Commentary on 2 Thessalonians, Commentary on 2 Thessalonians · Chapter 2

Commentary on 2 Thessalonians · Commentary on 2 Thessalonians · Chapter 2

p. 8I beſech you brethrē by the cōming of oure Lorde Ieſus Chriſt, and for our aſſemble in hym, that ye be not ſodēly moued frō your mynd, and be not troubled, nother by ſprite, nother by vvord nor yet by epiſtle, vvhichwhich ſhulde ſeme to come from vsus, as though the day of Chriſte vvere at hande. Let noman deceaue you by ony meanes.

Some mē vnderſtode by y^e fourth chapter of hys fyrſt epiſtle y^e the cōmynge of y^e Lorde vntounto iudgmēt, & the reſurrection of the dead was euē thē at hāde. Ther were alſo many deceauers, which affirmed planely, y^t the ende of all thynges was than come. Euē as ther lacke none now adayes of the ſecte of the Anabaptiſtes, which come where as is great reſort of people & ceaſſe not to crye, y^t the daye of iudgmēt is at hāde. But Paule in thys place doth ſhewe what muſte go before the cōmynge of the LORDE, & wyth what foreſygnes and thynges, man ought to be warned before. And he doth very properly beſeche y^e Theſſalonians by that ſame thynge in whiche they erred, that is to ſaye, by the cōmynge of the LORDE, of the which he hath hetherto ſpokē, and in the fyrſt chapter alſo. Furthermore he exhorteth thē by the vnite & concorde, whiche we the mē bres hauehave wyth the heade Ieſus Chriſte. For we ſeme to be plucked from thys holy bodye, as oft as we hauehave no ryght opynion of the heade or health of the mēbres. And he beſecheth them that they be not ſodenly moued from theyr mynde, that is from the true vnderſtondynge and godly mynde. Eraſmus: Be not ſodenly moued (ſayeth he) from your mynde, yf that hys commynge be deferred. But the playner expoſycion followeth: Be not of that mynde and iudgement, y^t ye ſhuld thynke, the daye of the LORDE to be nowe at hande. Nother be ye troubled. And to be troubled is to be amaſed in the mynde, to be afeared and to be deſtitute of counſell and helpe. After that he reherſeth diuers maner of wayes, by whiche the congregacions p. 11are troubled.Thre ſpecial cauſes o… troublynge of the congregaciōs. The fyrſt is the ſprete that is a reuelacion, prophecie or tellynge of thynges to come, with the whiche certayne mooſt vngracious knaues hauehave deceaued many, boſtynge thē ſelues to hauehave the ſprete of God, where as they were led wyth euell luſtes. The Montanyſtes and the Valentyniās which before tyme wer endued w^t ſuch a ſprete (as Ireneus and Euſebius hauehave wrytten) dyd greatlye deceaue the ſymple people, as y^e Anabaptiſtes do nowe. The ſecond waye to trouble the churches is worde, y^t is doctryne commyng forth of a lyuyng voyce, the whiche yf it be decked with eloquente and apparaunte wordes, it is mooſt peſtylente. The thyrde way is a coūterfayte Epiſtle or ſome wrytynge garnyſhed with a falſe inſcrypcion or tytle. (as S. Ambroſe teſtified) Falſe deceauers are woūte (that they myghte the ſooner deceaue) for to fayne an Epiſtle vnderunder the name of ſome noble wryter, to the intente that the authoryte of the mā, may ſet forth that, which can not be receaued by thē ſelues. And it can not be ſpokē, howe ſhamefully y^e certayne vnthryftye knaues throughe thys crafte hauehave mocked y^e churche of God, whyche hauehave thruſte in amonge vsus many bokes, many epiſtles, & workes, as though they had come frō the Apoſtles or apoſtolicall men, orels from wryters that were noble and excellente in authoryte, learnynge & holynes, whiche for all y^t they neuer knew or coulde aproue, yf they were yet alyue. For ther are abrode certayne canones of the Apoſtles, certayn Epiſtles of apoſtolyke men, yet & many lytle bokes alſo, vnderunder y^e name of Auguſtine & Ambroſe which theſe men neuer ſawe: What ſhal I ſay of certayne ſermōs garnyſhed w^t the tytle of Cypriane & Auguſtine: The neglygence of the age y^t is paſſed, & the couetouſnes of wryters & prynters, w^t the ygnoraunce & vnſhamfaſtnes of thē was ſo greate y^t noman can deteſte it to muche. They that hauehave redde the wryttynges of y^e olde doctoures, and hauehave ſene ony of Eraſmus iudgementes vponupon y^e workes of Ierome & Auſten, do vnderſtāde what I ſay. And yet ſhalt y^u fynde mē, which thorowe the helpe of this place, wyll thruſt into y^e churche of God eueryevery thyng y^t they luſt: Obiectyng that all thynges neceſſary to true godlynes are not wryttē in y^e ſcryptures, becauſe y^e mencion is made here of y^e ſprete of y^e p. 12worde, and of the Epiſtle, by the whiche a more perfayte doctryne myghte be delyuered to the worlde then to come. But theſe men do not ſe, that thys ſame place doth monyſhe vsus, that men ſhulde not be drawen awaye frome theyr mynde, that is y^e wholſome faythe once receaued, through theyr tradicions: whiche beynge couered wyth the cloke of the ſprete, of the worde, or of a decretall epiſtle, theſe men do caſte vntounto vsus as Apoſtolike and mooſt holy doctryne. For after thys maner they do auaunce & only ſet forthe vntounto vsus bothe theyr popyſh maſſes & all other thynges which they can not proue by y^e teſtymonye of ſcryptures affyrmynge that they were inſtitute by the tradycion of the Apoſtles, and afterwarde confyrmed by the Epiſtles of Apoſtolyke men, and by the reuelacion of the holy gooſte. Let vsus beware therfore of theſe rauenynge woulues, whyche beynge clothed wyth ſhepes clothynge, do come for to ſpoile, for to trouble, & to deuoure. Let vsus kepe faythfully y^e meanyng of Chriſt, w^t the holſome and Apoſtolycall poyntes of true & vndefyled relygion, & then ſhall nomā deceaue vsus by ony meanes. That learned mā Tertulyan, hath ſpoken more of thys matter in hys boke that he made of y^e banyſhmēt of Heretykes.

For the LORDE commeth not excepte ther come a departyng fyrſt, and that that ſynfull man be opened, the loſt chyld, vvhichwhich is an aduerſary, and is exalted aboue al that is called God or vvorſhypped: ſo that he ſhall ſyt in the temple of God auauncynge hymſelfe as God. Do ye not remembre that vvhē I vvas yet vvith you, I tolde you theſe thynges?

The LORDE ſhall not come, excepte that ther come a departynge …yrſte.Ye thynke (ſayeth he) that the daye of the cōmyng of the LORDE is nowe at hande, but ye are deceaued brethren. For excepte ther come a departynge fyrſt, the LORDE ſhall not come. Excepte therefore that ther come a departynge fyrſte, & that Antichriſte do raygne, Chriſte ſhall not come vntounto iudgemēt. Therfore y^e departyng & raygne of Antichriſte or rather tyrāny, ſhall go before y^e day of iudgemēt. And here he dothe deſcrybe Antichriſte & hys kyngdome at large. We ſhall touche eueryevery thynge wyth a cōpendious brefenes, comparynge y^t whiche Daniel ſpake of thys matter, with theſe thynges. For it p. 13ſemeth that the Apoſtle toke muche of hys out of hym. And fyrſte we wyll ſpeake of the departynge.Departing. Departynge is here taken after ſuche a maner, as whan a man doth ſlyde backe or fayle from hys author or prynce. Saynt Ambroſe doth expounde it of the diuydynge of the kyngdome of y^e Romaynes, and of the departyng of other kyngdomes frō it. Other hauehave interpreted it of the departyng of fayth, of the whiche the Apoſtle ſpake, i. Timo. iiii. ſayenge: The ſprete ſpeaketh euydentlye, that in the latter dayes ſome ſhall depart from the fayth, geuyng hede vntounto ſpretes of erroure and deuelyſhe doctrynes, &c. But both cōmeth to one effecte as touchynge the ſubſtaunce of the matter. For when that ſame laſt monarchye or kyngdome beganne to be diuided, through the departynge of certayne kyngdomes from it, then began the Chriſten relygion and fayth to be corrupted and peruerted alſo, by them, which gaue hede vntounto ſpretes of erroure & deuelyſhe doctrynes. And by y^e ſame laſte monarchie or kyngdō is ment the empyre of Rome. For Daniell in hys .vii. Chapter. After .iii. myghty kyngdomes, that is to ſaye of the Babyloniās, Perſes, and the Macedonyans, addeth to the fourthe, that is the Romaynes. I ſawe (ſayeth he) in a vyſion by nyght, and beholde the fourthe beaſte was grymme and horryble and maruaylous ſtronge, it had greate yron tethe, it deuoured and deſtroyed, and ſtamped the reſydue vnderunder hys fete, it was farre vnlyke to other beaſtes, that were before it: For it hadde tenne hornes. I marked the hornes, and beholde ther came vp amonge them an other lytle horne, before whome ther were thre of the fyrſte hornes plucked awaye: Beholde thys horne had eyes lyke the eyes of a man, and a mouthe ſpeakynge preſumptuouſe thynges. Hytherto hauehave we reherſed the wordes of Daniell. And after he had deſyred to knowe y^e meanyng of this vyſiō, he herde thys anſwere: The fourth beaſte ſhalbe the fourth kyngdome vponupon the earthe, it ſhalbe greater then all other kyngdomes, it ſhall deuoure, treade downe, and deſtroye all the worlde. The ten hornes are tenne kyngdomes y^t ſhall aryſe out of the kyngdom, after whom ther ſhall ſtonde vp another, whyche ſhall be greater then the fyrſte, & ſhall ſubdue thre kynges, and ſo forth. S. p. 14Ierome declarynge this place of the Prophet,The Empyre of Rome. doth expounde it of the empyre of Rome, ſayeng: He cōpared the kyngdome of the Romanes vntounto no beaſt, & named it not: to the intent y^t what cruelte more thē other we dyd ſuppoſe in the beaſtes, we ſhuld vnderſtonde that of the Romaynes. And ſurely thys empyre hath ſubdued and wayſted all the worlde: not beynge alonly vnlyke vntounto other kyngdomes, in the ſettynge vp & gouernaunce of the kyngdom, but alſo in cruelnes, ſtrēgth, & fearcenes. For what naciōs hath it not waſted with fyre & ſweard, & vtterly deſtroyed, brought them in to bondage, and as it were a full and wanton beaſte trode them vnderunder hys fete? For the which cauſe Mitridates the kyng of Pōtus (as Iuſtinus dyd note out of Trogus Pompeius) was wonte to ſay of the Romaynes: That they dyd trulye boſte, y^t theyr fyrſte begynners or auncetters were brought vp w^t woulues mylke, becauſe y^t all the people of Rome had wolues myndes, neuer full of bloude & euer gredy & gapynge after dominiō & ryches. Alſo Plinius in y^e .vii. boke of his natural hyſtory, y^e .xxv. chap. ſayth of Iulius Ceſar.Iulius Ceſar. He fought in playn felde fyftye tymes: he only paſſed Marcus Marcellus a captayne of the Romaynes alſo whych yet had pytched & fyghten .xxxix. battayles. For beſydes hys vyctoryes ouer cyties, trulye I wolde not ſpeake to hys prayſe, of eleuē C.xcii.M. men that were ſlayne by hym in battayles. Alſo the greate iniury that mankynd ſuffred by hym: whyche thynge to be true he hymſelfe confeſſed, although he made no mencion of hys deſtruction in cyuile warres. The ſelfe ſame Plinius in the .xxvi. chapter wytneſſeth, that in y^e temple of Minerua, was a table hanged vp, brefly cōtaynyng the actes of Gneus Pompeius the greate which he had done in the Eaſte partes,Gneus Pō pe… in theſe wordes followynge: Gneus Pompeius the greate Emperoure & guyder of the Romaynes hooſte, in the tyme of hys warres, which contynued .xxx. yeares, dyd beate down, put to flyghte, ſlewe, and toke to mercye twenty hundreth & lxxxiii. thouſand men, he bowed and toke .viii. hundreth & .xlvi. ſhyppes, he had yeldyd vntounto hym a .M.CCCCC.xxxviii. townes and caſtels, and ſubdued all y^e contrye from the water of Meotis vntounto the reede ſee. And the title or inſcrypcion of hys tryumphe p. 15had the thyrde daye of the kalendes of October (Marcus Meſſala & Marcus Piſo beynge cōſules) was thys: When he had once rydde the ſee cooſtes of Pirates, and had reſtored the Romaynes vntounto theyr dominion whiche they had on the ſee, he brought gloryous ſpoyles out of Aſia, Pō tus, Armenia, Paphlagonia, Capadocia, Cilicia, Syria, frō the Scythians, Iewes Albanes, out of Iberia, the Ile of Creta, and from the Baſternes: And beſydes theſe he led vntounto hys triumphe theſe two kynges Mytridates & Tigranes. We hauehave touched only the actes, vyctories, & tryumphes of two Emperours: we hauehave ſpoken nothynge yet of Scipions, Fabyones, Marius and Metellus, nother yet of Lelius Sylla, Lucullus, Marcellus, Craſſus, Paulus Aemilius, Flaminius, Sertorius, Cornelius Cinna and Fymbria, and of many noble men of thys ſorte and degre: by whoſe ſtudy, feruencye, ambycion, couetouſnes and deſyre to beare rule: To conclude, by whoſe wylde cruelnes, & extreme tyrannye it came to paſſe that (accordynge to the prophecye of Daniell) all the world was deuoured, deſtroyed, and troden vnderfoote.

