The Image of Both Churches in Revelation 2, Chapter 13

The Image of Both Churches in Revelation 2 · Chapter 13

The .xiij. Chaptre.

p. 43By the monstruouse / owgelye / and most odyouse Beast rysynge out of the see / with .vij. heades and .v hornes ys mente the vnyuersall or whole Antichrist comprehēdinge in hym all the wyckednesse / furye / falshede / frowardnesse / deceyt / lyes / craftes / slayghtes / subty…tees / …ipocresyet tyrannye / myscheffes / pryde / ād all other deuyllyshenesse / of all hys malycyouse / members which hath bene sens the begynnynge. The excedynge presumpcyon of them that hateth the / blessed lorde (sayed Dauid) aryseth daye by daye. Contynuallye thyne enemies growe / alwayes they increace / and euermore they prospere in thys worlde. Not from the stedefast or sure grounde (which are the lordes peple / aryseth this beast / but out of the wauery…ge see / or from the fyckle felyshyppe and moueable multitude of the vngodlye. For the wycked sort after Esaye / are the ragynge see that can not rest / whose water fometh with the myre and grauel. No peace ys amōge the vngodly (sayth the lorde) no vnyte / no charyte / nor mutuall christē louelove. It pleased therfor the holye ghost to prouoke Iohan after hys secrete vysyon / to describe thys myghtye Antichrist thus in hys ryght colours / accordinge to that he had seane / to the fore warnynge of Christes peple.

The Text. 1.

ANd I sawe a Beast ryse out of the see. 2. hauynge seuen heades and ten hornes. 3. and vponupon hys hornesten crownes. 4. and vpō hys head the names of blasphemye. 5. And the Beast whych I sawe was lyke a Catte of the mountayne. 6. and hys fete were as the fete of a Beare. 7. and hys mouthe as the mouthe of a lyō. 8. And the dragon gaue hym. 9 p. 46hys power. 10. and hys seate. 11. and great autoryte.

¶The Paraphrase.

1 I behelde (sayth Saynt Iohan) an execrable Beast / verye odyouse and hatefull to loke vponupon / rysynge out of the rauenouse roarynge see. For the wycked auaunceth themselues as the grene baye tree in vngodlynesse / and the Synagoge of proude Hipocrytes ryseth vp aloft / settynge vp their cristes / as doth the fatte Cedar trees of libanus. All beastlye are they / as was Elymas the sorcerer / full of fylthynesse / gyle / and falshede / yea / the verye whelpes of the deuyll subuertynge the wayes of God. Non other ys this Beast here described / than was the pale horse in the forth age / the cruell multytude of locustes in the fift age / and the horses of incomparable wodenesse for the sixt.

2 Seauē heades and .x. hornes had thys cruell beast not vnlyke therin / to the aforesayd rede dragon or Serpent. For▪ loke what pestylēt suggestyons in errours and lyes / and what deceyuable power in sygnes and wonders hath regned in the deuyll for all ages / the same also hath regned in the wycked members of hys Besty all bodye / in the furyous byshoppes / lawers / doctours / prestes / Hypocrytes / and false magistrates / for their heades are their vnyuersall craftes / and their hornes their tyrannouse auctorytees / vsurped primacyes / or malygnaūt magistrates. Thy strōge / myghty power lorde (sayth Dauid) hath broken the dragons heades in the ragynge waters. Thu hast smyttē in peces the heades of the greatele…athan. Inhaunce not yowr hornes so hygh ye styffnecked Antichristes / for the hornes of the vngodly wyll the lorde plucke downe / and exalte the hornes of the ryghtous / in the howse of Dauid hys seruaunt. More are the hornes here in nombre than are the heades. For greatter ys the power than ys the suggestyon / the vsurped auctoryte than the crafte / the Mageste than the erroure / and moche more myscheff maye worke.

3 Thys Beast had vponupon hys .x. hornes .x. crownes / sygnyfyenge hys vyctorye / domynyon / and prymacye ouer the vnyuersall worlde / and that he through the wyckednesse of the peple / ys the vnworthy captayne and prince therof. In thys onlye poynt …yffereth the Dragon from the Beast / the deuyll from hys members / or sathan from hys carnall Synagoge. He had .vij. crownes vponupon hys .vij. heades. They hauehave .x. crownes here vponupon p. 47their x. hornes. For that he hath but in symple suggestyon / they hauehave in double power of coaccyon. Where as he doth but dallyenglye persuade / they maye enforce and cōpell. Where as he doth but easelye moue / they maye by rygorouse auctoryte constrayne. Whan he hath propowned ā erroure / they maie by their power establyshe yt for an infallyble truthe / and make of yt a necessarye artycle of the christen beleue / as they hauehave done of purgatorye / pardons / confessyō / sayntes worshyppynge / latten seruyce hearynge / and soche lyke. Whā he hath ones made a lye (as he ys the father of all lyes) they maye auctoryse yt for an vnwrittē veryte / lyke as they hauehave done manye. Moche more myscheff maye they do / beynge hys spyrytuall instrumente… than he can do alone / as largelye apereth by their workes. Neuer coude Sathan hauehave putt Christ vntounto deathe / had he not entred into Iudas and so betrayed hym / had he not entred into the Bysshoppes and lawers and so condempned hym. Neuer had the Apostles / nor all other godlye preachers sens their tyme / bene sent out of the waye / had not those mytred Mahometes' and prestes wrought styll their olde feates.

4 VponUpon thys be astes head was writtē the names of blasphemye agaynst the lorde and hys Christ. Which are non other thā the proude glitterynge tytles / wherwith they garnyshe their vsurped auctoryte / to make yt seme gloriouse to the worlde / hauynge within thē contayned / the great mysterye of inyquite. What other els ys pope / Cardynall / Patriarke / lega…e / Metropolytane / primate Archebysshoppe / Dyocelane / Prothonotarye / Archedeakō / Offycyall / Chaunceller / Commissarye / Deane / Prebēde / Person / vycar / my lorde Abbott / master doctor / and soche lyke / but verye names of blasphemie▪ For offyces they are not appoynted by the holye Ghost / nor yet ones mēcyoned in the scripturs. What other ys yt but abhominaciō / the pope to wryte hymselfe the most holye father / the generall vycar of Christ / the supreme head of the Chris…en churche / and the onlye dystrybuter of the treasurs of God? The bysshoppes and prestes also to call them selues their churches brydegromes / sytters in Gods stede / forgeuers of synne / and our ladyes chaste knyghtes? Non other are they so abusynge their flocke in leauynge the iust office of syncere preachynge vnderunder soche vayne tytles / after the mynde of Zacharye / but verye shamefull Idols in dede. Their decrees / decretals p. 48/ Constytuciōs / Canons / Rewles / Statutes prouyncyall and synodall / tradycyons / lawes / fatherlye customes / and vsages / not grounded vponupon Gods commandementes / are verye deuylyshnesse and Hipocresye / blasphemynge the name of God. For whye / to hauehave the name of blasphemye vponupon their heades / is non other / than vnderunder a gloryouse tytle to maynteyne that thinge whych ys blasphemouse / gloryfyenge themselues in the same. The vngodlye (sayth Dauid) with mockes hath dysdayned the lorde / and with open mouthe hath vttred wyckednesse agaynst God.

5 And the stran̄ge fashoned beast (sayth Saynt Iohan / whom I sawe in thys vysyon / was lyke in similitude to a catte of the mountayne / full of manye coloured spottes in token of inconstancye / varyete / and fycklenesse.

6 Hys fete were as the fete of a beare / ferce / rough / and yll fauored / in sygnyficacyon of cruelte / stubbernesse / and vnclennesse.

