principle among them that it is lawfull for him to depose Emperours and Kings and to absolue their sworne subiects from fidelity and allegiance towards them And thus you see how the Pope opposeth himselfe to the prophecy priesthood and kingdome of Christ. Whereunto I might adde how he is opposed to these offices of Christ not onely in these respects allreadie mentioned but as an aemulus as an antiprophet an antipriest and a counter king seeking in his Antichristian pride to match our Sauiour Christ in all those offices but hereof I shall haue occasion to speake in the next chapter Now to the benefites of Christ he is opposite as he is an enemy to the grace of god as hee taketh away Christian liberty and taketh vpon him to make new lawes to binde the conscience as he abridgeth the merites of Christ and ascribeth the merite of saluation not onelie to our owne works prescribed of God but also to such as haue beene in superstition will worship and idolatrie deuised by themselues as he teacheth men to seek saluation elsewhere then in Christ. All which oppositions of the Pope to Christ whosoeuer shall duely consider hee will not seeke further for Antichrist Chap. 5. Of the pride and ambition of Antichrist aduancing himselfe aboue all that is called God c. 1. BVt Antichrist is not onely hostis an enemy to Christ but also as our aduersaries confesse aemulus Christi that is such an aduersarie as is opposed vnto Christ in aemulation of like honour as the word Antichrist doth also signifie It remaineth therefore that wee should speake of the pride and ambition of Antichristâ—… whereby hee seeking to match Christ our Sauiour aduaunceth himselfe as the Apostle speaketh Aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped insomuch that hee sitteth in the temple 2. Thess. 2. 4. of God as God shewing himselfe that hee is God or as the Papists themselues reade as though hee were God Where for auoiding of errour we are to vnderstand the pride of Antichrist Vulgat edit â—…em to be described such as is incident to a wretched man a man of sin a sonne of perdition And the greatest pride that is incident not onely to any man but to any creature be it the diuell himselfe whose Satanicall pride Antichrist was to imitate and not to exceed is this to seeke to be as God When as Es. 14. therefore it is said that Antichrist aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped it is not meant that hee shall seeke to aduaunce himselfe aboue God or the deitie it selfe For God being infinite in goodnesse excellencie and power there cannot bee conceiued a better a superiour a greater And therefore wee cannot imagine how Antichrist should aduance himselfe aboue God And it is euident that the height of Antichrists pride heere spoken of is noted in these words Insomuch as he shall sitte in the temple of God as God By all therfore that is called God we are to vnderstand all those to whom the name of God is coÌ„municated not essence for that cannot be communicated to any that is not god Now the name of God is communicated to Angells in heauen Psal. 8. 5. cum Heb. 2. 7. Psal. 97. 7. cum Heb. 1. 6. and to princes and magistrates on earth Exod. 22. 28. Psal. 82. 1. 6. And wheras it is said that hee shall aduance himselfe aboue all that is worshipped wee are to vnderstand by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not God himselfe but any thing that is worshipped as God or wherein God is worshipped So Wisd. 15. 17. images and Act. 17. 23 altars among the heathen are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such in the church of Rome are Saints images the crosse and reliques of Saints the eucharist c. The meaning then of the Apostle is this that Antichrist being a wicked and wretched man shall aduance himselfe aboue all that is called God as Angells and Kings or that which is worshipped as Saints and images and altars the crosse and eucharist it selfe insomuch that he shall sit in the temple of God as God that is hee shall rule raigne in the church of God challenging a soueraigne vniuersall and diuine authority ouer al those that professe the name of Christ as if he were a God vpon earth shewing himselfe whether by words or by deeds that he is god or which is all one behauing himselfe tanquam sit Deus As though he were God The like things were foretold of Antiochus Epiphanes who is thought to haue bene a type of Antichrist Dan. 11. 36. But to come to the application of this prophecie if Antiochus were comparable to the Pope in aduauncing himself aboue all that is called God or if I shal not proue out of their owne I meane popish writings that he hath lifted vp himselfe in such maner as is scarcely credible to be incident vnto a mortall maÌ„ then let not the Pope be deemed Antichrist but rather looke for some other who shall goe beyond him in Antichristian insolency and Satanicall pride 2. From this place therfore of th'apostle I argue thus Whosoeuer aduaunceth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped insomuch that he sitteth in the temple of God as God taking vpon him as though he were a God he according to the testimony of th'apostle is antichrist that is Aemulus Christi such an enimy as in a kinde of emulation seeketh to match Christ and to be equall to him But the Pope of Rome as shal be proued aduaunceth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped insomuch that hee sitteth in the temple of God as God taking vpon him as though he were a God vpon earth therefore according to this testimony of th'apostle the Pope is Antichrist And first that the Pope aduaunceth himselfe aboue all that is called God it is plaine because he lifteth vp himself not onely ouer Kings and Emperours on earth but also aboue the Angels in heauen Of his lifting vp himselfe aboue Kings Emperours is the testimony before alledged 2. Thess. 2. 4. Papa superioritatem habet in imperium Clemeatin Pastoralis de re Iudic. especially to bee vnderstood For he speaketh of such an aduancement whereby Antichrist should be reuealed as was to be hindered for a time by the Romane Empire Let vs then consider how he aduaunceth himselfe aboue Kings and Emperours who are called Gods The Pope if you will beleeue him his followers is the 1 Paulus 4. ad ducem Floret in bulla Rod. Cupers meritò rex reguÌ„ dominus dominantium censetur Papa reque ipsa existit pag. 43. num 39. c. solitas extr de maior obed c. per venerabileÌ„ opt qui filij sunt legitimi Antonius de Rosellis King of Kings and Lord of Lordes by 2 Lib. Carem whom Princes raigne and from 3 Clem. 5. in coÌ„cil vienn whom the
45. 46. Bellarm. de concil l. 2. c. 17. de pot Rom. lib. 2. c. 31. Ioan. de turrecre sum de eccl lib. 2. c. 27. cap. 80. R. Cupers pag. 34. num 1. Bonifac. 8. c. quoniaÌ„ de immunit in 6. Panormit For it is not sit that the Pope should reseÌ„ble Christ who now is glorified in heauen as he was conteÌ„ned but as the Pastor of the whole world supernal heaueÌ„ly as he shall come to be our iudge to whom it is certain that all men of necessity must obey For it is euident that the worke of redeÌ„ption being accoÌ„plished the power of Christ was extended as well in heauen as in earth Mat. 28. All power is giueÌ„ vnto me in heaueÌ„ in earth Which power is translated vnto his Vicar c. In respect of his office therfore he is the foundation the head the husband the Lord of the vniuersal church in vnction Christ is therfore to be called a R. Cupers de eccl Christus Domini the Lords Christ. Now if it be obiected that Christ alone is the head b Eph. t. 21. 22. 4. 15. 5. 23. Col. 1. 28. of the Catholike Church and so of the c Eph. 5. 24. Ioan. 3. 29. 2. Cor. 11. 2. 1. Cor. 3. 11. 12. rest answere is made that d R. Cupers de eccl pag. 128. num 36. Christ and the Pope in the Church are vnuÌ„ idem caput one and the same head and doe make one and the same consistorie e Idem pag. 30. num 8. for it were a monstrous thing that the Church should haue two heads And to the same purpose saith a f 1. de turrecreâ—…at summ de eccle lib. 2. c. 26. Cardinall of Rome The iudgement of the Pope is reputed the iudgement of God and his sentence and his consistory the consistory of God and therefore Christ and the Pope are not properly two heads but one as Boniface the eight declareth In extrav c. vnam sanctam But to speake more particularly of his offices For prophecie hee is the vniuersall or oecumenicall Bishop and Pastor of Pastors Orat. Cornelij episcopâ—… 〈◊〉 in concil â—…rident sub Pau. lo 3. the Ordinary or Bishop of the whole world Who is oom a light into the world but men haue loued darkenesse more then light who hath the supreme authority of interpreting the scriptures who is the supreame iudge in controuersies of religion hauing De translat epise c. quanto in gloss an heauenly arbitrement and as it were a diuine and infallible iudgement who is aboue 1 Decret Greg. l. 1. de elect 〈◊〉 oâ—… c. significaâ—… Concil Florent Tâ—…dent generall councels for 2 R. Cupers de â—…ccl pag. 31. num 23. Pigâ—… lib. 6. c. 13. although in a generall councell the vniuersall Church is represented in Cupers pag. 125 nâ—… 9. so much that nothing is greater then the Councell Tamen Papa eidem omnimoda supereminet authoritate Notwithstanding Capâ—… sol 23. C. de sumâ—… trinit l. 1. in f. the Pope surpasseth the same in all maner authority whose iudgement is to bee preferred before the iudgement of the whole worlde insomuch that if the whole worlde should determine against the Pope wee must stande to his sentence for so they say 4 R. Cupers pag. 11 〈◊〉 18. Papae sententia totius orbis plâ—…to prefertuâ—… And againe 5 1. de turrecrem lib. 3. c. 64. Si totus mundus sentiret or as the 6 In c. nemo 9. q 3. glosse readeth sentenâ—…iaret contra Papam videtur quòd sentenâ—…ae Papae standum esset vt 24. q. 1. haec est fides haec gloss 7 Baldus who is of greater authority then all the Saints and in respect thereof is of 8 1. de turrecrem summ lib. 2 cap. 26. great perfection then the whole body of the Church besides But it is not sufficient for this Antichrist to preferre himselfe aboue the whole Church which is the body of Christ vnlesse also hee sought in respect of the propheticall office to match himselfe with Christ the head of the church yea and in some respects to ouermatch him 9. He seeketh to match himselfe with Christ 1. in taking vpon him to make newe articles of Eaith and to propound doctrines not contayned in the Scriptures as necessarie vnto saluation 2. In making fiue Sacraments more then Christ appointed some whereof hee preferreth aboue baptisme and those two which Christ hath ordained he hath so altered and chaunged as that the one is scarcely the other not at all the same And whereas Christ ordained the Sacrament of his body and blood in two kindes they not withstanding his institution will haue it administred to the people but in one kind For so it is professed in the Councell of Constance that although Christ administred this venerable sacrament â—…ss 13. vnto his Disciples vnder both kinds of bread and wine and although in the primitiue church this sacrament was receiued of the faithfull in both kinds notwithstanding this custome of receiuing the bread only was vpoÌ„ good reason brought in for the auoiding of some dangers and scandales 3. In making their owne deuises decretals traditioÌ„s of equal authority with the word of God Innocentius 3. comanded that the words of the canon Ioan. Bal in eius vita of the Masse should be held equal to the words of the gospell Agatho the Pope decreed that all the constitutions of the See apostolick are to be receiued as authorized by the diuine voice D stinct 19. c. sic omnes Ioan. de turrecrem lib. 2. c. 108. of Peter himselfe And in the same distinction this is the title or argument of one chapter Inter canonic as Scripturas decretales epistolae connumerantur that is Among the Canonicall scriptures the decretall epistles are numbred Which in Dâ—…st 19. c. in canonicâ—… the chapter it selfe is absurdly proued out of Augustine misalledged And as touching traditions whereby are meant De doctr Christi l. 2. c. 8. all points of popery which as themselues confesse are not contained in the written worde the holy Councell of Trent hath ordained that they are to bee receiued and honoured Pari piâ—…tatis affectu ac reuerentia With as great affection of Sess. 4. pietie and reuerence as the written worde of God Which decree when as a certaine Bishop misliked Ceruinus the Popes Iacobus Nachiantes Clodiae follae episcopus Bal. in vita Marcellâ—… secundi legate who afterwardes was Pope called Marcellus 2. caused him to bee expelled out of the Councell And lastly least he should seeme in any thing to be inferiour to Christ our Prophet hee confirmeth his doctrines by miracles as they call them 10. And thus the Pope matcheth himselfe with Christ our Prophet let vs now consider how he aduaunceth himselfe aboue him Which he manifestly doth in preferring his owne and the churches authority aboue
the scriptures And if the Hervaeus de potest Tap. e. R. Cupers Petrus de palude de potest Papae â—…t 4. church be aboue the Scriptures then much more is he For he not onely virtualiter est tota ecclesia that is virtually the whole church but also his power alone exceedeth the power of all the whole church besides Now that the authority of the church much more of the Pope who is superior to the church is aboue the scripture it is both generally affirmed by som particulars coÌ„firmed Cardinal Cusanus entitleth his book De authoritate ecclesia concilij supra coÌ„tra scripturaÌ„ Of the authority of the Church councell aboue against the Scripture Syluester Prierias master of the Popes pallace saith That indulgences are warranted vnto vs not by the authoritie of the Scripture Contra Lutheri conclusiones de potestate Papae but by the authoritie of the Church and Pope of Rome which is greater Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz saith That all men so reuerence the Apostolicke See of Rome that they rather desire the auncient institution of Christian religion from the Pope then from the holy Scriptures This saying the Pope hath so approued that he hath caused it to be inserted into the Dist. 40. c. si Papa Canon lawe The particulars which proue the Pope to aduaunce himselfe aboue the Scriptures are these 1 Because he hath as they say authoritie to adde to the Canonicall Scriptures other bookes that are not in the Canon And that those Dist. 19. c. si Romanorum Ioan. de turrecrem l. 〈◊〉 cap. 112. which be in the Canon haue their Canonicall authority from him In the 19. distinction cap. Si Romanorum Pope Nicolas not onely matcheth their decretall Epistles with the holy Scriptures but also affirmeth that the Scriptures are therefore to be receiued because the Pope hath iudged them canonicall Another saith Whosoeuer resteth not on the doctrine of the Romane church and Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of God Syluester Prierias contra Lutherum à qua sacra scriptura robur trabis authoritatem From which the sacred Scripture draweth strength and authority hee is an Hereticke Eckius saith Scriptura nisiecclesiae authoritate non De ecclesia est authentica The Scripture is not authenticall but by the authority of the Church For I will not tell you how some of them haue not bene ashamed to say that the Scripture without the authoritie of the Church is of it selfe no better worth then AEsopes fables Pighius saith The authority of the church Vid. Chemnit exam part 1. pag. 47. is aboue the Scriptures because the authoritie of the Church hath giuen the Scriptures canonicall authority Secondly whereas the Scriptures are not the words and syllables but the true sence and meaning thereof They teach that the scriptures are to be vnderstood according to the interpretation of the Pope and Church of Rome and that sence which the Pope assigneth to the Scriptures must bee taken for the vndoubted word of God The Pope saith one hath authority so to expound Heruauâ—… de potestate Papae the scriptures that it is not lawful to hold or thinke the contrary A Cardinall of Rome saith If any man haue the interpretation of the church of Rome concerning any place of scripture although he neither know nor vnderstand whether and Cardinal Hosius de expresso dei verbo how it agreeth with the words of the scripture notwithstanding he hath ipsimum verbum Dei the very wordof God And if the sence which they giue be diuerse according to the variety of their practise and diuersitie of times we must acknowledge that the scripture is to follow the church and not the church to follow the scriptures Whereupon Cardinall Cusanus It is no Nicol. Cusanus ad Bohem. epist. 