uinitie from the person of Christe, whom hee graunteth notwithstandyng to be a most holy mã, & also þ^t he is receaued vp to God, & shal come again to kil Antichrist. &c.

MarginaliaMahumets Alchoran mixed with diuers lawes.Moreouer this ridiculous Alchoran is so blaunched and poudered with so diuers mixtures of the Christiãs, Iewes, and Gentiles lawes, geuing such libertie to all wantonnes of flesh, settyng vp circumcision, absteining from swynes flesh, and Iudaicall lotions, and so much standeth vpon father Abraham, that it is supposed of some, this filthy Alchoran, not to be set out in the dayes of Mahumet, but that certeine Iewes had some hãdling also in this matter, and put it out after his death: and so semeth first to take his force about the nūber of yeares limited in the Apocal. as is aforesayd, where thus it is written: MarginaliaThe numeration of the Apoc. 666.He that hath intelligēce, let him count the number of the beast: For it is the number of a man, and his number is, vi. hundreth. vi. score and, vi. &c.

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After this deuilishe Mahumet had thus seduced the people, teachyng thē that he came not by miracles, but by force of sword to geue his law, and that they whiche will not obey it, muste either be put to death or els paye tribute (for so be the wordes of hys Alchoran) and after that hee had gathered strength about him, of the Arabians, which Arabians then had occasion to rebell against the Emperour, because their stipendes were not payd them of Heraclius the Emperours officers: he beganne to raunge with force and violence, in the partes of Syria borderyng nere vnto hym, and first subdued Mecha, MarginaliaDamascus subdued of the Saracens.thē Damascus: and further increasing in power, entred into Ægypt, and subdued the same. Frõ thence he turned his power agaynste the Persians, MarginaliaMahumet put to flyght by Cosroes king of the Persians.with whom Cosroes the king of Persia, encounteryng with a puisant armye, ouerthrew the Saracens, and put Mahumet to flight. Of these Persians came the Turkes, whiche afterward ioynyng with the Saracens, mainteined them agaynst the Christians. Ex Munster.

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After the death of this beast, whiche, as some say, was poysoned in his house  

, succeded Ebocara, or Ebubecer his father in law, or as Bibliander affirmeth, his sõne in law, who toke vpon him the gouernement of the Saracens, & got the Citie Gaza, MarginaliaHierusalem besieged.and besieged also Hierusalem two yeares. He reigned. ij. yeares, hauyng for hys chief Citie, Damascus.

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After him folowed Omar, or Ahumar, who conquered a great part of Syria, and got Ægypt.

The fourth king of the Saracens after Mahumet, was Odmen. Then folowed Haly, and after him Muhanias: MarginaliaCæsaria got of the Saracens.Whiche after the siege of. vij. yeares, obteyned and got the Christian Citie of Cæsaria: MarginaliaThe kyngdome of the Persians subdued to the Saracens.also ouercame the Persians, with their kyng Orimasda, and subdued that countrey to his law.

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MarginaliaArabia, Palestina, Phœnicia, Syria, Ægipt, & Persia, subdued of the Saracens.Thus the wicked Saracens, in the space of. 30. yeares, subdued Arabia, got Palestina, Phœnicia, Syria, Ægypt.& Persia: whiche came directely to the. 666. yeares, prophecied of in the Reuelatiõs of S. Iohn, as is aforesaid. And not lõg after they proceded farther, & got Aphrike, and then Asia, as in the processe of their story shall appeare, the Lord willyng.

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MarginaliaConstans the Emperour ouercome by the Saracens.Not long after, Heraclius  

Emperour of Constantinople, succeded Constans his nephewe, who in the. 13. yeare of his Empire, fightyng vnluckely against the Saracens in Lycia, was ouerthrowen of Muhanias aforesayd, in the yeare of our Lord. 655. MarginaliaMurther commonly prospereth not with the Lord.Which Constans, if he were not prospered by the Lorde in his warres, it was not great meruell, consideryng that he had slayne his brother Theodosius before at home: moreouer lyued in incestuous matrimonie: also being inclined to certain newe sectes, could not abyde the contrary teachers, but slue them which admonished him therof. The said Constans goyng afterwarde to Italy, was also ouercome of the Lumbardes. &c. MarginaliaRhodes spoyled of the Saracens.The Saracens after this victorie, spoyled also Rhodes.

