MarginaliaThe rule & dominion of the high priestes in the Iewes common welth, and of our prelates, compared.for the space especially of these later. 564. yeares, what haue we sene and felt, but onely the Iurisdiction and domination of the Pope and his heygh Priestes, playeng þe Rex in all countreys, and rulyng the whole? wherby, by the count of these yeares, it is to be thought the day of þe Lordes commyng not to be farre of.
[Back to Top]Furthermore in those later yeares of þe Iewes kyngdome, what troubles and afflictions that people susteyned iij. hūdreth yeares together, but chiefly the last. 166. yeares before the commyng of Christ, by Antiochus and his felowes, the history of the Machabees cā reporte. Wherin we haue also notoriously to vnderstand the miserable vexations and persecutions of Christiā churches in these latter endes of the world by Antichrist: MarginaliaAntiochus beareth a figure of Antichrist.For by Antiochus, Antichrist (no doubt) is figured & represented. MarginaliaThe familie of Antichrist.This Antiochus surnamed Magnus, and Antiochus Epiphanes his sonne, came of the stocke of Seleucus Nicanor, much like as the Mahumetes the Turke, and Solymannus, came of the stocke of Ottomannus. Wherein this is to be noted and pondered, that lyke as of the sayd Seleucus issued xij. Syrian kynges one af-ter an other of that generation whiche reigned ouer the Israelites with much seueritie and tyrāny: MarginaliaThe familie of the Turkes.so of this deuelish generatiō of Ottomanus, haue come xij. Turkishe tyrānes, whereof this Solyman is now the twelfe: God graunt hee may be the last, and as the ij. laste Antiochi, beyng sonnes of ij. brethrē, did fight together for the kyngdome, and in fightyng were both slayne, and shortly after the kyngdome fell to the Romaines: so the Lord graunt for Christes sake, that the bloudy broude of this old Solymā, (whiche hath reigned now 46. yeares) may so fight together, and perishe in their owne bloud, that the bloudy tyrāny of theirs may come to a finall end for euer. Amen.
[Back to Top]And that the truth hereof 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 hys eyes, in tablewise the catologue of both these Antichristian families, with the names and succession of the persons, first of the xij. Syrian kynges, then of the xij. Ottomans, in lyke number and order.
These two tables are intended to demonstrate the parallels between the Selucid rulers of Syria (the villains of the books of Macchabees) and the Ottomans. The purpose of this was to depict (and link) both families as 'figures' of Antichrist. The first table is taken from Johannes Lucidus, Chronicon (Venice, 1570), fo. 39r. The second table is taken from Bartholomeo Georgevits, De origine imperii Turcorum (Wittenberg, 1560), sigs. A5r-B2v.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaResemblance betwene the Syrian kinges, and the Turkes.
¶ The Syrians. | ¶ The Turkes. | ||||
1 | Seleucus. | 32. | 1 | Ottomannus. | 28 |
2 | Antiochus Soter. | 19. | 2 | Orchanes. He slue hys two brethren. | 22. |
3 | Antiochus Theos, who killed Berenice hys mother in lawe, and hys younge brother. | 15. | 3 | Amurathes. He put out the eyes of Sauces hys owne sonne. | 23. |
4 | Seleucus Callinicus, with Antiochus Hierax hys brother, which two brethren warred one agaynst the other. | 20. | 4 | Baiazetes. He slue Solymannus hys brother. | |
5 | Antiochus Magnus. | 36. | 5 | Calepinus. The Greeke stories make no mention of thys Calepinus: the Latine storyes say that Calepinus and Orchanes were both one, & that he was slaine by Mahumetes his brother. | 6. |
6 | Seleuchus Philopator. | 12. | 6 | Orchanes, Whom Moses hys vncle did slay. | |
7 | Antiochus Epiphanes, or rather Epimanes. | 7 | Mahumetes. 1. He slue Mustaphas his brother. | 14. | |
8 | Antiochus Eupator. | 2. | 8 | Amurathes. 2. He slue Mustaphas his brother. | 34. |
9 | Demetrius, brother of Epiphanes, who killed Eupator hys cosin. | 9 | Mahumetes. 2. He slue hys two brethren Tur- cinus an infant, and Calepinus. | 73. | |
10 | Demetrius Nicanor, whom Antiochus Sedetes hys brother, repulsed from his kingdome. | 10 | Baiazetes. 2. He warred agaynst hys brother Demes, which Demes was afterward poyso- ned by Pope Alexander. 6. | 33. | |
11 | Antiochus Sedetes. These two last being brethren, had two sonnes, | 11 | Zelimus. He poysoned Baiazetes his father, and hys two brethren, Acomates and Corcutus, with all theyr children hys owne cosines. | 7. | |
12 | Antiochus Grypus, and Antiochus Cyricenus. These two striuyng together for the kingdome, were both slayne: and so not long after the kingdome of Syria, came to the handes of Tigranes king of Ar- menia, and so being taken from hym, came to the Romanes in the tyme of Pompeius. | 12 | Solymannus. He slue Mustaphas hys owne sonne, and was the death of Gianger his se- cond sonne. | 46. |
MarginaliaThe tyme of Antichrist examined by prophesies.These ij. pestilent families and generatiōs, rysing out (doubtles) from the bottomles pitte, to plage þe people of God, as in number of successiō they do not much differ: so in maner of their doinges and wicked abhominatiōs, they be as nere agreyng, beyng both enemyes a lyke to the people and churche of Christ, both murderers and paricides of their own brethren and kyndred, both blasphemers of God, and troublers of the whole worlde. Wherin we haue all to learne and note by the way, the terrible anger of almyghtye God agaynst sinne, and wickednes of men.
[Back to Top]Furthermore, who so is disposed to consider and cast the course of tymes, and to marke how thynges be disposed by the meruelous operation of Gods prouidence, shall finde the times also of these ij. aduersaries, in much lyke sorte to concurre and agree. For in cōsideryng with our selues both the Testamētes and Churches of God, the first of the Iewes, the second of the Christians, looke what tyme had the Syrian kynges to rage then in Hierusalem, the same proportion of tyme hath now the tyrāne of the Turkes to murder þe Christians: MarginaliaOne Antichrist prefigureth an other.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. 191. yeares before the passion of our Sauiour, & day of our redemption: so now castyng the same number from this present yearebackward, we shall finde it to be about the same yeare & tyme, when Baiazetes
Actually it was Murad I who moved the capital in 1375.
And thus much for the tyme of Antiochus and hys felowes. Now what crueltie this Antiochus exercised agaynst the people of God, it is manifest in þe history of þe Machabees:
1 Macchabees 1:43-67.