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Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

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Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.
Author
Foxe, John, 1516-1587.
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[At London :: Imprinted by Iohn Daye, dwellyng ouer Aldersgate beneath S. Martins],
An. 1583. Mens. Octobr.
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Martyrs -- Great Britain -- Early works to 1800.
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http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A67922.0001.001
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"Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A67922.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 11, 2024.

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¶ The Prophecyes of the holy Scriptures considered touching the comming vp and finall ruine and destruction of this wicked kingdome of the Turkes, with the Reuelations and foreshewinges also of other authours concerning the same

FOr so muche as you haue hitherto sufficiently heard, to what quantity & largenes the dominon of the Turkes hath encreased,* 1.1 & doe vnderstand what cruell tyranny these wretched miscreants haue and do dayly practise most hay∣nously wheresoeuer they come, agaynst the seruaunts and professors of Christ: it shall not be vnprofitable, but rather necessary, and to our great comfort, to cōsider and examine in the Scriptures, with what prophesyes the holy spirit of the Lord hath premonished and forewarned vs before, of these heauy persecutions to come vpon his people by thys horrible Antichrist. For as the gouernment and constituti∣on of times and states of monarchies & pollicies fall not to

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vs by blind chaūce, but be administred and alotted vnto vs from aboue: so it is not to be supposed, that such a great al∣teration and mutation of kingdomes, such a terrible & ge∣nerall persecutiō of Gods people, almost through all Chri¦stēdome, and such a terrour of the whole earth, as is now moued and gendred by these Turkes, cōmeth without the knowledge, sufferaūce and determination of the Lord be∣fore, for such endes and purposes, as his deuine wisedome doth best know. For the better euidēce & testimony wher∣of, he hath left in his Scriptures sufficiēt instructiō, & de∣claration, whereby we may plainly see to our great cōfort, how these greeuous afflictions & troubles of the Church, though they be sharpe & heauy vnto vs, yet they come not by chaūce or by mās working onely, but euen as the Lord himselfe hath appointed it, and doth permit the same.

* 1.2And first to begin with the tyme of the old Testament let vs seriously aduise & ponder, not onely the Scriptures & Prophecies therein conteined, but also let vs cōsider the whole state, order, and regimēt of that people: the Church I meane of the Israelites. For although the Scriptures and Prophetes of the old Testament, were properly sent to that people, & haue their relatiō properly to things done or thāt should be done, in that cōmōwealth, of which pro∣phetes, Iohn Baptist was the last & made an end, as our Sauiour himselfe witnesseth, saying: The law and Pro∣phets be vnto ye tyme of Iohn. &c. Yet notwithstāding the sayd people of that old Testamēt, beareth a liuely Image & resemblaunce of the vniuersall Church which should fo∣low, plāted by the sonne of God through the whole earth: So that as the Prophetes of God speaking to them from the mouth & word of God, prophecied what should come to passe in that people: so likewise the whole course & Hy∣story of those Israelites, exemplifieth & beareth a Prophe∣tical image to vs, declaring what is to be looked for in ye v∣niuersall Church of God dispersed through the world, plā¦ted in Christ Iesus his sonne,* 1.3 according as Phil. Melan••∣thon grauely gathering vpon the same, testifieth in di∣uers places, in his Commentary vpon the Prophete Daniell.

* 1.4As first the History of godly Abell slayne by wicked Cain, what doth it importe, or Prophecie, but the conditiō of the people and seruauntes of God, which commonly go to wracke in this world, and are oppressed by the contrary part, which belongeth not to God?

The like may be said also of Isaac, and Ismaell: of Ia∣cob and Esau. Of whō, those two which were the children of promise, and belonged to the election of God, were per∣secuted in this world, of the other, whiche were reiected. Where moreouer is to be noted cōcerning Ismaell, that of his stocke after the fleshe,* 1.5 came the Saracens: whose sect the Turkes do now professe & mainteine. And as Ismaell had but xii. sonnes: so it were to be wished of God, that this Solyman which is the twelfe of the Turkish genera∣tion, may be the last. But of this, better occasion shall fo∣low (the Lord willyng) hereafter.

Furthermore, of the xii. tribes of Israel, the sacrate hi∣story so reporteth, that after they had a long season cōtinu∣ed together, by the space of. 8. or. 9. C. yeares, at length, for their idolatrie, & transgression of their forefathers. x. tribes of them were cut of, and dispersed amōg the Gentiles. 130. yeares before the captiuitie of Babilon: so that but ij. tri∣bes onely remayned free, and they also at last, after a. 130. yeares, were captiued vnder the Babylonians, for a cer∣taine time.* 1.6 No otherwise hath it happened with ye Church of Christ almost in the vniuersall world, of which Church the greatest part both in Asia, in Africa, & almost in Eu∣rope (where the holy Apostles so laboured and trauailed) we see now to be disparcled among the Turkes, and their cādlestickes remoued (the Lord of his great grace, reduce them agayne. Amen:) So that of xij. partes of Christen∣dome, which was once planted in Christ, scarse ij, partes remayne cleare, and they how long they shall so continue, the Lord knoweth: And albeit thorough the mercy of the Lord, they escape the daūger of the Turkes, yet haue they bene so beaten with the Pope, that they had bene better al∣most to haue bene in the Turkes handes.

Agayne, after the sayd Israelites returned, being resto¦red of Cyrus, let vs consider well their story, the continu∣ance of tyme, the maner of their regimentes, and what af∣flictions they susteined in the tyme of the Machabees: and we shall see a liuely representation of these our dayes ex∣pressed in that Propheticall people,* 1.7accordyng as S. Paul writyng of them, sheweth how all thynges happened to them in figures: that is the actiōs and doynges of that one nation, be as figures and types of greater matters, what shall happen in the latter times of the whole Church vni∣uersally in Christ collected.

So the transmigration & deliueraunce agayne of those two tribes,* 1.8 declareth to vs ye affliction of Christes Church for sinne: and yet yt God will not vtterly reiect his people for his sonnes sake, as by manifold examples of y• Church hetherto may well appeare.

Againe, the continuance of the law first geuen by Mo∣ses, vnto the destruction of the sayde people by Titus, a∣mounteth to 1564. yeares:* 1.9 So we counting the age of the new Testament, and reckening from the day of our re∣demption vnto this present, be come now to the yeare 1534. lacking but only 33. yeares of the full number.

