borne vp Also here be prices taught their office to se diligently that their subiectes be lerned the worde of God and other craftis and coning artes c. necessary for a comon weal. It is testifyed here confirmed the precept deu 17. coÌ„maÌ„ding the kiÌ„g alwais to holde the boke of the law of god in his haÌ„dis that he mought read it lerne therein Wherefor kynges ought to procure diligeÌ„tly siche lerned godly meÌ„ of whoÌ„ thei shuld lerne who also shuld tech other euen hitherto pertaineth the saying of I saye 49. euen the kings to be y e nources of their peple that is kings to nouresh vp maintayn and defende the prechers and techers of the chirches and scholes and not to destroie burne banishe and commande them to silence Oh how highly is king ezechias praised for restoring the studies and scoles of the preists Wherfore al princes ought to know God to requyre of them straightly this office The iewes persecuted their owne Prophets but nowe the haithen kinge nourissheth them aÌ„d receiued grete benefits of God for so doing For he was by them conuerted vnto the trwe religioÌ„ and had a flouresshing kingdom for these good me nis sakes For god largely recompenseth this kynde of office according to his own promise whoso geueth but a draft of water to any one of my preachers he shal haue his rewarde But contrary the tyraÌ„ts whiche despise moleste and persecute the godly prechers studies and scoles thei shal be plaged with horrible punishmeÌ„ts To this study of godly prices pertaineth that peter commandethe Euery man to be redye to geue a rekening of his faithe and to satisfie whoso asketh him ther of and Paul commandeth Titum that the peple lerne to excess in good workis vnto vses necessarye so that thei be not vnprofitable At laste ye se Daniels temperancye to haue bene the worke of his lawful profession commanded in the law and not the tradicion of man nor yet his own chosen holynes or religion he wolde not defile himself with the haitheÌ„ kings forboden meats to auoide the company rites of the gentiles Also Daniel being in the kings courte nether for threates nor for contempt or plesure nor by powr wolde hebe ouercomen or tempted once to swarue from the trwe worship worde aÌ„d fere of god no not for promocioÌ„ whiche thing wil not owr spiritual courtyers do Loke ye therfore of Daniels coÌ„stancye his faith and temperaÌ„cie and folowe it if ye will with Daniel be godly promoâ— For thei that glorifye me I shall glorifye them saith the lorde 1. samuel 2. And thei that despyse me I shal abhorre and with shame confounde them The godly therfor in tyme of peace heare the prophets and prechers that is thei feare the comminacions of God and beleue his promises wherfor when thei be punisshed with the vngodly as men in perel both in one shippe thei despeier not but thei confesse their synnes to God pronowncing him to be iuste And because God saith as verely as I lyue I wilnot â— death of a synner but had â—r him to be conuerted lyue a non thei erecte theÌ„selues by his promises ayenst his comminacions thei cal vpon him thei be herd and holpen as ye se it in the example of Daniel and his felows in this Chapter For thei be as sewer as god lyueth and raigneth that he will kepe promise w t theÌ„ that repent beleue his promises â—herfor thei prescribe not y t tyme nor place nor maner to god in fulfilling his promises w t them as do the vngodly but ayenst all hope and truste thei hope and beleue as did Abraham and thei preche as did Abacuâ— saying God wil fulfil his promise This example therfore techeth vs manifestly trwthe it to be that Paul saith God to be mighty enoughe to bring althings to passe aboue our estimacion expectacion asking and vnderstanding â–ª to whom be glorye But contrary do the vngodly whiche in tyme of peace deryde and coÌ„tempne the prechers of the gospel and heare the prophetes of the deuil preching his aÌ„d their own false doctryn boldely affirmig those coÌ„minacioÌ„s of y e trw prophets to be vain because god promised y e scepter of Iuda not to be taken froÌ„ theÌ„ and as we promise oâ—r selues victory ayenst the turke because we be crystened cal vpon holy saints he being an heithen miscreant we make with ower â—yes that is with the false interpretacion of the scriptures and falser preching the peple and ower selues so sewer that we dare saye and crye with the Iewes Templum domini templum domini The temple the temple of the lorde The churche of God the churche of God arwe c. But God almyghty and mercyfull nethelesse kepeth his promises as thou here seist him yea although he punisshe the vngodly as it is afore sayd For it is the synne of the false Prophetis being ignoraÌ„t of the nature and difference of the lawe and Gospell that make the vngodly in tyme of peace to coÌ„temne and skorne out the worde of God and so to fall from God in tyme of batail And euen the bloude of all these contemners of Gods worde now perisshed shall God requyre at the handis of owre false Prechers Wherfore Ieremye wel dehorted and disswaded the peple sayinge Se that ye beleue not the lying wordes and sermoÌ„s of the false prechers saying The temple the temple of the lorde is so holy For because that Hananias agene-sayd Ieremies sermons Iere. told him he shuld dye the same yeare because he preched agaynst the lorde So trewe is it that is comonly sayd ye will not beleue y e trwe prechers exceptye se signes mirâ—… Let vs therfore feare God accordinge to his commandements and beleue in him as it standeth in owr credo and accor ding to all his promises and praye we alwais as cryste techeth vs in owr â—ordis prayer that we may in tyme of peace w t our wel doings and sayngs ouercom the enuye of our aduersaries and in the troublous tymes of warre be preserued with owr cryste and preseruer almighty as were Daniel and his felows and may raigne as thei did in the middes emong owr enimies Amen Here is Nebuchadne â—â—â—â— dreame declared whiche Daniel interpreteth of the. 4. Monarchies which shal be destroid at the coming of crystes kingdome IN this chapter God conforteth his captiued iewes and ensâ—ructeth the king vnto the kingdom of heuen He coÌ„forteth theÌ„ in that he glorifieth Daniel shewing Messias to come in and aftir the fowerth Monarchie He enstructeth the king in that he confoundeth his wyse men the preistis and dreame tellers in de claring cryste to pertaine vnto the gentiles but so that firste the wysedoÌ„ of those worldely polityk preistis be proued all folisshnes In the secoÌ„de yere of Nebucadnezar he himself sawe a dreame whereby his spirit gretely afraid he awaked Then he called
passion hath not Winchesters condicion But the promises of corporall benefits not onely require that we beleue the power of God to be myghty enough but also that he will helpe vs yf it please him when and how he hath decreed it which condicion is not against the nature of faith but declareth obedience for all these must go togither faith obedience prayer to aske and abyde Gods plesure For so pray Dauid 2. of the kynges 15. And these 3. men permitted the ende and maner of their delyuerance out of the ouen vnto Gods will and plesure whom they were euer redy to obeye But the glory of god they defended affirming him to be able enough to delyuer them so that their faith waited vpon god for siche consolacion and helpe and when it shuld please him to sende it them So that ye see the corporall promises of the lawe to haue these condicions but the promises of the gospell of grace and remission haue no condicion but be made frely in criste and performed to the beleuers For the declaracion of the. 6. place ye shall knowe that therfore be corporall afflictions layde vpon vs to excyte vs to prayer and to excercyse our faith as it is in I saye Lorde in their affliccion they seke the tribulacion sorofull groning are to them thy nourtering and discipline Wherfore let vs put awaye all mistrust and thinke not oure prayers and his promises to be in vayne yea allthough we adde the condicion yf it be thy will for God delyuereth vs when we call vpon him to certifye vs of his presence as it is in the Psal. I shall delyuer the and thou shalt glorifye me And when he taketh not awaye oure present calamite yet geueth he vs vnspekable confort and euen his holy spirit Wherfore his promyse is neuer invayne to the beleuers And therfore cryst commandeth vs incessantly to praye Albeit the deliuerance be differred to drawforth oure faith hope and pacient expectacion But thus to do is harde vnto reason For when god delyuereth not menis myndis be broken beleuing themselues not to be herde then beginne they to dowt or to thinke God to be angrye with them so to be full of indignacion against god and vtterly to fall from him as did Saul which temptacion fayth must resist and aske encrease the more feruently perswaded of helpe although yet he feleth no helpe nor be lykely to haue any For god will ether helpe at that present tyme or sende some consolacyon otherwyse or mitigate the heuynes or by his meruelous counsell bringe all thy desiers vnto a better ende then thyselfe canst deuyse or wysshe Faithfull he is w t in temptacion geueth vs a good escape 〈…〉 the miracle is done to conuerte the kynge to the confession of God which conuerted expresseth his confession and forbideth the blasphemies Here be princes taught to abolyssh all vngodly doctryne and false worshippings c. and to be diligent in setting forth godly doctryne and the Cristen religion For y e Magistrates shuâ—de be the kepers and mayntainers of the hole lawe perteining to discipline For as they prohibit murther although thei cannot change menis herts so ought thei to forbidde outwarde idolatrye blasphemies and externe reuerent behauiour before images as creping to the crosse kyssynge and knelynge and praying before them with all lyke vngodly worsshipes honours rites ceremonyes be they neuer so decent and laudable before men 〈…〉 excecrable before God for that thei haue not his worde for them For albeit the office of the magistrate be not the ministracion of the spirit that is cannot conuert menis hertis yet ought he to be the minister to defende godis discipline and lawe to be the cheife membre of the churche to helpe the other members that the godly doctryne be taught maintained preched forth to all other This fowerth chapter sheweth the kynge for his vngodly securite in welthe pryde to be cast oute of his realme at last for his repentaÌ„ce to be restored For albeit the kynge had by these interpretacions of his dreames by this miracle by the doctryne of Daniel a great taste and know 〈…〉 of the almyghty god of Israel yet did his spiritualtye that is to saye his wyse lerned men sothe sayers sorcerers enchaunters or philosophers so bewitche him that they extolled him vp into siâ—he a securite and pryde that he anon forgote god forgote himself and all that God had done to him by these holy meÌ„ And therfore he had yet another ferefull vision which is here reherced of him self and he was punisshed put out of his kyngdome lost his mynde made lyke a brute beste and so aftir his punisshment restored to his mynde kyngdome with an vnfayned coÌ„uersion and trew penaÌ„ce he setteth thus forth his proclamacion ☞ Nebucadnezar the kynge vnto all peple nacions tongues thorow all the worlde dwellinge wyssheth and prayeth that your peace be eucreased I know it to be my dewtye to tell you the signes and wnderfull miracles which y e most hyghe god hath brought vpon me For his toknes are meruelouse great and ryght mighty are his miracles his kyngdome is an euerlasting kyngdom and his powr is perpetuall I Nebucadnezar happye and prosperouse in my familie and ryche in my palace did see a dreame so ferefull that my thoughtes in my bedde troubled my head greuously wherfore I sent oute a commandement that all the wyse men of Babylon shuld be brought vnto me to interprete my dreame Then were there brought before me the wysemen the soth sayers of chaldey astronimers ce vnto whom I tolde my dreame but y e interpretacion therof thei cold not tell me vntill at last there came daniel vnto me whose name is Balthasar aftir the name of my god which daniel hathe the spirit of the most holy god and vnto him I tolde my dream saynge Balthasar cheif master of the wyse men astronimers all in whom I knowe to be the spirit of the most holy god and that ther is no secrete mysterye hidde from the tell me my drame what it signifieth For this was my dreame in my bedde I did see a tree vpoÌ„ the middis of the erthe whiche was fayer and highe The tre was great and stronge so high that it reched vnto y e heuen â–ª and might be sene to the farthest parris â—â— al the erthe â— branches were fayer lusty to beholde 〈…〉 frute so plentuouse that it was meat sufficient for all thinges vnder it as it were in a plesant shadewe there dwelt the wylde beastes and the birdes nesiled in 〈…〉 branches and all things ly uinge were fed of that tree And whyls in my dreame I behelde it lo there came downe from heuen in great spede an holy aungell crying lowde and spekinge thus kutte downe the tree and loppe of 〈…〉 bowes smyte of 〈…〉 branches and skatere away â— frute and let the beastes
kynges and princes to confirme idolatrye and to in sondre the chirche of cryst Wherfore very fewe princes in the later dayes shall abolish the pope retaine and holde the trewe worship and religion of god Against y t which sclaunder and hurte it is necessary godly myndes to be armed defended And here it behowueth godly men to knowe the synnes of emprowr and princes whiche therfore do they corrupt and destroye the trewe doctryne because they wolde attemper and drawe Gods worship and religion vnto their owne profits and couetouse mynds which verely is not els then openly to illude and mocke cryst of which blasphemose skorning of cryst thissame oure age hath to many examples Secondarily this storye exhorteth princes vnto godlines and warneth them of the plages hanging now ouer all vngodly princes headis Thyrdly it testifyeth mutacioÌ„s of kyngdoms and realmes to be done of god now shortely for the diuerse and manyfolde crymes and enormities of the emprowrs kynges and princes And here god punissheth idolatrye blasphemie as in Manasse in the kynges of Israel In dauide he punisshed aduoutry and his counsell to murther Vrias But it happeneth oft that the synnes of the peple be concurrant with their princes wykednes As in Osee the. 4. Siche princes and preistis siche peple Nether is it to be douted but that these calamities plages and punisshments of the worlde which now are begune be cast vpon it for their manifolde manifest idolatrye glosed with a certayn reuerent behauore to images and also coÌ„mitted in their 〈…〉 oâ— for their false inuocacions prayinge to dede saintes and dome images for their supersticious deceÌ„t rytes and illaudable falsely signifyed ceremonyes tradicions of men for their abhominable horedome for their forbiddinge of lawfull matrimonye for seperating and violating iustely maryed persones for turnynge crystis faith and religion oute of the holy Byble settinge it vp into menis prophane decrees and constitucions there exaltinge their owne popishe articles of their false fayth aboue god and punishing them aboue the transgression of gods precepts Wherfore the vessels of Gods heuey wrath be nowe â—â— powering forth vpon all regions empyres and kyngdoms worthely For theise errours in honoring and fering man mortact and his tradicioÌ„s aboue god and his almighty worde now is the wrath of god made manifest from heauen vpon all vngodlynes â–ª vnrightwysenes c. Hereof it cometh that the Turke hath so good successe prospereth in his warres so mightely agaynst all crystendome Hereof aryse these intestine batails betwixt the crysten kynges to prepare the