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Althoughe these cursed Saracens  

, in these their great victories and conquestes, were not without domesticall seditions and diuisions among them selues, MarginaliaSultans first called.yet þ^e princes of þ^e Saracens, beyng called then Sultans, had in theyr possession, the gouernment of Syria, Ægypt, Aphrike, and of a great part of Asia, about the terme of. 400. yeares: till at length the Saracen kyng, whiche ruled in Persia, fightyng agaynst þ^e Saracen of Babylon, MarginaliaThe first rysing of the Turkes.sought aide of þ^e Turkes, to fight with hym agaynst the Sultane of Babylon. The whiche Turkes, by litle and litle surprised vpon the Sultane of Persia, & not long after putting him out of place, vsurped the kingdome of Persia: which afterward went farther, as ye shall heare, the Lorde willyng. And this is the first beginnyng of the Turkes dominion.

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These Turkes after they had thus ouercome greate countreyes and prouinces: and made theyr power large and mighty both in Asia and Europa, began to diuide their kyngdomes and countreys amongest them selues. But when they could not agree, but with deadly warre contended for the boundes of those kyngdomes and dominions: MarginaliaThe Turkes dominions partedinto iiii. familyes.in the meane tyme. iiij. of the principall families conqueryng and subduyng all the rest, parted the whole Empire amongest them selues. And yet they also not so contented, fell to such cruell hatred contention, warre and slaughter (no doubte by the iuste iudgement of God agaynst his blasphemous enemyes) that there was no ende thereof, vntill the remnaunte of the auncient Turkes was vtterly rooted out. For it is euident that there are few now remainyng whiche are Turkes in dede, by byrth and bloud, and that the state of that great Empire is not vpholden, but by the strength and power of souldiours whiche haue bene Christians, and now are turned to Mahumetes Religion: so that euen theyr owne naturall language is nowe out of vse amongest them, sauyng in certeine families of their nobilitie and gentlemen.

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These foure families aboue mencioned, with theyr Captaines and armyes, about the yeare of our Lorde. 1330. went ragyng throughout all Asia, and Europa, and euery one of them conquered some part of the countreys where they passed.

MarginaliaThe dissension of the Christians make the Turkes so stronge.The causes of these great inuasions and victories were the dissension and discorde, falsehoode, idlenes, vnconstancie, gredye auarice, lacke of truth and fidelitie among Christian men of all states and degrees, both hygh and lowe. For by the wilfull defection and backeslydyng of the Christians  

, the Turkishe power dyd excedynglye encrease, in that many, desiring the licentious life and libertie of warre, and allured with the prosperous successe of thynges, forsoke the Churche of God, and made them selues bonde slaues to Mahumete and his deuilishe secte: both because that fleshly libertie is delightyng to all men, and partly also because, as fortune fauoreth, so commonly the willes of men encline: And agayne such as be prophane and without the feare of God (wherof there is an infinite nūber in the churche) in all ages, are wont commonly to iudge of Religion, accordyng to the successe of realmes and kyngdomes. For many, not onely for the varietye of opinions, but also for the diuersitie of euentes and fortune amongest men, haue enquired and do enquire, whether there be any Churche of God distincte from other nations: what it is, and where it is: especiallye, for somuche as the greatest parte of men, both in the olde tyme, when as the. iiij. Monarchies flourished in order, was ignoraunt of this doctrine, which is peculier to the Churche alone: and nowe also the barbaritie of Mahumet preuayleth and reygneth in the most parte of the worlde. And howe standeth thys with mans reason, that a small number, both miserable and also febled and broken with many battailes, should bee regarded and beloued of God, and the other flourishyng in all wealth,

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