7. maruell saith he though the practise of the church expound the scriptures at one time one way and at another time another way For the vnderstanding or sence of the scripture runneth with the practise And that sence so agreeing with the practise is the quickning spirit And therefore the scriptures follow the church but contrarywise the church followeth not the scriptures And this is that which one who was no small foole in Rome auouched The Pope saith he may change the holy gospell and may Henricus Doctor magister sacri palatij Romae ad legatos â—…ohemicos sub Felice Papa 1447. giue to the gospell according to place and time another sence And to the same purpose was the speech of that blasphemous Cardinall that if any man did not beleeue that Christ is very God and man and the Pope thought the same he should not bee condemned To conclude therefore with Cardinall Cusanus This is the iudgement saith he of all them that thinke rightlie Cardinal s. Angeli ad cosdeâ—… legatos Bohemicos that found the authoritie and vnderstanding of the scriptures in the allowance of the church and not contrariwise lay the foundation of the church in the authority of the scriptures Ad Bohemos epist. 2. 11 Thirdly the Pope challengeth authority aboue the scriptures when he taketh vpon him to dispense with the word and law of God For whosoeuer taketh vpon him to dispense with the law of another challengeth greater authority then the others and it is a rule among themselues In praecepto superioris non debet dispensare inferior the inferiour may not dispense Antonin part 3. lit 22. cap. 6. §. 2. with the commaundement of the superiour That the Pope doth dispense with the lawes of God it is euident For scarcely is there any sinne forbidden there where with he doth not sometimes dispense nay whereof hee will not if it be for his aduantage make a meritorious worke Incest is an horrible sinne forbidden by the law of God and by the lawe of nature And yet there is no incest excepting that which is committed betwixt the parents and the children which hee hath not authority forsooth to dispense with for as they say hee may dispense against the law of nature The Pope dispensed with Henrie the eightth to marie his sister in law and 25. q. 6 authoritatem in glâ—…ss with Philip the late king of Spaine to mary his owne niece Pope Martin the fift dispensed with a certaine brother that Antonin sum 3. part tit 1. cap. 11. §. quod Papa sum angel diâ—…t Papa maried his owne sister And Clement the seauenth licensed Petrus Aluaraâ—…lus the spaniard for a summe of money to marie two sisters at once c. Disobedience to parents periury that is breaking of lawfull oathes rebellion against lawfull princes murdering of a sacred prince are condemned by the lawe of God as haynous offences But if children shall cast of their parents to enter into a Sodomiticall cloister if the Pope shall absolue the subiects from their oathes and forbidde them
Papacie by the helpe of the diuell after whom followed in the Antichristian seat a succession of notable sorcerers 2. That the thousand yeeres begin about the 73. yeare of Christ at which time the people of the Iewes being destroyed and the Church of Christ of a particular became catholick dispersed throughout all nations the diuell as it is in the end of the 12. Chap. seeketh by all meanes to ouerthrow the seede borne of the Church Apoc. 12. of the Iewes that is the Churches of Christ begotten vnto God by the ministry of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ. Whereupon it is said Chap. 20. where the former story as some thinke is continued the Angel bindeth Satan for a thousand yeares which end in the yeare 1073. which being expired the diuell is loosed and Gregory 7. alias Hildebrand a notable sorceres and murtherer in whom Antichrist came to his full growth was installed in the Papacie Augustine beginneth this account much about De ciuit Dei Lib. 20 cap. 8. this time 3. That these 1000. yeares take their beginning from the time of the reuelation which was about the yeare of our Lord 96. and consequently ended about the yeare 1096. in which yeare those vniuersall wars were raised for the recouery of Ierusalem and the holy land out of the hand of the Saraâ—…s which the holy Ghost here seemeth to speake of betwixt the nations of the earth In this expedition there met at Ierusalem 600000. footmen and 100000. horsemen out of Christendome besides eight or nine other expeditions afterwards for the recouerie forsooth of the holy-land 4. Others begin this account at the beginning of Constantines reigne which happened not long after the yeere 300. who being the first Christian Emperour gaue peace to the Church of God and according to this account the thousand yeeres expired about the yeere 1300. in which yeere the Turkish Empire began in Ottoman and Pope Boniface the eight most insolently and Antichristianlie challenged especially in that his yeere of Iubilee an vniuersall dominion ouer the world both spirituall and temporall All which opinions being seuerally probable it is more then probable that those 1000. yeeres are already expired and consequently that Antichrist is already come For as Bellarmine teacheth the diuell was to be loosed in the time of Antichrist and the Text plainely sheweth that before the expiration of the thousand yeares and loosing of the diuell many were slaine by Antichrist So that the testimonies which he alledgeth are against his purpose For the great tribulation whereof Christ speaketh is already past and the thousand yeeres whereof Iohn speaketh already expired and therefore if Bellarmines allegations be to the purpose then Antichrist is come 3. But supposing his proposition to be thus farre true that the persecution of the church vnder Antichrist shal be very great and grieuous for that vnder him shal be the greatest tribulation that euer was or shal be I dare not auouch because our Sauiour hath said that the calamities of the Iewes at the destruction of Ierusalem were the greatest that euer were or shal be to the end of the world let vs come to his assumption and consider whether there hath not bin great and grieuous persecution of the church vnder the Pope Bellarmine confesseth that many of our religion haue bin put to death by them but he maketh it a matter of nothing First because this persecution if it were so to be called is not comparable with the persecutions vnder the Heathenish Emperours and especially vnder Dioclesian by whose authority 17000. Christians were slaine in 〈◊〉 moneth And secondly because more of them haue beene slaine by Protestants in France and Flanders within 10. or 15. yeeres before Bellarmine read these controuersies which was Anno. 1577 then had beenâ—… burnt of our men by the Inquisitours in an hundred yeeres and thirdly if there hath beene any persecution in these latter times the Catholicks haue suffered it rather theÌ„ the Protestants To which I answer that I cannot tell whether the Papists in persecuting the faithfull haue beene more cruell and barbarous or he in cloaking their cruelty shamelesse For to omit the spirituall calamities inflicted by the Pope and fearefull hauock of mens soules wherein he taketh such libertie to himselfe that if he cary whole troopes of soules into hell no man may say vnto him sir why do you so omitting I say these spirituall calamities which are most greeuous and in respect whereof the tribulation of Christian people hath bin more grieuous vnder the Pope then vnder any Heathenish tyrants and to speake onely of outward troubles why are not the persecutions of the Protestants vnder the Pope comparable with those in the Primitiue church For durance they haue beene longer and more continuall for number more flaine in France alone vnder the name of Alâ—…igenses Waldenses Hugonotes for refusing the marke of the beast then were sâ—…aine in any one of the ten persecutions throughout the world besides infinite more as Saunders confesseth in other countries Demonstrat 34. on whom the Papists haue practised most sauage cruelty The Duke of Alba in the Low-countries alone caused within a very few yeares 36000. to be executed Yea but in Dioclesians time saith Bellarmine there were in one moneth 17000. Christians martyred Yea but in France alone say I vnder Charles the ninth within one moneth were slaughtered in the Massacre at Paris Lyons some other places as some say 40000 as others aboue thirty thousand that is to say twise as many as in Dioclesians moneth without all order of law but with most perfidious treacherie and barbarous cruelty And this bloody Massacre applauded by the Pope and his Cardinals was committed within fiue or six yeeres before Bellarmine read these controuersies concerning the Pope that is to say Anno. 1572. And yet this cruell Cardinall of the purpled harlot the church of Rome which is embrued and as it were died redde with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Iesu is not ashamed to say that within 10. or 15. yeeres there haue bin slaine more Catholicks in France and Flanders then had bin burnt by the Inquisitours these 100 yeeres As touching the Inquisitours they can kill but all that they finde of the religion and that I am sure they spare not to doe Vergerius who could 1. Bal. de act Pontific well tell witnesseth that within the space of 30. yeeres there were put to diuers fearfull deaths by the bloody Inquisition a hundred fiftie thousand Christians But we speake not onely of those which haue bin burnt or by other more exquisiâ—…e torments martyred by their meanes although the number of them in all countries cannot be reckoned but we speake also of those that haue beene in great multitudes by outragious Massacres most butcherly murthered 4. But what Catholicks I beseech you haue bin put to death by protestants for their religion Bellarmine answereth that manie of them haue died in
the Iewes doo The Iewes looke for him with ioy as for their Messias but the Christians with feare I answere as true Christians looke not at all for the expected Messias of the Iewes to be Antichrist but acknowledge him that is come so Papists but that they cannot see the wood for trees might in stead of looking for Antichrist looke vppon him 10 The second thing which Bellarmine deliuereth concerning Antichrist for a certaine truth is That Antichrist shall be a Iew both by Nation and Religion that is he shall be a Iew borne hee shall be circumcised hee shall be an obseruer of the Iewes Sabboth and other Iewish ceremonies But how is this certaine truth proued forsooth from the premisses For the Iewes will not receiue one for their Messias that is not a Iew borne nor circumcised Nay it is not to bee doubted but that as the Iewes looke for their Messias out of the family of Dauid so hee will faigne himselfe to be of the Tribe of Dauid although indeed he be of the Tribe of Dan. But this Popish conceit built vpon their owne vaine imaginations needeth no answere For seeing I haue ouerthrowne their former assertion wherevpon this is grounded therefore this building of it selfe falleth to the ground Whosoeuer saith hee shall be receiued of the Iewes for their Messias he shall be a Iew borne and circumcised but Antichrist shall be receiued of the Iewes for their Messias as hath bene proued therefore Antichrist shall be a Iew borne c. The proposition is not altogether true for the Herodians receiued Herod for Epiphan lib. 1. de haeresi Iudaeor 7. their Messias and thence had their name But I will not stand vpon that The assumption I haue alreadie disproued shewing that Antichrist was not to be receiued of the Iewes for their Messias and therefore there is no validitie in this argument In the next place therefore for want either of reason or authoritie of scripture he vnderproppeth this tottering wall with testimonies of Fathers but such as either himselfe before hath reiected or else in this question may by the same reason be little regarded The twelue Fathers saith hee which affirmed that Antichrist shall be of the Tribe of Dan doo therefore holde that hee should be a Iew borne But himselfe hath tolde vs that we are not to beleeue them because their opinion cannot bee prooued out of the scriptures and therefore by the same reason neither they nor the rest are to be beleeued in this point which hath no ground in the word of God And thus his most euident demonstration is come to nothing For although the Iewes receiue not the Pope for their Messias but rather esteeme of him as of an other Pharao and withall apply vnto him all that is spoken either of Antichrist as the Papists say or of the type of Antichrist R. Ieuâ—… Gerson Antiochus as we say Dan. 7. 11. this hindereth not but that the Pope may bee Antichrist Yea this may bee some inducement to perswade vs that if those thinges which bee spoken of Antichrist or his type may in the iudgement of the Iewes who are no parties be applyed properly to the Pope that then the Pope is that Antichrist that in Daniel is figured and in other places of scripture not vnlike to that figure described Chap. 13. Of the seate or See of Antichrist 1 OVr aduersaries sixt disputatioÌ„ is concerning the seat or See of Antichrist concluded in this syllogysme Antichrist shall sit at Ierusalem and not at Rome the Pope sitteth at Rome not at Ierusalem therefore the Pope is not Antichrist The proposition concerning which all the coÌ„trouersie is is first proued by testimonies of scriptures afterwards defeÌ„ded against our obiectioÌ„s His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or proofe standeth on three testimonies of scripture The first Apoc. 11. 8. where Iohn saith that Enoch Elias shal be slaine of Antichrist in Ierusalem And their bodies shal lie in the streets of the great Citie which is called spirituall Sodome or Egypt where our Lord also was crucified But what if Iohn speaketh neither of Antichrist nor of Enoch Elias nor of IerusaleÌ„ that hee speaketh not of Antichrist it may bee doubted For verse 7. hee saith that the beast which ascendeth out of the deepe which seemeth to bee the former beast described in the beginning of Chap. 13. shall kill the two witnesses And verse 2. it is said that the court of the Temple should be giuen to the Gentiles and that they should tread vpon the holy Citie 42. moneths which is the time allotted to the persecution of the beast with seuen heads Apoc. 13. 5. Besides the Papists teach that Antichrist shall bee the Prince of the Iewes and counterfeit Christians therefore by their owne doctrine this persecution of the Church by the Gentiles should not be the persecution vnder Antichrist And that Enoch and Elias be not here spoken of it hath bene shewed before thirdly that the holy Ghost doth not meane Ierusalem I haue heretofore proued But suppose that S. Iohn did speake both of Antichrist as it Chap. 6. Lib. 1. caâ—… 2. § 17. seemeth he doth not and also of Ierusalem which I am sure hee doth not yet notwithstanding this followeth not that wheresoeuer the witnesses of Christ are put to death by him or by his authoritie that there should be his principall seate Whereas therefore Bellarmine argueth thus Where the two witnesses are put to death there is the seate of Antichrist at Ierusalem the two witnesses are put to death therefore at Ierusalem is the seate of Antichrist I answere first to the proposition that it being generally vnderstood is false if particularly then Bellarmines argumentation is not a syllogisme but a paralogisme And to the assumption I answer negatiuely that answer I haue heretofore made good prouing that not Ierusalem is here meant but ciuitas Romana the Citie and Empire of Rome which euery where in the Apocalyps is called the great Citie wherein and by authoritie wherof our Lord was crucified See the first booke chap. 2. § 16. 17. 2 His second testimonie is Apoc. 7. 16. wherevnto I haue answered before in the second chapter of the first booke § 18. But as from that place hee would proue that Rome is not the seate of Antichrist so by another argument which he addeth he proueth that it is Ierusalem For saith hee If Antichrist be a Iew and professe himselfe to be the Messias and King of the Iewes then no doubt he will sit in Ierusalem but the former of these I haue disproued in the former chapter and therefore further answere needeth not Yea but foure of the Fathers auouch that Antichrist shall sit at Ierusalem Although they did yet Bellarmine hath taught vs that we are not bound to beleeue them vnlesse their assertioÌ„ can be proued out of the scriptures And yet of these foure Fathers which he alledgeth Lactantius speaketh not of