waye more esey for the turke to inuade vs. Hereof come these pestilences â–ª faminâ— â–ª derth â–ª destruccions burnings and blodshedings The lorde be mercyfull to vs So be it It maye be here asked whether the seculare kynges and princes maye take awaye the chirche goodes Anâ— answerâ—â— that the chirche goodis belong to the pore and now seinge the possessours be ryche lordely bisshops abbots priestes c. these goodis belonge nomore to them for their owne proude lordely ryches putte themselues oute of possession But synne they not w t Belsazar that coÌ„uert y e chirche goodis into prophane vses I answere These vessels of y e temple prophaned of Belsa were consecrated by y e word of god Wherfore he synned in prophaning them But the goods and iewels of oure temples abbeys and bisshoprykis â–ª are not coÌ„secrated to siche vses by gods worde but by their owne inuented couetuose charmings wherfore emprowrs kynges and princes maye take them awaye and putt them to beter vses as to the maintenaÌ„ce of scoles vniuersities to sustayne trewe teachers and godly prechers For it is wryten the workman is worthey his wages Bisshops and preistes that preche not purely ought of the princes to be deposed their possessions taken from them For the princes and magistrats ought to conuerte the goodis of these ydle erth burdens into the sustentâ—cion of the poore and maintayne teachers and scolers lerning the tongues and holy scriptures so that the chirches and ciuile ministracion be not destituted lerned men at any tyme. For it is wryten whoso labore not let him not eat Wherfore as they be praised which the ydle bely burdeÌ„s remoued substitute apt and lerned labourers euen so synne they which translate the chirche goodis into prophane vses which thing is now to comon suffering the pore chirches congregacions and scoles to be cold and hongrye For it is wryten he that iâ— taught let him imparte all thinges necessarye to him that techeth Wherfore yf the nources of cryste of their owne substance be bounde largely to sustayne scoles congregacioÌ„s how miche more be they bounde to maintaine them of othermens goodis that is of their wyked maÌ„mon now goten â–ª I cannot see how that man maye nourisshe the congregacions scoles which neglecteth the ministers of chirches and scoles euen the verye parents of all goodnes Let all princes see diligently that lawfull and apte ministers be honestly entreated and nourished and that pore scolers of the chirche goodis be sustained to conserue the necessary studyes of the chirche But it is a dampnable dede to geue so greate wages to maintayne the superfluouse excesse and viciouse lyuing of ydle bisshops preistis and monkis the trewe flokfeders neglected studyes and scoles not conserued Nether haue the princes power to translate to themselues thecclesiastiâ—â— goodis with the defrauding of the pore chirches and scoles but shuld asmiche as nede is impart them to the poore congregacions scolers and techers yea this shulde they do were y e goodis their owne miche lesse ought they to take awaye that is geuen them and well vsed except they abuse it contrary to the geuers will And albeit y e geuers falsely enstructed erred in their giftis yet ought the magistrats now beter taught â–ª to take it awaye and reforme the errours in the geuing therof Nether becometh it bisshops and preistis which shuld onely folowe cryst and his apostleâ— to be lordes ouer landes and possessions tangled with ciuill and polityke seclare causes Thus ye see in what cases the seculare magistratis may translate the ecclesiasty â–ª goodis vnto themselues prouided aboue all that the pore congregacioÌ„s and comon scoles and vniuersities be sustained and maintayned with the same Fyftely in the changes of kyngdoms god forgeteth not his chirche as cryst coÌ„forteth vs sayinge When ye shall heare rumors of bataill and warre be not you troubled therat For we must wysely decerne the kyngdoÌ„s of y e worlde from that eternall kyngdom of god which is crysts chirche For albeit these batails and persecucions skater inquiet and trouble y e chirches of goodmen in these heuey mutacions of empyres and kyngdoms yet haue the godly euer this present consolacion That the chirche of cryst is an euerlasting kyngdom and maye not by desperacion fall from out of crystis religion vn to the vngodly as they do now
princes neuerwant Thei laid ayenst the king the ferme auctorite of his actis lawes saying it shulde be a perellose example and to boldean enterpryse to make any innouacions and changes of the olde religion laudable customes rites cere c. At laste therfore the king ouercomen by the importune wiked perswasions of these peruerse couÌ„sellers permitted to them their mischeuouse dryft Nethe lesse a cristen prince ought to haue a princely manly herte in gods cause and of no weaknes to geue place to his maliciouse magistrats priestis Be ought himself to take the boke of the lawe in his own haÌ„d to studye be lerned aboue all his Magis bisshops and counsel to But because this king sinned not of a set purpose willingly therfor a non was he smiten with pitie and repentance but so were not the false accusers of daniel and the wiked counsellers It folowth therfore that the king repented with so manly a faith that he punisshed these accusers and his couÌ„sellers of this perellouse nouite and mutacion put into his head so vngodly Wold God all emperours and kings wold practize this Darius his example Thei be persewers which nether loue nor will heare nor reuerence the true doctryne nor will suffer themselues to be taught nor study to profit therin nether will defende the teachers and prechers thereof nether suffer it to be setforth which themselues know it to be trwe and godly But had leauer to bury and burne it and bringe it into hatered and sclaunder Let these men thus synninge ayenst the holy gost loke neuer to repent but to haue the present iugement of God ouer them And these dampnable wretches Paul biddeth vs aftir once and the seconde warning to esâ—ie we as heretiques for thei be condempned by their owne testimonye Let kings therfore by Darius his example aknowleg their infirmities and studye strongly to go forthe with the verite pray with him that sayd Lorde I beleue but yet helpe my vnbeleif ☞ Then the kinge going into his palace went to bed souperlesse no meat brought him he slept not that night as sone as it was daye syght the kinge arose went spedely to the denne of the lyons and beinge therat he with a moorninge voyce called daniel sayinge Oh daniel the seruant of the lyuing god hath not y e power of thy god whom always thou hast worshipped delyuered the from the lyoÌ„s Anon daniell answerd the kinge sainge oh king euer moughst thou lyue My god hath sent me his aungell which hath closed vp the lyons mouthes that thei shuld not hurt me For before him am I founde innocent nether ayenst the oh kinge haue I coÌ„mitted any fawlte Then was the king excedengly ioifull and commanded daniel to be plukt out of the denne in whom now plukt out there was no hurte founde done to him of the lyons because he beleued in his god Then at the kings commandemeÌ„t were his accusers enimies brought forth which w t their chyldren and wyues were throne into y t lyons whom ere they coulde come to the floer of the denne the lyons toke them broke all their bones The cruell vnreasonable lyons were meker to Daniel then his owne felowes The merciable kinge gote mercy of god and repented he departed from these his wyked counselerswith great heuines he refused all meat mirthe and solace consyderinge his so faithfull a counseller and seruaunt of god thus to be entreated Of this example maye some of oure bisshops and some Crysten princes be asshamed themselues in all delicat excesse wealthe to see daysy the innocent blode shed for the trewth their subiectis for their salfgard and defence of their realmes to be slayne themselues in the mean tyme playing and banketing Daniels wordis to the king thus teache him Oh kinge of this mayst thou lerne the iustice of god before whom I am founde innoceÌ„t in this mater and haue not offended the. I had trewly offended the greuously yf I had worshiped y t with my peticions prayers for so had I confirmed the in thy nowne synnes â–ª making the to beleue thyne acte to haue bene godly Now the king aftir his repentaÌ„ce and gladnes coÌ„ceiued beginneth to iâ—gâ—iustelyer he commandeth the innocent to be drawne out from the lyoÌ„s his false accusers to be throne vnto them And for because they went about to deprrue the kinge of his most wyse counseller best beloued frende therfore did the kinge iustely punisshe these false accusers with their beste beloued wyues and chyldren But wherfore was daniel delyuered Because he beleued saith the text in his God I cannot se els now a dayes wherfore men be persecuted and brent casten into oure lordely lyons mouthes but because thei beleue in their God one alone for all sufficient for their faith onely in him to be iustifyed of him onely to depende to him onely to praye him onely to call vpon c. vpon no saynt nor non els to worshippe no not images It was nether the kinges repentant heuines nor his fastinge and watching nor yet daniels innoceÌ„cie nor prayers that closed vp y e lyons mouthes but it was cryst y e messager of his heuenly father because daniel beleued in him Here be emperours and kinges taught to retract and call in ayen their vniust lawes actis articles decrees and proclamacioÌ„s to punisshe the counsellers and auctours of siche actis Which ensample all hinges ought this daye diligently to loke vpon Also all siche vngodly actis and lawes we be bounde with daniel to not obey but rather to flye out of the lande then to be yoked with them Sely innocent daniel was casten into the lyons signifying the innoceÌ„t poore chirche of god euer to haue the most sâ—â—ong empreours kings and princes and the deuyll to withe the pope and all his lyons to be hyrpersâ—wers To be breif Darius and daniel be serforth to vs the example of the mercye of god daniels accusers are thexample of y e wrath of god The example of Darius first teacheth the office of a crystiane to repent to beleue and to aknowleg his synnes aftir the lawe and gospell and to saue the godly dampne the vngodly The kinge without meat and sleape all the daye and night continueth For the lawe is as it were a fyery veper euer bighting euen y t comminacion of god saying I shall viset thy synnes for the kinge ayenst his faith and conscieÌ„ce had commanded daniel to be destroyd for kepinge the first precept of god He thus commanded it not as the king and lorde but as an idolater murtherer of innocents But the kinge to see daniel a lyue conceiued no lesse â–ª miracle in his conscience then was the delyuerance of daniels bodye Greate therfore is the ioye of y e faithfull aftir their crosse thus to se god to preserue glorifye them Then king Darius vnto the peple nacions all tongues vpon the vniuersall
graue causes My mynde is to dedicate vnto you most noble priÌ„ce this my labour and litle boke that when I hear your good will towerd the chirche of cryste and to honeste studies to be praysed I wolde therfore declare also this your vertewe vnto the students exhorting them to loue aÌ„d reuereÌ„ce godly princes and in their praiers commende them with their comons vnto God Great is the infirmite of man greter is the fury of the deuil which brening in the hatered of god as he thrusted out our first pareÌ„ts to fall into these miserable sorouful calamities euen so studieth he perpetually to hurte Crystes chirch And cheifly he layeth awaite at the higheste head therof of our lyfe nether is there any so great wisedom which can wel perceyue howe great perel there is in euery gouernance and regiment Wherfore all princes conioined vnto the chirche of God ought with the praiers of all faithful to be holpen that God whiche geueth helthe vnto kings wold once rule their counsess and bowe their myndes their enforcements vnto their owne and to the publik sauing helthe Of this thig the readers shuld be monisshed in this kinde of dedicacions For the reding of noble and clear examples shuld exhort the same princes theÌ„selues vnto modesty moderacioÌ„ to pyte not to slaye â—ohoÌ„ so euer the aduersaries of god wold haue killed but to fere God Which examples for this ende hath God set befor their eyes to call them and their posterite to the study and scole of vertew I ther fore besech God hertely the father of Ie su Cryste our delyuerer to preserue you so to gouern you that your gouernance be happye prosperouse to you to your countrye to the chirche of cryste euen the very trewe comonaltie of all So be it In the Calends of Ianuary 1545. translated ☞ The argument or mater contained in Daniel the Prophete by Philip Melanchton MAny myghty and profitable thigis worthie to be depely reposed into good myndis Daniel compreheÌ„deth whyche all to peruse and expresse owr to skantlitle witts be not able Netheles let euery diligent reder knowe hymselfe miche to haue profited if he but the cheif prinâ—ipalls vnderstand although it be but meanly and vse the same vnto hys own godly exercise Considering which part techeth him the trewe inuocation and worship of god and which coÌ„firmeth his faith which reÌ„iecteth and refuteth the iewes and vs castinge away god and his gospel as thei did which parte precheth to vs repentance and which euen nowe monissheth and warneth vs in tyme of these laste perellous dayes blody ende of this worlde For these causes shall I recite breifly as it wer the titles herein contained whiche shal shew you what vtilite shall come to you by reding thys holy boke and diuyne Prophete Firste think you thus of the hole boke That the story of Daniel is a testimony of the preseruacion of the chirche beutified with great glory euen then when it semeth almost extincte and destroid It techeth vs therfor the chirche bothe to be chastised and skourged aÌ„d anon aftir hir crosse to be restored to glori It testifieth also the chirche not by manis counsel powre strength ordinaÌ„ces noractis but by the sin helpe of god euen from the begining to this daye to be defended preserued and encreaced It putteth vs also in mynd of the promises of god to be performed to hys chirche although it be done aftir a nother waye then we can conceiue As when it was promised to the tribe of Iuda The scepter nor teacher to be taken awaye from it vntil that sauiour Sylo come wher of the kinges of Iuda were so bolde that they so oft rebelling moste proudly and cruelly they resisted and dampned the prechinge of Ieremye concerninge the destruccion of their cite temple and kingdom As wold nowe men resiste and destroye him that shuld preache to emprours and to kinges saing Excepte ye repent and receiue the gospell nowe offred you the turke shall destroye all cristeÌ„dom But Ieremy knew full wâ—ll these thinges bothe to come to passe that the peple of god shuld be chastised by an haithen king and yet at that tyme nether the regale famylie nor the stok of Iuda to be extincted nor the trwe prophets to fayle bâ—wanted And euen so it came to passe beyond al menis expectacioÌ„ when fewe or non knew therof For the kingly stok eueÌ„ in the babylonâ— captiuite had their honor where god stered vp prophets and orned his chirche with great glory yea and euen the haithen gentiles did he adioyne vnto the felowship of his owne chirche so that there was then a gloriouse conuersion of the haithen vnto God as I praye God there may be of the turkes and iewes once vnto owr trewe cristen religion Secondarily ye shal obserue the testimonis of Messias owr king Cryste For as the other prophets were cheifly stered vp that by them the promises of Cryste shuld be spred the wyder euen so it behoued Daniel to do the same office and that bi many wais and in many visions For he prohecyed of his birth telling the yere and tyme therof and of his passion aâ— certenly and iustely the very tyme as did Iohan Baptist poynt himforth withe his finger euen whyles yet the comonweale of the iews shuld en Cryste shuld be borne and suffer and also when their ceremoniall shawdews sacrifices all shuld ceasse Thirdely ye shal note the order of the. 4. Monarchies which order is here expressed that the very tyme wherin god wold haue cryste borne shuld be knowne and the tyme of the general resureccion of the dead and the iugement shulde be signifyed and foresene So that Daniel prophecieth certainly of these troublouse laste blodye dayes and persecucion nowe of late begunne which all Cryste with his laste coming now at haÌ„d shall of Fowerthly ye shal note the places of repentance of faithe and of the iustificacion by faith onely Fyftely ye shall note the examples of good and euil kingis Sixtely consydere the testimonie of the resurreccion Seuenthly there is geueÌ„ vâ— a forwarning of the vngodly kingdoms which aboute the ende of the worlde shall enforce and conteÌ„de to quenche and put away the gospel of god And here is described the sorowful lameÌ„table cruel scateringe of the pore prechers and professours of Crystes verite and the persecution of the chirche dispersed aÌ„d vanished into sondry strange londis porely there liuing vnder kinges emâ—… and rulers which wyth cruelty defende idollatry supersticion and false religion And in so great confusion emong sondry nacions sondry sectis shall aryse bolstred vp by manis witte reason concerninge gods worship inuented by man and the iustificacion by workis c. Agenst which prophane fantasies and idle imaginacions we must lern in the gospel god to be worshiped in spirit and faith onely in cryst to iustifye Ayenst the epicures that denye the resurreccion and soules to be immortal here