Likewise in counting the yeares from their deliuerāce out of captiuitie,* 1.10 to the ende of their dissolution, we finde 564. yeares, during which yeares, as the Churche of the Iewes was not gouerned vnder the authoritie of kings, but the high Priests tooke all the power and authoritie to themselues: so we Christians for the space especially of these later 564. yeares,* 1.11 what haue we seene and felt, but only the iurisdiction and domination of the Pope and his high Priests, plaieng the Rex in all countreys, and ruling the whole: whereby, by the count of these yeares, it is to be thought the daye of the Lordes comming not to bee farre off.

Furthermore, in those latter yeares of the Iewes king∣dome, what troubles and afflictions that people susteined three hundreth yeares together, but chiefly, the last 166. yeares before the comming of Christ, by Antiochus and his felowes,* 1.12 the history of ye Machabees cā report. Wher∣in we haue also notoriously to vnderstād ye miserable vex∣ations and persecutions of Christian Churches in these latter ends of the world by Antichrist: For by Antiochus Antichrist (no doubt) is figured and represented.* 1.13 Thys Antiochus surnamed Magnus, and Antiochus Epipha∣nes his sonne, came of the stocke of Seleucus Nicanor, much like as the Mahumetes the Turke, and Solyman∣nus, came of the stocke of Ottomannus. Wherein this is to be noted and pondered, that like as of the sayd Seleu∣cus issued xij. Syrian Kings one after another of that ge∣neration, which reigned ouer ye Israelites with much se∣ueritie and tiranny:* 1.14 so of this diuelish generatiō of Otto∣mannus, haue come xij. Turkish tyraunts, whereof thys Solyman is now the twelfe, God grant he may be ye last. And as the ij. last Antiochi, being sonnes of the ij. brethrē, did fight together for the kingdome, and in fighting were both slaine, and shortly after the kingdome fell to the Ro∣maines: so the Lorde graunt for Christes sake, that the bloudy broode of this old Solyman, (which had reigned now 46. yeares, may so fight together, and perish in their owne bloud, that the bloudy tyranny of theirs may come to a finall end for euer, Amen.

And that the truth heereof may the better appeare to such as be disposed to meditate more vpon the matter, I thought good and profitable for the reader, to set before his eies, in tablewise, the catalogue of both these Antichristian families, with the names and succession of the persons, first of the twelue Syrian Kings, then of the twelue Ot∣tomans, in like number and order.

A comparison betweene the Syrians and the Turkes.
¶ The Syrians.
1 Seleucus.
32
2 Antiochus Soter.
19
3 Antiochus Theos, who killed Bernice his mother in law, and his yong brother.
15
4 Seleucus Callinicus, with Antiochus Hierax his brother, which two breethren warred one a∣gainst the other.
20
5 Antiochus Magnus.
36

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6 Seleuchus Philopator.
12
7 Antiochus Epiphanes, or rather Epimanes.
8 Antiochus Eupator.
2
9 Demetrius brother of Epiphanes, who killed Eupa∣tor his cosin.
10 Demetrius Nicanor, whome Antiochus Sedetes his brother repulsed from his kingdome.
11 Antiochus sedetes. These two last being brethren, had two sonnes.
12 Antiochus Grypus, & Antiochus Cyriconus. These two striuing together for the kingdome, were both slaine: and so not lōg after, the kingdome of Syria came to the hands of Cigranes King of Armenia, and so being taken from him, came to the Romaines in the time of Pompeius.
¶ The Turkes.
1 Ottomannus.
28* 1.15
2 Orchanes. He slue his two brethren.
22
3 Amurathes. He put out the eyes of Sauces his owne sonne.
23
4 Baiazetes. He slew Solymannus his brother.
5 Calepinus. The Greeke stories make no menti∣on of this Calepinus, the Latin stories say that Calepinus and Orchanes were both one, and that hee was slayne by Mahumetes hys brother.
6
6 Orchanes. whome Moses his vncle did slay.
7 Mahumetes. 1. He slue Mustaphas his brother.
14
8 Amurathes. 2. Hee siue Mustaphas his bro∣ther.
34
9 Mahumetes. 2. He slue his two brethren Turcinus an infant, and Calepinus.
73
10 Baiazetes. 2. He warred against his brother De∣mes, which Demes was afterward poisoned by Pope Alexander. 6.
33
11 Zelymus. He poisoned Baiazetes his father, & his two brethren, Acomates and Corcutus, wyth all their children his owne cosines.
7
12 Solymannus. He slue Mustaphas his owne sonne, and was the death or Gianger his seconde sonne.
46

* 1.16These two pestilent families and generations, rising out (doubtles) from the bottomles pit, to plague ye people of God, as in number of succession they do not much dif∣fer: so in maner of their doings and wicked abhominati∣ons, they be as neere agreeing, being both enemies alyke to the people and Church of Christ, both murtherers and paricides of their owne breethren and kindred, both blas∣phemers of God, and troublers of the whole worlde. Wherein we haue all to learne and note by the way, the terrible anger of almighty God against sinne, and wicked∣nes of men.

Furthermore, who so is desposed to consider and cast the course of times, and to marke how things be disposed by the maruelous operation of Gods prouidēce, shal finde the times also of these two aduersaries, in much like sorte to concurre and agree. For in considering with our selues both the Testaments and Churches of God, the first of the Iewes, the second of the Christians, looke what time had the Syrian Kings to rage then in Hierusalem,* 1.17 the same proportion of time hath now the tiranny of ye Turks to murther the Christians: so that the one Antichrist may well represent and prefigure the other. For as by the booke of Machabees may appeare, Antiochus Epiphanes was about the 191. yeares before the passion of our Saui∣our, and day of our redemption: so now casting the same number from this present yeare backward, we shall finde it to be about the same yeare and time, when Baiazetes the fourth Turke after Ottoman, began to remoue his Imperiall seate from Bursa in Bithynia, to Adrianople in Europe, which is a City of Thracia. In which yeare & time began all the mischiefe in Europe, as is to be seene before, pag. 738. and this was the yeare of our Lord 1375. Unto ye which yeare, if we adde 691. it maketh 1566. accor∣ding to the prophesie of the Apocal. chap. 20. where it is prophesied of Gog and Magog,* 1.18 that they shall compasse about the tents of the Saincts, and the well beloued Citie, by the which welbeloued Citie, is meant (no doubt) Eu∣ropa: and this was in the yeare abouesaid 1375. Although touching the precise points of yeares and times, it is not for vs greatly to be exquisite therein, but yet where dili∣gence and studious meditation may helpe to knowledge, I would not wish negligence to be a pretence to ignorāce.

