shall ascend to his high exaltation of power and dignitie out of the same place from whence the Seauen headed Beast was raysed or to speak plainly it shall be exalted to the highest by the divell who gaue to the first Beast his power For this cannot be meant of his first rising because it is expressely sayd in the text that this beast was before And so it seemeth that all the difficulties may be cleared touching this seuenth Head which as it is evident in the Text is sometimes called the Beast And now for a breathing I desire to know whether any person monarchie or kingdome can be found in the world or whether any can be imagined to come hereafter to whom all these Prophesies can be so fitly applyed I come to the next remarkeable circumstance which is the ten crowned hornes That the Roman Empire as well in the time of their Consuls as of their Cesars had many kings at their commaund is evident by their Histories and I haue partly proved before But in this Revelation Probl. â— and specially in the 17 chap. there are divers singularities to be observed in the description of these hornes whereof in Daniell there is no mention First because it is said that at the time of this Revelation they had not received a a kingdome 2 But they shall receaue power at one hour with the beast 3. They are crowned 4. They haue one minde to giue their power and authoritie to the Beast 5. They shall fight against Christ 6. They shall be overcome by him 7. And then they shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire Not one of these things can be truly applyed to the kings that were under the ancient Roman Empire which are indeede spoken of by Daniel For they had receaved their kingdoms before and were not to expect it in time to come 2. They are not sayd to be crowned because perhaps they held their crowns but as tenants at sufferance 3. They did not giue their power to the Romans but were conquered and subdued We do not read that they did professedly fight against Christ although they were Pagans or that they were overcome by him neither can it be said that they did hate the whore or burne her with fire Massinissa Prusias and Ptolomee gaue their kingdoms to Rome but they had receaved them long before S. Iohns time and did never hate the whore nor make her desolate or burne her with fire The Goths Vandales did burn Rome but they never gaue their power authoritie to the Romans The like differences may be shewed of all other kings that were in the time of the Roman Empire or before These ten hornes therefore spoken of in the 17 chap. of the Revelation cannot be understood of those ten which were spoken of by Daniel although they may haue somewhat in common with them But where now shall we finde these kings Look over all the world and see where they may be found When shall they receaue their kingdome and how long shall we looke for them The impediment of the Roman Empire is long since removed by the testimonies See Probl. 7. as well of Divines as Chronologers If the beast or these kings be not yet come when will they come Out of Rome I say again as it is said or the Roman Empire Vide Abb. demonst Antic c. 4. there note the words of the Synod cited out of Aventin ann 7 it is in vain to seeke And if these kings which shall giue their power and Authoritie to Rome haue not yet receaved their kingdome nor given it to the beast when shall they receaue it or giue it to him or when shall we see the accomplishment of this Prophecie shall we looke for it as the Iewes looke for their Messias But it is the opinion of the best soundest Interpreters Our most excellent learned Soverain king Iames holdeth this opinion in Ep. Admonit So Napier in Apo. Rensuer in Isag c. that these ten hornes do signifie the ten chief Provinces subject to the Roman Empire which at one time with the beast namely upon removing the power of the Empire receaved their power and by degrees grew up into kingdoms about the same time when also the Pope began to take upon him the title of Pontifex Max. namely about the yeare of our Lord 700 or within an hundred yeares after As it may be these Graecia Germania Gallia Brittania Asturia or Leon. Whereunto now is joyned Spaine Pannonia or Hungaria Polonia Suetia Dania and Norvegia Greece you may say was before True as a Roman Province but upon the translation of the state it became a Monarchie in it self which was not absolute as long as the chief title was giuen to Rome Now if this be so when shall we see this performed if it be not alreadie When we see that all these great Princes of Christendome heretofore did yeeld their authoritie power to the Roman Pontifex And now many of them haue forsaken him as England Scotland Denmark Sweden and others of Germanie A great parte of the Dutch Swisses and divers other which are fallen away from Rome France and Venice wavering is it to be imagined that they will againe giue their power authoritie to Rome or ever come againe to giue their power and authoritie to any other Therefore I say that this prophecie is now fulfilled or never to be expected For if we consider well the times forepast we may see that all the great kingdoms of Europe which were before subject to the Roman Empire did arise and begin to take upon them absolute soveranitie and power of the sword upon the remoue and decay of the Roman Empire which was the time foreshewed for the revealing of Antichrist And did all giue their power and authoritie to the Roman Pontifex they did all fight against Christ Iesus in persecuting the professors of his word and Scriptures by the incitement and instigation of the Pope And all those which are fallen from the Pope haue been overcome by the scripture word of God which is called the sword of Christ Iesus If these things be so then why should we looke for any other accomplishment of these Prophecies or how should we understand that they can be fulfilled if not alreadie Can it be denied but all Christian kings gaue their power and authoritie and some gaue their lands and territories also to Rome Constantine they say gaue to the Pope his diadem with the pallace of Lateran and imperiall seat Arithpertus otherwise called Herebertus the Lombard gaue the Cottia Alpes wherein standeth Genua Pipin and Charles of France gaue the principallitie of Ravenna with the Duchie of Beneventum and Spoletium Henry the IIII Emperour of Germanie and Iohn king of England gaue up their crownes to whom but to the Pope of Rome Can it be denied All the Christian kings of that part
and therefore here ought the Catalogue of Popes to beginne and not as they doe with S. Peter or Silvester For it appeareth manifestly by Gregorie that none of the former Bishops of Rome had the title of Vniversall giuen to him I aske therefore whether here were not an evident beginning of the Revelation of Antichrist The Emperour was removed out of Rome the making of the Consuls was discontinued the tenne Kings began to receiue their kingdomes The Pope tooke upon him to rule in Rome and was Summus or Maximus Pontifex onely the Exarches remayned at Ravenna with little power I aske then Who was now revealed to be the seaventh Head or Governour of the Roman State but this Vniversalis and Summus Pontifex Let us see then how by degrees this Antichrist was dayly more more revealed Platina Fasc Temp. About the yeare 608 the Pope obteyned of Phocas the Pantheon or Temple of all Divels and consecrated the same to the honour of the Virgin Marie and all Saints So sayth the Carthusian Vbi impij colebant Daemones ibi Christiani colunt omnes Sanctos sic ars deluditur arte About the same time the Pope gathered a Synod at Rome for the confirmation of his primacie About the yeare 618 Boniface the fifth succeeded who ordeyned that churches should be Sanctuaries for theeues and murderers About the same time began the great Apostacie and departure of the Greeke Church from the Roman of the East Church from the west the Greeke church not yeelding to the Roman supremacie and the Easterne churches receiuing the damnable doctrine of Mahomet so the prophesies by litle and little began to be fulfilled The Empire it self was now almost wholly removed the Kings were risen that after gaue their power to the Pope The Apostasie was come the pope was called Summus Pontifex one of the seauen dignities which had long before been of greatest power and authoritie in Rome and which the Heathen Emperors had used and so the seauenth Head of the Roman state began to appear Three things yet lacked One to haue their supremacie fully confirmed and acknowledged by the Emperor which yet was questioned as well by the Exarches as by the Emperors for in the yeare 647 Pope Martin one of the best of them that succeeded Gregorie was taken by Theodorus the Exarch Pantal. anno 650. and sent prisoner to Constantinople and from thence banished into Pontus A second thing was after such confirmation obtained to shake of all subjection and all signes of subjection to the Emperor And a third to make this an Empire of Idolatrie and as it were the Image of the old Idolatrie used by the Pagans All three followed shortly after For about the yeare 663 the Emperor Constans comming to Rome confirmed their priviledges and prerogatiues and about the year 684 Benet the Pope obtained of the Emperor that whosoever should be chosen by the Cleargie Plaâ—iâ— Rensu people and Armie of Rome to be Pope he should be Pope without any further confirmation of the Exarch or Emperor Marke he nameth the Cleargie People and Armie of Rome claiming thereby as well the Temporall as the spirituall state which before he had not Then came the yeare 700 which was but 666 Rev. 12 5 6 after the ascention of our Lord which is properly S. Iohns aera Ioh. 16 19 20. and so foretold by Christ that the sorrows of the Church should beginne when the Bridegrome was taken away Luke 5 35. Therefore about the same time as Bellarmine collecteth Pantal. anno 700. namely in the yeare 699 Aripertus the usurping Tirant gaue to the Pope the Cottian Alps where now Genua standeth and soone after that is to say in the yeare 707 the Emperor Iustinian the second falleth downe before Pope Constantine and kisseth his feete Platin. Naâ—cl Bibliand Rensuer thereby acknowledging him to be the absolute Head of Rome And about the yeare 712 the Pope now in fulnesse of power commandeth of his owne authoritie Images to be worshiped and when the Emperor Philip resisted the Pope pronounced him excommunicate and likewise when the Emperor Leo and Constantine after him in a zeale of godlynes and detestation of Idolatrie commanded Images to be