of the fall of the prince of Tyre, saying: for asmuch as thy hart is lifted vp as if it were the hart of God, therefore behold: I will bryng vpon the, some of the strongest of the heathen, and they shall draw their naked swordes vpon the beauty of thy wisedome, and they shall defile thy comelynes, and they shal slay thee, and pull thee out, and thou shalt dye in the slaughter of the slayne persons, in the hart of the sea. This prince who sayth, that he him selfe is God, and doth sit in Gods chaire in the hart of the sea: doth signifie (as most likely it semeth to me) that Antichrist shall be destroyed by the most mighty persons of the Gētiles folke, thorough the sworde of the worde of God. MarginaliaA frend to the Welchmen.Because that amongest the other Gentiles, there haue ben none more strong then the Britones, either in their body, or in their faith, and in their bodely warres there haue ben none more mighty then they. For neuer in warres haue they ben vanquished, but by their owne sedition or treason. But howe many kyngdomes haue they conquered? Yea, and nother by the most mighty citie of Rome, could they be driuen out of their kingdome, vntill that God sent vpon thē pestilence & famine: wherby they beyng wasted, were compelled to leaue their cōtrey, whiche thing I haue not heard of any other people. MarginaliaThe strong faith of the Brittons.Now, in the faith, haue they ben amongest all people the strongest, as before is sayd, because that by no tribulation, could they be compelled to forsake the faith. Wherfore of them, this semeth to me to be vnderstāded. When I will bring vpō thee, some of the most strongest people, and they shall drawe their naked swordes &c. By these things it may plainly appeare, why at this tyme (rather then in tyme past) this matter is sturred vp: and why in this kyngdom (rather then in other kyngdomes) the callyng of the gentiles is intreated of, to the verifieng of the Gospel, thorough the disclosing of Antichrist.

MarginaliaTales of Antichrist.But forasmuch as many tales and fables are tolde of Antichrist and his comming, and many things which do rather seduce then instrust the hearers, are applied to him out of the scriptures of the prophets: we wil briefly write those things which are spoken of him, and we wil shew that the same fable sprang from the errour of people imagening, and from no truth of the scriptures prophecieng. Now then they do say, that Antichrist shall be borne in Babilon of the tribe of Dan, and conceiued of the mixture of man and woman in synne, MarginaliaA false imaginatiō of Antichrist.because that Christ was borne of a virgin, and conceiued of the holy ghost. They saye, that he shall be an ill fauoured personage, because that it is written of Christ: comelye and beutifull is he, beyond the sonnes of men. They say, that he shall preache three yeares and an halfe where Christ preached, & that he shall circumcise himself, and say þ^t he is Christ, & the Messias sent for the saluation of þ^e Iewes. And they say, that he shal thre maner of wayes seduce þ^e people, by false miracles, giftes, and torments. So that whom he shall not be able to ouercome wyth myracles nor with gifts, those shal he go about to ouercome with diuers kindes of tormentes. And those that he shall seduce, will he marke with his tokens in their foreheade or handes. He shall sit in in the temple of God, and cause himselfe to be worshipped as God. He shal fight (as they say) with the two witnesses of Christ, Enoch and Helye, & shall kyll them, and he him selfe shall finally bee slaine with lightening. MarginaliaThe scripture and prophetes not rightly vnderstanded, touching Antichrist.To this imagined man of their owne imagination, but of none of the prophetes foreshewed (at least in no such wyse as this is) do they apply the prophets, as this of Daniel: When the continuall sacrifice shall be taken away, and abhomination shall be placed to desolation: That is (say they) when the woorshipping of God shall be taken away, and desolation (to wit, Antichrist) shall abhominablye shewe foorth him selfe to be worshipped, thē shal there be. 1290. daies: that is to say, three yeres and a halfe. And this time do they say is the time, times, and halfe a time. And when it is said in Daniell: Blessed is he that looketh for, and commeth to a 1335. daies. This do they say, is thus to be vnderstanded, 45. dayes of repentaunce to suche as haue woorshipped Antichrist: whiche. 45. daies added to the. 1290. make 1335. dayes. Whych dayes they that shall reache vnto, shall be called blessed.

