Revelation 13

^{1 c} Which signifie manie prouinces.

^{1 b} Meaning Rome, because it was first gouerned by seuen Kings or Emperours after Nero, and also is compassed about with seuen mountaines.

^{1 a} Here is the description of the Romaine empire which standeth in crueltie and tyrannie.

^{1 !} The beat deceiueth the reprobate.

^{2 e} That is, the deuil.

^{2 d} By these beastes are signified the Macedonians, Persians & Chaldeans whome the Romaines ouercame.

^{2 !} And is confirmed by another beast.

^{3 g} For the empire was established againe Vespasian.

^{3 f} This maie be vnderstand of Nero, who moued the first persecution against the Churche, and after shew him slef, so that the familie of the Cesars ended in him.

^{4 h} By receiuing the statutes, or dinances, decrees, ceremonies, & religion of the Romaine empire.

^{5 i} Antichrists time & power is limited.

^{7 k} In their bodies, not in soule.

^{7 l} He meaneth that vniuersal departing where of S. Paul speaketh to the Thessalonians.

^{8 n} As God ordeined from before all beginning, & all the sacrifices were as signes & sacraments of Christs death.

^{8 m} Antichrist hathe not power ouer the elect.

^{10 o} Thei which led soules captiues, go them selues into captiuitie.

^{11 q} Which signifie the priesthode & the kingdome, and therefore he giueth in his armes two keis, and hathe two swordes caryed before him. So Boniface the eight which first ordeined the Jubile, shewed him self one day in apparel as a Pope, & the next day in harnes as the Emperour, and the two hornes in the bishops mitre are signes hereof.

^{11 r} He spake deuelish doctrine, accused Gods worde of imperfection set vp mans traditions and spake things contrarie to God and his worde.

^{11 p} As the kingdome of Christ is from heauen, & bringeth men thither: so the Popes kingdome is of the earth & leadeth to perdition, & is begonne, & established by ambition, couetousnes, beastelines, craft, treason & tryannie.

^{12 s} For the Pope in ambition crueltie, idolatrie, & blasphemie did folow & imitate the ancient Romaines.

^{12 t} Broght them to idolatrie & astonished them with the name of that holie empire (as h termeth it).

^{13 u} The man of sinne according to the operation of Satan shalbe with all power, signes & miracles of lies {2 Thes. 2,10}

^{14 x} Before the whole empire which representeth the first beast, ans is the image thereof.

^{14 y} For the first empire Romaine was as the paterne, & this seconde empire is but an image & shadowe thereof.

^{15 a} The same things which the Pope or false prophetes instruct him in.

^{15 b} Receiue the ordinances & decrees of the seat of Rome, & to kisse the vilens sorte, if he were put there unto.

^{15 z} For except the Pope confirme the autoritie of the King, of Romaines, he is not estemed worthie to be made Emperour.

^{16 c} Whereby he renounceth Christ: for as faith, the wrode & the Sacraments are the Christians markes: so this Antichrist wil accept none but suche as wil approue his doctrine: so that it is not ynough to confess Christ, & to belieue the Scriptures, but a man must subscribe to the Popes doctrine: moreouer their chrismatories, graisings, vowes, othes ??? shauings are signes of this marke in so muce as no nation was excepted that had not manie of these marked beasts.

^{17 !} The priuiledge of the beasts marke.

^{17 d} He that is not sealed with Antichrists marke, can not be suffered to liue among men.

^{18 e} Suche as may be vnderstand by mans reason: for about 666 yeres after this reuelation the Pope or Antichrist began to be manifest in the worlde: for these characters ??? signifie 666: & this nomber is gathered of the smale nomber ??? which in the whole make 666 & signifieth Lateinus, or Latin, which noteth the Pope or Antichrist who vseth in all things the Latin tongue, & in respect thereof he conteneth the Ebrewe & Greke wherein the worde of God was first & best write: & because Italie in olde time was called Latinum, the Italians are called Latini, so that hereby he noteth of what countrey chiefly he shulde come.