and wyne the kinge shal take displesure with me aÌ„d slaye me if he se your faces leane His perseuerance aperethe in that Daniel saith Proue vs thy seruants these 10. dayes withe grewell a litle water Oh the constant faith abstinence and perseuerance of Daniel with grewell water desy rather to be sustained then to be polluted with the kinges dayntye disshes Ower blody Esaus wolde not haue so done For if thei had neuer dronken of the courte wyne and cuppe of BabyloÌ„ but had coÌ„tinewd stillat their studies in scoles with their woÌ„t thyn fare as thei had neuer bene popissh bisshops so had thei neuer denied the gospell now fallen from the trwthe vnto papistry to be so cruel sewers of cryst in his menbers Let vs therfore praye owr almighty father for cristes sake to not lede vs into this temptacion â–ª but delyuer vs froÌ„ that euil AmeÌ„ Nowe let vs breifly towche declare the places of this first chapter The first place contayneth the payne and punisshment of vngodlines euen the greuouse captiuite calamite of the iews for their idolatry and transgression God meruelously performeth his promises and conserueth his chirche euen then whan he punissheth the vngodly Unto these two places pertaine all Ietemyes sermons in the. 22. chap. prophecying their captiuite because thei custe awaye the couenant of the lorde and worshiped strange gods Also of Ioiakim here mencioned he said he shuld be buried lyke an asse casten out of y e gatis of Ierusalem Let vs therfore fere the iugemeÌ„ts and wrathe of God and abhorre vngodly worshipings and other greuouse blasphemouse crymes For if god spared not that peple to whom he gaue so excelleÌ„t giftis and ample promises miche lesse shal he spare vs. The promises were meruelously performed of God in preseruinge his own faitheful as Daniel with his felows aboue manis expectacion And ayen the wiked greuously punisshed according to Gods comminacions in thelawe And therfore Ieremie rebuketh the fonde vayne hope of the vngodly whiche so wrested the promises vnto this ende that thei denyed any siche plages to come ouer them saying tiuste not in these lying prophets sermons saying we haue the temple the temple of the lorde so holy c. And ayen when Hananias falsely prophecied the iewes to returne aftir 2. yeris from babylon and did breake the chaynes whiche Ieremy caried Ieremy blamed him addinge hananiam the same yere to dye because he spake ayenst the lorde and euen so it came to passe Of this story it apereth the false prechers then to haue ben in the moste highe auctorite for thei bosted and blewforth pleasant promises out of their owne heades to please the peple But Ieremy told them the contrary what plages hanged ouer their headis not to returne out of that captiuite before 70. yers Iere. 29. 30 â–ª and so forthe saying I shal chastice the discretely lest thou semâ—… to thyself to be innoceÌ„t But I shal healthy woundis c. Where he teacheth wherfore God in those comon corporall plages pluketh also the godly to gither withe the euil euen for that he willeth the godly to aknowlege their synnes and so to take from them the coÌ„fideÌ„ce in their own rightwisenes whom he techeth to repent promising them aftirward delyuerance Thou hast chastened me Oh lorde and therfore am I taught saith Iere. 31. as men break yong coltes and steres Here he teacheth the faithful holymen to be punisshed to encrease their repentance Two maner ways therfore he counforteth vs. He techeth what profit cometh by punisshing vs and promiseth delyuerance And here it helpeth miche to obserue the batail of the promises for so men rune to the promised delyuerance in their affliccions For when thei haue them not by and by and as thei imagine to get theÌ„ by manis reson their myndis fall away from them and theirselues falbak from God as did Saul fall from him and as here there fill away many iews thinking themselues to be forsaken of God But the godly thei knowe it verely wherfore â—ffliccions be layd vpoÌ„ them that god seketh in them therby their obedience so that anoÌ„ we might be lifted vp with faith and sustayned with the promises asking and waytig for help as in Iere. he saith ye shall praye to me and I shal hear â–ª you and ayen As I am the lyuing god so wil I not the deth of a synner And here it behowueth to be prudent and to know god to be the gouerner of all chaunces fortunes aboue owr vnderstanding Wherfore if the deliuerance be differed yet let vs not shrink nor faile nor faynt in our faith hope This teacheth Paul saing Glory be to him which is mightie to brig it to passe aboue our asking and vnderstaÌ„ding And thê° had the faithful peple more glory in their exile theÌ„ at home for thei had with them many Prophets as Daniel Ezechiel zachary Haggi And God witnesed to the gentils with miracles that this his peple had his own wor de the very trwe worssihping of him and promise of their saluacion as was the mi racle of the delyuerance out of the burning ouen yea and the haithen highe kinges were conuerted vnto the trw religioÌ„ of god And the kinges stok of Iuda was there conserued and entertained regally Wherfore this promise was not voide The sceptre shal not be taken awaye c. But yet did god performe his promises farre otherwyse theÌ„ the false or trwe prophets thought it Let vs here therfore lerne in our affliccions and troubles to holde faste our faithe and calvpon god abiding pacieÌ„tly his helpe although it come not to passe aftir owr imaginacions but as it is disposed and gouerned of godis counsel Let vs be instant and feruent in prayer for the prayer of the humble afflicted shal not go from God as it is writeÌ„ Also it is to be noted That God longe differred this extreme and laste plage of the iewes at that tyme and all to inuite them to repentance as Ieremy preched it to them But wheÌ„ the vngodly thought themselues in great securite to haue 〈…〉 bene paste all perels and paines then were thei the more stourdye and sâ—ifnecked soden destruccion camouer them Now as touching the thirde and other places of this firste chapter kinges be taught to moderate their victoryes and not vtterly to desiÌ„roie all but to constitute a beter order setting all thinges in a beter state preseruing the good and lerned men as did Nebuccadne preserue Ieremy aÌ„d the king with the most multitude of the peple Hitherto pertaineth the precept of clemencye and mercy for kinges which is to do well to the good men decerning the good and lerned from the euil vnlerned to moderate the punisshements of the tractable and curable and to suppresse the obstinate vncurable For mercy and verite kepe the kyng aÌ„d w t clemencie is his trone susteined
togither his astronimers encha unters â–ª and the sothe sayers in all caldye to tell him and interprete his dreame c. Nowe God reueleth in an ordir the. 4 Monarchis witnessing that in the ende of the worlde the euerlasting kingdom of the faithful which trwly haue worshiped and feared God shal come vnto them In this reuelacion is there first of all consolacion and a doctrine set before the peple for they dyd now se themselues not forsaken of God in that they had soche Prophets as was Daniel one They lerned also when that perpetuall glorye promised to theyr fathers shuld be loked fore Bâ—sydis this the kynge and many other gentyles by this doctryne were monisshed to know the very God and to enbrace the trwe religion and worde of God Secondarily this chap. containeth an example That God heareth the godly geuing to the askers in fayth wysdom and other gyftis It conteineth a testimony That empyres aÌ„d kingdoms be constituted of God It monisshe vs that the empyres and kingdoms by lytle and lytle shall fall into worse and worse states and the later and last shal be one aftir a nother more troublouse full of synne and mischeif and least iust As was the Romane empire crueller and harder then the Persyk and Greke empires It is testifyed that it is lawfull and necessary for faythfull men to bere rule For Daniel obtained the rule of certayne prouinces for his felowes In these firste fowr places are contained thre examples that is to wete two of the mercy of God declared vpon the kynge and on Daniel and one example of the wrath of God shewed vpon the wyse men of the worlde The kynge Nebucadnezar studyed mused what shuld come of his realme and of the hole worlde wherfore God created him a dreame wherby he shuld be certifyed what and how many kyngdoms shuld before come euen vnto the euerlastynge kyngdome of Christ for God wolde in this dreame shewe Christ to the kyng and to his haithen realme because he had before sworne it by a sacred othe vnto the sead of Abraham now captiued in the same realme of Babylon saying By my nownself swere I that in thy sead shall I blesse all nacions Vvherfore that this kynge and nowrce of Christ might knowe the Babyloni religion to be deuillisshe and the Iewes religion to be Goddis trewe religion he maketh the kynge to forgete his dreame smytyng yet into his mynd so depe a dreadfull desyer to know it that not onely all the wyse sothe sayers and dreame tellers of Babylon but also euen Daniel with his felows he wolde coÌ„mande to be slayne onelesse they could declare and shewe him his dreame For as it behoued the Philisteins to haue had experience what a geste thei had of the arke of God euen so it behoued the victore king to knowe what maner men he had in captiuite but yet w t more mercy then pharo felt what gestis he had of the same sead The wyse enchaunters preistis and sothe sayers of Babilon ar the example of the wrathe of God For thei bosted and craked religiously dreames to be shewed and declared of God themselues to haue the coning to declare them If ye haue this craft to interprete my dreame as ye professe it saithe the kinge so may ye as well haue the coÌ„ning of your goddis to tell me what I dreamed But seing that ye cannot tell me my dreame ye declare yourselues worthei to be conuicted as very lyers and foles according as saith I saye God coÌ„foundeth the wyse in their owne craftye subtylite the lorde knowth how vayne ar the studies and thoughtes of the worldly wyse meÌ„ for in that thei denyed any man to may shewe that dreame thei toke away the prouidence of god and denied the religioÌ„ of the iewes that is to saye the lawe and the gospell by the whiche meanes God is cenuersant withe men and reueleth his misteries Wherfore the king iustely threateneth them death according to that saying I will destroy the wysedom of the wyse For this is of a trwthe God will firste shame destroy and confounde the false religion and the wyse politike prudent mayntayners therof before he reuelethe and bringeth in his gospell aÌ„d trwe doctryne And as the polityk prudeÌ„t sent their spyes before to vewe the loÌ„de of canaan concey â–ª a feare and a despaier neuer entredin them selues but rather despaiered of Gods promise euen so shall these politik wyse in so great laysour taking casting so many perels of sedicions tumulte if the gospell offred shuld be spedely receyued neuer haue it nor neuer entre into the kingdom therof For whoso obserueth the clowdes and wether shall neuer sowe nor reape Eccle. 11. Daniel and his felows ar the example of the mercy of God For therfore wolde God that the king and victore shuld threaten deth to Daniel captiued that he shuld be constrayned to call vpon god and so thorowe his inuocacion the dreame shuld be known openly into the coÌ„solacion of the chirche captiued and into the conuersion of the gentiles vnto cryst for whom and by whom onely all thinges be done When Daniel knewe the decree of the kyng and that sentence was geuen the wyse dreame tellers to be slayne and that Daniel his felowes were sought of Arioch the shryue to be slayne Then Daniel toke y e mater in hande and sayed to the shryue c. This is an example of fayth in God almyghtye as hath the fyrste article of oure Credo For as Abraham aboue all hope agaynst hope beleued and crept vp by hope vnder the wynges of the almyghty so doth Daniel here by fayth pro myse himselfe to fynde oute the dreame which was impossible to all y e wyse men of the worlde For as no promise of God is impossible to be fulfilled so ar all his promises possible to him that beleue theÌ„ Because therfore he knewe God to calforth that â–ª is not to make it in dede whatsoeuer god saith it is done w t great confidence Daniel in the perel of death condemneth the kynges crye and promiseth the interpretacion of his dreame with a ioyfull Gospel or tydings to them all by which promise he so broke the kynges wrath and returned his swerde into the sheathe which shuld haue slayne them that he maye be well nowmbred amonge them of whom saith the scripture The holy faythfull thorow fayth ouer came kingdoms but how â–ª verely by faith as it folowthe Then went Daniel home and shewed his felows Hananias Misael Asaryas the mater â–ª praying them to prayefor the grace gifte of God celestial in this secrete hyde thinge leste thei w t the wyse meÌ„ of babyloÌ„ be notquartered into peces whiche done This secrete mystery was reueled to Daniel in a vision by night theÌ„ dani did laude praise y t god of heueÌ„ saying The name of god be honoured c. Here is lo