* 1.19And thus much for the times of Antiochus and his fe∣lowes. Now what cruelty this Antiochus exercised a∣gainst the people of God, it is manifest in the history of the Machabees: where we reade, that this Antiochus in the eight yeare of his reigne, in his second comming to Hieru∣salem, first gaue forth in commaundement, that all the Iewes should relinquish the law of Moses, and worship the Idole of Iupiter Olimpius, which he set vp in ye tem∣ple of Hierusalem. The bookes of Moses and of the Pro∣phetes he burned. He set garrisons of souldiours to warde the Idole. In the Citie of Hierusalem he caused the feastes and reuels of Bacchus to be kept, full of all filthe and wic∣kednes. Olde men, women, and virgines, such as woulde not leaue the lawe of Moses, with cruell tormentes he murthered. The mothers that would not circumcise theyr children, he slue. The children that were circumcised, hee hanged vp by the neckes. The temple he spoiled & wasted. The aultar of God, and candlesticke of gold, with the o∣ther ornaments and furniture of the temple, partly he cast out, partly be caried away. Contrary to the lawe of God, he caused them to offer, and to eate Swines fleshe. Great murther and slaughter he made of the people, causing thē either to leaue their lawe, or to lose their liues. Among whome, besides many other, with cruell tormentes he put to death a godly mother with her vij. sonnes, sending hys cruell proclamations through all the land, that whosoeuer kept the obseruauncies of the Sabboth, and other rites of the lawe, and refused to cōdescend to his abhominations, should be executed. By reason whereof the Citie of Hieru∣salem was left voide and desolate of all good mē, but there was a great nūber, that were contented to follow & obey his Idolatrous proceedings, and to flatter with the king, became enemies vnto ther brethren. Briefly, no kind of ca∣lamity, nor face of miserie could be shewed in any place, which was not there sene. Of ye tiranny of this Antiochus, it is historied at large in ye book of Machabees: And Dani∣ell prophesieng before of ye same,* 1.20 declareth yt the people of ye Iewes deserued no lesse for their sins and transgressions.

By consent of all writers, this Antiochus beareth a fi∣gure of the great Antichrist,* 1.21 which was to folow in the lat¦ter end of the world, and is already come, & worketh what he can agaynst vs: Although as S. Iohn sayth, there haue bene, and be many Antichristes, as parts and members of the body of Antichrist,* 1.22 which are forerūners: yet to speake of ye head & principall Antichrist, & great enemy of Christs Church, he is to come in ye latter end of the world, at what tyme shall be such tribulation, as neuer was sene before: Whereby is ment (no doubt) the Turke,* 1.23 prefigured by this Antiochus. By this Antichrist, I do also meane all such, which followyng the same doctrine of the Turkes, thinke to be saued by their workes and demerites, & not by their fayth onely in the sonne of God, of what title and professiō els soeuer they be: especially if they vse the like force & vio∣lence for the same, as he doth. &c.

Of the tyranny of this Antiochus aforesayd, and of the tribulations of the Church in the latter tymes both of the Iewes Church, and also of the Christian Church to come, let vs beare & consider the words of Daniell in xj. chap. & also in his vij. chap. Prophecying of y• same as foloweth.

He shall returne and freat agaynst the holy couenaunt:* 1.24 so shall he do, he shall euen returne and haue intelligence with them that forsake the holy couenaunt. And armes shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the Sanctuary of strength, and shall take a∣way the dayly sacrifice, and they shall set vp the abhominable desolation. And such as wickedly breake the couenaunt, shall flatter with him deceitfully: but the people that doe know their God, shall preuayle and prosper. And they that vnderstand a∣mong the people, shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by sword and by flame, by captiuitie, and by spoyle many dayes.

Now when they shall fall, they shal be holpen with a little helpe: but many shall cleane vnto them faynedly. And some of them of vnderstandyng shall fall to be tryed, and to be purged, and to make them white, till the tyme be out: for there is a tyme appointed. And the kyng shall doe what him lyst: he shall exalte himselfe, and magnifie himselfe agaynst all that is God, and shall speake marueilous thynges agaynst the God of Gods, and shall prospere, till the wrath be accomplished: for the determination is made. Neither shall he regard the God of his Fathers, nor the de∣sires of womē, nor care for any God: for he shall magnifie himselfe aboue all. But in his place shall he honour the God Mauzzim, and the God whom his fathers knew not, shall he honour with gold and with siluer, and with precious stones, and pleasaunt thynges.

Thus shall he doe in the holdes of Mauzzim with a straunge God, whom he shall acknowledge: he shall increase his glory, and shall cause them to rule ouer many, and shall diuide the land for gayne. And at the end of tyme, shall the kyng of the South push at him, and the kyng of the North shall come agaynst hym lyke a whirle wynde, with charets, and with horsemen, and with many shyppes, and he shall enter into the countreys, and shall ouerflow and passe thorough. He shall enter also into the pleasaunt land, and many countreys shal be ouerthrowen: but these shall escape out of his hand, euen Edom and Moab, and the chief of the chil∣dren of Ammon. He shall stretch for his handes also vppon the countreys, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shal haue power ouer the treasures of gold and of siluer, & ouer al the pre∣cious thynges of Egypt, and of the Libians, and of the blacke Mores where he shall passe. But the tydynges out of the East and the North, shall trouble him: therfore he shall go forth with great wrath to destroy and roote out many: And he shall plant the ta∣bernacles

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of his palace betweene the Seas, in the glorious & holy mountaine, yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

To this place of Daniell aboue prefixed, might also be added the Prophesie of the said Daniell written in the vij. chapter, and much tending to the like effect: where he in∣treating of his vision of foure beastes (whiche signifie the foure Monarchies) and speaking now of the fourth Mo∣narchie, hath these words.

