faithful should worship the Apostles Prophetes or Martirs muche lesse doeth it become them to honour their dead bones And leeste any man should saye how thangel in dede in respecte of the moste excellent Apostle S. Iohn confesseth himself to be his felowe seruaunt but that there is an other consideration to be had of other men which come not nere the dignitie of blessed Iohn therefore sins we be much inferiour we maie worship Angelles and Apostles our superiours The bretherne of Iohn and Christ he preuenteth and sayeth and of thy bretherne And who be the bretherne of the Apostle S. Iohn the Angel him selfe aunswereth and sayeth whiche haue the testimony of Iesu The testimony of Iesus is the gospell the very fayth fixed on the gospell comprehendyng with a faythfull minde Iesus Wherfore al the faithful of Christ be Iohns bretherne therefore is the Angel their fellowe seruaunt also And therefore none of the faithful ought to worship any Angel or Apostle the lorde him selfe also in the .12 of Matth. calleth all that obeye his worde or preachyng ChristeÌ„ fraternitie bretherne And here is dilligentely to be noted that by faith we are made the bretherne of Christ of Angelles and Apostles This shuld the Monkes and Freres haue beaten in and set forth and not the fraternitie of our Lady
Easte and Weste And to the intente I may note somewhat hereof and may rehearse for those that be ignoraunte in stories it is playne that vnder that Chylde of pardition Pope Gregory the .7 there were many most famouse churches in the Easte and that Patriarchall churches yet safe but whileste this Pope aboue all others dealte wickedly againste Christ the son of God and his holy church lyke as we read in the time of Salomon that after he had reuolted many enemies arrose against him and that moste cruell so in the wicked and tyrannicall raigne of Gregory the seuenth In the tyme of pope gregory the .7 euyls begā to ouerflo Solymanne the Turke inuaded Antioch at the whyche time the Emperours of Grece are sayed to haue ben dispatched of the East countrie And the Turkes marching forewarde are sayde to haue inuaded and vexed first the straits or ports of the Caspiane hilles and the countrie of Armenia aboute the yeare of our Lorde .764 Whereof there is nowe no time to speake After Solyman succedeth Belchiaroke the Turkyshe Prince whome others call Belzet which also inuaded Grece it selfe the Emperours of Constantinople dispised Alexius which then was Emperour is sayd to haue demaunded aide of the westerne men against the Turks And also one Peter an Heremite whō certē Historiographers blame most greuouslie not without cause comming oute of the Easte and running through oute the Weste crieth Alarme Vrbane the seconde whome some call Turbane and disciple of Gregory the .7 calleth a great counsell at Cleremounte in Fraunce The counsell of Cleremounte wherin he propoundeth a question of the recouering of the holy lande and deliuering the Lordes sepulture oute of the hands of the Infidelles That counsell putteth me in remēbraunce of that which is described in the .8 booke of Kinges the .22 chapter vnder Achab and Iosaphat for the recouering of Ramoth Galaad oute of the hands of the Syrians For ther was in this also a deceauing spirit there were Achabbes there were Iosaphats and many other thinges lyke And to the intente not to make many wordes a iourney is decreed against the barbarous infideles of the East This was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1095 In the meane time Peter the Heremite bestirred him a pase and gathered certen thousandes which he leadeth through Hongarie in to Asia And immediately after followe the vnlucky captaines Folkemar and Gottschalke priestes which by the way distroying all with fyre and sworde are slaine The fyrste voiage into the holy lande At the last Godfrey and Baldwyne most noble Princes with certen excellent Captaynes and Noble warriours with an innumerable multitude of men trāsported into Asia which they say was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1096 And within .4 yeares space at the moste or thre they had taken by assault or surrēdrie the Cities of Nice Heraclea Tarsus Antioch and Hierusalem The Abbot of Vrspurge reporteth that there was so much bloude shed in the Citie of Hierusalem that in the very temple it selfe the horses stode vp to the knees in the blud of the slayne there The same man telleth of a notable battayle foughten at Askalon A notable battayle in the which aboute fiftene thousand footemen and fyue thousand horsemen of Christians ouerthrewe and discomfited Solimanne of Babilon furnisshed with an hondreth thousande horsemen and four hondreth thousand footemen and that there were slayne in that battaile aboue an hondreth thousād men And this iourney of Godfrey was the first emonges the woorthy voiages of Syria or Asia 2. After this voiage folowed others mo and that beste furnished For whilest the victorie and good lucke of them that went firste into the East