defaced the Pope On up in Plat. Paul Diac. Sigiber Rens Polidor Paul anno 710 725. not secretly or under hand but palam in os openly and to their faces resisted them sayth Onuphrius and forbadde all Italy to pay them Tributes discharging the Italians from their oathes and alleagiance and so in the ende deprived the Grecian Emperours of all the Empire of the west And soone after that is to say about the yeare of our Lord 755. the Pope by colour of the guift of King Pipin usurped the Exarchate of Ravenna with a great part of Italie I aske therefore what accomplishment of the Prophecie concerning the Revelation of Antichrist may we looke for or can we expect if it be not here fully accomplished Whether was there not here in the open sight of the world another Head of the Roman cittie and state Whether was not the Impediment of the Empire now fully and wholly removed And whether had not the second Beast now giuen life sufficient to the Image of the first Beast or Idolatrous Monarchie Neyther was this by Tumult but with an orderly proceeding For the Pope gathering an Armie of Priests as S. Gregorie calleth it namely a counsell of a thousand Fathers or rather Step-fathers at Rome decreed that Images should be worshiped Blund Palâ— Sigiber Anton Biblian Reus Here therefore both Chronologers and Divines Hermanus coÌ„tract Paul Diac. Biblian Avent Lyra in 2 Thes Staputens Fasc Temp with great concent do end the supputation of the Roman Empire And with great reason for now they saw the Summus Pontifex was set upon the back of the Roman State Romanorum Imperium sayth the Author circa haec tempora ubique in orbe terrarum caepit deficere irrecuperabiliter And a little after Et sic jam omnes quatuor Monarchiae defecerunt non restat alia nisi Antichristi The Roman Empire began to faile about this time without recoverie And so all the four Monarchies are decayed and none other remaineth but that of Antichrist The Romans sayth Baron about this time tooke a solemne oath to be obedient in all points In anno 726 and to all purposes to the Pope And here sayth he was an end of those Dukes and Governours which the Emperors were wonte to seeme to command in Rome and the places thereabouts So also sayth Sigonius that Rome vide Sigon li. 4. de regno Italiae and the Dukedomes of Rome the Exarchate of Ravenna the Duchies of Perusia Tuscia and Campania were giuen to the Pope and Mornay out of Zonaras and Cedrenus setteth downe particularly Pless in myst progress 27. what Townes and Territories fell to the Pope upon this revolt Also Onuphrius telleth us in
upon weake foundations or to make long work of that which is readie at hand I desire thee to consider of the termes of this disputation ut constet quid sit id qou de agitur First I say I desire to know whether thou dost hold that there is a Rule of the Catholike fayth whereby to judge of Heresies which rule ought to be certaine and knowne to us as not onely the Fathers De verbo dei l. 1. c. 2. but we at this day do all agree and Bellarmine the great Champion of the Romish Church affirmeth For sayth he if it be not knowne it connot be a rule unto us and if it be not certaine it can be no rule at all So sayth the Scripture Prov 22 21 The words of trueth are certaine and therefore was the Scripture written Luc. 1.4 that we might knowe the certaintie of that we haue learned Secondly Summa provi dentia carere fuco voluit ca quae divina sunt ut omnes intelligerent quae ipse omnibus loquchatur Lailant De verbo dei l. 3. c 2. 2 Tim. 2. I aske how it is knowne whether it be not knowne according to the literall sense out of which effectuall arguments ought to be drawne as we also are agreed For certaine it is sayth the same Bellarmine that that sense which is immediately gathered of the words is the sense of the Holy Ghost which I thinke he intendeth so as it stand with other plaine places For in the Word of God no contradiction is to be admitted God cannot denye himselfe But the senses mysticall and spirituall which may be gathered out of the Scriptures are various and therefore cannot be used for arguments to confirme points of Fayth because we are not certaine that they are intended by the Holy Ghost as the said Bellarmine affirmeth out of S. Augustine Lastly then it resteth to know what that rule is and where to be found Of which because thou mayst see that I will not hide or disguise any thing from thee I finde four opinions Whereof none in my understanding can justly be reproved for they all agree together in substance The first is of the most ancient Tertullian De praescript who goeth no further for the rule of fayth then to the Vulgar Creed The same as it seemeth is followed by Diony Ar. commonly called the Creede of the Apostles which sayth he amongst us hath no questions but such as Heresies bring in and make Heretikes To know nothing but this is to know all that we ought to know And they that do not beleeue this are not faythfull are not Christians are not to be admitted to dispute of the Scriptures sayth he In Enchirid. ad Laur. The second is that of August who affirmeth this rule to be conteyned in the Creede and the Lords prayer For sayth he therein is the whole summe of all Christian religion namely whatsoever concerneth fayth hope or charitie A third opinion is that of the common Catechistes which adde to the two before named the Decalogue and the doctrine of the Sacraments The fourth is that which is now commonly imbraced which maketh the Scripture in generall to be the rule of fayth And in this Bellarmine also consenteth My question therefore is whether thou do not approue these rules or any of them if thou do and do acknowledge that these Rules or any of them be certeyne and knowne to us and to be litterally understood as Bellarmine confesseth it followeth then to consider who by these Rules shall be said an Heretick and whether that be not clearly defined unto us by Moses S. Iohn Deut. 12. Rev. 22. and S. Paul to be such a one as doth adde any thing to the true fayth expressed in these Rules Tit. 3 10. or taketh any thing from them and will not be reformed by due admonition To this agreeth Vincent Lirinen c. 32. Christi Ecclesia sedula depositorium apud se dogmatum custos nihil in iis unquam permutat Haeresis graece Electio latine est sententia humano sensu electa verbo dei contraria palam docta pertinaciter de sensa Grossetest Episâ— Lincoln in Mat. Paris nihil minuit nihil addit Then to the point I aske first concerning that Article by the councels aforesaid decreed That the holy Catholike church being the body of our Saviour Christ represented in a generall Councell is aboue the Pope and hath authoritie immediately from Christ unto which the Pope himselfe as a member to the whole ought to obey whosoever denieth that verily is an Heretike Doth not the Pope as I said and haue not all the Popes since the making of that decree mainteyned themselues to be aboue the generall Councell and so denyed that veritie and that no decree of a generall Councell is able to binde them neither is lawfull if it be made without the authoritie of the Roman Pontifex Aske Bellarmine their Advocate Do they not maintaine that he is the head of the Church that he cannot erre in matters of fayth and that all are bound to obey him ex necessitate salutis Are these things expresly and literally to be found in the Creede the Lords prayer the tenne Commandements the Sacraments or any part of the Scripture If they be why did all the Christian Churches of Europe so manie times determine against these Prerogatiues of the Pope If not then whether are not these most great additions to that Rule to which none must adde and from which none must deminish If we will truly judge of the greatnes of this Heresie let us consider the greatnes of the buildings erected upon it For great buildings must haue great foundations First therefore upon this Supremacie over the Church of Christ represented in the generall Councell they haue grounded their absolute power to call beginne determine ende prorogue and transfer generall Councels at their pleasures and also to confirme and allow or to abrogate and disanull them Which point if it be granted they are sure that nothing can be determined against them in any such Councell Then an absolute power over all not onely Bishops and Prelates but kings and princes will easily be inferred For it standeth with reason that he who is aboue the whole is aboue everie parte in toto pars continetur Then followeth their power to adjudge and condemn that for Heresie whatsoever he thinketh fit Then the power to excommunicate Nations and Countries to depriue and depose kings and princes to giue their lands for an Heritage to whom they will And in a word their absolute Anomy and lawlessenes that no man may judge of him no man may dispute of his judgment or call it in question though he draw millions of soules with him into hell a prerogatiue which the Scripture never intimateth to be claymed by any but Antichrist and never claymed by any but the pope wherein all the authoritie power and states of Christian kings and subjects prelates and generall Councels with their lands and goods bodies and soules are giuen to the Pope and that without appeale revocation or question whether he goe to heauen or hell Iudge then Christian Reader whether this Heresie be not greater then