* 1.25After this, I saw in the visions by night, and behold, the fourth beast was grimme and horrible, and maruelous strong. It had great yron teeth: it deuoured, and brake in peeces, and stamped the residue vnder his feete: and it was vnlike the other beastes that were before it, for it had ten hornes. As I considered the hornes, behold, there came vp among them another little horne, before whome, there were three of the first hornes pluckt away. And behold, in this horne, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking presumptuous things, and seemed more stoute then the other. Which horne also (whē I looked on) made battaile with the saints, & preuailed against thē: vntill the old aged came, & iudgement was giuen to the Saintes of the highest, and till the appointed time was come, that the Saints shuld haue the kingdōe.

Thus haue ye heard the plaine words of Daniell. In the which, as he doth manifestly describe the comming of Antiochus the great aduersary, toward the latter ende of the Iewes: so by the same Antiochus is figured also to vs the great aduersary of Christ, which is the Turke.

* 1.26Although some there be notwithstanding, which wyth great learning & iudgement, do apply this place of Daniel aboue recited, not to the Turke, but rather to the Pope, & that for vj. or vij. speciall causes herein touched and noted.

* 1.27The first is this, that the wicked transgressours of the couenaunt shall ioine with him deceitfully and hypocriti∣cally, which shall pollute the tabernacle of strength, & take away the perpetuall sacrifice, and bring in the abhomina∣tion of desolation.

* 1.28The second note is, that the Prophet declareth, how the learned among ye people shall reach many, & that they shall fall into the sword, into fire, and captiuitie, and shall be ba∣nished, whereby they shall be tried, chosen, & made bright and pure, &c. All which (say they) is not amōg the Turkes to be seene, but only in the Popes Church: where ye faith∣full preachers & teachers of the people are slaine and bur∣ned, and go to wracke, &c. Where likewise it foloweth, that they shall be holpen against Antichrist, and that many false brethren shall ioine vnto them dissemblingly, &c. To thys they alledge that the Christians haue no such help against the Turke, whereunto such false brethrē should ioine thē∣se••ues, as is and hath bene commonly seene amōg ye Chri∣stians against the Pope,* 1.29 from time to time, almost in all Countreys: as in Germany by the Protestants & free Ci∣ties: In Englād in King Henries time by ye Lord Crom∣well, and afterward by King Edward, & now by Queene Elizabeth: In Scotland by ye godly nobilitie: In France, by the Queene of Nauarre and her sonne: and also by the Prince of Condy and the worthy Admirall, and his two breethren, and many others: In Flaunders, by thē whom the Regent calleth Beggers: So as was in the time of the Machabees, against Antiochus.

* 1.30Thirdly, that the King shall exalt himselfe aboue all that hath the name of God, and shal lift vp his mouth to speake presumptuously against God.

* 1.31Fourthly, that he careth not for the desires of women: which may seeme to note how the Popes doctrine shall forbid the honest and lawfull mariage in Churchmen.

* 1.32The fift specialtie which they apply to the Pope, is that foloweth in the Prophet, saieng: Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor any God: but in steade of him, shall set vp his God Mauzzim, & shall worship him with siluer,* 1.33 & gold, & pretious stone, &c. which they do apply to ye Pope, setting vp his God of bread, & worshipping him with glistering golden ornamēts & most solemne seruice.

* 1.34Sixtly, it foloweth: & he shall encrease them with much glory and riches, and shall diuide vnto them, lands & pos∣sessions, &c. meaning that the Pope hauing dominiō ouer treasures of gold and siluer, and all precious things of the land, shall indue his Cardinals, Prelats, his flatring doc∣tours, with Friers and Monkes & Priestes, and all such as shal take his part, wt great priuilegies, liberties, reue∣nues & possessions. And thus, I say, some there be, which apply this prophesie of the xij. and xi. chapter of Daniell, vnto ye Bishop of Rome.* 1.35 whom although I take to be an extreme persecutour of Christs Church: yet I iudge ra∣ther those two chapters of Daniel concerning ye litle horne in the middle of the x. hornes, and the great destroier of the pleasant land and glorious holy mountaine, to meane first Antiochus, and by him secondly to meane the great Anti∣christ, the Turke: who hath now set already ye tabernacles of his palace betwene the Seas, accordyng to the Prophe∣cies of Daniell, as is abouesayd.

Ouer & besides these Prophecies aboue alledged,* 1.36 may be added also the Prophecie of Ezechiel chap. 39. speakyng of Gog & Magog:* 1.37 which as it may be applied to the op∣pressiō of the Iewes vnder the Heathen multitude, which stopped the buildyng of the Citie, and vnder the Syrian kynges: &c. yet in the same also is expressed the calamities and afflictions of Christes Churche in these latter tymes, vnder the Saracens and the Turkes. &c.

Proceeding further in this matter,* 1.38 let vs come now to the Prophecies of ye new Testament & marke the wordes of S. Paule writyng to the * 1.39 Thessalonians, which then were Christened, & now either are Turkish, or vnder the Turke, which wordes be these:

Be ye not sodenly moued in your mynde, nor troubled, neither by spirite, not by word nor by letter as sent frō vs, as though the day of Christ were at hand let no mā deceaue you by any meanes, for the Lord will not come, before there come a defection, or a departing first, and that wic∣ked mā be reueled, the sonne of perdition, which is an aduersary and is extolled aboue all power, and that which is called God: so that he shall sit in the tēple of God, boasting himselfe to be God. &c.
Although this defection & departing may haue a dou∣ble vnderstandyng,* 1.40 as well of the popes sect (which is gone & departed frō the free iustificatiō by fayth onely in Christ, through ye promise of grace) as of the Turkes: yet learning a while to speake of the Pope because it appeareth more notoriously in ye Turke, we will chiefly apply it to him: in whō so aptly it doth agree, that vnles this great defection frō faith in so many Churches, had hapned by the Turke, it had bene hard to vnderstād the Apostles mynde, which now by the history of these Turkes is easie and euident to be knowen, cōsidering what a ruine hath happened to the Church of Christ by these miserable Turks, what Empe∣ries, nations, kyngdomes, countreys, townes and Cities be remoued from the name & professiō of Christ, how ma∣ny thousands & infinite multitudes of Christen men and children, in Asia, in Afrike, & in Europe, are caried away from Christes Church to Mahumetes Religion, some to serue for the Turkes gard among ye Ianizarites, some for souldiours, some for miners, some for gunners, to fight & warre agaynst the Christians: so that the most part of all the Churches plāted once by y• Apostles, are now degene∣rated into Turks, onely a small hādful of Christiās reser∣ued yet in these West partes of Europe, of the which small residue, what shall also become shortly, except Christ him∣selfe do helpe. Christ onely himself doth know. How great this defection hath bene spokē of by S. Paule, thou mayest soe (gentle Reader) in the table aboue described. pag. 741.

