in the fayth from the Ascention of Christ, euē till this time: yet hath it not obserued and kept the perfection of the fayth all thys whole season. For soone after the departure of the Apostles, the fayth was kept with the obseruation of the rites of the Gentiles, and not of the rites of Moses law, nor of the law of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. Wherfore seyng that this tyme of the errour of the Gentiles is fulfilled: it is likely that Christ shal call the Gentiles from the rites of their gentilitie, to the perfection of the Gospell, as he called the Iewes from the lawe of Moyses to the same perfection, in hys first commyng: that there may be one shepefolde of the Iewes and Gentiles, vnder one shepeherd Christ. Seyng therfore that Antichrist is known which hath seduced the nations: then shall the elect after that they haue forsaken the errours of their Gentilitie come, through the light of gods word, to the perfection of the Gospell, and that same seducer shalbe slayne with the sword of gods word.MarginaliaWhy rather at this time, then any other, the matter of Antichrist is moued: and why rather in this kingdome, thē in an other. So that by these thyngs it doth partly appeare vnto me, why that at this tyme rather then at an other tyme, this matter of Antichrist is moued.

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And why that this motion is come to passe in this kingdome rather then in other kyngdomes: me thinkes there is good reason  

, because that no nation of the Gentiles was so soone conuerted to Christ as were the Brytons the inhabitaunts of this kyngdome. For, to other places of þ^e world there were sent preachers of the fayth, who, by the working of miracles and continuall preachyng of the worde of God, and by greuous passion and death of the body, did conuerte the people of those places:MarginaliaThe first receiuing the faith in thys realme by the Britons. But in this kingdome, in the time of Lucius kyng of the Britons, and of Eleutherius bishop of the Romains did Lucius heare of þ^e Romains that were Infidels (by the way of rumors and tales) of the Christian faith, which was preached at Rome. Who beleued straightwais, & sent to Rome to Eleutherius for men skilfull to inform hym more fully in the very fayth it self: at whose comming he was ioiful, and was baptised with hys whole kingdom. And after the receiuing of the fayth, they neuer forsoke it, neither for any maner of false preaching of other, neither for any maner of torments, or yet assaultes of the Paynims, as in other kyngdomes it hath come to passe.MarginaliaBritaines by the speciall election of God called to fayth. And thus it seemeth to me the Britons amongest other nations, haue ben, as it were by the spirituall election of God, called and conuerted to the fayth.

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Of them as me semeth, did Esay prophecie, saying: For they did see to whom there was nothyng told of hym, & they did behold, that had not heard of hym. And agayne, beholde, thou shalt call a nation which thou knewest not: and nations that haue not knowen thee, shall runne vnto thee: for the Lord thy God, & the holy one of Israel, shall glorifie thee.MarginaliaThe calling of the Gentiles to faith.

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Of this kyngdome, did S. Iohn in the Apocalips prophecy (as me semeth) where he sayd, The Dragon stode before the woman, which was about to be deliuered of chylde, to the intent that whē she had broughtMarginaliaApoc. 12. it forth into þ^e world, he might deuoure vp her son: and she brought forth her child which was a manchild, who should gouerne all natiōs with an yron rod. And the same sonne was taken vp to God, and to hys throne.MarginaliaThe woman fed in the desert. 1260. dayes. And the wom? fled into the wildernes, wheras she hath a place prepared of God, that they may feede her, 1260. dayes. And agayne in the same chapter, after that the Dragon saw that he was cast out vpō the earth, he did persecute the woman, which brought forth the manchilde. And there were geuen to the woman two winges of a great Eagle, that she myght flee into the wildernesse into her place, where as she is fostred vp for a tyme, tymes, and halfe a time, from the face of the Serpent. And the Serpent did caste as it were a floud of water after the woman, to the intent that he might cause her to be drawen by the floud: and the earth openyng her mouth did heare the woman, and did swallow vp the floude which the Dragon did cast out of hys mouth. Let vs see how these sayings may be applied to this kingdome rather then to other kingdoms. It is well known that this kyngdome is a wildernes or a desert place, because that the Philosophers and wisemen did not passe vpon it, but did leaue it for a wildernes and desert, because it is placed without the clymates.

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Vnto this place fled the woman,MarginaliaThis place af the desert in the scripture semeth here somethyng hardly expounded. that is to say, þ^e Church (which by fayth did spiritually bryng forth Christ into the world) where as she was fed with the heauenly bread, the flesh and bloud of Iesus Christ, for 1260. dayes, seyng that for so many dayes, takyng a day for a yere, the Brytons continued in the fayth of Christ, which thyng cannot be found so of any Christen kyngdome, but of this desert: and well is it sayd, that she flew to this place.MarginaliaFaith came into Britā frō the East not from Italy or Rome. For, from the East came the fayth into Britayne, not by walkyng in iourney, nor yet by sayling: for then should it haue come by Rome, Italy, Almaine, Fraunce, which can not be found: and therfore she flew ouer those places, and rested not in them, euen as a bird fly ing ouer a place, resteth not in the same: but rested in this wyldernes for a tyme, tymes, and halfe a tyme, that is, 1260 yeres from the first commyng of the fayth into Britaine vntill this present.