Ye hauehave now y^e myſtery of that cruell beaſte, nowe ſhall we ſhewe what is ſygnifyed by the ten hornes, and what by the halfe horne that ſprange vp amonge them and plucked awaye other thre hornes. The nombre of ten ſignifyeth a multitude,The diuydyng of the Empyre of Rome and the departyng frō it. and hornes kyngdomes: and it meaneth that the Empire of Rome ſhulde be diuided agayne in to many kyngdomes: that is, y^e thorow mēs departynge frō it, it ſhulde come to paſſe that manye kynges at once ſhulde rule in the Empyre of Rome. The whiche thynge beganne to be aboute the tyme of Conſtantine the greate, ſome gouernynge the kyngdomes of the Eaſte, and ſome of the Weſte. And after that by proceſſe of tyme manye nacions beganne to fall from it alſo, takynge other kynges and princes vntounto them. Farthermore rude nacions brake in, and y^t agaynſt the Emperoure of Romes wyll: yee and ſubduynge the Prouinces and kyngdomes of the Empyre of Rome they raygned ſtrongly. For thoſe thynges are well knowen, whiche wryters of ſtoryes do tell of the Frenchemen, Germaynes, Lombardes, and Perſes.

p. 16And ſo are thoſe thynges and ſtoryes, alſo whyche credyble auctoures bothe Grekes and Latins hauehave wrytten of the bloudye dominion of the Gothies, Hunnies, and Wandaies. And after thys maner dyd tenne hornes ſprynge oute of that beaſte, and the departynge was fulfylled of whyche the Apoſtle hath nowe ſpoken.Of the ſpryngyngs vp of Antichriſts. Nowe ſhall we ſpeake of the commynge vp of Antichriſte, that is to ſaye, of the reuelacion of that ſynfull man. Ther grewe vp a certayne foolyſhe opynion that Antichriſte ſhulde be one onelyonly man, the whyche ſhulde be borne in Babylon, and of the trybe of Dan, and that he ſhuld raygne certayne yeares to the greate hurte of the faythfull. But the foolyſhe men ſe not that Daniell dyd vnderſtonde all the Kynges, Emperoures or heade rulers of the Babylonians, Perſes, Macedonyans, and Romaynes vnderunder the names of one Lyon, Beer, Leoparde and other beaſtes. Therfore it muſte nedes be, that he mente by that lytle horne, that is to ſaye by Antichriſte, not ſome one onelyonly man, but an whole kyngedome and an whole bodye which ſhuld fyghte agaynſt Chriſte with theyr lawes, cōſtitucions, maners & ſtrength. Let vsus therfore marke the wordes of the Prophete: I marked the hornes (ſayeth he) and behold another lytle horne came vp among thē, before whom thre of y^e hornes were pluckyd awaye. And agayn: Another (ſayeth he) ſhall aryſe after them and ſhall be greater then the fyrſte, & ſhall ſubdue thre kynges. Ye hauehave nowe the myſterye, and the expoſicion of the ſame. For the hornes do ſygnifye the diuidynge and confuſion of the kyngdomes. And in thys confuſion of thynges, by lytle & lytle ſprynge the vp another kyngdome in the world whych doth ſubdue thre other kynges.

Let vsus cōpare wyth thys, thoſe thynges which the wrytters of hyſtoryes hauehave ſhewed.Machomet of Arabia, ſome ſayde that he was of P…. Nowe Machomet of Arabia in y^e yeare of our LORDE .vi. hundreth and .xx that is to ſaye whyle ther was a maruaylous confuſion of thynges both in y^e Eaſt, and alſo in the Weſt, ſprang vp in y^e tyme of Heraclius the Emperoure, whyche (as Volaterranus doth recyte out of a lybrarye) came of a lowe ſtocke, and beynge fatherleſſe one Abdemonaples a man of p. 17the ſtocke of Iſmaell boughte for his captiue and loued hym for hys fauoure and wytte: for the whiche cauſe, he made him a ruler ouer hys marchaūdyſe and buſyneſſe. Thē one Sergius a monke, which for the ſecte of hereſie fled oute of the cytie of Conſtantynople into Arabia, endued hym with the hereſie of Neſtorius, & loued Machomet greatly for hys wytte. In the meane ſeaſon hys mayſter dyed wythout chyldren, leauynge behynde him muche ryches, and his wyfe a wydowe of fyftye yeares of age: whome Machomet maryed, and after that ſhe was dead, he was made heyre, and greatly encreaſed wyth ryches: and beynge had in honoure wyth the foolyſhe people (by the counſell of Sergius) beganne to call hym ſelfe the greate Prophet of God. Therfore after that hys name was publyſhed, & hys authoryte greatly augmented amonge hys people, he made a law which he borowed partly of the Iewes, partly of the Chriſtē, yee and alſo of the Heythen, and called it Alcoran. And thoſe that obeyed it, he gaue them to name Sarracenes or Agarens, and armed them agaynſte the Perſes: Agaynſte whom becauſe he had metelye good fortune, he beganne to be taken for a Prophete or a man of God. And whan he had gotten hym great glorye, he dyed, after he had lyued .xl. yeares. After hys death many prynces of that naciō by ſucceſſion when they had dyuyded the multytude or hooſtes betwene them raygned ſome in one place, and ſome in another. And Homar the thyrde after Machomet, after that he had ſubdued y^e Perſes, toke Ieruſalem and all Syria about the yeare of our LORDE .CCCCCC. lxx Conſtantine the fourth then reygnyng. After thys they that followed hym inuaded Egypte alſo, and ordeyned Calypha to be ruler ouer it. A man m…e reade more of the Sarracenes and of theyr kyngdome, here and there amonge the wrytters of hiſtories. And the nacion of the Turkes commynge of the Scythyans warred vnderunder the Sarracenes in Aſia, & toke theyr profeſſiō and relygion of them from tyme to tyme as it were by hande from one to another: euen as they toke of them alſo y^e greateſt porcyō of theyr Empyre, & kepe it to thys daye gettynge ſynce therto Aſia, Macedonia, Moeſia, Athens, Peloponeſus, Epyrus, Thratia, Illiricus, w^t p. 18many other contryes. Nowe by thys ye perceaue what that lytle horne dyd ſygnifye, the whyche commynge vp among the tenne hornes dyd plucke vp other thre. For it is Machomet the whyche cōmyng of a meane, yee of a mooſt lowe ſtocke, of a marchaunte is made a kynge, whoſe ſucceſſoures hauehave holden thre of the mooſte myghtyeſt kyngdomes of the world, Perſia, Siria, and Egypte: and yet I rehearſe not y^e other kyngdomes of whych I made mencion euen now. For by the nombre of thre, he vnderſtode many kyngdomes.

But yet all thys whyle we hauehave not mad an ende of y^e myſtery of iniquite.The byſ…p of Rome. For ther is another certayn thyng alſo, which pertayneth to the perfeccion of thys body of Antichriſt. Therfore whyle theſe thynges were in hand in y^e Eaſt partyes, y^e By ſhop of Rome goeth aboute y^e dominyō of y^e Weſt in y^e Weſt partyes. Ye loked not that I ſhuld ſaye ſuche thynges of the By ſhope, but yet they are true. And who wolde euer hauehave thought y^e the miniſters of Godes word and of the churches ſhuld once hauehave come vntounto ſuche madnes, as for to thynke & cauncell howe they myght gette the gouernaunce of the cytye and of the worlde? Specially in as muche as Chriſt had ſayd in ſo playne wordes: The kynges of the gentyles do rule, but ſo ſhall not ye: but I hauehave choſen you, y^t ye ſhulde go and brynge forth muche frute. And he that is greateſt amonge you ſhalbe a ſeruaunte to you all. But theſe commaundementes of the LORDE beynge neglected, ther beganne certayne men to diſpute of the primacy of the Byſhope of Rome, at ſuche tyme, as that lytle horne was acōmynge forth. And becauſe it was wrytten: Thou arte Peter, and vpō thys rocke wyll I buylde my churche. And I wyll geue the the keys of the kyngdom of heauē: And what ſo euer thou byndeſt vpō earth, ſhalbe bounde in heauen: And agayne becauſe that Achaſius the Biſhop of Conſtantinople and Timotheus men of Grecia dyd deſyre of Simplicius the Byſhop of Rome, that he alſo wolde condempne Peter the byſhop of Alexandria the follower of Euthicetys, hereſye, as one whyche had rule ouer the chefe churche & whoſe authorite was of greate value among all mē: certayne men cōcluded vpō thys, that the ſeate of Rome was y^e chefe of all churches, and that the Byſhope of p. 19Rome was the head ruler ouer all byſhopes. Thou ſeyſt here alſo howe that lytle horne beganne to lyfte vp it ſelfe.Ihon of Cō ſtātinople. And Ihō of Conſtantynople puttynge more coles vntounto thys fyre, helde a Councell amonge the Grecyans, in the whyche he declared hymſelfe to be the vniuerſall Byſhop or Patriarke. The whyche thynge Mauricius the Emperoure of the Romaynes dyd ſygnifye vntounto Gregory the fyrſt Byſhope of Rome of that name, commaundynge hym for to ſubmytte hymſelfe and to be obediente vntounto Ihon. But Gregory anſwered y^t the power of byndyng & lowſyng was geuen vntounto Peter, & not vntounto y^e Byſhopes of Conſtantynople, and that therfore he ſhulde ceaſſe to prouoke the wrath of God vpō hym. Thys ſame Gregory wrytynge vntounto Anaſtaſius of Antioche and to Eulogius Byſhop of Alexandria in the regiſter of the .vii. parte of hys .xxx. Epiſtle, ſayth: Youre worſhypfull holynes knoweth, that thys name vnyuerſall byſhope was offered by the holy Coū cell of Calcedonye vntounto them of the Apoſtolyke ſeate, whych (god ſo diſpoſynge) I do nowe ſerue. But none of my predeceſſoures dyd conſente for to vſe ſo prophane a name: becauſe ſurely y^t yf one be called an vniuerſal Patryacke, it is a derogaciō vntounto y^e name of other Patriarkes. But God forbyd y^e ony Chriſtē mā ſhuld take that to hym ſelfe, wherby he ſhulde ſeme to dimynyſhe the honoure of hys brethren in ony parte, were it neuer ſo lytle Theſe are Gregorius wordes. But not al only the Byſhopes of Conſtantynople, but alſo of Rome the ſucceſſoures of Gregory forgettynge theſe thynges, dyd not ceaſe to ſtryue aboute the prymacy, vntyl that Bonyface the thyrde of that name, not longe from the tyme of Gregory, had optayned. But yet (as Platina ſayeth alſo, not without greate cōtencion) of Phocas the Emperoure whyche ſlewe Mauricius w^t hys chyldrē very cruelly: That S. Peters ſeate ſhuld be counted & called the head of all other churches. Of the whych thynge Paule the Deacon maketh mencion alſo, in the .iiii. boke of the actes of the Lombardes the .xi. Chapter. Nowe whan thys was graunted vntounto the Byſhopes of Rome, ther was as it were a wyndowe opened vntounto y^e whole Empyre: And thē they caſt theyr mynde for to rule ouer the cytye & the whole world. And thē hauynge an occaſyon, they gaue all theyr p. 20diligence to the ſame. And the wanders whyche were ſene at that tyme, dyd ſygnifye a greate chaunge of thynges, for they were ſuche, as were neuer ſene before, of whych the hyſtoryes do teſtifye dyligētly.

And ther were thē very many occaſions, whyche dyd lyfte vp the Byſhope of Rome very hye, then goynge aboute the ſame thynge, and ſpecially the ſedycious warres and the often breakyng in of rude nacions.The breakynge in of the Sarracens For the Saracenes the generacion of Machomet, after they had taken Africa, dyd ſpoyle Syria and Aſia and ſet vponupon Europa. Therfore the Emperours beynge holden in the Eaſt partys becauſe of theſe preſente perylles, were cōpelled to ſet aſyde the gouernaūce of the Weſt. And by thys means it came to paſſe that the Frenche men and Lombardes encreaſed greatlye, in ſo muche that the Emperoure was at the laſte afrayed of the kynges of bothe thoſe nacions. For althoughe the Emperoure had ſet certayn Debytes for to gouerne Italy, yet was theyr power to weake for to reſyſte thē. The whiche thynge apeared well by thys one token, y^t whē Theodorus the Emperoures Leuftenaunte in Italy, had once foughtē with the Lombardes at Scultenna a ryuer in Mutina:The kynges of Lō bardye. it was ſayde that he was ſhamfully put to flyght and chaſed away, with the loſſe of .vii. thouſand ſouldiers of Rome: by reaſon of whiche vyctory, Rotharis the kynge of Lombardye not a lytle proude, ioyned vntounto hys kyngdom all Lyguria. Therfore after thys maner the Emperours power beganne to decaye in y^e Weſt, & the Byſhopes of Romes power encreaſed, by ſo muche the more, as y^e Lō bardes and Frenche men dyd raygne largely. For a lytle after he was exalted by theyr ſtrength, wyth whome he beganne to falle into amitye. But it came to thys paſſe by lytle and lytle, of the which thyng we ſhall nowe ſpeake. Yf the Byſhope of Rome had bene choſen by the clergye and people of the Romaynes, yet had the eleccion ben counted as vayne, excepte y^e Emperoure or the Debyte of Italye had aproued it, vntyll that Conſtantyne the Emperoure the ſonne of Conſtance, whyche beganne to raygne the yeare of oure LORDE. CCCCCC. lxx. beyng moued w^t the holyneſſe of Bēnet the ſecond Byſhop of Rome, ſente a decre that from thēce forth all men ſhulde beleue, that man to be immediatlye p. 21the true vycare of Chriſt, which the clergye wyth the people and the ſouldiers of Rome ſhulde choyſe to be the pope, wythoute any tarynge for any authoryte ether of y^e prynce of Conſtātynople, or the Debyte of Italye, as it was wonte for to be. And after that the Byſhope of Rome had gotten thys priuilege, he beganne to plucke hys necke frome the Emperours pocke, and the more boldly to parte: in ſo muche that wythin a lytle whyle after thys, when a mete occaſion was offered hym, that is to ſaye, a bytter contencion betwene the Byſhoppes of the Eaſt and of the Weſt, he beganne the boldelyer to exercyſe hys authoryte agaynſt the Emperoure hymſelfe.