thou shalt see euen the selfe same king to be an example bothe of the wrath and also of the mercy of god We see also here not onely the kinges herte but also al the hertes of his nobles and officers to be in the hande of God them to folowe the kinges confessioÌ„ and religion nonother wyse theÌ„ the shadew â–ª folowe the sonne All creatures be compelled to confesse the firste commandement to be trwe and what so euer be ayenst it to be false And as the king therfore asketh his officers counsellers because thei shuld be coÌ„pelled to be witnesses the doctrine religioÌ„ of the babylonits to be idolatry that in falling downe before an image with any reuereÌ„t behauiour is playne ayenst Gods worship forboden in his lawe euen so for nonother cause calleth he our these 3 holymen from the â—yer but to approue Gods first and 2 commandements and to confirme the faith in cryste Iesu to be the very trwe religion and worship of god Furthermore by the fowerth man sene of the kinge in the fyer I vnderstand Emanuel cryste to be with vs which conserued the goodmen and made of the sewer of the worde a confessor of the same this aungel of God owr sauior cryst smittout the flame of the fornace vpon the menburners making the middis therof as it were a swete wynde so that not an heare of thier headis perisshed signifying that of the faitful in God not an heare shal fal from their heades without the will of their heuenly father Nether want it a mistery that the burners being with out the ouen were brent the goodmen being so false in the middis of the fyer for siche burners shall fede the fyer of hell when thei whom thei burned shall reste in ioye For he that was sene with the 3 men in the flame said Oh hell I wil be thy destruccion and delyuer my faithfull out of thy handis Wherfore Beware ye emâ—… and kinges whiche yet burne or permitte cristen men to be brente for the gospell And nowe be ye taught and vnderstand the trwthe for except ye repent with this kinge ye muste nedis be brent your selues with all the deuill is in hell perpetually Cryste graunt it that al sewers myght repent as did Nebucadnezar And here Nebucadnezar brokeforth into these wordis saying Praysed and thanked be the God of drach Mesach and Abednego whiche hathe sent his aungel aÌ„d delyuered his worshipers which thorow their faith in God haue changed and frustrated the kinges commandement offering their bodies rather to be brent then thei wolde worship or fal downe before any thing then their owne god Wherfore it is my decre proclamacion â–ª That whatsoeuer peple or nacion shal speke any blasphemye ayenst the god of drache mesach Abednego he shal be torne in peses his house shal be made detestable â–ª for verely there is no nother God that may thus delyuer as dothe he A diligent reader conferring one place withe a nother and remembring that in the ende of the 2. chapter aftir Daniel had ex powned Nebucadnezars dreame the king fyldowne before him â–ª honouring Daniel with diuerse giftis confessing affirming it constantly The god of Daniel and of his company to be the god of and aboue all goddis and the lorde of all kingis and reueler of all secretes wolde think that the kinge had ben then conuerted to the trwe faith and not nowe thus cruelly to constrayne them to image worship idoll honor into the great blasphemy of godis name But here crysten reader thou shalt vnderstande that in all those 16. yeres from that tyme of his confessioÌ„ to daniel the king had aboute him many magos sacrificers â–ª flateres which as the dragon kept the golden aple tre layd wel awaite and watched diligently that daniel nor his felowes shuld not come nygh the kynge to confirme him any farther in their religion and so conuerte the kynge from his olde false faith â–ª sou â–ª in with his mothers mylk yea thei kept daniel from him so farre and had brought the kynge nyghe home ayen vnto his idolatry that thei caused him to erect this golden ymage as ye here see supposynge therby to haue destroyed Daniel with his felowes as many as wolde not worship images He is not therfore a godly emâ—… and prince which diligently enquireth and sercheth the trewth when it is fownde and knowen he neglecteth it and forgeteth god and commandeth his owne image to be worshipped that is at the perswasions and flaterye entysments pestilent counsels of the enimyes to godis worde setteth vp theyr articles rites ceremonies and false religion preferrynge them aboue gods worde kyllyng the transgressours of his owne false religion and fauourynge the brekers of gods lawes Let all kyngs beware how aftir they haue once tasted of gods trewth they admitte siche popish flatterers into their court and counsaill But why was not Daniel here accused and cast into the ouen verely the kynge had before so worshipped and ex tolled him into so hyghe dignite geuynge him the name of his owne God that yf he shuld now haue casten him awaye he myght haue had bene noted of inconstancye yea and this later acte shuld haue bene sene to haue bene contrary and preiudiciall to his owne former facte And so the kynge thought it to be agaynst his honour so to deal with daniel and therfore there was no mencion made of him here Now therfore was the kynge yet mercifully called ayen with a nother miracle at the which not himself onely but all his nobles officers counsellers were present Nethelesse yet for his pryde securite in ryches and welthe he was not fully conuerted and trwly repentant vntyll hâ— had theâ— other vision folowinge in the next chapter and was greuously punished as ye shal ther see it aftir the which punishmeÌ„t he coming ayene to his right mynde and restored to hys kingdomme sent oute this godly decree or proclamacion wherein ye see the dowble office of an vnfaynedly conuerted kinge of which the first is to fere serue god accordinge to his worde commandments not aftir other menis enstruccioÌ„s blowne into his eares by flaterers Secondarily to sende forth thorowe all his realme the ve ry trwe doctryne and gospell of god decla ringe his owne confession faith repentant herte exorting al his subiectis vnto the iust and right waie swiftly effectuously to plant the gospell in his realme for as the kinge beleueth so beleueth the moste parte of his subiectis Hither to y e king deceyued by his wyked flaterers pro ceded in wykednes vnto his owne damp nacioÌ„ in to y e destruccion of his realme nowe by repentance and thankis geuing he is turned into the path of saluacion of him self of all the gentyls folowing his steapes Before he did setup the image to get himself a name and glorie with the blasphemye
in Grece For the verite saith Father whom thou hast geuen me noman shall take them fro me for they dwell in me I in them inseperably Also in the mutacion of this kyngdom of Babylon god lyfteth vp daniel geuing him a greater fauour and autorite with the newe kynge Cyrus then euer he had before that euen now the haithen kyngis yet might be coÌ„uerted to the knowlege of god for the preseruacion of his chirche and that the publyk miracles might be knowen testifying this peple of the iewes to haue the worde of God and trewe religion Now haue ye sene the abhominable open crymes of Belsazar as blasphemye idolatrye reuerent behauiour to images droÌ„kenes glotoney whordome vngodly securite coÌ„tempt of gods prophetis and prechers despyght of his peple c. to be the synnes which God caÌ„not longe suffer vnpunisshed as wytnesseth the kings miserable destruccion and mutacion of his realme and the heuey coÌ„minacioÌ„s of his y. precepts and as I say prophecieth of Ierusalem Babylons syster saying The daye shall come wherin the lorde God of powers shall call syche synners vnto wayling weping tearinge of their heares and to gyrâ—â— themselues with sake but what then shall they do they shall reioyse feste banket and make merye kyll oxen shepe eat fleshe drinke wyne sayinge let vs eat and drinke to morowe shall we dye wherfore these so greuouse synnes of kynges accordinge to his coÌ„minacions shall the heuey hande of god viset as it folowethe And euen in the same houre there apered y e fyngers of a manis hande wrytinge agaynst the candell in the whight parget of the wall of the kynges palace the kynge himself beholding the fyngers so wryting Then was y e kynges face paal and his cogitacions so ferefully troubled him that the ioyntis of his hippes and knees folldened downe double vnder him Then the kynge cryed commanding his spiritualtye his wyse men enchaunters desteny tellers and sothe sayers of Chaldey to be brought vnto him thus speking these wordes to the wyse men of Babylon Who so euer shall reade this wryting tell me what it meaneth he shall be cled with purpure and shall haue a cheine of golde about his necke and he shal be the thirde in my realme Then came all the kynges lerned wysemen which nether coude reade the wrytinge nor tell the meaning therof to the kynge Wherfore kynge Belsazar was the more vehemently troubled in so miche that his chere was all changed and his princes and nobles greuously astonned Euen in the same houre wherin his vngodlynes was rype he blasphemed god the lorde wolde glorifye his owne name in that all men shuld se the kyngdom of Babylon by the diuine iugement to be subuerted himself to be the changer and translator of kyngedoms and tymes euen in the same houre wherin the kynge thought himself most sewer most beloued with his goddis for so worshipping them being in the middis of welthy plesures was this heuey senteÌ„ce wryten and geuen forth agaynst him Before the sentence pronounced and ratifyed there was tyme and place to repente him but now y e gatis shut vp in vayne do y e folyshe virgins aske oyle bringingforth their laumpes with knockinge In vayne wept Esau aftir Iacob had prerept him his blyssinge Let vs therfore seke the lorde whylis there is tyme to fynde him Call on him whylis he is nyghe Impenitent persones nether fynde they nor seke they Now saith god send I no prophete to preche the repentaÌ„ce but I wryte the thy iugement vnable to be reuoked which thou mayst feare but auoyde it thou mayst not Whoso turneth and thrusteth awaye my worde and prechers frome him I will in his most nede nether counforte nor prophete sende him The kynge himself alone and first ofall did see this hande wryting and not his gestis as did Balams assese the aungell which Balam saw not The hand came glyteryng forth agaynst the lyght candlestyke Rabby Saadias saith that it was the hande of Gabriel But it was the hande of god and man to be euen of cryst which is the mighty aungell of godis counsell and hande of the father Then the kynge changed his chere heuely Sewhat an heuey soden change ther is in the iugement of god Who was more puftvp with pryde and more arrogant sewer and sorowlesse then was the kynge â–ª but at this heuey vnwont syght how trembled he For nether in himself nor in his dronken lordis and wyse spiritualtye founde this miserable kynge any helpe or conforte and why verely he had bannisshed the court and neglected daniel y e minister of godis confortable worde But and yf he quaked and was so terribly afrayde at this hand with what an horrible feare shall the hole glorifyed body of cryste and his ferefull face smyte y e impeniteÌ„t vngodly when he shall in his almighty maiestye come downe ayen to iugemeÌ„t pronouncinge with his mouthe his graue sentence and iugement ayenst the wyked The kynge 〈◊〉 out strongly in this his feare but not to god almighty but to his images He fled to his wysemen of the worlde to his diuines charmers as do they which haue their spiritualtye fryers and bisshops in siche estimacion for their popish lerning worldly wysedom and preistly pollicye But none of them might helpe nor counforte him or swage his sorowe He promiseth fayer he threteneth bitterly but all helpeth not â—other men begane to loke narowly vpon the hande wryting supposing it to be some fantasye and illusion but y t iugemeÌ„ts of god be vnknoweÌ„ to the vngodly onely reuesed to y e chyldren of god His nobles were also troubled therewith For they which were parteners of the kyngis impiete must nedis be partakers of his punishment So sone so is the plesure and ioye of this worlde turned into sorowe This pese contayneth the example of the kynge now despeyering in aduersite because his wyse spiritualtye of the worlde coude not turne the wrath of god from him Whereby we maye confirme the coÌ„minacioÌ„s of god to be trewe This handwryting on this maner I suppose signifyed the prophecies of Isay Abacuk and Ieremy now to be fulfilled Let all kyngs and peple be afrayd at Peters sayinge Sodom and Gomor to be destroyd into y e ensample of lyke synners Because that Belsazar is an example that mutacions of empyres and realmes be done of God for their a bominable synnes let them all as in a glasse beholde this example lest sodenly for their idolatrye blasphemouse persecucion of his ministers and worde they be destroyd as it standeth in the psalme 33. Whylis the kynge was in his feastinge the hande of God wryteth his destrucâ—ion let theÌ„ lerne therfore to estiew excesse dronkenes and blasphemies in banketinge and festing euen the most certayne signes of y e mutacion of their realmes Let siche sewer 〈◊〉 rulers beware of a soden fall for when they crye peace
yeres This kynge Darius in that he constituteth so godly gouerners in siche an order ouer his empyre he techeth all victores and coÌ„quirers their office aftir their victorie to constitute the polycie and to reforme the chirche bringing althinges aftir so greate coÌ„fusion in the mutacion into a beter ordir For although these two kynges Darius beinge the elder and Cyrus the yonger both togyther had taken Babylon because Cyrus gladly as xenophon wytnesseth gaue the tytle of the empyre to Dario therfore do daniel here declare y e empyre to be ordered and reformed aftir this maner of Dario. First he constituteth 120. gouerners to be sette and diuided into iiii or iii. partes of his kyngdom into which parties as we diuide ours into shiers that empyre was now diuided These gouerners were as y e kynges handes and eyes as here aftir ye shall see y e rulers vnder y t kynge of Egypte to be called his armes of the which rulers thus sayth Peter Beye subiect to the gouerners sent of y e kyng Ouer these sayd 120. he setteth 3. cheife ouerseers to take a rekeninge of these 120. of the which iii. daniel was as the Archebisshop ouer all These 3. shuld ouersee that all the other did their office And thus was the kyngdom peaceably and ordrely ministred iustice equite and iugement trewly executed for that lytle tyme that the chirche of God might be the easilier reformed For doutles Darius enstructe and counselled of daniel aknowleged this so great a victory to be of god for his chirches sake the iewes therfore Cyrus gaue god the thankis and receyued this counsell of daniel so to order the empyre and at laste to geue the peple of god the iews lyberty to returne and to buyld their temple in Hierusalem Of this ensample let al cristen kings hauig siche victoryes seke out the counsels of the godly lerned trwe prechers of the worde and aftir their doctrine and counsells order their comon policyes and chirches so that their constitucions and actis repugne not the gospell of cryste But see see how the shade we fo lowth the sonne and enuye felicite and howe that lying false thefe the deuyll by his enuiouse spyghtfull spiritualtye layeth a wayte to destroye bothe the prophetis and good kinges Wherfore these cheif rulers and the gouerners studied to fynde some occasion to trappe Daniel in the kynges maters but no cryme nor synne coude they fynde in him he was so faithful and iust that no fawlt nor vnright coude thei fynde in him Then these men said we shall neuer fynde any fawlt nor occasioÌ„ ayenst this Daniel except we inuent somwhat ayenst him in the religion and worship of his owne god And vpon this these preistis and gouerners went togither to the kynge saing â–ª king darius for euer mought ye lyue All the princes and lordes spirituall temporall gouerners counselers nobles and officers ouer thy empire and prouinces haue decreed to make a kings law or acte to be proclamed and straightly to be obserued That whosoeuer shall aske any thing of any god or man by 30. dayes but onely of the which arte the kyng he shal be casten into the lyons denne Now therfore oh kyng confirme the decre and subscribe