Notwithstanding this text of the holy Apostle (as I a¦fore said) may be verified also with no lesse reason,* 1.41 vpō the Byshop of Rome, thē vpon the Turke, both for that he is a man of sinne, that is, his seate & Citie is a great maintei∣ner of wickednesse,* 1.42 & also for that he is an aduersary, that is, contrary in all his doynges and proceedyngs to Christ.

Thirdly, for that he sitteth in the temple of God, and so did not Mahumet.

Fourthly, because he is an exalter of himselfe, & sitteth more like a God then a man in Rome, wherof see more in the booke set forth in English, called the CONTESTATI∣ONS of the Popes.

Fiftly, for that he seduceth and hath seduced by his apo∣stasie, the most part of all Christendome from the doctrine and free promises of God, into a wrong and straūge way of saluation, which is, not to be iustified freely before God onely by our fayth in Christ his welbeloued sonne (vnto the whiche fayth the promise of God freely and graciously hath annexed all our saluation onely, & to no other thyng) but hath taught vs to worke our saluation by an infinite number of other thynges: In so much that he bindeth the necessitie of our saluation also to this,* 1.43 that we must be∣leue (if we will be saued) and receaue him to be the Uicare of Christ in earth. &c.

But to returne agayne vnto the Turkes, among all the prophecies both of the old Testamēt & of the new, there is none that paynteth out the Antichristian kyngdome of the Turkes, better then doth the reuelation of S. Iohn, whose wordes let vs weigh and cōsider. Who in the Apo∣calipse 9. where he speaketh of openyng the seuenth & last seale, (which signifieth the last age of the world) and there writyng of the vij. trompets of the vij. Angels at the soun∣dyng of the vi. Aungell saith,

Loose the iiij. Aungels, which are bound in the great riuer Euphrates.* 1.44 And the foure Aungels were losed, which were ready both day and houre, and moneth, and yeare, to slay the third part of men. And the number of horse∣men were 20. thousand tymes ten thousand: and I heard the num∣ber of them. And thus I sawe in a vision, horses, and them that

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sate on them, hauing fiery habbergions, and of Iacinth stone, and of brimstone, and the heads of the horses were as the heads of Ly∣ons, and out of their mouthes went foorth fire, and smoake, and brimstone, of these three plagues was the third part of men killed, that is, of the fire, smoake, and brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouthes, &c.

By the seauenth seale is meant the seauenth and last age of the world,* 1.45 which last age of the world, is from Christ, to the iudgement and resurrection of the dead.

By the seauen Angels with their seauen Trumpets, is signified the seauen plagues that come in this seauenth and last age of the world.

* 1.46By the sixt trumpet of the sixt Angell, is meant the sixte plague comming last and next before the plague of the great iudgement day, which sixt plague is heere described to come by the East Kings, that is, by the Turkes, as fo∣loweth to be seene.

* 1.47By losing the Angels which had rule of the great riuer Euphrates, is signified the letting out of the East Kings, that is, the Turkes, out of Scithia, Tartaria, Persia, and Arabia, by whome the third part of Christendome shall be destroyed, as we see it this day hath come to passe.

It followeth in the prophesie, Their power shall be in their mouthes, and in their tayles. For their tayles be like Serpents ha∣uing heads, and with them they hurt, &c. Meaning that these Turkes with the words of their mouthes, shall threaten great destruction of fire and sword, to them that will not yeald vnto them, and in the end, when the Christians shall yeald vnto them, trusting to their promises, they like Ser∣pents shall deceaue thē in ye end, & kill them, as appeareth by the story of the Turkes aboue past,* 1.48 pag. 752. 753. 757.

The like prophesy also after the like words and sence, is to be seene and read in the 16. chap. of the Apoc. where S. Iohn entreating of seauen cuppes,* 1.49 filled with the wrath of the liuing God, geuē to the hands of 7. Angels, by one of the foure beasts (that is in the time of one of the four Mo∣narchies, which was the Monarchy of Rome) speaketh likewise of the sixt Angell, which poured his viole of Gods wrath vpon the great riuer Euphrates, & the waters thereof dryed vp, that the way of the kings of the East should be prepared, &c.

By the sixt Angell with the sixte viole, is meant as be∣fore, the last plague saue one that shall come vpon ye Chri∣stians. By y• Kings of the East are meant the Saracens, and 12. Ottoman Turks. By drieng vp the riuer of Eu∣phrates, is signified the way of these Turkes to be prepa∣red by the Lords appointment, to come out of the East to the West parts of the world, to molest and afflict the Chri∣stians. It foloweth more in the text. And I saw three vnclene spirits like frogs,* 1.50 come out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false Pro∣phet, for they are the spirits of deuils,* 1.51 doing wonders, to go vnto the Kings of the whole earth, to assemble and gather them toge∣ther, to the battayle, against the daye of the great God omnipo∣tent, &c. And it foloweth shortly after, And he assembled them together into a place which is called in Hebrue Armagedon, that is, a trap or trayne of destruction. And immediatly it followeth in the same place, And the seauenth Angell poured out his vi∣ole in the ayre, and a mighty voice came from heauen, out of the Throane, saieng, factum est, It is done, or finished, &c. Whereby it is to be vnderstoode, that toward the last consummation of the world, great force shall be seene, and a mighty army of the enemies shall be collected and gathered against the people, and Saints of the highest, and then commeth the consummation, with factum est, &c.

Wherefore it is not for naught that the holy Spirite of God in the same place, a little before the sixt Angell doe poure out his viole, doth exhort all the faithfull, sayeng: Behold,* 1.52 I come like a theefe in the night, Blessed is he that wat∣cheth and keepeth his garments, least he walke naked, and men see his fylthynes, &c.