common notice may be the cause why our Prophet did so much ingeminate that article to shew that he spake of a city well inough knowen to be such viz. Great and Imperiall And if this be cleare and evident that by the name of the Great cittie and of Babylon in this Revelation Rome and onely Rome is meant this I hope will serue to illustrate other places As for example the second place Rev. 11. where it is said that the beast shall make warre against the two witnesses of God and shall overcome them and kill them And their dead bodies shall ly in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egipt where also our Lord was crucified Although some doubt might be conceived of the names of Egypt and Sodom in this place and where our Lord was crucified yet the name of the Great cittie ought by the reasons authorities aforesaid to hold us fast to Rome For none else was then great nor worthie to be so called as I haue shewed before Let us see then how these names Sodome and Egypt may be applied to Rome and therein first what it is to be spiritually called There be many spirits mentioned in the scriptures but here I think that spirit is meant which is spoken of by our Lord in the Gospell Ioh. 14 17. 16 13. euen the spirit of truth which shall lead us into all truth and so to be spiritually called is to be truly so called according to their works effects and fruits as the spirit of truth teacheth us to call things Whether doth not the Prophet Ieremie explain this in altering the name of Pashur Ier. 20 3. whether doth not our Saviour explain it Matth. 7. when he sayth Ye shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles as if he should say men do not call that a thorne of which they gather grapes nor that a thistle of which they gather figges but that is called a vine and this a fig-tree For it is not an evill tree that bringeth forth good fruits nor a good tree that bringeth forth evill fruits Luc. 6 46. And why do ye call me Master and do not the things that I speak if I be a master where is my fear Mal. 1 6. sayth the Lord If a father where is my loue And who art thou Iohn 1. say the Pharises to Iohn Baptist The voice of him that cryeth in the wildernes Make straite the wayes of the Lord sayth S. Iohn Matth. 11. as if he should say I am the preacher of repentance against the coming of the Messiah Art thou he that should come saith he again go tell him saith our Saviour The deaf heare the blinde receaue sight the lame walk the leapers are cleansed c. if I do the works of the Messiah I am he and if ye were Abrahams children Iohn 8. ye would do the works of Abraham Whereupon I aske what is the meaning of all these places but to teach us to judge and speak of men by their works as we doe of trees by their fruits So then where we finde the works of Sodom and Egypt that must be called Sodom Egypt spiritually that is truly Esa 1 10. as the spirit of truth hath taught us to speak Ezech 16. and as the Prophets use to speak Now the workes of Sodom and Egypt were beastly filthines Gen. 19. 12 15. 39 13. and bloudie crueltie as we read in the scripture and besides Exod. 1.14 in Egypt also we finde infinite Idolatrie whereof there are sufficient testimonies in the scripture Num. 3 3. besides that which heathen men do write to the same purpose Ier. 43. namely Herodotus Iuvenal Diod. Sic. Anaxandrid and Plutarch Esa 30. And were not these the works of Rome in S. Iohns time Read their own Authors Tacitus Sueton Virgil. and he rest that I cited before concerning their horrible filthines and Idolatrie Read the Ecclesiastick Histories of their persecutions and their best Historians Tacitus Suetonius of their tyrannies crueltie Are they not still the works of Rome in these later times Read Petrach Mantuan Platina Blesensis Roma est jam tota lupanar sayth one It is notorious that almost all the Cardinals of Rome haue their Manfrones Cinaedos sayth another who by authorities and arguments drawn out of Iacobatius other authors of the Romanists without exception fully proveth that there is not now nor hath beene for many yeares past any true Pope nor lawfull Cardinall but that they are all Intruders Simoniakes Sodomites c. and so haue been of long time and therefore by the sentence of the Pope himself Dist. 23. in the Decree declared to be Antichrist The abhominable acts of Iulius the III that made his Ganymede a Cardinall created Iohannes Casa Archb. of Beneventum Legate à Latere who set forth a book in commendation of that crying sin are not yet forgotten and that booke also passed currant a long time amongst them without controule The bloudy actions of Aluisius Borgia Diazius Minerius Gardner Bonner the murdering Dominican in France and the Pouder-traitors in England and many others were not onely not disallowed by them but praised and commended yet Qui non vetat peccare cum pâ—ssit jubet saith the Pagan I desire to know whether any man ever saw read or heard of any nation Christian Iew or Turke Saracen or Savage wherein Sodomie hath been so publiquely practised allowed as in Rome Their Idols and images also are knowen to be innumerable whereof we shall speake more hereafter What shall we say then of the fourth note of this place where also our Lord was crucified In Ierusalem sayth the Babylonian but Ierusalem at the time of the writing of this Apocalyps was so far from being a great cittie that it was no cittie at all for it was utterly destroyed before by Titus And if it had been then a cittie yet was it far from being great or bearing rule over kings and although Ierusalem be some time called the holy cittie yet is it never called the great cittie Hierom. Hierusalem sanctior locus rupe tarpeìa c. See more in the Epistle of S. Hierom to Marcella inviting her to come to Bethleem and likewise in his Epistle written in the name of Paula and Eustochia to the same Marcella to the same purpose wherein he proveth that this name of the great cittie could not be giuen to Hierusalem c. but rather to Rome or to the world c. the chief cittie whereof is Rome Neyther yet are we directed to the name of Hierusalem but to that place wherein it is spiritually sayd that our Lord was crucified Ierusalem is not spoken of in the text neither indeed was our Lord crucified in Hierusalem but extra portas without the gates as the Apostle speaketh Hebr. 13 12. Let them
answer then who haue read the Gospell Iohn 19. by whom was our Saviour accused who condemned him what kinde of capitall punishment did he suffer who crucifyed him in what place for what crime or offence or upon what accusatioÌ„ was he brought in question was he not accused by them that cryed we haue no king but Caesar the Roman Emperor was not Pilate the Roman he that condemned him was not the cause pretended for that he spake against Caesar in making himself a king was it not by that kinde of punishment execution Vide Scalig in notis ad Ioh. 18 31. which by learned men is observed to haue been properly used by the Romans were they not Roman souldiers by whom he was crucifyed was it not extra portas Ierusalem was it not all done by the power of Caesar and what followeth of all this Vbi Caesar ibi Roma where Caesar is there is Rome sayd the old Lawiers as the new say now a dayes Vbi Papa ibi Roma Panorm where the Pope is there is Rome To this adde that all voide places and places appointed for publique execution of justice were by Roman civill Law Iuris publici the proper demeanes of the Empire of Rome Now it is manifest that Golgatha was the common place of execution and therefore de Iure publico of right belonging to Rome We must therefore confesse that our Lord was crucifyed in Ròme unlesse we shall thinke that S. Iohn yea the spirit of God do not speak properly And if he had meant the old Ierusalem what needed so many words or circumstances to describe it These four points therefore being cleared it is not hard to apply three others unto it which are mentioned in the same place of scripture to make up the number of seuen viz. 5. That this is the same great cittie where the beast should make warre against the saincts and 6 where he should kill the witnesses of God and 7 where their dead bodies should lye in the streets and therefore the place of Antichrist A third scripture speaking of the place of Antichrist Rev. 4. is that where her destruction is briefly denounced and there it is called Babylon that great cittie the spirit of God giving us thereby to understand that he would haue that cittie seuen times at least in this booke called Babylon the great to be sufficiently known unto us to be Rome the second Babylon which then was great not the old Babylon which neither in her best estate was able to compare with the greatnes of Rome and in the time of S. Iohn was in great decay having beene twise or thrise before taken sacked and spoyled namely first by Cyrus Dan. 5. drawing diverting Euphrates while Belshazzar sate feasting and drinking Secondly by Darius with the help of Zopirus Herod lib 3. Iustin. who reduced it to an absolute subjection under the Persians and with the rest of that Empire it was conquered by Alexander the Great Diod. Sic. l. 19. and after his time it was spoyled againe by Demetrius and thereupon forsaken by her inhabitants and never rose afterward to any greatnes authoritie or power Whereupon S. Augustine observeth that as the Assyrian monarchie decayed so Rome the second Babylon and as it were the daughter of the first grew and so it was in S. Iohns time the great cittie Ladie of the world and governed onely by Caesars one of her seuen Heads which ruled over the kings of the earth A fourth scripture is that Rev. 18. wherein her destruction is much more largely and particularly described by seuen notable attributes most agreeable to Rome 1 She is called againe Babylon 2 That great cittie 3 With whom the kings and nations of the earth haue committed fornication 4 Most proud and vaine-glorious for she sayth I sit as a queen and am no widow And so Tully calleth her Vide Lipâ— de magnâ—â— Rom. Princeps omnium terrarum and Frontinus regina domina orbis and beyond all these Martial Terrarum Dea Gentiumque Roma 5 Therefore in the text she is truly called mightie 6 Abounding in all riches and Treasures Non auro tectisve modus And 7 Lucan lib. 1. abounding in all delicates and pleasures abundantes voluptates Livy in prol Of which points I haue said somewhat before and for the two last notes of the super-aboundance of their riches and wantonnes in pleasures and delicates I will cite but two examples more out of Horace whereof the first shall not be of any of their Princes Senators or Patritii no nor yet of their Equites or Gentlemen but of the meanest sort Quinti progenies Arri par nobile fratrum Nequitia nugis A couple of knaues Horat. Serm. lib. 2 sat 3. Luscinias soliti impenso prandere coemptas They were wont to dine upon Nightingales though verie deerely bought A dish that I thinke no Prince in Christendome would desire for any good taste nor these men but for their luxurious prodigalitie And yet see another not of Antonius or Cleopatra but of a stage players sonne Filius Aesopi detractam ex aure Metellae Scilicet ut decies solidum exorberet aceto Diluit in signem baccam O braue drinker that dissolved in vinegar a pearle worth fiue and twentie thousand Crownes as the Interpreters expound it in Eng. coine about 6250 pound if you take these crownes to be English taken from the eare of the Ladie Metella that he might drinke it of at a draught I would faine knowe whether these men did more abound in riches or in Luxurie in wealth or in wantonnes that were so costly luxurious in their meats and drinks Ioseph antiq lb. 18. Neither do I now marvail at the summe which another Roman gentleman offred to expugne the chastitie of the Ladie Paulina being 25 Myriades drachmarum everie 100 drachmae being accounted worth 58 shil 4 pence and consequently amounting in our English coin to aboue 7290 pounds what cittie was ever like to this in treasures or filthie pleasures But I hast to a fift place of scripture which will deserv both longer stay and better consideration And because I shall herein differ not a little from all other interpreters that I have read I have the greater reason to continue my course in Problems Rev. 16 The text of Scripture is the Prophecy of Armageddon or Armagedon noted for a place where the Kings of the earth are gathered together to the battell of the great day of God almighty The word is Hebrew and because the Hebrew names by reason of the difference of the points are subject to diverse manner of readings I would first learn whether it may not be taken for Harmegeddon which signifieth the mountain of pleasant and precious fruites For so the word Meged importeth Cant. 4 13. as it is expounded in other parts of the Scripture Gen. 24 53. to which is added the