For the hereſye of the Monothelytes ſprange vp vnderunder Heraclius the Emperoure:The hereſy of the Monothelites. And that ſecte confeſſed onelyonly one wyll in Chriſte. Martyn the fyrſt of that name gathered a ſynode of .C. and .l. Byſhopes and condemned it at Rome. The ſyxte ſynode holden at Cōſtantynople cō demned the ſame. And that ſame infecciō ſemed then to be quenched. But Philippicus the Emperour beynge infecte with the ſame, after he had banyſhed Cyrus a Byſhop of good iudgemēt into Pontus, he made one Ihō a certayn mōke Byſhop ouer Conſtantynople, & ſente hys naughtye doctrynes into Rome, cōmaundyng y^e they ſhuld be approued by y^e conſent of all mē. Here Cōſtantyne y^e Byſhop of Rome the fyrſte of that name, gettynge a good occaſion to wythſtande the Emperoure, gathered a councell and condemned Phylyppicus of hereſye and, Ihon the monke, yee and decreed alſo that the ymages of thoſe holy fathers, whiche had bene preſent at ſyxe Councelles approued of all men, ſhulde be paynted in S. Peters porche.Contencion aboute the vſe of ymages. And therfore thorowe thys occaſyon thee beganne to be a diſputacion among them, of the vſe of ymages alſo. In the whiche cōtrouerſye they of y^e Eaſte parte thought more godly then they of the Weſte: But for becauſe that a ryghteouſe cauſe was ioyned wyth a wycked, it came to paſſe y^t it had the leſſe fauoure amōge many wyttye and learned men. And the Grekes fell not wythout affeccion into thys contencion, whome it greued that the Romaynes dyd abuſe ymages, as a token of victorye in the deſpyte of them of the Eaſte: for by thys meanes they turned all theyr p. 22cryenge agaynſt ymages. But I am not very ſure whether that the Emperoures Leo and Conſtātyne dyd defende the learnynge of the Monothelytes: but thys is playne that they dyd abrogate ymages for auoydynge of Idolatrye, not wythout the example and authoryte of the ſcryptures, and cōmaunded the Romaynes more then once for to do the ſame. But the Byſhopes of Rome by the meanes of thys occaſion dyd wythdrawe all the people of Italy from the obedience of the Emperoure, and thruſte in themſelues by theyr owne authoryte, callyng vntounto thē ſtraūge kynges, by whoſe helpe the Byſhope of Rome was made Lord of Italy, & the Emperoures Debyte dryuen oute. For when the Emperoure Leo had geuē a cōmaundemente, that all whyche were vnderunder the Empyre of Rome, ſhulde take awaye the pyctures and ymages of ſayntes for auoydynge of ydolatrye, and that he that dyd other wyſe ſhulde hauehave hym for an open enemye:The byſhoppes of Rome do cōdemne the Emperoures of Rome. Gregory the ſecōde admonyſhed all men that they wolde in no wyſe fall into ſuche erroure, nether for feare, nether yet for ony commaundemente of theyr prynce, & ſteared vp all the people of Italy wyth ſo great vehemency of oracion, that a lytle more wolde hauehave made them to hauehave choſen them a new Emperoure. And at Rauenna trulye, after that a great ſedycion was rayſed vp, Paule the Debyte of the Emperoure was ſlayne there with hys ſonne alſo. Gregory the thyrde followynge hys exāple dyd depreue Leo as well of hys Empyre,The byſhoppes of Rome do calle vponupon the helpe of the kynges of Fraunce as of the cōmunion wyth the faythfull. The ſame Gregorye called fyrſte of all vponupon the kynges of Fraunce for helpe agaynſt hys enemyes. For whyles y^e Luythprandus kynge of Lombardye was moued wyth the deſyre to beare rule, dyd beſege the cytye of Rome, and had taken all the townes on eueryevery ſyde: thys ſame Gregory ſente embaſſadoures into Fraūce for to deſyre Charles Marcellus the father of Pipyne, that he wolde now the fyrſte tyme helpe Rome and y^e churche beynge in trouble. And the Byſhoppes of Rome were wounte to aſke helpe of the Emperoure of Conſtantynople, yf any euell had bene commynge towarde them by any forayne enemy. The whych thyng Gregory wolde not nowe do, becauſe he had publyſhed Leo the Emperoure to be an heretyke, or chefely becauſe that Leo p. 23coulde ſcante defende hys regall cytye frō the Sarracens, muche leſſe helpe other men. By thys meane therfore it came to paſſe (ſayeth Platina) that then fyrſt of al the defence of the church was tranſlated frō the Emperoures of Conſtantynople vntounto other men. Then Charles toke vpō hym thys defence, and delyuered Rome from the ſege: After that he had wythdrawen Luythprandus the kynge and hys godfather from hys pourpoſe wyth a louynge exhortacion. But the kynge of Fraunce through thys good turne, bound the Byſhops of Rome ſo much vntounto him, That Zachary the fyrſt the ſucceſſour of Gregorye the thyrde, denyed not hys conſente vntounto Pipyne the ſonne of Charles,Pipyne by the meanes of the B. of Rome is made kynge of Fraunce. in a matter mooſt vnhoneſte. For Pipyne went about the kyngdome of Fraunce and deſyred greatlye for to put Clyperichus hys Lorde, whyche came of the auncyente and noble ſtocke of the kynges of Fraunce, and was the laſte kynge of the ſtocke of Merouea, out of hys kyngdom, and to make hym ſelfe kynge. Nowe whē he had troubled greatly both the nobylite and the laytie, yee and alſo the clergye aboute thys matter, at the laſte he ſente Burghardus the byſhope of Herbipolis wyth Folradus hys preſte vntounto zacharye the Byſhop of Rome: for to aſke whether that he were more worthye to be kynge whyche was but the kynge onelyonly in name and could do nothynge wyth hys counſell and helpe, or elles he whiche bare all the burthen of the kyngdome alone, & yet in the meane ſeaſon lacked the dygnite of a kynge? Thys Byſhope of Rome remembrynge what had bene done for hym, gaue an expreſſe ſentence (I wryte the wordes of Fryſingenſ. a wrytter of hyſtoryes & a Byſhop) that it was meter, that he which toke the charge of all thynges ſhuld be called kynge, then he whiche had but onelyonly y^e name of a kynge. For of an olde coſtume the kynges of Fraunce dyd leaue the gouernaūce of theyr kyngdom vntounto y^e mooſt auncienteſte of theyr ſtocke: for it was y^e hygheſte power nexſte the kynges. Nowe whē theſe embabaſſadoures had broughte thys anſwere vntounto y^e kynge, Pipyne bearynge hymſelfe bolde of the verdyte of theſe great learned men and chefe of relygyon, & alſo of the ayde of certayne prynces & noble men, dyd thruſte Chylpericus hys Lorde and kynge oute of hys regall p. 24dygnite, and when he was oute of hys authoryte dyd ſhutte him in to a monaſtery, and he hymſelfe by y^e conſente of hys mē toke vponupon hym all the kynges power. And when thys good kynge called vponupon the cō mune fydelite that mē had promyſed him, and that ther were many in the realme whyche greatly improued ſuche tyrannye and breakynge of theyr othes, Zachary the Byſhope of Rome aſſoyled Pipyne wyth all hys of theyr othe, whyche they had made vntounto Chylpericus theyr kyng. And that thys matter was thus handeled I wyll brynge for the two wytneſſes: The fyrſte oute of the hyſtorye of Platina, and thys it is: Pipine beynge deſyrous to beare rule, ſente hys embaſſadoures vntounto the Byſhoppe of Rome and deſyred hym that he wolde confyrme the kyngedome of Fraunce vntounto hym by hys authoryte. The Byſhop graunted vntounto his requeſte after he had remēbred what good turne he had receaued, and alſo the olde kyndnes y^t had ben betwene the Byſhoppes of Rome and y^e kings of y^e familie. And ſo by hys authoryte the kyngdō of Fraūce was iudged vntounto Pipyne in the yeare of oure LORDE .vii. hundreth .liii. Thys is Platinas ſayenge. Nowe followeth y^e latter teſtymonye of Gelaſius, wrytten vntounto Anaſtaſius the Emperoure, whyche is conteyned in the .xv. queſtyon the .vi. Canon in theſe wordes: Another byſhop of Rome called zacharye, depoſed y^e kynge of Fraunce from hys kyngdome, not ſo muche for hys iniquyties, as becauſe he was vnmete for ſo greate a dygnite,The ſhepe troubleth the wa ter that the wolfe ſhulde drynke in that is, an occaſion is lyghtely founde. & dyd ſette in hys place Pipyne the ſonne of Charles the Emperoure, and aſſoyled all the people of Fraūce of theyr othe of alegiaūce. Hetherto go y^e wordes. And kynge Pipyne for to recompence the Byſhopes of Rome, helped Steuen the ſeconde, Byſhop of Rome beynge oppreſſed of Aiſtulphus kyng of Lombardye and fledde into Fraunce: & after that Pipine had paſſed y^e mounteynes twyſe w^t an armye of men, he bayſted into Italye, and at the laſte cō pelled Aiſtulphus to reſtore agayne thoſe thynges whiche he had taken awaye: goynge aboute by thys meanes for to quyte the Byſhope of Rome for confyrmyng of hym in hys kyngedom.Pipine geueth vntounto the Byſhoppes of Rome, that whyche belōged to the Emperour. Then was the offyce of the Debyte geuen vntounto y^e Byſhop of Rome, and all that lyeth betwene Padus and Apenninus, frō the Placentyns p. 25vntounto the pooles or ſtondynge waters of Venyce, and all that is cōteyned wythin Iſaurus a floude of Apenninus and Adriaticus, and what ſo euer y^e Aiſtulphus had gottē of y^e men of Hetruria, and of the Sabyns: All theſe thynges (I ſaye) dyd Pipine of hys lyberalyte geue vntounto the Byſhope of Rome, the Emperoures Legates nothynge regarded. For as Pipine was remouynge into Italye agaynſt Lombardye, Gregorye the chefe Secretary of the Emperoure Cōſtantyne the fourthe met hym, and in the name of the Emperoure warned the kynge, that yf he happened to hauehave the vyctorye of the Lombardes, that he ſhulde not geue vntounto the Byſhope of Rome nor to the Romaynes, the Debyteſhyppe ouer Rauenna, whyche was oppreſſed of the Lombardes and belonged vntounto the Emperoure. But Pipine droue hym awaye from hym w^t a metely ſharpe anſwere, becauſe he thoughte to do as he dyd a lytle whyle after, for the whyche cauſe he was the fyrſte of the kynges of Fraunce that was called, the mooſt Chriſten kynge.

Hys ſonne that was called Charles the greate followed the enſample of hysCharles the greate. page missing duplicate page p. 16duplicate page wyth a lowde voyce, he ordeyned thys Charles to be Emperoure, & gaue him a kynges ornamenete: the people of Rome cryeng thryſe together: Longe lyfe & victorye be vntounto Charles Auguſtus crowned of God, y^e greate & peaceable Emperoure. Theſe thynges were done, the yeare of our LORDE .viii. hundreth and .iii. nor it is not lyke that theſe thinges were done without the conſente and counſell of Irenes the Empreſſe of Conſtantinople, ſpecially becauſe that the Cronicles of the Grekes do ſhewe that ther were meſſaū gers dyrected from Charles and Leo vntounto Irenes, to requyre her that ſhe wolde be maryed vntounto hym: the whyche wolde ſoone hauehave graūted vntounto theyr requeſtes, yf that the prynces of Conſtantinople knowyng of the matter, had not banyſhed her ſtrayght way (and that before the face of Charles Embaſſadoures) vntounto Leſbus, into an Abbey that ſhe had buylded. But Egynhartus in the lyfe of Charles, dothe laye all the faute of the tranſlacion of the Empyre, to the Byſhope of Rome. For Charles at the fyrſte (ſayeth he) dyd ſo greatly refuſe y^e name of the Emperoure and auguſtus, that he ſayde that he wolde p. 27not hauehave entred into the churche that daye, although that ther were greate ſolempnyte, yf he myght hauehave knowen the Byſhopes mynde before. He addeth more: yet he ſuffered wyth greate pacience, the euell wyll that he had for takynge y^t name vponupon hym (for the Emperours of Conſtā tynople were greatly dyſpleaſed wyth it) and he ouercame theyr grudynge wyth hys myghtineſſe, in the whiche he paſſed them farre. Moreouer theyr forayne warres helde them backe, that they coulde not ſet vponupon the Byſhope of Rome and kynge Charles. And therfore dyd Nycephorus y^e fyrſte Emperoure of Conſtantynople after the diuidynge of the Empyre, make alyaunce wyth kynge Charles.

Hetherto hauehave we ſhewed at large w^t what begynnynges & in what ordre,The concluſion. that lytle horne crepte vp, and gatte ſo greate power. Nether was ther then truely ony power ſo great in all the Weſte partye, as the Byſhoppes of Rome was. For at theyr ſentēce were ther myghtye kyngedomes tranſlated. For fyrſte Chylpericus that was borne kynge of Fraunce beynge caſt of, he dyd craftely conſtitute Pipine hys gouernour in y^e kynges ſtede. And after that he had taken awaye the power of the eleccion and ordenynge of y^e Emperoure from the heades of Conſtantynople & the Romaynes, he gaue Charles the kynge of Fraūce the name of Auguſtus. For the whiche cauſe he hymſelfe gette the rule of that cytie, whyche is the ladye of the worlde, for a rewarde of thys gaye done dede. Furthermore he wayſted that ſtronge naciō and myghtie kyngdom of the Lombardes thorowe his requeſte & counſell. Therfore he that once optayned Rome, he threwe downe and exalted Emperoures at hys owne pleaſure, and gaue Frenchemen a kynge, and vſed theyr ſeruyce as they had bene hys ſeruaūtes. For wyth theyr armyes he tamed y^e Lōbardes, that he myght afterwarde raygne ſafely ouer all Italy. He I ſaye that ruleth ouer ſo many and ſo greate kyngdomes, maye he not by good ryght we are a glyſterynge diademe wyth a tryple crown: No doubte the prouydence of God wolde, that thys Byſhope of Rome (wyth thys maner of apparell fyte for a kyng) ſhuld ſhewe forth vntounto all the worlde what he was, that is to ſaye, that lytle horne y^t Danyell ſpeaketh of, whyche came forth and put aſyde p. 28thre other hornes, and wyth wonderous ſubtylte ſubdued them vnderunder hym.