Nicol. de Lyra, and Paulus Bishop of Burdens, and Ma∣thias Dorinke writing vpon the 13. chap. of the Apoc. & ex∣pounding the mistery of the second beast,* 1.53 rising out of the earth, hauing the hornes of a lambe, &c. doo apply the same to Mahumet and the Turkes, with a solemne declaration made vpon ye same.* 1.54 Which interpretatiō of theirs, although in some pointes it may seeme to haue some appearance of probabilitie, neither can it be denied but that Mahumet & the Turke be pestilent and wicked enemies of Christ our Lord, & most bitter persecutors of his Church, yet as tou∣ching the proper & naturall meaning of ye Apostle in that place, speaking of the false lambe, &c. if we consider well all the circumstances of that beast, and marke the consequence of the text,* 1.55 both of that which goeth before, and followeth after, we must needs graunt that Nicol. de Lyra, with hys fellowes, & with al such like of ye Popes schoole, that folow that schoole be deceaued, and that the description and inter∣pretation of that falshorned lambe, must necessarily be ap∣plyed only to the Bishop of Rome, and none other, which is to be proued by sixe principall causes or arguments.

The first is, for that this beast is described to beare the hornes of a lambe.* 1.56 By the which lambe, no doubt, is ment Christ. By y• hornes of the lambe is signified the outward shew or resemblance of Christ our sauiour: which shew or resemblance can haue no relation to Mahumet, for that he taketh himselfe to be aboue Christ, & Christ as an excellent Prophet of God, sitting at his feete. Wherfore seeing Ma∣humet commeth neither as equall to Christ, nor as vicar vnder Christ, this prophesy can not agree in him, but only in him which openly in plaine words protesteth,* 1.57 that all Christes lambes and sheepe not singularly, but vniuer∣sally through the whole world, are committed to him, as Uicar of Christ, and successor of Peter, and that all men must confesse the same of necessitie, or else they are noue of Christes sheepe, &c. wherein it is easy to see where the pre∣tensed hornes of the lambe do growe.

The second argument, And he spake like the Dragon, &c. A Lambes hornes and the mouth of a Dragon,* 1.58 do not a∣gree together. And as they do not agree together in na∣ture, so neither can they be found in any one person, either Turke, or other (if we will iudge truely) so liuely, as in the Bishop of Rome. When thou hearest him call himselfe the Apostolicall Bishop, the Uicar of Christ, the successor of Peter, the seruant of Gods seruants, &c. thou seest in him the two hornes of a lambe, and would thinke him to be a lambe in deede, and such a one as would wash your feete for humilitie: but heare him speake, and you shall find him a dragon.* 1.59 See and reade the Epistle of Pope Martine the fift aboue mentioned, pag. 649. charging, commaunding, and threatning Emperoures, Kinges, Dukes, Princes, Marquesses, Earles, Barons, Knightes, Rectors, Con∣suls, Proconsuls, with their Shires, Counties, and Uni∣uersities of their kingdoms, Prouinces, Cities, Townes, Castles, Uillages, and other places. See the answere of Pope Urban. 2. and his message to King William Rufus, pag. 192. Behold the workes and doings of Pope Inno∣cent against King Iohn.

Note also the answere of another Pope to the King of England,* 1.60 which for the price of the kings head, would not graunt vnto him ye inuesting of his Bishops. Marke well the wordes and doings of Pope Hildebrande against the Emperor Henry the fourth, pag. 175. Also of Pope Alexā∣der the 2. treading vpon ye neck of Fredericus Barbarossa, not like a lambe treading vpō a dragon, but like a drago•• treading vpon a lambe: so that his owne verse might ••ac turned vpon himselfe: tanquam aspis & basiliscus super ouicu∣lam ambulans, & tanquam Leo & draco conculcans agnum. Cō∣sider moreouer the behauior, maner, cōdition, and proper∣ty, almost, of all the Popes which haue bene these 600. yeares, and what Dragon or Serpent could be more vi∣perous then their owne doings and words can speake, and giue testimony against themselues.

It followeth moreouer in the same prophecy of the A∣pocalipse for the third argument,* 1.61 And he doth all the power of the first beast, presently before his face, and causeth the earth, and all the inhabitants therein to honour the first beast, the stripe of whose deadly wound was cured, &c.

In this prophesy ij. things are to be noted: first, what the first beast is,* 1.62 whose power ye second beast doth execute. Secondly, what this second beast is, which so doth exercise his power in his sight. The first of these beastes here in the Apoc. described, hauing 7. heads & 10. hornes, must needes signifie the city of Rome, which may easely be proued by two demonstrations. First by the exposition of ye 17. chap. of the same Apocalips, where is declared and described the sayd beast to stād of 7. hils, & to containe 10. kings, hauing the whole power of the dragon geuen:* 1.63 and also the same citie to be named the whore of Babylon, drunkē wyth the bloud of saints. All which properties ioined together, can agree in no wise but only to the heathē Empire of Rome, which Citie at the time of writing these prophesies, had the gouernment of the whole world. The second demon∣stration or euidence, may be deduced out of the number of the monethes assigned to this beast, Apoc. 13. For so it is written, that this beast had power to make, that is, to worke his malice against Christes people 42. monethes, which monethes counted by sabbates of yeares (that is, e∣uery moneth for seuen yeares) maketh vp the iust number of those yeares, in which the primitiue Church was vn∣der the terrible persecutions of the heathen Emperors of Rome, as is afore specified, pag. 397.

Which thing thus standing, proued and confessed, that the first beast must needes signifie the Empire and City of Rome, then must it necessarely follow that the second beast

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with the lambs hornes,* 1.64 must signifie the Bishop & Pope of the same City of Rome. The reason whereof is euident, and apparant by that which followeth in the prophecye, where it is declared, that the seconde beast hauing two hornes of a lambe, receaued and exercised all the power of the first beast, before or in the sight of the said beast, which can not be verefied neither in the Turke nor in any other, but only in the Pope of Rome, who (as you see) receiueth, vsurpeth, and deriueth to himselfe all the power of that Ci∣tie and Monarchy of Rome:* 1.65 In so much that he saith, that when Constantine or Ludouicus yeelded vnto him the rule & kingdome of that Citie, he gaue him but his owne, and that which of right and duty belonged to him before.

And this authority or power ouer all the Empire of Rome, he worketh not in Asia, or in Constantinople as the Turke doth, but in the sight of the beast which gaue him the power, that is, in the City of Rome it selfe, which is the first beast heere in this prophesy of the Apocalypse described.