pater doctissimus id te oratum volo pie Lector ut sicubi me errasse animadvertes me corrigas siteipsum mecum redeas ubi pariter cerius es pergas mecum ubi pariter haesitas ores mecum ut sic Christianae unitatis pietatis leges inviolatas teneamus THE SVMME OF THE FOLLOWING Discourse conteyning Seuen Problems concerning Antichrist everie one resolved into seuen Questions necessarie in these times to be considered I. Probleme Concerning the Place of Antichrist whether it be Rome Christian 1. Whether Rome be that great cittie described in the 17. ch Apoc. 2. Whether it be the great cittie where the beast shall make warre against the witnesses of God which cittie is spiritually called Sodome and Egipt c. Apoc. 11. 3. Whether Rome be Babylon the great which is mentioned Apoc. 14. 4. Whether it be the great cittie spoken of Apoc. 18. 5. Whether it may be understood to be the place called Armageddon Apoc. 16. 6. Whether it be the place noted by the Apostle to be the Temple of God 2 Thess 2. 7. Whether it be the mountain of holynes between the seas Dan. 11 Summa If these prophecies do all concurre in Rome Christian and cannot be understood of any other place then is Rome Christian the seate of Antichrist II. Probleme Of the State or bodie Politike of Antichrist whether it be the state or dominion of Rome 1. Of the prophecies of Daniel concerning the fourth Beast and the Prophecies in the Revelation how they differ and how they may be reconciled 2. Whether the fourth Beast in Daniel do signifie the Roman state under Consuls Decemvirs c. or what else 3. Whether the first Beast rising out of the Sea Apoc. 13. do signifie the Roman state under Caesars or what else 4. Whether the Beast in the 17 of the Apoc. doe signifie the Roman state under Antichrist or what else 5. Whether the little Horne in Daniel do signifie Antichrist or what else 6. Whether the second Beast in the 13 of the Apoc. do signifie Antichrist 7. Whether the woman in the 17 Apoc. do signifie Antichrist Summa If these prophecies do concurr and be all fulfilled in the Roman state and the Governours thereof and cannot be fulfilled in any other then is that the state of Antichrist III. Probleme Of the Names of Antichrist 1. Whether the name of Pontifex Maximus do agree to Antichrist 2. Whether the name of Servue servorum do agree to Antichrist 3. Whether the name of that Antichrist may be giuen to the Pope to all the succession of Popes since the yeare of our L. 700. 4. Whether the name of Anomos .i. the Lawlesse or the man of sinne may be applied to that succession 5. Whether the name of the Sonne of Perdition may be giuen to that succession 6. Whether the name Abaddon may be giuen to that succession 7. Of the numerall names of 666. and how they are applied to the Pope Summa If these names and prophecies do all concurre in the Popes and their succession can be truly verified of none other then is the Pope collective as it is sayd Nomen successionis That Antichrist IIII. Problem Of the Rising of Antichrist 1. How the Monarchie of Antichrist must beginne to rise whether all at once or by degrees in tract of time 2. When it must beginne whether it must not beginne before the power of the Emperor be fully removed out of Rome 3. When the power of the Emperor began to be removed how long it was in removing 4. Whether it may stand with the scripture to say that Antich must be a singular person or whether he must be a monarch successiue 5. By what means the Popes did rise to their height of power supremacie whether it was not by sedition and schisme 6. Whether they did not contend and warr against the holy Bishops and Saints of God to get their supremacie 7. Whether they did obtein their dominions and supremacie by rebellion and perjurie Summa If all the prophecies concerning the Rising of Antich be fulfilled in the Pope successive cānot be fulfilled in any other then is the Pope successive Antich none else can be V. Probl. Of the Raigne of Antichrist 1. Whether the Great Whoore described Apoc. 17. doe signifie the state of the Antichrist regnant 2. Whether al parts of that description may be applyed to the popes successiue since the yeare of our Lord 700. 3. Whether the Beast that was and is not and yet is Apoc. 17. doe signifie the Pontifex Max. that is the Pope of Rome 4. whether any Iew Turke or other person whatsoever hath been supported by so many Nations Peoples and tongues as the Pope hath been during his supremacie since the said yeare 5. whether it be possible or likely that any Iew Turke or other person whatsoever should obteyne such greate and inestimable riches as the Popes haue gotten in that time 6. whether any Iew Turke or Pagan ever had or claymed such absolute and supereminent power to depriue and depose kings and princes by their sentences to absolue their subjects from their alledgeance to dispence with oathes as the Popes haue done whether it be possible that any Iew Turke or Pagan can obteine such power 7. whether ever any Turk or Iew pretended or claymed such absolute supremacie authoritie that if he lead multitudes of soules caetervatim into hell yet he was not to be reproved nor called to account for it as the Popes haue arrogated and whether it be probable that any shall be able to attain to such power hereafter Summa If all the prophecies concerning the Raigne of Antich be fulfilled in the Pope and cannot be otherwise then he is Antich VI. Probl. Of the words and actions of Antichrist 1. Whether any Iew or Turke or other whatsoever haue so much in so high degree blaspheamed God and our Lord Christ Iesus as the Pope and his Church haue done since the said year 700 namely in affirming that the old and new Testament haue their authoritie from the Popes decree and such like c. 2. whether any haue caused or procured so many rebellions Treasons and murders to be committed as they haue done and whether it be possible for any in time to come to doe the like 3. whether any haue changed lawes so much as the Pope hath done by his decrees decretals pardons dispensations Faculties Indulgences c. and whether any Iew Turke or Infidell ever tooke upon him such authoritie to dispense with sinnes before hand and to giue indulgence for sinnes to be committed as the Popes haue done more then God himselfe 4. whether any haue changed times so much as the Popes haue done whether it be possible for any in time to come to make such changes viz. by feasts fasts Lents and Iubilees decretals dispensations and Calenders 5. whether any Iew Turke or Infidell hath erected or maintained such open and
his enemies and not to his servants and freinds Concerning whom I desire to be resolved in 7. points 1 Vpon the words long before spoken by our Saviour vobis datum est Matth. 13. To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven whether by these words he meant to signifie onely his Apostles or all his disciples and them also which as he speaketh in another place should beleeve in him through their words Iohn 17. 2 Why in these words he made no speciall mention of Peter or his successours which do now vindicate to themselvs the sole authoritie of the keyes aswell of science as of power and jurisdiction 3 whether those who by our Saviour are there signified by a vobis datum be not the same which are here called the servants of Iesus Christ and why here also there was no mention of Peter or his successours or of the Roman Church which was then in the Imperiall Cittie and doubtlesse had many godly men in it Rom. 16. and some of great dignitie 4 When our divine Evangelist writeth these things to the seven Churches of Asia whether he did not in this according to his direction and whether he doe not hereby shew who were meant by the name of the servants of God and Christ 5 what reason the Apostle had to send it to those Churches and not to the Roman church either as chief or as one of the rest was it perhaps for the reason of S. Hillarie Anne ambiguum est Antichristum in his tectis esse sessurum Or was he not an Apostle and Prophet to the Romans as well as to them of Asia or for what other reason 6 Whether in writing to those seven he did not intend to write to the whole universall Church of God as well to come as present as S. Augustine expoundeth Numero septenario vniversae Ecclesiae significata est perfectio De Civ 17 4. And onely to the Church and whether all others be not excluded by a vobis non est datum 7. And lastly whether in writing to the seven Churches and their Angels equally and indifferently he do not sufficiently shew that the state of the Church upon earth is neither in the nature of a Monarchie nor of a Democratie but of an Aristocratie where the several Angels preside in their severall Territories precincts and congregations agreeing in the unity of one faith under one eternall head the God of Truth Christ Iesus Let us not deceive our selvs Babilonians use to lisp They cannot speak the language of Canaan with a true spirit Neither onely this booke but all the Scripture is dark and obscure to them whose minde the God of this world hath blinded 2 Cor. 4. Hosh 8 12. and so much for the Persons IV. My fourth Problem is concerning the finall ende scope of this book in the verses above briefly touched to shew to his servants things which must shortly come to passe And here I must necessarily speak of the Subject which is so joyned with the end that the consideration of the one cannot be severed from the other I demand therefore what things must be shewed to the Church of God Surely takeing a generall view of this divine prophecy for my part I conceive that the most here spoken of is of the enemies of their persecutions malicious practises against the Church and of the defence and deliverance of the Church and the punishment of her enemies and so I finde S. Hieroms opinion In prologo Revelat quanta Ecclesia Christi passa et passura sit And to what end must these things be shewed unto them if not to the same for which our Euangelist in his Euangile reciteth many excellent sermons of our Saviour Christ namely to comfort and incourage the faithfull and to excite them to repentance vigilance patience and perseverance against the troubles to come Repent saith he to the Churches of Ephesus and Pergamus Fear not to Pergamus Hold fast to Thyatira c. So in the Gospell These things haue I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended So in his Epistle Let that abide in you Iohn 16. 