And here vntounto belongeth the gyfte of Lewes the ſonne of Charles,The gyfte of y^e kynges of Fraunce. whom theſe men (for hys fauoure and beniuolence towarde the ſeate of Rome) called Pius, y^t is to ſaye, good or godly: euen as before, they had geuen Pipine to name. The mooſt Chriſten kynge. Yf ony man deſyre to reade of that ſame gyfte, he ſhall fynde it dyligently wrytten of Raphaell Volaterranus, in the actes of Pipine & Charles, libro. Geog. tercio. The effecte of it is thys: I Lewes the Emperour do graūt vntounto the bleſſed ſaynte Peter y^e prynce of the Apoſtles, and thorow the vntounto thy vycare my Lorde Paſcall the hye Byſhoppe and hys ſucceſſoures for euer. The cytye of Rome wyth hyr iuriſdyccion and all y^e lande aboute it, wyth the cytyes, hauens and places of Hetruria that lye nye y^e ſee, yee and all that lyeth wythin the lande of the ſame, and the whole dukedome of Rauenna alſo, euen as Charles oure father worthy to be had in mynde, and Pipine our graundſyre, dyd of late graunte vntounto bleſſed ſaynte Peter. Furthermore we do alſo approue and graunte, the dukedome of Spoletyne, the Ilōdes alſo of the inner ſee, Corſica, Sardinia, Sicilia: the which all of them Pipine our grandſyre, of godly remembraunce, and after hym Charles the Emperoure oure father, dyd geue by wrytynge vntounto bleſſed ſaynte Peter and his ſucceſſours &c.The gyft of Conſtātine. In thys gyfte here is no mencion of Conſtantyne, the which verely is a fayned thyngt: for at the lēgth the Byſhoppes of Rome rayned at Rome and in Italye, euen agaynſte the Emperoures of Romes mynde by the helpe of the kynges of Fraunce. The Byſhoppes of Rome in the meane ſeaſon, do ofte caſt forthe oute of theyr decrees the Canon whyche in the .xcvi. dyſtinction is redde after thys maner: Conſtantyne the Emperoure dyd graunte the crowne and all y^e regall dygnyte wythin the cytie of Rome and Italye and the Weſte partyes, vntounto the Apoſtolyke man. But howe ſoeuer y^e matter commeth to paſſe, we ſe that the Byſhoppe of Rome doth rule ouer all the kyngdomes of the Weſte.

The name of Auguſtꝰ or Emperoure tranſlated to the Germanes.For it belongeth hereunto alſo, that throughe the counſell and dylygence of Ihon the .xiii. Byſhope of Rome, the Empyre of Rome or the name of Auguſtus, p. 29was tranſlated agayne from the French men vntounto the Germanes. That is to ſay, to the prynces of the Almanes, Saxones, Bauares and Swychers. But howe they kepte them vnderunder theyr yocke alſo, y^e hyſtoryes of many Emperoures of the Germanes do ſhewe full well: and ſpecially y^e Canon whiche in the .lxiii. dyſtynction is redde in theſe wordes:Kyng Otto. I kynge Otto do promyſe and ſweare to thy my Lorde Ihō the Pope, by the father, the ſonne and the holy gooſt, and by thys wodde of y^e lyuely croſſe, and by theſe relyques of ſayntes, y^t yf by the ſufferaunce of God I come to Rome, I ſhall exalte the holy churche of Rome, and the the ruler of the ſame, accordynge to my power: & thou ſhalt neuer loſe by my wyll or my counſell, or my conſente, or myne exhortaciō, nother lyfe nor membres, nor yet the ſame honour which thou now haſte. And I wyll make no ſtatute nor none ordynaūce in Rome, of ony thynge that belongeth vntounto the or to the Romaynes, wythoute thy counſell. And what ſoeuer of S. Peters lande commeth to my power, I wyll reſtore it the agayne. And to whome ſoeuer I ſhall commytte y^e gouernaunce of Italye, I ſhall cauſe hym to ſweare that he ſhal helpe the to defende S. Peters land wyth all hys power. Surely theſe greate and incredible thynges, yf any man ſhulde compare thys greate alteracion and chaunge of thynges, and it were but wyth Gregorye the greate, y^e fyrſte Byſhope of Rome of y^e name. But theſe ſwete Byſhoppes not beynge cōtent wyth theſe greate thynges, neuer ceaſſed to laye wayte for the Empyre of Rome by theyr mooſt ſubtyl counſelles, vntyll that they had preſcrybed lawes of the true eleccion of the Emperoures:The byſhop of Rome maketh lawes for the elecciō of the Emperoures. and had decreed that the confyrmaciō of the kynge of Romanes ſhuld depende vponupon them. And for the ſame cauſe Platina in y^e lyfe of Gregory y^e fyfte, wrote after this maner: Gregory knowyng y^e weakneſſe of the Empyre & the chaunge of fortune, to the intent y^t the hygheſt power ſhulde remayne the lenger amonge the Germaynes, & that he ſhulde beare rule ouer other, whych paſſed other in ſtrengthe and dygnite, made a decre (Otto not denyenge it) of the eleccion of the Emperoure, in the yeare of our LORDE. M. and .ii. whyche thynge we ſe kepte vntounto oure tyme: that is to ſaye, that it is lawful for the Germanes onelyonly to choyſe p. 30oute that prynce whyche is called Ceſar and the kynge of Romaynes: and he ſhuld then at the laſte be taken for the Emperoure & Auguſtus,Reade Marſilius Pataninus. dictia. 2. cap. 25 yf y^e Byſhope of Rome had cōfyrmed hym. I could alſo bryngforth other innumerable thynges of thys ſame ſorte, But I thynk y^t the reader doth vnderunder ſtōde playnely ynough by theſe of whome y^e prophecy of Daniel & of Paule is mēte.

But ſome man wyll ſay,An obieccion. thou makeſt two hornes: Machomet and the Byſhope of Rome: where as Daniel maketh mencion but of one onelye. But excepte that the Byſhop of Rome, beynge bolde of the helpe of the Frenchemen, had broken the power of the Emperoure of the Eaſte, he wolde ſurely more ſtrongly hauehave putte to flyght and perſecuted the multytude of y^e Sarracens. On the other ſyde yf that the Sarracens wyth theyr runnnyge in, had not kepte the Emperoure in y^e Eaſte partyes, the power nother of the Byſhope of Rome, nor of the Lombardes, nother yet of the Frenchmen, could not hauehave encreaſed ſo greatly in the Weſte partyes. Therfore eche of them gaue an occaſion vntounto other bothe for to ouercome & to raygne. in ſo muche that of the Empyre of Rome lyttell dyd remayne but a bare name only For the Byſhope of Rome kepeth y^e cytie of Rome, & the greate Turke Conſtantinople. Now both of thē impugne Chriſtes inſtitucions & lawes a lyke: both of thē do perſecute Chriſten mē, defendynge theyr owne lawes, & ſuche as holde wyth them. Wherfore I coulde not make two hornes of them that are ſo lyke. Yee & the kyngedome of the Perſes & Medes is fygured vnderunder y^e ymage of one beere indyfferentlye, although they ſeme to be tweyne. And ſo in the .xi. chapter, the ſame Daniell prophecyenge of the ſelfe ſame Antichriſt, and begynnyng at the Empyre of Rome, ſayth not: An arme ſhall ſtond out of him, but armes ſhall ſtonde out of hym, & ſhall defyle y^e ſentuary of ſtrength, &c. But you hauehave nowe the begynnynge and goynge forwarde of Antichriſte: here followeth nowe a clearer expoſyciō of hys diſpoſiciō and kyngdome, by hys dedes and properties.

The dyſpoſycion and Kyngdom of Antichriſte.For holy S. Paule, doth ſet forth Antichriſt in dyuers wayes as it were in his colours: that he myght paynte forth, and as it were ſet out before oure eyes to beholde, his dyſpoſycion and kyngdome. And p. 31to begynne w^tall, he geueth hym to name the ſynfull mā. And after y^t, as it were expoundynge hymſelfe, the chylde of perdyciō. The whyche names after the propertye of the Ebrewe tunge, are as muche to ſaye, as yf one in our tunge ſhuld call ony man, mooſte vngracious patrone, or vnhappye perſone: yee and as it were myſchefe it ſelfe and perdicion it ſelfe: as you wolde ſaye, ſuche a man as were the cauſe of wyckednes, and perdycion both to him ſelfe, & alſo vntounto other. Yf ony man wold reade the hyſtorye of Machomet or of the Turkes (the brefenes of the whyche Raphaell Volaterranus hathe gathered, Geog. libro .vii.Of Machomet.) and wold ponder it wyth a dyligente iudgemente, he wolde ſweare that thys Antichriſte were the ſyncke of all myſchefe, and the greateſte deſtrucciō of all mankynde For he had troden down the lawe of God and had publyſhed hys owne, that is to ſaye, a mooſt ſuperſtycious law, in y^e whyche hypocryſye is myghtely ſet forth, but yet in the mean ſeaſon a way opened vntounto all wyckednes. He hath alſo ſubuerted mooſte myghty cytyes and layde thē flat vponupon the groūde: he hath deſtroyed y^e mooſt holycongregaciōs of god, Antioche, Alexandria, Ieruſalem and Conſtātynople w^t all the congregacions of Grecia and Egypte: for I wyl rehearſe no mo. Truely wythin thys .lxxx. yeares he hath inuaded, beaten downe & ſpoyled more kyngdomes, then euer any myghty prynce, or cruell tyraunte had done before hym. We hauehave herde ſuche examples of hys cruelnes, that we maye very well vnderſtonde by thys chylde of perdicion and ſynfull man, the kyngdome of Machomet.

The lyfe of the mooſte holy fathers of Rome.Nother is the ſeate of Rome ony thyng behynde hym in myſchefe or wyckednes. Ther is no myſchefe nor vngracious dede, but that they whyche are called mooſt holy, hauehave defyled themſelues therwith. I wyll here vſe no ſtraunge wytnes, I do appeale vntounto theyr owne Cronicles and lyues. In the meane ſeaſon I am not ignoraunte, that certayne men of good fame hauehave cōme vntounto thys ſeate, but thou ſhalt reade of very fewe, that hauehave dyed vncorrupte. For who can beleue y^t the beſt man that were could ſyt ſo cleane in ſuch a prophane & abhomynable ſeate, that he ſhuld drawe no fyltynes vntounto him? But it came to paſſe that ſome were worſe thē ſome, by y^e reaſon of y^e dyuerſyte of theyr dyſpoſycions. p. 32Surely for the mooſt parte of thē they were not behynde the mooſte wyckedeſt man and vngraciouſte knaue that is, in ambyciō, in euell and trayterous craftes, in warres, in bryberye, in extorcion, in mooſt vnſaciable couetouſnes, in pryde mooſt arrogaūte, in fylthye luſte and voluptuouſnes. We brought examples out of hyſtoryes here before in oure expoſycion, where we ſhewed by what ſubtilties they came into the dygnyte of y^e Empyre. And Platyna although he greatly ſpared the Byſhoppes of Rome yet beynge ouer comme wyth the euylnes, wyckednes, & vnſpeakeable myſcheuous dedes of ſome of them, lefte that in wryttynge to hys poſterite, whiche he ſawe to be ouertrue. Beno y^e Cardinall dyd rather but touche, then deſcrybe, the mooſt vngraciouſte lyfe of ſome Byſhoppes of Rome. In y^e lyfe of Gregorye the .vii. Platina dyd counte hym among the beſte & mooſt innocente, but Beno rekenned hym amonge the worſte & vnhappyeſt: as one whiche after ſacrylege and mooſt wycked abhomynacions, dyd alſo vſe wytchcrafte, & all kynde of vngraciouſnes. And Marſilius Patauinus the mooſt learned and beſte wryter of hys tyme in his worke, whiche he made at Bauarus for Lewes the fourth, of the power of the Pope and the Emperoure, and called it the defender of peace, dothe clearly ſhewe what the Byſhopes of Rome be, and were many yeares: that is to ſaye, proude, hye mynded, couetous, doers of wrong, vnfaythfull, troublers of peace, and y^e commune welthe, dyſpyſers of God and holy authoryte, enemyes of all goodnes and honeſtye. Let men reade the .xxii. xxiii. xxiiii. xxv. xxvi. Chapters, &c. of y^e ſecond dictiō or parte of hys boke. We hauehave ſene alſo Byſhopes of Rome in our tyme, that nothynge more vnſhamefaſte, more fylthy, more abhominable or wycked thinges can be ymagyned thē they hauehave done. For thoſe thynges are well knowē, whych Volaterranus hath ſhewed of Paule the ſeconde in hys xxii. boke of Antropologia. of Syxtus the fourth, and Alexander the vi. very fewe men hauehave thought well. Alſo duke Valentyne made them both noble men. Iulius the ſeconde was the beſt beloued Pope of all vſerers, dronkardes, whorehunters, mooſt cruell and bloudye ſouldyers: In ſo muche that they wyſhed hym that he had chaunged rowmes wyth p. 33Maximilian the Emperoure, a mā worthy of bleſſed remembraunce. For they ſayde that he was a man that was geuen vntounto relygion, commune peace and tranquyllyte (as in dede he was a godlye and meke Emperoue) and that the other was borne for warre and troublynge of matters. Alſo Paſquyllus of Rome yeſted vpō Clement the .vii. wyth verſes hangynge vponupon hym on thys mater.

Pope Clemente is nowe gone by the helpe of Gods clemencye.Paſquyllꝰ. is an ymage at Rome, wheron be faſtened letters of thinges loſte or of lyke matters that a man wyll hauehave publyſhed, ether pryuely or opēly.

Let all mankynde reioyce, the whole worlde thorowe oute.

He ſhamed all the worlde, beſydes hys owne cytye.

And was the great ruyne, of hys tyme, wythout doubte.

Thys is he whyche wyth prynces, no promyſe wolde holde.

But euermore betraye them, notwythſtondynge ony othe.

In ouerchargynge Italy wyth trybutes, was neuer none ſo bolde.

Greate ryches he had, but departe from ony he was lothe.

Thys is he, whyche hys owne contrey wyth cruell warres dyd oppreſſe.

And fylled all the earthe, full of Chriſten mens bloude.

He ſpoyled many cytyes, thruſtynge out both more and leſſe.

Oh cruell perſone, who euer redde that he dyd ony good?