* 1.66Fourthly, it foloweth more, And he causeth the earth, and all the inhabitants therein, to worship and honour the first beast, which had a deadly wound, and was cured, &c. The interpre∣tation of this part, as also of all the other parts of the same chapter, standeth vpon the definition of the first beast, for being graunted, as it can not be denied, that the first beast signifieth the Citie and Empire of Rome, it must conse∣quently follow, that the Bishop (whome we call the Pope) of the same Citie of Rome, must be vnderstoode by the se∣cond beast, for somuch as neither Turke nor any other, but only the Bishop of Rome, hath holden vp the estimation and dignity of that Citie, which began to be in ruine and decay by the Uandalians, Gothes, Herulians, and Lom∣bards, about the yeare of our Lord 456. but afterward by the Bishop of Rome, the pristine state and honor of that Citie reuiued againe, and flourished in as great venerati∣on, as euer it did before. And that is it which ye holy Ghost seemeth heere to meane of the first beast, saieng: That he had a wound of the sword, and was cured. For so it followeth.

* 1.67Fiftly, And he caused all the inhabitants of the earth to make the image of the beast, which had the stripe of the sword and liued. And it was geuen to him to giue life to the image of the beast, and to make the image thereof to speake, and to cause all them that worshipped not the image of the beast, to be killed: forcing all per∣sons both little and great, rich and poore, bond and free, to take the marke of the beast in their right hand, or in their forheads, and that none might buy or sell but they which had the marke, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name, &c.

* 1.68By geuing life to the image of the beast, and making it to speake, is to be presupposed, that ye beast was at a neare point of death, and lay speachles before, insomuch that the Citie of Rome began to lose and change his name, & was called a while Odacrie, of Odacer King of the Herulians: which by dent of sword surprised the Romans: and yet notwithstanding,* 1.69 by the meanes of this Romane Prelate, the said Citie of Rome, which was then ready to geue the Ghost, so recouered his maiestie and strength againe, that it is hard to say, whether Rome did euer ruffle and rage in his tirannie before, in the time of Nero, Domitian, Dio∣cletian and other Emperors, more tragically then it hath done vnder ye Pope: or whether that Rome had al Kings, Queenes, Princes, Dukes, Lords, and all subiects more vnder obedience and subiection, whē the Emperors raig∣ned, or now in the raigne of the Pope. And therefore it is said not without cause of the holy Ghost: That it is geuen to him,* 1.70 to geue life and speach to the image of the beast, causing all them to be slaine which will not worship the image of the beast, &c. As for example heereof, who seeth not what numbers and multitudes of Christian men, women, and children, in all Countreys, haue bene put to the fire and sword? Sto∣ries of all times will declare, what hauocke hath bene made of Christen bloud, about the preheminence and ma∣ioritie of the Sea of Rome: what Churches and Coun∣treys both Greekes and Latin, haue bene excommunica∣ted: what Kings haue bene deposed,* 1.71 and Emperors strip∣ped from their Imperiall seate, and all because they would not stoupe and bend to the Image of the beast, that is, to the maiesty and title of Rome, aduanced vp so highly now by the Bishop thereof, as it was neuer higher before in the raigne of Nero or Dyoclesian. Wherefore taking the first beast to signifie the Empyre of Rome, which can not be denyed, it is playne, that the second beast must necessarily be applied to the Pope, and not to the Turke, for as much as the Turke seeketh nothing lesse then the aduancement of that Empire, but rather striueth against it, to plucke it downe.

The sixt and last argument is grounded vpon the num∣ber of the name of the beast,* 1.72 expressed by the holy Ghost in the same Prophecie, by the letters 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In which letters a though there lyeth great darcknesse and difficultie to be vnderstoode, yet certaine auncient Fathers whiche were Disciples and hearers of them which heard S. Iohn him¦selfe, as Irenaeus and other do expound the sayd letters con∣iecturally to containe the name of the beast, and to be the name of a man, vnder this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Where as els no other name lightly of any person either in Greeke or Latine,* 1.73 will agree to the same,* 1.74 saue onely the foresayd name 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Although some latter writers geuing their coniectures vpon the same, doe finde the name of Latera∣nus in Hebrew Letters, to aunswere to the same num∣ber. Some fayne other names, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, made wordes, which signifie nothyng, as Diclux, or Luduuic, by Romane letters &c. But of all names properly signifying any mā, none commeth so neare to the number of this mi∣stery (if it go by order of letters) as doth the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, aforesayd. And this much by the way, and occasion of Ni∣colaus de Lyra,* 1.75 Paulus Burgen, Matthias Dorinkus, the author of Fortalilium fidei, and other Cōmentaries moe o•• the same faction: who writyng vpon this xiij. Chapter of the Apocalipse, and not considering the circumstaunces thereof, both are deceaued themselues, and deceaue many other, applying that to the Turke, which can not other∣wise be verified but onely vpon the Pope, as may appeare sufficiently by the premisses: Not that I write this of any incode or malice either to the Citie of Rome, or to the per∣son of the Byshop, as beyng Gods creature: but beyng occasioned here to entreate of the Prophecies agaynst the Turkes, would wishe the Readers not to be deceaued, but rightly to vnderstand the simple Scriptures accor∣ding as they lye, to the entent that the true meanyng ther∣of beyng boolted out, it may be the better knowen what Prophecies directly make agaynst these Turkes, what otherwise.

In the which Prophecies agaynst the Turkes, now to proceede, let vs come to the 20. Chapter of the Apoca∣lipse, wherein the holy Scripture seemeth playnly and di∣rectly to notifie the said Turkes. The wordes of the Pro∣phecie be these.

And I saw an Angell descendyng from heauen,* 1.76 hauyng the key of the bottomlesse pit, and a great chayne in his hand: and he tooke the Dragon, the old Serpent, which is the deuill and Sata∣nas, and bound him vp for a thousand yeares, and cast him in the pit, and sealed him vp, that he should not seduce the people any more, til the thousand yeares were expired: and after that he must be let loose for a litle while. &c.

And it followeth after: And when the thousand yeares shal be complete, Satanas shal be let out of his doungeon, and shall go abroad to seduce the people, which are on the foure corners of the lād of Gog and Magog, to assemble them to battaile: whose number is like to the sandes of the Sea. And they went vp vpon the latitude or breadth of the earth, and compassed about the tentes of the Saintes, and the welbeloued Cities. &c.