1 Iohn 2. which ye have heard from the begining Take heed I haue foretold you Marke 13. Now if this be the end namely to arme the faythfull with those vertues against the troubles to come then what is or can be the subject of this book or what matter can it speak of but 1. it must describe the state of the Church in her severall times 2. The Head of the Church who is also her Saviour Protector in all her troubles 3 The enemies of the Church and their persecutions and practises 4. The Confusion of those Enemies and the punishments inflicted upon them in this world 5 Their Everlasting Damnation 6 The Deliverance of the Church And lastly her Everlasting Glory and felicity Whether this be not so I desire to know upon the three Problems ensuing My fift Problem therefore is concerning the Church V. whether it be not with sufficient plainenesse set forth unto us in these seven places 1 In the vision of the seuen golden Candlesticks Revel 1. in the middest whereof Christ Iesus walketh 2 In the vision of the Beasts and Elders in the midst of whom is the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Revel 4. 3 In the vision of the Temple of God Revel 12. set forth to be measured and opened 4 In the vision of the woman travelling with Child which bringeth forth Christ Iesus Revel 12. and then is forced to flye into the wildernes where she must continue for a long time after 5 As Mount Sion whereupon the Lamb standeth with all his Army chap. 14. 6 As a Bride trimmed for her husband chap. 19. 7 As the City of God the new Ierusalem whose wals are founded upon the Twelve Apostles chap. 21. VI. My sixth Problem is concerning our Saviour Christ the great and mighty Lord Protectour Prince and Saviour of his Church whether he also be not as many waies described unto us viz. 1 As the great Bishop and Teacher of his Church in the midest of the seuen golden Candlesticks Râ—vel 1. 2 As the Sacrifice for his Church chap. 4. and yet the Defender Protectour in the middest of the Throne a Lamb a Lyon chap. 10. 3 As the great Lord of Heaven and Earth Land Sea Dâ—u 32 40 determining the end of Times which is not revealed to any Angell Matth. 24. 4 As the seede of the woman and yet the Sonne of God Revel 12. Revel 14. 5 As the Lamb standing on mount Sion 6. As a most mightie valiant captain chap. 19. or invincible Prince going forth to warre against his enemies himself in the forefront readie to charge them in the face 7 And lastly as an inevitable Iudge both of quick
Doth not the holy Ghost teach us to speak much more truely Marke well the Prophecie of Ezec. 7. where he speaketh of the worst of the heathen coÌ„sider by the circumstances whether it can be understood of any but the Romans when it representeth that Empire unto us under the name of Iâ—on mixt with dyrt as the Emperor Tiberius was called Lutum sanguine maceratum dyrt mixt with bloud unles you will therefore call it golden because in filthines and Idolatrie it was like the old Babylon which was figured by the head of Gold or because it is the seat of the golden Harlot But of this else-where In the mean space I demand again where was the zeale of their Bishops to reforme or correct these enormities euen of the Christians where were their decrees or decretals to restrain them where was the courage of the Priests or Clergie to reprehend or censure them was there none amongst them all but that Tertullian of Carthage and Salvianus of Massilia must rise up to speak of it Videbat hoc universa urbs patiebatur videbant Iudices acquiescebant sayth he So here was Babylon and yet I confesse there was Sion also But Sion dwelling in Babylon Whereof the Prophet Zacharie after the returne from the first captivitie seemeth to speak saying Zach. 2. Deliver thy self o Sion Rev. 18. that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon And our Evangelist repeateth Come out of her my people shewing that the prophecie of Esay and Ieremie concerning her destruction are not yet fulfilled I demand then upon all these premisses whether any place can be found in the world qualified for to be the seat of Antichrist according to these Prophesies besides the Septimontane Rome and that Christian the mountain of holynes and yet Sodome the Temple of God and yet Egypt Sion and yet Babylon which euen in her best Christianitie retained the Barbarous crueltie the abhominable filthines and horrible idolatrie of Egypt Sodom and Babylon in their publike sights and shewes Theaters solemnities ceremonies common practise And no sooner did they suppresse those old Pagan Idolatries but they fell to this new Idolatrie of worshiping of Images which they still practise defend together with their ever accustomed filthines crueltie whereupon I must propose this Problem whether by any possibilitie or imagination of man these things can be applied to any other place but Rome II. Of the state of Antichrist THE next thing after the place which offereth it self to our senses and consideration seemeth to be the subject or bodie without which no Accident can consist and therefore used in the definition of Accidents especially Relatiues which cannot be without their Correlatiues as a father cannot be so called but in respect of his sonne nor a Monarch or king but in respect of his monarchie kingdome or state Politike subject unto him And this also must be proportionable as we said before of Relatiues For as great things must haue great places so a great and mightie Monarch must haue a great state under him And as by the greatnes of the place we may measure the body so by the greatnes of the state subject to any Prince we judge of the greatnes power of the Prince himself We haue seene alreadie a great place appointed for Antichrist Let us now see the greatnes of the state and bodie politike that must be subject unto him and support him And this also hath not been neglected in the H. Scriptures but is set forth and described in divers places especially three as the best Interpreters do obserue which also do concurre and haue good correspondence with the prophecies concerning his place aboue specified First in the seuenth chap. of the prophet Daniel Secondly the 13 ch of the Rev. And thirdly the 17 ch of the Rev. which places agree in some things and differ in others and that agreement and those differences together with the reasons thereof deserue to be narrowly sifted First in Daniell we finde a great and terrible Beast with ten hornes and amongst the rest a litle horne rising up c. In the 13 of the Rev. we fynd two beasts one rising è mari out of the Sea as all the beasts in Daniel with tenne hornes c. the other rising e Terra In the 17 chap. of the Rev. we fynde a great beast with ten hornes and a whore sitting on his back Let us first consider of the description of this great beast rising out of the sea in the 13 ch of the Rev. where he seemeth to be most fully set forth positiuely and after comparatiuely Here therefore the great beast rising out of the sea is described first in his existence or parts Secondly in his power actions For his existence and parts it is first said to be a beast rising out of the sea Secondly having seauen heads Thirdly ten hornes crowned Fourthly upon his heads were names of blasphemie Fiftly his bodie like a Leopard Sixtly his feet like a beare And seuenthly his mouth like a Lion For his power and actions it is said 1 that the dragon gaue him his power and his throne and great authoritie 2 That one of his heads was wounded as it were to death but his deadly wound was cured 3 All the world wondered after the beast and worshiped the Dragon which gaue power to the beast and worshiped the beast saying Who is like to the beast Who is able to make warre with him 4 There was giuen him a mouth to speak great things and blasphemies 5 Power was given to him to doe and continue two and fortie months 6 He opened his mouth in blasphemie against God to blaspheame his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heauen 7 And it was giuen to him to make warre with the saints and to overcome them and power was giuen him over all kindreds tongues and nations And all that dwell upon earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Book of Life and Loe here a strange and mightie beast Now what is meant by the name of a beast rising out of the sea the prophet Daniell telleth us For he saith plainly Dan. 7 23. that it signifyeth a kingdome rising upon the earth And the fourth Beast saith he is the fourth kingdome Which seemeth to be the same that is here spoken of The prophet Ezechiel useth the same phrase Ezce 19 17. saying Wherefore laye thy mother as a Lyonesse among the Lyons c. And againe the great Eagle c. Now if this be a kingdome which is spoken of by our Euangelist of necessitie it must be some verie great and mightie kingdome for so it appeareth by all parts of the description especially where it is said that all the world woâ—shipeth it And in the question that is asked Who is able to warre with him paralel to that question asked in another place What cittie is like to this great cittie As