and therefore the Angell nūb eth them vers 10. Fiue saith he are fallen one is and the other is Apoc 17. 10. not yet come which is verified of these 7. regiments wherof I spake For the regiments of Kings Consulles Decemuirs Tribunes Dictators were ceassed in the Apostles time One that is of the Emperours then was and the seuenth that is to say of the Popes was not yet come And as touching the Romane Empire erected and reuiued by the Pope it is the beast that was a flowrishing imperiall state but is not Apoc. 17. 8. indeede and in trueth the Empire of Rome but rather an image of it Apocal. 13. although it bee in name and title the Empire of Rome This beast that was and is not it is also the eight head or regiment and is one of the seuen namely of Apoc. 17. 11. Emperours 5. Secondly that Rome is mysticall Babylon it may bee Hieronym in Esay cap. 47. v. 1. item in epist. ad Marcell◅ quaest 11. ad Algasiam in praef de spirit sanct ad Paulin proued by the testimonies of very good Authours Ierome saith Romanam vrbem in Apocalypsi Ioannis Epistola Petri Babylonem specialiter appellar◅ that the citie of Rome is called Babylon specially in the Reuelation of Iohn and epistle of Peter Augustine calleth Rome the second Babylon and Babylon of the West To these we may adde Tertullian Primasius Victorinus who saith the seuen heads are the seuen hilles on De ciuit Dei lib. 18. cap. 22. 27. which the woman that is the citie of Rome doth sitte Prosper and many others Sibylla also oftentimes expresly calleth Rome Babylon Lib. aduers. Indaeos 3. 6. Thirdly by the confession of our aduersaries themselues De promiss praedict For first to proue that Peter was at Rome they say that by Babylon mentioned 1. Pet. 5. 13. is meant Rome although there can no sufficient reason be giuen why the Apostle if he had meant Rome should not rather haue vsed the name of Rome then of Babylon Secondly the Rhemists conuicted with clearenesse of truth writing on the last verse of the 17. of the In Apoc. 17. 18. Apocalypse confesse that if by Babylon is meant any one citie which before we haue proued it is most like to be old Rome And on the 5. verse they doe confesse that as the persecuting Emperours which as they say were figures of Antichrist did principally sit in Rome so it may well be that the great Antichrist shall haue his seate there And againe on the 18. verse they alledge a reason For say they by the authoritie of the old Romane Empire Christ was put to death first applying the prophecie of the 11. Chapt. verse 8. to Rome thereby at vnawares confessing that Rome is that great citie which as in the 17. of the Apocalyps is called Babylon mystically so in that place is termed spiritually Sodom and Egypt where our Lord was also crucified Thirdly the authour of the Wardword not knowing how to denie this so euident trueth is content thus farre to agree with vs that Rome is Babylon For not onely S. Iohn saith he in the Apocalyps but Peter also in his Epistle doth call Rome Babylon and we doe not denie it Bellarmine also confesseth so much Per meretricem intelligi Romain that Lib. 3. de pont R. c. 13. by the whore of Babylon is to be vnderstood Rome and proueth the same by the testimonie of Tertullian and Hierome Therfore seing mysticall Babylon is the chiefe citie and See of Antichrist as our aduersaries cannot denie with any shewe of reason and seing Rome is mysticall Babylon as hath bene proued not onely by reason testimonies but also by the confession of our aduersaries the conclusion must necessarily be inferred that Rome therefore is the seate of Antichrist 7 What then what cā the Papist answer to this syllogisme Mysticall Babylon is the seat of Antichrist Rome is mysticall Babylon Therfore Rome is the seat of Antichrist It may well be ◅y the Rhemists that the great Antichrist shall haue his seate there And we doe not denie saith the authour of the Wardword but that Rome is Babylon And Bellarmine doth not onely say it but proue it How then Forsooth wee must distinguish of Rome For Rome is either Heathenish or Christened Heathenish Rome vnder the persecuting Emperours was Babylon But Rome Christened is the Apostolicke See and as it were the Ierusalem of the Christians But this cuasion of theirs howsoeuer they please themselues in it is friuolous and absurde as shall appeare by these reasons For 1. first if Rome be Babylon as now at the length they confesse and consequently the seate of Antichrist as they cannot denie with any shewe of reason I would faine know of them whether vnder the heathenish Emperours Rome could be called the seat of Antichrist because Antichrist did then sitte in Rome or because he was to sitte there after the Heathenish Emperours were remoued If they say because he sate there then their answere is ridiculous and contrary to all that themselues hold concerning Antichrist Therefore they must needs confesse that Rome is called Babylon and the seat of Antichrist not because Antichrist sate there whiles it was heathenishe but because he was to sitte there after the Emperours were remooued 8 And that the holy ghost by Babylon doth not meane Heathenish Rome vnder the persecuting Emperours either onely or principally but Rome christened vnder the Pope it may further appeare out of the whole discourse of Saint Iohn in the seuenteenth and eighteenth of the Apocalypse The whore of Babylon is the great city which in the Apostles 2. time and since vnder the Popes reigned ouer the kings of the earth called a whore and the mother of fornications not onely because her selfe hath by spirituall fornications plaid the strumpet according to that which is sayd of Ierusalem Fidelis ciuit as fact a est meretrix The faithfull city is become an Esay 1. harlot but also infected al kings and nations subiect vnto her with her superstition idolatry But Rome heathenish which neither dealt by whorish sleights and allurements but by martiall pollicy and power neither had professed her selfe to bee the Church and spouse of Christ could not so fitly be called an harlot whereby is signified an adulterous and apostaticall state And besides Heathenish Rome for the most part permitted to euery countrey their owne religion and was so far from enforcing her religion vpon other nations subiect vnto her that as in her was erected the Pantheon in honour of all the Gods which Boniface the fourth hauing obtained of Phocas Marcellin lib. 16. Rosin lib. 2. c. 9. consecrated to the virgin Mary and all the Saints so shee admitted the idoles religions and superstitions allmost of all other countries excepting the religions of the Egyptians and the Iewes because they did not forsooth beseeme the maiesty of the
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentially absolutely namely as he together with the father and the holy ghost is one and the same eternall Iehouah and onely true God In which respect if the Papists deny Christ to be God of himselfe as they do when they accuse this our doctrine of heresie and deny him so to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himself as we affirm they do also deny him to be God SecoÌ„dly when as not onely in heauen they set aboue him his mother whom they cal the Queene of heauen desiring her to coÌ„maund him to shew her selfe to be a mother as though Christ were as they paint him a baby vnder his mothers gouernmeÌ„t for so they say Iube natuÌ„ iure matris impera againe monstra te esse matreÌ„ c. but also on earth when euery shaueling priest caÌ„ by breathing out a few words out of his vnclean mouth create his maker for so they teach Sacerdos est creator creatoris sui that is the priest is maker of his maker And againe Qui creauit Stella clericor serm discip serm 111. apud Iuellum vos dedit vobis creare se Hee which made you gaue you power to make him when he hath so done offer him vp to his father Wherein euery priest amoÌ„g theÌ„ being the sacrificer is after a sort preferred aboue Christ who is the sacrifice Thirdly when as they appoint vnto Christ a vicar to supply his absence vnto whom they assigne all power which is in heaueÌ„ and earth yea Vid. Cap. 5. infinit power which they say is translated froÌ„ Christ vnto him what do they else but make Christ a titular king and with the Epicures an idle God who hath as it were resigned al his right authority to the Pope What a man they make our Sauiour Christ who knoweth not when they hold with fire fagot persecute those that will not hold the same that his body is multipresent that is present in many or rather infinit places at once and that discoÌ„tinued for they say that it being in heauen is also present really and corporally vpon the earth wheresoeuer their Masse is celebrated or their hoste reserued howsoeuer it is not in the space betwixt heauen and earth nor in those places where the host is not which is to assigne many or rather innumerable bodies to our Sauiour Christ. And further that his very body which they say is really preseÌ„t in the Masse is void of quantitie qualitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not circuÌ„scribed not visible nor any way sensible coÌ„sequently no body The which in effect is as much as to denie that Christ is come in the flesh which is the doctrine of that Antichrist whereof John speaketh And here by the way note the absurditie of Papists 1. Iohn 4. 3. 2. Iohn 7. who circumscribe the deity of the father whiles they resemble the same by pictures or images and denie the humanitie of the sonne to be circumscribed consequently against all reason make the deitie finit and the humanitie infinit The office of Christ is his mediation Now what a mediatour they make him you may easily iudge wheÌ„ they ioyne infinit others with him For the Apostle saith that there is but one mediatour 1. Tim. 2. 5. betwixt God and man and this one alone our Sauiour Christ is or else he is none at all 8. Again Christ may be denied directly expresly that may be done either secretly in priuate or else opeÌ„ly in publick profession After the latter sort Antichrist was not to denie our Sauiour Christ because he was to be an hypocrite a disguised enemy as hath bene proued Neither was it necessary that he should deny Christ expresly directly yet this also may bee proued of diuerse Popes Who howsoeuer they professed publickly that Iesus is Christ which is all that our aduersaries alledge in this case and yet that all is nothing for the Diuels theÌ„selues haue publickly professed Iesus to be Christ yet priuately and among their fauourets they haue denied Christ not that onely but haue shewed theÌ„selues also to haue bene meere Atheists diuels incarnat For to omit Iohn the 22. who denied the immortality of the soule of some is called the 23. of others 24. were not Alexander the 6. Sixtus the fourth Iulius 2. and Paulus 3. besides diuers others very Atheists were not more then twenty of them knowne Necromancers and sorcerers not to speake of them which were not knowne which renouÌ„cing Christ our Sauiour betooke theÌ„selues to the Diuel As namely Siluester 2. Benedict 9. Gregory 5. Gregory the 7. who also in a rage cast the Eucharist that is according to their opinion the very body of Christ into the fire because it did not answere to his questions when as he consulted therewith And what may we thinke of Clement the seueÌ„th who when he was at deaths doore said he should now be certified of three things wherof he had doubted al his life viz. whether there be a God whether the soule be immortall and whether there be a life after this life Or of Iulius the 3. who being forbidden by the Physitians the vse of Porke commaunded his porke to be set before him Al dispette di Dio In despite of God As for Pope Leo the 10. hee did plainely enough denie Christ when as more then once he called the Gospell the fable of Christ For wheÌ„ he had receiued an incredible summe of money for indulgences he said to Bembus O quantum nobis Ex. Sibrand â—…ull de pap Rom. l. 10. c. 18 profuit illa de Christo fabula O how much that fable of Christ hath profited vs And another time when Bembus alledged for his comfort a testimonie out of the Gospell he answered Quid mihi narras fabulamillaÌ„ de Christo What doest thou tell me of that fable of Christ If therefore this bee a property of Antichrist to denie Christ then it cannot be auoided but that according to our aduersaries owne groundes the Pope who so many waies denieth Christ is Antichrist And so much of his opposition to the Prophecie of Christ. For of the other three doctrines which the Papistes assigne to Antichrist See booke 〈◊〉 chap. 14. we are to intreat when wee come to answere the obiections of the Papists 9. To the Priesthood of Christ our only priest and mediatour who according to the Scriptures with the oblatioÌ„ of himselfe once made hath perfectly redeemed vs are opposed 1. Heb. 10. 12. 14 Their priesthood whereby Christ is daily offred and his sacrifice repeated in their abominable sacrifice of the Masse propitiatory as they say both for the quicke and the dead 2. Their owne satisfactions as prices of sinne opposed to the satisfactioÌ„ of Christ 3. Their adioyning vnto Christ other intercessours and mediatours by whose not onely intercession they hope to be heard but also merites hope to be saued
