The exposicion of Daniel the prophete gathered oute of Philip Melanchton, Iohan Ecolampadius, Chonrade Pellicane [and] out of Iohan Draconite. [et] c. By George Ioye. A prophecye diligently to be noted of al emprowrs [and] kinges in these laste dayes

☞ He shall set naught by y^e god of his* 1.1 fathers / nether shall he regarde the con∣iugale loue in wedlok / nor sette a wght by

any god at all / for he shall exalt himself aboue all thinges.

Christ was promised to the fathers* 1.2 being their God / and therfore shall anti∣cryst deadly hate him / because he promi∣seth to the repenters remission of their synnes & lyfe eternall for the onely fayth and confidence of his mercye promysed them. The turk calleth vpon Mahumete and wilbe iustifyed by the workis cōman ded in Mahumets lawe / the pope calleth vpon the deade saintes and wilbe iusti∣fyed by the workes wryten in his owne de∣crees and lawe. In this verse ye se two manifest markes of anticryst printed both vpon the turke and the pope and their se∣culare princes yet folowing their stepis one euident marke is. They shall not knowe ne vnderstand what God is / but openly caste awaye the God of oure fa∣thers Abraham / Isaac and Iacob &c. one god alone for all sufficient him onely our fathers called vpon in cryste / theirs and ours onely mediator. Vnto him onely in all affliccions we and they dyd euer flye in the fayth of cryst oure sauiour and one∣ly mediator. And were hard and holpen by his mercye / oure fayth teching it vnto crystis passion paste / as dyd theirs vnto his death to come / ther by both they & we

to be iustifyed. But this our eternall god and father thus knowen in Cryste / shall oure anticrystis (sayth the aungell) neuer knowe nor regarde / but spyghtfully set him at naught and caste him awaye for their idols setvp in his stede both in their owne hertis and in their chirches to be worshiped aftir their owne inuencions / inuocacions &c. Thei shall inuent their newe iustificaciōs newe articles / remis∣sions / indulgences and saluaciōs by ma∣ny other means and mediators then by onely Cryste. These anticrysten keisars / kinges and bisshops shall teche and de∣fende most cruelly their own strange god of their owne makinge made with their mouthes and hands. And as tyranously shall they fyght for their owne inuented iustificacions and inuocacions of their dead saints: for their owne merits / will workis / and satisfaccions / rytes / cere. &c. Then shall thei pray to / and for the dead* 1.3 which nether heare nor know them. And when thei be thus casten vp of God tho∣row their owne lustes into a forlorne myn de. Rom. 1. Then shall ye see their fifte* 1.4 mark euen to contempne the honest law∣full cōiugale loue of men and women de∣syering to be coupled in holy wedlok. God hath created the man and woman & graf∣fed

into ether sexe a mutuall loue to be ioyned togyther in wedloke / lawfully to bringforth frute / one to haue a counforta∣ble felowe helper of the tother. This na∣turall coniugale loue shall they vtterly destroye forbidding the lawfull matrimo∣nie of preistis and of all their religious fonde vowesses. And shall set vp therby wheredom aduoutry and all prodigiouse lecherie vnder an hypocritish cloke of vn lawfull lawfull vowes and sole vnchast chastite. So that by this deuillish doctry∣ne and prohibicion many a man and wo∣man* 1.5 is dishonested shamed viciated and polluted / yea and many a soull dampned. Siche forbidders of wedlok shall neuer haue good successe and fortune in their owne maryages.

And as for oure bisshops and preistis the autors of this anticrysten act / they be so depely and so openly marked with this baudy bronde and popish print / that whoso see their shauen crownes / as they be afrayd of their familie wyues & daugh ters and abhorre their to ouermiche do∣mestike familiarite / so do all the worlde speke shame of their open prodigiose le∣cherie. These be lo / the monstrose mar∣kes of oure anticrystis both seculare and ecclestastike / euen the manifest blasphe∣mie••

and contempt of god in worshiping images and strāge gods and their deuil∣lish doctryne prohibyting lawfull marya∣ge and violently rendinge honeste law∣fully mared persons in sond••r with their derely beloued chyldren / thus to confir∣me their owne wyde wandering wyueles lecherous lustes. I tremble and shake for very shame & fear to tell the horrible viciouse lyues & abominable fylthynes committed among themselues and with menis wyues / wherof all the romish ram∣mish preistis and bisshops so stinke that all honest men stoppe their noses / eares and eyes at them.