7 And hys mouthe semed as the mouthe of a lyon / declarynge hym to be full of pryde / rauyne / ād excesse. To soche beastes as here are mencyoned compareth Danyel vnderunder hidden misterye / serten myghtye kingedomes of the worlde. As to the lyonesse (which here ys called a lyon for the more cruelte now vsed than was in those dayes) the proude kyngedomes of the Assyryanes and Caldeanes. To the Beare the cruell kyngedomes of the Medes and Parthyanes. And vntounto the Catte of the mountayne / the vnstedefast kyngedome of the Grekes. Of pryde / spoyle / and roborye are the Assyrianes and Caldeanes condempned by Esaye / Nahum / and Abacuch the Prophetes. The Medes and Parthianes helde captyue the peple of God / as wytnesseth Hester / Paralipomenon / and Esaye. The Grekes most spyghtfullye were bent agaynst them vnderunder the cruell kynge Antiochus / as in the Machabees ys euydent. No abhominacion nor mysterie of inyquyte / as Paule calleth yt / was euer founde in these kyngedomes / but now reygneth manyfolde in the detestable Papacye or monstruouse kyngedome of Antichrist / as all the worlde maye se. No where was euer more pryde vanyte and cruelnesse / Ydolatry whoredome and fylthynesse / hypocresye falshede and fycklenesse / extorcyon vayneglorye and couetousnesse / sorcerye superstycion and vnfaythfulnesse. More than all the vnfaythfull kyngedomes vnderunder heauē / hauehave thys sodomyticall spyritualte defyled with their wytcherye the ho…ye temple of God / whych is the Christen p. 47churche. They hauehave most shame fullye abused gods chosen peple / which are the vessels ordayned to hys glorye. They hauehave holden hys fre seruantes most myserablye captyue / vnderunder their wycked decrees and tradycions. The cruelte of Pharao / Antiochus / and Cayphas / compared to their tyrāny / ys but as yt were a playe / dallyaunce / or shaddowe. In them ys all letherye and vnclennesse / all ragynge lustes and wantonnesse / all fleshly abuses and beastlynesse / no naturall order obserued. Nothinge in a maner are the cruell constytucions made ageynst the Iewes by the suggestyon of Aman / and by Antiochus / to their wycked lawes and ordynaunces. For they were onlye ageynst the bodye / theirs are ageynst mennes sowles. So that the papysty call kyngedome of antichrist are to be sonne both the lyon / the Beare / and the Catte of the mountayne / they not onlye partycypatynge with all vnfaythfull regyons / but also doublynge with them in all abhomynacyons vnderunder the skye. The mouthe they hauehave of a lyō / roaryng out euermore blasphemies curses / and bytternesse. The fea…e of a Beare / sygnyfieth their rauenous affeccyons / ronninge vntounto all pernyciouse euyls / …erye swyft also to the shedynge of bloude.

cencyon.

11 And finallye as concernynge auctoryte / lyke as Christ beynge manne toke power of God to do soche myracles as non els coulde do / so ded he of the deuyll / beynge his wreched bodye to worke pro…igyouse maruels and wonders in hipocrisye amonge the vnfaythfull multitude / by the secrete sufferaunce of God. So that in all peruertynge power / supremyte / and auctoryte / he foloweth his father Sathan / yea / in euerye poynt. For lyke as he depryued simple Iob / a manne that feared God / of his substaunce / catell / chyldren / ād seruauntes / and vexed him in his fleshe with most greuouse botches / so doth this gredye leuiathan / this malyciouse murtherer / the manne of synne / and bodye of the deuyll / with his deuourynge locustes / robbe the poore peple of their sweare / labours / trauayle / and necessarye lyuinge / sparynge neyther sycke nor soco…rlesse / poore wydowe nor fatherlesse / no goods gotten by thef…e / mannesslawter / extorcyon / bryb… rye / pollage / Idolatrye / bawdrye / and all other vngodlynesse commynge to them amysse in their priuate confessyons. And (that is most to be lamented) they defyle …heir sowles wyth all supersticions / false beleue / and deuylishnesse p. 49/ leauynge their consciences all doubtfull / desperate / and confortelesse. Finallye to conclude / lyke as in the bodye of Christ dwelleth the whole fulnesse of the godhede corporallye / so dwelleth there in this bodye of Sathan the whole fulnesse of falsehede / crafte / subtylte / malyce / with power to worke all maner of myschef / effectuallye / reallye / substanciallye and corporallye.

The Text.

1 And I sawe one of his heades as it were wounded to deathe. 2. and his deadlye wounde was healed. 3. ād all the worlde wondered at the beast. 4. And they worshipped the Dragon which gaue power vntounto the Beast. 5. and they worshypped the Beast. 6. sayenge. 7. Who is lyke vntounto the Beast? 8. Who is able to warre with hym?

¶The Paraphrase.

1 And one of his heades (sayth Saynt Iohan) semed vntounto me / as it had bene wounded vntounto deathe. And it was not so in dede / for his deadlye wounde was healed agayne. Euydent it is that in Iohans tyme / Rome the mother of all who redome had subiect vntounto her the .vij. clymates or vniuersall partes of the worlde / with all their powers / gouernours / kynges / possessions / pompes / false worshyppinges / and soche lyke. Whome some writers suppose mete to be taken here for the .vij. heades of this beast. But I fynde an other thynge in it / the bodye of these .vij. heades beynge but one / and styll contynuynge so. For thowgh all were at that tyme vnderunder her / yet is it not so now / ād yet styll remayneth this beast. Therfor I do take it for one vnyuersall Antichrist (as I ded afore) comprehendynge p. 50in hym so well Mahomete as the Pope / so well the ragynge tyraunt as the styll hypocrite / and all that wyckedlye worketh are of the same bodye. The seuen heades of this Beast / maye so well be his presumptuouse doinges for the .vij. ages of the churche / as anye thynge els / and yet no preiudyce done to that hath bene sayed afore. What shuld ayle this wounded head here / not to sygnyfye his supremyte suppressed / his vsurped auctoryte and power dyminihsed / and his whole prodygyouse occupyenge condempned in this latter age of the churche? I suppose nothynge more manifes… / vnlesse we hauehave eyes ād wyll not se. Are not now in manye partes of Germanye / and in Englande also the Popes pardons layed asyde? His power put downe / his name abolyshed / his purgatorye / pelgrimages / and other peltryes vtterlye exyled? and so lyke to be wythin short space in other regyons also? If thys be not a deadlye woundynge of one of the Beastes heades / I thynke there is non. If thys be not an apparent lykelyhode of his falle / there is non to be loked for.

2 But the healynge agayne of this mortall wounde is lyke to marre all / and make the last errour worse thā the first. In manye places where as the gospell hath bene preached / the Byshoppe of Rome deposed / sectes shrynes and sanctuaries destroyed / monasteries / prioryes and fryeryes turned ouer / remayneth styll their poyson / with those same instrumētes wherwith they hauehave wrought all myschef. Styll continueth their more than Iewyshe ceremonyes / their prestybulouse presthode / their vowynge to hauehave no wyues / and their Sodomyticall chastite. Styll remayneth their sale masses / of all abhominaciōs the principall / their prodigiouse sacrifices / their sensynge of Idols / their boyeshe processyons / their vncommaunded worshyppinges / and their confessions in the eate / of all trayterye the fountayne / wyth manye other straūge obseruacyons whō the scripture of God knoweth not. Nothynge is brought as yet to Christes clere institucyon and syncere ordynaunce / but all remayneth styll as the Antichrystes lefte it. Nothyng is tryed by Gods worde / but by the auncyent auctoryte of fathers. Now passeth all vnderunder theyr tytle. Thowgh the olde Byshoppes of Rome were of late years proued Antichrystes / and theyr names raced out of owr bokes / yet must they thus properlye for olde acquaytaunce be called styll owre fathers. If it were nought afore p. 51/ I thynke it is now moche worse. For now are they become lawdable ceremonyes / where as before tyme they were but ceremonyes alone. Now are they become necessarye rytes / godlye constitucyons / semelye vsages / and cyuyle ordynaunces / where as afore they had no soche names. And he that dysobeyeth them shall not onlye be iudged a fellon and worthye to be hanged by their newe forged lawes / but also condempned for a traytoure agaynst hys kynge / though he neuer in hys lyfe hyndred but rather to his power hath furdered the common welthe. To se this also wyth soche lyke put in execucyon / the Byshoppes hauehave auctoryte euerye monethmonth in the yeare yf they lyst / to call a sessyon / to hange and borne at theyr pleasure. And thys is ratyfyed and confermed by acte of Perlament to stande the more in effect. If thys be no healynge of Antichristes wounded head / neuer is lyke to be anye. Whan menne shall defende fre wyll / and allowe their popyshe Masse to be a sacrifyce fatysfactorye for the quycke and the dead / latoure they anye other (thynke yow) than the healynge of thys wounder He lykewyse that in an open audyence mainteyneth owr owne workes to iustifye / by Dimitte nobis / and other not ryghtlye vnderstanded scripturs / doth he anye other than prepare a salue for the same? Nay surelye. No lesse also doth he that setteth menne to open penaunce at Paules crosse / for holye water makynge / for procession and sensynge with other popetishe gawdes / constraynynge them to promyse the anauncement of the olde faythe of holye churche by soche fantasticall fopperyes / as Bonner bishopp of London ded now of late / to the lawhynge game and wonderment of all the worlde. Alas how is the peple abused? Non other do they but mocke Christen princes with flatterye / that geue them olde popyshe tytles and blasphemouse names of Antichrist. As to call them most Christen kynges and defenders of the catholike faythe / meaninge the Popes olde tradicions / to heale the head of the beast. This is surelye non other / but with the sayd Beast to receyue auctoryte / seate / and power of Sathan. Lete them therfor take hede least they be fownde the same Antichristes that they hauehave condempned / and so throwe them selues double vnderunder the same plage. Necessarye it is they beware what they drynke / or what tytles they take vponupon them at their appoyntment p. 52/ least they forgettynge them selues be founde dronken by takynge excesse of the Babylonishe cuppe / and so peryshe with the wycked. Marke here dilygentlye this worde head / and ye shall well perseyue how wonderfullye the storye agreeth with the mysterye.