the description also of this beast here is almost the same with that which is expressed in the 17 chap. of this Book I ask then what kingdome or Empire can be understood in this place Surely he that will say that this beast here and the beast in the 17 chap. do signifie any other kingdom beside Rome must produce some other great Empire to whom the seaven heads and the other attributes there given unto it may be applied aswell as to the Roman which no man yet could ever do Let us therefore see the description of this mightie Empire comparatiue and wherein it doth agree or differ from that which is described by the Prophet Daniel and by this our Euangelist in the 17 ch The fourth Beast saith the Prophet comming out of the sea was fearfull and terrible and verie strong It had great Iron teeth it devoured and brake in peeces and stamped the residue under his feet it was unlike the other beasts for it had ten horns there came up among them another little horne before whom three of the first hornes were plucked away and in this horne were eyes like a man and a mouth speaking presumptuous things And this fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdome and shall be unlike to all kingdomes and shall devour the whole earth and tread it downe and breake it in peeces and the teene hornes out of this kingdome are ten kings and another shall arise after them and he shall be unlike the first and shall subdue three kings And shall speak words against the Most High and think that he may change times and lawes and they shall be given into his hands untill a time times and half a time But the judgment shal sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it unto the end This is Daniels description of the fourth Monarchie Let us heare again how the Euangelist describeth it in the 13 chap. I saw a beast rising out of the sea having seuen heads Rev. 13. and ten hornes so Daniell and upon his hornes ten crownes upon his heads the names of blasphemie And the Beast which I saw was like a Leopard and his feete were as the feete of a Bear his mouth as the mouth of a lyon and the dragon gaue him his throne and great authoritie and I saw one of his heads as wounded to death but the deadly wound was healed and all the world wondred and followed the beast and they worshiped the dragon which gaue power to the beast saying Who is like to the beast who is able to make warre with him so Daniell it shall devour the whole earth c. And there was giuen unto him a mouth that spake great things blasphemies power was giuen him to continue 42 months And he opened his mouth in blasphemie against God to blaspheme his name his Tabernacle and them that dwelt in heauen And it was giuen unto him to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them and power was giuen him over everie kindred tongue and nation Therefore all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the booke of life of the lambe which was slayn from the beginning of the world In the 17 chap. of the Revelation it is thus The woman sate upon a scarlet beast full of names of blasphemie Rev. 17. which had seuen heads and ten hornes so in the former prophecies And the beast which thou hast seene was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pitte and shall goe into perdition And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is Here is the minde that hath wisdome The seuen heads are seuen mountains they are also seuen kings fiue are fallen one is another is not yet come and when he cometh he must continue a short space And the beast that was and is not is the eight is of the seuen and shall go into destruction And the ten hornes which thou sawest are ten kings which yet haue not receaved a kingdome but shall receaue power as kings at one houre with the beast These shall haue one minde and shall giue their power athoritie to the beast These shall fight with the Lamb and the Lambe shall overcome them the ten hornes shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and shall burne her with fire They that be of indifferent Iudgment may see in that Prophecie of Daniell many things that cannot be applyed to Antiochus or to the kingdome of the Seleucidae Vide Brightmâ— in Dan. 11. As first the great power of this fourth kingdome which the Prophet setteth forth in more terrible dreadfull manner then any of the former But was the kingdome of the Seleucidae more terrible or more powerfull then the Assirian and Caldean the Median and Persian or the Grecian Monarchie was Antiochus any way comparable to Nabuchadnezzar Cyrus or Alexander Did he devour the whole earth Also this fourth kingdom shall think to make changes of times or lawes Dan. 7. c. did Antiochus so Besides by the words of Daniel it may seem that the fourth kingdom shall continue untill the finall judgment which cannot agree to the Seleucidans Letting therefore that opinion passe as a Iewish conceit approved by none of the ancient that I can finde Hieron in Daâ— but Porphyry some few of late that are too much addicted to the Rabbins I thinke there is litle doubt to be made but although some things may be applyed to Antiochus Hieron in Dan 2 4. Quartum regu perspic ue pertinet ad Rom. August Nich de Lyra. Antoninus Marsil Fic Sleidan Napier in Apoc. Abbat demonstr Antâ—chr Pâ—raeus Not. Geneven c yet this beast here signifieth the Roman Monarchie and the little horne signifieth Antichrist shadowed in some things by Antiochus And so I finde the opinion of the ancient and best interpreters Then to goe forward and see what points these two excellent and divine Prophets apply to the Roman Empire and wherein they agree or differ And truly to my understanding they seeme to agree in seuen points verie materiall 1. In the rising of this beast which both affirm to be out of the sea 2. In the name a Beast that is a Kingdom as the Angel expoundeth it not one King individuall although if he did say a King we may understand well enough the whole succession as where he saith Thou o King art that head of Gold 3. In the attribute which they give unto him Great strength and power unmatchable and unresistable 4. In his disposition most cruell and bloudy 5. In the instruments of his power Ten horns that is ten Kings 6. In his Warre against the saincts prevailing against them 7. In
Kings Consuls Dictators Decemvirs and Tribunes One was then in being namely the Caesars and this not obscure Rev. 17. But who that one was that was to come and to continue but a short space and how the beast is called the eight yet one of the seauen seemeth somewhat intricate and difficult to explain But I demand here what is the word in the text I am not ignorant that this differeth from some others whom I reverence but Sit liber judex Another is not yet come What other Not another Head but another King or Caesar For it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the beast is called not the eight head but Ogdoos the eight king This in my opinion directeth us to Constantine the Christian Emperor as to him that continued but a short time He that will apply this to the eccles state of the B B. under the GreciaÌ„ Caesars must consider how it can be proved that those B B. had regall power and if they had then how their power can be distinguished froÌ„ their successors For he altereth the forme of the Empire reducing it from Heathenish to Christian and translated the sea of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople and therefore may well be called an other but another Caesar not another Head For he continued Caesar still But God would not suffer that godly Christian Emperor long to continue Head of the Antichristian beast and therefore moved him to remoue his Emperiall seat that the Impediment might be removed according to the Prophecy 2 Thes 2. Then to the second question who is the beast that is the eight king and yet the seauenth head one of the seauen who else can it be but those that immediately succeeded the Caesars in the government of Rome And who were they but the Pontifices maximi dist 96. as both by their lawes and histories appeareth For sayth the decree Constantine gaue to Silvester who then was Summus Pontifex his pallace of Lateran and his Imperiall ornaments with power and principallitie c. I know it is objected that this is under the title of Palea And much adoe there hath ben about it to little purpose For looke in another part of the decree Caus 12. q. 1. and there it is registred for authenticall that Constantine left to Silvester imperialem sedem his Imperiall sea If it be objected that the donation of Constantine is held by many to be forged that is nothing to the purpose Angelus Râ—ccha de Bibliot vat bringeth divers authors to proue that Coâ—st cessit Pontisici For it is not here said that he gaue it but that he left it neither is it here in question what Constantine truly gaue but what the Bishop of Rome truly had Now their Histories do plentifully testifie that whether by the gift or cession of Constantine or by what other means See Probl. 4. pretence or colour soever it was their power after the departure of Constantine grew dayly more and more absolute untill they had by little and little wrought the Emperors not onely out of Rome but out of all Italie and in the end brought them under their feet Platina seemeth to affirme the donation saying that he gaue to Silvester his Diadem and for his sake built the pallace of Lateran Howsoever if we belieue their owne Authors there is no Empire now to be found in Rome in epi. ad Thes vide Tho. Aquin. Lyr. in 2 Thes 2. al. as Stapulensis confesseth Vbi nunc est Romana Monarchia ubi qui in ea mundum regat habemus But of the Pope or Pont. Max. it is no lesse evident that he now hath and for these many hundred yeares hath had SuÌ„ Pon. Dictator perpetuus queÌ„ principes orbâ—s adoraâ—t And again TotuÌ„ orbeÌ„ terraruÌ„ Ro the absolute government of that great cittie and the state Territorie and Tribunes thereto belonging as witnesseth Blondus Which whosoever hath after the removing of the Empire must be confessed to be Antichrist in beeing the seauenth head of Rome curia sibi subjectum habet Blondus in Roma instaurata Vbi plura Vid. Adrian 4. apud Aventiâ— Tho. Aquin. c. I referre me to thine owne judgment Christian Reader whether hereby all the difficulties of the Text be not cleerly discussed First where it sayth The beast which was and is not is the eight and is of the seauen And againe The beast which was is not and yet is Whether these words can be understood but of this Roman Pontifex For the Pon. Max. was instituted by Numa Pompilius the second king of Rome to be the cheef Iudge decider of all matters concerning Religion this continued still in Rome in great honor Livy lib. 1. untill the time of Iulius Caesar distinct from the Dictator but he tooke that as an high dignitie upon himself And so did Augustus and other Emperors And amongst the rest Sueton. it is thus reported of Titus Pontificatum max. ideo se professus accipere ut puras servaret manus fidem praestitit nec author posthaec cuiusquam necis nec conscius Whereby we may see that the law of that supreame Pontificate was that they might not be Iudges of capitall crimes nor sentence any man to death But I haue not yet found it written of Domitian in whose time our Euangelist receiued this Revelation that he tooke upon him this Pontificall dignitie And it seemeth he did not For else why doth not Sueton. speak of it as well in him as in others and he is not onely noted by the Christians for a bloudy Persecutor but for a cruell Tyrant amongst the Heathen From which if he had taken upon him the high Pontificate if nothing els yet this their owne law the shame of the world I thinke would somewhat haue restrained him I doe not read it I say Therefore I thinke he was not Pon. Max. And so the words of our Prophet are exactly fulfilled that the Beast the Pont. was formerly in Rome instituted by Numa exercised by Nasica Scipio Iulius Augustus Titus and many others and it is not in Domitian and yet is though not in him de facto yet in the state of Rome in potentia when they list to set it up And it is the eight king of that state reckoning Constantine the Christian to be the seauenth yet it is but the seauenth head and of the seauen because Constantine had no distinct forme of Regall authoritie from the other Caesars and therefore could not be reckoned to be another head from the Caesars And this Pont. Max. who in the time of the Consuls and Pagan Cesars was but like a little horne growing in time of the Christian Emperours like a Beast of power ascending now sitteth like a queen upon the back of the Roman state commanding And it shall ascend sayth the Angell out of the bottomlesse pit It