was highlie extolled and commended through out the West William Prince and Duke of Poictiers beinge put in greate hope leadeth also about an hondreth thousand footemen in to the Easte countrie The yeare of our Lord was accompted .1101 But of so great a nombre scarcely one thousande are written to haue retourned home in safetie 3. After in the yeare of our Lorde .1147 through the exhortation of Barnarde Clareualle Lewis Kynge of Fraunce and Conrade Kyng of Germanie and Fredericke Prince of Swaland toke their iourney in to the Easte which led with them an Armie almoste innumerable but the same died in a maner all scarcely the Princes lefte on lyue 4. In the yeare of our Lorde .1189 what time the Citie of Hierusalem was taken by the Soldane King of Persia where the Christians had kept it onely about .89 yeares The Emperour Fredericke surnamed Barbarousse Philippe Kynge of Fraūce Richard Kyng of England and other Princes most puissaunte leuied an exceding greate Armie of Christen people to recouer the Citie and Holy lande and very luckelye transported their Armie in to Asia but after had moste euyll lucke For the Emperour Fredericke was drowned and the whole Armie as Vrspurgens testifieth died of the plague 5. The fifte and that famouse indede voiage in Syria made the moste mightie Kinges Philippe of Fraunce and Richard of Englande surnamed Coeur de Lion The same was done in the yeare of our Lord .1191 Howbeit they retourned withoute any woorthy exploicte done wauntinge not a fewe of their menne 6. And Palmerius a Cronographer Henry sayeth he the sonne of the Emperour Barbarousse sent an Armie in to Syria which retourneth agayne the nexte yeare The Christians therefore being destitute of ayde in Syria loste vtterly all the dominion that they had lefte He seaketh these things in the yere of our Lorde .1198 7 Agayne in the yere of our lord .1213 Pope Innocent the .3 of that name sendeth his letters publicke to al the faythful of Christ wherein he exhorteth them to take armour agaynste the infidelles whiche possessed the holy lande Innocente the .3 as did Vrbane the 2. ringeth a larme Yf any manne haue leasure and liste to reade the letters he shall finde them in the Chronic. of Vrspurg And not longe after in the yeare of our Lorde .1215 he holdeth a generall coūsel in Laterane wherein warre is decreed agaynst the Easterlinges And also Honorius the .3 aboute the yere of our Lord .1217 treateth and confirmeth the same thinge Whereupon many christen Princes mette at Accon whiche some time was called Ptolemais and made mortall warre vpon the Easterlynges Wherein they toke the noble citie Damiata Yet nother the ende nor fruicte aunswered so great enterprises and costes perilles and losses 8 Therefore Fridericke the .2 and Emperour moste excellent hopyng to doe some good marcheth also with an enge and well furnisshed armie into the Easte whiche they saye was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1234 In the meane season whilest he doeth valeauntly in the Easte the Bisshoppe of Rome Gregory the .9 of that name takyng an occasion I vse the wordes of Vrspurgens of the absence of the Emperour sente a greate armie into Apulia The pope setteth vpon themperour in the west whilest he warreth in
the Easte and toke awaye the landes of the Emperour Whiche was absent in the seruice of Christe whiche is moste wicked to be spoken and kepte them thus subdued to his owne vse and by no meanes wold suffer those whiche had taken the holy crosse that is to saye whiche should go a warfare to the Emperour to take shippyng or passage but letted them to his power aswel in Apulia as in Lumbardie And more such stuffe whiche they maye reade that haue leasure in the same Wherefore themperour constreyned his matters there lefte vnperfit to falle to a coÌ„position with the enemie retourned that he might recouer such thinges as the Pope had taken from him 9 And no longe time after to witte in the yere of our Lord 1248. Lewis Kinge of Fraunce with his bretherne Roberte and Charles and a moste puissaunt army sayleth into Syria where Robarte is slaine and Charles taken of the Soldane is hardely deliuered at the laste and with a fewe escapeth The same king Lewis of Fraunce in the yere of our Lord 1270. imbarketh himself with his three sonnes at Marselles to sayle into Affricke The plague light vpoÌ„ his Armie in the enemies lande wherwith both the father and the sonne died and the whole Armie receyued an excedyng great calamitie And agayne although they had but euill fauoured lucke in the warres against the Barbarians yet was it neuerthelesse treated agayne in the counsell of Lions vnder Gregory the .10 about the yere of our Lord .1273 of recouering the holy land But Palmerius in the yere of our Lorde .1291 Where many thousandes of the Christians sayeth he were slaine in Syria by the Saracenes al the reste for feare fled out of the countrie And the Chronicle of kinges of FrauÌ„ce Aemilius sayeth he made here an ende of the holy warre