3 And all the worlde (sayth saynt Iohan) wondred at the Beast. All folyshe / carnall / and worldlye peple / not vnderstandynge the wysdome of Gods holye sprete / depēdeth all vponupon their beastlye baggage / thinkinge all that they do to be godlye / meritoryouse / & spirituall. They magnifye it / prayse it / and hauehave it in most hygh estimacion / yea / they hauehave it in moche more pryce than anye thinge that is of God. In no wyse wyll they from their olde frenesye / soche is their excedinge blindenesse. For whan they here tell / their customes shall continewe / their gouernours agreynge to the same / they clappe their handes for Ioye / and synge Gaudeamus with the prestes.

4 Yea / they worshypp the Dragon which gaue soche power to the Beast: With their hartes they reioyce trustinge vponupon longer contynuaunce / whan they se his head restored agayne in their rewlers / the godlye teachers burned / ād the preachers put to sylence.

5 They worship also the Beast / so manye as worshipped the Dragon. For as they which worship Christ / worship his father also / so they that worship Antichrist / agreynge to his lawes and decrees / doth also worship the deuyll / of whom he receyued his pryde. They wonder with the Iewes that seketh cauyllacions to cōtempne Christes doctrine / as doth the filthye familye of the do… …ynge dodypolles prestes and vnlerned lawers. They worship with the heythen / that admitteth their power and alloweth their factes / as doth the folyshe multytude / that neuer wyll be godlye wyse. Non other iudgement remayneth in these dayes to these wonderers and worshippers of the newlye restored head of the Beast / than ded vntounto them / that wyth double deuocion agreed to the abhominacions of Mahomete and the Pope.

6 And thys wyll be theyr saynge as foloweth in the text / spoken in the tyme past for the certente of the thynge / as the maner of the scrypture is.

7 Who is lyke vntounto the Beast / in outwarde glitterynge workes / or in the e… terne obseruacions of counterfett relygyon.

8 Who is able to warre with her the p. 53worldlye powers now so depelye maynteyninge her quarell? All seketh the papistes that they can in the worlde Imagyne / to vpholde the glorye / magnificence / and bewrye of their holye whoryshe churche / or malignaunt muster. No cautels nor c…aftes leaue they vnsought nor vnserched out / to cause the peple to esteme her of incōparable power. No small labour toke standyshe in hande in whittington College / whan he made his more than folyshe boke of reproche ageynst Barnes beynge dead. Nor no lesse dylygence the wyse Poete Iohan Hontyngton / whan he regestred in his Genealogye of heretykes without grace / wyt / and lernynge the names onlye of soche godlye menne as were the popes enemies / no heretyke agaynst God ones mē cyoned. Nomore ded Thomas Smythe / Richard Dallyson / William Stawne / Steuē Prowett / frire Adriane / quarrye the pardoner / wyth soche other blynde Popishe Poetes and dirtye metristes / whan they vttered their shitten …ymes and poesies. And sure I am that manye more be yet abrode of the same wycked zele and sprete / to the great blasphemye both of God and his truthe / now that the Beastes wounde is made whole agayne / by so manye new… actes / so manye newe tytled Bishoppes so freshe sale of benefyces / mastershyppes / and dignitees / spirituall offyces / degrees / and auctorytes / as plentuouse as euer was in Rome. And least we shuld be depryued of our newe plesaunt Euphrates / and so be compelled by the worde of God to folowe the Monkes / Chanons / Nonnes / and fryers in their bannyshementes. We hauehave procured serten actes to be made for our commodyte / and those onlye to be publyshed amonge the peple ones in a quarter / or so oft as shall please vsus / to blemyshe all godlye preachinges of the scripturs. Thus seke we our selues and not God / our owne strēgthe and not hys / our owne glorye & not Iesus Christes. But lete vsus not thynke that he sleapeth with Baall the false God, knowinge the most hydden toughtes of the harte / but that he wyll within short space sende forthe hys lyghtenynges and scatter vsus / bryngynge our heythnyshe deuyses to nought. For the kyngedome of one fayth in vsus and the pope thus manyfestlye in certen poyntes deuyded / must surelye decaye.

The Text.

1 And there was geuen vntounto hym a mouthe. 2. to speake great thinges and blasphemyes. 3. p. 54And power was geuē vntounto him to do .xlij. monethes. 4. And he opened hys mouth vntounto blasphemye agaynst God / to blaspheme hys name / and hys tabernakle / and them that dwell in heauen. 5. And yt was geuen vntounto hym to make warre with the sayntes. 6. and to ouercome thē 7. And power was geuen hym ouer all kynredes / tongue / and nacyon. 8. And all that dwell vponupon the earthe worshypped hym. 9. whose names are not wrytten in the boke of lyfe. 10. of the lambe. 11. which was kylled from the begynnynge of the worlde. 12. If anye man hauehave an eare / lete hym heare. 13. he that leadeth into captyuyte / shall go into captyuyte. 14. He that kylleth with a swerde / must be kylled wyth a swerde. 15. Here is the pacyence / and the faythe of the Sayntes.

¶The Paraphrase.

1 To this beast (sayth Iohan) was geuen a mouthe / not of God but of Sathan / to speake great mightye thinges and blasphemies. So well is this spoken of the one as the other / so manye as hath done vponupon the Antichristes lyuerye / title / power / auctorite / or name. Whan the veryte of the lorde was opened before them / they gaue no thankes for it / but became vayne in their thoughtes / wherfor God gaue them ouer into a lewde mynde / darkenynge their hartes. So that now thynkinge them selues wyse / they apere more folyshe than afore.

2 Now speake they great thynges in theyr conuocacyons seanes and sermons / and all are sore blasphemyes agaynst God & his Crist. Now must they serue God by most streyght commaundement with olde Romyshe beggerye / though he most hyghlye abhorreth it / ād no scrypturs maye be red in the tyme therof. For the scripturs must onlye passe p. 55as we wyll hauehave them. How shuld the Beastes head els be healed agayne / or how shuld our churche be knowne els to be his owne Image? Oh beastlye abhomynacion / and most hellyshe decre. Now must Christ be taken for no sauer at all without owr deseruynges. The supper of the lorde that was sumtyme a mutuall pertycypacyon of Christes bodye and bloud / must now be a newe crucyfyenge of him / one traytoure playnge all partes / Iudas / Annas Cayphas / Herode / Pylate / and the Iewes. Matrimonye must be iudged vnclennesse thowgh it be the ernest institucyon of God. No Popyshe vowe maye be dissolued / though it be well knowne a matter so deuilyshe / as hath made an hondreth thowsande Sodomytes. The Eucharystye maye not be receyued in both kyndes / thowgh it be the expresse commaundement of Christ so to be vsed. Without the blynde bussynges of a Papyst / maye no synne be soluted / for that is the vpholdynge of theyr kyngedom / wyth manye other lyke blasphemyes. Certen other great thynges are vttered by this mouthe / which now I passe ouer least I shuld be tedyouse to the reader. How be it thys one great blasphemye that ys spoken / I can not leaue vntowched.