bad e Nicolaus EgmuÌ„danus apud Bal. de vit poÌ„l. Pontificem RomanuÌ„ habere imperium in angelos ac daemonas That the Pope hath rule ouer the Angels and Diuels That he hath power to command the Angels for so they say f Gregor Haimburg in appellat Sigism apud Iuell Papa Angelis habet imperare g Camotensis Papa angelis praecipit And according to these testimonies which auouch his right is the Popes practise For not onely he callengeth greater honour reuerence to be done to himselfe then is due to the angels for he admitteth of adorations fallings downe before him which the angels refuse because they are our fellow seruants but also he taketh vpon him to coÌ„maund the holy Angels at his pleasure to remoue soules departed out of purgatory into heauen Clement the 6. in his bull concerning those which should come to Rome to celebrate the Iubile he coÌ„maundeth the Angels of heauen that if any of theÌ„ should die in that lourney to bring their soules being wholy freed from Purgatory into the glory of Paradise His words be these Prorsus mandamus angelis paradisi quatenus animam à purgatorio penitus absolutam in paradisi gloriam introducant 5. It remaineth that I should shew how the Pope aduanceth himselfe aboue the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the thinges wherein God is worshipped or which are worshipped as God in the church of Rome as namely the Saints the crosse the altar and their God of bread As for the saints they are subiect to the Antonin part 3. lit 22. cap. 5. §. 5. Pope quoad canonizationem standing at the curtesie and free disposition of the Pope whether to bee deified that is as they speake to bee canonized or to be deposed For such is his authority Troilus Maluil in tract de canonis sanct 3. dub if you will beleeue him in canonizing of Saints that hee can canonize whom he will yea of a damned person cast into hell he can make a saint in heauen and contrariwise hee Antoninus part 3. lit 22 c 5. §. 6. can vnsaint those which before wore canonized The crosse which they say is to bee worshipped with diuine worshippe is notwithstanding made an ensigne of the Popes authoritie Traianum Gregorius per orationem sud a poena infâ—…rni quae infinita est absoluit and is borne before him as the mace before the magistrate or the sword before the prince when their procession is at an end it is laid vnder his feet And that he may be knowne euen literally so to sitte in the material temple as if he were a God it is to be noated that his seat in the church is aboue the altar But their chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is their God of bread which because they imagine it to be Christ himselfe it is worshipped among them as their maker and redeemer notwithstanding in the Popes processions and iourneyes it is made an attendaunt on his holinesse For I shall not neede to tell you now which you heard before how Pope Hildebrand when it did not answere his demands as being not vsed to speake did cast it into the fire It is worthy to bee remembred which is reported by Ioannes Monlucius the Bishop of Valence who was the french Lib de religione ad Reginam matrâ—… Fulmen brut pag. 12. 13. kings Embassadour at Rome testified by others that when the Pope is to trauell abroad three or foure dayes before hee sendeth the Eucharist that is Christ their maker on horseback accompanied with muletors and horsekeepers and courtisants and cookes with sumpterhorses and all the baggage of his court Afterwards the Pope who professeth himselfe his vicar followeth attended with Cardinalls Primates Bishops and Potentates And when he commeth neere to the place whether he trauelleth their Christ is brought to meete him on the way that it may be caried before him into the towne But with what difference of honour is hee and his attendant caried in such solemne processions The Pope either rideth on a goodly white horse vnder a stately canopie or else is caried aloft vpon noble mens shoulders in a chaire of golde when the Christ of the Papists the Popes attendaunt is caried vpon a simple hackney in comparison with no such magnificence yet that hackney is the Popes vicar appointed in his steed to Stapleton in epist. ded cat ante pâ—…incip doâ—…in caâ—…ie the Monstrame In a word he is supremuÌ„ numen in terris the chiefe or supreme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to be worshipped on earth 6 But let vs come to the height of Antichrists pride For it is not sufficient for the Pope to be lifted vp aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped vnlesse he take vpon him as if he were God and seeke to match himselfe with Christ as the name Antichrist importeth that vnto him the height of Antichrists a In c. ecclesia vt lite peâ—…dente in Concil Lateran sub Iuâ—…o Bald. in l. barbar de off praet pride may also be applied which is described in these words insomuch that hee sit teth in the temple of God as God behauing himselfe as if he were god or which is all one shewing himselfe that he is god For of his followers and flatterers hee is said to be all and aboue all the cause of causes and the first b Gomesius de regul cancell cause Bald. in c. ecclesia vt lite pendente that hee is numen quoddam visibilem quendam Deum praese serens a certaine diuine maiesty shewing himself to be a certaine visible God Agreeable to the prophecy 2. Thess. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Beza translateth praese ferens hebr moreh i. facrens se apparere of some he is called c Decius c. 1. de constitutionib Caâ—…dill pro concil trident Bald. Cod. sentent rescindendi 1. vit de electione Felin c. ego N de iureius terrenus Deus or Deus in terris a God vpon earth In the councel of Laterane it was said to him he heard it willingly d Christoph. Marcellan conâ—…l Lateran sess 4. In arca triumph Impress Lugâ—…uni 〈◊〉 1555 Tu es alter Deus in terris thou art another God vpon earth in honour of that hellhound Sixtus the 4. it was written and presented to his view that he is worthilie beleeued to be a God vpon earth Orac'lo vocis mundi moderaris habenas Et meritò in terris crederis esse Deus By the oracle of thy voice thou gouernest the world and worthily art thou beleeued to be a god vpon earth The Canonists call him Our Lord God the Pope For so it is written not onely in diuerse old editions but also in that newe edition which by the authority of Pope Gregory 13. was corrected and published Credere dominum Deum nostrum Papam conditorem dictae
decretalis istius nö sic potuisse statucre prout statuit haereticum censeatur to beleeue that our Lord God the Pope the authour of this and the aforesaid decretal could not decree as he hath decreed it ought to be indged hereticall And as they willinglie heare themselues called God and not onelie themselues heare or reade it but by their authoritie appoint the same to be published vnto the world so they are content to bee worshipped and adored as God Neither was the complaint of Frederic the second vntrue Pontifices Romanos affectare dominationem diuinitatem atque In Epist ad Othon Bauar duc apud Aâ—…entin lib. 7 vt ab hominibus haud aliter imó magis quà m Deus timeantur That the Popes of Rome affect Lordshippe and diuinity and that they may bee feared of men no otherwise yea more then God Franciscus Zabarella a Cardinall of Rome saith The Popes haue beene made to beleeue such is their pride that Apud Iuellum they can doe all things what they list euen vnlawfull things and that they are plusquam Deus more then God These are more then sufficieÌ„t to prooue that the Pope taketh vpoÌ„ him as if he were a God although he should not in word affirme any such thing of himself But so shamelesse is this Antichrist Gregor 9. de translat episc c. quanto canter corporalia that he affirmeth the like things of himselfe As namely that those things which he doth be done by a diuine power and the reason is giuen by his Lawyers because the Pope canonicallie elected is a God vpon earth Whereupon Innocentiue 3. vseth vt eccles benesic c. vâ—… nosâ—…uÌ„ Capistran fol. 23. these words vt nostrum prodeat de Dei vultu iudicium that our iudgement may proceed from the face of god That Peter con sequently his successor the Pope for to that purpose it is alleaged is assumd into the felowship of the vndiuided vnity And in Bonifac. in 8. de elect one place he not only affirmeth but by testimony also confirmeth C. Fundamenta in sexto that he is God Satis euidenter saith he osteÌ„ditur a seeulari potestâ—…te nâ—… ligart prorsus nee solâ—…i posse pontificeÌ„ queÌ„ constat Distinct. 96. c. satis cuidenter a pio principe Constantino DeuÌ„ appellatuÌ„ nec posse DeuÌ„ ab hominibus iudicari manifestuÌ„ est Wher the Pope proueth he caÌ„not be iudged by any secular power by this reasoÌ„ God caÌ„not be iudged of meÌ„ The Pope is god therfore the pope may not be iudged of meÌ„ assumption he approueth by the forged testimonie of Constantine And therefore not vnworthily by a worthy Bishoppe in Auentinus the Pope is said to be Antichrist in whose forehead this name of blasphemy is written Deus sum errare non possum Lib. 7. Eberharduâ—… Ep. silâ—…sourgensis I am God I cannot erre 7 But as I said the name Antichrist signifieth such a one as seeketh to match Christ. Let vs therefore farther consider how this agreeth to the Pope For if the Pope doe seeke to match himselfe with Christ then by this argument alone if there were no more hee may be certainely conuinced to bee Antichrist In Christ wee consider his natures and his offices As touching his nature the Pope if you will beleeue their blasphemies a Extrau in Ioan. 22. aequè ac Christus Deus est ens secundae intentionis compositum ex Deo homine As well as Christ he is god a being Vid Erasm. annotat in 1. Tim. 1. Papa stupor mundi Clemen in pro aem in gloss of the second intention compounded of god and man And as Christ in respect of the one nature is greater then man and in regard of the other lesse then God so they say of the Pope b Ioan. a Capistr de Papae ecclesiae authoritate Est quasi deus in terris maior homine minor Deo plenitudinem obtinens potestatis He is as it were a god vpon earth greater then a man and lesse then god hauing the fulnesse of power That he is a man I shall not neede to proue howbeit some of his followers cannot well tell what to make of him They say hee is the wonderment of the world c Nec deus es nec homo quasi neuter es inter vâ—…rumque neither God nor man but a neuter betwixt both That hee would bee supposed and acknowledged as a God besides all the allegations in the former section it appeareth also by the diuine properties which are attributed to the Pope His holinesse that is to say the Pope for his holinesse is himselfe is d Ps. 94. 1. Rod. Cupers de ecclesia pag. 61. num 52. Deus vindictae the god of reuenge true without errour yea without possibilitie of erring for hee cannot erre whose e Sub finem tit de censib exact procur in Clement ad verbum volumus Abb. Panorm de constitut de translat it episc c quanto in gloss will must stande for reason as if it were the rule of iustice For euen as some of his f Gerâ—…chus apud Auentin lib. 5. friends say he often beateth vpon that of the Satyre Sic volo sic iubeo sit proratione volunt as So I will so I command my will must stand for reason And therefore it were no better then g Dist. 40. non nos in gloss sacriledge to call in question any of his doings For power whether you vnderstand potestatem or potentiam that is authority or might hee would seeme to be infinit in respect of both for h Lib. caerem. 1. sect 7. infinit power is giuen vnto him And if vnto Christ i Cupers de eccl pag 50. num 45. 46. De maior obed c. vnam sanctam in gloss was giuen all power in heauen and in earth then the Pope who is his vicar hath the same power He forsoth is the k Bald. c. ecclesia vt lite pendente cause of causes of whose power none must enquire seeing of the first cause there is no cause yea to l In L. sacrilegij c. de crim sacril doubt of his power is no better then sacriledge m Panormit ex Hostiensi extr de translat praelat c. quanto de electi c. licet Excepto peccato potest quasi omnia facere quae potest Deus Sinne excepted the Pope may doe all things as it were which God may doe He can chaunge the nature of things yea n De translat episc c. quaÌ„to in gloss of nothing he can make something and of vniustice righteousnesse for hee hath the fulnesse of power 8. If you respect his office he hath the same o Bellarm. de pont Rom. l. 5. c. 4. which Christ had whiles he was on the earth howbeit there is great oddes in their outward estates p R. Cupers de eccl pag. 50. num
to obey their princes if he shal excommunicate a lawfull prince or suborne a wicked traytour to murder his soueraigne then disobedience to parents periurie and rebellion in subiectes murthering of sacred Princes is not onelie a warrantable but also a meritorious acte For as you haue hearde Papa ex iniustitia potest facere iustitiam The Pope of sinne can make righteousnesse And that the Pope may thus dispense with the word of God his canonistes and diuines doe diuersely dispute One saith a Michael Medina Christian paraenes lib. 7. c. 17. Gratian. part 1. pag. 76. Potestas in diuinas leges ordinariè in Romano pontifice residet Power ouer the lawes of God remaineth ordinarily in the pope of Rome Others say Papa potest dispensare contra ius diuinum b 16. q. 1. de decimiâ—… in â—…loss Dist. 34. c. Lector 15 q. 6. authoritatem Priuilegium contra ius diuinum concedi potest The Pope may dispense or grant a priuiledge against the law of God c Abb. Panorm extr de d 〈◊〉 cap. sin that is as another saith hee may dispense against the law of God in particular but not in generall Papa potest dispensare contra Apostolum the Pope may dispense against the Apostle d Felin de constitut cap statuta canonum The Pope may dispense against the new testament vpon a greate cause e The Pope may dispense against the Epistles of Paule And to put this matter out of doubt which is so doubtfullie handled by some popish writers this question in summa angelica is determined and decided out of diuerse authors approued in the church of Dictione Papa Rome That as in the precepts of the second table the Pope cannot dispense vniuersally for that were not to dispense with them but wholly to abrogate the lawes themselues but in particular cases vbi ratio legis desicit where the reason of the lawe faileth so hec may dispense with all the precepts of the old and new testament But how shall wee know where the reason of the lawe faileth This may partly be knowne by those examples in the scripture where God himselfe dispensed with his lawes But where there is no example of Gods dispeÌ„sation in the like case then it appertaineth to the Pope alone to declare when and in what particular case the reason of the lawe faileth And I sirmelie beleeue saith the authour of that booke that if any man crauing a dispensation in any case against the lawe of God interpose not importunitie of reward or suite but simplie put himselfe into the hands of the Pope by declaring his case that God will not sufter his vicar to erre in dispensing So that whereas the lawes and commandements of God are to bee vnderstoode with this exception onely Nisi Deus ipse aliter voluerit vnlesse God himselfe otherwise appoint because hee alone may dispense with his owne lawes notwithstanding by the popish diuinitie they are to bee vnderstood with this exception vnlesse the Pope otherwise appoint that is wee are bound to keepe euery commaundement of God vnlesse the Pope interpose his authoritie betwixt God and vs as the tribunes of the comunalty among the Romanes were wont to intercede against other magistrates and exempt vs from the obedience thereof 12 And as the Pope may dispense with all the lawes of God so in the last place hee may and doth take away some and abrogate others Papa potest tollere ius diuinum ex Felinus de maior obed cap. sin parte non in totum the Pope may take away the law of God in part but not in whole Thus hee taketh away the second commaundement out of the decalogue because with it his Idolalatrie cannot stand and to make vp the full number of ten he diuideth the last commandement into two against all reason and authority of antiquitie But that commandement concerning images and diuerse others the Pope also abrogateth by his countermaunds God forbiddeth vs either to worshippe or to serue any but himselfe Mat. 4. 10. 1. Sam. 7. 3. Ex. 20. 