it that it be not changed according the ferme and perpetuall lawe and custom of the Medis Persians that no man be so hardy to breake it Wherfore Darius the kynge subscribed the coÌ„mandement nowe writen Mencion afore is made of the spiritualtye of the chaldeis being euer in so highe auctorite and in counsell with the kyngs of BabyloÌ„ that in all highe harde dowtful things they sought theyr counsell coning at them which be called in y e text Magi Sophi diuini incaÌ„tatorâ—s astrologi fatidici c. that is wysemen sothesaiers diuines charmers â—targazars be witchers sorcerers destenye tellers iuglers and siche lyke as were so great with their goddis that thei daily fetched their oracles answersÌ„ at their mouthes vnto the kings These wyse menis wysedom their coning dani had ofteÌ„ tymes coÌ„founded and made their wisedom folisshnes their highe lerning vayn lyes and lying vanite as ye haue sene it before in the in terpretacioÌ„s of Nebucadnezars dreames and visions and now last of all in the declaracion of the handewriting vnto beltsazar Wherfore the enuiouse enchaunters and spyghtfull spiritualty neuer cea sed hunting for occasions to destroye daniel And nowe they seing him in moste highe fauour with these two newe kings lykely to cause them to reforme their false religion and to bring in the very trwe religion and worship of the very god con ceyued this deuillishe acte and promoued it vnto these bisshops the ouerseers and rulers of the counsel causing theÌ„ to bring it vnto the king and himself to confirme it subscribed with his own haÌ„de Which done thei thought now to haue had trapped innocent Daniel For the heithen kinges did regarde their actis lawes con firmacions and othrs so highly that thei were with them inuiolable vnable to be reuoked or anulled so highly regarded theâ— constancie trwth and faith in othes and promises as ye see it before in beltsazar geuing daniel the giftis althoughe he tolde him so heuey an interpretacion of that hand writing But our spiritualtye albeit a king or emprowr hathe geueÌ„ out any inuinccion acte or proclamacion that godly is or to any of their subiectes a saltconducte passe porte or municion w t his brode seal to come in salfe and to go out of his realme yet wyll thei make him beleue that he is not bownde to kepe pro myse withe heretiques as thei call the treio prechers of the worde as thei once serued doctor barnes 12. or 13. yeres agoo when he was sent on message out of germanye to the kinges maieste Syr Thomas more then being chanceller Nether will thei steke to perswade their princes to restrayne the byble once preuileged graunted by the kinge to be read of al meÌ„ and the pure and syncere preching of the gospellonce commanded of the king and inioyned thei be not asshamed to cause the king to neglecte it or to reuoke it But and if emprowr or king shuld decre by a sacred othe to smite of Iohan Baptistes head or to slaye innocent Paul then wyâ—â— thei perswade him siche othes to be inuio ble But nowe oh kinges be ye warned of siche spirituall sprites get ye vnderstanding and be ye lerned Seke ye out sage daniels lerned in gods laws to be of your counsell and beware of theise polityke pru dent popish doctours of the popis lawes For it is highe tyme. But wherfore did Darius subscribe so sone to this decree and deuillissh acte verely his spiritualty had bewitched him thus to do So it was that daniel was in fauour and herde of bothe Cyrus and Da rius but especially of Cyrus to whom he cleaned most for the prophecies that weÌ„t vpon him out of
Isaye to be the restorer of his peple And Cyrus had daniel in highe honour Nowe was Cyrus but yong whose father was not kinge and Darius was sage olde borne his father being a kinge And as daniel exceded all the gouerners and bisshops in auctorite so begaÌ„ Cyrus to excell Darium in glorye Nowe did his flaterers by the counsell of his sothe sayers and spiritualty perswade 〈…〉 vnto Dario that althoughe he was Cyrus his elder and a more aunciet king of the Medis comen of a kinges stok by whose powr and might babylon was wone yet if he loked not wel aboute him Cyrus wolde disapoint him of the title therof be called king of babylon This dissimilitude and vnlyke state or condicion of men is a non the cause of suspicions hatereds and discorde as xenophon writeth Darium CyaxareÌ„ to be offended with Cyrus his glorye new beginning to encrease therefore with teares to haue complayned and reasoned the cause with Cyrus affirming himself to be despysed not withstanding he was well pacifyed by the meruelouse diligeÌ„ce and faithfulnes of cyrus geuing gladly place and preeminence yea and the title to of the empire of babylon to Dario. And thus craftely brought 〈…〉 the spiritualtye of babylon to passe that Darius for feare of his auctorite glory and dignite to be minished or taken from him of him that nothing lesse thought 〈…〉 so sodenly and secretly withe out the consent of ether Cyrus or Daniel subscribed this vngodly acte So sone caÌ„ theis craftye courtly wittis and politike popisshe prudeÌ„t fynde out subtyle deceits and fraudes to put out the iust and Godly Cyrus of auctorite to let him of his prosperouse successe and godly entent in his realme and must suffer this vngodly acte to goforthe Siche ministers euer hath the deuil which can seke occasions craftely to auerte good kings good myndis from the trwth when vnder an highe pretence of office and vertewe awaite is layd to destroy them As here whylis this old king Darius thought to get himself honour aboue Cyrus he thus bewitched perceiued not howe grete sinne he coÌ„mitted in suffering this his wyked acte to be proclamed and subscribed forbidding the inuocacion of god and confirming himself to be exalted aboue god This example therfore monissheth emprours kinges to be wyse in obseruing siche deceytes and namely in their owne lawes artycles actis and proclamacions to be publisshed lest thei vsurpe gods honour For xenophon writeth Darium very heuely to haue 〈…〉 takeÌ„ the contempt of himself therfore to haue 〈…〉 fallen awaye from Cyrus Wherfore it was a very easy thig for the deuill by wyked flaterers and wykeder counsellers so to inflame DariuÌ„â—o enacte siche a commandement ayenst the first precept of god nothing to be asked of any god but of himself al to obscure the glory of Cyrus and to trappe daniel For all this drifte of these spirituall enchaunters with their captiued complices the counsellers was to cause daniel to be torne in pecis of the lyons And as these subtile charmere with their crafty courtyers did greuously sinne for that so deceitfully and subtyly thei toke an occasion and with so glitering a pretence of their dewty and vertewe layd this fraudelent beyght for the king and religion euen so sinned the king in that he suffred himself to be perswaded of these false hypocrits flaterers all benefits to be asked of him self as of a god For the simple olde king sawe it not that whyls he loked for honour aboue and ayenst Cyrus he prohibited the inuocacion of gods name and casted down daniel into the perell of his lyfe But what shall godly men do wheÌ„ that know themselues thus to be vexed persecuted with siche vngodly actis verely thei must then praye more mightely then before as is folowthe ☞ But when daniel knewe this commandemeÌ„t to be subscribed he went into his house the wyndowes of his chamber opened towerde Ierusalem he deyly thre tymes vpon his knees fill downe thankinge and prayinge and opened his mynde to his god as he was euery daye before wonte to do Now is there a greuouse bataill bent ayenst daniel by these venomose vepers But yet in the mean ceason his excellent vertewe shyneth testifiynge his faith by his constant confession and prayse vnto god And not onely 〈…〉 he not consent vnto this vngodly act which was diuised ayenst him and agenst God but he also improueth it strongly breaketh it openly settinge open his wyndâ—wes that his enimies obseruinge him might see him prayng vnto y e god of Israel at middaye Why daniel what nedest thou thus openly to haue put thyself in peresâ— thou mighst haue worshipt god in spirit or secretely and not by these externe gestures haue declared it or for that space not to haue praid at all No not so did daniel for he knewe that the trewe religion and worship must be farre from all colourable dissembling without any lying shyftis of hypocricie especially in siche an archebisshop Daniel wolde not haue crept to an image of the crosse nor kneled downe before the kinge askinge any diuyne peticion of him then haue colored and glosed it with Winchesters glose sayinge I maye so do not geuinge the image or the king any godly worship but a certain vtward reuerent behauiour now were the lxx yeares of their captiuite past now it behoued daniel to praye more busily and er nesâ—lyer that the peple might returne buyld vp ayen the temple not to haue ceased one hewâ—r Be prayd to werds ierusalem whom he desyred to be repared so that of his gestures thei might know his desyer he declared it to be destroid of god of God it must be redified let not men therfore depende of menis actis and counsels for y e walles of Ierusalem temple to be redified that is for the gospell and trwe prechers to be restored abyding emprours and princes pleasurs policyes their laysour to set forth iustly gods worde for if thei do thei be lyke with the Hebrewes sent out of Egypte sending before them of a humane policye their 12. meÌ„ tâ— hewe the londe neuer to enter into his rest In their exyle they were coÌ„manded in their prayers to turne themselues towerde Ierusalem and all to remember gods promises of cryste of his kingdom of their delyuerance and restoring to his trwe worship and to aske the same continually and constantly Daniel wolde not dissemble with the wyked act and commandement of Darius but asked in tyme their delyuerance of god for crystis sake promised And albeit thrise in the daye as at morninge midday and eueninge to praye was commanded them god to geue vs happy begining good successe well to fynisshe all oure godly affayers without whom we can nether begin nor continew or ende any good thinge yet maye it signifye cryste euer to be sought and to be beholden in faith of men in
daye togither I shuld in the begining haue tolde ye the occasioÌ„ of the calamite but it cometh not out of ceason what so euer profitteth Wherfore as it is cleare in the 1 boke of the Maccabe God to haue had fore sene by 137. yeres Antioche to be the scourg of the iewes and the autor of thir affliccioÌ„s for the sinnes of y e peple euen so is it play â—e in the 2 chap God also to haue had sene before the ende of Antioches pestilence to be Matathiam and the Maccabe is So that there is nothing done vpon erth but god knowth it before nether willeth he vs any thing to know before but that â—heafore saith and telleth it vs to come Wherfore let vs namely counfort owrselues in this that owr meruelouse one cryste here saith vnto gabriel the maÌ„ of god bidding him to expown the visioÌ„ to dani â—â—so desyrouse to know it what it mought signifie for because it pertaineth to the laste dayes For it signifieth cryste vnto all men desyering to vnderstand prophecies euer to sende some that will teche hi that is so minded towerds God as was daniel affected towerds cryst his aungel when this vision shuld be declared Nether signifieth it els daniel to be conserued by his worde to be liftedvp and refresshed of the aungel then cryste by his auÌ„gels the ministers of his word to this entent to animate the timerouse and to strengtheÌ„ the weake that thei shuld with the prophetis wordes shewing cryste the sauior refresshe and confirme the chirche pressed vnder the crosse Wherfore let vs geue thaÌ„kis to crist for that he neuer sleapeth whilis his chirche is in persecucioÌ„ but is euer awake to deleuer vs in his name callinge vpon our father whiche is confirmed by the example of the Macabeis The ram which thou sawest with two hornes is the kinges of Mede and Persie And the roughe hearye gote is the king of the Grekis And the great horne betwixt his eyes is the firste king which broken there stode vp 4. in his place w c aâ— the 4 kingdoms to rysevp oute of the same nacion but non of them lyke him in strength And in the ende of these kingdoms when synne and iniquite shall preuaile there shall standvp a king shameles and subtyle This king shal be mighty sâ—rong but not by his owne powr And he shall woundrefully wast and destroye and shall prospere mightly in his actis He shall make away and destroye grete mighty men yea and the faithful good peple to And by his crafty subtyltie he shall expede his affaiers properously thorowe deceytes He shall in his owne consaight take great enterpryses vpon him be magnifyed And himself strengthened with great riches shall destroye many men Also he shall resiste the most highe prince of all and theÌ„ with out manis handes shall he be alto broken Now is the vision declared to Daniel by the aungel at the commandement of the sonne of god But certeinly it is said and prophecied of owr present anticrists bothe spirituall and seculare playing antioches parte euen this daye For that anticriste Antiochus ouer the iewes prefigured owr anticrystes in the ende of the worlde ouer the gentils The occasion of the destruccion of kingdome by Antioche and anticrists ar the obominable sinnes of the peple of their emperowrs princes For as before crystes first cominge for the sinnes of the iewes God steredvp Antioche to skourge theÌ„ euen so now for the contempte of the gospel god befor the seconde coming of cryste hathe steredvp owr antichristen Antioches as cruelly to persecute the crystianes as euer did Antiochus the iewes For where the text sayth when synne and wikednes is preuailed and hath the ouerhand what els folowth then the contempt of the worde and the sinnes of the peple to be the very causes of bothe these skourges that is to saye bothe of the iewes Antioche and of the crysten Anticristes Albeit by Anticryst be taken al that resiste and persecute cristis worde aâ— Ioan said in his tyme to be many anticristis But because this prophecie sowneth to be spoken of the kigdom of Antioche that is of anticryste nether be there any kingdoÌ„s vnder the sonne more contrary to cryste then Gog and Magog that is to weit the Mahumeti hâ—ast and the false prophete of rome with his 10 seculare hornes with weping teares trwly saith Doctour Ioan Draconites do I tremble and quake to speke it â–ª That vnder the name of anticrist muste be taken the Turkis kingdom goten by swerde and violence the popis kingdoÌ„ constituted by fraude and supersticion Antiochus compared with Anticryste by Draconites Daniel gods painter wolde by the descripcion of Antioche prefigure vnto vs the maners of Anticryste First of his vnshamefaced face for that he was is the moste impudent despyser of god and the fiercest bolde beast to persecute and to be contrarye to his worde as be the two sonnes of antioche this daye the turke the Rome bishop w t his hornes y e most shameles pestelent persecutors and condempners of the gospel of god for arrogantly dare thei do what thei liste contrarye to gods wil. Of his fraude is he described for as that subtyll fraudelent foxe Antiochus craftely circumuented egipte Iudeam euen so be the false turke and his subtyle serpent the pope the two crafty marchants with their false fayned wordis deuillish doctryne to peruerte al meÌ„ not of their owne powr but of other menis For Antiochus was so mighty ouer Iudâ—am by the falshed and vnfaithfulnes of the bisshops of the iewes and by y e vain leuite of the peple as it is redde in the Maccabeis And euen so these two bretherne albeit vnlyke inprofession the turke and the pope gote and constituted their kingdoms by other men is powr and might The turke at first by the mighty fraudes of mahumete and the pope by the powr of emperowrs bisshops cardinals kinges and his owne subtyle supersticiouse hypocrysye and chosen holines And now therfore shall ye note that by the counsell mischeif of the bishops Anticristis seat shal be translated and tossed from the ecclesiastiâ— cheier of Rome vnto the secular emperowrs and king is trones as the storye fygured in that secular and anticriste Antiochus which was out of the stoke of the emperowr of the grekis called Seleucus and helde the kingdom of Syre And begune to raigne in the 137. yere aftir the dethe of Alexander as witnesseth the first boke of the Maccabe This hathe euer ben sene in all stories That the emperowrs and kinges will attemper bende and bowe all religions and beleifes vnto their owne profit and pleasures As when Antiochus knewe the iewes for their religion and faith not gladly to suffere any heithen king to be their gouerner he first studied howe he might destroie their faith and subuerte their religion and so to become