of Europe which was subject heretofore to Rome gaue him authoritie and power to do what he lift in their kingdoms Was ever the like done to any Monark Prince Potentate or Man heretofore or may we expect or looke for the like to be done to any in time to come True it is we see not yet the Whore made naked and desolate nor burnt with fire Psal 31. the time is in Gods hands and he that beleeveth will not be too hastie Leaving therefore that which is to come Hab. 2 3. unto the disposition of the great disposer of times Let us goe as far as men may in the description of this mightie Empire to see what is fulfilled alreadie The next note or circumstance here observed is that upon his heads were the names of blasphemie but in the 17 ch it is said that the Beast is full of names of Blasphemie A difference not to be neglected For the understanding whereof it is necessarie for us to see how the word Blasphemie is taken in scripture and thereby we shall see how this also agreeth to Rome the Pontifical First I demand whether it be not blasphemie Vide Thom. 2 2. q. 13. when infinite power or infinite knowledge or other inseperable incommunicable properties of God Antonin sum par 2. t. 8 c. 7. are attributed unto men In which respect the Iewes hearing our Saviour say Sum. Angel t. blasphem Marc 14. Destroy this temple and I will raise it againe in three dayes accused him of Blasphemie as claiming infinite and divine power to himself whom they thought to be but a man Him they accused falsely but such in truth was the Blasphemie of Sennacharib and Rabsake Who are they among all Gods that haue delivered their Lands 2 Reg. 1◠that the Lord should deliver Ierusalem out of my hands So that of Holofernes Iudit 6. But the Blasphemie of Nebuchadnezzar king of the first Babel seemeth to goe a step farther Dan. 3. who not onely asked the same Question Who is the God that can deliver you from me But upon the wicked perswasion of his own power presumed to make an Image commanded it to be worshiped as a God And shall a man make Gods sayth the Prophet is not this a blasphemie beyond all blasphemies Ier. 16. in asmuch as he that saith he can make a God doth not onely make himself equall to God but greater better more powerfull and mightie as the efficient cause is alwaies better and more powerfull then the effect Now in this kinde of Blasphemie I demand who ever went beyond the Romans who not onely made many Gods and commanded them to be worshiped but onely such as were made by them or received by the publike authoritie of their common wealth or Senate by pretence of which Law they refused our Saviour Christ although recommended to the Senate by Tiberius Rival in Hist Iud. Eusebius Tertull. with a prerogatiue of his own voice as some report So then by the Lawes of the Romans they would haue such Gods as they made themselues would haue none other to be worshiped And whether this were not most horrible abhominable blasphemie I desire to be answered If it were let us see how it was used in the old time when Rome was Ethnick and how it hath ben used since In the Ethnike Rome none were made Gods but by the Senate as appeareth by the Law aforesaid and none were worshiped as Gods but publicè asciti such as were publikely accepted And the Senate made no Gods but their king Romulus the murtherer of his brother and the Caesars which were the heads of that fourth beast or Monarchie But now in the time of Christianitie all degrees are Canonised and worshiped by the Popes authoritie namely Munkes and Friers Nunnes and Priests as well as kings or princes popes or patriarkes So that now we may see the whole bodie of this Popish Empire full of names of blasphemy Again do they not hold affirm that everie priest and frier in celebrating the Masse doth make God and that a God to be worshiped as not onely the reall but the carnall body of our Lord and the verie same that was borne of the virgin Marie See more of their blaspemies in D. Willet of the 4 Pillets I ask whether this be not Blasphemie and whether these names of Blasphemy are not now spread over all the bodie of the beast If they be then whether this difference betweene the Beast in the 13 chap. and in the 17 of the Revelation be not herein most precisely and plainly fulfilled Having observed this difference let us returne againe to the description of this great beast representing the old Roman Empire It is said it hath the bodie of a Leopard the feet of a Beare and the mouth of a Lyon This hath been verie well expounded by the learned Napier and others to signifie that it hath all the Instruments of tyrannie of all the former Monarchies viz. the Leopard in swiftnes and eagernes of the Macedonians Polyb. lib. 3. For within three and fiftie yeares as Polib noteth from verie small beginnings it got the Monarchie of the world The Bearelike pawes of the Persians that is innumerable armies apt to march everie where to take hold of everie thing as the Beare doth with the pawes And the Lion-like mouth of the Babylonian not onely to devour men but to roare out blasphemies against God as by the instance aforesaid may appear Who is that God that can deliver you out of my hands said the Babylonian so the Assirian before him and so the Roman after him by reason whereof they did not onely reject our Saviour Christ as I said before but stirred up nine or ten horrible persecutions against Christians Onuph in Plat. in vit Silvest Vid. Aug. de civ dei l. 8 the first by Nero. 2 by Domitian 3 by Trajan 4 by Antoninus the 5 by Severus the 6 by Maximinus the 7 by Decius the 8 by Valerianus and the 9 by Dioclesian to which they adde the 10 by the Arrians which was also by the power of the Roman Empire No lesse cruelties haue they exercised since Rome was Pontifical but of these elswhere And thus haue we seene this beast in his essence parts Whereupon for a pause let us demaund againe the question whether these things can be verified of any other person Monarchie or state in the world but onely of the Roman And so let us proceed and consider of the same beast in his power and actions and see whether they also do not most aptly agree to the same state And here again we finde seuen things noted in this Beast 1 That the Dragon gaue to this beast Rev. 1. his power and his throne and great authoritie doth not Tully say the same in effect of Rome though in other words Omnis Deorum immortalium potestas aut translata est ad
come downe from heauen in the sight of men So the Popes in fulminating their Excommunications out of the Church which is commonly called Heauen in this Apocalyps Fourthly he deceiveth men with these wonders So the Popes for they are but ignes fatui Prov. 26. causeles curses and so forcelesse Fiftly He sayth to earthly men that they should make the image of the first beast So the Popes in setting up another Pontificate with like power to the first Sixtly it was permitted to him to giue a spirit to the image of the Beast that he should speake So do the Popes animate this image of the first Pontificate And seauenthly to cause that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast should be killed Regall power of life death And whether the Popes haue not exercised that power let all men judge What part or point then of this description is not fully accomplished in the actions of the Popes aboue named Is it not manifest that the popes did exercise all the power and authoritie of the old Idolatrous Pont. Max. in Rome before the Emperors face who for a while held that title of Pont. Max. If we should deny it doth not Baronius himself affirme it The power of the first Beast is sayd to haue been in making warre with the Saints and prevayling against them Rev. 13. and over everie kindred tongue and nation And did not the Popes most stifly contend both with other Christians and with the godly Bishops of the Graecian and Easterne churches for appeales Supremacie untill they had obteyned it Did not Iulius enter into contention with the Orientall Bishops and amongst them S. Athanasius and reprehend them for holding a Counsell without his leave to confute the Heresie of Arrius Did not Liberius excommunicate the same worthie Father and saint Athanasius which made the godly Father S. Hilarie so bitterly to cry out The Pope in his first rising excommunicated by S. Hillarie Anathema to thee O Liberius and all thy Companions Anathema againe and againe to thee thou false hearted double dealing Liberius Doth not S. Hierom complain of the senate of Pharisees saying that there was not so mean a scribe of that faction of Ignorance but did conspire against him which made him to forsake Rome and returne to Ierusalem Did not Celestinus seeke with force and armes to restore Antonius a Bishop of Africa deposed by the Bishops of that countrie amongst whom were those Excellent bishops Aurelius Alipius S. Augustine which caused that godly and learned Father verie earnestly to put him minde of the words of S. Peter that he should not domineer over his Bretheren And did not most of them contend with the Patriarchs of Constantinople for Supremacie What was all this