3. The Pope commaundeth vs to worshippe Angells and Saints yea and the reliques of Saints God forbiddeth the making and worshipping of images the Pope commaundeth the contrary God condemneth stewes the Pope alloweth them yea Six 4. Concilâ—…trid sess 5. one of them built a famous stewes God condemneth concupiscence as a sinne the Pope alloweth it for no sinne God commaundeth all the faithfull to drinâ—… of the cup in the Lords supper the Pope forbiddeth the same God commaundeth euery soule to be subiect to the higher powers the Pope exempteth his cleargie a iugo seculari from the secular yoke God commaundeth all to mary who haue not the gift of continencie the Pope forbiddeth all his cleargie though neuer so incontinent to mary Besides it is euident that the Popes lawes in the church of Rome are in greater estimation theÌ„ the lawes of God the obedience of them beeing more straightly vrged and the disobedience thereof more seuerely punished then of Gods lawes As for example it is more safe for a man in the church of Rome to bee a meere Atheist a worshipper of no God then not to bee a worshipper of their God of bread though otherwise a good Christian better for a priest to bee a So domit then to mary better to bee a drunkard and whoremonger then to eat slesh in Lent better with the begging friers Anno. 1254. Matth. Paris 1254. to set foorth a new gospell which they called the gospell of the holy ghost and the eternall gospell wherein they taught that Christ is not God and that his gospell is not the true gospell Naâ—…r t. 2. 3â—…6 and no more to be compared with their gospell then the Bal. in lib. de vitis pontif in append 〈◊〉 Fox nutshell is to be compared with the kernel then for that learned man Guilielmus des Amore to write against them and their gospell for him the Pope disgraded and deposed from al his dignities when he would not suffer them to be disgraced him he sent into exile when hee retained them in his high fauour Yet because he had rather be Antichrist then seeme so he caused the friers Gospel when it was complained of to be burnt yet secretly that his Friers might not be disgraced nor scandalized Better for priuate men to reade any bookes of ribaldry or any villany whatsoeuer then to read any parte of the scriptures in their owne tongue To these many other particulars might be added wherin the Pope aduanceth his owne lawes aboue the commaundements of God and his owne authority aboue the authority of the Scriptures Let vs therefore humbly conclude according to the popish humilitie that as the Pope is aboue the Church so the Church is aboue the scriptures Humiliter confitemur saith a Papist ecclesiae authoritatem Ioan. Maria verractus apud Iuellum esse supra Euangelium We humbly coÌ„fesse that the authority
supreame iudge in all causes Antonin sum part 3. tit 22. cap. 5. §. 17. and controuersies that to him lieth appeale from all iudges whatsoeuer and that immediately By which chanels haue flowed abundance of riches into the sea of the Popes treasurie And fitly is it compared to the 11 Theodoric Niem tract 6. c. 37. sea whereunto all riuers flow and yet doth not ouerflowe It is lawfull saith one of their owne lawyers to appeale from any to the Pope immediatelie which saith he they haue prouided that they might drawe controuersies Petr. Ferrariens inform sent indesin §. sed ad queÌ„cunque vnto their court and so might satisfie their owne auarice which notwithstanding they shall neuer doe noting that it is vnsatiable And heereunto appertaineth that acclamation of one of their owne chronographers for hauing shewed that searcely there was any spirituall promotion which was not Abbas vrsperg pag. 321. become litigious the cause brought to Rome but not with empty hand Reioyce saith he our mother Rome for the floud-gates of the treasures in the earth are opened that vnto thee may flowe riuers and heapes of money in great abundance Reioyce oâ—…er the iniquity of the sonnes of men because in recompence of so great ouills there is a price or roward giuen vnto thee Be glad for thy helper discord which hath burst out of the bottomlesse pilte of hell that vnto thee many rewards of mony might be gathered in heapes Thou hast that which thon alwayes thirsted after sing a song for by the wickednesse of men and not by thy religion thou hast vanquished the world Vnto thee doth not the deuotion of men or pure conscience drawe them but the committing of manifold crimes and the decision of controuersies procured by mony Furthermore with fained words they haue taught that there is a pâ—…gatory wherein the soules of many of the elect are tormented for a time that out of this purgatory the soules may be deliuered by the prayers of the liuing especially by the satisfactorie prayers of those whome they call religious by masses and trentalls of masses by the works of supererogation and merites of others applied vnto them By this conceipt which was the foundation of religious houses the Popes cleargie had gotten the chiefest possessions of all Europe into their hands Monasteryes saith one of their owne writers were founded in times past for deuotion Petr. Ferrariensâ—…in form libell quo agâ—…tur ex substit §. ex suo corpore though now adayes for rapine and couetousnesse insomuch that they haue at this day destroyed the world and brought to nothing the state of the Empire and of all lay men Wherefore all such places as are or shall be made may worthilie bee called â—…ettes framed to catch lay mens goodes In this small land of ours the reuenewes of the irreligious houses which were dissolued did arise according to the olde rents which are scarce the tenth part of the true valewe to the summe of a hundred thirtie foure thousand six hundered and three pounds two shillings fourepence halfepennie Neither are the Popes owne reuenewes arising from these grounds to be omitted For purgatory forsooth is his peculier and the merites of Saints and works of supererogation which are the treasure of the church are in his disposition So that by his applying thereof to whom â—…ee pleaseth hee can either shorten their time in purgatorie or wholy set them at libertie by his indulgences and pardons accordingly as hee is paide for the same And yet there are many more deuises and sained words whereby the Pope maketh merchandise of men for the enriching of himselfe and his clergie As by his iubileyes and canonizing of Saints by his promising of remission of sinnes and eternall life to those that will fight his battailes or execute his wicked designes by his doctrines of merites and works of supererogation of inuocation of Saints of adoration of images and reliques of pilgrimages and in a word by all the doctrines almost of Poperie I meane those which bee peculier to the Pope and church of Rome which are fayned words douised in diuellish pollicie to mainetaine their vnsatiable lust ambition and couetousnesse By all this which hath beene saide it plainelie appeareth that the Pope most worthilie deserueth to bee called the man of sinne especiallie if you consider that in respect of diuerse of the aforesaide sinnes hee is such a sinner as Ieroboam was who caused all Israell to sinne For hee is not onelie an apostate but also the heade of the catholike apostasie not onelie an hereticke but the false prophet and brocher of popish heresyes not onelie an idolatour and adulterer but also the cause and authour of these abominations in all the Christian world making all sorts of men drunke with the wine of his fornications 12 It remaineth therfore that we should consider whether the other two titles of Antichrist do belong to the Pope namely that he is the sonne of perdition and the outlaw or lawlesse person As touching the former there is no questioÌ„ to be made but that if he be the man of sin as hath been proued hee is also the child of perdition in that sence that Iudas is so called Iohn 17. 12. And that hee deserueth most iustlie to bee called the outlawe or lawlesse person it is most euident Not onelie because hee is a transgressour of the lawe for seeing euerie sinne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A transgression of the law therefore hee that is the man of sinne must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the outlawe but also because he professeth himselfe to be the sonne of Beliall that is to say a man without yoke who taketh himselfe to be bound to no law but chalengeth authority to break al lawes or at least to dispense with them For first as touching the lawes authority of men Papa solutus est omni lege humana that is the Pope is not bound to any humane lawe Legi non Casus Papales apud Hostiensem c. Innocent 3. extr de concess praebend c. pro. posuit Bald. in c. caâ—… super de causi proprict possess subiacet vlli he is subiect to no law And according to the fulnes of power he may as himselfe professeth de iure supraius dispensare dispense with the law aboue lawe yea hee may doe all things supraius contraius extraius aboue lawe against lawe and without lawe And therefore of all others most worthilie called the outlawe And as for humane authority he is to iudge all but to be iudged of none Nec totus Clerâ—…s nec totus mundus potest Papam iudicare aut deponere Not the Petr. de palude de potestate Papae art 4. whole cleargie nor the whole world may iudge the Pope or depose him Neither doth he indeede subiect himselfe to the lawe of God For hee not onely taketh vpon him to dispense with the word and law of God as you
he hath 400. yeares of pardon c. 10 They that visite the church of Saint Paul without the walles haâ—… 48000. yeares of pardon Item on Childerâ—…asse day 2. 4000 yeares of pardon Item on the vias of Saint Martin when the church was hallowed 14000. yeares of pardon and as many quarins and the third part of all sinnes released Those that visit the church of Saint Lauâ—…ence at the high altar haue 18000. 3. yeares of pardon and as many quarins And who goeth thither euery wednesday he deliuered a soule out of purgatory himself quite of all â—…nes In the church Sanctâ—…crucis that is of holy crosse is giuen an hundred thousand yeares of pardon and as 4. many quarins and euery Sunday a soule out of Purgatory and the third part of all sinnes released To theÌ„ that visite the church of 5 S. Mary Maior is grauÌ„ted at the high Altar 14000. yeares of pardon as many quarins And at the altar on the right haÌ„d 19000. yeares of pardoÌ„ And Pope Nicolas the 4. S. Gregory each of them grauÌ„ted thereto 10000. yeares of pardon And froÌ„ the AscensioÌ„ of our Lord vnto Christmas yee haue there 14000. yeares of pardon and as many quarins and the third part of all sins released To them that visite the church of S. Sebastian is granted 6 forgiuenesse of sinnes and all penaunce At the high Altar is giuen 2800. yeares of pardon and at the first Altar in the Church 2400. There is a vawte where lie buried 49. Popes that were Martyrs whoso commeth first into that place deliuereth 8. soules out of Purgatory of such as hee most desireth and as much pardon therto that all the worlde cannot number nor recken And euery Sunday you deliuer there a soule out of purgatory In that vawte standeth a pitte in which Peter and Paule were hidde 250 yeares he that putteth his head into that pitte and taketh it out againe is cleane of all sinnes To that place siue Popes each of them graunted a thousand yeares of pardon and as many karins And so the grace that is at S. Sebastians is grounded that it cannot be taken away To those that 7 visit the Church of S. Iohn Laterane Pope Siluester gaue as many yeares of pardon as it rained droppes of water the day that he hallowed the same Church And that time it rayned so sore that no man had seene a greater rayne before that day And when hee had graunted this hee doubted whether hee had so much power Then a voice came from heauen and said Pope Syluester thou haste power enough to giue that pardon And God graunted this much thereto that if a man had made a vowe to Ierusalem and lacked good to doe his Pilgrimage if hee goe from S. Peters Church to S. Iohn Lateranes hee shal be absolued from that promise And any time that a man commeth to Saint Iohn Lateranes hee is quite of all sinnes and of all penaunce with that that he be penitent for his sinnes Blessed is the mother that beareth the childe that bareth Masse on Saterdayes at Saint Iohn Lateranes For hee deliuered all them that hee desired out of Purgatory to the number of 77. soules Item on the tower of the Churche standeth a double crosse that was made of the sworde wherewith Saint Iohn was beheaded and euery time a man beholdeth that crosse hee hath 14000. yeares Pardon At the high altar a man may haue remission of all sinnes and of all penaunce and innumerable pardon more then he needeth for himselfe There is a graue wherein Saint Iohn laid himselfe hee that putteth therein his head hee hath an hundred thousand yeares of pardon and as many karins These indulgences with many such like which for breuity sake I omitte my Authour saith are written in a Marble stone before the Quire dore c. Besides these seuen there are many inferiour Churches whereunto great indulgeÌ„ces haue bene graunted by the Popes There are named in the aforesaid Booke 26. Churches wherein is graunted to them that visit any of them 1000. yeares pardon and in some 3000 in others 5000. some wherein promise is made of release from a third parte of sinnes and in some from all sinnes Here is a Church of Saint Gregory in which whosoeuer is buried hee shall neuer be damned Thus saith my Authour may a man haue at Rome great pardon and soule health blessed beene the people and in good time borne that receiueth these graces and well keepeth them c. 11. Hereby it appeareth that the Pope causeth the inhabitants of the earth to worship the beast with seuen heads that is seuen hilles that with the citie of Rome which wee haue proued to bee the whore of Babylon the inhabitants of the earth haue committed spirituall fornication and that with the cuppe of her fornications they haue beene infatuated and made drunke And that the Pope hath caused men vpon paine of death to worshippe the image of the 3. beast which he hath animated and put life into it is easie to proue whether you vnderstande it literally or mystically For literally as they haue put life and motion into images and made them to speake in the sight of men so haue they suffered none to liue that would not participate with them in their idolatry which they call worshipping of images Mystically the image signifieth either the Popes court or Empire renewed or both the one resembling the authority and power the other bearing the name and representing the dignitie of the old Empire Of the Popes court at Rome and of his Legates and Officers abroad there is no question to bee made but that none are suffered to liue which worshippe not them And it is true also of the Empire But by worshipping the image of the beast wee doe not vnderstand obedience to the Emperour in his lawfull decrees but the obedience performed vnto him as hee is an image of the persecuting Emperours inspired by the Pope and seruing as his minister to establish and propagate the Romish religion In this sence as hee who obeyeth him worshippeth the image of the beast and is in the same predicament with those that receiue the marke of the beast Apoc. 14. 9 So hee that obeyeth him not is put to death and dying in this quarell is in the same happy state with Apoc. 14 13. 15. 2. those which refuse to receiue the marke of the beast CHAP. 9. ¶ Of those things which Antichrist was and is to suffer 1. WE haue heard what Antichrist was to doe to others now let vs consider what the holy Ghost foretelleth shall be done vnto him There is mention made Apoc. 17. 12. of the Apoc. 17. 12. c. ten hornes that is the rulers of the ten prouinces subiect to the Empire in the West who although in the Apostles time had not receiued kingdome or soueraigne authority but were deputies onely vnder the Emperour yet after the decay of the