Where as they boast thēselues yet styll alone to be the holye churche / by the onlye vertu of their vnccyons and shauynges receyued first of the pope / the layte secluded. And vndre thys most falselye vsurped tytle / they wyll styll be takē for the redemers of mēnes sowles. For they saye that their Masses are satysfactorye sacryfyces for the quycke and the dead / iustyfienge / releuynge / and sauynge thē both from dampnacyon / ex opere operato. And ouer that abhominable swarme of Antichristes fylthye mynysters / make they now their kynges the heades most blasphemously / onlye to be by them vpholden now in all their myscheues. Truthe yt is that a kynge is the …polytyque head / supreme gouernour / ād great staye vndre God / of the peple to hys charge commytted / & after that sort / their myghtie monarke also by the scripturs / which they hauehave afore thys tyme denyed / worshyppinge them for most holye sayntes / which hauehave most presumptuouslye rebelled in that behalfe. But ouer that whoryshe churche of theirs (whom Chryst neuer planted) is Sathan the onlye head / by the holye Ghostes fore iudgementes here. For to that beastlye brode gaue the Dragon hys power / hys seate / and hys myghty auctoryte. God forbidde therfor that anye Christen prynce shuld at their p. 56false suggestyōs / admitt so blasphemouse a tytle. The deuyll (sayth Iob) ys the onlye head ouer all the chyldren of pryde. That voyce therfor maye be blasphemouse / as commynge from the mouthe of the serpent / yf yt be not take good hede to.

3 *And power was geuen to the Beast to do these thynges for the space of .xlij. monethes / which is the .iij. years and an half of Helyas / the tyme / tymes / ād half tyme of Danyell / ād the thowsande two hondred and thre score dayes of Iohan. Not onlye for thys age of the churche / but also for all other ages / and by other heades also / hath the mouthe of thys Beast vttered great thinges in blasphemy / lyes in Hypocresye / and wonders vnderunder a deceytfull power. But as concernynge thys latter healed head of the Beast / the tyme therof wyll be short / as here after shall ap…re in the .xvij. chapter.

4 He opened hys mouthe (sayth the text) in reproues agaynst God / speakynge yll of hys name / of hys tabernacle / & of thē that dwell in heauē. Thys is in a maner all one with that was spoken afore in the .xi. chapter of the temple / the au… ter / and of them that worshyp in the temple / saue onlye that hys name ys here for hys temple. In token that whan hys temple ys blasphemed (whych ys hys cō gregacyon) hys name ys blasphemed by the same / so ys hys tabernacle Iesus / in whom bodelye dwelleth, the fulnesse of the Godhede / so are also they that dwell …n heauē / wherbye ys mēt the true churche / from whom the angels are not secluded / beynge their fellawe seruauntes. These dwellerrs be they that hauehave their conuersacyon in heauen vnderunder an vndefyled faythe / that seke those thynges which are aboue and not vponupon earthe / that worshyp the father in sprete and veryte / and that perseuereth true christyanes to the ende. Manye entreth thys heauen of the lorde / but all contynueth not in yt to the ende of their lyues / the more ys the pyte.

5 Power was also geuen vntounto this beastlye Antichrist / / to make battayle with the sayntes / and to ouercome them. Contynuallye do they with vyolence vexe by their cer…all polycyes / auctoryte / and lawes / the syncere wytnesses or preachers of the lorde / sanctyfyed of hym through faythe in his holye worde as were hys Apostles / lyke as ded the malycyouse clergye of the Iewes-Yea / they ded resist them with their more than tyrannouse proclamacyons / commissyons / and commandemētes wyth cruell Pharao / Amā / and Antiochus / to proue Christ in them the sygne of contradyccyon & stone of reproche. p. 57They seke here / they honte there / and neuer leaue ragynge tyll they hauehave closed them vp in presons.

6 Yet are they not so contented tyll they hauehave ouercomen them in the syghe of the blynde worlde / though not before God. Eyther shall they be compelled shamefullye to recante / or yf they persyst in the veryte / to suffer most peynefull deathe. By one waye or other they must be ouercomē / to holde the peple in erroure. The Gardyner of wynchester was not ashamed now of late as I harde yt credyblye reported) to saye vntounto one that was accused of hys malygnaunt multitude / whan he was no longar able to withstā de the manif…st truthe. Master Seyton we knowe ye are lerned / and plentuouslye knowe ye are lerned / and plentuouslye endued with knowlege in the scripturs / yet thynke not that ye shall ouercome vsus. No / no / sett your hart at rest / & loke neuer to hauehave yt sayed that ye hauehave ouercomen the byshoppes / for yt shall not be so. In dede yt is truthe. For neyther Christ nor hys Apostles ded euer yet ouercome yow.

Their vyctorye ouer yow ys not in thys worlde / your kyngedome beynge here. But be certen and sure of yt ye shall be ouercomen to your moche more rebuke / at the latter daye whan all wronges and iniuryes shall be reuenged / which is not farre of. Your lordelye estymacyon (which maye not be hyndred here) wyll apere there not verye precyouse. Yet do ye well to holde vp a proude pecockes head as longe as ye maye. Lose not an ynche of your hyght hardelye / but with your gogle eyes loke vp lyke a manne with a garde at your tayle / lyke a sort of tormentours in a playe. And with your lyenge iudgementes ouercome these beggerlye vagabondes / and burne them also rather thā fayle / to fulfill the measure of your holye fathers.

7 And autoryte was geuen to thys Beast vponupon euerye kyndred / peple / tonge / and nacyon. For non these Antichristes spare / neyther hygh nor lowe / ryche nor poore / sycke nor hole / lerned nor vnlerned. But a iurisdiccyon they must hauehave ouer thē / though yt be vsurped. Ones in the yeare must they hauehave them in confession / to knowe which waye they are bente. That salue hauehave they gotten in ageyne / to heale vp their wounded head. Be he nary…e or be he straunger / be he a rewler or be he cōmoner / he must obeye them no remedye / or els stande forthe at the sessyons with Christ amonge theues. Not in one regyon / or where as one maner of language ys vsed / hauehave they thys auctorite / but in euerye lande / in p. 58euerye shere / in euerye towne / and in euerye famylye must they hauehave to do / corruptynge euerye mannes faythe.

8 For all that dwelle vponupon earthe must worshyp thys Beast. They must agree to the great thynges / no remedye. They must blaspheme God as they do. But blessed be the lorde / nō doth that in their hartes but they onlye that dwell vponupon the earthe / that hauehave their felycyte here / that seketh the prosperyte of thys worlde / and regardeth non other lyfe than therin is. The lambes of Christes folde geueth hede to hys voyce / they regarde hys calle / they folowe hys worde / they walke in hys lyght. They seke for no holynesse but onlye in hym / neyther in water nor bread / ashes nor palmes / robes nor relyckes / masses nor anoyntinges. He ys their onlye sufficient wisdome / ryghtousnesse / holynesse / ād redemptiō. His worde ys their lyuinge water / the fode of their sowles / the lanterne that shall gyde them / and the lyfe that wyll not fayle them. Non other doctryne do they couete / nor yet other preceptes of lyuynge. Though they be here in the earthye / yet dwelle they not vpō yt. No contynuynge cyte hauehave they here / but they seke vntounto an other of moche more bewtye and pleasure / not buylded of menne. And for that they are redye rather to render by their lyues / than to renoū ce the very…e. Onlye they which dwelle here doth worshyp the Beast / louinge thē selues better than God / and their fleshe better than hys truthe / hauynge their whole trust in the mangye merites and dyrtye deseruynges of these beastlye Hipocrites / and no thynge at all in his swete promyses.

9 And therfor are not their names written of the lābe in the boke of lyfe / which lambe was slayne from the begynnynge of the worlde. Christ hath not allowed them by hys worde and promes. With the ryghtouse are they not regestred / as members of one mystycall bodye in hym. In the similitude of hys deathe are they not grafted vntounto hym as the braunches vntounto the vyne / to be partyners of hys resurreccyon. Their porcyon ys not in the lande of the lyuynge with hym. They are non of those / whom the father hath geuen hym / to partycipate with hym in one sprete. Predestynate they are not vntounto lyfe by hym / nor so written vp in the foreknowlege of God. Chosen they were not of the lorde before the worldes constitucyō / to be hys vndefyled childrē in Crist.

10 He ys the meke lambe that was slayne. He alone taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde. In hym onlye ys the p. 59lyfe / for he is the lyfe yt selfe. Yet ys he the lyfe of nō other / but of those that onlye beleue in hym.