their kinge For he iuged all religions besydes his own to be vaâ—n and false whiche beinge in this prowd temerariouse iugement coÌ„ceiuing of himself to haue auctorite to chang menis faith and gods religion fyll into many carnall lustis filthines ambicion and into allkynd of greuose crimes casten vp of god to fight boldely ayenst god himself euen to bring Iudeam into bondage and to abolisshe all the old doctrine of the prophets vnto the whiche his prowd purpose the vngodly wikednes of the bisshops ministred diligently this occasion For when the godly man Onias was bishop of the iewes his brother Iason went to Antiochus in the beginning of his raigne and gaue him money to destroie his brother Onias and to geue him the bysshoprik And by a lyke fraude there came the third man Menelaus and â—he plukâ— the bisshoprik from Iason which bishops brought in the greke prophane filthei opeÌ„ playes into the cite of Ierusalem to do antioche pleasure thei trode vnder foâ—e contempned gods lawe and conformed themselues vnto the most filthye courtly prophane facions of Antiochus drowned in all excesse pryde dilicate and soft syuing and in all the haithen maners Aftir this was menelaus slayn whom the bisshop Alcimus succeded which was also a pestelent ennimie to the Maccabeis These obominable crimes of the bishops were the seadis of all the miseries calalamitis of that tyme as thei be nowe Nowe returne we to the comparison of antiochus with Anticrist describing him of his incredible destruccion Which howe he destroid the peple of god as we caÌ„not reade it without grete dolour writeÌ„ in the Maccabeis euen so not without weping teares do all crysteÌ„ men nowe fele it how the cursed turke abolissheth the diuyne scriptures and the Romishe bisshop the lorde god renyed which hath bought vs bringeth in his dampnable fectis as peter witnesseth Nowe see what good successe and fortune he had in his mischeif which prosperite therin god gaue him to skoâ—râ—e the peple for their sinnes And out of the same spring and well it is cleare that the prosperouse successe of the turke and of the pope floweth as Paul witnesseth affirming god to geue them effectuouse errours stronge illusions to beleue lyes He is also described of his oppression of great men and of the holymeÌ„ But wherfore permitteth god him so to doâ— verely because he hateth sinne whose grauite we see not will mortifye vs â—â— the crosse nether was the worlde at any tyme worthei to haue any holy man long to dwell in it Wherfor this serpeÌ„tin seaâ— Antiochus must nedis to his paine fele y e mighty faithful of the chirche by their faith and prayers to be stronger then all the emperowrs popes kings deuils deathes An example haue ye of those 7 bretherne with their mother What merueâ—â— then is it if these two hand is of anticrist the pope and the turke persecute destroy and kyll the mighty prechers holy faithfull of the chirche Se yet the successe of his deceitis and fraudis and behold his pryde therin Because Antiochus Mahumete the popese so good successe of their false lerning and fraudis wherwith thei and their bisshops doctours and false apostles bewitche inflame the emperowrs kinges and their mighty magistrats of the worlde to persecute the congregacioÌ„s of god thei be extolled in themselues ar become so grete contempners of god his worde as the 10 and 73 psalmes describe them Also he destroith many with his grete benefices and promocions For many men be not onely by his prosperose successe deceiued supposing it to be diuine and perpetuall but also because thei be bowndeÌ„ to him by giftes and benefits thei be as it were fysshes takeÌ„ with a swete beyght For so did Antiochuâ— craftely retraine in office these bishops Iason menelaum Alcimum siche other with his benefits bisshopriks as longe as he listed And do not the pope yet a greter frende to the turk then were then the bishops to Antiochus agreter frende I say of the turke then of any faithfull precher binde emperowrs and kings the patrons of his wiked kingdom vnto him with large giftis diuine titles commodities ryches dignities and plesurs reteined and kaught as fisshes with the beight Of his blasphemie To resist the prince of princes is to be extolled aboue euery thing that is called god that is to weit with his humane tradicions actis articles and swerde to oppresse the professours of the gospell Iuge thou aftir the scripturs and thou shalt see no difference betwixt Antiochum and his successors the turke the pope sane thei were not all in one tyme but know one thou knoweâ—t all for thei be so lyke as one â—g to a nother At laste Daniel describeth him of his departing For the workeman is worthei his rewarde As before cryst is first coming Antiochus not touched with manis hand but with the hand of god therfore dyed with alto late repentance because he so cruelly destroid the peple of god and their teÌ„ple euen so before cristis second coming this wiked forlorn childe shal be reueled and with the breath of the lordes mouthe destroid that is the errours of anticrist the pope and his kinges and emperowrs shal be disclosed and reprehended by the doctrine of the lawe and gospell so that all the holy faithfull shall abhorre them and fall from them non to cleaue to them but the dampned wretches Paul confirming the same saing Thei shal be all condempned whiche beleue not the trewth but delight in vnright wysnes Hitherto haue we compared Antiochum with anticryst And nowe albeit the lorde in this owr tyme skourgeth vehemently the kingdoms of anticryst with the gospell yet shall not his kingdoms altogither fall before his luste iugement as Paul affirmeth saing He shall destroy him with his cleare and bryght cominge And in the Apocal. The false prophete shal be caste into the dououring botomles pitte Whoso therfore is wyse let him auoyd out of babylon that is let him fal from anticryste Netherfore feare let vs not forsake the profession of the gospell for the persecucioÌ„ of the anticrists For beter is it for crists sake to dye then with anticrist to lyaâ— vnto the ende Nowe returne to the descripcioÌ„ of owr anticristen Antioches in the text where be many particles hauing very heuye terrible significacions or tokens to come ouer them whiche euery diligent reader by himself may consider if he beholde our present dayes The trewth saith Daniel shal be troden vnder fote vpon the erthe For now we see the bisshops and their sworne secular sort to defende ayeÌ„st their owne consciences the most manifest crimes impieties and all abominacion as be their vngodly abuses of sses playn idolatry worshiping of dead seiants stockes stones wyuelesse vnchaste chastite whoreâ—om and all maner prodigiouse lecheries Wherfore it is plaine that thei mok and blaspheme the
vpon the same regions cities chirches Flye ye therfore now premonisshed out of siche regions and chirches as did the Apostles at this prophecie of Gabriel out of Iudea into Galile lest ye perisshe of the Turke as did the Iewes destroyd by Titus THese thre last chapters hang so togyther that this x. chap. maye be called the preface into the. 11. 1. 12. chap. In the which aftir the bataill of y t good bad aungels for their prouinces ther is treated a pronosticacion shewing meruelouse thingis from the thirde yere of Cyrus vnto the world is ende whiche thing is it profiteth miche the godly to knowe before they shall come ☞ In the thirde yere of Cyrus king of the Persies there was a certayne verite shewed vnto Daniel called Beltsazar and it was a verite concerninge a greate hyghe mater which thinge he perceyued and vnderstode right well by the wordis vision But in that tyme I daniel was so heuey by thre hebdomads of dayes that I ate no delicate meatis and nether flesh nor wyne came into my mouthe nether did I anoynte myselfe with any oyntement vntyll these thre hebdom of dayes were ended Here daniel turneth bak to the. 3. yere of Cyrus wherin ye see the heuâ—y face of the chirche of god For those so ioyfull tydings conceyued by Cyrus proclamacion of their returne and buylding of their cite were now turned into great sorow and heuynes For Cyrus perchaunce now gone farre of to wage bataill with the Scithâ—ans his wyked sone Cambyses left in his stede there went forth from Cambyses a contrary commandemeÌ„t That the iewes shuld ceasse buylding their temple and cite Cyrus faught vnhappely was slayne Cambyses raigned 6. or 7. yeres It chaunceth in y e courte to be many mutacions good men be there often excluded or els pressed with heythen supersticions And wyked rulers being euer enimies to the trâ—we doctryne are called to â—ere rule Daniel now lamented the absence and fall of king Cyrus He was syke and sorowfull to se the name of god reuiled but greately it greued him to see the weaknes and peruersenes of the Iewes of whom many casted awaye all hope of y t restoringe of their citie and temple thinking themselues to be seduced of the prophetis and of Daniel to They had now casten awaye gods promises mother ther were which although thei did not vtterly despeir yet they counseld their company not to returne but tary for a more tran quilite skorning them that were so hastely gone home before In what anâ—â— sorow and perels the Iewes were from this tyme tyll Darius Longi begane to raigne which was xl yeres the story of Esther declareth which was done in Darius Ahassuerus raigne father to Darius Longiman next king raigning aftir Cambysen Smerdem which both were enimies to the Iewes and to their religion Thus aftir so ioyouse a begininge there folowed a sorowfull successe Some of the iewes preferring their owne ease and idlenes aboue their religion were wode w t indignacion distractinge the myndes of other and perswaded them to not beleue their prophetis and thus they troubled daniel and other good men mynded to returne Siche is the fortune that abydeth the good pastors and trewe prophetis Here haue ye the image of the chirche whom god willeth bothe to be exercised whetted with affliccions and also paciently to abyde their delyueraÌ„ce Nether shall oure delyuerance come so to passe nor by siche meanis aâ— we coniecter For oure delyueraÌ„ce is decrede and gouerned of gods infallible forsight which nomaÌ„s pollicie nor swerde maye nether let nor preuente but it shall so come to passe as god hath decreed by his immutable prouidence For all the impedimentis by Camâ—yses and other tyll Darius Longi came were so decreed of euerlasting of god By this vision was daniel and other good men conforted in those troublous tymes and we be therby also premonisshed of the present mutacions of empyres and kingdoms of lyke calamities and destruccions which drawe faste vpon Daniel was now nyer an 100. yeares olde and syke for this sayde sorowe In the. 24. daye of the first moneth I was by the gret ryuers syde called Tygris And when I loked vp I sawe a man in a whight linyne vesture whose loynes were gyrt vp with glistering gold whose bodye was beutifull lyke a violete or iacinthe his face lyke lyghteninge and his eyes lyke a burninge lampe his armes and feete so bright as any polisshed steell and the voyce of his wordis as it were the vehement noyse of a multitude Now daniel describeth the tyme place of this counfortable vision and also y t face estate of the persone sene For god wold now conforte heuye daniel and not onely of the mutacioÌ„s of the empyres to come but also of the calamities now preassinge vpon the iewes before crystis cominge make them for this cause more certayn that therof their posterite we might lerne with feare to call vpon oure zelouse God and in fayth wayt fore oure sauiour cryste This firste moneth is Nisan oure marche wherin thei celebrated the memoriall passouer lomb in the remeÌ„brance of their delyueraÌ„ce out of Egypte The man whom he sawe was crist whom hereaftir he calleth Michael and the sone of man A lyke descripcion is there of him in the Apocal. 1. Wherof as some formes be terrible so be some of his parties pleasant and counfortable to beholde as both the psal 44. Isay. 11. describe him teachinge vs that cryst according to his lawe and gospell is with his gospell ioconde and plesant to all godly men terrible and fearfull with his lawe vnto all y e vngodly And therfore is he thus paynted of the prophetis His sight to beholdeis ferefull to them that shall wisshe the hills to fall vpon them to couer them from his countenance And mighty and terrible is that same his voyce and breath of his mouth which slayeth the vngodly The reste of his body described is plesant and ioyouse to beholde to the beleuers His whight vesture so â–ª to be a man mortall therby signifieth him as daniel hereaftir saith to be made whight with his crosse passion to enter into his glorye But I daniel alone sawe this vision and the men beinge with me did not see it for they were smyten with so great feare that thei fled awaye and did hyde them I therfore abyding there alone did se this great vision but my strength was all gone fro me my beutie colour was turned into deformite All my strengthe was vanisshed awaye â—o here ye see the wyked to not knowe cryst therfore to flye from him for feare and yet he calleth all men to him promising to refressh them and to take all burdens and heuye feare from them But the beleuers heare and come to him and tary styll with daniel by