worth yet he was content to make a flourish with it because he had some of the Fathers to father it vpon Afterwards he commeth nearer to the purpose and saith that Caluin as some of the Fathers before him to wit Cyprian and Ierome affirmeth and so doth Bellarmine himselfe else where that Daniel speaketh of Antiochus Epiphanes who was a type of Antichrist Therefore leauing his former hold he reasoneth thus Such as is the type or figure such is the thing figured Antiochus the type was but one singular person therfore Antichrist that is figured is but one The proposition is to be vnderstood of the proportion and likenesse onely in those things in respect whereof the type is a figure and not generally in all things As for example the High-priest was a type or figure of Christ but therefore it doth not follow that there was but one High-priest because Christ is one The Papists holde that Melchisedec who was but one was a type of their Masse Priests which are many Iosuah Dakid and Salomon were types of Christ but therefore not like vnto him in all things So Antiochur may not vnfitly be said to haue beene a type of Antichrist because as Pharaoh was a type of other tyrants which oppressed the Church of God so he in falshood deceit pride idolatry cruelty and persecuting of the Church of God resembled Antichrist the man of sinne which is an enemie and is listed vp about all that is called God or that is worshipped In which respects Antiochus was so fit a type of Antichrist that R. Leui Gerson alledged by Bellarmine in the end of the 12. chap. applieth whatsoeuer is spoken of him Dan. 7. 11. to the Pope of Rome If therefore you vnderstand the proposition generally it is false if particularly the whole argumentation is a fallacion 8. His fift testimonie is Apoc. 13. 17. For these places are to be vnderstood of Antichrist as Irenaeus teacheth and as it is plaine by the likenesse of the words in Daniel and Iohn c. His reason is thus framed If Daniel spake of one King then also Iohn but the former is true therefore the later The proposition wherin there is indeed no coherence he prooueth by the similitude of their words First because both make mention of ten Kings which shal be in the earth when Antichrist shall come It is true that both make mention of ten hornes but with such difference as that otherwise there is no likenesse Antiochus in Daniel by whom Bellarmine would haue vs to vnderstand Antichrist is the last of the ten not one besides the ten otherwise the fourth beast were a beast of eleuē hornes Antichrist is one besides the ten hornes in the Reuelation and of Bellarmine somtimes is called the eleuenth Bellarmines Antichrist in Daniel is the little horne signifying indeed but one man but the true Antichrist in the Reuelation is called not an horne but the beast whereby not one man but a state is signified The ten hornes in Daniel are so many kings which succeed one another in the kingdome vsurped ouer the Iewes before the cōming of the Messias the ten hornes in the Reuelation are so many rulers ouer diuers kingdomes which receiue their kingdome together not only after the incarnatiō of Christiō but also after the dissolutiō of the Roman Empire So that in truth nothing is here alike saue that in both there is mention of ten hornes Secondly saith Bellarmine both of them foretel that the kingdome of Antichrist shall continue three yeares and an halfe But I answer that neither of both assigne that time to Antichrist For first Daniel assigneth a time and times and parcell of time that is three yeers and ten daies to the persecution vnder Antiochus wherby the publick worship of God was for that time interrupted viz. from the 15. day of the month Casleu in the 145. yeare of the kingdome of the Seleucidae See Chap. 16. 1. Mac. 1. 57. vnto the 25. of the month Casleu in the yeare 148. 1. Mac. 4. 52. But of this more hereafter Neither doth Iohn any where assigne three yeers an halfe to the raigne of Antichrist but to the beast with seuē heads ten hornes which signifieth the Roman state either generally as it is opposed vnto Christ or particularly as it was gouerned by the sixt head that is the emperors he assigneth fortytwo Apoc. 11. 2. 7. and 13. 1 5. months which are not literally to be vnderstood Now Antichrist is not the beast with seuē heads but one head of the seuē is described vnder the second beast as our aduersaries also confesse which in plaine terms is called another beast For how can he be that beast if he be another Apoc. 13. 11. And of this also I shal haue better occasiō to speake more fully hereafter Lastly he flieth to the authority of the fathers as his last refuge but neither do these fathers expresly say that Antichrist shal be See Chap. 8. but one man neither if they did can any sound argument be drawne from their testimonies vnlesse Bellarmine be able to prooue that whatsoeuer these fathers haue written concerning Antichrist is true And againe diuers of the Fathers as Irenaeus Origen Chrysostome Ierome Ruffinus Primasius Augustine expounding that place Math 24. 24. which speaketh of more then one as spoken of Antichrist they could not vnderstand Antichrist to be but one Yea but the Fathers say that Antichrist shall be a most choise instrument of the Diuell that in him shall dwell all the fulnesse of diuellish malice bodily euen as in the man Christ dwelleth the fulnesse of the diuinitie corporally But although this allegation were true as I will not thereof dispute yet is it impertinent for the Pope meaning the whole succession of Antichristian Popes may be a notable instrument of the diuell c. and yet hereof it followeth not that there hath beene but one Pope As touching the other assertion of Antichrists raigne three yeares and a Chap. 8. halfe we are hereafter to intreate 9. Now that Antichrist is not one singuler man but a whole state and succession of men it may appeare by these arguments First by conference of 2. Thes. 2. with the Epistles of Iohn for Iohn plainely 1. Ioh. 4 3. 2. Iohn 7. 1. Ioh. 2. 18 saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist of whom they had hard that he should come was in his time And of whom had they heard it but of Paul in the 2. Thes 2. where in like sort the Apostle saith that euen in his time the mysterie of iniquitie that is Antichristianisme was working noting that Antichrist in some of his members was already come although he were not reuealed vntill that which hindered was taken out of the way Now as Paul and Iohn doe both testifie that the Antichrist was in their time so Paul also sheweth that Antichrist shall remaine vnto the second comming of Christ
reprooue in due season and to pacifie the anger of the Lords judgement proceeding to furis and to turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the children and to set vp the Tribes of Iacob In the latter it is said of Enoch as Bellarmine readeth That he pleased God and was translated into Paradise that he might giue peâ—…ance vnto the Gentiles First I answer to both places that although this booke of the sonne of Sirach be very commendable yet it is not of Canonicall authoritie being but a humane writing as appeareth not onely by the former place alledged but also by that erronious conceit concerning Samuel chapter 46. 23. Secondly in neither place is it said that either of them should come to oppose themselues against Antichrist that from hence their returne into the world should be made a signe of the comming of Antichrist But as touching the former place seuerally I answer with I ansenius one of the best writers among the Papists howsoeuer Bellarmine wondereth at him that hee should consent with vs in the trueth beeing a Popish Bishop that although the ancient writers haue thought that Elias was to come againe yet it cannot be euinced out of this place For we may say that Ecclesiasticus did write this according to the receiued opinion of his time grounded as they thought vpon the words of Malachie that Elias was truely to come in his owne person before the Messias when as that was not to be fulfilled in his owne person but in him that was to come in the spirit and power of Elias True indeed it is that not onely the authour of that booke as it seemeth but the Iewes in generall vnderstanding the words of Malachie literally did expect that Elias in his owne person should returne before the comming of the Messias But our Sauiour Christ reformeth this errour applying the Prophecie to Iohn Baptist. And secondly I answer that if Bellarmine will argue out of Ecclesiasticus according to his meaning he must prooue that Elias was to come in his owne person before the first comming of the Messias of which Malachie speaketh and before which this authour as all the rest of the Iewes doe holde that Elias was to come And therefore the Papists might aswell with the Iewes looke for their Messias as for Elias Now as touching the other place it is a wonder that Bellarmine would alledge it for this purpose But that hauing nothing to say to the purpose he is desirous to say some-thing to bleare the eyes of the simple The originall Text hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 〈◊〉 16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Enoch pleased the Lord God and was translated for an example of repentance â—…o the generations that is that the generations present and to come might be mooued by his example to turne vnto the Lord and to walke before him knowing by his example that there is a reward laid vp for those that turne vnto the Lord and walke before him as Enoch did But will Bellarmine hence conclude that therefore Enoch is to come againe in the flesh to oppose himselfe to Antichrist 5. The third place is Math. 17. 11. Elias indeed shall come and shall restore all things VVhich words saith Bellarmine are plainely to be vnderstood not of Iohn but of the true Elias For Iohn was already come and had finished his course and yet the Lord saith in the future Elias shall come I answer that by the Euangelist Marke who speaketh in the present tence Elias indeed comming first restoreth all things the meaning of our Sauiour Christ appeareth to haue beene this Elias quidem venturus fuit primum restituturus omnia Elias indeed was to come first and was to restore all things but I tell you that Elias is already come and they haue done vnto him what they listed as it is written of him meaning Mark 9. 12 13. Iohn Baptist. As if he had said The Prophecie indeed concerning Mat. 17. 13 Elias is true but I tell you it is already fulfilled For as he saith in another place Iohn Baptist is that Elias who was to come then which what could be spoken more plainelie Bellarmine answereth That Iohn Baptist was the promised Mat. 11. 14 Elias not literally but allegorâ—…eally So we affirme also and further adde that Elias was not promised literally For our Sauiour Christ plainely affirmeth that Iohn Baptist is that Elias which was promised And both he and the Angell vnderstand that Prophecie of Malachie chapter 4. 5. not literally of Elias the Thesbiâ—…e but allegorically of Iohn Baptist who was as it were another Elias Yea but the Disciples faith Bellarmine who had seene the transsiguration when they asked Christ what is that which the Scribes say that Elias must fyrst come speake of the same Elias whom they had seene with Christ in the Mount and therefore Christ making answer to them that Elias indeed shall come speaketh of the same Elias It followeth not for the Disciples speake according to the erronious opinion of the Scribes who vnderstanding Malachie literallie thought that Elias was to come in his owne person and thereupon as it is thought inferred that Christ was not the true Messias because Elias came not before him But Christ answereth them according to the true meaning of Malachie applying his prophecie to Iohn Baptist who is figuratiuely called Elias Yea but it cannot truely be said that Iohn Baptist restored all things for to restore all things is to call all the Iewes and heretiques and perhaps some of the seduced Catholickes to the true faith as Bellarmine obiecteth This is indeede the Popish conceit that Enoch and Elias shall preach against Antichrist 1260. daies at the end whereof they shal be put to death by Antichrist and after three dayes and an halfe shall rise againe Within a moneth after their death Antichrist shal be destroyed in mount Oliuet and 45. dayes after that Christ shall come to iudgement In the meane time so effectuall shall be the preaching of Enoch and Elias that they shall restore all things that is they shall call all the Iewes and heretickes and perhaps the seduced Catholickes But how doth this agree with the prophecies of our Sauiour Christ concerning the want of faith at his comming and the vncertainty of the time of his appearing As touching the former he saith the sonne of man when he commeth shall he finde faith vpon the earth And as Luk. 18. 8. touching the other he hath foretolde that the end of the world shall be suddaine and vnlooked for euen as it was in the dayes of Noah and Lot But if this conceit of the Papists be Mat. 24. 39 Luk. 17. 26 18. true there shall be more true beleeuers at the end of the world then euer had beene at one time before and the day of Christs coÌ„ming after the reuelation of Antichrist but especially after his death shal be precisely knowne accordingly looked for