but warring against the Saints And when did these Contentions cease but when the Pope had prevailed against gotten the Supremacie over all these Christian Nations And after he had subjugated all Bishops how they haue continually made warre against other godly Christians namely the Valdenses Albigenses Wicklevites Hussites Bohemians and others everie man may read in the Histories of these later times Now if these things be so How can these prophecies be otherwise fulfilled then they haue been in these Roman Bishops To whom else can they be applied how may we expect any in time to come that may accomplish these prophecies if they be not alreadie It is not amisse here a litle to stay our contemplation and as far forth as the Sunne of Righteousnes and most pure light of truth shall illumine our understanding to search out the cause why the same blessed and all seeing spirit to whom all times are present would not onely represent the four Monarchies or Great Beasts of Idolatrie by four severall mettals but also why it pleased him to make choise of those Mettals viz. Gold Silver Brasse Iron and none other saue with the last there is mixed earth or clay Although the Prophet Daniel hath already shewed the chief principall reason yet if we finde any other reason thereof which is agreeable to the truth and no way repugnant to that holy prophecie I hope it will not seem unworthie of our consideration That the Babylonians Persians Greekes and Romans were all Idolaters is confessed and therefore they were aptly joyned together in one Image But why is this Image made of these severall mettals Surely somewhat may be found if we search into it He that hath commanded us to seek hath promised that we shall finde Thou O King art that Head of Gold Dan. 2. sayth Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar thou and thy Successors kings of Babel Why for you in your Idolatrous services use Gold Herod l. 1. Not. Genev. in Esa 46. Dan. 3. Thou worshippest an image all of gold the table before him is all of gold the Altar is gold and thou makest a Statue of gold to be worshipped And we may well thinke the Prophet Esay had some respect to this in calling it the Golden Babel The Persian Monarchie is resembled to Silver Esay 14. Why They and all the rest of Asia worshiped Diana with silver shrines The Grecians are likened to Brasse Act. 19. Why They made Statues of Brasse Herod l. 9. and dedicated presents of Brasse as the Brasen Triped Natal Comes li. 7. which gaue occasion to that great civill sacred warre The Romans Idolatrie is represented by Iron Why They for the most part offred Iron Armours as Romulus offred his Opima spolia being the Armour which Livy l. 1. he being Generall tooke from the Generall of his Enemies Which examples the Romans did much emulate as Virgil witnesseth of Marcellus Tertiaque arma patri suspendit capta Quirino Aâ—neid 6. Yea so eagerly were his examples followed that Rome was filled with bloudie armours Plutarch in Marcell making a very horrid spectacle sayth Plutarch Yet they had many Images of Earth as Iuvenall maketh mention of Fictitis Iupiter Petr. Crinitus hon dis l. 14. Non dubium est Romanorum regum temporibus lignea simulachra fictilia in urbe fuisse sayth another Their Great goddesse Vesta or Cybete the mother of their Gods was nothing but the Earth or focus urbis the hearth of the citie sayth Tully Matremque Deorum tellurem sayth Virgill S. Augustin also sheweth that Iupiter was nothing but the world Proserpina and Ceres the Earth And Arnobius witnesseth that their Images many of them were of earth Jeâ—â—g 2. such as perhaps Virgil speaketh of in that verse Oscilla ex alta suspendunt mollia pinu And now I demand whether doth not the Summus Pont. which the Romans haue now set up with Pompe and glorie like to the former Pagan Pontifex maintaine and command such images also to be worshipped And whether are not many of their Images now in use made of Playster of Paris and such like stuffe And doth he not now command them
consitet Ambros Quisquis Christum qualis ab Apostolis predicatum est negat Antichristus est Hill in such manner as by the said rules we are taught So when we beleeue in the H. ghost who spake by the prophets who is the spirit of trueth that shall leade us into all truth whom God promised to poure out upon all flesh Ioel 2. Act. 2. Acts 10. our Saviour Christ would haue not onely his Apostles but Captaines and Souldjours Iewes and Gentiles to be baptised with that spirit and hath promised to giue it to everie one that beleeveth Io. 7 38 39 Luc. 11 13. and to everie one that prayeth for it Is it a small addition to say that that spirit is now not to be found neither in any particular beleevers nor in any Christian Church nor in anie Nationall Councell nor in the Prelates who are called the Angels of the church nor in all the Churches gathered together in a generall Councell but onely in the Pope of Rome and his Church Without whom no Decree of any Generall councell must be held firme or lawfull When we beleeue the holy Catholike Church is it a small addition to say that this Catholike Church is now confined to Rome When we beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes is it a small addition to say that we haue this forgiuenes by the Popes pardons and indulgences eyther for ever or for so manie thousand yeares Doth this agree with that article wherein we beleeue that Christ shall judge the quick and the dead shall he judge when the Pope hath pardoned or shall he judge according to these pardons Is it a small detraction from the commandements to leaue out a parte of the first Is it a small addition to the Sacraments to make seauen in stead of two to adde spittle and other such trash to baptisme Is this literally to be found in the rules aforesaid is it knowne is it certaine Is it a small addition to giue to the Sacrament of the bodie of our Lord devine adoration or is it a small detraction to make it private and so to take it away from the common people except set and solemne times and the cup alwaies Finally when we are agreed that the litterall sense of the Scripture is the most certaine and safe rule of our beleefe and that it hath in it selfe an incredible harmonie and consent and is the sense of the Holy Ghost is it a small addition to this point also to say that the Pope is the supreame interpreter thereof and judge of fayth and manners And that he cannot erre If this be knowne and certaine then why did none of the rules aforesaid expresse and say so Why is it not expressed in the Scripture why did no ancient generall Councell decree it yea why did the three generall Councels aforesaid decree contrarie that the generall councell is aboue the pope Admitte the case to be that the pope judge contrarie to the litterall sense of the Scripture must it be no error Admitte that he maintaine that the Scripture is to be received by vertue of his authoritie that he may dispence with the commandements of God that he is the generall Commissarie of God assumed into the plenitude of power are these small additions to the rules aforesaid The like may be sayd of manie other points upon all which I thus propose and referre it to thine owne soule and conscience good Christian to judge if these be great additions and detractions and more greater then ever any other Heretike made to those Rules of fayth before mentioned and if they haue been oftentimes reproved and admonished for them and yet still maintaine the same then I say I leaue it to thine owne soule to judge Whether the Pope be not the greatest Heretike that ever was And whether we may not well affirme him to be that Antichrist then whom never any was nor can be greater Dan. 12. and with the Prophet Daniel say that they are happie and blessed that lived unto these times to see so great an Enemie of Christ his Church and yet so disguised so holy in name and yet lawlesse indeede so great a Prelate in show and yet in deede so great an Heretike Such a Vicar generall of Christ and yet indeede Antichrist to be discovered and declared by three such great and generall assemblies of the Church It will percase be demanded how I can call him an Heretike that maketh the same confession of Fayth as we doe And I aske if we confesse the same fayth why doth he call us Heretikes But I thinke it appeareth sufficiently by that which hath beene sayd that in making so great additions to the true Catholike and Apostolike fayth he hath declared himself to be the greatest Heretike that ever was and consequently that Antichrist Let us then consider the signes of the times of Anti-Christ and see whether they also do not concurre in discribing men fit for such times and actions fit to be ministers unto Antichrist and who those men may be but the Roman Cleargie First our Saviour Christ giveth us a short but notable and notorious signe importing blasphemie which is such a propertie of Antichrist as no man can doubt of Many sayth he shall come in my name and shall say I am Christ or annointed Mat. 24. for so the word signifieth is not this litterally fulfilled Haue not all the popish Cleargie taken this title upon them And what not for any good or godly purpose but to defend themselues in their most heynous and flagitious crimes against the sword of secular justice by alledging that place of the Psalme Nolite tangere Christos meos Psalm 105. touch not mine annointed I appeale to the consciences of all men that haue beene any whit though meanly conversant in the Histories of late times or observed their actions if any will say that this text may be used as it is in that Psalme for the defence of godly Prophets I will not deny it so it be not used for their protection in wicked actions for to use it in the protection of sinne is no lesse a blasphemie then to make our Saviour Christ the protector and Author of sinne and wickednes A second notable description of men of those times is made by S. Paul For sayth he In the last dayes which S. Iohn calleth the times of Antichrist men shall be lovers of themselues 2 Tim. 3. coveteous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents unthankefull unholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate feirce dispisers of good men Traytors headie high minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a shew of godlynes but haue denied the power thereof So farre the Apostle And these men who they haue been and who they be is not hard to be discerned For who be they that now for many hundred yeares haue laboured onely under the title of the church with unmeasurable and unsatiable