Infinyte other thynges of thys ſorte I do ouerpaſſe, leſte I ſhuld make y^e godly reader for to vomyte. And ſurely no man (althoughe he were verye eloquente) can ſufficientlye declare, what multitude of wyckedneſſe hath crepte from ſuche heades of the churche, amonge all the people of Chriſte: ſo that I hauehave not offended in expoundynge thys prophecye of Paule, of the Byſhopes of Romes kyngdom. I wyll ſpeake nothynge nowe of the ypocryſye, ſynnes and wyckednes of Monkes, Nonnes, Preſtes and the ſpiritualte (as men call them) becauſe that experience itſelfe doth ſet forth all theſe thynges more clerlye then ony mā cā deſcrybe thē. For here is y^e thynge fulfylled of whyche S Paule dyd prophycy: They ſhall reſyſte y^e truth, men of corrupte myndes, reprobate as touchynge the faythe, but they ſhall preuayle no lenger: for theyr madnes ſhalbe euydent vntounto all men .ii. Timo. iii.

p. 34Secondlye Paule calleth Antichriſte Aduerſarium, y^t is to ſaye an aduerſarye: and he calleth hym an aduerſarye or Antichriſte, as though one ſhuld ſaye, ſet playn contrarye agaynſte Chriſte: as one whoſe wytte, maners, lyfe, doctryne, dedes, lawes and inſtitucions do fyghte agaynſte Chriſte.A compariſon betwene Chriſte and Antichriſte. Chriſt came to ſhewe peace to all the worlde, as of whoſe commynge y^e Prophetes had ſhewed before, that thē mooſt cruell nacions ſhulde turne theyr ſweardes into coulters, & theyr ſpeares into ſythes. Nowe Machomet doth boaſte hymſelfe to be ſente of God in the power of armoure. Chriſte taught that men are not defyled wyth thoſe thynges that go into the mouth. But Mahomet hath forbyddē hys, wyne and other meates, whiche god ordeyned to be receaued wyth geuynge of thankes. He hath alſo geuen vntounto his, circumciſion, and admitteth Polygamiam: that is moo wyues at once then one: the whyche Chriſt hath abrogate, and taught out of y^e olde lawe, that one fleſhe onelyonly & not two or mo, ought to be in matrymony. To be ſhorte al the lyfe and doctryne, all the lawes, inſtitucions and dedes of Mahomet are agaynſte Chriſte. Nother do the ſayenges, dedes, doctrynes and rytes of the Byſhope of Rome wyth all hys bodye, agree ony better wyth Chriſte. Chriſte hath geuen vsus in the Prophetes and by y^e preachyng of the Apoſtles an abſolute and perfecte doctryne, which alone is ſufficient ynoughe to gette euerlaſtyng lyfe. But the Byſhope of Rome ſayeth, y^t vntounto that perfeccion we muſt hauehave tradycions of fathers, I wote not what, as thynges wythoute whyche no man can be ſaued, and as though thoſe holy mē whyche lacked them were damned. Chriſt taught that one onelyonly God ought to be worſhypped and called vponupon, and that by the meanes and interceſſion of hys name. But y^e Byſhope of Rome hathe thruſte in to the churches the prayenge and worſhyppyng of ſayntes more diligentlye, then the true relygyon of God. The Apoſtles oute of the tradycion and ſpirite of Chriſt, taught that ther was but one onelyonly hye preſte, & one euerlaſtynge ſacrifyce onelyonly, that is Ieſus Chriſte. But the Byſhop of Rome ſubuertynge that order of Melchiſedech, hath conſecrated innumerable ſacrifyces for to ſacrifyſe daylye for y^e ſynnes of the quycke and the deade. The Apoſtelles p. 35taught that God onelyonly doth remytte ſynnes, and that to hym onelyonly men ought to confeſſe them. But the Byſhope of Rome hath ſet forth vntounto the churches wonderous lyes of the power of the keyes, of auricular confeſſion, of caſes reſerued, and of the market of pardones. The Apoſtles dyd commende vntounto the churches y^e grace of God, they taught that y^e beleuers were iuſtifyed by fayth. But the Byſhop of Rome hath boaſted y^e merites of ſayntes, yee and hath ſolde thē to. What nede is therof many wordes? trueth doth not ſo much repugne lyes, nor lyghte darknes, as Antichriſt is contrarye to Chriſte. Chriſt dyd abrogate ceremonyes, he ſette in theyr ſteade a fewe ſacramētes, y^e reſt he wolde hauehave vsus to ſerue him in ſprete and truthe, and requyred fayth and charite of vsus. But the Byſhope of Rome as one forgettyng theſe thynges, hathe ſtuffed the churche wyth ceremonyes, yee and wyth mooſte foolyſhe rytes & ſuperſtycions. And thoſe thynges whyche Chriſte by hys example, wordes and dedes had banyſhed oute of y^e churche, he once receaued them agayne & holdeth thē faſt by the tethe. Chriſt flyeth kyngdomes, waſheth hys diſciples fete, taught humylite: The kynges of y^e Gentyles beare rule (ſayeth he) but ſo ſhall not ye. But the Byſhoppe of Rome perſueth not after kyngdomes onelyonly, but the chefe Empyre it ſelfe, getteth it by crafte, and beareth rule ouer kynges that are ſubiect vntounto him, yee and profereth hys fete vntounto kynges to be kyſſed, and ſuche kynges as kycke agaynſte hym, & wyll not worſhyp- this beaſte, he ſtryketh them wyth y^e thonder bolte of hys excommunicacion, putteth them out of theyr kyngdome, ſetteth other kynges in theyr rowme, & aſſoyleth theyr ſubiettes of theyr othe of obedience. Chriſte ware a crowne of thorne, & was clothed wyth a purple garmente. But the Byſhope of Rome, decked wyth a tryple crowne, as it were Darius of Perſia cō meth forth glyſterynge in hys golde and precyous ſtones, compaſſed aboute wyth an hooſt of men: Chriſt payed toll. But y^e Byſhope of Rome doth exempte his from it, condempnynge and perſecutynge the holy authorytye, y^t requyreth ony trybute of thys anoynted ſecte. Chriſte beareth a croſſe: The Byſhope of Rome is borne vponupon the ſhulders of mooſt couetous mē. Chriſte was poore, he fedde the ſhepe, p. 36wente mekely into the towne, and caſte oute of the temple both byers and ſellers: But thys mā boaſteth hymſelfe to be the Lorde ouer all the Weſte partyes, he ſpoyleth and deuoureth the ſhepe, and cloſed in wyth an hooſt of men is caryed proudly in a tryumphe, he receaueth into the temple of God all byers and ſellers, and thē that wyll not receaue them he excommuntcateth and pronoūceth them heretykes: To be ſhorte he hath ſuffered all the temples of Chriſt to be made ſo prophane, y^t nowe they be lyke to a well trymmed market. For yf I ſhulde ſpeake nothynge at all of the choppynge and chaungyng and byeng of benefyces, of the pardoners, or rather the deuelles marchaundiſe, of the fayers of ſacramentes, maſſes and indulgences. Ther ſtande ready before the churche dores, tabernacles, tables, chayres and ſettelles: in them are ſet forth to ſelle fygures of waxe, lytle ymages, fete and hādes of yron and waxe, hennes ans cockes and innumerable muche of ſuche kynde of oblacions: and in the churches themſelues, ſtande Idolles wyth ſtretched out hādes and becauſe they be domme, they hauehave an, interpreter by, that lacketh no tunge. For he ſtandynge by the aulter and by the Idoll, for to ſalute them that come, receaueth them, allureth them, and fedeth them wyth fayre wordes, expoundeth the vertues of the ſaynte, and telleth forth the fayned myracles of the Idoll: to be ſhorte he mylketh away the money from the ſuperſtycious and foolyſhe people. And that ther ſhulde be nothynge to lette hym that ſhulde offre, he hath al ſortes of money by hym, and therfore he choppeth and chaungeth & ſcrappeth all into the ſayntes boxe. Ouer the whyche Idoll ſomme monke or preſte hath rule, whyche of thoſe offerynges doth noryſhe hys ſhameles houſholde, whores, baudes, yeſters, ſcoffers, knaues and ydle houſwyues: And before all thynges, the mooſt holy father hath hys parte of theſe gyftes: the whyche hathe confyrmed thys holy marchaundyſe, by grauntynge of his large indulgences, for all that our LORDE hath commaunded: Frelye ye receaued, frely geue agayn. Peter alſo ſayeng and pronouncynge: Peryſhe thou and thy money, becauſe thou thynkeſte y^t the gyfte of God can be gotten wyth money. But why do I proſecute theſe thynges ſo muche, ſeynge he is not lyuynge y^t p. 37can ſufficientlye declare the couetouſnes, deceates, & vnſhamfaſtnes of hys mooſte vngracious ſtocke, wyth theyr workes mooſt contrarye to Chriſte and true relygion.

Thyrdlye, ther followeth in Paule:He is exalted aboue a … that is called God or worſhyped. y^t he is exalted aboue all that is called God or worſhypped: whyche ſentence may be expounded two maner of wayes: ether y^t he is exalted aboue God hymſelfe, and ſet vp agaynſte all true relygyon and worſhyppynge of God: ether that he is exalted agaynſte all godly thynges, that is to ſay all true worſhyppynge of God, takyng the perſone and name of God, for true relygion and godly thynges. But why do I ſtande vpō theſe thynges ſo muche? ſeyng that the Apoſtle hymſelfe doth ioyne vntounto thys immediatly, that whyche maye expounde all the forſayde ſentēce: ſo that he ſhall ſytte in the temple of God, auauncynge hymſelfe as God. After thys maner (I ſaye) is he exalted agaynſte God hymſelfe and all true relygion. The temple of God is here taken for the worlde, for the catholyke and vniuerſall churche and the faythfull harte of eueryevery man. To ſytte, is for to raygne & to beare rule. To auaūce hym ſelfe as God, is to boaſte hym of the power of God, & to promyſe and chalenge thoſe thynges as peculyar to himſelfe, whyche belonge onelyonly to God. Lette vsus heare nowe howe theſe thynges are fulfylled, in Machomet and the Byſhoppe of Rome. Mahomet doth not alonly deſpyſe the mooſt holye trynite, but denyeth alſo Ieſus Chriſte hymſelfe to be very God. He affirmeth that he gaue a more perfecter lawe, then was geuen ether of Moſes or of Ieſus Chriſte: he gloryed alſo that ther was wrytten of hym in the lawe, and in the Goſpel, yee and that his name was wrytten from the begynnynge in y^e throne of God in the vpper parte on the ryghte hāde. And among vsus yf y^e Byſhop of Rome or hys Legate had come into ony town, w^t greate dilygence y^e congregaciō fell down before him at his metyng & receaued him, not as a mā, but as God. All the relyques were brought forth, & all mē kneled down to hym, loked for hys bleſſynge, & thought it healthful yf they myght hauehave kyſſed his fete. And yf that ony man had but once thought, that he had not had y^e full power in heauē & in earth, he was ſtrayght waye taken for an heretyke. What ſhall we ſaye p. 38alſo, that all preſtes wyth wycked Freres dyd preache openly in expreſſe wordes in all the temples of Chriſten men, that the Byſhoppe of Rome was the vycare of Chriſte, the heade of the churche, and that he had full power in heauen and in earth, yee and in purgatorye to: and that he dyd geue full remyſſiō of ſynnes, that he could not erre, that all y^e interpretacion of ſcripture was ſubiecte to hym, that hys lawes ought to be kepte as the lawe of God that he was iudge ouer all men, & that he was vnderunder no mans iudgemente, yee theſe mē were not aſhamed for to put theſe horrible blaſphemyes into publike & cōmune lawes. Of y^e whyche thyng I wyll now bryng forth certayn euydēte wytneſſes. diſtinc XXII. cap. Oēs. VntoUnto Peter (ſayth Pope Nycolas,) the keye bearer of eternall lyfe, dyd God commytte iuriſdictiō ouer heauen and earth. Item capit. Sacroſancta. Although all were Apoſtelles (ſayeth Anacletus) yet dyd the LORDE graunte vntounto Peter (yee & they wold the ſame amonge them ſelues) that he ſhulde hauehave rule ouer all the Apoſtles, and ſhulde be called Cephas, that is to ſaye, the heade and chefe of the Apoſtles: the whyche alſo dyd delyuer the ſame maner to be kepte of theyr ſucceſſours and other Byſhoppes. Therfore thys Apoſtolicall ſeate is ordeyned of God and of none other, to be the heade & henge: and as the dore is ruled by y^e henge ſo by the ordinaunce of God, are all churches ruled by the authoryte of thys holy Apoſtolycall ſeate. Agayne Diſtinct .xix. Agatho the Pope doth wryte thus vntounto all Byſhoppes: All the decres of the Apoſtolyke ſeate are ſo to be receaued, as yf they were confyrmed by the godly mouth of S. Peter hymſelfe. Item capit. In memoriam. Although that holy ſeate do laye a yocke vponupon vsus, ſcarſlye able to be ſuffered, yet let vsus ſuffre it and obediētly abyde it. And a lytle after ſayeth Pope Steuen: Trulye becauſe the holy church of Rome (ouer whyche God wolde vsus to rule) is ſet forth for a glas and an example: what ſo euer it decreethe or ordeyneth, it is to be kepte of all men for euer, and wythoute ony gaynſayeng. Furthermore .ix. queſti. capit .iii. Gelaſius the Byſhop of Rome, ſayeth vntounto all the Byſhoppes that were ordeyned thorow out Dardania, theſe wordes: All the churche knoweth thorow out all the worlde, y^t the Popes ſeate whyche p. 39is ſaynte Peters ryghte, hathe power to lowſe thoſe thynges whyche are bounde by ony mānes iudgementes what ſo euer they be, as one that hathe rule to geue ſentence ouer eueryevery churche. And agayn: All the churche knoweth thorowe oute all the worlde, that y^e holy churche of Rome hath power to iudge ouer all men, but it is not lawfull for ony man to iudge vpō the ſentēce of it: for mē may appeale vntounto y^t oute of ony parte of the worlde, but from that no mā is ſuffred to appeale. Item diſtinct. Abuſed Canon.XL. capit. Yf the Pope (ſaythe Boniface) be found neglygēt aboute hys own health and hys brethrens, or els vnprofytable & ſlowe in hys workes, or ſlacke to do good, whyche hurteth hymſelfe greatlye and all other men, and doth alſo leade wyth hym by heapes innumerable people to be punyſhed wyth hym euerlaſtyngly in hell: yet let no man in the worlde be ſo hardye as to rebuke hys fautes: for he beynge ordeyned to iudge all men, ought to be iudged of no man, excepte he be taken ſwaruynge from the fayth. Agayn .IX. Queſti. III. capit. ſaythe Innocencius the Pope: No man may iudge y^e chefe ſeate, whyche deſyreth to moderate iuſtice: nother maye the iudge be iudged, ether of the Emperoure or of all the clergye, nother of kynges, nor of the people. VponUpon the whyche Canon the author of the gloſe ſayeth: that a counſell can not iudge the Pope. Vt extra de elect. Significaſti. Wherfore yf all the whole worlde ſhulde geue ſentence in ony matter agaynſt the Pope, it ſemeth that men oughte to ſtande to the ſentence of the Pope. &c. Ye ſhall fynde the ſame thynge agayne in cap. quanto de tranſla. Epiſcopi titulo. VII. in playne wordes: It is ſayde that the Pope (ſayeth he) hath an heauēlye iudgemente, and therfore chaū ge the nature of thynges in applyenge the ſubſtaunce of ony thynge to another. And of nothynge he can make ſome what, and make the ſentence whych was nothynge worthe, ſomewhat worthe. For in thoſe thynges whyche he lyſte,O blaſphemye. Ei eſt pro ratione uoluntas: hys wyll ſtandeth for a reaſon or a cauſe: nother is ther ony mā that may ſaye vntounto hym. Why doeſte thou ſo? For he maye dyſpenſe wyth the lawe, and of vnryghtuoſneſſe make ryghteuoſneſſe: in correctynge and chaungynge y^e lawes,The Byſhop of Rome nother god nor man. for he hath obteyned full power, &c. Herevnto belongeth it that theſe ioly wrytters p. 40of commentes do ſo ofte inculcate, that y^e Pope is nother a man nor a God, but the vycare of God, and a certayne thynge mengled and made of God & of man. Yf ony man requyre the places, he ſhal fynde theſe damnable blaſphemyes, in VI decretalium lib. I. de elect. & elect. poteſtate. titulo ſexto in cap. XVII. Item in clemē tinarum proemio. And what nede many wordes? Thys draggon vſurped vntounto him ſelfe the full power of God in earthe, he tranſlated kyngdomes, and for hys owne profyte made and vnmade all lawes and rytes, and turned all the olde and true relygiō topſyturnye, & hate daſhed & defyled it w^t hys fylthyneſſe: the whyche thynge no man can denye. He ſytteth therfore in the tēple of god, auaūcynge hymſelfe to be god.