11 In that he was kylled from the worldes begynnynge / is sygnifyed / that he dyed for all them which were create to be saued / and that hys onlye deathe ys all their helthe / rayse / and remedye / by the promes of God. For all they hauehave eaten of one spyrytuall meate / and dronke of one spyrytuall rocke / though yt came in the fleshe longe after them. He onlye trode downe the head of the Serpent. Sēs the begynnynge hath he bene slayne in hys members also / as manyfes… yt ys …n ryghtouse Abell / Hyeremy / Iohan Baptist / & soche other lyke. They that are not wrytten of the lambe in the boke of lyfe for the chyldren of God / are regestred in the boke of deathe for the chyldrē of perdycyō / reserued to eternall deathe for their infydelyte / with the deuyll and hys angels.

12 He that hath an eare (sayth the text) lete hym take good hede. He that hath an vnderstādynge / lete hym be admonyshed / by that which foloweth here. Or he that hath receyued the wysdome of the sprete / lete hym iudge hereof accordinge vntounto yt. Thus doth the holye Ghost aduertyse the faythfull to consider / that what so euer thinges are written / they are written vntounto owr lerninge.

13 He that leadeth into captiuite / shall go into captiuite. And he that kylleth with a swerde must with a swerde be slayne. This warninge geueth the lord / take it if they list. For he will hauehave his right iudgements knowne. He that vexeth or afflicteth the iust beleuers in bodye by outwarde ponnishmēts / he shall be afflicted in the sprete with an inwarde darkenesse or blindenesse of the sowle / that he maye be the more captiue to synne and to Sathan. God will delyuer him vp into a lewde minde / and will geue him stronge delusion / to beleue al maner of lyes / that he might be dampned.

14 He that killeth the poore innocēt for his faythe with the prōswerde / or sleeth him with anye other torment / with the swerde of the sprete (which is the lordes worde) shall he be both iudged and condempned. The worde that I hauehave spokē (sayth Christ) shall iudge them at the latter daye. And this is in maner all one with that was sayed in the .xi. chapter afore. If anye manne will hurte thē / fyre shall procede out of their mouthes / and consume their enemies.

15 Neuerthelesse to the christiane is persecucion necessarye. For here in this life is the pacience of the sayntes proued / ād their faithe required. Here was Abrahā p. 60tempted and Iob sore vexed / and both they were founde Gode true faythfull seruauntes. Here were the Apostles contempned / reioysinge that they were foū de worthye for Christes sake to suffer rebuke. The rightouse the lorde trieth as golde in the fornace. He chasteneth euerye seruaunt that he loueth / and scourgeth euerye sonne that he receyueth. Onlye is it faythe that all the euyls of this worlde by pacience ouercōmeth / and so obtayneth the victorye. The frute which riseth to eternall lyfe / is peaceable sufferaunce in faythe. And that must be here in this lyfe / where as we are vnperfight / to make vsus perfight.

The Text.

1 And I behelde an other beaste. 2. comynge vp out of the earthe. 3. And he had two hornes lyke a lambe. 4. and he spake as ded the Dragon. 5. And he dyd all that the fyrst Beast coulde do. 6. in his presence. 7. And he caused the earthe / & thē which dwell therin. 8. to worship the first Beast / whose deadlye wounde was healed. 9. And he ded great wōders. 10. so that he made fyre come downe from heauen. 11. in the syght of men. 12. And deceyued thē that dwelte on the earthe by the meanes of those sygnes which he had power to do in the syght of the Beaste. 13. sayenge to thē that dwelte on the earthe / that they shulde ma…e an Image. 14. vntounto the Beaste / which had the wounde of a swerde and dyd lyue.

¶The Paraphrase.

1 And I behelde (sayth saynt Iohan) in thys secrete reuelacyon of my lorde / an other Beast arysynge out of the earthe. A figure ys thys of all false Prophetes ād vngodlye preachers. Beastlye are they euermore / vayne / carnall / and corrupt in their stodyes / abhominable in the pract… synges of their wicked hartes / not sehinge God but their bellyes / not Christes glorye but their owne pryde and vayne p. 61glorye.

2 From the earthe they aryse / all geuen to earthlye wysdome. The onlye affectes of thys worlde doth moue thē to teache / ād no good zele of the truthe. Eyther are they tyckled with ambytion / prycked with auaryce / or els sturred with malyce to inueye. These are the commō affectes of the wycked. Thys goynge vp hauehave they frō wyckednesse to wyckednesse & shall hauehave still tyll the lorde destroye thē / lyke as hauehave the iust beleuers frō vert… to vertu in the sprete / tyll soche tyme as they see hym face vntounto face in the euerlastynge Syon. From the worldes begynnynge hath this Beast rysen vp in Cayn the first murtherer / in the fleshelye chyldren of menne / in Cham the shamelesse chylde of Noe / in Ismael and Esau / in Iannes and Iambres / in Balaham and Baals prophetes / in the Beniamytes and Bels chaplaynes / in Phassur and Semeins / in Iudas / Annas and Cayphas / in Barichu and Diotrephes. And now sens their tyme most of all in Mahumetes doctours and the Popes queresters. Yea / styll they are aloft in their beastlye beggerye / and wyll be tyll their mysschef be fynyshed. Who seeth not now adayes that hath lyght in the sprete / the malygnyte / Hypocresye / haw…e / crafte / and deceyt / in sertē false Prophetes at Paules crosse in London / and in other places els.

3 This Beast had .ij. hornes lyke the lā be at … blushe / but all counterfett and false in verye dede / for he spake as ded the Dragon. The hornes of Christ / are hys hygh kyngedome in the worde. Onlye aryseth hys churche by faythe in the glad tydynges and promysys of God. That worde ys the scepture of Christes power / and the rodde of ryght order where as he regneth. Non other straunge scepturs are there / neyther tradycyōs nor customes. Seuen hornes had Christ / for in hym was the fulnesse of the veryte. This Beast hath but two / and yet they are but false and coūterfe…t. They seme to be Christes ad are not. These are the corrupted letter of the .ij. testamētes / falselye interpreted / and for a carnall purpose alleged. And therfor yt ys but apparent / Hypocrityshe / and deceytfull / yea & cleane repugnaunt to the lordes meanynge / not hauynge the iudgement of hys sprete. Thys letter without the holye Ghost is deathe / and nothynge perteyneth vntounto Christ. He ys the veryte and lyfe / this ys but a fable or fyccyon. Hys worde ys sprete and lyfe / thys is but a brasse pot sowndynge / or a latten candelstick, tynkelynge / fantastycall ād …aynt / sophistycall & slayghtye. Though these p. 62seme lyke Christes / yet are they non of hys / but the verye hornes of the Beast. For they vpholde Antichristes kyngedome and not hys / a worldlye glorye and not hys / for hys kingedome ys not of thys worlde. No longar are they hys wordes / hys lawes / nor hys testimonyes thā they maynteyne hys ryght honoure No newlye practysed worshyppynges alloweth he for hys / but vtterlye abhorreth thē all as thynges rawe ād vnsauerye.

4 And therfor yt foloweth / that thys Beast spake as ded the Dragon. The doctrynes and teachynges of these false Apostles and deceytfull masters / are lyes in Hipocresye / and the verye doctryne of deuyls / vnderunder tytle of the veryte repugnaunt to the same. Not vnlyke to that the Serpent sayd vntounto the woman / ye shall not dye yf ye eate of the forbidden frute / but ye shall be surely as Goddes / knowinge both good & euyll. They do as ded Sathan in the desart. Alwayes they perswade vsus / eyther of stones to make bread / or els to throwe our selues downe warde / or els to worshyp the deuyll. That is / to change the good creaturs of God from their ryght vse / as trees into Idols / sylkes / veluettes clothe / golde / and syluer into superstyciouse ornamentes / chast Marryage into stynkynge whoredome and Sodomye with soche lyke. To declyne from the dewtyes cōmaunded of God to their Idle obseruacyōs / so makynge hys commaundementes of non effect for the bayne tradycyons of menne. And fynallye to fall vntounto forbidden worshyppynges or abhomynacyons of Idolatrye / of whome they are full. And for these they hauehave with Sathan also their mangled scriptur… to laye for thē / to proue that the helpe of dead sayntes ys necessarye / their masses / merytes / & workes more than nede / expedyent / & the fyre of purgatorye a fearefull thynge with the deuyll and all of soche fantasyes. These are the prelates of Antichristes churche / the .i…. horned monsters or great bellyed Byshoppes / ryghtelye described here of the holye ghost in this two horned beast. These beastlye bushardes are not ashamed both to saye and to wrytte / that in their myters they beare the fygure of both testamentes / whose veryte they impugne with …o…he and nayle. Verye trulye they saye / that they carrye the fygure for in dede yt ys but a shaddowe they bere. Not to gloryfye God / but their owne beastlye bodyes with golde / pearle / & stone / lyke Mahownde… in a playe / for hys truthe they p. 63most cruellye persecute. These are the verye false Prophetes / the instrumē tes of Sathan / the deceyuers / wolues / wagelynges / Iudasses / dreamers / lyers / Idols / aduersaryes / adders whelpes / foxes destroyenge the lordes vyneyarde / deceytfull workemenne / desperate shepeherdes / blynde watchemenne / dumme dogges / deuyls incarnate / wycked sede / vnsaciate beastes / whose God ys their bealy & glory their confusyō. To all these & to manye other soche doth the Holye Ghost compare them / for that they hauehave with their errours and lyes turned the swetnesse of the scripturs into bytternesse / scarselye leauynge one place therof vndefyled with their fylthye dregges.