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MarginaliaA time, tymes, & halfe a time expounded. In saying for a tyme, tymes, and halfe a tyme, there is a goyng forward from the greater to the lesse. The greatest tyme that we name, is a M. yeres, there is a tyme: and the next tyme that is lesse in the singuler number, is one hundred yere. In the plurall number tymes signifie that ther be mo hundreths th? one, at least two hundreth yeres. Wherfore if they be put vnder a certayne number, it must nedes be that they be two but the same two cannot fitly be called some tymes, except they be hundreths. For in that, that there is a goyng downe from the greater to the lesse, when as it is said a tyme, tymes, and half a tyme, and that the number of a M. is likely assigned for a tyme: it must nedes follow that tymes must be taken for hundreths, and half a tyme for 60. because it is the greater halfe of an hundreth yeres, though that 50. be the euen halfe. And when that the serpent sent the water of persecution after the woman to cause her to be drawen of the floud: then dyd the earth, that is to wit, the stablenes of fayth helpe the woman, by suppyng vp the water of tribulation. For in the most cruell persecution of DioclesianMarginaliaPersecution in Dioclesians tyme swalowed vp, looke page. 78. and Maximiane agaynst the Christians, when as christianitie was almost euery where roted out: yet did they in this kingdome stand continually in the fayth, vnmoueable. And so, consideryng that the Britons, were conuerted to þ^e faith of Christ, as you would say, by an election and piking out amongst all the nations of the heathen, and that after they had receyued the fayth, they did neuer start backe from the fayth for no maner of tribulation: It is not to be meruayled if in theyr place the calling of the Gentiles, be made manifest to the profiting of the Gospell of Iesus Christ, by the reuealing of Antichrist.

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But besides this, me semeth that Ezechiell doth specially speake of them, wheras he speaketh of the fal of the prince of Tyre, saying: for asmuch as thy hart is lifted vp as if it were the hart of God, therfore behold: I will bring vpon thee, some of the strongest of the heathen, and they shal draw their naked swordes vpon the beauty of thy wisdome, and they shall defile thy comelines, and they shall slay thee, and pull thee out, and thou shalt dye in the slaughter of the slayne persons, in the hart of the sea.

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This prince who sayth, that he himselfe is God, & doth sit in Gods chaire in þ^e harte of the sea: doth signifie (as most likely it seemeth to me) that Antichrist shall be destroyed by the most mighty persons of the Gentiles folke, throughe the sword of the word of God.MarginaliaA frend to the Welchmen. Because that amongest the other Gentiles, there haue bene none more stronge then the Britones, either in their body or in their fayth, and in their bodely warres there haue bene none more mightye then they. For neuer in warres haue they bene vanquished, but by their owne sedition or treason. But how many kingdomes haue they conquered? Yea, and nother by the most mightye citye of Rome, could they be driuen out of their kingdome, vntill that God sent vpon them pestilence and famine: wherby they being wasted, were compelled to leaue their country which thing I haue not heard of any other people.MarginaliaThe strong fayth of the Britons. Now, in the fayth, haue they ben amongest all the people, the strongest, as before is sayd, because that by no tribulation, could they be compelled to forsake the fayth. Whereore of them, this semeth to me to be vnderstanded. Then I will bring vpon thee, some of the most strongest people, and they shall draw their naked swordes &c. By these things it may plainly appeare, why at this time (rather then in tyme past) this matter is styrred vp: and why in this kingdome (rather then in other kyngdomes) the callyng of the Gentiles is intreated of, to the verifiyng of the Gospell, thorough the disclosing of Antichrist.

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MarginaliaTales of Antichrist. But forasmuch as many tales and fables are tolde of Antichrist and his commyng, and many thynges which do rather seduce then instrust the hearers, are applyed to hym out of the scriptures of the prophetes: we will briefly write those thinges which are spoken of hym, and we will shew that the same fable sprang from the errour of people imagening, and frō no truth of the scriptures prophesiyng. 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 sinne,MarginaliaA false imagination 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: comely and beutifull is he, beyonde the sonnes of men. They say, that he shall preach three yeres and an halfe where Christ preached, and that he shall circumcise himself, and say þ^t he is Christ, & the Messias sent for the saluatiō of the Iewes. And they say, that he shall three maner of wayes

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