second viage into egypt miche more mischeuouse But at the apoynted tyme he shall â—nuade ayen the south kingdome but yet shall not the last viage be lyke the firste For y e shippes of Cyprie shal come ayenst him and make him astonned And then shall he returne with great indignacion anger ayenst the holy couenant where vpon his pleasure taken he shall loke about him and ioyne vnto him the traytours of the holy couenant That is to saye Aftir two yeres Philo meter his neuye espying more clerely the fraudes of his auuncle went vnto AlexaÌ„ driam vnto Disconem his brother obtayned helpe of the RomaÌ„s to recouer his lost cities thus accouraged of the Romans he expressed his auuncles syriake hoste and armye there lefte in his cheife cities of Egypte receyuing his cities into his owne defence asking helpe ayde of the Romans wherfore now cryed his auuÌ„cle open warre ayenst him returning a fresshe with a greate armye into the coo sâ—es of Egypte But this viage was not lyke the former for it was in vayne his cruell false purpose frustrated by Popiliê° the ambassadour from Rome which with his spere drewe a circle about Antiochus there he stode compessinge him to geue a playne answere ere he wolde suffer him once to stepe out thereof here Antiochus auoidid with shame and anger nothinge done of him wherfore the aungell sayth The nauey of cyprie or cithin which were the Romane shippes oute of Italie It foloweth And he shall returne with indignacion in a furye c. That is aftir that antioc be thus afrayd he shall in a great anger returne into Syria And in this his seconde returne he shall do more vylanie to the temple and to Ierusalem then he did before For now he setted vp the image of Iupiter Olimpii in the tem ple forbode circumcision with an open proclamacion he brent the holy bokis of the lawe and prophetis and constituted synfull playes and all beastly haithen vigilies and stewes to be haunted in y e cite drinkinge dronken in the honor of their goddis Bacchus and â—enus He slewe y e godly men which wold not consent to his idols and image seruice and to their heithen filthynes He by the bisshhops couÌ„sell left there an armye of men to defende all this idolatry and heithen viciouse abo minacions and to presse downe the trwe religion instituted of god And how greate and greuouse was the persecucion and destruccion of y e iewes comon weall and trwe religion by this anticryst thus coun seled and prouoked by the bisshops Iason and Menelaius the story of the Machabeis tell it Now see whether Popis and bisshops haue not ensenced lyke Antioches vnto the same synfull factes this daye For it foloweth ☞ And there shal be set vp armes and strength out of him which shall prophane and pollute the holy temple of helpe and strength And they shall take awaye the daylye long continued sacrifice set vp in the temple the abominable idoll of destruccion And the wyked traytors and transgressours of the holy couenant shall he bringin to play the crafty deceyuers thorow hypocrisye and flaterye That is The armye of Antioc there left to defende these abominacions shall defyle the holy temple of helpe with their haithen execrable rytes It is called the temple of helpe and strength because by the promises made therin the iewes as it were in a castle were defended of god as is the gospell now oure helpe and strong tower To take awaye the dayly wont sacrifice is to abolisshe and to forebyde all the Leuitik religion and to slaye all that worship god aftir Moses rytes and lawe These armes of Anti. did set vp also moo images heithen rytes and cerem in the stede of gods religion whih also with all oure rytes cerem and tradicioÌ„s be called the abominable and execrable euident present signes of the destruccion of those temples and chirches wherin they be yet set vp And here is the signe called y e thinge it self that is y e very destruccion which it signifyed The trayterose transgressours of the holy couenant and testament were the apostatas bishopes as Ia son Alcimus Menelaius with their faccion which ether for their owne profite and lucre or for feare forsoke and renyed God for Antiochus pleasure which did both saye and do all thinges deceitfully thorow hypocrisye and flaterie These troublouse and heuey affliccioÌ„s of gods chirche are before wryten to monisshe vs to beware constant The iewes themselues deserued these plages for the text saith that Antioc shall consult with the forsakers and trayterouse transgressors of the lawe which were y e bisshopes with their affinite allectinge and prouoking antioc to robbe and defyle the temple with images and haithen rytes ministring fyer and cruell tyrannye euen y e very complices of all that vngodly sacrilege that therselues might stand styll in their auctorite and dignities for out of the spirituall headis which professe themselues to be the gouerners with their doctryne and defenders of the chirche and euen the chirche it selfe sprungforth all these calamities geuinge auctorite powr to that seculare heithen king ouer the temple of god ouer the rytes and religon yea and aboue god and his worde to that the kinge confirming their aucto rite and powr to defende their owne supersticion and apostacâ—e to punisshe and persecute the godlye thei might the frelier prosecute their tyrannose mischeif murther And therfore the text saith Thy shal be fraud elently brought in thorow hypocrisye to flater emprours kings with diuyne and holy tytles But oure coÌ„solacion is that we see the ende of their tyrannye and heueypersecucion at hande and that we haue god almighty with criste and all his aungels on oure syde as that persecucion by Antioc dured not fully fower yeares euen so shall we aftir a lytle short trouble haue a restinge place to breath vs. But the peple which knowe God shal be boldened to stande and to do constantly For the lerned teachers in the pe ple shall teche and enstructe many but thei shal be smytendowne with swerde and fyer and some cruciated in captiuite and banished their goodis taken from them which persecucion shall dure many dayes To knowe god is to knowe the father to be the very onely god one alone for vs all sufficient euen oure god him whom he then shuld sende is now comen his sonne oure sauiour Christe god and man In this prophecie y e aungell had respect to the Machabeis by whose lytle powr in comparision to Antioc and the bisshopes with their adherents the lytle good flok of the Iewes were delyuered and their temple and religion restored This prophecie when the tyme came moued the Machabeis to lyft vp weapens ayenste AntiochuÌ„ And here begine thou the boke of the Mach. and obserue diligently the godly
zele of holy Matathias the preiste of the Mach. how thei suppressed that anticrysten antiochê° thou hast the iust coÌ„mentarye of these verses Also where y e text hath that the lerned techers in the peple shall teache many It is signifyed that in that most perellouse tyme the doc tryne of the trewth shuld be meruelously purged and illustred as now the perels of this oure tyme and dispisicions of the lerned do most clerely trye and polysshe the doctryne of the verite And where he sayth Many shal be smyten downe with swerde and fyer He signifyeth and certifieth vs that the crosse must be borne of the professours of the worde as cryst tolde his apostlis And the present persecucion of this oure tyme techeth vs clerely to vnderstande this text For whan it was then spoken the spiritualtye their seculare impes had not yet made this lawe that heretiques that is to saye the trwe techers and professours of goddis worde shulde be brent But in that same persecucion thei shal be holpen of a lytle helpe And to theÌ„ many shall ioyne themselues deceitfully Of the lerned techers some shal be smyten down to be tryed proued pourged po lisshed and made whyght vntyll the last tyme. For there remayneth yet another tyme. This text blâ—wvp the trompet to animate Matathias to throdown AntiochuÌ„ He caâ—â—eth these lytle shepish flok of the godly y e lytle helpe Which without any ordinate ordinarie imperie or commande ment of y e magistratis of their owne willing desyeres ranne togyther to defende the chirche of God Euen as this daye the chirche forsaken of the bisshops and headis that shulde defende it is holpen of a fewe poore pryuate persecuted banisshed persones here and there wrytinge and techinge as the faithfull peple then folowed not the powr but y e piete of Matathias Matathias therfore was that lytle helpe with the sonnes of Mach. of whom y e aungell here prophecied Let vs therfore most dere brothern counforte and confirme oureselues with this text ayenst the out cryings and facings of some proude bisshops roring in pulpits and courtes That men must in this cause obey y e ordinarie powrs we may not preueÌ„t their pleasures in settinge forth the pure gospell we must beleue and do as y e most part say thei This dontles is yet was then the bukler of many vngodly persons to defende hold styll their false religion It is now a comon persuasion of the bisshops and their false farine to alledge their ryches their wealy lyues the most part their fauour with their princes honor prosperose successe and fayer fortunes by these to allewer the simple and worldly to their false religion And if these pestelent perswasions will not serue then dispute they with fyer fagets fetters presoninge and swerde banishment and losse of oure goodis and lyues for the defence of their idols and false doctryne And here thei paynt their whorish chirche with holy names of the spouse of cryste oure holy mother vniuersall catholik dekked with so many holy sacrameÌ„ts decent rytes and laudable ceremonies to haue the preeminence and to sit aboue all emprours and kinges And then thei contende noman so haroy as to swarue from the ordinarie powers see ye them neuer so openlâ— synfull and vngodly criminose yet â—an thei not so erre saye thei as to receyue or teache any erroniouse and false doctryne false worshipes or idolatrye For their holy mother the chirche cannot erre And thei onâ—ly haue the holy gooste with his fethers winges and tayle tâ— And it is a token of â— good mynde saye thei to wynke at their manifeste crymes and to mitigate their mischeif with a mo derate interpretacion to excuse their abominacions with the infirmities and frayltie of man And the greate menis open offences namely of their chirche must be dissembled and loked on thorow oure fingers lest in the rebukinge and in the healing of them worse inconueniences may chaunce say thei For at the steringe of errours and faultes of y e clergye discorde may be inflammed and kindled many ruynes many dilaceracions diuisions with other inconueniences may folowe say thei which will bring forth gre ter hurtis and breed worser thinges A man say thei maye not rebuke his olde fathers for euery dotage chyldish towche Also thei haue made great apologies and sewer defences for themselues concerninge these their magistrals moderacions toleracions and mitigacions to wynk at their wylie wykednes which yet forbyde that the formes and ways taken of the rulers shuld not be moued nor troubled no not although thei haue right gre te faultes These these be also the wylie flaterers by whom many emprours kinges haue ben inuited and trapped withe their holy flateringe tytles and induced by their wiked counsels and perrellons perswasion into theirowne destruccions But yet be there certain limites of these their deceitfull and subtile perswasions For let vs bere and suffer their ciuile seruitute heuey burdens let vs wynke at their imperiall proclamacions and lorde dely coÌ„mandements and suffer their ma nifolde negligence yea and their opeÌ„ faâ— sehed and tyrannye in iugemeÌ„ts And let them for theirowne worthei blindnes be styl seduced of their blynde bisshops and flatering friers let vs bere theÌ„ speaking and doing all for their priuate profits pleasurs taking awaye the peples bodies and substance but yet the glory of god of his sone Iesu Cryste must we preferre aboue al humane policies profitis pleasures and precepts and not esteme the publique peruerse concorde in false religion ayenst god his anointed more then the glory of god or owr own honours and lyues For whoso denye me saith cryste before men I shall denye him before my father in heuen And the apostles comande the precept of god to be preferred aboue the comon concorde of sinful men and to obay god rather then men And if any yea were it an aungell of heuen teache a nother gospell then himself had preched saith Paul accursed mought he be Vnto theise saings let vs adde the iugement of god setforthe in this prophecie euen to approue the lesser parte which obayth not the kinge emprors nor their bisshops in this behalfe but condempne these mainteiners of the vngodly religioÌ„ put into their headis of these bakslyden bisshops Nether be thei so smal offences perswaded and qualifyed of my lordis w c be here rebuked of god For albeit these wylie whelpis with their arrogaÌ„t article makers seke how to agre beliall with cry ste idols and the true worship in spirit thrusting the pope and cryste bothe togither into one pook yet be not these ioylie iugelinge castes worthei to be admitted thrusted in nor playd in crystis chirche in whiche place y t onely voyce of hir trwe pastor ought to be herde the onely light cryste ought to shyne whiche the eternal god by the voice of his prophets of cryste and his apostles delyuered to
to slughisshnes and idlenes but vnto the most hardeste sharpe and ieoperdest batails The tokens and markis of oure anticrystis therfore must be well knowen The deuyll diuerse ways layeth a wayt for all men Some he exalteth into pryde Some he wrappeth into lecherouse lustes some he combreth in couetousnes murther theft destruccioÌ„ of realmes rape and into a false fayth he bringeth many blydeneth them with false opinions and falser religions Agenst this aduersarie it behoueth to fyght buisily but how and when well know the godly We must holdfast y e doctryne delyuered vs of god And in fayth must me aske helpe of him onely for crystis sake Oure myndis must be confirmed with his promises lest euyll temptacions take vs. The deuyll hath yet his instruments euen the pope cardinals bisshopes preistis and fryeâ—s about emprour and kinges to water yet a fresshe the popes gardens And their father sathan hath yet other instruments euen the Epicures which wryeth wrest all religions vnto their owne profite and pleasures yea and euen the gospell the abuse vnto their owne lucre taking it for a ieste and storie made by man yea euen thei that wold seme to be the pillers and edifiers of the chirche and defenders of the gospell defende their misses images idolatrie and seduce menis myndis from the trwe inuocacion and worship of god These menis kingdom is contained vnder the name of anticryst and is to be abhorred Some simple sorte are gretely deceyued with this reuerend name of the holy mother catholike chirche which thei geue to the gay place and prowd preistis onely And therfore thei thinke it impossible to be any knauerye or errours in so holy fathers with their meretrik mother But the souper of the lorde haue they prophaned and polluted most horribly w t many errours For these anticrists fayne a transubstancion that is a thrusting out of the substance of the brede and a thrustinge in of the substance of crystis bodye and blode And most falsely say thei theÌ„selues to offerre vp dayly and often the sone of god and this their oblacion to deserue for other men by the vertew of the dede it self grace remission and helpe ayenst all bodely peress and deceases These fylthey lyes and prodigiouse prophanacions of so holy a souper haue horribly kindled y e wrath of god Euer hath the chirche beleued the workis commanded of god to be the worshipinge of God and oure dewties wherin we please God Nether is god worshiped with rytes and cerem inuented of men be they neuer so decent laudable before men Sayth not Cryste Whatsoeuer is hyghely estemed lauded and praysed for decent holy before men is abominable before god For if these their decent rytes and cerem were godis worship and honor so shuld the heithen rytes and cerem be decent laudable seruices and worshipinges of god In this error the anticrystis fayn the religion of monkis fryers c. and the sole lyuinge of preistis to be hyghe seruice to god and therfore forbyd thei all these orders to marye and thei â—ende the lawfull maryed in sonder most cruelly when this their deuilysh lawe of their wyueles chastite is the most cruell tyranny bringinge many thousands to dampnacion whose myndes and bodyes for this vnlawfull bonde are deadly polluted whose souliâ— by this one lawe be so letted that thei neuer can rightly call vpon god and therfore by the comon consent of all godly men it ought to be abolisshed These anticrystis transforme the chirche into a ciuile kingdom and into the policie of the realme tyering it with decent ciuilactis and rites which apisshe imitacioÌ„s ar the cau se of all these errours mischeif brought into the chirches Thei attribute to Peter and to his successors as thei call