A01279:23
A pistle to the Christen reader The revelation of Antichrist. Antithesis
A pistle to the Christen reader The revelation of Antichrist. Antithesis, wherein are compared to gather Christs acts and our holy father the Popes.A pistle to the Christen reader The revelation of Antichrist. Antithesis, wherin are compared to geder Christes actes and oure holye father the Popes.
At Malborow in the land of Hesse i.e. Antwerp : the. xij. day of July, anno. M.CCCCC.xxix. by me Hans luft i.e. Johannes Hoochstraten, 1529At Malborow in the lande of Hesse i.e. Antwerp : the. xij. day of Iulye, anno. M.CCCCC.xxix. by me Hans luft i.e. Johannes Hoochstraten, 1529
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First they are not to be allowed that understand this and such other places of the prophets / and would have them only verified upon one person. For they are clean ignorant of the prophets manner / which are wont by one person to signify the hole body of a realm. And therefore evil they do apply this Antichrist (whom Paul do the call the man of sin / 1& the Son of perdition) to one person / sith that he would that by Antichrist should be meant the hole body & multitude of wicked men with all their succession and empery / for so in the .viij. of Daniel a ram doth signify the kingdom of the Perses. And a goat the kingdom of the Grecians.2 Where as he saith that after the end of four kingdoms (of the which the last is the Romans mighty with sword) this king shall rise / truly he toucheth that / that the tyranny of the Pope did begin after that the empery of Rome began to decay / ye of the empery of Rome and in the empery it is sprung. And is succeeded and entered / in the stead of the empery / as it is evident by all stories / and this present experience doth also show it us / which also the apostle did prophecy before in the .ij. of the second pistle to the Thessalonians saying. Only he ye holdeth let him now hold / 3until it be taken out of the way / and then shall that wicked ⟨p. xiiij⟩be uttered and so forth. The name of the empery of Rome was translated to the Germans / when there was no empery in deed / how be it this was an occasion by the which this man was elevated and set up / above all kings / above all Bishops / above heaven and earth / and so fixed and stablished his kingdom in his own hand and power / counterfeiting (to stablish this lye) a bull both false and foolish which was of the gift of Constantine.4
FIrst they are not to be alowed that vnderstand this and soche other places of the prophetes / and wold have them only verefied vpon one person. For they are clene ignorante of the prophetes maner / which are wonte by one person to signifye the hole bodye of a realme. And therfore evyll they do applye this Antichriste (whō Paule do the calle the mā of sinne /