to witte in the yere of our Lord .1291 Ptolemais in the Easte beyng destroyed by the Soldane It is manifeste therefore that this Barbarous and gogical warre hath lasted aboute .195 yeares So longe time as I knowe no other warre in the world that euer was made with such obstinate mindes with so great armies and so muche shedyng of mans bloud We see in the meane time the tentes of sainctes and the citie of God beloued to witte the faithful church through out the world in the Easte especially and in the west also to be most greuousely afflicted and more than oppressed and destroyed a fewe smal remnauntes only remaynyng that not with out cause we maye perceiue that the lord sayed in the gospell but when the sonne of man shal come shal he finde any fayth in the Earth Here is a place of Daniell treated by the waye 11. chapt The moste holy and wise Prophet of God Daniel semeth to haue foresene and prophecied al those thinges as he did al the reste concernyng Antichrist which after he had spoken at large of the power of Antichrist worshippyng of the God Mayzim against the Apostles institution he adioyneth in the 11. chapt And in the time of the ende to witte the ende of the world and laste iudgement approachyng shal sette vpon him namely vpon Antichrist the king of the South and the king of the North shal fall vpoÌ„ him like a whirlewinde with charettes and horsemen with a strong and greate Nauie and shall inuade his realmes he shall ouerflowe with armies to witte innumerable and he shal passe through that is to saye he shal ouercome all like a conquerour doyng what he liste For we haue perceyued that the armies sent into the Easte by the counselles and motion of the Bisshop of Rome haue molested by Sea and lande the turkes and also the Soldane of Babilon Aegipte What will ye saye that Daniel poincting as it were with his fingar the war called holy addeth He shal come also into the chosen lande and inuade the lande of desire namely Iewrie whiche some time was called the chosen delectable and pleasaunt lande And many shal falle in the warre verely that shal be made for the recoueryng of the holy lande It followeth in Daniel these shal be deliuered out of his hande Aedom and Moab the Princes of the children of Ammon For those nations are not red to haue ben so destroyed as the reste were by the Saracenes and after by the Turkes for that they framed themselues to them in time Daniel annexeth and he shal laye his handes vpon realmes nother shal the laÌ„de of Aegipte escape For it is euident that the same also was possessed of the Soldanes princes of Babilon and of themperours of Turkes It followeth and he shal haue the rule of the treasures of golde and siluer and all the preciouse thinges of the Aegiptians By the whiche the prophet hath signified the inestimable treasures and richesse and excellent maiestie of the Soldanes and Turkish Emperours All the whiche thinges euen so as the Prophet hath sayde experience proueth to haue ben and as yet to be fulfilled The Prophet addeth finally the Libians and Aethiopians shal be in his iourneyes Which tholde traÌ„slatour hath tourned He shal passe also through Lybia and Aethiopia or as others haue traÌ„slated it they shal be in his waye And he meaneth that those regions shall be open to those Barbarous Soldanes and emperours of Turkes by leage vicinitie and amitie S. Hierome expounding this place when Aegipte sayeth he was taken those landes were also affrayde Wherfore he sayeth not that he toke them but passed through Lybia Aethiopia Whether sense of these so euer thou chousest tâ—ou shalt not erre as I thinke froÌ„ the trewth And Daniel addeth the brute from the Easte and froÌ„ the North shal trouble hiâ— in so much that he shall goe forth in a great furie to distroye and kill many The whiche S. Hierome sheweth muste be vnderstaÌ„de of Antichrist The Pope of Rome affirmeth that the seates Patriarchall are subiecte to him as Hierusalem Antioche and Alexandria and the holy laÌ„de to be his right And he heareth out of the East and out of the North that al those partes are possessed of the Soldanes and Emperours of Turkes he calleth therefore great counselles and decreeth warre against them He heareth moreouer that CoÌ„stantinople is taken that the Rhodes is wonne Dalmatia subdued Bulgarie and Hongarie vanquissed c. Agayne therefore he sommoneth couÌ„selles he armeth kinges he leadeth forth soldiours he moueth warre and decreeth that warre shall be made for the recouering of the holy laÌ„de and to roote out the Turkes So verely this Gogmagog warre is not yet ended or appeased at this daye Whereby it coÌ„meth to passe that an infinite multitude of men are slayne on eyther side Furthermore at the ende of this Prophecie the prophet sheweth and as it were with his fingar poincteth the palace or seate of Antichrist by Antiochus figured before leeste any manne should not know The seate palace of Antichrist where Antichrist were to be founde And he shall plante sayeth he or sixe the