5 Thys Beast (sayth Saynt Iohan) ded all thynges that the first Beast coulde do / euen be fore hys owne face. The same lyenge power to deceyue in Hypocresye hath thys beastlye brode that the great Antichrist hath / the same wylye craftes / and the same beastlye kyndes of Idolatrye / and so doth vse thē. The same abhominacyons maynteyne they the worlde ouer / that the pope maynteyneth at Rome / and Mahomete in barbarye of Turkeye. Yea / the same supersticyons ād sorceryes / the same execrable tradycions & beggeryes. The same ceremonies hauehave they / that he hath / the same vncciōs / the same orders / and the same Masses. The same idle obseruacions with vnknowne cloynynge / clatteringe / and wawlinge are styl vsed in Englande / lyke as they were vsed afore / & with no lesse blasphemy to God.

6 To do soche thinges in the first Beastes presence / is to do them where his power and auctorite is raygnynge / or where as is the seate of Sathan / which is euerye place that admitteth straunge worshippinge.

7 Both the earthe and them that dwell in the earthe cōpell they to worship this first Beast. Not onlye enforce they thē to wycked Idolatrye / that neuer wolde knowe the truthe / but also manye of those which hath great knowlege in the same. Oh / how manye are in Englande / and in other regions also that in these dayes worketh agaynst faythe / knowlege / and the holye ghost / admittinge the prestes abhominaciōs? Rather had they to dwell styll in the earthlye beggerye with the blasphemye of God / thā eyther to be out of fauer / or to loose ther offices to hauehave their goodes hindred / or to hasarde their lyues / so swete are these wā ton worldlye pleasurs. Rather had they to peryshe with the sonnes of Hel… and Samuel for abusynge the ordinaunces p. 64of the lorde / and with Core / Dathan / ād abiron for rebellinge agaynst them to synke vntounto hell / than with Christ to take peynes in pouerte. But let not them thynke to be worthye of Christ / that better loueth their owne carnall commodyte / than his heauenlye veryte.

8 Well / the Beast must they worshyp whose wounde is made whole. His olde rustye rewles newe bournished / and his olde Romishe ragges new patched / by a newlye confermed auctorite / must they enbrase in peyne of deathe. The lambe shall not yet be suffred to apere. Styll for a tyme must these terrible te… magaūtes hauehave more worship thā God / their tradiciōs preferred to his most pure worde. And whye shuld it not be so? hauehave they not now a newe refourmed churche / in whom the Beastes wounded head is newlye restored? So longe as it is lyke the popes churche / it must folowe his rewles / and cleaue to his ordynaunces. It shall not folowe Christ in faythe and in doctryne / tyll it apere lyke that churche which he left here behynde him whan he ascended. And that is not lyke to be yet.

9 First must there be wrought great wonders. Fyre must be compelled to come downe from heauen in thē syght of menne / by this twohorned Beast. The discyples of Antichrist with their byfurked ordinaries must violentlye pluck… from the true christen churche (whose regne is not of this worlde) the eternall worde of the lorde.

10 Then must they take from them the consumyge fyre that Christ sent downe into the earthe of mēnes hartes to drye vp all malyce and synne. Yea / they must depriue them of the clouen fyerye tonges / which the holye ghost poured vponupon the Apostles / to the confort of all the worlde. The treasure that Christ hath left here to socoure vsus / they must hyde vnderunder the grounde / and the candle that he lyght vsus to se ouer the howse / cōuaye vnderneth the bushell.

11 And these wonders shall they worke in the presence of menne. All redye hauehave they taken in Englande / from the Bybels / the annotacions / tables / and prefaces / to perfourme this their dampnable enterpryse. They hauehave streyghtlye forbydden the readynge therof / for tyme of their Romyshe seruyce. Some hauehave they burned / and some put to sylence / and all in the face of the peple. Yea / they reysed the maydes of Ipp…swhy…e ād of kente to worke wonders & maruel… / and now of late the folyshe North…n menne to fyght for their churche. What practyses they hauehave had in p. 65that eare / and that eare / to fetche awaye the true fauorers and preachers of the Gospell at dyuerse tymes / he that well considereth / maye saye that the holye ghost hath here ryghtlye described thē / callynge thē workers of wonders. The discrete cytezen of London master Packyngton was slayne with a gonne at saynt Thomas of Acres (as they call it) not without their preuyelegerdemayne. But this with other of their miracles I intende to declare more at large / in an other treatyse the lorde lendynge me lyfe. It is not longe ago also sens Alexander Seyton an excellent lerned manne with poore master Tolwyn / recanted at Paules crosse. Nor yet lōge afore sens good do… tour Crome was compelled to do the same. And now last of all / to take the scripture cleane awaye / they hauehave sought out great fawtes in the translacyon of it / ād thervpon taken them awaye from the common peples readynge. Great peynes they take to put it downe / but they neuer swerr yet in the settynge vp of yt. Thus mynde they to worke their wonders / tyll they hauehave buryed it all in the earthe. They lacke now but .iiii. knyghtes to hyre / to kepe yt downe styll / that it ryse no more vp. O very … of helle / and lymmes of the deuyll / how vayne are your stodyes / and how wycked your practyses? I hauehave no doubt but within short space God wyll destroye the counsels / and dyssypate the strengthes of them that please mē ne. Yet lete no manne maruele though they do these feates for the tyme. For yf the gospel were taught without checke / in a whyle▪ shuld nothinge remayne of that generacyon / neyther myter nor rochet / shauen crowne nor anoyntinge / ād that knowe they wele ynough. For the worde of the lorde ys the breathe of hys mouthe that shall destroye them / and the deuowringe fyre that shall consume thē.

12 By the meanes of these sygnes (sayth the text) which thys Beast had power to do in the syght of the other Beast / or where hys abusiōs doth reygne with outchecke / he deceyued thē that dwelt on the earthe. Manye in thys age are wōderfullye abused / through the dysseytful workinge of Sathan in these horned. whoremongers / but yet non other than are earthlye mynded. Of some menne in dede the eyes are bleared with their craftes / of some menne the weake iudgemētes blemyshed wyth their subtiltees / for want of dyscernynge the scripturs. Some mē ne are tangled with doubtes / some trobled with terrour / some tormented with feare / consideringe that for thys newe p. 66lernynge (as they will hauehave yt called) some hauehave bene hanged / as were the thre poore yonge menne of Sothfolke for the rotten rode of Douercourt / Some burned / some be headed for thinges of nought / as ys knowne to all the worlde These thinges daseth their wittes / and amaseth their myndes. And earthe ys the cause of all this. Were yt not that they moche more loued this worldes pleasures than Godt / it shuld neuer be so.