Now wyll we adde vntounto theſe thynges,The prophecye of Daniell vpō Antichriſte. that whyche the godly prophete Daniell hath ſpoken of the ſame thyng in the vii. chapter: Beholde ther were eyes (ſayth he) lyke the eyes of a man in hys horne, & a mouthe ſpeakynge preſumptuous thynges. And a lytle after that: He ſhall ſpeake wordes on y^e partye of the mooſt hygheſt, and ſhall deſtroye the ſayntes of y^e mooſt hygheſte, and thynke y^t he maye chaunge tymes and lawes. All theſe thynges are very playne, by that that goeth afore. For eyes do ſygnifye prudence. He mente therfore, that thys kynde of mē ſhuld be mooſt ſubtyll, becauſe that it ſhuld rule & brynge all thynges to paſſe by fraude, gyle, ſutteltye, and craft And ſurely who ſo euer doth marke well howe that theſe Byſhoppes of Rome, out of ſo lowe a degre hauehave cō me vp on hyghe, and optayned the dygnite of ſo greate an Empyre, he wyll ſaye y^t they hauehave bene mooſt craftye and ſuttyll men. Nother coulde ony mans mouth ſpeake more preſumptuous thynges, thē it is playne here before, that Machomet & the Byſhope of Rome hauehave done. Yee and though they hauehave arrogātly attrybuted ſo great thynges vntounto themſelues, yet wyll they nedes ſpeake and be on y^e ſyde of the mooſt hygheſt: inſomuche that yf ony mā yet nowe a dayes ſhuld call them the aduerſaryes or enemyes of God, he ſhulde ſcarſely eſcape theyr handes alyue. Beſydes thys, the one of them wyll be taken for the Prophete of the mooſt hyeſt, and the other for the vycar of God vponupon the earthe: as men whyche had receaued this power delyuered them of God hymſelfe, p. 41and do nowe vſurpe it by y^e lawes of God. But ther hauehave not lacked whyche hauehave ſmelled out thys deceate and wyckednes, and hauehave reſiſted it wyth all theyr power. But the mooſt holy father, and the vyctorious Emperoure of the Turkes hauehave deſtroyed them. For howe muche Chriſten bloude bothe of them hauehave ſhedde, it is declared in the hyſtorye before mencyonede and how much they ſhedde yet ſtylle, vnluckye experience dothe teache vsus well ynough. Nowe although in very dede that no man hath the power for to make & vnmake the good lawes of God at hys pleaſure, yet hath Antichriſt vſurped y^e power vponupon hym. Wherevpon ſayth Daniell: he ſhall thynke that he maye chaunge the tymes and lawes: but he ſayeth not, he ſhall hauehave power to chaunge them. Now Machomet and the Byſhoppe of Rome hauehave vſurped y^e power vntounto them mooſt ſhamefully, which thynge we hauehave proued a lytle before by ſufficiente teſtymonyes. In the eleuenth chapter the ſame Daniel ſayeth: The kynge ſhall do what hym lyſte: he ſhall exalte & magnifye hymſelfe agaynſt all that is God, he ſhall ſpeake maruaylous thynges agaynſt the God of goddes, and he ſhall proſpere, vntyll the wrathe be fulfylled, for hys fall is appoynted and ſo forthe. For the Prophete hath ſpokē more vponupon thys matter in that place, whyche may be vnderſtonde of eueryevery wyttye mā wythout ony laboure or expoſycion.

The prophecy of Pauie wreſted agaynſte the preachers of the Goſpel.And here we maye not paſſe ouer y^t the Papyſtes do expounde thys place of Paule vpō vsus. For nowe ſaye they, is this departynge fulfylled, when the Lutheryans and the Zwynglyans do departe frō the holy ſeate of Rome, and wyth theyr libertye do open a gate vntounto all ſynne and myſchefe, and are agaynſte the Prelates of the churche: beſydes thys, they are lyfte vp agaynſte the vycar of God hymſelfe, defylynge the authoryte of the churche, whyche neuer erred, and ſyttynge in the temple of God, do boaſte themſelues to preache the worde of God, & therfore they thynke thēſelues worthye to be worſhypped as God. But they do vsus wronge, becauſe we neuer departed a ſtrawe bredth from the truthe of y^e canonicall ſcripture. For althoughe we knowe not the churche of Rome, as it is nowe ordered, yet we do knowlede the holy catholyke churche and the onelyonly heade therof Ieſus Chriſt. The p. 42whyche in as muche as he promyſed that he wolde abyde wyth vsus vntounto the ende of the worlde, Math. xxviii. we nede not beleue that he hath put a vycare or Debyte in hys ſteade. For a vycare ſtādeth in the ſteade of hym that is abſente. But Chriſt is euermore preſente wyth hys churche: hym onelyonly do we preache, commēde, and inculcate vntounto our churches. We do moue men contynually to beleue in hym, & we do teache mooſt dylygentlye, charyte, innocēcye and pure lyuynge. Nother do we teache ony other lybertye thē y^t of whyche the Apoſtle ſpake: Ye are called into lybertye, but ſe that ye geue not your lybertye an occaſion to the fleſhe, but thorow charyte ſerue you one another, Galat. v. And we are agaynſte none of the chefe of the churche. For the Prelates of the churche, are the mynyſters of the worde & teachers of the truthe of the Goſpell: and who deſpyſeth ſuche? who is agaynſt ſuch? But yf ony vnderunder the pretēce of the church and of mynyſtracion do ſeke theyr owne, beare rule, oppreſſe the truthe, & ſettynge godlye thynges aſyde, do teache mennes tradyciōs, forſothe they are of good ryght deſpyſed throughe theyr owne defaute. For Peter ſayeth: We muſte obey God more then man. And our LORDE in the Goſpell: Se y^t no man deceaue you. For many ſhall come in my name, ſayenge I am Chriſt, & ſhal deceaue many. Farthermore we dyd neuer defyle the authoryte of the catholyke church. For we do hyghly eſteme Chriſte hymſelfe and the canonycall truth. Nowe the ſtrength and foundacion of the churche is Chriſte & the truthe. Howe ſhulde not we thē iudge honorably of the church? We hauehave neuer ſytten in the temple of God, but hauehave mynyſtred alwayes: and for thys cauſe hauehave we chefly cryed agaynſte you, becauſe that ye wyl beare rule or ſytte, & not mynyſtre as we do. Moreouer we do frely confeſſe that we leauynge mens tradycions do purely and ſymply (that is to ſaye as muche as y^e grace of God and oure fraylnes wyll ſuffre) preache the canonicall ſcrypture, and for the eſtablyſhynge not of our authoryte but of it, do often ſaye wyth ſaynte Paul: He that refuſeth theſe thynges, refuſeth not man, but God, whyche hath geuē hys holy ſprete vntounto the Prophetes and Apoſtles, y^t they ſhulde teache theſe thynges vntounto vsus .i. Theſſalo. iiii. Yet we do geue p. 43all honoure to God onelyonly in all thynges, and vntounto our ſelues nothynge but confuſion. Our churches, whyche are Chriſtes, wyll teſtifye thys.

Laſte of all I wyll put to y^e paraphraſe of ſaynte Ierome,The paraphraſe of S. Ierome vpō theſe wordes of Paule. wyth the whyche he dyd expounde theſe wordes of ſaynt Paule in the .XI. queſtion. vntounto Algaſia, after thys maner: Excepte (ſaythe he) ther come a departynge fyrſte, and that all nacions whych are ſubiecte to the Empyre of Rome do departe from it, and that he be reueled, that is to ſaye opened, whom all the wordes of the prophetes do ſhewe forthe: The man of ſynne, in whome is the fountayne of all ſynnes, And chyld of perdycion, that is, of the deuell (for he is the deſtruccion of all men) whyche is agaynſte Chriſte, and is therfore called Antichriſt, and is exalted aboue all that is called god ſo that he treadeth downe wyth hys foote the goddes of all nacions, or els all comly and true relygion, and in the temple of God (whyche is Ieruſalē as ſome thynke) or els in the churche (as we rather ſuppoſe) ſheweth hymſelfe as thoughe he were Chriſte and the ſonne of God. Excepte (ſayeth he) that the Empyre of Rome be fyrſt made deſolate, and that Antichriſte go before, Chriſte ſhall not come, whyche ſhall therfore ſo come, y^t he maye deſtroye Antichriſte. Ye remembre ſayeth he, that theſe thynges whyche I nowe wrytte by myne Epyſtle, when I was wyth you I ſhewed you in expreſſe wordes, and tolde you that Chriſte ſhulde not come, excepte that Antichriſte wente before. Hetherto hauehave I rehearſed y^e wordes of S. Ierome.

And novve you knovve vvhat vvythholdeth: euen that he myghte be vttered at hys tyme. For the myſterye or iniquite dothe already vvorke. Let hym vvhyche novve holdeth, holde ſtyll, vntyll it be taken avvaye, and thē ſhall that vvycked be vttered, vvhome the LORDE ſhall conſume vvyth the ſprete of hys mouth, and ſhall deſtroye vvyth the clearneſſe of hys cōmynge.

He wryteth mor playnly of y^e tyme of Antichriſte when he ſhuld come.Some man myght ſaye, why ſhuld we not beleue, that the aduerſary of Chriſt, doth now raygne, and is alreadye come, when we do ſe the name of Chriſte, & hys doctryne by all meanes to be ſpoken agaynſte, of all the myghtyeſt men of thys worlde? The Apoſtle doth anſwere: You knowe what letteth: euen that I tolde you p. 44that he ſhulde be vttered, when hys tyme is come. Forſothe a man can not denye, but that euen nowe the power of iniquyte doth worke by hym, but nowe he ſetteth forth hys ſtrength more couertlye, thē he ſhall do when his tyme is come. For vntounto the bodye of Antichriſte belonge blaſphemyes, cruell perſecucions, hereſyes and other ſuch lyke iniquities. But theſe thynges beganne to budde and ſprynge vp by and by, euen in the tyme of the Apoſtles. Wherevpon Ihon the Apoſtle ſayeth: My lytle chyldren, it is nowe the laſte tyme, & as you hauehave herde, that Antichriſte ſhall come, euen nowe ther begynne to be many Antichriſtes alreadye .i. Iho. ii. Therfore dothe Paule more clearlye ſygnyfye vntounto vsus, that ſame tyme in y^e whyche Antichriſte, that is to ſaye, the perfeccion of all iniquite ſhuld be vttered, ſayeng: Whē that ſhalbe taken awaye, whyche nowe w^tholdeth or letteth hym for to raygne, thē ſhall y^e wycked be opened. That is to ſaye, whan that the Empyre of Rome ſhall be taken out of the waye, or at the leeſt way troubled, then ſhall Antichriſte raygne, & after that ſhall Chriſte come bothe for to deſtroye thys enemye of all ſayntes, and alſo for to iudge all fleſh. For he doth now expownde that more playnely, whyche he ſpake of before. The wordes correſpondēt to the greke texte, do make thoſe thynges more playne for thus they ſygnyfye: holdynge that now, tyll it be out of the waye: whyche is as muche to ſaye, as that that thynge whyche nowe onlye letteth, ſhall be taken out of the waye. And then ſhall y^e wycked appeare. Or els (to ſpeake it more playne) that thynge wyhche nowe onelyonly letteth ſhall be a lette ſo longe, vntyll it be taken awaye:Saynte Ierome. and when it is takē awaye, then ſhall Antichriſt come forth. And S. Ierom alſo followeth the ſame ſence, wrytynge vntounto Algaſia theſe wordes in a maner: What is the cauſe that Antichriſt cō meth not now, ye knowe full well. Nother wolde he playnely ſaye, that the Empyre of Rome ſhulde be deſtroyed, becauſe that they whyche gouerne it do thynke it euerlaſtynge. For the whyche cauſe after the Apocalypſe of S. Ihon, ther was wryttē in y^e foreheade of the whore that was clothed in purple, a name of blaſphemy, that is to ſaye, Rome eternall. For yf he had ſayde playnely and boldly, Antichriſt ſhall not come, excepte the Empyre of Rome p. 45be fyrſt done away, it ſemeth that he ſhuld hauehave geuen a iuſte cauſe of perſecucion, agaynſt the churche in the Eaſte partyes. And a lytle after he ſayeth: The Empyre of Rome whyche nowe hath all nacions vnderunder it, ſhal ceaſſe and be takē out of the waye, and then ſhall Antichriſt the fountayne of iniquyte come. Thys ſayeth Ierome. Tertulian alſo,Tertulli… of the reſurreccion of the fleſhe: Who (ſayeth he) ſhall be takē out of the waye? but the eſtate of Rome, whyche beynge cut awaye? and ſcattered into tenne kynges ſhall brynge in Antichriſte, &c. For the departynge of kyngdomes from the Empyre of Rome, and the runnynge in of the rude Gotties, that is to ſaye of the Vandales & Hunnies, dyd geue an occaſion vntounto the Saracens, and vntounto the Byſhoppes of Rome, for to inuade and gette y^e Empyre. For yf the one had not broken the ſtrength of the Empyre of Rome, the other had not raygned. But we hauehave expounded all theſe thynges more at large in the hyſtory here before.