To the perfect vnderstandyng of this Prophecie,* 1.77 three thynges are necessary to be knowen. First what is ment by byndyng vp, and loosing out of Satanas the old Dra∣gon. Secondly, at what tyme and yeare first he was chay∣ned vp and sealed for a thousand yeares. Thirdly, at what yeare and tyme these thousand yeares did end, when as he should be loosed out agayne for a litle season. Which three poyntes beyng well examined and marked, the Prophe∣cie may easely bee vnderstand directly to be ment of the Turke. Albeit Anagogically some part thereof may also be referred not vnproperly vnto the Pope, as is aboue notified.

First,* 1.78 by byndyng and loosing of Satanas, seemeth to be ment the ceasing and staying of the cruell and horrible persecution of the Heathen Emperours of Rome, against the true Christians, as is to be sene in the x. first persecu∣tions in the primitiue Church aboue described in the for∣mer part of these Actes and Monumentes: in the whiche most bloudy persecutions, Satanas the deuill then ra∣ged without all measure, till tyme it pleased almightie God to stoppe this old Serpent, and to tye him shorter. And thus haue you to vnderstād what is ment by the bin∣dyng vp of Sathan for a thousand yeares: whereby is sig∣nified that the persecution agaynst the Christians styrred vp by ye beast (that is, in the Empire of Rome, through the instigation of Sathan) shall not alwayes continue, but shall breake vp, after certaine tyme, and shall cease for a thousand yeares. &c.

Now,* 1.79 at what tyme and yeare this persecution, that is, the fury and rage of Sathan should cease, is also decla∣red in the Apocalipse before: where in the chapter. 11. &. 13. wee reade that the beast afore mētioned, shall haue power

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to worke his malice and mischiefe, the space of 42. moneths and no more,* 1.80 and then that Sathan should be locked vp for a thousand yeares. The computation of which mo∣neths being counted by Sabbates of yeares (after the ex∣ample of the 69. weekes of Daniell. cap. 11,) it doth bring vs to the iust yeare and time, when that terrible persecu∣tion in the primitiue Church should end, and so it did. For giue to euery moneth a Sabbat of yeares,* 1.81 that is, recken euery moneth for seauen yeares, and that maketh 294. yeares, which was the full time betweene the 18. yeare of Tiberius, (vnder whome Christ suffered) and the death of Maxentius the last persecutour of the primitiue Church in Europe, subdued by Constantinus, as may appeare by calculating the yeares, moneths and dayes, betweene the said yeare of the reigne of Tiberius, and the latter end of Maxentius: and so haue ye the supputation of the yeare and time, when Satan was first bound vp, after he had raged in the primitue Church 42. monethes. Which mo∣neths, as is said, being counted by Sabbates of yeares, af∣ter the vsuall manner of the Scripture, mounteth to 294, yeares: and so much was the full time betweene the passi∣on of our Lorde,* 1.82 which was in the 18. yeare of Tiberius, vnto the last yeare of Maxentius.

And heere by the way commeth a note to be obserued, that forasmuch as by the number of these 42. monethes,* 1.83 specified in the Apocalips, the Empire of Rome must ne∣cessarily be confessed to be the first beast: therefore it must by like necessitie follow, the Bishop of Rome to be the se∣cond beast, with the two hornes of the Lambe, for that he only hath and doth cause the sayd Empyre of Rome to re∣uiue and to be magnified, and so doth not the Turke, but rather laboureth to the contrary. Wherfore let euery Chri∣stian man be wise and beware betime, how he taketh the marke of the beast,* 1.84 least peraduenture it follow vpon him, that he drinke of that terrible cup of wrath mentioned A∣pocal. chap. 14.

Thirdly, it remayneth to be discussed touching the third point in this foresaid prophesie,* 1.85 that as we haue found out (through the helpe of Christ) the yeare and time of Satās binding, so we search out likewise the time and season of his loosing out, which by the testimonie of Scripture, was appointed to be a thousand yeares after his binding vp, and so rightly according to the time appointed it came to passe. For if we number well by the Scripture the yeare of his binding vp, which was from the passion of our Lorde 294. yeares, and adde thereto a thousand yeares, it moun∣teth to 1294. Which was the very yeare when Ottoman∣nus the first Turke began his reigne:* 1.86 which was the first spring and welhead of all these wofull calamities that the Church of Christ hath felt both in Asia, Affrica, and Eu∣rope, almost these three hundreth yeares past. For so wee finde in Chronicles, that the kingdome of the Turkes be∣ing first deuided into four families, an. 1280. at length the familie of Ottomanus preuailed, and thereupon came these, whome now we call Turkes: which was about the same time, when Pope Boniface the eight was Byshop of Rome.

* 1.87Where by the way this is againe to be noted, that after the decree of Transubstantiation was enacted in ye Coun∣cell of Laterane by Pope Innocent the iij. the yeare of our Lord 1215. not long after, about the yeare of our Lord 1260. was stirred vp the power and armes of the Oguzians, and of the Orthogules father of Ottomannus: who about the yeare of our Lord 1294. began first to vexe the Christi∣ans about Pontus & Bithinia,* 1.88 & so beginning his king∣dome anno. 1300. reigned 28. yeares, as is afore mētioned.

Mention was made before of Ezechiell prophesieng a∣gainst Gog, whose words diuers expositours do apply a∣gainst the Turke, and are these: Thou shalt come from thy place, out of the North partes, thou and much people with thee, all riding vpon horse, a great and a mighty army, and thou shalt come vp against my people of Israell as a cloude, to couer the land: Thou shalt be in the latter dayes, and I will bring thee vpon my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. Thus sayth the Lord God: Art not thou he, of whome I haue spoken in the old time, by the hand of my seruants, the Prophets of Israell, that prophesied in those dayes and yeares, that I woulde bring thee vpon them? At the same time also, when Gog shall come against the lande of Israell, sayth the Lord God, my wrath shall arise in mine anger. For in my indignation, and in the fire of my wrath haue I spoken it: Surely at that time there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israell, so that the fishes of the Sea, the foules of the heauen, the beastes of the field, and all that mooue and creepe vpon the earth, and all the men that are vpon the earth, shall tremble at my presence: the mountaines shall be ouerthrowne: the starres shall fall, and euery wall shall fall to the ground, &c.

Notes

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