13 All the perswasyons of Antichristes prelates and preachers hath euermore bene / and are now styll vntounto soche earthlye inhabitauntes / that they shuld make an Image lyke vntounto thys Beast. Which is alwayes to chose soche an Emproure with other worldlye gouernours as shall be for their commodyte. He must by the worldlye peple be compelled to take autoryte / sceptur / and crowne at their handes / so sworne to maynteyne their fleshelye libertees. He must also be fashioned by their wycked doctrynes and false counsels in confessions / lyke them in all superstyciouse lyuynge / and in the tyrannouse murther of innocent Christen menne. Where soche an head Ruler ys appoynted / there ys hys owne fygure made / and where soche a Gouernour ys constitute / there ys hys own Image se… vpp. For we must consyder that this reuelaciō is in all poyntes no storye / speciallye here / as manye wryters hauehave thought it to be / in supposynge an Antichrist to be borne at the latter ende of the worlde. But it is a misterye comprehendinge in it but one generall Antichrist for all / which hath regned in the churche in a maner sens the Ascencyon of Christ. And in this one poynt are all the commētours that I hauehave seane / most fowlye deceyued / yea / the best lerned of them. I knowe wele if there be anye yet to come / he shall be but a mēber of this. Agayne to owr purpose.

14 Speciallye must they make a ryght Image of that Beast / which had the wounde of a swerde and ded lyue. This betokeneth that in these dayes they shall sturre about them / & leaue no ca…tels vnsought / neyther anye false counsels vnfet frō other realmes / to do their feates with / and to fashyon the Christē Gouernours to their myndes. As winchester ded the last tyme he was in Fraunce. After whose comminge home / manye great wonders were wrought in Englāde / and fyre was made to come downe frō heauen. Consider the storye afore / for the storye declareth the misterye. That wounded head now healed / must be vp holdē.

15 He had a greuouse wype with the …worde (which is the lyuynge worde of p. 67the lorde) whan he lost his monkes / chanons and fryres / his purgatorye / pilgrimages / and shrynes. Yet was he not all dead. For thowgh their cowles / coctes / and ro…hettes were of yet had they styll the same popyshe hartes and the same super…iciouse frowardenesse / that they were wonte to hauehave. This myght hauehave bene founde true / if it had bene serched / w…an serten popishe prestes of mastre whartons retinue not farre from Bongaye in Sothfolke ded calke for Cromwell and for other els, if the worlde had no… …hāged to their myndes. I write not this thinknyge they can harme by the…e calkinge where as faythe is residēt / but onlye to shewe / that their hartes are yet alyue & how vertuously they are occupied. Manye thinges I cōsidre at this instaunt poynt cōcerninge prince Edwarde / whō I doubte not but the lorde hath sent for the singular cōfort of Englāde. Not that I …em…rously diffiue / anye thinge to come cōcerninge him / cōsideringe it onlye in the lordes powre. But I desyre the sayd lorde to preserue his bringinge vp / frō the cōtagiouse drinkes of these false phisicianes. And this is to be prayed for of all mēne / if ye pōder well the text / & marke their wonderfull workinges / where the beastes head is restored.

¶The Text.

1 And he had power to geue sprete vntounto the Image of the Beast. 2. and to make that the Image of the Beast shulde speake. 3. and shulde cause that as manye as wolde not worshyp the Image of the Beast / shulde be kylled. 4. And he made all / both small and great / ryche & poore / free and bonde. 5. to receyue a marke in their ryght handes. 6. or in their fore heades. 7. And that no man myght bye and sell. 8. saue he that had the marke. 9. or the name of the Beaste. 10. eyther the nombre of hys name.

¶The Paraphrase.

1 For power they hauehave to geue sprete to the Image of the Beast. It ys surelye geuen them of the deuyll / whan they hauehave ones fashyoned out the Beastes ryght Image / or made of an Emproure p. 68a tyr…t / or set in the place of a godlye gouernour / … murtherer vp of gods peple / by flatteringe prayses to encorage them to all my chefe / and by wycked counsell to prycke thē forewarde to make cruell actes of murther for vpholdynge their beastlye genera…yon. The sprete that they do ministre vntounto princes euermore / ys not the correccyō of synne / the amendement of lyfe / redresse of the common welthe / prouisyon for the poore / nor the sekynge of Gods glorye. But by flatterynge prayses to vpholde thē in their euyls / moche after thys soort of speakinge. Your magestes or graces are called most vertuous / most valeaunt / most worthye / most wyse / most myghtye and best lerned amonge all Christen potentates. They are all but Asses / in comparyson to your worthynesses. If yt be your magestes pleasurs to do this or that within your owne domynyon / who shall be so bolde to withstande yow? No / though Gods holye lawes be an hundred tymes agaynst yt. Support the olde relygyon of holye churche agaynst te Heretykes / and ye can not chose but prospere in all your affayres. Lete it be treason agaynst your owne persones accordynge to the actes of the Emperour Sigysmundus and of kynge henrye the fift / if they do but ones speake agaynst be… corrupt customes. Make cruell cōst…uc… ons apace & proclame thē abrode to shewe your selfes the popes liuely Images.

2 Our office it is to cause the Beastes Image to speake. Let therfor your voyces be harde. Be no dumme Idolles▪ but speake with bolde stomakes. In hys sprete make vtteraunce without Gods worde of his olde Romishe rewles. Sende forth your proclamacions to be publyshed euerye where / concernynge his masses / his confessions / his ceremonies and his whorishe chastite. Let all thynges be blowen forth vnderunder your tytles / names / and auctoritees / to be obserued vnderunder peyne of deathe. If other realmes report that ye abuse the dewtye of heysers or kynges (whych is the offyce of God esteme not their saynges / but stande well in your owne consaytes. Interprete the scripturs at your owne lust ād pleasurs as your lawe master of Rome hath done afore your tyme.

3 Cause so manye to be kylled / as wyll not worship the Image of the Beast / or obeye soche wicked lawes agaynst the veryte of God / as hath bene made by those Emprours that were the popes eldest sonnes / by the kynges of Fraunce which were his yonger sonnes / or by other princes els which were the defenders of hys churche / lete nō escape your …ādes that inueyheth agaynst our kyngdome p. 69/ but make hauocke of them on euerye syde as of heretykes and traytors / to proue the holye ghost true here in hys fore iudgemente…. For that is your offyce / not appoynted of God but of Sathan. And in our cōmssiyon frō him also we hauehave it / to be no slacke mouers of yow thervnto. So hath Christ tolde afore in this reuelacyō vntounto saynt Iohā the Euāgelist. This is the ghostlye counsell that we the horned Beastes / thus hauehave in cōmission to geue vntounto yow frō the mouthe of the Dragō. Whā soche an Image or Id…louse prince is thus vpset or cōstytuted by auctorite (his othe ones made that he shall alwayes defende them) he maye in no wyse speake but out of that sprete that their cōiurers / confessours I shuld saye / hauehave put in to him. He maye make no lawes but at their spiritual appoyntmēt / lyke as the Emprour Carolus doth now in these dayes. Moche after this sore became the ēprour Nero this beastes Image immediatly after Cristes ascēsiō by the subtle slaightes of that spiritual sorcerer Simō Magus / at Rome to withstande the Christen preachers Peter and Paule / as largelye witnesseth Egesippus in hys thirde boke de Hierosol… morū exci-dio / the secōde chaptre. This Simō Magus by flatteringe prayses crepte first into his fauer / promisinge him helthe / longe lyfe / increace of power / and enlargement of his empyre / with cō tynuall vyctorye ouer hys enemyes / in case he wolde folowe hys counsell / vponupon thys became he / not onlye hys chefe coū sellour / but also the hygh byshop of hys sowle and conseruatoure of hys bodye / the preseruacyon of hys whole helthe & lyfe to hym committed onlye. All thynges after that was done vy hys counsell to stoppe the Apostles preachynge / he taken for the Emprours most familyar frynde / and a manne most profitable to the common welthe of the Romanes / and they sone after suppressed and putt vntounto most cruell deathe.

4 And he made all (sayth Saynt Iohan) both great and small / ryche and poore / free and bonde / to receyue a marke in their ryght handes / or in their fore heades. Whā this newe raysed Image of the Beaste / or sworne power to Antichrist / ys ones raysed vp or admitted by their autoryte / be he kynge or Reyser / prince or other potentate / he must strongelye defende that Synagoge of the deuyll / with whole mageste / crowne / and scepture. By their onlye counsell must he than make lawes (for they must geue hym sprete) and sende out commandementes abrode that their holye decrees be obseued. Commissioners and vysy…ours must out vndre that autoryte / as p. 70wele to the clergye as layte. Than must all be sworne to it and so obeye yt / both hygh and lowe / both Gentylman and ye man / both owner and farmer / both zytezen and townesman / both merchande ād plowgh man / both mastre and seruaunt / both natyue dweller and denyson. Yea / both Prystes in their colleges / Monkes in their abbayes / Chanons in their couentes / and fryers in their cloysters must after their sorte do the same. Thys rewle hath bene alwayes for the cōmodyte of that kingedome / where as the powers hauehave bene thus by them peruerted. Moche were it to shewe the manyfolde examples in that behalfe. Charles the .v. now ēproure / to make thys good / and to shewe hymselfe to be the seyd Beastes Image / caused soche actes to be publyshed through out hys whole domynyon agaynst the Christen doctryne / wherin all they are declared heretyques / scysmatyques / and excommunicates / which taketh not the pope for sayn… Peters onlye vycar and head of the christen churche / non excepted / neyther kynge nor Coruester / as there are now dyuerse of the contrarye opynyon. The artycles of the louanyanes vndre hys pryuilege / and the actes of the parysyanes vudre the frenc…e kynges autoryte / proclamed in thys present yeare of our lorde A .M.CCCCC.xlv. wyll make all this matter good.