Nowe followeth the ruyne & deſtruccion of Antichriſt.Of the deſtruccion of Antichriſt. He ſhall not fall by and by after that he is ſtryken wyth a ſtroke or weapon, but by lytle and lytle, & after he hath bene made weake by many battaylles he ſhall at the laſte peryſhe. But he ſhall not be caſte down w^t mans hande, nother yet by the multytude of hooſtes, nor ſtrēgth of ſouldyers, or gonne ſtrokes, but by the hande and power of God. For Chriſt ſhall fyrſte conſume hym wyth the ſprete of hys mouthe, and after that ſhall he put hym cleane out of the waye, wyth hys mooſt gloryous commynge into iudgemēt. The fyrſte of theſe two, dyd Paule take oute of the eleuenth chapter of Iſaie, whoſe wordes are theſe: With ryghteouſnes ſhall he iudge y^e poore, and wyth equite ſhall he contende for the meke of the earthe, he ſhall ſtryke the worlde wyth the rodde of hys mouthe, and wyth the ſprete of hys lyppes ſhall he ſlaye the wycked. Nowe the ſprete of y^e mouthe or of the lyppes of God, is the true expoſycion of the worde of god. For the worde of God is the ſame ſwearde, wherewyth y^e heade of thys proude Golyas ſhall be ſtryken of. For Antichriſt ſpeaketh on the ſyde of y^e mooſt hygheſt, and he ſayeth y^t all that he doth, is deduced or taken out of the Decrees of y^e holy ſcrypture. For vnderunder the pretence of this, hath he hetherto raygned ſafely. But p. 46when that thoroughe the goodnes of God the lyght of the Goſpell, that is, Goddes worde begynneth to ſhyne, the clowdes of thys deceauer do ſtrayght waye vanyſhe awaye. For it is playne vntounto all men, that thys fellowe in hys maners and lawes, is clene contrarye to Chriſte. Therefore it commeth to paſſe, that all godlye wytted men (the truthe once knowen) do abhorre and forſake hym. Therfore the ſwearde wherwyth this man is ſlayne is the word of God, for thē is he mooſt ſurely ſlayne, when that hys nature and dyſpoſyciō are manyfeſtly knowen by the doctryne of truthe. The knowlege of hym dothe kyll hym and caſt him downe, and the clokyng and ignoraūce of hym doth ſette hym vp. For they that knowe hym not, do beleue that he is an Apoſtolycall prophete, yee & a god to, but they y^t knowe him trulye, are ſure that he is Antichriſte. The latter of theſe two dyd Paul take out of y^e .vii. chapter of Daniell, where we reade: I loked tyll the ſeates were prepared, and the olde aged ſatte hym downe, and beholde, ther came in the cloudes of the ayre one lyke the ſonne of man, and he came vntounto the olde aged, and the iudgemente was ſette and the bokes opened. Then toke I hede therevnto becauſe of the voyce of y^e proud wordes whyche that horne ſpake. And I behelde ſtyll, tyll y^t the beaſte was ſlayne, and hys bodye deſtroyed and geuen ouer to be burnte in y^e fyre. And therfore ſayeth Paule: Whom the LORDE ſhall deſtroy wyth the bryghtnes of hys cōmynge, y^t is to ſay w^t his mooſt gloryous cōmyng. For our LORDE ſayde in the Goſpell: Euen as the lyghtenynge commeth oute of the Eaſte, and appeareth vntounto the Weſte, ſo ſhall the commynge of the ſonne of man be. For he ſhall come in y^e cloudes of heauen wyth greate power and glory Math. xxiiii. And euen as darknes (as ſayeth S. Ierome) is dryuen away at the cōmynge of the Sonne,The battail & vanquyſhyng of Antichriſte. ſo ſhall the LORDE deſtroy and put hym awaye wyth the bryghtnes of hys commynge. Thys glorye and vyctorye is reſerued vntounto Chriſte onelyonly. For they are deceaued whyche thynke y^e Antichriſte, before the daye of iudgemēte, ſhall by abolyſhed by the ſtrength of armes. But thys battayll betwene Chriſte & Antichriſte ſhall rather endure vntounto y^e ende of the worlde. And he beynge bolde of the ſtrength of armes, ſhall breake a ſondre & p. 47treade vnderunder hys fete the ſayntes of the mooſt hyeſt, but the membres of Chriſte ſhall wythſtonde hym, and ſhall ſette vpō hym w^t the ſwearde of the worde of God, ſhall bewraye hys deceate, ſhall accuſe his wyckednes, and ſo ſlaye hym. For by thys meanes ſhall he be put oute of mens hartes, and hys authoryte ſhall fall.The vyctory of y^e Chriſten ſtādeth in the truth of Goddes worde and conſtauncy. And in y^e meāſeaſon, although he be ouercome, yet ſhall he take on, vntyll Chriſte the iudge ſhall putte hym quyte down. And therfore my brethren our vyctorye muſt ſtande alonly in the truth of Gods worde, & in the conſtanucy of our fayth. Therfore let vsus betake our lyues vntounto our faythfull creator, & go forward in y^e affyrmyng of y^e canonical truth, & glory of Chriſt ourredemer & LORD, agaynſt y^e blaſphemies of this vnpure draggō. Chriſt wyll be preſēt w^t hys, although he delyuer vsus into hys handes.

Vvhoſe cōmynge is by the vvorkynge of Satan, vvyth all povver and lyenge ſygnes and vvonders and in all deceueablnes of vnryghteouſnes amōg thē that peryſh: becauſe they receaued not the louelove of the truth, that they might hauehave bene ſaued. And therfore god ſhal ſende thē ſtrōge deluſiō, that they ſhuld duplicate page p. 47duplicate page beleue lyes: that all they myght be dāned, vvhych beleued not the truthe, but had pleaſure in vnryghtouſnes.

Antichriſte raygneth by power and lyes.Hetherto hath the Apoſtle entreated of the reuelacion of Antichriſt, of the ruyne and confuſion of hym: he hath ſpoken alſo of hys kyngedome and propertyes, & nowe he turneth hym from that, and deſcrybeth hys ſtrengthe and workes more at large. That deceauer ſhal come (ſayeth he) prepared wyth the ſprete and power of Satan, the whyche ſhall ſhewe forth them ſelfe in hym mooſt manyfeſtly. For thys maner of ſpeakynge Vvhoſe cōmynge is by the vvorkynge of Satan, is ſo much to ſaye. Nowe the ſtrength and workynge of Satan ar chefely, murther, and lyes, as our ſaueoure ſayeth: He was a manſlayer from the begynnynge, and abode not in the truthe, becauſe the truthe is not in hym. Whan he ſpeaketh a lye, he ſpeaketh of hys owne, becauſe he is a lyer and the father of it. And Paule in this place ſhewynge the workes of Satan by partes, doth teken vp power and ſygnes, that is lyenge wonders, and the deceaueableneſſe of vnryghteouſneſſe alſo. For Mahomet ſayeth that he is ſente of God in the ſtrength of p. 48armoure, & for thys cauſe doth he deſtroye all thynges wyth fyre and ſwearde. And y^e Byſhope of Rome hath abuſed y^e armour of al kynges and prynces, perſecuteth and ſlayeth the ſayntes, ether callynge vponupon the ſecular arme, or els by excercyſynge hy… owne ſtrength. The greate deſtruccion of mooſt ſtronge nacions nowe in our dayes do teſtifye what he maye do by ſtrength, and what murthurs, yee and betrayēge of kyngdomes, and robberyes, the deuell hath done in the world by hys procuremente. We maye thanke hys coūſell and crafte, that here wythin thys .xxxvi. yeares, we hauehave ſene the ſtrengthe of mooſt ſtronge nacions, that is to ſaye of the Heluecians, Germanes, Frenchmen and Spanyardes, after they hauehave bene broken, to hauehave fallen now into the kyngdome of Naples, nowe in the dukdome of Myllan, & ſomtyme into other kyngedomes, & theyr kynges or prynces banyſhed or els ledde into captyuyte, mans lawes & Goddes lawes plucte vp by the rootes, good ſtudye oppreſſed, mooſt noble cyties ſubuerted, and plentyfull contryes vtterly deſtroyed: to be ſhorte, ther was none age ſpared. I do wyllynglye paſſe ouer many thynges of the ſame ſorte, whyche y^e membres of thys Byſhoppe, and the Eccleſiaſticall prelates wyth theyr companions, hauehave done in dyuers partyes of the world, and in many kyngdomes, and prouynces to the greate hurte of the cōmune welthe and of all goodneſſe, and ſpecyally of the truthe. The prudente reader dothe well vnderſtonde by theſe thynges whych I hauehave noted, what he ſhulde do, beleue, or flye.

Antichriſtes ſygnes, and how his religiō hath ben greatly eſtabyſhed by them.Nowe ther are two maner of ſygnes, true, and falſe. Thoſe are true, whyche are done in dede, and ſprynge oute of no phantaſye or imagynacion, but are wrought of God hym ſelfe by hys mynyſters, for the ſtablyſhynge of the truthe. Suche are all the ſygnes of the prophetes and Apoſtles, of Moſes & of Chriſte. And thoſe are falſe, whyche (by the ſufferaunce of God) are done by y^e mynyſters or workynge of Satan, to the derogacion of the truthe or ſtablyſhyng of falſhed. And of theſe ther are diuerſe kindes. For ther are ſome whyche by a falſe appearaūce do deceaue men. Ther are other whyche are done in very dede, as they ſeme to be, but for thys purpoſe, that they myghte leade p. 49men away from the truthe vntounto erroure. For the holy Apoſtle doth not call them onelyonly lyenge ſygnes and wonders, whych hauehave a falſe ſymilitude or appearaūce w^t thē, but thoſe alſo, whyche althoughe they be done in very dede, do yet brynge men vntounto lyes, and deceaue the lokers on. S. Auguſtine hath diſputed more of ſygnes. In opere octoginta trium queſtionum. queſt. LXXIX. Our LORD Ieſus ſayeth in the xxiiii. chapter of Mathewe: Ther ſhall aryſe falſe Chriſtes and falſe prophetes, and they ſhall do greate ſygnes and wonders, inſomuche that yf it were poſſyble, the very electe ſhulde be brought in to erroure. Beholde I hauehave ſhewed you before. Yf they ſaye vntounto you, beholde he is in the wylderneſſe, go not out: beholde he is in ſecrete places, beleue thē not, &c. Truely greate authoryte happened vntounto Machometes relygion, throughe lyenge ſygnes and wonders. Nother yet hath the eſtymacion of the Byſhoppe of Romes relygiō, encreaſſed by ony thyng ſo much, as by the multytude of myracles. For by myracles hath he thruſt into the worlde y^e honourynge of ſayntes and worſhyppyng of ymages. For no man can well expreſſe the wonderous craftes,In this pla…e y^e author of the commēte, called Henricus Bullingerus of Tigury had put in dyuers pylgremages of hys owne contrye. In the flede of whyche (becauſe they were vnknowen to vsus) I hauehave ſet in theſe of oure olde acquayntaūce withoute ony al alteraciō of the intent y^t he brought them in for. wherwith y^e deuel hath deceaued the whole worlde. They y^t hauehave at ony tyme vyſyted our Ladye at Wylſoon, Muſwell, Ypſwyche or Walſyngame, the roode of comforte, y^e roode of reſt, the roode of grace in Kente, S. ſaueoure at London, S. Thomas of Canterbury, or ſuche lyke Idolles: they hauehave ſene tables, oblacions and more teſtymonyes of myracles, thē a great nauye of ſhyppes coulde carye awaye. For ſome one hathe crepte into the chappell of oure Lady, or ſome other ſaynte bothe croked & lame, and there hath made hys petycion to an Image, and came home agayne in good healthe: and therefore in wytnes of thys thynge hath hanged vp hys ſtyltes before the Idolle. Another hath ſwymmed ſafe to lande frō a ſhyppewracke after he hath called vponupon the helpe of ſome ſaynte, & therfore hanged a table or a fygure of a ſhyppe before the Image. The thyrde eſcapynge of an hooſt of men of warre, made a vowe vntounto the virgyn Marye, and dyd therfore dedicate hys harneſſe vntounto her. Some other after they hauehave broken out of preſon, hauehave conſecrate vntounto a ſayncte, ether a cheyne, or manacles or els a payre of fetters. p. 50Then came it to paſſe at length that not alonly thoſe temples, but all churches of Chriſten men were polluted wyth ſuch deluſions. Theſe falſe ſygnes occupyed y^e mooſte holy ſeates in Chriſtes churche, out of whyche the ſygnes and truthe of y^e Goſpell oughte to hauehave ben declared. For oute of ſuche places were theſe mooſt vnſhamefaſt lyes pronounced and ſhewed, wyth greate boldnes of the preachers, and wonderous reioycynge of the mooſt foolyſhe people. What ſhall we ſay, that men hauehave ſayde, y^t the very Images themſelues hauehave ether remoued out of theyr places, or els hauehave ben ſente of God hymſelfe frō heauē, or els where as they hauehave ben hyd in certayn places they hauehave come to lyght agayn. Some hauehave laught, and ſome hauehave wepte, other hauehave trembled & geuen forth beames out of them, yee & ſometyme they or theyr beardes hauehave wōderfully growē in length or bygneſſe, ſomtyme they were gone clene awaye alone, and many tymes they hauehave ſpoken. And it was lawfull for no man to doubte, or els frelye, that is to ſaye truely to talke of, theſe thynges, yee a man had ſtonde in daunger of hys lyfe yf he had not worſhyppped and receaued theſe wyckedneſſes as thynges that had come from God hym ſelfe, and ſet forthe to be worſhypped. Antichriſte that Byſhop of Rome not beynge cōtente wyth theſe abhominable thynges, and wyth the exteme ſuperſtycion and manyfeſte Idolatry of the people, dyd almoſte eueryevery day conſecrate new Gods, that is (as they call it) canonyſed them, dyd ether inſtitute new pylgrimages, or els confirme ſuche as were inuented or receaued alreadye: he choſe oute relyques of y^e mooſt ſtynkyng and wycked mens bones, and ſette them forthe to be worſhypped, yee & promyſed pardon to the worſhyppers of them, and commaunded holydayes for thoſe fayned Goddes, & lefte nothynge vndone which myghte encreace, noryſh, or ſet forth Idolatrye: and dyd ſo corrupte the true relygion, that the very Gentyles were neuer muche more corrupte. Beſyde thys the prouable appearaunce and wounderous eſtymaciō of falſe myracles dyd deceaue all the wyſeſt men in a maner.How many good people hauehave ben deceaued lyke wyſe with y^e fayned myracles of y^e holy maydens of Rēt & Ipſwych. It lacked but lytle, that we were not compelled to hauehave worſhypped in y^e ſteade of true ſygnes & myracles of God, y^e ſygnes & wonders, whyche certayne blacke frerers cō ſecrate p. 51to the deuell had wyckedlye done in y^e cytye of Berne in Nuchtlande, not wythoute the helpe of wytchcrafte you may be ſure. They wente already about the confyrmacion and approbacion of the Byſhoppe of Rome, and they had lyghtly obtayned it, but that the goodnes of God hauynge pytye on the ſympleneſſe of the people, dyd dyſcloſe thys myſterye of iniquyte to all the worlde before that it was fully fynyſhed and ended, to the derogacion & ſhame of oll other falſe myracles. I thynke that the buyldyng of theſe cloyſters of beggynge Frerers, is one porciō of y^e chefe of theſe lyenge ſygnes. He ſhall not be beleued I know well amonge our poſteryte, that ſhulde tell them that beggers in ſo ſhorte a ſpace, had buylded ſo large & goodly houſes, of the whyche eche of them are ſufficiente for to receaue & noryſhe kynges and prynces. But we ſe many thouſandes of theſe buylte vp on hyghe, and retched forth, bothe longe and large, and beſydes that to hauehave gotten y^e goodlyeſt porciōs of lande in all contryes and cyties. Yee and theſe deceauers thē ſelues, knowlegynge thys wōder, do ſay: No prynce or kynge coulde perfourme in certayne hundredes of yeares, y^e whyche we beggers (not wythout myracle) hauehave fynyſhed in ſo lytle a ſpace. Yee and hauehave ſo fynyſhed them y^e our buyldynges maye compare wyth the mooſt goodlyeſt olde places that are. God hath opened by this thynge (ſaye they) that the rules of oure orders do not ſo greatly dyſpleaſe hym: as thoughe Daniell had not ſayde longe tyme before, that thys ſhulde come to paſſe. For thus we reade of Antichriſt in y^e .xi. chapter: Such as wyll ſerue hym, he ſhall geue greate worſhyppe and power, yee & make them Lordes ouer manye, & geue them the lande for naughte. &c.