This anticrysten kingdom reteyneth the name of god the eternall father & his sone cryste. But thei adde to idols & cor∣ruppe the trewe doctryne: both in praying to the dead and worshipinge of idols and images / emong y^e which idols their misse is the most execrable abominable signe of a swift and soden destruccion shortly to fall ouer them. And as for the trewe inuo∣cacion of god thorow cryst / thei haue tur∣ned it into a dowtfull dubitacion. In oure sorowfull repentance and contricion / so long as the mynde dowteth / & is not cer∣teynly perswaded of remission of hir syn∣nes / ••he knowth not God in Cryste / but▪

flyeth from him to dead saintes and dome idols. The crystians in this maner of inuocacion differre not from the turkes Saracens and iewes / whiche al pray to / and call vpon god / but in a perpetuall du∣bitaciō whether god be mercifull / forgeue or heare them. For nether thei nor we can be certified by our workis / whether we be for their sakis worthie to be herde and for geuen. Wherfore our faithe stayed vpon god and vpon his promises to be herd & forgeuen for crystis sake whom the father willed to be offred vp a sacrifice for our sinnes / excludeth almaner a doute and al that may let or fight agenst this mercia∣ble forgeuens. For this constant gift of faithe certifieth vs fermely / verely to be receiued of our god and father for his so∣nes sake / and for his sake onely our pray∣ers* 1.6 to be herde / as it is writen. We ha∣uinge siche a bishop and mediator / let vs* 1.7 with bolde confidence go vnto him & cet. And ayen / what soeuer ye aske my father in my name / he will geue it you. For in that he saith in my name / he comandeth* 1.8 vs to aske in the faith and confidence of the mediator. As thus. Oh eternall god & father of our lorde▪ Iesu cryste / the maker and conseruer of althings / most wyse / the ••este / mercifull / our iuge / and almighty / vpon 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

ring of ether wothers beneuolent dewtie. The man knowth himself to owe certein labors to his wyfe / that she want not foo∣de or any necessary thinge / and the wo∣man mu••te labore to sustayne the vp bring∣ing of hir childerne &c. as that mo••te fru∣tefull and necessary boke of the Christen state of matrimony techeth vs. Whiche boke euery cristen man ought to reade. But the one eyed great tyraunt kinge Cy* 1.9 clops sitting alone in his dēne ladig his bellye with dilicats and his owne flessh with lustes care not for this honeste cure and coniugale loue. He bereth no honeste beneuolence to any parte of mankinde he geueth them not their honeste coniugall honore for their creators sake nor labo∣reth to get his wyfe hir lyuing nor defen deth hir from inconueniences / but him∣self compresseth & dishonesteth al other menis wiues and daughters and turneth vp their halters when he hath done with them / for thei will not be combred w^t their owne wyues and childern. This is both the sclaunder to the womā iniurye to hir housbond / shame and dishonestie to them all▪ 3. and to their childern to / and destruc cion of the frail sexe / not to norish helpe and defend hir but to bringe hir into per∣tuall infamie and dampnacion. Of this

iniurie shame and dishonestie speketh the text sayinge he shal fill the women ful of shame and dishonestye sclaūdered with perpetuall contumelie & dampnacion.

The sixt bronde of this blody beast is to contempne god exaltinge himself abo* 1.10 ue all thinges. Here he describeth the fu∣rye of the Epicures / which is the highest and depest mischeif of all impiete / euen to cōtempne the very god and to vse him as no god / but to imagine god to be a god of his owne makinge / and to desiroie the predestinacion and forsight of god / yea to make the religions or gods ordinances to serue his owne plesures for his own pro∣fite and lucre. Who destroieth gods infal lible prouidence and predestinacion but he that decreeth / that a man may preuēt the predestined and apointed howr of his death / infallibly foresene of god? What els is this then to be magnified aboue god? To make new articles of owr faith contrary to Gods worde / and to set them in their prophane seculare actes of poli∣tik parlements armed withe swerde and fier / is not els then to be exalted aboue god himself. Wonder it is seinge this epi cury godles furye be so horrible a sinne a∣yenst gods highe maiesty / that noman ••ā expresse the grauite therof / that so innu∣merable

men so miche delyte / withe th•…•… contempt of god / in these epicurye opini∣ons. But these abominable crymes & im∣pieties the sone of god shall disclose and punisshe at his open coming ayen to iuge∣mēt / that he might orne his chirche with glorye and cast these anticrystis into euer∣lastinge torments vnlesse thei repent in tyme monisshed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Text.
• * 1.2

  The. 4. &. 5. ma•• kes.
• * 1.3

  Isa. 63.
• * 1.4

  5. mark.
• * 1.5

  1. Tim. 4
• * 1.6

  Heb. 2. & 4.
• * 1.7

  Ioan. 15
• * 1.8

  a prayer
• * 1.9

  Cy clops y^e popes & his pri ces.
• * 1.10

  The. 6. token of anticrist An epicu re is he that se∣keth his belly lu∣stis.