5 And what is this els both in theyr clergy and commons / but to receyue a marke in their right handes or forehea…es? for in admittynge those artycles & actes / they graunte to obeye those blasphemouse doctrynes that shall both corrupt their lyfe ād faythe / both their workes and conseyence. For in consentinge vntounto errours in their faythe / they spott their foreheades / hauynge so their consciences marked with an hote yron. In full grauntynge also to do them in effecte / they defyle their handes / perfourminge soche workes as are vnpure before God. If they were gone quyte frō Christ that wrapped them selues agayne with the workes of the lawe appoynted of God before his commynge / moche more are they gone from him that tangle them sel…es with soche workes of bondage as he neuer knewe / as are all their Idell obseruacions hauynge no expresse commaundementes of the worde of God. Onlye loke we (saith Paule) in sprete to be iustyfied through faythe / which by louelove is mightye in operacyon.

6 And for them that so beleueth is this disiunctyue or / put betwyn theyr handes and foreheades. For all they that p. 71outwardlye kepe these heythnishe obseruacyons / hauehave not their conscyences defyled with them / for their inwarde faythes sake / though they perfourme the outwarde workes / doubtynge the terrour of the lawes. Yet wolde I counsell them not therin to trust / but at the worde of the lorde to go from it. For though loth dwelt in Sodome / yet at the lordes voyce he departed from thens.

7 This Image made also that no mā ne myght vye or sell / saue he onlye that had the Marke or the name of the Beast / or at the least the nombre of his name. The actes of Iustynyane the Emproure / shall make this good / so shall the constitucyons of Adelstane and Edgare and manye other kynges here in Englande which for the ordre and commody…e of the clerge made manye polytyque lawes. Specyallye kynge Inas Gouernour of the west Saxons / which first gaue the Peter Pens vntounto Rome / and made him selfe a monke there. But in thys spyrytuall generacyon amonge them selues / is non allowed for a merchande vnlesse he come in by Symonye. Non was made bysshopp / pastoure / nor …urate / but payed for it their taxed sommes / byshoppes / to the pope / and the prestes to the byshopps / besydes Irem in brybes.

Non myght els be allowed to vtter to auauntage the wares of the beast / or distribute the rytes of that holye whoryshe churche.

8 Neyther were anye made free of that marte / vnlesse they had the marke of the beast / which is not onlye the outwarde sygne of their head shauinge and anoyntinge of their fingars / but also the inwarde prynte of their consciences / receyued by profession made to that wicked monster. For lyke as true faythe in Iesus Christ is the marke of a perfygh… christiane / so is a false beleue in popishe tradicions a token of Antichristes member. By their frutes (sayth Christ) shall ye knowe them. For the one foloweth the rewle of Gods worde / the other hath counterfet workes of mennes prescripcion.

9 Els must they hauehave the name of the Beast / to be called spyrituall menne / or the holye consecrate nombre / as his holye fatherhode is called.

10 Or at the least they must hauehave the nō bre of his name / which is a note of magnificence and worthynesse. Lesse cā they not be called than lordes / so manye as are sworne to that spirituall markett. The most ragged ronegate / and idle ydiote amonge them / is no lesse thā a …yre / which is a lorde in the Lattyn / as sir Iohan p. 72/ sir Thomas / sir Willyam. In the Lattyn onlye hangeth their great lordeshippes. Amonge their vnknowne lattyn howres / their masses / and their dyrigees / lyeth their plentuouse patrimonye in their portasses and masse bokes. No… he that leaueth all wyth poore peter / maye be called from fishynge / nor wyth Mathew from the custome howse / to do these offices. But he that catcheth all with Iudas ād Symon Magus must come from Symonye to do them. Not he that is called of God as was Aaron shal hauehave cure of sowle / but he that offereth to Corban with Annas and Cayphas. Soche a worlde hath it bene and is ye… styll in the worlde abrode amonge them.

The Text.

1 Here is wisdome. 2. lete him that hath wytte. 3. counte the nombre of the Beaste. 4. For it is the nōbre of Manne. 5. And his nombre is / sex h…ndred / sextye / and sixe.

¶The Paraphrase.

1 Here is wysdome to be had (sayth saynt Iohan. Lete hym that hath wytte / count the nombre of the Beast / for it is the Nombre of manne. And his Nombre is sixe hondred / sixtie and sixe.

2 For so moche as Christ hath willed vsus diligentlye to searche the scripturs / and the holye Ghost here doth committ the iudgement of this secrete to the witte of manne / some wryters hath deducted thys Nomber out of serten Greke wordes / betokeninge thys great Antichrist / because thys present Reuelacion was first written in the Greke language. As out of antemos / which signifyeth one contrarye to Gods honoure / out of Arnume / which signifieth a denyer of God / and out of Teitan / which betokeneth the sunne. All these .iii. vo…ables / though they seme dyuerse / yet contayne they after the Greke rewles / neyther more nor lesse than thys sett Nomber. And all this maye stande both with scripture and reason. For he that ys not with Christ / ys agaynst hym / callynge that ys good yll / and that ys yll good / mynystrynge darkenesse for lyght. Soche lyenge masters as hath brought in sectes of perdicyon / hath denyed the lorde that bought them. They are not the lyght as they boast themselues to be (for all they loke to be called spyrituall) but they are the fallen Starres and verye Apostaraes frō God / & Sathās trāsfonemynge themselues into the angels of p. 7lyght by dyuerse kyndes of Hypocresye.

3 Some expositours leauynge the Greke / hath practysed the same thynge by these .ii. latyne wordes. Dic lux / contaynynge in numerall letters the same set… Nōbre. Which sygnifyed that they call them selues the lyght / or menne of a spyrytuall sort / beynge nothynge lesse. For they in dede are the same self darkenesse that wyl in no wyse receyue the light / but rather persecuteth yt with most spyg…t and cruelte. After thys sort myght I brynge in Diabolus incarnatus / or filius perdictonis / the deuyll incarnate or the sonne of perdycyō / for both they are the names of this beastlye Antichrist by the scripturs / the one wantynge in the numerall letters but .iiii. of the Nōbre / & the other but .vi. which myght be supplyed in the other letters. But a monge all these thys worde Arnume most nyghlye towcheth the my…erye / which ys as moche to saye / as I denye. Euydentlye semeth he to hauehave the marke of the Beast / or to be sealed with the Nombre of hys name / that sayeth whan he heareth the manyfest veryte / I wyll neuer admitt ye whyle I hauehave a daye to liue / it is ageynst good order / yt standeth not with laudable custome / our doctours agree not th… vntounto / our holye canōs alloweth yt not / yt hath not the holye fathers consent / page missing vsus pray… ād hope / for it hath great likelyhode of a moche farder apperaunce.

… Sens the worldes begynnynge hauehave the misterye of iniquite wrought in Ca…n and in hys posteryte / and so contynued in the Beastlye mēbers of Antichrist and so shall do styll to the latter daye. Therfor is yt no lesse than the Nombre of manne / sixe hondred sixtye and sixe. Thus ys he tokened with all wyckednesse / that admitteth the false faythe of this Beast / and foloweth the same in hys lyuynge by the subtle perswasyons of the Bishoppes and their lyenge Prophetes / and ys sealed vp to eternall dampnacyon / vnlesse the lorde call hym in tyme. Not onlye in Englande ys healed the beastes wounded head / but also in other serten regyons. But for so moche as yt ys most lyuelye done there / and thys boke written in that language / I hauehave onlye brought forth here examples therof in that purpose.