signification of a curse And I adde that they might with as good reason alledge that Antichrist shal be of the Tribe of Beniamin of whom it is said verse 27. that he shal rauin as a Wolfe Ieremy vndoubtedly speaketh not of Antichrist nor yet as Bellarmine saith of the Tribe of Dan but of Nabuchadonosor who was to come by the coast or countrey called Dan to destroy Ierusalem as Ierome rightly expoundeth Why Dan is omitted in Apoc. 7. it is not wel knowne saith Bellarmine especially seeing Ephraim also which was one of the greatest Tribes is left out But here Bellarmine doth praeuaricari and by trifling betray the truth For it is not true that Ephraim is left out for seeing Manasses is mentioned Verse 6. wee must needes by the Tribe of Ioseph mentioned Verse 8. vnderstand the Tribe of Ephraim Neuer thelesse this may truly be said that there are other causes of this omission then that which is alledged concerning Antichrist For else we may say as well that Antichrist should come of the Tribe of Simeon because he is not mentioned in the blessing of Moyses Deut. 33. The truth is that where the holy Ghost numbreth the 12. Tribes and mentioneth Leui which for the most part is not As Apoc. 17. reckned among the 12. Tribes because it was scattered among them all some one of the other Tribes is left out otherwise where 12. are named 13. should be reckned The mentioning therfore of Leui is the cause why some one of the rest is not expressed but either comprehended vnder an other that is mentioned as Simeon vnder Iuda Deut. 33. Ephraim Manasses being two seuerall great Tribes vnder Ioseph Deut. 27. 12. Ezec 48. 32. are altogether omitted as Dan. Apo. 7. Now Dan seemeth to be omitted rather then any other because that was the first Tribe which fel from God vnto Idolatry for the same cause as some thinke the genealogie of that Tribe is omitted in the first booke of the Chronicles 3 These opinions therfore though countenanced with the authoritie of the Fathers Bellarmine dareth not deliuer as matters of truth because they cānot be proued out of the scriptures The which in truth is the cause why we reiect all the fancies of the Papists concerning Antichrist wherin they differ from vs because that although many of thē were also the opiniōs of the auncient writers who could but ghesse at the meaning of prophecies not then fulfilled yet they cannot be proued out of the word of God wherein Antichrist is sufficiently described This libertie therefore which Bellarmine lawfully taketh vnto himself in reiecting the testimonies of the Fathers in this point not warranted by the scriptures must in equitie also be graunted vnto vs. For vpō the same principle or ground which Bellarmine here setteth downe we reason against the Popish conceits after this maner Those opinions concerning Antichrist which cannot be proued out of the scriptures are not to be held as certaine truthes or beleeued as matters of faith although they haue the testimony of the Fathers But all the Popish cōceits cōcerning Antichrist are such as cannot be proued out of the scriptures therefore none of the Popish conceits concerning Antichrist are to be receiued for certaine truthes though diuers of them haue the testimony of the Fathers 4 Now let vs heare in the third place what those things are which Bellarmine would haue vs to take vpon his word for certaine and sound in this point There be two things saith hee most certaine one that Antichrist shall come for the Iewes especially and shal be receiued of them for their Messias The other that he shall be borne of the Nation of the Iewes and shall be circumcised and shall at the least for a time obserue the Sabbath On which two points the propositiō of the syllogisme before rehearsed doth consist the which Bellarmine thought to set out as true by setting by §. 1 it other opinions more absurd then it is But although there be degrees of falsehood in all these opinions yet all of them are false as being grounded vpon this false supposition that Antichrist 1 is but one singular man And secondly by the same reason that moued Bellarmine to reiect the former opinions may 2 these also be reiected namely because they cannot be proued out of the scriptures but contrariwise may be disproued thereby For Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God that is shall raigne in the church of Christ and shall be an Apostate 3 and the head of the Apostasie as Bellarmine confesseth and therfore not the head of the Iewes who cannot be said to make an Apostasie before they be called but of back-sliding Christians Againe Antichrist is one of the seuen heads of the beast mentioned Apoc. 17. that is of the Romaine state hauing his 4 seate in Babylon that is in Rome in the gouernment whereof hee succeedeth the Emperour who whiles hee ruled in Rome hindered the reuelation of Antichrist as it hath beene shewed heretofore out of Apoc. 17. 13. 2. Thess. 2. All which do sufficiently proue that Antichrist was not to be a Iew either by nation or religion but a Latine or Romaine which name with the marke therof he causeth all sorts of men to take vpon thē And lastly for as much as the Papists themselues hold the calling of the Iewes it would be knowne whether they shall reuolt after their calling from Christ to Antichrist or whether they shall be called after the destruction of Antichrist or during the time of Antichrists raigne which shal be as they say the terme of three yeares a halfe precisely or 1260. daies But themselues denie that the Iewes shall reuolt after their calling or that they shal be called in the time of Antichrists raigne that they shal be called after the destruction of Antichrist which shall not be before the ende of the world it is absurd 5 But let vs see how he proueth these things which he saith are most certaine sure from whence he draweth his most euident demonstration First that Antichrist shall be receiued of the Iewes for their Messias he proueth by testimonies of scripture by authoritie of Fathers and by reason Out of the scripture he produceth two testimonies the former Ioh. 5. 43. which place I haue heretofore freed frō the corruptiōs of the papists shewing that our Sauiour Christ doth not speake absolutely Another shal come but cōditionally If an other shal com therfore doth not foretel what they were afterwards to do but telleth them what in respect of their present dispositiō they were readie to do if an other should come in his owne name vnto them not sent of God 2. Neither doth he speake definitely of Antichrist but indefinitly of any false teacher 3. he speaketh of those Iews to whō he speaketh who could not be the receiuers of Antichrist vnlesse he were come aboue 1500. yeares agoe 6 His second
Paul that Christ hath loued thee or giuen himselfe for thee Gal. 2. 20. Must thou beleeue that Christ is thy Sauiour redeemer theÌ„ must thou beleeue that thou art redeemed by Christ and shalt be saued by him Must thou beleeue that thou hast redemption by Christ then must thou also beleeue that by him thou hast remission of sinnes Ephe. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. But this to beleeue without speciall and extraordinary reuelation is damnable presumption saith the Papist Therefore they professe Christ but they receiue him not Nay they are so farre from receiuing Christ by a lustifying faith that they might be saued that they haue not so much as the historicall faith which consisteth in knowledge of the truth assent thereto For the most of them haue no knowledge pleasing themselues in their implicite faith vnder which name grosse palpable ignorace is commended in the laitie of the church of Rome And the rest assent not to the truth but set themselues against it So that whereas all the faith which they professe themselues to haue is but that faith which is also in the diuels yet they haue not euen that little which they do professe But the Apostle saith Bellarmine speaketh in the pretertence which haue not receiued the loue of the truth c. not in the future therefore this speech cannot be vnderstood of any other but those who before the Apostle wrote this had refused to beleeue the preaching of Christ his Apostles that is to say the Iewes Answ. The Apostle speaking both of the sinne of the Antichristians and of their punishment which presupposeth their sin going before he expresseth their sin in the pretertence which is to be referred not to the time of the Apostles writing but to the time of their punishment Antichrist shal be receiued of those that perish But why shal they perish because they haue not receiued the loue of the truth c. But this appeareth more plainly ver 12. God shal send theÌ„ stroÌ„g illusioÌ„s to beleeue lies that al may be condemned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that haue not beleeued that is that shall not haue beleeued the truth Qui non crediderint veritati but haue delighted that is but shall haue delighted in iniquitie Sed acquieuerint in iniustitia Conferre with this place Mar. 16. 16. Goe preach the Gospell saith our Sauiour Christ to euery creature baptising them as it is in Mathew 28. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ—… that hath Qui crediderit bap tizatus sueâ—…it c. beleeued and hath beene baptised shall be saued that is shall haue beleeued and shall haue bene baptised but he that hath not beleeued that is shall not haue beleeued shall be condemned Otherwise if Bellarmine will needes vrge the pretertense as though the Apostle meant that Antichrist should bee receiued onely of those who before that time had reiected the truth he must with all hold that Antichrist shall be receiued in the end of the world of those who died aboue 1500. years since 8 To these testimonies of scripture he addeth the authoritie of diuers Fathers who supposed that Antichrist was to be receiued of the Iewes and accordingly expound the place alledged out of 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11. Ans. So they held that Antichrist should come of the Tribe of Dan accordingly expounded some places of scripture which no man now vnlesse he will be too ridiculous can vnderstand of Antichrist Therefore as Bellarmine in that point answered a whole dozen of Fathers so may I answere here with as good reason that although this opinion might seeme probable to the Fathers in their time liuing before the reuelation of Antichrist yet now there is no probabilitie in it seeing it cannot onely not be proued out of the scripture but as you heard is confuted both by the scripture and the euent 9 Let vs therefore in the third place consider his reason Antichrist shall without doubt ioyne himselfe first and chiefly to those who are readie to receiue him But the Iewes are readie to receiue him not the Christians nor the Gentiles therefore Antichrist first and principally shall ioyne himselfe to the Iewes First to the proposition I answere that Antichrist shall ioyne himselfe not to any whatsoeuer but to those in the Church that are readie to receiue him For as Cyprian truly noteth They be the seruants of Epist. 1. lib. 1. God whom the diuell troubleth and they are Christians whom Antichrist impugneth Neque enim quaerit illos quos iam subegit aut gestit euertere quos iam suos fecit For he seeketh not those whom he hath alreadie subdued or desireth to ouerthrowe those whom hee hath already made his owne the enemie aduersary of the church whome hee hath estraunged and kept foorth of the Church them he neglecteth and passeth by as captiues and ouercome those he assaulteth in whom he perceiueth Christ to dwell If therefore Antichrist be ledde by the spirit of Sathan then no doubt he shall passe by both Iewes Insidels set himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Thess. 2. 4. that is both in the Church of God and against it that the vnsound he may seduce and the sound he may persecute The assumption standeth on two parts 1. affirmatiue that the Iewes are readie to receiue Antichrist 2. negatiue that the Christians and Gentiles are not readie to receiue him The former hee proueth because the Iewes do yet looke for their Messias who shall be a temporall King such a one as Antichrist shall bee But this reason is built on false suppositions First that Antichrist shall be one particular man which we haue proued to be false Secondly that Antichrist shall professe himselfe to be the Messias of the Iewes which as it hath bene disproued out of the scriptures so can it not with any colour of reason be proued out of the same For as hath bene shewed Antichrist is the head of the Catholike Apostasie or Apostate Christians sitting in BabyloÌ„ that is Rome professing her selfe the church of God being one of the seuen heads of the Romane state succeeding the â—…mperours in the gouernment of Rome c. Thirdly as Antichrist shall not be such a one as the expected Messias of the Iewes so there is no necessitie that there should such a one come to the Iewes as they expect The second part also of his assumption is false For although sound and constant Christians bee not readie to receiue Antichrist but alwayes haue bene readie to resist him euen vnto the death yet vnsound and back-sliding Christians who embrace not the loue of the truth that they might be saued either are as readie to receiue Antichrist as they are apt and prone to decline from the truth a searefull caueat to those which waxe wearie of the Gospell or alreadie haue reuolted from Christ to Antichrist haue receiued the marke of the beast Yea but Christians saith he doo not expect Antichrist as
he shall aduance himselfe against God against Christ our Sauiour list vp himself aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped yet he shall professe himselfe to be the seruant of Christ and a worshipper of God Fourthly the words of the text do not ascribe to Antichrist so great an extolling of himselfe as the Iesuit imagineth For first he is called a man of sinne sonne of perdition therfore we are to conceiue of such an aduancement of himselfe as is incident to a mortall wretched man SecoÌ„dly he is said to extoll himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped By all that is called God we are to vnderstand all to whom the name of God is communicated as to Angels in heauen to kings and Princes on earth And of this aduancing aboue Kings we are the rather to vnderstand this place because afterwards it is said that the Romane Empire hindered Antichrists aduancing or reuealing himselfe And by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are to vnderstand any thing which is worshipped as God or wherein God is worshipped Such in the Church of Rome are the Host the Crosse the Saints their Images reliques Aboue al which a man may aduance himselfe as the Pope doth and yet may acknowledge some other God besides himselfe Thirdly the greatest height of pride that is incident to any creature whatsoeuer is not to seeke to be aboue God for that cannot be imagined but to be as God And indeed the height of Antichrist his pride and aduancing of himselfe is noted in the words following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in so much that he shall sit in the temple of God as God Whosoeuer therefore being but a mortall man shall aduance himself aboue all that is called God worshipped insomuch that he shall sit in the temple of God as God that is ruleth in the church of Christ as if he were a God vpon earth he is to be deemed Antichrist that is aemulus Christi one that would faine be equall to Christ although he neither professe himselfe to be the onely God who onely is to be worshipped neither yet abolish all other worship of God both true and false And if in this sense this place do properly agree to the Pope as indeed it doth then can it not be auoided but that he is Antichrist 13 The second testimony which he alledgeth to prooue this fond conceit is Dan. 11. 37. neither shall he care for any of the Gods but shall rise against all I answere Daniel in this place speaketh not of Antichrist and he of whom he speaketh was an Idolater and therefore this allegation is altogether impertinent As touching the first it is euident that Daniel from the 21. verse of that chapter to the end doth most plainly properly describe Antiochus Epiphanes For howsoeuer in this place Bellarmine would proue by the authoritie of Ierome that these words are to be vnderstood of Antichrist not of Antiochus yet in another place when part of this verse is obiected Li. 3. ca. 21 by some protestants as sitting the Pope he telleth vs plainly that Daniel speaketh ad literamâ—… literally of Antiochus who was a figure of Antichrist Secondly hee of whom Daniel speaketh was an Idolater and establisher of Idolatry So farre was hee from professing himselfe to be the onely true God or suffering none to be worshipped besides himselfe For if he speake of Antiochus Epiphanes as most certainly he doth it may easily be proued both by Historie of the Machabees and by other stories that he was both an Idolater himselfe and an inforcer of Idolatry vpoÌ„ others See I. Maccab. 1. 50. 2. Mac. cab 6. 2. c. Polybius also testifieth that in sacrifices honouring the Graecian Gods he surpassed other Kings which went before him Apud Athenaeum as might appeare by the Olympiaeum at Athens and the Images about the altar at Delos This Ierome also auoucheth and Bellarmine confesseth But of whomsoeuer Daniel speaketh he doth plainly describe him in the next verse to be an Idolater Ver. 38. And it is a world to see what silly shiftes the Iesuit maketh to auoyd this truth For first he readeth the words thus And he shall honor the God Maozim in his place Secondly he omitteth the words following the God which his fathers knew not he shall honour with golde c. which most plainly specifie his Idolatry who is here described and busieth himselfe wholy in giuing a false interpretatioÌ„ to the god Maozim The God Maozim saith he signifieth either Antichrist himself and then the meaning is he shall honor himselfe that is cause himselfe to be worshipped or else it signifieth the diuel whom Antichrist being a sorcerer shall worship in secret which interpretation he preferreth before the other And therefore this place doth not proue that he which is here described shal be an Idolater 14 I answere first that although either of his interpretations of the God Maozim were true as neither is yet the one hindreth not and the other proueth that he which is heere described is an Idolater For let the word Maozim signifie what it may yet the words following plainly conuince the partie here described of Idolatry the God which his fathers knew not he shall worship with gold And if the God Maozim signifie any but the true God and if also the words are so to be read as Bellarmine readeth them And he shall honor the God Maozim and the God whoÌ„ his fathers knew not he shall worship with gold and siluer c. then by these words the Idolatry is encreased For first it is said that he shall worship the God Maozim according to Bellarmines reading whereby is not meant as he saith the true God nay he saith to make Christ the God Maozim Li. 3. ca. 21 it is intollerable blasphemy O therefore first in these words is signified an Idolater and secondly it is added that the God also which his fathers knew not hee shall worship where againe his Idolatry is most plainely noted 2. But indeede Bellarmines interpretation is meerely false and that which he inferreth therevpon altogether absurd The God Mahuzzim signifieth the God of fortitudes that is the most mightie or almightie God which title as it is proper to the Lorde as Ieremy calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehouah my Iere. 16. 19 strength and fortitude And likewise Dauid Psal. 31. 5. so may it not be ascribed to any other And therefore it is a sencelesse imagination that Daniel by the God of fortitudes would signifie either Antichrist himselfe a wicked and wretched man or the father of Antichrist the Diuell And further as touching the former interpretation it seemeth to be absurd that when Daniel according to his reading saith he shal worship the God Maozim his meaning should be that Antichrist should worship himselfe as though he that worshippeth and hee that is worshipped were one and the same And theÌ„