They apply also to this Antichrist, this saying of the Apocalips: I saw a beast rising vp out of the sea, hauing vij. heades, and. x. hornes, who had power geuen him to make. 42. monethes. MarginaliaTouchinge these 42. monethes, see aboue pag. 493.Which monethes (as they say) doo make three yeare and an halfe, in which Antichrist shall raigne. And many other thinges are there tolde, and applied vnfitlye to this imagined Antichrist, that are not truly grounded vpon the scriptures.

MarginaliaThe old imagination touching Antichrist cōfuted.Now, let vs shew the errours of this fable. Fyrst of all, if there shall eome such one (saying expreslye that he is Christ) what Christian woulde bee seduced by him, though he should do neuer so many miracles? MarginaliaAntichrist cōmeth not so groslye as the papists imagineNeyther shall he come after the maner of a seducer, which shall shewe himself an expresse aduersarie. Neither is it likely that the Iewes can be seduced by such a one, seing that Christ is not promised vnto them of the stocke of Dan by anye of the Prophets, but of the stocke of Iuda: nor yet is he promised to thē to be a king warlike, but peaceable, taking war away, and not making war. For of Christ saith Esay: MarginaliaEsay cap. 2.And in the last daies, shal there be prepared the mountaine of the house of the Lord. in the top of the mountaines, and it shal be exalted aboue the hils: and to it, shall all the nations haue great recourse, and many people shall go and say: Come, let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lorde, and to the house of the God of Iacob, and hee shall teach vs his wayes, and wee shall walke in his pathes. For out of Syon shall there go a law, and the woord of the Lord from Ierusalem, and he shall iudge the nations, and reproue much people. And they shall turne their swords into plowshares, and their speares into sithes. There shal not a nation lift vp it self against an other nation, nor yet shall they be anye more exercised to warre. MarginaliaEsai. 2.And againe: A litle babe is borne to vs, and a sonne is geuen to vs, and his imperiall kyngdome vpon his shoulder, and hys name shall bee called, The great counsailour: The mighty God: The father of the world to come: The prince of peace. His Empire shall be multiplied, and there shal be no end of his peace. He shall sit vpon the seate of Dauid, and vpon his kyngdome: that he may make it stedfast and strong in iudgement, and in iustice, from henceforth and for euermore. MarginaliaEsay. 9.Zachary doth say of Christ: Reioyce thou greatlye, O thou daughter Syon, be thou exceeding mery, O daughter Ierusalem: Behold thy king shall come a righteous person, and a sauiour vnto thee, and yet he a poore mā, and getting vp vpon a Asse, euen vpon a young colt of the she Asse. And I will scatter abrode the chariot of Ephraim, and the horse of Ierusalem. And þ^e bow of war shall be dispersed, and he shall speake peace to the nacions, and his power shall be from the sea to the sea, and from the floud vnto the borders of the earth.MarginaliaZacha. 9.

MarginaliaAntichrist can not come of the tribe of Dan.By which thyngs it is manifest, that the wise Iewes knew well inough, Christ to be promised to them of the stocke of Iuda and not of the stocke of Dan: and that he was geuen, all to peace and not to warre: Therfore it is not lykely, that they can be seduced by such a one. But if there should haue ben in tyme to come some such singular Antichrist, thē would Christ (seyng he loued vs) haue sayd somwhat vnto them of him. Now, of one singularly doth he not speake: but of many, saying. Many shall come in my name, and say, I am Christ: and they sall seduce many persons. But now let vs see, how the prophecies in Daniel, and the Apocalips (aforesayd) be falsly and erroneously applied to þ^e same imagined Antichrist. For in Daniell the ix. chap. thus it is writen. MarginaliaDaniel 9.And after 72. weekes shall Christ be slayne, and they whiche will