theÌ„selues powrto translate kingdoms and to the bisshops thei geue autorite to make newe articles of our faith And themselues to geue the same to emprour kings and princes as did Iason and Meriâ—laius to cruel Antiochus and to make newe worshipings and seruices to honor God These bisshops vsurpe a seclare lordely powr to interprete scriptures whiche to flater princes thei geue it also to kinges ne noceant to hold them to frendis yet is the trwe interpretacion of the scriptures the gift of god as is the institucion of gods seruice and worship limited withe his prescript worde and with no powr ge uen of men And to be short The lordlynes and dominacion of the bisshops is nowe all contrarie to the gospell And wheÌ„ we at the laste counsell the emprour and the lord is of germany beinge present with all the lerned monished iently these bisshops of these enormities yet wyll thei moste proudly and pertinatly defend still their idolatry and open errors conuicted there openly of the same yet forbyd thei the gospell of trwthe to be taught with tyrany aboue any Nero or Dioclecia neslay thei godly meÌ„ for the profession of the gospell Their owne partinate pryde wetingly resistinge gods worde therfore declareth them to be the very anticrystis here prophecied of daniel Nether be the controuersies wherof we disputed obscuâ—e but were clerely then coÌ„futed percei ued of al men The cause why so many dis sent from vs is That thei be epicures or hipocrites blyndened bewitched withe the false auctorite of the pope and his car dinalls and bisshops or with the vayn coÌ„ ceite of their owne carnall wisedom and policie of which it is writen in this cha thus Al the vngodly shal be with oute vn derstanding Wherfore let vs not be moued at their wiked iugements and ordinaÌ„ ces to consent to their errors idolatrye so to helpe their furyose madnes Now ye se anticristis kingdom who be the princes therof wherfore it is sone seen vpon whom the text is verified Nowe to the text ayen whence I haue digressed And it shall prosper with him vntyll Gods wrath be consumed and spent vpon him and y e impietie and wykednes of the vngodly be at the rypeste For the contempt of the gospell shall the wrath of god suffer the turke and the pope with strong delusions and effectuose errors to destroye many soulis and bodyes but it shall dure no lenger then that his wrath consumed shall ceasse their wykednes be rype which shal be when with his cleare cominge he shall thruste downe anticryst Anticryst shall prosper in the mean tyme in his mischeif for he shall do and haue what he lyste he shall haue helthe of bodye ryches princely ho nor dignities his pleasure ouer women victories yea and what he will as to per secute to make lawes c. which is a token of the continuall consuming wrath of god hanginge ouer his head as is the crosse and affliccion of the godly the token of gods loue towerd them When anticrystes wykednes is rype and at the hyghest in persecuâ—ing as is this daye the
prik his fynger to besprincle the cor pores and the hoste with his blode and so lifted it vp shewed blody to the peple to restore the celebracion of Thomas Becket and his day ayen And howe liberal yea prodigall is their auarice in powerig forthe grete giftis for their mazim to sup presse the trwth and to setforth their lyes and false doctrine ayenst their own consciences their own and their fathers factes declare it wheÌ„ thei gaue Iudas the 30. peces of syluer to betray cryste ayen when with so grete a some of mouey thei stopped the kepers mouthes and to cause theÌ„ to make so lowd a lye ayenst all their consciences that thei being in sleap his disciples shuld haue stolen crystis body a way out of the graue so to contende to ha ue quenched the verite of crysts manifest resurreccion For when all sheftis faill yet haue thei false miracles and money to bye lyes and to suborne the defenders of their lately made Mayzim their popis god If gold syluer preciouse stones or any riche iewels or holy sacred sacramentall names may defend he shall wantenone If the seculare powr of emprours kinges or any subtile sophistry or any miracles may help to holdvp Mayzim thei shall not fail him yea and it were to slay an hole londe of crysten men whiche dare speke or write ayenst Mayzim for the holy souper of the lorde to be restored into y e right vse And therfore it stondeth in the same verse he shal highely honour them whiche confirme Mayzim the strang god whom he hath chosen and he shall make them lords of grete possessions and distri bute the erth vnto them for a rewarde euen asmiche to say as anticryste shall geue greate titles names and honours ryche giftis priuileges and possessions to the emprowrs and kinges cardinals bisshops religio use and seculare preistis or to any other magistrates which at his ple sure wyll persecute the Gospell worship idols and confirme his rites cere and fal se doctrine As did Antiochus geue the bisshoprikes to the preistis for prophanig the temple and slayinge the saynts euen so in these dayes do the ryche gloton and y e cruell Cyclopes enryche men with larger benefices and dignities which ether speke or wryte or do bothe ayenst the professours of the gospell and defende their idols yea and at laste the Bisshops when thei see their Mayzim to mould be sower and begin to lâ—se his vigore strengthe taste then shall thei reÌ„dervp all their spi rituall iurisdicion powr and autorite into the seculare kings handis ayeÌ„ with their bisshoprikes chauntres colleges goods to for the stronger helpe and defence of Mayzim Thus shal thei tosse the ball to eche other with giftis and goodis titles and honours the spiritualtie procuringe the seclare helpe and the seclare powrs makinge the preistis lordis aboue all to maintein Mayzim one slate shall helpe defende and auaunce the tother and all to defende their god Mayzim Which although of himself he be but thinne wea ker then the mouse that eateth him yet haue thei geuen him the moste mighty na me of all euen to be very god and man aftir thei haue once stinkingly breathed their 5 wordis vpon it when yet in so doinge thei declare themselues to be magnified exalted aboue him if thei graunt the creator beter then the creature the fletcher beter then his bolt And to be short by this their god Mayzim vnderstand their misses as I said with al the adpurtinance executed in their chirches ayenste the worde of god or not withe the worde befor vpon and about their altares This Anticristen kingdom saithe the text shall geue great lordships and kingdoms to many deuyde the erthe to them by permutacion It is manifest that the popis haue translated empires and kingdoms permuting chaunginge them at their plesures which haue defended theÌ„ and their god Mayzim For as antiochê° gaue the bisshoprik of Ierusalem to the epicure preistis which gaue him licence to prophane and spoile the temple euen so nowe do the popes and bisshopes geue the same lycence to seculare emprours kinges that their selfes might still make Mayzim yea thei haue geuen grete giftis and promocions to Eccius Cocleus Emser Pighius Latomus and AlphoÌ„s and to siche popish preistes and phariseis to write to dispute strongly for Mayzim ayenst the lordis holy souper and to defende idols and all false religion yea albeit their misses rytes withe all their false religion be proued openly naught deuillissh yet cloke thei them with this pretext sayinge The autorite of the chir che may not be contempned nor spotted nor their decent odiouse orders illaudable rytes be taken away which lordis muste nedis rule the roste But crysteÌ„ rea der take thou heed to gods worde which here clerely painteth before thyn eyes their god Mayzim with all his helpers defenders and by whom and what means he is yet holpen vpholden and defen ded and herken what y t voice of god saith Fugite idola flye froÌ„ images and idols and auoid false straÌ„ge gods Thou shalt see it openly how the bisshops shall short ly rendre vp into the emprours and kings haÌ„dis their bisshopriks autorite spiritual ouer the chirches their first frutes their tenthes palaces parkes c. and the pope shall yet geue theÌ„ the tytles of god to defende his false faith Which all is not els then to exalte them aboue god and all to defende and magnifye their moÌ„stro se Mayzim But at laste the south kinge shall gore him with his horne the north king also shall come fyercely vpon him lyke a whirle winde with wagens horse men and with many shippes he shall inuade the regioÌ„s lyke a swelling floude runing all ouer them He shall inuade that moste pleasaunt londe and many shal be smiten downe Here is discribed the laste bataill betwixt Antiochus and the kinge of Egipt But as cryste toke an occasion in the pro phecie of the foresignes and destruccion of Ierusalem of the temple and iewes co mon weal to set before owr eyes the fore signes and tokens of his laste cominge destruccion of the worlde euen so here of this laste batail betwixt these two kin ges the aungell procedeth vnto this present laste ende of the worlde declaring in howe troublouse and blody a state y e worlde shall make an ende Nowe the west par te of the worlde whiche is called crystendom hath her northe and southe kinges which be at heuey warre among them selues The pope is and hath ben longe tyme a south kinge and with his hornes powr hath he hurt all crystendom northe weste and easte from him he hathe geuen them all to drink of his poysoned golden cuppe auerting them from the trwe faith and religion vnto his anticristen doctryne And whether he hath now set the northe and southe
kiÌ„gâ— couÌ„â—â—â—â—â—rs shuld do The argument of the. ix chapter Text. The. 9. chapter Iere. 22. 29. The kinges of y e Persike Medis monarchy Cyrus Darius Cambyses Magi. Darius the secoÌ„de Darius y e thirde called Longimanus Text. Daniels prayer Deu. 27. Exo. 15. Baruh 2 RepeÌ„tan ce confession Faith prayer God wold vs to aske both bodely and gostly benefits Amos. â— The begining of repentaÌ„ce 31. and â—1 The veâ— se of the psal expowned Psal. 32. Rom. 3. Fayth must be annexed to trewe penance Text. Afore in y e. 8. chap Isa. 65. Text. Of y t. 70. hebd an hebdo is 7. yeres space Lxx. yeres in ca ptiuite 70. in redifyinge The benefits of god exhi bited by cryst Synnes consumed Iere. 31. Ezec. 18. 1. Cor. 1. Rom. 10. and .8 1. IoaÌ„ 3. Iniquite to be purged the euerlastinge rightwysenes 1. Cor. 1. Isa. 53. Rom. 1â— Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 5. Ioan. 1. Anoynted 1. Ioan. 2 Isa. 61. Ioan. 6. â—xx heb dom are 490. yeres The rekeninge of the 70 hebdom the first diuision of y e heb into 7. hebdom 7. heb be 49 yeres Ioan. 2. 7. hebdo 62. heb be 483. yeres Byliander bul linger w t thâ—irchiâ— che Text. The second distribucioÌ„ of y e heâ— A monicion for keisar kingis Text. Diluuie is nohes floude Text. The. 3 di stribucioÌ„ into one hebdom Beware within these 15. yeres to come 15. yeres to come A sorowful voice for y e papystis Gen. 17. Hebr. 9. Text. The shameles shiftis signes of oure spirituals owne de struccioÌ„ Text. 21. dayes When y e storye of Esther was done Cyrus Camby Smerd. Ahassae Darius Longim gods infallible prouidence Text. Tygris so called of his swiftnes Nisan marche Text. Mat. 11. Mat. 13. Luk. 8. Text. The worde of god huÌ„bleth the hearers Eâ—o 19. Christ y e ioy of the worlde Michael is crysie AuÌ„gels not saites ar y t kepers of y e faithful Gen. 28. Christe is y t aungel of god emanuel Iasay 7 The office of euil aungels The bataills of good aÌ„d bad aungels The deuil euer troubleth chirches kinge Ioan. 16 The argument of the. 11. chap. Text. Chap. â— Cyrus Camby Smerd. Darius Ahassuâ— xerxes Darius Congim brethern The distribucioÌ„ of y e. 7 heb of y e. 62 hebdom 7. hebd 62 heb distributed Rede Iu â— inuÌ„ l. 2 The inceâ—â—e of xerxes xerxes death An exaÌ„ple for al kinges Text. Here begyneth y e â— monarchye The vpspringe fall oâ— Alexader Chap. 8. What nowe shuld y e cristen princes do the face of courtis Alexan der y e beginer of y e thirde Monarchie Alexanders giftis Alexanders death And now ye kings beware be wyse The situ acion of Iudea Psal. 51. Text. Ptolom Lugi kin ge of Egypt tonamâ—d great Sotir Text. Seleucê° Nicanor Macedo kinge of Syrie Seleucê° his deth Text. Text. Text. Text. Text. Of antiâ—cho the greate Ptolom Philopater Antioch fighteth ayenst Philopateâ— Text. Philopa ayenst Antioc Text. Text. Text. Isa. 19. Onias an apostata Text. psal 147 Cleopatra filia feminarum Diuitie y e daughter of religion hath deuoured hir mother Attilius Liuius decade 4 Antioch y e great slayne of hiâ—owne subiects Text. Of Seleuco philopater Note y e fable of Hisope Text. Of Anti ochê° Epi phanes king of Syria Prou. 20. Antictystis frau des Text. Text. Of Anti ochê° first viage into Pheni ce Tyro Syria Text. Text. antiochê° first viage into Egypt Text. Text. Text. Of Anti ochê° first cominge to Ierusalem Beware yonge princes Text. Of Anti ochê° second coming into Ierusalem Popiliê° Antioch his second coming to Ierusal Text. Antioch is y e deuillis pâ— pe bisshop The teÌ„ple of hel pe The day ly wont sacrifice The abo minable desolacion The signe for y e thing signifyed Trayters traÌ„sgressors were the bishops Dure coÌ„ solacion Text. Text. The ma ner of de lyueraÌ„ce Mach. 1. Of whoÌ„ this day the chirche is hol pen with out y e coÌ„sent of y e ordinary powers Consola cion Their Misse Philip melanch ton Their vnchast chastite The teÌ„ple y e tower or ca stle of helpe The Idol of de struccioÌ„ Mayzi the more part is naught Luc. 19. False bakbygh ting bretherne When y e bishops of the Ie wes begâ— to rule Luk. 2. Chap. 12 The. 6. propheties of anticrist Text. The .4 verse of y e. 10. psal aftir the Hebrew 2. thes 2 The reasons obieccions of our aduersaries soluted by Philip melanc their cauillacions solu ted this did Philip write in an 1543 Philips prophecie was fulfilled in y e yere folowiÌ„g so forthe The couÌ„ sell of y e bishops of Hungarie Psal. 59. Isa. 29. the markis of anticryst Philip. Melanc The prophanacioÌ„ of the lordis souper Thâ— 2. mark Luk. 16. Marke this wel Text. 2. thes 2. Text. The. 4. 5. maâ— kes Isa. 63. 5. mark 1. Tim. 4 Heb. 2. 4. Ioan. 15 a prayer Cy clops y e popes his pri ces The. 6. token of anticrist An epicu re is he that seketh his belly lustis Text. Mayzl Leuit. 26 Ezech. 4 1. reg 4. Sir Niclas ger ues his false miracle Their last shiftis Text. Mat. 24. Apoc. 17. Text. The edo mits denyed gods peple to pas se thorow their londe noÌ„ bers 20. Text. The pope turk will haue the ry ches of Egypte The pope hath had theÌ„ the turk will haue them Text. Text. Text. Luk. 1. Text. Rome is the seueÌ„ topt hyll venomose 50. headed hydra slayn of Hercules psal 68. psal 74. Text. psal 113. 1. Ioan 4 Act. 7. psal 12. 2. thes 2. 2. Pet. 3. Iere. 49 1. Pet. 4. Prou. 11. Luk. 23. â–ª Apoc. 19. Psal. 74. Psal. 70. Ierusalem is y e holy hyll Isay. 2. Cardinall CoÌ„tarenus Text. Ioan. 5. Mat. 24 the trwe chirch is not here setled in any one sewr place Ioan. 10 â— 15. Mat. 28. Rom. 8. 1. Ioan. 2 1. Cor. 10 The resurreccion is our coÌ„solacion Deathe is but a sleape of y e bodye Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 15. Isay. 25. Osee. 5. Iob. 19. Hebr. 11. Text. Mat. 13. Philip. 2 1. Cor. 15. Mat. 19. Text. WhoÌ„ da niel shal profit Mat. 13. Luk. 8. Luk. 19. Luk. 8. Text. Apoc. 10. And yet stande ther the same auÌ„gels ayenst oure chirche Persecucion maketh â—â— whight The certain toke before y e ende This re keninge agreth w t the. 1290 dayes taken for wekis in the next lefe folowing From y e destruccion of y e temple to this day 1474 Psal. 54. Text. Text. Luther last of al began to buylde this arke 26. yere ago Bâ—ware of images of mayzim Be knit it not vp in few ye ris but i many da yes Text.