set vp in the temple of God the Idoll of Iupiter Olympius to be worshipped as it is recorded 2. Mac. 6. who was a God whom his fathers knew not that is acknowledged Strabo geograph lib. 16. not nor worshipped For the Syrians worshipped Apollo and Diana And the munitions of Mahuzzim that is Ierusalem and other cities of Iewry which had bene as it were the munitions and cities of God hee committed them to the tuition of a strange God namely Iupiter Olympius The same prophesie in effect was before deliuered Dan. 7. 25. See Tremell in Dan. 7. 8. 8. 11. by conference of which places with this in hand it is manifest that by the God Mahuzzim is meant the true God 17 This prophesie therefore being meant of Antiochus Epiphanes fulfilled in him cannot properly belong to Antichrist or any other Notwithstanding as in some other things so in the premisses Antiochus may not vnsitly be thought to haue bene a type or figure of Antichrist In so much that both the auncient Fathers haue vnderstood these prophesies of Antichrist and many also of the late writers besides the Iewes haue applyed the same particularly to the Pope For besides that it is most true of the Pope that hee doth what he will seeing Legi non subiacâ—…t vlli hee is subiect to no lawe and no man may say to him Sir why doo you so The rest also after a sort may be verified of him that both hee setteth himselfe against the Idols of the Gentiles and also hath abrogated the true worship of God And that in stead of Christ the Almightie God he hath set vp in his churches besides many other Idols the abhominable Idoll of the Masse a God which his fathers the first Bishops of Rome knew not which notwithstaÌ„ding he honoreth with gold and siluer and precious stones and hath committed the churches cities and countries of Christendome to the tuition and patronage of diuers Saints who as they are indeed so are they called by Paulus Ionius a Popish Bishop the tutelar Gods of the Papists Hist. lib. 24. in fine 18 And these were his testimonies of scripture In the next place for want of better proofes he slyeth to the authoritie of the Fathers as his last refuge as though they testified that Antichrist shall not be an Idolater nor one that will suffer Idols But I answer that the Fathers do either speake of the Idols and Idolatry of the Gentiles onely and in that sence their speeches are verified in this behalfe of the Pope who neither honoreth nor suffereth the Idols of the Gentiles or else if they speake of all Idols and Idolatry in generall when they say Idola seponet as Ireneus or adidololatriam non admittet as Hippolitus or idola odio habebit as Cyrill or adidololatriaÌ„ non adducet ille as Chrysostome they deserue such an Antichrist as in this behalfe is better then the Pope But indeed as the Pope is so Antichrist in the scriptures is described to bee an Idolater as hath bene shewed 19 Hauing thus doughtily proued this Popish conceit the Iesuit proceedeth to the disproofe of our assertioÌ„s expositions of some places of scripture and especially that of 2. Thess 2. Our assertion concerning the doctrine of Antichrist hee saith is onely built vpon the scriptures falsely expounded by new glosses In token whereof saith hee they alledge not one Interpreter or Doctor for them But this is a malicious slaunder witnesse this place which he mentioneth 2. Thess. 2. where we proue by the consent of many of the Fathers that by the Temple is meant the church of God and that in the church of God Antichrist was to be reuealed after the Romane Empire which hindered was taken out of the way c. Our assertions concerning Antichrist are grouÌ„ded on the prophesies of scriptures expounded by the euent which is the best expóunder of prophesies And with our assertions the opinions of the Fathers agree where they are consonant to the scripture and the euent Contrariwise the assertions of the Papists concerning Antichrist as they are repugnant to the scriptures and the truth of the euent so are they wholy grounded either vpon the vncertaine and many times misalledged coniectures of the Fathers who were no Prophets and therefore being not able to foresee the euent did not many times vnderstand the Prophesies or else on the blinde conceits of Popish writers who being deceiued with the efficacie of illusion and made drunke with the whore Babylons cuppe of fornications were giuen ouer to beleeue lyes And whereas our writers expounding those wordes of the Apostle 2. Thess. 2. 4. who is lifted vp aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped doo apply the same vnto the Pope vpon very good and sufficient proofes and from thence do plainely conclude the Pope to be Antichrist for euidence whereof I referre the Reader to the 5. chapter of my former booke He culleth out some stragling sentences out of some one of the vnsoundest writers of our side as their maner is which he may best hope to answere As though we had no more nor no better arguments to proue that the Pope aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped then these two First because he professeth himselfe to bee the Vicar of Christ And secondly whereas Christ subiected himselfe willingly vnto the scriptures the Pope challengeth authoritie to dispense with the scripture Howbeit the former of these two reasons hee depraueth and the latter he is not able to satisfie For Illyricus his reason to proue that the Pope aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God is not because he maketh himselfe the Vicar of Christ but this because hee vaunting himselfe to be the Vicar of Christ doth notwithstanding vsurpe greater authoritie then the sonne of God claimed vnto himselfe of which that which Bellarmine Catalog test pag. 3. alledgeth as a second reason is by Illyricus added as a proofe Wherevnto Bellarmine is no otherwise able to answer then by impudent and shamelesse deniall either that Christ subiected Contrary to Galat. 4. 4. Luke 2. 51 himselfe to the lawe and word of God or that the Pope taketh vpon him to dispense with the scriptures or that any Catholike meaning Popish writer hath said that he may dispense with diuine precepts both which notwithstanding I haue heretofore proued by many instances and most euident allegations See the first booke chap. 5. § 10. 11. 12. For that which hee addeth of Christs subiecting himselfe to the prophesies and not to the precepts as though Illyricus had spoken of the one in his proposition and of the other in the assumption it is partly false and partly ridiculous and indeede not worth the answering Chap. 15. Of the miracles of Antichrist 1 WEe are now come to the eight maine argument which Bellarmine vseth to proue that the Pope of Rome is not Antichrist because forsooth those things
writings before to be the scriptures Why then Ierome saith so vpon Daniel 11. 24. where Daniel speaketh of Antiochus his dealings in Egypt that he did that which his forefathers neuer did Nullus Iudaeorum absque Antichristo in tot◅ vnquam or be regnauit These be Bellarmines scriptures But where do the scriptures indeede say that Antichrist shall subdue seuen of the tenne Kings Nay the contrary may rather bee gathered out of the scriptures The tenne hornes whereof Daniel speaketh were tenne Kings which successiuely raigned ouer Iudaea as hath bene shewed And although Antiochus Epiphanes might helpe away three of his next predecessors yet hee could not hurt the other sixe for there were but nine besides himselfe which were all dead and gone before he came to yeares Yea but this opinion of the Fathers is plainely enough deduced out of Apoc. 17. 12. where we reade and the tenne hornes which thou sawest are tenne Kings these haue one minde and they shall giue their power and authoritie to the beast No maruell though some of the Papists call the scripture a nose of waxe seeing they can frame and fashion it at their pleasure and giue vnto it what sense they list Doth Iohn speake of Antichrist his either killing three or subduing seuen Or doth Iohn speake of the same tenne hornes wherof Daniel doth Daniel speaketh of tenne Kings which were to bee dead and gone before the comming of the Messias Iohn speaketh of such as in his time had not yet attained to their kingdome verse 12. Daniel speaketh of tenne Kings of the Seleucidae and Lagidae which succeeded one an other Iohn of tenne Kings among whom the Romane Empire was to be diuided who also were to haue their kingdome together with the beast Daniel telleth vs what the little horne which was one of the tenne should doo to three of the other nine without mention of the rest Iohn sheweth what all the tenne hornes should doo to Antichrist which is none of the tenne hornes but one of the heades of the beast If therefore Bellarmine can proue from hence that these are the same tenne hornes spoken of in Daniel and that Antichrist shall kill three of them subdue the other seuen he may hope to proue any thing But what other scriptures hath hee forsooth Chrysostome and Cyrill For Chrysostome on 2. Thess. 2. saith that Antichrist shall bee a Monarch and shall succeede the Romanes in the Monarchy as the Romanes succeeded the Greekes the Greekes succeeded the Persians and they the Assyrians And Cyrill saith that Antichrist shall obtaine the Monarchy Catech. 15 which was the Romanes I answere that for substance these Fathers held the truth For what Monarch hath there bene in the West these fiue or sixe hundred yeares besides the Pope who calleth himselfe King of Kings and Lorde of Lords to whom all power is giuen in heauen and in earth who hath as they say the double Monarchy both of spirituall and temporal power who forsooth is Lord of the whole earth in so much that he taketh vpon him authoritie to dispose of the new found world And that he succedeth the Emperors in the Alexand. 6. gouernment of Rome as it becommeth Antichrist who is the second beast Apoc. 13. and the 7. head of the beast Apoc. 17. whereof the Emperour was the sixt I shall not neede to proue 15 There remaineth the fourth argument Antichrist shall persecute with an innumerable army the Christians throughout the world and this is the battell of God and Magog but this agreeth not to the Pope therefore the Pope is not Antichrist I answere to the proposition that no such thing can be proued out of the scripture Hee alledgeth Ezech. 38. 39. Apoc. 20. 7. 8. 9. 10. But Ezechiel speaketh not of Antichrist nor of the persecution of the Christian Church by him But hauing foretold chapter 37. the restitution of the Iewes from the Babylonian captiuitie and also prophesied of the comming of Christ in those chapters hee foretelleth of the afflictions and troubles which the people of the Iewes should sustaine in the meane time to wit after their returne out of captiuitie before the comming of the Messias and withall denounceth the iudgemēts of God against the Seleucidae who were the kings of Syria and Asia minor and their adherents who should be the chiefe enemies of the church and people of the Iewes after their returne For Gog signifieth Asia minor hauing that name from Gyges the King thereof Magog is Hierapolis the chiefe seate of Idolatry in Syria built by the Scythians and frō them hath that name So that by the land of Magog wee are to vnderstand Syria and by Gog Asia minor And the rest of the peoples that Plin. lib. 5. cap. 23. are named in Ezechiel were such as assisted the Seleucidae who were the kings of Syria and Asia minor in their warres either as their subiects or as their friends or as their mercenary souldiers And for as much as the princes and people of Syria and Asia minor were the most grieuous enemies of the Iewes by Ad Tremell Iun. in Ezech 38. 39. whom they sustained the chiefest calamities after their returne before the comming of Christ therefore by an vsuall speech in the Iewish language the mortall and deadly enemies of the church are called Gog and Magog And in this sense Iohn the Diuine vseth these names Gog and Magog to signifie the enemies of the church meaning not the same enemies whereof Ezechiel speaketh but the like enemies of the Church which should afflict the true Christians as Gog and Magog afflicted the Iewes Neither doth Iohn in this place speake of the persecution of Antichrist properly but of Sathan after he was loosed his inciting the enemies of the Church to battell and of Gods iudgements against them signified by fire And so much shall suffice to haue answered to this argument For after so long a Treatise I will not trouble the Reader with the tenne seuerall opinions which Bellarmine reciteth cōcerning Gog and Magog neither yet with any further answere to his cauillations and exceptions against some of the arguments of diuers Protestants which he thought were more easie to answere seeing in the former booke I haue sufficiently cleared those arguments whereby the Pope is more euidently proued to be Antichrist neither is the controuersie betwixt vs whether euery argument that hath bene produced by euery one doth necessarily conclude the Pope to be Antichrist That discourse therefore being rather personall then reall I let it passe Chap. 17. Being the conclusion of the whole Treatise HAuing therefore both by sufficient arguments manifestly proued that the Pope is 1. Antichrist and by euidence of truth maintained the same assertion against the arguments of the Papists let vs now consider in the last place what conclusions may vpon this doctrine be necessarily inferred for our further vse For first if this be true that the Pope is Antichrist as