MarginaliaThe fourth booke.

THvs hauyng discoursed  

in these former bookes, the order and course of yeres, from the first tying vp of Sathan, vnto the yere of our Lord. 1360. I haue a litle ouerpassed the stint of time in the scriptures appointed, for the loosing out of him again. For so it is written by S. Iohn Apoc. 20.MarginaliaThe yeares and tyme of loosing out Satan examined. that after a M. yeares, Satanas the old dragon shall be let loose agayne for a season, &c.

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For the better explanation of the which mystery, let vs first consider the context of the Scripture: afterward, let vs examine by history and course of tymes, the meanyng of the same. And first to recite the wordes of the Apocal. the text of the Prophecy is this, cap. 20

MarginaliaApoc. 20. And I saw an Aungell descendyng from heauen, hauyng a kay of the bottomlesse pitte, and a great chayne in hys hande. And he tooke the Dragon the olde Serpente, which is the deuill and Satanas, and bound him for a thousand yeares, and put hym in the bottomlesse dongeon and shutte hym vp, and signed hym with hys seale, that hee should no more seduce the Gentiles, till a thousand yeares were expired. And after that, he must be losed agayn for a little space of tyme. And I saw seates, and they sate vpon them: and iudgement was geuen vnto them, and the soules I sawe of them which were beheaded for the testimony of Iesus. &c.

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By these wordes of the reuelation here recited, 3. speciall tymes are to be noted.

1. First, the beyng abroade of Sathan to deceyue the world.

2. The bynding vp of hym.

MarginaliaThe place of the Apocal. 20. Expounded, for the loosing out of Satan. 3. Thirdly, the losing out of hym again, after a M. yeres consummate, for a tyme.

Concernyng the interpretation of which tymes, I see the common opinion of many to be deceyued by ignoraunce of histories, and state of thinges done in þ^e church: supposing that the cheyning vp of Sathan for a thousand yeares, spoken of in the reuelation, was ment from the tyme of Christ our Lord.  

Wherin I graunt that spiritually the strength and dominion of Sathan in accusing and condemnyng vs for sinne, was cast downe at the passion and by the passion of Christ our sauiour, and locked vp not onely for a thousand yeares, but for euer and euer. Albeit as touchyng the malitious hatred and fury of that Serpent, against the outward bodies of Christes poore saintes (which is the heele of Christ) to afflict and torment the church outwardly: That I iudge to be ment in the reuelation of Sainct Iohn, not to be restrayned tyll the ceasing of those terrible persecutions of the primitiue Church.MarginaliaWhat the loosing of Satan doth meane in Scripture. At what tyme it pleased God to pity the sorowfull affliction of hys poore flocke, beyng so long vnder persecution, the space of 3. hundred yeares, and so to asswage their griefes and tormentes. Which is ment by bynding vp of Sathan, worker of all those mischiefs: vnderstandyng therby, that for so much as the Deuill prince of this worlde had now by the death of Christ the sonne of God lost all his power and interest against the soule of mā, should turne hys furious rage & malice which he had to Christ agaynst the people of Christ, (which is ment by the heele of the seede. Genesis. 3.) in tormentyng their outward bodies. Which yet should not be for euer, but for a determinate tyme, when as it should please the Lord to bridle the malice, and snaffle the power of the old Serpent, and geue rest vnto hys Church for the terme of a thousand yeares. Which tyme beyng expired, þ^e said serpent should be suffred loose agayne for a certayne or a small tyme. Apoc. 20

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And thus to expound this proheticall place of scripture I am led by three reasons.

MarginaliaThree reasons MarginaliaThe first reason. The first is, for that the bynding vp of Sathan, and closyng hym in the bottomles pit by the Aungell, importeth as much that he was at liberty, ragyng and doyng mischief before. And certesse those so terrible & so horrible persecutions of the primitiue tyme vniuersally through the whole world, duryng the space of 3 hundreth yeares of the Church, do declare no lesse. Wherin it is to be thought and supposed, that Sathan all that tyme, was not fastened and closed vp.

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MarginaliaThe 2 reason. The second reason moouyng me to thinke that the closing vp of Sathan was after the ten persecutions of þ^e primitiue Church, is taken out of the xij. chap. of the Apocalips. Where we read, that after the woman (meanyng the Church) had trauayled forth her man childe, the olde Dragon the deuill, the same tyme beyng cast downe from heauen, drawing the third part of the starres wyth hym: stoode before the woman wyth great anger, and persecuted her (that is the Church of God) wyth a whole floud of water (that is, wyth aboundaunce of all kyndes of tormentes) and from thence went moreouer to fight agaynst the residue of her side, and stoode vpon the sandes of the sea, wherby it appeareth that he was notas yet locked vp

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MarginaliaThe. 3. reason.
Apoc. cap. 13. The third reasō I collect out of þ^e Apocalips xiij. chapter, where is written of the beast, signifiyng the Emperiall Monarchie of Rome: that he had power to make warre fourty and two monethes. By þ^e which monethes is ment no doubt, the tyme that the Dragon, and the persecutyng Emperours, should haue in afflicting the Saintes of the primitiue Church.MarginaliaXlij. monethes in the Apocal. cap. 13 examined. The computation of which xlij. monethes (countyng euery moneth for a Sabbat of yeares, that is for seuen yeares, after the order of Scripture) riseth to the summe, countyng from the passion of the Lord Christ, three hundred yeares lacking six,  

at what tyme Maxentius the last persecutour in Rome fighting agaynst Constantinus, was drowned wyth hys souldiours, lyke as Pharao was drowned persecuting the children of Israell, in the red sea.   Vnto þ^e which xlij. monethes, or Sabbothes of yeares, if ye adde the other sixe yeares wherein Licinius persecuted in the East: ye shall finde iust three hundred yeares, as is specified before in the first booke of thys volume. pag. 102.

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MarginaliaWhat tyme Satan was tied vp. After the which xlij. monethes beyng expired, manifest it is that the fury of Sathan, that is, his violent malyce and power ouer the Saintes of Christ, was diminished & restrayned vniuersally through the whole world.

Thus then the matter standing euident, that Sathan after 300. yeares, counting from the passion of Christ, began to be chayned vp, at what tyme the persecution of the primitiue Church began to cease: Now let vs se, how long this bynding vp of Sathan should continue, which was promised in the booke of the reuelation, to be a thousand yeares. Which thousand yeares, if ye adde to the xlij. monethes of yeares, that is, to 294. yeares: they make 1294. yeares, after the passion of þ^e Lord. To these moreouer adde the thirty yeares of the age of Christ, and it commeth to the yeare of the Lord 1324. MarginaliaAbout what time and yeare Satan was let out, by the count of the Apocalips. which was the yeare of the lettyng out of Sathan, accordyng to the prophesie of the Apocalips.

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The first persecution of the primitiue church, beginnyng at the 30. yeres of Christ, was prophecied to continue 42. monthes, that is, an.	294.
MarginaliaThe ceasing of persecution in the primitiue church. The ceasing of the last persecution of the primitiue church by the death of Licinius the last persecutour, began an. 324. from the nati- uitie of Christ, which was frō the thirty yere of hys age. an.	294.

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