Paule addeth therevnto, in all deceaueableneſſe of vnryghteouſneſſe: vnderſtonde y^t Antichriſte ſhall come after ſuche maner. That is to ſaye, when he commeth, he ſhall brynge wyth hym all kynde of iniquite, wherewyth he myghte brynge men away from the truthe, equyte, honeſtye & ryghteouſneſſe, & wrappe men in ypocryſy and erroures. We know therfore that by the meanes of antichriſt the commune iuſtice, all honeſtye, & holy truthe ſhalbe moued oute of theyr place, & vnryghteouſneſſe, ypocryſye, vnſhamefaſtneſſe, p. 52voluptuoſneſſe, & mooſt vayne perſuaſions to be ſet vp in theyr ſteade. Whyche thynges he y^e ſeyth not to hauehave all ages and degrees in poſſeſſion nowe at thys tyme, lacketh both hys eyes & hys wytte. But all mē ſhall not be deceaued, but the reprobate: that is to ſaye, they, of whom the truthe was refuſed, and lyes receaued, that is to ſaye, ſuch as do wylfully peryſhe. And becauſe that a ſecrete queſtyon myghte be moued:Why y^e Antichriſt hath ſo greate power and proſperethe ſo greatlye. Why hathe God ſuffered Satan, and Antichriſt hys captyue to hauehave ſo great power? By a ſolucion he preuenteth the queſtion and ſayeth: becauſe they receaued not y^e louelove of the truthe, that they myghte hauehave ben ſaued. That is to ſaye: the iuſtice & vengeaunce of God, requyreth y^e ſame thyng to be done. For theyr obſtynate rebelliō agaynſte Chriſte, deſerueth that all they whyche receaued not Chriſt, that of hys charyte was wyllynge to ſaue all men, & for hys truthe ſake dyd opē thoſe thynges whyche belonged to ſaluacion that they myght hauehave ben ſaued, ſhulde nowe by y^e ſufferaunce of God for the truthe hauehave falſhed, in the ſteade of charyte tyranny, and for a ſaue…ure hauehave a deſtroyer, and that they ſhulde nowe beleue the lyes of a wycked man, whyche wolde not beleue Chriſte, that tolde them the truthe. For our LORDE hymſelfe ſayeth, in y^e Goſpell of Ihon: Ye wyll not come vntounto me, that ye myght hauehave lyfe. I receaue not y^e glorye of mē: but I knowe that you hauehave not the louelove of God in you. I came in the name of my father, & ye receaue me not, yf an other ſhall come in his own name, hym wyll ye receaue, Ioh v. And oute of thys truly it ſemeth, that that noble ſentence of the commune people was takē: They y^t beleued not Chriſte, ſhall beleue Antichriſte. And herevnto belonge alſo the wordes of Paule that followe, wherwyth he maketh that whyche goeth before more clearer, ſayeng: And therfore, that is to ſaye, becauſe they receaued not the louelove of the truthe, and were not y^e louers and followers of true relygiō, God ſhall ſende them ſtronge deluſiōs, that is to ſaye, mooſt euydente ſeduccion and deceate, that euen lyke madde perſones, and men rauyſhed of theyr wyttes, they can not choſe but beleue lyes. And for thys cauſe that all they myghte be iudged, that is to ſaye tormēted & punyſhed, p. 53vvhyche beleued not the pure and ſymple truthe: but rather approued vnryghteouſneſſe, ypocryſy, ſuperſtycion and erroure. Ye hauehave now a reaſon how it cōmeth to paſſe, that the worlde nowe a dayes is ſo readye to beleue the myracles, doctrynes, and rytes of Antichriſte. It is the iudgemēte of God, whyche hath ſhewed myracles ynoughe by hys ſonne, by hys prophetes and Apoſtles, and hath alſo preſcrybed vsus doctrynes, and rytes clearlye and ſufficiente ynough. But all theſe thynges ſet aſyde, we had rather be deceaued. Therefore theſe preſtes and monkes Antichriſtes knyghtes, deceaued vsus by gettynge awaye our moneye, and neuer ceaſſed to thruſte in theyr lyes vntounto vsus, vntyl y^t they had emptyed all mens cofers. Suche thynges as myghte be brought out of the Byble ſemed olde forworne thynges▪ all men daylye deſyred to heare new matters, and therfore was it fre for eueryevery man that wold, for to inuente eueryevery thynge that he lyfte. He was beſt alowed that had brought in ony new thynge into the churche: and ſo throughe theyr vnſhamefaſtneſſe, and our curyoſyte and foolyſhneſſe, it came to paſſe, by the ryghteous iudgemente of God, that all truthe was banyſhed many yeares ſence, and errour hath raygned myghtelye thorow oute the cōgregacions. Nowe though it be thus, and that experience it ſelfe do proue theſe thynges to be ouer true, yet are ther certayne euell occupyed perſones, whyche go about to boulſter vp the corrupte captayns of y^e mooſt corrupte relygion, whyche are bente to doſtroye the ſprete of the mouth of God. But the truthe which is inuyncible, ſhall ouercome bothe thoſe vayne prelates of the churche, and alſo theyr foolyſhe defenders and ſhall alſo ouerthrowe them and bruſe them all to peces, excepte they conuerte vntounto the LORDE. Hetherto hauehave we diſputed more at large, then we thought to hauehave done at the begynnyng, of the commynge of Antichriſte, of hys kyngdome and confuſion, for the readers pleaſure, and for the erudycion and warnynge of the ſymple people. Nowe wyll we returne vntounto Paule and the Theſſalonyans. For Paule hymſelfe after he hath fynyſhed hys dyſputacion of Antichriſte, turneth hym vntounto the Theſſalonyans.

p. 54But vve are bounde to geue thankes alvvayes to God for you brethren beloued of the LORDE, becauſe that God hath from the begynnynge choſen you to ſaluacion thorovve ſanctifyenge of the ſprete, and thorovv beleuynge the truthe: vvhereunto he called you by oure Goſpell, to optayne the glorye of our LORDE Ieſu Chriſt.A notable place of the election.

Theophylactus knyttynge theſe thynges verye goodly with thoſe that are gone before, ſayeth thus: When he had ſhewed them certayne horryble thynges, and ſuche as myght amaſe the mynde of the hearers, he doth afterward eaſe theyr hartes, monyſhynge them after thys maner: Let other men be afearde of theſe thynges, they (I ſaye) whych peryſhe, and ouer whome y^e deuell hath great power, but we are bounde to geue thankes for you vntounto God, becauſe that he hath choſen you, and embraced you with his louelove. And thys is a notable place of the eleccion of God. For God hath choſen vsus vntounto ſaluacion, and not that we ſhulde ſaye: yf God hauehave choſen me, I nede not feare dampnacion, and thoughe I ſynne neuer ſo muche. But God hath choſen vsus vntounto ſaluacion ſayeth Paule, whych ſaluacion is fynyſhed in vsus through y^e ſanctifyenge of the ſprete and beleuynge the truthe: that is to ſaye, by the ſprete hymſelfe, whyche purifyeth our hartes, & geueth vsus true faythe. For fayth whyche is the gyfte of God, is myghtye in operacion. Paule therfore doth ſet true fayth agaynſt the falſe perſuaſion, of y^e whyche Iames ſpeaketh, ſayenge: fayth wythout workes is deade. To thys matter of eleccion, belongeth the preachyng of the Goſpell alſo. For thorowe the preachyng of the Goſpell, he calleth vsus to the true fayth, and to the optaynynge or poſſeſſiō of the glorye of our LORDE Ieſu Chriſt: that is to ſaye, that we myghte be made the gloryous and bewtyfull poſſeſſion of our LORDE Ieſu Chriſt, an holy, innocente and immaculate people, whyche myght honoure and worſhyppe God, and that God hymſelfe myght dwell in y^e hartes of them that ſerue hym. For God hath not called vsus vntounto luſtes and vnclennes, i. Theſſa. iiii. but vntounto holynes, & purenes, and that we myght become hys holy tēple. Theſe thynges ought to be taught vntounto y^e congregacions. After thys maner p. 55ſuche as are captyue ſhulde be plucked out of the bondage of Antichriſt: and yf y^e ony hauehave not fallen into hys captyuyte, let them here learne to geue God contynuall thankes, and alſo to praye him that he leade them not into temptacion, but delyuer them from that euell, ſanctifye them thorow the ſprete, and by true fayth to kepe them in the eleccion of ſaluacion.

Therfore brethrē ſtande faſte, and kepe the ordynaūces vvhych ye hauehave learned: vvhether it vvere by oure preachynge or by oure Epiſtle.

Nowe bryngeth he in that whyche he mente in the begynnynge of thys chapter where he ſayde: I beſeche you by the cō mynge of our LORDE Ieſu Chriſte, that ye be not ſodenlye moued from youre mynde, &c. And in the meanſeaſon he dyſputeth many thynges to thys effecte; and nowe at the laſte he bryngeth in & ſayeth: In as muche as it is thus, abyde you in our ordynaunces whych we taught you, whether it were by mouth when we were yet amonge you, or els by myne epiſtles,The Apoſtles taught all theyr or dinaunces, ether by mouthe or els by epiſtles wryttē. whyche I ſente when I was abſent from you. For I taughte you the true Goſpell: ye nede not to ſeke ony other. The Papiſtes do abuſe thys place, for the defence of mans tradycions. And we do graunte, that the tradycions of the Apoſtles, ought as well to be receaued as theyr epiſtles wrytten: but we do not graunte that all thoſe are the tradycions of the Apoſtles, whyche they do thruſte vntounto vsus vnderunder y^e name of the Apoſtles. The tradycions of the Apoſtles, are not contrarye to theyr epiſtles wrytten: but theſe mens tradycions are playne contrarye to the wrytynges of the Apoſtles.

Our LORDE Ieſu Chriſte himſelfe, and God our father vvhyche hath loued vsus, and hath geuen vsus euerlaſtyng conſolacion and good hope thorovve grace, comforte your hartes, and ſtablyſhe you in all good ſaynge and doynge.

He dothe here after hys maner, vntounto hys admonycion ioyne an happye and luckye wyſhe. And he doth here very cō nynglye brynge in together the whole ſumme of the Goſpel, that is to ſaye, that God hath loued mankynde, & geuen him euerlaſtynge conſolacion, that is Ieſu Chriſte, whyche is oure hope, and hathe geuen it vsus throughe hys grace, and not p. 56for our merytes: that is to ſaye, that we myght lyue euermore. He wyſheth vntounto them (I ſaye) that the ſame meke and louynge God, wold comforte theyr hartes and ſtablyſhe them in all good ſayenge & doynge: that is to ſaye, in all ryghteouſnes. For in theſe two thynges he cōprehendeth all the offices or dutyes of a Chriſten man. And we Englyſhe men vſynge the ſame partycion do diuyde all ryghteouſnes into good ſayenge and doynge, or into good wordes and workes. For theſe are thoſe good frutes, whyche ſprynge forthe of an harte that is ſanctifyed thorowe the holy gooſt & true fayth. Saynte Ambroſe marked the ordre of S. Paules wordes,Ambroſe. and becauſe (ſayeth he) that the father, and the ſonne are one power and one diuinite and ſubſtaunce, therefore he doubted not to name oure LORDE Ieſu Chriſte fyrſte,Theophilactus. and afterwarde God our father. And Theophilactus noted that Paule dyd ſo ordre this prayer, that he dyd alſo preſcrybe them therwyth, what it became them to do: y^t is, to geue themſelues, to ſaye well and do well, and to perſeuer in goodnes, and ſpecyallye to knowlege Chriſte to be the onelyonly hope, and euerlaſtynge conſolaciō of the faythfull.